Review: Great songs highlight a new show by Christy Simmons

The press material for When Life Gives You Lemons, the new show by Christy Simmons at the Blue Strawberry Thursday night (January 9), called it "an irreverent romp through the peaks and valleys of the dating game." Which, as it turns out, was a pretty accurate description.

Joe Dreyer and Christy Simmons

Now, honesty compels me to point out that Ms. Simmons and I are not strangers. The local cabaret scene is not large and I know almost everyone in it. But I also know great acting and singing when I see it, and I certainly saw plenty of it in this show.

With a set list of 17 numbers, When Life Gives You Lemons was a bit long for a traditional one-act cabaret. But they were all great songs, ranging from vaudeville-era numbers to Burt Bacharach and Hal David's "What's New, Pussycat?" And Ms. Simmons delivered them with that combination of vocal authority, canny theatricality, and sassy attitude that has become her trademark.

The evening was all about making romantic "lemons" into lemonade or, preferably, a lemon-drop martini. Ms. Simmons had a basket of actual lemons on stage, each of which was labeled with a code name of the guy in question (The Englishman, The Comic, and so on). As she brought each one out, the sometimes-convoluted story of the failed relationship fed into the next set of songs.

It was a whimsical concept and well received by the audience.

Before the specifics, though, the show opened with a couple of songs on the general theme of "what the hell was I thinking," starting with a jazzy romp through Duke Ellington and Luther Henderson Jr.'s "Love You Madly" followed by Dorothy Fields's "Nobody Does It Like Me" (from the 1973 musical Seesaw). Accompanist Joe Dreyer--a familiar face on the local music scene--had a solid extended solo in the first number, and overall result was to start the evening off with a bang.

The story of lemon number 1, The Englishman, was next. Describing him as her "first love," Ms. Simmons confessed that what really sold her on him was the way he reminded her of Peter Sellers. That led to "What's New Pussycat?" (a Sellers film) done in the swaggering style of the singer who first recorded it, Tom Jones, followed by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller's "Trouble" (sung by Elvis Presley in the 1958 movie King Creole). She introduced that one with a bit of advice that would prove to be a major romantic lesson for her: "When a man tells you he's a scoundrel, believe him."

And so it went, with recurring appearances of The Englishman, along with tales of the movie-star handsome Chef ("I traded Peter Sellers for Dudley Do-Right"), the Frenchman with whom she had a brief fling in Paris, The Comic ("a great boyfriend" but ultimately feckless), and The Internet Date ("he was average; VERY average")--represented not by a three-dimensional lemon but a one-dimensional drawing of one. That led to a rarely heard Irving Berlin novelty, "Mr. Monotony," written as a solo for Judy Garland in the 1948 film Easter Parade but cut from the final release.

Joe Dreyer and Christy Simmons

A standout moment for me was the incredible but true story of how Ms. Simmons and The Chef, who were both living in Los Angeles at the time, auditioned together (without success) for the ringmaster role in the Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus. They auditioned with a routine built on the obscure 1912 vaudeville number "Oh You Circus Day" (introduced, according to the sheet music, by "Montgomery and Moore in Lew Fields's 'Hanky Panky'"). Ms. Simmons's performance did full justice to its fanciful word play and ragtime rhythms.

Percy Mayfield's "Hit the Road, Jack"--a big hit for Ray Charles in 1961--was great fun, with the audience encouraged to take the role of The Raelettes. It was refreshing to hear Henri Betti and Andre' Hornez's "C'est Si Bon" in the original French. And Lionel Hampton and Sonny Burke's "Midnight Son," with its vivid and slightly surreal lyrics by Johnny Mercer, got a sensitive performance, filled with smoky regret.

So, yeah, the musical side of When Life Gives You Lemons was a success. Less successful were the many "lemon" anecdotes that connected those great song performances. Some went on far too long, sometimes dropping off the "too much information" cliff and telling us far more than we needed to know in order to set up the next number. What the show needs at this point is a director who could suggest cuts in both the patter and the song list that would bring it down from its current 105-minute length to the 65 to 75 minutes that's more customary for a solo evening. The old "less is more" saw is often a good rule in cabaret.

The evening closed with a joyful version of a song that has always been one of my favorites, "Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive " by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer. The refrain has advice appropriate for these politically dark times: "You've got to accentuate the positive / Eliminate the negative / And latch on to the affirmative / Don't mess with Mister In-Between." Or, as Ms. Simmons noted, "you can't control what life gives you, but you can control how you respond to it."

True, that.

Shows continue at The Blue Strawberry, St. Louis's only dedicated bar/restaurant/cabaret showroom. Check their web site for details.

Chuck's Choices for the weekend of February 14, 2014

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:

Mustard Seed Theatre presents Gee's Bend through February 23. The play “explores the affect of the Civil Rights Movement on a remote island in Alabama.” Performances take place at the Fontbonne Fine Arts Theatre, 6800 Wydown Blvd. For more information, call (314) 719-8060 or visit the web site at www.mustardseedtheatre.com.

My take: "The story of the community of Gee's Bend, Alabama, its origins and struggles, is an interesting and important square in the American quilt," writes Tina Farmer in her review for 88.1 KDHX. "That this small community also contributed to the American folk art movement in significant ways with their own quilts adds an amazing layer of beauty and warmth." She calls the production "thoughtful and affecting" and notes that "the show is grounded with memorable performances and dramatic tension." Mustard Seed often takes on unusual and challenging scripts, always with the focus on "issues of faith and social justice," so this is right up their alley.

Photo: John Lamb

Stray Dog Theatre presents Douglas Carter Beane's The Little Dog Laughed Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 PM through February 22, with an extra 2 PM matinee on the 22nd. “A devilishly hilarious Hollywood agent, a movie star with a recurring case of homosexuality, and a hustler and his ambitious girlfriend struggle to uncover the truth about what they really want. In the process, they trigger a non-stop stream of laughs in this Tony-award winning comedy. For MATURE AUDIENCES: In an effort to keep the selection of shows engaging and dynamic, this production may not be appropriate for all ages.” Performances take place at The Tower Grove Abbey, 2336 Tennessee. For more information, visit straydogtheatre.org or call 314-865-1995.

My take: I've done a number of shows with Stray Dog over the years and have been consistently impressed with their professionalism and with the care they take to make sure their actors get the best support possible. That shows in the quality of what they put on stage. Reviews for this show have been good. In his review for talkingbroadway.com, for example, Richard Green says "it's very funny, and you should definitely go see it." "Bell keeps the action moving between the twin levels of the set in parry-and-thrust fashion," writes Mark Bretz at Ladue News, "ensuring that pacing never lags. The Little Dog Laughed is written mostly for laughs, with a dollop of rueful rumination. Stray Dog’s rendition is faithful to that mixture, a tasty tonic on a cold winter’s night."

The Ivory Theatre presents singer Christy Simmons and pianist Paul Westcott in Valentunes: A Cabaret About Love and Stuff on Sunday, February 16 at 2 PM. The Ivory Theatre is at 7620 Michigan. For more information: brownpapertickets.com.

My take: I've known Christy both personally and professionally for a number of years now. She's got a big, powerful voice and a fine musical and theatrical sensibility. She always delivers the goods.

Held Over:

Upstream Theater presents Forget Me Not by Tom Holloway through February 16. "Forget Me Not is the story of a man who was told his mother had died and was shipped to Australia when he was three years old. And of his mother, who never stopped celebrating her little boy's birthday. And of his learning about himself-and about what it means to love." Performances take place at the Kranzberg Arts Center, 501 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information, including show times: upstreamtheater.org.

My take: Upstream has, once again, taken on a tought-provoking play about difficult subject. In this case, it's non-humanitarian child migration. "The policy of child migration for non-humanitarian reasons is disturbing," writes Tina Farmer in her review for 88.1 KDHX. "The fact that some of these children were, literally, stolen from their families is tragic and appalling. Director Philip Boehm steadily guides this fascinating and compelling production, keeping the focus clearly on the story and actors."

Photo: John Lamb

New Jewish Theatre presents The Whipping Man by Matthew Lopez through February 16. "A seriously injured Confederate soldier returns to the ruins of his once grand Richmond home at the end of the Civil War to find only two former slaves and no one else - creating an unlikely trio - a Jewish Confederate soldier and former slave owner and his two former slaves who were raised as Jews. As the three gather for a makeshift Passover Seder, they come to terms with their shared past and secrets as they ask the age-old question "Why is this night different from all other nights?"" Performances take place in the Marvin and Harlene Wool Studio Theater at the Jewish Community Center, 2 Millstone Campus Drive in Creve Coeur. For more information: www.newjewishtheatre.org or call 314-442-3283.

My take: This is the second time around for this piece in the last year. The local premiere by the Black Rep got plenty of critical acclaim but, as Andrea Braun writes in her review for 88.1 KDHX, this production "matches that level of excellence, and due primarily to directorial choices, occasionally surpasses it...The South was a more cordial place than the North for Jews in that era, and many thrived there until after the Civil War, even though this is a people who understood the horror of enslavement. That irony and all that is revealed on this stage will certainly intrigue you and provoke some interesting discussion."

St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of February 10, 2014

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 ArtsZipper site.

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Harvest Theatre presents The Andrews Brothers Musical running through February 15. “This musical comedy follows three brothers who work back stage for the USO in hopes of one day becoming USO performers, will they get there big break? Join us to find out!” Performances take place in Werner Auditorium Concordia Seminary, 801 Seminary Place in Clayton. For more information: brownpapertickets.com.

The West County YMCA presents a Fairy Tale Factory production of Beauty and the Beast Friday through Sunday, February 14 - 16. Performances take place at the West County YMCA, 16464 Burkhardt Place. For more information, call (636) 532-6515 Ext. 227.

The Lemp Mansion Comedy-Mystery Dinner Theater presents its Bullets in the Bathtub through April 27. The Lemp Mansion is at 3322 DeMenil Place. For more information: lempmansion.com

The Bissell Mansion Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre presents Flaming Saddles through April 27. The Bissell Mansion is at 4426 Randall Place. For more information: bissellmansiontheatre.com

Upstream Theater presents Forget Me Not by Tom Holloway through February 16. "Forget Me Not is the story of a man who was told his mother had died and was shipped to Australia when he was three years old. And of his mother, who never stopped celebrating her little boy's birthday. And of his learning about himself-and about what it means to love." Performances take place at the Kranzberg Arts Center, 501 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information, including show times: upstreamtheater.org. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

Mustard Seed Theatre presents Gee's Bend through February 23. The play “explores the affect of the Civil Rights Movement on a remote island in Alabama.” Performances take place at the Fontbonne Fine Arts Theatre, 6800 Wydown Blvd. For more information, call (314) 719-8060 or visit the web site at www.mustardseedtheatre.com. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

The Monroe Actors Stage Company presents the Noel Coward's Hay Fever through February 16 in the Historic Capitol Theatre in downtown Waterloo, Illinois. For more information, visit www.masctheatre.org or call 618-939-7469.

The Black Rep presents actress/comedian Phyllis Yvonne Stickney in Laughter and Lyrics on Friday, February 14, at 8 and 10:30 PM. The performances take place at the 560 Music Center, 560 Trinity in University City. For more information: theblackrep.org.

Photo: John Lamb

Stray Dog Theatre presents Douglas Carter Beane's The Little Dog Laughed Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 PM through February 22, with an extra 2 PM matinee on the 22nd. “A devilishly hilarious Hollywood agent, a movie star with a recurring case of homosexuality, and a hustler and his ambitious girlfriend struggle to uncover the truth about what they really want. In the process, they trigger a non-stop stream of laughs in this Tony-award winning comedy. For MATURE AUDIENCES: In an effort to keep the selection of shows engaging and dynamic, this production may not be appropriate for all ages.” 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!

Photo: John Lamb

The West End Players Guild continues their 103rd season with Brian Friel's Lovers by Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM and Sundays at 2 PM, February 14 - 23. There will also be a show on Thursday, February 20, at 8 PM. “Renowned Irish playwright Brian Friel spins the tales of hope and regret of two very different couples - one a pair of youngsters just beginning their love life, the other a couple entering the twilight of life together. Set in contemporary Ireland, Lovers offers hard lessons about Irish life and whether love can make a difference.” 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.

KTK Productions presents A Love Story by Sherry Stryhal February 14 - 23. Performances take place at Southampton Presbyterian Church, 4716 Macklind. For more information, call 314-351-8984.

Photo: Lon Brauer

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents Other Desert Cities February 12 - March 9. “Things get bumpy when promising young novelist Brooke Wyeth returns home to Palm Springs to get her family's approval of her newest work - a tell-all memoir dredging up long-kept family secrets. Daring her conservative parents to oppose her, Brooke draws a line in the sand, and when it is crossed, the result threatens to undo them all. Politics, lies and regrets collide in this biting, sharp and fiercely funny Pulitzer Prize finalist.” 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.

St. Louis Community College at Florissant Valley Theater Department presents Reasons to Be Pretty February 14 - 22. Performances take place in the Fisher Theatre on the campus at 3400 Pershall Road. For more information, call 314-644-5522.

St. Louis Community College at Meramec Theatre Department presents Tales Of The Lost Formicans Wednesday through Sunday, February 11-16. Performances take place in the theatre on the campus at 11333 Big Bend Road. For more information, call 314-984-7500.

Dramatic License Productions presents A Valentine Cabaret: Love Songs of Broadway Friday through Sunday, February 14-16. Performances take place at Dramatic License Theatre located at the upper level of Chesterfield Mall (near Sears and across from Houlihan's Restaurant). For more information, call 636-220-7012 or visit dramaticlicenseproductions.org.

The Ivory Theatre presents singer Christy Simmons and pianist Paul Westcott in Valentunes: A Cabaret About Love and Stuff on Sunday, February 16 at 2 PM. The Ivory Theatre is at 7620 Michigan. For more information: brownpapertickets.com.

Photo: John Lamb

New Jewish Theatre presents The Whipping Man by Matthew Lopez through February 16. "A seriously injured Confederate soldier returns to the ruins of his once grand Richmond home at the end of the Civil War to find only two former slaves and no one else - creating an unlikely trio - a Jewish Confederate soldier and former slave owner and his two former slaves who were raised as Jews. As the three gather for a makeshift Passover Seder, they come to terms with their shared past and secrets as they ask the age-old question "Why is this night different from all other nights?"" Performances take place in the Marvin and Harlene Wool Studio Theater at the Jewish Community Center, 2 Millstone Campus Drive in Creve Coeur. For more information: www.newjewishtheatre.org or call 314-442-3283. 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.

Rosemary and Time

Who: Christy Simmons
What: Count Your Blessings: A Tribute to Rosemary Clooney
When: October 4 – 14
Where: The Missouri History Museum

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I’ve always maintained—sometimes against stiff critical headwind—that cabaret is essentially a form of musical theatre, and that some of the best cabaret artists are the ones with a solid stage background. If you doubt that, head on over to the Missouri History Museum to see Christy Simmons’s Count Your Blessings and be convinced.

Ms. Simmons’s stage experience is obvious is nearly every moment of this remarkable mix of cabaret, biography, and musical theatre that recounts the ups and downs of the famed singer's often troubled life with a canny combination of song and story. It looks as polished and professional as it sounds, and it sounds awfully fine. Yes, there are a few moments when the eyes and ears of a director who is not also the star would have been helpful and the song list is perhaps a bit ballad-heavy, but the show is so engaging and well thought out that these are little more than quibbles.

At this point I should probably point out that Ms. Simmons and I are not strangers. We’ve shared the stage before and done the St. Louis Cabaret Conference together. Nothing unusual there; the local cabaret scene is not large and I know almost everyone in it. I also know a good show when I see it, though, and Count Your Blessings is, by any standard you can name, a good show. The mix of songs includes plenty of Clooney’s hits along with some less familiar titles, the balance of music and biography is right, and the presentation is first-rate.

Count Your Blessings makes good use of the History Museum’s stage. The three-piece combo (piano, acoustic bass, and drums) is spread across the back of the stage, which is simply but elegantly dressed with tables, candles, a few props, and a picture of Ms. Clooney. It’s all beautifully lit by Becca Holmes and the overall look and sound is that of a high-end nightclub—very appropriate for the subject at hand.

It helps, of course, that Clooney’s real life almost sounds like the plot of a Hollywood biopic. Saddled with a horrific childhood, Clooney began singing on the radio at an early age simply to survive and soon became a major attraction Tony Pastor’s band. Film and TV stardom followed, but career pressures and the singer’s poor choice in men—she married the fickle and self-centered film star José Ferrer not once but twice—eventually led to drug addition and a nervous breakdown. The fact that she recovered from that breakdown, married dancer Dante DiPaolo (the true love her life), and went on to a second career as a jazz singer would surely seem the stuff of fiction if it weren’t true.

As Ms. Simmons points out early in the evening, her show is not an exercise in celebrity impersonation. When she sings Clooney hits like “This Will Be My Shining Hour”, “Half As Much,” or “You Make Me Feel So Young,” she’s giving you her interpretations, not a reproduction of Clooney’s. There is a riveting section in the second act in which she takes on the role of Clooney to dramatize the singer’s famous mental meltdown following Robert Kennedy’s assassination, but that’s clearly established as a set piece that departs from the norm. For the rest of the show, Rosemary Clooney’s songs are used to tell the story of Rosemary Clooney’s life, assisted with excerpts from the singer’s sometimes painfully honest autobiography.

And the performances of those songs couldn’t be better. Ms. Simmons has a well-trained voice that can belt or purr as needed, so she’s equally at home up-tempo numbers like “It Don't Mean A Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing” and downbeat ballads like Billy Strayhorn’s unsettling “Lush Life”. Her backup band is tight and the vocal/instrumental balance is excellent. The first weekend the band consisted of Paul Westcott on piano, Dave Troncoso on bass, and Clancy Newell on drums. The redoubtable Joe Dreyer replaces Mr. Westcott on the closing weekend while Jim Guglielmo takes over the percussion Thursday through Saturday.

I was never a fan of Rosemary Clooney, but I found Count Your Blessings to be a consistently entertaining and, in keeping with the History Museum’s mission, educational show. For fans of the late singer, I expect it’s a little bit of heaven. For the rest of us, it’s just a darned fine bit of musical theatre.

Count Your Blessings continues through October 14 in the Lee Auditorium of the History Museum in Forest Park. For more information: mohistory.org.

Chuck's Choices for the weekend of October 11, 2012

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:

St. Louis Actors Studio presents the drama Good through October 21 at the Gaslight Theatre, 358 North Boyle. “C.P. Taylor's Good examines Germany's descent into Nazism through the story of John Halder, a literature professor who is initially reluctant to accept the philosophy of the Nazi Party.” Not to put too fine a point on it, but given the way domestic politics seem to be going these days, a reminder of the seductiveness of fascism could not be more timely. For more information, call 314-458-2978 or visit stlas.org.

The Showboat Community Theatre and The Wine Country Follies present Ron Youngman in Songs from Vaudeville, The Silver Screen and The Musical Stage Thursdays at 3 PM, October 11 - 25, and Friday, October 19, at 7:30 PM. "Ron has performed in various venues from St. Louis to Beijing, China and New York." I saw Ron's vaudeville show a couple years ago at the Kranzberg Center and was very much impressed with both his performance and his affection for a period of American musical history for which I also have considerable fondness. He also does one heck of an Eddie Cantor impersonation. Performances take place at The Showboat Theatre in Hermann, Mo. For more information: 1-573-486-2744 or 1-800-932-8687.

Held over:

New Line Theatre presents the rock musical Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 PM through October 21. Performances take place at the Washington University South Campus Theatre, 6501 Clayton Road. Once again, New Line brings St. Louis the local permiere of a much-praised cutting edge musical.  In his review for 881. KDHX, Robert Mitchell describes it as "a bloodty good history lesson." For more information, newlinetheatre.com or call 314-534-1111.

The Missouri History Museum and Topper Productions present Christy Simmons in Count Your Blessings: A Tribute to Rosemary Clooney, Thursday through Saturday at 8 PM and Sunday at 2 PM,. Simmons' band features Joe Dreyer (Thursday through Saturday) and Paul Westcott (Sunday), piano; Jim Guglielmo (Thursday through Saturday) and Clancy Newell (Sunday), drums; and Dave Troncoso, bass. Performances take place in the Des Lee Auditorium at the History Museum at Lindell and DeBaliviere in Forest Park. As I note in my review for 881. KDHX, Ms. Simmons has managed to combine cabaret, theatre, and biography in an entertaining and educational evening—most appropriate for the History Museum's mission. For more information:mohistory.org or call 314-361-9017.

Upstream Theater presents Eugene O'Neill's The Hairy Ape. Performances are Thursdays through Sundays, October 5 - 21, at the Kranzberg Arts Center, 501 North Grand. This is, to say the least, a show that has not suffered from over-exposure locally, so any production is a cause for celebration. That's especially true when, as Andrea Braun notes in her review for 88.1 KDHX, the production is such a fine one. For more information, call (314) 863-4999 or visit www.upstreamtheater.org.

Chuck's Choices for the weekend of August 20, 2012

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:

The R-S Theatrics Summer Cabaret Series presents Christy Simmons in He Love Me, He Loves Me Not on Friday, August 24, at 8 PM. “R-S Theatrics is pleased and proud to bring you an evening with cabaret veteran, Christy Simmons, as she explores the ups and downs of love, in her own inimitable way.” If you have saw Christy in Last of the Red-Hot Mamas at New Jewish Theatre, you know she's a powerful performer. The performance takes place at the Gaslight Theatre, 358 North Boyle in the Central West End. For more information, email rstheatrics at yahoo.com, visti brownpapertickst.com, or call 314-968-8070.

The Kranzberg Arts Center presents singer and pianist Seth Ward Pyatt in Notes from New York Friday and Saturday at 8 PM, August 24 and 25. “The young writer's travel journal, chronicling a whirlwind trip to NYC, inspires his one-man show.” Seth has been very active on the local theatre scene as a performer and music director; it will be interesting to see what his solo cabaret debut looks like. Performances take place in the cabaret theatre at the Kranzberg Arts Center, 501 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information, you may visit brownpapertickets.com.

Held over:

The Fox Theatre presents the Disney musical The Lion King August 15 through September 2. It's a bit less spectacular this time around, but as I note in my review for 88.1 KDHX Julie Taymor's re-imagined version of the original animated film is still a remarkable piece of work; let's not hold the show's immense popularity against it. Great art can still be popular, as Shakespeare (among others) proved. The Fox Theatre is at 527 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information, fabulousfox.com or call 314-534-1678.

Stray Dog Theatre presents The Great American Trailer Park Musical Friday and Saturday at 8. I have three perfectly good reasons to recommend this show. First, I've worked with Stray Dog often enough in the past to know that they do entertaining trash just as well as more high-falutin' stuff. Second, how can you pass up a chance to see some of our classiest actresses get truly crude? Third, in his review for 88.1 KDHX, Robert Mitchell says "if you're looking for laugh-out loud absurdity punctuated by catchy country-tinged tunes and schmaltzy, heartfelt rock ballads, then by all means, head to Stray Dog's current production." Performances take place at The Tower Grove Abbey, 2336 Tennessee. For more information, visit straydogtheatre.org or call 314-865-1995.

Union Avenue Opera presents Wagner's Das Rheingold in a condensed and reduced version by English composer Jonathan Dove, Friday and Saturday at 8 PM. Union Avenue has a history of pushing the boundaries of what can be done with their modest budget and less than ideal performance space in the Union Avenue Christian Church. Wagner's Ring operas, in their original form, would simply not be possible with those constraints, which is why they're doing shorter, smaller-cast versions originally prepared for touring opera companies in Britain. As I note in my review for 88.1 KDHX, while this edited version has managed the neat trick of trimming 45 minutes from the original two and one-half hour running time without noticeably sacrificing anything, the production itself still has some serious shortcoming. It also has some very fine performances, though, which go a long way towards tipping the balance. Performances take place at the Union Avenue Christian Church, 733 Union at Enright in the Central West End. The opera is sung in German with projected English text. For more information, visit unionavenueopera.org or call 314-361-2881.