Chuck's Choices for the weekend of April 10, 2015

As always, the choices are purely my personal opinion. Take with a grain (or a shaker) of salt.

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New This Week:

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.

My take: I see cabaret as a form of musical theatre, and Kay is an accomplished musical theatre actress of long standing locally. I don't see how you can go wrong with her show.

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.

My take: Gina Otto is new to the local cabaret scene, but I've been hearing good things about this show.

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. "Charmer Dr. Haller comes back with Mama's Boy after a sold-out success last fall. He just does good shows. 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.

My take: Ken's musical tribute to his late mother is a charming show, filled with great songs and memories. And, yes, there will be Sondheim. Reviewing the premiere of this show last November for KDHX, Katie McGrath praised it as "touching, over-too-soon glimpse into his history with stories about small moments that had huge impact on his life."

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.

My take: This clever show-within-a-show musical has always been a favorite of mine. If your only exposure to Holmes' music has been his big tacky hit "Escape (The Piña Colada Song)," you're in for a surprise with this show with it's clever mock-Victorian score and witty lyrics. There's a good reason why it won the 1985 Tony Award. Reviews have described it as a rowdy good time. Typical is Mark Bretz's review at Ladue News, which describes this as "a clever, ingratiating production that is filled with verve and panache."

Stephen Peirick and Maggie Conroy
in Off the Record

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.

My take: OnSite has an unusual mission: site-specific theatre. "From hotels to public restrooms," says their web site, "site-specific theatre takes the theatergoers out of their seats and thrusts them into the setting of the play. This form of theatre emphasizes stories and events that reveal the relationship between our physical environment and us." The site in this case is a bus; specifically, a school bus that plays the role of the campaign bus on which the play takes place. "Director Tom Martin masters the several unique technical difficulties of the venue," writes Steve Callahan at KDHX, "and leads his cast to a brisk and bright performance."

Held Over:

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

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents Buyer and Cellar through April 12 (extended from March 29). "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.

My take: One-man shows can be risky propositions, but this one is apparently a success. "If you are a Streisand fan (and who among us isn't?)," writes Bob Cohn at St. Louis Jewish Light, "'Buyer & Cellar' is a double treat. Not only is the play itself highly amusing and satisfying, it also contains enough Streisand trivia to satisfy an entire season of questions on 'Jeopardy.'" "Jonathan Tolins is a very clever writer," says Bob Wilcox at KDHX. "Jeremy Webb is a very smart actor. Put them together, with some inventive guidance from director Wendy Dann, and you get a quite enjoyable ninety minutes or so in the Studio Theatre at the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis."

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.

My take: This starts out as a broad, noisy parody of Chekov but finishes as something much more deep and satifying. "Playwright Christopher Durang," writes Tina Farmer at KDHX, "won a Tony Award for this insightfully hilarious look at aging and modern life through a lens tinted with Chekhov and Greek tragedy. The actors in The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis' production of Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike bring these characters to life convincingly, emphasizing their quirks, vanities and flaws in a production layered with humor and pathos, second questions and, perhaps, second chances." I couldn't agree more. Director Michael Evan Haney can be proud of this one.

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!

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.