Our local university is known for it's historical music program, and they put on a production of the opera Alcina by Handel. It was sublime, and a treat to see a baroque opera performed in a smaller theater.

Do you ever go to see live theater? What was the last thing that you went to? Or, alternatively, what was your favorite?

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[–] 32 points 4 months ago (3 children)

2025, The Book Of Mormon. I'd actually seen it before, but went with some people who hadn't. Hit just as good as the first time I saw it.

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    [–] 17 points 4 months ago (1 child)

    I saw a local college production of Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson that resulted in some audience members walking out and was adjusted to act as a critique of right-wing populism and Trump.

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  • [–] 16 points 4 months ago (1 child)

    Most Recent: Hamilton.

    Favorite: Phantom of the Opera.

    Random general love of theatre: Wizard of Oz performed by a group of middle schoolers. They were all really committed to the performance and put on a fun show.

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  • [–] 12 points 4 months ago

    Spamalot. I heard some negative things and wasn't that excited to see it. However, it was actually quite good and I had a lot of fun.

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  • [–] 10 points 4 months ago

    About a month ago, I went to a donation-driven community theater improv/Edgar Allen Poe thing.

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  • [–] 10 points 4 months ago*

    Not sure if it counts, but I took my daughter to see Shen Yun last week. It's a pretty show and all, but multiple acts had super heavy handed religious elements, which were pretty off putting. One song was about how you should keep to the traditional values and the worst things in the world are atheists and the theory of evolution. Big applause. Can't really recommend, despite the nice costumes and dances.

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  • [–] 10 points 4 months ago (3 children)

    We saw Wicked for the second time last year. Such a good musical! Went to Keller Auditorium for that one, first viewing was actual Broadway in New York.

    Next month we're seeing Phantom of the Opera!

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  • [–] [S] 5 points 4 months ago

    We saw it on Broadway too when we visited NY a few years ago. I wanted to bring the kids to something I knew they'd enjoy, and they absolutely loved it.

    Phantom was the first live musical that I saw, and I'll always love it. You're going to have so much fun!

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    [–] 9 points 4 months ago (4 children)

    The last opera I saw was Fellow Travelers by Spears, an 2016 opera based on a novel of the same title about two men who fall in love during the Lavender Scare. It was absolutely heart-rending, just the most tragic love story you could possibly imagine, and the sex scenes were so hot — I don’t think I’d ever seen a fully nude scene at an opera before, even if it was just from behind, and the tenor clearly had spent some time in the gym to prepare. Highly recommend you go see it if you have a chance.

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  • [–] 6 points 4 months ago (1 child)

    Ah, a fellow Seattleite. Saw that opening night and was blown away. Usually not a fan of modern operas, but those Gregs knew what they were doing.

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  • [–] [S] 5 points 4 months ago (1 child)

    I've never heard of this one before; it must be so hard to get a new opera out there! I'm glad people are doing it though. Every production seems like a minor miracle of logistics and ambition.

    I see it's based on a book, I might have to give that a read.

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    [–] 9 points 4 months ago (2 children)

    Patrick Stewart's one man performance of A Christmas Carol, in 1994.

    A) This is indeed a thing that happened and absolutely was not some kind of hallucination, and B) obviously I don't go to shows very often, do I?

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    [–] 8 points 4 months ago (1 child)

    I was involved in more than 60 theatrical productions until my health no longer allowed almost a decade ago now. I miss it terribly. Mostly community theatre, but a few professional (i.e. paid) productions. Mostly sound design / running sound/mics, but on stage a dozen or so times, backstage a few times.

    The last thing I saw was Come From Away. Kinda cheesy in some ways, but also pretty good show - I'd recommend it. About that Canadian airport that saw a ton of planes land on 9/11 when US airspace was shut down. The local community came together and took care of all the passengers and lifelong friendships were formed. It's sweet. And a bit cheesy. But fun, and emotional moments.

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    [–] 8 points 4 months ago

    Priscilla, Queen of the Desert

    That's probably the most Lemmy-approved answer I'm ever going to give to a question here.

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  • [–] 8 points 4 months ago

    Saw Mary Jane on Broadway a couple years back, staring the phenomenal Rachel McAdams. It was good, it was very sad, and heartwrenching, and McAdams did a phenomenal job. She has a ton of range, hope she returns to the theater sometime.

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  • [–] 7 points 4 months ago* (5 children)

    A play called Souvenir, late last year, put on by a local theater company. (Incidentally, their theater is in the building that used to be the gym when I was in college. It looks really nice inside now, and you would never guess that it was the most divey, stanky gym you had ever seen for like 60 years beforehand. I loved that place.)

    Anyway, the play was about a famously bad singer who gained fame for how off-pitch she was. It was funny, heartwarming, and very well done. I didn't know it while watching the play, but she was a real person, too. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence_Foster_Jenkins

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    [–] 7 points 4 months ago (1 child)

    Last month my nephew's high school performed Bye Bye Birdie. It was good, but not as good as when they performed Les Miserables last year. That was so emotional and moving it was 🔥

    Their school does full live orchestra, lighting, sets, costumes, the works.

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  • [–] 6 points 4 months ago (3 children)

    I'm a performer and my partner's also in the arts, so uhhh, -1 hours

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    [–] 6 points 4 months ago*

    The Complete Works of Shakespeare, Abridged. That's the title of the show, I'm dead serious. A cast of three, trying to ram their way through all of Shakespeare's works within two hours. Sonnets included. It's hilarious.

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  • [–] 6 points 4 months ago (1 child)

    I saw Lizard Boy at Portland Center Stage a couple times last week. Once with a friend who saw six showings in a row, and once with her and my wife soon after. Was quite good.

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  • [–] [S] 6 points 4 months ago (1 child)

    I don't know anything about Lizard Boy, but I'm intrigued since you both saw it multiple times in one week.

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  • [–] 5 points 4 months ago*

    If watching a recorded theatre performance from the comfort of my own sofa counts, then The National Theatre's presentation of The Importance of Being Earnest, which is wonderful.

    In terms of seeing a live performance while in the actual theatre then it would be Rocky Horror back in 2019.

    Edit: Just remembered that we saw Wicked in London in December 2025, before we saw the movie. That was fun.

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  • [–] 5 points 4 months ago

    A local high school production of Seussical the Musical

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  • [–] 5 points 4 months ago

    My wife and I love going to the theater. We have a couple of local playhouses, so therefore options, but still find it difficult to go with any regularity.

    I think the last thing we saw was Primary Trust in 2024 (!! I can't believe it's been that long)

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  • [–] 5 points 4 months ago

    Does it count when i was doing the music and light? If yes then it was "Die 8 Frauen"

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  • [–] 5 points 4 months ago (6 children)

    Cabaret at the end of 2025. It was haunting and beautiful

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    [–] 5 points 4 months ago

    Sherwood at the Oregon Cabernet Theater (Ashland). It was pretty good. Can’t go wrong with dinner and a show there, but they have yet to top their performance of Clue.

    Actually, in hindsight, it might have been a show at the Camelot Theater in Talent. That one, whatever it was, ran twice as long as it had any right to.

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  • [–] 5 points 4 months ago

    Book of Mormon! My first time seeing it and had a great time

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  • [–] 5 points 4 months ago (1 child)

    Operation Mincemeat back in March, a few days before the original cast’s last day. It was absolutely incredible

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    [–] 4 points 4 months ago

    Who's afraid of virginia woolf at portland playhouse.

    It was incredible, as that play always is. The male lead outperformed the female lead, which i feel is less common than vice versa, but everyone was great.

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  • [–] 4 points 4 months ago*

    Last year I saw a 70s rock anthem retelling of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Nights Dream. I cannot for the life of me remember who put it on though.

    Edit: Directed by Daryl Cloran, here be an article

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  • [–] 4 points 4 months ago

    Last thing I saw was either Wicked or Hamilton. I'm not sure which. But if you want to count it, I saw Harry Potter Prisoner of Azkaban with a live orchestra instead of the soundtrack. It was... magical.

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  • [–] 4 points 4 months ago

    Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat ! A regional high school did a fantastic job with it.

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  • [–] 4 points 4 months ago

    Aida on Freakin' Broadway in NYC. I'm not a theatre type but I was in the area for a few years, and the performance was everything I hoped to see in a real broadway play; but I was a little disappointed to learn people do not dress up - biz-casual at least - to see a show.

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  • [–] 4 points 4 months ago (2 children)

    I'm in line for one right now, I'll let you know how it went when it's done.

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    [–] 4 points 4 months ago

    It was an amateur production of Shakespeare's As You Like It that a friend and his son were both acting in. It could have been quite stodgy, but the actors made it good fun.

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  • [–] 4 points 4 months ago (2 children)

    Locally written and produced whodunnit dinner theatre. Before that, university produced Othello.

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    [–] 4 points 4 months ago

    Last year I went to a performance of Beauty and the Beast that included the audience. They had two long dinner tables that everyone sat at. The actors worked around us. Running on the tables and in between us. At the far end was the throne chair.

    There was also a live band mixed into the set and playing the music and sound effects.

    My only complaint is my neck hurt after from all the looking back and forth. The concept was great. Tho.

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