Lynn Venhaus

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Lynn (Zipfel) Venhaus has had a continuous byline in St. Louis metro region publications since 1978. She writes features and news for Belleville News-Democrat and contributes to St. Louis magazine and other publications.  She is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic, currently reviews films for Webster-Kirkwood Times and KTRS Radio, covers entertainment for PopLifeSTL.com and co-hosts podcast PopLifeSTL.com…Presents.  She is a member of Critics Choice Association, where she serves on the women's and marketing committees; Alliance of Women Film Journalists; and on the board of the St. Louis Film Critics Association. She is a founding and board member of the St. Louis Theater Circle. She is retired from teaching journalism/media as an adjunct college instructor.

Lynn’s Annual Love of Theatre Awards (LOTTIES) Celebrating 2024

Lynn’s Annual Love of Theatre Awards (LOTTIES) Celebrating 2024

By Lynn Venhaus

“Only connect” is a good motto to leave a theater with, where you just saw brilliance shine.

An abundance of new voices and fresh faces mixed with familiar stories and reliable veterans to give us another compelling year of theater among regional professional groups.

Sometimes, there were so many offerings, one couldn’t get to them opening weekend, or my schedule prevented me from early viewing. I attended around 80 eligible shows and am grateful for the theater companies accommodating me. This does not include touring, school or community theatre productions.

I am enriched and in awe of the talent in our midst. And sharing what it feels like to be human in the 21st century is a very wonderful experience. That sense of belonging and community abounds. Onward to a magical year ahead.

As a local theater critic and writer about arts and entertainment, here’s my highly personal annual assessments on 2024 output – my “LOTTIES” – Lynn’s Love of Theatre Awards, as I announce every year. They are not set at five, but categories vary. If I wanted to recognize a performer or a show, I did (my rules).

This is separate from the St. Louis Theater Circle, of which I am a founding member. My esteemed colleagues and I will present our annual awards at a gala ceremony, aka theater prom, on Monday, March 24, at the Loretto-Hilton Center on the Webster University campus. Nominations will be revealed soon.

“The Inheritance, Parts I and II.” Provided by Tesseract Theatre Company.

Production of the Year:
“The Inheritance, Parts I and II” by Tesseract Theatre Company

A 7-hour commitment but worth every minute, riveting from start to finish, with everyone giving their all. Epic in scope and intimate in execution, Tesseract Theatre Company’s production was exhilarating.

Playwright Matthew Lopez wrote a vivid and perceptive rich tapestry of yearning, desire, melancholy, fear, joy, hope, community, and love. Surprising in its wit and depth of feeling, this Tony and Olivier-Award winning play is a magnum opus on what it’s like to be gay in America.

Boldly directed by Stephen Peirick and seamlessly acted by a passionate ensemble, they each met their moments. Intertwining a sprawling cast of 13, Lopez examined healing, survival, what home means and a class divide, inspired by E.M. Forster’s 1910 novel “Howards End.”

It takes place decades after the AIDS epidemic while three generations of gay men grapple with those past tragedies, and the legacies of shame, secrets, and loss, especially at a time when hard-fought rights are available, yet shifting political tides make them vulnerable.

Because Forster examined class differences and hypocrisy in British society in the early 20th century, so does Lopez project his characters in the early 21st century.

In an uncommon structure, Lopez tackled the complexities we all face, connecting characters, ambitions and eras in a swirling, dizzying, fantastic way. It is specific to the LGBTQIA+ experience, but allies could relate.

Companies of the Year:
The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis (large) and Tesseract Theatre Company (small)

Danny Williams and Kate Bergstrom. Provided.

The Rep gets the honor, turning around the venerable institution in spectacular fashion after it was on the brink of not surviving in 2023. A change in direction and a rallying community – both faithful and skeptical – helped the reset. So did new Artistic Director Kate Bergstrom, a sunny collaborative charmer whose efforts have been nothing short of astounding, along with managing director Danny Williams, who came aboard in 2022.
Two absolute stunners – “Moby Dick” and “August: Osage County” helped restore the luster in early 2024 while The Studio returned with “The Roommate” and a new partnership with Stages St. Louis for the crowd-pleasing “Million Dollar Quartet Christmas” followed a classic “Dial M for Murder” to deliver on its promises. Enthusiasm and goodwill is palpable at every function.

At the Tesseract Theatre Company, Kevin Corpuz and Brittanie Gunn took over operations, and continued bold moves started by founder Taylor Gruenloh in 2010. “The Inheritance, Part 1 and 2” was a landmark achievement, they shifted to musicals for the summer new play festival, and then their ambitious production of “Anastasia: The Musicals” in the fall cemented the statement that they have arrived. Can’t wait to see what is ahead.

Alan Knoll

Artist of the Year:
Alan Knoll

Actor-Director Alan Knoll is such a St. Louis fixture that it would be easy to take him for granted, but we never ever do. He’s not one to phone it in, always finds an entry point for us, and continues to stretch his capabilities. Last year, he did some of his finest work yet – as flawed dads in “We All Fall Down” and “August: Osage County,” and as a loyal servant in “Life Is a Dream.”

He also directed the acclaimed drama “Red” for New Jewish Theatre, where he previously helmed “Brighton Beach Memoirs” and “Broadway Bound,” part of Neil Simon’s Eugene trilogy.

In a 40-plus year career, he estimates he has been in more than 150 productions. He has worked at the Black Rep, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, The Muny, St. Louis Actors’ Studio, Upstream Theater and Imaginary Theatre Company, and the defunct Insight Theater Company, Dramatic License Productions, HotCity Theatre, Muddy Waters Theatre Company and Theater Factory in St. Louis, and at Arrow Rock Lyceum Theatre, which is one of Missouri’s oldest professional regional theatres, and is about 160 miles from St. Louis.

With his name in the ensemble, you can be assured of a first-rate performance, and with him in the director’s seat, you know you are in for a thoughtful, insightful production.

Tom Ridgely. Photo by Kevin Roberts.

Producers of the Year

Tom Ridgely, Sr. Louis Shakespeare Festival

As the producing artistic director of the St. Louis Shakespeare Festival since 2018, Tom Ridgely has expanded offerings and community partnerships, and taken an innovative, collaborative approach to their mission. In 2024, he oversaw one of the freshest summer productions yet in Forest Park’s Shakespeare Glen – “As You Like It,” and their TourCo’s “The Tempest” broke attendance records in multiple city parks and outdoor venues. Their work in schools and with young artists is an important component as well. Under his leadership, the organization thrives on reinvention and keeps its audiences engaged. The Shakespeare in the Streets events are eagerly anticipated, and they always attempt new ground.

Andrew Kuhlman and Gayle Seay

Andrew Kuhlman and Gayle Seay, Stages St. Louis

Andrew Kuhlman is the homegrown element as executive producer, rose through the ranks, while Gayle Seay brings an astute experienced eye as artistic director at Stages St. Louis. With two seasons under their belt, they showed Stages St. Louis’ audiences that they were moving forward while not messing with the recipe for success that co-founders Jack Lane and the late Michael Hamilton focused on when they started the company in 1987. Andrew, who was mentored by both Jack and Michael, continues to build partnerships while Gayle, familiar with the Stages’ family as a longtime casting director, knows the right people to go to in mounting their shows. They’ve demonstrated that theirs is a strong match, and they build on recent successes. Last season’s “Steel Magnolias,” “Newsies” and “Ragtime” continued the legacy.

Touring Production of the Year: (tie) “The Cher Show,” The Broadway Series at Stifel, and “Jagged Little Pill” at The Fox.

Jacob Schmitt and Bryce Miller in “Trayf”

THE MVPs

(Must have excelled in two or more shows this year, not a rookie, and whose presence made a difference)

Rachel Bailey
Ann Hier Brown
Matthew Cox
Jerome (J Samuel) Davis
Isaiah DiLorenzo
Jayson Heil
Bryce Miller
Drew Mizell
Joel Moses
Dustin Petrillo
Ben Ritchie
Jacob Schmidt
Molly Wennstrom
Eric Dean White
Sarah Wilkinson

ONES TO WATCH
Ashwini Aurora
Cory Burke
Jade Cash
Tyson Cole
Rafael Da Costa
Dominic Di Ciccio
Andre Eslamian
Aaron Fischer
Nadja Kapetanovich
Gabriel Paul
Allison Sexton

Nicole Angeli and Joel Moses in “Lungs”

DYNAMIC DUOS /TRIOS

  1. Nicole Angeli and Joel Moses in “Lungs” (Albion Theatre)
  2. John Riddle and Jordan Donica in “Les Miserables” (The Muny)
  3. Christopher Harris and Dustin Petrillo in “Red” (New Jewish Theatre)
  4. Nancy Bell and Kelley Weber in “The Roommate” (The Rep)
  5. Jacob Schmidt and Bryce A. Miller in “Trayf” (New Jewish Theatre)
  6. Andre Navid Eslamian and Leta DeBardeleben in “Longing”
  7. Adrianna Jones, Amber Alexandria Rose and De-Rance Blaylock in “Blues in the Night” (The Black Rep)
  8. Cameron Jamarr Davis and Eileen Engel in “Dutchman” (Soul Siren Playhouse)
  9. Mitch Henry-Eagles and Molly Wennstrom in “First Date” (New Jewish Theatre)
  10. Kari Ely and Peter Mayer in “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” (Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis)
  11. Isaiah Henry and Bianca Sanborn in “As You Like It” (St Louis Shakespeare Festival)
  12. Rachel Tibbetts and Ellie Schwetye in “Romanov Family Yard Sale” (ERA)
  13. Hailey Medrano and Bridgette Bassa in “We All Fall Down” (New Jewish Theatre)
  14. Greg Hunsaker and Jane Paradise in “Love in the Time of Nothing,” LaBute New Play Festival.
  15. Matt Anderson, Jeremy Goldmeier, and Donna Parrone as Haunted House actors in “Ripcord” (Stray Dog Theatre)

BRINGING THE HOUSE DOWN

(Best Musical Numbers)

Tiffany Mann in the 2024 Muny production of “Dreamgirls.” Photo by Phillip Hamer
  1. Tiffany Mann as Effie singing “And I’m Telling You I’m Not Going” in “Dreamgirls,” The Muny
  2. Tamar Greene and Shereen Pimentel as Coalhouse Walker and Sarah singing “Wheels of a Dream” in “Ragtime,” Stages St. Louis
  3. John Riddle as Jean Valjean singing “Bring Him Home” in “Les Miserables,” The Muny
  4. Jessica Vosk as Jenna singing “She Used to be Mine” in “Waitress,” The Muny
  5. Shereen Pimentel as Sarah singing “Your Daddy’s Son” in “Ragtime,” Stages St. Louis
  6. Jordan Donica as Javert singing “Stars” and “Soliloquy” in “Les Miserables” at The Muny.
  7. Aaron Fischer as Dimitry singing “Everything to Win” in Anastasia,” Tesseract Theatre Company
  8. Katerina McCrimmon as Fanny Brice singing “Don’t Rain on My Parade” in “Funny Girl” at The Fox.
  9. The Women (Adrianna Jones, Amber Alexandria Rose and De-Rance Blaylock) singing “Take It Right Back” in “Blues in the Night,” The Black Rep.
  10. Matthew Cox as Crutchie singing “Letter from the Refuge” in “Newsies” at Stages St. Louis
  11. Jamaal Fields-Green as Michael Jackson in the “MJ – The Musical” finale in the touring production at The Fox. Whatever that ‘surprise’ move he concocted for the 1992 “Dangerous” World Tour was. One of the most exhilarating things I’ve ever seen in a musical.

BEST YOUTH PERFORMERS

  1. Will Schulte, “Les Miserables,” The Muny
  2. Zoe Klevorn, “Ragtime,” Stages St Louis
  3. Shane Rose, “All My Sons,” New Jewish Theatre
  4. Riley Carter Adams, “As You Like It,” St. Louis Shakespeare Festival
  5. Vivian Helena Himes, “Wedding Band,” The Black Repertory Theatre
  6. Lucy Miller, “Wedding Band,” The Black Repertory Theatre
  7. Davin Wade, “Newsies,” Stages St. Louis
  8. Maliah Strawbridge, “Big Machine,” Fly North Theatricals
  9. Ellie Schwartz (Shprintze) and Zoe Klevorn (Bielke) in “Fiddler on the Roof,” The Muny

BEST NEW PLAYS

Greg Hunsaker and Jane Paradise in “Love in the Time of Nothing” at the LaBute New Play Festival. Patrick Huber photo.

  1. “Longing” by Lize Lewy
  2. “Elephants’ Graveyard” by Marjorie Williamson, First Run Theatre
  3. “Love in the Time of Nothing” by Jayne Hannah, St. Louis Actors’ Studio, LaBute New Play Festival
  4. “Don’t Be a Hero, Thank You” by Katherine Leemon, Prison Performing Arts
  5. “Romanov Family Yard Sale” by Courtney Bailey, ERA
  6. “Wolf Kings” by Chuck Harper and Maggie Conroy, Young Liars
  7. “Am I Dangerous” by e.k. doolin, Contraband Theatre
  8. “Who’s on First” by Neil LaBute, St. Louis Actors’ Studio, LaBute New Play Festival
  9. “Cash Flow,” Marjorie Williamson, First Run Theatre
  10. “Sandra’s Son,” Cbabi Bayoc (work in progress)

As You Like It. Photo by Phillip Hamer.

BEST COMEDY PRODUCTIONS

  1. “As You Like It,” St. Louis Shakespeare Festival
  2. “Trayf,” New Jewish Theatre
  3. “The Roommate,” The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
  4. “Woman in Mind (December Bee),” Albion Theatre
  5. “Steel Magnolias,” Stages St. Louis
  6. “Spirits to Enforce,” The Midnight Company
  7. “Life Upon the Wicked Stage,” Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis
  8. “The Tempest,” St. Louis Shakespeare Festival, Tour Co.
  9.  “Romanov Family Yard Sale,” ERA
  10. “Red Jasper,” Michael Madden Productions

BEST DRAMA PRODUCTIONS

  1. “The Inheritance, Part 1 and 2,” Tesseract Theatre Company
  2. “Moby Dick,” The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
  3. “All My Sons,” New Jewish Theatre
  4. “August: Osage County,” The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
  5. “Red,” New Jewish Theatre
  6. “The Whale,” St. Louis Actors’ Studio
  7. “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis,
  8. “Life is a Dream,” Upstream Theater
  9. “Hold On!” The Black Rep
  10. “Dutchman,” Soul Siren Playhouse
Adrianna Hicks in “Anything Goes” at The Muny. Philip Hamer photo.

BEST MUSICAL PRODUCTIONS

  1. “Anything Goes,” The Muny
  2. “Ragtime,” Stages St. Louis
  3. “Fiddler on the Roof,” The Muny
  4. “Anastasia,” Tesseract Theatre Company
  5. “Newsies,” Stages St. Louis
  6. “First Date,” New Jewish Theatre
  7. “In the Heights,” The Muny
  8. “Blues in the Night, “The Black Rep
  9. “(Title of Show),” Prism Theatre
  10. “Waitress,” The Muny

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY

  1. Zoe Vonder Haar, “Steel Magnolias,” Stages St. Louis
  2. Michelle Hand, “As You Like It,” St. Louis Shakespeare Festival
  3. Kari Ely, “Steel Magnolias,” Stages St Louis
  4. Molly Wennstrom, “As You Like It,” St Louis Shakespeare Festival
  5. Susan Wylie, “Woman in Mind (December Bee),” Albion Theatre
  6. Jasmine Cheri Rush, “As You Like It,” St. Louis Shakespeare Festival
  7. Ricki Franklin, “As You Like It,” St. Louis Shakespeare Festival
  8. Anna Blair, “The Butcher of Baraboo,” West End Players Guild
  9. Liz Mischel, “Bell, Book & Candle,” Stray Dog Theatre
  10. Ami Loui, “Steel Magnolias,” Stages St. Louis
Emily Baker and Isaiah Di Lorenzo in “Woman in Mind (December Bee).” Albion Theatre.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY

  1. Spencer Sickmann, “Trayf,” New Jewish Theatre
  2. Chuck Winning, “Grief & Woe,” LaBute New Play Festival,
  3. Isaiah DiLorenzo, “Woman in Mind (December Bee),” Albion Theatre
  4. Joseph Garner, “Woman in Mind (December Bee),” Albion Theatre
  5. Cassidy Flynn, “Romanov Family Yard Sale,” ERA
  6. Danny Brown, “Woman in Mind (December Bee),” Albion Theatre

BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY

  1. Emily Baker, “Woman in Mind (December Bee),” Albion Theatre
  2. Caroline Amos, “As You Like It,” St. Louis Shakespeare Festival
  3. Kelley Weber, “The Roommate,” The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
  4. LaWanda Jackson, “Don’t Be a Hero, Thank You,” Prison Performing Arts
  5. Nancy Nigh, “Red Jasper,” Michael Madden Productions
  6. Joy Christina Turner, “The Tempest,” St. Louis Shakespeare Festival
  7. Claire Coffey, “Bell, Book & Candle,” Stray Dog Theatre
  8. Gwynneth Rausch, “Elephants’ Graveyard,” First Run Theatre
  9. Jan Meyer, “Elephants’ Graveyard,” First Run Theatre
    10. (tie) Annie Baker, “Ripcord,” Stray Dog Theatre
  10.  (tie) Julie Layton, “Life Upon the Wicked Stage,” Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis

BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY

  1. Jacob Schmidt, “Trayf,” New Jewish Theatre
  2. Bryce A. Miller, “Trayf,” New Jewish Theatre
  3. Ben Ritchie “Red Jasper,” Michael Madden Productions
  4. Alan Knoll, “We All Fall Down,” New Jewish Theatre
  5. Joel Wilper, “Bell, Book & Candle,” Stray Dog Theatre
Denise Thimes and Alex Jay in “King Hedley II” at The Black Rep.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA

  1. Nadja Kapetanovich, “The Whale,” St. Louis Actors’ Studio
  2. Claire Karpen, “August: Osage County,” The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
  3. Alex Jay, “King Hedley II,” The Black Rep
  4. Evann De-Bose, “Hold On!” The Black Rep
  5. Kari Ely, “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis
  6. Denise Thimes, “King Hedley II,” The Black Rep
  7. Astrid Van Wieren, “August: Osage County,” The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
  8. Margery Handy, “The Inheritance, Parts 1 and 2,” Tesseract Theatre Company
  9. Kristen Joy Lintvedt, “All My Sons,” New Jewish Theatre
  10. Kari Ely, “Wedding Band,” The Black Rep

BEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA

  1. Maggie Wininger, “Molly Sweeney,” Albion Theatre
  2. Ellen McLaughlin, “August: Osage County,” The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
  3. Amy Loui, “All My Sons,” New Jewish Theatre
  4. Nicole Angeli, “Lungs,” Albion Theatre
  5. Jacqueline Thompson, “Wedding Band,” The Black Repertory
  6. Eileen Engel, “Dutchman,” Soul Siren Playhouse
  7. Jennifer Theby-Quinn, “Life is a Dream,” Upstream Theater

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA

  1. Alan Knoll, “August: Osage County,” The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
  2. Jayson Heil, “All My Sons,” New Jewish Theatre
  3. Dustin Petrillo, “Red,” New Jewish Theatre
  4. Eric Dean White, “Hold On!” The Black Rep
  5. Jerome Davis, ‘King Hedley II,” The Black Rep
  6. Alex C. Moore, “The Inheritance, Parts I and 2,” Tesseract Theatre Company
  7. Michael James Reed, “August: Osage County,” The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
  8. Tyson Cole, “The Inheritance, Parts I and 2,’ Tesseract Theatre Company
  9. Joseph Garner, “Dark Matters,” West End Players Guild
  10. Jerry Vogel, “Life is a Dream,” Upstream Theater
  11. Gary Glasgow, “Life is a Dream,” Upstream Theater
Greg Johnston and Jayson Heil in “All My Sons.” New Jewish Theatre.

BEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA

  1. Greg Johnston, “All My Sons,” New Jewish Theatre
  2. Christopher Harris, “Red,” New Jewish Theatre
  3. William Roth, “The Whale,” St. Louis Actos’ Studio
  4. Gabriel Paul, “The Inheritance, Parts 1 and 2,” Tesseract Theatre Company
  5. Joel Moses, “Lungs,” Albion Theatre
  6. Reginald Pierre, “Life is a Dream,” Upstream Theatre
  7. Andre Eslamian, “Longing”
  8. Enoch King, “Hold On!” The Black Rep
  9. Cameron Jamarr Davis, “Dutchman,” Soul Siren Playhouse

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL

  1. Lissa De Guzman, “Waitress,” The Muny
  2. Nicole Michelle Haskins, “Waitress,” The Muny
  3. Sarajane Clark, “Ruthless,” Stray Dog Theatre
  4. Rachel Bailey, “Title of Show,” Prism Theatre Company
  5. Kimmie Kidd-Booker, “Anastasia: The Musical,” Tesseract Theatre Company
  6. Shereen Pimentel, “Ragtime,” Stages St. Louis
  7. Lauren Tenenbaum, “American Idiot,” New Line Theatre
  8. Emily Bautista, “Les Miserables,” The Muny
  9. Samantha Massell, “Fiddler on the Roof,” The Muny
  10. Nancy Ticotin, “In the Heights,” The Muny
  11. Adrianna Hicks “Anything Goes,” The Muny
Tamar Greene and Shereen Pimentel in “Ragtime” at Stages St. Louis. Phillip Hamer photo.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL

  1. Matthew Cox, “Ragtime,” Stages St. Louis
  2. George Abud, “Anything Goes,” The Muny
  3. Matthew Cox, “Newsies,” Stages St Louis
  4. Fergie L. Philippe, “Disney’s The Little Mermaid,” The Muny
  5. Donald Kidd, “Anastasia: The Musical,” Tesseract Theatre Company
  6. James D. Gish, “Les Miserables,” The Muny
  7. Nick Rashad Burroughs, “Dreamgirls,” The Muny
  8. Aaron Kamphoefner, “Sweet Potato Queens,” New Line Theatre
  9. Kevin Chamberlin, “Anything Goes,” The Muny
  10. Will Bonfiglio, “First Date,” New Jewish Theatre
  11. Jayson Heil, “First Date,” New Jewish Theatre
  12. Troy Iwata, “Waitress,” The Muny
  13. Rafael DaCosta, “Dracula,” New Line Theatre

BEST ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL

  1. Jessica Vosk, “Waitress,” The Muny
  2. Tiffany Mann, “Dreamgirls,” The Muny
  3. Sarah Wilkinson, “Anastasia,” Tesseract Theatre Company
  4. Marissa McGowan, “Ragtime,” Stages St. Louis
  5. Sarah Gene Dowling, “Ruthless,” Stray Dog Theatre
  6. Jill Abramovitz, “Fiddler on the Roof,” The Muny
  7. Jaelyn Hawkins, “(title of show),” Prism Theatre
  8. Taylor Quick, “Newsies,” Stages St. Louis
  9. Katie Orr, “(title of show),” Prism Theatre
  10. Savy Jackson, “Disney’s The Little Mermaid,” The Muny
Jill Abramovitz and Adam Heller in the 2024 Muny production of “Fiddler on the Roof.” Photo by Phillip Hamer

BEST ACTOR IN A MUSICAL (Male or Non-binary)

  1. Adam Heller, “Fiddler on the Roof.” The Muny
  2. John Riddle, “Les Miserables,” The Muny
  3. Jordan Donica, “Les Miserables,” The Muny
  4. Aaron Fischer, “Anastasia,” Tesseract Theatre Company
  5. Tamar Greene, “Ragtime,” Stages St. Louis
  6. Benji Santiago, “In the Heights,” The Muny
  7. Drew Mizell, “Nevermore,” Stray Dog Theatre
  8. Jay Armstrong Johnson, “Anything Goes,” The Muny
  9. Al Bastin, “The Big Machine,” Fly North Theatricals
  10. Clayton Humburg, “American Idiot,” New Line Theatre

BEST ENSEMBLE IN A COMEDY

  1. “Romanov Family Yard Sale,” ERA
  2. “Spirits to Enforce,” Midnight Company
  3. “As You Like It, St. Louis,” Shakespeare Festival
  4. “Woman in Mind (December Bee),” Albion Theare
  5. “Red Jasper,” Michael Madden Productions
  6. “Life Upon the Wicked Stage,” Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis
  7. “Ripcord, “Stray Dog Theatre
  8. “Steel Magnolias,” Stages St. Louis

BEST ENSEMBLE IN A DRAMA

  1. “The Inheritance, Parts I and 2,” Tesseract Theatre Company2.
  2. “August: Osage County,” The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
  3. “All My Sons,” New Jewish Theatre
  4. “Hold On!” The Black Rep
  5. “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis
  6. “The Whale,” St. Louis Actors’ Studio
  7. “Moby Dick,” The Rep
  8. Life is a Dream,” Upstream Theatre
  9. “King Hedley II,” The Black Rep
  10. “Hamlet,” St Louis Shakespeare
“August: Osage County” at The Rep.

BEST ENSEMBLE IN A MUSICAL

  1. “Anything Goes,” The Muny
  2. “Ragtime,” Stages St. Louis
  3. “Fiddler on the Roof,” The Muny
  4. “Anastasia,” Tesseract Theatre Company
  5. “First Date,” New Jewish Theatre
  6. “In the Heights,” The Muny
  7. “Newsies,” Stages St. Louis
  8. “Les Miserables,” The Muny
  9. ‘(Title of Show),: Prism Theatre Company

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN IN A PLAY

  1. Jayson M. Lawshee, “Red,” New Jewish Theatre
  2.  Minjoo Kim, “Dial M for Murder,” The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
  3. Sean Savoie, “Hold On!” The Black Rep
  4. William C. Kirkham, “Moby Dick,” The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
  5. Denisse Chavez, “As You Like It,” St. Louis Shakespeare Festival
  6. Denisse Chavez, “All My Sons,” New Jewish Theatre
“The Little Mermaid” at the Muny. Photo by Philip Hamer.

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN IN A MUSICAL

  1. John Lasiter, “Fiddler on the Roof,” The Muny
  2. Rob Denton, “Anything Goes,” The Muny
  3. Sean Savoie, “Ragtime,” Stages St. Louis
  4. Jason Lyons, “Disney’s The Little Mermaid,” The Muny
  5. Tyler Duenow, “Nevermore,” Stray Dog Theatre
  6. Travis Richardson, “Blues in the Night,” The Black Rep
  7. Jason Lyons, “Les Miserables,” The Muny

BEST VISUAL PROJECTIONS/DESIGN
 1. Zachary Grimm, “Longing”
 2. Kylee Loera, “Anything Goes,” The Muny
 3. Katherine Freer, “Disney’s The Little Mermaid,” The Muny
 4. Zach Cohn, “Hold On!” The Black Rep
 5. Joe Taylor, “Romanov Family Yard Sale,” ERA
 6. Mike Tutaj, ‘Waitress,” The Muny

BEST SOUND DESIGN IN A PLAY
1. Rick Sims, “Moby Dick,” The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
2. Zachary Grimm, “Longing”
3. Michael Musgrave-Perkins and Philip Boehm, “Don’t Wait for the Marlboro Man,” Upstream Theater
4. Chuck Harper, “Wolf Kings,” Young Liars
5. Kareem Deanes, “The Roommate,” The Rep
6. Amanda Werre, “All My Sons,” New Jewish Theatre
7. Amanda Were, “Dial M for Murder,” The Rep

BEST COSTUME DESIGN IN A PLAY

“Romanov Family Yard Sale.” ERA.
  1. Carolyn “Sully” Ratke, “Moby Dick,” The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
  2. Michele Friedman Siler, “Life Is a Dream,” Upstream Theater
  3. Colleen Michelson, “Bell, Book and Candle,” Stray Dog Theatre
  4. Teresa Doggett, “Life Upon the Wicked Stage,” Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis
  5. Sam Hayes, The Tempest TourCo, Shakespeare Festival St. Louis
  6. Marcy Wiegert, “Romanov Family Yard Sale,” ERA.
  7. Dorothy Marshall Englis, “As You Like It,” St. Louis Shakespeare Festival

BEST COSTUME DESIGN IN A MUSICAL

  1. Leon Dobkowski, “Dreamgirls,” The Muny
  2. Sarah Gene Dowling, “Anastasia,” Tesseract Theatre Company
  3. Brad Musgrove, “Ragtime,” Stages St. Louis
  4. Tristan Raines, “Anything Goes,” The Muny
  5. Brad Musgrove, “Newsies,” Stages St. Louis
  6. Eileen Engel, “Big Machine,” Fly North Theatricals
  7. Sarah Gene Dowling, “Nevermore,” Stray Dog Theatre

BEST SCENIC DESIGN IN A COMEDY
1. Scott Neale, “As You Like It,” St. Louis Shakespeare Festival
2.  Kate Rance, “Steel Magnolias,” Stages St. Louis
3. Andrea Ball, “We All Fall Down,” New Jewish Theatre
4. Gary F. Bell, “Bell, Book & Candle,” Stray Dog Theatre
5. Robert Mark Morgan, “The Roommate,” The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis

“Red” at New Jewish Theatre.

BEST SCENIC DESIGN IN A DRAMA

1, Margery Spack and Peter Spack, “Red,” New Jewish Theatre
2. Margery Spack and Peter Spack, “Dial M for Murder,” The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
3. C. Otis Sweezey, “All My Sons,” New Jewish Theatre
4. Courtney O’Neill, “Moby Dick,” The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
5. Rob Corbett, “Elephants’ Graveyard,” First Run Theatre
6. Timothy Jones, “King Hedley II,” The Black Rep

BEST SCENIC DESIGN IN A MUSICAL

  1. Wilson Chin, “Waitress,” The Muny
  2. Ann Beyersdorfer, “Newsies,” Stages St. Louis
  3. Ann Beyersdorfer, “Disney’s The Little Mermaid,” The Muny
  4. Arnel Sancianco, “In the Heights,” The Muny
  5. Edward E. Haynes Jr., “Anything Goes,” The Muny
  6. Jamie Bullins, “Blues in the Night,” The Black Rep
  7. Adam Koch, “Million Dollar Quartet Christmas,” The Rep and Stages St. Louis
Alysia Velez and the company of the 2024 Muny production of “In the Heights.” Photo by Phillip Hamer

BEST CHOREOGRAPHY

  1. Jared Grimes, “Anything Goes,” The Muny
  2. Lindsay Joy Lancaster, “Newsies,” Stages St. Louis
  3. William Carlos Angulo, “In the Heights,” The Muny
  4. Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi, “Moby Dick,” The Rep
  5. Mike Hodges, “Xanadu,” Stray Dog Theatre
  6. Michelle Sauer, “AnastasiaL The Musical,” Tesseract Theatre Company
  7. Lesia Kaye, “Dreamgirls,” The Muny
  8. Chelsie Johnston, “American Idiot,” New Line Theatre
  9. Parker Esse (original choreography by Jerome Robbins), “Fiddler on the Roof,” The Muny
    10. Patrick O’Neill, “Disney’s The Little Mermaid,” The Muny

BEST MUSICAL DIRECTOR

  1. James Moore, “Les Miserables,” The Muny
  2. Khalid McGee, “Blues in the Night,” Black Rep
  3. Roberto Sinha, “In the Heights,” The Muny
  4. Darryl Archibald, “Fiddler on the Roof,” The Muny
  5. E. Renee Gamez, “Ragtime,” Stages St. Louis
  6. Zach Neumann, “Anastasia,” Tesseract Theatre Company
  7. John Gerdes, “American Idiot,” New Line Theatre
  8. Mallory Golden, “Title of Show,” Prism Theatre Company
  9. Larry Pry, “First Date,” New Jewish Theatre
  10.  Dave Sonneborn, “Million Dollar Quartet Christmas,” The Rep and Stages

BEST DIRECTOR OF A COMEDY

  1. Nancy Bell, “As You Like It.” St. Louis Shakespeare Festival
  2. Aaron Sparks, “Trayf,” New Jewish Theatre
  3. Rebekah Scallet, “The Roommate,” The Rep
  4. Lucy Cashion, “Spirits to Enforce,” The Midnight Company
  5. Gary F. Bell, “Bell, Book and Candle,” Stray Dog Theatre
  6. Brian Hohlfeld, “Life Upon the Wicked Stage,” Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis
“Hold On!” The Black Rep

BEST DIRECTOR OF A DRAMA

  1. Stephen Peirick, “The Inheritance, Parts I and 2,” Tesseract Theatre Company
  2. David Catlin, “Moby Dick,” The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
  3. Alan Knoll, “Red,” New Jewish Theatre
  4. Gary Wayne Barker, “All My Sons,” New Jewish Theatre
  5. Annamaria Pileggi, “The Whale,” St. Louis Actors’ Studio
  6. Ron Himes, “Hold On!” The Black Rep
  7. Philip Boehm, “Life is a Dream,” Upstream Theater
  8. Ellie Schwetye, “Lungs,” Albion Theatre
  9. Kay Ailee Bush, “Longing,”
“Anastasia: The Musical” at Tesseract.

BEST DIRECTOR OF A MUSICAL

  1. Brittanie Gunn, “Anastasia,” Tesseract Theatre Company
  2. Marcia Milgrom Dodge, “Anything Goes,” The Muny
  3. Rob Ruggiero, “Fiddler on the Roof,” The Muny
  4. Sam Hayes, “(Title of Show),” Prism Theatre Company
  5. William Carlos Angulo, “In the Heights,” The Muny
  6. Lee Ann Mathews, “First Date,” New Jewish Theatre
  7. Deidre Goodwin, “Ragtime,” Stages St. Louis
  8. Lili-Anne Brown, “Waitress,” The Muny
  9. John Tartaglia, “Disney’s The Little Mermaid,” The Muny
  10. Justin Been, “Nevermore,” Stray Dog Theatre
From left: Cleavant Derricks, Jonah D. Winston, Nicole Michelle Haskins, Jessica Vosk and Lissa deGuzman in the 2024 Muny production of “Waitress.” Photo by Phillip Hamer

Sterling Cast Authentically Recreates Riveting and Intense ‘September 5’

Sterling Cast Authentically Recreates Riveting and Intense ‘September 5’

By Lynn Venhaus

“They’re all gone.”

ABC Broadcaster Jim McKay looked into the camera and gave us the horrifying news live from the 1972 Munich Olympics.

The tragic outcome was a gut-punch, for the news a short time earlier had been hopeful. That sickening feeling is authentically duplicated in “September 5,” an intense and riveting film that has meticulously recreated the network’s control room perspective.

As gunfire rang out in the Olympic Village early morning, the ABC Sports crew was thrust into action covering the breaking news as the world’s eyes and ears.

As TV executive Roone Arledge, Peter Sarsgaard leads an exceptional workmanlike ensemble, including John Magaro as producer Geoff Mason, Ben Chaplin as Marv Bader, vice president of ABC Olympics operations, and Leonie Benesch as Marianne Gebhardt, a German translator who is called on to play a bigger role.

Eight members of the Black September militant group scaled a fence, broke into Israeli athletes’ quarters, killed wrestling coach Moshe Weinberg and weightlifter Yossef Romano, and then took nine hostages.

Black September, an affiliate of the Palestine Liberation Organization, demanded the release of 236 prisoners: 234 in Israel and the two leaders of the West German Baader-Meinhof terrorist group.

No one anticipated such an event, nor had anything like this ever happened previously. It was the 10th day of competition, the first Olympics hosted in Germany since the controversial 1936 Berlin games presided over by Adolf Hitler.

The hostage mission failed. About 20 hours after it began, five of the hostage-takers would be dead, along with 11 members of Israel’s Olympic team and a West German policeman.

In retrospect, it is a moment that forever changed media coverage, an impact felt today. It was the first time an act of terror was live on television. Chilling images from that period still burn bright – especially the terrorist in a ski-mask on the balcony.

With its ‘you are there’ point of view, the tension is palpable in this 95-minute masterly constructed film as news and directions shift. Decisions are made in split-second time, and the staff is trying to be responsible while the clock is ticking, rumors swirl, and 900 million people are glued to television screens.

These are sports guys, not experienced journalists, and you see them adapt, with the added concerns of not sensationalizing an already fraught situation and just trying to maintain coverage just staying on the air.

 Swiss director Tim Fehlbaum and his crew have seamlessly blended archival footage with the routines of a darkened media center using analog equipment. At the time, the technology was state-of-the-art, and you see how resourceful they are with the now-primitive pieces.  

Technology aside, the questions facing this operation are the same journalists wrestle with today, and that is what makes this tale so fascinating. Fehlbaum co-wrote the tight script with Moritz Binder, and co-writer Alex David.

The Munich Olympics have been the focus of two previous films, Steven Spielberg’s 2005 historical drama “Munich” and the 1999 Oscar-winning documentary “One Day in September.”

And this one avoids making a political statement, preferring to focus on media, not the politics of Israeli-Palestinian relations. The film was in post-production when Hamas attacked Israel in October 2023.

The control room offers a fresh perspective, and adds to the claustrophobic nature of the story, as well as the balancing act of a group of different individuals needing to set aside their personal views.

Noteworthy are Benjamin Walker as Peter Jennings, the reporter on scene, and Zinedine Soualem as French engineer named Jacques. Jim McKay is only seen in archival footage.

Production designer Julian R. Wagner’s handiwork accented the crowded space, shooting at the Olympic village, which is now a heritage site, also added to the realistic atmosphere, and the taut editing by Hansjörg Weißrich kept the story on track.

Overshadowed by the massacre, the XX Olympiad was also known for Mark Spitz earning seven gold medals for USA, a world record until 2008, and Russian gymnast Olga Korbut became a media star as she won three. Competition had stopped for 34 hours, then resumed.

Winner of the audience award at the St. Louis International Film Festival in November, “September 5” is worth seeking out for its smart, insightful capture of a significant moment in time. It’s obvious that the splendid cast was committed to ‘getting it right,’ and they convey all the dedication, compassion, confusion and drive of the people involved.

“September 5” is a 2024 historical drama directed by Tim Fehlbaum and starring Peter Sarsgaard, John Magaro, Ben Chaplin, and Leonie Benisch. It is rated R for language, and the runtime is 95 minutes. It is opening in St. Louis theaters Jan. 24. Lynn’s Grade: A

Lynn’s Best Movies Round-Up of 2024

Lynn’s Best Movies Round-Up of 2024

By Lynn Venhaus
Themes? Trends? Moments? How to sum up a year in cinema, when hundreds of films are released in theaters and on streaming to satisfy a diverse public. What gets people out of the house and into a theater when they’re buying a ticket? I’m curious.

Above all with me is storytelling. Then we’ll see about the bells and whistles, the “experience” enhancement, and who’s part of the team on screen and off. The very best feeling is discovering the small gems or being dazzled by the big swings, those who won’t play it safe.

And this year, those were evident in a very erratic year where titles like “Civil War” and “Challengers” were divisive. Everyone has their reasons for why a film clicks.

Two of the themes I responded to were the transformative power of the arts – “Sing Sing,” “Ghostlight,” “A Complete Unknown”) and women trying to hold on to their dignity when people try to take it away (“Anora,” “The Substance,” “The Last Showgirl”).

So, here are the films that connected with me. While I’ve seen about 150, there are films I’ve yet to see that could have made a difference on my annual “best” list, but all in the timing.

I am surprised as much as everyone how the year landed, and I will likely need to re-watch a few too. What always happens during FYC season, when the studios barrage us with content, viewings can be rushed and not digested appropriately.

Without further ado, and I’ve prolonged this annual opus long enough trying to cram more in, my very personal list of what I liked in 2024. To those who attempted to carve a new direction, try a different approach, reach people through our shared humanity, I salute you.

Top Ten Films

1. Dune: Part Two – A masterful melding of massive spectacle, heartfelt high-stakes performances, and astonishing visual artistry, this follow-up to the 2021 adaptation of Frank Herbert’s 1965 best-selling science fiction novel of all-time expanded the mythic hero’s journey to its full potential. This chronicle of a feudal interstellar society opened Feb. 25, and director Denis Villeneuve’s enthralling cinematic marvel far surpassed any other epic-wannabe this year.

2. The Seed of the Sacred Fig – Boldly showing political turmoil and paranoia in Iran through a fictional family’s experiences, director Mohammad Rasoulof challenges the totalitarian state by depicting the corruption that led the current situation. He uses a judge’s wife and daughters as people who come to learn what’s really happening as society crumbles. It’s a powerfully told, well-acted stunning achievement.

3. A Complete Unknown – Anchored by Timothee Chalamet’s brilliant immersive portrayal of a young Bob Dylan, this exhilarating, extraordinary film recreates a period when art, music and culture came together to significantly define the 1960s. The actors portraying Joan Baez, Pete Seeger and Johnny Cash are also in top form. Whether you like Dylan’s music or not is immaterial – director James Mangold makes us feel his impact, and it’s glorious.

4. Sing Sing – Colman Domingo is at his career-best as a wrongly convicted man incarcerated at Sing Sing prison, who has found redemption through the Rehabilitation Program for the Arts. With an ensemble cast including former prisoners, this drama feels like part of a documentary. With its play presentation framework, the film resonates emotionally in a moving example of the transformative power of the arts.

5. Conclave – A religious-political thriller with a page-turning plot, this procedural to elect a Catholic church pontiff unfolds like palace intrigue. Impeccably presented and acted by an ace ensemble lead by Ralph Fiennes, director Edward Berger reveals the human drama involved in power plays, mysterious maneuvers and shattering secrets. It’s an outstanding film in every way.

6. A Real Pain – Complicated family ties and honoring Jewish heritage are explored in this warm and genuine comedy-drama about two once-close cousins reconnecting on a Holocaust tour. Its power is disarming, and Jesse Eisenberg’s nimble narrative gives Emmy winner Kieran Culkin another opportunity to shine as he shows the effect of grief and loss on a fragile lost soul. This is a rare film that eloquently speaks in an intimate but universal way.

7. Emilia Perez – An exhilarating wild ride that puts romance, desire, redemption, humor, and a dark side all into play. Fearless writer-director Jacques Audiard’s bold fever dream colors outside the genre lines, for its an unconventional cartel crime thriller that’s a musical, in Spanish language, operatic in tone and organic in its delivery of songs and dance. Four women seek happiness on their own terms – Karla Sofia Gascon, Zoe Saldana, Selena Gomez and Adriana Paz — and the result is bravura filmmaking.

8. Wicked – A dazzling spectacle based on the 2003 Broadway musical fantasy, this timeless tale of friendship and love was a true big-screen movie event. With eye-popping production values, sensational performances, stunning costumes, and those thrilling Stephen Schwartz songs, this vivid re-imagining is only the first half. Yes, it’s too long, but it is an absolute must-see.

9. September 5 – The 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich became a horrific breaking news event on September 5, when Israeli wrestling players were taken hostage by a Palestinian terrorist group. That thrust the ABC Sports crew into action covering the event as the world’s eyes and ears. This intense and riveting film, with its crackerjack ensemble cast in the broadcast control room, recreates that day from their perspective in astonishing detail.

10. Saturday Night – It’s a kinetic snapshot of what happened that fateful wild and crazy night when “Saturday Night Live” premiered on Oct. 11, 1975. As producer Lorne Michaels, Gabriel LaBelle corrals the best ensemble cast of the year. Writer-director Jason Reitman and co-writer Gil Kenan capture the frenetic pace and the backstage lunacy that forever changed late-night comedy.

Honorable Mention
All We Imagine as Light
Anora
Exhibiting Forgiveness
The Fall Guy
Fly Me to the Moon
Ghostlight
His Three Daughters
Hundreds of Beavers
The Last Showgirl
Maria
My Old Ass
Nickel Boys
The Performance
The Piano Lesson
Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story
Thelma
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Foul
The Wild Robot

Mohammad Rasoulof “The Seed of the Sacred Fig”


Best Director
Denis Villeneuve “Dune: Part Two”
Edward Berger “Conclave”
Jacques Audiard ‘Emilia Perez”
Mohammad Rasoulof “The Seed of the Sacred Fig”
James Mangold “A Complete Unknown”
Payal Kapadia “All We Imagine as Light”

Best Actor
Colman Domingo “Sing Sing”
Timothee Chalamet “A Complete Unknown”
Ralph Fiennes “Conclave”
Hugh Grant “Heretic”
Sebastian Stan “A Different Man” and “The Apprentice”
Adrien Brody “The Brutalist”
Jeremy Piven “The Performance”
Jude Law “The Order”
Keith Kupferer “Ghostlight”
Andre Holland “Exhibiting Forgiveness”

Best Actress
Saoirse Ronan “The Outrun”
Angelina Jolie “Maria”
Marianne Jean-Baptiste “Hard Truths”
Karla Sofia Gascon “Emilia Perez”
Cynthia Erivo “Wicked”
Fernanda Montenegro “I’m Still Here”
Mikey Madison “Anora”
Pamela Anderson “The Last Showgirl”
June Squibb “Thelma”
Tilda Swinton “The Room Next Door”

Best Supporting Actor
Kieran Culkin “A Real Pain”
John Magaro “September 5”
Stanley Tucci “Conclave”
Jeremy Strong “The Apprentice”
Denzel Washington “Gladiator 2”
Adam Pearson “A Different Man”
Edward Norton “A Complete Unknown”
Clarence Maclin “Sing Sing”
Yura Borisov “Anora”
Richard Roundtree “Thelma””

Best Supporting Actress
Zoe Saldana “Emilia Perez”
Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor “Nickel Boys”
Danielle Deadwyler “The Piano Lesson”
Ariana Grande “Wicked”
Monica Barbaro “A Complete Unknown”
Elle Fanning “A Complete Unknown”
Isabella Rossellini “Conclave”
Tilda Swinton “Problemista”
Natasha Lyonne “His Three Daughters”
Michelle Austin “Hard Truths”

Ghostlight

Best Ensemble
“Saturday Night”
“Dune: Part Two”
“Conclave”
“Wicked”
:”September 5
“The Piano Lesson”
“Sing Sing”
“Anora”
“Ghostlight’
“His Three Daughters”
“The Seed of the Sacred Fig”

Best Original Screenplay
Jesse Eisenberg “A Real Pain”
Mohammad Rasoulof “The Seed of the Sacred Fig”
Jason Reitman and Gil Kenan “Saturday Night”
Megan Park “My Old Ass”
Azazel Jacobs “His Three Daughters”
Kelly O’Sullivan “Ghostlight”
Moritz Binder, Tim Fehlbaum, Alex David “September 5”
Adam Elliot “Memoir of a Snail”

Best Adapted Screenplay
Peter Straughan “Conclave”
Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar, Clarence Maclin, John Divine G Whitfield “Sing Sing”
Jacques Audiard “Emilia Perez”
Shira Piven “The Performance”
Malcolm Washington “The Piano Lesson”
Barry Jenkins “The Fire Inside”

Saturday Night

Best Cinematography
Greig Fraser “Dune: Part Two”
Lol Crawley “The Brutalist”
Jomo Fray “Nickel Boys”
Edward Lachman “Maria”
Jarin Blaschke “Nosferatu”

Best Musical Score
Daniel Blumberg “The Brutalist”
Camille and Clement Ducol “Emilia Perez”
Kris Bowers “The Wild Robot”
Volker Bertelmann “Conclave”
Jon Batiste “Saturday Night”

Best Soundtrack
A Complete Unknown
The Fall Guy
Maria
Fly Me to the Moon
Twisters
Deadpool & Wolverine
The Idea of You

Best Production Design
“The Brutalist”
“Blitz”
“Maria”
“Wicked”
“Beetlejuice Beetlejuice”
“Conclave”
“September 5”
“Dune Part Two”
“Hundreds of Beavers”
“Saturday Night”

Wicked

Best Costume Design
Paul Tazewell “Wicked”
Massimo Cantini Parrini “Maria”
Colleen Atwood “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice”
Mike Cheslik “Hundreds of Beavers”
Jacqueline West “Dune: Part Two”
Danny Glicker “Saturday Night”
Mary Zophres “Fly Me to the Moon”

Best Visual Effects
Dune Part 2
Alien: Romulus
Wicked
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Deadpool & Wolverine
Twisters
A Quiet Place: Day One
The Fall Guy
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
Problemista

Best Make-Up and Hair
Dune: Part 2
Wicked
Saturday Night
The Substance
A Different Man
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

Elliott (Maisy Stella) in MY OLD ASS Photo: Marni Grossman/Prime Video © AMAZON CONTENT SERVICES LLC

Juvenile Performances
Maisy Stella “My Old Ass”
Elliott Heffernan “Blitz”
Alyla Browne “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga”
Katherine Mallen Kupferer “Ghostlight”
Izaac Wang “Didi”
Ian Foreman “Exhibiting Forgiveness”
Cailee Fleming “IF”
William A. Fitzgerald “Ezra”
Nico Parker “Suncoast”
Blake Cameron James and Gian Knight Ramirez “We Grown Now”

Best Comedy

Hundreds of Beavers
Saturday Night
My Old Ass
Fly Me to the Moon
Thelma
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
Memoir of a Snail

Stunt Work
The Fall Guy
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Gladiator 2
Dune Part 2
Deadpool & Wolverine

Best Animated Feature
The Wild Robot
Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
Flow
Memoir of a Snail
Inside Out 2
Piece by Piece

Will and Harper

Best Documentary Feature
Sugarcane
Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story
Black Box Diaries
Will & Harper
Dahomey
Frida
Billy and Molly: An Otter Love Story
Music by John Williams
Stopping the Steal
The Last of the Sea Women
Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat

Honorable Mention: Made in England: The Films of Powell and Pressburg, To Russia with Lev, The Truth vs. Alex Jones, The Greatest Night in Pop, I Am Celine Dion, The Remarkable Life of Ibelin,

Best International Feature
The Seed of the Sacred Fig
Emilia Perez
All We Imagine As Light
I’m Still Here
Vermiglio

Best Horror Film
Longlegs
A Quiet Place: Day One
Late Night with the Devil
Heretic
The Substance

Best Scenes
Civil War – “What kind of American are you?”
Dune: Part Two – Riding the Sandworm
Furiosa – War Rig battle
His Three Daughters – Dad’s Chair
Challengers – The Churros
Wicked – Defying Gravity
Hard Truths – Mother’s Day brunch


Cast Clicks in Black Rep’s Crowd-Pleasing ‘Chicken and Biscuits’

Cast Clicks in Black Rep’s Crowd-Pleasing ‘Chicken and Biscuits’

By Lynn Venhaus

If your family is prone to putting the ‘fun’ in dysfunctional, you’ll be able to relate to the crowd-pleasing hijinks of “Chicken and Biscuits,” an amiable comfort-food style comedy served with a salty side of sass by the Black Rep.

Wackiness ensues when three generations of an African American family gather for the funeral of their patriarch, Bernard, who was a beloved pastor at a popular church in New Haven, Conn.

The relationships are typically complicated, starting with his two bickering daughters, prim and bossy Baneatta (Denise Thimes) and raucous and unfiltered Beverly (Paulette Dawn). The night-and-day siblings are a surefire recipe for tussling, as Baneatta has an unmistakable air of superiority and disapproval when it comes to her more flamboyant colorful sister. Played by the elegant Denise Thimes, she says a lot with a withering look or a well-delivered quip.

Thimes, an internationally renowned jazz singer, is a welcome presence on the Edison Theatre stage, and was impressive in a dramatic role in “King Hedley II” last summer. She proves her comedic skills here, and has delightful chemistry with A.C. Smith, as her husband. Of course, she bosses him around when he’s trying to be in charge.

Smith, another Black Rep veteran whose crisp timing enlivens his interactions, is zesty as the well-meaning Reginald Mabry, who will be taking over as the church’s pastor, so he feels he has a lot to prove presiding over the funeral service.

But clearly, he can’t foresee the simmering resentments that will erupt when everyone gathers.

Kaylyn McCoy and Paulette Dawn as mother and daughter. Photo by Keshon Campbell.

Beverly, a bona fide drama queen, is played with cheeky bravado by Paulette Dawn, who makes her Black Rep debut but has portrayed the over-the-top character before, in her native Kansas City.

As she gripes about wearing traditional black, Beverly has decided to honor her daddy’s penchant for bright colors with a purple plunging neckline cocktail dress that she wears with a push-up bra to enhance her amble bosom. She has no qualms about showing off her attributes.

Beverly has brought along her Gen Z daughter La’Trice Franklin, played with expected attitude by Kaylyn McCoy. She doesn’t have as much history with her relatives and is written as more of an observer.

Baneatta also has a daughter, Simone, who has a big chip on her shoulder. Dumped by her fiancé for a white woman, and Alex Jay plays her as a grump, quick to argue with anyone.

She is at odds with her gay brother Kenny, who brings his boyfriend Logan Leibowitz with him. Their interracial and interfaith relationship adds a layer of complexity that isn’t explored more deeply, but Cameron Jamarr Davis and Jacob Schmidt are compelling enough actors that they give the roles more nuance than indicated (and it would have been nice for that to happen).

A few relatives are more accepting than others, which is an ongoing conflict, especially with Kenny’s mom Baneatta, who is rude and dismissive of Logan, second only to Simone’s exasperation. As written, these issues are stereotypical and not amusing, an outdated quick way to get cheap laughs.

At far right, Jacob Schmidt and Cameron Jamarr Davis. Photo by Keshon Campbell.

This Jenkins family feud follows a familiar format not unlike sitcoms and other broad comedies where secrets are revealed, characters express their concerns, and disagreements are neatly resolved in a light-hearted way.

Don’t expect anything more from actor-turned-playwright Doug Lyons’ 2020 effort, which is designed to be a sunny reminder of the ties that bind, and how we share more similarities than differences in troubling times.

(It did, after all, open on Broadway Feb. 28, 2020, right before the coronavirus pandemic hit, causing widespread shutdowns, and the run was short-lived. However, there was a reboot in 2021.)

Director Ron Himes has selected a cast that gels, who work together well, and flavor this exercise with feel-good vibes. You can tell how much fun they are having as an ensemble.

Also, part of the plot is a mysterious guest, Brianna, who shows up at the funeral to deliver a eulogy that others may not like to hear. The late second act addition is played by Delisa Richardson, who makes the most of her stage time.

Photo by Keshon Campbell.

Another running gag is church soloist Mother Jones, whose interpretation of “Amazing Grace” receives mixed reviews but is hilarious as a comedic bit. Jermaine Manor is the musician offstage, and sound designer Kareem Deanes has fun with this element.

The set is minimal, designed by Tim Jones, which moves action between a bedroom, hotel room, church, reception gathering spot and commercial kitchen, featuring efficient lighting design by Ethan Steimel.

Costume Designer Andre Harrington has gathered an attractive selection of tasteful black dresses and striking fancy hats for the women whose last names aren’t Franklin, and outfitted the men in suitable attire. Mikhail Lynn assembled the appropriate props.

If you’re seeking a pleasant piece in these precarious times and dismal winter, “Chicken and Biscuits” is a recipe that can hit the spot. This ensemble puts the ‘fun’ in funeral as they tickle funny bones.

The St. Louis Black Repertory Company presents “Chicken and Biscuits” from Jan. 8 to Jan. 26 at the Edison Theatre on the campus of Washington University in St. Louis. Tickets are available at theblackrep.org or through the Box Office at 314-534-3807. Reduced pricing is available for seniors, educators, museum staff, students, and groups of 12 or more.

Paulette Dawn and Alex Jay. Photo by Keshon Campbell.

‘The Brutalist’ Is Technically Brilliant But Dramatically Distant Epic

‘The Brutalist’ Is Technically Brilliant But Dramatically Distant Epic

By Lynn Venhaus

A massive and ambitious drama, “The Brutalist” swings for the fences with big, bold visuals from a mid-century architect and an unwieldy dark narrative about struggles between art and commerce that spans 33 years over a 3 hour, 35-minute runtime.

To view it in one setting is a commitment, although theaters have a 15-minute intermission built in, showing the 215-minute film in two divided parts. It’s shot in Vista Vision, the first film using that process in many years.

While the film is technically brilliant, with stunning production design by Judy Becker and impressive stark cinematography by Lol Crawley to convey a giant scope of artistic vision and architectural grandeur, the script co-written by director Brady Corbet and his wife, Mona Fastvold, is a rocky road populated with thorny, complex characters.

This immigrant tale about László Tóth, a Jewish architect who crosses the Atlantic by boat from Hungary after World War II in 1947, gives the Oscar-winning actor Adrien Brody a meaty role that he can dig into, exploring various facets. This is not a biography, although it seems as if this character is based on a real person.

Once in Pennsylvania, he struggles to find comparable work to what he did so well before, and his wife Erzsébet (Felicity Jones) comes later, also a Holocaust survivor. Their backstory is bare minimum, and their family dynamic is odd.  They appear independent at times, others as dependent and intertwined.

After being commissioned to build a library for his elitist father by his pompous son, Toth encounters a wealthy industrialist, Harrison Lee Van Buren Sr. (Guy Pearce), who is a cold and callous businessman.

But Van Buren has sense enough to realize Toth’s talent. To strive for the American Dream, they need each other to accomplish their goals, and an uneasy partnership – of sorts – begins as Toth is hired by Van Buren for a structure in his mother’s honor, envisioning a modernist community center that will establish their legacy.

Neither man likes to compromise, and they each dream big, but Van Buren is a bully and has an off-putting way of humiliating Toth. The architect is also difficult to corral, stubborn in irritating ways, and it seems, teeters on going mad at times.

And then there is a doozy plot development that changes everything (and won’t be spoiled here). And a flat ending that seems tacked on after the film could have ended.

Neither of these deeply flawed, ethically challenged guys is all that likable, and the film has a weird chilliness and sterility to it. But it’s obvious both actors are giving their best efforts molding these distinctive men.

For clarity, brutalism is a style of architecture popular from the 1950s to the 1980s known for exposed concrete and brick that was designed with geometric, angular shapes and blocky forms. You’ve seen government buildings, parking garages and high-rises made in this style, and to me, ugly metropolitan slabs that are not visually appealing nor memorable.

Corbet, in his third feature after 2018’s “Vox Lux,” has a certain style, and those enamored by visionary auteurs will be enthralled. This film is a grand effort in establishing his singular vision. Yes, it’s artsy, but it’s also indulgent, and I feel parts are disjointed and often try too hard.

Corbet keeps viewers on their toes and when you think he’s headed in one direction, he veers a different way. Some of the most outrageous plot points don’t exactly fit a tidy narrative, and it spirals into several tangents that become increasingly head-scratching.

The strong supporting cast features two of Corbet’s actresses from Vox Lux, Raffey Cassidy as Toth’s niece Zsofia and Stacy Martin as Van Buren’s daughter Maggie Lee, as well as Joe Alwyn as her entitled creepy twin brother Harry Lee, and Isaach De Bankole as Toth’s friend Gordon, often a voice of reason.

Because of its audacious sweeping saga, punctuated by Daniel Blumberg’s haunting music score, few movies compare to “The Brutalist.” An awards magnet, it won the Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival, and recently, a Golden Globe for motion picture – drama, as well as many critics’ groups’ love.

Yet, upon reflection, it’s more showy style than substance, and lacks connection. Not sure what it’s trying to say, but it’s not easy to embrace, except for what it is – an aspirational work of art that is one of those films more admired than widely accepted. 

“The Brutalist” is a 2024 drama directed by Brady Corbet and starring Adrien Brody, Guy Pearce, Felicity Jones. Joe Alwyn, Raffey Cassidy, Stacy Martin, Isaach De Bankole and Alessandro Novolo. It is rated R for strong sexual content, graphic nudity, rape, drug use and some language, and its runtime is 3 hours, 35 minutes. It opened in local theatres Jan. 10. Lynn’s Grade: B.

Chalamet Electric in Exhilarating Dylan Snapshot ‘A Complete Unknown’

Chalamet Electric in Exhilarating Dylan Snapshot ‘A Complete Unknown’

By Lynn Venhaus

Anchored by Timothee Chalamet’s brilliant immersive portrayal of a young Bob Dylan, this exhilarating, extraordinary film recreates a period when art, music, politics, and culture came together to significantly define the 1960s.

The characters are unforgettable because of the nuanced performances from Monica Barbaro as Joan Baez, Edward Norton as Pete Seeger, Boyd Holbrook as Johnny Cash and Elle Fanning as Sylvie Russo (a fictionalized version of Dylan’s first New York girlfriend, Suze Rotolo, who died in 2011).

Whether you like Dylan’s music or not is immaterial – director James Mangold makes us feel his impact as one of the most iconic singer-songwriters in history, and it’s glorious. He captured a vibrant music scene in New York 1961 and a pivotal four-year span where a generational voice was emerging.

 Mangold, who made “Walk the Line” about Johnny Cash and the crowd-pleasing “Ford v. Ferrari,” has created an authentic world – the burgeoning folk scene in Greenwich Village, the political upheaval of the times, and the events that shaped America. Dylan forged relationships with singer-songwriters finding their voices.

Mangold collaborated with Jay Cocks on the screenplay, which they adapted from Elijah Wald’s 2015 book “Newport, Seeger, Dylan, and the Night That Split the Sixties.”

The film follows a young Bob Dylan from the time he arrives in New York as a 19-year-old Minnesota native named Robert Allen Zimmerman to his groundbreaking and controversial appearance at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965, when he played the electric guitar and revolutionized the genre.

Dylan’s masterpiece, “Highway 61 Revisited,” is now considered one of the most influential albums of all-time, and the film explores how this period, going from acoustic to rock, cemented his legacy as someone who changed the course of American music.

He got his start with traditional folk song recordings in 1962, including his tribute “Song to Woody” on that debut, followed by “The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan” in 1963, which featured “Blowin’ in the Wind” and “A Hard Rain’s a-Gonna Fall.” His lyrics became more sophisticated and introspective.

As Dylan’s fame grew, he became increasingly frustrated and the writers did not soften his prickly edges, while showing what drives the creative process. Besides his hero Woody Guthrie (Scoot McNairy), Seeger and Baez would shape his artistry as well.

Chalamet’s scenes with Barbaro are electric, particularly the live performance of “It Ain’t Me, Babe” at Newport.

He also has terrific chemistry with Elle Fanning – they were a couple in Woody Allen’s “A Rainy Day in New York” (2019) — and she is grounded as the committed activist that helped mold Dylan’s political awareness. (Dylan requested her name be changed in the film).

The principals did their own singing and playing, and that adds to the film’s realistic environment. Chalamet’s career-best performance is seamless, with some of the numbers hypnotic – especially the seminal “The Times They Are a-Changin’,” which became an anthem for civil rights and anti-war movements.s

He doesn’t imitate Dylan’s rough vocal quality, but rather gives the essence in phrasing and delivery. Chalamet learned to play 30 songs and took lessons from a vocal coach, a guitar teacher, a dialect coach, a movement coach and even a harmonica tutor.

The fact that he personified the legend’s elusive nature is a marvel to witness as well. While the movie doesn’t provide a complete portrait of the complex artist’s 60-year career, it is a good start to learning about this mysterious figure who at times became confrontational, although it is not a deep dive by any means.

In addition to the folk singers, fine supporting actors include P.J. Byrne as folk music promoter Harold Leventhal, Dan Fogler as Dylan’s manager Albert Grossman, and Will Harrison as Bob Neuwirth, Dylan’s road manager.

I hope it fosters more appreciation for the album “Highway 61 Revisited,” Dylan’s sixth that was released on Aug. 30, 1965. He used rock musicians as his backing band on every track except “Desolation Row,” the last song.

The album is named for the major American highway that connected his birthplace of Duluth, Minn., to the southern cities connected by the Mississippi River and their rich musical heritage – St. Louis, Memphis, and New Orleans, plus the Delta blues areas.  

Boyd Holbrook as Johnny Cash.

Dylan wrote about his kinship with that route in his memoir “Chronicles: Volume One,” “Highway 61, the main thoroughfare of the country blues, begins about where I began. I always felt like I’d started on it, always had been on it and could go anywhere, even down into the deep Delta country. It was the same road, full of the same contradictions, the same one-horse towns, the same spiritual ancestors … It was my place in the universe, always felt like it was in my blood.”

Dylan has sold more than 125 million records, and among his awards are the Presidential Medal of Freedom, ten Grammy Awards, a Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award. Dylan has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

In 2008, the Pulitzer Prize Board awarded him a special citation for “his profound impact on popular music and American culture, marked by lyrical compositions of extraordinary poetic power.” In 2016, Dylan was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, and he famously did not attend.

He was included in the Time 100: The Most Important People of the Century, where he was called “master poet, caustic social critic and intrepid, guiding spirit of the counterculture generation” for his musical and cultural contributions.  

“A Complete Unknown” mirrors the times that Dylan helped shape, but don’t expect a documentary, for everyone with intimate knowledge can pick apart the accuracy. But the creative team’s thoughtful attention to detail is remarkable , visualizing an important period for one of the most enigmatic individuals in music history.

Costume designer Arianne Phillips, known for “Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood,” has vividly stamped that ‘60s period with counterculture flair, while production designer Jacques Audouy, Mangold’s go-to designer, has provided expert depictions of that time and place.

What a long, strange trip it has been – and I enjoyed waltzing down memory lane in the spectacular fashion presented here. This is more a look back with appreciation rather than analysis; and a celebration of our finest music poets.

“A Complete Unknown” is a 2024 drama directed by James Mangold and starring Timothee Chalamet, Monica Barbaro, Elle Fanning, Edward Norton, Boyd Holbrook, Dan Fogler, Norbert Leo Butz and Scoot McNairy. It is rated R for language and has a 2-hour, 21 minutes runtime. It opened in theaters Dec. 25. Lynn’s Grade: A.

‘Mufasa: The Lion King’ Is Dull, Generic Photorealistic Animation Prequel

‘Mufasa: The Lion King’ Is Dull, Generic Photorealistic Animation Prequel

By Lynn Venhaus

Woof. Thirty years after its landmark opening, Disney’s “The Lion King” has returned as a computer-animated prequel that’s a mere shell of its majestic and inspired coming-of-age drama origins.

Lacking a creative spark, this misfire is a generic, dull and soulless attempt to go back to the familiar Shakespearean theme, with Biblical roots, to rehash family bonds and destiny. Yawn.

Walt Disney Studios has blended live-action filmmaking techniques with photoreal computer-generated imagery, which looks like a nature documentary and has less of an emotional impact.

A nice touch is opening the film with a dedication to James Earl Jones, who voiced the regal Mufasa in Disney projects from the original 1994 to the remake in 2019. He died in September.

To set in motion Mufasa’s journey as a lion cub after his parents (Keith David and Anika Noni Rose) perish in a frightening flood, the wise shaman Rafiki (John Kani) begins telling Kiara (Blue Ivy Carter), daughter of Simba (Donald Glover) and Nala (Beyonce Knowles-Carter), the origin story of her grandfather.

Lost and alone, Mufasa, voiced as a young cub by Braelyn Rankins and Aaron Pierre as he gets older, is aided by Taka (Theo Somolu as a cub, Kelvin Harrison Jr. later), an heir to a royal bloodline.

Taka’s father King Obasi (Lennie James) is suspicious of outsiders, but his mother Queen Eshe (Thandiwe Newton) is more understanding, and the future king proves his mettle.

They team up to thwart their vicious foe, a pride of hateful territorial white lions – looking like they’re rolled in flour, I suppose so we can keep them straight – led by the evil Kiros (Mads Mikkelsen).

Mufasa eventually rises to become king of the Pride Lands, but not without much strife and multiple conflicts. He learns the dangers of tribalism and tyranny.

After all, this is the origin story of Scar as well. We eventually find out the reasons why his ‘brother’ Taka becomes bitter and resentful and will eventually betray him more than once.

The pair pick up a couple other strays on an expansive sojourn to the promised land Milele. The orphaned lioness cub Sarabi (Tiffany Boone) falls in love with Mufasa, spurning Taka. Rut-ro. Her screechy scout Zazu (Preston Nyman) the hornbill is back, both helping and hindering.

Returning from the unfortunate 2019 ‘live action’ remake are a younger but still mystical Rafiki (Kagiso Ledigo) and the now annoying self-absorbed duo of Pumbaa the warthog and Timon the meerkat as voiced, insufferably, by Seth Rogen and Billy Eichner.

Their banter isn’t funny and pulls us away from the journey, not to mention wrecking our “Hakuna Matata” vibe. Every time they start chattering, it halts the trek with forced humor. Their meta references about the 1997 stage musical are odd and seem out of place.

This band of misfits is on what seems to be an endless journey. Directed by the esteemed Barry Jenkins, the shot selection includes wide grand vistas – mimicking drone action above snow-capped mountains and expansive parched savannahs, which alternates with extreme close-ups of lions.

While the vocal work is fine, the remarkably similar visuals make it hard to distinguish the lions. The ensemble is too big to invest in the characters, too.

Emmy, Oscar and Tony winner Lin-Manuel Miranda’s songs usually signal a bright spot in any Disney project but here they seem intrusive. Did we need them? 

They just seem to unnecessarily pad the narrative, telling us what we can see – “Milele” as a beautiful utopia, “I Always Wanted a Brother” as the bonding occurs between Mufasa and Taka, then the love song “Tell Me It’s You” and the friends relying on each other on their trek “We Go Together” (as in “Grease”?).

While his lyrics are always clever, this score pales in comparison to the Elton John – Tim Rice tunes and Hans Zimmer score that each won Oscars, or even his multi-award-winning “Encanto.”

“The Lion King” was the highest grossing film of 1994 and the film became the top home video, holding that record for years. It was adapted for the stage in 1997, earning six Tony Awards and is now the third longest running musical on Broadway and the highest-grossing show of all time.

Its pedigree is undeniable, it’s a favorite with families, and will make a lot of money. But couldn’t they find a fresher, more engaging story than to keep going over the same themes just to appeal to fan service? Nostalgia aside, what are the biggest takeaways? That Disney is going to wring every penny out of the public for its beloved properties until the end of time?

“Mufasa: The Lion King” is an animated adventure family musical directed by Barry Jenkins with the voice-over work of Aaron Pierre, Kelvin Harrison Jr., John Kani, Tiffany Boone, Kagiso Lediga, Mads Mikkelsen, Thandiwe Newton, Lennie James, Anika Noni Rose, Keith David, Blue Ivy Carter, Beyonce Knowles-Carter, Donald Glover, Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner, Preston Nyman. It is rated PG for action/violence, peril and some thematic elements and the run time is 2 hours. It opened in theaters on Dec. 20. Lynn’s Grade: C

‘Dune: Part Two,’ ‘Nickel Boys,’ and ‘Nosferatu’ Win 3 Awards Each from St. Louis Film Critics Association

‘Dune: Part Two,’ ‘Nickel Boys,’ and ‘Nosferatu’ Win 3 Awards Each from St. Louis Film Critics Association

Colman Domingo, Mikey Madison, Kieran Culkin and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor Win Acting Honors Announced Dec. 15

In a year without an overwhelming frontrunner, three films – Denis Villeneuve’s visionary science-fiction epic “Dune: Part Two,” RaMell Ross’s harrowing debut adaptation of “Nickel Boys” and David Eggers’ evocative remake of the gothic horror tale “Nosferatu” – won three awards apiece from the St. Louis Film Critics Association for 2024.

The regional critics’ group announced winners in 26 awards categories on Dec. 15.

“Dune: Part Two” won for film, director, and visual effects. “Nickel Boys” won for supporting actress Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, first feature film for director RaMell Ross, and editing. “Nosferatu” won for cinematography, production design and horror film.

“Saturday Night” earned two – for ensemble and original screenplay, as did “The Wild Robot” – for animated feature and best vocal performance by Lupita Nyong’o.

Besides Ellis-Taylor, acting honors went to Colman Domingo, Best Actor in “Sing Sing”; Mikey Madison, Best Actress for “Anora” and Kieran Culkin, Best Supporting Actor for “A Real Pain.”

“The Seed of the Sacred Fig” was honored for Best International Feature, “Hundreds of Beavers” for Best Comedy, “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” for “Best Action Film, and “No Other Land” for Best Documentary Feature.

“The Brutalist,” “Civil War,” “A Complete Unknown,” “Conclave” and “The Fall Guy” were among the films singled out for one award each.

In addition to the awards, St. Louis critics bestowed three special merits:

Mohammad Rasoulof, director of ‘The Seed of the Sacred Fig.” Photo by Julie Cunnah.

Special Merit: Iranian Director Mohammad Rasoulof and the cast/crew of “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” for their courage and persistence in confronting political oppression in the pursuit of artistic expression and portraying truth through film.

Special Merit: Pete Timmermann, director of Webster University’s Film Series in St. Louis, for his exceptional, expert programming of international, restored, and independent films, including fiction and nonfiction, animation and live action, in addition to special events. His superb offerings for the St. Louis film community enriches and expands our cinematic world.  

Special Merit: Filmmakers who found creative uses for practical effects and were less reliant on digitized computer-generated graphics this year, such as hair and makeup artist Christine Brundell using puppetry and prosthetics, in collaboration with director Tim Burton, on “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice”; makeup effects director Pierre Oliver Pierson on “The Substance” prosthetics; the micro budget DIY home computer effects from director Mike Cheslik for “Hundreds of Beavers”; the no-green-screen creature work on “Alien: Romulus” with animatronics and puppetry, among other collaborations by director Fede Alvarez; and the “Wicked” production design by Nathan Crowley where he merged practical imagery with CGI throughout, and grew 9  million tulips for Munchkinland.

Nominations, announced Dec. 8, included 12 for “Dune: Part Two,” 9 for “The Brutalist,” 8 apiece for “Conclave” and “Wicked,” 6 for “Nickel Boys” and 5 for “Sing Sing.” Besides those films, other Best Film nominations also included “Anora,” “A Complete Unknown,” “September 5,” and “The Seed of the Sacred Fig.”

For a complete list of nominations, visit: www.stlfilmcritics.org/awards

Founded in 2004, the St. Louis Film Critics Association is a nonprofit organization of professional film reviewers who regularly publish current and timely film criticism, support local productions and festivals, and enhance public education, awareness, and appreciation of films. Approved members are affiliated with qualifying media outlets in the St. Louis metropolitan region.

For awards consideration, eligible films are those that opened in the greater St. Louis area or had an online premiere during the 2024 calendar year – – including those films that were given awards-qualifying runs but aren’t slated for release until early 2025.

For more information, visit the site: www.stlfilmcritics.org

Full List of Awards and Runners-Up

Best Film: Dune: Part Two

Runner-up: Anora

Best Director: Denis Villeneuve “Dune: Part Two”

Runner-up: Mohammad Rasoulof “The Seed of the Sacred Fig”

Best Actor: Colman Domingo “Sing Sing”

Runner-up: Adrien Brody “The Brutalist”

Best Actress: Mikey Madison “Anora”

Runner-Up: Marianne Jean-Baptiste “Hard Truths”

Best Supporting Actor: Kieran Culkin “A Real Pain”

Runner-Up: Denzel Washington “Gladiator II”

Best Supporting Actress: Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor “Nickel Boys”

Runner-Up: Ariana Grande “Wicked”

Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor as Hattie in “Nickel Boys.” Photo credit: Courtesy of Orion Pictures

Best Ensemble: “Saturday Night”

Runner-Up: “Conclave”

Best Adapted Screenplay: Peter Straughan, “Conclave”

Runner-Up:  Denis Villeneuve, Jon Spaihts “Dune: Part Two”

Best Original Screenplay: Jason Reitman and Gil Kenan “Saturday Night”

Runner-Up: Mike Leigh “Hard Truths”

Best Cinematography: Jarin Blaschke, “Nosferatu”

Runner-Up: Greig Fraser “Dune: Part Two”

Best Editing: Nicholas Monsour, “Nickel Boys”

Runner-Up: Hansjörg Weißbrich, “September 5”

Best Production Design: Beatrice Brentnerova, Paul Ghirardani, Craig Lathrop, “Nosferatu”

Runner-Up: Nathan Crowley, Lee Sandales, “Wicked”

“Nosferatu” remake. Photo courtesy of A24.


Best Costume Design: Paul Tazewell “Wicked”

Runner-Up: Linda Muir “Nosferatu”

Best Music Score: Daniel Blumberg “The Brutalist”

Runner-Up: Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, “Challengers”

Best Music Soundtrack: “A Complete Unknown”

Runner-Up: “Wicked”

Best Visual Effects: “Dune: Part Two”
Runner-Up: “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes”

The sandworms of “Dune: Part Two.” Photo courtesy of Warner Brothers.

Best Stunts: “The Fall Guy”

Runner-Up: “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga”

Best Action Movie: “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga”

Runner-Up: “Dune: Part Two”

Best Comedy: “Hundreds of Beavers”

Runner-Up: “Deadpool & Wolverine”

Maya Hawke voiced “Anxiety” in “Inside Out 2.” Photo courtesy of Pixar Studios.

Best Horror: “Nosferatu”

Runner-Up: “The Substance”

Best Animated Feature: “The Wild Robot”

Runner-Up: “Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl”

Best Vocal Performance: Lupita Nyong’o “The Wild Robot”

Runner-Up: Maya Hawke “Inside Out 2”

Best Documentary Feature: “No Other Land”

Runner-Up: “Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story”

Best International Feature: “The Seed of the Sacred Fig”

Runner-Up: “Don’t Expect Too Much from the End of the World”

Best First Feature: RaMell Ross, “Nickel Boys”

Runner-Up: Malcolm Washington “The Piano Lesson”

Best Scene: “Civil War” – “What kind of American are you?”

Runner-Up: “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” – The war rig battle

“The Seed of the Sacred Fig.” Photo courtesy of NEON.

AFL to Host Milestone Trivia Night ’25 Years of Shining Stars’ on Jan. 25

AFL to Host Milestone Trivia Night ’25 Years of Shining Stars’ on Jan. 25

Tables still available to celebrate silver anniversary of Best Performance Awards; Tim Naegelin to host

Theatre artist Tim Naegelin will be the emcee for Arts For Life’s annual Trivia Night on Saturday, Jan. 25. Tables are still available.

The “25 Years of Shining Stars” event will take place at the Kirkwood Community Center, 111 S. Geyer Road, St. Louis, with doors open at 6:30 p.m. and 10 rounds of general-knowledge questions to begin at 7 p.m.

This year’s theme celebrates the 25th anniversary of AFL’s Best Performance Awards, which first took place in 2000, honoring excellence in community theater in 1999. At that time, 21 organizations participated. Since then, recognition for youth productions was added, and the Theatre Mask Awards, honoring comedy and drama plays, were introduced in 2015.

Nominations will be announced for the annual TMAs and BPAs honoring performances and achievements during 2024.

Cash prizes will be awarded to first and second place teams. There will be a 50/50 raffle, silent auction, mulligans available, and a costume contest (optional). Participants are encouraged to dress up as a character from stage or screen.

“Don’t miss the most fun time in metropolitan St. Louis’ community theater!” said AFL President Mary McCreight.

“The AFL Trivia Night is a great way to get together and celebrate a fantastic year of community and youth theatre in the St. Louis area. It shows just how connected we are and how much we want to support each other, all while having a good time,” Naegelin said.

“I’m excited and honored that AFL asked me to host. It’s such a fun evening and makes me proud to be part of this community,” he noted.

Tim Naegelin

Naegelin is a current Arts For Life board member and a past co-chair of the Theatre Mask Awards steering committee. He was last seen on stage in “The Last Night of Ballyhoo” at Kirkwood Theatre Guild, for which he was nominated for a Theatre Mask Award. 

Other acting credits include “Sylvia” with Stray Dog Theatre, “Blithe Spirit” with ACT INC, and “A Walk In The Woods” with West End Players Guild. He has also performed with Clayton Community Theatre (“Ordinary People” and “The Laramie Project” – Theatre Mask Award nominee), O’Fallon TheatreWorks (“The Diary of Anne Frank” and “Peter and the Starcatcher”), and with Act Two Theatre (“Moonlight and Magnolias” and “The Boys Next Door”). 

Aside from being onstage, Tim has also directed “Hillary and Clinton” with West End Players Guild, “Twilight of the Golds” with Solid Lines Productions, and was assistant director for “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” with O’Fallon TheatreWorks.

He has been a judge for the American Association of Community Theatre’s NewPlayFest for two years and wrote a one act play that was produced as part of Spectrum with First Run Theatre.

Tables of 8 players are available, at $160 per table. Soft drinks are provided. To make a reservation, visit https://arts-for-life-2.square.site/ or www.artsforlife.org. You can also email: afltrg@artsforlife.org for more information. Mulligans will be available, at 5 for $10 or 10 for $20.

This year’s TMA ceremony will take place on Saturday, April 26, at the Royale Orleans in South County and the Best Performance Awards will be held on Sunday, June 29, in the Keating Theatre at Kirkwood High School. More information will be forthcoming.

“These events recognize the incredible talent we have in St. Louis community theater and honor the passion and dedication of those who build this amazing and unique theatrical community,” McCreight said.

Arts For Life is a local not-for-profit arts organization dedicated to the healing power of the arts through its work with youth, the underserved and the community, with its goal of “Making a Dramatic Difference.”

AFL promotes public awareness of local community theatre, encouraging excellence in the arts, and acknowledging the incredible people who are a part of it.

“St. Louis is an amazing city, especially for the Arts. There are over 60 theater companies at home here, a third of which are community theaters. As we watch music education and theatre programs rapidly die in our schools, the need to keep community theatre alive is more important now, than ever,” McCreight said.

“To the hundreds of local musicians and amateur thespians, the Best Performance Awards and Theatre Mask Awards are a way for the community to say thank you for its volunteers in the performing arts,” she said.

Theatre groups within a 35-mile radius of Clayton, Mo., who hold open auditions for non-paid actors are invited to participate in AFL.

For more information, email afltrg@artsforlife.org. or visit the website.

Merry and Bright ‘That Christmas’ Is Clever Animated Comedy Film

Merry and Bright ‘That Christmas’ Is Clever Animated Comedy Film

By Lynn Venhaus

Charming and delightful, “That Christmas” is an animated comedy that will give you the warm-and -fuzzies without the too-sweet and unrealistic situations that derail many of these holiday-themed movies.

And that’s because of the pedigree involved. Based on a trio of children’s books written by Richard Curtis and illustrated by Rebecca Cobb, his screenplay is not your typical fluff but features relatable characters and believable human interactions – and his trademark wit. (The other books are “Snow Day” and “The Empty Stocking.”)

Rom-com legend Curtis is known for writing “Four Weddings and a Funeral,” “Love Actually,” “Notting Hill” and “Yesterday.” Along with co-screenwriter Peter Souter, they tickle the funny bone through his imperfect adult characters and an endearing cast of quirky children. (And for Curtis fans, several in-jokes about his other films are clever references).

Now streaming on Netflix, the story centers on an unforgettable Christmas for the townsfolk of Wellington-on-Sea when the worst snowstorm in history alters everyone’s plans, including Santa’s.

The film touches on community, friendship and the bonds between families, especially siblings – all rendered in amusing and heartwarming ways throughout the breezy 91-minute film.

The seasonal adventure focuses on three families – and nobody’s having a picture-perfect holiday. In fact, calamities ensue, not to mention a whole flock of turkeys liberated before they become dinner entrees.

Simon Otto makes his feature film directorial debut — he was responsible for the character animation and story art in the superb “How to Train Your Dragon” trilogy. The animation is by Locksmith Animation (“Ron’s Gone Wrong,” and it’s bright, cheery and sufficiently wintry.

There is more to love – music is by the renowned film composer John Powell – recent credit “Wicked” — and Ed Sheeran wrote an original song “Under the Tree” for the film.

Brian Cox lent his distinguished voice as Santa, Bill Nighy has a small but impactful role as the lighthouse keeper Bill, and Fiona Shaw is the stern teacher Ms. Trapper.

The kids reflect modern views, especially Bernadette (India Brown), who rewrote the school’s traditional Christmas pageant (“The Three Wisewomen”!) and went too ‘woke’ to the horror of those in attendance. But to be fair, it had more to do with the messy watermelon splatter.

Sam (Zazie Hayhurst) is the ‘good sister’ who is exasperated by her rowdy, messy twin Charlie (Sienna Sayer), for a naughty-or-nice subplot, and Danny (Jack Wisniewski) is the sweet, sincere kid with a crush on Sam. His parents are going through a divorce. Jodie Whittaker voices his hard-working mom.

The entwined tales don’t shy aways from the realities of loneliness at holiday time, but there is plenty of merriment because of the parents’ more colorful personalities. Rhys Darby and Lolly Adefope’s

Wellington-on-Sea is fictional, but Curtis drew inspiration from the coastal towns of Walberswick and Southwold, which are in the English county of Suffolk.

It’s just a fun ride, with a pesky blizzard, Santa’s woes, and a sassy reindeer, Dasher (Guz Khan), plus the kids go through ‘learning experiences.’

The old-fashioned emotional touches in the story and contemporary cozy look are both appealing, making this Christmas one to remember. Watching “That Christmas” is as comforting as a cup of hot cocoa with a plate of Christmas cookies. In fact, that may be the best way to see it, along with snuggling up with a throw.

“That Christmas” is a 2024 animated comedy directed by Simon Otto and starring (voice-over work) Brian Cox, Bill Nighy, Fiona Shaw, Jodie Whittaker, Jack Wisniewski, Sienna Sayer, India Brown, Zazie Hayhurst, Rhys Darby, Lolly Adefope, Guz Khan, and Bronte Smith. It is rated: PG for thematic elements, some language and rude humor. It began streaming on Netflix Dec. 4. Lynn’s Grade: B+