James Lindhorst - Page 2

Merry Ol’ Missouri: A Family Christmas Spectacular returns to the Missouri Theatre in Columbia, Missouri on December 18-20, 2025. Last year’s sold-out, one night only show created such overwhelming demand that producers Melissa Bohon-Webel and Shelby Ringdahl Cox expanded the 2025 holiday spectacular to three performances. The very busy Shelby Ringdahl Cox graciously agreed to sit down with Broadway World and talk about creating Merry Ol’ Missouri: A Family Christmas Spectacular. Melissa and Shelby are the founders of Show Me Theatricals, the creative minds behind Merry Ol’ Missouri: A Family Christmas Spectacular, and the co-directors of the show. Both women grew up in Columbia, Missouri, graduated from Rockbridge High School, and went on to successful performing careers in New York and beyond.

There is nothing like the holidays in New York City. Ice skating under the iconic Rockefeller Center Tree, watching the Rockettes high kick in Radio City Music Hall’s Christmas Spectacular, eating your way through the Winter Village in Bryant Park, and admiring the decorated storefront windows on 5th Avenue is unforgettable. But for this regional theater critic, all the holiday hoopla (which I enjoyed) is secondary to attending live theater in Manhattan.

Last Wednesday an actor with ties to St. Louis made his Broadway debut as King Louis XIV in The Queen of Versailles. Just three years ago, Jake Bentley Young starred as Johnny in the STAGES St. Louis production of Karate Kid The Musical. That is where he first met Queen of Versailles co-producer and STAGES St Louis founder Jack Lane.

Brício’s play, An Orchard for Chekhov, is written with sophisticated humor. It is entertaining and moves quickly yet feels empty in its ambiguity, not dissimilar to Alma’s and her daughter’s lack of fulfillment. But Brício’s characters linger in your gray space long after the curtain has fallen. Perhaps that is the playwright’s Chekhovian intention.

Broadway’s Sara Sheperd returns to St. Louis with her new cabaret show “Please Come Home for Christmas.” Sheperd invites audiences to “slow down, get cozy, and enjoy the tunes of Broadway and the Holidays” at Blue Strawberry on December 13, 2025.

Nisi Sturgis’ Baskerville is a wacky whodunit. The madcap mystery is filled with riotous performances from a talented cast breaking boundaries with bold artistry. Alicia Revé and Sean C. Seifert are revelations. Their presence is more than scene stealing because their every moment on the stage is unforgettably funny. The entire acting troupe commits to absurd physical dynamism with athletic intensity to land every joke possible. Baskerville at New Jewish Theatre is a fun, fast, and frenzied good time.

On Friday at the STAGES St. Louis Applause Gala, Tony Award winner and guest performer James Monroe Iglehart made a big announcement. Midway through his set, Inglehart shared with the several hundred supporters in attendance that he will be directing next summer’s production of Guys & Dolls at STAGES St. Louis. Guys and Dolls will play the Kirkwood Performing Arts Center as part of STAGES St. Louis 2026 Season. Performances of Guys and Dolls begin July 24th and run through August 23, 2026.

Deposition is an entertaining 90-minute story with, like many divorces, no clear resolution. Hanson’s script presents the evidence without assign fault. First Run Theatre’s staging is mostly effective, but at times felt a bit under rehearsed. Leading players Bill Burke, Ami Bossi, and Deb Dennert noticeably tripped over their dialogue or seemed to be reaching for lines. This will likely improve with added performances, but perhaps the loss of the director late in rehearsals may have been a contributing factor.

The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe is a one actor play examining life, relationships, and art on Earth. The play opens with an introduction to Trudy, a kooky bag lady who serves as a medium for extra-terrestrials attempting to understand life on earth. Trudy attempts to explain the complexities of human life to the aliens through a series of vignettes. The audience and the aliens are introduced to eight other women, all portrayed by the same actor.

When the new documentary film A MAN WITH SOLE: The Impact of Kenneth Cole opened the St Louis Film festival last week, Broadway, Off-Broadway, and West End Producer Jack Lane stepped into the spotlight as a multimedia producer. The four-time Tony winner said he had to sign on to this project because he found Cole’s story life changing.

When Upstream Theater’s new production of An Orchard for Chekhov opens it will pair two of the finest regional actors working in theater today. Houstonian Sally Edmundson and St. Louisan J. Samuel Davis will star in the U.S. premiere of Pedro Bricio’s comedic drama. Upstream Theatre’s artistic director Philip Boehm tapped Steven K. Smith to translate Bricio’s script from Portuguese to English. Boehm will direct. Edmundson, Davis, and Boehm sat down with Broadway World to talk about bringing An Orchard for Chekhov to the stage.

Husbands Sean Nyberg and Paul Danforth are following their dream. The two new producers have ventured into the world of theater, producing shows on Broadway, in London’s West End, Off-Broadway, and in the United Kingdom.

Revolution(s) is a well-designed, fast-paced, and adrenaline-fueled production with outstanding music. Fans of Tom Morello will love his frenetic and hard-hitting score. Director Steve Broadnax fills his production with believable performances and riveting vocals from an immensely talented cast. Zayn Ayers Dohrn’s book misses connecting the audience to his character’s motivations. But his narrative does have a definitive message that is unmistakable - do whatever it takes to raise a voice against racism and injustice.

Albion Theatre consistently produces polished and well rehearsed plays. I Have Been There Before is no exception. It is extremely well directed, acted, designed, and stage managed. Priestly’s script has never connected with an audience to enjoy a lengthy theatrical run, but the Albion production is entertaining, with the second and third acts moving much more briskly than the first.

The legendary Marilyn Maye returns to St. Louis on November 19, 2025, with her musical tribute to the King of Late Night, Johnny Carson. For one night only, Maye will entertain audiences with her music and musings. Maye last appeared in St. Louis for two shows in February of 2024.

For the past year, St. Louisan Michael Schimmele has been living his dream. Schimmele is currently playing Babkak in Disney’s Aladdin at the New Amsterdam Theatre on Broadway. Babkak is Aladdin’s food-loving, wise cracking friend with a sky-high tenor. He is one-third of the storytelling trio who function like a mini-Greek chorus setting the stage, providing commentary, and helping to advance the plot.

Professor House blends Jacob Juntunen’s psychologically charged script with visionary direction, spellbinding performances, and evocative lighting and sound design. Director Sam Hayes, the cast, and technical team create an otherworldly experience that is riveting, thrilling, and absorbing. The macabre subject matter is deeply unsettling, but Hayes’ immersive storytelling is impressively unforgettable. It is a directorial masterwork from an emerging theater artist with an immense amount of vision and talent.

Elsinore is a bit of a coming-of-age tragedy peppered with romance, envy, and bloodlust, setting the stage for the beginning of Hamlet. It written with formal vernacular to enhance the story’s credibility. David Nonemaker and Eric Satterfield’s storytelling relies on many Shakespearean conventions including the use of soliloquies and asides, ghostly visits, a mix of comedy and tragedy, conflict, and one murder most foul. The one thing that is missing is a resolution. Elsinore is a bit like episodic television. It ends with a cliffhanger, but audiences already know the rest of the story.

Actors Alexandrea (Alex) and Justin Reynolds play members of The Shirelles and The Drifters. Alex sings lead on “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow” and Justin takes the lead on “Up on a Roof.” The couple, married in real life, sat down with Broadway World to talk about getting the opportunity to work together at STAGES St. Louis and sing King’s iconic tunes.