Chuck's Choices for Labor Day weekend, 2012

As always, the choices are purely my personal opinion. Take with a grain (or a shaker) of salt.

Share on Google+:

New this week:

Carol Schmidt

The R-S Theatrics Summer Cabaret Series presents in Labors of Love, an evening of St. Louis cabaret artists performing the music they love for Labor Day weekend, on Friday, August 31, at 8 PM. The show stars Anna Blair, Robert Breig, Ken Haller, and Charlene Reimann along with 88.1 KDHX's Chuck Lavazzi, who also hosts. The music director is Carol Schmidt. Yes, this is shameless self-promotion, but in all fairness I'm only 20% of the show and my fellow performers are a tremendously talented bunch with a diverse set of styles and musical interests. I think you'll have a great time. Come early and have dinner and drinks in the West End Grill next door; you can walk right into the theatre from the restaurant. The performance takes place at the Gaslight Theatre, 358 North Boyle in the Central West End. For more information, email rstheatrics at yahoo.com, visit brownpapertickets.com, or call 314-968-8070.

Max and Louie Productions presents Richard Greenberg's “brilliant comic fantasy about fate, ambition and loyalty” The Violet Hour through September 2. In her reveiw for 88.1 KDHX, Andrea Braun writes that "the actors are all playing at the top of their form and I enjoyed and admired almost every minute of it." Performances take place at COCA, 524 Trinity in University City. For more information, visit maxandlouie.com.

Held over:

The Fox Theatre presents the Disney musical The Lion King August 15 through September 2. It's a bit less spectacular this time around, but as I note in my review for 88.1 KDHX Julie Taymor's re-imagined version of the original animated film is still a remarkable piece of work; let's not hold the show's immense popularity against it. Great art can still be popular, as Shakespeare (among others) proved. The Fox Theatre is at 527 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information, fabulousfox.com or call 314-534-1678.

The St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of August 27, 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.

Share on Google+

Curtain's Up Theatre presents Alice in Wonderland Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 PM and Sunday at 2 PM, August 30 - September 2. Performances take place in the Dunham Hall Theater on the SIU-Edwardsville campus. For more information, visit curtainsuptheater.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 Saturdays at 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.

Mustard Seed Theatre presents Going to See the Elephant August 31 - September 16 at the Fontbonne Fine Arts Theatre, 6800 Wydown Blvd. For more information, call (314) 719-8060 or visit the web site at www.mustardseedtheatre.com.

The Wine Press presents guitarist Mike Krysl and singer Shuana Sconce in an evening of cabaret on Saturday, September 1, from 8 to 11 PM. The Wine Press is at 4436 Olive in the Central West End. For more information, visit stlwinepress.com.

The R-S Theatrics Summer Cabaret Series presents in Labors of Love, an evening of St. Louis cabaret artists performing the music they love for Labor Day weekend, on Friday, August 31, at 8 PM. The show stars Anna Blair, Robert Breig, Ken Haller, and Charlene Reimann along with 88.1 KDHX's Chuck Lavazzi, who also hosts. The music director is Carol Schmidt. The performance takes place at the Gaslight Theatre, 358 North Boyle in the Central West End. For more information, email rstheatrics at yahoo.com, visit brownpapertickets.com, or call 314-968-8070.

The Fox Theatre presents the Disney musical The Lion King through September 2. The Fox Theatre is at 527 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information, fabulousfox.com or call 314-534-1678. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

Max and Louie Productions presents Richard Greenberg's “brilliant comic fantasy about fate, ambition and loyalty” The Violet Hour through September 2. Performances take place at COCA, 524 Trinity in University City. For more information, visit maxandlouie.com. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

Chuck's Choices for the weekend of August 20, 2012

As always, the choices are purely my personal opinion. Take with a grain (or a shaker) of salt.

Share on Google+:

New this week:

The R-S Theatrics Summer Cabaret Series presents Christy Simmons in He Love Me, He Loves Me Not on Friday, August 24, at 8 PM. “R-S Theatrics is pleased and proud to bring you an evening with cabaret veteran, Christy Simmons, as she explores the ups and downs of love, in her own inimitable way.” If you have saw Christy in Last of the Red-Hot Mamas at New Jewish Theatre, you know she's a powerful performer. The performance takes place at the Gaslight Theatre, 358 North Boyle in the Central West End. For more information, email rstheatrics at yahoo.com, visti brownpapertickst.com, or call 314-968-8070.

The Kranzberg Arts Center presents singer and pianist Seth Ward Pyatt in Notes from New York Friday and Saturday at 8 PM, August 24 and 25. “The young writer's travel journal, chronicling a whirlwind trip to NYC, inspires his one-man show.” Seth has been very active on the local theatre scene as a performer and music director; it will be interesting to see what his solo cabaret debut looks like. Performances take place in the cabaret theatre at the Kranzberg Arts Center, 501 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information, you may visit brownpapertickets.com.

Held over:

The Fox Theatre presents the Disney musical The Lion King August 15 through September 2. It's a bit less spectacular this time around, but as I note in my review for 88.1 KDHX Julie Taymor's re-imagined version of the original animated film is still a remarkable piece of work; let's not hold the show's immense popularity against it. Great art can still be popular, as Shakespeare (among others) proved. The Fox Theatre is at 527 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information, fabulousfox.com or call 314-534-1678.

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

Union Avenue Opera presents Wagner's Das Rheingold in a condensed and reduced version by English composer Jonathan Dove, Friday and Saturday at 8 PM. Union Avenue has a history of pushing the boundaries of what can be done with their modest budget and less than ideal performance space in the Union Avenue Christian Church. Wagner's Ring operas, in their original form, would simply not be possible with those constraints, which is why they're doing shorter, smaller-cast versions originally prepared for touring opera companies in Britain. As I note in my review for 88.1 KDHX, while this edited version has managed the neat trick of trimming 45 minutes from the original two and one-half hour running time without noticeably sacrificing anything, the production itself still has some serious shortcoming. It also has some very fine performances, though, which go a long way towards tipping the balance. Performances take place at the Union Avenue Christian Church, 733 Union at Enright in the Central West End. The opera is sung in German with projected English text. For more information, visit unionavenueopera.org or call 314-361-2881.

Enter the king

It hardly seems possible that it has been almost nine years since I first saw The Lion King at The Fox. The show seems as fresh and lively as it did back then, and while the current tour, which has been running continuously for ten years, also feels a little less spectacular than it did back in 2003, it's still rock solid.

You’ve got to give the Disney folks credit. Having gone to the time, effort, and expense to recruit Tony Award–winning director Julie Taymor to translate the popular 1995 film to the stage, they had the good sense to realize that the best way to maximize their return on that investment was to get out of her way and let her re-imagine the show from the ground up.

The result was a runaway hit that garnered rave reviews and took a half-dozen Tony awards. Fifteen years later it’s still running at the Minskoff Theater on Broadway and in seven different productions worldwide. The overall gross to date is a stunning $4.8 billion. I’d call that “maximized”.

For those of you who have yet to see this remarkable show, know that the spectacular opening number sets the tone for the entire evening. As a giant red-orange sun rises over the African plain, the first sounds you hear are not those of Elton John and Tim Rice’s Anglo-American pop, which makes up the majority of the score, but rather the distinctly African melodies of Lebo M.

Led by South African actress Buyi Zama as the baboon Shaman Rafiki and answered by actors high in the side balconies, the call and response changes into “The Circle of Life” as the animals gather at Pride Rock, which slowly rises from the center of the stage. Tall, elegant giraffes, a lumbering elephant, leaping gazelles, a graceful cheetah, colorful birds—they stream in from every aisle and across the stage, surrounding the audience in light, sound, and color. The opening-night audience burst into spontaneous applause and whoops of delight—a pattern that repeated itself throughout the evening.

Except for the lions and Rafiki, all the animals are ingenious puppets created by Taymor and collaborator Michael Curry. In the tradition of Japanese Bunraku puppet theatre, no attempt is made to conceal the puppeteers, who are also the singers and dancers. In fact, the only way to actually see the human performers is to force yourself to look at them instead of their puppets; that’s how completely invested they all are in their roles.

Among the principals, most impressive were Brent Harris’s cheerfully devious Scar, Jelani Remy’s brash and athletic Simba, and Syndee Winters’s loving and loyal Nala, Simba’s friend and (inevitably) queen. Dionne Randolph is an appropriately regal Mufasa, although the role doesn’t give an actor all that much to play with.

Buyi Zama is a continual delight as Rafiki, a plum part if ever there was one. She communicates and connects beautifully, despite the fact that most of her role is in Zulu.

Standouts among the puppet actors include Nick Cordileone and original Broadway cast member Ben Lipitz as Timon and Pumbaa, the Abbott and Costello of the jungle. Rashada Sawan, Keith Bennett, and Robbie Swift get lots of comic menace from the roles of the evil hyenas Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed. I suppose they’d be the Three Stooges of the jungle if the Stooges had been carrion eaters.

Mark David Kaplan, an alumnus of the 2nd national Lion King tour, is just as terrific as Zazu the horn-billed royal councilor. There’s a clever moment at the end of “I Just Can’t Wait to Be King” in which the puppet is carried offstage and the actor is left to continue the illusion on his own. It both breaks and reseals the “fourth wall”, and Mr. Kaplan pulls it off flawlessly.

Child actors play the roles of Young Nala and Young Simba. On opening night they were played with great energy by Zavion J. Hill and Kailah McFadden. They alternate with Adante Power and Sade Phillip-Demorcy.

Finally, let me lavish some praise on the singing and dancing chorus. These folks have, in many ways, some of the most challenging jobs in the show since they’re required to operate a variety of different puppets (which, in the case of the giraffes, involves stilt walking) but take on a variety of roles as well. They even get to be humans in “One by One”, the electrifying African dance–inspired number that opens the second act.

Donald Holder’s lighting design, Richard Hudson’s scenery, Garth Fagan’s multi-cultural choreography, and Taymor’s costumes and puppets bring the African setting to vivid life. The score sounds remarkably seamless, considering that it contains music and lyrics not only by Elton John and Tim Rice but also by Lebo M., Mark Mancina, Jay Rifkin, film composer Hans Zimmer, and even Julie Taymor. The book, by Roger Allers and Irene Mecchi, brilliantly expands on the cinematic original while preserving its most memorable moments.

The substantial battery of African percussion instruments on each side of the stage (played by the versatile Stefan Monssen and Reuven Weizberg) adds a visceral kick to the music. The sound, at least from where we sat 10th row center, was unfortunately less than ideal, with lyrics pretty much incomprehensible in the big ensemble numbers.

If you have yet to make your acquaintance with this extraordinary bucket of brilliance from the seemingly bottomless well of Julie Taymor’s genius, you’ll certainly want to do so. And feel free to take the kids. There’s something in it for both youngsters and adults, so it’s the sort of thing the whole family will enjoy. Be aware, however, that at just over two and one-half hours with intermission it’s a fairly long show, so make sure the tykes you bring are old enough to sit through it. Make sure also that they’re mature enough to understand the basic theatre etiquette of staying put and keeping quiet. The adults seated behind you will appreciate it.

The Lion King runs through September 2nd at the Fox Theatre in Grand Center. For more information: fabulousfox.com or 314-534-1678.

St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of August 20, 2012

Updated Thursday, August 23

[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.

Share on Google+

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. For more information, you may call 314-827-4185, email stlouis at byebyeliver.com, or visit byebyeliver.com/stlouis.

The R-S Theatrics Summer Cabaret Series presents ConFABulation - An Evening with Jaime Schwartz on Saturday, August 245 at 8 PM. Special guests Mason Hunt and Roger Hiduk join Jamie Schwartz and music director Leah Luciano for "great music, funny stories, and a magical night of memories." The performance takes place at the Gaslight Theatre, 358 North Boyle in the Central West End. For more information, email rstheatrics at yahoo.com, visti brownpapertickst.com, or call 314-968-8070.

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 on Friday and Saturday, August 24 and 25, at 8 PM. Performances take place at The Tower Grove Abbey, 2336 Tennessee. For more information, visit straydogtheatre.org or call 314-865-1995. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

The R-S Theatrics Summer Cabaret Series presents Christy Simmons in He Love Me, He Loves Me Not on Friday, August 24, at 8 PM. “R-S Theatrics is pleased and proud to bring you an evening with cabaret veteran, Christy Simmons, as she explores the ups and downs of love, in her own inimitable way.” The performance takes place at the Gaslight Theatre, 358 North Boyle in the Central West End. For more information, email rstheatrics at yahoo.com, visti brownpapertickst.com, or call 314-968-8070.

The Fox Theatre presents the Disney musical The Lion King through September 2. The Fox Theatre is at 527 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information, fabulousfox.com or call 314-534-1678. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

The Kranzberg Arts Center presents singer and pianist Seth Ward Pyatt in Notes from New York Friday and Saturday at 8 PM, August 24 and 25. “The young writer's travel journal, chronicling a whirlwind trip to NYC, inspires his one-man show.” Performances take place in the cabaret theatre at the Kranzberg Arts Center, 501 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information, you may visit brownpapertickets.com.

A Spoonful O' Honey Theater Company presents the comedy Once In A Wifetime August 24-26. Performances take place at the Regional Arts Commission, 6128 Delmar. For more information, call 877-422-9529 or visit brownpapertickets.com.

Union Avenue Opera presents Wagner's Das Rheingold in a condensed and reduced version by English composer Jonathan Dove, 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 German with projected English text. For more information, visit unionavenueopera.org or call 314-361-2881. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

JPEK Creativeworks presents Stand Your Ground, a two-act drama covering social injustice and race relations, Thursday and Friday at 8 PM, Saturday at 3 and 8 PM, and Sunday at 3 PM, August 24 - 26. Performances take place at the Grandel Theater, 3610 Grandel Square in Grand Center. For more information: jpek-standyourground.eventbrite.com.

Max and Louie Productions presents Richard Greenberg's “brilliant comic fantasy about fate, ambition and loyalty” The Violet Hour August 23 through September 2. Performances take place at COCA, 524 Trinity in University City. For more information, visit maxandlouie.com.

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

As always, the choices are purely my personal opinion. Take with a grain (or a shaker) of salt.

Share on Google+:

New this week:

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

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

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

Held over:

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

St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of August 13, 2012

Updated Monday, August 13

[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.

Share on Google+

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. For more information, you may call 314-827-4185, email stlouis at byebyeliver.com, or visit byebyeliver.com/stlouis.

The Cabaret Project presents a cabaret open mic night on Wednesday, August 15, from 7 to 10 PM at the Tavern of Fine Arts. “Drop by and enjoy a night of great music from St. Louis cabaret artists, backed up by the inimitable Carol Schmidt on the baby grand.” The master of ceremonies for the evening is Chuck Lavazzi, senior performing arts critic at 88.1 KDHX. If you're planning to sing, be prepared to do one or two songs and bring music, preferably in your key. We'd also recommend that you have your song memorized. The Tavern of Fine Arts is at 313 Belt at Waterman in the Central West End. There's free parking in the lot right across the street. For more information, visit tavern-of-fine-arts.blogspot.com or call 314-367-7549.

St. Louis Shakespeare presents The Compleat Wks of Willm Shkspr (Abridged) through August 19. 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.

Stray Dog Theatre presents The Great American Trailer Park Musical Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 PM, through August 18. There will also be a matinee on Saturday, the 18th at 2 PM, as well as two additional performance on Friday and Saturday, August 24 and 25 at 8 PM. Performances take place at The Tower Grove Abbey, 2336 Tennessee. For more information, visit straydogtheatre.org or call 314-865-1995. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

The Fox Theatre presents the Disney musical The Lion King August 15 through September 2. The Fox Theatre is at 527 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information, fabulousfox.com or call 314-534-1678.

Union Avenue Opera presents On God, Gods, and Ecstatically Singing for Sex: Wagner's Love of Love in the Ring Cycle, an interactive presentation by Scott Stearman on the company's upcoming production of Wagner's Das Rheingold, on Thursday, August 16, at 7 PM. The event takes place at the Union Avenue Christian Church, 733 Union at Enright in the Central West End. For more information, visit unionavenueopera.org or call 314-361-2881.

Stages St. Louis presents Putting it Together, a cabaret benefit for Stages' Education and Artistic programs, on Monday, August 13, at 6:30 PM. Casey Erin Clark and Ben Nordstrom are featured performers in the evening, which includes “contemporary songs, standards, and classic favorites.” The performance takes place in the The Robert G. Reim Theatre at the Kirkwood Community Center, 111 South Geyer Road. For more information, visit stagesstlouis.org.

Union Avenue Opera presents Wagner's Das Rheingold in a condensed and reduced version by English composer Jonathan Dove, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM, August 17-25. Performances take place at the Union Avenue Christian Church, 733 Union at Enright in the Central West End. The opera is sung in German with projected English text. For more information, visit unionavenueopera.org or call 314-361-2881.

Insight Theatre Company presents Shakespeare Showcase: Will's Women on Saturday at 8 PM and Sunday at 2 PM and 7 PM, August 18 and 19. The special benefit show features scenes and monologues from Romeo and Juliet, As You Like It, Macbeth, Antony and Cleopatra, Twelfth Night, The Tempest, and other notable works by Shakespeare. Performances take place at the Heagney Theater on the Nerinx Hall High School campus in Webster Groves. For more information, call 314-556-1293 or visit insighttheatrecompany.com

The Fr. William Scheid Players present Some Enchanted Evening - the Songs of Rodgers & Hammerstein Friday and Saturday at 8 PM and Sunday at 3 PM, August 17 - 19. Performances take place at the Florissant Civic Center, 1 James J. Eagan Drive in Florissant, MO. For more information: www.catholicyouthstl.org

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!

Chuck's Choices for the weekend of August 10, 2012

As always, the choices are purely my personal opinion. Take with a grain (or a shaker) of salt.

Share on Google+:

New this week:

The Muny presents the musical The King and I through Sunday at 8:15 PM in the outdoor theatre in Forest Park. "From the breath taking costumes and towering sets to the precision of the dancers, musicians and performers, Director Rob Ruggiero, Choreographer Ralph Perkins, and Executive Producer Mike Isaacson have delivered a fitting finale to the Muny’s 94th season," writes Connie Bollinger In her review for 88.1 KDHX. For more information, visit muny.org or call 314-361-1900.

The big draw for me this weekend is the St. Louis Cabaret Festival, a production of The Cabaret Project which runs concurrently with the St. Louis Cabaret Conference. The festival kicked off Wednesday with a showcase featuring six young artists who had just completed three days of intensive cabaret training. Performance continue with:

• Cabaret and musical theatre star Karen Mason on Friday at 8 PM as part of the 2012 St. Louis Cabaret Festival. “Mason's cabaret shows have established her as one of the industry's most sought-after cabaret singers. She has headlined nearly every major nightclub and concert hall in New York and is the winner of 10 MAC (Manhattan Assoc. of Cabarets and Clubs) Awards, 3 Bistro Awards, and the Nightlife Award.”
• Barbara Fasano, Eric Comstock, and Jason Graae, along with pianist and songwriter Rick Jensen on Saturday at 8 PM. All four are on the faculty of the Cabaret Conference and are nationally-known stars in their own right. I wouldn't miss this for the world.
• The St. Louis Cabaret Conference Showcase on Sunday at 7 PM as part of the 2012 St. Louis Cabaret Festival. “The St. Louis Cabaret Conference is one of the nations top training programs for cabaret performers and its showcase is the culminating event of 4 days of intensive cabaret training for 20 talented singers, both experienced and newcomers. The showcase offers audiences a funny, touching, inspiring night of music that lifts the spirits of those on stage and off.”
All shows take place at The Jazz Bistro, 3536 Washington Avenue. For more information, visit thecabaretproject.org or licketytix.com.

Held over:

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

St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of August 6, 2012

Updated Saturday, August 11

[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.

Share on Google+

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

The Cabaret Project presents cabaret and musical theatre stars Barbara Fasano, Eric Comstock, and Jason Graae, along with pianist and songwriter Rick Jensen on Saturday, August 11, at 8 PM as part of the 2012 St. Louis Cabaret Festival. The performance takes place at The Jazz Bistro, 3536 Washington Avenue. For more information, visit thecabaretproject.org or licketytix.com.

Moonlighting Theatre presents the musical Bat Boy Friday and Saturday at 7:30 PM and Sunday at 2 PM, August 10 - 12. Performances take place at Duchesne High School, 2550 Elm in St. Charles. For more information, visit moonlightingtheatre.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 Saturday sat 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 The Compleat Wks of Willm Shkspr (Abridged) August 10 through 19. Performances take place at the Grandel Theatre, 3610 Grandel Square. For more information, call 314-361-5664 or visit stlshakespeare.org.

Ozark Actors Theatre presents the drama The Diviners through August 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 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, through August 18. There will also be a matinee on Saturday, the 18th at 2 PM, as well as two additional performance on Friday and Saturday, August 24 and 25 at 8 PM. Performances take place at The Tower Grove Abbey, 2336 Tennessee. For more information, visit straydogtheatre.org or call 314-865-1995. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

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

Arch City Theater Troupe presents the musical revue Our Time Thursday at 7:30 PM and Friday at 4 and 7:30 PM. Performances take place at the Heagney Theater at Nerinx Hall in Webster Groves. All proceeds benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. For more information, visit archcitytheatertroupe.org.

Stages St. Louis presents Putting it Together, a cabaret benefit for Stages' Education and Artistic programs, on Monday, August 13, at 6:30 PM. Casey Erin Clark and Ben Nordstrom are featured performers in the evening, which includes “contemporary songs, standards, and classic favorites.” The performance takes place in the The Robert G. Reim Theatre at the Kirkwood Community Center, 111 South Geyer Road. For more information, visit stagesstlouis.org.

Act II Community Theater presents the comedy Red, White and Tuna Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM and Sundays at 2 PM through August 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.

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!

The Cabaret Project presents The St. Louis Cabaret Conference Showcase on Sunday, August 12, at 7 PM as part of the 2012 St. Louis Cabaret Festival. “The St. Louis Cabaret Conference is one of the nations top training programs for cabaret performers and its showcase is the culminating event of 4 days of intensive cabaret training for 20 talented singers, both experienced and newcomers. The showcase offers audiences a funny, touching, inspiring night of music that lifts the spirits of those on stage and off.” The performance takes place at The Jazz Bistro, 3536 Washington Avenue. For more information, visit thecabaretproject.org or licketytix.com.

Chuck's Choices for the weekend of August 3, 2012

As always, the choices are purely my personal opinion. Take with a grain (or a shaker) of salt.

Share on Google+:

New this week:

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. I have two perfectly good reasons to recommend this show. First, I've worked with Stray Dog often enough in the past to know that they do entertaining trash just as well as more high-falutin' stuff. Second, how can you pass up a chance to see some of our classiest actresses get truly crude? Performances take place at The Tower Grove Abbey, 2336 Tennessee. For more information, visit straydogtheatre.org or call 314-865-1995.

Held over:

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. How, I ask you, can you not love this idea? For more information, visit circusday.org or call 314-226-3633.