St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of September 30, 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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The Edison Theatre Ovations for Young People series presents The Adventures Of Alvin Sputnik: Deep Sea Explorer on Saturday, October 5, at 11 AM and 2 PM. “The Adventures of Alvin Sputnik: Deep Sea Explorer is the story of the enduring love of a brave explorer with a heart as big as a whale. This highly imaginative fusion of animation, mime, puppetry and projection is a multi-award-winning one-man-show by master storyteller Tim Watts. Unique, moving and thoroughly entertaining, this show's “mix of environmental disaster, twee humor and cutie-pie whimsy makes it something akin to a theatrical Wall-E” according to the New York Times. Winner of the 2011 “Best Theatre Show” at the Auckland Fringe Festival, “Outstanding Solo Show” at the 2009 New York International Fringe Festival and “Best Puppetry” at the Adelaide Fringe Festival in 2010.” Performances take place at Edison Theater on the Washington University campus. For more information, edison.wustl.edu or call 314-935-6543.

The Conservatory of Theatre Arts at Webster University presents Alice in Wonderland Wednesdays through Sundays, October 2-13. Performances take place on the Emerson Studio Theater at the Loretto-Hilton Center on the Webster University campus. For more information, call 314-968-7128.

St. Louis Community College at Meramec Theatre Department presents the classic comedy Arsenic and Old Lace Wednesday through Sunday, October 2-6. Performances take place in the theatre on the campus at 11333 Big Bend Road. For more information, call 314-984-7500.

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: Jerry Naunheim, Jr.

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents the Kander and Ebb musical Cabaret through October 6. “In this multi award-winning musical, a young, naïve American writer arrives in 1930s Berlin and is swept away by the decadent pleasures of the sexy, seedy world that is the Cabaret. At the center of it all is the beguiling Sally Bowles, who takes the stage every night. Inside the Kit Kat Klub life is beautiful, but outside the world is about to change.” Performances take place at the Loretto-Hlton Center, 130 Edgar Road in Webster Groves, MO. For more information, call 314-968-4925 or visit repstl.org. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

The Lemp Mansion Comedy-Mystery Dinner Theater presents Dead Like Me through November 16. The Lemp Mansion is at 3322 DeMenil Place. For more information: lempmansion.com

Photo: Peter Wochniak

Upstream Theater the St. Louis premiere of Nicolai Gogol's Diary of a Madman, as adapted by David Holman, with Neil Armfield and Geoffrey Rush, October 4-20. The production features live music by Joe Dreyer. Performances take place at the Kranzberg Arts Center, 501 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information, including show times: upstreamtheater.org.

The Bissell Mansion Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre presents Footless through October 31. The Bissell Mansion is at 4426 Randall Place. For more information: bissellmansiontheatre.com

New Jewish Theater presents Neil Simon's The Good Doctor October 3-20. 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.

St. Charles Community College presents The Grapes of Wrath October 2-6. Performances take place in the Donald D. Shook Fine Arts Building on the campus at 4601 Mid Rivers Mall Drive in Cottleville, MO. For more information, call 636-922-8050 or visit stchas.edu.

Photo: John Lamb

The West End Players Guild opens their 103rd season with the St. Louis premiere of Lee Blessing's Lonesome Hollow by Thursday through Saturday at 8 PM and Sunday at 2 PM, September 27-October 6. “In an America of the 'soonish' future, society has taken a stand against sex offenders, consigning them permanently to a series of privately-run gulags. This provocative and chilling parable of vengeance and community standards charts a disturbing trip down a slippery moral slope.” Performances take place at the Union Avenue Christian Church, 733 North Union at Enright in the Central West End. For more information, call 314-367-0025 or visit www.westendplayers.org.

St. Louis Community College at Florissant Valley Theater Department presents Athol Fugard's drama Master Harold...and the Boys October 4-12. Performances take place in the Fisher Theatre on the campus at 3400 Pershall Road. For more information, call 314-644-5522.

The Alpha Players of Florissant present the musical Les Miserables through October 6 at The Florissant Civic Center Theater, Parker Rd. at Waterford Dr. in Florissant, MO. For more information, call 314-921-5678.

Photo: Peter Wochniak

Stages St. Louis presents My Fair Lady through October 6. 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!

Lindenwood University presents the comedy Noises Off October 3-5. Performances take place in the Bezemes Family Theatre at the J. Scheidegger Center for the Arts on the Lindenwood campus in St. Charles, MO. For more information, call 636-949-4433 or visit lindenwood.edu/center.

The Ozark Theatre presents Phantom and Friends, starring baritone Ed Golterman and soprano Kay Love along with Kellie Frohnert and John Walsh on Sunday October 6, at 2:00 PM. For more information: 314 909-7224 or email egolterman at att.net.

The Looking Glass Playhouse presents Shrek: The Musical throiugh October 6. Performances take place at 301 West St. Louis Street in Lebanon, Ill. For more information, visit www.lookingglassplayhouse.com.

The COCA Theatre Company presents The Sparrow Friday through Sunday, October 4-6. “The Sparrow is an innovative play intertwined with music, video and movement, telling the story of Emily Book, a small-town girl returning home 10 years after a tragic accident that claimed the lives of her entire class. Emily's return grows stranger as her unusual powers are revealed. The Sparrow is directed by Josh Routh, with video production by Ginger Routh. Recommended for ages 12 and up.” COCA is at 524 Trinity in University City. For more information, call (314) 725-6555 or visit www.cocastl.org.

St. Louis Actors' Studio opens its seventh season, themed Sins of the Father, with Susan Lori-Parks' Pulitzer Prize Winning play Topdog, Underdog through October 6. A “darkly comic fable of brotherly love and family identity,” the play “tells the story of Lincoln and Booth, two brothers whose names were given to them as a joke, foretelling a lifetime of sibling rivalry and resentment. Haunted by the past, the brothers are forced to confront the shattering reality of their future.” Performances take place at the Gaslight Theatre, 358 North Boyle. For more information, call 314-458-2978 or visit stlas.org. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

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.

Chuck's Choices for the weekend of September 27, 2013

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

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Three-Legged Productions presents: Blair and Bob: Breakin' Bad - An Unstable, Risque Cabaret on Thursday, September 26th, and Friday, September 27th at 8 PM the cabaret space at Meyer's Grove, 4510 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, Mo, 63110. St. Louis Cabaret favorite Anna Blair teams up with theater veteran Robert A. Mitchell (in his final St. Louis performance) to bring together an evening of ribald and provocative hilarity, blurring the lines of traditional cabaret with a mix of genres from musical theater, classic rock and contemporary Top 40 to bawdy drinking songs, lurid French chansons and parodies so blue that they're nearly black. This is most definitely an R-rated show, so DISCLAIMER: FOR MATURE AUDIENCES ONLY. Music Direction is by the inimitable Carol Schmidt, with additional guitar support by Ryan Foizey. For more info BlairAndBobBreakingBad.BrownPaperTickets.com. Or call (314) 327-3381.

My take: I've worked with Bob and Anna in theatre and cabaret shows locally, so I can personally vouch for their talent and comic sensibilities. Music director Carol Schmidt and I go way back as well. She's the music director for The Cabaret Project's monthly open mic night (which I host) and was the MD for my show Just a Song at Twilight: The Golden Age of Vaudeville at the History Museum back in 2011. She's one of the best in the business, and that's saying something. She tells me the show is looking very strong and very funny. You'll want to make reservations right away, though, since the space at Meyer's Grove is not that large and with this much talent on display, tickets might go fast.

Photo: John Lamb

The West End Players Guild opens their 103rd season with the St. Louis premiere of Lee Blessing's Lonesome Hollow by Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM and Sundays at 2 PM, September 27-October 6. There will also be a show on Thursday, October 3, at 8 PM. “In an America of the 'soonish' future, society has taken a stand against sex offenders, consigning them permanently to a series of privately-run gulags. This provocative and chilling parable of vengeance and community standards charts a disturbing trip down a slippery moral slope.” Performances take place at the Union Avenue Christian Church, 733 North Union at Enright in the Central West End. For more information, call 314-367-0025 or visit www.westendplayers.org.

My take: OK, I'm on the board and play reading committee at West End, so I'm not a disinterested party here. That said, I was massively impressed by the script when I read it last year. It's funny, it's creepy, and it raises very provocative questions about the how the punishment a society metes out to its undesirables reflects on its larger values. Theatre that enlightens and entertains is alwasy worth supporting.

Sex + STL presents Cameryn Moore in her one-woman play Phone Whore Friday at 7:30 and 9:30 PM and Saturday at 7:30 PM, September 27 and 28. “A slice-of-life comedy/drama, Phone Whore won the award for Best Female Solo show at the 2010 San Francisco Fringe Festival. The play invites audiences in for an unflinching look at taboo, fantasy, and the place of "deviant" desires in society today. Playwright and performer Cameryn Moore draws extensively on her work experiences at a no-taboo service to flesh out both the absurdities and difficult truths that pervade the world of phone sex.“ Performances take place at the 2720 Cherokee Performing Arts Center. For more information: sexstl.com/phonewhore/

My take: OK, I have no idea whether this is any good or not. I'm putting it on the list just because the entire concept just screams Church of the SubGenius. And because I like the idea that there's an organization called Sex Positive St. Louis dedicated to providing "a safe environment for sexuality questions or concerns, no matter your gender, race, age or orientation."  

Held Over:

Photo: Jerry Naunheim, Jr.

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents the Kander and Ebb musical Cabaret through October 6. “In this multi award-winning musical, a young, naïve American writer arrives in 1930s Berlin and is swept away by the decadent pleasures of the sexy, seedy world that is the Cabaret. At the center of it all is the beguiling Sally Bowles, who takes the stage every night. Inside the Kit Kat Klub life is beautiful, but outside the world is about to change.” Performances take place at the Loretto-Hlton Center, 130 Edgar Road in Webster Groves, MO. For more information, call 314-968-4925 or visit repstl.org.


My take: After multiple revivals and substantial script and score revisions, does this dramatic portrait of a nation on the eve of destruction still have the power to shock and move an audience? Judging by the standing ovation that greeted Cabaret when we saw it, I'd say the answer is "yes, in spades." There were occasional missteps and the amplified voices were not always as clear as they might have been, but those are minor flaws in an otherwise fine production distinguished by smart direction and solid acting; see my capsule review for more details.

Photo: Peter Wochniak

Stages St. Louis presents My Fair Lady September 6 through October 6. 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.

My take: I have always loved this show, a feeling that only increased after I had the pleasure of playing Alfred P. Doolittle in Stray Dog Theatre's production a few years ago. Unlike some musical adaptations of classic plays, My Fair Lady retains the spirit and a fair amount of dialog from its original (Shaw's Pygmalion). The combination of Lerner and Loewe's score and Shaw's bit is unbeatable. "You should see this absolutely fabulous My Fair Lady if you have the chance," writes Andrea Braun in her review for 88.1 KDHX. "I don’t see how it could have been done any better, and overall, it is just a “loverly” production of an American musical theatre treasure.

Photo: John Lamb

Insight Theatre Company presents Thornton Wilder's Our Town through September 29. 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.

My take: The type of small town life depicted in Wilder's play (the action place between 1901 and 1913) was already passing from the scene when it premiered in 1938. By rights it should be a museum piece by now. But the writing touches so effectively on the universal human experiences of birth, life, and death that it never seems dated. "This is a very, very important play in the history of American theatre," writes Steve Callahan in his review for 88.1 KDHX, "and its stylistic influence has been enormous. I commend Insight for bringing it to us again, and I encourage all of you to see it."

Radio, radio

Production manager Andy Coco demonstrates
the new air board

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Grand Center is rapidly turning into the arts hub of the St. Louis area.  Long-time residents like the Fox Theatre, The St. Louis Symphony, and the Sheldon Concert Hall have been joined recently by media organizations like St. Louis Public Radio, Channel 9, and HEC-TV. In November the newest kid on the block moves in: 88.1 KDHX.  Yesterday a bunch of us volunteers got a sneak peek at our new digs, the Larry J. Weir Center for Independent Media on Washington right next to The Bistro, across from the Fox.  Very cool.

The Weir Center isn't just going to be the new home of KDHX's analog broadcast operations. It will also enable the station to put up a second HD channel with completely independent programming as well as enhanced audio and video production facilities.  There’s also a café (run by the folks at Triumph) and The Stage at KDHX, a 125-seat performance space.

Broadcast studio B.  Beam us up!

Construction on the offices, café, and The Stage is still in its final stages, but the broadcast and production rooms are already up and ready to go, as you can see in the iPhone snaps I took last night.  Programming will move to the new space in mid-November and the new HD 2 channel is expected to be available early next year. 

But wait—there’s more!  With the move to the newer, bigger, state of the art space, KDHX will be providing even more exposure for local performing artists via live on-air broadcasts and performances at The Stage.  Concert audio and video will be available at the KDHX web site.  The goal is to make KDHX a performance and production hub that will provide national exposure for St. Louis performers.

Today, Grand Center.  Tomorrow….well, “Mound City Limits,” anyone?  Stay tuned.

Theatre quote of the day for Tuesday, September 24, 2013

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"With dance and theatre, I think people get very nervous about not knowing the right things. They feel like they've missed something, or that they're not bright enough to watch it. It's not a test." - British choreographer Wayne McGregor

St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of September 23, 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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Washington University Performing Arts Department presents The A.E. Hotchner Playwriting Festival on Saturday, September 28. Performances take place in the A.E. Hotchner Studio Theatre in the Mallinckrodt Student Center on the Washington University campus. For more information, call 314-935-6543.

Three-Legged Productions presents: Blair and Bob: Breakin' Bad - An Unstable, Risque Cabaret on Thursday, September 26th, and Friday, September 27th at 8 PM the cabaret space at Meyer's Grove, 4510 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, Mo, 63110. St. Louis Cabaret favorite Anna Blair teams up with theater veteran Robert A. Mitchell (in his final St. Louis performance) to bring together an evening of ribald and provocative hilarity, blurring the lines of traditional cabaret with a mix of genres from musical theater, classic rock and contemporary Top 40 to bawdy drinking songs, lurid French chansons and parodies so blue that they're nearly black. This is most definitely an R-rated show, so DISCLAIMER: FOR MATURE AUDIENCES ONLY. Music Direction is by the inimitable Carol Schmidt, with additional guitar support by Ryan Foizey. For more info BlairAndBobBreakingBad.BrownPaperTickets.com. Or call (314) 327-3381.

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: Jerry Naunheim, Jr.

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents the Kander and Ebb musical Cabaret through October 6. “In this multi award-winning musical, a young, naïve American writer arrives in 1930s Berlin and is swept away by the decadent pleasures of the sexy, seedy world that is the Cabaret. At the center of it all is the beguiling Sally Bowles, who takes the stage every night. Inside the Kit Kat Klub life is beautiful, but outside the world is about to change.” Performances take place at the Loretto-Hlton Center, 130 Edgar Road in Webster Groves, MO. For more information, call 314-968-4925 or visit repstl.org. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

The Lemp Mansion Comedy-Mystery Dinner Theater presents Dead Like Me through November 16. The Lemp Mansion is at 3322 DeMenil Place. For more information: lempmansion.com

Christ Memorial Productions presents the musical Fiddler on the Roof Friday sand Saturday at 7:30 PM and Sunday at 2 PM. Performances take place at Christ Memorial Lutheran Church, 5252 South Lindbergh. For more information, visit CMPShows.org or call 314-631-0304.

The Bissell Mansion Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre presents Footless through October 31. The Bissell Mansion is at 4426 Randall Place. For more information: bissellmansiontheatre.com

Photo: John Lamb

The West End Players Guild opens their 103rd season with the St. Louis premiere of Lee Blessing's Lonesome Hollow by Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM and Sundays at 2 PM, September 27-October 6. There will also be a show on Thursday, October 3, at 8 PM. “In an America of the 'soonish' future, society has taken a stand against sex offenders, consigning them permanently to a series of privately-run gulags. This provocative and chilling parable of vengeance and community standards charts a disturbing trip down a slippery moral slope.” Performances take place at the Union Avenue Christian Church, 733 North Union at Enright in the Central West End. For more information, call 314-367-0025 or visit www.westendplayers.org.

The Alpha Players of Florissant present the musical Les Miserables September 17 - October 6 at The Florissant Civic Center Theater, Parker Rd. at Waterford Dr. in Florissant, MO. For more information, call 314-921-5678.

Brass Rail Players present The Musical Comedy Murders Of 1940 Thursday through Sunday, September 26-29. Performances take place at Lindenwood University's Belleville Auditorium, 2600 West Main Street in Belleville, IL. For more information, visit brassrailplayers.org.

Photo: Peter Wochniak

Stages St. Louis presents My Fair Lady through October 6. 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!

Photo: John Lamb

Insight Theatre Company presents Thornton Wilder's Our Town through September 29. 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!

Sex + STL presents Cameryn Moore in her one-woman play Phone Whore Friday at 7:30 and 9:30 PM and Saturday at 7:30 PM, September 27 and 28. “A slice-of-life comedy/drama, Phone Whore won the award for Best Female Solo show at the 2010 San Francisco Fringe Festival. The play invites audiences in for an unflinching look at taboo, fantasy, and the place of "deviant" desires in society today. Playwright and performer Cameryn Moore draws extensively on her work experiences at a no-taboo service to flesh out both the absurdities and difficult truths that pervade the world of phone sex.“ Performances take place at the 2720 Cherokee Performing Arts Center. For more information: sexstl.com/phonewhore/

The Looking Glass Playhouse presents Shrek: The Musical September 26-October 6. Performances take place at 301 West St. Louis Street in Lebanon, Ill. For more information, visit www.lookingglassplayhouse.com.

St. Louis Actors' Studio opens its seventh season, themed Sins of the Father, with Susan Lori-Parks' Pulitzer Prize Winning play Topdog, Underdog through October 6. A “darkly comic fable of brotherly love and family identity,” the play “tells the story of Lincoln and Booth, two brothers whose names were given to them as a joke, foretelling a lifetime of sibling rivalry and resentment. Haunted by the past, the brothers are forced to confront the shattering reality of their future.” Performances take place at the Gaslight Theatre, 358 North Boyle. For more information, call 314-458-2978 or visit stlas.org. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

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 Monday, September 23, 2013

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"I went to the Glasgow Youth Theatre and they just let me in. But I was so shy that I was there for about six weeks without actually introducing myself." - Bill Forsyth

A good dissonance like a man

David Robertson

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Who: The St. Louis Symphony conducted by David Robertson with pianist Kirill Gerstein
What: Music of Ives, Copland, and Tchaikovsky
When: Friday and Saturday at 8 PM and Sunday at 3 PM, September 20-22

The first concert of the new symphony season was a study in contrasts, to say the least. For many music lovers, I expect, the Big Event of the evening was probably Kirill Gerstein's surprisingly lyrical approach to the massively popular Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1. For me, though, Charles Ives's Three Places in New England—still sounding fresh and radical over a century after it was first composed—was the star of the evening.

Orchestral showpieces are not, of course, uncommon at season openers (Respighi's Pines of Rome last year being a classic example), and Three Places certainly qualifies. Written between 1903 and 1911 (or thereabouts; it's sometimes hard to tell with Ives) the work was originally scored for a massive ensemble. However, Ives cut the orchestration back substantially in 1929—to chamber orchestra proportions, in fact—at the request of Nicolas Slonimsky. Judging from the scoring described in the program for these concerts, though—piano, organ, celesta, and an impressive wind section—the symphony is using James Sinclair's fourth restored version from 1976. That's probably as close as we'll ever get to the 1914 original, which is lost to history.

Charles Ives

Ives employs his orchestral forces in ways that still, nearly a century later, sound novel and daring. Iridescent, impressionistic harmonies; snatches of popular songs and hymns; the sound of clashing brass bands—they all come together in a psychedelic musical mélange that only Ives could pull off. Sure, the conflicting time signatures (4/4 vs. 9/8, for example, in "Putnam's Camp"), cheerful dissonance, and general organized pseudo-chaos that Ives loved so much can be challenging to audiences and (especially) performers, but it's also tremendous fun. I dare anyone to listen to the colorful evocation of a July 4th picnic as seen and heard by a small child in "Putnam's Camp" without cracking a smile.

It has been a decade since the symphony performed Three Places, but you wouldn't know it from the brilliance and precision of the playing under maestro David Robertson's baton Friday night. "The Housatonic at Stockbridge" shimmered in a chromatic mist, "The ‘St. Gaudens' in Boston Common" conjured up ghostly images of the all-black Union regiment honored in the titular statue, and "Putnam's Camp" was raucous but controlled fun. The many little solos Ives sprinkles throughout the piece were played with perfection.

Wintley Phipps

The first half of the program concluded with one of the great works for narrator and orchestra, Aaron Copland's A Lincoln Portrait. Written in response to a commission from André Kostelanetz for a musical depiction of an "eminent American" after the Pearl Harbor attack, A Lincoln Portrait is a classic example of what the composer called his "vernacular style": open harmonies, liberal quotations from folk sources, and general accessibility.

It premiered in Cincinnati in 1942 with Kostelanetz at the podium and local actor William Adams reading the narration. Many of the voices taking on that role since then have come from places other than the stage, though, and this weekend's narrator is no exception: motivational speaker and education activist Wintley Phipps. A commanding figure with palpable stage presence and a resonant bass voice, Mr. Phipps delivered the narration (drawn from Lincoln's speeches and other documents) with great feeling. He read it from a teleprompter placed at floor level, unfortunately, instead of a music stand on stage, so his eyes were cast down much of the time—not a problem for patrons seated on the orchestra floor, but for those of us upstairs it meant we mostly just saw the top of his head. Still, it was a very effective performance that reminded me of how far the level of rhetoric has fallen among our elected officials over the years.

Kirill Gerstein

The Tchaikovsky concerto brought the evening to happy conclusion. Mr. Robertson and soloist Kirill Gerstein did some slightly unorthodox things with it, revealing aspects of delicacy and charm not always apparent in this popular old chestnut. The second subject of the first movement, for example (marked "allegro con spirito"), was played more slowly than usual, and the movement as a whole got more rubato and lyricism than I'm accustomed to hearing. The tempo contrasts in the second movement were more marked than they sometimes are and the "allegro con fuoco" first subject of the finale was as fiery as I've ever heard it. There were also lovely solo passages by (among others) Mark Sparks (flute), Danny Lee (Cello), and Phil Ross (oboe).

It was, in short, the sort of original take on this popular work that made me hear parts of it with new ears. Ives would have approved of that, I think.

Mr. Robertson seemed in especially good spirits Friday night, by the way. He gave a cheerful nod to Mr. Gerstein after the first movement of the Tchaikovsky, for example, and then turned to the audience to congratulate us for not applauding between movements (one of those bits of concert etiquette that probably baffles newbies, but that's another discussion). He also congratulated us for our singing during "The Star Spangled Banner" at the top of the concert, but that might be pro forma (I note wryly).

For more background on the music, check out Paul Schiavo's program notes on the St. Louis Symphony web site.

Next week: that famed tribute to Richard Strauss's ego Ein Heldenleben ("A Hero's Life") along with Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 3 and Patrick Harlin's 2011 Rapture, inspired by the composer's quasi-religious experience plumbing the depths of Kubera Cave. Lars Vogt is the pianist and the orchestra is conducted by Stéphane Denève, who gave us such a splendid "Daphnis et Chloé" in May of 2011. For more information: stlsymphony.org.

Theatre quote of the day for Saturday, September 21, 2013

en.wikipedia.org

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"My advice to young actors is probably to do some theatre; definitely do that. I keep running into these actors who have never been on stage, and it's invaluable for an actor. What you will learn about yourself is huge...Yeah, I think that a play is a huge commitment, and I think that what it requires of you is a lot, so it really makes you dig in and find things, and it just makes you sharp, 'cause it's live. Really, to me, it separates the men from the boys. I always say it's like the frontlines of acting, when you're on stage." - Cuban-American actor Yul Vazquez

Chuck's Choices for the weekend of September 20, 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:

Photo: Jerry Naunheim, Jr.

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents the Kander and Ebb musical Cabaret through October 6. “In this multi award-winning musical, a young, naïve American writer arrives in 1930s Berlin and is swept away by the decadent pleasures of the sexy, seedy world that is the Cabaret. At the center of it all is the beguiling Sally Bowles, who takes the stage every night. Inside the Kit Kat Klub life is beautiful, but outside the world is about to change.” Performances take place at the Loretto-Hlton Center, 130 Edgar Road in Webster Groves, MO. For more information, call 314-968-4925 or visit repstl.org.


My take: After multiple revivals and substantial script and score revisions, does this dramatic portrait of a nation on the eve of destruction still have the power to shock and move an audience? Judging by the standing ovation that greeted Cabaret when we saw it, I'd say the answer is "yes, in spades." There were occasional missteps and the amplified voices were not always as clear as they might have been, but those are minor flaws in an otherwise fine production distinguished by smart direction and solid acting; see my capsule review for more details.

Mariposa Artists presents A Night With Day, a cabaret tribute to Doris Day with singer Beverly Brennan and pianist and music director Rick Jensen. The show features songs from Doris Day's big band days, her movies and musicals, and her recording career. As Day was a lifelong animal welfare activist, profits from the show will be donated to The Humane Society of Missouri. Performances take place Friday and Saturday, September 20 and 21, at 8 PM at The Chapel, 6238 Alexander Drive in Clayton, MO. For more information: brownpapertickets.com/event/422428.

My take: This is the second solo outing for Ms. Brennan, a St. Louis native (and daughter of sportscasting legend Jack Buck) who grew up on The Hill. Her first, St. Louie Woman, played to sold-out houses both here and in Chicago in 2010.  This time around she has teamed up with another legend: New York-based singer, songwriter, and music director Rick Jensen, recipient of six Manhattan Association of Cabaret and Clubs (MAC) Awards and frequent faculty member at the St. Louis Cabaret Conference. It should be a good show. See my interview with Ms. Brennan for more background.

Held Over:

HotCity Theatre presents Joe Orton's Entertaining Mr. Sloane through September 21. “Young Mr. Sloane thought he already had a SORDID life as a hustler until he became the erotic target of his lewd landlady and her bottled-up brother! Repressed desires, power plays and an unsolved murder all make for one twisted tale!” Performances take place at the Kranzberg Arts Center, 501 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information, visit www.hotcitytheatre.org or call 314-289-4063.

My take: Orton's dark comedy/sex farce/satire is now something of a classic (it was written in 1964), if that's not too much of a contradiction. It's been a while since we've had a professional production of it locally and this appears to be a good one. "The entire cast does splendid work in this vinegar-chiffon-pie of a play," writes Steve Callahan in his review for 88.1 KDHX. "Director Bill Whitaker keeps the comedy rolling at a brisk pace, and it's much fun."

Photo: Peter Wochniak

Stages St. Louis presents My Fair Lady September 6 through October 6. 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.

My take: I have always loved this show, a feeling that only increased after I had the pleasure of playing Alfred P. Doolittle in Stray Dog Theatre's production a few years ago. Unlike some musical adaptations of classic plays, My Fair Lady retains the spirit and a fair amount of dialog from its original (Shaw's Pygmalion). The combination of Lerner and Loewe's score and Shaw's bit is unbeatable. "You should see this absolutely fabulous My Fair Lady if you have the chance," writes Andrea Braun in her review for 88.1 KDHX. "I don’t see how it could have been done any better, and overall, it is just a “loverly” production of an American musical theatre treasure.

Photo: John Lamb

Insight Theatre Company presents Thornton Wilder's Our Town through September 29. 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.

My take: The type of small town life depicted in Wilder's play (the action place between 1901 and 1913) was already passing from the scene when it premiered in 1938. By rights it should be a museum piece by now. But the writing touches so effectively on the universal human experiences of birth, life, and death that it never seems dated. "This is a very, very important play in the history of American theatre," writes Steve Callahan in his review for 88.1 KDHX, "and its stylistic influence has been enormous. I commend Insight for bringing it to us again, and I encourage all of you to see it."

Symphony Notes: First Nighters

David Robertson

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The opening concert of the St. Louis Symphony season is always a gala night (and, as Groucho Marx once observed, "a gal a night is plenty for me"), usually marked by at least one orchestral showpiece. The new season opener is no exception, although the showpiece is probably not the kind some of the more conservative members of the audience might expect.

Under the baton of Maestro David Robertson, this weekend's concerts start off conventionally enough with an arrangement by the great bandmaster John Philip Sousa and legendary composer/conductor Walter Damrosch of "The Star-Spangled Banner" and continues in an American vein right up to intermission. From that old-fashioned opening, though, we plunge straight into one of the more remarkable pieces to flow from the pen of that legendary American iconoclast Charles Ives: Three Places in New England.

Charles Ives

Originally written between 1903 and 1911 or thereabouts and scored for a massive orchestra, the work was cut back substantially by Ives in 1929 at the request of Nicolas Slonimsky. Judging from the scoring described in the program, which includes piano, organ, celesta and an impressive wind section, the symphony is using James Sinclair's restored version from 1976. Ives employs his orchestral forces in ways that still, nearly a century later, sound novel and daring. Shimmering, impressionistic harmonies, snatches of popular songs and hymns, the sound of clashing brass bands—they all come together in a psychedelic musical melange that only Ives could pull off. It's a challenge to musicians and audience alike that's not to be missed. It has been a decade since the symphony performed it, which is far too long as far as I'm concerned.

The first half of the program ends with one of the great works for narrator and orchestra, Aaron Copland's A Lincoln Portrait. Written in a burst of patriotic fervor (and in response to a commission) after the Pearl Harbor attack, A Lincoln Portrait premiered in Cincinnati in 1942 with André Kostelanetz at the podium and local actor William Adams reading the narration. Many of the voices taking on that role since then have come from places other than the stage, though, and this weekend's narrator is no exception: motivational speaker and education activist Wintley Phipps. It's stirring stuff, blending Copland's spacious music with Lincoln's inspiring words.

Kirill Gerstein

After intermission, the tone shifts from American to Russian nationalism with a performance of the ever-popular Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor, op. 23 by Tchaikovsky. The pianist is Kirill Gerstein, last seen here in 2012 as the soloist in the local debut of Thomas Adès’s In Seven Days. He was impressive as hell then as well as in the Shostakovich Piano Concerto No. 2 back in 2011 (his local debut). The interesting question this time is: can he find a way to make an old standard like this one fresh and exciting? It's one of the best-known piano concerti in the world, after all, and an in-demand performer like Mr. Gerstein has probably performed it hundreds of times.

These and other questions will be answered at Powell Hall this weekend. Concerts are Friday and Saturday at 8 PM and Sunday at 3 PM. For more information: www.stlsymphony.org, where you can also download Paul Schiavo's program notes. The Saturday concert will be simulcast on St. Louis Public Radio, 90.7 FM and HD 1.

Kirill Gerstein isn't the only guest musician this weekend, FYI. R. Douglas Wright, Principal Trombone with Minnesota Orchestra, will also be sitting in for the Ives and Tchaikovsky.

Theatre quote of the day for Thursday, September 19, 20134

Photo: Simon Annand
oldvictheatre.com

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"Moments are incredible, but in my fantasy mind I see a Globe company which is renowned throughout the world for what it does with pure storytelling. So that people come and say: it's not just the building, it's the only place you can hear this kind of work....Our job is to make manifest the story, to be it. In a sense, the theatre is such a big star itself, bigger than any Shakespearean actor I could hire, that we should take the opportunity to fill it with voice and verse and movement, not interpretation. - Mark Rylance, first Artistic Director of Shakespeare's Globe in London, from 1995 to 2005

Theatre quote of the day for Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Faith Prince

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"Usually I like playing other people. I like finding myself through other characters. But when you do cabaret, you are yourself. I think it's the most fun, and I tell you, if somebody had told me that, I would have done it fifteen years earlier than I did." - Faith Prince

This turns out to be a very relevant quote for today, since The Cabaret Project open mic night is tonight at the Tavern of Fine Arts.  From 7 to 10 PM this evening (and on the third Wednesday of every month), I'll be welcoming a ton of St. Louis talent being themselves and regaling you with some pretty wonderful music.

Carol Schmidt

Carol Schmidt is our music director.  If you're going to sing, be sure to bring your music, either a regular score or a lead sheet/chart.  If you're not going to sing, just sit back, enjoy the Tavern's food and drink menu, and enjoy.  There's no cover charge or minimum order, although anything you choose to put into the tip jar goes to The Cabaret Project, a 501C3 non-profit dedicated to promoting, supporting, and sustaining the art of cabaret in St. Louis.

The Tavern of Fine Arts is at 313 Belt in the Debaliviere Place neighborhood.  It's a very cool venue with local art on the walls and a big picture window through which you can see the locals strolling by on a fine fall evening.

Theatre quote of the day for Tuesday, September 17, 2013

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"I know I always had a lot of energy growing up and I had to put it somewhere. Theater allowed me to really feel things, to laugh, to cry, to explode outward. I could do anything and it was totally accepted and appreciated. If I hadn't gone into the theater, I probably would have been a psychotic killer." - Faith Prince

Theatre quote of the day for Monday, Septermber 16, 2013

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"In all my years of performing, no audience member has ever actually assaulted me. I consider this to be the singular triumph of my performing career." - Rupert Holmes

St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of September 16, 2013

Updated Friday, September 20

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

For information on events beyond this week, check out the searchable database at the Regional Arts Commission's ArtsZipper site.
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Opera Theatre of Saint Louis presents a sneak preview of the new opera 27, along with favorite arias and songs, performed by Opera Theatre's Gerdine Young Artists, on Wednesday, September 18, at 7 PM. The singers will be accompanied by 27 composer Ricky Ian Gordon and by pianist Gail Hintz. The concert will be followed by a reception at 7:45 PM and takes place at The World Chess Hall of Fame; 4652 Maryland Avenue. For more information: send email to lauren.stewart at worldchesshof.org or call (314) 367-9243 ext. 106.

The Touhill Performing Arts Center presents The Beijing Opera on Saturday, September 21, at 8:00 PM. The Touhill Performing Arts Center in on the University of Missouri-St. Louis campus. For more information, you may visit www.touhill.org or call (314) 516-4949.

Dramatic License Productions presents The Best of Broadway September 20-22. “Join us for a ton of harmony and toe-tapping from an amazing group of vocalists as they sing and dance their way through songs from Broadway's best: Anything Goes, Rent, The Sound of Music, West Side Story, The Wiz, Wicked and Jekyll and Hyde, just to name a few! Our audiences helped choose the songs. Now come hear the music!” Performances take place at Dramatic License Theatre located at the upper level of Chesterfield Mall (near Sears and across from Houlihan's Restaurant). For more information, call 636-220-7012 or visit dramaticlicenseproductions.org.

The 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: Jerry Naunheim, Jr.

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents the Kander and Ebb musical Cabaret through October 6. “In this multi award-winning musical, a young, naïve American writer arrives in 1930s Berlin and is swept away by the decadent pleasures of the sexy, seedy world that is the Cabaret. At the center of it all is the beguiling Sally Bowles, who takes the stage every night. Inside the Kit Kat Klub life is beautiful, but outside the world is about to change.” Performances take place at the Loretto-Hlton Center, 130 Edgar Road in Webster Groves, MO. For more information, call 314-968-4925 or visit repstl.org. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

New Jewish Theatre presents Cabaret NJT: Jews on Broadway-Mostly on Saturday, September 21, at 8:00 PM. Featured performers are Johanna Elkana-Hale, Linda Kennedy, Tim Schall, Ben Nordstrom, and April Strelinger. The performance takes place at the JCCA, 2 Millstone Campus Drive. For more information, call 314-442-3283 or visit www.newjewishtheatre.org.

Carol Schmidt

The Cabaret Project and 88.1 KDHX present their monthly Cabaret Open Mic Night on Wednesday, September 18, from 7 to 10 PM at the Tavern of Fine Arts. The master of ceremonies is 88.1 KDHX senior performing arts critic Chuck Lavazzi and the music director is Carol Schmidt. If you're planning to sing, be prepared to do one or two songs and bring music, preferably in your key. It's also recommend that you have your song memorized. The Tavern of Fine Arts is at 313 Belt at Waterman in the Central West End. There's free parking in the lot right across the street. For more information, visit tavern-of-fine-arts.blogspot.com or call 314-367-7549.

The Fox Theatre presents the Kander and Ebb musical Chicago Friday through Sunday, September 20-22. The Fox Theatre is at 517 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information, call 314-534-1678.

The Lemp Mansion Comedy-Mystery Dinner Theater presents Dead Like Me through November 16. The Lemp Mansion is at 3322 DeMenil Place. For more information: lempmansion.com

Alton Little Theater presents the musical satire The Drowsy Chaperone through September 22 at 2450 North Henry in Alton, IL. For more information, call 618.462.6562 or visit altonlittletheater.org.

HotCity Theatre presents Joe Orton's Entertaining Mr. Sloane through September 21. “Young Mr. Sloane thought he already had a SORDID life as a hustler until he became the erotic target of his lewd landlady and her bottled-up brother! Repressed desires, power plays and an unsolved murder all make for one twisted tale!” Performances take place at the Kranzberg Arts Center, 501 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information, visit www.hotcitytheatre.org or call 314-289-4063. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

Christ Memorial Productions presents the musical Fiddler on the Roof Friday sand Saturday at 7:30 PM and Sundays at 2 PM, September 20 - 29. Performances take place at Christ Memorial Lutheran Church, 5252 South Lindbergh. For more information, visit CMPShows.org or call 314-631-0304.

The Bissell Mansion Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre presents Footless through October 31. The Bissell Mansion is at 4426 Randall Place. For more information: bissellmansiontheatre.com

Alfresco Productions presents the satirical revue Forbidden Broadway! Friday and Saturday at 7:30 PM and Sunday at 2:00 PM, September 20-22. Performances will be held at the Alfresco Art Center, 2041 Delmar Avenue in Granite City IL. For more information: www.alfrescoproductions.org

Photo: Peter Wochniak

Stages St. Louis presents My Fair Lady through October 6. 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!

Mariposa Artists presents A Night With Day, a cabaret tribute to Doris Day with singer Beverly Brennan and pianist and music director Rick Jensen. The show features songs from Doris Day's big band days, her movies and musicals, and her recording career. As Day was a lifelong animal welfare activist, profits from the show will be donated to The Humane Society of Missouri. Performances take place Friday and Saturday, September 20 and 21, at 8 PM at The Chapel, 6238 Alexander Drive in Clayton, MO. For more information: brownpapertickets.com/event/422428.

Shakespeare Festival St. Louis presents Old Hearts Fresh by Nancy Bell, based on Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale, as its Shakespeare in the Streets 2013 production nightly at 8 PM, Thursday through Saturday, September 19-21. “The Winter's Tale is a story of loss and redemption, which explores the themes of time, jealousy and healing. It concerns a king who is possessed by an irrational jealousy that tears his family apart. Many years, adventures and coincidences later, the family is reunited by the powers of time, radical forgiveness and a mysterious magic.” Performances take place in the Grove Neighborhood at 4226 Manchester. For more information: sfstl.com

Insight Theatre Company presents Thornton Wilder's Our Town through September 29. 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.

St. Louis Actors' Studio opens its seventh season, themed Sins of the Father, with Susan Lori-Parks' Pulitzer Prize WInning play Top Dog, Under Dog September 20 - October 6. A “darkly comic fable of brotherly love and family identity,” the play “tells the story of Lincoln and Booth, two brothers whose names were given to them as a joke, foretelling a lifetime of sibling rivalry and resentment. Haunted by the past, the brothers are forced to confront the shattering reality of their future.” Performances take place at the Gaslight Theatre, 358 North Boyle. For more information, call 314-458-2978 or visit stlas.org.

Peabody Opera House presents The Wiggles: Taking Off on Wednesday, September 18. For more information, visit peabodyoperahouse.com or call 314-622-5420.

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.