Chuck's Choices for the weekend of September 1st, 2017

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

Share on Google+:

---

New This Week:

---

Meghan Kirk

The Presenters Dolan presents Meghan Kirk: Out of My Head on Friday, September 1st, at 8 p.m. Meghan is a Cabaret performer and voice teacher based in St Louis, Mo. "Meghan has been studying voice for over 25 years and holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from Stephens College. Moving to NYC in 1996, Meghan worked in regional theatre and after a move to Los Angeles she discovered the art of Cabaret. In her brand new show, Meghan brings her personal travelogue alive through story and songs." The performance takes place at The Stage at KDHX, next to the Jazz Bistro in Grand Center. For more information: presentersdolan.com.

My take: As I wrote in my review of her Gaslight Cabaret Festival appearance back in 2015, Ms. Kirk is a tremendously talented and charismatic performer—a classic singing actress with solid vocal technique and the acting chops necessary to inhabit a lyric. And, as a self-confessed "dyed-in-the-sequins musical theatre geek," she has an advantage in that unique form of musical theatre known as cabaret.

---

Titus Andronicus
Photo: Ron James

St. Louis Shakespeare presents Titus Andronicus Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. through September 3. Performances take place at the Ivory Theatre, 7620 Michigan in the Carondelet neighborhood. For more information, call 314-361-5664 or visit stlshakespeare.org.

My take: This "revenger" tragedy is widely regarded as one of the more graphically violent plays in the Shakespearean canon. An early work, it hasn't gotten a lot of respect over the years, although Julie Taymor's wildly successful 1999 film version helped reawaken interest in it. At KDHX, Tina Farmer writes that the St. Louis Shakespeare production "sharply focuses the complex and darkly tragic play on the intense conflict between the central characters. Bold performances are energized by a sense of rage and a well articulated story arc ensures that this production is exciting. The tension starts high and still finds several levels left to amp up the bloodstained drama." If you're having meat pies this holiday weekend, though, caution is advised.

---

High tea with Uncle Vanya

Rebel and Misfits Productions presents Uncle Vanya: Valiantly Accepting Next Year's Agony Thursdays through Sundays, August 24 through September 3, as part of its Immersive Theatre Project. "The story of Uncle Vanya follows an elderly professor and his young, glamorous second wife, Yelena, to a rural estate, causing the desires and tempers of those residing there to flare. Matters are brought to a crisis when the professor announces his selfish intention to sell the estate and characters' desperation sets in. Rebel and Misfits' interpretation will begin with a high-tea reception and feature Russian libations at intermission. Audiences can expect direct contact with characters from the show throughout the evening as part of the immersive theatre experience. Performances take place at a private residence at 110 Dielman Road in Ladue. For more information: theimmersivetheatreproject.com.

My take: This is, to say the least, an inventive approach to Chekov's play. It was not written with "immsersive theatre" in mind, of course, so the quesiton is: does it work in this revised form? At KDHX, Steve Callahan is impressed with the cast but less so with the concept. "To place Uncle Vanya in the middle of a cocktail-party, he writes, "is a disservice to the play, to the actors, and to the audience." But Judy Newmark at stltoday writes that "[n]o matter what [director Kelly Hummert] had in mind, she has mounted a superb production of a truly modern drama, a production that makes sense, that emphasizes Chekhov's wry humor and that gives two gifted actors, James Butz and Andrew Michael Neiman, rich roles that they dig into with brains and style". At St. Louis Eats and Drinks, Ann Lemmons Pollack agrees with Ms. Newmark, calling this "an utterly charming take" on Chekov's classic. The only way to know what you'll think is to see it.

---

Held Over:

---

In the Heights
Photo: Jill Ritter Lindberg

R-S Theatrics presents the musical In the Heights Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 7 p.m., through September 3. "In the Heights, the 2008 Tony Award Winner for Best Musical, has words and music by Lin-Manuel Miranda, writer of the current Grammy and Tony Award winning hit Hamilton! In the Heights is set in New York City's vibrant Washington Heights, a community on the brink of change, full of hopes and dreams, where the biggest struggles can be deciding which traditions you take with you, and which ones you leave behind. This groundbreaking musical tackles the universal story of chasing your dreams and finding your true home." Performances take place at the .ZACK, 3224 Locust in midttown. For more information: r-stheatrics.com.

My take: From the Irish in the 1820s to the current wave of new arrivals from Africa, Latin America and the Middle East, immigrants have brightened and enriched American culture. We are, indeed, a nation of immigrants, and In the Heights celebrates that fact. As I noted in my review of the tour of the Broadway original production of this show back in 2009, In the Heights may look and sound very contemporary, but its celebration of neighborhood and family values is also very traditional. R-S is giving this first local production of the show an "engaging and enjoyable" presentation (Mark Bretz, Ladue News) that is "a haunting reminder of the sacrifices people make when they uproot their families for a chance at a better home in a new place" (Shannon Cothran, KDHX). It's also sold out, but you can presumably be put on the waiting list.

St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of November 7, 2016

Share on Google+:

First Run Theatre presents the 2016 Spectrum One-Act Play Festival Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM and Sundays at 2 PM, November 11 - 20. This year's plays are Placebo Effect and Reunion by David Hawley; The Technicians by Robert Stevenson; Most Real by Colin Percival McLaughlin; A Pride of Dummies and And They All Lived Happily Ever After Joe Wegescheide; Fartocalypse by Dan Viggers; and Fear of Mediocrity by Nathan R. Hinds. Performances take place in the Thomas Hunter Theatre at DeSmet Jesuit High School, 233 N New Ballas Road. For more information, call (314) 352-5114 or visit www.firstruntheatre.com.

The 2015 cast of All is Calm
Photo: John Lamb

Mustard Seed Theatre presents the a cappella musical All is Calm Thursdays through Sundays, November 11-December 11. “Join us in celebrating the power of peace in this acapella musical based on the true story of soldiers during World War I who for one night, put down their arms and played soccer instead of exchanging bullets.” 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.

The Hawthorne Players present the comedy Driving Miss Daisy through November 13. " Having recently demolished another car, Daisy Werthan, a rich, sharp-tongued Jewish widow of seventy-two, is informed by her son, Boolie, that henceforth she must rely on the services of a chauffeur. The person he hires for the job is a thoughtful, unemployed black man, Hoke, whom Miss Daisy immediately regards with disdain and who, in turn, is not impressed with his employer's patronizing tone and, he believes, her latent prejudice. The performances take place at the Florissant Civic Center Theatre at Parker and Waterford in Florissant, MO. For more information, call 921-5678 or visit hawthorneplayers.info.

Slightly Askew Theatre Ensemble presents Cuddles Wednesday through Saturday at 8 p.m., November 9 - 12. " Eve is a young vampire. Tabby is her sister. Tabby makes the rules. Eve has never left her room. All she knows about the world comes from Tabby and from Eve's storybook characters. Eve does everything a good little vampire girl should do; including drinking Tabby's blood when she has to. But one day, Tabby tires of opening her veins, her heart, and in a breath, Eve's world changes. " Performances take place at The Chapel Venue, 6238 Alexander Drive. For more information: slightlyoff.org.

The Playhouse at Westport Plaza presents the satirical musical revue Forbidden Broadway running through November 13. "Look out Broadway, we're back! New Season - New Victims - New Laughs! Just when Broadway thought it was safe from the poison pen of funny-man Gerard Alessandrini, Forbidden Broadway returns, sharper and more hilarious than ever! This year's targets include Pippin, Kinky Boots, Les Miz, Matilda, joining favorites including Wicked and The Book of Mormon." The Playhouse at Westport Plaza is at 635 West Port Plaza. For more information: westportstl.com.

Rebel and Misfits Productions presents Hamlet: See What I See, the first project in a series called The Immersive Theatre Project, November 12 through 18. The show features an adapted script of William Shakespeare's Hamlet. Performances take place at the Barnett On Washington, Grand Center. The show begins with a cocktail hour at 7:00 PM and audiences can expect direct contact with characters from the show throughout the evening as part of the immersive theatre experience. For more information: www.theimmersivetheatreproject.com.

Judy Carmichael

The Presenters Dolan presents pianist Judy Carmichael on Friday, November 11, at 8 p.m. as part of the Gaslight Cabaret Festival. "Grammy-nominated Judy Carmichael, one of the world's leading interpreters of stride piano, is a flat-out wonderful entertainer - singing, playing or talking. Judy hosts her own weekly show "Judy Carmichael's Jazz Inspired" on SiriusXM, Public Radio and podcast. Count Basie nicknamed her "Stride," acknowledging the command with which she plays this technically and physically demanding jazz piano style. Judy has appeared frequently on Garrison Keillor's A Prairie Home Companion, and has been featured on National Public Radio's Morning Edition, Entertainment Tonight and CBS' Sunday Morning with Charles Kuralt and now with Charles Osgood." The performances take place at the Gaslight Theater, 358 North Boyle. For more information: gaslightcabaretfestival.com.

The West End Players Guild opens their 106th season with the world premiere of Manifest / Destiny by Vladimir Zelevinsky Thursday through Saturday at 8 PM and Sunday at 2 PM, November 10 - 13. "In a year when America's immigration history and policies have been front-and-center in political conversations, Zelevinsky's play is especially timely and insightful. An ensemble cast playing dozens of roles offers poignant vignettes of the love and suffering, bravery and betrayal endured by four centuries-worth of immigrants fleeing the Old World for a chance to reinvent themselves in the new one. " 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.

Ken Haller

The Presenters Dolan presents Ken Haller in The Medicine Show on Saturday, November 12, at 8 p.m. as part of the Gaslight Cabaret Festival. " Ken Haller's shows have been described as "touching," "hilarious," "intimate," and "tremendously entertaining." In The Medicine Show, where "miracle cures" are peddled, Ken weaves songs as diverse as "The Physician" (Cole Porter), "Someone to Fall Back on," (Jason Robert Brown), "Pirelli's Miracle Elixir" (Stephen Sondheim) and more, into a narrative of how becoming a doctor is only the first step toward becoming a healer." The performances take place at the Gaslight Theater, 358 North Boyle. For more information: gaslightcabaretfestival.com.

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents Mothers and Sons by Terrence McNally through November 13. "Time stopped for Katharine the day her son died of AIDS. Twenty years later, she seeks out his former partner, Cal, only to discover that he has a husband and a six-year-old son. As she and Cal explore memories of someone they both loved, Katharine begins a rocky journey toward reconciliation with the side of her son that she never understood." Performances take place in the studio theater at the Loretto-Hlton Center, 130 Edgar Road in Webster Groves, MO. For more information, call 314-968-4925 or visit repstl.org.

Act Two Theatre presents Nuncrackers: The Nunsense Christmas Musical through November 13. "The Nunsense Christmas Musical, NUNCRACKERS, is presented as the first TV special taped in the Cable Access Studio built by Reverend Mother in the convent basement. It stars the nuns you love, plus Father Virgil, and four of Mount Saint Helen's most talented students. Featuring all new songs including Twelve Days Prior to Christmas, Santa Ain't Comin' to Our House, We Three Kings of Orient Are Us and It's Better to Give than to Receive, this show is filled with typical NUNSENSE humor, some of your favorite carols, and a “Secret Santa” audience participation. We're certain this NUNSENSE Christmas Show will make you laugh, and maybe tug at your heartstrings. It's the perfect way to ensure that your holiday season is merry and bright!" Performances take place in the St. Peters Cultural Arts Centre at 1 St Peters Centre Blvd, St. Peters, MO 63376. For more information: act2theater.com.

Kirkwood Theatre Guild presents comedy Steel Magnolias through November 13. "The celebrated Southern classic of family and friendship, this is the story of a group of strong and beautiful women who cluster around Truvy's Beauty Parlow in a small Louisiana parish. The story centers on Shelby, who moves fro wedding to childbirth to medical complications with a love of live and a willingness to face its possibilities bravely with support from steely southern sisterhood." Performances take place in the Robert G. Reim Theatre of the Kirkwood Community Center, 111 South Geyer Road. For more information, call 314-821-9956 or visit ktg-onstage.org.

Mara Bollini

The Emerald Room at the Monocle and The Presenters Dolan present singer Mara Bollini in Taking Chances on Friday, November 11, at 7 p.m. "A native of St. Louis, Mara Bollini has had the privilege of singing and dancing her way across stages throughout the area for decades. “Taking Chances,” Bollini's new cabaret show, is an artistically crafted journey blending music from across the ages as well as musical genres. Carol Schmidt is pianist and music director for the show, which is directed by Tim Schall." The performance takes place in the Emerald Room at The Monocle, 4510 Manchester in the Grove neighborhood. For more information: themonoclestl.com.

The Theatre Guild of Webster Groves presents the thriller Wait Until Dark Friday through Sunday, November 11 - 13. "A sinister con man, Roat, and two ex-convicts, Mike and Carlino, are about to meet their match. They have traced the location of a mysterious doll, which they are much interested in, to the Greenwich Village apartment of Sam Hendrix and his blind wife, Susy." Performances take place in the Guild theatre at Newport and Summit in Webster Groves, MO. For more information: theatreguildwg.org or call 314-962-0876.

St. Louis Community College at Florissant Valley presents the drama The Woolgatherer through November 12. Performances take place in the Fisher Theatre on the campus at 3400 Pershall Road. For more information, www.stlcc.edu/fv or call 314-644-5522.

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.

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 Calendar.