Review: Something’s Afoot brings the laughs (Now – 3/24/24 at Seattle’s 5th Avenue Theatre)

by Keridwyn Deller

Staring up at the gorgeous dragon high above us in the stunningly beautiful 5th Avenue Theatre, I realized it’s been far too long since I had last visited.

Brandon and I had a fun date night out, with some much-needed laughter, enjoying dinner at The Carlile Room before heading to the theatre lobby for opening night of “Something’s Afoot!”

I’m not often drawn to parody or farce, though I do understand the appeal. So, I went into the night with a bit of apprehension, appropriately expecting plenty of cheesy jokes (it is a “musical spoof of the whodunit genre” after all), and not quite sure if I was going to enjoy it.

That said, there was no doubt in my mind that just seeing Sarah Rudinoff in the role of Miss Tweed would be worth a trip to the theatre.

Sarah is one of my all-time favorite stage performers and it’s always a thrill to see her on stage, in a wide variety of roles. Sarah Rudinoff is funny, vibrant, and magnetic – a wonderful choice for the role of Miss Tweed. And, while Sarah has all the charming wow-factor to carry a show if she needed to, she certainly doesn’t have to go it alone with this production. “Something’s Afoot” is wonderfully cast with particularly charmingly clever performances from Allen Fitzpatrick, Adam Standley, Ashley Lanyon, and Anne Allgood.

So…it wasn’t too long into the show until I found myself truly laughing out loud with the rest of the incredibly boisterous happy audience. Without giving anything away, some of my favorite moments include Ashley Lanyon’s indefatigable enthusiastic mini-solos early on in the show and a particularly dazzling scene where Ann Allgood truly shines.

If you’re looking for a night out at the theatre and a musical whodunit spoof appeals to you, you’ll find a lot of joy in the happy escapism this production provides. (Check out some clips on their Facebook page, here.) I can’t begin to explain how WILDLY LOUD the audience was with their laughter and cheering – it was a joy to witness. While the particular style of comedy isn’t my favorite cup of tea, it clearly hit the perfect note for so many others. I’ve since seen a bunch of praise of the show from folks on social media. Here are a few:

“Something’s Afoot at The 5th Ave – RUN to see this production. It is comic & musical perfection.” – Bobbi Kotula

“Just came home from seeing this. I haven’t laughed so hard in a very long time. Amazing show!!” – Sarah Holt

“…Something’s Afoot was drop-dead dynamite!…The show was so funny, the music delightful, the production and whole cast top-notch, Sarah Rudinoff should be world famous. So glad I went — you should go too!” – Becky Dobbins

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For those of you who see the show, I’d love to hear your review! Check out the “Inside the Musical” Guide, here. “Something’s Afoot” plays March 1 – 24, 2024 at The 5th Avenue Theatre in downtown Seattle.

UPDATE: I forgot to mention the clever “Tactile Exhibit” of costume swatches and wig samples that you can find up in the upstairs lobby! I’m not sure who made that happen, but what a super cool idea, whoever you are!