Chuck's Choices for the weekend of December 20, 2013

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

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Mariposa Artists and Mid-Town Artists present John McDaniel: Home for the Holidays, on Friday, December 20th, at 7 PM. A St. Louis native, McDaniel is a Grammy and Emmy Award-winning music director, composer, arranger, orchestrator, and theatrical and record producer. The performance takes place at the Kranzberg Center, 501 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information: www.brownpapertickets.com/event/513952.

My take: It has been six years since Mr. McDaniel made a solo appearance in his old home town. Back then he performed in the intimate Flim Flam Room at Savor (now, alas, defunct) and impressed me mightily. In my review for 88.1 KDHX, I described him as a classic example of a great cabaret artist who can't sing worth a hoot and went on to say that he was "such a talented arranger/pianist and such an engaging performer that it was easy to forget his vocal limitations and simply enjoy his lively anecdotes about his life and work since graduating from Kirkwood High School locally and his sympathetic performances of a wide range of music." When I saw him back then, his penultimate medley was improvised on the spot, based on favorite tunes called out by audience members. I hope he's still dong that; it's a pretty impressive trick.

©Photo by Eric Woolsey

The Rep's Imaginary Theatre Company presents The Velveteen Rabbit by Kim Esop Wylie with music and lyrics by Joe Dreyer through December 23. “ Based on Margery Williams' famed literary classic, The Velveteen Rabbit tells the story of a little boy and his stuffed bunny who wonders what it means to be “real.” After years of adventure and devotion, the bunny becomes a truly beloved friend and is magically transformed into a real woodland rabbit. Join us this holiday season and share in a heartwarming musical tale that celebrates the rewards of loyalty and the wonderful, surprising power of love.” Performances take place at Heagney Theatre at Nerinx Hall High School, 530 East Lockwood Avenue in Webster Groves. For more information: repst.org or call (314) 968-4925.

My take: It's always good to have a show pitched at kids over the holidays, and this one looks to be a good bet. In her review for 88.1 KDHX, Tina Farmer describes The Velveteen Rabbit as "a charming and engaging show with particular appeal for young children. With a running time of about an hour, it's also the perfect length for little attention spans, making this show an excellent choice for arts patrons looking to share the magic and excitement of live theater."

Held Over:

The Black Rep presents Black Nativity: A Holiday Celebration through December 22. "Conceived and directed by Ron Himes, the first act tells a moving and traditional African Nativity story, while the second act swings into the season with joy and reverence." Performances take place at the Emerson Performance Center on the campus of Harris-Stowe State University. For more information: theblackrep.org.

My take: This is the closest thing to a traditional holiday show on stage this week, and reviews have been good. As Steve Callahan notes in his review for 88.1 KDHX, this is really two shows in one "The first half," he writes, "is almost an oratorio on the birth of Jesus. The stage is constantly full of bright movement and dance as we see Mary and Joseph on their familiar journey...The songs are a vivid patchwork of styles—from Handel's 'Joy to the World' to vibrant African folk-songs to a wonderful Reggae version of the "'ate-Night Shepherd's Blues' in which a shepherd bemoans that his woman done left him...The second half of the evening is probably the best Christmas cabaret you'll ever see."

Photo: John Lamb

Stray Dog Theatre presents William Gibson's The Butterfingers Angel, Mary and Joseph, Herod The Nut And The Slaughter Of 12 Hit Carols In A Pear Tree Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 PM December 5-21, with an extra 2 PM matinee on the 21st. “A touching, funny, and highly imaginative retelling of the Christmas story complete with talking animals, a feminist-leaning Mary, a jealous Joseph, a fast-talking sheep, and one loud-mouthed overbearing tree. Created by one of America's major dramatists, this Christmas cartoon mixed with psychological realism brings new relevance to its timeless subject.” Performances take place at The Tower Grove Abbey, 2336 Tennessee. For more information, visit straydogtheatre.org or call 314-865-1995.

My take: Yes, that's the same William Gibson who wrote The Miracle Worker, the oft-seen play about the young Helen Keller and her teacher, Annie Sullivan. The 1975 play got good notices in earlier productions, and Stray Dog has garnered its share of praise for this one. Over at Vital Voice, for example, Andrea Braun calls it "a lovely holiday gift from one of St. Louis's consistently finest and most popular theatre companies" "If you're looking to take tradition in a somewhat non-traditional direction this holiday season," writes Laura Kyro at 88.1 KDHX, "try Stray Dog's 'The Butterfingers Angel'." It's nice to see something a bit left of center at the holidays, and Stray Dog can usually be relied upon to deliver the goods.

New Jewish Theater presents the one-woman show Hannah Shenesh through December 22. The play is based on the dairies of Senesh, who worked with a British para-military group to rescue Hungarian Jews during World War II. Performances take place in the Marvin and Harlene Wool Studio Theater at the Jewish Community Center, 2 Millstone Campus Drive in Creve Coeur. For more information: www.newjewishtheatre.org or call 314-442-3283.

My take: One-person shows can be risky propositions, but this one appears to be a winner. "Last season," writes Andrea Braun in her review for 88.1 KDHX, "NJT gave us 'Conviction,' a one-actor play that I thought was as good as any of that genre I'd seen. With 'Hannah Senesh,' the company has surpassed even that level of excellence in this production because of a perfect performance guided by a sensitive and meticulous director." She describes lead actress Shanara Gabrielle's performance as "magical" and says "the electricity in the room is palpable."

©Photo by Jerry Naunheim, Jr.

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap through December 29. “The Grande Dame of suspense weaves a clever mystery that will keep you guessing till the very end. The guests at Monkswell Manor are snowed in with a murderer in their midst. Whodunit? Sergeant Trotter is determined to find out, and his investigation turns up more shocking secrets than anyone could have anticipated. Full of intricate plot twists and shuddering suspense, it is no wonder The Mousetrap has become the world's longest-running stage production.” Performances take place at the Loretto-Hlton Center, 130 Edgar Road in Webster Groves, MO. For more information, call 314-968-4925 or visit repstl.org.

My take: Well, you don't get to be the longest-running stage production in modern history without doing something right. Christie was not a creator of great dialog or deep characters, but she knew how to write a rattling good mystery. "Under the thoughtful direction of Paul Mason Barnes," writes Andrea Torrance at the St. Louis Theatre Snob blog, "the cast provide strong performances, giving their respective characters enough depth beyond their first introduction to make you believe any one of them could have done it."