Review by Melissa Morgan

Make way for Bliss! Fun from the start with catchy tunes and hilarious dialogue, Bliss is a new original tale at The 5th Avenue Theater. It is a delightful, hilarious, and empowering new take on the princess fairy tale. With great costuming, stage design, and music, audiences are left laughing and cheering as the story unfolds.

Bliss centers around four princesses Piper (Gizel Jiménez), Faye (Kristolyn Lloyd), Carmella (Katy Geraghty) and Holly (Claire Neumann) who sneak out of their tower to explore the world. Along the way, they meet Sir Pincus Glimmermore their fairy godfather (Mario Cantone), the handsome Prince Devon (Conor Ryan), a non-magical cobbler Toby (John-Michael Lyles), and a unicorn named Stacy. The cast does a great job of entertaining while exploring what it means to be an empowered woman and a fairy tale princess. The sisters fight, make up, talk to worms instead of small birds, and help others discover that Princesses can be whatever they want along the way.

With a standout cast, great score, and refreshing take on the princess tale, Bliss is sure to be a hit for years to come. At The 5th Avenue Theatre in downtown Seattle now through Feb 23rd, 2020. Get your tickets today!

Photo via 5th Avenue Theatre Facebook Page

Review by Jeanne Kinley Deller

Rife with tension and off-beat humor, “The Children” confronts a generational dilemma facing three distressed scientists. Lucy Kirkwood, Playwright, and Tim Bond, Director, have tackled one of today’s toughest, most monumental issues and brought it to the stage with a cast of convincingly strong characters.

With his usual dynamic on-stage flair, Seattle’s R. Hamilton Wright wins the audience over in his role as Robin, a man who steals away daily to tend his cows after an environmental disaster. His wife Hazel, played by Jeanne Paulsen, embraces the home front to avoid catastrophic realities on the outside.  Enter Rose, played by Carmen Roman, and you have a convoluted narrative of triangulation amid decades of monumental decision-making gone wrong.

While “The Children” speaks clearly to those who are acutely aware of a “looming climate crisis” (Director Tim Bond’s words), many fail to understand or admit that our children’s future is fraught with disaster if we continue on the familiar path. One can only hope this subtle, yet extremely complex production will travel far and wide to raise awareness of the need to act quickly. Accolades to Seattle Rep for bringing this topic to their stage – may they profoundly enlighten the Universe!

“The Children” is currently on stage at Seattle Rep, running through March 15th, 2020, for your enlightenment. Tickets here.

Photo by Nate Watters 

Review by Jeanne Kinley Deller

Spectacular in every way, Disney’s “FROZEN” is one splendid spectacle for all to behold. Young and old alike are mesmerized by this truly superior compilation of talent, staging, music, costuming, choreography, and so much more, now at the Paramount Theatre in downtown Seattle. Magic is in the air from the moment you enter the theatre and far beyond the spontaneous standing ovation. A phrase that perpetually comes to mind is pure joy.

As royal sisters Elsa (played by the boldly dynamic Caroline Bowman) and Anna (played by the perfectly impish Caroline Innerbichler) are entrapped in intrigue and high adventure, the audience is gifted with a journey through the most exquisite Winter Wonderland one might possibly imagine. 

Beyond exquisite is a thoroughly bewitching transformation of Elsa’s attire and surroundings, drawing gasps and cheers from the spellbound audience. Highest praise goes to Christopher Oram, Scenic and Costume Designer, for this enchanting, live, on-stage achievement. 

Magical merriment for the very youngest crowd (and all, of course) are reindeer Sven (played by the nimble Evan Strand) and snowman Olaf (played by the dexterous F. Michael Haymie). What a cast! What a production! Every bit of this beautifully orchestrated stage production stole the hearts of most, if not all, of the rapturous crowd fortunate enough to take it in. 

This unparalleled production of “FROZEN” is on stage at The Paramount Theatre in Seattle, now through March 1st, 2020. You don’t want to miss out on this purely joyful event – tickets on sale now.

Photo by Deen van Meer

“FROZEN” features the songs you know and love from the original film plus an expanded score with a dozen new musical numbers.

Emerald City Music is “Seattle’s home for eclectic, intimate, and awesome classical music experiences. Deemed “the beacon for the casual-classical movement” (CityArts), ECM hosts world-renowned musicians in an open bar, chic downtown SLU concert setting.”

Emerald City Music is offering three upcoming performances in February, March & May. I’m gifting my parents a Valentine’s Day present to see “The Aizuri Quartet: 2019 Grammy Nominees” on February 14.  Tickets here.

Details about The Aizuri Quartet: 2019 Grammy Nominees, in their own words:

February 14, 2020 (8pm)

415 Westlake, Seattle

The Aizuri Quartet has taken the classical music scene by storm, garnering top prizes at the prestigious M-Prize Chamber Arts Competition (2018) and receiving a Grammy nomination for their album, Blueprinting.

Antonín Dvořák Selections from Cypresses

Lembit Beecher These Memories May Be True

Rhiannon Giddens At the Purchaser’s Option

Jean Sibelius String Quartet, “Voces Intimae”

Komitas Vartabed Armenian Folk Songs (selections)

Each selection of the program is used to carefully craft a heartfelt letter addressed to the space deeply nestled within our hearts, minds, and memories we call “home.” Intimate love songs by Dvořák (arranged for string quartet) and the nostalgic, soulful folk songs by Armenian composer Komitas Vartabed serve as bookends for the program, each containing a deep expression of homeland. Beecher’s These Memories May Be True was inspired by fragments of Estonian culture, songs and stories passed down to him by his grandmother that create, according to the composer, a “sense of something beautiful that has been lost in the wash of time.” Rhiannon Giddens depicts the visceral tragedy of a young woman and her child being sold as slaves in her work “At the Purchaser’s Option,” and is juxtaposed by Sibelius’ expression of psychological anguish and longing for serenity in “Voces Intimae.” Tickets here.

“a quartet of expert collaborators, who cogently traverse a range of repertoire staples and modern works.” – New York Times

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Future Emerald City Music shows include “Evolution” on March 27 and “What You Are To Me” On May 1.

“EVOLUTION follows the significant thread of influence and development of the keyboard throughout the history of Western classical music. Featuring the harpsichord, piano, and the modern-day synthesizer, this evening is packed full of both iconic and eclectic keyboard tunes, offering a unique journey from the Renaissance to the minimalism of the 20th century with Jeremy Jordan, Henry Kramer, Vicky Chow, and Kenneth Weiss as your guides. J

WHAT YOU ARE TO ME is “A landmark collaboration between three national arts organizations, the season finale features a world-premiere by Philadelphia-based composer Patrick Castillo bookended by three decidedly unique gems of the chamber music library. Bohuslov MARTINU Variations on a theme by Rossini for cello and piano Sergei PROKOFIEV Sonata for two violins Patrick CASTILLO Winter Light (world premiere) Erich KORNGOLD Suite for two violins, cello, and piano left hand WHAT YOU ARE TO ME, the final installment of Season Four, is a collection of works that give voice to ideas of displacement, existential doubt within difficult socio-political climates, and the tragedy of conflict and war. Martinu’s usage of a theme from Moses in Egypt for his Variations is perhaps apropos to his own exodus from war-torn Europe to the United States in 1942. Prokofiev’s Sonata for two violins represents the composer wrestling with acquiescence to the political forces of the Soviet Union and maintaining an individual voice. Inspired by Ingmar Bergman’s film Winter Light (1963), Castillo’s world-premiere explores similar existential questions and spiritual doubt in the face of a fraught socio-political climate.

More details about Emerald City Music on their website, emeraldcitymusic.org.