The national tour of the Broadway musical HAMILTON will return to the Fabulous Fox Theatre as part of the 2024-2025 Broadway season, as announced Jan. 11 in celebration of Alexander Hamilton’s birthday by producer Jeffrey Seller and the Fabulous Fox Theatre.
The best way to guarantee tickets to HAMILTON is to purchase a season subscription for the Fabulous Fox Theatre’s 2024-2025 Broadway season. Season ticket holders who renew their subscription for the 2024-2025 season will get priority access to purchase tickets for the return engagement of HAMILTON before tickets become available to the general public. The 2024-2025 Broadway season will be announced at a later date.
HAMILTON will be playing the Fabulous Fox Theatre for two weeks only August 28 – September 8, 2024. Information on how to purchase groups and single tickets will be announced at a later time.
A revolutionary story of passion, unstoppable ambition, and the dawn of a new nation. HAMILTON is the epic saga that follows the rise of Founding Father Alexander Hamilton as he fights for honor, love, and a legacy that would shape the course of a nation.
Based on Ron Chernow’s acclaimed biography and set to a score that blends hip-hop, jazz, R&B, and Broadway, HAMILTON has had a profound impact on culture, politics, and education. In addition to its 11 Tony Awards, it has won Grammy®, Olivier Awards, the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and an unprecedented special citation from the Kennedy Center Honors.
HAMILTON features book, music, and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, direction by Thomas Kail, choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler, and musical supervision and orchestrations by Alex Lacamoire.
HAMILTON features scenic design by David Korins, costume design by Paul Tazewell, lighting design by Howell Binkley, sound design by Nevin Steinberg, hair and wig design by Charles G. LaPointe, and casting by Telsey + Company, Bethany Knox, CSA.
The musical is produced by Jeffrey Seller, Sander Jacobs, Jill Furman and The Public Theater.
The HAMILTON Original Broadway Cast Recording is available everywhere nationwide.
For information on HAMILTON, visit: HamiltonMusical.com. Follow HAMILTON on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X & TikTok @HamiltonMusical.
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.
I admit it. I was skeptical of the whole ‘Barbenheimer” match-up that same week in July. But you know what? It worked — the two biggest movies of the year, and two of the most critically acclaimed. They couldn’t have been more different, and they dominated the film conversation. They’re my one-two punch. Eight of my Top Ten received Academy Award nominations for Best Picture. I was not on the bandwagon for “Poor Things,” or “Killers of the Flower Moon” (but yet I acknowledge the technical prowess, and Lily Gladstone was robbed). As part of the team at Webster-Kirkwood Times, we publish our Top Ten in alphabetical order, then on KTRS Radio, I only did my Top Ten, but here, I get to give as many films and people I want to a trophy, a shout-out. It’s my list, so without further ado, here’s my favorites. (And I really did see about 150 films.)
1. Oppenheimer
Director Christopher Nolan’s erudite character study on American theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer is a stunning achievement in sight, sound, story, and scope. A big-brained biopic, meticulously crafted like a big-stakes psychological thriller, is bold cinematic grandeur, featuring the year’s best ensemble, cinematography, editing, sound, and tremendous performance by Cillian Murphy in the titular role. He’s nearly on screen the entire time.
2. Barbie
Director and co-writer Greta Gerwig crafted an irresistible female-fantastic self-aware fantasy-comedy that brims with great gags, first-rate actors (Kenergy!), and vibrant visuals. Gerwig and co-writer Noah Baumbach’s toy story takes a closer look at a fashion doll icon in a clever and inventive way, and says so much about us through a splendid cast. Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling anchor one of the year’s best ensembles: America Ferrera , Kate McKinnon and Michael Cera add flavor, and the bevy of cameos evoke big grins.
3. The Holdovers
Tapping into the anger and loneliness of people who find themselves alone at a New England boarding school during Christmas 1970, director Alexander Payne coaxes terrific performances from Paul Giamatti as a misanthrope teacher, Da’Vine Joy Randolph as a grieving cook, and newcomer Dominic Sessa as a student abandoned by his mother and new husband. Screenwriter David Hemingson’s comedy-drama resonates in a rich and deeply satisfying way.
4. Past Lives
A trio of pitch-perfect performances mark Celine Song’s directorial debut on how people we love shape our lives, and what we learn and still carry with us. Greta Lee, Teo Yoo and John Magaro are adults at a crossroads, and express yearning, but from distinctive viewpoints. Song’s script brings up relatable issues to ponder, especially “In-Yun,” the ties of fate that connect two people across lifetimes.
5. Anatomy of a Fall
Justine Triet’s Hitchcockian examination of a mysterious death and a troubled marriage is a riveting crime case, courtroom thriller and family drama that shifts lenses and perspectives for nearly 2 hours and 31 minutes. Set in the French Alps, Sandra Huller is riveting as the accused wife, whom you are not always sympathetic with, and Milo Machado-Graner is sensational as her 11-year old son.
6. The Zone of Interest
Constructed in such a way as to be more disturbing about what you don’t see and can only imagine based on historical accuracy. Director Jonathan Glazer focuses on the mundane daily life of Nazi mastermind Rudolph Hoess (Christian Freidel) and his family for an unsettling look at the past and a chilling cautionary tale for today. The Hoesses live next door to Auschwitz in their dream home while he is the head commander of the concentration camp. How the Germans normalized the atrocities is haunting.
7. Maestro
Career-best performances from Bradley Cooper as America’s first superstar conductor Leonard Bernstein and Carey Mulligan as his wife, actress Felicia Montealegre, in an intricate portrait of life, art and love. They throw themselves into these roles with a heartfelt and powerful intensity. It’s an uncommon but charismatic exploration, and this passion project has stunning camera work, costumes, production design, sound, hair/makeup and one of the year’s finest scenes: Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 in the Ely Cathedral. 8. American Fiction
A scathing social satire about the current cultural obsession about reducing people to stereotypes is manifested in a remarkable directorial debut by Cord Jefferson. Jeffrey Wright is outstanding as a frustrated novelist-professor who uses offensive tropes in a book written with a pen name and that not only gives him the praise that had eluded him but also enlarges the hypocrisy involved. The sharp jabs against the publishing world and Hollywood entertainment that perpetuates tired cliches delivers some knockout punches, but there is a universal family dynamic as a major part of the journey too that emotionally connects.
9. Air
An exceptional all-star ensemble and Alex Convery’s savvy script with a keen sense of time and place makes this a fascinating underdog story. The tightly-constructed film, based on the game-changing story of Nike landing Michael Jordan, gives the real people their due for their efforts in a sturdy crowd-pleaser deftly helmed by Ben Affleck.
10. Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret
In her adaptation of the iconic young adult novel, writer-director Kelly Fremon Craig doesn’t hit a false note. With unforced wit and oodles of charm, this empathetic coming-of-age story resonates with every little detail. Abby Ryder Fortson delivers the year’s best juvenile performance.
The Rest of the Best of 2023: All of Us Strangers American Symphony Boston Strangler The Color Purple Dream Scenario Dumb Money Godzilla Minus One Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant The Iron Claw John Wick Chapter 4 The Last Repair Shop May December A Million Miles Away Nyad Origin Perfect Days Society of the Snow Still: A Michael J Fox Movie The Teachers’ Lounge Tetris
Best Performances by an Actor
Cillian Murphy “Oppenheimer”
Bradley Cooper “Maestro”
Paul Giamatti “The Holdovers”
Jeffrey Wright “American Fiction”
Colman Domingo “Rustin”
Andrew Scott “All of Us Strangers”
Teo Yoo “Past Lives”
Koji Yakusho “Perfect Days”
Paul Dano “Dumb Money”
Nicolas Cage “Dream Scenario”
(Matt Damon “Air,” Christian Friedel “The Zone of Interest,” Jamie Foxx “The Burial,” Gael Garcia-Bernal in “Cassandro,” and Zac Efron “The Iron Claw” honorable mention)
Best Performances by an Actress
Lily Gladstone – “Killers of the Flower Moon”
Carey Mulligan – “Maestro”
Margot Robbie – “Barbie”
Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor – “Origin”
Sandra Huller – “Anatomy of a Fall”
Greta Lee – “Past Lives”
Natalie Portman – “May December”
Annette Bening – “Nyad”
Leonie Benesch “The Teachers’ Lounge”
Teyana Taylor “A Thousand and One”
(Alma Poysti “Fallen Leaves,” Cailee Spaeny “Priscilla,” Michelle Williams “Showing Up,” Laurie Metcalf “Somewhere in Queens” honorable mention)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Ryan Gosling “Barbie”
Robert Downey Jr. “Oppenheimer”
Charles Melton “May December”
Robert DeNiro “Killers of the Flower Moon”
Dominic Sessa “The Holdovers”
Glenn Howerton “BlackBerry”
Paul Mescal “All of Us Strangers”
Jamie Bell “All of Us Strangers”
Dar Salim “Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant”
John Magaro “Past Lives”
(Sterling K. Brown “American Fiction,” Eddie Marsan “Fair Play,” Jon Bernthal “Origin,” Hugh Grant “Wonka,” Matt Damon “Oppenheimer,” Jacob Elordi “Saltburn” and Sebastian Stan “Dumb Money” honorable mention)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Da’Vine Joy Randolph “The Holdovers”
Danielle Brooks “The Color Purple”
Jodie Foster “Nyad”
Viola Davis “Air”
Rachel McAdams “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret”
Sandra Huller “The Zone of Interest”
America Ferrara “Barbie”
Emily Blunt “Oppenheimer”
Julianne Moore “May December”
Claire Foy “All of Us Strangers”
(Juliette Binoche “The Taste of Things,” Rosamund Pike “Saltburn,” Erika Alexander “American Fiction,” Cara Jade Myers “Killers of the Flower Moon” honorable mention)
BEST DIRECTOR
Christopher Nolan “Oppenheimer”
Greta Gerwig “Barbie”
Justine Triet “Anatomy of a Fall”
Jonathan Glazer “The Zone of Interest”
Chad Stahelski “John Wick Chapter 4”
Cord Jefferson “American Fiction”
Alexander Payne “The Holdovers”
Celine Song “Past Lives”
Andrew Haigh “All of Us Strangers”
Takashi Yamazaki “Godzilla Minus One”
(J.A. Bayona “Society of the Snow,” Ben Affleck “Air,” Kelly Fremon Craig “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret,” Bradley Cooper “Maestro,” Sean Durkin “The Iron Claw” and Davis Guggenheim “Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie”)
ENSEMBLE
Oppenheimer
Barbie
Air
The Holdovers
The Iron Claw
The Color Purple
Rustin
All of Us Strangers
Origin
American Fiction
SCREENPLAY – ORIGINAL
Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach “Barbie”
David Heminson “The Holdovers”
Justine Triet and Arthur Harari “Anatomy of a Fall”
Celine Song “Past Lives”
Alex Convery “Air”
Kristoffer Borgli “Dream Scenario”
Nicole Holofcener “You Hurt My Feelings”
Samy Burch, Alex Mechanik “May December”
İlker Çatak, Johannes Duncker “The Teachers’ Lounge”
Bettina Gilois, Hernán Jiménez, Alejandra Márquez Abella “A Million Miles Away”
Ray Romano, Mark Stegemann “Somewhere in Queens”
SCREENPLAY – ADAPTED
Christopher Nolan “Oppenheimer” (based on the book “American Prometheus” by Kai Bird, Martin J. Sherwin)
Cord Jefferson “American Fiction” (based on the book “Erasure” by Percival Everett
Andrew Haigh “All of Us Strangers” (based on the Taichi Yamada novel)
Jonathan Glazer “The Zone of Interest” (based on the Martin Amis novel)
Kelly Fremon Craig “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret” (based on the book by Judy Blume)
“Dumb Money” Rebecca Angelo, Lauren Schuker Blum (based on the book by Ben Mezrich)
CINEMATOGRAPHY
1. Hoyte de Hoytema “Oppenheimer” 2. Rodrigo Prieto “Killers of the Flower Moon” 3. Matthew Libatique “Maestro” 4. Jonathan Ricquebourg “The Taste of Things” 5. Rodrigo Prieto “Barbie” 6. Erik Messerschmidt “The Killer” 7. Claude Mirando “Nyad” 8. Jamie D. Ramsay “All of Us Strangers” 9. Simon Beaufils “Anatomy of a Fall” 10. Dan Laustsen “John Wick Chapter 4”
(Pedro Luque “Society of the Snow.” Haris Zambarloukos “A Haunting in Venice,” Linus Sandgren “Saltburn” honorable mention)
BEST EDITING
Oppenheimer, Jennifer Lame
The Killer, Kirk Baxter
Anatomy of a Fall, Haris Zambarloukos
The Zone of Interest, Paul Watts
John Wick: Chapter 4
Still a Michael J. Fox Movie
Barbie, Nick Houy
American Fiction, Hilda Rasula
The Iron Claw, Matthew Hannam
The Holdovers, Kevin Tent
John Wick Chapter 4, Nathan Orloff
Missing, Austin Keeling, Arielle Zakowski
(L to R) Jake Ryan, Jason Schwartzman and Tom Hanks in director Wes Anderson’s ASTEROID CITY, a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of Pop. 87 Productions/Focus Features
PRODUCTION DESIGN
1.Asteroid City, Adam Stockhausen 2. Barbie, Sarah Greenwood 3. Wonka, Nathan Crowley 4. The Holdovers, Ryan Smith 5. Maestro, Kevin Thompson 6. Taste of Things, Toma Baqueni 8. Priscilla, Tamara Deverell 9. Oppenheimer, Ruth De Jong 10. Killers of the Flower Moon, Jack Fisk (Suzie Davies “Saltburn,” John Paul Kelly “A Haunting in Venice,” Arthur Max “Napoleon,” François Audouy “Air,” Steve Saklad “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret” and Shona Heath, James Price “Poor Things”)
COSTUME DESIGN
1. Barbie 2. The Color Purple 3. Maestro 4. Killers of the Flower Moon 5. Priscilla 6. Are You There, God? It’s Me Margaret” 7. Oppenheimer 8. Napoleon
MUSIC SCORE
1. Oppenheimer 2. The Boy and the Heron 3. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Daniel Pemberton 4. The Holdovers 5. American Symphony, Jon Batiste 6. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, John Williams 7. A Haunting in Venice MUSIC SOUNDTRACK
1. Barbie 2. Air 3. Maestro 4. The Holdovers 5. Flora and Son 6. Dumb Money 7. Wonka
VISUAL EFFECTS
Oppenheimer 2. Godzilla Minus One 3. John Wick: Chapter 4 4. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse 5. Society of the Snow 6. Wonka 7. Guardians of the Galaxy
STUNT TEAM
1. John Wick Chapter 4 2. Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One 3. The Iron Claw 4. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
ANIMATED FEATURE
1.The Boy and the Heron 2. Nimona 3. The Peasants 4. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse 5. Robot Dreams 6. Elemental 7. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem 8. Ernest and Celestine: A Trip to Gibberitia 9. They Shot the Piano Player 10. Leo
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Still A Michael J. Fox Movie 2. American Symphony 3. Beyond Utopia 4. 20 Days in Mariupol 5. It Ain’t Over 6. The Lady Bird Diaries 7. King Coal 8. Stamped from the Beginning 9. Aurora Sunrise 10. Bad Press (The Eternal Memory, Little Richard: I Am Everything, Immediate Family, The Disappearance of Shere Hite, Chasing Chasing Amy, Sly)
COMEDY
1. Barbie 2. Dream Scenario 3. The Holdovers 4. Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret 5. They Cloned Tyrone 6. What’s Love Got to Do With It? 7. Dumb Money 8. You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah 9. Theater Camp 10,. Quiz Lady 10. Shotgun Wedding
ACTION
John Wick Chapter 4 2. Mission Impossible – Dead Reckoning, Part One 3. Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant 4. Godzilla Minus One 5. The Killer 6. The Equalizer Part 3 7. Gran Turismo
BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE
1. The Zone of Interest 2. Anatomy of a Fall 3. The Teachers’ Lounge 4. Society of the Snow 5. Perfect Days 6. Afire 7. The Peasants 8. Godzilla Minus One 9. Fallen Leaves 10. The Taste of Things
BEST SCENE
1.America Ferrara’s monologue on the impossible standards set for women in “Barbie” 2. Bernstein Conducting Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 “Resurrection” in the Ely Cathedral in “Maestro” 3. Observers commenting on trio at the bar in “Past Lives” 4. Trinity test in “Oppenheimer” 5. Staircase fight in Paris in “John Wick Chapter 4” 6. Fight replay at the trial in “Anatomy of a Fall” 7. Tilda Swinton restaurant scene in “The Killer” 8. Joe talking to his son on the roof in “May December” 9. Finale in “The Zone of Interest” 10. Matt Damon predicts the future in “Air”
BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT
The Last Repair Shop
The ABC’s of Book Banning
Deciding Vote
The Barber of Little Rock
BEST JUVENILE PERFORMANCES
Dominic Sessa, “The Holdovers”
Abby Ryder Fortson, “Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret”
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.
A scathing social satire about the current cultural obsession that reduces people to stereotypes is manifested in “American Fiction,” which is a remarkable directorial debut by Cord Jefferson.
Monk (Jeffrey Wright) is a frustrated novelist who is fed up with people profiting from ‘black’ entertainment that relies on offensive tropes. So, to prove his point, he uses a pen name to write an outlandish ‘black’ book of his own, which propels him to the heart of hypocrisy and the madness he claims to disdain.
Jefferson, who has toiled on some tony television series – “Succession” and “Watchmen” included, has cleverly adapted Percival Everett’s 2001 book “Erasure,” which criticizes the narrow view of black-focused entertainment like Sapphire’s novel “Push,” which was adapted into the film “Precious,” as authentic.
His sharp jabs against the publishing world and Hollywood entertainment that perpetuates tired cliches delivers some knockout punches, but there is a universal family dynamic as a major part of the journey too that emotionally connects.
Jeffrey Wright gives one of his best performances as Thelonius “Monk” Ellison, angry and alienating, who decides to fight back – if you ‘can’t beat them, join them’ – and dumbs down his writing in a book “My Pafology,” as Stagg R Leigh, an ex-con who’s on the run.
That not only gives him the praise that had eluded him but also enlarges the hypocrisy involved. As he tells his publisher, Arthur, nicely played by ace character actor John Ortiz: “The dumber I behave, the richer I get.”
In puncturing the stereotypes through thoughtfully written characters that are part of Monk’s personal orbit, Jefferson gives us a generational story that everyone can relate to because they appear as real people just trying to figure out life.
The supporting cast is exceptionally deep – creating nuanced turns are Sterling K. Brown as Monk’s irresponsible brother Cliff who has now come out as queer, Tracee Ellis Ross as his stressed-out lawyer sister Lisa and Leslie Uggams as their mother Agnes, who is beginning to show signs of dementia.
Tracee Ellis Ross, Leslie Uggams
Lisa has been taking care of their mom, and Monk’s other siblings are harboring resentment about his lack of commitment to his family. Granted, he is in L.A., but now back in Massachusetts, where he’s staying at his childhood home, full of memories and triggers. This is a family of intellectuals whose lives are enriched through art and culture.
Erika Anderson creates another layer as a single woman lawyer romantically interested in Monk, but whose eyes are wide-open to his flaws.
Through his uneasy relationships with his family, we understand that Monk, often self-righteous and condescending, needs to change and could be ripe for a reckoning.
Issa Rae is buzzy author Sintara Golden who pushes all of Monk’s buttons with her critical darling but pandering book, “We’s Lives In Da Ghetto,” that the public has embraced for what they believe is black suffering,
Jefferson’s script is smartly written, but there is a lot to digest over the 2-hour runtime. Besides the blistering social commentary, the family story has multiple layers. This cast really delivers the film’s heart as these imperfect individuals go through changes, not forgetting the past relationships while forging new ones.
In a sweet subplot, the family housekeeper, Lorraine, beautifully played by Myra Lucretia Taylor, reunites with the beach town’s law enforcement officer Maynard (Raymond Anthony Thomas).
Laura Karpman’s jazz-inflected score delicately punctuates the exchanges and confrontations, and the film’s other elements are solid — cinematography by Cristina Dunlap, production design by Jonathan Guggenheim and editing by Hilda Rasula.
The film’s message is not unlike what Spike Lee attempted in 2000 with “Bamboozled,” only instead of television, this is set in academia and book publishing in today’s ‘influencer’ world.
The wrap-up isn’t as satisfying as it should be, but this material is clever and the performances so superbly rendered. “American Fiction” has enough thought-provoking material to keep us mulling over the body of work, and appreciate what it’s trying to say.
“American Fiction” is a 2023 social satire written and directed by Cord Jefferson. It stars Jeffrey Wright, Tracee Ellis Ross, Issa Rae, Sterling K. Brown, John Ortiz, Adam Brody, Leslie Uggams, Myra Lucretia Taylor, Raymond Anthony Thomas and Erika Anderson. It is Rated: R for language throughout, some drug use, sexual references, and brief violence. It opened in local theaters Jan. 5 after first debuting at the St. Louis International Film Festival in mid-November. Lynn’s Grade: A-
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.
A strong sense of community, sisterhood and triumph over adversity runs through the big, splashy movie musical adaptation of “The Color Purple.”
What an inspiration Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize winning 1982 novel was 41 years ago, and its historic significance has not diminished. It told Celie’s powerful story through letters to her sister and children, which isn’t the easiest type of source material to adapt for film, nor are the horrors that she has endured. But a different presentation is a new way to see how one woman’s journey to self-realization resonates.
A determined Celie Harris (Fantasia Barrino) faces many hardships in life, but through the years, finds extraordinary strength and hope, and learns self-acceptance.
Purple symbolizes strength, transformation, power, wisdom, bravery, and all meanings can be applied in this version.
Celie’s tough path started in 1909 in rural Georgia. She’s a poor, black 14-year-old girl who has delivered two babies, impregnated by the man she thinks is her father. They are taken away from her.
Against her will, she has been given to a widower Albert “Mister” Johnson, who emotionally and physically abuses her. She must serve him and his unruly children. As the heartless husband perpetuating a long cycle of suffering, Colman Domingo doesn’t soften the villainous aspects. However, after he is cursed, you do see a gradual change.
Celie’s endurance through deep-rooted cruelty and oppression is heart-tugging, and Barrino depicts her sorrows, love and indomitable spirit with courage and grace.
Fantasia, an American Idol winner who performed the role for eight months on Broadway, portrays Celie’s faith as unwavering through tough times, and how she relied on her beloved sister Nettie (Halle Bailey) and her church to raise her up. Her kindness will eventually lead to good things.
Things change, through the people she meets, but she also changes people. The nurturing Celie meets the glamorous and sophisticated nightclub chanteuse Shug Avery, and they have a deep bond even though the singer has an ongoing affair with Mister and a marriage to Grady (Jon Batiste). Taraji P. Henson is a flamboyant and fiery Shug, and sashays admirably through “Push the Button,” In a role added for the movie, David Alan Grier plays her father, Rev. Avery.
One of Mister’s grown children, Harpo (Corey Hawkins) , marries Sofia, and Danielle Brooks is marvelous as the strong-willed free spirit, known for her independence and speaking her mind, with her phrase: “Hell, no!” even a song title that’s a showstopper. She cannot be ‘tamed,’ and her outspokenness will bring her harm. Brooks reprises her Broadway role and is the dynamo here.
As the story has evolved from book to movie to musical to movie musical, the familiar main points haven’t changed, although how much time is devoted to turning points has varied.
For whatever reason a movie that had been smoothly running along feels rushed and haphazard in its last act, because of choppy storytelling and erratic pacing. But overall, director Blitz Bazawule makes the theatrical elements of a stage play cinematic.
Dan Lausten’s cinematography, Paul Denham Austerberry’s production design and Francine Jamison-Tanchuck’s costumes — 40 years of style — are vibrant components of the ultimately uplifting and very spiritual essence of this work.
The dynamic ensemble deeply feels their experiences, but the film finds its emotional center in the musical numbers. The score is an appealing mix of gospel, jazz, ragtime, blues, and African beats, with the Broadway songs by Brenda Russell, the late Allee Willis, and Stephen Bray that bring out the purpose, yearnings and period of these early 20th century lives. Sixteen songs are from the stage musical and there are several new ones: “Keep It Movin'” (written by Halle Bailey) and “Superpower.”
Mega-talented Kris Bowers composed the film’s score, and Fatima Robinson’s choreography is joyous.
Steven Spielberg directed the first adaptation – a moving 1985 film, which famously was nominated for 11 Oscars, but didn’t win any. Spielberg is among the producers of this version, so is Quincy Jones, who scored the original, and so is Oprah Winfrey, who was Oscar-nominated as Sofia.
Jones and Winfrey helped launch the 2005 musical on Broadway, which was revived in 2015, and this is a combination of the two. While this version, adapted by Marcus Gardley from Marsha Norman’s book, doesn’t shy away from Celie’s harsh life, its sisterhood focus sweetens the story.
Over the course of several decades, what the women learn, how they grow and overcome obstacles will tug at our hearts, so that the mercy shown in the second act leads to triumph– and somewhat of a redemption for Mister.
The heart and soul of any version is Celie, and it’s no fluke that both actresses who played Celie on Broadway — LaChanze in the original 2005 production and Cynthia Erivo in the 2015 revival — won Tony Awards (Director John Doyle’s re-imagining also won the Tony Award for Best Revival). When Fantasia sings the powerhouse “I’m Here,” she puts an exclamation point on a sensational debut.
Yes, it’s gut-wrenching, but it’s also about healing, resilience, and the mighty power of love. Throughout our history, we have learned that we should never forget what’s happened before, those teachable moments that make us better people.
The ensemble is top-tier in every way. Singers Ciara and H.E.R. are elder Nettie and Squeak respectively, and Louis Gossett Jr. has a memorable turn as Ol’ Mister. Even the brief parts contribute a sense of faith, hope and charity that church communities share.
If you believe, as I do, that if you spread light and love in the world, and are a good person, then the universe responds in kind. That is ultimately why Celie’s story is relatable. She never gave up her belief in goodness, and finally realized her worth as a human being.
While musicals are a hard sell as movies these days, “The Color Purple” has enduring appeal for what it says and what it means. The cast makes this version shine, for they bring emotional truth to each role.
“The Color Purple” is a 2023 musical directed by Blitz Bazawule and starring Fantasia Barrino, Colman Domingo, Danielle Brooks, Corey Hawkins, Taraji P. Henson, Halle Bailey, Ciara, Jon Batiste, Gabriella Wilson (H.E.R.), Louis Gossett Jr., David Alan Grier. It is rated PG-13 for mature thematic content, sexual content, violence and language, and runs 2 hours, 20 minutes. It opens in theaters Dec. 25. Lynn’s grade: B+
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.
While it has all the makings of an old-fashioned feel-good sports drama, perhaps we’ve seen too many rousing underdog team stories so that “The Boys in the Boat” pales in comparison to other revered crowd-pleasers (“Rudy,” “Hoosiers,” “Remember the Titans”).
This latest example of scrappy athletes overcoming obstacles is based on a bestselling nonfiction book by Daniel James Brown, “The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics,” which was published in 2013.
At the height of the Great Depression, an underdog team of rowers at the University of Washington struggle and sacrifice, eventually competing in the ”world is watching’ Hitler Summer Olympics.
Their true story is remarkable – eight guys from lower-middle-class families overcome obstacles, endure the uncertainty of the Great Depression, and find glory at the Nazi Olympics, triumphing while Hitler’s Third-Reich propaganda was in full force.
But the script by Mark L. Smith, adapting Brown’s book, hits the predictable beats in such an uninspired way that it feels generic. Smith must be a streaky writer, for he crafted the wilderness epic “The Revenant” but also the confusing and clumsy storytelling in “The Midnight Sky” and the forgettable “The Marsh King’s Daughter” earlier this fall.
This is the second time Smith has worked with Clooney as a director, first with the aforementioned “The Midnight Sky” in 2020.
This is Clooney’s ninth film in the director’s chair, and while I’m sure the movie has enough components to move some people, it seems too familiar and flat. There is little that is special about it.
His last, in 2021, “The Tender Bar,” was a heartfelt coming-of-age story also based on a book. He showed such great promise with “Good Night, and Good Luck” in 2005 and “The Ides of March” in 2011, that you’d think a story tailor-made for Hollywood treatment would be a perfect fit.
He does work well with young actors, but the script lets them down because their characters are largely underdeveloped. The eight-man rowing shell doesn’t have any star power either, and I’m sure that was intentional, to make them a team in every sense of the word.
Callum Turner, as poor boy Joe Rantz, has the most compelling story arc, although predictable. He’s on his own, sleeping in a car, and can’t pay his tuition, so when he finds out rowers are given places to stay and a job, he’s in.
Rantz becomes the de facto leader of the motley crew, and you just know they will beat the odds (besides, you already know the outcome of what happened 87 years ago). The handsome Turner (Theseus Scamander in the “Fantastic Beasts” movie franchise) is likable as Joe, but a subplot with girlfriend Joyce (Hadley Robinson) seems perfunctory.
Joel Edgerton is their coach Al Ulbrickson, a no-nonsense guy who believes in his team but has a gruff manner. He wants them to achieve “swing,” when teammates are in perfect union so that the symmetry feels like poetry.
By the time they are on their improbable trajectory, the film builds up some energy and it’s stirring when they beat Ivy Leaguers for the Olympic spot, and of course, the whole USA vs. Hitler match-up in Germany goes for the obvious.
While often clunky in storytelling, the conventional sports saga has a beautiful look – the sun on the rippling water, young muscular lads exerting themselves in competition, and the imposing Olympic-size landscape. Cinematographer Martin Ruhe, who has worked with Clooney several times (including those Nespresso commercials), captures the action well. And Alexander Desplat’s score swells with emotion at the right times.
A documentary “The Boys of ’36,” is currently streaming on PBS, and was first broadcast on “American Experience” in 2016. It may flesh out some of the story that the fictional account fails to deliver.
A beat-all-the-odds real-life story deserved a better movie than filmmakers put together. They needed more than a rah-rah message of “we’re all in the same boat.” (OK, groan).
“The Boys in the Boat” is a 2023 Biography, Drama, Sports film directed by George Clooney and starring Joel Edgerton, Callum Turner, and Hadley Robinson. It is rated: PG-13 for language and smoking and runtime is 2 hours, 4 minutes. Opens in theaters Dec. 25, and will eventually stream on Amazon Prime. Lynn’s Grade: C
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.
Overflowing with cheer and kindness, “It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play” is as comforting as a mug of hot cocoa and as heartwarming as the cherished 1946 film.
Festively decorated inside and out for the holidays, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis is the bearer of glad tidings with this crisp and polished production, an announced substitution for the previously scheduled “A Christmas Carol,” which had been presented in 2021 and 2022.
But this was more than a performance – it was a change in direction and a celebration of community. The Rep went public with their financial woes in mid-October, starting a “Rally for the Rep!” campaign to raise $2.5 million by year’s end to continue the 57-year-old regional professional theater in the new year.
A Dec. 17 benefit, an online auction, and other fundraising efforts are being promoted, and this production is the first opportunity for The Rep to welcome patrons back to the Loretto-Hilton Center since the news broke.
They have added some ‘zhuzh’ to the welcoming atmosphere. Company Manager Michael D. Ward donated for the decoration, design and setup of the interior and exterior, and collaborated with the front of house staff to set those charming scenes.
Besides the merry mood, opening night also was a statement. You could feel the goodwill from the audience, and in the lobby afterwards, where trays of chocolate chip cookies were placed, and people snapped photos near the John Goodman cardboard cut-out. Goodman, the world-renowned actor who is a hometown treasure, will headline the Dec. 17 benefit.
Photo by Jon Gitchoff
Everything about this show gleamed – the company of all local performers’ glee was palpable and the nostalgic setting of KSTL’s studio harkened back to the Golden Age of Radio.
This play-within-a-play is a savvy adaptation by Joe Landry, reworking his play that modified the movie that’s now a holiday staple. The twist to the timeless tale is that it’s being performed by characters who work at the radio station.
This version was first produced last year by the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, whose artistic director Rick Dildine was previously affiliated with the St. Louis Shakespeare Festival. And The Rep is producing this show in association with ASF and is made possible in part by the support of The Berges Family Foundation.
Kate Bergstrom has directed both, displaying a deft touch for staging the action for optimum viewing and maximum ‘feels.’ Stage Managers Emilee Buchheit and Anna Baranski energetically stage-managed the show to keep the 2-hour show running smooth.
The ensemble shines – in individual roles and as a collective in the workplace. Anchoring the show is Michael James Reed, playing actor Jake Laurents, who is also a military officer serving in World War II. He’s a terrific George Bailey, conveying the distress of a man whose faith and hope has been eroded, but also a caring neighbor and friend in his daily interactions.
Melissa Harlow, Michael James Reed. Photo by Jon Gitchoff
Laurents/Reed plays a family man and banker whose life in Bedford Falls is not what he had imagined for himself, but circumstances led to him to bloom where he was planted.
As problems mount up, and he wishes he had never been born, it’s up to his guardian angel, Clarence, to show him what the town would have been like without him — and the many good deeds he has accomplished.
Upon closer observation, the source material is quite dark — a man is desperate, ready to throw in the towel, feeling as if he’s failed. But looking back at the impact his life has made is a beautiful observation about connection. And we can all relate.
For the screenplay, movie director Frank Capra, three-time Oscar winner (“It Happened One Night,” “Mr. Deeds Goes to Town,” and “You Can’t Take It with You”) collaborated with married screenwriting duo Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett, Oscar-nominated for “The Thin Man” and “Father of the Bride,” among their filmographies.
Their source was a 1943 short story, “The Greatest Gift,” written by Philip Van Doren Stern, which was inspired by Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.”
Daisy Held as a Sound Engineer. Photo by Jon Gitchoff
The movie, while earning five Oscar nominations in 1947, including Best Picture (lost to “The Best Years of Our Lives”) and another for Capra and James Stewart, was a box office flop and critics were lukewarm. It wasn’t until 1977, when its copyright lapsed and broadcasters were able to show it royalty-free, that it gained a following. Now it’s a perennial.
Today, no matter how many Christmas movies Hallmark churns out, “It’s a Wonderful Life” continues to top lists of favorite holiday movies. The Rep’s production reinforces why everyone loves it. Besides, who doesn’t want to believe in guardian angels?
The talent-rich 10-person ensemble is dialed in, seamlessly working together as radio employees and actors conveying the Bedford Falls denizens. Three are St. Louis Theater Circle winners (Michael James Reed, Eric Dean White and double-winner J Samuel Davis).
It’s fun to experience that part of America’s past, when a physical radio was an essential part of everyday life and the dominant home entertainment during the 1930s and 1940s. You’ve seen these settings in old-time movies and TV, and scenic designer An-Lin Dauber has recreated a vibrant studio where you can see — and hear — the sound engineers make the magic.
Eric Dean White, J Samuel Davis. Photo by Jon Gitchoff
With his mellifluous voice, Eric Dean White strikes a pleasant tone as a seasoned radio announcer. He’s amusing when he delivers commercials for Schnucks, Crown Candy Kitchen, Ted Drewes, and others – delighting the audience.
DeAnte Bryant is a charmer as Harry Heywood, who is humorous, caring and concerned as the lovable Clarence, who has waited 200 years to get his wings. The brilliant local actor J. Samuel Davis is Dr. Richard Ross, doubling roles — compassionate as St. Joseph and conniving as greedy Mr. Potter, the corrupt power-hungry kingpin often stopped in his chicanery by George.
Melissa Harlow is actress Sally Applewhite who plays good-natured Mary, who eventually marries George and raises a family. Carmen Garcia is the sweet Rosa Ramos, who is playing both George’s kind mother and Mary’s busybody mom. Their fashionable frocks are part of Dauber’s vintage costume design, with Jordan Fell associate costume designer.
Smartly dressed in tailored attire as ‘career girls’ are Aria Maholchic who plays spirited actress Lana Sherwood, Jailyn Genese as the efficient Stage Manager and Daisy Held as the Sound Engineer.
The biggest crowd-pleaser was winsome TJ Staten Jr., stealing scenes as Lead Songbird and Sound Engineer. Making his debut at The Rep, the McCluer High School graduate, as Troy Staten, won the 2021 St. Louis Teen Talent Competition sponsored by the Fox Performing Arts Charitable Foundation.
TJ Staten Jr. Photo by Jon Gitchoff
Lighting designer Christina Watanabe bathed the production in a poignant glow that enhanced the emotional depth, particularly when snowflakes fell. Moving from the cozy studio to the wintry town setting was an impressive transition.
The sound work was particularly noteworthy, because creating the sound effects to go across the airwaves isn’t as easy as it sounds. Special mention to Michael Costagliola as sound/foley designer and Andrew Ronver, the associate sound designer.
Another artisan helping establish the period was wig designer Dennis Milam Bensie.
It wouldn’t be a holiday radio show without singing, and music director Ron McGowan helped make the season bright, leading the ensemble in snappy seasonal favorites. When it was time for “Auld Lang Syne,” the audience joyfully chimed in with the ensemble. (Was anyone else misty-eyed?)
A sincere effort to inspire, touch, and engage, “It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play” was a dandy celebration of what should be important this time of year.
Storytelling is vital to bringing us together, and this opportunity to remind us to believe in our purpose, be mindful of what’s around us, and never lose faith in humanity is evergreen.
It is a wonderful life – and I hope you leave this show with the promise of better days ahead, even if a happy holiday is elusive.
The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents “It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play” Dec. 1-23 at the Loretto-Hilton Center, Webster University, 130 Edgar Road, Webster Groves. For tickets or more information, visit www.repstl.org or call the box office at 314-968-4925. For more information about Phase One of the fundraising campaign, visit www.rallyfortherep.org
Rush Tickets: Available for students, seniors, educators, and theatre professionals by calling the Box Office at 314-968-4925, 1 – 2 hours prior to curtain time. Audio-Described Performance: Thursday, December 21 at 7pm – the show will be described for patrons who are blind or have low vision. ASL Performance: Saturday, December 23 at 2pm – the show will be signed for the deaf or hard of hearing. Open-Captioned Performance: Sunday, December 17 at 2pm – an electronic text ticker displays words being spoke or sung onstage
(And if you are hankering to watch the movie, NBC will show it Christmas Eve, the E! Entertainment Channel will show it at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Dec. 20. Bravo will show it at 6:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. on Dec. 15. It is also streaming on Amazon Prime with a subscription.)
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.
“Christmas with C.S. Lewis” starring St. Louis native Gregory Williams Welsch has been selling out the Westport Playhouse, such is its popularity. A 5 p.m. show on Sunday, Dec. 17, has been added to the run.
Wearing a red sweater and sipping tea, Welsch plays the British author, born as Clive Staples Lewis but known as Jack to his family and friends. Lewis wrote more than 30 books, including “The Screwtape Letters,” “The Narnia Chronicles,” “Surprised by Joy,” and “Prince Caspian.”
Welsch taps into Lewis’ sharp wit and spontaneous humor that made him a revered raconteur and one of the literary giants of the 20th Century.
“It can be very funny, but also sad, too. He talks about the death of his wife,” Welsch said.
This holiday-themed show has its roots in Lewis’ Christianity writings and “An Evening with C.S. Lewis,” which was also written by director-writer-performer David Payne, who originated the role many years ago. Welsch and Payne first got to know each other performing Payne’s show “Lewis and Tolkien.”
As a young adult, Lewis believed the story of Christ’s birth was nothing more than a feel-good myth. That all changed after a particular encounter with his great friend and fellow authors, JRR Tolkien.
Although both men loved mythology in general, Tolkien was convinced that the Jesus myth was the one true one. That was the start of Lewis’ journey from Atheism to Christianity. From that point on, Christmas took on an entirely different meaning.
In this one-man show, we find Lewis at his home near Oxford on Christmas Eve 1962, hosting a group of American writers who are in England for the holiday. They are about to experience an unforgettable assortment of Yuletide recollections that stimulate a whole range of emotions – curiosity, laughter, gladness and even some tears.
Above all, they will discover how that encounter with Tolkien forever changed Lewis’ Christmas celebrations. But also learn about the people and events that shaped his life – including how he came to embrace Christianity and the woman, Joy Davidman, who turned his life upside down. (They were married from 1956 until her death in 1960).
Lewis, born on Nov. 29, 1898, died on Nov. 22, 1963.
In the engaging conversation, you’ll find out why he nearly abandoned the Narnia Chronicles too.
Welsch has also been performing another one-man show, “Churchill” at venues all over the country. He currently resides in Nashville but grew up in Rock Hill. He has fond memories of flipping burgers at Carl’s Drive-In, attending St. Mary Magdalene Grade School in Brentwood, discovering theater at St. Louis University High School. He is grateful to have been taught by Joe Schulte, who directed the shows, and credits the work ethic at a Jesuit institution for helping him prepare for a life in the theater.
He has enjoyed playing Lewis but is willing to switch gears again to reprise the role of Tolkien opposite his friend Payne, who is known for performing Lewis. Stay tuned…
Take Ten Q&A with Gregory Williams Welsch
1. Why did you choose your profession/pursue the arts?
I believe that I was drawn to the arts on a spiritual level, though I might not have known that as a youngster. I have always felt that to create was ‘of the soul’ and that what our capitalistic/materialistic society asks of us and promotes as desirable and laudable is the antithesis of that and is, in the end, empty.
2. How would your friends describe you?
As a true “listener” who cares. And whose advice is worth seeking.
3. How do you like to spend your spare time?
Spending time with friends or simply kicking back and watching a good documentary or playing the guitar and recording.
4. What is your current obsession?
Whatever show I am preparing.
5. What would people be surprised to find out about you?
That I lived for 2½ years in Europe (Vienna) and speak several languages.
6. Can you share one of your most defining moments in life?
Being called to travel to Peru and study with a Shipibo and an Amarya shaman to participate in the Ceremony of the Ayahuasca 8 years ago — long before it became a pop culture trope.
7. Who do you admire most?
Artists, like Bob Dylan, Taylor Swift, Keanu Reeves and others, whose values are steadfast and remain intact even as they deal with the wealth and fame that comes with their success.
8. What is at the top of your bucket list?
To visit the sacred lands that are the Black Hills and other lands here in my own country. I find I know Europe better than the US! Though Barcelona is a city I have missed and visiting Vienna again to reconnect with old friends and see them for what might be the last time is up there too.
9. What is your favorite thing to do in St. Louis?
Hanging with family and old school friends.
10. What’s next?
Continue to grow as an actor/artist. Recently did my first run of a one-man show, “Churchill” and want continue to grow in that role as well as reprise the role of JRR Tolkien working with British actor and friend, David Payne as CS Lewis in the show about their last meeting, “Lewis and Tolkien.”
More on Gregory Williams Welsch
Age: Old enough to know better
Birthplace: St. Louis
Current location: Nashville, Tenn.
Family: 7th of 9…Sometimes I feel like a Borg!
Education: SLUH, Mizzou, and the streets of any number of cities of the world.
Day job: Actor, Writer, Director
First job: Paper Route in Brentwood
First role: Joseph, in the first grade Christmas play. I killed it, BTW…
Favorite roles/plays: JRR Tolkien, Didi in “Waiting for Godot,” Ben Hubbard in “Little Foxes.”
Dream role/play: Shelly Levine in “Glengarry Glen Ross,” Stage Manager in “Our Town”
Awards/Honors/Achievements: Founding member of Radio Free Nashville, a low-power, non-profit community radio station closing in on its 20th year giving an independent voice to the community.
Favorite quote/words to live by: “In the very end, civilizations perish because they listen to their politicians and not to their poets.” – Jonas Mekas
A song that makes you happy: “Carey” Joni Mitchell with the LA Express.
Emery Entertainment presents Christmas with C.S. Lewis starring Gregory Williams Welsch through Dec. 17. Performances take place at the Westport Playhouse in Westport Plaza. For more information: www.aneveningwithcslewis.com.
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.
A social satire is not fulfilling its goal if it doesn’t outrage somebody, and “Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All for You” is certainly provocative.
Stray Dog Theatre’s production pushes buttons, even though the show is now 43 years old. Wickedly funny, bold and acrimonious, the company wisely played it straight.
But you won’t find protesters outside Tower Grove Abbey. This time at least. Stray Dog Theatre isn’t a group that shies away from controversial subject matter and has presented bold and unconventional fare before. (For instance, this year alone, Charles Busch’s campy satire “Vampire Lesbians of Sodom” was the June show).
Christopher Durang’s watershed 1979 play takes aim at Roman Catholic dogma, and specifically, a rigid teaching nun for her over-reaching and unchecked abuse of power.
For his absurdist comedy, he mocked the nuns as authority figures. Apparently, he had a lot of anger from being raised Catholic. With identity and sexual disorientation being among his frequent themes, of course he channeled it all in this script.
As a graduate of Our Lady of Peace School in Providence, New Jersey, Durang no doubt stored material as he matriculated there, and went on to Harvard and Yale School of Drama. He also won the Obie Award for Best Playwright in 1980, at age 32, for this work. (Much later, he won a Tony for “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike” in 2012).
“Sister Mary Ignatius” brought him to national prominence and raised the ire of St. Louis Catholics. If you think Billy Joel’s song “Only the Good Die Young” caused a ruckus in the St. Louis Archdiocese in 1977, well they went ballistic when the Theatre Project Company announced they would be presenting the black comedy in 1983. Thirty years ago, the archbishop condemned it, and protests ensued.
But these days, after years of clergy being unfavorably in the spotlight, and nuns as characters in both comedies and dramas, “Sister Mary Ignatius” isn’t the lightning rod it once was. And Catholics have other things more pressing to worry about – although being traumatized by a religious order should remain high on the list.
The one-act starts out with a conventional structure but then meltdowns begin. Sister Mary Ignatius, played with utmost conviction by Sarajane Clark, is still teaching children about the perils of sin and hellfire when several alumni – mostly hot messes — come for a visit. When she finds out how far these members of her flock have strayed from the path of righteousness, well let’s just say there are some shocking consequences.
Tables turn, and it isn’t pretty. Director Gary F. Bell stages it as an absurdist horror film.
Rachel Bailey is the emotionally wounded Diane Symonds, who threatens Sister’s life. Eileen Engel is Philomena, an unwed mother, Stephen Henley is Gary, polite and gay, with Sean Seifert as Aloysius, a troubled alcoholic. They’re all genuine on stage, veterans that they are.
Sister’s obedient little Thomas is played with poise by youngster Tommy Pepper, who misses the violence on stage.
Anyone who went to a parochial school will be reminded of catechism teachings and how rigid certain nuns were.
Sister Mary Ignatius is an extreme example, but there are nuggets of truth in this mischievous manifesto. The sharp satire makes for some uncomfortable and awkward moments, so folks are warned in case there would be triggers.
Stray Dog Theatre presents “Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All for You” for mature audiences Thursday through Saturday at 8 p.m. Nov. 30 – Dec. 16. For tickets or for more information, visit www.straydogtheatre.org.
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.
Rebekah Scallet was eager for new horizons when she moved to St. Louis in 2020. However, a public health emergency upended her plans, and while she waited out a global pandemic in her new home, thinking about a future with no live theatre was terrifying. However, turns out that forced time off was a partial silver lining.
“I had left my former full-time position as Artistic Director for the Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre and moved to St. Louis with my family and without a new job to go to. But in a way, this was the best thing possible for me. I was forced to slow down and admit to myself that I was burned out. I needed a reset and time with my family. And my family needed me for all the virtual school,” she said.
“So, I am grateful for the forced time off, and when the opportunity arose to get back into full time theatre work, I was ready and able to come back with a better perspective on work life balance,” she said.
When named the Artistic Director at the New Jewish Theatre in 2022, she hit the ground running and is now eager to start working on New Jewish Theatre’s 26th year.
Prior to taking over at the J, she worked as a freelance director and teacher, including at the Sargent Conservatory at Webster University where she directed “The Learned Ladies.”
But now, back into full-time theatre work, she is grateful for a fresh perspective. She’s very proud of the efforts that made the 2023 memorable, her first full season, and is gearing up for the 2024 season.
For NJT in 2022, she produced “The Bee Play” after taking the reins previously held by Eddie Coffield. This October, she made her directorial debut at NJT, helming a triumphant “The Immigrant” in October, which had been previously done in 1999 and 2011. Timely, with new insights, the production introduced the story to a new generation.
The final production of 2023, “Into the Woods” has been a passion project, and finally achieving the vision she and director Robert Quinlan had has been a satisfying end to this season.
The show is running from Nov. 30 to Dec. 17, with performances Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 2 and 8 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. Dec. 17 is sold-out. Link for tickets: https://www.showpass.com/into-the-woods-njt/
Scallet brought years of theater experience to NJT through her previous work as the Producing Artistic Director at the Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre, which is a professional equity summer theatre festival part of the University of Central Arkansas. During that time, she produced 32 plays and musicals and directed eight productions.
Scallet worked as the Producing Artistic Director at the University of Central Arkansas, where she also taught two to four courses per year and directed the theatre program every other year for the Department of Film, Theatre and Creative Writing.
She also spent 10 years in Chicago working as a director, dramaturg, artistic administrator and teaching artist.
As a child, she remembers visiting St. Louis and her grandparents many years ago, and saw her grandmother perform in a Yiddish play at the J.
“The J itself has also meant a lot to my family. Though I only moved to the area a couple of years ago, my family has deep St. Louis roots, and I have fond childhood memories of seeing my grandmother perform on stage here. The building and the theatre itself have changed a lot since then, but this is truly a full-circle moment for me, and I am excited to walk in my grandmother’s footsteps as I create and share stories with this community,” she said in the press release announcing her new position.
In St. Louis, Rebekah has become involved in Jewish organizations. She served on the L’Chaim Gala Planning Committee, which is the Women’s Philanthropy Division of the Jewish Federation of St. Louis, and is a member of the National Council for Jewish Women St. Louis. In Arkansas, she was involved with the Jewish Federation of Arkansas where she served as a Board of Trustee from 2012-2018 and served as Chair of the Events Division, including overseeing the 2019 Jewish Food and Cultural Festival.
She and her husband, Joe Stafford, have two sons, ages 8 and 11, and live in Brentwood, Mo.
Scallet, center, directing.
Take Ten Questions and Answers with Rebekah Scallet
1. What is special about your latest project?
“Into the Woods” is a musical that I’ve always loved, and one that I’ve been dying to produce for several years now. It was in the line-up for my cancelled summer 2020 season with Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre, and I’m so thrilled I get to finally produce now with New Jewish Theatre. And I’m even more thrilled that Robert Quinlan is directing, who had been originally slated to direct my 2020 version.
2. Why did you choose your profession/pursue the arts?
Is it too cliched to say it chose me? I have been involved in the theatre since I was little, and a director since before I knew there was such a job.
My mom likes to tell the story of watching me perform in my 4th Grade Thanksgiving play (that I also wrote). In addition to doing my own part, I was also moving the other kids around and making sure they were all standing in the right spot and doing the right thing at the right time.
As I got older and had the opportunity to work on more professional productions, I realized how powerful a tool the arts can be. In addition to just loving the work, I love the way theatre can unite a community, create empathy, encourage conversation, and open new ideas.
3. How would your friends describe you?
Warm and outgoing. A good listener. Diplomatic. And they’d probably mention my distinctive laugh. My actors always tell me they know when I’m in the audience because of my laugh.
4. How do you like to spend your spare time?
What is that, exactly? I am the mother of two boys aged 8 and 11, so my spare time is mostly spent at soccer games, piano lessons, and PTO meetings. But I also enjoy cooking, reading, and spending time walking outdoors.
5. What is your current obsession?
I’ve been working my way through reading Tana French’s “Dublin Murder Squad” book series. They are all so good and so well written, plus I love the Irish dialect. It’s even more fun in audio book form.
6. What would people be surprised to find out about you?
I grew up in Little Rock, Arkansas, and Chelsea Clinton played on my softball team.
7. Can you share one of your most defining moments in life?
Putting my hand on the Western Wall in Jerusalem when I was 16 years old. Knowing that I was touching stones that had stood in that spot for thousands of years, and that countless other Jews before me had touched those same stones and prayed as I prayed was so visceral and spiritual. I felt connected to my Jewish heritage in a way I never had before.
8. Who do you admire most?
My father, of blessed memory. He died young from cancer, when I was only 28, but he absolutely made the most of the years he had. He was a scientist with a very sharp and curious mind, and he also loved the arts and exposed me and my siblings to every artistic and literary experience possible when we were growing up. He was always true to himself and invested just as much time into his role as father as in his career. I strive to do the same with my family.
9. What is at the top of your bucket list?
I want to travel to South America – Argentina, Chile, Peru, Ecuador. There is so much rich history and culture in all of these places. I’d love to have the opportunity to explore there.
10. How were you affected by the pandemic years, and anything you would like to share about what got you through and any lesson learned during the isolation periods? Any reflections on how the arts were affected? And what it means to move forward?
As a theatre artist it was wretched – having to cancel a season of work that so much effort and creative energy had already been put into was awful. And then to stare into a future with no live theatre until who knows when was terrifying.
As it happened, at the same time, I also left my former full-time position as Artistic Director for the Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre and moved to St. Louis with my family and without a new job to go to. But in a way, this was the best thing possible for me. I was forced to slow down and admit to myself that I was burned out. I needed a reset and time with my family. And my family needed me for all the virtual school!
So, I am grateful for the forced time off, and when the opportunity arose to get back into full time theatre work, I was ready and able to come back with a better perspective on work life balance.
But I am also dismayed by the way the pandemic has decimated theatre in the U.S. Every day you hear about more theatres being forced to close and audience members not returning. It’s disheartening, but it’s also an opportunity to look at our art and see how we can maintain our roles as meaningful and vital parts of our communities. The numbers are telling us that we can’t just do what we’ve always done, which means there’s a tremendous opportunity for ingenuity in the industry.
11. What is your favorite thing to do in St. Louis?
I love to go for walks in Forest Park and wander around through the trails. Especially in summer when there are so many wildflowers in bloom everywhere – it’s magical.
12. What’s next?
For New Jewish Theatre, we finish our 2023 season with “Into the Woods,” and start 2024 with Arthur Miller’s “All My Sons.” For me personally, I’m directing “We All Fall Down,” a regional premiere by Lila Rose Kaplan for NJT. It will open at the end of May.
Scallet, teaching.
More About Rebekah Faye Scallet
Age: 45
Birthplace: Madison, Wisconsin
Current location: Brentwood, Missouri
Family: Married to Joe Stafford with 2 sons, ages 8 and 11
Education: I have a B.A. in English and American Literature from Brandeis University, and an M.F.A. in Directing from Illinois State University
Day job: Artistic Director for New Jewish Theatre
First job: Babysitting
First play you were involved in or made: But the first play was “The Hobbit” at the Arkansas Children’s Theatre – I was 12 and I ran the sound board.
Favorite jobs/roles/plays or work in your medium? I have directed Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” three times and worked on six different productions in various capacities. I have loved each one and would direct it again in a heartbeat. It’s an incredible play.
Dream job/opportunity: I’d love to direct Tom Stoppard’s new play “Leopoldstadt”– it’s epic and powerful
Awards/Honors/Achievements: Received the Arkansas Arts Council’s Individual Artist Fellowship for Directing
Favorite quote/words to live by: “All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts”
A song that makes you happy: “The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin’ Groovy)” by Simon & Garfunkel
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.
In an extraordinary, reimagined interpretation of Stephen Sondheim’s classic “Into the Woods,” New Jewish Theatre immerses us into a vibrant in-the-round setting, where a vocal-rich ensemble of 11 takes on iconic fairy tale characters.
The harmonies stand out under the seamless music direction of Larry D. Pry, who also serves as the Narrator and expertly plays the piano while Christopher Bachmann is on cello and Helen Bednara is on bassoon. While only three, the virtuosos are a superb combination that elevates this show’s rich melodies.
To say they understand Sondheim is no small feat. The greatest theater artist of the past 75 years is demanding, but everyone connected with this production is up for that daunting challenge. To be able to master his complex harmonies is like winning a gold medal in the Olympic Decathlon.
This 1986 masterpiece was Sondheim’s second collaboration with book writer James Lapine after “Sunday in the Park with George” two years earlier. They both won 1988 Tony Awards for score and book, even though “The Phantom of the Opera” took home the Best Musical prize. (But it later won 2002 Tony for Best Revival, 2011 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Revival and last year’s cast won a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album.)
Photo by Jon Gitchoff
When done right, “Into the Woods” can be magical, transformative in many ways (as I experienced in the 2022 Broadway revival and a whimsical, inventive interpretation at Stray Dog Theatre last spring).
The fact that this musical continues to speak to new generations and evolves with new insights nearly three decades later is a testament to its relatable themes reflecting on humanity.
The concept is deceptively simple – a storybook world but with real-people problems, and how these characters’ lives are uprooted, teaching them valuable lessons about life, love, and listening. How they need to really be present when together – meaning it, not just saying so.
This poignant New Jewish Theatre effort focused on the emotional layers of each character, who are desperate for happily ever after but not making the effort to change their ways until confronted with reality.
Every time I see this show, I am struck by new observations and how the tale has deepened over time, but it is reinforced that I am not alone when people leave me halfway through the wood.
And this much is true — I always will be misty-eyed during a few numbers, “No One Is Alone” and “Children Will Listen” specifically, and in this show, “No More” especially resonated.
Here, the biggest takeaway is what comes after the “happily ever after” when you want so badly to have your wishes come true but realize you can’t do it alone.
Photo by Jon Gitchoff
The characters are based on Brothers Grimm and Charles Perrault’s literary works, but they are molded by the performers to convey consequences from their less-than-ideal actions and impulsive decisions. No Disney aberrations here. Director Robert Quinlan focused on the storytelling, and he doesn’t waste a moment – no dilly-dallying whatsoever.
The format: the narrator exclaims “Once upon a time,” and we’re off on an adventure with four groups of characters – Cinderella wishes to go to the king’s festival, Jack wishes his cow Milky White would give milk, a baker and his wife wish to have a child, and Little Red Ridinghood wishes for bread to bring to her grandmother.
Be careful what you wish for – and soon we’ll know about curses. A witch convinces the childless couple that if they bring her four ingredients: “the cow as white as milk, the cape as red as blood, the hair as yellow as corn, and the slipper as pure as gold” – in three days’ time, she will reverse the infertility curse.
Thus commences a long and winding path through the woods.
It’s the largest musical ever staged in the intimate Wool Studio Theatre, but only 11 actors are playing the 20-plus characters, with a few puppets too. And with scenes taking place in and around the audience, characters are right in the mix.
Photo by Jon Gitchoff
The cast truly gets a workout, setting the scenes and popping in and out, often relying on quick costume changes. They are marvels in motion.
Phil Leveling is outstanding, and one of the MVPs – he smoothly switches into the Wolf, Mysterious Man and Cinderella’s Stepmother without missing a beat. Cinderella’s Prince Matt Billings is also puppeteer for Milky White, another fluid transition. He works well with Kevin Corpuz as Rapunzel’s Prince, and their full-bodied “Agony” duet is a highlight. The nimble Corpuz doubles as Lucinda, one of the stepsisters too.
Molly Wennstrom soars as the Baker’s Wife, a role she’s well-suited for, and “Moments in the Woods” is terrific. She and her scene partner, Kevin O’Brien as the Baker, are splendid together, especially in “It Takes Two.” O’Brien is a versatile musical theater performer, and not only are they both strong in song, but also have the emotional heft to depict their rocky relationship.
O’Brien and Leveling are also dynamic in “No More,” bringing considerable depth to their version.
Kristen Joy Lintvedt makes an impressive debut as Cinderella, delivering lush vocals and putting some oomph and a little edge into the role.
Aliyah Jacobs opts for a trusting Little Red and sweet-voiced Sarah Wilkinson exemplifies a girl trapped in a gilded cage as Rapunzel, and also has fun as Florinda. Matthew Cox is both an innocent, naïve Jack, and the more obnoxious Steward.
Matthew Cox as Jack. Photo by Jon Gitchoff
Sarah Gene Dowling plays the Witch robustly as cruel and condescending, unforgiving of anyone’s flaws – except her own. As bitter as she is, when she is rejected, and crestfallen, her “I was just trying to be a good mother” is said with transparent desperation.
Victoria Pines is cranky and intolerant as Jack’s Mother, not giving any hints of humor, which always helps the passive-aggressive dialogue be more palatable.
Nisi Sturgis lends her considerable talents as the booming voice of the Giant (well, Giantess).
The group vocals stand out. The grown-up tale needs performers to bring out the complexities confronting each character, for everyone changes. No one is left unscathed.
Quinlan has done a masterful job of keeping things briskly paced. He aims for the sweet spot in tone – hopeful in the first act and rueful in the second. Perhaps a bit more whimsy with the necessary dark undercurrent, but I think they were so focused on crisp movements and infusing sincere emotion into each song, that no one let up for a second. Choreographer Ellen Isom kept the moves playful.
NJT’s in-house costume designer, Michele Friedman Siler, adroitly outfitted every character to support both the storytelling and the fast changes that the in-the-round setting demanded.
C. Otis Sweeney’s scenic design is exceptional – and enhanced by Jayson Lawshee’s lighting design, and not just the trees were awe-inspiring, but that full moon too. Amanda Werre’s skilled sound design was effective in the atmospheric woodland sounds and also by indicating danger in giant footsteps — and punctuating dashed hopes and dreams, and broken hearts.
Since its Broadway opening in 1987, there have been productions in London’s West End, national tours, Hollywood Bowl, The Muny, three revivals and a 2014 film adaptation. This fresh New Jewish staging can stand as one of the most heartfelt in the region. The melodies linger, the performers enchant, and the themes are re-awakened, stored for safe-keeping in my memories.
New Jewish Theatre presents “Into the Woods” from Nov. 30 to Dec. 17 at the J’s Wool Studio Theatre, 2 Millstone Campus Drive, St. Louis, MO 63146. Performances are Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 2 and 8 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. (Closing show on Dec. 17 has sold out).
Individual tickets are $27- $58 with special rates available for groups. Tickets are available by phone at 314.442.3283 or online at newjewishtheatre.org
Sarah Gene Dowling as The Witch. Photo by Jon GitchoffPhoto by Jon Gitchoff
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.
