Stage Left: June 2013

Sunday, June 30, 2013

St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of July 1, 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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Photo: John Lamb

Insight Theatre Company presents the musical 1776 running through July 7. Performances take place in the Heagney Theatre, 530 East Lockwood on the campus of Nerinx Hall High School in Webster Groves. For more information, call 314-556-1293 or visit insighttheatrecompany.com. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

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

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

St. Louis Actors' Studio presents the Neil LaBute New Theater Festival Part 1 July 5-14 at the Gaslight Theatre, 358 North Boyle. Part 1 features performances of The Possible by LaBute along with Pinky Swear by Tyler Vickers, 2 Irishmen Digging a Ditch by GD Kimble, Elephant in the Room by Alexis Clements, and Cleansing Acts by Carols Perez. For more information, call 314-458-2978 or visit stlas.org.

The Muny presents Nunsense Muny Style Monday through Sunday at 8:15 PM, July 1-7, in the outdoor theatre in Forest Park. For more information, visit muny.org or call 314-361-1900.

Gitana Productions presents !Soy Yo! An Afro-Latina Suite by Mariah Richardson Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 PM and Sundays at 3 PM through July 14. “Take a journey through time with Promise and her ancestors to get a glimpse into what it is like to be Black and Latina in America. The journey is one of struggle, joy, beauty and triumph of mixed identity in a changing America. An evening filled with rhythm and dance!” Performances take place in the Kranzberg Arts Center, 501 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information: www.gitana-inc.org.

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, June 30, 2013

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Who: The Compton Heights Concert Band
What: July 4th Tribute Concert
When: Tonight at 7:30 PM
Where: Francis Park, Eichelberger and Donovan
Why: "The program includes Captain America March, Film Score Classics, I Could Have Danced All Night, Summertime from Porgy and Bess, Someone To Watch Over Me, Big Band Favorites, The Thunderer March, National Emblem, Symphonic Marches, Over The Rainbow, God Bless America, Armed Forces Salute, 1812 Overture, and the Stars and Stripes Forever March." Featured vocalist is Beverly Stewart-Anderson (pictured) and the evening concludes with Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture." Temperatures are expected to be mild and the concert is free. 'Nuff said, as Stan Lee used to say.

Theatre quote of the day for Sunday, June 30, 2013

celebritiesfans.com

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"One of my beliefs is that there are certain institutions within a community which stand for the spirit and heart of that community, there's the church, the local football team, the local pub and the theatre."

"Paul and I were both struggling actors. One night he would serve me in a restaurant, and the next night I would serve him. It was what out of work actors did."

"I was an accidental actor. I was never formally trained." - David Soul

Saturday, June 29, 2013

Theatre quote of the day for Saturday, June 29, 2013

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"Make them laugh, make them cry, and hack to laughter. What do people go to the theatre for? An emotional exercise. I am a servant of the people. I have never forgotten that."

"One of the great penalties those of us who live our lives in full view of the public must pay is the loss of that most cherished birthright of man's, privacy."

- Mary Pickford

I included that second one just because I thought it would be good to remind everybody that there are good reasons for not sharing every little thing with everyone in the world via social networking.

TPTBT (The Place to Be Tonight): Saturday, June 29

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Who: OnSite Theatre
What: There's a Gun in Your Goodbye Bag by Elizabeth Birkenmeier
When: Tonight at 5 and 8 PM
Where: Classic Coin Laundry, 7200 Balson Ave, University City
Why: OnSite has the unique mission of performing "site specific" theatre pieces in places that aren't theatres. Previous shows have taken place in restaurants, a gym, and a bowling alley. The author of this play, Elizabeth Birkenmeier, wrote a show I appeared in last month—Winning Juliet, with Shakespeare Festival St. Louis—and I was very taken with her skill and good ear for dialog. Reviewing There's a Gun in Your Goodbye Bag for 88.1 KDHX, Steve Callahan says the show "is, ultimately, quite beautiful. And it is, altogether, one great hour-long poem."

Friday, June 28, 2013

TPTBT (The Place to Be Tonight): Friday, June 28

Photo: John Lamb

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Who: Insight Theatre Company
What: 1776
When: Tonight through July 7
Where: Heagney Theatre, 530 East Lockwood on the campus of Nerinx Hall High School in Webster Groves
Why: What could be more appropriate for this time of year than this 1969 Broadway hit about the signing of the Declaration of Independence? The book by Peter Stone (one of the small number of writers to earn an Oscar, Tony, and Emmy during his career) sticks fairly close to historical events, portraying the shifting alliances and political deals that eventually led to the break with Great Britain. Sherman Edwards's score supports that book and illuminates character brilliantly. I haven't seen this production yet, of course, and this is a challenging show to produce, but they're starting with tremendously strong material.

Dieser küss der ganzen welt

Photo: Ken Howard

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Who: Opera Theatre of St. Louis
What: Bedřich Smetana's The Kiss
When: Through June 28, 2013

Fed up with politics? Disgusted with TV? Got a headache from 3D movies? Wilted by the heat? Well, take heart, dear friends. Opera Theatre has a charming romantic comedy for you that will take your mind off whatever’s bugging you and send you out of the theatre with a smile on your face and a Smetana melody in your heart.

The product, ironically, of a time in composer Bedřich Smetana’s life when his personal life was at a low ebb—his deafness was complete and he had lost an important job as a result—“The Kiss” is a resolutely sunny and good-natured confection of an opera with sparring lovers (a la “Much Ado About Nothing”), a hilariously crotchety father, nice-guy smugglers, and a happy ending for all. It’s filled with Smetana’s captivating melodies and lively dance-inspired rhythms and features a heroine with surprisingly modern-sounding attitudes toward the opposite sex and marriage, given that the opera premiered in 1876.

Chalk that up to the fact that the libretto is by a female author. Alžběta Pechová (writing as Eliška Krásnohorská*) wrote a total of four operas for Smetana, including “The Kiss.” “Entering into the world of these operas,” writes director Michael Gieleta in the OTSL program, “one is immediately transported into the realm of Mother Earth: into the countryside milieu of a household setting, motherhood, fertility, domestic relationships, betrothals and marriages, ill-balanced families, male faults, and female endurance.” The libretti show “the genuineness, the unquestionable emotional honesty” that comes from first-hand experience; something that “is seldom encountered in operatic portrayals penned by male librettists.” “The Kiss” looks at the quarreling lovers from a female point of view, in short, and it’s not a submissive one.

Corinne Winters
Photo: Ken Howard

Lukáš, a wealthy young farmer, had always loved Vendulka, but his parents forced him to marry another. Now a widower and orphan with a baby son, Lukáš returns to ask for Vendulka’s hand from her cynical and curmudgeonly father Palouckŷ. Papa warns that the lovers are too much alike and too stubborn to make a match, but things are going well enough until Lukáš asks for a kiss to seal the betrothal. Vendulka refuses out of consideration for the deceased wife, the argument escalates, and by the end of the first act Lukáš is off getting tanked with a couple of local lasses, Vendulka has run off with her aunt Martinka to join a band of jolly smugglers, and Palouckŷ gloats over the whole mess.

All ends happily, but not before Lukáš eats a considerable helping of humble pie and both he and Vendulka admit they might have been just a bit hasty.

The Opera Theatre production could hardly be better. Soprano Corinne Winters (who has done such fine work as Mélisande and Micaëla in the last two seasons) carries the bulk of the opera as Vendulka, convincingly portraying a wide range of emotions from joy to despair with a radiant, clear voice. Tenor Garrett Sorenson (who sang Hoffman so well back in 2008) brings that same impressive tenor to the role of Lukáš.

Bass-baritone Matthew Burns has demonstrated his flair for comedy before on the OTSL stage, so it’s no surprise that his Palouckŷ gets so many laughs. He looks a bit young for the part, though.

Emily Duncan-Brown
Photo: Ken Howard

The young servant Barče only has one aria of any consequence—the “Lark Song” from Act II—but it’s a doozy, filled with flashy vocal leaps and pyrotechnics. Soprano Emily Duncan-Brown’s performance was a true showstopper—lovely and seemingly effortless.

Baritone Matthew Worth is the mellow voice of reason as Lukáš’s brother-in-law Tomeš, mezzo Elizabeth Batton a fine comic presence as Martinka, and bass-baritone Charles Z. Owen roguishly charming as the smuggler Matouš, whose merry band brought to mind the comic pirates of Penzance.

James Macnamara’s set has an oddly artificial look for an opera filled with so many lovely musical evocations of nature. The stage floor is covered in something that looks a great deal like Astroturf and the moveable backdrop consists of long, rectangular wooden panels that wouldn’t look out of place in a high-end bar. Still, it works well enough, and Fabio Toblini’s colorful Bohemian peasant costumes add to the cheerful look of the piece.

Michael Gielata’s direction handles focus and stage movement nicely. His decision to accompany Smetana’s cheerful overture with a pantomime sequence showing the funeral of Lukáš’s wife struck me as oddly discordant, though. Conductor Anthony Barrese brings Smetana’s lively, tune-filled score to brilliant life.

“The Kiss” has one more performance on Friday, June 28, at 8 PM at the Loretto-Hilton Center on the Webster University campus. It’s a sunny, lovable piece that only someone as crabby as Palouckŷ could fail to enjoy. For more information: experienceopera.org

*Why, I have no idea.

Theatre quote of the day for Friday, June 28, 2013

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"When I was in college, all the pretty women were in the theatre, so I auditioned for a play."

"I love the rehearsal process in the theatre, and the visceral sense of contact and communication with a live audience.

"I am very grateful to make my living doing what I would do for free." - Judd Nelson

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Chuck's Choices for the weekend of June 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:

First Run Theatre presents the comedy Murphy's Law by Kenneth L. Stilson through June 30. Performances take place in the Thomas Hunter Theatre at DeSmet Jesuit High School, 233 N New Ballas Road. In his review for 88.1 KDHX, Steve Callahan describes the show as "BOFFO!" For more information email info at firstruntheatre.com, or visit www.firstruntheatre.com.

Mariposa Artists presents Palm Springs-based cabaret artist Jerome Elliott in My Favorite Springs on Saturday, June 29, at 8 PM. “In My Favorite Springs, Elliott has assembled a set list that pays homage to the season spring and to the famous hot springs of his hometown in the California desert. The eclectic list songs spans eight decades and includes works by Noel Coward, Lerner and Loewe, Rodgers and Hart, Harry Chapin, William Finn, Amanda McBroom, Gordon Lightfoot, Steve Marzullo, Mark Campbell and Jerry Herman.” St. Louis cabaret favorite Katie McGrath will join Elliott as a special guest. Carol Schmidt is music director for the evening. The performance takes place at The Chapel Venue, 6238 Alexander Drive. For more information: brownpapertickets.com/event/365191.

Held over:

Photo: Ken Howard

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 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: Ken Howard

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. As I note in my review for 88.1 KDHX, this is "a dramatically powerful and musically impeccable combination of two classics of verismo opera." For more information, you may visit experienceopera.org or call 314-961-0644.

The Black Rep presents the musical The Wiz through June 29. Performances take place at the Grandel Theatre, 3610 Grandel Square. In her review for 88.1 KDHX, Sheila Schultz says "I had a blast." For more information, visit theblackrep.org or call 314-534-3810.

It coulda been a contender

Photo: Ken Howard

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Who: Opera Theatre of St. Louis
What: Champion
When: Through June 30th, 2013
Where: The Loretto-Hilton Center on the Webster University campus

The opera receiving its world premiere this month at Opera Theatre has an impressive pedigree. The music is by jazz trumpeter, bandleader, and genre-crossing composer Terrence Blanchard, and the libretto by Pulitzer Prizewinning playwright Michael Cristofer, whose play “The Shadow Box” remains a perennial favorite of small theatre companies. It’s a bit surprising, then, that while I found “Champion” moving and often profoundly sad, I felt that it lacked the real dramatic depth I would have expected from that kind of talent.

The true story on which “Champion” is based is certainly tragic enough. In 1962, U.S. Virgin Islands immigrant Emile Griffith won the World Welterweight Championship in a controversial fight that left his opponent Benny “Kid” Paret dead and Paret’s two-year-old son fatherless. Griffith went on to win multiple titles but ultimately lost them all and had to end his career as “boxer’s brain”—the result of multiple knockouts—began to claim his mental faculties. A beating from a group of thugs outside a Manhattan gay bar exacerbated the damage and hastened his slide into dementia.

Photo: Ken Howard

As the opera opens, an aging and confused Emile is preparing to meet the son of Benny Paret in an attempt at reconciliation. As Emile’s adopted son and caretaker Luis helps him dress, Emile’s mind drifts back and forth in time, unveiling his story in a series of flashbacks and visions. Along the way we meet important figures in his life: the mother who abandoned him in the Virgin Islands and later reconnected with him in New York, his manager, his wife (whom he married in an attempt to deny his homosexuality), and the men and women at the gay bar he frequented. Through it all we see Emile try to come to grips with the contradiction between his private and public persona and his guilt over the death of Kid Paret.

This is the kind of material that offers opportunities to ask serious questions about the way our culture defines masculinity and the odd contradictions that definition creates. Mr. Cristofer’s libretto certainly does that, often very effectively. As Griffith observes in the opera, “I killed a man and the world forgave me; I loved a man and the world wanted to kill me.” Mr. Blanchard’s eclectic score supports and adds emotional resonance to the text. But ultimately the most genuinely moving moment in the evening came near the end, when Emile embraces Paret’s son—a touching scene that takes place in total silence.

The problem, I think, is that most of the scenes in “Champion” go on too long and lose their dramatic impact in the process. The scene in which the young Emile and his mother visit the hat factory run by Emile’s future fight manager is a typical example: the same words and music are repeated, more or less unchanged, at least two or three times, like some sort of instant replay. It’s a pattern that’s repeated often enough to drain away the sense of dramatic momentum and make the show feel a bit plodding. I think a bit of editing would tighten the overall structure and add a sense of dramatic urgency that “Champion” often lacks.

And then there’s the matter of the ending. After the touching silent embrace and a scene in which Emile finally finds a way to forgive himself for his past mistakes we’re back to the beginning, with the confused Emile not sure where his shoe goes or where he goes. It’s not clear that he’ll remember the catharsis he’s been through or that anything has actually changed. That might be medically realistic, but after everything he (and we) have been through, I think we all deserve better than that.

Still, it’s a pretty good opera as it stands. With some work, I think it could be a great one. And there’s no question that “Champion” is getting a truly outstanding production from Opera Theatre, with a wonderful cast, fine orchestral playing, and polished tech.

Bass Arthur Woodley captures the confusion and vulnerability of the elderly Emile perfectly, right down the palsied hands and slumped posture. And you can hear the echoes of the character’s youth in that powerful voice. Bass-baritone Aubrey Allicock is a real force of nature as the young Emile. He sings powerfully as well. He is not, however, a good physical match for Mr. Woodley, who is noticeably taller.

Making her OTSL debut, Denyce Graves shows considerable acting skill and a remarkably wide-ranging voice as Emile’s mother Emelda. The role sounds more alto than mezzo to me, but Ms. Graves didn’t seem to be particularly challenged by the low notes. Baritone Robert Orth is very effective as Emile’s aggressive manager Howie Albert and tenor Victor Ryan Robertson does an excellent job as both the brash, light-footed Kid Paret and his more mild-mannered son.

There’s very fine work here as well by soprano Chabrelle Williams in multiple roles (including Emile’s wife), mezzo Meredith Arwady as bar owner Kathy Hagan, tenor Christopher Hutchinson as the Ring Announcer (who acts as something of a Greek Chorus), and tenor Lorenzo Miguel Garcia as the Young Man with whom Emile flirts on the night of his beating.

Tenor Brian Arreola cuts a sympathetic and loving figure as Luis and young Jordan Jones shows skill beyond his years as Little Emile.

Director James Robinson keeps the show moving and the blocking focused and motivated, assisted by Seán Curran’s always reliable choreography. Allen Moyer’s multi-level set make very effective use of video projections (by Greg Emetaz) to quickly define time and location, enabling swift set changes.

Mr. Blanchard’s score sounds modern without being harsh. Jazz, blues, and Afro-Caribbean elements are present as well, with the former mostly showing up in urban scenes and the latter in Emile’s memories of his home. There’s even a jazz rhythm section in the orchestration (piano, bass, and drums). Mr. Manahan’s direction integrates it all seamlessly.

The bottom line on Opera Theatre’s “Champion” is that its flaws aren’t big enough to overcome its strengths and, in any case, a world premiere here in St. Louis always deserves attention. I think “Champion” is worth seeing for the quality of the performances and for the importance of the questions it raises. Performances continue through this Sunday at the Loretto-Hilton Center in Webster Groves. For more information: experienceopera.org.

Theatre quote of the day for Thursday, June 27, 2013

bbc.co.uk

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"I think theatre should always be somewhat suspect."

"Drama assumes an order. If only so that it might have - by disrupting that order - a way of surprising."

"If we are to change our world view, images have to change. The artist now has a very important job to do. He's not a little peripheral figure entertaining rich people, he's really needed." - Vaclav Havel

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Theatre quote of the day for Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Bernhardt by Félix Nadar

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"For the theatre one needs long arms... an artiste with short arms can never make a fine gesture."

"The truth, the absolute truth, is that the chief beauty for the theatre consists in fine bodily proportions." - Sarah Bernhardt

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Finding words for spring

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Palm Springs-based cabaret artist Jerome Elliott is making his St. Louis solo cabaret debut this Saturday (June 29) at 8 PM at the Chapel with “My Favorite Springs,” produced by Mariposa Artists. But Mr. Elliott’s relationship with St. Louis goes back several years. He sees St. Louis, in fact, as “the birthplace of my work in cabaret” due to his participation in the St. Louis Cabaret Conference in 2007.

“Prior to the 2007 workshop,” he said in an email interview, “I had done a couple of cabaret shows in Palm Springs, going by instinct only. The first St. Louis year propelled me to dig deeper into the craft and led me to the Yale Conference in 2008. In turn, the Yale Conference made me want to investigate even more, which brought me back to St. Louis in 2009. Since then I've created five original shows that I have performed in Palm Springs, New York, Seattle and Los Angeles. I would not have accomplished that without the work I did in St. Louis.”

Mr. Elliott also appreciates the vitality of the St. Louis cabaret scene. “I look at the St. Louis cabaret community,” he notes, “as a model for keeping this art form moving forward. As a direct result of the annual workshops, you have created a very supportive and nurturing environment for cabaret. Through social media, I've kept up with many of the friends I met during my two visits and I admire how many of you have continued to study and grow. I am amazed at the breadth and frequency of cabaret activity that goes on in St. Louis.” Indeed, he asked Katie McGrath (of Women Under the Influence) to do an opening set for his show here precisely “because she exemplifies what I like to call the Spirit of St. Louis.”

Based on an earlier Palm Springs show, “My Favorite Springs” pays homage both to the season spring and to the famous hot springs of his hometown in the California desert. The eclectic song list spans eight decades and includes works by Noel Coward, Lerner and Loewe, Rodgers and Hart, Harry Chapin, William Finn, Amanda McBroom, Gordon Lightfoot, Steve Marzullo, Mark Campbell and Jerry Herman. There’s even a number (Coachella Valley Blues) with lyrics by Mr. Elliott himself.

Music director and pianist for the show is Jasmine co-founder and Webster University faculty member Carol Schmidt, whose work is frequently scene on local cabaret stages. Carol is also the music director for The Cabaret Project’s monthly open mic series at Tavern of Fine Arts.

Mixing a rich baritone with a sly wit, Elliott has received accolades for his performances in New York (The Duplex), Los Angeles (M Bar), Seattle (Julia’s and Egan’s), as well as at many cabaret venues in the Palm Springs area. His work in Southern California music and theater has garnered seven nominations for the Desert Theatre League’s annual Desert Star Awards.

Mr. Elliot, though, says he thinks of himself primarily as “an actor who sings” rather than a singer per se. “I've learned that one of my natural abilities is story-telling. I like to give myself leeway to improvise within the patter. I love to write patter and a good third of my show consists of talk.”

“My Favorite Springs” bounces on to the stage at The Chapel, 6238 Alexander Drive in Clayton, on Saturday, June 29, at 8 PM. As its name implies, The Chapel is a converted chapel that now serves as both a performing arts venue and a gallery space, which makes for a very friendly and mellow vibe. For more information: brownpapertickets.com; look for event 365191.

Theatre quote of the day for Tuesday, June 25, 2013

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"It was a different planet in 1967, the Broadway theatre. It had a little ashtray clamped to the back of every seat and the author got 10% of the gross." - Tom Stoppard

Monday, June 24, 2013

Theatre quote of the day for Monday, June 24, 2013

guardian.co.uk

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"A theatre is not a blank page for editorial, it is not a soapbox or a Tannoy system: it is a conscience that wakes with what is happening in the space, and wakes further still in response to what people are making of it."

"When I was very young, I thought the theatre was a place where higher beings went about their celestial business, as if they knew nothing of ordinary life and its political mysteries." - Andrew O'Hagan

Sunday, June 23, 2013

Theatre quote of the day for Sunday, June 23, 2013

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Theatre should be a taxing experience: the greatest achievement of a writer is to produce a character who creates anxiety." - Howard Barker

St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of June 24, 2013

Updated Friday, June 28

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

For information on events beyond this week, check out the searchable database at the Regional Arts Commission's ArtsZipper site.

Share on Google+

Photo: John Lamb

Insight Theatre Company presents the musical 1776 opening Wednesday and running through July 7. Performances take place in the Heagney Theatre, 530 East Lockwood on the campus of Nerinx Hall High School in Webster Groves. For more information, call 314-556-1293 or visit insighttheatrecompany.com.

Stages St. Louis presents the musical Always..Patsy Cline through 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. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

The Pub Theater Company presents Bye Bye Liver: The St. Louis Drinking Play, a comedic romp through the joys and pitfalls of The Gateway to the West's favorite pastime. Performances take place on 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.

Photo: Ken Howard

Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents the world premiere of Champion in rotating repertory with three other operas through June 30. “Audiences across the country are already anticipating the world premiere of this compelling new opera in jazz. With music by five-time Grammy Award-winning composer Terence Blanchard and libretto by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Michael Cristofer, Champion is inspired by the true story of Emile Griffith. An immigrant from the Virgin Islands, Emile claimed the title of World Welterweight Champion in a fatal 1962 fight which transformed him into a tragic hero and left the two-year old son of his opponent, Benny “The Kid” Paret, without a father.” 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. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

Act Inc presents Brandon Thomas's classic farce Charlie's Aunt Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM and Sundays at 2 PM, June 28 through 30. Performances take place at the Fontbonne Fine Arts Theatre and the campus at 6800 Wydown. For more information, call 314-725-9108 or visit actinc.biz.

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

Stages St. Louis presents the musical Disney's Cinderalla through 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 Looking Glass Playhouse presents Dear Edwina June 27-30. Performances take place at 301 West St. Louis Street in Lebanon, Ill. For more information, visit www.lookingglassplayhouse.com.

The Monroe Actors Stage Company presents The Exact Center Of The Universe through June 30 in the Historic Capitol Theatre in downtown Waterloo, Illinois. For more information, visit www.masctheatre.org or call 618-939-7469.

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

Whitecliffe Summer Playhouse presents the musical George M. June 28-30. For more information: www.playhouseproductions.org.

Photo: Ken Howard

Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents Smetana's comedy The Kiss in rotating repertory with three other operas through June 28. “Brimming with joyful music, sly romance, and delightful comedy, The Kiss is a bright and buoyant escape. Experience this rarely produced folk masterpiece by the composer of The Bartered Bride in its first American staging in over two decades. Co-produced with Ireland's Wexford Festival Opera, this production of The Kiss premiered to rave reviews there as “the runaway success of the 2010 festival” (Financial Times, London).” 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. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

First Run Theatre presents the comedy Murphy's Law by Kenneth L. Stilson through June 30. Performances take place in the Thomas Hunter Theatre at DeSmet Jesuit High School, 233 N New Ballas Road.. For more information email info at firstruntheatre.com, or visit www.firstruntheatre.com. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

Photo: Ken Howard

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!

Riverside Shakespeare Theatre Company presents Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet in Frontier Park in St. Charles through June 30. Performances are at 8 PM with a closing matinee at 2 PM. For more information, you may visit riversidetheatreco.org or send email to riversideshakespeare at gmail.com.

The Muny presents the Muny premiere of Shrek the Musical Monday through Sunday at 8:15 PM, June 24-30, in the outdoor theatre in Forest Park. For more information, visit muny.org or call 314-361-1900. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville presents The Sound of Music through June 30. The performances takes place on June 15th on the campus in Edwardsville, IL. For more information, call 618-650-2774.

Gitana Productions presents !Soy Yo! An Afro-Latina Suite by Mariah Richardson Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 PM and Sundays at 3 PM, June 28-July 14. “Take a journey through time with Promise and her ancestors to get a glimpse into what it is like to be Black and Latina in America. The journey is one of struggle, joy, beauty and triumph of mixed identity in a changing America. An evening filled with rhythm and dance!” Performances take place in the Kranzberg Arts Center, 501 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information: www.gitana-inc.org.

Photo: Ken Howard

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. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

OnSite Productions presents There's a Gun in Your Goodbye Bag by Elizabeth Birkenmier Fridays at 8 PM and Saturdays at 5 and 8 PM through June 29. Performances take place at Classic Coin Laundry, 7200 Balson Ave, University City. For more information, visit onsitetheatre.org or call 314-686-0062. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

The Black Rep presents the musical The Wiz through June 30 and again July 13-28. 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!

Fringe benefits

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As I’m writing this (Sunday, June 23, 2013) the second St. Lou Fringe Festival is drawing to a close, with final performances 9 PM tonight. I saw eight shows this year and reviewed six of them for 88.1 KDHX. Rather than re-purpose all of them here, I thought I’d just give you a summary of each one with a link to the KDHX review.

“Underneath the Lintel” (Pat O’Brien Vanity Theatrics) – Absolutely the the best thing I saw, with an intelligent script by Glen Berger and a bravura performance by TV and film veteran O’Brien.

“Hey Minnie the Moocher: a Musical Tribute to Cotton Club Swing Jazz Legends” (Rajpa Productions) – Hep to the jive Carr Mel Brown (John “Br. John” Anderson) tells the lively story of the famed Harlem nightspot.

“Christy Strickland: Live at Satori” – A solid set of Great American Songbook classics that would not be out of place at the Jazz Bistro, especially given the solid backing of the Randy Holmes Quartet.

“Fairyland” (The Heather Dale Band with S. J. Tucker) – Straight-ahead Celtic folk rock in the tradition of Steeleye Span about the hazards of dealing with the Wee Folk.

“Caila’s Music Show” (Caila Lipovsky) – The sort of thing people are probably thinking of when they say they don’t like performance art.

“The Golden Goose” (Gateway City Opera) – A new opera company is a good thing, but the new opera they produced is pretty thin stuff.

I also saw the St. Louis Osuwa Taiko troupe, who provided their usual high energy and high volume show (once again, I forgot ear protection). Also as usual, it was highly entertaining and well worth seeing.

Finally, I caught the NonProphet Theatre Company’s “Montana: a Shakespearean Scarface.” I was originally cast in this but had to drop out because of early June travel plans, so I’m not a neutral observer, but even so I thought this fast and furious mix of gangland violence and iambic pentameter worked pretty well. I’ve never seen the film on which it’s based but a fellow critic who has seen it opined that they had really nailed it.

So there you have it. For more information about the St. Lou Fringe, visit stlfringe.com. The closing party is Monday, June 24, at the Schlafly Tap Room, starting at 5:30.

Saturday, June 22, 2013

Theatre quote of the day for Saturday, June 22, 2013

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"Every now and then I have to teach directing. The thing about the theatre is that the most important thing you can do as a director is to make sure that everybody is in the same world - you have to create the world and make sure everyone buys into it." - Stephen Daldry

Friday, June 21, 2013

Theatre quote of the day for Friday, June 21, 2013

Photo: Julian Lloyd

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"A good drama critic is one who perceives what is happening in the theatre of his time. A great drama critic also perceives what is not happening." - Kenneth Tynan

Thursday, June 20, 2013

Chuck's Choices for the weekend of June 21st

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

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Photo: Ken Howard

Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents Smetana's comedy The Kiss in rotating repertory with three other operas through June 28. “Brimming with joyful music, sly romance, and delightful comedy, The Kiss is a bright and buoyant escape. Experience this rarely produced folk masterpiece by the composer of The Bartered Bride in its first American staging in over two decades. Co-produced with Ireland's Wexford Festival Opera, this production of The Kiss premiered to rave reviews there as “the runaway success of the 2010 festival” (Financial Times, London).” This opera isn't performed often, at least on this side of the Atlantic, so it's apperance here is a welcome one 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.

The Muny presents the Muny premiere of Monty Python's Spamalot Monday through Sunday at 8:15 PM, June 17-23, in the outdoor theatre in Forest Park. I was somewhat underwhelmed by the tour of this show when I reviewed it for KDHX in 2006, but Bob Wilcox has seen this production and had good things to say about it, so maybe I didn't see it under the best of circumstances. Or maybe they've trimmed it a bit in the interim. For more information, visit muny.org or call 314-361-1900.

The St. Lou Fringe Festival takes place Thursday through Sunday, June 20-23, at several venues in the Grand Center area including the Kranzberg Arts Center (501 N. Grand), the rock club Fubar (3108 Locust), and ANNONYarts at Satori (3003 Locust.) Performances include traditional theater, dance, music, comedy, circus arts, performance art, cabaret, and burlesque, with acts from St. Louis and around the country. Last year's Fringe offered an impressive array of performing arts events and this one promises to be even larger and more varied. Some of the performances that look especially interesting to me (in no particular order) are:

Joel Doty's I Am My Own Militia or Mea’s Unique Garage Sale at Fubar
Daniel MacIvor’s one-act comedy This Is a Play, by R-S Theatrics at Fubar
Christy Strickland Live, a program of big band and cabaret standards at Satori
Montana: The Shakespearean Scarface by the NonProphet Theater Company (the folks that brought you Corleone: The Shakespearean Godfather, in which I played the title role) at Satori
Underneath the Lintel by Pat O'Brien's Vanity Theatrics. "Veteran TV and Film actor Pat O’Brien plays an obsessive compulsive librarian who finds a book 123 years overdue and embarks on a worldwide quest to apprehend the borrower."
Hey Minnie the Moocher: A Musical Tribute to Cotton Club Swing Jazz Legends by Rajpa Productions at Fubar

For a complete schedule, visit the festival calendar site.

Held over:

New Line Theatre presents the St. Louis premier of the musical Bukowsical Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 PM through 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. "The show is, I think, ephemera," writes Steve Callahan in his review for 88.1 KDHX, "But it’s the sort of ephemera that a company like New Line should be doing. And they do it so very, very well!" Performances take place at the Washington University South Campus Theatre, 6501 Clayton Road. For more information, call 314-534-1111.

Photo: Ken Howard

Photo: John Lamb

St. Louis Actors' Studio presents King Lear through June 23 at the Gaslight Theatre, 358 North Boyle. "The St. Louis Actors Studio has opened a fine production of King Lear, writes Steve Callahan in his review for 88.1 KDHX, "and it's an excellent opportunity for you to make your little temporal tithe." For more information, call 314-458-2978 or visit stlas.org.

Photo: Ken Howard

Circus Flora presents its new show, A Trip to the Moon 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." "Circus Flora continues to amaze us," writes Sheila Schultz in her review for 88.1 KDHX. "Unflinching, its artists perform mind-boggling feats of daring." For more inforamtion, visit circusflora.org.

Stage Left

Sunday, June 30, 2013

St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of July 1, 2013

TPTBT (The Place to Be Tonight): Sunday, June 30, 2013

Theatre quote of the day for Sunday, June 30, 2013

Saturday, June 29, 2013

Theatre quote of the day for Saturday, June 29, 2013

TPTBT (The Place to Be Tonight): Saturday, June 29

Friday, June 28, 2013

TPTBT (The Place to Be Tonight): Friday, June 28

Dieser küss der ganzen welt

Theatre quote of the day for Friday, June 28, 2013

Thursday, June 27, 2013

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

It coulda been a contender

Theatre quote of the day for Thursday, June 27, 2013

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Theatre quote of the day for Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Finding words for spring

Theatre quote of the day for Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Monday, June 24, 2013

Theatre quote of the day for Monday, June 24, 2013

Sunday, June 23, 2013

Theatre quote of the day for Sunday, June 23, 2013

St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of June 24, 2013

Fringe benefits

Saturday, June 22, 2013

Theatre quote of the day for Saturday, June 22, 2013

Friday, June 21, 2013

Theatre quote of the day for Friday, June 21, 2013

Thursday, June 20, 2013

Chuck's Choices for the weekend of June 21st

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