The Muny’s ‘Newsies’ Triumphs With High-Spirited Bravado and Charm

The Muny’s ‘Newsies’ Triumphs With High-Spirited Bravado and Charm

By Lynn Venhaus Let’s hear it for the boys! Those scrappy underdogs who win over many hearts nightly in the high voltage “Newsies” have taken... Details
Tesseract’s ‘Jagged Little Pill’ Is a Meaningful, Memorable Musical

Tesseract’s ‘Jagged Little Pill’ Is a Meaningful, Memorable Musical

By Lynn VenhausThe underbelly of American nuclear families in affluent suburbia is exposed in the emotionally charged Alanis Morissette-inspired musical “Jagged Little Pill,” which can’t... Details
Fresh Voices Stir, Amuse, Engage in STLAS’ LaBute New Theater Festival

Fresh Voices Stir, Amuse, Engage in STLAS’ LaBute New Theater Festival

By Lynn VenhausFive original voices made their auspicious LaBute New Theater Festival debut this year, along with the fest’s esteemed namesake with another intriguing new... Details
The Muny’s Lush, Lithe ‘South Pacific’ Is An Unforgettable Experience

The Muny’s Lush, Lithe ‘South Pacific’ Is An Unforgettable Experience

By Lynn Venhaus Big personalities and bigger voices fill the Muny’s expansive stage for an enthralling excursion into an exotic place that remains a timeless... Details
Prism Theatre Co. ‘Progress’ Royally Entertains with a Cozy Inside Look

Prism Theatre Co. ‘Progress’ Royally Entertains with a Cozy Inside Look

By Lynn Venhaus With a modern sense and sensibility, local playwright John Wolbers created a warm, welcoming and wild woman’s world of the 16th century... Details
Virtuoso Performances Give Albion Theatre’s Twisty ‘The Wasp’ Bite

Virtuoso Performances Give Albion Theatre’s Twisty ‘The Wasp’ Bite

By Lynn Venhaus Albion Theatre’s masterful interpretation of Morgan Lloyd Malcolm’s “The Wasp,” a contemporary twisty and twisted psychological thriller, leaves the gasping audience deeply... Details
Funky, Fun ‘Shrek the Musical’ Flips and Fractures Fairy Tales at The Muny

Funky, Fun ‘Shrek the Musical’ Flips and Fractures Fairy Tales at The Muny

By Lynn Venhaus It’s hard to say who had a better time at “Shrek the Musical” – the parents or the children, often green-clad and... Details
Dynamic Quartet Razor-Sharp in New Jewish Theatre’s ‘God of Carnage’

Dynamic Quartet Razor-Sharp in New Jewish Theatre’s ‘God of Carnage’

By Lynn Venhaus In a modern satire on parenting, social graces and the notion that polite society is merely a thin veneer, “God of Carnage”... Details
Muny’s Big, Bold and Beautiful ‘Hairspray’ Charms with Heart and Humor

Muny’s Big, Bold and Beautiful ‘Hairspray’ Charms with Heart and Humor

By Lynn Venhaus With magical Muny moments aplenty, the joy juggernaut “Hairspray” launched the 108th season with heart, humor and humanity. Stacked with stand-out performances,... Details
Wackiness Ensues in Stray Dog’s Broad Farce ‘3 Sheets to the Wind’

Wackiness Ensues in Stray Dog’s Broad Farce ‘3 Sheets to the Wind’

By Lynn Venhaus They say write what you know, and Gary F. Bell and Robert L. White, former roommates in New York City, have done... Details