Our St. Louis Critics
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BWW Reviews: First Run Theatre and Dusty Bums' Production of LET THERE BE THISTLES
First Run Theatre dedicates all its efforts toward full stagings of new works by local playwrights, and on this occasion, they're presenting (along with Dusty Bums, and through the kind use of the Marble Stage Theatre space in the Crestwood Artspace) LET THERE BE THISTLES by Joshua Thomas. This is a...
BWW Reviews: Insight Theatre Company's MAN OF LA MANCHA
MAN OF LA MANCHA has become a community theatre staple, and as such, gets staged with some degree of regularity. While some of these are uneven affairs at best, the Insight Theatre Company's current production is an exception, combining the talents of a splendid cast with sharp direction and choreog...
BWW Reviews: SHOW BOAT at the Muny
When I started writing this review I had Turner Classics on, and it just so happened they were playing SHOW BOAT. Funny how that works sometimes, when you've just seen a splendid live performance of a show the night before, and the next evening you stumble across Hollywood's take on the material. Se...
BWW Reviews: Stages St. Louis's Production of DISNEY'S THE ARISTOCATS
Since I first started taking my son along with me to see children's shows, it's become readily apparent to me that he especially enjoys seeing the ones put on by Stages St. Louis. That's because they're always entertaining and fun, and they don't wear out their welcome by running too long. Their cur...
BWW Reviews: St. Louis Shakespeare's ANTON IN SHOW BUSINESS
ANTON IN SHOW BUSINESS, written by playwright Jane Martin, has some clever ideas going for it, including taking on the sacred institution of Anton Chekov himself, as well as examining the ongoing conflict between art and commerce. However, it comes off as more a collection of interesting and amusing...
BWW Reviews: THAT CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON Presented By Dramatic License Productions
Though actor/playwright Jason Miller may be best remembered for his turns as troubled priest Father Damien in The Exorcist (and Exorcist III: Legion), he should probably be thought of for his Pulitzer-prize winning work, THAT CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON. It's a powerful piece that, on the surface, follows a...
BWW Reviews: FOOTLOOSE at the Muny
I remember seeing FOOTLOOSE in a theatre back in 1984, and I think I actually enjoyed it. I even have a cassette of the soundtrack somewhere, although I don't remember ever purchasing it. Still, it's the type of movie that can be easily tweaked for translation to the stage since the songs are alread...
BWW Reviews: The Union Avenue Opera's Production of LA FILLE DU REGIMENT
A romantic comic opera with militaristic undertones sounds like a rather odd juxtaposition of style and substance, but LA FILLE DU REGIMENT(Daughter of the Regiment) pulls off that feat with a delightful combination of tuneful melodies, along with a considerable amount of charm that's hard to resist...
BWW Reviews: Echo Theatre Company's Production of GOD'S EAR
Jenny Schwartz's play GOD'S EAR is an intriguing work, chock full of linguistic twists and turns that manage to illuminate rather than obscure, even though they appear to tumble forth with seemingly reckless abandon. Schwartz takes a tragic situation, in this case the loss of a child and the erosion...
BWW Reviews: THE SOUND OF MUSIC at the Muny
It wasn't until a couple of years ago that I actually saw the stage version of THE SOUND OF MUSIC. Of course, I'd been exposed to the movie version long before that, but I never really enjoyed watching it until they started letterboxing the film for broadcast presentations, because the 'pan and scan...
BWW Reviews: NonProphet Theatre Company's CABARET
Most of the productions of Kander and Ebb's CABARET that I've attended in recent years have been rather intimate and cozy affairs, with stagings seeking to replicate the smoky atmosphere of the Kit Kat Klub as closely as possible. And, the latest production by Non-Prophet Theatre Company is one such...
BWW Reviews: Stages St. Louis's Production of PROMISES, PROMISES
I grew up listening to the music and lyrics of Burt Bacharach and Hal David, and I've always had a warm spot in my heart for their tuneful pop confections. So, it was with a considerable amount of anticipation that I looked forward to getting a chance to see a production of their 1968 hit PROMISES, ...
BWW Reviews: CATS at the Muny
Despite the fact that I'm not exactly what you'd call a fan of the show CATS, I've always tried to keep an open mind whenever I've attended a production of it (just as I would with any other show I'm not particularly fond of), because you never know when you're going to be beguiled by an especially ...
BWW Reviews: Union Avenue Opera's Production of PIRATES OF THE PENZANCE
The Union Avenue Opera kick off their 2010 season with a spirited romp through Gilbert and Sullivan's comic opera PIRATES OF THE PENZANCE, and even if you've never seen it before, there's a good chance you've heard some of these tuneful melodies somewhere along the line. Countless variations on "The...
BWW Reviews: St. Louis Shakespeare's THE TAMING OF THE SHREW
To an audience today, William Shakespeare's THE TAMING OF THE SHREW might be considered politically incorrect. After all, it's a tale about a man who takes on the challenge of breaking the will of a strong-minded woman in order to provide him with a subservient wife. I'm thinking this isn't exactly ...
BWW Reviews: Max and Louie Productions' IT HAD TO BE YOU
I'm not sure how I would react if I found myself in the situation that Vito Pignoli finds himself in as the plot unfolds in Renee Taylor and Joseph Bologna's play IT HAD TO BE YOU. I certainly wouldn't remain as calm and collected as he (mostly) does while being trapped inside the apartment of a koo...
BWW Reviews: DAMN YANKEES at the Muny
St. Louis is a baseball town, of that there can be no doubt. We live and die with our beloved Cardinals, ever optimistic that if we don't win this year, we'll give it our best shot the next. So, with our national pastime taking it's annual hiatus for the All-Star game, this is the perfect opportunit...
BWW Reviews: New Line Theatre's Production of EVITA
Simply put, New Line Theatre's current production of EVITA absolutely rocks! Employing a more intimate staging and utilizing stripped down orchestrations acts to reinvigorate the work, personalizing the story and adding a real edge to the music. This is one of the chief reasons I'm always drawn to N...
BWW Reviews: MY NAME IS RACHEL CORRIE Presented by Blue Rose Stage Collective
Whether your political views favor one side or the other in the continuing conflict between Israel and Palestine, you're sure to find Blue Rose Stage Collective's debut presentation of MY NAME IS RACHEL CORRIE to be a provocative and compelling piece of theatre. A superb performance by Magan Wiles d...
BWW Reviews: WICKED at the Fox Theatre Through 7/11
The production of WICKED that's currently playing the Fox Theatre delivers an enchanting experience to its audiences that dazzles and delights, filling the stage with jaw-dropping scenery and incredible special effects, as well as a host of wonderful performers. The plot based on Gregory Maguire's n...
BWW Reviews: TITANIC: THE MUSICAL at the Muny
TITANIC: THE MUSICAL is just the sort of production that's perfectly suited to the vast expanse the Muny provides. After all, it's a big show, and there's no space quite as mammoth in size and scope as the Muny stage. And, I'm happy to report that their current presentation is a grand and entertaini...
BWW Reviews: BEAUTY AND THE BEAST at the Muny
The classic French fairy tale, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, is given the full-blown Disney treatment in this adaptation of their own 1991 animated film. While retaining many of the elements that gave the movie it's own particular charm, this version runs a bit too long and leisurely for my tastes, being pa...
BWW Reviews: Premiere of THE STATE OF MARRIAGE
The St. Louis Actors' Studio and That Uppity Theatre Company have combined their efforts to close their season with the premiere of Joan Lipkin's (with collaborator JT Ricroft) original play, THE STATE OF MARRIAGE. The title does double duty here, allowing for commentary on the current state of nupt...
BWW Reviews: Muddy Water Theatre's Charming Production of NOW I ASK YOU
Muddy Waters Theatre is a unique company in that they devote each or their seasons to a single playwright, which in most cases would result in a schedule that strictly hews to the familiar. But, as a rare treat during their current season, which is devoted to Eugene O'Neill, they've decided to stage...
BWW Reviews: WICKED at the Fox Theatre Through 7/11
The production of WICKED that's currently playing the Fox Theatre delivers an enchanting experience to its audiences that dazzles and delights, filling the stage with jaw-dropping scenery and incredible special effects, as well as a host of wonderful performers. The plot based on Gregory Maguire's n...
Videos
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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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God of Carnage New Jewish Theatre (NJT) (6/11-6/28) |
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The Wasp by Morgan Lloyd Malcom Albion Theatre (6/12-6/28) |
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We Will Rock You The Marcelle Theater (6/04-6/27) |
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USAF Band of Mid-America “Freedom 250” Concert Old Post Office Plaza (7/02-7/02) |
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Rob Zombie & Marilyn Manson Morton Amphitheater (9/10-9/10) |
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Terms of Endearment Clayton Community Theatre (7/23-8/02) |
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UMSL Music Presents: Afriky Lolo 20th Anniversary Showcase 'Sundiata' Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center (7/17-7/17) |
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Saint Louis Ballet's ENCORE Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center (6/13-6/13) |
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