Lynn Venhaus

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

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11 min read

First-Time Women Filmmakers Find Their Voice with ‘Forget Me Not’

By Lynn Venhaus

First-time filmmakers Danielle Herrera Boivin and Michelle Bucci poured their hearts and souls into their inaugural narrative short, “Forget Me Not,” a psychological sci-fi thriller, with the hopes of it starting necessary dialogues afterwards.

“The film explores trauma, survival, identity and the courage it takes to reclaim your voice,” Boivin said. “We hope it sparks conversations around healing, connection, and representation.”

Boivin, a Belleville native who now lives in New York City, said she and Bucci premiered the film at the Big Apple Film Festival this past spring and at the Art of Brooklyn Film Festival in early June, where it received an award for best visual effects.

Accepted into the St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase, the short 11-minute film will screen at 4 p.m. Saturday, July 25, at the Hi-Pointe Theatre in St. Louis. Both filmmakers will be on hand to talk about the movie.

*Shooting at Untermyer Park and Gardens in Yonkers, N.Y.*

Presented by Cinema St. Louis, the 2026 Showcase features 69 films across 14 curated programs—each written, directed, edited, or produced by local St. Louis filmmakers or artists with strong ties to the community. They are among the 15 films by first-time directors.

According to their synopsis, the genre-bending short film of surrealist sci-fi meets intimate psychological drama follows Delphine and Sofia, multiverse variants of the same soul navigating dystopian parallel realities shaped by misogyny, abuse, exploitation, trauma, and the pressures of performative femininity.

They play a guarded go-go dancer and a spirited cocktail waitress between realities. As they find themselves being glitched into a liminal garden, they must reclaim their identities while discovering the transformative power of friendship, liberation, and the courage to face one’s authentic self.

The pair said the film’s emotional core comes from lived experiences.

“As best friends working in nightlife, surviving predatory environments, mental health and healing from trauma, we set out to tell a story from our own voices. At its heart, ‘Forget Me Not’ explores the expansion that becomes possible when we reclaim ownership of our lives, support one another, and transform survival into resistance and purpose,” Boivin said.

“We had a desire to create a story where survivors are seen not through the lens of what they have endured, but through their resilience, complexity, and humanity,” Bucci said.

They expressed gratitude for the reactions to date. “The feedback from the audience and other filmmakers has been so humbling, and to connect with other artists has been a great experience,” Boivin said.

“We’re hearing from different people from all walks of life. They’ve said they feel seen, so that’s been really gratifying. We made this as women, for women, and they are meant to be heard. The feedback has been beautiful,” Bucci said.

Admittingly an ambitious undertaking, but the women were up for the challenge. They created, wrote, directed, produced, and starred in the film.

“It was quite the journey. There’s a lot we had to learn. We give a darn about the message we want to see projected,” Boivin said. “We had to say yes to ourselves.”

She said that in the film, a fictional app called Unalive2Thrive has monopolized access to mental health resources, forcing people to rely solely on it for support during their most vulnerable moments.

*Filming in the Untermyer Park and Gardens that overlooks the Hudson River.*

“While that dystopian world is fictional, it stands in stark contrast to the real-life organizations that provide care, safety, advocacy, and hope to those who need it most,” she said.

“We wanted to give a shout-out to some of the remarkable St. Louis organizations doing this work, including Safe Connections, Women’s Safe House, and ALIVE. Their commitment to supporting survivors and strengthening the community reflects many of the themes that inspired the film in the first place,” Boivin said.

She noted that they would like to connect with other organizations that serve individuals affected by mental health challenges, trauma, domestic abuse and gender-based violence.

While they were passionate about their material, they had to assemble a team, scout locations and raise funds. Remarkably, things fell into place, they connected with skilled professionals, and their Elle Belle Productions was formed. They filmed it in May 2024, with post-production the following year.

They were able to use four distinct locations for the shoot — in the city, in Queens, and the Untermyer Gardens Conservatory in Yonkers. was a rare find. “It was this magical serene space, it had this ethereal spirit. For the characters, they could feel free and peaceful,” Bucci said..

In Bucci’s Queens neighborhood, the “Rabbit Hole” allowed them to shoot there, lending their club scenes an authenticity. “It had the exact aesthetic we were looking for,” Bucci said, noting a two-story nightclub, with a speakeasy vibe upstairs and a bookshelf, and then neon and a big disco ball for another look.

Their team — and an angel investor — helped them go from dream to reality. “They believed in our dream,” Bucci noted.

“We were able to get these resources, and the crew executed, and were innovative. We had 30 extras show up outside the club. We got these diverse locations and people cared so much. This has been such a rewarding experience. It’s been our baby in so many ways,” Boivin said.

Tommy Simpson recorded original music for the score. He has worked with Trent Reznor, Bucci said. Both said the score resonated with them and builds the movie’s theme beautifully.

The women hope to develop a series based on the short film. “We are actively looking to get it out in the world,” Bucci said.

Next up is a short absurdist rom-com adventure film: “The Sun, the Moon, and the Beguiling Puppet Goon.” The description: “Luna, a nerdy artist, navigates an unsettling encounter until Soleil, a vibrant puppeteer, turns puppetry into an act of resistance in this absurdist comedy.”

The pair became good friends while both living in New York City, going for their dreams as performers. Bucci said she did some off-Broadway productions, but since the pandemic, working in other jobs was necessary. They knew the hurdles of living in the city and co-wrote the script as a catharsis.

Boivin, who graduated from Belleville West High School in 2010, received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in musical performance at University of Michigan before moving to NYC.

She has been part of the New York Fringe Festival, been in work at the Nylon Fusion Theatre Company, SheNYC Arts Festival, and Lyracle Opera Music Org. She has also been in commercials, television episodes and a music video by Minor Soul.

Both she and Bucci have performed cabaret variety acts regularly at the iconic Stonewall Inn.

Bucci hails from North Carolina and earned a degree in theatre and psychology from Appalachian State University. Some of her favorite professional work thus far is performing in a nine-month run Off-Broadway at New World Stages in the immersive musical “The Imbible,” playing Squeaky Fromme in Sondheim’s “Assassins,” and starring as Roxie in “Chicago.” She’s appeared in “Homicide City” on TV. She is also a teaching artist.

Boivin is looking forward to introducing Bucci to Belleville and St. Louis. “Belleville helped shape my formative years as an artist, performer and actress. It’s a community that nurtures creativity, celebrates the arts, full of my family and old friends, and will always hold a special place in my heart,” Boivin said.

“It’s surreal screening our film here now as a ‘grown-up’ filmmaker, who moved to NYC for the dream. I can’t wait to come back for this special event and introduce Michelle to the Midwest and this lovely community!”

*Hell’s Kitchen in Manhattan location through a friend’s dad.*

Now in its 26th year, the St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase shines a spotlight on the talent, imagination, and resilience of the region’s filmmaking community. This year’s theme, “A SHARED LIGHT,” reflects the collective spirit that continues to fuel St. Louis filmmakers and their remarkable work.

The festival wraps with the Closing Night Awards Ceremony on Sunday, July 27, 6:30 pm at the Hi-Pointe, followed by the film, “Gangland,” starring Lou Diamond Phillips, and produced by St. Louis filmmaker Cole Payne.

Cinema St. Louis will present jury prizes, including the $1,000 Essy Award for Best Showcase Film, and announce which selections will screen at the 35th Annual Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival this November.

For more information and for tickets, visit: https://festivals.cinemastlouis.org/showcase2026/

Lynn Venhaus

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.

poplifestl.com

Featured Fly North Theatricals Reviews Theatre
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12 min read

Attention must be paid to Fly North’s close contact ‘Sweeney Todd’

By Lynn Venhaus

With its pitch-black tale of love, murder, revenge and obsession, Stephen Sondheim’s singular “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” remains an ambitious, wildly popular musical that is a challenge to produce and even harder to satisfy high expectations, no matter whether the interpretation is traditional or innovative.

Such is Sondheim’s reputation as the most important figure in 20^th century musical theater and the macabre masterpiece’s passionate fan base around the globe. For Sondheim enthusiasts, any opportunity to hear that majestic score is welcome – that is why it’s often adapted into a concert presentation or an opera.

For their second official foray into Sondheim’s daunting catalogue – after their award-winning and critically acclaimed “Assassins” in 2022 at the .Zack, Fly North Theatricals presents a thoughtfully staged and deeply committed 12-member cast for this demanding show.

Attention must be paid as the ensemble raises firm, emphatic voices to grab hold in the opening “The Ballad of Sweeney Todd: ‘Attend the Tale of Sweeney Todd” and stresses the dramatic stakes in the reprises, acting like a Greek chorus.

*“God That’s Good!” Photo by Julie Merkle*

Parker Miller, principal bass; Margaret Beekman, principal soprano; Mia Millican, principal alto; and Nathan Hakenewerth, Matt Ingram, Dereis Lambert, Crispin Shininger, Rachel Bailey, and Isobel Ramsey robustly raise their voices in unison.

They roar with energy in “God, That’s Good!” and are the mighty backbone of this grand, grim musical that is about 80% music.

Director Colin Healy has been strongly influenced by Sondheim throughout his career – and has a mural painting of Steve on the wall of the Greenfinch Theater & Dive Bar that he co-owns with technical wizard Bradley Rohlf, so his understanding of the material is never in doubt.

(Fun Fact: The bar is even named after one of Sondheim’s songs (“Green Finch and Linnet Bird”).

Healy dives into this monumental work with the intense drive of Hal Prince and the minimalistic eye of John Doyle, two legendary interpreters of Sondheim’s shows. (Prince directed the original mammoth 1979 Tony-winning Broadway show while Doyle reimagined an austere asylum-set 2005 revival).

*Isobel Ramsey and Dereis Lambert. Photo by Julie Merkle.*

To create an intimate production in the cozy confines of the Greenfinch theater space, Healy focused on the character-driven narrative, stripping it down to a few immersive set pieces and counting on the audience’s imagination. The 19^th century Victorian London setting is more of a suggestion, which is fine.

Clever lighting co-designed by Healy and Lauren Perry and nimble stagehands/cast led by stage manager Dizzy Funke help create a foreboding atmosphere. Rohlf lends his considerable skills as technical director.

Fly North’s resourcefulness with a tiny budget is laudable. And the efficient staging of the murders and body disposal benefits from everyone’s dedicated timing. Now, fresh ‘blood’ is splattered on some audience members, but those sitting at other angles don’t get that special effect, nor do they see it.

The heart-rending book by Hugh Wheeler, Tony winner for this, “A Little Night Music” and “Candide,” shocks and awes – blending terrifying psychological horror with deliciously wicked flickers of humor, some of it campy, while the music chills and thrills.

The disturbing gothic narrative was adapted from Christopher Bond’s 1970 play “Sweeney Todd,” which featured motivation for the barber’s lurid crimes. He imagined Todd as the victim of a corrupt, lecherous judge, who exiled him to a penal colony in Australia and ravaged his wife.

Bond had used a 1847 ‘penny dreadful’ (popular Victorian pulp fiction) – “The String of Pearls,” which sensationalized the demon barber of Fleet Street as a killer who baked his victims into meat pies.

Sondheim’s music made it feel larger in scope, and Prince decided the downside of the Industrial Revolution was that it turned out soulless, defeated, and hopeless people. That outlook, combined with Sondheim’s flair for emotional depth — nobody could tinge lyrics with melancholy, regret, and revulsion quite like he could.

Because Healy is such a Sondheim zealot, the ensemble’s enunciation was commendable on the razor-sharp lyrics and rhythmically complex songs. He isn’t the music director for this show, his usual role, but he and music director Stephen Schermitzler created the sound. Greenfinch’s orchestra pit is in the basement.

Chandler Spradling appears as an imposing anti-hero as Todd, a man pushed into nefarious deeds because of his life’s circumstances, thwarted by depraved men. He has a strong bass-baritone on such numbers as the battle cry “Epiphany” and chilling “My Friends.”

He and Lambert establish their relationship with the hopeful “No Place Like London,” and he shares his piteous tale “The Barber and His Wife.” Todd sets his diabolical plan in motion.

He meets a chatty Mrs. Lovett at her failing pie shop and opens a barber practice located above. Their meeting of the minds results in a thrifty use of a ghastly ingredient that makes her meat pies so tasty.

*“The Worst Pies in London.” Photo by Julie Merkle.*

Multi-faceted Jennelle Gilreath Owens is everything one can expect in an earthy Mrs. Lovett – she engages immediately in her “The Worst Pies in London,” showing off her finely attuned comedic skills and superb timing, not to mention an impeccable Cockney accent. She’s more ditzy than blowzy, more Lucille Ball than Ethel Merman.

Owens has always been a gem on local stages and shines in this iconic role. (At Stray Dog Theatre, she was a fierce Witch in Sondheim’s “Into the Woods”). She excelled at the patter song “A Little Priest” and was wistful in the duet “By the Sea.”

Perhaps the taxing nature of the intricate rhymes and complex musicality of the score was so arduous that some character development was lacking – because there should be more to some of these roles than broad strokes.

Spradling displayed the anguish, reinforced by a hollow gaze, but was less convincing as he descended into madness. Todd’s all-consuming grief and simmering rage must be palpable. His twisted partnership worked with Mrs. Lovett – until it tragically doesn’t. That downfall in the devastating second act felt a tad rushed – we should feel the sorrow.

Haller wasn’t a cruel Judge Turpin but rather a self-righteous, controlling authority figure where his possessive nature turns creepy when he lashes himself over his desires about his young ward. He could have been nastier and more intentional because he’s duplicitous.

Most disappointing was “Pretty Women.” Had the vocal prowess and the psychological depth met the moment, the beautiful song would have been haunting and unnerving.

The star-crossed lovers, Anthony Hope and Johanna Barker, seem doomed, and for the audience, they can cheer on the couple, despite Johanna being imprisoned and forced to marry the Judge (so cringy). Dereis Lambert and Isobel Ramsey are youthful in their ardor and have a lot at stake here in their songs. Lambert’s immediately smitten in “Ah, Miss” and blends romantic yearning in “Johanna.”

For the most part, Healy avoided cartoonish evil when things all start going sideways, and that meat grinder gets a workout. But pile on the menace! With the help of white curtains, shadows and light, they make the ominous asylum scene work, and the chaos grows in a wobbly “City on Fire!”

Matt Ingram as Beadle Bamford and Crispin Shininger as Tobias Ragg were compelling as these integral characters. Ingram, with a bold, strong voice and credible dialect, had to straddle the fine lines of pomposity with politeness, cruelty with complicities and his own sense of self-importance and broad humor. Ingram did so admirably, particularly in “Parlor Songs.” Nobody mourned his fate.

However, the naïve Tobias must transition from comic relief to tragic figure, starting out as loyal assistant to the charlatan Pirelli then becoming protective of Mrs. Lovett as a maternal figure.

Shininger is heart-breaking in one of the show’s best songs, “Not While I’m Around,” and his inevitable mental breakdown. His trauma was believable, after he figures out Todd and Mrs. Lovett are murderers, but the blocking could have been more decisive.

*Crispin Shininger. Photo by Julie Merkle.*

Ever reliable Rachel Bailey is persuasive as a mysterious Beggar Woman, and her “Beggar Woman’s Lullaby” regrettably seals her fate.

Hakenewerth is effective as the fraudulent Pirelli who tries to blackmail Todd, which sets off the murder spree.

And sadly, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street must come to its inevitably tumultuous gut-wrenching finale. Whether you’ve watched Tim Burton’s 2007 Oscar-nominated film or can’t get enough of the 2023 Broadway revival album, “Sweeney Todd” has many intricate layers to discover and Fly North has taken us in their own unusual distinctive way to its dark side.

Fly North Theatricals presents “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” from July 17 to Aug. 9 at the Greenfinch Theater and Dive Bar, 2525 S. Jefferson Avenue. The show’s runtime is 2 hours, 30 minutes, with a 15-minute intermission. Content warning: this show contains mature themes, including murder and self-harm. For more information, visit www.flynorth.org

Full disclosure: My maternal grandmother and Matt Ingram’s maternal great-grandmother were sisters, therefore we are cousins.

Lynn Venhaus

She is retired from teaching journalism/media as an adjunct college instructor.

poplifestl.com

The Muny’s ‘Newsies’ Triumphs With High-Spirited Bravado and Charm

By Lynn Venhaus

Let’s hear it for the boys! Those scrappy underdogs who win over many hearts nightly in the high voltage “Newsies” have taken over the Muny stage with their own versions of the American Dream, spreading hopeful cheer.

This crowd-pleasing production triumphs as a fresh, fantastic, fun take on the David vs. Goliath true story of the two-week Newsboys Strike of 1899, with catchy pop hooks and powerful anthems by legendary composer Alan Menken.

From the introductory group number’s camaraderie in “Carrying the Banner” to the unifying, pivotal “The World Will Know,” the optimistic call for solidarity in “Seize the Day,” and the rousing “Once and For All,” the cast of triple-threat talents boast contagious enthusiasm and can-do spirit.

Menken, winner of eight Academy Awards, wrote seven new songs for the stage show, and won his first-ever Tony Award. Jack Feldman wrote the lyrics. Their exhilarating blend of power pop, vaudeville and swinging melodies resonates.

*From left: Bryce Williams, Jack Roden, Jaron Bentley and Kayla Pecchioni in the 2026 Muny production of Disney’s “Newsies.” Photo by Phillip Hamer*

An ebullient ensemble of the finest caliber fortifies the right-over-might aspects by wearing their hearts on their sleeves — and not just showing tremendous athletic skills in synchronized dance numbers choreographed by Richard J. Hinds. (Perhaps you recall his unforgettable can-can number from last summer’s “La Cage Aux Folles”?).

Their physical stamina – especially in the July heat – is incredible, showing how adept at tap, ballet and acrobatic moves they are. Through his fluid direction, Denis Jones integrates the energetic dance numbers with heart-tugging emotional storytelling.

Two-time Tony nominee and recipient of three St. Louis Theater Circle Awards, Jones has put his signature stamp on 12 shows on the Muny stage, and this is another meticulous effort. He reiterates the newsboys’ tight-knit bonds and their “us against the world” mentality.

This 19^th century hustle-bustle world of New York City is framed through a gritty lens, with sepia-toned video design by Caite Hevner and rough-and-tumble scenic design by Tijana Bjelajac, which is evocative of that period. Paige Seber’s lighting design and Josh Hummel’s sound design also establish atmosphere.

*Nolan Almeida in the 2026 Muny production of Disney’s “Newsies.” Photo by Emily Santel, The Muny*

Exceptional Music Director Annbritt duChateau conducts a 22-piece orchestra, elevating the emotional underpinnings and keeping a peppy pace for the spry, up-tempo numbers.

Also popping with personality is the “King of New York” when the Newsies discover how much fun fame and notoriety can be and let loose with a spectacular song and dance number, tapping, leaping and twirling with joy.

The musical continues to strike many chords with modern audiences, ever since the 1992 movie, a box-office dud, drew so much adoration in its VHS and DVD afterlife that Disney adapted the cult phenomenon into a smash 2011 Broadway musical. Christopher Gattelli’s electrifying, airborne choreography also won a Tony.

The nostalgia factor comes into play too. It’s not hard to see why people are drawn to this story – how a ragtag bunch of orphans took on the mighty Joseph Pulitzer, who represented everything villainous about corporate America and the patriarchy – especially unfair labor tactics and unethical business practices.

*Kayla Pecchioni in the 2026 Muny production of Disney’s “Newsies.” Photo by MaryKatherine Patteson, The Muny*

More than a century ago, New York City was home to several publications, including Pulitzer’s New York World, the Herald and The Sun. Newsboys, those resourceful street urchins whose livelihood depended on selling that day’s paper, went on strike when Pulitzer raised the price, reducing their meager wages. Pure greed.

First produced in 2017 at the Muny, it was the Midwest regional premiere after the national tour stopped here in 2016. This musical is a fine example of what our oldest and largest outdoor theater does best — it brings multiple generations together to be uplifted by an inspirational story of courage, friendship and the power of taking a stand. And those high-spirited kids can sure entertain!

Tensions escalate in a book by Harvey Feirstein, adapted from the screenplay by Bob Tzudiker and Noni White. It’s an important history lesson because the labor union movement gained ground as workers were needed for the Industrial Revolution.

Once upon a time, the only way to find out what was going on in the world was to read a newspaper. With the 24/7 relentless news cycle today, it’s a different digital landscape – but the ethical dilemmas remain the same.

*Members of the company of the 2026 Muny production of Disney’s “Newsies.” Photo by Phillip Hame*r

Rising star Jack Roden possesses a major wow factor as tough survivor Jack Kelly, the charismatic leader of the strike. He embodies this unlikely heroic figure with ease – and his powerhouse vocals are convincing and clear.

His robust opener “Santa Fe” immediately endeared him, and his duet with fellow newcomer Kayla Pecchioni as spunky reporter Katherine, “Something to Believe In,” is lovely. She makes a good impression in “Watch What Happens.” As their ally, Katherine crusades to show the inequities in factories, slaughterhouses and sweatshops too as the ragamuffins bring the city to a standstill.

Seen last year as encouraging Randall in “Bring It On,” Bryce Williams is formidable sidekick Davey, who pours his heart into the rallying cry. With his keen intelligence and Jack’s street-smarts, they are a good combo.

*Kayla Pecchioni and Jack Roden in the 2026 Muny production of Disney’s “Newsies.” Photo by Phillip Hamer*

Stealing every scene he’s in is Jaron Bentley as Davey’s little brother, adorable pint-sized Les, immediately winning over the audience through his heart and humor. Seen in The Black Rep’s “Raisin,” Union Avenue Opera’s “Ragtime” and The Rep’s “A Christmas Carol” in recent years, he’s a memorable stage presence.

Another audience favorite is Nolan Almeida as never-say-die Crutchie, a mistreated disabled orphan with a heart of gold. His “Letter from The Refuge” will likely produce a few tears as he details the deplorable conditions at the juvenile reformatory.

It’s always a welcome sight to see Anastacia McCleskey on the Muny stage, after her virtuoso performance in 2022 as Ceely in “The Color Purple” and as Joanne Jefferson in “Rent” the following year. She sashays as sassy vaudeville performer Medda Larkin, who is a champion of Jack’s artwork, and sings “That’s Rich.”

Broadway and TV veteran Michael Park is imposing as arrogant news titan Pulitzer. The other unsympathetic adults include Drew Battles as Seitz and Jonah D. Winston as Bunsen. Of course they sing “The Bottom Line.” However, Kylie Edwards is a charmer as Pulitzer’s secretary Hannah. She is part of the Bowery Beauties in “I Never Planned on You/Don’t Come A-Knocking.”

*From left: Jack Roden, Matt Dean and Bryce Williams in the 2026 Muny production of Disney’s “Newsies.” Photo by Emily Santel, The Muny*

Muny regular Rich Pisarkiewicz is Wiesel, who dispenses ‘papes’ to the newsies, and Jim Butz is the weaselly enforcer Snyder while Michael Halling has a humorous turn as Governor Theodore Roosevelt.

With names like Specs, Romeo, Race, Mush and Buttons, gotta love those Newsboys: Matt Dean, Michael Di Leo, Omarion Burke, Johnny Fenton, Zach Doran, Miles Marmolejo, Arick Brooks, Kevin Antonio Rodriguez, Jacob Kim, Evan Owen, Joshua Messmore, Christian J. Collins. Brianna Kim is the fleet-footed Brooklyn leader Spot Conlon, noteworthy in “Brooklyn’s Here,” and Becca Perron doubles as a nun and Bowery Beauty.

Costume designer Emily Rebholz has selected period-appropriate attire in subdued earth tones for the scruffy youngsters, with the rich folk in Gilded Age finery. Tommy Kurzman designed wigs.

With its immersive period look and seamless staging, “Newsies” is a poignant ode to the common man and to dreamers everywhere. It taps into those universal feelings of belonging, of being of service to others, and the power to change the world. Believe!

*From left: Kayla Pecchioni, Drew Battles, Jonah D. Winston, Michael Halling and Michael Park in the 2026 Muny production of Disney’s “Newsies.” Photo by Phillip Hamer*

The Muny presents “Newsies” nightly on the outdoor stage in Forest Park at 8:15 p.m. July 16 – 23. The show’s runtime is 2 hours, 23 minutes with intermission. For more information, visit www.muny.org.

*Jack Roden (left) and Michael Park in the 2026 Muny production of Disney’s “Newsies.” Photo by Emily Santel, The Muny*

*Anastacia McCleskey in the 2026 Muny production of Disney’s “Newsies.” Photo by Phillip Hame*r

Lynn Venhaus

She is retired from teaching journalism/media as an adjunct college instructor.

poplifestl.com

Featured Reviews Tesseract Theatre Company Theatre
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12 min read

Tesseract’s ‘Jagged Little Pill’ Is a Meaningful, Memorable Musical

By Lynn Venhaus

The underbelly of American nuclear families in affluent suburbia is exposed in the emotionally charged Alanis Morissette-inspired musical “Jagged Little Pill,” which can’t be wholly described in jukebox terms.

The show’s timeless message of showing up for people is emphasized, and Tesseract Theatre’s production focuses on pain, healing and empowerment. Director Brittanie Gunn features a smartly attuned cast in principal roles.

The landmark alt-rock album’s ‘90’s fueled angst is palpable as the fired-up energetic ensemble propels this professional regional theater premiere, featuring dynamic dancing, supple orchestrations and powerhouse vocals.

The recognizable musical score is well integrated into the issue-laden story, and includes other Morissette songs from later albums (“Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie,” “Under Rug Swept,” “Havoc and Bright Lights,” “Feast on Scraps,” and “City of Angels” soundtrack), and two new songs (“Smiling” and “Predator.”).

After the lead characters establish their troubled dilemmas in “All I Really Want,” pumped-up performers burst out with “Right Through You” and never let up until after the hard-fought “You Learn.” The company’s “Wake Up,” “Forgiven,” “Hands Clean,” and “Thank U” are commanding as well, especially the haunting “Uninvited.”

As the outwardly ideal mother unraveling inside, an affecting Loren Goudreau organically portrays Mary Jane “MJ” Healy – an authentic combination of fire and ice. Like most of the insulated moms nearby, MJ is a helicopter parent, aka control freak, and instead of protecting her two children, she’s smothering them.

MJ is also addicted to pain pills that she started abusing after a car accident and is pulling away from everyone who knows and loves her. Yet, she seems to realize what a fraud these shiny happy façades are, and the shallow suburbanites she’s in contact with around their snobby, judgy town.

Goudreau’s always in control in beautifully delivered vocals – “All I Really Want,” “Smiling,” and she crushes “Uninvited.” Her marital woes are aptly conveyed in “So Unsexy” and “Not the Doctor.” She shows her strength in a triumphant “You Learn.”

With a book by Diablo Cody, who won the 2021 Tony (and won an Oscar for the original screenplay “Juno”), Act I opens with MJ composing her annual Christmas letter telling everyone how perfect their family is.

Of course, it’s all big little lies. Her workaholic husband Steve (Kevin O’Brien), feeling neglected, spends time after-hours on porn sites. Their tenuous relationship appears on a downward spiral.

O’Brien, a remarkable actor, is unfortunately saddled with a standard perplexed dad role. For as superbly as the female characters are drawn, the men parts feel perfunctory. He does what he can with a poorly drawn character.

The heavy parental issues are complicated by the kids being teenagers, and moral dilemmas arise because of choices and circumstances. Hard life lessons are ahead as we go through a very stressful calendar year in Connecticut.

Son Nick was accepted into Harvard, and his future’s so bright that they all need to wear shades. Golden boy Nick, however, is feeling the pressure of being the ‘good’ son, the overachiever. So many expectations on his shoulders. He gets into a situation at a party where things go sideways, involving his classmates, and he is put to the test.

Stephen Henley, who is a young-looking 30 something, plays the high school senior, so one must suspend belief. Henley, a strong triple threat, can handle the emotional heft of the conflicted son. But like the movie cast of “Grease,” being a student is a stretch.

Daughter Frankie (Kinya Kairigi) is a budding social activist. She considers herself bisexual, and her best friend JoAnn “Jo” (Milo Garlich) is more than a buddy. Frankie, who is arguing more with mom, is trying to find her way – and becomes attracted to a sensitive student Phoenix (Jabari Boykin), who seems to ‘get her.’

It’s another fine showcase for Boykin, after commanding performances in Stray Dog Theatre’s “The Second Hurricane” and “Superhero.” His “That I Would Be Good” and the romantic first-love dip “Head Over Feet” show his vulnerability.

Frankie is adopted, black, and raised in a white Catholic family who didn’t think about exploring her culture but instead ignored it. ‘Better life,’ and all that. So, Frankie has some things to say about her upbringing, plus is a typical teenager ready to explode and rebel.

Kairigi, making her St. Louis debut, shows much promise, and can belt with the best of them. Her clever rendition of “Ironic,” which starts out as an essay/poem in English class and becomes a subject of debate by her sarcastic classmates, is a standout scene.

Garlich, a notable Motel in Fly North’s “Fiddler on the Roof,” has an impressive vocal range and is a passionate singer, especially on “You Oughta Know,” Morissette’s strongest anthem.

Lauren Tenenbaum’s heart-tugging portrayal of Bella Fox, the unconscious girl who is sexually assaulted at a wild holiday party, with photos circulating on social media, is another riveting aspect of the emotionally wrought show. Tenenbaum’s sincere vocals on “Predator” and “No” are noteworthy for its message.

Her tender storyline is also captured in lithe Lillian Cooper’s interpretive dance that adds a fascinating element to the presentation.

The compelling dance numbers overall, choreographed by Ella Drake and Ruben Medina, are among the show’s most memorable moments.

The ensemble – featuring Kiera Anderson-Pittman, Scott Degitz-Fries, David Hall Kaycee, David Joseph, Eesha Ved and Devynn Phoenix Yakel — is committed to getting us to feel their hurt, humiliation and outrage. Clayton Hamburg was not in the July 12 show reviewed here.

The music, by Morissette and Glen Ballard, with lyrics by Morissette, reminds us of her strengths as a groundbreaking female artist. She was only 22 when the album was released in 1995. Additional music is by Michael Farrell and Guy Sigsworth.

The album sold over 33 million copies worldwide, earned five Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year. The musical reinforces her legacy in American pop music, and the reminder is a welcome one.

Outstanding Music Director Leah Schultz is precise in conducting a very skilled band, determined to make these songs matter — not just “swallow it down.” After all, “Hand in My Pocket” promises “everything is going to be quite alright” (unless you are a cynic).

The seven-piece band sharpened the songs’ deliveries. The strings are a terrific addition, with Jill Hamill on violin and Mallory Golden second weekend, Chuck Evans on viola, and Micah Bounds on cello. Michaela Kuba is on bass, Jake Luebbert on drums, Adam Rugo on guitar, and Schultz on keyboards.

One can see how this musical garnered 15 Tony nominations, the most of any show that COVID-affected 2019-2020 season, and won two (Best Book and Best Supporting Actress). The show began previews on Broadway in November 2019 but closed due to the pandemic. It reopened on Oct. 21, 2021, and closed on Dec.17, 2021. It also won the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album.

It’s easy to put this show into a time capsule, but the cast strives to make it relevant to today. The dysfunctional problems are confronted, and the solution is to start over and learn a new normal.

Lighting designer Kevin Bowman and sound designer Phillip Evans enhanced the moods while scenic designer Todd Schaefer created a fluid moving panels to anchor home, school, party, coffee shop, park and other locations. The cast helps in placing the movable pieces.

Costume designer Sarah Gene Dowling ensured the cast could move in casual looks, and rock band T-shirts helped establish the era, especially a couple classic Nirvana designs.

Other creatives included technical director Kevin Sallwasser, stage manager Abby Turner, fight choreographer Rhiannon Creighton, intimacy consultant Will Bonfiglio, and production manager Sarah Baucom.

Tesseract Theatre, as it often does, met this moment by aligning the dark topical issues to the exaggerated energetic staging. Now while the social issues are admirable, the show’s construction seems very busy.

The two-act musical is at its best when it galvanizes the intensely personal female-driven messaging and corrals the emotional landscape of adolescence in a relatable way, when it slows down to share raw, honest dialogue.

Those who respond to heartbreaking musicals like “Dear Evan Hansen” and “Next to Normal,” where personal growth and resilience occur, this is for you.

Life’s rough edges are captured in Morissette’s songs, which Cody weaves into an anxiety-ridden panoply of problems, mainly on gender and racial identities, not to mention addictions, sexuality, and suburban stereotypes. Cody’s humor is a much-needed component, too – and given the complexities of the contemporary issues, and emotional baggage, maybe not enough.

“Jagged Little Pill” can be an exhausting rollercoaster of importance, but it can also hit one in the feels. One open to this experience will discover the human condition in its moving, messy realities, set to catchy pop hooks, connecting on the Marcelle stage.

Tesseract Theatre Company presents “Jagged Little Pill” July 10 – July 26 Thursday through Sunday at The Marcelle Theatre in the Grand Center Arts District. For more information, visit www.TesseractTheatreco.org

Lynn Venhaus

She is retired from teaching journalism/media as an adjunct college instructor.

poplifestl.com

Featured Movies Reviews
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7 min read

Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’ Is Bold, Breathtaking and Brilliant

By Lynn Venhaus

A voyage for the ages. Writer-director Christopher Nolan has made the ultimate heroic action-adventure epic in “The Odyssey” — as bold, breathtaking and brilliant as only he could, aided by his virtuoso technical masters.

Nolan has thoughtfully adapted Homer’s epic poem to be both colossal in scope and intimate, mythical and human. This enthralling ancient Greek journey, from some 2,700 years ago, emphasized the cost of a barbaric war, the chaos that ensued, breaking Zeus’ law, bad decisions, and reconciling with your failures to move forward and get back home.

After ten years of the Trojan War, King Odysseus (Matt Damon) faces a dangerous voyage back home to Ithaca, including deadly monsters and vengeful gods. Along the way, he meets mythical creatures like the Cyclops Polyphemus, Sirens, and Calypso (Charlize Theron). In the meantime, his loyal wife Penelope (Anne Hathaway) waits at home, and his son Telemachus (Tom Holland) tries to find out if he’s still alive.

The way Nolan cinematically unfolded the story, in a non-linear style, in 2 hours and 52 minutes, feels just right, sweeping us away on the journey he wanted to tell. Basically, it’s a man trying to get home. The war took 10 years, and his way back took another 10.

*Anne Hathaway as Penelope and Tom Holland as Telemachus.*

In a career-best performance, Matt Damon leads an exceptional megawatt cast in the physically grueling, demanding portrayal of Odysseus. The bench is so deep that some familiar faces get minimal screen time, but their characters are part of this rich tapestry that Nolan has precisely threaded to convey one of western literature’s greatest sagas. They are part of a massive theatrical event that eventually will be considered a pinnacle.

Nolan has smartly showcased these grand themes – love, honor, war, greed, gods and monsters — and the cast immerses us in its emotional depth to make us care, particularly Tom Holland as Telemachus, heir to the throne, who is trying to find his way in the shadow of his father, and wants to honor him by not giving up. Holland’s heart shines through in his character’s nobility.

Meanwhile, Ithaca has become a cesspool of hangers-on and posers, as suitors crowd the palace to curry favor with Penelope. It’s exactly what Odysseus did not want to happen.

Four outstanding actresses, three Oscar winners and one two-time Emmy winner, are mesmerizing on screen in their iconic roles: Anne Hathaway is Penelope, Odysseus’ loyal queen and great love; Charlize Theron is Calypso, a sea nymph who falls in love with him, holding him hostage on the island of Ogygia; and Zendaya is Athena, the goddess of wisdom and his protector. In very brief roles, Lupita Nyong’o is Helen of Troy, and her twin sister, Clytemnestra.

Standouts include John Leguizamo as his faithful servant Eumaeus, now blind; Jon Bernthal as Menelaus, a Greek king who fights alongside Odysseus, and the husband of Helen; Elliot Page as loyal servant Sinon, who is sacrificed for the war victory; Samantha Morton as the witch Circe; Himesh Patel as Eurylochus, Odysseus’ right-hand man; and Robert Pattinson as the weaselly villain, arrogant Antinous, one of Penelope’s most manipulative and power-hungry suitors.

The sprawling cast also includes Benny Safdie as the imposing Agamemnon, king of Mycenae and commander of the Greek army, Travis Scott as a bard, Mia Goth as the queen’s servant Melantho, and both Corey Hawkins and Logan Marshall-Green are bad guys teaming up with Antinous.

The master filmmaker, Oscar winner for his magnum opus “Oppenheimer,” seems to be hitting his stride tailoring stunning vistas in six countries and composing visual spectacles on IMAX cameras, the first feature film to do so. His practical effects, rather than computer-generated images, are magnificent here. The man-eating Cyclops. a massive 60-foot puppet, is terrifying, and the underworld scene, where the dead rise out of the black sand, is stunning.

Along with visionary cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema, the world-building by production designer Ruth DeJong and costume designer Ellen Mirojnick, is grand and splendid, impeccable in details.

Oscar winning editor Jennifer Lame (“Oppenheimer”) had a gargantuan task, and she made the film a lucid, thrilling watch. Swedish composer Ludwig Goransson, three-time Oscar winner (“Black Panther,” “Oppenheimer,” “Sinners”), has written an urgent, industrial score that heightens the action.

One must experience this tsunami of an epic in a theater, in full big screen glory. “The Odyssey” is to be savored and celebrated, for this is movie making at its absolute finest.

(NOTE: It doesn’t matter whether you’ve read The Odyssey — or like me, forgotten most of what you learned about it in high school, but it helps to get a refresher beforehand, and there are plenty of sources around to get you up to speed.)

“The Odyssey” is a 2026 action-adventure-fantasy epic written and directed by Christopher Nolan, and starring Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron, Zendaya, John Leguizamo, Jon Bernthal, Elliot Page, Hamish Patel, Lupita Nyong’o, Samantha Morton, Benny Safdie, Mia Goth, Travis Scott, Corey Hawkins and Logan Marshall-Green. It is rated R for violence and some language and runtime is 2 hours, 52 minutes. It opens in theaters July 17. Lynn’s Grade: A+

Lynn Venhaus

She is retired from teaching journalism/media as an adjunct college instructor.

poplifestl.com

Featured Festivals Reviews St Louis Actors' Studio Theatre
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10 min read

Fresh Voices Stir, Amuse, Engage in STLAS’ LaBute New Theater Festival

By Lynn Venhaus
Five original voices made their auspicious LaBute New Theater Festival debut this year, along with the fest’s esteemed namesake with another intriguing new one-act.

The festival, established in 2013, is an active collaboration between St. Louis Actors’ Studio and Neil LaBute, the renowned playwright, screenwriter, and director of theater and film.

In its 12^th year, the festival’s quality, in terms of performers and writing, remains top-notch. Six nimble actors – returning Anthony Wininger, Tyler Crandall and Xander Huber join newcomers Nick Barrows, Jade Cash and Caitlin Mickey – for an engaging exploration into the comedy and drama of being.

Presented in The Gaslight Theatre’s intimate black box as one of the company’s signature offerings every season, the line-up features authentically drawn characters by writers who have some thought-provoking points to make.

*“Junk Drawer.” Photo by Patrick Huber.*

This year’s assortment are delivered with aplomb by veteran directors Eric Dean White and Wendy Renee Greenwood, who helmed three apiece, and their keen perceptions are crystal clear.

The evening of one-acts’ six titles include suspense, mystery, pitch-black comedy, whimsy, an interesting family dynamic, childhood trauma, a missing spouse, and grave diggers with a grisly task. All but one are in present day.

The well-rehearsed performers establish a comfortable rhythm in their interactions that draw us into each new world and are paired well in four two-handers and two trios.

In the clever “Junk Drawer,” playwright Erin Fitzgerald of Kentucky started on a lighthearted note. It sounds as fun as it is. White directed Cash as a penny, Huber as a poker chip, Crandall as a dried out magic marker, and Wininger as a boot strap. He leaned into the witty wordplay that made this assured piece work well and the actors joyfully gave the objects personalities like Pixar does in the “Toy Story” movies.

Switching the mood to contentious, a slow-burn “Go Fish” followed from Cameron Michles, a New York-based playwright who doled out dollops of information as a guarded interaction occurs between Caitlin Mickey as Chloe and Nick Barrows as Whittaker, in an impressive St. Louis theater debut.

The pair meet after considerable time has passed in their lives, but has it really for these two? It’s awkward, apologetic – and icky-awful. A few of the flashback techniques aren’t clear until the final gut-punch.

When we finally realize what happened, it’s chilling. Greenwood skillfully directed so that the present encounter builds in tension, hurt, anger and regret, and the actors carefully modulated their feelings so as not to get ahead. The program gives a content warning for “depiction of violence, sexual violence, and molestation.”

In “Resurrection Men,” playwright Nicholas Dunn revived an underground and illegal body-snatching enterprise that occurred in the United Kingdom in the 18^th and 19^th centuries, before Parliament passed the Anatomy Act of 1832, which made grave-robbing illegal for medical schools.

This was at a time when cadavers were necessary for medical qualifications. (After that, these med schools were allowed to use unclaimed bodies at workhouses, prisons and hospitals).

Dunn, from Salt Lake City, created a time crunch for Hatt (Wininger) and newbie Fitz (Huber), while a doctor, Knox (Jade Cash), anxiously waited for them to deliver. White kept the action moving, as the two men, looking to make a buck and on the lookout for cops or nosy tattletales, keep their shovels busy. Fitz is nervous, Hatt is the seasoned veteran, and interaction escalated until there is a surprising turn.

Huber and Wininger work well together, committed to the characters, but the play lacked the heft that other offerings possessed.

*“Little Johnny Knows Things.” Photo by Patrick Huber.*

After intermission, LaBute’s dandy dialogue-driven “Brunch” involved two friends – Candice (Mickey) is dealing with a cold criminal case, while Shasta (Cash) listens, feigning interest and sympathy. She asks questions, but it is what she doesn’t say that implies otherwise.

As Mickey revealed the backstory – her husband has been gone without a trace, the spotlight shifted to Shasta’s reactions. Slyly directed by Greenwood, Cash’s body language is priceless.

LaBute, a master at ambiguity, knows how to layer dark and light material, and this contemporary piece is sharply constructed with a delicious undercurrent of uncomfortable.

John Pierson’s novel entry, “Little Johnny Knows Things,” threw a cringy curve when Ryan, astutely played by Barrows, is interrupted while reading a book on a park bench. An odd Brett, coyly played by Huber, arrived with a suitcase, grinning.

Against his better judgment, Ryan engaged the peculiar young man, who pulled out a ventriloquist dummy. No doubt, this development was not on his bingo card for the day. Huber clearly relished this role, and deftly handled Little Johnny, who was meticulously crafted by Erin Knadler. This one is funny, a labor of laughs for both playwright and Greenwood.

Pierson is familiar at STLAS as a performer, director and in other roles, but playwright is a new endeavor for him. He wrote this one-act while he was a theater fellow at The Bogliasco Foundation in Bogliasco, Italy, earlier this year.

In the final segment, Domenick Scudera concocted a strong sense of time, place and characterization in “The Rules.” Scudera, who works in the greater Philadelphia area, immersed us in a family dynamic between brothers who grew up in Long Island that appears typical but is not. They are together after years apart because their father has died.

In their best performances of the night, Crandall and Wininger pull off the complex relationship between these two very different siblings in a sincere and meaningful way. Crandall is Mario, openly gay, whose sexuality was not embraced by his family. Wininger, in a consistent New York accent, established the older brother Leo as a dominant alpha male. Both have chips on their shoulders.

While Mario is more candid and expressive, tough-nut Leo started, ever so slowly, to crack. There appeared to be an opening as he tentatively confided to Mario some of his confusion, hesitancy, and fears.

White poignantly delivered the authentic interaction while the actors had the crisp timing down pat. It’s the kind of rumination on human connection where you want them all to hug it out.

This year, hundreds of submissions arrived for an 8-member panel to curate, including LaBute, who doesn’t just lend his name to this fest. Supporting new work is a noble endeavor, and the crew is as dedicated as the creatives involved year in and year out.

Stage manager Amy J. Paige demonstrated her prowess in this integral role, assisted this year by Nadya Nabulsi. As is his custom, Patrick Huber smoothly handled set and lighting designs while costume designer Amanda Brasher contributed appropriate casual looks for each scene.

One of STLAS’ most enjoyable aspects in these captivating collections is their needle drops. Their sound design is always well-suited to each one-act.

A notable harmonious team effort, the LaBute Festival accomplished this summer what it does best: Probe, question, wonder, worry, stir, inspire, enlighten, amuse and entertain in a very natural way.

St. Louis Actors’ Studio presents the 12th annual LaBute New Theater Festival July 10 to 26, with performances at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and at 3 p.m. on Sundays at The Gaslight Theater on North Boyle in the Central West End. General admission tickets are available via Ticketmaster or at the theater box office one hour before show time. For more information, visit www.stlas.org.

Lynn Venhaus

She is retired from teaching journalism/media as an adjunct college instructor.

poplifestl.com

The Muny’s Lush, Lithe ‘South Pacific’ Is An Unforgettable Experience

By Lynn Venhaus

Big personalities and bigger voices fill the Muny’s expansive stage for an enthralling excursion into an exotic place that remains a timeless touchstone of American musical theatre.

In their 11^th staging of “South Pacific” – a stunning tour de force in every element, the Muny meets a significant cultural moment through the vision of director William Carlos Angulo. Using the gutsier 2008 revival script, the show expands on the heightened love, intolerance and war themes.

Angulo emphasizes the two intercultural romances where couples grappled with acceptance and overcoming prejudice some eight decades ago, which resonates today. Suave Emile de Becque is a French plantation owner with a mysterious past who falls for spunky nurse Nellie Forbush, from Little Rock, Ark.

The time is 1943 when the Allies fought the Axis – the coalition of Nazi Germany, fascist Italy and Imperial Japan in World War II. The unworldly Nellie is stationed on an unnamed island where the U.S. Navy and Marines are keeping tabs on the enemy.

*Taylor Louderman (center) with members of the company of the 2026 Muny production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s “South Pacific.” Photo by Phillip Hamer*

These characters populated James Michener’s short stories in “Tales from the South Pacific,” which was adapted by Joshua Logan and Oscar Hammerstein for the wartime musical, with music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Hammerstein. It opened on April 7, 1949, when war memories were fresh in people’s minds.

The work won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1950, the first (and only musical until “Hamilton” in 2016) and 10 Tony Awards. It ran for nearly five years on Broadway until 1954, a record album was a huge hit, and a popular movie adaptation was released in 1958. The show had never been revived on Broadway until Bartlett Sher’s acclaimed 2008 Lincoln Center run, which tackled the darker themes realistically.

After Marine officer Lt. Joseph Cable arrives for a dangerous espionage mission, he is smitten by Liat, a Tonkinese woman who lives on the mystical island Bali Ha’i. As the young lovers, Michael Canu and Michaela Marfori are mesmerizing in dance sequences that Angulo has incorporated for richer storytelling. Choreographer Karla Puno Garcia has added a tender tableau that sets this production apart, a ravishing debut.

*Michaela Marfori and Michael Canu in the 2026 Muny production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s “South Pacific.” Photo by MaryKatherine Patteson, The Muny*

That glorious music! Music Director Roberto Sinha conducts 29 musicians for those iconic sweeping ballads and fun ensemble numbers, so very sumptuous, starting with that fabulous overture.. Sinha returns after marvelous maestro turns in Angulo’s “In the Heights” and “Dear Evan Hansen” and is currently the music director of Broadway’s “Hamilton.”

To experience Brazilian bass-baritone Paulo Szot recreate his Tony-winning role as Emile is wondrous and breathtaking live. This is the kind of powerful operatic performance that people will still be talking about for years.

They’ll single out his magnetic renditions of “Some Enchanting Evening” and “This Nearly Was Mine” with the kind of reverence that is spoken about Yul Brynner in “The King and I,” Robert Preston in “The Music Man,” and Zero Mostel in “Fiddler on the Roof.”

Sarah Fenske, St. Louis Magazine executive editor, declared it “The Summer of Szot” after seeing him at both Opera Theatre of St. Louis as charming Signor Naccarelli in “The Light in the Piazza” and now the Muny. I’m jumping on this bandwagon too. (He’s returning to Broadway to play Lance in “& Juliet” later this month, a role he originated.)

*Paulo Szot in the 2026 Muny production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s “South Pacific.” Photo by Phillip Hamer*

While a charismatic presence, he’s not the only reason to see this cherished classic. Taylor Louderman is enthusiastically welcomed back to where it all started for the Tony nominee as a teenager, combining a sunny disposition with her physicality and lovely lilting vocals as the spirited, unsophisticated Nellie. Showing genuine emotional depth, she brings out the turmoil that Nellie faces because of ingrained attitudes that affect her relationship with Emile.

Now playing a very grown-up role, she’s the epitome of exuberance in “A Cockeyed Optimist,” “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair,” “I’m In Love with a Wonderful Guy,” and “Honey Bun.” Together, Louderman and Szot have a sweet chemistry., and their “Twin Soliloquys” is silky smooth.

Not only can Canu dance ballet, but his strong tenor soars in “Younger Than Springtime” and “My Girl Back Home.” Being brought up in Philadelphia society, when he’s disgusted by his own ingrained bigotry, he erupts into the pivotal “You’ve Got to Be Carefully Taught.”

*Paulo Szot and Michael Canu in the 2026 Muny production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s “South Pacific.” Photo by Phillip Hamer*

This decades-old social commentary remains impactful today, which sets “South Pacific” apart from other golden-age chestnuts. When she meets Emile’s Polynesian children, Louderman must say “colored,” which has been restored in the script. The understanding comes later. It’s a scrupulously constructed show that wants to say something.

The rest of the ensemble is flawless, with Joan Almedilla a knockout as Bloody Mary, avoiding making her a caricature, and transporting us in “Bali Ha’i.” After playing a conniving prince in “Frozen” last year, Bobby Conte returns as an animated Luther Billis, the lovable schemer who provides much needed comic relief.

It’s a pleasure to see three St. Louisans make their mark on the Muny stage, with veteran Michael James Reed as Captain George Brackett, Jeff Cummings in his debut as Commander William Harbison, and former Muny Kid Robert Crenshaw in his debut as Stewpot. Crenshaw, who lit up stages on national tours of “Ain’t Too Proud” and “The Wiz,” is fun to watch as the goofy Seabee.

*Jeff Cummings (left) and Michael James Reed in the 2026 Muny production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s “South Pacific.” Photo by MaryKatherine Patteson, The Mun*y

The lavish atmosphere, in contrast to the gritty war mission, is beautifully rendered in Arnel Sancianco’s lush scenic design, with the tropical touches carried through in John Lasiter’s sun-drenched lighting design and Yee Eun Nam’s video designs of breezy foliage and ocean waves. Josh Hummel crafted the sound design.

Costume designer Raquel Adorno’s lovely flowing evening gowns set an enchanting mood, with a gorgeous palette of seafoam greens and blues as well as flowery prints. The elegant party clothes contrast with the military attire of the sailors and nurses. Ashley Rae Callahan was the wig designer.

The robust singers and dancers have fun with “Bloody Mary,” “There Is Nothin’ Like a Dame,” and the Thanksgiving Follies. As Emil’s children Ngana and Jerome, Grace Moore and Josiah Paik are delightful in “Dites-Moi.”

*Bobby Conte (center) and members of the company of the 2026 Muny production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s “South Pacific.” Photo by Phillip Hamer*

The cast includes Julia Aguinaldo, Tre’ Booker, Jessica Carmona, Chloe Chamberlin, Aaron Patrick Craven, Arielle Ploy Dettmer, Alex Benetiz Evans, Rachel Fairbanks, Hannah Florence, Garrick Goce Macatangay, Jake Mendes, Caylie Rose Newcom, Julian Ramos, John Ray Jr., Hayden Rivas, David Rowen, Connor Schwantes, Gordon Semeatu, Francisco Thurston, and Nicholas A. Wilkinson.

The Muny’s “South Pacific” is a snapshot of how we once were, with hope for the future. It’s a grand glimpse of the best of times, the worst of times, and how people connect dramatically on the world arena. This exceptional cast and crew of artisans have created an unforgettable night of theater that deeply resonates and carries us away in song.

“The Muny” presents “South Pacific” on the outdoor stage from July 6 – 12. Visit muny.org for more information on The Muny’s 108th season.

*From left: Grace Moore, Taylor Louderman and Josiah Paik in the 2026 Muny production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s “South Pacific.” Photo by Phillip Hamer*

Lynn Venhaus

She is retired from teaching journalism/media as an adjunct college instructor.

poplifestl.com

Featured Prism Theatre Company Reviews Theatre
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7 min read

Prism Theatre Co. ‘Progress’ Royally Entertains with a Cozy Inside Look

By Lynn Venhaus

With a modern sense and sensibility, local playwright John Wolbers created a warm, welcoming and wild woman’s world of the 16^th century in the private chambers of Queen Elizabeth I.

In Prism Theatre Company’s world premiere of the comedy-drama “Progress,” this is an uninhibited Bess – presented informally and not on official duty, although she prepares to meet dignitaries, ambassadors and advisors.

In discussions with his life partner Liz in 2020, he discovered an aspect of Bess’s untold story he needed to tell – that she had a savvy squad of advisors uplifting her so that her regal image would be impressive and dignified every day.

With an uncanny ability to write multi-dimensional roles for women, Wolbers has peeled back the curtain, creating a chummy workplace environment that feels lived-in and nurturing. Straight talk is how conversations are played – even if it would be TMI or NSFW in today’s parlance.

Featuring an all-star cast, these six crafty servants surround the queen in her inner sanctum. They manage her daily routine – dressing her, checking personal care, taking care of correspondence, schedule, budgets, sweet snacks and liquid refreshments.

Local treasure Michelle Hand assuredly plays the swearing sweet-and-sour “Virgin Queen” whose 45-year reign from 1558 to 1603 was viewed favorably as “Progress” and called a “Golden Age” because it brought stability, a cultural Renaissance and the rise of England as a world power.

Prone to emotional outbursts, Bess flies into a rage but then switches to warm and witty. Hand conveys the royal’s intellect, charm, and energy – and dishes dirt with glee. She’s also pragmatic when dealing with world leaders, not making hasty decisions.

The play begins on Christmas Day in 1562, in London, at the Palace of Whitehall. Sarah Lantsberger excels as an earnest and eager newcomer, Mary, who is nervously introduced to the key ladies.

These colorful characters, all properly prepped and styled by virtuoso costume designer Liz Henning, include Nicole Angeli as right-hand Blanche, a rather stern taskmaster who is also a mother hen. Rachel Tibbetts is the pregnant Dorothy who prides herself on a good job.

Carly Uding is Sidney, who has a complex relationship with her majesty because she is the sister of childhood friend and suitor Robert Dudley.

Margeau Steinau is spicy as Kat, a crusty and blunt attendant whose husband is also on staff. She knows what’s what and who’s who and freely shares locker room talk.

The women are also given other duties to carry out and keep themselves busy when they’re not fussing and fretting. The queen delivers news of an impending bubonic plague in London, and in the second act, the women are relocated to Windsor Castle in late summer 1863, to evade the spreading infection.

They’re hot, tired, cranky and restless. Tempers flare and then cool down. The plague has everyone on high alert, and they all must learn to trust – and soothe each other.

The experienced ensemble is adept at the verbal jousting the dialogue demands, and as smart, intuitive actors, they shade their characters with personality. Wolbers laid out conflicts in those challenging times, and the women rose to their best selves when they’re with each other.

In Act II, there is an amusing dream sequence where Bess is visited by past and future queens – Steinau is Queen Elizabeth II, Lantsberger is Lady Jane Grey, Uding is Queen Boudica, Tibbetts is Queen Anne and Angeli is Queen Victoria. They were all in that elite birthright club and know some things.

The final scene jumps ahead 25 years to Christmas 1589, in London’s Richmond Palace. The queen defeated the Spanish Armada a year earlier and is more comfortable ruling. Hand demonstrates Bess’s growth, for she has marched through the fire, with the help of her loyal ladies – and they’ve changed too.

Director Trish Brown has trusted these talented performers to play well with others in a sister showcase, designed by women artisans, who convinced us of the period trappings and their predicaments. Zayana Brown is the ensemble swing, if needed.

Katherine Stepanek, scenic and lighting designer, immersed us in a cozy period piece, intimately illuminated, with aid from assistant lighting director Brianna Shipley. Leo Young was the technical director, Delaney Plank production intern, and stage manager Joy Addler (and co-producer), along with assistant stage manager Avery Harrison.

Sound designer Bryn McLaughlin also composed nicely textured music, including a lively folk song that the women often broke into, and fight choreographer Riley Capp designed moves for when things weren’t so collegial. Jenni Ryan served as dramaturg and assistant director.

This community breathed life into an engaging piece of very funny, thoughtfully executed theater that showed us how strong women can be when difficulties must be overcome, a timely message no matter from what century.

Prism Theatre Company presents “Progress” July 3-5 and July 9-12 at the Kranzberg Black Box Thearre, 501 N. Grand, St. Louis, Mo. For more information, visit www.prismtheatrecompany.org

This production contains adult language and discussion of adult content.

KODAK Digital Still Camera *Nicole Angeli, Sarah Lantsberger, Liz Henning, Michelle Hand, Rachel Tibbetts, Margeau Steinau, Carly Uding, and John Wolbers.*

Lynn Venhaus

She is retired from teaching journalism/media as an adjunct college instructor.

poplifestl.com

Virtuoso Performances Give Albion Theatre’s Twisty ‘The Wasp’ Bite

By Lynn Venhaus

Albion Theatre’s masterful interpretation of Morgan Lloyd Malcolm’s “The Wasp,” a contemporary twisty and twisted psychological thriller, leaves the gasping audience deeply unsettled and finally able to breathe after a dramatic 90-minute rollercoaster.

Because of its many layers of secrets, lies and manipulation, Robert Ashton has directed this dark two-hander by carefully building suspense and never allowing the actors to get ahead of the material. The element of surprise is always present as Heather (Ricki Franklin) and Carla (Macia Noorman) awkwardly engage in three tense-filled scenes.

Shades of high-stakes Hitchcock abound, as conversations include tea and revelations between the two former classmates, 20 years after they’ve seen each other. At first, one assumes this uneasy encounter is because there has been no contact during these ‘grown-up’ years, and the obvious class distinctions.

But it goes so much deeper than an affluent Heather approaching blue-collar Carla, pregnant with her fifth child, with a shocking request. Malcolm’s intense and intimate 2015 play becomes an exploration of female friendships and childhood trauma.

Malcolm cleverly weaves female-centric issues with occasional humor, easily establishing characters’ personalities and motivations – but maybe our perceptions aren’t as clear-cut. Hmmm… the plot thickens.

As disturbing facts are disclosed, and a proposition gets more complicated, the chemistry between the two characters is crucial. Franklin and Noorman, both making their Albion debuts, haven’t worked together before, but that isn’t apparent in their assured portrayals and compelling interactions.

They both are riveting, expertly showing vulnerability and strength, hurt and fear, rage and worry, cruelty and mercy. At times, you can see their old schoolgirl selves re-appear in their adult shadows. With a hint of where this is going, an overwhelming feeling of dread escalates — and some surprises are still ahead.

*Macia Noorman as Carla and Ricki Franklin as Heather in “The Wasp.” Photo by John Lamb.*

Franklin’s refined Heather seems to have the upper hand, and appearances indicate she has a thriving career and ‘married well,’ but divulges that she is miserable in the union, ticking off her husband’s alleged infidelities and despicable qualities. Franklin, two-time St. Louis Theater Circle Award winner as supporting actress in Shakespeare comedies, has an opportunity to show her dramatic chops here.

Noorman’s streetwise Carla, obviously wary but much more complex than a stereotype, has had a rougher life, struggling financially but seemingly happy as a mother, if not as a wife. Heather is childless. Noorman, a St. Louis Theater Circle Award nominee in 2019, shows an impressive range in this challenging role.

Although narrative twists have been exposed throughout the years (the play’s been around for 11 years, but this is the St. Louis premiere), I hesitate to mention too many details in case someone unfamiliar with this show would ever see it. Let’s just say your allegiance may shift as more comes to light, as we attempt to determine who you can trust or believe. Who are you feeling sorry for as grisly details emerge?

Were they once friends, enemies or frenemies? Can you ever forgive childhood slights and mean-girl behavior, and what about unreliable memories?

The play gives off the same cunning vibes as “Sleuth,” Anthony Shaffer’s brilliant 1970 cat-and-mouse mystery that featured class warfare and toxic masculinity, but Malcolm’s modern work is distinctively feminine.

Ashton astutely sets each exchange through scenic designer Rob Lippert’s well-appointed set in the intimate black box theatre. From a small coffee shop to Heather’s posh home, Lippert’s keen eye has created a vivid world, complete with a well-manicured backyard glimpsed through a glass door.

Lighting designer Kara Grimm-Denholm added to the classy atmosphere, and Tracy Newcomb’s costume designs effectively established the socio-economic status of each woman.

*Ricki Franklin and Macia Noorman in a twisted cat-and-mouse game. Photo by John Lamb.*

A sly reference to the titular stinger is included in Heather’s husband Simon’s framed collection of insect prints. The description is creepy, and when told, you may have an inkling of what’s ahead, but really, the script is so well-crafted and the actresses so intuitive, they keep us guessing. As both dig into a past that is far messier than first hinted at, it’s gripping and perturbing – get ready for stomach knots.

As is customary in Albion productions, the dialect is crisp and neither Franklin’s educated Brit nor Noorman’s cockney accents ever drop. Thanks to sound designer Leonard Marshell, Ashton’s tutelage and the actors’ efforts, understanding is not a problem.

Noteworthy contributions include Mo Moellering as fight choreographer, C. J. Langdon as assistant director, Rachel Klinck as board operator, Susan Wylie as stage manager and Denise Mandle as assistant stage manager, for the scene transitions are smooth and the anxious mood is never broken.

Perhaps some of the situations are contrived, but the performers are totally committed to making these characters believable and are convincing as they dredge up the distressing backstories of childhood bullying and harsh conditions.

The relationship, never solid, eventually fractures in unexpected ways. Do they go there? The performers dug deep, re-opening their characters’ wounds and showing their emotional depth in intricate, disquieting monologues.

Franklin and Noorman’s honest dynamic is key to immersing oneself in this chilling experience. Do childhood scars ever heal, and what does that say about the cyclical nature of violence? Oh, those blurred lines of life are the reason “The Wasp” has such staying power – and you’ll remember the sting.

Albion Theatre presented “The Wasp” from June 12 to 28 at the Kranzberg Black Box Theatre. This production was reviewed on June 28. The play has mature themes and adult language and runs 90 minutes without an intermission. For more information, visit www.albiontheatre.org

Lynn Venhaus

She is retired from teaching journalism/media as an adjunct college instructor.

poplifestl.com

Funky, Fun ‘Shrek the Musical’ Flips and Fractures Fairy Tales at The Muny

By Lynn Venhaus

It’s hard to say who had a better time at “Shrek the Musical” – the parents or the children, often green-clad and gleefully giggling at the daffy antics. The Muny’s annual family favorite ‘Kids Show’ delighted across generations with its irreverent humor, impressive pop vocals, and infectious energy in a funky, funny, fluffy un-Disneyized fairy tale musical.

It’s not your classic prince-rescues-princess tradition, and that’s the fun of it, what sets this storytelling apart. In the comical land of Far, Far Away, the unlikely hero is a smelly, grumpy ogre, accompanied by his chatty sidekick Donkey, his feisty true-love Princess Fiona and his merry band of misfits.

The ensemble opens with the catchy “Big Bright Beautiful World” and you’re off on an unusual adventure. Lord Farquaad demands Shrek rescue Princess Fiona from a dragon-protected tower in exchange for the deed to his swamp, for the despicable despot wants to marry her. Once upon a time wasn’t ever this raucous.

First released as an animated film in 2001, “Shrek” fractured happily-ever-after fairy tales in this DreamWorks Animation smash hit that won the first-ever Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film. Breaking industry rules and becoming a cultural phenomenon, the film adaptation of William Steig’s slight 1990 children’s picture book “Shrek!” has earned $500 million globally. It has four sequels (a fifth is due out next year), two Puss ‘n Boots spin-offs, and just announced is an Eddie Murphy-led “Donkey” spinoff for 2028.

*Nik Walker (left) and Marcus M. Martin in the 2026 Muny production of “Shrek The Musical.” Photo by Phillip Hamer*

Of course, Broadway beckoned. “Shrek the Musical” took off in 2008, with Tony-nominated book and lyrics by Pulitzer Prize winner David Lindsay-Abaire, whose wicked wit is apparent in this adaptation, adding more backstory and mischief. With his absurdist, blunt humor paired with Jeanine Tesori’s clever and upbeat songs, they pulled apart musical theater tropes.

Lindsay-Abaire has incorporated elements of the movie sequels, too – “Shrek 2” and “Shrek Forever After.” After the Broadway run of 441 performances, they have since revised the musical several times.

With a large fun-loving ensemble, the Muny presents a jolly good road trip to the swamp, Duloc, and beyond. In its second staging here, the first since 2013, the casting is impeccable, their performances vigorous and the whimsical world-building is dazzling by director John Tartaglia and his unconventional team of dreamers and doers, celebrating the ‘different.’

The Tony-nominated and Emmy-winning Tartaglia, who directed “Shrek” thirteen years ago – and originated the role of Pinocchio on Broadway, has infused this playful version with bigger and bolder choices but keeping his trademark heart at the center. It’s the 10^th show he’s directed, and he’s very comfortable incorporating puppetry into all his visionary productions.

*Tyler Joseph Ellis in the 2026 Muny production of “Shrek The Musical.” Photo by Phillip Hamer*

After all, he was promoted several weeks ago to be the vice president of development and production at The Jim Henson Company, focusing on television and live theatrical projects. He serves as the primary creative supervisor for the Fraggle Rock brand (and started his career at “Sesame Street.”)

The magnificent giant pink fire-breathing Dragon is a stunning addition. Designed by James W. Wojtal Jr. and his team, with Eric Wright of Puppet Kitchen the puppet director, five puppeteers create magic on stage. Jim Henson’s Creature Shop designed and built Gingy, the dancing rats and the exploding bird.

Maintaining the Disney departure feel, Tartaglia followed through by envisioning a grungier, not gleaming, kingdom, but also favored a lively, captivating 90s glam-rock concert look, with a nod to punk rock, too.

It reminded me of late ‘60s and early ‘70s television variety shows like “The Sonny and Cher Show” and “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour” with sparkly high-energy performers and cheeky humor.

*Marcus M. Martin and Salome Smith in the 2026 Muny production of “Shrek The Musical.” Photo by The Muny | Emily Santel*

The well-integrated designs add to the showbizzy and make-believe worlds, including musical Easter eggs that subvert the usual tropes (Can you spot “Les Miserables,” “A Chorus Line,” “Gypsy,” “The Lion King,” “Wicked” and “Chicago”?). Nothing’s going to bring him down, Lord Farquaad sings!

Adam Koch’s vivid set design incorporated a new-to-the-Muny technique, using a screen to great effect, especially when Donkey and Fiona have a heart-to-heart in a ‘cave.’ His grid-and-forest design took us immediately into an interesting new world.

The exceptional trio of Nik Walker, Marcus M. Martin and Kara Lindsay headline as Shrek, Donkey and Fiona, and corralled us into their corner from their entrance, with deeply expressive voices, crisp comic timing and tangible chemistry.

Delightful Troy Iwata once again raises the bar on comical scene-stealing performances. Previously the guffaw-inducing housekeeper Jacob in last year’s “La Cage Aux Folles” and adorably amusing as beat-to-a-different drummer Ogie in “Waitress,” he makes the most of tyrannical narcissist Lord Farquaad and his shortcomings.

*Troy Iwata (as Lord Farquaad) and the company of the 2026 Muny production of “Shrek The Musical.” Photo by Phillip Hamer*

His sheer physicality is mind-boggling, cavorting by wearing a special costume with tiny legs attached and primarily walking on his knees. His “What’s Up, Duloc!” and “Ballad of Farquaad” are hilarious, as are his farcical movements.

Add a zany Aymee Garcia as outspoken Gingerbread Man, aka Gingy, and a spry Tyler Joseph Ellis, who hits the right falsetto notes as rabble-rouser Pinocchio, to the ‘social outcast’ mix. Mighty Salome Smith is a showstopper as the booming voice of the Dragon, belting out “Forever” like a Dreamgirl.

All the principals, except for Iwata, are making their Muny debut. The peppy ensemble, a mix of vets and newbies, is very strong – and busy. They’re up to the rigorous routines that dynamic choreographer Patrick O’Neill, associate choreographer Bryan Thomas Hunt and assistant choreographer Kelly Sheehan challenge them with, and it shows in the major dance numbers: “Story of My Life,” my favorite “Freak Flag” with its winking at “Les Miz,” “What’s Up, Duloc!” and the glorious tap routine “Morning Person.”

*Kara Lindsay in the 2026 Muny production of “Shrek The Musical.” Photo by The Muny | Emily Santel*

Martin has fun leading the spirited divas Three Blind Mice (Monique Churchill, Kylie Edwards and Abby Linderman) in the R&B “Make a Move.” Inserting “I’m A Believer” from the movie for the wedding reception dance-party finale is as jubilant a curtain call as can be. Another catchy visual by inventive video designer Kylee Loera includes photo booth snapshots.

In his 18^th show as music director/conductor, master maestro Ben Whiteley leads 24 musicians, and keeps the joyous tempo on track, with fluid orchestrations throughout.

For her 14^th show, costume designer Robin L. McGee, a Highland, Ill., native, created an eye-popping assortment of outfits, based on original costume design by Tim Hatley. Just look at the close-up detail in production photos, making the fairy tale characters recognizable, but also able to easily move.

Jeff Knaggs’ wig designs completed the look, and those who helped with padding and prosthetics deserve shout-outs too. Lighting designer Jason Lyons and sound designer Joshua Hummel worked in tandem to capture the atmosphere, and the human noises had to be perfectly timed, as did the swamp sounds.

*Salome Smith (above), Marcus M. Martin and the company of the 2026 Muny production of “Shrek The Musical.” Photo by Phillip Hamer*

Now, there is frequent use of potty humor, so you are warned – particularly fart jokes. “I Think I Got You Beat” is an outrageously silly flatulence and burping contest between Shrek and Fiona.

Skilled at physical comedy, the ensemble also included Mathew Blasio, DeShawn Bowens, Matthew Davies, Ryan Fitzgerald, Matt Gibson, Jack Gimpel, Shelby Griswold, Michael Harp, Gwen Hollander, Sean McManus, Shelby Ringdahl, Trevor Michael Schmidt, Kelly Sheehan, Caitlin Stebelman and Jonah D. Winston.

They appeared as such familiar childhood characters in forests and fauna – Pied Piper, Fairy Godmother, Peter Pan, Wicked Witch, Tweedledum, Mama Bear, Ugly Duckling, Big Bad Wolf and others.

The company was joined by the adorably costumed Muny Kids and Teens youth ensembles. Fine young performers Solomon Rosenthal and Lake Schultz play Young Shrek and Young Fiona, while Amelie Lock was Teen Fiona. The trio of Fionas combine for the poignant “I Know It’s Today,” yearning for their escape.

*Amelie Lock, Kara Lindsey, Lake Schultz. Photo by_Phillip Hamer*

In such duets as “Don’t Let Me Go” and “Travel Song,” Walker and Martin show their mapcap skills, and when paired with Fiona in “This Is How a Dream Comes True” and the anthem “Who I’d Be,” it calls for heightened emotions.

The most important takeaway is the show’s message about self-acceptance. Some songs focus on inner beauty, self-worth and being comfortable in your own skin. Shrek’s a-ha moments include “When Worlds Fail,” “Build a Wall” and “Beautiful Ain’t Always Pretty.”

While the songs are melodious and superbly delivered, some of the numbers seem repetitive, stretching out the inevitable, and these ballads, while heartfelt and moving, created some restlessness from the little ones around me. The musical’s structure has some pacing issues, but this cast kept it as breezy as possible.(Special mention to stage manager Larry Smiglewski). It is a 2.5-hour experience with intermission.

In “Shrek the Musical,” we can still BELIEVE in the comforting magic of fairy tales, and that everyone is worthy of love and friendship. With “biggish” ideas, the Muny has crafted a refreshing show that’s suitable for all – on two different levels. For adults, the parodies and un-cutesy theme land while the kids can revel in the slapstick and goofy characters.

*Aymee Garcia (Gingy puppeteer), Troy Iwata (as Lord Farquaad) and the company of the 2026 Muny production of “Shrek The Musical.” Photo by Phillip Hamer*

The Muny presents “Shrek the Musical” from June 25 through July 2 nightly at 8:15 p.m. at its outdoor theatre in Forest Park. For more information, visit www.muny.org

*THe company of the 2026 Muny production of “Shrek The Musical.” Photo by Phillip Hamer*

Lynn Venhaus

She is retired from teaching journalism/media as an adjunct college instructor.

poplifestl.com

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Posts of: Lynn Venhaus

Lynn Venhaus

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Funky, Fun ‘Shrek the Musical’ Flips and Fractures Fairy Tales at The Muny

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