ST. LOUIS THEATER REVIEWS

The original animated film Shrek was a kind of adult fairytale, though it was obviously aimed squarely at the youth market as well, successfully spawning a franchise with sequels and merchandising galore. So, it should come as no surprise that Dreamworks would opt to try their luck on stage with a m...

Shakespeare's KING LEAR can be interpreted in any number of ways. But, at it's heart, it's the tale of two families that are torn apart when their patriarchs misjudge their own offspring. King Lear turns the division of his kingdom into a test of love among his three daughters, while the Earl of Glo...

Torrential rains beforehand, a late start, and even technical issues couldn't dampen the enthusiasm of the cast SPAMALOT, which is currently playing The Muny. I brought my young son along to the show since he'd enjoyed the movie, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, that it's based on, and I'm happy to ...

Stray Dog Theatre returns to their roots during their 10th anniversary season by presenting the first play they ever produced; John Guare's SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION. Since this is a play set in 1990, it's particularly interesting to view it through the lens of the information age that we live in to...

ALWAYS...PATSY CLINE is a wonderful show, brimming with good humor and a great selection of classic country tunes. More than just a tribute show, this musical offering actually has a story to tell to go along with its superb collection of material covered by the iconic singer. But, what really makes...

While I'm well acquainted with L. Frank Baum's classic tales of the land of Oz, and I've certainly seen numerous stage adaptations of his work, I'd never had the opportunity to see THE WIZ, unless you count the film version (and I don't), until now. After viewing the Black Rep's splendid production ...

Scatological, unpredictable, and oddly whimsical at times, BUKOWSICAL is not easily defined or categorized, and that's actually part of its appeal to me. Spencer Green (book, lyrics) and Gary Stockdale (book,lyrics and music) have concocted an interesting musical stew, some of which details the life...

The award-winning revival of ANYTHING GOES (music/lyrics by Cole Porter, original book by Guy Bolton and P.G. Wodehouse, with a revision by Howard Linday and Russel Crouse, and an update by Timothy Crouse and John Weidman) arrives at the Fox Theatre in splashy and resplendent fashion, with a plethor...

Writers Lisa Peterson and Denis O'Hare have concocted an intriguing take on Homer's The Iliad (translation by Robert Fagles) with their brilliantly interactive work, AN ILIAD. The distinction comes from the fact that this play not only utilizes the basic historical information contained within that ...

There's something about playwright Jeffrey Hatcher's writing style that I can connect with. Maybe it's the fact that he peppers his dialog with so many references to 1960's era television fare that I can't help but be drawn back to my own childhood. Sure, I spent a lot of time outdoors, but there we...

TALKING HEADS started life as a series of BBC television monologues before it became a play (actually a couple of them), and if you're expecting a rather static work you'll be pleasantly surprised by these compelling, poignant, and sometimes hilarious vignettes. Author Alan Bennett (as both writer a...

SCHLEMIEL THE FIRST is a giddy delight, with songs and laughs barreling along at a frenetic pace. Based on the play by Isaac Bashevis Singer (conceived and adapted by Robert Brustein), this Klezmer musical (composed by Hankus Netsky and Zalmen Miotek, with lyrics by Arnold Weinstein) is guaranteed f...

With his work, MAPLE AND VINE, playwright Jordan Harrison presents an interesting choice for the modern family struggling to cope with the modern world. They are given a chance to let go of all their connections to the information highway and head back in time to 1955. For some, this is the opportun...

I'm still not sure exactly how I feel about the Black Rep's latest premiere production, SMASH/HIT!, although there is certainly a lot of potential to the story, and various elements that make up the plot, it's not completely cohesive. There's an awful lot to digest here in this drama that contains m...

It's true that on December 4, 1956, Sun Records was host to an incredible meeting of four gentleman (Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis) who would go on to lay the foundation for Rock 'n' Roll, but a listen to the actual recording made that day prove that it was a much simp...

I'm a big fan of the St. Louis Actors' Studio because they always seem to manage to mix the old with the new in intriguing fashion during their theme based seasons, and you can wind up catching a classic like WAITING FOR GODOT along the way. It's always a fun and engaging ride no matter what they of...

Playwright Julie Beckman does wonderful work in adapting Charlotte Bronte's novel, JANE EYRE, for the stage. It's so literate that the characters even voice their thoughts, giving way at times to some much needed humor for this sad, but hopeful Gothic tale of loss and romance. Mustard Seed Theatre's...

GYPSY is the penultimate stage mother musical, but it's also a look at the decline of vaudeville and the rise of burlesque during the depression, and it's ultimately a look at how the famous stripper, Gypsy Rose Lee, made her debut in show business. Jules Styne (composer), Stephen Sondheim (lyricist...

Oren Neeman's CONVICTION, as translated and adapted by actor/writer Ami Dayan, is a brilliant tour de force. This tale, told in historical flashbacks, is an intriguing piece that focuses our attention on a priest who forsakes his vows to return to the roots of his true faith and be with the woman he...

THE WHIPPING MAN is a fascinating and intriguing look at religion and the aftereffects of emancipation that's set in the days following the end of the Civil War. It examines a subject unfamiliar to most, and that's the fact that there were slaves on plantations that were raised in the Jewish faith. ...

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis closes their season with a bang, literally, presenting a dramatically atmospheric production of novelist James M. Cain's classic work, DOUBLE INDEMNITY (lovingly adapted by David Pichette and R. Hamilton Wright). It's a script that overflows with double entendres, ...

Nick Stafford's adaptation of the novel, WAR HORSE, by Michael Morpurgo is an awe-inspiring and jaw-dropping spectacle brought to life by the Handspring Puppet Company. It's a fascinating and heart-wrenching tale that follows a horse named Joey and a boy named Albert, who will go to great lengths, e...

VENUS IN FUR is currently being presented in the Studio Theatre by the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, and it's an erotically-charged, sizzling presentation that's powered by incisive direction and exceptional performances. I can't speak highly enough of this smoldering tale. It unfolds with a myria...

Playwright Daniel Damiano's DAY OF THE DOG is a quirky little dramatic comedy that explores a fractured family's dysfunction through their relationship with an aggressive canine. There are a number of good laughs, and a lot of therapeutic interactions, that occur as this premiere production by the S...