Chuck's Choices for the weekend of April 3, 2015

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:

Webster University's Conservatory of Theatre Arts presents Jason Robert Brown's two-character musical The Last Five Years Friday through Sunday, April 3-5. "An emotionally powerful and intimate musical about two New Yorkers in their twenties who fall in and out of love over the course of five years. The show's unconventional structure consists of Cathy, the woman, telling her story backwards while Jamie, the man, tells his story chronologically; the two characters only meet once, at their wedding in the middle of the show." Performances take place in the Stage III Auditorium on the Webster University campus. For more information, events.webster.edu or call 314-968-7128.

My take: I'm a great admirer of the work of Jason Robert Brown as well as of this production's music director, Neal Richardson. The Last Five Years is a compelling piece with much food for thought and I’d strongly recommend it to anyone interested in unconventional and creative musical theatre. There is a dearth of hope in the narrative, but a wealth of great music.

Lola Van Ella

The St. Lou Fringe presents The Life and Times of Marie Anoinette on Friday, April 4, at 7 p.m., preceded by a cocktail hour at 6 p.m. "We've hand-picked some of the top visual and performing artists to bring the story of MARIE ANTOINETTE to life through music, food, dance, burlesque, and visual art. Hosted by international burlesque star, St Louis' own Lola Van Ella." The event takes place at The Ready Room, 4196 Manchester in The Grove. For more information: stlfringe.com.

My take: The story of Marie Antinette hosted by a stripper. What'snot to like, I ask you? Besides, the St. Lou Fringe (for which this is a fund-raiser) is a cultural treasure and deserves our support.

Held Over:

Jeremy Webb in Buyer and Cellar
©Photo by Jerry Naunheim Jr.

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents Buyer and Cellar through April 12 (extended from March 29). "Inspired by Barbra Streisand's coffee table book, My Passion for Design, this uproarious fictional account of celebrity eccentricity takes us into Babs' basement, where she houses her unique collections in a small street of shops. An underemployed actor becomes the caretaker, interacting with Barbra in moments both hilarious and surprisingly tender. A runaway hit in New York, this one-man show takes us into the ultimate fantasy of a star-struck dreamer as he fills the oddest of odd jobs." 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: One-man shows can be risky propositions, but this one is apparently a success. "If you are a Streisand fan (and who among us isn't?)," writes Bob Cohn at St. Louis Jewish Light, "'Buyer & Cellar' is a double treat. Not only is the play itself highly amusing and satisfying, it also contains enough Streisand trivia to satisfy an entire season of questions on 'Jeopardy.'" "Jonathan Tolins is a very clever writer," says Bob Wilcox at KDHX. "Jeremy Webb is a very smart actor. Put them together, with some inventive guidance from director Wendy Dann, and you get a quite enjoyable ninety minutes or so in the Studio Theatre at the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis."

Kinky Boots
Photo: Matthew Murphy

The Fox Theatre presents the musical Kinky Boots through April 5. The Fox Theatre is at 527 North Grand in Grand Center. "In Kinky Boots, Charlie Price has reluctantly inherited his father's shoe factory, which is on the verge of bankruptcy. Trying to live up to his father's legacy and save his family business, Charlie finds inspiration in the form of Lola. A fabulous entertainer in need of some sturdy stilettos, Lola turns out to be the one person who can help Charlie become the man he's meant to be. As they work to turn the factory around, this unlikely pair finds that they have more in common than they ever dreamed possible... and discovers that when you change your mind about someone, you can change your whole world." For more information: fabulousfox.com.

My take: A show with music by Cyndi Lauper and a book by Harvey Fierstein obviously has two very strong things going for it from the start, and this tour apparently makes the most of its material. "A pure delight from beginning to end," writes Amy Burger at KDHX, "on the surface, Kinky Boots is a story about shoes; but at it's heart, it's a really a story about having the freedom to wear whatever shoes you want and always feeling comfortable in them."

Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
©Photo by Jerry Naunheim Jr.

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents Christopher Durang's Vanya And Sonia And Masha And Spike through April 12. "Stuck in their family home in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, Vanya and his adopted sister Sonia live a quiet existence until their lives are thrown into comic upheaval with the arrival of their B-list celebrity sister, Masha, and her 20-something boy toy, Spike. Add to that a soothsaying housekeeper, a star struck young neighbor and a rather odd costume party, and the stage is set for mayhem and hilarity in this present-day homage to Chekhov. Winner of the 2013 Tony Award for Best Play." 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 starts out as a broad, noisy parody of Chekov but finishes as something much more deep and satifying. "Playwright Christopher Durang," writes Tina Farmer at KDHX, "won a Tony Award for this insightfully hilarious look at aging and modern life through a lens tinted with Chekhov and Greek tragedy. The actors in The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis' production of Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike bring these characters to life convincingly, emphasizing their quirks, vanities and flaws in a production layered with humor and pathos, second questions and, perhaps, second chances." I couldn't agree more. Director Michael Evan Haney can be proud of this one.

Chuck's Choices for the weekend of March 6, 2015

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

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Family Musical Theater presents Love Is in the Air, a fund-raising cabaret starring Kay Love and Jeffrey M. Wright, on Saturday, March 7, at 7:30 p.m. The performance takes place at the Ivory Theatre, 7622 Michigan. For more information, visit familymusical.org or call 314-571-9579.

My take: Key and Jeff are terrific singers with solid acting credentials—an unbeatable combination for cabaret, in my book. The show also happens to be a fund-raiser for the Kidney Foundation as well as for Family Musical Theatre, which makes it all the more worthwhile.

Otello

Winter Opera St. Louis presents Verdi's Otello, based on the Shakespeare tragedy, Friday at 8 PM and Sunday at 3 PM, March 6 and 8. 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: Within only a few seconds, the pounding, wind-swept chords and offstage thunder that open Verdi's Othello set the stage for what will follow: a story of how violent passion destroys a hero even as the violent storm described by the chorus fails to destroy his warship. The hero is Othello, of course, and in both Shakespeare and Verdi it's violent emotion, abetted by self-doubt, that brings the Lion of Venice down from the heights of triumph to the depths of self-hatred, murder, and suicide. Verdi gave us some of his best work in his Shakespeare operas, and it has been a while (over 16 years) since we have seen opera locally, so Winter Opera's production is welcome. And the Viragh Center is one of the best opera venues in town.

The Presenters Dolan present Joe Dreyer and Rosemary Watts in Transitions on Saturday, March 7 at 8 PM as part of the Gaslight Cabaret Festival. "Rosemary Watts and Joe Dreyer premier their new show "Transitions" at the Gaslight Cabaret Festival. The first couple of St. Louis cabaret brings a brand new show to the Gaslight stage, and their large and fashionable following." The performance takes place at the Gaslight Theater, 358 North Boyle. For more information: gaslightcabaretfestival.com.

My take: Joe is a highly-respected music director here in town and his wife Rosemary is a fine singer. Together, they are an irresistable team on stage.

Neal Richardson

The Presenters Dolan present Neal Richardson in Pennies from Heaven on Friday, March 6 at 8 PM as part of the Gaslight Cabaret Festival. "Neal is one of St Louis's authorities on musical theater and the Great American Songbook. He has music directed or accompanied the cabaret shows of Julia Murney, Megan McGinnis, Ben Nordstrom, Tim Schall, Jeffrey Wright, Ken Haller and Katie McGrath, among many others. Neal has taught musical theatre at Webster University for the last 15 years. His credits include The Spitfire Grill, OKLAHOMA!, Pippin, Violet, Nine, Into the Woods, A New Brain, Spring Awakening, Carousel and others. He is also a musical director and arranger for the MUNY. As a nationally noted arranger for Hal Leonard, Neal is responsible for the vocal selections of over 30 Broadway shows as well as arrangements for solo piano, including a collection of Radiohead songs." The performance takes place at the Gaslight Theater, 358 North Boyle. For more information: gaslightcabaretfestival.com.

My take: I would be lying if I said I could be objective about Neal. He was the music director and co-creator for my show Just a Song at Twilight back in 2010 and over the years since then I have watched him gradually emerge from behind the piano and start taking center stage as a singer in his own right. I'm really looking forward to his first solo show.

Held Over:

Photo: Jerry Naunheim, Jr.

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents Terrence Rattigan's The Winslow Boy through March 8. "When young Ronnie Winslow is expelled from military school for stealing a five-shilling postal order, his father wages an exhaustive fight to clear his son's name. What begins as a private matter quickly becomes a larger question of the rights of the individual against the power of the state. Though the legal battle jeopardizes his health and the reputation of the entire family, Arthur Winslow is determined that right will prevail, no matter what the sacrifice." 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: Terrence Rattigan's work seems to have fallen into obscurity in the decades since his death in 1977. Which is a pity, as his better-known plays are very well-constructed pieces, filled with subtle touches and well-rounded characters. Appearing in Separate Tables several years ago at Act Inc reminded me of what great dialog and situations he wrote. We saw the show last weekend and I must say that director Steve Woolf and his forces are doing this play up proud. "A splendid cast and keenly sharpened direction," writes Chris Gibson at broadwayworld.com, "combine to provide a very compelling piece of theatre." "The show is thoughtfully directed by Steven Woolf," says Tina Farmer at KDHX, "and features fully engaged, well-developed performances by a strong ensemble."