St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of July 30, 2012

Updated Friday, August 3rd

[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.

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Take Two Productions presents the musical Aida August 3 - 11. Performances take place at Bayless High School Theater, 4530 Weber Road. For more information, visit taketwoproductions.org.

The Missouri History Museum's Theatre in the Museum series presents All for Union: A Brief History of Missouri in the Civil War Thursdays afternoons through August 7. Performances take place at the Missouri History Museum at Lindell and De Baliviere in Forest Park. For show times, visit mohistory.org.

Hard Road Theatre presents All Shook Up!, a musical version of A Midsummer Night's Dream with Elvis Presley hits through August 5 at the Highland Elementary Auditorium, 1800 Lindenthal Avenue in Highland, IL. For more information, visit hardroad.org or call 618-654-7748.

Alton Little Theater presents the musical Bye Bye Birdie through August 5 at 2450 North Henry in Alton, IL. For more information, call 618.462.6562 or visit altonlittletheater.org.

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.

The Missouri History Museum's Teens Make History series presents Civil War, So What? Thursdays through Saturdays at 11:30 AM through August 3. Performances take place at the Missouri History Museum at Lindell and De Baliviere in Forest Park. For more information, visit mohistory.org.

The Hawthorne Players present Sondheim's Company through August 5. The performance takes place at the Florissant Civic Center Theatre at Parker and Waterford in Florissant, MO. For more information, call 921-5678 or visit hawthorneplayers.com. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

Ozark Actors Theatre presents the drama The Diviners August 2 - 12 at the Cedar Street Playhouse, 701 North Cedar in Rolla, MO. For more information, visit ozartactorstheatre.org or call (573) 364-9523.

The Missouri History Museum's Theatre in the Museum series presents Fire: Friend or Foe Fridays at 11 AM through August 3. Performances take place at the Missouri History Museum at Lindell and De Baliviere in Forest Park. For more information, visit mohistory.org.

The Missouri History Museum's Theatre in the Museum series presents Getting Dressed: Inside Out in the Corset Age Tuesdays and Saturdays through August 25. Performances take place at the Missouri History Museum at Lindell and De Baliviere in Forest Park. For show times, mohistory.org.

Stray Dog Theatre presents The Great American Trailer Park Musical Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 PM, August 2 through 18. There will be a matinee on the closing Saturday at 2 PM in addition to the evening show. Performances take place at The Tower Grove Abbey, 2336 Tennessee. For more information, visit straydogtheatre.org or call 314-865-1995.

The St. Louis Actors' Studio, The English Speaking Union of St. Louis and the Folger Shakespeare Library present He That Plays the King on Thursday, August 2 at 8 PM. “Through selected scenes from both the Histories and Tragedies, four actors explore the inner and outward characters of Shakespeare's monarchs. Richard II, Henry IV, Henry V, Henry VI, Macbeth, Hamlet and Lear are brought to life as they struggle with kingship, ambition, love and loss. Between them the actors play twenty-four characters.” For more information, call 314-458-2978.

Marble Stage presents the musical The Mystery of Edwin Drood Thursday through Saturday at 8 PM and Sunday at 2 PM, August 2 - 5, at Southampton Presbyterian Church, 4716 Lackland. For more information, call 314-437-0846 or visit www.marblestage.org.

Circus Harmony, in collaboration with the Galilee Circus, a Jewish/Arab youth troupe from Israel, present Peace Through Pyramids at various locations around the St. Louis area through August 4. For more information, visit circusday.org or call 314-226-3633.

The Muny presents the musical Pirates! (or Gilbert & Sullivan Plunder'd) Monday through Sunday at 8:15 PM, July 30 - August 5, in the outdoor theatre in Forest Park. For more information, visit muny.org or call 314-361-1900. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

Act II Community Theater presents the comedy Red, White and Tuna Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM and Sundays at 2 PM, August 3 through 12. Performances take place at 1 St Peters Centre Blvd, St. Peters, MO. For more information, visit www.act2theater.com, call 636-336-0034 or email info at act2theater.com.

Over Due Theatre presents the musical The Sound of Music Friday and Saturday at 8 PM and Sunday at 2 PM. Performances take place at the Olivette Community Center, 9723 Grandview Drive, in Olivette, MO. For more information, call 314-210-2959 or visit overduetheatrecompany.com.

Stages St. Louis presents the musical The Sound of Music through August 19. 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!

Actors and Artists for Animals presents the musical West Side Story August 3 - 5. All proceeds benefit the 5As animal shelter in Alton, IL. Performances take place at The Nazarene Community Center at 400 Center in Roxana, IL. For more information, call (618) 581-6220 or visit www.fiveas.org

Chuck's Choices for the weekend of July 27, 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 Hawthorne Players present Sondheim's Company through August 5. I've always been a great admirer of this piece and will be in the audience on opening night. That said, full disclosure obliges me to point out that the director is a friend and theatrical colleague of mine and that I provided the sound effects for the show. That's the full extent of my personal connection, though. The performance takes 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 Muny presents Andrew LLoyd Webber's Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat through Sunday in the outdoor theatre in Forest Park. The show has gotten great reviews, including from Connie Bollinger at 88.1 KDHX, who describes it as "a production for the ages." For more information, visit muny.org or call 314-361-1900.

Clayton Community Theatre presents The Little Prince through July 29. Performances take place at the Washington University South Campus Theatre. In her review for KDHX, Connie Bollinger has considerable praise for the young actors in this production: "Clayton Community Theatre has done a lovely job with a difficult play and their hard work has shone brightly as the stars." For more information, call 314-721-9228 or visit placeseveryone.org. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

Circus Harmony, in collaboration with the Galilee Circus, a Jewish/Arab youth troupe from Israel, present Peace Through Pyramids at various locations around the St. Louis area from July 23 through August 4. How, I ask you, can you not love this idea? For more information, visit circusday.org or call 314-226-3633.

Held over:

St. Louis Shakespeare presents Shakespeare's tragedy  Coriolanus through JSunday. Performances take place at the Grandel Theatre, 3610 Grandel Square. I haven't seen the show yet, of course, but I'm including it here because it's so rarely performed. It has one of Shakesperare's least sympathetic tragic heroes, in my view, so it will be interesting to see what the SLS folks do with it. In his review for 88.1 KDHX, Robert Mitchell has good things to say about both the direction and acting.  For more information, call 314-361-5664 or visit stlshakespeare.org.

St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of July 23

Updated Thursday, July 26

[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.

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The Missouri History Museum's Theatre in the Museum series presents All for Union: A Brief History of Missouri in the Civil War Thursdays afternoons through August 7. Performances take place at the Missouri History Museum at Lindell and De Baliviere in Forest Park. For show times, visit mohistory.org.

Hard Road Theatre presents All Shook Up!, a musical version of A Midsummer Night's Dream with Elvis Presley hits, July 27-August 5 at the Highland Elementary Auditorium, 1800 Lindenthal Avenue in Highland, IL. For more information, visit hardroad.org or call 618-654-7748.

The St. Louis Tap Festival presents All That Tap XXI on Saturday, July 28, at 7 PM. The show features “the whole gamut of tap styles from smooth jazz to hard-hitting funk” and takes place at the Lee Theatre at the Touhill Performing Arts center on the University of Missouri St. Louis campus. For more information, visit touhill.org.

The Randy Dandies, “St. Louis' Premiere Sketch Comedy Burlesque Troupe”, presents their second production of the 2012 season, Backsides to the Future, on July 28, at 8:30 PM. The show takes place at Plush, 3224 Locust Street. Featured guest artists include Whiskey Kiss, Alley Gorey, and Fiona Flame to name a few. For more information, visit therandydandies.com.

Alton Little Theater presents the musical Bye Bye Birdie July 26 through August 5 at 2450 North Henry in Alton, IL. For more information, call 618.462.6562 or visit altonlittletheater.org.

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.

The Missouri History Museum's Teens Make History series presents Civil War, So What? Thursdays through Saturdays at 11:30 AM, July 26 through August 3. Performances take place at the Missouri History Museum at Lindell and De Baliviere in Forest Park. For more information, visit mohistory.org.

The Hawthorne Players present Sondheim's Company July 27-August 5. The performance takes place at the Florissant Civic Center Theatre at Parker and Waterford in Florissant, MO. For more information, call 921-5678 or visit hawthorneplayers.com.

St. Louis Shakespeare presents Shakespeare's tragedy  Coriolanus through July 29. Performances take place at the Grandel Theatre, 3610 Grandel Square. For more information, call 314-361-5664 or visit stlshakespeare.org. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

The Missouri History Museum's Theatre in the Museum series presents Getting Dressed: Inside Out in the Corset Age Tuesdays and Saturdays through August 25. Performances take place at the Missouri History Museum at Lindell and De Baliviere in Forest Park. For show times, mohistory.org.

The Missouri History Museum's Theatre in the Museum series presents Fire: Friend or Foe Fridays at 11 AM through August 3. Performances take place at the Missouri History Museum at Lindell and De Baliviere in Forest Park. For more information, visit mohistory.org.

The Brass Rail Players present the musical How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. Performances take place Thursday through Sunday, July 25-29, at the Lindenwood University Premier Center For The Arts In Belleville, Il. For more information, visit brassrailplayers.org.

The Muny presents the musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Monday through Sunday at 8:15 PM, July 23 through 29, in the outdoor theatre in Forest Park. For more information, visit muny.org or call 314-361-1900. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

Center Stage Theatre at St. Charles Community College presents Sondheim's A Little Night Music Tuesday through Sunday, July 24-29. Performances take place at the St. Charles Community College Fine Arts Building, 4601 Mid Rivers Mall Drive. For more information, visit stchas.edu/calendar/

Clayton Community Theatre presents The Little Prince through July 29. Performances take place at the Washington University South Campus Theatre. For more information, call 314-721-9228 or visit placeseveryone.org. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

Maryland Heights Community Theatre presents the musical Once Upon a Mattress Thursday through Sunday, July 26-29, at the Maryland Heights Centre, 2344 McKelvey Road. For more information, call 314-738-2599.

Circus Harmony, in collaboration with the Galilee Circus, a Jewish/Arab youth troupe from Israel, present Peace Through Pyramids at various locations around the St. Louis area from July 23 through August 4. For more information, visit circusday.org or call 314-226-3633.

Insight Theatre Company presents Seussical, The Musical Friday through Sunday, July 27-29. 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.

Over Due Theatre presents the musical The Sound of Music Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM and Sundays at 2 PM, July 27-August 5. Performances take place at the Olivette Community Center, 9723 Grandview Drive, in Olivette, MO. For more information, call 314-210-2959 or visit overduetheatrecompany.com.

Stages St. Louis presents the musical The Sound of Music through August 19. 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.

Family Musical Theater presents The Wizard of Oz through July 29 at the Ivory Theatre, 7622 Michigan. For more information, visit familymusical.org or call 314-448-1436.

Chuck's Choices for the weekend of July 20, 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:

St. Louis Shakespeare presents Shakespeare's tragedy  Coriolanus July 20-29. Performances take place at the Grandel Theatre, 3610 Grandel Square. I haven't seen the show yet, of course, but I'm including it here because it's so rarely performed. It has one of Shakesperare's least sympathetic tragic heroes, in my view, so it will be interesting to see what the SLS folks do with it. For more information, call 314-361-5664 or visit stlshakespeare.org.

The Muny presents the musical Dreamgirls at 8:15 PM, through Sunday in the outdoor theatre in Forest Park. It looks like they have another hit on their hands, juding from the critical response. Even 88.1 KDHX's Bob Wilcox, who admits that he's not a fan of the show, has some good things to say about it. "Everyone in the cast is sharp and tight," he notes, "and musical director Darren Ledbetter drives the show forward with the most enthusiastic conducting I've seen at the Muny." For more information, visit muny.org or call 314-361-1900.


Patrick Wheatley presents his cabaret show The Postman Always Sings Twice on Saturday, July 20, at 8 PM at the Kranzberg Arts Center. The title refers to the fact that Mr. Wheatley is a retired US Postal Service employee. The evening features classics from the Great American Songbook. I'm not familiar with Mr. Wheatley's work and I'm always curious about new cabaret talent, so I'm planning to check this out. For more information, call 314-965-2526.

Held over:

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 Saturdays at 9 PM at Maggie O'Brien's, 2000 Market Street. The show has been running for as long as I can remember, so it deserves points for longevity, if nothing else. Word on the street is that it's not great art but is great fun. For more information, you may call 314-827-4185, email stlouis at byebyeliver.com, or visit byebyeliver.com/stlouis.

St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of July 16, 2012

Updated Thursday, July 19

[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.

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Spotlight Productions presents the musical Annie Friday and Saturday at 7:30 PM and Sunday at 2 PM. Performances take place at the Marquette High School Theater, 2351 Clarkson Road, Chesterfield, MO. For more information, visit www.rsdspotlightproductions.com.

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.

St. Louis Shakespeare presents Shakespeare's tragedy  Coriolanus July 20-29. Performances take place at the Grandel Theatre, 3610 Grandel Square. For more information, call 314-361-5664 or visit stlshakespeare.org.

The Muny presents the musical Dreamgirls Monday through Sunday at 8:15 PM, July 16 through 22, in the outdoor theatre in Forest Park. For more information, visit muny.org or call 314-361-1900. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

Clayton Community Theatre presents The Little Prince July 20-29. Performances take place at the Washington University South Campus Theatre. For more information, call 314-721-9228 or visit placeseveryone.org.

The Center for Creative Arts (COCA) presents the musical Legally Blonde Friday at 7 PM and Saturday at 2 and 7 PM. Performances take place at COCA, 524 Trinity in University City. For more information, visit cocastl.org.

Patrick Wheatley presents his cabaret show The Postman Always Sings Twice on Saturday, July 20, at 8 PM at the Kranzberg Arts Center. The title refers to the fact that Mr. Wheatley is a retired US Postal Service employee. The evening features classics from the Great American Songbook. For more information, call 314-965-2526.

Stages St. Louis presents the musical The Sound of Music July 20-August 19. 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.

Family Musical Theater presents The Wizard of Oz July 20-29 at the Ivory Theatre, 7622 Michigan. For more information, visit familymusical.org or call 314-448-1436.

Chuck's Choices for the weekend of July 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 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 Saturdays at 9 PM at Maggie O'Brien's, 2000 Market Street. The show has been running for as long as I can remember, so it deserves points for longevity, if nothing else. Word on the street is that it's not great art but is great fun. For more information, you may call 314-827-4185, email stlouis at byebyeliver.com, or visit byebyeliver.com/stlouis.

Held over:

The Muny presents the first Muny production of the Broadway musical Aladdin through Friday in the outdoor theatre in Forest Park. The show has gotten great reviews, including from Connie Bollinger at 88.1 KDHX, who describes it as "a treasure of fun and surprises for everyone." Besides, the cast includes our own Ken Page, Thom Sesma (who was such an impressive Sweeney Todd at the Rep many years ago), and Mr. Showbiz himself, the irrepressible Jason Graae. For more information, visit muny.org or call 314-361-1900.

St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of July 9, 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.

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Aladdin

The Muny presents the first Muny production of the Disney musical Aladdin nightly at 8:15 PM through Friday, July 13, in the outdoor theatre in Forest Park. For more information, visit muny.org or call 314-361-1900.

Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville Summer Showbiz presents Big River Wednesday through Saturday at 7:30 PM and Saturday and Sunday at 2 PM, July 11-15, in the Dunham Hall theater on the campus in Edwardsville, IL. For more information, call 618-650-2774

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.

The Fox on the Fairway

Insight Theatre Company presents the comedy The Fox on the Fairwaythrough July 15. 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. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

St. Louis Community College at Meramec Theatre Department presents Stephen Sondheim's musical Goldilocks and the Three Pigs Monday through Wednesday, July 9-11. Performances take place in the theatre on the campus at 11333 Big Bend Road. For more information, call 314-984-7500.

Broadway on the Driveway presents The Music Man Thursday through Saturday, July 12-14. Performances take place in the Bezemes Family Theatre at The J. Scheidegger Fine Arts Center on the campus of Lindenwood University, 2300 West Clay Street in St. Charles, MO. For more information, visit www.broadwayonthedriveway.com

St. Louis Writers' Group presents a reading of the new play Sparrow's Fall by Richard T. Young on Monday, July 9, at 6:30 PM at Big Daddy's, 1000 Sidney in Soulard. There's no admission charge; refreshments and food may be purchased from restaurant. For more information, visit www.stlwritersgroup.com, call 314-865-1296, or send an e-mail to farwemar at aol.com.

Hard Road Theatre presents Winnie the Pooh Kids Thursday through Sunday, July 12-15, at the Highland Elementary Auditorium, 1800 Lindenthal Avenue in Highland, IL. For more information, visit hardroad.org or call 618-654-7748.

Chuck's Choices for the weekend of July 6, 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:

Not the Muny's Aladdin, but you get the idea

The Muny presents the first Muny production of the Broadway musical Aladdin Thursday, July 5, through Friday, July 13 in the outdoor theatre in Forest Park. I'm not normally a big fan of the Muny. The atmosphere is too much like a baseball game and too little like a theatre for my tastes. They appear to be doing awfully good work these days, but you'd have to hold our dog for ransom to get me out to Forest Park in this unseasonal heat. A bunch of very talented performers will be sweating in that heat to entertain everyone, though, so for that reason alone I want to give them a nod this week. Besides, this being a Disney musical, you can probably expect some great songs, colorful sets and costumes, and even a bit of stage magic. For more information, visit muny.org or call 314-361-1900.

The Wine Press presents guitarist Mike Krysl and singer Shuana Sconce in an evening of cabaret on Saturday, July 7, from 8 to 11 PM. Shauna and Mike have been performing together for a while now and have developed a great rapport. She has a killer voice and he has great guitar chops along with a knack for truly inspired arrangements. The Wine Press is at 4436 Olive in the Central West End. For more information, visit stlwinepress.com.

Held over:

Union Avenue Opera presents Verdi's Un Ballo in Maschera (A Masked Ball) Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM, June 29-July 7. Performances take place at the Union Avenue Christian Church, 733 Union at Enright in the Central West End. The opera is sung in Italian with projected English text. I won't get to see this until Friday, but I'm singling it out because Union Avenue is almost always a company worth watching and because performances of thie work are relatively rare. For more information, visit unionavenueopera.org or call 314-361-2881.

St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of July 2, 2012

Updated Friday, July 6

[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.

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Not the Muny's Aladdin,
but you get the idea

The Muny presents the first Muny production of the Broadway musical Aladdin through Friday, July 13 in the outdoor theatre in Forest Park. For more information, visit muny.org or call 314-361-1900.

Clinton County Showcase presents the musical Aladdin Jr. through Sunday. Performances take place at the Avon Theater, 525 North 2nd Street Breese IL. For more information, visit ccshowcase.com.

Un Ballo in Maschera

Union Avenue Opera presents Verdi's Un Ballo in Maschera (A Masked Ball) Friday and Saturday at 8 PM. Performances take place at the Union Avenue Christian Church, 733 Union at Enright in the Central West End. The opera is sung in Italian with projected English text. For more information, visit unionavenueopera.org or call 314-361-2881.

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.

The Fox on the Fairway

Insight Theatre Company presents the comedy The Fox on the Fairway through July 15. 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 Wine Press presents guitarist Mike Krysl and singer Shuana Sconce in an evening of cabaret on Saturday from 8 to 11 PM. The Wine Press is at 4436 Olive in the Central West End. For more information, visit stlwinepress.com.

Chuck's Choices for the weekend of June 29, 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:

Ain't Misbehavin'

Stages St. Louis presents the "Fats" Waller musical Ain't Misbehavin' through Sunday. Performances take place in the Robert G. Reim Theatre at the Kirkwood Community Center, 111 South Geyer Road in Kirkwood. This lively tour of songs made popular by Thomas "Fats" Waller has always been a favorite of mine and the Stages production is apparently a good one. In her review for KDHX, Sheila Schultz says the show "overflows with rhythm and vigor." For more information, visit stagesstlouis.org or call 314-821-2407.

Un Ballo in Maschera

Union Avenue Opera presents Verdi's Un Ballo in Maschera (A Masked Ball) Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM, June 29-July 7. Performances take place at the Union Avenue Christian Church, 733 Union at Enright in the Central West End. The opera is sung in Italian with projected English text. I won't get to see this until next weekend, but I'm singling it out because Union Avenue is almost always a company worth watching and because performances of thie work are relatively rare. For more information, visit unionavenueopera.org or call 314-361-2881.

Chicago

The Muny presents the first Muny production of the Broadway musical Chicago  through Sunday at 8:15 PM in the outdoor theatre in Forest Park. The last time the Muny put Chicago on stage was when they paid the original Broadway cast to bring the show here in the early 1970s, only to censor the words they thought were offensive, thereby making St. Louis a laughing stock and providing a hilarious story for those of us who witnessed the debacle. Apparently they have learned their lesson. In his review for 88.1 KDHX, Bob Mitchell says director and choreographer Denis Jones "does a superb job of transferring Chicago to the huge Muny stage, always keeping this bright and bubbly, while not glossing over the very human feelings of the characters." For more information, visit muny.org or call 314-361-1900.

Stray Dog Theatre presents a staged reading of the new play Dispersion by Joël Henning Doty Thursday through Saturday at 8 PM. Performances take place at The Tower Grove Abbey, 2336 Tennessee. OK, I'm being a bit self-serving here since I'm in the cast, but mine is the smallest part and the rest of the actors are really quite good. You'll recognize two of them from Stray Dog's remarkable Angels in America. Besides, new works by local authors are always something to be encouraged and you can't beat the price (free). For more information, visit straydogtheatre.org or call 314-865-1995.

Held over:

OnSite Productions presents Bowling Epiphany - The Revival! by Carter Lewis through Saturday. Performances take place at Epiphany Lanes, 3164 Ivanhoe Avenue. OnSite's mission—unique in St. Louis as far as I know—is to present site-specific theatre pieces. This set of one-acts with bowling themes is a classic example of their unusal approach to theatre. In his review for 88.1 KDHX, Robert Mitchell describes the show as "fast, funny, fluffy fun, perfect for a summer's night spent in a bowling alley!" For more information, visit onsitetheatre.org or call 314-686-0062.

St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of June 25, 2012

Updated Wednesday, June 27

[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.

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Ain't Misbehavin'

Stages St. Louis presents the "Fats" Waller musical Ain't Misbehavin' through July 1. 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!

Riverside Shakespeare Theatre Company presents Shakespeare's As You Like It, directed by Dr. Judy E. Yordon, in Frontier Park in St. Charles through July 1. Performances are at 8 PM with a closing matinee at 2 PM. The opening act by Monkey Tales Theatre, a local non-profit children's theater company, begins one half-hour before each show. For more information, you may visit riversidetheatreco.org or send email to riversideshakespeare at gmail.com.

Un Ballo in Maschera

Union Avenue Opera presents Verdi's Un Ballo in Maschera (A Masked Ball) Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM, June 29-July 7. Performances take place at the Union Avenue Christian Church, 733 Union at Enright in the Central West End. The opera is sung in Italian with projected English text. For more information, visit unionavenueopera.org or call 314-361-2881.

OnSite Productions presents Bowling Epiphany - The Revival! by Carter Lewis through June 30. Performances take place at Epiphany Lanes, 3164 Ivanhoe Avenue. For more information, visit onsitetheatre.org or call 314-686-0062. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

First Run Theatre presents Neville Mur's Brooklyn Bagatelle Fridays through Sundays through July 1. 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. 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.

Chicago

The Muny presents the first Muny production of the Broadway musical Chicago Monday through Sunday at 8:15 PM, June 25-July 1, in the outdoor theatre in Forest Park. For more information, visit muny.org or call 314-361-1900. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

The Theatre Guild of Webster Groves presents Cinderella Thursday through Sunday, June 28-July 1. Performances take place in the Guild theatre at Newport and Summit in Webster Groves, MO. For more information, visit theaterguildwg.org or call 314-962-0876.

Marble Stage Fairy Tale Theatre presents Cinderella Investigated Saturdays at noon through June 30 at Southampton Presbyterian Church, 4716 Lackland. For more information, call 314-437-0846 or visit www.marblestage.org.

Stray Dog Theatre presents a staged reading of the new play Dispersion by Joël Henning Doty Thursday through Saturday at 8 PM, June 28-30. Performances take place at The Tower Grove Abbey, 2336 Tennessee. The cast includes 88.1 KDHX's own Chuck Lavazzi. For more information, visit straydogtheatre.org or call 314-865-1995.

The Hawthorne Players present Hawthorne Goes Classical (Lightly) on Saturday, June 30, at 8 PM. “This benefit concert, directed by Paul Morris, will feature the 50-piece Hawthorne Orchestra and sixteen vocalists in a program of light classical music, including works by Gilbert and Sullivan, Puccini, Verdi, Tchaikovsky and Ralph Vaughan Williams.” The performance takes 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 Jungle Book

Stages St. Louis presents the musical The Jungle Book through July 1. 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!

St. Lou Fringe Report: The Amazing Barry

Who: The Amazing Barry
What: Almost Reality
When: June 21-24, 2012
Where: The Kranzberg Center black box at the St. Lou Fringe Festival

As some of you may know, I got my start in show biz in my teen years as a magician. I performed with a local variety troupe, joined the Society of American Magicians, and even got a trophy at an SAM convention for my comedy card act. Most of that has fallen by the wayside over the years, but I have never lost my fascination with stage magic in general and sleight of hand in particular.

I point all this out so you’ll understand that when I say that The Amazing Barry is not only an entertaining performer but a solid technician as well, y’all know I’m not just setting off flash paper.

The Amazing Barry is an informal comedy magician in the Harry Anderson mode. His entire act fits into a small brief case which doubles as a table and relies heavily on card tricks, spiked with classics like the razor–blade swallowing effect made famous by Houdini—an illusion which continues to creep me out, even though I know it’s not as dangerous as it looks.

There are also a couple of stunts. One of them—inserting himself into a giant balloon and then doing a card trick—is apparently an Amazing Barry trademark. The other—walking on broken glass in bare feet—is an old carnival standby, but still as effective as hell. Sometimes you just can’t beat the classics.

The Amazing Barry’s “Almost Reality” is an all-ages show, which means you can bring the kids and know a fine time will be had by all. If you sit in the front two rows you might end up as an on-stage volunteer and get a kiss (Hershey’s variety) from Barry as a reward.

For more information on the St. Lou Fringe Festival, including a complete performance schedule, visit stlfringe.com.

St. Lou Fringe Report: St. Louis Osuwa Taiko

Who: St. Louis Osuwa Taiko
What: Osuwa taiko drumming
When: June 21-24, 2012
Where: Nash Motor Company at the St. Lou Fringe Festival

The origins of the Japanese taiko tradition can be found in outdoor and large-space ceremonies as well as on the battlefield, where the massive drums were used to motivate troops. That means taiko is nothing if not loud, so when the energetic young performers of St. Louis Osuwa cut loose in the relatively intimate performance space at the Nash Motor Company, it’s enough to make your sinuses vibrate.

The troupe isn’t just about volume, of course. Their performance is a lively mix of drumming, chant, and choreographed movement. Add in the colorful costumes and you have a show with a strong visual appeal to go along with the auditory and visceral impact of those drums.

Most important of all, though, is obvious joy St. Louis Osuwa Taiko’s members take in the entire process. You might come out of the Nash with a bit of temporary high frequency hearing loss, but if you don’t also come out with a smile on your face you’re a bigger curmudgeon than I am. You might even want to consider buying one of their CDs.

You’ll definitely want to see St. Louis Osuwa Taiko at the Fringe, but take my advice: stop by your local drug store and pick up a pair of earplugs. Your eardrums will thank you for it.

For more information on the St. Lou Fringe Festival, including a complete performance schedule, visit stlfringe.com.

St. Lou Fringe Report: The Artist's Art

Who: Ω Productions
What: The Artist’s Art
Where: The St. Lou Fringe Festival
When: Friday, June 22, 10 PM; Saturday, June 23, 7 PM; Sunday, June 24, 2:30 PM

The Artist’s Art is really two experiences in one. For the first twenty minutes, you’re invited to create some art of your own. You can draw on the paper tablecloths covering the tales in the Kranzberg Center’s cabaret space, you can make something with modeling clay in the construction area in the center of the room, or you can use the water-soluble paint provided to paint a picture on one of the easels on the stage.

In the second half of the show, three fine actors (unnamed, I’m sorry to say; there was no program) perform a one-act play that asks some provocative questions about art and our relationship to it, using the works the audience has just created as props. The play is pretty smart stuff, playing with the balance between artist and audience with snappy dialog. It also plays literal head games: when the characters swap hats, they also partly swap identities. A classic bit of physical comedy with a painting leads to the punch line and a blackout. Entertaining stuff, and just long enough to make some points without belaboring them.

If you’re curious as to what medium I chose to work in, the answer is: modeling clay. I’m including a picture of my magnum opus here. It’s supposed to be Fred Astaire.

Well, I never said I was an artist.

The Artist’s Art is being presented in the Kranzberg Center’s cabaret space as part of the St. Lou Fringe Festival. For a complete schedule, you may visit stlfringe.com

St. Lou Fringe Report: Osgood Rex

Who: Project Wonder Meant
What: Osgood Rex
Where: The St. Lou Fringe Festival
When: Saturday, June 23, 8:30 PM; Sunday, June 24, 2:30 PM

Joshua Cook’s comedy Osgood Rex takes the classic tale of Oedipus Rex—or at least its outline—and drops it into the two-dimensional world of a classic black and white cartoon.

Osgood the Scrappy Squirrel is the king of Toonland until the rights to draw him are stolen from his creator, Eckhart Unger, and hack writers dull his comic edge. From Osgood’s point of view, the gods have abandoned him. With the help of his girl friend Mitzi Minx, the embittered former star Eggs the Cat, and the inebriated prophecies of Tipsy Toucan, he sets out to find out why—or get erased in the process.

The dialog neatly punctures the high-falutin’ English of translated ancient Greek while taking satirical pot shots at both theatrical and cartoon conventions. There are even mock-1920s musical numbers (hey, this is a cartoon, after all), including a "Minnie the Moocher" pastiche for the Chorus's big lamentation scene, to appropriately scratchy record-sounding ukulele accompaniment. There’s no composer credited, so I’m going to assume those neat little touches came from music director Kristin McGuire.

The performance I saw on the first day of the Festival was a bit scrappy in spots and the unison mock Greek chorus wasn’t as unison as it could have been, but that’s minor stuff. This was an entertaining production of a clever and inventive script by a strong cast. I especially liked Nicole Angeli’s liberated Mitzi Minx, Alan C. David’s Dean Martin-ish Tipsy Toucan, Christine Johnson’s Osgood (he’s a cartoon character, so naturally he has to have a high voice), and Chad Little’s sympathetic Eckhart, but they’re all fine actors.

Project Wonder Meant’s Osgood Rex is being presented in the Kranzberg Center’s black box theatre as part of the St. Lou Fringe Festival. For a complete schedule, you may visit stlfringe.com

Chuck's choices for the weekend of June 22, 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:

OnSite Productions presents Bowling Epiphany - The Revival! by Carter Lewis through June 30. Performances take place at Epiphany Lanes, 3164 Ivanhoe Avenue. OnSite's mission—unique in St. Louis as far as I know—is to present site-specific theatre pieces. This set of one-acts with bowling themes is a classic example of their unusal approach to theatre. In his review for 88.1 KDHX, Robert Mitchell describes the show as "fast, funny, fluffy fun, perfect for a summer's night spent in a bowling alley!" For more information, visit onsitetheatre.org or call 314-686-0062.

"The Fringe is Near!"

The St. Lou Fringe Festival takes place Thursday through Sunday, June 21-24, at several venues in the Grand Center area including the Kranzberg Arts Center, the rock club Fubar, and the Nash Motor Building. Performances include traditional theater, dance, music, comedy, circus arts, performance art, magic and burlesque, with acts from St. Louis and around the country. I'll be one of a group of critics covering the festival and I have to say the variety of performers and groups is pretty impressive. All of us critical types will be naming our favorites at the Monday, June 25th, wrap-up party at Plush on Locust a block west of Compton; come on over and sit in. Fringeland opens at 3 PM on Thursday at Friday and at 10 AM on Saturday and Sunday; performances start an hour after opening and continue until around 11 PM, followed by after parties.  For a complete schedule, visit stlfringe.com.

Held over:

Kendall Gladen

Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents Bizet's Carmen in rotating repertory with three other operas through June 23. Performances take place at the Loretto-Hilton Center at 135 Edgar Road on the Webster University campus. The production is set in the 1940s, with the look of classic film noir, all the way down to the black and white costume and set designs and an opening cinematic credit sequence. The concept doesn't always work, but it succeeds often enough to be worth seeing.  Besides, you won't want to miss St. Louis's own Kendall Gladen's smoky performance in the title role and the great work by conductor Carlos Izcaray and the St. Louis Symphony musicians. For more details, check out my review for 88.1 KDHX. All performances are sung in English with projected English text, although the chorus enunciates so clearly it's rarely necessary. For more information, you may visit experienceopera.org or call 314-961-0644.

Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents Mozart's Cosi fan Tutte in rotating repertory with three other operas through June 22. 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. As I noted in my review for 88.1 KDHX, I don't think director Michael Shell has completely solved the problems posed for modern audiences by Da Ponte's casually misogynistic libretto, but at least he tries, and the cast, chorus, and orchestra are just splendid.  For more information, you may visit experienceopera.org or call 314-961-0644

New Line Theatre presents the rock musical High Fidelity Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 PM through June 21. Performances take place at the Washington University South Campus Theatre, 6501 Clayton Road. In his review for 88.1 KDHX, Robert Mitchell says "if rockin’ music with a good story is your idea of great entertainment, plan on seeing New Line’s High Fidelity." I'd add that you could hardly ask for a better cast than this one. For more information, call 314-534-1111.

Sweeney prepares Judge Turpin
for a close shave

Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents Sondheim's Sweeney Todd in rotating repertory with three other operas through June 24. Performances take place at the Loretto-Hilton Center at 135 Edgar Road on the Webster University campus. I've been waiting for many years for Opera Theatre to take a crack at this most operatic of all Sondheim's musical theatre works. Director Ron Daniels and set designer Riccardo Hernandez have made of couple of missteps (see my review for 88.1 KDHX for details) but on the whole this is the Sweeney Todd many of us have been waiting for. All performances are sung in English with projected English text. For more information, you may visit experienceopera.org or call 314-961-0644.

Nino and Yo-Yo

Circus Flora presents its brand new show, The Wizard: Merlin and the Legends of King Arthur, through June 24 under the air-conditioned, red-and-white, big top tent in Grand Center next to Powell Hall. Sadly, I'm going to miss Circus Flora this year but it past seasons (and Connie Bollinger's review for 88.1 KDHX) are any indication, there will be fun for all. For more information, visit circusflora.org.