It’s a bit later in the month than usual for our January Theater Preview, (BUSY!) but there are some great shows still scheduled for this blustery month. So far, no theater listed here has cancelled, but always check just in case! It looks like a pretty glorious month of shows.
UPDATED 1/11/22: ONE DAY AFTER POSTING THIS, BOOK-IT REP ANNOUNCES THEY ARE POSTPONING THEIR PRODUCTION OF “BEOWULF” DUE TO CONCERNS OVER SPIKES IN COVID!
(Editor’s Note: All these shows require proof of Covid vaccination/very recent negative test to gain entry. Also allow extra time to get into theaters due to need to check every audience member’s ID and vax proof.)
Songs for a New World, Village Theatre, 1/12/22-3/13/22
(Issaquah 1/12/22 to 2/13/22 | Everett 2/18/22 to 3/13/22)
It’s actually the Puget Sound premiere of the show by Jason Robert Brown (which is a bit surprising), featuring powerful songs of life, love, the choices we make, and the hope they inspire. This production embraces life’s challenging events and strives to show us that renewal and survival is always within reach. This is an all-BIPOC cast of all-star performers.
Fannie: The Music And Life Of Fannie Lou Hamer, Seattle Repertory Theatre, 1/14/22-2/13/22
Locally cherished playwright, Cheryl L. West, pens a bioplay. Fannie: The Music and Life of Fannie Lou Hamer tells the impassioned story of American civil rights activist and hero, Fannie Lou Hamer. Part theater, part revival, and all power – this play with music will have your head nodding and hands clapping from start to finish. From her humble origins as the daughter of a Mississippi sharecropper to co-founding the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party and demanding recognition at the National Democratic Convention, Fannie is a story of justice that will not be denied. (Solo performer)
Bohemia, Marxiano Productions, 1/20-30/22 (at the Triple Door)
The story centers around famous Bohemian composer Antonín Dvorák who has hit a wall prior to composing his magnum opus. In a move of desperation he turns to a bottle of absinthe for inspiration. In this whimsical and mystical dream cabaret, Dvorák is visited by the ghost of late composer Frédéric Chopin and a host of green fairies. Chopin and many other famous Bohemians guide Dvorák as they search for the true source of inspiration and grasp at artistic immortality.
Beowulf, Book-It Repertory Theatre, 1/21/22-2/6/22 POSTPONED DUE TO COVID!
Book-It announced on Tuesday, Jan 11, 2022 that they are postponing this production due to Covid concerns. Via their press release: “Your health and safety—and that of all our artists, artisans, volunteers, and staff—is of the utmost importance to us. With that in mind, and in light of the rapidly growing case rates of Covid-19 in our region and the guidance from King County Public Health, we have made the difficult decision to postpone our January/February production of Julian Glover’s Beowulf.
At this time, we are planning to present streaming performances in place of our original run, as well as moving in-person performances to the summer months. We are working out the further details, but we felt it important to let you know as soon as possible the steps we are taking. We do foresee this as a postponement and not an outright cancellation. As soon as we have new dates lined up, we will let you know!
Subscriber and single ticket buyers, we will be reaching out to you in the coming days to discuss options on rescheduling or refunding.“
Our hero, Beowulf, travels to King Hrothgar’s land to defeat a monster and save a kingdom, for that is what great heroes do. But Grendel, the creature condemned by God, is grim and vengeful, strong and horrible. Beowulf and a few brave enough to join him, embark on the quest to vanquish the foul fiend. Courage, cunning, and might may win the day and the laurels of battle, but once an adventurer, always an adventurer. Beowulf’s life continues anon with heroic and mighty deeds until a Dragon is awoken and the elder statesman must face a final test of his bravery, alone. This mythic tale, over one thousand years old, cries to be experienced aloud, reminding us of the importance of a good story well told. (Solo performer)
Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, 5th Avenue Theatre, 1/21/22-2/6/22.
This is a tale as old as time: a brilliant young woman in search of something more than her small town has to offer and a Beast-who is really a young prince trapped under the spell of an enchantress. If the Beast can learn to love and be loved, the curse will end. But time is running out. If the Beast does not learn his lesson soon, he and his household will be doomed for alle eternity. This marks The 5th’s first original production of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast and will be directed by newly added artistic staff member, Jay Woods.
Monsters Of The American Cinema, ArtsWest, 1/27/22-2/20/22 (World Premiere)
When his husband dies, Remy Washington, a Black man, finds himself both the owner of a drive-in movie theater and a caregiver to his late husband’s straight, white teenage son, Pup. United by their love of classic American monster movies, the two have developed a warm and caring familial chemistry – but their relationship fractures when Remy discovers Pup and his friends have been bullying a gay teen at his school. Monsters of the American Cinema is a haunting and humorous tale about fathers and sons, ghosts and monsters.
Mala, Seattle Public Theater, 1/28/22-2/13/22
A darkly funny tale is presented about what it means to put our loved ones first, right to the very end, and what happens when we strive to be good but don’t always succeed. It is a comical and brutally honest look at family dynamics, including stubborn parents and unequipped children, and explores the unsentimental poetry of everyday life. A one-woman tour-de-force (by Pilar O’Connell) for a powerful actress, Mala careens from comedy to deep pathos, while having the toughest conversation about the most common of events—the end of life.
See How They Run, Taproot Theatre, 1/28/22-3/5/22
All Penelope wants is an evening out on the town; even vicars’ wives deserve a little fun. But between a buzzed busybody in the closet, a volley of vicars galloping across the lawn, and a Soviet spy on the loose, her night of fun creates mayhem for all. Precocious and preposterous, this comedy is pure pandemonium!
Hotter Than Egypt, ACT Theatre and Marin Theatre Company, 1/28/22-2/20/22 (World Premiere)
Yussef El Guindi’s new dramedy is set in the heat of Cairo. Dreams and relationships are put to the test when old connections lead to new temptations. Paul and Jean, an American couple, travel to Cairo for their 24th wedding anniversary. Long-dormant troubles within the marriage start to percolate, and their two Egyptian tour guides, newly engaged Maha and Seif, become drawn into the crisis.
About the Author: Miryam Gordon
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