Our St. Louis Critics
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BWW Reviews: NJT's Fascinating BECOMING DR. RUTH
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...
BWW Reviews: A CHRISTMAS STORY: THE MUSICAL at the FOX
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 ...
BWW Reviews: Magical PIPPIN at the Peabody Opera House
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...
BWW Reviews: Stray Dog Theatre's Side-Splitting THE GREAT AMERICAN TRAILER PARK CHRISTMAS MUSICAL
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...
BWW Reviews: The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis's Incendiary Production of RING OF FIRE
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...
BWW Reviews: David Lanz & Kristin Amarie's Gorgeous FOREVER CHRISTMAS
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...
BWW Reviews: ANNIE Sparkles at the Fabulous Fox
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...
BWW Reviews: Magic Smoking Monkey Theatre's Outrageous CANNIBAL! THE MUSICAL
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...
BWW Reviews: THE GHOST BROTHERS OF DARKLAND COUNTY at the Peabody Opera House
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...
BWW Reviews: The Black Rep's Timely Production of A RAISIN IN THE SUN
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...
BWW Reviews: MOTOWN THE MUSICAL at the Fabulous Fox Theatre
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...
BWW Reviews: MADCO's Extraordinary WALLSTORIES
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...
BWW Reviews: Mustard Seed Theatre's Moving Revival of ALL IS CALM
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...
BWW Reviews: Max & Louie Productions' Hilarious CHANCERS
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...
BWW Reviews: The Rep's Thoroughly Engaging A KID LIKE JAKE
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...
BWW Reviews: DIRTY DANCING at the Fabulous Fox Theatre
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...
BWW Reviews: The Rep's Wondrous Production of A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM
If I were asked to provide the perfect introduction to the work of playwright William Shakespeare I would advise that person to check out The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis' current production of A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM. Unlike the bard's histories or tragedies, this play is truly lyrical, funny, ...
BWW Reviews: Upstream Theater's Masterful Production of ANTIGONE
I've been privileged to see several versions of Greek playwright Sophocles' 2500 year old work ANTIGONE over the years. All of them have been good, and each of them has been uniquely different. A version I caught at a college even went so far as to incorporate the traditional masks that were utilize...
BWW Reviews: The New Jewish Theatre's Compelling Production of THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK
Few stories are as poignant and compelling as THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK, and this adaptation by Wendy Kesselman (originally scripted by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett) is made even more so by enhancing the elements already present that deal with her Jewish faith and burgeoning womanhood. The curr...
BWW Reviews: Stray Dog Theatre's Excellent Production of AND THEN THERE WERE NONE
Dame Agatha Christie is considered to be one of the most successful authors of all time, with her mystery novels and short stories selling literally millions of copies. In fact, her work has been produced on stage, in films, and on television. Additionally, a lot of the basic ideas and plots have be...
BWW Reviews: New Line Theatre's Brilliant BONNIE & CLYDE
I'm constantly amazed at the way New Line Theatre is able to find so many hidden gems among the countless shows that play on or off Broadway, exposing all of their true beauty and charms in newly imagined stagings. You begin to wonder how critics could be so misguided in their initial assessments, b...
BWW Reviews: MARTY STUART AND HIS FABULOUS SUPERLATIVES at The Sheldon
If you listen to a lot popular country music these days you'll find that most of it is really just pop music with a twang. That's not to say it isn't good. In fact, there are some great artists out there writing great tunes, and musicians that can play with astonishing skill and style. It's just tha...
BWW Reviews: The Rep's Uproarious Production of ONE MAN, TWO GUVNORS
The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis opens their 48th season with one of the most hilarious shows I've ever been privileged to see. ONE MAN, TWO GUVNORS (written by Richard Bean, but based on The Servant of Two Masters by Carlo Goldini) is a brilliant work of pure farcical comic genius, and it's enhan...
BWW Reviews: Impressive FIDDLER ON THE ROOF at Stages St. Louis
It's just a fact that Stages St. Louis is a very special theatre company that always brings a sense of joy and enthusiasm to the shows they stage year end and year out. FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, their current production (book by Joseph Stein, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick and music by Jerry Beck), is another...
BWW Reviews: Dramatic License Productions' Humorous Presentation of THE GREAT AMERICAN TRAILER PARK MUSICAL
THE GREAT AMERICAN TRAILER PARK MUSICAL, the latest show by Dramatic License Productions, is a nutty little work that lampoons the denizens of its community, as well as a number of aspects of American culture, like the daytime reality TV shows made popular by the likes of Dr. Phil and Jerry Springer...
Videos
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The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee Stages St. Louis at the Kirkwood Performing Arts Center (5/29-6/28) |
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God of Carnage New Jewish Theatre (NJT) (6/11-6/28) |
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The Light in the Piazza Loretto-Hilton Center (5/30-6/28) |
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The Wasp by Morgan Lloyd Malcom Albion Theatre (6/12-6/28) |
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Kauffman Stadium Kauffman Stadium (7/15-7/15) |
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Terms of Endearment Clayton Community Theatre (7/23-8/02) |
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Please Don''t Destroy: Live The Pageant (8/08-8/08) |
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Liverpool Legends 'The Complete Beatles Experience!' Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center (6/27-6/27) |
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The Addams Family COCA (8/07-8/08) |
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Journey Great Southern Bank Arena (6/25-6/25) |
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