The big pre-Christmas theatre rush continues this week, with a lot of shows to recommend.
New This Week:
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| Ben Nordstrom |
The Blue Strawberry presents
Ben Nordstrom: My Favorite Stuff on Sunday, December 17, at 7 pm. "With an affable charm, a quick joke, and a soaring tenor, Ben will share musical stories of parenting, love, theatre, and of course, the holidays. My Favorite Stuff marks Ben Nordstrom's solo debut at Blue Strawberry. He’ll be joined by the iconic Steve Neale on piano. Together, they will span a wide array of musical styles from 70s pop/rock to contemporary musical comedy to the Great American Songbook. By the end of the night, Ben’s favorite stuff will be yours too." The Blue Strawberry is at 364 N. Boyle in the Central West End. For more information:
www.bluestrawberrystl.com.
My take: Here's a duet show by a pair of well known and highly regarded local theatre and cabaret artists. Mr. Nordstrom has a long resume that includes dramatic and comic roles, along with extensive musical theatre work, while Mr. Neale is a composer, conductor, pianist, and vocalist who is much in demand here in town. It looks like an unbeatable combination to me. I will definitely be there on Sunday.
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The Cricket on the Hearth
Photo: John Lamb |
The West End Players Guild continues its 109th season with the world premiere of Vladimir Zelevinski's adaptation of Charles Dickens's
The Cricket on the Hearth Thursday through Saturday at 8 pm and Sunday at 2 pm, December 12-15. "In mid-19th century London John and Dot have fallen in love and married. Theirs is a May-December match (she is young and spritely, he is older and wiser), as unlikely as it is loving. The joy of their life is their bouncing baby boy, and their home is guarded by a friendly cricket who chirps from the hearth, an omen of good fortune. Then, a mysterious stranger enters their lives. Has he brought with him suffering and sorrow that will tear apart the lives of John, Dot and their friends, or does he bring gentler gifts? We won't spoil the ending, except to say that you just might leave the theatre with your heart a little warmer than when you entered." Performances take place at the Union Avenue Christian Church, 733 North Union at Enright in the Central West End. For more information, call 314-367-0025 or visit
www.westendplayers.org.
My take: I saw this last night and was impressed by every aspect of it, from the solid acting, to the smart direction, to the fanciful sets, to the remarkably faithful adaptation of Dickens's somewhat odd original story, including it's strange, surreal final moments. I have had
occasion to admire Mr. Zelevinski's work as a playwright in the past. He has once again fulfilled my expectations. Disclaimer: I serve on the board of WEPG as well as the play selection committee, but have had no hand in this production.
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Fully Committed
Photo: John Gitchoff |
New Jewish Theater presents the comedy
Fully Committed Thursdays at 7:30 pm, Saturdays at 4 and 8 pm, and Sundays at 2 pm through December 22 "The New Jewish Theatre's Artistic Director, Eddie Coffield, Artistic Director, announces the cast and creative team of Fully Committed. Arriving just in time for the holidays, Becky Mode's hilarious hit lets the madness run wild. “I am overjoyed to bring Fully Committed to the New Jewish Theatre during the most festive time of year!” Coffield said. “There's no actor more equipped to tackle 40-plus characters than our beloved Will Bonfiglio. I can hardly wait for St. Louis to see Will bring this timeless, one-man tour-de-force to life!” This hilarious comedy features more than 40 characters that come to life through one actor.” Performances take place in the Marvin and Harlene Wool Studio Theater at the Jewish Community Center, 2 Millstone Campus Drive in Creve Coeur. For more information:
www.newjewishtheatre.org or call 314-442-3283.
My take: A one-actor show can be great fun if the script is worthwhile and the actor is up to the task. I've seen this show three times (here at the Rep and Stray Dog, and in Chicago with Bronson Pinchot) and found it vastly entertaining every time. The characters in Becky Mode's script are deftly and convincingly drawn, which raises this above the level of a simple virtuoso acting display. Mr. Bonfiglio has earned plenty of praise for his work on stage and is getting good notices for his performance here. "Bonfiglio doesn’t break a sweat at the frequently breakneck pace of character switches,"
writes Ann Lemmons Pollack, "flying back and forth between voices and faces. He’s just plain terrific. And he’s terrifically funny." That's pretty typical of the notices thus far. You should maybe get your tickets sooner rather than later.
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A Life in the Theatre
Photo: Patrick Huber |
St. Louis Actors' Studio presents
A Life in the Theatre by David Mamet Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm and Sundays at 3 pm through December 22. "The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of
Glengarry Glen Ross and
Speed-The-Plow, takes us into the lives of two actors: John, young and rising into the first flush of his success; the other Robert, older, anxious, and beginning to wane. In a series of short, spare, and increasingly raw exchanges, we see the estrangement of youth from age and the wider, inevitable and endless cycle of life, in and out of the theatre." Performances take place at the Gaslight Theatre on North Boyle in the Central West End. For more information, call 314-458-2978 or visit
stlas.org.
My take: I have found Mamet less and less interesting as he sinks deeper and deeper into his Angry Old White Guy role, but
A Life in the Theatre is a much earlier work (from 1977) and free of political axe grinding. Reviews for the STLAS production have been good, with
Calvin Wilson's notice for stltoday.com being a good example, which describes the show as "spellbinding and frequently hilarious...a rare and illuminating glimpse into what goes on in the mind and heart of an actor."
That Uppity Theatre Company and the
St. Louis University Department of Fine and Performing Arts present
Playhouse Emissions: Climate Change Theatre Action St. Louis 2019 on Friday, December 13, at 7:30 pm. "Produced by Joan Lipkin, and directed by Thomas Martin, Anna Blair and Alex Knapp, "Playhouse Emissions: Climate Change Theatre Action St. Louis 2019" will feature a sampling of the CCTA international collection of short plays inspired by climate change and prevailing attitudes towards science. In 2017, close to 140 collaborators in 23 countries hosted events, reaching an audience of 12,000. In the US, 90 events took place in 60 cities." The performance takes place at the Mark Wilson Theatre on the campus of St. Louis University. Admission is free. For more information:
www.climatechangetheatreaction.com
My take: I haven't seen this and won't have the opportunity to do so, but I think the topic is important enough and the production company professional enough to make this worth your attention.
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Pride and Prejudice
Photo: Phillip Hamer |
The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents
Pride and Prejudice, adapted from the Jane Austen novel by Christopher Baker, through December 29. "In a world of opulent estates and lavish private balls, where women's entire futures hinge on marriage, Elizabeth Bennet stands apart. With a vibrant wit and a headstrong sense of pride, Elizabeth places her own needs first and refuses to marry for mere convenience. But she meets her match in the unlikely figure of Mr. Darcy. Beginning as a testy battle of words and ideas, their relationship blossoms into a remarkable romance between two passionate intellects who play by their own rules. " Performances take place at the Loretto-Hilton Center on the Webster University campus. For more information:
repstl.org.
My take: Here's another show I won't see until later this weekend, but notices have been very positive. "Augustin Family Artistic Director Hana S. Sharif makes her directorial debut at The Rep with this exquisitely conceived and accomplished paean to the timeless charm and acute observations of novelist Jane Austen," writes Mark Bretz
at Ladue News. "The Rep’s adaptation of Austen’s enduring novel, Pride and Prejudice, is impossibly romantic and richly rapturous in its depiction of Austen’s finely etched characters."
At stltoday.com, Calvin Wilson calls this "a brilliantly entertaining show that immediately sweeps the audience up in its joyous storytelling. Deftly sidestepping stodginess, Sharif elicits smart, engaging performances that bring Austen’s characters to vibrant life." I'm looking forward to it.
Held Over:
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| Dean as Dean |
The Blue Strawberry presents
Dean Christopher: A Classic-Vegas, Rat-Pack Christmas on Friday, December 13, at 8 pm. "One of the greatest eras in the history of entertainment, Classic Vegas meets the holiday season head-on. The style, the entertainers, all brought to life and rolled up into your favorite holiday tunes by award winning actor, singer, impressionist, Dean Christopher and his band. A holiday show you soon won't forget. Not to mention a surefire way to get into the holiday spirit." The Blue Strawberry is at 364 N. Boyle in the Central West End. For more information:
bluestrawberrystl.com.
My take: Basically a holiday version of the "Rat Pack" tribute Mr. Christopher has been performing with great success for many years, the evening is an homage to the kind of flashy, mid-1960s Las Vegas nightclub show perfected by legendary performers like Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis, Jr. It's also 90 minutes of rock-solid, raucous entertainment; not to be missed. See
my review for KDHX for more details.
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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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WickedPhoto courtesy of The Fabulous Fox
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The Fox Theatre presents the musical
Wicked opening on Wednesday, December 4, at 7:30 pm and running through December 29. "So much happened before Dorothy dropped in. WICKED, the Broadway sensation, looks at what happened in the Land of Oz…but from a different angle. Long before Dorothy arrives, there is another young woman, born with emerald-green skin-smart, fiery, misunderstood, and possessing an extraordinary talent. When she meets a bubbly blonde who is exceptionally popular, their initial rivalry turns into the unlikeliest of friendships…until the world decides to call one “good,” and the other one “wicked.”" The Fox Theatre is at 527 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information:
fabulousfox.com.
My take: I haven't seen this particular tour, but in
my review of the 2005 tour I noted that composer/lyricist Stephen Schwartz and book author Winnie Holtzman have done a remarkable job of simplifying and reducing the story of Gregory McGuire's original novel while still remaining true to the original characters and their relationships. The score is one of Schwartz's best, and that's saying something.
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