110 in the Shade, the musical adaptation of the play The Rainmaker making its way to Seattle Public Theatre.
Reboot Theatre Company welcomes the community to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of 110 in the Shade at Seattle Public Theatre. It is production truly worth celebrating with its excellent and charismatic rendition of the original musical. Filled with comedy, sympathy, and musical talents, Reboot Theatre Company shined bright with their production of 110 in the Shade. Based on the play The Rainmaker, 110 in the Shade is a musical rendition of the script, written by N. Richard Nash, lyrics by Tom Jones, and music by Harvey Schmidt, director Scot Charles Anderson, music director Mark Rabe, while the cast delivers excellent singing, fun choreography and heartfelt messages about love and self-worth.
The script focuses on Lizzie Curry, played by Paris Manzanares, an unmarried woman who is struggling with her self-worth and womanhood. When Lizzie comes home to her family, they are still facing a drought and have not seen rain in a long time. Struck with hope, their family is offered an opportunity to bring rain to their town. Battling with her own emotion and doubt, Lizzie remains skeptical about hope for rain and for love. The challenges Lizzie has presented offer a lesson about who she truly is and what she truly wants.
The cast’s acting of Reboot Theatre’s production of 110 in the Shade amplifies the quality of the script. The script has a simple plot overall, one that is easy to navigate and that was very evident in the production. The transitions of scenes are clear and cohesive, making it very engaging.
The cast’s performances were impressive, as each person portrayed their characters so naturally and consistently. I even noticed that off stage, the actors remained in character. Paris Manzanares (Lizzie Curry) did an excellent job of portraying her character’s emotions in her stage presence as a background character through her subtle movements and facial expressions. This is something that I witnessed with all of the cast. Along with that, each character did a great job of projecting their voice, especially during musical numbers where the music may be louder. The cast sang loudly and proudly with wonderful articulation and volume. The stage, set, and added ensemble in scenes made it feel as though the audience was a part of the play, as the community or neighborhood. Adding on to that, the band was incredible with every note hitting the mark.
I had an absolutely wonderful time watching this production. It was full of simple but funny and meaningful interactions while at the same time representing the journey of finding self-worth and confidence. The production made sure to engage the audience in their performance and the set, costumes, lighting, and special effects went above and beyond. This is definitely a show to see! They also offer flexible ticket pricing based on your financial situation, making it more accessible to support their local production!
To give some fair warnings about the production, there are some sexual situations, flashing lights, and loud sounds.
110 in the Shade,Script by N. Richard Nash, music by Tom Jones. Directed by Scot Charles Anderson. Seattle Public Theatre, 7312 West Green Lake Dr. N, Seattle, WA 98103 Mar 16 7:30 til April 9.
Tickets and Info: https://reboottheatre.org/110-in-the-shade
Parking lot is located out front. Bus #45 to Greenlake and Wallingford and continue walking along the lake.