Harrison Kaplan - Page 2

For those who haven't seen the film or the musical verion of LEGALLY BLOND, the plot revolves around a rich Malibu Barbie, who comes complete with an ever-present pink ensemble, named Elle Woods, who's blindly and blissfully in love with the man of her dreams. When he decides to dump her and head off to Harvard Law School, Elle follows, but as a fellow student. Her iron will and steadfast devotion allow her, thanks to the support of her friends, to apply and enter Harvard. Apparently, her deep abiding love is reason enough to allow her entrance into this prestigious academy. Once enrolled, she actually begins to excel, thanks in part to the interests of third year student Emmett Forrest.

The Gateway Festival Orchestra will launch its 48th season of free Sunday-evening concerts July 10 with Various Variations, a program exploring the use of variations by a handful of composers from the Baroque period through the 20th century.

The NonProphet Theater Company presents the first show of their fifth theater season: DANNY AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA by John Patrick Shanley June 23- July 3, 2011, Thurs - Saturdays at 8pm, Sundays at 5pm at the Regional Arts Commission, 6128 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, Missouri 63112. Tickets are $20 general admission, $15 for students (with a valid ID) and seniors 55 and older.

A busy month has produced a number of outstanding options for theatre-goers in St. Louis, and even when the weather is as variable as has been over the last few weeks, there's no denying the appeal of watching a fine production of Shakespeare in Forest Park, especially when it doesn't cost you one thin dime to attend (not counting the gas it may take you to get there). Shakespeare Festival St. Louis shrewdly (if you'll pardon the pun) re-imagines one of the Bard's works, THE TAMING OF THE SHREW, with sets, costumes and a Cadillac straight out of the 1950's, and it works like a charm.

They always tell aspiring writers to 'write what you know', and in the case of playwright/novelist Mark Harelik's THE IMMIGRANT, he's done just that, fully capturing the experience of his Russian grandparents as they fled from their oppressors and settled in the small town of Hamilton, Texas. It's a wonderful work, touching the heart and stirring the soul while allowing us to witness their progress over the course of time as they assimilate into American culture, without ever losing touch with their own Jewish heritage. The New Jewish Theatre closes their season with an absolutely lovely production of this warm and moving play that's not to be missed by any fan of theatre.

Friedrich Durrenmatt's THE VISIT (adapted by Maurice Valency) is like one of those expressionistic German films from the 1920's directed by Robert Wiene or F.W. Murnau come to life on the stage. In fact, the characters and their stylized mannerisms seem like they would be right at home in one of the villages that Dr. Caligari might bring his somnambulist Cesare to for exhibition purposes. That's probably one of the reasons I found this unique and moralistic work so fascinating. Stray Dog Theatre is presenting this macabre and unusual play as the closer for their current season, and it's a brilliantly staged affair.

The original production of A CHORUS LINE grew out of workshops organized by director/choreographer Michael Bennett where dancers and performers discussed the various joys and hardships of a life spent pursuing the stage as an occupation. James Kirkwood, Jr. and Nicholas Dante pieced together these elements to form a compelling story focusing on the anxieties facing a group of dancers auditioning to be in the chorus of a Broadway show, while Marvin Hamlisch (music) and Edward Kleban put their tales to a catchy score that's still decidedly hummable. Stages St. Louis opens their 25th season with this timeless masterpiece, and it's a dazzling production filled with wonderful performances, nurtured by the excellent work of director Michael Hamilton and choreographer Kim Shriver, who neatly recreate the original magic.

Just as a quick refresher, the play is Vogel's funny and satiric take on American women over the space of 4 decades with specific stops in the Eisenhower, Nixon and Bush #1's administrations along the way. Everything we see is through the crazed eyes of identical -- almost -- twins, Myrna the 'good' and chestally developed one, and Myra the 'evil' and prairie-chested one. Said by Vogel to represent the extremes of American politics, the twins' loathing relationship is far more complicated than the play's politics and far funnier.

At a time in our history when gay teens are committing suicide at an astounding and alarmingly high rate, a show like BARE: A POP OPERA shines a bright and important light on their struggles to deal with their difficulties in coping with accepting, and be accepted, for who they are. There are no easy answers to be found here, only questions that demand real solutions and not simple platitudes or religious dogma. New Line Theatre's current production of BARE is a devastatingly powerful presentation that features a strong and talented cast performing at an exceptional level under director Scott Miller's sure hand.

June in St. Louis can mean only one thing to those of us who think young - the Circus is in town! And Circus Flora, the festival of fun we can proudly call our own here in St. Louis, continues a tradition they began some 25 years ago with their latest venture titled VAGABOND ADVENTURES. Forget about all those other three-ring spectacles that blast into town and play a vast arena or stadium for a single weekend before moving on to another town and another venue, Circus Flora is an intimate single-ring delight that delivers the goods in air conditioned comfort in our very own backyard. You'll be doing yourself a considerable disservice if you allow the opportunity to catch this highly talented and dedicated group of performers pass you by. So, take advantage of this homegrown phenomenon while you can.

The day of July 10th, 1993 marks a special moment for Robert Charles Wilson. 50 years ago he enlisted to become a Marine at Montford Point. He proudly served his country in WWII at Iwo Jima and after exiting the service trained as a classical opera singer. But his only shortcoming in life was separating from his wife, Gwen, when she refused to chase his dream of becoming a famous singer. With their only son R.C. in town to celebrate the anniversary of his father's enlistment, this day brings a wave of memories back to Robert, along with a few unexpected turns in this World Premiere theatre event.