From the smoky VIP booths of Lake City Way to the neon-lit corners of Pioneer Square, Seattle Vice ‘76 resurrects the scandalous true story of Seattle’s infamous “Stripper King” Frank Colacurcio – and the tunes and politics that defined the era.
From the creators of the popular Bohemia comes a scandalous ride through the strip clubs of 1970s Seattle. This world-premiere musical from cabaret powerhouses Opal Peachey and Mark Siano draws inspiration from the celebrated book Seattle Vice by Rick Anderson, and creates a dynamic and action packed follow-up to their breakout hit from last decade.
“Rick Anderson came to see Seattle Vice live at ACT Theater in 2014, the first version that we set in 1965, and he absolutely loved it,” says creator Mark Siano (A Very Die Hard Christmas, Titanish). “He sadly passed away a few years back, so now we’re taking the chapters of the book we didn’t touch and making a new show around them. These are all real clubs, real people that lived in our city, before the tech industry took over.”
This show is on brand for Peachey and Siano, with unique performance styles featuring original songs, “70s Bangers”, pole dance, burlesque, live music, comedy, acrobatics, and an alternative history that appeals to Seattle locals as well as tourists and newbies who’d like a peep-show into the underbelly of the Emerald City.
Directed and Choreographed by Katy Tabb (Waitress, Bohemia) audiences will delight in Broadway-style dance numbers and a tight storyline that features a star turn from Gregory Award winning actor Ray Tagavilla as Colacurcio himself.
I asked Mark Siano for more details.
Seattle Vice is back after 10 years, What took so long?
We wanted to come back with a bang! Give it a little time to rest and then BOOM! Crazy fun new show. Also we were just working on new projects and creatively we were being pulled in a lot of different directions. Also, it’s been a decade since we did the last version, and now the story has moved on 10 years, so it felt serendipitous.
How will Vice ’76 be different?
The last Vice was set in ’65 during the tolerance policy. The vibe in the 70s is much different. While society had certainly loosened up and sex wasn’t as big a taboo, however politically there was a huge backlash against adult entertainment. Police who had previously looked the other way were now cracking down on Vice activities. Our show is set in 1976 when Frank Colacurcio was getting out of prison and looking to retake his throne as the “Stripper King” of Seattle, but he is immediately pursued and by both the FBI and local authorities.
I loved the variety last time, what can we expect this time?
Dancing, Live 70s music, lots of singing and stripping. There’re 3 different pole dance acts in this one. Also, some acrobatics with both a strap stripping act and a hoop (lyra) act. There’s a bunch of burlesque to boot and a comedic script by Opal Peachey and myself that is very bawdy and loves to rip on 70s Seattle.
What do you like most about performing in the Triple Door?
The vibes. It’s just the coolest spot. Those old-fashioned booths make you feel like you’re in a Frank Sinatra movie, and the sound is divine for live music. Plus, it’s both small enough to feel intimate and large enough to feel like an opulent and important event is going on. It’s the perfect spot for cabaret, honestly my friends in New York and Chicago are straight up jealous of Seattle’s Triple Door, it’s a special venue.
What is next?
I got a new comedy coming to Seattle Public Theater in Green Lake (the old Bathhouse Theater) with The Habit Productions, it’s a big silly parody – we’re calling it “Jurassic Parking Lot”
Seattle Vice ’76 is playing at the Triple Door ( Address: 216 Union Street, Seattle) , May 8-18th for 12 performances only. Tickets at http://tickets.thetripledoor.net/SeattleVice
