Chuck's Choices for the weekend of September 6, 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:

The Black Rep presents Ron Conner in the one-man show Emergency by Daniel Beaty Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 PM and Sundays at 2 PM, September 5-15. “A slave ship emerges in front of the Statue of Liberty sending NY into a whirlwind of emotion and exploration in this explosive solo tour de force featuring slam poetry, multi-character transformation, and song. Ron Conner will portray a cast of 40 characters who all respond to the unexpected phenomenon. Through the characters' individual responses to this surreal happening and their varied testimonies on identity and personal freedom, Emergency weaves a stirring commentary on what it is to be human and the longing to be free. The performance is 80 minutes with no intermission.” Performances take place at A. E. Hotchner Studio Theatre in the Mallinckrodt Center on the Washington University campus. For more information: theblackrep.org

My take: This is the Black Rep's first show after their home of nearly two decades, the Grandel Theater, was sold out from under them. As I noted in a recent blog post, company artistic director Ron Himes is expected to announce the group's 37th season and new home in conjunction with this show, which adds an extra level of interest to what is already a provicative-sounding evening.

Photo: Peter Wochniak

Stages St. Louis presents My Fair Lady September 6 through October 6. Performances take place in the Robert G. Reim Theatre at the Kirkwood Community Center, 111 South Geyer Road in Kirkwood. For more information, visit stagesstlouis.org or call 314-821-2407.

My take: I have always loved this show, a feeling that only increased after I had the pleasure of playing Alfred P. Doolittle in Stray Dog Theatre's production a few years ago. Unlike some musical adaptations of classic plays, My Fair Lady retains the spirit and a fair amount of dialog from its original (Shaw's Pygmalion). The combination of Lerner and Loewe's score and Shaw's bit is unbeatable.

R-S Theatrics presents the musical Parade, with music by Jason Robert Brown and book by Alfred Uhry, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM and Sundays at 7 PM, September 6-15. “In 1913, Leo M. Frank was falsely accused of the rape and murder of 13-year-old Mary Phagan. Frank was a Jewish New Yorker living in small-town Georgia less than 50 years after the end of the Civil War. Politicians used him as a pawn, yellow journalism distorted his image, and his outsider-status lead him to become the focus of racist fear and hate. In the end, the people of Georgia enforced their will upon him.” Performances take place at The Ivory Theatre, 7620 Michigan. For more information: r-stheatrics.com.

My take: This is an important musical drama from a company that is nothing if not gutsy. For more information, check out my blog post from a couple days ago and my mini-interview with director Christina Rios.