St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of August 8, 2016

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Looking for auditions and other artistic opportunities? Check out the St. Louis Auditions site.

For information on events beyond this week, check out the searchable database at the Regional Arts Commission's Events Calendar.

The Muny presents Elton John and Tim Rice's musical Aida opening on Monday, August 8, and running nightly at 8:15 pm through August 14 in the outdoor theatre in Forest Park. "A decade ago, Muny audiences fell in love with an unforgettable tale. Set in ancient Egypt, this timeless saga of forbidden love between the Ethiopian princess Aida and her Egyptian captor has been re-envisioned for this enchanting production. Expect to be captured yourself by Elton John's soaring melodies including “Written in the Stars,” “The Gods Love Nubia” and “Elaborate Lives.” Aida is the thrilling finale to the Muny season." For more information, visit muny.org or call 314-361-1900.

Bat Boy

Stray Dog Theatre presents Bat Boy: the Musical Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 PM, through August 20. “This offbeat comedy/horror musical is a big-hearted satire about prejudice. As ripped from a bizarre tabloid headline and set in a tiny West Virginia town, a strange, deformed boy is found alone in a cave. Once the “bat boy” is brought to light, dark - and hilarious - secrets emerge, shaking the community to its core. A clever, playful pop/rock score highlights the show's delirious take on American eccentricities._For MATURE AUDIENCES: In an effort to keep the selection of shows engaging and dynamic, this production may not be appropriate for all ages." Performances take place at The Tower Grove Abbey, 2336 Tennessee. For more information, visit straydogtheatre.org or call 314-865-1995.

The Randy Dandies presents Burlesque Bingo on Thursday, August 11, from 9 to 11 p.m. "As anyone who frequents the bingo parlors knows, the facade of genteel decorum drops once the first game is won. The first cry of “Bingo!” fires up the blood something fierce, and all bets are off from that point forward. Now, imagine what would happen if you throw semi-clad young women into the mix - Ok, now stop imagining. The Randy Dandies present Burlesque Bingo from 9pm to 11:30 pm on Thursdays, and and it promises all the thrills of cutthroat bingo, with the added titillation of local burlesque performers and specialty variety acts plus silly prizes." The show takes place at The Monocle, 4510 Manchester in the Grove neighborhood. For more information: therandydandies.com..

The Bissell Mansion Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre presents CSI: Bissell through October 30. The Bissell Mansion is at 4426 Randall Place. For more information: bissellmansiontheatre.com

The Drowsy Chaperone
Photo: Peter Wochniak

Stages St. Louis presents the musical satire The Drowsy Chaperone through August 21. "With its laugh-a-minute script and one show-stopping song and dance number after another, it's easy to see why THE DROWSY CHAPERONE won the most Tony Awards of any musical on Broadway in 2006, including Best Book and Score. It all begins when a die-hard musical theatre fan decides to play his favorite cast album in his small brownstone apartment - a 1928 smash hit musical called "The Drowsy Chaperone." The show magically bursts to life before him as audiences are instantly transported to an earlier time and place and immersed in the glamorous and hilarious tale of a celebrity bride and her uproarious wedding day, complete with gangsters, mistaken identities, an off-course aviatrix, and an uplifting ride to the rafters. " Performances take place in the Robert G. Reim Theatre at the Kirkwood Community Center, 111 South Geyer Road in Kirkwood. For more information, visit stagesstlouis.org or call 314-821-2407.

Insight Theatre Company presents the drama Inherit the Wind August 12 - 28. "Bert Cates a 1920's schoolteacher is put on trial for violating the Butler Act, a state law that prohibits public school teachers from teaching evolution instead creationism. Rachel Brown who is Cates girlfriend is also the daughter of Reverend Brown is torn between the opposing beliefs held by Cates and her father and her love for both of them." Performances take place in the Heagney Theatre, 530 East Lockwood on the campus of Nerinx Hall High School in Webster Groves. For more information, call 314-556-1293 or visit insighttheatrecompany.com.

St. Louis Shakespeare presents Shakespeare's tragedy Julius Caesar Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. through August 14. Performances take place at the Ivory Theatre, 7620 Michigan in the Carondelet neighborhood. For more information, call 314-361-5664 or visit stlshakespeare.org.

Act Two Theatre presents the comedy Moon Over Buffalo through August 14. "Moon Over Buffalo centers on George and Charlotte Hay, fading stars of the 1950's who are playing Private Lives and Cyrano De Bergerac in rep in Buffalo, New York. On the brink of a disastrous split-up, they receive word that they might just have one last shot at stardom: Frank Capra is coming to town to see their matinee, and if he likes what he sees, he might cast them in his new film. Unfortunately for George and Charlotte, everything that could go wrong does. As a result, this tribute to “Life in the Theatre” is simply outrageously hilarious!! "" Performances take place in the St. Peters Cultural Arts Centre at 1 St Peters Centre Blvd, St. Peters, MO 63376. For more information: act2theater.com.

Amy Ogle

The Emerald Room at the Monocle presents singer Amy Ogle in Nick of Time on Friday, August 12, at 8 p.m. "In her all new show, Amy explores the realization of a dream. And ours." The performance takes place in The Emerald Room at The Monocle Bar, 4510 Manchester in The Grove neighborhood. For more information: themonoclestl.com.

The Emerald Room at the Monocle and The Presenters Dolan present David Guintoli in Sinatra...The Man and His Music on Saturday, August 13, at 8 p.m. "David Giuntoli sings songs that Frank Sinatra made famous. He would have been 100, if alive, and although he was from a different era, his musical stylings are a as swinging today as they were in the 40s, 50s, and 60s when he was at his peak. Sinatra had a gift of taking songs from great composers like, Cole Porter, Jimmy Van Heusen, Sammy Cahn, and, along with his fantastic arrangements, giving them that “Sinatra” stamp. The show includes these songs; I've Got the World on a String, All or Nothing at All, The Best is Yet to Come, I've Got You Under My Skin, The Way You Look Tonight, Angel Eyes, Fly Me to the Moon, Night and Day, The Lady is a Tramp and more." The show features Adam Maness on piano and Ben Wheeler on bass. The performance takes place in The Emerald Room at The Monocle Bar, 4510 Manchester in The Grove neighborhood. For more information: www.buzzonstage.com/st-louis.

New Line Theatre presents Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical Tell Me on a Sunday Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 PM, August 11-27. "This pop-rock song cycle follows a young English woman newly arrived in New York, brimming with optimism, and her journey through America and the perils of ill-advised romance. As she seeks out success and love, she weaves her way through the maze of New York and Hollywood social life, and through her own anxieties, frustrations, and heartaches, and she begins to wonder whether there are better choices to be made." Performances take place at the Marcelle Theater, 3310 Samuel Shepard Drive, three blocks east of Grand, in Grand Center. For more information, visit newlinetheatre.com or call 314-534-1111.

The Lemp Mansion Comedy-Mystery Dinner Theater presents Zombie Love through October 28. The Lemp Mansion is at 3322 DeMenil Place. For more information: lempmansion.com.

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.

Glimmerglass Festival, 2016, Day 2: Words and music by Stephen Sondheim

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The highlight of day two of my visit to the Glimmerglass Festival as part of a team from the Music Critics Association of North America wasn't a performance at all, but rather an on-stage interview by Jamie Bernstein—writer, broadcaster, and daughter of famed Leonard Bernstein—of Stephen Sondheim, whose musical-cum-opera Sweeny Todd was the main event that night.

Casually attired in a blue polo shirt and chinos, Mr. Sondheim was wonderfully charming and unassuming. He shared some interesting insights what he sees as the differences between musical theatre and opera and had some great anecdotes about the creation of West Side Story, Gypsy, and (of course) Sweeney Todd.

Although he was addressing an opera audience, Mr. Sondheim confessed that he was not a fan of opera because he didn't personally care for "constant singing." The contrast between spoken dialog and song is, for him, far more interesting. He singled out Carmen as an opera that he enjoyed for that very reason.

He acknowledged that some musicals, such as Frank Loesser's Most Happy Fella, are rather like operas in that they are entirely sung, but they're not "through-composed". That is, they're not large musical structures like (to pick an extreme example) the operas of Wagner. So while Most Happy Fella and Sweeney Todd use repeating musical motifs, they're not really operas in his view.

Emily Pogorelc as Johanna
Photo: Karli Cakel

That said, he noted that when Sweeney Todd performed by opera companies, it's viewed as an opera. Otherwise it's viewed as a musical. Audiences adapt their expectations to the venue.

"When I was writing Sweeney," he noted, "I was writing a movie." He was attracted to the big, exaggerated emotions of actor Christopher Bond's adaptation of the original mid-19th-centrury "penny dreadful" The String of Pearls. A stage adaptation of the original, awful though it was, became a moneymaker for actor Tod Slaughter (!), who filmed it in 1936. Mr. Sondheim, though, felt that Bond had taken the original and given it real characters with real depth-something he was careful to honor in his adaptation. He observed that sometimes inferior plays make the best operas because the music "ennobles" them. Puccini did this on a regular basis, he reminded us.

Mr. Sondheim recalled that he spent an entire month working on one song: "Epiphany", the dramatic number in which Todd, convinced that he will never have his vengeance on Judge Turpin, goes truly mad and swears bloody retribution on the entire world. The song sets up the entire second half of the show, and so was critical to its success.

Nicholas Nestorak (left) as Tobias Ragg
and members of the ensemble
Photo: Karli Cadel

Asked what he was working on now, Mr. Sondheim revealed that he's working with playwright David Ives (Venus in Fur, All in the Timing), on a stage version of two Luis Buñuel films: The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie and Exterminating Angel. By sheer coincidence, composer Thomas Adès has just completed work on an opera version of the latter film, so audiences will have a chance to compare the two when they play in New York next year.

Asked about A Little Night Music, he said that he has always thought of it as an operetta. It's lighter in tone than an opera and has "an operetta attitude." He then went on to recall his meeting with Ingmar Bergman-whose film Smiles of a Summer Night served as the basis for the show-in New York City just after he had been granted the rights for the adaptation. Bergman was so pleased by Sondheim's work that he asked the composer to work with him on a film version of The Merry Widow—a project that never came to fruition. Bergman liked the Broadway production, and remarked to Sondheim that Hermione Gingold "really f**ks the audience."

And he meant it in the best way possible.

Towards the end, Ms. Bernstein and Mr. Sondheim took a few questions from the audience that had been submitted in advance. One was a rather ponderous query about how the social and political background of the 1970s had influenced the composition of Sweeney Todd. He laughed and said "I just wrote Sweeney Todd to scare people."

He also had a couple of great Ethel Merman stories.

Greer Grimsley (left) in the title role and
Peter Volpe as Judge Turpin
Photo: Karli Cadel

The Sondheim interview left me primed for a great production of Sweeney Todd. Alas, that's not what I got. The many problems with director Christopher Alden's gimmicky and distracting direction are described fairly well by my colleague Barbara Jepson in her review for Classical Voice North America, so I won't repeat them here. Suffice it to say that Sweeney Todd is now apparently an Established Classic that can be subjected to bizarre directorial concepts that contradict the text and undermine the drama. Direction that constantly calls attention to itself raises barriers between the material and the audience, which is certainly what happened here.

The Glimmerglass cast has great voices, though, and Young Artists member Molly Jane Hill, a last minute substitute for an ailing Luretta Bybee, did herself proud as Mrs. Lovett. They did not, however, sound entirely comfortable with Mr. Sondheim's rapid-fire, literate lyrics-which made the projected English text very welcome.

Equally welcome was the chance to hear Sondheim's score played by a full orchestra. Conductor John DeMain gave an excellent account of it. Indeed, if you closed your eyes this was a pretty respectable production.

Glimmerglass Festival, 2016, Day 1: A double dip of Rossini

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So, opera lover, still feel the need for a fix after Opera Theatre of St. Louis closes its four-opera season at the end of June? Consider a trip to The Glimmerglass Festival.

The Busch Opera Theater
Photo: Karli Cadel

Located on the shore of scenic Otsego Lake just fifteen minutes north of Cooperstown in upstate New York, the Glimmerglass Festival starts just as OTSL is finishing at the end of June, with a two-month season of four main stage shows (three operas and a musical) along with numerous concerts, master classes, discussions, and other events related to the four core shows. I made the trip to Glimmerglass along with three other members of the Music Critics Association of North America last month to catch three of the four main stage productions (we didn't get to see their La Bohème) and was impressed with what I saw.

Created around the same time as OTSL (their first season was in 1975), Glimmerglass began with a very similar mission: to present operas in English, featuring young, up-and-coming singers. Over the years their approach has changed slightly in that they now allot one of their four slots to a musical and have gone back to performing operas in their original languages (something OTSL might want to consider), but otherwise St. Louis audiences will find the Glimmerglass experience very familiar, right down to the picnic-style food and outdoor tables.

There are differences, of course. The Glimmerglass season is longer, it offers a wider variety of events, and their purpose-built opera house has better musical acoustics that the Loretto-Hilton Center, along with a bigger orchestra pit. Perhaps the most remarkable thing about the auditorium is that right up to show time, the sides are open to the generally very comfortable mountain air, with massive screens to keep out unwelcome winged guests. As the lights dim, massive metal shutters close off the great outdoors and suddenly it's all about the great indoors.

Lost Luggage
Photo: Karli Cadel

Our three-day Glimmerglass weekend began on Friday, July 29th, with a pair of Rossini operas: his two-act opera semiseria La gazza ladra (The Thieving Magpie) [], written in 1817 and revised several times after that, and his rarely-seen one-act comedy L'occasione fa il ladro, ossia Il cambio della valigia (Opportunity Makes a Thief, or The Exchanged Suitcase). While neither is exactly top-drawer Rossini, they both got splendid productions.

Translated into English and re-titled Lost Luggage, the one-act is a typical bit of fluff about travelers stuck in a train station by a massive storm. There's a pair of romances, stolen identities, comic confusion, and, of course, a double wedding at the end. The music isn't Rossini's best stuff, but it's still unflaggingly tuneful and the updatings to the libretto are very funny.

L to R: Meg Gillentine as the Magpie,
Allegra De Vita as Pippo,
Michele Angelini as Giannetto
Photo: Karli Cadel

Lost Luggage got its one and only performance in The Pavilion, a large barn-like structure in which the audience members were seated at tables and/or folding chairs while the actors performed on a small raised stage. Acoustics, as you might imagine, were not optimal, but the very talented cast drawn from the company's Young Artist program nevertheless had no trouble making themselves understood. Alas, I didn't get a printed program and neither the official Glimmerglass program book nor the web site provides their names, so I'll just say that they all had wonderful voices and impressive acting chops.

The evening's main event, La gazza ladra, also got a thoroughly entertaining production from a cast that included six members of the Young Artist program along with the older performers.

Rachele Gilmore as Ninetta and
Michele Angelini as Giannetto
Photo: Karli Cadel

Based on a popular French sentimental play from 1815, the libretto is the story of a servant, Ninetta, who is falsely accused of stealing silverware actually pilfered by the pet magpie of the title. Circumstantial evidence-some of it wildly improbable-appears to condemn her while frankly incredible plot contrivances involving her father Fernando make it impossible for her to defend herself. The morally repugnant Mayor offers her freedom if she'll submit to his unpleasant advances but she refuses and is about to die on the gallows when her young friend Pippo finds the silverware in the magpie's nest and all ends happily.

Soprano Rachele Gilmore heads the uniformly strong cast as Ninetta, handling Rossini's bel canto fireworks with ease. Tenor Michele Angelini soars as her fiancé Gianetto. South African bass Musa Ngqungwana makes a powerful impression as the villainous Mayor. And dancer/choreographer/singer/actor Meg Gillentine is charming in the non-singing role of the magpie, one of the additions to this new version of the opera prepared expressly for Glimmerglass.

The clash between the opera's comic and dramatic scenes still feels a bit odd but under the direction of Peter Kazaras the fanciful production made a good case for it. Myung Hee Cho's arboreal sets and avian costumes added to the whimsy. For a more complete review, I refer you to my colleague Ken Keaton at Classical Voice North America.

Review: Union Avenue Opera's "Tosca" gets the passion right

L-R: March Schapman, Matthew Edwardsen,
Neil Nelson

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This weekend, Union Avenue Opera concludes its very strong production of Puccini's 1900 political melodrama Tosca. Moved from its original 1800 setting to 1940-where the underlying conflict between autocracy and democracy works perfectly well, thanks very much-this is a dramatically arresting show and well worth your time.

Anyone seeking an example of how an operatic classic can have contemporary resonance need look no further than the character of Baron Scarpia, the villain in. A textbook case of how an elaborate display of public piety can be a false front for lust and violence, Scarpia also provides us one of the great moments of Italian opera in the final scene of Act I as he plots the seduction and betrayal of Tosca while the crowd celebrates High Mass. It's a spectacular scene-one of the best examples of dramatic irony you'll ever see-and also a great argument for the separation of Church and State.

Matthew Edwardsen and
Elena O'Connor

The story of Tosca is a mix of passion, deceit, and violence typical of the verismo school of opera, with its emphasis on human emotions, both noble and destructive. Here, they're mostly destructive: the title character's overwhelming desire for her lover, the painter Cavaradossi, results in a jealousy that undoes them both; Scarpia's obsessive lust for Tosca motivates him to break every moral code he claims to support, and eventually results in his death at her hands; and Cavaradossi's passion for human freedom leads him to shelter the rebel Angelotti, which results in a firing squad for the former and suicide for the latter. It's not a cheerful story, Rome wasn't a cheerful place in either 1800 or 1940.

Any successful production of Tosca demands a strong and compelling Scarpia, and it certainly has one in bass-baritone Neil Nelson, who was so outstanding in the somewhat similar role of Di Luna in Winter Opera's Il Trovatore back in March. He's got big, powerful voice that can purr as well as rant and that easily delivered even the lowest notes with authority.

And then there's Elena O'Connor, making a brilliant Union Avenue debut as Tosca. Praised by the Rochester (New York) Democrat and Chronicle has for her "lustrous powerhouse soprano and wonderfully over-the-top theatrics", she's a striking and magnetic stage presence-which is exactly what Tosca should be. She made me believe Scarpia could be completely captivated by her. And the scene in which she stabs and then curses Scarpia as he dies was entirely satisfying.

Her scenes with tenor Matthew Edwardsen, who was such credible Pinkerton in the company's Madama Butterfly three years ago, had real chemistry and passion. Edwardsen, for his part, has a bold, dramatic voice that ran into trouble only in the very loudest passages. And his acting is spot on.

Union Avenue's Tosca has one more performance tonight at 8 p.m. You should definitely catch it if you can; this is one of the better productions of this opera I have seen, and that covers a lot of ground. Check out Union Avenue's web site for details.

Chuck's Choices for the weekend of August 5, 2016

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:

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The Puppet Guild of Greater St. Louis is presenting the Great Regional Puppet Festival through Sunday, with performances by various groups at different venues in the city. You can see a complete list at puppetfestivalstl.org, but here are a few I thought look especially interesting:

• Puppet Potpourri and Puppet Slam on Friday, August 5, at 10 p.m.: "This is a combination of an open mike and slam. The Puppet Potpourri features an "open mike" short 3 to 5 minute acts by volunteer puppeteers attending The Great Regional Puppet Festival. The Potpourri acts are usually family friendly, sometimes including performances by budding child puppeteers. The second part of the program is the Puppet Slam. Here there are no time limits or rules. The acts are often more adult oriented anywhere from reverent to artistic to bawdy." The performance takes place at The Stage at KDHX, 3524 Washington in Grand Center.
• Still Life on Saturday, August 6, at 2:30 p.m.: "Sill Life is a collection of (mostly) nonverbal shadow puppetry shorts. In these vignettes, people struggle-humorously, for the greater part-to make sense of or contend with a world that refuses to obey their expectations." The performance takes place at the St. Louis University Theatre, 3733 West Pine on the St. Louis University campus. For more information: puppetfestival.org.
• A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Death Star on Saturday, August 6, at 3:15 p.m.: "Mike Horner imagines what would have happened if George Lucas had turned his epic space saga into a musical puppet show? Find out in this wacky parody of the Star Wars trilogy written by musician Curt Bright and adapted and performed by puppeteer Mike Horner. Wookies and Jedis and Droids, Oh my! " The performance takes place at the St. Louis University Theatre, 3733 West Pine on the St. Louis University campus.
• Immigrant Stew at the Chat 'n' Chew on Saturday, August 6, at 4 p.m.: "Eulenspiegel Puppets and Friends present a humorous, touching, and quite timely as we welcome immigrants into the rural Midwest. Cathy Schmidt-McGillicutty, played by Monica Leo, is the proprietress of the local cafe, the Chat 'N' Chew. She's upset because her daughter wants to marry a member of a Mexican immigrant family. She confronts her prejudice as flashbacks play out scenes from her own family history. The flashbacks are performed by older children or adults from the local community to an accompaniment of live music by Tim Hillis." The performance takes place at the St. Louis University Theatre, 3733 West Pine on the St. Louis University campus.

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THOMPAIN (based on nothing)

The Midnight Company presents Will Eno's THOMPAIN (based on nothing) Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., through August 6. Performances take place at Herbie's Vintage72, 405 N. Euclid in the Central West End, It will be a 10-year anniversary revival production for Midnight, with Artistic Director Joe Hanrahan once again the performer, and Larry Dell once again directing. "Nearly indescribable, THOMPAIN was described thus by the NYTimes: 'A surreal meditation on the empty promises life makes, the way experience never lives up to the weird and awesome fact of being...but also, in its odd, bewitching beauty an affirmation of life's worth...a small masterpiece.' Actor Joe Hanrahan calls it 'Existential Stand-Up,' while director Larry Dell describes it as 'Stand-Up Tragedy.'" Tickets will be on sale later in the spring at brownpapertickets.com.

My take: Joe Hanrahan has had something of a monopoly on the one-man show genre for many years, and with good reason. He's a skilled actor who is not afraid to take on unusual and difficult material. "Hanrahan is relaxed, comfortable in the world of the narrator, oddball as it is," writes Ann Lemmons Pollack, "pacing and gesturing and occasionally talking to specific members of the audience. He makes it look easy, creating an experience as much as he’s creating theatre." She goes on to note how much the whole experience reminds her of the early days of Gaslight Square, which ain't bad.

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Tosca
Photo: John Lamp

Union Avenue Opera presents Puccini's Tosca Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM, through August 6. "Tosca is a powerful tale of an unholy bargain between the tragic heroine Floria Tosca and the chief of the Roman police, Baron Scarpia, arguably one of opera's vilest characters, who will stop at nothing to get his way. Will Tosca give herself to a man she hates to save Cavaradossi, the man she loves? Will she betray everything her lover believes to spare his life? Intrigue, cruelty, and betrayal swirl about the doomed diva in this riveting drama that explores the dark side of human emotion, set to some of Puccini's most passionate and unforgettable music." Performances take place at the Union Avenue Christian Church, 733 Union at Enright in the Central West End. The opera is sung in Italian with projected English text. For more information, visit unionavenueopera.org or call 314-361-2881.

My take: This production has been updated to Mussolini's Italy. Which, if you think about it, makes a fair amount of sense. The political subtext for the opera, after all, is the struggle between a democratic underground and an autocratic government that uses torture and terror as political tactics. Reviews have been very positive—Steve Callahan's for KDHX is a good example—and while I won't see the show until Friday, I see no reason to doubt their accuracy. Union Avenue has a very impressive track record.

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Held Over:

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The Drowsy Chaperone
Photo: Peter Wochniak

Stages St. Louis presents the musical satire The Drowsy Chaperone through August 21. "With its laugh-a-minute script and one show-stopping song and dance number after another, it's easy to see why THE DROWSY CHAPERONE won the most Tony Awards of any musical on Broadway in 2006, including Best Book and Score. It all begins when a die-hard musical theatre fan decides to play his favorite cast album in his small brownstone apartment - a 1928 smash hit musical called "The Drowsy Chaperone." The show magically bursts to life before him as audiences are instantly transported to an earlier time and place and immersed in the glamorous and hilarious tale of a celebrity bride and her uproarious wedding day, complete with gangsters, mistaken identities, an off-course aviatrix, and an uplifting ride to the rafters. " Performances take place in the Robert G. Reim Theatre at the Kirkwood Community Center, 111 South Geyer Road in Kirkwood. For more information, visit stagesstlouis.org or call 314-821-2407.

My take: The Drowsy Chaperone is a very smart and mostly very funny parody of musical theatre and, to a certain extent, the very concept of theatre itself. It's fun to watch, and when I saw the local premiere at the Fox back in 2007 I found my appreciation of its cleverness increasing in retrospect - always a good sign. It's essentially the most elaborate in joke in living memory. I haven't seen the Stages production, but honestly it's hard to see how they could not do well by this very strong material. If you love musical theatre, you won't want to miss it.

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Fiddler on the Roof

The Muny presents the musical Fiddler on the Roof opening running nightly at 8:15 pm through Friday in the outdoor theatre in Forest Park. "A musical that celebrates family, tradition and community, Fiddler on the Roof is one of the greatest musicals ever written. This cherished musical is a poignant folk tale, laden with happiness and tears - a musical that grows more resonant with every passing year. See it with someone you love." For more information, visit muny.org or call 314-361-1900.

My take: Bock and Harnick's music is as engaging today as it was nearly fifty years ago. Joseph Stein's book, adapted from Sholem Aleichem, remains powerful. Its tragic depiction of the plight of refugees trying to hold on to their religion and culture as they are persecuted and driven from their homes ought to feel very relevant today. I haven't seen the Muny production, but the fact is this is the sort of big, old-fashioned Broadway chestnut that they usually do quite well. Besides, those actors wearing those bulky costumes in this sub-tropical heat really do deserve our support.

St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of August 1, 2016

[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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Gateway Center for the Performing Arts presents the musical The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee on Friday at 7 p.m. and Saturday at 2 and 7 p.m., August 5 and 6. "Winner of the TONY and the Drama Desk Awards for Best Book, this musical comedy follows an eclectic group of six mid-pubescents vying for the spelling championship of a lifetime. While candidly disclosing hilarious and touching stories from their home life, the tweens spell their way through a series of (potentially made-up) words hoping to never hear the soul-crushing, pout-inducing, life un-affirming “ding” of the bell that signals a spelling mistake and elimination. With the wit and humor of popular songs including Pandemonium, The Goodbyes, and the touching I Love You Song, you are sure to rediscover the woes and joys of youth in learning that winning (and losing) isn't everything. Rated PG-13Performances take place at The Skip Viragh Center for the Arts at Chaminade College Preparatory School, 425 S. Lindbergh. For more information: gpastl.org.

Clinton County Showcase presents 9 to 5 the Musical opening on Friday, August 4, at 8 p.m. and running through August 7 " 9 To 5 The Musical, with music and lyrics by Dolly Parton and book by Patricia Resnick, is based on the 1980 hit movie. Set in the late 1970s this hilarious story of friendship and revenge in the Rolodex era is outrageous, thought-provoking, and even a little romantic." Performances take place at the Avon Theater, 525 North 2nd Street Breese IL. For more information, visit ccshowcase.com.

Bat Boy

Stray Dog Theatre presents Bat Boy: the Musical Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 PM, August 4 - 20. “This offbeat comedy/horror musical is a big-hearted satire about prejudice. As ripped from a bizarre tabloid headline and set in a tiny West Virginia town, a strange, deformed boy is found alone in a cave. Once the “bat boy” is brought to light, dark - and hilarious - secrets emerge, shaking the community to its core. A clever, playful pop/rock score highlights the show's delirious take on American eccentricities._For MATURE AUDIENCES: In an effort to keep the selection of shows engaging and dynamic, this production may not be appropriate for all ages." Performances take place at The Tower Grove Abbey, 2336 Tennessee. For more information, visit straydogtheatre.org or call 314-865-1995.

The Puppet Guild of Greater St. Louis presents Carnival of the Animals and Jabberwocky on Thursday, August 4, at 5 p.m. as part of the Great Regional Puppet Festival. "The Great Arizona Puppet Theater presents the tale of a monkey, a pirate, and a valuable banana treasure all add up to plenty of hilarious fun in this rollicking and rambunctious original show. A beautiful, hand painted double deck stage transports you to a far away tropical paradise." The performance takes place at the Holiday Inn Express at 4630 Lindell in the Central West End. For more information: puppetfestivalstl.org.

The Bissell Mansion Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre presents CSI: Bissell August 5 - October 30. The Bissell Mansion is at 4426 Randall Place. For more information: bissellmansiontheatre.com

The Puppet Guild of Greater St. Louis presents The Doubtful Sprout on Friday, August 5, at 8 p.m. as part of the Great Regional Puppet Festival. "A Couple of Puppets presents this puppet underground odyssey which was awarded a Jim Henson Foundation Family Grant. It has original music throughout with a variety of puppetry styles and surprises. Learn about the world under our feet, enjoy the Bacterium Ballet, be astounded as Sprout saves the day with the help of her friends! " The performance takes place at The Stage at KDHX, 3524 Washington in Grand Center. For more information: puppetfestivalstl.org.

The Drowsy Chaperone
Photo: Peter Wochniak

Stages St. Louis presents the musical satire The Drowsy Chaperone through August 21. "With its laugh-a-minute script and one show-stopping song and dance number after another, it's easy to see why THE DROWSY CHAPERONE won the most Tony Awards of any musical on Broadway in 2006, including Best Book and Score. It all begins when a die-hard musical theatre fan decides to play his favorite cast album in his small brownstone apartment - a 1928 smash hit musical called "The Drowsy Chaperone." The show magically bursts to life before him as audiences are instantly transported to an earlier time and place and immersed in the glamorous and hilarious tale of a celebrity bride and her uproarious wedding day, complete with gangsters, mistaken identities, an off-course aviatrix, and an uplifting ride to the rafters. " Performances take place in the Robert G. Reim Theatre at the Kirkwood Community Center, 111 South Geyer Road in Kirkwood. For more information, visit stagesstlouis.org or call 314-821-2407.

The Muny presents the musical Fiddler on the Roof nightly at 8:15 pm through August 5 in the outdoor theatre in Forest Park. "A musical that celebrates family, tradition and community, Fiddler on the Roof is one of the greatest musicals ever written. This cherished musical is a poignant folk tale, laden with happiness and tears - a musical that grows more resonant with every passing year. See it with someone you love." For more information, visit muny.org or call 314-361-1900.

The Puppet Guild of Greater St. Louis presents A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Death Star on Saturday, August 6, at 3:15 p.m. as part of the Great Regional Puppet Festival. "Mike Horner imagines what would have happened if George Lucas had turned his epic space saga into a musical puppet show? Find out in this wacky parody of the Star Wars trilogy written by musician Curt Bright and adapted and performed by puppeteer Mike Horner. Wookies and Jedis and Droids, Oh my! " The performance takes place at the St. Louis University Theatre, 3733 West Pine on the St. Louis University campus. For more information: puppetfestivalstl.org.

Hairspray

The Hawthorne Players present the musical Hairspray through August 7. "It's 1962 in Baltimore, and the lovable plus-size teen Tracy Turnblad has only one desire -- to dance on the popular Corny Collins Show. When her dream comes true, Tracy is transformed from social outcast to sudden star. She must use her newfound power to dethrone the reigning Teen Queen, win the affections of heartthrob Link Larkin, and integrate a TV network, all without denting her 'do!" The performances take place at the Florissant Civic Center Theatre at Parker and Waterford in Florissant, MO. For more information, call 921-5678 or visit hawthorneplayers.info.

Hard Road Theatre Productions presents the musical Happy Days through August 7. "Based on the tv show of the same name that starred Henry Winkler and Ron Howard, HAPPY DAYS follows Richie Cunningham, Arthur “Fonzie” Fonzarelli, and their friends and family as they attempt to save Arnold's Diner from destruction in 1959 by holding a sock hop and wrestling competition." Performances will be held at the Highland High School Auditorium, 12760 Troxler Ave, Highland IL. For more information: www.hardroad.org.

The Puppet Guild of Greater St. Louis presents Immigrant Stew at the Chat 'n' Chew on Saturday, August 6, at 4 p.m. as part of the Great Regional Puppet Festival. "Eulenspiegel Puppets and Friends present a humorous, touching, and quite timely as we welcome immigrants into the rural Midwest. Cathy Schmidt-McGillicutty, played by Monica Leo, is the proprietress of the local cafe, the Chat 'N' Chew. She's upset because her daughter wants to marry a member of a Mexican immigrant family. She confronts her prejudice as flashbacks play out scenes from her own family history. The flashbacks are performed by older children or adults from the local community to an accompaniment of live music by Tim Hillis." The performance takes place at the St. Louis University Theatre, 3733 West Pine on the St. Louis University campus. For more information: puppetfestivalstl.org.

Ignite Theatre Company presents Into the Woods Jr. on Thursday at 7 p.m. and Friday at 2 and 7 p.m., August 4 and 5. "All of your favorite characters Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack (and his beanstalk), and the Witch meet and interact in this whimsical original story. The musical centers on a baker and his wife who wish to have a child; Cinderella, who wishes to attend the king's festival; and Jack, who wishes his cow would give milk. When the baker and his wife learn that they cannot have a child because of a witch's curse, the two set off on a journey to break the curse and wind up changed forever. " Performances take place at the Kranzberg Arts Center, 501 N. Grand in Grand Center. For more information: ignitewithus.org.

St. Louis Shakespeare presents Shakespeare's tragedy Julius Caesar Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m., August 5-14. Performances take place at the Ivory Theatre, 7620 Michigan in the Carondelet neighborhood. For more information, call 314-361-5664 or visit stlshakespeare.org.

The Puppet Guild of Greater St. Louis presents Little Red Riding Hood on Thursday, August 4, at 7:30 p.m. as part of the Great Regional Puppet Festival. "Mesner Puppet Theater presents the tale of Little Red Riding Hood accompanied by a collection of American folk and traditional rhymes. Performed with beautifully crafted glove, rod and hand puppets, this show uses humorous wordplay to explore the playful quality of the English language. Join Georgette, the First Lady of Mesner Puppets, as she introduces Little Red, Miss Suzy and her baby, Little Bunny Foo Foo, Little Miss Muffet, Old McDonald, Barnaby the Dog, On Top of Spaghetti, and Mary Had a Little Lamb. " The performance takes place at the Holiday Inn Express at 4630 Lindell in the Central West End. For more information: puppetfestivalstl.org.

The Puppet Guild of Greater St. Louis presents The Monkey and the Pirate on Friday, August 5, at 2:30 p.m. as part of the Great Regional Puppet Festival. " Tom Bonham Puppet and Marionette Productions present a show filled with the same whimsy and imagination as Camille Saint-Saens' music. Puppets are created from bottles, plastic slinkies, brushes, hair ties, wiffle balls, and sundry “dollar store” items. Jabberwocky has a new take on the nonsense story. The shows are performed table-top style." The performance takes place at the Kranzberg Arts Center, 501 N. Grand in Grand Center. For more information: puppetfestivalstl.org.

Act Two Theatre presents the comedy Moon Over Buffalo August 3-14. "Moon Over Buffalo centers on George and Charlotte Hay, fading stars of the 1950's who are playing Private Lives and Cyrano De Bergerac in rep in Buffalo, New York. On the brink of a disastrous split-up, they receive word that they might just have one last shot at stardom: Frank Capra is coming to town to see their matinee, and if he likes what he sees, he might cast them in his new film. Unfortunately for George and Charlotte, everything that could go wrong does. As a result, this tribute to “Life in the Theatre” is simply outrageously hilarious!! "" Performances take place in the St. Peters Cultural Arts Centre at 1 St Peters Centre Blvd, St. Peters, MO 63376. For more information: act2theater.com.

The Puppet Guild of Greater St. Louis presents Mother Goose's Neighborhood on Friday, August 5, at 7 p.m. as part of the Great Regional Puppet Festival. " Tom Bonham Puppet and Marionette Productions present a show filled with the same whimsy and imagination as Camille Saint-Saens' music. Puppets are created from bottles, plastic slinkies, brushes, hair ties, wiffle balls, and sundry “dollar store” items. Jabberwocky has a new take on the nonsense story. The shows are performed table-top style." The performance takes place at the Kranzberg Arts Center, 501 N. Grand in Grand Center. For more information: puppetfestivalstl.org.

The Goshen Theatre Project presents Peter Pan August 4-6. The performances take place at the Hettenhausen Center for the Arts, 701 College Rd., at Alton St. on the McKendree University campus in Lebanon, IL.. For more information: www.goshentheatreproject.org/

The Puppet Guild of Greater St. Louis presents Puppet Potpourri and Puppet Slam on Friday, August 5, at 10 p.m. as part of the Great Regional Puppet Festival. "This is a combination of an open mike and slam. The Puppet Potpourri features an “open mike” short 3 to 5 minute acts by volunteer puppeteers attending The Great Regional Puppet Festival. The Potpourri acts are usually family friendly, sometimes including performances by budding child puppeteers. The second part of the program is the Puppet Slam. Here there are no time limits or rules. The acts are often more adult oriented anywhere from reverent to artistic to bawdy." The performance takes place at The Stage at KDHX, 3524 Washington in Grand Center. For more information: puppetfestivalstl.org.

The Looking Glass Playhouse presents the rock musical The Rocky Horror Show Friday and Saturday, August 5 and 6, at 7 and 11 p.m. Performances take place at 301 West St. Louis Street in Lebanon, Ill. For more information, visit www.lookingglassplayhouse.com.

Over Due Theatre presents the Seussical the Musical, based on the stories and drawings of Theodore Seuss Geisel, a.k.a. Dr. Seuss, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 PM and Sundays at 2 PM through August 7. Performances take place at the Olivette Community Center, 9723 Grandview Drive, in Olivette, MO. For more information, call 314-210-2959 or visit overduetheatrecompany.com.

The Puppet Guild of Greater St. Louis presents Still Life on Saturday, August 6, at 2:30 p.m. as part of the Great Regional Puppet Festival. "Sill Life is a collection of (mostly) nonverbal shadow puppetry shorts. In these vignettes, people struggle-humorously, for the greater part-to make sense of or contend with a world that refuses to obey their expectations." The performance takes place at the St. Louis University Theatre, 3733 West Pine on the St. Louis University campus. For more information: puppetfestivalstl.org.

The Puppet Guild of Greater St. Louis presents Summer Follies on Saturday, August 6, at 11a.m.. as part of the Great Regional Puppet Festival. " Bob Kramer Marionnettes present a variety show featuring musical numbers from Chicago, Hello Dolly, Victor, Victoria and Beautiful Girls from Follies." The performance takes place at Kramer Marionette Theatre, 4143 Laclede in Midtown. For more information: puppetfestivalstl.org.

THOMPAIN (based on nothing)

The Midnight Company presents Will Eno's THOMPAIN (based on nothing) Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., through August 6. Performances take place at Herbie's Vintage72, 405 N. Euclid in the Central West End, It will be a 10-year anniversary revival production for Midnight, with Artistic Director Joe Hanrahan once again the performer, and Larry Dell once again directing. "Nearly indescribable, THOMPAIN was described thus by the NYTimes: 'A surreal meditation on the empty promises life makes, the way experience never lives up to the weird and awesome fact of being...but also, in its odd, bewitching beauty an affirmation of life's worth...a small masterpiece.' Actor Joe Hanrahan calls it 'Existential Stand-Up,' while director Larry Dell describes it as 'Stand-Up Tragedy.'" Tickets will be on sale later in the spring at brownpapertickets.com.

The Puppet Guild of Greater St. Louis presents The Toad Prince on Saturday, August 6, at 8 p.m. as part of the Great Regional Puppet Festival. "Puppet Arts Theatre presents a colorful Chinese version of Beauty and the Beast. In this story it is Indri, a son of a Water Sprite and the King of the Toads who inherited the ugliness of his father. What he also inherited is the spring of healing water that he sells to the villagers. Because of his unhappiness over his ugliness he overcharges them and treats them badly. From his mother he learns that by spending nine days in the presence of virtue his ugliness can be removed." The performance takes place at the St. Louis University Theatre, 3733 West Pine on the St. Louis University campus. For more information: puppetfestivalstl.org.

The Puppet Guild of Greater St. Louis presents Tommy's Space Adventure on Friday, August 5, at 4:30 p.m. as part of the Great Regional Puppet Festival. "Puppet Art Theater Company presents the story of Tommy the Mouse who loves comics about outer space and flying saucers. If fact, his greatest wish is to go for a real live ride in a real live flyer saucer with a real live space alien. Little does Tommy know his wish is about to come true when Zeenon the Space Alien lands in Tommy's backyard. Unfortunately, the mad scientist Dr. Lost N Space is also interested in Aliens...interested in selling them for millions of dollars! " The performance takes place at the Kranzberg Arts Center, 501 N. Grand in Grand Center. For more information: puppetfestivalstl.org.

Tosca
Photo: John Lamp

Union Avenue Opera presents Puccini's Tosca Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM, through August 6. "Tosca is a powerful tale of an unholy bargain between the tragic heroine Floria Tosca and the chief of the Roman police, Baron Scarpia, arguably one of opera's vilest characters, who will stop at nothing to get his way. Will Tosca give herself to a man she hates to save Cavaradossi, the man she loves? Will she betray everything her lover believes to spare his life? Intrigue, cruelty, and betrayal swirl about the doomed diva in this riveting drama that explores the dark side of human emotion, set to some of Puccini's most passionate and unforgettable music." Performances take place at the Union Avenue Christian Church, 733 Union at Enright in the Central West End. The opera is sung in Italian with projected English text. For more information, visit unionavenueopera.org or call 314-361-2881.

KMW Productions presents The Wake Up Call Saturday at 6 p.m. and Sunday at 4 p.m., August 6 and 7. Performances take place at the Alton Little Theater, 2450 N. Henry Street in Alton, IL. For more information: kmwproductions.org.

The Lemp Mansion Comedy-Mystery Dinner Theater presents Zombie Love through August 5 - October 28. The Lemp Mansion is at 3322 DeMenil Place. For more information: lempmansion.com.

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.

St. Louis classical calendar for the week of August 1, 2016

The Compton Heights Concert Band
Photo: Jim Sparks

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The Compton Heights Concert Band presents free Musical Mondays concerts featuring marches, show tunes and classical favorites at Mondays at 7:30 p.m. through August 8. This week (August 1) is Band Showcase Night. The concert takes place in Tower Grove Park at the historic Henry Shaw Bandstand. For more information: chband.org.

The Compton Heights Concert Band presents free Sunday Serenades concerts featuring marches, show tunes and classical favorites on Sundays at 7:30 PM through August 7. The soloist this week (August 7) is tenor Hugh Smith The concerts takes place in Francis Park at Donovan and Eichelberger on the Compton Heights Band's "Carol Joy Brooks Memorial" Stage. For more information: chband.org.

The Lemp Neighborhood Arts Center presents the Orchestrating Diversity Summer Concert on Sunday, August 7, at 3 p.m. "The students musicians and community players have worked countless hours to prepare a truly moving program. We'll begin with the exciting Rossini “La gazza ladra” (The Thieving Magpie) Overture. Then, our own David Brown will perform the thrillingly difficult Saint-Saëns Cello Concerto No.1, Op.33. The concert concludes with the singular, noble, and deeply personal Schumann Symphony No. 2 in C Major, Op. 61." The performance takes place at Pilgrim Congretational Church, 826 Union in the Central West End. For more information: lemp-arts.org

Chuck's Choices for the weekend of July 29, 2016

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:

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The Drowsy Chaperone
Photo: Peter Wochniak

Stages St. Louis presents the musical satire The Drowsy Chaperone through August 21. "With its laugh-a-minute script and one show-stopping song and dance number after another, it's easy to see why THE DROWSY CHAPERONE won the most Tony Awards of any musical on Broadway in 2006, including Best Book and Score. It all begins when a die-hard musical theatre fan decides to play his favorite cast album in his small brownstone apartment - a 1928 smash hit musical called "The Drowsy Chaperone." The show magically bursts to life before him as audiences are instantly transported to an earlier time and place and immersed in the glamorous and hilarious tale of a celebrity bride and her uproarious wedding day, complete with gangsters, mistaken identities, an off-course aviatrix, and an uplifting ride to the rafters. " Performances take place in the Robert G. Reim Theatre at the Kirkwood Community Center, 111 South Geyer Road in Kirkwood. For more information, visit stagesstlouis.org or call 314-821-2407.

My take: The Drowsy Chaperone is a very smart and mostly very funny parody of musical theatre and, to a certain extent, the very concept of theatre itself. It's fun to watch, and when I saw the local premiere at the Fox back in 2007 I found my appreciation of its cleverness increasing in retrospect - always a good sign. It's essentially the most elaborate in joke in living memory. I haven't seen the Stages production, but honestly it's hard to see how they could not do well by this very strong material. If you love musical theatre, you won't want to miss it.

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The Muny presents the musical Fiddler on the Roof opening on Saturday, July 30, and running nightly at 8:15 pm through August 5 in the outdoor theatre in Forest Park. "A musical that celebrates family, tradition and community, Fiddler on the Roof is one of the greatest musicals ever written. This cherished musical is a poignant folk tale, laden with happiness and tears - a musical that grows more resonant with every passing year. See it with someone you love." For more information, visit muny.org or call 314-361-1900.

My take: Bock and Harnick's music is as engaging today as it was nearly fifty years ago. Joseph Stein's book, adapted from Sholem Aleichem, remains powerful. Its tragic depiction of the plight of refugees trying to hold on to their religion and culture as they are persecuted and driven from their homes ought to feel very relevant today. I haven't seen the Muny production, but the fact is this is the sort of big, old-fashioned Broadway chestnut that they usually do quite well. Besides, those actors wearing those bulky costumes in this sub-tropical heat really do deserve our support.

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Ken Haller

The Presenters Dolan and The Emerald Room Cabaret present Ken Haller in The TV Show on Friday, July 29, at 8 p.m. and Song by Song by Sondheim on Saturday, July 30, at 8 p.m. The performances take place in The Emerald Room at The Monocle Bar, 4510 Manchester in The Grove neighborhood. For more information: www.themonoclestl.com/events-page.

My take: These encore performances of Ken's first two cabaret shows offer a great chance to catch a local master of the form at work. A Children's Hospital pediatrician, Ken may be familiar to you form his many appearances on local TV talking about children's health issues. Or you may have seen him singing with the Gateway Men's Chorus or acting with any number of local companies. In any case, his Sondheim shows pairs Ken's passion for the work of one of our greatest living theatre composers with interesting insights into the man and his music. The TV Show, on the other hand, is an entertaining and very funny romp through classic TV themes and songs, from The Monkees to Moonlighting. And the Emerald Room is a charmingly intimate venue, ideally suited to the art of cabaret.

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Held Over:

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Grey Gardens
Photo: Dan Donovan

Max and Louie Productions presents the musical Grey Gardens through July 30. "Not since Mama Rose and Gypsy has there been a mother/daughter act as hilarious, as heartbreaking and as utterly unforgettable as "Big" Edith and "Little" Edie Beale - Jackie Kennedy's most outrageous relatives - in the acclaimed musical smash Grey Gardens! From the grandeur of an East Hampton high society party in 1941 to the sensational tabloid headlines that rocked the Kennedy clan in 1973, Grey Gardens is scandalously entertaining. Step into the world of Grey Gardens and see the other side of Camelot." Performances take place at the Wool Studio Theatre at the JCC, 2 Millstone Campus Drive. For more information, visit maxandlouie.com.

My take: The folks at Max and Louie must be popping open the champagne right now, given how much critical praise they're getting. Steve Allen's review at Stage Door STL is typical. "Reviewing a production is, of course, a personal viewpoint", he writes, "and every one of the several critics we have in our town will vary in their opinions. But with “Grey Gardens,” the current musical from Max and Louie Productions, I think we'll join forces in our praise for just about every aspect from casting and direction down through the technical creators. If it isn't flawless, it comes pretty darn close." 'Nuff said, I guess.

St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of July 25, 2016

[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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St. Charles Community College presents the musical The Addams Family Tuesday through Sunday, July 26 - 31. "The weird and wonderful family created by New Yorker cartoonist Charles Addams comes to life in this zany musical comedy. All the memorable “creepy and kooky” characters are there: Morticia, Gomez, Uncle Fester, Lurch, Grandmama, Wednesday and Pugsley, accompanied on stage by some of their deceased ancestors. In this story, Morticia and Gomez Addams want to continue living amongst death, pain and suffering as they always have. But there is a change brewing.” Performances take place in the SCC Center Stage Theater in the Donald D. Shook Fine Arts Building on the campus at 4601 Mid Rivers Mall Drive in Cottleville, MO. For more information, call 636-922-8050 or visit stchas.edu.

The Lemp Mansion Comedy-Mystery Dinner Theater presents Bullets in the Bathtub through July 30. The Lemp Mansion is at 3322 DeMenil Place. For more information: mansion.com

Stages St. Louis presents the musical satire The Drowsy Chaperone through August 21. "With its laugh-a-minute script and one show-stopping song and dance number after another, it's easy to see why THE DROWSY CHAPERONE won the most Tony Awards of any musical on Broadway in 2006, including Best Book and Score. It all begins when a die-hard musical theatre fan decides to play his favorite cast album in his small brownstone apartment - a 1928 smash hit musical called "The Drowsy Chaperone." The show magically bursts to life before him as audiences are instantly transported to an earlier time and place and immersed in the glamorous and hilarious tale of a celebrity bride and her uproarious wedding day, complete with gangsters, mistaken identities, an off-course aviatrix, and an uplifting ride to the rafters. " Performances take place in the Robert G. Reim Theatre at the Kirkwood Community Center, 111 South Geyer Road in Kirkwood. For more information, visit stagesstlouis.org or call 314-821-2407.

Gateway Center for the Performing Arts presents Elf Jr. the Musical on Friday and Saturday, July 29 and 30, at 6:30 p.m. "Based on the beloved holiday film and featuring the Tony award-winning authors who brought you ANNIE, HAIRSPRAY, and THE PRODUCERS, this hilarious musical follows Buddy, a young orphan and would-be elf, who grows up at the North Pole until his enormous size and poor toy-making abilities cause him to face the truth. Buddy embarks on a journey to New York City to find his family, facing the harsh reality that his father is on the naughty list, and his stepbrother doesn't even believe in Santa. Still, Buddy is determined to win over his new family and help New York remember the true meaning of Christmas" The performance takes place in the Emerson Performance Center on the Harris-Stowe State University campus at 3101 Laclede in Midtown. For more information: gpastl.org.

Alton Little Theater presents Fame the Musical, based on the Hollywood movie, Thursdays through Sundays through July 31. "The Broadway Musical FAME is a sequel to the beloved film of the same name. Great Dance numbers and Inspirational Ballads become part of the tale when students at a Performing Arts Academy in New York City get down to work on "making it" in Show Business. The Cast of Twenty-Five (plus) performers ages 14 -24 will embrace the energy and dedication needed to actually find "fame". Under the direction of Kevin Frakes and Sue Parton Stanard (with choreography by Khristina Bemis), the Summer showcase production (ONLY SIX SHOWS) will have audience members ready to dance and reclaim their own big dreams! Local Musical Theater Professionals will be featured as "Instructors" at the Academy, making for summer ENTERTAINMENT not to be missed!" Performances take place at 2450 North Henry in Alton, IL. For more information, call 618.462.6562 or visit altonlittletheater.org.

The Muny presents the musical Fiddler on the Roof opening on Saturday, July 30, and running nightly at 8:15 pm through August 5 in the outdoor theatre in Forest Park. "A musical that celebrates family, tradition and community, Fiddler on the Roof is one of the greatest musicals ever written. This cherished musical is a poignant folk tale, laden with happiness and tears - a musical that grows more resonant with every passing year. See it with someone you love." For more information, visit muny.org or call 314-361-1900.

Grey Gardens
Photo: Dan Donovan

Max and Louie Productions presents the musical Grey Gardens through July 30. "Not since Mama Rose and Gypsy has there been a mother/daughter act as hilarious, as heartbreaking and as utterly unforgettable as "Big" Edith and "Little" Edie Beale - Jackie Kennedy's most outrageous relatives - in the acclaimed musical smash Grey Gardens! From the grandeur of an East Hampton high society party in 1941 to the sensational tabloid headlines that rocked the Kennedy clan in 1973, Grey Gardens is scandalously entertaining. Step into the world of Grey Gardens and see the other side of Camelot." Performances take place at the Wool Studio Theatre at the JCC, 2 Millstone Campus Drive. For more information, visit maxandlouie.com.

The Hawthorne Players present the musical Hairspray July 29 - August 7. "It's 1962 in Baltimore, and the lovable plus-size teen Tracy Turnblad has only one desire -- to dance on the popular Corny Collins Show. When her dream comes true, Tracy is transformed from social outcast to sudden star. She must use her newfound power to dethrone the reigning Teen Queen, win the affections of heartthrob Link Larkin, and integrate a TV network, all without denting her 'do!" The performances take place at the Florissant Civic Center Theatre at Parker and Waterford in Florissant, MO. For more information, call 921-5678 or visit hawthorneplayers.info.

Hard Road Theatre Productions presents the musical Happy Days July 29 - August 7. "Based on the tv show of the same name that starred Henry Winkler and Ron Howard, HAPPY DAYS follows Richie Cunningham, Arthur “Fonzie” Fonzarelli, and their friends and family as they attempt to save Arnold's Diner from destruction in 1959 by holding a sock hop and wrestling competition." Performances will be held at the Highland High School Auditorium, 12760 Troxler Ave, Highland IL. For more information: www.hardroad.org.

jon and jen

Insight Theatre Company presents the musical jon and jen through July 31. "This is the story of Jen and her relationships with the two Johns of her life: her younger brother, who was killed in Vietnam, and his namesake, her son who is trying to find his way in a confusing world. Jen and her younger brother John are growing up in the ever-changing world of mid-century America. As the country becomes divided over the war in Vietnam, so does the family, and battle lines are drawn between the once-close siblings. When John is killed in Vietnam, Jen is left to reconcile her memory of their fractured relationship along with his namesake, her son who is trying to find his way in a confusing world." Performances take place in the Heagney Theatre, 530 East Lockwood on the campus of Nerinx Hall High School in Webster Groves. For more information, call 314-556-1293 or visit insighttheatrecompany.com.

Mamma Mia!

The Muny presents the musical Mamma Mia!, based on the songs of ABBA, running nightly at 8:15 pm through July 28 in the outdoor theatre in Forest Park. "After 14 years and nearly 6,000 performances on Broadway, the phenomenal worldwide megahit Mamma Mia! arrives at The Muny like a breath of fresh island air. Prepare to be swept into the contagious excitement of 22 memorable ABBA hits, including "Dancing Queen," "Take a Chance on Me" and "The Winner Takes It All." You haven't seen Mamma Mia! in its full splendor until you've seen it under the stars at The Muny." For more information, visit muny.org or call 314-361-1900.

COCA presents the musical Memphis Friday at 7 p.m. and Saturday at 2 and 7 p.m., July 29 and 30 "Set in the underground dance clubs, radio stations and recording studios of 1950s Memphis, this hot musical bursts off the stage with explosive dancing, irresistible songs and a tale filled with laughter, soul and rock & roll!" Performances take place in the Edison Theatre on the Washington University Campus. For more information visit www.cocastl.org.

Show of Affection
Photo: John Lamb

St. Louis Actors' Studio presents the Neil LaBute New Theater Festival, Part 2 through July 31 at the Gaslight Theatre, 358 North Boyle. The festival features professional, new and previously unproduced one-act plays 45 minutes or less in length, chosen from submissions to the festival over the previous year. The plays in Part 2 are "Life Model" by Neil LaBute, "American Outlaws" by Adam Seidel, "Blue Balls" by Willie Johnson, and "Show of Affection" by Laurence Klavan. For more information, call 314-458-2978 or visit stlas.org.

The Bissell Mansion Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre presents Nursery Crimes through July 31. The Bissell Mansion is at 4426 Randall Place. For more information: bissellmansiontheatre.com.

Dayspring Arts and Education presents the musical Peter Pan Friday and Saturday, July 29 and 30, at 7 p.m. "With just three short but intense weeks of rehearsal DaySpring students ages 6-18 will wow you with their performances of the full production of “Peter Pan” the musical. Follow Peter Pan, Wendy, Michael, and John on their adventures as they fight pirates, save Tinker Bell, and declare that they will “never grow up!” This sweet, fun, and endearing show will touch your heart and the upbeat musical numbers will have you leaving the theater singing! Surely this show will not disappoint an audience of all ages." Performances take place Christ Memorial Lutheran Church, 5252 S. Lindbergh in South County. For more information: dayspringarts.org.

Over Due Theatre presents the Seussical the Musical, based on the stories and drawings of Theodore Seuss Geisel, a.k.a. Dr. Seuss, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 PM and Sundays at 2 PM, July 29 - August 7. Performances take place at the Olivette Community Center, 9723 Grandview Drive, in Olivette, MO. For more information, call 314-210-2959 or visit overduetheatrecompany.com.

The Presenters Dolan and The Emerald Room Cabaret present Ken Haller in Song by Song by Sondheim on Saturday, July 30, at 8 p.m. "Pairing his passions with the songs of Stephen Sondheim, Ken Haller reprises his long ago solo cabaret debut. In songs by turn as sentimental, witty, lacerating, sweet, and rollicking as "Send in the Clowns," "The Little Things You Do Together," "Comedy Tonight," "Children Will Listen," "Not While I'm Around," "Broadway Baby," and "Putting It Together," Ken displays the gifts that led Post-Dispatch theatre critic Judith Newmark to give him a "Judy" Award." The performance takes place in The Emerald Room at The Monocle Bar, 4510 Manchester in The Grove neighborhood. For more information: www.themonoclestl.com/events-page.

The Midnight Company presents Will Eno's THOMPAIN (based on nothing) Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., through August 6. Performances take place at Herbie's Vintage72, 405 N. Euclid in the Central West End, It will be a 10-year anniversary revival production for Midnight, with Artistic Director Joe Hanrahan once again the performer, and Larry Dell once again directing. "Nearly indescribable, THOMPAIN was described thus by the NYTimes: 'A surreal meditation on the empty promises life makes, the way experience never lives up to the weird and awesome fact of being...but also, in its odd, bewitching beauty an affirmation of life's worth...a small masterpiece.' Actor Joe Hanrahan calls it 'Existential Stand-Up,' while director Larry Dell describes it as 'Stand-Up Tragedy.'" Tickets will be on sale later in the spring at brownpapertickets.com.

Union Avenue Opera presents Puccini's Tosca Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM, July 29 - August 6. "Tosca is a powerful tale of an unholy bargain between the tragic heroine Floria Tosca and the chief of the Roman police, Baron Scarpia, arguably one of opera's vilest characters, who will stop at nothing to get his way. Will Tosca give herself to a man she hates to save Cavaradossi, the man she loves? Will she betray everything her lover believes to spare his life? Intrigue, cruelty, and betrayal swirl about the doomed diva in this riveting drama that explores the dark side of human emotion, set to some of Puccini's most passionate and unforgettable music." Performances take place at the Union Avenue Christian Church, 733 Union at Enright in the Central West End. The opera is sung in Italian with projected English text. For more information, visit unionavenueopera.org or call 314-361-2881.

Ken Haller

The Presenters Dolan and The Emerald Room Cabaret present Ken Haller in The TV Show on Friday, July 29, at 8 p.m. "Ken performs songs written for TV from “Sesame Street” to “Smash,” from “Cinderella” to “Animaniacs,” from “Moonlighting” to “The Monkees.” And of course, there will be songs with lyrics you love (“Mary Tyler Moore”), lyrics you never knew existed (“Bewitched”), and lyrics you can't get out of your head (the Barry Manilow Commercial Jingle Extravaganza!). KDHX's Chuck Lavazzi calls it “a tremendously entertaining and often extremely funny romp through TV land.” The performance takes place in The Emerald Room at The Monocle Bar, 4510 Manchester in The Grove neighborhood. For more information: www.themonoclestl.com/events-page.

Take Two Productions presents the rock musical Xanadu through July 30. "Xanadu follows the journey of a magical and beautiful Greek muse, Kira, who descends from the heavens of Mt. Olympus to Venice Beach, California in 1980 on a quest to inspire a struggling artist, Sonny, to achieve the greatest artistic creation of all time - the first ROLLER DISCO! (Hey, it's 1980!) But, when Kira falls into forbidden love with the mortal Sonny, her jealous sisters take advantage of the situation and chaos abounds." Performances take place at Bayless High School Auditorium, 4532 Weber Road in South County. For more information, visit taketwoproductions.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.