John Contini News

Voting is now underway for Tampa! We have a record number of votes in already, but if you haven't voted yet, click here to vote! If you have voted already, tell your friends.

Voting is now underway for St. Louis! We have a record number of votes in already, but if you haven't voted yet, click here to vote! If you have voted already, tell your friends.

Voting is now underway for St. Louis! We have a record number of votes in already, but if you haven't voted yet, click here to vote! If you have voted already, tell your friends.

Shakespeare's KING LEAR can be interpreted in any number of ways. But, at it's heart, it's the tale of two families that are torn apart when their patriarchs misjudge their own offspring. King Lear turns the division of his kingdom into a test of love among his three daughters, while the Earl of Gloucester carelessly allows a note forged by his bastard son Edmund to destroy his relationship with his other son, Edgar. St. Louis Actors' Studio is presenting a slightly more scaled down and intimate production of this work that focuses our attention keenly on the story, as well as on the fine performers who populate this excellent cast.

Avalon Theatre Company closes its sixth season with John Pielmeier's haunting glimpse into science, faith, and even miracles, AGNES OF GOD, April 28 - May 8 at Avalon in ArtSpace at Crestwood Court.

Playwright John Pielmeier has constructed an interesting work with AGNES OF GOD. It's decidedly uneven in tone, and the template for the script is very similar to the one utilized by the far-superior Equus (as a learned colleague of mine pointed out), but it's an engaging and involving show nonetheless. Avalon Theatre Company's current production is certainly a solid one, driven by three fine performances and intelligent direction.

Avalon Theatre Company closes its sixth season with John Pielmeier's haunting glimpse into science, faith, and even miracles, AGNES OF GOD, April 28 - May 8 at Avalon in ArtSpace at Crestwood Court.

Avalon Theatre Company closes its sixth season with John Pielmeier's haunting glimpse into science, faith, and even miracles, AGNES OF GOD, April 28 - May 8 at Avalon in ArtSpace at Crestwood Court.

The evening will combine a tasting of several fine wines paired with specially selected and prepared appetizers and bites. The wines, provided by PRP Wine International, will range from lighter whites through bold reds with a special after dinner selection from Down Under. All wines will be available for purchase and can be delivered to your home.

The evening will combine a tasting of several fine wines paired with specially selected and prepared appetizers and bites. The wines, provided by PRP Wine International, will range from lighter whites through bold reds with a special after dinner selection from Down Under. All wines will be available for purchase and can be delivered to your home.

Meet Victor and Walter Franz - brothers who haven't spoken to one another in 16 years. One a beat cop, the other a successful surgeon, they meet in the attic of a soon-to-be-demolished house to sell their deceased parents' property. THE PRICE, an essential Miller drama, explores missed opportunities, seething resentments, and the price of life decisions.

Meet Victor and Walter Franz - brothers who haven't spoken to one another in 16 years. One a beat cop, the other a successful surgeon, they meet in the attic of a soon-to-be-demolished house to sell their deceased parents' property. THE PRICE, an essential Miller drama, explores missed opportunities, seething resentments, and the price of life decisions.

Meet Victor and Walter Franz - brothers who haven't spoken to one another in 16 years. One a beat cop, the other a successful surgeon, they meet in the attic of a soon-to-be-demolished house to sell their deceased parents' property. THE PRICE, an essential Miller drama, explores missed opportunities, seething resentments, and the price of life decisions.

Insight Theatre Company is pleased to announce that David Auburn's Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning drama PROOF opens at The Heagney Theater on the campus of Nerinx Hall on Wednesday, September 29 and runs through Sunday, October 10, 2010.

In the academic world of mathematics 'proofs' are a kind of intellectual currency. If published, they can launch a career. But, they're rare and precious items, essentially the product of sweat and genius; the very essence of math. David Auburn's play, PROOF, examines this form of the word, but also visits upon many of the other meanings present as well. Filled with moments of drama, mystery and humor, Proof is a compelling tale that never bores, and Insight Theatre Company closes their season with a generally solid production of this clever and engaging work.

Insight Theatre Company is pleased to announce that David Auburn's Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning drama PROOF opens at The Heagney Theater on the campus of Nerinx Hall on Wednesday, September 29 and runs through Sunday, October 10, 2010.

Insight Theatre Company is pleased to announce that David Auburn's Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning drama PROOF opens at The Heagney Theater on the campus of Nerinx Hall on Wednesday, September 29 and runs through Sunday, October 10, 2010.

Avalon Theatre Company announces their 2010-2011 season, with productions of THE GOOD DOCTOR, THE PRICE, AGNES OF GOD, and PORTRAIT OF MY PEOPLE.

When I started writing this review I had Turner Classics on, and it just so happened they were playing SHOW BOAT. Funny how that works sometimes, when you've just seen a splendid live performance of a show the night before, and the next evening you stumble across Hollywood's take on the material. Seeing it live is always better, I think, and SHOW BOAT has a definite history with the Muny, a fact clearly reflected by the numerous stagings it's had since its initial appearance in 1930. But, that's to be expected, since this is the perfect venue for Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II's memorable adaptation of Edna Ferber's sprawling novel. And as such, it provides us with a particularly grand finale for the Muny's 2010 season.

The Muny's Sound Of Music will close August 1. THE SOUND OF MUSIC was directed by Marc Bruni, with choreography by Liza Gennaro, musical direction by Ben Whiteley, set design by Michael Anania, and lighting design by F. Mitchell Dana.