On Friday, The Muny celebrated the successful completion of its Second Century Capital Campaign, raising over $100 million securing the future of the historic theatre in Forest Park. A lively garden party welcomed invited guests to the new donor plaza and dedication of the donor wall commemorating the contributions of the community. Last November, Steward Family Foundation and The Centene Charitable Foundation provided the lead gifts from the closing group of donors.
“The Muny is a cultural pillar in this community—serving as a home for celebration, entertainment, commonality and opportunity. The team boldly embarked on a campaign to ensure its future for generations with the faith that realizing this goal would be possible. Steward Family Foundation is proud to share our blessing and bring to fruition all that the future of The Muny promises,” said David Steward, Founder and Chairman of World Wide Technology.”
“The realization of this campaign goal guarantees that the tradition of musical theatre for and by the people of St. Louis will remain for generations yet to be born. It allows us to continue to evolve both our physical campus and the scope of opportunity and experience we provide,” said Muny President & CEO Kwofe Coleman. “I am immensely grateful to everyone whose work and leadership made this possible and to the generous donors who have made our future a reality. On behalf of The Muny, thank you.
“This is a historic and monumental accomplishment for this theatre and our community,” said Muny Artistic Director and Executive Producer Mike Isaacson. “The $100 Million goal – dream, really – was wildly ambitious and unprecedented. Because of the hard work, faith and generosity of so many, The Muny can continue to be “Alone In Its Greatness.”
“Reaching our $100 million goal was extremely important to me. Knowing that the final $10 million included gifts to honor my retirement was more than heartwarming. I’m proud, not only of the work we did but also of what this campaign has done and will make possible for The Muny for years to come.” said Muny President Emeritus Denny Reagan.
“Throughout this campaign, we have seen incredible generosity on full display and this successful final push to the goal was a remarkable testament of our community’s love for the theatre’s history and an investment in its future.” said Board and Campaign Chair Jim Turley. “It was also important to all of us that we completed this campaign in time to honor the unbelievable amount of work Denny put into the campaign and to recognize the legacy of excellence and stability he established.”
In addition to Steward Family Foundation and The Centene Charitable Foundation, the final group of gifts included support from the Bardol Chervitz Families, the Coleman Family, Donald Fassold, the Finerty Family Foundation, David Hogan, Mike Isaacson & Joe Ortmeyer, the Johnston Family Fund, Tim & Elizabeth Kertz, Ned & Sally Lemkemeier, Mr. & Mrs. William Scheffel and Mary & Joseph Stieven.
Launched in 2018 during The Muny’s centennial season, the Second Century Capital Campaign was a $100 million fundraising effort to fund major capital improvements including a complete rebuild of the Muny stage, the support, maintenance and upkeep of its 11.5-acre campus, and to build the theatre’s endowment, which supports The Muny’s ever-growing education and outreach programs. The endowment not only ensures a future of financial accessibility for The Muny’s community programs but also allows the outdoor theatre to respond to unforeseen events.
Transformational leadership gifts of $20 million made by Mr. & Mrs. James S. McDonnell III, and the Enterprise Holdings Foundation and the Taylor & Kindle families top an extensive list of supporters including the closing group announced above.
Lynn (Zipfel) Venhaus has had a continuous byline in St. Louis metro region publications since 1978. She writes features and news for Belleville News-Democrat and contributes to St. Louis magazine and other publications.
She is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic, currently reviews films for Webster-Kirkwood Times and KTRS Radio, covers entertainment for PopLifeSTL.com and co-hosts podcast PopLifeSTL.com…Presents.
She is a member of Critics Choice Association, where she serves on the women’s and marketing committees; Alliance of Women Film Journalists; and on the board of the St. Louis Film Critics Association. She is a founding and board member of the St. Louis Theater Circle.
She is retired from teaching journalism/media as an adjunct college instructor.
The best produced show of the Muny’s 103rd season, “Chicago” capped off the welcome return to tradition in Forest Park this summer with a sultry and sleek music-and-dance showcase.
Everything about the production was on point – from the crisp staging by director Denis Jones and his snappy choreography to the jazzy brass beats from the swinging orchestra conducted by music director Charlie Alterman.
And this production blazes with star power. You will remember the names of the lead trio: Sarah Bowden (Roxie Hart), J. Harrison Ghee (Velma Kelly) and James T. Lane (Billy Flynn).
With snazzy music by John Kander and barbed lyrics by Fred Ebb, patterned after old-timey vaudeville numbers, and a saucy original book by Ebb and Bob Fosse, the story is a sardonic take on fame and the justice system set during the freewheeling Jazz Age.
It is based on a 1926 play by reporter Maurine Dallas Watkins about actual criminals she covered for a newspaper in Chicago. This current script adaptation is by David Thompson, who worked with Kander and Ebb on the musicals “The Scottsboro Boys” and “Steel Pier.”
Jones’ clever concept was to set the show as an entertaining spectacle at a speakeasy, with café tables around a perimeter so it’s watched by not only the Muny audience but also by performers on stage. He did a similar staging, but not an exact replica, for the 2012 Muny version. That point of view works brilliantly.
Scenic designer Tim Mackabee gave it a striking look while the lighting design by Rob Denton added to the stylized atmosphere and the stellar video design by Shawn Duan complemented the experience perfectly.
Drenched in cynicism, “Chicago” satirizes corruption and is a show-bizzy spin on tawdry headline-grabbing trial that marked the Prohibition Era — but are also timely today. Merry murderers Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly attempt to seize the spotlight and become celebrities.
Perhaps when the musical debuted in 1975, it was ahead of its time, for contemporary audiences didn’t find it relatable. The week after the Broadway show closed after 936 performances in the summer of 1977, it transferred to the Muny. Starring Jerry Orbach and Ann Reinking, it was not well-received (I was there).
The mostly unsympathetic characters take part in a three-ring circus that’s part illusion and part rhapsody in sleaze. Its relevance has only grown over the years, especially in the digital age of social media.
A rebirth after a robust 1996 Tony Award-winning revival received universal acclaim and broke records as the longest-running musical revival and the longest running American musical in history, second only to “The Phantom of the Opera” on the all-inclusive list (it surpassed “Cats” on Nov. 23, 2014, with its 7,486th performance).
Because the 24-hour news cycle has helped fuel an obsessive celebrity culture and the emergence of reality television has made stars out of unsavory housewives, wealthy influencers like the Kardashians and self-absorbed narcissists, now society has caught up with “Chicago’s” place in pop culture history.
It took me awhile to warm up to the musical, but after watching a few high-profile celebrity trials, you see the parallels. And those songs from the team that gave us the insightful “Cabaret” get better every time you hear them.
Sarah Bowden as Roxie Hart. Photo by Phillip Hamer.
A movie adaptation in 2002 garnered an Academy Award for Best Picture, earning six total, including Best Supporting Actress Catherine Zeta-Jones as Velma, which also helped its acceptance. It was the first musical since “Oliver!” in 1968 to win the top award.
Cut to Artistic Director and Executive Producer Mike Isaacson’s first season at The Muny in 2012, and “Chicago” was second in the line-up following Fox Theatricals’ Tony winner “Thoroughly Modern Millie.” He said it had been the most requested show on the annual survey for several years.
It’s back, for just the third time, 10 years later, with Jones, now a two-time Tony Award nominee for choreography on “Tootsie” in 2019 and “Holiday Inn” in 2017, raising the bar once again.
He has put his stamp on of two of the Muny’s best shows during the past decade, “42nd Street” in 2016 (Jones, St. Louis Theater Circle Award) and “A Chorus Line” in 2017, and now with another fresh outlook on “Chicago.”
Jones is familiar with the Broadway revival, for he was a swing performer and later dance captain, during four separate runs for him (performing in total for about four and a half years). He worked with Ann Reinking, Bebe Neuwirth, Joel Grey and James Naughton, who began their roles in 1996. So, he had specific ideas on what to keep and what to change.
His associate choreographer, Barry Busby, deserves a shout-out too, for the dance numbers are seamless. They put the roar back in The Roaring Twenties, and the vibrancy shows in Bowden-led “Roxie” and “Me and My Baby,” and Billy’s flashy “Razzle Dazzle.”
“Chicago” will always be Fosse’s magnus opus, for his signature moves, those distinctive deliberate dance steps – and jazz hands! But this isn’t a copycat at all. (Fosse may have lost the Tonys for choreographer and director pf “Chicago” to “A Chorus Line” in 1976, but he holds the all-time record, with eight, for choreography).
The athletic dancers excel at the high-octane numbers. Six performers carry out “Cell Block Tango” with the attitudes you expect – Liz (Madison Johnson), Annie (Taeler Cyrus), June (Veronica Fiaoni), Hunyak (Lizz Picini), Velma (Ghee), and Mona (Carleigh Bettiol), more commonly known as “Pop, Six, Squish, Uh-Uh, Cicero, and Lipschitz.”
Bowden plays Hart with verve, oozing phony wholesomeness in the public eye and a ruthless craving for attention when not. She was here once, in “Jerome Robbins’ Broadway,” and is an energetic firecracker on stage.
The magnetic Ghee sashays and struts as tough-as-nails Kelly, resentful of Hart being the shiny new sensation. He got our attention as Lola in “Kinky Boots” in 2019 and is a dynamic force every time he appears. Wearing satiny outfits and displaying a silky voice, he sets the tone with a seductive “All That Jazz” and an indignant “I Know a Girl,” and shows off his dexterity in “I Can’t Do It Alone.”
J Harrison Ghee, Sarah Bowden. Photo by Phillip Hamer.
Bowden is fire to Ghee’s ice, a combustible fun mix for the “My Own Best Friend” that closes Act 1 and the “Nowadays”/ “Hot Honey Rag” finale with those omnipresent canes and hats Fosse was so fond of using.
James T. Lane embodies the slick ambulance chaser lawyer Billy Flynn with a demanding and greedy nature – and delivers a dandy disingenuous “All I Care About” – accompanied by a marvelous fan dance that received its own ovation. Lane was last seen as Sebastian in 2017’s “Little Mermaid” here.
One of this show’s standout numbers is the “We Both Reached for the Gun” press conference rag with Billy pulling Roxie’s strings like a ventriloquist and the ensemble doing fast footwork.
It’s good to see veteran performers Emily Skinner and Adam Heller, who were both in The Rep’s magnificent “Follies” in 2016, and St. Louis Theater Circle nominees for previous Muny work, back on the outdoor stage. As Matron “Mama” Morton, Skinner belts out a terrific “When You’re Good to Mama” and teams with Ghee on one of my favorites, “Class.”
Heller, last seen as Ben Franklin in “1776,” plays Roxy’s cuckolded husband Amos Hart as a more naïve sad sack, not realizing how he is being manipulated. He strikes the right tone for an affecting ‘Mr. Cellophane.”
With her sweet soprano, Ali Ewoldt poses as the powerful radio personality Mary Sunshine and sings the ironic “Little Bit of Good.”
Regular Michael James Reed capably portrays five different roles in the ensemble: stage manager, Sgt. Fogarty, doctor, Aaron and the Judge.
The technical elements were also superior, with costume designer Emily Rebholz’s striking work with vintage fashions and for limber dance outfits, accompanied by strong wig design by Tommy Kurzman.
The shortened season is coming to an end, and what the Muny achieved this summer is remarkable, putting five shows together in eight weeks. This is also the time for a fond farewell to Denny Reagan, who is retiring after spending 53 years at the Muny, the last 30 as President and CEO.
A trip to the Muny isn’t complete until you greet Denny, or see him greeting patrons, at his ‘spot.’ We look forward to working with his top-shelf successor, Kwofe Coleman, starting in January.
Cell Block Tango. Photo by Phillip Hamer.
This collaborative production was a grand, great, swell time where all the elements came together in blissful harmony.
Attendance for the opening night performance was 6,435. The show runs an estimated 2 hours and 30 minutes.
“Chicago” is the final show of the shortened 103rd five-show season, through Sunday, Sept. 5. Performances are at 8:15 p.m. each evening on the outdoor stage in Forest Park. Emerson was the 103rd season sponsor.
For more information, visit muny.org.
Tickets can be purchased in person at the box office, online at muny.org or by phone by calling (314) 361-1900 ext. 1550.
To stay connected virtually and to receive the latest updates, please follow The Muny on their social media channels, including Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Lynn (Zipfel) Venhaus has had a continuous byline in St. Louis metro region publications since 1978. She writes features and news for Belleville News-Democrat and contributes to St. Louis magazine and other publications.
She is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic, currently reviews films for Webster-Kirkwood Times and KTRS Radio, covers entertainment for PopLifeSTL.com and co-hosts podcast PopLifeSTL.com…Presents.
She is a member of Critics Choice Association, where she serves on the women’s and marketing committees; Alliance of Women Film Journalists; and on the board of the St. Louis Film Critics Association. She is a founding and board member of the St. Louis Theater Circle.
She is retired from teaching journalism/media as an adjunct college instructor.
Coleman discusses upcoming 103rd season and the challenges ahead
By Lynn Venhaus Kwofe Coleman, who started at The Muny as a seasonal employee when he was 16, will become the theatre’s next president and CEO, succeeding Denny Reagan, who is retiring after 52 years.
Coleman begins the new position on Jan. 1, 2022. He is currently The Muny’s managing director, overseeing the organization, financial and business affairs. He will assume the role with more than a decade of extensive theatre management experience.
“I am honored and humbled by the opportunity to lead The Muny and serve a community that I love,” Coleman said. “The unparalleled history, remarkable resources and aspirational spirit that have yielded a century of success for The Muny are our foundation as we begin our second century.”
The Muny Board of Directors announced the decision Friday.
One of the premier musical theaters in the U.S., the 103-year-old St. Louis venue traditionally welcomes more than 350,000 patrons over its nine-week season in the nation’s largest and oldest outdoor theatre in Forest Park.
The opportunity to mold The Muny’s future is not one Coleman, 38, takes lightly.
“With great excitement, I look toward the future of a cultural institution that will take intentional steps to broaden and evolve our identity and relationships through both our art and our investment in this community,” he said.
He has been preparing for this opportunity for many years.
“It’s been a 22-year job interview,” he said. “The opportunities I have had to work in different departments and gain the necessary experience in a community I care about has motivated me to want to figure out our next chapter. ‘What else can I do?’ We have an opportunity to define what a cultural institution is. It’s an amazing opportunity.”
Coleman said he is eager to get to work.
“I have a lot of respect for what the people do here. I’m honored for this moment, and I’m so excited to do the work,” he said.
Coleman’s promotion has been met with local and national praise, with both the board chairman and retiring president describing it as a “perfect” choice.
“Thanks to Denny’s leadership, and the diligent stewarding of the selection process by the executive committee and full board, the perfect candidate has been chosen,” Muny Board Chairman James S. Turley said.
Reagan, who has been with The Muny since 1968, has served as president and CEO since 1991. He announced plans to retire in December.
He and Coleman have worked extensively alongside each other. In recent years, they have stood together near stage left, greeting patrons before each of the seven shows on summer evenings.
And like Reagan, Coleman started working at the Muny as a summer job when he was in high school. He was an usher, handing out programs and helping with patrons’ needs.
“Kwofe is a remarkably gifted leader who understands the institution at its core, and more importantly, its commitment to the St. Louis community,” Reagan said. “He will ensure The Muny’s future remains bright while offering a new perspective on how to lead our beloved theatre into its next century. Without question, he is the perfect choice.”
“Undoubtedly, Kwofe will ensure The Muny continues its commitment to accessibility, regardless of physical or socioeconomic limitations, while expanding the vital role we fill in our community,” said Turley, who is also the Second Century Campaign chairman.
Dave Steward, founder and chairman of World Wide Technology, the nation’s largest black-owned company, said Coleman was a national and local leader of rare passion and commitment for serving young people.
“His record reflects an accomplished innovator who is making education and training increasingly accessible for historically underserved communities through schools and the arts,” Steward said.
“From the Gospel of Mark we learn, ‘Whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant,’ and I am confident that Kwofe will lead with faith and humility. The Steward family, along with World Wide Technology, salute The Muny on choosing Kwofe as their next leader,” said Steward, a Muny board member.
World Wide Technology and the Steward Family Foundation became the first overall season sponsor in the history of The Muny in 2014. They were to be the 2020 Season Presenting Sponsor but instead continued as the online season presenting sponsor with a leadership gift.
Coleman is recognized both locally and nationally as a strong force in theatre operations and currently serves as the president-elect of the National Alliance for Musical Theatre.
Betsy King, NAMT executive director, noticed the symmetry of Reagan, a former president, passing the torch to Coleman.
“I can say with both excitement and confidence that Kwofe will be a charismatic, insightful leader for The Muny. He will respect the past while also moving the organization into a strong, vibrant future. The Muny is in excellent hands!” she said.
Coleman was a 2018 Fellowship advisor for the DeVos Institute of Arts Management at the University of Maryland.
“The Muny has enjoyed a remarkably stable and strong leadership that has allowed the organization to move from strength to strength. Appointing Kwofe Coleman as the new president and CEO ensures leadership continuity. Kwofe brings his own insights and talents to the position and will lead The Muny to even greater heights in the years to come,” said Michael Kaiser, DeVos Institute of Arts Management chairman and Kennedy Center president emeritus.
Photo in St. Louis American. Kwofe Coleman and Dennis Reagan backstage at The Muny
103rd Season
Because of the public health crisis due to the coronavirus pandemic, the 102nd season was cancelled, and the line-up was transferred to the 2021 season. Even though season ticket sales were announced in March, the current health landscape, best practices and all available information must indicate that a season is possible.
A final decision will be made next month, Coleman said.
“We’re eager to come back, to gather and have the shows, but we have to be safe and be cleared to do so by the health department and the labor unions,” he said. “We’re looking at every angle. We might have to have a slightly reduced season, a socially distanced scenario. We’ll do something. How we will do it has to be figured out.”
Coleman said meetings continue to take place, consulting with the city and medical experts on the COVID-19 regional numbers and mitigation efforts. He said they have watched what the St. Louis Cardinals, St. Louis Blues and other local institutions have done in their altered re-openings.
“We’ve had a lot of great conversations. We’re only going to be together again by working together,” he said.
The upcoming season, announced in December, is to start later in July and then run through September, a shift from the usual June to August schedule, “should conditions allow.”
The seven shows are: Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (July 5 – 11), Disney and Cameron Mackintosh’s Mary Poppins (July 14 – 22), Smokey Joe’s Cafe (July 25 – 31), The Sound of Music (August 3 – 9), Sweeney Todd (August 12 – 18), On Your Feet! (August 21 – 27) and Chicago (August 30 – September 5). Three – Sweeney Todd, Smokey Joe’s Café and On Your Feet – are Muny premieres.
In the meantime, the activities at #1 Muny Drive continue. The stage is being installed, construction is on track and preparations to return are underway.
The Muny is currently undergoing a multi-year major renovation project that was announced in October 2018. Phase 3 started in September, focused on backstage support spaces. The Muny’s aging 11.5-acre campus needs upkeep and maintenance.
The new Emerson Artists’ Building will house dressing rooms, the wig shop, hair and makeup departments and wardrobe. Renovations are planned for the costume shop, production and general offices, rehearsal space, craft and scenic room, painter and carpenter areas, and the sewer and plumbing infrastructure. The capital campaign has raised $85 million so far.
The first two phases focused on rebuilding the state-of-the-art James S. McDonnell stage
Summer of 2020
The Muny announced in May that a modified season of 5, not 7, shows would take place beginning in July only if local health experts and officials deemed it safe, but on June 8, the decision was made not to move forward.
After that sad news, the Muny pivoted to an online season, a first in its 102-year history. They aired the live Muny Magic concerts at The Sheldon, never before made available to the public, and created a new series, “The Muny 2020 Summer Variety Hour Live!” This one-of-a-kind, free online endeavor was packed with performances by Muny artists across the country and dancers performing outside on the grounds.
Because of the online season, The Muny was able to employ several members of its typical summer staff, including trades people, performers, artists and musicians.
With viewers from 22 countries, the total estimated attendance for the free 10-show summer season was 189,582. This number represented a record-breaking first in The Muny’s live-streaming history, and is an aggregated estimate based on YouTube analytics.
“While this season was anything but ordinary, the support from our viewers has been nothing short of extraordinary,” Reagan said.
“My heart was transported back to so many magical summer nights past,” said Mike Isaacson, artistic director and executive producer of The Muny.
“I am so grateful to everyone in the Muny family who worked on and created these 10 streams,” Isaacson said. “It was a remarkable collaboration in so many ways, and in this really challenging time, these shows allowed us to create, to celebrate and to be together. We’re all very grateful.”
The Muny 2018. Photo by Lynn Venhaus
Coleman’s biography
Coleman joined The Muny full time in 2008 as a staff accountant, helping to manage the finances, accounting and payroll for its multimillion-dollar annual budget.
In the decade preceding it, he performed a variety of roles, including house manager.
In 2011, Coleman formed The Muny’s first digital communications department, reconstructing its internet presence and social media identity while also dramatically increasing the theatre’s internet sales stream, national presence and forming connections with nextgeneration audiences.
He was promoted to director of marketing and communications in 2014, where he managed branding and marketing efforts through its 2018 centennial season. During this time, Coleman was also key in the creation of both The Muny’s Second Century Strategic Plan and the $100 million Second Century Capital Campaign.
Following the 2018 season, Coleman was named The Muny’s managing director, responsible for managing the business functions while working with Isaacson, to embrace and articulate the artistic and institutional vision.
In St. Louis, he is an active contributor, serving on the St. Louis University High School Board of Trustees, Cor Jesu Academy Advisory Council, Common Circles Advisory Council and as a proud founding board member of Atlas School.
Coleman is an alumnus of St. Louis University High School, Class of 2001, and earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Emory University in Atlanta.
He is a first-generation American. His parents migrated here from the Republic of Ghana in the mid-1970s and settled in Bellefontaine Neighbors. He has two sisters, both doctors, who attended Harvard and Duke universities, and locally, Cor Jesu Academy. He said his parents prized education and his father worked side jobs to send his children to private schools.
Coleman said his parents appreciated the arts and culture, and that was handed down to their three children, to make sure they were well-rounded.
“Art was natural to me and I appreciated it,” Coleman said.
He also serves on the board of directors for the Saint Louis Club, as well as other various social service organizations. During the 2020 holiday season, Coleman served as executive producer for “A New Holiday,” a short film musical set in St. Louis created by LIFE Creative Group.
He is a 2015 recipient of the St. Louis American’s Salute to Young Leaders Award and was named to the 2020 St. Louis Business Journal 40 under 40.
For more information about The Muny, visit www.muny.org.
Season tickets can be purchased online at muny.org or by phone by calling (314) 361-1900. Currently, the box office in Forest Park is closed to the public.
Lynn (Zipfel) Venhaus has had a continuous byline in St. Louis metro region publications since 1978. She writes features and news for Belleville News-Democrat and contributes to St. Louis magazine and other publications.
She is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic, currently reviews films for Webster-Kirkwood Times and KTRS Radio, covers entertainment for PopLifeSTL.com and co-hosts podcast PopLifeSTL.com…Presents.
She is a member of Critics Choice Association, where she serves on the women’s and marketing committees; Alliance of Women Film Journalists; and on the board of the St. Louis Film Critics Association. She is a founding and board member of the St. Louis Theater Circle.
She is retired from teaching journalism/media as an adjunct college instructor.
The Muny has announced the acquisition of a $4 million gift from Barbara and Andrew Taylor towards The Muny’s Second Century Capital Campaign. Given in honor of their great niece and current Muny Teen Allison Broadhurst, who began performing at The Muny in 2011, this gift will aid in the renovation of The Muny’s West Platform.
Located adjacent to the West Pre-Show Stage and Picnic Plaza, this platform is utilized in a variety of ways, including: an outdoor rehearsal space, a performance stage for Muny Kids and Teens showcases and private pre-show events. In the off-season, it serves as a gathering space for community events such as Earth Day, the African Arts Film Festival and private events.
With this generous gift, a state-of-the-art renovation to the West Platform will be made possible. Improvements will include enhanced lighting, large-scale fans, a new dance floor complete with an operational turntable and landscaping. It will also include updates to the prop storage warehouse located directly beneath the platform.
“We are honored and grateful to receive such a generous gift from Barbara and Andy,” said Muny President and CEO Denny Reagan. “The West Platform renovation that this gift makes possible is crucial to the success of our productions and for them to honor Allison and all of the young people who are a part of each summer here is a uniquely fitting touch.”
“The Muny is truly a singular institution that has been a cultural staple for over a century,” said Barbara Taylor. “Our gift, in honor of Allison, will help continue their mission and offer artists a state-of-the-art rehearsal space that is truly one of a kind.”
“Barbara and I have shared countless Muny memories together,” said Andrew Taylor. “Thanks to Allison, we have gained a ‘behind the curtain’ sense of what each production takes. This being said, we are thrilled to see what a renovated rehearsal space will provide for years of magic to come.”
Construction Plans
Work is progressing on the Muny renovations as part of the Second Century Campaign. Photo by Phillip Hamer.So far, planned improvements include replacement of the light bridge, stage, and surrounding structures.
The new stage design will also provide additional protection for the orchestra and their instruments. New lighting and improved audio and video will bring more vibrant imagery to productions.
The stage will be replaced with multiple stage decks, including the turntable, and stage floor tracking that will increase flexibility and enable scene changes more quickly and seamlessly.
The entryway improvement plans include new theatre gates, architectural lighting, refurbished fountains, restoration of the pergolas and more.
Indoor, climate-controlled orchestra rehearsal space is in the works.
For construction updates, visit https://munysecondcentury.org/construction-updates/
To give, or for more information regarding The Muny’s Second Century Capital Campaign, please visit muny.org/secondcentury
To view a Tarlton Construction update, here is the video:
Lynn (Zipfel) Venhaus has had a continuous byline in St. Louis metro region publications since 1978. She writes features and news for Belleville News-Democrat and contributes to St. Louis magazine and other publications.
She is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic, currently reviews films for Webster-Kirkwood Times and KTRS Radio, covers entertainment for PopLifeSTL.com and co-hosts podcast PopLifeSTL.com…Presents.
She is a member of Critics Choice Association, where she serves on the women’s and marketing committees; Alliance of Women Film Journalists; and on the board of the St. Louis Film Critics Association. She is a founding and board member of the St. Louis Theater Circle.
She is retired from teaching journalism/media as an adjunct college instructor.
By Lynn Venhaus
Managing Editor
The Muny is stepping into its second century with two smash-hit premieres among its seven-show 2019 season.
It will be the first theatre in the U.S. to produce the Tony, Olivier and Grammy Award-winning Best Musical “Kinky Boots.” Pop icon wrote 16 original songs for this adaptation of the movie about a struggling British shoe factory. It won six Tony Awards in 2013, and had 13 nominations.
In addition, the Muny will premiere Roald Dahl’s “Matilda,”which won four Tony Awards in 2013 and seven Olivier Awards in 2012. Based on Dahl’s 1988 children’s novel, Matilda is a smart girl with a vivid imagination.
A revised edition of Lerner and Loewe’s first musical, “Paint Your Wagon,” is being developed specifically for the largest and oldest outdoor theater in the country. During the past two seasons, the Muny was the birthplace of two re-imagined musical classics, “The Unsinkable Molly Brown” and “The Wiz.” This 1951 collaboration, set in the California gold rush, has a revised book by Jon Marans, and will be produced in association with On the Wagon Productions and Garmar Ventures. The one and only time the show had been at the Muny before was in 1956.
Two Muny favorites return — “Guys and Dolls” for the eighth time, but it has not been staged since 2004, and Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Cinderella,” which is the 2013 Broadway version making its debut. Previously, the Muny presented the show, which was based on the 1957 TV edition, five times, the last one in 2003.
The Tony-winning musical that tells the behind-the-scenes of The Declaration of Independence, “1776,” will return after 20 years. It was presented in 1972, 1976 and 1999.
“Footloose,” the dance-favorite with the chart-topping hits from the 1984 movie, is back for a second time after its debut in 2010.
The announcement of the 101st season took place Oct. 17 during the annual “Muny Magic” concert at the Sheldon Concert Hall.
“This is a thrilling, eclectic line-up that I believe will take the Muny audience on another great summer adventure,” Muny Artistic Director and Executive Producer Mike Isaacson said. “It’s a new century, and a new stage, and here we go. Gulp!”
The Centennial Season was historic, drawing more than 400,000 theatregoers over nine weeks this past summer.
“As the first season of our second century, this line-up is both ambitious and nostalgic,” Muny President and CEO Denny Reagan said. “On our brand new stage, the 2019 season promises the thrills and unforgettable Muny magic that have defined our theatre for over a century.”
Show order, performance schedule and audition dates will be announced later this fall. Subscription renewals will be mailed in early December.
New subscriptions will go on sale in March 2019, and single tickets will be available beginning May 2019.
World Wide Technology and The Steward Family Foundation became the first overall season sponsor in the history of The Muny in 2014. They are committed to continuing in this role with their leadership gift as The Muny’s 2019 Season Presenting Sponsor.
“Both WWT and The Steward Family Foundation are committed to The Muny and to making exceptional musical theatre, accessible to everyone,” said David Steward, Chairman and Founder of WWT. “This year’s season promises to be spectacular and will showcase how much the performing arts enrich our community.”
Muny gift cards for the 101st season are now available online and at The Muny Box Office. For more information, visit muny.org or call (314) 361-1900.
For more information about The Muny, visit muny.org
For more information about The Missouri History Museum’s Muny Memories: 100 Seasons Onstage exhibit, visit mohistory.org
Lynn (Zipfel) Venhaus has had a continuous byline in St. Louis metro region publications since 1978. She writes features and news for Belleville News-Democrat and contributes to St. Louis magazine and other publications.
She is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic, currently reviews films for Webster-Kirkwood Times and KTRS Radio, covers entertainment for PopLifeSTL.com and co-hosts podcast PopLifeSTL.com…Presents.
She is a member of Critics Choice Association, where she serves on the women’s and marketing committees; Alliance of Women Film Journalists; and on the board of the St. Louis Film Critics Association. She is a founding and board member of the St. Louis Theater Circle.
She is retired from teaching journalism/media as an adjunct college instructor.
The Muny has announced a remarkable pledge of $20 million from The JSM Charitable Trust for its Second Century Capital Campaign. This fundraising effort will fund major capital improvements, including a complete rebuild of the Muny stage, the support, maintenance and upkeep of the aging 11.5 acre campus, and the building of the theatre’s endowment, which supports The Muny’s ever-growing education and outreach programs.
Elizabeth and James McDonnell“As one of the lead supporters of this campaign, James and Elizabeth McDonnell, through The JSM Charitable Trust, have once again set the tone for philanthropy in the St. Louis community and we are incredibly humbled and grateful to be on the receiving end of their generosity,” said Muny President and CEO Denny Reagan. “This gift helps secure a thriving future for The Muny and the generations of St. Louisans we will continue to serve.”
“There’s music and magic on that stage, but behind the scenes are dated technologies and a crumbling infrastructure that hold it all together,” said James S. McDonnell III, Trustee of The JSM Charitable Trust, Honorary Campaign Chair, Board Member and long-time Muny supporter. “This is our chance to give a gift of great value to generations and secure the future of this civic institution for years to come.”
This announcement was part of The Muny’s official kick-off event, Intermission: Setting the Stage for the Next Act, for the upcoming stage renovation. Major donors were invited for an intimate evening onstage that included brief remarks regarding the Second Century Capital Campaign and the upcoming major renovations to the theatre.
Mike Isaacson, artistic director and executive producerPhotos by Phillip Hamer
Lynn (Zipfel) Venhaus has had a continuous byline in St. Louis metro region publications since 1978. She writes features and news for Belleville News-Democrat and contributes to St. Louis magazine and other publications.
She is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic, currently reviews films for Webster-Kirkwood Times and KTRS Radio, covers entertainment for PopLifeSTL.com and co-hosts podcast PopLifeSTL.com…Presents.
She is a member of Critics Choice Association, where she serves on the women’s and marketing committees; Alliance of Women Film Journalists; and on the board of the St. Louis Film Critics Association. She is a founding and board member of the St. Louis Theater Circle.
She is retired from teaching journalism/media as an adjunct college instructor.
