Chuck's Choices for the weekend of January 9, 2015

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:

Tim Schall

The Kranzberg Arts Center presents A Cabaret Showcase Evening on Saturday, January 10, at 7 p.m. "Eight talented singers take the stage to perform individual cabaret sets created specifically for this evening! Starring Shirley Aschinger, Kevin Cherry, Elizabeth DeVoto, Linda Kennedy, Dan McGee, Charlene Reimann, Annie Sauerburger and Ben Watts. Tim Schall is the director and Carol Schmidt is the Music Director and pianist. For more information: kranzbergartscenter.org.

My take: This singers in this showcase are the students in Tim Schall's cabaret performance class. All of them have performance experience, some of it quite substantial. I have worked with most of them before, in a cabaret and theatre settings, and know them to be solid performers. I'll be there and I hope you will as well.

Leigha Stockton and Brock Birkner
in Urinetown

Next Generation Theatre Company presents the musical Urinetown Friday and Saturday, January 9 and 10. " Winner of three TONY Awards, three Outer Critic's Circle Awards, two Lucille Lortel Awards, and two Obie Awards, Urinetown is a hilarious musical satire of the legal system, capitalism, social irresponsibility, populism, bureaucracy, corporate mismanagement, municipal politics and musical theatre itself! Hilariously funny and touchingly honest, Urinetown provides a fresh perspective of one of America's greatest art forms. In a Gotham-like city, a terrible water shortage, caused by a 20-year drought, has led to a government-enforced ban on private toilets. The citizens must use public amenities, regulated by a single malevolent company that profits by charging admission for one of humanity's most basic needs. Amid the people, a hero decides he's had enough, and plans a revolution to lead them all to freedom!" Performances take place at the Florissant Civic Center Theater at Parker and Waterford in Florissant, MO. For more information: florissantmo.thundertix.com

My take: Next Generation is a new group in town that describes itself as "a theatre company created specifically for young adults, providing the opportunity to perform, direct, choreograph and produce their own shows." Urinetown has the kind of energy and satirical edge that should work well for a young cast, and it takes on a serious subject—water and the way we take it for granted—in an entertaining way.