Opera and a contemporary gloss on Chekov dominate the list this week.
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New This Week:
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| The Book of Mormon |
The Fox Theatre presents the hit Broadway musical
The Book of Mormon opening on Tuesday, May 29, and running through June 3rd. "
The Book of Mormon features book, music and lyrics by Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone. Parker and Stone are the four-time Emmy Award-winning creators of the landmark animated series, “South Park.” Tony Award-winner Lopez is co-creator of the long-running hit musical comedy, Avenue Q. The musical is choreographed by Tony Award-winner Casey Nicholaw (Monty Python's Spamalot, The Drowsy Chaperone) and is directed by Nicholaw and Parker." The Fox is at 527 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information:
fabulousfox.com.
My take: While I haven't seen this particular tour, I did see the first national tour back in 2013. As I wrote
in my review back then, it's certainly true that
The Book of Mormon is crude and funny. But it's also very smart and well constructed. Anybody can be a smart-ass. Being a smart-ass with a little heart is more difficult, but this show pulls it off. It's a cheerfully vulgar satire on the foolishness of religious literalism that’s also a gloss of the classic “mismatched buddies” movie. It's irresistible and you'll want to see it.
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| Life Sucks |
New Jewish Theater presents
Life Sucks by Aaron Posner through June 10. "An irreverent adaptation of Anton Chekhov's
Uncle Vanya, Posner's contemporary riff on the work is altogether wise, profoundly humane, hilarious, quirky, endearing and, in countless clever ways, brilliantly faithful to its source. Posner brings a playful, far from cynical, originality to the story of a group of yearning, frustrated, heartbroken, questioning, and in many ways privileged souls who are, in their varied and deeply flawed ways, trying to cope with all the essential conundrums of existence. It is essentially a play about love, loss and longing - with a healthy dose of Jewish philosophizing thrown in. Never has unhappiness been so much fun." Performances take place in the Marvin and Harlene Wool Studio Theater at the Jewish Community Center, 2 Millstone Campus Drive in Creve Coeur. For more information:
www.newjewishtheatre.org or call 314-442-3283.
My take: To include or not to include? Reviews of Life Sucks have been somewhat mixed. Ann Lemmons Pollack, for example,
writes that it's "a rollicking evening, and having seen or read Uncle Vanya before is of fairly slight help, hardly a necessity. Just hold on for the ride; the fun is obvious from the very first few minutes." But Judy Newmark
thinks it's "likely to baffle anybody who isn’t familiar with 'Uncle Vanya.'” My colleague Tina Farmer
says it's "a thoroughly engaging production that is often laugh-out-loud funny and quite sweetly and unexpectedly satisfying" but Bob Cohn
says that the play's various moving parts "often collide and make the proceedings confusing and the relationships among the characters hard to understand. The fact that many of the players are imitating people who are very drunk doesn’t do much to help matters, either." So maybe you should just go and make up your own mind. It's the last show of the season and also the last show NJT will produce under the help of retiring artistic director Kathy Sitzer. Ed Coffield, who takes over next season, is the director this time around.
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| Regina |
Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents Mark Blitzstein's
Regina running through June 24. "Theft. Blackmail. Murder. Is there nothing that Regina Giddens won't do to satisfy her ambition? Based on Lillian Hellman's play The Little Foxes, and set against a Southern backdrop of spirituals, jazz, and ragtime, this deliciously twisted opera pits siblings and spouses against each other in a battle for the family business. Prepare to be scandalized - and entertained - as the renowned Susan Graham returns to Opera Theatre to portray one of the American stage's most fascinating characters." Performances take place at the Loretto-Hilton Center at 135 Edgar Road on the Webster University campus. All performances are sung in English with projected English text. For more information:
experienceopera.org call 314-961-0644.
My take: As I write in
my review for KDHX,
Regina is an American classic, and the Opera Theater production is a triumph in every respect. Don't miss it. Its condemnation of the ethical vacuum at the heart of crony capitalism and the ugly brutality of those who practice it could hardly be more relevant today. You should not miss it.
Held Over:
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| La Traviata |
Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents Verdi's
La Traviata through June 23. "Violetta has one important rule: never fall in love. As a Parisian courtesan, her life is full of parties, admirers, and - most importantly - freedom. Then she meets Alfredo. His naive sincerity sweeps her off her feet. Just when Violetta thinks she has escaped her past, she is asked to make an unthinkable sacrifice. Will pride, love, or honor prevail? Embrace the romance of this Verdi masterpiece, featuring the directing debut of star soprano Patricia Racette" Performances take place at the Loretto-Hilton Center at 135 Edgar Road on the Webster University campus. All performances are sung in English with projected English text. For more information:
experienceopera.org call 314-961-0644.
My take: There was a time (before November 2016) when I would have suggested that the mix toxic chauvinism and smug self-righteousness of the males characters in Verdi's opera was starting to look dated. Now I'm not so sure. In any case, this new production is getting rave notices for the quality of the singing and acting on display. Having finally seen it myself, I have to agree that, while it may not be my favorite
Traviata (that position is still held by
Union Avenue's wonderful 2014 production), it's an awfully good one. Besides, it stars the immensely talented Sydney Mancasola, who was so impressive in
OTSL's La Rondine in 2015.
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