Chuck's Choices for the weekend of August 9, 2019

It certainly is summer; both of the new shows this week are musicals.

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New This Week:

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Assisted Living: The Musical

The Playhouse at Westport Plaza presents Assisted Living: The Musical running through August 11. "From early retirement right up to the pulling of the plug, 21st Century seniors are partying like it's 1969. Imagine: no work, no pregnancy and a full array of Medicare-subsidized pharmaceuticals. Get your tickets today, before your short-term memory goes!" The Playhouse at Westport Plaza is at 635 West Port Plaza. For more information: playhouseatwestport.com.

My take: Having hit my "three score and ten," I'm a bit dubious of shows like this one, but I'm putting it on the list anyway because audiences of my fellow geezers seem to have embraced the show everywhere it has been produced, and because the entire cast consists of two very talented performers—Rick Compton and Betsy Bennett, the show's creators—switching back and forth among multiple roles. That sort of theatrical high wire act is usually great fun to watch if it's done well, as appears to be the case here. "If Compton and Bennett aren't having a great time," writes Ann Pollack, "they're surely fine actors. This is a romp from start to finish. It may even take the edge off the fear of growing old."

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Matilda
Photo courtesy of The Muny

The Muny presents the Muny premiere of the musical Matilda continuing nightly through August 11th. "With a story inspired by the eccentric genius of internationally-acclaimed author Roald Dahl, and a world inspired by St. Louis native and world-wide artistic legend Mary Engelbreit, Matilda shows how imagination is exactly what we all need to navigate life's many challenges. When sent to a dismal school, Matilda uses her clear eyes and keen smarts to help her discover her own surprising powers! Created by the world-renowned Royal Shakespeare Company, this four-time Tony Award-winning magical musical, still running in London's West End, is sure to marvel and entertain Muny audiences." Performances take place on the outdoor stage in Forest Park. For more information, muny.org.

My take: My fellow critics have been pretty much unanimous is their praise of this fanciful musical. "Not since Annie," writes Steve Callahan at KDHX, "has there been a show so delightfully dominated by kids. Matilda has, by my count, thirty-two classmates. And these MUNY Kids are pros! They fill the stage with wildly energetic yet precise song and dance." At stltoday.com, Calvin Wilson says this "tuneful and stylish musical" is a "must-see show" that "brings the Muny's 101st season to a triumphant close." "Muny artistic director and executive producer Mike Isaacson's idea to welcome Matilda to the amphitheater's spacious stage in the guise of renowned local artist Mary Engelbreit's colorful and whimsical works is an inspired master stroke," writes Mark Bretz at Ladue News. Looks like a winner.