Chuck's Choices for the weekend of February 13, 2015

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:

Kevin Cherry

Mariposa Artists presents Kevin Cherry in Feelin' Good on Friday and Saturday, February 13 and 14, at 8 p.m. The show is directed by Ken Haller and features Patty Becker on piano. "Late in life, Kevin Cherry took his voice from the shower to the stage with the Gateway Men's Chorus. That led to ensemble performances in community engagements and on to St. Louis Cabaret Project conferences and showcases. Now he brings his tenor voice in three octaves to the Kranzberg Arts Center for an evening of light music." The performance takes place at the Kranzberg Center, 501 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information: kevincherry.brownpapertickets.com

My take: Kevin is a new face on the cabaret scene, but he's had training from the best and his director, Ken Haller, is a performer who knows cabaret inside out. His music director, Patty Becker, will be familiar to denizens of the Keypers Piano Bar. There's a lot of talent behind this show and it should be fun.

God of Carnage
Photo: John Lamb

Stray Dog Theatre presents Yasmina Reza's God of Carnage Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 PM through February 21. "A comedy of manners ... without the manners. Two married couples meet to sort out a playground fight between their sons. At first, niceties are observed but as the evening progresses and the rum flows, the gloves come off and the night becomes a side-splitting free-for-all." Performances take place at The Tower Grove Abbey, 2336 Tennessee. For more information, visit straydogtheatre.org or call 314-865-1995.

My take: I'm not a great fan of this script myself, but I appear to be in the minority. In her review for KDHX, Tina Farmer calls it "a wickedly funny, sharply pointed play that questions just how civilized we really are, as a society...Gary F. Bell knows his way around smart, funny material and this thoroughly compelling show keeps to his high standards." I know and/or have acted with most of the cast at one time or another and can attest to their talent.

Jason Graae and Liz Callaway

Edison Theatre Ovations! presents Liz Callaway and Jason Graae in Happily Ever Laughter: A Valentines Party on Saturday, February 14, at 8 p.m. "Celebrate valentine's day with Liz Callaway and Jason Graae as they return to St. Louis for a romantic but platonic evening of love songs, high belting, and hilarity! With more than 11 Broadway shows, 60 recording/cast albums, and 35 movies and tv shows between them, these Broadway buddies will have you head over heels for their sweet stylings." The performance takes place at the 560 Music Center, 560 Trinity in University City. For more information: edison.wustl.edu.

My take: It has been a decade since I first saw Liz and Jason on stage together in their Backstage Broadway Buddies show at the Edison Theatre. At the time I was just blown away by their talent, calling the show "as entertaining an evening as any musical theatre fan could wish for." Since then I have gotten to know both of them offstage (mostly as a student in the St. Louis Cabaret Conference, where they both have taught) and my admiration has only grown. These are two incredibly creative, smart, and funny people. Go. You will not be disappointed. I just hope Jason does his version of "My Funny Valentine." It's not to be missed.

The Gateway Men's Chorus presents Homegrown Cabaret Friday, February 13, at 8 PM. "Seventeen members of the Gateway Men's Chorus each take the spotlight in solo turns at a special fundraising concert, turning their personal stories into song. Ticket price includes drinks, hor d'oeuvres, a silent auction, and a tax-deductible contribution to the GMC's GALA Fund, which helps send the chorus to the 2016 GALA Festival.Ticket price includes drinks, hor d'oeuvres, a silent auction, and a tax-deductible contribution to the GMC's GALA Fund, which helps send the chorus to the 2016 GALA Festival." The concert takes place in the Rialto Ballroom at the Centene Center for the Arts, 3547 Olive Street in Grand Center. For more information: gmcstl.org.

My take: The Gateway Men's Chorus is a local cultural treasure and deserves our support. And in this case, you'll get an entertaining evening of cabaret along with the good feeling of knowing that you've helped them keep going.

Mr. Marmalade
Photo: John Lamb

The West End Players Guild continues their 104th season with the comedy Mr. Marmalade Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM and Sundays at 2 PM, February 13-22. "Growing up isn't easy these days. Little Lucy is spending her childhood doing all the things little girls like to do - playing house, having tea parties and playing with friends both real and imaginary. But even as a tot, Lucy seems to have learned most of what she knows about life from reality TV and her childhood is chock-full of very odd, very adult stuff - the oddest of which may be Mr. Marmalade. He's the imaginary friend who rarely has time for Lucy because he's way too busy dealing with the demands of his day planner, anger management issues and some very adult naughty habits." There will also be a show on Thursday, February February 19, at 8 PM. 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'll admit that I'm on the play reading committee at West End as well as the sound designer for this show, so I'm not a disinterested party. And I have worked with director Steve Callahan many time in the past. That said, one of the reasons I voted for this play was that it's a very funny and very twisted comedy. Mr. Marmalade is definitely not your average imaginary friend. In fact, with imaginary friends like him, you probably don't need enemies. Consider this an antidote to Valentine's Day saccharine.

White to Gray
Photo: John Lamb

Mustard Seed Theatre presents White to Gray through February 22. "Mustard Seed Theatre is proud to offer the world premiere of local playwright Rob Maesaka’s White to Gray-the story of a young couple, one white and one Japanese-American, en route to the mainland from Hawaii on a cruise ship when bombs drop on Pearl Harbor. Amidst fear and uncertainty and caught in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, loyalties are tested and love comes under suspicion." Performances take place at the Fontbonne Fine Arts Theatre, 6800 Wydown Blvd. For more information, call (314) 719-8060 or visit the web site at www.mustardseedtheatre.com.

My take: The shabby treatment of Japanese Americans during World War II is one of the bits of American history that the far right would like to erase from history books, which makes it that much more important to remember it. "In many ways," says Tina Farmer at KDHX, ""White to Gray" provides a micro view of diverse American reactions to the attack on Pearl Harbor and subsequent internment of more than one hundred thousand Japanese citizens. In other ways, it is a love story, one that seems filled with promise until history turned it tragic. The story is compelling and provides a fictional but nonetheless thoughtful and heartfelt retelling of an important historical event." At Broadwayworld.com, Chris Gibson says the show is "an entertaining show that features a number of good performances...and Mustard Seed's production of it is definitely worthy of your time and attention." At the Stage Door STL blog, Steve Allen says "Director Deanna Jent has brought a quiet sensitivity to the situation including the somewhat schmaltzy yet highly effective ending to a story that is fraught with tension and even a bit of rage."

Held Over:

Bashir Lazhar
Photo: Peter Wochniak

Upstream Theater presents Bashir Lazhar by Évelyne de la Chenelière through February 12. "An Algerian refugee in Montreal is hurriedly hired as a substitute for a class of sixth graders who, like him, have experienced recent trauma. As he devotes his heart and soul to his students, his unorthodox methods challenge a system embedded in routine. A timely and poetic piece about grief and healing, love and survival. In 2011 the play was adapted into the Oscar-nominated film Monsieur Lazhar." The play stars J. Samuel Davis with live music by Farshid Soltanshahi. Performances take place at the Kranzberg Arts Center, 501 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information, including show times: upstreamtheater.org.

My take: A one-actor show (which this almost is; the title character dominates the play) can be a risky proposition. J. Samuel Davis is a darned strong actor, though, so that's not likely to be a problem. Mr. Davis, writes Tina Farmer in her review for KDHX, "commands our attention and tells his story, adroitly shifting from teacher, to employee, to family man, to a man experiencing more grief and tragedy than one person should be expected to bear...The story is moving and impactful, director Philip Boehm and Davis work together well to keep the action focused and intentional. As importantly, Davis feels his character deeply and transparently." Upstream continues to provide local audiences with unusual and often risky theatre that stands out from the run of the mill.