Pop du Jour: The September Issue

Pop du Jour: The September Issue

By Lynn Venhaus

After a brief hiatus, we’re back with our round-up of people, places, and events in the St. Louis region, a tad behind in posting our September/summer swan song.

IN COMES COMPANY: Stephen Sondheim’s groundbreaking musical “Company” – the female-led revival that won the Tony in 2022, kicks off its 25-city national tour on Oct. 8 in Schenectady, N.Y., with the St. Louis stop Feb. 27-March 10 at the Fox Theatre.

Belleville native Ann Beyersdorfer, associate set designer for the Broadway revival, worked with production designer Bunny Christie, who won her fourth Olivier Award for the London production design. And she’s on the team that has been preparing the hilarious and sophisticated show for the road.

(Three-time Tony Award winner Jack Lane, co-founder and executive producer emeritus of Stages St. Louis, was one of the Broadway show’s co-producers.)

Ann was back in town this summer, as scenic designer for “Disney’s Beauty and the Beast” and “West Side Story” at The Muny, and I was fortunate to interview her then for the Belleville News-Democrat.

https://news.yahoo.com/belleville-native-designs-sets-broadway-120000176.html

For a deeper dive into the mechanics of getting a Broadway show transferred to the road, read about her journey here on PopLifeSTL.com:

A winner of best set design of a play for “Afterglow” at the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards, she’ll be part of the team taking the production to London Oct. 17–Nov. 24, with an official opening Oct. 22.

And as an art director on the visual shorts for “Saturday Night Live,” hopefully you will be able to see more of her work when the show resumes on Oct. 14. You may have seen the elaborate “HBO Mario Kart Trailer” she worked on when Emmy-nominated Pedro Pascal hosted.

Cheers to Ann and the tour launch! (We’ll drink to that!). For more information, visit: https://companymusical.com/

Nichelle Lewis, Wayne Brady

BRAND NEW DAY: “The Wiz,” the 1974 super-soul musical adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s beloved children’s novel “The Wizard of Oz,” which was given a reworking for The Muny’s 2018 season, is Broadway-bound in 2024, with St. Louis-connected producers, but this new revival is touring first. Opening night was Sept. 23 at the Hippodrome Theatre in Baltimore, and the reviews were raves.

“The audience and the whole evening was full of joy and energy, extended applause, and standing ovations,” stated the Maryland Theatre Guide on Sept. 29. “Powerhouse performances and stunning choreography,” enthused the Baltimore Sun.

The first-ever revival will be easing down the road to 12 other cities, including Chicago (Nov. 28 – Dec. 10). For more information, visit: https://wizmusical.com/

The producing team of Kristin Caskey and Mike Isaacson (Muny artistic director and executive producer) and a long list of others, including Terry Schnuck, is behind this show. Caskey, now of the Ambassador Theatre Group, spent 20 years with Fox Theatricals. She and Isaacson produced the Tony-winning “Fun Home” in 2015 and this year’s Best Revival winner “Parade.”

Isaacson said they have been working on a revival for eight years, and plans are to mount another national tour after the Broadway limited engagement. In preparation for The Muny, he received permission from the original creators to make some changes. Amber Ruffin, recent Tony nominee for “Some Like It Hot,” wrote additional material – and had worked on the Muny script – from William F. Brown’s original book. You may know her as a writer on “Late Night with Seth Meyers,” as she frequently appears.

Isaacson revealed that in a terrific Broadway World interview with James Lindhorst, who also talked with producers Jack Lane, Mike Bosner and Terry Schnuck – heavy-hitters at this year’s Tonys (“& Juliet,” “Shucked” and “Parade”).

https://www.broadwayworld.com/st-louis/article/Interview-St-Louis-Area-Producers-Mike-Bosner-Mike-Isaacson-Jack-Lane-and-Terry-Schnuck-Nominated-for-Tony-Awards-20230512

Schele Williams is helming this show, with Wayne Brady as The Wiz from Jan. 16 to Broadway engagement, and Alan Mingo Jr. in the title role Sept. 23 – Jan. 14, 2024, and newcomer Nichelle Lewis as Dorothy.

The original 1974 production, directed by Geoffrey Holder and choreographed by George Faison, won seven Tony Awards including Best Musical, and was adapted into a movie in 1978 starring Diana Ross, Richard Pryor, and Michael Jackson. NBC broadcast a live version in 2015, but a planned revival then did not materialize.

Colin, Jeanine

BRUSH WITH GREATNESS: Speaking of the musical “Fun Home,” composer Jeanine Tesori — the most honored and most prolific female theatrical composer in history, was in St. Louis this summer, and stopped in to visit with the local cast rehearing “Caroline, or Change,” produced by Fly North Theatricals.

To get the opportunity to talk with Tesori, who has written five Broadway musicals and received six Tony Award nominations, winning for “Fun Home” and the recent “Kimberly Akimbo,” was one of the best moments ever, according to music director Colin Healy.

Healy summed it up this way on Facebook: “She and Mike Isaacson (producer) offered such wonderful insight into the process of writing, building, and producing ‘Caroline, Or Change,’ validating what is already apparent when hearing the score: how much a labor of love and Herculean creative endeavor ‘Caroline’ was and continues to be… She spoke to us for over an hour and took questions from everyone.”

(Photo: Colin Healy and Jeanine Tesori)

NEW HORIZONS: All good wishes for theater and media folks moving on, changing directions and making the most of opportunities.

Bravo to Taylor Gruenloh, whose new musical “Cascade’s Fire,” a modern Antigone story co-written by Kyle Wernkel, will premiere Oct. 12 and run 13-15 and 19-21 in the Black Box Theatre at Missouri Science and Technology in Rolla, where he is on the Arts, Languages and Philosophy faculty. Taylor wrote the book and lyrics while Wernkel wrote the music.

Taylor recently stepped down as Creative Director at The Tesseract Theatre Company at the end of August, after their successful run of “Kinky Boots.” One of the most prolific and creative folks in town, I can’t wait to see what else he will accomplish.

Congratulations to Joe Gfaller, who has been managing director of Metro Theater Company since 2019, on becoming managing director of Clear Space Theatre Company, a 20-year-old regional theater in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. He’ll be leaving in mid-October. Jessie Youngblood, the current development director, will serve as interim managing director beginning Oct. 9. Always enjoyed working with Joe, starting with the Opera Theater of St. Louis in 2014. Joe has served Metro, St. Louis’s premiere professional theater for youth and families, well.

Best wishes to Julia Flood, Metro artistic director for the past 10 years, who has announced her retirement after the 51st season. Of Joe’s departure, she said: “Joe has had boundless energy and enthusiasm for the mission and work of Metro Theater Company. I feel lucky to have had the benefit of his partnership through the complexities of the pandemic times and wish him much success and happiness in his new venture.”  (They both can be very proud of their endeavors).
 A free Fall Family Festival to celebrate MTC’s 50 years of service to the community will be held on Oct. 21 and 22. A toast in Gfaller’s honor will be held at that event on Sunday, Oct. 22 at 1 p.m. 

Carol Daniel

Carol Daniel may have retired from one prominent longtime gig, but she is embarking on a fantastic journey. The award-winning St. Louis journalist, reporter, host, columnist, and author has joined Nine PBS as a Senior Producer and Host. 

Daniel said she looks forward to telling the stories of her community in a new way — with a podcast about people making an impact here, and also produce interviews and stories that celebrate and showcase underrepresented voices for Nine PBS’s content flagship, Living St. Louis. Yes to this! I look forward to seeing her next chapter.

Daniel has more than 40 years of experience as a host on KMOX Radio, as well as work on Great Day St. Louis on KMOV/Channel 4, and a columnist for the St. Louis American. She’s been honored as a Living Legend by the National Association of Black Journalists–St. Louis, was recently inducted into the Lincoln University Alumni Hall of Fame, and was a 2022 inductee into the St. Louis Media Hall of Fame.  

Longtime public relations and marketing maestros Eric Pugh and Dylan Stanley have departed our fair river city for beachier pastures. Last at the Muny, Eric is now promoting The Asolo Repertory Theatre in Sarasota, Fla., the largest Equity theatre in Florida, and the largest Repertory theatre in Southeastern U.S. Just wonderful to work with both, and I’m glad we had time together.

Dylan, who has moved to Los Angeles with his fiancé, Nicolas Valdez, who is embarking on a fellowship at USC, will keep us posted on his next challenge after giving us his all at Stifel Theatre and Enterprise Center (and performing in Tesseract Theatre Company’s triumphant “Kinky Boots.”

Best wishes to Lee Anne Mathews in her new role as Education and Artistic Director for the Fox Performing Arts Charitable Foundation!  Before May, she was making things happen at Westport Playhouse.

Congratulations to Brian McKinley on his new role as Director of Education and Community Program at the Black Repertory Theatre of St. Louis.

HOMETOWNERS: Comedian-actor Cedric the Entertainer’s new book, crime caper “Flipping Boxcars,” fictionalizes his grandfather, Floyd “Babe” Boyce.

Jon Hamm is in two, not one, television series this fall. He joined the cast of “The Morning Show” for season 3, now streaming on Apple TV+, and will be in “Fargo,” season 5, which starts Nov. 21 on FX and Hulu.

Nicholas “Sifu” Alsup.
Photo: Robert Voets/CBS

Best wishes to Nicholas “Sifu” Alsup of O’Fallon, Ill., who was chosen as one of 18 contestants on the 45th season of CBS’ “Survivor” that started Sept. 27.He is a larger-than-life personality, and I was able to interview him through permission with CBS. https://news.yahoo.com/o-fallon-gym-owner-one-120000863.html

CHEERS: Congratulations to New Jewish Theatre on their 25th anniversary as a regional professional theatre in St. Louis; and Gateway Center for Performing Arts school, and youth theater company, on their 10th anniversary in Webster Groves. A feature article by me will be in the Webster-Kirkwood Times soon.

OUT AND ABOUT: Two Colins in the ‘Lou news!
Co-owners Colin Healy and Bradley Rohlf of Fly North Theatricals, have opened their new home and social hangout, The Greenfinch Theater and Dive, at 2525 South Jefferson Avenue (the old Way Out Club).. The bar is open every night from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. You won’t want to miss Stool Pigeon Open Mic Comedy Night on Mondays and Drunk Voice Lessons karaoke with live piano accompaniment (and critiques) by Colin Healy on Wednesdays, plus Burlesque Bingo’s in the rotation too. They are also accepting reservations for their black box theater.

Colin Jost

SNL Head Writer Colin Jost was the Celebrity Guest Host at the Foundation for Barnes-Jewish Hospital’s Illumination Gala on June 3 at The Ritz-Carlton, a major fundraising event for the Siteman Cancer Center. Not sure what he said about “The Square Beyond Compare” but Imo’s posted his photo.
Since 2007, the event has raised more than $42 million to support research funds

MEMORY LANE: Last month in pop culture history.

Sept. 26, 1975: “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” opened in Westwood, Calif., and tanked at the box office, but later would become the definition of a cult classic, inspiring interactive screenings with toast, toilet paper and more.

If you attended midnight screenings in the late ‘70s at the Varsity Theatre in St. Louis (where Vintage Vinyl is now), you might have run in to a teenage Michael Stipe, future alt-rock band REM frontman, who is dressed as Frank-n-Furter here in this vintage newsclip on KSDK’s “Newsbeat.” He told the reporter: “We’re all normal, really.”

Why on earth was Stipe, now 63, in St. Louis then? His dad was in the Army, and they moved to several states during his childhood. In the late ‘70s, he lived in Collinsville, Ill., and attended high school there and went on to Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville.. Later, he would move to Athens, Ga., for college, and met record store clerk Peter Buck, which led to forming a band with Mike Mills and Bill Berry…and the rest is history..

Rocky Horror played midnights at the Varsity Theatre from April 1976 until Jan. 3, 1988 when it closed for good. It was one of the first 30 theatres in the U.S. to do so.

I was fortunate to interview Barry Bostwick (Brad in the movie) when he had been scheduled to appear at Wizard World in St. Louis, but had to cancel, and he graciously talked about making the movie by phone. True delight to talk with and write about — here’s my BND feature from 2017.

https://www.bnd.com/entertainment/article142667129.html

Anne Meara, Alan Arkin

IN MEMORIAM: Frequent visitor to Gaslight Square with the infamous Compass players, RIP Alan Arkin (March 26, 1934 – June 29, 2023). Archival photo is at Crystal Palace with Anne Meara.

From William Roth, the founder and artistic director of St. Louis Actors’ Studio, who renovated The Gaslight Theatre in the Central West End, on Arkin:

“He made his off-Broadway debut in the late 1950s and joined the St Louis improvisational group the Compass Players in 1959. This led to a stint with the Chicago improv troupe Second City and his Broadway debut, in 1961, in the company’s show ‘From the Second City, which he co-wrote.’

Tony-winning actor Michael McGrath, whose last show was at the Muny this summer – he did a fine job as Mr. Mushnik in “Little Shop of Horrors,” passed away in his sleep Sept. 14 at his home in Bloomfield, N.J. He was 65. That wasn’t his first show in St. Louis – in 1990, he played John Adams in Theater Factory’s “1776.” He was first nominated for a Tony in “Spamalot,” and won for “Nice Work If You Can Get It,” playing a bootlegger, in 2012. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/15/theater/michael-mcgrath-dead.html

Maggie Ryan, founder of Insight Theatre and inspiration to many, who spent 36 years as an English teacher and director of theater at Nerinx Hall, died Sept. 10, at age 80, after a short battle with leukemia. She was a lovely woman to interact with and cared passionately about theater. Insight operated for 12 years, won several St. Louis Theater Circle Awards including a legendary “Death of a Salesman” directed by Wayne Loui and starring father-son duo John and Jason Contini. Unfortunately, Insight closed in 2020.
https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/stltoday/name/margaret-ryan-obituary?id=53065958

Calvin Wilson, St. Louis Post-Dispatch movie and theater critic, died Aug. 29, from an undisclosed illness. He was 70. I worked with Calvin, both in the St. Louis Film Critics Association, and with the St. Louis Theater Circle, and much admired his writing skill. His insight and passion for the arts will be missed.

https://www.stltoday.com/life-entertainment/local/art-theater/post-dispatch-writer-calvin-wilson-a-passionate-advocate-for-the-arts-dies-at-70/article_8fc9b7bc-46b5-11ee-a3a5-0bdd24dc5828.html

CALENDAR NOTES: John Cusack’s screening of “Say Anything,” originally scheduled for October 28 at Stifel Theatre, has been rescheduled for Saturday, March 30. All tickets for the Oct. 28 performance will be honored at the rescheduled date. The popular actor will follow the screening with a conversation regarding his career and the making of the film. Fans will get the opportunity to experience a moderated discussion, with John answering audience questions as well.

Me and Greta, Oct 1, 2022

SHAMELESS NAME-DROPPING: Before she had the biggest movie of the summer (“Barbie”!) and her second son in February, Greta Gerwig was pleasantly accommodating us press troops at the New York Film Festival 2022 (for “White Noise”). The accomplished actress-writer-director is exactly as she seems, a lovely person in person. I had to compliment her on the 2019 “Little Women,” and she said she had a great time working with the cast of that movie. Hopefully, we will be seeing her during the upcoming awards season. On Aug. 6, the film crossed the $1 billion mark worldwide, making her the first woman with sole director credit to have a movie make more than $1 billion.

(My film review: https://poplifestl.com/unexpected-unpredictable-barbie-is-an-irresistible-pop-o-culture/)

Our coda has been added for this issue:

RANDOM THOUGHTS: As you can probably tell, I enjoy waltzing down memory lane, and yes, I was one of the early attendees of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” midnight showings at the Varsity Theatre in 1977, which was so much fun. If you are a lover of cosplay, I have spied folks in Barbie and Ken outfits at “Barbie” — my prediction for hottest Halloween costumes — and I hear from Abe Goldfarb, hilarious as Otho in the touring company of “Beetlejuice,” who was on the weekly PopLifeSTL.com podcast co-hosted by Carl “The Intern” Middleman and myself on Oct. 4, that there’s many folks dressing up at the shows. He’s excited that they’re here Oct. 13.

The St. Louis Blues open at home Oct. 12. Just once I’d like to buy a team T-shirt where the player I selected isn’t traded. (I bought an Alexander Pietrangelo one — with a C — before the playoffs in ’19 and a Ryan O’Reilly in 2022.)

Are we having the Daylight Savings Time ‘fall back’ happen this year or is it over? Anyone? I’m so confused.

Where in the world is Lynn this weekend? Judging the costume contest at the sensational annual Witches and Wizards Festival in O’Fallon, Ill., a really fun event

‘Fair Play’ Uncomfortably Confronts Gender Dynamics At Work, Home

‘Fair Play’ Uncomfortably Confronts Gender Dynamics At Work, Home

By Lynn Venhaus

Sexual politics and corporate backstabbing are a toxic mix in “Fair Play,” an inevitable downward spiral of a film about how maintaining a relationship is challenging when things get complicated at work and home.

A recently engaged couple, who must keep their relationship secret at their cutthroat financial firm because it’s against company policy, are pushed to the brink after an unexpected promotion throws them into a personal and professional quagmire.

Emily (Phoebe Dynevor), Long Island girl with a Harvard degree, and Yale educated Luke (Alden Ehrenreich), a veteran of Goldman Sachs, are madly in love and about to share their romance with Human Resources when there is a coveted management position open. She overhears it may be him, but the reptilian boss (Eddie Marsan) wants her.

In her feature film debut, writer-director Chloe Domont confronts the elephant in the room, that no one seems to talk about — why a man’s promotion is considered a success, but a woman’s is a threat in a relationship?

You may think you know where “Fair Play” is headed, with the gender gameplay building in intensity, so that you feel it’s not just a matter of “if” but “when” for a meltdown to occur.

Domont tackles this fast-changing post-#MeToo world, where we have progressive couples who support feminist ideals yet were raised with a traditional view of masculinity, so a woman’s success could make a man feel less worthy, and although they try to suppress it, very real human emotions eventually emerge, sometimes in messy and ugly ways.

In a high-stakes environment, the egos on display are heightened here, setting up shifting dynamics, and sinister overtones. That explosive tension forces this off the rails in the third act, going from uncomfortable to painful as it strains credibility.

Set in New York City, the two main locations become increasingly claustrophobic – both in the sleek high-rise office and the tiny apartment they share (and that’s intentional, a key element to making the atmosphere off-kilter). Cinematographer Menno Mans and editor Franklin Peterson escalate the tension through intimate close-ups and awkward confrontations.

Domont, a veteran of directing “Ballers,” “Billions” and an episode of “Suits,” wanted to make a modern horror story, and the psychological aspect is intriguing, yet does it go too far? As agonizing as the climax is, the finale is both harrowing and strange.

Rich Sommer, Sia Alipour, Sebastian De Souza

In her script, Domont has fashioned a realistic world of finance, nimble with the daily aspects of hedge-fund business, and production designer Steven Summersgill effectively conveys the high-rise office.

The acting is first-rate, and Dynevor, who broke out as Daphne on Season 1 of “Bridgerton,” and Ehrenreich, who played young Han Solo in Ron Howard’s ‘Star Wars’ story prequel, trusted each other enough to go to dark places. Marsan, a veteran character actor, is chilling here in the cavalier way he treats people and how power and greed have blackened his soul. Would you take what horrible insult he hurls at Emily? (Seriously, I’d like to know.)

The ‘one of the boys’ atmosphere is further emphasized through supporting players Sebastian De Souza as Rory, Jamie Wilkes as Quinn, Sia Alipour as Arjun, Rich Sommer (“Mad Men”) as Paul, and Brandon Basir as Dax – all portraying different levels.

Whatever you think about the conclusion, this film is meant to be provocative, a conversation starter that will result in more than a few heart-to-hearts. While the ending is subject to interpretation, images will haunt and questions will linger.

Phoebe Dynevor as Emily

“Fair Play” is a 2023 drama-thriller written and directed by Chloe Domont starring Phoebe Dynevor, Alden Ehrenreich, and Eddie Marsan.
It is rated R for pervasive language, sexual content, some nudity, and sexual violence, and the run time is 1 hour, 53 minutes. It opened in select theaters Sept. 29 and began streaming on Netflix Oct. 6. Lynn’s Grade: C.

‘Flora and Son’ Another Irish Charmer on How We Connect through Music

‘Flora and Son’ Another Irish Charmer on How We Connect through Music

By Lynn Venhaus

One person’s trash becomes another person’s treasure when a feisty lost soul rescues a beat-up acoustic guitar from a dumpster in modern-day Dublin. In yet another charmer from Irish writer-director John Carney, “Flora and Son” achieves harmony for its scruffy characters through the transformative power of music.

Flora (Eve Hewson), a single mom who is at war with her son, Max (Oren Kinlan), thinks the guitar would be a good hobby/diversion for him, as he close to being sent to a juvenile detention center. With the help of an L.A. musician/guitar teacher Jeff (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), she finds a path to self-discovery.

With its intentional aim to tug on our hearts and evoke honest laughter through ordinary people’s daily lives, Carney hits his target. It may not be as profound an example as his previous films, “Once,” “Begin Again” and “Sing Street,” but each well-drawn character finds purpose, changes subtly, and reinforces the magic of music as a universal language.

Carney’s affection for music to soothe our souls is vividly brought to life as Flora takes guitar lessons from Jeff, and in those Zoom calls, the connection they share through technology is palpable.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Jeff

Both the appealing Joseph Gordon-Levitt, himself a musician, and charismatic Eve Hewson, an actress known for “Bad Sisters” and “The Knick,” have pleasant enough untrained voices, singing from the heart. This is not a grandiose moment like Lady Gaga singing in “A Star is Born” – this is a quieter, more realistic portrayal. They are not destined for greatness, but to them, music is the gift that keeps on giving.

Oren Kinlan is also convincing as the sullen teenager whose interests lie in dubstep and hip-hop. He and his mother are perpetually scowling at the world, so their collaborations make them a bit more tolerant of each other, achieving some well-needed bonding.

Both their relationships with Max’s unreliable father Ian are complicated. A grown-up kid himself, Ian’s claim to fame is that he was in a band good enough to once open for Snow Patrol, an Irish-Scottish indie rock band who had mainstream success in the early 2000s.

Jack Reynor, who gained attention as the rock-loving older brother Brendan in Carney’s 2016 “Sing Street,” is effective here as someone who needs to figure out his life.

Hewson, whose father is U2 frontman Bono, heretofore hasn’t performed music, but has been working steadily in films and television for a decade. She was Tom Hanks’ daughter in “Bridge of Spies” and James Gandolfini’s daughter in “Enough Said,” among others. But this is her moment to shine.

Eve Hewson as Flora

Being able to show range with this gift of a character, she is a revelation as the tart-tongued, blunt Flora, who is definitely not a candidate for Mother of the Year nor is she striving to be. She’s utterly engaging as an immature woman dealing with life’s setbacks in a more self-destructive way, desperately in need of some direction.

The song the quartet perform together, “High Life,” written by Flora and her son about motherhood, is a catchy earworm that will remain in your head after the movie’s over. It’s the song, written by the writer-director and Gary Clark, a Scottish music producer, that is being submitted to the Oscars for Best Song awards consideration. Carney and Clark wrote the original tunes for the soundtrack.

(Carney’s films have a decent track record in this category – “Falling Slowly,” written by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, the stars of “Once,” won Best Song in 2007, and “Lost Stars,” sung by Adam Levine in “Begin Again,” was nominated in 2014.)

You’ll want to listen during the credits to Gordon-Levitt’s character Jeff’s song he wrote about Flora.

The movie is set in the Dublin neighborhoods that tourists may not see, and the dialogue is salty.. A word of warning: the Irish dialect is sometimes difficult to decipher, so close captioning is advised for streaming.

Shown at the Sundance Film Festival in January, “Flora and Son” was enthusiastically received and has been tagged a crowd-pleaser ever since.

This affecting tale runs 1 hour, 34 minutes, and is designed to make you smile. It’s delightful to experience with others, who understand the joy that music sparks, and it has enough humorous moments that people responded to its heartfelt message.

“Flora and Son” is a 2023 comedy-drama written and directed by John Carney and starring Eve Hewson, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Oren Kinlan and Jack Reynor. It is rated R for language throughout, sexual references and brief drug use, and runs 1 hour, 34 minutes. It opens in select theaters and is streaming on Apple TV+ Sept. 29. Lynn’s Grade: B+

Take Ten with Comedian Rafe Williams

Take Ten with Comedian Rafe Williams

By Lynn Venhaus
Describing himself as “the ultimate middle child,” nationally touring comedian Rafe Williams, who now lives in St. Louis, will step out of the studio to headline three nights at The Funny Bone in Westport Plaza this week, Sept. 28-30. He can be seen on a new comedy special launching on You Tube Sept. 27.

The comedy club’s Westport location has shows set for Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., and Saturday at 9:30 p.m. — the 7 p.m. show is sold out.

Originally from DuQuoin, Ill., where he said his first job was “Picking beans, raisin’ Hell, and bailin’ hay,” he is now part of The Rizzuto Show on The Point (105.7 FM),.the no. 1 morning radio program in St. Louis. He joined Ruzzuto, Moon Valjean, King Scott and Lern weekday mornings from 6 to 10 a.m. last year, They dish on pop culture, sports, current events and celebrities with their distinct viewpoints.

He has appeared on “Live from Zanies” for Circle TV on NBC’s Peacock as well as the breakout Youtube series “Stand Up on the Spot” with Jeremiah Watkins. His appearance on Netflix is a Joke Radio’s “Are You Still Listening” and his album “Young Grandpa” by 800 Pound Gorilla Records have been featured on multiple Sirius XM channels.

Among his festival invites: Netflix is a Joke Festival, High Plains Comedy Festival, Asheville Comedy Festival, the Del Close Marathon 21 in Los Angeles, Laughing Skull Comedy Festival, as well as headlining the 2021 Flyover Comedy Festival.

An accomplished sketch performer and improviser, he has performed several times on the popular Improv4Humans podcast with Matt Besser and was invited to perform in the Del Close Marathon in NYC and LA. He is also a guest host who can be heard regularly on the Slop City podcast.

He has toured with a diverse lineup of today’s top comics like Gary Gulman, Beth Stelling, Dan Soder, Kyle Kinane, and Chelcie Lynn (AKA Trailer Trash Tammy).

Rafe on tour. Website photo.

1. What is special about your latest project? 

It is my debut comedy special and it is lining up nicely with a new foray into morning radio and launching of sister You Tube series.

2. Why did you choose your profession? 

Making people laugh and giving a joyous reprieve from the slog of everyday life seemed as noble an endeavor as any.  Also, I am an attention whore.

3. How would your friends describe you? 

Extremely sweet and easy-going in nature and a brutal taskmaster somehow simultaneously.

4. How do you like to spend your spare time? 

What SPARE time!???? I enjoy exploring National Parks and having adventures when I can.

5. What is your current obsession? 

Bringing a Taco John’s to St. Louis and writing a movie about professional bull riding.

6. What would people be surprised to find out about you? 

I posed for Playgirl.

 7. Can you share one of your most defining moments in life? 

7/11/11 – Gave up addictions and pulled head out of ass and got sober.

8. Who do you admire most? 

Father, son and the holy ghost. Wait no, that ain’t me that’s Don McLean.  Mark Twain. The original stand-up comic.  Also Guy Clark and Townes Van Zandt.  

9. What is at the top of your bucket list? 

3-way tie between getting on Willie Nelson’s Tour bus, Sliding across the hood of the General Lee, climbing thru window and peeling out, and writing a Country Music Power Anthem to get played on radio.

10. What is your favorite thing to do in your hometown?

Drive around and find nostalgia, joy and forgiveness for a place I couldn’t wait to leave when I was a kid.

11. What’s next? 

Hopefully touring and growing stand-up audience, having a blast on the radio, and building an audience that enjoys what I do.

12 Favorite jobs/roles/plays or work in your medium? 

The “It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia” model intrigues me — “Make cool stuff with your friends and let audience find you.”

13. Dream job or role?
Plus-sized Scarecrow in “The Wizard of Oz”

14. Favorite quote/words to live by?

“The difference between the right word and the almost right word is like the difference between lightning and lightning bugs. – Mark Twain

“Sing like you don’t need the money, love like you’ll never get hurt.” – Guy Clark

“Treat life like a Harley, Lay your nuts up on the tank and ride.” – Very drunk guy I met  in an alley one time

15. A song that makes you happy?: 
“You’re Love Keeps Lifting Me Higher” – Jackie Wilson

For more information, visit his website: https://www.rafewilliams.com/

White-Hot ‘Suddenly Last Summer’ Burns Brightly on TWSTL Stage

White-Hot ‘Suddenly Last Summer’ Burns Brightly on TWSTL Stage

By Lynn Venhaus

Featuring an indelible performance by Naima Randolph as the traumatized Catharine Holly in an impeccably staged “Suddenly Last Summer,” this year’s Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis’ centerpiece created a vivid atmospheric contemplation on mental health, homophobia, and the truth.

These topics often associated with the playwright are still thought-provoking in contemporary times, some 66 years after he wrote it in New York City and first presented off-Broadway in 1958 as a 90-minute one-act, double-billed with “Something Unspoken.”

One of Williams’ most haunting and lyrical works, “Suddenly Last Summer” is best known for the melodramatic 1959 movie starring three future legends –Elizabeth Taylor as Cathy and Katherine Hepburn as Violent Venable, both Oscar-nominated for their performances, and Montgomery Clift as Dr. “Sugar,” and those shadows loom large.

The screenplay, a Williams’ collaboration with Gore Vidal, differs from the play in opening it up to show scenes at the beach, and other scenes, characters, and subplots were added. This being through a ‘50s lens, they had to remove explicit references to homosexuality. It’s a different world today in terms of taboos, although people still use each other, and issues raised persist.

Lisa Terejo by Suzy Gorman

However dated the material, director Tim Ocel doesn’t downplay the inferences. He is a master at interpreting Williams’ artistry, making it relatable for a modern audience.

Along with producer Carrie Houk, a master caster and the festival’s executive producer, he has put together a powerhouse ensemble, who brings to life many dark elements of human nature – including greed, deception, delusion, desire, desperation, and dominance.

Just as he did in a stunning “A Streetcar Named Desire” in 2018 and meticulous “The Night of the Iguana” in 2019, both at The Grandel, Ocel’s retelling is fresh and visionary, emphasizing the horror of a tragic death that is framed like a fascinating murder mystery and gripping courtroom drama.

Oh, what a tangled web we find the Venable family in when they reinforce lies over truth. At the domineering matriarch’s mansion in the affluent Garden District of New Orleans in 1936, brain surgeon Dr. Cukrowicz, aka “Dr. Sugar,” is summoned there to review her niece’s case.

Through her wealth, the bitter Violet hopes to keep Cathy institutionalized and have a lobotomy performed, so that a scandalous family secret won’t be exposed. She has kept her in a private mental asylum since she returned from Europe.

Violet’s cherished son, Sebastian, a closeted gay poet, has been brutally killed while on vacation in Spain, accompanied by his cousin instead of Mommie dearest. The circumstances are unclear, and no one believes Cathy’s horrific account. Locked away against her will, she has been further victimized by her treatment. Now, she can not only reveal the ugly truth but be spared more damage.

Randolph is spellbinding as she recounts the details of a summer holiday at Cabeza de Lobo to those assembled, led by an always stellar Bradley Tejeda as Dr. Sugar, who skillfully guides the proceedings as he gently probes a vulnerable and broken Cathy.

Cathy knows she is being manipulated, and after being injected with a truth serum, weaves a riveting account of being a decoy to attract young boys for the predatory Sebastian’s exploitation. She was used just like they were, but instead of earning sympathy, she’s trying to be suppressed by everyone.

Photo by Suzy Gorman

Dr. Sugar’s not entirely convinced Cathy is insane, but at stake is a large donation to his psychiatric research from Mrs. Venable.

Tejeda, brilliant as Tom in 2021’s outdoor “The Glass Menagerie” and comical as Alvaro in last year’s “The Rose Tattoo,” is cool and calm in a crisp white suit, fully aware of the evil in the Venable’s jungle-garden, where his interrogation takes place.

Lisa Tejero deftly commands the stage as the controlling Mama Bear who makes her late husband’s family feel small in her presence, ready to pounce on those she considers duplicitous and weak. She will do whatever it takes to preserve her son’s legacy, even if it is fiction.

Clad in black and using a cane as a scepter, Tejero displays cunning in all interactions, as well as impatience and aggravation when things don’t go her way. She also conveys selfishness, an appalling lack of civility as a socialite and less-than-gracious hostess.

Cathy’s mother and brother, Mrs. Holly and George, eager to not have anything interfere with the $100,000 inheritance bequeathed by Sebastian in his will, are trying not to act anxious, but their true colors emerge. Rengin Altay as the fretful in-law, and Harrison Farmer, as her ambitious son, comfortably service Williams’ script in these stock characters.

In other supporting roles are Bethany Barr as Violet’s accommodating assistant Miss Foxhill, and Ieshah Edwards as the not-so-compassionate Sister Felicity.

Of course, Williams would name characters Venable and Felicity, as he mines his life for a sad exploration of horrible human behavior.

Photo by Suzy Gorman

The production team has enhanced the Southern gothic moods, with captivating lighting design by Matthew McCarthy, evocative set design by James Wolk, and polished period costume design by Dottie Marshall Englis. Henry Palkes’ original music score, this third for TWSTL, adds so much texture to these productions.

What is missing in Williams’ play is the protagonist, and it is up to the cast to flesh out Sebastian, and all his contradictions, through the filters of his mother and cousin. The actors conjure up graphic images through their ability to craft a portrait through language.

Many of Williams’ tortured soul characters face moral dilemmas, either as prey or predator, to survive in an unforgiving world. Randolph’s unnerving portrait of a victim shatters the norms, which is what Williams so often does.

While her performance leaves a lasting impression, that’s not the only memorable aspect. The nuance and craft have left their mark on this eighth annual festival, which continually surprises with new ways and different angles to Williams’ storytelling.

The Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis presents “Suddenly Last Summer” Sept. 7 – 17, with Thursday through Saturday performances at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday matinees at 3 p.m. in the Catherine B. Berges Theatre at COCA, University City. For more information, visit www.twstl.org

Photos by Suzy Gorman

Bradley Tejeda by Suzy Gorman

Rock Legends Come Alive in Stages’ Rollicking ‘Million Dollar Quartet’

Rock Legends Come Alive in Stages’ Rollicking ‘Million Dollar Quartet’

By Lynn Venhaus

To see the transformative power of music first-hand, just be in an audience for Stages St. Louis’ production of “Million Dollar Quartet,” because you will watch as a crowd of adults become kids again.

On Dec. 4, 1956, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Elvis Presley, and newcomer Jerry Lee Lewis gathered at Sun Studios in Memphis, all at different stages of their careers, and jammed the night away – for the first and only time.

The man who gave them their start, Sam Phillips, deservedly known as “The Father of Rock ‘n Roll,” narrates this twist-of-fate tale, a true David vs. Goliath industry narrative featuring the star power of four future legends.

As impresario Phillips, Jeff Cummings is well-suited to play the country boy mogul with savvy instincts on hit-making, conveying equal parts passion and pride.

The cast’s remarkable full-throttle energy, showmanship, and musicality turned the Kirkwood Performing Arts Center’s Ross Family Theatre into a freewheeling and fun house party where the ready-to-rock crowd blissed out to the enduring rhythm of roots rock ‘n roll. The company, all seasoned professionals, many veterans of this show, looked like they were having so much fun performing together.

Perhaps I can speak for my fellow Boomers, as I felt we were transported back to sock hops, Teen Towns and listening to our transistor radios with earphones before bedtime. And couldn’t resist the urge to toe-tap and clap along, for the hits just kept on coming: “Hound Dog,” “Long Tall Sally,” “Great Balls of Fire,” “Who Do You Love,” “Sixteen Tons,” “Folsom Prison Blues,” and “I Walk the Line” among them.

Brady Wease as brash Jerry Lee Lewis. Photo by Phillip Hamer.

But it’s not merely a blast from the past — rather, a vivacious retelling of magical music moments in pop culture history. Music Director and Conductor David Sonneborn, who also plays the drums as session musician W.S. “Fluke” Holland, has splendidly brought out the best in everyone.

The joint was jumping, and it was a thrill to be a part of such a joyful celebration. There was a whole lotta shakin’ going on during the coda/extended curtain call, with the crowd on their feet for most of it — and singing along to “See You Later Alligator.”

Director Keith Andrews, who also choreographed Edward La Cardo as an unstoppable Elvis, marvelously captured the lightning-in-a-bottle aspect of four rock ‘n roll influencers for a perfect show, lovingly crafted and crisply performed by an ensemble who achieves synchronicity together but also stands out individually. It’s his sixth time directing this show, and his command of the material is evident.

This jukebox musical displays the heart, humor and overflowing talent of these scrappy guys who came from humble Southern beginnings, carved a place in history for themselves and put Sun Studios on the map.

Carl Perkins, who hadn’t been able to follow up “Blue Suede Shoes” with another hit, has a simmering resentment towards Elvis, for his performance on “The Ed Sullivan Show” and other grievances. He has a chip on his shoulder and a festering attitude, which Jeremy Sevelovitz carefully projects.

Jeremy Sevelovitz as Carl Perkins. Phillip Hamer Photography.

Carl’s brother, Jay, is one of the session musicians, and Chuck Zayas knows how to slap that bass, having been a founding cast member, and has been rockin’ out for more than 30 years in bands and on stage.

The story begins with the premise that rockabilly specialist Carl Perkins is there to record some new music with a brash piano player from Louisiana – Jerry Lee Lewis, whose swagger and desire to be the center of attention rubs him the wrong way. Brady Wease’s bravado blazes the stage as a boyish “The Killer” and his prowess pounding the keys is fun to watch.

With his deep voice and confident demeanor, Scott Moreau’s ease as Johnny Cash is noteworthy. He has played this role more than 1,000 times, and that experience shows. His way with the guitar, and impressive vocals are riveting. “Ghost Riders in the Sky” is one of the standouts, and his gospel influences are emphasized.

La Cardo embodies the young energetic Elvis, now a movie star too, who would prefer solid career advice rather than a chorus of ‘yes’ men. In this show, he brings a girlfriend along, and Shelby Ringdahl fits right in as Dyanne, belting out “I Hear You Knockin” and delivering a sultry “Fever.” At the real session, Elvis brought Marilyn Evans, now Riehl, who was a dancer.

Besides the smokin’ hot beats, there is drama in between songs dealing with show biz and their personal relationships, just to create conflicts and tension.

The show’s original concept by Floyd Mutrix was solid gold, and it premiered in Florida in 2006.  A regional Chicago production was mounted in 2008, starting at the Goodman, then moving over to the Apollo, where it celebrated its 2,500th performance six years later. The show closed in 2016, ranking as the third-longest running show in Chicago theater history.

Scott Moreau as Johnny Cash. Phillip Hamer Photography.

Nominated for three Tony Awards — for Best Musical, Book by Colin Escott and Mutrux, and Best Performance by a Featured Actor, which was won by Levi Kreis as Jerry Lee Lewis, the show opened on Broadway in April 2010 and closed in June 2011, after having played 489 performances and 34 previews,

I first saw this on its national tour in 2013 at the Fox Theatre, and then The Rep staged a slick, exuberant production in 2017. While both were enjoyable and executed well, the Stages one seems the most spirited, with an extra oomph of pizzazz and far more nuance.

Not only is this ensemble aces, percolating on all cylinders, but the creative team has showcased its mastery – scenic designer Adam Koch for a vintage studio interior, costume designer Brad Musgrove – of course the quartet are in colorful sequined blazers for the grand finale!, the exceptional expertise of lighting designer Sean M. Savoie, and clear sound designed by Beef Gratz.

The vibrancy of the production is unforgettable, and you surely will sing a happy tune while leaving the building.

Jeff Cummings as Sam Phillips. Phillip Hamer Photography

“Stages St. Louis presents “Million Dollar Quartet” from Sept. 8 to Oct. 8 at the Kirkwood Performing Arts Center. For more information: stagesstlouis.org.

The iconic photo of Dec. 4, 1956. It hangs on the wall of Sun Records in Memphis (worth the tour!).

‘Sitting in Bars With Cake’ Is Sweet Ode to Female Friendships

‘Sitting in Bars With Cake’ Is Sweet Ode to Female Friendships

By Lynn Venhaus

“Sitting in Bars with Cake” may not be an original idea, using baking skills as a romance magnet, but it’s an appealing, sweet premise that unfolds as a deeper-than-you-realized emotional ode to friendship.

Best friends since their childhood in Phoenix, outgoing Corinne (Odessa A’zion) and shy Jane (Yara Shahidi) are in their 20s, living in Los Angeles and navigating their career paths. They join a group of girlfriends every weekend to experience the local nightlife.

One such evening, Jane brings the chocolate cake that she baked for Corinne’s birthday into a bar, and the beautifully decorated cake entices guys, who are craving a piece. Aha! Corinne comes up with an idea of bringing Jane’s cakes to bars around town to get Jane out of her comfort zone and she can meet more people. The goal: 50 cakes in a year. And what a life-changing year it is.

At first, the movie is fun and breezy, capturing the energy of 20-somethings navigating their place in the world. Then, it veers into heartfelt and sincere as it deals with a life-altering diagnosis.

Audrey Shulman penned the screenplay based on true events with her BFF Chrissy. What started as a blog in 2013 turned into a published 2015 cookbook about looking for Mr. Right by using a specific way to a man’s heart.

She recounted her year spent baking, ‘cake-barring,’ and offering slices of creative dessert in “Sitting in Bars with Cake: Lessons and Recipes from One Year of Trying to Bake My Way to a Boyfriend” that included 35 inventive recipes.

Each made-from-scratch cake was paired with a short essay and a tongue-in-cheek lesson about meeting guys, with such chapters: Sweet, Salty, Bitter, Fruity, and Savory. The guys ran the gamut from tech bros and cowboys to hipster nerds and bikers.

In the movie, cakes range from classics like Pumpkin Pie and Carrot Cakes to adventurous Chinese Prune, Licorice and Leather, Pina Colada Cocktail and a cherry-flavored CBD infused cake, all supervised by culinary producer and food stylist Megan Potthoff, a former pastry chef – and they are works of art. She’s worked on “Master Chef” and “Iron Chef,” among other TV and movie projects. If your mouth doesn’t water, you have the willpower of steel.

Chinese Prune Cake

 For the movie adaptation, Shulman shifts the dating focus as secondary to the very human bond between the roommates. How Generation Z finds their way in becoming the people they want to be is a major aspect of the story, and a good one to endear the characters.

This is a terrific cast, with Yara Shahidi as plain Jane and Odessa A’zion as live-wire Corinne believable as besties going through a year of life changes. Both rising stars after these strong and warm performances, they project a palpable bond. Shahidi, who played Zoey on “black-ish” and was Tinkerbell in the Disney “Peter and Wendy” reboot, pairs well with A’zion and her work crush Owen (Rish Shah). She works as a mailroom clerk, but she’s in her happy place baking, and needs to own up to her lack of desire to attend law school, her parent’s dream for her.

A’zion, most known for the 2020 “Hellraiser” remake, conveys resilience and her character’s commitment to not losing her indomitable spirit. She’s the fun-seeker, the goofball belting out “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” at karaoke, waking up her roomie to order fries on a late-night food run, and eager to shake things up in general. In short, the life of the party.

The supporting cast is also aces, with Bette Midler as Corinne’s uber-hip music industry boss Benita, Ron Livingston and Martha Keller as Corinne’s doting parents Fred and Martha, and Navid Negahban and Adina Porter as Jane’s driven parents Isaac and Tasha.

Director Trish Sie, of “Pitch Perfect 3,” keys into the quirkiness of Los Angeles nightlife – a drag show at a roller rink? — and an uncommon office setting with various personalities making their presence known.

Production Designer Tracy Dishmann includes clever graphics to announce each cake, and captures well the girls’ apartment and all the hangouts.

With inevitable comparisons to “Julie and Julia” and “Beaches,” this drama-soaked comedy – not really a rom-com –  showcases how friends support each other through sickness and health, ups and downs, and why the value of those relationships is priceless.

“Sitting in Bars with Cake” is a 2023 drama-comedy directed by Trish Sie and starring Yari Shahidi, Bette Midler, Ron Livingston, Martha Kelly, Navid Negahban, Adina Porter,and Rish Shah. It is rated PG-13 for strong language, some drug use, sexual references, and thematic elements and has a runtime of 2 hours, 1 minute. It started streaming on Amazon Prime Sept. 8. Lynn’s Grade: B

Note: this review was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the movie being covered here wouldn’t exist.

Dull, Dimly Lit Drug-Dealing Drama ‘The Good Mother’ Wastes Talent

Dull, Dimly Lit Drug-Dealing Drama ‘The Good Mother’ Wastes Talent

By Lynn Venhaus
Morose performances, a murky plot with muddled twists, messy filmmaking choices, and with its dark, gloomy look, the dubious “The Good Mother” is a colossal waste of time.

Director Miles Joris-Pevrafitte and co-screenwriter Madison Harrison, both from Albany, New York, have set this thriller in their hometown, attempting to make a gritty mystery encased in a seedy drug-dealing scenario.

Only it’s a frustrating watch, as they fumble at every opportunity to tell a cohesive story. However, cinematographer Charlotte Hornsby uses several interesting camera angles of buildings in town — which do nothing to advance the plot — when she isn’t blurring interiors.

The junkie son of journalist Marissa Bennings is murdered, and she tries to solve the crime with his pregnant girlfriend Paige (Olivia Cooke) and her police officer son Toby (Jack Reynor). Set in Albany, New York, in 2016, as they go deeper into the seedy drug world, the truth they confront includes a dark secret.

With its pedestrian procedural plot shrouded in dim shots with shadowy hard-to-see details, the co-screenwriters are baffling because it seems like they do not want to disclose tidbits that would illuminate what really happened. Confusing and conflicting actions occur as this unoriginal story plods along like the dullest episode of “CSI” ever.

Olivia Cooke

Doors are not locked, consequences are avoided, and people come and go without much purpose. This is such a slight, dissatisfying story that one would hope the quality of the cast would elevate material, but the inertia you feel is real. Why should we care about these people?

The only character that resonates emotionally is a grieving mom honestly spilling her guts at an Al-Anon meeting.

The director wastes the talents of two-time Oscar winner Hilary Swank, who plays an unpleasant hard-shelled newspaper editor who drinks too much and goes through life on autopilot. She is grieving the loss of a significant other and estrangement of her once star-athlete son, who became an addict, starting with painkillers as an injured youth. And what is with the wobbly accent?

Swank decides passivity and a glum, pouty look – a crank dealing with a daily massive hangover – is the way to capture this grieving woman. (And no way could someone who drinks and smokes like that run as far and as fast as she does in a chase scene).

Jack Reynor and Olivia Cooke are mostly believable in their roles but have a confrontation on basement stairs that stretches all credibility. Reynor, as Toby, has a pregnant wife – Gina, played by Dilone – whose character is underdeveloped and unconvincing in resolutions.

The bone-headed decisions take their toll, and 90 minutes is both too long and not enough. Midway, we still really don’t have a sense of what is really going on, as the writers-director think relying on collage-like memories will fill in the blanks for us. And what is with setting it in 2016?

Jack Reynor, Hilary Swank

Hopper Penn, the son of Sean Penn and Robin Wright, is a blip as dead son Michael’s best friend, a strung-out Ducky who is in big trouble, a major piece of the puzzle, and an unreliable narrator. But untangling this never happens.

Joris-Peyrafitte is a jack of all trades, composing the cool-kids score that seems out of sync with the atmosphere, and editing the film with Damian Rodriguez besides writing and directing. Maybe he wore too many hats but writing a lucid screenplay would seem to be the priority.

The final scene is ludicrous and leaves many loose plot threads hanging. Feeling cheated, I wanted to throw something at the screen. The lack of engagement is a serious problem that couldn’t be overcome in this ill-conceived and implausible film.

“The Good Mother” is a 2023 crime drama-thriller directed by Miles Joris-Peyrafitte and starring Hilary Swank, Olivia Cooke, Jack Reynor, Hopper Penn, Dilone, and Norm Lewis. It is not rated and runtime is 1 hour, 29 minutes. It opens in theaters Sept. 1. Lynn’s Grade: F.

Note: this review was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the movie being covered here wouldn’t exist.

Jack Reynor, Olivia Cooke

A Fun Frolic, ‘This Palpable Gross Play’ is Imaginative Take on Shakespeare’s ‘Midsummer Night’s Dream’

A Fun Frolic, ‘This Palpable Gross Play’ is Imaginative Take on Shakespeare’s ‘Midsummer Night’s Dream’

By Lynn Venhaus

With full moon magic this week, step into the unique and absurd world created by the imaginative minds at SATE ensemble theatre for “This Palpable Gross Play: A Kind-of Midsummer Night’s Dream.”

It’s Shakespeare flipped inside out, an end-of-summer trifle that follows SATE’s award-winning “Bronte Sister House Party” last year and Equally Represented Arts (aka ERA) with their thoroughly clever “The Residents of Craigslist.”

This ensemble is an appealing, adroit, and gifted group that is fully committed to appearing as if they are self-absorbed, clueless, temperamental, needy, and incompetent actors as the Mechanicals, in addition to feuding royals, and mismatched lovers.

The Mechanicals. Photo by Joey Rumpell.

The innovative Lucy Cashion, in a class all by herself, directs here with a touch of whimsy and a focus on the quirky. She is particularly good at dissecting classics and putting her own spin on them, such as “Trash Macbeth” in 2016 for ERA (St. Louis Theater Circle Award for directing) and “Oedipus Apparatus” for SATE in 2017.

She teams up here with the multi-hyphenate Ellie Schwetye, a distinctive writer also good at different takes on Jane Austen (“First Impressions,” St. Louis Theater Circle Award for Best New Play in 2018), who has adapted this version of Shakespeare’s beloved 16th century comedy.

Normally, the play starts with royal wedding planning, gets sidetracked with love potions and mixed-up pairings, and features a troupe of inept actors rehearsing a play as the special occasion entertainment. Instead of being the side hustle, the Mechanicals have the spotlight, and they shine in all their peculiar glory.

So, dive into their world, not knowing where you will go. You may think you know this play, but here, they’re steering the ship into uncharted, yet kinda familiar, waters. And that’s the fun of it.

The Mechanicals are referred to as skilled manual laborers, and others look down on them. But for this amateur troupe, there’s no way to go but up. Kayla Ailee Bush is bellows-mender Francis Flute, Andre Eslamian is weaver Nick Bottom, Anthony Kramer Moser is joiner Snug, Joshua Mayfield is tinker Tom Snout, Ross Rubright is tailor Robin Starveling, and Kristen Strom is carpenter Peter Quince, the director. Strom’s presiding over the circus as if she’s Orson Welles directing the Mercury Theatre.

Victoria Thomas and Ross Rubright. Photo by Joey Rumpell.

Moser is very funny getting into his lion role, and with the others, their idiosyncrasies emerge as they develop the characters for the tragic love story of “Pyramus and Thisbe,” set in Babylon. Andre Eslamian plays Bottom as an insufferable know-it-all. Joshua Mayfield’s Tom Snout is perturbed about how he’s moved around, and so is Kayla Ailee Bush’s Francis Flute. (The sextet is so bad, the audience thinks it’s a comedy). Master thespians, you know.

Well, they may be delusional, but they are giving it their all as they prepare to mount the play-within-a-play, hopeful of entertaining at Theseus and Hippolyta’s royal wedding. Of course, they question their parts, bicker with castmates and Quince, trying to get the attention they need and ‘deserve.’  

Now, in context, we don’t see Theseus and Hippolyta here, but they are the toast of the town, as he is the Duke of Athens and she is the Queen of the Amazons.

I digress.

Puck/Robin Starveling (Ross Rubright), Titania (Victoria Thomas) and Oberon (Spencer Lawton) are outfitted to look like old-timey movie stars of the silent era, extras in “The Great Gatsby,” or maybe Puck is the bartender in “The Shining.”

They have an aristocratic air, and wear Liz Henning’s gorgeous period attire beautifully. As the king and queen of the fairies, Titania and Oberon are estranged and feuding, and Thomas and Lawton make that obvious, as if they are reciting lines in a Noel Coward play.

In another flip, Oberon falls in love with Bottom, who’s now costumed as a donkey. Hee-haw! Eslamian and Lawton display deft physical comedy skills during this turn of events.

Oberon and Bottom. Photo by Joey Rumpell.

Dapper in tails, Ross Rubright introduces himself as Robin Starveling as he welcomes the audience. The tall Rubright is visually striking, and then he begins his contrasting monologues, as if auditioning, and reads a commercial for Lunesta, a prescription sleep aid, including a long list of side effects. It sets the mischievous mood beautifully.

Rubright may not be sprite-size, but as Puck, he smoothly moves around creating dazed and confused mayhem with his lantern, wafting potion, and magic powers.

That iconic butterfly logo will be referred to several times and its shimmering wings used in another ‘wow’ vision from Henning.

Now the star-crossed lovers make an appearance too, as the cast doubles roles: Hermia (Bush), Lysander (Moser), Helena (Strom), and Dementrius (Mayfield). In Shakespeare’s original, Hermia is in love with Lysander, but her father wants her to marry Demetrius, who is in love with her, but Helena is in love with him. It’s complicated.

The creative team is first-rate, too, with Erik Kuhn’s atmospheric lighting design noteworthy. Joe Taylor’s original music score is a delightful throwback to such ‘30s styles as “Moonlight Serenade” and Cole Porter.

 Cashion and Schwetye collaborated on the scenic design – a summer house’s study where Titania and Oberon are ensconced, and use front space for the woodland where rehearsals are staged. Jimmy Bernatowicz, the stage manager, and Rachel Tibbetts, the co-producer, also contributed to the overall experience.

The Mechanicals. Photo by Joey Rumpell.

The play has a fantasy quality reminiscent of the 1935 movie, which is mesmerizing in its depiction of the glistening fairies frolicking in the forest created through rudimentary visual effects back then. (The casting is memorable too – James Cagney is Nick Bottom and Mickey Rooney is Puck!)

“This Palpable Gross Play” is tantalizing with its witty take on illusions and theme of metamorphosis. The folly is fun, thanks to the harmonious cast and crew’s efforts. Adventurous theatergoers can applaud their good fortune at seeing a fresh interpretation of an enduring classic.

Note: The script of “This Palpable Gross Play” will also receive productions with Clayton High School and with Prison Performing Arts.

SATE is presenting “This Palpable Gross Play: A Kind-of Midsummer Night’s Dream” Aug. 16 through Sept. 2, with performances Wednesday through Saturday at 8 p.m. at The Chapel, 6238 Alexander Drive. It is 90 minutes without an intermission. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased through Eventbrite. For more information, visit www.satestl.org.

Photo by Joey Rumpell.

Sightlines: Reflecting on This Year’s St. Louis Filmmakers’ Showcase

Sightlines: Reflecting on This Year’s St. Louis Filmmakers’ Showcase

By Lynn Venhaus
Congratulations to the local filmmakers who put their time, energy, money and creativity into making a local movie — 91 films were accepted this year! And a record number of women — 22 females directed movies! All these reasons to cheer.

Sunday night (July 30) was the 23rd Annual St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase Awards closing party, and this year, it was at Cinema St. Louis’ forever home, the Hi-Pointe Theatre.

Artistic Director Chris Clark, now in his 23rd year, announced the 14 films that move on to the 32nd Annual St. Louis International Film Festival Nov. 9-19, which is quite an honor: They are:

Gorilla Tactics
  1. The Box, directed by Doveed Linder
  2. The Candy Crucible, directed by Micah Deeken
  3. Captcha, directed by Andy Compton
  4. clusterluck, directed by Cami Thomas
  5. Eliza, directed by Delisa Richardson and Dan Steadman
  6. Fortune Cookie, directed by Fu Yang
  7. Gorilla Tactics, directed by Michael Long
  8. The Highland Incident, directed by Zia Nizami
  9. Honorable, directed by Zachary Scott Clark and Mariah Richardson
  10. Nova, directed by Gabe Sheets
  11. Pretty Boy, directed by Kevin Coleman-Cohen
  12. The Queue, directed by Michael Rich
  13. These Flowers Were for You, directed by Taylor Yocom
  14. Up for Air, directed by Chase Norman

The SLIFF schedule will be released in early fall. The festival will showcase various films across multiple venues throughout the St. Louis area, including the Alamo Drafthouse and CSL’s new home, the Hi-Pointe Theatre. The festival will offer more than 250 films, including documentary and narrative features and short film programs from the widest possible range of storytellers, representing multiple countries featuring more than 25 native languages.  

For this year’s St. Louis Filmmakers’ Showcase, 20 juried awards were given out in narrative, and also 10 in documentary and experimental. (See article recap in News: https://poplifestl.com/captcha-and-somewhere-in-old-missouri-win-three-awards-each-at-st-louis-filmmakers-showcase/).

Want to give a shout-out to all, and those in attendance after being part of 17 programs over two weekends, truly inspiring.

Michael Rich

To see people thrilled about their achievements being recognized, to peg certain folks as artists to keep your eyes on, and to meet some of the filmmakers is always fun. (How such a nice person as Michael Rich can make such terrifying, dark films — his “The Queue” won horror this year, and he’s won in the past. (Side note, his film will be part of Franki Cambeletta’s Haunted Garage Horror Film Festival Oct. 5-7 at the Hi-Pointe, so will “The Candy Crucible.”).

And to follow success of people I met when I was an adjunct journalism/media instructor at STLCC-Forest Park in ’09 and see them produce passion projects — Kevin Coleman-Cohen and Mariah Richardson, is exciting.

CSL established the categories — a solid list, and last year, I lobbied for ensemble to be added (recognized more in recent years in film awards, and St. Louis Film Critics Association added it in ’22). This year, other jurors and I felt that with the increase in horror/thriller films, we needed that genre category.

Since 2009, I have served on the narrative jury a number of times,  not every year, and certainly not the four times my late son Tim Venhaus’ comedies made the cut, but a considerable amount. I am always eager to see what local folks are up to, and I can attest the quality has grown by leaps and bounds.

This year, the quality of original music was quite exceptional – a longer list of worthy nominees.

(In my opinion, the four biggest things, negatively, are: sound and lighting, quality of acting and the follow-through —  how to end a story. I, too, have seen Francois Truffaut’s “The 400 Blows” and freeze-framing the final shot isn’t always the way to go. My latest pet peeve is how fake the fake blood looks, some far better than others, but I digress.)

We are here to celebrate film and the joy involved in community.

Through the whole festival, you see a sense of community — of collaboration, of coming together to produce an original work, emphasis on original. Everybody’s got a story to tell, and how they choose to tell it is a journey unto itself.

Winners Delisa Richardson, Mia Bible, Zachary Scott Clark, Kazia Steele. Photo Provided.

Movie-making is very hard work, and if you’ve spent long hours on a movie shoot, you know it’s something to admire – stamina, resourcefulness, ability to be flexible, and the long hours trying to capture the right angle or light.

Plus it takes courage. And tapping the right people for the job.

In recent years, some actors I know through covering regional theater are in front of a camera, and that’s a fun component – seeing a new side to them. Don McClendon, you must be the champ of most films in a year. David Wassilak, living in your mom’s basement in “The Box”? Eric Dean White, I can’t unsee your image as a creep in “Finch”! Paul Cereghino, you didn’t really kill that baby chick, did you? And is that Alan Knoll as a prison warden in “Penitentia”?

This year I was introduced to Zachary Scott Clark as Boy Willie in Encore’s “The Piano Lesson,” and to see him become Muhammed Ali in “Honorable” was impressive (how intimidating to play a historical figure!), and likewise, improv comedic actor Ryan Myers in “Captcha” — is he or is he not a robot?

And to discover new talent — Kazia Steele in “Eliza,” Ramone Boyd in “Pretty Boy” and the musicians in “Somewhere in Old Missouri,” among others. And see how hard Tanner Richard Craft works making movies that say something.

Or seeing people you know as actors, Delisa Richardson, move behind the scenes as a writer and director, in “Eliza.”

Tanner Richard Craft in “Processing”

Through promoting the local arts scene, and Cinema St. Louis’ programs, I enjoy meeting these people who are letting their voices be heard, collaborating with others on a labor of love, and have a distinct point of view.

Sadly, some very good films become also-rans. Not everyone can get a trophy, and we always have a healthy discussion on why certain films receive recognition, and others don’t. We don’t name the runners-up. But we do admire many efforts that don’t make that cut — “Cheated!” was a clever original musical told in a few minutes! Attorney Ed Herman spoke the truth in the comically entertaining animated short “Ed V Bathrooms.”

Spencer Davis Milford

And some actors are quite good in films that are in the conversation but just don’t get the top vote. (Brock Russell and Spencer Davis Milford, we enjoyed you guys in the offbeat black comedy “Food Poisoning” — who knew funny and cannibalism could be in the same sentence? Likewise, two outstanding females in “Broken Vessels” — Alicia Blasingame and Cathy Vu, the dynamic duo of Chrissie Watkins and Joe Hanrahan in “Patient #47,” Rusty Schwimmer in “Penetentia,” and the list is long.

I particularly enjoy seeing different shot selection — local parks, neighborhoods, cool historic homes, use of rivers, high schools, colleges. After all, this is “St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase.” Filmmakers from here who’ve moved can shoot where they are, like L.A., but it’s really fun to see different parts of the ‘Lou, or Illinois, with fresh eyes. Hmmm, that diner is in St. Charles? Is that bar in south city? In “Pretty Boy,” Kevin Coleman-Cohen used ‘underground’ downtown areas that were fascinating.

A film can be 3 minutes, like “Up for Air,” and make its point effectively, or it can be a half-hour, like “Honorable,” and deliver a sense of time and place eloquently. We know they didn’t fly to Ghana, but you understood the setting.

A nondescript apartment became a prison for someone in a mental health crisis in “Where Monsters Lurk.” And Gabe Sheets used a vintage Chevy Nova to tell a transgender teen’s story in “Nova.”

And for Fu Yang’s brilliant stop-motion animation “Fortune Cookie,” the amount of thought and effort is remarkable (won animation/experimental and best narrative under 20 minutes). The backstory told by many directors in their notes is key to understanding all that is involved.

So, the best of the best moves on, while excellent efforts may not get the SLIFF spotlight, but I hope can be seen in other ways. A film has to be seen, and felt. And sometimes, that filmmaker will come back stronger the next year.

Andy Compton, Ryan Myers, Larry Claudin and composer Austin McCutcheon. Photo provided.

I look forward to see what Andy Compton is up to next, and hope to see some shorts turned into features for ambitious filmmakers. (Scott Wisdom’s “No Rest for the Wicked” perhaps).

The narrative jury watched 59 films this year. Chris gave us a good lead time, and our panel would text each other about certain ones, sometimes we’d go back and watch one a second time to evaluate. The due diligence that I witnessed in fellow jurors Alex McPherson and Cate Marquis is a commitment we willingly take on, because it’s important.

I know the doc committee feels the same way — Carl “The Intern” Middleman, my podcast colleague, watched his slate before he left for a fishing trip to Canada. So did Aisha Sultan, whose family went on an overseas trip, back to discuss the winners. Gayle Gallagher was on hand Sunday night to talk about their decisions.

Now I need to watch the docs I missed, particularly Zia Nizami’s “The Highland Incident.” Zia is a former Belleville News-Democrat photographer that I have known for years, and I was covering metro-east news when the UFO incident was reported in 2001. It will be part of SLIFF.

Hope to see you film fans and dreamers at SLIFF in November.

And kudos to all the folks at Cinema St. Louis who work so very hard to make this annual event happen. Thanks, Bree Maniscalco, Brian Spath and of course, fearless AD Chris Clark.

The Candy Crucible. Not a Superhero or Disney Princess in sight.

Cover photo of winners Mia Bible and Zachary Scott Clark at the Hi-Pointe, July 30. Photo used with permission.