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BWW Reviews: NonProphet Theater Co. Provides Raunchy Adult Fun with DEBBIE DOES DALLAS-THE MUSICAL
Debbie Does Dallas was a ground-breaking bit of sordid celluloid that ushered in an era of amateur pornography, where a pimply ass was not something to be ashamed of, but something to be celebrated, sort of. And it was a time when you could watch this kind of stuff at home without the fear of anyone...
BWW Reviews: Rambunctious Production's SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS - Entertaining and Engaging
When the 1954 musical Seven Brides for Seven Brothers was initially adapted for the stage it didn't meet with much success on Broadway back in the early 1980's (film director Joshua Logan had actually optioned the story for a stage musical). Yes, it's yet another adaptation culled from the big scree...
BWW Reviews: Union Avenue Opera's LA CENERENTOLA (CINDERELLA) Enchants
Jacopo Ferretti (libretto) and Gioachino Rossini's (composer) re-imagining of the fairy tale LA CENERENTOLA (CINDERELLA) is a clever and charming take on the original work that's suitable entertainment for the entire family. Apparently, the self-described 'jocular drama' was initially met with some ...
BWW Reviews: Stages St. Louis' Touching Production of THE SECRET GARDEN
Frances Hodgson Burnett's work, THE SECRET GARDEN, was initially serialized before being published in 1911 and becoming a children's classic. Several attempts by Hollywood have tried to capitalize on it's dramatic and hope-filled story, with the 1949 MGM adaptation, starring Margaret O'Brien, wonder...
BWW Reviews: St. Louis Shakespeare's THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR - Generally Fine
It's been speculated that Queen Elizabeth I enjoyed the character of Falstaff so much she asked Shakespeare to write something else with him in it. Thus, we have one of the earliest examples of a sequel of sorts with THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR. Though it definitely lacks brevity, it's an amusing tri...
BWW Reviews: Tasty Production of LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS Graces The Muny Stage
I'm a big fan of lowbrow horror and science fiction films, especially those made between the 1930's and late 1970's, and I've always enjoyed the work of cult director/producer Roger Corman. The original 1960 film version of LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, was supposedly shot in four days, and it downright b...
BWW Reviews: The Muny's Delightful and Tuneful Production of SINGIN' IN THE RAIN
The movie version of SINGIN' IN THE RAIN is one of my all-time favorites. It has such an upbeat feel and infectious sense of humor that it's almost disappointing when you finish watching it, step outside, and it isn't raining. Happily, the stage version retains a great deal of the tone and vivacity ...
BWW Reviews: The Muny's Colorful and Splashy Production of THE LITTLE MERMAID
When initially transforming Hans Christian Andersen's fairytale THE LITTLE MERMAID into an animated film, Disney provided an instant classic that was a smash hit with children and adults (and was a key player in their animation revival). But the transition to the stage proved more troublesome and cu...
BWW Reviews: Union Avenue Opera's Stirring Production of TURANDOT
The Union Avenue Opera begins season seventeen with Giacomo Puccini's classic, and final work, TURANDOT (with libretto by Giuseppe Adami and Renato Simoni), and it's an excellent production buoyed by several fine performances. The opera itself combines the exotic, the romantic, and the poignant in P...
BWW Reviews Citilites Theatre Presents Captivating Production of SONGS FROM AN UNMADE BED
Citilites Theatre presents a late night show, making a sort of double bill for theatre patrons after they take in THE CRUMPLE ZONE, with the short musical, SONGS FROM AN UNMADE BED. Fortunately, it's well worth staying over for (although I took in a Sunday matinee performance), featuring a terrific ...
BWW Reviews: Citilities Theatre's THE CRUMPLE ZONE Fails to Spark
Buddy Thomas takes the typical trappings of a romantic triangle and places them in a rundown New York apartment somewhere in Staten Island, with the twist here being that all the participants (in the triangle) are gay. THE CRUMPLE ZONE certainly has some entertaining moments and a few memorable line...
BWW Reviews: NonProphet Theatre Co.'s Excellent Production of DANNY AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA
DANNY AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA is an early piece by playwright John Patrick Shanley, but you wouldn't know it, since it's filled with the same kind of crackling dialogue and troubled characters that populate most of his work. I was reminded more than once of Harold Arlen and Ted Koehler's classic compo...
BWW Reviews: The Muny's Lively Production of KISS ME KATE
Following closely on the heels of Shakespeare Festival St. Louis' sparkling 1950's update of THE TAMING OF THE SHREW, audiences at the Muny get the unique opportunity to compare and contrast the original with the musical remake as KISS ME KATE takes the stage in wondrous fashion. The chance to hear ...
BWW Reviews: Stages St. Louis's Howlingly Funny Production of 101 DALMATIANS
The stage version of 101 DALMATIANS differs greatly from the original 1961 Disney film classic, but the changes are smart ones that focus our attention more on the evil villain of the piece, Cruella De Vil, rather than on a lengthy, suspense filled chase through snowy woods and icy ponds, which real...
BWW Reviews: Muddy Waters Continues Season of Paula Vogel with THE MINEOLA TWINS
Muddy Water Theatre continues their season devoted to playwright Paula Vogel with her work THE MINEOLA TWINS, and it's an interesting piece that covers a period of around 40 years in the lives of two very different twins, Myra and Myrna. The play is, at times, very funny and wryly examines the chang...
BWW Reviews: The Muny Kickstarts Summer Season with Breezy and Fun LEGALLY BLONDE
For those who haven't seen the film or the musical verion of LEGALLY BLOND, the plot revolves around a rich Malibu Barbie, who comes complete with an ever-present pink ensemble, named Elle Woods, who's blindly and blissfully in love with the man of her dreams. When he decides to dump her and head of...
BWW Reviews: Shakespeare Festival St. Louis's Charming 1950's Production of THE TAMING OF THE SHREW
A busy month has produced a number of outstanding options for theatre-goers in St. Louis, and even when the weather is as variable as has been over the last few weeks, there's no denying the appeal of watching a fine production of Shakespeare in Forest Park, especially when it doesn't cost you one t...
BWW Reviews: New Jewish Theatre's Lovely and Touching Production of THE IMMIGRANT
They always tell aspiring writers to 'write what you know', and in the case of playwright/novelist Mark Harelik's THE IMMIGRANT, he's done just that, fully capturing the experience of his Russian grandparents as they fled from their oppressors and settled in the small town of Hamilton, Texas. It's a...
BWW Reviews: Stray Dog Theatre's Dark and Brilliant Production of THE VISIT
Friedrich Durrenmatt's THE VISIT (adapted by Maurice Valency) is like one of those expressionistic German films from the 1920's directed by Robert Wiene or F.W. Murnau come to life on the stage. In fact, the characters and their stylized mannerisms seem like they would be right at home in one of the...
BWW Reviews: Stages St. Louis Dazzles with Their Production of A CHORUS LINE
The original production of A CHORUS LINE grew out of workshops organized by director/choreographer Michael Bennett where dancers and performers discussed the various joys and hardships of a life spent pursuing the stage as an occupation. James Kirkwood, Jr. and Nicholas Dante pieced together these e...
BWW Reviews: New Line Theatre's Powerful and Provocative Production of BARE: A POP OPERA
At a time in our history when gay teens are committing suicide at an astounding and alarmingly high rate, a show like BARE: A POP OPERA shines a bright and important light on their struggles to deal with their difficulties in coping with accepting, and be accepted, for who they are. There are no eas...
BWW Reviews: Family Fun at Circus Flora's VAGABOND ADVENTURES
June in St. Louis can mean only one thing to those of us who think young - the Circus is in town! And Circus Flora, the festival of fun we can proudly call our own here in St. Louis, continues a tradition they began some 25 years ago with their latest venture titled VAGABOND ADVENTURES. Forget about...
BWW Reviews: New Line Theatre Presents Powerful and Provocative BARE: A POP OPERA
At a time in our history when gay teens are committing suicide at an astoundingly high rate, a show like BARE: A POP OPERA shines a bright and important light on their struggles to deal with their difficulties in coping with accepting, and be accepted, for who they are. There are no easy answers to ...
BWW Review: THE ALUMINUM SHOW at the Edison Theatre
I've seen a lot of unusual and unique productions, especially since I've been checking out the Ovations! Series at the Edison Theatre the past couple of years, and a recent presentation of THE ALUMINUM SHOW (April 30, 2011) provided yet another example of the kind of energetic and engaging fare that...
BWW Review: HotCity Theatre Premieres Quirky New Comedy INTELLIGENT LIFE
If you've ever stayed up and listened to late night AM radio programs like the popular 'AM Coast to Coast' show, then you're fully aware that there are a lot of folks out there who believe in a lot of very peculiar things. While some of these unusual occurrences and sightings of critters and spacecr...
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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