Top Seattle theater shows to see in summer 2024

Staff Picks

Yes I know, it’s summertime and we’ve all gone sun-crazy. But paddleboard yourself to the nearest dock, dry off and get to the theater — you won’t regret it. With some fan-favorite musicals and a play from an exciting new company, we truly can have it all. 

“Clue” 

Whodunits are big theater hits these days, so no surprise that the national tour of “Clue” is touching down at The 5th Avenue Theatre in all its door-slamming, backstabbing glory. On a dark and stormy night, six guests, including Miss Scarlet and Colonel Mustard, arrive at Boddy Manor for mysterious reasons. First came “Clue,” the midcentury Hasbro board game, then the 1985 movie adaptation starring Tim Curry. (There was also a version of the game from the mid-’90s that relied on a VCR — does anyone else remember this?) This stage version, written by Sandy Rustin based on Jonathan Lynn’s screenplay, promises the same deeply murderous fun, and hopefully everyone’s favorite singing telegram. 

Through July 21; The 5th Avenue Theatre, 1308 Fifth Ave., Seattle; tickets start at $49; 206-625-1900, 5thavenue.org

“June is the First Fall” 

Intriguing newcomer company Yun Theatre presents this play by Yilong Liu. At the play’s center: Don, a gay Chinese man, who returns home to Hawaii to rediscover missing memories of his family but ends up reopening wounds about love and acceptance that never quite healed. It’s a delicate family play and in many ways, it’s a memory play — one that sounds to be tailor-made for Yun, which focuses on new works reflecting the intersection of Chinese and American ideologies. 

Through July 27; Theatre Off Jackson, 409 Seventh Ave. S., Seattle; $20-$50; yun-theatre.com

“Sister Act”

For fans of the 1992 movie “Sister Act” starring Whoopi Goldberg, this faithful stage adaptation should prove both satisfying and delightful. Seattle musical theater powerhouse Alexandria J. Henderson stars as Deloris Van Cartier, a nightclub singer who ends up stashed away in a convent after witnessing a mob murder. Now known as Sister Mary Clarence, a very bored Deloris takes it upon herself to jazz up the convent’s fusty choir, despite the protests of Mother Superior (Anne Allgood). This should be a fun one. Bretteney Beverly, Taproot’s associate artistic director, directs.  

July 12-Aug. 10; Taproot Theatre, 204 N. 85^th St., Seattle; $25-$62; 206-781-9707, taproottheatre.org

“Company”

Stephen Sondheim and George Furth’s 1970 musical, an ensemble piece about love, dating, marriage, divorce and everything in between, centers on Bobby, a bachelor hurtling toward 35, and his many married friends, many of whom have strong opinions on Bobby’s singlehood. In 2018, director Marianne Elliott gender-swapped her production of “Company” (with Sondheim’s blessing) and made her Bobbie a 35-year-old woman, lending a more modern frisson to the show’s sociocultural landscape. That West End production later transferred to Broadway where it won five Tony Awards including best revival of a musical. The number of beloved Sondheim songs in this show is simply bananas: We’ve got “Being Alive,” “Another Hundred People,” “The Ladies Who Lunch,” “Getting Married Today” and, one of my personal faves, “Barcelona,” to name just a few. 

July 23-28; Paramount Theatre, 911 Pine St., Seattle; $40-$125; 206-682-1414, stgpresents.org

Seattle Playwriting Conference

OK, this is not itself a play, but I do want to point out the Seattle Playwriting Conference, presented in partnership between local new-play development havens SCRiB LAB and Parley Plays. Designed for “all interested playwrights, theater artists, and community members,” the conference features some interesting panel talks from folks all over the Seattle theater community, and whether you’re an aspiring playwright or not, it’s always fun to meet creative people and learn a bit more about how the theatrical sausage is made, so to speak. 

July 13; Hugo House, 1634 11th Ave., Seattle; tickets on a sliding scale; scriblab.org