MUNY Season Continues With MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS

When I saw Michael Feinstein in concert a while back he recalled an incident that occurred when he was working with Liza Minelli in St. Louis. Liza thought it would interesting to visit Kensington Avenue to see what the neighborhood from Meet Me in St. Louis looked like after so many years had passed. Needless to say, after arriving and seeing how rundown and dangerous the block had become, the pair quickly vacated the area. So, even though you can sometimes "go home again", you may not want to. The Muny's current production of Meet Me in St. Louis offers the opportunity to relive the nostalgia of that era without actually making the trip.

The story follows the Smith family from the summer of 1903 through to the spring of 1904 when the World's Fair opens. It focuses largely on the romances that blossom for the eldest daughters, and the comical misunderstandings that occur as they go through their respective courtships. Along the way, the patriarch of the family finds out that he may have to relocate the family to New York, which creates more problems and stress. However, everything ends up being resolved in satisfactory fashion.

The women in this production are truly the stars of the show, with Elizabeth Teeter simply cute as a button as the youngest daughter, Tootie. Brynn O'Malley is also very good as Esther, the Judy Garland role from the Vincente Minelli film. O'Malley has the right voice for the part, offering up warm renditions of classics like "The Boy Next Door", "The Trolley Song", and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas". Catherine Walker also does fine work as eldest sister Rose, and Berklea Going contributes nicely as middle sister, Agnes. A delightfully precious take on "Under the Bamboo Tree" features O'Malley, Teeter and Going. Leslie Denniston makes a favorable impression as the family matriarch, and does good work with the forgettable tune "You'll Hear a Bell".

Stephen Bogardus seems ill suited to his role as the father, and stumbles frequently, even with a limited amount of dialog.

Solid support is provided by: Robb Sapp as Lon; Lewis Stadlen as Grandpa Prophater; Zoe Vonder Haar as Katie; Justin Brown as Rose's paramour Warren; and Max von Essen as Esther's love interest, John.

Paul Blake's direction keeps the action moving at a nice clip, especially during the first act, and the inclusion of an actual full-sized working trolley is the kind of spectacle you can only find at the Muny. Steve Gilliam's scenic design provides a splendidly appointed house for the Smith family to occupy. James Moore's music direction makes the most of Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane's score, that's highlighted by a few classics among a host of forgettable clinkers.

While I still prefer the movie to the musical adaptation, this production is a pleasant enough way to pass an evening.

Meet Me in St. Louis continues through July 12, 2009 at the Muny in Forest Park.

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