Chris Gibson - Page 56

The Sheldon Art Galleries presents a free Gallery Talk with Bärbel Schulte, curator of the exhibition Max Lazarus: Trier / St. Louis / Denver - A Jewish Artist's Fate, Saturday, April 23, 1 p.m. Dr. Schulte will speak on Max Lazarus' life and career in conjunction with the exhibition, admission free.

always consider it a rewarding experience when you go to see a play and you actually learn something along the way. In the case of playwright Andrew Moodie's work, THE REAL MCCOY, we're treated to a biographical account of forgotten black inventor Elijah McCoy (1844-1929). It's an intriguing and engrossing story, and when you begin to realize the obstacles this highly intelligent individual faced, it's even more compelling. The Black Rep has constructed an artful production based on the playwright's original staging, and it's a brilliant presentation deserving of your attendance.

The basic story of Chanticleer can supposedly be traced back to Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales, and a particular story titled 'The Nun's Priest's Tale', but you'd be hard pressed to find any resemblance between that work and most adaptations which focus instead on the conflict between a sly fox and an vain rooster. Hollywood even took a stab at the material with the 1991 animated film Rock- A-Doodle, an adaptation of the comedic play Chantecler by Edmond Rostand, which featured Glen Campbell's voice in the lead role. Playwright and composer Brian Hohlfeld has come up with his own spin on the idea with CHANTICLEER!, a country flavored musical version that's perfectly suited for young people. The Imaginary Theatre Company has assembled a cute and funny production of this charming classic, and happily I was able to catch a performance this past weekend (March 19, 2011) with my wife and son in tow.

BEEHIVE THE 60's MUSICAL closes out the season for the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, providing a refreshing and cheery dose of 1960's sunshine, and filling the theatre with the sounds of classic pop tunes from that era. This jukebox musical focuses on the contributions that women made to music during those turbulent times, and features six supremely talented singers who bring these familiar favorites to life while being backed by a superb band. The Rep's current production is a sheer delight, conjuring up memories of days gone by with an energetic cast who may have been too young to have heard these songs the first time around, but who do wonderful work with this material, nonetheless.

Cemeteries and marching bands, skeleton krewes and carnivals both glittering and raucous. Even prior to Hurricane Katrina, few cities understood the fine line between revelry and requiem better than New Orleans. In April, celebrated choreographer Trey McIntyre - arguably among the most acclaimed of his generation - will return to St. Louis with MA MAISON, a rousing homage to the spirit, vibrancy and resiliency of The City that Care Forgot.

Never before presented in English, this historical-folklorical tragical-comical reenactment of THE DEATH OF ATAHUALPA will be making its world debut in St. Louis this April. For centuries this tale of regicide has enthralled audiences in the Andes Mountains where some 7 million people speak Quechua, the ancestral language of the Incas. (That's more than speak Danish, Hebrew, or Slovak.) Plays depicting the Spaniard Pizarro's conquest of the majestic Inca Empire have been orally handed down through the generations, and now English-speaking audiences will have the unique opportunity to witness a work never before performed in the United States.

If your only previous exposure to the story of Cyrano de Bergerac was through the Steve Martin vehicle Roxanne, then you've really only seen a watered down (and considerably lightened) telling of the tale. The movie is a lot of fun, but Edmond Rostand's play, which imparts a great deal of fictional ornamentation to the actual person, is much darker in nature. And while there is a generous amount of humor to be found, most of the action is played with an undercurrent of deadly seriousness, and with the countenance of the true tragedy that it is. St. Louis Shakespeare has mounted a swashbuckling staging that's neatly appointed and well performed by a game and talented cast.

St. Louis has experienced a veritable confluence of exceptional songwriting talent with concerts by Randy Newman (The Sheldon), Kris Kristofferson and Merle Haggard (The Fox), along with the recent three day stand at the Kranzberg by Jimmy Webb. While I certainly regret missing the show at the Fox, I did catch Newman's evening at the Sheldon, and I also managed to attend the opening night performance of Jimmy Webb (March 17, 2011), who promoting his latest release, Just Across the River, as well. I'm happy to report that I enjoyed the show, and was particularly entertained by his reminiscences on a golden era of songwriting.

The Presenters Dolan welcome Deborah Sharn & Alice Kinsella to the Kranzberg Arts Center with their new show Spring Fever. Alice Kinsella and Deborah Sharn connect in a combustible mix of theatre, jazz and comedy. Deborah's sexy, slow-burn vocals meet up with Alice's brassy cabaret comedy in a night designed to please all the senses.

West End Players Guild wraps its 100th season next month with the St. Louis premiere of Kathryn Chetkovich's ACTS OF LOVE, directed by Robert Ashton. The show opens on Friday, April 1, and will be presented Friday and Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoons through April 10. All performances are at the theater in the Union Avenue Christian Church, 733 Union Ave.

The Sheldon presents Hudson and the Hoo Doo Cats, Saturday, April 16, 2011 at 11 a.m. in the perfect acoustics of the Sheldon Concert Hall. Self-described 'JumpSwinginRockinBoogieBluesaBilly' band Hudson and the Hoo Doo Cats are St. Louis favorites, performing swinging blues, 50's era rock and roll, rockabilly and dance music, as well as original songs penned by founder and songwriter, Hudson Harkins.

Next month, Washington University's Performing Arts Department (PAD) in Arts & Sciences will present ECLIPSED for six performances in the A.E. Hotchner Studio Theatre. It is perhaps the unlikeliest community imaginable, and daunting territory for any dramatist. Yet ECLIPSED, a recent work by acclaimed actress and playwright Danai Gurira, is at once sharp-edged, humanizing and surprisingly funny - a portrait of resilience in even the most difficult of circumstances.

Citilites West presents their first production - ALMOST,MAINE. Join the citizens of Almost as they find and lose love underneath the magical Northern Lights. In eleven vignettes, a comical range of characters fall in and out of love in unexpected and often hilarious ways on a cold, clear, moonless night. Knees are bruised, hearts are broken. But bruises heal, and hearts are mended, almost, in this delightful midwinter night's tale.

Mustard Seed Theatre opens TILL WE HAVE FACES April 15 - May 1, 2011. A powerful Queen must surrender to invisible forces to rescue her sister and discover the secret of true beauty. From the novel by C.S. Lewis, this retelling of the Greek myth of Psyche has been adapted for the stage by Artistic Director Deanna Jent.

Blending stringed instruments and a myriad of musical styles, Swing DeVille creates a unique, 'unplugged' listening experience, drawing on musical influences from the early western swing sound, old-time fiddle and bluegrass, to big band, gypsy-jazz, New Orleans jazz, and pop music of the '20s through the '40s. The band also continues to compose original songs and add them to its repertoire. Performing a lively stage show on vintage instruments, Swing DeVille features Justin Branum, fiddle and mandolin; Clint Hasse, guitar and vocals; Gary Hunt, guitar and vocals; Glenn Meyers, bass and harmonica; and Matt Wyatt, violin.

It's easy to see why playwright Alfred Uhry's DRIVING MISS DAISY was so successfully adapted for the movies. The episodic structure of Uhry's work, along with its brevity (running a scant 75 minutes), make it a perfect candidate for the big screen. But, don't be content sitting at home watching the award-winning film on DVD, check out a stellar live staging by Dramatic License Productions, which features a very talented cast working under the guidance of an excellent director.

The idea of following the stories of four young gay men who are raised as members of a Baptist church in Texas is certainly fertile enough stuff for a play on its own. But, with SOUTHERN BAPTIST SISSIES, playwright Del Shores muddies this basic premise with a non-linear, and at times illogical, presentation that generates a modicum of laughs, but misses the mark dramatically. Although I'm usually a fan of unconventionality, I think Shores pushes too hard here, and the opportunity to create something truly memorable is lost in the process. However, Citilites Theatre has put together a fitfully funny and heartfelt production that makes the most of this decidedly uneven material, and it benefits greatly from a number of strong performances as well.

Playwright Sarah Ruhl has crafted a brilliantly funny and touching work with IN THE NEXT ROOM OR THE VIBRATOR PLAY, a piece that's as moving, in the end, as it is hilarious and erotic. While it concerns itself with the invention of the device mentioned in the title, it's also an amusing look at all things Victorian, and acts as a send-up of the kind of societal comedies that authors like Oscar Wilde made so famous. The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis has mounted an exceptional production of this arousing play that features a marvelous cast and savvy direction.

With TRAIL OF TEARS celebrated playwright Kathryn Schultz Miller once again brings history to life in this gripping drama. View 1800s America through the eyes of youthful and determined Chosen One as his people are forced to abandon their homeland in the Smoky Mountains. With his wife, Snow Owl, and his father, Walking Bear, he fights valiantly to save his people, but is overcome time and again by the attractive empty promises of the new settlers. This dramatic tale of one man's heartbreaking struggle to hold on to his Cherokee heritage is a fresh look at a painful chapter in American history.

Cellist Anne Fagerburg, violist Morris Jacob and violinist Erin Schreiber - all members of the St. Louis Symphony - will join pianist Martin Kennedy, assistant professor of music in Arts & Sciences, and mezzo-soprano Nöel Prince, instructor in voice, for a free performance at 7:30 p.m. Monday, March 28. Sponsored by the Department of Music and the St. Louis Symphony Community Partnership program, the concert will take place in Washington University's E. Desmond Lee Concert Hall, located in the 560 Music Center, 560 Trinity Ave., at the intersection with Delmar Boulevard.