Review: Lisa St. Lou and Tor Hyamn are a dynamic duo at the Blue Strawberry

There's no doubt about it, Lisa St. Lou and her music director/song-writing partner Tor Hyams are the Dynamic Duo of song performance.

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

Lisa St. Lou

Ms. St. Lou has a powerful, flexible, wide-ranging voice with which she can apparently do pretty much anything. She can purr and roar, cry and laugh, go intimate one moment and bigger than life the next. She's the real deal, with enough energy to power a small city.

Mr. Hyams, for his part, is a muscular, barrelhouse-style pianist who bangs out power chords like Dr. John on steroids. His voice blends perfectly with Ms. St. Lou's in their many duet numbers. Together, they are an unstoppable force of nature.

So, yeah, their new show "Ain't No Good Man" really rocked the Blue Strawberry last Wednesday (November 27) and got an enthusiastic reception from a crowd that appeared to consist mostly of family, friends, and former Ritenour High School classmates of Ms. St. Lou, who hails from our fair city originally.

That local connection was also, unfortunately, a bit of a liability for those of us for whom she was a total stranger. There were too many "shout outs" to friends of Ms. St. Lou and Mr. Hyams and far too many little in-jokes shared with the people they knew well. A little of that is entirely understandable when you know you have a bunch of fans in the house, but there's a point at which it begins to feel like someone else's party.

Tor Hyams and Lisa St. Lou
at the Blue Strawberry

My other issue with the evening was that it wasn't really a cabaret show so much as a live performance of all the studio cuts on their soon-to-be-released album "Ain't No Good Man." The album itself boasts a stellar assortment of New Orleans-based stars such as Ivan and Cyril Neville (nephew and brother, respectively, of the legendary Aaron Neville) and the great Irma Thomas, a.k.a. "The Soul Queen of New Orleans." Without all that aural variety and big band backup, the songs--all originals by Ms. St. Lou and Mr. Hyams--had a kind of sameness that had me checking my Fitbit more than once.

That said, many of the individual songs were pretty potent stuff. "Never Enough for a Man" (a duet with Ms. Thomas on the album) was a rich blues number about the pain of being seen as a continual disappointment. The title cut, "Ain't No Good Man," spoke persuasively of the despair that comes from being betrayed by a loved one (in this case, Ms. St. Lou's ex-husband). "Miracle in Motion" was a soulful portrayal of love at first sight. And who could resist the affirmation of "I've Seen the Light"?

There was, in short, some solid material here. What "Ain't No Good Man" needs right now, in my view, is a director who can suggest between-song patter that goes beyond memories of the recording sessions and who can help give it all a dramatic arc and sense of pacing that would make it more of a cabaret show than a set list.

This was Lisa St. Lou's second visit to Mound City. I missed the first one because of schedule conflicts but I hope to see her here again, maybe with a more varied mix of material. She and Mr. Hyams have, I think, the talent and dedication to make whatever they decide to do next a hit.

Meanwhile, the Blue Strawberry has a veritable cornucopia of shows scheduled into next month. Visit their web site for a complete list.

Chuck's Choices for the weekend of November 29, 2019

This weekend's picks are cabaret at the Blue Strawberry and Metro Theatre Company at the Grandel.

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New This Week:

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Steve Ross

The Blue Strawberry presents Steve Ross in Cole Porter and Beyond on Friday and Saturday, November 29 and 30, at 8 pm. "Called 'the very personification of the spirit of Cole Porter' by The New Yorker, Steve Ross takes his audience on a musical and anecdotal journey through the songs of this most sophisticated of composers - from his early successes in the Twenties ("I'm In Love Again," "You Do Something To Me," "Let's Do It") through his glory years in the Thirties ( "It's D'Lovely," "In the Still of the Night"), the Forties, noted for his masterpiece "Kiss Me Kate" and his later songs from the Fifties ("I Love Paris," "C'est Magnifique" and "It's All Right With Me." There will also be songs by his contemporaries (and friends) Noel Coward, the Gershwins, Jerome Kern, Rodgers & Hart and ending with a tribute to the great Fred Astaire for whom he wrote one of his undying classics, "Night and Day." Don't you find yourself sometimes just having to go to Cole Porter? And isn't this the best time of year to do it? And isn't Steve the right guy to do it with?" The Blue Strawberry is at 364 N. Boyle in the Central West End. For more information: www.bluestrawberrystl.com.

My take: Mabel Mercer Award–winning cabaret artist Steve Ross has a long and happy relationship with St. Louis, going back to the early days of the Grandel Cabaret Series. He was one of the first performers to be featured by Jim Dolan's Presenters Dolan organization when it got off the ground many years ago, so his appearance last weekend at Jim's newest venue, The Blue Strawberry, feels a bit like a homecoming. Personally, I have been an admirer of Mr. Ross's debonair, witty, and charismatic work ever since I first saw him at the Grandel in 2001. An evening with Steve Ross an object lesson in why cabaret is such a vibrant art form. Don't miss him.

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Held Over:

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It's a Wonderful Life
Photo: Jennifer Lin

Metro Theatre Company presents It's a Wonderful Life, based on the classic film, through December 15. "The beloved American holiday classic leaps to life on stage in a delightful, heartwarming new adaptation. John Wolbers' "It's a Wonderful Life" has a clever twist: it's staged as a play within a play, more specifically a radio play within a play. On Christmas Eve 1949, KMTC Radio St. Louis is prepared to perform a live radio broadcast of "It's a Wonderful Life," when unexpected events transform the station's staff into the radio play's actors. Complete with microphones, live sound effects by a Foley artist, 1940s period costumes, and a diverse company of characters, the play tells the story of George Bailey and his discovery of the life-affirming message that one life can change the whole fabric of a community. " The performances take place at The Grandel Theatre, 3610 Grandel Square in Grand Center.. For more information: metroplays.org.

My take: Well, it wouldn't be the holidays without someone doing a stage version of this beloved movie. Metro's approach has the advantage of treating it as the basis for a story that's less about the original film and more about the intrepid group of employees of a fictional radio station doing their best to work together to bring it to life over the air. "Metro Theater Company's It's a Wonderful Life brings an hour or so of a captivating and classy good time to an appreciative audience, a terrific start to the holiday season," writes Mark Bretz at Ladue News. "Don't forget to clap on cue."

Symphony Preview: Visions of sugar plums

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

Konstantin Ivanov's original sketch
for the set of The Nutcracker (1892)
Source: en.wikipedia.org

If there's one thing you can count on at this time of the year, it's that someone somewhere will be putting on a production of Tchaikovsky's popular 1892 ballet "The Nutcracker." This weekend (November 29-December 1), that includes the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra (SLSO) as Andrew Grams [https://andrewgrams.com/] conducts the SLSO and St. Louis Children's Choirs in a complete concert performance of Tchaikovsky's classic. But their "Nutcracker" is probably going to be unlike any other you might have seen.

That's because, being a concert performance, it will be a "Nutcracker" without dancers (but with the charming children's chorus that accompanies the "Waltz of the Snowflakes). What it will have, though, is special lighting design by Luke Kritzeck, Director of Lighting and Resident Designer for the New World Symphony located in Miami Beach, Florida.

The Moscow Ballet's Great Russian Nutcracker
Photo: The Fabulous Fox

Mr. Kritzeck's resume is impressive, including six years touring with Cirque de Soleil as well as designs for the Chautauqua Opera (New York), the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, and the Guthrie Theater (Minneapolis), among others. I have no idea what he has in mind for the SLSO, but a look at his online portfolio certainly suggests it will be creative.

The use of high-tech lighting and projections is nothing new for the SLSO, of course. In the past they have found some fairly ingenious ways of using projected images to enhance works written for the stage, from a performance of Copland's "Appalachian Spring" ballet suite accompanied by watercolors inspired by the ballet, to vivid projected scenery for a concert version of "Aida," to a performance of Schoenberg's "Five Pieces for Orchestra" in which each piece was accompanied by a more or less contemporary painting that mirrored the movement's central idea.

And "The Nutcracker" is certainly brimming with colorful scenes to inspire a visual designer. The first act includes the battle between the Nutcracker and the Mouse King, the Nutcracker's transformation into a handsome prince, and the magical journey to the Kingdom of Sweets. The second act gives us the various "national" dances (Chinese, Arabian, Spanish, and Russian Trepak), along with the dance of the mirlitons (a 19th-century cousin of the common kazoo, as well as a type of cake). There's also the popular "Waltz of the Flowers," the "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" with its famous celesta solo, and the dramatic "Pas de Deux" for the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier.

Mother Gigogne and her children

Act II also has one of the odder numbers, at least for contemporary American audiences: "La mère Gigogne et les polichinelles" (roughly: "Mother Gigogne and the puppets"). A character whose origins lie in French marionette theatre, she's usually portrayed as a woman (although often danced by a man) with a huge skirt out of which bursts a collection of tumblers and/or clowns. She would have been recognizable to Tchaikovsky's audiences. These days, not so much.

There's much more to be said about the music and the scenario of "The Nutcracker," but since Australian music writer Yvonne Frindle says it so well and in such great detail in the program, I'll just refer you there.

A few words are in order about this week's guest conductor, though. Now in his seventh season as Music Director of the Elgin Symphony Orchestra in Elgin, Illinois (a town of just over 100,000 around 35 miles northwest of Chicago), Mr. Grams has had guest conducting gigs with high-profile domestic orchestras such as the Chicago Symphony, the Detroit Symphony, the Philadelphia Orchestra, and the Houston Symphony. Internationally, his resume includes appearances with the symphony orchestras of Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver, as well as the Orchestre National de France, the Hong Kong Philharmonic, the BBC Symphony Orchestra London, and orchestras in Australia and New Zealand. No wonder his web bio describes him as a "frequent traveler."

The St. Louis Ballet's Nutcracker at the Touhill

More to the point for this weekend, though, Mr. Grams has extensive experience with "The Nutcracker". He has led multiple performances of the New York City Ballet's production (with choreography by George Balanchine), as well as the first performances of a new production of the ballet for the Norwegian National Ballet in Olso. Reviewing his performance of "Nutcracker" excerpts with the Dallas Symphony, Scott Cantrell wrote that "he worked magic start to finish" and praised his "loving, sophisticated command of the score".

He'll also be bringing a musician's perspective to his conducting, having played violin with the New York City Ballet Orchestra from 1998 to 2004. He has played with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, the Orchestra of St. Luke's (both based on NYC), the Brooklyn Philharmonic, and the New Jersey Symphony as well.

The Essentials: Andrew Grams conducts the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and St. Louis Children's Choirs in a complete performance of Tchaikovsky's "The Nutcracker" ballet on Friday and Saturday at 8 pm, and Sunday at 3 pm, November 29 - December 1. The program includes special lighting design by Luke Kritzeck. Performances take place at Powell Symphony Hall in Grand Center.

Review: The St. Louis Symphony shows its virtuosity in music by Hindemith, Prokofiev, and Mussorgsky/Ravel

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

For some years now, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra (SLSO) has been bringing younger guest conductors to town to make their local debuts on the Powell Hall stage. Every one of them has been very impressive, in my experience, leaving me with real hope about the future of classical music.

[Find out more about the music with my symphony preview.]

Marcelo Lehninger
Photo courtesy of the SLSO

This weekend was no exception, as Brazilian-born Marcelo Lehninger made his first St. Louis appearance last night (Friday, November 22) with an evening of music that showcased the virtuosity of both piano soloist Simon Trpceski and the members of the SLSO. Despite having to conduct from a chair because of a recently broken foot, Mr. Lehninger was a strong physical presence on the podium, leading the band in dynamic and insightful performances of this highly varied program.

He also had one of the most striking conductor entrances I have ever seen, gliding on stage on a small scooter that supported his temporarily disabled pedal extremity.

The concert opened with work that the SLSO presented for the first and (until this weekend) only time back in 1970: the "Concert Music for Strings and Brass," Op. 10, by Paul Hindemith. Composed in response to a commission by the Boston Symphony Orchestra in 1930, "Concert Music" is a product of what is often called the composer's "neoclassical" phase, although the densely contrapuntal texture really harks back to the Baroque era. Combine that texture with the unusual orchestration of a dozen brass instruments (four horns, four trumpets, three trombones, and a tuba) plus strings, and you have the potential for serious balance issues that could make the individual melodic lines hard to hear.

Happily, that wasn't the case Friday night. The strings got overwhelmed a bit at the beginning, but overall Mr. Lehninger made it easy to discern the individual threads of Hindemith's musical tapestry and got some excellent playing from the orchestra in the process. The SLSO strings were especially adept in their handling of the rapid passages that open the second half of the piece, and some minor intonation issues in the horns aside, the brasses were strong all the way through, with fine solos from Associate Principal Trumpet Tom Drake and Principal Trombone Tim Myers.

At around 17 minutes, the "Concert Music" is a short piece--a trait it shared with the next work on the program, Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 1, Op. 10, from 1912. Prokofiev played it as his entry for the prestigious Anton Rubinstein Prize for pianists at the St. Petersburg Conservatory in 1914 (which he won), and there's a kind of cocky, "look what I can do" attitude about the piece. Combined with the composer's trademark mordant sense of humor, it makes for an entertaining experience for the listener and a significant technical challenge for the pianist.

Simon Trpceski
Photo courtesy of the SLSO

And Simon Trpceski was certainly the man for the job. An internationally known artist whose career has taken him to every continent except (as far as I know) Antarctica, Mr. Trpceski played the best Rachmaninoff Third I've ever heard when he was here in 2015. He did an equally fine job with the Prokofiev, delivering every bit of wit and virtuoso flash in the first and third movements with an impeccable sense of style and a mischievous delight while giving full voice to the wistful nostalgia of the second. The result was a performance that was (to quote a Robert Palmer lyric) simply irresistible.

The audience response was warm and enthusiastic, resulting in not one but two Prokofiev encores: the "March" from his "Music for Children" and the "Scherzo Humoristique."

The evening concluded with a work that was no doubt as familiar to the orchestra as it was to the audience: Maurice Ravel's 1922 orchestration of Modest Mussorgsky's 1874 piano suite "Pictures at an Exhibition." Inspired by a visit the previous year to a posthumous exhibition of the works of Russian artist Victor Hartmann, Mussorgsky's original is as colorful and evocative as it is difficult to play. Ravel, who was justifiably regarded as an expert orchestrator, filled his transcription with ingenious touches, like the high woodwinds chirping away in the "Ballet of the Chicks in Their Shells"; the alto sax playing the voice of a troubadour in "The Old Castle"; the hair-raising evocation of "The Hut on Fowl's Legs" (home of the witch Baba-Yaga from Russian folklore); and the triumphant final movement, based on a sketch for "The Great Gate at Kiev".

That means there are multiple opportunities for individual members and sections of the orchestra to show off, and they certainly did so Friday night. Highlights included (but were not limited to) Principal Tuba Derek Fenstermacher's solo in "Bydlo," which pushes the instrument towards the very top of its register; Tom Drake's flawless delivery of the rapid fire trumpet line in "Samuel Goldenbereg and Schmuyle"; the haunting alto sax of Jeffrey Collins in "The Old Castle"; and the entire woodwind section for playing so precisely in the "Ballet of the Chicks in Their Shells" despite Mr. Lehninger's alarmingly fast tempo.

Speaking of Mr. Lehninger, he was once again a strong physical presence, clearly enjoying every moment of this work and putting his own personal stamp of this very familiar material without taking undue liberties. His take on the opening "Promenade" was magisterial. His "Gnomus" snarled and threatened. His decision to have the alto sax fade out slowly at the end of "The Old Castle" added a touch of sadness to the troubadour's voice. And his take on the closing "Great Gate of Kiev" had a degree of subtlety and marked dynamic contrast not always heard in this exultant finale. It was an altogether winning and captivating reading, garnering enthusiastic "bravos" from the crowd.

Next at Powell Hall: Andrew Grams conducts the orchestra and St. Louis Children's Choirs in a complete performance of Tchaikovsky's "Nutcracker" ballet, with special lighting design by Luke Kritzeck, whose portfolio includes work with the San Francisco Symphony, New World Symphony, and Cirque du Soleil. Performances are Friday and Saturday at 8 pm and Sunday at 3 pm, November 29-December 1.

The St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of November 25, 2019

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The big Thanksgiving theatre freeze is on, but there's still great cabaret at the Blue Strawberry.

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Lisa St. Lou

The Blue Strawberry presents Lisa St. Lou in Ain't No Good Man on Wednesday, November 27, at 8 pm. "Powerhouse vocalist, Lisa St. Lou performs material from her debut soul album, Ain't No Good Man. Accompanied by her Grammy-nominated writing partner, Tor Hyams, the evening will be a journey of relationships and all the stuff that goes with it; from heartbreak to empowerment and everything in between. The songs will inspire women and the good men who love them." The Blue Strawberry is at 364 N. Boyle in the Central West End. For more information: www.bluestrawberrystl.com.

The Fox Theatre presents Cirque Dreams: Holidaze Friday at 4 and 8 pm and Saturday at 11 am, 3 pm, and 8 pm, November 29 and 30. "CIRQUE DREAMS HOLIDAZE electrifies the 2019 holiday season with its reimagined live family holiday spectacular. Featuring unforgettable performances, this critically-acclaimed extravaganza is both a Broadway musical and new Cirque adventure wrapped into the ultimate holiday gift for the entire family!" The Fox Theatre is at 527 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information: fabulousfox.com.

Steve Ross

The Blue Strawberry presents Steve Ross in Cole Porter and Beyond on Friday and Saturday, November 29 and 30, at 8 pm. "Called 'the very personification of the spirit of Cole Porter' by The New Yorker, Steve Ross takes his audience on a musical and anecdotal journey through the songs of this most sophisticated of composers - from his early successes in the Twenties ("I'm In Love Again," "You Do Something To Me," "Let's Do It") through his glory years in the Thirties ( "It's D'Lovely," "In the Still of the Night"), the Forties, noted for his masterpiece "Kiss Me Kate" and his later songs from the Fifties ("I Love Paris," "C'est Magnifique" and "It's All Right With Me." There will also be songs by his contemporaries (and friends) Noel Coward, the Gershwins, Jerome Kern, Rodgers & Hart and ending with a tribute to the great Fred Astaire for whom he wrote one of his undying classics, "Night and Day." Don't you find yourself sometimes just having to go to Cole Porter? And isn't this the best time of year to do it? And isn't Steve the right guy to do it with?" The Blue Strawberry is at 364 N. Boyle in the Central West End. For more information: www.bluestrawberrystl.com.

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.

The Lemp Mansion Comedy-Mystery Dinner Theater presents A Dickens of a Killing through January 4. The Lemp Mansion is at 3322 DeMenil Place. For more information: lempmansion.com.

It's a Wonderful Life
Photo: Jennifer Lin

Metro Theatre Company presents It's a Wonderful Life, based on the classic film, through December 15. "The beloved American holiday classic leaps to life on stage in a delightful, heartwarming new adaptation. John Wolbers' "It's a Wonderful Life" has a clever twist: it's staged as a play within a play, more specifically a radio play within a play. On Christmas Eve 1949, KMTC Radio St. Louis is prepared to perform a live radio broadcast of "It's a Wonderful Life," when unexpected events transform the station's staff into the radio play's actors. Complete with microphones, live sound effects by a Foley artist, 1940s period costumes, and a diverse company of characters, the play tells the story of George Bailey and his discovery of the life-affirming message that one life can change the whole fabric of a community. " The performances take place at The Grandel Theatre, 3610 Grandel Square in Grand Center.. For more information: metroplays.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.

St. Louis classical calendar for the week of November 25, 2019

Holiday music starts to show up on programs this week, including a complete Nutcracker at the SLSO.

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The Metropolitan Orchestra

The Metropolitan Orchestra performs on Sunday, September 15, at 7 pm. "This concert will feature Conductor Wendy Lea and Summer Evening by Kodaly, Shostakovich's Chamber Symphony in c minor and Mozart's Symphony No. 38 in D major." The concert takes place at First Presbyterian Church, 100 E. Adams in Kirkwood. For more information: moslmusic.org.

St. Louis Cathedral Concerts presents the Vienna Boys Choir Holiday Concert on Friday, November 29, at 2:30 pm. "Kick-off the holidays with the delightful sounds of the Vienna Boys Choir as they bring their holiday program to St. Louis!" The concert takes place at the Cathedral Basilica in the Central West End. For more information: cathedralconcerts.org.

Conductor Andrew Grams

Andrew Grams conducts The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and St. Louis Children's Choirs in a complete performance of Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker ballet on Friday and Saturday at 8 pm, and Sunday at 3 pm, November 29 - December 1. The program includes special lighting design by Luke Kritzeck. Performances take place at Powell Symphony Hall in Grand Cente. For more information: stlsymphony.org.

The Department of Music at Washington University presents a Strings and Chamber Music Division Recital on Saturday, December 1, at 7 pm. The event takes place in the E. Desmond Lee Concert Hall at the 560 Music Center, 560 Trinity in University City. For more information: music.wustl.edu/events.

Review: Ken Haller celebrates 65 at the Blue Strawberry

L-R: Marty Fox and Ken Haller

The St. Louis cabaret scene has really taken off over the last fifteen years or so, and local performers are increasingly showing up at nightspots like Davenport's in Chicago and Don't Tell Mama in New York. One of the most prolific of those performers has been singer/actor/pediatrician Ken Haller. His latest show, "When I'm 65," demonstrates why that's the case.

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

Presented at local impresario Jim Dolan's Blue Strawberry nightclub, "When I'm 65" was Classic Ken, with a varied and neatly balanced song list, just enough patter to let us know why the list made sense, and a perfect mix of the mirthful and the moving. Indeed, Dr. Haller and his music director Marty Fox managed the ingenious trick of putting together an evening that dealt with the experience of joining the Medicare Generation without using a lot of songs that specifically dealt with aging.

So, while the show opened with "When I'm 65" (a clever partial rewrite of the Beatles classic "When I'm 64"), that number allowed Mr. Haller (I'm dropping the "Doctor" from here on out, if we're all OK with that) to segue into the Jerome Kern classic "I'm Old Fashioned" which led to reflections on his love of the Great American Songbook and memories of how he listened to many of those memorable tunes on the black and white TV in the family living room.

That, in turn, moved logically into a medley of two Johnny Mercer standards that emerged from that tinny speaker all those years ago: "Dream" (as recorded by Ella Fitzgerald on the 1964 "Johnny Mercer Songbook" LP) and "Moon River" (from the 1961 film "Breakfast at Tiffany's"). Haller and Fox gave the latter a bit of medium-tempo swing that made it feel less cloyingly sentimental than it sometimes does-a pleasant surprise, and just one of many in the evening.

If you've seen a Ken Haller show before, you know there's always going to be a heaping helping of humor, and "When I'm 65" was no exception. That included a wry take on Lerner and Lowe's "I'm Glad I'm Not Young Anymore" (from "Gigi"), a version of "Rock Island" (from "The Music Man") done as a rap number (which it sort of is anyway), complete with baseball cap and cheesy "bling," and Kooman and Diamond's outrageous stalker parody "To Excess."

That last one was something of a risky choice, since it's usually sung by a young man to the unseen woman with whom he is obsessed. Performed by an older singer, it runs the risk of coming off as more creepy than funny, but Mr. Haller made it work and the crowd loved it.

It came at an ideal point in the evening as well, providing a necessary bit of comic relief after a moving and powerful segment on love and loss built around Mr. Haller's reminiscences of the first great love of his life, Bob Corsico, and the lessons he took from that relationship. Beginning with a beautiful duet version with Mr. Fox of William Finn's "Heart and Music" (from "A New Brain") and culminating in a performance of "The Man That Got Away" that turned that classic torch song into a declaration of emotional independence, this was the strong emotional heart of the show.

And, since this was a Ken Haller show, there was a Sondheim song. In this case, a very appropriate one: a celebratory rendition of "I'm Still Here" (from "Follies") with the original lyrics.

I'm not normally a big fan of cabaret shows that rely heavily on the personal lives of the performers, but "When I'm 65" was just intimate enough to be emotionally compelling without ever descending into self-referential navel gazing. Mr. Fox's original and inventive arrangements were a big plus as well, as was the obvious close rapport between him and Mr. Haller. Well done, gentlemen.

"When I'm 65" was presented on October 31st and November 21st at The Blue Strawberry on North Boyle in the Central West End. There are shows most Wednesdays through Sundays at St. Louis's latest cabaret venue; check out the web site for a complete list. Ken Haller, meanwhile, returns to the Blue Strawberry on December 21st with an encore of his entertaining "Happy HallerDays," first presented in 2017. I loved it then and can heartily recommend it now.

Chuck's Choices for the weekend of November 22, 2019

My purely personal take on the local theatre scene returns, now that I have returned from a month in France.

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New This Week:

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Steve Brammeier

The Blue Strawberry presents Steve Brammeier in 68: Then and Now on Friday, November 22, at 8 pm. "Steve Brammeier has created a moving tribute to the songs of 1968, the year he graduated from high school. If you were around then, you will relive some of your memories - even if repressed. If not, you will hear a lot of great songs, and get a sense of a very formative time in our cultural and civic life. A very sweet and well-made show." The Blue Strawberry is at 364 N. Boyle in the Central West End. For more information: https://www.bluestrawberrystl.com.

My take: While I haven't had a chance to see Steve's latest show yet, I have seen some selections from it in the singers open mic that I host every month, and what I have seen has been warm, genuine, and exceptionally well done. Steve has been active on the local cabaret scene for a while now and knows his stuff, and the Blue Strawberry is a first rate cabaret venue.

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Feeding Beatrice
Photo: John Gitchoff

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents Feeding Beatrice running through November 24. "It starts with the sound of a spoon scraping against glass and the wet noise of lips smacking together. June and Lurie have a haunting new houseguest - and she's ravenously hungry. They do their best to keep her fed and happy, but Beatrice always demands more. As she burrows deeper and deeper into their lives, the couple faces a horrific question: what will it cost to exorcise Beatrice forever?" Performances take place in the Studio Theatre at the Loretto-Hilton Center on the Webster University campus. For more information: repstl.org.

My take: It is merely stating the obvious to point out that this little Hallowe'en present from the Rep has captivated audiences and (to a somewhat lesser extent) critics alike. For evidence of the former, look no further than the fact that the Rep has been obliged to extend the show's run. For evidence of the latter, here are a few pull quotes. Tonya Seele, Broadway World: "This play is a thought-provoking, sobering, but often times laugh-out-loud gothic tale, smartly crafted to work on many complex intellectual levels." Ann Lemmons Pollack, St. Louis Eats and Drinks: "great fun, some social nudging, perfect for the early dusk of November" Calvin Wilson, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: "unquestionably a captivating experience." None of these are unequivocal raves, as you can see by following the links, but the show is clearly a hit in any case.

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It's a Wonderful Life
Photo: Jennifer Lin

Metro Theatre Company presents It's a Wonderful Life, based on the classic film, through December 15. "The beloved American holiday classic leaps to life on stage in a delightful, heartwarming new adaptation. John Wolbers' "It's a Wonderful Life" has a clever twist: it's staged as a play within a play, more specifically a radio play within a play. On Christmas Eve 1949, KMTC Radio St. Louis is prepared to perform a live radio broadcast of "It's a Wonderful Life," when unexpected events transform the station's staff into the radio play's actors. Complete with microphones, live sound effects by a Foley artist, 1940s period costumes, and a diverse company of characters, the play tells the story of George Bailey and his discovery of the life-affirming message that one life can change the whole fabric of a community. " The performances take place at The Grandel Theatre, 3610 Grandel Square in Grand Center.. For more information: metroplays.org.

My take: Well, it wouldn't be the holidays without someone doing a stage version of this beloved movie. Metro's approach has the advantage of treating it as the basis for a story that's less about the original film and more about the intrepid group of employees of a fictional radio station doing their best to work together to bring it to life over the air. "Metro Theater Company's It's a Wonderful Life brings an hour or so of a captivating and classy good time to an appreciative audience, a terrific start to the holiday season," writes Mark Bretz at Ladue News. "Don't forget to clap on cue."

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St. Louis Community College at Meramec presents Maple and Vine Wednesday through Saturday at 7:30 and Sunday at 2 pm, November 20-24. "Katha and Ryu have become allergic to their 21st-century lives. After they meet a charismatic man from a community of 1950s re-enactors, they forsake cell phones and sushi for cigarettes and Tupperware parties. In this compulsively authentic world, Katha and Ryu are surprised by what their new neighbors - and they themselves - are willing to sacrifice for happiness." Performances take place in the theatre on the campus at 11333 Big Bend Road. For more information, www.stlcc.eduor call 314-984-7500.

My take: This is not the first time (and probably won't be the last) that I'll recommend a show on the basis of the strength of its script. I haven't seen this production, but I did see the world premiere of the show at the Humana Festival in 2011 and was very impressed with it. Although it's easy to see this as a kind of egdy comedy, it's really a thought-provoking (and ultimately disturbing) comedy/drama that raises important questions about the nature of freedom and personal identity and how much of both you might be willing to give up for a good night's sleep.

Symphony Preview: Virtuosity

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

If there were a theme for the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra (SLSO) concerts this weekend (Friday and Saturday, November 22 and 23), it would probably be "virtuosity." Guest conductor Marcelo Lehninger will lead the SLSO in a program that demands a lot from both the orchestra and piano soloist Simon Trpceski.

Paul Hindemith, age 28

The concerts open with Paul Hindemith's "Concert Music for Brass and Strings," Op. 50. Composed in 1930 in response to a commission by the Boston Symphony Orchestra for works celebrating the orchestra's 50th anniversary, the work is scored for an unusual combination of forces: a dozen brass instruments (four horns, four trumpets, three trombones, and a tuba) and what the composer called "the strongest possible string quartet," By which he meant: a really big, powerful string orchestra.

The reason for this is obvious once you listen to the music (which, happily, you can do for free on YouTube). The brass section is often called upon to play quite loudly, with dynamic markings like ff (fortissimo, or "very loud") and fff (fortississimo, effectively meaning "as loudly as you can manage without breaking something") popping up in the score fairly often. You need a pretty hefty string ensemble to compete with that.

That's not to say it's all about volume. Hindemith plays the two very different instrumental groups off of each other in ways which harken back to the 17th and 18th century, resulting in what SLSO program annotator James Keller calls a "neo-Baroque flavor...as if it were a latter-day concerto grosso fueled by counterpoint, but one that had outgrown the limits of that early genre." Listen carefully as melodies bounce back and forth during this brief (around 17 minutes) work.

In fact, if you're new to this piece (and it's a safe bet most people are, given that it's hardly in classical music's "Top 10") playing "What's My Melodic Line" by following one of more of the themes as it bounces from section to section like the ball at a championship tennis match is a good way to get a feel for what the composer is up to in a densely contrapuntal work like this. It's dramatic music that commands your attention and requires precise and powerful playing by all involved. I expect it will give the SLSO brass and string players a chance to truly strut their stuff.

Prokofiev in New York, 1918
Photo by Bain News Service

Up next is Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 1, a work which, at its 1912 Moscow premiere, received what Alexander Carpenter at allmusic.com calls a "resoundingly negative" reception. "The work was labeled 'musical mud'," he writes, "the work of a madman."

Leonid Sabaneyev, the critic for the publication Moscow Voice, apparently summed up the consensus, calling the work "coarse and crude, primitive and cacophonic...The composer, in his quest of novelty, but lacking it in the depth of his nature, has apparently contorted himself to the ultimate limit."

Even so, the concerto proved to be a winner in the most literal sense for the composer when, in 1914, he played it as his entry for the prestigious Anton Rubinstein Prize for pianists at the St. Petersburg Conservatory, where Prokofiev was studying. His dazzling performance got him the prize (which included a brand-new grand piano), although (as Yvonne Frindle writes in the SLSO program notes) not without some serious controversy:

After a dazzling performance and a long and stormy adjudication session, Prokofiev won, although Glazunov, chairman of the examiners, “flatly refused to announce the results of the voting, which, he declared, encouraged a 'harmful trend'.” In the end he read the results in a flat, toneless mumble.

The concerto is certainly a showpiece for the soloist, including (as Ms. Frindle writes) "all the gestures of which Prokofiev-the-pianist was so fond: massive chordal effects, wide, angular leaps, relentless octave passages and rapid legato runs." It also contains concentrated forms of the gestures that would characterize Prokofiev as a composer, including big, sweeping melodies, a mordant sense of wit, and a fierce musical energy.

Indeed, as James M. Keller writes in notes for the San Francisco Symphony, the concerto is "a tightly constructed piece" in which "Modernism is crouching tensely...waiting to spring forth with the exuberance of the Prokofiev scores that would follow shortly."

Like the Hindemith that precedes it, the Prokofiev concerto is a short, concentrated work, running about fifteen minutes. It's not until after intermission that we get the evening's really Big Piece: Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition" in the familiar Maurice Ravel orchestration, last performed here in April, 2016.

Mussorgsky in 1870

There is much to be said about that popular work, but since I provided most of my thoughts on it in a preview article back in 2016 I'll just refer you back to that rather than repeat it all here. Mussorgsky wrote the piano original in 1874, inspired by an exhibition of works by the Russian artist and architect Victor Hartmann, who had died the year before.

Unfortunately, Mussorgsky himself died--at the age of 42--before the suite could be published, so if it weren't for the many orchestrated versions of the suite, "Pictures at an Exhibition" would probably still be little more than a historical footnote. Instead, it has become a classical Greatest Hit, enduringly popular with audiences worldwide.

I'm a big fan of the "Pictures at an Exhibition," but I often wish that orchestras would give us a chance to hear some of the many other arrangements out there. Leopold Stokowski's 1939 version, for example, is pretty compelling (even if he does leave out two of the original movements). So is the one by pianist and conductor Vladimir Ashkenazy, still available on CD along with his performance of the piano original.

To the best of my knowledge, the closest the SLSO has come to giving us a taste of those other arrangements was a concert on January 25-27, 1991, in which Leonard Slatkin presented a kind of "mosaic" version of "Pictures" that included orchestrations of individual movements by not only Stokowski and Ashkenazy but also by (among others) Michail Tuschmalov, Sir Henry Wood, and Lucien Caillet, with Ravel returning only in the last two movements. The performance was recorded and released as part of a special commemorative six-CD set titled "The Slatkin Years" but the release was limited and has not been available for decades, unfortunately.

The Essentials: Marcelo Lehninger conducts The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, along with piano soloist Simon Trpceski, in Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 1 along with Hindemith's "Concert Music for Strings and Brass," and Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition" in the Ravel orchestration on Friday and Saturday at 8 pm, November 22 and 23. Performances take place at Powell Symphony Hall in Grand Center.

St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of November 18, 2019

There's a flood of new and continuing theatre this week, including a ton of cabaret courtesy of Jim Dolan's Blue Strawberry.

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Steve Brammeier

The Blue Strawberry presents Steve Brammeier in 68: Then and Now on Friday, November 22, at 8 pm. "Steve Brammeier has created a moving tribute to the songs of 1968, the year he graduated from high school. If you were around then, you will relive some of your memories - even if repressed. If not, you will hear a lot of great songs, and get a sense of a very formative time in our cultural and civic life. A very sweet and well-made show." The Blue Strawberry is at 364 N. Boyle in the Central West End. For more information: https://www.bluestrawberrystl.com.

Shakespeare Festival St. Louis presents a staged reading of And Certain Women by Shaulee Cook as part of the Confluence New Play Festival on Friday, November 22, at 8 pm. "Yohannah. Shoshannah. Blink, and you'll miss their names, but they're there. Listed among those traveling with Jesus through Galilee in the Gospel of Luke, "and certain women… who provided for Him out of their resources." In the background of all his teachings and miracles, YoYoh and Shosh are there with their more famous compatriot Mags - running crowd control, scouting for good sermon locations, picking up after a particularly messy Passover dinner, and all the while wondering where the meteoric rise of this prophet they've grown to love is going, and what say, if any, they get to have in where it ends up." The reading takes place at the Kranzberg Arts Center, 501 N. Grand in Grand Center. For more information: www.sfstl.com

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis's Imaginary Theatre Company presents The Ant and the Grasshopper on Saturday, November 23, with performances at 10:30 am, 12:30 pm and 3 pm. "The Imaginary Theatre Company will present The Ant and the Grasshopper in a pair of performances tailored for young people with sensory sensitivity and their families (10:30 am and 12:30 pm), as well as a conventional performance of the show (3 pm). Preparations for winter are underway, and no one is working harder than the ant family. When a zany, unproductive grasshopper arrives, he provides a welcome distraction for Little Ant, who finds work dull and repetitive. However, when the difficult winter season arrives, the grasshopper finds himself begging for help from the prepared ant family. Will they lend a hand to their lazy friend, or will the grasshopper be left out in the cold? Join us for this musical adaptation of a classic tale about the importance of hard work, and the value of fun and friendship!" Performances take place at the Loretto-Hilton Center on the Webster University Campus. For more information: repstl.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.

The Lemp Mansion Comedy-Mystery Dinner Theater presents A Dickens of a Killing through January 4. The Lemp Mansion is at 3322 DeMenil Place. For more information: lempmansion.com.

Feeding Beatrice
Photo: John Gitchoff

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents Feeding Beatrice running through November 24. "It starts with the sound of a spoon scraping against glass and the wet noise of lips smacking together. June and Lurie have a haunting new houseguest - and she's ravenously hungry. They do their best to keep her fed and happy, but Beatrice always demands more. As she burrows deeper and deeper into their lives, the couple faces a horrific question: what will it cost to exorcise Beatrice forever?" Performances take place in the Studio Theatre at the Loretto-Hilton Center on the Webster University campus. For more information: repstl.org.

The Performing Arts Department at Washington University presents Ntozake Shange's choreopoem for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf Thursday through Saturday at 8 pm and Sunday at 2 pm, November 21-24. " The Obie Award-winning for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf has excited, inspired, and transformed audiences all over the country. From its inception in California in 1974 to its New York production at the New Federal Theatre and subsequent co-production with Joseph Papp's Public Theater and on Broadway, for colored girls… has become a highly acclaimed critical success. Passionate and fearless, Shange's words reveal what it is to be of color and female in the twentieth century. First published in 1975 when it was praised by The New Yorker for "encompassing...every feeling and experience a woman has ever had," for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf is a groundbreaking dramatic prose poem written in vivid and powerful language that resonates with unusual beauty in its fierce message to the world." The performances take place in the A.E. Hotchner Studio Theatre on the Washington University campus. For more information, call 314-935-6543 or visit pad.artsci.wustl.edu.

It's a Wonderful Life
Photo: Jennifer Lin

Metro Theatre Company presents It's a Wonderful Life, based on the classic film, through December 15. "The beloved American holiday classic leaps to life on stage in a delightful, heartwarming new adaptation. John Wolbers' "It's a Wonderful Life" has a clever twist: it's staged as a play within a play, more specifically a radio play within a play. On Christmas Eve 1949, KMTC Radio St. Louis is prepared to perform a live radio broadcast of "It's a Wonderful Life," when unexpected events transform the station's staff into the radio play's actors. Complete with microphones, live sound effects by a Foley artist, 1940s period costumes, and a diverse company of characters, the play tells the story of George Bailey and his discovery of the life-affirming message that one life can change the whole fabric of a community. " The performances take place at The Grandel Theatre, 3610 Grandel Square in Grand Center.. For more information: metroplays.org.

The Monroe Actors Stage presents the musical It's a Wonderful Life, based on the classic film Friday and Saturday at 7:30 and Sunday at 2:30 pm, November 22-24. Performances take place in the Historic Capitol Theatre in downtown Waterloo, Illinois. For more information, visit www.masctheatre.org or call 618-939-7469.

St. Louis Community College at Meramec presents Maple and Vine Wednesday through Saturday at 7:30 and Sunday at 2 pm, November 20-24. "Katha and Ryu have become allergic to their 21st-century lives. After they meet a charismatic man from a community of 1950s re-enactors, they forsake cell phones and sushi for cigarettes and Tupperware parties. In this compulsively authentic world, Katha and Ryu are surprised by what their new neighbors - and they themselves - are willing to sacrifice for happiness." Performances take place in the theatre on the campus at 11333 Big Bend Road. For more information, www.stlcc.eduor call 314-984-7500.

St. Louis University Theatre presents Rabbit Hole by David Lindsay-Abaire Thursday through Saturday at 8 pm and Sunday at 2 pm, November 21-24. "Rabbit Hole by David Lindsay-Abaire won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2007 and tells the story of Becca and Howie Corbett. When a tragedy upends their lives, they struggle with their relationship, their family, and the challenging process of surviving an unimaginable loss." Performances take place in Xavier Hall, 3373 West Pine Mall. For more information: slu.edu/utheatre.

The St. Louis Family Theatre Series presents the Theatreworks USA production of Rosie Revere, Engineer Saturday and Sunday, November 23 and 24 at 2 pm. " Ms. Greer's classroom includes three inquisitive out-of-the-box thinkers. Rosie Revere has big dreams. Iggy Peck has a relentless passion for architecture. And Ada Twist's curiosity can drive her teacher crazy. A fun new musical based on the books Rosie Revere, Engineer; Iggy Peck, Architect; and Ada Twist Scientist by Andrea Beaty, which spotlights the STEMcurriculum (focusing on science, technology, engineering and math). TheatreworksUSA, New York, NY" Performances take place at the Florissant Civic Center Theatre at Parker and Waterford in Florissant, MO. For more information, call 314-921-5678 or visit www.florissantmo.com

Shakespeare Festival St. Louis presents a staged reading of Tidy: A Play About Mass Extinction by Kristin Idaszak as part of the Confluence New Play Festival on Saturday, November 23, at 8 pm. "A struggling detective novelist recently read a self-help book about how to be happy. Actually, it's about how to tidy. As she cleans her house, the novelist excavates her own personal history and the history of the planet. But as she discovers troubling gaps in her memory, a series of clues lead her closer to an answer she may not want to find. Tidy: a play about mass extinction examines the holes in our lives that we try to fill through consumption, and how we decide what to keep and what to leave behind. Who and what will survive the sixth mass extinction? And will it spark joy?" The reading takes place at the Kranzberg Arts Center, 501 N. Grand in Grand Center. For more information: www.sfstl.com

Uvee Hayes

The Blue Strawberry presents The True Facts of Life As Revealed by the Blues and Soul of Uvee Hayes on Saturday, November 23, at 8 pm. "A Macon, Mississippi native, Uvee Hayes was born and reared with the Blues. Her mom had a little country store where she would have Friday and Saturday night gatherings. People would come from all over to play, to sing, to listen, to dance. 'You heard nothing but the blues,' says Uvee, 'and those folks danced the dust up off the floor'." Join Uvee for a night of classic Blues straight from the source." Kapree Graves sings backup with a band consisting of James McKay on bass, Cornelius Davis on piano, Dennis Brock on lead guitar, Keith Robinson on drums, and Chris 'Iron Jaw' Taylor on harmonica. The Blue Strawberry is at 364 N. Boyle in the Central West End. For more information: www.bluestrawberrystl.com.

Webster University's Conservatory of Theatre Arts presents Shakespeare's Twelfth Night Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 pm and Sunday at 2 pm, November 21-24. "Viola has been shipwrecked in a violent storm off the coast of Illyria; in the process she has lost her twin brother, Sebastian. She disguises herself as a boy and assumes the name Cesario for protection. Thus disguised, Viola enters the world of Twelfth Night. This cross-dressing, ship-wreck surviving, poetry-loving girl finds herself at the center of a not-so-average love triangle. " Performances take place on the Browning Mainstage Theater of the Loretto-Hilton Center on the Webster University campus. For more information, www.webster.edu or call 314-968-7128.

The Women of LockerbiePhoto: Joey Rumpell

Slightly Askew Theatre Ensemble presents The Women of Lockerbie through November 23. "The Women of Lockerbie is written in the structure of a Greek Tragedy, examining the crash of Pan Am 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland. The story follows, Madeline, a mother from New Jersey searching the hills of Lockerbie for her son's remains. She encounters the women of Lockerbie, who are struggling against the U.S. government to get the clothing of the victims found in the plane's wreckage. The women, determined to convert an act of hatred into an act of love, want to wash the clothes and return them to the victim's families. The Women of Lockerbie is inspired by the true story." Performances take place at The Chapel Venue, 6238 Alexander Drive. For more information: slightlyoff.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.

St. Louis classical calendar for the week of November 18, 2019

There's a lot of concert action at Washington University this week, along with some classical favorites elsewhere.

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The artistic directors of The Chamber Project

The Chamber Project STL presents Beauty on Friday, November 22, at 7:30 pm. "Redefining the ideal. Who gets to decide what's beautiful and why? From the old tradition of Brahms, to the new pop infused, multicultural sounds of Dinuk Wijerante, and new sounds from one of St. Louis' most creative and original musicians, Syna So Pro, the music on this program will give you new ways to hear old sounds." The concert, which is preceded by a Happy Hour at 5 pm, takes place at the Contemporary Art Museum at 3750 Washington in Grand Center. For more information: chamberprojectstl.org.

The St. Louis Philharmonic Orchestra presents a concert of music by Beethoven, Verdi, Rossini, Sinigaglia, and Dvorak on Frday, November 22, at 8 p.m. Program, which features the winner of the orchestra's Aspiring Young Soloist Contest, consists of Elgar's Cockaigne Overture, Glazanov's "Autumn" from The Seasons, Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 2, and a work to be selected by the winning soloist. The concert takes place in Purser Auditorium on the campus of Logan University, 1851 Shoettler Road in Chesterfield, MO. For more information: stlphilharmonic.org.

Simon Trpčeski
Photo courtesy of SLSO

Marcelo Lehninge conducts The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, along with piano soloist Simon Simon Trpčeski, in Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 1 along with Hindemith's Concert Music for Strings and Brass, and Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition in the Ravel orchestration on Friday and Saturday at 8 pm, November 22 and 23. "The SLSO is a chameleon. In Ravel's hands, the orchestra becomes a gnome on crooked legs, a clutch of chicks, a group of quarreling children. Prokofiev makes the SLSO sigh and emote, and in Hindemith's Concert Music, the brass and strings paint with rich, dark colors. Pianist Simon Trp_eski returns to play Prokofiev's concerto, music that runs through his veins." Performances take place at Powell Symphony Hall in Grand Cente. For more information: stlsymphony.org.

The University City Symphony Orchestra

The University City Symphony Orchestra performs on Sunday, November 24, at 3 pm, with a pre-concert talk at 2:15 pm. "We hope you join us in a celebration of Spain, with guest artist Alejandro Drago performing Pedro Vilarroig's Violin Concerto. This contemporary work premiered last season in Spain and North Dakota, and we are excited to share it with our St. Louis community. Guest conductor Vicente Ariño Pellicer will travel from Spain to lead the orchestra for this special performance. The program will conclude with Ludwig van Beethoven's 7th Symphony.” The performance takes place at the 560 Music Center, 560 Trinity in University City. For more information: ucso.org.

The Department of Music at Washington University presents a Friends of Music Concerto Competition on Tuesday, November 19, at 4 pm. The event takes place in the E. Desmond Lee Concert Hall at the 560 Music Center, 560 Trinity in University City. For more information: music.wustl.edu/events.

The Department of Music at Washington University presents a Wind Ensemble Concert on Thursday, November 21, at 7:30 pm. The event includes music by Alfred Reed, Aaron Perrine, and Gustav Holst, takes place in the E. Desmond Lee Concert Hall at the 560 Music Center, 560 Trinity in University City. For more information: music.wustl.edu/events.

The Department of Music at Washington University presents a Guitar Gala on Friday, November 22, at 8 pm. The event includes music by Bach, Tarregá, and Villa-Lobos, takes place in the Pillsbury Theatre at the 560 Music Center, 560 Trinity in University City. For more information: music.wustl.edu/events.

The Department of Music at Washington University presents a Piano Division Recital on Saturday, November 23, at 2 pm. The event includes music by Chopin, Rachmaninoff, and Liszt, takes place in the E. Desmond Lee Concert Hall at the 560 Music Center, 560 Trinity in University City. For more information: music.wustl.edu/events.

The Department of Music at Washington University presents a concert by the University Concert Choir and Chamber Choir on Sunday, November 24, at 7 pm. The event includes music by John Rutter and Jennifer Higdon, takes place in the E. Desmond Lee Concert Hall at the 560 Music Center, 560 Trinity in University City. For more information: music.wustl.edu/events.