She quotes poetry and he combs through books for his classes in their well lived-in cottage by the sea. Their grown son, Jamie (Josh O’Connor), rarely visits, and they all interact with such restraint that you know some things are simmering underneath the polite and genteel façade.
Grace (Annette Bening) is needy and Edward (Bill Nighy) is distant. They are a longtime married couple slogging through a dull, lifeless marriage. When Edward decides he can’t give Grace what she wants as they approach their 29th anniversary and he will leave for another woman, their divorce drama plays out, pulling in their single adult son.
This is a British movie sorely in need of some “oomph.” And that doesn’t mean more sweeping shots of the coastal cliffs.
Well-intentioned, though, this look at a disintegration of a marriage and its ripple effects isn’t as finessed as the superior “Marriage Story” or even “Shoot the Moon” starring Albert Finney and Diane Keaton 30-some years ago.
Director-writer William Nicholson, who was Oscar-nominated for his screenplays of “Gladiator” and Shadowlands,” has adapted his 1989 play, The Retreat from Moscow,” into a very stiff movie.
While the performers are good delving into their characters, a pall of melancholy hangs over what is a nice-looking film. Bening’s accent wavers, and both characters are annoying as their selfishness is exposed.
And the subplot with the son’s inability to sustain a close relationship needed more development. O’Connor, who played Prince Charles in “The Crown,” is strong and deserved a better-written character.
In fact, the movie just goes through the motions, and fails to sustain any momentum. “Hope Gap” is a drama rated PG-13 for some thematics elements and brief strong language. Directed by William Nicholson, its stars Annette Bening, Bill Nighy and Josh O’Connor. Run time is: 1 hr. 40 min. Lynn’s Grade: C
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.
“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; the courage to change the things I can; and the wisdom to know the difference.” – The Serenity Prayer
This is really a movie with the Serenity Prayer theme front and center. A grieving alcoholic father’s road to redemption is wrapped around an inspiring high school sports story – think “Hoosiers” meets “A Star is Born” (2018), “The Verdict,” and/or “Flight.”
Once a high school hotshot, Jack Cunningham (Ben Affleck) threw away his full ride to Kansas. His adult life – construction job, failed marriage, personal tragedy – has not turned out that well either. Using alcohol to mask his pain and self-hatred, he’s mired in a bad place. Then, his alma mater, Bishop Hays High School, calls to offer the head coach job. Going back to the school where he had his glory days proves to be redeeming as he turns around the team. But it’s not an overall fix, as he needs to deal with his demons and addiction, and his family ultimately helps put him on the path to recovery.
“The Way Back” is not your typical rah-rah sports underdog tale, to director Gavin O’Connor’s credit. O’Connor worked with star Ben Affleck in one of his best performances, “The Accountant,” and gave us “Miracle” about the U.S. 1980 Olympic hockey team and his acclaimed estranged family drama with a mixed martial arts focus, “Warrior.”
O’Connor knows how to stage sports action and captures well the re-energized youths of the Hays Tigers, with stand-out performances from Melvin Gregg as showboat Marcus and Brandon Wilson as loner Brandon, the team’s best player. Al Madrigal is memorable as assistant coach Dan.
But make no mistake, this is Ben Affleck’s comeback, and the parallels between his real-life battles with alcoholism, relapse and recovery come into play. You can’t help but think of his demons that he has wrestled with his entire life, for it is a genetic family disease.
Many families can relate to this struggle, which is why the film succeeds. It’s not an easy watch, but it’s realistic.
Beefy, with slumped shoulders signaling life defeat, Jack makes it through the day by drinking. He’s a construction worker with a cooler in his truck and vodka in his water bottle. After work, he’s either stopping at a liquor store or is a barfly, helped up the steps of his drab L.A. apartment at closing time.
His family watches his self-destruction. Sister Beth (Michaela Watkins) sees their father in Jack’s downward spiral. His ex-wife Angela (Janina Gvankar) tries to be supportive.
While he can’t get a handle on adulting, he sure finds his purpose in coaching his alma mater’s basketball team. He turns the team into a unified group who believes in their ability to win.
Yet, until Jack deals with his alcoholism, his life can’t get back on track. So, we see all the steps – the hitting bottom, the facing his troubles in rehab, the making amends. It’s a one day at a time process, no simple solutions.
It’s a sobering film, unconventional in a way because nothing is neatly tied up.
Understated, using natural light and dark shadows, its view is clear, despite some clunky transitions in the script by Brad Ingelsby.
And Affleck, with a strong body of work – and two Oscars – doesn’t have to prove his talent, but shows he is ready to move on to a better second act.
And his character sees more clearly now because of this hard-fought journey, which is reason to cheer, no matter how the team did in the playoffs.
“The Way Back” is directed by Gavin O’Connor and starring Ben Affleck. It is rated R for language throughout including some sexual references. Running time is: 1 hr. 48 min. Lynn’s Grade: B+.
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 Elevated by beautifully nuanced performances from award-worthy Lesley Manville and sturdy Liam Neeson, “Ordinary Love” shows us “all the feels” between a longtime married couple facing a life-altering situation.
Married for a long time, Tom and Joan face new challenges when she is diagnosed with breast cancer. Their relationship is tested during this frightening journey. The intimate contemporary drama is about the moments between a couple that give meaning to their lifetime together – by showing their daily living routine, yet underneath that microscope, they must deal with uncertainty and a test on survival.
As cancer touches every family in America, your
level of comfort with the realistic details from tests to surgeries to
treatment will depend if you have gone through it with a loved one, or
yourself. It may trigger memories of those tense, distressing times.
Co-directors and married-in-real-life couple
Lisa Barros D’ Sa and Glenn Leyburn present a comfortable, common life of two senior
citizens – assuming they are retired, but nobody says from what – in the most
generic way in northern Ireland. Yet, as unexciting as it is, there is revelation
in its repetition.
That’s largely due to Manville and Neeson’s
ease with playing two people who spend a lot of time together – conveying both
affection and aggravation in equal parts. They converse in recognizable ways —
bickering at the grocery store, kidding each other without malice, complaining
about minor things, and sitting in their living room ‘places’ while watching
television in the evening, after their daily walk – just everyday regular
folks.
And that’s the beauty of Owen McCafferty’s astute
script, that it dares to be mundane. The film spotlights the kind of
run-of-the-mill details and feelings expressed that make it thoroughly
relatable, especially with such skilled performers.
The changes with Joan’s breast cancer
diagnosis are the significant test to their strength as a unit. They’ve already
endured the loss of a child – their daughter Debbie “was killed” but we don’t
know how or at what age. It’s frustrating to not know that information. The
only drawback to the script is how little backstory we get.
Neeson becomes the dutiful caretaker while
Manville reluctantly transforms from the take-charge half to someone needing
help – and they both admit how frightened they are. Her ability to telegraph
quicksilver emotions, large and small, is astounding, and their tenderness
together is palpable.
Manville, nominated as the controlling sister
in “Phantom Thread” for a supporting actress Oscar, shows the strength and
courage needed to fight cancer as well as the vulnerability associated with
something beyond your control. The waiting, the wondering – all captured well.
And the film is nicely shot, too – a noteworthy mix of the bright lights of
hospitals and the shadows of a home.
It’s refreshing to see Neeson, who has been
in that action zone for years, tackle the head of household role with such
honesty. On a personal note, after undergoing the tragic death of his wife of
15 years, Natasha Richardson, in 2009, that had to be difficult to re-live incidents
demanded in this script, which is why tackling such a role is admirable.
The ordinariness of “Ordinary Love” makes it appealing, yet it’s the craftsmanship of the project that keeps us interested and deepens its very human perspective on staring at our mortality and life as we know it. Ob-la-di, ob-la-da, life goes on – we all have learned that – but to be reminded how just ‘keep on keeping on’ is quite an achievement is not a small thing.
“Ordinary Love” is a drama rated R for brief sexuality/nudity. Directed by Lisa Barros D’Sa and Glenn Leyburn, it stars Lesley Mann and Liam Neeson. Run time: 1 hr. 32 minutes. Lynn’s Grade: B+
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.
Simple yet profound, “The Band’s Visit” is a disarming, charming experience.
It may take a little bit to win you over, but it certainly
does – with an invigorating elegance and its big heart, a great example of effective
less-is-more on stage.
Based on a 2007 film, “The Band’s Visit” is not your
average flashy big-budget spectacle, and that’s one reason it’s so refreshing
and relatable. The story is about ordinary people, their hopes and desires to
belong. They just happen to be considered “enemies” because of where they live –
Arabs and Jews – but are they really that different?
Through a bus station-cultural language miscommunication, a
traveling Egyptian Police Band winds up stranded in a small town in the Negev
desert — Bet Hatikva instead of Petah Tikvah. They are supposed to perform at
an Arab cultural center, but another bus is not available until the next day, so,
residents take them in overnight. They share shelter, meals, music and
conversation over the course of one day.
The winner of 10 Tony Awards – and nominated for 11 – in
2018, this musical, now playing at The Fox Theatre in St. Louis until March 8, conveys
what made the off-Broadway show and its move to Broadway such sensations. It is
one of only four musicals in Broadway history to ever win “The Big Six” – musical,
director, composer, book, actor and actress – at The Tonys.
The staging is innovative, and turntables are used effectively, especially during a roller-rink date scene. Humor is key too, as in the park having one bench.
Besides endearing performances from its first-rate cast,
the music and lyrics by David Yazbek are unforgettable. The dynamic, poetic
world-music score, with jazz influences, features an assortment of memorable
songs – starting with the humorous “Waiting” and “Middle of Nowhere,” and wrapping
up with the haunting “Answer Me.”
Make sure you stay after the curtain call for the band’s upbeat
finale, their ‘concert’ performance.
The cast recording won a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater
Album in 2019, and they won a Daytime Emmy Award for a performance of “Answer
Me” on The Today Show.
The Fox Theatre is one of the 32-city stops on the first national
tour, which began June 25, 2019. “The Band’s Visit” played off-Broadway for a
little more than a year, beginning Dec. 8, 2016, and moved to Broadway Oct. 7,
2017. After 589 performances and 36 previews, it closed April 7, 2018.
Combined with book writer Itamar Moses’s witty script, “The
Band’s Visit” emphasizes connection between people and different cultures – if we
all listen to each other.
While the townsfolk desperately want to find meaning in
their lives, we are moved by those universal themes of longing, loss and loneliness
that everyone relates to – and how music is the thread that unites us all.
And what simple kind-hearted gestures and compassion can
mean in times of need. This humanistic approach is how it captivates the
audience. After all, people who need people are the luckiest people in the
world, Barbra Streisand once sang to Omar Sharif in “Funny Girl,” — and a song
is named after the Egyptian-born 1960s movie star here.
The ensemble features 14 people, and the tight-knit company
is adept at conveying bonding and breaking barriers. Janet Dacal is terrific as
a lively Dina, a lonely café owner whose tough and feisty demeanor masks a
heart of gold. She befriends the band’s conductor, Tewfiq Zakaria, played by
Sasson Gabay, who replaced Tony winner Tony Shalhoub on Broadway and originated
the role in the 2007 movie.
As he becomes more comfortable, he shares a personal
tragedy with her. Their relationship throughout the show is a high point.
Also noteworthy are Joe Joseph as the likable trumpet
player Haled, who loves American jazz musician Chet Baker; Danny Burgos as the
timid café worker Papi, who Haled helps out on a date; and Pomme Koch as the
other café worker Itzik, who brings clarinet player Simon home to dine with his
family and they deal with his crying baby.
Known only as the “Telephone Guy,” Mike Cefalo is funny in
a quirky role, and then shows off a beautiful voice when he starts off “Answer
Me.”
The highly skilled band musicians must be mentioned too,
because they add such a vitality to the show: Adrian Ries, conductor/keyboard;
Adam McDonald, associate conductor/keyboard; Tony Bird, violin; George Crotty,
cello; Evan Francis, clarinet, saxophone, flute; Roger Kashou, darbouka/riq; Ronnie
Malley, oud/guitar; Shai Wetzer, drums/Arabic percussion; and Alex Farha,
musician swing.
In small and subtle moments, this pleasant interlude speaks volumes. And that poignancy in a tidy 90-minutes is a life-affirming way to exit the theater and enter a wary world.
The Fox Theatre presents “The Band’s Visit” Feb. 25 through March 8 at the Fabulous Fox, 527 N. Grand. For tickets, visit www.metrotix.com or call 618-534-1111. For more information, visit www.fabulousfox.com
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.
Alternately charming and frustrating, “Olympic Dreams” squanders its spectacular setting with a scattershot romance that ultimately is a letdown.
Two strangers in a strange land discover a mutual attraction during their stay at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PeyongChang, Korea. They are each at a crossroads in their lives. Penelope (Alexi Pappas) is a first-time Olympian whose cross-country skiing event is early in the games, so she hangs out with Ezra (Nick Kroll), a friendly volunteer dentist on a break from his fiancé.
While they explore the sights outside the Athletes Village and spend more time together, they confess being worried about the next step in their lives. Are they ready to take another leap into the unknown?
While the connection between two lonely out-of-their-comfort-zone people – a cross-country skier and a volunteer dentist at the 2018 PeyongChang Olympics – is intriguing, particularly set against the pomp and pageantry of the 23rd winter Olympic games, it feels too improvised and jagged.
I wanted to like this movie and these people much more, but after the time investment, was as unsatisfied as the couple.
Not that the film doesn’t have its merits. The youthful energy and uncertainty of a 22-year-old introverted athlete willing to pursue adventure is appealing in Alexi Pappas’ character. She certainly wants more from gregarious 37-year-old khaki-wearing Dr. E, who is funny and nice, but just too confused about his romantic status to take the next step.
When they are hanging out inside Olympic Village, it’s delightful. When they first arrive, you have a palpable sense of how overwhelmed they are by their surroundings.
This is the first narrative feature to be shot inside the Olympic Village, and its breathtaking at times. You can also feel the cold, with the backdrop of snow and ice Feb. 9-25 in Asia. The director, Jeremy Teicher, also served as cameraman, and the cinematography beautifully captures the majesty and grandeur of the setting.
The two performers also co-wrote the screenplay with Teicher, and they had a little gem of a genuine romance but its indecision and unfinished quality hinders its overall feeling.
But that insiders’ look into an athlete’s life at the Olympics and the backstage pass at events is its strongest suit. They used many real-life athletes in the film. In the end credits, they list what country each athlete is from and what sport.
And comedian Nick Kroll showing more vulnerability in a dramatic, less goofy role is another key element.
I wish all the well-intentions and lovely little parts had added up to a gold-medal victory.
“Olympic Dreams” is a romantic comedy directed b y Jeremy Teicher, starring Nick Kroll, Alexi Pappas, Gus Kenworthy. It’s rated: PG-13 for some language and sexual references. Lynn’s Grade: B- A version of this review appeared in the Times newspapers — Webster-Kirkwood Times, South County Times and West End Word.
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.
“In this intense one-act duet, Laurie McConnell and John Pierson illustrate why if you are going to put two people in one room, it might as well be them.”
On this President’s Day, let’s look back at the films
centered around an American President, and what actors were best at portraying
the Commander-in-Chief – be it fact or fiction. Here are some of my favorite
dramas, comedies and even romances that included the most powerful leader of
the free world. We are only listing theatrical films and the HBO film
adaptation of “All the Way.”
If we included television, we’d have a wider pool, and that’s
for another list. What are your favorites that spotlight our U.S. leader?
1.Lincoln (2012) — Daniel Day-Lewis not only delivers the best presidential portrayal ever on screen, but also one of the best male performances of all-time. Day-Lewis won his third Oscar, and it was never in doubt. Just a remarkable portrayal of Abe as a man struggling to hold the country together and lead them to higher ground. Director Steven Spielberg brought a humanity to the story rarely seen in historical portraits.
Kevin Kline in “Dave”
2. Dave (1993) — Kevin Kline is Dave Kovic, who is hired to impersonate the commander-in-chief when President Bill Mitchell suffers a stroke during an illicit affair.
A comedic take on an everyman winning over government wonks with his common sense, solidly directed by Ivan Reitman. Sigourney Weaver is a formidable First Lady.
Bruce Greenwood as “Thirteen Days”
3. Thirteen Days (2000) – President John F. Kennedy saved the day when we were on the brink of nuclear war with Russia, known as the Cuban Missile Crisis. This is a historical look back at this tense political time in 1962, through the perspective of White House assistant Kenneth P. O’Donnell (Kevin Costner), with Bruce Greenwood strong as JFK.
Michael Douglas as President Andrew Shepherd in “The American President”
4. The American President (1995) – This is Aaron Sorkin’s idealism front and center before “The West Wing.”
Michael Douglas shines as a widowed president running for re-election who starts a romance with an environmental lobbyist played by Annette Bening, but the political fallout affects their relationship.
Savvy script, smart casting (especially Martin Sheen and Michael J. Fox as chief of staff and press secretary) make this Rob Reiner-helmed comedy-drama a memorable one.
Harrison Ford in “Air Force One”
5. Air Force One (1997) – Harrison Ford as kick-butt President James Marshall. Love it! The fit commander-in-chief is a Vietnam vet in this political action-thriller directed by Wolfgang Petersen. A group of terrorists hijack the president’s plane and threaten the U.S. but our hero won’t let that happen on his watch. Glenn Close is the vice president and Gary Oldman the Russian bad guy, but it is Ford, in all his star power, as the take-charge head of state that made this movie one of the most successful of the ‘90s.
Anthony Hopkins as “Nixon”
6. Nixon (1995) – Anthony Hopkins embodied the beleaguered president during his tumultuous White House years, with Joan Allen riveting as his long-suffering wife Pat. Oliver Stone directed, so the agenda is clear.
Michael Sheen as David Frost and Frank Langella as Richard Nixon in “Frost/Nixon”
7. Frost/Nixon (2008) – Frank Langella was Oscar-nominated as the disgraced Nixon seeking redemption in his four-part interviews with Britain’s David Frost in 1977. Ron Howard sharply directed the adaptation of Peter Morgan’s 2006 play, with whip-smart movie script by the playwright.
8. Young Mr. Lincoln (1939) – Director John Ford teamed up with actor Henry Fonda for this look at honest Abe during his early years. Fonda embodies the heroic ideals of the lawyer and statesman who would become the 16th president of the United States.
Brian Cranston as LBJ
9. All the Way (2016) — Bryan Cranston won a well-deserved Tony Award for his masterful portrayal of Lyndon Baines Johnson during the early days of the Civil Rights movement in the 2014 play by Robert Schenkkan.
This is the Emmy-nominated HBO adaptation, written by the playwright and directed by Jay Roach. Cranston is again uncanny as political animal LBJ, and the all-star cast includes Anthony Mackie as Martin Luther King Jr., Stephen Root as J. Edgar Hoover, Bradley Whitford as Sen. Hubert Humphrey and Melissa Leo as Lady Bird Johnson.
Jeff Bridges as the President and Christian Slater as a reporter in “The Contender”
10. The Contender (2000) — The wonderful Jeff Bridges is a likeable two-term Democratic President, Jackson Evans, who decides to break the glass ceiling and appoint a woman Vice-President after the current one dies.
However, his nominee, Ohio Senator Laine Hanson (Joan Allen) gets entangled in vicious hearings with a bullseye on her back. This political thriller is written and directed by Rod Lurie, a former newspaper guy. Both Bridges and Allen were nominated for Oscars.
Emma Thompson and John Travolta as thinly veiled Hillary and Bill Clinton in “Primary Colors”
11. Primary Colors (1998) – John Travolta was at the top of his game portraying Jack Stanton, a charismatic Southern governor running for president. Recognize anyone? Based on the 1996 “Primary Colors: A Novel of Politics” by Newsweek’s Joe Klein, this fictionalized account of Clinton’s 1992 campaign had a crackerjack supporting cast (Emma Thompson, Billy Bob Thornton, Oscar nominee Kathy Bates), sharply directed by Mike Nichols and written by his former comedy partner Elaine May.
Tiki Sumpter and Parker Sawyer in “Southside with You”
12. Southside with You (2016) – A ‘what if’ movie that works, quirks and all, with its imagining of what Michelle Robinson and Barack Obama’s first date was like back when they were lawyers in Chicago. Written and directed by Richard Tanner, this little charmer comes alive when the nervous future two-term president shows off his oratory skills at a community meeting. Parker Sawyer is a genuinely believable Obama but Tika Sumpter really shines as the life force who would become First Lady Michelle Obama.
Michael Shannon as Elvis and Kevin Spacey as Nixon in “Elvis and Nixon”
14. Elvis and Nixon (2016) – You may think this is preposterous, but this really did happen. And it’s one goofy movie. On Dec. 21, 1970, rock ‘n’ roll icon Elvis Presley went to the White House for a meeting with President Richard Nixon – and that historical photograph is the most requested one at the National Archives. Talk about offbeat casting — Michael Shannon is a different kind of Elvis while Kevin Spacey impersonates Nixon.
16. Independence Day (1996) – Bill Pullman is memorable President Thomas J. Whitmore facing an alien invasion, and his rallyng-all-Americans speech is one of the best-known in films. Here is the transcript of that great speech:
President Whitmore: Good morning. Good morning. In less than an hour aircrafts from here will join others from around the world and you will be launching the largest aerial battle in the history of mankind. Mankind, that word should have new meaning for all of us today. We can’t be consumed by our petty differences anymore. We will be united in our common interests. Perhaps it’s fate that today is the 4th of July and you will once again be fighting for our freedom not from tyranny, oppression, or persecution but from annihilation.
We’re fighting for our right to live, to exist, and should we win today the 4th of July will no longer be known as an American President holiday but is the day when the world declared in one voice,
“We will not go quietly into the night. We will not vanish without a fight. We’re going to live on. We’re going to survive. Today we celebrate our Independence Day!”
This epic sci-fi disaster film made $817.4 million and won the Oscar for Best VIsual Effects.
17. Lee Daniels’ “The Butler” (2013) and 18. “White House Down” (2013) These aren’t films of particularly lasting impact but the casting of the presidents is genius.
In “The Butler,” Forest Whitaker plays a White House employee who serves multiple presidents – and this casting is certainly eyebrow-raising:
Robin Williams as Dwight D. Eisenhower, James Marsden as JFK, Liev Shreiber as LBJ, John Cusack as Nixon, and the most brilliant turn by Alan Rickman as Ronald Reagan (with Jane Fonda as Nancy!).
Jamie Foxx
Jamie Foxx is the kick-ass president in the action thriller “White House Down,” which came out at the same time as the inferior “Olympus Has Fallen,” all about a terrorist group creating chaos at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. He’s terrific and a good match-up with Channing Tatum as a heroic Secret Serviceman.
Honorable Mentions: Oscar nominee Sam Rockwell is pitch-perfect as George W. Bush in “Vice” (2018), but he’s barely a supporting character. In Natalie Portman’s tour de force “Jackie,” Caspar Phillipson and John Carroll Lynch are effective portraying John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Baines Johnson.
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.
Where do I begin To tell the story of how great a love can be — Carl Sigman and Francis Lai, “(Where Do I Begin?) The theme from ‘Love Story’”
We all wanted to be Ali MacGraw.
She was the ‘It’ girl of the late ‘60s, early ‘70s, a model-turned-actress appearing in TV commercials – among them the Polaroid Swinger instant camera. In 1969, she won the Golden Globe for Most Promising Newcomer after the movie “Goodbye, Columbus,” an adaptation of a National Book Award-winning Philip Roth novella.
Ali MacGraw as Jenny
Then she was cast in the role of a lifetime in the movie “Love Story.” As Jenny Cavilleri, the sassy working-class music major who falls head over heels for a rich Harvard hunk, Oliver Barrett IV, she and handsome lead Ryan O’Neal had instant chemistry.
Teenage girls were swept away by this Radcliffe college
girl and her “Preppie.” O’Neal was best known for playing the popular kid
Rodney Harrington on the scandalous nighttime soap opera “Peyton Place” from
1964 to 1969.
The movie, set for a Dec. 16, 1970 premiere, was destined to be a box office smash because a book version had come out first and whetted appetites for the doomed romance.
At Paramount’s suggestion, author Erich Segal had turned his screenplay into a novel, which came out on Valentine’s Day, 1970, and became the top book of the year, spending 41 weeks on the New York Times Best Seller List. A portion of it had been published in the Ladies’ Home Journal, gaining even more interest.
“What can you say about a 25-year-old girl who
died? That she was beautiful and brilliant? That she loved Mozart and Bach? The
Beatles? And me?”
The book opened with those memorable words, setting the stage for the tragic tearjerker. Wintry New England never looked so good — on Ivy League campuses and New York City, the romance about a couple from two different worlds falling in love just struck a nerve. Director Arthur Hiller gave us good-looking people in cutesy situations. Oh we fell hard.
At a time when you had to stand in line for tickets, the
movie showtimes sold out, girlfriends had event outings, and many tears were
shed. I was a junior in high school. You can bet we were in line at the Stadium
Cinema 1 downtown St. Louis more than once. Locally, we Belleville kids
had to come to St. Louis for the first-run movie because that’s the way cinema
was back then.
Ali MacGraw
This film was a template for future “chick flicks.” It was also at a time there was a wave of fresh young talent — “The Graduate,” “Easy Rider,” “Five Easy Pieces,” “Summer of ’42.” Baby Boomers were making their presence known.
MacGraw’s timeless fashions created multiple trends, and this classic preppie style is still popular – cashmere coats, chunky knits and those hats! We all had a version of her knit hat those subsequent winters.
For this romantic phenomenon, MacGraw won the Golden Globe the following year and was nominated for an Academy Award as the dying heroine. She also launched thousands of baby namesakes in the 1970s and 1980s – for 14 years, Jennifer was the no. 1 female name.
Music major Jenny Cavilleri
The movie eventually earned $136.4 million at the box office, garnered seven Academy Award nominations – winning for music score, and take its place as the defining romance of its era.
It is #9 on the AFI’s 100 Years…100 Passions list.
That pea coat!
When it made its network television debut on a Sunday night Oct. 1, 1972, two floors of my all-female dormitory at Illinois State University crammed into a lounge to watch the mounted TV set, and the sniffles echoed through the crowd as Jenny succumbed to leukemia.
It became the most watched film on television, surpassing
Hitchcock’s “The Birds,” with a Nielsen rating of 42.3 and an audience share of
62 percent.
In the ensuing years, it would be mocked and parodied
relentlessly.
Ali MacGraw and Ryan O’Neal
Fifty years later, the movie hasn’t exactly aged well.Today it’s sappy, with such iconic lines as “Love means never having to say you’re sorry” a head-scratcher.
But O’Neal and MacGraw’s chemistry is still there.
If you remember what a cultural touchstone it was, and how they made you feel about doomed but intense and true young love, you can see it on the big screen again.
Fathom Events is hosting two screenings of the film on Sunday, Feb. 9 at 1 p.m. and on Wednesday, Feb. 12 at 7 p.m. at various local theatres (check listings).
Ali would divorce second husband, producer Robert Evans, with whom she had a son, Josh Evans, and go on to marry macho action superstar Steve McQueen, her co-star in 1972’s “The Getaway,” and take a hiatus from film during her five-year marriage. Her 2003 yoga exercise video is credited with a surge in yoga popularity, Ali MacGraw – Yoga Mind and Body, now available on DVD. She wrote an autobiography, “Moving Pictures.”
O’Neal would have a tempestuous romance and a son, Redmond, with actress Farrah Fawcett, who died in 2009.
His daughter, Tatum O’Neal, still holds the record for
youngest Oscar winner, Best Supporting Actress in “Paper Moon,” which she
starred in with her dad, directed by Peter Bogdanovich, who had a hot streak in
the 1970s with movies often starring O’Neal in comedic roles.
Elizabeth Alice MacGraw is now 80, lives in New Mexico, and hasn’t made a movie since 1999. Charles Patrick Ryan O’Neal is 78 and had a recurring role on the TV show “Bones” in 2016-2017. Long estranged for over 25 years, he and Tatum attempted to reconcile on a docu-drama on the Oprah Winfrey Network in 2011, “Ryan and Tatum: The O’Neals,” which lasted nine episodes.
Forever linked to their iconic roles, MacGraw and O’Neal reunited on state in 2016 in A.R. Gurney’s play, “Love Letters.”
Neither would surpass this all-American romance.But they earned their place in pop culture history.
For more information on the Fathom event, visit this website:
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.
Or, Theater interrupted by life…or something like that. Awards and reflections on the year.
By Lynn Venhaus Often times, the wise words of others are in a loop playing in my head.
“I want life to imitate art,” Carrie Fisher wrote in
“Postcards from the Edge,” and I often share that same sentiment. Particularly
in 2019, which will always be labeled an “annus horribilis” for personal
reasons.
Although John Lennon is attributed to have said “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans,” he really just quoted it in one of his songs on “Double Fantasy.” That one I put in regular rotation.
When times were really rough last year, I thought of
Courtney Love’s band Hole and their album cover “Live Through This,” which was
made after Kurt Cobain died. I kept repeating that phrase over and over.
Now 65, I know all too well the ebbs and flows of life, but last year seemed unusually mired in the deep end. You see, without going into lengthy details, I lost my cherished oldest son in December 2018 and my only surviving brother, who was terminally ill, Labor Day weekend on his 57th birthday; my two sisters and I lost our other brother years ago. Life is filled with loss, and I made it through all the ‘firsts’ with a lot of help from my friends and family. But pain, anguish and sorrow were/are unfathomable and the tsunami of grief is as unpredictable as anything in life.
My brother honored as a Legacy Coach at his alma mater, Belleville West, in January, eight months before his death. You can’t see his walker. He was a coach and junior high science teacher for 35 years.
As Matt went steadily downhill last summer, I decided I
would spend more time with him, and I was already cooking his meals. So that
meant missing some theater, and I have no regrets on that decision.
We all must prioritize what’s important in our lives. Theater
has always brought me great joy and illuminated life in an exhilarating way,
and last year, sometimes it was a lifeline.
I am grateful for the opportunities to see so much
worthwhile theater, and I appreciate the theater community for being so understanding
and patient last year on my circumstances and my crazy work schedule.
The upside to tragedy is the outpouring of kindness and
concern from people – it was a comforting blanket I wrapped myself in, and was
able to get up and get going because I knew I wasn’t alone, and that there were
so many others to lean on and raise me up.
I can’t thank people enough and I am forever grateful – it means so much. Now, back to work. Words matter – I’m a writer, after all. A few years ago, as I was dropping Tim off at Union Station to visit some out-of-town friends after a break-up blindsided him, I mentioned ye olde chestnut about using what you learn at a later time, and he replied: “Like you say, Mom, everything’s copy.” I learned that from Nora Ephron. And it’s true.
Tim
Well maybe some day. Right now, I prefer to immerse myself in other’s words. Seeing how people take fresh pages of a script, how eloquent it can be, how well it can be interpreted – that is the task of the creative souls. And it’s so fun to see what can be crafted on a stage in town, whether it’s a small black box or the immense Muny stage.
Sitting in the dark, sharing a moment – that’s what it’s all about, and we sure shared some outstanding moments in 2019. The eternal optimist, I am looking forward to another exciting year.
And as we all know, there will be more times we’re knocked down. And being helped up is one of the best things in life. And when you open yourself up — be it in conversation, writing or on stage, you feel human and whole.
How art enriches us is truly inspiring. 2019 was a good year for theater, particularly dramas, which were often inspired. It was important to have somewhere to go and something else to think about, as I continue to marvel at the accomplishments – passionate people behind their visions, strong talent and a desire to do good work, that it is about the work.
I like when people take risks, when they present new ways of doing things, and don’t rely on the same-old casting. My biggest pet peeves are miscasting and lack of character development/prep work/vision. If you are going to invest the time and want people to give up their time and money, then do the work, go above and beyond, and not just slide by. Hire who is right for the part, not just because they are a friend.
OK, off my soapbox.
I have now launched my longtime-coming website, and we
should be full speed ahead in 2020, www.PopLifeSTL.com. I haven’t launched its
daily and weekly features yet, but reviews and news releases are up. All in due
time.
So, my awards this year are based on the 79 regional
professional plays I did see, and not the touring shows nor community theater. That
would add about 16 more shows. There is no way to see everything.
This is the year I gave up reviewing opera and let another
reviewer go in my place. I needed to make some changes, and sadly, that had to
be dropped. Maybe another work. I have been in awe of what Opera Theatre of St.
Louis, Union Avenue Opera and Winter Opera achieve year after year.
My brother’s memorial service was the weekend of Shakespeare in the Streets, so I had to cancel, and he died the weekend I had RSVP’d for “The 39 Steps.” I saw “The Night of the Iguana” but left the next day to spend Mother’s Day with my youngest son in New York City, so missed “A Lovely Sunday Afternoon for Creve Coeur” and the other programming. I was on my way to the final matinee of “Death Tax” when an accident closed three lanes of I-64. Life…
I also traveled quite a bit this year, some for work, some for play. Tim was working on his MFA in screenwriting at DePaul University at the time of his death. He was home on holiday break. His professors named an award for him at their annual film festival, so I went up to Chicago the first weekend in June to see it happen.
However, I was fortunate to spend Mother’s Day watching
Jeff Daniels as Atticus Finch in “To Kill a Mockingbird” in the sold-out
acclaimed Bartlett Sher-Aaron Sorkin production in the Shubert Theatre. You
could have heard a pin drop and the standing ovation was immediate, loud and
long. Meeting the star afterwards was an unexpected thrill.
“To Kill a Mockingbird” brilliant production at the Shubert. Photo Credit: Julieta Cervantes
The week I was in NYC I also saw the fabulous and fun “The Prom,” which was produced by local folks and had a book and lyrics by Centralia’s own Chad Beguelin, who I had the good fortune to meet in 2010 and have been writing about his triumphs ever since.
I did something new, too — I revised my late son’s last script, a comedy short that his DePaul professor raved about, A for the trimester. And we had a team shoot it in late September over a weekend, a real challenge and labor of love. As Eleanor Roosevelt said: “You must do the thing you think that you cannot do.”
Unfortunate, but sadly not considered in voting here: “The Revolutionists” and “Shakespeare in Love” at Insight; “Equivocation,” “Exit, Pursued by a Bear” and “Cricket on a Hearth” at West End Players Guild; “Such Sweet Thunder,” Shakespeare Festival St. Louis; “Nina Simone: Four Women” and “Milk Like Sugar,” The Black Rep; Black Mirror Theatre’s “Translations”; ERA’s “Never Let Go”; “Salt, Root and Roe,” Upstream Theatre; “Karmatic” TLT Productions; “The Merchant of Venice” and “The 39 Steps” at St. Louis Shakespeare; “Leaving Iowa” and “Travels with My Aunt” at Act Inc.; “The Hundred Dresses” at Metro Theatre Company; “Disenchanted” at Stray Dog, the parodies of “Jaws” and ‘Gremlins,” and the second leg of the LaBute New Play Festival at St. Louis Actors’ Studio.
Without further ado, I present my annual “LOTTIES,” which is Lynn’s Love of Theatre Awards, for 2019. These are my opinions alone. As in previous years, I usually name 10 my lists, but this year because of missing what I did, it’s either 8 or 9. Eventually, I will post my other ones, since 2014, in archives. And I intend to archive all the Circle Awards/Nominations for reference.
If you are wondering about the St. Louis Theater Circle
Awards nominations, they will be announced on KWMU around noon on Friday, Feb.
7, with the press releases embargoed until 1 p.m. You can see the nominations
here on PopLifeSTL.com in the afternoon.
I did not want my awards to coincide with the Circle, but
it was not to be this year. However, these are my traditional annual awards, reflect
my personal take on the year that was.
I am a Circle founding member; we began in 2012. The awards
will be presented on Monday, March 30, at the Loretto Hilton Center on the
campus of Webster University, (the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis’ home). More
information will be forthcoming.
The 2019 LOTTIES* (LYNN’S LOVE OF THEATER AWARDS)
Barrett Foa and Meredith Baxter in “Angels in America, Part 2: Perestroika”
PRODUCTION OF THE YEAR: “Angels in America, Parts I and 2.”
Talk about ambitious. But oh, so worthwhile. The Repertory
Theatre of St. Louis’ first show under new artistic director Hana Sharif was an
absolute stunning visceral and artistic work and raised the bar. Not only did
it take risks but its heavyweight cast delivered on its promise.
“Part I: Millennium Approaches” and Part 2: Perestroika”
required a commitment of time but the investment was worth it. How interesting,
too that a 30 year old play could be so relevant today.
“Brighton Beach Memoirs” became New Jewish Theatre’s biggest hit of all-time
COMPANY OF THE YEAR: New Jewish Theatre.
From start to finish, 2019 was a banner year for NJT under
new artistic director Edward Coffield. “District Merchants,” “Time Stands
Still,” “I Now Pronounce,” “Brighton Beach Memoirs” and “Fully Committed” were
extremely well done with outstanding casts and production values.
Ellie in “Antigone: Requiem for Patriarchus”
ARTIST OF THE YEAR: Ellie Schwetye.
Ellie in “A Lovely Sunday for Creve Coeur”
One of the most versatile and accomplished women in town, she’s been honored and nominated by the St. Louis Theater Circle year in and year out. But this year might be her finest – and perhaps busiest – on record. She directed “Photograph 51” at West End Players Guild, “A Model for Matisse” for the Midnight Company and “Fully Committed” at New Jewish Theatre. She acted in “Classic Mystery Game” and “Antigone: Requiem for Patriarchus” at SATE. She did sound for “The Night of the Iguana” at the Tennessee Williams Festival and “The Women of Lockerbie” at SATE. She was involved in SIUE’s Summer Play Festival, with “As You Like It.” Her choices of music for any show are impeccable. I’m likely missing a few things too. She’s always excelled at being a collaborator but she deserves an award all it’s own.
The national tour of “Dear Evan Hansen” came to the Fox.
BEST TOURING SHOWS: “Come from Away” and “Dear Evan Hansen,” both at the Fox.
BEST NEW PLAYS: 1. “Nonsense and Beauty,” Scott C. Sickles, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis 2. “Canfield Drive,” Kristen Adele Calhoun and Michael Thomas Walker, The Black Rep 3. “It’s a Wonderful Life,” John Wolbers, Metro Theatre Company 4. “Feeding Beatrice,” Kristen Greenidge, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis 5. (tie) “Kim Jong Rosemary,” Carter Lewis, LaBute New Play Festival, St. Louis Actors’ Studio 5. (tie) “A Model for Matisse,” Barbara F. Freed and Joe Hanrahan, The Midnight Company
Caleb Miofsky in “Cry-Baby” at New Line
FIVE TO WATCH: Summer Baer Tristan Davis Caleb Miofsky Tateonna Thompson Jordan Wolk
Alicen Moser in “District Merchants”
Alicen Moser in “Antigone”
12 ACTING MVPS (For their noteworthy range of work in 2019, and not only St. Louis professional in some cases) Nicole Angeli Will Bonfiglio Kevin Corpuz Eileen Engel Wendy Greenwood Stephen Henley Keating Ryan Lawson-Maeske Stephanie Merritt Alicen Moser Spencer Sickmann Jennifer Theby-Quinn
DYNAMIC DUOS
J. Samuel Davis and Gary Wayne Barker in “District Merchants”
Will Bonfiglio and John Wolbers
Gary Wayne Barker and J. Samuel Davis, “District Merchants,” New Jewish Theatre
Jacob Flekier and Spencer Kruse, “Brighton Beach Memoirs,” New Jewish Theatre
Will Bonfiglio and John Wolbers, “Photograph 51”
Eli Mayer and Khailah Johnson, “Footloose,” The Muny
Kevin O’Brien and Sara Rae Womack, “Guys and Dolls,” Stray Dog Theatre
Ryan Lawson-Maeske and William Roth, “A Life in the Theatre”
Joe Hanrahan and Shane Signorino, “Popcorn Falls,” Midnight Company
Erin Kelley and J. Samuel Davis, “The Agitators,” Upstream Theatre
Jeffrey Heyenga and Robbie Simpson, “Nonsense and Beauty,” The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
Joe Hanrahan and Rachel Hanks, “A Model for Matisse,” Midnight Company
JUVENILE PERFORMANCE AWARDS
Flower girls in “I Now Pronounce” at New Jewish Theatre
Millie Edelman, Abby Goldstein and Lydia Mae
Foss as the flower girls, “I Now Pronounce,” New Jewish Theatre
Leo Taghert as 10 year old Tommy in “The Who’s
Tommy,” Stray Dog Theatre
SPECIAL TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT: Michael B. Perkins for his exquisite video projection design in “Love, Linda” and “A Model for Matisse.”
Jane Paradise in “Brighton Beach Memoirs”
COMEDY AWARDS Best Actress in a Comedy
Jane Paradise, “Brighton Beach Memoirs,” New
Jewish Theatre
Laura Sohn, “Love’s Labors Lost,” Shakespeare
Festival St. Louis
Kea Trevett, “Love’s Labors Lost,” Shakespeare
Festival St. Louis
Susie Lawrence, “Sylvia,” Stray Dog Theatre
Keating, “Well,” Mustard Seed Theatre
Sofia Lidia, “The MotherF**cker with the Hat,”
R-S Theatrics
Perri Gaffney, “The Lifespan of a Fact,” The
Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
Colleen Backer, “Color Timer,” LaBute New Play
Festival, St. Louis Actors’ Studio
Frankie Ferrari and Delaney Piggins in ‘I Now Pronounce”
Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy
Laurie McConnell, “Brighton Beach Memoirs.” New Jewish Theatre
Melissa Harlow, “Sylvia,” Stray Dog
Frankie Ferrari, “I Now Pronounce,” New Jewish Theatre
Delaney Piggins, “I Now Pronounce,” New Jewish Theatre
Lori Adams, “Well,” Mustard Seed Theatre
Ka-Ling Cheung, “The Play That Goes Wrong,” The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
Michelle Hand, “Pride and Prejudice,” The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
Taleesha Caturah, “The MotherF**with the Hat,” R-S Theatrics
Caitlin Mickey, “Wittenberg,” Upstream Theatre
Will Bonfiglio in “Fully COmmitted” at New Jewish
Best Actor in a Comedy
Will Bonfiglio, “Fully Committed,” New Jewish
Theatre
Isaiah DiLorenzo, “True West,” St. Louis
Actors’ Studio
Jacob Flekier, “Brighton Beach Memoirs,” New
Jewish Theatre
Steve Isom, “Wittenberg,” Upstream Theatre
Michael Cassidy Flynn, “Classic Mystery Game,”
SATE
Adam Flores, “The MotherF**ker with the Hat,”
R-S Theatrics
Griffin Osborne, “The Lifespan of a Fact,” The
Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
Alan Knoll, “Wittenberg,” Upstream Theatre
Joe Hanrahan, “Charlie Johnson Reads All of
Proust,” Midnight Company
Spencer Kruse and Jacob Flekier in “Brighton Beach Memoirs”
Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy
1. Spencer Kruse, “Brighton Beach Memoirs,” New Jewish Theatre 2. Patrick Blindauer, “Love’s Labors Lost,” Shakespeare Festival St. Louis 3. Shane Signorino, “Popcorn Falls,” Midnight Company 4. Aaron Dodd, “The Motherf**ker with the Hat,” R-S Theatrics 5. Jesse Munoz, The Motherf**ker with the Hat, R-S Theatrics 6. Michael McGloin, “The Play That Goes Wrong,” The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis 7. Chuck Brinkley, “Brighton Beach Memoirs,’ New Jewish Theatre 8. Michael James Reed, “Pride and Prejudice,” The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
“The Play That Goes Wrong” at The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
Best Director of a Comedy
Alan Knoll, “Brighton Beach Memoirs,” New
Jewish Theatre
Tom Ridgely, “Love’s Labors Lost,” Shakespeare
Festival St. Louis
Melissa Rain Anderson, “The Play That Goes
Wrong,” The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
Ellie Schwetye, “Fully Committed,” New Jewish
Theatre
William Whitaker, “True West,” St. Louis Actors
Studio
Meredith McDonough, “The Lifespan of a Fact,” The
Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
Philip Boehm, “Wittenberg,” Upstream Theatre
“It’s a Wonderful Life” at Metro Theatre Company
Best Ensemble in a Comedy
The Play That Goes Wrong, The Repertory Theatre
of St. Louis
Brighton Beach Memoirs, New Jewish Theatre
Love’s Labors Lost, Shakespeare Festival St.
Louis
It’s a Wonderful Life, Metro Theatre Company
(tie) The MotherF**ker with the Hat, R-S
Theatrics
(tie) Well, Mustard Seed Theatre BEST COMEDY PRODUCTION
“True West” at St. Louis Actors’ Studio
Brighton Beach Memoirs, New Jewish Theatre
Love’s Labors Lost, Shakespeare Festival St.
Louis
The Play That Goes Wrong, The Repertory Theatre
of St. Louis
True West, St. Louis Actors’ Studio
Wittenberg,
Upstream Theatre
6. Fully Committed, New Jewish Theatre
DRAMA AWARDS
Ben Ritchie and Nicole Angeli in “Photograph 51”
Best Actress in a Drama
Nicole Angeli, “Photograph 51,” West End
Players Guild
Wendy Greenwood, “Time Stands Still,” New
Jewish Theatre
Jeanne Paulsen, “Alabama Story,” The Repertory
Theatre of St. Louis
Kristen Adele Calhoun, “Canfield Drive,” The
Black Rep
Zoe Farmingdale, “Indecent,” Max and Louie
Productions
Julie Layton, “Fifty Words,” St. Louis Actors’
Studio
Nisi Sturgis in “The Night of the Iguana”
Best Supporting Actress in a Drama
1. Nisi Sturgis, “The Night of the Iguana,” Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis 2. Eileen Engel, “Time Stands Still,” New Jewish Theatre 3. Rae Davis, “District Merchants,” New Jewish Theatre 4. Donna Weinsting, “Nonsense and Beauty,” The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis 5. Rachel Hanks, “A Model for Matisse,” Midnight Company 6. Sophia Brown, “Fefu and Her Friends,” Theatre Nuevo 7. Miranda Jagels-Felix, “Antigone: Requiem for Patriarchus,” SATE
Jim Butz in “The Night of the Iguana”
Best Actor in a Drama 1. James Andrew Butz, “The Night of the Iguana,” Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis 2. Barrett Foa, “Angels in America,” The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis 3. Gary Wayne Barker, “District Merchants,” New Jewish Theatre 4. Graham Emmons, “The Crucible,” Stray Dog Theatre. 5. Spencer Sickmann, “Farragut North,” St. Louis Actors’ Studio 6. Jim Poulos, “Oslo,” The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
David Ryan Smith and Peter Fre
Best Supporting Actor in a Drama
J. Samuel Davis, “District Merchants,” New Jewish Theatre
Carl Howell, “Alabama Story,” The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
David Wassilak, “Farragut North,” St. Louis Actors’ Studio
Karl Hawkins, “District Merchants,” New Jewish Theatre
David Ryan Smith, “Angels in America,” The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
Ryan Lawson-Maeske, “Photograph 51,” West End Players Guild
John Feltch, “Nonsense and Beauty,” The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
Gerry Love, “The Crucible,” Stray Dog Theatre
Ben Ritchie, “The Crucible,” Stray Dog Theatre
Ben Cherry, “Angels in America,” The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis (tie) Peter Freschette, “Angels in America,” The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis (tie) Taylor Gruenloh, “Two Degrees,” Tesseract Theatre
Angels in America
Best Director of a Drama
1. Joanne Gordon, “Indecent,” Max and Louie Productions 2. Anthony Speciale, “Angels in America,” The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis 3. Jacqueline Thompson, “District Merchants,” New Jewish Theatre 4. Gary F. Bell, “The Crucible,” Stray Dog Theatre 5. Ellie Schwetye, “Photograph 51,” West End Players Guild 6. Lucy Cashion, “Antigone: Requiem for Patriarchus,” ERA/SATE 7. Steve Woolf, “Oslo,” The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis 8. Seth Gordon, “Nonsense and Beauty,” The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
Best Ensemble in a Drama Production
“Antigone: Reqiuem for Patriarchus” at SATE
Angels in America, Parts 1 and 2, The Repertory
Theatre of St. Louis
District Merchants, New Jewish Theatre
Photograph 51, West End Players Guild
Indecent, Max and Louie Productions
Antigone: Requiem for Patriarchus, ERA and SATE
The Crucible, Stray Dog Theatre
The Women of Lockerbie, SATE
Nonsense and Beauty, The Rep
Time Stands Still, New Jewish
Oslo,
The Rep
Best Dramatic Production
The Crucible at Stray Dog Theatre
Angels in America, The Rep
District Merchants, New Jewish
The Crucible, Stray Dog
Photograph 51, West End Players Guild
Indecent, Max and Louie Productions
Nonsense and Beauty, The Rep
The Night of the Iguana, Tennessee Williams
Festival St. Louis
Oslo, The Rep
Time Stands Still, New Jewish
Farragut
North, St. Louis Actors’ Studio
MUSICAL AWARDS
Casr of Cry-Baby at New Line
Best Musical Director 1. Ryan Fielding Garrett, “Kinky Boots,” The Muny 2. Jennifer Buchheit, “The Who’s Tommy,” Stray Dog Theatre 3. Nicolas Valdez, “Cry-Baby,” New Line Theatre 4. Charles Creath, “Don’t Both Me I Can’t Cope,” The Black Rep 5. Nicolas Valdez, “Be More Chill,” New Line Theatre 6. Scott Schoonover, “Daddy Long Legs,” Insight Theatre 7. Holly Barber, “Hedwig and the Angry Inch,” The Q Collective
Don’t Bother Me I Can’t Cope at The Black Rep
Best Choreographer (and not just in musicals)
1. Kirven Douthit-Boyd, “Don’t Bother Me I Can’t Cope,” The Black Rep 2. Mike Hodges, “Guys and Dolls,” Stray Dog Theatre 3. Rusty Mowery, “Kinky Boots,” The Muny 4. Ellen Isom, “Indecent,” Max and Louie Productions 5. Tony Gonzalez, “Grease,” Stages St. Louis 6. Heather Beal, “Feeding Beatrice,” The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
Best Supporting Actress in a Musical
Taylor Louderman in “Kinky Boots”
Taylor Louderman, “Kinky Boots,” The Muny
Michelle Ragusa, “The Boy from Oz,” Stages St.
Louis
Sarah Gene Dowling, “Hedwig and the Angry
Inch,” The Q Collective
Kendra Lynn Lucas, “Grease,” Stages St. Louis
Khalia Johnson, “Footloose,” The Muny
Eleanor Humphrey, “Dreamgirls,” Stray Dog
Theatre
Laura Michelle Kelley, “Matilda,” The Muny
Grace Langford, “Avenue Q,” The Playhouse at
Westport
Jenny Powers, “1776,” The Muny
10. Tateonna Thompson, “Dreamgirls,” Stray Dog
10. Denise Thimes, “Don’t Bother Me, I Can’t Cope,” The Black Rep
Best Actress in a Musical
Ebony Easter as Effie in “Dreamgirls” (center)
Ebony Easter, “Dreamgirls,” Stray Dog Theatre
Jennifer Theby-Quinn, “Daddy Long Legs,”
Insight Theatre
Mattea Conforti, “Matilda,” The Muny
Kendra Kassebaum, “Guys and Dolls,” The Muny
Mamie Parris, “Paint Your Wagon,” The Muny
Sarah Rae Womack, “Guys and Dolls,” Stray Dog
Theatre
Brittany Bradford, “Guys and Dolls,” The Muny
Zak Farmer in “La Cage Aux Folles” at New line
Best Actor in a Musical 1. Zachary Allen Farmer, “La Cage Aux Folles,” New Line Theatre 2. J. Harrison Ghee, “Kinky Boots,” The Muny 3. David Elder, “The Boy from Oz,” Stages St. Louis 4. Luke Steingruby, “Hedwig and the Angry Inch,” The Q Collective 5. Caleb Miofsky, “Cry-Baby,” New Line Theatre 6. James Patterson, “Man of La Mancha,” Stages St. Louis 7. Mark Kelley, “A Man of No Importance,” R-S Theatrics
Best Supporting Actor in a Musical
Kevin Corpuz, right in “Be More Chill” at New Line
Omega Jones, “Dreamgirls,” Stray Dog Theatre
Kevin Corpuz, “Be More Chill,” New Line Theatre
Omar Lopez-Cepero, “Paint Your Wagon,” The Muny
Tristan Davis, “The Who’s Tommy,” Stray Dog
Theatre
Eli Mayer, “Footloose,” The Muny
Ryan Cooper, “Man of La Mancha,” Stages St.
Louis
Ken Page, “Guys and Dolls,” Stages St. Louis
Mike Wells, “Guys and Dolls,” Stray Dog Theatre
Patrick John Moran, “Man of La Mancha,” Stages
St. Louis
Zach
Stefaniak, “Guys and Dolls,” Stray Dog Theatre
(tie) Ben Davis, “1776,” The Muny
Avenue Q at the Playhouse at Westport
Best Director of a Musical
1. Mike Dowdy-Windsor and Scott Miller, “Be More Chill,” New Line Theatre 2. DB Bonds, “Kinky Boots,” The Muny 3. Justin Been, “Dreamgirls,” Stray Dog Theatre 4. Lee Anne Mathews, “Avenue Q,” The Playhouse at Westport 5. Jordan Woods, “Hedwig and the Angry Inch,” The Q Collective 6. Ron Himes, “Don’t Bother Me, I Can’t Cope,” The Black Rep
A Man of No Importance
Best Ensemble in a Musical 1. “Kinky Boots,” The Muny 2. “Dreamgirls.” Stray Dog Theatre 3. “Avenue Q,” The Playhouse at Westport 4. “Be More Chill,” New Line Theatre 5. “A Man of No Importance,” R-S Theatrics 6. . Don’t Bother Me I Can’t Cope,” The Black Rep 7. “Man of La Mancha,” Stages St. Louis 8. “Cry-Baby,” New Line Theatre
“Kinky Boots” at the Muny
Best Musical Production
1.“Kinky Boots,” The Muny 2. “Dreamgirls.” Stray Dog Theatre 3. “Be More Chill,” New Line Theatre 4. “Avenue Q,” The Playhouse at Westport 5. “Don’t Bother Me I Can’t Cope,” The Black Rep
?Dreamgirls”
Best Costume Design of a Musical
1. Sarah Porter, “La Cage Aux Folles,” New Line Theatre 2. Julian King, “Dreamgirls,” Stray Dog Theatre” 3. Mary Engelbreit and Leon Dobkowski, “Matilda,” The Muny 4. Brad Musgrove, “101 Dalmatians,” Stages St. Louis 5. Brad Musgrove, “Grease,” Stages St. Louis 6. Eileen Engel, “The Who’s Tommy,” Stray Dog Theatre 7. Gregg Barnes and Lindsay McWilliams, “Kinky Boots,’ The Muny
“The Who’s Tommy”
Best Lighting Design in a Musical
1. Tyler Duenow, “The Who’s Tommy,” Stray Dog 2. Joe Clapper, “Don’t Bother Me I Can’t Cope,” The Black Rep 3. Rob Lippert, “Be More Chill,” New Line Theatre 4. John Lasiter, “Paint Your Wagon,” The Muny 5. Tyler Duenow, “Dreamgirls,” Stray Dog Theatre 6. Sean M. Savoie, “The Boy from Oz,” Stages St. Louis
“Matilda” at the Muny
Best Set Design in a Musical
1. Mary Engelbreit and Paige Hathaway, “Matilda,”
The Muny
2. James Wolk, “Man of La Mancha,” Stages St. Louis
3. Josh Smith, “The Who’s Tommy,” Stages St. Louis
4. Michael Schweikardt, “Paint Your Wagon,” The Muny
5. Peter and Margery Spack, “Don’t Bother Me I Can’t Cope,” The Black Rep
Feeding Beatrice
Best Sound Design of a Play
Broken Chord, Angels in America, The Rep
Ellie Schwetye, The Night of the Iguana,
Tennessee Williams Festival
David Samba, Feeding Beatrice, The Rep
Kareem Deanes, Fully Committed, New Jewish
Theatre
Philip Evans, Indecent, Max and Louie
Productions
6. Justin Been, The Crucible, Stray Dog Productions
“Love’s Labors Lost”
Best Costume Design in a Play
Michele Friedman Siler, Brighton Beach Memoirs,
New Jewish
Melissa Trn, Love’s Labors Lost, Shakespeare
Festival St. Louis
Felia Davenport, District Merchants, New Jewish
Andrea Robb, A Life in the Theater, St. Louis
Actors’ Studio
Laura Hanson, Wittenberg, Upstream Theatre
Best Set Design in a Play
The Night of the Iguana
Peter and Margery Spack, The Play That Goes Wrong, The Rep
Dunsi Dai, The Night of the Iguana, Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis
Peter and Margery Spack, Brighton Beach Memoirs, New Jewish
Kristin Cassidy, “Photograph 51,” West End Players Guild
William Bloodgood, ‘Alabama Story,’ The Rep
David Blake, “District Merchants,” New Jewish
Lawrence E. Moten III, +Feeding Beatrice,” The Rep 8. Patrick Huber, “True West,” St. Louis Actors’ Studio
Best Lighting Design in a Play
“Indecent”
Jon Ontiveros, “The Night of the Iguana,” Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis
Xavier Pierce, “Angels in America,” The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
Patrick Huber, “Indecent,” Max and Louie Productions
Jason Lynch, “Feeding Beatrice,” The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
Sean Savoie, “District Merchants,” New Jewish Theatre
Photo Credits: Phillip Hamer, Jon Gitchoff, JPatrick Huber, Joey Rumpell, Peter Wochniak and Jerry Naunheim Jr.
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.
Life it ain’t real funky Unless it’s got that pop Dig it Pop life Everybody needs a thrill Pop life We all got a space to fill — Prince, “Pop Life”
Welcome to PopLifeSTL.com, a new arts, entertainment and lifestyle website curated by veteran journalist Lynn Venhaus.
Venhaus has had a continuous byline in St. Louis area publications since 1978 and has worked as a reporter, feature writer, reviewer and editor for daily and community newspapers and other platforms in the region. She has taught journalism and media at three area colleges as an adjunct instructor.
Lynn Venhaus
“We will spotlight local events but also cover a wide
spectrum of entertainment,” she said.
Venhaus has written movie and theater reviews for many years. From 2008 to 2017, she wrote entertainment reviews for the Belleville News-Democrat, and currently covers film reviews for the Times newspapers (Webster-Kirkwood Times, South County Times and West End Word), KTRS Radio and the Reel Times Trio podcast. She also has a partnership with OnSTL.com for the podcast and content. This will be home to her theater reviews but she will also feature other local reviewers.
“We want to explore the local arts scene with enthusiasm and insight, but also with an informed critical eye,” she said.
Local contributors include reviewers CB Adams, Connie Bollinger, Andrea England Braun, Joe Pfaller and Jeff Ritter. We will welcome more experts as we grow.
Currently, we are a work in progress and will be placing fresh content as much as possible and after that, get the archives up to speed.
Venhaus talks to Seth Meyers at the Critics Choice Association Awards Jan. 12 in Santa Monica, Calif.
As a founding member of the St. Louis Theater Circle in 2012, which awards excellent in St. Louis regional professional theater, she has enjoyed getting to know the local theater community.
Film is a major force in her life, and she has been a vetted member of the St. Louis Film Critics Association since 2008 and its elected secretary since 2012. She has been accepted into the national Alliance of Women Film Journalists and the Critics Choice Association (formerly the Broadcast Film Critics Association).
She is also a volunteer and member of Cinema St. Louis, and frequently serves on juries for the St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase, 48-Hour Film Project and St. Louis International Film Festival.
She has served on the Arts for Life board since 2010, which
recognizes outstanding work in community theater.
“We are going to spotlight local people and places,
including food and drink too – the whole leisure experience.”
She is a former feature writer, food editor and reviewer at
the defunct St. Louis Globe-Democrat and wrote for niche publications at the
Belleville News-Democrat, so promoting what the metropolitan area has to offer
is important to her.
“We have hidden gems to explore, and there are so many
untapped subjects in the region. I look forward to informing people of our colorful
heritage and the interesting people who enrich our area,” she said.
Venhaus is a graduate of Illinois State University, with a comprehensive mass communications major and a minor in theatre. Born and raised in the metro-east, she currently lives in St. Louis. Her son, Charlie, lives in New York City and her son Tim passed away in December 2018.
Charlie, Lynn and Tim Venhaus, ushers at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival.
Currently, she covers news and features for several local publications as an independent contractor, Venhaus Creative. Editing and writing services are also available.
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.