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REVIEW: ELIANE ELIAS Gives Terrific Performance at the Sheldon January 23rd
Eliane Elias is a superbly talented performer, having started on piano at age six in her native Brazil (Sao Paulo). She's grown up with the sounds of Bossa Nova wafting through the air and airwaves, and has become a proponent of this movement that's continued to entertain audiences for over 50 years...
REVIEW: SCRAPARTSMUSIC Brings Their Unique Percussive Sound to the Edison Theatre January 23rd
SCRAPARTSMUSIC is a unique performance group that utilizes found objects to create amazing percussion instruments that are also works of art. Gregory Kozak, the inventor of this musical collective (along with co-creator Justine Murdy), who hails from Vancouver, British Columbia, brought the troupe t...
REVIEW; Repertory Theatre of St. Louis Presents Outstanding Production of [title of show]
[title of show] is an interesting new musical that chronicles the very creation of the show itself, and then documents the rocky road it takes on its journey to Broadway. The musical was initially conceived as a writer's exercise by Jeff Bowen and Hunter Bell, who used a 3 ½ week deadline for a fes...
REVIEW: Black Rep Opens 33rd Season with 1960's take on ROMEO AND JULIET
In director Chris Anthony's notes in the program she discusses the question of relevance where Shakespeare's ROMEO AND JULIET is concerned. She correctly points out that 'Shakespeare wrote a story about two families that are fighting and two teenagers that are in love. If you have ever fought or fal...
REVIEW: CIRCUS INCOGNITUS Dazzles and Delights at the Edison Theatre
Jamie Adkins is a unique talent, and his extraordinary abilities were on display at the Edison Theatre (January 16, 2010), on the campus of Washington University, in his one man show CIRCUS INCOGNITUS. This unusual, but very engaging production combines many familiar elements from the world of the c...
REVIEW: Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder Entertain Crowd at the Sheldon
More than the passage of time has turned country singer/musician Ricky Skaggs into one of the elder statesmen of bluegrass. The die was cast from the minute he stepped onto a stage at age five to pick his mandolin with the legendary Bill Monroe. And, while his long locks may have almost completely f...
REVIEW: GREASE Featuring Taylor Hicks Takes the Stage at the Fox Theatre
Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey's GREASE is one of my favorite shows, and I've seen several different versions of it over the last few years. Having seen the movie when I was a teenager, I'd always preferred productions that included songs from the film. But, ever since I saw New Line Theatre's raw, ori...
REVIEW: St. Louis Actors' Studio Presents Funny and Provocative Production of LOVE SONG
The first thing I was reminded of while watching John Kolvenbach's funny and intriguing play, LOVE SONG, was David Lynch's surreal cult film, ERASERHEAD, if only for the obvious comparisons that pop up between their respective protagonists. Henry, in ERASERHEAD, is a lonely daydreamer with an overac...
REVIEW: Repertory Theatre of St. Louis Presents Hilarious 'Tour De Farce' with Their Production of THE 39 STEPS
The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis opens 2010 with a brilliant adaptation of director Alfred Hitchcock's classic of the silver screen, THE 39 STEPS. Patrick Barlow's script based on Simon Corble and Nobby Dimon's original conception (as well as John Buchan's novel and Hitchcock's amazing film) utili...
REVIEW: Sleek and Sexy CHICAGO Plays at the Fox January 1 -3
A sleek and sexy production of Kander and Ebb's brilliant musical, CHICAGO, is currently playing the Fox Theatre for a brief run (January 1-3, 2010). If you've only ever seen the film version, then you should do yourself a favor and check out the more minimalistic staging carried over from the 1996 ...
REVIEW: Imaginary Theatre Company Brings Wonderfully Entertaining Production of BAH! HUMBUG! to the Loretto-Hilton Stage
For my last undertaking of 2009, my family and I attended the Imaginary Theatre Company's presentation of a modern re-telling of Charles Dickens' classic tale, A Christmas Carol, called BAH! HUMBUG!. A terrific cast really enlivens Jack Herrick's tuneful score and clever script, providing a wonderfu...
REVIEW: IRVING BERLIN'S WHITE CHRISTMAS comes to the Stage of the Fox Theatre through Dec 27
I originally saw Paul Blake and David Ives' adaptation of the 1954 movie WHITE CHRISTMAS back in 2006 at the Muny. There have been some minor changes made to it since then, but it still follows the basic plot of the movie fairly closely. In fact, most of the changes center on the inclusion of additi...
REVIEW: Piwacket Theatre for Children Presents Delightful Holiday-Themed Show with MISCHIEVOUS ELF
Piwacket Theatre for Children's second Christmas-themed offering of the season concerns a MISCHIEVOUS ELF, and conveys a positive message about maintaining hope in the face of adversity to its young audience. This tale of holiday merriment is filled with song and dance, and it's sure to please your ...
REVIEW: Avalon Theatre Company Delivers Charming Production of AN O. HENRY CHRISTMAS
Though only one of the stories that's adapted for AN O.HENRY CHRISTMAS, 'The Gift of the Magi', is truly Christmas-themed, this musical adaptation of writer William Sidney Porter, who's certainly more recognizable under his pen name, O. Henry, delivers enough positive messages about faith, hope and ...
REVIEW: Blind Boys of Alabama Christmas Show Thrills Crowd at the Sheldon Concert Hall
On a cool and stormy evening (December 12, 2009), Mother Nature may have provided the lightning, but the Blind Boys of Alabama delivered the thunder, captivating the crowd at the Sheldon Concert Hall with an inspirational performance. For 70 years (since 1939) this group has entertained and excited ...
REVIEW: The Black Rep Brings a Joyous Production of Langston Hughes' BLACK NATIVITY to the Grandel Stage
There are a multitude of options available to anyone looking to take in a holiday-themed show this time of year. If you're so inclined, I heartily recommend the Black Rep's joyous production of Langston Hughes' BLACK NATIVITY. This is an uplifting and affirming celebration that features a terrific a...
REVIEW: The New Jewish Theatre Presents a Touching and Brilliant Production of BROOKLYN BOY
Over the course of six scenes, BROOKLYN BOY'S protagonist, Eric Weiss, is taken on a journey of discovery that will leave him with a stronger appreciation of his family and friends, as well as a deeper understanding of himself. Weiss is a writer who's finally enjoying success on the bestseller list ...
REVIEW: Echo Theatre is Presenting a Laugh-Out-Loud Production of THE SANTALAND DIARIES
If the holiday blues have got you down, or you're starting to get tired of being inundated with Christmas themed advertising, then take a break from your shopping list and check out Echo Theatre's production of THE SANTALAND DIARIES. The pitch black humor of writer David Sedaris is on display in thi...
REVIEW: HotCity Theatre Cooks Up Unusual Holiday Treat with THE EIGHT: REINDEER MONOLOGUES
HotCity Theatre offers up a decidedly different take on the usual yuletide fare with their delightfully twisted production of Jeff Goode's icon-shattering play, THE EIGHT: REINDEER MONOLOGUES. While taking its stylistic inspiration from THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES, Goode's wacky script focuses our attenti...
REVIEW: Repertory Theatre of St. Louis Presents a Charming Production of A CHRISTMAS STORY
I distinctly recall the very first time I saw the film version of A CHRISTMAS STORY (1983). I sat alone in a nearly empty theatre as it unspooled, all the while thinking it deserving of a much better fate. So you can imagine my surprise when it became a cult hit, and then a full-fledged holiday trad...
REVIEW: Stray Dog Theatre Presents Hilarious Production of SISTER MARY IGNATIUS EXPLAINS IT ALL FOR YOU
If you're looking for an alternative to the usual holiday fare, there are several productions opening up this week that may intrigue you. For instance, you might consider Stray Dog Theatre's production of SISTER MARY IGNATIUS EXPLAINS IT ALL FOR YOU as an interesting and entertaining option. Christo...
Piwacket Children's Theatre Continues Season with Cute Production of THE HOLIDAY SHOW
Piwacket Theatre for Children continues their season with a festive treat called THE HOLIDAY SHOW, which teaches kids the importance of sharing. Of course, this is a valuable lesson any time of the year, but with Christmas around the bend, it's especially imperative that the little ones understand t...
REVIEW: Fox Theatre Brings an Enjoyable Production of LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE - THE MUSICAL to the Stage 11/24 - 11/29
Even if you've never watched the popular TV show that ran from the mid-1970's to the early 1980's, or read Laura Ingalls Wilder's popular children's novel, you'll still find plenty to enjoy watching LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE - THE MUSICAL. This is a sweet and charming show that illustrates the tru...
REVIEW: Powerful Staging of THE PILLOWMAN by Washington University Performing Arts Department
Playwright Martin McDonagh has a knack for crafting pitch black comedies that find humor in the darkest of subjects. In his play, THE PILLOWMAN, he gives us a horror fiction writer trapped in a totalitarian state, who's being interrogated because the content of his gruesome work happens to coincide ...
REVIEW: ALISON BROWN QUARTET with JOE CRAVEN Wows Audience at the Sheldon Concert Hall
Truly, the real secret to success in life is following your dreams. And, Alison Brown must have been listening when her inner voice spoke to her. How else do you explain someone who graduated from Harvard with an MBA leaving behind a lucrative position at Smith Barney to pursue the banjo? I know tha...
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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