Last call for Wicked at the Fox and Pride and Prejudice at the Rep, plus a new cabaret from a local singer who has gone on to the Big Time in the Big Apple.
New This Week:
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| Katie McGrath |
The Blue Strawberry presents
Home(sick) for the Holidays with singer
Katie McGrath and
Rick Jensen on piano on Saturday, December 28, at 8 pm. "Katie McGrath shares the conflict of loving life in Manhattan but missing her St. Louis family, friends, landmarks and holiday traditions, including her indoor caroling party of 20 years. She tells her story using songs from the Great American Songbook, pop, rock and Christmas hymnals. Merry Keller and Bob Becherer are her special guests. All proceeds will be donated to the St. Louis difference-making non-profit Pianos for People." The Blue Strawberry is at 364 N. Boyle in the Central West End. For more information:
www.bluestrawberrystl.com.
My take: When
I reviewed Ms. McGrath's
Signficant Others show in 2017 at the Gaslight, I said that anyone wanting to write a textbook on how to do cabaret could start with
Significant Others, so there's reason to expect great stuff from her latest show. I have known Ms. McGrath for over a decade, going back to when we both attended an early edition of the St. Louis Cabaret Conference. Even then, before experience and training had allowed her to polish her craft, it was obvious that her singing had the immediacy and emotional truth that is at the heart of cabaret performance. No wonder that Gerry Geddes, in a
review of the NYC debut of
Significant Others, wrote that Ms. McGrath has now "pursued, captured, and pretty much perfected cabaret performance." As an added bonus, the immensely talented Rick Jensen will be at the keyboard and Ms. McGrath will have some fine local guest artists as well.
Held Over:
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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: Notices for this show 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 saw it last week and found it utterly engaging; highly recommended.
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Wicked
Photo 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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