Sci-Fi Satire ‘Landscape With Invisible Hand’ Doesn’t Rise Above Curiosity

Sci-Fi Satire ‘Landscape With Invisible Hand’ Doesn’t Rise Above Curiosity

By Lynn Venhaus

Ambitious and intriguing, “Landscape with Invisible Hand” takes an absurd concept and revels in its strangeness as a suburban horror story.

It’s 2036. Most of the remaining Earthlings are impoverished and unemployed after an alien species, the Vuvv, has occupied the planet for five years. Their advanced technology was promising but their labor-saving ways and bureaucratic rule have wreaked havoc on the American way of life.

For their struggling families’ survival, 17-year-old artist Adam Campbell (Asante Blackk) and his classmate Chloe Marsh (Kylie Rogers) take their budding romance to a livestream reality dating show format that earns them cash and restores their families’ livelihood. But their love story hits a bump in the road, throwing them back into chaos and mounting debt, forcing life-altering changes.

How much is art and truth worth in a topsy-turvy world? What sacrifices would you be willing to make if aliens took over, nearly rendering everything that shapes our society obsolete? What is it about adversity that brings out the worst in some people?

These are big philosophical questions raised, yet on a small canvas, and while the Americans go through the motions, depicting a dreary way of life and adapting to a drab environment, the curiosity level never rises to compelling.

This quirky sci-fi hybrid should be funnier and more heart-tugging. The economic and environmental implications are damning, and yes, the blame is on us. And while it’s never predictable and always unusual, there is just something that prevents the film from totally clicking. I am not familiar with the book, though.

Yet, there are sharp, witty barbs and some amusing visuals in writer-director Cory Finley’s adaptation of M.T. Anderson’s 2017 young adult novel. The aliens are peculiar-looking – flesh-colored squishy rectangle blobs who have weird features, bordering on the grotesque. Everything, from their voices, vocabulary, and views are out of sync with humans, and the interactions are odd. The awkwardness is always played for laughs.

Yet, as good as this ensemble is, the plot’s constraints regarding the depressing behaviors of humans during colonization make it hard to connect with the characters, rather something to admire for its sharp criticism instead of an emotional response.

Finley centers the story on a pair of smart entrepreneurial teens, who fall in and out of love, and their vastly dysfunctional families at a time of great duress.

Now a New York-based playwright and filmmaker, Finley grew up in the Clayton suburb of St. Louis and graduated from John Burroughs School in 2007. Burroughs hosted their heralded alumnus last spring to speak to students, staff, faculty, and the community. The theatre department also produced his play, “The Feast,” in the black box. St. Louis Actors’ Studio had presented the horror-comedy-drama in 2017.

Finley, who went on to Yale, has made three feature films, demonstrating a flair for dialogue, a keen eye for detail, and an affinity for satire and dark comedy. While different, his projects have a common theme, focusing on high school students, and this one is by far the most bizarre.

His first film, “Thoroughbreds,” starred Olivia Cooke, Anya Taylor-Joy and Anton Yelchin, and became an arthouse darling that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2017, earning him an Independent Spirit Award nomination for best first screenplay.

His next was the 2019 HBO movie “Bad Education,” based on a true story, and starred Hugh Jackman as a Long Island superintendent whose epic $112 million embezzlement was uncovered by a student reporter. It won the Emmy Award for best television movie in 2020.

In his third, which premiered at Sundance in January, Finley is willing to take risks, but perhaps the frustrations of this heartless story are too much of a dead end.to overcome.

Like last year’s “White Noise,” it has so many layers that it’s overly complicated. Although it’s worth investing the time to figure it out, mainly for its sheer audacity, but it does take a while to unpack.

A Vuvv

Production designer Sue Chan has given us an unsettling portrait of occupation and oppression, aided with meticulous work by art director Erik Louis Robert and set decorator Lynne Mitchell. Cinematographer Lyle Vincent matter-of-factly captures the situation’s bleakness, with editor Louise Ford focusing on the off-kilter aspects.

Promising young stars deliver solid performances – Blackk’s defiance and desire to push through all the hardship rings true. The young actor, first noticed on “This Is Us” as Randall’s daughter Deja’s boyfriend Malik, is one to watch.

So is Rogers, who plays the young Beth on “Yellowstone” and reminds me of a young Chloe Grace Moretz. Her financial motivations become apparent, and there is hell to pay for deceiving those aliens. The Vuvv may be incapable of love, but they can spot phonies easily.

Each has a surly sibling in this – Chloe’s sullen brother Hunter Marsh is portrayed by Michael Gandolfini, who doubles down on ‘doesn’t play well with others’, and Brooklynn MacKinzie is Natalie, a typically annoying sister, who finds fault with what Adam’s up to – usually drawing or painting.

Tiffany Haddish is credible as out-of-work attorney Beth Campbell, who is an exasperated but tough mother trying to hang on to her homestead as her world crumbles all around her/ Josh Hamilton has the most fun as a desperate dad willing to do whatever it takes to fit in with the Vuvvs and has some key scenes sucking up to the superiors.

Nevertheless, the laughs become intermittent and the points on race, class and gender seem less effective as the film winds down its 1 hour, 45-minute runtime. With all its flaws, it is still thought-provoking, but interest wanes. What started strongly as something with a different point of view doesn’t draw us in enough to satisfy.

“Landscape with Invisible Hand” is a 2023 sci-fi comedy-drama directed by Cory Finley and starring Asante Blackk, Tiffany Haddish, Kylie Rogers, Josh Hamilton, Michael Gandolfini, and Brooklynn MacKinzie. It is rated R for language and brief violent content and 1 hour, 45 minutes. It opens in theatres Aug. 18. Lynn’s Grade: C+

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.

Hallelujah, Baby! Muny’s Spirited ‘Sister Act’ is a Boogie Wonderland

Hallelujah, Baby! Muny’s Spirited ‘Sister Act’ is a Boogie Wonderland

By Lynn Venhaus

As shiny as a disco ball and as bouncy as a 1970s dance party, “Sister Act” overflows with heart and soul to end the Muny’s 105th season on a high note, the cherry on top of a sensational summer.

The upbeat Alan Menken score may not be as familiar as his Disney animation renaissance classics, but you’ll be humming a happy tune and leaving the Forest Park amphitheater giddily grinning with a spring in your step.

For this adaptation of the 1992 feel-good hit movie starring Whoopi Goldberg, composer Menken teamed up with lyricist Glenn Slater, who is known for “School of Rock,” “A Bronx Tale,” and the animated feature musical “Tangled.” All the songs are originals, no songs used in the movie are featured.

The screen-to-stage musical comedy made its debut in Pasadena in 2006, moved on to London’s West End starring Patina Miller in 2009, and opened on Broadway in 2011 with Miller in the lead role. It earned five Tony Award nominations, including best musical, book, and original score (losing those three to “The Book of Mormon”).

“Take Me to Heaven,” “Raise Your Voices” and “Spread the Love” are quite satisfying super-sized soul sister anthems.

.James T. Lane as Eddie Souther. Photo by Phillip Hamer

And the more intimate solos tug at the heartstrings – especially “I Haven’t Got a Prayer” by angelic-voiced Mamie Parris as Mother Superior and “I Could Be That Guy” by James T. Lane, touching as ‘Sweaty’ Eddie, both well-liked Muny veterans.

But it’s a star-making performance by wheelchair-user Meredith Aleigha Wells as postulant (pre-novice) Sister Mary Robert in her show-stopping “The Life I Never Led” that’s the most memorable moment.

The book by Bill and Cheri Steinkellner, two-time Emmy Award winners for “Cheers,” with additional material by Douglas Carter Beane, takes the movie screenplay by Joseph Henry and transfers the place from Reno and San Francisco to Philadelphia and the time to 1977-1978 from the movie’s contemporary (1992) setting, but keeps the story basically the same.

A lounge singer witnesses an informant executed by her thug boyfriend, then police hide her in a convent for witness protection until she can testify, where undercover as Sister Mary Clarence, she takes over a rough-sounding choir and transforms it into a vocal powerhouse.

She tussles with the Mother Superior while winning over the other nuns. Suddenly, their vivacious music numbers start attracting churchgoers, filling the pews, and becoming a local sensation. And she’s stayin’ alive (I couldn’t resist).

Bryonha Marie, Mamie Parris. Photo by Phillip Hamer.

A mash-up of a police procedural with a sitcom-y vibe (think that ‘70s chestnut “Barney Miller”), the plot’s routine, but the passion of the performers isn’t. They dive into Funkytown with glee.

What made the movie so fun – transforming Motown songs from romantic love to spiritual love by a cloistered convent choir – becomes contagious crowd-pleasing disco/R&B/gospel confections on the vast outdoor stage, including an exuberant “Sunday Morning Fever” – complete with gyrating altar boys and the nuns shaking their groove thing.

The City of Brotherly Love – and cheesesteaks — adds further meaning because of its “Philadelphia Sound,” popularized in the late ‘60s and ‘70s that laid the soul music foundations for disco, with funk influences, jazzier melodies, and lush arrangements.

Music Director Michael Horsley integrated the electric rhythms with such pizzazz, elevating the sweeping strings section (5 violinists, 2 viola/violinists, 2 cellos and 1 harp) along with the fabulous rich sound of 4 woodwinds, 3 keyboards, 2 trumpets, 2 French horns, 2 trombones, and 1 tuba, guitar, bass, drums, and percussion.

Bryonha Marie winningly plays Deloris Van Cartier with panache, sassy posing as a nun and silky in delivering such various sounds as “Fabulous, Baby!” and the poignant “Sister Act.” Memorable as the Mother Abbess in the Muny’s 2021 “The Sound of Music,” she plays a very different nun this time around. Deloris turns the beat around, inspires female empowerment, and makes their numbers into dance-floor type celebrations.

Michelle Burdette Elmore, Thom Sesma, Kaitlyn Maise, and Katie Geraghty. Photo by Phillip Hamer.

Katie Geraghty, breakout scene-stealer as a Little Red replacement in the acclaimed “Into the Woods” Broadway revival last year, is an ebullient Sister Mary Patrick, her naivete and chirpy personality a delight.

The supporting players brim with brio – especially the goofy trio of goons: Rob Colletti as Jack Black-like Joey, Brandon Espinoza as Pablo, and Darron Hayes as dim TJ in “Lady in the Long Black Dress” and with the imposing villain Curtis Jackson, played by a formidable Alan H. Green, who was memorable as the Cobra Kai sensei John Kreese in last year’s “The Karate Kid-The Musical” premiere at Stages St. Louis. Just listen to those words of “When I Find My Baby”!

Thom Sesma, as Monsignor O’Hara, is very funny as he watches his church go from impending closure to standing room only —  and can bust a move as well.

The nuns are luminous, with Madeleine Dougherty, Rebecca Young and Michelle Burdette Elmore noteworthy as Sisters Mary Lazarus, Mary Martin-of-Tours and Mary Theresa respectively.

Photo by Phillip Hamer.

Director-choreographer Denis Jones’ trademark pep-in-the-step is present. When I see his name in the credits, I know he will endear with his crisp and snappy style, having earned St. Louis Theater Circle Awards for directing and choreographing “Chicago” (2021) and for his eye-popping work in “42nd Street” (2015) and “A Chorus Line” (2017), among others.

Besides the inherent comedy in nun-focused musicals as amusing entertainment, Jones has emphasized that cheerful bond like the 1979 disco anthem “We Are Family” throughout the show.

In elaborate costume designer Leon Dobkowski’s capable hands, the costumes are a time-capsule of Studio 54, conveying progression from standard nun garb to ultra-glam sequined habits, and the fantasy dancers are wildly adorned in sparkly attire, silver lame and over-the-top styles seen on Elton John and David Bowie. There’s also the garish fashions of that ’70s era, with eyesore checks and plaids and the god-awful polyester.

Wig designer Kelley Jordan has supplied appropriate big hair for the secular singers, dancers, and hitmen.

Meredith Aleigha Wells as Sister Mary Robert. Photo by Phillip Hamer.

Scenic Designer Edward E. Haynes Jr., who had so much fun with the flamboyant sets last year for “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” applies a heavy layer of kitsch – vintage Naugahyde! – on nightclub, neighborhood bar, and Eddie’s apartment while being ingenious on the open church design for the turntable.

Video designer Kevan Loney carries that retro flair onto the screens while lighting designer Shelby Loera  effectively illuminated the moods.

The Muny premiere follows the regional premiere by Stages St. Louis in 2016, and the first national tour came to the Fox Theatre in 2013.

Laugh-out-loud funny throughout, this lighthearted romp gets the crowd on their feet with a rousing curtain call. Oh, what a jubilant late-summer night it was, complete with fireworks.

And “Sister Act” defines the faith, hope, and love St. Louisans have for this cultural institution and generational tradition.

And just like that, the Muny’s wonderful, celebrated summer comes to a dandy grand finale.

iDarron Hayes, Rob Colletti, Brandon Espinoza and Alan H. Green. Photo by Phillip Hamer.

Reflections on the Muny’s championship season of 2023

As the days lose their light and autumn looms, it’s time to rejoice, to revel in the communion that 11,000 people can share watching shining stars on stage, and to marvel at the never-ending joyful noise a St. Louis summer yields.

This has been a season marked not only by the major spectacle we have come to expect on the largest outdoor stage in the country, but also a seven-show arc of uncommon grace – a genuine depth of feeling in each well-executed production.

From premieres “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical” and “Sister Act” bracketing a standout season that featured technically proficient creative teams mastering that elusive Muny magic and superior quality talent delivering the special moments we’ll remember deep in December: The transformative power of music – through musical theater – is the reason we flock to The Muny year after year.

In every performance, there was a palpable sense of yearning – a future Hall of Fame talent finding her voice, outsiders opening their hearts in a timeless fairy tale classic, of high-stakes gamesmanship and personal cost in a political arena, star-crossed lovers clinging to a dream, unearthing your worth and wish fulfillment in a flower shop, discovering love and nurturing friendship in a bleak place, and using your gifts to foster community.

Believe. Longing. Belonging. Overcoming. All were themes this summer, and you could feel the Muny audience lean in, the risks worth the rewards. We all shared something very special, this 105th year – it felt different. We could dream again, after coming out of the dark — all the drama of a public health emergency, global pandemic in pre-vaccine times, and the isolation that went with it.

And it sure was fun to be together. God willing, see you next year for 106.

Brady Foley, Bryonha Marie, Gordon Semeatu, Collin J. Bradley. Photo by Phillip Hamer.

The Muny presents “Sister Act” Aug. 14-20 at 8:15 p.m. at the outdoor stage in Forest Park. For tickets or more information, visit www.muny.org.

Owens Fervently Presents Heartfelt Tribute to Judy Garland in Solo Show

Owens Fervently Presents Heartfelt Tribute to Judy Garland in Solo Show

By Lynn Venhaus

Singer-actress Jennelle Gilreath Owens is an old soul. And we are fortunate to experience it in her labors of love.

For a cabaret-theater presentation this summer at the Blue Strawberry, she has assembled a personal tribute to Judy Garland –“You Made Me Love You,” and has put her heart and soul into it.

She plays herself and intertwines elements of her life’s challenges with Judy’s tough times. Judy died tragically at age 47.

The story is tinged with sadness. Yet the star’s luster doesn’t lose any power. Owens’ luminous talent and warm personality make it not just a sentimental journey, but a substantive presentation about our chosen paths. A big takeaway is how people affect us through their gifts, and how we decide to share our gifts matters.

Playwright Joe Hanrahan, artistic director of The Midnight Company, has written a script that hits the highs and lows of Garland’s career and life. He also smoothly directed the show.

“Dear Mr. Gable”

Owens starts off strong with the title song, the fan letter to Clark Gable that Garland sang at age 15 in the movie “Broadway Melody of 1938.”

A longtime fan of the acclaimed singer-actress-dancer, Owens talks about the connection that Garland had with her ardent fans. She was a much-loved star, known for her vulnerability, achingly tender, gorgeous voice, and beautiful spirit, soaring in the ‘30s and ‘40s, and trying to stay afloat in the ‘50s and ‘60s. She had man troubles, struggled with addiction, fragile mental and physical health, emotional trauma from abusive childhood, and career ups and downs.

Garland appeared in some of the most delightful movie musicals of all-time, including “Meet Me in St. Louis,” “The Harvey Girls,” “Easter Parade,” “Summer Stock,” “Girl Crazy,” “In the Good Old Summertime,” “Babes in Arms” and “The Pirate.”

Owens has selected signature songs from those and the Great American Songbook, ones that are strongly identified with Judy –including a bittersweet rendition of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” from her most iconic role as Dorothy Gale in “The Wizard of Oz.”

Two accomplished guest singers joined her on stage for one number each. Jeffrey Wright endearingly sang the Gene Kelly part in “For Me and My Gal,” the 1942 vaudeville-centered musical in which Kelly made his film debut, and it was a lovely pairing.

For a heartfelt mash-up finale, Kimmie Kidd-Booker wistfully sang “Happy Days Are Here Again” while Owens added “Get Happy,” replicating the famous pairing when rising star Barbra Streisand appeared on “The Judy Garland Show” in October 1963.

What a fabulous snapshot and a grand way to end the evening.

In a retrospective of Garland’s career, touching on disappointments noted in the 2019 biopic drama “Judy,” which is based on the superior play, “End of the Rainbow,” Owens mentions Judy’s two Oscar nominations, in “A Star is Born”1954 remake and “Judgment at Nuremberg” in 1961. She sings the memorable torch song Judy delivered in her Oscar-worthy role (she was robbed): “The Man That Got Away.”

Judy and Barbra

Owens’ selections ran the gamut of jaunty (“The Trolley Song” – from “Meet Me in St. Louis”), vibrant (“Come Rain or Come Shine” – from Judy’s 1961 Carnegie Hall concert), silky (“Embraceable You” from “Girl Crazy”) and haunting (Charlie Chaplin’s “Smile” – from her memorable appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show” in 1963) – all sung with conviction.

On the small stage, she was supported by a mighty combo of stellar musicians, who helped make it a polished presentation. Music Director John Gerdes led Lea Gerdes on woodwinds, Paul Cereghino on piano, and Clarence “Clancy” Newell on drums/percussion.

Owens, who has appeared in regional professional theater and local community theater for the past 10 years, earning multiple award nominations, has two other passions as a performer. She travels the country to present a World War II immersive USO show, “Dixie D’s Canteen,” which captures the 1940s songs and spirit of the Greatest Generation.

She teared up talking about her experiences entertaining military veterans. She is also a performer, producer, emcee, and member of The Bon Bons Burlesque Troupe.

With her busy schedule, the Garland tribute was only scheduled for three nights – July 27, Aug. 2 and 9. It’s such a sincere, affectionate show that I hope it has an encore in its future.

Update: Sell-out crowds have prompted a new date — Wednesday, Sept. 14. More info: www.midnightcompany.com and bluestrawberrystl.com

Jennelle Gilreath Owens, in her Dixie D’s Canteen Show

The Muny Enthralls with Glorious, Vibrant ‘Rent’ Premiere

The Muny Enthralls with Glorious, Vibrant ‘Rent’ Premiere

By Lynn Venhaus

Measure your life in love.

Simple advice from Jonathan Larson, the musical genius behind the “Rent” phenomenon, whose tragic death on Jan. 25, 1996 – from an undiagnosed aortic aneurysm, after the final dress rehearsal, meant he never saw the impact his words and music had worldwide. He ran out of time, but his life’s work lives on forever.

Especially the part about how we can’t control our destiny. That underlying poignancy is part of the passion and the power of his landmark rock opera that finally graces the Muny stage 27 years after it produced a seismic shift in popular culture.

It’s time, and the Muny makes the most of those moments so dear in a grand staging that honors Larson’s compassionate vision with the dramatic operatic scale this modern take on Giacomo Puccini’s “La Boheme” deserves.

A celebration full of life, this touchstone production’s creative team is exactly the right fit, showcasing tender beauty and pure joy. Director Lili-Anne Brown, who brought us the exceptional “The Color Purple” last year, focuses on the humanity, dignity and acceptance that is such a potent part of this revolutionary musical.

Set in the “Alphabet City” part of New York City’s East Village, over the course of one year, impoverished young artists and outcasts live through the HIV/AIDS epidemic during the late 1980s, choosing to love over fear. This cast maintains the raw, realistic appeal, making sure it rings true.

The eight principal performers make an indelible impression, their vitality thrilling to witness, and their luxurious vocals a testament to their talent and technical skills. “You’ll See,” “No Day but Today,” and “Will I?” with strong supporting cast mates become earworms that will stay in your mind for days.

When their vocal prowess is spotlighted through Jermaine Hill’s vibrant music direction – what an exhilarating job the orchestra does! – it’s wondrous. 

Hill was a part of the stellar “The Color Purple” collaborators, as were scenic designer Arnel Sancianco, who has fashioned a striking movable apartment building tower, and video designer Paul Deziel, whose work stands out, with Mark’s cinema verité footage and the humorous bits of celebrity minutia in the news scroll.

Vincent Kempski is a dynamic Roger, bringing the grit and rock musician edge to “One Song Glory” and “Your Eyes.” He and Lincoln Clauss, as documentary filmmaker Mark, are a comfortable pair of roommates, with effective bravado in “Rent” and “What You Own.” Clauss was a memorable Tobias in last summer’s “Sweeney Todd,” and leads as the pragmatic narrator here.

Sparks fly when Ashley De La Rosa, as drug-addicted exotic dancer Mimi, meets Roger, and their duets are superb: “Light My Candle” and “Without You” especially. She exhibits a confident demeanor, rocking the over-the-knee turquoise patent leather boots and smoothly gliding around the stage to choreographer Breon Arzell’s moves.

Adrian VIllegas as Angel. Photo by Phillip Hamer.

Adrian Villegas perfectly embodies the life force that is flamboyant one-of-a-kind drag queen Angel Dumott Schunard, delightful in “Today 4 U.” As scene-stealing as they are, what’s most remarkable is Terrance Johnson’s heart-is-full portrayal of philosophical tech-savvy activist-professor Tom Collins, who falls in love with Angel.

He was brought in to assume the role because the original cast member Evan Tyrone Martin took ill. Johnson and Villegas appear like they’ve been doing the show together for a long time, duet on a heartfelt “I’ll Cover You” and with others for a spirited “Happy New Year.” And Johnson’s vocals on “Santa Fe” and solo snippets in other songs are sumptuous.

Lindsay Heather Pearce, who played Elphaba in “Wicked” on Broadway, can belt with the best of them, and shows it on live-wire performance artist Maureen’s “Over the Moon” and “Take Me or Leave Me.” Tre Frazier has the thankless task of playing sellout Benjamin Coffin III, friend turned foe.

Special shout-out to ensemble-mates Julia Yameen (Mark’s mom), Shelby Brown (Joanne’s mom), Jhardon Dishon Milton (Joanne’s dad), and Erica Stephan (Roger’s Mom) as the parents heard on the voice mails.

Among the many highlights is “La Vie Boheme,” the ebullient, defiant Act 1 closer that features characters finding their voices in a number that defines community. And fun name drops! (Pee-wee Herman!).

Seasons of Love. Photo by Phillip Hamer.

After intermission, when you hear the iconic piano chords and the entire ensemble files out to present the signature song, “Seasons of Love,” it is delivered with tremendous strength and feeling, creating a sublime contemporary “Muny Moment.” I will admit to moist eyes. Just hearing the divine Anastacia McCleskey crush that power-ballad solo, her voice ascending into the stratosphere, is goosebumps-time.

As Celie in last summer’s “The Color Purple,” she won the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical Award from the St. Louis Theater Circle in April. She plays Maureen’s attorney girlfriend Joanne Jefferson with genuine charm.

Costume designer Raquel Adorno has outfitted the cast appropriately in era streetwear, but my only quibble is I miss Mark’s maroon and blue sweater with his striped scarf. At times, it was hard to keep Mark and Roger separate. But Angel’s glitzy attire was eye-popping.

The sound had issues when the music was louder than the performers, where I was sitting, but I wondered if it was better elsewhere in the amphitheater.

Those people not familiar with the show could have had trouble figuring out action, so I recommend reading up on the show beforehand. I finally saw Puccini’s opera a few years ago, and was struck at how closely it resembled the “Rent” characters, except in a different century and country – Paris in 1830. The life-and-death themes, nevertheless, are universal.

Roger and Mimi. Photo by Phillip Hamer.

 While AIDS is no longer a death sentence, that period of uncertainty was harrowing and horrifying, and Larson’s stark look at loss – and homophobia — still resonates.

The show captured a specific time and place, but its pathos was always identifiable. After all, we’ve just been through several years of a devastating global health emergency and are currently losing thousands to an opioid crisis.

As a struggling artist for years, Larson knew the world he wrote about, based on a concept by Billy Aronson. Among his legacy, he urged us to cherish each of the 525,600 minutes we’re given every non-Leap year. Posthumously, Larson went on to win the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and three Tony Awards (musical, book, score).

“Rent” ran for 12 years on Broadway, has had countless touring shows for 25 years, a 2005 film adaptation, and a live television presentation in 2019.

No matter how many times I hear this score (and I know every word after heavy playlist rotation of the original Broadway cast double-CD recording), I am moved by how timeless each song is.

We are living in the Twilight Zone, only now America is well past the millennium. If we are fortunate, we know love and appreciate friends.

This exceptional cast makes us feel each emotion expressed, and I mean really feel the connections with an unmistakable chemistry and a reverence for the material.

The eight principals who moved to Broadway’s Nederlander Theatre April 29, 1996, were lightning in a bottle: Anthony Rapp as Mark Cohen, Adam Pascal as Roger Davis, Daphne Rubin-Vega as Mimi Marquez, Tony winner Wilson Jermaine Heredia as Angel, Jesse L. Martin as Tom Collins, Idina Menzel as Maureen Johnson, and the more ‘outsider’ characters –Fredi Walker as Joanne Jefferson and Taye Diggs as Benjamin Coffin III.

They caused a commotion, inspiring devotion. Their performances made the ordinary extraordinary and galvanized a generation. They changed their lives, and in the process, other Gen Xers.

They made it possible for others, especially ones who go against the grain, to be an “us” instead of a “them.”

Photo by Phillip Hamer.

Cut to 2023, and Gen Zers are now post-9/11 babies. Can “Rent” still strike a chord? It may no longer shock, but it can awe.

“Rent” still matters. It has the ability to connect on a personal level for all sorts of different reasons.

Take it from me, a Boomer Rent-head who saw it live on its first national tour, shared it with my oldest son as he entered his 20s, and consider the night I saw Anthony Rapp and Adam Pascal reprise their roles in 2009 one of the best nights of live theater ever (the electricity and the energy was off-the-charts). I’ve seen it so many times, I’ve lost count. I think it’s 11, and until the Muny Saturday night, I hadn’t seen a professional company perform it since the 20th anniversary tour in 2016. That music still holds a spell.

The Muny production is a triumph in every way, giving oxygen to an eternal flame, and a rite of passage, moving the cultural institution forward. Watching it under a moonlit sky was glorious, a stirring shared experience with thousands of other Rent-heads and a captivated Muny audience.

As Larson reminds us, there really is no day but today, as life is ours to miss.

‘La Vie Boheme,’ Photo by Phillip Hamer.

The Muny presents “Rent” Aug. 4-10 nightly at 8:15 p.m. on the outdoor stage in Forest Park. For more information, visit www.muny.org.

(Notes: For more about Jonathan Larson, see the 2021 musical film “Tick, Tick…Boom!” currently streaming on Netflix. Directed by Lin-Manuel Miranda, who said “Rent” changed his life when he first saw it as a teenager, it features an Oscar-nominated performance by Andrew Garfield as the young songwriter trying to get noticed.

Anthony Rapp’s 2006 book “Without You: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and the Musical Rent” is a worthy read.)

Mark and Joanne. Photo by Phillip Hamer

Fly North’s ‘Caroline, or Change’ Soul-Stirring, Extraordinary

Fly North’s ‘Caroline, or Change’ Soul-Stirring, Extraordinary

By Lynn Venhaus

The powerhouse cast of the musical “Caroline, or Change” features so many gifted vocalists that they raise the roof off The Marcelle Theatre every performance. To hear the soul-stirring solos and harmonies blended by this virtuosic ensemble is a scintillating experience.

It doesn’t matter if you are unfamiliar with the emotional rollercoaster of a score by composer Jeanine Tesori and lyricist Tony Kushner that creates a unique stamp of time and place in Lake Charles, Louisiana in 1963, just go and be in awe of the power and performances.

It’s easy to gush about this uncommon show, and as a longtime reviewer who tries to mix up the superlatives, so I don’t overuse them, it is hard to come up with new words that aptly describe this level of talent involved.

Yes, it’s unforgettable. Yes, I can’t believe the singers held nothing back and still had something in the tank. And yes, I want to learn more, listen again, and sing its praises. Most of all, the performers express their truth from varied perspectives. In the framework of an intense domestic drama, the characters focus on their own needs, but must see the value in others.

Three years in the making, Fly North Theatricals patiently waited out the pandemic, and some of those originally cast in 2020 have returned while others are new. Director Brian McKinley, an accomplished multi-hyphenate who wasn’t present at those early auditions, has said he has been blessed with talent. Indeed, the proficient ensemble is world-class in quality, and McKinley deftly stations them around an intimate space to spotlight highly personal interactions, which are aided by Bradley Rohlf’s artful lighting design.

De-Rance Blaylock as Caroline. Photo by Julie A. Merkel

Music Director Colin Healy, the group’s founder, has masterfully conducted an orchestra that seamlessly blends blues, gospel, spirituals, traditional Jewish klezmer melodies, Motown, folk and classical music.

The versatile top-shelf musicians include Steve Frisbee and Kate Denson on violins, Chuck Evans and Alyssa Przygoda Gove alternating on viola, Marie Brown on cello, Mary Wiley, Brandon Thompson and Dave Metzger on reeds, Blake Mickens on bass, Des Jones on percussion, and Healy on keyboards.

This is crucial because it’s an all-sung show. The first act features 24 songs in an hour, and after a 15-minute intermission, the second act has 25 songs in 70 minutes. The demanding nature requires every single person on stage and off to be in peak form, and they meet the challenge.

The story takes place mostly in the basement of a Southern home where Caroline Thibodeaux works as a maid for $30 a month. It starts on a hot day, and she laments having to do laundry “16 Feet Beneath the Sea.” Second act will transition to the December holidays, but it’s still oppressive conditions.

Caroline reveals her world-weary and cynical attitude, and you’ll discover an unusual protagonist because she is not a sitcom-y warm and fuzzy housekeeper. She has been beaten down by life. It’s 100 years after slavery, but segregation and inequality haven’t subsided. In a tour de force performance, De-Rance Blaylock commands the stage, making us feel her pain and anger.

She’s caught in-between being marginalized and believing she deserves more, living on the cusp of change. You root for her, hoping her life will get better, but as we soon find out, it will be up to her children to help make the world see them. Blaylock, who was in the groundbreaking “Antigone in Ferguson” at the Harlem Stage in 2018, is a consummate performer, and fiercely announces her presence.

The kids. Photo by Julie A. Merkel

Resigned to her fate, Caroline has been working hard at these tasks for 22 years, without much to show for it. She is turned down for a raise, among other indignities throughout the show. She is, however, allowed to keep the loose change found in the dirty clothes. Her adoring 8-year-old charge Noah knows his pocket change is beneficial, acts absent-minded about it, but knows what he’s doing. The plot escalates when an errant $20 bill is the cause of much handwringing. She could really use it for a child’s dental work and better food for their nutrition. But it is a gift from his maternal grandfather.

Caroline is a single mother to Emmie, 16, (Kenya Nash), Jackie (Cameron Headley), 10, and Joe (Malachi Borum), 8. The needy kids dig at a traditional Christmas in “I Saw Three Ships” and they express their financial situation in the jaunty “Roosevelt Petrucius Coleslaw.”

In one of the more dynamic relationships, Caroline and rebellious Emmie butt heads about how to talk to white people, navigate changing times, and even dare to dream and hope. Nash is strong in “’Night Mamma” and “I Hate the Bus,” among other numbers.

There is an authenticity to their emotionally charged interactions, and things really get testy in “Kitchen Fight.”

Caroline has had a lifetime of disappointments, including a failed marriage. She slumps in a chair, taking a break in her white uniform, and allows Noah to light her cigarette.

Duane Foster. Photo by Julie A. Merkel

This is a secret because he lost his mother, a heavy cigarette smoker, to lung cancer, and his father has remarried. The little boy clings to his anchor, Caroline, although she never reciprocates caring. In a stunning debut, Zoe Klevorn demonstrates remarkable poise and vocal ability as Noah. (The only thing out of place is a wig too big for her delicate features).

As his widowed father Stuart, Jordan Wolk subtly conveys a distracted, conflicted parent in mourning. He has lost his faith, “There Is No God, Noah.” In his complicated relationship with his son (“Stuart and Noah”), he seems overwhelmed.

A professional musician, Stuart is now married to Rose, a typical cookie-cutter ‘60s housewife and a well-meaning stepmother. However, she really is clueless, exudes privilege, and is without compassion when dealing with Caroline and her hardships. The Gellmans aren’t racists, but lack forward-thinking, and appear to be products of their time, living in the South.

Avery Lux embodies that post-war Stepford Wife- pretty blonde (ancient advertising reference, a ‘Breck girl’) type. Noah doesn’t like her, and she confesses to her father, Mr. Stopnick (Kent Coffel) her dismay (“Long Distance”). Eventually, the relationship kinks start to soften with the boy (“Why Does Our House Have a Basement?”) But yet, the smugness (catch her mispronouncing “Caroline.”)

Lux looks chic in customary fashions of the day, but her pale-yellow frock needed ironing. With other period costumes designed by Vanessa Tabourne, some of the shoe choices aren’t accurate. For instance, if a character mentions their saddle shoes, she should have a pair on, but nope. (I saw a youth production of “Grease” last week and they had them on Rydell High Schoolers, so they can be found.)

Avery Lux as stepmom Rose. Photo by Julie A. Merkel

While Caroline is washing/drying clothes in the first act and ironing in the second, she imagines appliances as people – including the washing machine (a spunky Kanisha Kellum). She listens to the radio, where a robust trio of singers, not unlike the popular girl groups of the day, springs forth.

Kimmie Kidd-Booker, who is also the Moon in a gorgeous white gown, impresses as a glamorous Diana Ross look-a-like, and merry pair Ebony Easter and Adrienne Spann are the spirited singers in sync with each other, all three replicating the sounds on the airwaves, such as “Ooh Child” and “Salty Teardrops” while they wear fashionable cocktail dresses.

Caroline is so cranky that those close to her try to be helpful but nearly give up, especially Dotty (Kellum again, outstanding in a dual role).

A major occurrence is the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on Nov. 22, 1963, and this is not merely a time marker. Kushner smartly addresses that as a significant bellwether in turning tides..

Both families express their admiration for the fallen leader in “Inside/Outside” and “JFK,” although Emmie is more mesmerized by Martin Luther King Jr.’s messages. The Gellman family includes Jewish grandparents, played by Maria Bollini and Ken Haller, who guide Noah spiritually.

The Radio. Photo by Julie A. Merkel

Act Two starts out with the Radio singing “Santa Comin’ Caroline” and “Little Reward” while the household gets ready for a Hanukkah Party. Caroline also reminisces about her ex-husband in “1943.”

With his richly textured baritone, Duane Foster sings the roles of The Dryer, The Bus, and portrays the wayward ex. He regularly appears at the Muny, was recently in the “Beauty and the Beast” ensemble. On Broadway, he was a part of the original cast of “Ragtime” in 1998 and understudied the lead Coalhouse Walker (role originated by Brian Stokes Mitchell).

Church-going Caroline comes to a reckoning about the dust-up caused by the $20, and Blaylock brings the house down with a mesmerizing “Lot’s Wife”: …”Ain’t never been no good, findin’ joy the way you should…murder my dreams so I stop wantin,…strangle the pride that make me crazy!” Gut-wrenching.

Mr. Stopnick and The Gellmans. Photo by Julie A. Merkel

This sly, simmering show is rarely done, mainly because of its difficulty level, and this is indeed a high point in a very strong theatrical season for regional professional groups. To be introduced this way to the Tesori-Kushner poetic and profound pairing is quite a treat.

First produced off-Broadway in 2003 after readings and workshops started in 1999, the show moved to Broadway in 2004, garnering six Tony nominations, including Best Musical, and a win for Anika Noni Rose for Featured Actress in a Musical as Emmie. A British National Theatre production in 2007 won an Olivier Award for Best New Musical and both a London West End revival in 2018 and Broadway revival in 2021 were heralded.

Tesori is the most honored and most prolific female theatrical composer in history, writing five Broadway musicals and receiving six Tony Award nominations. For “Caroline, or Change,” she won the 2004 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Music.

In 2015, she made history winning Best Original Score with Lisa Kron for “Fun Home,” making them the first female writing team to win that award. And earlier this summer, she won Best Original Score for Tony Award-winning Best Musical “Kimberly Akimbo,” which she shared with David Lindsay-Abaire.

Noah and his father. Photo by Julie A. Merkel

Also known for “Thoroughly Modern Millie” and “Shrek the Musical,” you may have seen her reboot of “The Unsinkable Molly Brown” at the Muny in 2017, which went on to off-Broadway rave reviews but run cut short by global coronavirus pandemic.

Kushner is one of the few playwrights in history nominated for Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Awards. He is most known for “Angels in America: Millennium Approaches” and “Angels in America: Perestroika,” his Broadway debut in 1993, which won a Pulitzer Prize for Drama and a Tony Award, and he won an Emmy for adapting it for the HBO miniseries. Since the 2000s, he has collaborated with Steven Spielberg on his films “Munich,” “Lincoln,” “West Side Story” and “The Fabelmans.”

This is his compelling personal semi-autobiographical story, for his father really was a clarinet player and a conductor, and his parents moved to Lake Charles, Louisiana, when he was a child.

The mindful alliance between Tesori and Kushner has produced an astounding uncompromising musical. The ‘change’ is both economical and political, at once an historical footnote and present-day conundrum. The underlying issues haven’t gone away and racial hatred for blacks and Jews has alarmingly escalated during the past 10 years.

“Caroline, or Change” gives us heartfelt snapshots that hopefully lead to more understanding. It’s a moving, meaningful musical, and this resplendent production takes flight because it resonates deeply.

The Washer. Kanisha Kellum. Photo by Julie A. Merkel

Fly North Theatricals presents “Caroline, or Change” July 28-Aug. 12, with performances at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and at 2 p.m. Sunday at The Marcelle, 3310 Samuel Shepard in Grand Center. A 2 p.m. matinee has been added for Saturday, Aug. 12. For more information, flynorthmusic.com or for tickets, go to www.metrotix.com.

Kimmie Kidd-Booker as the Moon. Photo by Julie A. Merkel

The Boys Are Back In Fun ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem’

The Boys Are Back In Fun ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem’

By Lynn Venhaus

Cowabunga dude! Surprisingly funny and entertaining, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” oozes unexpected charm.

Heavily sprinkled with snappy pop culture references, this new chapter is told in a zippy yet gritty animated style and aims for multi-generational appeal. Millennials who grew up fans of Turtle Power in its first wave can enjoy a nostalgic blast while new fanboys from the fourth series reboot can delight in familiar details.

The four Turtle brothers, rescued as babies after being doused with radioactive material, have been sheltered from the human world by a toxic avenger, their sensei Splinter (Jackie Chan). Now humanoids living in their sewer home, they yearn to interact with New Yorkers and be accepted as normal teenagers. After an encounter with high school journalist April O’Neil (Ayo Edebiri) they take on the role of evil crime fighters. When an army of mutants is unleashed by a crime syndicate, they are spurred into action.

Co-writers Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, who gave us the endearing dorky teen bromance movie “Superbad” in 2007 and have teamed up on many buddy comedy films since, including “This Is the End,” “Pineapple Express” and “Sausage Party,” are clearly fond of the heroes on the half-shell.

The best-buds duo has joined forces with creatives behind the ingenious “The Mitchells vs. The Machines” to create a summer release that’s far from an August throwaway. Jeff Rowe helped write the script and helmed the film, along with Mitchells’ alum Kyler Spears.

Jackie Chan voices Splinter

They smartly frame this comedy like a family sitcom, with Jackie Chan the overprotective dad Splinter, a rat, whose distrust of humans has led to all sorts of goofy dysfunctions. He is the one who taught them ninjutsu, which is a martial art survivalist strategy using espionage, guerilla warfare and unconventional practices from ninja warriors. And the Turtles act like real kid brothers, which is refreshing.

The film’s all-star cast enlivens the experience, especially Ice Cube as a formidable villain Superfly and “introducing” Paul Rudd as Mondo Gecko, played for laughs. Ayo Edebiri (Emmy nominee for “The Bear”) is their feisty ally April, who becomes their link to the real world. Here, she’s an aspiring news reporter, still in high school.

While their nemesis Shredder isn’t a major presence, his ally, mad scientist Baxter Stockman, figures into the plot to take over the world and is voiced by “Breaking Bad” baddie Giancarlo Esposito. The Shredder’s buffoonish henchman, a rhinoceros named Bebop and a warthog named Rock Steady, are comically voiced by Seth Rogen and John Cena.

The TMNT, named for Italian Renaissance artists Donatello, Leonardo, Michelangelo, and Raphael, and identified by color-coded bandana masks, are portrayed by young teen actors Micah Abbey, Nicolas Cantu, Shamon Brown Jr.  and Brady Noon.

Typically, Leonardo is the disciplined leader, who wears a blue bandana and is seen using two katana swords. Donatello is smart and invents gadgets, using a bo staff and wearing a purple mask. Raphael is the strongest and at times hot-headed, using a pair of sai pronged stabbing weapons and wearing a red bandana. Michelangelo, aka Mikey, is the most fun-loving and fastest, wearing an orange bandana and using nunchucks.

Bebop and Rocksteady

The Turtles are the fertile creations of comic book authors Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, who, in 1984, conceived the quirky characters as a parody of superhero elements back then. Supposedly inspired by the teenagers of New Teen Titans, the mutants of Uncanny X-Men and the ninjas of Daredevil, they combined them with a funny anthropomorphic animal image and in the spirit of underground comics.

When their company, Mirage Studios, licensed the characters to Playmates Toys three years later, the action figures, vehicles and playsets developed a huge following and sold more than $1 billion from 1988 to 1992. The Turtles became the third bestselling toy figures ever, following G.I. Joe and Star Wars.

Influenced by He-Man and Transformers, the comic book guys developed an animated series, which debuted in 1987 and ran for nearly a decade. That’s when the Turtles’ fun-loving personalities emerged, as did their love of pizza. Peaking in the ‘90s, live action movies came out in 1990 and 1991 (“The Secret of the Ooze”) and had a darker tone than the cartoons.

After the creators sold their shares, a new comic series began in 2003 and ran for seven seasons. A computer-animated film “TMNT” was released in 2007. Now owned by Nickelodeon, a third series ran 2012-2017.

A fourth live-action film came out in 2014, followed by a sequel “Out of the Shadows.” They were disappointing in quality, but successful at the box office.

The fourth animated series “Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” premiered five years ago, running for two seasons, and Netflix released a film last year. leading to this new animated film.

With this rich history and fresh content, TMNT seems unstoppable as a pop culture force. A sequel has already been announced. The pedigree here is particularly impressive, as is the soundtrack, with music by Nine Inch Nails duo Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, Oscar winners for “Soul” and “The Social Network.”

Set in the streets of New York City, this story is darker in tone, with a nefarious gang of mutants intent on worldwide domination – and are grotesque, hulking beasts. The action is intense, and in the final act, the mayhem turns into overkill, with much time spent on whiz-bang combat and explosions.

But all is well, for the Turtles not only save the world but get to attend high school. Hey, it’s a fantasy, rooted in reality, and a swell time in air-conditioned comfort on a hot August day.

TMNT

“The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” is a 2023 animated adventure directed by Jeff Rowe and Kyler Spears, and voice actors include Jackie Chan, Ice Cube, John Cena, Seth Rogen, Ayo Edeburi, Micah Abbey, Nicolas Cantu, Shamon Brown Jr. and Brady Noon, Paul Rudd, Maya Rudolph, and Rose Byrne. It is rated PG for sequences of violence and action, language and impolite material. It opened in theatres Aug. 2. 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.

Ice Cube is villain Superfly

Uproarious ‘Clue’ Is Winning Comedy Caper at Stages St. Louis

Uproarious ‘Clue’ Is Winning Comedy Caper at Stages St. Louis

By Lynn Venhaus

Noteworthy for its fleet-footed cast and flawless execution, the rip-roaring romp “Clue” is a winning combination at Stages St. Louis.

In its first non-musical presentation since 1989, the company strikes comedic gold with a farcical whip-smart whodunit patterned after the classic murder mystery board game and based on the 1985 movie that has blackmail on the menu. I haven’t laughed this hard at live theater in a long time.

Is Professor Plum the guilty one with the candlestick in the Library or Miss Scarlet with the rope in the Ballroom? We will find out what really happened in this briskly paced 90-minute escapade that connects the charades, deceptions, and secret passageways during an unusual dinner party.

The hilarious hijinks kick off on a dark and stormy night in 1954, in a well-appointed Boddy Manor, located in a remote area of New England.

As the oddball characters cavort through the mansion’s rooms and corridors, this exceptional quick-witted ensemble shows why each performer is at the top of their game, deftly demonstrating skills in slapstick and impeccable comic timing. Together, they are a finely tuned troupe, zany like the original Monty Python’s Flying Circus in movement and delivery. Let the silly walks begin!

Photo by Phillip Hamer.

The six suspects are named according to the familiar game designed by Anthony E. Pratt and first manufactured by Waddington’s in England in 1949. Updated over the years, the current American edition, labeled “classic detective game,” is published by Hasbro, which bought the franchise from Parker Brothers in 1992.

The players’ task is to determine who murdered the game’s victim, in what room the crime took place, and which weapon was used, with cards and miniature props divvied up. Each player, representing a token color, takes on the role of either Colonel Mustard, Mr. Green, Mrs. Peacock, Professor Plum, Miss Scarlett, or Mrs. White, rolls the dice to move around the nine rooms, and collects clues to deduce the correct answer (which are secretly placed in a special solution envelope).

This stage play version, first performed in 2019, was written by Sandy Rustin, whose “The Cottage” opened on Broadway this summer. She adapted the screenplay by Jonathan Lynn (“My Cousin Vinny”), who also directed the movie.

The 1985 film, with Tim Curry playing the butler, was marketed with the gimmick of three different endings, and this version seems to jumble the endings’ best parts – wisely keeping the robustly delivered last line. New material was added by Hunter Foster and Eric Price.

As part of the merry menagerie, Mr. Boddy is the host who has been blackmailing the other dinner guests for years. Jeff Cummings is appropriately condescending and threatening, handing out gift-wrapped weapons to each, spelling out the dangers ahead. When he winds up dead, they become suspects. Their color-coded names are aliases, assigned to prevent real identities being exposed. It doesn’t appear that they are that innocent, and the plot thickens (insert menacing laugh here).

Whodunit? Photo by Phillip Hamer

In a virtuoso performance, Mark Price tickles the funny bone as the butler Wadsworth, a master manipulator who seems to be putting the puzzle together, but whose antics question everything we’ve seen and heard. With his rapid back-and-forth delivery and devil-may-care spirit dialed to 11, he is physically reminiscent of a younger Robin Williams in “Mork and Mindy.” He nimbly seizes control of every scene in the second act, earning breakout applause, and has the audience howling with laughter.

A Broadway veteran, Price is reprising his role from the Paper Mill Playhouse in New Jersey production in January 2022, postponed from a planned bow in ’20, delayed by the pandemic. The original direction by Casey Hushion is noted in the program, and this production is directed with tremendous zeal by Steve Bebout.

Bebout highlights each character’s eccentricities and keeps us guessing as to whodunit. The story structure isn’t as dependent on the characters as it is on the performances, and this cast is a marvel of perpetual motion and goofy quirks to keep us interested.

Could it be the self-important Mrs. Peacock, married to a U.S. senator accused of taking bribes? Flamboyant in blue, Zoe Vonder Haar struts around in fine fashion, exaggerating slurping soup and putting on airs.

Or is it the vampy Miss Scarlett, a smooth operator who runs an underground brothel in Washington D.C.? Diana DeGarmo, who has already impressed at Stages in “Always… Patsy Cline” and “Aida,” continues her hot streak, sashaying in a satiny red gown, sultry attitude to match.

Or the third suspicious woman, Tari Kelly as dramatic Mrs. White, who claims she is innocent in the death of her nuclear physicist husband. However, this international woman of mystery is hiding other secrets and motives, giving off a black widow vibe.

The men project peculiarities and appear not to be very smart, even Professor Plum, whose fall from grace includes a patient’s death. Looking all stuffed-shirt with purple bowtie, Graham Stevens is the annoying agitator.

Colonel Mustard, David Hess, on right. Photo by Phillip Hamer.

As Colonel Mustard, in his medal-detailed military jacket, David Hess seems clueless and not in sync with anyone else, evoking laughs through his obvious befuddlement.
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Mr. Green, who seems rather strait-laced and buttoned-up, has a terrific reveal sequence that is not worth spoiling, for Charlie Franklin brings the house down as this clever chameleon.

The help is mischievous and mystifying, with Lari White sassy and sexy in a skimpy French maid outfit, affecting a spot-on accent, too, and Leah Berry funny as the demanding, no-nonsense cook who doesn’t suffer fools and knows knife skills.

Cameron Jamarr Davis conveys authority and reliability as “The Cop” among other roles, and Cummings re-appears in minor parts as well.

As outstanding as the cast is, the production’s artisans have matched their vigor. Lee Savage’s production design creates rooms Agatha Christie and Sherlock Holmes would have been comfortable in, while lighting designer Sean M. Savoie’s expert shades of illumination provide key shadows and moods. Costume designer Brad Musgrove has captured each character’s personality through a color palette that defines their attire and accessories. Sound designer Beef Gratz’s superb atmospheric contributions make sounds ranging from thunderstorms to creaking doors an integral part of the story.

The zest evident in presentation is this show’s most attractive quality, the sheer thrill of watching a high-wire act without a net. Stages St. Louis leaves us smiling on a summer night, and I’m still chuckling reminiscing about what I saw.

“Clue” at Stages St. Louis. Photo by Phillip Hamer.

Stages St. Louis presents “Clue” from July 21 (previews) through Aug. 20 in the Ross Family Theatre at the Kirkwood Performing Arts Center, 210 E. Monroe St., in Kirkwood, Mo. For more information, visit: https://stagesstlouis.org.

Photo by Phillip Hamer.

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Bouncy ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ is freaky, geeky fun at The Muny

Bouncy ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ is freaky, geeky fun at The Muny

By Lynn Venhaus

A mod, madcap rock musical, “Little Shop of Horrors” is a perfect palate cleanser after two serious prestige productions this season. The Muny merrily delivers this bright bouquet of quirky black comedy to ride out an inevitable midsummer St. Louis heat wave.

A pleasant evening of escapist entertainment, the campy cult classic shows why it is an enduring ‘little engine that could’ – a zippy two-hour musical that puts the bop in doo wop and delights with kooky characters while glossing over what is potentially icky with a lightness of being.

It is, after all, a horror comedy – and one loosely based on a cheesy 1960 movie meant to be a goofy cautionary tale about the atomic age. Designed to satirize science fiction, B-movies, the Faustian bargain and even musical comedy, the appeal of “Little Shop of Horrors” has now reached multiple generations.

Perhaps a maniacal plant that feeds on human flesh and blood doesn’t sound appealing, but in its fourth presentation and the first one since 2011, the Muny’s creative team knows how to get it just right, winning us over with the show’s lively tempo and unpretentious yet irreverent attitude.

Maybe when you discover Audrey II, the freakish carnivorous plant picked up by botanically curious Seymour in Chinatown during a solar eclipse, is a dastardly schemer from outer space that takes over Seymour’s life, it’s more palatable.

Nicholas Ward. Photo by Emily Santel.

“Two-eys” hearty appetite for destruction is the catalyst for Seymour blooming where he’s planted — providing him with a taste of fame and opportunities, the allure of celebrity leading to a possible livin’ large lifestyle that he’s been longing for – a dare to dream scenario.

And let’s talk about that spectacular centerpiece of the show – the Venus flytrap-like plant that grows to epic proportions is a doozy, a marvel of engineering and innovation designed by James Ortiz. (I was fortunate to see this puppet designer’s remarkable work in the recent Broadway revival of “Into the Woods,” and this guy’s got game.)

His neon green one-of-a-kind otherworldly monstrosity was created just for the Muny run. Four puppeteers impressively guide this mean green machine, with astonishing mobility credited to Travis Patton as “Audrey II Manipulation.” Just watching Patton move with Swiss-watch precision is fascinating, and he deservedly takes a bow during the curtain call.

The bloodthirsty, pushy character is voiced by Nicholas Ward with devilish charm. His “Feed Me (Git It)” is saucy, and his “Suppertime” is unsettling, those robust pipes a delight to hear – even if Audrey II’s endgame is world domination. Of course Ward played Mufasa in “The Lion King” on Broadway. You may recall his impressive vocal performance as Caiaphas in “Jesus Christ Superstar” here in 2017.

The fact that this intimate show feels comfortably at home on the Muny stage is a major achievement, for striking the right tone between playful and offbeat with fear and murder is not easy to do given the source material, and its unconventional backstory. It’s far more complicated than it appears, and this small cast and crew make it appear effortless.

What first became a low-budget Roger Corman horror B-movie in 1960, featuring an unknown Jack Nicholson as a masochistic dental patient (cut out of stage version) and written by Charles Griffith, was turned into an off-Broadway musical sensation penned by none other than those cheeky composing pals Howard Ashman (book and lyrics) and Alan Menken (music) in 1982.

Turned into a movie musical in 1986, the stage version finally made it to Broadway in 2003. It was revived off-Broadway in 2019, with the top-shelf cast of Jonathan Groff, Tammy Blanchard and Christian Borle.

Now household names, the late Ashman and Menken’s star rose with their Disney collaborations – “The Little Mermaid,” “Beauty and the Beast “and “Aladdin.” After Ashman’s death in 1991, Menken wrote music with other lyricists to maintain a Hall of Fame career – “Newsies,” “Pocahontas,” “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” and “Hercules” among a long list that has earned 8 Academy Awards, 11 Grammy Awards and 1 Tony (4 nominations).

Menken, unintentionally, is being showcased this season with three productions – “the kids’ show” “Beauty and the Beast” and closer “Sister Act,” displaying his range.

The Urchins and the Dentist. Photo by Phillip Hamer.

This Ashman-Menken score shows their compatibility, sense of humor, understanding of music history, and the ability to change styles fluidly. (For a deeper dive into their beginnings, “Howard” is a terrific documentary available streaming on Disney+).

Director Maggie Burrows keeps the pace crisp and snappy, as she did in “On Your Feet!” and last year’s “Legally Blonde,” and so does her collaborator, choreographer William Carlos Angulo. Along with music director Andrew Graham, they added the oomph to Ashman-Menken’s genial numbers. Orchestrations are by Robert Merkin and vocal arrangements by Robert Billig.

The high-spirited ensemble frolics with glee. The two leads are polished pros with strong voices – three-time Tony nominee Robin De Jesus and reliable Muny favorite Patti Murin are smoothly in sync as florist shop co-workers, genuine in song and performance. They sing from the heart in the romantic ballad “Suddenly, Seymour,” and have a good time with “Closed for Renovation” and “Call Back in the Morning.”

Working hard as the sweet and lovable dork Seymour, De Jesus draws us in to the poor orphan’s tough life on Skid Row, but the dead-end hasn’t hardened him to hope, even though he appears hapless. He’s craving change, noticeably so in “Grow for Me.”

Undeterred, he won’t stop trying to win over Audrey, the love of his life who feels unworthy of anyone’s affection. Without a shred of self-esteem, she is the victim of an awful, abusive boyfriend, which is the other ‘horror’ (after all, the title is plural). She delivers a heartrending “Somewhere That’s Green.”

Audrey II and Audrey. Photo by Phillip Hamer.

De Jesus’s humanity as conflicted Seymour comes through. And that’s usually a component evident in all his performances. He was last seen here as the title character in the pre-Broadway tryout of “Aladdin” in 2012. The original Sonny in “In the Heights,” for which he was Tony-nominated, he also scored a nomination as housekeeper Jacob in “La Cage Aux Folles” and Emory in “The Boys in the Band” stage play revival. He reprised his role in the 2021 Netflix movie.

I first noticed him in the underrated indie gem, “Camp,” from 2003, as one of the young misfits at a performing arts summer camp. In 2021, he played opposite Andrew Garfield as Michael in the Lin-Manuel Miranda directed “tick, tick…Boom.”

Murin is an affable Audrey, just as she has engaged here as Paulette in last year’s “Legally Blonde,” as Ariel in “The Little Mermaid” and Roxie in “Chicago,” both in 2011. She originated the role of Princess Anna in Disney’s “Frozen” on Broadway.

Tony winner Michael McGrath gives shop owner Mr. Mushnik an edge, for he treats Seymour shabbily but does have comical lines. A longtime Muny performer, he won a Tony for “Nice Work If You Can Get It,” and was nominated for “Spamalot.”

The ensemble sparkles, especially Taylor Marie Daniel, Kennedy Holmes and Stephanie Gomerez as the Urchins girl group, an R&B trio honoring the Brill Building/early Motown songwriters with the names Chiffon, Crystal, and Ronnette.

They bring the pizzazz as the Greek chorus, harmonious and spunky in the Prologue, “Skid Row (Downtown),” “Da Doo,” “Don’t It Go to Show Ya Never Know,” and “Dentist!”

Philip Hamer photo.

The meaty roles in supporting parts are one of the show’s selling points. Ryan Vasquez kills it as the sadistic dentist Orin Scrivello. He’s absurdly exaggerated in this plum part, especially in “Now (It’s Just the Gas).”

And he’s very funny as gaudily dressed assorted characters in the second act, showing a good-sport sense of humor in his Muny debut — and quite a range for an actor who played Alexander Hamilton and various founding fathers in “Hamilton” on Broadway.

The costumes are sensational, an integral part of the atmosphere. Costume Designer Leon Dobkowski created blasts from the past with the Urchins’ flashy fashions, and bosom-enhancing skin-tight outfits worn by Audrey that look like they were purchased from Frederick’s of Hollywood.

He also selected suitable nebbish attire worn by Seymour and Mushnik, and Kelly Jordan’s wig design also aided the retro look. Dobkowski won two St. Louis Theater Circle Awards for “Seussical” and “The Wiz,” and he has such a fun-loving eye.

The scenic design by Kristen Robinson is a striking grungy streetscape of an area that has seen better days, and an effectively shrewd interior of Mushnik’s Flower Shop, which includes subtle changes as the business prospers, and well-chosen pieces reflecting the economic fortunes. She tells the story well depicting those touches.

Greg Emetaz’s video design is seamless, deftly enhancing the set design and story progression with strong visuals.

This is a swiftly paced musical with a zest for fantasy, yet grounded in a dark side that is still amusing after all these years.

Photo by Philip Hamer

The Muny presents “Little Shop of Horrors” July 25-31 at 8:15 p.m. on the outdoor stage in Forest Park. For more information, visit: www.muny.org.

Unexpected, Unpredictable ‘Barbie’ Is An Irresistible Pop o’ Culture

Unexpected, Unpredictable ‘Barbie’ Is An Irresistible Pop o’ Culture

By Lynn Venhaus

Far from plastic and without a whiff of cynicism, “Barbie” is a cherry lemonade-frosted cupcake made with the best ingredients, no artificial sweeteners, and sprinkled with Mom love. It tickled me pink.

For our hero’s journey, Barbie must leave her comfort zone, the female-fantastic Barbie Land, to discover the perils of the Real World, where men rule, and she questions her existence.

Savvy writer-director Greta Gerwig has crafted an irresistible fantasy-comedy vision narrated by Helen Mirren, featuring Kate McKinnon as the outcast Weird Barbie, Ryan Gosling projecting “Kenergy” while wearing a floor-length white faux fur coat, and Lizzo singing a spirited “Pink” wake-up tune.

Whatever emotions a Barbie doll has evoked in your lifetime, this inventive live-action movie will bring them all out because of its sincere heart. While a delectable confection, there are multi-layers to digest, making it a surprising thought-provoking piece for our time.

On the one hand, with its frothy cotton-candy-colored façade and breezy beach vibe, “Barbie” is a joyous ode to childhood make-believe and a sentimental nostalgia trip for those who grew up playing with the style-setter. (However, this movie is not for kids, so scratch your plans for a mother-daughter bonding experience if they are under 12).

Brimming with great gags and vibrant visuals, it’s a dizzying pop o’ culture and universality. Through a smart, clever, and funny script co-written by Gerwig and the father of her two children, accomplished filmmaker Noah Baumbach, it is also self-aware and pokes fun at the Barbie ideal and how that has evolved over the years.

Most importantly, though, it is a matter-of-fact look at women’s treatment in society, pushing for more female empowerment while it points out inequalities and unrealistic beauty images. So, whether you love or hate Mattel’s global fashion icon, the takeaways are plentiful.

That’s because all the elements come together to celebrate girl power, while also taking a closer look at a toy’s story and what it reflects about us. Case in point — Issa Rae plays the President, and only female justices are on the Supreme Court in blissful Barbie Land while America Ferrara is a harried working mom in the Real World that tells it like it is in a monologue worthy of break-out applause.

Two-time Oscar nominee Gerwig, who grew up playing with Barbies, wants everyone to have their cake and eat it too. That’s why it is playful, but then addresses how it is a powerful yet polarizing corporation’s merchandise, at once adored by consumers but also decried by detractors.

With Warner Brothers’ studio’s extensive marketing campaign in high gear this summer, the world’s most famous doll, born in 1959, is ubiquitous – and both the filmmakers and filmgoers have embraced this journey.

Margot Robbie as Barbie

Gerwig, an inspired storyteller and enthusiastic film fan, includes nods to such whimsical influences as “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure” and “The Wizard of Oz,” and the colorful aesthetics of the Golden Age of Hollywood musicals and Jacques Demy’s unorthodox “The Umbrellas of Cherbourg.”

And of course, she references “Grease” and “Saturday Night Fever” in group numbers and tempo. The catchy centerpiece “Dance the Night Way,” sung by Dua Lipa, also a Barbie, is produced by hitmaker Mark Ronson – although cut short when Barbie’s bubble bursts. 

The kicky escapist pop soundtrack includes the sampling of “Barbie Girl,” the 1997 Aqua song, in Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice’s “Barbie World,” along with HAIM’s “Home,” Sam Smith’s “Man I Am,” Tame Impala’s “Journey to the Real World,” Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made For?” and yes, Gosling’s ‘90s boy-band ballad “I’m Just Ken.”

Must also mention the Indigo Girls song from 1989 “Closer to Fine” that becomes a singalong!

A nod to inventor Ruth Handler is lovely, with Rhea Perlman as the Jewish businesswoman (and Mattel’s first president) having tea with her creation. “Humans have only one ending. Ideas live forever,” Ruth tells Barbie.

The pink paradise that is Barbie Land is a wonder to behold, an imaginative playground where girls of all sizes rule. They are independent, successful Nobel Prize winners, Olympic athletes, astronauts, and doctors, living in custom Barbie Dream Houses and changing lives.

The most upbeat is Stereotypical Barbie, and as the blonde bachelorette beauty, Margot Robbie is splendid, with that megawatt smile of hers, radiating star quality. A two-time Oscar nominee (“Bombshell” and “I, Tonya”), she also produced the film.

Her self-sufficient character is no bimbo and certainly not in anyone’s shadow, least of all Ken, who is fine focusing on Barbie’s happiness.

When she discovers – gasp – that men rule the world, and Ken becomes enamored with the patriarchy, thirsting for the power associated with being in charge, not to mention hanging with his macho-cool bros –  it becomes a rocky road.

Fortunately, the toxic masculinity fueled Kendom is short-lived, and the divine disco dancing dude returns as his supportive self.

Ryan Gosling

Two-time Oscar nominee Gosling is flat-out hilarious and an all-in team player as the golden boy. While known for his brooding performances in “Blade Runner 2049,” “Drive” and “The Ides of March,” he has proven how funny he can be in two stints hosting “Saturday Night Live” (must-see sketches are “Close Encounters” in 2015 and “Papyrus” five years ago) and shown his prowess for singing and dance in “La La Land” and his Mouseketeer roots on “The All New Mickey Mouse Club.”

Robbie’s Barbie is not the only girl in town – and the casting is faultless. Emerald Fennell, who won an Oscar for her original screenplay “Promising Young Woman,” is seen briefly as the pregnant Midge, Barbie’s best pal that was discontinued in 2002.

McKinnon is a hoot as the embodiment of the doll who was played with a little too rough, one that had her hair chopped off and her face scribbled with magic markers. She’s become the sage, and makes Barbie select either a stiletto heel or a Birkenstock sandal, a riff on her path as “The Matrix” red or blue pill choice.

And Michael Cera steals the whole show as Allan, Ken’s friend — “I can wear the same clothes.” Marvel guys Simu Liu and Kingsley Ben-Adir are good sports as other Beach Kens. John Cena as Mermaid Ken? Yes, please.

The innovative sunny, sparkly production design by six-time Oscar nominee Sarah Greenwood is a work of art, aided by her frequent collaborator Katie Spencer as set decorator, as is the costume designs by two-time Oscar winner Jacqueline Durran, who worked with Gerwig on “Little Women.”

“Barbie” gets so much right that it’s unfortunate that the filmmakers don’t seem to know how to properly end it, appearing to run out of gas on that golden stretch of Pacific Coast Highway.

Nevertheless, any film that encourages self-expression is to be saluted.

As a first-generation Barbie owner (my mom gave me the ‘Picnic Set’ Barbie with the fishing pole, wearing jeans, for my 6th birthday in 1960), the gift was aspirational, for I could dream of adventures and a glamorous life of achievements when I grew up.

And that spirit lifts this entertaining film into a magical ‘make your own kind of music’ anthem whose time has come.

“Barbie” is a 2023 comedy-fantasy directed by Greta Gerwig and starring Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, Michael Cera, Issa Rae, Kate McKinnon, America Ferrara, Simu Liu, Alexandra Shipp, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Will Ferrell and Rhea Perlman. It is rated PG-13 for suggestive references and brief language, and the runtime is 1 hour, 54 minutes. It opens in theaters July 21. 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.

Take Ten with St. Louis Filmmaker Andy Compton

Take Ten with St. Louis Filmmaker Andy Compton

By Lynn Venhaus
At home behind a movie camera, Andy Compton has strived to be a resourceful filmmaker, working through pitfalls to take a film from page to screen. Post-pandemic, he has been busy, crafting shorts that have been accepted for the St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase, and last year’s comedy, “Ethan and Edna,” played at the St. Louis International Film Festival.

He’s currently working on four more shorts this summer through fall.

“Basically, just having a blast making stuff with my friends and trying to keep getting better as a filmmaker,” he said. 

His latest “Captcha,” a sci-fi horror thriller comedy short, will be screened as part of the Narrative Shorts #4 Program on Saturday, July 22, at 9 p.m. at the Hi-Pointe Theatre. At the July 30 Closing Night Awards Party, Cinema St. Louis’ artistic director Chris Clark will announce which of the 91 films screened this year will move on to SLIFF in November (3-13).

The Whitaker St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase, an annual presentation of the nonprofit Cinema St. Louis, serves as the area’s primary venue for films made by local artists.The Showcase screens works that were written, directed, edited, or produced by St. Louis natives or films with strong local ties.

The 17 film programs that screen at the Hi-Pointe Theatre from July 21-23 and 28-30 serve as the Showcase’s centerpiece. In addition, the event features a quartet of live-streamed master classes — the legal-issues class is also available as an in-person event — and the Closing-Night Awards Party at the Hi-Pointe Theatre.

The film programs range from full-length fiction and documentary features to multi-film compilations of fiction, documentary, and experimental shorts. The programs with feature films include post- screening Q&As with the filmmakers and/or subjects.

For a complete schedule and more information, visit: https://www.cinemastlouis.org/23rd-annual-st-louis-filmmakers-showcase

You can find Andy’s films on his YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/@andycompton and follow him on social media — @andycompton_ on twitter and Instagram

He also produces “The Social Screenwriters Podcast,” where he interview screenwriters he has met on the internet about who they are, their projects, their writing process, and more. Available on podcast platforms.

“It’s a fun listen for writers chasing this crazy dream,” he said..

Here’s more about Andy.

Q&A QUESTIONS FOR “TAKE TEN”:

1. What is special about your latest project?

I think the most special thing about our latest short film, CAPTCHA, is that we shot it with a 4-person crew of friends for only about $250 when all was said and done. I’m incredibly proud of what we were able to make with very few resources.

2. Why did you choose your profession/pursue the arts?

A turbulent childhood coupled with a need for attention. That’s the recipe.

3. How would your friends describe you?

I would hope for charismatic and outgoing but more likely weird guy who goes to see movies alone.

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

I grew up skateboarding and I’m still holding onto that at 35. Playing guitar. Watching movies. Pretty much the same stuff I was doing when I was 14. 

5. What is your current obsession?

Watching YouTubers watch movies I love for the first time and seeing how much they love it or if they cry when I cried or get scared when I got scared. I was just watching people react to Avatar 2 (another James Cameron banger).

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

Probably that I’m a former high school dropout. I quit school at 16, then just worked random jobs for most of my 20s until I got my GED at 26, enrolled in community college at 27, and graduated from Webster University with a Bachelor’s degree in Scriptwriting at 31. I took the long road, lol.

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

When I got sober in 2017. Drugs and alcohol were a big part of my life from my early teens on through my 20s. Eventually, I started noticing that those things were only holding me back in life. Then in 2017, I got a DUI. Obviously not proud of it, but it was undoubtedly the best thing that could have happened to me at that time and I was able to turn my life around starting the next day and I haven’t looked back since. Life has gotten so much better. Coming up on 6 years in September. 

8. Who do you admire most?

My mom. 

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

I want to kickflip over the Arch.

10. How were you affected by the pandemic years, and anything you would like to share about what got you through and any lesson learned during the isolation periods? Any reflections on how the arts were affected? And what it means to move forward?

My hair got a lot more gray during the pandemic and I’m not sure if it was caused by the stress or simply coincidence. But, obviously it was a tragic and scary time for everyone. I will say, as a natural introvert, I was not mad about being forced to stay inside everyday. I got a ton of writing done. I was actually supposed to graduate from Webster in May 2020, but it was postponed. Also, we had a short film I had directed at Webster called TIN BOX entering into the film festival circuit at the time so all of that went online as well. It was a bummer for sure, but when people are losing family members out there, it was kind of hard to be upset about my dumb short film or not walking at graduation right away. It’s an interesting time for filmmakers as just when pandemic restrictions were lifted, the Writer’s Guild and Actor’s Guild have gone on strike (rightfully so), so it’s another pause on progress for those of us trying to break into the industry. That’s life, though. 

11. What is your favorite thing to do in St. Louis?

I’m a big St. Louis Blues fan so I love going to games. Also, Grammy Sammies at The Gramophone. Also, seeing shows at The Improv Shop. I did their training program when I first got sober and played on some teams until I just got too busy chasing the film dream. It’s a great theater and great community, though. Go see a show!

12. What’s next?

A lot! The same team behind CAPTCHA have another short film in post-production right now, then we’re shooting three more in August, September, and October. Four shorts from June to October seemed like a great idea earlier this year but now that we’re doing it, it’s a lot! But, I’m too stubborn to admit defeat so we’re pressing on. Basically, just having a blast making stuff with my friends and trying to keep getting better as a filmmaker. 

More on Andy:

Name: Andy Compton
Age: 35.
Birthplace: Lansing, Michigan
Current location: St. Louis Missouri
Education: Bachelor’s degree in Scriptwriting/Minor in Film & Television Production from Webster University
Day job: Wedding/Event Videography
First job: Line cook at Sonic Drive-in
First movie you were involved in or made: PET TURTLES, written & directed by Vern Tooley. Some improv friends and I were extras in one scene. My best friend and actor in all my movies, Larry Claudin, stars.
Favorite jobs/roles/plays or work in your medium: Due to a lack of budget, I’m usually wearing a lot of hats on the shorts I make. I write, direct, produce, edit, do production design, wardrobe, casting, etc. Of all those, I love the writing process, but my absolute favorite part is directing. Writing is a lonely profession. Being on-set with a whole creative team throwing out ideas, and actors who bring their own flavor to the words you put on the page is the best part. I also love doing improv on-set so I just love pitching jokes on the fly to actors and seeing if we can make the crew laugh. If the crew laughs, I know it’s funny.
Dream job/opportunity: I would love to develop a movie with Adam Sandler. He’s one of my heroes and it would be an honor to direct him in something. I think I would have to fist fight the Safdie Brothers to get to him, though.
Awards/Honors/Achievements: I had two feature scripts, SUPLEX, and BELLYACHE, make the Semifinals of the Nicholl Fellowship, the screenwriting competition run by The Academy in 2020. That kind of kicked off a lot of things for me and helped me land a manager in LA. 
Favorite quote/words to live by: Be kind.
A song that makes you happy: “Check the Rhime” by A Tribe Called Quest