Lynn Venhaus

Total Post: 1248

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.

Stages St. Louis Kicks Off Its 33rd Season: ‘Experience the Story’

Stages St. Louis Kicks Off Its 33rd Season: ‘Experience the Story’

STAGES St. Louis is thrilled to announce casting for its 33rd Season: THE BOY FROM OZ, GREASE, MAN OF LA MANCHA, and its Emerson Family Theatre Series production of Disney’s 101 DALMATIANS.

“The tagline at STAGES is ‘Experience The Story’ and our 2019 Season stays true to these words offering something special for everyone,” expresses Associate Producer Andrew Kuhlman.

THE BOY FROM OZ May 31 – June 30 Music and Lyrics by Peter Allen Book by Martin Sherman and Nick Enright Direction and Musical Staging by Michael Hamilton Choreography by Dana Lewis Musical Direction by Lisa Campbell Albert Scenic Design by James Wolk Costume Design by Brad Musgrove Lighting Design by Sean M. Savoie.

The Midwest Premiere of THE BOY FROM OZ follows the dazzling and hilarious Australian singer-songwriter, Peter Allen, from his humble beginnings performing in backcountry pubs to his international stardom beside such Hollywood icons as Judy Garland and her daughter Liza Minnelli. Featuring such beloved Peter Allen hits as “Don’t Cry Out Loud”, “I Honestly Love You”, and the show-stopping “I Go To Rio”; THE BOY FROM OZ is a showbiz celebration of life, love, and being fabulous.

David Elder is Peter Allen, Sarah Ellis is Liza Minelli, Michele Ragusa is Judy Garland and Corinne Melancon is Marian Woolnough

DAVID ELDER (Peter Allen) David is thrilled to return for his 6th show at STAGES! Broadway credits include CURTAINS (Bobby Pepper), 42ND STREET Revival (Billy Lawlor, Outer Critics Circle, and Astaire Award Nominations), KISS ME, KATE (Bill Calhoun/Lucentio), TITANIC: The Musical (Frederick Fleet, the Lookout), ONCE UPON A MATTRESS starring Sarah Jessica Parker (Sir Harry u/s), DAMN YANKEES starring Jerry Lewis (Bomber on Broadway, Joe Hardy on the National Tour), Disney’s BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (Salt, Beast u/s), and GUYS AND DOLLS starring Nathan Lane (Guy, Crapshoot specialty). Film and TV credits include ACROSS THE UNIVERSE, CRADLE WILL ROCK, JEFFREY, and “Guiding Light”.

MICHELE RAGUSA (Judy Garland) Michele is thrilled to be making her STAGES debut! Broadway credits include YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN (Elizabeth), URINETOWN (Pennywise), RAGTIME (Evelyn), TITANIC, A CLASS ACT, and CYRANO. Off-Broadway credits include ADRIFT IN MACAO (Primary Stages/ Lortel and Drama League nominations/Barrymore Award), TITANIC: 20th Anniversary Concert (Lincoln Center), and CRAVING FOR TRAVEL (Playwrights Horizon). Regional credits include BULLETS OVER BROADWAY (Helen), MAME (Mame), HELLO, DOLLY! (Dolly Levi), LEND ME A TENOR (Maria), ANNIE (Hannigan), BOEING, BOEING (Gabriella), THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE (Mrs. Meers), FUNNY THING … FORUM (Domina), THE KING AND I (Anna), SPAMALOT (Lady/Lake), SWEENEY TODD (Beggar Woman), SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN (Lena), INTO THE WOODS (Witch), KISS ME, KATE (Kate), THE DROWSY CHAPERONE (Chaperone), COMPANY, MARY POPPINS (Winifred Banks), GUYS AND DOLLS (Adelaide), and THE FULL MONTY (Vickie).

SARAH ELLIS (Liza Minnelli) Sarah is thrilled to be reuniting with her STAGES family! Recent credits include the Broadway 1st National Tour of A GENTLEMAN’S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER.  Favorite regional credits include Laurey in OKLAHOMA! (STAGES), Dyanne in MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET (Riverside and Geva Theatres), and Molly in GHOST: The Musical at Fingerlakes MT Festival, where she will be returning later this summer to play Nellie in SOUTH PACIFIC. Other regional credits include Ogunquit, Pittsburgh CLO, North Shore Music Theatre, KC Starlight, Westchester Broadway Theatre, Florida Studio, and WV Public.  NYC credits include THE ROAD TO RUIN, DEAR JANE, and STARDUST ROAD: The Hoagy Carmichael Musical.  Sarah is a frequent Guest Artist with the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra and holds a BFA from Penn State (WE ARE!).

CORINNE MELANÇON (Marion Woolnough) Corinne happily returns to STAGES after appearing in last season’s I DO! I DO! and MAMMA MIA!  Broadway credits include 11 years in MAMMA MIA! (where she appeared as Donna, Tanya, and Rosie), KISS ME, KATE, JEKYLL & HYDE, BIG, A CHRISTMAS CAROL, MY FAIR LADY, and ME & MY GIRL.  Other NY appearances include Carnegie Hall and Radio City Music Hall.  Corinne has appeared in the International Touring company of GRAND HOTEL and on film as Lady Beaconsfield/Guinevere in JEKYLL & HYDE.  Additional STAGES credits include Violet in 9 TO 5, the title role in THE DROWSY CHAPERONE (St. Louis Theatre Circle nomination), Mother Superior in SISTER ACT, Charlotte in A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC, Nickie in SWEET CHARITY, Tracy in HIGH SOCIETY, Rose in BYE BYE BIRDIE, and Lucille in NO, NO, NANETTE.  Favorite regional credits include Vera in MAME, Judith in HAY FEVER, Velma in CHICAGO, and Mona in DAMES AT SEA.

GREASE July 19 – August 18 Book, Music, and Lyrics by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey Additional Songs by Barry Alan Gibb, John Farrar, Louis St. Louis, Scott Simon Direction and Musical Staging by Michael Hamilton Choreography by Tony Gonzalez Musical Direction by Lisa Campbell Albert Scenic Design by James Wolk Costume Design by Brad Musgrove Lighting Design by Sean M. Savoie.

Welcome to Rydell High where Danny Zuko and his gang of Burger Palace Boys and Pink Ladies rule the school! Bursting with explosive energy and 1950’s nostalgia, GREASE blends an irresistible mix of adolescent angst and All-American teen spirit to create a high octane pop-culture phenomenon you won’t want to miss!

SUMMERISA BELL STEVENS (Sandy Dumbrowski) Summerisa is thrilled to be returning to STAGES St. Louis, where she was recently seen as Sophie Sheridan in MAMMA MIA! and as Doralee Rhodes in 9 TO 5 (2018 Broadway World Award for Best Actress). Favorite regional credits include Swing/Tara u/s and Alison Prager u/s in HALF TIME (Paper Mill), Velma and “Somewhere” Soloist in WEST SIDE STORY (Paper Mill & Riverside Theatre), DeLee in SMOKEY JOE’S CAFÉ (Merry-Go-Round & Riverside Theatre), and Amber in HAIRSPRAY (Tuacahn). Summerisa holds a BFA in Musical Theatre and a Minor in Ballroom Dance.

SAM HARVEY (Danny Zuko) Sam is a born and raised Nebraska Cornhusker and proud AMDA NY graduate. He is also very excited to be taking on the iconic role of Danny Zuko this summer at STAGES after just coming off the 10th Anniversary Tour of ROCK OF AGES (Stacee Jaxx). NYC and Off-Broadway credits include BAYSIDE! The Musical! (Zack Morris) and THE LOVE NOTE (Peter). International credits include BROADWAY CHRISTMAS WONDERLAND (Lead Vocalist) and ROCK OF AGES (Drew). Sam performed regionally in GREASE (Kenickie) and THE SOUND OF MUSIC (Rolf). Love to his family and beautiful wife.

MORGAN COWLING (Betty Rizzo) Morgan is extremely grateful and excited to be making her STAGES St. Louis debut as a Pink Lady! She toured the country as Meg Giry in the original cast of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (25th Anniversary Tour). Off-Broadway and NYC credits include Sherri Walters in MARRY HARRY (The York Theatre), Lecy in ONCE WE LIVED HERE (Urban Stages), and BULL DURHAM (Workshop). Regional credits include OKLAHOMA! (Goodspeed Musicals), HELLO, DOLLY! (Ford’s Theatre), THE MADNESS OF MAY (Thalian Hall), and Disney’s WISHES (Disney Cruise Line, OC). A Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts alum, Morgan’s Australian credits include GUYS AND DOLLS, SEUSSICAL, and THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO.

JESSE CORBIN (Kenickie) Jesse has worked extensively regionally and in New York City with favorite credits including Tony Manero in SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER, Danny in GREASE, Enjolras in LES MIZ, and Joseph in JOSEPH … DREAMCOAT. Other career highlights include appearing in the North American premiere of Tim Rice’s FROM HERE TO ETERNITY, debuting the spectacular THE FIRST NOEL at The Apollo Theatre in Harlem, and starring in the Off-Broadway, two person production of THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE. Jesse recently debuted his solo show in NYC at Haswell Green’s and just released a collection of original songs! MAN OF LA MANCHA September 6 – October 6 Written by Dale Wasserman Music by Mitch Leigh Lyrics by Joe Darion Direction and Musical Staging by Michael Hamilton Choreography by Dana Lewis Musical Direction by Lisa Campbell Albert Scenic Design by James Wolk Costume Design by Brad Musgrove Lighting Design by Sean M. Savoie

A romantic and inspiring musical adventure, MAN OF LA MANCHA tells the epic story of seventeenth-century author Miguel de Cervantes and his immortal literary creation Don Quixote. This poignant tale of ultimate heartbreak and unimaginable triumph features a lushly melodic score that includes the rapturous “Dulcinea”, the rousing title song, and the classic Broadway anthem which dares us all to dream “The Impossible Dream”.

JAMES PATTERSON (Cervantes/Don Quixote) James is excited to make his debut with STAGES. Most recent credits include Georges in LA CAGE AUX FOLLES at the Pioneer Theatre Company and Lumiere in Disney’s BEAUTY AND THE BEAST at Theatre Under The Stars. James has appeared in the Broadway and National Touring productions of GIGI (Dufresne), MARY POPPINS (Park Keeper), THE DROWSY CHAPERONE, Disney’s BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (Beast, Gaston, and Lumiere understudy), CATS (Munkustrap), and STATE FAIR. Other credits include Dr. Livesey in TREASURE ISLAND and Lumiere in Disney’s BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (Fulton Theatre & MSMT), LE COMTE ORY (Metropolitan Opera), MAME (Kennedy Center), Barnaby Slade in SAIL AWAY(Carnegie Hall), Joshua Chamberlain in CHAMBERLAIN (MSMT), and Reverend Shaw Moore in FOOTLOOSE (Fulton Theatre). Website: jamespattersontheactor.com. James is a graduate of Tufts University and NEC.

PATRICK JOHN MORAN (Sancho Panza) Originally from NJ, Patrick took a quick $4 bus ride over the George Washington Bridge and now calls NYC home! National Tour credits include Francis Flute/ Master of the Justice in SOMETHING ROTTEN! and Asher/Baker in JOSEPH … DREAMCOAT. Regional credits include William Morris Barfee in THE 25TH ANNUAL … SPELLING BEE (Chicago Company/Drury Lane), Jacey Squires in THE MUSIC MAN (Cape Playhouse), Sancho Panza in MAN OF LA MANCHA (Flat Rock Playhouse), Hubie Cram in DO RE MI (Musicals Tonight!), Harry in MY FAIR LADY (Riverside Theatre), and Norman Bulansky in THE BOYS NEXT DOOR (Identity Theater Company).

AMANDA ROBLES (Aldonza) Amanda is a graduate of the University of the Arts and holds a BFA in Musical Theatre. She has recently been seen as Rita in a full workshop production of FROM HERE TO ETERNITY (Jerome Robbins Theater) under Sir Tim Rice and as Isabel/Tia Carmen in the World Premiere of AMERICAN MARIACHI (DCPA and The Old Globe). Amanda has also appeared at Walt Disney World’s Castle Stage in the opening casts of ELENA’S ROYAL WELCOME (Princess Elena) and MICKEY’S MOST MERRIEST CELEBRATION. Currently, she resides in New York City and continues to work in regional productions around the country.

Disney’s 101 DALMATIANS June 18 – June 30 Music and Lyrics by Mel Leven, Randy Rogel, Richard Gibbs, Brian Smith, Martin Lee Fuller, Dan Root Book Adapted and Additional Lyrics by Marcy Heisler Music Adapted and Arranged by Bryan Louiselle Based on the Screenplay by Bill Peet Based on the Novel The Hundred and One Dalmatians by Dodie Smith Direction and Choreography by Peggy Taphorn Musical Direction by Tali Allen Scenic Design by James Wolk Costume Design by Brad Musgrove Lighting Design by Sean M. Savoie

STAGES Emerson Family Theatre Series production returns this year with Disney’s 101 DALMATIANS. Join the evil Cruella De Vil and her two klutzy henchmen as they try to steal a litter of the cutest puppies ever to hit jolly old London Town. But not to worry – this fur-raising adventure ends happily with plenty of puppy power to spare! A musical treat for the entire family, Disney’s 101 DALMATIANS is sure to have audiences barking for more! This year’s Emerson Family Theatre Series also features 12 students from STAGES Performing Arts Academy. STAGES is offering a unique performance opportunity as the only Academy attached to a professional theatre in the region.

DENA DIGIACINTO (Perdita) Dena is thrilled to be back at STAGES St. Louis where previous credits include OKLAHOMA!, 9 TO 5, and JOSEPH … DREAMCOAT. She appeared on Broadway in the recent revival of A CHORUS LINE. Other favorite credits include EVITA (Riverside Theatre and National Tour), Disney’s THE LITTLE MERMAID, Disney’s BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, and THE WIZARD OF OZ (Variety Theatre), THE DROWSY CHAPERONE (Peninsula Players), MARY POPPINS (John W. Engeman Theater), and Irving Berlin’s WHITE CHRISTMAS (Pioneer Theatre Company).

DREW HUMPHREY (Pongo) Drew is thrilled to return to STAGES, where he was most recently seen in OKLAHOMA!; New York/Tour credits include the Broadway production of Irving Berlin’s WHITE CHRISTMAS (also Cast Recording), OF THEE I SING and LADY BE GOOD at Encores!, and the First National Tour of 42ND STREET. Regional credits include CRAZY FOR YOU (Bobby Child), SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN (Cosmo), CATS (Skimbleshanks), THE MUSIC MAN (Tommy Djilas), and WEST SIDE STORY (Snowboy).  Drew received a BFA in dance from the University of Arizona. 

LARISSA WHITE (Anita) Larissa has appeared as Bonnie Parker in BONNIE & CLYDE, Dolly in THE THREEPENNY OPERA, Heather McNamara in HEATHERS, Heather (again) in AMERICAN IDIOT, physicist Leona Woods in ATOMIC, Angel in CELEBRATION, Alice in LIZZIE, and Elle in LEGALLY BLONDE. Her show WERDEN SIE MICH TOTEN was produced for Surfacing’s Emerging Playwrights Festival.

ERIC MICHAEL PARKER (Roger) Originally from Los Angeles, Eric is a NYC-based actor and singer. He is also a winner of the Kurt Weill Foundation’s Lotte Lenya Competition and has performed on stages from Tokyo to Rome. Some favorite credits include Freddy in MY FAIR LADY (Musical Theatre West), Harold Bride in TITANIC: The Musical (Moonlight Productions), Robert Martin in THE DROWSY CHAPERONE (Norris PAC), and, most recently, Mr. Collins in AUSTEN’S PRIDE, a new musical of the novel “Pride & Prejudice” (ACT of CT). 

STAGES St. Louis is the region’s foremost not-for-profit company committed to preserving and advancing the art form of Musical Theatre through excellence in performance and education. In 2019, STAGES celebrates its 33rd year of producing Broadway-quality theatre, presenting 140 performances from June through October to nearly 50,000 patrons.

STAGES employs a full-time staff of 23 overseeing a budget of $5.1 million. During the performance season, an additional 150 actors and crew members bring the productions to life. To date, STAGES professionals have produced 120 musicals, with over 3,700 performances, playing to more than one million patrons. Single tickets to STAGES’ 2019 Season are on sale now and prices range from $25 – $65. Subscriptions are still available and begin at just $120. STAGES’ Mainstage productions perform in the intimate, 377-seat Robert G. Reim Theatre at the Kirkwood Civic Center, 111 South Geyer Road in St. Louis, MO 63122.

For more information or to purchase tickets call 314-821-2407 or visit www.StagesStLouis. org.

New York Casting is done by Scott Wojcik and Gayle Seay of Wojcik/Seay Casting.

Go See a Play! What’s Happening May 31 – June 5

Go See a Play! What’s Happening May 31 – June 5

By Lynn Venhaus Managing EditorAnother Opening, Another Show! Summertime kicks off with annual traditions inside and outdoors — Shakespeare Festival St. Louis’ “Love’s Labors Lost” opens for its month-long free admission run in Forest Park while Opera Theatre St. Louis has two shows in repertory – Mozart’s “The Marriage of Figaro” and Verdi’s “Rigoletto.” Major musicals make their St. Louis debut this week – the still-running-on-Broadway “Be More Chill” at New Line Theatre and the Peter Allen biopic “The Boy from Oz” kicks off Stages St. Louis’s season.Joe Hanrahan’s Midnight Company presents the St. Louis premiere of the one-man-show “Charlie Johnson Reads All of Proust.”It’s the last chance to see the comedy “I Now Pronounce” at New Jewish Theatre and the musical “Nina Simone: Four Women” at The Black Rep.

Start your summer by going to see a play!

Cast of ‘Be More Chill” — Photo by Jill Ritter Lindberg“Be More Chill” May 30-June 22 Thursday – Sunday, 8 p.m. New Line Theatre The Marcelle Theatre, 3310 Samuel Shepard Drive www.newlinetheatre.org 314-534-1111 What It’s About: “The Breakfast Club” meets “Little Shop of Horrors” in the new sci-fi rock musical, “Be More Chill,” with music and lyrics by Joe Iconis and book by Joe Tracz, based on the bestselling novel by New Vizzini. It’s a look at life in the digital age, exploring teen depression, bullying and other current issues through the comic lens of sci-fi films of the 50s, horror flicks of the 80s and the teen movies of the 90s.

Directors: Scott Miller and Mike Dowdy-Windsor, with music
direction by Nicolas Valdez
Starring: Jayde Mitchell (Jeremy), Dominic Dowdy-Windsor (Squip), Kevin Corpuz
(Michael), Zachary Allen Farmer (Jeremy’s Dad), Melissa Felps (Brooke), Evan
Fornachon (Rich), Isabel Cecilia Garcia (Jenna), Grace Langford (Christine),
Ian McCreary (Jake), and Laura Renfro (Chloe).

Of Note: “Be More Chill” made its world premiere at the Two River Theater in Red Bank, New Jersey in 2015, had a successful off-Broadway run, it’s now being produced across the country, and it just opened on Broadway in March. It has a Tony nomination for Best Original Score (Joe Iconis, music and lyrics).

David Elder in Stages St. Louis debut“The Boy from Oz” May 31 – June 30 Stages St. Louis Robert G. Reim Theatre, Kirkwood Community Center 111 S. Geyer Road, Kirkwoodwww.stagesstlouis.org

What It’s About: Dazzling and hilarious as the legendary
Peter Allen himself, THE BOY FROM OZ follows the Australian singer-songwriter
from his humble beginnings performing in backcountry pubs to his international
stardom beside such Hollywood icons as Judy Garland and her daughter Liza
Minnelli.

Director: Michael Hamilton
Starring: David Elder as Peter Allen, Sarah Ellis as Liza Minnelli, Zach
Trimmer as Greg Connell, Corinne Melancon as Marion Woolnough, Michele Ragusa
as Judy Garland, Brad Frenette as George Woolnough, Steve Isom as Dick
Woolnough, Erik Keiser as Chris Bell, Nic Thompson as Mark Herron, Ben Iken and
Simon Desilets as Young Peter, Lydia Ruth Dawson, Bryn Purvis and Madison
Tinder as Trio, Frankie Thams as Trick, Nathanial Burich as Dealer and Ashley
Chasteen as Alice. Ensemble includes Kari Ely and Caleb Dicke.
Of Note: Thrilling news from Stages St. Louis comes in the form of two
celebratory evenings focused around diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in
conjunction with performances of “The Boy From Oz.” The 8 pm performances on
Saturday, June 1 and Friday, June 7 will offer special $30 tickets to
diversity, equity, and inclusion groups at corporations and organizations
throughout the St. Louis region. The tickets will include a special post show champagne
and dessert reception featuring lively conversation with members of the cast.

Joe Hanrahan in “Charlie Johnson Reads All of Proust”“Charlie Johnson Reads All of Proust” May 30 – June 15 The Midnight Company Thursday through Saturday at 8 p.m. Kranzberg Center, 501 N. Grandwww.midnightcompany.com What It’s About: An older man taking a break from Christmas shopping with his family at a Starbucks. Hungry for dinner, he tides himself over with the purchase of a small package of soft, spongy cookies. When he dips one in his coffee, his snooty daughter-in-law asks him if he’s having his “Madeleine moment,” and then proceeds to lecture him about Marcel Proust and “Remembrance of Things Past” – the classic multi-volume novel inspired by the narrator dipping a madeleine cake into tea, with the taste bringing back memories of his boyhood, and leading to a retelling of his time in 19th/20th century aristocratic France. Charlie decides he’s going to read that book (not realizing it is seven books) and be able to talk about it with his daughter-in-law next Christmas. And along the way, he discovers the epic that is his own life.

Director: Sarah Holt

Starring: Joe Hanrahan

“The Dixie Swim Club” May 31 – June 19 Monroe Actors Stage Company Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. Historic Capitol Theatre in Waterloowww.masctheatre.org 618-939-7469 What It’s About: Five Southern women, whose friendships began many years ago on their college swim team, set aside a long weekend every August to recharge those relationships. Free from husbands, kids and jobs, they meet at the same beach cottage on North Carolina’s Outer Banks to catch up, laugh and meddle in each other’s lives. The play focuses on four of those weekends and spans a period of thirty-three years.Director: Tim PaeltzStarring: Stacey Tunnicliff as Sheree Hollinger, Dawn Williamson as Lexi Richards, Terrie Thies as Dinah Grayson, Christine Miller as Vernadette Sims and Kelly Shaw as Jeri Neal McFeeley.

Will Bonfiglio is the Best Man in “I Now Pronounce.” Jon Gitchoff photo.“I Now Pronounce” May – June 2 New Jewish Theatre Marvin and Harlene Wool Studio Theatre Jewish Community Center, 2 Millstone Campus Drive in Creve Coeurwww.newjewishtheatre.org

What It’s About: Most weddings have something that doesn’t
go quite right – maybe several things go awry. Often these mishaps are the
things that make the most endearing memories of the occasion, but Tasha
Gordon-Solomon’s “I Now Pronounce” imagines a wedding that culminates in an
awkwardly timed fatality, and a reception that spins into a strange and
hilarious evening that leaves the bride and groom questioning just what it is
they’re celebrating. The flower girls are running amuck; the bridal party
members are more preoccupied with their own flailing relationships. But there’s
no stopping the festivities! Comedies end in marriage.

Director: Edward Coffield

Starring: Graham Emmons, Will Bonfiglio, Ryan
Lawson-Maeske, Jessica Kadish, Craig Neuman, Delaney Piggins, Frankie Ferrari

“Love’s Labors Lost” May 31 – June 23 Shakespeare Festival St. Louis 8 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday Shakespeare Glen, Forest Park www.shakespearefestivalstlouis.org

What It’s About” Belonging to Shakespeare’s “lyrical”
period, which also included Romeo and Juliet and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the
play tells the story of the Princess of France and her ladies who arrive on a
diplomatic mission to Navarre only to be met by a young king and his lords who
have taken a vow not to see women. Affairs of state give way to affairs of the
heart as Shakespeare reveals with great humor and compassion the way our
culture sometimes doesn’t fully prepare us for the realities of love and
intimacy. A feast of language and theatrical virtuosity, Love’s Labors Lost
shimmers with all the passion and promise of a first kiss.

Director: Tom Ridgely
Starring: Philip Hernandez as Don Adriano de Armado, Bradley James Tejeda (Duc
de Biron), Kea Trevett (Princess of France), Sky Smith (King of Navarre), Patrick
Blindauer (Costard), Katy Keating (Nathaniel), Michael James Reed
(Forester/Marcadé), Jeffery Cummings (Boyet); Carl Howell (Dull), Carine
Montbertrand (Holofernes), Randolph (Moth), Laura Sohn (Rosaline), Molly Meyer
(Jaquenetta), Sam Jones (Longueville), Vivienne Claire Luthin (Maria), Kiah
McKirnan (Catherine), and Riz Moe (DuMaine).

“The Marriage of Figaro” May 25 – June 29 Opera Theatre of St. Louis Loretto-Hilton Center 135 Edgar Road on Webster University campuswww.opera-stl.org 314-961-0644 What It’s About: Mozart’s comedy masterpiece is about complicated life at court and how love should always prevail. The maid Susanna is determined to wed her fiancé, Figaro, while the Count is equally determined to add her to his list of conquests. But Susanna and Figaro won’t allow one self-entitled nobleman to ruin their happy ending! They each hatch their own plots to teach their master a lesson. What follows is a whirlwind day of romantic intrigue, cunning schemes, and uproarious fun. The opera runs three hours and ten minutes with one intermission and is sung in English with English supertitles.

Nina Simone: Four Women. Photo by Philip Hamer“Nina Simone: Four Women” The Black Rep May 15 – June 2 Edison Theatre on Washington University campus www.theblackrep.org

What It’s About: Nina Simone’s velvet voice was unafraid to
sing lyrics that cut right to the truth. Her music and her life were a personal
exploration branded in the kiln of the civil rights movement; so, in the
aftermath of the 1963 bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church and the tragic
loss of the four little girls her powerful anthems, “Mississippi Goddam,” “Sinnerman”
and “Old Jim Crow,” fueled the Civil Rights movement and changed her public
persona from songstress to activist. From the iconic “I Put a Spell on You” to “Four
Women,” Simone’s lyrics weave a story of four women alienated from themselves
and one another due to the color of their skin.

Director: Ron HimesStarring: Leah Stewart as Simone, Denise Thimes as Sarah (aka Auntie), Alex Jay as Sephronia and Camile “Cee” Sharp as Sweet Thing

“Rigoletto” Opera Theatre of St. Louis June 1 – June 30 8 p.m. Loretto-Hilton Center 135 Edgar Roadwww.experienceopera.org 314-961-0644What It’s About: Verdi’s powerful “Rigoletto” is a tale of innocence lost, wrenchingly poignant and all too human, presented in English with English supertitles. Rigoletto is a bitter court jester who serves the Duke of Mantua, a lecherous womanizer. Together, they are despised throughout the city. But alone, Rigoletto is all tenderness when it comes to his innocent young daughter, Gilda. Little does he know that an ominous curse is about to take its toll. When the Duke seduces Gilda, only to then abandon her, the enraged father swears vengeance.

Cover Photo: Vivienne Claire Luthin, Kea Trevett, Laura Sohn and Kiah McKirnan in “Love’s Labors Lost” — Photo by Philip Hamer.

Union Avenue Opera Presents ‘Arias in the Afternoon’ at Campbell House

Union Avenue Opera Presents ‘Arias in the Afternoon’ at Campbell House

For seven years we’ve celebrated the beginning of summer in the beautiful garden at the Campbell House Museum and we hope you’ll join us for this year’s eighth annual Arias in the Afternoon on Sunday, June 9.

This year’s event will feature eight members of UAO’s talentedCandide and La bohème choruses in a musical performance to delight audiences of all ages. Join us in the garden for the musical stylings of Madeleine Buckley, Aleksandar Dragojevic, Danielle Feinstein, Grace Fisher, Michael Hawkins, Emily Heyl, Liya Khaimova, and Philip Touchette.

Take in a piece of local history as you tour the Campbell House’s magnificently restored interiors and explore their new exhibit: Robert Campbell and the Fur Trade. 

A light lunch will be provided along with complimentary wine, Virginia Campbell’s Champagne Roman Punch and ice cream from Clementine’s Creamery.

Sunday, June 9 from 1:00pm to 4:00pm[first performance at 2:00pm]Campbell House Museum1508 Locust Street | St. Louis, MO 63103

$75 Patron Tickets [includes $35 donation]$40 Regular

To make reservations, visit this link:https://unionavenueopera.secure.force.com/donate/?dfId=a0n610000076MYrAAM

Muny First Theatre in U.S. to Produce ‘Kinky Boots’

Muny First Theatre in U.S. to Produce ‘Kinky Boots’

The Muny announced today its complete cast, design and production team for Kinky Boots, the second show of its second century, June 19 – 25. Kinky Boots is proudly sponsored by Missouri Lottery.

“We are so honored and grateful to be the first theatre in the U.S. to produce Kinky Boots,” said Muny Artistic Director and Executive Producer Mike Isaacson. “This promises to be a magical, thrilling Muny night, and this team is committed to creating a soaring production on our new stage.” Joining the previously announced Graham Scott Fleming (Charlie Price), J. Harrison Ghee (Lola) and Taylor Louderman (Lauren) are Caroline Bowman (Nicola), John Scherer (George), Paul Whitty (Don), Victor Landon (Young Charlie) and Khaydn M. Adams (Young Lola). A glittering ensemble completes this cast, including Meryn Beckett, Callan Bergmann, Holly Davis, Ian Fitzgerald, Duane Martin Foster, Todd A. Horman, Valton Jackson, Patrick Oliver Jones, Jacob Lacopo, Ross Lekites, Maggie McDowell, Michael Olaribigbe, Jen Perry, Kyle Post, Anthony Sagaria, Ricky Schroeder, Joey Taranto and Zoe Vonder Haar. The company will also be joined by the Muny Teen youth ensemble.  Kinky Boots original Broadway direction and choreography are by Jerry Mitchell, with choreography re-created by Rusty Mowery and direction re-created by DB Bonds. Music direction will be by Ryan Fielding Garrett. The design team leading this production includes scenic design by Michael Schweikardt, costume design by Gregg Barnes, costume design coordination by Lindsay McWilliams, lighting design by Nathan W. Scheuer, sound design by John Shivers and David Patridge, video design by Shawn Duan, wig design by Kelley Jordan. Production stage manager is Nancy Pittelman. 

GRAHAM SCOTT FLEMING (Charlie Price) is ecstatic to be making his Muny debut with this brilliant show. Graham was the Canadian Charlie in Kinky Boots and nominated for a Dora for Best Male Actor in a Musical. Broadway: Miss Saigon. Papermill Playhouse: My Very Own British Invasion. Premieres (Canada):Ghost, Kinky Boots, Jukebox Hero. Film/TV: Love You Like Christmas (Hallmark),Odd Squad. Graham is also a singer/songwriter, and his latest album Young, Wild & Free can be found on Spotify. Instagraham: @grahamsfleming  J. HARRISON GHEE (Lola) is elated to make his Muny debut with the show that has changed his life. International tour: Kinky Boots (Lola/Swing). Regional: The Color Purple (Ensemble). Television: High Maintenance. Proud graduate of AMDA (NY). @jharrisonghee 

Taylor Louderman headlines “Kinky Boots” at the Muny this summer

TAYLOR LOUDERMAN (Lauren) Muny: Aida (Amneris), Grease (Sandy), Hairspray(Amber) and as a Muny Teen 10 years ago! This Tony-nominated actress from Bourbon, MO is currently starring on Broadway in Mean Girls as Regina. Taylor is reprising her role as Lauren after performing in Kinky Boots on Broadway. Her career began at Ozark Actors Theatre in Rolla where she currently serves on the board and contributes to rural Missouri’s theatre education. She made her Broadway debut starring in Bring It On: The Musical produced with The Muny’s own Mike Isaacson. Favorite credits: NBC’s Peter Pan Live! (Wendy), Nickelodeon’sSunny Day (Blair), CBS’s The Good Fight, HBO’s High Maintenance, Showtime’s The Loudest Voice. @taylizlou CAROLINE BOWMAN (Nicola) is thrilled to return to The Muny after appearing inAll Shook Up (Natalie/Ed). Broadway/Tours: Kinky Boots (Nicola), Wicked(Elphaba), Evita (Eva Perón), Spamalot (Lady of the Lake), Grease (Rizzo) andFame (Carmen). BFA, Penn State. @carolinebowman5 JOHN SCHERER (George) has previously appeared at The Muny in Annie, Young Frankenstein, The Buddy Holly Story, The Addams Family, Spamalot and Mame. Broadway: LoveMusik, By Jeeves and Sunset Boulevard. Off Broadway: Dames at Sea, Olympus On My Mind. Other New York: The Most Happy Fella (New York City Opera), Out Of This World (NY City Center Encores!) and A Tribute to Comden and Green (Carnegie Hall). National tours: 42nd Street, Cats, Mame and White Christmas. He recently appeared in the critically-acclaimed revival of The Drowsy Chaperone at the Goodspeed Opera House. Other regional: Kennedy Center, Arena Stage, Goodman Theatre, Ahmanson Theatre, Paper Mill Playhouse and many others. Film/TV: Spinning into Butter, The Shield, Crossing Jordan, Titus and Law & Order (SVU and CI). He is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University. PAUL WHITTY (Don) is thrilled to be making his Muny debut! Broadway: Gettin’ the Band Back Together, Amelie, Once, The Full Monty. Off-Broadway and other NYC: Once (New York Theatre Workshop), Bayonets of Angst (NYMF), Violet (NY City Center Encores!), Twelfth Night (Sonnet Repertory). Regional: Baby Doll, A Streetcar Named Desire (Le Petit Theatre), Ken Ludwig’s Robin Hood! (Old Globe), Amelie (Berkeley Rep, CTG), Peter and the Starcatcher (Actors Theatre of Louisville), Judge Jackie (Sharon Playhouse), Be More Chill (Two River Theater),Once (American Repertory Theatre), Reasons to Be Pretty, Art (Crescent Stage), Circle Mirror Transformation (PURE Theatre), Doubt (Village Rep). Film/TV: Song One, Law & Order SVU, Guiding Light. BFA Acting, UNCSA.VICTOR LANDON (Young Charlie) is delighted to join the cast of Kinky Boots. Muny: Gypsy (Newsboy) and youth ensemble for The Little Mermaid, Newsies andAn Evening with the Stars. Other St. Louis area favorite roles include JoJo inSeussical (Arts for Life Award) and Gavroche in Les Misérables. He loves performing with the Muny Kids troupe.KHAYDN M. ADAMS (Young Lola) is thrilled to make his theatrical debut at The Muny! Khaydn has a passion for musical theatre and has participated in several small productions, including Madagascar Jr. for his 6th grade class and plays at church, where Khaydn is the youngest member of the mass chorus and has been a featured soloist. Khaydn sings and dances with COCA in University City and says he ‘loves performing as much as he loves chicken’ (that’s saying a lot)! Khaydn has been trained in violin, cello, alto and tenor saxophone but is self-taught on the piano. In his free time, he enjoys cooking and making slime. Khaydn aspires to be a professional artist when he grows up and is grateful for this opportunity to perform live on stage.

Link for more information: muny.org/kinky-boots.

About the show:

Kinky Boots features a book by Harvey Fierstein, music and lyrics by Cyndi Lauper and is based on the Miramax motion picture Kinky Boots, written by Geoff Deane and Tim Firth.“Step into a dream where glamour is extreme” with the U.S. regional premiere of the international smash-hit-musical Kinky Boots! Winner of six Tony Awards, the Olivier Award and the Grammy, this huge-hearted hit tells the story of a struggling British shoe factory that finds a surprising way to recreate themselves! Featuring 16 Grammy Award-winning original songs penned by pop icon Cyndi Lauper, this sparkling, stiletto sensation will “lift you up!”

The seven shows in the 2019 Muny season are: Guys and Dolls (June 10 – 16),Kinky Boots (June 19 – 25), 1776 (June 27 – July 3), Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella (July 8 – 16), Footloose (July 18 – 24), Lerner and Loewe’s Paint Your Wagon (July 27 – August 2) and Roald Dahl’s Matilda (August 5 – 11). For more information, visit muny.org.  

Season tickets, single tickets and Muny gift cards for the 101st season are available online and at The Muny Box Office. MetroTix is the only official online point-of-purchase vendor for The Muny. For more information, visit muny.org or call (314) 361-1900.

For updates and information regarding The Muny’s Second Century Capital Campaign, please click here.

Union Avenue Opera Celebrates 25th Season

Union Avenue Opera Celebrates 25th Season

Union Avenue Opera presents two company premieres in 2019

Christine Brewer returns to Union Avenue Opera for role debut as The Old Lady in Bernstein’sCandide

Union Avenue Opera announces 25th Anniversary Gala, October 10, 2019

Christine Brewer

Over 21 artists will make their Union Avenue Opera (UAO) debut this summer as the company celebrates its 25th Anniversary Season. The seven-week summer season will open Friday, July 5 with Bernstein’s hilarious, philosophical, and fast-paced take on Voltaire’s 1759 biting satire of the same name, Candideand will feature the return of Christine Brewer to the UAO stage. The season continues through August 24th with performances of Puccini’s operatic blockbuster La bohème, a tribute to UAO’s tradition of presenting operas in original languages, and the St. Louis premiere of Tom Cipullo’s Glory Denied, the true saga of Vietnam veteran Colonel Jim Thompson, the longest-held American POW in US history.

The 25th Anniversary Season will culminate with a Gala on Thursday, October 10 at the Barnett on Washington. Guests will enjoy cocktails and hors d’oeuvres followed by a masterfully crafted gourmet meal with a special musical performance by three notable UAO alum: Kenneth Overton (Stephen Kumalo, Lost in the Stars), Elise Quagliata(Sister James, Doubt), and Marsha Thompson (Abigaille, Nabucco). The evening will be hosted by Kathy Lawton Brown of Classic 107.3, The Voice for the Arts in St. Louis

“UAO started off small but mighty. I was a 22-year-old, just out of college looking for opera conducting experience and with the help of the Arts Group of Union Avenue Christian Church we set out to ‘put on a show’” recalls UAO Founding Artistic Director Scott Schoonover. “Our first budget was $5,000 which included everything! Our first auditions drew 17 people, and our orchestra was a string quartet. The cast and I helped build the sets and costumes, and we held 6 performances each with about 50 people in attendance. Minutes before the first performance, the lighting system blew, and we had to perform with just the house lights – it wasn’t fun at the time, but we laugh about it now. Each season has been a season of growth for UAO – for me personally, for our artists, our staff, our infrastructure, and our board of directors – and we are now ready to tackle Season 25.”

In total, UAO will create over 150 opportunities during the festival season both on stage, in the pit, as part of the design/production teams not to mention the nearly 100 volunteers who will give of their time and talents. All operas will be fully staged and performed in their original language with project English Supertitles on the Union Avenue Opera stage at 733 N. Union Blvd, STL 63108, and accompanied by a full orchestra, all members of the AFM Orchestra Union.

Over the past twenty-four years, UAO has grown in artist quality and excellence. Known throughout the region for presenting original language operas such as Nabucco, Rigoletto, La traviata, and Wagner’s epic four-part Ring cycle alongside newer works including Lost in the Stars, Dead Man Walking, A Streetcar Named Desire, and Doubt.

Single tickets are on sale for as low as $32 and subscription packages start at $80. Tickets may be purchased online at www.unionavenueopera.org, by phone at (314) 361-2881, and in person at Union Avenue Opera, 733 N. Union Blvd, St. Louis, MO, 63108. Student rush tickets are available at the door for $15 (cash only) with a valid student ID. There is ample free parking available.

Leonard Bernstein’s: CANDIDE

Scottish Opera Version Four Performances: July 5, 6, 12, 13 at 8:00 p.m.

Presented in English with English supertitles

War! Earthquakes! Disease! Very bad things happen to very good people (and plenty of bad ones too). When young Candide’s marriage proposal to a baron’s daughter doesn’t quite go as planned, this naïve student of optimism is thrust into an eye-opening odyssey across lands near and far, discovering the horrors of existence at every turn.Candide is part opera, part musical, and entirely irreverent. Voltaire’s philosophical spoof becomes a brilliant and breathless operetta set to a vivid score by Bernstein which abounds with spectacular music that includes a famous overture, the soprano showpiece “Glitter and Be Gay,” and the soaring finale, “Make our Garden Grow.” Through all its hysterical scouring of 18th-century wickedness and woe, Candide still finds a way to move and inspire with life-affirming lessons that, surprisingly, ring just as true today.

World-renowned opera legend, Christine Brewer, returns to the UAO stage in her role debut as The Old Lady inCandide. Schoonover will conduct while local director Annamaria Pileggi makes her UAO directorial debut. Jesse Darden and Brooklyn Snow make their UAO debuts as Candide and Cunegonde while Thomas Gunther returns as Voltaire/Pangloss following last year’s successful UAO debut as Captain Corcoran in H.M.S. Pinafore. Local actors Greg Johnston and Graham Emmons make their UAO stage debuts covering a variety of supporting characters. The chorus is composed of 16 of the area’s most talented emerging artists including Leann Schuering,Liya Khaimova, Anthony Heinemann, and Aleksandar Dragojevic. 

“I have always enjoyed and been impressed with productions I have seen at UAO and I can’t think of a better place to make my opera directorial debut!” said Pileggi. “I love the sweeping and theatrical nature of Candide. The breadth and scope of the story, along with the lushness and scale of Bernstein’s music make Candide a quintessentially live event.”

Candide – Jesse Darden*

Voltaire/Pangloss – Thomas Gunther

Maximillian – Charlie Tingen*

Cunegonde – Brooklyn Snow*

Paquette – Gina Malone

The Old Lady – Christine Brewer

Captain/Vanderdendur – Christopher Nelson*

Director – Annamaria Pileggi*

Conductor – Scott Schoonover

Scenic Designer – Otiz Sweezy*

Lighting Designer – Michael Sullivan

Costume Designer – Teresa Doggett

Technical Direction – Theatre Marine Productions

Properties Designer – Kate Slovinski

Giacomo Puccini’s: LA BOHÈME 

Four Performances: July 26, 27, August 2, 3 at 8:00 p.m.

Presented in Italian with English supertitles

Join the Bohemian Revolution in the heart of 19th-century Paris as a group of struggling artist strives to create beautiful art, find love, and ultimately live life to the fullest in this romantic operatic blockbuster. Rodolfo and his friends scrape by using their wit and charm to escape life’s harsher consequences until a chance encounter one winter night when Mimi asks Rodolfo to light her candle, changing everything and sending the pair into a deep, passionate whirlwind. At the same time, Marcello can’t resist the flirtatious charms of the feisty Musetta. Follow the triumphs and toils of this band of struggling young artists as they search for love, life, and laughter against impossible odds. For over 100 years, La bohème, Puccini’s most celebrated opera, has moved audiences to laughter and tears with its irresistible music and timeless tale. 

Ukrainian born soprano, Yulia Lysenko makes her UAO debut in the role of the ill-fated Mimi alongside Cree Carrico as Musetta in La bohème. Jesse Donner returns following his triumphant UAO debut as Ismaele in Verdi’sNabucco last summer. Andrew Wannigman (Jigger, Carousel), Nicholas Ward (Pish-Tush, The Mikado) and Scott Levin (Pooh-Bah, The Mikado) also return to UAO as Marcello, Schaunard, and Alcindoro respectively while Isaiah Musik-Ayala makes his UAO debut as Colline. Elizabeth Hastings (Cenerentola ’11) returns to conduct the 16 chorus and 8 children’s chorus members while St. Louis’ Mark Freiman (Nabucco) directs.

“For people of all ages who have never been to an opera or find it intimidating, La bohème is a great first opera” said Freiman. “The story is surprisingly simple, the music is lush and melodic, there is a lot of humor, and one can’t help but fall in love with the characters. There is nothing like seeing La bohème close-up in an intimate setting like UAO. Our production of La bohème will be traditional, but every production is different, making it fresh and exciting for the audience.”

Mimi – Yulia Lysenko*

Rodolfo – Jesse Donner

Musetta – Cree Carrico*

Marcello – Andrew Wannigman

Schaunard – Nicholas Ward

Colline – Isaiah Musik-Ayala*

Alcindoro/Benoit – Scott Levin

Customs Agent – Randell McGee

Director – Mark Freiman

Conductor – Elizabeth Hastings

Scenic and Lighting Designer – Patrick Huber

Costume Designer – Teresa Doggett

Technical Direction – Theatre Marine Productions

Properties Designer – Kate Slovinski

Tom Cipullo’s: GLORY DENIED

Based on the novel “Glory Denied” by Tom Philpott

Presented in English with English supertitles

Performances Aug. 16, 17, 23 and 24 at 8 p.m.

America’s longest-held prisoner of war dreams of coming home. But home is a place he will not recognize. Follow the gut-wrenching saga of Colonel Jim Thompson as he transitions from the jungles of Southeast Asia to the tree-lined streets of suburban America. Glory Denied speaks to the plight of so many of our veterans who nobly fought for their country but face huge challenges when it comes to re-assimilating into society—and their longed-for normal lives—after service. This true story explores the unimaginable bravery asked of soldiers and the nature of hope itself. It is a story of a nation divided and a country that changed significantly in the decade of his imprisonment. Tom Cipullo’s Glory Denied made waves in opera circles when it premiered a decade a go and continues to do so today.

The Glory Denied cast of four includes David Walton (Albert, Albert Herring) as Younger Thompson, Peter Kendall Clark in his UAO debut as Older Thompson, Karina Brazas (Yum-Yum, The Mikado) as Younger Alyce, and Gina Galati (Donna Elvira, Don Giovanni) as Older Alyce. Schoonover conducts as St. Louis native Dean Anthonymakes his UAO directorial debut.

“Glory Denied is an emotional rollercoaster” said Anthony. “What we see in Glory Denied is the cause and effect on all sides. So often, lives of POWs have been forgotten and just become a part of our past. The sacrifice and commitment of these women and men who served our country should never be forgotten. As well as the families who were back home.” 

Older Thompson – Peter Kendall Clark*

Younger Thompson – David Walton

Older Alyce – Gina Galati

Younger Alyce – Karina Brazas

Director – Dean Anthony*

Conductor – Scott Schoonover

Scenic Designer – Roger Speidel

Lighting Designer – Joe Clapper

Costume Designer – Teresa Doggett

Technical Direction – Theatre Marine Productions

Properties Designer – Kate Slovinski

*UAO stage debut

Don’t miss UAO’s Free Friday Night Lecture Series at 7:00 p.m. before the performance in the Union Avenue Fellowship Gallery presented by Dr. Glenn Bauer of Webster University (July 5, 12, 26 August 2, 16, 23). Lectures are free and open to the public.

25th ANNIVERSARY GALA

Thursday, October 10 at 6pm

The Barnett on Washington [3207 Washington Blvd]

Join us as we celebrate Union Avenue Opera’s 25th Anniversary in the festive ambiance of The Barnett on Washington. Enjoy cocktails and hors d’oeuvres followed by a masterfully crafted gourmet meal with a musical performance by Kenneth Overton (Stephen Kumalo, Lost in the Stars), Elise Quagliata (Sister James, Doubt),Marsha Thompson (Abigaille, Nabucco) and hosted by Kathy Lawton Brown, Classic 107. 3. Tickets are on sale now. Call 314-361-2881 or visit unionavenueopera.org for more information.

### 

About Union Avenue Opera – UAO was founded in 1994 to bring affordable, professional, original-language opera to St. Louis, a mission the company continues to pursue to this day. UAO is committed to hiring the most talented artists, directors, designers and technicians both locally and from across the United States. UAO provides promising young singers the first steppingstone of their professional career. UAO is a publicly supported 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization registered in Missouri. In 2018 UAO became an OPERA American Professional Company Member. OPERA America is the national membership organization for artists, administrators and audiences, dedicated to support the creation, presentation and enjoyment of opera.UAO offers vibrant and affordable opera experiences in original languages to audiences who reflect the breadth and diversity of the St. Louis region from the acoustically superb sanctuary of an historic church located in the urban Visitation Park neighborhood in St. Louis’ Central West End. Financial assistance has been provided by the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency, and with support from the Regional Arts Commission, and PNC Arts Alive.  Emily (DePauw) Stolarski Administrative Director | Union Avenue Opera733 N. Union Blvd | St. Louis, MO 63108 | 314-361-2881 Our 25th Anniversary SeasonCandide: Scottish Opera Version – July 5, 6, 12, 13La bohème – July 26, 27, August 2, 3Glory Denied – August 16, 17, 23, 24 The mission of Union Avenue Opera is to provide professional opportunities for gifted, emerging artists and to offer vibrant and affordable opera experiences in original languages to audiences that reflect the breadth and diversity of the St. Louis region. Believing that the arts are vital to the health and reputation of a community, Union Avenue Opera is committed to its urban setting, educational outreach and artistic integrity.

Complete Cast, Design and Production Team for Muny’s ‘Guys and Dolls’ Announced

Complete Cast, Design and Production Team for Muny’s ‘Guys and Dolls’ Announced

Ken Page to Star in his 41st Muny Show

The Muny announced today its complete cast, design and production team for Guys and Dolls, the first show of its second century, June 10 – 16. Guys and Dolls is proudly sponsored by Wells Fargo Advisors.

“We soar into our second century with one of the most beloved musicals of the last century,” said Muny Artistic Director and Executive Producer Mike Isaacson. “I can’t wait to see this amazing production on our beautiful new stage. Luck be a producer, indeed.”

Joining the previously announced Ben Davis (Sky Masterson), Brittany Bradford (Sarah Brown), Jordan Gelber (Nathan Detroit) and Kendra Kassebaum (Miss Adelaide) are Ken Page (ArvideAbernathy), Doreen Montalvo (General Cartwright), Orville Mendoza (Nicely-Nicely Johnson), Jared Gertner (Benny Southstreet), Brendan Averett (Big Jule), Kevin Cahoon (Harry the Horse) and Rich Pisarkiewicz (Lt. Brannigan). A high-rolling ensemble completes this cast, including Calvin Cooper, Darien Crago, Colby Dezelick, Tyler Eisenreich, Whitney G-Bowley, Berklea Going, Julie Hanson, Jeff Kuhr, Alicia Lundgren, Erin N. Moore, Jevares Myrick, Michael Santomassimo, Michaeljon Slinger, Matthew Steffens, Keith Tyrone, Amy Van Norstrand, Jerry Vogel and Sharrod Williams. The company will also be joined by the Muny Kid and Teen youth ensemble.

As previously announced, Guys and Dolls is directed by Gordon Greenberg and co-choreographed by Lorin Latarro and Patrick O’Neill with music direction by Brad Haak.

This production includes scenic design by Paul Tate dePoo III, costume design by Tristan Raines, lighting design by Rob Denton, sound design by John Shivers and David Patridge, video design by Nathan W. Scheuer and wig design by Leah J. Loukas. Production stage manager is Nancy Uffner.

Ben Davis

BEN DAVIS (Sky Masterson) Muny: Jesus Christ Superstar (Pilate), Oklahoma! (Curly); South Pacific (Emile), Spamalot (Galahad). Ben was most recently seen as Cosmo Constantine in New York City Center’s Encores! Call Me Madam, opposite Carmen Cusack. Broadway: 2003 Tony Honor for La Bohème (Marcello), Dear Evan Hansen (Larry), Violet (Preacher), A Little Night Music, Les Misérables(Javert and Enjolras), Thoroughly Modern Millie (Trevor Graydon). Tours: The Sound of Music (Georg von Trapp), Spamalot (Galahad). Regional: Kiss Me, Kate (Fred/Petruchio) at The 5th Avenue Theatre. UK: BBC Proms Kiss Me, Kate (Fred/Petruchio). Concerts: Philly Pops, Boston Pops, LA Philharmonic, RTÉ and many others. Film/TV: Blue Bloods, A Hand of Bridge, The Magic Flute, 30 Rock, Numb3rs. www.benjaminjaydavis.com

Actor | New York | Headshot| Brittany Bradford

BRITTANY BRADFORD (Sarah Brown) Muny debut! Brittany was recently seen in Roundabout Theatre Company’s production of Merrily We Roll Along, staged by the critically-acclaimed Fiasco Theater. She made her Broadway debut last fall as Ophelia in Bernhardt/Hamlet opposite Janet McTeer. Additional credits: For Colored Girls… (Public Theater), Flyin’ West (Westport Country Playhouse), Family Resemblance (Eugene O’Neill), The Profane and Taming of the Shrew (Chautauqua Theater Company), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Ten Thousand Things Theater), Neighbors, AvenueQ and Next to Normal (Mixed Blood Theatre), Ragtime and Stick Fly (Park Square Theatre). 2018 graduate of The Juilliard School, Group 47. Credits: Father Comes Home from the Wars, Hoodoo Love, Triumph of Love, King Lear, Cymbeline, Christina Martinez and The Marriage of Bette and Boo. Co-Founder of HomeBase Theatre Collective. www.brittany-bradford.com

JORDAN GELBER (Nathan Detroit) Muny debut! Broadway: Sunday in the Park with George, Elf the Musical (Buddy), All My Sons, Avenue Q (original cast, special Outer Critics Circle Award). Off-Broadway: John Guare’s Nantucket Sleigh Ride (Lincoln Center Theater), Mike Leigh’s 2000 Years, Avenue Q, The Joke, Birth and After Birth. TV: Elementary, Mr. Robot, Mindhunter, Insatiable, Boardwalk Empire, Nurse Jackie, The Good Wife, Rescue Me, Ugly Betty, first three Law & Order series (recurring on SVU), The Sopranos, 100 Centre Street. Film: (upcoming) The Kitchen, Bleed for This, Dark Horse, The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3, Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead, Everyday People (IFP/Gotham Award nominee for Breakthrough Acting), Riding in Cars With Boys, Changing Lanes. BA, Stanford University; MFA, NYU Tisch Graduate Acting (2000 Laura Pels Award). www.JordanGelber.com

KENDRA KASSEBAUM (Miss Adelaide) Muny: A Chorus Line (Val). On Broadway, Kendra originated the role of Janice in the Tony-nominated production of Come From Away as well as Sam in Leap of Faith. She played Glinda in Wicked on Broadway, in San Francisco and on the first national tour (Helen Hayes nominee). Other New York: The Receptionist (MTC) and the Tony Award-winning, Grammy-nominated production of Assassins, both directed by Joe Mantello. Kendra made her Broadway debut in Rent. For the Roundabout, she performed the role of Petra in A Little Night Music starring Vanessa Redgrave and Natasha Richardson. Kassebaum’s regional appearances include Actors Theatre of Louisville, The 5th Avenue Theatre, ACT, Ordway and Florida Stage. Film: The Other Woman (with Natalie Portman and Lisa Kudrow).

Ken Page will be in his 41st Muny show

KEN PAGE(Arvide Abernathy) is proud to be part of the 101st season of The Muny. This will be his forty-first show on the stage and his fourth year as “the voice” of the theatre. Ken made his Broadway debut as Nicely-Nicely Johnson in the all-black revival of Guys and Dolls, receiving the Theatre World Award for his performance. This year, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from The St. Louis Arts & Education Council and directed a sold-out run of Love, Linda with Max & Louie Productions. Recent/upcoming: live-to-film concerts of Disney’s The Little Mermaid (Sebastian) at the Hollywood Bowl,Grumpy Old Men (La Mirada Theatre) and the UK live-to-film tour re-creating his role of Oogie Boogie in The Nightmare Before Christmas. 

DOREEN MONTALVO (General Cartwright) Muny debut! Broadway: On Your Feet! (Gloria, original Broadway cast); In the Heights (original Broadway cast, Drama Desk Award). Off-Broadway: Curvy Widow (Heidi, Westside Theatre), Giant (Lupe, The Public Theater), Flashdance The Musical (Louise), Mamma Mia! (Tanya); In the Heights (Camila, Westport Country Playhouse), American Mariachi(Denver Center/Old Globe), La Lupe (Lupe, Puerto Rican Traveling Theatre), In the Heights (37 Arts), Havana Under the Sea (Cecilia, INTAR Theatre). TV/Film: Law & Order, Elementary, Madam Secretary, The Tale of Timmy Two Chins, Smash, All My Children, One Life to Live. Recordings: American Soul/Latin Heart, Disney’s Moana soundtrack. Live: 54 Below, Joe’s Pub, The Metropolitan Room, The Duplex, Green Room 42. www.doreenmontalvo.com

ORVILLE MENDOZA (Nicely-Nicely Johnson) is thrilled to be back at The Muny where he got his Equity card 25 years ago in The King and I. Other Muny: Miss Saigon (2001), The King and I (2006), Godspell (2009). Broadway: Peter and the Starcatcher, Pacific Overtures. Most recently, the world premiere of The Heart of Rock and Roll (Old Globe, coming to Broadway). Previously, he toured with Small Mouth Sounds (Ars Nova). Off-Broadway: Found (Atlantic Theater Company), Pacific Overtures, Passion (Classic Stage Company); Romeo and Juliet, Timon of Athens and Road Show all at The Public Theater/NYSF. He’s worked all across the U.S. from La Jolla Playhouse to Long Wharf Theatre. TV: The Blacklist, Law & Order: CI and many commercials. Drama Desk nominee and Barrymore Award winner. www.orvillemendoza.com

JARED GERTNER (Benny Southstreet) Muny debut! Jared is best known for playing Elder Cunningham in The Book of Mormon on Broadway, on the first national tour and in London (Olivier nomination). Other New York: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Broadway) and Ordinary Days (off-Broadway, premiere). Regional: Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Cincinnati Playhouse, Goodspeed, The Fulton, Cape Playhouse and Sacramento Music Circus. Television: Mom, Modern Family, 2 Broke Girls, Supernatural, Superior Donuts, How I Met Your Mother, Marvel’s Agent Carter, Ugly Betty, The Good Wife, American Dad, Family Guy and the popular Broadway-themed web series, Submissions Only. Jared also starred in an NBC pilot called How We Live. Film: Nightmare Cinema(upcoming), Smallfoot and Pup Star. Education: NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. Twitter: @JaredGertner Instagram: @Jaredgertner1

BRENDAN AVERETT (Big Jule) is excited to make his Muny debut. Off-Broadway: Hamlet (Waterwell), Sam and Dede (Custom Made Theatre/59E59), Titus Andronicus (NY Shakespeare Exchange), The Killer, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (TFANA), As You Like It (Shakespeare in the Park), Massacre: Sing to Your Children (Rattlestick), Hamlet (Gallery Players), Passion Play (Epic Theatre Ensemble). Tours: Guys and Dolls. Regional: The Comedy of Errors, Kiss Me, Kate (Hartford Stage), Romeo and Juliet(Actors Theatre of Louisville), Of Mice and Men (Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park), Cyrano de Bergerac, The Tempest (Theatricum Botanicum), Henry V (California Shakespeare Company), Bloody Poetry, The Alchemist (Everyman Theatre), Measure for Measure, Guys and Dolls, The Swanne: Pt. III(Stratford Shakespeare Festival of Canada). TV/Film: Law & Order: SVU, Trapped in the Closet, Blossom. Former Associate Producer for NYSX’s The Sonnet Project.

KEVIN CAHOON (Harry the Horse) Muny: The Wizard of Oz and Spamalot. Broadway: The Wedding Singer, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, The Lion King, The Rocky Horror Show revival and The Who’s Tommy(debut). Off-Broadway: original Hedwig and The Angry Inch, How I Learned to Drive (Second Stage), The Foreigner (Roundabout, Lortel nomination), The Shaggs (Playwrights Horizons), The Wild Party (Manhattan Theatre Club), Hair and Babes in Arms (NY City Center Encores!). Regional: The Old Globe, Guthrie, Williamstown. TV: A Series of Unfortunate Events, Glow (upcoming), Nurse Jackie, Elementary, NCIS, Modern Family, The Mentalist, The Good Wife, CSI, Odd Mom Out, Six Degrees, Black Box, The Royale, Law & Order (original/CI). Film: I Am Michael, Mars Needs Moms, The Thing About My Folks, Curse of The Jade Scorpion. Debut album: Doll (OutMusic Award).

RICH PISARKIEWICZ (Lt. Brannigan) Muny 101 marks Rich’s 38th season on the Muny boards, appearing in over 80 productions, including last season’s An Evening with the Stars and Annie. He has appeared regionally with The Fox Theatres (Atlanta and St. Louis), Dallas Summer Musicals, Kansas City Starlight, and locally with Stages St. Louis, Shakespeare Festival St. Louis, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, The Black Rep, Westport Playhouse and Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. He has also enjoyed working with the Variety Theatre in several productions, most recently The Wizard of Oz. Upcoming: Man of La Mancha (Stages St. Louis). 2019 is his 41st year in professional theatre beginning with 1776 at Summerstage in 1979.

Link for more information: muny.org/guys-and-dolls.

About the show:

Guys and Dolls is based on a story and characters of Damon Runyon with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and a book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. 

Considered by many to be the perfect musical comedy, Guys and Dolls gambles with luck and love during a time when Broadway was rampant with wise guys, mission girls and Lindy’s cheesecake. This all-time Broadway classic features a high-rolling score, including “Luck Be a Lady,” “If I Were a Bell” and “Sit Down, You’re Rocking the Boat.” With this Muny favorite, everyone’s a winner!

The seven shows in the 2019 Muny season are: Guys and Dolls (June 10 – 16), Kinky Boots (June 19 – 25), 1776 (June 27 – July 3), Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella (July 8 – 16), Footloose (July 18 – 24), Lerner and Loewe’s Paint Your Wagon (July 27 – August 2) and Roald Dahl’s Matilda (August 5 – 11). For more information, visit muny.org.  

Season and single tickets are currently on sale. Muny gift cards for the 101st season are available online and at The Muny Box Office. MetroTix is the only official online point-of-purchase vendor for The Muny. For more information, visit muny.org or call (314) 361-1900.

Getting Churched – Black Rep’s ‘Nina Simone: Four Women’ Rages and Praises Its Way Through the Ruins

Getting Churched – Black Rep’s ‘Nina Simone: Four Women’ Rages and Praises Its Way Through the Ruins

By CB AdamsContributing Writer

During a weekend hyper-inflated with entertainments of mass
distraction – in particular, the Game of
Thrones series finale and the St. Louis Blues’ game of Stanley Cup – a
modest-sized audience was invited to engage with a deeper, more troubling, more
pressing and more prescient entertainment. Completing its 42nd
season, the Black Rep presented its production of Nina Simone: Four Women at the Edison Theatre on the Washington
University in St. Louis campus.

Set in the ruins of the 16th Street Baptist
Church in Birmingham after the 1963 bombing that killed four children, the play
earnestly, if unevenly, stands as a monument to the notion that everything old never
stops being new again. Playwright Christina Ham’s mash-up script attempts to
synthesize an array of social issues including, but not limited to, civil
rights, waning traditional religious values, the legacies and injustices of the
Old South and Jim Crow, adoption/abortion issues, culture and cultural
appropriation, white-on-black violence and intergenerational differences toward
sexuality and womanhood – all through the lens of Simone’s prickly personality
and her own artistic, personal and political frustrations.

Ham’s approach to this bomb-blast of issues is to sew its
many subjects into a large quilt rather than delve too deeply into any single patch
or two. In other words, a macro rather than micro approach. That’s a tall
order, especially when combined with a retrospective of Simone’s signature
songs and a presentation that’s equal parts concert, cabaret, revue and jukebox
musical, ala Mama Mia!. Ham’s conceit
seems to be: come for the Simone, stay for the social commentary.

At the heart of the play is one of Simone’s defining songs, “Mississippi Goddam.” And at the heart of that song are the lines, “Just try to do your very best / Stand up be counted with all the rest / For everybody knows about Mississippi goddam.”

This production, ably directed by Ron Himes, embodies that “do your very best” spirit while working through Ham’s something-for-everybody script. The four characters of the title are doing their best in their respective bad situations, each according to her experience, abilities and station in life.

The
four actresses playing those characters are the real strength of this
production. Maybe the conceit should be: come for the Simone, but definitely
stay for the performances of Leah Stewart as Simone, Denise Thimes as Sarah (aka
Auntie), Alex Jay as Sephronia and Camile “Cee” Sharp as Sweet Thing. Stewart
and Thimes make the most of their well-rounded characters. Sharp deserves extra
credit for her yeoman’s effort to animate the borderline one-dimensional
character of prostitute Sweet Thing. Scenic designer Tim Jones’s bombed-out
church set evocatively captures the devastation through which the characters
literally and metaphorically must move.

Impressive, too, and a testament to the strength of the St. Louis theater community, is that Stewart, Thimes and Jay are all natives of the Gateway City. Rounding out this exemplary local talent pool was a near-silent fifth character, the onstage piano accompanist, St. Louis native and musical director Charles Creath.

Cast of “Nina Simone: Four Women” Photo by Philip HamerThe script of Nina Simone: Four Women is too often clichéd (“walk a mile in my shoes”), too often expository in a biopic/Wikipedia sort of way (“It was my first top 10 hit”) and sometimes period-inappropriate (“skin in the game”). Yet, with the exception of a few flubbed lines, the actresses more than compensate for these shortcomings with their snappy timing, true heart and deep authenticity. And they soared and rose above the material individually and collectively performing “Old Jim Crow,” “Brown Baby” and “To Be Young Gifted and Black” and the other well-curated selections from Simone’s songbook.

The play seeks to make connections among the many issues it
touches and attempts to reach an epiphanic conclusion with the four characters
joining together for Simone’s song “Four Women.” The play’s wide-ranging reach
surpasses the ability of this one song to offer a satisfying resolution to the
issues it raises – but perhaps that point. It’s one woman’s (Simone herself) or
each character’s way of navigating a barrage of cultural adversities and finding
some meaning, strength and hope despite these challenges.

For this culmination, the attention instead should return to
“Mississippi Goddam.” Though the lyrics are relatively tame by modern urban
music’s standards, the anger is still palpable, real and relevant. It should
leave the audience realizing it’s not just Mississippi or Alabama goddam, but St.
Louis goddam and, yes, America goddam.

“Nina Simone: Four Women” plays at the Edison Theatre May 15-June 2. For tickets or more information, call the box office at 314-534-3807 or go online attheblackrep.org. A special $20 deal is available on Wednesday nights through the run.

Muny Updates Progress on Capital Campaign

Muny Updates Progress on Capital Campaign

Nearly a year into the public phase of their Second Century Capital Campaign, The Muny announced this week a progress update of $72 million raised to date of its $100 million goal.

A first of its kind for the nation’s oldest and largest outdoor theatre, the gifts acquired during this campaign will support capital improvements that include a complete rebuild of the Muny stage, extensive renovations to backstage support spaces, assistance for the maintenance and upkeep of the aging 11.5-acre campus, and the growth of the theatre’s endowment.

The campaign will also aid in continuing The Muny’s core mission of remaining accessible through its 1,500 free seats and Community Access Program.

Photo by Julie A. Merkle“This campaign would not be possible without the generous support of countless Muny-goers,” said President and CEO Denny Reagan. “We are truly humbled and thankful and look forward to completing this campaign with St. Louis by our side.”    “The support the St. Louis community has given The Muny through this campaign in just under a year is remarkable,” said Muny Second Century Capital Campaign Chairman Jim Turley. “Without them, the second century of magic would not be possible.” “It is up to all of us to continue making The Muny the best it can be for generations to come,” said Director of Advancement Courtney Simms. “We have achieved much success in this campaign so far, but still have an exciting journey ahead. Every gift matters!”To give, or for more information regarding The Muny’s Second Century Capital Campaign, please visit muny.org/secondcentury.

Steamy ‘Night of the Iguana’ a Multi-Layered Masterpiece

Steamy ‘Night of the Iguana’ a Multi-Layered Masterpiece

By Lynn Venhaus
Managing Editor
Desperation hangs thick in the air in Tennessee Williams’ richly detailed “The
Night of the Iguana,” the remarkable centerpiece to this year’s fourth annual
Tennessee Williams Festival.

At a rundown resort in Mexico, people are there to escape –
or to hide. Everyone has secrets. They can get away, but they can’t run, just
like the big fat iguana that’s tied up offstage.

The setting is not inconsequential. You can tell Cosa Verde
has seen better days, and so have most of these characters. But each has a
story to tell – and those looking for mercy, a glimmer of hope.

In his grand, striking poetic exposition, Williams tackles
a lot here – a former minister who is a tormented soul, three primary women of
different types and temperatures, and an assortment of workers and tourists. He
seizes on how people fare in volatile times.

A group of crass Nazi-sympathizing Germans on holiday stand
out for their gaudiness, and those roles might be tiny, but Williams is crafty
in his characterizations. After all, the play takes place in the early 1940s,
before World War II commandeers everything.

The metaphors are also rampant in this multi-layered
masterpiece. Scenic designer Dunsi Dai has created such a distinct corner of
the universe that you can practically feel the oppressive heat. Each cabin is
like an isolation pod, mosquito net hanging, a place of solitude and reflection
for some, but for others who feel trapped by their circumstances, a cage.

Dunsi Dai’s scenic design, photo by ProPhotoSTLThe brilliant Jon Ontiveros’ lighting design is a marvel of
moods and atmosphere, emphasizing Williams’ intentions through Dai’s
interpretation.

Ellie Schwetye, whose sound design is always memorable,
layers the outdoor cacophony with lapping ocean waves, which changes to different
noticeable nocturnal noises.

Meticulous director Tom Ocel has contained the sprawling
story to emphasize temptation, loneliness, loss and the despair that comes from
being lost.

This landmine of human emotions, ready to explode at any
moment, is based on Williams’ 1948 short story, which was then developed into
three acts for a Broadway production in 1961. A Tony nominee for Best Play
(defeated by “A Man for All Seasons”) in 1962, actress Margaret Leighton won Best
Leading Actress in a Play for her portrayal of Hannah Jelkes. Two years later,
it was adapted into a steamy movie, directed by John Huston, that starred
Richard Burton, Ava Gardner, Deborah Kerr and Sue Lyon.

The tormented Rev. Shannon (James Andrew Butz, in an
extraordinary performance), who fell from grace in spectacular fashion – or, as
he says: “heresy and fornication – in the same week,” is a self-destructive
shell of a human being. He’s now driving a tour bus. Oh, the irony of escorting
a group of women from a Baptist college for their pleasure.

But at a cheap coastal hotel, they’ve turned against him,
the staff is on edge, and the proprietor is just trying to get through another
day without incidents. LaVonne Byers is Maxine Faulk, the recently widowed
owner who was something in her prime. However, she is now weary of other people’s
drama – but has a soft spot for Shannon, whom she has known a long time. He can
push her buttons, nevertheless. Byers plays this vigorous woman with her
customary precision, turning Maxine into a strong, no-nonsense type whose past
is filled with hard-fought lessons. She tosses off some terrific comical lines,
too.

The brewing tempest grows out of its teacup into a full-blown
squall.

Summer Baer and Jim Butz, photo by ProPhotoSTLThe pretty young Charlotte Goodall, 16, has fancied this
mysterious Shannon, and vice-versa, thus resulting in all hell breaking loose
and a serious charge of statutory rape. This is the starting part. Summer Baer
is impressive as the innocent, naïve lass.

As Miss Judith Fellowes, entrusted with Charlotte’s care, Elizabeth
Ann Townsend is all blustery and self-righteous in her contempt for Shannon.
She wants justice, and she is going to get it.

Nisi Sturgis and Harry Weber. Photo by ProPhotoSTLAlong comes the refined Hannah Jelkes (Nisi Sturgis), whose
manners belie a living-on-the-edge situation. An artistic woman whose only
source of income is freelance painting and sketch work, she has accompanied her
beloved grandfather, “Nonno” — Jonathan Coffin, a poet. They survive together,
although he is ailing. They are just trying to get by, using whatever means
they can. Harry Weber imbues Nonna with dignity.

For the prickly, mercurial Shannon, Hannah becomes
something of a lifeline. She tries to save his humanity, and her spirit is revived
through their encounters. Williams makes you believe in the power of their
connection — “The magic of the other.” So do the actors — Butz and Sturgis
are stunning in their scenes together.

Butz pretty much raises the bar for every actor in town.
How he spirals out of control and goes through every emotion, depicting Shannon
on the brink of a breakdown, is astonishing. He’s always a robust life-force on
stage, but this portrayal is some of the finest acting we’ve been privileged to
see in St. Louis.

Sturgis, whose measured demeanor is exactly how you imagine
Deborah Kerr in the movie, delivers one of the finest female performances of
the year. She conveys the restraint, compassion and grace of her character
beautifully.

Nisi Sturgis and Jim Butz, Photo by ProPhotoSTLOcel moves the large cast around to the beats of the
fun-and-sun coastal setting, with a sense of foreboding and something’s
off-kilter. Again, the irony of the hellish happenings occurring at such a
slice-of-heaven paradise.

Costume Designer Garth Dunbar has a keen eye to distinguish
the personalities through their outfits.

Steve Isom, Teresa Doggett, Chaunery Kingsford Tanguay and
Hannah Lee Eisenbath provide lively portraits of the garish, loud Germans oblivious
to anything but their own needs.

In minor roles, Greg Johnston is Jake Latta, Shannon’s
supervisor, and Spencer Sickmann is employee Hank, Victor Mendez is worker
Pedro and Luis Aguilar is worker Pancho.

The crisp stage direction and the ensemble’s commitment to
immerse themselves to tell this story, with all its messy interactions, make
this production stand out.

If last year’s award-winning TWF mainstage show, “A
Streetcar Named Desire,” was a leap of faith, this year’s centerpiece is a masterful
coming-of-age, a major step forward, strengthening Williams’ legacy and continuing
a vibrant tradition.

Tennessee
Williams Festival presents “A Night of the Iguana” May 9 through May 19 at The
Grandel Theatre in the Grand Arts Center. Evening performances Thursday through
Saturday are at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday is at 3 p.m. For more information, visit www.twstl.org

Joyous ‘Come from Away’ Reminds Us of the Power of Community

Joyous ‘Come from Away’ Reminds Us of the Power of Community

C

By Joe GfallerContributing WriterIt is often said that crisis brings a community together. Too often in recent years real or manufactured crisis in our communities seem to have done the opposite, deepening dividing lines, bringing out the worst and not the best in people. Perhaps that is why the joyous and poignant national tour of “Come from Away,” now playing at the Fox Theatre is so refreshing and beautiful: it gives hope that on our worst day, we are all capable of finding our best selves.

The worst day in question here is September 11, 2001. The idea that a musical could be written about such an enormous tragedy and contain even a note of laughter may be surprising to some. But “Come From Away” is less about the events of that day and more about our collective memory of them. The events of 9/11 are indelibly burned into our minds, and those memories come forward whenever anyone asks “Where were you when…” We each have our story. Each is incomplete. As you begin to put them together, the picture gets fuller and richer. Eventually, with enough stories in the picture, it almost feels whole.

That kind of intentional story telling is very much the model of “Come From Away.” Like The Laramie Project or House of Cards, the musical establishes a narrative device that allows each character to tell you their first-person accounts of the events – and then slip right into the events themselves.

When their accounts converge into one common idea (the uncertainty of being on a grounded jet for hours, the search for hope in prayer, the escape of party in a pub), their stories turn into full ensemble numbers that seamlessly weave those many voices together, not as a traditional chorus – but as a community in action.

If you were to ask each of the people whose stories are told in “Come From Away,” “Where were you when…” they would all have the same answer: Gander, Newfoundland. For it’s here that around 7,000 airline passengers were stranded for nearly five days, starting on September 11, once the United States closed its borders to airline travel.

For the 9,000 people already there, for nearly a week, they played unexpected host to the world. “Come From Away” lets us see how both the Islanders and the “Plane People” were changed by that brief encounter – and changed, refreshingly, for the better.

To tell this story, “Come From Away” uses an ensemble of only 12 actors. At times, their virtuosity moving from character to character on a moment’s notice with just the change of a hat or a jacket makes you assume that there are far more people on stage. It’s a marvel to behold. Director Christopher Ashley and musical staging supervisor Kelly Devine deserve high praise for the ever-nimble staging and the sharp, clear character choices that differentiate the many roles each actor plays.

Within the ensemble, no one role is designed to be a star
turn. Rather, we get story lines that develop as each of the characters build
relationships during their five days together.

Diane, played with heart and zeal by Christine Toy Johnson, is a divorced mother on her way home to Dallas who happens to be sitting next to a well-intentioned but socially awkward Brit named Nick, given a deeply endearing rendering by Chamblee Ferguson. Together, stuck on their American Airlines plane on the Gander tarmac, both feeling alone and “so damn helpless,” they start to get to know each other. Once off the plane, their paths continue to cross until (after perhaps one too many drinks) Diane is given the choice to either kiss a cod or kiss Nick. You can guess which she picks.

Ferguson’s gentle awakening to the fact that he might have feelings for this stranger is touching – particularly in the moment that he finds out that the father of Diane’s child in Dallas is her ex-husband and not currently her husband. And the freedom which Johnson embraces to be the best version of herself in a place where no one knows her is exhilarating — even if the only reason her hair looks so different is that she hasn’t been able to shampoo for 3 days).

That very freedom is what wears upon the other central couple in the show, Kevin T and Kevin J. While Kevin T, played with giddy enthusiasm and a casual charm by Andrew Samonsky, is ready to embrace the adventure of meeting new people in a new place, the longer Kevin J, given a grounded, if slightly arch performance by Nick Duckart, stays in Gander, the more he realizes the place he wants to be is Brooklyn, where he grew up, with the family who needs him. Kevin T never seems to grasp his partner’s struggle – and while it comes as no surprise their relationship does not last until the end of the show, it is certainly a disappointment.

Danielle K. Thomas gives a heartfelt performance as Hannah, a mother whose son is a New York City firefighter. Her struggle to reconcile the fact she cannot be with him is expressed movingly in one of the show’s few true solo numbers “I Am Here.”

The friendship she builds with Newfoundlander Beulah, in a stern but kind performance from Julie Johnson, becomes her lifeline when her son’s voicemail becomes too full to accept new messages and increasingly the worst seems to be around the corner.

But love takes many forms in “Come From Away.” For Beverley, a pilot, her love is flying, despite all odds. Based on a real person, she was the first female pilot to be made captain by American. Her heartbreak comes in “Me and the Sky,” when she realizes now that the one thing she loves most has been turned into a bomb, she can never love it the same way again. Becky Gulsvig gives Beverly strength and conviction in equal parts, a complete 180 degree turn from her other role, a naïve school teacher who seems to find the prospect for love in every male Plane Person she meets. The characters are so different, it took me almost until the end of the show to realize they were played by the same actress.

If Beverly is trying to find order on her plane, Gander’s mayor Claude, played with a twinkle in his eye by Kevin Carolan, and police officer Oz (Harter Clingman, in one of the show’s smaller roles) are trying to create order in the town. Carolan gets to play not just one mayor, but all four mayors in the area with the quick changes of a hat, a moustache, and a pair of glasses. Presiding over a fanciful ritual to turn the Plane People into Newfoundlanders, he gets to lead one of the most delightful sequences in the show and does it with plenty of aplomb.

Emily Walton, as Gander’s new TV anchor Janice, is a breath
of fresh air throughout – no more so than when she makes a desperate plea to
the extremely generous people of Gander: “For the love of God, stop bringing
toilet paper to the Lion’s Club.” As Bonnie, Megan McGinnis balances humor with
heartfelt concern for the animals left with the checked luggage in the
airport’s 38 airplanes.

As Bob, an African-American New Yorker separated from his family, James Earl Jones II finds humor in some very complicated dynamics about race. Sent by one of Carolan’s many mayors to collect grills from people’s yards for a cookout, he expects to get shot by angry homeowners – and instead is offered tea. When asked back in New York if he was “OK” during those five days in Gander, he realizes that “I wasn’t just OK. I was somehow better.”

Over the course of this crisp one-act musical, that seems to be the message. If it’s possible to be better in a time of crisis, can’t it be possible to be better without the crisis? You don’t need to have a lot of resources to do the right thing. The people of Gander certainly don’t.

There seems to be some intentional alignment between this idea in the script and the way the design of the musical is so eloquently and simply delivered. The set, by Beowulf Boritt, consists of two tables and many chairs, contained within a series of trees that — like the actors themselves — play double duty, in this case, both as set pieces and light trusses. The costumes, by Toni-Leslie James, couldn’t be more simple and effective for the litany of each actor’s many character changes. The same could be said for Howell Binkley’s lighting, which moved us from air traffic control to the interior of an airplane to a Tim Horton’s with remarkable speed and clarity.

The orchestrations are wildly resourceful as well, with only eight musicians serving as the band for a musical in such an enormous theater. Cynthia Kortman Westphal conducted, while also playing keyboard, accordion, and harmonium – with almost every other musician doubling on two or more instruments throughout the show. The musicians sit at the periphery of the stage and join the cast for “Screech In,” the party sequence at a bar – integrating seamlessly into (and then back out of) the action. As part of the curtain call, it was a real treat to see them take center stage to play a joyful sendoff for everyone.

For the finale of “Come From Away,” we jump ahead 10 years to 2011 and to the anniversary of these men and women arriving in Gander. No longer is fear of the unknown present as it was in 2001 – Islanders not knowing if they are prepared to take care of so many unexpected temporary migrants, Plane People not knowing when or how they would see their families again. Instead, the mood is one of joy. “We honor what was lost, but we commemorate what was found,” says the mayor.

By this point, with all the doubling of roles, we in the audience lose track as to which of the twelve actors are supposed to be which characters. Are they Plane People or are they Islanders? In our own lives, we can each have moments when we are the Plane People – the unsettled, the displaced. But we can all have moments when we chose to be the Islanders – radically generous, supportive, welcoming. So as “Come From Away” ends with the chorus of “I am an Islander,” you realize it doesn’t matter if you were a Plane Person or an Islander at the start. Every character in the musical has become an Islander by the end.

And one wonders if by the end, each of us the audience has cultivated our potential to become more of an Islander ourselves.

The Fox Theatre presents the Tony Award-winning musical, “Come from Away,” now through May 26. For tickets or more information, visit www.fabulousfox.com. Call Metrotix at 314-534-1111.