Lynn Venhaus

Total Post: 1313

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.

Take Ten with Edward Coffield

Take Ten with Edward Coffield

By Lynn Venhaus
Managing Editor
Edward Coffield likes to make people laugh.
As a director, his forte has been comedy, and this past year, he has helmed “Life Sucks” and “An Act of God” at the New Jewish Theatre, where he took over the reins as Artistic Director from longtime chief Kathleen Sitzer, who retired in July after 22 years.
Kathleen programmed the 2018-2019 season, and he collaborated with her. The season opened with “Raging Skillet” on Oct. 3, then “An Act of God” Nov. 29 – Dec. 16 and continues with the upcoming “District Merchants” Jan. 24 – Feb. 10, “Time Stands Still” March 28 – April 14, and “I Now Pronounce” May 16 – June 2, a wedding comedy, which he will direct.
In assuming the Artistic Director position, Coffield said he wanted to deepen and extend the relationship he had with the company for 16 years, most recently as associate artistic director.
“New Jewish has a very steady and loyal audience who are smart and love a great story,” he said.
During his tenure at NJT, he directed “Yentl,” the original 2005 production of “Driving Miss Daisy,” “My Mother’s Lesbian Jewish Wiccan Wedding,” “Laughter on the 23rd Floor,” and the award-winning “Jacob and Jack,” among many others. He was nominated for a Kevin Kline Award for “From Door to Door” and by the St. Louis Theater Circle for his work on the farce “Is He Dead?” for St. Louis Shakespeare.
Currently, he is working on “District Merchants,” which is being directed by Jacqueline Thompson.
This adaptation of Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice” takes love and litigation, deep passions and predatory lending to a new level as it explores race, religion, power and money in America.
“I am very excited to produce this play. When Kathleen Sitzer (NJT’s founding Artistic Director) was planning the 2018-19 season we had several conversations about producing ‘The Merchant of Venice,’ which we had produced previously in 2005. It is one of those plays that continues to remain relevant. The Jewish people read the Torah year after year. Not because the Torah changed but because we change. Maybe that is true with great plays, they should be revisited,” he said.
“Kathleen knew about this adaptation and we both like Aaron Posner the playwright (author of “Life Sucks”) – so it seemed like the perfect time to produce this play. Posner expertly blends humor, emotional truths and topics that make people think. He is able to create characters who are deeply flawed, like we are. In his ‘uneasy’ comedy, he wants us to look at a snapshot in time, the Reconstruction Era, but what he has written is relevant to audiences today,” he said.
What might be his calling card, the signature of a Coffield production?
“People tell me I have a knack for casting well,” he said.
Coffield recently directed the comedy “An Act of God,” which the New York Times referred to as “A gut-busting-funny riff on the never-ending folly of mankind’s attempts to fathom God’s wishes through the words of the Bible and use them to their own ends.”
In this 2015 play by David Javerbaum, God decides to introduce revised laws and doesn’t hold back.
“It’s funny, funny, funny,” he said, “plus Alan Knoll.”
Coffield and Knoll have worked on more than a dozen productions.
“We are close friends. He might be the funniest actor I know,” he said.
After three decades here, he will only take on certain projects.
“I will not direct a show that does not speak to me emotionally or intellectually,” he said.
In addition to running the J, he is on the faculty of the Conservatory of Theatre Arts at Webster University, and freelances as a director. He has directed for Insight Theatre Company, St. Louis Shakespeare, Stray Dog Theatre, Ozark Actors Theatre and The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, and the former Orange Girls company.
He spent 28 years at The Rep as production manager.
“He understands how the theatre business works. He connects well with artists, technicians, staff and contributors,” said Steven Woolf, Artistic Director of the Repertory Theatre of Saint Louis, when Coffield was announced as NJT Artistic Director.
Working in the local theater community has its rewards, Coffield noted.
“We are a great theatre town and we continue to grow and expand. It is a very exciting time to be a theatre maker here,” he said. “I am so honored to be part of a great theatre community.”
The downside is: “There is a lot of theatre here and scheduling can be tricky,” he said.
As a new year is about to begin, he is excited about what’s ahead.
“I look forward to continue the growth and success of NJT,” Coffield said.
For more information, visit www.newjewishtheatre.org
Here are Edward’s answers to our Take Ten Questions:
Why did you choose your profession/pursue the arts?
“From an early age, I knew I wanted to be a producer. I suppose at that point, I did not really know what that meant. I have come to learn that it means leading the collaborative process of theatre on stage and off.”
How would your friends describe you?
“Funny.”
How do you like to spend your spare time?
“Avid Foodie and Cook.”
What is your current obsession?
“Old episodes of “Perry Mason.”
What would people be surprised to find out about you?
“As gregarious as I am, I am very shy.”
Can you share one of your most defining moments in life?
“Years ago, in summer stock, I was stage managing a production of “Hello, Dolly!” One night as we are about to start the title song, I looked in to the audience and watched a 60-something man put his arm around his (I presume) wife. They snuggled together and sang along at the top of their lungs. I was so touched, I laughed and then teared up. It was a great reminder of the power and sweetness that the theatre has to make people change.
Who do you admire most?
“My late twin brother Philip. An actor and director – he taught me about theatre and most importantly, he taught me how to laugh.”
8. What is at the top of your Bucket List?
“A trip to Italy, Israel, Argentina …..it’s a long list.”
What is your favorite thing to do in St. Louis?
“Farmer’s Markets.”
What’s next?
“Directing ‘I Now Pronounce’ for New Jewish Theatre.”
More about Edward:
Name: Edward (Eddie) Coffield
Age: 54
Birthplace: New Mexico
Current location: University City
Family: 2 cats (Barnaby and Cornelius), amazing father and siblings, and the greatest friends in the world.
Education: University of Texas at Austin
Day job: Artistic Director-Producer the New Jewish Theatre
First job: Long John Silver – “Ahoy, can I help you!”
Awards/Honors/Achievements: Multiple nominee Best Director- Circle Awards and Kline Awards
Favorite quote/words to live by: “Prance with vigor.”
A song that makes you happy: “Smile” by Charlie Chaplin.

Go See a Play! What’s Happening Dec. 20 – 26

Go See a Play! What’s Happening Dec. 20 – 26

By Lynn Venhaus
Managing Editor
Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas, let your hearts be light. The most wonderful time of the year is here, and that means family, food, fun, fellowship and fa la la la la.
Actors are working to entertain us this weekend, and some productions will continue after Christmas Day through the new year.
So, go see a play — and here’s to a cool yule! God Bless Us, Everyone!
“Anastasia”
The Fabulous Fox
Dec. 26 – Jan. 6
www.metrotix.com or www.fabulousfox.com
What It’s About: Inspired by the beloved films, the romantic and adventure-filled new musical ANASTASIA is on a journey to St. Louis at last!
From the Tony Award®-winning creators of the Broadway classic Ragtime, this dazzling show transports us from the twilight of the Russian Empire to the euphoria of Paris in the 1920s, as a brave young woman sets out to discover the mystery of her past. Pursued by a ruthless Soviet officer determined to silence her, Anya enlists the aid of a dashing conman and a lovable ex-aristocrat. Together, they embark on an epic adventure to help her find home, love, and family.
ANASTASIA features a book by celebrated playwright Terrence McNally, a lush new score by Stephen Flaherty (music) and Lynn Ahrens (lyrics) with direction by Tony Award® winner Darko Tresnjak.

“Away in the Basement: A Church Basement Ladies Christmas”The Playhouse @ Westport
Nov. 8 – Jan. 6
635 Westport Plaza in Maryland Heightswww.playhouseatwestport.com
MetroTix: www.metrotix.com or 314-534-1111
What It’s About: An all-new holiday show is set in 1959, on the day of the Sunday School Christmas Program. During holiday preparations, the down-to-earth ladies are creating their own memories from Christmases past and present. Content to do things the way they have always been done, yet pondering new ideas, the reality of everyday life hits home as they plan the Sunday School Christmas Program.
As the children rehearse in the sanctuary, several of the ladies are in the kitchen finishing up the treat bags filled with apples, peanuts and ribbon candy while the others put the final touches on the nativity pieces. As they mend old bathrobe costumes, discuss the politics of who’s going to play the various roles, little do the ladies know what surprises are in store for them.
Known for their hilarious antics and subtle charm, they are once again called upon to step in and save the day!
Directors: Lee Anne Mathews and Emily Clinger, with music direction by Joseph Dreyer
Cast: Rosemary Watts, Lee Anne Mathews,
Of Note: Performances are Sundays and Tuesdays at 2 p.m., Thursdays and Fridays at 2 p.m., Saturdays and Wednesdays at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Additionally, tickets will be available at the Playhouse @ Westport Plaza box office one hour prior to show time. Groups of 10 or more can call 314-616-4455 for special rates.
All five installments of the musical comedy “Church Basement Ladies” are inspired by the books of author/humorists Janet Letnes Martin and Suzann Nelson, including the bestseller “Growing Up Lutheran.”
“A Christmas Story”
Jerry Naunheim Jr. PhotoThe Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
Nov. 28 – Dec. 23
Mainstage, Loretto-Hilton Centerwww.repstl.org
314-968-4925
What It’s About: “You’ll shoot your eye out”! An adaptation of the classic holiday film, “A Christmas Story” is about Ralphie Parker’s quest to get a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas. Filled with small-town family vignettes and colorful characters,
Director: Seth Gordon
Starring: Charlie Matthis, as nine-year-old Ralphie, and Ted Deasy, as the grown-up Ralph who narrates the play.
Brad Fraizer is The Old Man, Laurel Casillo is Mother, Spencer Slavik is younger brother Randy, Jo Twiss is Miss Shields. Tanner Gilbertson, Gigi Koster, Ana McAlister, Rhadi Smith and Dan J. Wolfe are featured child performers.
Of Note: The show had an acclaimed run at The Rep in 2009.
“Facing”Tesseract Theatre Company
Dec. 21-23
Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 4 p.m.
The .Zack
3224 Locust in mid-town
www.tesseracttheatre.org
What It’s About: In this new play by Caitlin McCommis, Wilda has modeled her life after that of her grandmother: to be fearless and adventure down the same dirt roads. When she’s diagnosed with a debilitating illness, the vision of her future gets ripped away as she’s welcomed to a club that she never asked to be a part of. But when another club member goes through a crisis, Wilda is forced to look her worst nightmare in the eye.
“It’s a Wonderful Life”
Next Generation Theatre Company
Dec. 21 – 23
Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.
Florissant Civic Center Theatre
Parker and Waterford in Florissant
314-921-5678
www.nextgenerationtheatre.company
What It’s About: Based on the classic Frank Capra film, George Bailey has spent his entire life giving of himself to the people of Bedford Falls. After a huge loss, George is forced to face his own humanity and what things would have been like if he had never been born.
Dawn Schmid and Jeremy Goldmeier in second-act Christmas Party in “The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told.” Photo by John Lamb“The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told”Stray Dog Theatre
Dec 6 – 22
Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m.
Special performance Wednesday, Dec. 19
Tower Grove Abbey, 2336 Tennessee Ave.www.straydogtheatre.org
314-865-1995
What It’s About: This outlandish comedy by Paul Rudnick is about the first men on earth, Adam and Steve, and their lesbian friends Jane and Mabel, who decide to start civilization, despite the challenges. The stage manager, who might be God, leads them through the Garden of Eden, the Great Flood, a visit with a Pharaoh and the Messiah’s birth.
Director: Justin Been
Starring: Patrice Foster, Luke Steingruby, Jennelle Gilreath, Stephen Henley, Maria Bartolotta, Angela Bubash, Jeremy Goldmeier, Dawn Schmid.
Of Note: For mature audiences
Zak Farmer, Mark Kelley, Colleen Backer and Deborah Dennart“Perfect Arrangement”
R-S Theatrics
The Marcelle Theatre
Dec. 7 – 23
Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 7 p.m.
www.r-stheatrics.com
What It’s About: In 1950s America, four people can’t reveal that they are actually two same-sex relationships masquerading as the typical “All-American” couple because gays have been added to the Red Scare. Will their cover be blown as two are U.S. State Department employees.
Director: Sarah Lynne Holt
Starring: Mark Kelley, Zak Farmer, Deborah Dennert, Colleen Backer, Sarah Gene Dowling, Tyson Cole, Erin Struckhoff.
“Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer The Musical”The Fabulous Fox
Feb. 22 – 23
Saturday at 11 a.m., 3 p.m. and 7 p.m., and Sunday at 1 and 5 p.m.
www.fabulousfox.com
What It’s About: The original TV classic comes to life! Come see all of your favorite characters from the special including Santa and Mrs. Claus, Hermey the Elf, Bumble the Abominable Snow Monster, Clarice, Yukon Cornelius and, of course, Rudolph, as they come to life in RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER: THE MUSICAL. It’s an adventure that teaches us that what makes you different can be what makes you special. Don’t miss this wonderful holiday tradition that speaks to the misfit in all of us. Based on the animated television special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and the stage production directed and conceived by Jeff Frank and First Stage. Script adaptation by Robert Penola. Arrangements and orchestrations by Timothy Splain
 
“Wonderland: Alice’s Rock and Roll Adventure”Metro Theatre Company
Dec. 2 – Dec. 30
The Grandel Theatre, 3610 Grandel Square in Grand Center
www.metroplays.org
What It’s About: Part rock concert, part theater, all of your favorite characters as Metro Theater Company presents this new, wild and wondrous take on Lewis Carroll’s beloved, poetic tale of self-actualization. A cast of actors/musicians plays an eclectic mix of everything from soul and rock to punk to ska as Alice chases through Wonderland in search of her own inner musical voice. A fun, hip, and refreshing fusion of music, theatre and poetry, it is the search for one’s authentic self, asking how can you march to the beat of your own drummer when you’re still writing the song? It places Alice in a strange, new world, where she conquers her fears and uses her musical skills to defeat the Jabberwock.

“Away in the Basement: A Church Basement Ladies Christmas”The Playhouse @ Westport
Nov. 8 – Jan. 6
635 Westport Plaza in Maryland Heightswww.playhouseatwestport.com
MetroTix: www.metrotix.com or 314-534-1111
What It’s About: An all-new holiday show is set in 1959, on the day of the Sunday School Christmas Program. During holiday preparations, the down-to-earth ladies are creating their own memories from Christmases past and present. Content to do things the way they have always been done, yet pondering new ideas, the reality of everyday life hits home as they plan the Sunday School Christmas Program.
As the children rehearse in the sanctuary, several of the ladies are in the kitchen finishing up the treat bags filled with apples, peanuts and ribbon candy while the others put the final touches on the nativity pieces. As they mend old bathrobe costumes, discuss the politics of who’s going to play the various roles, little do the ladies know what surprises are in store for them.
Known for their hilarious antics and subtle charm, they are once again called upon to step in and save the day!
Directors: Lee Anne Mathews and Emily Clinger, with music direction by Joseph Dreyer
Cast: Rosemary Watts, Lee Anne Mathews,
Of Note: Performances are Sundays and Tuesdays at 2 p.m., Thursdays and Fridays at 2 p.m., Saturdays and Wednesdays at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Additionally, tickets will be available at the Playhouse @ Westport Plaza box office one hour prior to show time. Groups of 10 or more can call 314-616-4455 for special rates.
All five installments of the musical comedy “Church Basement Ladies” are inspired by the books of author/humorists Janet Letnes Martin and Suzann Nelson, including the bestseller “Growing Up Lutheran.”
“A Christmas Story”
Jerry Naunheim Jr. PhotoThe Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
Nov. 28 – Dec. 23
Mainstage, Loretto-Hilton Centerwww.repstl.org
314-968-4925
What It’s About: “You’ll shoot your eye out”! An adaptation of the classic holiday film, “A Christmas Story” is about Ralphie Parker’s quest to get a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas. Filled with small-town family vignettes and colorful characters,
Director: Seth Gordon
Starring: Charlie Matthis, as nine-year-old Ralphie, and Ted Deasy, as the grown-up Ralph who narrates the play.
Brad Fraizer is The Old Man, Laurel Casillo is Mother, Spencer Slavik is younger brother Randy, Jo Twiss is Miss Shields. Tanner Gilbertson, Gigi Koster, Ana McAlister, Rhadi Smith and Dan J. Wolfe are featured child performers.
Of Note: The show had an acclaimed run at The Rep in 2009.
“Facing”Tesseract Theatre Company
Dec. 21-23
Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 4 p.m.
The .Zack
3224 Locust in mid-town
www.tesseracttheatre.org
What It’s About: In this new play by Caitlin McCommis, Wilda has modeled her life after that of her grandmother: to be fearless and adventure down the same dirt roads. When she’s diagnosed with a debilitating illness, the vision of her future gets ripped away as she’s welcomed to a club that she never asked to be a part of. But when another club member goes through a crisis, Wilda is forced to look her worst nightmare in the eye.
“It’s a Wonderful Life”
Next Generation Theatre Company
Dec. 21 – 23
Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.
Florissant Civic Center Theatre
Parker and Waterford in Florissant
314-921-5678
www.nextgenerationtheatre.company
What It’s About: Based on the classic Frank Capra film, George Bailey has spent his entire life giving of himself to the people of Bedford Falls. After a huge loss, George is forced to face his own humanity and what things would have been like if he had never been born.
Dawn Schmid and Jeremy Goldmeier in second-act Christmas Party in “The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told.” Photo by John Lamb“The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told”Stray Dog Theatre
Dec 6 – 22
Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m.
Special performance Wednesday, Dec. 19
Tower Grove Abbey, 2336 Tennessee Ave.www.straydogtheatre.org
314-865-1995
What It’s About: This outlandish comedy by Paul Rudnick is about the first men on earth, Adam and Steve, and their lesbian friends Jane and Mabel, who decide to start civilization, despite the challenges. The stage manager, who might be God, leads them through the Garden of Eden, the Great Flood, a visit with a Pharaoh and the Messiah’s birth.
Director: Justin Been
Starring: Patrice Foster, Luke Steingruby, Jennelle Gilreath, Stephen Henley, Maria Bartolotta, Angela Bubash, Jeremy Goldmeier, Dawn Schmid.
Of Note: For mature audiences
Zak Farmer, Mark Kelley, Colleen Backer and Deborah Dennart“Perfect Arrangement”
R-S Theatrics
The Marcelle Theatre
Dec. 7 – 23
Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 7 p.m.
www.r-stheatrics.com
What It’s About: In 1950s America, four people can’t reveal that they are actually two same-sex relationships masquerading as the typical “All-American” couple because gays have been added to the Red Scare. Will their cover be blown as two are U.S. State Department employees.
Director: Sarah Lynne Holt
Starring: Mark Kelley, Zak Farmer, Deborah Dennert, Colleen Backer, Sarah Gene Dowling, Tyson Cole, Erin Struckhoff.
“Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer The Musical”The Fabulous Fox
Feb. 22 – 23
Saturday at 11 a.m., 3 p.m. and 7 p.m., and Sunday at 1 and 5 p.m.
www.fabulousfox.com
What It’s About: The original TV classic comes to life! Come see all of your favorite characters from the special including Santa and Mrs. Claus, Hermey the Elf, Bumble the Abominable Snow Monster, Clarice, Yukon Cornelius and, of course, Rudolph, as they come to life in RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER: THE MUSICAL. It’s an adventure that teaches us that what makes you different can be what makes you special. Don’t miss this wonderful holiday tradition that speaks to the misfit in all of us. Based on the animated television special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and the stage production directed and conceived by Jeff Frank and First Stage. Script adaptation by Robert Penola. Arrangements and orchestrations by Timothy Splain
 
“Wonderland: Alice’s Rock and Roll Adventure”Metro Theatre Company
Dec. 2 – Dec. 30
The Grandel Theatre, 3610 Grandel Square in Grand Center
www.metroplays.org
What It’s About: Part rock concert, part theater, all of your favorite characters as Metro Theater Company presents this new, wild and wondrous take on Lewis Carroll’s beloved, poetic tale of self-actualization. A cast of actors/musicians plays an eclectic mix of everything from soul and rock to punk to ska as Alice chases through Wonderland in search of her own inner musical voice. A fun, hip, and refreshing fusion of music, theatre and poetry, it is the search for one’s authentic self, asking how can you march to the beat of your own drummer when you’re still writing the song? It places Alice in a strange, new world, where she conquers her fears and uses her musical skills to defeat the Jabberwock.

Fox Announces Digital Lottery for ‘Anastasia’ in St. Louis

Fox Announces Digital Lottery for ‘Anastasia’ in St. Louis

The Fabulous Fox Theatre is pleased to announce that ANASTASIA will host a digital ticket lottery during the upcoming St. Louis engagement from Dec. 26 – Jan, 6, offering fans the chance to purchase a limited number of $26 tickets available per performance.
The digital lottery is open to accept entries NOW for all performances and will remain open until Sunday, Dec. 30 at Noon. Fans who have been selected will be notified via email or text and have 24 hours to purchase up to two (2) tickets at $26 each. All entrants are encouraged to follow ANASTASIA on Instagram (@anastasiabway), Twitter (@anastasiabway) and Facebook (@anastasiabway) for additional lottery news and information.
Entrants must be 18 years or older. A valid, non-expired photo ID that matches the name used to enter is required for pickup. Seat locations awarded by the lottery are subject to availability and may not be seated together. Additional details and times will be announced in other tour cities by the local theatre box office prior to the engagement. Additional lottery requirements can be found at www.luckyseat.com/anastasia/.
From the Tony Award®-winning creators of the Broadway classic Ragtime and inspired by the beloved films, ANASTASIA is the new Broadway musical that’s “one of the most gorgeous shows in years!” (New York Observer). This dazzling show transports us from the twilight of the Russian Empire to the euphoria of Paris in the 1920s, as a brave young woman sets out to discover the mystery of her past. Pursued by a ruthless Soviet officer determined to silence her, Anya enlists the aid of a dashing conman and a lovable ex-aristocrat. Together, they embark on an epic adventure to help her find home, love, and family.
ANASTASIA features a book by celebrated playwright Terrence McNally, a lush, new score by Stephen Flaherty (music) and Lynn Ahrens (lyrics) and direction by Tony Award-winning director Darko Tresnjak.
The creative team includes Peggy Hickey (Choreography), Alexander Dodge (Set Design), Linda Cho (Costume Design), Donald Holder (Lighting Design), Peter Hylenski (Sound Design),Aaron Rhyne (Projection Design), Charles G. LaPointe (Hair/Wig Design), Joe Dulude II (Makeup Design), Tom Murray (Music Supervision), Lawrence Goldberg (Music Direction), Doug Besterman (Orchestrations), David Chase (Dance Arranger), casting by Telsey + Company/Craig Burns, CSA.
ANASTASIA, currently celebrating an open-ended run on Broadway, began performances on March 23, 2017 at the Broadhurst Theatre (235 West 44th Street) with critics exclaiming “Ahrens and Flaherty have chosen the right moments to musicalize, and their score here sounds complete and full — one of the season’s strongest! (NBC)” and “Smartly adapted by Terrence McNally, Anastasiais a sweeping adventure, romance and historical epic whose fine craftsmanship will satisfy musical-theater fans (Time Out)”. The new musical has played to sold out crowds on Broadway since officially opening in April 2017, in addition to garnering multiple Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle awards and nominations.
The National Tour of ANASTASIA is produced by Stage Entertainment, Bill Taylor (Sister Act, Rocky), Tom Kirdahy (It’s Only A Play, The Visit), Hunter Arnold (Kinky Boots, Spring Awakening), 50 Church Street Productions, The Shubert Organization, Elizabeth Dewberry & Ali Ahmet Kocabiyik, Carl Daikeler, Warner/Chappell Music, 42nd Club/Phil Kenny, Judith Ann Abrams Productions, Broadway Asia/Umeda Arts Theater, Peter May, David Mirvish, Sandi Moran, Seoul Broadcasting System, LD Entertainment/Sally Cade Holmes, Seriff Productions, Van Dean, Tamar Climan and in association with Hartford Stage.

Terence Blanchard, Kasi Lemmons Here for OTSL ‘Fire Shut Up in My Bones’ Events

Terence Blanchard, Kasi Lemmons Here for OTSL ‘Fire Shut Up in My Bones’ Events

Opera Theatre of Saint Louis will host Grammy-winning composer Terence Blanchard and celebrated filmmaker Kasi Lemmons for a series of public events in January, February, and March 2019. As the composer and librettist of Fire Shut Up in My Bones, the latest commission in OTSL’s New Works, Bold Voices series, these two artists will discuss the creation of their world premiere opera, engage in community conversations around equity and representation in the arts, and provide unique perspectives landmark projects from across their careers.
Based on the bestselling memoir by New York Times columnist Charles Blow, Fire Shut Up in My Bones traces Mr. Blow’s story of growing up in Gibsland, Louisiana, a place where memories and shadows of the past perpetuate a cycle of violence. The young Charles’s attachment to his mother, a fiercely driven woman with five sons, cannot protect him from secret abuse at the hands of an older cousin. Years of anger and searing self-questioning follow, until Charles must choose whether to continue the cycle of violence himself. The opera is co-commissioned with Jazz St. Louis.

The community tour featuring Kasi Lemmons and Terence Blanchard is presented with the support of a wide range of community partners, including Cinema St. Louis, Exodus Gallery, Jazz St. Louis, Left Bank Books, Maryville University, the Missouri History Museum, St. Louis University Library Associates, the Regional Arts Commission, and the Webster University Film Series. Further events with the opera’s creators will be scheduled during the 2019 season. All events are free and open to the public, unless otherwise stated. Tickets can be reserved online at opera-stl.org, or via the Box Office at (314) 961-0644.
FILM SCREENING OF EVE’S BAYOU WITH DIRECTOR KASI LEMMONS
            Saturday, January 19, 6:30 p.m. – 9 p.m.
            Presented in partnership with Cinema St. Louis and the Webster University Film Series
Winifred Moore Auditorium (Webster University)
470 E Lockwood Ave, St. Louis, MO 63119
 
Tickets $5 to the general public.
Admission is free to Webster University students, faculty, and staff.
Cinema St. Louis and the Webster University Film Series join OTSL to host a screening of Kasi Lemmons’s groundbreaking 1997 debut, Eve’s Bayou. The film explores the childhood of Eve, a young girl growing up in rural Louisiana. Lauded as a “nostalgic, tragic, exhilarating reverie” by CNN, Eve’s Bayou remains one of the most vital coming-of-age films in the modern cinematic canon. Dawn Suggs, Video Department Director at the St. Louis American, moderates a post-film conversation with Kasi and the audience about Eve’s Bayou and her current project, Harriet, being released by Focus Features and featuring Cynthia Erivo, Leslie Odom Jr., and Janelle Monáe. Tickets are $5.
REPRESENTATION AND RESPONSIBILITY:
RACIAL AND GENDER EQUITY IN FILM AND TELEVISION
            Sunday, January 20, 1 p.m. – 2 p.m.
            The Regional Arts Commission
            6128 Delmar Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63112
Producer, director, writer, and actress Kasi Lemmons joins a panel of distinguished leaders in film and television for a conversation exploring questions of representation and equity in the industry. Additional panelists include Colleen McGuinness and Catherine Neville. Ms. McGuinness has received Emmy, WGA, and PGA award nominations for her work as a writer and producer for 30 Rock. She most recently served as consulting producer and writer on Amazon’s Forever, starring Maya Rudolph and Fred Armisen. Ms. Neville is an Emmy-winning food journalist who has translated her success locally leading Feast Magazine and Feast TV on Nine Networks into the nationally syndicated PBS series TasteMAKERS, which made its debut in October. This event is a continuation of OTSL’s new Representation and Responsibilityseries, which is exploring equity in the arts, entertainment and media.
FIRE SHUT UP IN MY BONES FROM PAGE TO STAGE WITH KASI LEMMONS:
A BOOK CLUB CONVERSATION
            Friday, February 1, 7:30 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Presented in partnership with Left Bank Books and the St. Louis University Library Associates
Pere Marquette Room & Sinquefield Stateroom, DuBourg Hall
St. Louis University, 221 Grand Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63103
 Left Bank Books hosts a special book club event in partnership with St. Louis University Library Associates highlighting Charles Blow’s memoir Fire Shut Up in My Bones. Kasi Lemmons will explore the memoir from her perspective adapting it into an opera libretto, in a conversation with Jonathan Smith, Ph.D., Vice President for Diversity and Community Engagement at Saint Louis University.
           MUSIC AND WORDS: COMPOSING ACROSS GENRES
            Sunday, March 17, 3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
            Missouri History Museum
            5700 Lindell Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63112
Join composer Terence Blanchard, St. Louis-based musician Lamar Harris, and other musical guests in an exploration of music and the written word. Each artist will share their storytelling experiences through musical composition and the written word, followed by live examples of these various musical languages (hip hop, jazz, opera, soul) colliding. The panel will be followed by a workshop to kick off OTSL and Jazz St. Louis’s new high school composers lab, called THE LAB. THE LAB is designed to bring students from across the region together to develop their own musical voices and explore composition across genres. Over six sessions, students selected for the program will compose new work, which will ultimately be performed at a special event in May at Jazz St. Louis.
 REPRESENTATION AND RESPONSIBILITY:
EQUITY IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY
            Monday, March 18, 7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
            Jazz St. Louis
           3536 Washington Ave, St. Louis, MO 63112
Gene Dobbs Bradford, president and CEO of Jazz St. Louis moderates a panel featuring composer Terence Blanchard and other prominent musicians in the St. Louis community to discuss equity and representation in the music industry. The event will be followed by a short reception with the panelists.
 FILM SCREENING OF BLACKKKLANSMANWITH COMPOSER TERENCE BLANCHARD
            Tuesday, March 19, 6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Presented in partnership with Maryville University
Maryville University Anheuser Busch Auditorium
650 Maryville University Dr, St. Louis, MO 63141
 Maryville University hosts a screening of Spike Lee’s newest film BlacKKKlansman, called a “stunning tour de force” by The New York Times. Based on a true story, the film follows Colorado detective Ron Stallworth, who successfully infiltrated and exposed the Klu Klux Klan. The screening will be followed by a discussion and Q&A with composer Terence Blanchard, who scored the film. A private reception including students from Maryville’s Multicultural Scholars program will be offered before the film.
 Additional community tour events are planned with Charles Blow, author of Fire Shut Up in My Bones and New York Times columnist, April 25 – 28, 2019. Details on these events and other in-season programs featuring Mr. Blow, Ms. Lemmons, and Mr. Blanchard will be announced in the spring of 2019.
Fire Shut Up in My Bones is made possible in part by the Fred M. Saigh Endowment at Opera Theatre and by the Sally S. Levy Family Fund for New Works, which provides support for contemporary opera and related community engagement activities. Leadership support comes from the Whitaker Foundation, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and Centene Charitable Foundation.
This production is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts and made possible by an OPERA America Innovation Grant, supported by the Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation. Major production support is provided by OPERA America’s Opera Fund.  A generous endowment gift from the late Pris McDonnell supports composer and librettist residencies, and audience development programming for this project is made possible by PNC Arts Alive.
In addition to the world premiere of Fire Shut Up in My Bones, the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis 2019 Festival Season also features three great classics from the operatic canon, Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro, Verdi’s Rigoletto, and Monteverdi’s The Coronation of Poppea, as well as OTSL’s annual young artist Center Stage concert, led by Music Director Emeritus Stephen Lord. The season opens on Saturday, May 25, 2019. Subscriptions and single tickets can be purchased online, in person at the Loretto-Hilton Box Office, or by calling (314) 961-0644.
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About Opera Theatre of Saint Louis
Opera Theatre of Saint Louis is a spring festival featuring casts of the opera world’s most exciting singers accompanied by the acclaimed St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. Each season, OTSL presents four inventive new productions in English during the months of May and June. In addition to presenting innovative interpretation of classics, OTSL is also committed to premiering new and relevant operas by prominent composers; since its inaugural season in 1976, 27 operas have premiered at Opera Theatre.
Opera Theatre’s competitive young artist programs foster the next generation of emerging American singers; these programs have been a springboard for countless artists to launch international careers.
Opera Theatre of Saint Louis is funded in part by the Regional Arts Commission, Arts and Education Council, National Endowment for the Arts, and the Missouri Arts Council, with audience building programs supported by The Wallace Foundation.

Art and Politics Collide in ‘Alabama Story’ Coming to The Rep

Art and Politics Collide in ‘Alabama Story’ Coming to The Rep

Alabama Story continues The Rep’s Mainstage season with a potent collision of art and politics. Running January 2-27, this new play by Kenneth Jones is directed by Paul Mason Barnes.
A determined librarian and a segregationist senator face off over an innocent children’s book in 1959 Montgomery. Depicting the marriage of two rabbits – who happen to have different-colored fur – the story has Sen. E.W. Higgins calling for a book ban. But even as the pressure mounts, librarian Emily Wheelock Reed refuses to yield to censorship. Inspired by true events, Alabama Story is a stirring testament to free expression.
Jones will be in town during the play’s opening week and available for interviews with local media.

Jeanne Paulsen stars as the no-nonsense librarian Reed. Nominated for a Tony Award in 1994 for her performance in The Kentucky Cycle, Paulsen makes her Rep debut in this production.
Carl Palmer portrays the antagonistic Senator Higgins, while Corey Allen and Anna O’Donoghue play a pair of long-lost friends whose unexpected reunion provides the play with its other narrative thread. Larry Paulsen (Hamlet, 2017) plays Garth Williams, the author of the children’s book at the heart of the play, along with several other characters, while Carl Howell (Hamlet, 2017) appears as Reed’s assistant at the library.
The Rep’s casting director is McCorkle Casting Ltd.
This production the 10th play Barnes has directed at The Rep, following 2017’s well-received mounting of Hamlet.
The design team includes scenic designer William Bloodgood, costume designer Dorothy Marshall Englis (The Humans, 2018), lighting designer Kenton Yeager (Peter and the Starcatcher, 2015) and sound designer Barry G. Funderburg (Hamlet, 2017). Tony Dearing will stage manage the production.
Alabama Story is sponsored by Wells Fargo Advisors and St. Louis Public Radio.
Tickets for Alabama Story are now on sale at repstl.org, by phone at 314-968-4925 or in-person at The Rep box office, located at 130 Edgar Road on the campus of Webster University. Ticket prices range from $19 to $92. Pick-your-own subscriptions of The Rep’s three remaining Mainstage shows are also available.
Show times are Tuesdays, selected Wednesdays and selected Sundays at 7 p.m.; Thursdays, Fridays and selected Saturdays at 8 p.m. Matinee performances are selected Wednesdays at 1:30 p.m., Saturdays at 4 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m.
For more information on the production, visit repstl.org/alabama-story

World Premiere ‘Canfield Drive’ Next at The Black Rep

World Premiere ‘Canfield Drive’ Next at The Black Rep

 
In this World Premiere production, two high-powered news reporters from across the aisle are thrown together during a ratings frenzy in Ferguson, Mo., following the shooting of unarmed teenager Michael Brown. As they untangle the real cause of Brown’s death, they struggle to keep their own secrets out of the spotlight. Created from diverse interviews of people from around the corner and around the world, “Canfield Drive” shines a light of hope as it wrestles with the greatest questions of our age.
“Canfield Drive,” written by Kristen Adele Calhoun and Michael Thomas Walker, is a National Performance Network (NPN) Creation & Development Fund Project co-commissioned by 651 Arts in partnership with The St. Louis Black Repertory Company, and NPN.  The Creation & Development Fund is supported by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts (a federal agency). For more information: www.npnweb.org.
Producing Director Ron Himes says “We have worked on this script with Michael Thomas Walker and Kristen Adele Calhoun for four years, with workshops at Brooklyn Academy of Music in Brooklyn, Denver, Hartford, and St. Louis.  We are so excited to premiere this work here in St Louis for our community.”
Playwright Michael Thomas Walker says “If ‘riot is the language of the unheard’, this play aims to understand the killing of Michael Brown, the Ferguson protests and the subsequent #BlackLivesMatter movement by hearing the unheard voices and amplifying those stories.  We hope this play will serve as a platform for the necessary conversations about race, culture, privilege, history, and healing.”
The cast of “Canfield Drive” includes Kristen Adele recent credits include Corduroy (Denver Center of Performing Arts), Bump (Ensemble Studio Theatre), and Skeleton Crew (Premiere Stages); Christopher Hickey, with The Black Rep credits include Oak & Ivy and Relativity; Amy Loui with The Black Rep credits include A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Three Ways Home, and Eric Connors with The Black Rep credits include Ms Julie, Clarissa & John, Anne & Emmett, Oak & Ivy, and Jitney .
“Canfield Drive” is directed by Producing Director Ron Himes, with scenic design by Peter and Margery Spack, lighting design by Jim Burwinkel; costumes by Marissa Perry, and sound design by Kareem Deanes, and Tracy D. Holliway-Wiggins is the stage manager.
The production will run January 9-27 at the Edison Theatre at Washington University. Tickets are available at www.theblackrep.org, 314-534-3807, or pick them up at our box office located at 6662 Olive Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63130.
 

Bring ‘The Zombies of Penzance’ Home for the Holidays

Bring ‘The Zombies of Penzance’ Home for the Holidays

In October, New Line Theatre premiered Gilbert & Sullivan’s comic horror operetta The Zombies of Penzance, and so many of our patrons asked if they could get a copy of the script or music.
NOW YOU CAN!
Both the script and the full piano-vocal score for The Zombies of Penzance are now available on Amazon.com. And soon (possibly before the end of the year), a live cast recording will be available as well, both on CD and streaming services!
You knew those zombies couldn’t stay dead!
Also, Scott Miller and John Gerdes, who created The Zombies of Penzance, are licensing the show for further productions, and inquiries have come in from companies across the country, including two Gilbert & Sullivan societies!
You can read more about The Zombies of Penzance, its (totally not true) backstory, and its incredible reception, here.
You can check out the Zombies of Penzance script here.
You can check out the Zombies of Penzance piano-vocal score here.

And if you’re a longtime New Line fan, you might also be interested in The Poster Art of New Line Theatre, a very cool book book of all our posters over the last 28 years, also available on Amazon.
And the 1995 original cast album of New Line’s world premiere vampire musical In the Blood, is now available on CD for the first time, and streaming soon, on Amazon, along with  the show’sscript and vocal selections.
AMAZON SMILE
And just a reminder, when you shop at Amazon, go to smile.Amazon.com instead (and bookmark it) — it’ll ask you to choose a charity (you’ll choose New Line Theatre), and then whatever you buy on the site will kick back a small donation to New Line! It really adds up!
And check out the many books and other musical theatre material by artistic director Scott Miller on his Amazon Author Page.
UPCOMING SHOWS
The New Line season continues in March with an all-new, intimate take on the classic La Cage aux Folles, and the season closes in June with the hot new rock musical Be More Chill, based on the bestselling novel, which opens on Broadway in March. And we’re close to announcing a really exciting 2019-2020 season!
Read more about La Cage aux Folles here.
Read more about Be More Chill here.
ABOUT NEW LINE THEATRE
New Line Theatre, “the bad boy of musical theatre,” is a professional company dedicated to involving the people of the St. Louis region in the exploration and creation of daring, provocative, socially and politically relevant works of musical theatre. New Line was created back in 1991 at the vanguard of a new wave of nonprofit musical theatre just starting to take hold across the country. New Line has given birth to several world premiere musicals over the years and has brought back to life several shows that were not well served by their original New York productions.
Altogether, New Line has produced 86 musicals since 1991, and the company has been given its own entry in the Cambridge Guide to American Theatre and the annual Theater World. New Line receives funding from the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency.
For other information, visit New Line Theatre’s full-service website at www.newlinetheatre.com. All programs are subject to change.
 
 

The Muny Announces Creative Teams for 101st Season

The Muny Announces Creative Teams for 101st Season

The Muny announced Tuesday the directors, choreographers and music directors for its 2019 season, which opens on June 10 with Guys and Dolls.
“We head into our second century with the first phase of our new stage, and a renewed sense of passion and commitment to our audiences, artists and community,” said Muny Artistic Director and Executive Producer Mike Isaacson. “I’m so thrilled to announce these brilliantly talented colleagues who will create this season. They are already hard at work, ready to make this season just as historic and memorable as our 100th.”
GUYS AND DOLLS
June 10 – 16
Book by Abe Burrows and Jo Swerling
Music and Lyrics by Frank Loesser
Based on The Idyll of Sarah Brown and characters by Damon Runyon
GORDON GREENBERG (Director) co-wrote and directed the Broadway stage adaptation of Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn for Roundabout, Universal and PBS Great Performances. Recent work includes Barnum (London), Heart of Rock and Roll (Old Globe), the acclaimed West End revival of Guys and Dolls, nominated for six Olivier Awards (Savoy Theatre, Phoenix Theatre, Chichester, UK and international tour), the Drama Desk Award-winning NYC revivals of Working and Jacques Brel, the stage adaptation of Tangled for Disney, and writing TV musicals for Disney and Nickelodeon. Muny: Meet Me In St. Louis (revised book), Jesus Christ Superstar, Holiday Inn, West Side Story, Pirates! Upcoming: The Secret of My Success (Universal), Mystic Pizza (MGM), Dracula (Maltz). He attended Stanford University and NYU and is a member of SDC, WGA and the Dramatists Guild.

LORIN LATARRO (Choreographer) Broadway: Waitress, Les Liasions Dangereuses, Waiting for Godot. Curious Incident of the Dog… and American Idiot (Associate). Additional choreography: La Traviata (The Met), Chess (Kennedy Center), Twelfth Night (The Delacorte), Lin-Manuel Miranda’s 21 Chump Street(BAM), Heart of Rock and Roll (Old Globe), Assassins, God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater (Encores!), Between The Lines (KC Rep), Queen of The Night (Drama Desk Award), Kiss Me, Kate (Barrington); The Best Is Yet To Come (59E59, Drama Desk Award). Director: Taste of Things to Come (Chicago). Lorin performed in 12 Broadway shows and danced for Tharp, Momix, Graham. Juilliard graduate. Upcoming: Merrily We Roll Along (Roundabout), SuperHero (Second Stage), Waitress and Home Street Home (West End).
BRAD HAAK (Music Director/Conductor) Muny: A Funny Thing…Forum, Fiddler on the Roof, Into the Woods, South Pacific, The King and I and Gypsy. Broadway: An American in Paris, Mary Poppins, Lestat and Il Divo – A Musical Affair. National tours: The Lion King, Miss Saigon. Music supervision and orchestrations:Daddy Long Legs (Off-Broadway, London, Tokyo, Seoul and 19 US productions) and John Caird’s A Knight’s Tale (Tokyo, 2018). International: Sousatzka (Toronto), An American in Paris (Paris), Honk! (Singapore and Philippines); Jane Eyre (Tokyo). Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s Sunday in the Park with George and Follies (Jeff Award for music direction), Children of Eden (Kennedy Center). Orchestrations for New York and Boston Pops, National Symphony, L.A. Philharmonic.
KINKY BOOTS
June 19 – 25
Music and Lyrics by Cyndi Lauper
Book by Harvey Fierstein
Based on the Miramax motion picture of the same name, written by Geoff Deane and Tim Firth
DB BONDS (Director) is thrilled to be making his directorial debut at The Muny after appearing as Emmett in Legally Blonde in 2011. DB is the associate director of Kinky Boots and Pretty Woman on Broadway. He also served as the associate director of Kinky Boots worldwide with productions in England, Australia, Canada, Germany, Japan and Korea. As an actor, he appeared in Broadway and national touring productions of Les Misérables, The Phantom of the Opera, Legally Blonde and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.
RUSTY MOWERY (Choreographer) is thrilled to be back at the magical Muny after serving as choreographer for The Muny productions of Legally Blonde and Hairspray. He is currently the Associate Choreographer of Pretty Woman on Broadway and the Associate Choreographer of Kinky Boots for Broadway, both U.S. national tours, England, Australia, Canada, Germany, Korea and Japan tours. Proud SDC member. As an actor, Rusty appeared on Broadway in Cats, Ragtime, Hairspray, Seussical and Legally Blonde.
RYAN FIELDING GARRETT (Music Director/Conductor) NYC/national tour: Kinky Boots, Jasper in Deadland, The Man in the Ceiling, Hamilton, Mary Poppins, Sweeney Todd (NY Philharmonic), Wicked, Big River (Encores!), Finding Neverland, The Three Little Pigs. Regional: Next to Normal (Weston Playhouse), Little Miss Scrooge (Rubicon Theatre), Passing Strange, [title of show], Chess (Playhouse Square), Two Gentlemen of Verona (Lake Tahoe Shakespeare). NYC orchestration credits include Darling, A Night Like This. Graduate of Baldwin Wallace University.
JERRY MITCHELL (Original Broadway Direction and Choreography) Tony Award winner for Best Choreography: La Cage aux Folles (revival) and Kinky Boots (also nominated as Director). Broadway: Pretty Woman (Director/Choreographer) and the Gloria Estefan musical On Your Feet! (Director). Other recent work includes the pre-Broadway productions of Half Time (Chicago and Paper Mill Playhouse) and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (West End, Olivier nomination for Choreography). In the 35 preceding years, Jerry has been involved with over 50 Broadway, West End and touring productions, including as choreographer of You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown, The Full Monty (Tony nomination), The Rocky Horror Show, Hairspray (Tony nomination and NBC telecast), Gypsy, Never Gonna Dance (Tony nomination), Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Tony nomination), La Cage aux Folles, Legally Blonde (Tony nomination), Catch Me If You Can and Kinky Boots.
1776
June 27 – July 3
Book by Peter Stone
Music and Lyrics by Sherman Edwards
Based on a concept by Sherman Edwards
ROB RUGGIERO (Director) is thrilled to be returning for The Muny’s 101st season. Last year, he directed Gypsy, as well as past productions of The Music Man, Oklahoma!; Hello, Dolly!; South Pacific and The King and I. He has also directed many award-winning productions at The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, including Follies, Sunday in the Park with George and a recent production of Evita. Broadway: High and Looped. Off-Broadway he conceived and directed Make Me a Song (Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle nominations). Rob also recently directed Oliver!, his 11th collaboration with Goodspeed Musicals, with whom he also adapted and directed a new production of Show Boat. He is the Producing Artistic Director for TheaterWorks in Hartford, Connecticut.
JAMES MOORE (Music Director/Conductor) The Muny: Gypsy, The Music Man, Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn, Hello, Dolly!; West Side Story, Meet Me In St. Louis, The Producers. Broadway: Miss Saigon, On the Town, Gigi, Follies, South Pacific, Ragtime, Steel Pier, Company. National tours: The Producers, Kiss Me, Kate; Crazy for You, And the World Goes ‘Round. The Kennedy Center: Camelot starring Brian Stokes Mitchell, My Fair Lady starring Jonathan Pryce, Mame starring Christine Baranski. Concerts: National Symphony, Orchestra of St. Luke’s, Santa Barbara Symphony. Mr. Moore serves as the music supervisor for the United States touring productions of Les Misérables and Miss Saigon. Upcoming: Titanic (Broadway revival). Education: Master and Bachelor degrees from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music.
RODGERS AND HAMMERSTEIN’S CINDERELLA
July 8 – 16
Music by Richard Rodgers
Book by Oscar Hammerstein II
Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
MARCIA MILGROM DODGE (Director) is a Tony and Drama Desk nominated director & choreographer. The Muny: Meet Me In St. Louis (100th Season!), The Little Mermaid, Young Frankenstein, The Buddy Holly Story, The Addams Family. Broadway: Ragtime, High Society. National tours: Ragtime, Curious George,Seussical, Cookin’. New York: Venus Flytrap, Radio Gals, Maltby & Shire’s Closer Than Ever (original production) and William Finn’s Romance in Hard Times. TV/Video: Sesame Street and Elmo‘s Wild West. Upcoming: Deathtrap (Cape Playhouse), Mary Poppins (Drury Lane) and a new Buddy (Cincinnati Playhouse). Between reimagining revivals and directing & choreographing world premieres regionally and abroad, Dodge is also a wife, a mother, a teacher, an SDC Executive Board Member and a published and produced playwright.
JOSH WALDEN (Choreographer) returns to The Muny after choreographing Meet Me In St Louis (2018), The Little Mermaid (2017) and The Buddy Holly Story (2015). He directed/ choreographed A Chorus Line for Maltz Jupiter Theatre and Theatre Memphis, The Rocky Horror Show for University of Buffalo, Legally Blonde for Merry-Go-Round Playhouse and the rock opera Fallen Angel in the New York International Fringe Festival. Josh has also choreographed for Des Moines Metro Opera, Signature Theatre, Sacramento Music Circus, Doonce Productions, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Gateway Playhouse and Morag Productions for Seabourn Cruise Lines. On Broadway, he was the associate director/associate choreographer for the revival of Ragtime. As a performer, Josh was in the Broadway revivals of 42nd Street, La Cage aux Folles, A Chorus Line and Ragtime.
GREG ANTHONY RASSEN (Music Director/Conductor) Drama Desk winner and Tony nominee for Bandstand. Other Broadway credits include: An American in Paris, Bullets Over Broadway, The Little Mermaid, The Book of Mormon, R&H’s Cinderella, A Chorus Line (revival). Arranger/ orchestrator: Jerry Springer: The Opera (New Group); Between the Lines (Kansas City Rep.), The Beast in the Jungle (Vineyard). Commissions include: New York Pops, Boston Pops, Philly Pops, Indianapolis Pops; Leslie Odom, Jr., Ashley Brown, Sierra Boggess, Jeremy Jordan, Norm Lewis, Darren Criss, Liz Callaway, Julia Murney, André Previn, John Williams. TV: The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Live with Kelly & Michael, The View. M.M. degree from Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. www.greganthonymusic.com
FOOTLOOSE
July 18 – 24
Music by Tom Snow
Lyrics by Dean Pitchford
Stage Adaptation by Dean Pitchford and Walter Bobbie
Based on the original screenplay by Dean Pitchford
Additional Music by Eric Carmen, Sammy Hagar, Kenny Loggins and Jim Steinman
CHRISTIAN BORLE (Director) is a two-time Tony Award winner and has starred in a myriad of roles both on stage and screen. His turn as Shakespeare in Something Rotten! garnered him both Tony and Drama Desk Awards for Best Featured Actor in a Musical, as well as a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play as Black Stache in Peter and the Starcatcher. Other Broadway: Footloose, Jesus Christ Superstar, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Amour, Spamalot, Mary Poppins, Legally Blonde, Falsettos and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Film: Blackhat, Bounty Hunter. TV: Masters of Sex, Lifesaver, The Good Wife, Smash and NBC’s TheSound of Music Live! Most recently, Christian made his directorial debut with the off-Broadway production of Popcorn Falls at The Davenport Theatre.
JESSICA HARTMAN (Choreographer) is thrilled to return for The Muny’s 101st after choreographing Annie(2018), All Shook Up (2017), Mamma Mia! (2016); Hairspray (2015/Co-Choreographer) and Seussical (2014/Associate). Broadway: Lysistrata Jones (Associate Choreographer), The Boy from Oz starring Hugh Jackman (Assistant Choreographer). Off-Broadway: Elephant and Piggie’s We Are in a Play! (Choreographer, New Victory Theatre). Other credits include: Memphis (Choreographer, TUTS), Norwegian Creative Studios/Oceania Cruise Lines (Choreographer), Disney Jr. Dance Party (Associate Show Director/ Choreographer, Universal Studios/The Wizarding World of Harry Potter (Associate), How to Succeed… (Associate, TUTS), West Side Story (Associate, Signature Theatre), Next to Normal (Choreographer, BaltimoreCenter Stage). Up next: Mamma Mia! at TUTS (Choreographer) and a new musical for The Kennedy Center. Jessica is the Artistic Director of Broadway Theatre Connection.
ANDREW GRAHAM (Music Director/Conductor) New York: The Book of Mormon, Wicked and Avenue Q. Las Vegas: Spamalot, Avenue Q. National tours: Wicked, Avenue Q, Pippin, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Seussical, The Music Man, Footloose. European tours: Hair and Grease. Regional: world premiere of Disney’s Freaky Friday at Signature Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse, Cleveland Play House and Alley Theatre. Muny: Aida, Annie and Footloose. Beauty and the Beast and the world premiere of Disney’s When You Wish at Tuacahn Center for the Arts. He holds degrees from both Capital University in Columbus, Ohio and Trinity College of Music in London.
LERNER & LOEWE’S PAINT YOUR WAGON
July 27 – August 2
Book and Lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner
Music by Frederick Loewe
Revised Book by Jon Marans
Produced in Association with On the Wagon Productions and Garmar Ventures
JOSH RHODES (Director/Choreographer) directed Grand Hotel (NY City Center Encores!), Ken Ludwig’s Baskerville (Old Globe Theatre), Jersey Boys (The Muny), Guys and Dolls (Asolo Rep/Old Globe), Evita(Asolo Rep), Spamalot (5th Avenue Theatre), Ebenezer Scrooge’s Big Playhouse Christmas Show (Bucks County Playhouse) and Celestina Warbeck and the Banshees at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. He alsochoreographed the Broadway productions of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella, It Shoulda Been You, First Date and Bright Star. On London’s West End, he choreographed Carousel at the English National Opera and Sweeney Todd starring Emma Thompson. Other choreography credits include Company starring Neil Patrick Harris and Sondheim: The Birthday Concert (PBS), Young Frankenstein (Muny) and the current U.K. tour ofDoctor Dolittle. Rhodes is a proud graduate of the University of Michigan.
BEN WHITELEY (Music Director/Conductor) Muny: Singin’ in the Rain, A Chorus Line, 42nd Street, My Fair Lady, The Addams Family, Spamalot, Pirates!; The Sound of Music (twice), Beauty and the Beast (thrice), Kiss Me, Kate; Oklahoma!; The Music Man, Meet Me In St. Louis, South Pacific. Music director for 1776 at NY City Center Encores! Broadway/national tours: A Christmas Story, The Addams Family, Spamalot, The Full Monty, Cats (conducted final original Broadway performance), Grand Hotel, Falsettos, Big. Carnegie Hall: Sail Away (with Elaine Stritch). Choral direction: Carousel (NY Philharmonic/PBS), My Fair Lady (NY Philharmonic). Encores!: associate music director and chorus master for over 30 productions. Other: St. Louis Symphony, Paper Mill Playhouse, The 5th Avenue Theatre, University of Michigan. Recordings: Allegro, Boardwalk Empire (Grammy Award),Paint Your Wagon.
MATILDA
August 5 – 11
Book by Dennis Kelly
Music and Lyrics by Tim Minchin
Based on Matilda by Roald Dahl
JOHN TARTAGLIA (Director) Director: Stephen Schwartz’s The Secret Silk (Princess Cruises, writer/director), Beauty and the Beast (Maltz Jupiter Theatre), Annie, The Wizard of Oz, Tarzan and Shrek (Muny), Claudio Quest (NY Musical Festival, Best of the Fest), Shrek the Halls (DreamWorks Theatricals) and many more. Broadway: Avenue Q (Tony nomination), Beauty and the Beast and Shrek. Muny: Aladdin (The Genie), Seussical (The Cat in the Hat), A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (Hysterium, St. Louis Theater Circle Award). Film/TV: The Happytime Murders (STX Films), Johnny and the Sprites (Disney Jr., Emmy nomination), Sesame Street (PBS Kids), Jim Henson’s Word Party and Julie’s Greenroom (both on Netflix), creator, co-executive producer and star of Jim Henson’s Splash and Bubbles (PBS Kids, Emmy nomination).
CHRIS BAILEY (Choreographer) Gettin’ The Band Back Together (Broadway), Jerry Springer: The Opera(New Group, 2018 Chita Rivera Award nomination); The New Yorkers and 1776 (NY City Center Encores!), The Entertainer with Kenneth Branagh (West End), Assassins (Menier Chocolate Factory), Because of Winn Dixie (Alabama Shakespeare Festival), 2013 Tony Awards (CBS), Muny: Jerome Robbins Broadway(production supervisor), Newsies (St. Louis Theater Circle Award), The Music Man, Into the Woods, My Fair Lady, Tarzan, West Side Story and Thoroughly Modern Millie. 2013-2015 Academy Awards (Assistant Choreographer). Film: Cinderella, Ted 2, A Million Ways to Die in the West and Beyond the Sea. Chris was also the movement director for the Roundabout Theatre Company’s production of Cyrano De Bergerac on Broadway.
MICHAEL HORSLEY (Music Director/Conductor) is The Muny’s music supervisor. 25 Muny seasons include: Jerome Robbins Broadway, Mamma Mia!; The Buddy Holly Story, Grease, Mary Poppins, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor® Dreamcoat, Thoroughly Modern Millie, 42nd Street, Godspell, White Christmas, Damn Yankees, Sleeping Beauty, Singin’ in the Rain, and many more. National tours: Thoroughly Modern Millie, Chicago, Cinderella, White Christmas and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. Other regional: Into the Woods (Theatrezone), Roman Holiday (Guthrie Theater), On a Clear Day You Can See Forever (Music Theatre Wichita), Fiddler on the Roof (AMT San Jose), A Chorus Line (Pioneer Theatre Company), The Full Monty(North Carolina Theatre). Voice director: Christmas Concert Series for the Detroit, National and Birmingham Symphony Orchestras. He is the music director for the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.
The 2019 season schedule is: Guys and Dolls (June 10 – 16), Kinky Boots (June 19 – 25), 1776 (June 27 – July 3), Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella (July 8 – 16), Footloose (July 18 – 24), Lerner and Loewe’s Paint Your Wagon (July 27 – August 2) and Matilda (August 5 – 11).
World Wide Technology (WWT) and The Steward Family Foundation became the first overall season sponsor in the history of The Muny in 2014. They are committed to continuing in this role with their leadership gift as The Muny’s 2019 Season Presenting Sponsor.
Muny gift cards for the 101st season are now available online and at The Muny Box Office. For more information, visit muny.org or call (314) 361-1900.
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The Muny’s mission is to enrich lives by producing exceptional musical theatre, accessible to all, while continuing its remarkable tradition in Forest Park. As the nation’s largest outdoor musical theatre, we produce seven world-class musicals each year and welcome over 400,000 theatregoers over our nine-week season. Celebrating 101 seasons in St. Louis, The Muny remains one of the premier institutions in musical theatre.
For more information about The Muny, visit muny.org
For more information about The Missouri History Museum’s
Muny Memories: 100 Seasons Onstage exhibit, visit mohistory.org
For more information about The Missouri History Museum’sMuny Memories: 100 Seasons Onstage exhibit, visit mohistory.org 

Thank-You Note from Managing Editor Lynn Venhaus

Thank-You Note from Managing Editor Lynn Venhaus

Dear Readers,
I must take a moment to thank the St. Louis Theater Community for their outpouring of love and kindness regarding the loss of my first-born son, Tim Venhaus, who died on Dec. 9.
He had just turned 34 and was on trimester break from DePaul University in Chicago, where he was working on an MFA in Screenwriting.
While this is a tremendous and painful loss, my youngest son Charlie and I are comforted by all the condolences, notes, cards, calls, attendance at visitation and/or funeral Mass, the flowers sent, the food dropped off and all the hugs.
The heartfelt support has been gratifying — and we are touched by your caring and concern. My fellow critics in the St. Louis Theater Circle, Arts For Life board of directors and Theater Recognition Guild judges, writing pals (including my review team here), and many actors, directors and producers in professional regional theater and community theater have expressed themselves so beautifully and eloquently.

So have my colleagues in St. Louis Film Critics Association, friends in Cinema St. Louis, radio folks, past and present staffers at Belleville News-Democrat, and SIUE faculty, staff and students in the mass communication department (I teach “Writing for the Media”). You always remember who reaches out because it means so much.
The grief has been overwhelming, and his sudden and unexpected passing has shocked us to our core. My year was already like a bad Lifetime movie, as I have a terminally ill brother, helping out an 86-year-old uncle with a myriad of things, like cancer treatments, and a super-crazy-busy schedule that I juggle with some percentage of success.
I appreciate your understanding and patience. I am slowly going to ease back into working. I must re-learn how to be normal again, and return to a regular routine. Please bear with me while I get a whole bunch of reviews and articles, like Take Ten, up — there is a backlog that I will be posting in the next two weeks, plus Go See a Play and Bright Lights. Some of it might not be so timely, but I want to get it all up.
I’ll be publishing my year-end “LOTTIES” (Lynn’s Love of Theater Awards), plus a special twist. Our Theater Circle ballots are due first week of January, and save the date for our awards, Monday, March 25, at the Loretto-Hilton Center. So much good theater this year! Our AFL Nominations will be announced at the annual Trivia Night on Friday, Feb, 1, with emcee Ryan Cooper, at St.Joseph’s Parish Center in Manchester.
Tim was a one-of-a-kind creative, talented writer, hilarious human, adventurous soul, and fiercely devoted to his family and friends. He had a big heart, loved to laugh — and make people laugh — and, according to his vast circles, was an “influencer,” a thought leader. He was the guiding light for his friends regarding movies, music and TV.
Tim as a game show host in “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying”While he was a natural onstage, he was most at home in front of or behind a camera. From the time he was a little kid, he was making movies with his friends and relatives. He earned a B.A. in Cinema Production at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, with a minor in theater, and interned at “Sesame Street.” He previously received an Associate’s degree from Southwestern Illinois College, thriving in Dan Cross’s film program. It changed his life.
His comedy shorts were selected three times for the St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase, and he won the screenwriting contest at “Alt.News 26:46” at SIUC back-to-back, the first student to do that — and his films were shown on the PBS station, WSIU — “My Dad Lives in a Trunk” and “Watermelon Falls.” His film “Lunchbreak” won the Audience Award at a SWIC Film Fest.
He was in a few community theater productions — “Fiddler on the Roof,” “Guys and Dolls,” “South Pacific” and “West Side Story” – plus the lead in a youth show — at Clinton County Showcase; Chance in “Ghost of a Chance” and Slovitch the butcher in Neil Simon’s “Fools,” both at Monroe Actors Stage Company; and two small roles in “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” for Brass Rail Players at Lindenwood.
He mostly did the early musicals because he and his little brother loved to tag along to my rehearsals when I was involved in youth theater for the Breese Junior Women’s Club, and then community theater at CCShowcase. My boys did not get the musical comedy gene, nor could they sing a lick. But I could twist an arm if I needed some help.
He taught film-making to youths for two seasons at Summer Fenn in Concord, Mass., and at Nature’s Classroom, an outdoor environmental education program at 13 sites in New England, where he worked for spring and fall periods from 2005 to 2017. He was hired by a school district in Naperville to start a film-making program in January 2019.
Tim as an extra on “Everyday Magic” – he wound up on cutting room floorWhen he was interning at “Sesame Street,” he worked in the talent department and was in charge of taking care of the parents whose children were guest performers, and taking the kids to the stage, and sometimes, the guest stars. For his first cousin Nick’s two young children, Tim enlisted Abby Cadabby to record a Christmas greeting. It is posted below.
Tim sure made his mark in his 34 years. People came from near and far — all over the country — to pay their respects. The love was overflowing. So were the stories.
Hope you are able to enjoy a merry Christmas and best wishes for a happy new year. Covering theater has enriched my life, and reminded me that sharing our humanity through art is a wonderful connection to encourage.
“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” — Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
I am going to miss my goofball every day of the rest of my life. He was a wonderful son. It does not seem real that I have to talk about him in the past tense. Like so many other relationships he cultivated, we had a special bond. He will never be forgotten, and I am so blessed to have so many people in my corner. I can’t thank you enough.
Regards,
Lynn Venhaus
Managing Editor 2018
[email protected]
618-917-8175

A Kinder, Gentler Scrooge in Nebraska Theatre Caravan’s Fox Show

A Kinder, Gentler Scrooge in Nebraska Theatre Caravan’s Fox Show

By CB Adams
Contributing Writer
We are living in the age of the Christmas-industrial complex. Never before have we had such a wealth of holiday entertainments, from dancing sugar plum fairies to prancing Grinches. The slate of stage, film, television, radio and music options means you can curate a Christmas season experience exactly to your liking.
One franchise rules them all, Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” and one character from that novella, Ebenezer Scrooge, stands scowling above the holiday fray, waiting, not for his close-up, but his redemption.
So imagine the challenge faced by Charles Jones, the founder and creator of the Nebraska Theatre Caravan, as he adapted Dickens’ tale for the stage more than 40 years ago. The field of Christmas Carol  interpretations was full even then, including several well-known films starring the likes of George C. Scott, Lionel Barrymore, Alastair Sim, Albert Finney and, ahem, even Jim Backus, to say nothing of later incarnations by Jim Carrey and Patrick Stewart. So there were plenty of ways to present “the wicked old screw.”

According to Jones’ own introduction, “I think of this adaptation and the production of “A Christmas Carol” as a masque. It is not a musical comedy.”
A masque, in case your theater history is a bit rusty, was a form of festive entertainment popular with the royals in 16th- and early 17th-century Europe. Masques were especially popular in Merry Old England, where they were considered among the highest art forms. The Puritans in the 1600s tried their Scroogely best to abolish masques, but they have persevered in one form or another to the present day.
This bit of history provides the key for Jones’ approach. It’s a bit like adapting the story of the Titanic – we all know the ship sinks in the end. The transformation of Scrooge from miser to magnanimous mensch has entered our cultural lexicon and shared imaginations.
There’s a reason this story has resonated from its publication in 1843 as well as a reason that Nebraska Theatre Caravan’s production of Jones’ adaptation has had a successful 40-year run. Although not a “musical comedy” by Jones’ definition, is certainly is music-filled and definitely played to lighter, comedic effect.
There’s nary a bleak Dickensian Victorian moment to be had during the play’s two acts. For instance, the Charity Men, who are usually presented as serious solicitors for charity, enter Scrooge’s place and request a donation with the buffoonery of Lauren and Hardy, though they are toned down in their appearance at the play’s conclusion.
One of the most successful aspects is the show’s pacing. As played by 23 actors in multiple roles, one scene moves swiftly into another – advantageous in our age of short attention spans. Andy Harvey as Scrooge carries the show with a solid supporting cast.
Special effects also move the story along and hold their own in comparison to those in the filmed adaptations, though the Ghost of Christmas Past’s spectral presence seemed, like Scrooge’s bed clothes, a bit frayed around the edges and in need of a refresh.
One of the highlights of this production is the seamless integration of traditional Christmas carols into the action. Especially noteworthy is “Dancing Day” and “Susanni” during the Fezziwig Warehouse scene, “The Holly and the Ivy” and “The Other Night” in the Cratchit home scene, and “The Polka” and “Greensleeves” during the festivities at Fred and Millie’s home.
If this production were a beer, it would be “Scrooge Lite.” Perhaps harkening to its heartland roots, it is a steak and potatoes adaptation – and a good value for the ticket price. This is not a bad thing for its intended, broad audience. It’s simple enough for children to follow along – and laugh along – and fulfilling enough for adults to enjoy the same things.
This production’s longevity is well-deserved and a popular choice – among so many – for some families who make it an annual event.
“A Christmas Carol” played at the Fox Theatre Dec. 6-9.