Anastasia is a princess story rooted in a little bit of reality and a little bit of folklore, and because of that it resonates with those who are familiar with it in ways that few others do. And while there’s no magic in this story of transformation, hope, and love, there is plenty of magic in the Tacoma Musical Theatre production of Anastasia the Musical. Under the direction of Lexi Barnett and Jon Douglas Rake, this production is chock full of superb individual performances and spectacular ensemble numbers. It’s a show with a story that is enjoyable for the whole family, and it’s a production that is one of the best from this theatre over the past two seasons.

If a new tradition was born last season, with ArtsWest’s original holiday show Snowed In, then this year, it has been cemented in the Seattle theatre zeitgeist. This season’s follow-up, Snowed In (Again), features four of Seattle’s top musical theatre talents brought together to develop a Christmas Eve extravaganza, their efforts resulting in a musical menagerie of fun, with songs that are comical and catchy and humor that is delivered expertly by a cast of triple threats under the direction of Kelly Kitchens performing an original work from Corinne Park-Buffelen and David Taylor Gomes. There are going to be a lot of holiday productions in Seattle area theaters over the next month, and if you are looking for the best one to start off your holiday season, Snowed In (Again) is it.

Noel Coward wrote Blithe Spirit during a time of global unrest, at the onset of World War II. As we continue to exist in our own period of unrest, we look to get out of Coward’s story what he put into it, a little distraction from what is happening in the world around us. Thankfully, his story, about an author whose research for his new book goes awry after summoning the spirit of his ex-wife in a séance is a welcome distraction, a well constructed and extremely funny ghost story that in the Bremerton Community Theatre production is delivered by a cast, under the direction of Trina Williamson, that understands how to present this farce in the way the author intended.

How complete is our history when only part of the story is being told? On the other hand, how accurate is our history when we try to tell it in a way that won’t offend anyone? Our history is both multi-sided and offensive, it’s not pretty. The Thanksgiving Play looks at both of these in the context of a group of four teacher/actors trying to develop a play about Thanksgiving to be presented to elementary school students. Told with a ton of humor that uses common stereotypes to highlight the shortcomings in the way we’ve looked at history through the years, this cast of four taught us more than they ever could to an audience of elementary students, about how we look at history, how we consider our conversations, and what the value (or harm) in being so politically correct is.

Legally Blonde the Musical is a pale imitation of its film counterpart. The stage version lacks the substance of the story of female empowerment that made Reese Witherspoon a star, and the songs it replaces that substance with are average at best. But what makes the Village Theatre production of Legally Blonde something worth seeing isn’t the empty calories that make up the plot and music, but rather the production value and performance quality from a talented cast under the direction of Meredith McDonough. With choreography that is exciting, challenging, and fun, and both individual and ensemble performances that are superb, this production of Legally Blonde doesn’t just make this story watchable, but makes it enjoyable, and fun. And at the end of the day, sometimes that’s all we need.

Outside Mullingar has a lot riding on it. Not only is it the first production from Circle of Fire Theatre, but it’s also the inaugural event in the new Studio Series at Bainbridge Performing Arts. Thankfully, this intimate play about family, love, loss, loneliness, hope, and forgiveness, has a small but superb cast under the direction of someone who knows how to get the best out of a cast of any size and knows how to produce a show with enough energy and emotion to exceed the space in which it’s being presented. With some of the best performances of the season, this is a show that is sure to leave an indelible mark on anyone who has the opportunity to see it. The only downside is, that with such a short run, too many are going to miss out on experiencing the wonder that is Outside Mullingar.

The Moors is a true dark comedy, one that looks at the effect that isolation and loneliness has on individuals with different personalities, to see how they react to it and how it informs their behavior as they aim to try and reach their goals or make their dreams come true. The Lesser Known Players are known for putting shows up that dig into the good and bad of our humanity, and have taken on a show here that fits into their wheelhouse, and with a cast that masterfully portrays individuals with dreams of power and desires for a life of purpose, they have produced something that is interesting, thought provoking, and extremely good.

An Empty Plate in the Café du Grand Boeuf is an interesting one to try and describe. It’s a tragedy, wrapped in a comedy, sort of about food, but with no food. No matter how you slice it, when you do boil it down (points for trying?), “An Empty Plate”, by playwright Michael Hollinger, will make you laugh, while also asking you to contemplate what you would do if your entire world was falling apart. The Saltfire Theatre production is presented at Vintage in Port Townsend, perhaps the perfect place to take this in, where you can relax with a glass of wine and see a play that is well written and superbly performed.

Holmes and Watson might not be the most descriptive title for this play, but like the story itself, not everything you see is as it appears. This unique twist on the Sherlock Holmes genre takes the audience out of London and into the middle of the ocean after the tragic death of the famous detective, where Dr. Watson comes face to face with three unlikely men who claim to be his late partner. With enough twists and turns to make any Sherlock fan smile, this production under director Chris Nardine’s stewardship, will draw you in and keep you guessing until the very end.

Love’s Labor’s Lost is going to seem awfully familiar to any fan of Shakespeare, like bits and pieces of all of his more popular shows stitched together by a plot that might seem thin and with an ending that is abrupt and arguably unsatisfactory. But the plot is not why you should go and see the Seattle Shakespeare production. It’s the combination of a beautiful design, as well as a hilarious, but heartfelt, set of performances by an unforgettable ensemble that should bring you out to this show. Love’s Labor’s Lost may be one of the last times you can see Seattle Shakespeare in this space as they work toward building their partnership with ACT Contemporary Theatre, so come on out and see this group perform this classic Shakespeare comedy in a space where it feels like home.

Primary Trust shows us how we don’t have to handle our loss, hurt, and trauma on our own if we have love and friendship and aren’t afraid to, yes, trust in our relationships. Leaning on each other, we can get through anything, and when a play is this well written, this creatively designed, and this well acted, it’s sure to be something that we can all take something away from. Directed by Kaytlin McIntyre and featuring Stephen Tyrone Williams in an emotionally complex role that is sure to resonate, Primary Trust is short, sweet, and the kind of light that we all need in our lives right now.

There are any number of plays with something to teach us, some with lessons that are hidden among the complex lines of dialogue or iambic pentameter, while others are right up front with what they’re trying to say. An Inspector Calls is of the latter ilk. Playwright J.B. Priestley’s story of an entitled family with ancillary connections to a suicide victim doesn’t just interrogate the suspects, it also examines capitalism, the hypocrisy of power, and reputation. The Dukesbay production’s design and some of the individual performances prove the potential that this play has, and with a little more time to percolate on the ensemble side, this play might just live up to it.

A Lonely Realization aims to tackle the very difficult, but important and unfortunately timely, topic of sexual abuse and male exploitation of power in a most unique way.  The new play from writers Darby Sherwood and Emily Stone presents a largely metaphorical world that seems at first to veer off in different directions, but eventually comes together in a most heart wrenching and thought provoking way.  It feels at home in the TPS Theatre4 space, its rough and raw design a seemingly apropos way to tackle such a subject in this way.  The humor of the show takes a bit of the edge off of the subject at hand, but not enough to lessen its impact and while I don’t believe that the version on stage currently meets the play’s true potential, or should stand as a finished product, this group is well on their way to getting there.

There is no shortage of productions of Agatha Christie’s Mousetrap.  Being the longest running play in the world doesn’t hurt, but it’s also a classic whodunit by the Queen of Crime, where everyone is a suspect and the audience has no clue how the play will end until it eventually does, after all of its various twists and turns have run their course.  Doing this show well requires all of the suspense and intrigue that is classic Christie, but it also needs a cast that has a chemistry together as an ensemble, and that’s exactly what the Tacoma Little Theatre production of The Mousetrap has and why it works so well.  It’s well designed, it’s extremely well acted, and that all comes together to make The Mousetrap an entertaining and engaging night out at the theatre.

Allen Fitzpatrick’s Great Expectations, his one-actor adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic, is a piece that doesn’t just honor the classic novel, it makes it accessible, engaging, and, quite frankly, fun. He tells the story of Philip “Pip” Pirrup, his life with his adoptive family, apprenticeship as a blacksmith, and his coming to terms with becoming a gentleman at the hands of an anonymous benefactor with enthusiasm, precision of dialogue, and an overall production value that is sure to engage any audience that sees it. Whether you are a fan of Dickens, someone who loves good theatre and good acting, or an aspiring actor yourself, there is something here for you, and it is my sincere hope that more audiences get to see this master class in both developing and performing a wonderful piece of theatre art.

We’ve all heard stories of men who are full of promises, without anything to back them up.  Men who use their enthusiasm and larger than life personality to draw us into their world of deceit and lies.  Tartuffe, the classic French story of such a man, a pious man who turns out to be a fraud, has been reimagined by playwright Freyda Thomas into a production that speaks to a more modern audience, proving that the timeless is all too often timely, as Tartuffe, Born Again, is.  Featuring BJ Smyth in a superb performance, along with an extremely talented ensemble, the Phoenix Theatre production of this show gets its point across, and does it in a way that is extremely funny from start to finish.  It retains the heard of Moière’s original story while delivering it into a time when we all need to consider to whom it is we decide to follow blindly.

The 39 Steps is the kind of comedy that is silly for silly’s sake, doesn’t have an underlying agenda, and is fun beyond words.  It parodies one of the greatest in Alfred Hitchcock, but does so in a way that respects and honors its namesake 1930s spy thriller.  The As If production is presented by a cast of four, under the direction of Chris Shea, who understands how to deliver comedy in every way, from the physical to the farcical, and together with the kind of timing and characterizations that will keep you laughing not just until the curtain drops, but well after.  In this serious season where it’s getting darker earlier, and the news feels like it’s becoming more and more grim, come and see The 39 Steps and escape all of that, at least for a little while.

Dracula just feels like the perfect show to see this time of year, when it’s getting darker earlier, and the moon hides behind eerie clouds, and as it gets closer to Halloween, it seems even more so.  The Theatre Northwest production hits all of the marks it needs to in order to present an engaging version of this story.  Outside of some issues not related to the cast or creative team, this production of Dracula will send you home looking over your shoulder each night after the sun sets.

Men On Boats is a gender bending retelling of one of the adventures of explorer John Wesley Powell.  It’s a solid story that itself explores the humanity of our extension into the western United States.  The inD Theatre production is led by an extremely talented cast, but what sets this production apart is the imaginative and creative design that director Talena Laine has put together.  It’s an engaging piece of theatre that is perhaps the most distinctive show currently on stage in the region.