Disney Presents: THE LION KING Event Review 12/14/18 Seattle, WA

Disney Presents:

THE LION KING

Paramount Theatre
Seattle, WA
12/14/18

(show runs through Sunday 1/6/19)

 

(Photo Credit:  Brinkhoff-Mogenburg)

Greetings,


My own venture into the musical theatre world started with two shows - "Phantom Of The Opera" and "The Lion King". I think both shows may have been first time theatre introductions for many other fans as well. Their popularity remains as high as ever today in 2018.


Here we are several years later and the U.S. Touring production of Disney's "The Lion King" returns to Seattle for an extended engagement during the holiday season.


The visuals are what almost everyone talks about after seeing a performance of, "The Lion King". The creativity in how they brought the 1994 2D animated Disney film to life on stage is incredibly inspiring for youth and adults alike.


The rich story of Mufasa as king of the pride lands, his curious and impulsive son Simba, the ever-treacherous brother/uncle Scar, and a strong cast of characters like Rafiki, Zazu, Nala, Timon and Pumbaa translates to the stage in a clear and distinctive manner.


The well-known songs from the film are incorporated into the musical as well to great effect.


Rafiki (Mpume Sikakane) started the journey in song as a vast array of animals walked to and onto the stage. "The Lion King" does its best to immerse the audience into their world as soon as possible. Percussionists on either side of the stage add to the atmosphere as well. For first time goers, the "oohs and ahhs" as the cast of animals took to the stage was a reminder for everyone else just how remarkably creative the costumes designs are, even if you've seen the show before.


Mufasa (Gerald Ramsey) was stoic and proud as the storyline unfolded with Young Simba, Young Nala, and Zazu (Greg Jackson). Scar (Spencer Plachy) was decadently twisted, hoping to gain his way to his brother's throne - which he does - until Simba returns to reclaim what is rightfully his throne.


The musical follows the animated hit closely - with a few updated touches in the dialogue where appropriate. The laughter from the audience, especially the children, told you all you needed to know - the cast, story, direction, set design, costumes, and every other aspect was hitting the mark all night.


"The Lion King" really stands out as its own unique musical. I can't think of any other that pulls off such a difficult source material to the stage as well as "The Lion King" does. Again, as mentioned earlier, the visuals throughout the production will make you smile, gasp, and feel like you are in their world. A trait any good theatre production does.


The show is immensely popular and once you see it (or see it again), you'll know why. There is nothing to pick at, nothing to suggest, there are no weak links in any aspect of "The Lion King". You will enjoy it on some level - hopefully a high one.


Bring your family, your friends, children that have never been to a musical - "The Lion King" will make them want to see more musicals especially if they're as epic as "The Lion King".


The perfect musical at the perfect time of year - cheers everyone!



Happiest of Holidays,
Mark D. Sugiyama
Eclectic Arts
EA on FB
EA on IG


Special Thanks: Julie for the credentials - as always thank you so much for the opportunity! I appreciate it! See you next year!


The show runs through Sunday January 6th, 2019!  

STG: Buy Tickets Here! 


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Mark Sugiyama reviews, photographs, and interviews for his media outlet - Eclectic Arts. 

(Photo Credit:  Joan Marcus)

 (Photo Credit:  Matthew Murphy)

Holiday Pops with the SEATTLE SYMPHONY! Event Review for 12/8/18 at Benaroya Hall Seattle, WA

Holiday Pops

Seattle Symphony 

Conducted by: Stuart Chafetz

Featuring Tony DeSare and Capathia Jenkins

w/the UW Chorale and The Beaconettes

Benaroya Hall

Seattle, WA

12/8/18

Greetings,



I've seen more holiday performances this season than in any other years. From the wonderful play, "Miss Bennet- Christmas At Pemberley" at the Taproot Theatre to Northwest favorite, "The Nutcracker" by the Pacific Northwest Ballet company to the yearly tradition of the Trans Siberian Orchestra at the Tacoma Dome to the delightful "A Charlie Brown Christmas" also at the Taproot Theatre. Whew! What was next on the holiday media agenda?



Holiday Pops!



The Seattle Symphony has been doing this for years during the holidays. This was my first time experiencing the show and I was definitely looking forward to it.



Benaroya Hall was dressed up as one would expect - tasteful holiday decorations throughout. Much of the audience was dressed in holiday colors (both formal and informal attire).



The program was roughly two hours in length. The Seattle Symphony as conducted by Stuart Chafetz started the evening with, "We Need a Little Christmas". Featured vocalists Tony DeSare (vocals and piano) and Capathia Jenkins (vocals) returned to Seattle having performed here three years prior. "It's the Most Wonderful time of the Year" was next and put the crowd, myself included, in the holiday spirit. Tony's voice is a mix of yesteryear jazz with a bit of a modern influence. It fit perfectly throughout the night for the tunes he performed. Capathia Jenkins has a powerful voice - and it didn't surprise me to learn she has done a lot of musicals as her voice reminded me of something I'd hear on Broadway.



Songs such as, "All I Want for Christmas is You", "I'll Be Home for Christmas", and a timely twist on the in-the-news classic, "Baby, it's Cold Outside" were performed with precision and pride.



Before the intermission, local favorites The Beaconettes joined the festivities. They performed holiday classics with local topics and lyrics. "Marijuana" and "Good Bye Viaduct" give you an idea of the fun these ladies had with the traditional classics. I loved them but not everyone in the audience seemed pleased. There's always a Grinch at every show, unfortunately.



Act I ended with a rousing rendition of, "Christmas In The Rain" sung to the melody of "Singing In The Rain".



After the intermission, the holiday favorites continued. "O Come, All Ye Faithful", "The First Noel", "Santa Claus is Coming to Town", and a few others.



Tony performed an original song and showcased his talents by doing "Jingle Bells" 20 different ways (look it up on his YouTube channel - it's awesome).



The main set ended with Capathia Jenkins bringing down the house with a rendition of, "O Holy Night!" She was absolutely stellar on this song. What a way to end the show!



One encore later and the lights came up to officially end the performance.



Everything worked. The Seattle Symphony, the UW chorale, the featured performers of Tony and Capathia, the song selection - even old Saint Nick (who I believe was played by another Nick - as in Watson) made a few appearances as well as did either Rudolph or a different reindeer (I'm not sure which - sorry).



The Holidays Pops with the Seattle Symphony was a perfect holiday treat in December!



Happy Holidays!
Mark Sugiyama
Eclectic Arts

EA on FB

EA on IG

Special Thanks: Shiva for the credentials - thank you so much for the opportunity!

SEATTLE SYMPHONY OFFICIAL SITE

THE WIZARDS OF WINTER - Event Review! Clearwater Casino Resort 12/6/18 Suquamish, WA

The Wizards of Winter

Clearwater Casino Resort

Suquamish, WA

12/6/18

Greetings,



The Wizards of Winter have been playing their brand of holiday music since 2009. Having released three albums, every holiday season the band has expanded their tours to hit more and more cities.



On Thursday, the band played the Clearwater Casino Resort. This meant hopping the ferry from Edmonds to Kingston to cover the show. A sunny but cold December day in the Northwest, the weather set things up nicely for the show that evening.



The touring band consists of twelve members - musicians, vocalists, and narration. Yes, the name sounds as familiar as the set up. The Wizards of Winter have been compared to the Trans Siberian Orchestra since their inception. The current line up boasts two former TSO members in John O'Reilly (drums) and Tony Gaynor (narration/vocals). Guy LeMonnier is also a former TSO member but sat out this year's tour (much to our disappointment).



The band is dressed up in formal attire and a holiday story is told in conjunction with the music just like TSO as well.



The room was sideways (I've covered other shows where the stage was at the far end of the room making for a seemingly smaller stage but better overall sightlines for the audience) which caught me off guard. Those in the B section were directly in front of the stage. A and C sections, depending on the row and seat, had angled views of the stage.



The band played a set that was 90 minutes give or take. Instrumentals and songs from their albums made up the setlist. "Queen Of The Winter Night" was one TSO cover that appeared as well.



The band members have talent. Fred Gorhau and Chris Green on guitars definitely stood out to me. They were equally good on guitar all night long. It was great to see John again on an acoustic kit (instead of the electronic drums TSO requires them to play) and Greg Smith was rock steady on the bass. Ellie Krasner smiled the entire show I think. Her violin playing complimented the music extremely well.



I enjoyed the vocals of new to the band singer Karl Scully. Vinny Jiovino brought the rock and sang his heart out all night as well.



It's been quite some time since I'd heard Tony's narrative voice. I started going to TSO shows back in 2003 (and have continued to do so since). It was great hearing him again and it reminded me of the earlier years of TSO.



Rebecca Graae, Shawna Marie, and of course founders Sharon Kelly and Scott Kelly rounded out the band.



Some of the songs worked for me, some of them not so much. I remember the first time I saw TSO I had the same reaction so take that comment with a grain of salt. I've since grown to like most TSO songs (not all, though).



There were times when bum notes were hit (especially keyboard which I couldn't figure out considering the talent in the band - I asked others after the show and they heard the same thing so it wasn't just me). Vocally the same issue cropped up. A flat note here and there. Perhaps the in-ears weren't functioning properly which would absolutely affect the vocalists. None of this was a major concern - only minor things.



Overall the show was enjoyable. It was nice hearing a holiday rock opera without all the flash. TSO has been overdoing it for years in my opinion (again, I've been going every year since 2003). I think if The Wizards of Winter continue to grow, then they'll be able to add a bit more flash to their show which would be the perfect medium between what they're doing now and what TSO has been trucking around for years.



I would love to see the band connect with the various performance art centers in our area for next year's tour. Traveling to Suquamish or Shelton or Longview isn't ideal for anyone in the Seattle, Everett, or Tacoma area. Edmonds has a beautiful performance center (hint, hint) as does Kirkland and others. If they book a show in Seattle, the Neptune Theatre would be a good choice (holds 800).



The band has shows lined up the rest of the month. Check them out if they're near your town!



Happy Holidays,
Mark Sugiyama
Eclectic Arts

EA on FB

EA on IG

EA YouTube Channel

Special Thanks: Maria and Debbie for the credentials - thank you for the opportunity! I sincerely appreciate it!

THE WIZARDS OF WINTER OFFICIAL SITE

Woo Woo Boys DOYLE Event Review! Seattle, WA 12/4/18

Doyle

El Corazon

Seattle, WA

12/4/18

Greetings,



Doyle rolled into town on Tuesday night to abominate what was left of El Corazon from the last time they destroyed the club back in March of 2018.



The band has been touring their asses off in support of "Doyle II - As We Die". U.S. Tour in the winter/spring. Next up was a European tour in the summer. Extended U.S. Tour in the fall/early winter. They’ve been doing stretches of ten plus days of gigs with no days off. The U.S. Tour wraps up in early January 2019.

Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein, Alex "Wolfman" Story, Brandon Strate, and Wade Murff have become the most stable live lineup since the "Abominator" album was released three plus years ago.



The band started with, "Abominator" - intro played off stage while Murff played the drums. One by one they stalked onto the stage and the shit was on for the next hour. 

Songs from both Doyle albums were aired such as "Witchcraft", "We Belong Dead", "Headhunter", "DreamingDeadGirls", and set ender, "Hope Hell Is Warm". When you go see Doyle live you are seeing exactly that - Doyle! With two albums under their belts, they keep things strictly Doyle.



No matter what may be going on with the band on any given day, when they hit the stage it's all out war. They don't do the up and down, ebb and flow thing with their shows. They hit you in the mouth and make a statement. Period.

Doyle has been and continues to do it old school - hit the road hard and tear shit up. Next city. Repeat.



Woo Woo!

Mark Sugiyama
Eclectic Arts

EA on FB

EA on IG



Special Thanks: Tom for the credentials - thank you as always for the opportunity! I sincerely appreciate it!


Props: Richie for being on point as the tour manager. He contacted me first about the video interview time the day of the show. This has never happened to me before. I'm always the one checking on the interview time first. My questions were answered in a timely fashion and he had everything on lock down with military precision the night of the gig. If every tm were like him, my stress level would be minimal to none setting up interview times. Great work and much appreciated!

OFFICIAL DOYLE SITE

OFFICIAL DOYLE FACEBOOK

OFFICIAL DOYLE TWITTER

OFFICIAL DOYLE INSTAGRAM

(Conversation hang out with Doyle and Dr. Solid)

(Okkultist Interview with Beatriz Mariano - guest appearance by Dr. Solid)

HOLYGRAM On North American Tour RIGHT NOW!

HOLYGRAM releases debut 'Modern Cults' LP, launches North American tour with VNV Nation!

German post-punk shoegaze outfit HOLYGRAM have released their long-awaited debut LP ‘Modern Cults’. Comprised of eleven tracks, this album is now available on CD and double vinyl, as well as digitally via Cleopatra Records. The band also just kicked off their North American tour with one of the biggest electronic bands on the planet, VNV Nation and Charlottesville, VA artist The Rain Within.

HOLYGRAM cleverly blends new wave and Krautrock with post-punk and shoegaze to achieve headstrong multi-layered bliss. This is a thoroughly contemporary homage to the sound of the ’80s with a resolute look to the future - the result is driving, dark and catchy. Earlier, the band teased the singles 'Signals' and 'A Faction'. Two years have passed since the Cologne-based outfit released their self-titled EP.

Produced by Maurizio Baggio, perhaps best known as producer of The Soft Moon’s 'Deeper' and 'Criminal' albums, they recorded this LP at Cologne’s Amen Studios. HOLYGRAM is Patrick Blümel (vocals), Sebastian Heer (drums), Marius Lansing (guitars), Pilo Lenger (synthesizers) and Bennett Reimann (bass).

Formed in 2015, the band's approach to making music references the past, while remaining future-oriented. Hard-to-combine elements cleverly come together to become the soundtrack of a city that appears threatening in the twilight.

TOUR DATES:

Dec 04 Denver (CO), The Oriental Theater
Dec 05 Salt Lake City (UT), Metro Music Hall
Dec 07 Seattle (WA), Neptune (SOLD OUT)
Dec 08 Portland (OR), Roseland Theater
Dec 09 Vancouver (BC), Imperial Theatre
Dec 12 San Francisco (CA), Regency Ballroom
Dec 13 Los Angeles (CA), The Wiltern
Dec 14 Tempe (AZ), Marquee
Dec 15 Las Vegas (NV), Backstage Bar

OFFICIAL SITE

PETER AND THE STARCATCHER Event Review! Edmonds Driftwood Players Edmonds, WA 12/2/18

Peter and the Starcatcher

Edmonds Driftwood Players

The Wade James Theater

Edmonds, WA

12/2/18

Peter and Prentiss - Photo by Dale Sutton of Magic Photo

Greetings,




I was very fortunate to catch an opening night performance of, "Peter and the Starcatcher" at the Edmonds Driftwood Players. Having been an Edmonds resident for over 21 years, one would think I would have been to a production at this theatre by now but Sunday was my first event. Based on what I saw and experienced, it won't be my last.




For those like me that are new to the Edmonds Driftwood Players, the theatre recently won a Gregory Award for Best Community Theatre. They have been putting on shows for decades and it is a beloved institution, not only in Edmonds, but in the greater Seattle area.




Upon arriving and walking into the lobby, I immediately felt comfortable. The theatre itself is set up nicely. The majority of the rows are designed a good foot higher than the one below it (similar to stadium seating in a movie theater) so sightlines are clear and easy. The stage itself is large with enough depth to create many different set designs and changes during any production.




The theatre was a good three quarters full, maybe more, for the performance. The show, based on the novel by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, is a prequel to Peter Pan. The cast did a wonderful job enticing the audience into the world of Peter (Oliver Girouard), Molly (Anna Vizzare), and Black Stache (Christopher Puckett).

Slank and Stache - Photo by Dale Sutton of Magic Photo

Drama along with healthy doses of humor abound in, "Peter and the Starcatcher", as well as a few musical numbers. The opening song of Act II had the audience rolling. You'll have to see for yourself why.




The sets worked well depicting two ships (one being Neverland) and there were creative methods to help the audience understand what was happening at any given moment (from water and waves, to cats and birds). Again, I don't like to give too much away in my reviews. I prefer the reader see the production for themselves as fresh as possible.

Mermaids - Photo by Dale Sutton of Magic Photo

Director Adam Othman kept the pacing consistent where the show never felt like it was dragging. Outside the guest next to me (a sleepy gal apparently), the audience was engaged during the whole performance.




The cast ranged from good to great (that's a compliment for those new to Eclectic Arts) - with no weak links in the bunch. They were well rehearsed but in the moment on stage and their energy was clearly evident throughout the show.

Molly and Peter - Photo by Dale Sutton of Magic Photo

Overall I would recommend, "Peter and the Starcatcher" to families and theatre lovers. I would also highly recommend the Edmonds Driftwood Players as a theatre worth seeing performances at. I enjoyed my first time and, again, I plan on seeing more.




See you at the theatre!




Happy Holidays!
Mark Sugiyama
Eclectic Arts

EA on FB

EA on IG

Special Thanks: Katie for the credentials - thank you so much for the opportunity!

EDMONDS DRIFTWOOD PLAYERS TICKETS!

The show runs through December 23rd - don't miss it!

A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS Event Review - Taproot Theatre Seattle, WA 11/30/18

A Charlie Brown Christmas

Taproot Theatre

Seattle, WA

11/30/18

Sarah Diener, Maya Burton, Arika Matoba, Coulson Bingham, Julee Felts and Brad Walker in Taproot Theatre’s 2018 production of A Charlie Brown Christmas. Photo by Erik Stuhaug.

Greetings,




It's that time of year as we all know. Every theatre it seems is putting on a holiday production to celebrate in December. Last week Eclectic Arts reviewed the fantastic, "Miss Bennet: Christmas At Pemberley". Equally fantastic was the opening night of the Taproot Theatre tradition, "A Charlie Brown Christmas".




If you love the animated show (the first for Charles M. Schulz and company - check out the documentary on the DVD release - it's fascinating) - you'll absolutely love this production as well!




At first I wasn't quite sure how they were going to translate the 30 minute cartoon classic into a play but as soon as the cast came "skating" in for the opening scene, I smiled and then told myself I should of known better - this is the Taproot Theatre after all and they have yet to disappoint me.

Arika Matoba and Ben Wippel in Taproot Theatre’s 2018 production of A Charlie Brown Christmas. Photo by Erik Stuhaug.

The show is geared for all ages of course - running just around 45 minutes or so. The show opened with a few tunes from Steven Tan (Schroeder) and Julee Felts (Pig Pen) before the production officially began.




The show is fairly close to the cartoon - with even some of the dialogue being word for word which I loved. The creative ways to bring the animated special to life were a joy to watch.




The cast of Coulson Bingham (Snoopy), Maya Burton (Frieda), Sarah Diener (Sally), Arika Matoba (Lucy), Brad Walker (Linus), and Ben Wippel (Charlie Brown) were as funny and engaging as you could hope for.




I particularly enjoyed the voice work from Sarah Diener and Arika Matoba - easily bringing me back to my childhood hearing them as Sally and Lucy respectively. So spot on with their deliveries that I couldn't help but smile.

Arika Matoba and Steven Tran in Taproot Theatre’s 2018 production of A Charlie Brown Christmas. Photo by Erik Stuhaug.

The whole cast worked so well together that when it was over, you wished there was an act two, heck, or even an act three!

The audience, from children to seniors and everyone in-between, laughed and had a great time. It helped get me in the holiday spirit and I believe it will for you, too.

"A Charlie Brown Christmas" at the Taproot Theatre is another exceptional production. Both shows currently running are worth your time and money. I'm heading back to see "Miss Bennet: Christmas At Pemberley" next week and I'd love to go back to see, "A Charlie Brown Christmas" as well. 

Ben Wippel, Coulson Bingham, Brad Walker, Sarah Diener and Arika Matoba in Taproot Theatre’s 2018 production of A Charlie Brown Christmas. Photo by Erik Stuhaug.

See you at the theatre!

Happy Holidays!

Mark Sugiyama

Eclectic Arts

EA on FB

EA on IG

Special Thanks: Isaiah for the credentials and the reservations - thank you so much for the opportunity!

TAPROOT THEATRE - Tickets!

The show runs through December 27th.  Don't miss it!