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BWW Reviews: The Black Rep's Stellar Production of THE PIANO LESSON
With this fourth foray into his Pittsburgh cycle, playwright August Wilson crafts another masterwork with THE PIANO LESSON. Wilson's play, once again, captures an era rich in detail in African American history, and ponders the meaning of the word legacy, and how it applies to different individuals. ...
BWW Reviews: Upstream Theater's Masterful CAFE CHANSON
Conceived, written and directed by renowned actor/writer/director Ken Page, CAFE CHANSON is a memorable production that's affecting and intriguing. It acts as both a tribute to the soldiers who have served our country with valor and conviction, as well as positing the idea of an afterlife that allow...
BWW Reviews: Mustard Seed Theatre's Amusing Pairing of MRS. SORKEN and THE DUCK VARIATIONS
Though at first it may seem like an odd pairing of one acts, there's actually a connection between playwright Christopher Durang's introductory work, MRS. SORKEN and David Mamet's THE DUCK VARIATIONS. Towards the end of Mrs. Sorken, a direct reference is made to the the plays of David Mamet, and his...
BWW Review: The Rep's Touching and Heartfelt Production of 4000 MILES
While watching playwright Amy Herzog's wonderful play, 4000 MILES, I kept being reminded of my own relationship with my grandmother (on my mother's side of the family) who passed away many years ago (unfortunately, I never met my grandmother on my father's side). I secretly wished that I had been ab...
BWW Reviews: The Rhythmic Delights of STOMP
The last time STOMP came to the Fabulous Fox Theatre I made sure to bring along my son. I made a point of taking him this time as well, because their antics seem to absolutely delight him. I can understand why. If you've ever drummed on your steering wheel to a song on the radio, or absentmindedly t...
BWW Reviews: Overblown FLASHDANCE THE MUSICAL Misses the Mark
It's a bit disconcerting when you see a play or musical that's set in an era you lived through. Kind of makes you feel a little older than you'd like to feel. In this case, it's the midwest premier of FLASHDANCE THE MUSICAL. I remember when director Adrian Lyne's film came out in 1983, and it was at...
BWW Reviews: The Rep's Must-See Production of GOOD PEOPLE
Sometimes bad things happen to good people. It's just the way life is. Things aren't always "fair" or even equitable, but that's just something we all have to understand and accept. In these tough economic times that we live in, it's a hard fact that everyone needs to be made aware of, and playwrigh...
BWW CD Reviews: David Lanz's Brilliant CRISTOFORI'S DREAM...RE-ENVISIONED
In case you didn't know it already, Bartolomeo Cristofori was the inventor of the piano, and in 1988 David Lanz paid tribute to him with his rich album, Cristofori's Dream, itself a lovely album of considerable grace and beauty. But, that work was enhanced by other musicians who built up the overall...
BWW Reviews: Chris Gibson's Best of 2012 in St. Louis
I'm lucky enough to see over a hundred shows every year, and I'm happy to report that 2012 was an excellent year for theatre in St. Louis. So, here I am again, offering up my lists for the best productions of 2012. While I'm not going to include the touring companies that came through town this yea...
BWW Reviews: Imaginary Theatre Company's A GNOME FOR CHRISTMAS Charms
I'm a big fan of the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis's Imaginary Theatre Company because their productions are consistently entertaining and they never fail to send a positive message to their audience. This is important to me as a parent, because there are plenty of Christmas plays for children, but...
BWW Reviews: Stunning FULLY COMMITTED by Stray Dog Theatre
Performing a one-person show can be a daunting task. After all, even in a two-person show there's someone else to guide you should you go astray, or come up suddenly blank. Of course, you also need a good script or, at least a sturdy framework, to allow the actor to succeed. But, when both of these ...
BWW Reviews: Terrific WICKED Takes Flight at the Fox Theatre
WICKED is pure spectacle, or to quote Glinda the Good Witch herself, it's a "thrill-ifying" experience that dazzles and delights, with terrific performances and eye-popping scenic design and special effects. The plot gives a back story to L. Frank's Baum's Wizard of Oz, that is unexpected, and infus...
BWW Reviews: The Reduced Shakespeare Company's THE ULTIMATE CHRISTMAS SHOW (Abridged)
I love it when the Reduced Shakespeare Company comes to town. Their humor runs the gamut from simple puns and wordplay to sophisticated laughs that require a bit of intellect. The last time I saw them was a couple of years ago at the Edison Theatre on the campus of Washington University. I didn't se...
BWW Reviews: Magic Smoking Monkey Theatre's Clever STUPEFY! THE 90 MINUTE HARRY POTTER
You'd have to have been a hermit living in a cave the past few years not to be aware of the cultural impact of J. K. Rowling's seven best-selling Harry Potter books. Not to mention the eight blockbuster movies that they spawned. The last couple years may have seen the "Twilight" series overshadow th...
BWW Reviews: The New Jewish Theatre Stages Lovely TALLEY'S FOLLY
If you're looking for heart-warming fare this holiday season, then look no further than The New Jewish Theatre's splendid production of playwright Lanford Wilson's work, TALLEY'S FOLLY. This is a romantic and touching play that features two wonderful performances and masterly direction. It's a perfe...
BWW Reviews: St. Louis Actors' Studio Holiday Offering SEASON'S GREETINGS
I have to confess that I'm not particularly fond of playwright/director Alan Ayckbourn's brand of British farce. I just don't think it translates very well to American audiences, and it requires the actors involved to sport solid accents, or it loses its credibility. That's why I was a bit surprised...
BWW Reviews: HotCity Theatre's Side-Splitting Production of THE DIVINE SISTER
If Die!Mommy!Die lovingly skewers swinging suburbia, then THE DIVINE SISTER is a swift kick to the groin of Catholicism and religion in general. Like his twin son from a different mother, filmmaker John Waters, playwright Charles Busch is adept at crafting overwrought melodramatic tales that are hil...
BWW Reviews: The Rep's Hilarious Production of THE FOREIGNER
Before his untimely death in a plane crash in the mid-1980's, playwright Larry Shue had penned two community theatre staples, The Nerd and THE FOREIGNER. While I'm not a big fan of the former, the latter is a fast-paced farce brimming with humor that builds to a hilariously satisfying climax. The cu...
BWW Reviews: BLUE MAN GROUP Wows Audience at the Fox Theatre
While I've seen BLUE MAN GROUP live and on DVD, they're always tweaking their act so that it's a new experience each time you see them perform. Oh, they're smart enough to keep some of the old gags so that they remain familiar (the camera tour down an audience member's throat, the snarky message boa...
BWW Reviews: Mustard Seed Theatre's Fitfully Funny IMAGINARY JESUS
With IMAGINARY JESUS, author Matt Mikalatos has written an interesting look at the way that people of faith envision their savior, and playwright Deanna Jent has taken a stab at a stage adaptation that manages to capture it's whimsical approach. Though, it's not always as sharply focused as it proba...
BWW Reviews: CAROLINA CHOCOLATE DROPS Impresses at the Sheldon
When you go to see a concert by the Carolina Chocolate Drops you're going to find yourself immersed in authenticity. Just from the songs themselves, that range all the way back to minstrel shows from the 1850's to their own original material, you're going to hear a plethora of music that conjures up...
BWW Reviews: R-S Theatrics Funny and Touching SUICIDE, INC.
It's interesting to me when a play can effectively walk the fine line between drama and comedy, and Andrew Hinderaker's play, SUICIDE, INC., does just that. When it's funny, it's crass and hilarious, but when it's not, it's touching and sad. And there's a good hopeful ending that balances things out...
BWW Reviews: Amusing Staging of MOONLIGHT AND MAGNOLIAS by Dramatic License Productions
Playwright Ron Hutchinson has written a clever farcical comedy with his play, MOONLIGHT AND MAGNOLIAS, based on an actual event that occurred during the tumultuous production of the film Gone with the Wind. It may be true that producer David O. Selznick took extreme measures in order to get a screen...
BWW Reviews: Spirited Radio City Christmas Spectacular at the Peabody Opera House
The Rockettes celebrate 85 years of high kicks with the charming and colorful RADIO CITY CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR. It's an evening filled with holiday spirit and it's fit for the entire family. This yuletide extravaganza is currently playing the Peabody Opera House through November 17, 2012....
BWW Reviews: The Black Rep's Intriguing Production of ANNE & EMMETT
Playwright Janet Langhart Cohen has crafted an intriguing work with ANNE & EMMETT, which brings together two seemingly disparate people from history, and then proceeds to show how similar their lives were. The Black Rep's current production is nicely conceived and executed, and features four fine pe...
Videos
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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 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee Stages St. Louis at the Kirkwood Performing Arts Center (5/29-6/28) |
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The Wasp by Morgan Lloyd Malcom Albion Theatre (6/12-6/28) |
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The Little Mermaid COCA (7/17-7/26) |
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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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We Will Rock You The Marcelle Theater (6/04-6/27) |
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The Book of Mormon (Non-Equity) The Fabulous Fox Theatre (2/02-2/07) |
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Saint Louis Ballet's ENCORE Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center (6/13-6/13) |
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