Opera Review: At Opera Theatre, Poulenc's "La voix humaine" is a personal triumph for Patricia Racette

The best reason to see Opera Theatre’s production of Francis Poulenc’s 1959 one-act opera “La voix humaine” (“The Human Voice”) is soprano Patricia Racette’s bravura performance in the one and only role of Elle (French for either “she” or “her” depending on context). The libretto, adapted by Poulenc and Jean Cocteau from the latter’s 1928 play, consists of Elle’s side of a telephone conversation with her lover, who has left her for another. We’re left to infer that other side of the conversation both from Elle’s reaction to it and from Poulenc’s score, which reinforces and comments on Elle’s emotional state

Patricia Racette
Photo by Eric Woolsey

That asks a lot of a performer’s range, both as an actor and a singer, so it’s not surprising that many noted sopranos have taken it on. It is to Ms. Racette’s considerable credit that she so completely and clearly communicates the many shades of Elle’s grief and sense of abandonment along with some notion of her ex-lover’s character, even if it does come through the distorted lens of her self-deception and painful neediness. As both star and director, Ms. Racette is utterly compelling and believable whether she’s raging at the unpredictability of the telephone network, quietly remembering happier times, or engaging in shamelessly passive-aggressive manipulation of the man who has discarded her. She does not shirk from showing us Elle’s dishonesty, nor does she spare us the sometimes embarrassing depth of her desperation.

Congratulations are also due Ms. Racette’s artistic partners, Collaborative Pianist Sun Ha (Sunny) Yoon and Creative Consultant Beth Clayton

As her title implies, Ms. Yoon takes on the role of the orchestra here, playing a full-size weighted electronic keyboard and working closely with Ms. Racette. Although Poulenc completed a version of “La voix humaine” for voice and piano first, it was the full orchestral version that was first performed in 1959. It wasn’t until 2013 that his niece finally allowed the piano original to be used, and since then many performers, including Ms. Racette, have decided that they prefer the more intimate sound of that earlier version. She and Ms. Yoon certainly make a good case for it here

Ms. Clayton worked with Ms. Racette on some revisions of the English-language version of the libretto and, I expect, served as an extra pair of eyes when it came to the staging. She has, in any case, great insight into the work as her preview video on OTSL’s YouTube channel clearly demonstrates. It’s essential viewing for anyone interested in the internal plumbing of Poulenc’s score.

Patricia Racette
Photo by Eric Woolsey

That said, I’m not persuaded that the opera’s libretto, brilliantly reinforced as it is by Poulenc’s minimalist score, is worthy of the amount of talent that has been lavished on it. The composer, the librettist, and the singer for whom the opera was written (Denise Duval, who had played a major role in Poulenc’s earlier opera “Dialogues des Carmélites”) all felt deeply connected to the work’s subject matter because of unhappiness in their own romantic lives, but I’m not sure how many audience members will feel the same connection. Critical reception of the opera has been mixed from the start as well

The central issue, for me, is that the character of Elle is ultimately too shallow, too dishonest, and too manipulative to be interesting. Poulenc and Cocteau give us a 45-minute slice of her life in real time when she is seen at her absolute emotional worst. It’s impossible to know whether the cringe-worthy self-abasement on display is acute or chronic. As it is, “La voix humaine” feels rather like an extended version of the 1967 Vicki Carr hit “It Must Be Him” (surely one of the most irritating torch songs every written)

To finish on a more positive note, let me acknowledge Allen Moyer’s evocative, “fifty shades of grey” set. It’s more upscale than Cocteau envisioned, but it does strongly reinforce the sense that Elle’s world has been drained of color. Costume Designer James Schuette’s black nightgown adds to the sense of mourning

OTSL’s “La voix humaine” is impeccably staged and performed and is a personal triumph for Patricia Racette, right up there with her creative direction of “La Traviata” for OTSL in 2018 and her compelling Donna Elvira in “Don Giovanni” in 1993. I’m not convinced that the material is worthy of her talent but that, as they say, is another story. Performances continue through June 20th on Opera Theatre’s new outdoor stage, in rotation with the season’s three other operas. “La voix humaine” is sung in English (and a soupçon of French) with projected English text. For more information, visit the Opera Theatre web site.

This article originally appeared at 88.1 KDHX, where Chuck Lavazzi is the senior performing arts critic.

St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of June 7, 2021

Now including both on-line and live events during the pandemic. To get your event listed here, send an email to calendar [at] stageleft.org.

Arts for Life presents an on-demand video stream of their fifth annual Theatre Mask Awards, honoring excellence in community theatre productions during 2020, on their YouTube channel. Act Two Theatre’s production of the farce “Who’s in Bed with the Butler?” leads this year’s Theatre Mask Awards nominations with nine. Alton Little Theater, with its two productions of “Inherit the Wind” and “The Miracle Worker,” earned 12 nominations in total – six for each. Two classic comedies by Clayton Community Theatre, “The Philadelphia Story,” and Monroe Actors Stage Company, “The Solid Gold Cadillac,” both received eight nominations apiece. Arts For Life announced the TMA nominations on March 12, during the nonprofit organization’s first-ever virtual trivia night. For more information: www.artsforlife.org

The Blue Strawberry presents Open Mic Night with Sean Skrbec and Patrick White Sundays at 7 pm. "Come on down and sing, come on down to play, or come on down to listen and enjoy." The club is operating under a "COVID careful" arrangement with restricted indoor capacity, mask requirements, and other precautions. The Blue Strawberry is on North Boyle in the Central West End. For more information: bluestrawberrystl.com.

Sister City Circus

Circus Harmony in St. Louis and Circus Circuli in Stuttgart, St. Louis's German sister city, present Sister City Circus, on Circus Harmony’s YouTube page.  "Through a series of online meetings, workshops, and classes the two troupes created 6 different circus acts and then filmed them at iconic architectural locations in each of their cities." This and many other Circus Harmony videos are available at the Circus Harmony YouTube channel.

Circus Harmony offers Summer Circus Camps for ages 7-17 June 7 through August 13.  "Registration is open for our summer camps and classes for ages three through adult in our circus ring at City Museum! You can also schedule private lessons or book us to come and teach where you are!"  For more information: circusharmony.org.

ERA Theatre presents the radio play SHE by Nancy Bell with music by Joe Taylor and Lyrics by Nancy Bell via on-demand streaming  "SHE controls the radio station of the fascist regime in power. SHE's also the star of the broadcast. Her recording studio abounds with music and oysters. But in the nearby government camps full of misfits and would-be revolutionaries, only torture and starvation is thick on the ground. Tonight, however, SHE's realm feels different. The bombs sound closer. Time moves faster. But SHE will finish her radio show, and it will be her finest. If executing every number in the broadcast means some people need to die, so be it; it is a small sacrifice. The citizens need her and she will not let them down." SHE is available for digital purchase via bandcamp at eratheatre.bandcamp.com. For more information: www.eratheatre.org

Fly North Theatricals presents three new free digital series. Their new digital line up includes The Spotlight Series, the Grown-Up Theatre Kids Podcast, and Gin and the Tonic. The Spotlight Series highlights the Fly North family of students and actors performing songs from previous FNT shows. In the Grown-Up Theatre Kids podcast you can join Colin Healy and Bradley Rohlf every other Friday as they explore life after drama club and what it means to make a living in theatre far from the lights of broadway. Gin and the Tonic is a "reckless unpacking of music history’s weirdest stories hosted by Colin Healy.” The Spotlight Series and Gin and the Tonic are available at the Fly North Theatricals YouTube channel and the Grown-Up Theatre Kids podcast can also be found on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Sticher, other podcast platforms. All three are updated on a bi-weekly (every other week) basis.

The Lemp Mansion Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre presents Clueless through August 28. "Welcome to the world of big business, old mansions and family politics. You’re invited To the birthday celebration of the oldest, (and richest), man in town. Lucky you! Some would kill for the opportunity to meet Barnabas Barnaby Baggs, the famous Pickle Baron. He sure has made a lot of enemies on his rise to the top! I hope none of his enemies tries to kill him tonight. But if they do, will you know who did it? Maybe his latest girlfriend? The angry ex-wife? the spoiled nephew? Perhaps the jealous competitor? …Or You? Regardless, you’ll have to figure it whodunnit because we’re Clueless!" The Lemp Mansion is at 3322 DeMenil Place in south city. For more information: www.lempmansion.com

Moonstone Theatre Company presents Moonstone Connections, a series of in-depth interviews with arts leaders by company founder Sharon Hunter. The latest episode features Teresa Eyring, who has served as executive director of the Theatre Communications Group in NYC since 2007. New episodes air the third Tuesday of each month; see linktr.ee/moonstoneconnections for more information.

The Muny presents Attuned: Cast Me at the Muny, a nine-part podcast that "showcases audition tips and funny stories, while offering an inside look at what makes casting a Muny show so challenging." The series is available on demand at the Classic 107.3 web site. For more information: classic1073.org/podcasts

Gianni Schicchi
Photo by Eric Woolsey

Opera Theatre presents Puccini’s comedy Gianni Schicchi, running through June 11. "Wealthy Buoso Donati has passed away, and his family is in mourning…but only for appearance’s sake. These money-grasping relatives are horrified when they learn that Donati left his entire fortune to a local monastery, so they hire the wily Gianni Schicchi to help them get the money back. What ensues is a hilarious mess of legal hijinks and family dysfunction in Puccini’s comic masterpiece." Performances are sung in English with English supertitles and take place on the company's new outdoor stage on the Webster University Campus. For more information: opera-stl.org.

Highway 1, U.S.A.
Photo by Eric Woolsey

Opera Theatre presents the St. Louis premiere of William Grant Still's Highway 1, U.S.A., running through June 17. "Bob and Mary have worked hard and sacrificed much to put Bob’s brother Nate through school. Meanwhile, Mary dreams of the day when she and Bob can put their hard-earned money towards their own future. When Nate shows no inclination to strike out on his own, tensions slowly build to a breaking point. This intimate opera by the “Dean of African-American Composers” features a sweeping score that brilliantly blends elements of Romanticism, blues, and musical theater — and proves itself more than worthy of being restored to the operatic canon." Performances are sung in English with English supertitles and take place on the company's new outdoor stage on the Webster University Campus. For more information: opera-stl.org.

Patricia Racette in La voix humaine
Photo by Eric Woolsey

Opera Theatre presents Francis Poulenc's one-character opera La voix humaine, opening on Saturday, June 5 at 8 pm and running through June 20. "Alone and desperate for connection, Elle frantically awaits her ex-lover’s call. The tense conversation is further jeopardized by a terrible phone connection, driving Elle into a dangerously fragile state as she grapples with grief, denial, and anger. This explosive one-woman opera features a self-directed tour-de-force performance by soprano Patricia Racette." Performances are sung in English with English supertitles and take place on the company's new outdoor stage on the Webster University Campus. For more information: opera-stl.org.

Opera Theatre presents the New Works/Bold Voices Lab, opening on Thursday, June 10 at 8 pm and running through June 18. "Critically acclaimed composers Laura Karpman (HBO’s Lovecraft Country), Steven Mackey (Orpheus Unsung), and Damien Sneed (We Shall Overcome) create new 20-minute operas featuring a small ensemble of singers and musicians. These commissions are an expansion of OTSL’s existing “New Works, Bold Voices” cycle, which supports contemporary storytelling by American composers and librettists." Performances are sung in English with English supertitles and take place on the company's new outdoor stage on the Webster University Campus. For more information: opera-stl.org.

Opera Theatre presents a Spotlight on Opera panel discussion about their upcoming production of the New Works/Bold Voices Lab on Monday, June 7, at 5;30 pm. The producdtion will present three world premiere 20-minute operas by young composers. During the livestream, audience members will be able to ask questions of conductor Daniela Candillari, stage director James Robinson, composer Damien Sneed. For more information: opera-stl.org. .

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents the St. Louis premiere of Mlima's Tale by Lynn Nottage through July 11th. "Mlima, a majestic and powerful African elephant, is murdered for his tusks. From beyond the veil of death, Mlima’s spirit follows the path of his tusks on a moving, lyrical journey through the dark world of the international ivory trade. From Lynn Nottage, the two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright of Sweat and Ruined, Mlima’s Tale is a captivating and haunting fable come to life." Performances take place at the Berges Theatre at COCA, 6880 Washington Avenue in University City. For more information: repstl.org.

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis and the Parent Artist Advocacy League (PAAL) and Blackboard Plays present Thirty by Melda Beaty as part of The Black Motherhood and Parenting New Play Festival, running through Monday, June 7. "Thirty is an explosive look at a family generation of Black women caregivers grappling with family secrets." For more information: repstl.org

Deal Orlandersmith in
After the Flood

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis and All Arts present Until the Flood, written and performed by Dael Orlandersmith, via on-demand streaming. "On August 9, 2014, Darren Wilson, a white police officer, shot and killed Michael Brown, an African American teenager in Ferguson, Missouri. The shooting ignited weeks of social unrest, propelled the Black Lives Matter movement and prompted a controversial investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice. Celebrated writer, performer and Pulitzer Prize finalist Dael Orlandersmith traveled to St. Louis and conducted interviews with dozens of people who were grievously shaken by Brown’s shooting and the turbulent aftermath. From these intimate conversations, Orlandersmith created eight unforgettable characters who embody a community struggling to come to terms with the personal damage caused by these events." For more information: allarts.org

R-S Theatrics presents While the Ghostlight Burns, a virtual discussion series featuring R-S Artistic Director Sarah Lynne Holt in conversation with St. Louis theatre artists, Mondays at 7 pm.  Conversations will be archived at the R-S Theatrics YouTube channel. For more information: r-stheatrics.com/while-the-ghostlight-burns.html

The St. Louis Black Rep rounds up its season of virtual programming with a final mainstage production of Do I Move You?, available via on-demand streaming at Vimeo June 15-30. Do I Move You? is based on a collection of poetry by Dr. Jonathan Smith, Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion Saint Louis University and President of The Black Rep Board of Directors. "Smith’s collection of poetry, music, and dance pulls inspiration from Jazz, religion, love, family, and some of the greatest musicians of our time -  Donny Hathaway, Louis Jordan, and Marvin Gaye. Conceived by Producing Director Ron Himes, using devised theatre, Black Rep Director and Choreographer Heather Beal weaves a web of music, dance, and poetry. Themes of betrayal, identity, discovery, and love flow throughout the performance, culminating to answer one very important question, 'Do I Move You?'” For more information: theblackrep.org.

King Lear

The St. Louis Shakespeare Festival presents Shakespeare's King Lear, starring André De Shields, running through June 27.  "Tony, Grammy, and Emmy award-winner André De Shields (Broadway: Hadestown, The Wiz, Ain’t Misbehavin) stars in the titanic title role in William Shakespeare’s greatest tragedy. Directed by Carl Cofield (Associate Artistic Director of the Classical Theatre of Harlem), King Lear is a brilliant return for Shakespeare in Forest Park." Audience members will be seated in individual pods which can accommodate up to six guests. Reservations are required in advance. For more information: stlshakes.org

The St. Louis Shakespeare Festival presents a Behind the Scenes Shakespeare Camp for ages 11-18, with full sessions beginning on Friday, May 28 and running through June 4. Half sessions run from June 7 through 25.  "This summer, Camp Shakespeare will include an all-new hands-on experience in Shakespeare Glen during rehearsal and performances for King Lear. In addition to daily classes led by experienced Festival Teaching Artists in voice, movement, acting technique, and textual analysis–the campers will get a behind-the-scenes look at how our mainstage production comes together AND a preview of the professional masterclass with Tony award-winner André De Shields!" For more information: stlshakes.org.

The St. Louis Writers' Group presents a reading of Subtitles, A TV series pilot by Thomas Rechenberg on Monday, June 7, at 6:30 pm via Zoom. "Subtitles is the story of 23 year-old Jack Goetz- a down on his luck stand-up comedian who realizes his dream of playing at renowned New York comedy clubs might be just that- a dream. Hoping his Wall Street roommates with real careers don’t kick him out of their Upper East side bachelor pad, Jack gets a tedious office job transcribing subtitles for trashy British reality tv shows.The work is mind-numbing, the boss is unyielding and the hot girl he can’t stop fantasizing about is actually the girl he’s taking over for. As Jack struggles to settle into his new life of daily memos and fluorescent lights, his co-workers help him realize his dream of becoming a legendary stand-up comedian shouldn’t be written off just yet." For more information, visit the St. Louis Writers' Group Facebook page.

SATE, in collaboration with COCA and Prison Performing Arts, presents Project Verse: Creativity in the Time of Quarantine. Project Verse presents two new plays: Quatrains in Quarantine by e.k. doolin and Dream On, Black Girl: Reflections in Quarantine by Maxine du Maine. The performances are streamed free of charge on SATE’s website and Facebook page. For more information: slightlyoff.org.

Classic Mystery Game

SATE also offers streaming performances of the shows originally scheduled for live 2020 productions: The Mary Shelley Monster Show, As You Like It (produced for SHAKE20, Project Verse, and Classic Mystery Game. The shows are available on their YouTube channel.

Stray Dog Theatre’s Silver Stage Program presents an on-demand streaming audio version of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. The production features a cast of actors exclusively over the age of 55. For more information: straydogtheatre.org.

The Tesseract Theatre Company presents the new play Feast by Megan Gogerty Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm and Sundays at 4 pm, June 11-27. The St. Louis premiere of Feast will star Donna Parrone and be directed by Shane Signorino. "A brave new work, navigating the intersection of politics and myth. Highly theatrical and timely, this dinner party is both thrillingly ancient and fiercely present. This is an immersive, visceral theatre experience where mythology crashes into pop culture. Feast reimagines an ancient myth as a cautionary tale against the rising forces of authoritarianism. There will be group seating as well as social distanced seating available in the space. There will be a limited number of tickets on sale for each performance. As of now, audience members will be asked to wear masks in the space for the duration of the performance for the safety and comfort of all other audience members." Performances take place at the .Zack Theatre at 3224 Locust Street. Tickets are available at MetroTix.com

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.

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.

Symphony Digital Review: Scenes from childhood

“Spring work,” wrote famed naturalist John Muir, “is going on with joyful enthusiasm.” By that standard, there is over an hour of spring work on display in the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra (SLSO) digital concert that’s available for on-demand streaming through July 24th, 2021.

[Find out more about the music with my symphony preview of the original concert.]

Recorded at Powell Hall April 9-11 and originally reviewed by me back then, the concert features the SLSO’s newly appointed Assistant Conductor Stephanie Childress leading the SLSO strings in a cheerfully blooming program of music by Britten, Dvořák, and contemporary British composer Sally Beamish.

Stephanie Childress conducts Britten

As Ms. Childress notes in her introductory comments, the common thread among the three works is childhood. Britten used tunes recycled from his youthful compositions (he began writing at the age of 5) in his “Simple Symphony”; Dvořák’s “Serenade for Strings” was inspired, in part, by the birth of his first child; and Beamish dedicated “The Day Dawn” to her friend Christine McKemmie, whose daughter Zoe had just died. “[T]he piece symbolizes new beginnings,” she wrote, “recalling the sense of calm Chris felt on the day of the funeral, dawning bright after a week of rain.”

Originally written with student ensembles in mind (and when the composer himself was only 20), Britten’s symphony is, in indeed, simple enough for both young audiences and performers, but it’s also sophisticated enough to appeal to adults. And in the hands of a polished professional ensemble like the SLSO strings, it yields delightful details of wit and nuance that might escape less experienced players.

This is very apparent in Ms. Childress’s interpretation, which brings out the rambunctious fun of the “Boisterous Bourrée” first movement, delivers delicate and cheerful precision in the “Playful Pizzicato” second, and is sweetly nostalgic in the “Sentimental Sarabande.” A lively romp through he “Frolicsome Finale” brings the entire business to a most successful conclusion. Indeed, the echoes of that last movement continued to frolic in my memory for days afterwards.

Celeste Golden Boyer and Eric Schreiber

Beamish’s “The Day Dawn” is a more serious affair for a larger ensemble (around 40 players, twice the size of the Britten symphony) and with a degree of musical detail that can be both heard and seen clearly in the HD video. Opening with an early spring sunrise in the low strings followed by a pop-up thunderstorm and a return to sylvan tranquility, it’s a richly evocative piece that conjures up images of the Scottish highlands and the Shetland islands that provided the work’s titular folk tune.

That tune is heard most clearly in the dramatic central section and again at the very end, played simply and sweetly by violinists Celeste Golden Boyer and Erin Schreiber in a close-up shot that makes it easy to admire their concentration. But it seems to me that the tune lies at the heart of the sonically layered and richly contrapuntal body of the work as well. The orchestra plays it with heart and polish under Ms. Childress’s sympathetic direction.

Dvořák’s Op. 22 “Serenade,” which dates from May 1875, concludes the program. It’s a work that has always been a favorite of mine and, based on her video comments, a favorite of Ms. Childress’s as well. Certainly her reading of it was loving and finely shaded—clearly the product of someone attuned to the sunny springtime mood that permeates the serenade’s five melody-saturated movements.

That said, there are times when I find her approach perhaps a bit too loving and lyrical. I would have preferred a brisker tempo in the Moderato opening movement, for example, and a bit less lingering over the poetic trio section of the Tempo di valse second movement. There is, on the other hand, a bracing energy to both the Scherzo and the final Allegro vivace as well as real beauty in the sentimental Larghetto, so on the whole I can’t complain. It’s a fine performance, and perfectly played by all concerned.

Stephanie Childress

This was Stephanie Childress’s debut as a conductor (she appeared as a violin soloist with the orchestra March 26-28), and it was intriguing to watch her at work when I saw the original concert of April 9. Her podium style was elegant and precise, neither flamboyant nor overly reserved. I had the sense that she felt great confidence in the expertise of her orchestra and was content to simply keep them moving in the direction they had already carefully rehearsed. The video close-ups of her strongly reinforce those initial impressions.

London Symphony violinist Hugh Bean once opined that conducting “is the strongest evidence I’ve yet seen that telepathy, in one form or another, exists.” Seeing Ms. Childress in action, I’m inclined to agree.

Available through July 24, this is the first in a summer series of digital recordings of concerts by the SLSO from this past spring. If you missed them live, this is a golden opportunity to see them in the comfort of your own home. For more information, visit the SLSO web site.

This article originally appeared at 88.1 KDHX, where Chuck Lavazzi is the senior performing arts critic.

Opera Review: Opera Theatre presents a compelling production of a neglected gem by black composer William Grant Still

Opera Theatre (OTSL) has never been shy about introducing the audience to new or simply unfamiliar works. Often, those operas have proven to be the hits of their respective seasons.

Their production of “Highway 1, USA” by the noted Black American composer Willian Grant Still had its local premiere on Saturday, May 29, and it has a good chance of being the unexpected gem of the 2021 season. With just two scenes and a runtime of under an hour, “Highway 1, U.S.A.” takes a relatively simple domestic drama and turns it into powerful art with a score that enhances character while it advances the plot.

L-R: Nicole Cabell, Rehanna Thelwell
Photo by Eric Woolsey

If Mr. Still’s name is unfamiliar to you, that’s understandable. Often referred to as “the Dean of African-American composers” and the recipient of multiple honors and awards, Still died in 1978 at the age 83, leaving behind a substantial body of work ranging from chamber music to symphonies to nine operas. And yet, few of these works are ever performed today. His Symphony No. 1, subtitled “African American,” which dates from 1931, is probably his best-known work and was, in fact, the most popular of all American symphonies until 1950. Recordings of it are readily available online, but live performances now are rare.

Originally written in 1942 with the title “Southern Interlude,” “Highway 1, U.S.A.” went through multiple revisions before it was published in 1963 and didn’t get a professional premiere until 1972. It’s still rarely seen, despite its many strengths. The opera is the story of Bob, the hard-working proprietor of a service station on the titular highway, his long-suffering wife Mary, and Bob’s ne’er-do-well brother Nate. Because of a deathbed promise to their mother, Bob has put his life on hold to finance Nate’s college education. “She had her dream of a son with learning,” he reminds Mary. “A child who would send our name forth all over the world. Whose words would command respect, whose deeds would win wide acclaim.”

L-R: Christian Mark Gibbs, Nicole Cabell
Photo by Eric Woolsey

Mary loves Bob and is sympathetic, but she has seen Nate’s contempt for their lives and the lives of their down-to-earth, church-going friends and doubts his potential for greatness. When Bob allows Nate to move in with him and Mary after Nate’s graduation because “we must help him establish himself,” it sets in motion a conflict that quickly turns perilous.

In his Opera Theatre debut, baritone Will Liverman captures Bob’s conflicting emotions and his fundamental integrity perfectly, with a rolling, powerful voice and a stage presence that commands respect. Soprano Nicole Cabell, also a debut artist, is a perfect match as Mary, torn between her love for Bob and her contempt for Nate. Her voice has a solid low end that echoes her character’s solid roots in reality.

When he finally appears in the second scene, Nate fully justifies Mary’s contempt. Tenor Christian Mark Gibbs makes an attention-grabbing debut in the role, in a sinuous, clearly sung performance that so clearly communicates the character’s smug cluelessness that the urge to smack him is irresistible. Stuffed with knowledge but devoid of wisdom, Nate is everything that his brother is not.

Will Liverman, Nicole Cabell, and ensemble
Photo by Eric Woolsey

Mezzo Rehanna Thelwell has a brief but impressive cameo as the wise Aunt Lou, as does baritone Andrew René in his debut performance the Sheriff. The various members of Bob and Mary’s community are played by an ensemble consisting of sopranos Lindsey Reynolds and Angel Riley, mezzo Tesla Kwarteng, tenor Terrence Chin-Loy, and baritone Geoffrey Peterson. Their voices blend beautifully, and they sing some of the score’s tricky counterpoint with impressive accuracy.

Stage Director and Black Rep founder Ron Himes gets theatrically apt performances from his cast and ensures that the stage movement and the pictures created by it make dramatic sense. Seán Curran is credited as Choreographer, so I expect he shares some of the credit for that.

Allen Moyer’s kitchen set feels both humble and cozy with its yellow flower-print wallpaper and classic 1950s chrome and plastic table. Greg Emetaz’s projections complement it with glimpses of the service station and highway outside.

Leonard Slatkin conducts members of the St. Louis Symphony in a superb reading of Still’s inventive score, which shows the wide range of the composer’s background and interests. A classically trained graduate of the Oberlin Conservatory and a recipient of multiple Guggenheim Fellowships whose tutors included the avant-garde Edgard Varèse and the conservative George Whitfield Chadwick, Still also had extensive experience playing in dance bands and writing arrangements for radio, stage, and screen. It’s possible to hear echoes of everything from the Vaudeville stage to Wagner in “Highway 1, U.S.A” without ever encountering anything that sounds remotely like imitation.

Will  Liverman, Christian Mark Gibbs, ensemble
Photo by Eric Woolsey

Still’s voice is always his own, though. The cheerful, march-inflected chorus in which Bob and Mary’s neighbors praise the couple’s fine qualities may carry echoes of the composer’s time with the W.C. Handy band and the sweeping melody that accompanies Nate’s narcissistic entry in the second scene may call to mind late 19th-century romanticism, but ultimately it’s all one hundred percent William Grant Still. If you want evidence that his work has been unjustly neglected, “Highway 1, U.S.A.” certainly provides it.

A special shout-out is due the members of the SLSO for the high quality of their playing on opening night. Unseasonably cool temperatures posed a threat to the strings, in particular, but the orchestral sound was excellent, with some especially fine work by SLSO Associate Principal horn Thomas Jöstlein and the rest of his team.

The Opera Theatre presentation of William Grant Still’s “Highway 1, U.S.A.” could easily be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see this unjustly neglected work, especially in a production as polished as this one. True, the libretto by Still’s wife, the pianist Verna Avery, is not without its weaknesses—Bob’s abrupt change of heart about Nate in the second scene comes to mind—but Still’s score goes a long way to ameliorate that, and the end result is a thoroughly compelling hour of musical theatre. You won’t want to miss it.

Performances of “Highway 1, U.S.A.” continue through June 17th on Opera Theatre’s new outdoor stage, in rotation with the season’s three other operas. Performances are sung in English with projected English text. For more information, visit the Opera Theatre web site.

This article originally appeared at 88.1 KDHX, where Chuck Lavazzi is the senior performing arts critic.

St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of May 31, 2021

Now including both on-line and live events during the pandemic. To get your event listed here, send an email to calendar [at] stageleft.org.

Arts for Life presents an on-demand video stream of their fifth annual Theatre Mask Awards, honoring excellence in community theatre productions during 2020, on their YouTube channel. Act Two Theatre’s production of the farce “Who’s in Bed with the Butler?” leads this year’s Theatre Mask Awards nominations with nine. Alton Little Theater, with its two productions of “Inherit the Wind” and “The Miracle Worker,” earned 12 nominations in total – six for each. Two classic comedies by Clayton Community Theatre, “The Philadelphia Story,” and Monroe Actors Stage Company, “The Solid Gold Cadillac,” both received eight nominations apiece. Arts For Life announced the TMA nominations on March 12, during the nonprofit organization’s first-ever virtual trivia night. For more information: www.artsforlife.org

The Blue Strawberry presents a Singers Open Mic Tuesday, June 1, from 7 to 9:30 pm. The event is co-hosted by Meghan Kirk and Louisa Mauze with Ron Bowman at the piano. Singers are asked to bring music in their key. The Blue Strawberry is at 364 N. Boyle. For more information: bluestrawberrystl.com.

Meghan Kirk

The Blue Strawberry presents Open Mic Night with Sean Skrbec and Patrick White Sundays at 7 pm. "Come on down and sing, come on down to play, or come on down to listen and enjoy." The club is operating under a "COVID careful" arrangement with restricted indoor capacity, mask requirements, and other precautions. The Blue Strawberry is on North Boyle in the Central West End. For more information: bluestrawberrystl.com.

Circus Flora presents The St. Lou Revue Friday at 7 pm, Saturday at 3 and 7 pm, and on Sunday at noon and 4 pm, June 4-6. "This 75-minute performance features many of St. Louis’ best acts and takes place one weekend only in the iconic Big Top in Grand Center." For more information: circusflora.org

Sister City Circus

Circus Harmony in St. Louis and Circus Circuli in Stuttgart, St. Louis's German sister city, present Sister City Circus, on Circus Harmony’s YouTube page.  "Through a series of online meetings, workshops, and classes the two troupes created 6 different circus acts and then filmed them at iconic architectural locations in each of their cities." This and many other Circus Harmony videos are available at the Circus Harmony YouTube channel.

ERA Theatre presents an album release and listening party for the radio play SHE by Nancy Bell with music by Joe Taylor and Lyrics by Nancy Bell on Thursday, June 3, at 8 pm.  "SHE controls the radio station of the fascist regime in power. SHE's also the star of the broadcast. Her recording studio abounds with music and oysters. But in the nearby government camps full of misfits and would-be revolutionaries, only torture and starvation is thick on the ground. Tonight, however, SHE's realm feels different. The bombs sound closer. Time moves faster. But SHE will finish her radio show, and it will be her finest. If executing every number in the broadcast means some people need to die, so be it; it is a small sacrifice. The citizens need her and she will not let them down." The event takes place at Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp. SHE will be released as an album for digital purchase via bandcamp at eratheatre.bandcamp.com. For more information: www.eratheatre.org

Fly North Theatricals presents three new free digital series. Their new digital line up includes The Spotlight Series, the Grown-Up Theatre Kids Podcast, and Gin and the Tonic. The Spotlight Series highlights the Fly North family of students and actors performing songs from previous FNT shows. In the Grown-Up Theatre Kids podcast you can join Colin Healy and Bradley Rohlf every other Friday as they explore life after drama club and what it means to make a living in theatre far from the lights of broadway. Gin and the Tonic is a "reckless unpacking of music history’s weirdest stories hosted by Colin Healy.” The Spotlight Series and Gin and the Tonic are available at the Fly North Theatricals YouTube channel and the Grown-Up Theatre Kids podcast can also be found on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Sticher, other podcast platforms. All three are updated on a bi-weekly (every other week) basis.

The Lemp Mansion Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre presents Clueless through August 28. "Welcome to the world of big business, old mansions and family politics. You’re invited To the birthday celebration of the oldest, (and richest), man in town. Lucky you! Some would kill for the opportunity to meet Barnabas Barnaby Baggs, the famous Pickle Baron. He sure has made a lot of enemies on his rise to the top! I hope none of his enemies tries to kill him tonight. But if they do, will you know who did it? Maybe his latest girlfriend? The angry ex-wife? the spoiled nephew? Perhaps the jealous competitor? …Or You? Regardless, you’ll have to figure it whodunnit because we’re Clueless!" The Lemp Mansion is at 3322 DeMenil Place in south city. For more information: www.lempmansion.com

Moonstone Theatre Company presents Moonstone Connections, a series of in-depth interviews with arts leaders by company founder Sharon Hunter. The latest episode features Teresa Eyring, who has served as executive director of the Theatre Communications Group in NYC since 2007. New episodes air the third Tuesday of each month; see linktr.ee/moonstoneconnections for more information.

The Muny presents Attuned: Cast Me at the Muny, a nine-part podcast that "showcases audition tips and funny stories, while offering an inside look at what makes casting a Muny show so challenging." The series is available on demand at the Classic 107.3 web site. For more information: classic1073.org/podcasts

Gianni Schicchi

Opera Theatre presents Puccini’s comedy Gianni Schicchi, running through June 11. "Wealthy Buoso Donati has passed away, and his family is in mourning…but only for appearance’s sake. These money-grasping relatives are horrified when they learn that Donati left his entire fortune to a local monastery, so they hire the wily Gianni Schicchi to help them get the money back. What ensues is a hilarious mess of legal hijinks and family dysfunction in Puccini’s comic masterpiece." Performances take place on the company's new outdoor stage on the Webster University Campus. For more information: opera-stl.org.

Highway 1, U.S.A.

Opera Theatre presents the St. Louis premiere of William Grant Still's Highway 1, U.S.A., running through June 17. "Bob and Mary have worked hard and sacrificed much to put Bob’s brother Nate through school. Meanwhile, Mary dreams of the day when she and Bob can put their hard-earned money towards their own future. When Nate shows no inclination to strike out on his own, tensions slowly build to a breaking point. This intimate opera by the “Dean of African-American Composers” features a sweeping score that brilliantly blends elements of Romanticism, blues, and musical theater — and proves itself more than worthy of being restored to the operatic canon." Performances take place on the company's new outdoor stage on the Webster University Campus. For more information: opera-stl.org.

Opera Theatre presents Francis Poulenc's one-character opera La voix humaine, opening on Saturday, June 5 at 8 pm and running through June 20. "Alone and desperate for connection, Elle frantically awaits her ex-lover’s call. The tense conversation is further jeopardized by a terrible phone connection, driving Elle into a dangerously fragile state as she grapples with grief, denial, and anger. This explosive one-woman opera features a self-directed tour-de-force performance by soprano Patricia Racette." Performances are sung in English with English supertitles and take place on the company's new outdoor stage on the Webster University Campus. For more information: opera-stl.org.

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents the St. Louis premiere of Mlima's Tale by Lynn Nottage through July 11th. "Mlima, a majestic and powerful African elephant, is murdered for his tusks. From beyond the veil of death, Mlima’s spirit follows the path of his tusks on a moving, lyrical journey through the dark world of the international ivory trade. From Lynn Nottage, the two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright of Sweat and Ruined, Mlima’s Tale is a captivating and haunting fable come to life." Performances take place at the Berges Theatre at COCA, 6880 Washington Avenue in University City. For more information: http://www.repstl.org

Deal Orlandersmith in
After the Flood

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis and All Arts present Until the Flood, written and performed by Dael Orlandersmith, via on-demand streaming. "On August 9, 2014, Darren Wilson, a white police officer, shot and killed Michael Brown, an African American teenager in Ferguson, Missouri. The shooting ignited weeks of social unrest, propelled the Black Lives Matter movement and prompted a controversial investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice. Celebrated writer, performer and Pulitzer Prize finalist Dael Orlandersmith traveled to St. Louis and conducted interviews with dozens of people who were grievously shaken by Brown’s shooting and the turbulent aftermath. From these intimate conversations, Orlandersmith created eight unforgettable characters who embody a community struggling to come to terms with the personal damage caused by these events." For more information: allarts.org

R-S Theatrics presents While the Ghostlight Burns, a virtual discussion series featuring R-S Artistic Director Sarah Lynne Holt in conversation with St. Louis theatre artists, Mondays at 7 pm.  Conversations will be archived at the R-S Theatrics YouTube channel. For more information: r-stheatrics.com/while-the-ghostlight-burns.html

The St. Louis Shakespeare Festival presents Shakespeare's King Lear, starring André De Shields, opening on Wednesday, June 2 at 8 pm and running through June 27.  "Tony, Grammy, and Emmy award-winner André De Shields (Broadway: Hadestown, The Wiz, Ain’t Misbehavin) stars in the titanic title role in William Shakespeare’s greatest tragedy. Directed by Carl Cofield (Associate Artistic Director of the Classical Theatre of Harlem), King Lear is a brilliant return for Shakespeare in Forest Park." Audience members will be seated in individual pods which can accommodate up to six guests. Reservations are required in advance. For more information: stlshakes.org

The St. Louis Shakespeare Festival presents a Behind the Scenes Shakespeare Camp for ages 11-18, with full sessions beginning on Friday, May 28 and running through June 4. Half sessions run from June 7 through 25.  "This summer, Camp Shakespeare will include an all-new hands-on experience in Shakespeare Glen during rehearsal and performances for King Lear. In addition to daily classes led by experienced Festival Teaching Artists in voice, movement, acting technique, and textual analysis–the campers will get a behind-the-scenes look at how our mainstage production comes together AND a preview of the professional masterclass with Tony award-winner André De Shields!" For more information: stlshakes.org.

SATE, in collaboration with COCA and Prison Performing Arts, presents Project Verse: Creativity in the Time of Quarantine. Project Verse presents two new plays: Quatrains in Quarantine by e.k. doolin and Dream On, Black Girl: Reflections in Quarantine by Maxine du Maine. The performances are streamed free of charge on SATE’s website and Facebook page. For more information: slightlyoff.org.

Classic Mystery Game

SATE also offers streaming performances of the shows originally scheduled for live 2020 productions: The Mary Shelley Monster Show, As You Like It (produced for SHAKE20, Project Verse, and Classic Mystery Game. The shows are available on their YouTube channel.

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.

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.

Opera Review :Downsized and outdoors, Opera Theatre opens its season with a lively "Gianni Schicchi"

Few economic sectors have been as damaged by COVID-19 as the performing arts. Entire seasons were wiped out, including that of Opera Theatre of St. Louis (OTSL). OTSL is back in business this year, though, with four operas performed in rotating repertory, the traditional Gerdine Young Artists showcase, and even a special Juneteenth event at the Missouri History Museum. Picnic dinners on the lawn are back, along with full bar service.

House size is smaller—300 seats vs. close to 1000—seating is physically distanced, and everything including bar service involves minimal physical contact.

Buoso's family in bogus mourning

Performances are also outdoors, on a newly constructed stage taking up what is usually the Loretto-Hilton Center’s main parking lot. Think of it as a less massive version of an evening at the Muny.

The operas are shorter as well. Following the lead of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, OTSL’s productions all run around an hour with no intermission. That limits them to one-act operas but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The season opener, Puccini’s 1918 comedy “Gianni Schicchi,” is getting such a spirited and entertaining production that it seems astonishing that OTSL hasn’t presented it in over forty years.

As the opera opens, the wealthy Florentine Buoso Donati has shuffled off his mortal coil and his relations are making a great show of mourning, accompanied by descending minor seconds in the orchestra. Their grief becomes real, though, when a search for Donati’s will turns up a document giving everything to the local monastery. It’s a financial disaster for everyone and a personal one for Donati’s nephew Rinuccio, who had hoped that a bequest would smooth the way for him to wed his beloved Lauretta, daughter of the wily Gianni Schicchi.

Rinuccio’s snooty family disapproves of the match and looks down on Schicchi because he’s a peasant and, worse yet, an immigrant. But Rinuccio reminds them, in a mock-heroic aria, that fellows like Schicchi are what made Florence great. Besides, it will take a schemer of his ability to find a way around that will.

Needless to say, he succeeds, employing comic devices that are direct descendants of commedia dell'arte gags. The relatives get what they deserve (if not exactly what they wanted) and the opera ends with Rinuccio and Lauretta looking forward to their wedding and Schicchi looking forward to a life on Easy Street (or, as they might say in Firenze, una vita alla grande).

Evan Lazowski reads the new will

Opera Theatre has assembled a fine cast, headed by baritone Levi Hernandez as Schicchi, who was so impressive in OTSL’s “Don Giovanni” in 2011. His wide vocal range and sharp comic sense serve the character well. As Rinuccio, British tenor Joshua Blue puts his big, ringing voice to good use in his hymn to the wit of Schicchi and the glory of Florence. Soprano Elena Villalón is a charming Lauretta who earned loud shouts of “brava” for her superb rendition of the opera’s hit tune, “O mio babbino caro.” Both Mr. Blue and Ms. Villalón are former Gerdine Young Artists, which says a lot for that program.

Contralto La’Shelle Q. Allen makes a strong OTSL debut as Rinuccio’s elitist aunt Zita, while Nathan Stark, as the late Buoso’s pompous cousin Simone, uses his big voice and imposing presence as effectively here as he did in "The Marriage of Figaro" in 2019. Tenor Steven Cole, also a newcomer to OTSL, has a delicious cameo as the befuddled doctor Spinelloccio (another classic commedia dell'arte character).

There are many other fine performances in this consistently talented ensemble, including tenor Jermaine Smith as Buoso’s greedy nephew Gherardo, soprano Meghan Kasanders as his equally avaricious wife Nella, baritone Schyler Vargas as Buoso’s son Marco, and soprano Helen Zhibing Huang as his wife, La Ciesca, who declares she will mourn “povero Buoso” for the rest of her life. Soprano Bianca Orsi proves to be convincingly boyish as Gherardino , the seven-year-old son of Gherardo and Nella.

Rounding out the cast are baritone Rob McGinness as Buoso’s poor brother-in-law Betto, whose information on the will gets the plot rolling, baritone Kyle Miller as the dyer Guccio, and bass-baritone Evan Lazowski as both the cobbler Pinellino and as the Notary Ser Amantio di Nicolao, to whom Schicchi dictates the false will.

Tenor Chance Jonas-O’Toole has no lines as the deceased Buoso, but he does have to appear credibly lifeless as the other actors toss him around looking for a place to stash the body. That calls for both physical acting skills and trust in your fellow cast members.

St. Louis Symphony Orchestra Conductor Laureate Leonard Slatkin leads members of the SLSO in a brisk and precise reading of the score. Stage Director Seán Curran’s dance background in apparent in the fluid staging—no mean feat, given the relatively small size of the playing area. His decision to move the action from the 13th century to the 1930s doesn’t seem to serve any real point, but it also doesn’t detract in any way.

Allen Moyer’s sumptuous red and gold set is enhanced by the digital picture window designed by Greg Emetaz, which gives the audience a lovely picture-postcard view of the Duomo and, in the end, a romantic sunset.

My only real complaint about Opera Theatre’s “Gianni Schicchi” comes down to something that is largely beyond the company’s control: the outdoor venue effectively mandates the use of wireless body mics and amplified sound. That makes individual vocal lines a bit clearer (and the projected English text mostly unnecessary), but it tends to turn the big ensemble numbers into sonic mush and doesn’t do the orchestra’s fine playing any favors.

Joshua Blue and Elena Villalón

Still, everything else about this “Gianni Schicchi” is of the finest quality. And given that it’s a comedy that is ultimately about death, it seems an appropriate way to open a season that’s taking place against the background of a pandemic that has killed millions worldwide. Also contributing to the comedy’s dark subtext is the fact that both Schicchi and Donati were based on real residents of 13th-century Florence. The former did actually impersonate the latter, and both are sent to hell by Dante in cantos XXV and XXX of his “Divine Comedy.”

“But I digress”—Tom Lehrer

The important point is that Opera Theatre’s “Gianni Schicchi” is a well-crafted and diverting evening’s entertainment, especially when supplemented (as ours was) with a picnic and prosecco.  It runs through June 10th, in rotation with the season’s three other operas. Performances are sung in English with projected English text. Note that you’ll need to arrive early if you want to get a table in the picnic area. For more information, visit the Opera Theatre web site.

This article originally appeared at 88.1 KDHX, where Chuck Lavazzi is the senior performing arts critic.

St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of May 24, 2021

Now including both on-line and live events during the pandemic. To get your event listed here, send an email to calendar [at] stageleft.org.

Arts for Life presents an on-demand video stream of their fifth annual Theatre Mask Awards, honoring excellence in community theatre productions during 2020, on their YouTube channel. Act Two Theatre’s production of the farce “Who’s in Bed with the Butler?” leads this year’s Theatre Mask Awards nominations with nine. Alton Little Theater, with its two productions of “Inherit the Wind” and “The Miracle Worker,” earned 12 nominations in total – six for each. Two classic comedies by Clayton Community Theatre, “The Philadelphia Story,” and Monroe Actors Stage Company, “The Solid Gold Cadillac,” both received eight nominations apiece. Arts For Life announced the TMA nominations on March 12, during the nonprofit organization’s first-ever virtual trivia night. For more information: www.artsforlife.org

The Blue Strawberry presents Open Mic Night with Sean Skrbec and Patrick White Sundays at 7 pm. "Come on down and sing, come on down to play, or come on down to listen and enjoy." The club is operating under a "COVID careful" arrangement with restricted indoor capacity, mask requirements, and other precautions. The Blue Strawberry is on North Boyle in the Central West End. For more information: bluestrawberrystl.com.

Sister City Circus

Circus Harmony in St. Louis and Circus Circuli in Stuttgart, St. Louis's German sister city, present Sister City Circus, on Circus Harmony’s YouTube page.  "Through a series of online meetings, workshops, and classes the two troupes created 6 different circus acts and then filmed them at iconic architectural locations in each of their cities." This and many other Circus Harmony videos are available at the Circus Harmony YouTube channel.

Fly North Theatricals presents three new free digital series. Their new digital line up includes The Spotlight Series, the Grown-Up Theatre Kids Podcast, and Gin and the Tonic. The Spotlight Series highlights the Fly North family of students and actors performing songs from previous FNT shows. In the Grown-Up Theatre Kids podcast you can join Colin Healy and Bradley Rohlf every other Friday as they explore life after drama club and what it means to make a living in theatre far from the lights of broadway. Gin and the Tonic is a "reckless unpacking of music history’s weirdest stories hosted by Colin Healy.” The Spotlight Series and Gin and the Tonic are available at the Fly North Theatricals YouTube channel and the Grown-Up Theatre Kids podcast can also be found on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Sticher, other podcast platforms. All three are updated on a bi-weekly (every other week) basis.

The Lemp Mansion Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre presents Clueless through August 28. "Welcome to the world of big business, old mansions and family politics. You’re invited To the birthday celebration of the oldest, (and richest), man in town. Lucky you! Some would kill for the opportunity to meet Barnabas Barnaby Baggs, the famous Pickle Baron. He sure has made a lot of enemies on his rise to the top! I hope none of his enemies tries to kill him tonight. But if they do, will you know who did it? Maybe his latest girlfriend? The angry ex-wife? the spoiled nephew? Perhaps the jealous competitor? …Or You? Regardless, you’ll have to figure it whodunnit because we’re Clueless!" The Lemp Mansion is at 3322 DeMenil Place in south city. For more information: www.lempmansion.com

The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show

Metro Theater Company presents The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show (La Oruga Muy Hambrienta Espectáculo), a bilingual production based on the books by Eric Carle, through May 24. "He's enchanted generations of readers since he first began nibbling his way to our hearts in 1969. Now, everyone's favorite caterpillar takes the stage in a dazzling, critically acclaimed production – featuring a menagerie of more than 75 larger-than-life, magical puppets." Live performances take place outdoors at the Kirkwood Performing Arts Center, 210 E. Monroe Avenue in Kirkwood. MO. The production is also available via on-demand video streaming April 28 through May 16. For more information: www.metroplays.org

Moonstone Theatre Company presents Moonstone Connections, a series of in-depth interviews with arts leaders by company founder Sharon Hunter. The latest episode features Teresa Eyring, who has served as executive director of the Theatre Communications Group in NYC since 2007. New episodes air the third Tuesday of each month; see linktr.ee/moonstoneconnections for more information.

The Muny presents Attuned: Cast Me at the Muny, a nine-part podcast that "showcases audition tips and funny stories, while offering an inside look at what makes casting a Muny show so challenging." The series is available on demand at the Classic 107.3 web site. For more information: classic1073.org/podcasts

Opera Theatre presents a Spotlight on Opera panel discussion about their upcoming production Francis Poulenc's La Voix Humane (The Human Voice) on Monday, May 24, at 5:30 pm, . During the livestream, the audience will be able to ask questions of panelists Patricia Racette, Allen Moyer, James Schuette, and Sunny Yoon. For more information: opera-stl.org/spotlight.

Gianni Schicchi

Opera Theatre presents Puccini’s comedy Gianni Schicchi, running through June 11. "Wealthy Buoso Donati has passed away, and his family is in mourning…but only for appearance’s sake. These money-grasping relatives are horrified when they learn that Donati left his entire fortune to a local monastery, so they hire the wily Gianni Schicchi to help them get the money back. What ensues is a hilarious mess of legal hijinks and family dysfunction in Puccini’s comic masterpiece." Performances take place on the company's new outdoor stage on the Webster University Campus. For more information: opera-stl.org.

Opera Theatre presents the St. Louis premiere of William Grant Still's Highway 1, U.S.A., opening on Saturday, May 29, at 8 pm and running through June 17. "Bob and Mary have worked hard and sacrificed much to put Bob’s brother Nate through school. Meanwhile, Mary dreams of the day when she and Bob can put their hard-earned money towards their own future. When Nate shows no inclination to strike out on his own, tensions slowly build to a breaking point. This intimate opera by the “Dean of African-American Composers” features a sweeping score that brilliantly blends elements of Romanticism, blues, and musical theater — and proves itself more than worthy of being restored to the operatic canon." Performances take place on the company's new outdoor stage on the Webster University Campus. For more information: opera-stl.org.

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, in collaboration with Baltimore Center Stage, Long Wharf Theatre, The Public Theater and Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, present Play at Home, a series of micro-commissioned short plays from some of the American theatre's most exciting and prominent playwrights. These new plays – which all run 10 minutes or less – are available for the public to download, read and perform at home for free at playathome.org.

Deal Orlandersmith in
After the Flood

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis and All Arts present Until the Flood, written and performed by Dael Orlandersmith, via on-demand streaming. "On August 9, 2014, Darren Wilson, a white police officer, shot and killed Michael Brown, an African American teenager in Ferguson, Missouri. The shooting ignited weeks of social unrest, propelled the Black Lives Matter movement and prompted a controversial investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice. Celebrated writer, performer and Pulitzer Prize finalist Dael Orlandersmith traveled to St. Louis and conducted interviews with dozens of people who were grievously shaken by Brown’s shooting and the turbulent aftermath. From these intimate conversations, Orlandersmith created eight unforgettable characters who embody a community struggling to come to terms with the personal damage caused by these events." For more information: allarts.org

R-S Theatrics presents While the Ghostlight Burns, a virtual discussion series featuring R-S Artistic Director Sarah Lynne Holt in conversation with St. Louis theatre artists, Mondays at 7 pm.  Conversations will be archived at the R-S Theatrics YouTube channel. For more information: r-stheatrics.com/while-the-ghostlight-burns.html

Come Together

The St. Louis Shakespeare Festival presents streaming videos from the SHAKE20 festival, including re-imagined, condensed versions of classic Shakespeare plays and new takes on old favorites like Joe Hanrahan's Come Together, at the Shakespeare Festival Facebook page at www.facebook.com/pg/STLShakesFest/videos

The St. Louis Shakespeare Festival presents a Behind the Scenes Shakespeare Camp for ages 11-18, with full sessions beginning on Friday, May 28 and running through June 4. Half sessions run from June 7 through 25.  "This summer, Camp Shakespeare will include an all-new hands-on experience in Shakespeare Glen during rehearsal and performances for King Lear. In addition to daily classes led by experienced Festival Teaching Artists in voice, movement, acting technique, and textual analysis–the campers will get a behind-the-scenes look at how our mainstage production comes together AND a preview of the professional masterclass with Tony award-winner André De Shields!" For more information: stlshakes.org.

SATE, in collaboration with COCA and Prison Performing Arts, presents Project Verse: Creativity in the Time of Quarantine. Project Verse presents two new plays: Quatrains in Quarantine by e.k. doolin and Dream On, Black Girl: Reflections in Quarantine by Maxine du Maine. The performances are streamed free of charge on SATE’s website and Facebook page. For more information: slightlyoff.org.

Classic Mystery Game

SATE also offers streaming performances of the shows originally scheduled for live 2020 productions: The Mary Shelley Monster Show, As You Like It (produced for SHAKE20, Project Verse, and Classic Mystery Game. The shows are available on their YouTube channel.

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.

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.