Chuck's Choices for the weekend of October 3, 2014

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

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All in the Timing
Photo: John Lamb

St. Louis Actors' Studio presents the All in the Timing, an evening of one-act comedies by David Ives, through October 5 at the Gaslight Theatre, 358 North Boyle. For more information, call 314-458-2978 or visit stlas.org.

My take: David Ives is at his best in the short play or sketch format, and All in the Timing includes some of his best stuff, in my view. "The ensemble cast," writes Tina Farmer in her KDHX review, "includes Emily Baker, Michelle Hand, Ben Ritchie, and Sean Sheley, and the four complement, contradict and play off each other with, well, near perfect timing."

The November Theatre Company presents Stephen Sondheim's musical Assassins as its inaugural production, Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 2 and 8 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m., through October 5. "A powerful Tony Award-winning musical, Assassins is an anachronistic examination of the individuals who have engaged in the darkest acts of American political discourse. Anchoring the production are ignominious figures from American history such as John Wilkes Booth, Lynette 'Squeaky' Fromme, John Hinckley, and others. Through its thoughtful, and at times darkly humorous, exploration of these historical figures, Assassins delves into the men and women behind the act, avoiding glorification of their crimes while offering the audience more than the simplistic treatment often afforded to them by history." Performances take place at The Ivory Theatre, 7620 Michigan. For more information: www.11theater.com.

My take: This dark satire on our nation's obsession with violence in general and gun violence in particular becomes, sadly, more relevant with each passing year. Sondheim and his collaborators have done the nearly impossible by making of it actually funny, albeit in a disturbing way, and the "Ballad of Booth" remains one of the best set pieces in musical theatre. Reviews for this particular production have been mixed, but the material is strong and, what the heck, it's the first effort by a brand-new company.

Alpha Players present the musical Monty Python's Spamalot through October 5 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: When I saw the tour of this show at the Fox in 2006, I thought it was somewhat lost in that vast, 5000-seat venue. The 600-seat space in Florissant should be a better match, and if Bob Wilcox's review for us is any indication, the Alpha folks are doing well by this very silly material.

Valhalla Cemetery and Hawthorne Players present Voices Of Valhalla: A Hayride Through History October 3-11. Hayrides through Valhalla Cemetery depart every fifteen minutes beginning at 6:30 each evening as members of the Hawthorne Players portray some of the noted locals buried in Valhalla. A special indoor performance, featuring all of the characters, will be held on Saturday, October 4, at 5:00 p.m. for those who might have difficulty boarding and sitting on hay wagons. "This year's characters will include the granddaughter of one of Robert E. Lee's slaves, a hero from the Viet Nam war, the composer of a major Broadway musical, a dress maker who worked in the Washington Avenue garment district in the 30s, a young lawyer and Sunday School superintendent who got involved with gangsters, a St. Louis business man and politician who entertained Teddy Roosevelt, and a 'bionic comic' who continued to perform long after he 'died on stage'." Look for yours truly as composer and music critic Paul Tietjens. Valhalla Cemetery is located at 7600 St. Charles Rock Road. For more information, visit the Hawthorne Players web site.

My take: OK, so I have a vested interest in this project, as you can tell from the description above. That said, having seen the work by the other members of the cast, I think I can guarantee you a unique and very entertaining theatrical experience in this "hayride through history" as you meet some remarkable characters from our city's colorful past.

Held Over:

Photo: Peter Wochniak

Stages St. Louis presents the musical Always..Patsy Cline through October 12. "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,' 'Walkin' 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.

Photo: Peter Wochniak

Stages St. Louis presents the classic musical Fiddler on the Roof through October 5. "Winner of the Tony Award for Best Musical and one of the most touching creations in the history of Broadway, featuring such heartfelt and beloved songs as 'Sunrise, Sunset,' 'If I Were A Rich Man,' and 'Matchmaker, Matchmaker'." 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: Reviews for the Stages producion of this justifiably famous hit by Bock and Harnick have been pretty generally positive. Writing for the Riverfront Times, for example, Malcom Gay calls it "a bright production, filled with sumptuous choreography and impressive musical numbers" while our reviewer at KDHX, Laura Kyro, says it's "an entertaining and satisfying production." "The show has been performed once before at Stages in 1999," writes Mark Bretz at Ladue News, "but the current presentation is as fresh and inviting as ever." Sounds like a winner, yes?

Photo: John Lamb

The West End Players Guild opens their 104th season with Joan Ackermann's Off the Map Thursday through Saturday at 8 PM and Sunday at 2 PM, October 2-5. "An offbeat and loving comedy, Off the Map tells the story of the Grodens, a quirky family living way, way off the map in the wilds of New Mexico. We see the story through the eyes of Bo Groden, an 11-year-old growing up amidst a collection of rich, warm characters who will both entertain and inspire you." Performances take place at the Union Avenue Christian Church, 733 North Union at Enright in the Central West End. For more information, call 314-367-0025 or visit www.westendplayers.org.

My take: OK, I'm not a disinterested party on this one since I'm on the board of directors of West End Players Guild and I designed the sound for this show. That said, I wouldn't have voted to make this show part of the season in the first place if I didn't think it was a charming and funny memory play about an unconventional family that reminds me in some ways of the eccentric Vanderhof/Sycamore/Carmichael clan in "You Can't Take it With You." Their determination to live a recycled life off the map (and off the grid) feels, in many ways, more relevant now than it did when this play was written in 1999.

Photo: Jerry Naunheim, Jr.

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents the comedy One Man, Two Guvnors through October 5."Francis Henshall needs a job. Recently sacked from his skiffle band, he's hungry and has a bad case of fish and chips on the brain. To make ends meet, he becomes a servant to two different masters. Frazzled Francis tries his best to balance duties and keep his bosses from meeting, but what he doesn't know about them, and what they don't know about each other, quickly become uproarious and riotous cases of mistaken identities and slapstick antics in this laugh-out-loud award-winning comedy." Performances take place on the mainstage 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: Tina Farmer's review at KDHX describes this as "is a rollicking ride filled with laughs and physical comedy that's suitable for the whole family," and other local critics have said much the same thing. I'm in the minority in that, while I often found the show very funny, I also felt that many scenes and comic bits ran on far too long and the whole cast seemed to be working far too hard for laughs. The scripted "ad libs" sometimes seemed a bit contrived as well. That said the show was a massive hit in London and on Broadway, and the night we saw it the rest of the audience did not seem to share our party's lack of enthusiasm. Note that it's relatively long for a comedy, though, clocking in at over two and one-half hours.