TeenTix Blog

Photo by Chris BennionAfter five years of not performing Shakespeare at the Seattle Repertory Theatre this performance of Twelfe Night leaves the audience wondering “Why not?” The combination of the set, scene changes, and a modern twist gave the appearance of modern day while still capturing Shakespeare’s language. “If music be the food of love play on.” This is one of Shakespeare’s most famous quotes from the Twelfe Night. This play at the Seattle Rep shows that there can be no excess of love - though there are other things that you can have excess of, including merriment at others expense, drink, and food.The title refers to the Feast of the Epiphany, which occurs on the twelfth night after Christmas. On this holiday, which is associated with the Roman festival of Saturnalia, you could do or be whatever you wanted, which normally led to excess. Twelfe Night is one of Shakespeare’s truest accounts of the persistence of love and how fate draws people together. These lovers will do anything to find each other’s arms. What do you expect when a woman dresses as a man and then falls in love with her master? It only gets worse when the person that she is courting for her master falls in love with her. Then on top of that her twin brother appears to return from the depths of the ocean. With all this comedic confusion who wouldn’t be laughing?Most of the performance was placed outside. This is a traditional element that complements Shakespeare’s work. The hill between upstage and downstage allowed for perfect transitions between scenes. Though I’m sure it must have presented a problem in rehearsals, it showed a lot about each character. How they approached this obstacle - either climbing and balancing on it, or clawing their way up - showed what kind of person they were. This treacherous walkway was accented in the middle by a door through which messages or people of importance presented themselves. It was astonishing how, although the set was filled with bright colors, they only caught the audience’s attention at the perfect moment each time. The lights seemed never to change and yet always be striking in the way they reflected the actors’ emotions. The use of a backdrop of sky with such vivid colors made it feel like you were watching this performance outside the way that Shakespeare was traditionally played, and yet it gave it its own flare.You could hear the slight intake of breath when Cheyenne Casebier, who plays Olivia, came flowing through the door with the masterpiece of a dress she wore. It seemed to flow around her like a liquid of exquisite color, almost taking up the entire stage, and yet she could move effortlessly. This was a stark contrast to the ridiculously bright yellow stockings with cross-gartering worn by Malvolio, played by Frank X, which didn’t leave a soul in the audience without laughter. The mixture of up-to-date clothing with classical style accented the character’s choices. The wardrobe for the incarnation of Marilyn Manson made his music come to life as if it were a character itself.Though the transitions follow Shakespeare classic format of having one scene smoothly transition to the next without a break, some other elements stuck out. In the beginning there were characters that had no purpose on stage that just seemed to distract from the people speaking on stage. Also certain events overlapped, including the time that Fabian, played by Nick Garrison, was puking off the side of the stage, where important dialogue was lost. These overlaps made the audience pay more attention to the comedic elements instead of the serious ones that were supposed to be the main focus.There was no doubt that most of the actors were professionally trained Shakespearians. David Pichette’s performance as Feste the clown bridged the modern elements with the old English to the point that Shakespeare poetry seemed to be the speech of everyday life. Though a couple of intentions were lost in the beginning, the audience was won by the end. It was uncanny the way that the actors could convey Shakespeare’s meaning to even the people least familiar with old English.Overall this was a wonderful performance of Twelfe Night. It stayed true to Shakespeare’s meaning while combining modern elements. Each piece of the production was put together amazingly to form a complete picture of the director’s vision. I would recommend this show to anyone that wants to laugh heartily and still go away with a deep message.Jenny B., age 189/25/2007Twelfe Night*, Or What You WillSeattle Repertory TheatreSeptember 13 – October 20More info and show times: www.seattlerep.orgSeattle Rep’s Ticket Office: 206-443-2222Ticket Office Hours: Daily, noon – performance timeNote: This production contains sexual undertones and brief nudity. For more information on content, please contact Seattle Rep directly.Seattle Rep is located at 155 Mercer Street, on the North edge of Seattle Center. It is served by buses 1,2,3,4,13,15,16,18,45, 74 and 85. For bus times:tripplanner.metrokc.gov*In case you wondered if we've lost our ability to spell, The Rep has decided to use Shakespeare's first folio spelling of Twelfe Night. Thanks for noticing!Did you see this show? Leave a comment and tell us what you thought!

Prodigal SonPhoto by Angela SterlingThe opening night of PNB’s All Balanchine Ballet, which is currently playing at McCaw Hall, consisted of three pieces of the famous choreographer George Balanchine’s work: Square Dance, Prodigal Son, and Ballet Imperial. Square Dance is a contemporary ballet with influences from 17th century court dance, American country dance, and classical ballet. Square Dance was staged by Peter Boal, and the two principal dancers were Jonathan Porretta and Noelani Pantastico. Prodigal Son tells the story of a young man lured away from his family by the promise of riches and a beautiful woman, only to find they were not what he had expected. Prodigal Son was staged by Richard Tanner and the son is performed by soloist Lucien Postlewaite, the siren is performed by principal dancer Ariana Lallone, and the father is performed by guest artist Otto Neubert. The last piece, Ballet Imperial is a stunning classical ballet with definite Russian Ballet influence. Ballet Imperial was staged by Francia Russel and the lead couple was performed by principal dancers Kaori Nakamura and Batkhurel Bold, with the second ballerina being performed by principal dancer Mara Vinson.The first piece of the night was Square Dance which was set to music by Antonia Vivaldi and Arcangelo Corelli. The piece was very light and fun, while stilling having lots of technical work that the dancers performed flawlessly. Noelani Pantastico seemed to effortlessly float across the stage, livening up the whole performance. While Jonathan Poretta had flawless technical work with powerful lifts and smooth jumps. The corps de ballets timing was impeccable and every single dancer knew all the right steps. All together it was a fresh ballet with very modern choreography, yet it somehow seemed to be reminiscent of classical ballet. The scenery and costumes were very simple but they seemed to add a certain air to the performance that could almost make you believe that the dancers just created the ballet while they were practicing.After a brief intermission, Prodigal Son began. Prodigal Son tells a story about a man who leaves his father and his family after being lured away by false friends. The friends lead him to a tent where a siren is waiting; she and her helpers strip the son of all of his belongings and leave him to find his own way back to his family. Prodigal Son provides and interesting mix of sultry duets, grotesque foot stomping performances, and angry solos. Ariana Lallone performed beautifully as the beautiful yet wicked siren, while Lucien Postlewaite performed flawless jump after flawless jump, never missing a single step. The scenery was beautifully painted and gave the audience the feeling of being right there in the same place as the dancers.The last piece of the night, Ballet Imperial was the most stunning of the three. The scenery transported you to the palaces and royal court of Europe centuries ago, and the costumes were magnificent, with sparkling tiaras and beautiful tutus. The corps de ballet performed the timing and choreography perfectly. While the lead couple seemed to be made for each other, they performed stunning duets, as well as dancing beautifully with the rest of the ensemble. The part of the second ballerina performed by Mara Vinson had very difficult technical work which Mara performed gracefully with seemingly no effort at all. Overall the Ballet Imperial is a gorgeous ballet that is sure to delight all audience members.From the moment the audience arrived in McCaw Hall the staff were always right there to help with whatever anyone needed, they were all very knowledgeable and helpful. McCaw Hall its self is a wonderful site to see, from the sparkling light curtains hanging outside, to the subtle water fountain that flows over the tiles, to the intricate sculpture hanging down over the staircase. The audience varied from young teenagers to middle-aged people. The attire of everyone attending varied from a simple jeans and a t-shirt, to the graceful floor length gowns of some of the patrons. The atmosphere was very relaxed and cheerful. The audience clapped for long periods of time as frequently as possible and the dancers appeared glow after their performances. Overall, The Pacific Northwest Ballet’s All Balanchine is a wonderful show and a must see for everyone, no matter how experienced you are with the arts.Delaney M., age 159/25/2007Rep I: All BalanchinePacific Northwest BalletSeptember 20 – 29More info and show times: www.pnb.orgPNB’s Ticket Office: 206-441-2424Ticket Office Hours: Weekdays 10 a.m. – show time, weekends 90 minutes before show timePacific Northwest Ballet is located in McCaw Hall Seattle Opera, 321 Mercer Street, on the north edge of Seattle Center. It is served by buses 1,2,3,4,13,14,15,16,18,45,74 and 82. For bus schedules: tripplanner.metrokc.govDid you see this show? Leave a comment and tell us what you thought!

Photo by Chris BennionLast Wednesday I had the privilege of seeing To Kill a Mockingbird at the charming Intiman Theater. The play, adapted by Christopher Sergel, was based on the famous book by Harper Lee. This eye opening play was directed by Fracaswell Hyman and incorporates a set (designed by Alec Hammond) that helps send your mind into the sleepy southern town where the story takes place. The basic theme of “don’t judge a person till you’ve walked a mile in their shoes” is universal helping to bring in a diverse audience.To Kill a Mockingbird is set in a small, Southern town called Maycomb. The drowsy town at times doesn’t seem big enough for the narrator Scout Finch (played by Keaton Whittaker) and her brother Jem’s (Nick Robinson) constant antics. Their father Atticus (David Bishins) is a prominent lawyer who is suddenly facing consternation from the town when he agrees to defend Tom Robinson (Sean Phillips), a black man, in court. Tom has been wrongly convicted of raping a white woman and his odds of gaining a “not guilty” from the jury are slim.Technically speaking this play was very well done, especially in the area of sound. The play starts off with a slow, simple harmonica song that was the perfect touch to help ease my mind into the era and mindset of the time. Not long after the show began Calpurnia (Josephine Howell), the Finches’ black cook, breaks out into a beautiful gospel song (19th century hymn “Blessed Assurance") which only improves as she is joined by Reverend Sykes and Miss Maudie Atkinson. All three actors had beautiful voices and my only complaint is that there wasn’t more singing done by the trio! As in the opening of the show, harmonica music was used as the transition between scenes and I felt it was the perfect accompaniment. The other area that truly stood out to me was the set. I don’t know how Alec Hammond managed to fit three houses and a large tree onto one stage! There seemed to be several symbols included in the set, which I enjoyed attempting to decipher, such as chairs painted red hanging over the audience and the tree which was partially a deep crimson. As I found out later (mentioned in the program), the hanging chairs represented “the unseen citizens of the town.” I felt it was fabulous that the set evoked so many thoughts and questions in my mind, even before the show had begun!It has been a while since I have seen such a perfectly cast show. From the leads to the smallest part each actor had their character down to pat. One person who I feel did especially well was Liz Morton (Mayella Ewell) who played her part of an abused, lonely girl so convincingly, I was torn between feeling sorry for her and hating her for falsely accusing Tom of raping her. Russel Hodgkinson who played Bob Ewell performed his character so well that I was gripping the chair sending beams of hate towards him. It also appears that we are nurturing some considerably talented children here in Seattle. Keaton Whittaker (Scout), Nick Robinson (Jem), and my personal favorite Lino Marioni (Dill) all gave great performances in as the three child leads in the show. Not to be left out was is the actor who pulled the whole show together, David Bishins, who in the role of Atticus blew my mind away. Watching Bishins (as Atticus) attempt to fight segregation and the closed minds’ of the people in the town was, to say in the least, inspirational. I just want to acknowledge the entire cast of To Kill a Mockingbird for their dynamic performance and the way that they all work so hard together to bring about the essence of a town. There was not a person in the show who should not have been there. Thank you for sharing your talent.As a whole I enjoyed my trip to Intiman rather a lot. The venue is beautiful and I love the atmosphere they have created in the lobby. Five stars to anyone who helped with the lobby display! It was lovely and there was so much fun and useful information that I loved reading. Additionally, thank you to the staff at Intiman, as I felt very welcomed. Now down to the nitty gritty, would I recommend this play? Well the answer is YES! This show definitely has the “it” factor and the beautiful themes it leaves in your mind are irreplaceable. So go see To Kill a Mockingbird at Intiman theater, and soon!Renee A., 169/25/2007To Kill a MockingbirdINTIMAN TheatreSeptember 19 – November 3More info and show times: http://www.intiman.org/INTIMAN’s Ticket Office: 206-269-1900Ticket Office Hours: Tuesday – Sunday Noon – show timeNote: This extremely popular production is expected to sell out many performances. You are strongly encouraged to call the box office before going to theatre to ask whether or not they expect to have Teen Tix tickets available for the show that you wish to attend.INTIMAN Theatre is located at 201 Mercer Street on the Seattle Center campus. It is served by buses 1,2,3,4,13,15,16,18,45, 74 and 85 and others. For bus times: tripplanner.metrokc.govCorrections: In the original version of this review, Walayn Sharples was mistakenly credited as playing the role of Tom Robinson. This role is actually played by Sean Phillips. Walayn Sharples plays the role of Mrs. Dubose. Also, in the original version of this review, Russell Hodgkinson's name was misspelled. Teen Tix regrets these errors. Did you see this show? Leave a comment and tell us what you thought!

Differences can bring problems, but can also bring love. Snow Falling on Cedars tells such a tale, filled with intrigue, romance, and history. The story of the Japanese Internment is told as a flashback during a trial, while a romance weaves its way through the years. The story takes place mainly in Washington State, helping the audience realize that the Internment was not actually so far from home as they might imagine. This play is the best rendition of the Japanese internment I have seen yet, and I recommend it to any high-school age student, or young adult in the city. Most everyone has learned of the plight of the Japanese Americans during World War II, but this play hits it home like no other. Touching on issues of prejudice, young love, and even murder, this play is a must-see for any Seattleite!The actors in this play were phenomenal. Jonah von Spreecken plays a young white boy who falls in love with a Japanese girl played by Mona Leach. Both actors must play two roles apiece (Child and adult), and they make the transition both instantly, and convincingly. My personal favorite actor was Eddie Levi Lee, who played the attorney of the accused. Overall, the play was fantastic, the acting was strong, and the message was close to home. I highly recommend this play, and I hope that you will see it at the Book-It Rep this month!Ori R., age 17Snow Falling on CedarsBook-It Repertory TheatreSeptember 18 – October 14More info and show times: www.book-it.orgBook-It’s Ticket Office: 206-216-0833Ticket Office Hours: Tuesday – Saturday 1 p.m. – show timeBook-It Repertory Theatre is located in the Center House Theatre at Seattle Center. It is served by buses 3,4,5,8,16,19,24,74 and 82. For bus times: triplanner.metrokc.govDid you see this show? Leave a comment and tell us what you thought!

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