Chuck's theatre choices for the weekend of September 26, 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:

Photo: John Lamb

The West End Players Guild opens their 104th season with Joan Ackermann's Off the Map Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM and Sundays at 2 PM, September 26-October 5. There will also be a show on Thursday, October 2, at 8 PM. “An offbeat and loving comedy, Off the Map tells the story of the Grodens, a quirky family living way, way off the map in the wilds of New Mexico. We see the story through the eyes of Bo Groden, an 11-year-old growing up amidst a collection of rich, warm characters who will both entertain and inspire you.” 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 not a disinstereted party on this one since I'm on the board of directors of West End Players Guild and I designed the sound for this show. That said, I wouldn't have voted to make this show part of the season in the first place if I didn't think it was a charming and funny memory play about an unconventional family that reminds me in some ways of the eccentric Vanderhof/Sycamore/Carmichael clan in "You Can't Take it With You." Their determination to live a recycled life off the map (and off the grid) feels, in many ways, more relevant now than it did when this play was written in 1999.

Storm Large

 The Presenters Dolan present Storm Large in Le Bonheur (Good Times) on Friday, September 27, at 8 PM as part of the Gaslight Cabaret Festival. " A killer beauty, an astonishing singer, and a funny, fleshy truth teller, Storm has many lives. 1) rock siren 2) fronts Pink Martini, a salon pop symphony that tours everywhere 3) fronts symphony orchestras all over the world 4) best selling memoirist. She does it all supremely well. We are all very lucky to have her in St. Louis for the second time. Absolutely not to be missed. " The performance takes place at BB's Jazz, Blues, and Soups downtown. For more information: gaslightcabaretfestival.com.

My take:: While I haven't seen this particular show, I did review Storm Large's last appearance at the Gaslight Cabaret Festival this past April and was mightily impressed. Back then I described her as a "hypnotic, compelling, and energetic performer," so I don't think you can go wrong with her latest show.

Held Over:

Photo: Peter Wochniak

Stages St. Louis presents the musical Always..Patsy Cline through October 12. "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.

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.

Photo: Peter Wochniak

Stages St. Louis presents the classic musical Fiddler on the Roof through October 5. "Winner of the Tony Award for Best Musical and one of the most touching creations in the history of Broadway, featuring such heartfelt and beloved songs as 'Sunrise, Sunset,' 'If I Were A Rich Man,' and 'Matchmaker, Matchmaker'.” 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: Reviews for the Stages producion of this justifiably famous hit by Bock and Harnick have been pretty generally positive. Writing for the Riverfront Times, for example, Malcom Gay calls it "a bright production, filled with sumptuous choreography and impressive musical numbers" while our reviewer at KDHX, Laura Kyro, says it's "an entertaining and satisfying production." "The show has been performed once before at Stages in 1999," writes Mark Bretz at Ladue News, "but the current presentation is as fresh and inviting as ever." Sounds like a winner, yes?

The Normal Heart

HotCity Theatre presents The Normal Heart through September 27. “Debuting in 1985, Larry Kramer's The Normal Heart was perceived as “too urgent to ignore.” The AIDS epidemic was by then full-blown and hysteria was rampant. The intensity of the play helped usher in a new gay activism that could arguably be attributed to the evolution of gay rights in the decades to follow. An acclaimed revival in 2011 and the upcoming HBO version (produced by Ryan Murphy and starring Julia Roberts) have given this (now) modern classic a place in one of the important plays of our times.” 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: Raves dominate the notices for this one. At Ladue News, Mark Bretz calls it "a most extraordinary production, directed brilliantly by Marty Stanberry, which grabs one by the throat at the start and throttles with shock, grief and drenched desperation at its end." Snoop's Theatre Blog says it's "a must see."

Photo: Jerry Naunheim, Jr.

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents the comedy One Man, Two Guvnors through October 5. “Francis Henshall needs a job. Recently sacked from his skiffle band, he's hungry and has a bad case of fish and chips on the brain. To make ends meet, he becomes a servant to two different masters. Frazzled Francis tries his best to balance duties and keep his bosses from meeting, but what he doesn't know about them, and what they don't know about each other, quickly become uproarious and riotous cases of mistaken identities and slapstick antics in this laugh-out-loud award-winning comedy.” Performances take place on the mainstage 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: Tina Farmer's review at KDHX describes this as "is a rollicking ride filled with laughs and physical comedy that's suitable for the whole family," and other local critics have said much the same thing. I'm in the minority in that, while I often found the show very funny, I also felt that many scenes and comic bits ran on far too long and the whole cast seemed to be working far too hard for laughs. The scripted "ad libs" sometimes seemed a bit contrived as well. That said the show was a massive hit in London and on Broadway, and the night we saw it the rest of the audience did not seem to share our party's lack of enthusiasm. Note that it's relatively long for a comedy, though, clocking in at over two and one-half hours.