Chuck's Theatre Choices for the weekend of May 23, 2014

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

Share on Google+:

New this week:

Alpha Players present the musical The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee through May 25 at The Florissant Civic Center Theater, Parker Rd. at Waterford Dr. in Florissant, MO. For more information: alphaplayers.org or, call 314-921-5678.

My take: This charming if slight musical is kind of a natural for small theatre companies, especially those with a wealth of talent young enough to believably portray awkward adolescents. When I reviewed the national tour back in 2007 at the Fox, it seemed to me that much of the show's charm was lost in the cavernous interior of that 5000-seat spacel; it was, after all, developed for a 300-seat space originally. The 600-seat Florissant Civic Center theatre ought to be just right. "It is charming, and smart, and witty," writes Bob Wilcox in his review for KDHX, "and some of the definitions and sample sentences have, I think, been revised and updated – I don't know if by Alpha folks or by Rachel Sheinkin, the original book author, or Jay Reiss, who's credited for added material. But that added a little more pleasure to a very pleasurable production."

OnSite Theatre Company presents A Prayer for the Gun Bug by Carter Lewis Friday at 9 PM, Saturday at 4 and 9 PM, and Sunday at 2 PM, May 23-25. “A Prayer for the Gun Bug is a sidelong glance at a world in hysteria. Carter W. Lewis's three short plays expose the world to be an overpopulated sardine can, crammed to the gills with incensed spiritual fanatics, most of whom are annoyed, confused and stockpiling weapons. So why are we laughing so hard?” Performances take place at Meskerem Ethiopian Restaurant, 3210 S. Grand Blvd. For more information: www.OnSiteTheatre.org.

My take: OnSite has what is, as far as I know, a unique mission, at least locally: the production of site-specific shows in spaces that match the settings of the scripts. So, for example, we had Carter Lewis's Hit-Story performed in a gym, an evening of one-acts about bowling in a bowling alley, and local playwright Elizabeth Birkenmeier's There's a Gun in Your Goodbye Bag in a laundromat. "Their productions," writes Steve Callahan in his review of the current collection of one-acts for KDHX, "are always good, and sometimes—like this time—they're remarkably fine. If you ever get tired of seeing plays that seem to be just "the same old same old" you should take in something by OnSite...Thank you OnSite Theatre. (And thank you Meskerem Restaurant for a most delicious meal.)"

Held Over:

Photo: Peter Wochniak

Stages St. Louis presents the musical Always..Patsy Cline through June 22. "Jacqueline Petroccia and Zoe Vonder Haar star in the return engagement of the show critics called 'exceptional, must see entertainment.' The touching and true story of Country music legend Patsy Cline and her friendship with Texas housewife Louise Seger returns to STAGES this spring. Combining down home country humor, heartache and 27 of Patsy Cline's unforgettable hits such as 'Crazy,' 'WalkinÄô After Midnight,' and 'Sweet Dreams,' Always... Patsy Cline endures as a piece of genuine Americana." Performances take place at The Playhouse at Westport Plaza. For more information, visit stagesstlouis.org or call 314-821-2407.

My take: Call this a qualified recommendation. If you're a lover of Patsy Cline or country music in general, I think you'll have a great time at this show, which is really more of a celebrity impersonation review than a book musical per se. Jacqueline Petroccia captures Cline's voice and manner so accurately it's eerie and Zoe Vonder Haar is a hoot and a half as Louise Seger, the real-life Houston fan who became a close friends and correspondent of Cline. With over two dozen Patsy Cline hits performed to perfection by Ms. Petroccia and a six-piece band, the show is a real feast for fans. See my KDHX review for more information.

Shakespeare Festival St. Louis presents Henry IV nightly except for Tuesdays, May 15 through June 14. Henry IV, Parts 1 and 2, written as two separate plays, have been edited to fit into one evening. Beginning May 25, the production alternates with performances of Henry V. "Audience members can expect a once-in-a-lifetime theatrical experience this season," said Rick Dildine, Artistic and Executive Director of Shakespeare Festival St.Louis. "Many theaters around the world have performed these plays in consecutive seasons; however, we are performing them at the same time with the same cast on the same set." Performances take place in Shakespeare Glen next to the Art Museum in Forest Park. Curtain time is 8 PM. For more information, visit shakespearefestivalstlouis.org.

My take: This is a rare opportunity to see two (well, three, if you count the two parts of Henry IV) of Shakespeare's history plays back to back and with a single unifying concept. Costuming is period, but the themes are timeless. As Tim Ocel says in his director's notes for Henry IV, this is "the story of human beings shaping a civilization...Shakespeare saw that the future inclines to those who believe in a forward moving energy, not to those who hold back mankind's potential due to a selfish lack of vision." If that sounds familiar it's probably because, as Walt Kelly once wrote, "those things which make us human are, curiously enough, always close at hand. Resolve, then, that on this very ground, with small flags waving and tiny blasts of tiny trumpets, we shall meet the enemy, and not only may he be ours, he may be us."  Check out my interview with the directors for more information.

New Jewish Theater presents Old Jews Telling Jokes through June 1. "Think you've heard them all before? Think again! If you've ever had a mother, visited a doctor or walked into a bar with a priest, a rabbi and a frog, OLD JEWS TELLING JOKES will sit in the dark, give you a second opinion and ask you where you got that. You'll laugh til you plotz. It is a kosher pickle barrel full of laughs! Straight from NY, this is the first independent production; recommended for mature audiences." 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: "I'm sorry not to be able to delve into the arc of the plot or the themes that this evening investigates," writes Steve Callahan in his review for 88.1 KDHX, "for in fact there are none. But after all, whaddya get when five old Jews walk into a theatre? You get—at its simplest, at its purest—entertainment." Besides, any show that includes a sing-along version of Tom Lehrer's "I'm Spending Hannukah in Santa Monica" has got my vote. So go, already. Enjoy.