New this week: cabaret, contemporary drama, and an amazing one-woman show.
New This Week:
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My Name is Asher Lev
Photo by John Gitchoff |
New Jewish Theater presents
My Name is Asher Lev Thursdays at 7:30 pm, Saturdays at 4 and 8 pm, and Sundays at 2 pm through February 9. "
My Name is Asher Lev follows the journey of a young Jewish painter torn between his Hassidic upbringing and his desperate need to fulfill his artistic promise. When his artistic genius threatens to destroy his relationship with his parents and community, young Asher realizes he must make a difficult choice between art and faith. This stirring adaptation of a modern classic presents a heartbreaking and triumphant vision of what it means to be an artist." 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: Reviews for this one have been good as well, but rather than give you a sampling, here's a longer quote from Michelle Kenyon's review
at her blog that seems to sum it up well: "New Jewish Theatre's latest production is a compelling showcase for excellent local actors. It's also a fascinating look at one person's struggle to find his place in two different worlds that seem at odds with one another. My Name is Asher Lev is a well-structured, almost poetic look at an artist's journey of self-discovery, and his relationship with his art, his faith, his family, and the world around him."
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Songs for Nobodies
Photo by John Lamb |
Max and Louie Productions presents
Songs for Nobodies, starring
Debbie Lennon, Thursdays at 7:30 pm, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm, and Sundays at 3 pm through February 2. "This one-woman powerhouse performance, starring Debby Lennon, weaves the music of legendary divas Judy Garland, Patsy Cline, Billie Holiday, Edith Piaf, and Maria Callas throughout a mosaic of stories told by the everyday women who had unexpected life-changing encounters with these musical icons." Performances take place at the Kranzberg Center, 501 N. Grand in Grand Center. For more information:
maxandlouie.com
My take: After seeing this last night, I have come to the conclusion that there is nothing Debby Lennon can't do. If she were to walk on water, I would not be surprised. As it is she plays 10 different roles including five legendary singers with unique vocal and performance styles (Judy Garland, Patsy Cline, Edith Piaf, Billie Holiday, and Maria Callas) with uncanny accuracy. Which is pretty close to miraculous. This is one you really should not miss.
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| Kristen Goodman |
The Blue Strawberry presents
Kristen Goodman in
Unrequited on Friday, January 31, at 8 pm. "St. Louis's own versatile vocalist and local musician, Kristen Goodman, is presenting an unforgettable evening of cabaret featuring some of the most beautiful, heartbreaking songs of Broadway and popular music. From Cole Porter to Stephen Sondheim, from Joni Mitchell to Sara Bareilles, Kristen has curated a night of songs that vary widely in their styles, yet express the common human experience of grief, loss, and unrequited love. Kristen will be joined by the talents of Ron Bryant on keys, Andy Hainz on bass, Dustin Sholtes on drums, and guest vocalist Cindy Minnis." The Blue Strawberry is at 364 N. Boyle in the Central West End. For more information:
www.bluestrawberrystl.com.
My take: Kristen Goodman is a fine singer and solid cabaret artist. I probably won't get to see this myself, but based on what I have seen her do in the past, I have no hesitation recommending this show.
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Wildfire
Photo by ProPhotoSTL |
Upstream Theater presents
Wildfire through February 9. "Claudette, Claudia, Claudine, Carol, Callum, and Caroline have more in common than names that begin with C-they are haunted by a family history of childhood trauma, which unfolds across three generations-and then loops back … to the future. They do what they can to survive. Sometimes by baking cookies, sometimes by playing fantasy games, and sometimes by smashing a hammer into a TV. Highly absurd, terribly funny and beautifully constructed, WILDFIRE is a mix of ferocious black comedy and a humanistic worldview which recognizes that seemingly unremarkable lives can experience extraordinary fates." Performances take place at the Marcelle Theatre in Grand Center. For more information, including show times:
upstreamtheater.org.
My take: The concept behind this show is intriguing, and reviews have generally been quite good. At the Post-Dispatch, for example, Calvin Wilson
describes this as a "strange and wonderful comedy...which is not only incredibly imaginative but also outrageously hilarious." KDHX's Jacob Juntunen
calls it "a fast-paced, fun, darkly humorous production." It's clearly not a conventional work, but maybe that's all the more reason to go.
Held Over:
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Madam
Photo by Caroline Guffey |
Fly North Theatricals presents the new musical
Madam through February 2. "ELIZA HAYCRAFT - She built an EMPIRE of brothels based on three simple rules. . . RESPECT, CONSENT, and PAY UP FRONT! In 1870 - she was the richest and most powerful woman in the City of St. Louis! But in 1870, Eliza Haycraft was dying. . . And the richest and most powerful men in the City of St. Louis. . . They were hellbent on taking it all away from her. With a score by STL-based composer Colin Healy (The Gringo, Forgottonia) described as 'power swing', fusing elements of modern pop and musical theatre with traditional St. Louis blues and swing revival, you can move-and-be-moved by this turbulent story about the right to be remembered, the meaning of love, and the power of 'no.'" Performances take place at the .ZACK, 3224 Locust in Grand Center. For more information:
https://flynorththeatricals.com/events.
My take: New scripts are always welcome (as our new theatre companies), and a couple of our local critics are very taken with both the show and the production. "
Madam," writes Michelle Kenyon
on her blog, "takes a look at a once-prominent but now more obscure figure in St. Louis history, fashioning a story around her that proves to be a vehicle for a memorable score and strong performances. Even though some of the plot elements are predictable, it proves to be a thoroughly entertaining theatrical experience." "While the acting is solid," writes Mark Bretz
at Ladue News, "what really distinguishes in this production of Madam are the standout vocal performances by the cast. The women in particular have stellar voices which beautifully shape Healy's lyrics and successfully navigate his sometimes intricate melodies."
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The Thanksgiving Play
Photo by Phil Hamer |
The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents
The Thanksgiving Play through February 9. "Four earnestly progressive theatre-makers want to create a politically correct Thanksgiving play that is historically accurate, avoids all possible stereotypes and doesn't offend anyone. Guess how long it takes for everything to fly off the rails? This wickedly hilarious satire hurtles into glorious chaos, skewering both its characters' pretensions and the traditional "Thanksgiving story."" Performances take place in the Studio Theatre at the Loretto-Hilton Center on the Webster University campus. For more information:
repstl.org.
My take: The best of intentions can be taken to silly extremes. I have seen it happen in real life, so the premise of this comedy strikes me as fairly plausible. As Ann Lemmons Pollack writes
in her blog, playwright Larissa FastHorse is "really tired of how history is so often wrong, being written by the winners, and how strongly people cling to the errors despite information to the contrary. Her attempt to set things straight on the subject of Thanksgiving, rather than a this-is-what-really-happened line, is a comedy to remind us to think more about the real story of Thanksgiving, and, by inference, a lot of other things...Great fun, considerable laughter, and ninety minutes with no intermission. " "FastHorse's satire is incisive but affectionate," writes Calvin Wilson
at the Post-Dispatch, "maintaining a tone somewhere between 'Doonesbury' and Dorothy Parker. And her comically flustered characters are at once quirky and recognizable."
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