ST. LOUIS THEATER REVIEWS

This exuberant and tragic production of Les Misérables is a breathtakingly epic reminder that the power of theater lies in its ability to capture the essence of the human spirit.at did our critic think of LES MISÉRABLES at Fox Theatre, St. Louis?...

In The Black Rep’s current production of DEATH OF A SALESMAN, director Jacqueline Thompson helms an emotional narrative that is propelled by excellent performances from a stellar cast. She uses Dunsi Dai’s and Lily Thomasic’s multi-leveled static set design effectively to intersperse Willy’s...

What did our critic think of RIDE THE CYCLONE at Tower Grove Abbey? A tragic rollercoaster ride and a cryptic prophecy from a mechanical fortune teller set the stage for a thrill ride season finale from Stray Dog Theatre. From the onset Ride the Cyclone, establishes itself as a quirky musical with e...

The Rep’s superb production of Noël Coward's Private Lives is directed by Meredith McDonough. This emotionally raw drama pulls no punches in depicting the intense passion and constant divisiveness that haunts Amanda and Elyot’s relationship. Alternating between sexually charged and emotionally ...

This production of SOMETHING ROTTEN is terrific. New Line Theatre’s production delivers a robust number of laughs from a script filled with nonsense musical theatre references. Director Scott Miller has taken a big, overblown musical and effectively shrunk the performance to a smaller stage with a...

Filled with vim and vigor from start to finish. Stray Dog Theatre’s A Little Night Music is an energetic and passionate treat. This frolic filled morsel of musical theater is a pure delight that is not to be missed....

Hanrahan’s script provides a nostalgic look at St. Louis through the 1900s and the compelling lives of incredibly talented woman. His script is more than just a historic look at some famous St. Louis Women. It is an important lesson in St. Louis Black history, examining the lives of strong African...

Visually stunning and brimming with romance, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis’ House of Joy is a compelling production that pulls no punches in emphasizing the dangers of authoritarianism and the power of love in tempestuous times....

The actors in this production do a magnificent job conveying their characters stories with acting choices that are credible and believable. STAGES St. Louis’ production succeeds because the audience connects with each of the dancers portrayed including those who may not initially seem warm or like...

Each member of the cast disappears into their character to tell Carlyle Brown’s story. Standout Coda Boyce as Ann Johnson captivates the audience with her first appearance on stage and provides a consistent performance throughout both acts. In her characterization, she struggles to separate her ch...

This spirited and entertaining Muny Production is a fun explosion of color. Josh Rhodes' brisk direction moves the show along nimbly. JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT has a near perfect score using a variety of musical styles to tell a sung-through story including rock, pop, country, cal...

This Muny production of THE COLOR PURPLE is too beautiful for words. It is a stunning love letter to Alice Walker and her epistolary novel of redemption. Director Lili-Anne Browne’s vison brings to the stage a concert-like version of this production similar to the 2016 Tony Award Winning Broadway ...

This production of A CHORUS LINE, directed by Mark Lull, is a nod to the original staging and his vision effectively tells the emotional stories of dancers auditioning for a role in the chorus of a show. Kimberly Klick attempts to recreate Michael Bennett and Bob Avian’s choreography from the 1975...

This week The Muny Stage pops with plenty of pink clad perky people in their production of LEGALLY BLONDE THE MUSICAL. The show is filled with laughs that are as silly and absurd as the alliteration in the previous sentence. Elle and her Delta Nu sorority sisters are caricatures of giddy girls that ...

There are not enough adjectives in a thesaurus to describe this jubilant production from STAGES St. Louis. This show is a dynamic explosion of rhythm, hip-hop and salsa with a stellar cast who deliver maximal effort with every moment they are on stage....

The Muny and its casting partners The Telsey Office have assembled a killer cast who deliver Soundheim’s score with razor-sharp vocals. Ben Davis’ (Sweeney Todd) characterization and descent into madness may be the finest acting performance ever to darken The Muny Stage. The only thing more deli...

Joe Hanrahan’s direction tells an effective and entertaining story despite an unbalanced script that has many flaws. Strong performances build a dramatic tension that is as thick as the humid summer Italian air. This story is packed with plenty of emotional instability and raw emotion, but at time...

Playwright Nathan Alan Davis’ work is masterfully brought to life by Ron Himes’ direction. His vision coupled with the artistic and technical theater design transports you to the beaches of the Atlantic Ocean and Chesapeake Bay. Choreographer Heather Beal’s movement, Emma Hoffbrauer’s scenic...

While the source material has its limitations, the Muny has staged an entertaining production with an adept company delivering exceptional performances. Jeanna de Waal is a proper Mary Poppins with perfect tone and an elegant voice. While Mary Poppins gets to fly, this production soars when Corbin B...

What did our critic think? Denis Jones (Director/Choreographer) and Barry Busby (Associate Choreographer) have assembled a splendid cast plus an ensemble of highly skilled dance professionals to pack the expansive Muny stage. Their choreography pays tribute to Fosse’s sexy and subtle work but morp...

Director Amon Miyamoto leads his cast and creative team in staging a production that is familiar, completely original, and theatrically exciting. The choreography and set design work in tandem to create motion on a stage that’s never been seen before. Each member of the cast completely disappears...

Joe Hanrahan’s original play ANOMALOUS EXPERIENCE opened on Thursday, May 5th in its world premiere at .ZACK Theater. Produced by The Midnight Company and directed by Morgan Maul-Smith, ANOMALOUS EXPERIENCE examines two patients, in a clinical psychiatric lecture format, who claim to have been abd...

The St. Louis Black Rep continued its 45th season tonight with the first preview performance of August Wilson’s JITNEY at the Edison Theater on the Washington University Campus.  JITNEY is the eighth play in Wilson’s ten play Century Cycle that examines every decade in the 20th Century. His goa...

Not for the timid and genteel, Triassic Parq's raunchy and nasty tone coats a story of friendship, change, and acceptance.  ...

HAIRSPRAY, the hit Broadway musical opened at The Fox Theater in St. Louis Tuesday evening. HAIRSPRAY is set in 1962 in segregated Baltimore. A plump young teen, Tracy Turnblad (Niki Metcalf), tries out to become a dancer on a popular Saturday afternoon show. During her five minutes of fame, Tracy t...