Musical theater is having a moment in Seattle. Well, at least through June. 

Three strong shows hit the boards this month that should have you humming the musical hooks long after the final curtain bow. And, all three musicals happen to have an overarching theme in common: taking risks.

There’s a musical about a very large shark (clearly a risk factor there). There’s a musical about a wedding and some behind the scenes chicanery (not to mention the songs “Dancing Queen” and “Waterloo”). And, there’s a musical about standing up for what’s right (and getting to go to that damn prom).

Musical Theater in Seattle

Seattle Rep

If you were near a movie theater in the 70s and saw “Jaws,” it’s likely that you avoided the beach for a while.  That was nearly 50 years ago, so it’s safe to go and get some sand in between your toes. At the very least, you should dip your toes into Seattle Rep’s world-premiere musical, “Bruce.”

Based on a book “The Jaws Log” by Carl Gottlieb, “Bruce” tells the behind-the-scenes stories that took place over a year’s period while Steven Spielberg and others worked on “Jaws.”  This was before CGI, so let’s just say there were plenty of production issues over eight months of filming. The real questions is, what does a singing Steven Spielberg sound like?

“Bruce” is the largest new production in the history of Seattle Rep, a musical they like to say you can really sink your teeth into. https://www.seattlerep.org/plays/202122-season/bruce/ 

Village Theatre

Another nod to the 70s. Who doesn’t love ABBA? 

Well, I’m sure there are a few out there, but they are clearly not the target audience for Village Theatre’s “Mamma Mia!”

You may have seen the movie, you may have even seen it on Broadway. It did have a run of nearly 15 years, after all. But the Village Theatre promises a “reimagining what it could and should look like today.” 

What won’t change is the Grammy-nominated soundtracks with all of your favorites, including the musical’s titular song. https://villagetheatre.org/shows/mamma-mia/

5th Ave Theatre

Hey, I’m originally from Indiana so I’ll try and overlook the Hoosier slams throughout. Truth be told, the mindset ascribed to the people in the fictional town of Edgewater, IN can unfortunately be found in any city/state across the country.

That said, “The Prom” is a delight. 

The high school prom has been cancelled, but why? Turns out one of the students, Emma, has invited her girlfriend to be her date. The PTA is having none of that, so they nix the dance all together. Enter some big-time Broadway stars who rush to ‘small town’ Indiana in hopes of repairing their reputations of narcissism, and let the song and dance begin.

There are a lot of catchy songs and dance, and the cast (including original Broadway cast member Courtney Balan as Dee Dee Allen) is top notch. But the story also has heart, which with the music, is an unbeatable combination. https://www.5thavenue.org/shows/2021-2022/the-prom/