ST. LOUIS THEATER REVIEWS

We went out into the chilly spring evening - and it became, for me, one of the most totally pleasing evenings of opera I've ever experienced. Winter Opera of St. Louis presented Donizetti's 'L'Elisir d'Amore' in a production that was as near perfection as one could ever ask....

The Metro Theater Company produces some of the best children's theater you'll ever see. They've been at it for over four decades. Now they have opened Bud, Not Buddy at the newly reopened Grandel Theater....

Sooner or later it had to happen. Somebody had to notice the similarities between pearl divers, who must free-dive as deep as one hundred feet, and opera singers, who must make one breath last to the very end of that bel canto cadenza. Well, in 1863 Georges Bizet and his librettists saw that link be...

After ten seasons, Mustard Seed Theatre returns to one of their first productions, and it's an intriguing work called REMNANT by Ron Reed. It's a window into a plague-ravaged future where civilization has been lost, and mistrust runs rampant. But, there are remnants from the past that keep hope aliv...

The majority of Martin McDonagh's works are challenging in the most unexpected ways. What may seem to be a thriller is often a comedy of pitch-black proportions. His dialog is also quite profane, and often offensive, and yet, we find ourselves laughing when we should probably be shocked. Or, at leas...

It's always interesting when sequels are written to famous works because, in order to succeed, they must project some of the same style, skill, and taste of the original author. But, Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon have crafted a play that carries on some of the same wit and charm that the book i...

You'll find plenty of humor and drama in playwrights Marni Freedman and Phil Johnson's A JEWISH JOKE, which is now playing at the New Jewish Theatre. Set during the McCarthy 'red scare' hearings during the early 1950's, the play offers up an examination of a Jewish comedy writer named Bernie Lutz w...

A touring company of Rodgers and Hammerstein's THE KING AND I is currently playing the Fox Theatre, and it's a very engaging revival of the classic musical. It's an elegant and entertaining show that won a Tony for best revival in 2015, and it's easy to see why. With familiar and lovely songs like ...

Winter Opera continues its tradition of stunning quality in its revival of 'The Student Prince'....

There are jukebox musicals that utilize the catalog of a group to hang a story thread onto that may or may not fit particularly well, and there are those that are portraits of the songwriters themselves. I think the latter actually works the best, and that's what you get when you see ON YOUR FEET!, ...

As the liner notes reveal, this collection by composer/pianist David Lanz sprang forth from improvisations that resulted during preparations for the NORWEGIAN RAIN album. By warming up with these spontaneous songs, he allowed their gentle influence to wash over the latter work's tracks. But, FRENCH ...

Life lurches along in unexpected directions for most of us, and that's what makes playwright Simon Stephens' HEISENBERG so identifiable. There actually is a Heisenberg Principle , which says: it is impossible to measure the position and velocity of a particle at the same time. So, we're never abl...

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents a uniquely engaging and compelling presentation of one of Shakespeare's finest plays with their current production of HAMLET. So many great lines that have become a part of our language are present here, and it's really amazing to think that the Rep hasn't...

SWEET REVENGE, with the subtitle of: as performed by the Julius Slowacki Players, Saint Louis, 1933, is a delightful look back at our city's own Polish heritage. Artistic Director Philip Boehm translates ZEMSTA by playwright Aleksander Fredo, but gives the work a twist by showing us how the troupe...

watch, and some people, who might be especially sensitive on these matters, might be put off at the thought of witnessing a person deteriorate over time due to the ravages of ALS. But they'd be depriving themselves of the chance to learn some of the same life lessons that author Mitch Albom did duri...

There have been some truly successful musicals that have been adapted from films, and there have been more than a few that just didn't work. Often, what plays well on screen simply doesn't translate to the stage, no matter how much technical wizardry you utilize. THE BODYGUARD isn't the worst musica...

LIZZIE is a unique musical experience, and I was absolutely blown away by it. The product of the team of Steven Cheslik-deMeyer, Alan Stevens Hewitt, and Tim Maner, who all contributed to the book, music, lyrics and orchestrations; it's a true rock opera. Watching and listening to this powerful show...

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis opens their season with an amazing bit of brilliance called THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME, adapted from the novel by Mark Haddon by playwright Simon Stephens. It's a story filled with marvelous touches that plunges you into a world filtered thro...

STAGES St. Louis ends their season with an wonderfully mounted production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's SOUTH PACIFIC. It's a classic musical absolutely filled to the brim with memorable songs, many of which have become standards. In fact, you'll likely find yourself humming any number of them as you...

Since our resident opera critic, Steve Callahan, was appearing in one of the pocket operas produced this past weekend (September 8-9, 2017) by the STL Opera Collective, he asked if I would cover the shows, and I was happy to do so. This is a group that is just in their second season, but judging b...

Features show built for the huge stage with many local talents...

Originally conceived by artistic director Scott Miller over 20 years ago, OUT ON BROADWAY (THE THIRD COMING), is, as titled, the third incarnation of a revue designed to reinterpret songs from an array of classic and offbeat, but brilliant, musicals ( this time with a new song from Jason Robert Brow...

MAMMA MIA! officially ended it's farewell tour this past weekend, and it was interesting to see the audience reaction to a show I've seen at least six times. But, I'm a critic. The appeal is obvious really, it's a simple story (book by Catherine Johnson) that allows you to enjoy the undeniably catch...

A CHORUS LINE was the creation of Michael Bennett, one of Broadway's finest choreographers, who held a series of workshops in the mid 1970's to explore a way to examine the life that dancers lead. Then book writers James Kirkwood, Jr. and Nicholas Dante crafted a musical from this wealth of material...

It's not surprising that the 1980 film 9 to 5 was turned into a musical, since it's revenge driven farcical plot is a natural fit, and it's a period piece, so it has that going for it as well. Plus, you have Dolly Parton, whose physical attributes sometimes make one forget how great a songwriter she...