Symphony Preview: String theories

The string section is the backbone of the symphony orchestra, but even so, it’s rare to see them dominate a program the way they will when David Danzmayr conducts the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra (SLSO) at 10:30 am and 7:30 pm this Friday (December 1, 2023). The wind and percussion sections don’t show up until after intermission, and even then, there are only a “baker’s dozen” of them. Sounds that are plucked and bowed will be more common than those that are struck and (ahem) blowed.

[Preview the music with the SLSO's Spotify playlist.]

Jessie Montgomery
Photo by Jiyang Chen

The concerts open with "Strum” by Jessie Montgomery (b. 1981), a violinist and composer whose colorful "Starburst" was the first piece to be played on the stage at Powell when it reopened on a limited basis on October 15th, 2020, after a seven-month shutdown due to the beginning of the COVID-19 epidemic. The composer says the title refers to "an upward and downward (back and forth) pizzicato stroke" for the strings that mimics the sound of a strummed guitar. "Drawing on American folk idioms and the spirit of dance and movement," she writes, "the piece has a kind of narrative that begins with fleeting nostalgia and transforms into ecstatic celebration."

It achieves that by employing a wide variety of techniques as the string players pluck, strum, and bow in ways that call to mind everything from Appalachian folk tunes to guitar rock. You can hear that right from the start in the Catalyst Quartet's recording in this week's Spotify playlist, with Ms. Montgomery herself on second violin. Given her participation, we can probably regard that as the definitive performance. It certainly rocks and sings with virtuosity and spirit.

First performed by members of the SLSO in its string quartet version in the fall of 2020, “Strum” will be heard this weekend in an arrangement for full string orchestra that had its first performance on October 14, 2023, by Sinfonia Rotterdam. This will be the local debut of this latest version.

Up next is the Concerto in A minor for Oboe and Strings, written in 1943–44 by Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872–1958). As the date indicates, this was a work written under the shadow of World War II, and in fact, its world premiere had to be postponed for over three months and moved from London to Liverpool because of the Luftwaffe’s bombardment of the British capital with the infamous V-1 flying bomb.

You’d never know that from the mix of moods that characterizes much of the concerto, though. The opening “Rondo pastorale” has a kind of thoughtful nostalgia and a pentatonic melody that evokes images of “England's green and pleasant land,” while the “Minuet and Musette” second movement continues in a bucolic vein with (as the title suggests) a mix of the court and country dances.

Ralph Vaughan Williams

The concluding “Scherzo” expands the emotional scope of the work significantly. It opens in a jaunty enough mood, but soon moves on to moments of longing and even anxiety before returning to the calmer world of the opening movement. It all concludes with a rapid mini cadenza ending on a sustained pianissimo high D that, “continues to strike fear into oboists.” Given that this Friday’s soloist is SLSO Principal Oboe Jelena Dirks, however, I don’t expect that to be an issue.

The concerts conclude with the Symphony No. 2 in D major, op. 36, by Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827). Written in 1802, the year in which the composer’s deafness was becoming apparent and in which he composed the famous “Heiligenstadt Testament”—a letter intended for (but never sent to) his brothers documenting his despair and hinting at suicide—the symphony shows not a trace of the anguish that plagued its creator. “In this Symphony,” wrote Hector Berlioz, “everything is noble, energetic, proud.” It’s as though the composer sought release from his dark mood in unstintingly sunny music.

Ironically, that unbridled cheerfulness rankled some stuffy critics at the work’s premiere at the Theater an der Wien on April 5th 1803. The French journal Tablettes de Polymnie grumbled about its “barbaric chords” that suggested “doves and crocodiles…locked up together.” The Vienna Zeitung für die elegante Welt declared it “a hideously wounded, writhing dragon that refuses to die.” Listening to the work now, one wonders what was up with those guys. A bad Schnitzel at the local Gaststätte maybe? In any case, audiences have found the Second Symphony pretty irresistible over the centuries. I expect you will as well.

The Essentials: David Danzmayr conducts the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and oboe soloist Jelena Dirks in a program of Jessie Montgomery’s “Strum”, the Vaughan Williams Oboe Concerto, and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 2 on Friday, December 1, at 10:30 am and 7:30 pm. The performances take place at the Touhill Center on the University of Missouri—St. Louis campus. The Friday evening concert will be broadcast on Saturday, December 2, at 7:30 pm on St. Louis Public Radio and Classic 107.3 and will be available for streaming for a limited time at the SLSO web site.

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

St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of November 27, 2023

What's on St. Louis theater and cabaret stages this coming week. Please leave a comment if anything was wrong or got left out

Stella Katherine Cole

The Blue Strawberry presents An Evening with Stella Katherine Cole Thursday through Saturday, November 30 through December 2, at 7:30 pm. “Stella Katherine Cole returns to the stage where her solo performance career began. In the year since, Stella has gone from 300,000 social media followers to more than 800,000. People connect with her. Michael Bublé, James Taylor, Meghan Trainor, Betty Buckley, Stephanie J Block, and Donna Murphy have. They've all praised and reposted her videos. Stella exists out of time. She could have been plucked straight out of and old MGM movie. The joy she feels from the Great American Songbook is palpable and irresistible, and the honesty of her performance profoundly moving.”  The Blue Strawberry is at 364 N. Boyle. For more information: bluestrawberrystl.com.

Cherokee Street Theatre presents The Goonies Live Holiday Show December 1 through 9. “A group of young misfits called The Goonies discover an ancient map and set out on an adventure to find a legendary pirate's long-lost treasure. Prepare to celebrate the 1980s classic as a live-action laugh-out-loud holiday parody.” Performances take place upstairs at The Golden Record, 2720 Cherokee. For more information: https://www.cherokeestreettheatercompany.com

Cirque de Soliel's 'Twas the Night Before...
Photo: Michael Last

The Fabulous Fox presents Cirque de Soleil’s ‘Twas the Night Before… November 29 through December 10. “‘Twas the Night Before… is Cirque du Soleil’s first holiday show, based on the classic poem “A Visit from Saint Nicolas” by Clement Clarke Moore. Memorable lines from this cherished classic inspired Cirque’s story about a jaded young girl who rediscovers the magic of the holidays. A festive flurry of love and cheer created especially for families, ‘Twas the Night Before… features thrilling acrobatics, lovable characters - and a soundtrack including holiday classics re-invented by Cirque du Soleil. The show was conceived and is directed by Cirque du Soleil Senior Artistic Director James Hadley, a 25-year veteran of circus productions and live theater.” The Fabulous Fox is on North Grand in Grand Center. For more information: https://fabulousfox.com

First Run Theatre presents Leannán Sidhe Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm and Sundays at 2 pm through December 3.   “Leannán Sidhe is Irish Gaelic for "fairy lover."  Our play is centered around Mya, a writer who lives in her dreams.  In her world the full moon is constantly out, it's always summer, and the dashing British actor Vincent Thane is her lover.  But is Vincent real, another fantasy, or some of both?  A funny and moving play about how dangerous it can be to achieve your dreams.” Performances take place at the Kranzberg Center in Grand Center. For more information: https://firstruntheatre.org.

The Lemp Mansion Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre and Jest Mysteries present Harm for the Hoidays  through January 13, 2024. "This may look like a festive Holiday Party for a family-owned, candle-making business but there is danger lurking beneath the mistletoe! Slimy characters, sneaky thieves, blackmailers, cheats and liars prowl around every corner and you oughta know since you’re one of them!  They’re malicious conspiring reveals the true nature of Harm Enterprises…organized crime (shhh…don’t tell Grandpa!)  But the shortest fuse in the room belongs to Hector Harm, he’s the grinchiest of the Harm siblings and he’s got one of his beady little eyes on old Grandma Harm’s Job.  Hope he doesn’t snuff her out before her time!" The Lemp Mansion is at 3322 DeMenil Place in south city. For more information: www.lempmansion.com

Into the Woods
Photo: Ethan Alesworth

New Jewish Theatre presents Sondheim’s Into the Woods Thursdays at 7:30 pm, Saturdays at 4 and 8 pm and Sundays at 2 pm, November 30 through December 17. “What happens after happily ever after? Stephen Sondheim’s beloved musical revisits all your favorite fairy tale characters including Cinderella, Rapunzel, Jack and the Beanstalk and Little Red Riding Hood as they work to make their wishes come true, only to realize that sometimes getting what you want isn’t all you dreamed it would be. This Tony-Award winning musical adventure is at turns delightful and haunting, but always enchanting.” Performances take place at the SFC Performing Arts Center, 2 Millstone Campus Drive. For more information: jccstl.com/arts-ideas/new-jewish-theatre

New Line Theatre presents the world premiere of the rock musical Jesus & Johnny Appleweed's Holy Rollin' Family Christmas, with book, music, and lyrics by Scott Miller, Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 pm, November 30 through December 16. “Poor Harry Goodson learns his lessons the hard way, as he’s visited overnight by his dead twin brother, Jesus Christ, Sandra Dee, and Johnny Appleweed, and he finally learns what his family already knows, that the answer to all his problems is marijuana! A wacky companion piece to the unintentionally hilarious 1936 scare film Reefer Madness, this new musical is a crazy mashup of A Christmas Carol, Reefer Madness, and 1950s musical comedy, a tongue-in-cheek response to the War on Drugs and the Culture Wars, a comic look at what a little pot and a little truth can do to a normal, average, Midwestern, American family at mid-century, just as America plunges into the chaos of the 1960s.” .  Performances take place at the Grandel Theatre in Grand Center. For more information: http://www.newlinetheatre.com

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play December 1 through 23. “Engage your imagination in the world of vintage radio broadcasting as you rediscover the magic of the holiday season with It's A Wonderful Life - A Live Radio Play. Experience the Golden Age of Radio through this classic holiday film reimaged as a live radio performance. Bear witness to this timeliness holiday story that explores the life of George Bailey, a compassionate and selfless man, standing on the brink of despair, when an angel named Clarence is sent down to Earth to teach George the power of kindness, the importance of family and friends, and the realization that each life, no matter how ordinary it may seem, is truly wonderful.” Performances take on the main stage of the Loretto-Hilton Center on the Webster University campus.. For more information: www.repstl.org.

St. Louis Actors’ Studio presents Barrymore by William Luce December 1-10.  “Stalwart St. Louis actor John Contini returns to the STLAS stage to reprise the role in which Christopher Plummer won a Tony for his portrayal of John Barrymore. Each act begins with a stunning entrance onto a stage that the legendary actor has rented to prepare for a comeback performance of Richard III. Barrymore jokes with the audience, spars with an offstage prompter, reminisces about better times, and does delicious imitations of his siblings Lionel and Ethel.” Performances take place at the Gaslight Theater, 360 N. Boyle. For more information: stlas.org.

The St. Louis Shakespeare Festival presents the Q Brothers Christmas Carol through December 23. “In this laugh-out-loud hip-hop remix of Dickens’ classic tale, Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by the Ghosts of Hip-Hop Past, Present, and Future. As Scrooge is shown the path of rhythm and redemption, will he throw off his selfish chains and get down to the beat? Q Brothers Christmas Carol mixes everything from reggae to rock, taking this beloved tale of love, forgiveness, and Christmas spirit to the next level. Best enjoyed by ages 12 & up.” Performances take place at the National Blues Museum downtown. For more information: https://stlshakes.org/production/carol.

Stray Dog Theatre presents the Christopher Durang comedy Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All to You Thursdays through Saturdays at 8, November 30 through December 16, with an additional performance at 2 pm on Sunday December 10. “Sister Mary Ignatius has happily been teaching children about the glories of Catholicism and the perils of sin and hellfire for years at her church. What’s a good shepherd to do when it is revealed that members of her flock have strayed far from the path of righteousness? The results are surprising, yet absolutely hilarious. Sister Mary examines the sharp truths about  human nature and religion.” Performances take place at Tower Grove Abbey, 2336 Tennessee in Tower Grove East. For more information: www.straydogtheatre.org.

West End Players presents Walter Cronkite is Dead December 1 through 10. “A fierce thunderstorm has shut down airports up and down the East Coast. Two women, who appear to have nothing in common, are stuck in a waiting area at Reagan National Airport. Patty is a chatty southerner—a blue-collar woman from a red state—who is almost physically unable to tolerate silence. Margaret is a Washingtonian, reserved, educated, liberal and not interested in sharing her thoughts, or her table, with Patty. Forced together for a long night in a public place, the two strangers have no choice but to share a bottle of wine and begin to talk…and to listen. Their conversation is funny, difficult, deeply revealing and astonishingly frank. Patty and Margaret share details of their lives that lead them to a place of kinship neither of them could have imagined. Yes, Walter Cronkite is dead, but his wisdom and compassion lives on in this insightful comedy about what might be possible if people from opposite sides of the political aisle would stop shouting and take even one night to listen.” Performances take place at the Union Avenue Christian Church, 733 Union in the Central West End. For more information: westendplayers.org

Mark Twain: Himself

The Westport Playhouse presents Mark Twain: Himself at 7 pm Thursday through Saturday, November 30 – December 2. “This exciting show recreates the famous Mark Twain Shows of 100 years ago. Filled with hilarious comedy and compelling drama, this show is guaranteed to entertain and educate. It’s all in the words of Mark Twain. It’s more than fun; it’s an experience. Mr. Richard Garey combines his passion as an actor, his skill as a storyteller, and his expertise as a writer to bring the role of Mark Twain Himself to life.”  The Westport Playhouse is located in Westport Plaza in West County. For more information: thewestportplayhouse.com.

Looking for auditions and other artistic opportunities? Check out the St. Louis Auditions site.

To get your event listed here, send an email to chuck at kdhx.org Your event information should be in text format (i.e. not part of a graphic), but feel free to include publicity stills.

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 theatre calendar for the week of November 20, 2023

What's on St. Louis theater and cabaret stages this coming week. Please leave a comment if anything was wrong or got left out

Tim Schall and Carol Schmidt

The Blue Strawberry presents Sunday Standard Time with Tim Schall and Carol Schmidt on Sunday November 26 from 6:30 to 9:00pm. “Join Tim Schall (vocals) and Carol Schmidt (piano) in the lounge for a casual, classy Sunday evening of jazz standards, a little sophisticated pop and a dash of classic Broadway. Tim is no stranger to the theater and concert stages of St. Louis, Chicago and New York's Lincoln Center. Carol has a rich history of entertaining St. Louis audiences as musician and singer. Together they will help you wind down your weekend with timeless music and a lot of irreverent dry humor. This week's special guest is Lavonne Byers”  The Blue Strawberry is at 364 N. Boyle. For more information: bluestrawberrystl.com.

Tina - The Tina Turner Musical

The Fabulous Fox presents Tina – The Tina Turner Musical through November 26.  “An uplifting comeback story like no other, TINA – The Tina Turner Musical is the inspiring journey of a woman who broke barriers and became the Queen of Rock n’ Roll.  Set to the pulse-pounding soundtrack of her most beloved hits, this electrifying sensation will send you soaring to the rafters.” The Fabulous Fox is on North Grand in Grand Center. For more information: fabulousfox.com

First Run Theatre presents Leannán Sidhe Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm and Sundays at 2 pm, November 24 through December 3.   “Leannán Sidhe is Irish Gaelic for "fairy lover."  Our play is centered around Mya, a writer who lives in her dreams.  In her world the full moon is constantly out, it's always summer, and the dashing British actor Vincent Thane is her lover.  But is Vincent real, another fantasy, or some of both?  A funny and moving play about how dangerous it can be to achieve your dreams.” Performances take place at the Kranzberg Center in Grand Center. For more information: https://firstruntheatre.org.

The Lemp Mansion Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre and Jest Mysteries present Harm for the Hoidays  through January 13, 2024. "This may look like a festive Holiday Party for a family-owned, candle-making business but there is danger lurking beneath the mistletoe! Slimy characters, sneaky thieves, blackmailers, cheats and liars prowl around every corner and you oughta know since you’re one of them!  They’re malicious conspiring reveals the true nature of Harm Enterprises…organized crime (shhh…don’t tell Grandpa!)  But the shortest fuse in the room belongs to Hector Harm, he’s the grinchiest of the Harm siblings and he’s got one of his beady little eyes on old Grandma Harm’s Job.  Hope he doesn’t snuff her out before her time!" The Lemp Mansion is at 3322 DeMenil Place in south city. For more information: www.lempmansion.com

Just One Look
Photo: The Midnight Company

The Midnight Company presents Just One Look by Joe Hanrahan, starring Kelly Howe as Linda Ronstadt, on Wednesday November 22 at 7:30 pm. “Linda Ronstadt ruled the pop charts and filled stadiums in the 70’s and 80’s. The reigning rock goddess of her era, she later took on light opera - Gilbert and Sullivan on Broadway - and The Great American Songbook with Nelson Riddle. Her involvement in social issues accelerated during her relationship with California Governor Jerry Brown, then running for President. But for Linda, it was always a search for the next great song. Kelly Howe will portray Linda Ronstadt and sing her sensational songs.” The performance takes place at City Winery, 3730 Foundry Way, Suite 158. For more information: https://www.midnightcompany.com.

The St. Louis Shakespeare Festival presents the Q Brothers Christmas Carol November 21 through December 23. “In this laugh-out-loud hip-hop remix of Dickens’ classic tale, Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by the Ghosts of Hip-Hop Past, Present, and Future. As Scrooge is shown the path of rhythm and redemption, will he throw off his selfish chains and get down to the beat? Q Brothers Christmas Carol mixes everything from reggae to rock, taking this beloved tale of love, forgiveness, and Christmas spirit to the next level. Best enjoyed by ages 12 & up.” Performances take place at the National Blues Museum downtown. For more information: https://stlshakes.org/production/carol.

Looking for auditions and other artistic opportunities? Check out the St. Louis Auditions site.

To get your event listed here, send an email to chuck at kdhx.org Your event information should be in text format (i.e. not part of a graphic), but feel free to include publicity stills.

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 theatre calendar for the week of November 13, 2023

What's on St. Louis theater and cabaret stages this coming week. Please leave a comment if anything was wrong or got left out

One night only!

The Blue Strawberry presents TINA featuring Laka on Friday, November 17 at 7:30 pm. “A soulful singer and a stylish mover, lovely Laka shakes up a crowd up with her dynamite voice and magnetic presence. After multiple sold-out shows in downtown St. Louis, Laka returns to Blue Strawberry, transforming into her greatest musical inspiration, Tina Turner. Laka has spent years studying Tina's craft, embodying her iconic style and making it her own. This tribute spans Tina's her early St. Louis days with Ike to the stadium-filled success she found later in life, from humble beginnings to her triumph over nearly insurmountable odds. This is a high energy celebration of Tina's life and legacy. Get ready.”  The Blue Strawberry is at 364 N. Boyle in the Central West End. For more information: bluestrawberrystl.com

Matthew Scot

The Blue Strawberry presents singer Matthew Scott on Saturday, November 17 at 7:30 pm. “Matthew Scott ( Broadway credits: Jersey Boys, An American in Paris, Sondheim on Sondheim) has created a deeply personal - and therefore universal - show about the experiencing a big loss, and finding joy again. When Scott's dad was 33, The Jesus Year - and the title of this show - he came to know that he might not live to see his four young sons grow up. So he began writing them a letter — life lessons ranging from communication to spirituality to sex - that was found after his death, when Scott was 13. For Scott, the letter became a cherished guide to growing up as he navigated intimate relationships, a professional career, challenges with anxiety, and the early years of fatherhood to two sons of his own. Scott, who by then has taken Broadway by storm in a string of hits that includes Sondheim on Sondheim, Jersey Boys and An American in Paris — has woven his father‘s letter, anecdotes from his own life, and a collection of classic pop and Broadway songs (from Paul McCartney and Billy Joel to William Finn and Stephen Sondheim) into a moving and rousing one-man show, with direction by Joe Calarco and music direction by Vadim Feichtner.”  The Blue Strawberry is at 364 N. Boyle. For more information: bluestrawberrystl.com.

Bread and Roses Missouri presents by Colin McLaughlin Friday at 7 pm, Saturday at 3 and 7 pm, and Sunday at 3 pm, November 17 through 19. “In post-Civil War St. Louis industry is booming, but workers aren’t getting a fair deal from the bosses. Longshoreman Jonah must decide–join the growing strike, or stay on the job so he can continue to provide for his younger sister Eleanor, the only family he’s got right now. 1877 depicts the incredible true story of the St. Louis General Strike of 1877, the only strike of its kind to happen in the United States before or since. Told with six actors playing dozens of characters and featuring music from the era, 1877 reveals an important and largely untold history of St. Louis and the Labor Movement that still resonates today.” Performances take place at the Missouri History Museum in Forest Park. For more information: www.showtix4u.com.

Robin de Jesus

The Cabaret Project presents Robin de Jesus Thursday and Friday, November 16 and 17 at 7:30 pm. “You will be wowed by Robin de Jesus. This three-time Tony nominee (In the Heights, La Cage aux Folles, and The Boys in the Band) will take the stage on November 16th and 17th, 2023. You may recognize Robin from his co-starring role opposite Andrew Garfield in Lin-Manuel Miranda's Oscar nominated film Tick, Tick, Boom, as Seymour in The Muny's recent production of Little Shop of Horrors or from Netflix’s The Boys in the Band. We are thrilled to present this gifted and dynamic singer/actor in his St. Louis solo performance debut. All performances take place in the Ballroom at The Sheldon Concert Hall in Grand Center. For more information: www.thecabaretproject.org

Critique Theatre Company presents a re-imagined version of Sophocles’ Elektra Thursday through Saturday, November 16 through 18, at 8 pm. “Based on the play by Sophocles, utilizing Anne Carson’s translation, and blasting Marina and the Diamonds' hit 2012 album ELECTRA HEART. For one weekend and one weekend only, Elektra will be crying her heart out to the gods hoping for gory revenge against the murderers of her father. Only one catch…she lives in their castle walls! Join Elektra and the house of Pelops in this 2012 Tumblr girl nightmare at CTC’s revival of a brand new ELEKTRA.” Performances take place at Green Finch Theater Dive, 2521 S. Jefferson. For more information: www.greenfinchstl.com.

Tina - The Tina Turner Musical

The Fabulous Fox presents Tina – The Tina Turner Musical November 14 through 26.  “An uplifting comeback story like no other, TINA – The Tina Turner Musical is the inspiring journey of a woman who broke barriers and became the Queen of Rock n’ Roll.  Set to the pulse-pounding soundtrack of her most beloved hits, this electrifying sensation will send you soaring to the rafters.” The Fabulous Fox is on North Grand in Grand Center. For more information: fabulousfox.com

The Lemp Mansion Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre and Jest Mysteries present Harm for the Hoidays  through January 13, 2024. "This may look like a festive Holiday Party for a family-owned, candle-making business but there is danger lurking beneath the mistletoe! Slimy characters, sneaky thieves, blackmailers, cheats and liars prowl around every corner and you oughta know since you’re one of them!  They’re malicious conspiring reveals the true nature of Harm Enterprises…organized crime (shhh…don’t tell Grandpa!)  But the shortest fuse in the room belongs to Hector Harm, he’s the grinchiest of the Harm siblings and he’s got one of his beady little eyes on old Grandma Harm’s Job.  Hope he doesn’t snuff her out before her time!" The Lemp Mansion is at 3322 DeMenil Place in south city. For more information: www.lempmansion.com

St. Louis University Theatre presents Thornton Wilder’s Our Town Thursday at 8 pm, Friday at 2 and 8 pm, Saturday at 8 pm, and Sunday at 2 pm, November 16 through 19. “Described by Edward Albee as "the greatest American play ever written," Our Town presents the small town of Grover’s Corners in three acts: "Daily Life," "Love and Marriage" and "Death and Eternity." Narrated by a stage manager, and performed with minimal props and sets, the play depicts the simple daily lives of the Webb and Gibbs families as their children fall in love, marry, and eventually — in one of the most famous scenes in American theatre — die.” Performances take place at the Xavier Hall Main Stage on the campus at 3733 West Pine Mall in Grand Center. For more information: www.slu.edu.

The Washington University Performing Arts Department presents Yazmina Reza’s God of Carnage Thursday and Friday at 7:30 pm, and Saturday at 2 and 7:30 pm, and Sunday at 2 pm, November 16 through 19. “God of Carnage follows a meeting between two sets of parents after a playground altercation between their sons. The adults agree to settle the dispute amicably, putting on a show of politeness. However, the facade of civility quickly falls as the four give into their childish rage. Couple spats with couple, husbands turn on wives, and the ugly side of humanity is revealed with hilarity. This dark comedy reminds us of how close we are to crossing a line, and how ridiculous it looks when we do.” Performances take place in the A.E. Hotchner Studio Theatre on the Washington University Campus. For more information: pad.wustl.edu.

Winter Opera presents Mozart’s Don Giovanni Friday at 7:30 pm and Sunday at 2 pm, November 17 and 19. “Mozart’s comedic masterpiece, Don Giovanni, depicts the reckless journey of a charming and immoral young man who seals his own fate within a day. Inspired by the legendary Don Juan, the opera portrays a seductive protagonist who is adored by women just as much as he adores them, but his disregard for moral boundaries catches up with him. The audience witnesses the inevitable consequences of Don Giovanni’s defiance of societal norms, highlighting the universal truth that even he cannot escape the repercussions of his actions.” Performances take place at the Kirkwood Performing Arts Center, 201 E. Monroe in Kirkwood, MO. For more information: www.winteroperastl.org.

Looking for auditions and other artistic opportunities? Check out the St. Louis Auditions site.

To get your event listed here, send an email to chuck at kdhx.org Your event information should be in text format (i.e. not part of a graphic), but feel free to include publicity stills.

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.

Symphony Preview: Czech list

This weekend (November 17–19), guest conductor Christian Reif leads the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and violinist Randall Goosby in a program of works by three very different composers who all hail from towns that are now part of the Czech Republic.

[Preview the music with the SLSO's Spotify playlist.]

The concerts open with the first-ever SLSO performance of the 1938 “Suita rustica,” Op. 19, by Vítězslava Kaprálová (1915–1940). If you’ve never heard of her before that’s not surprising. Her untimely death from typhoid at the age of 25 was at least partly responsible for her lack of wider recognition, although given the maturity and number of her compositions, it’s not entirely clear why, in the late 20th century, her work apparently gained little traction outside of the Czech Republic.

Vítězslava Kaprálová
Public Domain

Maybe audiences weren’t entirely sure what to make of her combination of Czech folk elements with what were then seen as “modernist” sounds. Or maybe it was just symptomatic of the difficulty women composers have had, until very recently, getting serious attention.

It’s a pity in any case, because after listening to the recording of the “Suita rustica” by Jiří Pinkas and the Brno Philharmonic in the SLSOs playlist, I’m strongly motivated to seek out more of Kaprálová’s music. This lively and colorful three-movement work neatly merges the traditional with the contemporary in a way that’s hard to resist.

Up next is the 1945 Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35, by Erich Wolfgang Korngold (1897–1957).  Like Kaprálová, Korngold was born in the city of Brünn, Austria-Hungary—now Brno, Czech Republic. Unlike her, he wrote in a far more traditional and clearly Austrian style. The second son of music critic Julius Korngold (1860–1945), Korngold was a skilled pianist at age 5 and was composing by age 7. He was much admired by, among others, Jean Sibelius, Giacomo Puccini, Richard Strauss, and Gustav Mahler (who recommended that he study with Alexander von Zemlinksy).

Erich Wolfgang Korngold

Korngold composed his first ballet at age 11 and his most famous opera, “Die tote Stadt,” at 23. In 1934 director Max Reinhardt enticed him to Hollywood to write the music for his lavish film version of “A Midsummer Night's Dream” (well worth seeing, despite the many cuts in Shakespeare's text). He returned to Austria but was drawn back to California in 1938 to write the score for “The Adventures of Robin Hood.” While he was there, Hitler's Anschluss of Austria took place, and Korngold became an émigré ("We thought of ourselves as Viennese," he would recall later. "Hitler made us Jewish.")

Korngold is most remembered these days, though, as a film composer. The lush, late-19th century romanticism of his scores came to typify the big budget movies of the 1930s and 1940s, especially action/adventure films like “Captain Blood” (1945), “The Adventures of Robin Hood” (1938), and “The Sea Hawk” (1940). He scored his share of straightforward dramas, as well, including “Kings Row” (1942), “Of Human Bondage” (1946), and “Escape Me Never” (1947).

Korngold returned to the concert world for the final decade of his life, but like many other notable composers throughout history, was not shy about recycling his own musical material. For his Violin Concerto he repurposed melodies from the films “Juarez” (1939), “Anthony Adverse” (1936), “Another Dawn” (1937), and—in the lively finale—"The Prince and the Pauper” (1937). The concerto had its world premiere right here in St. Louis in 1947 with Jascha Heifetz as the soloist and the French-American conductor Vladimir Golschmann on the podium. Golschmann was music director of the SLSO from 1931 to 1958 (the longest-reigning SLSO music director to date) and made a number of recordings with the orchestra.

This weekend's soloist, Randall Goolsby, is no stranger to the Korngold concerto, having recently played it with both the Oslo Philharmonic and the Rhode Island Philharmonic. The 27-year-old American violinist also appears to be a rising star on the concert scene, having just recorded concertos by Max Bruch and Florence Price with Yannick Nézet-Séguin and the Phildelphia Orchestra for Decca.

Wrapping everything up is the Symphony No. 7 in D minor, Op. 70, by the most thoroughly Czech composer of them all, Antonín Dvořák (1841–1904). Dvořák’s Seventh has always been a favorite of mine, for reasons that are difficult to articulate. I can’t hear it without thinking of a long journey down a dark mountain river. Flashes of light illuminate the trip, but we don’t see the sun until the work’s final moments, when the tonality changes from D minor to D major.

Composed between December 1884 and March 1885, the symphony was written for the Philharmonic Society of London, which had just made the composer an honorary member. Indeed, as a letter to his friend Antonin Rus indicates, he was a bit obsessed with the project. “Everywhere I go,” he wrote, “I think of nothing else than my work, which must be such as to shake the world, and with God’s help it will be so.”

His obsession paid off handsomely. The symphony’s premiere took place on April 22, 1885, with the composer conducting the Philharmonic Society Orchestra at St. James’s Hall and it was, as Alec Robertson writes in his 1962 biography of Dvořák, “a huge success. The work, which pleased conservatives and progressives alike, was favourably compared to Schubert’s C major symphony, and declared to be more immediately appealing than the Brahms F major [Symphony No. 3, Op. 90, published in 1884].”

Anton and Anna Dvořák in London, 1886
en.wikipedia.org

That placed him in some pretty august company. Schubert’s Symphony No. 9, D. 944, which was first published in 1828 (but not performed until eleven years later), was nicknamed “The Great” to distinguish it from an earlier symphony in the same key. By the 1880s, it had achieved the status of greatness among audiences and critics alike. As for the Brahms Symphony No. 3 in F major, Op. 90, the critic Eduard Hanslick called it “artistically the most nearly perfect” of the composer’s symphonies. Dvořák himself was among the work’s greatest admirers, describing it to his publisher Simrock as “[surpassing] his first two symphonies; if not, perhaps, in grandeur and powerful conception—then certainly in—beauty.”

The Dvořák Seventh got similar responses from critics both past and present. In his chapter on Dvořák in the first volume of Robert Simpson’s “The Symphony” (Pelican Books, 1966), Julius Harrison doesn’t hesitate to call it “the finest of them all… Dvořák now scales the heights of Parnassus as he was never to do again.” Robertson calls it “undoubtedly a great work.” I agree, of course, and I think you will probably do so as well.

I’m not sure what approach Reif will take to the  Seventh, although Simon Thompson (writing for Bachtrak) called his performance of it last year with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra “smooth as silk” with the finale “feeling like a rich overflowing towards which the whole evening had been building.” If it’s anything like the legendary 1960 recording by George Szell and the Cleveland Orchestra in the SLSOs playlist (one of my personal favorites), it should be memorable.

The Essentials: Christian Reif conducts the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and violinist Randall Goosby in the “Suita rustica” by Vítězslava Kaprálová, Erich Wolfgang Korngold’s Violin Concerto, and Antonín Dvořák’s Symphony No. 7. Performances are Friday at 10:30 am, Saturday at 7:30 pm, and Sunday at 3 pm, November 17 through 19, at the Touhill Performing Arts Center. The concert will also be broadcast Saturday night at 7:30 on St. Louis Public Radio and Classic 107.3.

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

St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of November 6, 2023

What's onSt. Louis theater and cabaret stages this coming week. Please leave a comment if anything was wrong or got left out

Dom L'Amour

The Blue Strawberry presents singer Dom L’Amour in A Night of Sam Cooke on Wednesday, November 8 at 7:30 pm. “Sam Cooke was the American Songbook for the late 1950s and early 1960s and Dom L’Amour is returning to St. Louis with a cabaret of his songs. From ‘Cupid ’ to ‘A Change Gonna Come’, you’ll hear how Cooke inspired both Dom L’Amour and America itself. Dom’s voice serves as a contemporary clarion call to beauty and hope as we celebrate a great talent!”   The Blue Strawberry is at 364 N. Boyle in the Central West End. For more information: bluestrawberrystl.com

Tim Schall and Carol Schmidt

The Blue Strawberry presents Sunday Standard Time with Tim Schall and Carol Schmidt on Sunday November 12 at 6 pm. “Join Tim Schall (vocals) and Carol Schmidt (piano) in the lounge for a casual, classy Sunday evening of jazz standards, a little sophisticated pop and a dash of classic Broadway. Tim is no stranger to the theater and concert stages of St. Louis, Chicago and New York's Lincoln Center. Carol has a rich history of entertaining St. Louis audiences as musician and singer. Together they will help you wind down your weekend with timeless music and a lot of irreverent dry humor.” The Blue Strawberry is at 364 N. Boyle. For more information: bluestrawberrystl.com.

Encore Theatre Group presents Cuéntame: Honoring Our Stories Friday and Saturday at 7 pm and Sunday at 2:30 pm, November 10 through 12. “CuéntameSTL is a storytelling initiative by Latinx Arts Network STL and EncoreSTL to honor our community experiences by providing the space and means to tell our stories and present those stories in a captivating way for others to enjoy and experience. We want you to display your artwork during the performances! The artwork should be related to a story which you will also submit and it will be placed alongside your art. While the stories on stage will be from the Latinx community, we invite and encourage artists from all backgrounds to submit their art to be displayed. We want to learn from everyone's stories!” Performances take place at 2607 Patomac in the Marine Villa neighborhood. For more information: https://www.encorestl.org/shows

Daddy Long Legs

The Hawthorne Players present the musical Daddy Long Legs Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm through November 11, and Sunday, November 12, at 2 pm.  “A heartwarming Cinderella story about a witty and winsome young woman and her mysterious benefactor, based on the classic novel, which inspired the 1955 movie starring Fred Astaire. Jerusha Abbott is the “Oldest Orphan in the John Grier Home” until a mysterious benefactor decides to send her to college to be educated as a writer. Required to write him a letter once a month, she is never to know the benefactor’s identity – so she invents one for him: Daddy Long Legs. Jerusha’s letters chronicle her emergence as a delightfully independent “New American Woman”. Yet, there is one startling fact that Jerusha has yet to uncover – a fact that will change her life forever.”  Performances take place in the Florissant Civic Center Theatre in Florissant, MO. For more information: www.hawthorneplayers.info.

The Lemp Mansion Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre and Jest Mysteries present Harm for the Hoidays through November 10 through January 13, 2024. "This may look like a festive Holiday Party for a family-owned, candle-making business but there is danger lurking beneath the mistletoe! Slimy characters, sneaky thieves, blackmailers, cheats and liars prowl around every corner and you oughta know since you’re one of them!  They’re malicious conspiring reveals the true nature of Harm Enterprises…organized crime (shhh…don’t tell Grandpa!)  But the shortest fuse in the room belongs to Hector Harm, he’s the grinchiest of the Harm siblings and he’s got one of his beady little eyes on old Grandma Harm’s Job.  Hope he doesn’t snuff her out before her time!" The Lemp Mansion is at 3322 DeMenil Place in south city. For more information: www.lempmansion.com

Professor Sunshine's Traveling Post-Apocalyptic
Rocn 'n Roll Revival

The Midnight Company presents the premiere of the new cabaret theatre show Professor Sunshine’s Traveling Post-Apocalyptic Rock ’n Roll Revival Friday and Saturday, November 10 and 11, at 7:30 pm. “The Rock ’n Roll Revival is today’s version of Old West traveling shows, when a ragtag theatrical company would sweep into town, bringing some light and entertainment to crumbling, precarious Gold Rush towns.  And now, once again, there are hard, hard times, troubled days in the dark, desolate lands we inhabit, where one can at least hope to see the Show coming to town, lifting spirits with rock songs and road stories. Professor Sunshine (Joe Hanrahan) presents the sultry chanteuse Cheyenne (Kelly Howe), delivering her signature renditions of all the classic, savage rock 'n roll we can remember, pulling together to continue their never-ending tour to the savage horizon ahead. Guaranteed to deliver you - or at least distract you - from these evil days with a new vision of the salvation music can bring.”  Performances take place at the Greenfinch Theater Dive at 2525 S. Jefferson. For more information: midnightcompany.com

The St. Louis Writers' Group presents a reading of the play Thoughts of Candy by Jim Danek Tuesday, November 7, at 6:30 pm. “Thoughts of Candy revolves around an 11-13 year old girl, Candy Kane, who lives with her father, Roger Burch and her grandfather, Joseph Kane. Candy has a school chum, Billy Major, also 11-13 years old. Candy has a very optimistic outlook on life most of the time. Billy Major is a wiz at school and many times will help Candy with her homework. Candy's father Roger is plagued by demons from the past, demons that won't let him think straight some days. Candy's mother, Marjorie Kane-Burch and the next door neighbor, Lillian Grant, also take part in the proceedings. Finally we will also meet Ramona Stevens who has her own demons to contend with.”  The reading takes place upstairs at Big Daddy’s in Soulard. For more information, visit the St. Louis Writers' Group Facebook page.

Tesseract Theatre presents The Mad Ones Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm and Sundays at 4 pm, through November 12.  “Samantha Brown balances on the edge of her future, car keys in hand. Caught between a yearning for the unknown and feeling bound by expectation, she telescopes back to a time before her world had fallen apart. As she sits in the driver's seat, she faces a choice: will she follow in her mother's footsteps, or take the dare of her impetuous best friend and chart a new path?” Performances take place at the Marcelle Theatre in Grand Center. For more information: www.tesseracttheatre.com.

Looking for auditions and other artistic opportunities? Check out the St. Louis Auditions site.

To get your event listed here, send an email to chuck at kdhx.org Your event information should be in text format (i.e. not part of a graphic), but feel free to include publicity stills.

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.

Symphony Preview: The real thing

It has been a few years since the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and Chorus gave us an “Opera in Concert” evening—that is, a program consisting of a classic opera performed without the usual theatrical accoutrements—so the performances at the Stifel Theatre this weekend (November 11 and 12) of the 1890 Melodramma “Cavalleria rusticana” by Pietro Mascagni (1863–1945) is most welcome.

[Preview the music with the SLSO's Spotify playlist.]

Santuzza pleads with Turiddu
By Anonymous restored by Adam Cuerden -
Gallica, PD-US

“Cavalleria rusticana” is usually translated as “Rustic Chivalry” which, to anyone unfamiliar with it, probably conjures up images that are considerably at odds with the subject matter of Giovanni Targioni Tozzetti’s libretto. Based on the novella and play of the same name by Sicilian author Giovanni Verga (1840–1922), the opera takes place during one fateful Easter morning in a 19th century Sicilian village. The “chivalry” is actually the traditional vendetta resulting from a mix of love, betrayal, and jealousy.

For the record, here’s a plot summary from Opera Online:

It is Easter morning in a Sicilian village.  A sad, anxious girl, Santuzza, is looking for her lover Turridu, who betrayed her and went back to his former fiancée, Lola, who had meanwhile married the wealthy Alfio when he returned from the army. Santuzza tries in vain to win back her lover. Mad with jealousy, she tells Alfio, the cuckolded husband, about Lola and Turridu. At that point, Turridu’s fate is sealed. Alfio provokes him to a duel. After saying goodbye to his mother [Lucia], Turridu leaves for his fatal meeting.

Needless to say, nobody lives happily ever after.

Written for a one-act opera competition sponsored by the publisher Edoardo Sonzogno, “Cavalleria Rusticana” was Mascagni’s first and most enduring hit, and it was a whopper. It won the competition (besting 72 rival operas), enjoyed a triumphant premiere at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome, and was immediately taken up by opera houses in Europe and the USA. “For over a century,” writes Venetian musicologist Michele Girardi, “it has found a place in the repertory of leading singers and conductors from Mahler, who conducted it in Budapest and included it in the programmes of the Vienna Staatsoper, through Levi and Weingartner and on to Karajan, among more recent performers.” These days it’s usually paired with “I Pagliacci” (1892), the only real hit by Ruggero Leoncavallo (1857–1919).

Scene from the world premiere of the opera
By Uncredited, Public Domain

“Cavalleria Rusticana” is generally regarded as the first (and certainly most successful) example of the operatic genre known as verismo in which (to quote Stanley Sadie in his 1990 “History of Opera”) “opera moved into line with the other arts of the late 19th century in its readiness to accept the daily life of common people, even (indeed especially) at its most squalid, as apt material for treatment.” The parallel Italian literary movement of the same name, championed by Verga and Luigi Capuana, was in turn part of a broader European movement called “naturalism,” the principal exponent of which was Émile Zola.

All of this was itself a reflection of the social, cultural, and technological upheaval that characterized the late 19th and early 20th century. The old Imperial world order was crumbling, and populism (for both good and ill) was on the rise. Stories of great heroes and villains of the past no longer seemed all that relevant. Even today, opera and other forms of theatre are largely grounded in reality. Mascagni and those who followed in his wake were on the cusp of a major change in the performing arts, whether they realized it at the time or not.

Gemma Bellincioni as Santuzza, 
and Roberto Stagno as Turiddu,
in the 1890 premiere
Unknown author, Public Domain

But, of course, historical significance isn’t what has kept “Cavalleria rusticana” an active part of the repertory for nearly a century and a half. For that, credit the composer’s melodic inventiveness, the fast-moving story, the tight dramatic structure, and the compelling passion of the characters. In a promotional video at the SLSO Facebook page tenor Jimmy Stevens (Younger Brother in Union Avenue Opera’s “Ragtime” back in August) describes it “some of the most action-packed music you’re going to hear in an 80-minute period.” I’d say that about covers it.

The orchestra will be conducted by James Gaffigan, who gave us an impassioned evening of Brahms and Mendelssohn with SLSO back in 2014. A graduate of Rice University (my alma mater), Gaffigan has extensive credits on both the concert and opera stages, a fact reflected in his 2023/2024 performance schedule. Less than a month after this weekend’s concert, he’ll be back at the Komische Oper [sp?] Berlin (where he was just appointed General Music Director) conducting, among others, Tchaikovsky’s “Eugene Onegin,” Rimsky-Korsakov’s “The Golden Cockrel,” and Wagner’s “Flying Dutchman,” along with a New Year’s Eve concert and an innovative program that combines Bruckner’s Symphony No. 6 with music from David Bowie’s 1977 album “Heroes.” And this after a season that will have included conducting gigs with major orchestras around the world.

The SLSO Chorus will be led by guest director Andrew Whitfield, who did such a fine job directing the Opera Theatre Chorus this past summer.

The Essentials: James Gaffigan conducts the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in a concert version of Mascagni’s “Cavalleria rusticana” Saturday at 7:30 pm and Sunday at 2 pm, November 11 and 12, at the Stifel Theatre. The cast consists of soprano Heidi Melton as Santuzza, mezzo-soprano Katherine Beck as Lola, contralto Meredith Arwady as Lucia, tenor Antonio Poli as Turiddu, and baritone Anthony Clark Evans as Alfio. 

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