Fancy Dancer

Fancy Dancer is a special play. It is one of my top 5 all-time favorite plays. I feel grateful for getting to experience it on Opening Night of its World Premiere, and I will be coming back with my kids, so they can also experience this story. You will want to bring your middle school or older kids to this show (a friend said even 10 year old boys were immersed in the story).

If you have ever been told you can’t do that, you aren’t good enough, or you are too different, you will be inspired by this story.

The playwright Larissa FastHorse is in town from her home in Los Angeles to perform this one-person show on specific dates, and she is as skilled as an actor as she is as a playwright. If you recognize her name, it may be because she also wrote the hilarious The Thanksgiving Play, which I had the joy of experiencing in October 2023 at Tacoma Arts Live. The Thanksgiving Play made its Broadway debut in 2023 and was nominated for multiple Drama League Awards and won a Theatre World Award.

Other dates of Fancy Dancer are performed by actor-dancer Burgandi Trejo Phoenix.

Before I knew anything about this show, I had been saying to anyone who would listen that we desperately and urgently need more BIPOC programming on Broadway and Off-Broadway, and this show offers a BIPOC story that is also relatable to anyone who has ever been in middle school, has been bullied, or has been told you’re not good enough or you are too different. This play is so relatable to so many people.

In addition to the stellar acting and powerful script, director Chay Yew exceeded my expectations with the production quality. I see so many shows that I have developed a pet peeve for a show that doesn’t take the opportunity to set the mood before the show even starts. A closed curtain with no other thought just feels like a missed opportunity. After Midnight at The 5th Avenue Theatre used lighting design to set the pre-show mood, John Proctor is the Villain on Broadway used loud pop music to create the vibe, and Fancy Dancer uses a combination of projections and sound design to create a thunderstorm with gentle rain to greet you as you find your seat. While I do not always like how projections are implemented, I actually really enjoyed the extensive use of projections throughout this show, and the sound design was similarly thoughtful. These details contributed to my positive experience.

The scenic design is by Junghyun Georgia Lee, lighting design is by Geoff Korf, sound design is by Robertson Witmer, costumes are by Mary Kelsay, and choreography is by Price Suddarth and Maxine Alex. Jayna Shoda Meyer is Associate Director, Caite Hevner and Ann Slote are responsible for the projections, Gin Hammond is Local Vocal Consultant, and Christine Anne Reynolds is the Stage Manager.

Fancy Dancer is a joint production of Seattle Rep and Seattle Children’s Theatre and runs through November 2. A sensory-friendly production is scheduled for Saturday, October 25 at 2 PM.

This show is highly recommended and one of my favorites of the year.

See more show reviews from 2025.