Lynn Venhaus

Total Post: 1247

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.

St Louis Symphony’s Free Community Concert in Forest Park Sept. 19

St Louis Symphony’s Free Community Concert in Forest Park Sept. 19

Denève leads the SLSO in its annual concert for the community in works by Ludwig van Beethoven, Hector Berlioz, Edvard Grieg, Scott Joplin, Hugh Martin, W.A. Mozart, John Philip Sousa, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and John Williams, with guest vocalist Kennedy Holmes

Celebratory opening of SLSO’s 145th season includes food trucks on Art Hill and concludes with fireworks display over Forest Park’s Grand Basin

Led by Music Director Stéphane Denève, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra marks the beginning of its 2024/2025 season with the return of its free concert in Forest Park at 7:00pm CDT, Thursday, September 19, on Art Hill. Since its inaugural Forest Park concert more than 50 years ago, the SLSO has performed for thousands of people each year as a community celebration of music and the kick-off of the SLSO’s season.

A portion program serves as preview for the orchestra’s 145th season and Denève’s sixth as The Joseph and Emily Rauh Pulitzer Music Director. Selections include favorites from symphonies by Ludwig van Beethoven, W.A. Mozart, and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The orchestra brings a local flair to the concert with performances of St. Louis-native Scott Joplin’s The Cascades—written for the 1904 World’s Fair—and a tribute to St. Louis’ turn hosting the 1904 Olympics with John Williams’ Olympic Fanfare and Theme.

The orchestra will be joined by guest vocalist, St. Louis native Kennedy Holmes, a finalist on NBC’s The Voice, for performances of “The Trolley Song” from Meet Me in St. Louis—also a nod to the World’s Fair—in her third appearance with the SLSO. A close collaborator of the inimitable film composer John Williams,

Denève programmed selections of Williams’ score from E.T. the Extraterrestrial, which the orchestra will play in its entirety September 21-22 at Stifel Theatre. The festivities end with a show-stopping fireworks display following John Philip Sousa’s patriotic anthem The Stars and Stripes Forever.

Performed in memory of longtime SLSO supporter Mary Ann Lee, this concert marks the 56th anniversary of the first Forest Park concert in 1968. Attendees are encouraged to come early, bring chairs and blankets, and enjoy food trucks at the top of Art Hill. Designed to engage families with children, the SLSO’s Education and Community Partnerships team will host a family fun zone at the top of Art Hill from 6:00 to 7:00pm, engaging children through musical activities, including music creation and conducting members of the St. Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra.

Annual Forest Park community concert. Photo courtesy of St. Louis Symphony Orchestra.

SLSO staff and volunteers will hand out glow sticks for children to join Denève in conducting the orchestra. Local vendors at the concert will include Angie Burger, ByJack, Cajun Seduction, Delicious Delights, Doggie Mac’s Food Truck, Falafel Saha Food Truck, Fire and Ice Cream Truck, Go Gyro Go, Grace Meat + Three, Holy Crepe, Honey Bee Tea, Picture Perfect Panini, Ron Ron’s Black Fried Rice, Scoops of Joy, STL BarKeep, Takozz Real Mexican Food, The Popcorn Bar, and Urban Chestnut Brewing Company. Food and drink vendors will be available starting at 5:00pm.

Audiences can sign up to receive updates about the concert, including information about food trucks, parking, and shuttles, at slso.org/forestpark.

Following the opening of the season in Forest Park, Denève leads the orchestra in performances of the complete score to E.T. the Extraterrestrial, with music by John Williams, at Stifel Theatre as the film plays (September 21-22). The orchestra’s first classical concerts of the season, September 27 and 29, welcome violinist and friend of the SLSO Gil Shaham for performances of Mason Bates’ Nomad Concerto alongside Hector Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique.

As the transformational expansion and renovation of the orchestra’s home—Powell Hall—enters its final year, the SLSO will perform throughout the St. Louis region, most notably at the Touhill Performing Arts Center at the University of Missouri–St. Louis and Stifel Theatre.

Tickets for all 24/25 season concerts are on sale now and can be purchased at slso.org or by calling the SLSO Box Office at 314-534-1700.

Thursday, September 19, 2024, 7:00pm CDT
Stéphane Denève, conductor
Kennedy Holmes, vocals

John Stafford Smith                           The Star-Spangled Banner
Arranged by Adam Maness

J. Rosamund Johnson                    “Lift Every Voice and Sing”
Arranged by Hale Smith
Ludwig van Beethoven                   Molto vivace from Symphony No. 9
Hector Berlioz                                    “Hungarian March” from The Damnation of Faust
W.A. Mozart                                         Allegro from Symphony No. 31, “Paris”
Edvard Grieg                                        Selections from Peer Gynt Suite No. 1
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky                               Finale from Symphony No. 5
Various                                                  Armed Forces Salute
Arranged by Hayman/Kessler
Hugh Martin                                         “The Trolley Song” from Meet Me in St. Louis
Arranged by Salinger/Russ
Scott Joplin                                          The Cascades
Arranged by Virgil Barstad
John Williams                                     Olympic Fanfare and Theme
John Williams                                     Flying Theme from E.T.
John Philip Sousa                             The Stars and Stripes Forever

This concert is performed in memory of Mary Ann Lee.

About the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra

Celebrated as one of today’s most exciting and enduring orchestras, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra is the second-oldest orchestra in the country, marking its 145th year with the 2024/2025 season and its sixth with Stéphane Denève, The Joseph and Emily Rauh Pulitzer Music Director. Widely considered one of the leading American orchestras, the Grammy® Award-winning SLSO maintains its commitment to artistic excellence, educational impact, and community collaborations—all in service to its mission of enriching lives through the power of music.

The transformational expansion and renovation of its historic home, Powell Hall, slated to be completed in 2025, builds on the institution’s momentum as a civic leader in convening individuals, creators, and ideas, while fostering a culture welcoming to all. Committed to building community through compelling and inclusive musical experiences, the SLSO continues its longstanding focus on equity, diversity, inclusion, and access, embracing its strengths as a responsive, nimble organization, while investing in partnerships locally and elevating its presence globally. For more information, visit slso.org.

Take Ten with Eric Dean White

Take Ten with Eric Dean White

By Lynn Venhaus

When you see actor Eric Dean White’s name in a cast, you know that he will deliver an authentic performance. His latest role as Gooper, the resentful and ruthless son of Big Daddy, who schemes to control his family’s fortune, in “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” is a fine example of his commitment to a character.

Displaying a big chip on his shoulder because his handsome and athletic brother Brick was favored by his parents, White is smooth and shrewd in the supporting role.

This delectable story of big drama, big money and big lies, presented by the Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis Aug. 8 – 18, is a Southern Gothic excursion into an American dysfunctional family, 1950s style, that won a Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1955, and Williams considered it his favorite.

From left: Kari Ely, Eric Dean White, Roxanne Wellington, J Samuel Davis, Peter Mayer, Kiah McKirnan, and Brian Slaten in “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.” Photo by Suzy Gorman.

White is thrilled to be in this ensemble.

“Simply put, ‘Cat’ is one of the greatest American plays by one of the greatest American playwrights, and it’s just an honor to be part of it,” White said. “We have a fantastic cast, and we are being led by director Michael Wilson, who is a renowned Tennessee Williams expert…It has been an honor and a pleasure to work with this team.”

White’s love for the material is evident, and he has previously been part of the Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis, from its first year, performing in “The Rooming House Plays” in 2016, and in “Small Craft Warnings” in 2017.

Eric Dean White as Satan, with Courtney Bailey and Carl Overly Jr. in “The Last Days of Judas Iscariot.” Photo by Ann K. Aurbach

Throughout his career, he has moved easily between hero and villain roles, showing his versatility, and becoming a reliable fixture of the professional regional theater community. He is a member of Actors’ Equity Association and SAG-AFTRA.

Relishing a unique opportunity to play the most evil villain of them all, he won a St. Louis Theater Circle Award as an arrogant calculating Satan in “The Last Days of Judas Iscariot,” presented by Mustard Seed Theatre in 2018.

He has been nominated four other times, his first nod for playing Felix Turner, the doomed New York Times fashion reporter and activist Ned Weeks’ lover who succumbs to AIDS, in “The Normal Heart” at HotCity Theatre in 2014, which also won the award for outstanding production of a drama.

His other nominations show his impressive range. Earning three nominations in a row, he played a brash guy whose encounter with a stranger on a walk leads to more conversations in “The Kiss” at Upstream Theatre in 2015; Daisy’s exasperated son Boolie in “Driving Miss Daisy” at the New Jewish Theatre in 2016; and recognized as a conflicted fundamentalist Christian minister in the puppet comedy “Hand to God” at St. Louis Actors’ Studio in 2022.

Eric Dean White with Colleen Baker in “Hand to God at STLAS. Photo by Patrick Huber.

Earlier this year, he stood out in dual roles in The Black Repertory Theatre’s “Hold On!” as hot-headed intolerant bigots Alabama Gov. George Wallace and Dallas County Sheriff Jim Clark. The play was about the landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965 after the Selma to Montgomery March organized by civil rights activists.

He has played a cruel racist before, as impresario Stephen Price in “The African Company Presents Richard III” at the Black Rep in 2022, and as a Hitler apologist in Neil LaBute’s one-act “The Fourth Reich” that was presented in 2018 during the LaBute New Theater Festival and off-Broadway in January 2019. (He’s been a frequent contributor in the LaBute Festival).

His work in “Hold On!” was in January, soon after delighting audiences as a seasoned radio announcer in The Repertory Theatre’s triumphant comeback “It’s a Wonderful Life! – A Live Radio Play” in December.

With his mellifluous voice, he played Freddie Filmore and amusingly delivered commercials for Schnucks, Crown Candy Kitchen, Ted Drewes, and other St. Louis notables.

Eric Dean White and J Samuel Davis in “It’s a Wonderful Life – Live Radio Play” at The Rep. Photo by Jon Gitchoff.

This fall, he returns to The Rep in their season opener, the classic mystery “Dial M for Murder.” He will play the eccentric but thorough Inspector Hubbard. In announcing the cast, they described him as a “Rep favorite.”

The play, to be directed by Melissa Rain Anderson, who deftly helmed “The Play That Goes Wrong” in 2019, will run Sept. 18 – Oct. 13 at the Loretto-Hilton Center on the campus of Webster University.

He joins the cast that includes Jenelle Chu as Margot, Jordan Coughtry as her former tennis pro husband Tony, Jayson Heil as their friend Max, Ethan Dunne Stewart as police officer Thompson and David Diaz Weynand as Lesgate, Tony’s old schoolmate.

Frederick Knott’s play, which inspired Alfred Hitchcock’s 1954 cinematic thriller, combines passion, blackmail and revenge into an edge-of-your-seat murder mystery when a gold-digging husband’s perfect crime misfires, trapping all parties in a sinister and dangerous web of lies.

He is home on The Rep’s mainstage, for he appeared as the Ghost of Christmas Future in “A Christmas Carol” and as Mrs. Bennett’s brother Mr. Gardiner in “Pride and Prejudice.”

With John Flack in “The Normal Heart” at HotCity Theatre.

He has also performed in other regional theaters around the country, including Houston and Arkansas. He appeared on an episode of “Chicago Fire” in 2015, and has acted in locally shot films, including “Finch,” “Penitentia,” “Cringe” and “Belleville.”

For White, keeping busy in an industry in flux is gratifying. When he’s not working on stage or off, he’s husband to Wendy and dad to daughters Payton and Cassidy.

Take Ten Q & A with Eric Dean White

1.Why did you choose your profession/pursue the arts?

“That’s a very good question and I ask myself that all the time. It’s almost absurd in a way how difficult it is to work professionally in any form of the arts. The rejection and inconsistency of work takes its toll on you. But the simple fact is I love it and maybe more importantly, I’m fascinated by it. Plus, people keep hiring me, so I keep saying yes!”

Eric Dean White in “The Fourth Reich” by Neil LaBute. Photo by Patrick Huber.

2. How would your friends describe you?

“Eric Dean White?  Never heard of him.”

3. How do you like to spend your spare time?

“What is this “spare time” you speak of?”

4. What is your current obsession?

(This was asked before it concluded). “The 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris! Specifically, men’s and women’s soccer and women’s gymnastics.”

5. What would people be surprised to find out about you?

“I’m extremely sensitive to — and irritated by — certain sounds and noises. Often to the point that I have to leave the room.”

6. Can you share one of your most defining moments in life?

“Meeting Wendy.”

At the St. Louis Theater Circle Awards in 2017, with Jason Contini, J. Samuel Davis, and his wife Wendy.

7. Who do you admire most?

“I’m hesitant to place too much admiration on individual people. I’m very moved by acts of selflessness and grace — especially when no one is watching.”

8. What is at the top of your bucket list?

“I’d like to travel more in the coming years.  Haven’t been able to do much of that as of late.”

9. How were you affected by the pandemic years, and anything you would like to share about what got you through and any lesson learned during the isolation periods? Any reflections on how the arts were affected? And what it means to move forward?

“The pandemic was terrible for the live arts. There is no way to sugar coat it. I’m not sure if we will ever get back to where we were before the pandemic. There is very little interest in public funding of the arts via state and federal governments and corporate funding has also dried up. I don’t know what the path forward is.  There are arts leaders much smarter than me doing all they can to try and figure out a path forward. I wish them luck.  I encourage individuals to buy tickets to see live theatre and other performances.” 

10. What is your favorite thing to do in St. Louis?

“I love going to Cardinals, St. Louis City SC and Blues games.  I love going to all of our parks and museums. I love all the various art, food and cultural festivals we have.  Oh – and St. Louis has a fantastic theatre and music scene!”

“The Kiss” with Lisa Tejero at Upstream Theater. Photo by Peter Wochniak.

More About Eric Dean White:

Age: 49
Birthplace: Sikeston, Missouri
Current location: St. Louis (City),
Family: One wife, two daughters, one pit bull

Education:  Studied marketing at the University of Missouri and acting at The American Academy of Dramatic Arts (New York City campus)
Day job:  Visitor and Member Services at the Saint Louis Art Museum
First play or movie you were involved in or made: I didn’t do any acting of any kind until I was about 24 years old. I think my first was a production of the play “June Moon” by George S. Kaufman and Ring Lardner during my first year at The American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York.
Favorite jobs/roles/plays or work in your medium?  I’m just lucky to keep getting cast.  That’s all that matters.
Favorite quote/words to live by: “Did it ever occur to you that no one ever asked us to do this?” – Jack O’Brien at the 2024 Tony Awards.
A song that makes you happy: First one that came to mind was Eddie Vedder’s cover of “Save It for Later” that was recently featured in season 3 of “The Bear” (episode 2). Also check out the original version of the song by The English Beat – great as well!

LaBute New Theater Festival in 2016, with Ryan Foizey. Photo by Patrick Huber.

Cover photo with Kari Ely in “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” by Suzy Gorman.

Dance St. Louis’ New Season Is ‘Feast for Eyes, Ears, And Mind’

Dance St. Louis’ New Season Is ‘Feast for Eyes, Ears, And Mind’

World-renowned dancer-athletes PILOBOLUS kicks off Dance St. Louis 24/25 Season at the Touhill, Nov 9

Dance St. Louis continues enduring mission as the region’s GATEWAY TO WORLD DANCE by presenting a 2024/25 season featuring magnificent performances from world-renowned dance companies from across the US and beyond

Dance St. Louis, one of only four remaining dance-only nonprofit presenters in the country, is pleased to announce its 2024/25 season with single tickets ($45-$89) and 4-packs ($144-$285) going on sale Friday, August 23 through MetroTix. Now in its 59th year, Dance St. Louis continues its mission of bringing world-class dance that wouldn’t otherwise be presented to the St. Louis region. 

Dance St. Louis’ 2024/25 season is a feast for the eyes, ears, and mind. The lineup includes a company that has performed on Broadway, at the Oscars and the Olympic Games (Pilobolus, November 9); an international company that has captured the dance world performing to more than 45 million (Ballet Folklórico de México, February 25); a pioneering company of rising stars who made their Kennedy Center debut in 2022 (Collage Dance Collective, April 5); and a smorgasbord of talent from across the country (17th Annual SPRING TO DANCE® Festival 2025, May 23 & 24). All Dance St. Louis presentations take place at the Touhill Performing Arts Center. 

DANCE ST. LOUIS 2024/25 SEASON

Pilobolus re:CREATION

Saturday, November 9, 2024 at 7:30 p.m.
Free “Speaking of Dance” pre-show talk at 6:30 p.m. 
Touhill Performing Arts Center
Single tickets: $50, $75, $89 | 4-Packs: $160-$285
https://www.dancestlouis.org/pilobolus

“Gods and goddesses of physical dance-theatre” — National Public Radio “something more than human” — Observer “signature athleticism and style” — Wall Street Journal 

Since its founding in 1972, the world-renowned dance company Pilobolus has tested the limits of human physicality to explore the beauty and the power of connected bodies. The internationally renowned company has performed on Broadway, at the Oscars, and the Olympic Games, and created more than 120 dance works. Pilobolus is not just a dance performance. It’s an invitation to a transformative experience. It’s an offering that promises to engage, inspire, and leave audiences in awe.

For Pilobolus’ re:CREATION tour, the audience is invited to step into a realm where imagination knows no limits. Emotion, raw talent, and palpable energy come to life right before your eyes! The boundaries of gravity and creativity blur, offering an intimate window into the essence of creativity itself. re:CREATION is a dynamic collection of dance pieces—daring experiments and groundbreaking new collaborations, which stand alongside Pilobolus’ classics that have been recognized as having altered the landscape of dance and theater. re:CREATION is both timely and timeless, keeping the company at the forefront of innovation. It combines wit, sensuality and stunning physical acumen in a sensory-exploding performance sure to thrill and surprise audiences. It’s a transformative experience that promises to engage, inspire and leave audiences in awe.

Ballet Folklórico de México
Friday, February 28, 2025 at 7:30 p.m. 
Free “Speaking of Dance” pre-show talk at 6:30 p.m.
Touhill Performing Arts Center 
Single tickets: $50, $75, $89 | 4-Packs: $160-$285
https://www.dancestlouis.org/ballet-folklorico-de-mexico

“A captivating spectacle… a brilliant visual and theatrical sense” — New York Times

“it is far more than a world-renowned dance company. For the past 60 years it has served as a cultural ambassador of Mexico and become an imaginative repository of the country’s multi-layered history and rich anthropology.”  —  Chicago Sun-Times

Ballet Folklórico de México is the premier folkloric dance ensemble in Mexico. The company has reached more than 45 million spectators worldwide and has received countless awards and accolades. Founded in 1952 by dancer and choreographer Amalia Hernández, Ballet Folklórico de México de Amalia Hernández brings together the music, dance and costume of Mexican folklore from pre-Colombian civilizations to the modern era. The company is permanently in residence at the iconic Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City. It has choreographed more than 120 ballets and is comprised of 60 folk dancers and musicians who continue to perform extensively across Mexico and abroad. 

Amalia Hernández is the visionary and pioneer who revolutionized the concept of Mexican traditional dance and forever transformed its history. Hernández devoted her time to the research of the folklore, music, costumes, and dance of the states that comprise Mexico as a country, and uniquely brought them to life creating performances that are a true portrait of Mexico’s beauty, diversity and rich history through music and dance. Her repertoire has become a classic – one that is renewed, transformed, and enriched with the passage of time.   

Collage Dance Collective

Collage Dance Collective
Saturday, April 5, 2025 at 7:30 p.m.
Free “Speaking of Dance” pre-show talk at 6:30 p.m. 
Touhill Performing Arts Center
Single tickets: $70, $60, $45 | 4-Packs: $144-$224
https://www.dancestlouis.org/collage-dance-collective

“Southern Cultural Treasure” — South Arts and the Ford Foundation
“ballet made utterly, gorgeously beautiful” — Albany Times
“a new model for ballet’s future” — Huffington Post

Recently named a “Southern Cultural Treasure” by South Arts and the Ford Foundation, Collage Dance Collective is a pioneering company making waves across the country and beyond. Rooted in the heartland of Memphis, Tennessee, Collage Dance Collective embodies the greatness of American dance and is at the national forefront of inspiring the growth and diversity of ballet. Collage’s meteoric rise over the last decade is fueled by its dynamic programming, virtuosic company artists and its talent for presenting what the Albany Times calls “ballet made utterly, gorgeously beautiful”.  

Collage Dance is one of the largest Black-led performing arts organizations in the South and is one of just a few professional ballet companies in the world with a roster of BIPOC dancers. The company is also listed among the 50 largest ballet companies in the nation by Dance Data Project. Working to inspire the growth and diversity of ballet, Collage Dance Collective showcases a repertoire of relevant choreography and world-class dancers representative of the communities it serves. 

The professional company has presented 14 full-length seasons in Memphis, plus national and international touring, including the Kennedy Center, presenting a diverse range of classical and contemporary choreography from George Balanchine, Wayne McGregor, Nacho Duato, Ulysses Dove, Joshua Manculich, Amy Hall Garner, Kevin Iega Jeff, and more. The work of Collage Dance Collective has been featured in media outlets including Huffington Post, Allure, New York Magazine, Essence, Memphis Magazine, Dance Magazine, and Pointe Magazine. 

17th Annual SPRING TO DANCE® Festival 2025
Presented by Whitaker Foundation
Memorial Day Weekend
Friday and Saturday, May 23 & 24, 2025 
Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Free “Speaking of Dance” pre-show talk at 6:15 p.m. Lobby performances at 6:45 p.m. Mainstage performances at 7:30 p.m. 
Touhill Performing Arts Center
Single Tickets: $15, $25, $35, $40 | 4-Packs: $120-$45 

“arguably the best dance buffet in the Midwest” — Chicago Tribune
“Successful both as a celebration of dance and as an invitation to bask in its artistry.” — St. Louis Post-Dispatch 

The Midwest region’s most celebrated dance festival returns for its 17th year! Nationally touring professional companies from coast to coast flock to St. Louis to bestow their artistry. It’s an unmatched buffet of dance, featuring two days of nonstop dance from a wide array of companies. As one of the region’s must-see festivals, SPRING TO DANCE offers something for everyone, from modern, ballet and contemporary to tap, aerial, hip hop, flamenco and more, with a distinct, dynamic program each night. Experience what the Chicago Tribune hails as “arguably the best dance buffet in the Midwest.” 

Collage Dance Collective. Photo by Tre’bor Jones

SINGLE TICKETS
Single tickets are $45-$89 and go on sale August 23 via MetroTix at metrotix.com and 314.534.1111. Single tickets to the 17th Annual SPRING TO DANCE® Festival 2025 are $15-$40 and go on sale in January 2025. 

SEASON SUBSCRIPTIONS
2024/25 season ticket packages are also currently on sale and available by phone at 314-534-6622 or by email at boxoffice@dancestlouis.org. Season subscriptions provide subscribers access to the best seats, most advantageous pricing, deferred payment, invitation-only events and free tickets for friends and family. Season subscriptions include a 4-Show Package ($298, $260), 3-Show Package ($273, $235), and You-Pick-Two Package ($198 – $155). For more details, visit https://www.dancestlouis.org/24-25-season-subscriptions.

SPONSORS
Dance St. Louis is grateful for major sponsor support to continue its mission of bringing world- class dance to St. Louis. Major sponsors of the 2024/25 season include Ameren, Missouri Arts Council, National Endowment for the Arts, PNC Arts Alive, Regional Arts Commission, The Shubert Foundation and Whitaker Foundation. Bayer Fund is the education outreach title sponsor.

Pilobus. Photo by Hibbard Nash.

About Dance St. Louis
Founded in 1966, Dance St. Louis has been bringing the greatest dance of the world to St. Louis audiences for more than 58 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. 

Cover photo by Steven Pisano.

Ballet Folklórico de México/ Photo courtesy of CAMI.

The Black Rep Announces Cast and Crew for ‘Blues in the Night’ Sept. 4-22 to Kick Off Season 48

The Black Rep Announces Cast and Crew for ‘Blues in the Night’ Sept. 4-22 to Kick Off Season 48

The St. Louis Black Repertory Company announces the full cast and crew for Sheldon Epps’ BLUES IN THE NIGHT, directed by Founder and Producing Director Ron Himes, with musical director Khalid McGhee. The production opens the 48th Anniversary Season on Friday, September 6, 2024 (with previews September 4-5) through Sunday September 22, 2024  at The Edison Theatre on the campus of Washington University in St. Louis. It is presented with support from Washington University and the Mid- America Arts Alliance.

A dynamic Tony-nominated musical review showcases the universal language of The Blues. Set in 1930s Chicago, the audience is immersed in the stories of three women, told through the music of Bessie Smith, Duke Ellington, Johnny Mercer, Harold Arlen, and many more.

At The Black Rep, the ensemble cast features Adrianna Jones (TBR Debut), Amber Rose (CROSSING OVER, CROWNS, DON’T BOTHER ME I CAN’T COPE), De-Rance Blaylock (TBR Debut), J. Samuel Davis (KING HEDLEY II, CROSSING OVER, TELL ME SOMETHING GOOD, AIN’T MISBEHAVIN’, THE WIZ).

Directed by Ron Himes with Musical Director Khalid McGhee, Scenic Design by Jamie Bullins, Costume Design by Greg J. Horton, Sound Design by Justin Schmitz, Lighting Design by Travis Richardson, and Props Design by Mikhail Lynn. Tracy Holliway-Wiggins is the Stage Manager with Daija Jones as Assistant Stage Manager.

Tickets are available at theblackrep.org or through the Box Office at 314-534-3807. Reduced pricing is available for seniors, educators, museum staff, students, and groups of 12 or more. Recommended for mature audiences ages 14 and up.

Support for The Black Rep’s 48th Main Stage Season comes from The Berges Family Foundation, Caleres, Missouri Arts Council, the Regional Arts Commission, The Shubert Foundation, the Steward Family Foundation, and Washington University in St. Louis.

The season, announced in mid-July, includes an August Wilson classic, iconic musical and two world premieres.

The 48th Annual Mainstage Season

The St. Louis Black Repertory Company celebrates its 48th main stage season with five compelling works showcasing pivotal moments in the African American experience.

“We’re delighted to be producing the exceptional world premieres of “The Wash” and “Coconut Cake,” said Founder and Producing Director Ron Himes. “Audiences will be captivated by the music that unfolds in “Blues in the Night” and it feels truly timely to be closing out the season with August Wilson’s “Radio Golf,” marking the second time we have produced Wilson’s entire iconic American Century Cycle.“

Sept 4-22, 2024: Blues in the Night, by Sheldon Epps. In the Edison Theatre, Washington University in St. Louis.

This dynamite, dramatic Tony-nominated musical revue thrills audiences with the universal language of the Blues. With little spoken text, interweaving stories of three women are defined through songs that cover the range of the blues from Bessie Smith to Duke Ellington, Johnny Mercer, Harold Arlen, Alberta Hunter, Jimmy Cox, Ida Cox, and more, telling of the pain and misery of life and love — and also of the dogged determination to get through it all — that is the essence of the Blues.

Jan 8-25, 2025: CHICKEN & BISCUITS, By Douglas Lyons. In the Edison Theatre, Washington University in St. Louis.

When the Jenkins family comes together to celebrate the life of their patriarch, rivaling sisters Baneatta and Beverly face a shocking family secret which will either bind them or break them. Who knew a funeral could spark so much laughter? A portrait of family love and commitment, the comedy opened in 2020 at the Queens Theatre in the Park and its 2021 Broadway run was cut short due to the pandemic.

ROLLING WORLD PREMIERE February 5-March 2, 2025: COCONUT CAKE By Melda Beaty. In the Hotchner Theatre, Washington University in St. Louis.

For some, there’s nothing better than retirement, but when Eddie Lee’s wife joins him in retirement, the truth about his “ladies’ man” ways resurface. Eddie retreats to the sanctuary of a McDonald’s where a game of chess teaches life lessons and the rest of his retired friends, with marital problems of their own, wait faithfully for him. The arrival of two mystery women, with daddy issues, medicine cabinet secrets, and melt-in-your-mouth coconut cake, tests their friendship and changes their lives forever. Presented with support from the National Black Theatre Festival’s Sylvia Sprinkle-Hamlin Rolling World Premiere Award.

A NATIONAL NEW PLAY NETWORK ROLLING WORLD PREMIERE March 12-30, 2025: THE WASH, By Kelundra Smith. In The Berges Theatre, COCA-Center of Creative Arts.

Black laundresses took to the streets in 1881 Atlanta leading a strike just weeks before the International Cotton Exposition came to town. Demanding $1/week, the Atlanta Washerwoman’s Strike was the first successful interracial, organized labor strike of the post-Civil War era. Smith’s play offers an intimate and often humorous look at ordinary women who went from workers to fighters– and won. Presented as part of a National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere.

May 14-June 1, 2025, RADIO GOLF, By August Wilson. In the Edison Theatre, Washington University in St. Louis.

Set in Pittsburgh in the late 1990s, it’s the story of a successful entrepreneur who aspires to become the city’s first Black mayor. But when the past begins to catch up with him, secrets get revealed that could be his undoing. The most contemporary of all of August Wilson’s work, Radio Golf is the final play in his unprecedented ten-play American Century Cycle. This bittersweet drama of assimilation and alienation in 90s America traces the forces of change on a neighborhood and its people caught between history and the 21st century.

Each of The Black Rep’s main stage productions feature an Intergenerational Matinee Series that creates access to students from area schools and seniors from residential communities to offer the experience of live theatre at a subsidized ticket price. Select performances also include a post-show talk-back creating a forum for lively relevant discussions.

About The Black Rep

The Black Rep, a 48-year-old legacy Black arts organization, is committed to producing, re-imagining, and commissioning work written by Black playwrights and creating opportunities for new voices and youth. Founded by Producing Director Ron Himes, the vision for The Black Rep continues: a more equitable distribution of opportunities and resources for Black professionals and students in the theatre; improved representation on and back-stage in the theatre industry; and a fostered community culture of support and mentorship for those who will follow. For more information: www.theblackrep.org

Tennessee Williams Festival’s Charming ‘Life Upon the Wicked Stage’ Revitalizes His Early Works

Tennessee Williams Festival’s Charming ‘Life Upon the Wicked Stage’ Revitalizes His Early Works

By Lynn Venhaus

Imagine the Grand Center Arts District almost a century ago as a glittery hub of movie theatres, dance halls, restaurants and hotels. Now be transported to those days through the lens of a young Tennessee Willams in a smart, thoughtful and charming presentation, “Life Upon the Wicked Stage.”

When the future Pulitzer-Prize winning playwright was finding his place in the world, as an aspiring writer in St. Louis, he was drawn to the moving pictures of the 1920s and 1930s. With stars in his eyes and a vivid imagination, he wrote short stories and one-acts where he wondered what it would be like to be famous and in show business.

Threading songs of vaudeville together in a stylish program featuring his theatrical slice-of-life one-acts “In Our Profession,” “The Magic Tower” and “The Fat Man’s Wife,” the Tennessee Williams Festival has taken a novel approach to storytelling while spotlighting Grand Center as a vibrant part of the St. Louis arts community.

This pitch-perfect cast is under the astute direction of Brian Hohlfeld, who helmed the masterful “The Glass Menagerie” in 2021 and excelled in radio play presentations “Something Spoken.”

They are convincing in taking us back to a golden era: Julie Layton, Gary Wayne Barker, Dominic DeCicco, Julia Crump and Donna Weinsting appear like characters out of “Stage Door,” with lovely vintage outfits expertly assembled by costume designer Teresa Doggett.

Gary Wayne Barker, Julie Layton in “Life Upon the Wicked Stage.” Photo by Cynthia Prost.

During the past nine years, the festival has been built around a theme or location specific to Williams’ life in St. Louis and other influences on his world-renowned career. Dreamer Tom Williams must have felt at home among the avant-garde artists and smoky jazz clubs in midtown, identifying with the hopes and restlessness of showbiz folks.

One of the most enriching aspects of this unique local festival is showcasing his lesser-known one-act plays, and we can witness an artist developing his voice, and this collection is splendid.

That impact of the popular entertainment of his youth, and his desire to be a part of the glamorous life, is evident in these richly textured depictions staged simply in an intimate retro setting.

In these three curated one-acts, he has fashioned erudite backstage dramas about the nomadic life of touring performers, its toll on private lives, and a more jaded look at those with long-established careers.

In this trio, Julie Layton’s remarkable portrayals as Annabelle, during phases of the character’s life as an actress, is the person that connects them all. (Poetic license used in keeping the same female protagonist, but it works well).

As she slips into this woman’s particular periods with ease, she deftly conveys different emotional needs as the role dictates. Layton was part of two very popular festival works, the St. Louis Theater Circle Award-winner “A Lovely Sunday for Creve Coeur” and “Will Mr. Merriwether Return from Memphis?” in 2017, along with an earlier appearance as Annabelle in “The Rooming House Plays.”

Gary Wayne Barker, Julie Layton, Dominic DeCicco. Photo by Cynthia Prost.

In “In Our Profession,” Layton is a ditzy, needy ingenue who clings to an older gentleman, an exasperated Richard superbly embodied by Barker, who is not prepared for Anabelle’s overstepping her boundaries by pushing him to marry her after only one night together in St. Louis.

She sees him as a ticket to stability, her chance to get off the road. He tries to free himself from her clutches. Dominic DeCicco is his naïve neighbor Paul, whom she takes an immediately liking to, which complicates her plans. If only her desire for escape was that easy.

In the middle one, “The Magic Tower,” Annabelle is a lovesick newlywed who is married to a struggling starving artist, Jim, sweetly played by DeCicco. She’d like to shut out the world with a fantasy life in their dismal studio apartment but reality intrudes.

Weinsting is their landlord Mrs. Fallon, trying to collect overdue rent, and two friends also stop by with a proposal of their own — Crump is her chorus-girl pal Babe and Barker is Mitch, who is part of the touring company she left. Will she come down to earth?

Donna Weinsting. Photo by Cynthia Prost.

In the final work, “The Fat Man’s Wife,” Annabelle comes full circle as a cynical former actress who married a prominent producer, Joe (Barker). It’s New Year’s Eve, 1938, and she embodies a sophisticated Lauren Bacall-type, whose flirtation with a promising young playwright Dennis (DeCicco) during a party, spills over to a quarrel at home.

The hotshot stops by to try to convince her to run away with him while her husband is having a clandestine tryst. Will she opt for a tantalizing unknown adventure or her routine life of luxury?

This is the strongest of the three and all displays Williams’ keen psychological insight into dashed hopes and dreams, and mismtched couplings. They each offer fascinating different perspectives about gypsy entertainers and the uncertainties they face.

The Curtain Call Lounge, which is operated by the Fox Theatre next door, is a savvy venue choice, for with its bygone era décor, it harkens back to that time when vaudeville and moving pictures were still flourishing on that Grand Boulevard strip.

With a natural vocal delivery, Crump and Weinsting sing standards, with Weinsting distinctly presenting the showstopper “I’m Still Here,” Stephen Sondheim’s 1971 classic from “Follies” about the resilience of longtime chanteuses and their rollercoaster ride in show business.

Both Crump and Weinsting were part of the TWStL’s first season’s triumphant “The Rooming House Plays” in 2016 and Crump notably has made an impression in “You Lied to Me About Centralia,” “The Rose Tattoo,” and “Stairs to the Roof.”

Songs include “Skylark,” “My Blue Heaven,” “Side by Side,” “Pennies from Heaven” and “Some of These Days,” with esteemed music director Tom Clear accompanying on piano.

Spencer Lawton keeps things on point as the stage manager, and the entire effort revitalizes Williams’ earlier works in a most appealing way. The attractive production elements endear and the performances are irresistible.

This is a wonderful way to spend an afternoon seeing the legendary playwright develop his unmistakable style right here in St. Louis, which will hopefully deepen appreciation for his considerable gifts.

The cast of “Life Upon the Wicked Stage.” Photo by Cynthia Prost

The Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis presents “Life Upon the Wicked Stage” in eight performances, at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, Aug. 10 and 17 and Aug. 11 and 18 at the Curtain Call Lounge, 521 N. Grand Blvd 63108. The bar is open during performances. Tickets are available through MetroTix. Parking is available at a discount in the Fox Garage (mention the festival for the sale price). For more information, visit www.twstl.org.

‘Alien: Romulus’ Goes Bigger with the Gore, Nostalgia and Practical Effects

‘Alien: Romulus’ Goes Bigger with the Gore, Nostalgia and Practical Effects

By Lynn Venhaus

This is an “Alien” built on fan service, from its loop of greatest hits to recycling the original’s most famous lines to repurposing familiar tropes. Face huggers? Chest busters? You got it.

The “Romulus” sequel does feel aimed at young viewers new to the franchise, so if you are a longtime fan seeking something fresh and different, “Romulus” may disappoint.

Since Ridley Scott blazed a trail with his terrifying “Alien” science fiction-action-horror film in 1979, three sequels and two prequels have broadened the franchise built on space travelers’ suspenseful encounters with an extraterrestrial species.

These grotesque ooze-dripping creatures called “Xenomorphs” look like a large head atop a giant insect-reptile hybrid spin on the “Creature from the Black Lagoon,” and they remain as terrifying now as when the original just teased the look as the creepy invader of the Nostromo.

Fun fact: Swiss artist H.R. Giger known for his biomechanical style, created the adult form ‘Alien,’ inspired by his painting “Necronom IV,” and won an Oscar in 1980 for being part of the visual effects team.

The image is still the frightening gold standard. Director Fede Alvarez goes much bigger, ramping up the gore and the goo. He focuses on repetitive graphic depictions of these hostile lifeforms in all their stages of growth, multiplying them, showing their gnarly sharp teeth in close-ups and face-to-face encounters.

Scott returns as a producer, after directing two prequels “Prometheus” (2012) and “Alien: Covenant” (2017), handing off directing duties to Alvarez, who displayed strong horror-genre skills with “Don’t Breathe” (2016) and “Evil Dead” (2013), a remake of Sam Raimi’s classic 1981 film.

Cailee Spaeny

“Romulus” takes place between the original’s time and the 1986 sequel “Aliens,” so it’s about mid-22nd century. The story follows a grungy group of intergalactic colonists who want to raid a space station for valuables, but instead discover it is infested with hideous invasive creatures who begin hunting them. Blood spurts, body parts are severed, and the classic Agatha Christie template “And Then There Were None,” kicks into high gear.

Cinematographer Galo Olivares has created an atmosphere that is dystopian-future bleak, and everything’s grimy and dark – and claustrophobic. The young adults have been working at the Jackson Star Colony Mine, on a planet with no sunlight, and it’s a miserable prison-like existence. No wonder they want to escape for space travel.

You surmise as soon as they enter what they think is an abandoned out-of-service spaceship that it’s a bad idea, and most of these savvy techies/space cowboys will either become a host to the endoparasitoids, or shredded to smithereens, suffering elaborate grisly deaths.

While the visuals dominate, there isn’t much character depth in the screenplay by Alvarez and his “Don’t Breathe” writing partner Rodo Sayagues. Instead, they emphasize scare tactics and dangerous situations that the cast must either flee from or figure out a better way for survival.

The movie takes too long to set up, is confusing, and doesn’t quite know how to stick the landing. So, it’s hard to connect with any of them other than the two leads, Rain (Cailee Spaeny) and Andy (David Jonsson), a synthetic android she considers her brother.

The roles are physically demanding because everyone is in fight and flight mode 24/7 and running a lot. Aileen Wu is Navarro, Spike Fearn is her boyfriend Bjorn, Archie Renaux is Tyler and Isabela Merced is his younger sister Kay. Ian Holm, who was in the first movie as Ash, reappears here digitally as an android, but as Rook (note: Holm died in 2020).

In addition to the life-threatening creatures overwhelming the colonists, we are reminded that the megacorporation Weyland-Yutani Corporation is always up to no good. They care more about profits than people, and have been a manipulative villain thread through the series.

Archie Renaux as Tyler and Cailee Spaeny as Rain.

Spaeny, who made a splash last year as the title role in Sofia Coppola’s “Priscilla” and this year in “Civil War,” is in the Ellen Ripley mold of rising to the occasion and becoming the tough and determined heroine. Rain is resourceful, resilient, and compassionate – all the qualities that make for a good protagonist.

Jonsson, who played Gus in the HBO series “Industry,” has the more nuanced, difficult role, and he stands out as the most compelling – switching personalities from a docile, guileless, glitchy “synth” to a smart android who suspiciously knows more than he divulges.

The third act goes on for far too long, and even though the film is 2 hours, it feels longer. Just when you think it’s over, not so fast, and there is one plot twist that’s not just ridiculous, but disgusting and disturbing.

One of the film’s most admirable qualities is that, like “Godzilla Minus One,” they went old-school with the visual effects. Instead of making mostly a heavy green-screen movie, Alvarez employed members of the special effects crew from the 1986 “Aliens” to work on the creatures. They developed animatronics, miniatures and used ‘a guy in a suit’ wherever possible.

The Alien franchise has also spawned video games, a television show “Alien: Earth,” and a crossover series “Alien vs. Predator,” so its staying power is undeniable.

Buried underneath the repulsive monsters and the gruesome situations is a story that needed further investigation. It would have boosted the likability to provide character backstories, and not just rely on nostalgia for what’s gone on before as the driving force.

“Alien: Romulus” is a 2024 science fiction-actor-horror movie directed by Fede Alvarez and starring Caely Spaeny, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux, Spike Fearn, Isabela Merced, Aileen Wu and Ian Holm. It is rated R for bloody violent content and language, and the runtime is 1 hour, 59 minutes. It opened in theatres Aug. 16. Lynn’s Grade: D.

#Ham4Ham Lottery Opens Aug. 16 for $10 Tickets During Fox St. Louis Run

#Ham4Ham Lottery Opens Aug. 16 for $10 Tickets During Fox St. Louis Run

Producer Jeffrey Seller and the Fabulous Fox Theatre announce a digital lottery for HAMILTON tickets will begin in conjunction with the show’s first performance on Wednesday, August 28 in St. Louis at the Fabulous Fox Theatre.

A limited number of tickets will be available for every performance for $10 each. The lottery will first open at 10 AM Friday, Aug. 16 and will close at noon Thursday, Aug. 22 for tickets to performances Aug. 28 – Sep. 1. Subsequent digital lotteries will begin on each Friday and close the following Thursday for the upcoming week’s performances.

HOW TO ENTER

 Use the official app for HAMILTON, now available for all iOS and Android devices in the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store (http://hamiltonmusical.com/app).

The lottery will open at 10:00 AM every Friday and will close for entry at 12:00 PM the next Thursday prior to the following week’s performances.

Winner notifications will be sent between 1:00 PM and 4:00 PM every Thursday for the upcoming week’s performances via email and mobile push notification.  Winners will have two hours to claim and pay for their ticket(s). 

No purchase or payment necessary to enter or participate.
Each winning entrant may purchase up to two (2) tickets. 
Only one entry per person. Repeat entries and disposable email addresses will be discarded.
Lottery tickets may be picked up at will call beginning 2 hours prior to the performance with a valid photo ID.
Lottery tickets void if resold.
All times listed are in the local time zone. 

ADDITIONAL RULES

Patrons must be 18 years or older and have a valid, non-expired photo ID that matches the name used to enter. Tickets are non-transferable. Ticket limits and prices displayed are at the sole discretion of the show and are subject to change without notice.

Lottery prices are not valid on prior purchases. Lottery ticket offer cannot be combined with any other offers or promotions. All sales final – no refunds or exchanges.  Lottery may be revoked or modified at any time without notice. A purchase will not improve the chances of winning.

Tickets for HAMILTON are currently on sale. Patrons are advised to check the official HAMILTON channels and FabulousFox.com for late release seats which may become available at short notice.

A revolutionary story of passion, unstoppable ambition, and the dawn of a new nation. HAMILTON is the epic saga that follows the rise of Founding Father Alexander Hamilton as he fights for honor, love, and a legacy that would shape the course of a nation.

Based on Ron Chernow’s acclaimed biography and set to a score that blends hip-hop, jazz, R&B, and Broadway, HAMILTON has had a profound impact on culture, politics, and education. In addition to its 11 Tony Awards, it has won Grammy®, Olivier Awards, the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and an unprecedented special citation from the Kennedy Center Honors.

HAMILTON features book, music, and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, direction by Thomas Kail, choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler, and musical supervision and orchestrations by Alex Lacamoire.

HAMILTON features scenic design by David Korins, costume design by Paul Tazewell, lighting design by Howell Binkley, sound design by Nevin Steinberg, hair and wig design by Charles G. LaPointe, and casting by Telsey + Company, Bethany Knox, CSA.

The musical is produced by Jeffrey Seller, Sander Jacobs, Jill Furman and The Public Theater.

The HAMILTON Original Broadway Cast Recording is available everywhere nationwide. 

For information on HAMILTON, visit: HamiltonMusical.com. Follow HAMILTON on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter & TikTok @HamiltonMusical.

Feel the Joy in The Muny’s Sizzling ‘In The Heights’ That Celebrates Home

Feel the Joy in The Muny’s Sizzling ‘In The Heights’ That Celebrates Home

By Lynn Venhaus

A big-hearted love letter to roots and the people who shape us, “In the Heights” sizzles with a refreshing spark that lights up the expansive Muny stage. You feel the joy.

In an exciting and much-anticipated Muny premiere, this 2009 Tony-winning musical bursts with high-spirited performances and exuberant, inventive choreography that combines salsa, hip-hop, jazz, ballet and Afro-Cuban moves.

Using all the exceptional production tools available at America’s largest outdoor theater, this “In the Heights” will wow the unfamiliar and satisfy its devotees. You can feel a connection form as the show unfolds for the first time in this environment.

While honoring his Latin heritage and traditions, creative force of nature Lin-Manuel Miranda’s inspirational scenario, lyrics and music about people chasing their dreams related in such a universal way that it ushered in a directional change in music theater storytelling.

Miranda, who went on to worldwide acclaim with the cultural phenomenon “Hamilton” and the smash hit Disney film “Encanto,” conceived the musical while still in college, wrote the songs, and originated the lead role, but the book was written by Quiara Alegria Hudes.

From left: Alysia Velez, Marlene Fernandez and Darilyn Castillo in the 2024 Muny production of “In the Heights.” Photo by Phillip Hamer

Hudes has included strong women characters, which is rare and impactful. Miranda was the first composer to put hip-hop lyrics in a Broadway show — and the youngest to win the Tony for Best Music Score in 2009 (the show was nominated for 13 awards), and his influence continues to grow. He breaks barriers, and the Muny is mindful of marking historic milestones too.

Set in the Washington Heights neighborhood in New York City, where he grew up, the story takes place over three days during a blistering summer heat wave in the barrio. This is a neighborhood on the brink of change – businesses face economic uncertainty, tensions rise.

This ultimately jubilant celebration of Latin heritage and identity includes family ties to the Caribbean islands, Dominican Republic, Cuba, Puerto Rico and Mexico, and a highlight is when the cast displays flags from their characters’ countries of origin.

In the vigorous opening title number, we are introduced to the personalities and places that are woven together in this corner of the world. The Muny has been transformed by the colorful sights and sounds as the characters deal with everyday realities hoping for a better day.

In a warm, welcoming debut, Benji Santiago endears as lovable hard-working Usnavi de la Vega, who operates the corner bodega. A community hub, he sells coffee, sodas, snacks and lottery tickets while he dreams of moving to somewhere tropical where he thinks he can find happiness. When his store is notified a winning lottery ticket has been sold, things may change.

Usnavi describes himself as “a streetlight, chillin’ in the heat/ I illuminate the stories of the people on the street!”

Benji Santiago and Nancy Ticotin in the 2024 Muny production of “In the Heights.” Photo by Phillip Hamer

The appealing young performer is nimble in guiding the action as we move from store to Rosario’s car service to Daniela’s beauty salon, homes, balconies and the bustling streets – on a nifty gritty grid design by Arnel Sancianco that captured the distinct ambiance and sleekly used the asset that is the monstrous turntable for deft transitions. He was the set designer for last year’s “Rent” and the year before’s “The Color Purple.”

Usnavi’s devotion to his family and friends is evident throughout, even when he’s grumbling. Santiago masterfully anchored this show that seems to be perpetually in motion, and he is joined by an equally dynamic ensemble, all but two new to the Muny..

Nancy Ticotin is a sensational Abuela Claudia, Usnavi’s beloved confidante, who is heart-tugging in “Paciencia y Fe (Patience and Faith)” and “Hundreds of Stories.” She’s everybody’s ‘grandma,’ dispensing love and advice.

Ariana Burks as sweet Nina, a standout student who feels she has let everyone down by dropping out of a prestigious college, gains sympathy by explaining her sad situation in “Respira (Breathe).” She is soulful in her tender ballad “Everything I Know” (tissue time) that’s a tribute to Abuela Claudia.

In a romantic arc, she pairs well with earnest Benny, and Alex Joseph Grayson is likeable from his introduction number “Benny’s Dispatch.” They are affecting in “When You’re Home,” which maps out their long-distance relationship, and the Act Two opener “Sunrise.” And Burks robustly leads the group in “When the Sun Goes Down.”

Ariana Burks and Alex Joseph Grayson in the 2024 Muny production of “In the Heights.” Photo by Phillip Hamer

Alysia Velez is a memorable Vanessa, Usnavi’s crush who is striving for a better life and planning to move to Manhattan. She’s an ebullient presence with Usnavi and Sonny in the charming “It Won’t Be Long Now” that addresses aspirations while they go through daily tasks, and has fun in the “Champagne” duet with Usnavi.

Martin Sola and Karmine Alers are strong in portraying Kevin and Camila Rosario, who are Nina’s parents and own the limo service. They both have knockout numbers – he “Inutil(Useless)” and “Atencion,” and she pours out her soul in “Enough” and “Siempre (Always).” The ballads help define the characters’ uncertainty and hopes. The pair were in the Muny’s dazzling “On Your Feet!” in 2021, and Sola, who played Gloria Estefan’s father Jose, originated the role on Broadway.

While poignant moments, such as the sad, sentimental “Alabanza (Praise),” and the calamitous “Blackout” that ends first act, bring everyone together, so do the animated dance numbers “The Club” and “Carnaval del Barrio,” and the catchy earworm “96,000.”

Several amusing characters each have moments to shine – including the vivacious hairstylists Daniela (Darilyn Castillo) and Carla (Marlene Fernandez), who join Vanessa in “No Mi Diga (You Don’t Say!)” and lead the raucous “Carnaval” number.

Miguel Gil is delightful as Usnavi’s goofy cousin Sonny, so are Eddie Martin Morales as the Piragua Guy and U.J. Mangune as Graffiti Pete.

From left: Karmine Alers, Martín Solá and Alex Joseph Grayson in the 2024 Muny production of “In the Heights.” Photo by Phillip Hamer

William Carlos Angulo, serving as director and choreographer, has achieved a laudable synergy, creating a swirling kaleidoscope of movement and rhythm, performed with contagious joie de vivre.

Angulo, who has previously choreographed three Muny shows – the electrifying “On Your Feet!”, “Legally Blonde” and “Little Shop of Horrors,” shows his mettle in managing such a big-deal premiere. He has authentically represented three generations with spry staging and engaging characterizations.

The high-energy numbers alternate with the more intimate scenes of relationship conflicts and resolutions for people at crossroads, and he finds a suitable balance.

His collaboration with associate choreographer Shani Talmor, a world-renowned performer and choreographer, is ingenious. Special shout-outs to dance captain Emily Madigan, production stage manager Jhanae K-C Bonnick, and assistant stage managers Hope Michelson, Kentrell Jamison and Alycia Martin for their brisk navigation skills.

The company of the 2024 Muny production of “In the Heights.” Photo by Phillip Hamer

The ensemble kept the tempo lively, bringing the heat and the heart: Marissa Barragán, Angelica Maria Beliard, Ixchel Cuellar, Ralphie Rivera De Jesús, Adriel Flete, Reyna Guerra, Emily Madigan, Sebastian Martinez, Eddie Martin Morales, José J. Muñoz, Matthew Rivera, Kiana Coryn Rodriguez, Francisco Javier Thurston and Alora Tonielle. They were joined by the Muny youth and teen ensembles.

Music Director Roberto Sinha’s dexterous conducting of the 25-piece orchestra added a brightness to the pulsating score, which is a hybrid of Latin, urban, hip-hop and salsa beats. They elevated the music’s rich texture.

The Muny’s outdoor setting was ideal for this modern story, with brilliant bursts of fireworks for the July 4th celebration enthralling. The creative team leaned into this new landscape, and Rob Denton’s lighting design, affecting shades of day and night, and Leon Dobkowski’s bright and bold costume design expertly reflected the location’s contemporary outfits. Kelley Jordan’s wig design was unobtrusive. John Shivers and David Patridge’s layered sound design included the cacophony of the urban tableau.

The company of the 2024 Muny production of “In the Heights.” Photo by Phillip Hamer

Much has been said about the themes of community in each of the Muny’s shows this season, and you feel the audience embrace that connection in “In the Heights.” After the isolation of the pandemic, and struggles in a dark time, the urge to find comfort and examples of our humanity is tangible.

When I first saw this on its national tour at the Fox Theatre in November 2009, I was struck by its universality, the unique new voice in the creative genius that is Lin-Manuel Miranda, and its ability to create deeper meanings through its emotional connection. I still feel this way, after seeing other regional professional theaters undertake it, and Miranda’s subsequent extraordinary works. It’s been on my list for each Muny season survey for years, and was ecstatic to learn of its inclusion this year.

The timing is right, the message is clear, and the wave of hope and dreams it inspires makes it a special experience.

To get that many people in an audience unified is remarkable, and you could feel the uplift in real time during the performance. For 15 years, “In the Heights” has reinforced the enduring theme “There’s no place like home.” And whatever that means individually and collectively vibrantly echoed through Forest Park on Saturday.

The Muny presents “In the Heights” at 8:15 p.m. nightly, Aug. 9-15, on the outdoor stage in Forest Park. The musical is 2 hours and 23 minutes, with one 15-minute intermission. Tickets are on sale at muny.org, by calling MetroTix at (314) 534-1111 or at the Muny Box Office in Forest Park.

From left: Benji Santiago, Alysia Velez and Miguel Gil in the 2024 Muny production of “In the Heights.” Photo by Phillip Hamer

Family Ties, Secrets and Lies, Tennessee Williams-style, in Festival’s Intense ‘Cat on a Hot Tin Roof’

Family Ties, Secrets and Lies, Tennessee Williams-style, in Festival’s Intense ‘Cat on a Hot Tin Roof’

By Lynn Venhaus

Avarice, malice and mendacity. Those words that Tennessee Williams used so eloquently to imply grown-ups behaving badly in “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” demonstrate his brilliant command of the English language. His way with words, referred to as “poetic realism,” is always the most enduring part of his staged plays.

“Living with someone you love can be lonelier than living entirely alone if the one you love doesn’t love you,” says Margaret, aka Maggie the “Cat.”

And thus, Williams struck an abundant gold vein with his reflections on loss and longing, and how we cling to illusions to survive.

In a delectable story of big drama, big money and big lies, Williams has tightly woven a web of deceit, a Southern Gothic excursion into an American dysfunctional family, 1950s style.

At the plantation home of cotton tycoon Big Daddy (Peter Mayer), the Pollitt family is gathered for his 65th birthday celebration. He and his wife, Big Mama (Kari Ely), think he’s free of cancer but the real diagnosis is dire. Things unravel from there, with secrets and revelations in rapid succession over the course of an evening.

The mood is a seething, simmering stew of sexual desire, spurned affection, power trips, greed, toxic relationships and lies they tell each other.

One of Williams’ most popular works, “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1955 and has received multiple revivals on Broadway over the years, including a 2013 staging with Scarlett Johansson as Maggie, and a 1990 version with Kathleen Turner.

Times change, rendering some of his subjects quaint and old-fashioned, but his characters always make a lasting impression even when the social mores he highlights are no longer as consequential or controversial. With his unmistakable vivid writing, he captures a specific time and place like few have.

Williams turned his short story, “Three Players of a Summer Game,” into this classic gem, which supposedly was his personal favorite. The play was adapted into a 1958 film starring Elizabeth Taylor and Paul Newman that earned six Oscar nominations including Best Picture. Granted, they cast a big shadow.

Photo by Suzy Gorman.

In a unique approach by director Michael Wilson, the narrative unfolds as a deliberately theatrical setting.

He has created a prologue where local treasure J. Samuel Davis appears in the audience as “The Writer,” telling of a young Tom “Tennessee” Williams’ early years working at the International Shoe Company in St. Louis and taking the ‘stairs to the roof’ (the name of his first play) to write his short stories.

The ensemble, dressed in black as stagehands, brings the set pieces on stage, and the play begins as they return as the troubled Pollitts.

Not that I know this for certain, but Wilson appeared to pay homage to the way Williams worked with his longtime director-collaborator Elia Kazan, in what they described as “plastic theatre,” in which they heightened awareness of events to open the audience to more abstract ideas.

James Wolk’s evocative set seems dream-like on the fringes, and nightmarish in the claustrophobic bedroom. Williams did allude to ghosts, and people who lived there before – as evident in a hanging portrait. Lighting designer Matt McCarthy adds to the ethereal mood.

The epochal Maggie is a smart, scrappy, stunningly beautiful debutante who grew up poor and married into a family of money. She has been hardened by the in-laws’ power-grabbing chess games, but she has learned to swim in a sea of sharks and will fight for what she thinks she deserves.

Her handsome all-American football hero husband Brick has decayed into a numb alcoholic who doesn’t care about anyone or anything.

Reeling from his best friend Skipper’s suicide, Brick is consumed by despair, regrets and rumors. He appears repulsed by his wife, which seems to aggravate her desire for attention. His busybody family knows every detail of the childless couple’s personal life – or think they do.

Photo by Suzy Gorman.

In a long scene that establishes their marital discord, Maggie prattles on, trying to engage her distant husband in conversation, but we can tell this is going to be a fruitless attempt. Resembling a young Natalie Wood (who starred in Williams’ film adaptation “This Property Is Condemned), actress Kiah McKirnan rushed through her opening lines and was difficult to understand.

However, she gets more forceful in acts two and three as tension mounts, and she needs to make her moves to secure her future.

Wearing the provocative iconic white satin slip recreated by costume designer Teresa Doggett, and moving gracefully, McKirnan appears to be the archetypal Maggie.

Slaten’s Brick doesn’t say much or move like a former athlete, but with a broken ankle and one crutch, he capably navigates the bed-sitting room, his hobbled body betraying him, and his pain palpable.

His outbursts are well-timed for maximum impact. This is a difficult role because of calibrating external and internal conflicts, and while Slaten doesn’t look like the stereotypical golden boy turned disappointment, he delivers the intensity.

Once upon a time, the couple must have been like the idealized bride and groom figurines on top of a wedding cake. But those days are long gone – and they both realize it, which tinges this play with sadness.

When Mayer arrives on stage as the bombastic Big Daddy, the show kicks into high gear. He throws his whole body into this role with impressive gusto. The interactions between the blustery braggart and his favorite son are the best in this production, and his profane rants against family members are welcome comic relief.

Surprisingly, he has tender advice for Brick: “One thing you can grow on a big place like this more important than cotton—is tolerance—I have grown it.” There appears to be real affection between the two.

Slaten and Mayer. Photo by Suzy Gorman

Mayer is matched in intensity by Kari Ely as Big Mama, adding more emotional depth than the role is written. It’s a pleasure to see such local legends play off each other on stage – as they are married in real life.

Ely, who has been unforgettable as tough women Martha in “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?”, Regina in “The Little Foxes,” and Violet in “August: Osage County,” all at the St. Louis Actors’ Studio, makes this role her own, bringing out the heartbreak and strength of a character that had been easily dismissed before. Their performances are the chef’s kiss of this production, and set the rhythm in motion.

Eric Dean White, whose consistent professionalism makes him a terrific addition to any local stage, is superb as the calculating, scheming Gooper, a slick lawyer who tag teams with his devious wife Mae, aka “Sister Woman,” to block out his brother Brick and Maggie from inheriting Big Daddy’s massive estate. His delivery is smooth and shrewd.

Roxanne Wellington nails the vindictive and insincere opportunist Mae, conveying an ugly sanctimonious streak. She must get this crack in: “He never carried a thing in his life but a football and a highball,” adding a fake laugh.

They are the indulgent parents of the notorious “no-neck monsters” that get on Maggie’s last nerve. Youngsters Kate Koppel, Tatum Wilson, and Cooper Scheessele are lively in their portrayals of three of their five children (and one is on the way).

Maggie displays some humor too, retorting: “Dixie, Trixie, Buster, Sonny, Polly! —sounds like four dogs and a parrot … animal acts at a circus.”

Photo by Suzy Gorman

Davis returns as a doctor and a minister in supporting roles.

Wilson, who is reverent regarding Williams, directed the acclaimed Cicely Tyson-starring “The Trip to Bountiful” on Broadway in 2013, and the subsequent film a year later. He benefits from a potent ensemble who understands the defining message is that people are better together than apart.

Unfortunately, in a play that talks so much about communication, the Grandel’s sound system was a hindrance on the left side, so I recommend sitting right or center. None of the performers are wearing microphones in that small thrust stage space. Sitting on the left side, in the seventh row, on opening night, I had difficulty hearing, especially because the cast is often staged in profile.

The sound issues have happened before at The Grandel, as a production of “Kinky Boots” last summer by Tesseract Theatre Company, was marred. This is always a shame because obviously much attention went into the production details. Perhaps sound designer Phillip Evans can crack the code.

In a conscientious retelling of one of Williams’ best works that emphasizes his compassion for misfits and fragile souls, we are reminded of his impact on storytelling and our broader view of the world.

In their ninth year, the Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis furthers their commitment to celebrate the artistry and influence of the playwright who called St. Louis home during his formative years.

Photo by Suzy Gorman

The Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis presents “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” from Aug. 8 to Aug. 18 at The Grandel Theatre in Grand Center, with performances at 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, and Sunday matinees at 3 p.m. Tickets are on sale through Metrotix. Additional information and Festival event details can be found at twstl.org.

Post-show commentary will be conducted by Resident Scholar, Tom Mitchell, on Sunday, Aug. 12 and Thursday Aug.15.

Parking: Guest parking is available at the Fox Garage for $5 (3637 Washington Ave, St. Louis, MO 63108). Please, tell the attendant you are with the Tennessee Williams Festival to receive a discount.

Shakespeare TourCo’s Playful ‘The Tempest’ Makes a Big Splash at Local Parks

Shakespeare TourCo’s Playful ‘The Tempest’ Makes a Big Splash at Local Parks

By Lynn Venhaus

On an enchanted evening at local parks, you’ll be swept away to a far-off island, where mischief, magic and mayhem will ensue. This is a brave new world, where puppets are part of the storytelling and lovely music enhances the experience.

It’s one of those gratifying adventures that you will remember long after the summer’s heat has faded.

St. Louis Shakespeare Festival’s TourCo annual traveling show is a 90-minute adaptation of the Bard’s dramatic-tinged romantic comedy “The Tempest,” which is free each evening beginning at 6:30 p.m. at 24 parks in Illinois and Missouri from July 30 – Aug. 25.

Featuring a merry band of spry performers who appear to be constantly in motion, the six take on multiple roles. They will introduce themselves and their characters, and draw you into this tale of family squabbles, revenge, betrayal — and sorcery. Maybe it’s not exactly Paradise Island, but it is accessible Shakespeare.

The fine-tuned ensemble includes Joy Christina Turner as Prospero, the Duke of Milan who is a wizard too. He escaped to a remote island with his infant daughter Miranda (Daisy Held) years ago, because his deceitful double-crossing brother Antonio (Reginald Pierre) took over his dukedom with the help of Alonso (Alex Daspit).

Prospero has two very quirky servants – Caliban (Isaiah Di Lorenzo) and Ariel (Aliyah Jacobs) that carry out his schemes. He is determined to get his territory back and conjures up a storm so that his brother’s boat is shipwrecked, leaving Antonio and Alonso stranded.

Alonso’s son Ferdinand (Alex Daspit) is also there, as is Prospero’s trusted minister Gonzalo (Isaiah Di Lorenzo). Ferdinand is heir to the throne and Prospero puts him together with his now 15-year-old daughter, hoping a royal marriage is in their future.

The king’s jester Trinculo is played by Daisy Held and his head servant Stephano is played by Reginald Pierre, and they are a daffy duo. Held is also a spirit and Jacobs is a boatswain.

There are plans to thwart, people who must change their ways, a young couple to keep innocent, and meddling spirits.

Directed by Tom Ridgely with a big splash of whimsy, he favors broad strokes for the performers to play to whatever size crowd has assembled – and deal with whatever kind of conditions that spring up outdoors.

Ridgely is the festival’s producing artistic director, and under his guidance, they have shaped summers quite imaginatively the past few years post-pandemic – with its revered annual month-long offering in Forest Park; Shake in the Streets, where they take a hand-crafted show and bring it to a festive neighborhood setting; and this touring company, which has grown into delightful flights of fancy adapted for various park locations.

With such an esprit de corps, players are reminiscent of an old-timey troupe (think “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead” and ‘The Fantasticks”) immersed as these strolling troubadours.

The addition of songs and puppets really enrichthe production values, and the stagecraft is exceptional in elevating the experience. Because the show’s presentation is focused on mobility and makeshift exteriors, the costumes, props and scenery are not hidden backstage, but placed off to the side, for folks to witness the process. Breaking the fourth wall, so to speak.

The clever costume designs by Sam Hayes consider the flexibility needed and differentiate the multiple characters, outfitting the females in airy, ethereal textures and the men in flamboyant brocaded jackets.

This play involves a masque, which was a popular technique in Renaissance England to combine music, dance and drama, so this is where the puppets come in, and they are effective in advancing the plot.

Puppet designer Ryan Marshall and puppet fabricator Taylor Abs created three tall imposing figures that mimic goddesses and smaller marionettes you find in puppet theater. They created dogs ready to attack, too. Abs also managed the props.

Stage Manager Britteny Henry kept everything moving without any glitches on the evening I went, and they have an admirable system in place.

The show was created for audiences of all ages, so pack a picnic, grab some chairs or a blanket, and experience a communal adventure that is a singular sensation.

SCHEDULE

July 30 – Spring Church, Grand Center
July 31 – Old Post Office Plaza, St. Louis
Aug. 1 – Metter Park, Columbia, Ill.
Aug. 2 – Schroeder Park, Manchester, Mo.
Aug. 3 – Carondelet Park, St. Louis
Aug. 4 – Frank Holten State Park, East St. Louis
Aug. 6 – Tower Grove Park, St. Louis
Aug. 7 – Lot at St. Ann & Augusta St., Normandy, Mo.
Aug. 8 – O’Day Park Amphitheater, O’Fallon, Mo.
Aug. 9 – Cortex Commons, St. Louis
Aug. 10 – 14th & St. Louis – Old North, St. Louis
Aug. 11 – Shaw Park, Clayton, Mo.
Aug. 13 –  Brussels Heritge Park,  Brussels, Ill.
Aug. 14 – Chesterfield Amphitheatre,  Chesterfield, Mo.
Aug. 15  – Ivory Perry Park, St. Louis
Aug. 16 – City Park, Edwardsville, Ill.
Aug.17  – January-Wabash Park, Ferguson, Mo.
Aug. 18 – Bellevue Park Bandstand, Belleville, Ill. 
Aug. 20 – 370 Lakeside Park Pavilion, St. Peters, Mo.
Aug. 21 – Fairground Park, St. Louis
Aug. 22 – Tisch Park at Washington University, St. Louis
Aug. 23– Love Bank Park, St. Louis

For more information, visit www.stlshakes.org.