Pleasure cruise

Photo Credit: © Joan Marcus, 2012

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What: Anything Goes
Where: The Fox Theatre, St. Louis
When: May 28-June 9, 2013

Cole Porter’s 1934 hit Anything Goes has undergone three major revivals, each one of which involved significant alternations in the script and score. The latest, produced for New York’s Roundabout Theatre in 2011, is the version playing the Fox right now, and it’s a winner.

The new book is by John Weidman, whose credits include Sondheim’s Assassins and Pacific Overtures, and journalist and short-story writer Timothy Crouse—son of Russell Crouse, who co-authored the 1934 original. I’ve never seen that version, but I can say that this one crackles with funny dialog that although it sounds as if it could have been written nearly eighty years ago doesn’t seem dated, precious, or self-consciously ironic. It nicely showcases Porter’s brilliant score, gives all the major characters plenty of choice material, and includes just enough flashy production numbers to be satisfying, without succumbing to the “one number too many” disease that cripples so many recent musicals.

Photo Credit: © Joan Marcus, 2012

The basic story is unchanged from 1934. Stockbroker Billy Crocker, employed by cheerful lush Elisha Whitney, stows away on the SS American to be near his love, heiress Hope Harcourt, who is scheduled for an arranged marriage to the wealthy and foppish Lord Evelyn Oakleigh. Also on board are Billy’s friend Reno Sweeny, an evangelist turned nightclub singer; Moonface Martin, a.k.a. Public Enemy No. 13; and gangster moll Erma. They all get involved in schemes to spike the marriage and get Billy and Hope together, eventually resulting in a triple wedding and happy finale.

Although the role of Billy is effectively the romantic lead, it was originally written for a comic, William Gaxton, and much of that feel survives in this revival, with Billy assuming a variety of disguises and silly voices. Josh Franklin does well by the character’s comedy and is a strong singer and dancer as well. As Moonface Martin, Fred Applegate’s comic timing is impeccable. His big solo, “Be Like the Blue Bird,” was a highlight of the second act.

Rachel York’s larger than life, Texas Guinanesque approach to Reno Sweeney struck me as a bit over the top at first, but she quickly won me over with “I Get a Kick Out of You.” Her “Blow, Gabriel, Blow” was especially impressive, giving her a chance to make the most of her big Broadway “belter” voice. This is, after all, a role created by Ethel Merman; it requires a performer who can go big without becoming cartoonish, and Ms. York neatly fills the bill.

Photo Credit: © Joan Marcus, 2012

One of the big changes in this revival involves reassigning the song “Gypsy in Me”—in which the character reveals a secret “wild side”—from Hope to Lord Evelyn (Edward Staudenmayer), who sings it to Reno as part of a wild comic seduction scene. Mr. Staudenmayer‘s sudden transformation from feckless upper-class twit to out-of-control romantic was a lovely piece of physical acting. Joyce Chittick’s Erma was also nicely farcical, all brassy sex with an appropriately hokey Damon Runyon accent. Her “Buddie, Beware” was yet another second act standout.

As Hope, Alex Finke isn’t required to be much more than winsome, but she does it incredibly well, with a lovely voice and fluid dance moves. Dennis Kelly’s Elisha Whitney is the classic comic lush and Sandra Shipley shines in some very funny moments as Hope’s mother, the object of Whitney’s often-thwarted lust.

In many ways the real stars of this production, though, are the members of the chorus as they sing and dance up a storm in “Blow, Gabriel, Blow” and in the big production numbers that close both acts. The spectacular "Anything Goes” tap sequence at the end of the first act is particularly impressive, with the company spread out on all three levels of the set. Check out the promotional video at the tour web site to see what I mean. Yes, the solid work by all the principal and supporting players is essential, but this Anything Goes wouldn’t be nearly as entertaining without the precision work of the “gypsies” in the chorus. Here’s to them.

Here’s to the band under Jay Alger as well. The show travels with a synth and percussion, but the other thirteen members are recruited locally, and they sounded very together on opening night despite what must have been a short rehearsal period.

Derek McLane’s colorful multi-level ocean liner set adds its share of style to the proceedings, as do Martin Pakledinaz’s attractive costumes. Kathleen Marshall’s direction and choreography couldn’t be better, and she seems to have taken particular care to insure that not much action is pushed to the extreme sides of the set, where it could be blocked by the false proscenium required in large houses like the Fox—not every tour I’ve seen there has taken that into account.

There were a few ragged spots on opening night, including a small “wardrobe malfunction” for Mr. Franklin (a suspender that wouldn’t stay put), but that’s minor stuff. This tour of Anything Goes is tremendously entertaining, briskly paced, good looking, and great sounding. If you enjoy classic musicals, you won’t want to miss it. For more information: fabulousfox.com.

TPTBT (The Place to BeTonight): Friday, May 31

You can tell it's a comedy

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Who: Shakespeare Festival St. Louis
What: Twelfth Night
Where: Shakespeare Glen next to the Art Museum in Forest Park.
When: Nightly at 8 except Tuesdays through June 16
Why: Shakespeare Festival has been bringing polished outdoor productions of the Bard to town for some time now.  They've had their ups and downs, critically speaking, but they're always a class act.  Twelfth Night, in addition, is a show for which I've always had a great deal of affection, in part because I've performed it twice (once as Sir Andrew and once as Antonio) and in part because it's such a good-natured piece.  I'll be moderating a talkback session after the show on Friday night, so hang around and say "hi".  The title, by the way, refers to the fact that the play was written as an entertainment for the close of the Christmas season in 1602 or thereabouts.

Theatre quote of the day for Friday, May 31, 2013

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“It has been said that the myth is a public dream, dreams are private myths. Unfortunately we give our mythic side scant attention these days. As a result, a great deal escapes us and we no longer understand our own actions. So it remains important and salutary to speak not only of the rational and easily understood, but also of enigmatic things: the irrational and the ambiguous. To speak both privately and publicly.” ― Mary Zimmerman, Metamorphoses

Chuck's Choices for the weekend of May 31, 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 Broadway revival of the classic Cole Porter musical Anything Goes throuh June 9. This is the tour of the 2011 Roundabout Theatre revival and it's definitely a winner. You can see my review for 88.1 KDHX for details, but the main point is that you should get tickets immediately. The Fox Theatre is at 517 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information, call 314-534-1678.

New Line Theatre presents the St. Louis premier of the musical Bukowsical Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 PM, May 30-June 22. "With book and lyrics by Spencer Green and Gary Stockdale, and music by Stockdale, Bukowsical is a wacky, high-energy – and gleefully adult – musical comedy, an ironic and insightful 21st-century reboot of the classic American musical comedy, exploring the intersection between sex, drugs, booze, and art, all through the life story of the great American novelist and poet Charles Bukowski." I haven't seen this, but the idea is so much in line with the mission of the Church of the SubGenius that it demands attention. Performances take place at the Washington University South Campus Theatre, 6501 Clayton Road. For more information, call 314-534-1111.

Circus Flora presents its new show, A Trip to the Moon, May 30 through June 23 under the air-conditioned, red-and-white, big top tent in Grand Center next to Powell Hall. "Inspired by Georges Méliès' groundbreaking 1902 film, A Trip to the Moon, Circus Flora's creative team captures the film's imaginative spirit ...A Trip to the Moon borrows this iconic piece of cinematic history and Méliès' artistic instruments to construct the visual styling, costuming and narrative elements." For more inforamtion, visit circusflora.org.

Held over:

Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents Gilbert and Sullivan's The Pirates of Penzance in rotating repertory with three other operas May 25-June 29. Performances take place at the Loretto-Hilton Center at 135 Edgar Road on the Webster University campus. All performances are sung in English with projected English text. As I note in my review for 88.1 KDHX, this may not be a perfect production, but it's pretty darned good and well worth seeing. For more information, you may visit experienceopera.org or call 314-961-0644.

Photo: John Lamb

New Jewish Theater presents Shlemiel the First through June 9. "A joyous klezmer musical based on the tale by Isaac Bashevis Singer, follows the naive beadle Shlemiel from Chelm, a village of fools, on a pilgrimage to spread the wisdom of the local sages. His simple-minded folly turns an already absurd world hilariously upside down, and the play’s small cast, complete with a live klezmer band and a topsy-turvy set, amasses large measures of adoration from audiences nationwide." I'm not sure I'm the right audience for this show—the material has no real cultural resonance for me—but there's no denying the quality of this production. The storybook set by Margery and Peter Spack and Cristie Johnston is also a triumph. 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.

The Cliburn Report 10: Luftpause

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[I will be covering the final round of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in June for 88.1 KDHX. Meanwhile I’m picking the best of the current press coverage for you dining and dancing pleasure.]

Well, the twelve semifinalists (pictured) have been chosen. Starting on June 1st, each will play one solo recital and one performance of a piano quintet with the Brentano String Quartet. The Cliburn folks have thoughtfully provided a complete schedule of the semifinal round along with a list of what each of the semifinalists will play.

Meanwhile, it seems that I missed a couple of important blogs in my last roundup. Allow me to correct that error now.

For some reason, I completely overlooked the Cliburn’s own competition blog. Since it’s a more or less official outlet, I have the sense (skimming a number of the posts) that “never is heard a discouraging word”, but even so it offers an interesting perspective. More of the posts are by Mike Winter, but there are also some contributions from “visiting German journalist” Christoph Hiller.

The Brentano String Quartet

TheaterJones, meanwhile, provides coverage that goes beyond Gregory Isaacs’s reviews of the recitals. Contributor Jan Farrington has been providing the blog equivalent of sports “color commentary” with backstage interviews, a look at the skilled Steinway piano technician team, and even an amusing look at competitors’ hair. You can see their complete Cliburn coverage here.

The Cliburn Report 9: It's getting very near the end

[I will be covering the final round of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in June for 88.1 KDHX. Meanwhile I’m picking the best of the current press coverage for you dining and dancing pleasure.]

Alessandro Taverna

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The preliminary round of the competition is just drawing to a close (the final recital will end today at 5:30 central USA time; just a half-hour away as this is being written) but it’s already apparent what some of the prizes will be. As reported today in the Waco Tribune, the Cliburn gold medalist will play a concert with the Waco Symphony on April 10, 2014. It’s just part of the gold medalist package, which includes three years of tours, recordings, and concert management.

Gregory Isaacs’s coverage for TheatreJones continues. His favorites from the first, second, and third Wednesday sessions were:

• Alessandro Taverna (29, Italy) – “He did a remarkable job and should get extra credit for programming music by composers of our own time.”
• Alessandro Deljavan (26, Italy) – “Originality is at a premium in today’s prepackaged and predigested world. Deljavan is a refreshing—and infuriating—example. Would that there were more like him.”
• Jayson Gillham (26, Australia/UK) – “Gillham appeared to be enjoying the entire experience, and that translated to the audience through the music-making.”

Alessandro Deljavan

Scott Cantrell of the Dallas Morning News singled out only one contestant for uniform praise in his morning, afternoon, and evening reviews: Alessandro Deljavan. Mr. Cantrell described him as “the rare contestant who actually seems to enjoy himself.” All the others got notices that were, at best, mixed.

Theatre quote of the day for Thursday, May 30, 2013

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“I suppose I walk that line between comedy and cruelty because I think one illuminates the other. We're all cruel, aren't we? We are all extreme in one way or another at times and that's what drama, since the Greeks, has dealt with. I hope the overall view isn't just that though, or I've failed in my writing. There have to be moments when you glimpse something decent, something life-affirming even in the most twisted character. That's where the real art lies.” ― Martin McDonagh

Quip and quibble quaint

Who: Opera Theatre of St. Louis
What: Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance
Where: The Loretto-Hilton Center
When: through June 29th

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Time was when St. Louis Savoyards could expect an annual Christmas present from Opera Theatre in the form of a Gilbert and Sullivan operetta presented at Washington University’s Edison Theatre. Alas, either the present proved too expensive or the school had other plans for the space. These days we have to be content with the occasional production as part of the regular season by Opera Theatre or one of our other local opera companies.

The Pirates of Penzance, the G and S classic that opens the current Opera Theatre season, was last produced as one of those Christmas presents in 1982. This new version, directed and choreographed by OTSL veteran Seán Curran, sometimes gilds the comic lily with excessive and occasionally distracting stage “busy-ness”, but on the whole it’s tremendous fun. The cast are all fine singers and actors, James Schuette’s colorful costumes and pop-up book set—complete with a gilt Victorian false proscenium and red velvet curtains—is a delight, and the orchestra under conductor Ryan McAdams sounds terrific.

The story of Pirates is so well known that you don’t need me to summarize it here. I’ll just note that it’s a typically Gilbertian mix of parody, paradox, and verbal wit that remains hilarious over 130 years after its simultaneous New York and London premieres (an arrangement made necessary by the requirements of British and American copyright law at the time).

Heading this first-rate cast are tenor Matthew Plenk as Frederic, the “slave of duty” of the opera’s subtitle, and soprano Deanna Breiwick (a fine Johanna in Sweeney Todd last season) as Major-General Stanley’s youngest daughter Mabel. Mr. Plenk’s robust voice is almost too big for the role—a fact that Mr. Curran uses for a great visual joke during “Oh, is there not one maiden breast”—but he makes it work. Ms. Breiwick’s seemingly effortless execution of the vocal filigree in “Poor wandering one”, meanwhile, demonstrates why the New York Times once called her a "vocal trapeze artist." And her comic acting skills are solid.


Bass Bradley Smoak once again demonstrates his own impressive vocal and comic abilities (previously only on display in OTSL’s Don Giovanni and Marriage of Figaro) as the Pirate King. Mezzo Maria Zifchak is equally fine as Ruth, “a pirate maid-of-all work.”

Bass-baritone Jason Eck is an excellent Sergeant of Police, although he seems not entirely comfortable with the very bottom notes in “When the felon’s not engaged.” Mezzos Jaime Korkos and Corrie Stallings and soprano Katrina Galka—all Gerdine Young Artists—all have moments to shine as Stanley daughters.

Baritone Hugh Russell, who was such a great Figaro in Barber of Seville seven years ago, shows the same vocal and acting skills in the “principal comedian” role of Major-General Stanley. He seemed to be having a bit of difficulty enunciating all the lyrics of "I am the very model of a modern Major-General" on opening night, but that’s a minor complaint.

Mr. Curran’s choreography, while not elaborate, makes all his performers look good—which is what great choreography should do. His direction is, as I mentioned before, sometimes a bit too busy for its own good but it mostly serves the material well. I will, however, confess to being annoyed that the overture was, for no discernable reason, cut in half. Sullivan’s overtures are mostly little gems, with Pirates being one of the best, and they deserve to be heard as intended. Just because Joseph Papp did it for his 1981 pop/rock adaptation of Pirates doesn’t necessarily make it a good idea.

Opera Theatre may not be presenting a perfect Pirates of Penzance, but it’s an awfully good one, my minor “quibble quaint” not withstanding. It’s well worth seeing and highly recommended. Performances continue through June 29th in rotating repertory with the rest of the OTSL season. For more information and schedules, experienceopera.org.

The Cliburn Report 8: Here, There, and Everywhere

Jade Simmons

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[I will be covering the final round of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in June for 88.1 KDHX. Meanwhile I’m picking the best of the current press coverage for you dining and dancing pleasure.]

I'm a bit late with this one, but I have an excuse:  I had to write up and record a review of the tour of Anything Goes that's playing the Fox Theatre locally.  That's the disadvantage of being both a music and theatre critic.

Anyway, I’ve been concentrating on mainstream media outlets so far, but I don’t want to give you the impression that the blogosphere isn’t paying attention to the competition as well. Here are  a couple of recent examples:

Chang Tou Liang’s Pianomania blog has been covering the competition at least as assiduously as mainstream critics Scott Cantreel and Gregory Isaacs (see below). It’s interesting to compare their picks with his.

I have mentioned the fine job pianist Jade Simmons has been doing as host of the Cliburn live webcast. Her Emerge Already! blog is worth a look (and listen—it includes audio blog entries).

Giuseppe Greco
Photo: Ralph Lauer

Back on the mainstream media beat, The Fort Worth Star-Telegram continues its daily photo coverage of the competition, including both performance and backstage pictures from day 6 (May 28th).

Gregory Isaacs’s coverage for TheatreJones continues. His favorites from the first, second, and third Tuesday sessions were:

• Nikita Mndoyants (24, Russia) – “The best word to describe his performance is ‘classy.’” Scott Cantrell liked Mr. Mndoyants’s Phase I recital quite a bit as well.
• Giuseppe Greco (23, Italy) – “Giuseppe Greco is an anomaly. He is a fine pianist with remarkable skills who played an excellent program, yet he doesn’t command the kind of attention that some of the other, equally talented, pianists seem to attract. It is hard to understand why this happens. However, in listening to him play his second round program, we were constantly reminded of what a fine pianist he is.”
• Oleksandr Poliykov (25, Ukraine) – “This was an exceptionally thoughtful performance” of Liszt’s arrangement of Isoldens Liebestod and Brahms’ Sonata No. 3 in F Minor, op. 5.
• Nikita Abrosimov (24, Russia) – The pianist’s program of 20th-century Russian music included Rachmaninov’s Prelude in D Major, No.4, which Mr. Isaacs called “the most beautiful single performance of the competition to date.”
• Vadym Kholodenko (26, Ukraine) – Mr. Isaacs was most taken with the Stravinsky’ Trois mouvements de Pétrouchka, a piece that has been popular with the contestants this year. “We have heard it played impeccably, note-wise,” he writes, “as did Kholodenko, but this was the first time the music came to life in all its delightful grotesquerie. He made faces, bounced on the bench in rhythm, hunched over, leaned into the instrument and generally had a grand time. He played the music, but he also played the intent, and that is a rare quality. Suddenly, this work stopped being an elaborate étude and became a piece of theater music.”

Oleksandr Poliykov
Photo: Ralph Lauer

Scott Cantrell of the Dallas Morning News singled out the following contestants in his morning, afternoon, and evening reviews:

• Nikita Mndoyants – “Amid so much playing to impress, he again proved an unassuming, thoughtful musician.”
• Giuseppe Greco – “a serious contender for the semifinals”
• Oleksandr Poliykov - “opened the afternoon sessions with two of the competition’s most compelling performances so far.”
• Vadym Kholodenko – Mr. Cantrell echoes Mr. Isaacs’s praise, especially of the Pétrouchka scenes, which was “the first of five performances so far to suggest the wit, whimsy and sheer weirdness of Stravinsky’s original ballet.”

Theatre quote of the day for Wednesday, May 29, 2013

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"The theater-goer in conventional dramatic theater says: Yes, I've felt that way, too. That's the way I am. That's life. That's the way it will always be. The suffering of this or that person grips me because there is no escape for him. That's great art — Everything is self-evident. I am made to cry with those who cry, and laugh with those who laugh. But the theater-goer in the epic theater says: I would never have thought that. You can't do that. That's very strange, practically unbelievable. That has to stop. The suffering of this or that person grips me because there is an escape for him. That's great art — nothing is self-evident. I am made to laugh about those who cry, and cry about those who laugh." - Bertolt Brecht, On Theatre

The Cliburn Report 7: Da Capo

Claire Huangci

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[I will be covering the final round of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in June for 88.1 KDHX.  Meanwhile I’m picking the best of the current press coverage for you dining and dancing pleasure.]

No matter where you stand on the question of the validity of piano competitions in general and The Cliburn in particular, you must admit that the folks behind the Fort Worth-based competition/festival are always looking for ways to improve it and raise public awareness of it (not necessarily the same thing).

This time around, for example, they have doubled the length of the preliminary round by allowing each contestant to perform two 45-minute recitals instead of one as they used to do.  It’s more work for the pianists and (especially) the jury, but it does give every performer a second chance.

François Dumont

For an example of the importance of that second chance, one needs look no farther than Claire Huangci (23, USA), who opened the Phase II preliminary session Monday afternoon.  As Gregory Isaacs notes in his TheaterJones review:

Her performance of excerpts from Tchaikovsky’s ballet The Sleeping Beauty, in a virtuoso arrangement by the Russian pianist Mikhail Pletnev, has surely caused the judges to reconsider her. Marquis said that the second recital might make up for an off day in the first round. In this case, it allowed Huangci to have a spectacular day after a good one. Also, it helped to make up for her falling, by luck of the draw, into the dreaded first position in the competition.

As it happens Ms. Huangci’s Sleeping Beauty suite was one of the few performances I’ve been able to catch on the Cliburn’s live webcast, and I heartily second Mr. Isaac’s comments.

Alex McDonald

Meanwhile, wall-to-wall coverage by Mr. Isaacs and Scott Cantrell of the Dallas Morning News continues.  In addition to Ms. Huangci, Mr. Isaacs’s favorites from the first, second, and third Monday sessions were:

• François Dumont (27, France) – “His ability to switch musical styles was remarkable, from an understated Mozart to an explosive Chopin with a highly colored Gaspard in between.”
• Yury Favorin (26, Russia) – Another pianist who demonstrated facility in different musical styles (Schubert, Wagner as arranged by Liszt, and a contemporary work).
• Beatrice Rana (20, Italy) – “In my earlier review of Beatrice Rana, I commented that I heard remarks in the audience such as ‘here is a real artist.’ After today, we heard ‘she might be a winner.’”
• Alex McDonald (30, USA) – “[H]e turned in a wonderful performance, with some truly remarkable moments, that validated the trust many have in him.”  I watched the tail end of this one and was pretty much blown away by his bravura performance of Stravinsky’s Trois mouvements de Pétrouchka.

Mr. Cantrell's morning, afternoon, and evening reviews singled out:

• François Dumont – “awesome technical command—not merely speed and power but also fastidious clarification of gentle rustles and cascades.”
• Claire Huangci – “one of the most impressive performers in the first phase, got the second off to a fine start.”
• Beatrice Rana – “after a fairly generic recital Friday, thrust herself among the frontrunners Monday.”

By way of contrast, he named Mr. Favorin “most annoying player so far.”

And so it goes.

Theatre quote of the day for Tuesday, May 28, 2013

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“My big breakthrough came when I realized that insecurity is the prime currency of film acting. In a sense, induced insecurity is exactly what you strive for. This was a major shift from what I was used to. In theatre acting, you work to overcome your insecurities. In weeks of exhaustive rehearsals you carefully craft a performance, polishing it like a gemstone. You work at it until you’re finally “secure” in your role. You rely on technique to sustain you and keep you consistent over the length of a run… In the movies, you only ned to achieve that illusion once and you’re given lots of chances to get it right… In the course of several takes, all sorts of happy accidents can happen in front of the camera, completely uncalculated. The best of these accidents are like lightning in a bottle. They are flashes of artless reality born of your induced insecurity - your fear, your pain, your longing, your nervous laughter. They have a close-up truth that can’t be faked. Hence, when you’re shooting a film you must recklessly put your emotion into play.” — John Lithgow, from Drama: An Actor’s Education

Much of what he says also applies to cabaret as an art form.

The Cliburn Report 6: First movement coda

Jayson Gillham
Photo: Ralph Lauer

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[I will be covering the final round of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in June for 88.1 KDHX. Meanwhile I’m picking the best of the current press coverage for you dining and dancing pleasure.]

As some of you may know, this is the first edition of the Cliburn in which the thirty semi-finalists are given a literal second chance to show their abilities as soloists. Previously, the field was cut from thirty to twelve after only one round of recitals. This year, each contestant gets to perform two forth-minute programs, beginning today. That’s a classic good news/bad news scenario, as Fort Worth Star-Telegram writer Tim Madigan observes. “For all the positives,” he writes, “the new format has brought scheduling challenges and intensified the already grueling nature of the preliminary round. In past competitions, with just one recital per competitor, the preliminaries started to feel like a slog for the media and audience members committed to sitting for every note.”

Alexey Chernov
Photo: Ralph Lauer

Mr. Madigan also has a nicely balanced article on what winning the Cliburn does—and doesn’t—mean to a young pianist’s career. It’s well worth a read.

Dallas Morning News music critic Scott Cantrell continues his coverage of the competition with reviews of the Sunday evening recitals as well as the morning and afternoon performances at the paper’s arts blog.

The pianists he singles out for special praise this time are Jayson Gillham (26, Australia-U.K.), Alexey Chernov (30, Russia; “the most riveting contestant so far”), and Sara Daneshpour (26, U.S., who “gets the prize so far for the most ravishing playing”).

Sara Daneshpour
Photo: Ralph Lauer

Gregory Isaacs of the Music Critics Association of North America continues his more detailed coverage of the first, second and third rounds on Sunday at the TheaterJones site. He shares Mr. Cantrell’s enthusiasm for Jayson Gillham, Alexey Chernov, and Sara Daneshpour, but has positive things to say about many of the others as well.

Phase two of the preliminary round begins as I’m writing this today at 3 PM central. You can view the entire series live at cliburn.org, hosted with great charm by pianist Jade Simmons.

Theatre quote of the day for Monday, May 27, 2013

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I'm presenting these two together since I think they offer a nice counterpoint to each other.  The kind of total commitment Bukowski talks about can, in fact, lead to great art—but it can also lead to noisy rubbish and an early grave.


“If you're going to try, go all the way. Otherwise, don't even start. This could mean losing girlfriends, wives, relatives and maybe even your mind. It could mean not eating for three or four days. It could mean freezing on a park bench. It could mean jail. It could mean derision. It could mean mockery--isolation. Isolation is the gift. All the others are a test of your endurance, of how much you really want to do it. And, you'll do it, despite rejection and the worst odds. And it will be better than anything else you can imagine. If you're going to try, go all the way. There is no other feeling like that. You will be alone with the gods, and the nights will flame with fire. You will ride life straight to perfect laughter. It's the only good fight there is.” ―  Charles Bukowski, Factotum

"I've met actors where you think, 'if only you could just clean up your act and get it together, people would want to work with you.' Some people are so difficult, it's just not worth working with them." ― Sir Patrick Stewart

FYI Bukowsical, a musical based on the life of Charles Bukowski, opens at New Line Theatre on May 30th and runs through June 22nd.

The Cliburn Report 5: Morning, Noon, and Night in Fort Worth

Nikolay Khozyaninov

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[I will be covering the final round of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in June for 88.1 KDHX. Meanwhile I’m picking the best of the current press coverage for you dining and dancing pleasure.]

Note-for-note coverage of Phase 1 of the preliminary round continues with Dallas Morning News music critic Scott Cantrell’s reviews of the Saturday afternoon and Saturday night recitals at the paper’s arts blog. None of his reviews are unqualified raves although his comments on Russia’s Nikolay Khozyaninov (age 20) include praise for his “pretty amazing performance of Ravel’s Gaspard de la nuit.” He also singled out Italy’s Alessandro Taverna (age 29) for the way he “managed to find some surprises in that Cliburn cliché, the Three Movements from Stravinsky’s Petrushka.”

Lindsay Garritson

Meanwhile, my fellow member of the Music Critics Association of North America, Gregory Isaacs, continues his coverage of the first, second and third rounds on Saturday at the TheaterJones site. He has something positive to say about nearly everyone, but his favorites so far are Ukraine’s Oleksandr Poliykov (age 25; Mr. Isaacs loved his Pictures at an Exhibition); Taiwan’s Kuan-Ting Lin (21), who did well by Liszt; American Lindsay Garritson (25) whose performance of Prokofiev’s Sonata No. 7 in B-flat Major, Op. 83 earned a standing ovation; Nikolay Khozyaninov (he loved the pianist’s Ravel as much as Mr. Cantrell did); and Italy’s Alessandro Deljavan (27) whose outrageous stage persona (he grimaces and hums along, a la Glenn Gould) nevertheless appears to come with good musical judgment. “Weird facial expressions matter not a whit,” notes Mr. Isaacs, “and he received a standing ovation.”

The St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of May 27, 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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Windsor Theatre Group presents The 1940s and its Music Fridays at 7:30 PM, Saturdays at 2 and 7:30 PM, and Sundays at 2 PM, May 31-June 9. Performances take place at The Historic Ozark Theatre, 103 E. Lockwood in Webster Groves. For more information: 314-832-2114.

Affton CenterStage Theatre Company presents Aladdin Friday and Saturday, May 31 and June 1. Performances take place at Affton High School, 8309 Mackenzie Riad. For more information, call 636-349-6880 or visit www.afftoncenterstage.org.

Stages St. Louis presents the musical Always..Patsy Cline May 31-June 30. 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.

The Fox Theatre presents the Broadway revival of the classic Cole Porter musical Anything Goes May 28-June 9. The Fox Theatre is at 517 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information, call 314-534-1678. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

Union Avenue Opera presents Arias in the Afternoon on Sunday, June 2, from 1 - 4 PM at the Campbell House Museum. “Join Union Avenue Opera and Campbell House Museum for an afternoon of music in Virginia Campbell's Victorian garden, featuring performances by UAO artists.” For more information: unionavenueopera.org.

New Line Theatre presents the St. Louis premier of the musical Bukowsical Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 PM, May 30-June 22. "With book and lyrics by Spencer Green and Gary Stockdale, and music by Stockdale, BUKOWSICAL is a wacky, high-energy – and gleefully adult – musical comedy, an ironic and insightful 21st-century reboot of the classic American musical comedy, exploring the intersection between sex, drugs, booze, and art, all through the life story of the great American novelist and poet Charles Bukowski." Performances take place at the Washington University South Campus Theatre, 6501 Clayton Road. For more information, call 314-534-1111.

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 Lemp Mansion Comedy-Mystery Dinner Theater presents Clueless through July 27. The Lemp Mansion is at 3322 DeMenil Place. For more information: lempmansion.com

LifeLight Youth Theatre presents Disney's The Little Mermaid Thursday and Friday at 7:30 PM and Saturday at 2:30 PM, May 30-Jue 1, at Westminster Christian Academy, 800 Maryville Centre Drive in Town and Country. For more information: lifelightyouththeatre.com.

The Bissell Mansion Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre presents Field of Schemes through July 27. The Bissell Mansion is at 4426 Randall Place. For more information: bissellmansiontheatre.com

Dramatic License Productions presents The Frog Prince May 31 through June 9. 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.

Brass Rail Players present the musical Godspell. Performances take place Thursday through Sunday, May 30-June 2, at the Governor French Adacemy In Belleville, Il. For more information, visit brassrailplayers.org.

Upstream Theater presents An Iliad through June 9. Performances take place at the Kranzberg Arts Center, 501 North Grand in Grand Center. "The inimitable Jerry Vogel returns to Upstream to play the poet who has come to enchant us, move us, and dare us to recognize ourselves as we peer into the bronze-tinged reflection of an ancient war...Featuring live music by longtime Upstream collaborator Farshid Soltanshahi." For more information, including show times: upstreamtheater.org.

Photo: John Lamb

Max and Louie Productions presents Jeffrey Hatcher's Mrs. Mannerly through June 2. "This irreverent, yet poignant comedy is inspired by the hilarious memories of a childhood etiquette class, wherein playwright Jeffrey Hatcher conjures up the world of a 10 yr. old studying manners. Set in 1967, Mrs. Mannerly is a demanding teacher, and no student in her thirty-six years of etiquette classes has ever achieved a perfect score. But, when he discovers her secret past, Young Jeffrey is determined to be the first to achieve this feat. This unique comic tale reveals truths about the face we present and the real selves that lie inside." Performances take place at COCA, 524 Trinity in University City. For more information, visit maxandlouie.com. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents Gilbert and Sullivan's The Pirates of Penzance in rotating repertory with three other operas through June 29. Performances this week are Wednesday and Friday at 8 PM and take place at the Loretto-Hilton Center at 135 Edgar Road on the Webster University campus. All performances are sung in English with projected English text. For more information, you may visit experienceopera.org or call 314-961-0644. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

Photo: John Lamb

New Jewish Theater presents Shlemiel the First through June 9. "A joyous klezmer musical based on the tale by Isaac Bashevis Singer, follows the naive beadle Shlemiel from Chelm, a village of fools, on a pilgrimage to spread the wisdom of the local sages. His simple-minded folly turns an already absurd world hilariously upside down, and the play’s small cast, complete with a live klezmer band and a topsy-turvy set, amasses large measures of adoration from audiences nationwide." 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!

Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents Puccini's Il Tabarro and Leoncavallo's I Pagliacci in rotating repertory with three other operas through June 29. Performances take place at the Loretto-Hilton Center at 135 Edgar Road on the Webster University campus. All performances are sung in English with projected English text. For more information, you may visit experienceopera.org or call 314-961-0644.

Circus Flora presents its new show, A Trip to the Moon, May 30 through June 23 under the air-conditioned, red-and-white, big top tent in Grand Center next to Powell Hall. For more inforamtion, visit circusflora.org.

Shakespeare Festival St. Louis presents Twelfth Night nightly except for Tuesdays through June 16. Performances take place in Shakespeare Glen next to the Art Museum in Forest Park. Curtain time is 8 PM. For more information, visit sfstl.com.

The Black Rep presents the musical The Wiz May 29-June 29. Performances take place at the Grandel Theatre, 3610 Grandel Square. For more information, visit theblackrep.org or call 314-534-3810.

Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville presents Xfest: 4 Days of Experimental Theater. Performances take place May 29-June 1 on the campus in Edwardsville, IL. For more information, call 618-650-2774.

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.

Theatre quote of the day for Sunday, May 26, 2013

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"In the true theatre a play disturbs the senses' repose, frees the repressed unconscious, incites a kind of virtual revolution (which moreover can have its full effect only if it remains virtual), and imposes on the assembled collectivity an attitude that is both difficult and heroic." - Antonin Artaud, "Theatre and The Plague" (from The Theatre and Its Double)

Yes, Artaud was disturbed and died in a psychiatric clinic, but he's still one of the more influential theatrical thinkers of the early 20th century.  Peter Weiss's Marat/Sade seems clearly influenced by Artaud.

The Cliburn Report 4: Morning Mood

Beatrice Rana

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[I will be covering the final round of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in June for 88.1 KDHX. Meanwhile I’m picking the best of the current press coverage for you dining and dancing pleasure.]

If you missed the first day of the Cliburn’s seven-day marathon of preliminary round recitals, never fear; the Fort Worth Star-Telegram has a huge photo gallery of the contestants in action, along with an article by Tim Madigan describing some contestant and audience reactions to opening day. Mr. Madigan isn’t doing any handicapping yet, but he did describe 20-year-old Italian pianist Beatrice Rana’s recital as “a highlight of the first day, particularly her exquisite sonata composed by Muzio Clementi…The piece featured slow, pianissimo passages requiring a delicate touch, interspersed with fast music that allowed Rana to showcase her speed and dexterity at the keyboard.”

Nikita Mndoyants

Scott Cantrell of the Dallas Morning News, on the other hand, is doing mini-reviews of each recital. His Friday report is less enthusiastic about Ms. Rana than Mr. Madigan’s (although it’s still mostly positive). His praise of Russia’s Nikita Mndoyants and Italy’s Luca Buratto mostly mirror my own impressions from the webcast (although I’m less bothered by Mr. Buratto’s presentation eccentricities than he is). His blog coverage of this morning’s concert singles out Taiwan’s Kuan-Ting Lin as “one of the most impressive performers so far, sensitive to melodic shape and harmonic nuance,” although he also has praise for the Ukranian Oleksandr Poliykov.

My fellow Music Critics Assocaition of North America member Gregory Isaacs is also doing wall-to-wall Cliburn coverage at the TheaterJones site. The link will be updated as he adds more reviews, so it's worth a bookmark.

Finally, those of you wishing to escape the hype around the Cliburn (and competitions in general) might want to check out Brad Hill’s curmudgeonly (but thought provoking) article at Huffington Post. You may or may not agree with all of it, but I think you’ll have to admit he makes some telling points.

The Cliburn Report 3: Trial by Jury

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[I will be covering the final round of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in June for 88.1 KDHX. Meanwhile I’m picking highlights of the current press coverage for your dining and dancing pleasure.]

This is the second in the grueling seven-day marathon that is the preliminary round of the Cliburn competition. Each of the thirty contestants will perform two 45-minute recitals in front of a live audience in the 2,056-seat Bass Performance Hall, located in the city’s Modern Art Museum on Commerce Street, and for a world-wide audience via the Cliburn Foundation’s professionally-produced live webcast at cliburn.org.

The concerts start at 11:00 AM and run, with two 90-minute intermissions, until after 10 PM each day. It’s a killer schedule that reminds me of nothing so much as the old “continuous vaudeville” shows of a century ago.

For those of you who might not be familiar with the term (i.e. pretty much anyone who hasn’t made a study of the Vaudeville era), “continuous vaudeville” was an arrangement devised by producer Benjamin Franklin Keith in the early years of the 20th century whereby vaudeville theatres were kept open for twelve hours per day, with entertainment being offered continuously. The same bill of acts would cycle three of four times, with audience members coming and going at will. As Rick Easton notes in his on-line vaudeville history site, “[t]he continuous provided the illusion of a constant and thriving business, eliminating what Keith saw as ‘hesitancy’ on the part of patrons to enter the theatre until they were ‘reassured by numbers.’” It was a great deal for Keith; less so for his acts, who had time to do little else than perform and (maybe) sleep.

The Cliburn’s schedule may not be as punishing to performers as Keith’s was, but it seems to me that it must be every bit as hard on a group that’s equally as critical to the competition: the judges. They’re obliged to not just listen to almost eight hours of recitals per day but to listen attentively as well—a daunting task, to say the least. In his backstage look at the 1989 Cliburn, The Ivory Trade, Joseph Horowitz neatly summarizes the hazards of such a schedule: “Impressions, sharp at first, blur and refocus intermittently. The mind wanders. The ears tire.”

John Giordano

And yet listen they must, and with care. When the preliminary round is over, they’ll have to vote to advance twelve of the thirty contestants to the semifinals. If they take their jobs seriously (as I presume they must) they have to make sure that no nuance of any performance is missed. They need to feel confident that their twelve choices are, in fact, the best of the bunch.

I don’t envy them that task. Listening to some of the live webcast last night, I was struck by the stunningly high level of pianism on display. If asked to pick a “best” among the few I heard, I’d be hard pressed to do it with any degree of assurance. The members of this jury—headed by Fort Worth Symphony director emeritus John Giordano—have their work cut out for them.

Theatre quote of the day for Saturday, May 25, 2013

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“I long for the simplicity of theatre. I want lessons learned, comeuppances delivered, people sorted out, all before your bladder gets distractingly full. That's what I want. What I know is what we all know, whether we'll admit it or not: every attempt to impose the roundness of a well-made play on reality produces a disaster. Life just isn't so, nor will it be made so.” ― John M. Ford (1957-2006), Casting Fortune