I like this comment from Broadway: “Whoever thought of reviving Mary Chase’s 1944 chestnut, Harvey, and its nymous rabbit starepo has taken a good reading of the current Broadway zeitgeist. Escapist comedy appears to be the audience genre of choice this season” witness the success of One Man, Two Guvnors, possibly Broadway’s most entertaining show in years. Producers are projecting “accurately — that in these troubling economic times we need some comic relief.”
YESSSSSSSSSSS!!!!! We just saw “One Man, Two Guvnors” at Tacoma Little Theatre last month . . . and we are still laughing. I’ll take Comic relief over serious acting almost any day. At Centerstage we often expect and hope for laughter and comedy, which is why we love their dumb, stupid, idiotic, clowning, and pure heaven each year with their pantos.
This year’s Panto “Beauty and the Beast” is written by Vince Brady and will be directed by Trista Duval. The panto will run from November 30 – December 22, 2024.
The raucous, fabulous, and family friendly Holiday Panto returns with one of our most popular titles to date! As ever, the Panto brings a classic fairy tale together with the wonderfully over-the-top characters you love, giving you plenty of those punchy pop culture moments with music, movement, and magic! There’s a reason the Panto becomes a Holiday tradition for more people every year: it’s flawless winter fun!
Here are some of the top drawer actors from Harvey:
Appearing in Harvey is a new actor for Centerstage: Charlie Stevens (he/him) as Duane Wilson
Stevens is an award-winning stage performer, teaching artist and musician from the Pacific Northwest, Charlie is thrilled to make his debut at Centerstage Theatre! He has been involved in the Puget Sound theatre scene for fifteen years. A former member of the internationally-acclaimed vocal jazz ensemble, Soundsation, he has student-adjudicated the Victoria Jazz Fest, where he hosted his clinic, “Finding Your Voice,” a deep dive into developing the individual vocal identity for high school students. He has shared the stage with Seattle Jazz Hall of Fame Inductee Greta Matassa, Grammy-winning Sara Gazarek, and Grammy-winning quartet, säje. Past credits: Shakespeare in Love (Will), Cabaret (Cliff), Broadway Bound (Eugene), The Foreigner (Ellard), Clybourne Park (Jim/Tom/Kenneth). Many thanks to Trista, Vincent, fellow cast and production team. Love to Melanie and Margaret.
Every time Stevens appeared on stage, he brought on the laughs . . . his character just standing and looking was funny . . . from his white tee-shirt to his creased white pants and his polished black shoes. Charlie Stevens gives a shoutout to the completely inimitable Jeffery Swiney-Weaver, who turned Charlie’s long, curly locks into a total greaser up-do without cutting a thread of hair! Thank you, Jeffery!!!
Please, tell your friends about “Harvey.” It is funny and the humor is almost non-stop.
For tickets, visit: https://app.arts-people.com/index.php?subscription=ctrwa&rd=1
For more information about upcoming productions, please, visit: https://centerstagetheatre.com/
Sorry to point out the painfully obvious, but wasn’t there supposed to be a review of Centerstage Theatre‘s production of “Harvey” somewhere in here?
Yes, indeed, Barry. Yes, indeed. The review boiled down to one last comment: “Please, tell your friends about “Harvey.” The play is funny and the humor is almost non-stop. Normally, there are image photos taken during rehearsal or some by the crew of action. Sometimes they match up with our reviews, and sometimes they don’t. Centerstage likes to spread the word about the individuals. When this particular production was just about ready to open, the CenterStage printer died. I would have loved to have had photos of the sets. The sets were nicely constructed. We used images from the theatre about the players. We enjoyed the entire play, but I too wish we could have had some actors in action with photos to share. “Harvey” is a tough one. We couldn’t quote a response from Harvey, or see Harvey is action, but we did enjoy the production. I promise if you go, you will enjoy yourself . . . with Harvey.