St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of December 14, 2015

[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 web site.

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All is Calm
Photo: John Lamb

Mustard Seed Theatre presents the a capella musical All is Calm Thursdays through Sundays through December 23. "Join us in celebrating the power of peace in this a capella 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. Read my review!

New Jewish Theater presents Bad Jews through December 23. "Good Jews, Bad Jews - it's all relative in this razor sharp and savage comedy about family, faith, and legacy. Meet Daphna Feygenbaum, a "Real Jew" with an Israeli boyfriend who she met on Birthright. When Daphna's cousin Liam brings home his shiksa girlfriend Melody for their grandfather's shiva and declares ownership of "Poppy's" Chai necklace, a vicious and hilarious family brawl ensues.A gleefully funny, thought-provoking evening of theatre. Outrageously and laceratingly funny, it's about what you choose to believe when you're chosen." Rabbis Amy Feder abd Michael Alper from Temple Israel will host a talk back session after the 2 p.m. performance on Sunday, December 13. 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!

The Florissant Fine Arts Council presents the musical A Christmas Carol, based on the story by Charles Dickens, on Sunday, December 20, at 2 p.m. at the Florissant Civic Center Theatre at Parker Road at Waterford Drive in Florissant, MO. " The powerful story of Ebenezer Scrooge has been made into a wonderful family musical. This full stage musical comedy version of Charles Dickens' ever popular classic is a delightful and thoroughly entertaining new adaptation filled with song and dance." For more information: florissantfinearts.com.

The Bissell Mansion Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre presents A Christmas Sleigh-Ing through December 30th. The Bissell Mansion is at 4426 Randall Place. For more information: bissellmansiontheatre.com

Devil Boys from Beyond
Photo: John Lamb

Stray Dog Theatre presents the comedy Devil Boys from Beyond Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 PM through December 19. "Men are from Mars; women are from Venus; all the rest are from Pluto. A high-camp parody of '50s B-movies and trashy romance novels, mixed with a dash of 'Adult Swim' cartoon. Fold in a heaping portion of screwball comedy and stir gently but keep it lumpy!" 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!

The Presenters Dolan presents Dom Thomas and Maria Bartolotta in Dom and Maria's Holiday Celebration on Thursday, December 17, at 7:30 p.m. "Come enjoy a night full of love songs and holiday cheer. Music from Nat King Cole to Barbara Streisand will surely get you in the holiday spirit!" The Monocle is at 4510 Manchester in The Grove. For more information: domthomasmusic.com.

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis's Imaginary Theatre Company presents the children's musical The Elves and the Shoemaker opening on Saturday, December 19, with performances at 11 am and 3 pm, and running through December 23. The show is written by Sarah Brandt with music and lyrics by Webster University's Neal Richardson. "When a kindly shoemaker gives his only remaining pair of shoes to a cold and hungry beggar woman, he finds his good deed rewarded in very unexpected ways. The shoemaker is shocked by the appearance of magic elves who turn his simple shoe shop into a great success, thrilling customers with their special creations. Based on the tale by the Brothers Grimm, this beloved, warm-hearted story is perfect for the holiday season, reminding us that where we find kindness, generosity and hope, anything is possible." Performances take place in the Heagney Theatre at Nerinx Hall High School, 530 East Lockwood Avenue, Webster Groves. For more information: repstl.org.

The Gin Game
Photo: John Lamb

St. Louis Actors' Studio presents The Gin Game through December 20 at the Gaslight Theatre, 358 North Boyle. "This winner of the 1978 Pulitzer Prize, which originally starred Jessica Tandy and Hume Cronyn and was later revived with Julie Harris and Charles Durning, uses a card game as a metaphor for life. Weller Martin is playing solitaire on the porch of a seedy nursing home. Enter Fonsia Dorsey, a prim, self righteous lady. They discover they both dislike the home and enjoy gin rummy, so they begin to play and to reveal intimate details of their lives. Fonsia wins every time and their secrets become weapons used against one another. Weller longs for a victory to counter a lifetime of defeats but it doesn't happen. He leaves the stage a broken man and Fonsia realizes her self-righteous rigidity has led to an embittered, lonely old age." For more information, call 314-458-2978 or visit stlas.org. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

The Tavern of Fine Arts presents vocalist Debby Lennon and pianist Carolbeth True in a Holiday Concert on Friday, December 18 at 8 p.m. The Tavern of Fine Arts is at 313 Belt in the Debaliviere Place neighborhood. For more information: http://tavern-of-fine-arts.blogspot.com.

Chuck Lavazzi
Photo: Jill Ritter Lindberg

The Cabaret Project and 88.1 KDHX present the fourth annual Holiday Open Mic Night on Wednesday, December 16, from 7 to 10 PM at the Tavern of Fine Arts “Drop by and enjoy a night of great music from St. Louis cabaret artists, backed up by special guest music director Ron McGowan on the baby grand.” The master of ceremonies is Chuck Lavazzi, senior performing arts critic at 88.1 KDHX. If you're planning to sing, be prepared to do one or two songs and bring music, preferably in your key. At least one of your two songs should be a medium-or up-tempo number. We'd also recommend that you have your song memorized. Holiday songs are strongly encouraged (but not required) and there will be a big holiday sing-along. The Tavern of Fine Arts is at 313 Belt at Waterman in the Central West End. There's free parking in the lot right across the street. For more information: thecabaretproject.org.

The Monocle Varieté presents Holi-Dazzle Done Fridays and Saturdays at 9 and 11 p.m., through December 26. "Holi-Dazzle is the avant-retro variety show that will help you make it through the season that's not all fun and good cheer. Isn't it just sometimes weird, and a little crazy? And not dazzling in the right way? Get your holiday cure right here on our stage." This ninety-minute comedy show will have you rolling in the aisles with the bawdy humor of the late Joan Rivers." The performance takes place in the Emerald Room at The Monocle, 4510 Manchester in the Grove neighborhood. For more information: buzzonstage.com/st-louis

Shana Farr
Photo: Sandy Durell

Cabaret St. Louis presents Shana Farr in Home for the Holidays on Friday, December 18, at 7 p.m. "It has been five years since Missouri native Shana Farr came through St. Louis and this year the five-star award-winning singer comes home from New York City to sing some of her favorite holiday songs. Join her as she takes you on a journey through a "Winter Wonderland" as she shares some of the great hits such as "Sleigh Ride", "Christmas Time Is Here", "The Christmas Song", "Santa Baby", "White Christmas", "Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer", "Frosty The Snowman", "You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch", "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" and more." The performance takes place at Cyrano's 603 East Lockwood in Webster Groves. For more information: www.eventbee.com/v/shanafarrholiday

Brass Rail Players present It's a Wonderful Life on Sunday, December 20 at 7:30 pm. "This radio play adaptation of Frank Capra's holiday favorite features a cast of old-timey radio actors reading the parts of multiple characters, and two sound-effects artists on stage!" The performances take place at The Turkey Hill Grange, 1375 Illinois Rte. 15 in Belleville, IL. For more information, visit brassrailplayers.org.

Alton Little Theater presents Miracle on South Division Street Thursdays through Sundays through December 20, at 2450 North Henry in Alton, IL. "Meet the Nowaks of Buffalo, NY: Clara and her three grown kids have always known they were special, ever since the miraculous night in 1942 when the Blessed Mother appeared to Grandpa in his barbershop! Since then, the neighborhood has looked upon the Nowaks' 20-foot commemorative shrine as a beacon of hope and faith amidst the urban rubble. And now daughter Ruth unveils her plan to write and star in a one-woman show about the family miracle so the “whole world will know!” However, as her plans for theatrical immortality unfold, the entire family's faith is shaken to the very core when a deathbed confession causes the family legend to unravel. The results are heartfelt and hilarious." For more information, call 618.462.6562 or visit altonlittletheater.org.

The Lemp Mansion Comedy-Mystery Dinner Theater presents The Naughty List through January 2. The Lemp Mansion is at 3322 DeMenil Place. For more information: lempmansion.com

The Monocle presents an open mic night every Monday from 8:00pm to 11:00pm" "Musical Theater actor? Cabaret singer? Balladeer? Beleter? Coloratura soprano? Crooner? Student? Teacher? Performer? Fan? Come on down and sing. All are welcome. Ron Bryant is your accompanist. Bring your sheet music"." The monocle is at 4510 Manchester in The Grove neighborhood. For more information: themonoclestl.com.

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents Peter and the Starcatcher through December 27. "An apprentice starcatcher and a young orphan boy find themselves on a life-changing adventure when they are charged with protecting magical starstuff from a fearsome pirate. Pursued by a giant crocodile, mysterious mermaids and angry islanders, their fantastical journey is filled with spectacle and whimsy. This swashbuckling prequel to Peter Pan is rich in stage magic, off-the-wall humor and touching sincerity as it takes us on a voyage to an island where dreams are born and time is never planned. Winner of five 2012 Tony Awards." 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. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

Max and Louie Productions presents Sublime Intimacy by St. Louis actor/playwright Ken Page through December 20. "Sublime Intimacy is the remembered tales of five friends: an ex-Hollywood actor,a psychology professor, a painter, an actress and a Broadway musical performer whose lives were elevated, touched and indeed changed by their love of a dancer and his dance. While each person's story is different, they overlap, intertwine and inform each other as the lives and tales of friends often do. We the audience, like the characters, are allowed to share in the intimate beauty of the art form through the performances of "The Dancer" as the play unfolds. Sublime Intimacy, isn't that what we all want?" Performances take place in the black box at the Kranzberg Center, 501 N. Grand in Grand Center. For more information, visit maxandlouie.com. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

Wicked
Photo: Joan Marcus

The Fox Theatre presents the musical Wicked, based on the novel by Gregory McGuire, through January 3. "Long before that girl from Kansas arrives in Munchkinland, two girls meet in the land of Oz. One - born with emerald green skin - is smart, fiery and misunderstood. The other is beautiful, ambitious and very popular. How these two grow to become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good makes for 'the most complete - and completely satisfying - musical in a long time' (USA Today)." The Fox Theatre is at 517 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information, fabulousfox.com or call 314-534-1678.

Saint Louis Effort for AIDS and members of the national youring company of Wicked will host A Wicked Wonderland, a holiday celebration of song and dance, at BallPark Village on Monday, December 14th. Doors open at 6:00pm and the performance will begin at 7:30 p.m. BallPark Village is located at 601 Clark Ave, downtosn. Net proceeds will benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS (BC/EFA) and Saint Louis Effort for AIDS. For more information: ticketfly.com.

The Sheldon Concert Hall presents Winter Wonderland, a holiday cabaret featuring Zoe Vonder Haar, John Flack, Peter Merideth, Emily Peterson and Steve Neale, on Tuesday, December 15, at 8 p.m. " Celebrate the season with a wonderful mix of winter and holiday music, old and new, performed by acclaimed actress Zoe Vonder Haar and a cast of some of St. Louis' finest singers! Hear favorites such as “Snow,” from White Christmas, “Sleigh Ride,” “Joy to the World” and many more!" The performance takes place at the Sheldon Concert Hall, 3658 Washington in Grand Center. For more information: sheldonconcerthall.org.

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.

Cabaret Review: The dyanmic duo of Rick Jensen and Lina Koutrakos entertain at the Gaslight Cabaret Festival October 25, 2015

Rick Jensen
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Lina Koutrakos and Rick Jensen have become familiar figures on the local cabaret scene over the years, first as regular faculty members in the St. Louis Cabaret Conference, and then as directors and advisers for many local performers. So their "Two for the Road" show last Sunday as part of the fall edition of the Gaslight Cabaret Festival was something of a homecoming.

And what a joyous homecoming it was! Ms. Koutrakos and Mr. Jensen have been performing as creative partners for decades, giving their work on stage the kind of easy camaraderie that comes only with experience. It makes for an evening that easily draws the audience into their musical conversation and quickly dissolves the fabled fourth wall. Together, they unfailingly deliver a mix of passion, wit, and polished musicianship that's just unbeatable.

The evening opened with a set of Mr. Jensen's original material that showed his versatility as a songwriter. Straightforward patter songs like "Hi Ho, That's the German Way" rubbed shoulders with introspective ballads like "Long Cold Fall" (with its Randy Newmanesque harmonies) and the inspiring "Go Ahead and Dream," from the 2011 film "That's What I Am."

I found "Amanda Sang," a little character study inspired by Mr. Jensen's youth in Minneapolis, particularly noteworthy, in part because of a lyric that could serve as a mini-lesson for cabaret singers: "She could never go wrong / Because her heart was in her song." And the ballad "In Passing Years" (part of the encore set), with its ruminations on the enduring value of friendship, remains one of my favorites.

Lina Koutrakos

Having worked with Mr. Jensen in St. Louis Cabaret Conference sessions in the past, I already knew about his skills as a songwriter and pianist. What I didn't realize was what an engaging and funny storyteller he was. The between-songs patter in his set was consistently entertaining and often hilarious.

Ms. Koutrakos brought her share of humor to the show as well, most notably with the Cy Coleman and Carolyn Leigh classic "When in Rome (I Do as the Romans Do)." But as anyone who has seen her perform would know, she was at her most formidable in torch songs like "What Are You Doing New Year's" and power ballads like "Life is What You Do" from Kander and Ebb's "Zorba."

Her medley of Billy Joel's "New York State of Mind" and Mr. Jensen's "New York City is My Home" was a remarkable combination of poignancy and affirmation. And her dark, smoky voice was an ideal match for the elusive tragedy that lurks just beneath the surface of Bobbie Gentry's "Ode to Billy Joe." When Ms. Koutrakos unleashes the smoldering passion that is her musical forte, she is without equal.

Lina Koutrakos and Rick Jensen will have moved on to their next projects by the time you read this, but their strong local connections pretty much guarantee that they'll come to St. Louis again. Don't miss them when they do.

The Gaslight Cabaret Festival continues through November 21 at the Gaslight Theater on North Boyle in midtown. For more information: gaslightcabaretfestival.com.

Chuck's Choices for the weekend of April 10, 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:

Kay Love

The Presenters Dolan present Kay Love in Girls Just Want to Have Fun (the women who wrote the songs) on Saturday, April 11, at 8 PM as part of the Gaslight Cabaret Festival. "Kay does cabaret at its purest. The shows of this wonderful singer are completely put together." The performance takes place at the Gaslight Theater, 358 North Boyle. For more information: gaslightcabaretfestival.com.

My take: I see cabaret as a form of musical theatre, and Kay is an accomplished musical theatre actress of long standing locally. I don't see how you can go wrong with her show.

The Presenters Dolan present Gina Otto in The Lovers, the Dreamers, and Me on Thursday, April 9, at 8 PM as part of the Gaslight Cabaret Festival. "Jazzy standards segue into pop, Broadway and sassy, Western Swing. An accomplished local singer, sharp and funny and endearing, steps into the cabaret scene." The performance takes place at the Gaslight Theater, 358 North Boyle. For more information: gaslightcabaretfestival.com.

My take: Gina Otto is new to the local cabaret scene, but I've been hearing good things about this show.

Ken Haller

The Presenters Dolan present Ken Haller in a return engagement of his show Mama's Boy on Friday, April 10, at 8 PM as part of the Gaslight Cabaret Festival. "Charmer Dr. Haller comes back with Mama's Boy after a sold-out success last fall. He just does good shows. Ken got love of music from his Irish-Catholic mom who would sing standards while keeping house and raising five kids. You won't want to miss this heartwarming, hilarious, moving show from one of St. Louis's foremost cabaret artists!" The performance takes place at the Gaslight Theater, 358 North Boyle. For more information: gaslightcabaretfestival.com.

My take: Ken's musical tribute to his late mother is a charming show, filled with great songs and memories. And, yes, there will be Sondheim. Reviewing the premiere of this show last November for KDHX, Katie McGrath praised it as "touching, over-too-soon glimpse into his history with stories about small moments that had huge impact on his life."

The Mystery of Edwin Drood
Photo: John Lamb

Stray Dog Theatre presents the musical The Mystery of Edwin Drood by Rupert Holmes Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 PM through April 18. "This raucous show within a show kicks off when a hilariously loony Victorian musical troupe 'puts on' its flamboyant rendition of an unfinished Charles Dickens mystery. Each performance ends differently depending on how the audience chooses to finish the story that Dickens didn't!" Performances take place at The Tower Grove Abbey, 2336 Tennessee. For more information, visit straydogtheatre.org or call 314-865-1995.

My take: This clever show-within-a-show musical has always been a favorite of mine. If your only exposure to Holmes' music has been his big tacky hit "Escape (The Piña Colada Song)," you're in for a surprise with this show with it's clever mock-Victorian score and witty lyrics. There's a good reason why it won the 1985 Tony Award. Reviews have described it as a rowdy good time. Typical is Mark Bretz's review at Ladue News, which describes this as "a clever, ingratiating production that is filled with verve and panache."

Stephen Peirick and Maggie Conroy
in Off the Record

OnSite Theatre Company presents Off the Record by Alec Wild Fridays at 8 PM, and Saturdays at 7 and 9 PM, through April 11. "The timely comedy, Off the Record, follows the gubernatorial campaign of a promising candidate as a surprising scandal puts him and his staff on their toes and forces them into damage-control mode. As the audience takes on the role of the press corps following the candidate, pieces of information about the candidate and his wife leak to the audience bit by bit via cellphone." Audiences will board the bus at Tavolo, 6118 Delmar. For more information: www.OnSiteTheatre.org.

My take: OnSite has an unusual mission: site-specific theatre. "From hotels to public restrooms," says their web site, "site-specific theatre takes the theatergoers out of their seats and thrusts them into the setting of the play. This form of theatre emphasizes stories and events that reveal the relationship between our physical environment and us." The site in this case is a bus; specifically, a school bus that plays the role of the campaign bus on which the play takes place. "Director Tom Martin masters the several unique technical difficulties of the venue," writes Steve Callahan at KDHX, "and leads his cast to a brisk and bright performance."

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."

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.

Cabaret Review: Meghan Kirk hits all the right notes at the Gaslight Cabaret Festival

Who: Meghan Kirk
What: The Story Goes On
Where: The Gaslight Cabaret Festival at The Gaslight Theatre, St. Louis, MO
When: March 20, 2015

St. Louis' own Meghan Kirk has been appearing at the Cabaret Project's monthly open mic night (which I host) for around a year now. I've been impressed as hell with her work there, but haven't been able to get to one of her shows until this past Friday, when she presented a revised version of the show she premiered at the Gaslight Cabaret Festival last fall.

I'm glad I finally did; she's a tremendously talented and charismatic performer—a classic singing actress with solid vocal technique and the acting chops necessary to inhabit a lyric.

As Ms. Kirk said at the very beginning of her show—right after a charmingly flirty romp through Kander and Ebb's "Don't Tell Mama"—she's a dyed-in-the-sequins musical theatre geek. No surprise, then, that her song list is heavily weighted towards numbers originally written for the stage, from Kern and Hammerstein's "Bill" to Jeff Bowen's " A Way Back to Then" from that ultimate insider musical theatre send-up, "[title of show]" (2006). But she also made room for recent cabaret hits like Heisler and Goldrich's "Taylor the Latte Boy" and a clever Beatles medley that crams a surprising number of the Fab Four's hits into an remarkably short time span.

Ms. Kirk knitted all this together with memories of her life, family, and multiple careers as a performer and flight attendant on private jets. That "this is my life" approach can be risky—your audience might not find your personal story as interesting as you do, after all. But Ms. Kirk kept the anecdotes short, entertaining, and focused on the task of providing context for the songs, so her patter never degenerated into the kind of self-referential navel gazing that sometimes accompanies the approach.

Of particular importance were her memories of her grandfather, a former professional singer whose fondness for music of the stage and screen colored her childhood. Family Christmas gatherings, she recalls, were more not so much about carols as about selections from "Oklahoma." This sets up a touching moment towards the end of the show when she sings a duet version of Sondheim's "Love, I Hear" (from "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum") with the digitally remastered voice of her late grandfather, culled from private recordings he made in the 1960s.

That's the sort of thing that could have been overly precious, but Ms. Kirk's good taste and professionalism kept it real and made it the emotional heart of the show.

Guest stars can also liven up an act, and Ms. Kirk had two very strong ones this time. Local singer and choreographer JT Ricroft joined her for an engaging run through Kern's "I Won't Dance" (with the Dorothy Fields lyrics) and guest pianist Dan Duffy took over the baby grand from Carol Schmidt for Jason Robert Brown's always welcome "Stars and the Moon" (from the under-rated "Songs for a New World").

Speaking of Ms. Schmidt, her arrangements fit Ms. Kirk's voice and persona as perfectly as the singer's shiny low-cut gown fit the rest of her, and her backup vocals added lovely touches, most notably in a medley that mixed "Leaving on a Jet Plane" with Joan Baez's highly personal "Speaking of Dreams." And Ms. Schmidt's pianism was impressive as always. Ben Wheeler provided a solid musical foundation on acoustic bass.

Meghan Kirk's skillfully crafted and thoroughly enjoyable show was part of the spring edition of The Presenters Dolan's Gaslight Cabaret Festival, which continues through April 11 at the Gaslight Theater in the Central West End. For more information: gaslightcabaretfestival.com.

Chuck's Choices for the weekend of March 20, 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:

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

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents Buyer and Cellar through 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."

Anna Blair

The Presenters Dolan present Anna Blair in Inside Story - Celebrating the Songs of Fran Landesman on Saturday, March 21, at 8 PM as part of the Gaslight Cabaret Festival. "Anna got the chance to work with Fran Landesman several years ago at the Gaslight Theater, when Jim Dolan brought Fran back to Gaslight Square for several shows. He asked Anna to sing some of Fran's standards. They connected, and Anna became a devotee of Fran's songs. Prior to Fran's death, Anna was able to visit and study with her, and her then-composer Simon Wallace, in London. This show is the fruit of that collaboration." The performance takes place at the Gaslight Theater, 358 North Boyle. For more information: gaslightcabaretfestival.com.

My take: I saw this show the first time Anna did it back and 2009 and was very impressed. At the time, Andrea Braun reviewed it for KDHX and had this to say about Anna's performance: "She has a supple, melodic voice, and she looks like she was born to wear a red dress (and proves that redheads needn't avoid that color) and lean against a baby grand. She is sultry, playful, sad, straight-forward, and she provides the audience with an altogether lovely evening." Anna was still relatively new to cabaret back then and has only gotten stronger over the years. Fran Landesman might not have always been the most profound lyricist, but her work was always intelligent, and Anna brings real heart to her performances of Fran's songs.

Robert McNichols, Jr. as Paul Robeson
Photo: Stewart Goldstein

The Black Rep presents Paul Robeson through March 29. "In Phillip Hayes Dean's biographical two-man play, the legendary actor, singer and political activist Paul Robeson sings songs and tells stories of his multi-faceted career, from triumphs in Show Boat and The Emperor Jones, to his fight for racial equality to accusations of Communist involvement." Performances take place at the Emerson Performance Center at Harris-Stowe State University in midtown. For more information: theblackrep.org.

My take: Paul Robeson's story is an important one, and not just because he was one of the great bass-baritones of the early 20th century. His courage in the face of virulent racism and deranged red baiting is an inspiration to us all. "Seeing a performance of playwright Phillip Hayes Dean’s fascinating, one-man drama, Paul Robeson," writes Mark Bretz at Ladue News, "is an exhilarating and educational experience." Over at stltoday.com, Judy Newmark has words of praise for the show's star, Robert McNichols, Jr.: "An opera singer himself, McNichols performs the song with feeling and intention, and gives an equally meaningful treatment to a trio of gospel numbers that Robeson sang in his stage debut. McNichols is also a fine actor, a big plus for a show that’s not a musical."

Meghan Kirk

The Presenters Dolan present Meghan Kirk in The Story Goes On on Friday, March 20, at 8 PM as part of the Gaslight Cabaret Festival. "Meghan reprises her wildly popular and sold-out splash. What a talent! Recently moved back to St. Louis after appearing many times at the Gardenia in LA." The performance takes place at the Gaslight Theater, 358 North Boyle. For more information: gaslightcabaretfestival.com.

My take: Conflicts have prevented me from seeing Meghan's solo shows until now (yes, I'll be there on Friday), but her work at the Cabaret Project's open mic nights (which I host) has always been exemplary. I'm looking forward to this one.

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents a staged reading of This Thing of Ours by Caridad Svich on Saturday, March 21, at 3 p.m. as part of the Ignite! New Play Festival. "When an act of violence strikes an American city, how do we react? It's happened before. We say we will put our lives back together, but years will go by. We will grow apart, come together and some of us will wonder how to keep going, as we turn to myths and seek lessons there. This Thing of Ours is the latest play by Caridad Svich, winner of the Obie Award for Lifetime Achievement and author of the loving adaptation of Love in the Time of Cholera, read in the 2012 Ignite! series." The reading takes place at Sally S. Levy Opera Center, 210 Hazel Avenue, on the Webster University Campus. For more information: repstl.org

My take: The Rep's Ignite! festival offers a fascinating glimpse at new works while they're a-borning. Some, like Soups, Stews, and Casseroles 1976, have gone on to full productions and proven worthy of attention. Will this be the start of something big? The only way to know is to attend. It's a fascinating experience and a great opportunity to let the playwright know what you think.

Women Under the Influence
L-R: Carol Schmidt, Michele Isam,
Debbie Schuster, Katie McGrath

The Tavern of Fine Arts presents Women Under the Influence on Saturday, March 21, at 8 PM. "Women Under the Influence includes St. Louis cabaret singers Katie McGrath and Debbie Schuster, and features the former Jasmine duo Michele Isam and Carol Schmidt. With a soulful, strong and sultry style, their uplifting harmonies bring new interpretations of their girl-group musical influences, from LaBelle to Adele. Join them for songs of passion, romance, betrayal, survival and joy. A donation of $15 is suggested. All collected donations will go directly to Stray Rescue. The Tavern will also contribute a percentage of all food and drink sales to Stray Rescue." The Tavern of Fine Arts is at 313 Belt in the Debaliviere Place neighborhood. For more information: tavern-of-fine-arts.blogspot.com.

My take: I will confess to knowing all the the members of Women Under the Influence for a number of years now (especially Carol Schmidt, who is the music director for the monthly open mic night I mentioned earlier). Their first show back in 2012 took a classic '60s R & B song list and, by artfully arranging the songs, turned the show into a narrative that moved from the first crush, through true love, down into betrayal and back up into independence. It’s could have the story of one woman or of late 20th century women in general. It might even be a little of both. WUI created a space for ambiguity there, and ambiguity is where art lives. They have added songs to their list and rearranged things a bit since then, so it will be interesting to see what the new show look like.

Held Over:

Afflicted: Daughters of Salem
Photo: Victoria Lafferty

Metro Theatre Company and the Missouri History Museum present Afflicted: Daughters of Salem by Laurie Brooks through March 22. "Abigail Williams, Ann Putnam, Mercy Lewis, Mary Warren, and Betty Paris meet deep in the dark woods of Puritan New England at night. Denied all outlets for imagination and all hope for the future, the girls unite in a secret society - Allies are found, promises made and broken, power taken. When the girls force the slave Tituba to tell their fortunes, they ignite a crucible of events that burns out of control, leading straight to the infamous Salem Witch Trials. Through their secrets, gossip and accusations these girls become some of the most notorious teens in history." Performances take place in the Lee Auditorium at the Missouri History Museum in Forest Park. For more information: mohistory.org.

My take: Metro can usually be relied upon to redefine the concept of "children's theatre" in ways that will engage and adult audience as well. In her review for KDHX, Tina Farmer says this new take on the Salem witchcraft trials is "an enjoyable well-researched fiction that successfully reminds audiences there are two sides to every story, even history."

Jerry Springer the Opera
Photo: Jill Ritter Lindberg

New Line Theatre presents the St. Louis premiere of the musical Jerry Springer the Opera Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 PM, through March 28. "The New Line season continues with one of New Line's wildest and most ambitious projects, JERRY SPRINGER THE OPERA, the smash-hit, multi-award winning musical that ran to unprecedented rave reviews and standing ovations at the National Theatre in London, after a sold-out run in London's West End. The Sunday Times called it “a shocking, irresistibly funny masterpiece.” With music by Richard Thomas, and book and lyrics by Thomas and Stewart Lee, this is an audacious, fearless piece of theatre that brilliantly and hilariously dissects the cultural forces that have kept Jerry Springer on the air all these years, the lives of quiet desperation that explode into public view in Springer's weirdly nonjudgmental, national confessional." Performances take place at the Washington University South Campus Theatre, 6501 Clayton Road. . For more information, visit newlinetheatre.com or call 314-534-1111.

My take: Come on, how can you not want to see a show with a title like this? The second act, after all, is a "very special" episode of the Jerry Springer Show broadcast live from Hell. And, yes, it really is an opera—or at least a musical in which there is no spoken dialog. "I recognize a quality production with strong direction and spot-on performances," says Tina Farmer in her KDHX review, "and I applaud the company for the bold and daring theater they produce."

Cabaret Review: Linda Kennedy's dramatic cabaret debut at the Gaslight

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Who: Linda Kennedy
What: Melody/Movement
Where: The Gaslight Cabaret Festival at The Gaslight Theatre, St. Louis, MO
When: March 12, 2015

I've always maintained that some of the best cabaret comes from singers who also have a solid theatrical background. A well-constructed cabaret act is ultimately a kind of one-act play, and actors have the advantage of understanding the form.

As evidence, I offer "Melody/Movement," the cabaret debut of veteran St. Louis actress Linda Kennedy. From the reverent a cappella version of Cassandra Wilson's "Sankofa" that opened the show to the jazzy riffs of Miles Davis' "Seven Steps to Heaven" that closed it, this was an act that consistently engaged and entertained the audience.

That's a bit surprising, given that the emphasis was on protest songs from the 1960s and 1970s dealing with issues of racial prejudice and injustice. Numbers strongly associated with Nina Simone like "Revolution," "Blackbird," and "I Wish I Knew How it Feels to be Free" were prominently featured, as well as Roberta Flack classics like "Go Up, Moses," "Compared to What," and the acerbic "Business Goes on as Usual." All good stuff, but potentially heavy going.

But Ms. Kennedy made it all work, largely because she personalized it and kept it tethered to her own unique narrative. She didn't preach but she did illustrate, and that makes all the difference. And besides, as she pointed out mid-way through the evening, recent events have shown that the issues raised by those songs are, sadly, as relevant today as they were when the songs were written.

With all that as a backdrop, the dramatic highlight of the evening, Jerry Jeff Walker's "Mr. Bojangles," took on an added level of meaning. It became a beautiful and moving tribute to all the "down and outers" kicked to the curb by a justice system that all too often seems uninterested in actual justice. I think it's no accident that the song that precedes it is Cassandra Wilson's "Justice." "Give me a bottle of justice," she wrote. "I hear it sets you free."

Accompanying Ms. Kennedy were Arthur Toney on piano and Jamal Nickels on acoustic bass. Mr. Toney was a last-minute substitute for Ms. Kennedy's music director, who was sidelined by illness, so there was the occasional hiccup, but nothing serious enough to interrupt the flow of the show. For the most part he and Mr. Nickels worked very well together and easily followed Ms. Kennedy's lead.

In her closing credits, Ms. Kennedy included St. Louis Black Rep artistic director Ron Himes. Mr. Himes has a substantial reputation locally as an actor and director, so I suspect at least some of the sound theatrical decisions in this show can be traced to him.

That's not to say that there weren't a few minor issues with the show. Ms. Kennedy had not entirely memorized it, which meant she had to frequently refer to the script she kept on a music stand. That, in turn, made it impossible for her to move from her spot at the stage left end of the piano, which made things rather visually static.

There was only one performance of "Melody/Movement," but with any luck Ms. Kennedy will have the chance to present this again. I hope so, as it deserves a wider audience.

The Presenters Dolan's Gaslight Cabaret Festival continues through April 11 at the Gaslight Theater in the Central West End. For more information: gaslightcabaretfestival.com.

Brian Owens' Sam Cooke tribute is two shows in one

Brian Owens

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Who: Brian Owens
What: Sam Cooke at the Copa
Where: The Gaslight Cabaret Festival at The Gaslight Theatre, St. Louis, MO
When: March 5, 2015

Brian Owens' "Sam Cooke at the Copa," which opened the spring edition of the Gaslight Cabaret Festival, was really two shows in one.

The first and longer of the two was a faithful re-creation of the titular 1964 LP. The second show—the one with the real emotional punch—came towards the end, when Mr. Owens interrupted the LP and took a few minutes to tell us what Cooke's music meant to him and why, complete with short a cappella versions of Cooke's hits "Cupid," "Wonderful World," and "Chain Gang."

He then went back for the last three numbers from Cooke's original set, after which he brought his father up on stage for a powerful duet rendition of "A Change is Gonna Come," originally recorded by Cooke in January of 1964 but not released until after his murder in December of that year. It would go on to become an anthem for the Civil Rights movement.

The first show was a solid nightclub act, polished and entertaining. The second—especially that powerful closer—was real cabaret, with a compelling personal story and a strong emotional core. Both went over very well with the sold-out house.

Recorded in July 8, 1964, during a two-week engagement at the Copacabana nightclub in New York, "Sam Cooke at the Copa" is typical of the sort of thing black artists did back then when they played venues where the audience was mostly white. The set list mixed Great American Songbook standards with Cooke's hits and a couple of songs from what was then a hot trend: protest folk music. Cooke's own band was augmented with Joe Mele's 16-piece Copacabana Band, producing a sound somewhere between classic R&B and "big band" styles. Cooke's unique voice and personality tied it all together.

Mr. Owens used a smaller band (nine pieces) but otherwise stuck closely to the material on the LP, right down to the between-song patter. He even sounded a bit like the later Mr. Cooke, especially in his head voice and falsetto registers. What he didn't do, though, was settle for a straight celebrity impersonation. He brought his own personality to it all, so the result was more an homage than anything else.

The real Brian Owens came across most clearly, though, in that "second show" monologue and especially in "A Change is Gonna Come." Joining with his father in close harmony, Mr. Owens poured his heart into that performance in a way that demolished the "third wall" the Cooke tribute show had (unavoidably) created. Towards the end he asked the audience to sing the refrain while, one at a time, the band members stopped playing and left the stage. Finally, there was only Mr. Owens, his father, and all of us singing "I know a change is gonna come."

That, to me, was real magic.

The Gaslight Cabaret Festival runs through April 11 at the Gaslight Theater in the Central West End. For more information: gaslightcabaretfestival.com.

Homecoming weekend with Steve Ross at the Gaslight Cabaret Festival

steveross.net / Stacy Sullivan

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Who: Steve Ross
What: An Evening With Steve Ross
Where: The Gaslight Cabaret Festival at The Gaslight Theatre, St. Louis, MO
When: October 24 and 25, 2014

Mabel Mercer Award–winning cabaret artist Steve Ross has a long and happy relationship with St. Louis, going back to the early days of the Grandel Cabaret Series. He was one of the first performers to be featured by Jim Dolan's Presenters Dolan organization when it got off the ground many years ago, so his appearance last weekend at Jim's Gaslight Cabaret Festival had something of the feel of a homecoming.

Titled "An Evening With Steve Ross," the show was essentially a cavalcade of the singer/pianist's "greatest hits." That meant plenty of Noel Coward and Cole Porter (always a welcome combination) along with some Jerome Kern, a brace of Great American Songbook standards, and even a bit of operetta towards the end. There was also the return of his trademark Edith Piaf instrumental medley (including classics like "La Vie en Rose," "Milord," and "Non, Je Ne Regrette Rein," which I'm thinking of making my theme song) and a couple of tunes from Lehar's "The Merry Widow" with the lyrics Lorenz Hart wrote for the 1934 film version.

A veritable cornucopia, in short. Yes, it ran a bit long at around an hour and forty minutes, but the packed house didn't seem to mind. I think that's because Mr. Ross is an engaging, elegant, and charming performer in the mold of Noel Coward, whose green velvet smoking jacket (or, as he refers to it, his "non-smoking jacket") he now wears, courtesy of the Noel Coward society. It's axiomatic among cabaret performers that there's no place to hide in this field; the audience will invariably see who you truly are. Mr. Ross is truly a smart, generous, and generally nice guy, and that comes across on stage.

Those who have seen Mr. Ross during one of his dozen or so previous appearances in St. Louis know that he is not of the "this is my life" school of cabaret. For Mr. Ross, it's all about the music. He intertwines his singing with erudite and amusing commentary on the songs and their creators. Did you know, for example, that Noel Coward's wistful waltz ballad "Some Day I'll Find You" was the theme song for the long-running radio and early TV detective show "Mr. Keene, Tracer of Lost Persons?"* Or that the lyricists for that quintessential 1936 hymn to the City by the Bay, "San Francisco," were a pair of refugees from Nazi Germany?

An evening with Steve Ross, it seems, is not only entertaining, it's informative as well.

Steve Ross's appearances here are over, but the fall edition of the Gaslight Cabaret Festival continues through November 22 at the Gaslight Theater, 358 North Boyle. For more information, visit the web site. Note that parking around the theater is at a premium, so you might want to give serious thought to arriving early and having dinner or drinks at the West End Grill and Pub, which is attached to the theater.

*Or, for you Bob and Ray fans, "Mr. Trace, Keener Than Most Persons."

Karen Mason unearths secrets of the ancient divas at the Gaslight Cabaret Festival

Who: Karen Mason and James Followell
What: Secrets of the Ancient Divas
When: October 17 and 18, 2014
Where: The Gaslight Cabaret Festival at the Gaslight Theater, St. Louis

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What's the essence of cabaret? Partly it's what my friend Ken Haller (no mean cabaret artist himself) calls the art of telling stories through song. But equally essential, as Karen Mason's show demonstrates, are the arrangements used to tell those stories.

As someone (I think it might have been Lina Koutrakos) once noted, a cabaret artist's arrangements are like custom-tailored suits of clothes. Sure, you can wear something off the rack and look OK, but something tailored to your physique shows you off best. A good arrangement makes the most of the singer's abilities and allows him or her to put a unique personal stamp on it.

Probably the best example of this in Ms. Mason's show is the arrangement of the Judy Garland classic "The Man That Got Away" (from "A Star is Born"). Beginning with little more than some delicate discords in the right hand, James Followell's piano part becomes progressively bigger as Ms. Mason builds the volume and intensity to the lyrical climax on "the livelong night and day," after which both retreat back to those opening chords, now sounding even more bleak than they did at first. It follows the same general arc as Garland's performance in the movie, but does so in a way that pays homage to the original without imitating it.

That, my friends, is an exceptional performance of an equally exceptional arrangement. I don't know whether it's the work of Mr. Followell or of Christopher Denney, with whom she first performed "Secrets of Ancient Divas" in Chicago. Whoever it was deserves applause.

That same artistic level was apparent in the rest of the show, which pays tribute to great divas as diverse as Peggy Lee, Barbara Streisand, and Shirley Bassey without ever becoming outright impersonation. The closest Ms. Mason gets to that is her version of Bassey's "Goldfinger" ("Gooold-fingahhhhh!"), and even that is done with a sly wink. I do think, though, that it might have been even better to segue from "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" to "Diamonds Are Forever" (a better song anyway, in my view).

James Followell
facebook.com

Along the way she weaved an amusing mock history of divadom from Roman times ("Happiness is a thing called Jove") to the present. Granted, much of that was "inside baseball," but it was clever stuff.

There were too many great moments in this show to list them all here, so I'll settle for some that struck me forcefully enough to warrant a hastily scrawled note in the dark.

"He Touched Me," from the 1965 musical flop (11 previews and eight performances) "Drat! The Cat!", got a wonderfully torchy interpretation built on a rising tide of emotion. The transitions between comedy to wistful nostalgia in Kander and Ebb's "Colored Lights" (from "The Rink") were handled with consummate skill. The "bad girl" humor of "When in Rome" and "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" came through loud and clear, but so did the longing in "Over the Rainbow."

Ms. Mason introduced her final song—"About Time," by her husband Paul Rolnick and Andrea Marcovicci's long-time music director Shelly Markham—by noting that since marriage equality has become a reality, she has become a wedding singer. It gave an added layer of meaning to the lyrics of the chorus: "It's about love. It's about life. It's about time."

It sure is. And it never hurts to remind us.

The Gaslight Cabaret Festival runs through November 22nd at the Gaslight Theater in the Central West End.  For more information, visit the web site.

It's the real thing

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Who: Emily Bergl
What: Until the Real Things Comes Along
When: Thursday through Saturday, March 13-15, 2014
Where: The Gaslight Cabaret Festival

In an interview earlier this week, I asked Emily Bergl what it was about her approach to cabaret that set it apart from more traditional shows. "I'm presenting a complete evening of entertainment," she replied, "with a real narrative and lots of different characters. I don't assume that if I just sit on a stool and do a bunch of torch songs it's going to be fascinating. We like to entertain the folks!"

Now that I've seen the premiere of the show, I'd say she has achieved that particular goal. A few "new show" speed bumps not withstanding, "Until the Real Thing Comes Along" is a lively and entertaining evening that often goes in unexpected directions in clever and diverting ways.

An actress with substantial film, television, and theatre credits, Ms. Bergl inhabits a number of characters in the course of the performance, from the comically neglected girlfriend of a Russian oligarch in Cole Porter's "Down in the Depths (on the Ninetieth Floor)" (from "Red, Hot, and Blue, where it was sung by Ethel Merman) to a down-and-out druggie in Tom Waits's "Christmas Card from a Hooker." Mostly, though, she's just her cabaret self—a persona that's a mix of pixie and vixen, decked out in a sexy and sparkly black dress and determined (as she sings in a Trisha Yearwood song towards the end of the evening) to " just keep on falling in love / Till I get it right."

Yeah, I know: the difficulty of finding a good, lasting relationship is not exactly a new theme for cabaret. But Ms. Bergl makes the theme her own and explores it in a way that is uniquely hers. I can't imagine this particular set of songs with these particular arrangements working for anyone but her. And that, ultimately, is what cabaret is: a performance that fits the artist like a custom-tailored suit.

About those arrangements: music director and pianist Jonathan Mastro—to whom Ms. Bergl refers as "Johnny Piano" (presumably a joking reference to Joan Crawford's 1954 Western "Johnny Guitar")—has put together some that are exceptionally ingenious and often surprising. His mashup of Tracy Chapman's "For My Lover" with a tinkly, music-box version of Deborah Harry and Chris Stein's Blondie hit "Heart of Glass," for example, made me hear the latter song in a way I never had before—and I'm an old Blondie fan from way back. And his revisionist version of the 1928 Eddie Cantor hit "Makin' Whoopee!," which replaces some of Gus Kahn's original lyrics with contemporary female POV equivalents, presented the song in a smart new light.

Emily Bergl and Jonathan "Johnny Piano" Mastro

So, yeah, "Until the Real Thing Comes Along" is an enjoyable and creative look at a familiar topic that's a welcome addition to the Gaslight Cabaret Festival. That said, there were some minor issues of the sort that you might expect from a brand-new show.

Some of the transitions were not as smooth as they could be, for example, and I thought Ms. Bergl's flirtatious byplay with a male member of the audience went on a bit too long. The song list also felt a bit ballad heavy to me. Ms. Bergl is an accomplished comedienne, and I felt that aspect of her talent was a bit short-changed.

How important is any of that? Not very, in my view. The show's small weaknesses were effectively overwhelmed by its strengths and some of those problems, in any case, will likely have disappeared by the time you see it.

Emily Bergl's "Until the Real Thing Comes Along" has one more performances: Saturday night, March 15, at 8 PM. For more information: gaslightcabaretfestival.org. Note that the Gaslight has no parking lot, so you'll want to arrive early to grab a spot on the street. Fortunately the adjoining West End Grill has a nice assortment of food and drink to occupy you until show time.

Minterview: Emily Bergl

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[Minterview = mini-interview]

The Presenters Dolan present "Emily Bergl: Until The Real Thing Comes Along" Thursday through Saturday, March 13-15, at 8 PM as part of the Gaslight Cabaret Festival. Most widely known for her roles on television and in film—as Rachel in "The Rage: Carrie 2," Beth on "Desperate Housewives" and now on "Shameless—as well as for her extensive work on Broadway and Off, Emily Bergl burst onto the cabaret scene just two years ago, garnering raves.

She has performed at the Oak Room, the Cafe Carlyle, and the new Feinstein's. I ran a few questions by her about her eclectic approach to the genre.

Q: It has been said that cabaret, as an intimate art form, is closer to film than theatre. You've had lots of film and TV experience. How do you think this informs your cabaret work?
A: I consider myself a character actor, so no matter what I'm working on I try to transform into a different person each time. Cabaret gives me the opportunity to bring all those characters together in one show. You never know who might show up, from a country girl to a Russian aristocrat.

Q: In September of 2011, The New York Times called your 2010 show "Kidding on the Square" "a gust of fresh air that could knock you off your feet." What is it about your approach to cabaret that sets it apart from more traditional shows?
A: What sets apart my cabaret show is that I'm presenting a complete evening of entertainment with a real narrative and lots of different characters. I don't assume that if I just sit on a stool and do a bunch of torch songs it's going to be fascinating. We like to entertain the folks!

Q: You already had a pretty busy stage and screen career before you started doing cabaret. What got you started down that path?
A: I was inspired to create my own show because it seems like a lot of people don't even know what cabaret is anymore. I want to reintroduce this wonderful art form with music that's relevant while still honoring the classics. Modern day life can be very isolating; I think we're all craving the kind of intimate experience you get in an evening of cabaret.

Emily Bergl with Jet Li for Habitat for Humanity
Chiang Mai, Thailland

Q: I see you're heavily involved with Habitat for Humanity. How did that happen?
A: I became involved with Habitat for Humanity because I've been a huge Jimmy Carter fan ever since I was fifteen years old. I've built houses in Borneo, Thailand, DC, NYC, Pascagoula, Charlotte, Los Angeles, you name it. Last year I even got to sing “Aint' Misbehavin'” for President Carter himself

Q: Is there anything you think the audience needs to know about your show before they come to see it?
A: All the audience needs to know is that they're going to have a fabulous time! You don't have to know anything about my show to enjoy it, but you will definitely recognize some of the songs no matter where your musical taste lies. We do everything from Billie Holiday to Blondie. And if possible it's best enjoyed with a cocktail or two.

For more information on Emily Bergl's appearance at the Gaslight Cabaret Festival: gaslightcabaretfestival.com.

Lifting Waits

Who: Marissa Mulder
What: The Songs of Tom Waits
When: February 27 - March 1, 2014
Where: The Gaslight Cabaret Festival

Marissa Mulder's "The Songs of Tom Waits," which had its premiere last March at New York's Metropolitan Room under the more accurately descriptive title "Tom…In His Words," comes to The Gaslight Cabaret Festival dripping with praise. In a profile of Ms. Mulder in the current issue (March/April 2014) of Cabaret Scenes, Stephen Hanks reports that the show "drew rave reviews from almost the entire New York Cabaret press, including Stephen Holden of the New York Times who called it 'Far and away the season's best cabaret show'." Mr. Hanks himself calls it "surprisingly stunning."

It's not hard to see why. Ms. Mulder's remarkable evening of the words and songs of Tom Waits is a startling act of theatrical legerdemain in which the young and ethereally pretty singer magically metamorphoses into the battered, world-weary, ironic narrator who lurks in all of Waits's lyrics. Songs written for the singer/songwriter's gravely, growly, rusty chain link fence of a voice ought to sound wildly inappropriate sung in Ms. Mulder's light, clear mezzo—but they don't. Even when she's singing songs obviously written for a male narrator like "Jersey Girl" or "(Looking for) The Heart of Saturday Night," Ms. Mulder's understanding of and respect for the lyric makes her performance utterly credible.

Much of that comes from the way Ms. Mulder has thoroughly internalized the meaning of Waits's words—spoken or sung—and made them her own. But no small part of the show's success also comes from her expert use of what is known in the cabaret world as "focus"—clearly communicating the object of each song's lyric to the audience. There's a great example of that in "Downtown Train" in which she clearly and consistently places the object of the narrator's existential longing up and to her right. When she sings "I know your window and I know it’s late / I know your stairs and your doorway / I walk down your street and past your gate / I stand by the light of the four way" you can almost see that window and that deserted midnight street. The song isn't just sung, it's acted. And damned convincingly.

Perhaps the most powerful moment of the show, at least for me, was the poignant anti-war protest song "The Day After Tomorrow." Mr. Hanks tells us she "stunned the audience at the Lincoln Center Rose Theater" when she performed this at the Mabel Mercer Foundation's annual Cabaret Convention last October.  She introduces the song with the songwriter's own words about both the futility and importance of writing protest songs when the nation is clearly hurtling "at 90 miles per hour down a dead-end street" and then delivers it with a stillness that emphasizes the heartbreaking reality faced by soldiers serving in a pointless and unnecessary war. This should be mandatory listening for what Al Franken calls the "chicken hawks" in congress and their media enablers.

Backing up all this, both instrumentally and vocally, are Ms. Mulder's New York compatriots Jon Weber (piano and music director), Mike Rosengarten (guitar), and Ritt Henn (electric stand-up bass). All three have chances to strut their stuff. Mr. Rosengarten had a fierce solo in the chilling, Raymond Chandlereque " A Sweet Little Bullet From A Pretty Blue Gun," for example, while Mr. Henn impressed me in "Jersey Girl." Mr. Weber's bluesy piano opens and closes the show, and in between his arrangements display many of the songs in a new light. Until I heard it here, for example, I never realized how much "Broken Bicycles" sounds like a gloss on Ivanovici's "Danube Waves"—better known as "The Anniversary Song." I have no idea whether that was intentional on Waits's part or not, but the irony is certainly rich in any case.

That said, there were some aspects of the evening that didn't entirely work for me. Nearly every song was taken at a tempo somewhere down around Larghissimo which, while it helped maintain the world-weary mood, did sometimes become a bit of a drag. Waits's own performances of his songs often have more of a rhythmic pulse, as I recall. The lighting was also nearly uniformly dark, which sometimes obscured Ms. Mulder's features too much.

Still, that's minor stuff, the equivalent of 37 cents in pocket change in a cinder block bar at closing time. Granted, the show's relentless evocation of Waits's bleak, film noir psychological landscape probably isn't for everyone. But if you're a fan of the songwriter's work or someone who (like me) admires his contributions to the canon of American song without ever rising to fanhood, you won't want to miss this show. Even if you're just willing to explore the territory outside the core of the Great American Songbook, I'd say Marissa Mulder's "The Songs of Tom Waits" is worth your attention. It's a solid piece of musical theatre and a worthy addition to the Gaslight Cabaret Festival lineup.

The Gaslight Cabaret Festival continues through April 25 at The Gaslight Theatre, 358 North Boyle in the Central West End. For more information: gaslightcabaretfestival.com. Note that the Gaslight has no parking lot, so you'll want to arrive early to grab a spot on the street when you attend a show. Fortunately the adjoining West End Grill has a nice assortment of food and drink to occupy you until show time.

Song Llst:
Emotional Weather Report
Better Off Without A Wife
Ol '55
Jersey Girl
Downtown Train
A Sweet Little Bullet From A Pretty Blue Gun
Rainbow Sleeves
Broken Bicycles
Day After Tomorrow
Alice
I'm Still Here
Encore: Looking For The Heart Of Saturday Night / Ol '55 / Anywhere I Lay My Head