Spokane Civic Theatre has recently been nominated for the 2024 BroadwayWorld Seattle Awards with 4 of their productions; She Loves Me, The Comedy of Errors, CATS, and Heathers: The Musical. Voting ends December 31st, 2024. Vote here! She Loves Me nominations include: Best Scenic Design Of A Play Or Musical, and Favorite Local Theatre. Performed December
Nicole Ostlie as Sillabub in the Civic's production of Cats. Cats was an unlikely theatrical phenomenon. The musical's primary source material is Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, a collection of quirky children's poems by T.S. Eliot, the same literary figure who gave us ominous and melancholic works like The Waste Land and The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock. It indulges
When I spoke with director Jake Schaefer to preview Spokane Civic Theatre’s production of “Cats,” he said the musical is “a gigantic production.” Having never seen “Cats” before, I only had general information about the show, yet I still understood what he was talking about. The show features a large ensemble cast, most of whom
A group of cats, called the Jellicles, must come together to make the “Jellicle choice,” which involves deciding which of them will rise to the “Heaviside Layer” and be born anew. Huh? But thanks to music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, which was based on a book of poetry by T.S. Eliot called “Old Possum’s
Congratulations to the company of this year's Bryan Harnetiaux Playwrights' Forum Festival. Thank you to all who auditioned! Spokane Civic Theatre is proud to present its celebrated Playwrights’ Forum Festival, which, since 1983, has showcased new one-acts by playwrights from across the region. The festival is performed in two separate sets on alternating days.
The art of making art Is putting it together, Bit by bit Beat by beat, Part by part -Stephen Sondheim For Spokane Civic Theatre’s this-weekend-only musical revue, Executive Director Jake Schaefer borrowed a phrase from Stephen Sondheim’s 1983 song about making art. “’Beat by Beat’ is from the song “Putting It Together” from the show
Best Local Play of the Past Year BRIGHT STAR, SPOKANE VALLEY SUMMER THEATRE 2nd PLACE: The Addams Family, Spokane Civic Theatre 3rd PLACE: Sweeney Todd, Stage Left Theater NORTH IDAHO'S BEST: Tommy, Aspire Community Theatre, Coeur d'Alene The Company of The Addams Family, 2023 Photograph by Marlee Melinda Andrews
Congratulations to the casts of Civic’s upcoming READERS THEATER series. Thank you to all who auditioned! COMPANY Danny Anderson, Joshua Baig, Alex Barclay, Lacey Bohnet-Olson, Barry K Brathovde, Lani Call, Trevor Caragan, Sallie Christensen, Abby Constable, Karla Dansereau-Avielle, Nathan Davies, Melody Deatherage, Chelsea DuVall, Jameson Elton, Shaune Gardner, Jean Hardie, Peter Hardie, Scarlett Hepworth, Nicole
Congratulations to the playwrights selected for the 34th Bryan Harnetiaux Playwrights' Forum Festival. Thank you to all who submitted! Ask. Tell. Barbara Lindsay Shoreline, WA Broken Siena Lotrario Youth Division Spokane, WA Damn Ye Jack Slade Paul Lewis Bainbridge Island, WA The Invention of Pickle Ball Rachael Carnes Eugene, OR Jack and Jorma (Yorma) John
Congratulations to the cast of BEAT BY BEAT. Thank you to all who auditioned! Join us March 29 and 30 on the Main Stage for the unveiling of Season 77 titles and a curated musical revue, highlighting our community’s boundless talent. Songs from THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE, BE MORE CHILL, BEETLEJUICE, INTO
Spokane Civic Theatre’s skilled young cast of “The Comedy of Errors” proves that Shakespeare can still be funny, even in the 21st century. Following the stories of two sets of identical twins who are separated at birth, the action begins in the ancient Turkish city of Ephesus when the first set of twins arrive, now
Acclaim was quickly bestowed upon “Amadeus” after the play opened at London’s Royal National Theater in 1979. The following year, the beloved musical debuted on Broadway and “Amadeus” won the Tony Award for Best Play in 1981. There’s no play quite like “Amadeus,” which will be performed Friday through Feb. 25 at the Spokane Civic Theatre.
LISTEN TO THE RADIO INTERVIEW HERE Director and cast perform scenes from and discuss the Mozart–Salieri rivalry play Dan Bisbee, Melody Deatherage and Mitch Heid came into the KPBX studio to speak with E.J. Iannelli on behalf of the Spokane Civic Theatre new main stage production of Amadeus. The 1979 play, written by Peter Shaffer, imagines
Outside the Firth J. Chew Studio Theatre was a snowy Spokane, but inside was a window into South Boston. It was opening night at the Spokane Civic Theatre for “Good People,” a play by David Lindsay-Abaire. A gritty, real exploration into class relationships, identity, luck and even a little bit of bingo. From the action
As a professional voiceover actor, Deborah Marlowe has a leg up when it comes to mimicking regional accents. Her soothing, trusted tones can be heard nationwide, portraying dramatic characters in video games, selling breath fresheners and house cleansers in commercials, and narrating art museum tours and nature films, just to name some of her professional
LISTEN TO THE RADIO INTERVIEW HERE Cast members and director discuss a play about "Southie" and class identity Scarlett Hepworth, Pam Kingsley, Deborah Marlowe and Marianne McLaughlin entered the KPBX studio to talk with E.J. Iannelli about the Spokane Civic Theatre's new production of Good People. The plays opens this weekend in the theater's studio space.
Congratulations to the cast of Civic Academy's THE COMEDY OF ERRORS. Thank you all who auditioned! Get ready for rip-roaring fun in Shakespeare’s madcap comedy about long-lost siblings and mistaken identities. Shakespeare bases his story on Plautus’s MENAECHMI, a play about identical twins who accidentally meet after a lifetime apart. He borrows from another Plautus
The cast of "Merrily We Roll Along," a Spokane Civic Theatre production, will take the stage this weekend. When “Merrily We Roll Along,” debuted in 1934 and hit Broadway in 1981, the play, which is an inspired story about the lives and friendships of three friends over a 20-year period, flopped. A number of critics
LISTEN TO THE RADIO INTERVIEW HERE Directors and cast discuss the challenging Sondheim musical and perform two songs Joel Cummings, David Hardie, Jean Hardie, Henry McNulty and Kalla Mort joined E.J. Iannelli in the KPBX studio to talk about the Spokane Civic Theatre's new production of the Stephen Sondheim–George Furth musical Merrily We Roll Along, which
School May Be Out For Summer But Class Is In Session This July! Welcome to 1989. Westerberg High is terrorized by a shoulder-padded, scrunchie-wearing junta: Heather, Heather and Heather, the hottest and cruelest girls in all of Ohio. But misfit Veronica Sawyer rejects their evil regime for a new boyfriend, the dark sexy stranger J.D.,
Congratulations to the cast of AMADEUS. Thank you all who auditioned! It’s 1823, and a cacophony of scandalous whispers echo through the streets of Vienna. Renowned Italian composer Antonio Salieri flees from claims of murder but has nowhere to hide. While chasing fame and fortune, we learn how Salieri becomes obsessed with the rowdy young
LISTEN TO THE RADIO INTERVIEW HERE The director, music director and leads talk about the studio-sized holiday musical Kathie Doyle-Lipe, Henry McNulty, David Olson and Taylor Wenglikowski joined E.J. Iannelli in the KPBX studio to fill listeners in on the Spokane Civic Theatre's new production of She Loves Me. The musical opens in the theater's Firth
Congratulations to the cast of GOOD PEOPLE. Thank you all who auditioned! Welcome to Southie, a Boston neighborhood where a night on the town means a few rounds of bingo, where this month’s paycheck covers last month’s bills, and where Margaret Walsh has just been let go from yet another job. Facing eviction and scrambling
Deviating from standard holiday fare, the Spokane Civic Theatre will serve up a holiday mashup of merriment and murder when it presents the regional premiere of “A Sherlock Carol” on Friday. Civic is betting the play that mixes “A Christmas Carol” with “Sherlock Holmes” will be a winning recipe for audiences hungry for a new
If the title of A Sherlock Carol seems at once familiar yet uncanny, that might be intentional. The play by Mark Shanahan takes two of the most popular characters of Victorian fiction, Sherlock Holmes and Ebenezer Scrooge, and creates a Christmas mash-up that riffs on both of their literary origins. Following its well-received off-Broadway premiere in 2021,
LISTEN TO THE RADIO INTERVIEW HERE Actors playing Tiny Tim and Sherlock join their director to preview a holiday mystery On this day before Thanksgiving, Mathias Oliver, Jerry Sciarrio and Dallan Starks sat down in the KPBX studio with E.J. Iannelli to discuss the Spokane Civic Theatre’s new production of A Sherlock Carol. The holiday murder
Congratulations to the cast of MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG. Thank you all who auditioned! MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG is a musical about 20 years in the lives of three old friends: Broadway composer-turned-film producer Franklin Shepard, playwright and lyricist Charley Kringas, and theatre critic Mary Flynn. The show charts how their friendship devolves and fractures
Spokane Civic Theatre, in partnership with Gonzaga University’s Dance Department, is proud to present the record-breaking, genre-defying musical CATS, by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of The Really Useful Group, on the Margot & Robert Ogden Main Stage spring 2024. CATS is set amongst a larger-than-life junkyard playground and is alive with purr-fect
Congratulations to the cast of SHE LOVES ME. Thank you all who auditioned! Meet Amalia and Georg — two parfumerie clerks who aren’t quite the best of friends. Constantly bumping heads while on the job, the sparring coworkers can’t seem to find common ground. But little do they know the anonymous pen pals they have
LISTEN TO THE RADIO INTERVIEW HERE The director and a cast member offer insight into a feminist take on a classic horror tale Chelsea DuVall and Dawn Taylor-Reinhardt of the Spokane Civic Theatre’s new production of Dracula sat down in the KPBX studio with E.J. Iannelli to discuss this feminist reframing of Bram Stoker's Gothic horror novel.
Ethan Williams as Dracula fights with Bridget Pretz as Doctor Van Helsing in Spokane Civic Theatre's production of "Dracula," opening this weekend in the Firth J. Chew Studio Theatre. In the background are Shakyla Garcia Davidson as Mina Harker and Nicholas Roy Morgan III playing Doctor George Seward. Nothing is sweeter than revenge. Just ask playwright
Congratulations to the cast of A SHERLOCK CAROL. Thank you to all who auditioned! Spokane Civic Theatre is proud to present the Pacific Northwest premiere of this play, which debuted at New World Stages in 2021, through special arrangement with Broadway Licensing. Reunite with the characters you love from Charles Dickens and Sir Arthur
Few sitcoms from the 1960s resonate today. Such hits from yesteryear as “Gilligan’s Island” and “The Munsters” are dated and predictable. The Addams Family, a fictional family created by American cartoonist Charles Addams, is an exception. The delightfully quirky, old money clan who revel in the macabre lasted only two seasons, 1964-66 on ABC. “The
LISTEN TO THE RADIO INTERVIEW HERE Creatives and cast discuss and perform songs from the Broadway black comedy Jayce Fortin, Mathias Oliver, Henry McNulty and Jake Schaefer joined E.J. Iannelli in the KPBX studio to talk about the Spokane Civic Theatre's upcoming season and its opening show, The Addams Family. The Broadway musical about the famously
Congratulations to the cast of DRACULA, Spokane Civic Theatre's 76th Studio Theatre Season-opening production. Thank you to all who auditioned! In this thrilling new adaptation that bounces between horror and humor, from Transylvania to England and then back again, playwright Kate Hamill boldly reimagines Bram Stoker’s classic tale of vampires and finds new monsters just
Spokane Civic Theatre is overjoyed to share our Season 76 art by local artist Karli Fairbanks! Tickets on sale now | Become a Season 76 member
Congratulations to the cast of THE ADDAMS FAMILY, Spokane Civic Theatre's 76th Main Stage Season opening production. Thank you to all who auditioned! That lovable family of creepy kooks is alive and well and living in their super-spooky mansion in Central Park. The Addams family, led by the elegantly gaunt and seemingly undead Morticia
Duncan Sheik never envisioned writing music for theater. That was so even after befriending playwright Steven Sater a quarter century ago. “I was anti-musical theater at that point,” Sheik said while calling from his Manhattan apartment. “The process of developing shows takes forever. I didn’t want to be part of that.” After achieving commercial success
LISTEN TO THE RADIO INTERVIEW HERE Cast members perform songs from the Alice in Wonderland-inspired musical Sarah Junette Dahmen, Henry McNulty, Jake Schaefer, Jonah Taylor and Taylor Wenglikowski joined E.J. Iannelli in the KPBX studio to talk about the Spokane Civic Theatre's new production of Alice by Heart ahead of its opening this weekend. Schaefer and Dahmen are
The Addams Family Main Stage Music and Lyrics by Andrew Lippa Book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice Directed by Jake Schaefer | Music Directed by Henry McNulty Auditions: July 16 - 18, 2023 Performances: September 15 - October 15, 2023 Dracula Studio Theatre Written by Kate Hamill Based on the 1897 novel by Bram Stoker Directed
If "summer theater" conjures images of actors holding skulls aloft and waxing existential in a park, you're in luck. Because this summer's offerings both meet and defy those expectations. You can certainly catch Hamlet or Measure for Measure performed en plein air by Shakespeare pros, but you also have the option of kicking back in an air-conditioned theater and watching
Grab a D-I-C-T-I-O-N-A-R-Y and welcome to the spelling bee. This heartfelt musical comedy follows an eclectic group of tweens who compete for the spelling championship of a lifetime. While candidly disclosing hilarious and touching stories from their home lives, the tweens spell their way through a series of (potentially made-up) words, hoping never to hear
Sixteen-year-old Jim Hawkins’ adventure begins when Billy Bones, the old sea-dog captain, appears one morning in the Admiral Benbow Inn. Billy Bones admits to Jim he was Flint the pirate’s first mate and that he holds Flint’s map that shows where his treasure is hidden. Bill’s got the shakes because the rest of Flint’s crew
This thrilling and heartwarming coming-of-age story follows the strong-willed Moana as she sets sail across the Pacific to save her village from an ancient curse and discover the truth about her heritage. Moana and the legendary demigod Maui embark on an epic journey of self-discovery and camaraderie as both learn to harness the power that lies
Spokane Civic Theatre is proud to present the Pacific Northwest premiere of ALICE BY HEART, through special arrangement with Music Theatre International. From the Tony and Grammy award-winning creators of SPRING AWAKENING, Steven Sater and Duncan Sheik, and co-written by Jessie Nelson (WAITRESS), ALICE BY HEART is a touching musical inspired by Alice’s madcap
Glinda (Lacey Olson) and the Munchkins from a rehearsal for The Wizard of Oz, 2022 CIVIC ENGAGEMENTS Community theater is special, and in Spokane we're lucky to have multiple such establishments that produce consistently stellar shows, one of which is the SPOKANE CIVIC THEATRE. The Civic recently announced the first slate of shows for its fully loaded
Main Stage THE ADDAMS FAMILY September 15 – October 15, 2023 Music and Lyrics by Andrew Lippa Book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice The Addams Family features an original story. It’s every parent’s nightmare. Your little girl has suddenly become a young woman, and what’s worse, has fallen deliriously in love with a sweet, smart
July 14 - 23, Main Stage Musical From the Tony and Grammy award-winning creators of SPRING AWAKENING, Steven Sater and Duncan Sheik, and co-written by Jessie Nelson (WAITRESS), ALICE BY HEART is a touching musical inspired by Alice’s madcap Adventures in Wonderland. In the rubble of the London Blitz of World War II, Alice Spencer’s budding
