ST. LOUIS THEATER SHOWS - PLAYS

by James Lindhorst - July 21, 2024

What did our critic think of FIDDLER ON THE ROOF at The Muny?What can be said about an absolutely perfect production of one of the most well written musicals of all time? Hurling superlatives seems cliché but there is nothing about The Muny’s latest offering of the classic FIDDLER ON THE ROOF that c...

by James Lindhorst - July 21, 2024

Often new works at festivals, both plays and musicals, are unoriginal and rely on conventions that are commonly used. CASCADE’S FIRE is an adventurous undertaking that deserves to be seen. Gruenloh’s book is unconventional, and his lyrics are remarkable in their originality. Wernke’s piano score cre...

by James Lindhorst - July 19, 2024

The quality of Maliakel’s voice is flawless with elegant tone and timbre. His phrasing is impeccable. His diction is magnificent. He possesses a resonant multi-octave range with rich and delicious vowels. Oh, those vowels! His elongated and euphonious Es in the titular song from “She Loves Me” rever...

by James Lindhorst - July 14, 2024

The 10th Annual LaBute New Theatre Festival runs through July 28th at The Gaslight Theater. Jayne Hannah’s “Love in the Time of Nothing” is and inspirational love story that will tug at your heartstrings. It is magnificent in its storytelling convention and is the play of the festival that cannot be...

by Steve Callahan - July 15, 2024

Twelfth Night:  It marks the end of Christmas and in Shakespeare’s day it was celebrated with great festivity—cakes and ale, wassailing and singing, merriment abounding.  A very good time was had by all....

by James Lindhorst - July 13, 2024

Holt's direction is sharp. Backer, Hanrahan and Howe’s snappy line delivery, awkward silence, and discernible discomfort make for fantastic performances. But Pinter’s script is just too murky for my taste. Kate and Anna’s relationship is hazy. What happened between them remains vague. Deeley’s acqua...

by James Lindhorst - July 12, 2024

Gunn, Corpuz, Urday, Wilkinson and company delivered a compelling and entertaining production of the new musical MY HEART SAYS GO. The mundanities with the score and book are what keep this production from really soaring. Indigo’s coming-of-age story is not particularly different from what has been ...

by James Lindhorst - July 11, 2024

The Muny’s production of Disney’s THE LITTLE MERMAID is a visually stunning explosion of color. Director John Tartaglia, his actors and technical teams collaborate to tell a memorable story that feels more animated movie than live musical theater. It is Tartaglia’s vision and leadership, the enthusi...

by Steve Callahan - July 08, 2024

Saint Louis’ Union Avenue Opera is celebrating the start of it’s thirtieth year with a superb production of Bizet’s Carmen!  (Thirty years—that’s twenty-nine seasons.  Like everyone else Union Avenue was “dark” in 2020.)  Thirty years of ever-increasing excellence in this most challenging of musical...

by James Lindhorst - July 07, 2024

ROMANOV FAMILY YARD SALE has as many laughs as the stuff the family is trying to purge. While there is always “another funny bit,” the story works because the audiences’ hearts beat in unison with their new friends the Romanovs. It is an immersive theatrical experience that is oddly patriotic and fi...