Veteran Performers Among Cast for ‘Love’s Labors Lost’ at Shakespeare Festival St. Louis

Veteran Performers Among Cast for ‘Love’s Labors Lost’ at Shakespeare Festival St. Louis

Veteran performer Philip Hernández, the only actor in Broadway history to play both Valjean and Javert in “Les Misérables,” will headline the 2019 Shakespeare Festival St. Louis production of “Love’s Labors Lost,” May 31 through June 23, at Shakespeare Glen in Forest Park. Preview performances are scheduled May 29-30. Performances are held nightly, excluding Mondays, and begin at 8 p.m. 

Philip Hernandez

Hernández will portray Don Adriano de Armado, the lovelorn soldier considered to be one of Shakespeare’s finest comic creations. The actor made his Broadway debut in the Original Cast of the Tony Award-winning “Kiss of the Spider Woman,” directed by Harold Prince, and created the role of Reverend Gonzalez opposite Marc Anthony and Ruben Blades in the Original Broadway Cast of Paul Simon’s “The Capeman.” TV credits include roles on “Nurse Jackie,” “Mysteries of Laura,” “Law and Order” and “Ugly Betty,” among others. 

Joining Hernández in the Festival production are Bradley James Tejeda (Duc de Biron), a native of San Antonio, Texas, and a recent graduate of the Yale School of Drama, as well as New Yorkers Kea Trevett (Princess of France) and Sky Smith (King of Navarre), both emerging stars within the Shakespeare theater circle. Trevett has appeared on stages nationally with the Classic Stage Company and the Roundabout, as well as internationally in “Antigone” (Africa Tour). Her TV and film credits include “Fosse/Verdon” (FX), “Milkwater” and “The Kindergarten Teacher.” Smith’s most recent credits include “Twelfth Night” (Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival) and “Love’s Labours Lost”* (The Acting Co.). 

Kea Trevett

Festival veterans include Patrick Blindauer (Costard), who appeared in 2018’s “Romeo & Juliet”; Katy Keating (Nathaniel), most recently seen with the Festival in “Into the Breeches!” and “Blow, Winds”; and Michael James Reed (Forester/Marcadé), marking his seventh park appearance. 

Other area performers making their Festival debut include Jeffery Cummings (Boyet); Carl Howell (Dull), returning to St. Louis after appearing regionally at the Repertory Theater; Carine Montbertrand (Holofernes), most recently of Titan Theatre at Queens Theatre; Naima Randolph (Moth), an alumni of the Festival’s Shakespeare Squadron and Camp Shakespeare programs; Laura Sohn (Rosaline), a graduate of Rutgers University; Molly Meyer (Jaquenetta); and Sam Jones (Longueville). Also joining the cast are Webster University Conservatory graduates Vivienne Claire Luthin (Maria) and Kiah McKirnan (Catherine), and current student Riz Moe (DuMaine). 

Tom Ridgely, executive producer of the Festival, will direct the production, his first since taking the helm of the organization last spring. This marks the company’s 19th season of free, outdoor, professional theater in the park. 

Creative team members include Jason Simms (Set Design) of New York; Melissa Trn (Costumes), a former St. Louisan currently living in Los Angeles; and John Wylie (Lighting) and Rusty Wandall (Sound). This marks Wylie’s sixth season with the Festival, and Wandall’s eighth.

*A note on the title, “Love’s Labors Lost”:

Spelling and punctuation in early modern English weren’t nearly as regularized as they are today. Shakespeare famously never even spelled his own name the same way twice. Similarly, the first quarto of this play is titled “Loues labors lost”; the first folio has it as “Loues Labour’s Lost”; and, the second folio, “Loues Labours Lost.” Given the lack of certainty about what exactly Shakespeare intended, there are various schools of thought on how best to render those three words in modern English. Since the British “u” in “labour” was optional even in Shakespeare’s day, the Festival has opted for the more familiar American spelling. In addition, since the title contains an allusion to the Labors of Hercules, which are referred to often, along with the work of Cupid (aka Love), the Festival opted for the plural over the contraction — hence, “Love’s Labors Lost.”

About Shakespeare Festival St. Louis

Shakespeare Festival St. Louis presents Shakespeare and works inspired by his legacy of storytelling. Since 2001, the festival has grown from producing a single production of Shakespeare in the Park to a year-round season of impactful theater in exciting and accessible venues throughout the St. Louis community. The festival’s artistic and education programs reached over 50,000 patrons and students during the 2018 season and have reached over one million since 2001. Leadership support for Shakespeare Festival St. Louis’ 2019 season is provided by the Whitaker Foundation. The festival is also funded in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, the Missouri Arts Council, the Regional Arts Commission, and the Arts & Education Council of Greater St. Louis. For more information, please visit www.sfstl.com, or call 314-531-9800.

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Strong Women Productions Dominate St. Louis Theater Circle Awards

Strong Women Productions Dominate St. Louis Theater Circle Awards

By Lynn Venhaus
Managing Editor
Plays with substantial women roles were spotlighted at the seventh annual St.
Louis Theater Circle Awards March 25, with The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis’
musical production of “Evita” and a homegrown “A Streetcar Named Desire” from
the third annual Tennessee Williams Festival each receiving seven awards.

Both iconic female-lead shows had received the most
nominations, 11 apiece, when the Circle announced them in January. The awards
recognized outstanding work locally produced by regional professional companies
during the calendar year 2018.

Nominees Kari Ely and Michelle Hand in “Into the Breeches!”The comedy “Into the Breeches!”, the first play in Shakespeare
Festival St. Louis’ new program, “In the Works,” won four awards. The world
premiere was in January 2018, with its first St. Louis performances in
September. The comedy from Chicago playwright George Brant is about a
fictitious theater group in 1942, and with the men away at war, the director’s
wife sets out to produce an all-female version of “Henry V.” It had roles for
six women and two men. In addition to awards for ensemble, director Nancy Bell
and best production, Michelle Hand won best actress.

The Circle, which includes veteran area theater critics, annually recognizes outstanding work in comedies, dramas and musicals, and with two opera categories.

Each of the 33 categories featured five nominees, with 23 local companies cited for 54 shows, and 120 artists receiving nods, including 10 with two apiece.

This year, there were three ties: sound design in a play, costume design in a musical and musical ensemble.

Evita won seven awards from the Circle“Evita,” the vibrant Tony Award-winning Andrew Lloyd Webber-Tim Rice musical, earned awards for musical direction (Charlie Alterman), choreography (Gustavo Zajac and Mariana Parma), set design (Luke Canterella), lighting (John Lasiter), director (Rob Ruggiero, his third), ensemble and production of a musical.

The landmark “A Streetcar Named Desire,” written in 1947 by the great American playwright Tennessee Williams, who spent his formative years in St. Louis, earned honors for Sophia Brown as Outstanding Actress – for her heart-wrenching portrayal of the emotionally needy and mental fragile faded beauty Blanche Dubois, sound design (original music by Henry Palkes and sound by Amanda Werre), lighting design (Sean M. Savoie), set design (James Wolk), direction (Tim Ocel), ensemble and production of a drama.

The 18 other awards went to separate shows, with both The
Black Rep and The Muny winning three apiece, and The Rep adding two more for earning
the most, nine.

Jeff Cummings and Katy Keating in “Life Sucks.” Photo by ProPhotoSTLIn comedy, Katy Keating won for Supporting Actress as feisty but unrequited lovesick Sonia in New Jewish Theatre’s “Life Sucks,” a ‘sort of’ adaptation of Chekhov’s “Uncle Vanya” by Aaron Posner. She was also part of the award-winning ensemble of “Into the Breeches!”.

Isaiah Di Lorenzo in “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead.” Photo by Ron James.Isaiah Di Lorenzo won Supporting Actor as The Player, the leader of the Tragedians, in St. Louis Shakespeare’s production of Tom Stoppard’s “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead.” He also was in the award-winning ensemble of “A Streetcar Named Desire.”

Will Bonfiglio as Mary Dale in “Red Scare on Sunset.” Photo by Justin Been. Will Bonfiglio won his second Outstanding Actor Award, as film star Mary Dale in Stray Dog Theatre’s “Red Scare on Sunset.” He was honored in 2017 for the one-man show, “Buyer & Cellar,” also at Stray Dog.

For costume designs, Lou Bird won for The Rep’s “Born Yesterday” vintage wardrobe in the play category and there was a tie in the musical category between Leon Dobkowski, who won for The Muny’s colorful “The Wiz,” and Darryl Harris for the elegant “Crowns: A Gospel Musical” at The Black Rep.

There was another tie in sound design in a play – besides “Streetcar,” Rusty Wandall won for Lucas Hnath’s contemporary “The Humans” at The Rep.

Laurie McConnell, left, as Birdie Hubbard in “The Little Foxes.” Photo by Patrick HuberIn drama, Laurie McConnell won Supporting Actress as forlorn
Birdie Hubbard in St. Louis Actors’ Studio’s production of Lillian Hellman’s “The
Little Foxes.” She won in 2017 for Supporting Actress in a Musical, for her portrayal
of Joanne in “Company” at Insight Theatre Company.

Eric Dean White as Satan and Chris Ware as Judas. Photo by Ann AuerbachEric Dean White, a previous nominee, won Supporting Actor for playing the slick, smooth, haughty and conniving Satan in “The Last Days of Judas Iscariot” at Mustard Seed Theatre.

Ron Himes in “Fences”

Another previous nominee and winner, Ron Himes won Outstanding Actor as bitter garbage collector Troy in August Wilson’s “Fences at The Black Rep last winter. In 2014, The Black Rep won best ensemble and production for “The Whipping Man.”

The Black Rep’s “Torn Asunder” best new playThe Black Rep also won Best New Play for Nikkole Salter’s “Torn
Asunder,” which dramatized true stories of newly emancipated African Americans
trying to overcome the vestiges of slavery so they could reconnect with their
families.

Joy Boland won Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Musical for her portrayal of the imposing villainess sea witch in Variety Theater’s “Disney’s The Little Mermaid.”

Beth Leavel as Mama Rose in “Gypsy.” Photo by Philip Hamer.For their powerhouse musical performances, Corbin Bleu won Outstanding Actor as the fleet-footed matinee idol Don Lockwood in “Singin’ in the Rain” and Beth Leavel was honored as the controlling stage parent Mama Rose in “Gypsy,” both at The Muny.

Corbin Bleu in “Singin’ in the Rain” at The Muny. Photo by Phil Hamer.Leavel had been nominated three times before (“Hello Dolly!” “Oklahoma!” and “Thoroughly Modern Millie,” all at the Muny. She is currently performing on Broadway in a St. Louis-produced original musical, “The Prom.”

Stephanie Merritt and Kent Coffel in “The Light in the Piazza” Kent Coffel won Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Musical for his performance as well-meaning haberdasher Signor Naccarelli, Fabrizio’s father, in “The Light in the Piazza,” presented by R-S Theatrics in its St. Louis regional premiere.

Anything Goes at New Line Theatre. Photo by Jill Ritter LindbergTying with “Evita” for musical ensemble was New Line Theatre’s vivacious “Anything Goes.”

It was a three-peat for Ruggiero, who won for directing “Evita,” and had previously been honored for The Rep’s productions of “Follies” and “Sunday in the Park with George.”

“Regina” at OTSL was Outstanding Opera ProductionIn the opera categories, Opera Theatre of St. Louis was honored
for both Outstanding Achievement in Opera, which was given to director Patricia
Racette for “La Traviata,” and the Mark Blitzstein adaptation of “The Little Foxes”
— “Regina,” as Outstanding Production of an Opera.
Three special awards were bestowed:  To the
Muny for a century of performances celebrated during its centennial season of
2018; to Kathleen Sitzer, founder and long-time artistic director of the New
Jewish Theatre, for lifetime achievement; and to Steven Woolf, Augustin
artistic director of The Rep for more than 30 years, also for lifetime
achievement.

Sitzer retired after New Jewish Theatre’s 2017-18 season, while Woolf will retire after The Rep’s 2018-19 season this spring. Organized in 2012, the St. Louis Theater Circle includes founding members Steve Allen of stagedoorstl.com, Mark Bretz of the Ladue News, Robert A. Cohn of the St. Louis Jewish Light, Chris Gibson of Broadway World, Gerry Kowarsky of HEC-TV’s “Two on the Aisle,” Chuck Lavazzi of KDHX, Judith Newmark, now of judyacttwo.com, Ann Pollack of stlouiseats.typepad.com, Lynn Venhaus, now of St. Louis Limelight magazine, Bob Wilcox of HEC-TV’s Two on the Aisle, and Calvin Wilson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Tina Farmer of KDHX and Michelle Kenyon of snoopstheatrethoughts.com. Eleanor Mullin is the administrator.

Those who helped produce the show at the Loretto-Hilton Center on the campus of Webster University included Andrea Torrence and Peggy Holly, who put together the slide show; awards assistance Hannah Daines, stage manager Alycia Martin and assistant stage manager Delaney Dunster, voice-over announcer Colin Nichols and box office assistants Kimberly Sansone and Harry Ginsburg.

Renowned local musician Joe Dreyer was the accompanist and Deborah Sharn performed an opening number.

Special thanks to Volunteer Lawyers and Accountants for the Arts, Price Waterhouse Cooper LLC, who tabulate the Circle ballots, and to the awards certificate calligrapher Susan Zenner.

Contact the Circle by email: stltheatercircle@sbcglobal.net and like us on Facebook.

Evita at The RepInto the Breeches! at Shakespeare Festival St. Louis

“La Traviata” at Opera Theatre of St. Louis

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Plays, Panels and Parties Planned for Fourth Annual Tennessee Williams Festival May 9-19

Plays, Panels and Parties Planned for Fourth Annual Tennessee Williams Festival May 9-19

The fourth annual Tennessee Williams Festival will celebrate the great American playwright with 10 days of plays, panel discussions and parties in the Grand Arts Center, set for May 9-19.

“A Night of the Iguana”

The steamy and startling Iguana is one of the most richly textured and dramatically satisfying plays written by Williams. Reverend Shannon has lost his flock, his religion, and has—at the very least— misplaced his sanity and sense of decency. He takes refuge at a rundown resort owned by the lusty and busty Maxine, where they are joined by the beautifully refined but repressed Hannah, and Nonno, her nonagenarian grandfather. These two may be scam artists, but they are artists all the same; as such, they offer some brief hope of redemption.

At the Grandel Theatre, 3160 Grandel Square

“Dear Mr. Williams” starts May 10

Conceived, written, and performed by Bryan Batt, SAG Award winner (“Mad Men”) and Drama Desk Award nominee (Broadway’s Sunset Boulevard, Cats); directed by Michael Wilson, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Award winner (The Orphans’ Home Cycle). The tumultuous—and sometimes treacherous—journey from adolescence to adulthood is one we all must take, but Batt’s one-man tour de force proves that it’s oh so much more fascinating and fun with Tennessee Williams as your guide.

At The Curtain Call Lounge, 527 Grand Blvd.

“A Lovely Sunday for Creve Coeur” Opens May 11

Four eccentric and unforgettable women fry chicken, plan a picnic to Creve Coeur Lake, and cope with loneliness and lost dreams in an efficiency apartment on Enright Avenue in the Central West End circa the mid-1930s.

Williams gives us more laughs than usual, but no less poetry or poignancy.

At the Grandel Theatre, 3160 Grandel Square

“Conversations with Tennessee” May 11

Three panels address aspects of the author’s life and work. Each will begin with a brief performance of material from Tennessee Williams’s letters, journals, or other writing, followed by a discussion between artists and scholars. Moderated by Tom Mitchell, panelists will include Melissa Wolfe, Gregory Carr, Jesse Munoz, David Kaplan, Tim Ocel, Sophia Brown, and Henry Schvey.

At The Dark Room, 3160 Grandel Square

“Tennessee Williams Tribute 2019” May 12

Join us as we celebrate the culmination of the opening weekend of the Tennessee Williams Festival. In poetry, prose, and song, this tribute reading reveals Williams’ take on those who are “waiting for something to happen” and those for whom “everything has happened already”.

Ken Page hosts an entertaining evening presented by a collection of Festival artists, curated by noted Williams scholar, Tom Mitchell. Stay after the performance to mix with other Festival goers and artists, as The Dark Room hosts us for drinks and light hors d’ oeuvres.

At The Dark Room, 3160 Grandel Square

Bus Tour May 19

Retrace the roots of Tennesse Williams’ formative years. From attending high school at Soldan and University City High, to studying at the University of Missouri-Columbia and Washington University, to working downtown and exploring the city’s rich cultural institutions – Tennessee Williams’ classic works were influenced by his coming of age in St. Louis. Hosted with immense wit and charm by Williams enthusiasts, Brian Welch and Dan McGuire

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.twstl.org

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American Natya Festival in St. Louis This Weekend

Only Indian Classical Dance Drama Festival in U.S. celebrates life and culture of Indian subcontinent through dance and dramas

St. Louis April 19, 20, 21st -2019

ST. LOUIS/March 27, 2019 – A city rich in history and diversity, St. Louis is also becoming the “capital” of Indian classical dance. From April 19, 20, 201st 2019, the city will once again host Indian dancers from around the world at the 11th American Natya Festival.   This 3-day dance festival will includes dance dramas on varying themes – both western and Indian. This event will be presented in Clayton High School Auditorium, #1 Mark Twain Circle, St. Louis, MO 63105. The organizer – Soorya Performing Arts – will commemorate the 11th -year anniversary by focusing on education, performance, and recognition.  Other highlights of the Festival are Natya Idol, a national classical dance competition April 20th-21st; presentation of lifetime achievement awards; and 8 mesmerizing performances from groups across the country and from India.

This festival is the first and only Indian Classical Dance Drama Festival in the country.  The annual platform to create, discuss, present works, and showcase new ideas is part of a multi-pronged task of to preserve and promote this age-old dance style.  This year, more than 100 artists will entertain the growing international audience who flock to this yearly event that provides a rare opportunity for dance enthusiasts to enjoy the prestigious Indian American Classical Dance companies rarely seen in St. Louis.

The festival’s director, Guru Prasanna Kasthuri, enjoys seeing St. Louis community is supportive of a dance festival for 11th year. He also says very proudly the support he is getting from patrons, government agencies and corporate world to make this event possible. Since every year many productions are featured, St. Louis has become a venue for creative and artistic hub for Indian dance dramas.

On Saturday, April 20th, the festival will honor a senior Guru with the 2019 Lifetime Achievement award for her selfless service of Indian performing arts and cultural representation in Greater Kansas City area for over forty years. The award includes a cash prize of $1001, a plaque, shawl and the presentation will include a performance by her students.

Another exciting aspect for students is an opportunity to participate in “American Natya Idol,” a national level dance competition held only here in St. Louis. This year “American Natya Idol” will be hosted in three more cities apart from St. Louis. This competition provides a platform for students to showcase their skills and receive constructive feedback on various aspects of dance forms: abhinaya (expressions), dance complexity, clarity in poses, and choice of music.

The 11th anniversary schedule blends together solo, duet and group performances:

Friday, April 19, 2019 6 PM

  • Bharathanatyam & Kathak Performances by Soorya Dance school
  • Atma Lingam – Mythological Bharathanatyam Dance Drama by “Rani” group
  • Parvati’s Marriage  – by “Katha” – Indian Storyteller Group of St. Louis

Saturday, April, 20th, 2019 4:30 PM

  • Bharathanatyam by Kalanjali Dances of India
  • AMERICAN NATYA LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
  • Tri-Nritya Shailee – Natyantaranga Dance Company of Bengaluru, India
  • Pied piper – Vismaya – BY Sanskriti School of Dance, New Jersey

Sunday April 21st 2019 2:30 PM

  • American Natya Idol Award Ceremony
  • Sri Sathyanarayana Katha – by Acharya School of Dance, Chicago
  • Four Horsemen – by  Jiva Academy, New york
  • Avatar – Conceptual dance by Performing Unit of Soorya Dance Company, St. Louis

Tickets for the three-day festival can be purchased online through Brown Paper Tickets, at Seema Enterprises in Manchester and Bombay Bazaar in Chesterfield. More details on the festival can be found at www.natya.org.

This festival is supported by parents of Soorya Dance and Music School; Missouri Arts Commission, Bright Way Insurance, US Wide Financials, Stone Land Granite and Marbles, and support from other corporations and art patrons.

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The Highwaymen

The Highwaymen

The Plot:

In 1934, two former Texas Rangers come out of retirement to hunt down notorious outlaws Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow, whose bank robberies during the Great Depression and killing spree across several states made them celebrities. “The Highwaymen” tells the point of view of legendary detectives Frank Hamer (Kevin Costner) and Maney Gault (Woody Harrelson), who use their veteran skills, smarts and wit to do their job.

Lynn’s Take:

As grizzled lawmen who set out to capture the most notorious criminals in the country, Kevin Costner and Woody Harrelson are in their wheelhouse, comfortable in these roles and with each other.

“The Highwaymen,” which was released in theaters before it began streaming on Netflix March 29, is a thoughtful portrayal of career law enforcement, honorable men who took their jobs seriously and were good at it. Hamer was known for trying to get inside the criminal’s mind, to interpret and predict behavior – and was a sharpshooter as well.

In the acclaimed 1967 film, “Bonnie and Clyde,” which romanticized the infamous cold-blooded killers, the investigators were made to look like buffoons – Denver Pyle screwing up while “Foggy Mountain Breakdown” played during a Barrow gang escape.

What makes this film enjoyable is the old cowboys’ instincts and their time spent together as director John Lee Hancock unfolds a fascinating but little-known true story. Hancock, who deftly directed “The Blind Side” and “Saving Mr. Banks,” strikes an authentic tone throughout the 132-minute running time. He concentrates on the hunt and not the hunted – using interesting angles to show Bonnie and Clyde so they’re not the sole focus: a snazzy pair of red shoes, waiting in a ‘34 Ford while smoking a cigarette, the blazing Tommy guns from a wide angle.

The rural landscape and grittiness of the dirt-poor Southerners adds to the pitch-perfect period details, while not glamourizing or glossing over the era. Beautifully shot by John Schwartzman, “The Highwaymen” meticulously sets the scene. They use a dirt road where Bonnie and Clyde met their fate. Punctuating the action effectively is Thomas Newman’s music score.

A few performers stand out in small but integral roles – Kathy Bates as Texas Gov. Ma Ferguson and Kim Dickens as Hamer’s society maven wife, with John Carroll Lynch as the head of prisons.

For true crime fans, this is a story waiting to be told, made stronger by the headlining well-cast old pros. Costner and Harrelson are willing to project a hard-fought wisdom while showing they still got game, which makes the film all the more appealing.

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Jennifer Theby-Quinn Radiant in ‘Daddy Long Legs’ musical at Insight

Jennifer Theby-Quinn Radiant in ‘Daddy Long Legs’ musical at Insight

By Lynn Venhaus
Managing Editor

Jennifer Theby-Quinn, one of the most radiant life forces in local theater, joyfully slips into a vivacious literary heroine with energy, enthusiasm and ease in “Daddy Long Legs.”

The charming musical romance opened Insight Theatre Company’s 12th season, whose theme is “A Riot of the Heart!”

Based on Jean Webster’s 1912 novel, which is a written as a series of letters between pen pals, “Daddy Long Legs” enthralled me as a youth. I naturally identified with orphan Jerusha Abbott, a very smart young woman who longs for adventure.

Because she is a bookworm who shows much promise as a writer, Jerusha is given an opportunity to attend college by an anonymous benefactor, whom she nicknames “Daddy Long Legs” after she spies this tall trustee leaving the John Grier Home one day, from a distance. The sole request is that she correspond once a month.

In a plot twist, he befriends her using his real identity, as the bachelor uncle of one of her affluent roommates. The family is of considerable social status, and Jerusha is enamored of their wealth and advantages.

Internationally renowned countertenor Terry Barber plays the mysterious Jervis Pendleton whose zest for life grows as his affection for the wide-eyed innocent coed does. Her lively observations, spoken as her written prose, have enchanted him.

Barber’s vocals are exquisite, and with music direction by Scott Schoonover, the lush score soars. Leading a three-person combo on keyboard, Schoonover benefits from Tracy Andreotti on cello and Vincent Varvel on guitar, guiding each number with expert skill.

While Barber’s acting is less effective here, the show is really is Jennifer’s to own, for it is truly a remarkable role for a leading lady. In Jerusha’s journey of self-discovery, Theby-Quinn shines brightly, lighting up every corner of The Marcelle.

The story takes place in turn-of-the-century New England, and through Theby-Quinn’s animated performance, Jerusha reveals herself as a woman of substance, an outspoken suffragette who champions social justice. As she blossoms, her joie de vivre is palpable and infectious.

Julian King’s vintage costume design is quite fetching, except the wig choice for Jervis.

Director Maggie Ryan keeps the characters moving, and with Quinn’s ebullience, there is no static at all. Rob Lippert’s ingenious set design, rich in detail and smart function, serves the action well.

Nevertheless, the second act seems much longer than necessary, and tests the goodwill of the first one as the two-person show seems in no rush to arrive at the inevitable.

The book is by John Caird, Tony nominee for directing “Les Miserables,” and the music and lyrics are by Paul Gordon, the Tony Award-nominated composer of “Jane Eyre.” The production debuted off-Broadway in 2015, but before that, received an engaging tryout at The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis in 2012.

For any girl who know what it’s like to dream, this musical marvelously captures the yearning to see the world and the excitement to be introduced to new things in life.

It’s also a quaint portrait of the social mores in the early 20th century, and the evolution of contemporary women.

“Daddy Long Legs” is presented by Insight Theatre Company March 29-April 14 at The Marcelle Theatre. For more information, visit www.insighttheatrecompany.com

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‘Waitress’ is Sweet and Sassy Celebration of Friendship

‘Waitress’ is Sweet and Sassy Celebration of Friendship

By Lynn Venhaus
Managing Editor

Flour, butter and sugar can create magic if other ingredients are at play. “Waitress,” the musical equivalent of comfort food, shows us that if love, hope and inspiration are in the mix, that is a dandy can’t miss combination.

Besides inducing cravings for pie – whatever expert pie-baker Jenna Hunterson calls them (“Getting Out of the Mud Pie” is just one), this stage adaptation of writer-director-actress Adrienne Shelly’s 2007 hit independent film evokes warm feelings about family and friends.

Its charming workplace setting in a small-town Southern-fried diner is easily relatable because of a tight trio of spunky females who have made it their home away from home.

This delightful threesome – Christine Dwyer as dreamer Jenna, Ephie Aardema as geeky Dawn and Maiesha McQueen as sassy Becky, even with their thorny man-troubles, is all for one and one for all, just like those famous fictional friends.

The women shine because of their noticeable bond and harmonize beautifully in such numbers as “A Soft Place to Land” and “The Negative.”

The national tour, now playing at The Fox Theatre in St. Louis for the first time since it began in 2017, has quickly won over audiences with humor and heart – and the smell of baking pies wafting through the lobby.

The funny and uplifting show, nominated for three Tony Awards in 2016 – the year “Hamilton” was a runaway train — is still playing on Broadway, enticing audiences with its appealing female empowerment theme and catchy melodious pop songs.

Jenna is a plucky sort trapped in an unhappy marriage who dreams of breaking free if she wins a nearby county’s baking contest prize money. She suffers a few setbacks, namely a surprise pregnancy with a controlling, abusive husband. She also falls for the new doctor in town –and he’s married, but they engage in a mad affair. So, it’s complicated. She’s in this unusual pickle, and how can she find her way to a better life? She must concoct her own recipe for success.

As Jenna, Dwyer projects vulnerability and resolve, finally taking courageous steps once she gives birth (“The Contraction Ballet” – yes, they go there). Her numbers “What Baking Can Do” and the rise-up motherhood anthem “Everything Changes” are among the highlights.

The book by Jessie Nelson doesn’t skirt that Jenna’s life is a hot mess, nor do the candid songs. You gotta love a musical with a musical number “Club Knocked Up,” which is set in a doctor’s office.

The music and lyrics are by Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles (“Love Song,” “Brave,” “King of Anything”), who provides emotional soul-baring ballads, such as “She Used to be Mine,” in this medium too.

However, the peppy cast really sells the big numbers with panache – making them crisp and snappy from the start, “Opening Up” and “Bad Idea” among them.

The Ogie-centered numbers, “Never Ever Getting Rid of Me” and “I Love You Like a Table” feature Lorin Latarro’s fast-paced choreography and the scene-stealer Jeremy Morse as the odd soulmate Dawn discovers on her blind date, who she met online. He and Aardema are terrific together.

Morse’s comic timing is superb, as is Ryan G. Dunkin as laid-back but put-upon cook/manager Cal. The other sympathetic male is Richard Kline as cantankerous customer Joe, who owns the diner. In the movie, the character was played by Andy Griffith, in his last film role.

As for the husband and lover, these are one-note parts. Earl doesn’t have any redeeming quality whatsoever, and Matt DeAngelis plays him well as an insufferable jerk, but it’s a head-scratcher that Jenna has been married to him for as long as she has.

Then, Dr. Pomatter is the dreamy OB/gyn, but he’s married to a perfectly fine woman who is working her residency at the hospital. The infidelity is hard to get past. But Steven Good is fine in the role, pairing well with Dwyer in “It Only Takes a Taste” and conveying his conflicted heart in “You Matter to Me.”

DeAngelis and Good were in the Broadway cast, as was Morse.

Morse’s Ogie is such a lively goofball that he clearly steals the show. But giving him a run as audience favorite is Dawn Bless as Nurse Norma, whose impeccable comic flair is a hoot, especially when the pair-in-heat think they’re fooling her.

Another favorite moment is the arrival of young Lulu for the final scenes in the diner. In St. Louis, she is played by Penelope Garcia and Norah Morley, both 5 years old, who were selected in local competition for the cameo roles. The adorable and energetic Penelope played Jenna’s daughter on this night.

Of note would be that Jenna and Dr. Pomatter’s physical relationship in his office is more naughty than nice. Just in case you are bringing younger children. If there was a rating, it would likely be PG-13 (at least).

A nice touch is the band’s presence in the diner. The six musicians are a tight group – with Music Director Robert Cookman on keyboards, Conductor Lilli Wosk on piano, Jeff Roberts on drums, Lexi Bodick on base, Nick Anton as cello/guitar and Ed Hamilton as guitar.

“Waitress” is a small, sweet show with enough tartness and zip to make it a pleasant pop experience, all the better with girlfriends in a female-heavy crowd.

“Waitress” is at The Fox Theatre March 26 – April 7. For tickets, contact Metro-Tix or the Fox Box Office, and for more information, visit www.fabulousfox.com

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Muny Announces Principal Cast Members for Season 101

Muny Announces Principal Cast Members for Season 101

Broadway veterans Taylor Louderman, Ben Davis, Will Swenson, Adam Heller, Ashley Brown and Laura Michelle Kelly are among the 25 principal cast members the Muny has announced for the first season of its second century.

Complete company casting will be announced throughout April and May. The 101st season opens on a brand new, state-of-the-art stage with Muny favorite Guys and Dolls followed by the U.S. regional premiere of Kinky Boots. The season continues with 1776, Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella, Footloose and a newly-reimagined Lerner and Loewe’s Paint Your Wagon. Season 101 closes with the highly-anticipated Muny debut of Roald Dahl’s Matilda.

“We’re beginning our second century on a new stage filled with outstanding talent,” said Muny Artistic Director and Executive Producer Mike Isaacson. “Last year, we celebrated history. This year, we’ll make history and I’m so grateful that so many extraordinary artists will join us.”
GUYS AND DOLLS
June 10 – 16
Proudly Sponsored by Wells Fargo Advisors
A Musical Fable of Broadway
Based on a Story and Characters of Damon Runyon
Music and Lyrics by Frank Loesser
Book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows

BEN DAVIS (Sky Masterson) Muny: Jesus Christ Superstar (Pilate), Oklahoma!(Curly); South Pacific (Emile), Spamalot (Galahad). Ben was most recently seen as Cosmo Constantine in New York City Center’s Encores! Call Me Madam, opposite Carmen Cusack. Broadway: 2003 Tony Honor for La Bohème (Marcello), Dear Evan Hansen (Larry), Violet (Preacher), A Little Night Music, Les Misérables (Javert and Enjolras), Thoroughly Modern Millie (Trevor Graydon). Tours: The Sound of Music (Georg von Trapp), Spamalot (Galahad). Regional: Kiss Me, Kate (Fred/Petruchio) at The 5th Avenue Theatre. UK: BBC Proms Kiss Me, Kate (Fred/Petruchio). Concerts: Philly Pops, Boston Pops, LA Philharmonic, RTÉ and many others. Film/TV: Blue Bloods, A Hand of Bridge, The Magic Flute, 30 Rock, Numb3rs. www.benjaminjaydavis.com

BRITTANY BRADFORD (Sarah Brown) Muny debut! Brittany was recently seen in Roundabout Theatre Company’s production of Merrily We Roll Along, staged by the critically-acclaimed Fiasco Theater. She made her Broadway debut last fall as Ophelia in Bernhardt/Hamlet opposite Janet McTeer. Additional credits: For Colored Girls… (Public Theater), Flyin’ West (Westport Country Playhouse), Family Resemblance (Eugene O’Neill), The Profane and Taming of the Shrew (Chautauqua Theater Company), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Ten Thousand Things Theater), Neighbors, Avenue Q and Next to Normal (Mixed Blood Theatre), Ragtime and Stick Fly (Park Square Theatre). 2018 graduate of The Juilliard School, Group 47. Credits: Father Comes Home from the Wars, Hoodoo Love, Triumph of Love, King Lear, Cymbeline, Christina Martinez and The Marriage of Bette and Boo. Co-Founder of HomeBase Theatre Collective. www.brittany-bradford.com

JORDAN GELBER (Nathan Detroit) Muny debut! Broadway: Sunday in the Park with George, Elf the Musical (Buddy), All My Sons, Avenue Q (original cast, special Outer Critics Circle Award). Off-Broadway: John Guare’s Nantucket Sleigh Ride (Lincoln Center Theater), Mike Leigh’s 2000 Years, Avenue Q, The Joke, Birth and After Birth. TV: Elementary, Mr. Robot, Mindhunter, Insatiable, Boardwalk Empire, Nurse Jackie, The Good Wife, Rescue Me, Ugly Betty, first three Law & Order series (recurring on SVU), The Sopranos, 100 Centre Street. Film: (upcoming) The Kitchen, Bleed for This, Dark Horse, The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3, Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead, Everyday People (IFP/Gotham Award nominee for Breakthrough Acting), Riding in Cars With Boys, Changing Lanes. BA, Stanford University; MFA, NYU Tisch Graduate Acting (2000 Laura Pels Award). www.JordanGelber.com

KENDRA KASSEBAUM (Miss Adelaide) Muny: A Chorus Line (Val). On Broadway, Kendra originated the role of Janice in the Tony-nominated production of Come From Away as well as Sam in Leap of Faith. She played Glinda in Wicked on Broadway, in San Francisco and on the first national tour (Helen Hayes nominee). Other New York: The Receptionist (MTC) and the Tony Award-winning, Grammy-nominated production of Assassins, both directed by Joe Mantello. Kendra made her Broadway debut in Rent. For the Roundabout, she performed the role of Petra in A Little Night Music starring Vanessa Redgrave and Natasha Richardson. Kassebaum’s regional appearances include Actors Theatre of Louisville, The 5th Avenue Theatre, ACT, Ordway and Florida Stage. Film: The Other Woman (with Natalie Portman and Lisa Kudrow).
KINKY BOOTS
June 19 – 25
Proudly Sponsored by Missouri Lottery
Book by Harvey Fierstein
Music and Lyrics by Cyndi Lauper
Based on the Miramax motion picture Kinky Boots, written by Geoff Deane and Tim Firth

GRAHAM SCOTT FLEMING (Charlie Price) Muny debut! Broadway: Miss Saigon. Off-Broadway: TJ in Music City. Regional: My Very Own British Invasion. Canadian premieres: Mace Perry in Jukebox Hero, Charlie Price in Kinky Boots, Sam Wheat in Ghost: The Musical. Film: Love You Like Christmas (Hallmark).

J. HARRISON GHEE (Lola) is elated to make his Muny debut with the show that has changed his life. International tour: Kinky Boots (Lola/Swing). Regional: The Color Purple (Ensemble). Television: High Maintenance. Proud graduate of AMDA (NY) @jharrisonghee

TAYLOR LOUDERMAN (Lauren) Muny: Aida (Amneris), Grease (Sandy), Hairspray(Amber) and as a Muny Teen 10 years ago! This Tony-nominated actress from Bourbon, MO is currently starring on Broadway in Mean Girls as Regina. Taylor is reprising her role as Lauren after performing in Kinky Boots on Broadway. Her career began at Ozark Actors Theatre in Rolla where she currently serves on the board and contributes to rural Missouri’s theatre education. She made her Broadway debut starring in Bring It On: The Musical produced with The Muny’s own Mike Isaacson. Favorite credits: NBC’s Peter Pan Live! (Wendy), Nickelodeon’s Sunny Day (Blair), CBS’s The Good Fight, HBO’s High Maintenance, Showtime’s The Loudest Voice. @taylizlou
1776
June 27 – July 3
Proudly Sponsored by BMO Harris Bank
Music and Lyrics by Sherman Edwards
Book by Peter Stone
Based on a concept by Sherman Edwards

ROBERT PETKOFF (John Adams) Muny: Young Frankenstein (Frederick). Broadway: All the Way, Anything Goes, Ragtime, Spamalot, Fiddler on the Roof andEpic Proportions. Off-Broadway: The Hard Problem, 39 Steps, More Stately Mansions, Avow. London: The Royal Family with Judi Dench and Tantalus. Tours: Fun Home (Bruce), Spamalot (Sir Robin) and The Importance of Being Earnest(Algernon). Regional: Title roles in Sweeney Todd, Hamlet, Troilus & Cressida andRomeo & Juliet, among others, at theatres such as Chicago Shakespeare Theater, The Old Globe, DCPA and The Mark Taper Forum. Film/TV: Irrational Man, Milk and Money, Gameday, Vice Versa, Madam Secretary, Elementary, Forever, Law & Order, The Good Wife. Robert is also an award-winning audio book narrator with over 200 titles and is a proud member of Actors Equity Association.

ADAM HELLER (Benjamin Franklin) Muny: Gypsy. Repertory Theatre of St. Louis: Follies, Brighton Beach Memoirs. Broadway: It Shoulda Been You, Elf, Baby, It’s You; Caroline, or Change; A Class Act, Victor/Victoria, Les Misérables. National tours: Titanic, Falsettos. Off- Broadway: Popcorn Falls, A Letter to Harvey Milk, Peer Gynt, Wings, Make Me a Song: The Music of William Finn; The Immigrant, Merrily We Roll Along. Regional: The Flamingo Kid, Fiddler on the Roof (Connecticut Critics Circle Award/Best Actor), Rags, The Chosen, My Name is Asher Lev, Merrily We Roll Along(Kennedy Center Sondheim Celebration). Television: The Good Fight, Elementary, Unforgettable, The Americans, The Sopranos, Law & Order (all), Oz, Submissions Only. Graduate: NYU/Tisch.

KEITH HINES, JR. (Thomas Jefferson) is thrilled to return to The Muny for its 101st season! Keith played Nick Massi in the regional premiere of Jersey Boys at The Muny last summer! Off-Broadway: Cougar the Musical (Buck), Sex Tips for Straight Women from a Gay Man (Stefan). National tour: Jersey Boys (Nick Massi). Other credits: Beauty and the Beast (Gaston, TUTS), Camelot (Lancelot) and 1776 (Thomas Jefferson, Pittsburgh Public Theater), The Crucible (John Proctor, New Ohio Theatre), Les Misérables (Enjolras) and Urban Cowboy (Bud, West Virginia Public Theatre). Master’s Degree in Music, Oklahoma City University and acting at Jayd McCarty’s The Studio/New York. For backstage shenanigans and more, follow on Instagram! @keithhinesjr

RODGERS + HAMMERSTEIN’S CINDERELLA
July 8 – 16
Proudly Sponsored by Edward Jones
Music by Richard Rodgers
Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
New Book by Douglas Carter Beane
Original Book by Oscar Hammerstein II

MIKAELA BENNETT (Ella) Muny debut! Mikaela is a graduate of The Juilliard School and a celebrated singer, actress and concert artist. In 2019, Bennett was honored with a Lincoln Center Award for Emerging Artists. On stage she made her professional debut as Penelope in The Golden Apple at NY City Center Encores! Mikaela originated the role of Norma in Scanlan and Dean’s new musical Renascence in New York City and originated the title role in Acquanetta a new opera by Michael Gordon at the Prototype Festival. In concert: BBC Proms (Maria/West Side Story) with the John Wilson Orchestra, New York Philharmonic under Leonard Slatkin, Philadelphia Orchestra under Yannick Nézet-Séguin, San Francisco Symphony Orchestra and Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra under Michael Tilson Thomas. She has also appeared as a soloist at the Kennedy Center and Carnegie Hall.

JASON GOTAY (Topher) is thrilled to be returning for his fourth summer at The Muny after previously appearing in The Little Mermaid (Prince Eric), Mamma Mia! (Sky) and Into the Woods (Jack). Broadway: Bring It On: The Musical (Original Broadway Cast), Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark (Peter Parker/Spider-Man). NYC: Call Me Madam (NY City Center Encores!), Renascence (Transport Group). TV: NBC’S Peter Pan Live! (Tootles/Lost Boy). World premieres of Stephen Schwartz’s The Prince of Egypt, Disney’s Freaky Friday (Original Cast Recording), A Bronx Tale. He has also performed with the LA Philharmonic, Signature Theatre, Paper Mill Playhouse, Theater Under The Stars, and North Carolina Theatre, among others. @jasongotay

ASHLEY BROWN (Marie) Muny: Crazy for You, Cinderella, Side by Side by Sondheim, Annie, Guys and Dolls, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Meet Me In St. Louis, The Sound of Music. Brown originated the title role in Mary Poppins on Broadway for which she received Outer Critics, Drama League and Drama Desk nominations. Brown has also starred as Mary Poppins in the national tour where she garnered a Garland Award for Best Performance in a Musical. Other Broadway: Belle (Beauty and The Beast). She starred in Jack O’Brien’s national tour of The Sound of Musicand in both Oklahoma! and Show Boat at Chicago’s Lyric Opera. Brown has performed with countless top orchestras including the Boston Pops, the New York Philharmonic, The Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, The Pittsburgh Symphony, the New York Pops at Carnegie Hall, Fort Worth Symphony, the Cincinnati Pops, Philadelphia Orchestra, etc. Her PBS special, Ashley Brown: Call Me Irresponsible received a PBS Telly Award. TV credits: NBC’s The Sound of Music Live!

VICKI LEWIS (Madame) Muny: Young Frankenstein. Vicki has starred in the Broadway productions of Anastasia, Chicago and Damn Yankees. Off Broadway: Nassim and Pal Joey at NY City Center Encores!; The Crucible at Roundabout Theatre Company. TV/Film: NewsRadio, The Blacklist, Modern Family, The Middle, Grey’s Anatomy, Bones, How I Met Your Mother, Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm. Voice acting: Deb/Flo in Disney’s Finding Nemo and Finding Dory. Full list at IMBD.com.
FOOTLOOSE
July 18 – 24
Proudly Sponsored by U.S. Bank
Stage Adaptation by Dean Pitchford and Walter Bobbie
Based on the Original Screenplay by Dean Pitchford
Music by Tom Snow
Lyrics by Dean Pitchford
Additional Music by Eric Carmen, Sammy Hagar, Kenny Loggins and Jim Steinman

JEREMY KUSHNIER (Rev. Shaw Moore) can’t think of a better way to be making his Muny debut than with the show that was his Broadway debut 21 years ago. Other Broadway credits include Roger in Rent, Tommy DeVito in Jersey Boys and most recently King Basilius in Head Over Heels. He has appeared on TV in The Good Wife, Person of Interest and Nurse Jackie. He can now be seen starring in the feature film The Idea of Manhood, currently on most streaming sites.

MASON REEVES (Ren McCormack) is an Arizona native and is thrilled to be making his Muny debut! Regional credits include A Chorus Line (Richie, Heritage Theatre Festival), Guys and Dolls (Bucks County Playhouse) and The Upside of Down (New Works Festival, Phoenix Theatre). University credits include We Are Proud to Present… (Actor 2), Passing Strange (Terry) and The Last Days of Judas Iscariot (Jesus of Nazareth). Film: Inhuman (Elliot). He is a rising senior pursuing a BFA in Musical Theatre at the University of Michigan. Instagram: @rasonmeeves

McKENZIE KURTZ (Ariel Moore) Muny debut! McKenzie is a recent graduate of the University of Michigan’s School of Music, Theatre, and Dance with a BFA in Musical Theatre. Her latest roles at school include Nickie in Sweet Charity and Lady Jackie in Me and My Girl. Last year she worked with choreographers Robert Hartwell and Mara Greer, as well as Emmy-nominated director/choreographer Al Blackstone at Music Theatre Wichita for their 2018 summer season. There, she also played high school bully Savannah Sweetzer in the premiere of Disney’s Freaky Friday. @mckenziekurtz
LERNER AND LOEWE’S PAINT YOUR WAGON
July 27 – August 2
Proudly Sponsored by Ameren
Book and Lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner
Music by Frederick Loewe
Revised Book by Jon Marans
Produced in Association with On the Wagon Productions and Garmar Ventures

MATT BOGART (Ben Rumson) Muny debut! Broadway: Jersey Boys, Aida, Miss Saigon, The Civil War, Smokey Joe’s Café (TV/DVD) and Camelot (tour). Off-Broadway: Himself and Nora. TV: HBO’s Vinyl, Smash, Law & Order (SVU and original). Recent: world premieres of Jane Eyre (Cleveland Musical Theatre), Snow Child (Arena Stage), Most Beautiful Room (Long Wharf), Ace (Repertory Theatre of St. Louis), Carousel (Wichita Symphony). Other favorite credits include La Jolla Playhouse, Old Globe, Goodspeed, Cincinnati Playhouse and solo engagements at Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center and Carnegie Hall. Mr. Bogart is a member of Actors’ Equity Association (AEA), an Affiliated Artist of Arena Stage in D.C., playwright, theatre and record producer with solo recordings. www.MattBogart.com

MAMIE PARRIS (Cayla Woodling) is thrilled to return to the Muny! Muny: Joseph… Dreamcoat (Narrator), Hello, Dolly! (Irene Molloy). Broadway/national tour: Cats(Grizabella), School of Rock (Rosalie, Patty [original]), Wicked (Elphaba), 9 to 5: The Musical (Judy Bernly), Ragtime (revival), The Drowsy Chaperone, Legally Blonde, Roundabout Theatre’s revivals of On The 20th Century (Agnes) and 110 in the Shade. Off-Broadway: Pump Boys and Dinettes (Prudie), See Rock City & Other Destinations (Dodi). Other notable credits include the acclaimed new musical Life After (Beth, Old Globe) and Dave (Ellen, world premiere, Arena Stage), as well as roles at Goodspeed Musicals and Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera. Film/TV: The Blacklist, A Stand Up Guy and State of Affairs. Mamieparris.com, Twitter: @mamieparris, Instagram: @mamierocks

OMAR LOPEZ-CEPERO (Armando) is honored to return to The Muny after appearing in The Unsinkable Molly Brown two years ago. He joins directly from the world premiere of the new musical The Flamingo Kid (Alejandro) at Hartford Stage. Prior, he played Perón opposite his wife in a re-imagined version of Evita atBay Street. Broadway/NY: On Your Feet! (Warren and Emilio, Original Broadway Cast); American Idiot (Original Broadway Cast), The Capeman(Delacorte/Central Park). Regional: Guys and Dolls (Sky Masterson, TUTS), Les Misérables (Marius, Fulton), The Pirates of Penzance (Frederick, Marriott Theatre). TV: The Detour, Vegas, Blue Bloods, Late Night with David Letterman, America’s Got Talent, The Grammy Awards, The Tony Awards. Proud University of Miami graduate. @omarlopezcepero

MARK EVANS (William) Muny debut! Mark most recently starred in The Play That Goes Wrong on Broadway and co-directed the play for its off-Broadway remounting. Other off-Broadway credits include the NY City Center Encores! productions of I Married an Angel and Me and My Girl, as well as the Irish Repertory Theatre’s critically-acclaimed revival of Finian’s Rainbow. U.S. regional credits: Mary Poppins, The Fix, Aida, Singin’ in the Rain and the national tour of The Book of Mormon as Elder Price. West End/London credits: Ghost, Wicked,Oklahoma!; Spamalot, The Rocky Horror Show. Film: Tower of Silence, Lake Placid 3 and Dead Hungry.

ROALD DAHL’S MATILDA
August 5 – 11
Proudly Sponsored by Emerson
Book by Dennis Kelly
Music and Lyrics by Tim Minchin

WILL SWENSON (Miss Trunchbull) Muny debut! Broadway: Waitress, Disaster!; LesMisérables, Priscilla: Queen of the Desert, Hair, 110 in the Shade, Lestat, Brooklyn!Off-Broadway: Nantucket Sleighride, Jerry Springer: The Opera (Obie Award), Murder Ballad, Rock of Ages, Little Miss Sunshine, Adrift in Macao, Two Gentlemen of Verona, Pericles. Tours/Regional: Miss Saigon, We Will Rock You, Camelot, It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane, It’s Superman!; The Pirates of Penzance, A Moon for the Misbegotten, The Royal Family of Broadway. Film/TV: The Kitchen, The Greatest Showman, This is Where I Leave You, The Switch, Law & Order (SVU and CI), The Good Wife, No Tomorrow, The Code.

LAURA MICHELLE KELLY (Miss Honey) Muny: The King and I and South Pacific. Laura won an Oliver Award for her title role in the world premiere of Disney’s Mary Poppins. Broadway/NY: Finding Neverland, Me and My Girl, Mary Poppins, Fiddler on the Roof. West End: My Fair Lady, Speed-the-Plow, Lord of the Rings, Beauty and the Beast, Whistle Down the Wind, Peter Pan, Les Misérables, Mamma Mia! US Regional: My Fair Lady and Camelot (Kennedy Center), The Royal Family of Broadway (Barrington Stage). Film: Sweeney Todd, Goddess. Album: The Storm Inside. Other appearances include Muny Magic, Cadogen Hall, Royal Albert Hall, Hampton Court Palace, Royal Opera House, Millennium Stadium, Buckingham Palace, Broadway at the White House (PBS). www.Lauramichellekelly.net

ANN HARADA (Mrs. Wormwood) Muny: Gypsy, 42nd Street and Mamma Mia! Ann was the original Christmas Eve in Avenue Q on Broadway and in the West End. Other Broadway: Cinderella, 9 to 5, M Butterfly, Seussical, Les Misérables. Selected Off-Broadway: Pacific Overtures (Classic Stage Company), Stuffed (WP Theater), Brooklynite (Vineyard Theatre) and Love, Loss, and What I Wore. Regional: Holiday Inn (Paper Mill Playhouse), The New World (Bucks County Playhouse). Film: Youth in Oregon, Sisters, Admission and Hope Springs. TV: Gotham, Blue Bloods, Younger, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Search Party, The Good Wife, Smash, 30 Rock, House of Cards, Master of None.

JOSH GRISETTI (Mr. Wormwood) Muny debut! Josh is an award-winning actor recently seen as Nigel Bottom in the Broadway production (and first national tour) of Something Rotten! Josh also originated the role of Marty Kaufman in Broadway’s It Shoulda Been You (Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle nominations) and won the 2015 Clarence Derwent Award. Other theatrical credits include: Off-Broadway’s Enter Laughing (Theatre World Award; Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, Lucille Lortel and Drama League nominations), Rent, Peter and the Starcatcher, Red Eye of Love, Candida, After the Ball and regional productions of Prince of Broadway (Tokyo), Diner (Signature Theatre), Camelot (Kennedy Center), How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (LA, Ovation Award), Spamalot(Las Vegas) and others. Television: Like Magic, Nurse Jackie, The Gates, The Knights of Prosperity. Film: The Immigrant, Revolutionary Road, The Namesake. @joshgrisetti

The seven shows in the 2019 Muny season are: Guys and Dolls (June 10 – 16),Kinky Boots (June 19 – 25), 1776 (June 27 – July 3), Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella (July 8 – 16), Footloose (July 18 – 24), Lerner and Loewe’s Paint Your Wagon (July 27 – August 2) and Roald Dahl’s Matilda (August 5 – 11). For more information, visit muny.org.

Season tickets are currently on sale. Single tickets will be available beginning May 6. Muny gift cards for the 101st season are now available online and at The Muny Box Office. For more information, visit muny.org or call (314) 361-1900.

For updates and information regarding The Muny’s Second Century Capital Campaign, please click here.

World Wide Technology (WWT) and The Steward Family Foundation became the first overall season sponsor in the history of The Muny in 2014. They are committed to continuing in this role with their leadership gift as The Muny’s 2019 Season Presenting Sponsor.

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LGP’s ‘Frost/Nixon,’ Columbia’s ‘Curious Incident’ and Clayton’s ‘Brighton Beach Memoirs’ win at AFL’s Theatre Mask Awards

LGP’s ‘Frost/Nixon,’ Columbia’s ‘Curious Incident’ and Clayton’s ‘Brighton Beach Memoirs’ win at AFL’s Theatre Mask Awards

By Lynn Venhaus
Managing Editor

Looking Glass Playhouse’s “Frost/Nixon,” a political drama based on a series of televised interviews between a disgraced president and a British journalist, was the big winner at the fourth annual Theatre Mask Awards.

The 43-year-old theater in Lebanon, Ill., earned four awards for Peter Morgan’s 2006 play, including outstanding drama production (tie), and for director Glenn Saltamachia, supporting actor Mike Russell (as Reston) and large ensemble.

A sold-out crowd of 265 attended the Arts For Life event on April 6, a brunch celebration in the Atrium Banquet Center at Christian Northeast Hospital. Awards were presented in 18 categories and Kevin Frakes of the Alton Little Theater received the Lifetime Achievement Award.

AFL honored plays produced by St. Louis area community theaters during the 2018 calendar year. The non-profit organization has sponsored awards for musical theater in community and youth productions for 20 years. AFL organized the TMAs in 2015 to recognize dramas and comedies.

Sharing in Outstanding Drama Production was the local premiere of “The Curious Incident with the Dog in the Night-time” by Actors’ Attic in Columbia, Ill.

The play is about a gifted math genius with Asperger’s syndrome who begins a journey of self-discovery when he starts investigating the neighbor’s dog’s death. Simon Stephen’s acclaimed 2012 adaptation of Mark Haddon’s 2003 novel earned seven Olivier Awards and the 2015 Tony Award for Best Play.

Actors’ Attic’s two leading performers, Dan Haller and Emily Brutton, won outstanding actor and actress. Haller said it was a privilege to play Christopher, who is also the narrator, while Brutton played his primary school teacher Siobhan. Actors’ Attic, lead by MaryBeth Babcock, has produced plays for 10 years and joined the TMAs last year.

Haller said the awards event was inspiring and thanked everyone for working in theater because they love it.

“You do theater for the love of doing theater, and that’s the best reason to do it,” Haller said.

Brutton thanked director Babcock for “always knowing how a story needs to be told.”

“People follow their dreams because of her,” she said.

Clayton Community Theatre’s production of Neil Simon’s “Brighton Beach Memoirs” won three awards, including outstanding comedy production and for actor Patrick Blanner as Eugene and director Sam Hack. CCT, founded in 1998, plans to produce Simon’s entire Eugene trilogy, is working on “Biloxi Blues” now and will present “Broadway Bound” next year.

Clayton’s production of William Inge’s ‘Bus Stop” won for outstanding large ensemble.

Both Outstanding Lead Actors in a Drama and a Comedy were under 20 years old — Haller is 19 and Blanner is 18.

Other multiple winners included O’Fallon TheatreWorks’ play version of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby,” which won two — supporting actress for Tori Stukins, who played Daisy’s society friend Jordan Baker, and costume design for Carole Lanham.

The drama “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” received awards for two different theater groups’ productions. Alton Little Theater’s show won lighting design for Lee Cox and Dennis R. Stephenson and the O’Fallon Theatre Works’ play won set design for Chris and Ellie Lanham.

Chris Lanham said working behind-the-scenes is a “labor of love,” quipping it’s really “mostly labor.”

Alton Little Theater also won outstanding actress in a comedy – Alison Beach as the frustrated daughter dealing with other people in line for her late billionaire father’s fortune in “Who’s in Bed with the Butler?”

Beach said the year before, she had auditioned for many shows and had been turned down. After one tryout at Alton, director Lee Cox took the time to explain to her why she didn’t get a part.

“I assured her it mattered. She gave me the strength to keep auditioning,” she said.

The Theatre Guild of Webster Groves was honored with three acting awards. Kaylee Ryan won outstanding juvenile performance in “The Children’s Hour” while Will Shaw won supporting actor in a comedy as bar patron Gaston in Steve Martin’s “Picasso at the Lapin Agile”” and Sarah Hirshfield won supporting actress in a comedy as Carol, the only female writer, in Neil Simon’s “Laughter on the 23rd Floor.”

Mike Russell, a past AFL nominee, won Outstanding Supporting Actor for his portrayal of James Reston Jr., an American author and government official who served as David Frost’s Watergate advisor for the Nixon interview. In “Frost/Nixon,” he also served as narrator. In his speech, he thanked LGP for taking a risk on the show “in today’s political climate.”

Kevin Frakes, current president of Alton Little Theater and longtime actor, director, set designer and mentor, received the Lifetime Achievement Award.

He joined the group, founded in 1933, 40 years ago. With his vision and hard work, the theater has grown into a creative center for the performing arts, presenter Lee Cox said.

“(Theater) changed my life and made me face my weaknesses. It made me a stronger, better person because of it,” he said.

Frakes told how he got into theater, and one of the reasons was to be accepted, for he was from a poor and abusive family.

KLOU (103.3 FM) radio personality Vic Porcelli, who also acts in local productions, again served as the master of ceremonies, returning for the fourth time. Grace Boyer and Kailynn Stiff were the trophy presenters.

The TMAs include participation by 10 area theater companies. A judges panel scored 12 dramas and 13 comedies to determine the nominations, which are announced at the annual AFL trivia night, and the eventual winners. A large ensemble is nine or more people in the cast.

TMA Chair is Glenn Guillermo and the Steering Committee is 26 people affiliated with the participating theater companies. The Judges Panel includes 42 volunteers.

“I am proud of the dedication of the TMA Steering Committee and Director Glenn Guillermo,” said AFL President Mary McCreight. “The AFL Board of Directors congratulates all participants/nominees in last year’s shows. I am happy to see the TMAs thriving and creating a niche for yourselves in the theater community.”

The AFL’s 20th annual Best Performance Awards will take place on Sunday, June 9, at 2 p.m. at the Skip Viragh Center for the Performing Arts on the campus of Chaminade College Preparatory School, 425 S. Lindbergh Blvd.

The musical theater awards reflect the work of 25 companies who produced 48 musicals – 21 large ensemble, 7 small ensemble and 20 youth productions. Two special youth awards will be presented to Caroline Santiago Turner for “Violet” (Best Youth Musical Performance) and Sean Harvey as Bobby in “Crazy For You” (Best Youth Featured Dancer), both works by the Gateway Center for the Performing Arts.
The Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to Joe Paule Sr. Local professional actor Ryan Cooper is the returning master of ceremonies.
Reserved tickets will be available for $20 until May 10, then tickets are $25. Formal attire is requested.

For more information, visit www.artsforlife.org

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Silly Shenanigans Ensue in Two-Man Tour De Force ‘Popcorn Falls’

Silly Shenanigans Ensue in Two-Man Tour De Force ‘Popcorn Falls’

By Lynn Venhaus
Managing Editor

Spry actors Joe Hanrahan and Shane Signorino slip into 21 different characters to play the denizens of “Popcorn Falls,” a daffy mix of vignettes designed to showcase performers’ strengths while paying tribute to small-town personalities – and the power of theater.

This average American town, whose residents prefer to be called ‘kernels,’ has seen better days, and is in danger of bankruptcy because their waterfall has dried up, no thanks to a new dam. Without their claim to fame, tourists and commerce has vanished. But a greedy corporation is ready to pounce, with plans to demolish the town and turn it into a sewage treatment center. Can the town be saved?

Because of an old arts grant, they can get enough money – but writing and producing the play must be done in a week — despite the lack of a theater and experienced thespians. Shades of Blaine, Missouri, the center of “Waiting for Guffman.” Or Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland practicing in a barn – “Hey kids! Let’s put on a show!”

Can this absurd solution work?

Sure, if our dynamic duo of intrepid mayor (Hanrahan) and loyal custodian (Signorino) be the heroes and rally the town with the grant money dangling before them. But in the bigger picture, can art save the world?

You can clearly figure out playwright James Hindman’s thought process. While the optimism is unwavering in this 2017 off-Broadway comedy, the farcical material isn’t as amusing as the portrayals.

I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Popcorn Falls resembles other quirky fictional settings that evoke warm and humorous memories – Stars Hollow, Mayberry, Greater Tuna, Bedford Falls – heck, even “Frostbite Falls” from “The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle.” It provides the basis for wacky characters and nutty situations, even if it’s derivative.

The pairing of Hanrahan and Signorino is inspired, with their skills and talent enough to convincingly conjure up a cadre of zany townsfolk.

Hanrahan’s Ted Trundle, the beleaguered new mayor on the verge of divorce, shares quite an interesting backstory. He is counting on the neighboring county’s budget committee to bail them out, and enthusiastically gathers folks at the library to cobble together the plot. Well, this turns into a free-for-all what-did-I-get-myself-into scenario.

Signorino’s main man is head custodian Joe, who is shown at work and at home. He frets about supporting his growing family if the town goes belly-up. He also transforms into the majority of characters – including a female bartender at The Sudsy Mug (as does Hanrahan), her precocious young daughter, the dramatic cat-lady librarian who fancies herself an actress, the snaky corrupt county official, dim but well-meaning sheriff, the one-armed owner of the lumber yard, and a chain-smoking middle-school teacher with a vivid imagination. Hanrahan portrays the local mortician who wants to act in the show.

Both stalwarts of the local theater community, Hanrahan and Signorino work together in the manner of classic comedy duos, manic improv pairs and old-timey vaudeville/variety acts. They know how to work a crowd, with Hanrahan basically the straight man to Signorino’s goofy multitudes, and can easily switch into various roles.

In an impressive turn, Signorino rises to the demand of performing all his characters during the original play’s dress rehearsal.

Instead of costume changes, the characters are distinguished by vocal adjustments, attitudes, posture, and perhaps a hat or accessory or prop.

This is the kind of show The Midnight Company excels at, usually one-acts with little frills but ambitious and often unique and interesting material, realized by a strong but small cast. Director Sarah Whitney has deftly guided the pair for maximum madcap effect.

If at any time it is confusing, that’s the fault of the thin script and not the nimble actors. Hanrahan is nearly in view the entire time while Signorino rushes about to accommodate the others. The pair seemed to be having fun — but the parts are a challenge because of the fast pace.

The simple staging in the Kranzberg Center’s black box gives the men a small space to fill with their clever characterizations in the well-worn “play within a play” format.

Chuck Winning has designed a functional bare-bones set, replicating a budget-strapped town hall meeting room. Scene changes are announced on a small blackboard, and it would help to clean the board every night, for the layers of chalk dust make it difficult to read the later scenes.

Tony Anselmo created a straightforward lighting design that works well within the small confines.

Even though the material is lightweight, Hanrahan and Signorino do considerable heavy-lifting, and they muster enough charm to sell it, along with their sincerity and veteran work ethic. Now, if only the squirrels wouldn’t chomp on the town hall wires because Popcorn Falls can’t afford traps.

The Midnight Company presents “Popcorn Falls” Thursday through Saturday at 8 p.m., March 28 – April 13, in the Kranzberg Arts Center blackbox theater. Tickets are available through MetroTix.com. For more information, visit www.midnightcompany.com The play is performed without an intermission and is 85 minutes long.

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