Rap Artist Tef Poe to Star in The Black Rep’s “Spell #7”

Rap Artist Tef Poe to Star in The Black Rep’s “Spell #7”

“Spell # 7” will be The Black Rep debut of rap artist Tef Poe. Tef Poe has received numerous Hip-Hop awards for his work, and was recently featured as a Harvard Fellow at the W.E.B. DuBois Research institute.

Tef says “This is an opportunity for me to sharpen my skills and work with some of the best talent in this region.  The Black Rep is known for reimagining what’s possible in Black entertainment.  I knew this would be a challenge for me. My background obviously isn’t rooted in theatre. But the hip hop world has a few commonalities so I’m able to play into my strengths with this character. I’m honored to be a part of this production.  My respect for my cast mates and our director is insurmountable.”

“Spell # 7” will also feature Drummond Crenshaw, Robert Crenshaw, and Jacqueline Thompson as well as four of our Professional Acting Interns: Brian McKinley, Tyler White, Christina Yancy, and Camille Sharp.

“Spell # 7” is a striking choreopeom by the author of “for colored girls who have considered suicide when the rainbow is enuf”, Ntozake Shange.  Set in a bar in St Louis frequented by Black artists and musicians, actors, and performers. In a series of dreamlike vignettes and poetic monologues, they commiserate about the difficulties they face as Black artists.  The piece is framed by the narrator, Lou (played by Brian McKinley), a magician who wants to use his magic to help the artists come to terms with their Blackness and rejoice in their identities.

“Spell # 7” is the second production supported by the Sophisticated Ladies Giving Initiative.  This initiative supported last year’s production of Nina Simone: Four Women by Christina Ham.

This production is also funded with support from the Regional Arts Commission, World Wide Technology, Washington University in St. Louis, Steward Family Foundation, and Centene Corporation. “Spell # 7” is also underwritten in part through a grant from the Creative Impact Fund for Diversifying the Arts – a partnership between the Arts and Education Council and local community leaders.

“Spell # 7” is directed by Ron Himes, with choreography by Heather Beal, scenic design by Dunsi Dai, lighting design by Joe Clapper, costume design by Brandin Vaughn, and sound design by James Biko.  Jim Anthony is the stage manager and D’Angelo Himes is the assistant stage manager.

The production will run Feb. 19 – March 8 at the AE Hotchner Studio Theatre on the campus of Washington University. Tickets are available at www.theblackrep.org/, or by calling the box office at 314-534-3807.

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About The St Louis Black Repertory CompanyThe St Louis Black Repertory Company was founded in 1976 by Producing Director Ron Himes. The Black Rep is one of the largest, professional African-American theatre companies in the nation and the largest African-American performing arts organization in Missouri. Quality professional dramas, comedies and musicals by primarily African-American and international playwrights are produced. Mainstage productions and education programs combine to reach more than 80,000 people annually.

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‘Songs for Nobodies’ Another Tour de Force for Debby Lennon

‘Songs for Nobodies’ Another Tour de Force for Debby Lennon

By Lynn Venhaus

Wow. Just a WOW.
Dynamic Debby Lennon has a beautifully trained voice that is spellbinding, and even better on stage when she is playing a character. She is a terrific storyteller, which is why she’s often the centerpiece in recent revelatory shows by Max and Louie Productions.

“Songs for Nobodies” showcases both those talents in a warm, endearing way. On a simple set, wearing a nondescript black dress, Lennon vividly creates a genuine connection between the audience and the stars.

Lennon smoothly guides us through homages of divas Judy Garland, Patsy Cline, Billie Holiday, Edith Piaf and Maria Callas. This is no small feat, given the challenges of their distinctive personas but also the differences in dialects and genres – standards, country, blues, torch ballads and opera.

Lennon delivers each number with customary skill, from Garland’s “Come Rain or Come Shine,” the Harold Arlen classic that was part of her Carnegie Hall concert in 1961, to Callas’ signature aria “Vissi d’arte” from Puccini’s “Tosca” – her 1953 recording is considered the best.

Photo by John Lamb

These are not imitations, but rather representations. As Lennon sings these memorable selections of the 20th century in a revealing and heartfelt way, we are transported to other times and places, as this play offers intimate glimpses into ordinary lives with extraordinary results.

Kevin Bowman’s projection design creates a visual frame of reference for each interaction – the famous singer, who after all is human, and the regular people who are their fans. Touched by the music, those fans make a connection that matters in their lives.

Lennon sets each vignette by smartly defining each fictional everyday woman character with humor and instantly likable traits. And why not? They have unexpected life-changing encounters with musical icons of the 20th century, much to their surprise and joy.

These females are the “Nobodies” in the title, but that’s facetious because they are significant human beings. And Lennon brings out the fun in those personalities.

Lennon has sung with the St. Louis Symphony for 33 years and has performed with Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Union Avenue Opera and Winter Opera in St. Louis, in addition to the Muny and other professional regional theater companies.

Debby Lennon sings Edith Piaf, Photo by John Lamb.

For her unforgettable performances in Max and Louie’s “Grey Gardens” and “Souvenir,” she won two St. Louis Theater Circle Awards. Last year, she appeared in the one-woman show “Love, Linda, The Life of Mrs. Cole Porter.”

Perhaps the most emotional segment is Billie Holiday’s, given her troubles with addiction and the segregated time she lived in, and her bold song “Strange Fruit” is an example of her courage. And “Lady Sings the Blues” was part of her portfolio too.

And French chanteuse Edith Piaf’s rousing “Non, je ne regrette rien” (No, I Don’t Regret Anything) is one of the most familiar songs, and Lennon matches its fervor. She also delivers a robust “L’Accordeoniste.”

Music Director Nicolas Valdez, who also plays piano, superbly conducts the one-woman show. He is joined by Jake Stergos on bass and Keith Bowman on percussion. They are behind a black scrim that is strikingly lit by lighting designer Tony Anselmo, a nice touch.

With wit and charm, Australian playwright Joanna Murray Smith has imagined these memorable women in intriguing scenarios. Beatrice Ethel Appleton, who is stationed in a powder room in a New York hotel; Pearl Avalon, a proud back-up singer; and fashion writer Too Junior Jones thrilled to interview Billie Holliday take place in the U.S. Edie Delamotte, whose section takes historical liberties when talking about Piaf; and Orla McDonough with prima donna Maria Callas.

The most moving is Edie Delamotte’s recollection of her French father’s hardships during World War II.

The play is captivating in the way it presents the personalities, this timeless music and why we care about our relationships with artists.

Director Pamela Hunt also noted the women lived at a time where many a man controlled their lives. This is indeed an interesting aspect.

These gifted singers are bright-light individuals who allowed their brilliance to shine, which is still felt today, and their stories go beyond entertainment.

In their mission statement, Max and Louie refers to “bringing artists and audiences together in a shared experience that illuminates life through joy, wonder, laughter and tears.” Mission accomplished with “Songs for Nobodies.” You could feel the audience’s happiness. That’s a good way to start Max and Louie’s 11th season.

Max and Louie Productions presents “Songs for Nobodies” Jan. 23 – Feb. 2 at the Kranzberg Arts Center. 501 N. Grand. Performances are Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. A special 2 p.m. matinee on Saturday, Feb. 1, has been added. For more information, visit www.maxandlouie.com

Debby Lennon. Photo by John Lamb
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‘Flanagan’s Wake’: A Raucous, Raunchy, Ribald Romp

‘Flanagan’s Wake’: A Raucous, Raunchy, Ribald Romp

By Connie Bollinger
Contributing Writer
Full disclosure: I ordinarily don’t enjoy audience interactive productions However, “Flanagan’s Wake,” playing now through March 21 at the Playhouse at Westport Plaza, proved to be a delightful exception.

Part improv, part scripted, part interactive,”Flanagan’s Wake” tells the story of an Irishman’s funeral and the family and friends who come together in an Irish pub to toast him on his way to paradise.  

Already a long-running smash hit in Chicago, Emery Entertainment has moved the interactive play to St. Louis, where the locals memorialize his passing with plenty o’ pints, zany sing-a-longs and witty tales.

There’s a priest, of course, dear Father Damon Fitzgerald, played by Alan Knoll, whose penchant for sacrilege and gambling is well presented. Knoll tells a thumping good story about the deceased and about an unknown Apostle named Kevin.

Alan Knoll as Father Fitzgerald. Photo by John Flack

Mother Flanagan is there, an ancient, salacious, Gaelic speaking old blister, played to perfection by Bill Burke. Mayor Martin O’Doul (Lynn Berg) hosts the gathering, as it’s his Pub after all.

Brett Ambler is Brian Ballybunion, a fun-loving handsome young man with big dreams. Dustin Petrillo plays Mikey, Teresa Doggett is Kathleen Mooney, the Irish Pagan, and Jennifer Theby-Quinn is Fiona Finn, Flanagan’s long-time fiance.

Music Director Charlie Mueller commands the pub piano, accompanying some of the most surprising songs we’ve ever heard, and three patient bartenders (Janelle Pierce, Sean Seifert, and Matt Billings) round out the cast, along with Patrick Blindauer playing the accordion.

The assembled audience are the cousins and friends come to participate in Flanagan’s send-off.

A romp of this magnitude requires a talented director and an equally skilled stage manager. Luckily, Director Lee Anne Mathews and Stage Manager Emily Clinger are up to the challenge, keeping the action moving along at a break-neck pace but never giving us the feeling of being rushed. 

The cast of “Flanagan’s Wake” are Improv wizards. Brett Ambler creates a wonderfully funny song out of thin air right before our eyes. Theresa Doggett’s Pagan Kathleen tells a  tale of a visit from the “Little People”  that is both surprising and, I’m sure, mostly improvised.

The Mayor, Lynn Berg, also spins a yarn about Flanagan that incorporates audience suggestions and never misses a beat; but for me, the favorite is Jennifer Theby-Quinn’s Fiona, the long suffering, hard drinking, short-tempered fiance whose Banshee;like wails of grief will literally make your ears ring. Fiona throws herself on Flanagan’s casket at every opportunity, causing brother Mikey (Dustin Petrillo) to have to wrestle her off kicking and screaming. 


Some of you may remember Ms Theby-Quinn in Westport’s production of “Avenue Q,” where she played Kate Monster and Lucy the Lounge Singer. Indeed, much of the cast of “Flanagan’s Wake” have St. Louis connections.

Teresa Doggett (Kathleen) recently appeared in “Pride and Prejudice” at the Rep and is also the resident Costume Designer for the Union Avenue Opera.

Jennifer Theby-Quinn as Fiona Finn. Photo by Jack Flack

Bill Burke (Ma) comes to the Playhouse from St. Louis’ own Stray Dog Theater where he recently played in “The Tempest” and “Macbeth.”  Patrick Blindauer has appeared in movie and television productions as well as several productions at the Muny.  Brett Ambler played Brian in “Avenue Q” last year at Westport, and  Dustin Petrillo’s St. Louis credits include Myriad Productions’ “Heathers the Musical” where he played JD.

“Flanagan’s Wake” is irreverent, loud, sarcastic, and delightful — just like family.  

The Playhouse @Westport presents “Flanagan’s Wake” Jan. 24 through March 21. Performances run Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., with a special Tuesday, March 17, St. Patrick’s Day performance. Tickets are available at www.metrotix.com or at the box office one hour prior to show time. Groups of 10 or more should call 314-616-4455 for special rates. The Playhouse is located at 635 Westport. Visit www.playhouseatwestport.com for more information.

Theresa Doggett and Dustin Petrillo dance. Photo by John Flack.


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Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis Seeks One-Acts for Playwriting Initiative

Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis Seeks One-Acts for Playwriting Initiative

The Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis invites playwrights to submit original one-act plays for our 2020 Playwriting Initiative. At least three winners will be chosen by our panel of playwrights. The winning plays will be presented in a staged reading, with professional actors, as an element of the 2020 Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis, May 7-17, 2020. 


The winning playwrights will be invited to attend the staged reading and to participate in a talkback panel—featuring the other winners and the judges—at the conclusion of the event. The plays, with playwrights’ biographies, will be listed in the official Festival program.The winning playwrights will be provided with Festival passes. (The Festival will not be able to provide other compensation or reimbursement.)

Tennessee Williams

Tennessee Williams started out in St. Louis writing one-act plays, and one of his biggest breaks was winning a competition sponsored by the Group Theater in New York—the first time he signed his name as “Tennessee” rather than “Tom.” He wrote more than seventy throughout his career—sometimes edgy, often experimental, and always infused with his unsurpassed poetry. Many of them have been presented at the Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis, several as world premieres. We invite you to find your inspiration in his artistry and to share it with us.

The panel is chaired by Jack Ciapciak, winner of New York University’s 2017 Goldberg Playwriting Prize and winner of our own inaugural Playwriting Initiative. Judges also include Deanna Jent, whose play Falling has been produced on Broadway, and Gregory Carr, who teaches playwriting at Harris Stowe University. 

Guidelines for submission:

  • The play must be no more than 15 minutes long.
  • The play must not have been professionally produced (although plays that have been workshopped or presented as staged readings are acceptable).
  • The play must be submitted by the author of the play.
  • Only one submission per author.
  • The author must include a statement of no longer than 250 words, including a brief biography, contact information, and author’s availability to attend the staged reading and serve on the talkback panel. (Attendance is requested but not mandatory.)
  • The play must be in a PDF in Standard Playwriting Format. 
  • Submit your materials by March 1, 2020, to info@twstl.org with the subject line 2020 Playwriting Initiative.

Winners will be notified no later than April 1, 2020. By submitting the play, authors give performance rights to the Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis for the May, 2020 event, as well as possible other uses in connection with the 2020 Festival. Authors retain all other rights. 

For more information, visit the website: www.twstl.org

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Acting Elevates True Crime Drama ‘Just Mercy’

Acting Elevates True Crime Drama ‘Just Mercy’

By Lynn Venhaus
Attorney Bryan Stevenson’s own account of the Walter McMillian case, as recorded in the 2014 bestselling nonfiction book “Just Mercy: A Tale of Justice and Redemption,” is faithfully adapted on screen by writer-director Destin Daniel Cretton.

After earning a law degree from Harvard, Bryan Stevenson (Michael B. Jordan) sets up shop in Alabama, focusing on defending wrongly condemned Death Row inmates, and finding out many were not afforded proper representation.

McMillian (Jamie Foxx) is one of his first cases. He is sentenced to die in 1987 for the murder of an 18-year-old girl. Evidence overwhelmingly proves his innocence, but it’s an uphill battle because of racism and legal and political maneuvering.

While the film is basically a legal procedural, it pushes buttons – frustration, anger and a clear indication that justice is sometimes only for those who can afford a good lawyer.

Cretton, along with screenwriter Andrew Lantham, depicts the harsh reality of dealing with black-and-white issues in the deep South (and beyond) as it methodically details the ‘cover your ass’ local good-old-boy police and legal system.

What elevates this film, however, is the acting. With the customary outstanding portrayals one expects from Michael B. Jordan and Oscar winner Jamie Foxx, we are presented with the ‘so-what’ obstacles that have led real-life hero Stevenson to overturn convictions of dozens of innocent people.

The McMillian case, detailed on “60 Minutes,” is so obvious in its railroading of an innocent man that the struggles seem more outrageous as the film weaves its matter-of-fact account with all the subtlety of a freight train collision.

The supporting cast also excels in bringing clearly defined characters to life – especially Rob Morgan and O’Shea Jackson Jr. as Death Row inmates Herbert Richardson and Anthony Ray Hinton. Brie Larson, so good in Cretton’s film “Short Term 12,” conveys activist Eve Ansley’s plight as a Southern wife and mother.

Versatile character actor Tim Blake Nelson delivers one of his finest performances as a key witness, Ralph Myers, whose original testimony helped put McMillian in prison.

Stevenson’s work, through his Equal Justice Institute, shows how badly the criminal justice system is broken – more criminal than just – and the filmmakers have done a public service by bringing it to our attention.

“Just Mercy” won the Audience Award at the St. Louis International Film Festival in November. It’s easy to see why it strikes a chord with anyone who believes in truth and justice.

This image released by Warner Bros Pictures shows Michael B. Jordan, left, and Rob Morgan in a scene from “Just Mercy.” (Jake Netter/Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)

Genre: Drama, True Story
Director: Destin Daniel Cretton
Starring: Michael B. Jordan, Jamie Foxx, Brie Larson, Tim Blake Nelson, O’Shea Jackson Jr.
Rated: Rated PG-13 for thematic content including some racial epithets.
Lynn’s Grade: B+
A version of this review was originally published in the Times newspapers.

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Introducing PopLifeSTL

Introducing PopLifeSTL

Life it ain’t real funky
Unless it’s got that pop
Dig it
Pop life
Everybody needs a thrill
Pop life
We all got a space to fill
— Prince, “Pop Life”

Welcome to PopLifeSTL.com, a new arts, entertainment and lifestyle website curated by veteran journalist Lynn Venhaus.

Venhaus has had a continuous byline in St. Louis area publications since 1978 and has worked as a reporter, feature writer, reviewer and editor for daily and community newspapers and other platforms in the region. She has taught journalism and media at three area colleges as an adjunct instructor.

Lynn Venhaus

“We will spotlight local events but also cover a wide spectrum of entertainment,” she said.

Venhaus has written movie and theater reviews for many years. From 2008 to 2017, she wrote entertainment reviews for the Belleville News-Democrat, and currently covers film reviews for the Times newspapers (Webster-Kirkwood Times, South County Times and West End Word), KTRS Radio and the Reel Times Trio podcast. She also has a partnership with OnSTL.com for the podcast and content. This will be home to her theater reviews but she will also feature other local reviewers.

“We want to explore the local arts scene with enthusiasm and insight, but also with an informed critical eye,” she said.

Local contributors include reviewers CB Adams, Connie Bollinger, Andrea England Braun, Joe Pfaller and Jeff Ritter. We will welcome more experts as we grow.

Currently, we are a work in progress and will be placing fresh content as much as possible and after that, get the archives up to speed.

Venhaus talks to Seth Meyers at the Critics Choice Association Awards Jan. 12 in Santa Monica, Calif.

As a founding member of the St. Louis Theater Circle in 2012, which awards excellent in St. Louis regional professional theater, she has enjoyed getting to know the local theater community.

Film is a major force in her life, and she has been a vetted member of the St. Louis Film Critics Association since 2008 and its elected secretary since 2012.
She has been accepted into the national Alliance of Women Film Journalists and the Critics Choice Association (formerly the Broadcast Film Critics Association).

She is also a volunteer and member of Cinema St. Louis, and frequently serves on juries for the St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase, 48-Hour Film Project and St. Louis International Film Festival.

She has served on the Arts for Life board since 2010, which recognizes outstanding work in community theater.

“We are going to spotlight local people and places, including food and drink too – the whole leisure experience.”

She is a former feature writer, food editor and reviewer at the defunct St. Louis Globe-Democrat and wrote for niche publications at the Belleville News-Democrat, so promoting what the metropolitan area has to offer is important to her.

“We have hidden gems to explore, and there are so many untapped subjects in the region. I look forward to informing people of our colorful heritage and the interesting people who enrich our area,” she said.

Venhaus is a graduate of Illinois State University, with a comprehensive mass communications major and a minor in theatre. Born and raised in the metro-east, she currently lives in St. Louis. Her son, Charlie, lives in New York City and her son Tim passed away in December 2018.

Charlie, Lynn and Tim Venhaus, ushers at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival.

Currently, she covers news and features for several local publications as an independent contractor, Venhaus Creative. Editing and writing services are also available.

For more information, she can be reached at lynnvenhaus@gmail.com or 618-917-8175.

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The Black Rep Welcomes New Board Members

The Black Rep Welcomes New Board Members

The St. Louis Black Repertory Company announces additions to its Board of Directors. Joining the Board is Feleccia Moore-Davis, Wanda Starr-Ferguson, and Paul Steger. “The new members further diversify the board towards the goal of bringing the magic of live theatre to everyone by entertaining diverse audiences, educating promising youth, and enriching our community,” says Ron Himes, Founder and Producing Director.

Feleccia Moore-Davis is Campus President at St. Louis Community College: Meramec. Feleccia is a first generation college graduate that recognizes the importance of education. She has more than 20 years of higher education experience teaching and in cross-functional administrative roles within Community Colleges. Prior to coming to STLCC Feleccia served as Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Tallahassee Community College in Florida and Vice President for Instruction at Lone Star College-CyFair. Feleccia brings leadership, grant writing, fundraising, and program management to the board and plans to expand partnerships support and further expose students to the arts.

Wanda Starr-Ferguson is the Inclusion & Diversity Specialist for Edward Jones. Throughout her 20-year tenure at Edward Jones, Wanda served in multiple capacities the Compliance and Operations division including Asset Surveillance Officer, leading to a promotion to Field Supervision Director. Wanda has a passion for developing relationships with the community and giving back.  In 2017, Wanda was awarded “Volunteer of the Year”, by the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis. Wanda brings leadership, program management skills, and a strong passion for inclusion and diversity to the board. She looks to increase awareness of the Black Rep offerings to the St. Louis Community.

Paul Steger, Dean of the Leigh Gerdine College of Fine Arts at Webster University. Paul is a director, producer, actor, and action designer with credits on Broadway and in numerous regional theatres. He is a Certified Teacher with the Society of American Fight Directors and holds certificates from the British Academy of Stage and Screen Combat, the Nordic Stagefight Society, and Fight Directors Canada. Paul is a member of Actors’ Equity Association, the Screen Actors Guild, and the National Theatre Conference among others. He plans to serve as a liaison to higher education institutions across St. Louis and nationwide.    

About the Black Repertory Company

The St. Louis Black Repertory Company was founded in 1976 by Producing Director Ron Himes. The Black Rep is one of the largest, professional African-American theatre companies in the nation and the largest African-American performing arts organization in Missouri. Quality professional dramas, comedies and musicals by primarily African-American and third world playwrights are produced. Mainstage productions and education programs combine to reach more than 80,000 people annually.

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Surreal ‘Wildfire’ Sizzles with Terrific Trio’s Dive into the Weird and Wacky

Surreal ‘Wildfire’ Sizzles with Terrific Trio’s Dive into the Weird and Wacky

By Lynn Venhaus
Every so often, an unusual play debuts in St. Louis that is such a delicious mix of sweet and salty, sharp and tangy that one devours every word. “Wildfire” is one such experience.

Produced by Upstream Theater, the 2012 unconventional French Canadian one-act play “Le Brasier” by Montreal playwright David Paquet has been translated by Leanna Brodie.

I suspect Brodie’s work is faithful to the original’s spirit, and along with the dramaturg by Clare Fairbanks, a clever blend of pungent, absurd humor in the vein of legendary Firesign Theatre in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s for the first two scenes and a heated “Dateline” scenario for the finale.

Upstream, as they often do, is presenting the U.S. premiere of this original and quite engaging surreal comedy-drama. But instead of their usual venue, the Kranzberg Arts Center, they move to larger digs at The Marcelle, which is an advantage for the set and lighting.

Nancy Bell and Jane Paradise as triplet sisters. Photo by ProPhotoSTL

Under artistic director Philip Boehm’s pivotal direction, we’re led through Paquet’s fertile imagination, game for the detours and intersections, eager for the ‘a-ha moment’ each scene reveals. Without spoiling too much, every segment focuses on peculiar people and items with a key tiny thread.

The dialogue (with mostly monologues) is delivered with fervent conviction by a trio of highly skilled performers, who crisply capture all the nuances. Six eccentric characters are played by the splendid Nancy Bell, Jane Paradise and Tom Wethington, the who are remarkably nimble in their interactions. Their rhythms for each character, both separately and together, is a marvel to watch.

Bell’s virtuoso fire-and-ice performance as Caroline in the third scene, “The Fever,” conveying a repressed woman’s sexual awakening in an alarming way, is a master class in storytelling. Bell is always compelling in parts large and small, but this monologue of temptation, desire and regret raises the bar quite high to start the year.

Paradise and Wethington are daffy and charming as a pair of socially awkward adults, Callum and Carol, who find each other in “The Dragons.” They’re so likable that they make their strange behaviors endearing.

With “The Bonfire,” the play opens with all three playing neurotic adult triplets – Claudette, Claudine and Claudia — each with their own obsessions and tics that call their sanity into question.

Jane Paradise and Tom Wethington talk tarantulas. Photo by ProPhotoSTL.

Michael Heil’s scenic design, with its eerie black and red emphasis, mysteriously sets the stage and draws us into this bizarre world, expertly lit by Tony Anselmo from Steve Carmichael’s lighting design. That color scheme is carried through in Laura Hanson’s costume design.

Also noteworthy are Sleepy Kitty’s graphic art, projection design by Traci Lavois Thiebaud, sound design and music compositions by Anthony Barilla and Jenny Smith’s props, including an antique gilded birdcage.

“Wildfire” glows with the heat of discovery, releases a kinetic energy with surprise revelations and pops with dark humor. If you embrace quirky, this is a must-see.

Nancy Bell as Caroline. ProPhoto STL photo.

 “Wildfire” is performed Friday through Sunday from Jan. 24 to Feb. 9 at The Marcelle, For tickets or for more information, visit www.upstreamtheater.org

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Original Musical ‘Madam’ Showcases Feisty Women

Original Musical ‘Madam’ Showcases Feisty Women

By Lynn Venhaus
Ambitious and intriguing, “Madam” is a new musical full of promise and potential.

Elevated by a charming cast of local performers, this vibrant musical cements composer and music director Colin Healy as one to watch.

His fifth original musical, “Madam” showcases what a multi-talent he is — Healy wrote the book, music and lyrics and did the orchestrations for his new Fly North Theatricals company’s latest work. He also conducts a very tight band and plays the piano.

With a lot of passion and heart behind it, “Madam” had a triumphant sell-out run of nine performances last summer at the Bluff City Theater in Hannibal, which commissioned the musical.

Now, St. Louisans has the opportunity to discover one of its most notorious businesswomen from the 19th century, wealthy brothel madam and philanthropist Eliza Haycraft. She built quite an empire, as the opening song says, and became the richest woman in Missouri, beloved by the general public during the Reconstruction Era.

Haycraft, born in 1820, arrived destitute in St. Louis at age 20. When prostitution was legal, for only a brief time, in St. Louis, she became owner and manager of a brothel, doing well even though she couldn’t read or write. She bought commercial and residential property and rented it back out. She was known for helping the city’s poor, offering them help and financial aid.

Healy’s crafted message is about the vulnerability of aging and the power of saying “No.”
Haycraft empowered her courtesans by granting them the right to refuse service to anyone. She had three simple rules: Respect, Consent and Pay Up Front.

“Madam” focuses on the last year of her life – she died in 1871 at age 51. While based on true events, the musical fictionalizes the story about a search for an heir to her sex empire when the richest and most powerful men were hellbent on taking it all away from her.

The passage of The Social Evils Act of 1870 made her business legitimate, but denied women affected by it of many of their rights they previously enjoyed.

The fascinating story’s conflicts must include the double standard conundrum – her houses were well-frequented by those rich guys who ran the city but she was shut out of polite society.

What the musical brings out in the small cast of female characters is their dependence on prostitution to support themselves and their independence by defying the status quo at a time when they had few legitimate rights – an early glimpse at feminism and sexism.

These characters are composites of strong spunky women – among them an escaped slave who disguised herself as a man to fight in the Union Army and a sister to Victoria Woodhull, a candidate for president in 1872.

Sunny Eileen Engel and Gracie Sartin, who have been with the production since its workshop, effortlessly strut with confidence in song and dance, smiles beaming as Tennie and Ripley.

They open the show, along with new addition Marta Bady as gutsy Billie, with a vivacious “Empire.” The three are often paired in song – including “Love Is Work,” “Another Fence (The Baseball Song)” and “The Great Benefactor.”

They aren’t the only working girls with gumption – Abigail Becker is the complicated once-married Mercy Jones and Cameron Pille is the troubled Calista, each with outstanding solos: Mercy in “A Man with Money” and “I Want to be a Star,” and the sad “The Unfortunate Song” with The Benefactor (Phil Leveling), and Calista with “It Feels So Good” and “Special.”

The women have moments to shine and plenty of melodic tunes to sing, and director Sydnie Grosberg Ronga has staged the musical numbers with verve in the small .Zack space, creating an intimacy by having performers up close on the ground and on the second level, not far from the audience.

Scenic designer George Shea has created a good space for the action to flow, well-lit by lighting designer Kevin Bowman.

Healy knows the drawbacks of the .Zack’s acoustics, and his sound designer Tazu Marshall has done a terrific job.

Choreographer Carly Niehaus has resolved the space challenges with streamlined numbers that punctuate the music. Eileen Engel also designed the costumes, and she made them extremely functional while period-appropriate.

The St. Louis cast is almost the same as the Hannibal cast minus three. Kimmie Kidd-Booker, who played Madam in the COCA workshop and Billie in Bluff City, resumes the leading role as man-hating Eliza. She is fierce and feisty as this remarkable dignified woman in her declining final days.

With her rich, velvety voice, Kidd-Booker has become a welcome fixture in both regional professional and community theater. She commands attention as she sashays across the two-level set with major attitude, first introduced in “All You Need to Know.” Her “No,” with Calista in the Part 1, and solo in Part 2, is a hard-hitting high point.

She understands Eliza as a smart, pragmatic woman who knows how to operate in a male-dominated world. Her mistrust of men reaches a boiling point as they threaten to ruin her. Fuming, she joins Ripley and The Benefactor in “The Social Evils Act.”

One of the three new cast members, Leveling has a fine voice but seems miscast as the unsavory The Benefactor, an imposing bad guy and frequent customer. This male chauvinist pig must be menacing and Phil is not that. In reality, maybe it’s a good thing that he’s not believable being mean to women, but not for the part – it is a sticky wicket. The role is a tad underwritten as it is.

While the music – infused with jazz and blues for a St. Louis flavor — is admirable, the book could use a little more tweaking – there are a few time leaps that are somewhat confusing

The musical is still a work in progress but the elements for success are there and will be going places.

Fly North Theatricals presents the local premiere of “Madam” from Jan. 10 to Feb. 2, with performances at 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at the .Zack Theater, 3224 Locust Street. For more information, visit www.flynorthmusic.com.

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A Lot of Song, A Lot of Dance, A Lot of Sparkle on Her Dress — The Donna Summer Musical Works Hard for Your Ticket Money

A Lot of Song, A Lot of Dance, A Lot of Sparkle on Her Dress — The Donna Summer Musical Works Hard for Your Ticket Money

By CB Adams
Contributing Writer
It’s nice to be surprised, even at what might seem like just another jukebox musical. And yet, that’s exactly what “Summer: The Donna Summer Musical” achieved.
On opening night at the Fox Theatre, the audience obviously came primed to be wowed by performances of Ms. Summer’s greatest hits like “Love to Love You Baby,” “MacArthur Park,” “Bad Girls,” “Hot Stuff.” The show doled them out in a steady stream and culminated, predictably in…you guessed it, the show-ender “Last Dance.”
Like many jukebox musicals, Summer the show suffers from moments of clunky dialogue, yuck-yuck jokes and plot shifts that require more than a simple suspension of disbelief. And it artificially tries to create momentum by turning up the volume or bass (or both).
But unlike most of this genre’s brethren and sistren, Summer transcends its own shortcomings, with thanks due largely to Dan’yelle Williamson as Diva Donna/Mary Gaines (her birth name), Alex Hairston as Disco Donna and Olivia Elease Hardy as Duckling Donna/Mimi (one of Ms. Summer’s daughters.)
Yes. That’s right.
It takes three performers to properly portray the one real-life Donna Summer, who was no one-hit wonder. This vocal triptych is apropos because Summer was more than the sum of her parts, and that sum comprised her many talents as singer, songwriter, mother, wife, visual artist and all-around diva.
Sometimes solo and sometimes sharing the stage simultaneously as Summer wrestled with her life’s demons and dilemmas, Williamson, Hairston and Hardy (you could call them the Three Facets) do Donna proud.
They may not have Summer’s chops or X-factor presence, but they evoke and reflect the power, emotion and confidence of their powerful pop progenitor.
Another part of this show’s success is the book by Colman Domingo, Robert Cray and Des McAnuff. Instead of concocting a contrived, wink-wink plot, Summer hits the Cliffs Notes (the highs as well as the lows) of Ms. Summer’s life and career.
This nonfiction element works well enough within the context of this show and provides an acceptable, linear story arc while engaging in some not-too off-putting revisionist history and legacy polishing.
It appeared that most in the audience were already familiar with the undulations of Summer’s career. They came to party like it was 1979, not slog through the high drama of Mommy Dearest or The Color Purple (though this show presents “lite” versions of similar themes).
The songs, to borrow a phrase from oenology (and maybe Tina Turner), still have legs. Though at the time of their release they suffered the slings and arrows of the “Disco Sucks” movement,
Summer’s songs still have the power to make you shake your groove thing, even if more than a few audience members had to shake ‘em sitting down. Blues Brother Dan Aykroyd and his diatribe about “pre-programed electronic disco” would have been admonished to shut up and dance.
The auditorium was filled with so much head bobbing and seat dancing that surely they put to shame the puny “Bohemian Rhapsody” scene in Wayne’s World.
The Summer stage sparkled brightly under the direction of Des McAnuff, choreography by Sergio Trujillo, music supervision by Ron Melrose, scenic design by Robert Brill, costumes by Paul Tazewell and lighting by Howey Binkley. This combination gave Summer an early-MTV vibe, a la Robert Palmer’s “Addicted to Love” video.
The stage was clean and minimal while evoking the spirit of its times while never overwhelming the presence of Summer in any or all of her three facets.
The unexpected surprise of this show, wasn’t, however, any of the above. It wasn’t one of Summer’s mega-hits, which were practically designed to be uber-crowd-pleasers. Rather, it was a song later in the one-act show – “I Believe in Jesus” performed by Disco Donna. Hairston’s passionate performance brought the show to a standstill, in all the best ways, and received some of the most heartfelt, resonant applause of the evening.
The song’s placement in the show marks a beat in Summer’s life when her faith was reinvigorated. And, like several other obvious and subtle moments, conveyed yet another facet of the strong, talented, driven, successful woman behind the Queen of Disco moniker.
The Fabulous Fox Theatre presents “Summer: The Donna Summer Musical” January 15-26. For more information, visit www.fabulousfox.com.

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