Chuck's Choices for the weekend of February 27, 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:

Aspen Santa Fe Ballet
"Stamping Ground"

Dance St. Louis presents the Aspen Santa Fe Ballet Friday at 8 p.m. and Saturday at 7 p.m., February 27 and 28. "Considered one of the most cutting-edge, pioneering ballet companies in the country, Aspen Santa Fe Ballet has been dubbed "the classically trained company of the future." Composed of 11 young, talented top-flight dancers, Aspen Santa Fe Ballet is known as a gifted, sophisticated, versatile and technique-conscious company that pushes the boundaries by performing a diverse and engaging repertoire and by commissioning new works from some of the world's foremost established and emerging choreographers." Performances take place at the Touhill Performing Arts Center on the University of Missouri-St. Louis campus. For more information: dancestlouis.org.

My take: Dance St. Louis has an impressive track record when it comes to attracting high-end companies to the Touhill. The Aspen Santa Fe troupe comes to town with plenty of rave reviews. Last October, the Pittsburgh Tribune called their show "intellectually stimulating, distinctively stylized and brilliantly performed" while the Cleveland Plain Dealer praised the company's "deft and inspired dancing." "It’s a company to savor," wrote the Boston Globe's Janine Parker of their appearance at the Jacob's Pillow festival lat August, "and I want to savor these dances, too."

Blues for Mr. Charlie
Photo: Whitney Curtis

The Performing Arts Department at Washington University presents Blues for Mr. Charlie, directed by Ron Himes, through March 1. "In this searing drama by James Baldwin, sex and racism explode in a small Southern town when a bigoted store owner kills a young black man and dumps his body on the side of the road. " The performances take place in the Edison Theater in the Mallinckrodt Student Center on the Washington University campus. For more information, call 314-935-6543 or visit pad.artsci.wustl.edu.

My take: Baldwin's surreal and Brechtian drama was written in 1964 but, as recent events have proved all too clearly, the ways in which black men are demonized as an excuse for racially motivated violence have not changed nearly enough to make this play a historical curiosity. Running nearly four hours and filled with polemics, this is not an easy play to watch, but it the issues it raises remain vital. "Not a perfect play but a powerful one," writes Bob Wilcox at KDHX, “Blues for Mr. Charlie is an important American drama." The production is directed by Black Rep artistic director Ron Himes.

Mariposa Artists presents In Concert: Classic Rock Reimagined and Unpluged on Saturday, February 28, at 8 p.m. "Featuring eleven very talented singers from the midwest and across the country, "IN CONCERT St. Louis" is a hot fusion of classic rock tunes and cabaret that brings past to present on the St. Louis stage for one night only." The show is features 11 local singers and directed by Lina Koutrakos with Rick Jensen on piano. The performance takes place at the Kranzberg Center, 501 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information: inconcertstl.brownpapertickets.com

My take: Lina Koutrakos is a cabaret star whose roots like in rock and blues and Rick Jensen is powerfully talented pianist and songwriter. I'm very familiar with ten of the eleven singers from my work on local cabaret stages and I'll guarantee that they're solid performers. Many of them have already developed their own shows and all have participated in showcases and in the Cabaret Project's open mic nights at the Tavern of Fine Arts. You can't go wrong here.

Or
Photo: Joey Rumpell, RumZoo Photography

Slightly Askew Theatre Ensemble presents Or by Liz Duffy Adams Wednesdays through Sundays at 8 p.m., through February 27. "Or, takes place (mostly) during one night in the life of Aphra Behn: poet, spy, and soon to be first professional female playwright. Aphra is desperate to get out of the spy trade. She has a shot at a production at one of only two London companies, if she can only finish her play by morning despite interruptions from sudden new love, actress Nell Gwynne, complicated royal love, King Charles II, and very dodgy ex-love, double-agent William Scot-who may be in on a plot to murder the king in the morning. Can Aphra save Charles' life, win William a pardon, resist Nell's charms, and launch her career, all in one night? " Performances take place at The Chapel Venue, 6238 Alexander Drive. For more information: slightlyoff.org.

My take: How can you resist a plot summary like that one? Stage Door St. Louis' Steve Allen calls it "a charming romp." "With an inventive style you might call Restoration Steampunk," says Judy Newmark at stltoday.com, "the Slightly Askew Theatre Ensemble has a lot of fun with its smart, sexy production of “Or,” a quasi-historical comedy by Liz Duffy Adams." The show has gotten some knocks for being an extended one-act, but it still sounds like fun to me.

Held Over:

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

St. Louis Actors' Studio presents Edward Albee's dark comedy Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? through March 1 at the Gaslight Theatre, 358 North Boyle. "George, a professor at a small college, and his wife, Martha, have just returned home, drunk from a Saturday night party. Martha announces, amidst general profanity, that she has invited a young couple-an opportunistic new professor at the college and his shatteringly naïve new bride-to stop by for a nightcap. When they arrive the charade begins. The drinks flow and suddenly inhibitions melt. It becomes clear that Martha is determined to seduce the young professor, and George couldn't care less. But underneath the edgy banter, which is crossfired between both couples, lurks an undercurrent of tragedy and despair. George and Martha's inhuman bitterness toward one another is provoked by the enormous personal sadness that they have pledged to keep to themselves: a secret that has seemingly been the foundation for their relationship. In the end, the mystery in which the distressed George and Martha have taken refuge is exposed, once and for all revealing the degrading mess they have made of their lives." For more information, call 314-458-2978 or visit stlas.org.

My take: This is a script that surely needs little introduction from me. Albee's play has become a modern classic and a corrosive commentary on the dark side of American life. "Over the course of a long, alcohol-fueled night, the script expertly cuts, saws and chews its way through secrets, insecurities, accusations and infidelities until, worn out by the explosive force of its final battle, the show finds a comfortable, if not necessarily stable, resting place," writes Tina Farmer at KDHX. "Director John Contini clearly understands the nuances and shades in the script and leads the actors at a relentless pace. The dialogue is sharply crafted and expertly delivered by the cast – the tension never ceases and the stakes are never high enough until they come crashing down."

Photo: Jerry Naunheim, Jr.

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents Terrence Rattigan's The Winslow Boy through March 8. "When young Ronnie Winslow is expelled from military school for stealing a five-shilling postal order, his father wages an exhaustive fight to clear his son's name. What begins as a private matter quickly becomes a larger question of the rights of the individual against the power of the state. Though the legal battle jeopardizes his health and the reputation of the entire family, Arthur Winslow is determined that right will prevail, no matter what the sacrifice." 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: Terrence Rattigan's work seems to have fallen into obscurity in the decades since his death in 1977. Which is a pity, as his better-known plays are very well-constructed pieces, filled with subtle touches and well-rounded characters. Appearing in Separate Tables several years ago at Act Inc reminded me of what great dialog and situations he wrote. We saw the show last weekend and I must say that director Steve Woolf and his forces are doing this play up proud. "A splendid cast and keenly sharpened direction," writes Chris Gibson at broadwayworld.com, "combine to provide a very compelling piece of theatre." "The show is thoughtfully directed by Steven Woolf," says Tina Farmer at KDHX, "and features fully engaged, well-developed performances by a strong ensemble."