Kari Ely News

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.

The Fifth Annual Kevin Kline Awards will take place on Monday, March 22, at 7pm, at the Loretto-Hilton Center on the campus of Webster University. 125 productions presented by 40 constituent theatres were judged in 2009, and awards will be given out in 22 categories.

The Fifth Annual Kevin Kline Awards will take place on Monday, March 22, at 7pm, at the Loretto-Hilton Center on the campus of Webster University. 125 productions presented by 40 constituent theatres were judged in 2009, and awards will be given out in 22 categories.

Christopher Durang turns political humor upside down with this hilarious and provocative satire about America's 'War on Terror.' WHY TORTURE IS WRONG, AND THE PEOPLE WHO LOVE THEM tells the story of a young woman suddenly in crisis: Is her new husband, whom she married when drunk, a terrorist? Or just crazy? Or both? Is her father's hobby of butterfly collecting really a cover for his involvement in a shadow government? Don't feel guilty about laughing hard at this new black comedy for an era of yellow, orange and red alerts.

The nominees for the 5th Annual Kevin Kline Awards have been announced. The annual ceremony will be held on Monday, March 22 at 7pm at the Loretto-Hilton Theater.

2009 provided me with the opportunity to review 126 of the more than 200 shows that were available in the St. Louis region, and it began in terrific fashion with New Line Theatre's NIGHT OF THE LIVING SHOW TUNES. This was a wonderful sampling of contemporary show tunes performed by a cast of talented locals, and featuring artistic director Scott Miller's fine accompaniment on piano. In the acoustically perfect confines of the Sheldon Concert Hall, these unique melodies made a glorious noise. And, as I continued on my quest to expose my young son to the world of musical theatre, I ended the year with the Imaginary Theatre Company's splendid presentation of BAH! HUMBUG!. I was lucky enough to catch quite a few gems in between, and I've decided to compile a list of the ten most intriguing and engaging productions I saw in 2009.

A wickedly funny alternative to traditional candy-cane cheer. Scandal erupts at the North Pole when one of Santa's eight tiny reindeer accuses him of sexual harassment. As the mass media descends upon the event, the other members of the sleigh team demand to share their perspectives, and a horrific tale of corruption and perversion emerges -which seems to implicate everyone from the teeniest elf to the tainted Saint himself.

HotCity Theatre offers up a decidedly different take on the usual yuletide fare with their delightfully twisted production of Jeff Goode's icon-shattering play, THE EIGHT: REINDEER MONOLOGUES. While taking its stylistic inspiration from THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES, Goode's wacky script focuses our attention on accusations of sexual impropriety that have been leveled against Santa Claus by one of his reindeer. Obviously, this is not your typical holiday show, but that works in its favor, delivering scores of irreverent laughs while skewering and satirizing the image of 'good St. Nick'.

THE EIGHT: REINDEER MONOLOGUES is a wickedly funny alternative to traditional candy-cane cheer. Scandal erupts at the North Pole when one of Santa's eight tiny reindeer accuses him of sexual harassment. As the mass media descends upon the event, the other members of the sleigh team demand to share their perspectives, and a horrific tale of corruption and perversion emerges -which seems to implicate everyone from the teeniest elf to the tainted Saint himself.

A wickedly funny alternative to traditional candy-cane cheer. Scandal erupts at the North Pole when one of Santa's eight tiny reindeer accuses him of sexual harassment. As the mass media descends upon the event, the other members of the sleigh team demand to share their perspectives, and a horrific tale of corruption and perversion emerges -which seems to implicate everyone from the teeniest elf to the tainted Saint himself.

THE EIGHT: REINDEER MONOLOGUES is a wickedly funny alternative to traditional candy-cane cheer. Scandal erupts at the North Pole when one of Santa's eight tiny reindeer accuses him of sexual harassment. As the mass media descends upon the event, the other members of the sleigh team demand to share their perspectives, and a horrific tale of corruption and perversion emerges -which seems to implicate everyone from the teeniest elf to the tainted Saint himself.

A wickedly funny alternative to traditional candy-cane cheer. Scandal erupts at the North Pole when one of Santa's eight tiny reindeer accuses him of sexual harassment. As the mass media descends upon the event, the other members of the sleigh team demand to share their perspectives, and a horrific tale of corruption and perversion emerges -which seems to implicate everyone from the teeniest elf to the tainted Saint himself.

CONVERSATIONS WITH MY FATHER is kind of a misnomer. The character of Eddie Ross (nee Goldberg) doesn't converse as much as harangue the people around him. But, don't take this as a knock on Herb Gardner's play; it's more of a clarification than anything. This isn't just the ramblings of a bitter old man, but an exploration of his particular experience immigrating to America, and trying to fit in by rejecting his Jewish heritage.

The New Jewish Theatre opens its 'Bat Mitzvah Season' on Wednesday, September 30 with Herb Gardner's 1994 quasi-autobiographical classic about three generations of a Jewish family living on the lower East Side, CONVERSATIONS WITH MY FATHER. Gardner's play, a beautiful paean to the Jewish immigrant experience and father-son relationships explores the story of Eddie Ross (nee Itzhak Goldberg), a Russian immigrant who with his family, runs a Canal Street saloon.

The New Jewish Theatre opens its 'Bat Mitzvah Season' on Wednesday, September 30 with Herb Gardner's 1994 quasi-autobiographical classic about three generations of a Jewish family living on the lower East Side, CONVERSATIONS WITH MY FATHER. Gardner's play, a beautiful paean to the Jewish immigrant experience and father-son relationships explores the story of Eddie Ross (nee Itzhak Goldberg), a Russian immigrant who with his family, runs a Canal Street saloon.

If you're feeling a little blue, or maybe just experiencing some 'non-specific' sadness, a sure cure for that condition can be found by attending Stages St. Louis's sparkling presentation of THE DROWSY CHAPERONE. This is an uproariously funny show that pokes gentle fun at the very core of musical theatre conventions. Everything is fair game in Bob Martin and Don McKellar's witty script, which even manages to lampoon opening blackouts and intermissions.

Thirteen different stage productions were honored at the fourth annual Kevin Kline Awards ceremony. Nine St. Louis area theater companies were recognized with awards. Five of those nine theaters were multiple award winners.

Twenty-one St. Louis theater companies are represented in the nominations for the fourth annual Kevin Kline Awards. Forty-two plays and musicals produced in the St. Louis area during 2008 now share 113 nominations in 22 different categories for the coveted award. The nominations were announced on KWMU-FM's 'Cityscape' today, January 16th, 2009. The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis received the most nominations, 32, divided among seven different productions that were presented on its mainstage, and in both the Studio and Off-Ramp series. The Muny was the second-highest recipient, with 15 nominations. Stages St. Louis was the third theater to receive double-digit nominations, with 13. The satirical comedy The Little Dog Laughed, which was produced by the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis as part of its Off-Ramp series, received the most nominations (8), followed by seven nominations for My Fair Lady at the Muny. Eighty-two actors, directors, choreographers, playwrights and designers received nominations. Six artists received multiple nominations.

Seventeen different stage productions were honored at the third annual Kevin Kline Awards ceremony. Ten St. Louis area theater companies - double the number of last year's recipients - were recognized with awards. Four of those ten theaters were multiple award winners.

Twenty-four theater companies in the St. Louis area received 118 nominations in 22 different categories. Forty-five different productions received nominations; twenty-five productions receive multiple nominations the Awards Ceremony will be held on March 31 at the Loretto-Hilton Center