Cabaret Review: An auspicious debut by Gina Otto

Who: Gina Otto
What: The Lovers, the Dreamers, and Me
Where: The Gaslight Theatre, St. Louis, MO
When: April 9, 2015

Our town's newest cabaret headliner, Gina Otto, made an auspicious debut at the Gaslight Cabaret Festival with "The Lovers, the Dreamers, and Me." Although not without its issues, the show was well received by a sold-out house that clearly included a lot of Ms. Otto's fans from the local country club circuit, where she performs regularly.

The evening was distinguished by intriguing song choices, including one I'd never heard before: "You Don't Love Me," from Dutch jazz singer Caro Emerald's 2010 album "Deleted Scenes from the Cutting Room Floor." It's an upbeat, verbally inventive little number along the lines of The Cherry Poppin' Daddies (or, for those of you from my generation, Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks) that suited Ms. Otto's light voice well in one of many smart arrangements by pianist and music director Carol Schmidt.

There were other songs that I thought worked especially well. A lyrical "Hopelessly Devoted to You," for example, was enriched by Ms. Otto's memories of singing with her father. "I Can Cook Too," a rarely heard comic number from "On the Town," was amusingly prepped as relationship advice, and the way it segued into a parody version of "McArthur Park" was a nice touch. I've never been able to take those lyrics with a straight face anyway, and Ms. Otto had some well-deserved fun with them.

Throughout the evening Ms. Otto was engaged and charming with the audience. I found the overall emotional range of the evening a bit limited, though. She did not often delve deeply into lyrics, and the overall tone seemed more suited to a supper club environment, where the singer is not so much in focus for the audience. When Ms. Otto really connected with a lyric at a deeper level—as she did in a torchy "The Man I Love"—she was more compelling. I wished she had done that more often.

I also wished she had not held the mic directly in front of her mouth quite so much. It partly blocked the view of her expressive face.

That said, it was a lively first show and the audience was clearly entertained. The local cabaret scene continues to grow and new faces are always welcome.

Gina Otto's appearance conclud the spring edition of producer Jim Dolan's Gaslight Cabaret Festival at the Gaslight Theater on North Boyle, which concluded on April 11th. For information on upcoming shows: gaslightcabaretfestival.com.

St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of April 6, 2015

[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 web site.

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Jeremy Webb in Buyer and Cellar
©Photo by Jerry Naunheim Jr.

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents Buyer and Cellar through April 12. "Inspired by Barbra Streisand's coffee table book, My Passion for Design, this uproarious fictional account of celebrity eccentricity takes us into Babs' basement, where she houses her unique collections in a small street of shops. An underemployed actor becomes the caretaker, interacting with Barbra in moments both hilarious and surprisingly tender. A runaway hit in New York, this one-man show takes us into the ultimate fantasy of a star-struck dreamer as he fills the oddest of odd jobs." Performances take place in the studio theatre at the Loretto-Hlton Center, 130 Edgar Road in Webster Groves, MO. For more information, call 314-968-4925 or visit repstl.org. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

The West End Players Guild concludes their 104th season with the drama The Cockfighter Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM and Sundays at 2 PM, April 10-19. "At once elegant and brutal, this coming-of-age story is set against the savage backdrop of professional cockfighting. The gift of a fighting bird of his own sets a young boy on a journey to adulthood and to choices that will change him - and his family - forever. Based on the novel by acclaimed southern author Frank Manley and adapted for the stage by Vincent Murphy, it is another St. Louis premiere." There will also be a show on Thursday, April 16, at 8 PM and the playwright will conduct a special talkback session with the audience after the April 18th performance. 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.

Kay Love

The Presenters Dolan present Kay Love in Girls Just Want to Have Fun (the women who wrote the songs) on Saturday, April 11, at 8 PM as part of the Gaslight Cabaret Festival. "Kay does cabaret at its purest. The shows of this wonderful singer are completely put together." The performance takes place at the Gaslight Theater, 358 North Boyle. For more information: gaslightcabaretfestival.com.

The University of Missouri at St. Louis presents Good People on Thursday and Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m., April 9-12. "In South Boston, this month's paycheck covers last month's bills, bingo is a night out on the town, and single-mom Margie Walsh has lost her job again and is a Bingo game away from homelessness. She reaches out to an old flame from her youth - now a successful doctor - Margie risks everything to find her fresh start in this humor - filled drama, from Pulitzer Prize winner David Lindsay-Abaire, about how the twists and turns of life are fated to determine our path." The performance takes place at the Touhill Performing Arts Center on the University of Missouri-St. Louis campus. For more information, touhill.org or call 314-516-4949.

The Hettenhausen Center for the Arts presents John Lithgow: Stories by Heart on Saturday, April 11, at 7:30 PM. " Invoking memories of his grandmother and father before him, Lithgow traces his roots as an actor and storyteller, interspersing his own story with two great stories that were read to him and his siblings when they were children. These are "Uncle Fred Flits By" by P.G. Wodehouse and "Haircut" by Ring Lardner. In the first, a fretful young Englishman is taken on a wild afternoon's escapade in suburban London by his irrepressible uncle. In a hilarious tour de force, Lithgow performs with zany abandon, portraying ten distinct, outrageous characters (including a parrot). By contrast, "Haircut" is a darkly comic look at Midwestern American implacability. It is a captivating yarn told by a gossipy barber in small-town Michigan as he gives a shave and a haircut to a stranger in town. " The Hettenhausen Center for the Arts is at 701 College Rd., at Alton St. on the McKendree University campus in Lebanon, IL. For more information: www.thehett.com.

Over Due Theatre presents the musical Little Shop of Horrors Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM and Sundays at 2 PM, April 10-19. Performances take place at the Olivette Community Center, 9723 Grandview Drive, in Olivette, MO. For more information, call 314-210-2959 or visit overduetheatrecompany.com.

The Presenters Dolan present Gina Otto in The Lovers, the Dreamers, and Me on Thursday, April 9, at 8 PM as part of the Gaslight Cabaret Festival. "Jazzy standards segue into pop, Broadway and sassy, Western Swing. An accomplished local singer, sharp and funny and endearing, steps into the cabaret scene." The performance takes place at the Gaslight Theater, 358 North Boyle. For more information: gaslightcabaretfestival.com.

Ken Haller

The Presenters Dolan present Ken Haller in a return engagement of his show Mama's Boy on Friday, April 10, at 8 PM as part of the Gaslight Cabaret Festival. " Ken Haller turns 60 this Halloween, and his birthday present to YOU is his long-awaited, brand new cabaret show "Mama's Boy". Ken got love of music from his Irish-Catholic mom who would sing standards while keeping house and raising five kids. You won't want to miss this heartwarming, hilarious, moving show from one of St. Louis's foremost cabaret artists!" The performance takes place at the Gaslight Theater, 358 North Boyle. For more information: gaslightcabaretfestival.com.

The University of Missouri at St. Louis presents Hal Holbrook in Mark Twian Tonight on Saturday, April 11, at 8 p.m. "Returning to the Touhill after a sold out 2012 performance, Hal Holbrook reprises his magnificent portrayal of legendary American author, humorist, and storyteller Mark Twain. Holbrook knows Twain as well as he knows himself, bringing richness to the character far beyond the quoting of Twain's most memorable lines. His ever-changing selection of material from Twain's vast body of work coincides with current events, keeping the show as fresh as ever, and amazing audiences with the relevancy to today." The performance takes place at the Touhill Performing Arts Center on the University of Missouri-St. Louis campus. For more information, touhill.org or call 314-516-4949.

The Lemp Mansion Comedy-Mystery Dinner Theater presents Muuurder in Maaaybury through April 25. The Lemp Mansion is at 3322 DeMenil Place. For more information: lempmansion.com.

The Mystery of Edwin Drood
Photo: John Lamb

Stray Dog Theatre presents the musical The Mystery of Edwin Drood by Rupert Holmes Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 PM through April 18. "This raucous show within a show kicks off when a hilariously loony Victorian musical troupe 'puts on' its flamboyant rendition of an unfinished Charles Dickens mystery. Each performance ends differently depending on how the audience chooses to finish the story that Dickens didn't!" Performances take place at The Tower Grove Abbey, 2336 Tennessee. For more information, visit straydogtheatre.org or call 314-865-1995. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

OnSite Theatre Company presents Off the Record by Alec Wild Fridays at 8 PM, and Saturdays at 7 and 9 PM, through April 11. "The timely comedy, Off the Record, follows the gubernatorial campaign of a promising candidate as a surprising scandal puts him and his staff on their toes and forces them into damage-control mode. As the audience takes on the role of the press corps following the candidate, pieces of information about the candidate and his wife leak to the audience bit by bit via cellphone." Audiences will board the bus at Tavolo, 6118 Delmar. For more information: www.OnSiteTheatre.org. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

The Bissell Mansion Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre presents Phantom of the Grand Ole Opery through April 26. The Bissell Mansion is at 4426 Randall Place. For more information: bissellmansiontheatre.com

The Monroe Actors Stage Company presents Prescription Murder Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 and Sundays at 2:30 p.m., Aprl 10-19, in the Historic Capitol Theatre in downtown Waterloo, Illinois. For more information, visit www.masctheatre.org or call 618-939-7469.

Upstream Theater presents The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge adapted for the stage and directed by Patrick Siler with live music composed and performed by Sleepy Kitty, April 10-19. Performances take place at the Kranzberg Arts Center, 501 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information, including show times: upstreamtheater.org.

Clinton County Showcase presents The Sting April 10-19. “This show takes place in Chicago many years ago in a world of small-time hustlers and their girls, their money nonexistent but their ingenuity abundant. Johnny Hooker joins a friend in a successful con of a 'runner.' Unfortunately for them, the runner works for a powerful, vindictive rackets boss, Doyle Lonnegan, who is infuriated and arranges the killing of Johnny's friend. Hoping to avenge this senseless murder, Johnny enlists the aid of the master con man Henry Gondorf. Together they decide to try the big con called 'The Wire.'” Performances take place at the Avon Theater, 525 North 2nd Street Breese IL. For more information, visit ccshowcase.com.

The Fox Theatre presents the “international percussion sensation” Stomp Friday through Sunday, April 10-12. The Fox Theatre is at 527 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information: fabulousfox.com.

The Florissant Fine Arts Council presents the drama To Kill a Mockingbird on Friday, April 10, at 8 PM at the Florissant Civic Center Theatre at Parker Road at Waterford Drive in Florissant, MO. "This Pulitzer Prize winning Harper Lee Classic novel turned play offers a keyhole view into the struggles faced by a small town and its people." For more information: florissantfinearts.com/wp1/

Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
©Photo by Jerry Naunheim Jr.

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents Christopher Durang's Vanya And Sonia And Masha And Spike through April 12. "Stuck in their family home in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, Vanya and his adopted sister Sonia live a quiet existence until their lives are thrown into comic upheaval with the arrival of their B-list celebrity sister, Masha, and her 20-something boy toy, Spike. Add to that a soothsaying housekeeper, a star struck young neighbor and a rather odd costume party, and the stage is set for mayhem and hilarity in this present-day homage to Chekhov. Winner of the 2013 Tony Award for Best Play." Performances take place on the mainstage at the Loretto-Hlton Center, 130 Edgar Road in Webster Groves, MO. For more information, call 314-968-4925 or visit repstl.org. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

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