“Calendar Girls” is coming to Tacoma Little Theatre? Well, why not? Last season Tacoma Musical Playhouse bared it all with “The Full Monty.” Here are a couple of review headlines: “Calendar Girls’ delivers the goods . . .” The Duluth News Tribune on the movie. “Unashamedly sentimental and full of heart and bare-faced cheek . . .” The Guardian on the play.
I’m looking forward to this season of plays and musicals. Besides “Calendar Girls,” Tacoma Little Theatre is tickling my fancy with “Evil Dead: The Musical,” and “Holmes for the Holidays” as their holiday cash cow. “The Game’s Afoot (Holmes for the Holidays)” is written by Ken Ludwig who also wrote the period piece farce Lend Me a Tenor, which I’ve seen at several theatres over the years. Holmes for the Holidays is a play within a play and takes place in a modern castle with secret passages and hidden rooms. For more information on all their season visit TLT – tacomalittletheatre.com/
Each theatre other than Tacoma Arts Live has other plays in their line-ups. I’ve just mentioned a few to give a flavor for the upcoming season.
For a straight play I’m really anxious to see “The Wolves” by Sarah DeLappe, which premiered Off-Broadway in September 2016. The Wolves are a female soccer team. All three of my children played soccer and my youngest son has a son and two daughters who played with the youngest daughter still playing. I think what we see is pre-game soccer warm-ups of these female warriors. With the Playhouse stage offering a three sided view of a soccer field and seating just a few feet away it should be intriguing. I may show up wearing shin guards and a cup. Lakewood Playhouse is also featuring two musicals I am really interested in seeing: “Ragtime” and “Heathers.” Visit Lakewood Playhouse for more information – lakewoodplayhouse.org/
Tacoma Musical Playhouse is staging “Singing in the Rain.” OMG it’s going to rain on stage in Tacoma! I’ve seen the stage production at the Fifth Avenue in Seattle and loved it. I saw the film with my parents at the Temple Theatre in Tacoma and years later at the Broadway Center in Tacoma, and later at the Edmonds Center for the Art where it rained so hard we felt like we were in the movie. I predict Tacoma Musical Playhouse will have a number of sold out performances. A large number.
TMP is also presenting “All Shook Up” featuring the songs of Elvis Presley in a theatrical production. I will probably take my sister DeeDee and her grandson Jacob. Also, piquing my interest is “A Gentleman’s Guide To Love and Murder.” This musical comedy is based on the 1907 novel “Israel Rank: The Autobiography of a Criminal” by Roy Horniman.” Can you even say Roy Horniman without smiling? The book also inspired the 1946 film “Kind Hearts and Coronets.” Check out the TMP entire season. – tmp.org
CenterStage is not in Tacoma nor Pierce County, but it seems so close and friendly. The theatre is on Dumas Bay facing Vashon Island and looking back on Tacoma. I like to think of it as Northeast Tacoma. The CenterStage holiday panto (pantomime) this year is “Robin Hood.” Each year Centerstage produces a panto, a traditional style of outrageous English humor. Children love the simple humor. Adults love the over-their-head asides and jokes. We’ve taken loads of grandchildren, but enjoy going by ourselves as well.
This season CenterStage is premiering a play by Mrinalini Kamathm. “Her play, ‘Let There Be Love,’ a mash-up of D.H. Lawrence’s Sons and Lovers, the Greek myth of Eros and Psyche, and the debate of online dating versus matchmaking, had several successful readings both in New York City and in Seattle, Washington, as part of the Ma-Yi Theater Company/U Washington School of Drama administered Mellon Creative Initiative fellowship.” – ma-yitheatre.org/labbies/mrinalini-kamath/
The final production will be “The Importance of Being Earnest.” The humor of Oscar Wilde still prevails. I’ve seen the play countless times and still enjoy it. I may have to bring cute little cucumber sandwiches with the crusts cut off to share. For more information visit CenterStage – centerstagetheatre.com/
Tacoma Arts Live at Theatre on the Square has very short runs with – “Rent” and “God is a Scottish Drag Queen.” I thought this was the funniest play title I had ever seen then I realized it said “God” and not “Cod.” – For play dates, please visit their website. – tacomaartslive.org
To see our list of Tacoma/Pierce County theatres visit – tacomatheatredirectory.com/
To see our list of Seattle/King county theatres visit – seattletheatretoday.com/
It looks like the theatrical season of 2019-2020 will be a wonderful mix of laughter, seriousness, mayhem, mystery, and more. Throw in bonus shows as well as student actor programs from most theatres, Schools of Drama at Pacific Lutheran University, and the University of Puget Sound, and we have excellent live entertainment almost every week; perhaps every day.
