St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of October 14, 2024

What's on St. Louis theater and cabaret stages this coming week. Please leave a comment if anything was wrong or got left out

Albion Theatre Company presents Lungs by Duncan MacMillan October 18 through November 3. “Climate change, overpopulation, war, and political division. Why would anyone want to bring a baby into this world? Successful English playwright Macmillan addresses these issues in this “off-kilter love story (that) is brutally honest, funny, edgy and current” (The Guardian). It will be presented using its original British script.” Performances take place in the Black Box Theatre at the Kranzberg Center, 501 N. Grand in Grand Center. For more information: albiontheatrestl.org.

Joe Iconis

The Blue Strawberry presents Joe Iconis with Special Guest Alex Ferrara on Friday and Saturday, October 18 and 19, at 7:30 pm. “In a rare piano-only show, Tony-nominated musical theater writer and performer Joe Iconis (Be More Chill, Signature Theatre’s upcoming The Untitled Unauthorized Hunter S. Thompson Musical) will perform an intimate set of original tunes, brand new material from shows in the works, explosive singalongs, and a whole lot of banging on the ol’ piano. Come knock back a stiff one, have a good old-fashioned cry, share a laugh with a stranger, and shake off your dust with contemporary musical theater’s favorite maverick writer. ” The Blue Strawberry is at 364 N. Boyle. For more information: bluestrawberrystl.com.

The Blue Strawberry presents a Master Class in Performance for Musical Theater and Concert/Cabaret with singer Joe Iconis on Saturday, October 19, at 1:00 pm. “You are invited to take part in a performance master class with Joe Iconis, the illustrious and iconoclastic composer/lyricist of Be More Chill, Broadway Bounty Hunter, Love in Hate Nation, and Bloodsong of Love. Get invaluable notes, tips and pointers from Joe about your performance of his work. Or just come and observe, and get a behind-the-curtain glimpse at the kind of work it takes to be a performer. Scott Miller, artistic director of New Line Theatre, producer of the regional premiere of Be More Chill in 2019, will also be on hand for a short interview with Joe about the process of writing a show and bringing it to the stage.” The Blue Strawberry is at 364 N. Boyle. For more information: bluestrawberrystl.com.

Clayton Community Theatre presents Tennessee Williams’s Night of the Iguana, Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 pm and Sundays at 2 pm, October 17 through 27. “Reverend T. Lawrence Shannon is a minister recently fallen from grace and expelled from his congregation for a "nervous breakdown," who travels to 1940s Mexico to work as a travel guide. Among his group of tourists, however, is a 16-year-old girl, Charlotte Goodall, with whom Shannon has recently been accused of an inappropriate relationship. Meanwhile, his friend and motel owner Maxine Faulk sees in Shannon an escape for her loneliness following the death of her husband, Fred. The situation is only complicated further by the arrival of Hannah Jelks, a spinster from Nantucket, and her father, Nonno, a renowned poet in failing health who is attempting to compose what will be his final work. As Shannon and Jelks develop a deep bond, Maxine's jealousies get the best of her.” Performances take place at the Washington University South Campus Theatre, 6501 Clayton Rd. For more information: www.placeseveryone.org.

Am I Dangerous?
Photo: Carolee Carmelita

Contraband Theatre presents Am I Dangerous? by St. Louis playwright, e.k. doolin Wednesdays through Saturdays at 7:30pm through October 26. “All of her life, sixteen-year-old Philoten has been told about dangerous women. Those who flaunt their bodies. Those who are different. Those who do not follow the rules. And she’s tried, so hard, not to be dangerous. But then, something really awful happens. A few things, actually, but one of them is unforgivable and forces her to ask the question of herself, Am I Dangerous? Am I Dangerous? springboards off ancient questing stories like Shakespeare’s Pericles, creating a brand-new fem-tagonist origin story with themes around coming of age, familial reconciliation, bodily autonomy, and cultivation of the native and natural biosphere.” Performances take place at The Chapel, 6238 Alexander Drive in Clayton. For more information: www.contrabandtheatre.org.

First Run Theatre Writers’ Workshop presents a reading of The Bhutto Project by Dennis Corcoran and Naveed Moeed on Monday, October 14, at 6:30 pm. “The Bhutto Project is named after Benazir Bhutto , the first female Prime Minister of Pakistan who was assassinated while campaigning for her 3rd term in office in 2007. The Bhutto Project tells a fictionalized version of the nation's continued progress – and setbacks – through the eyes and lives of two young girls from Pakistan’s Swat Valley who, like their historical counterpart, Malala Yousafzai, and so many others, found the courage and strength to persevere.” The reading takes place at Square One Brewery in Lafayette Square. For more information: firstruntheatre.org.

Metro Theatre Company presents An Unlikely Hero by Emilio Rodriguez Friday at 7:00 pm, Saturday at 10:30 am and 2 pm, and Sunday at 2 pm, October 18-20. “In a world of heroes and villains, where do you belong? Jordan doesn’t fit in at school and spends every free moment immersed in comic books. A sudden invitation to attend Haven High, a school for superheroes, sends Jordan on a journey of self-discovery to find their place in the world. Is Jordan doomed to be a villain or will they prove to be a superhero after all? Best enjoyed by ages 6 and up. Approximate run time is 70 minutes with no intermission.” Performances take place at the Missouri History Museum in Forest Park. For more information: www.metroplays.org.

Riverside Theatre Project presents Shakespeare’s Macbeth Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm and Sundays at 2 pm, October 18 through 27. "Three witches tell the Scottish general Macbeth that he will be King of Scotland. Encouraged by his wife, Macbeth kills the king, becomes the new king, and kills more people out of paranoia. Civil war erupts to overthrow Macbeth, resulting in more death." Performances take place at the historic Showboat Theatre in Hermann, Missouri. For mor information: www.riversidetheatreproject.com.

 

Ragtime
Photo: Phillip Hamer

Stages St. Louis presents the musical Ragtime through October 20. “At the dawn of a new century, everything is changing and anything is possible. A sweeping musical portrait of early twentieth-century America, RAGTIME, tells the story of three families united by courage, compassion, and a belief in not only the American dream, but the promise of tomorrow. Told through a dazzling array of musical styles from the era, this Tony Award-Winning musical is bursting with emotion and hope as the surprising interconnections of the heart are discovered and history’s timeless contradictions of wealth and poverty, freedom and prejudice, and hope and despair are confronted.” Performances take place at the Kirkwood Performing Arts Center in Kirkwood, MO. For more information: stagesstlouis.org.

Nevermore
Photo: John Lamb

Stray Dog Theatre presents the musical Nevermore: The Imaginary Life and Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 through November 2, with an additional performance  at 2 pm on Sunday October 20. “This unique and wildly theatrical experience combines haunting music and poetic storytelling to chronicle the fascinating life of iconic American writer Edgar Allan Poe. At once gorgeous and grotesque, Nevermore explores the events that shaped Poe’s character and career, blurring the lines between fact and fiction—after all, as Poe himself writes, “All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream.”” Performances take place at Tower Grove Abbey, 2336 Tennessee in Tower Grove East. For more information: www.straydogtheatre.org.

Upstream Theater presents the professional premiere of Spanish playwright Pedro Calderón de la Barca's Life is a Dream in a new translation by G.J. Racz, October 18, 19, 24, 25, 26, 31 and November 1, 2 at 8:00 pm; October 20 at 7:00 pm; and October 27 and November 3 at 2:00 pm. “Pedro Calderón de la Barca's best-known drama follows the journey of Prince Segismundo, who was imprisoned at birth due to a prophecy. As he grapples with his newfound freedom within a world of court intrigue, Segismundo ponders the nature of his existence and the power of his own choices. A play of enduring relevance in an age filled with political uncertainty.” Performances take place at The Marcelle in Grand Center. For more information: www.upstreamtheater.org.

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

To get your event listed here, send an email to chuck at kdhx.org Your event information should be in text format (i.e. not part of a graphic), but feel free to include publicity stills.

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

St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of October 7, 2024

What's on St. Louis theater and cabaret stages this coming week. Please leave a comment if anything was wrong or got left out

The Alpha Players present the musical She Loves Me Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm and Sunday (October 13 only) at 2 pm, through October 13. “In a charming 1930’s perfume shop, two salesclerks spar endlessly, saving their sweetest words for an anonymous pen pal. Unbeknownst to them, their “dear friend” happens to be each other! Featuring the joyful title song and other melt-your-heart songs, you can leave your worries behind with this romantic, effervescent & witty musical.” Performances take place in the James J. Eagen Center in Florissant. For more information: www.alphaplayers.org

Contraband Theatre presents Am I Dangerous? by St. Louis playwright, e.k. doolin Wednesdays through Saturdays at 7:30pm,  October 9 through 26. “All of her life, sixteen-year-old Philoten has been told about dangerous women. Those who flaunt their bodies. Those who are different. Those who do not follow the rules. And she’s tried, so hard, not to be dangerous. But then, something really awful happens. A few things, actually, but one of them is unforgivable and forces her to ask the question of herself, Am I Dangerous? Am I Dangerous? springboards off ancient questing stories like Shakespeare’s Pericles, creating a brand-new fem-tagonist origin story with themes around coming of age, familial reconciliation, bodily autonomy, and cultivation of the native and natural biosphere.” Performances take place at The Chapel, 6238 Alexander Drive in Clayton. For more information: www.contrabandtheatre.org.

The Gaslight Theater and Michael Madden Productions present the St. Louis premiere of “Red Jasper,” an original play by St. Louis playwright Michael Madden and directed by Suki Peters, running through October 13 at The Gaslight Theater in the Central West End. “How come people don’t know the right thing to do or say when someone has Cancer? Isadora is an indelicate, sarcastic survivor with a hidden vulnerability whose breast cancer has returned and who doesn't hesitate to educate people on how to act around her. During her treatment, she meets Tom, an affable, attractive man who regularly manages to disappoint, anger and intrigue her.” Proceeds from ticket sales will benefit Siteman Cancer Center and the Alzheimer’s Association Greater Missouri Chapter. For tickets and information, visit gaslighttheater.net.

The Midnight Company presents Final Dress, written and directed by Hanrahan, Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 pm, October 10 through 12. “Kelly Howe portrays a transplanted New Yorker, here in the Midwest ostensibly to continue her Cabaret career.  With her Music Director, played by Paul Cereghino, she is rehearsing one more time for her premiere performance.  But their rehearsal time is interrupted by a visitor (Hanrahan) from her East Coast past - come to collect for the debts and damage she’s left behind. She’s forced to sing for her life - using her music, her art, to temper the critical situation.” Performances take place at The Greenfinch Theater, 2525 S. Jefferson.  Performances take place at The Greenfinch Theater, 2525 S. Jefferson. For more information: www.midnightcompany.com

Dial M for Murder
Photo: Jon Gitchoff

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents the thriller Dial M for Murder through October 13. “Step into the shadows of a meticulously planned murder. In the elegant home of Tony and Margot Wendice, a sinister game of cat and mouse unfolds. Tony, a calculating mastermind, plots to kill his wife for her inheritance, fueled by revenge and greed. When his perfect plan spirals into chaos, a web of lies and deceit is spun, threatening to ensnare the innocent. Join the relentless Inspector Hubbard as he unravels the twisted truth. Will Tony’s trap hold, or will justice be served? Experience the suspense and intrigue of Dial “M” for Murder, a play that will leave you breathless until the final curtain falls.” Performances take on the main stage of the Loretto-Hilton Center on the Webster University campus. For more information: www.repstl.org.

Ragtime
Photo: Phillip Hamer

Stages St. Louis presents the musical Ragtime through October 20. “At the dawn of a new century, everything is changing and anything is possible. A sweeping musical portrait of early twentieth-century America, RAGTIME, tells the story of three families united by courage, compassion, and a belief in not only the American dream, but the promise of tomorrow. Told through a dazzling array of musical styles from the era, this Tony Award-Winning musical is bursting with emotion and hope as the surprising interconnections of the heart are discovered and history’s timeless contradictions of wealth and poverty, freedom and prejudice, and hope and despair are confronted.” Performances take place at the Kirkwood Performing Arts Center in Kirkwood, MO. For more information: stagesstlouis.org.

Stray Dog Theatre presents the musical Nevermore: The Imaginary Life and Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe Thursdays through Saturdays at 8, October 10 through November 2, with an additional performance  at 2 pm on Sunday October 20. “This unique and wildly theatrical experience combines haunting music and poetic storytelling to chronicle the fascinating life of iconic American writer Edgar Allan Poe. At once gorgeous and grotesque, Nevermore explores the events that shaped Poe’s character and career, blurring the lines between fact and fiction—after all, as Poe himself writes, “All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream.”” Performances take place at Tower Grove Abbey, 2336 Tennessee in Tower Grove East. For more information: www.straydogtheatre.org.

The Turn of the Screw

West End Players Guild presents The Turn of the Screw by Jeffrey Hatcher, based on the novel by Henry James, through October 13. “A young governess has one rule in caring for her charges -- do not contact their guardian. No matter what she sees, no matter what they do.” Performances take place at the Union Avenue Christian Church, 733 Union in the Central West End. For more information: westendplayers.org

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

To get your event listed here, send an email to chuck at kdhx.org Your event information should be in text format (i.e. not part of a graphic), but feel free to include publicity stills.

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

Symphony Review: The SLSO honors musical nomads in the season opener

“A wandering minstrel I,” sings Nanki-Poo as he introduces himself in “The Mikado”; “A thing of shreds and patches.”

You wouldn’t call the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra “a thing of shreds and patches,” but with Music Director Stéphane Denève at the podium for the opening concert of the season last Sunday they were certainly doing some musical wandering. Certainly the first half of the program paid considerable homage to those famous wanderers, the Roma, with concert standards inspired by Hungarian folk tunes and the “Nomad Concerto” by Mason Bates.

Stéphane Denève
Photo: Dilip Vishwanat

Which is rather appropriate for an orchestra that will continue to lead a nomadic existence until the renovation of Powell Hall is completed next fall.

Things got off to an energetic start with a rousing performance of the “Rákóczi March”, a.k.a. the “Marche hongroise” from Part I of  the 1846 opera/oratorio hybrid “La damnation de Faust” (“The Damnation of Faust”) by Hector Berlioz (1803–1869). It’s the sort of orchestral showpiece that never fails to get an enthusiastic response—which it did.

Up next was another favorite, a set of the “Hungarian Dances by Johannes Brahms (1833–1897). Originally composed for piano duet and published in four sets between 1869 and 1880, the dances were orchestrated by various composers, including Brahms. Denève selected the three that the composer orchestrated (Nos. 1, 3, and 10) and played them attacca—i.e., without pause.

It was a smart choice, highlighting the contrast between the energetic first and tenth dances (marked Allegro molto and Presto, respectively) and the more introspective third (Allegretto). The result was a kind of “mini suite” that showed off both the composer’s orchestration and the virtuosity of the band. I was very taken with the flutes (including Ebonee Thomas, who seemed to be holding down the currently vacant Principal position for this concert) in the Dance No. 1, and the playful oboes and bassoons (under Associate Principals Phil Ross and Andy Gott, respectively) were a delight in Dance No. 3.  

Denève gave the dances the “full Roma” treatment, with just the right touches of rubato evoking the music’s folk origins.

The first half concluded with the “Nomad Concerto” by Mason Bates (b. 1977), composed for and premiered in January 2024 by this weekend’s soloist, violinist Gil Shaham. “Envisioned to showcase the legendary Old World sound of Gil Shaham,” writes Bates at his web site, “the concerto is informed by a diverse range of traveling cultures from Eastern Europe to the Middle East.”

Gil Shaham
Photo: Chris Lee

Running just under 30 minutes, the four-movement concerto is, as promised, an ideal virtuoso vehicle for Shaham. The last time I saw him with SLSO in January 2017 I praised his singing tone and the obvious joy of his playing. That’s still true, but this time I was also impressed by the versatility he displayed in delivering the wide range of sounds Bates has written for him. In the first movement (“Song of the balloon man”) his was wistfully Chaplinesque. He and the orchestra exchanged rapid-fire motifs in the brief “Magician at the bazaar” in a way that summoned up visions of flash paper going off all over the string section.  The third movement (“Desert vision: oasis) used the orchestra’s lower voices to suggest an arid expanse of wilderness, with the violin offering brief relief in the form of a yearning  version of the Jewish folk tune “Ani Ma’amin” (“I believe”).

Shaham and the band really cut loose, though, in the concluding movement, “Le jazz manouche.” Inspired by the sound of the legendary 1930s–1940s jazz combo Quintette du Hot Club de France—especially guitarist Django Reinhardt and violinist Stéphane Grappelli—the score has the soloist and orchestra trading licks the way an actual combo would. Shaham and the first violins seemed to be having an especially good time playing off each other here. Will James on jazz percussion and Peter Henderson on piano added considerably to the period atmosphere.

As much as I loved Shaham’s performance, though, I found it difficult to become involved with Bates’s score.  It felt more like a quasi-Impressionist collection of motifs that suggested but never really achieved the status of themes. It reminded me a bit of Debussy, except without the melodies and harmonic infrastructure.

The concert concluded with the Big Event, Berlioz’s splendiferous 1830 “Symphonie Fantastique.” Denève and the orchestra played this wildly hallucinatory work (Leonard Bernstein once dubbed it "the first psychedelic symphony in history”) back in 2019, as the closer of his last concert as Music Director Designate (he became the official MD that fall). At the time I described Denève’s interpretation as consistently engrossing, filled with interesting details (something that would prove to be a hallmark of his work on the podium) and concluding with a downright hair-raising final two movements. I’m repeating myself here because all of that still applies to what we experienced last Sunday.

The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra season continues October 4th and 6th at the Touhill Performing Arts Center; check out my preview for more information or head over to the SLSO web site.

This article originally appeared at 88.1 KDHX, where Chuck Lavazzi is the senior performing arts critic.

Symphony Preview: There and back again

Guest conductor Cristian Măcelaru and the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra have a quick trip through time and space this weekend (Friday and Sunday, October 4 and 6), with music that zaps you from 19th century Bohemia to 20th and 21st century South America and then back again. Don’t worry, it won’t make you dizzy—although the music might be intoxicating.

Anton and Anna Dvořák in London, 1886
en.wikipedia.org

This week, I’m going to try something different with the symphony preview. I have been doing these for years and thought I’d change the format a bit and make it more concise. Let me know what you think by leaving a comment on the version of this that appears on my blog.

The concert opens with the “Carnival” concert overture, Op. 92, by Antonín  Dvořák (1841–1904). The composer originally intended it to be the second of three overtures with the blanket title “Nature, Life, and Love” but his publisher persuaded him to issue the three works separately. So the first movement, “Nature,” became “In Nature’s Realm” (Op. 91), “Life” became “Carnival,” and “Love” became “Othello” (Op. 93).  Even with their separate titles, though, the three overtures share a common “nature” theme that shows up at the beginning of “In Nature’s Realm” and in the middle of “Carnival.”

Listen to The Academy of St. Martin in the Fields under Neville Marriner. The “nature” theme shows up at 4:20 in this recording.

Next, it’s off to Peru by way of the USA for the “Concertino Cusqueño” by Gabriela Lena Frank (b. 1972), a contemporary North American composer with whose Peruvian/Chinese mother left her with a lifelong fascination with the music of Peru (among other locales). Founder of the Gabriela Lena Frank Creative Academy of Music, and a graduate of my alma mater, Rice University, Frank was Appointed Composer-in-Residence with the Philadelphia Orchestra in 2019, who first performed the “Concertino” in 2012. In her program notes, the composer writes that the work was “written to celebrate the fine players of the Philadelphia Orchestra on the eve of Yannick Nézet-Ségun’s inaugural season as Music Director, [and] finds inspiration in two unlikely bedfellows: Peruvian culture and British composer Benjamin Britten.”

Gabriela Lena Frank
Photo by Mariah Tauger

The former is represented musically by the first few notes of “Ccollanan María,” a religious song from Cusco, the original capital of the Inca empire, Tawantinsuyu. Britten is represented by the tympani motif from the opening of his Violin Concerto. Those two brief ideas get tossed around quite a bit in this brief (11 minutes) piece that prominently features the first-chair string players.

Watch a 2019 performance by the Thailand Philharmonic under Jeffrey Mayer on YouTube. The link starts at the 1:15 mark so you’re spared the spoken introduction. You can also see a 2004 setting by Frank of “Ccollanan María” by the chorus Sacred and Profane on YouTube. Neither of these was available on Spotify.

Up next is a work making its third appearance with the SLSO in recent years, the "Variaciones concertantes," op. 23, by the Argentine composer Alberto Ginastera (1916–1983). It takes the conventional theme and variations form and combines it with a concept that emerged mainly in the 20th century, the "concerto for orchestra"—a work in which each section of the ensemble gets an opportunity to take the spotlight.

Ginastera wrote the “Variaciones” in 1953, at a time when he was out of favor with the fascist Péron regime, losing his steady gig as director of the music conservatory of National University of La Plata. He made ends meet by scoring film and composing commissioned works like the “Variaciones.”  It was written for the Asociación Amigos de la Música in Buenos Aires, where Igor Markevitch conducted the premiere in June 1953.

Listen to the Norwegian Radio Orchestra under Miguel Harth-Bedoya on Spotify.

Alberto Ginastera
en.wikipedia.org

Finally it’s back to old Bohemia for the work that marked Dvořák’s emergence as an independent symphonic voice, the Symphony No. 6 in D major, Op. 60. “Every bar of this work shows him at the height of his maturity,” wrote Alec Robertson in his 1943 biography of the composer. “The village boy can move amongst the greats of the symphonic world with ease and assurance. He speaks their tongue, albeit with his own accent.”

Too true. This is music that speaks for itself. It brims over with bucolic charm and optimism, and if there’s more than a hint of Brahms’s D major symphony in the last movement, so what? It’s still 100% Dvořák. I defy anyone to emerge from a performance of this piece without a smile. “The only way we can eradicate darkness is by bringing light,” notes Măcelaru.

Amen to that.

Listen to the 1995 London Symphony Orchestra recording under Istvan Kertesz on my Spotify playlist.

The Essentials: Cristian Măcelaru leads the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra in Dvořák’s “Carnival” Overture and Symphony No. 6, along with Gabriela Lena Frank’s “Concertino Cusqueño” and Alberto Ginastera’s the "Variaciones concertantes.” Performances are Friday at 10:30 am and Sunday at 2 pm, October 4 and 6, at the Touhill Center on the University of Missouri–St. Louis campus. The Friday morning performance will be broadcast Saturday night (October 5) on St. Louis Public Radio and Classic 107.3.

This article originally appeared at 88.1 KDHX, where Chuck Lavazzi is the senior performing arts critic.

St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of September 30, 2024

What's on St. Louis theater and cabaret stages this coming week. Please leave a comment if anything was wrong or got left out

The Alpha Players present the musical She Loves Me Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm and Sunday (October 13 only) at 2 pm, October 4 through 13. “In a charming 1930’s perfume shop, two salesclerks spar endlessly, saving their sweetest words for an anonymous pen pal. Unbeknownst to them, their “dear friend” happens to be each other! Featuring the joyful title song and other melt-your-heart songs, you can leave your worries behind with this romantic, effervescent & witty musical.” Performances take place in the James J. Eagen Center in Florissant. For more information: www.alphaplayers.org

The Black Rep presents its newest Phoenix Rising Initiative, One Vote Won, an opera composed by Dave Ragland, on Friday, October 4, at 6 pm. "Commissioned in 2020 by Nashville Opera, One Vote Won centers around an African American woman in her 20s who is convinced that she does not need to vote - then she is visited by two hidden figures highlighting the stories of a suffragist and a Civil Rights activist. The evening will also feature a post-show conversation from the League of Women Voters." The free performance takes place at The Sun Theatre in Grand Center. For more information: www.theblackrep.org.

Journee Carter

The Blue Strawberry presents What a Journee with singer Journee Carter and pianist/music director Carol Schmidt on Saturday, October 5, at 7:30 pm.  “Join Journee Carter as she makes her cabaret debut in “What a Journee!” Using an eclectic mix of music from Freddie Mercury to Stephen Sondheim, and Andrew Lloyd Webber to Miley Cyrus, Carter takes us on an adventure of self discovery, finding your passion and making a family. A classically trained singer, who shifts seamlessly through musical genres, Journee will have you thinking, laughing, and dancing in your chairs!”The Blue Strawberry is at 364 N. Boyle. For more information: bluestrawberrystl.com.

The Blue Strawberry presents 7 Amazing Things with magician James Higround on Sunday, October 6, at 7:00 pm.  “Join James and your closest friends for a riveting journey through hilarious and inspiring magical feats. Seemingly ordinary people and objects will transform into the unexpected, on stage and in the audience's hands in this series of 7 amazing themes, each with a deep and motivating meaning.” The Blue Strawberry is at 364 N. Boyle. For more information: bluestrawberrystl.com.

Bread & Roses Missouri presents Workers' Opera 2024: Raise the Hope, Get Out and Vote at 7 pm Thursday and Friday, October 3 and 4. The work was created in collaboration with workers and activists. Performances take place at LiUNA Event Center on Thursday and at Metro Theater Company on Friday. The production is supported by Laborers 110. For more information: cur8.com/projects/breadandrosesmo

Back to the Future
Photo by Matthew Murphy and Even Zimmerman

The Fabulous Fox presents the Back to the Future: The Musical through October 6. "When Marty McFly finds himself transported back to 1955 in a time machine built by the eccentric scientist Doc Brown, he accidentally changes the course of history. Now he’s in a race against time to fix the present, escape the past, and send himself... back to the future. When Back to the Future hits 88mph, it’ll change musical theatre history forever.”   The Fabulous Fox is on North Grand in Grand Center. For more information: fabulousfox.com.

The Gaslight Theater and Michael Madden Productions present the St. Louis premiere of “Red Jasper,” an original play by St. Louis playwright Michael Madden and directed by Suki Peters, running October 4-13 at The Gaslight Theater in the Central West End. “How come people don’t know the right thing to do or say when someone has Cancer? Isadora is an indelicate, sarcastic survivor with a hidden vulnerability whose breast cancer has returned and who doesn't hesitate to educate people on how to act around her. During her treatment, she meets Tom, an affable, attractive man who regularly manages to disappoint, anger and intrigue her.” Proceeds from ticket sales will benefit Siteman Cancer Center and the Alzheimer’s Association Greater Missouri Chapter. For tickets and information, visit gaslighttheater.net.

The Midnight Company presents Now Playing Third Base for The St. Louis Cardinals…Bond, James Bond, written and performed by Joe Hanrahan, Friday and Saturday at 7:30 pm and Sunday at 2 pm, October 4 – 6. “The play has been seen twice in St. Louis, but this year marks the 60th Anniversary of when the show takes place, 1964.  In it Hanrahan tells of that momentous year, when we were still reeling from the Kennedy assassination, but then The Beatles came along and some hope entered our lives. with more hope arriving with one of the most sensational movies of all time, and then the St. Louis Cardinals started catching our eye and then…There’s more and it’s all wrapped up in a script that insists that the play is not really about any of the aforementioned, it’s about the theatre.  And specifically, one man theatre.” Performances take place at The Greenfinch Theater, 2525 S. Jefferson. For more information: www.midnightcompany.com

American Idiot
Photo: Jill Ritter Lindbergh

New Line Theatre presents the rock musical American Idiot, based on the album by Green Day, through October 5. “Lost and disconnected in a post-9/11 America, three friends, Johnny, Tunny and Will, struggle to find meaning in their lives. The three men flee the constraints of their hometown for the thrills of city life, but their paths quickly diverge as Tunny enters the armed forces, Will is called back home to attend to a pregnant girlfriend, and Johnny descends into an urban underworld, following a seductive love interest and a deadly new friendship. As each of the three learns to navigate his "alienation," we see in them America's struggle to find a new path in this new millennium, after a long period of darkness.” Performances take place at the Marcelle Theatre in Grand Center. For more information: www.newlinetheatre.com.

Dial M for Murder
Photo: Jon Gitchoff

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents the thriller Dial M for Murder through October 13. “Step into the shadows of a meticulously planned murder. In the elegant home of Tony and Margot Wendice, a sinister game of cat and mouse unfolds. Tony, a calculating mastermind, plots to kill his wife for her inheritance, fueled by revenge and greed. When his perfect plan spirals into chaos, a web of lies and deceit is spun, threatening to ensnare the innocent. Join the relentless Inspector Hubbard as he unravels the twisted truth. Will Tony’s trap hold, or will justice be served? Experience the suspense and intrigue of Dial “M” for Murder, a play that will leave you breathless until the final curtain falls.” Performances take on the main stage of the Loretto-Hilton Center on the Webster University campus. For more information: www.repstl.org.

Ragtime
Photo: Phillip Hamer

Stages St. Louis presents the musical Ragtime through October 20. “At the dawn of a new century, everything is changing and anything is possible. A sweeping musical portrait of early twentieth-century America, RAGTIME, tells the story of three families united by courage, compassion, and a belief in not only the American dream, but the promise of tomorrow. Told through a dazzling array of musical styles from the era, this Tony Award-Winning musical is bursting with emotion and hope as the surprising interconnections of the heart are discovered and history’s timeless contradictions of wealth and poverty, freedom and prejudice, and hope and despair are confronted.” Performances take place at the Kirkwood Performing Arts Center in Kirkwood, MO. For more information: stagesstlouis.org.

The St. Louis Writers Group presents the second of final round of its annual Playwright Slam Event on Monday, September 30, at 6:30 pm. “Get ready for a night of fun impromptu theater. The order of scripts to be read will be chosen at random. Each script will be given a ten minute read, and rated by a panel of judges based upon audience reaction.”  The reading takes place at Square One Brewery and Distillery in Lafayette Square.  More information is available at the St. Louis Writers Group Facebook page.

Take Two Productions presents the Stephen Sondheim musical Merrily We Roll Along through October 5.  “The authors of the landmark Company reunite to turn the traditional showbiz musical on its head in this thrilling and compelling Broadway fable about friendship, compromise and the high price of success. Stephen Sondheim and George Furth expertly blend the excitement and energy of a backstage musical with a poignant and emotional contemporary story about the importance of staying true to one's ideals.” Performances take place in Johnson Hall at Third Baptist Church, 620 N. Grand in Grand Center. For more information: https://www.taketwoproductions.org.

West End Players Guild presents The Turn of the Screw by Jeffrey Hatcher, based on the novel by Henry James, October 4 - 13. “A young governess has one rule in caring for her charges -- do not contact their guardian. No matter what she sees, no matter what they do.” Performances take place at the Union Avenue Christian Church, 733 Union in the Central West End. For more information: westendplayers.org

The World Chess Hall of Fame presents Broadway Favorites by Winter Opera St. Lous on Thursday, October 3, at 7 pm. “Winter Opera general director Gina Galati, tenor Taylor Comstock, mezzo-soprano Courtney Fletcher, and pianist Sandra Geary perform some of the greatest hits from the operatic and Broadway repertoire.” The World Chess Hall of Fame is at 4652 Maryland Avenue in the Central West End. For more information: worldchesshof.org.

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

To get your event listed here, send an email to chuck at kdhx.org Your event information should be in text format (i.e. not part of a graphic), but feel free to include publicity stills.

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

Opera Review: Lyric Opera of Chicago finds an extra layer of story in Verdi's "Rigoletto"

Re-interpreting or updating a 19th-century opera in a way that speaks to a 21st-century audience without ignoring or (worse yet) contradicting the intentions of the work’s original creators is a dicey business. Now imagine upping the risk ante by using the existing design elements of a 19-year-old production.

L-R: Igor Golovatenko, Mané Galoyan
Photo: Todd Rosenberg

That was the challenge director Mary Birnbaum faced in her Lyric Opera of Chicago debut, Giuseppe Verdi’s 1851 tragedy “Rigoletto,” which runs through October 1st. You know the story: The Duke of Mantua amuses himself by seducing and abandoning any woman who takes his fancy. His jester Rigoletto finds the Duke contemptable but mocks his victims (it’s his job, after all) while trying to hide the existence of his daughter Gilda from the Duke’s libido. When that fails, he hires the assassin Sparafucile to eliminate the Duke, with tragic consequences.

As Birnbaum writes in the program, this is a tale set in “a world where women were completely absent.”

[T]he out-of-court Duchess of Mantua (in a striking parallel with the Last Duchess in the poem of Robert Browning, Verdi’s contemporary) is present only in a fresco on the wall. Rigoletto’s wife is an angel (but she is dead)…Even when women are dressed as men—like the Page, or Gilda in the final act—they are always lacking some critical piece of information, and, as a result, are disenfranchised.

They’re also treated as objects, even by the men who claim to love them. Rigoletto treats Gilda like a china doll, telling her nothing about her late mother and refusing to even reveal their family name. She exists only to give him comfort in his self-loathing and despair. No wonder she is such easy prey for the Duke when, disguised as a poor student, he sends smoldering looks her way during church services.

L-R:  Igor Golovatenko Soloman Howard
Photo: Todd Rosenberg

On paper, then, Gilda looks like the classic Innocent Victim and is usually presented as such. But could there be a more rounded character lurking the subtext? “What if,” Birnbaum asks, “Gilda was a partial agent rather than a victim? What if she has been thinking of other ways to escape the perpetual and suffocating nameless present that her father has trapped her in?”

What if, in short, she wants “a life with a name of her own” even if the price is surrendering to the Duke’s advances and choosing to die in his place at the hands of Sparafucile?

Impressively, Birnbuam manages to suggest all of this without significantly changing the staging or introducing heavy-handed visual gimmicks—almost. In the first two acts we see Gilda searching a hidden cache of family documents during orchestral interludes. In her scenes with Rigoletto the blocking suggests her ambivalence about her situation.

I bought it all until the very end, when her decision to let Sparafucile kill her inexplicably turned into a swordfight (where, exactly, did she pick up that skill?). And I was ready to demand a refund when Gilda’s dying vision of her late mother as an angel welcoming her to heaven becomes an actual actress in an angel costume, neatly stealing focus from Rigoletto’s final tragic despair.

L-R:  Javier Camarena ,Zoie Reams
Mané Galoyan, Igor Golovatenko
Photo: Todd Rosenberg

Oh, well. Up to that point this is a powerful, dark, and often horrifying “Rigoletto.” Verdi described the jester as a character “worthy of Shakespeare,” and baritone Igor Golovatenko’s powerful voice and riveting stage presence fully live up to that description. His snarling sarcasm in Act I is as compelling as his tearful attempts to appeal to the courtiers for help in finding Gilda ("Cortigiani, vil razza dannata"). And there is real tenderness in his scenes with Gilda.

Speaking of whom, soprano Mané Galoyan finds the kind of self-assertion in Gilda that director Birnbaum sees in the character. Verdi has given Gilda a musical arc, moving from the juvenile infatuation of the coloratura classic “Caro nome” to the fierce determination of the trio in which she resolves to sacrifice herself for the Duke (“Se pria ch'abbia il mezzo la notte toccato"). Galoyan brings an enchanting naivete to the former and puts steel in her voice for the latter.

Verdi illustrates the Duke’s charm by giving him some of the best tunes in the opera, including the excessively famous “Donne a’ mobile.” Attractive but superficial, they perfectly fit the Duke’s shallow personality. A bel canto specialist, tenor Javier Camarena is possibly the perfect fit for the role, with a light, flexible voice and character that is credibly charismatic.

Javier Camarena and the Company
Photo: Todd Rosenberg

Bass Soloman Howard’s bold voice rumbles with menace as the selectively honorable assassin Sparafucile and mezzo Zoie Reams is Sparafucile’s sister Maddelena, easily seduced by the Duke despite her worldly wisdom. Baritone Andrew Manea makes a fine Lyric debut as an imposing Monterone, whose curse is the musical and dramatic backbone of the opera.

Sets and costumes by, respectively, Robert Innes Hopkins and Jane Greenwood are perfect matches for the dark, violent, and morally rotten world of the Court of Mantua. The contrast between the colorful vulgarity of the court scenes and the drab look of everything else works quite well. Duane Schuler’s lighting is dark as well—possibly more than it needs to be.

Andrew Manea and the Company
Photo: Todd Rosenberg

Lyric Opera’s Music Director Enrique Mazzola leads the orchestra in a dramatic and gripping reading of Verdi’s score, from the thundering brass statements of the “curse” motif at the beginning right through to Rigoletto's final despairing howl of "La maledizione" ("the curse") at the end. The first act’s court scenes with the stage band and the pit orchestra were well coordinated.

If you’re willing to forgive a bit of directorial overkill at the very end (which, upon reflection, I am), this is a very persuasive and original take on an operatic favorite. In the final analysis, it’s good to see Gilda given more agency and depth than she has on the printed page.

Lyric Opera of Chicago’s “Rigoletto” runs through October 1st, alternating with the company’s new production of Beethoven’s “Fidelio.” Ticket information on this and other operas in the company’s current season is available at their web site.

This article originally appeared at 88.1 KDHX, where Chuck Lavazzi is the senior performing arts critic.

Symphony Preview: Mix and match

Back in the days when I was still doing a weekly show at KDHX, I loved to put together different and often seemingly unrelated songs into sets designed to highlight the relationships among them.  St. Louis Symphony Orchestra Music Director Stéphane Denève often takes a similar approach to his programming, zooming in on connections that aren’t obvious at first glance. Or at first hearing, as the case may be.

[Preview the music with my Spotify playlist.]

Berlioz in 1832
Painting by Émile Signol

You’ll witness and exceptionally fine example of this in concerts that open the new SLSO season this weekend (Friday and Sunday, September 27 and 29). The first half opens with the “Marche hongroise” (“Hungarian March”) from Part I of  the 1846 opera/oratorio hybrid “La damnation de Faust” (“The Damnation of Faust”) by Hector Berlioz (1803–1869). In the context of the full work (performed so splendidly by the SLSO in 2023), the sound of the Hungarian army tramping off to war gives Faust the opportunity to compare the enthusiasm of the soldiers with his own indifference to worldly joys. “Et quel feu dans leurs yeux,” he muses. “Tout cœur frémit à leur chant de victoire ; Le mien seul reste froid, insensible à la gloire.” (“And what fire burns in their eyes! Every heart throbs to their song of victory; Only mine remains cold, insensitive to glory.”)

Played more often as an instrumental excerpt, as it will be this weekend, it’s a rousing piece that shows off the composer’s flair for colorful orchestration. It doesn’t sound particularly Hungarian, but it’s so much fun that it hardly matters. And Berlioz wasn’t really interested in cultural fidelity anyway.

Brahms c. 1872
Photographer unknown
Public Domain

More authentically Hungarian are the 21 “Hungarian Dances” by Johannes Brahms. Based mostly on Hungarian folk tunes, the dances were originally composed for piano duet and published in four sets between 1869 and 1880. They were then orchestrated by various composers, including Brahms. This weekend we’ll hear the only ones orchestrated by the composer himself: No. 1 in G minor, No. 3 in F major, and No. 10 F major (E major in the original piano version).

As George S. Bozarth and Walter Frisch write in Grove Online, Brahms was first “exposed to the style hongrois, a blending of Hungarian musical gestures and gypsy performing style…when Hungarian political refugees on their way to the USA passed through Hamburg after the suppression of the revolutions of 1848.” Which makes the local premiere of the “Nomad Concerto” by Mason Bates a logical way to conclude the first half of the program.

Composed for and premiered in January 2024 by this weekend’s soloist, violinist Gil Shaham (brother-in-law of former SLSO Music Director David Robertson), this four-movement work, as the composer writes at his web site, “explores the mysterious and soulful music of the wanderer”:

Envisioned to showcase the legendary Old World sound of Gil Shaham, the concerto is informed by a diverse range of traveling cultures from Eastern Europe to the Middle East.  In the same way that nomadic musics have continually reimagined themselves, the many styles informing the concerto are swirled together into a unique soundworld.

The ”Nomad Concerto” is too new to be available on the usual streaming sources, including YouTube, so I’m unable to offer my own impressions of the work. That said, Peter Dobrin, reviewing the world premiere for The Philadelphia Inquirer, wrote that “Bates in this new piece once again proves a composer unusually commanding of atmosphere and emotion.” So you now know as much about it as I do.

This won’t be the first appearance of a Mason Bates work on an SLSO program, though. His 2015 “Anthology of Fantastic Zoology” got its impressive local debut by the band under the baton of Leonard Slatkin in 2023. As I wrote back then “his is an eclectic and inventive voice that is very much welcome these days. I hope to see and hear more of his work here in the future.” It looks like I got my wish.

Mason Bates
Photo: Ryan Schude, courtesy of the SLSO

After intermission it’s back to Berlioz with his splendiferous 1830 “Symphonie Fantastique.” I have always loved it to pieces, despite the rather unsavory story of its origins (tl;dr: it’s the result of the composer’s amatory pursuit of the Irish Shakespearean actress Harriet Smithson in a manner that would get him a restraining order these days, if not an actual prosecution). Maestro Denève conducted a bang-up reading of this work in May 2019 so I admit to looking forward to his latest thoughts on the matter.

The Essentials: Stéphane Denève conducts the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and violinist Gil Shaham in the St. Louis premiere of the “Nomad Concerto” by Mason Bates. The concert includes Berlioz’s “Hungarian Marche” from “The Damnation of Faust” and the “Symphonie Fantastique, as well as three “Hungarian Dances by Brahms. Performances are Friday at 7:30 pm and Sunday at 3 pm, September 25 and 27, at the Stifel Theatre downtown.

On Saturday, September 26, at 8 pm Mason Bates, in his alter ego of DJ Masonic, joins St. Louis DJ Alexis Tucci for “Symphonie Electronique.” Described as “a genre-defying electronic dance music party with SLSO musicians and the audience,” “Symphonie Electronique” takes place at The Hawthorn nightclub on Washington Avenue downtown.