Sunday, June 28, 2015

St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of June 29, 2015

[Looking for auditions and other artistic opportunities? Check out the St. Louis Auditions site.]

For information on events beyond this week, check out the searchable database at the Regional Arts Commission's events web site.

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The Fantasticks
Insight Theatre Company presents the classic musical The Fantasticks July 2-18. "This long running show is a funny and romantic musical about a boy, a girl, two fathers, and a wall. The narrator, El Gallo, asks the audience to use their imaginations and follow him into a world of moonlight and magic. The young lovers do come to realize that, just as El Gallo had said, 'Without a hurt, the heart is hollow.'" Performances take place in the Heagney Theatre, 530 East Lockwood on the campus of Nerinx Hall High School in Webster Groves. For more information, call 314-556-1293 or visit insighttheatrecompany.com.

The Lemp Mansion Comedy-Mystery Dinner Theater presents A Fistful Of Hollers through August 29. The Lemp Mansion is at 3322 DeMenil Place. For more information: lempmansion.com.

Grand Center presents the Grand Center Theatre Crawl on Friday, July 3, from 6 to 9 p.m. at various locations in the Grand Center Arts District. " It's a 'tasting menu' of the best of St. Louis theatre, and it's free! Every half hour, 6-9pm, you'll stroll to a different Grand Center venue for a short show from one of your favorite St. Louis theatre companies. See shows from nine St. Louis theatre companies, and yes, there will be prizes!" Featured theatre companies include Prison Performing Arts, West End Players Guild, St. Louis Actors' Studio, Insight Theatre Company, R-S Theatrics, and Union Avenue Opera. For more information: grandcenter.org

Hairspray
muny.com
The Muny presents the classic musical Hairspray nightly at 8:15 PM through June 30 in the outdoor theatre in Forest Park. "Winner of eight Tony® Awards including the 2003 Tony® for Best Musical, Hairspray brings its infectious beat and hilarious fun to the Muny for 8 performances. Set in the changing times of 1960s Baltimore, Tracy Turnblad dreams of dancing on the Corny Collins Show AND creating a perfect integrated world! Does she have the moves and the courage? Based on the 1988 John Waters Film of the same name, Hairspray features incredible dance numbers and a blazing set of pop tunes including "Good Morning Baltimore" and "You Can't Stop The Beat!"" For more information, visit muny.org or call 314-361-1900. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

The Bissell Mansion Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre presents Mayhem In Mayberry through July 26. The Bissell Mansion is at 4426 Randall Place. For more information: bissellmansiontheatre.com

Would you like to be on the radio? KDHX, 88.1 FM needs theatre reviewers. If you're 18 years or older, knowledgeable in this area, have practical theatre experience (acting, directing, writing, technical design, etc.), have good oral and written communications skills and would like to become one of our volunteer reviewers, send an email describing your experience and interests to chuck at kdhx.org. Please include a sample review of something you've seen recently.

St. Louis classical calendar for the week of June 29, 2015

Baritone Robert Ellison
The Compton Heights Concert Band presents free Musical Mondays concerts featuring marches, show tunes and classical favorites at Mondays at 7:30 p.m. through August 3rd. This week's concert (June 29) features baritone soloist Robert Ellison and includes a performance of Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture" complete with cannons. The concert takes place in Tower Grove Park at the historic Henry Shaw Bandstand. For more information: chband.org.

The Compton Heights Concert Band presents free Sunday Serenades concerts featuring marches, show tunes and classical favorites on Sundays at 7:30 PM through July 26. Guest artists this week (July 5) are Carl and Mason T. Capps on bluegrass guitar and mandolin. The concerts takes place in Francis Park at Donovan and Eichelberger on the Compton Heights Band's "Carol Joy Brooks Memorial" Stage. For more information: chband.org.

The Tavern of Fine Arts presents the flute/guitar duo of Erika May and Tom Byrne in an evening of jazz, Latin, and classical music on Tuesday, June 30, at 8 PM. The Tavern of Fine Arts is at 313 Belt in the Debaliviere Place neighborhood. For more information: tavern-of-fine-arts.blogspot.com.

The Tavern of Fine Arts presents Celli Amici on Thursday, July 2, at 8 PM. "Cellists Joshua Adams, Amy An, Sarah Madsen, and Mel Priese perform a program of of light classical music and favorite movie themes." The Tavern of Fine Arts is at 313 Belt in the Debaliviere Place neighborhood. For more information: tavern-of-fine-arts.blogspot.com.

Saturday, June 27, 2015

St. Lou Fringe Report 3: A full house

Khnemu Menu-Ra
Thursday, June 25th, turned out to be my best Fringe experience yet, with two fine one-person shows and a powerful cabaret act.

Things got off to a strong start with “Origins of Love”, a smartly theatrical cabaret starring a pair of actors well known on the local theatre scene, Khnemu Menu-Ra and Antonio Rodriguez. With a narrative thread assembled from the works of Shakespeare and a song list that ranges from Stephen Sondheim to Trent Reznor to the Lebanese-British singer-songwriter Mika, “Origins of Love” rings an impressive variety of changes on the theme of love and its discontents.

A well-designed cabaret show will often feel like a one-act play, with a dramatic through line and possibly the sense, by the end, that you have gone on a journey with the performers. “Origins of Love" is exactly that kind of show. It opens with Mr. Menu-Ra (who carries the majority of the show) performing the “Bottom's dream” speech (from “A Midsummer Night's Dream”), the moves smoothly and logically to Sondheim's "Invocation" (cut from "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum") and finally "High Flying, Adored" from "Evita." That last song is performed as a duet with pianist and music director Leah Luciano, whose skill as a singer and musician is also essential to the success of the evening.

From there, the selections from Shakespeare—performed, I'm happy to report, with an excellent feel for both the meter and the meaning—are used to segue among segments on various aspects of love, from juvenile sexual conquest to dark obsession, and finally to light-hearted acceptance. The show is filled with impressive moments, including Mr. Menu-Ra's performance of the title song (from Stephen Trask's score for "Hedwig and the Angry Inch") and Mr. Rodriguez's hilarious "Stumble Along" (from "The Drowsy Chaperone"). Ms. Luciano also has a nice solo on "I'd Rather Watch You," a clever 1920's pastiche from Joshua Schmidt's score for the 2008 musical adaptation of Elmer Rice's "The Adding Machine."

stlfringe.com
Kimberly Lawson is credited as the director of "Origins of Love." I don't know how much of this show is hers and how much is Mr. Mr. Menu-Ra's, but between them they have come up with one of the stronger cabaret productions I've seen recently. And I've seen some pretty darned good ones.

Next, I hiked down the street to the CEL Center for Architecture and Design for The Midnight Company's presentation of Joe Hanrahan's latest one-man play, David MacIvor's "House." Described as a stand-up-sit-down comedy nightmare," "House" is the story of Victor who is, as he puts it, "fucked up, but not weird. You're born weird, but you get fucked up." It starts out as a comic, no-fourth-wall complaint about Victor's therapy group and soon moves on to an equally funny but increasingly bizarre series of complaints about his life. His wife Mary Ann doesn't love him, to begin with, and his father ran off to the circus to become The Saddest Man in the World.

OK. Odd, but possible. But then: his sister hosts parties for dogs who, according to Victor, behave eerily like humans. And when he tells his mother that he is planning to leave Mary Ann, she turns into a demon, levitates to the ceiling, and begins slashing up the house with a razor-sharp tongue.

Maybe not so possible. Mr. MacIvor's script and Mr. Hanrahan's charmingly believable performance combine to lure you into this story. Victor's disconnect from reality doesn't become obvious until he has already become ingratiating, and by then there's no turning back. "House" is a perfect combination of virtuoso acting and compelling story telling.

Blair Godshall
facebook.com/blair.godshall.5
Finally, it was off to TheStage @ KDHX for "ODDyssey," actress Blair Godshall's comic monolog about her "10-year journey of odd jobs, odd skills and odd people." Fresh out of college with a theatre degree, Ms. Godshall realized that the odd jobs she had taken to help finance her education were going to have to continue while she tried to find a way to make a living on stage. That meant lots of work in various service industries involving "screaming children, dangerous heights, sexist midterm papers, even more sexist bosses, extra hot coffee, expensive glass and reasonably priced sausages".

She tells her stories with a sure sense of comic timing and a slightly caustic attitude that often reminded me of another skilled comic and actress, Sandra Berhnard. She changes from her own persona to that of other characters quickly and credibly, and it's not surprising to discover, towards the end of her show, that she is finally working as an actress on a regular basis.

"ODDyssey" is obviously a work in progress. Ms. Godshall was still working from a script and sometimes had to vamp while she got back on track, and her one-act play doesn't really have much of an end yet, but that's minor stuff. "ODDyssey" is still great fun, and a reminder of the mundane stuff your WTFs (Weird Theatre Friends) have to do in order to grab some creative freedom.

The St. Lou Fringe Festival continues through Saturday, June 27, at various venues in Grand Center. For more information, check the festival web site.

Thursday, June 25, 2015

Chuck's Choices for the weekend of June 26, 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:

Hairspray
muny.com
The Muny presents the classic musical Hairspray nightly at 8:15 PM, June 23-30, in the outdoor theatre in Forest Park. "Winner of eight Tony® Awards including the 2003 Tony® for Best Musical, Hairspray brings its infectious beat and hilarious fun to the Muny for 8 performances. Set in the changing times of 1960s Baltimore, Tracy Turnblad dreams of dancing on the Corny Collins Show AND creating a perfect integrated world! Does she have the moves and the courage? Based on the 1988 John Waters Film of the same name, Hairspray features incredible dance numbers and a blazing set of pop tunes including “Good Morning Baltimore” and “You Can't Stop The Beat!”" For more information, visit muny.org or call 314-361-1900.

My take: No doubt about it, this is a big, splashy, entertaining musical with a message that is (somewhat sadly) still very relevant. In his review for Broadwayworld.com, Chris Gibson calls this "an exuberant and colorful staging..a really good show for the entire family,with plenty of laughs, catchy songs, and a timely message as well." "Today" writes Judy Newmark at stltoday.com, "the optimistic, Tony-winning show about tearing down barriers resonates more than ever. It feels like a gift."

Mariposa Artsts presents Women Under the Influence—consisting of Carol Schmidt, Michele Isam, Debbie Schuster and Katie McGrath—are together again, sharing their latest soul, rock and jazz selections in support of Huntington's Disease Society of America. The show takes place on Friday, June 26, at 8 p.m. at Soulard Preservation Hall, 1921 South 9th St. in Soulard. For tickets, head on over to brownpapertickets.com.

My take: I've been a big fan of this group since I previewed their first show. WUI takes its inspiration from performers whose work is not particularly well represented on the cabaret scene: the girl groups and soul sisters of the 1960s. Pop and R&B classics like “Met Him on a Sunday,” “He’s So Fine,” “Come See About Me,” and “He’s a Rebel” make up most of the set list, but there are also a few nods to contemporary stars like Adele (“Rumor Has It”), Rhiana (“Take a Bow”), and even Dolly Parton (“Jolene”). The group has a way of making all of those tunes their own—with tight vocal harmonies and even a bit of swingin' '60s choreography—and, in classic cabaret style, telling a story in the process.

Held Over:

The Barber of Seville
Photo: Ken Howard
Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents Rossini's comedy The Barber of Seville in rotating repertory with three other operas through June 27. "There's a good reason it's one of the world's most popular operas! Rossini's zany and sparkling score sets the gold standard for opera that is fresh, elegant, funny, and brimming with vocal fireworks. Delight as the young barber Figaro helps Count Almaviva steal the beautiful Rosina from under the nose of her doddering guardian." Performances take place at the Loretto-Hilton Center at 135 Edgar Road on the Webster University campus. All performances are sung in English with projected English text. For more information: experienceopera.org or call 314-961-0644. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

My take: As I write in my review for KDHX, everyone connected with this production can congratulate themselves on a job well done. Taking as his point of departure the animated and colorful films of Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar, Mr. Shell has produced a loopy, slightly surreal, and highly engaging take this comic opera classic. The updated bits are always funny and sometimes inspired. And there aren't so many of them that they pull focus from the singers and the text and score of the opera. This is a production that respects the intelligence of its audience and doesn't assume that we need to be constantly distracted in order to be entertained.

Emmeline
Photo: Ken Howard
Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents Tobias Picker's drama Emmeline in rotating repertory with three other operas through June 27. "Inspired by a compelling true story from a mill town in 19th century New England, Emmeline's heart-wrenching saga echoes the age-old Oedipus legend." Performances take place at the Loretto-Hilton Center at 135 Edgar Road on the Webster University campus. All performances are sung in English with projected English text. For more information: experienceopera.org or call 314-961-0644. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

My take: An out of town trip prevented my from seeing this revival of Tobias PIcker's 1996 opera, although I did get a chance to chat with the director beforehand. Reviews of this production have been very positive, though, and its sharp critique of what I would describe as soulless self-congratulation of corporate Christianity is as relevant as ever. In his review for 88.1 KDHX, Steve Callahan describes it as "a strikingly beautiful opera—visually and musically." "Both musically and theatrically," says Mark Bretz at Ladue News, "Emmeline is a bravura performance that resonates with its beauty."

One Summer on 2nd Street
Circus Flora presents its new show, One Summer on 2nd Street through June 28 under the air-conditioned, red-and-white, big top tent in Grand Center next to Powell Hall. "Travel back with us to The Jazz Age - to a time at which American cities grew rapidly, becoming home to families from all walks of life and corners of the map. We'll journey together to a typical block in a typical city on a typical day - and meet a very atypical set of families. Find yourself enchanted by a small Ukrainian family who tame the cats that live in the alley. Feel the excitement as Russian carriage drivers ride wildly through the streets, and the Flying Wallendas maneuver their way along clotheslines strung between buildings. Experience the bliss of young love, determined to stand strong amid their families' protests. These stories, and more, will come alive under the Big Top this summer." For more information, visit circusflora.org. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

My take: One of the more welcome harbingers of summer in St. Louis is the appearance of Circus Flora's air-conditioned tent on the parking lot just south of Powell Hall. Once the big top is in place, you know that an evening of thrills, comedy and all-around family friendly entertainment awaits you within its pleasantly cool confines. "Circus Flora shows always tell a story," Tina Farmer reminds us in her KDHX review. "[T]his year it's 'One Summer on Second Street.' A tale of summer in the city with a nostalgic feel, the story encourages us to meet our neighbors and treat our animal friends with love and respect. Naturally, the lesson is delivered with an abundance of fantastic feats of skill, strength, and athleticism." Grab some popcorn and cotton candy, listen to the band organ before the show, and be a kid again. Or stay one, as the case may be.

Richard the Lionheart
Photo: Ken Howard
Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents the American premiere of Handel's Richard the Lionheart in rotating repertory with three other operas through June 26. "If you only know him from Robin Hood, you don't know the whole story of Richard the Lionheart. Shipwrecked on the way to the Third Crusade, one of England's bravest kings must disguise himself to protect his future bride and prevent war in a foreign land. But who can he trust in this all-too-real game of thrones? Handel's virtuosic vocal writing in this opera, never before heard in the United States, makes Richard an eagerly-anticipated event for all music-lovers." Performances take place at the Loretto-Hilton Center at 135 Edgar Road on the Webster University campus. All performances are sung in English with projected English text. For more information: experienceopera.org or call 314-961-0644. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

My take: Critical word on this one has been generally good. "The chief point of Baroque opera," writes Sarah Bryan Miller at stltoday.com, "is the production and enjoyment of lavish vocal displays; if you can have an effective and engaging staging to go with them, all the better. In its new production of Handel’s “Richard the Lionheart” (“Riccardo Primo”), Opera Theatre of St. Louis has largely succeeded in both". At 88.1 KDHX, Steve Callahan calls it "truly astonishing" and "the most perfect production of an opera that I've ever seen". As I write in my own review at OnSTL.com, I wouldn't go that far, but the singing is certainly spectacular.

La Rondine
Photo: Ken Howard
Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents Puccini's La Rondine in rotating repertory with three other operas through June 28. " Can a beautiful, sophisticated Parisian courtesan find happiness with a young man from the country? Or is her love affair doomed by a past she cannot keep secret? Celebrated OTSL music director Stephen Lord brings Puccini's gorgeous music and romantic storytelling to life in this stunning, new belle epoque period production." Performances take place at the Loretto-Hilton Center at 135 Edgar Road on the Webster University campus. All performances are sung in English with projected English text. For more information: experienceopera.org or call 314-961-0644. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

My take: La Rondine was always a bit of a problem child for Puccini. He left it in three different versions. I've seen two of them, and while in both cases the libretto was so cryptic that characters' decisions often seemed weirdly unmotivated, there was no getting around the fact that the composer lavished some truly wonderful music on that text. The music and, even more importantly, the singing actors are the reasons to see this beautifully sung, impeccably acted, intelligently directed, and all-around entertaining production. As I say in my review for KDHX, this production is a reminder of why we love opera in the first place.

Smokey Joe's Café
Photo: Peter Wochniak
Stages St. Louis presents the musical revue Smokey Joe's Café, based on the songs of Leiber and Stoller through June 28. " Welcome to the neighborhood for a nostalgic exploration of the lives, loves, and aspirations of a group of friends who know how to rock 60s style. Featuring nearly 40 chart-topping hits that span over three decades of popular American music, this thrilling Grammy Award-winning song celebration will knock your socks off. Relive the glory days of rock and roll with such pop standards as "Stand By Me,""Jailhouse Rock," "I'm A Woman," "Hound Dog," and "On Broadway." Now, Baby, that's rock 'n' roll! Words and Music by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller." 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. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

My take: What's not to love about this jaunty musical revue of the songs of Leiber and Stoller? If you know of this duo only as the composers of rock classics like "Get a Job" or "Jailhouse Rock," though, you'll be pleasantly surprised by the variety of their songwriting skills. The Stages version has gotten lots of praise, too. At 88.1 KDHX, Tina Farmer calls it "a rousing, toe-tapping, finger-snapping production," while over at stltoday.com Judy Newmark praises "nonstop numbers that put the familiar songs onto their twinkling feet." Baby, that is rock and roll!

Scot Moore, creator of
Men Will Be Boys at the Fringe
The St. Lou Fringe Festival opens on Wednesday, June 17, and runs through June 27 at several venues in the Grand Center area including the Kranzberg Arts Center (501 N. Grand) and The Stage at KDHX. Performances include traditional theater, dance, music, comedy, circus arts, performance art, cabaret, and burlesque, with acts from St. Louis and around the country. For a complete schedule, visit stlfringe.com.

My take: I've been a big booster of the Fringe since its scrappy beginnings as a four-day, low-budget events at a handful of venues in the summer of 2012. Now budgets are bigger, there are more event spaces (including The Stage @ KDHX, with state-of-the-art lights and sound), and the festival runs for ten days, but the same spirit of pushing the entertainment envelope is still there. I'm seeing a dozen of there is overage from my fellow KDHX critics Steve Callahan and Tina Farmer. Check us out and, by all means, check out the Fringe. There's a little something for everyone.

Opera Review: In San Francisco, a world premiere examines a little-known World War II horror

Act I prayer scene
©Cory Weaver/San Francisco Opera
Who: San Francisco Opera
What: Two Women by Marco Tutino
Where: The War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco
When: through June 30, 2015

New operas can be a crapshoot, but San Francisco Opera has pretty much rolled up a winner with "Two Women" ("La Ciociara"), running through the end of June. Based on the 1958 novel "La Ciociara" by Alberto Moravia (and "informed by" Luca Rossi's screenplay for De Sica's famous 1960 film, "Two Women"), the libretto by Fabio Ceresa and composer Marco Tutino could use a bit of fine-tuning, but the lush neo-romantic score is filled with wonderful stuff.

"Two Women" is the story of Cesira, a strong-willed widow and Roman shopkeeper, and her daughter Rosetta and their attempt to flee the increasing violence of the campaign to liberate Italy. After her shop is nearly destroyed by Allied bombing, Cesira prevails upon Giovanni, her supplier of semi-legal goods, to take her and Rosetta to Cesira's birthplace in the mountainous Ciociaria region outside Rome. The thuggish Giovanni agrees, but extracts payment in the form of a sexual assault during the bombing.

Cesira, Rosetta, and Lt. Buckley
©Cory Weaver/San Francisco Opera
In the mountains, Cesira encounters and falls in love with Michele, a young pacifist, and together they save the life of John Buckley, a downed American pilot. The intervention eventually costs Michele his life, thanks to betrayal by Giovanni, who opportunistically swears loyalty to the Fascists.

Cesira and Rosetta hit rock bottom at the end of the second act when, seeking refuge in the bomb-damaged church in the village of Sant'Eufemia, they are raped by Moroccan troops fighting for the Allies under French command. The assault badly traumatizes Rosetta and nearly destroys her relationship with Cesira. In the end the two women reconcile and find strength in their love for each other, but it's a hard road for both.

The rape, it should be noted, is an event drawn from historical fact. The Moroccan Goumiers, colonial troops of the French Expeditionary Corps, were, in fact, given carte blanche to loot, pillage, and rape by French General Alfonse Juin as a "reward" for their fierce fighting against the Nazis. By one estimate, as many as 7,000 women were raped and as many as 800 family members killed by the Moroccans for attempting to defend the women.

Cesira, Rosetta, and Goumiers
©Cory Weaver/San Francisco Opera
This is pretty strong stuff—verismo on steroids—and Mr. Tutino gives it the widescreen treatment with an unabashedly romantic and very dramatically effective score. Mr. Tutino has gotten some criticism for writing in an overly conservative style, but as someone who has heard far too much music in which the notion of melody has been ruthlessly suppressed, I found it refreshing.

You can hear Puccini's musical fingerprints here, but even more prominent, to my ears, was the work of the great Italian cinema composers of the late 20th and early 21st century. Nino Rota comes immediately to mind, but so do Riz Ortolani (best known for his "Mondo Cane" score) and Ennio Morricone.

There is, in fact, a strongly cinematic cast to the entire production. Video projections by S. Katy Tucker (whose innovative work has been featured at several St. Louis Symphony concerts recently) are used to create virtual sets as well as special effects like the Allied bombing of Rome in Act I, while excerpts from World War II documentaries serve as a stark reminder of the cost of occupation. Extended video sequences, accompanied by long musical interludes, are used for some of the scene changes. Not surprisingly, director Francesca Zambello, whose sure hand keeps everything flowing smoothly, describes herself in her program note as a great fan of the "Golden Age of Italian Cinema."

Mark Delavan as Giovanni
©Cory Weaver/San Francisco Opera
The cast for this opera is a strong one all the way around. Soprano Anna Caterina Antonacci is a force of nature as the formidable Cesira—a vocal powerhouse and deeply committed actress. As Rosetta, soprano Sarah Shafer radiates vulnerability and backs it up with a wonderfully expressive voice.

Baritone Mark Delavan has the unenviable task of giving life to the appalling Giovanni, a character that is part Iago, part Scarpia, and all sociopath. Giovanni is, according to Mr. Tutino, intended to be the personification of what he sees as the real villain of the piece: the institution of war. Playing a symbol is not the easiest of tasks, but Mr. Delavan manages to suggest that there may actually a human being in there somewhere, repellent as he may be. And his voice is impressive, with great low notes.

Tenor Dimitri Pittas's Michele is appealing and sympathetic, while tenor Joel Sorenson and mezzo Buffy Baggott provide some rare comic relief as the spineless lawyer Sciortino, who helps betray Michele to the Nazis, and his clueless mother Maria, who doesn't understand why her dinner guests keep disappearing. Other performers of note include baritone Edward Nelson as Lt. Buckley, baritone Christian Van Horn as an oily Nazi officer, and singer-songwriter Pasquale Esposito as a local lad who entertains the village during its liberation party with the popular Italian song "La strada nel bosco" ("The Path in the Wood")—bits of which are threaded throughout the opera's score.

Cesira and Allied soldiers
©Cory Weaver/San Francisco Opera
San Francisco Opera music director Nicola Luisotti conducts the seventy-piece orchestra with great authority and an obvious love for the music, and the musicians play exquisitely.

"Two Women" is certainly not without its issues. The misfortunes heaped upon Cesira and Rosetta feel, at times, so overwhelming that numbness begins to set it. And the character of Giovanni is almost devoid of any real psychology—the hazard, I suppose, of being more symbol than human. Still, it's one of the more potent and theatrically satisfying new operas I have seen lately, and the San Francisco Opera is to be commended for producing it.

"Two Women" has two more performances on Sunday and Tuesday, June 28 and 30, at the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco. It was interesting to see it immediately after Berlioz's "Les Troyens" which, even in SFO's somewhat anti-war staging, still tends to treat war as a mostly heroic undertaking. "Two Women" is a reminder of just how little heroism there can actually be in armed conflict.

Tuesday, June 23, 2015

St. Lou Fringe Report 2: Of Wonderland and Mustache Wax

Kevin M. Lamb with bike and mustache
With apologies to Rev. Dodgson: The time has come, the critic said, to talk of many things / Of Wonderland and mustache wax, and kids who act and sing.

My St. Lou Fringe experience yesterday (Sunday, June 21) consisted of two shows: "Alice in Wonderland," the 1970 adaptation by Andre Gregory and the Manhattan Project of "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" performed by students from Mary Institute Country Day School; and "Mustache Across America," a monolog by Kevin M. Lamb about his bicycle trip across America wearing a mustache and following a mustache-shaped route.

Let's dispense with the latter first. Objectively, biking from the seashore of Portland, Maine, to the seashore at Portland, Oregon is a pretty remarkable accomplishment. It's the sort of thing that, in the hands of a skilled monologist or a gifted writer, could produce some fascinating stories and/or profound insights. In Mr. Lamb's case, unfortunately, it produced a fairly ordinary narrative and some snippets of video of men being interviewed by Mr. Lamb saying mostly uninteresting things about their mustaches.

Mr. Lamb and his collaborator and videographer Caleb Knaan (with whom he did an amusing mustache rap number at the top of his show) are turning "Mustache Across America" into a documentary. If that gives Mr. Lamb a chance to polish and think a bit more about his material, the results might be worth seeing. As it stands, though, his show was a bit of a snooze, even if it did educate me on how to sleep on top of a fast-food restaurant without getting busted.

The MICDS kids had an obvious advantage in that both their source material and its adaptation have solid track records. Mr. Gregory has a long and distinguished career as a writer, director, and actor, and his children's theatre adaptation of Carroll's classic story offers plenty of opportunities for the cast to run, jump, shout, play theatre games, and generally enjoy themselves. Which they did, with abandon.

The members of the cast varied in experience and ability, as you might expect at their age, but they generally did a credible job, and some of them were quite gifted. The mostly kids audience Sunday afternoon appeared to be enjoying itself, as did the parents.

Both of these shows are over now, but the Fringe continues through Saturday, June 27. Monday and Tuesday evenings are taken up with workshops and participatory events, and Wednesday evening with a block party. Fringe performances pick up again Thursday at 6 p.m. For more information, check out the Fringe web site.

Monday, June 22, 2015

St. Louis classical calendar for the week of June 22, 2015

Thomas Murrah
The American Guild of Organists presents an organ recital by Thomas Murray on Wednesday, June 24, at 8:15 p.m. at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis at 4431 Lindell.  “Murray is organist and professor at Yale University and will play works of Duruflé, Grieg, Mozart, and Saint-Saëns.”  For more information: www.agostlouis.org

Christ Church Cathedral presents an organ concert by Christopher Marks on Monday, June 22, at 7:30 p.m.  "Marks is organ professor at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln and will play works of Seth Bingham, Marcel Dupré, and Leo Sowerby." Christ Church Cathedral is at 13th and Olive downtown.  For more information: christchurchconcerts.org.

The Compton Heights Concert Band presents free Sunday Serenades concerts featuring marches, show tunes and classical favorites on Sundays at 7:30 PM, June 28 – July 26.  This week's concert features baritone soloist Robert Ellison and includes a performance of Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture" complete with cannons.  The concerts takes place in Francis Park at Donovan and Eichelberger on the Compton Heights Band’s "Carol Joy Brooks Memorial" Stage.  For more information: chband.org

The Ethical Society presents The Legend Singers in concert on Thursday, June 26, at 6 p.m.  "It’s time for The Legend Singers Chorale Ensemble’s concert and tribute to Black Music History Month! We had the Divas (Women) in 2013 and the Music Royals, Kings, Princes & Dukes (Men) in 2014. This year we are celebrating African-American music genres and Family Performers!" The performance takes at the Ethical Society of St. Louis, 9001 Clayton Road.  For more information: ethicalstl.org.

The Barber of Seville
Photo: Ken Howard
Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents Rossini's comedy The Barber of Seville Saturday, June 27, at 8 p.m.. "There's a good reason it's one of the world's most popular operas! Rossini's zany and sparkling score sets the gold standard for opera that is fresh, elegant, funny, and brimming with vocal fireworks. Delight as the young barber Figaro helps Count Almaviva steal the beautiful Rosina from under the nose of her doddering guardian." Performances take place at the Loretto-Hilton Center at 135 Edgar Road on the Webster University campus. All performances are sung in English with projected English text. For more information: experienceopera.org or call 314-961-0644. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

Emmeline
Photo: Ken Howard
Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents Tobias Picker's drama Emmeline Thursday, June 25, at 8 p.m. and Saturday, June 27, at 1 p.m. " Inspired by a compelling true story from a mill town in 19th century New England, Emmeline's heart-wrenching saga echoes the age-old Oedipus legend." Performances take place at the Loretto-Hilton Center at 135 Edgar Road on the Webster University campus. All performances are sung in English with projected English text. For more information: experienceopera.org or call 314-961-0644. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents A Little Lunch Music, a free concert with soprano Felicia Moore (Harriet Mosher in Emmeline), mezzo-soprano Emily Fons (Rosina in The Barber of Seville), baritone Jonathan Beyer (Figaro in The Barber of Seville), and pianist Andrea Grant, on Monday, June 22 at 12:30 PM.  The concert takes place at Manchester United Methodist Church, 129 Woods Mills Road in Manchester.  For more information, you may visit experienceopera.org or call 314-961-0644.

Richard the Lionheart
Photo: Ken Howard
Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents the American premiere of Handel's Richard the Lionheart Wednesday and Friday at 8 p.m., June 24 and 26. "If you only know him from Robin Hood, you don't know the whole story of Richard the Lionheart. Shipwrecked on the way to the Third Crusade, one of England's bravest kings must disguise himself to protect his future bride and prevent war in a foreign land. But who can he trust in this all-too-real game of thrones? Handel's virtuosic vocal writing in this opera, never before heard in the United States, makes Richard an eagerly-anticipated event for all music-lovers." Performances take place at the Loretto-Hilton Center at 135 Edgar Road on the Webster University campus. All performances are sung in English with projected English text. For more information: experienceopera.org or call 314-961-0644. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

La Rondine
Photo: Ken Howard

Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents Puccini's La Rondine Wednesday, June 24, at 1 p.m. and Sunday, June 28, at 7 p.m. " Can a beautiful, sophisticated Parisian courtesan find happiness with a young man from the country? Or is her love affair doomed by a past she cannot keep secret? Celebrated OTSL music directorStephen Lord brings Puccini's gorgeous music and romantic storytelling to life in this stunning, newbelle epoque period production." Performances take place at the Loretto-Hilton Center at 135 Edgar Road on the Webster University campus. All performances are sung in English with projected English text. For more information: experienceopera.org or call 314-961-0644. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra presents The Music of U2 on Friday, June 26, at 7:30 p.m.   "Dubbed by Rolling Stone as the ‘Biggest Band in the World,’ U2 has released 13 albums and sold more than 150 million records worldwide. Channeling the global celebrity stardom of frontman Bono and the musicians of U2, conductor Brent Haven, the STL Symphony and a rock band perform U2’s greatest hits.”  The performance takes place at Powell Symphony Hall, 718 North Grand.  For more information: stlsymphony.org.

The Tavern of Fine Arts presents cellist Bjorn Ranheim in a program of Bach's Cello Suites 1, 3, and 5 on Monday, June 22, at 8 PM.  The Tavern of Fine Arts is at 313 Belt in the Debaliviere Place neighborhood.  For more information: tavern-of-fine-arts.blogspot.com.

Sunday, June 21, 2015

St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of June 22, 2015

[Looking for auditions and other artistic opportunities? Check out the St. Louis Auditions site.]

For information on events beyond this week, check out the searchable database at the Regional Arts Commission's events web site.

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The Barber of Seville
Photo: Ken Howard
Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents Rossini's comedy The Barber of Seville in rotating repertory with three other operas through June 27. "There's a good reason it's one of the world's most popular operas! Rossini's zany and sparkling score sets the gold standard for opera that is fresh, elegant, funny, and brimming with vocal fireworks. Delight as the young barber Figaro helps Count Almaviva steal the beautiful Rosina from under the nose of her doddering guardian." Performances take place at the Loretto-Hilton Center at 135 Edgar Road on the Webster University campus. All performances are sung in English with projected English text. For more information: experienceopera.org or call 314-961-0644. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

O'Fallon TheatreWorks presents Beauty and the Beast Jr. at the O'Fallon Municipal Centre auditorium through June 27. The O'Fallon Municipal Centre is located at 100 North Main Street in O'Fallon, MO. For more information, visit www.ofallon.mo.us or call 636-379-5606.

COCA presents Bring It On: the Musical, Friday and Saturday, June 26 and 27. “Bitingly relevant and sprinkled with sass, Bring It On takes audiences on a high-flying journey filled with the complexities of friendship, jealousy, betrayal, and forgiveness.” COCA is at 524 Trinity in University City. For more information, call (314) 725-6555 or visit www.cocastl.org.

Jefferson College presents the classic musical Bye Bye Birdie through June 27. Performances take place at the Jefferson College Fine Arts Theatre on the campus in Hillsboro, MO. For more information, visit jeffco.edu or call 636-481-3369 or 636-789-3000 ext. 3369.

Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville Summer Showbiz presents Shakespeare's The Comedy of Errors through June 27. Performances take place in the Dunham Hall theater on the campus in Edwardsville, IL. For more information, call 618-650-2774.

Stages St. Louis presents Disney's The Aristocats, based on the film, through June 28. "Sacrè bleu! Madame's furry felines have been cat-napped! What's a cat to do? Luckily, Thomas O'Malley and his rag-tag bunch of Alley Cats are ready to spring to the rescue of Duchess and her Aristokittens. What happens next is anyone's guess! You'll be clapping your paws and wagging your tail to our hep, jazzy beat. With songs like "The Aristocats," "Scales and Arpeggios," and "Ev'rybody Wants to Be a Cat," this modern version of the familiar Disney classic is just purrrrr-fect for the entire family. " Performances take place at the Westport Playhouse in Westport Plaza. For more information, visit stagesstlouis.org or call 314-821-2407.

Emmeline
Photo: Ken Howard
Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents Tobias Picker's drama Emmeline in rotating repertory with three other operas through June 27. " Inspired by a compelling true story from a mill town in 19th century New England, Emmeline's heart-wrenching saga echoes the age-old Oedipus legend." Performances take place at the Loretto-Hilton Center at 135 Edgar Road on the Webster University campus. All performances are sung in English with projected English text. For more information: experienceopera.org or call 314-961-0644. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

The Lemp Mansion Comedy-Mystery Dinner Theater presents A Fistful Of Hollers through August 29. The Lemp Mansion is at 3322 DeMenil Place. For more information: lempmansion.com.

The Muny presents the classic musical Hairspray nightly at 8:15 PM, June 23-30, in the outdoor theatre in Forest Park. "Winner of eight Tony® Awards including the 2003 Tony® for Best Musical, Hairspray brings its infectious beat and hilarious fun to the Muny for 8 performances. Set in the changing times of 1960s Baltimore, Tracy Turnblad dreams of dancing on the Corny Collins Show AND creating a perfect integrated world! Does she have the moves and the courage? Based on the 1988 John Waters Film of the same name, Hairspray features incredible dance numbers and a blazing set of pop tunes including “Good Morning Baltimore” and “You Can't Stop The Beat!”" For more information, visit muny.org or call 314-361-1900.

The Looking Glass Playhouse presents the musical The Little Mermaid Wednesday through Sundaym June 24-28. Performances take place at 301 West St. Louis Street in Lebanon, Ill. For more information, visit www.lookingglassplayhouse.com.

Act Inc presents Love From a Stranger by Frank Vosper, from a story by Agatha Christie, June 26 and 27. Performances take place in the Emerson Black Box Theatre at the J. Scheidegger Center for the Arts on the Lindenwood campus in St. Charles, MO. For more information, visit actincstl.com.

The Bissell Mansion Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre presents Mayhem In Mayberry through July 26. The Bissell Mansion is at 4426 Randall Place. For more information: bissellmansiontheatre.com

Silhouettes Production Company presents the musical Next to Normal Thursday trough Saturday, June 25-27. " Nominated for eleven Tony Awards in 2009, Next to Normal tells the story of a mother who struggles with worsening bipolar disorder and the effects that her illness has on her family. As she attempts to alleviate her symptoms, other issues rise to the surface, such as grief, loss, suicide, drug abuse, and ethics in modern psychiatry. " Performances take place at Life Church, 8134 Mexico Road, St. Peters, MO. For more information: silhouettesn2n.bpt.me.

St. Louis Shakespeare's Magic Smoking Monkey Theatre presents The One Hour Game Of Thrones Parody Fridays and Saturdays at 8 and 10:30 p.m. through June 27. "If you enjoyed MSMT's world-famous, internationally-renowned 1-hour productions of The Star Wars Trilogy, The Ten Commandments, Lord Of The Rings, then you will spend exactly 60 minutes to see The One Hour Game Of Thrones Parody!" Performances take place at the Regional Arts Commission in University City. For more information: stlshakespeare.org. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

One Summer on 2nd Street
Circus Flora presents its new show, One Summer on 2nd Street through June 28 under the air-conditioned, red-and-white, big top tent in Grand Center next to Powell Hall. "Travel back with us to The Jazz Age - to a time at which American cities grew rapidly, becoming home to families from all walks of life and corners of the map. We'll journey together to a typical block in a typical city on a typical day - and meet a very atypical set of families. Find yourself enchanted by a small Ukrainian family who tame the cats that live in the alley. Feel the excitement as Russian carriage drivers ride wildly through the streets, and the Flying Wallendas maneuver their way along clotheslines strung between buildings. Experience the bliss of young love, determined to stand strong amid their families' protests. These stories, and more, will come alive under the Big Top this summer." For more information, visit circusflora.org. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

Act Inc presents Woody Allen's comedy Play It Again, Sam June 27 and 28. Performances take place in the Emerson Black Box Theatre at the J. Scheidegger Center for the Arts on the Lindenwood campus in St. Charles, MO. For more information, visit actincstl.com.


Richard the Lionheart
Photo: Ken Howard
Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents the American premiere of Handel's Richard the Lionheart in rotating repertory with three other operas through June 26. "If you only know him from Robin Hood, you don't know the whole story of Richard the Lionheart. Shipwrecked on the way to the Third Crusade, one of England's bravest kings must disguise himself to protect his future bride and prevent war in a foreign land. But who can he trust in this all-too-real game of thrones? Handel's virtuosic vocal writing in this opera, never before heard in the United States, makes Richard an eagerly-anticipated event for all music-lovers." Performances take place at the Loretto-Hilton Center at 135 Edgar Road on the Webster University campus. All performances are sung in English with projected English text. For more information: experienceopera.org or call 314-961-0644. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

La Rondine
Photo: Ken Howard

Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents Puccini's La Rondine in rotating repertory with three other operas through June 28. " Can a beautiful, sophisticated Parisian courtesan find happiness with a young man from the country? Or is her love affair doomed by a past she cannot keep secret? Celebrated OTSL music directorStephen Lord brings Puccini's gorgeous music and romantic storytelling to life in this stunning, newbelle epoque period production." Performances take place at the Loretto-Hilton Center at 135 Edgar Road on the Webster University campus. All performances are sung in English with projected English text. For more information: experienceopera.org or call 314-961-0644. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

Smokey Joe's Café
Photo: Peter Wochniak
Stages St. Louis presents the musical revue Smokey Joe's Café, based on the songs of Lieber and Stoller through June 28. " Welcome to the neighborhood for a nostalgic exploration of the lives, loves, and aspirations of a group of friends who know how to rock 60s style. Featuring nearly 40 chart-topping hits that span over three decades of popular American music, this thrilling Grammy Award-winning song celebration will knock your socks off. Relive the glory days of rock and roll with such pop standards as "Stand By Me,""Jailhouse Rock," "I'm A Woman," "Hound Dog," and "On Broadway." Now, Baby, that's rock 'n' roll! Words and Music by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller." 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. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

The St. Lou Fringe Festival runs through June 27 at several venues in the Grand Center area including the Kranzberg Arts Center (501 N. Grand) and TheStage at KDHX. Performances include traditional theater, dance, music, comedy, circus arts, performance art, cabaret, and burlesque, with acts from St. Louis and around the country. For a complete schedule, visit stlfringe.com.

Would you like to be on the radio? KDHX, 88.1 FM needs theatre reviewers. If you're 18 years or older, knowledgeable in this area, have practical theatre experience (acting, directing, writing, technical design, etc.), have good oral and written communications skills and would like to become one of our volunteer reviewers, send an email describing your experience and interests to chuck at kdhx.org. Please include a sample review of something you've seen recently.

Opera Review: Singing as Olympic sport in Opera Theatre's "Richard the Lionheart"

Tim Meady
Photo: Ken Howard
Who: Opera Theatre of St. Louis
What: Handel's Richard the Lionheart
Where: The Loretto-Hilton Center, St. Louis
When: through June 26, 2015

If you're in the mood for an evening of singing so incredible that you'll wonder why it isn't an Olympic sport, then allow me to recommend Opera Theatre's production of the American premiere of Handel's "Richard the Lionheart" (original Italian title: "Riccardo primo, re d’Inghilterra"), final performances of which are this Wednesday at Friday at 8 at the Loretto-Hilton Center on the Webster University campus.

Written in London (where Handel's Italian-language historical operas were all the rage) for the Royal Academy of Music's 1726/27 season, "Richard" was intended, in part, as a celebratory work for the coronation of England's King George II. As a result it turns England's feckless Crusader king into an absurdly noble romantic figure and suffers (in my view) from an overdose of English Jingoism in its final act.

Yes, that’s right: an opera written in Italian by a German-born composer celebrates the English virtues of George II, a German-born King. It’s enough to make your head spin.

One other thing that might make your head spin if you're not an opera and/or classical music fan is that fact that the male leads in "Richard the Lionheart" (Richard and the Syrian prince Oronte) are sung not by tenors but by countertenors—men who sing in the mezzo-soprano or alto range. That's because in Handel's day it was fashionable for these parts to be sung by castrati—male singers who were castrated before puberty and whose voices, therefore, never dropped in pitch.

Handel had a couple of the great castrati of his era to work with in this opera, so Richard and Oronte's arias are flashy and absurdly difficult, filled with elaborate, rapid passages and florid ornamentation. Opera Theatre has, happily, two fine singers in the roles: Tim Mead as Richard and Tai Oney as Oronte. Mr. Mead is clearly the stronger of the two, with a powerful, wide-ranging voice and a convincingly forceful stage presence, although Mr. Oney is no slouch. Their respective calls to arms in the third act are a highlight.

The story of the opera is based on a real incident in 1191 in which Richard's fiancée, Berengaria of Navarre, was shipwrecked off the coast of Cyprus and held hostage by the island's ruler, Isaac Komnenos. Richard conquered the island and got her back. The opera changes Berengaria's name to Costanza and adds a subplot in which Isaac (Isacio in the opera) tries to pass off his daughter Pulcheria as Richard's intended, much to the distress of Pulcheria's lover Oronte.

L-R: Susannah Biller and Devon Guthrie
Photo: Ken Howard
It's silly stuff and stage director Lee Blakeley has tacked on an unconvincingly dark ending that flatly contradicts the text and the music, but nothing can detract from the fine singing and acting of this cast.

I've already praised Mr. Mead and Mr. Oney. Soprano Susannah Biller has a crystal-clear coloratura that navigates the music with ease, while soprano Devon Guthrie has an equally impressive but darker tone that works well for Pulcheria. Bass-baritone Brandon Cedel radiates menace as Isacio and bass Adam Lau is warmly sympathetic as Costanza's cousin Berardo. Both have formidable voices that project well.

Grant Llewellyn conducts the appropriately small orchestra with great flair and sensitivity. Their playing is perfection, with shout-outs to Laura Osterlund on sopranino recorder for her wonderful work on Costanza's "swallow" aria, and to Simon Martyn-Ellis, whose archlute adds a nice bite to the continuo part played by Damien Francoeur-Krzyzek on harpsichord and Melissa Brooks on 'cello.

For the full Opera Theatre experience, come early and have a picnic or a drink on a table on the lawn. For details on "Richard the Lionheart" and the other three operas this season, visit the company web site.

Saturday, June 20, 2015

St. Lou Fringe Report 1: Tops, taps, and toxic men

Hiroshi Tada
stlfringe.com
In this first of a series of dispatches from the St. Lou Fringe Festival, we talk of top spinning, tap dancing, and toxic masculinity—a classic example of just how diverse the Fringe can be.

My Fringe experience started quietly, with a charming if slight demonstration of the Japanese art of top spinning by Hiroshi Tada (or, as he says it, "Taaa-Daaa!").  Mr. Tada's English may not be the best, but there's no doubt of his skill and spinning and juggling tops.  In the course of the show he spins tops created out of everything from a poker chip to a rubber light bulb to a "Cardinal red" plastic baseball bat, and does some fancy balancing besides.

The night I saw his show he spent a bit too much time telling us what he couldn't do because of the space limitations at the Kranzberg Cabaret space, but his cheerful, grandfatherly stage presence more than made up for that.  This is definitely an "all ages" show.

Scot Moore
stlfringe.com
Next was "Men Will Be Boys," a one-act play written and performed by Minneapolis-based actor Scot Moore.  Billed as a "comedic journey through the stages of how men go from being cute little boys to sexist womanizers, and the influences they receive along the way," the show offers a pointed but thoroughly entertaining critique of the way American culture encourages a notion of masculinity that manages to inflict damage on both sexes.

Using sound bites from everyone from Bill O'Reilly to Stephen Colbert as bridge material, Mr. Moore plays six widely varied characters, beginning with a creepy fundamentalist preacher whose simple-mindedly aggressive reading of scripture is as suspect as it is self-assured, and ending with a young father talking his baby daughter to sleep with stories of the great success he hopes she will have.  Along the way we becomes a small boy in a Captain America t-shirt who doesn't understand why he can't call his classmate Sheila a whore ("dad says she is!"), a sullen teenager who feels oppressed by feminism, a clueless gamer, a make-out artist embarrassed by the boorish sexism of his "wing man," and a sportscaster who suddenly decides to tell the simple truth about the over-paid sociopaths he's been covering. 

His points about the way key segments of American culture encourage a state of permanent adolescence in men are well-taken, and delivered in a way that never feels preachy.  Mr. Moore's stories have a moral, but they're skillfully woven and thoroughly engaging.

Tristan Bruns of Tapman
stlfringe.com
My first two days at the Fringe ended with a bang.  Well, several bangs, actually.  As the "Traveling Tap Dance Super Show" by the Chicago-based Tapman dance troupe opens, the house goes dark and we hear a steady rhythm from the company's four tap dancers.  At first it's simple—on the beat and in unison.  But then the lights come up and company choreographer Tristan Bruns begins and increasingly complex series of syncopated steps.  He's soon joined by Javier K. Villamil in the tap version of a traditional ragtime "cutting contest," trading steps back and forth.  Mr. Villamil eventually takes center stage and the piece builds to a flashy conclusion.  It's rather like a tap version of the music of (say) Philip Glass or John Adams, building a complex structure out of small cells.  Great stuff.

There are plenty of wonderful moments in this show.  I especially enjoyed what appeared to be a tribute to the great black tappers of the Vaudeville era (complete with top hats) as well as a nod to Fred Astaire's style using one of his signature tunes, Jerome Kern and Dorothy Fields' "The Way You Look Tonight."  The song is played first in a lovely solo guitar arrangement by Mr. Bruns and then sung by Mr. Villamil, accompanied by classy dancing from his fellow company members.

There's also a great blues number played by Mr. Bruns and Mr. Villamil with dancing by the company's fifth member—not a tapper, but an elegant jazz/modern dancer.  And a couple of passionate Indie rock tunes demonstrate that tap can go with almost any style of music.

Bottom line?  The Tapman ensemble is a fiercely energetic and multi-talented bunch.  Their second (and last) appearance at the Fringe is Saturday, June 20, at 4 p.m.  Don't miss it!

The Fringe continues through June 27th in the Grand Center Arts District.  For more information, visit the official web site.