Kari Ely News

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis (The Rep) will present one of the best musicals ever written, Sunday in the Park with George. With music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine, the show will be performed on the Browning Mainstage of the Loretto-Hilton Center for the Performing Arts, 130 Edgar Road (on the campus of Webster University), Webster Groves, January 4 - 29, 2012.

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis (The Rep) will present one of the best musicals ever written, Sunday in the Park with George.

Frances Hodgson Burnett's work, THE SECRET GARDEN, was initially serialized before being published in 1911 and becoming a children's classic. Several attempts by Hollywood have tried to capitalize on it's dramatic and hope-filled story, with the 1949 MGM adaptation, starring Margaret O'Brien, wonderfully changing from black and white into full-blown technicolor as the garden is revealed in all it's splendor. However. most folks today will probably be more familiar with the the rather staid, but thoughtful motion picture made in 1993, which was fairly well mounted. This current stage adaptation is far more appealing in any number of ways, with stronger acting and a memorably performed score being among the many highlights that are attractive to an audience interested in the material.

Unlock the magic behind The Secret Garden,opening July 22 at STAGES ST. LOUIS.The Secret Garden continues through August 21 at the Robert G. Reim Theatre in Kirkwood.

Facebook, Scrabulous, handheld solitaire games, the Greek Isles, Greek myths... what do all of these things have in common? They all figure prominently in New Jewish Theatre's upcoming production of SIRENS by Deborah Zoe Laufer, where a 25th Anniversary trip to the Greek Isles becomes a catalyst for an amusing series of events in this quirky romantic comedy. The biggest hit from last year's Humana Festival of New American Plays, Laufer's play is a quirky empty-nest romantic comedy about a husband and wife and the hit love song he wrote for her more than 25 years ago.

Playwright Deborah Zoe Laufer has constructed an interesting and very engaging work with SIRENS, which comes to us directly from the Humana New Plays Festival. This is a whimsical and charming tale that touches on a couple of different mythologies with its references to muses and sirens, one of which actually makes an appearance here. The New Jewish Theatre has put together a warm and humorous production that benefits greatly from excellent casting and sharp direction.

Facebook, Scrabulous, handheld solitaire games, the Greek Isles, Greek myths... what do all of these things have in common? They all figure prominently in New Jewish Theatre's upcoming production of SIRENS by Deborah Zoe Laufer, where a 25th Anniversary trip to the Greek Isles becomes a catalyst for an amusing series of events in this quirky romantic comedy. The biggest hit from last year's Humana Festival of New American Plays, Laufer's play is a quirky empty-nest romantic comedy about a husband and wife and the hit love song he wrote for her more than 25 years ago.

Facebook, Scrabulous, handheld solitaire games, the Greek Isles, Greek myths... what do all of these things have in common? They all figure prominently in New Jewish Theatre's upcoming production of SIRENS by Deborah Zoe Laufer, where a 25th Anniversary trip to the Greek Isles becomes a catalyst for an amusing series of events in this quirky romantic comedy. The biggest hit from last year's Humana Festival of New American Plays, Laufer's play is a quirky empty-nest romantic comedy about a husband and wife and the hit love song he wrote for her more than 25 years ago.

Twenty-two St. Louis theater companies are represented in the nominations for the Sixth Annual Kevin Kline Awards. Thirty plays and musicals produced in the St. Louis area during 2010 now share 112 nominations in 22 different categories for the coveted award.

Upstream Theater continues to find little gems from around the globe, delivering unique theatrical experiences that cast a light on different cultures and societies outside of our own. Buenos Aires born playwright Lucia Laragione's COOKING WITH ELISA is their latest discovery, and is currently being staged for its U.S. premiere with a translation by artistic director Philip Boehm, who has a real knack for adapting these kind of plays for an American audience. The results are provocative and compelling, and if you take the time to read through the program notes, you'll really get a sense of the political undercurrents that run through this piece.

The Muddy Waters Theater company concludes their season devoted to playwright Eugene O'Neill with an American classic; LONG DAY'S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT. After you see this intense and powerful play, you'll understand why O'Neill didn't allow it to be staged during his lifetime, since it's autobiographical in nature, and would have obviously rekindled painful memories from his past. This production is especially well acted, and brings this season of O'Neill to a dramatic finish.

As State Fairs take place around the country, Stages St. Louis concludes its 24th season with Rodgers and Hammerstein's Tony Award-winning Broadway musical STATE FAIR at The Robert G. Reim Theatre in Kirkwood from September 3 - October 3, 2010.

Stages St. Louis concludes its 24th season with Rodgers and Hammerstein's Tony Award-winning Broadway musical State Fair at The Robert G. Reim Theatre in Kirkwood from September 3 - October 3, 2010.

Stages St. Louis concludes its 24th season with Rodgers and Hammerstein's Tony Award-winning Broadway musical State Fair at The Robert G. Reim Theatre in Kirkwood from September 3 - October 3, 2010.

STATE FAIR was the only musical that Rodgers and Hammerstein wrote specifically for Hollywood and two versions were filmed, one in 1945 and the other in 1962. The one that's probably most familiar to audiences today is the rather forgettable 1962 version which features Pat Boone serenading a pig. Hammerstein's son, James, revived the musical in 1995, plucking tunes from ME AND JULIET, PIPE DREAM and ALLEGRO! to round out the score. While the results are certainly a mixed bag musically, the latest presentation by Stages St. Louis is splendidly mounted, and provides a lively and engaging look back at a simpler time in our history.

As State Fairs take place around the country, Stages St. Louis concludes its 24th season with Rodgers and Hammerstein's Tony Award-winning Broadway musical STATE FAIR at The Robert G. Reim Theatre in Kirkwood from September 3 - October 3, 2010.

As State Fairs take place around the country, Stages St. Louis concludes its 24th season with Rodgers and Hammerstein's Tony Award-winning Broadway musical STATE FAIR at The Robert G. Reim Theatre in Kirkwood from September 3 - October 3, 2010.

The Stages St. Louis production of PROMISES,PROMISES will be produced and presented from the original script and score that premiered on Broadway at the Shubert Theatre in 1968. Adapted from Billy Wilder's 1960 Oscar-winning film The Apartment, PROMISES,PROMISES focuses on a rising executive, Chuck Baxter, who tries to curry favor with his superiors by letting them borrow his apartment for romantic trysts. Set in the Mad Men era of Manhattan's Madison Avenue, Promises, Promises remains slick, hip and timeless. With its propulsive score, eye-catching dances, dazzling designs, and laugh-out-loud hilarity, PROMISES,PROMISES is a show you will long carry in your heart.

Since I first started taking my son along with me to see children's shows, it's become readily apparent to me that he especially enjoys seeing the ones put on by Stages St. Louis. That's because they're always entertaining and fun, and they don't wear out their welcome by running too long. Their current presentation of DISNEY'S THE ARISTOCATS is another fine example of the kind of engaging productions they present year in and year out. And, I'm happy to report that my son absolutely loved it (my wife and I did, too)!

The Stages St. Louis production of PROMISES,PROMISES will be produced and presented from the original script and score that premiered on Broadway at the Shubert Theatre in 1968. Adapted from Billy Wilder's 1960 Oscar-winning film The Apartment, PROMISES,PROMISES focuses on a rising executive, Chuck Baxter, who tries to curry favor with his superiors by letting them borrow his apartment for romantic trysts. Set in the Mad Men era of Manhattan's Madison Avenue, Promises, Promises remains slick, hip and timeless. With its propulsive score, eye-catching dances, dazzling designs, and laugh-out-loud hilarity, PROMISES,PROMISES is a show you will long carry in your heart.