Go See a Play! What’s Happening April 5 – 11

Go See a Play! What’s Happening April 5 – 11

By Lynn Venhaus
Managing Editor

It’s opening day for our St. Louis Cardinals, but also new plays are offered this weekend, with a selection of plays currently in rotation and those making their final runs this weekend. Ah, the riches of what’s available- comedy, drama, musical, Shakespeare and new to St. Louis shows!

Go, Cards! And GO SEE A PLAY.

“Daddy Long Legs”
Insight Theatre Company
March 28 – April 14
Thursday through Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.
The Marcelle Theatre in Grand Center
www.insighttheatrecompany.com
314-556-1293

What It’s About: Based on the classic novel, which inspired the 1955 movie starring Fred Astaire, Daddy Long Legs is a beloved tale in the spirit of Jane Austen, The Brontë Sisters and “Downton Abbey. Daddy Long Legs features music and lyrics by Tony Award-nominated composer/lyricist, Paul Gordon (Jane Eyre), and Tony-winning librettist/director, John Caird (Les Misérables), and is a “rags-to-riches” tale of newfound love.

Director: Maggie Ryan

Starring: Jennier Theby Quinn, Terry Barber

“Dreamgirls”
Stray Dog Theatre
April 4 -20, Thursday – Saturday 8 p.m.
Tower Grove Abbey
2336 Tennessee
www.straydogtheatre.org
314-865-1995

What It’s About: In the 1960s, the Dreamettes, led by the powerful Effie White, embark on an R&B music career that leads them across the country. Romantic entanglements, Effie’s weight, racism, and the arrival of a fresh new sound in the 1970s are part of this showbiz hit (a fictional nod to The Supremes and Motown).

Director: Justin Been

Starring: Ebony Easter, Eleanor Humphrey, Abraham Shaw, Omega D. Jones, Tateonna Thompson, Don McClendon, Marshall Jennings, Robert Crenshaw, Lawrence J. Haliburton, Tony L. Marr Jr., Chris Moore, Chrissie Watkins, Jazmine Wade, Margery Handy, Chasity Cook, Rahnesha Holmes, Sierra Smith, Laurell Stevenson, Diamon Lester, Kanisha Kellum, Malaika Pedzayl-Ferguson, Ashley Santana

“Is He Dead?”
Monroe Actors Stage Company
April 5-14
Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m.; 2:30 p.m. Sunday
Historic Capitol Theatre in downtown Waterloo, Ill.
www.masctheatre.com
618-939-7469

What It’s About:

Director: Zona Ludlum

Starring:

Of Note: Special $5 student performance on Thursday, April 11

“A New Brain”
Hawthorne Players
April 5-6, 12-14
7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 2 p.m. April 14
Florissant Civic Center
http://www.hawthorneplayers.info/
314-921-5678

What It’s About: By the Tony Award-winning authors of Falsettos, this musical is an energetic, sardonic, often comical story about a composer during a medical emergency. Gordon collapses into his lunch and awakes in the hospital, surrounded by his maritime-enthusiast lover, his mother, a co-worker, the doctor, and the nurses. Reluctantly, he had been composing a song for a children’s television show that features a frog – Mr. Bungee – and the specter of this large green character and the unfinished work haunts him throughout his medical ordeal. What was thought to be a tumor turns out to be something more operable, and Gordon recovers, grateful for a chance to compose the songs he yearns to produce.

Director: Stephen Peirick, with music direction by Colin Healy

Starring: Danny Brown, Joel Brown, Stephen Henley,
Chadly Konner Jourdyn, Chris Kernan, John Kuehn, Laura Kyro, Kay Love, Stephanie Merritt, Bradley Rohlf, Dawn Schmid

“Othello”
St. Louis Shakespeare
April 5 – 13
Tower Grove Church
4257 Magnolia
Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m.; Thursday and Sunday, April 7 at 7:30 p.m.
www.stlshakespeare.org

What It’s About: In Venice, at the start of Othello, the soldier Iago announces his hatred for his commander, Othello, a Moor. Othello has promoted Cassio, not Iago, to be his lieutenant.
Iago crudely informs Brabantio, Desdemona’s father, that Othello and Desdemona have eloped. Before the Venetian Senate, Brabantio accuses Othello of bewitching Desdemona. The Senators wish to send Othello to Cyprus, which is under threat from Turkey. They bring Desdemona before them. She tells of her love for Othello, and the marriage stands. The Senate agrees to let her join Othello in Cyprus.

In Cyprus, Iago continues to plot against Othello and Cassio. He lures Cassio into a drunken fight, for which Cassio loses his new rank; Cassio, at Iago’s urging, then begs Desdemona to intervene. Iago uses this and other ploys—misinterpreted conversations, insinuations, and a lost handkerchief—to convince Othello that Desdemona and Cassio are lovers. Othello goes mad with jealousy and later smothers Desdemona on their marriage bed, only to learn of Iago’s treachery. He then kills himself.

Director: Patrice Foster

Starring: Reginald Pierre, Bridgette Bassa, Cynthia Pohlson, Phil Leveling, Jesse Munoz, Brad Kinzel, Will Pendergast, Mike Stephens, Hillary Gokenbach, Victor Mendez, Lisa Hinrichs and Cece Day

Of Note: It takes place in modern Venice and Cyprus. Othello is a powerful exploration of the human condition and the disaster that can arise from our emotions. Trust is eroded and innocence is corrupted in this tragic tale of manipulation and jealousy. Featuring live jazz, this exciting, new take on one of Shakespeare’s darkest plays is not one to miss.

“Photograph 51”
West End Players Guild
April 5 – 13
Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., Sunday at 2 p.m., Thursday April 11 at 8 p.m.
Union Avenue Christian Church
733 North Union
314-367-0025
www.westendplayersguild.org

What It’s About: Anna Ziegler’s “Photograph 51” is a moving portrait of Rosalind Franklin, one of the great female scientists of the 20th century, and her fervid drive to map the contours of the DNA molecule. A chorus of physicists relives the chase, revealing the largely-unsung achievements of this trail-blazing, fiercely independent woman – largely-unsung because the men usually credited with cracking the DNA code, James Watson and Francis Crick, did so by “borrowing” Franklin’s most important discovery.

Director: Ellie Schwetye

Starring: Nicole Angeli, Ben Ritchie, John Wolbers, Will Bonfiglio, Ryan Lawson-Maeske, Alex Fyles.

“The Play That Goes Wrong”
The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
March 15 – April 7
Loretto-Hilton Center, 130 Edgar Road
www.repstl.org
Box Office: 314-968-4925

What It’s About: Calamity, disaster, fiasco: whichever word you’d like to choose, the opening night performance of “The Murder at Haversham Manor” has gone decidedly wrong. A maelstrom of madcap madness ensues, complete with collapsing scenery, unconscious actors and a stage crew pushed to the brink. Will The Rep survive this train wreck of a play? Come find out!

Director: Melissa Rain Anderson

Cast: Ka-Leung Cheung, Ryan George, Benjamin Curns, Michael Keyloun, Ruth Pferdehirt, Matthew McGloin, John Rapson and Evan Zes.

Of Note: The Rep’s production is the first stand-alone production outside of New York and London. The Broadway run was extended, and now there is a 12-city national tour underway, but this is not a touring show.

“Popcorn Falls”
The Midnight Company
March 28 – April 13
Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays at 8 p.m.
Kranzberg Arts Center black box theatre
www.midnightcompany.com

What It’s About: Two actors take on 21 characters in a struggling small town. They decided to put on a play!

Director: Sarah Whitney

Starring: Joe Hanrahan, Shane Signorino

Of Note: This one-act by James Hindman is presented without an intermission.

“Time Stands Still”
New Jewish Theatre
March 28 – April 14
www.newjewishtheatre.org
Box Office: 314-447-3283

Starring: Wendy Greenwood, Ben Nordstrom, Jerry Vogel, Eileen Engel

What It’s About: In this play, a top photojournalist recovers from a near-fatal roadside bomb blast as her long-term relationship with a reporter undergoes its own test of survival. Donald Margulies, whose widely admired plays, Sight Unseen and Collected Stories uncovered the personal wounds inflicted on the battlefronts of art and fiction writing, now takes as his subject a creative couple who have met, worked and loved amid the all too real, mortal combat of the Middle East.

“Waitress”
The Fabulous Fox Theatre
March 26 – April 7
www.fabulousfox.com

What It’s About: The musical tells the story of Jenna – a waitress and expert pie maker, Jenna dreams of a way out of her small town and loveless marriage. A baking contest in a nearby county and the town’s new doctor may offer her a chance at a fresh start, while her fellow waitresses offer their own recipes for happiness. But Jenna must summon the strength and courage to rebuild her own life.

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Carole King’s Joyous ‘Beautiful’ Is Voice of Generation

By Lynn Venhaus
Managing Editor

Legendary singer-songwriter Carole King’s joyous and wistful music is the sound of a generation and her remarkable life story parallels the evolution of women in the 1960s and 1970s.

How she found her voice is chronicled in the wildly popular long-running show, “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical,” now on tour at the Fox Theatre in St. Louis for a limited engagement March 12 – 17. The show celebrated its fifth anniversary on Broadway in January.

It’s easy to love this smartly constructed show – compelling rise to stardom story and a glorious score bursting with catchy pop songs. Carole’s character goes through a tremendous amount of growth (and hairstyle changes), so she’s relatable and sympathetic.

Sarah Bockel immerses herself in the role, making a believable transformation from insecure but talented teen into a strong independent woman.

The smooth and crisp production is just as much about the beginnings of rock ‘n roll – the tunes that had a good beat and we could dance to it, as a young Carole was part of the hit machine at the Brill Building, hired by producer Don Kirshner. Her husband, Gerry Goffin, was the lyricist while she wrote the melodies, and the string of hits kept coming.

A wonderful nostalgia is evoked when The Drifters, The Shirelles, Little Eva and other recording artists perform their hit songs, a vivacious blast from the past that strikes a chord: “Up on the Roof,” “One Fine Day,” “The Locomotion,” and “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow” among them.

John Michael Dias, who was on the first tour at the Fox, and Paul Scanlan as The Righteous Brothers delivered a rousing, soulful “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling.”

The recognition factor to those chart-toppers is high, and the emotional connection to the story is immediate.

Douglas McGrath’s witty and warm book showcases plenty of heart and humor. In addition to Bockel’s affability and believability, Dylan S. Wallach conveys the hard-working early years as well as the pressures of the business that overtook the talented but troubled Gerry.

A supportive sisterhood was in full force opening night, as whoops, hollers and cheers met every “Attagirl!” woman empowerment line in the second act, when Carole emerges from divorce as a solo artist.

Her landmark 1971 album, “Tapestry,” which sold over 25 million copies, won Grammys for Best Record, Song and Album of the Year. It is still one of the bestselling albums of all-time, and the longest Billboard run by a female artist.

My generation knows every single word — still, and showed appreciation Tuesday night, for it was a true lovefest, along with a sentimental flashback to our youth, and a delightful walk down memory lane.

It’s a thrilling, magical moment when Carole decides to sing her own material and tries out ‘It’s Too Late” at the Bitter End.

Another key to this show’s success is because it isn’t just about Carole. Songwriting partners Cynthia Weil (Alison Whitehurst) and Barry Mann (hilarious Jacob Heimer), who were also at work, literally next door, are an integral part of the story. The foursome’s good-natured competitiveness resulted in many standards that defined the rock era, and it’s a sweet reflection on good friendships as well.

The strong cast embodies well-drawn characters. James Clow plays a significant mentor — producer Don Kirshner as both a boss and as a caring friend. Suzanne Grodner reprised her role as Carole’s supportive but nagging mom,

Director Marc Bruni, who has worked at The Muny eight times, kept the focus on the relationships and the work, as the couples go through the changing times of the 1960s. He made sure the show flowed well, with an up-tempo for the most part.

The production team captured the era well. The show isn’t only for Baby Boomers, it is for anyone who loves music and can identify with Carole’s progression. The musical celebrates the music that played in her head with style, rhythm and passion.

“Beautiful: The Carole King Musical” is on national tour, and playing at the Fox Theatre in St. Louis March 12-17. For more information, visit www.fabulousfox.com. For tickets, visit www.MetroTix.com or call 1-314-534-1111.

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Go See a Play! What’s Happening March 21 – 27

Go See a Play! What’s Happening March 21 – 27

By Lynn Venhaus
Managing Editor

Upstairs or downstairs at the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, you will be rewarded. It just depends what you are in the mood for — non-stop hilarity or thoughtful drama-romance. Why not see them both? This is the last weekend for the exquisite “Nonsense and Beauty” and the second weekend of the smash hit “The Play That Goes Wrong,” which runs through April 7.

The theater schedule is light right now, after all, there is Spring Break and awards to give out, so many rehearsals are underway for the shows to debut next week or the first week of April

In the meantime, if you haven’t seen “La Cage Aux Folles,” head to the Marcelle for quite a treat — New Line Theatre delivers the fun, with Zak Farmer’s tour-de-force performance a must-see.

The youth theater production, “Newsies” opens in St. Charles and Alpha Players of Florissant continues with the comedy “My Three Angels.”

Go see a play! And come to the St.Louis Theater Circle Awards Monday night at the Loretto Hilton to see excellence in regional theater in 2018 recognized and lots o’ good theater celebrated.

“La Cage Aux Folles”
New Line Theatre
Feb. 28 – March 23
Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m.
Marcelle Theater, 3310 Samuel Shepard Drive
www.newlinetheatre.com

Tickets: MetroTix.com

What It’s About: What happens when the son of a middle-aged gay couple brings home the daughter of an arch-conservative politician — and her parents — for dinner? Musical comedy ensues.

“La Cage Aux Folles” takes place on the French Riviera for a night of love, laughs, illusions and truths, and the triumph of family over bullies and bigots.

Based on the 1973 French play and its 1978 film adaptation, “La Cage Aux Folles” tells the story of a middle-aged show business couple, grappling with aging, fidelity, kids, and holding on to their dignity when the world around them would rather strip it away. At the center is Georges, a St. Tropez nightclub owner, and his husband Albin, who is also the club’s erratic headliner Zaza. When Georges’ son gets engaged to the daughter of a right-wing politician, we see the politics and culture wars of 2019, at their most ridiculous and most fevered, onstage right in front of us.

Director: Scott Miller and Mike Dowdy-Windsor, with music direction by Nicolas Valdez and choreography by Michelle Sauer and Sara Rae Womack.

Starring: Zachary Allen Farmer (Albin/Zaza), Robert Doyle (Georges), Kevin Corpuz (Jean-Michel), Tielere Cheatem (Jacob), Zora Vredeveld (Anne), Kent Coffel (M. Dindon), Mara Bollini (Mme. Dindon), Lindsey Jones (Jacqueline), Joel Hackbarth (Francis), and as the notorious Cagelles – Jake Blonstein, Dominic Dowdy-Windsor, Evan Fornachon, Tim Kaniecki, Clayton Humburg, and Ian McCreary..

Of Note: In its original 1983 production, the show was a safely old-fashioned musical comedy. But in its 2008 London revival and 2010 Broadway revival, the show was transformed from a lightweight comedy into a more serious story with a lot of laughs.

The original 1983 Broadway production ran four years and 1,761 performances. The show received nine Tony nominations and won six, including Best Musical, Best Score and Best Book — beating out Sondheim’s Sunday in the Park with George. It’s been revived on Broadway and in London multiple times.

“My Three Angels”
Alpha Players of Florissant
March 15, 16, 22-24
The Florissant Civic Center Theater, Parker Rd. at Waterford Dr.  alphaplayers.org,
314-921-5678.

“Newsies”
Young People’s Theatre
March 22 – 24, March 29-31
St. Charles Community College
Stage Theatre in Donald D. Shook Fine Arts Building
4601 Mid Rivers Mall Drive, Cottleville, Mo.
https://www.stchas.edu/community-resources/lifelong-learning/youth-programs-camps/young-peoples-theatre

What It’s About: Jack Kelly is a charismatic newsboy and leader of a band of teenaged “newsies.” When titans of publishing raise distribution prices at the newsboys’ expense, Jack rallies newsies from across the city to strike against the unfair conditions. They fight for what is right and seize the day!

“Nonsense and Beauty”
The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
Emerson Studio Theatre
March 6 – 24
www.repstl.org
314-968-4925

What It’s About: In 1930, the writer E.M. Forster met and fell in love with a policeman 23 years his junior. Their relationship, very risky for its time, evolved into a 40-year love triangle that was both turbulent and unique. Based on a true story, Nonsense and Beauty captures the wit and wisdom of one of the last century’s great writers. This world premiere was developed as part of The Rep’s 2018 Ignite! Festival of New Plays.

Director: Seth Gordon

Starring: Jeffrey Hayenga, Robbie Simpson, John Feltch, Lori Vega and
Donna Weinsting.

“The Play That Goes Wrong”
The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
March 15 – April 7
Loretto-Hilton Center, 130 Edgar Road
www.repstl.org
Box Office: 314-968-4925

What It’s About: Calamity, disaster, fiasco: whichever word you’d like to choose, the opening night performance of “The Murder at Haversham Manor” has gone decidedly wrong. A maelstrom of madcap madness ensues, complete with collapsing scenery, unconscious actors and a stage crew pushed to the brink. Will The Rep survive this train wreck of a play? Come find out!

Director: Melissa Rain Anderson

Cast: Ka-Leung Cheung, Ryan George, Benjamin Curns, Michael Keyloun, Ruth Pferdehirt, Matthew McGloin, John Rapson and Evan Zes.

Of Note: The Rep’s production is the first stand-alone production outside of New York and London. The Broadway run was extended, and now there is a 12-city national tour underway, but this is not a touring show.

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Penguin Highway

Penguin Highway

The Plot:

Not to be confused with Disneynature’s “Penguins,” this sci-fi coming-of-age animated feature starts out with penguins on the loose in a suburb far from Antarctica and then has kid geniuses trying to solve this mysterious occurrence.

Lynn’s Take:

One of the most enchanting anime features, “Penguin Highway” has surprises around every corner. Its magical quality has as much to do with its unexplained phenomena storyline as its endearing pre-teen heroes.

Fourth grader Aoyama has 3,888 more days until he is an adult and he fills them with adventure. He is joined by several school chums and that begins an unforgettable summer of scientific discovery.

An adaptation of Tomihiko Morimi’s best-seller, the movie unfolds like one terrific young adult novel, with smart kids and keen characters. How they are all woven, randomly it seems, into this story is another mystery.

Both the story and the artwork are rich in details and beautifully woven together. But it does not unfold at the fast pace of slick American animation, for this story has far more layers than we’re usually accustomed to with the fluffy whiz-bang U.S. offerings.

The film was nominated for the Japan Academy Prize for Animation of the Year and won the Axis: The Satoshi Kon Award for Excellence in Animation Award at the Fantasia International Film Festival.

It’s of such top-notch quality and fascinating whimsy that I had to look twice to see if it was a Studio Ghibli film. Eleven Arts Anime Studio of Los Angeles is the distributor, and this will put them on the map. This is director Hiriyasu Ishida’s first feature, although he is acclaimed for shorts.

Of note: The film does not start in St. Louis until Monday, April 22. And it does feature some mature content.

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Local Producers Found ‘Beautiful’ Success With Carole King Musical

Local Producers Found ‘Beautiful’ Success With Carole King Musical

Former Muny Executive Director Paul Blake and Associate Producer Mike Bosner Left St. Louis for New York and Have a Tony-winning Show still running on Broadway

By Lynn Venhaus
Managing Editor

After Paul Blake listed “Carole King Musical” on a Muny survey one summer and it received only a few votes, he worried if the in-the-works “Beautiful” would draw an audience. His fretting was all for naught, as the musical recently celebrated its fifth anniversary on Broadway and is currently on its second national tour.

The Tony and Grammy Award-winning “Beautiful – the Carole King Musical” returns to the Fox Theatre for a limited engagement March 12-17.

“I am thrilled that ‘Beautiful’ continues to delight and entertain audiences around the globe, in England, Japan and Australia. We are entering our fourth amazing year of touring the U.S.,” Producer Paul Blake said. “We are so grateful that over five million audience members have been entertained by our celebration of Carole’s story and her timeless music.”

Being the head producer on “Beautiful” has been a dream-come-true experience, he said. Blake took a leap of faith when a record executive contacted him with the idea. And the rest, as they say, is history.

From their New York office, Blake and his co-producer Mike Bosner, a St. Louis native, recently talked about the show’s success, their producing partnership, and what they have in the works.

Blake was the executive director of The Muny for 22 seasons, stepping down in 2011. While at the Muny, he created two Broadway musicals from popular movies, “White Christmas” and “Roman Holiday,” so setting up shop in New York after his years here was a natural progress.

Bosner was an associate producer at the Muny for five seasons. Before he graduated fom John Burroughs high school, Wayne Salomon, his theater director, told him about a Saint Louis University internship at the Muny in the production office. Working in the business world of theater was where he wanted to be, and now, he’s an official Tony-nominated Broadway producer.

They are two motivated guys.

“We really love what we do. When you love what you do, it doesn’t seem like work,” Bosner said.

They are currently working on a couple of new shows, not at liberty to say what, but will always have a special place in their heart for “Beautiful.”

“This was something special,” Bosner said.

“We are very lucky it has delighted audiences for over five years – around the world,” Black said.

They work hard putting together shows – ‘So many things to do!” Blake said, but they wouldn’t have it any other way. “It’s very fulfilling what we’ve chosen to do.”

He credits the Muny experience for keeping them on their toes.

“If I wouldn’t have done the Muny, I couldn’t get these shows together. It all comes together because we have that experience,” he said. “We learned how to put the best people together at the Muny.”

Since the tour’s launch in September 2015, “Beautiful” has played 1,130 performances in 82 cities over 142 weeks to nearly 2.5 million patrons.

Singer-songwriter Carole King’s true-life rise to stardom is a tailor-made follow-your-dreams story. The chart-topping music legend grew up in Brooklyn and then fought her way into the record business as a teenager. By the time she was in her 20s, she was married to college classmate Gerry Goffin and was flourishing as a songwriter in the fabled Brill Building, churning out hits for the biggest rock ‘n roll acts.

It wasn’t until her personal life unraveled that she finally managed to find her true voice, culminating in her landmark solo “Tapestry” album in 1971, which won four Grammys – including Record, Song and Album of the Year — and went on to be one of the greatest selling albums of all-time.

One of the most successful acts in music history, Carole wrote the soundtrack to a generation. The “Beautiful” music includes “I Feel the Earth Move,” “One Fine Day,” “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow,” “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” “You’ve Got A Friend,” “So Far Away,” the title song and many more.

So, Blake was surprised when there wasn’t much love for it on the end-of-season “What Shows Would You Like to See at the Muny?” survey.

“I was shocked. There was no recognition. I used to put on the survey shows that didn’t exist, like “White Christmas” – it got six votes and “Roman Holiday,” which got eight,” he said.

Blake made his debut as a Broadway producer with “Irving Berlin’s White Christmas,” which opened in 2009. The musical adaptation of the holiday movie classic had premiered at the Muny in 2000. The show had a second Broadway run, and has turned into a popular seasonal show at theaters around the country.

“It endures because it’s terrifically entertaining,” he said. “It’s one of the most requested musicals.”

“Paramount Pictures had hired me to create musicals from their film catalogue. I picked two – White Christmas and Roman Holiday,” Blake said.

He and Bosner have re-worked “Roman Holiday,” which will be coming to Broadway. It had a successful tryout in San Francisco last year. But before that, it was at the Muny about 12 years ago.

“These things don’t happen overnight,” Blake said. “We feel we have it right now – it needed some work. It has songs by Cole Porter. We have always thought it felt like a stage musical,” he said.

“Roman Holiday” is an Oscar-winning movie starring Audrey Hepburn as a Princess who escapes her confines and explores Rome with journalist Gregory Peck. Hepburn won Best Actress, Dalton Trumbo won Best Story and Edith Head won Best Costumes.

It’s on to the next project, but Blake recalls all the effort that went into making “Beautiful” sparkle.

Bosner said they began working on it in 2009.

“It took five years of talking and trying to get the contracts settled,” Blake said.

“So, after it got 6 votes, I wondered if there was an audience for it, but when making ‘Beautiful,’ everyone seemed to know how to do it. Let’s hope it works, I thought,” Blake said.

“At our very first reading, I asked Disney Theatrical Group president Thomas Schumacher to come and give us his thoughts. He told me: ‘You have made a ‘Jersey Boys’ for women.’”

Carole King was reluctant to see her life played out publicly, but she gave permission.

“She saw what we were trying to do. She said, ‘I trust you,’ I see where you’re going,’ but she did not want to be involved. She went away. It was hard for her,” Blake said.

“Four months after we opened, we heard from her. We had sent her the script. Carole is all about the truth. She went to see the show. She was stunned. She’s been great.  She let us know she supports us totally and fully,” Blake said.

“She performed at The Tonys. She came to New York City for the fifth anniversary (Jan. 12). No one knew she was going to be there. They were filming for CBS and we wanted to have the surprise moment be on camera, so we didn’t tell the cast. It was sensational,” Blake said.

It wouldn’t be the only time he’s heard that. For women of a certain age, the music is a walk down memory lane that has them on their feet at the curtain call, singing loudly to “I Feel the Earth Move.”

First and foremost was the music – beloved songs written by the husband-and-wife hit machine teams of Gerry Goffin and Carole King, and Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil.

“It had a bunch of great songs, catchy pop tunes,” Blake said. “We got the rights, and then Douglas McGrath (a Tony and Academy Award nominee) put the Brill Building in the book, and that makes it a story. Doug’s book is so under-appreciated. It is a great book.”

Director Marc Bruni, who has directed at the Muny eight times, “Singin’ in the Rain,” “My Fair Lady,” “Thoroughly Modern Millie,” “The Music Man” and “The Sound of Music,” made his Broadway debut with “Beautiful.” He has since helmed the new production of ‘Roman Holiday.”

The show opened Jan. 12, 2014, on Broadway at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre, 125 West 43 Street, where it is still playing. It broke all box office records there and recently became the theatre’s highest grossing production in its history.

“Beautiful” was nominated for seven Tony Awards in 2014, including Best Musical, and won two – for Best Lead Actress in a Musical (Jessie Mueller) and Best Sound Design.

“We were so proud of the show as is, so the nominations were the icing on the cake,” Bosner said.

The Original Broadway Cast Recording of “Beautiful – The Carole King Musical” (Ghostlight Records) won the 2015 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album and is available on CD, digitally, and on vinyl.

“When asked about the show, nobody says they like it. Everyone says they love it. There’s a lot of love there, and that’s powerful,” Blake had said after the Tony nominations.

In addition to the current Broadway and North American Touring productions, “Beautiful” is also playing internationally, with productions in Japan, Australia and touring the UK.  An award-winning production recently concluded its run in London’s West End after opening on Feb. 25, 2015.

“We saw it in Japan. It was wonderful,” Blake said.

The producers are now working on a movie version of the musical.

“It’s in pre-production, might be one and half, two years. We have a draft of a screenplay. The contract is drying as we speak,” Blake said.

The cast of the Sony/ATV Music Publishing-sponsored North American tour includes Sarah Bockel as Carole King, Dylan S. Wallach as Gerry Goffin, Alison Whitehurst as Cynthia Weil, Jacob Heimer as Barry Mann, Muny alum James Clow as Don Kirshner and Suzanne Grodner as Genie Klein.

The ensemble includes Ben Biggers, Darius Delk, John Michael Dias, Leandra Ellis-Gaston, Kaylee Harwood, Willie Hill, Alia Hodge, James Michael Lambert, Harper Miles, Dimitri Joseph Moïse, Ashley Morgan, Deon Releford-Lee, Nathan Andrew Riley, Paul Scanlan, DeAnne Stewart, Danielle J. Summons, Alexis Tidwell and Elise Vannerson.

The creative team includes Derek McLane (Set Design), Alejo Vietti (Costume Design), Peter Kaczorowski (Lighting Design), Brian Ronan (Sound Design), Charles G. LaPointe (Wig and Hair Design), Steve Sidwell (Orchestrations and Music Arrangements), Jason Howland (Music Supervision) and John Miller (Music Coordination). Vietti’s credits include The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis – “Evita” and

Besides Blake, Bosner and Sony, producers included Jeffrey A. Sine, Richard A. Smith, Mike Bosner, Harriet N. Leve/Elaine Krauss, Terry Schnuck, Orin Wolf, Patty Baker/Good Productions, Roger Faxon, Larry Magid, Kit Seidel, Lawrence S. Toppall, Fakston Productions/Mary Solomon, William Court Cohen, John Gore, BarLor Productions, Matthew C. Blank, Tim Hogue, Joel Hyatt, Marianne Mills, Michael J. Moritz, Jr., StylesFour Productions, Brunish/Trinchero and Jeremiah J. Harris.

Performances Tuesday, March 12, through Sunday, March 17, are 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and matinees at 2 p.m. Saturday, 1 p.m. Sunday and 1 p.m. Thursday, March 14.

“Beautiful” is part of the U.S. Bank Broadway series. Tickets are available through MetroTix.com, by calling 314-534-1111 or in person at the Fabulous Fox Box Office. For more information, visit www.FabulousFox.com

For more information and video, visit www.BeautifulOnBroadway.com.

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Go See a Play! What’s Happening Feb. 7 – 13

Go See a Play! What’s Happening Feb. 7 – 13

By Lynn VenhausManaging EditorAnother opening, another show, and another, and another…We have an abundance of riches in the St. Louis region this weekend — many solid offerings from St. Peters, Mo. to Waterloo, Ill.

Whether it’s established playwrights like Arthur Miller, Sarah Ruhl or Laura Gunderson or emerging writers, we encourage you to take a fresh look at a classic or dive in to something new.

Speaking of playwrights, homegrown Beau Willimon will be in town Thursday night to attend the preview performance of his drama, “Farragut North.”

Willimon, who adapted the British TV series “House of Cards” for the American version on Netflix, is a graduate of John Burroughs High School, where he was a student of director Wayne Salomon.It’s the final week for several shows — “District Merchants” at New Jewish Theatre, “Wittenberg” at Upstream Theatre and “The Motherf**ker with the Hat” at R-S Theatrics. “Fiddler on the Roof” tour ends its St. Louis stop on Sunday.

Openings include “The Crucible” at Stray Dog Theatre, “Farragut North” at St. Louis Actors’ Studio, “Oslo” at the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, and “Exit, Pursued by a Bear” at West End Players Guild.Four shows open in Community Theatre — “Don’t Dress for Dinner” at Act Two, ” “First Date” at Clinton County Showcase, “Little Shop of Horrors” at MASC and “Eurydice” at Clayton Community Theatre.

Metro Theatre continues with “The Hundred Dresses,” “Avenue Q” goes through March 3 at The Playhouse at Westport, “Deenie Nast Is Back” is just on Fridays, and SATE’s “Classic Mystery Game” has two more weekends.Whatever you are in the mood for, you can find it in the ‘Lou, or by crossing one of the bridges. Wherever you go, GO SEE A PLAY! “Avenue Q” The Playhouse at Westport Plaza Jan. 25 – March 3 www.playhouseatwestport.com

What It’s About: Part flesh, part felt and packed with
heart, “Avenue Q” is a laugh-out-loud musical telling the story of Princeton, a
college grad who moves into the city with big dreams and a tiny bank account.
He and his Avenue Q neighbors struggle to find jobs, dates and their life’s
purpose.

Director: Lee Anne Mathews, with Music Director Charlie
Mueller

Starring: Andrew Keeler, Brent Ambler, Jennifer
Theby-Quinn, Kevin O’Brien, Grace Langford, Illeana Kirven, April Strelinger

Of Note: For mature audiences. “Avenue Q” won three Tony Awards, including Best Musical. “Black Theatre Workshop” Metcalf Theatre Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville Friday, Feb. 8 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 10 at 5 p.m. 618-650-2774www.siue.edu

Of Note: In honor for the 20th anniversary celebration of Black
Theater Workshop, SIUE Theater and Dance welcomes the return of alumnus Greg
Fenner who directed this year’s edition of BTW “Black in My Day.”
Fenner has worked in professional theater in both St. Louis and Chicago, and is
the recipient of Best Actor in a Comedy for “Fully Committed” from the St.
Louis Theater Circle.

Photo by Joey Rumpell“Classic Mystery Game” Slightly Askew Theatre Ensemble (SATE) Wednesdays – Saturdays at 8 p.m. Jan. 30 – Feb. 16 The Chapel, 6238 Alexander Drive, 63105www.brownpapertickets.comrachel@slightlyoff.org 314-827-5760

What It’s About: SATE opens its Season of Ritual with a parody of the cult classic 1985 movie, “Clue,” written by Katy Keating. She has written about the failure of capitalism in a climate-changing world.

The film was written by Jonathan Lynn, and that was based
on the game, “Cluedo,” which was created by Anthony E. Pratt.

Director: Katy Keating

Starring: Will Bonfiglio. Maggie Conroy, Michael Cassidy
Flynn, Carl Overly Jr., Reginald Pierre, Ellie Schwetye, Rachel Tibbetts, Kristen
Strom, Marcy Wiegert and Bess Moynihan

Of Note: Wednesdays, Feb. 13, are “Pay What You Can”

Photo by Justin Been“The Crucible” Stray Dog Theatre Feb. 7 – 23 Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m.; special 2 p.m. matinee Sunday, Feb. 17. Tower Grove Abbey 2336 Tennessee www.straydogtheatre.org 314-865-1995

What It’s About: Lies. Betrayal. Lust. In 1690s
Salem, a young girl leads a Puritanical purge of witchcraft against a local
farmer and his wife. As fear and excitement grow in the town, the accusations
grow more ferocious and terrifying, until no one is safe, and the truth is
obscured completely. Written by Arthur Miller and winner of the 1953 Tony Award
for Best Play.

Director:
Starring: John Proctor: Graham Emmons, Elizabeth Proctor: Cynthia Pohlson, Abigail
Williams: Alison Linderer, Mercy Lewis: Sienna DeSuza, Rebecca Nurse: Suzanne
Greenwald, John Danforth: Joe Hanrahan, Ezekiel Cheever: Charles Heuvelman, John
Hathorne: Jonathan Hey, Ann Putnam: Laura Kyro, Francis Nurse: Chuck Lavazzi, Susanna
Walcott: Zoe Liu, Giles Corey: Gerry Love, Hopkins : Michael Maskus, Sarah
Good: Liz Mischel, Thomas Putnam: Tom Moore, John Willard: Stephen Peirick, Rev.
Samuel Parris: Ben Ritchie, Betty Parris: Avery Smith, John Hale: Abraham Shaw,
Mary Warren: Chrissie Watkins and Tituba: Kelli Wright.

“Deenie Nast is Back” Ten Directions and the St. Lou Fringe Fridays at 8 p.m. Feb. 1, 8 and 15 Emerald Room at The Monocle www.deenienast.com

What It’s About: One-woman show by Audrey Crabtree features
international performance superstar Deenie Nast, who delivers a no holds
barred, song-filled tribute to her lonely fans. Nast presents a hilarious and
heartbreaking exploration of relationships, loneliness, and true connections.
Nast sings the hits from her past, revealing very personal stories. Songs,
physical comedy and audience interaction are involved.

Photo by Eric Woolsey “District Merchants” New Jewish Theatre Jan. 24 – Feb. 10 Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 2 and 8 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. Wool Studio Theater Jewish Community Center, 2 Millstone Campus Drivewww.newjewishtheatre.org 314-442-3283

What It’s About: Love, litigation, deep passions and
predatory lending are taken to a new level. The play wades fearlessly into the
complexities of life in America. It is set among Black and Jewish populations
in an imagined time and place, simultaneously Shakespearean and post- Civil War
Washington, D.C.

Directed by Jacqueline Thompson

Cast: Gary Wayne Barker, J. Samuel Davis, Courtney Bailey
Parker, Alicen Moser, Erika Flowers, Karl Hawkins, Ron White, Rae Davis

Of Note: In Aaron Posner’s re-imagining, the play becomes
less about the quality of mercy and more about how flexible a supposedly
egalitarian society can be to the varied tribes struggling to find partners in
America. Aaron Posner expertly blends humor, emotional truths and topics that
make people think. He is able to create characters who are deeply flawed, like
we are. In his “uneasy” comedy, he wants us to look at a snapshot in time, the
Reconstruction Era, but what he has written is relevant to audiences today.

Trish Nelke, John Emery, Laura Deveney and Becky Loughridge. Photo by Lori Biehl“Don’t Dress for Dinner” Act Two Theatre Feb. 8 – 17 Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m.; Sundays at 2 p.m. St. Peters Cultural Arts Centrewww.acttwotheatre.com What It’s About: Bernard and Jacqueline are a not-so-happily married couple, both of whom are having extramarital affairs. As Jacqueline prepares to go out of town to visit her mother, Bernard invites his mistress and Robert, his best friend (and also Jacqueline’s lover, unbeknownst to Bernard), over for the weekend. He’s even hired a Cordon Bleu chef to cater the evening. Jacqueline discovers Robert is coming to town and cancels her trip, causing Bernard to panic. When Robert arrives, Bernard asks him to pretend Suzanne is Robert’s mistress. Robert mistakes the chef, for Bernard’s mistress, producing a highly complicated dinner of hilarious hijinks, secret trysts and slapstick comedy.” Performances take place in the St. Peters Cultural Arts Centre at 1 St Peters Centre Blvd, St. Peters, MO 63376. For more information: act2theater.com.

Director: Paul James Starring: Trish Nelke, John Emery, Laura Deveney, Becky Loughridge, Travis Wiggins, Justin Spurgeon

“Eurydice” Clayton Community Theatre Feb. 7 – 17 Thursday – Saturday at 8 p.m.; Sunday at 2 p.m. Washington University South Campus Theatre  6501 Clayton Road Tickets by email at tickets@placeseveryone.org 314-721-9228 www.placeseveryone.org. What It’s About: This “weird and wonderful” (New York Times) retelling of the Greek myth about the musician Orpheus and his wife Eurydice ruminates on love, loss, and the power of memory. “Eurydice” by Sarah Ruhl is one of the few retellings of the classic myth told from the heroine’s perspective. It considers her untimely death and descent to the Underworld, what she finds there, and her difficult decision of whether or not to return to Earth with Orpheus. “Eurydice” was nominated for Drama League and Drama Desk awards in 2008. Director – Jessa Knust

Starring: Eurydice – Mary Tomlinson, Orpheus – Wil Spaeth, Eurydice’s Father – Jeff Lovell, Nasty Interesting Man / Lord of the Underworld – Britteny Henry, Big Stone – Jack Janssen, Little Stone – Amie Bossi, Loud Stone – Ann Egenriether

Photo by John Lamb“Exit, Pursued by a Bear” West End Players Guild Feb. 8 – 17 Showtimes are 2 p.m. Sundays and 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, with Thursday the second week. Union Avenue Christian Church 733 Union Boulevard in the Central West End www.westendplayersguild.com

What It’s About: Nan Carter has had it.  She’s had it with her husband Kyle’s
“good ole boy” ways – the coming home drunk, the passing out on the
couch, but not before he gives her a good shot or two.  More importantly, she’s had it with a life
contained within the four walls of their dreary North Georgia cabin.  She knows there’s a more exciting world out
there, and she’s decided to leave Kyle’s world behind and go find her own.

But first, she’s going to have some fun.

With the help of her stripper pal Sweetheart and her best
bud theatre pal Simon, Nan is going to duct tape Kyle to his favorite chair,
put on a little show to teach Kyle the error of his ways and then feed him to a
bear.

Director: Teresa Doggett
Starring: Lexa Wroniak as Nan Carter, Alex Fyles as Kyle Carter, Tara Ernst as
Sweetheart and Ethan Isaac as Simon.

Of Note: The play marks a return for playwright Lauren
Gunderson, recognized last year by American Theatre magazine as America’s
most-produced playwright. Gunderson’s Silent Sky was the big hit of WEPG’s
2018-19 season.

Please note that the Thursday show is on Valentine’s Day.  For this show only, all ladies in attendance will receive a flower and chocolate. Gentlemen will receive a red duct tape bracelet.

Photo by Patrick Huber“Farragut North” St. Louis Actors’ Studio Feb. 8 – 24 Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m.; Sunday at 3 p.m. Gaslight Theatre 358 North Boyle Metrotix.com 314-458-2978www.stlas.org

What It’s About: Stephen Bellamy is a wunderkind press secretary who has built a career that men twice his age would envy. During a tight presidential primary race, Stephen’s meteoric rise falls prey to the backroom politics of more seasoned operatives. “Farragut North” is a timely story about the lust for power and the costs one will endure to achieve it. Director: Wayne Salomon Starring: Spencer Sickmann, Peter Mayer, David Wassilak, Luis Aguilar, Hollyn Gayle, Shannon Nara and Joshua Parrack. Of Note: Playwright Beau Willimon, who grew up in St. Louis and was a student of the director at John Burroughs School, will be in attendance for a special preview on Thursday, Feb. 7, at 8 p.m. The West End Grill and Pub will be open before and after the performances for drinks.

Fiddler on the Roof“Fiddler on the Roof” Jan. 29 – Feb. 10 The Fabulous Fox Theatre 529 N. Grand www.fabulousfox.com

What It’s About: Tony-winning director Bartlett Sher and
the team behind South Pacific, The King and I and 2017 Tony-winning Best Play
Oslo, bring a fresh and authentic vision to this beloved theatrical masterpiece
from Tony winner Joseph Stein and Pulitzer Prize winners Jerry Bock and Sheldon
Harnick.

The original production won ten Tony Awards, including a special Tony for becoming the longest-running Broadway musical of all time. You’ll be there when the sun rises on this new production, with stunning movement and dance from acclaimed Israeli choreographer Hofesh Shechter, based on the original staging by Jerome Robbins. A wonderful cast and a lavish orchestra tell this heartwarming story of fathers and daughters, husbands and wives, and the timeless traditions that define faith and family. “First Date” Clinton County Showcase Feb. 8 – 17 Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m. Avon Theatre, 525 N. Second St., Breese, Ill. www.ccshowcase.com What It’s About: Aaron is a “blind date virgin,” while Casey has been on more than her fair share. When the two are set up by a mutual friend, sparks fly-or do they? The night unfolds over the course of this couple’s hilarious first date, and it’s not without its share of surprises in the form of imaginary visits from Aaron’s ex-girlfriend, Casey’s uptight sister, the pair’s protective parents and even their future son.

“The Hundred Dresses” Metro Theatre Company Feb. 3 – Feb. 25 The Grandel Theatre Metrotix.com www.metroplays.org

What It’s About: Wanda Petronski, the new girl in Room 13,
is a Polish immigrant who lives in a shabby house and doesn’t have any friends.
Every day she wears the same faded blue dress, but tells her new class-mates
that she has a hundred dresses at home. Her classmates tease Wanda about her
hundred dresses until one day she disappears from school. As guilt overtakes
the children, they decide to find out what happened to Wanda and to make
amends. But is it too late? Bullying, friendship and forgiveness are at the
center of this play adapted from the beloved Newbery Honor Book by Eleanor
Estes.

Cast: Sophie Murk as Wanda, Alicia Revé Like as Maddie, Hailey Medrano as Peggy, Philip C. Dixon as Mr. Mason, and Jacob Cange as Tommy/Mr. Svenson

Of Note: Eleanor Estes wrote down her childhood memories while recovering from tuberculosis and became a children’s author. Her many published works are widely read; but “The Hundred Dresses” continues to be the most popular, remaining in print since its publication in 1944. It was awarded the Newbery Honor in 1945. Speaking about “The Hundred Dresses” Eleanor Estes said, “I am holding up a mirror, and the scene reflected in the mirror is a true image of childhood, and the mirror, besides reflecting, also speaks and echoes the clear, profound, unpremeditated utterances, thoughts, and imageries of these children. I like to make children laugh or cry, to be moved in some way by my writing.

“Little Shop of Horrors” Monroe Actors Stage Company Feb. 8 – 10, 15 – 17 Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m.; Sunday at 2:30 p.m. Historic Capitol Theatre Waterloo, Ill. 618-939-7469www.masctheatre.org What It’s About: Science fiction mixes with romantic comedy for the musical based on the Roger Corman B-movie, “Little Shop of Horrors,” with book and lyrics by Howard Ashman and music by Alan Menken. Seymour Krelbourn works for a florist on skid row and purchases a strange plant that appears during an eclipse, which he names Audrey Two. He has a crush on his co-worker Audrey, who dates a sado-masochistic dentist. The plant is a big hit, and things get weird. Director: Matt Dossett, with music direction by Marcia Braswell Starring: George Doerr IV as Seymour, John Jauss as Mr. Mushnik, Julie Petraborg as Audrey, Seth Acock as Orin, Tim McWhirter as Audrey Two, and Sarah Polizzi, Kara Grossmann and Hannah Lindsey as the street urchin chorus, with Jeff Clinebell, Valleri Dillard, Jennifer Kerner, Reagan Posey, Rachel Mackenzie, Mark Sochowski and Austin Brouk.

Of Note: A sensory-friendly performance is set for Sunday,
Feb. 10.

Jesse Munoz, Adam Flores, Aaron Dodd. Photo by Jill Ritter Lindberg“The Motherf**ker with The Hat” R-S Theatrics Jan. 25 – Feb. 3 Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 7 p.m. .Zack, 3224 Locust www.r-stheatrics.com

What It’s About: How do you know where you’re going…if you
don’t know who has been in your home? The serio-comedy explores how five people
in New York navigate loyalty, trust, and duty through friendship, love and the
challenges of adulthood. And how no one should ever underestimate the
importance of cleaning up their accessories.

Director: Carl Overly Jr.

Starring: Adam Flores, Sofia Lidia, Jesse Munoz, Aaron
Dodd, Taleesha Caturah.

Of Note: Adult themes and language, recommended for mature
audiences.

Photo by Peter Wochniak“Oslo” Feb. 8 – March 3 The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis 130 Edgar Road, St. Louiswww.repstl.org 314-968-4925 What It’s About: The winner of the 2017 Tony Award for Best Play, this play by J.T. Rogers is set in 1993, when two bitter enemies shocked the world by shaking hands and agreeing to work towards peace. “Oslo” finds the unlikely story behind the historic event. The drama explores the secretive and precarious negotiations that made that moment possible and focuses on the Norwegian couple who brokered talks between the Israelis and Palestinians. Director: Steven Woolf Starring: Jim Poulos, Kathleen Wise, Rajesh Bose, Ben Graney, Jerry Vogel, Michael James Reed, Amro Salama, John Rensenhouse, Michelle Hand, Jonathan Gillard Daly, Jeff Cummings, Jim Shankman, Chaunery Kingsford Tanguay, Jack Theiling and Tom Wethington. Of Note: “Oslo” is recommended for adult audiences. The show contains strong adult language and weighty discussions about global politics and diplomatic relations.

Photo by ProPhotoSTL“Wittenberg” Upstream Theater Jan. 25 – Feb. 10 Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m.; Sunday at 7 p.m. except Feb. 10 at 2 p.m. Kranzberg Arts Center www.upstreamtheater.org

What It’s About: It’s October 1517, and the new fall
semester at the University of Wittenberg finds certain members of the faculty
and student body at personal and professional crossroads. Hamlet (senior, class
of 1518) is returning from a summer in Poland spent studying astronomy, where
he has learned of a revolutionary scientific theory that threatens the very
order of the universe, resulting in psychic trauma and a crisis of faith for
him. His teacher and mentor John Faustus has decided at long last to make an
honest woman of his paramour, Helen, a former nun who is now one of the
Continent’s most sought-after courtesans. And Faustus’ colleague and Hamlet’s
instructor and priest, Martin Luther, is dealing with the spiritual and medical
consequences of his long-simmering outrage at certain abusive practices of the
Church.

Director: Philip Boehm

Starring: Casey Boland, Steve Isom, Alan Knoll and Caitlin
Mickey.

Of Note: St. Louis premiere.

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The Bard Goes to School – 2019 Style

The Bard Goes to School – 2019 Style

TShakespeare Festival St. Louis’ Education Tour introduces students to themes that transcend genres, cultures and centuries

Power, ambition, courage, and fate vs. free will – issues people have grappled with no matter the culture or century – are just a few of the themes students will learn a bit more of as part of Shakespeare Festival St. Louis’ award-winning Education Tour, now through April 14.

The tour includes more than 100 performances and workshops conducted at 50 schools throughout the bi-state area and rural Missouri. 

The 2019 tour will feature two productions in rep: a timely interpretation of “Macbeth,” adapted and directed by Joanna Battles, and “The Last Cupcake,” an original play written by Nancy Bell and directed by Michael James Reed. “The Last Cupcake,” is a folktale set in the modern world, with plenty of laughs, a little bit of math, and a gentle message about sharing resources. It is inspired by two traditional stories, “The Magic Porridge Pot” and “The Gingerbread Man.” 

Interactive workshops will accompany the performances and provide students with the tools to write their own plays, explore language to unlock the stories and characters packed into Shakespeare’s plays, and use key principles of character education to build on the moral dilemmas presented by some of the Bard’s most infamous characters. Supplemental curriculum guides are also available online at www.sfstl.com. 

“The Education Tour is a central part of the Festival’s programming, not only because it introduces so many young people to the pleasures and benefits of Shakespeare and live performance, but also because of how it engages with the Greater St. Louis area both in Missouri and Illinois,” said Tom Ridgely, executive producer of the Festival.

“That range is so important as the Festival looks to thicken the ties between St. Louis and larger region that we’re a part of. Shakespeare’s plays, and the theater in general, are all about revealing our interdependency. The Education Tour makes that manifest.” 

Support for the tour comes from the Monsanto Fund, a philanthropic arm of Bayer, which has sponsored the Education Tour’s visits to rural communities since 2013.

“Learning about Shakespeare can be exciting and at the same time a bit intimidating,” said Michelle Insco, Monsanto Fund program officer. “Through its annual Education Tour, Shakespeare Festival St. Louis has made the works of this great classical writer accessible and relatable for students throughout the region. The Monsanto Fund is proud to support arts programs which can be enjoyed in the communities where Bayer employees live and work.” 

The Festival’s touring productions, workshops and study materials have a 19-year legacy of success in bringing to life the Bard’s characters and their words to more than 300,000 students, and in the process, have won accolades from educators throughout the region.

Shakespeare Festival is one of 40 professional theater companies selected to bring the finest productions of Shakespeare to middle- and high-school students in communities across the United States through Shakespeare in American Communities, a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest. 

The Festival’s education programs also include Camp Shakespeare and the SHAKE 101 artist residency program. During the eight-week SHAKE 101 program, students receive hands-on training from professional teaching artists in performance skills, the history and language of Shakespeare, and careers in the arts.

The SHAKE 101 program will be offered to four schools in 2019: Our Lady of Guadalupe School in Ferguson, St. Cecilia’s School in St. Louis, and a combined program connecting students from Clayton and McCluer High Schools. 

In addition to support from the Monsanto Fund, the Festival’s education programs also receive generous support from the Gateway Foundation, Saigh Foundation, UMB Bank, Incarnate Word Foundation, and First Bank. Financial assistance is provided by the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency. 

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 new plays in exciting and accessible venues throughout the St. Louis community. The festival’s artistic and education programs reached more than 50,000 patrons and students during the 2018 season and over one million since the festival’s first season in 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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Brilliantly staged and acted ‘District Merchants’ triumphs at New Jewish Theatre

Brilliantly staged and acted ‘District Merchants’ triumphs at New Jewish Theatre

By Lynn Venhaus Managing Editor A brilliantly staged and acted “District Merchants” raises timely questions on oppression in a modern reworking of Shakespeare’s 420-year-old “Merchant of Venice.”

Playwright Aaron Posner’s 2016 comedy-drama tweaks the characters,
and sets them in the post-Civil War reconstruction era of 1870, in the nation’s
burgeoning capital, Washington D.C. Scenes also take place in Belmont, Mass.

It was a time of transition – out of ruins came renewal. But
it wasn’t fast or smooth. Posner has us confront the fact that old habits die
hard, change isn’t easy, and our tribes continue to define us, so is all the
uneasy historical issues and disastrous conflicts really in our past? The
clashes could be viewed as somewhat contemporary.

In this New Jewish Theatre production, butting heads are a Jewish immigrant moneylender, Shylock, and black businessman Antoine, shrewdly played by Gary Wayne Barker and J. Samuel Davis respectively, in skillfully calibrated performances.

Antoine has borrowed money from Shylock, but because of a
series of events not his doing, must default. Will he be required to hand over
a “pound of flesh,” as demanded by the loaner? A trial will ensue, but there
will be fireworks in and out of the courtroom regarding power, race, position,
family and loyalty.

The incredibly dynamic duo of Barker and Davis, longtime
local mainstays, spars so convincingly and with such verve that you hang on to
every word and nuance. Their timing is so impeccable that the audience broke
into applause after a couple explosive scenes.

Their triumphant pairing is potent – arguably career best
— but the supporting characters, involved in several thorny romantic subplots,
are exceptional as well.

The noteworthy ensemble has created memorable characters
that also mesh as a unit – even with the conflicts. They project a vibrancy,
with much thought into their role’s development.

Courtney Bailey Parker and Rae Davis. Photo by Eric WoolseySteadfast Courtney Bailey Parker is a strong Portia, who
dresses like a man to audit law classes at Harvard and is striving to define
her role as a smart woman in 19th century America.

She pairs well with love interest Benjamin, a black man
passing for white, and their courtship has a larger context. Rob White is solid
as an agent of change.

Standing out is Rae Davis as Portia’s servant Nessa, and she has stood out in two other plays she was in last year (“Cold,” “The Last Days of Judas Iscariot”), her first in regional St. Louis theater. She has a delightful way with dialogue, as does the sublime Karl Hawkins, who is dandy as Shylock’s servant Lancelot.

Karl Hawkins as Lancelot in “District Merchants.” Photo by Eric WoolseyHawkins charms in every scene, as does Paul Edwards as
Finn, an Irish produce salesman who takes a shine to Shylock’s sheltered
daughter Jessica. At first, his brogue was wobbly, but he grew better, and his
winning personality was enough to endear.

As delicate Jessica who transforms with determination, Alicen
Moser understands the frustration of being a powerful and overprotective father’s
only child. When she rebels, she does it in a big way that nearly destroys her
father.
The relationships are complicated, but this cast pulsates under Jacqueline
Thompson’s perceptive direction.

Thompson has directed this show with such vigor that each
character has a distinct understanding of the material, and with her innovative
touches, has achieved a masterpiece.
She has astutely woven each character into this tapestry, and moves them around
the stage, the striking multi-level set by David Blake, and into the audience
with such purpose —  a flow that keeps
us riveted.

It does not matter if you have never seen Shakespeare’s
most controversial play. “District Merchants” flips it to assure that we see
the maligned, marginal groups in a different perspective – people of faith, of
color, of origin. We look at mercy in a fresh way.

Posner’s unflinching dialogue about stereotypes is tough
stuff, pitting Jews against gentiles, blacks vs. whites, and Irish vs. other
ethnic groups.

Billed as an “uneasy comedy,” you wouldn’t ever regard such
thought-provoking material that tackles racism, bigotry and xenophobia as a
laugh-riot, but there are surprising comic bits that struck a chord with the
audience, a spoonful of sugar if you will. After all, Shakespeare did consider
“Merchant of Venice” one of his comedies.

But mostly, the humor derives from the spoken thoughts and
feelings of the characters, who want basically what everyone wants and how they
tell their story. Because of the caliber of this cast, we are quickly drawn
into this period, and become emotionally invested as well.

Posner’s work appears to be a winner with New Jewish
Theatre. “Life Sucks!,” his comical adaptation of Chekhov’s “Uncle Vanya,” was
a delightful presentation last spring, and nominated for multiple St. Louis
Theatre Circle Awards (coming up March 25).

This must-see production has raised the bar – and will be a
measuring stick for this year’s offerings, especially with such a harmonious
ensemble.

A work of stunning achievement all the way around – with
beautifully accented lighting by Sean Savoie, richly detailed period costumes
by Felia Davenport and sound design by Zoe Sullivan.

 “District Merchants” is presented by New Jewish Theatre from Jan. 24 – Feb. 10 on Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday at the Wool Theatre at the Jewish Community Center, Creve Coeur. For tickets, visit www.newjewishtheatre.org

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Semi-Finalists Announced in Teen Talent Competition

Semi-Finalists Announced in Teen Talent Competition

The 9th Annual St. Louis Teen Talent Competition Moves to its Semi-Final Round March 9

St. Louis metro area high school students compete for scholarships, prizes and a chance to perform at The Fabulous Fox St. Louis

Fox Performing Arts Charitable Foundation’s 9th Annual St. Louis Teen Talent Competition moves on to its Semi-Final round Saturday, March 9, 2019.

Forty-five high school acts will take the stage at Kirkwood High School to select the final acts that will compete onstage at The Fabulous Fox Theatre on Saturday, April 13. A complete list of Semi-final acts can be found here: https://www.foxpacf.org/2019slttc_semifinalists/. 

Judges for the Semi-Final round of competition are professionals representing a cross-section of the St. Louis performing arts community and entertainment industry. Each round of competition has a panel of at least three judges who adjudicate and advance acts to the next round.

Acts are judged on technical ability, interpretation, stage presence and originality. Throughout every level of the competition, professional insight is given regarding technique and performance skills to benefit these high school students and improve their overall talent.

A complete list of Semi-Final round judges is available on the FoxPACF website: http://www.foxpacf.org/programs/teen-talent-competition/The Final Competition is free and open to the public and are a professionally produced production, adjudicated by both St. Louis and national performing arts professionals (a complete list of students/schools can be found here at https://www.foxpacf.org/2019slttc_participants/ ). “We are so pleased with the positive response to the St. Louis Teen Talent Competition from students, parents, arts organizations and the community. The Fox Performing Arts Charitable Foundation is delighted to provide this opportunity for students and we’re happy that we are able to give students the opportunity to shine,” said Mary Strauss, St. Louis Teen Talent Competition creator, as well as FoxPACF Founder and President Emeritus of the Board of Directors.

Free General Admission tickets for the Finals will be available beginning March 11 through Metrotix and at The Fox box office.

This year, 99 acts competed in the preliminary round. 141 students, representing 53 bi-state high schools and performing arts organizations plus homeschoolers, make up the 45 acts that were selected as semi-finalists to compete on March 9.

Semi-Finalist acts include singers, musicians, dancers, aerialists, jugglers, acrobats, and musical theatre performers. Students in this competition are vying for more than $40,000 in prizes, cash awards, college scholarships, and performance opportunities. In addition to the 1st Place $8,000, 2nd Place $6,000, and 3rd Place $4,000 scholarships awarded at the Final Round, restricted scholarship opportunities to Southeast Missouri State University, Webster University and University of Missouri-St. Louis will also be available to students taking part in the Competition.

Finalists from the past eight years have performed at The Muny, National Dance Week, Taste of Maplewood, Gateway Grizzlies, Shakespeare Festival, Chamber Music Society of St. Louis, Winter Opera St. Louis and The Rising Stars Showcase.

Further details on these opportunities can be found here. Complete guidelines and information about the 9th Annual 2019 St. Louis Teen Talent Competition can be found on the Foundation’s website as well as on the FoxPACF Facebook page.

Semi-Final Rounds 9th Annual St. Louis Teen Talent Competition March 9, 2019 Information: https://www.foxpacf.org/programs/teen-talent-competition/

For additional information about this and other Fox Performing Arts Charitable Foundation events, please visit www.foxpacf.org

Fox Performing Arts Charitable Foundation fosters, promotes, and encourages young people in the St. Louis region to discover and participate in the joy and wonder of live performances.

In addition to the St. Louis Teen Talent Competition, the Fox Performing Arts Charitable Foundation also produces a variety of other performing arts programs that focus on youth including Kids’ Night at the Fabulous Fox, Broadway Master Classes, Educational Encores, and is a producing partner of the 3 rd Annual St. Louis High School Musical Theatre Awards.

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‘Aquaman’ Jason Momoa Big Catch for Wizard World St. Louis

‘Aquaman’ Jason Momoa Big Catch for Wizard World St. Louis

Jason Momoa, who rocketed to superstardom in Justice League (2017) and Aquaman (in theaters now), will attend Wizard World St. Louis on Saturday, April 6, at America’s Center. Momoa will greet fans, sign autographs and pose for photo ops.

Momoa had significant roles in the popular series “Baywatch” and “Stargate: Atlantas” before a turn as “Khal Drago” on the acclaimed “Game of Thrones” was followed by his first appearance as “Aquaman” in Batman vs. Superman Dawn of Justice in 2016. That led to a larger role as the undersea superhero in Justice League and star billing in the current hit release.

Momoa’s other credits include the title role in both Conan the Barbarian (2011) and Braven (2018) and opposite Bruce Willis and John Goodman in last year’s Once Upon a Time in Venice.

Momoa joins Sean Astin (The Lord of the Rings, “Stranger Things 2”), Chris Kattan (“Saturday Night Live,” A Night at the Roxbury), the “Charmed” trio of Holly Marie Combs, Brian Krause and Drew Fuller, Daniel Cudmore (X-Men, Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2) and Thomas Ian Nicholas (Rookie of the Year, American Pie) and more, as well as an outstanding array of programming, live entertainment, cosplay contests, gaming and more at the seventh annual Wizard World St. Louis, April 5-7.

Wizard World events bring together thousands of fans of all ages to celebrate the best in pop culture: movies, television, gaming, live entertainment, comics, sci-fi, graphic novels, toys, original art, collectibles, contests and more. The fourth event scheduled on the 2019 Wizard World calendar, St. Louis show hours are Friday, April 6, 4-9 p.m.; Saturday, April 7, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sunday, April 8, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Kids 10 and under are admitted free with paid adult.

Wizard World St. Louis is also the place for cosplay, with fans young and old showing off their best costumes throughout the event. Fans dressed as every imaginable character – and some never before dreamed – will roam the convention floor and participate in the famed Wizard World Costume Contest on Saturday evening.

For more on the 2019 Wizard World St. Louis, visit http://wizd.me/StLouisPR.

About Wizard Entertainment, Inc. (OTCBB: WIZD)Wizard Entertainment, Inc. (www.wizardworld.com) produces comic, gaming and pop culture conventions across North America that celebrate the best in pop culture: movies, television, gaming, live entertainment, tech, comics, sci-fi, graphic novels, toys, original art, collectibles, contests and more. A first-class lineup of topical programming and entertainment takes place at each event, with celebrity Q&A’s, comics-themed sessions, costume contests, movie screenings, evening parties and more. Wizard Entertainment has also teamed with Sony Pictures Entertainment to find the next generation of movies as well as to engage in a number of strategic initiatives. Additional initiatives may include an augmented touring schedule of Wizard World shows, fixed-site installations, curated e-commerce, and the production and distribution of content both in the U.S. and internationally. Fans can interact with Wizard Entertainment at www.wizardworld.com and on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and other social media services.

The 2019 Wizard World convention schedule is available at: http://www.wizardworld.com/comiccon.

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