Dane Stokinger

There's a reason that Frank Loesser's a?oeGuys & Dollsa?? has endured all these years and keeps coming back, it's a near perfect musical. It's fun and frothy with that rare breed of songs that all move the story along and tell a story of their own. But with these songs, and because of them, you need a love story that reads true, connections with everyone on stage, and storytelling in the staging and choreography as well as in the dialog and lyrics. And while the current production at Village Theatre has some numbers that worked and some wonderful performers, it lacked those three elements making the show a nice collection of performances with no spark or cohesion.

This winter, Village Theatre will warm the cold and dreary Seattle days with the brassy and colorful iconic crowd pleaser, Guys & Dolls. The second show in their celebratory 40th Anniversary Season, Guys & Dolls will run at the Francis J. Gaudette Theatre in Issaquah November 7 a?' December 29, 2019 before moving to the Everett Performing Arts Center January 3 a?' February 2, 2020.

BroadwayWorld has a first look at The 5th Avenue Theatre's new production of Rock of Ages. Rock of Ages is the '80s rock ballad blast that features the music of Styx, Joan Jett, Twisted Sister, and more. With Mickey Thomas as lead vocalist, Starship produced hits including 'We Built This City' (which appears in the production), 'Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now,' and 'Sara.'

BroadwayWorld has a first look at The 5th Avenue Theatre's new production of Rock of Ages. Rock of Ages is the '80s rock ballad blast that features the music of Styx, Joan Jett, Twisted Sister, and more. With Mickey Thomas as lead vocalist, Starship produced hits including 'We Built This City' (which appears in the production), 'Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now,' and 'Sara.'

The idea of stunt casting, the practice of taking a big name and putting them in a role just to get butts in seats, has always terrified me. And I've seen it result anywhere from the sublime such as Neil Patrick Harris killing it as "Hedwig" to the shudder inducing Molly Ringwald completely out of her depth as the world's oldest taxi dancer in "Sweet Charity". And while the 5th Avenue's couple of stunt casts, specifically rock royalty Micky Thomas of Starship as club owner Dennis and Galen Disston of the Seattle rock band Pickwick as the romantic lead Drew, in their current production of "Rock of Ages" were nowhere near the latter, when it came to delivering a line or executing some choreography, you could definitely tell the musical theater folks from the rockers. However, when it came to wailing out some amazing rock songs, those stunt casts had no equal, so all told, it amounted for a pretty awesome show. But we'll get to specifics in a minute.

BroadwayWorld has a first look at The 5th Avenue Theatre's new production of Rock of Ages. Rock of Ages is the '80s rock ballad blast that features the music of Styx, Joan Jett, Twisted Sister, and more. With Mickey Thomas as lead vocalist, Starship produced hits including 'We Built This City' (which appears in the production), 'Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now,' and 'Sara.'

BroadwayWorld has a first look at The 5th Avenue Theatre's new production of Rock of Ages. Rock of Ages is the '80s rock ballad blast that features the music of Styx, Joan Jett, Twisted Sister, and more. With Mickey Thomas as lead vocalist, Starship produced hits including 'We Built This City' (which appears in the production), 'Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now,' and 'Sara.'

The 5th Avenue Theatre has announced that Mickey Thomas, the lead singer of Starship stars as Dennis in its sensational new production of Rock of Ages. Rock of Ages is the '80s rock ballad blast that features the music of Styx, Joan Jett, Twisted Sister, and more. With Mickey Thomas as lead vocalist, Starship produced hits including 'We Built This City' (which appears in the production), 'Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now,' and 'Sara.'

The 5th Avenue Theatre has announced that Mickey Thomas, the lead singer of Starship (formerly Jefferson Starship), will star as Dennis in its sensational new production of Rock of Ages. Rock of Ages is the '80s rock ballad blast that features the music of Styx, Joan Jett, Twisted Sister, and more. With Mickey Thomas as lead vocalist, Starship produced hits including "We Built This City" (which appears in the production), "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now," and "Sara."

BroadwayWorld has a first look at The 5th Avenue Theatre's new production of the beloved musical Annie, which plays this holiday season through December 30, 2018. The 5th is excited to introduce Visesia Fakatoufifita of Tacoma, WA, and Faith Young of Kent, WA, who make their 5th Avenue Theatre debuts alternating the title role.

BroadwayWorld has a first look at The 5th Avenue Theatre's new production of the beloved musical Annie, which plays this holiday season through December 30, 2018. The 5th is excited to introduce Visesia Fakatoufifita of Tacoma, WA, and Faith Young of Kent, WA, who make their 5th Avenue Theatre debuts alternating the title role.

BroadwayWorld has a first look at The 5th Avenue Theatre's new production of the beloved musical Annie, which plays this holiday season through December 30, 2018. The 5th is excited to introduce Visesia Fakatoufifita of Tacoma, WA, and Faith Young of Kent, WA, who make their 5th Avenue Theatre debuts alternating the title role.

Today's 1:30pm performance of Annie at 5th Avenue Theatre was cancelled due to a 'security threat.' Tonight's performance will go on as scheduled.

You may say, Dear Readers, that it's impossible to have a bad production of the Thomas Meehan, Charles Strouse, and Martin Charnin classic "Annie". Throw some precocious kids on stage, belt out those recognizable tunes and you're gold. Well, I beg to differ as I've seen my share of "Annie" productions that missed the point, or the heart or maybe just didn't quite have the kids to pull it off well. (You know what they say, never work with kids or animals and this show has BOTH!) Well the current production at the 5th Avenue not only has the perfect tone for this boisterously fun old time musical, but they know exactly where the heart is in the show and in the audience and which buttons to push on both. Not to mention those precocious kids all seem to be consummate professionals with killer voices. So much so I'm suspecting they were actually just short adults. Maybe?

BroadwayWorld has a first look at The 5th Avenue Theatre's new production of the beloved musical Annie, which plays this holiday season through December 30, 2018. The 5th is excited to introduce Visesia Fakatoufifita of Tacoma, WA, and Faith Young of Kent, WA, who make their 5th Avenue Theatre debuts alternating the title role.

BroadwayWorld has a first look at The 5th Avenue Theatre's new production of the beloved musical Annie, which plays this holiday season through December 30, 2018. The 5th is excited to introduce Visesia Fakatoufifita of Tacoma, WA, and Faith Young of Kent, WA, who make their 5th Avenue Theatre debuts alternating the title role.

The 5th Avenue Theatre's new production of the beloved musical Annie begins performances tonight, and plays through December 30, 2018. The 5th introduces Visesia Fakatoufifita of Tacoma, WA, and Faith Young of Kent, WA, who make their 5th Avenue Theatre debuts alternating the title role. Check out an all new promotional video for the production below!

The 5th Avenue Theatre's new production of the beloved musical Annie begins performances tonight, and plays through December 30, 2018. The 5th introduces Visesia Fakatoufifita of Tacoma, WA, and Faith Young of Kent, WA, who make their 5th Avenue Theatre debuts alternating the title role. Check out the new promotional images for the production below!

Rehearsals have begun for The 5th Avenue Theatre's new production of the beloved musical Annie, which plays this holiday season from November 23 - December 30, 2018. The 5th is excited to introduce Visesia Fakatoufifita of Tacoma, WA, and Faith Young of Kent, WA, who make their 5th Avenue Theatre debuts alternating the title role.

Rehearsals have begun for The 5th Avenue Theatre's new production of the beloved musical Annie, which plays this holiday season from November 23 - December 30, 2018. The 5th is excited to introduce Visesia Fakatoufifita of Tacoma, WA, and Faith Young of Kent, WA, who make their 5th Avenue Theatre debuts alternating the title role.