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.

The winners' circle

The St. Louis Theatre Circle at the 2014 awards

Well, tonight's the night. It's the night when the auditorium at COCA in University City will be crammed with St. Louis theatre folk all dolled up for the third annual St. Louis Theater Circle Awards honoring shows from calendar year 2014.

Food and drink will be served before, during, and after the show by With Love Catering, noted music director and cabaret artist Joe Dreyer will tickle the ivories, and a fine time will be had by all.

As this is being written, the program is either sold out or very close too it. But it you didn't get a ticket, never fear: you can watch the whole shebang live, starting at 6:30 p.n., visit HEC-TV. Emmy Nominated Tim Gore hosts the pre-show with red carpet interviews by HEC-TV’s Two on the Aisle’s Gerry Kowarsky and Bob Wilcox.

For a complete list of the 113 individuals from 21 local professional companies that were nominated, check out my earlier blog post. For regular updates via Twitter, check out the hastag #stltheatercircle.

Let's party on!

Cabaret Review: Chris Limber and friends jive and wail with "Riffs in a Set of 10"

Chris Limber

Who: Chris Limber and Friends
What: Riffs in a Set of 10
Where: The Gaslight Cabaret Festival at The Gaslight Theatre, St. Louis, MO
When: October 20, 2014

I first saw veteran St. Louis actor/director Chris Limber's loving and literate tribute to the hipster attitude of the "Beat Generation" last summer at the St. Lou Fringe Festival. At the time I was pretty much blown away by the way this ingenious hybrid jazz/cabaret act knitted together big band and Great American Songbook classics from the 20s through the 40s with Mr. Limber's original image-rich poetic soliloquies that sounded like they would have been right at home coming from a skinny guy with a goatee, black turtleneck, and shades in an underground coffeehouse circa 1958.

The expanded version (around 16 songs instead of the original 10 that gave the show its name) was unveiled at the Gaslight Theatre on Thursday and, Daddy, it was cool. A masterful cast-iron blast from the past, Jackson. Debonair was in the air everywhere, dig?

The songs covered a wide range, from hits like "Basin Street Blues," The Joint is Jumpin'," and "How High the Moon" (with new and gently satirical lyrics), to lesser-known novelties like "Frim Fram Sauce," which was introduced by Nat "King" Cole back in the '40s. That famously chilling song about lynching, "Strange Fruit" (recorded by Billie Holiday in 1939), was essentially tragic relief in a show dominated by a mood of spirited playfulness.

Those numbers are still here and still solid. They're joined by the likes of the Milton Ager/Jack Yellen novelty "Big Bad Bill (Is Sweet William Now)"—recorded by everybody from Billy Murray to Van Halen since its 1924 debut and given a martini-dry delivery here by bassist Dave Torretta. The wonderful scat interlude from the original show is also still here, as is the droll encore, "Jeepers Creepers," a Harry Warren/Johnny Mercer jazz standard from 1938.

Michelle Isam

As he did last summer, Mr. Limber has surrounded himself with other fine musicians for this show. I have already mentioned Mr. Torretta. Also on hand was Michelle Isam on sax and virtuoso jazz vocals. In fact, the musical side of the show was pretty much under Ms. Isam's control. She was giving the downbeats and generally controlling the musical flow. Good choice; Ms. Isam's musical credentials are impeccable.

The always-reliable Joe Dreyer was at the piano. That was also a good choice; he's an accomplished music director with a real feel for jazz. Rounding out this incredibly talented combo was Rose Fisher, whose supple and fluid vocals added so much to the proceedings. She's definitely someone I'd like to see more of on the local cabaret scene.

I don't know what's next for the latest incarnation of "Riffs". Perhaps a run at the newly remodeled Jazz Bistro is in order. "Riffs" is, perhaps, just a little too self-contained to really work as cabaret. To me it ultimately felt more like a jazz act, so I think it might be very much at home either at the Bistro or at the Sheldon Concert Hall. It certainly deserves more than the one appearance it has made so far and cries out for a larger audience.

St. Lou Fringe 2014: The hits

Comedy magician Christopher Bange

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I have been a big supporter of the St. Lou Fringe festival since its inception three years ago.' This year I was out of town for most of the festival's run (June 18-22), so I only got to six events. Rather than writing a review of each one, I have decided put them into three groups: hits, near missies, and flops (a.k.a. “I want my 45 minutes back”). We'll start with the hits.

Most Fun: "More Bange for Your Buck" – Actor, clown, and comedy magician Christopher Bange served up a heaping helping of laughs with his own unique take on some classics of the conjurer's repertoire.

If you've seen even a few magic shows in your time, you've probably seen the Linking Rings, the Miser's Dream (in which the magician seems to pull an endless supply of coins out of thin air), and the Zombie Ball levitation. Mr. Bange, though, made these effects entirely his own, with a skillful mix of jokes, mime, and superb physical acting.

The Zombie Ball, in which a sphere seems to float around the stage on its own power, was typical of Bange's approach. It came at the end of a long routine in which sponge balls appeared and disappeared rapidly, and repeatedly popped out of his mouth, apparently of their own free will. In apparent desperation, Bange threw them all into a hat and tossed a scarf on top, only to have a giant size sponge ball emerge under the scarf (we know it's a sponge ball because it pops up on top of the scarf and runs up Bange's arm at one point) and start tearing around the stage under the scarf, apparently dragging him with it. Mr. Bange's skill as an actor is what made it work, reminding us of Houdini's observation that "it's not the trick, it's the magician."

Highest Energy: “In Full Swing” by The Four Fronts – This quartet of swing dancers—two men, two women—presented an amazingly intense survey of 20th century popular dance styles, from the Peabody (a foxtrot variant from the ragtime era) to West Coast Swing from the 1950s. The Lindy Hop (a dance named after aviator Charles Lindbergh which formed the basis of West Coast Swing) figured prominently throughout the show. The music was recorded, as were the reminiscences of the swing era and, in particular, of the legendary Savoy Ballroom in Harlem, where white and black dancers mixed to the rhythms of the (yes) the Lindy Hop.

The Four Fronts are not, as far as I can tell, professional dancers but rather swing enthusiasts who have taken their love of the genre to professional heights. They don't have the lockstep precision that you might get from professionally trained dancers, but with this kind of democratic vernacular dance that's a great advantage. Each one of the Fronts has a distinct personal style, just as dancers did back in the Savoy days.

If the energy and high spirits of the Four Fronts could be captured and stored, it would power a small city. Their show was irresistibly joyful and “family friendly” in the best sense of the term.

Most Polished: “Riffs in a Set of 10” by Chris Limber and friends – The veteran St. Louis actor/director assembled an impressive cabaret act that (as the title implies) knitted together ten big band and Great American Songbook classics from the 20s through the 40s with original image-rich poetic soliloquies that sounded like they would have been right at home coming from a skinny guy with a goatee, black turtleneck, and shades in an underground coffeehouse circa 1958.

The songs included hits like "Basin Street Blues," The Joint is Jumpin'," and "How High the Moon" (with new and gently satirical lyrics), as well as lesser-known novelties like "Frim Fram Sauce," which was introduced by Nat "King" Cole back in the '40s. That famously chilling song about lynching, "Strange Fruit" (recorded by Billie Holiday in 1939), was essentially tragic relief in a show dominated by a mood of spirited playfulness.

Mr. Limber surrounded himself with other fine musicians for this show. When I saw it at the final performance, his collaborators were Michele Isam on sax and vocals, Joe Dreyer on piano, Dave Torretta on bass and Rose Fisher on vocals. Pretty much everybody had a hand at the drum set at one point or another, and even Mr. Torretta got a vocal solo. Quite an impressive array of talent.

For a festival as varied as the Fringe, 3 hits out of six shows is a pretty solid score.

Chuck's Choices for the weekend of March 28, 2014

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

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Mariposa Artists presents an encore performance of Liz Murphy's cabaret debut The Best is Yet to Come, Sunday, March 30, at 7 PM. The show is directed by Lina Koutrakos with music direction by Rick Jensen. “Liz shares the incredible opportunities of her life, the people that have influenced her, and her eagerness for self-discovery. This show celebrates the joy of new found possibilities: the spirit, energy, sparkle, and exuberance of a colorful life. With her musical partner, Rick Jensen, the evening of song will take us from Cy Coleman to Christopher Cross, Stephen Schwartz to Stephen Sondheim, Martina McBride to Julie Gold....just to mention a few.” The performance takes place at the Belleville Philharmonic, 116 North Jackson in Belleville, IL. For more information: www.brownpapertickets.com/event/567490

My take: Music director Rick Jensen and director Lina Koutrakos are major names in the cabaret world. I saw this show the first time around (last November) and was very impressed. For more information on the show, check out my interview with Ms. Murphy from last year.

The Presenters Dolan present an encore performance of Connie Fairchild: Down by the River on Friday, March 28, at 8 PM as part of the Gaslight Cabaret Festival. "As the lead singer of Fairchild, one of the most popular bands ever to call St. Louis home, Connie Fairchild was recognized by the RFT as Best Female Vocalist several times. A few years on, and Connie makes her cabaret debut in a show entitled Down By The River. Connie was mesmerized by the rhythms of the rivers that surrounded her home towns. Growing up in Kentucky on the Ohio and Tennessee Rivers, in Louisiana on the Mississippi, and then following the river up to St. Louis, her voice was chiseled from other voices she listened to from these lush environments, such as Irma Thomas and Rosemary Clooney." The performance takes place at the Gaslight Theater, 358 North Boyle. For more information: gaslightcabaretfestival.com.

My take: I'll qualify this recommendation by noting that, as I wrote my review of the show last month, this is more of a themed concert than a cabaret show. That said, if you're a fan of Ms. Fairchild's work and/or go in not expecting traditional cabaret, I think you'll find this show great fun,

The Presenters Dolan present an encore performance of Joe Dreyer and Rosemary Watts: Swing Into Spring on Saturday, March 29, at 8 PM as part of the Gaslight Cabaret Festival. " Rosemary Watts and Joe Dreyer premier their new show "Swing Into Spring" at the Gaslight Cabaret Festival. Music from the masters of musical theatre makes up the heart of the show, with a few Dreyer originals too. The first couple of St. Louis cabaret brings a brand new show to the Gaslight stage." The performance takes place at the Gaslight Theater, 358 North Boyle. For more information: gaslightcabaretfestival.com.

My take: I missed this show the first time around and will unfortunately do so this time as well. Which is a pity, because I'm a great admirer of Mr. Dreyer and his wife. The Dreyer/Watts team has been a fixture of the St. Louis cabaret scene for a while now, and Joe has solid credentials as an arranger and music director for a number of local artists. "With this first song," wrote KDHX's Laura Kyro in her review of the duo's February 2011 show at the Kranzberg, "they set the tone for the night, which was an obvious affection for each other and a joy in singing songs that were special to them."

Mariposa Artists Robert Breig in Making Every Moment Count: The Music of Peter Allen, Friday and Saturday, March 28 and 29, at 8 PM. The show is directed by Lina Koutrakos with music direction by Rick Jensen. “Robert Breig opens his new cabaret show "Making Every Moment Count - The Music of Peter Allen", March 28-29th, 8PM at the Kranzberg Arts Center. Rick Jensen serves as music director and arranger of songs that give us more than just a glimpse of Peter Allen's life in story and song....to Oz and beyond!” The performance takes place at the Kranzberg Center, 501 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information: www.brownpapertickets.com/event/559044

My take: Here's another show by a local cabaret pro that I'm going to miss due to schedule conflicts. That's my loss; Mr. Breig is an accomplished performer and cabaret producer. I can recommend this highly.

Photo: Jerry Naunheim, Jr.

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents Michael Frayn's comedy Noises Off through April 13. “Disasters abound as a frantic, sleep-deprived touring company of actors rehearses and performs their fictional farce, Nothing On. Too many doors, too many sardines and not near enough time combine to create a riotously funny situation on and off stage for both cast and crew. Michael Frayn's intricately crafted mayhem is hailed as one of the greatest comedies ever written.” 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: Reviews for this show have been overwhelmingly positive, and with good reason. Michael Frayn's script is an ingenious, brilliantly assembled laugh machine performed with all the necessary precision by a fine ensemble cast.

The Price
Photo: John Lamb

New Jewish Theater presents Arthur Miller's The Price through April 16. “Everything has a price. In one of the most emotional pieces that Arthur Miller ever wrote, two estranged brothers reunite for one day to sort and sell their deceased father's "furniture," before the building is torn down. The brothers are forced to deal with the price of decisions made in their shared past.” 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: The play is a classic and reviews have been glowing. In her review for KDHX, Tina Farmer says that this is "an artfully staged, well-acted production that fully embraces the essential themes of playwright Arthur Miller. There's layered intention in every line and the cast, with strong, purposeful direction from Bruce Longworth, does an admirable job of navigating the playwright's subtleties and inferences while avoiding excess."

Held Over:

HotCity Theatre presents Red Light Winter by Adam Rapp through March 29. “A tempestuous love triangle smolders between two college buddies and the red light woman they share for a night. Sex, lies and decadence will change their lives forever!” Performances take place at the Kranzberg Arts Center, 501 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information, visit www.hotcitytheatre.org or call 314-289-4063.

My take: Critics have been impressed by this oddball play. "This is a doomed love story with comedy," writes Andrea Braun at Playbackstl.com, "or maybe a comedy with doomed love, or maybe a tragedy with some jokes...I'd call Red Light Winter another win for the always intriguing HotCity Theatre." Over at Ladue News, Mark Bretz says "Red Light Winter is sometimes graphic, frequently surprising and consistently engaging." HotCity has a good track record of bringing St. Louis new and unconventional shows.

Photo: Jill Ritter Lindberg

New Line Theatre presents the rock musical Rent Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 PM, through March 29. "New Line continues its 23rd season with Jonathan Larson's Pulitzer Prize winning, long-running rock opera Rent. This cheerfully transgressive, 1990s rock/pop riff on the classic story, set in New York City's East Village, is best described in its creator's own words: 'In these dangerous times, where it seems the world is ripping apart at the seams, we can all learn how to survive from those who stare death squarely in the face every day and we should reach out to each other and bond as a community, rather than hide from the terrors of life at the end of the millennium.'"Performances take place at the Washington University South Campus Theatre, 6501 Clayton Road. For more information: newlinetheatre.com.

My take: I've always been a fan of this musical. Jonathan Larson's score is inventive and stylistically eclectic and his lyrics are artful and intelligent. What strikes me about Rent is how much this modern and supposedly revolutionary show reminds me of another one to which those same adjectives were applied back in 1968: Hair, the show that defined the genre of rock musical. Like Hair, Rent takes jabs at the older generation - mine - and thumbs it's nose at the American status quo from the bottom of the economic pyramid. Unlike Hair, though, it's less overtly political, covers a wider emotional spectrum, and may actually be a better piece of theatre. In her review for KDHX, Tina Farmer describes this as "a memorable production filled with stolen chances, borrowed happiness and powerful emotions pulled from a constant state of movement, noise and distraction."

©Photo by Jerry Naunheim, Jr.

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents Soups, Stews, and Casseroles: 1976 through March 30. “When the main employer in Monroe, Wisconsin is acquired by a major manufacturer, a once peaceful small town turns into a battleground as families struggle to retain their independence, identity and livelihoods. While new opportunities develop for some, difficult choices must be made, putting loyalties and relationships to the test. This world premiere play has been commissioned by The Rep and was developed through the Ignite! New Play Festival.” 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: As I write in my review for KDHX, this play addresses the slow poisoning of our culture by the empty values of the corporation and the marketplace using well-developed and credible characters in a way that's thoughtful, often funny, and consistently engrossing. Attention, as Linda Loman says in Death of a Salesman, must be paid.

Chuck's Choices for the weekend of March 7, 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:

The Presenters Dolan present Connie Fairchild: Down by the River on Saturday, March 8, at 8 PM as part of the Gaslight Cabaret Festival. "As the lead singer of Fairchild, one of the most popular bands ever to call St. Louis home, Connie Fairchild was recognized by the RFT as Best Female Vocalist several times. A few years on, and Connie makes her cabaret debut in a show entitled Down By The River. Connie was mesmerized by the rhythms of the rivers that surrounded her home towns. Growing up in Kentucky on the Ohio and Tennessee Rivers, in Louisiana on the Mississippi, and then following the river up to St. Louis, her voice was chiseled from other voices she listened to from these lush environments, such as Irma Thomas and Rosemary Clooney." The performance takes place at the Gaslight Theater, 358 North Boyle. For more information: gaslightcabaretfestival.com.

My take: Here's yet another example of the diversity of cabaret and a genre and of the local cabaret scene. Judging by Ms. Fairchild's background and the title of this show, we can expect something with more than a little rock flavor to it, which is fine by me. As I wrote in my review of rocker Barb Jungr's show at the Kranzberg back in 2010, there are many mansions in cabaret's house, and there's no reason rock can't be one of them.

The Presenters Dolan present Joe Dreyer and Rosemary Watts: Swing Into Spring on Friday, March 7, at 8 PM as part of the Gaslight Cabaret Festival. " Music from the masters of musical theatre makes up the heart of the show, with a few Dreyer originals too. The first couple of St. Louis cabaret brings a brand new show to the Gaslight stage." The performance takes place at the Gaslight Theater, 358 North Boyle. For more information: gaslightcabaretfestival.com.

My take: The Dreyer/Watts team has been a fixture of the St. Louis cabaret scene for a while now, and Joe has solid credentials as an arranger and music director for a number of local artists. "With this first song," wrote KDHX's Laura Kyro in her review of the duo's February 2011 show at the Kranzberg, "they set the tone for the night, which was an obvious affection for each other and a joy in singing songs that were special to them."

Winter Opera St. Louis presents Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor Friday at 8 PM and Sunday at 3 PM, March 7 and 9. Performances take place at The Skip Viragh Center for the Arts at Chaminade College Preparatory School, 425 S. Lindbergh. The opera is sung in Italian with project English supertitles. For more information, visit winteroperastl.org.

My take: It's easy to forget that Opera Theatre of St. Louis is not the only opera company in town. Union Avenue Opera and Winter Opera don't have OTSL's budget, but Winter Opera does have the advantage of an auditorium designed for musical theatre, complete with a respectable orchestra pit, and their shows generally feature fine singers and a decent orchestra. As a bel canto classic, Lucia should be exactly the sort of piece to play to Winter Opera's strengths.

Dramatic License Productions presents the comedy Shirley Valentine through March 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.

My take: One-actor shows are always a risk, but actress and costume designer Teresa Doggett (a.k.a. "the hardest-working woman in show biz") has done this role before, to considerable acclaim. In her review of the current production for KDHX, Tina Farmer praises Ms. Doggett's "warm, spirited performance" as well as "the capable direction of Lee Anne Mathews." She has good things to say about the technical aspects of the show as well, including the costume design by Ms. Doggett.

Held Over:

Photo: Jerry Naunheim, Jr.

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents Other Desert Cities through 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.

My take: This production has gotten very good press so far. In her review for 88.1 KDHX, for example, Tina Farmer says it's "an intense and deeply personal examination of love and family loyalty that twists audience expectations and still manages to deliver a surprisingly satisfying resolution."