‘Ingvar! A Musical Furniture Saga’ @ Seattle Center

There’s much more to Ikea than POÄNG armchairs, Swedish meatballs, soft-serve ice cream and store-specific marital spats. In fact, Ikea founder Ingvar Kamprad has a much more interesting story to tell — and what better way to tell it than through song? “Ingvar! A Musical Furniture Saga” does just that.

Originally written by Erik Gedeon and Klas Abrahamsson, this Swedish satirical musical sensation was first performed in Malmo, Sweden in 2010. In the same sung-through style as “Hamilton” and “Les Misérables,” “Ingvar! A Musical Furniture Saga” paints a captivating picture of one man’s journey from poor, immigrant-born child to the eighth richest man in the world — a compelling commentary on the price of capitalism — all via song and dance.

Translated into English in 2018 by Ann Henning Jocelyn, “Ingvar!” is making its English-language world premier right here in Seattle with Latitude Theatre at Seattle Center. Directed by Christopher Kidder-Mostrom with musical direction by Heather MacLaughlin Garbes, “Ingvar!” is the perfect fit for Latitude Theatre’s mission to enact world theatre (for which translation plays a major role).

“I’ve been trying to find a way to produce this show since I first heard of it over a decade ago,” says director says Christopher Kidder-Mostrom. “It is a brilliant script: so funny, and the songs get stuck in your head.”

Latitude Theatre is dedicated to producing theater in Seattle from around our world and parallel worlds.