Lynn Venhaus

Total Post: 1287

Lynn (Zipfel) Venhaus has had a continuous byline in St. Louis metro region publications since 1978. She writes features and news for Belleville News-Democrat and contributes to St. Louis magazine and other publications.  She is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic, currently reviews films for Webster-Kirkwood Times and KTRS Radio, covers entertainment for PopLifeSTL.com and co-hosts podcast PopLifeSTL.com…Presents.  She is a member of Critics Choice Association, where she serves on the women's and marketing committees; Alliance of Women Film Journalists; and on the board of the St. Louis Film Critics Association. She is a founding and board member of the St. Louis Theater Circle. She is retired from teaching journalism/media as an adjunct college instructor.

Bright Lights Column: Breakthrough Time

Bright Lights Column: Breakthrough Time

By Lynn Venhaus
Managing Editor
You go, girls! Local singer-actors get national attention, and the St. Louis-produced Broadway musical “The Prom” made Thanksgiving Parade television history.
BREAKING OUT: We have a talented trio of local ladies who are living their dreams right now.
Lexi Krekorian, 27, of Waterloo, Ill., is one of the nine struggling musicians featured on the Netflix reality series, “Westside,” now available. She goes by the stage name, Alexandra Kay, and has released her first single, “You Think You Know Someone,” and several music videos of songs on the “Westside” soundtrack. She started out in school and community theater, and is chasing her dream in L.A. Here is the feature I wrote for the Belleville News-Democrat about her rising star.
https://www.bnd.com/living/magazine/article221600685.html
Kennedy Holmes of Florissant, the John Burroughs student and Muny Kid who is wowing the nation as a contestant on “The Voice,” made it through to the Top 11 Live Playoffs on Nov. 20. She sang “Wind Beneath My Wings” and is on Jennifer Hudson’s team, headed for the Top 10 showdown Nov. 26. Here is her Top 11 performance:
https://www.nbc.com/the-voice/video/kennedy-holmes-wind-beneath-my-wings/3832852
Thirteen proved to be lucky for Kennedy, as she was not among the 12 eliminated from the Top 24 Live Playoffs in Episode 13. She sang Beyonce’s “Halo.” “The Voice” is on Mondays and Tuesdays on NBC, with live voting the first night and results the second night. She is 13.
Meadow Nguy, providedMeadow Nguy, 23, of O’Fallon, Ill., performed in two musicals at Stray Dog Theatre (Marta in “Spring Awakening” in 2012 and the female lead in the original musical “Spellbound” in 2015), and in community and school theater. She guest-starred on the Nov. 18 episode of “Madam Secretary” called “Baby Steps,” as a Southeast Asia surrogate caught up in a human trafficking imbroglio . She made her crime-drama debut in ‘The Blacklist” earlier this year. Both shows available on demand. Here is the news article I wrote for the Belleville News-Democrat:
https://www.bnd.com/news/local/article221829910.html

***ATTABOY: Congratulations to Cory Finley, who scored a Film Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best First Screenplay for his “Thoroughbreds.” The annual awards, held since 1984, honor independent filmmakers working with small budgets. The awards are always announced the day before the Oscars, and this year, it will be Saturday, Feb. 23.
Focus Features photoIn fall 2017, the St. Louis Actors’ Studio presented Finley’s play, “The Feast.” A John Burroughs School grad, Finley’s movie opened nationwide in March after premiering at the Sundance Film Festival in January. It played the St. Louis International Film Festival in 2017.
Olivia Cooke (“Ready Player One,” “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl”) and Anya Taylor-Joy (“Split,” “The Witch”) play upper-class Connecticut teenagers who rekindle their unlikely friendship and hatch a plan to solve both of their problems — no matter what the cost. It’s the last film of Anton Yelchin.                                                                    Finley, who grew up in Clayton, is based in New York City. He is a member of the Obie-winning Youngblood playwrights group at Ensemble Studio Theater, has received a commission from the Alfred P. Sloan foundation for playwrighting, and was the inaugural recipient of the Gurney Playwrights Fund for his play, “The Feast,” at The Flea Theater. Check out www.thoroughbredsmovie.com
***STANDING O’s: Standing ovation for stand-up guy, Kwofe Coleman, who started as an usher at the Muny the summer of 1998, and now has been named managing director! He has served as Director of Marketing and Communications since 2013.
Kudos to the Cinema St. Louis team on their record-setting attendance of 28,723 at this year’s St. Louis International Film Festival Nov. 1 – 11. SLIFF screened 413 films, including 88 narrative features, 77 documentary features, and 248 shorts. Local actors are often seen in the regionally produced short films.

Cast members from “Disney’s Aladdin” presented “Sultan’s Soiree,” an exclusive cocktail reception, Nov 18 to benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. Guests mingled while enjoying cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, photo opportunities, live entertainment and karaoke. To learn more, visit www.broadwaycares.org. Michael James Scott, a Webster University Conservatory graduate, is playing the Genie while Jonathan Weir, formerly of Belleville, is Jafar. “Aladdin” is at the Fox through Nov. 25.
***BIG SPLASH: The reviews are in, and it’s all raves for the new original musical comedy “The Prom,” which opened on Broadway Nov. 15 at the Longacre Theatre, following previews that began Oct. 23.
The New York Times said: “Makes you believe in musical comedy again.”
Variety said: “This original musical has laughs, tears and joy — not to mention jaw-dropping star-turns — in a clash-of-cultures hoot that earns a big Broadway corsage.”
Vanity Fair photoThe show has multiple local connections – Centralia, Ill., native Chad Beguelin is the co-book writer, with Bob Martin (co-creator of “The Drowsy Chaperone”) and lyricist, with music by Matthew Sklar. Beguelin wrote lyrics to Disney’s “Aladdin” and both he and Sklar were Tony-nominated for “The Wedding Singer.”
Some local producers include Jack Lane, executive director of Stages St. Louis; Ken and Nancy Kranzberg, Patty Gregory of Belleville, Terry Schnuck, Andrew S. Kuhlman of St. Louis and Fairview Heights native Joe Grandy. St. Louis performers Jack Sippel and Drew Reddington are part of the ensemble, and stars Beth Leavel and Christopher Sieber have appeared several times at The Muny. The Broadway cast also includes Brooks Ashmanskas (Tony nominee for ‘Something Rotten!”),
Casey Nicholaw, Tony winner for “The Book of Mormon,” directed and choreographed the show.
“The Prom” is about a canceled high school dance – a student is barred from bringing her girlfriend to the prom — and four fading Broadway stars who seize the opportunity to fight for justice — and a piece of the spotlight. Its tagline is “There’s no business like getting in other people’s business.”
***
NOBODY RAINED ON THEIR PARADE: “The Prom,” one of four musical acts in the 92nd annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Nov. 22, made parade history with the first same-sex kiss televised live. As the number, “It’s Time to Dance,” closed, cast mates Isabelle McCalla and Caitlin Kinnunen embraced and kissed. The LGBTQ community cheered.
Here is that performance: https://youtu.be/VDZDLJjzJBI
Tony nominee Taylor Louderman of Bourbon, Mo., performed with the cast of “Mean Girls.” She plays Regina, the snotty leader of the cool girls’ pack. Taylor was last seen locally on the Muny stage in 2016’s “Aida” as Amneris.
Fun Fact: The dance company, Radio City Rockettes, was founded in St. Louis in 1925 by Russell Markert. First known as the “Missouri Rockets,” the precision chorus line has performed in Radio City Music Hall since 1932.
***HANNUKAH HULLABALOO: The eighth annual Brothers Lazaroff show to benefit Metro Theater Company will take place on Saturday, Dec. 8, at 7 p.m. at The Grandel Theatre, and all ages welcome.
The show will feature Rabbi James Stone Goodman and the Eight Nights Orchestra, DJ Boogieman, tributes to Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen and more! As always, free latkes will be fried on-stage! Food vendors will include Taco Buddha, The Dark Room and STL-Style will be selling their St. Louis-inspired apparel.
***AROUND TOWN: Legendary Wilco founder and Belleville native Jeff Tweedy took to The Pageant stage with Jon Hamm Nov. 17 to discuss his storied career. The book tour stop was sold-out.
St. Louis Post-Dispatch photoThe Grammy-winning singer-songwriter’s memoir “Let’s Go (So We Can Get Back”): Memoir of Recording and Discording with Wilco, Etc.,” features stories about his childhood, putting Uncle Tupelo together, and recollections about St. Louis record store, rock clubs and live-music scene during his formative years.
Now based in Chicago, Tweedy can be spotted in the indie movie “Hearts Beat Loud” as a customer, in what else, a record store.
Playwright Vladimir Zelevinsky was in town for the opening weekend of West End Players Guild “The Great Seduction,” and graciously spoke to Tina Farmer of KDHX and I about his interesting life and writing process.
 
Zelevinsky also wrote “Manifest Destiny,” performed at WEPG in 2016, which was nominated for Best Ensemble by the St. Louis Theater Circle.
***SANTA’S COMING! I KNOW HIM: With the holiday essential film “Elf” as its next movies-for-foodies event, Tenacious Eats returns to the St. Louis Banquet Center in Holly Hills, at 5700 Leona Street, on Saturday, Dec. 15.
Guests will feast on five courses and have cocktails themed to the movie, and the event also includes contests and live music. Chef Liz Schuster has left West End Grill and Pub to devote more time to her cinema-and-theme-dining experience – and Tenacious Eats is known for its “full-contact dining experiences.” Tickets are on sale now at BrownPaperTickets.com.
***GO SEE A PLAY POLL: Ah, Church Ladies and Christmas Pageants are customary fixtures during the holiday season, so the folks behind the Lutheran laugh-apalooza, “Church Basement Ladies: Away in a Basement” have returned with a warm, sentimental and uproarious show.
Now playing at The Playhouse @ Westport through Jan. 6, this is a perfect show to take your mom or grandma to – and you can win two free tickets to the show if you enter our drawing.
Select a show from the list below to answer our question: “What is your favorite holiday-themed play or musical?”
 
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever
A Christmas Carol
A Christmas Story
Elf
Inspecting Carol
It’s a Wonderful Life
White Christmas
And send it via email, along with your name, cell phone and email address by 5 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 25, to lynnvenhaus@gmail.com and you will be entered in a drawing. Winner will receive 2 tickets to an upcoming show.
In our last “Go See a Play” poll, Graham Emmons of St. Louis won two tickets to Rebel and Misfits’ “Macbeth: Come Like Shadows.” The survey’s response to best mystery play landed the 1952 classic “Dial M for Murder” by Frederick Knott op top, with “Wait Until Dark” – another Frederick Knott play from 1966 — a close second.
***FOSSE, VERDON AND ALL THAT JAZZ: The next show-biz limited series for FX will be “Fosse/Verdon” in 2019, about the legendary Broadway choreographer Bob Fosse and his professional and personal relationship with dancer Gwen Verdon.
Oscar winner Sam Rockwell is cast as Fosse while Oscar nominee Michelle Williams will be Verdon, returning to the network 20 years after “Dawson’s Creek.”
The cast features St. Louis native Norbert Leo Butz as writer Paddy Chayefsky, Margaret Quall as Ann Reinking and Nate Corddry as Neil Simon.
Lin-Manuel Miranda is executive-producing the eight episodes and “Hamilton” choreographer Andy Blankenbuehler is creating the dance.
***WHISTLING A HAPPY TUNE: The lavish acclaimed Tony-winning revival, “The King and I,” will be shown two nights at the Plaza Frontenac Cinema, on Nov 29 and Dec. 4 at 7 p.m. The Rodgers and Hammerstein musical filmed during its run at the London Palladium, June 21 to Sept. 29 and features more than 50 performers.
Kelli O’Hara reprised her Tony Award-winning performance and Tony and Oscar nominee Ken Watanabe played The King again. Tony winner Ruthie Ann Miles returned as Lady Thiang and West End “Aladdin” star Dean John Wilson and Na-Young Jeon played Lun Tha and Tuptim. Director Bartlett Sher reunited the original creative team.
***TRIVIA TIME-OUT: With St. Louis performers making a name for themselves on the national stage, here’s a little flashback to the halcyon days of “American Idol,” the big-bang of reality competition singing shows.
1. Who is the only St. Louisan to make “American Idol” Top Ten Finalists?
2. What “American Idol” winner tried out in St. Louis one of the two times auditions were held here?
Answers (both Season 4):
Nikko Smith, born Osborne Earl Jr., son of Cardinal Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith, who wound up ninth overall in 2005. He had been voted off in the third round of the semi-finals, but the producers asked him back to take the place of Mario Vazquez, who left for “family reasons.”
Carrie Underwood, who drove up with her mom from the family farm in Checotah, Okla., in 2004, sang “I Can’t Make You Love Me” by Bonnie Raitt.
Here’s that audition: https://youtu.be/P0j9NGV-Jm4
She just won CMA Female Vocalist of the Year, killed with a live awards show performance of “Love Wins” at six months’ pregnant, and has to date seven Grammy Awards, including Best New Artist in 2007, the only second country artist to win it.
St. Louis has hosted auditions for Seasons 4 and 11.
***WORD: “Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.” – Plato
 
 

Go See a Play! What’s Happening Nov. 22 – 28

Go See a Play! What’s Happening Nov. 22 – 28

By Lynn Venhaus
Managing Editor
Happy Thanksgiving! Shows are dark Thursday so everyone can celebrate what the holiday means. As we pause to give thanks, seeing such diverse offerings on local stages any time of year is a blessing – such an abundance. This Thanksgiving holiday weekend has only a few shows available, but next week will begin a big theatrical push to wrap up the year.
But, there are shows to get you in the holiday spirit – via music and comedy, no matter what you are in the mood for – and you can enjoy this weekend with your family or friends. “A Christmas Story” starts Wednesday at The Rep.
Go See a Play!
“A Christmas Story”
The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
Nov. 28 – Dec. 23
Mainstage, Loretto-Hilton Centerwww.repstl.org
What It’s About: “You’ll shoot your eye out”! An adaptation of the classic holiday film, “A Christmas Story” is about Ralphie Parker’s quest to get a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas. Filled with small-town family vignettes and colorful characters,
Director: Seth Gordon
Starring: Charlie Matthis, as nine-year-old Ralphie, and Ted Deasy, as the grown-up Ralph who narrates the play.
Brad Fraizer is The Old Man, Laurel Casillo is Mother, Spencer Slavik is younger brother Randy, Jo Twiss is Miss Shields. Tanner Gilbertson, Gigi Koster, Ana McAlister, Rhadi Smith and Dan J. Wolfe are featured child performers.
Of Note: The show had an acclaimed run at The Rep in 2009.
Disney Theatrical Productions under the direction of Thomas Schumacher presents Aladdin, the new musical, music by Alan Menken, lyrrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, book and additional lyrics by Chad Beguelin at the Ed Mirvish Theatre in Toronto, Canada, starring: Adam Jacobs (Aladdin), James Monroe Iglehart (Genie), Courtney Reed (Jasmine), Brian Gonzales (Babkak), Brandon O’Neill (Kassim), Jonathan Schwartz (Omar), Clifton Davis (Sultan), Don Darryl Rivera (Iago), Merwin Foard (standby Jafar/Sultan), Michael James Scott (standby Genie/Babkak) and Jonathan Freeman (Jafar) directed and choreographed by Casey Nicholaw“Aladdin”
The Fox Theatre
Nov. 7 – 25
527 N. Grand Blvd.www.fabulousfox.com
MetroTix or Fox box office.
What It’s About: A thrilling new production filled with unforgettable beauty, magic, comedy and breathtaking spectacle. It’s an extraordinary theatrical event where one lamp and three wishes make the possibilities infinite.
Ann K Photography“All Is Calm”
Mustard Seed Theatre
Nov. 15 – Dec. 16
Thursdays through Sundays
Fontbonne Fine Arts Theatre
6800 Wydown Blvd.www.mustardseedtheatre.com
314-719-8060
What It’s About:  Celebrate the power of peace in this acapella musical based on the true story of soldiers during World War I who for one night, put down their arms and played soccer instead of exchanging bullets.
Director: Deanna Jent
Starring: Kent Coffel, Anthony Heinmann, Christopher Hickey, Greg Lhamon, Gerry Love, Michael Lowe, Sean Michael, Abraham Shaw, Jeff Wright
Of Note: This is the fifth time the musical has been presented.
“Away in the Basement: A Church Basement Ladies Christmas”
The Playhouse @ Westport
Nov. 8 – Jan. 6, no performance Thanksgiving Day
635 Westport Plaza in Maryland Heightswww.playhouseatwestport.com
MetroTix: www.metrotix.com or 314-534-1111
What It’s About: An all-new holiday show is set in 1959, on the day of the Sunday School Christmas Program. During holiday preparations, the down-to-earth ladies are creating their own memories from Christmases past and present. Content to do things the way they have always been done, yet pondering new ideas, the reality of everyday life hits home as they plan the Sunday School Christmas Program.
As the children rehearse in the sanctuary, several of the ladies are in the kitchen finishing up the treat bags filled with apples, peanuts and ribbon candy while the others put the final touches on the nativity pieces. As they mend old bathrobe costumes, discuss the politics of who’s going to play the various roles, little do the ladies know what surprises are in store for them.
Known for their hilarious antics and subtle charm, they are once again called upon to step in and save the day!
Directors: Lee Anne Mathews and Emily Clinger, with music direction by Joseph Dreyer
Cast: Rosemary Watts, Lee Anne Mathews,
Of Note: Performances are Sundays and Tuesdays at 2 p.m., Thursdays* and Fridays at 2 p.m., Saturdays** and Wednesdays at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Additionally, tickets will be available at the Playhouse @ Westport Plaza box office one hour prior to show time. Groups of 10 or more can call 314-616-4455 for special rates.
All five installments of the musical comedy “Church Basement Ladies” are inspired by the books of author/humorists Janet Letnes Martin and Suzann Nelson, including the bestseller “Growing Up Lutheran.”
“Every Brilliant Thing”
R-S Theatrics
Nov. 16 – Dec. 2
Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 7 p.m.
Kranzberg Arts Center black box theatre
www.r-stheatrics.com
What It’s About: When a six-year-old starts a list of every brilliant thing in life to encourage her despondent mother, little does she know that the list will take on a life of its own and thread its way throughout the girl’s life. Hilarious and heartbreaking, this one-woman show reminds us to celebrate the beauty in our lives and in those we love.
Starring: Nancy Nigh
 

Record-breaking Opera Theatre Season: ‘Clearly Reflected What We’re All About’

Record-breaking Opera Theatre Season: ‘Clearly Reflected What We’re All About’

Opera Theatre of Saint Louis announced preliminary results of the 2018 fiscal year, which ended Sept. 30. Thanks to a vibrant audience and donor base, the company celebrated another successful year, exceeding revenue goals and once again reporting strong growth of the endowment. A comprehensive audit will be completed and published in February of 2019.
OTSL reported a total of $6.4 million in contributed operating support for FY18, achieving 107% of goal for the year. Corporate sponsorship increased by 20% over 2017; OTSL continued to receive competitive grants from major national funders, including The Wallace Foundation, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts, among other organizations.
1,083 households contributed in 2018 to operating support, the highest number in company history. Opera Theatre has achieved consistent growth in donor households and contributed revenue over the last three years thanks to a generous challenge gift of $300,000 from Alison and John Ferring during this same time period. The Ferrings challenged OTSL to raise $300,000 in new and increased support from 2016-2018; in total, Opera Theatre achieved 283% of this goal with $848,022 from 1,400 gifts ranging from $1 to $25,000.

“La Traviata”Opera Theatre hosted its most successful gala to date in 2018, grossing more than $1.4 million with the leadership of event co-chairs Marsha & Bill Rusnack and Cathy & Jim Berges.  These contributions were motivated by a challenge gift from the Berges Family Foundation and Noémi & Michael Neidorff, who created the $250,000 Berges-Neidorff Challenge to match all new and increased 2018 gala gifts. Fundraising from the gala helped establish the Next Generation Fund, which celebrates Timothy O’Leary’s tenure as general director and will sustain OTSL’s role as an artistic innovator.
These successes, together with Opera Theatre’s invested endowment portfolio totaling more than $35 million as of September 30, 2018, help secure OTSL’s ongoing commitment to fiscal responsibility. With an annual budget of $10.95 million, ticket sales and contributions well outweigh spending.
FY18 also marked another successful box office year with 104% of ticket revenue achieved for a total growth of 6.3% in ticket sales since FY17. Opera Theatre also maintained its national and international reach, with opera-goers from 49 states, 6 Canadian provinces, and 17 countries during the 2018 season; OPERA America’s Opera Conference was also held in St. Louis from June 20-23, welcoming over 700 international opera professionals during the final week of the season. Of ticket buyers, 26% were new to Opera Theatre in 2018. Thanks in large part to innovative programming, community engagement, and OTSL’s Young Friends program, 53% of new ticket buyers were Millennial and Gen X, and over 21% were from racially diverse backgrounds.
World premiere-commissioned opera “An American Soldier” at OTSL.Opera Theatre once again received local, national, and international acclaim for the 2018 season, with journalists from The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Financial Times of London, and Europe’s Opera Magazine traveling to St. Louis to cover the festival. Scott Cantrell of The Dallas Morning News stated, “There’s no opera company quite like Opera Theatre of Saint Louis,” and The New York Times lauded the world-premiere performance of Huang Ruo and David Henry Hwang’s two-act opera An American Soldier, praising its “arresting music…subtle colorings, and pummeling intensity.”
“I have such gratitude for the work of my predecessor Timothy O’Leary, Chairman Noémi Neidorff, and the rest of the Opera Theatre board for their extraordinary efforts to build this company. I feel fortunate to join OTSL amid continued financial strength and community support, and I look forward to more great things for Opera Theatre and its work in St. Louis,” said General Director Andrew Jorgensen.
Susan Graham in “Regina”“Opera Theatre’s 2018 season clearly reflected what we’re all about. Opera superstar Susan Graham, who began her illustrious career at OTSL, returned in a riveting performance of Marc Blitzstein’s Regina, and shared her rise to fame with several of our young artists,” said Noémi Neidorff, Chairman of the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis Board. “Our production of An American Soldier was yet another powerful example of the numerous world premieres we commission as we continue to attract opera fans and critics from all parts of the globe.”
Opera Theatre continued to promote artistic excellence with another year of highly competitive auditions for the young artist programs. Out of 1,062 applications, 31 young artists were chosen for the 2019 season. With an acceptance rate of 3%, the program remains one of the most competitive in the US. In addition, many former young artists continue to develop successful international careers, winning top prizes at the Glyndebourne Opera Cup, the Metropolitan Opera National Council Grand Finals, the Richard Tucker Foundation, and Placido Domingo’s Operalia.
“Orfeo and Euridice”Opera Theatre of Saint Louis’s 2019 Festival Season features the world premiere of composer Terence Blanchard and librettist Kasi Lemmons’s Fire Shut Up in My Bones, based on the memoir of New York Times columnist Charles Blow. It also will feature classics from the operatic canon, including Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro, Verdi’s Rigoletto, and Monteverdi’s The Coronation of Poppea, as well as OTSL’s annual Center Stage Concert, led by Music Director Emeritus Stephen Lord. The season opens on Saturday, May 25, 2019. Subscriptions and single tickets can be purchased online, in person at the Loretto-Hilton Box Office, or by calling (314) 961-0644.

Mustard Seed’s Reprise of ‘All Is Calm’ Strongest One Yet

Mustard Seed’s Reprise of ‘All Is Calm’ Strongest One Yet

By Andrea Braun
Contributing Writer“Last night I had the strangest dream I ever had before. I dreamed that men had all agreed to put an end to war.” –Chad Mitchell Trio
Entering Kyra Bishop’s set feels much like walking onto a battlefield. It is dark and dreary, no color to speak of, just browns and grays all around. There are rolls of copper wire, downed trees, and a backdrop so primitive it is held up by rope. Then, in the distance a man is singing a traditional Scottish ballad, “Will ye go to Flanders?” Gradually other voices join him and nine soldiers enter. It is 1914 at Christmas, and these guys are already tired of the fighting and their voices reflect that sense of weariness, of hopelessness.
But what they also demonstrate is a remarkable ability to sing solo, in ensembles or all together. This is the fourth production of “All Is Calm”  that Mustard Seed has mounted since its premiere in 2012, the third one I’ve seen, and the strongest yet.

The ensemble changes, though five of the cast members have appeared in the show at least a couple of other times. What is remarkable is that whoever is in front of us is fully believable, invested in the roles, and able to bring off every single number in the show from the sublime to the silly.
I couldn’t single out any cast members because they were all so good; here they are in alphabetical order: Kent Coffel, Anthony Heinmann, Christopher Hickey, Greg Lhamon, Gerry Love, Michael Lowe, Sean Michael, Abraham Shaw, Jeff Wright
The center of the story is a real event. On a memorable night in the first year of World War I, the British and Irish and the Germans stopped fighting. Just like that. They had been in mortal combat for days, perhaps weeks, and while they don’t exactly beat their swords into plowshares, they spend a night burying their dead together, playing soccer with each other, decorating a tiny Christmas tree, and most of all, singing the holiday songs of their cultures.
Besides song, the men recite quotations from soldiers’ letters, from the Pope and Winston Churchill, and most moving, two of the so-called “War Poets,” Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon. These young men created a body of literature about the war experience, and there is nothing romantic about it, nothing “sweet and right” about dying for one’s country, as Owen expresses in his ironically  titled “Dulce et Decorum est,” about a slow and horrible death from mustard gas. All these statements give the audience a sense of how the troops from the lowliest private to the prime minister were feeling about the job at hand. So, why did they do it?
Because they were called to duty. Because patriotism motivates both sides in war. And, probably not least because they could be hanged for treason if they ran away. But there is also a sense of real camaraderie here, not only on one’s own side, but among all the men—perhaps more accurately boys—who have been called to kill the other side who look just like them. The Royal Family is 100 percent German, for example. They just changed their names from Saxe, Coburg and Gotha to Windsor. Done and dusted. It wasn’t so easy for the young men who had to take sides, however.
Lighting design is a character too. Generally, the lighting designer does the job by not being particularly notable, but here, the light literally brings life, especially in the Christmas tree scene wherein “Silent Night” begins in a minor key when the tree comes out, then as the lights gradually go up, the song becomes harmonic. Credit goes to Michael Sullivan.
Jane Sullivan and Zoe Sullivan handle costumes and sound respectively and with their usual expertise. Director Deanna Jent and Musical Director Joe Schoen keep everything moving, and in its fifth production, the show works like a well-oiled machine.
“All Is Calm” is by Peter Rothstein, with musical arrangements by Erick Lichte and Timothy C. Takach. Its history is fascinating, having had its public debut on Minnesota Public Radio. Jent notes that: “While not shying away from the horrors of war, it presents a moment of hope that seems to have been transformative for the men involved in the event.”
In only six years since All Is Calm was first presented, our country seems to have gone to war with itself. May the peace among a group of people whose immediate “job” is to kill the “enemy,” serve as an example of the way we might all treat each other and perhaps even someday agree “to put an end to war.”
“All Is Calm” will run through Dec. 16 at the Fontbonne University Fine Arts Theatre. Details are available at www.mustardseedtheatre.com.
 
 
 

Go See a Play! Nov. 15 – Nov. 21

Go See a Play! Nov. 15 – Nov. 21

By Lynn Venhaus
Managing Editor
Making weekend plans? Light-hearted laughs, splashy musicals and thought-provoking dramas are among the offerings this mid-November, before the holiday season kicks in to high gear. From historic theaters in Lebanon and Waterloo,Illinois to St. Charles Community College in Cottleville, you can be entertained these cold snowy nights. Go see a play!
“The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee”
St. Louis Community College at Meramec
Nov. 14 – 18
Wednesday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.
Campus Theatre, 11333 Big Bend Blvd.www.stlcc.edu/MC or call 314-984-7500.

“Aladdin”
The Fox Theatre
Nov. 7 – 25
527 N. Grand Blvd.www.fabulousfox.com
MetroTix or Fox box office.
What It’s About: A thrilling new production filled with unforgettable beauty, magic, comedy and breathtaking spectacle. It’s an extraordinary theatrical event where one lamp and three wishes make the possibilities infinite.
Cast: Clinton Greenspan (Aladdin), Lissa deGuzman (Jasmine), Zach Bencal (Babkak), Jef Feder (Kassim), Philippe Arroyo (Omar), Jonathan Weir (Jafar), Jay Paranada (Iago) directed and choreographed by Casey Nicholaw
Of Note: Disney Theatrical Productions under the direction of Thomas Schumacher presents Aladdin, the US tour, music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, book and additional lyrics by Chad Beguelin,
“All Is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914″
Mustard Seed Theatre
Nov. 15 – Dec. 16
Thursdays through Sundays
Fontbonne Fine Arts Theatre
6800 Wydown Blvd.www.mustardseedtheatre.com
314-719-8060
What It’s About:  Celebrate the power of peace in this a capella musical based on the true story of soldiers during World War I who for one night, put down their arms and played soccer instead of exchanging bullets.
Director: Deanna Jent
Starring: Sean Michael, Anthony Heinemann, Greg Lhamon, Micheal Lowe,
Chris Hickey, Abraham Shaw, Gerry Love, Jeff Wright, Kent Coffel
“Away in the Basement: A Church Basement Ladies Christmas”
The Playhouse @ Westport
Nov. 8 – Jan. 6, no performance Thanksgiving Day
635 Westport Plaza in Maryland Heightswww.playhouseatwestport.com
MetroTix: www.metrotix.com or 314-534-1111
What It’s About: An all-new holiday show is set in 1959, on the day of the Sunday School Christmas Program. During holiday preparations, the down-to-earth ladies are creating their own memories from Christmases past and present. Content to do things the way they have always been done, yet pondering new ideas, the reality of everyday life hits home as they plan the Sunday School Christmas Program.
As the children rehearse in the sanctuary, several of the ladies are in the kitchen finishing up the treat bags filled with apples, peanuts and ribbon candy while the others put the final touches on the nativity pieces. As they mend old bathrobe costumes, discuss the politics of who’s going to play the various roles, little do the ladies know what surprises are in store for them.
Known for their hilarious antics and subtle charm, they are once again called upon to step in and save the day!
Directors: Lee Anne Mathews and Emily Clinger, with music direction by Joseph Dreyer
Cast: Rosemary Watts, Lee Anne Mathews,
Of Note: Performances are Sundays and Tuesdays at 2 p.m., Thursdays* and Fridays at 2 p.m., Saturdays** and Wednesdays at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Additionally, tickets will be available at the Playhouse @ Westport Plaza box office one hour prior to show time. Groups of 10 or more can call 314-616-4455 for special rates.
All five installments of the musical comedy “Church Basement Ladies” are inspired by the books of author/humorists Janet Letnes Martin and Suzann Nelson, including the bestseller “Growing Up Lutheran.”
“Disney’s Beauty and the Beast”
Alfresco Productions
Nov. 16 at 7:30 p.m., Nov. 17 at 5 p.m.
2041 Delmar Ave., Granite City, Ill. 62040
www.alfrescoproductions.org
What It’s About: The French fairy tale is now a beloved Disney musical.
Director: Camille Fensterman
Cast: Rebecca Porwoll, Danny Brown, Gage Seitz, Joel Brown, Mike Hodges, John Jauss, Jacqueline Roush, Diane Mueller, Julia Gilbert, Ken Elliff, Maeve Durkee, Ian Wonders, Elizabeth Semko, Kayla Dressman, Lindy Elliott, Ashley Nicole Pavlige, Bryn Fleckenstein, Kevin Williams-Gardner, Lisa Hinrichs, Elliana Fiorno, Marcus Porwoll, Aaron Kamphoefner, Kya Wonders, Jayde Mitchell, Doug Pritchett, and Aaron Williams
Of Note: Saturday is sold out.
“Doctor Faustus, or The Modern Prometheus”
SATE
Nov. 7 – Nov. 17
Wed – Sat. 8 p.m.
The Chapel
6238 Alexander Drivewww.slightlyoff.org
314-827-5760
What It’s About: Written by John Wolbers, it is a modern-day retelling of the age-old bargain for limitless control over one’s own fate. The brilliant Doctor Faustus grows weary of those in charge abusing their power; so, with the noblest of intentions, sells her soul to save the world. Thus, begins an epic journey of seduction and love, justice and mercy, despair and hope, and ultimately damnation and redemption. Along the way Faustus must choose between good, evil and the compromise known as humanity.
Director: Ellie Schwetye
Cast: Ashley Bauman, Erik Kuhn, Kareem Deanes, Joe Hanrahan, Lex Ronan, Nicole Angeli, Mike Pierce and Taleesha Caturah
Of Note: Wolbers retains much of Christopher Marlowe’s original poetry, but reframes the story to examine: How does one effect change in an increasingly complex world? What is the value of a soul in today’s modern age? And what holds us back from transcending our baser instincts to become our best selves
“Don’t Talk to the Actors”
St. Charles Community College
Nov. 14 – 18
Wednesday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.
FAB Theatre, 4601 Mid Rivers Mall Drive, Cottleville, Mo.www.stchas.edu
636-922-8050
What It’s About: The best-laid plans go awry when the cast and crew of a Broadway-bound play resort to manipulation, diva-like behavior, and chaotic abandon to get what they want. Fledgling playwright Jerry Przpezniak and his fiancée are a couple of Buffalo greenhorns suddenly swept up in the whirlwind of New York’s theatre scene when Jerry’s play is optioned for the big money, ego-driven world of Broadway. It’s a young playwright’s dream, but the crazy characters and dilemmas they encounter are the things that spawn theatrical nightmares.
“Every Brilliant Thing”
R-S Theatrics
Nov. 16 – Dec. 2
Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 7 p.m.
Kranzberg Arts Center black box theatrewww.r-stheatrics.com
What It’s About: When a six-year-old starts a list of every brilliant thing in life to encourage her despondent mother, little does she know that the list will take on a life of its own and thread its way throughout the girl’s life. Hilarious and heartbreaking, this one-woman show reminds us to celebrate the beauty in our lives and in those we love.
Starring: Nancy Nigh
Bruce Vick, Dylan Comer“Frost/Nixon”
Looking Glass Players
Nov. 8 – 11 and Nov. 15 – 18
Thursday – Saturday at 7:30 p.m., Sunday at 2 p.m.
301 W. St. Louis St., Lebanon, Ill.
www.lookingglassplayhouse.com
618-537-4962
What It’s About: British talk-show host David Frost has become a lowbrow laughingstock. Richard M. Nixon has just resigned the United States presidency in total disgrace over Vietnam and the Watergate scandal. Determined to resurrect his career, Frost risks everything on a series of in-depth interviews to extract an apology from Nixon. The cagey Nixon, however, is equally bent on redeeming himself in his nation’s eyes. In the television age, image is king, and both men are desperate to out-talk and upstage each other as the cameras roll. The result is the interview that sealed a president’s legacy.
Director: Glenn Saltamacchia
Cast: Bruce Vick, Dylan Comer, Mike Russell, Mike Wells
Rachel Bailey, Heather Sartin. Photo by John Lamb“The Great Seduction”
West End Players Guild
Nov. 15 – 18
Thursday – Saturday at 8 p.m., Sunday at 2 -.m.
Union Avenue Christian Church
733 N. Union at Enright in the Central West End
314
www.westendplayers.org
What It’s About: In the mid-19th century, the prolific French playwright and author Alexandre Dumas penned a five-act bedroom farce “Mademoiselle de Belle Isle.” It was a tasteful telling of the story of an arrogant Duke, a randy Countess, a young stud of a chevalier and an innocent maiden freshly arrived from the provinces, seasoned with generous dollops of low humor and decolletage. Well, okay. It wasn’t exactly tasteful. But it was a rollicking and bawdy smash hit.
A century and a half later, playwright Vladimir Zelevinsky decided it was time for the Madmoiselle to return to the stage. His new playretains all the wit and charm of Dumas’s original work in a tighter two-act format and with a different and surprising climax that adds a clever twist to one of the most important moments in French history.
Director: Steve Callahan
Starring: Rachel Bailey, Alex Fyles, Jason Mayers, Gracie Sartin and Heather Sartin.
Of Note: The West End Players Guild opens their 108th season with this show. Playwright Playwright Vladimir Zelevinsky was on hand for opening weekend’s performances.

“Into the Breeches”
Shakespeare Festival St. Louis
Oct. 28 – Nov. 24.
The Grandel Theatre
www.sfst.org
What It’s About: Building on its beloved summer productions in Forest Park, and the acclaimed Shakespeare in the Streets program, the Festival now presents its very first season of contemporary American plays by writers in dialogue with Shakespeare, headlined by the regional premiere of “Into the Breeches!” — a hilarious and heartwarming look at the WWII home front and a group of ladies left behind who band together to keep the local theater going with their very own production of Henry V.
Director: Nancy Bell
Starring: Kari Ely, Ben Nordstrom, Gary Wayne Barker, Michelle Hand, Katy Keating, Mary McNulty, Laura Resinger and Jacqueline Thompson
Of Note: Student tickets to all performances are free with an ID but it is recommended they be reserved in advance. Military discounts are available as well.
“Kentucky”
Washington University Performing Arts Department
Nov. 15 – 18
Thursday and Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.
Edison Theatre
314-935-6543 or visit pad.artsci.wustl.edu.
What It’s About: Big sister Hiro has come back home to Kentucky to rescue her sister Sophie from an abusive father and from marrying a born again Christian she only just met! Here’s a “dramedy” with music and talking cats and ethnic and cultural divides as old as the hills.
“The Shoemaker and the Elves”
St. Louis Public Library
Storytime Theater
Nov. 5 – Dec. 8
Different times at various branches
www.slpl.org
What It’s About: . A timeless winter’s tale of kindness and compassion. A modest shoemaker shows generosity to a cold and bedraggled foreigner despite his own fears about the future. Magic ensues and two mischievous creatures transform his life forever. A warm and fuzzy frolic about the power of friendship.
Photo by Jon Brooks“Shotspeare”
The Playhouse@Westport
Nove. 15 – Dec. 8
Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings
Tickets: MetroTix.com or 314-534-1111.
What It’s About: “Shotspeare” combines the greatest playwright in history with audience participation, a drinking game and a sleeve of saltines, creating a must-see comedic twist on classic literature. After years of successful performances in New York City, Las Vegas and festivals around the world, Emery Entertainment Inc. brings this laugh-out-loud show back.
“Shotspeare’s” raucous adaptation of Romeo & Juliet includes five sword-wielding actors, one lucky audience member, copious amounts of beer and tons of Shakespeare, all in 90 minutes.
Of Note: No performances Thanksgiving Weekend.
Upon entering the theatre, select guests are given “Shotspeare Cards” and are instructed to use them at any given time when they want to see the actors drink. One lucky audience member even gets to join the cast for the duration of the production, becoming one of the Shakespearean characters and partaking in the always challenging and entertaining, “Wheel of Soliloquy.”
“Witness for the Prosecution”
The Monroe Actors Stage Company
Nov. 15 – 18
Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2:30 p.m.
Historic Capitol Theatre, Waterloowww.masctheatre.org
618-939-7469
What It’s About: Leonard Vole stands accused of murdering a rich widow. The stakes are high with shocking witness testimony, impassioned outbursts from the dock and a young man’s fight to escape the hangman’s noose. Generally regarded as one of Agatha Christie’s most accomplished plays, this suspenseful thriller keeps audiences guessing until the very end.
Director: Warren Frank
Cast: Tim Conrad, Amy Sochowski, David Zimmermann, Dan Irwin, Lindell Webb, Gary Baum, Jim Bradley, Donna LaPorte, Hannah Sochowski and Rebecca Zimmermann.
 

Kwofe Coleman Named Managing Director of The Muny

Kwofe Coleman Named Managing Director of The Muny

The Muny has announced the appointment of Kwofe Coleman as Managing Director. Coleman, who previously served as The Muny’s Marketing and Communications Director, will work with the President and CEO, Artistic Director, department heads, staff and community to support the larger vision of The Muny, maintaining a dynamic environment in keeping with The Muny’s mission while ensuring financial stability and growth.
“Kwofe is an incredibly talented individual who understands both the culture inside the institution and how The Muny interacts with the St. Louis community,” said Muny President and CEO Denny Reagan. “As we embark on our second century, it’s important to honor the past and just as important to ensure the future is sustainable and exciting. I am eager to see Kwofe step into this new role and continue the growth of The Muny’s mission.”

“I am both honored and thrilled by this opportunity to evolve my contribution to this incredible staff and institution as managing director,” said Coleman. “Having had the great fortune of working in various parts of this organization for its past 20 seasons, I have seen and participated in the remarkable spirit of collaboration and community that makes The Muny such a special place, on both sides of the footlights. I look forward to helping continue grow this great tradition well into our second century.”
Among his duties as the Managing Director, Coleman will take an active role in overseeing the organizational, financial and business affairs of The Muny, while embracing and articulating the artistic and institutional vision. This will include the development of annual budgets, determining income and expense assumptions, and overseeing those revenue and expenditures. In this position, he will also take a leadership role in developing new and expanded income streams and creating strategic initiatives to expand and deepen The Muny’s community engagement, educational and outreach efforts.
Coleman began his Muny career in 1998 as an usher and has served as the Director of
Marketing and Communications since 2013. Coleman has held several other positions at The
Muny including staff accountant, house manager and digital communications manager. In the
Director of Marketing and Communications position, Coleman directed the teams responsible
for all external communications, marketing campaigns and the development of strategies to
meet The Muny’s annual revenue budget.
He is currently part of The Muny’s Second Century
Committee, a combination of key staff and board members who together, drafted, confirmed
and are now implementing The Muny’s Second Century Strategic Plan.
He was a 2018 Fellowship Advisor for The DeVos Institute of Arts Management at the University of Maryland and is an active member of the Board of Directors for the National Alliance of Musical Theatres.
He has also remained an active contributor to the St. Louis community, with local activities
including the advisory board for Common Circles and as a mentor for The Urban League’s Save
our Sons program among others. He is the recipient of the St. Louis American’s Salute to Young
Leaders Award.
The 2019 season schedule is: Guys and Dolls (June 10 – 16), Kinky Boots (June 19 – 25), 1776 (June 27 – July 3), Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella (July 8 – 16), Footloose (July 18 – 24), Lerner and Loewe’s Paint Your Wagon (July 27 – August 2) and Matilda (August 5 – 11).
World Wide Technology (WWT) and The Steward Family Foundation became the first overall season sponsor in the history of The Muny in 2014. They are committed to continuing in this role with their leadership gift as The Muny’s 2019 Season Presenting Sponsor.
Muny gift cards for the 101st season are now available online and at The Muny Box Office. For more information, visit muny.org or call (314) 361-1900.

Bold, Brilliant ‘Admissions’ Burns White-Hot at The Rep’s Studio

Bold, Brilliant ‘Admissions’ Burns White-Hot at The Rep’s Studio

By Lynn Venhaus
Managing Editor
“Admissions” doesn’t just confront the elephant in the room, it awakens a stampede.
With brilliant scorched-earth dialogue and willingness to bluntly address uncomfortable truths and contradictions among liberal white Americans, playwright Josh Harmon has opened a space for polite society to reflect on today’s standards and practices.
For the past several years, we’ve started conversations on racial matters. And this play takes one aspect, and all five characters speak their minds in a refreshingly candid way.
So, what am I tiptoeing around? “Admissions” examines whiteness: privilege, power, anxiety, guilt and anger.

Before any fellow Caucasians groan like it’s a bitter pill to swallow, I can assure you the good-sport audiences have taken it in stride and laughed heartily at the frank talk and yes, the hypocrisy, recognizing the things we don’t say, or dare say in whispers, and how we knee-jerk react.
Because of the play’s framework, we’re allowed to feel everyone’s indignation and hear their point of view.
Sherri, as the head of admissions at a tony prep boarding school in New Hampshire, has increased diversity from 6 to 18 percent, an achievement worthy of a celebration by her equally progressive husband. But when her only son, a good student-athlete named Charlie Luther Mason, is denied admittance to Yale while his best friend, a bi-racial student-athlete named Perry, gets in on what they perceive to be “the race checkbox,” well, fireworks ensue.
It’s obvious why this new work, which opened in March at the Lincoln Center, won the Drama Desk and Outer Critics awards for Best Play. Harmon is known for “Bad Jews,” which the New Jewish Theatre produced several years ago.
The Rep’s intimate Studio Theatre has had multiple sold-out performances, for this has struck a nerve, and done so with biting wit and stinging humor.
Steve Woolf’s direction is steam-heat hot. He keeps the pace brisk, and the interaction of the cast is smooth.
The well-prepared cast effortlessly serves and volleys back and forth that it’s like watching a Grand Slam tennis match – the finesse of their delivery is like world-class athletes rising to the occasion.
TUESDAY, OCT. 23, 2018 – This is the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis’ production of “Admissions” at the Loretto-Hilton Center. ©Photo by Jerry Naunheim Jr.Henny Russell is rather smug as the high-minded and well-intentioned Sherri Rosen-Mason, who deals with race at work and at home. Her best friend Ginnie Peters (Kate Udall), is married to a bi-racial English professor and is Perry’s mother. Suddenly, fissures erupt in their friendship, and Udall is quick to switch emotions, calling out her friend’s hurtful words.
R. Ward Duffy, appearing in his 10th show at The Rep, and Russell’s real-life husband, is sharp as Bill Mason, who admonishes his son as a spoiled brat and worries about how they got off track and how to work their way back to seeing things clearly.
In a breakthrough role, Thom Niemann triumphs as the privileged young man trying to figure out his place in the world and being “woke” in contemporary America. His agitated, exasperated 17-minute monologue skewering political correctness is one of the year’s best scenes – and got a huge ovation.
In a comical supporting role, Barbara Kingsley is funny as Roberta, a school employee in the development office who is trying to do what Sherri tells her to make their school catalog photos more diverse.
The cast percolates with conviction and relatability.
The office and two-story home scenic design by Bill Clarke is a marvel – one of the largest I’ve seen in that space, and an efficient way to tell this comedy-drama. Lighting designer Nathan W. Scheuer has lit it perfectly while Rusty Wandall’s sound and Lou Bird’s costumes add to the atmosphere.
Even with the best of intentions, we may be part of the problem instead of the solution we think we are striving for, and “Admissions” allows us to see the opportunity to reflect on what’s happening now.
We don’t live in a void. Bold, daring and razor-sharp, “Admissions” helps us see we need to have more conversations, and it’s imperative we keep up the dialogue, at this very divisive time.
“Admissions” played The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis’ Studio Theatre Oct. 26 – Nov. 11.
TUESDAY, OCT. 23, 2018 – This is the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis’ production of “Admissions” at the Loretto-Hilton Center. ©Photo by Jerry Naunheim Jr. 
 
 

The Black Rep Replaces ‘Marie and Rosetta’ with ‘Milk Like Sugar’

Due to casting conflicts, The Black Rep’s production of “Marie and Rosetta”  by George Brant will be rescheduled to kick-off the 2019-2020 Season, Sept. 3-25, 2019. Replacing the previously scheduled 2019 spring production will be “Milk Like Sugar,” Feb. 13- March 3, 2019. 
“We are ecstatic to have the opportunity to work with some extraordinary artists for our production of ‘Marie and Rosetta,” said Black Rep Producing Director Ron Himes. “Because of the cast, we felt compelled to alter the season schedule. While ‘Milk Like Sugar’ was slated to be produced as part of our 2019-2020 season, we’re thrilled to move it to this season’s electrifying line-up instead.”

About MILK LIKE SUGAR
It is Annie Desmond’s 16th birthday and her friends have decided to help her celebrate in style, complete with a brand-new tattoo. Before her special night is over, however, Annie and her friends enter into a life–altering pact. When Annie tries to make good on her promise to her friends, she is forced to take a good look at the world that surrounds her. She befriends Malik, who promises a bright future, and Keera, whose evangelical leanings inspire Annie in a way her young parents have not been able to do. In the end, Annie’s choices propel her onto an irreversible path in this story that combines wit, poetry and hope.
About MARIE AND ROSETTA
Bringing fierce guitar playing and swing to gospel music that would become a rhythmic precursor to rock and roll, Sister Rosetta Tharpe was a pioneer of mid-20th-century music with a huge influence on Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jimi Hendrix, and Ray Charles. Set in the showroom of a funeral home in Mississippi 1946, this musical celebration of two extraordinary Black Women chronicles the unlikely first rehearsal between Rosetta and the prim young, Marie Knight, to see if the potential protégée could summon the stuff to allow for a professional partnership that might topple the male stranglehold suppressing Rosetta’s career. They would embark on a tour to establish them as one of the great duos in musical history.
Season ticket-holders will have the same seats for ‘Milk Like Sugar’ as they would have had for ‘Marie and Rosetta.’ Single tickets for “Milk Like Sugar’ will go on sale Jan. 3, 2019.

Stages St. Louis to break ground on new Performing Arts Center in Kirkwood

Stages St. Louis to break ground on new Performing Arts Center in Kirkwood

Stages St. Louis has announced the groundbreaking of its new home, the Kirkwood Performing Arts Center, located in Downtown Kirkwood, Mo. A groundbreaking ceremony will be hosted by the City of Kirkwood for the new Performing Arts Center on Thursday, Nov. 8, at 4 p.m. The center will be located at the corner of South Taylor Avenue and Monroe Avenue in downtown Kirkwood.
Stages St. Louis enthusiastically awaits opening its 2020 Season as the first tenant to occupy the new Performing Arts Center. Additional tenants of the facility include the Kirkwood Theatre Guild and the Kirkwood Youth Theatre program (run by the City of Kirkwood). Of the move, STAGES’ Executive Producer Jack Lane states:
“The move to the new Kirkwood Performing Arts Center will help secure a bright and exciting future for STAGES, our incredibly loyal patrons and audience members, and the City of Kirkwood. We look forward to becoming an integral member of the vibrant Downtown Kirkwood community while continuing to serve as an artistic leader for the St. Louis region and beyond.”

The new facility, projected to open in late spring of 2020, will house a 525-seat state of the art mainstage theatre. In addition to an increase in number of seats, the Performing Arts Center will offer mezzanine level seating, a 2,000 square foot event space, upper and lower lobbies connected by a grand staircase, and a 3,000 square foot black box theatre/event space.
“The increase in theatre size is something that we are really looking forward to” Lane said. “Stages productions tend to sell out often and quickly, so more seats for us does not just mean an increase in our annual ticket revenue. It means that more people will have the opportunity to experience the magic of a Stages production.”
Hoping to create a new home for theatre in downtown Kirkwood, Staes will continue cultivating the performing arts talent pool both in the St. Louis region and nationally. Additionally, Stages is eager to drive people to the many businesses and restaurants that will be the neighbors of the facility and become a vital part of the Downtown Kirkwood community.
Initial discussions with project partners and citizens, along with planning for the construction of the $25 million Performing Arts Center have been in progress for approximately two years and construction is expected to begin immediately. Renderings will be available at the groundbreaking for viewing by the public and media.

Go See a Play! What’s Happening Nov. 1- 7

Go See a Play! What’s Happening Nov. 1- 7

By Lynn Venhaus
Managing Editor
On dark and stormy nights, head to the theater for light and love, or if you prefer this time of year, to get spooked afternoons and evenings.
The Bard gets spooky in “Macbeth,” and Rebel and Misfits presents its third Immersive Theatre Project, “Macbeth: Come Like Shadows.”
Did the devil make them do it? The Faustival continues with Theatre Nuevo’s “whither I should fly?” and SATE’s “Doctor Faustus, or the Modern Prometheus.”
The Rep launches another season of provocative theater in the Studio, with “Admissions.”
The classic drama “A Raisin in the Sun” is staged by the Hawthorne Players in Florissant.

Both Alton Little Theater and O’Fallon Theatre Works present “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” while The Theatre Guild of Webster Groves is going for classic comedy in “Arsenic and Old Lace.”
Times, they are a-changing for women in “A Doll’s House, Part 2,” now surprising audiences at The Rep. And in the real-life drama, “Silent Sky” at Insight.
Timeless musicals “Annie” and “La Cage Aux Folles” are in St. Peters and Olivette.
Go See a Play!
“Annie”
Act Two Theatre
Nov. 2-4, 9-11
Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., with Sunday matinees at 2 p.m.
St. Peters City Hall
Purchase tickets at: https://anniethemusical.brownpapertickets.com
More info at: https://www.acttwotheatre.com/2018-season/annie-the-musical/
What It’s About: With equal measures of pluck and positivity, little orphan Annie charms everyone’s hearts despite a next-to-nothing start in 1930s New York City. She is determined to find the parents who abandoned her years ago at an Orphanage that is run by the cruel Miss Hannigan. When she escapes into NYC, Annie foils Miss Hannigan’s evil machinations and even befriends President Franklin Delano Roosevelt! She finds a new family in billionaire, Oliver Warbucks, Grace Farrell, and a lovable mutt named Sandy.
Director: Phil Gill, with music direction by Gene Ditch
Cast: Annie- Lauren Dunn; Miss Hannigan- Dana Wachtel; Daddy Warbucks- Scott Theis; Grace Farrell- Heather Matthews; Rooster- Christian Lewis; Lily- Carly Rae Stevenson; Molly- Ruthie Kamp; Duffy- Maille Hanson; Pepper- Ariana Kroegen; Tessie- Sophia Call’ Kate- Emma Kottmann; July- Anna Wright; Berta Healey- Melinda Call.
Ensemble- Kim Klick, Danielle Sherman, Nick Elieff, Ray Martin, Travis McIntyre, Laura Deveney, Sophie Kluba, Megan Wiegert, Alison Willard Dueker, Jack Ryan Patee, Santino Bono
TUESDAY, OCT. 23, 2018 – This is the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis’ production of “Admissions” at the Loretto-Hilton Center. ©Photo by Jerry Naunheim Jr.“Admissions”
The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
Oct. 26 – Nov. 11
Studio Theatrewww.repstl.org
What It’s About: Prep school admissions director Sherri Rosen-Mason lives according to staunchly progressive values. But when her teenage son claims those same values have denied him opportunities as a white student, it creates an explosive conflict that exposes their family’s hypocrisies and privileges. This biting play’s acidic humor goes straight for the throat.
Director: Steven Woolf
Cast: Henny Russell, R. Ward Duffy, Thom Niemann, Barbara Kingsley, Kate Udall
Of Note: Play by Joshua Harmon is one hour, 40 minutes, and is performed with no intermission.
Photo by Jerry Naunheim Jr.
“Arsenic and Old Lace”
Theatre Guild of Webster Groves
Nov. 2 – 4, Nov. 8-11
Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., Sunday at 2 p.m.
Special Thursday, Nov. 8 at 8 p.m.
www.theatreguildwg.org
314-962-0876
What It’s About: Mortimer Brewster is living a happy life: he has a steady job at a prominent New York newspaper, he’s just become engaged, and he gets to visit his sweet spinster aunts to announce the engagement. Mortimer always knew that his family had a bit of a mad gene, but his world is turned upside down when he realizes that his dear aunts have been poisoning lonely old men for years! When Mortimer’s maniacal brother, Jonathan. (who strangely now resembles Boris Karloff) returns on the night that the aunts were planning to bury the newest victim, Mortimer must rally to help his aunts and protect his fiancé, all while trying to keep his own sanity as well.
Director: Larry Zerega
Cast: Judy Moebeck, Linda Spall, Tom Moore, Robert Jones, Ron Baker, Tori Stukins, Jeff Loeffler, Jeff Lovell, Ian Miller, William Beller, Scott Ewers, Tony Jaskiewicz and Gene Raucher.
Of Note: Tickets are available at the door (cash or check). Sorry, we do not take advanced reservations. The Guild is a very old building, historic in fact, but because of this we are not wheelchair or handicap accessible. The Guild has a total of 31 steps.
Photo of Jeff Lovell, Judy Moebeck, Linda Spall
”“Doctor Faustus, or The Modern Prometheus”
SATE
Nov. 7 – Nov. 17
Wed – Sat., 8 p.m.
The Chapel
6238 Alexander Drivewww.slightlyoff.org
314-827-5760
What It’s About: Written by John Wolbers, it is a modern day retelling of the age-old bargain for limitless control over one’s own fate. The brilliant Doctor Faustus grows weary of those in charge abusing their power; so, with the noblest of intentions, sells her soul to save the world. Thus begins an epic journey of seduction and love, justice and mercy, despair and hope, and ultimately damnation and redemption. Along the way Faustus must choose between good, evil and the compromise known as humanity.
Director: Ellie Schwetye
Cast: Ashley Bauman, Erik Kuhn, Kareem Deanes, Joe Hanrahan, Lex Ronan, Nicole Angeli, Mike Pierce and Taleesha Caturah
Of Note: Wolbers retains much of Christopher Marlowe’s original poetry, but reframes the story to examine: How does one effect change in an increasingly complex world? What is the value of a soul in today’s modern age? And what holds us back from transcending our baser instincts to become our best selves?
Tina Johnson, Caralyn Koszlowski in ‘A Doll’s House, Part 2″ at The Rep. Photo by Peter Wochniak, ProPhotoSTL.com “A Doll’s House, Part II”
The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
Oct. 11 – Nov. 4
Browning Mainstage, Loretto-Hilton Center
130 Edgar Roadwww.repstl.org
314-968-4925
What It’s About: Lucas Hnath’s audacious sequel was written more than 135 years after Henrik Ibsen’s original. The familial drama remains a foundational piece of theater, with a still-controversial ending in which a married woman chooses to walk out on her family. But in 2017, Hnath took the themes and characters of that familiar classic and flipped them on their heads, imagining what would happen if protagonist Nora Helmer returned home 15 years after her dramatic exit.
Director: Timothy Near
Starring: Caralyn Kozlowski, Andrea Abello, Michael James Reed, Tina Johnson
Photo by Peter Wochniak
“Into the Breeches”
Shakespeare Festival St. Louis
Oct. 28 – Nov. 24.
The Grandel Theatrewww.sfst.org
What It’s About: Building on its beloved summer productions in Forest Park, and the acclaimed Shakespeare in the Streets program, the Festival now presents its very first season of contemporary American plays by writers in dialogue with Shakespeare, headlined by the regional premiere of “Into the Breeches!” — a hilarious and heartwarming look at the WWII home front and a group of ladies left behind who band together to keep the local theater going with their very own production of Henry V.
Director: Nancy Bell
Starring: Kari Ely, Ben Nordstrom, Gary Wayne Barker, Michelle Hand, Katy Keating, Mary McNulty, Laura Resinger and Jacqueline Thompson
Of Note: Student tickets to all performances are free with an ID but it is recommended they be reserved in advance. A limited number of “Pay What You Can Nights” are scheduled for the “Breeches!” performances on Nov. 7 and 14, and should also be reserved in advance. Military discounts are available as well.
“La Cage Aux Folles”
Over Due Theatre Company
Nov. 2 – 4, Nov. 9 – 11
8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday
Olivette Community Center
For more information or ticket orders, email: OverDueTheatre@gmail.com or call (314) 292-9368.
What It’s About: Georges is the owner of the La Cage Aux Folles nightclub, which features a drag show starring his partner and the love of his life, Albin. After twenty years of un-wedded bliss, Georges and his partner Albin face the hardest challenge of their relationship, yet: meeting their son, Jean-Michel’s fiance’s parents. Albin has always raised Jean-Michel, Georges’ biological son, as his own. But when Jean-Michel falls in love and becomes engaged to the daughter of an ultra-conservative, anti-gay politician, Georges feels compelled to try to present a more “traditional” family to Jean-Michel’s potential in-laws. When Albin tries and fails to take on a masculine persona in the role of Uncle Al, he gets more creative in order to find a way to be part of the “meet the parents” experience.
Director:
Cast: Georges: Steven James Cook; Albin: Wayne Alan Mackenberg; Jean-Michel: Shane Rudolph; Jacob Benjamin: Sevilla; Eduoard Dindon: Mark Strahm; Marie Dindon: Carin Thyssen; Anne Dindon: Miranda Dereak; Francis: Bradley Fritz; Chantal: Grayson Jostes; Hanna: Laurie Blanner; Bitelle: Lashae Coleman; Babbette: Steven James Cook; Phaedra: Nick Perrin; Mercedes: Maggie Canizales; Jacqueline: Bekah Harbison; Angelique: Christy Schiller; M. Renaud: Daniel Horst; MM Renaud: Christy Schiller and Tabarro: Don Meyer.
Of Note: Based on Jean Poiret’s 1973 French play of the same name, the multi-Tony award-winning “La Cage Aux Folles” is a musical filled with delightful spectacle and great heart.
“Macbeth: Come Like Shadows”
Rebel and Misfits Productions
Immersive Theatre Project
Oct. 24 – Nov. 10
Wednesday through Saturday
www.rebelandmisfitsproductions.com
What It’s About: Dive into a shocking world and discover the heart and dark underbelly of a story that you have undoubtedly come in contact with before, but never allowed full access to the dripping heat and intimacy pulled along by its characters. This is one of Shakespeare’s boldest and most passionate plays deeply imagined.
Who are the inhabitants?  Why do their souls choose the courses they embark upon?  What is behind the door? Immerse yourself in a world of direct interaction, walk into this complexly-woven tale, wade into its unlocked depths.
Co-Directors: Kelly Hummert, Sean Patrick Higgins with Jordan Woods assisting.
Starring: Sean Patrick Higgins, Jeffrey Cummings, Spencer Sickmann, Reginald Pierre, Paul Cereghino, Shane Signorino, Kelly Hummert, Aarya Locker, Phil Leveling, Patrice Foster, Joel Antony, Hailey Medrano, Tieliere Cheatem, Cynthia Pohlson, Ali Linderer, Kevin Corpuz and Jordan Woods
Of Note: We invite you to meet these characters as you never have before. Drink with them.  Dance with them.  Share your secrets with them. They will, in turn, weave you into the fabric of the action. Come and experience this high-octane, dangerous, and sexy world, where nothing is ever quite what it seems.
Pick Up Location: 1615 South Broadway, St Louis, MO 63104 (parking lot near DB’s), buses will transport the audience to and from the location.
“One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”
Alton Little Theatre
Oct. 26 – Nov. 4
www.altonlittletheater.org
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, O’Fallon Theatre Works“One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”
O’Fallon Theatre Works
Nov. 2 -4, 9-11
O’Fallon Municipal Centre (City Hall), 100 N. Main St.
636-474-2732
https://www.ofallon.mo.us/parks&rec/ofallontheatreworks
What It’s About: Hard-hitting, thought provoking drama, based on the novel by Ken Kesey, is a chilling, cautionary tale of a charming rogue, Randle Patrick McMurphy, who contrives to serve a short sentence in an airy mental institution rather than prison. This, he learns, was a mistake. He clashes with the head nurse, Nurse Ratched, a fierce martinet. He quickly takes over the yard and accomplishes what the medical profession was unable to do for 12 years, prompt a presumably deaf and dumb Native American patient to speak. Leading the other patients out of their introversion, McMurphy stages a revolt so that they can watch the World Series on television and arranges a rollicking midnight party. The party is too horrid for Nurse Ratched, who forces a final “correction” on McMurphy, a frontal lobotomy. The play won a Tony® Award for “Outstanding Revival of a Play” in 2001. Adult content. Parental discretion is advised.
Cast: Randall P McMurphy-Todd Micali; Nurse Ratched-Kathy Haake Rush; Chief Bromden-James McKinzie; Dale Harding-Terrance Peterson; Billy Bibbit-Andrew Woodard; Charles Cheswick-Joe Groeblinghoff; Scanlon-Ken Brostow; Martini-Harry Menner; Nurse Flynn-Ellie Lanham; Nurse Cheever-Katherine Lee; Candy Starr-Katy Gilda Fry; Sandy-Christine Reid Latimer and Rickey-Arturo Latimer.
Rub a Dub George-Gary Hessler
Dr. Spivey-David Rush
Aide Turkey-Brian Jones
Aide Warren-Tony Maldonado
Aide Williams-Vic Porcellli
Ensemble-Jackson Fugate, Eliza Schnelle,
 

“A Raisin in the Sun”
Hawthorne Players
Nov. 2 – 11
Friday, Saturday at 7:30 p.m., Nov. 11 at 2 p.m.www.hawthorneplayers.com
314-921-5678
What It’s About: Lorraine Hansberry’s acclaimed play follows the Youngers, an African-American family living together in 1950s Chicago. The family receives a $10,000 insurance check from the death of the father, but each member wants that money to fund a different dream. Tensions increase as each one tries to find a way to escape the lower-class neighborhood—bringing up questions of identity, class, value, race and love—and outside forces work against them.
Director: Nancy Crouse
Cast: Ruth Younger – Jazmine Wade; Walter Lee Younger – Erick Lindsey; Beneatha Younger – Ashley Santana; Lena Younger – Kimmie Kidd; Travis Younger – Joshua Bruton; Joseph Asagai – Moses Weathers; George Murchison – Brennon Keys; Mrs. Johnson – Rhonda Cropp; Bobo – Archie Coleman; Karl Lindner – John Mefford; and Moving Men – Mike Renez, Kevin Bruton.
 
“Silent Sky”
Insight Theatre Company
Oct. 19 – Nov. 4
Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m.
Kranzberg Arts Center, 510 N. Grand
314 – 556-1293
www.insighttheatrecompany.com
What It’s About: When Henrietta Leavitt begins work at the Harvard Observatory in the early 1900s, she isn’t allowed to touch a telescope or express an original idea. Instead, she joins a group of women “computers,” charting the stars for a renowned astronomer who calculates projects in “girl hours” and has no time for the women’s probing theories. As Henrietta, in her free time, attempts to measure the light and distance of stars, she must also take measure of her life on Earth, trying to balance her dedication to science with family obligations and the possibility of love.
Of Note: The true story of 19th-century astronomer Henrietta Leavitt explores a woman’s place in society during a time of immense scientific discoveries, when women’s ideas were dismissed until men claimed credit for them. Social progress, like scientific progress, can be hard to see when one is trapped among earthly complications; Henrietta Leavitt and her female peers believe in both, and their dedication changed the way we understand both the heavens and Earth.”
 
“whither should I fly”
Theatre Nuevo
Part of Faustival
Oct. 25 – Nov. 11, 8 p.m.
Centene Center for the Arts
3457 Olive St.
www.theatrenuevo.com
What It’s About: A devised exploration of prescriptive women’s behavior through witchcraft and multilevel marketing, written by Amanda Wales and Gabe Taylor.
Director: Gabe Taylor
Starring: Thalia Cruz, Miranda Jagels Felix, Alicen Moser, Tori Thomas, Amanda Wales and Marcy Wiegert.
 
 
 
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