Chuck's Choices for the weekend of January 26, 2018

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:

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The Kranzberg Arts Center presents Grammy and Emmy Award-winning pianist and songwriter John McDaniel and cabaret star Barb Jungr in Come Together, an Evening of Music by The Beatles, on Saturday, January 27, at 7 and 9 pm. "In this exciting and critically-acclaimed collaboration, two giants of cabaret from both sides of the Atlantic, the extraordinary and award winning vocalist and performer, London's Barb Jungr and St. Louis born John McDaniel, himself a Grammy and Emmy award winning arranger and pianist, investigate The Beatles song catalogue in their own unique and inimitable fashion. Barb and John celebrate Paul, John, George and Ringo with brand new, breathtaking, inspiring and often unexpected arrangements! This concert is their St. Louis debut together." Performances take place in the cabaret room at the Kranzberg, 501 N. Grand in Grand Center. For more information: metrotix.com.

My take: I have seen and been mightily impressed by Barb Jungr and John McDaniel separately (Ms. Jungr in 2010, Mr. McDaniel in 2007) but this will be my first chance to see them together. Your, too, I expect since they have never done this show locally as far as I know. Ms. Jungr's rock background should be especially appropriate to this show.

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Faceless
Photo: Jerry Naunheim, Jr.

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents Faceless through February 4. "Two young women face off in a courtroom, locked in a battle of wills and theologies. Susie Glenn, 18, is on trial. Radicalized online into planning acts of terrorism, she's zealously committed to her cause. Her prosecutor, Claire Fathi, is a Harvard-educated Muslim woman who lives the faith that Susie professes to understand. Their edgy exchanges create a propulsive, escalating tension that makes this brilliantly topical play a true legal thriller." Performances take place in the studio theatre at the Loretto-Hilton Center on the Webster University campus. For more information: repstl.org.

My take: As I wrote in my review for KDHX, Faceless is an intelligent, shrewdly observed commentary on faith, identity politics, institutionalized violence, and the vulnerability of young people coming of age in the digital goldfish bowl of social media. It's a reminder that Eric Hoffer's deconstruction of the authoritarian mindset over sixty years ago remains sadly timely.

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School of Rock

The Fox Theatre presents the musical School of Rock, running through January 28. "Based on the hit film, this hilarious new musical follows Dewey Finn, a wannabe rock star posing as a substitute teacher who turns a class of straight-A students into a guitar-shredding, bass-slapping, mind-blowing rock band. This high-octane smash features 14 new songs from Andrew Lloyd Webber, all the original songs from the movie and musical theater's first-ever kids rock band playing their instruments live on stage." The Fox is at 527 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information: fabulousfox.com.

My take: I'm normally leery of musicals based on hit films, but this one appears to really work. With a new score by Andrew Lloyd Webber, of all people, and what everyone says is a strong cast (including some very talented young rock musicians), this one looks to be fun for young and old alike. At Ladue News, Mark Bretz calls it a "a finger-snapping, foot-stomping good time." Sounds good to me.

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Winter Opera St. Louis presents Bizet's Les Pecheurs De Perles (The Pearl Fishers) Friday at 8 PM and Sunday at 3 PM, January 26 and 28. Performances take place at The Skip Viragh Center for the Arts at Chaminade College Preparatory School, 425 S. Lindbergh. For more information, visit winteroperastl.org.

My take: Nobody would ever mistake this for great opera, given what an implausible mess the libretto is, but Bizet loaded it up with great music. Based on what i saw at final dress rehearsal Wednesday night, Winter Opera St. Louis has four very strong singers in the leading and supporting roles (there are only four named roles in the opera), with an especially strong Leila in soprano Sonja Krenek. The chorus is small but mighty as usual and the orchestra under Darwin Aquino did an excellent job with the score.

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Held Over:

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The Cabaret Project and The Improv Shop present The Blue Velvet Lounge Saturday, January 27, at 8 pm. There are also performances on 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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The Marvelous Wonderettes
Photo: Eric Woolsey

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents The Marvelous Wonderettes through January 28. "The pop doesn't stop in this smash hit musical! A high school prom in 1958 and a 10-year reunion in 1968 provide the backdrop for some of the biggest hits of both decades, performed by an irrepressible quartet of young women. Featuring a stacked playlist that includes "Mr. Sandman," "It's in His Kiss," "Respect," "Son of a Preacher Man" and "Lollipop," it's a joyous snapshot of a musical era." Performances take place at the Loretto-Hilton Center on the Webster University campus. For more information: repstl.org.

My take: This looks like great fun and judging from the reviews that's just what it is. Tina Farmer at KDHX says it's "an entertaining escape with a soundtrack you can dance to." "Great, almost giddy fun during this cold winter of our discontent," writes Ann Lemmons Pollack. "If you're in the mood for a little 'Respect,'" writes Mark Bretz at Ladue News, "check out The Marvelous Wonderettes and step back in time when you were younger and high school was the place to be." It may be light as chiffon, but maybe that's not such a bad thing right now.

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Menopause the Musical

The Playhouse at Westport Plaza presents Menopause the Musical, "a celebration of women and The Change," through March 31. Four women meet while shopping for a black lace bra at a lingerie sale. After noticing unmistakable similarities among one another, the cast jokes about their woeful hot flashes, mood swings, wrinkles, weight gain and much more. The Playhouse at Westport Plaza is at 635 West Port Plaza. For more information: playhouseatwestport.com.

My take: This popular ensemble show has been around for a while now, having premiered in 2001 in Orlando, Florida, in a 76-seat theatre that once housed a perfume shop. It's last visit at the Westport Playhouse was ten years ago, and it seems to have lost none of it's comic shine. "Who will enjoy this," asks Ann Lemmons Pollack in a review of the show last year, "beyond women of what they call un age certain? People of both genders around them unless they have no sense of humor. That includes family, friends and co-workers. One of life's cruel jokes is that the menopause hits many households about the same time adolescence does. Here's something to tide us over." Since this is effectively a remounting of that same production, I think I'm on safe ground putting it on the hit list, as I did last January.