Chris Gibson - Page 57

Playwright Wendy Kesselman has referred to her current adaptation of THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK as the definitive version, and considering the fact that newly available passages of Anne's diary were incorporated into the text, it's certainly more eye opening in a lot of respects. Kesselman gives us a more thorough understanding of Anne, while also enhancing some of the darker aspects of her story, packing this episode in history with considerable emotional weight. The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis is presenting a superb staging of this fresh adaptation (February 10 - March 7), featuring a stellar ensemble that breathes new life into this tragic tale.

I'm encouraged by the recent trend of malls offering up empty retail space to the artistic community. If there's one thing that theatre groups often lack it's a decent performance space, and these type of ventures, like the ArtSpace at Crestwood Court, provide them with an opportunity to bring their talents to the masses. Dramatic License Productions makes their debut in the 'Artopolis' at Chesterfield Mall with a pleasant and emotionally affecting staging of Robert Harling's Southern-fried comedy-drama STEEL MAGNOLIAS (February 4 - 20).

The Sheldon presents Bob Ceccarini, Charles Glenn, and Pat Joyce, Tuesday and Wednesday, March 9 and 10, 2010 at 10 a.m. in the perfect acoustics of the Sheldon Concert Hall. Enjoy complimentary coffee and pastries at 9 a.m. in the beautiful Louis Spiering Room.

[insert name here] Theatre Project, in association with Stray Dog Theatre) presents Speech and Debate by Stephen Karam from February 11 - February 20, 2010. Performances will take place at Tower Grove Abbey.

May 1959. A New York club is the stage for a stunning night of music - the last performance of the soulful, incomparable Billie Holiday. Now critically acclaimed jazz vocalist Vanessa Rubin portrays the legend in a night of song and story, featuring Billie's unforgettable classics including 'My Man', 'Strange Fruit', and 'God Bless the Child'.

Over the last 40 years, PHILADANCO (the Philadelphia Dance Company) has grown from a small community arts organization into a world-renowned troupe that mixes African-American cultural traditions with ballet, modern, jazz and other dance forms.

The Sheldon presents the second event in an exciting new concert series by St. Louis' own Peter Martin! With Peter Martin: Live! featuring Jeremy Davenport, fellow University City natives and childhood bandmates Martin and Davenport reunite on The Sheldon stage.

Marsha Norman's clever book for the musical version of THE COLOR PURPLE greatly compresses the action of the novel, while also managing to tone down some of its more violent aspects. In combination with a rousing music score by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray, which runs the gamut from gospel to blues to swing, it brings Alice Walker's original vision to life in a manner that celluloid wasn't able to capture adequately. A splendid touring company of this production is currently playing the Fox Theatre.

Before 'Broadway Baby' Sutton Foster even sang a note on the stage of the Sheldon Concert Hall this past Thursday (February 4, 2010), she was greeted with a rousing standing ovation that set the tone for a stellar performance for an audience clearly enraptured with her extraordinary talent. This occasion marked the kickoff of a tour put together to promote her latest CD Wish, and a number of songs from her sparkling new work were showcased as she completely captivated the crowd.

In her new cabaret show, Alice Kinsella shares the funny side of growing up in a family of 12, dating, and the single life today. With the help of composers Jerry Herman, Cole Porter & Heisler and Goldrich, and many others.

ON THE VERGE opens in 1888, as the three adventurers - Fanny along with Mary and Alexandra - make landfall 'somewhere east of Australia and west of Peru.' Refusing Sherpas, bearers or other native guides, they brave the hills and jungles of 'Terra Incognita' with only the most essential items, including machetes, rope, umbrellas, butterfly nets, watercolors, peacock feathers, lemon drops and a rhinestone tiara for official meetings with local poobahs.

St. Louis Actors' Studio, continuing with its third season, examines the art of seduction with Neil LaBute's THE SHAPE OF THINGS. When nerdy college student Adam meets cool graduate art student Evelyn, he is instantly infatuated. As the relationship continues on, however, Evelyn's influence upon Adam changes him drastically. LaBute's disquieting story of seduction, manipulation, and loss of identity analyzes the sacrifices one will make for love.

The Sheldon presents Irish Rovers, Friday, March 5, 2010 at 8 p.m. in the perfect acoustics of the Sheldon Concert Hall. For more than four decades, The Irish Rovers have charmed and entertained audiences around the world with their exciting stage shows. Throughout the years, these international ambassadors of Irish music have maintained their timeless ability to deliver a rollicking, rousing performance full of good cheer, while their songs have become anthems of revelry and joy among generations of fans.

The Sheldon Art Galleries presents Legends of St. Louis Blues Music, ongoing through August 28, 2010 in the History of Jazz Gallery. Two new Gallery Talks (March 30th and May 1st) have been announced for the Spring in conjunction with the exhibition!

The Sheldon Art Galleries presents Nothin' But the Blues: Art by Area Students, February 19 - August 14, 2010 in the AT&T Gallery of Children's Art. Please join us for an opening reception on Friday, February 19 from 5 - 7 p.m.! Gallery Hours are Tuesdays, Noon - 8 p.m.; Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, Noon - 5 p.m.; Saturdays, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. and one hour prior to Sheldon performances and during intermission. Admission is free.

William Earle Williams has been photographing Underground Railroad sites for more than 25 years. His photography career began while he was an undergraduate at Hamilton College, in Clinton, NY . In 2001, he discovered Hamilton's abolitionist history, and took a special interest in Underground Railroad sites in that part of New York State . In 2003, Williams received an artist's residency at Light Work, in Syracuse, New York, which provided him with the opportunity to make an extended document of sites in Central Upstate New York. In that same year, Williams received a Guggenheim Fellowship, which enabled him to do extensive research on additional sites around the country. Since then, Williams has visited sites in Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Mississippi, West Virginia, Eastern Ontario in Canada and many others to continue this document of powerful yet sensitive photographs of these important sites. Informative texts about each site written by Williams accompany each image.

Robert Breig makes his solo cabaret debut with 'Feels Like Home,' featuring songs by Burt Bacharach, The Carpenters, and Kenny Loggins. In this show, Robert goes after a warm hearth and mulled wine on a cold winter night, with everyone gathered 'round for a night of contemporary song and story.

INGENIOSO refers to the ingenious, quick-thinking of Don Quixote as he mistakes ordinary objects and people for the fantastic, and falls into misadventure after misadventure, always managing to emerge unscathed. His sidekick, Sancho Panza, however, suffers the physical assaults and vicissitudes of the escapades. Thus the beloved clown Nino (Giovanne Zoppe) plays the role of Sancho Panza as he tries to carry out the orders of his sometimes irrational master, Don Quixote, played by Carlos Svenson, animal and horse trainer.

This exhibition of over 35 photographs and accompanying texts provides an overview of some of the most glorious Baroque and Baroque-inspired churches found in Italy , the Czech Republic , Mexico , Austria , and the United States . A collaborative project, the photographs were taken by John William Nagel and the descriptive texts were written by St. Louis University art historian Maurice McNamee, S.J. between 1990 and 2006.

Anna-Deveare Smith's play, FIRES IN THE MIRROR, attempts to capture a specific, largely forgotten moment in our history, suspending it in time for a little over an hour, so that it can be properly reflected upon and digested. Though, like life itself, things tend to get a bit untidy in spots, the play ultimately succeeds not by dissecting the logic behind the Crown Heights riots of 1991, but by clarifying the human toll that intolerance extracts from our society. Mustard Seed Theatre's current production is well acted and thoughtfully conceived.