Harrison Kaplan - Page 2

The movie version of SINGIN' IN THE RAIN is one of my all-time favorites. It has such an upbeat feel and infectious sense of humor that it's almost disappointing when you finish watching it, step outside, and it isn't raining. Happily, the stage version retains a great deal of the tone and vivacity that the movie contains, even though this kind of reverse-engineering usually winds up a mixed bag at best. But, The Muny's current production, even with the sweltering heat we're currently enduring, is worth braving the broiling for, with winning performances and a bevy of familiar hummable tunes that haven't lost a bit of their original charm.

When initially transforming Hans Christian Andersen's fairytale THE LITTLE MERMAID into an animated film, Disney provided an instant classic that was a smash hit with children and adults (and was a key player in their animation revival). But the transition to the stage proved more troublesome and cumbersome, reworking many plot elements, inserting about a dozen or so songs, and adding about an hour to the film's 80 minutes or so (depending on the version is being viewed) running time. While there's no denying that the audience who braved the heat and humidity in vast numbers at The Muny to see this colorful spectacle had a good time, there's also no denying that a good deal of the original's charm was somehow lost in the process.

The Union Avenue Opera begins season seventeen with Giacomo Puccini's classic, and final work, TURANDOT (with libretto by Giuseppe Adami and Renato Simoni), and it's an excellent production buoyed by several fine performances. The opera itself combines the exotic, the romantic, and the poignant in Puccini's dynamic score, and the orchestra, conducted by artistic director Scott Schoonover is in fine fettle with their achievements here. Although Puccini died with only about two-thirds of the material finished, it's certainly engaging from start to finish, and appears to be a fully realized piece.

Citilites Theatre presents a late night show, making a sort of double bill for theatre patrons after they take in THE CRUMPLE ZONE, with the short musical, SONGS FROM AN UNMADE BED. Fortunately, it's well worth staying over for (although I took in a Sunday matinee performance), featuring a terrific performance from Justin Ivan Brown. It's a collection of eighteen songs by various composers, but all featuring the pithy and amusing lyrics of Mark Campbell. The brevity of the show, which runs about an hour, is perfectly suited to the material, and easily outshines the production that plays before it.

Buddy Thomas takes the typical trappings of a romantic triangle and places them in a rundown New York apartment somewhere in Staten Island, with the twist here being that all the participants (in the triangle) are gay. THE CRUMPLE ZONE certainly has some entertaining moments and a few memorable lines, but unfortunately, it fails to spark. Part of this is the play itself, which recycles the situation with little verve or panache, and part of it is due to a lackluster presentation that's just a little too loose in execution, despite a fairly sharp cast, to succeed. Citilities Theatre is currently producing this fairly recent work as part of a double night of theatre, with SONGS FROM AN UNMADE BED taking the stage about a half hour after the initial show ends. I didn't see it in that manner, but those who do will find the latter far more engaging.

DANNY AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA is an early piece by playwright John Patrick Shanley, but you wouldn't know it, since it's filled with the same kind of crackling dialogue and troubled characters that populate most of his work. I was reminded more than once of Harold Arlen and Ted Koehler's classic composition 'Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea', not just because of the obvious similarities between the titles, but due to Koehler's lyrics like: 'I don't want you/but I hate to lose you' and 'I want to cross you off my list/but when you come knocking at my door/fate seems to give my heart a twist/and I come running back for more'. Those words really seem to fit this pair of damaged individuals who are searching for something positive in their lives, despite their inability to connect with anyone, at least until they meet up with one another. The NonProphet Theatre Company's presentation is a real stunner, powered by two great performances that make it must-see viewing.

Following closely on the heels of Shakespeare Festival St. Louis' sparkling 1950's update of THE TAMING OF THE SHREW, audiences at the Muny get the unique opportunity to compare and contrast the original with the musical remake as KISS ME KATE takes the stage in wondrous fashion. The chance to hear a swinging ensemble play Cole Porter's terrific score is reason enough to take in this production of Kiss Me Kate, but when you add in the eye-catching costumes, enthusiastic performances and lively dance numbers, you have the complete package.

The stage version of 101 DALMATIANS differs greatly from the original 1961 Disney film classic, but the changes are smart ones that focus our attention more on the evil villain of the piece, Cruella De Vil, rather than on a lengthy, suspense filled chase through snowy woods and icy ponds, which really wouldn't translate well to the stage anyway. Instead we're left with a brisk piece of family-friendly entertainment that's not only delightful, but never dull in the least. Stages St. Louis is presenting a wonderfully realized production of this material that features a terrific cast singing and barking their hearts out.

Muddy Water Theatre continues their season devoted to playwright Paula Vogel with her work THE MINEOLA TWINS, and it's an interesting piece that covers a period of around 40 years in the lives of two very different twins, Myra and Myrna. The play is, at times, very funny and wryly examines the changing roles of women during the time that's covered, focusing primarily on three different presidential terms, including those of Eisenhower, Nixon and George Bush, Sr. It's certainly no coincidence that those are all conservative eras, and it definitely skews the attitudes and humor that abound. This production is amusing and occasionally touching, and it's definitely worth a look.

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.

St. Louis-based artist Peter Pranschke presents an installation of recent works that reflect on everyday life narratives. Pranschke often works on an intimate scale, using ballpoint pen or colored pencil, defining the edges of his drawings by cutting the sheets into irregular shapes. Exhibited collectively, his drawings present accounts of personal experiences, sometimes embellished, but rooted in biography.

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.