Theater roundup
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A tour through Puget Sound stage shows
by Steve Dunkelberger
Aug 23, 2007
It’s one of those roundup weeks in Puget Sound theater, so buckle up, sit back and enjoy the ride.
The first stop on this tour is at Seattle’s Paramount Theater where “Young Frankenstein,” the performance version of the Mel Brooks movie of the same name, is fairing well. I wrote about this show a few weeks ago and mentioned that I wasn’t particularly sure why people thought this show had the makings of a Broadway powerhouse. Seattle is its trial run before it heads to the Great White Way. A friend saw the show and loved it. So we talked. Apparently some shows aren’t about artistic wonder as much as they are sure moneymakers.
With the ready-made audience brought by the call of Brooks’ humor added to the star power of Roger Bart (the creepy pharmacist from “Desperate Housewives”) playing Dr. Frederick Frankenstein and Megan Mullally (from “Will and Grace”) playing Elizabeth, the show apparently has enough hitting power to at least cover expenses and make a bit of cash along the way.
It is sort of the “Weekend at Bernie’s” of the theater world. It’s a fun show that likely won’t go down in the annals of Broadway memorables.
The show runs through August with tickets available at www.theparamount.com.
The next stop is found in Federal Way, where Centerstage will mark its 30th anniversary this weekend with a gala birthday party to celebrate the place from which it came.
Founded by husband and wife team Norm and Sharon Munsey, Centerstage Theatre Conservatory first performed in local school auditoriums, later in a space owned by Group Health, later still in an industrial studio in the Spectrum Business Park and then in 1998 began performances at the Knutzen Family Theatre. The theater struggled along with trying to find its audience.
The Munseys retired three years ago. This move brought current Artistic Director Alan Bryce to the big chair.
Changes and success soon followed. Theatergoers outside the city began to take notice. Open seats were harder to come by. Nationally known actors and directors found their way to the theater for special stagings of landmark shows. Expect more to come, says Bryce. Although many have remarked about the changes, the theater still has work to do.
“Artistically, you are never where you want to be,” he says. “I guess when you think you’ve got it, it’s time to give up, because if you think you’ve got it, you must be de facto, jaded.”
The Centerstage party starts at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 26, at the Knutzen Family Theatre. Hors d’oeuvres, champagne and dessert will precede a revue featuring Centerstage performers past, present and future. Call 253.661.1444 or visit: www.centerstagetheatre.com for more information.
The last stop on the trip is Tacoma, which has two mini spots actually. But we don’t have to get out of the car. We’ll just drive by these notes.
I went to the second session finale of “High School Musical” at Tacoma Little Theatre and Metro Park’s summer theater program because my daughter wanted to see how other budding actresses played her role of cheerleader number 4. The place was PACKED. Not only were all of the seats spoken for, but space in the foyer was at a premium after the few standing-room only spaces by the doors were filled with Camcorder-carrying parents. This, and other children’s theater programs, is what community theater is all about — community. There was just a great vibe.
I swung by Grass Roots Arts Festival last weekend on my way home from TLT to see the latest installment of Shakespeare In the Parking Lot’s “When the Hurley Burley’s Done ... Macbeth.” This gig had MacBeth debating Tacoma City Council candidate Marty Campbell on issues of the day. It was sort of an odd show, but it had spunk. The effort wraps up with a full performance in November as part of the city’s Art at Work effort.
