Monday, April 29, 2019

Review: Slatkin takes flight with a diverse program at the symphony

This article originally appeared at 88.1 KDHX, where Chuck Lavazzi is the senior performing arts critic.

Leonard Slatkin
Photo by Lewel Li
No doubt about, St. Louis Symphony Orchestra Conductor Laureate Leonard Slatkin got his two-week concert series off to a strong start Saturday night (April 27, 2019) with three very different and very fascinating pieces.

The concert started with Loren Loiacono's 2017 "Smothered by Sky." The composer describes this six-minute work as a "mini-concerto for orchestra" and, in fact, it bristles with flashy writing for most of the sections in the orchestra. She keeps the percussion section especially busy, banging away on a wide variety of devices, including rarely heard instruments like the flexatone (a popular item in cartoon soundtracks) and non-instruments like brake drums.

Quoted in the SLSO program, Ms. Loiacono says the work deals with the concept of "escape velocity" in physics but goes on to note that the piece "does not attempt to literally depict a rocket taking off or a satellite going into orbit. Instead, it embraces the metaphor behind that narrative, of barreling through atmospheric chaos in order to transcend gravity itself."

To my ears, though, there was a distinct sense, as the work began, of taking flight in the energetic percussion sounds, followed by a feeling of weightlessness in music for the high strings and woodwinds. Frantic brass outbursts increase in frequency until everything suddenly evaporates with a quick passage on the sizzle cymbal. Is that the sound of breaking earthly bonds or a flameout? It's up to the listener to decide.

It was, in any case, given a thrilling performance by the band, with especially impressive work by percussionists Will James, Alan Stewart, and Stephen Kehner with the reliable Tom Stubbs on tympani.

Olga Kern
Photo courtesy of St. Louis Symphony Orchestra
Next was an equally thrilling Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 1. Originally written while Rachmaninoff was a student at the Moscow Conservatory, the concerto was later revised substantially on the eve of the Russian Revolution in 1917, and it's not hard to hear the faint echoes of that turbulence in the sweep and drama of this remarkably concise and vigorous work.

Soloist Olga Kern displayed the same virtuosity and keen musical insight that I heard when she played Rachmaninoff's "Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini" here with Mr. Slatkin in 2010. She pounded out those power chords in the first movement cadenza impressively and perfectly captured the wistful yearning of the second movement. In an interview with me n earlier in the week, Mr. Slatkin praised Ms. Kern's "wide variety and range of skills and styles," and you could certainly hear that in her performance.

Between the two of them, they generated positively volcanic energy in the opening pages and reveled in Rachmaninoff's unabashed Romanticism all the way to the end. Mr. Slatkin appears to have a solid sense of how to indulge Rachmaninoff without ever sounding indulgent. An enthusiastic standing ovation resulted in an electrifying encore from Ms. Kern: Prokofiev's motoric Etude Op. 2 No. 4, written when the composer was a brash young lad of 18.

The evening concluded with a stunning performance of Bernstein's highly theatrical Symphony No. 3 ("Kaddish"). Originally completed in 1963 just after the death of JFK and then revised in 1977, it's a work of wide-ranging theatricality and philosophical depth scored for massive forces (large orchestra, chorus, children's chorus, mezzo-soprano soloist, and speaker) that pushes everyone to their limits.

The work has not met with universal approval over the years. "Some of the responses to the new work were venomous," writes Tim Munro in his program notes. "The American press reactions to the original version," writes Jack Gottlieb in liner notes for Bernstein's 1978 recording of the revised edition, "read like notices of a controversial Broadway play: 'mustn't be missed!' and 'a melodramatic tearjerker!'"

Narrator Charlotte Blake Alston
Photo by Deborah Boardman
Some of the venom, no doubt, came from the narrator's confrontations with God, which condemn The Supreme Being for indifference to suffering and evil: "Tin God! Your bargain is tin! It crumples in my hand!" But as David Denby writes in a 2017 New Yorker article, this quasi-adversarial relationship with God is an essential facet of Bernstein's faith. "For Jews," he notes, "questioning not just God but the Old Testament itself--arguing with its contradictory assertions and laws--is an essential activity, central to the two-thousand-year-long project of interpretation."

Love it or hate it (I come down mostly on the "love it" side) the "Kaddish" Symphony can't fail to make a strong impression, especially in a performance as compelling as this one. A long-time champion of Bernstein's work, Mr. Slatkin pulled together the many disparate and complex elements of Bernstein's score into a powerful and consistently gripping whole.

That's not an easy task, given the sheer magnitude of the piece. The 90-piece orchestra and full chorus completely filled the stage, forcing the children's chorus and director Barbara Berner to perform on the orchestra floor in front of the stage. This could easily have been a recipe for chaos, but it all came together beautifully.

Narrator Charlotte Blake Alston delivered her lines with a gravitas that somewhat gave even the more melodramatic excesses of Bernstein's prose a sober dignity. Mezzo Sasha Cooke both sang and acted her part to perfection, most notably in the touching "Kaddish 2" portion of the second movement, which is a sort of lullaby for God.

Mezzo Sasha Cooke
I have praised Amy Kaiser and the St. Louis Symphony Chorus for their fine work in the past and they rose to the occasion once again in this challenging and complex score. The singers are required to hum, clap, and sing tricky counterpoint. At one point Bernstein breaks the chorus up into (at least) a half dozen small groups, each led by a different member of the chorus and each singing wildly divergent versions of '"amen." Only a chorus as polished as this one could make it all sound so coherent.

The first and only previous performance of this work by the SLSO was back in 1965, with Eleazar de Carvalho on the podium and Bernstein's wife, the actress Felicia Montealegre, as the narrator. That made it effectively a new piece for all concerned, which makes the high quality of the performance that much more impressive.

Leonard Slatkin concludes his two-week stint with the SLSO Friday at 10:30 am and Saturday at 3 pm, May 3 and 4, with a program of music by Tchaikovsky and Samuel Barber, along with the world premiere of "The Paper-Lined Shack" by Jeff Beal. Performances take place at Powell Hall in Grand Center.

Sunday, April 28, 2019

St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of April 29, 2019

This week's events include two fund-raising cabaret evenings along with new shows at Kirkwood Community Theatre and Clayton Community Theatre.

Clayton Community Theatre presents Neil Simon's Biloxi Blues Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m., May 2-12 (except for Friday, May 10, when there is no performance). "This well-known play, the second in Simon's semi-autobiographical “Eugene trilogy,” centers on Eugene's observations of the contest of wills between his drill sergeant and an intellectual recruit at a Biloxi, Mississippi, Army base in 1943. Along the way, he loses his innocence in many ways. It is both a reflection on prejudice and people's reaction to prejudice, and also hilariously funny from beginning to end; and it is the winner of multiple Tony awards. CCT plans to present the entire trilogy over three seasons." Performances take place at the Washington University South Campus Theatre. For more information, call 314-721-9228 or visit placeseveryone.org.

The Black Tulip Chorale presents Cabaret Soirée, a special benefit performance for the group, on Saturday, May 4, at 8 pm, preceded by a silent auction at 7 pm. The Black Tulip Chorale is "St. Louis' only LGBTQIA-friendly mixed voice ensemble welcoming all genders and orientations. In its inaugural season, the Black Tulip Chorale promotes social consciousness through the finest in choral repertoire. This show features a dozen wonderful singers (some of whom are catching the "Cabaret Bug”) from BTC in an evening of songs and stories that are touching, hilarious, profound, and/or kinda raunchy." The evening is hosted by St. Louis cabaret artist Ken Haller and takes place at The Chapel, 6238 Alexander Clayton. For more information: www.brownpapertickets.com/event/4220447

The Gateway Men's Chorus presents Cabaret Risque, its annual fundraiser, on Friday, May 3, at 8 pm preceded by a cocktail hour at 7 p.m. "Gateway Men's Chorus welcomes back Miss Lola Van Ella and her troupe to Cabaret Risqué! Join us for an evening of sultry burlesque acts from male and female performers, incredible edibles from some of St. Louis's best caterers, and a range of tempting silent auction items that will tantalize your senses!" The show takes place Rialto Ballroom on the fourth floor of the Centene Center for the Arts, 3547 Olive in Grand Center. For more information: gatewaymenschorus.org.

CSZ St. Louis presents The ComedySportz Show on Saturday nights at 7:30 pm. The show is "action-packed, interactive and hilarious comedy played as a sport. Two teams battle it out for points and your laughs! You choose the winners the teams provide the funny!" Performances take place on the second floor of the Sugar Cubed, 917 S Main St. in St Charles, Mo. For more information: www.cszstlouis.com.

Wentzville Christian Church Theatre Group presents the musical Hello Dolly! Friday at 7 pm, Saturday at 2 and 7 pm, and Sunday at 2 pm, May 3-5. "Hello, Dolly!, the blockbuster Broadway hit, bursts with humor, romance, high-energy dancing, and some of the greatest songs in musical theater history. The romantic and comic exploits of Dolly Gallagher-Levi, turn-of-the-century matchmaker and “woman who arranges things,” are certain to thrill and entertain audiences again and again." Wentzville Christian Church is at 1507 Highway Z in Wentzville, MO. For more information: www.wentzvillecc.org.

The Looking Glass Playhouse presents the musical Mamma Mia! Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 pm and Sundays at 2 pm, May 2-12. " ABBA's hits tell the hilarious story of a young woman's search for her birth father. This sunny and funny tale unfolds on a Greek island paradise. On the eve of her wedding, a daughter's quest to discover the identity of her father brings three men from her mother's past back to the island they last visited 20 years ago. A mother. A daughter. Three possible dads. And a trip down the aisle you'll never forget!" Performances take place at 301 West St. Louis Street in Lebanon, Ill. For more information, visit www.lookingglassplayhouse.com.

Miss Saigon
The Fabulous Fox Theatre presents the musical Miss Saigon running through May 5. "Experience the acclaimed new production of the legendary musical Miss Saigon, from the creators of Les Misérables. This is the story of a young Vietnamese woman named Kim who is orphaned by war and forced to work in a bar run by a notorious character known as the Engineer. There she meets and falls in love with an American G.I. named Chris, but they are torn apart by the fall of Saigon. For 3 years, Kim goes on an epic journey of survival to find her way back to Chris, who has no idea he's fathered a son. Featuring stunning spectacle and a sensational cast of 42 performing the soaring score, including Broadway hits like “The Heat is On in Saigon,” “The Movie in My Mind,” “Last Night of the World” and “American Dream,” this is a theatrical event you will never forget." The Fabulous Fox Theatre in on N. Grand in Grand Center. For more information: fabulousfox.com.

Clinton County Showcase presents the musical Monty Python's Spamalot Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm and Sundays at 2 pm, May 3-5. "Spamalot! Lovingly ripped off from the classic film comedy Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Spamalot retells the legend of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table, and features a bevy of beautiful show girls, not to mention cows, killer rabbits, and French people. Did we mention the bevy of beautiful show girls?" Performances take place at the Avon Theater, 525 North 2nd Street Breese IL. For more information, visit ccshowcase.com.

The Lemp Mansion Comedy-Mystery Dinner Theater presents Muurder in Maaaybury! through July 27. The Lemp Mansion is at 3322 DeMenil Place. For more information: lempmansion.com.

Kirkwood Theatre Guild presents the musical Nice Work if You Can Get It May 3-12. "This hilarious new screwball comedy premiered on Broadway in 2012. This new musical, featuring the glorious songs of George and Ira Gershwin, pokes fun at the Prohibition era in a clash of elegant socialites and boorish bootleggers. Set in the 1920s, “Nice Work If You Can Get,” is the story of a charming and wealthy playboy Jimmy Winter, who meets a rough female bootlegger, Billie Bendix, the weekend of his wedding. Jimmy, who has been married three (or is it four?) times before, is preparing to marry Eileen Evergreen, a self-obsessed modern dancer. Thinking Jimmy and Eileen will be out of town, Billie and her gang hide cases of alcohol the basement of Jimmy's Long Island mansion. But when Jimmy, his wife-to-be and her prohibitionist family show up at the mansion for the wedding, Billie and her cohorts pose as servants, causing hijinks galore." Performances take place in the Robert G. Reim Theatre of the Kirkwood Community Center, 111 South Geyer Road. For more information, call 314-821-9956 or visit ktg-onstage.org.

The Bissell Mansion Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre presents Nursery Crimes through May 9. The Bissell Mansion is at 4426 Randall Place. For more information: bissellmansiontheatre.com.

The Playhouse at Westport Plaza presents One Woman Sex and the City: A Parody Friday at 8 pm, Saturday at 4 and 8 pm, and Sunday at 2 pm, May 3-5 "All six beloved seasons of Sex and the City as a one woman show! This laughter infused tribute brings the brunch to the theatre with iconic moments of Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda in New York City. A must see for all Sex and the City fans! There will be puns, cosmopolitans and deal breakers. For anyone who remembers the naked dress, the tantric sex demonstration, the post-it note, and “he's just not that into you,” One Woman Sex and the City: A Parody of Love, Friendship and Shoes will remind you why this series and its characters stayed so firmly in our hearts and minds. So grab your best friends, get a Cosmo, throw on your heels and join us for One Woman Sex and the City: A Parody of Love, Friendship, and Shoes." The Playhouse at Westport Plaza is at 635 West Port Plaza. For more information: www.playhouseatwestport.com.

The Theatre Guild of Webster Groves presents the comedy Over the Tavern opening on Friday, May 3, at 8 pm and running through May 11. "In that most idealized period of 20th-century America, the Eisenhower years of the 1950s, the Pazinski family has a lot going on in their cramped Buffalo apartment. The youngest of the bunch, 12-year-old Rudy, is a smart, wise-cracking kid who's starting to question family values and the Roman Catholic Church. When Rudy goes up against the ruler-wielding Sister Clarissa and announces that instead of being confirmed he'd rather shop around for a more “fun” religion, all hell breaks loose.” Parental discretion is advised." Performances take place in the Guild theatre at Newport and Summit in Webster Groves, MO. For more information: theatreguildwg.org or call 314-962-0876.

Salt, Root, and Roe
Photo by ProPhotoSTL
Upstream Theater presents the St. Louis premiere of Salt, Root and Roe running through May 12. "Tim Price's Salt, Root and Roe is a poetic masterwork about the nature of change, the comfort of home, and the eternal bond of love, set against the mythical backdrop of the Pembrokeshire coast in western Wales. The play centers on identical twins Iola and Anest, who are very devoted to each other. Ageing fast, and with the time they have together more fragile by the day, they arrive at a desperate decision. Word of this reaches Anest's daughter Menna, who rushes to her long-abandoned childhood home where her own ideas of love and compromise are tested to the limit. In spite of its somber themes, the play is light, textured and at times very funny-and in the words of one reviewer “like a pebble picked from a Pembrokeshire beach… something to take home and reflect over, something that evokes a smell of the sea...”Another US premiere from Upstream Theater, in co-production with Stages Repertory Theatre of Houston." Performances take place at the Kranzberg Arts Center, 501 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information, including show times: upstreamtheater.org.

Translations
Photo by Sharon Corcoran
The Black Mirror Theatre presents Brien Friel's Translations running through May 4. "Translations is an intimate look into a world at odds with itself. It could have been set in one of any number of eras and lands - anywhere in which an alien force imposes it's culture on a conquered people through the suppression of all that which gave and gives that culture cohesion, especially its language. One need look no farther than America, where indigenous peoples still struggle to maintain and transmit their values, beliefs, their souls thru their native tongues." Performances take place at the .ZACK, 3224 Locust in Grand Center. For more information: blackmirrortheatre.com

Act Two Theatre presents Tuesdays with Morrie running through May 5. "The autobiographical story of Mitch Albom, an accomplished journalist driven solely by his career, and Morrie Schwartz, his former college professor. Sixteen years after graduation, Mitch happens to catch Morrie's appearance on a television news program and learns that his old professor is battling Lou Gehrig's Disease. Mitch is reunited with Morrie, and what starts as a simple visit turns into a weekly pilgrimage and a last class in the meaning of life." Performances take place in the St. Peters Cultural Arts Centre at 1 St Peters Centre Blvd, St. Peters, MO 63376. For more information: act2theater.com.

Looking for auditions and other artistic opportunities? Check out the St. Louis Auditions site.
For information on events beyond this week, check out the searchable database at the Regional Arts Commission's Events Calendar.
Would you like to be on the radio? KDHX, 88.1 FM needs theatre reviewers. If you're 18 years or older, knowledgeable in this area, have practical theatre experience (acting, directing, writing, technical design, etc.), have good oral and written communications skills and would like to become one of our volunteer reviewers, send an email describing your experience and interests to chuck at kdhx.org. Please include a sample review of something you've seen recently.

St. Louis classical calendar for the week of April 29, 2019

More Bach Festival events enliven the classical scene this week, along with multiple concerts by some or all of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra.

The Big Muddy Dance Company
The Bach Society of St. Louis and the Big Muddy Dance Company present Bach in Motion on Thursday, May 2, at 7:30 pm. The concert features a live performance of J.S. Bach's Orchestral Suites accompanied by dance. The performance takes place in the concert hall at the 560 Music Center, 560 Trinity in University City. For more information, www.bachsociety.org.

The Bach Society of St. Louis presents Bach on the Big Screen on Saturday, May 4, at 7 pm. "A unique collaboration combining film and a live musical performance, followed by a short discussion. The featured film, Autumn Sonata, is a Swedish drama written and directed by Ingmar Bergman and starring Ingrid Bergman that tells the story of a celebrated classical pianist who is confronted by her neglected daughter." The events takes place in the Winifred Moore Auditorium on the Webster University campus in Webster Groves. For more information, www.bachsociety.org.

The Chamber Music Society of St. Louis presents Pulling Strings on Monday, April 29, at 7:30 pm. The concert features string octets by Beethoven and Mendelssohn as well as a Haydn string trio Performances take place at the Sheldon Ballroom, 3648 Washington in Grand Center. For more information: chambermusicstl.org.  

The Missouri Women's Chorus presents Love Letters on Sunday, May 5, at 3 pm. "Love Letters, by the late composer Stephen Paulus, features letters penned by notable historic women including: Vanessa to Jonathan Swift, Sophia Peabody to Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Catherine of Aragon to Henry VIII. Known for his lush melodies, and mastery of writing for the human voice, Paulus' Love Letters is by turns tender, angry, dramatic, and heart-breaking. Comprised of seven movements with flute and piano, Paulus' music echoes the styles of the times of the letter writers. Don't miss your chance to hear this rarely-performed, beautiful work.The concert also features selections from Juliana Hall's Letters From Edna, a compilation of letters sent by the great American poet Edna St. Vincent Millay." The concert takes place at the Union Avenue Christian Church, 733 Union at Enright in the Central West End. For more information: www.missouriwomenschorus.org.

Pianist Olga Kern
The Radio Arts Foundation presents a gala fundraising concert featuring Leonard Slatkin, Olga Kern, Vladislav Kern, and Marlo Thomas, on Tuesday, April 30, beginning at 5:30 pm. Proceeds from the evening will benefit RAF-STL and its mission to support classic music radio programming, the arts and cultural institutions within the St. Louis community. The event takes place at the Sheldon Concert Hall in Grand Center. For more information: rafstl.org.

The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and the Pulitzer Foundation present Kinds of Kings on Tuesday, April 30, at 7:30 pm. " The 18/19 Pulitzer series gathers compelling stories from near and far. This final concert celebrates the music of the collective Kinds of Kings, six young composers who are fast becoming a musical force. The concert culminates in a performance of Shelley Washington's SAY, a vibrant work confronting the composer's experience growing up bi-racial in a Missouri suburb." The concert, which is currently sold out, takes place at the Pulitzer Arts Foundation in Grand Center. For more information: stlsymphony.org.

Soprano Hila Plitmann
Leonard Slatkin returns to conduct the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and soprano soloist Hila Plitmann Friday at 10:30 am and Saturday at 8 pm, May 3 and 4. The program consists of Barber's Symphony No. 1, Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 6 ("Pathetique") and the world premiere of The Paper Lined Shack by Jeff Beal. Performances take place at Powell Symphony Hall in Grand. Center. For more information: stlsymphony.org.

Kevin McBeth conducts the members of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra along with the St. Louis Symphony IN UNISON Chorus in a free community concert on Friday, May 3, at 7 pm. "The concert features gospel music and spirituals, including a special reunion performance of Lift Every Voice and Sing with current chorus members and former members from the chorus' 25-year history. Director Kevin McBeth will be joined by guest conductors Dr. Rollo Dilworth and Dr. Brandon Williams for the performance. Works by Dilworth and Williams will be included in the program. Other concert highlights include music from The Color Purple and a musical tribute to the Selma to Montgomery marches of 1965." The performance takes place at Powell Symphony Hall, 718 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information: stlsymphony.org.

The Arianna String Quartet
The Touhill Performing Arts Center presents The Arianna String Quartet in Shifting Vistas on Friday, May 3, at 8 p.m. "The Arianna Quartet wraps up their season with a program shaped by the captivating innovation of brilliant young composers. Daniel Schnyder's intoxicating, jazz influenced String Quartet Nr. 4, "Great Places", captures snapshots of cities from around the world, and through time, bringing a unique and fresh voice to the world of classical music. The ebullient sound of Felix Mendelssohn opens and closes the season finale, as the ASQ explores the shimmering beauty of the String Quartet, Op.12, and concludes with his profound late work, the String Quintet, Op.87. The Arianna Quartet will be joined by string quartet luminary, violist, Atar Arad, & will also perform Mr. Arad's elegant set of miniatures, "Whims," for string quartet." The Touhill Center is on the campus of the University of Missouri at St. Louis. For more information: touhill.org.

The University City Symphony Orchestra presents The Music of South America on Sunday, May 5, at 3 p.m. "We bring the UCSO 2018-2019 Season, "The Year of the Piano," to a spectacular close with performances by the Schatzkamer Young Artists Competition winner and finalists, and also premieres by St. Louis composer Stephen E. Jones. We invite you to come and experience what makes the UCSO "The World's Most Adventurous Community Orchestra" for yourself! Join Maestro Leon Burke III for a pre-concert talk at 2:15pm to discuss each work in greater detail. Audience members are encouraged to come early and participate in this lively and informative conversation. The concert takes place at the 560 Music Center, 560 Trinity in University City. For more information: ucso.org.

The Washington University Department of Music presents the Washington University Flute Choir on on Monday, April 29, at 7:30 pm. The concert takes place in the Pillsbury Theatre at the 560 Music Center, 560 Trinity in University City, MO. For more information, music.wustl.edu.

The Washington University Department of Music presents duo pianists Katia and Marielle Labèque on Sunday, May 5, at 7 pm. The concert features music by Debussy, Stravinsky, and Philip Glass and takes place in the concert hall at the 560 Music Center, 560 Trinity in University City. For more information, music.wustl.edu.

Friday, April 26, 2019

Symphony Preview: "I try only to do the good stuff," a conversation with St. Louis Symphony Orchestra Conductor Laureate Leonard Slatkin

This article originally appeared at 88.1 KDHX, where Chuck Lavazzi is the senior performing arts critic.

Leonard Slatkin
St. Louis Symphony Orchestra Conductor Laureate Leonard Slatkin has been a favorite of local audiences since his tenure as music director from 1979 to 1996. His time with the SLSO marked the ensemble's peak of international visibility and he left behind a significant recorded legacy.

Maestro Slatkin has made many appearances with the orchestra over the decades. Having left his post at the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, he has now returned to live in St. Louis and will conduct two sets of concerts with the orchestra this weekend and next (April 27-28 and May 3-4). I had an opportunity to chat with him between rehearsals. Here's our conversation, with some minor edits for clarity.

Chuck Lavazzi (CL): Many local music lovers may not be aware that in the late 1960s you had a relationship with community radio station KDNA, the predecessor of KDHX.

Leonard Slatkin (LS): That's exactly right. When I was the assistant conductor in 1968 the orchestra was on strike--hopefully not because I was the assistant conductor! I can't remember exactly how it happened but somebody contacted me and asked me if I'd come down to the station and do an interview. I didn't know anything about it and I was a bit surprised when I pulled up to what was basically the only building left standing in Gaslight Square.

We talked for about an hour and then I asked them if I could look at their classical music library. I looked through it and it was horribly out of order with no organization whatsoever. I offered to put it in some sort of order and they asked me if I'd be interested in doing a show. It had never occurred to me at all because I was quite shy back then but I thought "this could be interesting and could fill up some time," so I embarked on what became, for the next three years, a show called "The Slatkin Project" on Thursdays from 2 to 6 pm.

Back then you were the programmer, the producer, and the engineer for your show--one person doing everything in the little tiny room. We could do interviews, we could hook up four or five phone lines together and people could call in and talk on the air. There was a guy called "The Weatherbird" would call in every day at 5:30 pm to give a rather elaborate weather forecast. We used to tease him mercilessly.

I loved my time there because there was a lot of camaraderie at the station, not to mention a lot of drug busts, and it gave me an understanding of what the power of radio was, how--perhaps more than any other medium at the time--it had the power to spur on people's imaginations, to make their own images instead of having them put up on a screen for you.

So even though I could only do it for three years simply because I got too busy to devote any time to it, I always kept that radio stuff in the back of my head. Now I'm sort of resurrecting it in a way with another station in town. It will be sort of similar to the old show in that it's a mix of all kinds of stuff but the difference now is that I have adapted it to the 21st century. So I have ten thousand tracks on my iPad and I'm just going to hit the shuffle button and that's what I'll talk about and play.

Composer Loren Loiacono
Photo by Kenneth Kato
CL: That should be fun; I look forward to hearing that. Well, welcome back to St. Louis. You're conducting two concerts here over the next two weeks. I'd like to start out talking about what you're doing the first weekend, particularly two pieces that are very intriguing, beginning with the one you're going to open with, which is the local premiere of Loren Loiacono's "Smothered by Sky."

LS: Right. In my final season in Detroit, which was last season and which concluded a little too abruptly due to heart bypass surgery, I decided to do something a little different and I asked many composers, most of whom had associations with me here in St. Louis, to recommend either current or former students to write opening pieces for concerts. I picked seven of them and Loren was one. I found her work to be very attractive and very colorful for the orchestra.

The title, like most titles, was just something to create a starting point so she could create something that illustrated what the words mean to her. We have a feeling of air moving and currents, maybe in some cases a bit wildly and in others a bit calmly. I look at her as one of the bright lights in the composing firmament in the coming years.

There's so much emphasis now on inclusion of female composers and conductors so I thought that would be appropriate. We did many during my years in St. Louis, like Joan Tower and the person who is my wife, Cindy McTee. I've never chose to work with anybody on the basis of how they look or who they are, none of that, so I've never had to think about bias on my own part, but I certainly understand how it occurs in the industry, and I'm very happy that first piece I will do is by a female composer.

CL: I had a chance to watch the video of "Smothered by Sky" that you did with the Detroit Symphony and it stuck me as an extraordinarily fun piece. It also struck me as a bit like movie music in that it's so descriptive and so visual.

LS: I would say it's like music that creates imagery in your head, so you get to choose what movie it's going to be.

CL: Yes, it's very visual, and the visions you get are going to depend very much on who you are and what you bring to it.

LS: Exactly.

CL: It also sounded like a big playground for the orchestra. It's a huge ensemble and the percussion battery has some instruments you don't normally see there.

LS: Yeah, there are some different uses of traditional instruments. She has them quite busy. She's an expert colorist and orchestrator. That's one of the hallmarks of so many composers today, probably because they can get a better idea of the orchestra from the way they compose on computers and various devices. They create sound libraries with makes orchestration--I don't want to say "easier"--but you're able to hear on playback an approximation of what it's going to sound like in the orchestra. And that wasn't really available so much 25 years ago.

CL: I guess it makes it easier to be more adventurous because of that immediate feedback.

LS: Yes, but it also makes it a little more possible to be facile in a quicker way because of the immediate response. You don't have to think in the same way. It's like, you have the music in front of you and you play it, and you say "yes, I like that" or "no, I don't like that, gonna change it." And you can put the changes in and you can hear them right away. That's what composers couldn't do before. It was a different skill set.

Leonard Bernstein in 1955
CL: The other big work on the program is also a piece that might not be familiar to a lot of audience members: the Symphony No. 3, the "Kaddish" symphony by Leonard Bernstein. He began work on this in 1955, completed it in 1963 shortly after President Kennedy was killed, and then the St. Louis Symphony performed it in 1965. He revised it in 1977. Would I be safe in assuming it's the 1977 version that you're doing?

LS: Yes. The revisions are more about the text than about the music. This is a very personal piece, as many of Bernstein's works are. In this, he's challenging God over faith. "How can you do these kinds of things to me and to the world and still call yourself a God?" It's a dilemma that so many people go through.

This is not so much a Jewish work. It's similar to Bernstein's "Mass," which is not a Catholic work. These are works that deal with, more generally, how people perceive faith in its many directions, not necessarily religious. The religious part might be: how do you define (or not) your relationship with God if you believe in one. Or if you don't. That's what Bernstein was about, looking at angst in society in so many different ways.

It's written for a huge orchestra, chorus, soloists, and children's chorus--it's a big mélange. And also stylistically, he weaves in and out of mid-20th century atonality and serialism but then reverts to customary Bernstein melody and harmony.

We're now in the point in Bernstein's life where he's very well known both as a composer and conductor. "West Side Story" was already out of the way, but that's what people wanted, they wanted "West Side Story" again in whatever he wrote, and he couldn't do that. He desperately wanted to be accepted by music critics and the academic establishment. In works from around the period, he tried, but ultimately even he realized that this was not his forte.

About midway through the piece, when we actually get to the prayer, he reverts to a more songlike texture and then never really leaves it. So he doesn't return much the kind of aggressive music that he set up for the first 20 minutes of the piece. It's as if he has consoled himself in realizing that he knows where his own gifts lie.

CL: I was listening to Bernstein's recording of this with the Israel Philharmonic a couple of days ago. In the "Kaddish 2" section the soprano solo sings a kind of lullaby to God that's beautiful and heartbreaking.

LS: It's gorgeous, and he brings that back again at the end. He has more or less resigned himself that he has to reach the public first, that it shouldn't be about the critics and the academics, it should be about what he feels deeply inside.

CL: On the Leonardbernstain.dot com web site , Jack Gottlieb and some comments about the piece. One of the things she says is that this somewhat adversarial relationship between humanity and God is part of a uniquely Jewish view of God.

LS: It's not just a Jewish view, it's a view we see all over the place in the world today and even in Bernstein's time. He was someone who was really involved with the social aspects of society. He was involved with the Black Panthers, for example. So the conflict is not just about Man and God, it's about Man and how he functions in society itself. You can take the religious part as part of the Jewish tradition because the prayer is in Hebrew, but remember that the original narrator was a woman and in the Jewish faith a woman is not supposed to recite the Kaddish.

CL: And, in fact, it's going to be a woman this time.

Charlotte Blake Alston
Photo by Deborah Boardman
LS: Yes, we hunted high and low for a speaker. I did it two years ago with Jeremy Irons in New York and that was really quite spectacular, and now we have a young woman [Charlotte Blake Alston] who's actually a real storyteller. She has done it with the Philadelphia Orchestra and I am truly looking forward to this collaboration.

CL: What is it about this piece that really made you want to do it? What is it that really spoke to you?

LS: Well, here we are at the tail end of the Bernstein 100th anniversary celebration. We started recording Bernstein here in St. Louis under my tenure. Bernstein was always surprised that we were doing so much and I just kept telling him that I really loved the music, the orchestra loved to play it. But this was one of the few Bernstein pieces that we did not do when I was conductor, so I thought it would be nice this year to add one of the major pieces for the first time for me with the St. Louis Symphony.

CL: It seems to me that Bernstein's symphonies are a bit neglected compared with his other works.

LS: Well, the Second Symphony, "The Age of Anxiety," comes up a little more frequently. The First Symphony, "Jeremiah," by the way, was recorded for the first time by Leonard Bernstein and the St. Louis Symphony [in 1945]. This piece is also getting a little more attention than usual. It's still to early to know what his place will be in what we call the traditional classical canon. I don't think it will supplant the success of "West Side Story" or "Candide," but certainly works like the "Chichester Psalms," his Serenade for Violin and Orchestra, and a couple of other pieces have been played often enough to recognize him as an important force on the concert hall stage.

CL: Back in 2013, during a symposium at The Van Cliburn Competition, you were talking about your feelings conducting works that had already been recorded by their own composers. You noted at the time that not all composers were great conductors. How to you feel about doing a work where the composer was a great conductor, like Bernstein?

LS: Well, it's interesting, I didn't meet Bernstein until five years before he died. We always tried to get together but it never worked out. And finally we did because I was conducting the Boston Symphony in Tanglewood and I saw that Bernstein was conducting the next night, so I figured if I programmed a piece of his, he would show up and I would have to meet him.

And that's exactly what happened. I did a work that we had recorded here called "Facsimile"--very rarely played. And I knew it wasn't the best performance I had ever given--it just somehow didn't hang together in my head--and in walks Bernstein, cape and all, and I was prepared for the worst. And he looked at me and he said, "you know, that wasn't what I intended when I wrote it, but I understand how you came to your interpretive decisions."

And that actually changed the way I looked at conducting any composer's music, much less ones who were also good conductors. It told me that they realized, in order for their works to survive into the future, that they must undergo some sort of transformation in other interpreters' hands, in the very same way that those conductors had done Haydn, Beethoven, Schubert, Mahler, Shostakovich--whatever it was. A composer cannot be locked in to one way of having his or her piece played. It needs to be subject to different people looking at it in different ways.

CL: And the composers who were also conductors understood that most deeply, because they did that themselves.

LS: Yes. Bernstein did, Benjamin Britten did. I'm not sure if [Pierre] Boulez did. But the few who I considered to be outstanding conductors realized that they had to separate themselves from being the creators of the piece. They realized that they were now just the composers.

Olga Kern
Photo courtesy of St. Louis Symphony Orchestra
CL: There is one other piece on the program this weekend: the Piano Concerto No. 1 by Rachmaninoff with Olga Kern. You've worked with her before, yes?

LS: Yes, we work together all the time. I adore her playing. She's so wonderful and expressive, especially in this Russian Romantic music. She has a wide variety and range of skills and styles. She'll just tear the house down with this--we've done it a couple of time before. She's a delight and a commanding stage presence.

One quick word about the following week's program (May 3-5). This one has a premiere that's written in honor or my 50-year association with the St. Louis Symphony, but it's not a likely choice. The composer's name is Jeff Beal. He's known mostly for writing the music for "House of Cards." He's been active in television and film, but mostly in the concert hall. I wanted to do something a little bit different and he wanted to write a song cycle based on letters from his great-grandmother. And our soprano, also new to St. Louis but just mind-droppingly good, is Israeli-born singer Hila Plitmann. With her range, her virtuosity, and her acting ability, audiences are in for a real treat.

The piece is really beautiful. I think it's one of those pieces that will catch on very quickly. It's melodic and simple in its way. Keep looking out for Jeff Beal's name. He's going to be a force in concert hall composition and one of these composers to bridge the gap between popular culture and what we unfortunately call "sophisticated" culture. Although there shouldn't be a difference. It's like [Duke] Ellington said, there's only two kinds, good music and the other stuff. I try only to do the good stuff.

CL: That weekend you're also doing Samuel Barber's Symphony No. 1.

LS: Yes, a piece we recorded and which won a Grammy. And then the Tchaikovsky "Pathetique," the Symphony No. 6, his final work. It's another piece that we recorded. It's a performance that will perhaps remind audiences, sonically, of what that collaboration was like in the earlier days when I was music director. It has changed over the years, but for the next couple of weeks we old timers will show the kids how we used to play.

CL: And you have moved back to St. Louis now.

LS: Yes, my wife and I live in Clayton now. We're loving it. We went to a Cards game yesterday. I've got the barbecue ready to go. If I wasn't preparing to go to Europe in two weeks I'd be sitting on the porch for the entire summer.

CL: Welcome back, and I hope we see more of you in Powell Hall in the future.

LS: Oh, you will. I'll be around quite often.


The Essentials: Leonard Slatkin returns to conduct the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and Chorus Saturday at 8 pm and Sunday at 3 pm, April 27 and 28. The program consists of Loren Loiacono's "Smothered by the Sky," Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 1 with soloist Olga Kern, and Bernstein's Symphony No. 3 ("Kaddish") with narrator Charlotte Blake Alston. He conducts the orchestra and soprano soloist Hila Plitmann Friday and Saturday at 8 pm, May 3 and 4, in Barber's Symphony No. 1, Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 6 ("Pathetique") and the world premiere of "The Paper Lined Shack" by Jeff Beal. Performances take place at Powell Symphony Hall in Grand. Center

Sunday, April 21, 2019

St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of April 22, 2019

Variety is the spice of theatre this week, running the gamut from a new adaptation of Capek's R.U.R. at SIU to Miss Saigon at the Fox.

Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville presents Are U R?, based on the play R.U.R. by Karel Cepak, opening on Wednesday, April 24 at 7:30 pm and running through April 28. "From Metropolis to The Matrix, from Brave New World to Westworld, humans are obsessed with the possibility of intelligent machines and the all the questions that they inspire - What is the mind? What is consciousness? And what will it look like when smart technology turns against its creators? Inspired by the classic 1920 Czech play, this SIUE original adaptation is an irreverent and provocative mash-up of humor and horror, philosophy and science/fiction, pop culture and faith that explores the nature of artificial intelligence and human consciousness. " Performances take place in the Metcalf Theater on the campus in Edwardsville, IL. For more information, call 618-650-2774 or visit www.siue.edu.

CSZ St. Louis presents The ComedySportz Show on Saturday nights at 7:30 pm. The show is "action-packed, interactive and hilarious comedy played as a sport. Two teams battle it out for points and your laughs! You choose the winners the teams provide the funny!" Performances take place on the second floor of the Sugar Cubed, 917 S Main St. in St Charles, Mo. For more information: www.cszstlouis.com.

Deenie Nast is Back
Ten Directions and presents Audrey Crabtree in her one-woman show Deenie Nast Is Back on Friday, April 26, at 8 pm. "Oscar-winner, Emmy-winner, 2-time Tony winner, 6-time Kevin Klein Award Nominee and international performance superstar Deenie Nast delivers a no holds barred, song-filled tribute to her lonely fans. Nast heads to St Louis with a hilarious and heartbreaking exploration of relationships, loneliness, and true connections. Nast is back with a vengeance, singing the hits from her past, revealing very personal stories, and re-enforcing her legendary status to modern audiences. Songs, physical comedy, audience interaction and general 'Nast-iness" will ensue!" Performances take place in the Emerald Room at The Monocle in the Grove. For more information: www.deenienast.com.

The University of Missouri at St. Louis presents From Jimmy, to America: An Ode to James Baldwin Saturday at 7:30 pm and Sunday at 2 pm, April 27 and 28. "Through the words of James Baldwin, this production explores race, identity, and America. In collaboration with Nu-World Contemporary Danse Theatre, actors and dancers explore our racial identity through the works, words, and musicality of James Baldwin." Performances take place at Touhill Performing Arts Center on the UMSL campus. For more information: www.touhill.org

The University Theatre at Saint Louis University presents the 2012 retelling of the Stephen Schwartz musical Godspell Thursday through Saturday at 8 pm and Sunday at 2 pm, April 25-28. " The musical, based on the gospel of St. Matthew, will feature new arrangements and contemporary references as it takes us on a rousing journey through the parables of Jesus and is directed by Stephanie Tennill." Performances take place at The Grandel, 3610 Grandel Square. For more information: metrotix.com or 314.534-1111. Tickets are also available at the door.

St. Charles Community College presents the drama The Laramie Project Wednesday through Sunday, April 24-28. “This gripping play concerns Americans' reaction to the murder of Matthew Shepard. In October of 1998, Shepard was kidnapped, severely beaten, and left to die in Laramie, Wyoming. Kaufman and others went to Laramie and conducted more than 200 interviews about the event, from which they wrote this play." Performances take place in the SCC Center Stage Theater in the Donald D. Shook Fine Arts Building on the campus at 4601 Mid Rivers Mall Drive in Cottleville, MO. For more information, call 636-922-8050 or visit stchas.edu.

R-S Theatrics and Three Blind Pigs presents Shakespeare's comedy A Midsummer Night's Dream Friday and Saturday at 7 pm and Sunday at 5 pm, April 26-28. "Come experience lovers' spats, clueless actors, and a fairy queen in one of Shakespeare's most beloved comedies. Shake38 may be gone, but Blind Pigs' partnership with R-S Theatrics lives on." Performances take place at the William Kerr Foundation, 21 O'Fallon Street in North St. Louis. For more information: r-stheatrics.com

Miss Saigon
The Fabulous Fox Theatre presents the musical Miss Saigon opening on Tuesday, April 23, at 7:30 pm and running through May 5. "Experience the acclaimed new production of the legendary musical Miss Saigon, from the creators of Les Misérables. This is the story of a young Vietnamese woman named Kim who is orphaned by war and forced to work in a bar run by a notorious character known as the Engineer. There she meets and falls in love with an American G.I. named Chris, but they are torn apart by the fall of Saigon. For 3 years, Kim goes on an epic journey of survival to find her way back to Chris, who has no idea he's fathered a son. Featuring stunning spectacle and a sensational cast of 42 performing the soaring score, including Broadway hits like “The Heat is On in Saigon,” “The Movie in My Mind,” “Last Night of the World” and “American Dream,” this is a theatrical event you will never forget." The Fabulous Fox Theatre in on N. Grand in Grand Center. For more information: fabulousfox.com.

Clinton County Showcase presents the musical Monty Python's Spamalot Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm and Sundays at 2 pm, February 8 - 17. "Spamalot! Lovingly ripped off from the classic film comedy Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Spamalot retells the legend of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table, and features a bevy of beautiful show girls, not to mention cows, killer rabbits, and French people. Did we mention the bevy of beautiful show girls?" Performances take place at the Avon Theater, 525 North 2nd Street Breese IL. For more information, visit ccshowcase.com.

The Lemp Mansion Comedy-Mystery Dinner Theater presents Muurder in Maaaybury! April 19 - July 27. The Lemp Mansion is at 3322 DeMenil Place. For more information: lempmansion.com.

The Bissell Mansion Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre presents Nursery Crimes through May 9. The Bissell Mansion is at 4426 Randall Place. For more information: bissellmansiontheatre.com.

Upstream Theater presents the St. Louis premiere of Salt, Root and Roe opening on Friday, April 26, at 8 pm and running through May 12. "Tim Price's Salt, Root and Roe is a poetic masterwork about the nature of change, the comfort of home, and the eternal bond of love, set against the mythical backdrop of the Pembrokeshire coast in western Wales. The play centers on identical twins Iola and Anest, who are very devoted to each other. Ageing fast, and with the time they have together more fragile by the day, they arrive at a desperate decision. Word of this reaches Anest's daughter Menna, who rushes to her long-abandoned childhood home where her own ideas of love and compromise are tested to the limit. In spite of its somber themes, the play is light, textured and at times very funny-and in the words of one reviewer “like a pebble picked from a Pembrokeshire beach… something to take home and reflect over, something that evokes a smell of the sea...”Another US premiere from Upstream Theater, in co-production with Stages Repertory Theatre of Houston." Performances take place at the Kranzberg Arts Center, 501 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information, including show times: upstreamtheater.org.

The Black Mirror Theatre presents Brien Friel's Translations opening on Thursday, April 25, at 7:30 pm and running through May 4. "Translations is an intimate look into a world at odds with itself. It could have been set in one of any number of eras and lands - anywhere in which an alien force imposes it's culture on a conquered people through the suppression of all that which gave and gives that culture cohesion, especially its language. One need look no farther than America, where indigenous peoples still struggle to maintain and transmit their values, beliefs, their souls thru their native tongues." Performances take place at the .ZACK, 3224 Locust in Grand Center. For more information: blackmirrortheatre.com

Act Two Theatre presents Tuesdays with Morrie opening on Wednesday, April 24, at 7:30 pm and running through May 5. "The autobiographical story of Mitch Albom, an accomplished journalist driven solely by his career, and Morrie Schwartz, his former college professor. Sixteen years after graduation, Mitch happens to catch Morrie's appearance on a television news program and learns that his old professor is battling Lou Gehrig's Disease. Mitch is reunited with Morrie, and what starts as a simple visit turns into a weekly pilgrimage and a last class in the meaning of life." Performances take place in the St. Peters Cultural Arts Centre at 1 St Peters Centre Blvd, St. Peters, MO 63376. For more information: act2theater.com.

True West
Photo by Patrick Huber
St. Louis Actors' Studio presents Sam Shepard's True West Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 pm and Sundays at 3 pm, through April 28. " This American classic explores alternatives that might spring from the demented terrain of the California landscape. Sons of a desert-dwelling alcoholic and a suburban wanderer clash over a film script. Austin, the achiever, is working on a script he has sold to producer Sal Kimmer when Lee, a demented petty thief, drops in. He pitches his own idea for a movie to Kimmer, who then wants Austin to junk his bleak, modern love story and write Lee's trashy Western tale." Performances take place at the Gaslight Theatre, 358 North Boyle. For more information call 314-458-2978 or visit stlas.org.

Looking for auditions and other artistic opportunities? Check out the St. Louis Auditions site.
For information on events beyond this week, check out the searchable database at the Regional Arts Commission's Events Calendar.
Would you like to be on the radio? KDHX, 88.1 FM needs theatre reviewers. If you're 18 years or older, knowledgeable in this area, have practical theatre experience (acting, directing, writing, technical design, etc.), have good oral and written communications skills and would like to become one of our volunteer reviewers, send an email describing your experience and interests to chuck at kdhx.org. Please include a sample review of something you've seen recently.

Saturday, April 20, 2019

St. Louis classical calendar for the week of April 22, 2019

The Bach Society of St. Louis kicks off the Bach Festival 2019 this week and Leonard Slatkin returns to conduct the SLSO in the first of two sets of concerts.

The Bach Society at St. Stanislaus
The Bach Society of St. Louis presents the Bach Society Young Artists and pianist Sandra Geary on Sunday, April 28, at 4 pm. "These four soloists will perform Bach arias and other favorite pieces from the impressive wide-ranging repertoire of operatic and recital works. This concert is presented jointly with the Bach Society of St. Louis and is part of the Bach Society's 2019 St. Louis Bach Festival." The concert takes place at Second Presbyterian Church, 4501 Westminster Place in the Central West End. For more information: bachsociety.org.

The St. Louis Brass Band presents 20th Anniversary Blazin' Brass on Sunday, April 28, at 2:30 p.m. "The Saint Louis Youth Brass Band will also be featured. "Strike Up The Band" and "Gaelforce" have been traditional featured repertoire of the Brass Band for these twenty years and will open and close this concert. Many other favorites from throughout the years will be performed as tribute to the many performers who have made this ensemble the wonderful success it is today." The concert takes place at Bonhomme Presbyterian Church, 14820 Conway Road. For more information: stlbb.org.

The Schola Antiqua Chicago
St. Louis Cathedral Concerts presents the Schola Antiqua Chicago on Friday, April 26, at 8 pm. "Schola Antiqua of Chicago is a professional early music ensemble dedicated to the performance of repertory before the year 1600. An ensemble that executes pre-modern music with "sensitivity and style" (Early Music America), Schola Antiqua takes pride in providing the highest standards of performance, research, and education as it highlights underserved repertories from this period. Founded in 2000, the organization has received invitations to perform from museums, libraries, festivals, universities, and other institutions across the country. The ensemble is currently Artist-in-Residence at the Lumen Christi Institute and formerly a resident artist at the University of Chicago." The performance takes place at The Cathedral Basilica on Lindell in the Central West End. For more information: cathedralconcerts.org.

Leonard Slatkin returns to conduct the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and Chorus Saturday at 8 pm and Sunday at 3 pm, April 27 and 28. The program consists of Loren Loiacono's Smothered by the Sky, Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 1 with soloist Olga Kern, and Bernstein's Symphony No. 3 ("Kaddish") with narrator Charlotte Blake Alston. Performances take place at Powell Symphony Hall in Grand. Center. For more information: stlsymphony.org.

Eric Schreiber
The Sheldon Concert Hall presents St. Louis Symphony Orchestra Assistant Concertmaster Erin Schreiber, along with members of the SLSO, in Women's Suffrage on Wednesday, April 24, at 8 p.m. "One hundred years ago the U.S. Congress voted to approve the 19th amendment giving women the right to vote. We mark this long overdue congressional action with a concert that celebrates women in classical music -- composers such as Fanny Mendelssohn, Clara Schumann and Amy Beach." The Sheldon is at 3648 Washington in Grand Center. For more information: thesheldon.org.

The Washington University Department of Music presents a Wind Ensemble Concert on Thursday, April 25, at 7:30 pm. The concert includes music by Aaron Copland, Cécile Chaminade, and Carl Maria von Weber, and takes place in the concert hall at the 560 Music Center, 560 Trinity in University City. For more information, music.wustl.edu.

The Washington University Department of Music presents the Washington University Symphony Orchestra in Fiesta Latina: A Celebration of Latin Music on Sunday, April 28, at 3 pm. The concert features A Haitian Phantasy by Ludovic Lamothe and selections from El Amor Brujo by de Falla, and takes place in the concert hall at the 560 Music Center, 560 Trinity in University City. For more information, music.wustl.edu.

Friday, April 19, 2019

Chuck's Choices for the weekend of April 19, 2019

New this week: a one-woman Titanic send-up and a dark Sam Shepard comedy.

New This Week:

Never Let Go: A One-Woman Titanic
The Monocle presents Rachel Tibbets in Never Let Go: A One-Woman Titanic, at 8 pm Thursday through Saturday, April 18-20. "Will your heart go on? Rachel Tibbetts (St. Louis Theatre Circle Award winner) stars in ERA's one-woman Titanic parody. The ensemble of artists developing this new play also includes Will Bonfiglio, Lucy Cashion, Morgan Fisher, and Bess Moynihan. Join us for the maiden voyage of your life and hope it doesn't sink! All performances start at 8:00 pm. The Monocle opens at 6:30 for preshow cocktails and libations. Doors open to the Emerald Room at 7:30pm. Come for a drink and stay for the show!" Performances take place in the Emerald Room at The Monocle on Manchester in The Grove. For more information: themonoclestl.com

My take: Well, no, I haven't actually seen this one, but I have seen the work of nearly everyone associated with it and based on that experience alone, I have to say I don't think you can go wrong here. I also find the concept both audacious and appealing. Dobbs only knows, the film Titanic deserves a little parody. And the Emerald Room at The Monocle is a very cool little theatre/cabaret space with a fun vibe all its own.


True West
Photo by Patrick Huber
St. Louis Actors' Studio presents Sam Shepard's True West Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 pm and Sundays at 3 pm, through April 28. " This American classic explores alternatives that might spring from the demented terrain of the California landscape. Sons of a desert-dwelling alcoholic and a suburban wanderer clash over a film script. Austin, the achiever, is working on a script he has sold to producer Sal Kimmer when Lee, a demented petty thief, drops in. He pitches his own idea for a movie to Kimmer, who then wants Austin to junk his bleak, modern love story and write Lee's trashy Western tale." Performances take place at the Gaslight Theatre, 358 North Boyle. For more information call 314-458-2978 or visit stlas.org.

My take: Honesty compels me to admit that I have never much cared for Sam Shepard as a playwright. His plays tend to concentrate on the kind of people I'd normally cross the street to avoid. "It's hard to imagine anyone being comfortable watching a Sam Shepherd play, " writes Ann Lemmons Pollack. "His onstage world is a bleak one, no matter the setting." But she goes on the recommend this production anyway, praising the cast and director and concluding that it a "carefully created rendition of an excellent play." At KDHX, Tina Farmer concurs, calling this "a raucous tale that's curiously satisfying, laugh out loud funny and incredibly cathartic." Which tells me that, if you don't share my feelings about Shepard's plays, this is probably well worth your time.

Held Over:

Dreamgirls
Photo by John Lamb
Stray Dog Theatre presents the musical Dreamgirls Thursdays through Saturdays through April 20. "Journey back to a time in musical history when rhythm and blues weren't everything, they were the only thing. In the swinging 60s, the Dreamettes, led by the powerful Effie White, embark on an R and B music career that leads them across the country. Romantic entanglements, Effies weight, racism, and the arrival of a fresh new sound in the 70s make this show biz musical a thrilling hit." Performances take place at The Tower Grove Abbey, 2336 Tennessee. For more information, visit straydogtheatre.org or call 314-865-1995.

My take: I haven't seen this show since the 1997 USA tour played the Fox, so it's good to see a locally-sourced production. Stray Dog has had a pretty impressive string of hits with its musicals in recent years, and judging from the reviews, this one is keeping the streak going. "Go see Dreamgirls at Stray Dog Theatre because it sounds glorious," writes Ann Lemmons Pollack. "It's a thrilling kind of opera, with a powerful R&B heartbeat," says Richard Green at Talkin' Broadway. "Director Justin Been keeps things moving," writes Calvin Wilson at STLToday.com "with particular attention to creating stage pictures that capture the zing of showbiz life. The contributions of music director Jennifer Buchheit and choreographer Mike Hodges are first-rate, and the performances are excellent."

Tuesday, April 16, 2019

Review: Dancing in the dark

This article originally appeared at 88.1 KDHX, where Chuck Lavazzi is the senior performing arts critic.

Daniel Radcliffe and Imelda Staunton in
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Photo courtesy of CineConcerts
I've said it before, but it bears repeating: nothing can quite match the experience of seeing a big, flashy fantasy film like "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" on the Very Wide Screen at Powell Hall with the orchestral score performed live by the fine musicians of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra.

The showing this weekend (April 12-14, 2019) was the latest entry in the SLSO's complete Harry Potter film cycle. As has been the case for the earlier programs, the orchestra was conducted by composer and film music guru Justin Freer whose company, CineConcerts, produces the Harry Potter film series. Once again, the quality of the print was excellent, with crisp, clear dialog tracks and captioning for the hard of hearing. It looked great on that big screen.

In this 2007 film, directed by David Yates, a dark tide is rising in the wizarding world. Key positions of power are being taken over by members of a fascist cult whose leader demands absolute personal loyalty while giving none in return. Their campaign of fear, paranoia, fake news, and racial animus threatens to tear the magical realm apart. The Order of the Phoenix, under Dumbledore's leadership, hopes to stop them.

These days it all looks rather prescient, although when J.K. Rowling wrote the original novel on which the movie is based back in 2003 she wasn't trying to predict the future so much as recall the past. The tropes of fascism haven't really changed that much since the 1930s.

The score for "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" is the work of British composer Nicholas Hooper. It was his first high-profile project and to my ears it lacks some of the more interesting orchestral details of the ones John Williams wrote for the earlier movies. Still, it has the heroic sweep and eerie touches that are the hallmarks of the Harry Potter films and the darker orchestration mirrors the more ominous look and feel of the movie. The use of Japanese Taiko drums in the percussion section adds serious muscle to some dramatic moments, and the strings are more prominent throughout.

Conductor Justin Freer
I also like the way Hooper uses the higher orchestral voices (woodwinds and strings, primarily) to accompany the sadistic Dolores Umbridge, the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher who is clearly more interested in practicing those arts than fighting them. Her music suggests that, evil as she is, she is also a fool. It's a nice touch.

As have noted in the past, Mr. Freer conducted with the assurance of someone who is entirely comfortable with the unusual demands of leading a large orchestra through a synchronized account of a film score. The musicians responded with the kind of virtuosity that is standard procedure for them. The night we attended, the ovation was long and enthusiastic.

Next at Powell Hall: Leonard Slatkin returns to conduct the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and Chorus Saturday at 8 pm and Sunday at 3 pm, April 27 and 28. The program consists of Loren Loiacono's "Smothered by the Sky," Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 1 with soloist Olga Kern, and Bernstein's Symphony No. 3 ("Kaddish") with narrator Charlotte Blake Alston. Performances take place at Powell Symphony Hall in Grand. Center.