Lynn Venhaus

Total Post: 1249

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.

Popster Picks for Monday, Oct. 3

Popster Picks for Monday, Oct. 3

By Lynn Venhaus

Movies: It’s #MeanGirlsDay

This is so fetch!

In the 2004 movie, Cady Heron started talking to Aaron in math class when he asked her what day it was. And just like all classic date lines in movies or music, we now celebrate the pop culture phenom “Mean Girls” on Oct. 3. Just look at your social media today.

Ways to Celebrate:

  1. Wear Pink
  2. Or wear something vintage
  3. Watch the movie on Netflix

If you do not have the streaming service, you can rent the endlessly quoteable movie Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Vudu, Microsoft Store, Redbox, AMC on Demand, Apple iTunes, DIRECTV, Alamo on Demand online.

For more:
https://www.newsweek.com/mean-girls-october-3rd-celebrations-mean-girls-day-1634615

Streaming: “Schitt’s Creek”

All six seasons of the hit sitcom “Schitt’s Creek” are now available on Hulu.

Down on their luck, the once-wealthy Rose family has moved back to a small town that Johnny (Eugene Levy) once bought as a joke. Levy’s son Daniel plays son David, his fellow Second City trouper Catherine O’Hara plays his wife Moira, and Annie Murphy plays daughter Alexis. The Roses deal with the culture shock in humorous ways. One of the wacky characters is the town mayor played by Chris Elliott. Schitt’s Creek won nine Emmy Awards 2015-2021.

TV: “The House That Norm Built,” PBS, 9 p.m. CST (Ch. 9)

Master Carpenter Norm Abram is retiring from PBS’s “This Old House” after 43 years. He started on Episode 2 in 1979, and this hour retrospective features classic archival footage and tributes from celebrities and colleagues.

On This Day in TV: 1960

If you can whistle, all together now – the theme of “The Andy Griffith Show,” which premiered on this day in 1960. For Sheriff Andy Taylor and the denizens of Mayberry entertained us on CBS until 1968.

The series won 7 Emmys, including four for Don Knotts as supporting actor. His portrayal of deputy Barney Fife won in 1962-63 and 66-67.

Quote: ‘If there’s anything that upsets me, it’s having people say I am sensitive.” – Barney Fife.

New Trailer: “Wakanda Forever”

Out Nov. 11: https://youtu.be/_Z3QKkl1WyM

Food: Steve’s Hot Dogs + Eckert’s

Back by Popular Demand is the Eckert’s Caramel Apple Campfire at Steve’s Hot Dogs – available only Oct. 3-9 only. The sleeper hit has the flavors of fall a smoked & grilled all-beef dog topped with spiced cinnamon apples, sweet ricotta cream, and a decadent caramel sauce. Comes with an optional Cinnamon Toast Crunch crumble.

Steve’s Hot Dogs is open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. at 3145 S Grand Blvd, St. Louis.

Playlist: Tom Petty

On this day in 2017, Tom Petty died at age 66

He went into cardiac arrest at his Malibu home and was taken to UCLA medical center, but cannot be revived. Later that night, after his friends and family gather, he is taken off life support.

Just a week earlier, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers wrapped up their 40th Anniversary tour, a successful 53-date trek that found the band in top form and Petty in good spirits. In January 2018, when the medical examiner’s report is complete, Petty’s family issues a statement explaining that he was in inconsiderable pain throughout the tour, with knee problems and a fractured hip. His death was the result of an accidental overdose of prescription medications – the same thing that killed Prince in 2016.

Listen to some “Free Falling.”

https://youtu.be/1lWJXDG2i0A

ICYMI: Cardinal Nation

Waino, Yadi, Pujols leave the field together on Sunday.

Steve Ewing’s STLOriginals Music Festival to Highlight Homegrown Bands, Raise Funds to Fight Hunger

Steve Ewing’s STLOriginals Music Festival to Highlight Homegrown Bands, Raise Funds to Fight Hunger

Steve Ewing’s STLOriginals Festival will be held on Sunday, Oct. 2, in Ritz Park on South Grand – the pocket park that attaches to the patio of Steve’s Hot Dogs. 

This will be the first year for the festival and our goal is to really celebrate St. Louis’s homegrown creators – while leaving a positive mark on the community at the end of the day. The performers are hand-picked by Steve – as he works to foster up-and-coming St. Louis music talent

Danni Eickenhorst, co-owner of Steve’s Hot Dogs, “Some of our customers that frequent Steve’s Hot Dogs don’t always make the connection that Hot Dog Steve is also accomplished Musician Steve Ewing. It’s always fun to see their faces once they figure it out,” she said.

Founder and fearless leader Steve Ewing has seen the world touring as the frontman with bands like The Urge, Master Blaster and the Steve Ewing band. He has shared the bill with musical heavyweights such as 311, Korn, and Incubus, releasing 3 major records with Epic Records and Virgin records, charting in Billboard’s top 100 and hitting alternative radio’s Top 10. Ewing did all of this while calling St. Louis his home base. Now Steve is working on his next phase – nurturing new homegrown talent and finding new ways to give back to the community that has given him so much.

We will have live art creation, locally grown musical talent including Boomtown United, Orangetree, Midwest Avengers and more. We will highlight emerging talent as well with performances by Mary Clare Dunphy, Kathleen Teeter and the young talent at School of Rock, Eickenhorst said.

The one-day festival will also raise funds to support Steve’s Hot Dogs Feed the People program – which provides about $10,000 in meals for the hungry and first responders in the St. Louis community.

About 85% of the meals we give away are distributed to partners who address food insecurity in our community – including St. Patrick’s Center, and the Waymakers Chapel for the Exceptional. The remainder are given to first responders in our community as our way of thanking them for all they do in our times of need. 

The program is funded by customers of Steve’s Hot Dogs who purchase meals from the restaurant. The meals are then allocated in a fund and distributed through community partnerships. Our hope is to say “Yes” whenever we’re asked to give. We are on pace to give away about 1,000 meals this year – including 150 to first responders by the end of October, but donations are running low, so the STLOriginals concert and its fundraising are coming at an ideal time.

Those who attend the concert will be able to donate to Feed the People by buying a meal on the spot, signing up for recurring meal donations, by participating in a raffle for donated prizes, buying t-shirts or grabbing a meal at Steve’s Hot Dogs – which will allocate 15% of all sales during the event to the help replenish the fund. Those that can’t attend in person are invited to donate a one-time meal purchase or to set up a recurring purchase of meals each month online.

The event is free to the public thanks to sponsorship from local partners including Sysco, 4 Hands Brewing, Country Financial, Toast, and more. There is built-in seating in Ritz Park, but guests are encouraged to bring lawn chairs in the event that none is open. Free parking is available behind Commerce Bank along Hartford at South Grand. More information is available at https://www.steveshotdogsstl.com/stloriginals. 

‘The Greatest Beer Run Ever’ Falls Flat as Vietnam War Dramedy

‘The Greatest Beer Run Ever’ Falls Flat as Vietnam War Dramedy

By Lynn Venhaus
Dumbfounded, I can’t recall a recent movie that is as tone-deaf as “The Greatest Beer Run Ever.”

In 1967, John “Chickie” Donohue decides to track down his friends fighting in Vietnam and honor them with a Pabst Blue Ribbon for their service. When the pro-war Merchant Marine is confronted with the horrors of the conflict, he sees that the ‘real’ chaos is different than the ‘public relations’ portrait the powers-at-be are giving to the American people.

Director Peter Farrelly has followed up his Oscar-winning crowd-pleaser “Green Book” with another true story, although this one is harder to make palatable. Somehow, pairing a harrowing war drama with comedic elements doesn’t work, getting more head-scratching as it unfolds in 2 hours, 6 minutes.

This isn’t “M*A*S*H,” not even close. It is also a war depiction that we have seen multiple times, and with a much better story, although I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a dunderheaded protagonist.

Merchant Marine and world-class slacker John “Chickie” Donohue lives in Inwood, a working-class enclave in northern Manhattan. Without thinking, he agrees to a scheme suggested by bar owner “The Colonel,” a World War II veteran played by Bill Murray.

The bar crowd at Doc Fiddler’s Tavern is pro-war, this being early in the escalation, and everyone’s dad or grandad fought in World War II, aka “The Good War.”

So, when The Colonel says he’d like to send the guys serving in ‘Nam a beer to thank them for their service, Chickie volunteers: “I could do that.”

Well, nobody thinks he can, so he doubles-down. Zac Efron’s grown on me as an actor, but he can’t make such an idiot, with far too much hubris, that likeable. He thinks he will just hitch-hike through enemy territory handing out beers on the front lines.

And when did New York accents sound like Boston Southees?

His duffle bag of beer seems to have an unlimited supply of warm, maybe stale, Pabst Blue Ribbon. As Russell Crowe, playing a war correspondent for Look magazine says: “They have beer here,” Chickie retorts “but not American beer!”

(My Uncle Eddie, a career Air Force officer, was at Tuy Hoa Air Base for a year in 1968, and I know they had beer. He wrote letters home talking about the guys unwinding.)

The soldiers from back home don’t exactly know what to think about this gesture. Some are glad to see him, some think its foolhardy to risk life and limb this way.

Because people think no one would be a tourist in a war zone, guys believe he is a CIA operative, so he gets around using military and media guides to help him.

Along the way, he sees intense action. The tail-end of his visit actually coincides with the Tet Offensive. (Another aside – I had a cousin in the Marines who was killed right before Christmas in 1967. I’m sure he would not have appreciated some lunkhead roaming around where he shouldn’t have been. This movie is rather offensive, I would think, to those who served honorably.)

Chicken comes home a changed man because he learns “war is hell.” He’s seen the guys who love the smell of napalm in the morning. Once a hawk, he starts to understand the anti-war sentiment 

Russell Crowe, Zac Efron

So, that’s the takeaway. He has an epiphany that LBJ, General Westmoreland and others in the government are lying about how well the war is going, which the media keeps pointing out to Chickie over bars in Saigon.

Does he deserve a round of applause, a medal? He not only put himself in harm’s way but endangered his buddies too.

He does tell the barflies that the chaos is not like the previous world war, and they should be more skeptical of what the U.S. brass is telling citizens.

At the end, he doesn’t become a peacenik like his sister Christine (Ruby Ashbourne Serkis), who is seen chanting “Hey, hey LBJ, how many kids did you kill today?” earlier, but they come to an understanding.

Chickie’s harsh lesson is a good thing, and he’s endured the loss of several friends, which does tug at your heart strings — especially the flashbacks in which Will Hockmann plays Tommy, questioning if he did the right thing by signing up. He’s one missing in action early on, and it’s sad. 

The other soldiers – just kids – making an impression are Jack Picking as Rick Duggan and Archie Renaux as Tom Collins.

Crowe lends gravitas as the jaded journalist, but he’s been given the “important” task of being the voice of reason – and he’s not in the film that much (neither is Murray).

Farrelly, in an attempt to have lightning strike twice, debuted this at the Toronto International Film Festival, hoping to be in contention for the Audience Award, just like “Green Book” did. Well, it didn’t win – Spielberg’s semi-autobiographical film “The Fablemans” did. 

The only awards I think this film might be considered for would be The Razzies, which honors the “worst.”

Farrelly’s used to success with low-brow humor, such as “Dumb and Dumber” and “There’s Something About Mary,” but in recent years, he’s moved into more ‘prestige’ picks that seem pretentious.

He stages some harrowing action scenes and shows how a jungle climate threw wrenches into things, as in long slithering insects. 

Cinematographer Sean Porter’s work captures the madness that was an Asian country where you couldn’t tell the enemy from the supporters, and the dangers therein.

Just because this is based on a true story doesn’t mean it’s a sympathetic one to tell. There are so many WTH moments that it becomes painful to slog through. For instance, Chickie is riding in a helicopter. Another man is interrogating a Viet Cong operative. He tosses him out the chopper while The Association’s song “Cherish” plays.

Oh, the irony.

Farrelly co-wrote the script with Brian Hayes Currie and Pete Jones, based on the book by Chickie and J.T. Molloy. Did they not see that Chickie should have ‘read the room’ — or themselves?

The soundtrack is chock-full of groovin’ 60s hits, which is a plus when it’s used in context. But not suitable for a montage of dead soldiers in flag-draped coffins. Not sure it all fits or syncs well to the story, but sometimes it’s on the nose, punctuating a bizarre tale.

This buddy movie is a dud, and can’t quite blend the somber with the silly in an effective way.

“The Greatest Beer Run Ever” is a 2022 war drama-comedy directed by Peter Farrelly and starring Zac Efron, Russell Crowe, Bill Murray, Jack Picking and Will Hockmann. Rated R for language and some war violence. It is in theaters Sept. 30 and streaming on Apple TV+. Lynn’s Grade: C-

Hawthorne Players Present ‘Voices at Bellefontaine’ in Cemetery on Oct. 1-2

Hawthorne Players Present ‘Voices at Bellefontaine’ in Cemetery on Oct. 1-2

Hawthorne’s acclaimed “theatre in a cemetery” plays are back, now at Bellefontaine Cemetery and Arboretum, 4947 W Florissant Ave, St. Louis, MO 63115.

Voices at Bellefontaine will be presented during the day on Saturday and Sunday, October 1 and 2 at  Bellefontaine Cemetery and Arboretum, 4947 W Florissant Ave, St. Louis, MO 63115.

The presentations will be researched, written, and directed by Larry Marsh, who is thrilled to have new stories to tell in a beautiful and historic new location. 

The all-star cast features Danny Brown, Tim Callahan, Ken Clark, Kent Coffel, Ryan Cooper, Robert Doyle, Colleen Heneghan, Eleanor Marsh, and Todd Micali.

Guides are Patrick Brueggen, Tanya Burns, Nancy Crouse, Ann Hier, Marian Holtz, Kim Jones, Kay Love, Lori Renna, John Robertson and Lynn Working.

At Bellefontaine, audiences will be transported through the grounds on trolleys.

Some of the permanent residents will come forward and tell their stories will include a detective who solved the “Crime of the (19th) Century”; a musician who played for European nobility before being hired by P. T. Barnum; a lesser-known, ill-fated brother of one of St. Louis’s famous early families; a loyal servant of another of those families; a noted health commissioner; a snake-oil salesman and more.

As the trolleys/buses travel through the grounds, guides will tell attendees more about the cemetery, point out the impressive architecture, and note the final resting places of some of the famous residents.

Three different tour times are available both days, and tickets are $25 each.  Tickets are going fast!!

For Saturday, Oct 1 tickets, visit https://bellefontainecemetery.org/event/voices-100122/

For Sunday, Oct 2 tickets, visit https://bellefontainecemetery.org/event/voices-100222/

For more information visit www.hawthorneplayers.info or email hawthorneplayers@att.net

Popster Picks for Sept. 27

Popster Picks for Sept. 27

By Lynn Venhaus

DVD: “Thor: Love and Thunder” released today.

The third “Thor” superhero stand-alone movie combined comedy and romance with the cosmic action-adventure, earning $746.670 million worldwide. After losing his home planet and close family members during the events of “Avengers: Endgame” and “Thor: Ragnarok,” Thor embarks on a journey to find his way in the universe.

Director Taika Waititi also played a supporting role in a cast that included Chris Hemsworth as the Nordic god, Natalie Portman as his one true love Jane Foster, Christian Bale as Gorr the God Butcher, with , Karen Gillan, Chris Pratt, Matt Damon, Vin Diesel, Tessa Thompson, Bradley Cooper, Russell Crowe, Pom Klementieff, Jaimie Alexander, Melissa McCarthy, Sam Neill, Dave Bautista, Simon Russell Beale, Luke Hemsworth, and Sean Gunn. Rated PG-13, its runtime is 118 min.

Formats: DVD, Blu-ray + Digital Code, 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo + Digital Code, VOD, Digital. Extras: Gag reel; commentary; “Hammer-worthy: Thor and The Mighty Thor” featurette; “Shaping a Villain” featurette; “Another Classic Taika Adventure” featurette; deleted scenes

Here’s my review (“Fresh” on the Tomato-meter): https://www.poplifestl.com/fast-furious-and-funny-thor-love-and-thunder-is-a-rip-roaring-good-time/

Reese Witherspoon, Josh Lucas

Movie: “Sweet Home Alabama,” 20th Anniversary

On Sept. 27, 2002, a romantic comedy starring Reese Witherspoon as fashion designer Melanie Carmichael, who has reinvented herself as a socialite, opened. In the screenplay by C. Jay Cox, she becomes engaged to NYC’s most eligible bachelor, a JFK Jr.-like Drew Hennings, played by Patrick Dempsey. But her past holds many secrets, including Jake (Josh Lucas), the down-home husband she married in high school, who refuses to divorce her. She sneaks back home to Alabama to legally end the relationship after seven years of separation, but confronting her past isn’t as smooth as she had hoped.

I fell in love with this movie, not ashamed to admit it, and own the DVD – and still watch it every so often if I find it on cable. I don’t care what other critics say or what it’s ratings/scores are. What matters is that I like it, and so do many of my girlfriends. When it came out on DVD, we had a group viewing and listened to the commentary by director Andy Tennant. We still talk about how fond we are of it

I find the love triangle chemistry palpable and the supporting cast endearing. What’s not to love about Mary Kay Place and Fred Ward as her parents Pearl and Earl Smooter? And Jean Smart as Jack’s Mom Stella Kay Perry and Candice Bergen as Drew’s Mom, mayor of NYC? And the wondrous Melanie Lynsky as Lurlynn, the friend with a ‘baby in a bar’? Dakota Fanning as a young Melanie? Ethan Embry (“Grace and Frankie”) as Bobby Ray, and Earl Bridgers “The Truth About Pam”) as Eldon.

It is on the Freeform Channel today and Wednesday. There are several streaming platforms where you can watch it, as long as you have a subscription, and you can rent it on multiple platforms.

From JustWatch.com: Currently you can watch “Sweet Home Alabama” streaming on Hoopla, DIRECTV, Freeform or for free with ads on The Roku Channel. It is also possible to rent “Sweet Home Alabama” on Apple iTunes, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Vudu, Microsoft Store, Redbox, DIRECTV, AMC on Demand, Spectrum On Demand online and to download it on Apple iTunes, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Vudu, Microsoft Store, Redbox, DIRECTV, AMC on Demand.

Nathan Lee Graham, Reese Witherspoon, Rhona Mitra

Fun Fact: Nathan Lee Graham, who plays one of Melanie’s assistants (Frederick Montana, graduated from the Webster University Conservatory of Theatre Arts. He is currently playing Hermes in the national tour of the Tony-winning “Hadestown,” which will be at the Fabulous Fox Theatre Oct. 11-23.

Bio: https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Nathan-Lee-Graham/

TV: David Letterman will be a guest on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” tonight at 10:35 p.m.

This week, Jimmy returned to his hometown, Brooklyn. Growing up, he idolized Letterman. The other guest is SNL alum Tracy Morgan.

Here’s Jimmy’s favorite Letterman moments, Part II:
https://youtu.be/xhn8vHg5E-o

Part I: https://youtu.be/3BI8v8_4ZVA

Fun Fact: Today, in 1954, “The Tonight Show” debuted nationwide on NBC hosted by Steve Allen.

Music: The Dave Matthews Band

On this day in 1994, The Dave Matthews Band released their first album, “Under the Table and Dreaming,” which included the tracks “What Would You Say” and “Ants Marching” that received wide airplay. The album went on to sell over 6 million copies. They had been gaining fans on the road, especially in the Virginia area, where they played live starting in 1991.

On This Day: Cautionary Tale

In 1962, marine biologist and writer Rachel Carson published ‘Silent Spring’ about the deleterious impacts of pesticide use on the environment.

Redford, Streisand

Playlist: “The Way We Were”

Barbra Streisand sang “The Way We Were” on her 15th studio album of the same name, which was released as the album’s lead single on Sept. 27, 1973. The song, written by Alan and Marilyn Bergman, and Marvin Hamlisch. It won the Academy Award for Best Original Song.

All together now: “Memories..misty-watercolored memories…” Watch this special Oprah moment when Babs sang the song on her show

Cardinals Nation: If you can’t get enough of Albert Pujols’ 700 home runs

All 700 home runs from MLB:

Albert Jr. on his dad:

Go, Cards!


Ballet + Bowie: Dance St. Louis Sets Complexions Contemporary Ballet

Ballet + Bowie: Dance St. Louis Sets Complexions Contemporary Ballet

At the Touhill Performing Arts Center, Saturday, November 5

Popular “game-changing” New York City-based company performs blockbuster hit STAR DUST, an “utterly transfixing” tribute
to the life and music of David Bowie

Complexions Contemporary Ballet was founded in 1994 by former Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater virtuosos
Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson

Dance St. Louis, one of the country’s oldest and remaining nonprofit dance presenters, kicks off its 57th season on Saturday, November 5 at 7:30 p.m. at the Touhill Performing Arts Center with the presentation of Complexions Contemporary Ballet, the award-winning, “game-changing” New York City-based company that has been lauded for reinventing dance and contemporary ballet. Complexions is set to perform its blockbuster hit STAR DUST, an “utterly transfixing” (Billboard) tribute to the life and music of David Bowie, full of glitter and glam. Tickets are $45-$69 and available through MetroTix.com. 2022/23 season subscription packages—2-show, 3-show, 4-show—are also still available through the Dance St. Louis Box Office at 314.534.6622 or dancestlouis.org. 

STAR DUST

Critics hail STAR DUST as “spellbinding” (Billboard) and “simply one of the most exciting performances… a rock concert” (Washington Post). Featuring some of David Bowie’s best-loved music, including “Let’s Dance,” “Space Oddity,” “Heroes,” “Young Americans,” “Life on Mars,” and more, STAR DUST takes on an array of Bowie’s greatest hits to create a rock-inspired ballet in his honor. 

STAR DUST is choreographed by Complexions’ co-founder and artistic director Dwight Rhoden who says, “there is a little Bowie in all of us” (Los Angeles Times, 2018) and notes in the same article that Bowie was “so courageous and unafraid to reinvent himself over and over and over again” and “his music is timeless.”  STAR DUST’s glam-rock costumes are designed by Christine Darch, with makeup inspired by Bowie’s alternating personas of Ziggy Stardust and Thin White Duke. Lighting design is by Michael Korsch. With Bowie’s 40+ year career and 25 albums that stretch across musical borders, STAR DUST pays homage to the iconic and chameleonic spirit and genre-bending innovation of David Bowie. 

COMPLEXIONS CONTEMPORARY BALLET

Complexions Contemporary Ballet was founded in 1994 by former Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater virtuosos Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson— “two of the greatest virtuosos to ever emerge from Ailey land” (The New York Times). In its 28-year history, the company has come to represent one of the most recognized and respected performing arts brands in the world.  

Through its evocative style and groundbreaking mix of methods, styles and cultures, Complexions has awakened audiences to a new, exciting genre with its singular approach of reinventing dance and contemporary ballet. Complexions’ high-octane movement astonishes audiences by pairing its fierce evocative style with musical ranges from Lenny Kravitz and David Bowie to Johann Bach. With stunning, gifted dancers and powerful choreography, Complexions has been hailed as a “matchless American dance company” (Philadelphia Inquirer). 

Complexions has received numerous awards including The New York Times Critics’ Choice Award. It has performed on major stages throughout the United States and Europe and toured extensively throughout the Baltic Regions, Korea, Brazil, Japan, Egypt, Israel, Russia, New Zealand, Bermuda, Serbia, Jamaica, and Australia. In total, the company has presented on five continents, more than 20 countries, to more than 20 million television viewers and to well over 300,000 people in live audiences. The company is poised to continue its mission of bringing unity to the world one dance at a time. 

More information about Complexions Contemporary Ballet can be found on Dance St. Louis’ website or Complexion’s website at complexionsdance.org. 

TICKETS

Tickets are $45-$69 and available via MetroTix at 314-534-1111 or https://www.metrotix.com/events/detail/dsl-complexions.

2022/23 season subscriptions (2-show, 3-show and 4-show packages) are also still available for ticket buyers interested in attending more of Dance St. Louis’ season presentations. Season ticket packages start at $80 and are available directly through the Dance St. Louis Box Office at 314.534.6622. More details at dancestlouis.org/22-23-season-subscription. 

MORE REVIEWS

“Companies like Complexions are game-changing: they’re forging a path for what ballet can be instead of what it historically has been.” — The Guardian

“…sensationally, jaw-droppingly clear that we live in the age of the super-dancer, at a time when technical virtuosity is being redefined as an expressive state…” — Dance Magazine

“…one expects to see magnificent athletic endeavors, intriguing movement invention, and perfectly contoured bodies—and the company always delivers.”  — Theater Jones

“Rhoden’s work is post-Balanchinean choreography, a new aesthetic in movement, stage picture, and performance concepts reflecting a post-modern, techno-savvy worldview.” — Dance Magazine

SPONSORS

Dance St. Louis is grateful for sponsor support to continue its nearly six decades-long mission to bring world-class dance to St. Louis. Major sponsors of the 2022-23 season include Ameren, Edward Jones, Emerson, Kranzberg Arts Foundation, Drs. Susan and Dan Luedke, Missouri Arts Council, National Endowment for the Arts, Regional Arts Commission, The Shubert Foundation, Mary Strauss and Whitaker Foundation. Bayer Fund is the education outreach title sponsor. 

DANCE ST. LOUIS’ 57th SEASON

Dance St. Louis continues to be recognized as the leading dance presenter in St. Louis and the Midwest. The remaining 2022-23 season presentations:  Giordano Dance ChicagoSaturday, February 25, 2023 at 7:30 p.m. | Touhill Performing Arts Center
Dorrance DanceSaturday, March 25, 2023 at 7:30 p.m. | Touhill Performing Arts Center
15th Annual Emerson SPRING TO DANCE® Festival 2023 Presented by Whitaker FoundationFriday and Saturday, May 26 & 27, 2023 at 7:30 p.m. | Touhill Performing Arts Center 

For tickets or more information on the Dance St. Louis 2022-23 season, please visit https://www.dancestlouis.org. 

___________

About Dance St. LouisFounded in 1966, Dance St. Louis has been bringing the greatest dance of the world to St. Louis audiences for more than 56 years. Dance St. Louis is dedicated to the enrichment of the cultural landscape and artistic reputation of St. Louis by presenting world-class dance and educational opportunities that make dance accessible to everyone. Dance St. Louis also conducts a broad range of education programs for the St. Louis community. Each year, the Bayer Fund Education Outreach Program introduces schoolchildren to the magic of dance through in-school residencies and mainstage performances. For more information, please visit https://www.dancestlouis.org. 

Popster Picks for Monday, Sept. 26

Popster Picks for Monday, Sept. 26

By Lynn Venhaus

LIVE STREAMING: NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test Spacecraft (DART)

DART is set to collide with a small asteroid that is the moon of a larger space rock, Dimorphos. NASA launched the DART mission last year to see if this technique could one day be used for planetary defense.

DART is set to crash into Dimorphos at 14,000 miles per hour at 6:14 p.m. Central time on Monday.

NASA Television will broadcast coverage of the end of this mission beginning at 5 p.m. You can watch it here on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21X5lGlDOfg

If you want to watch a stream of photos from the spacecraft as it closes in on the asteroid, NASA’s media channel will begin broadcasting those at 4:30 p.m. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nA9UZF-SZoQ

From the New York Times:

The DART mission isn’t like the movie “Armageddon.” Blowing up an asteroid generally would not be a good thing to do. Rather, the mission is a proof-of-principle demonstration that hitting an oncoming asteroid with a projectile can nudge it into a different orbit.

For a dangerous oncoming asteroid, that nudge could be enough to change the trajectory from a direct hit to a near miss.


TV: “tasteMAKERS,” PBS Nine, 8 p.m.

In an hour-long documentary, “Winemaking in Missouri: A Well-Cultivated History,” Emmy-winning producer and host Catherine Neville (cover photo, above) dives deep to uncover the roots of one of the U.S.’s most storied wine regions, which at one time was the second largest wine—producing state in the country.

The documentary traces the nearly 200-year history of Missouri’s rich winemaking past and discusses its present as one of the state’s leading industries.

The series “Taste Makers” explores the local food movement, and the show can also be found on Amazon Prime.

(Besides Monday, it will be on Sept. 27 at 10 p.m., Oct. 1 at 2:30 p.m., and Oct. 2 at 2 p.m. on Nine PBS)

A Chorus Line at Stages St. Louis. Photo by Phillip Hamer.

LIVE THEATRE: “A Chorus Line,” Stages St. Louis, Kirkwood Performing Arts Center.
Stages St. Louis closes out its ground-breaking 36th season with “A Chorus Line,” ending on Oct. 9. The show is not performed on Mondays, but you can see it Tuesday through Sunday (with 2 shows on Wednesday, a matinee at 2 p.m. and an evening show). It’s directed by Stages’ artistic director Gayle Seay, who knows that story well – she’s appeared in Broadway shows and on tour, including several stints in “A Chorus Line.”

Here is my review in the Webster-Kirkwood Times: https://www.timesnewspapers.com/webster-kirkwoodtimes/a-vibrant-theater-masterpiece/article_83dc9972-3a8d-11ed-8b9c-ff2eebcd1693.ht

Tasty: Sugar Fire Smokehouse is celebrating its 10th anniversary

In a space in a strip center in Olivette on Sept. 26, 2012, Charlie Downs and chef Mike Johnson opened Sugarfire Smoke House, and it didn’t take long before the lines formed.

They eventually opened 12 more in Missouri and Illinois, and have three more in Colorado, Iowa and Texas. To see the locations and hours, visit: https://sugarfiresmokehouse.com/locations/

Their RIBBLE ME THIS special today had pulled rib, mac and cheese, fried pickles, and honey badger sauce in a flour tortilla.

Check out their Facebook page and Instagram for their daily specials and what’s happening.

ON THIS DAY: “West Side Story” debuts at the Winter Garden Theatre, 1957

The Leonard Bernstein-Stephen Sondheim-Jerome Robbins’ musical “West Side Story” premiered in Broadway. The original, directed and choreographed by Robbins, was Sondheim’s Broadway debut. It ran for 732 performances before going on tour.

Nominated for six Tony Awards, it won two (lost to “The Music Man” for Best Musical).
It ran in London’s West End, has had a number of revivals. The 1961 movie was nominated for 11 Academy Awards, winning 10. The 2021 film, nominated for seven Oscars, features Oscar winner Adriana DeBose as Anita.

Spielberg’s film is currently available streaming on HBOMax.

Fun Fact: The 2021 film features several Muny alums, including:  Sean Harrison Jones as Action (Mike in “A Chorus Line” 2016, “Newsies” 2016); Jonalyn Saxer (Peggy Sawyer in 2017’s “42nd Street”); Eloise Krupp (Minnie Faye in 2014’s “Hello, Dolly!”); Halli Toland (), Kyle Coffman (“Seven Brides for Seven Brothers”2021, “Newsies”2016, “West Side Story” 2013); Garrett Hawe (“Seven Brides for Seven Brothers”2021) and Gaby Diaz (“West Side Story” 2013.

My review of 2021 “West Side Story”:  https://www.poplifestl.com/west-side-story-brims-with-vitality/

Playlist: TV Theme Songs

The popular sitcoms “The Beverly Hillbillies” (1962, featuring Belleville’s own Buddy Ebsen), “Gilligan’s Island” (1964) and “The Brady Bunch” (1969) premiered today. Their theme songs are among the most iconic. Here they are:

The Beverly Hillbillies: https://youtu.be/OvE9zJgm8OY

Gilligan’s Island: (Second season here) https://youtu.be/-fqXcKFg08w

The Brady Bunch: https://youtu.be/d2JooUMsDdA

Paul Newman

Words for Today
From Paul Newman, who died on this date in 2008 at age 83:
“If you don’t have enemies, you don’t have character.”

Popster Picks for Saturday, Sept. 24

Popster Picks for Saturday, Sept. 24

By Lynn Venhaus
What’s Poppin’ this Saturday? Here are our Popster Picks for the Bi-State Area (and beyond):

Live Theater: “Winds of Change” in Bevo Mill, presented by St. Louis Shakespeare Festival. Free. LAST NIGHT.

One of my favorite things to do every September, Shake in the Streets this year is in my old stomping grounds. This year’s show is a delightful mix of music and comedy, performed with humor and heart.
It starts at 8 p.m. and will end about 9:20 p.m., without an intermission. There is local food and drink around the area, and it’s recommended that you come early. This is the last night, for it was performed Sept. 22 and 23 too.
The play, written by Deanna Jent, uses The Bard’s “The Comedy of Errors” as a foundation for a story on Bosnian immigrants’ contributions to St. Louis, is part of the “Shakespeare in the Streets” annual program. Come to the intersection of Gravois and Morganford, bring a lawn chair, and enjoy the spirited neighbors who love the transformed south city enclave. Lots of laughs and whoops from appreciative crowd (300 on opening night Thursday!)
Directed by Adam Flores, it features Ashwini Arora, Milly Burris, Hannah Geisz, Noah Later, Hady Matta, Youssef Matta, Colin McLaughlin, Brenda Morrison, Christina Rios, Rosario Rios-Kelley, Carly Uding and local denizens Father Mitch (Doyen, pastor of St. John the Baptist and Mark and Joani Akers of Oasis International. Edo Maajka plays the accordion and Nadja Kapetanovich performs a lullaby, “Nini Sine, Spavaj Sine.”
KTK Productions humorously explains the history of the Bevo Mill — Bill Bush, Aileen Kidwell, Chris Kidwell, Matthew Lewis, Jake Singer and Mike Singer III.
It took an army of folks to make the outdoor presentation happen. Kudos to producing artistic director Tom Ridgely, music direction and composition by Colin McLaughlin, music composition by Noah Laster, stage manager Kathryn Ballard, KTK Productions chair Joe McKenna, assistant director Miranda Jagels Felix, producer Colin O’Brien, set designer Dunsi Dai, costume designer Michele Friedman Siler, and lighting designer M. Bryant Powell.

Natalie Wood and James Dean in “Rebel Without a Cause”

TV: “Rebel Without a Cause” on PBS Ch. 9, 9 p.m.
James Dean, Sal Mineo and Natalie Wood gained stature for their roles as conflicted suburban middle-class teenagers in this 1955 American coming-of-age drama directed by Nicholas Ray, shot in the recently introduced CinemaScope format. It opened on Oct. 27, almost a month after top-billed Dean’s tragic death in a car accident on Sept. 30. It’s his most celebrated role, and followed his Oscar nominated performance in “East of Eden.”

Offering social commentary, it was considered groundbreaking for depiction of moral decay, delinquents, parenting and generational gaps. After all, it was adapted from Robert M. Lindner’s 1944 book, “Rebel Without a Cause: The Hypnoanalysis of a Criminal Psychopath.”

Mineo, Wood and Ray all received Oscar nominations. In 1998, it was ranked #59 on AFI’s Hundred Years…Hundred Movies.

Fun Fact: The most famous line: “You’re tearing me apart” was lifted by writer-director-actor Tommy Wiseau for his 2003 cult film “The Room” (the worst movie I have ever seen, and also one of the most unintentionally funny movies).

Movie: “Sidney” streaming on Apple TV Plus.
The 2022 documentary “Sidney” on the great Sidney Poitier, directed by East St. Louis native Reginald Hudlin and produced by Oprah Winfrey. You’ll hear from Sidney, his family, friends, filmmakers and fans for an indelible portrait of the artist — as a movie star, mentor and activist.
I reviewed the film on KTRS (“Mueller Furniture Presents Lynn Venhaus Goes to the Movies”) Thursday with St. Louis In the Know host Ray Hartmann. Here’s the audio: https://soundcloud.com/550ktrs/itk-lynn-venhaus-gttm-9-22-22?in=550ktrs/sets/rayhartmann

Stay tuned for an interview with Reginald Hudlin, coming soon in Belleville News-Democrat. I talked to the filmmaker Friday via Zoom.

Fun Fact: “In the Heat of the Night” was partially filmed in Sparta, Ill., which subbed for Sparta, Miss., and both Sidney Poitier and Rod Steiger stayed in Belleville during the film of the 1967 film, which went on to win the Oscar for Best Picture (and Best Actor Steiger) in 1968.

Happening: Taste of St. Louis, Sept. 23-25, Ballpark Village, Free and open to the public.
Want to try Boardwalk Ice Cream and Waffles, Chicken Out, Hi-Pointe Drive-In, Kimchi Guys, Mission Taco Joint, Salt + Smoke, Steve’s Hot Dogs and Under the Sun SnoCones? Locally based brick and mortar food establishments can participate in Sauce Magazine’s Restaurant Row. There’s live music and other vendors that are part of the festivities. More info: https://tastestl.com

Fun Fact: On this day in 1952, Kentucky Fried Chicken opened its first franchise in Salt Lake City, Utah.

The Machine, El Hombre, Uncle Albert.

ICYMI Cardinals Nation: No. 5

Can’t get enough of Albert Pujols‘ magical night Sept. 23? Check out coverage on the St. Louis Cardinals MLB site: https://www.mlb.com/cardinals (and a wrap-up article on this website).

Fun Fact: On this day in 1922, St Louis Cardinals future Baseball Hall of Fame infielder Rogers Hornsby set the National League Home Run mark at 42. That season, he also had 52 RBI’s, a .401 average and 450 total bases.

Millie Bobby Brown

Latest Trailer to Watch: “Enola Holmes 2”
Millie Bobby Brown is back in another adventure as Sherlock Holmes’ teenager sister in the sequel dropping on Netflix Nov. 4. Enola takes on her first case as a detective, but to unravel the mystery of a missing girl, she’ll need some help from friends — and her brother.

Also starring Henry Cavill, Helena Bonham Carter, Louis Partridge, Adeel Akhtar, David Thewlis, Susan Wokoma and Sharon Duncan-Brewster.


https://youtu.be/KKXNmYoPkx0

Playlist: Nirvana, “Smells Like Teen Spirit.”
Listen on Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/smells-like-teen-spirit/1440783617?i=1440783625
On this day in 1991, Nirvana released its second album, “Nevermind.”
A critical and commercial success, by January 1992, it had reached no. 1 on the US Billboard 200 chart and this lead single has been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. The album garnered three Grammy Awards nominations and has sold more than 30 million copies, considered one of the best albums of all-time.
Frontman Kurt Cobain was dubbed “voice of his generation,” and the album brought grunge and alternative rock to the mainstream.


St Louis Wheel Celebrates Pujols’ 700th Home Run with $5 Rides

St Louis Wheel Celebrates Pujols’ 700th Home Run with $5 Rides

Looking for a way to celebrate Albert Pujols’ 700th career home run in high style?

Bring your baseball-loving friends to The St. Louis Wheel at Union Station, which will offer a special deal that hits all the right numbers.  

The first 700 guests the day after Albert’s record-setting 700 career home runs  will ride The Wheel for just $5. (Tickets are normally $15.)

The 200-foot-tall observation wheel’s 42 gondolas are kept at a comfortable 72 degrees all year. Riders will get a 20-mile view of the St. Louis skyline from the top of the popular attraction.

The Wheel is open from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m. daily.

The St. Louis Wheel is located at St. Louis Union Station, 201 S. 18th St., St. Louis, MO 63103. www.thestlouiswheel.com; @stlouiswheelpark and  @unionstationstl on social media.

Photo provided by Union Station. MLB Pujols Graphic

‘Blonde’: Leering, Lascivious Look at Marilyn Monroe as American Tragedy

‘Blonde’: Leering, Lascivious Look at Marilyn Monroe as American Tragedy

By Lynn Venhaus
Based on the 2000 fictional novel by Joyce Carol Oates, “Blonde” is a deeply flawed semi-biopic that blurs fantasy and reality regarding the life of movie star Marilyn Monroe. The reality is an alarming American tragedy, and the fiction is a relentlessly disturbing film.

The film “Blonde” reimagines the life of the Hollywood legend, from her traumatic childhood as Norma Jeane Baker, through her rise to stardom and romantic entanglement. Writer-director Andrew Dominik blurs the lines of fact and fiction, exploring the difference between her public and private self

With its NC-17 rating and shocking graphic sexual content, “Blonde” is a polarizing, controversial take on one of Hollywood’s most enduring icons. Norma Jeane deserved better in life, and a much better  representation in a film after her death.

Not that Ana de Armas doesn’t impress in a remarkable transformation as the stunningly gorgeous, breathy-voiced actress whose traumatic childhood forever damaged her psyche. She has the look, the voice, and the demeanor down pat in her recreation, but regrettably, spends a huge chunk of the film in tears.

She wears those memorable outfits well, and costume designer Jennifer Johnson captures every look in meticulous detail.

With such copious nudity and its 2-hour, 46-minute runtime, at least a half-hour of bare breasts could have been cut. Not that more incisive editing would have saved the film, but it sure would have helped.

Writer-director Andrew Dominik worked on bringing this adaptation to the screen for over 10 years. The source material is already suspect anyway because it’s filmed as a dreamy fantasy – so unless you know the factual details of Marilyn’s life, you will be adrift. What’s fake and what really happened? You’ll have to find that out on your own.

For instance, her first husband, baseball legend Joe DiMaggio, is not referred to by name in the credits, only “Ex-Athlete.” To be fair, Bobby Cannavale is a fine embodiment of the slugger.

Bobby Cannavale and Ana de Armas

As her second husband Arthur Miller, Adrien Brody fares better and has the best scene when they first talk. It’s well-established that Miller was captivated by her enthusiasm for ‘the work,’ and her knowledge of literature and characters. She had an intuitive sense of the material, but sadly, wasn’t allowed to realize her great potential.

Growing up with a schizophrenic mother (a terrifying performance by Julianne Nicholson), Norma Jeane was sent to an orphanage. She endured so much hardship that we see why she had massive daddy issues and just wanted to be loved. Young actress Lily Fisher is gut-wrenching as the young Norma Jeane.

Starting out as a model, Monroe transitioned to film – her first role was in the Oscar-winning “All About Eve” as the wicked George Sanders’ date. The studio system’s casting couch is nothing new, but the way Marilyn was brutalized by men in power is upsetting. Treated like a boy-toy and nothing more than a sexual plaything is quite unsettling, and when the film dissolves into porn-like scenes with her lascivious pals Charlie Chaplin Jr. (Xavier Samuel) and Edgar G. Robinson Jr. (Garret Dillahunt), it’s squirm-time.

(I’m wondering how long it will take Netflix viewers to turn off the film after those graphic sexual encounters take place). The sleazier things, especially the lewd JFK scene, are painful..

The fantasy aspect is reason for concern, and after revealing she has a studio-ordered abortion, then she loses a baby through miscarriage, later. Did we need a voice and image of the fetuses?

Dominik’s overly melodramatic and turgid script, which he describes as an avalanche of images and events, is muddled and messy, and does not serve the actress well. No one is depicted in a good light. (Although cinematographer Chayse Irvin’s work with stark black and white vs. scenes of technicolor is interesting).

The movie shows only fleeting snippets of joy, and yes, her public and private images are contrasted in a very uncomfortable way. — lecherous and leery distortions.

“Blonde” is a confusing, perturbing, grim film that does the tragic star a disservice and winds up more of a nightmare because of its fever dream elements. I will never watch this again, and I can’t unsee things I wish I could.

“Blonde” is a 2022 drama-fantasy written and directed by Andrew Dominik and starring Ana de Armas, Adrien Brody, Bobby Cannavale, Xavier Samuel, Garret Dillahunt, Julianne Nicholson, and Lily Fisher.
It is rated NC-17 for some sexual content and the runtime is 2 hours, 46 minutes.
It streams on Netflix beginning Sept. 28, and is in selected theaters Sept. 23 (but not in St. Louis). Lynn’s Grade: D.