“Carmen” is no stranger to controversy. As far back as its premiere in 1875, audiences and reviewers were put off by the opera’s depiction of the lifestyles of commoners and bohemians, and their supposed immorality and lawlessness – not to mention the onstage death of Carmen herself. Flash forward to Opera Theatre of St. Louis’s 47th season opener, “Carmen,” at the Browning Theatre in the Loretto-Hilton Center, and there may be a bit of operatic controversy afoot as well.
That’s because Director Rodula Gaitanou has updated the setting and Carmen herself to appeal to more modern sensibilities. Gaitanou has moved the mid-19th century Spanish setting to the 1950s and, correspondingly, uniformed the original army into Franco’s Guardia Civil.
But it is Carmen herself, initially seen dragging a bloody bull’s head across the stage, who is distinctly reimagined in OTSL’s production. Carmen is often presented as a stereotypical, exotic, Spanish seductress – as hot as the “Habanera” she sings early in the opera. Not so in this production. Gaitanou provides a headstrong, independent Carmen – one that doesn’t need to prove her ability to turn a man’s heart and head with a flashy red dress, a provocative sashay or even stiletto heels. The audience is challenged to accept Carmen’s ability to inspire the men around her, as well as to witness her fatal attraction to the ideals captured in her final duet with Don José: “But whether I live or die / No! No! No! I will not give in.”
That idealistic inflexibility leads, even in this interpretation, to her inevitable demise.
Yunuet Laguna. Photo by Eric Woolsey
Gaitanou’s Carmen, as sung by Sarah Mesko, is more formidable, though no less unforgettable. She even rides through some scenes on a motorcycle, like a sort of Daughter of Anarchy. In other scenes, she sports a matador jacket, a visual metaphor for a woman who – ultimately fatally – runs and fights with men rather than the bulls.
To spend more time explaining Gaitanou’s artistic choices for the presentation of Carmen is to risk providing a lopsided review of the rest of this fine production. To Gaitanou’s credit, this production elevates and balances the role of Carmen with her love interests, Don José, sung by Adam Smith, and Escamillo, sung by Christian Pursell. Both are strong, masculine and believable – and Mesko’s Carmen is up to the challenges posed by these two males.
The standout performance among this strong cast is provided by Yunuet Laguna as Micaëla. Clad throughout as a dowdy, frumpy (and even pregnant by Don José) village maiden, Laguna’s “Je dis que rien m’epouvante” shines forth as a potent, if plaintive, Jiminy Cricket counterpoint to Carmen’s shinier persona. That a supporting role can rise to such showstopping prominence proves this production’s overall high quality and integrity.
Under the baton of Daniela Candillari, Opera Theatre’s new principal conductor, the Saint Louis Symphony impressively projects as if it were a larger ensemble of musicians and more than does justice to Bizet’s score.
Also noteworthy is the subtle-yet-profound sets and costumes by Cordelia Chisholm and lighting by Christopher Akerlind. “Carmen” is often associated with a fiery red and other brash, bullfighty colors. In contrast, this production evokes a Spain dusted in a drab desert palette, which is perfect for the most important splash of red at Carmen’s culminating death scene.
Opera Theatre’s “Carmen” continues at 7:30 p.m. on Jun 8, 12, 16, and 25 and at 12:30 p.m. on Jun 4 and 22.For more information on the 2022 Festival Season or for tickets, visit: https://opera-stl.org/
One of the key achievements of successful fast food chains is that no matter where you travel, an entrée tastes consistently the same. Although it may seem unfair to compare the latest tour of Disney’s The Lion King to a hamburger, it’s actually both a compliment and a testament to the quality of this theatrical adaptation of one of the franchise’s most successful animated features.
There’s no question that The Lion King the musical is equally successful on its own terms. In fact, compared to most jukebox musicals, it’s practically Shakespeare. As the house dimmed at The Fox Theatre for The Lion King’s current run (through June 19), it was clear within minutes that the show has lost neither its luster nor its appeal. First there was the cry of Rafiki, the show’s guide played by Gugwana Dlamini. From the audience’s response, it was clear that many in the audience had seen the show before. Later, even the laugh by one of the hyenas received enthusiastic, anticipatory cheers.
As Pride Rock rotates into place on an African savanna and an ark-worth’s of animals strolled the aisles of the theater and ascended the stage as “The Circle of Life” began to play. All of this plus the creatively stunning African masking and puppetry that audiences have come to know, love and expect.
The opening is one of the best of any musical – ever – and thus expectations were high. This Lion King still delivered. Like that hamburger, the audience knew what it was going to get – and it got it from the opening to the curtain call.
For many, the family-friendly songs of the show are this Lion’s heart. The show’s aural world adds more depth to the experience, thanks to Steve Canyon Kennedy’s sound design and James Dodgson’s musical direction.
The quality of this musical extends beyond any one element like the music, however. One could make the case that the artful visual storytelling may be its most potent part. It’s possible to cover one’s ears and just “watch” this musical with its beautiful set (Richard Hudson), lighting (Donald Holder), choreography (Garth Fagan) and costumes/masks/puppets (original director Julie Taymor and Michael Curry) and still feel satisfied. There aren’t many musicals that deliver more punch per square inch, or per square pound, of stage – no small feat.
The Lion King’s cast includes approximately 50 members. There wasn’t a weak performance on opening night. Many were audience favorites, such as Jurgen Hooper as Zazu and Nick Cordileone as Timon. Also noteworthy was the nuanced performance of Diamond Essence White as Simba’s mother, Sarabi, and Kayla Cyphers as Nala.
Opening night was a bit like attending The Rocky Horror Picture Show and a sing-along screening of The Sound of Music. The audience included a plentiful number of children, many of whom sang along to the most well-known songs – along with their adult companions. It was often a participatory experience – one that can be highly recommended. You know what you’re going to get.
The current national tour of “The Lion King”
Performances of DISNEY’S THE LION KING at the Fabulous Fox run June 1 – June 19. Show times are Tuesday through Saturday evenings at 7:30 p.m., Saturday afternoons at 2 p.m. and Sunday afternoons at 1 p.m. Tickets on sale now at MetroTix.com or by calling 314-534-1111. For more information, visit www.fabulousfox.com
A wonderful night that I only attended because the film school professors chose to name an award in memory of Tim that year.
Three years ago seems like a lifetime ago.
During a meeting they arranged with us in January 2019, when Charlie and I were up in Chicago to move Tim’s things out of his apartment, three professors from DePaul University’s School of Cinematic Arts told us they wanted to honor Tim in some way. Which really was incredible after knowing him such a short time — but he had made such an impact on them — so of course I had to be there when they gave out the Tim Venhaus MFA Thesis Feature Screenplay three years ago.
James Gosling, winner, and me, Tim’s proud mama
I was fortunate to meet the winner, James Gosling, and his lovely wife, Janna, and they could not have been nicer, indulging me with their time. I ask him to send me the script, and he has terrific potential. He earned his MFA, is living in Chicago, and has written several more screenplays. I’ll be paying attention.
As I sat in the audience at the Music Box, I watched all the student filmmakers celebrate the end of their school year with the annual festival. There is always so much passion, energy and camaraderie with creatives, and I wondered if I had been here for normal reasons, who would Tim have introduced me to, and if he would have had something in the running.
Those dreams died with him. but his classmates have moved on to pursue theirs. I was fortunate to meet some of them in January and at this event, and I hope they are pursuing their passions. They had to navigate the pandemic, so some have been delayed in finishing projects and degrees.
I enjoyed watching the student works, and even voted on the Audience Award.
I had never seen Tim as happy as the day he was accepted into the DePaul MFA Screenwriting Program in March 2018. He had painstakingly complied with all the requirements – submit an essay, a 3-page screenplay using “two strangers in a car, Fourth of July” and recommendation letters. And links to his previous work. He made the cut for a finalist interview, and after the Skype face-to-face, he was notified that afternoon. It was one of his life’s best moments.
When he had told me he was thinking about going back to school for an MFA in screenwriting, I had encouraged it. I didn’t think the coasts would work out for him, so I suggested DePaul, because I had heard good things — and it was Chicago. Bingo! It really was a perfect fit.
He moved there Labor Day Weekend, sharing an apartment with an old friend in Logan Square. When he was home on holiday break, he was on fire talking about the classes he was going to take the next trimester, which would start Jan. 5, 2019. He was looking for his grades online, talking about his professors and classmates in reverent tones. He was proud of his screenplay, “Dad Eat Dog,” which was the hit of the class table read and he knew he had received an A.
He had been hired by a performing arts high school in Naperville to teach filmmaking in an after-school program, to start in January. He was so very excited about what’s ahead. But he did not live past Dec. 9, 2018, a week after his 34th birthday.
Among the phone calls I had to make after Christmas was to let DePaul know he wasn’t coming back, and I notified those professors he had spoke so highly of — an outpouring of glowing tributes and touching words of comfort, and to reach the high school that had hired him. What might have been. It was hard to imagine the life he would have been living at that time. I can’t let myself wonder what might have been.
Of that period of putting his life in the past, I spoke to many people and received touching notes. in the But it makes my heart happy to hear from Tim’s fellow filmmakers on what they’re up to, and their kind words. One SIUC grad sent me some of his student films that Tim had acted in, and it was like he was so present. Another DePaul student told me “he was a real gift to that class.”
Never underestimate the kindness of strangers in tough times — it’s like a ‘god wink.’
I must look up what some of those kids who won that night three years ago are up to — and DePaul was such a great program, I can’t speak highly enough.
By Lynn Venhaus The sixth and final installment of the “Jurassic” series is ridiculous, weird, and messy.
In a new era, dinosaurs now live and hunt alongside humans all over the world. Four years after Isla Nublar was destroyed and this fragile balance has reshaped people’s lives, there’s another threat. The original trio starring in the movie that started it all in 1993 joins the cast of “Jurassic World” for “Dominion.”
Far too long at 2 hours and 26 minutes, two plots struggle to make sense with little connection, chemistry, and concern. Boring and repetitive, not only does the story not grab hold, but loses steam quickly.
Bad ideas abound in this screenplay co-written by Emily Carmichael and director Colin Trevorrow, with story by Derek Connolly and Trevorrow. He also helmed the overstuffed and head-scratching “Jurassic World” in 2015. He did not return for the second instalment, “Fallen Kingdom,” for J.A. Bayona was at the helm in 2018. That story set up this sequel – involving governments capturing the dinosaurs, the evil black market and big bad Biosyn.
Oscillating in tone because of sprawling set pieces that take us to the Sierra Mountains in Nevada, the dusty farmland of west Texas, an exotic Malta location where it briefly resembles a James Bond spy thriller, and the Dolemite Mountains in Italy, the film sputters in giving us too many characters in what quickly becomes a convoluted and dense storyline trying to tie the two trilogies together.
Chris Pratt as Owen Grady
Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard, the manufactured couple who survived the previous two “Jurassic World” movies, are protecting the cloned granddaughter of “Jurassic Park” owner John Hammond – but evil dudes lurk in the shadows ready to pounce. They have formed a de facto family out in the wilderness — but Maisie (Isabella Sermon) is 14 and rebellious. You know what’s going to happen before you see the cartoonish Bond-like thugs appear.
Meanwhile, it is a welcome sight to reunite paleontologists Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) and Alan Grant (Sam Neill) with chaos theorist Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) 29 years after the sensational original “Jurassic Park.”
While all fine actors and apparent good sports, they can only do so much saddled with this everything and the kitchen sink plot – let’s add megalomaniac mastermind Lewis Dodgson, played by Campbell Scott, in the cookie-cutter mold of Steve Jobs, which is now a villain requirement of every blockbuster-comic book movie.
Dodgson’s nefarious Biosyn Genetics, which won the contract to shelter the dinosaurs at their compound in the Dolemite Mountains, is the source of impending doom because their genetically engineered locusts are creating a plague that will ruin the world’s eco-system. Enter his partner in crime, mad scientist Dr. Henry Wu (B.D. Wong,) a character in several installments, who has a new twist to reveal.
So, it becomes a race against time as the three old-school science nerds gather evidence to take the corporate behemoth down all the while raptor handler Owen Grady and his lady love Claire Dearing, former manager of the Jurassic World theme park, try to rescue their daughter.
Oh, wait – there are dinosaurs in this movie! You might be curious about these hulking prehistoric genetically engineered beasts that now roam the earth again, but don’t exactly live in harmony with the humans.
The fact that they attempt to convince you this rather alarming occurrence is a good thing defies logic. Seriously, I already questioned the sanity of returning over and over to that island – I mean, it’s like the cast of “Lost” going back. Do you not remember what happened the last time? Of course they’re going to wreak havoc, and it’s even more ludicrous.
What started out as director Steven Spielberg’s dazzling, magnificent achievement of landmark computer-generated images, Oscar-winning visual effects and a genuinely frightening science-fiction disaster story from Michael Crichton’s bestselling novel “Jurassic Park” in 1993 has been reduced to repetitive gimmicks in the successive ones..
Trevorrow, in another example of lazy filmmaking, gives us more shots of sharp-toothed dinosaurs nipping at the heels of our escaping heroes over and over and over again.
Remember how good Owen was at training raptors? They go to that well again, adding more for multiple chase scenes and concocting a preposterous pet-like story thread home on the range.
Bryce Dallas Howard as Claire Dearing
However, one of the earlier set pieces is a high-octane thrill as “thoroughbred” atrociraptors are unleashed and in hot pursuit of Owen on a motor-scooter.
“Dominion” is not going to let us go without a big apex predator battle reminiscent of Godzilla vs. King Kong.
But this method of throwing every conceivable obstacle in the paths of the righteous gang turns dull and butt-numbing. Snow, ice, oceans, lakes, mountains, planes, trains, jeeps, helicopters, parachutes, science laboratories and amber mines – what could go wrong?
By nature of green screen acting, the cast is on the run most of the film, but the women do fare better than expected. At least Howard is no longer running in heels and Dern has sensible athletic shoes on throughout.
Supporting players DeWanda Wise as fearless pilot Kayla Watts and Mamoudou Athie as brilliant scientist Ramsay Cole, Dodgson’s right-hand man, are appealing additions.
“Jurassic World: Dominion” is unfortunately being released after worldwide panic during the coronavirus pandemic, and let’s just acknowledge it’s a strange juncture in history, With the rough navigation of the past two years, do I really want to be worried about dinosaurs in my backyard? No thank you to another source of nightmares.
How even more chaotic could the world be? Turns out a lot. Not sure I want to go there, for it isn’t the escape most summer tentpoles position themselves to be.
The legacy characters work, but the centerpiece second trilogy headliners struggle to find footing. Pratt and Howard have little chemistry, but genuinely convey parental concern for Maisie. Likeable Pratt seems to be there merely to stare but Howard has more heavy-lifting to do, wiggling out of jams that require great physical prowess.
Do not think too hard about the mind-boggling lapses in judgment here. Crichton was right to end his journey with “The Lost World.”
“Jurassic World: Dominion” is cinematic junk, a tired cash grab that will go down as the worst in the six-movie franchise. And please refrain from visiting that well again, for it has dried up like the DNA in the fossils.
“Jurassic World Dominion” is a 2022 action, adventure, science fiction, thriller directed by Colin Trevorrow and starring Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Jeff Goldblum, Laura Dern and Sam Neill. Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of action, some violence and language, it runs 2 hours, 26 minutes. In theaters June 10. Lynn’s Grade: D
Don’t have tickets yet? Some seats remain for Arts For Life’s 22nd Best Performance Awards at 2 p.m. on Sunday, June 12, which will honor excellence in community musical theater and youth productions.
It will be the first time the annual event is live and in-person since 2019. Musical numbers from eight nominated musicals “Annie,” “Cabaret,” “Disney’s Beauty and the Beast,” “Fun Home,” “The Marvelous Wonderettes,” “Nunsense,” “Shrek,” and “Young Frankenstein” will be performed.
This year’s venue is the Clayton Ballroom at the Frontenac Hilton, 1335 S Lindbergh Blvd., St. Louis 63131. Seating will be general admission theater-style seating.
Formal attire is requested. Face masks are recommended. A cash bar and light snacks will be available for purchase.
Veteran performers and BPA winners Gerry and Kay Love are the co-hosts, and Kimmie Kidd-Booker, another BPA winner and AFL board member, will join the Loves for the opening number.
This year’s BPAs include nominees from the shortened 2020 and 2021 theater seasons. Winners will be announced in 30 categories.
The Gateway Center for the Performing Arts’ youth musicals “Annie” and “Cabaret” earned 25 nominations – 14 and 11 respectively, to lead all groups.
Goshen Theatre Project in Collinsville, Ill., received the most community theater nominations, 16, with 11 for “Disney’s The Beauty and the Beast” and five for “Nunsense.”
The Kirkwood Theatre Guild in Kirkwood, Mo., earned 12 for the musical adaptation of the fairy tale “Shrek,” while St. Louis’ Take Two Productions received 10 for their regional premiere of the Tony Award-winning musical “Fun Home.”
The Hawthorne Players in Florissant, Mo., received eight nominations for the jukebox musical comedy “The Marvelous Wonderettes” while Monroe Actors Stage Company of Waterloo, Ill., garnered seven for the Mel Brooks’ musical adaptation “Young Frankenstein.”
Charlie Wehde will receive a special youth musical recognition award. He was honored for the Best Youth Musical Performance for his portrayal of Jack in “Into the Woods” at DaySpring Academy.
AFL’s annual pair of talent scholarship recipients will be announced. Honorees must pursue an arts career in higher education.
The annual event was held virtually in 2020 but cancelled in 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic.
“These events recognize the incredible talent we have in St. Louis community theater and honor the passion and dedication of those who build this amazing and unique theatrical community,” said Mary McCreight, president of Arts For Life.
Arts For Life is a local not-for-profit arts organization dedicated to the healing power of the arts through its work with youth, the underserved, and the community, with its goal of “Making a Dramatic Difference.”
AFL is dedicated to promoting public awareness of local community theatre, encouraging excellence in the arts, and acknowledging the incredible people who are a part of it in the St. Louis metropolitan and metro-east Illinois region.
Nominations were announced Jan. 22 at the annual Trivia Night, which was a virtual event held during a surge in the Omicron variant cases of COVID-19 last winter. They are listed on the website at www.artsforlife.org.
Starting in mid-March 2020, productions were postponed and canceled during the coronavirus pandemic, and safety precautions have been a priority for performers and performances because of the public health crisis. Theaters are no longer dark, and judging resumed in 2021.
“While we did about half the usual number of shows in 2021, it did not diminish Arts for Life’s vision for a community recognition program,” McCreight said.
Prior to the pandemic, 15 theater groups and 10 youth-only groups participated in the BPAs As the region’s mitigations efforts were ongoing the past two years, only four youth-only groups and nine community theater organizations produced BPA-eligible musicals 2021.
BPA tickets are $25, They are available online with a service fee of $2 added: https://arts-for-life-2.square.site/ and can be picked up at the box office on event day.
For special seating needs or COVID-19 related concerns, contact afltrg@artsforlife.org. Handicapped seating is available
Groups participating in this year’s BPAs include Christ Memorial Productions, Dayspring Arts and Education, Gateway Center for the Performing Arts, Goshen Theatre Project, Hawthorne Players, Kirkwood Theatre Guild, KTK Productions, Looking Glass Playhouse, Monroe Actors Stage Company, O’Fallon Theatre Works, OverDue Theatre, and Spotlight Productions.
For more information, visit the website at www.artsforlife.org
The Tesseract Theatre Company is moving to the Marcelle Theatre with two new plays by local playwrights. The St. Louis premieres of “The Length of a Pop Song” by Taylor Gruenloh and “All That Remains” by JM Chambers will open in July.
“The Length of a Pop Song,” directed by Karen Pierce and featuring the cast of Rhiannon Creighton, Donna Parrone, and Kelvin Urday, will run July 8 – 17.
“All That Remains,” directed by Brittanie Gunn and featuring the cast of Luis Aguilar, Melody Quinn, Morgan Maul-Smith, Nyx Kaine, Sherard Curry, and Victor Mendez will run July 22 – 31.
Performances will be Friday and Saturdays at 8 pm, Sundays at 4 pm.
The Length of a Pop Song by Taylor Gruenloh: Lex has no choice but to move back into her parent’s house after another incident of self-harm. Her mother wants to help prepare her for an upcoming trial against an adult website hosting non-consensual videos of Lex, but Lex can’t find a reason to look forward to tomorrow.
All That Remains by JM Chambers: Gary survives a school shooting and isn’t dealing with the trauma well. Gary’s wife Elaine is trying her best to hold it all together, take care of Gary, work, pay the bills, and deal with her own sadness. Gary and Elaine can’t go on living this way forever and soon they both reach a breaking point.
The Marcelle Theatre is located at: 3310 SAMUEL SHEPARD DRIVE, SAINT LOUIS, MISSOURI 63103
Tickets are available for both plays at MetroTix.com. $20 for general audience and $15 for students.
Questions can be sent to Tesseract Theatre at contact@tesseracttheatre.com
Winners to be Announced at Gala Ceremony June 12 at the Fairmont Century Plaza
The Fourth Annual Critics Choice Real TV Awards will recognize excellence in nonfiction, unscripted and reality programming across broadcast, cable and streaming platforms.
The annual event returns to an in-person ceremony and gala this year, taking place on June 12 at the Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles. Bob Bain and Joey Berlin will serve as Executive Producers. Michelle Van Kempen also executive produces the show.
Hosts are The Sklar Brothers (Randy and Jason Sklar), St Louis natives, are actors, comedians and television and podcast hosts. The brothers notably hosted and produced History Channel’s “United Stats of America” and created and starred in the ESPN cult hit series “Cheap Seats,” besides being guest hosts on “Jeff Ross Presents Roast Battle.” The Sklars can next be seen on “The Nose Bleeds,” a hilarious deep dive into UFC’s history that will launch this summer on UFC’s Fight Pass streaming service.
Presenters include Alan Tudyk, Amir Mathis, Carrie Ann Inaba, Chris Hardwick, Chrishell Stause, Chelsea Lazkani, Christine Chiu, Dashaun Wesley, Derek Hough, Garcelle Beauvais, Judge Mathis, Kandi Burruss, Kathy Griffin, Kevin Kreider, Linda Reese Mathis, Michelle Visage, Padma Lakshmi, Rob Riggle, Tracy Tutor, Tyler Henry, and many more special guests.
The Critics Choice Association and nonfiction producers’ organization NPACT unveiled the nominees on May 14 for the fourth annual Critics Choice Real TV Awards, which recognize excellence in nonfiction, unscripted and reality programming across broadcast, cable and streaming platforms.
The annual event returns to an in-person ceremony and gala this year, taking place on June 12 at the Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles.
“Top Chef” leads this year’s nominations, earning nods in five categories including Best Competition Series, Best Culinary Show, and Best Ensemble Cast in an Unscripted Series, with Padma Lakshmi earning nominations for Best Show Host and Female Star of the Year. Netflix leads the networks, having projects recognized in 20 categories.
“Given its ongoing popularity across broadcast and cable networks, streaming services and other platforms, it’s clear that unscripted programming is deserving of special recognition by the Critics Choice Association,” said Ed Martin, President of the Critics Choice Association’s TV Branch. “The exciting programs and diverse personalities selected by our five nominating committees represent the best that this multi-faceted genre has to offer. The fourth annual Critics Choice Real TV Awards ceremony promises to be our most exciting yet.”
The Sklar Brothers
Said NPACT General Manager Michelle Van Kempen, “The amazing depth and quality of unscripted programming is evident in this year’s nominees, and we’re especially excited to be able to pay tribute to them and the entire unscripted community at an in-person gala, after two virtual years. It’s truly an honor to collaborate with the Critics Choice Association to celebrate the excellence and innovation of nonfiction content
The Critics Choice Real TV Awards were launched in 2019 as a large-scale awards platform to give the robust (and still growing) unscripted genre critical attention and support. The awards celebrate programming across platforms, and also recognize industry leaders with special awards highlighting career achievements.
The Critics Choice Association monitors all awards submissions and selects the nominees in all competitive categories. Blue-ribbon nominating committees made up of CCA members with expertise in nonfiction, unscripted and reality programming determine the nominees. Winners will be chosen by a vote of the CCA membership. NPACT leads the selection of non-competitive discretionary awards and awards for platforms and production companies.
About NPACT
NPACT is the trade association for nonfiction production companies doing business in the U.S. Its members are comprised of production companies of all sizes, as well as allied services companies. NPACT serves as the voice for the nonfiction creative community, providing a forum for producers as they navigate changes in media and tackle business issues. For more information visit NPACT.org.
NOMINATIONS FOR THE FOURTH ANNUAL CRITICS CHOICE REAL TV AWARDS
BEST COMPETITION SERIES
Chopped (Food Network) Making It (NBC) RuPaul’s Drag Race (VH1) The Amazing Race (CBS) Top Chef (Bravo) The Great British Baking Show (Netflix)
BEST COMPETITION SERIES: TALENT/VARIETY
Dancing with the Stars (ABC) Finding Magic Mike (HBO Max) Legendary (HBO Max) Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls (Prime Video) Next Level Chef (Fox) The Voice (NBC)
BEST UNSTRUCTURED SERIES
Couples Therapy (Showtime) RuPaul’s Drag Race: Untucked (VH1) The Kardashians (Hulu) The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (Bravo) The Real World Homecoming: New Orleans (Paramount+) We’re Here (HBO)
BEST STRUCTURED SERIES
Catfish: The TV Show (MTV) Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives (Food Network) Dr. Pimple Popper (TLC) Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted (National Geographic) How To with John Wilson (HBO) Sketchbook (Disney+)
Cooking with Paris (Netflix) Crime Scene Kitchen (Fox) Is It Cake? (Netflix) Magnolia Table with Joanna Gaines (Magnolia) The Great British Baking Show (Netflix) Top Chef (Bravo)
BEST GAME SHOW
Family Game Fight! (NBC) Holey Moley (ABC) Jeopardy! (Syndicated) Supermarket Sweep (ABC) The Price Is Right (CBS) Weakest Link (NBC)
BEST TRAVEL/ADVENTURE SHOW
Alone (History) Family Dinner (Magnolia) Somebody Feed Phil (Netflix) The Amazing Race (CBS) The World According to Jeff Goldblum (Disney+) The World’s Most Amazing Vacation Rentals (Netflix)
BEST BUSINESS SHOW
American Greed (CNBC) Bar Rescue (Paramount+) Million Dollar Wheels (Discovery+) Restaurant: Impossible (Food Network) Shark Tank (ABC) Undercover Boss (CBS)
Crikey! It’s the Irwins
BEST ANIMAL/NATURE SHOW
Crikey! It’s the Irwins (Discovery) Critter Fixers: Country Vets (National Geographic) Eden: Untamed Planet (BBC America) Growing Up Animal (Disney+) Penguin Town (Netflix) The Wizard of Paws (BYUtv)
BEST CRIME/JUSTICE SHOW
911 Crisis Center (Oxygen) Cold Justice (Oxygen) Heist (Netflix) Rich & Shameless (TNT) Secrets of Playboy (A&E) Trafficked with Mariana van Zeller (National Geographic)
BEST SPORTS SHOW
30 for 30 (ESPN) Bad Sport (Netflix) Cheer (Netflix) Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team (CMT) Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel (HBO) Top Class: The Life and Times of the Sierra Canyon Trailblazers (Prime Video)
Fixer Upper: Welcome Home
BEST RELATIONSHIP SHOW
90 Day Fiancé (TLC) La Máscara del Amor (Estrella TV) Love Is Blind (Netflix) Love on the Spectrum (Netflix) My Mom, Your Dad (HBO Max) The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On (Netflix)
BEST LIFESTYLE: HOME/GARDEN SHOW
Celebrity IOU (HGTV) Fixer Upper: Welcome Home (Magnolia) Houses with History (HGTV) Married to Real Estate (HGTV) Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles (Bravo) Rock the Block (HGTV)
BEST LIFESTYLE: FASHION/BEAUTY SHOW
Glow Up (Netflix) Love, Kam (SurvivorNetTV) Making the Cut (Prime Video) My Unorthodox Life (Netflix) Project Runway (Bravo) The Hype (HBO Max)
BEST LIMITED SERIES
Abraham Lincoln (History) Conversations with a Killer: The John Wayne Gacy Tapes (Netflix) Crime Scene: The Times Square Killer (Netflix) Sparking Joy with Marie Kondo (Netflix) Theodore Roosevelt (History) We Need to Talk About Cosby (Showtime)
BEST ENSEMBLE CAST IN AN UNSCRIPTED SERIES
Dancing with the Stars (ABC) RuPaul’s Drag Race (VH1) The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (Bravo) The Real World Homecoming: New Orleans (Paramount+) The Voice (NBC) Top Chef (Bravo)
Trevor Noah
BEST SHOW HOST
Mayim Bialik – Jeopardy! (Syndicated) Daniel “Desus Nice” Baker and Joel “The Kid Mero” Martinez – Desus & Mero (Showtime) Padma Lakshmi – Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi (Hulu); Top Chef (Bravo) Trevor Noah – The Daily Show with Trevor Noah (Comedy Central) John Oliver – Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO) RuPaul – RuPaul’s Drag Race (VH1)
MALE STAR OF THE YEAR
Jeff Goldblum – The World According to Jeff Goldblum (Disney+) Robert Irvine – Restaurant: Impossible (Food Network) Trevor Noah – The Daily Show with Trevor Noah (Comedy Central Phil Rosenthal – Somebody Feed Phil (Netflix) RuPaul – RuPaul’s Drag Race (VH1) Stanley Tucci – Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy (CNN)
FEMALE STAR OF THE YEAR
Samantha Bee – Full Frontal with Samantha Bee (TBS) Kelly Clarkson – The Kelly Clarkson Show (Syndicated); The Voice (NBC); American Song Contest (NBC) Joanna Gaines – Fixer Upper: Welcome Home (Magnolia); Magnolia Table with Joanna Gaines (Magnolia) Selena Gomez – Selena + Chef (HBO Max) Padma Lakshmi – Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi (Hulu); Top Chef (Bravo) Sandra Lee – Dr. Pimple Popper (TLC)
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN NONFICTION PROGRAMMING BY A NETWORK OR STREAMING PLATFORM
Discovery+ HBO Max Hulu Netflix TLC
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN NONFICTION PRODUCTION
Bunim/Murray Productions The Intellectual Property Corporation (IPC) Kinetic Content Raw TV Sharp Entertainment World of Wonder
The MTV Movie & TV Awards returned, with Vanessa Hudgens as host of the live ceremony and Tayshia Adams hosting the second part – Unscripted.
Jack Black was honored with the Comedic Genius Award, while Jennifer Lopez accepted the Generation Award. She delivered an emotional speech, in which she thanked her kids, the people who gave her joy and her manager Benny Medina, as well as “all the people who told me to my face or when I wasn’t in the room that I couldn’t do this.”
Tom Holland and Zendaya won separate awards and for their projects. Here’s the list of winners:
SCRIPTED CATEGORIES
BEST MOVIE Spider-Man: No Way Home — WINNER! Scream The Batman The Adam Project Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings Dune
BEST SHOW Euphoria — WINNER! Inventing Anna Loki Squid Game Ted Lasso Yellowstone
BEST PERFORMANCE IN A MOVIE Lady Gaga, House of Gucci Robert Pattinson, The Batman Sandra Bullock, The Lost City Timothée Chalamet, Dune Tom Holland, Spider-Man: No Way Home — WINNER!
BEST PERFORMANCE IN A SHOW Amanda Seyfried, The Dropout Kelly Reilly, Yellowstone Lily James, Pam & Tommy Sydney Sweeney, Euphoria Zendaya, Euphoria — WINNER!
Ryan Reynolds as Guy in 20th Century Studios??? FREE GUY. Photo by Alan Markfield. ?? 2020 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
BEST COMEDIC PERFORMANCE Brett Goldstein, Ted Lasso John Cena, Peacemaker Johnny Knoxville, Jackass Forever Megan Stalter, Hacks Ryan Reynolds, Free Guy — WINNER!
BEST HERO Daniel Craig, No Time to Die Oscar Isaac, Moon Knight Scarlett Johansson, Black Widow — WINNER! Simu Liu, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings Tom Holland, Spider-Man: No Way Home
BEST VILLAIN Colin Farrell, The Batman Daniel Radcliffe, The Lost City — WINNER! James Jude Courtney, Halloween Kills Victoria Pedretti, You Willem Dafoe, Spider-Man: No Way Home
BEST KISS Hunter Schafer and Dominic Fike, Euphoria Lily Collins and Lucien Laviscount, Emily in Paris Poopies and the snake, Jackass Forever — WINNER! Robert Pattinson and Zoë Kravitz, The Batman Tom Holland and Zendaya, Spider-Man: No Way Home
Ghostface and Jenna Ortega in Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group’s “Scream.”
MOST FRIGHTENED PERFORMANCE Jenna Ortega, Scream — WINNER! Kyle Richards, Halloween Kills Mia Goth, X Millicent Simmonds, A Quiet Place Part II Sadie Sink, Fear Street: Part Two 1978
BEST FIGHT Black Widow vs. Widows, Black Widow Cassie vs. Maddy, Euphoria — WINNER! Guy vs. Dude, Free Guy Shang-Chi bus fight, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings Spider-Men end battle, Spider-Man: No Way Home
BEST BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE Alana Haim, Licorice Pizza Ariana DeBose, West Side Story Hannah Einbinder, Hacks Jung Ho-yeon, Squid Game Sophia Di Martino, Loki — WINNER!
BEST TEAM Tom Hiddleston, Sophia Di Martino and Owen Wilson, Loki — WINNER! Selena Gomez, Steve Martin and Martin Short, Only Murders in the Building Tom Holland, Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire, Spider-Man: No Way Home Ryan Reynolds and Walker Scobell, The Adam Project Sandra Bullock, Channing Tatum and Brad Pitt, The Lost City
As Stage Director Omer Ben Seadia writes of “The Magic Flute” in this season’s gorgeously designed program for Opera Theatre of St. Louis (OTSL), “We come back to ‘The Magic Flute’ in every generation, so that we too can look around and decide for ourselves what the world should look like and who we want to be in the world.”
And like its balletic counterpart cum cultural chestnut, “The Nutcracker,” Mozart’s opera is indeed wide, magical and appealing enough to invite interest, interpretation and relevance from generation to generation since it premiered in 1791. As Paul Simon more recently put it, “…every generation throws a hero up the pop charts / Medicine is magical and magical is art…”
Jeni Houser as The Queen of the Night
It’s tempting to play the wonk and dwell on how and why this singspiel in two acts has enjoyed such a long run. But the more pressing question is whether OTSL’s 2022 production is up to the demanding challenge and delivers a Flute that is as relevant as it is magical and. The short answer is yes.
If you were at the May 28th performance and seek outside validation of why you and almost everyone else – across several generations – laughed, clapped and all-but sang along to the Queen of the Night’s famous aria (if only we were all coloratura sopranos), then consider yourself validated.
A closer look, however, reveals a subtle, cerebral interpretation of this classic – one that takes some interesting risks and rewards the careful observer. As film director/writer/producer Alan Parker once said, “It’s just as hard to make a bad film as a good one…” The same holds true for opera productions.
The pros at OTSL faced a million decisions that coalesced into this take on a canonical opera. One would have loved to have listened to the discussions between Seadia, Set Designer Ryan Howell and Lighting Designer Christopher Akerlind as they explored how to create the set, which is deceptively simple.
It was anchored by the twisted trunk of a tree – shades of Keebler Elves – that served as the synecdoche for the entire enchanted forest. The tree was flanked by an elevated, wood-toned walkway and staircase that was so ordinary as to become essentially ubiquitous, if not invisible.
The set’s standout element is the busy-patterned, bi-color, batik-like back wall. At first glance, the wall seems more fitting for “The Lion King” than an enchanted forest. But cue the lights. Throughout the opera, the use of light brings some of the no-so-random shapes to life as owls, heads or all-seeing eyes.
Clever in the best sense of the world, and never so obvious as to detract from the overall performance. The use of suspended light bars in Act II was spectacularly effective, especially since this half of the opera relates to light relative to Act I’s focus on darkness.
Jessica Jahn, costume designer, and Tom Watson, wig and make-up designer, created costumes that hinted at a disparate variety of influences. The costume for Sarastro, the High Priest of the Sun, for instance, enveloped Adam Lau in a spectral cape that was part David Bowie in “The Man Who Fell To Earth” and part Balok from the “The Corbomite Maneuver” episode of “Star Trek.”
Johnathan McCullough and Angel Riley
It would have been easy to rely on a more traditional, Egyptian-theme for Sarastro. At Sarastro’s first entrance, his costume was slightly off-putting, but as Lau stiffly moves about, his costume’s next-generation pharaonic vibe makes sense. Again, this is a cerebral production of the Flute.
The three Workers also sported spacey costumes that are a mash-up of brown Carhartt overalls and bowel-shaped hoods reminiscent of the Jawas in “Star Wars.” Not quite as effective was The Queen of the Night’s second act costume that included a lighted iconographic halo. Using lights to depict a character associated with darkness seems a bit gimmicky, but not overly detracting thanks to the powerful performance of Jeni Houser.
The Flute’s story is simply silly by today’s standards. Its magic lies in the music by Mozart. And the magic in this production is the cast. With a smooth assist from the orchestra led by Rory Macdonald, they almost make the set, costumes and lighting superfluous.
It’s easy to emphasize Johnathan McCollough’s Papageno because the character has all the best, funniest lines and he gets to romp through his scenes – so much Falstaffian id mucking about with all the other Flutian egos. The world of opera could use more laughter like this. McCollough plays his Papageno as a well-rounded, hedonistic nature boy. Angel Riley was the perfect counterpoint and foil with her Papagena as his devilish, spunky love-interest.
Balancing Papageno’s comic antics is the more serious, eyes-on-the-prize prince, Tamino, sung by tenor Joshua Blue. As the central character, Blue’s performance was silky, entrancing and believable.
Equally strong was Houser as The Queen of the Night – part Borg Queen and part Wicked Stepmother (lighted headdress notwithstanding.) Houser’s coloratura “Vengeance Aria” is a show-stopper, as it is intended to be.
Erica Petrocelli sings Pamina, the Queen’s daughter. Pamina is both vulnerable in a girl-tied-on-the-tracks sort of way and fiercely strong-willed like Elsa in “Frozen.” Petrocelli pulls off that balance with a performance equal to, if not surpassing, her queen mum.
The basso Lau convincingly and captivatingly sings Sarastro. Lau’s coldly controlled presence paired with his deep, resonate, voice imbues Sarastro with gravitas and other-worldliness.
The art of opera is a gestalt, composed of all of the theatrical arts, and especially music and voice. Magical is art. OTSL’s 2022 production of “The Magic Flute” joins the ongoing lineage of productions that precede it. And if anyone of this generation questions the need for another, borrow the title from the second volume of Elvis’s gold hits and say, “50,000,000 Flute Fans Can’t Be Wrong.”
Erica Petrocelli and Joshua Blue
“The Magic Flute” is presented in repertory by Opera Theatre of St. Louis June 8-26 at the Loretto-Hilton Center, 130 Edgar Road, St. Louis. It is performed in English with projected English subtitles and runs 2 hours, 30 minutes. Members of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra accompany the performance. For dates, tickets and more information, visit: https://opera-stl.org/whats-on/the-magic-flute/
By Lynn Venhaus An uneasy feeling of dread grows and intensifies during the creepy “Watcher,” a competent thriller whose elements, while not exactly original, come together as a believable modern-day psychological horror show.
When her husband Francis (Karl Glusman) gets a job promotion that requires a move to Romania, Julia (Maika Monroe) accompanies him on the adventure – and plans to be supportive. A former actress, she walks around the streets of Bucharest, a stranger in a strange land, and attempts to keep busy to relieve her crushing boredom.
Only she has this uneasy feeling that she is being watched. There’s a guy (Burn Gorman) peeking outside nightly from an adjacent building. Is she imaging things or is she being stalked?
Shades of Hitchcock’s “Rear Window” and the proverbial female protagonist doubting herself – while men wonder if it’s her imagination or other stress triggers causing the hysteria.
Those condescending, patronizing looks that women know all too well.
Watcher with Maika Monroe
But we wouldn’t have 95 tension-filled minutes if everyone believed her, right? Maika Monroe, who effortlessly slips into the horror-genre as the pretty and smart blonde, toggles the fine line of sanity. We feel her nagging ‘What is wrong with me?’ just as we experience the unsettling surroundings from her point of view.
As an odd, lonely janitor named Weber, the versatile character actor Burn Gorman is able to project both sadness and strangeness at the same time. He does more with the thinly drawn part than likely was on paper.
In a stereotypical preoccupied husband role, Karl Glusman is nondescript as Francis, going through the motions of becoming increasingly perplexed, and alarmed, by Julia’s behavior.
It doesn’t help that the nightly news features a grisly neighborhood murder that may be the work of a serial killer. Nor that Julia doesn’t understand the language – she is taking lessons but feels even more lost when she’s surrounded by natives blithely chatting away. It all adds up to a few heebie-jeebies moments.
An interesting turn by Madalina Anea as the alluring, sophisticated neighbor Irina is a terrific addition to the claustrophobic setting.
Director Chloe Okuno, who wrote the story for the screen based on Zack Ford’s screenplay, gives a stylish, contemporary female spin on a classic old-school thriller, and it gets under your skin with her methodical approach.
Okuno employs a steady, deliberate pace and wisely chooses to play up the shadows and vary the lighting to make Julia’s solitary moments even more unsettling. Along with cinematographer Benjamin Kirk Nielsen, they frame the angular hallways, windows, staircases, and doors to build an eerie tone.
Shrewd editing by Michael Block provides well-earned jump scares and some jolting surprises just in case you were lulled into a ‘nothing’s wrong here’ feeling. Composer Nathan Halpern capitalizes and effectively adds to the spooky vibe with his memorable score.
Costume designer Claudia Bunea has made smart choices, especially for Julia, whom we can see change through her fashion choices as her misery grows. The walls seem to close in on her, and production designer Nora Dumitrescu’s selections help that with a drab Old-World setting.
But it all rests on Monroe’s shoulders to convince us of her out-of-kilter life, trying to adapt to a foreign country but feeling more isolated and alone than ever, and she splendidly comes through.
A nominee for the Grand Jury Prize at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival, “Watcher” takes a story with familiar beats and with fresh eyes, collaborators made it their own. Above all, it delivers what it promises – and is frightening in the process.
Maika Monroe
“Watcher” is a 2022 horror-thriller directed by Chloe Okuno and starring Maika Monroe, Karl Glusman, Burn Gorman, Madalina Anea. It is rated R for some bloody violence, language and some sexual material/nudity, and runs 1 hour, 31 minutes. It is in local theaters on June 3 and available for rental on June 21. Lynn’s Grade: B+
