Chris Gibson - Page 36

I love it when the Reduced Shakespeare Company comes to town. Their humor runs the gamut from simple puns and wordplay to sophisticated laughs that require a bit of intellect. The last time I saw them was a couple of years ago at the Edison Theatre on the campus of Washington University. I didn't see the main members that time, but this time the heavy artillery was broken out and Reed Martin, Austin Tichenor and Matt Rippy, all original contributors (Daniel Singer is the actual founding member), made the trip to our fair city. Once again they played the Edison (December 7-8) and, this time, took on the holiday season with THE ULTIMATE CHRISTMAS SHOW(abridged). The production was a pure delight from start to finish.

You'd have to have been a hermit living in a cave the past few years not to be aware of the cultural impact of J. K. Rowling's seven best-selling Harry Potter books. Not to mention the eight blockbuster movies that they spawned. The last couple years may have seen the "Twilight" series overshadow them slightly, but Harry still has a huge following that's not going away any time soon. The Magic Smoking Monkey Theatre takes full advantage of this following by presenting the fun and funny STUPEFY! THE 90 MINUTE HARRY POTTER.

If you're looking for heart-warming fare this holiday season, then look no further than The New Jewish Theatre's splendid production of playwright Lanford Wilson's work, TALLEY'S FOLLY. This is a romantic and touching play that features two wonderful performances and masterly direction. It's a perfect contrast to some of the more edgy productions currently playing in town, and it's ideal fit for couples looking for something that's engaging, entertaining, and brimming with hope. For me, this is a great example of must-see theatre.

I have to confess that I'm not particularly fond of playwright/director Alan Ayckbourn's brand of British farce. I just don't think it translates very well to American audiences, and it requires the actors involved to sport solid accents, or it loses its credibility. That's why I was a bit surprised by the St. Louis Actors' Studio's choice of his work, SEASON'S GREETINGS, as their holiday offering. They're best known, to me at least, for their edgy premieres and inspired revivals, so this is something of a disappointment. Perhaps, they were drawn to it's sudden violence and black comic trappings, but it just doesn't suit them as well as it might.

If Die!Mommy!Die lovingly skewers swinging suburbia, then THE DIVINE SISTER is a swift kick to the groin of Catholicism and religion in general. Like his twin son from a different mother, filmmaker John Waters, playwright Charles Busch is adept at crafting overwrought melodramatic tales that are hilarious to some, and offensive to others. I fall into the former category, thoroughly enjoying his playfully perverse creations. HotCity Theatre has put together another holiday alternative with their production of this controversial and side-splitting work.

Before his untimely death in a plane crash in the mid-1980's, playwright Larry Shue had penned two community theatre staples, The Nerd and THE FOREIGNER. While I'm not a big fan of the former, the latter is a fast-paced farce brimming with humor that builds to a hilariously satisfying climax. The current production by the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis is nicely mounted and features a fine cast and direction that takes full advantage of the comic opportunities presented.

While I've seen BLUE MAN GROUP live and on DVD, they're always tweaking their act so that it's a new experience each time you see them perform. Oh, they're smart enough to keep some of the old gags so that they remain familiar (the camera tour down an audience member's throat, the snarky message board, the interesting instruments),but there's enough current material added so that the group is consistently engaging no matter when you see them. The current production playing the Fox Theatre (through December 2, 2012) is a great evening's entertainment, and seeing it with my seven year old son in tow made it even more special.

With IMAGINARY JESUS, author Matt Mikalatos has written an interesting look at the way that people of faith envision their savior, and playwright Deanna Jent has taken a stab at a stage adaptation that manages to capture it's whimsical approach. Though, it's not always as sharply focused as it probably should be, this is still an enjoyable ride, featuring a great cast and Jent's own direction.

When you go to see a concert by the Carolina Chocolate Drops you're going to find yourself immersed in authenticity. Just from the songs themselves, that range all the way back to minstrel shows from the 1850's to their own original material, you're going to hear a plethora of music that conjures up a bygone era. It's the sound of individuals playing music on a front porch, crowded with friends, and full of enthusiasm as well as a sense of history.

It's interesting to me when a play can effectively walk the fine line between drama and comedy, and Andrew Hinderaker's play, SUICIDE, INC., does just that. When it's funny, it's crass and hilarious, but when it's not, it's touching and sad. And there's a good hopeful ending that balances things out neatly. R-S Theatrics current staging of this eclectic and intriguing work is a well performed and nicely directed (Christina Rios) production that's deserving of your time and attention.

Playwright Ron Hutchinson has written a clever farcical comedy with his play, MOONLIGHT AND MAGNOLIAS, based on an actual event that occurred during the tumultuous production of the film Gone with the Wind. It may be true that producer David O. Selznick took extreme measures in order to get a screenplay produced, but unless you were a fly on the wall, the information presented here can only be considered fodder for laughs, since most of what is known about this occurrence is culled from biographies and Hollywood legend. Dramatic License has put together a splendid evening of entertainment with a fine staging of the fitfully funny work.

The Rockettes celebrate 85 years of high kicks with the charming and colorful RADIO CITY CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR. It's an evening filled with holiday spirit and it's fit for the entire family. This yuletide extravaganza is currently playing the Peabody Opera House through November 17, 2012.

Playwright Janet Langhart Cohen has crafted an intriguing work with ANNE & EMMETT, which brings together two seemingly disparate people from history, and then proceeds to show how similar their lives were. The Black Rep's current production is nicely conceived and executed, and features four fine performances. The message conveyed about racism, and its different guises, is an important one, and one not soon forgotten.

Playwright Bruce Norris has written a real gem with his work CLYBOURNE PARK. This is a wonderfully clever and often hilarious work that looks at racism from two different angles, each represented in acts that take place in the past and in the present, respectively. The current production by the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis is simply perfect, with expert direction and a fabulous cast. This is absolutely must-see theatre, and one, I dare say, that may have you coming back for repeat business.

Apparently, if you've seen LES MISERABLES in its current incarnation, you're missing 15 minutes (approximately), and a revolving stage that makes the action come alive. Well, I hadn't seen the production in any form-I even missed the Muny's presentation, so this was a fresh experience for me. I can't imagine what was cut, since it's about 3 hours even with the intermission, but the revolving stage might have been nice to have. In any event, this is still an epic musical that stirs the heart and soul, and it left the audience enthralled as it told its sprawling tale. Having read Victor Hugo's unedited text some years ago, and written a paper on how it compared to the Frederic March and Charles Laughton film, I come at this from a different perspective. For me, this modern opera currently playing the Fox Theatre (through October 28, 2012), is generally more impressive due to it's fine performances and expert staging than its reputation.

Circus Flora tries something different by offering dinner with a show in their October presentation called: A Celtic Night Circus - TIR NA NOG. It's always a fun time seeing the circus performers do their thing, and combining it with a lovely dinner is a special treat. Although, the story this time around deals with love and adult themes, I brought my young son along and we both had a delightful time.

Playwright C.P. Taylor's work, GOOD, is a piece of theater guaranteed to make the audience think. That's a good thing. Too often, things are so cut and dry that the viewer isn't really required to ponder what they've just seen, they simply digest it and move along. But, Good stays with you, and makes you wonder just what it would take to make a person conform their values and beliefs in an effort to get ahead, even if meant the attempted extermination of a whole race of people. The St. Louis Actors' Studio has put together a fascinating and engaging presentation that truly makes you ask this question. And, with current legislation in Germany being discussed that would outlaw circumcision, it's a timely work that makes you aware of the fact that those who don't learn from their own history may be doomed to repeat it.

Though cut from some of the same cloth as his "Eugene" trilogy, LOST IN YONKERS is a different animal all together from playwright Neil Simon. There are laughs to be found for sure, but the overwhelming sense that pervades this particular work is that of the dramatic. There are similarities as well, what with this being a coming-of-age tale, too. But, Simon works these characters differently, even confessing in one of his memoirs that he isn't sure where they all came from. The current presentation by The New Jewish Theatre is a thoughtful and nicely performed rendering.

With there being so much negativity in the world these days, it's nice to see a play, especially a musical, that has such a sweet disposition. DADDY LONG LEGS (book by John Caird with music and lyrics by Paul Gordon) is just such a production, telling a good story with a fine score, and doing so without any of the ranting and raving we've come to expect from so many modern musicals. The Rep's presentation is splendidly staged and performed, and leaves its audience with a decidedly positive vibe.

Upstream Theater consistently brings unique shows to St. Louis. Sometimes they're new and foreign to these shores, and sometimes they're neglected classics. In the case of Eugene O'Neil's THE HAIRY APE, it's the latter, providing us with the opportunity to view a rarely scene play that carries a powerful message of disenfranchisement. The play is buoyed by wonderful performances and exceptional atmospherics. And, it's one of those pieces that stays with you long after the lights dim and the patrons go their separate ways.