A performing arts blog and occasional podcast of CD reviews, news and interviews from the world of stage, screen, cabaret, classical music, and related places.
Who: Masterworks Broadway
What: Julie and Carol: Live at Carnegie Hall and Julie and Carol: Live at Lincoln Center (Original Soundtracks)
Share on Google+
The combined release of the original soundtrack recordings of Julie and Carol: Live at Carnegie Hall and Julie and Carol: Live at Lincoln Center on Masterworks Broadway is a historically significant event, and not just because of the importance of the two stars, Julie Andrews and Carol Burnett.
When the first of these two CBS television specials (the Carnegie Hall) was recorded in 1962, Andrews (age 27) and Burnett (age 29) were rising Broadway stars. Ms. Andrews had two solid hits behind her (The Boy Friend in 1954 and Camelot in 1961) and one blockbuster (My Fair Lady in 1956) while Ms. Burnett had burst upon the scene in Once Upon a Mattress in 1959. At a time when Broadway was still a major source of hit songs, that meant that both were also rising national celebrities. Their music director, Irwin Kostal, was also a product of the theatre scene, as was their scriptwriter, Mike Nichols (known then primarily for his work with Elaine May).
By the time the Lincoln Center concert was broadcast in 1971, the landscape of American pop culture had changed dramatically. Thanks to radio, recordings and (according to some) payola, Broadway had been eclipsed in the music world by the pop/rock singer/songwriter and elsewhere by film and television. Andrews had largely abandoned theatre for movies (as had Nichols and Kostal) and Burnett for television. Broadway would have its ups and down, but it would never be the force in popular culture that it once was.
You can hear the difference in the big medley numbers in each show. For the 1962 Carnegie Hall concert, it’s a “History of Musical Comedy”, a ten-minute whirlwind tour beginning with some vaudeville era classics and culminating in “A Boy Like That” from West Side Story (music by Leonard Bernstein, age 44) with Andrews as Maria and Burnett abandoning her comic persona to play it straight as Anita. For the 1971 Lincoln Center show, by way of contrast, a thirteen minute “Medley of the 60s” features songs by The Beatles, Sonny and Cher, Glen Campbell, Joni Mitchell, The Fifth Dimension, and Petula Clark. The times, they were a-changin’.
Historical significance aside, however, Julie and Carol is an entertaining look at a pair of musical theatre giants at the peak of their powers. I was especially taken with “You’re So London”, in which Ms. Andrews and Ms. Burnett make fun of their contrasting public faces; Ms. Andrews’s lovely elaboration of “Oh Dear What Can The Matter Be”; and “From Russia: The Nausiev Ballet”, a loopy parody of Russian folk ballet. Some bits that clearly relied heavily of sight gags (such as a ballet send-up from the Lincoln Center show) fall a bit flat on the recording, but on the whole this is a welcome addition to the catalog.
Julie and Carol: Live at Carnegie Hall and Julie and Carol: Live at Lincoln Center is available for purchase now on CD (as specially priced two-disc set) and digital download exclusively via www.MasterworksBroadway.com. The double set will be available from all retailers and digital service providers on May 8, 2012.
[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 ArtsZipper site.
I'm now adding my own purely personal comments to events about which I think I have anything worthwhile to say. Because that's what bloggers do. If I have left your show out, please leave a comment with all the details.
Share on Google+
Angels in America, Part 1
Stray Dog Theatre presents Tony Kushner's Angels in America, Part 1: Millennium Approaches Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 PM, April 12-14, 26-28, and May 10-12. Performances take place at The Tower Grove Abbey, 2336 Tennessee. For more information, call 314-865-1995.
Aspen Santa Fe Ballet
Dance St. Louis presents the Aspen Santa Fe Ballet Friday at 8 PM and Saturday at 2 and 8 PM, April 13 and 14. The program includes the ballets Over Glow, Stamping Ground, and the world premier of Square One. The performances take place at the Touhill Performing Arts center on the campus of The University of Missouri at St. Louis. For more information, you may visit dancestlouis.org or call 314-534-6622.
The Pub Theater Company presents Bye Bye Liver: The St. Louis Drinking Play, a comedic romp through the joys and pitfalls of The Gateway to the West's favorite pastime. Performances take place on Saturdaysat 9 PM at Maggie O'Brien's, 2000 Market Street. For more information, you may call 314-827-4185, email stlouis at byebyeliver.com, or visit byebyeliver.com/stlouis.
Cavalia Promotional Video
Cavalia: A Magical Encounter Between Human and Horse runs through April 21. Cavalia is “a lavish production involving 38 riders, aerialists, acrobats, dancers, and musicians, and featuring 45 magnificent horses from all over the world. A show unlike any other, Cavalia celebrates the relationship between humans and horses, virtually reinventing the equestrian arts.” Performances take place under the White Big Top at the corner of South 7th and Cerre Streets, across Highway 40 from Busch Stadium in St. Louis. For more information, you may visit www.cavalia.net or call 1-866-999-8111. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!
Marble Stage Fairy Tale Theatre presents The City Mouse and the Country Mouse Saturdays at noon through April 28 at Southampton Presbyterian Church, 4716 Lackland. For more information, call 314-437-0846 or visit www.marblestage.org.
Upstream Theater presents Conversations With an Executioner, adapted from the memoirs of Kazimierz Moczarski by Philip Boehm. Performances are Thursdays through Sundays, April 13 through 29, at the Kranzberg Arts Center, 501 North Grand. For more information, call (314) 863-4999 or visit www.upstreamtheater.org.
Exit the King
The West End Players Guild concludes their 101st season with Ionesco's Exit the King Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM and Sundays at 2 PM, April 13 through 22. 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.
Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents St. Louis Symphony Chorus Director Amy Kaiser in a discussion of Sondheim's Sweeny Todd on Saturday, April 14, at 9:45 AM. The program is part of the Illuminating Opera series and takes place at the Levy Opera Center, 210 Hazel Avenue. For more information, visit experienceopera.org or call 314-961-0644.
The Hawthorne Players present Kristen Laurence 's stage adaptation of Louis May Alcott's Little Women Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM and Sunday [April 22 only] at 2 PM, April 13 through 22. Performances take place at the Florissant Civic Center Theatre at Parker and Waterford in Florissant, MO. For more information, call 921-5678 or visit hawthorneplayers.com.
The Black Rep presents August Wilson's Ma Rainey's Black Bottom April 11 through May 13. Performances take place at the Grandel Theatre, 3610 Grandel Square. For more information, visit theblackrep.org or call 314-534-3810.
St. Louis Community College at Meramec presents The Secret in the Wings April 11 through 15. Performances take place in the theatre on the campus at 11333 Big Bend Road. For more information, call 314-984-7500.
Peabody Opera House presents William Shatner in his one-man show Shatner's World April 12 at 8 PM. For more information, visit peabodyoperahouse.com or call 314-622-5420.
Jeffrey M. Wright
The Presenters Dolan present Jeffrey M. Wright in Southern Roots Friday and Saturday, April 13 and 14, at 8 PM at The Kranzberg Center, 501 North Grand in Grand Center. Carol Schmidt is pianist and music director for the show, which is directed by Tim Schall. “Jeff Wright explores his Southern Roots in a cabaret built around country standards, contemporary pop, southern rock and modern-day country.” For more information, call 314-725-4200 stn. 10 or visit licketytix.com.
Lindenwood University presents Tennessee William's A Streetcar Named Desire April 10 through 14. 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, call 636-949-4433 or visit lindenwood.edu/center. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!
Florissant Valley Community College presents The Vagina Monologues April 13 through 22. Performances take place in the Fisher Theatre on the campus at 3400 Pershall Road. For more information, call 314-644-5522.
Mustard Seed Theatre presents Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale April 13 through 29 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.
The Crestwood/Kirkwood Youth Theatre presents The Wizard of Oz Thursday through Saturday at 7 PM and Sunday at 2 PM, April 12 through 15. Performances take place at the Robert G. Reim Theater in Kirkwood Community Center. Call 314-822-5855 for more information.
The YWCA of Alton presents A Woman Called Truth by Sandra Fenichel Asher, featuring Rhonda Cropp as Sojourner Truth, Friday and Saturday at 8 PM and Sunday at 2 PM, April 13-15. Performances take place in the Levis Room at the YWCA of Alton, 304 E 3rd Street in Alton, IL. For more information, call 618-465-7775.
Starting this weekend, a new feature on the blog: “Chuck’s Choices”, a.k.a. my best bets for the weekend.
Share on Google+:
Chuck’s Choices for the weekend of April 6th:
Cavalia continues under the Really Big Top on Cerre Street at the I-64 Broadway exit. It’s the Rolls Royce of equestrian shows—a flashy, elegant evening featuring 48 horses, a raft of acrobats and aerialists, and some impressive multi-media effects. The show is not without its longueurs but even so, anyone who loves horses won't want to miss it. See my review at the KDHX web site. Visit www.cavalia.net or call 1-866-999-8111
Bring it On: the Musical
In her review of the cheerleading musical Bring It On, KDHX theatre critic Andrea Braun says: “It is flat-out amazing. The laws of physics do not apply to these people. The dancing chorus is filled with championship-winning cheerleaders, and it shows.” Visit fabulousfox.com for more information.
Guitarist Mike Krysl and singer Shauna Sconce bring their delightful mix of Great American Songbook standards and pop songs to The Wine Press on Saturday from 8 to 11 PM. Visit stlwinepress.com. Their arrangement of music from Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon is not to be missed.
Also on Saturday, The Randy Dandies, St. Louis' Premiere Sketch Comedy Burlesque Troupe, kick off their third season with Scientific Affairs: Burlesqueology 101 at 9:30 PM. Featured artists include Mimi Le Yu, Annie Cherry and Artemus Vulgaris from Kansas City, and Midwest pole performer champion Sara Bella. The performance takes place at Plush, 3224 Locust. For more information, visit therandydandies.com. I haven’t seen the show; I just really like the whole idea.
What: Fiddler on the Roof
When: April 3-8, 2012
Where: The Peabody Opera House
The necessary ingredients for a successful production of “Fiddler on the Roof” aren’t that much different from those for a successful production of any musical.
You need solid leads, a good chorus, and dancers that can make the choreography work. For Fiddler, in particular, you also need brisk pacing and a Tevye that can wear the masks of both Comedy and Tragedy believably.
The tour playing the Peabody this week may not have all of those elements, but it has enough of them to be enjoyable most of the time. It’s not the best Fiddler I’ve ever seen but it’s far from the worst and that, combined with the Peabody’s many virtues as a musical theatre venue, makes it worth seeing for anyone who enjoys this show.
It’s important for Tevye’s wife Golde and her daughters to make a strong impression since the story essentially revolves around the daughters' refusal to make traditional matches. Gerri Weagraff is a fine Golde, nicely matched by Brooke Hills, Sarah Sesler, and Chelsey Lebel as Tzeitel, Hodel, and Chava. The three actresses quickly create distinct characters for the daughters in “Matchmaker, Matchmaker” and sustain them throughout the evening.
The same must be said of the actors playing the increasingly unsuitable matches. Andrew Boza’s Motel, Joshua Phan-Gruber’s Perchik, and Michael Schultz’s Fyedka all have their moments to shine (and do), although Mr. Schultz’s tenor is not, perhaps, quite powerful enough to make the necessary strong impression in “To Life”. David B. Springstead, Sr. is just right as the butcher Lazar Wolf.
John Preece’s bio says that he has played the role of Tevye over 1,780 times, so it’s no surprise that he seems so completely relaxed and at home in the part. He’s especially effective in capturing Tevye's world-weary humor; his “oy” speaks volumes. He seems less effective in bringing out the character’s despair. At least on opening night, there are depths of pathos in Tevye that were, I think, not plumbed.
The production is uneven in other areas as well. Some voices are stronger than others, and not all of the actors are well cast. The role of the Rabbi, in particular, is assigned to an actor far too young and equipped with a patently false beard that only calls attention to the fact. Pacing is sometime sluggish, most notably in the first act, which, when we saw it, ran a good five to ten minutes longer than it should. This is a Fiddler that clocks in at over three hours.
Still, the sets and costumes look great, the scene changes are quick and fluid, and the “Bottle Dance” is properly impressive. Besides, Bock and Harnick’s music is as engaging today as it was nearly fifty years ago. Joseph Stein’s book, adapted from Sholem Aleichem, remains powerful, even if its tragic edge is somewhat blunted here. The pit orchestra under David Andrews Rogers sounded great. The production hits more than it misses, in short, so lovers of Fiddler probably will find a lot to like.
This was my first opportunity to see a show at the Peabody, by the way, and I have to say I was impressed with the space. Acoustics and sight lines are good, and the smaller seating capacity means that crowd control is less of an issue than at the Fox. I was reminded why I used to enjoy seeing shows here back when it was the Kiel Opera House. The Peabody’s Broadway Series is still fairly small—only four shows in the current season, and none playing for more than a week—but I can only hope it will grow. It’s a great theatrical space, and there always seems to be a shortage of those locally.
Fiddler on the Roof continues at the Peabody Opera House through Easter Sunday. For more information, you may visit peabodyoperahouse.com or call 314-499-7600.
[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 ArtsZipper site.
I'm now adding my own purely personal comments to events about which I think I have anything worthwhile to say. Because that's what bloggers do. If I have left your show out, please leave a comment with all the details.
Share on Google+
Bring it On: the Musical
The Fox Theatre presents Bring It On: The Musical, based on the film about a competition between high school cheerleading squads through April 8. The Fox Theatre is at 527 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information, call 314-534-1678. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!
The Pub Theater Company presents Bye Bye Liver: The St. Louis Drinking Play, a comedic romp through the joys and pitfalls of The Gateway to the West's favorite pastime. Performances take place on Saturdaysat 9 PM at Maggie O'Brien's, 2000 Market Street. For more information, you may call 314-827-4185, email stlouis at byebyeliver.com, or visit byebyeliver.com/stlouis.
Cavalia Promotional Video
Cavalia: A Magical Encounter Between Human and Horse runs through April 16. Cavalia is “a lavish production involving 38 riders, aerialists, acrobats, dancers, and musicians, and featuring 45 magnificent horses from all over the world. A show unlike any other, Cavalia celebrates the relationship between humans and horses, virtually reinventing the equestrian arts.” Performances take place under the White Big Top at the corner of South 7th and Cerre Streets, across Highway 40 from Busch Stadium in St. Louis. For more information, you may visit www.cavalia.net or call 1-866-999-8111. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!
Marble Stage Fairy Tale Theatre presents The City Mouse and the Country Mouse Saturdays at noon, April 7 through 28, at Southampton Presbyterian Church, 4716 Lackland. For more information, call 314-437-0846 or visit www.marblestage.org.
The Comedy of Errors
The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents Shakespeare's The Comedy of Errors (with much added material) through April 8. Performances take place on the main stage at the Loretto-Hlton Center, 130 Edgar Road in Webster Groves, MO. For more information, call 314-968-4925 or visit repstl.org. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!
Soulard Prevervation Hall presents Danger: Adult Content, an evening of comic ten-minute plays by well-known and lesser-known playwrights geared for “grown up” audiences. Performances begin at 8 PM Friday and Saturday, April 6 and 7, at Soulard Preservation Hall, 1921 South 9th Street. For more information, visit soulardpreservationahll.com.
Fiddler on the Roof
The Conservatory of Theatre Arts at Webster University presents Donald Margulies's Dinner With Friends Friday at 7:30 PM, Saturday at 2 and 7:30 PM, and Sunday at 2 PM, April 6 through 8. “ Gabe and Karen, a happily married couple, have been friends with married couple Tom and Beth for many years. While having dinner at Gabe and Karen's home one night, Beth tearfully reveals that she is getting a divorce from Tom, who has been unfaithful. The story is not just a thoughtful study on divorce, but a turbulent meditation on the minefield of middle age, exposing the same, universal insecurities that people face every time there are shattering changes in their lives. Winner of the 2000 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.” Performances take place in the Stage III Auditorium in Webster Hall on the Webster University campus. The student-directed show is part of the Directing Capstone Projects series. For more information, call 314-968-7128.
St. Louis Actors Studio presents Tracy Letts's drama Killer Joe April 6 through 22 at the Gaslight Theatre, 358 North Boyle. For more information, call 314-458-2978 or visit stlas.org.
The Wine Press presents guitarist Mike Krysl and singer Shuana Sconce in an evening of cabaret on Saturday, April 7, from 8 to 11 PM. The Wine Press is at 4436 Olive in the Central West End. For more information, visit stlwinepress.com.
The Randy Dandies, St. Louis' Premiere Sketch Comedy Burlesque Troupe, kick off their third season with Scientific Affairs: Burlesqueology 101, on Saturday, April 7, at 9:30 PM. Featured artists include Mimi Le Yu (voted Best Burlesque Act of 2011 by the RFT), Annie Cherry and Artemus Vulgaris from Kansas City, and Midwest pole performer champion Sara Bella. The performance takes place at Plush, 3224 Locust. For more information, visit therandydandies.com.
What: Cavalia
Where: The Big Top on Cerre Street, St. Louis
When: March 21 - April 21, 2012
Share on Google+
Cavalia just might be the Rolls Royce of equestrian shows—a flashy, elegant evening featuring 48 horses, a raft of acrobats and aerialists, and some impressive multi-media effects. The show is not without its longueurs but even so, anyone who loves horses won't want to miss it.
The first thing—and maybe the only thing—you need to know about Cavalia is that it’s a Cirque du Soleil production. That means you can expect top-flight acrobats, riders, and horse trainers as well as high-gloss production values and an impressive level of professionalism throughout. Even the parking and crowd management are handled with panache. Like other Cirque shows, Cavalia is dressed to impress—and it does.
There’s also a seasonal theme running through the evening, with sets and lighting suggesting spring and summer in the first half and fall and winter—complete with falling leaves and snow—in the second. There’s even a curtain of water on which a white “ghost horse” image is projected during the “Le Miroir” segment, in which riders Tatiana Daviaud and Élise Verdoncq guide their corporeal white horses through an intricate mirror dance.
All of this plays out on a massive 160-foot wide set backed by a 210-foot wide cyclorama used for scenic projections (some of which provide a remarkable illusion of depth) and special effects. When you’ve got 48 horses and 31 performers, you need a lot of room.
Trick rider Fairland Ferguson also stands out with her sheer stage presence and the daring of some of her stunts. At one point she leads a team of six horses around the stage while standing atop the last two, and then leads them in a leap across a pair of poles (cavalettis, if you want to get technical) held by her fellow performers. And she makes it look easy.
There are many other impressive moments as well. Yes, a few of the acts go on a bit longer than necessary and the curtain call is milked far too much, but overall the pacing is fine and the variety of acts and performers is beyond reproach. The bottom line is that Cavalia is a darned entertaining evening and family friendly in the best sense of the term.
Cavalia continues at the big top downtown at 1000 Cerre Street through April 16th. Free parking is available at the site—which is fortunate, given that the best tickets for a family of four will set you back about as much as a single season subscription at the Rep. For more information, you may visit cavalia.net.
Synopsis: “Hank, Julian and Luann are the flip side to the A story of hip hop’s rise in the late 1980s—kids who forge a cultural identity in the white suburbs by dueling with poetry in parking lots and dubbing beats on a boom box. In this coming-of-age tale remixed, a DJ loops us through the lives of three Midwestern teen rappers who discover the power of harmony over discord.”
If I had to single out one play as the high point of this year’s Humana Festival, this would be it. As someone whose musical tastes run more to classical, cabaret, musical theatre and vintage rock, I wasn’t sure I’d find much to love in a piece in which rap and hip-hop play a crucial role. That idea, as it turns out, was totally wack.
How We Got On is a literate, poetic, deeply felt and warmly human look at three suburban teens (two black and one Latino) in 1988 trying to make sense of their lives, their ambitions, and their relationships with their parents while learning to express themselves with rhymes and beats. A DJ/narrator holds it all together and weaves a highly educational history of history of rap into the story. The result is a compelling, moving, funny, and exciting piece of theatre that deserves—and will likely get—a wider audience in the future.
Terrell Donnell Sledge is the bright and vulnerable Hank, who provides the rhymes for the brash beats and stage persona of Brian Quijada’s aggressive Julian. As the play progresses, Hank learns that he must let go of his fear and Julian of his anger and need to succeed at any cost before they can truly express themselves. Luann (Deonna Bouye) helps them find the key to unlock their souls—and shows them that a girl can rap and rhyme with the best of them. These three charismatic and gifted performers are not only fully invested in their roles but prove to be tremendously entertaining rappers as well with crystal-clear elocution and some wicked dance moves.
As the DJ Selector (who also takes on other roles, including all the parents) Crystal Fox is slick, soulful, and thoroughly engaging.
Playwright Goodwin describes himself as a “Break Beat Poet” whose work includes essays, poetry, and rap performances as well as plays. How We Got On makes a very strong case for rap and hip-hop as poetry, and demonstrates how they connect with far older traditions, including the basic human need to move, groove, and sing. It’s a joyous celebration of the things that make us human and give our lives meaning. Casting it might be a challenge for some companies, but even so I expect this to be making the rounds for years to come.
Join in the discussion on Twitter with the #hf36 and #humanafest hash tags and follow me @clavazzi. Look for Joan Lipkin's reviews at The Vital Voice.
Synopsis: “It’s 1967 and the map of the Middle East is about to change drastically. Fueled by a love of English Romantic poetry, Adham journeys from Palestine to London with his new wife, Abir, to deliver a career-defining lecture. As the young couple’s marriage is tested, Adham struggles to reconcile his ambitions with the pull of family and home. But what if seizing the moment means letting go of everything he knows?”
As the late John Fitzgerald Kennedy once noted, we are a nation of immigrants. Outside of the alternate reality inhabited by the current round of paranoid nativists, the history of America is a history of immigration, so stories of people forced to leave their homelands should have real resonance for us. I speak from personal experience here—my grandparents were political and economic refugees.
In light of all this, then, I should have been moved by The Hour of Feeling, but I found this story of a man trapped between two cultures curiously uninvolving. Partly, I think, that’s because Adham is a curiously unsympathetic character who seems to have a surprisingly impoverished inner life for a scholar of poetry. He never seems to connect with anyone, including his wife, and two hours of that sort of disconnect can make for pretty static drama.
It’s hard to know how much of my response to this play stems from the text vs. the direction and acting. Mark Wing-Davey’s pacing seemed slow, though, and some of the blocking choices appeared puzzling, putting the actors in awkward juxtaposition, so I’m inclined to cut the actors some slack.
Given the script and direction, I thought the work of Hadi Tabbal as Adham, Rasha Zamamiri as Abir, and Judith Delgado as Adham’s tough-as-nails mother Beder was very professional. David Barlow and William Connell have the somewhat unenviable task of playing a pair of stereotypical upper-crust academics, as does Marianna McClellan as the flighty girlfriend of one of them, but they make the most of what they’ve been given.
The Hour of Feeling raises some very compelling issues about the meaning of place and home in a world that is becoming increasingly “hot, flat, and crowded” (as Thomas Friedman says). Perhaps a different director might find more life in it. It’s certainly within the technical capabilities of other regional theatres, so it will be interesting to see what future productions make of it.
Join in the discussion on Twitter with the #hf36 and #humanafest hash tags and follow me @clavazzi. Look for Joan Lipkin's reviews at The Vital Voice.
Michael von Siebenberg Melts Through the Floorboards by Greg Kotis
Directed by Kip Fagan The Humana Festival of New American Plays at Actors Theatre of Louisville
Through April 15, 2012
Synopsis: "Meet Baron Michael von Siebenburg: a 500-year-old Austrian bachelor living in an American city, whose secret of eternal youth involves endless first dates and a special meat tenderizer. But when his landlady gets suspicious and the ghost of a medieval comrade commands him to take Constantinople back from the Turks, Michael finds himself haunted by past and present. A hilariously dark comedy about the rigors of vampiric immortality."
Some vampire tales, to paraphrase Tom Lehrer, don’t go far enough. This one goes too far, at least for me. As the author of the hilariously satirical Urinetown, Mr. Kotis clearly knows how to find laughs in material which, on the face of it, looks pretty tasteless, so this send-up of immortal bloodsuckers ought to be funny. I just found it creepy, however—and not in a good way. No matter how well it’s handled, I find it hard to get much entertainment value from a play in which the protagonist and his cohort maintain themselves by killing, pulverizing, and eating women. This gets too close to serial killer/Dahmer territory for me.
Yes, the vampire von Siebenberg finally decides to melt through the floorboards and die rather than continue in his bloody ways, but I didn’t find his conversion from cannibalism to love all that convincing. Still, others in our party found the play highly entertaining. Your own mileage might vary.
As was the case with everything we saw at the festival this weekend, the cast for Michael von Siebenberg was first rate, headed by Rufus Collins in the title role, Michah Stock as his Jaeger (hunter) Sammy (who is responsible for victim recruitment), Caralyn Kozlowski as the sprit of Michael’s wife Maria, and John Ahlin as the ghost of Michael’s Crusader colleague Otto, who absurdly exhorts him to fly to Constantinople and re-take the city for Christendom. There’s great work as well by Ariana Venturi and Laura Heisler as both victims and incredibly clueless cops and Rita Gardner as the justifiably suspicious Mrs. Rosemary.
Michael von Siebenburg was staged in the 637-seat Pamela Brown Auditorium, so sets, lighting, and technical effects were pretty stunning. At well over two and one-half hours (including intermission), it’s a bit long, with a first act that goes over the same ground too many times (at least for me), but given the popularity of vampire lore these days the play may find eternal life with regional theatre companies looking for a potential commercial success. Personally, I’ll stick with Dracula.
Join in the discussion on Twitter with the #hf36 and #humanafest hash tags and follow me @clavazzi. Look for Joan Lipkin's reviews at The Vital Voice.
The Veri**on Play by Lisa Kron
Directed by Nicholas Martin
Original music by Jeanine Tesori The Humana Festival of New American Plays at Actors Theatre of Louisville
Through April 1, 2012
Synopsis: "When Jenni called customer service, all she wanted was to fix a minor problem with her cell phone bill. Instead she was sucked into a vortex of unimaginable horror. Now she wants revenge—or to get her cell phone service turned back on. Part thriller, part screwball comedy, part inspired by events that have undoubtedly happened to YOU."
In a world dominated by omnipresent corporations (or, here in the USA, omnipresent "persons"), nearly everyone has a bad "customer service" experience. Actor/playwright Lisa Kron, however, has turned hers into a 70-minute piece of highly entertaining Brechtian agitprop that sharply satirizes the corrupting influence of corporate power and the ease with which corporate media distract us from that influence with a steady stream of celebrity trivia. Noted theatre composer Jeanine Tesori (Thoroughly Modern Millie, Caroline, or Change) provides the effective incidental music and a rousing anti-corporate anthem for an audience sing-along at the end.
There’s an international chase scene near the end that is, perhaps, a bit drawn out (although I appreciate its relevance as a commentary on the world-wide reach of the corporatocracy), but otherwise The Veri**on Play is a neat piece of satire that deserves additional productions.
Join in the discussion on Twitter with the #hf36 or #humanafest hash tags and follow me @clavazzi. Look for Joan Lipkin's reviews at The Vital Voice.
The synopsis: "Maxine is rich. Maxine is dying. Maxine thinks Nurse Tina is trying to kill her. When the patient confronts her caretaker, her accusations have unforeseen—and irrevocable—consequences, in this tightly-wound thriller about money, power and the value of a human life."
Like many of the plays we saw at the Humana Festival, Death Tax could stand a bit of trimming, but even in its current form it has a dramatic power that can't be denied, demonstrating forcibly the corrupting effects of money and power—and, for that matter, of want and powerlessness. It also raises disturbing questions: as medical science advances, will we become a race divided between those who can purchase virtual immortality and those who can't? And what will that mean? Death Tax suggests the answers might not be pleasant.
Death Tax unfolds mostly as a series of monologues with a few duet scenes, and provides one of the great monstrous characters of the stage in the character of Maxine. She ruthlessly manipulates everyone around her: Nurse Tina (who is not, in fact, trying to kill her), Tina's boss Todd, Maxine's daughter, and even, in a chilling final scene, a social worker and Maxine's grandson. She uses money and later guilt as weapons to prolong her life, destroying many others in the process. Like Sunset Boulevard, this is an American horror story without the supernatural.
The cast is tremendous. Judith Roberts is a nearly demonic figure as she rages, cajoles, wheedles and generally screws over everyone around her. Quincy Tyler Bernstine carries off the very different roles of Nurse Tina and the social worker with great skill, as does T. J. Kenneally as Todd and the grandson. Danielle Skraastad has only one major scene as the daughter, but she makes it her own.
As is the case with many Humana Festival shows, Death Tax has relatively modest technical demands, so it should be well within the reach of not only regional companies but smaller theatres as well. It has political and moral implications that deserve attention.
Join in the discussion on Twitter with the #hf36 hash tag and follow me @clavazzi. Look for Joan Lipkin's reviews at The Vital Voice.
Oh, Gastronomy by Michael Golamco, Carson Kreitzer, Steve Moulds, Tanya Saracho and Matt Schatz
Directed by Amy Attaway Humana Festival of New American Plays at Actors Theatre of Louisville
Through April 1, 2012
The synopsis: "Food, that most delicious human unifier, is rife with contradiction. It can signal both comfort and compulsion, imply both nourishment and deprivation, and make your mouth water—or your stomach turn. Get ready to dig in, as five hungry playwrights join forces with twenty-two ravenous Acting Apprentices to serve up the pleasures—and paradoxes—of food."
Oh, Gastronomy is a snappy collection of 28 short plays (and more than a few songs) all dealing with food, family, and friends. Most are comic, a few moving, and all completely entertaining. The program stars the company's young interns, and they certainly shine here as their characters find love, companionship, camaraderie, and a really killer fudge recipe (the results of which were available in the lobby after the show).
There are too many performers to list individually here and, of course, too many plays to make it possible for me to go into detail on each one. Some of my favorites were: "Ordering: Memories" in which customers at a restaurant order slices of their past from the menu; "The Family Feast", which called to mind the massive holiday dinners with my "logical family" (to quote Mrs. Madrigal); and "The Mix", in which both that tasty fudge and a relationship is cooked up. Others probably had their highlights, but the bottom line is that the show was tremendous fun to watch and, I think, to perform as well.
Join in the discussion on Twitter with the #hf36 hash tag and follow me @clavazzi. Look for Joan Lipkin's reviews at The Vital Voice.
Eat Your Heart Out by Courtney Baron
Directed by Adam Greenfield Humana Festival of New American Plays at Actors Theatre of Louisville
Through April 1, 2012
My live video blog with Joan Lipkin
Share on Google+
The synopsis: Alice and Gabe are desperate to adopt a child. Nance, a single mom just starting to date, struggles to connect with her teenage daughter Evie. And Evie wishes her best friend Colin could fall for her rather than just trying to fix things. With both humor and aching insight, these lives are woven together in a tale of parental hopes and fears, and of hearts consumed by longing."
Courtney Baron's Eat Your Heart Out starts as a fast-paced and somewhat superficial comedy but eventually turns into something much more serious and even tragic. It's a show that begins with a series of declarations but ends with a question. Adam Greenfield's direction is crisp and brisk—perhaps a bit too much so, resulting an a rapid-fire exchange of dialog that might be more appropriate for video than live theatre. Still, it's a play and a production that provided much fodder for discussion in the bar afterwards and ultimately deals with very real issues of pain, rejection, and the difficulty of real-world love, even if it does sometimes feel more like the unfinished first act of a more substantial work.
Any reservations about the script do not, however, extend to the performers, all of whom were fine. Kate Eastwood Norris is all edgy energy as Nance and while Alex Moggridge's Tom was a bit bland, that appears to be exactly what the script calls for. Sarah Grodsky showed a heartbreaking vulnerability as Evie. Jordan Brodess brought out all the pain and flip attitude of Colin. Kate Arrington and Mike DiSalvo was a great team as the increasingly desperate Alice and Gabe, whom Nance treats with far less sympathy than they seem to deserve.
Upon reflection, I'm not sure that Eat Your Heart Out is quite ready for prime time yet. As it stands, the characters aren't as fully realized as they could be and something really needs to be done with that ending. Still, it shows promise, and that's part of what Humana is about.
Join in the discussion on Twitter with the #hf36 hash tag and follow me @clavazzi. Look for Joan Lipkin's reviews at The Vital Voice.
[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 ArtsZipper site.
I'm now adding my own purely personal comments to events about which I think I have anything worthwhile to say. Because that's what bloggers do. If I have left your show out, please leave a comment with all the details.
Share on Google+
The Conservatory of Theatre Arts at Webster University presents 100 Saints You Should Know by Kate Fodor Friday at 7:30 PM, Saturday at 2 and 7:30 PM, and Sunday at 2 PM, March 30 through April 1. “In 100 Saints You Should Know, a priest who must reconcile his desires with his role in the church, a teenage boy confused about his own sexual identity, and a young woman desperate for spiritual validation, are all brought together on one fateful night in which they will discover the tenuous common ground they share.” Performances take place in the Stage III Auditorium in Webster Hall on the Webster University campus. The student-directed show is part of the Directing Capstone Projects series. For more information, call 314-968-7128.
The Presenters Dolan presents Donna Weinsting and Lara Buck Antolik in Bold, Bawdy, Blonde - and Funny, an evening of music and political satire, on Friday and Saturday at 8 PM, March 30 and 31. “This election season, standards meet standup and politics greets parody in this all new cabaret. Donna Weinsting and Lara Buck Antolik bring equal opportunity humor and song to both sides of the aisle.” Greg Schweizer is pianist and music director for the show, which is directed by Tim Schall. Performances take place at The Kranzberg Center, 501 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information, call 314-725-4200 stn. 10 or visit licketytix.com.
Bring it On: the Musical
The Fox Theatre presents Bring It On: The Musical, based on the film about a competition between high school cheerleading squads, March 27 through April 8. The Fox Theatre is at 527 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information, call 314-534-1678.
The Pub Theater Company presents Bye Bye Liver: The St. Louis Drinking Play, a comedic romp through the joys and pitfalls of The Gateway to the West's favorite pastime. Performances take place on “select Saturdays” (and the occasional Friday) at Maggie O'Brien's, 2000 Market Street. For more information, you may call 800-650-6449 or visit byebyeliver.com/stlouis.
Washington University Performing Arts Department presents Carter Lewis's Camden and Lilly Thursday through Saturday at 8 PM and Saturday and Sunday at 2 PM, March 29 through April 1. Camden and Lilly “is the story of a devoted brother and sister trying to survive the strange and unaccountable death of their eccentric mother. It is a journey filled with opera, dancing and fantastical impossibilities as it is written and presented by Lilly for her 9th grade English class.“ Performances take place in the Edison Theatre in the Mallinckrodt Center on the Washington University campus. For more information, call (314) 935-5858.
Cavalia Promotional Video
Cavalia: A Magical Encounter Between Human and Horse runs through April 16. Cavalia is “a lavish production involving 38 riders, aerialists, acrobats, dancers, and musicians, and featuring 45 magnificent horses from all over the world. A show unlike any other, Cavalia celebrates the relationship between humans and horses, virtually reinventing the equestrian arts.” Performances take place under the White Big Top at the corner of South 7th and Cerre Streets, across Highway 40 from Busch Stadium in St. Louis. For more information, you may visit www.cavalia.net or call 1-866-999-8111. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!
The Comedy of Errors
The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents Shakespeare's The Comedy of Errors through April 8. Performances take place on the main stage at the Loretto-Hlton Center, 130 Edgar Road in Webster Groves, MO. For more information, call 314-968-4925 or visit repstl.org. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!
Shakespeare Festival St. Louis presents public performances of its two touring shows on Friday through Sunday, March 30-April 1. Othello in a Breath will be performed at 7 PM and Cruel to be Kind? At 8:30 PM; Cruel to be Kind? Will be repeated Sunday at 1:30 PM. Performances take place at the Union Avenue Christian Church, 733 Union at Enright in the Central West End. Guests attending the performances are asked to bring a donation of one or more canned goods to support Union Avenue in their efforts to support those in need. For more information, visit shakespearefestivalstlouis.org.
No Child
The Black Rep presents Patrese McClain in Nilaja Sun's one-woman show No Child through April 1. The March 15 preview will be preceded by an interview with Ms. Sun by actor Antonio Fargas. Performances take place at the Grandel Theatre, 3610 Grandel Square. For more information, visit theblackrep.org or call 314-534-3810. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!
The Gateway Men's Chorus celebrates 25 years on stage with Our Song, featuring music from Follies, Les Miserables, A Star Is Born, The Wizard Of Oz, Funny Girl, Patsy Cline and Lady Gaga. The performance takes place on Saturday, March 31 at the 560 Music Center in University City. For more information, visit gmcstl.org.
The Florissant Fine Arts Council presents Stand By Your Man: The Tammie Wynette Story on Saturday, March 31, at 8 PM. The performance takes place in the Florissant Civic Center Theatre at Parker and Waterford in Florissant, MO. For more information, visit florissantfinearts.com or call 314-921-5678.
Over the next few days the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis is offering theatregoers a rare opportunity to participate in the genesis of new works for the theatre. The Ignite! New Play Festival presents staged reading of plays commissioned by the Rep. The intent is to nurture the new plays until they get to the point where they’re ready for full productions. Talkback sessions after each reading offer audience members the chance to say what they did or didn’t like and possibly influence the shape of the final piece.
The one and only fully staged production of the Ignite! festival is Ayad Akhtar’s smart thriller The Invisible Hand, which can be seen in the Rep Studio through March 25th, but the first reading—the first act of the musical Stagger Lee on Thursday, March 15th—was almost as impressive.
Based on the graphic novel of the same name (which I’d strongly recommend), Stagger Lee combines a fictional love story with the largely true tale of how Lee “Stag Lee” Shelton shot Billy Lyons in a St. Louis saloon in 1895. The killing and subsequent trial became grist for songwriters’ mills almost immediately—and still is.
The show has music by Stew and Heidi Rodewald and book and lyrics by Derek McCulloch (who also wrote the original graphic novel). The cast assembled for the reading were J. Samuel Davis, Rebecca Jones, Javier Munoz, Ken Page, Stacey Sargeant, and Paul Stovall. Amanda Dehnert directed, with musical direction by Jon Spurney.
Both Stagger Lee and the Ignite! festival show real promise. There are two more readings in the Ignite! New Play Festival on Tuesday and Wednesday, March 20 and 21; details at http://www.repstl.org/ignite
“In the Spring,” wrote Tennyson, “a young man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love.” Were he still with us today, he might have added, “and, if he’s a theatre geek, to thoughts of the Humana Festival of New American Plays.”
All right, so it doesn’t scan. But the fact is, anyone who is interested in the state of theatre in the USA today can’t afford to pass up the Humana Festival. Now in its 36th year, the festival is a seven-week celebration of new plays produced by the Actors Theatre of Louisville. The company presents seven new works (winnowed down from an average of 2000 submissions each year) in the course of the festival, which takes place in their sumptuous downtown digs.
How sumptuous? Located in historic structures on Main Street, the Actors Theatre consists of the 637-seat Pamela Brown Auditorium, with a thrust stage; the 159-seat Victor Jory Theatre, a three-quarter arena performance space; and the 318-seat Bingham Theatre, a flexible arena space. Add in the palatial lobby, a restaurant, and a nine-story parking garage, and you have the kind of facility most theatre companies dream about. Better yet, it’s only part of a general revitalization of downtown Louisville that includes fine hotels, restaurants, and bars, all within an easy walk of the theatre.
The Humana Festival is a valuable resource for other theatre companies as well as folks who simply love theatre. I'm on the board of directors and play reading committee at the West End Players Guild here in St. Louis (our motto: "big theatre in a small space"), and I can attest to the festival as a source of new plays for our seasons.
I’ll be attending the festival this year in my professional capacity as the senior performing arts critic at 88.1 KDHX. I’ll be posing live video blogs from the festival, including capsule reviews of each show with my long-time friend and noted playwright Joan Lipkin (who’s covering the festival for The Vital Voice). Just look for “Lavazzi and Lipkin Live from Louisville” on YouTube or check out my posts at the KDHX blog. I’ll also be posting daily updates to the theatre reviews area at KDHX.
Want to know more? Check out the complete list of 2012 festival plays at the Humana Festival web site. And join in the discussion on Twitter with the #HF36 and #humanafest hash tags. You can also follow me on Twitter @clavazzi.
[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 ArtsZipper site.
I'm now adding my own purely personal comments to events about which I think I have anything worthwhile to say. Because that's what bloggers do. If I have left your show out, please leave a comment with all the details.
First Run Theatre presents the 10th Annual Reading Festival, featuring staged reading of the finalists of the annual script submission contest, Friday through Sunday, March 23 through 25. Performances take place in the Thomas Hunter Theatre at DeSmet Jesuit High School, 233 N New Ballas Road.. For more information email info at firstruntheatre.com, or visit www.firstruntheatre.com.
Bug
The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents a staged reading of Bicycle Girl by Rogelio Martinez on Wednesday, March 21, at 7:30 PM as part of the Ignite! New Play Festival. “In 1939 two girls from very different backgrounds travel across America by bicycle. Their destination is New York and the World's Fair with its promise of revealing the World of Tomorrow.” The reading takes place at the Sally S. Levy Opera Center, 210 Hazel in Webster Groves. For more information, visit repstl.org.
Muddy Waters Theatre Company presents Tracy Letts's drama Bug Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 PM and Sundays at 2 PM through March 25 Performances take place at the Kranzberg Arts Center, 501 North Grand at Olive in Grand Center. For more information, call 314-799-8399. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!
The Pub Theater Company presents Bye Bye Liver: The St. Louis Drinking Play, a comedic romp through the joys and pitfalls of The Gateway to the West's favorite pastime. Performances take place on “select Saturdays” (and the occasional Friday) at Maggie O'Brien's, 2000 Market Street. For more information, you may call 800-650-6449 or visit byebyeliver.com/stlouis.
Cavalia Promotional Video
Cavalia: A Magical Encounter Between Human and Horse, opens on Wednesday, March 21 and runs through April 1. Cavalia is “a lavish production involving 38 riders, aerialists, acrobats, dancers, and musicians, and featuring 45 magnificent horses from all over the world. A show unlike any other, Cavalia celebrates the relationship between humans and horses, virtually reinventing the equestrian arts.” Performances take place under the White Big Top at the corner of South 7th and Cerre Streets, across Highway 40 from Busch Stadium in St. Louis. For more information, you may visit www.cavalia.net or call 1-866-999-8111.
The Comedy of Errors
The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents Shakespeare's The Comedy of Errors through April 8. Performances take place on the main stage at the Loretto-Hlton Center, 130 Edgar Road in Webster Groves, MO. For more information, call 314-968-4925 or visit repstl.org. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!
Cry Baby
New Line Theatre presents the American regional premiere of the rock musical Cry Baby Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 PM through March 24. Performances take place at the Washington University South Campus Theatre, 6501 Clayton Road. For more information, call 314-534-1111. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!
The Conservatory of Theatre Arts at Webster University presents the musical Edgar Allan Poe's Nevermore Friday at 7:30 PM, Saturday at 2 and 7:30 PM, and Sunday at 2 PM, March 23 through 25. Performances take place in the Stage III Auditorium in Webster Hall on the Webster University campus. The student-directed show is part of the Directing Capstone Projects series. For more information, call 314-968-7128.
The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents a staged reading of Gidion's Knot by Johnna Adams on Tuesday, March 20, at 7:30 PM as part of the Ignite! New Play Festival. “Over the course of what is not your ordinary parent/teacher conference, Gidion's mother and his emotionally overwhelmed teacher have a fraught conversation about Gidion. As his story is slowly uncovered, these two caring women come to terms with their excruciating feelings of culpability.” The reading takes place at the Sally S. Levy Opera Center, 210 Hazel in Webster Groves. For more information, visit repstl.org.
The Invisible Hand
The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents the drama The Invisible Hand through March 25. Performances take place in the studio theatre at the Loretto-Hlton Center, 130 Edgar Road in Webster Groves, MO. For more information, call 314-968-4925 or visit repstl.org. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!
Alton Little Theater presents the comedy Laughter on the 23rd Floor through March 25 at 2450 North Henry in Alton, IL. For more information, call 618.462.6562 or visit altonlittletheater.org.
No Child...
The Black Rep presents Patrese McClain in Nilaja Sun's one-woman show No Child through April 1. Performances take place at the Grandel Theatre, 3610 Grandel Square. For more information, visit theblackrep.org or call 314-534-3810. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!
Dramatic License Productions presents Tamara Tungate and Kevin Kurth in their cabaret show Oh What A Night on Saturday, March 24, at 8 PM. “These two fabulous singers perform dazzling vocal duets from the Great American Songbook.” The performance takes place at Dramatic License Productions in on the upper level of Chesterfield Mall across from Houlihan's. For more information, visit KMKMUSIC.com.
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Music Department presents Puccini's Suor Angelica and A Little Nightmare Music by Peter Schickele (writing as his comic alter ego P.D.Q. Bach). Performances are Friday and Saturday at 7:30 PM, March 23 and 24, in the Dunham Hall theater on the campus in Edwardsville, IL. For more information, call 618-650-2774.
New Jewish Theatre presents The Value of Names through April 1. Performances take place at the Marvin and Harlene Wool Studio Theatre at the JCCA, 2 Millstone Campus Drive. For more information, call 314-442-3283 or visit www.newjewishtheatre.org. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!
The Chapel presents mezzo soprano Merry Keller, soprano Joy Boland, and pianist Martha Shaffer in Wade in the Water, an evening of “art songs, arias, spirituals, folks songs, and a few surprises”, on Saturday, March 24, at 8 PM. The performance takes at The Chapel Venue, 6238 Alexander Drive at Skinker. For more information, visit brownpapertickest.com/event/228178.
Alpha Players present You Can't Take it With You through March 25 at The Florissant Civic Center Theater, Parker Rd. at Waterford Dr. in Florissant, MO. For more information, visit alphaplayers.org or call 314-921-5678.
