St. Louis classical calendar for the week of December 2, 2013

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The Lemp Neighborhood Arts Center presents a Quiet Music concert on featuring new electronic compositions by Mark Sarich, Greg Farough, Nathan Cook, on Saturday, December 7, at 8 PM.  The concert takes place in the Holmes Lounge at Washington University.  For more information: www.lemp-arts.org.

The Lemp Neighborhood Arts Center presents The Orchestrating Diversity Urban Youth Orchestra in a concert of music by Wagner, Corelli, Debussy, and Tchaikovsky, on Sunday, December 8, at 3 PM.  “The Quiet Music series seeks to bring to the St. Louis artistic landscape these most recent investigations into the interface of silence, resonance, barely audible sound, and non-directionality in music.”  The Lemp Neighborhood Arts Center is at 3301 Lemp Avenue.  For more information: www.lemp-arts.org.

Elisabeth von Trapp

McKendree College presents The Sound of Christmas with Elisabeth von Trapp (granddaughter of the legendary Maria and Baron von Trapp) and the Carolian Brass Quintet on Wednesday, December 4, at 7:30 PM.  The concert takes place in the Hettenhausen Center for the Arts on the college campus in Lebanon, IL.  For more information: thehett.com.

St. Louis Cathedral Concerts presents the Christmas at the Cathedral with the Archdiocesan Adult Choir, Children’s Choir, Handbell Choir, and Orchestra.  The performances take place on Saturday, December 7, at 8 PM and Sunday, December 8, at 2:30 pm at the cathedral at 4431 Lindell.  The program features Christmas classics old and new, including Vivaldi's Gloria." For more information: www.cathedralconcerts.org

David Robertson conducts The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in Cantatas 1-3 from the Bach Christmas Oratorio on Friday and Saturday, December 6 and 7, at 8 PM at Powell Symphony Hall, 718 North Grand.  Featured soloists are Dominique Labelle, soprano; Kate Lindsey, mezzo-soprano; Nicholas Phan, tenor; and Stephen Powell, baritone.  The Saturday concert will be broadcast live on St. Louis Public Radio at 90.7 and HD 1.  For more information: stlsymphony.org.

St. Louis Children's Choirs

The St. Louis Symphony presents Holiday Concert 2013 with the St. Louis Children’s Choirs on Sunday, December 8, at 3:00 PM at Powell Symphony Hall, 718 North Grand.  For more information: stlsymphony.org.

The Shepley Program of Music and Arts presents an organ recital by William Partridge on Thursday, December 5 at 12:30 PM at Christ Church Cathedral, 1210 Locust.  Admission is free.  For more information: christchurchconcerts.org.

The Shepley Program of Music and Arts presents A Gift to the City, a holiday concert by The Webster University Chamber Orchestra and the Webster University Chamber Singers on Sunday, December 8, at 2 PM at Christ Church Cathedral, 1210 Locust.  Admission is free.  For more information: christchurchconcerts.org.

The Tavern of Fine Arts presents pianist Andrew Throdahl performing music by Bach, Ligeti, and Ravel on Tuesday, December 3, at 7:30 PM.  The Tavern of Fine Arts is at 313 Belt in the Debaliviere Place neighborhood.   For more information: tavern-of-fine-arts.blogspot.com.

Tom Sitzler and Philip Touchette
in The Mini Ring

The Tavern of Fine Arts presents The St. Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra Chamber Music Concert Thursday, December 5, at 7:30 PM.  The Tavern of Fine Arts is at 313 Belt in the Debaliviere Place neighborhood.   For more information: tavern-of-fine-arts.blogspot.com.

Union Avenue Opera presents The Mini Ring, an original adaptation of Wagner’s Ring cycle for children arranged by former UAO Education Coordinator Elise LaBarge, Saturday, December 7, at 1 PM.  The performance takes place at the Union Avenue Christian Church, 733 Union at Enright in the Central West End.  The program begins with an interactive lecture led by Stephanie Ball, followed by a performance of the 45-minute opera.  For more information, visit unionavenueopera.org or call 314-361-2881.

TPTBT (The Place to Be Tonight): Wednesday, April 10

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What: "So.." Stories of Life
Where: Tavern of Fine Arts
When: Tonight at 7 PM (and on the 2nd Wednesday of every month)
Why:  I'm a big supporter of the Tavern of Fine Arts.  It's a great space with good food and wine, and they're a strong supporter of the visual and performing arts in St. Louis.  I host the Cabaret Project/KDHX cabaret open mic there on the 3rd Wednesday of each month, and they've been great to work with.

This event takes some explaining, so I'm going to let the presenters do it: 
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"So.." Stories of Life is a live radio podcast held monthly at the Tavern of Fine Arts in Saint Louis!

"So..." Stories of Life is all about the art of storytelling and features stories told by everyday people, as well as writers, poets, playwrights, spoken-word performers, stand up and improv comedians, musicians, actors, dancers & other talented performers who all share a talent to tell powerful & captivating stories through their craft.

April's theme is entitled "What I Wish I'd Said" and features stories told through dance, performance, pose & art!

During our 'Stories Through Dance' segment, our guest performers will share personal stories through words and movement and then strike expressive poses in the midst of the audience so the artists in the crowd can sketch their own stories inspired by the dancers' gestures. While our dancers are posing, our featured wordsmiths will take center podium and share their work.

Our featured performer this month is Christine 'Pixie' Filonov. Pixie is a professional performer that is known for her fusion of belly dance with numerous other dance styles. She frequently combines traditional and tribal belly dance moves with hip hop, popping/locking, and lyrical. Pixie is a long-time performer with Aalim Dance Co and the Arabian Silks, and also performs regularly alongside Belly Dance Mirage and Exotic Rhythms Belly Dance.

As for our featured poet, we're very excited about the work submitted from Poet Moriah Erickson of Duluth Minnesota. Moriah is a 2011 Pushcart Prize nominee for her poem “The Murdered." 
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Note that the event has suggested $7 donation, but you can pass on that and just contribute what you want to the tip jar if you like.   If you're on Facebook, you can get more information on the event page there.

TPTBT (The Place to Be Tonight): Saturday, March 30

Who: Will Soll's Klezmer Conspiracy
Where: Tavern of Fine Arts
When: Tonight at 8
Why: Celebrate Passover with Will Soll (guitar, mandolin, banjo), Dana Hotle (clarinet), Shlomo Ovadya (dumbek), and Iggie Tiemann (bass) performing an evening of lively Klezmer music in the Tavern's bright and airy performance space.  And don't forget to check out the menu and wine list.

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TPTBT (The Place to Be Tonight): Wednesday, February 20

The Cabaret Project and 88.1 KDHX present their monthly Cabaret Open Mic Night on Wednesday, February 20, from 7 to 10 PM at the Tavern of Fine Arts. The master of ceremonies is 88.1 KDHX senior performing arts critic Chuck Lavazzi and the special guest music director this month is Ron McGowan of Webster University. If you're planning to sing, be prepared to do one or two songs and bring music, preferably in your key. It's also recommend that you have your song memorized. The Tavern of Fine Arts is at 313 Belt at Waterman in the Central West End. There's free parking in the lot right across the street. For more information, visit tavern-of-fine-arts.blogspot.com or call 314-367-7549.

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TPTBT (The Place to Be Tonight): Thursday, February 14

Celebrate Valentine's Day the Flamenco way as The St. Louis Cultural Flamenco Society brings authentic Flamenco music to Tavern of Fine Arts tonight at 7:30 with Noche Flamenca, featuring vocalist Cristo Cortes and guitarist Ricardo Diaz. "A Gypsy, Cristo Cortes has one of the most exceptional voices in flamenco. Raw and emotional, most of his music is flamenco at its most traditional. If you want authentic flamenco sung by a singer, Cristo Cortes is your number one choice. Ricardo Diaz has performed throughout the world and has performed extensively in the U.S. and Europe with Cristo Cortes and Flamenco Sur. He has performed at Festivals in Seville, Vancouver, Albuquerque, Avignon, Grenoble and Mont de Marsan." The Tavern of Fine Arts is at 313 Belt, between Pershing and Waterman in the Debaliviere Place neighborhood. Free parking is available in the lot across the street. The Tavern features a nice wine and drinks selection along with a menu of sandwiches, flatbreads, and other goodies.

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Chuck's Choices for the weekend of February 8, 2013

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:

Winter Opera St. Louis presents Douglas Moore's The Ballad of Baby Doe Friday at 8 PM and Sunday at 3 PM, February 8 and 10. This remarkable American opera enjoyed quite a vogue back in the 1960s when Beverly Sills made the title role something of a signature piece. I haven't seen it for decades, so I'm looking forward to this production. Performances take place at The Skip Viragh Center for the Arts at Chaminade College Preparatory School, 425 S. Lindbergh. For more information, visit winteroperastl.org.

Photo by John Lamb

The West End Players Guild continues their 102nd season with the comedy of Engaging Shaw by John Morogiello Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM and Sundays at 2 PM, February 8-17. There will also be a show on Thursday, February 14, at 8 PM. “The story follows the real-life courtship of George Bernard Shaw and Charlotte Payne-Townshend, the woman he pursued until she caught him. The play brims with the wit and ego of Shaw, creating what the New York Times called 'a charming romantic comedy featuring four razor-sharp tongues. If there's a minute of the play that's less than clever, you'll be hard-pressed to find it.'“ I did the sound design for this one, so I've read the script and can attest to the fact that Morogiello has done a nice job of writing a Shavian comedy about Shaw, which is a neat trick. 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.

The Tavern of Fine Arts presents soprano Christine Johnson in Fyne Ayres, an evening of 16th and 17th century songs, with Jeffrey Noonan on lute and theorbo, on Saturday, February 9, at 8 PM. Mr. Noonan is one of the finest lutenists around and Ms. Johnson has both an impressive vocal instrument and a good sense of theatre, which is essential for this music. The Tavern of Fine Arts is at 313 Belt at Waterman in the Central West End. There's free parking in the lot across the street. For more information, visit tavern-of-fine-arts.blogspot.com or call 314-367-7549.

Photo by John Lamb

Stray Dog Theatre presents Charles Busch's comedy Psycho Beach Party Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 PM, February 7-23. There will be a matinee on the closing Saturday at 2 PM in addition to the evening show. “Comedy meets horror in this wacky, campy retro-fusion of teenage surfer flicks and slasher sagas. Set in 1962, teen tomboy Chicklet Forrest desperately wants to belong to the surfer crowd on Malibu Beach. Unfortunately her many split personalities get in the way, while her most dangerous alter ego has nothing less than world domination in mind.” Advance word is that this is a pretty hilarious production. Performances take place at The Tower Grove Abbey, 2336 Tennessee. For more information, visit straydogtheatre.org or call 314-865-1995.

Held over:

The Duck Variations

Mustard Seed Theatre presents Christopher Durang's Mrs. Sorken and David Manet's The Duck Variations through February 10 at the Fontbonne Fine Arts Theatre, 6800 Wydown Blvd. “These two one-act plays are comic explorations of the meaning of theatre, the challenges of aging, and the importance of friendship.” In her review for 88.1 KDHX, Tina Farmer says the "engaging cast, complemented by an appropriately nondescript set and technical design, are seasoned veterans who inhabit their characters with a light, cheery touch and deft sense of timing." For more information, call (314) 719-8060 or visit the web site at www.mustardseedtheatre.com.

The Fox Theatre presents the musical Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert through February 10. "This OUTRAGEOUSLY fun show tells the uplifting story of a trio of friends, on a road trip of a lifetime, who hop aboard a battered old bus searching for love and friendship in the middle of the Australian outback and end up finding more than they could ever have dreamed." This is pretty lightweight stuff but, as I note in my review for 88.1 KDHX, "it’s so openly and cheerfully tacky and so stuffed with lavish, precisely executed dance numbers that only a dedicated curmudgeon could fail to smile at it." The Fox Theatre is at 527 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information: fabulousfox.com.

Chuck's Choices for the week of August 13, 2012

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:

The Cabaret Project presents a cabaret open mic night on Wednesday, August 15, from 7 to 10 PM at the Tavern of Fine Arts. “Drop by and enjoy a night of great music from St. Louis cabaret artists, backed up by the inimitable Carol Schmidt on the baby grand.” I'm the MC for this monthly event, which is shaping up to be the place to tune in to new and established cabaret talent in town. If you're planning to sing, be prepared to do one or two songs and bring music, preferably in your key. We'd also recommend that you have your song memorized. The Tavern of Fine Arts is at 313 Belt at Waterman in the Central West End. There's free parking in the lot right across the street. For more information, visit tavern-of-fine-arts.blogspot.com or call 314-367-7549.

The Fox Theatre presents the Disney musical The Lion King August 15 through September 2. Yes, I know: it's a Disney musical. But Julie Taymor's re-imagined version of the original animated film is still a remarkable piece of work; let't not hold the show's immense popularity against it. Great art can still be popular, as Shakespeare (among others) proved. The Fox Theatre is at 527 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information, fabulousfox.com or call 314-534-1678.

Union Avenue Opera presents Wagner's Das Rheingold in a condensed and reduced version by English composer Jonathan Dove, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM, August 17-25. Union Avenue has a history of pushing the boundaries of what can be done with their modest budget and less than ideal performance space in the Union Avenue Christian Church. Wagner's Ring operas, in their original form, would simply not be possible with those constraints, which is why they're doing shorter, smaller-cast versions originally prepared for touring opera companies in Britain. Can a two-hour, one act version of Das Rheingold still work? I'll be there on opening night and will report the results on the KDHX web site. Performances take place at the Union Avenue Christian Church, 733 Union at Enright in the Central West End. The opera is sung in German with projected English text. For more information, visit unionavenueopera.org or call 314-361-2881.

Held over:

Stray Dog Theatre presents The Great American Trailer Park Musical Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 PM, August 2 through 18, with two new shows on Friday and Saturday, August 24 and 25.. There will be a matinee this Saturday at 2 PM in addition to the evening show. I have three perfectly good reasons to recommend this show. First, I've worked with Stray Dog often enough in the past to know that they do entertaining trash just as well as more high-falutin' stuff. Second, how can you pass up a chance to see some of our classiest actresses get truly crude? Third, in his review for 88.1 KDHX, Robert Mitchell says "if you're looking for laugh-out loud absurdity punctuated by catchy country-tinged tunes and schmaltzy, heartfelt rock ballads, then by all means, head to Stray Dog's current production." Performances take place at The Tower Grove Abbey, 2336 Tennessee. For more information, visit straydogtheatre.org or call 314-865-1995.