St. Louis Theater Reviews Page 3

Review: SEE YOU IN A MINUTE at The Chapel
by James Lindhorst - October 21, 2023

The world premiere production of SEE YOU IN A MINUTE is compelling because of its relevance, its intelligent and well-written script, the sharp direction, and the terrific performances from all the actors....

Review: BEETELJUICE at Fox Theatre, St. Louis
by Rob Levy - October 16, 2023

Using the Tim Burton film as a foundation, Beetlejuice is a rollicking good time. Filled with stellar performances, amazing songs (particularly in Act 2), dazzling sets, and a score that raises the dead, it is equal parts black comedy musical theater and offbeat grief therapy. ...

Review: DR RIDE'S AMERICAN BEACH HOUSE at The Gaslight Theatre
by James Lindhorst - October 14, 2023

What did our critic think of Dr. Ride's American Beach House at The Gaslight Theatre?...

Review: THE IMMIGRANT at The New Jewish Theatre
by James Lindhorst - October 14, 2023

What did our critic think of THE IMMIGRANT at The New Jewish Theatre?...

Review: WAITING FOR HECATE AND THE PRIVILEGE OF BEING SECOND At Sophie's Artists Lounge
by James Lindhorst - October 09, 2023

Billed as ‘A Chilling Night of One Acts,’ the PPA Alumni Theatre Company, has delivered two fantastic productions of well-written One Act plays featuring incredible performances and outstanding direction. Both doolin’s WAITING FOR HECATE and Satterfield and Nonemaker’s THE PRIVILEGE OF BEING SECOND ...

Review: SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER at Tower Groves Abbey
by Rob Levy - October 09, 2023

Filled with great performances and dynamic choreography from Mike Hodges’ choreography, Saturday Night Fever is a footloose and fancy-free excursion into disco’s golden age. Plus, the dance floor lights up! How cool is that?...

Review: A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM at Robert G. Reim Auditorium
by James Lindhorst - October 08, 2023

The best of the production stemmed from the performances that Rios’ helped her actors create. Tiélere Cheatem’s turn as Puck was as magical as the tricks Puck plays on the characters in the play. Cheatem luminous stage presence made it impossible to take your eyes off of them....

Review: TWISTED MELODIES at Catherine B. Berges Theater At COCA
by Rob Levy - October 08, 2023

intense and gripping, Twisted Melodies is a transformative piece of jukebox theater. Riveting and powerful, this tightly-paced production sheds new light on an artist whose voice, lyrics, and music remain influential....

Review: THE LION IN WINTER at .Zack Theatre
by James Lindhorst - October 07, 2023

Director Tom Kopp’s sharp and brisk direction keeps things moving on the small stage at the .Zack Theater. He smartly uses Brad Slavik’s static set design to ensure the limited space never seems overcrowded with four or five actors in a scene. His collaboration with his team of actors and technician...

Review: ADAM PASCAL at Blue Strawberry Showroom And Lounge
by James Lindhorst - October 07, 2023

What made this evening with Pascal and his guitar extraordinary was his storytelling. He shared details about his career, his struggles, his successes and the choices he has made along the way. His very personal account of his dreams and aspirations were engrossing and filled with humor and plenty o...

Review: PROFESSOR SUNSHINE'S TRAVELING POST-APOCALYPTIC ROCK 'N ROLL REVIVAL at Blue Strawberry Showroom and Lounge
by James Lindhorst - September 21, 2023

Kelly Howe follows up her incredible performance as Linda Ronstadt with another dynamic rock ‘n roll performance highlighting her immense range. She uses every type of timbre and quality from falsetto to chest/head voice and belt. While the song set won’t be revealed in this review in order to keep ...

Review: THE LEHMAN TRILOGY at Loretto-Hilton Center
by Rob Levy - September 15, 2023

Compelling from start to finish, the production infuses the company with a vibrancy that oftentimes was lacking in previous seasons. The result is the first must-see production of the fall theater season....

Review: MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET at STAGES St. Louis is Rollicking Rock 'n Roll Fun
by James Lindhorst - September 14, 2023

STAGES St. Louis has resurrected the spirits of Elvis, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis in a dazzling, high energy and flashy production of MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET. This show is musical theatre perfection from top to bottom. The performances are spectacular. The musicianship is masterful...

Review: SUDDENLY LAST SUMMER at COCA's Catherine B Berges Theatre
by James Lindhorst - September 09, 2023

TWSTL’s SUDDENLY LAST SUMMER is a fairly well-constructed production of Tennessee William’s play. There is a lot to unpack in the 90-minute psychological drama including maternal obsession, malice, repressed homosexuality, mental illness, manipulation, pedophilia, greed, and cannibalism. Most of it ...

Review: THIS PALPABLE GROSS PLAY At The Chapel
by James Lindhorst - August 24, 2023

Schwetye’s vision is brought to life by the crisp direction of Lucy Capshion. Her brisk blocking moves the actors from scene to scene across the two time periods with ease. Capshion effectively guides the energetic performances of her actors so the audience can clearly distinguish which of the two c...

Review: KINKY BOOTS at The Grandel
by James Lindhorst - August 19, 2023

This production of KINKY BOOTS by is a show with a lot of heart and a few too many technical glitches, especially related to the mics and sound design. Director Taylor Gruenloh, his cast, and crew get a lot right with this production. Good performances, fun choreography, and some inventive staging m...

Review: AMERICAN STAGE SESSIONS – HISTORY OF WORLD DRAMA PART 2,666: A CLOSER LOOK AT THE WORK OF BRYCELAND DAVIES DAVID at High Low Coffee Shop
by James Lindhorst - August 19, 2023

Glass Elevator’s inaugural production of a 60-minute play of caustic humor showed that this company has an artistic vision that needs to be explored further. The St. Louis arts community may have a budding theatre group to add to the robust and growing number of companies who produce plays and music...

Review: The Muny's SISTER ACT is Fabulous Baby!
by James Lindhorst - August 16, 2023

The Muny has delivered a big, bold, over-the-top production of delightful disco divinity that exceeds every expectation. Credit Director and Choreographer Dennis Jones for his directorial vision and collaboration with the entire production team. He, and The Muny’s casting partners at The Telsey Offi...

Review: WAYWARD at The Kranzberg Blackbox Theater
by James Lindhorst - August 12, 2023

Director Phil Wright magnificently captures the playwrights voice in this premiere production of WAYWARD. He leads a talented cast to tell the stories of the young women who were forced to give their babies up for adoption due to the societal norms of the 1960s. Wright’s analysis of the script and h...

Review: GODSPELL at Tower Groves Abbey
by Rob Levy - August 11, 2023

Powerful and prophetic, Stray Dog Theatre’s Godspell is a welcome redux filled with great performances, excellent choreography, robust numbers, and even some smoke....

Review: RENT at The Muny
by James Lindhorst - August 06, 2023

Director Lili-Anne Brown follows up her magnificent production of last season’s THE COLOR PURPLE with a poignant production of RENT and the story of friends who are coping with the extreme circumstances of life-threatening disease and poverty. Her treatment of Jonathan Larson’s RENT remains true to ...

Review: Midnight Company's YOU MADE ME LOVE YOU at The Blue Strawberry Showroom And Lounge
by James Lindhorst - August 03, 2023

Fans of Judy Garland will love Midnight Company’s production of YOU MADE ME LOVE YOU for three reasons. First, because Hanrahan’s script about Garland’s life and career is compelling. Second, because Owens is relatable when she is sharing Garland’s story to the audience. Finally, because of the deli...

Review: CAROLINE, OR CHANGE at The Marcelle
by James Lindhorst - July 30, 2023

Director Brian McKinley, his cast, orchestra and technical team have staged a production of CAROLINE, OR CHANGE that elevates the script and score. In his first try as a director, McKinley has led a vocally accomplished cast and an exceptional crew to a tremendous success. CAROLINE, OR CHANGE will c...

Review: CLUE at STAGES St. Louis In The Ross Family Theater At The Kirkwood Performing Arts Center
by James Lindhorst - July 29, 2023

St. Louis Stages is producing their first play in decades with their astonishing, brilliant and comical production of CLUE. The dictionary doesn’t hold enough superlatives to describe the superb quality of this production. This review is going to sound cliché in its description but be assured that a...

Review: LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS at The Muny
by James Lindhorst - July 27, 2023

Director Maggie Burrows and choreographer William Carlos Angulo have put their unique spin on this frighteningly fun new Muny production of LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS. Burrows knows that for any production of LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS to succeed it requires stellar lead and background vocals from the trio ...