ST. LOUIS THEATER REVIEWS

I first saw playwright Yasmina Reza's play, GOD OF CARNAGE, at the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis before catching Roman Polanski's film adaptation (screenplay by Reza), which was simply called Carnage. It's an undeniably strong story that tells us a lot about how people behave, especially the feelin...

BASHIR LAZHAR, by Evelyne De La Cheneliere (translated into English by Morwyn Brebner) tells a fascinating story that will surely touch your heart, while making you think as well. Though primarily a one-man show (although there is a cameo appearance), this production benefits, as a lot of Upstream T...

Winter Opera St. Louis, after a brilliant production of 'Le Nozze di Figaro', continues its eighth season with a venture into less familiar fare - Pietro Mascagni's 'L'amico Fritz'....

There's no doubt in my mind that people who are familiar with the despicable actions of Bernie Madoff will never find it in their hearts to forgive the way he bilked so many trusting and innocent victims out of their life savings with his nefarious Ponzi schemes. And yet, with playwright Deborah Mar...

America has a rich history, some of which, of course, we'd all prefer to forget. But, to ignore them can just lead to repeating them, and we all should know better than that by now. However, it's important that we continue to mine the events of the past in order to enlighten and provoke discussion. ...

A fairytale is brought to its full fruition on the stage of the Fabulous Fox Theatre with their current presentation of RODGERS + HAMMERSTEIN'S CINDERELLA. It's a lovely experience that makes the most of the large stage, filling it with songs and beautiful surroundings fit such a lavishly told tale....

I thought it was time to start compiling my best of 2014 since this past year was such an exceptional time for theatre in St. Louis. Although we lost the wonderful contributions of the now defunct HotCity Theatre, there are still new companies starting up and producing quality productions in our reg...

It seems like more and more films are being adapted for the stage these days. Some for the better and some for the worse. Which brings us to the classic film, GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER, which starred Spencer Tracy (in his final screen appearance), Katherine Hepburn and Sidney Poitier, in a wonder...

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis's Imaginary Theatre Company has produced a wonderful musical spoof of Charles Dickens' holiday classic, A Christmas Carol, titled BAH! HUMBUG!. There have been so many different takes on the original story that one would think it's already been played out, but this...

Few people reach that status in life where all you have to do is hear their name, or voice, and you know exactly who they are, but Dr. Ruth Westheimer is certainly one of those individuals that have reached that level of fame. Her place in history is undeniable, and she's definitely someone whose jo...

I'd heard of Jean Shepherd's work as an author when I was younger, but my first true exposure to him came in 1983 in a tiny, and mostly empty, movie theater where I sat and watched director Bob Clark's wonderful valentine to the late 1930's and early 1940's, A Christmas Story. I've since seen it go ...

Combining acrobatics with choreography (by Chet Walker) that recalls Bob Fosse's original work on the show, the current touring company of PIPPIN(book by Roger O. Hirson with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz) at the Peabody Opera House provides quite an enjoyable spectacle. There's a circus-like...

Have you ever seen a sequel to a show and thought, wow, that was even better than the original? Well, that's what you're going to think if you take the time to check out Stray Dog Theatre's current production of THE GREAT AMERICAN TRAILER PARK CHRISTMAS MUSICAL (book by Betsy Kelso, with music and l...

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis has produced something truly special with their current presentation of RING OF FIRE - THE MUSIC OF JOHNNY CASH. This is a biographical musical with broad appeal to people of all ages. Created by Richard Maltby, Jr. and conceived by William Meade, the show chronicl...

As I sit here writing this review I have David Lanz and Kristin Amarie's latest release, FOREVER CHRISTMAS, playing in the background. Any regular reader of my music reviews knows that I have a genuine soft spot in my heart for David's elegant and brilliantly inventive work on piano. He's simply one...

Harold Gray, the original creator of the cliff-hanging comic strip that features the pupil-less girl known as 'Little Orphan Annie', may be just a footnote in history, but most people are aware of the musical adaptation, ANNIE, of his creation that premiered in 1977. Even though it was reworked a co...

Back in 1993, CANNIBAL! THE MUSICAL was a peculiar foray into low budget film by director Trey Parker that didn't really find its audience. But, after the phenomenal success of South Park people starting renting it on DVD, soon discovering the kind of quirky humor and tuneful songwriting that had be...

I guess when you're are a writer of Stephen King's stature you can't help be subject to expectations that are often simply too hard to live up to. Most of the criticism directed at THE GHOST BROTHERS OF DARKLAND COUNTY centers around the book he's cooked up for the show. He and composer (and rock ic...

Sometimes I'm amazed at the synchronicity that can occur when you see as many plays as I do. For instance, I've had weekends of shows in the past that appeared to be theme related, even though theatre companies are often mapping out their production schedules up to at least a year in advance, and te...

I have no doubt that MOTOWN THE MUSICAL will be popular with audiences. It does, after all, contain the music that generations have grown up on, and it's still being played today. And, it's interesting that I was flipping channels on TV and saw an infomercial dedicated to the Motown 25th Anniversary...

The Berlin Wall was erected in 1961 to supposedly 'protect' the population of East Germany from succumbing to socialism. But, all it actually accomplished was the emotionally painful separation of families and friends; preventing the so-called defection of individuals looking to avoid living in a co...

Mustard Seed Theatre has brought back their popular staging of ALL IS CALM - THE CHRISTMAS TRUCE OF 1914, which premiered around this time last year, and it's definitely a piece of theatre that demands your time and attention. Somehow I must have missed mentioning this the first time around, but thi...

We are truly lucky in St. Louis to have so many theatre companies that provide us with premier productions of engaging plays from around the globe. Since their inception in 2010, Max & Louie Productions has been one of those troupes that are always on the lookout for something new and different, and...

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis open their Studio Theatre season with playwright Daniel Pearle's A KID LIKE JAKE, a layered and contemporary look at issues of gender identification as seen through the eyes of a pair of concerned parents, who are conflicted in their feelings about the dress up rol...

If you're a fan of the film DIRTY DANCING then I have no doubt you'll find plenty to be excited about with the stage version that is currently playing at the Fabulous Fox Theatre. It's extremely faithful to the original movie, in fact it may be so much so that you might ask yourself what the point i...