St. Louis classical calendar for the week of June 2, 2014

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Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents Music, Courage, and Belief in Dialogues of the Carmelites. "Based on true story of Carmelite nuns during the French Revolution, Dialogues of the Carmelites challenges modern understandings of faith and courage, asking audiences to contemplate the true meaning of sacrifice. Guest speaker Dr. Carolyn Osiek, RSCJ, Society of the Sacred Heart, will lead off the conversation with reflections on this true story, joined on the panel by conductor Ward Stare, director Robin Guarino, and soprano Christine Brewer." It's part of their Spotlight on Opera, a series of four insightful dialogues exploring the ideas in each season's opera, and it takes place on Monday, June 2, at 7:30 PM at the Ethical Society, 9001 Clayton Road. For more information, you may visit experienceopera.org or call 314-961-0644.

Campbell House Museum and Union Avenue Opera present Arias in the Afternoon on Sunday, June 8, at 1 PM. The program features performances by David Dillard, Gina Malone, Johanna Nordhorn, and Vera Parkin on piano, as well as a light lunch, wine tasting, and the Campbell House's "magnificently restored interiors." The Campbell House Museum is at 1508 Locust Street. For more information: campbellhousemuseum.org.

The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Steven Jarvi, presents Bravo! An Evening of Classical Favorites on Saturday, June 7, at 7:30 PM. " Kick off your summer with an evening of some of the best classical music ever written! Steven Jarvi conducts a program of our orchestra's favorite encores, with selections from Tchaikovsky Sleeping Beauty, Grieg Peer Gynt, and Gershwin Promenade from the movie score for Shall We Dance. Feel free to give a standing ovation after every piece!" The concert takes place at Powell Symphony Hall, 718 North Grand. For more information: stlsymphony.org.

The Tavern of Fine Arts presents The Collective Chamber Ensemble on Monday, June 2, at 8 PM. "The Collective Chamber Ensemble performs at Tavern of Fine Arts on Monday, June 2 at 8 PM. Collective was conceived by composer Thomas Winkler. The goal of the group is to create an open forum for creative thinking. The musicians are selected on the basis of ingenuity and distinguished achievements in performance. While Thomas acts as the composer for most of their repertoire, each performer is invited to offer their ideas and perspective. They hope to achieve an identity as a group while at the same time maintaining the integrity of each individual musician. Through continued collaboration and unique interpretations, the ensemble aspires to bring to life the music of modern composers." The Tavern of Fine Arts is at 313 Belt in the Debaliviere Place neighborhood. For more information: tavern-of-fine-arts.blogspot.com.

The Tavern of Fine Arts presents mezzo-soprano Juliet Forshaw in Russian Romansy: An Evening of Intimate Song on Tuesday, June 3, at 7:30 PM. "Mezzo-soprano Juliet Forshaw performs a dozen lyrical, romantic Russian art songs with piano accompaniment, by Glinka and Tchaikovsky as well as lesser-known composers, intended for home performance. Juliet Forshaw is a music scholar, teacher, and singer with a special interest in Russian music. She recently earned a Ph.D. in music history at Columbia University in New York." The Tavern of Fine Arts is at 313 Belt in the Debaliviere Place neighborhood. For more information: tavern-of-fine-arts.blogspot.com.

The Tavern of Fine Arts presents a Mark Sparks Flute SuperClass Recital on Wednesday, June 4, at 5:30 PM. "Flute SuperClass is the brainchild of St. Louis Symphony Principal Flute, Mark Sparks. The classes, which are taught by Mr. Sparks in St. Louis, are specialized training courses for advanced flute players who are seeking to refine their skills on their way to becoming top professional classical flutists. Most of the players are students from major conservatories of music in the U.S., including The Eastman School of Music, Rice University, and Northwestern University. The recitals at the Tavern top off several days of intensive study and performance for the flutists, and will feature well-known flute repertoire such as Poulenc's Sonata for Flute and Piano. The performers will be accompanied by pianist Susan Snyder, of the Interlochen Arts Academy." The Tavern of Fine Arts is at 313 Belt in the Debaliviere Place neighborhood. For more information: tavern-of-fine-arts.blogspot.com.

The Tavern of Fine Arts presents The Ursa Ensemble in Collaboration in Concert on Saturday, June 7, at 8 PM. "The Ursa Ensemble was launched recently with the goal of presenting unique, collaborative, and engaging performances of classical music. Their innovative concerts feature collaboration with guest artists (such as painters and cartoonists) and audience participation, known as the Collaboration In Concert Series." The Tavern of Fine Arts is at 313 Belt in the Debaliviere Place neighborhood. For more information: tavern-of-fine-arts.blogspot.com.

Chuck's Choices for the weekend of May 30, 2014

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

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Shakespeare Festival St. Louis presents Henry V nightly except for Tuesdays through June 15. Beginning May 26, the production alternates with performances of Henry IV. Performances take place in Shakespeare Glen next to the Art Museum in Forest Park. Curtain time is 8 PM. For more information, visit shakespearefestivalstlouis.org and don't forget to check out my interview with the directors.

My take: The festival's production of Henry IV has already gotten raves and it looks like the sequel is doing the same. In her review for KDHX, Tina Farmer says this is "a well-acted, fast-paced retelling of the glory days of Henry V's reign, from the battle of Agincourt, where Henry prevailed against the odds, to the resulting peace, sealed with the marriage of Henry and Katherine."

Photo: John Lamb

St. Louis Actors' Studio continues its seventh season, themed Sins of the Father, with Pinter's The Homecoming through June 8. "In an old and slightly seedy house in North London there lives a family of men: Max, the aging, crude patriarch, his ineffectual brother Sam and two of Max's three sons, both unmarried- Lenny, a small-time pimp and Joey, who dreams of success as a boxer. Into this sinister abode comes the eldest son Teddy, now a successful professor of philosophy in America. After six years abroad, Teddy brings his wife Ruth, to meet the family for the first time. In the style that became a trademark, Pinter creates mounting tension, with insidiously bizarre accusations and proposals by the men to Ruth, The Homecoming gives way to an ominous game of cat and mice." Performances take place at the Gaslight Theater, 358 North Boyle. For more information, call 314-458-2978 or visit stlas.org.

My take: Pinter is an acquired taste; it took me many years and the experience of actually acting in a Pinter script to appreciate the nuances of a writer who implies rather than states. "Harold Pinter's tale of family dysfunction," writes Tina Farmer in her review for KDHX, "is a well-acted, sharply directed and tightly produced piece, driven by a surprisingly satisfying level of dark humor and absurdity."

Held Over:

Photo: Peter Wochniak

Stages St. Louis presents the musical Always..Patsy Cline through June 22. "Jacqueline Petroccia and Zoe Vonder Haar star in the return engagement of the show critics called 'exceptional, must see entertainment.' The touching and true story of Country music legend Patsy Cline and her friendship with Texas housewife Louise Seger returns to STAGES this spring. Combining down home country humor, heartache and 27 of Patsy Cline's unforgettable hits such as 'Crazy,' 'WalkinÄô After Midnight,' and 'Sweet Dreams,' Always... Patsy Cline endures as a piece of genuine Americana." Performances take place at The Playhouse at Westport Plaza. For more information, visit stagesstlouis.org or call 314-821-2407.

My take: Call this a qualified recommendation. If you're a lover of Patsy Cline or country music in general, I think you'll have a great time at this show, which is really more of a celebrity impersonation review than a book musical per se. Jacqueline Petroccia captures Cline's voice and manner so accurately it's eerie and Zoe Vonder Haar is a hoot and a half as Louise Seger, the real-life Houston fan who became a close friends and correspondent of Cline. With over two dozen Patsy Cline hits performed to perfection by Ms. Petroccia and a six-piece band, the show is a real feast for fans. See my KDHX review for more information.

Shakespeare Festival St. Louis presents Henry IV nightly except for Tuesdays, May 15 through June 14. Henry IV, Parts 1 and 2, written as two separate plays, have been edited to fit into one evening. Beginning May 25, the production alternates with performances of Henry V. "Audience members can expect a once-in-a-lifetime theatrical experience this season," said Rick Dildine, Artistic and Executive Director of Shakespeare Festival St.Louis. "Many theaters around the world have performed these plays in consecutive seasons; however, we are performing them at the same time with the same cast on the same set." Performances take place in Shakespeare Glen next to the Art Museum in Forest Park. Curtain time is 8 PM. For more information, visit shakespearefestivalstlouis.org.

My take: This is a rare opportunity to see two (well, three, if you count the two parts of Henry IV) of Shakespeare's history plays back to back and with a single unifying concept. Costuming is period, but the themes are timeless. As Tim Ocel says in his director's notes for Henry IV, this is "the story of human beings shaping a civilization...Shakespeare saw that the future inclines to those who believe in a forward moving energy, not to those who hold back mankind's potential due to a selfish lack of vision." If that sounds familiar it's probably because, as Walt Kelly once wrote, "those things which make us human are, curiously enough, always close at hand. Resolve, then, that on this very ground, with small flags waving and tiny blasts of tiny trumpets, we shall meet the enemy, and not only may he be ours, he may be us."  Check out my interview with the directors for more information.

New Jewish Theater presents Old Jews Telling Jokes through June 1. "Think you've heard them all before? Think again! If you've ever had a mother, visited a doctor or walked into a bar with a priest, a rabbi and a frog, OLD JEWS TELLING JOKES will sit in the dark, give you a second opinion and ask you where you got that. You'll laugh til you plotz. It is a kosher pickle barrel full of laughs! Straight from NY, this is the first independent production; recommended for mature audiences." 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.

My take: "I'm sorry not to be able to delve into the arc of the plot or the themes that this evening investigates," writes Steve Callahan in his review for 88.1 KDHX, "for in fact there are none. But after all, whaddya get when five old Jews walk into a theatre? You get—at its simplest, at its purest—entertainment." Besides, any show that includes a sing-along version of Tom Lehrer's "I'm Spending Hannukah in Santa Monica" has got my vote. So go, already. Enjoy.

Love potion number 9

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Disgusted with the way your Facebook friends are cheerfully spreading bogus news items without bothering to fact check them?  Convinced that the Internet is turning us into a nation of credulous chumps who will buy anything?  As Opera Theatre is demonstrating this weekend, P.T. Barnum's observation about a sucker being born every minute is nothing new.

This Saturday, Opera Theatre opens its second production of the season, Gaetano Donizetti's 1832 melodramma giocoso (that's "comic opera" to us Anglophones) "The Elixir of Love."  Based on Eugène Scribe's libretto for Daniel Auber's popular comedy Le philtre  from 1831, Felice Romani's book for "The Elixir of Love" is the story of Nemorino, a humble peasant smitten with the wealthy and beautiful landowner Adina.  She, though, is more taken with the macho Sergeant Belcore.  In desperation, Nemorino buys a love potion (actually just some cheap wine) from the traveling quack Dr. Dulcamara.  Complications, as they say, ensue.

Two and one-half hours and much singing later, all ends happily for everyone—including Dr. Dulcamara who, as the curtain descends, is still fleecing the suckers. 

The opera proved to be a huge hit for Donizetti and is still, according to the Operabase on-line database, one of his most popular works, outpacing even his big tragic hit, "Lucia di Lammermoor."  That's partly because, as the late British opera scholar Julian Budden has written, "Donizetti created a pastoral comedy that fulfills the Romantic ideals of its day" and partly because the story of the gullible rube being taken in by the sharp con artist was as much of a comic gold mine nearly two centuries ago as it is now.

Photo: Ken Howard

Even so, the opera's immediate success was a bit of a surprise.  Donizetti—who had a reputation for being able to crank out operas under a deadline—had to brew his "Elixir" in just over a month in April of 1832 when a previously contracted work for Milan's Teatro all Cannobiana failed to materialize.  "On May 12," writes Francis Rizzo in the OTSL program, "despite inadequate rehearsal and a mediocre cast, The Elixir of Love had a triumphant opening."  Few people were more surprised than the composer.

Donizetti's opera was originally set in a small Basque village at the end of the 18th century—that is, in a somewhat exotic rural setting in the not-too-distant past.  The OTSL production moves the action to "a small American town in 1914," which would seem to be a reasonable parallel for a modern urban audience.  Besides, as director James Robinson points out in his production notes, both the setting and the basic plot elements are not dissimilar from those of a classic American musical theatre piece: Meredith Willson's 1957 hit "The Music Man." 

Classic Americana is the source of the production's visual elements as well.  "The works of Grant Wood and Thomas Hart Benton provided a delightful inspiration" for the look of the production, writes Mr. Robinson, "and quickly our rural Italian landscape became Anytown, U.S.A—on the eve of World War I."

The essentials: "The Elixir of Love" opens on Saturday, May 31, at 8 PM and runs in rotating repertory with the other season opera through June 25th.  For the full festival experience, come early and have a picnic supper on the lawn or under the refreshment tent. You can bring your own food or purchase a gourmet supper in advance from Ces and Judy’s. Drinks are available on site as well, or you can bring your own. For more information: experienceopera.org or 314-961-0644.

Glitter and be gay

Photo: Ken Howard

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What: Mozart's The Magic Flute
When: May 24 – June 28, 2014
Where: Opera Theatre of St. Louis

There's never a dull moment in the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis production of "The Magic Flute." That's because director Isaac Mizrahi keeps his performers (including a cast of seven dancers) in constant motion. The resulting stage pictures are impressive, but they often threaten to eclipse the music and text.

Written towards the end of the composer's sadly brief life (Mozart had only a few months to live when it premiered in September of 1791), “The Magic Flute” was intended not for an audience of nobles at court but rather for ordinary folks at a suburban theater that was closer in ambience to a tavern. A singspiel with spoken dialog instead of recitatives and a text in German instead of the fashionable Italian, the work is the fantastic tale of heroic prince Tamino and princess Pamina, daughter of the Queen of the Night, who must undergo a series of magical trials at the court of Sarastro, High Priest of the Sun, before they can attain enlightenment and be united in marriage. Accompanying Tamino in his quest is the comic bird catcher Papageno.

The work's fanciful setting and Masonic symbolism—both Mozart and his librettist Emanuel Schikaneder (the first Papageno) were members of the same lodge—have always given directors and designers ample opportunities to indulge their imaginations. Mr. Mizrahi has taken classic films as his inspiration, placing the opera on "an eternal Hollywood soundstage" and incorporating visual elements from famous movies. Thus, for example, Tamino's black and white outfit strongly echoes that of Gene Kelly in "An American in Paris," while the Three Spirits that assist Tamino, normally played by young boys, are sung here by a trio of young women decked out as toddlers and walking on their knees as in the "Triplets" number from "The Band Wagon." Papageno looks like a classic baggy pants comic, his future mate Papagena is an archetypical chorus girl, and the Queen of the Night appears to be inspired by Gloria Swanson's Norma Desmond in "Sunset Boulevard."

Photo: Ken Howard

Indeed, the Queen of the Night provides one of the opera's most visually striking moments as she sweeps up from the stage left vom in an impressive midnight blue gown with a train that follows her all the way up the stairs that lead to the upstage center catwalk, growing in volume until it fills nearly the entire stage. It's a hell of an entrance, and very effectively establishes her melodramatic and self-aggrandizing character.

Scenes in Sarastro's Temple of the Sun are equally impressive, as Mr. Mizrahi fills the stage with Shriners in red fezzes and sports coats, colorful dancing birds, and even dancing statues of Isis and Osiris.

Mr. Mizrahi has, in short, allowed his fertile imagination to give us an almost constant procession of color and movement. And that, ultimately, is the problem. Because far too often that movement pulls focus from the singers and dilutes the impact of their generally fine work. This is especially true when, early in the first act, Mr. Mizrahi begins adding dancers to the mix who shadow the singers in identical costumes and mirror in dance what they're singing. John Heginbotham's 1950s film musical–style choreography is very effective and beautifully performed, but it's also extremely distracting and has the effect, more often than not, of upstaging the singers.

That's a pity, since the cast of this "Magic Flute" is generally a good one. Tenor Sean Panikkar, last seen as Lensky in OTSL's fine "Eugene Onegin" in 2010, is pretty much an ideal Tamino, with a uniformly strong voice and solid acting skills. Baritone Levi Hernandez brings the same finely honed comic sense and crystal-clear diction to Papageno that he brought to Leporello in "Don Giovanni" two seasons ago.

Photo: Ken Howard

Soprano Elizabeth Zharoff, a former Gerdine Young Artist, is the very essence of wide-eyed innocence as Pamina, with a lovely fluid voice. Her Act II "despair" aria was masterfully done. Soprano Claire de Sévigné was a dramatic and compelling Queen of the Night, but (at least on opening night) seemed to have a couple of rough spots in the notoriously challenging Act II "revenge" aria.

Tenor Matthew DiBattista, who has graced the OTSL stage with so many fine performances in the past, delivers yet another as the villainous Monostatos, whose lustful intentions towards Pamina are repeatedly thwarted to comic effect.

Bass Matthew Anchel's Sarastro is a bit of a disappointment. A bass's very low notes are always difficult to project (and Sarastro's part goes very low in places), but even so his voice seemed to lack power throughout its range and his character came across as stilted. That might be deliberate—Mr. Mizrahi has indicated that his sympathies are more with the Queen of the Night than with Sarastro—but if that's the case I don't think it's an effective choice.

There's noteworthy work here as well in all the minor roles, all the way down to tenor Frederick Ballentine and bass-baritone Zachary Owen as the Two Armed Men, smoothly delivering their "purification" chorale prelude before Tamino and Pamina's trials by fire and water.

Photo: Ken Howard

Conductor Jane Glover, who was so impressive in Don Giovanni in 2011, once again demonstrates that she is a dab hand at Mozart, leading the musicians in a bracing and sensitive interpretation of the score. Her reading of the overture was one of the best I've heard.

Speaking of which: I have a dream that some day I'll see an opera on the Loretto Hilton stage in which the overture will not be accompanied by lots of noisy stage business. One can but hope.

In a review of Robert Lepage's Ring cycle at the Met in 2011, New York Times critic Charles Isherwood noted that “the first responsibility of the director should be serving the musical drama,” and went on to describe a production that “seems to be perpetually in competition for our attention with the opera itself.” I wouldn't go quite that far with Mr. Mizrahi's "Magic Flute" since, the dancers aside, his staging generally clarifies and enhances the opera overall, but it does often feel as though he's doing his level best to distract us with flash and glitter. I think this production, while generally successful, could have been much better had it been much simpler.

Opera Theatre of St. Louis's "The Magic Flute" runs through June 28th in rotating repertory with three other operas. To get the full festival experience, come early and have a picnic supper on the lawn or under the refreshment tent. You can bring your own food or purchase a gourmet supper in advance from Ces and Judy's. Drinks are available on site as well, or you can bring your own. For more information: experienceopera.org.

St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of May 26, 2014

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: Peter Wochniak

Stages St. Louis presents the musical Always..Patsy Cline through June 22. "Jacqueline Petroccia and Zoe Vonder Haar star in the return engagement of the show critics called 'exceptional, must see entertainment.' The touching and true story of Country music legend Patsy Cline and her friendship with Texas housewife Louise Seger returns to STAGES this spring. Combining down home country humor, heartache and 27 of Patsy Cline's unforgettable hits such as 'Crazy,' 'Walkin' After Midnight,' and 'Sweet Dreams,' Always... Patsy Cline endures as a piece of genuine Americana." Performances take place at The Playhouse at Westport Plaza. For more information, visit stagesstlouis.org or call 314-821-2407. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

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

Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents Donizetti's comedy The Elixir of Love in rotating repertory with three other operas May 31-June 25. 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.

Photo: Jill Ritter Lindberg

New Line Theatre presents the St. Louis premiere of the musical Hands on a Hardbody Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 PM, May 29 - June 21. "This unique new musical is based on the acclaimed 1997 documentary of the same name, about an annual contest at a Texas truck dealership, where ten hard-luck Texans compete for a new hardbody truck. A new lease on life is so close each of them can touch it, and now for once, their fate is in their hands. Under a scorching sun, over the next 144 hours they will laugh, cry and push their bodies and minds to the limits, as they fight to keep at least one hand on a brand new truck. The contestant with the most nerve and endurance will drive away with the American Dream." Performances take place at the Washington University South Campus Theatre, 6501 Clayton Road. For more information: newlinetheatre.com or call 314-534-1111.

Shakespeare Festival St. Louis presents Henry IV nightly except for Tuesdays through June 14. Henry IV, Parts 1 and 2, written as two separate plays, have been edited to fit into one evening. Beginning May 25, the production alternates with performances of Henry V. “Audience members can expect a once-in-a-lifetime theatrical experience this season,” said Rick Dildine, Artistic and Executive Director of Shakespeare Festival St.Louis. “Many theaters around the world have performed these plays in consecutive seasons; however, we are performing them at the same time with the same cast on the same set.” Performances take place in Shakespeare Glen next to the Art Museum in Forest Park. Curtain time is 8 PM. For more information, visit shakespearefestivalstlouis.org and don't forget to check out my interview with the directors. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

Shakespeare Festival St. Louis presents Henry V nightly except for Tuesdays through June 15. Beginning May 26, the production alternates with performances of Henry IV. Performances take place in Shakespeare Glen next to the Art Museum in Forest Park. Curtain time is 8 PM. For more information, visit shakespearefestivalstlouis.org and don't forget to check out my interview with the directors. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

Photo: John Lamb

St. Louis Actors' Studio continues its seventh season, themed Sins of the Father, with Pinter's The Homecoming through June 8. " In an old and slightly seedy house in North London there lives a family of men: Max, the aging, crude patriarch, his ineffectual brother Sam and two of Max's three sons, both unmarried- Lenny, a small-time pimp and Joey, who dreams of success as a boxer. Into this sinister abode comes the eldest son Teddy, now a successful professor of philosophy in America. After six years abroad, Teddy brings his wife Ruth, to meet the family for the first time. In the style that became a trademark, Pinter creates mounting tension, with insidiously bizarre accusations and proposals by the men to Ruth, The Homecoming gives way to an ominous game of cat and mice." Performances take place at the Gaslight Theater, 358 North Boyle. For more information, call 314-458-2978 or visit stlas.org. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

Photo: Ken Howard

Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents Mozart's The Magic Flute in rotating repertory with three other operas through June 28. Performances take place at the Loretto-Hilton Center at 135 Edgar Road on the Webster University campus. "Mozart’s most enchanting masterpiece returns in an all-new production, directed and designed by fashion icon Isaac Mizrahi. In this fantastic fairy tale, a prince goes on a quest to rescue a beautiful princess. His  companion, a bird catcher, hopes to snare true love. But in the end, it’s revealed that no one’s magic is ever quite as it seems." All performances are sung in English with projected English text. For more information, you may visit experienceopera.org or call 314-961-0644.  Read my preview article! Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents Music, Courage, and Belief in Dialogues of the Carmelites. "Based on a true story of Carmelite nuns during the French Revolution, Dialogues of the Carmelites challenges modern understandings of faith and courage, asking audiences to contemplate the true meaning of sacrifice. Guest speaker Dr. Carolyn Osiek, RSCJ, Society of the Sacred Heart, will lead off the conversation with reflections on this true story, joined on the panel by conductor Ward Stare, director Robin Guarino, and soprano Christine Brewer." It's part of their Spotlight on Opera, a series of four insightful dialogues exploring the ideas in each season's opera, and it takes place on Monday, June 2, at 7:30 PM at the Ethical Society, 9001 Clayton Road. For more information, you may visit experienceopera.org or call 314-961-0644.

New Jewish Theater presents Old Jews Telling Jokes through June 1. “Think you've heard them all before? Think again! If you've ever had a mother, visited a doctor or walked into a bar with a priest, a rabbi and a frog, OLD JEWS TELLING JOKES will sit in the dark, give you a second opinion and ask you where you got that. You'll laugh til you plotz. It is a kosher pickle barrel full of laughs! Straight from NY, this is the first independent production.; recommended for mature audiences.” Performances take place in the Marvin and Harlene Wool Studio Theater at the Jewish Community Center, 2 Millstone Campus Drive in Creve Coeur. For more information: www.newjewishtheatre.org or call 314-442-3283. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

Circus Flora presents its new show, The Pawn, May 29 through June 22 under the air-conditioned, red-and-white, big top tent in Grand Center next to Powell Hall. " Drawing from the history of chess, this mythic tale is steeped in the rich sights, sounds and mystique of ancient Persia and India. The audience will journey to an exotic world where myth and intellect collide, and the stone city surrenders to the desert's ever shifting sands. Follow the Pawn on his journey through curious creatures and intrigues: knights mounted on steed, bishops zigzagging across colored squares, chess pieces flying through the air. In this world, the chess pieces do not wait to be moved. They have their own adventures to play out under the big top. For more information, visit circusflora.org.

Stages St. Louis presents the musical They're Playing Our Song May 30 - June 29. "Meet Vernon, a neurotic, witty composer and Sonia, a wacky, free spirited lyricist who form an unlikely partnership to write the next great love song. A rocky and hilarious start leaves them struggling to find their creative harmony - and romance was definitely not what they were expecting! But a series of unlikely events lead to a match made in musical comedy heaven. They're Playing Our Song is inspired by the real life love story of Academy Award-winning composer, Marvin Hamlisch (The Way We Were, The Sting) and Grammy Award-winning lyricist Carole Bayer Sager (“That's What Friends Are For”, “Nobody Does It Better” ). Topping off the jazzy score is a laugh-a-minute book by America's leading funny man, Tony Award Winner Neil Simon (Barefoot in the Park, The Odd Couple). A sweet and sophisticated musical romp, They're Playing Our Song will have you singing along from curtain up to curtain down!" 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.

Tesseract Theatre Company presents This is Nowhere by Caitlin McCommis Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM and Sundays at 4 PM, through June 1 "Annie has built her life around travel and adventure, but it takes an unexpected turn when she's diagnosed with a debilitating chronic illness. She's ready to settle down, but when an old friend and fellow-wanderer returns to tell her about his recent adventures, she finds herself yearning for a past life and faces a tough choice: to fight against the illness or to fight for herself?" Performances take place at the Regional Arts Commission on Delmar, across from the Pageant. For more information: tesseracttheatre.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.

Feelin' groovy

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Being able to bring the intoxicant of your choice to a concert is not exactly a new phenomenon. Folks have been doing it at rock events for decades and even the St. Louis Symphony allows drinks in the concert hall for their non-season events. The Colorado Symphony, though, is taking it to a new level.

As I found out while listening to The Most Trusted Source in News—NPR's "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me"—the Denver-based orchestra just announced "Classically Cannabis: the High Note Series", described as "a new partnership between the Colorado Symphony and the industry that supports legal cannabis in Colorado, which is expected to contribute more than $67 million in tax revenue to the State of Colorado in 2014."

Far out, right?

Initially intended as public events to which concertgoers could bring their own weed, the "Classically Cannabis" series was changed to invitation-only when the party poopers in the Denver city government informed CS that they might be violating state law. "If you go forward, warned Stacie Loucks, director of the department of excise and licenses, in a letter to symphony board president Jerome Kern (no, not THAT Jerome Kern), "we will exercise any and all options available to the city of Denver to halt the event and hold the business owners, event organizers responsible for any violations of law." That's because, as the Los Angeles Times noted in a May 11th article, the constitutional amendment that made pot legal in Colorado "also banned its open and public use."

Yeah, that's logical. I wonder if they were stoned when they wrote that?

Anyway, the first "Classically Cannabis" event went ahead as planned yesterday (Friday, May 23) at a private art gallery. Writing in the Denver Post, John Wenzel noted that the fund-raising concert "featured a patio on which attendees casually smoked pot from joints, vaporizer pens, and glass pipes under umbrellas as a light rain fell... As the night wore on, the sticky-sweet smell of marijuana wafted in regularly from the wide garage door that opened onto the patio, which led to another small outdoor area with food trucks and a pair of ice cream and popsicle vendors." That's what they call your business multiplier effect.

But what about the music? "The CSO brass quintet," writes Mr. Wenzel, "dressed in all-black suits with pale green ties, began its 45-minute performance with Richard Strauss' ominous Also Sprach Zarathustra Fanfare, followed by short speeches from the CSO and sponsors. The acoustics in the unadorned space were sharp and bright as the quintet continued with recognizable classical favorites from Debussy, Bach, Wagner, and Puccini.

"Co-organizer Jane West of cannabis company Edible Events [!] said $30,000 had already been secured in sponsorship for the night, and CSO officials confirmed another $20,000 was garnered from attendees. The CSO is hoping to raise $200,000 from the three Space gallery shows and another, non-pot-sanctioned Classically Cannabis event at Red Rocks this summer."

There's no mention of whether or not anybody held up any cigarette lighters. In any case, this made me wonder what kind of music would be appropriate for an audience floating on Cloud 9. A few pieces that came to mind were:

* Berlioz's "Symphonie Fantastique," which describes a series of hallucinations experienced by an artist who takes an opium overdose in a fit of unrequited love.

* Scriabin's "Poem of Ecstasy," which rises to truly delirious heights. Granted, Scriabin apparently had in mind the kind of ecstasy that doesn't necessarily require being stoned—although it can certainly help. So I'm told!

* Christopher Theofanidis’s "Rainbow Body," just because simply listening to it comes close to inducing a sort of indefinable celestial serenity.

Got any suggestions of your own? Leave a comment. I've gotta go; got a sudden attack of the munchies.

St. Louis classical calendar for the week of May 26, 2014

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The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra presents The Gospel According to Swing on Friday, May 30, at 7:30 PM. "Trumpet sensation Byron Stripling returns to Powell Hall for a concert devoted to legendary swing hits that will set your soul on fire. From Mahalia Jackson to Aretha Franklin, with the influences of Bessie Smith and Duke Ellington, selections include "Down by the Riverside," "Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen" and "He's Got the Whole World." Stripling and the STL Symphony will have you clapping your hands, tapping your toes and jumping to your feet with soul-stiring rhythms!" The concert takes place at Powell Symphony Hall, 718 North Grand. For more information: stlsymphony.org.

The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra presents The Indigo Girls performing with the orchestra on Saturday, May 31, at 7:30 PM. "The Grammy Award-winning Indigo Girls, Amy Ray and Emily Saliers, make their Powell Hall debut, performing live with the STL Symphony. With Billboard top 40 hits and 14 albums under their belt, the Indigo Girls perform hits spanning four decades, including "Galileo," "Love of Our Lives" and more." The concert takes place at Powell Symphony Hall, 718 North Grand. For more information: stlsymphony.org.

The St. Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra, conducted by Steven Jarvi, presents a concert of the music of Adam Schoenberg, Copland, Mahler, and Respighi on Sunday, June 1, at 3 PM. The concert takes place at Powell Symphony Hall, 718 North Grand. For more information: stlsymphony.org.

The Tavern of Fine Arts presents a Mark Sparks Flute SuperClass Recital on Wednesday, May 28, at 5:30 PM. "Flute SuperClass is the brainchild of St. Louis Symphony Principal Flute, Mark Sparks. The classes, which are taught by Mr. Sparks in St. Louis, are specialized training courses for advanced flute players who are seeking to refine their skills on their way to becoming top professional classical flutists. Most of the players are students from major conservatories of music in the U.S., including The Eastman School of Music, Rice University, and Northwestern University. The recitals at the Tavern top off several days of intensive study and performance for the flutists, and will feature well-known flute repertoire such as Poulenc's Sonata for Flute and Piano. The performers will be accompanied by pianist Susan Snyder, of the Interlochen Arts Academy." The Tavern of Fine Arts is at 313 Belt in the Debaliviere Place neighborhood. For more information: tavern-of-fine-arts.blogspot.com.

The Tavern of Fine Arts presents a flute and cello recital by Erika May Randolph on Friday, May 30, at 8 PM. "Flutist and cellist Erika May Randolph performs a concert at Tavern of Fine Arts featuring Tango-Etudes for solo flute by Astor Piazzolla and Suite Steelville written by Erika May for cello, flute, voice, and interpretive dance by Salwa. Comfortable in both the classical and jazz worlds, Erika May Randolph holds a degree in Jazz Studies/Flute performance from Webster University. Whether it’s singing jazz standards, Spanish songs, or originals, and improvising on her flute as a solo act, accompanying herself on guitar and/or cello, or swinging with jazz combos as both a leader and a sideman, performing on flute in classical duets with piano or guitar, or being "in the band" with Americana/pop groups as a singer and flutist, Erika May brings her personal flair, professionalism, and a loving joy of the music to each project." The Tavern of Fine Arts is at 313 Belt in the Debaliviere Place neighborhood. For more information: tavern-of-fine-arts.blogspot.com.

Chuck's Theatre Choices for the weekend of May 23, 2014

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:

Alpha Players present the musical The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee through May 25 at The Florissant Civic Center Theater, Parker Rd. at Waterford Dr. in Florissant, MO. For more information: alphaplayers.org or, call 314-921-5678.

My take: This charming if slight musical is kind of a natural for small theatre companies, especially those with a wealth of talent young enough to believably portray awkward adolescents. When I reviewed the national tour back in 2007 at the Fox, it seemed to me that much of the show's charm was lost in the cavernous interior of that 5000-seat spacel; it was, after all, developed for a 300-seat space originally. The 600-seat Florissant Civic Center theatre ought to be just right. "It is charming, and smart, and witty," writes Bob Wilcox in his review for KDHX, "and some of the definitions and sample sentences have, I think, been revised and updated – I don't know if by Alpha folks or by Rachel Sheinkin, the original book author, or Jay Reiss, who's credited for added material. But that added a little more pleasure to a very pleasurable production."

OnSite Theatre Company presents A Prayer for the Gun Bug by Carter Lewis Friday at 9 PM, Saturday at 4 and 9 PM, and Sunday at 2 PM, May 23-25. “A Prayer for the Gun Bug is a sidelong glance at a world in hysteria. Carter W. Lewis's three short plays expose the world to be an overpopulated sardine can, crammed to the gills with incensed spiritual fanatics, most of whom are annoyed, confused and stockpiling weapons. So why are we laughing so hard?” Performances take place at Meskerem Ethiopian Restaurant, 3210 S. Grand Blvd. For more information: www.OnSiteTheatre.org.

My take: OnSite has what is, as far as I know, a unique mission, at least locally: the production of site-specific shows in spaces that match the settings of the scripts. So, for example, we had Carter Lewis's Hit-Story performed in a gym, an evening of one-acts about bowling in a bowling alley, and local playwright Elizabeth Birkenmeier's There's a Gun in Your Goodbye Bag in a laundromat. "Their productions," writes Steve Callahan in his review of the current collection of one-acts for KDHX, "are always good, and sometimes—like this time—they're remarkably fine. If you ever get tired of seeing plays that seem to be just "the same old same old" you should take in something by OnSite...Thank you OnSite Theatre. (And thank you Meskerem Restaurant for a most delicious meal.)"

Held Over:

Photo: Peter Wochniak

Stages St. Louis presents the musical Always..Patsy Cline through June 22. "Jacqueline Petroccia and Zoe Vonder Haar star in the return engagement of the show critics called 'exceptional, must see entertainment.' The touching and true story of Country music legend Patsy Cline and her friendship with Texas housewife Louise Seger returns to STAGES this spring. Combining down home country humor, heartache and 27 of Patsy Cline's unforgettable hits such as 'Crazy,' 'WalkinÄô After Midnight,' and 'Sweet Dreams,' Always... Patsy Cline endures as a piece of genuine Americana." Performances take place at The Playhouse at Westport Plaza. For more information, visit stagesstlouis.org or call 314-821-2407.

My take: Call this a qualified recommendation. If you're a lover of Patsy Cline or country music in general, I think you'll have a great time at this show, which is really more of a celebrity impersonation review than a book musical per se. Jacqueline Petroccia captures Cline's voice and manner so accurately it's eerie and Zoe Vonder Haar is a hoot and a half as Louise Seger, the real-life Houston fan who became a close friends and correspondent of Cline. With over two dozen Patsy Cline hits performed to perfection by Ms. Petroccia and a six-piece band, the show is a real feast for fans. See my KDHX review for more information.

Shakespeare Festival St. Louis presents Henry IV nightly except for Tuesdays, May 15 through June 14. Henry IV, Parts 1 and 2, written as two separate plays, have been edited to fit into one evening. Beginning May 25, the production alternates with performances of Henry V. "Audience members can expect a once-in-a-lifetime theatrical experience this season," said Rick Dildine, Artistic and Executive Director of Shakespeare Festival St.Louis. "Many theaters around the world have performed these plays in consecutive seasons; however, we are performing them at the same time with the same cast on the same set." Performances take place in Shakespeare Glen next to the Art Museum in Forest Park. Curtain time is 8 PM. For more information, visit shakespearefestivalstlouis.org.

My take: This is a rare opportunity to see two (well, three, if you count the two parts of Henry IV) of Shakespeare's history plays back to back and with a single unifying concept. Costuming is period, but the themes are timeless. As Tim Ocel says in his director's notes for Henry IV, this is "the story of human beings shaping a civilization...Shakespeare saw that the future inclines to those who believe in a forward moving energy, not to those who hold back mankind's potential due to a selfish lack of vision." If that sounds familiar it's probably because, as Walt Kelly once wrote, "those things which make us human are, curiously enough, always close at hand. Resolve, then, that on this very ground, with small flags waving and tiny blasts of tiny trumpets, we shall meet the enemy, and not only may he be ours, he may be us."  Check out my interview with the directors for more information.

New Jewish Theater presents Old Jews Telling Jokes through June 1. "Think you've heard them all before? Think again! If you've ever had a mother, visited a doctor or walked into a bar with a priest, a rabbi and a frog, OLD JEWS TELLING JOKES will sit in the dark, give you a second opinion and ask you where you got that. You'll laugh til you plotz. It is a kosher pickle barrel full of laughs! Straight from NY, this is the first independent production; recommended for mature audiences." 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.

My take: "I'm sorry not to be able to delve into the arc of the plot or the themes that this evening investigates," writes Steve Callahan in his review for 88.1 KDHX, "for in fact there are none. But after all, whaddya get when five old Jews walk into a theatre? You get—at its simplest, at its purest—entertainment." Besides, any show that includes a sing-along version of Tom Lehrer's "I'm Spending Hannukah in Santa Monica" has got my vote. So go, already. Enjoy.

Magic to do

experienceopera.org

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The Memorial Day weekend is almost here. For most of us, that means cookouts, family gatherings, and other varieties of making merry. For us opera lovers, though, it also means a different type of celebration: opening night at Opera Theatre of St. Louis.

Since 1976, Opera Theatre has been presenting productions that have drawn press from all over the world to the main stage of the Loretto-Hilton Center. I've seen most of them over the decades and have been reviewing them consistently since KDHX went on the air over 25 years ago. I've been entertained, moved, excited, annoyed, and even infuriated, but rarely bored.

Now, if your image of opera comes from pop culture, you might find that last sentence surprising. Surely opera is just a bunch of overweight Italians bellowing away in foreign languages for a bunch of bored socialites, right? Well, I won't say that I have never seen productions like that (mostly in other cities), but only almost never at Opera Theatre.

That's because Opera Theatre, as its name implies, understands that opera is a form of theatre, and that dramatic values are just as important as musical ones. The singers are also capable actors, are generally physically right for their roles, and sing their roles in English.

Granted, the company also provides projected English text stage left and right, but that's because opera singers do not, in general, articulate as well as their musical theatre counterparts (possibly for very good reasons; see Roger Highfield's article in the Telegraph from 2004 and an interesting 2010 blog post by "Porcamiseria"). That doesn't change the fact that at Opera Theatre the libretto is as important as the music.

The 2014 season offers a world premiere, a local premiere, and two returning favorites. You can see a complete list at the Opera Theatre web site. Right now I'd like to just drop a few well chosen bytes on you about the first production, Mozart's “The Magic Flute.”

Written towards the end of the composer's sadly brief life (Mozart had only a few months to live when it premiered in September of 1791), “The Magic Flute” was intended not for an audience of nobles at court but rather for ordinary folks at a suburban theater that was closer in ambiance to a tavern. A singspiel with spoken dialog instead of recitatives and a text in German instead of the fashionable Italian, the work is a fantastic tale of a pair of lovers who must undergo a series of magical trials in order to attain enlightenment before they can be married. The libretto by dramatist, impresario and actor Emanuel Schikaneder (who produced and performed in the premiere) is filled with Masonic symbolism (Mozart was a lodge member) and is, as Peter Branscombe and Stanley Sadie have written, "above all an opera of the Enlightenment. In it, the forces of darkness and light are counterposed: the former in the person of the Queen of the Night and her entourage, the latter in that of Sarastro and his priestly community, which erects temples to Wisdom, Nature and Reason."

Isaac Mizrahi
Photo By George Chinsee

The production's director is Isaac Mizrahi, who rose to fame as a fashion and costume designer. His entry into the world of operatic direction is relatively recent. His 2010 “A Little Night Music” for Opera Theatre, with its fairies and surreal imagery, raised a few eyebrows and, based on his public statements so far, his “Magic Flute” might do the same.

That's because he's setting the opera not in the magical realm of the libretto but rather in the more prosaic location of a motion picture soundstage. The logic behind this, as he stated in an interview for stltoday.com, is that "the only place I can suspend disbelief about magic taking place is a soundstage". Will this make sense on stage? We'll see.

In addition, Mr. Mizrahi has elected to make some changes to the original text in order to make The Queen of the Night—usually seen as the representative of Darkness and therefore the villain of the piece—more sympathetic (Mizrahi sees her as being “like Greta Garbo”), and to tone down the text's negative attitudes towards women generally. In this he has the support of his conductor (and Mozart scholar) Jane Glover, who takes the position that the anti-woman attitudes of the libretto are something the composer felt he had to put up with rather than a reflection of his own views. Her 2005 book Mozart's Women: His Family, His Friends, His Music is highly regarded.

On this, as with the setting, the jury is out until we see how it all plays. There is, I think, a danger in making the Queen too sympathetic in that it could undermine the pro-Enlightenment foundation of the work but, as the old wheeze goes, the proof of the pudding is in the eating.

The essentials: You can get your heaping helping of “The Magic Flute,” along with the rest of the Opera Theatre season, at the company web site. Opening night is this Saturday, May 24. The season runs through June 28. For the full festival experience, come early and have a picnic supper on the lawn or under the refreshment tent. You can bring your own food or purchase a gourmet supper in advance from Ces and Judy's. Drinks are available on site as well, or you can bring your own. For more information: experienceopera.org or 314-961-0644.

Bench warmer

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Who: Frank Glazer
What: Music of a Bygone Era, Bridge Records

Back before the advent of recorded sound, when a home music system was the piano in the parlor, the odds were good that said piano would be accompanied by one or more bound volumes of short pieces intended for amateur performance. They might contain anything from bagatelles by Beethoven or humoresques by Dvorak to occasional pieces by lesser composers to arrangements of popular songs.

Classified as "salon music," these pieces were heard often in both parlors and concert halls in the early years of the last century and were popular with piano teachers when I was taking lessons back in the 1960s. I recall struggling (without much success, to be honest) through works like the Paderewski "Minuet" and trying to imagine what a real performance would sound like. Back then recordings of this repertoire were few and far between.

Bridge Records has released a delightful album of some gems from those old books. Recorded by legendary pianist (and pupil of the great Artur Schnabel) Frank Glazer back in 2005, "Music of a Bygone Era" is a thoroughly entertaining trip down memory lane and a reminder of why this music was so popular. These are pieces that are easy on the ear, filled with appealing melodies, virtuoso flourishes, and just enough musical imagination to keep things interesting.

Frank Glazer
Photograph by Phyllis Graber Jensen

The runs and grace notes of Grieg's "Papillon," for example, nicely capture a butterfly in flight while Christian Sinding's "Rustle of Spring" evokes the eruption of new life at the turn of the season. Liadov's "Musical Snuff-Box" remains a charming imitation of a tinkling music box. And Stephen Heller's "The Trout" provides a collection of interesting embellishments on the theme of Schubert's "Die Forelle."

Listening to the grace and facility of these performances, it would be easy to forget that Mr. Glazer (born in February 1915) was 90 when he made this recording. In his liner notes, Mr. Glazer relates that while he (and many other piano students) played these pieces in the early years of the 20th century, when he arrived in Berlin to study with the great Artur Schnabel "I soon became aware that he would not be listening to this genre of repertoire, so it lay dormant, unused until may years later, when I decided to revive some of this music in a performance of 'A Sentimental Musical Journey' for a Brown-Bag Lunch concert at the Saco River Festival in Cornish, Maine. The program was so appreciated by the audience, reacting as many did with smiles and tears, that in the following two years we reminisced with additional such programs."

I smiled quite a bit myself at hearing these old chestnuts played with such conviction. I expect you will as well.

St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of May 19, 2014

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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Alpha Players present the musical The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee through May 25 at The Florissant Civic Center Theater, Parker Rd. at Waterford Dr. in Florissant, MO. For more information: alphaplayers.org or, call 314-921-5678. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

Photo: Peter Wochniak

Stages St. Louis presents the musical Always..Patsy Cline through June 22. "Jacqueline Petroccia and Zoe Vonder Haar star in the return engagement of the show critics called 'exceptional, must see entertainment.' The touching and true story of Country music legend Patsy Cline and her friendship with Texas housewife Louise Seger returns to STAGES this spring. Combining down home country humor, heartache and 27 of Patsy Cline's unforgettable hits such as 'Crazy,' 'Walkin' After Midnight,' and 'Sweet Dreams,' Always... Patsy Cline endures as a piece of genuine Americana." Performances take place at The Playhouse at Westport Plaza. For more information, visit stagesstlouis.org or call 314-821-2407. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

Chuck Lavazzi

The Cabaret Project and 88.1 KDHX present the gala Second Anniversary Cabaret Open Stage Night on Wednesday, May 12, 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 Bissell Mansion Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre presents The Dapper Flappers through July 27. The Bissell Mansion is at 4426 Randall Place. For more information: bissellmansiontheatre.com

The Black Mirror Theatre Company presents Gonne/Yeats, A Literary Cabaret by local playwright and director Denis Corcoran on Saturday and Sunday, May 24 and 25, at 5 PM. "He, William Butlter Yeats, perhaps the world's greatest poet. She, Maud Gonne (McBride), an Irish patriot, feminist, ardent defender of Ireland's poor and homeless, said, in her day, to be the most beautiful woman in Ireland. He feel deeply in love with at their first meeting, a love which was the driving force behind so much of his poetry. Yet she preferred pike, pistol and politics to sweet words. In dialogue, verse and song, this is one of the most moving love stories, seldom told." Performances take place at Central Print, 2612 N. 14th Street. For more information, email blackmirrortheatre at gmail.com or call 314-740-6514.

Shakespeare Festival St. Louis presents Henry IV nightly except for Tuesdays through June 14. Henry IV, Parts 1 and 2, written as two separate plays, have been edited to fit into one evening. Beginning May 25, the production alternates with performances of Henry V. “Audience members can expect a once-in-a-lifetime theatrical experience this season,” said Rick Dildine, Artistic and Executive Director of Shakespeare Festival St.Louis. “Many theaters around the world have performed these plays in consecutive seasons; however, we are performing them at the same time with the same cast on the same set.” Performances take place in Shakespeare Glen next to the Art Museum in Forest Park. Curtain time is 8 PM. For more information, visit shakespearefestivalstlouis.org and don't forget to check out my interview with the directors. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

Shakespeare Festival St. Louis presents Henry V nightly except for Tuesdays, May 22 through June 15. Beginning May 26, the production alternates with performances of Henry IV. Performances take place in Shakespeare Glen next to the Art Museum in Forest Park. Curtain time is 8 PM. For more information, visit shakespearefestivalstlouis.org and don't forget to check out my interview with the directors.

St. Louis Actors' Studio continues its seventh season, themed Sins of the Father, with Pinter's The Homecoming, May 23 – June 8. " In an old and slightly seedy house in North London there lives a family of men: Max, the aging, crude patriarch, his ineffectual brother Sam and two of Max's three sons, both unmarried- Lenny, a small-time pimp and Joey, who dreams of success as a boxer. Into this sinister abode comes the eldest son Teddy, now a successful professor of philosophy in America. After six years abroad, Teddy brings his wife Ruth, to meet the family for the first time. In the style that became a trademark, Pinter creates mounting tension, with insidiously bizarre accusations and proposals by the men to Ruth, The Homecoming gives way to an ominous game of cat and mice." Performances take place at the Gaslight Theater, 358 North Boyle. For more information, call 314-458-2978 or visit stlas.org.

Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents Mozart's The Magic Flute in rotating repertory with three other operas May 24-June 28. 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.

New Jewish Theater presents Old Jews Telling Jokes through June 1. “Think you've heard them all before? Think again! If you've ever had a mother, visited a doctor or walked into a bar with a priest, a rabbi and a frog, OLD JEWS TELLING JOKES will sit in the dark, give you a second opinion and ask you where you got that. You'll laugh til you plotz. It is a kosher pickle barrel full of laughs! Straight from NY, this is the first independent production.; recommended for mature audiences.” Performances take place in the Marvin and Harlene Wool Studio Theater at the Jewish Community Center, 2 Millstone Campus Drive in Creve Coeur. For more information: www.newjewishtheatre.org or call 314-442-3283. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents Opening the Doors to 27 rue de Fleurus: The world premiere of “27”. "Audiences will have the unique chance to enter the world of Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas through the music of composer Ricky Ian Gordon and the words of librettist Royce Vavrek in this world premiere, the second in Opera Theatre's New Works, Bold Voices cycle. Led off with remarks by Mr. Gordon and Mr. Vavrek, in this panel audiences will learn more about the famous salons that Stein and Toklas hosted, as well as the many luminaries and artists that crossed their doorstep. Additional panelists include conductor Michael Christie and director James Robinson, OTSL's artistic director." It's part of their Spotlight on Opera, a series of four insightful dialogues exploring the ideas in each season's opera, and it takes place on Monday, May 19, at 7:30 PM at the Ethical Society, 9001 Clayton Road. For more information, you may visit experienceopera.org or call 314-961-0644.

OnSite Theatre Company presents Prayer for the Gun Bug by Carter Lewis Friday at 9 PM, Saturday at 4 and 9 PM, and Sunday at 2 PM, May 23-25. “A Prayer for the Gun Bug is a sidelong glance at a world in hysteria. Carter W. Lewis's three short plays expose the world to be an overpopulated sardine can, crammed to the gills with incensed spiritual fanatics, most of whom are annoyed, confused and stockpiling weapons. So why are we laughing so hard?” Performances take place at Meskerem Ethiopian Restaurant, 3210 S. Grand Blvd. For more information: www.OnSiteTheatre.org. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

Tesseract Theatre Company presents This is Nowhere by Caitlin McCommis Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM and Sundays at 4 PM, May 32 – June 1 "Annie has built her life around travel and adventure, but it takes an unexpected turn when she's diagnosed with a debilitating chronic illness. She's ready to settle down, but when an old friend and fellow-wanderer returns to tell her about his recent adventures, she finds herself yearning for a past life and faces a tough choice: to fight against the illness or to fight for herself?" Performances take place at the Regional Arts Commission on Delmar, across from the Pageant. For more information: tesseracttheatre.org.

Big Daddy's presents a free public workshop reading of the one-act play Sins of the Flesh or The Virgin Gallows by KDHX theatre reviewer Steve Callahan on Monday, May 19, at 6:30 PM. "Consider an imagined pre-Renaissance village in . . . where? Flanders? Lorraine? It's a world where cardinal thought-sins are capitally punished. Come hear the story of Geneviève, innocent (except in her mind); Père Noël, priest of an authoritarian Church; Violette, mute and a mere child, but a gifted seamstress; and the strange, magical and poetic Tavika—an itinerant chef and tinker." Big Daddy's is at 1000 Sidney in Soulard.

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.