Spokane stages promise to be crowded through March

Thu., Jan. 19, 2017

By Nathan Weinbender nathanw@spokesman.com (509) 459-5024

The Modern Theater Coeur d’Alene, which has been closed since the theater’s Spokane location shuttered in December, is officially reopening under its old name: the Lake City Playhouse.

The name change has taken effect on the Modern’s website. In an email sent to season ticket holders, the theater’s board apologized for its “lack of communication” in notifying customers about the Modern’s status following the Spokane closure.

The email also states that the LCP’s two major priorities going forward are “recognizing the ongoing support of our season ticket holders and continuing exceptional community theater at the Lake City Playhouse.” The theater board is currently securing the rights for the shows in its ongoing season.

Upcoming shows will be announced at a benefit concert at the Coeur d’Alene location, 1320 E. Garden Ave., on Feb. 4. Tickets are $50 and are now available at www.themoderntheater.org or (208) 676-7529.

Nathan Weinbender

After a brief respite during the Christmas season, activity on area stages is starting to pick up again. A few shows are currently running – the heartwarming drama “Tuesdays With Morrie” at Ignite Community Theatre and the provocative satire “Disgraced” at Stage Left Theater – but here’s what you can expect to see on Spokane stages in the coming months.

Jan. 27 – Spokane Civic Theatre, 1020 N. Howard St., continues its season with “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike,” a comic take on the works of Anton Chekov. It runs through Feb. 19; tickets are available at www.spokanecivictheatre.com and over the phone at (509) 325-2507. Read more about the show in next week’s 7.

Feb. 2 – The University of Idaho presents “Titus Andronicus,” one of Shakespeare’s more violent and bizarre offerings, which will run through Feb. 12 at Moscow’s Hartung Theater, 625 Stadium Drive. Tickets are free for UI students and run $15 at the door. For more information, visit www.uidaho.edu/class/theatre.

Feb. 4 – The Best of Broadway season continues at INB Performing Arts Center with “Annie,” the beloved story of a scrappy orphan girl who’s adopted by a wealthy curmudgeon. You have three chances to see this family favorite on Feb. 4 and 5; tickets are $20-$59 through TicketsWest.

Feb. 9 – Here’s some more Shakespeare for you. The Bard’s tragedy “Troilus & Cressida” will open at Gonzaga University’s Magnuson Theatre, 502 E. Boone Ave., and the performance is a fundraiser for Our Place Ministries. Tickets are $25 and are available at Our Place, 1509 W. College Ave., or at (509) 326-7267.

Feb. 10 – The Stephen Sondheim musical “A Little Night Music,” based on Ingmar Bergman’s 1955 comedy film “Smiles on a Summer Night,” opens at the Civic. The show runs through March 5. You can purchase tickets, which run from $24-$32, at www.spokanecivictheatre.com. At Stage Left, 103 West Third Ave., “Fast and Furious VII” is the newest entry in an ongoing series of quick comic plays penned by local writers. Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 10 and 11 and 2 p.m. on Feb. 12; tickets are $10 at www.spokanestageleft.org.

Feb. 16 – For a little slice of Vegas in Spokane, check out the touring show “Cirque du Soleil: Ovo” at the Spokane Arena, 720 W. Mallon Ave. There will be six performances through Feb. 19. Tickets start at $32 for adults and $25 for children (kids 2 and younger are free) and are available through TicketsWest. The classic comedy “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” opens in Pullman at the Regional Theater of the Palouse, 122 N. Grand Ave., which is celebrating its 10th anniversary. You can see the show through Feb. 26, and tickets are $19.99 at www.rtoptheatre.org.

Feb. 26 – “Rain: A Tribute to the Beatles” is a Fab Four tribute act that combines live music and video to produce a completely immersive experience. The trippy, poppy show hits the INB for one night only, and tickets range from $29.50 to $49.50 through TicketsWest outlets.

Feb. 28 – Inspired by a 2005 British film, the Tony Award-winning musical “Kinky Boots” is about a drag queen who steps in to save a man’s failing shoe factory. Featuring a book by actor Harvey Fierstein and songs by pop star Cyndi Lauper, the show runs at the INB through March 4. Tickets are $30-$75; see TicketsWest.

March 3 – The life of noted feminist and anarchist Emma Goldman is chronicled in “Emma,” which starts its run at Stage Left. The biographical drama, written by the late historian Howard Zinn, runs through March 19. Tickets at www.spokanestageleft.org.

March 10 – Opening at Ignite, Jeffrey Hatcher’s play “Scotland Road” is a mystery surrounding a strange woman who is found floating in the Atlantic Ocean and claims to be a survivor of the Titanic disaster. The show runs through March 26, and tickets can be purchased at www.igniteonbroadway.org.

March 17 – “Holding On – Letting Go” is the newest work by local playwright Bryan Harnetiaux, a drama about love, death and basketball. It runs in the Civic’s studio theater space through April 9. Tickets are $25 through the Civic’s website, or at (509) 325-2507.

March 22 – Another Best of Broadway production, “Mamma Mia!” brings the greatest hits of ABBA to the INB. The jukebox musical is one of the longest running shows in Broadway history and has played Spokane before. This is billed as a “final farewell tour.” Performances are 7:30 p.m. on March 22 and 23; tickets start at $30 through TicketsWest.

March 30 – The Whoopi Goldberg hit “Sister Act” has been adapted for the stage, a Tony-nominated production that has been a popular title since premiering on the West End in 2009. The Regional Theater of the Palouse is putting on the upbeat show, and it will run through April 9. Tickets are available online at www.rtoptheatre.org.

March 31 – “Noises Off” is a fast-paced farce that all theater fans should cross off their to-do list at some point. The Civic Theatre premieres its production on March 31, and it runs through April 23. Tickets are $20-$29 through the Civic’s box office or website.