A performing arts blog and occasional podcast of CD reviews, news and interviews from the world of stage, screen, cabaret, classical music, and related places.
As always, the choices are purely my personal opinion. Take with a grain (or a shaker) of salt.
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It’s embarrassment of riches time in St. Louis, on both the theatre and concert scenes.
Angels in America, Part 1
Stray Dog Theatre presents Tony Kushner's Angels in America, Part 1: Millennium Approaches Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 PM, April 12-14, 26-28, and May 10-12. I'm including this one on the basis of both my admiration for the script, which is boundless, and my admiration for Stray Dog Theatre, which is based on the many positive experiences I've had as an actor working for the company. They cast good people, in my experience, and treat them well. Besides, the two Angels in America plays are not performed often as they are very challenging both for the audience and the producing company. Performances take place at The Tower Grove Abbey, 2336 Tennessee. For more information, call 314-865-1995.
Cavalia, its run extended yet again, continues through April 21 under the Really Big Top on Cerre Street at the I-64 Broadway exit. It’s the Rolls Royce of equestrian shows—a flashy, elegant evening featuring 48 horses, a raft of acrobats and aerialists, and some impressive multi-media effects. The show is not without its longueurs but even so, anyone who loves horses won't want to miss it. See my review at the KDHX web site. Visit www.cavalia.net or call 1-866-999-8111.
Exit the King
The West End Players Guild concludes their 101st season with Ionesco's Exit the King Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM and Sundays at 2 PM, April 13 through 22. Full disclosure: I’m on the board of directors of West End Players Guild, as well as the play reading committee. That said, this is not a script that has ever generated much enthusiasm on my part, so I was surprised at how engaging and (yes) funny I found the show to be when I sat in on a dress rehearsal this week. Credit director Renee Sevier-Monsey and her polished cast. Sets, costumes, and lights look pretty slick as well. 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. You can see some underground rehearsal video at the West End Players blog.
"It's like a musical wrecking ball"
The St. Louis Symphony has been marketing this weekend’s concerts with a clever on-line campaign emphasizing the high energy (and volume) of Prokofiev’s rarely heard Ala and Lolly (Scythian Suite), Op. 20. Written in 1915, the piece was originally intended as a ballet for Serge Diaghilev based on a legendary pre-Christian race known as the Scythians. Diaghliev turned it down—maybe it sounded too similar to Stravinsky’s Le Sacre du Printemps from two years earlier—so Prokofiev turned it into an orchestral suite. Its 1916 premiere didn’t cause riots, but it did scandalize the conservative Russian musical establishment with its unapologetic dissonance and rhythmic drive. A timpanist at the premiere is said to have burst the skin of one of his drums at one especially violent moment.
The rest of the program should prove exciting as well: Rachmaninoff’s valedictory Symphonic Dances and Ravel’s Concerto for the Left Hand with the great pianist Leon Fleisher at the keyboard. David Robertson is on the podium. Performances are Saturday at 8 PM and Sunday at 3 PM, April 14 and 15. For more information, visit stlsymphony.org.
Jeffrey M. Wright
The Presenters Dolan present Jeffrey M. Wright in Southern Roots Friday and Saturday, April 13 and 14, at 8 PM at The Kranzberg Center, 501 North Grand in Grand Center. Carol Schmidt is pianist and music director for the show, which is directed by Tim Schall. In the interests of full disclosure, I must confess that I have worked with all of these folks at one time or another on stage. I have, as a result, a keen appreciation for their talents, which are substantial. I haven’t seen this particular show yet, of course, but in the past I have found Jeff to be a very engaging and skilled performer and have been impressed with Carol’s ability to tailor arrangements to a performer’s strengths. For more information, call 314-725-4200 stn. 10 or visit licketytix.com.
Starting this weekend, a new feature on the blog: “Chuck’s Choices”, a.k.a. my best bets for the weekend.
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Chuck’s Choices for the weekend of April 6th:
Cavalia continues under the Really Big Top on Cerre Street at the I-64 Broadway exit. It’s the Rolls Royce of equestrian shows—a flashy, elegant evening featuring 48 horses, a raft of acrobats and aerialists, and some impressive multi-media effects. The show is not without its longueurs but even so, anyone who loves horses won't want to miss it. See my review at the KDHX web site. Visit www.cavalia.net or call 1-866-999-8111
Bring it On: the Musical
In her review of the cheerleading musical Bring It On, KDHX theatre critic Andrea Braun says: “It is flat-out amazing. The laws of physics do not apply to these people. The dancing chorus is filled with championship-winning cheerleaders, and it shows.” Visit fabulousfox.com for more information.
Guitarist Mike Krysl and singer Shauna Sconce bring their delightful mix of Great American Songbook standards and pop songs to The Wine Press on Saturday from 8 to 11 PM. Visit stlwinepress.com. Their arrangement of music from Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon is not to be missed.
Also on Saturday, The Randy Dandies, St. Louis' Premiere Sketch Comedy Burlesque Troupe, kick off their third season with Scientific Affairs: Burlesqueology 101 at 9:30 PM. Featured artists include Mimi Le Yu, Annie Cherry and Artemus Vulgaris from Kansas City, and Midwest pole performer champion Sara Bella. The performance takes place at Plush, 3224 Locust. For more information, visit therandydandies.com. I haven’t seen the show; I just really like the whole idea.
What: Cavalia
Where: The Big Top on Cerre Street, St. Louis
When: March 21 - April 21, 2012
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Cavalia just might be the Rolls Royce of equestrian shows—a flashy, elegant evening featuring 48 horses, a raft of acrobats and aerialists, and some impressive multi-media effects. The show is not without its longueurs but even so, anyone who loves horses won't want to miss it.
The first thing—and maybe the only thing—you need to know about Cavalia is that it’s a Cirque du Soleil production. That means you can expect top-flight acrobats, riders, and horse trainers as well as high-gloss production values and an impressive level of professionalism throughout. Even the parking and crowd management are handled with panache. Like other Cirque shows, Cavalia is dressed to impress—and it does.
Over the course of two-and-one-half hours (including a 30-minute intermission), Cavalia presents a kind of pageant of the horse in human history, from the era of cave paintings to the Wild West. In true Cirque fashion there is no spoken dialog, just non-stop music (by Michel Cusson) from the solid six-piece band, accented by soaring vocals (in Cirque’s unique made-up language) by Marie-Ève Bédard.
There’s also a seasonal theme running through the evening, with sets and lighting suggesting spring and summer in the first half and fall and winter—complete with falling leaves and snow—in the second. There’s even a curtain of water on which a white “ghost horse” image is projected during the “Le Miroir” segment, in which riders Tatiana Daviaud and Élise Verdoncq guide their corporeal white horses through an intricate mirror dance.
All of this plays out on a massive 160-foot wide set backed by a 210-foot wide cyclorama used for scenic projections (some of which provide a remarkable illusion of depth) and special effects. When you’ve got 48 horses and 31 performers, you need a lot of room.
I won’t attempt to list all of the fine performances, both human and equine, that make up Cavalia. Some that stand out in my mind include: Faiçal Moulid’s dance atop a huge ball; the spectacular “Pieds Percussion” segment that opens up the second act with a combination of trick riding, dancing, roping, and Chinese pole acrobatics; the stunning Trick Riding and “Bungees Cavaliers” routines with their remarkable blend of aerial and equine virtuosity; the “Grande Liberté” routine in which trainer Élise Verdoncq guides her six horses through an intricate set of moves using only her voice and body; and the “Carousel”, in which a sextet of riders in flowing robes reminiscent of the elves in “Lord of the Rings” lead their matching white horses in a stately dance calling to mind the old sarabande of the Spanish court.
Trick rider Fairland Ferguson also stands out with her sheer stage presence and the daring of some of her stunts. At one point she leads a team of six horses around the stage while standing atop the last two, and then leads them in a leap across a pair of poles (cavalettis, if you want to get technical) held by her fellow performers. And she makes it look easy.
There are many other impressive moments as well. Yes, a few of the acts go on a bit longer than necessary and the curtain call is milked far too much, but overall the pacing is fine and the variety of acts and performers is beyond reproach. The bottom line is that Cavalia is a darned entertaining evening and family friendly in the best sense of the term.
Cavalia continues at the big top downtown at 1000 Cerre Street through April 16th. Free parking is available at the site—which is fortunate, given that the best tickets for a family of four will set you back about as much as a single season subscription at the Rep. For more information, you may visit cavalia.net.
