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The Cabaret Project and The Improv Shop present The Blue Velvet Lounge Saturday, December 30, at 8 pm. There are also performances on January 13 and 27, and February 10 and 24. "The Cabaret Project teams up with The Improv Shop to co-present their dynamic, fully improvised theater piece featuring live jazz standards - direct from the mythical Blue Velvet Lounge. Each performance features eight smart, funny improvisers who create the stories and sagas of the patrons of the Blue Velvet Lounge - on the spot. Surrounded by live jazz vocal standards, this character driven story is a different show each night it's performed. The Blue Velvet Lounge is a perfect evening out for lovers of cabaret and comedy. Food and drink available at the Improv Shop." The performance takes place at The Improv Shop, 3960 Chouteau in The Grove. For more information: thecabaretproject.org.
My take: Cabaret shows are carefully planned, but so is a good improv show. Improvisation works best when there's some sort of structure to build on. So combining the two makes more sense than you might think, especially when the singer at the center of it all is local cabaret pro Tim Schall.
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| Lea DeLaria |
My take: It may be cold as Paul Ryan's heart outside, but over at Jazz St. Louis it's positively smokin' as Lea DeLaria brings her David Bowie show (based on her CD House of David) to the stage. With a killer five-piece band and a special guest appearance by Manhattan Transfer founder Janis Siegel, this is a show guaranteed to kill any holiday blues. And the positively Wagnerian take on Bowie's cinematically dystopian "Life on Mars?" is worth the price of admission all by itself. The bistro boasts a short but interesting-looking menu, so you might want to seriously consider ordering dinner and making a night of it. The show is a co-presentation with The Cabaret Project (where, to be fair, I'm a board member).
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| Conductor Nicholas Buc |
My take: DreamWorks Animation is the animated film division of DreamWorks Studios, which was originally founded in 1994 by Steven Spielberg along with former Disney executive Jeffrey Katzenberg and recording industry mogul David Geffen. The DreamWorks Animation division of has been in the forefront of the digital animation revolution for nearly two decades now, with hits like Shrek, Kung Fu Panda, and Puss in Boots, to name only a few. The company has engaged some of Hollywood's leading composers to write scores for its hit films. This isn't a theatre event as such, but I'm adding it to the list anyway because in my experience these SLSO live film events are always great fun for the whole family. Which seems very appropriate for the holiday season.
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| Hans Brinker and the Silver Skates |
My take: If you're looking for a theatre events for the whole family, this is worth serious consideration. Metro has been producing family-friendly theatre isn't just kid stuff for many years now, and while this show is oriented more towards the kids than some past efforts, reviews indicate that it's done with a real polish that should appeal to adults as well. "Artistic director Julia Flood takes advantage of the spacious Grandel stage as the show’s director," writes Mark Bretz at Ladue News, "keeping her cast gliding around on their imaginary skates throughout the course of the play’s one act...It’s a treat for kids and also an education for them to take a glance at life 200 years ago, showing them how essential decency and dreams haven’t changed all that much across the centuries."
Held Over:
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| Souvenir Photo: John Lamb |
My take: As I write in my review, the Christmas season is many things to many people, but to me it has always been a time to celebrate love and friendship. That's why I think this just might be the perfect holiday show. Debby Lennon is ideal as the legendary society matron soprano with the tin ear and Paul Cereghino is the impeccable foil as her accompanist and friend Cosme McMoon. Their story, in Mr. Temperley's telling, is a tribute to the power of love and friendship. It's funny, ultimately touching, and brilliantly done under Sydnie Grosberg Ronga's expert direction. Adding to the polish are Teresa Doggett's stunning costumes and Dunsi Dai's elegant set, enhanced greatly by Patrick Huber's lighting and digital projections.
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