Chuck's Choices for the weekend of February 28, 2013

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

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New this week:

That Uppity Theatre Company and The Vital Voice present Briefs: A Festival Of Short Lesbian and Gay Plays Thursday through Sunday, February 28-March 3. Performances take place at La Perla, 312 North 8th Street, downtown. The first Briefs festival last year (in which I have the privilege of acting) sold out and was an immense critical success. This festival of seven short LGBT plays is back again and promises to be bigger and better than ever. The plays this year are: “Black Eye” by Carolyn Gage, directed by Christopher Limber; “Are You Married?” written and directed by Joan Lipkin; “My Jesus Year,” by Tony Foster, directed by Lee Anne Mathews; “Waiting for the Skell,” by EM Lewis, directed by Bonnie Taylor; “Lady and the Tramp,” performed by Lola van Ella and Sammy the Tramp; “Surprise,” by Ken Haller, directed by Michael B. Perkins; and “Zoo Story 2.0,” by Rich Espey, directed by Marty Stanberry. To purchase tickets, visit bit.ly/briefs13 or call (314) 995-4600.

The Sheldon Concert Hall presents Music of the Silver Screen with Merry Keller and guest vocalist Susan Kissinger on Saturday, March 2, at 11 AM as part of its Saturday Matinee series. Ron Bryant is music director for the program, which takes place at the Sheldon Concert Hall, 3648 Washington. Merry is a classicaly-trained singer and vocal coach who can alwasy be counted on for a musically impeccable show. For more information: sheldonconcerthall.org or call 314-534-1111.

Photo: Jill Ritter Lindberg

New Line Theatre presents the musical Next to Normal Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 PM, February 28 through March 23. "From the composer of High Fidelity comes the most adult, most mature rock musical to hit Broadway in decades, an unrelentingly intense, brutally honest – and often, darkly funny – story about a bipolar woman and the family that grapples with her illness, all set to a hard driving rock and roll score that explodes with raw, searing emotion. Rolling Stone called it 'the best new musical of the season – by a mile.'” I saw the national tour of this show at the Fox in April of 2011 and was very much taken with it. Performances take place at the Washington University South Campus Theatre, 6501 Clayton Road. For more information, call 314-534-1111.

Held over:

The Fox Theatre presents the musical The Book of Mormon through March 3. "Nine 2011 Tony Awards® say it's the Best Musical of the Year. Vogue says, 'It's the funniest musical of all time.' And The New York Times says, 'It's the best musical of this century.' It's THE BOOK OF MORMON, the Broadway phenomenon from South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone and Avenue Q co-creator Robert Lopez. The Daily Show's Jon Stewart calls it 'A crowning achievement. So good, it makes me angry.' Contains explicit language." In my review for 88.1 KDHX I call it a smart combination of vulgar satire and old-fashioned book musical that's well worth seeing. The Fox Theatre is at 527 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information: fabulousfox.com.

The Black Rep presents The Mountaintop by Katori Hall through March 9. "April 3, 1968, Memphis. The Lorraine Motel, Room 306. where Martin Luther King Jr. spends his last night on earth." I haven't seen this yet, of course, but the topic is provocative and timely. Besides, the author is the winner of the Blackburn Prize for outstanding women playwrights and the play has earned England's Olivier Award for best play. In her review for 88.1 KDHX, Megan McEnery describes the production as "intriguing, honest and totally worthwhile."  Performances take place at the Grandel Theatre, 3610 Grandel Square. For more information, visit theblackrep.org or call 314-534-3810.

©Photo by Jerry Naunheim Jr.

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents Sense and Sensibility, based on the Jane Austen novel, through March 3. “When their father's death leaves two sisters with uncertain prospects, they must navigate the unpredictable seas of courtship with only their hearts to guide them. The course of true love winds through flirtation, folly, scandals and secrets as reserved, sensible Elinor and romantic, impulsive Marianne attempt to find their way in the world. This lovely, intimate adaptation of Jane Austen's first novel is a charming journey through hope and heartbreak as two young ladies find that when sense and sensibility meet, love can't be far behind.” I have the wrong set of chromosomes to be a Jane Austen fan and even I found this elegant and beautifully staged production very enjoyable. In her review for 88.1 KDHX, Megan McEnery describes the show as "polished and entertaining." Performances take place at the Loretto-Hlton Center, 130 Edgar Road in Webster Groves, MO. For more information, call 314-968-4925 or visit repstl.org.

TPTBT (The Place to Be Tonight): Thursday, February 28

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Who: That Uppity Theatre Company and The Vital Voice
What: Briefs: A Festival Of Short Lesbian and Gay Plays
Where: La Perla, 312 North 8th Street
When: Tonight at 8 through Sunday.
Why: The first Briefs festival last year (in which I have the privilege of acting) sold out and was an immense critical success. This festival of seven short LGBT plays is back again and promises to be bigger and better than ever. The plays this year are: “Black Eye” by Carolyn Gage, directed by Christopher Limber; “Are You Married?” written and directed by Joan Lipkin; “My Jesus Year,” by Tony Foster, directed by Lee Anne Mathews; “Waiting for the Skell,” by EM Lewis, directed by Bonnie Taylor; “Lady and the Tramp,” performed by Lola van Ella and Sammy the Tramp; “Surprise,” by Ken Haller, directed by Michael B. Perkins; and “Zoo Story 2.0,” by Rich Espey, directed by Marty Stanberry. To purchase tickets, visit bit.ly/briefs13

TPTBT (The Place to Be Tonight): Wednesday, February 27

Peter Henderson

What: Pianopalooza
Where: The Sheldon Concert Hall
When: 8:00 PM
Why: This celebration of 100 years of classical music features St. Louis Symphony pianist Peter Henderson along with Daniel Schene, Alla Voskoboynikova and Martin Kennedy.  The evening includes "music both old and new - each performing works ranging from early-20th century composers to contemporary classical."  This is a rare chance to see four top-notch local pianists at work in the superb acoustics of the Sheldon.  For more information: sheldonconcerthall.org.

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Missionary positions

What: The Book of Mormon
Where: The Fox Theatre, St. Louis
When: February 20-March 3, 2013

They say the 2011 musical The Book of Mormon is crude and funny and, judging from the tour at The Fox Theatre right now, it certainly is. But what you hear less often is how very smart and well-constructed it is. Anybody can be a smart-ass. Being a smart-ass with a little heart is more difficult, but this show pulls it off.

Besides, how many good musicals can you name that include Jesus? I don’t even need the fingers of one hand for that one.

With a book, music, and lyrics by South Park co-creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone and Avenue Q co-creator Robert Lopez, The Book of Mormon is a cheerfully vulgar satire on the foolishness of religious literalism that’s also a gloss of the classic “mismatched buddies” movie. The buddies in this case are handsome, absurdly confident, and terminally self-involved Elder Price and dumpy, nerdy Elder Cunningham, who compensates for his lack of confidence by telling wildly improbably stories assembled from his sci-fi and fantasy obsessions.

Having just completed the Mormon missionary training (hilariously portrayed in the opening number, “Hello”), the boys are shipped to a poverty-stricken village in Uganda, where the locals respond to problems of AIDS, dysentery, and threats of female genital mutilation from a local warlord by shrugging their shoulders and singing "Hasa Diga Eebowai" while giving God the finger. It’s a tough house and when Price’s self-aggrandizing sermon ("All-American Prophet") fails to win converts, he loses his faith and runs off. Cunningham, who has never bothered to read the real Book of Mormon (it’s too boring), is left to improvise a version of it based on a mashup of Mormon history, Star Trek, Star Wars, and Lord of the Rings. He succeeds (“Man Up”), and creates a whole new set of problems.

You can get the rest of the story from Wikipedia, but the bottom line is that underneath all the crude satire and joking references to past and present Broadway musicals there’s an actual Author’s Message: don’t let your obsession with the details of old fables blind you to what the fables are trying to tell you—that religion is there to help people. When it stops doing that, it fails.

The cast for this tour is impressive, without a weak performance anywhere. The night we saw the show, the role of Elder Price was played by the standby, Jonathan Cullen, and I have to say he caught the character’s combination of enthusiasm and self-congratulatory cluelessness perfectly. Christopher John O’Neill was endearingly funny as Elder Cunningham. The two were a great Mutt-and-Jeff pair.

Samantha Marie Ware, with her powerful voice and good sense of her character’s vulnerability, was a knockout as Nabulungi, the daughter of the local tribal chief and chaste semi-love interest for Cunningham. There were great performances as well from Grey Henson as Elder McKinley, the local Mormon mission chief in radical denial about his gayness; Derrick Williams as the warlord whose name I can’t print on this website; and Mike McGowan as LDS Church founder Joseph Smith and assorted other authority figures.

Ann Roth’s costumes and Scott Pask’s sets are brightly cartoonish—very appropriate for the show’s origins. The sets are also very mobile, so scene changes are lighting quick. Framing everything is a gaudy false proscenium done up in the style of the Salt Lake City Temple, complete with a rotating golden Angel Moroni on top.

The choreography by Casey Nicholaw (who is also credited as director, along with Mr. Parker) is a funny stew of current Broadway styles, mostly with satirical intent. It’s executed with great precision by the cast. The Parker/Stone/Lopez score may not be memorable, but it provides plenty of laughs and is often very clever in a Tom Lehrer way. And yes, that is definitely a compliment.

One of the reasons The Book of Mormon is such a success, I think, is that it’s designed for an audience that may not care that much about musicals. It’s really a freewheeling bit of satire that happens to use song and dance, with just enough in-jokes to keep the musical theatre fans happy and enough of a real story to make you care about the satire. That’s a pretty smart combination and it makes it worth seeing.

Be aware though, that this is not what you’d call a family-friendly show, so leave the kids and anyone that’s bothered by frequent explosions of the f-bomb at home.

Perhaps the biggest joke of The Book of Mormon, though, may be the way the LDS Church has responded to it: by taking out ads in the program and stationing real missionaries in their white shirts and black pants and ties outside the theatre offering free copies of the real Book of Mormon. Other religions should take note.

The Book of Mormon plays the Fox in Grand Center through Sunday, March 3rd. For more information: fabulousfox.com.

Luck be a Lady

Photo by Heather Thorne

Who: The Nashville Ballet
What: Carmina Burana
Where: Dance St. Louis at the Touhill Center
When: February 21-24, 2013

So: Take the 40 dancers of the Nashville Ballet; add 120 singers and 60 musicians, including The University of Missouri-St. Louis Orchestra and Singers, The Bach Society of Saint Louis, and The St. Louis Children’s Choir; then set them loose on Carl Orff's 1936 Carmina Burana on the Touhill Center's big stage. What you get is an impressive piece of dance theatre that succeeds both as Spectacle and as Art.

That couldn’t be more appropriate, since Orff envisioned this material as the basis for a choral cantata with some mimed action and “magic tableaux.” And, in fact, the first performance in Frankfurt in 1937 was fully staged, with dancers, sets, and costumes. It’s usually presented strictly as a concert piece these days, but the composer’s theatrical intentions are evident in every note.

The first (and least sexually explicit) of Orff’s Trionfi trilogy of choral theatre works, Carmina Burana derives its title from an 1847 collection of secular poetry by anonymous authors from the 12th and 13th centuries that turned up in 1803 in the Benedictine monastery in Beuren, Germany. As befits their “vulgar” status, the poems celebrate not the theoretical joys of heaven but rather the practical ones of earth: spring, sex, food, sex, drink, gambling, and sex. They also recognize something that we moderns have lost track of, to our detriment: the heavy influence of blind chance on our lives. The setting of “Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi” (“Fortune, Empress of the World”), which opens and closes the work, reminds us that the wheel of fortune is always turning and that none of us should get too cocky, as the universe has a tendency to dope-slap the excessively smug.

Nashville Ballet Artistic Director and choreographer Paul Vasterling and visual designer Eric Harris emphasize that centrality of Lady Fortuna by making her a key character in the ballet. Danced with steely precision by Sadie Bo Harris, Fortuna begins and ends the evening surrounded by a massive, stage-filling “wheel of fortune” skirt that neatly establishes her dominance, but she also interacts with individual dancers to emphasize fate’s capricious influence.

This realization of Carmina Burana was, in fact, filled with striking images that beautifully complement the lyrics. Let me cite a few that will, I hope, give you a feel for the remarkable quality of what Mr. Vasterling, Mr. Harris, and the dancers accomplished.

Photo by Heather Thorne

For “In Taberna quando sumus” (labeled “The Drinking Song” here) the stage was filled with dancers in wine-red outfits reeling about in drunken but very precise abandon while the lyrics reeled off a list of the many types who come to the tavern to imbibe. The bird being roasted for dinner in “Olim lacus coleuram” (The Roasted Swan”) was costumed all in white and danced entirely en pointe, as though trying to escape the flames. She was eventually surrounded in fiery red-on-white banners and carried off the stage by dancers in red. Alexandra Meister danced the role with tragic grace the night we attended.

The “Spring” section underscored the lyrical parallels between the awakening of the earth and the awakening of human desire with a succession of colorful and flirtatious dances. In “Floret silva nobilis” (“The Maypole”), for example, the dancers were costumed in spring-like pastels and, at one point, danced around a human Maypole. “Chramer, gib de varwe mir” (“More Joys of Spring”) made the sex/spring parallel even more obvious with poses of adolescent sexual braggadocio and cheerful coupling.

I could go on, but you get the idea. The Nashville Ballet’s Carmina Burana was a visual treat of the highest order.

Musically, things were a bit more uneven. Perhaps the best work came from the combined voices of the Bach Society and UMSL singers. Deployed on risers behind and to the sides of the dancers, they were powerful, to say the least. Soprano Stella Markou and tenor Tim Waurick sounded great (Mr. Waurick’s roasting swan was one of the most dramatic I’ve heard). Baritone Jeffrey Heyl turned in a respectable performance of some very difficult music (“Dies, nox et omnia,” with its rapid switch between falsetto and chest voice, is a real killer), although he was not always as passionately engaged as I would have liked. The St. Louis Children’s Choir, deployed in box seats house right and left, were also most impressive, although they did tend to get a bit out of synch with the orchestra in the tempo changes towards the end of “Tempus est iocundum.”

The UMSL Orchestra, conducted by James Richards, had some of the usual weaknesses I associate with student ensembles, especially in the strings, but for a big wind-and-percussion piece like Carmina Burana that doesn’t matter so much. They certainly did a good job overall and can feel justifiably proud of the results.

The evening opened with Bach’s Cantata No. 10 ("Meine Seele erhebet den Herren"), danced by MADCO and choreographed by Dance St. Louis Artistic and Executive Director Michael Utoff. As a curtain raiser and contrast to the more spectacular and overtly theatrical main event, it was an excellent choice. Mr. Utoff’s often whimsical choreography was a nice match for what the program notes describe as MADCO’s “versatile and athletic style”, complimenting the religious text without overtly illustrating it. The final “Chorale,” in which the dancers create the momentary illusion of a cathedral-like space, was particularly lovely—as were Felia Davenport’s simple, dark blue costumes.

Dance St. Louis’s Bach/Orff double bill will be over by the time you read this, of course, but I still want to congratulate them on bringing such a big, ambitious project to town. Fully staged productions of Carmina Burana are rare (we haven’t had one locally in a couple of decades, at least), so the chance to see one of this quality was most welcome. The Dance St. Louis season continues with New York City Ballet MOVES March 8 and 9 at the Fox. For more information: dancestlouis.org

St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of February 25, 2013

[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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St. Louis University Theatre presents the musical The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee through March 3. Performances take place in Xavier Hall, 3373 West Pine Mall. For more information, call (314) 977-2998 or visit www.slu.edu/theatre.

Edison Theatre Ovations! Series presents Jane Comfort and Company in Beauty and Underground River on Friday and Saturday, March 1 and 2, at 8 PM. “Jane Comfort and Company creates dance theater works that push the intersection of movement and language to a new form of theater. Called by the New York Times "a postmodernist pioneer", artistic director Jane Comfort addresses contemporary social and cultural issues with compassion and wit. Beauty is a provocative work exploring 50 years of American expression of beauty through the lens of Barbie. Movement vocabulary is derived from an investigation of Barbie's limited, robotic abilities contrasted with a fully expressive dance vocabulary. Noted for her use of language in dance, Comfort has collaborated with poets, composers, visual artists, puppeteers and DJ's. The company has been performing its innovative works throughout the United States, Europe and Latin America since 1982.” Performances take place at Edison Theater on the Washington University campus. For more information, edison.wustl.edu or call 314-935-6543.

Photo credit: Zachary Stefaniak

Dramatic License Productions presents the comedy Boeing, Boeing February 28 through March 17. “1960s Paris. American playboy Bernard is engaged to three beautiful flight attendants: a feisty German, a lusty Italian, and a take-charge Texan, each oblivious to the other. When flight schedules collide and an old college chum shows up for an unexpected visit, comedy and turbulence ensue in this "non-stop" comedy.” Performances take place at Dramatic License Theatre located at the upper level of Chesterfield Mall (near Sears and across from Houlihan's Restaurant). For more information, call 636-220-7012 or visit dramaticlicenseproductions.org.

The Fox Theatre presents the musical The Book of Mormon through March 3. "Nine 2011 Tony Awards® say it's the Best Musical of the Year. Vogue says, 'It's the funniest musical of all time.' And The New York Times says, 'It's the best musical of this century.' It's THE BOOK OF MORMON, the Broadway phenomenon from South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone and Avenue Q co-creator Robert Lopez. The Daily Show's Jon Stewart calls it 'A crowning achievement. So good, it makes me angry.' Contains explicit language." The Fox Theatre is at 527 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information: fabulousfox.com.

That Uppity Theatre Company and The Vital Voice present Briefs: A Festival Of Short Lesbian and Gay Plays Thursday through Sunday, February 28-March 3. Performances take place at La Perla, 312 North 8th Street, downtown. For more information, visit uppityco.com or call (314) 995-4600.

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 West County YMCA Y-Rep Teens and Chesterfield Community Theatre present the comedy Gentlemen Prefer Blondes Thursday through Saturday, February 28-March 2 at 7:30 PM. Performances take place at the West County YMCA, 16464 Burkhardt Place. For more information, call (636) 532-6515 Ext. 227.

The St. Louis Family Theatre Series presents The Jungle Book Sunday, March 3, at 2 PM; Friday, March 8, at 7:30 PM; and Saturday, March 9, at 2 PM. Performances take place at the Florissant Civic Center Theatre at Parker and Waterford in Florissant, MO. For more information, call 314-921-5678 or visit www.florissantmo.com.

The Kirkwood Theatre Guild presents the drama The Lillies of the Field March 1-10. Performances take place at the Robert G. Reim Theatre of the Kirkwood Community Center, 111 South Geyer Road. For more information, call 314-821-9956.

Affton CenterStage Theatre Company presents Meridosa - A Western Comedy on Friday and Saturday at 7 PM and Sunday at 1 PM, March 1-3. Performances take place at Royale Orleans. For more information, call 636-349-6880 or visit www.afftoncenterstage.org.

Photo: Jill Ritter Lindberg

New Line Theatre presents the musical Next to Normal Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 PM, February 28 through March 23. "From the composer of High Fidelity comes the most adult, most mature rock musical to hit Broadway in decades, an unrelentingly intense, brutally honest – and often, darkly funny – story about a bipolar woman and the family that grapples with her illness, all set to a hard driving rock and roll score that explodes with raw, searing emotion. Rolling Stone called it 'the best new musical of the season – by a mile.'” Performances take place at the Washington University South Campus Theatre, 6501 Clayton Road. For more information, call 314-534-1111.

The Black Rep presents The Mountaintop by Katori Hall through March 9. “April 3, 1968, Memphis. The Lorraine Motel, Room 306. where Martin Luther King Jr. spends his last night on earth.” Performances take place at the Grandel Theatre, 3610 Grandel Square. For more information, visit theblackrep.org or call 314-534-3810. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

The Sheldon Concert Hall presents Music of the Silver Screen with Merry Keller and guest vocalist Susan Kissinger on Saturday, March 2, at 11 AM as part of its Saturday Matinee series. Ron Bryant is music director for the program, which takes place at the Sheldon Concert Hall, 3648 Washington. For more information: sheldonconcerthall.org or call 314-534-1111.

The Lemp Mansion Comedy-Mystery Dinner Theater presents Murder in Mayberry through April 27. The Lemp Mansion is at 3322 DeMenil Place. For more information: lempmansion.com

The Bissell Mansion Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre presents Nursery Crimes through April 30th. The Bissell Mansion is at 4426 Randall Place. For more information: bissellmansiontheatre.com

©Photo by Jerry Naunheim Jr.

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents Sense and Sensibility, based on the Jane Austen novel, through March 3. “When their father's death leaves two sisters with uncertain prospects, they must navigate the unpredictable seas of courtship with only their hearts to guide them. The course of true love winds through flirtation, folly, scandals and secrets as reserved, sensible Elinor and romantic, impulsive Marianne attempt to find their way in the world. This lovely, intimate adaptation of Jane Austen's first novel is a charming journey through hope and heartbreak as two young ladies find that when sense and sensibility meet, love can't be far behind.” Performances take place at the Loretto-Hlton Center, 130 Edgar Road in Webster Groves, MO. For more information, call 314-968-4925 or visit repstl.org. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

The Conservatory of Theatre Arts at Webster University presents Uncommon Women And Others Wednesday through Saturday at 7:30 PM and Sunday at 2 PM. Performances take place in the Stage III Auditorium on the Webster University campus. For more information, call 314-968-7128.

Jefferson College presents Albee's Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf? February 28-March 2. Performances take place at the Jefferson College Fine Arts Theatre on the campus in Hillsboro, MO. For more information, visit jeffco.edu or call 636-481-3369 or 636-789-3000 ext. 3369.

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.

TPTBT (The Place to Be Tonight): Sunday, February 24

Well, this afternoon, actually.

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The St. Louis Brass Band presents Glorious Brass at 2 PM at Christ Church Cathedral, 1210 Locust just east of the Central Branch Library. "For the 4th concert of its 2012/2013 concert season, the Saint Louis Brass Band returns to Christ Church Cathedral....this concert features a variety of hymn arrangements and popular brass band favorites. Please join us for this free concert!" I'll admit that, as a former brass player (trombone, euphonium, and tuba), I'm a bit biased. But I think the sound of a brass band in the cathedral ought to be pretty cool. For more information: www.stlbb.org or (314) 753-5438.

TPTBT (The Place to Be Tonight): Saturday, February 23

The Kingsbury Ensemble presents From Vienna to Prague tonight at 7:30 at the 560 Music Center, 560 Trinity Avenue in University City. The program features "music of Franz Schubert and his Czech colleague Jan Vaclav Voriseck, performed on a replica of Schubert's piano and period string instruments! Seth Carlin , piano, Lenora Anop, violin, Keth Boyer, tenor and Ken Kulosa, cello, offer a program of chamber and vocal music, including Schubert's great piano trio in Bb Major,opus 99, Vorisek violin sonata and songs of Schubert and Vorisek." The 560 Music Center isn't quite as intimate as the kinds venues for which this music was originally written, but it's darned close.  For more information: (314) 862-2675 or www.kingsburyensemble.org.

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Lou, Lou, Louie, Goo'Bye!

What was it Robert Burns said about the best-laid plans of mice and men? It appears that things can "gang aft agley" for theatre critics as well as other members of homo sapiens and their rodent friends. The St. Louis Theatre Circle Awards are no longer "The Louies" (seems that there was a national organization already was using that name for an awards program) and the location is no longer the Gaslight Theater (nice space, but too small to hold everyone). We are now the St. Louis Theater Circle Awards and our first presentation will be Monday, March 18, at the Florissant Civic Center. For details, see our latest press release, below.

And spread the word, OK?

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DATE AND LOCATION CHANGED AND CATERER ADDED
FOR INAUGURAL ST. LOUIS THEATER CIRCLE AWARDS

ST. LOUIS, February 22, 2013 -- Performances by local professional theater companies, ranging in size from The Muny and its productions in the 11,000-seat Forest Park amphitheater to small companies performing in modest venues around the area, will be recognized at the inaugural St. Louis Theater Circle Awards.

Date and location for the event have been changed. The ceremony will now take place on Monday, March 18, 2013 at the Florissant Civic Center Theatre in the James J. Eagan Civic Center, which is located at the intersection of Parker Road and Waterford Drive in Florissant. The event will celebrate theatrical achievements in the year 2012 in local professional theater as recognized by the St. Louis Theater Circle, a new organization comprised of area reviewers.

Other cities around the country, such as Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Diego, San Francisco and Washington D.C., honor their own local theatrical productions with similar awards programs. Because of potential legal issues, the name of the awards has been changed to the St. Louis Theater Circle Awards.

Tickets to the event will be $10 apiece, payable in cash or check at the door on the night of the ceremony or in advance by mailing payment by check to St. Louis Theater Circle, 7162 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63130. Reservations can be made in advance (and then paid for at the box office on the night of the event) by contacting stltheatercircle at sbcglobal.net.

Additionally, With Love Catering, which services a number of theaters locally including The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis and Stages St. Louis, will cater the event, offering food and drinks available on a cash basis. Tickets for a special pre-dinner buffet also will be sold for $15 apiece, which includes one drink along with a buffet. Buffet tickets may be reserved in advance or paid for in advance at the same addresses as above.

The buffet will feature assorted fresh fruits, cheeses and flat breads; buffalo chicken won ton cups; baked brie in phyllo with cranberries, apples and pecans; smoked chicken and Colby quesadillas, tequila lime sour cream; pulled pork sliders with crispy onion straws; and billy goat potato chips with green onion dip.

The box office will open at 6 p.m. and the ceremony will begin at 7 p.m. The pre-event buffet will be served beginning at 5:30 p.m. A post-ceremony celebration will take place following the event until 11:30 p.m.

Additionally, well-known pianist Carol Schmidt will provide musical accompaniment throughout the presentation.

The mission of the St. Louis Theater Circle is simple: To honor St. Louis professional theater. While various reviewers may also cover professional touring shows at The Fox and the Peabody Opera House as well as selected community and college productions, The St. Louis Theater Circle Awards are designed to focus attention on dozens of area theater companies which showcase the artistic efforts of actors, directors and technical artists in the metropolitan area.

“We are delighted that Mayor Thomas Schneider and the City of Florissant have made the Florissant Civic Center Theatre available for this inaugural event,” said Judith Newmark, theater critic for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and a founding member of the St. Louis Theater Circle. “Our goal is to recognize and celebrate artistic accomplishments on the professional scene in the 2012 calendar year.”

Nominations for The St. Louis Theater Circle Awards are divided into categories for musicals, dramas and comedies. Approximately 100 local professional theatrical productions were presented in the St. Louis area in 2012.

The nominees for the 2012 St. Louis Theater Circle Awards are:

NOMINEES FOR MUSICALS

Outstanding Production

• Ain’t Misbehavin’, Stages St. Louis
• Chicago, The Muny
• Spring Awakening, Stray Dog Theatre
• Sunday in the Park with George, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
• Sweeney Todd, Opera Theatre Saint Louis

Outstanding Director

• Justin Been, Spring Awakening, Stray Dog Theatre
• Michael Hamilton, Ain’t Misbehavin’, Stages St. Louis
• Denis Jones, Chicago, The Muny
• Scott Miller, High Fidelity, New Line Theatre
• Rob Ruggiero, Sunday in the Park with George, The Rep

Outstanding Actor

• Ron Bohmer, Sunday in the Park with George, The Rep
• Ryan Foizey, Cry-Baby, New Line Theatre
• Rod Gilfry, Sweeney Todd, Opera Theatre
• Antonio Rodriguez, Urinetown, Stray Dog Theatre
• John Sparger, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, New Line Theatre

Outstanding Actress

• Erin Davie, Sunday in the Park with George, The Rep
• Natascia Diaz, Chicago, The Muny
• Tari Kelly, Thoroughly Modern Millie, The Muny
• Jennifer Theby, Urinetown, Stray Dog Theatre
• Karen Ziemba, Sweeney Todd, Opera Theatre Saint Louis

Outstanding Supporting Actor

• Dean Christopher, Chicago, The Muny
• Mike Dowdy, Cry-Baby, New Line Theatre
• Zachary Allen Farmer, High Fidelity, New Line
• Ryan Foizey, Spring Awakening, Stray Dog Theatre
• Steve Isom, My One and Only, Stages St. Louis

Outstanding Supporting Actress

• Terrie Carolan, Cry-Baby, New Line Theatre
• Beth Leavel, Thoroughly Modern Millie, The Muny
• Susanne Menzer, Sweeney Todd, Opera Theatre Saint Louis
• Deborah Sharn, Urinetown, Stray Dog Theatre
• Anna Skidis, Spring Awakening, Stray Dog Theatre

Outstanding Acting Ensemble

• Ain’t Misbehavin’, Stages St. Louis
• Chicago, The Muny
• High Fidelity, New Line Theatre
• Sunday in the Park with George, The Rep
• Urinetown, Stray Dog Theatre

Outstanding Set Design

• David Blake, The Great American Trailer Park Musical, Stray Dog Theatre
• Adrian Jones, Sunday in the Park with George, The Rep
• Scott L. Schoonover, High Fidelity, New Line Theatre
• Michael Schweikardt, The King and I, The Muny
• James Wolk, Ain’t Misbehavin’, Stages St. Louis

Outstanding Costume Design

• Lou Bird, Ain’t Misbehavin’, Stages St. Louis
• Brad Musgrove, My One and Only, Stages St. Louis
• Alexandra Scibetta Quigley, Spring Awakening, Stray Dog Theatre
• Alejo Vietti, Sunday in the Park with George, The Rep

Outstanding Lighting Design

• Tyler Duenow, Spring Awakening, Stray Dog Theatre
• Seth Jackson, Chicago, The Muny
• John Lasiter, Sunday in the Park with George, The Rep
• Matthew McCarthy, Ain’t Misbehavin’, Stages St. Louis

Outstanding Choreography

• Robin Michelle Berger, Cry-Baby, New Line Theatre
• Denis Jones, Chicago, The Muny
• Dana Lewis, My One and Only, Stages St. Louis
• Lara Teeter, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, The Muny
• Chris Bailey, Thoroughly Modern Millie, The Muny

Outstanding Musical Direction

• Lisa Campbell Albert, Ain’t Misbehavin’, Stages St. Louis
• Stephen Lord, Sweeney Todd, Opera Theatre Saint Louis
• Chris Petersen, Spring Awakening, Stray Dog Theatre
• Justin Smolik, High Fidelity, New Line Theatre
• F. Wade Russo, Sunday in the Park with George, The Rep

NOMINEES FOR DRAMAS

Outstanding Production

• Angels in America, Stray Dog Theatre
• Clybourne Park, The Rep
• Good, St. Louis Actors’ Studio
• Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, St. Louis Black Repertory Company
• The Hairy Ape, Upstream Theater

Outstanding Director

• Gary Bell, Angels in America, Stray Dog Theatre
• Deanna Jent, Going to See the Elephant, Mustard Seed Theatre
• Timothy Near, Clybourne Park, The Rep
• Ed Smith, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, The Black Rep
• Milton Zoth, Good, St. Louis Actors’ Studio

Outstanding Actor

• John Hickok, The Invisible Hand, The Rep
• Michael Scott Rash, 9 Circles, R-S Theatrics
• Michael James Reed, A Steady Rain, The Rep
• Ben Watts, Angels in America, Stray Dog Theatre
• B Weller, Good, St. Louis Actors’ Studio

Outstanding Actress

• Nancy Bell, Clybourne Park, The Rep
• Rachel Fenton, Oleanna, HotCity Theatre
• Rachel Hanks, Angels in America, Stray Dog Theatre
• Patrese McClain, No Child, The Black Rep
• Kirsten Wylder, Bug, Muddy Waters Theatre

Outstanding Supporting Actor

• Larry Dell, Killer Joe, St. Louis Actors’ Studio
• Greg Fenner, Angels in America, Stray Dog Theatre
• Terry Meddows, Way to Heaven, New Jewish Theatre
• Joshua Thomas, Othello, Shakespeare Festival St. Louis
• David Wassilak, Angels in America, Stray Dog Theatre

Outstanding Supporting Actress

• Teresa Doggett, Good, St. Louis Actors’ Studio
• Rachel Fenton, Killer Joe, St. Louis Actors’ Studio
• Laura Kyro, Angels in America, Stray Dog Theatre
• Elizabeth Ann Townsend, The Maids, Upstream Theater
• Kelley Weber, Lost in Yonkers, New Jewish Theatre

Outstanding Acting Ensemble

• Angels in America, Stray Dog Theatre
• Clybourne Park, The Rep
• Going to See the Elephant, Mustard Seed Theatre
• Good, St. Louis Actors’ Studio
• The Hairy Ape, Upstream Theater

NOMINEES FOR COMEDIES

Outstanding Production

• Jacob and Jack, New Jewish Theatre
• The Comedy of Errors, The Rep
• The Divine Sister, HotCity Theatre
• The Foreigner, The Rep
• The Violet Hour, Max & Louie Productions

Outstanding Director

• Paul Mason Barnes, The Comedy of Errors, The Rep
• Edward Coffield, Jacob and Jack, New Jewish Theatre
• Suki Peters, The Compleat Wks of Wm Shkspr (Abridged), St. Louis Shakespeare
• Marty Stanberry, The Divine Sister, HotCity Theatre
• Edward Stern, The Foreigner, The Rep

Outstanding Actor

• Ryan DeLuca, Brighton Beach Memoirs, The Rep
• Greg Fenner, Fully Committed, Stray Dog Theatre
• John Flack, The Divine Sister, HotCity Theatre
• Bobby Miller, Jacob and Jack, New Jewish Theatre
• John Scherer, The Foreigner, The Rep

Outstanding Actress

• Emily Baker, Season’s Greetings, St. Louis Actors’ Studio
• Sarah Cannon, Dinner with Friends, Dramatic License Productions
• Tarah Flanagan, The Comedy of Errors, The Rep
• Meghan Maguire, Talley’s Folly, New Jewish Theatre
• Carol Schultz, The Foreigner, The Rep

Outstanding Supporting Actor

• Matthew Galbreath, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Black Rep
• Chopper Leifheit, The Divine Sister, HotCity Theatre
• Casey Predovic, The Foreigner, The Rep
• Antonio Rodriguez, The Violet Hour, Max & Louie Productions
• Lenny Wolpe, The Comedy of Errors, The Rep

Outstanding Supporting Actress

• Sarajane Alverson, Wake Up, Cameron Dobbs, West End Players Guild
• Lavonne Byers, The Divine Sister, HotCity Theatre
• Teresa Doggett, Season’s Greetings, St. Louis Actors’ Studio
• Shanara Gabrielle, The Comedy of Errors, The Rep
• Kirsten Wylder, The Divine Sister, HotCity Theatre

Outstanding Acting Ensemble

• Jacob and Jack, New Jewish Theatre
• The Comedy of Errors, The Rep
• The Divine Sister, HotCity Theatre
• The Foreigner, The Rep
• The Violet Hour, Max & Louie Productions

COMEDIES and DRAMAS

Outstanding Set Design

• Jason Coale, The Maids, Upstream Theater
• Dunsi Dai, Imaginary Jesus, Mustard Seed Theatre
• Scott Neale, Clybourne Park, The Rep
• Erik Paulson, The Comedy of Errors, The Rep
• John Stark, Way to Heaven, New Jewish Theatre

Outstanding Costume Design

• Felia Katherine Davenport, Good, St. Louis Actors’ Studio
• Sarita Fellows, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Black Rep
• Daryl Harris, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, The Black Rep
• Alexandra Scibetta Quigley, Angels in America, Stray Dog Theatre
• Margaret E. Weedon, The Comedy of Errors, The Rep

Outstanding Lighting Design

• Steve Carmichael, The Hairy Ape, Upstream Theater
• Tyler Duenow, Angels in America, Stray Dog Theatre
• Phil Monat, Brighton Beach Memoirs, The Rep
• Nathan Schroeder, Talley’s Folly, New Jewish Theatre
• Michael Sullivan, Way to Heaven, New Jewish Theatre

Outstanding Sound Design

• Justin Been, Angels in America, Stray Dog Theatre
• Zoe Sullivan, Going to See the Elephant, Mustard Seed Theatre
• Rusty Wandall, A Steady Rain, The Rep
• Robin Weatherall, Good, St. Louis Actors’ Studio
• Robin Weatherall, Way to Heaven, New Jewish Theatre

Outstanding New Play

• Imaginary Jesus, Deanna Jent, Mustard Seed Theatre
• Stupefy! The 90-Minute Harry Potter Live!, Jaysen Cryer, Magic Smoking Monkey Theatre
• The Invisible Hand, Ayad Akhtar, The Rep
• The New World, Nancy Bell, Shakespeare Festival St. Louis
• Wake Up, Cameron Dobbs, Stephen Peirick, West End Players Guild.

Founding members of the St. Louis Theater Circle include Steve Allen, Stagedoorstl.com; Andrea Braun, The Vital Voice and Playback; Mark Bretz, Ladue News; Bob Cohn, St. Louis Jewish Light; Chris Gibson, Broadwayworld.com; Harry Hamm, KMOX; Gerry Kowarsky, Two on the Aisle, HEC-TV; Chuck Lavazzi, KDHX; Eleanor Mullin, local actress and arts supporter, who is the group’s administrator; Judith Newmark, St. Louis Post-Dispatch; Andrea Torrence, Stlouistheatresnob.com; Lynn Venhaus, Belleville News-Democrat; and Bob Wilcox, Two on the Aisle and Town & Style.

For more information, contact stltheatercircle at sbcglobal.net or 314-838-9371.

TPTBT (The Place to Be Tonight): Friday, February 22

Alexandra Meister
photo by Heather Thorne

Dance St. Louis presents the Nashville Ballet production of Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana tonight and Saturday at 8 PM and Sunday at 2 PM. The production features 120 singers, 60 musicians, and 40 dancers, including The University of Missouri-St. Louis Orchestra and Singers, The Bach Society of Saint Louis and The St. Louis Children’s Choir.  Orff described the work as a "scenic cantata," so even though it's usually performed strictly as a concert piece, adding dance is very much in keeping with the composer's intentions. The opening act for the evening is Bach’s Cantata No. 10, performed by MADCO and The University of Missouri-St. Louis Orchestra and Singers. Performances take place at the Touhill Center on the University of Missouri-St. Louis campus. For more information: dancestlouis.org.

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Chuck's Choices for the weekend of February 22, 2013

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

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New this week:

The Fox Theatre presents the musical The Book of Mormon through March 3. "Nine 2011 Tony Awards® say it's the Best Musical of the Year. Vogue says, 'It's the funniest musical of all time.' And The New York Times says, 'It's the best musical of this century.' It's THE BOOK OF MORMON, the Broadway phenomenon from South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone and Avenue Q co-creator Robert Lopez. The Daily Show's Jon Stewart calls it 'A crowning achievement. So good, it makes me angry.' Contains explicit language." If you're going out into the cold, you might as well make it worthwhile be catching one of the hottest new musicals in years. The Fox Theatre is at 527 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information: fabulousfox.com.

Alexandra Meister
photo by Heather Thorne

Dance St. Louis presents the Nashville Ballet production of Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana Thursday through Saturday at 8 PM and Sunday at 2 PM. The production features 120 singers, 60 musicians, and 40 dancers, including The University of Missouri-St. Louis Orchestra and Singers, The Bach Society of Saint Louis and The St. Louis Children’s Choir.  Orff described the work as a "scenic cantata," so even though it's usually performed strictly as a concert piece, adding dance is very much in keeping with the composer's intentions. The opening act for the evening is Bach’s Cantata No. 10, performed by MADCO and The University of Missouri-St. Louis Orchestra and Singers. Performances take place at the Touhill Center on the University of Missouri-St. Louis campus. For more information: dancestlouis.org.

©Photo by Jerry Naunheim Jr.

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents Sense and Sensibility, based on the Jane Austen novel, through March 3. “When their father's death leaves two sisters with uncertain prospects, they must navigate the unpredictable seas of courtship with only their hearts to guide them. The course of true love winds through flirtation, folly, scandals and secrets as reserved, sensible Elinor and romantic, impulsive Marianne attempt to find their way in the world. This lovely, intimate adaptation of Jane Austen's first novel is a charming journey through hope and heartbreak as two young ladies find that when sense and sensibility meet, love can't be far behind.” I have the wrong set of chromosomes to be a Jane Austen fan and even I found this elegant and beautifully staged production very enjoyable. Performances take place at the Loretto-Hlton Center, 130 Edgar Road in Webster Groves, MO. For more information, call 314-968-4925 or visit repstl.org. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

Held over:

HotCity Theatre presents the world premiere of Connected by Lia Romero through February 23. The play is designed to work in combination with Facebook, where profiles will be created for each of the characters as though they were real people. Audience members are invited to "friend" the characters in the weeks leading up to the show to find out more about their backstories. In his review for 88.1 KDHX, Robert Mitchell says theplay "offers a fresh and funny look at the lives of Ladue high school students and their use - and misuse - of social technology". Performances take place at the Kranzberg Arts Center, 501 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information, visit www.hotcitytheatre.org or call 314-289-4063.

The Black Rep presents The Mountaintop by Katori Hall through March 9. "April 3, 1968, Memphis. The Lorraine Motel, Room 306. where Martin Luther King Jr. spends his last night on earth." I haven't seen this yet, of course, but the topic is provocative and timely. Besides, the author is the winner of the Blackburn Prize for outstanding women playwrights and the play has earned England's Olivier Award for best play. In her review for 88.1 KDHX, Megan McEnery describes the production as "intriguing, honest and totally worthwhile."  Performances take place at the Grandel Theatre, 3610 Grandel Square. For more information, visit theblackrep.org or call 314-534-3810.

Photo by John Lamb

Stray Dog Theatre presents Charles Busch's comedy Psycho Beach Party through Saturdays at 8 PM. There will be a matinee on the closing Saturday at 2 PM in addition to the evening show. “Comedy meets horror in this wacky, campy retro-fusion of teenage surfer flicks and slasher sagas. Set in 1962, teen tomboy Chicklet Forrest desperately wants to belong to the surfer crowd on Malibu Beach. Unfortunately her many split personalities get in the way, while her most dangerous alter ego has nothing less than world domination in mind.” In her review for 88.1 KDHX, Tina Farmer describes it as a "a spirited romp through the 'golden age' of beach and surf movies that playfully, occasionally darkly, jabs at the funny bone." Performances take place at The Tower Grove Abbey, 2336 Tennessee. For more information, visit straydogtheatre.org or call 314-865-1995.

TPTBT (The Place to Be Tonight): Thursday, February 21

The Fox Theatre presents the musical The Book of Mormon through March 3. "Nine 2011 Tony Awards® say it's the Best Musical of the Year. Vogue says, 'It's the funniest musical of all time.' And The New York Times says, 'It's the best musical of this century.' It's THE BOOK OF MORMON, the Broadway phenomenon from South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone and Avenue Q co-creator Robert Lopez. The Daily Show's Jon Stewart calls it 'A crowning achievement. So good, it makes me angry.' Contains explicit language." Assuming you plan to venture out at all into the predicted snow/sleet/ice, you might as well make it worthwhile be catching one of the hottest new musicals in years. The Fox Theatre is at 527 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information: fabulousfox.com.

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

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

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TPTBT (The Place to Be Tonight): Tuesday, February 19

©Photo by Jerry Naunheim Jr.

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents Sense and Sensibility, based on the Jane Austen novel, through March 3. “When their father's death leaves two sisters with uncertain prospects, they must navigate the unpredictable seas of courtship with only their hearts to guide them. The course of true love winds through flirtation, folly, scandals and secrets as reserved, sensible Elinor and romantic, impulsive Marianne attempt to find their way in the world. This lovely, intimate adaptation of Jane Austen's first novel is a charming journey through hope and heartbreak as two young ladies find that when sense and sensibility meet, love can't be far behind.” I have the wrong set of chromosomes to be a Jane Austen fan and even I found this elegant and beautifully staged production very enjoyable. Performances take place at the Loretto-Hlton Center, 130 Edgar Road in Webster Groves, MO. For more information, call 314-968-4925 or visit repstl.org. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

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Urban Legends

Who: The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra conducted by David Robertson with pianist Orli Shaham
What: Music of Copland, Bernstein, and John Adams
Where: Powell Symphony Hall
When: February 15-16, 2013

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“There was a desert wind blowing that night. It was one of those hot dry Santa Anas that come down through the mountain passes and curl your hair and make your nerves jump and your skin itch. On nights like that every booze party ends in a fight. Meek little wives feel the edge of the carving knife and study their husbands' necks. Anything can happen.” – Raymond Chandler, Red Wind (1938)

In his notes for the 2009 world premiere of City Noir by the Los Angeles Philharmonic composer John Adams doesn’t list Raymond Chandler as a source of inspiration, although he does mention Chinatown and The Naked City (which are surely related). Listening to the bravura performance of City Noir that closed Friday morning’s concert, though, it was that quote from the beginning of Red Wind that came immediately to mind.

Like that story, City Noir is a mix of violence (sometime suppressed, sometimes overt) and sensuality with an “anything can happen” edginess. Written for a large orchestra, including a massive percussion section, a jazz drummer, and an alto sax soloist, the music has the kind of cinematic sweep that suggests a classic private eye flick on steroids. It’s mostly exciting stuff but after a while, especially towards the end of the frenzied first movement, “The City and Its Double,” I began to feel a bit like Marlowe after a working-over by a couple of thugs. This is complex music, but subtle it mostly ain’t.

Still, it gave Mr. Robertson and his forces a chance to show what fine musicians they are. Everyone played well, of course, but Principal Tim Meyers’s “walking” trombone solo in the second movement and Acting Principal Tom Drake’s performance of what Adams describes as a “moody ‘Chinatown’ trumpet solo” in the third were standouts. So was the virtuoso alto sax work of guest soloist Tim McAllister. Principal horn Roger Kaza and the new Principal Violist Beth Guterman Chu also had nice moments in one of the work’s few quieter passages at the end of the second movement. Mr. Robertson conducted with his usual all-in commitment and precision.

This weekend’s performances of City Noir are being recorded by Nonesuch for a later commercial release along with Adams’s Saxophone Concerto (which the symphony is performing in October). I think the record company will be pleased with the results. They’ll also be happy with the lack of coughs, cell phones, or other audience noise during the softer passages, demonstrating that people actually can be quiet when they put their minds to it—or at least when symphony CEO Fred Bronstein makes a personal appeal to do so before the concert.

Orli Shaham
Photo Credit: Christian Steiner

Like City Noir, Leonard Bernstein’s Symphony No. 2 ("The Age of Anxiety") is urban music. In Bernstein’s case, though, New York is just the backdrop for musings on the difficulty of finding The Meaning of Life in an age when God is either dead or (to quote Walt Kelly) merely unemployed.

The program for this hybrid of piano concerto and symphony comes from W. H. Auden’s 1947 epic poem of the same name about four angst-ridden young people who meet in a New York bar and try to find the answer to, as Douglas Adams put it, the question of “Life, the Universe, and Everything.” Over the course of the work’s six sections the protagonists reflect on the meaning of life, fantasize about happiness, mourn the death of God (Auden’s “Colossal Dad”), abandon themselves to hedonism in a late-night party, and finally find some sort of faith, or at least a sense of resolution. In a 1977 press conference at the offices of Deutsche Gramophon (where Bernstein was recording Age of Anxiety), the composer said that resolution was the “Buddhistic idea” that God was everywhere.” That notion is probably more Bernstein than Auden, of course.

That’s pretty ambitious stuff for a purely orchestral work (although no more so than, say, Also Sprach Zarathustra) but even without the extra-musical program, The Age of Anxiety still makes perfect sense, with a clearly laid-out structure and irresistible thematic material that is classic Bernstein. Indeed, in the 1977 interview cited above, the composer said that the work had “acquired a life of its own” and that the poem and the symphony were no longer “mutually integral.”

Speaking of interviews, in a Valentine’s Day interview for St. Louis Magazine piano soloist Orli Shaham notes that she and her husband Maestro Robertson have frequently collaborated on Age of Anxiety. “I feel in many ways as I’ve grown with the piece,” she says. “We’ve grown with it together. It’s grown in direct relation to what the other one of us thinks about the piece.” Indeed, Mr. Robertson has even prepared the version of the score she uses (cut and pasted to minimize page turning).

No surprise, then, that their performance Friday morning was of the “two minds with but a single thought” variety. Ms. Shaham was strongly invested in the music, to the point where you could almost see her acting out the parts of Auden’s characters. I’ve always found this somewhat theatrical aspect of Ms. Shaham’s keyboard style very appealing, especially given her formidable technique, and Friday was no exception. Mr. Robertson’s direction made the most of the dramatic contrasts in the score and the overall result was just stunning. The standing ovation that followed should have gone on longer and would have if it had been up to me.

As in the Adams, there were some solo performances in the orchestra that deserve a nod. Tina Ward and Principal Scott Andrews were perfect in the highly exposed clarinet duet that opens the work; Principal double bassist Erik Harris tore up the joint with his “slap bass” part in “The Masque”, which also featured some very flashy work by the percussion section; and Peter Henderson provided some nice accents on celesta and the small (but critical) offstage piano part that Bernstein (as he notes in that 1977 interview) uses as a way to indicate “the separation of self from reality.”

The concert opened with Copland’s short suite of themes from his score for the 1939 film version of Thornton Wilder’s Our Town. This peaceful evocation of Grovers Corners, the fictional New England “everytown” of the early 20th century, is about as distant from the tightly wound urban soundscapes of Adams and Bernstein as you can get. But, like them, it strongly evokes a sense of place and time. Mr. Robertson’s interpretation stressed the lyrical a bit more than I prefer, but it was a lovely performance nevertheless. The applause for it was shockingly brief, I thought, given the quality of the performance. Maybe the audience was insufficiently caffeinated.

Next on the regular calendar: There’s a Black History Month concert with the IN UNISON® Chorus on Thursday, February 22 at 7:30 PM and an appearance by jazz trumpeter Chris Botti on Friday, February 23, also at 7:30. The regular season resumes on Friday and Saturday, March 1 and 2, at 8 PM with Delius’s The Walk to the Paradise Garden, Elgar’s Violin Concerto (with Tasmin Little), and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 4. Sir Andrew Davis conducts. For ticket information: stlsymphony.org.

St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of February 18, 2013

Updated Wednesday, February 20

[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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St. Louis University Theatre presents the musical The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee February 22 through March 3. Performances take place in Xavier Hall, 3373 West Pine Mall. For more information, call (314) 977-2998 or visit www.slu.edu/theatre.

ANNNONYArts presents 3 Row Poles to Enlightenment and Zilch Friday and Saturday, February 22 and 23, at 8 PM. “3 Row Poles to Enlightenment, a performance/opera, was created by performance artist Tom Brady and is performed by himself and Monica Newsam. In Zilch, Beckah Reed, Monica Newsam and Tom Brady each bring decades of accomplishment, to speak about the liberation of spirit in the face of political and personal injustice.” Performances take place at ANNONYArts, 3003 Locust. For more information: annonyarts.org.

KTK Productions presents the comedy The Best of KTK Cabaret Friday and Saturday at 8 PM and Sunday at 2 PM. Performances take place at Southampton Presbyterian Church, 4716 Macklind. For more information, call 314-351-8984.

St. Louis Community College at Forest Park Theatre Department presents Bleacher Bums February 21-24. Performances take place in the Bastian Theatre on the campus at 5600 Oakland. For more information, call 314-644-9100.

The Fox Theatre presents the musical The Book of Mormon through March 3. "Nine 2011 Tony Awards® say it's the Best Musical of the Year. Vogue says, 'It's the funniest musical of all time.' And The New York Times says, 'It's the best musical of this century.' It's THE BOOK OF MORMON, the Broadway phenomenon from South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone and Avenue Q co-creator Robert Lopez. The Daily Show's Jon Stewart calls it 'A crowning achievement. So good, it makes me angry.' Contains explicit language." The Fox Theatre is at 527 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information: fabulousfox.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.

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

Alexandra Meister
photo by Heather Thorne

Dance St. Louis presents the Nashville Ballet production of Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana Thursday through Saturday at 8 PM and Sunday at 2 PM. The production features 120 singers, 60 musicians, and 40 dancers, including The University of Missouri-St. Louis Orchestra and Singers, The Bach Society of Saint Louis and The St. Louis Children’s Choir. The opening act for Carmina Burana is Bach’s Cantata No. 10, performed by MADCO and The University of Missouri-St. Louis Orchestra and Singers. Performances take place at the Touhill Center on the University of Missouri-St. Louis campus. For more information: dancestlouis.org.

HotCity Theatre presents the world premiere of Connected by Lia Romero through February 23. The play is designed to work in combination with Facebook, where profiles will be created for each of the characters as though they were real people. Audience members are invited to “friend” the characters in the weeks leading up to the show to find out more about their backstories. Performances take place at the Kranzberg Arts Center, 501 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information, visit www.hotcitytheatre.org or call 314-289-4063. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville Department of Theater and Dance presents Lisa Loomer's Distracted Wednesday through Sunday, February 20-24, in the Dunham Hall theater on the campus in Edwardsville, IL. For more information, call 618-650-2774.

St. Peter's UCC Creative Ministry presents An Evening with Gary Wayne Barker and Peggy Billo on Sunday, February 24, at 7 PM. David Horstman is pianist and music director for the show, which takes place at St. Peter's UCC, at Keelen and West Florissant in Dellwood. For more information: stpeterschurch.org

The COCA Family Theatre Series presents The Gruffalo Friday at 7 PM, Saturday at 2 and 5 PM, and Sunday at 1:30 PM, February 1-3. COCA is at 524 Trinity in University City. “Ages 3+. Join Mouse on an adventure through the deep, dark wood in this magical, musical adaptation of the award-winning picture book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler. Following sellout performances in Europe, the U.K.'s Tall Stories tours the globe with this monster of a show filled with songs, laughs and scary fun.” For more information, call (314) 725-6555 or visit www.cocastl.org.

The Black Rep presents The Mountaintop by Katori Hall through March 9. “April 3, 1968, Memphis. The Lorraine Motel, Room 306. where Martin Luther King Jr. spends his last night on earth.” Performances take place at the Grandel Theatre, 3610 Grandel Square. For more information, visit theblackrep.org or call 314-534-3810. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

The Lemp Mansion Comedy-Mystery Dinner Theater presents Murder in Mayberry through April 27. The Lemp Mansion is at 3322 DeMenil Place. For more information: lempmansion.com

The Bissell Mansion Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre presents Nursery Crimes through April 30th. The Bissell Mansion is at 4426 Randall Place. For more information: bissellmansiontheatre.com

Photo by John Lamb

Stray Dog Theatre presents Charles Busch's comedy Psycho Beach Party Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 PM through February 23. There will be a matinee on the closing Saturday at 2 PM in addition to the evening show. “Comedy meets horror in this wacky, campy retro-fusion of teenage surfer flicks and slasher sagas. Set in 1962, teen tomboy Chicklet Forrest desperately wants to belong to the surfer crowd on Malibu Beach. Unfortunately her many split personalities get in the way, while her most dangerous alter ego has nothing less than world domination in mind.” 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!

©Photo by Jerry Naunheim Jr.

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents Sense and Sensibility, based on the Jane Austen novel, through March 3. “When their father's death leaves two sisters with uncertain prospects, they must navigate the unpredictable seas of courtship with only their hearts to guide them. The course of true love winds through flirtation, folly, scandals and secrets as reserved, sensible Elinor and romantic, impulsive Marianne attempt to find their way in the world. This lovely, intimate adaptation of Jane Austen's first novel is a charming journey through hope and heartbreak as two young ladies find that when sense and sensibility meet, love can't be far behind.” Performances take place at the Loretto-Hlton Center, 130 Edgar Road in Webster Groves, MO. For more information, call 314-968-4925 or visit repstl.org. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

Photo by John Lamb

New Jewish Theater presents David Mamet's Speed-the-Plow through February 24. “Revived on Broadway in 2008, this Tony nominated play by David Mamet (out nation's foremost master of the language of moral epilepsy) is a hilarious and chilling satire of Hollywood and a culture as corrupt as the society it claims to reflect. The acid-etched portrait of greedy, foul-mouthed Hollywood players follows Bobby Gould, the newly appointed Head of Production at a major studio as he struggles to understand the contest and morality of life.” Performances take place in the Marvin and Harlene Wool Studio Theater at the Jewish Community Center, 2 Millstone Campus Drive in Creve Coeur. For more information: www.newjewishtheatre.org or call 314-442-3283. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

The Conservatory of Theatre Arts at Webster University presents Uncommon Women And Others Wednesday through Saturday at 7:30 PM and Sunday at 2 PM, February 20 through March 3. Performances take place in the Stage III Auditorium on the Webster University campus. For more information, call 314-968-7128.

The Presenters Dolan present Ralph Kalish in Winning History - The Branch Rickey Story, a one-act play written by Ralph Kalish and directed by Bobby Miller, Friday and Saturday at 8 and Sunday at 7 PM at The Gaslight Theatre, 358 North Boyle in the Central West End. For more information, call 314-725-4200 stn. 10 or visit licketytix.com.

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.