Saturday, August 31, 2013

Theatre quotes of the day for Saturday, August 31, 2013

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"What I love about theatre is that it disappears as it happens."

"Acting is very much like a child making believe. I'm not one to become a character, but I fall in love with the character. It's like having faith; you're going to be that person for a while."

"I get bored at the theatre a lot because I notice that there's not always a connection between the actors. They may be technically proficient, but they're not surprising each other. I'm thrilled by actors who make choices that are surprising." - American writer and stage and film actress Lusia Strus and member of The Neo-Futurists

Friday, August 30, 2013

Chuck's choices for the weekend of August 30, 2013

As always, the choices are purely my personal opinion. Take with a grain (or a shaker) of salt.

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New this week:

L-R: Bobby Miller and Julie Layton
Photo: John Lamb
Max and Louie Productions presents Nicky Silver's The Lyons Wednesdays through Friday at 8 PM, Saturday at 2 and 8 PM, and Sunday at 2 PM. “The Lyons is about a family grappling with the impending death of its patriarch. When Ben Lyons' wife, Rita, and their grown children gather to say goodbye, they learn that despite being a family, each of them is utterly isolated. Afraid of closeness and afraid of solitude, they are propelled into foreign territory - human connection.” Performances take place at COCA, 524 Trinity in University City. For more information, visit maxandlouie.com.

My take: Personally, I'm not much for dysfunctional family comedies, but this one seems to have a lot going for it. "The first thing to know about this play," writes Andrea Braun in her review for 88.1 KDHX, "is that it is hilarious...there is a lot of wordplay among absurd people in ridiculous situations which, of course, is the basis for humor. Normally, it’s hard to pull real comedy out of a piece when there is nobody to like, and that is certainly the case here (except for the nurse). But laugh we do."

Nine
Slightly Askew Theatre Ensemble presents Nine by Jane Shepard and Sketch by Leverage Dance Theater Wednesday through Saturday at 8 and Friday and Saturday at 10. "Nine by Jane Shepard: Two women held in a life-threatening situation and the mind games they play to keep one another alive. Held in a room and chained apart, their only currency is words, and balance of power is everything when a single word becomes the hanging point between life and death. Sketch: Physical Theater meets Dance in a new piece by Hannah Fischer of Leverage Dance Theater, exploring fragmentation and time-lapse through a series of duets." Performances take place at The Chapel Venue, 6238 Alexander Drive. For more information: slightlyoff.org.

My take: SATE does not shy away from material that's unusual, challenging, confrontational or even politically loaded. This double bill would appear to be all of those things. "Torture, trust and the unknown," writes Tina Farmer in her review for 88.1 KDHX, "are deep subjects to cover in an evening that combines modern dance and a short play. The Slightly Askew Theatre Ensemble has chosen to take a bold path with its presentation of Nine, a provocative and brutal short play, and Sketch, a dance by the Leverage Dance Theatre. The evening presents powerful questions but offers no easy answers, which only increases the impact of the show." Not many theatre companies are willing to roll those particular dice. Those that do probably deserve our support.

Theatre quotes of the day for Friday, August 30, 2013

lynnnottage.com
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"I always thought of my mother as a warrior woman, and I became interested in pursuing stories of women who invent lives in order to survive."

"My interest in theatre and storytelling began in my mother's kitchen. It was a meeting place for my mother's large circle of friends."

"I find my characters and stories in many varied places; sometimes they pop out of newspaper articles, obscure historical texts, lively dinner party conversations and some even crawl out of the dusty remote recesses of my imagination." - Playwright Lynn Nottage

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Theatre quotes of the day for Thursday, August 29, 2013

joycedewitt.com
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"I reckon I probably worked for Euripides a long time ago. I do think we have many Earth walks and it's possible that he's an old friend. Does that sound too stupid for words? Quite frankly I think I've been an actor in so many lifetimes."

"Hollywood is a very interesting place to deal with. And having been a theatre person, I was quite surprised by the slipperiness of some people in Holly-weird. There was a part of me that just said, 'If this is the way the game is played, I'm not sure I want to play it.'"

"Shirley Maclaine once said that she didn't want to be a big star, just a long star. That's what I want too." - Stage, film, and TV actress Joyce DeWitt, best known for her role as "Janet Wood" in Three's Company

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

The Dispossessed

grandcenter.org
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My friend the playwright/producer Joan Lipkin (of That Uppity Theatre Company fame) once remarked that theatre in St. Louis was mostly about real estate. What she meant was that there are far more theatre companies in town than there are spaces in which they can perform.

Companies with dedicated spaces are becoming rare, and many of those have to share with other groups. Some are even homeless, migrating from stage to stage like the Wandering Jew of medieval legend. Sadly, one of our more prestigious professional companies has just joined the ranks of the homeless.

The company in question is the The Black Rep. For 36 seasons now they've been staging shows, including many local premieres, informed by the African-American experience—everything from the dramas of August Wilson and Athol Fugard to musicals like "Five Guys Named Moe" and "The Wiz." They presented the local premiere of Tony Kushner and Jeanine Tesori's genre-bending musical "Caroline, or Change," staged a production of "Porgy and Bess" in conjunction with Union Avenue Opera, and gave us the first local performance of Samm-Art Williams's comedy "The Waiting Room" (in which I appeared) in partnership with the St. Louis Actors' Studio.

Since 1992 The Black Rep has called The Grandel Theater in Grand Center home. The 437-seat space was pretty much the ideal size for the Black Rep as well as for other groups (such as St. Louis Shakespeare) that shared it with them. As reported by Judy Newmark in the stltoday.com Culture Club blog on August 4th, however, the Black Rep will start its 37th season as one of the theatrically homeless. Grand Center has sold the theater. A liquidator will empty the building by the end of August.

Ominously, the name of the buyer and its plans for the building "are not available due to a confidentially provision in the sale agreement," according to the West End Word, which suggests that Grand Center might be losing a theatre space. Meanwhile, regardless of those plans, The Black Rep is out in the cold (or rather the heat, given the current weather).

That hasn't stopped the group from announcing it's 37th season, though. "Though recent events could have put other theatre companies down for the count," notes company Education and Community Programs manager Linda Kennedy in a recent press release, "The Black Rep is coming out swinging with a new season of theatre." It starts with of Daniel Beaty’s one-man show Emergency, running September 5 – September 15 at Washington University’s A.E. Hotchner Theatre. Performed by Ron Conner, who played a number of leading roles in The Black Rep's last season, Emergency "tells the fantastical tale of a slave ship that emerges in front of the Statue of Liberty in present day New York City, releasing a whirlwind of emotion and exploration." Mr. Conner will play 40 different characters, from an 11-year-old boy to a Republican business executive, in what should be a virtuoso display of acting. For ticket information, visit the Black Rep web site or call 314-534-3807

Other shows in the 37th season have yet to be named but, according to an August 16th story in stltoday.com, company founder and producing director Ron Himes expects to announce both a new home and a full season by the time Emergency is on the boards. “The good news is, there is good news on the horizon, I think,” is quoted as saying in that article. “I am looking at venues and I hope that soon I will be able to make an announcement.”

That might mean presenting at multiple venues, as many other local companies without permanent homes have done. What it doesn't mean is going out of business. "What I want people to know more than anything," said Mr. Himes in a balanced and informative St. Louis American article, "is that we will have a 37th season. Losing that space is not the end of The Black Rep."

Suddenly losing a home can be as devastating to a theatre company as it is for individuals. Indeed, in some ways it's worse, given the severe housing shortage for theatre groups. It's not like The Black Rep can crash on a friend's couch for a while. More than one well-established company has winked out of existence locally for lack of a reliable performance space. It's hard to believe that could happen to a organization with The Black Rep's artistic pedigree, though, and the last act of the group's migratory drama has yet to be written. We'll all just have to watch, wait, and hope.

Theatre quotes of the day for Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Mathieu in Hamburg
1971
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"I arrive at the theatre four hours before the beginning of the performance. I must get accustomed to the hall even if I know it well."

"It doesn't matter if you have a desperate heart when you have to sing about joy; it doesn't matter if you're scared to death when the lights go on."

"I find many drawbacks of myself. But, each time when I visit Lourdes, I receive a lesson of reconciliation. When you see ill people or invalids around, you realize that it is a sin to complain!" - French singer Mireille Mathieu

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Star chamber


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For some years now the classical music world has been all abuzz with news of ensembles reaching out beyond the usual performance venues and taking the classics places where they've never been before. The St. Paul Chamber Orchestra's "Liquid Music" series, for example, includes performances in downtown bars and partnerships with pop and rock ensembles, while New York City's Le Poisson Rouge has become a popular spot for just about every possible type of music from hip-hop to the classics. Locally The Chamber Project St. Louis is leading the non-traditional charge.

The organization's 2013-2014 series, tickets for which are now on sale, includes a themed group of concerts at The Chapel, a non-profit venue that offers its space for free, allowing performers to hold on to more of the money from ticket sales. Organized around the concept of using music to tell a story, the season opens on September 6 with "Dance" and continues with "Connect" on October 12, "Dream" on November 16, "Weave" on January 17, and "Evolution" on April 25. It concludes on May 23 with "Choice, " featuring performances of favorite works as voted on by TCP's audience. Repertoire for the concerts is varied, ranging from established masters like Dvorak, Bruch, Respighi, and Ravel to contemporary composers such as Steve Reich. Performers include local musicians as well as guest artists.

But they don't stop there. The season includes the "On Tap Series" of sessions at local bars and restaurants: Tavern of Fine Arts on October 23, The Schlafly Tap Room on January 29, and Four Hands Brewing Company in Soulard in April. There will also be free concerts at Ladue Chapel, Washington University's Danforth Center, and McKendree University's Bothwell Chapel. They're nothing if not peripatetic. There's even a "Very Open Rehearsal" series in which the audience sits in on the first rehearsal of a piece, providing "an opportunity for students and community members to see working artists in action and learn how a work develops from the beginning stage of sight-reading to the final polished performance."

Established back in 2007 "over a nice glass of wine and perhaps some cheese and maybe a little Prokofiev" by core members Jennifer Gartley (flute), Laura Reycraft (viola), Adrianne Honnold (sax), and Dana Hotle (clarinet), TCP (according to its mission statement) "embraces the communicative and collaborative nature of chamber music to create interactive performances reflecting a 21st-century audience, and creates partnerships with both traditional and non-traditional venues, all types of artists, institutions, and the community."

"Chamber Project Saint Louis," says the group's press release, "offers a different kind of concert experience. The audience is invited into an active listening experience with introductions to the music by the musicians, as well as room for personal conversations with the musicians during and after the concert. Casual and informative, the concert experience is open and inviting to new audiences as well as seasoned concert goers." Their coming season, their sixth, "is an adventure through the dramatic" in which audiences will "experience the thrill of live chamber music with a tale to tell."

This cutting-edge stuff in the classical music world, and it's all home brewed right here in St. Louis. For more information: chamberprojectstl.org

Theatre quotes of the day for Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Olivia Williams at the
60th Berlin International Film Festival, 2010
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"My father was king of the guidebooks and our holidays were always planned, taking us from a great gallery to an ace cafe to a beautiful view. And as an actor, I loathe improvisation because there's no structure and no one knows what's going on."

"I've been lucky enough to kiss three James Bonds on screen: Pierce Brosnan, George Lazenby and Daniel Craig."

"From a very young age, I wanted to get up on stage whenever I went to the theatre - the actors just seemed to be having so much fun. One of my worries about theatre, in fact, is that the actors are quite often having more fun than the audience." - Olivia Williams

Monday, August 26, 2013

St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of August 26, 2013

[Looking for auditions and other artistic opportunities? Check out the St. Louis Auditions site.]

For information on events beyond this week, check out the searchable database at the Regional Arts Commission's ArtsZipper site.

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The Pub Theater Company presents Bye Bye Liver: The St. Louis Drinking Play, a comedic romp through the joys and pitfalls of The Gateway to the West's favorite pastime. Performances take place on Saturdays at 9 PM at Maggie O'Brien's, 2000 Market Street. For more information, you may call 314-827-4185, email stlouis at byebyeliver.com, or visit byebyeliver.com/stlouis.

The Lemp Mansion Comedy-Mystery Dinner Theater presents Dead Like Me through November 16. The Lemp Mansion is at 3322 DeMenil Place. For more information: lempmansion.com

The Bissell Mansion Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre presents Footless through October 31. The Bissell Mansion is at 4426 Randall Place. For more information: bissellmansiontheatre.com

Curtain's Up Theatre presents the musical Jesus Christ Superstar Friday at 7:30 PM, Saturday at 2 and 7:30 PM, and Sunday at 2 PM, August 30 - September 1. The performances take place in the Dunham Hall Theater on the SIU-Edwardsville campus. For more information, visit curtainsuptheater.com.

Photo: John Lamb
Max and Louie Productions presents Nicky Silver's The Lyons Wednesdays through Friday at 8 PM, Saturday at 2 and 8 PM, and Sunday at 2 PM. “The Lyons is about a family grappling with the impending death of its patriarch. When Ben Lyons' wife, Rita, and their grown children gather to say goodbye, they learn that despite being a family, each of them is utterly isolated. Afraid of closeness and afraid of solitude, they are propelled into foreign territory - human connection.” Performances take place at COCA, 524 Trinity in University City. For more information, visit maxandlouie.com. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

Nine
Slightly Askew Theatre Ensemble presents Nine by Jane Shepard and Sketch by Leverage Dance Theater Wednesday through Saturday at 8 and Friday and Saturday at 10. "Nine by Jane Shepard: Two women held in a life-threatening situation and the mind games they play to keep one another alive. Held in a room and chained apart, their only currency is words, and balance of power is everything when a single word becomes the hanging point between life and death. Sketch: Physical Theater meets Dance in a new piece by Hannah Fischer of Leverage Dance Theater, exploring fragmentation and time-lapse through a series of duets." Performances take place at The Chapel Venue, 6238 Alexander Drive. For more information: slightlyoff.org.

Would you like to be on the radio? KDHX, 88.1 FM needs theatre reviewers. If you're 18 years or older, knowledgeable in this area, have practical theatre experience (acting, directing, writing, technical design, etc.), have good oral and written communications skills and would like to become one of our volunteer reviewers, send an email describing your experience and interests to chuck at kdhx.org. Please include a sample review of something you've seen recently.

Theatre quotes of the day for Monday, August 26, 2013

thatfilmguy.net
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"I suppose I look for humor in most situations because it humanizes things; it makes a character much more three-dimensional if there's some kind of humor. Not necessarily laugh-out-loud type of stuff, just a sense that there is a humorous edge to things. I do like that."

"I kind of have an interest in all history. And I suspect it comes from being Irish - we like stories, we like telling stories, which makes a lot of us lean towards being writers or actors or directors."

"My old manager of the Irish National Theatre said 'Don't worry about being a star, just worry about being a working actor. Just keep working.' I think that's really good advice." - Colm Meaney

Sunday, August 25, 2013

Theatre quotes of the day for Sunday, August 25, 2013

www.theguardian.com
Photo: Helen Maybanks
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"People come to the theatre to be excited and uplifted - I want to inspire my audience."

"Shakespeare reveals human nature brilliantly: he shines a light on our instinctive desire to dominate each other."

"Each organism, no matter how simple or complex, has around it a sacred bubble of space, a bit of mobile territoriality which only a few other organisms are allowed to penetrate and then only for short periods of time." - Edward Hall, English director; associate director of Britain's National Theatre and artistic director of The Hampstead Theatre in London

Saturday, August 24, 2013

Theatre quotes of the day for Saturday, August 24, 2013

last.fm
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"I don't think theater is dying, and musicals are a great American art form. We've got apple pie, jazz and musical theater."

"I do think musical-theater actors can get a bad rap, and I see why. There is a certain slickness - there's nothing better than an amazing musical, but an okay musical can be one of the worst times you've ever had."

"Do I want to write a musical? No. I like to do musicals." - Laura Benanti (Tony Award winner for Louise in the 2008 revival of Gypsy)

Friday, August 23, 2013

Chuck's Choices for the weekend of August 23, 2013

As always, the choices are purely my personal opinion. Take with a grain (or a shaker) of salt.

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New this week:

Photo: Steve Peirick
Stray Dog Theatre's New Works Lab presents Complicated Lives, an evening of short plays written and directed by Stephen Peirick, Thursday through Saturday at 8, August 22-24. Performances take place at The Tower Grove Abbey, 2336 Tennessee. For more information, visit straydogtheatre.org or call 314-865-1995.

My take: as I noted in a blog post this week, Steve Peirick has already accumulated praise for his acting and writing. This is his chance to pull off the hat trick and establish himself as a director as well. He has a strong cast assembled for this show and a production company noted for the quality of its work.

Photo: John Lamb
Insight Theatre Company presents Time Stands Still by Donald Margulies through August 25. Performances take place in the Heagney Theatre, 530 East Lockwood on the campus of Nerinx Hall High School in Webster Groves. For more information, call 314-556-1293 or visit insighttheatrecompany.com.

My take: Insight is one of the newer professional companies in town and has done some intriguing and off the beaten path work. In her review for 88.1 KDHX, Andrea Braun says Time Stands Still "is the most interesting production I've seen at Insight Theatre so far, and I highly recommend it...[playwright] Donald Margulies takes a deceptively simple premise, examines it from four different perspectives (one per character), and how you feel about the play may well depend on which character you find espouses your particular belief. Margulies has created here, as in Dinner With Friends, two couples, but that's about where the similarities end. For me, this is a much richer, more mature work, more introspective and reminiscent of Margulies' Brooklyn Boy." Their theater at Nerinx Hall is comfortable and well appointed, with snacks and drinks available in the lobby. Held Over

Photo © Ron Lindsey, 2013
Union Avenue Opera presents Wagner's Die Walküre, the second of the four "Ring" operas, in a condensed and reduced version by English composer Jonathan Dove and director Graham Vick, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM, August 16-24. Performances take place at the Union Avenue Christian Church, 733 Union at Enright in the Central West End. The opera is sung in German with projected English text. For more information, visit unionavenueopera.org or call 314-361-2881.

My take: This is, as I reported in a blog post last week, a massively ambitious undertaking for a small opera company that has not shied away from pushing the envelope in terms of what can be accomplished with their financial and physical constraints. The results, as I said in my review for 88.1 KDHX, are not perfect, but they're very good and quite impressive. There has not, to the best of my recollection, been a performance of Wagner’s “Ring” in St. Louis in my lifetime and may not be another one for many years, if ever. That makes this a definite "must see." Note, by the way, that while parking is free, the lot fills up quickly, so it's a good idea to get there early. You can always have a snack and drink (non-alcoholic, alas) in the lobby before the show.

Theatre quotes of the day for Friday, August 23, 2013

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"I haven't played Hedda Gabler yet, but maybe if I did I might find the funny bits."

"People say there's a book in everyone but I'm not sure there is. There might be a pamphlet in me."

"I wonder what it was like to be an actor years ago. We're so respected now and I don't think it does us any good. We used to be vagabonds. I want to be a vagabond!" - Sophie Thompson, English film, television, theatre and radio actress

Thursday, August 22, 2013

Theatre quotes of the day for Thursday, August 22, 2013

At the UK premiere of
Les Miserables
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"I've found that musical theater is my passion."

"There's nothing like the buzz of live theater. You put it out there and receive an instant reaction: laughing, crying, yelling, applauding."

"If I wasn't performing, I wasn't alive. That's the truth. My parents had absolutely no interest in the business, but they knew it made me happy, so they said 'Go for it, girl!'" - Samantha Barks

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Come up to the Lab

Steve Peirick
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The theatre has been pretty good to St. Louis actor and playwright Steve Peirick lately. As an actor, he's gotten good reviews in roles as diverse as Fr. Flynn in John Patrick Shanley's Doubt at Kirkwood Theatre Guild, Joe Pitt in Tony Kushner's Angels in America at Stray Dog, Dorian in the local premiere of Opus at West End Players Guild, and Mrs. Forrest in Charles Busch's Psycho Beach Party at Stray Dog. As a playwright, he's seen his one-acts produced in nine states as well as at the 2012 St. Lou Fringe Festival. His full-length comedy Wake Up, Cameron Dobbs has been produced by both West End (where it copped a St. Louis Theatre Circle Award nomination for Outstanding New Play) and Meramec Community College. This weekend he's going for the hat trick.

This Thursday through Saturday (August 22-24) Mr. Peirick will add to his acting and writing credits by making his directorial debut with Complicated Lives, an evening of four of his one-act plays produced by Stray Dog Theatre as part of their New Works Lab project. The plays are are “The Dock,” “Peeping,” “On Solid Ground,” and “Tangled Mess.” The cast consists of Sarajane Alverson, Colleen M. Backer, Betsy Bowman, Nancy Crouse, Kate Frisina-White, Jan Meyer, Nancy Nigh, Katie Puglisi, Antonio Rodriguez, and Eric White.

Directing one's own work is often regarded as a risky proposition, but Mr. Peirick thinks the pluses far outweigh the minuses. "There are many ways a playwright can benefit from directing his/her own script," he notes, "especially when you’re working with an exceptional cast."

"Each actor has helped me shaped my vision of each of these short works. When a line didn’t make sense for an actor, we were able to discuss it and fix it immediately. If there were questions about something not feeling comfortable for an actor while in character, we were able to tackle it right then and there. I think I proved to be a good resource for my cast and, in turn, they have helped me grow as an artist."

According to Stray Dog's web site, artistic growth is what the New Works Lab is all about. In New Works Lab projects, "the audience, performers and writer all take part in the play development process. The writer creates the script, actors translate the page to the stage and audience members exchange immediate and uncensored reaction to the play, providing all with insight. Playwrights with a unique vision, innovative subject matter, and diverse perspectives are thus given a voice—which otherwise might never be afforded to them in the contemporary world of performing arts."

I can attest to the value of that, having appeared in two New Works Lab projects in the past: Richard Kelly's Mischief Moon and Joël Henning Doty's Dispersion. In both cases the experience was rewarding for actors and audience alike. The post-show talk-back sessions are especially interesting in that they give the audience a chance to get a look backstage at the acting and play writing process. The talk-back sessions for Complicated Lives will be hosted Mr. Peirick and Gary F. Bell, Stray Dog Theatre's Artistic Director.

I asked Mr. Peirick what the biggest challenge was to directing his own plays. His reply: "being open to change. There’s an old joke that I’ve seen resurface lately on Facebook: How many playwrights does it take to change a light bulb? Answer: I’m not changing anything! But it’s important to be open to hearing the feedback of those you collaborate with and your audiences."

Want to be part of that collaboration? You'll be happy to hear that tickets to all New Works Lab shows are free (although Stray Dog hopes you'll make a donation to help defray costs), but it's a good idea to reserve them in advance at brownpapertickets.com to make sure you get a seat. Parking in Stray Dog's lot is also free and there will be drinks and goodies to tempt you in their lobby. Performances are Thursday through Saturday at 8 PM.

Theatre quotes of the day for Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Eartha Kitt.  Like I had to tell you.
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Today's theme is "cabaret", in honor of The Cabaret Project of St. Louis open mic night.

"I don't know how to explain how, probably to my detriment, unselfpromoting I am. I used to have a cabaret act and I didn't even like to tell me people about that. I really hate selling myself." - Zooey Deschanel

"I am the last of the Mohicans, the creme de la creme of cabaret." - Eartha Kitt

"A cabaret song has got to be written - for the middle voice, ideally - because you've got to hear the wit of the words. And a cabaret song gives the singer room to act, more even than an opera singer." - James Fenton

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Theatre quotes of the day for Tuesday, August 20, 2013

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"A novel is a static thing that one moves through; a play is a dynamic thing that moves past one."

"Not content to have the audience in the palm of his hand, he goes one further and clinches his fist."

"The sheer complexity of writing a play always had dazzled me. In an effort to understand it, I became a critic.

"Art is a private thing, the artist makes it for himself; a comprehensible work is the product of a journalist. We need works that are strong, straight, precise, and forever beyond understanding." - Kenneth Tynan

The fire this time

Alexandra LoBianco as Brünnhilde and Timothy Bruno as Wotan
Photo © Ron Lindsey, 2013
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Union Avenue Opera is nothing if not fearless, often taking on works that strain the company’s space at the Union Avenue Christian Church to the limit.  Through next Saturday Union Avenue is presenting the second installment of its most ambitious project yet—Wagner's mammoth operatic cycle “Der Ring des Nibelungen” (“The Ring of the Nibelung”).  And it's pretty darned impressive.

“Das Rheingold” (“The Rhine Gold”), which Union Avenue did last August, sets up the characters and the story that play out over the course of the cycle. Wagner regarded it as a mere prologue, though, and “Die Walküre” ("The Valkyrie") is where the rubber hits the road, dramatically speaking.  It's a tale of incest, murder, and ironic tragedy as the most powerful creature in the world—Wotan, father of the Gods—finds himself undone by his own machinations and powerless against the curse of the magical ring he stole from the dwarf Alberich back in “Das Rheingold”.

As the opera opens Siegmund, one of a pair of twins sired by Wotan with a mortal and separated at birth from his twin sister, stumbles into the home of Hunding, after eluding a vengeful mob. Hunding isn’t home—he is, in fact, part of the mob—but his wife is. Their attraction is immediate and it’s not in the least dampened when they realize that Hunding’s wife is Siegmund’s long-lost sister Sieglinde. Hunding arrives, recognizes Siegmund, and challenges him to a fight to the death in the morning. Sieglinde has other plans; she drugs Hunding and flees with Siegmund, but not before the latter plucks a magical sword from the trunk of a tree in Hunding’s house.

Alexandra LoBianco as Brünnhilde
Photo © Ron Lindsey, 2013
Back in Valhalla, Fricka is outraged that Wotan is condoning not only adultery but incest as well. She browbeats him into upholding the sanctity of marriage by letting Hunding kill Siegmund, even though Wotan had hoped Siegmund would be the hero who would save Valhalla from the descendants of Alberich. When the Valkyrie Brünnhilde (who, like all the Valkyries, is a daughter of Wotan and the earth goddess Erda) violates Wotan’s orders and tries to save Siegmund, Wotan is forced to punish her by turning her mortal, placing her into a magical sleep, and surrounding her with magical flames that only a true hero can penetrate. His farewell, in the final moments of the opera, is one of the most moving sequences in opera.

Sieglinde, meanwhile, has escaped. She’s pregnant with Siegmund’s child, Siegfried. But that’s another opera.  For a more detailed plot summary of the entire cycle, I refer you to Wikipedia.

The Union Avenue production uses a reduced version of Wagner's original created by English composer Jonathan Dove in 1990 that cuts nearly an hour out of the original’s run time of nearly four hours and takes its three acts down to two. That’s not the sacrilege you might think; Wagner the librettist does not always serve Wagner the composer well, and there’s much in the text that is redundant and discursive. That said, Dove’s edits in the first act delete too much of Siegmund’s back story, in my view, and compress the development of his and Sieglinde’s affection so much that it seems rather rushed. Wotan’s massive blocks of exposition in Wagner’s Act II and III, on the other hand, feel like they could use more editing. Dove also cuts four of Brünnhilde’s seven Valkyrie sisters, which drastically shortens the famous “Ride of the Valkyries” sequence that opens Wagner’s Act III—a pity, as it’s rather stirring stuff.

Melissa Sumner as Helmwige, Cecelia Stearman as Waltraute,
Alexandra LoBianco as Brünnhilde, Lindsey Anderson as Rossweisse,
and Amber Smoke as Sieglinde
Photo © Ron Lindsey, 2013
Still, this reduced “Walküre” still packs a considerable punch, thanks largely to some heavy-duty Girl Power in the cast.  Amber Smoke (Sieglinde), Elise Quagliata (Fricka), and Alexandra LoBianco (Brünnhilde) are all outstanding, with powerful voices and well-defined characters. Ms. Quagliata is the same powerful presence she was in “Rheingold” while Ms. Smoke perfectly captures Sieglinde’s passion and despair. Ms. LoBianco’s really big moments won’t come until the next two operas are mounted in 2014 and 2015, of course, but based on what I saw and heard here I expect very good things from her in “Siegfried” and “Götterdämmerung”. Melissa Summer, Cecelia Stearman (Erda in last season’s “Rheingold”), and Lindsey Anderson are a formidable trio of Valkyries as well.

On the male side, Nathan Whitson is an appropriately thuggish Hunding (although there’s not much to the part in this reduction), but James Taylor is a bit bland as Siegmund. He’s very interesting vocally, though, in that he’s a baritone who now sings as a tenor. His voice has, as a result, a depth that one doesn’t normally associate with tenors and only very rarely did he seem uncomfortable in his top notes.

Amber Smoke as Sieglinde and
James Taylor as Siegmund

Photo © Ron Lindsey, 2013
Timothy Bruno brings the kind of vocal power to Wotan that I missed last year when Kevin Misslich sang the role in “Rheingold.” Unfortunately, he mugs too much and is too physically "busy" (when will actors and directors understand the power of stillness?), undercutting the character's gravitas.  Still, Wotan's famous "farewell" scene with Brünnhilde was appropriately moving.

Dove’s reduced orchestration is for 18 pieces—one per part. Conductor Scott Schoonover has beefed it up a bit with extra strings, but even so, Wagner’s music inevitably loses some of its visceral impact with a band this size. Intonation issues in the brasses, especially toward the end of the second act, didn’t help. The ensemble as a whole played well, though, and Mr. Schoonover’s tempo choices felt more right here than they did in “Rheingold” last year.

Patrick Huber’s unit set is the same one used for “Rheingold.” It’s dominated by a huge screen on which images and video (designed by Michael Perkins, whose innovative work has graced many a local stage) take the place of the elaborate scenery envisioned by Wagner. Those work better here than they did in “Rheingold” (although video playback is still a bit jerky), and are very effective in creating the right moods and sense of place. Unfortunately the screen, the catwalk above it, and the stairs to either side take up so much room that most of the action is played out in a fairly shallow area downstage. Director Karen Coe Miller does the best she can with this space, but it’s hard to create decent stage pictures under those circumstances. It’s also hard for Mr. Huber to light that space, apparently, given the number of times singers’ faces were in shadow.

Teresa Doggett and her crew have done well by the costumes. As in “Rheingold”, Wotan and Fricka are decked out as late 19th century European royalty while the mortals are all in peasant outfits. The Valkyries look appropriately martial, with costumes that have the look but not the bulk of stage armor, so they don’t impede movement or singing. English supertitles by Elise LaBarge and Philip Touchette are, as usual, clear and easily visible throughout the house.

There has not, to the best of my recollection, been a performance of Wagner’s “Ring” in St. Louis in my lifetime and given that our major opera company, Opera Theatre, seems allergic to the composer, there may not be another one for many years, if ever. That means that this may be your only chance to see a locally produced “Die Walküre.” If you have any interest in the “Ring” at all, you should grab it. This may not be a perfect production, but it’s a very good one and well worth seeing.

Union Avenue’s “Die Walküre” has two more performances this Friday and Saturday at 8 PM at the Union Avenue Christian Church, 733 Union at Enright in the Central West End. For more information: unionavenueopera.org. Note that there is a parking lot but it tends to fill up quickly, so you’ll want to get there not later than 7:30 if you can.

Monday, August 19, 2013

St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of August 19, 2013

Updated Monday, August 19

[Looking for auditions and other artistic opportunities? Check out the St. Louis Auditions site.]

For information on events beyond this week, check out the searchable database at the Regional Arts Commission's ArtsZipper site.

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The Pub Theater Company presents Bye Bye Liver: The St. Louis Drinking Play, a comedic romp through the joys and pitfalls of The Gateway to the West's favorite pastime. Performances take place on Saturdays at 9 PM at Maggie O'Brien's, 2000 Market Street. For more information, you may call 314-827-4185, email stlouis at byebyeliver.com, or visit byebyeliver.com/stlouis.

Carol Schmidt
The Cabaret Project and 88.1 KDHX present their monthly Cabaret Open Mic Night on Wednesday, August 21, from 7 to 10 PM at the Tavern of Fine Arts. The master of ceremonies is 88.1 KDHX senior performing arts critic Chuck Lavazzi and the music director is Carol Schmidt. If you're planning to sing, be prepared to do one or two songs and bring music, preferably in your key. It's also recommend that you have your song memorized. The Tavern of Fine Arts is at 313 Belt at Waterman in the Central West End. There's free parking in the lot right across the street. For more information, visit tavern-of-fine-arts.blogspot.com or call 314-367-7549.

Stray Dog Theatre's New Works Lab presents Complicated Lives, an evening of short plays written and directed by Stephen Peirick, Thursday through Saturday at 8, August 22-24. Performances take place at The Tower Grove Abbey, 2336 Tennessee. For more information, visit straydogtheatre.org or call 314-865-1995.

The Lemp Mansion Comedy-Mystery Dinner Theater presents Dead Like Me through November 16. The Lemp Mansion is at 3322 DeMenil Place. For more information: lempmansion.com

The Creative Ministry Of St. Peter's UCC presents The Jeweltones (Jenn Clodi, Kathy Fugate, Amalia LaViolette, Kay Love, and Connie Mulch) in concert on Friday, August 23, at 7:00 PM. The performance takes place at St. Peter's United Church of Christ, 1425 Stein Road (at West Florissant Ave.) in Ferguson, MO. For more information: www.stpeterschurch.org or call 314-521-5694.

Photo: John Lamb
Max and Louie Productions presents Nicky Silver's The Lyons Wednesdays through Fridays at 8 PM, Saturdays at 2 and 8 PM, and Sundays at 2 PM, August 22 - September 1. “The Lyons is about a family grappling with the impending death of its patriarch. When Ben Lyons' wife, Rita, and their grown children gather to say goodbye, they learn that despite being a family, each of them is utterly isolated. Afraid of closeness and afraid of solitude, they are propelled into foreign territory - human connection.” Performances take place at COCA, 524 Trinity in University City. For more information, visit maxandlouie.com.

The Father William Scheid Players present the musical The Music Man Friday at 8 PM and Saturday and Sunday at 3 PM, August 23-25. Performances take place at the Florissant Civic Center Theater at Parker and Waterford in Florissant, MO. For more information: www.florissantmo.com or 314-921-5678.

Slightly Askew Theatre Ensemble presents Nine by Jane Shepard and Sketch by Leverage Dance Theater Wednesdays through Saturdays at 8 and Fridays and Saturdays at 10, August 21-31. Performances take place at The Chapel Venue, 6238 Alexander Drive. For more information: slightlyoff.org.

Photo: John Lamb
Insight Theatre Company presents Time Stands Still by Donald Margulies through August 25. Performances take place in the Heagney Theatre, 530 East Lockwood on the campus of Nerinx Hall High School in Webster Groves. For more information, call 314-556-1293 or visit insighttheatrecompany.com. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

St. Louis Shakespeare presents Shakespeare's Two Noble Kinsmen through August 25. “During a war waged by Theseus of Athens against Thebes, two Theban cousins, Palamon and Arcite are captured and imprisoned. Their lifelong friendship is disrupted when first Palamon, then Arcite, sees and instantly falls in love with Emilia, sister to Theseus' wife Hippolyta. Meanwhile their jailer's daughter has fallen in love with Palamon. When Arcite is freed and exiled, she helps Palamon escape. Lost, knowing the hopelessness of her love and fearing the consequences of her actions, she goes mad. Palamon and Arcite's conflict over Emilia is resolved by Theseus' decree that the two will fight a public duel; the winner will receive the hand of Emilia; the loser will be executed.” Performances take place in the Washington University South Campus Theatre, 6501 Clayton Road. For more information, call 314-361-5664 or visit stlshakespeare.org. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

Union Avenue Opera presents Wagner's Die Walküre, the second of the four "Ring" operas, in a condensed and reduced version by English composer Jonathan Dove, Friday and Saturday at 8 PM, August 23 and 24. Performances take place at the Union Avenue Christian Church, 733 Union at Enright in the Central West End. The opera is sung in German with projected English text. For more information, visit unionavenueopera.org or call 314-361-2881. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

Would you like to be on the radio? KDHX, 88.1 FM needs theatre reviewers. If you're 18 years or older, knowledgeable in this area, have practical theatre experience (acting, directing, writing, technical design, etc.), have good oral and written communications skills and would like to become one of our volunteer reviewers, send an email describing your experience and interests to chuck at kdhx.org. Please include a sample review of something you've seen recently.

Theatre quotes of the day for Monday, August 19, 2013

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"I think the same way about theatre, you go out there and you are creating a world for a moment that can actually have a real impact on people, present some kind of story that gives you something to think about when you walk away, feeling enriched - if it works out well."

"I would like to feel that I have a range and that it's not just a matter of being a comic actor or a serious actor, because those are really artificial classifications, I think."

"I've gotten to go wonderful places, meet interesting and intelligent people, and I started of course in the theatre and continue to work in the theatre where there is some intelligence involved in it." - Jeffrey Jones

Sunday, August 18, 2013

Theatre quotes of the day for Sunday, August 17, 2013

www.jim-dale.com
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"I'd get more applause than some because I was just seventeen. If they didn't clap at the end of my act I would limp off stage and boy would they feel guilty. They would all burst into tremendous applause as they saw this poor cripple kid walking off."

"I remember certain people in the audience laughing and I wanted to ask: 'What are you laughing at? This isn't funny.' Now I realize that laughter can come from insecurity. They don't know how they should be feeling."

"We talk about theatre museums filled with old costumes and things. What we also need is a theatre museum of the old routines on videotape. We are only the custodians of those techniques, and they should be preserved." - Jim Dale

Saturday, August 17, 2013

Theatre quote of the day for Saturday, August 17, 2013

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"I just love the hours of the theatre, I love the way it operates. I always say that when you're doing a play it's like getting a shot of B12, and when you do television for a long series you need a shot of B12." - Gavin MacLeod

Friday, August 16, 2013

Chuck's Choices for the weekend of August 16, 2013

As always, the choices are purely my personal opinion. Take with a grain (or a shaker) of salt.

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New this week:

Highly Distracted Productions presents Asperger's: A High Functioning Musical Friday and Saturday at 8 PM and Sunday at 2 PM, August 16-18. “Back by popular demand after three sold out performances at the St. Lou Finge Festival, Asperger's: A High Functioning Musical tells the story of six young adults with Asperger's attending a support group as they face the problems of entering adulthood and leaving the pain of childhood behind. The songs can be rollicking and tender. Come celebrate the geek in all of us.” Performances take place in the Little Theater at Clayton High School, 1 Mark Twain Circle in Clayton. For more information: aspergermusical.brownpapertickets.com.

My take: This show was, in fact, the hit of the Fringe Festival, at least as far as audience size went.  Every performance was packed.  "Between the cast, music and production," wrote Erica Kenney in a review for 88.1 KDHX, "everything came together to make the premiere a hit at St. Lou Fringe and Asperger's: A High Functioning Musical is sure to be around St. Louis for a long time."  That looks pretty prophetic right now.  This is the sort of show that should work well in the intimate black box theater at Clayton High School.

Peter Wochniak
Stages St. Louis presents Legally Blonde, the Musical through August 18. Performances take place in the Robert G. Reim Theatre at the Kirkwood Community Center, 111 South Geyer Road in Kirkwood. "Sorority sister Elle thinks she has her future all tied up with a nice, little pink ribbon, until her boyfriend suddenly dumps her for someone more “serious.” But don’t break out the tissues just yet! This is one girl who doesn’t take “no” for an answer as she sets out to prove that being true to yourself and going after “what you want” never goes out of style." For more information, visit stagesstlouis.org or call 314-821-2407.

My take: I haven't listed this in earlier Chuck's Choices because I'm just not that big a fan of the show. But what the heck; this is the last weekend and this production has gotten some good reviews. "To say that Stages St. Louis' production of Legally Blonde sparkles," writes Tina Farmer at KDHX, "seems an understatement; the musical is big and confident, filled with bright lights, pink glitter and, yes, sparkle. The production never takes itself too seriously, however, and the actors work together well, keeping the emphasis on the plot's familiar twists while delivering smart, endearing performances." So go and enjoy, already.

Union Avenue Opera presents Wagner's Die Walküre, the second of the four "Ring" operas, in a condensed and reduced version by English composer Jonathan Dove and director Graham Vick, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM, August 16-24. Performances take place at the Union Avenue Christian Church, 733 Union at Enright in the Central West End. The opera is sung in German with projected English text. For more information, visit unionavenueopera.org or call 314-361-2881.

My take: As I noted in a blog post earlier in the week, this is a massively ambitious undertaking for a small opera company that has not shied away from pushing the envelope in terms of what can be accomplished with their financial and physical constraints. It'll be exciting to see what Union Avenue does with this difficult but rewarding material. Note, by the way, that while parking is free, the lot fills up quickly, so it's a good idea to get there early. You can always have a snack and drink (non-alcoholic, alas) in the lobby before the show.

Held Over

Encore! Theater Group presents John Logan's two-character drama Red, about 20th Century abstract painter Mark Rothko. Performances are Friday and Saturday at 8, August 16 and 17, at the Warehouse at All Trades Supply located at 10 Kirkham Industrial Drive, Webster Groves. "Mark Rothko is at the height of his powers. His work, long rejected by critics, is suddenly hailed as some of the most important of this century. He is the new king of art in New York, and his coronation will be the flashiest commission in the history of painting: $35,000 for a series of epic murals at the Four Seasons restaurant. But...canvases this large cannot be lifted by a single man, not even a titan. So he hires an assistant (Ken). This young artist and his fiery ideas force Rothko, the surest thing in the world of modern art, to question everything. John Logan's 90-minute intellectual thrill-ride serves as a puzzling reminder of how difficult and dangerous the climb towards an artistic vision can be, and how worthwhile." The cast includes 88.1 KDHX theatre critic Steve Callahan as Mark Rothko. For more information: email encoretheatergroup at gmail.com, call (314) 329-8998, or visit squareup.com/market/noxp-entertainment-corp/red-tickets.

My take: I've known Steve Callahan for many years and can attest to his skill as an actor. As for the play itself, in his review of the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis production back in 2011, Robert Boyd describes it as a "marvelous piece of theater." "In scene after scene," he writes, "the interplay between dark and light, between the character Rothko's deepening delusion and insecurity and Ken's ingenuous desire to read genius into the master and all that he touches, creates astonishing dramatic intensity." Setting the play—which takes place in Rothko's warehouse studio—in an actual warehouses should add verisimilitude.

Photo: John Lamb
The Theatre Lab presents Cormac McCarthy's The Sunset Limited August 9-17. “The play involves only two nameless characters, designated 'White' and 'Black', their respective skin colors. Offstage, just before the play begins, Black saves White from throwing himself in front of a train. The title, The Sunset Limited, is derived from the name of a passenger train that travels from New Orleans to Los Angeles. All of the action takes place in Black's sparse apartment, where the characters go (at the behest of Black) after their encounter on the platform. Black is an ex-convict and an evangelical Christian. White is an atheist and a professor. They debate the meaning of human suffering, the existence of God, and the propriety of White's attempted suicide.”  Performances take place at the Clayton Little Theater, 1 Mark Twain Circle. For more information: (314) 599-3309

My take: McCarthy's work is always worth seeing and it's good to see another theatre group on the scene. "The actor-focused Theatre Lab," writes Tina Farmer at KDHX, "makes a bold statement with its inaugural production, The Sunset Limited, directed by Ryan Foizey. Focused on character and intellect, the show benefits from strong performances by Robert Alan Mitchell as Black and Zachary Allen Farmer as White."