Chuck's Choices for the weekend of September 6, 2019

This week's list features a pair of comic film adaptations.

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New This Week:

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The 39 Steps

St. Louis Shakespeare presents The 39 Steps running through September 7. "Four actors play over 100 characters in this hilarious parody of Hitchcock's 1935 thriller. You won't want to miss it!" Performances take place at Tower Grove Baptist Church, 4257 Magnolia Ave. For more information: stlshakespeare.org.

My take: This is one of those shows that is as much about the acting as the script, since all the roles are played by just four performers. It takes a tongue-in-cheek approach to Hitchock's breezy adaptation of John Buchan's classic thriller (one of a series of novels starring Buchan's stalwart Everyman hero, Richard Hannay), turning it into an action comedy and quick-change festival. "If you have four gifted comedic actors, regardless of budget and set complexity," writes Michelle Kenyon on her blog, "you can do this show. And STL Shakespeare certainly has those four gifted performers, as well as a fun approach and excellent pacing and setting." At KDHX, Tina Farmer writes that "director Dustin Massie and the four person cast mine the action and dialogue to maximum comic effect. Phil Leveling is thoroughly engaging as the dashing and courageous Hannay, and he uses his height and expressive face to his advantage. Kelly Schnider is appealing as Edwards and Schmidt, with an arched eyebrow punctuating her reactions. Rebecca Loughridge and Brian Kappler, credited as Clown 1 and Clown 2, fill in the plot while adding plenty of laughs as they skillfully juggle multiple characters and props with expectedly humorous results." Looks like a fun beginning to the fall theatre season.

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Shakespeare in Love
Photo by John Lamb

Insight Theatre Company presents Shakespeare in Love by Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard, adapted for the stage by Lee Hall, through September 15. "Young Will Shakespeare has writer's block… the deadline for his new play is fast approaching but he's in desperate need of inspiration. That is, until he finds his muse - Viola. This beautiful young woman is Will's greatest admirer and will stop at nothing (including breaking the law) to appear in his next play. Against a bustling background of mistaken identity, ruthless scheming and backstage theatrics, Will's love for Viola quickly blossoms and inspires him to write his greatest masterpiece." Performances take place at the Grandel Theatre in Grand Center. For more information, call 314-556-1293 or visit insighttheatrecompany.com.

My take: This stage adaptation of the justifiably popular 1998 Tom Stoppard/Marc Norman film apparently compresses the plot a bit but retains all the important elements. Insight's production features a large (24-person) cast that includes many actors who will be familiar to you, including Whit Richers, Joneal Joplin, Carl Overly, and Michelle Hand. At KDHX, Tina Farmer writes that "spirited performances and an abundance of slyly referential dialogue ensure the show is an enjoyable diversion." "It's never not fun to watch Whit Reichert and Joneal Joplin play off each other," writes Ann Lemmons Pollack on her blog, "[a]nd we’ve got the bonus of live music from seven musicians, several of which also appear in roles in the show...It's a pleasure. Goeth thou. "

Review: A fine romance

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

The cast of Anastasia
Photo by Evan Zimmerman

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"Anastasia," the 2016 stage adaptation of the 1997 animated musical film that's playing the Fox through January 6th, has imposing credentials. With music by the talented team of Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens and a book by celebrated playwright Terrence McNally what could possibly go wrong?

The answer, happily, is "nothing."

Indeed, this colorful and charming romantic fantasy does pretty much everything right, beginning with an engaging score that supports the story well. "Anastasia" doesn't have the through-composed weight of Flaherty and Ahrens's "Ragtime" or the ingenious wit of their "Seussical," but it does the job and even manages to generate some memorable tunes. "Journey to the Past," the big first-act closer, has already caught on with many younger singers, for example.

Lila Coogan
Photo by Matthew Murhpy

Mr. McNally's book tells a complicated story efficiently with characters that, while lacking in depth, are nevertheless clear and consistent in their motivations. The play opens in Tsarist St. Petersburg in 1906, as the young Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna bids a tearful farewell to her beloved grandmother, the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna, who is off to live in Paris. The action quickly moves to 1917, as the teenaged Anastasia is apparently killed with the rest of the Romanov family in the revolution.

Or maybe not. Cut to 1927, as Vlad Popov, a former member of the Imperial court, hatches a plan with his young protégé Dmitry to find a young girl who can be passed off as Anastasia, whose death was never confirmed. Rumors of her survival persist, and in Paris the Dowager Empress is offering a tidy sum for proof that she lives.

L-R: Edward Staudenmayer, Lila Coogan,
Stephen Brower
Photo by Evan Zimmerman

They stumble upon Anya, an amnesiac street sweeper who seems to know things that only Anastasia could, and they're convinced wealth is at hand. All they need to do is coach Anya and make their way to Paris while avoiding the machinations of Bolshevik general Gleb Vaganov, who is determined to kill rumors of Anastasia's survival--along with the real Anastasia, if necessary.

With Gleb in hot pursuit, they make it to Paris, where Vlad hopes to re-ignite his affair with Countess Lily Malevsky-Malevitch (now the Dowager Empress's lady-in-waiting) and where Dmitry falls desperately in love with Anastasia, even though he knows that, should their scheme succeed, he'll lose her forever.

But because "Anastasia" is a musical rather than an opera, all ends happily.

Jason Michael Evans
Photo by Matthew Murphy

This first USA tour, which began in Schenectady, New York, back in October, boasts a truly excellent cast. Lila Coogan is a radiant Anastasia, vocally strong and very credible as a troubled young woman trying to sort out fact from fancy in her life. Her performance of "Journey to the Past" was the showstopper it was obviously intended to be. Stephen Brower is a lovable and charismatic Dmitry with his own big moment in "My Petersburg" towards the end of Act I.

Edward Staudenmayer, who was such a brilliant Lord Evelyn in "Anything Goes" at the Fox in 2013, hits the theatrical bull's-eye again as Vlad, especially when he's working opposite Tari Kelly's hilarious Countess Lilly in their gloriously silly love duet, "The Countess and the Common Man." Ms. Kelly reminded me of the young Carol Burnett, with her impeccable comic timing and vocal power.

L-R: Victoria Bingham, Joy Franz
Photo by Evan Zimmerman

Jason Michael Evans has a big, powerful baritone voice that gives his Gleb real authority, especially in his final confrontation with Anya, but I felt he telegraphed the character's unhinged obsession a bit too early in the show. The intensity of his performance worked better in Act II, when the conflict between Gleb's growing affection for Anya and his sense of duty are clearly driving him to distraction.

Joy Franz is a moving Dowager Empress and Victoria Bingham is a real delight as Little Anastasia. The members of the ensemble display remarkable versatility in a variety of roles and provide some impressive dancing in production numbers like "Paris Holds the Key (To Your Heart)" and "Land of Yesterday."

The technical aspects of this production are stunning. Aaron Rhyne's digital videos and projections bring the show's many settings to vivid and often strikingly realistic life, from the muted oppression of Soviet-era St. Petersburg to the brightly colorful Paris of the late 1920s. Complex scene changes take place within seconds, helping the show to move at a brisk clip and making it all seem much shorter than its run time of nearly two hours and forty-five minutes, including intermission.

Lila Coogan and the ensemble
Photo by Matthew Murphy

Linda Cho's striking costumes and Alexander Dodge's sets add to the strong visual appeal of "Anastasia," and director Darko Tresnjak, who also directed the Broadway original, pulls it all together in one big, bright package. Down in the pit, Music Director/Conductor Lawrence Goldberg leads a flawless account of the score.

Peter Hylenski is credited with sound design, so I'm going to assume we have him to thank for the crystal-clear amplified sound. All the lyrics were easily understandable, even in the larger ensemble numbers. That's not always the case at the Fox, so thanks for that.

"Anastasia" is a very appealing post-Christmas present for local audiences. It's a bit superficial and goes a bit too easy on the White Russian émigrés of the early 20th century, but as a charming, family friendly musical romance it's hard to beat. Performances continue through January 6th at the Fabulous Fox in Grand Center.

Review: Light rain

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

L-R: Corbin Bleu, Berklea Going, Jeffrey Schecter

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"Singin' in the Rain," the 1983 stage adaptation of the beloved 1952 movie musical, will probably never make anyone's list of Best Musicals of All Time. But the Muny's production of the 2012 London revival is, to paraphrase the Bard, entertaining enough and 'twill suffice.

Set in the late 1920s, the story of both the original movie and the stage version by Broadway veterans Betty Comden and Adolph Green concerns matinee idol Don Lockwood (Gene Kelly in the film), pianist/sidekick Cosmo Brown (Donald O'Connor), and aspiring actress and singer Kathy Selden (Debbie Reynolds). When Lockwood's movie studio decides to make the change to talking pictures, the grating voice of Lockwood's co-star Lina Lamont (Jean Hagen) threatens to end both their careers even as her unwelcome interference threatens the budding romance between Lockwood and Selden.

When I last saw this show at the Muny back in 1995, I suggested that the acting opportunities available to the leads in this show were somewhat limited by the fact their characters aren't fictional creations so much as distillations of the public personas of three legendary performers who appeared in the original film. What was called for, I thought, were skilled impersonations rather re-interpretations.

L-R: Corbin Bleu, Megan Sikora, George Merrick

Well, we all make mistakes.

Viewed over two decades later, I'm now obliged to admit that a talented musical theatre actor can capture the essence of the film's original stars without ever coming close to celebrity impersonation. That's certainly what's happening this week in Forest Park.

As Don Lockwood, Corbin Bleu lights up the Muny stage with his own version of Kelly's famous Blitzkrieg charm and blinding smile, along with strong, graceful dance moves and an impeccable voice. Whether he's shuffling, tapping, or soft-shoeing through classics like "Fit as a Fiddle", "Good Morning", or the title song (complete with on-stage rain), or crooning to Berklea Going's Kathy Selden, he's always in character and in the moment. Besides, you've got to admire any hoofer who can look that good on a rain-slicked stage.

Ms. Going is also treasure as the iron-willed and golden-voiced singer who is only willing to keep her light hidden under a basket for so long. Her performance of "You Are My Lucky Star" is a high point of the first act, as is her song and dance number with the ensemble women in "All I Do Is Dream of You." She's also a more than capable dancer, holding her own with her co-stars in the lively "Good Morning."

Debby Lennon

Jeffrey Schecter is Cosmo Brown. The role calls for a combination of precise comic timing, athletic dancing, and the ability to be endearing without becoming sappy. Mr. Schecter does it all, and splendidly. The audience took to him immediately on opening night, applauding enthusiastically at his big comic dance number "Make 'Em Laugh."

Megan Sikora hits all the right notes--along with some deliberately hilarious wrong ones--as Lina Lamont, the woman with a voice that could peel paint. The part offers less room for interpretation than the three leads since it's mostly a matter of reproducing Ms. Hagen's brassy bombshell shtick from the film, but even so Ms. Sikora puts her own comic spin on it. That's most apparent in her second act showstopper "What's Wrong With Me," a song that never appeared in the original film but probably should have.

The supporting cast is strong as well, with fine performances from Jeff McCarthy as studio boss R.F. Simpson, Debby Lennon as both gassy gossip columnist Dora Bailey and Lamont's long-suffering elocution coach, George Merrick as film director Roscoe Dexter, and Halle Morse as Lina's co-conspirator Zelda Zanders. A special tip of the critical hat is also due dancer Lizz Picini for her slinky and sexy turn as The Girl in the Green Dress in the "Broadway Rhythm" number.

Corbin Bleu

Under the direction of Ben Whiteley the Muny orchestra sounded at the top of their game on opening night, the humidity not withstanding. Director Marc Bruni keeps everything moving briskly and looking polished, while Rommy Sandhu's choreography is a neat mix of classical dance moves and vintage styles of the 20s and 30s. Sets by Paul Tate dePoo III, video projections by Greg Emetaz, and lighting by Nathan W. Scheuer all help to create a properly glitzy Hollywood ambience, as do Tristan Raines's period costumes.

So, yeah, "Singin' in the Rain" is great fun, although on opening night the show was not without its issues. There were some ragged spots, a missed entrance, and everything looked just a bit under-rehearsed. That's because, as fate would have it, the final dress on Tuesday night was disrupted by a massive thunderstorm. On-stage rain is essential for "Singin' in the Rain," but only when it's under the control of the stage manager.

I expect those issues to be resolved by the time you read this, though, so I have no hesitation about recommending it to fans of the original movie or anyone who is looking for a light, entertaining musical evening. And unlike the version of the show I saw back in 1995, this more streamlined revival never wears out its welcome. If the weather permits, go and enjoy. Performances continue through Tuesday, July 3rd, and tickets are available at the Muny web site.

Review: "An American in Paris" celebrates dance in the City of Light

Garen Scribner and Sara Esty

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"'S wonderful! 'S marvelous!" That opening line of a classic Gershwin tune is also a perfect capsule review of the musical An American in Paris, playing the Fox through January 29th.

Adapted from the 1951 movie musical of the same name, An American in Paris is a big, beautiful valentine to both the darkness and the light of post-war Paris-and to the art of the dance.

Playwright Craig Lucas (Prelude to a Kiss, Reckless) and musical arranger/adapter Rob Fisher (long-time music director for the City Center Encores! Series) have assembled an impressive collection of Gershwin songs for the score, but singing definitely takes second place to dancing in this show. Director/choreographer Christopher Wheeldon, who got both a Tony and an Outer Critics Circle for his work here, has loaded up An American in Paris with a stunning variety of dance styles, from classic ballet moves to a brilliant pastiche of early 20th-century popular dances (in the lavish "Stairway to Paradise") to an ingenious amalgam of mid-century angular "modernist" choreography for the big title number in the second act. It's no small thing to keep up visual interest in a show that runs nearly three hours, but Mr. Wheeldon has managed it neatly.

"Stairway to Paradise"

Like the film that inspired it, An American in Paris is the story of three mismatched friends in the newly-liberated French capital: American war veteran and artist Jerry Mulligan, fellow vet and struggling composer Adam Hochberg, and Henri Baurel, scion of a wealthy French family and a would-be song and dance man. All three become smitten with the mysterious ballerina Lise Dassin, creating a romantic triangle (or maybe a quadrangle) that moves the plot along. There's also a secondary story involving Jerry's brief fling with American philanthropist Milo Davenport.

Unlike the movie, Mr. Lucas's book gives the secondary characters a bit more depth and makes Jerry less of a self-centered jerk. The original film, in my view, works only because star Gene Kelly's high-powered charm makes it possible to overlook his character's terminal immaturity. He still behaves badly here, but redeems himself by admitting as much and apologizing for it.

The cast for this tour is impressive. Leads Garen Scribner (Jerry) and Sara Esty (Lise) both have substantial ballet credits in their biographies, and it shows in their limber and precise dancing. They both have solid voices and are often eerily reminiscent of original film stars Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron. Note that at some performances, Ryan Steele and Leigh-Ann Esty alternate in those roles. Etai Benson (Adam), Nick Spangler (Henri), and Emily Ferranti (Milo) are also very strong performers, as are Gayton Scott and Don Noble as Henri's very proper parents. They're supported by a versatile and talented ensemble.

"I Got Rhythm"

An American is Paris stunning visually as well as theatrically, thanks largely to inventive projections by 59 Productions that allow us to see Paris through Jerry's eyes as his illustrations come to life. The show uses very little in the way of physical scenery, which makes the many scene changes quick and seamless. That's especially effective in numbers like "Stairway to Paradise," which marks Henri's cabaret debut. As he begins to imagine himself in Radio City Music Hall, the scene quickly shifts to the glossy production of his dreams, and then moves just as quickly back to the small café set.

A similarly magical transformation happens in the title number, set to just about all of Gershwin's original tone poem. In the context of the show, it's the big ballet that stars Lise, with music by Adam and sets and costumes by Jerry. We start out seeing everything from a backstage perspective, looking out through the curtains at the conductor and the audience. One lightning-fast change later, we're seeing it from the audience's perspective, with Jerry's colorfully cubist visuals.

So, if you love great dancing and the classic sounds of the Gershwin brothers, trip on over to the Fox in Grand Center for An American in Paris. Performances run through the 29th and tickets are available at the Fox web site. Note that, because of the long running time, evening shows start at 7:30.