‘Evita,’ ‘Streetcar’ lead St. Louis Theater Circle nominations

‘Evita,’ ‘Streetcar’ lead St. Louis Theater Circle nominations

ST. LOUIS, January 25, 2019 
— The musical Evita, which opened the 51st season of
The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis last September, and the Tennessee Williams
Festival’s production of A Streetcar Named Desire each has garnered 11
nominations to lead the list of contenders for the seventh annual St. Louis
Theater Circle Awards.

Winners in more than 30 different categories covering comedies,
dramas and musicals will be announced at the awards ceremony on Monday, March
25 at the Loretto-Hilton Center on the campus of Webster University, home of
The Rep.  In addition, nominations also
have been announced for two categories in opera.

Tickets once again will be $15 apiece and can be obtained
through Brown Paper Tickets at www.brownpapertickets.com
or at the Loretto-Hilton Center box office on the night of the event.
Llywelyn’s Catering will offer a selection of snack boxes, desserts and drinks
available on a pay-as-you-go basis at the event.

The Rep leads the way with a total of 21 nominations,
followed by 18 for The Muny and Stray Dog Theatre’s 15 nominees.  Some 23 local professional companies received
nominations for 54 different shows.  A
total of 120 artists have been nominated, including 10 who received two
nominations apiece. The awards honor outstanding achievement in locally
produced professional theater for the calendar year 2018.

In addition, three special awards have been announced:  To The Muny for a century of performances
celebrated during its centennial season of 2018; to Kathleen Sitzer, founder
and long-time artistic director of the New Jewish Theatre, for lifetime
achievement; and to Steven Woolf, Augustin artistic director of The Rep for
more than 30 years, also for lifetime achievement.

Sitzer retired following the conclusion of her company’s
2017-18 season, while Woolf will be retiring at the conclusion of The Rep’s
2018-19 season this spring.

The mission of the St. Louis Theater Circle is simple: To
honor outstanding achievement in St. Louis professional theater. Other cities
around the country, such as Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San
Diego, San Francisco and Washington D.C., pay tribute to their own local
theatrical productions with similar awards programs.

Nominations for the St. Louis Theater Circle Awards are
divided into categories for musicals, dramas, comedies and opera.  Nearly 130 locally produced professional
theatrical productions were presented in the St. Louis area in 2018.

The nominees for the seventh annual St. Louis Theater Circle
Awards are:

Outstanding
Ensemble in a Comedy

Into the Breeches!, Shakespeare Festival St. Louis

Life Sucks, New Jewish Theatre

The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told, Stray Dog Theatre

The Realistic Joneses, Rebel and Misfits Productions

Red Scare on Sunset, Stray Dog Theatre

Outstanding
Supporting Actress in a Comedy

Kari Ely, Into the Breeches!, Shakespeare Festival
St. Louis

Carmen Garcia, Luchadora!, Mustard Seed Theatre with
Theatre Nuevo

Jennelle Gilreath, The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told,
Stray Dog Theatre

Katy Keating, Life Sucks, New Jewish Theatre

Shannon Nara, Red Scare on Sunset, Stray Dog Theatre

Outstanding
Supporting Actor in a Comedy

Gary Wayne Barker, Into the Breeches!, Shakespeare
Festival St. Louis

Isaiah Di Lorenzo, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead,
St. Louis Shakespeare

Brad Fraizer, A Christmas Story, Repertory Theatre of
St. Louis

Stephen Henley, Red Scare on Sunset, Stray Dog
Theatre

Carl Overly Jr., Luchadora!, Mustard Seed Theatre
with Theatre Nuevo

Outstanding
Actress in a Comedy

Sarajane Alverson, Raging Skillet, New Jewish Theatre

Michelle Hand, Into the Breeches!, Shakespeare Festival
St. Louis

Nancy Nigh, Every Brilliant Thing, R-S Theatrics

Ruth Pferdehirt, Born Yesterday, Repertory Theatre of
St. Louis

Heather Sartin, The Great Seduction, West End Players
Guild

Outstanding Actor
in a Comedy

Will Bonfiglio, Red Scare on Sunset, Stray Dog
Theatre

Alan Knoll, An Act of God, New Jewish Theatre

Luke Steingruby, The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told,
Stray Dog Theatre

Robert Thibaut, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead,
St. Louis Shakespeare

Pete Winfrey, The Importance of Being Earnest,
Insight Theatre Company

Outstanding
Director of a Comedy

Gary F. Bell, Red Scare on Sunset, Stray Dog Theatre

Nancy Bell, Into the Breeches!, Shakespeare Festival
St. Louis

Edward Coffield, Life Sucks, New Jewish Theatre

Pamela Hunt, Born Yesterday, Repertory Theatre of St.
Louis

Anna Skidis Vargas, Luchadora!, Mustard Seed Theatre
with Theatre Nuevo

Outstanding
Production of a Comedy

Born Yesterday, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis

Into the Breeches!, Shakespeare Festival St. Louis

Life Sucks, New Jewish Theatre

Luchadora!, Mustard Seed Theatre with Theatre Nuevo

Red Scare on Sunset, Stray Dog Theatre

Outstanding
Ensemble in a Drama

As It Is in Heaven, Mustard Seed Theatre

The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, Mustard Seed Theatre

The Little Foxes, St. Louis Actors’ Studio

Macbeth: Come Like Shadows, Rebel and Misfits
Productions

A Streetcar Named Desire, Tennessee Williams Festival
St. Louis

Outstanding
Supporting Actress in a Drama

Nicole Angeli, Doctor Faustus, or the Modern Prometheus,
SATE

Lana Dvorak, A Streetcar Named Desire, Tennessee
Williams Festival St. Louis

Laurie McConnell, The Little Foxes, St. Louis Actors’
Studio

Jennifer Theby-Quinn, Silent Sky, Insight Theatre
Company

Brandi Threatt, Torn Asunder, The Black Rep

Outstanding
Supporting Actor in a Drama

Chuck Brinkley, The Little Foxes, St. Louis Actors’
Studio

Ryan Lawson-Maeske, Tribes, St. Louis Actors’ Studio

Thom Niemann, Admissions, Repertory Theatre of St.
Louis

Spencer Sickmann, A Streetcar Named Desire, Tennessee
Williams Festival St. Louis

Eric Dean White, The Last Days of Judas Iscariot,
Mustard Seed Theatre

Outstanding
Actress in a Drama

Elizabeth Birkenmeier, Blackbird, St.
Louis Actors’ Studio

Sophia Brown, A Streetcar Named Desire,
Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis

Kari Ely, The Little Foxes, St. Louis
Actors’ Studio

LaShunda Gardner, Torn Asunder, The
Black Rep

Angela Ingersoll, End of the Rainbow,
Max & Louie Productions

Outstanding Actor
in a Drama

Ron Himes, Fences, The Black Rep

Nick Narcisi, A Streetcar Named Desire, Tennessee
Williams Festival St. Louis

John Pierson, Blackbird, St. Louis Actors’ Studio

Rob Riordan, New Jerusalem, New Jewish Theatre

David Wassilak, The Dresser, St. Louis Actors’ Studio

Outstanding
Director of a Drama

Lorna Littleway, Fences, The Black Rep

Bobby Miller, The Dresser, St. Louis Actors’ Studio

Tim Ocel, New Jerusalem, New Jewish Theatre

Tim Ocel, A Streetcar Named Desire, Tennessee
Williams Festival St. Louis

Annamaria Pileggi, Blackbird, St. Louis Actors’
Studio

Outstanding
Production of a Drama

Blackbird, St. Louis Actors’ Studio

End of the Rainbow, Max & Louie Productions

Fences, The Black Rep

New Jerusalem, New Jewish Theatre

A Streetcar Named Desire, Tennessee Williams Festival
St. Louis

Outstanding Set
Design in a Play

Dunsi
Dai, End of the Rainbow, Max & Louie Productions

Gianni
Downs, The Humans, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis

Peter
and Margery Spack, Blow, Winds, Shakespeare Festival St. Louis

Peter
and Margery Spack, Life Sucks, New Jewish Theatre

James
Wolk, A Streetcar Named Desire, Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis

Outstanding
Costume Design in a Play

Lou Bird, Born Yesterday, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis

Megan Harshaw, The Little Foxes, St. Louis Actors’ Studio

Amy Hopkins, Red Scare on Sunset, Stray Dog Theatre

Michele Friedman Siler, Into the Breeches!, Shakespeare Festival
St. Louis

Michele Friedman Siler, A Streetcar Named Desire, Tennessee
Williams Festival

Outstanding
Lighting Design in a Play

Rob
Lippert, Silent Sky, Insight Theatre Company

Jon
Ontiveros, Macbeth: Come Like Shadows, Rebel and Misfit Productions

Peter
E. Sargent, A Christmas Story, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis

Sean
M. Savoie, A Streetcar Named Desire, Tennessee Williams Festival St.
Louis

Nathan
Schroeder, Silent Sky, West End Players Guild

Outstanding Sound
Design in a Play

James
Blanton, Silent Sky, Insight Theatre Company

Rusty
Wandall, A Christmas Story, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis

Rusty
Wandall, The Humans, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis

Amanda
Werre, Life Sucks, New Jewish Theatre

Amanda
Werre, A Streetcar Named Desire, Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis

Outstanding Set
Design in a Musical

Luke
Cantarella, Evita, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis

Dunsi
Dai, Crowns: A Gospel Musical, The Black Rep

Paul
Tate dePoo III, Singin’ in the Rain, The Muny

Michael
Schweikardt, Meet Me in St. Louis, The Muny

James
Wolk, Mamma Mia!, Stages St. Louis

Outstanding
Costume Design in a Musical

Leon
Dobkowski, The Wiz, The Muny

Colene
Fornachon, Anything Goes, New Line Theatre

Daryl
Harris, Crowns: A Gospel Musical, The Black Rep

Robin
L. McGee, Jerome Robbins’ Broadway, The Muny

Alejo
Vietti, Evita, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis

Outstanding
Lighting Design in a Musical

Rob
Denton, Jersey Boys, The Muny

Rob
Denton, Meet Me in St. Louis, The Muny

Tyler
Duenow, Jesus Christ Superstar, Stray Dog Theatre

John
Lasiter, Evita, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis

Sean
M. Savoie, Mamma Mia!, Stages St. Louis

Outstanding
Musical Director

Charlie Alterman, Evita, Repertory Theatre of St.
Louis

Rick Bertone, Jersey Boys, The Muny

Jennifer Buchheit, The Robber Bridegroom, Stray Dog
Theatre

Charles Creath, Crowns: A Gospel Musical, The Black
Rep

Nicolas Valdez, Anything Goes, New Line Theatre

Outstanding
Choreographer

Camille A. Brown, The Wiz, The Muny

Tony Gonzalez, Mamma Mia!, Stages St. Louis

Dana Lewis, Oklahoma!, Stages St. Louis

Rommy Sandhu, Singin’ in the Rain, The Muny

Gustavo Zajac and Mariana Parma, Evita, Repertory
Theatre of St. Louis

Outstanding
Ensemble in a Musical

Anything Goes, New Line Theatre

Evita, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis

Jerome Robbins’ Broadway, The Muny

The Robber Bridegroom, Stray Dog Theatre

The Zombies of Penzance, New Line Theatre

Outstanding
Supporting Actress in a Musical

Joy Boland, Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Variety
Theatre

E. Faye Butler, The Wiz, The Muny

Julia Knitel, Gypsy, The Muny

Macia Noorman, The Light in the Piazza, R-S Theatrics

Megan Sikora, Singin’ in the Rain, The Muny

Outstanding
Supporting Actor in a Musical

Kent Coffel, The Light in the Piazza, R-S Theatrics

Matthew Curiano, Oklahoma!, Stages St. Louis

Zachary Allen Farmer, The Zombies of Penzance, New
Line Theatre

Nathan Lee Graham, The Wiz, The Muny

Sean MacLaughlin, Evita, Repertory Theatre of St.
Louis

Outstanding
Actress in a Musical

Michele Aravena, Evita, Repertory Theatre of St.
Louis

Sarah Ellis, Oklahoma!, Stages St. Louis

Beth Leavel, Gypsy, The Muny

Kay Love, The Light in the Piazza, R-S Theatrics

Sarah Porter, Anything Goes, New Line Theatre

Outstanding Actor
in a Musical

Corbin Bleu, Singin’ in the Rain, The Muny

Tielere Cheatem, The Light in the Piazza, R-S
Theatrics

Phil Leveling, The Robber Bridegroom, Stray Dog
Theatre

Pepe Nufrio, Evita, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis

Blake Price, Oklahoma!, Stages St. Louis

Outstanding
Director of a Musical

Justin Been, The Robber Bridegroom, Stray Dog Theatre

Linda Kennedy, Crowns: A Gospel Musical, The Black
Rep

Scott Miller and Mike Dowdy-Windsor, Anything Goes,
New Line Theatre

Josh Rhodes, Jersey Boys, The Muny

Rob Ruggiero, Evita, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis

Outstanding
Production of a Musical

Anything Goes, New Line Theatre

Crowns:  A Gospel
Musical, The Black Rep

Evita, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis

Jersey Boys, The Muny

The Light in the Piazza, R-S Theatrics

Outstanding New
Play

Stacie Lents, Run-On Sentence, SATE

Scott Miller, The Zombies of Penzance, New Line
Theatre

Nikkole Salter, Torn Asunder, The Black Rep

John Wolbers, Doctor Faustus, or the Modern Prometheus,
SATE

Vladimir Zelevinsky, The Great Seduction, West End
Players Guild

Outstanding
Achievement in Opera

Susan Graham, Regina, Opera Theatre of
Saint Louis

Kenneth Overton, Lost in the Stars,
Union Avenue Opera

Susanna Phillips, Regina, Opera
Theatre of Saint Louis

Patricia Racette, La Traviata, Opera
Theatre of Saint Louis

Shaun Patrick Tubbs, Lost in the Stars,
Union Avenue Opera

Outstanding
Production of an Opera

An American Soldier, Opera Theatre of
Saint Louis

L’elisir d’amore, Winter Opera Saint
Louis

La Traviata, Opera Theatre of Saint
Louis

Lost in the Stars, Union Avenue Opera

Regina, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis

Members of the St. Louis Theater Circle include Steve Allen,
stagedoorstl.com; Mark Bretz, Ladue News;
Bob Cohn, St. Louis Jewish Light;
Tina Farmer, KDHX; Chris Gibson, Broadwayworld.com; Michelle Kenyon,
snoopstheatrethoughts.com; Gerry Kowarsky, Two
on the Aisle (HEC-TV); Chuck Lavazzi, KDHX; Sarah Bryan Miller (opera
only), St. Louis Post-Dispatch; Judith Newmark, judyacttwo.com; Ann
Lemons Pollack, stlouiseats.typepad.com;
Lynn Venhaus, St. Louis Limelight
Magazine; Bob Wilcox, Two on the Aisle (HEC-TV); and Calvin Wilson, St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Eleanor
Mullin, local actress and arts supporter, is group administrator. 

For more information, contact [email protected]
or ‘like’ The St. Louis Theater Circle on Facebook.

                                                            ###

The Muny Announces Creative Teams for 101st Season

The Muny Announces Creative Teams for 101st Season

The Muny announced Tuesday the directors, choreographers and music directors for its 2019 season, which opens on June 10 with Guys and Dolls.
“We head into our second century with the first phase of our new stage, and a renewed sense of passion and commitment to our audiences, artists and community,” said Muny Artistic Director and Executive Producer Mike Isaacson. “I’m so thrilled to announce these brilliantly talented colleagues who will create this season. They are already hard at work, ready to make this season just as historic and memorable as our 100th.”
GUYS AND DOLLS
June 10 – 16
Book by Abe Burrows and Jo Swerling
Music and Lyrics by Frank Loesser
Based on The Idyll of Sarah Brown and characters by Damon Runyon
GORDON GREENBERG (Director) co-wrote and directed the Broadway stage adaptation of Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn for Roundabout, Universal and PBS Great Performances. Recent work includes Barnum (London), Heart of Rock and Roll (Old Globe), the acclaimed West End revival of Guys and Dolls, nominated for six Olivier Awards (Savoy Theatre, Phoenix Theatre, Chichester, UK and international tour), the Drama Desk Award-winning NYC revivals of Working and Jacques Brel, the stage adaptation of Tangled for Disney, and writing TV musicals for Disney and Nickelodeon. Muny: Meet Me In St. Louis (revised book), Jesus Christ Superstar, Holiday Inn, West Side Story, Pirates! Upcoming: The Secret of My Success (Universal), Mystic Pizza (MGM), Dracula (Maltz). He attended Stanford University and NYU and is a member of SDC, WGA and the Dramatists Guild.

LORIN LATARRO (Choreographer) Broadway: Waitress, Les Liasions Dangereuses, Waiting for Godot. Curious Incident of the Dog… and American Idiot (Associate). Additional choreography: La Traviata (The Met), Chess (Kennedy Center), Twelfth Night (The Delacorte), Lin-Manuel Miranda’s 21 Chump Street(BAM), Heart of Rock and Roll (Old Globe), Assassins, God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater (Encores!), Between The Lines (KC Rep), Queen of The Night (Drama Desk Award), Kiss Me, Kate (Barrington); The Best Is Yet To Come (59E59, Drama Desk Award). Director: Taste of Things to Come (Chicago). Lorin performed in 12 Broadway shows and danced for Tharp, Momix, Graham. Juilliard graduate. Upcoming: Merrily We Roll Along (Roundabout), SuperHero (Second Stage), Waitress and Home Street Home (West End).
BRAD HAAK (Music Director/Conductor) Muny: A Funny Thing…Forum, Fiddler on the Roof, Into the Woods, South Pacific, The King and I and Gypsy. Broadway: An American in Paris, Mary Poppins, Lestat and Il Divo – A Musical Affair. National tours: The Lion King, Miss Saigon. Music supervision and orchestrations:Daddy Long Legs (Off-Broadway, London, Tokyo, Seoul and 19 US productions) and John Caird’s A Knight’s Tale (Tokyo, 2018). International: Sousatzka (Toronto), An American in Paris (Paris), Honk! (Singapore and Philippines); Jane Eyre (Tokyo). Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s Sunday in the Park with George and Follies (Jeff Award for music direction), Children of Eden (Kennedy Center). Orchestrations for New York and Boston Pops, National Symphony, L.A. Philharmonic.
KINKY BOOTS
June 19 – 25
Music and Lyrics by Cyndi Lauper
Book by Harvey Fierstein
Based on the Miramax motion picture of the same name, written by Geoff Deane and Tim Firth
DB BONDS (Director) is thrilled to be making his directorial debut at The Muny after appearing as Emmett in Legally Blonde in 2011. DB is the associate director of Kinky Boots and Pretty Woman on Broadway. He also served as the associate director of Kinky Boots worldwide with productions in England, Australia, Canada, Germany, Japan and Korea. As an actor, he appeared in Broadway and national touring productions of Les Misérables, The Phantom of the Opera, Legally Blonde and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.
RUSTY MOWERY (Choreographer) is thrilled to be back at the magical Muny after serving as choreographer for The Muny productions of Legally Blonde and Hairspray. He is currently the Associate Choreographer of Pretty Woman on Broadway and the Associate Choreographer of Kinky Boots for Broadway, both U.S. national tours, England, Australia, Canada, Germany, Korea and Japan tours. Proud SDC member. As an actor, Rusty appeared on Broadway in Cats, Ragtime, Hairspray, Seussical and Legally Blonde.
RYAN FIELDING GARRETT (Music Director/Conductor) NYC/national tour: Kinky Boots, Jasper in Deadland, The Man in the Ceiling, Hamilton, Mary Poppins, Sweeney Todd (NY Philharmonic), Wicked, Big River (Encores!), Finding Neverland, The Three Little Pigs. Regional: Next to Normal (Weston Playhouse), Little Miss Scrooge (Rubicon Theatre), Passing Strange, [title of show], Chess (Playhouse Square), Two Gentlemen of Verona (Lake Tahoe Shakespeare). NYC orchestration credits include Darling, A Night Like This. Graduate of Baldwin Wallace University.
JERRY MITCHELL (Original Broadway Direction and Choreography) Tony Award winner for Best Choreography: La Cage aux Folles (revival) and Kinky Boots (also nominated as Director). Broadway: Pretty Woman (Director/Choreographer) and the Gloria Estefan musical On Your Feet! (Director). Other recent work includes the pre-Broadway productions of Half Time (Chicago and Paper Mill Playhouse) and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (West End, Olivier nomination for Choreography). In the 35 preceding years, Jerry has been involved with over 50 Broadway, West End and touring productions, including as choreographer of You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown, The Full Monty (Tony nomination), The Rocky Horror Show, Hairspray (Tony nomination and NBC telecast), Gypsy, Never Gonna Dance (Tony nomination), Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Tony nomination), La Cage aux Folles, Legally Blonde (Tony nomination), Catch Me If You Can and Kinky Boots.
1776
June 27 – July 3
Book by Peter Stone
Music and Lyrics by Sherman Edwards
Based on a concept by Sherman Edwards
ROB RUGGIERO (Director) is thrilled to be returning for The Muny’s 101st season. Last year, he directed Gypsy, as well as past productions of The Music Man, Oklahoma!; Hello, Dolly!; South Pacific and The King and I. He has also directed many award-winning productions at The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, including Follies, Sunday in the Park with George and a recent production of Evita. Broadway: High and Looped. Off-Broadway he conceived and directed Make Me a Song (Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle nominations). Rob also recently directed Oliver!, his 11th collaboration with Goodspeed Musicals, with whom he also adapted and directed a new production of Show Boat. He is the Producing Artistic Director for TheaterWorks in Hartford, Connecticut.
JAMES MOORE (Music Director/Conductor) The Muny: Gypsy, The Music Man, Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn, Hello, Dolly!; West Side Story, Meet Me In St. Louis, The Producers. Broadway: Miss Saigon, On the Town, Gigi, Follies, South Pacific, Ragtime, Steel Pier, Company. National tours: The Producers, Kiss Me, Kate; Crazy for You, And the World Goes ‘Round. The Kennedy Center: Camelot starring Brian Stokes Mitchell, My Fair Lady starring Jonathan Pryce, Mame starring Christine Baranski. Concerts: National Symphony, Orchestra of St. Luke’s, Santa Barbara Symphony. Mr. Moore serves as the music supervisor for the United States touring productions of Les Misérables and Miss Saigon. Upcoming: Titanic (Broadway revival). Education: Master and Bachelor degrees from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music.
RODGERS AND HAMMERSTEIN’S CINDERELLA
July 8 – 16
Music by Richard Rodgers
Book by Oscar Hammerstein II
Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
MARCIA MILGROM DODGE (Director) is a Tony and Drama Desk nominated director & choreographer. The Muny: Meet Me In St. Louis (100th Season!), The Little Mermaid, Young Frankenstein, The Buddy Holly Story, The Addams Family. Broadway: Ragtime, High Society. National tours: Ragtime, Curious George,Seussical, Cookin’. New York: Venus Flytrap, Radio Gals, Maltby & Shire’s Closer Than Ever (original production) and William Finn’s Romance in Hard Times. TV/Video: Sesame Street and Elmo‘s Wild West. Upcoming: Deathtrap (Cape Playhouse), Mary Poppins (Drury Lane) and a new Buddy (Cincinnati Playhouse). Between reimagining revivals and directing & choreographing world premieres regionally and abroad, Dodge is also a wife, a mother, a teacher, an SDC Executive Board Member and a published and produced playwright.
JOSH WALDEN (Choreographer) returns to The Muny after choreographing Meet Me In St Louis (2018), The Little Mermaid (2017) and The Buddy Holly Story (2015). He directed/ choreographed A Chorus Line for Maltz Jupiter Theatre and Theatre Memphis, The Rocky Horror Show for University of Buffalo, Legally Blonde for Merry-Go-Round Playhouse and the rock opera Fallen Angel in the New York International Fringe Festival. Josh has also choreographed for Des Moines Metro Opera, Signature Theatre, Sacramento Music Circus, Doonce Productions, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Gateway Playhouse and Morag Productions for Seabourn Cruise Lines. On Broadway, he was the associate director/associate choreographer for the revival of Ragtime. As a performer, Josh was in the Broadway revivals of 42nd Street, La Cage aux Folles, A Chorus Line and Ragtime.
GREG ANTHONY RASSEN (Music Director/Conductor) Drama Desk winner and Tony nominee for Bandstand. Other Broadway credits include: An American in Paris, Bullets Over Broadway, The Little Mermaid, The Book of Mormon, R&H’s Cinderella, A Chorus Line (revival). Arranger/ orchestrator: Jerry Springer: The Opera (New Group); Between the Lines (Kansas City Rep.), The Beast in the Jungle (Vineyard). Commissions include: New York Pops, Boston Pops, Philly Pops, Indianapolis Pops; Leslie Odom, Jr., Ashley Brown, Sierra Boggess, Jeremy Jordan, Norm Lewis, Darren Criss, Liz Callaway, Julia Murney, André Previn, John Williams. TV: The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Live with Kelly & Michael, The View. M.M. degree from Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. www.greganthonymusic.com
FOOTLOOSE
July 18 – 24
Music by Tom Snow
Lyrics by Dean Pitchford
Stage Adaptation by Dean Pitchford and Walter Bobbie
Based on the original screenplay by Dean Pitchford
Additional Music by Eric Carmen, Sammy Hagar, Kenny Loggins and Jim Steinman
CHRISTIAN BORLE (Director) is a two-time Tony Award winner and has starred in a myriad of roles both on stage and screen. His turn as Shakespeare in Something Rotten! garnered him both Tony and Drama Desk Awards for Best Featured Actor in a Musical, as well as a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play as Black Stache in Peter and the Starcatcher. Other Broadway: Footloose, Jesus Christ Superstar, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Amour, Spamalot, Mary Poppins, Legally Blonde, Falsettos and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Film: Blackhat, Bounty Hunter. TV: Masters of Sex, Lifesaver, The Good Wife, Smash and NBC’s TheSound of Music Live! Most recently, Christian made his directorial debut with the off-Broadway production of Popcorn Falls at The Davenport Theatre.
JESSICA HARTMAN (Choreographer) is thrilled to return for The Muny’s 101st after choreographing Annie(2018), All Shook Up (2017), Mamma Mia! (2016); Hairspray (2015/Co-Choreographer) and Seussical (2014/Associate). Broadway: Lysistrata Jones (Associate Choreographer), The Boy from Oz starring Hugh Jackman (Assistant Choreographer). Off-Broadway: Elephant and Piggie’s We Are in a Play! (Choreographer, New Victory Theatre). Other credits include: Memphis (Choreographer, TUTS), Norwegian Creative Studios/Oceania Cruise Lines (Choreographer), Disney Jr. Dance Party (Associate Show Director/ Choreographer, Universal Studios/The Wizarding World of Harry Potter (Associate), How to Succeed… (Associate, TUTS), West Side Story (Associate, Signature Theatre), Next to Normal (Choreographer, BaltimoreCenter Stage). Up next: Mamma Mia! at TUTS (Choreographer) and a new musical for The Kennedy Center. Jessica is the Artistic Director of Broadway Theatre Connection.
ANDREW GRAHAM (Music Director/Conductor) New York: The Book of Mormon, Wicked and Avenue Q. Las Vegas: Spamalot, Avenue Q. National tours: Wicked, Avenue Q, Pippin, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Seussical, The Music Man, Footloose. European tours: Hair and Grease. Regional: world premiere of Disney’s Freaky Friday at Signature Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse, Cleveland Play House and Alley Theatre. Muny: Aida, Annie and Footloose. Beauty and the Beast and the world premiere of Disney’s When You Wish at Tuacahn Center for the Arts. He holds degrees from both Capital University in Columbus, Ohio and Trinity College of Music in London.
LERNER & LOEWE’S PAINT YOUR WAGON
July 27 – August 2
Book and Lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner
Music by Frederick Loewe
Revised Book by Jon Marans
Produced in Association with On the Wagon Productions and Garmar Ventures
JOSH RHODES (Director/Choreographer) directed Grand Hotel (NY City Center Encores!), Ken Ludwig’s Baskerville (Old Globe Theatre), Jersey Boys (The Muny), Guys and Dolls (Asolo Rep/Old Globe), Evita(Asolo Rep), Spamalot (5th Avenue Theatre), Ebenezer Scrooge’s Big Playhouse Christmas Show (Bucks County Playhouse) and Celestina Warbeck and the Banshees at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. He alsochoreographed the Broadway productions of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella, It Shoulda Been You, First Date and Bright Star. On London’s West End, he choreographed Carousel at the English National Opera and Sweeney Todd starring Emma Thompson. Other choreography credits include Company starring Neil Patrick Harris and Sondheim: The Birthday Concert (PBS), Young Frankenstein (Muny) and the current U.K. tour ofDoctor Dolittle. Rhodes is a proud graduate of the University of Michigan.
BEN WHITELEY (Music Director/Conductor) Muny: Singin’ in the Rain, A Chorus Line, 42nd Street, My Fair Lady, The Addams Family, Spamalot, Pirates!; The Sound of Music (twice), Beauty and the Beast (thrice), Kiss Me, Kate; Oklahoma!; The Music Man, Meet Me In St. Louis, South Pacific. Music director for 1776 at NY City Center Encores! Broadway/national tours: A Christmas Story, The Addams Family, Spamalot, The Full Monty, Cats (conducted final original Broadway performance), Grand Hotel, Falsettos, Big. Carnegie Hall: Sail Away (with Elaine Stritch). Choral direction: Carousel (NY Philharmonic/PBS), My Fair Lady (NY Philharmonic). Encores!: associate music director and chorus master for over 30 productions. Other: St. Louis Symphony, Paper Mill Playhouse, The 5th Avenue Theatre, University of Michigan. Recordings: Allegro, Boardwalk Empire (Grammy Award),Paint Your Wagon.
MATILDA
August 5 – 11
Book by Dennis Kelly
Music and Lyrics by Tim Minchin
Based on Matilda by Roald Dahl
JOHN TARTAGLIA (Director) Director: Stephen Schwartz’s The Secret Silk (Princess Cruises, writer/director), Beauty and the Beast (Maltz Jupiter Theatre), Annie, The Wizard of Oz, Tarzan and Shrek (Muny), Claudio Quest (NY Musical Festival, Best of the Fest), Shrek the Halls (DreamWorks Theatricals) and many more. Broadway: Avenue Q (Tony nomination), Beauty and the Beast and Shrek. Muny: Aladdin (The Genie), Seussical (The Cat in the Hat), A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (Hysterium, St. Louis Theater Circle Award). Film/TV: The Happytime Murders (STX Films), Johnny and the Sprites (Disney Jr., Emmy nomination), Sesame Street (PBS Kids), Jim Henson’s Word Party and Julie’s Greenroom (both on Netflix), creator, co-executive producer and star of Jim Henson’s Splash and Bubbles (PBS Kids, Emmy nomination).
CHRIS BAILEY (Choreographer) Gettin’ The Band Back Together (Broadway), Jerry Springer: The Opera(New Group, 2018 Chita Rivera Award nomination); The New Yorkers and 1776 (NY City Center Encores!), The Entertainer with Kenneth Branagh (West End), Assassins (Menier Chocolate Factory), Because of Winn Dixie (Alabama Shakespeare Festival), 2013 Tony Awards (CBS), Muny: Jerome Robbins Broadway(production supervisor), Newsies (St. Louis Theater Circle Award), The Music Man, Into the Woods, My Fair Lady, Tarzan, West Side Story and Thoroughly Modern Millie. 2013-2015 Academy Awards (Assistant Choreographer). Film: Cinderella, Ted 2, A Million Ways to Die in the West and Beyond the Sea. Chris was also the movement director for the Roundabout Theatre Company’s production of Cyrano De Bergerac on Broadway.
MICHAEL HORSLEY (Music Director/Conductor) is The Muny’s music supervisor. 25 Muny seasons include: Jerome Robbins Broadway, Mamma Mia!; The Buddy Holly Story, Grease, Mary Poppins, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor® Dreamcoat, Thoroughly Modern Millie, 42nd Street, Godspell, White Christmas, Damn Yankees, Sleeping Beauty, Singin’ in the Rain, and many more. National tours: Thoroughly Modern Millie, Chicago, Cinderella, White Christmas and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. Other regional: Into the Woods (Theatrezone), Roman Holiday (Guthrie Theater), On a Clear Day You Can See Forever (Music Theatre Wichita), Fiddler on the Roof (AMT San Jose), A Chorus Line (Pioneer Theatre Company), The Full Monty(North Carolina Theatre). Voice director: Christmas Concert Series for the Detroit, National and Birmingham Symphony Orchestras. He is the music director for the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.
The 2019 season schedule is: Guys and Dolls (June 10 – 16), Kinky Boots (June 19 – 25), 1776 (June 27 – July 3), Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella (July 8 – 16), Footloose (July 18 – 24), Lerner and Loewe’s Paint Your Wagon (July 27 – August 2) and Matilda (August 5 – 11).
World Wide Technology (WWT) and The Steward Family Foundation became the first overall season sponsor in the history of The Muny in 2014. They are committed to continuing in this role with their leadership gift as The Muny’s 2019 Season Presenting Sponsor.
Muny gift cards for the 101st season are now available online and at The Muny Box Office. For more information, visit muny.org or call (314) 361-1900.
###
The Muny’s mission is to enrich lives by producing exceptional musical theatre, accessible to all, while continuing its remarkable tradition in Forest Park. As the nation’s largest outdoor musical theatre, we produce seven world-class musicals each year and welcome over 400,000 theatregoers over our nine-week season. Celebrating 101 seasons in St. Louis, The Muny remains one of the premier institutions in musical theatre.
For more information about The Muny, visit muny.org
For more information about The Missouri History Museum’s
Muny Memories: 100 Seasons Onstage exhibit, visit mohistory.org
For more information about The Missouri History Museum’sMuny Memories: 100 Seasons Onstage exhibit, visit mohistory.org 

Bright Lights Column: Breakthrough Time

Bright Lights Column: Breakthrough Time

By Lynn Venhaus
Managing Editor
You go, girls! Local singer-actors get national attention, and the St. Louis-produced Broadway musical “The Prom” made Thanksgiving Parade television history.
BREAKING OUT: We have a talented trio of local ladies who are living their dreams right now.
Lexi Krekorian, 27, of Waterloo, Ill., is one of the nine struggling musicians featured on the Netflix reality series, “Westside,” now available. She goes by the stage name, Alexandra Kay, and has released her first single, “You Think You Know Someone,” and several music videos of songs on the “Westside” soundtrack. She started out in school and community theater, and is chasing her dream in L.A. Here is the feature I wrote for the Belleville News-Democrat about her rising star.
https://www.bnd.com/living/magazine/article221600685.html
Kennedy Holmes of Florissant, the John Burroughs student and Muny Kid who is wowing the nation as a contestant on “The Voice,” made it through to the Top 11 Live Playoffs on Nov. 20. She sang “Wind Beneath My Wings” and is on Jennifer Hudson’s team, headed for the Top 10 showdown Nov. 26. Here is her Top 11 performance:
https://www.nbc.com/the-voice/video/kennedy-holmes-wind-beneath-my-wings/3832852
Thirteen proved to be lucky for Kennedy, as she was not among the 12 eliminated from the Top 24 Live Playoffs in Episode 13. She sang Beyonce’s “Halo.” “The Voice” is on Mondays and Tuesdays on NBC, with live voting the first night and results the second night. She is 13.
Meadow Nguy, providedMeadow Nguy, 23, of O’Fallon, Ill., performed in two musicals at Stray Dog Theatre (Marta in “Spring Awakening” in 2012 and the female lead in the original musical “Spellbound” in 2015), and in community and school theater. She guest-starred on the Nov. 18 episode of “Madam Secretary” called “Baby Steps,” as a Southeast Asia surrogate caught up in a human trafficking imbroglio . She made her crime-drama debut in ‘The Blacklist” earlier this year. Both shows available on demand. Here is the news article I wrote for the Belleville News-Democrat:
https://www.bnd.com/news/local/article221829910.html

***ATTABOY: Congratulations to Cory Finley, who scored a Film Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best First Screenplay for his “Thoroughbreds.” The annual awards, held since 1984, honor independent filmmakers working with small budgets. The awards are always announced the day before the Oscars, and this year, it will be Saturday, Feb. 23.
Focus Features photoIn fall 2017, the St. Louis Actors’ Studio presented Finley’s play, “The Feast.” A John Burroughs School grad, Finley’s movie opened nationwide in March after premiering at the Sundance Film Festival in January. It played the St. Louis International Film Festival in 2017.
Olivia Cooke (“Ready Player One,” “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl”) and Anya Taylor-Joy (“Split,” “The Witch”) play upper-class Connecticut teenagers who rekindle their unlikely friendship and hatch a plan to solve both of their problems — no matter what the cost. It’s the last film of Anton Yelchin.                                                                    Finley, who grew up in Clayton, is based in New York City. He is a member of the Obie-winning Youngblood playwrights group at Ensemble Studio Theater, has received a commission from the Alfred P. Sloan foundation for playwrighting, and was the inaugural recipient of the Gurney Playwrights Fund for his play, “The Feast,” at The Flea Theater. Check out www.thoroughbredsmovie.com
***STANDING O’s: Standing ovation for stand-up guy, Kwofe Coleman, who started as an usher at the Muny the summer of 1998, and now has been named managing director! He has served as Director of Marketing and Communications since 2013.
Kudos to the Cinema St. Louis team on their record-setting attendance of 28,723 at this year’s St. Louis International Film Festival Nov. 1 – 11. SLIFF screened 413 films, including 88 narrative features, 77 documentary features, and 248 shorts. Local actors are often seen in the regionally produced short films.

Cast members from “Disney’s Aladdin” presented “Sultan’s Soiree,” an exclusive cocktail reception, Nov 18 to benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. Guests mingled while enjoying cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, photo opportunities, live entertainment and karaoke. To learn more, visit www.broadwaycares.org. Michael James Scott, a Webster University Conservatory graduate, is playing the Genie while Jonathan Weir, formerly of Belleville, is Jafar. “Aladdin” is at the Fox through Nov. 25.
***BIG SPLASH: The reviews are in, and it’s all raves for the new original musical comedy “The Prom,” which opened on Broadway Nov. 15 at the Longacre Theatre, following previews that began Oct. 23.
The New York Times said: “Makes you believe in musical comedy again.”
Variety said: “This original musical has laughs, tears and joy — not to mention jaw-dropping star-turns — in a clash-of-cultures hoot that earns a big Broadway corsage.”
Vanity Fair photoThe show has multiple local connections – Centralia, Ill., native Chad Beguelin is the co-book writer, with Bob Martin (co-creator of “The Drowsy Chaperone”) and lyricist, with music by Matthew Sklar. Beguelin wrote lyrics to Disney’s “Aladdin” and both he and Sklar were Tony-nominated for “The Wedding Singer.”
Some local producers include Jack Lane, executive director of Stages St. Louis; Ken and Nancy Kranzberg, Patty Gregory of Belleville, Terry Schnuck, Andrew S. Kuhlman of St. Louis and Fairview Heights native Joe Grandy. St. Louis performers Jack Sippel and Drew Reddington are part of the ensemble, and stars Beth Leavel and Christopher Sieber have appeared several times at The Muny. The Broadway cast also includes Brooks Ashmanskas (Tony nominee for ‘Something Rotten!”),
Casey Nicholaw, Tony winner for “The Book of Mormon,” directed and choreographed the show.
“The Prom” is about a canceled high school dance – a student is barred from bringing her girlfriend to the prom — and four fading Broadway stars who seize the opportunity to fight for justice — and a piece of the spotlight. Its tagline is “There’s no business like getting in other people’s business.”
***
NOBODY RAINED ON THEIR PARADE: “The Prom,” one of four musical acts in the 92nd annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Nov. 22, made parade history with the first same-sex kiss televised live. As the number, “It’s Time to Dance,” closed, cast mates Isabelle McCalla and Caitlin Kinnunen embraced and kissed. The LGBTQ community cheered.
Here is that performance: https://youtu.be/VDZDLJjzJBI
Tony nominee Taylor Louderman of Bourbon, Mo., performed with the cast of “Mean Girls.” She plays Regina, the snotty leader of the cool girls’ pack. Taylor was last seen locally on the Muny stage in 2016’s “Aida” as Amneris.
Fun Fact: The dance company, Radio City Rockettes, was founded in St. Louis in 1925 by Russell Markert. First known as the “Missouri Rockets,” the precision chorus line has performed in Radio City Music Hall since 1932.
***HANNUKAH HULLABALOO: The eighth annual Brothers Lazaroff show to benefit Metro Theater Company will take place on Saturday, Dec. 8, at 7 p.m. at The Grandel Theatre, and all ages welcome.
The show will feature Rabbi James Stone Goodman and the Eight Nights Orchestra, DJ Boogieman, tributes to Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen and more! As always, free latkes will be fried on-stage! Food vendors will include Taco Buddha, The Dark Room and STL-Style will be selling their St. Louis-inspired apparel.
***AROUND TOWN: Legendary Wilco founder and Belleville native Jeff Tweedy took to The Pageant stage with Jon Hamm Nov. 17 to discuss his storied career. The book tour stop was sold-out.
St. Louis Post-Dispatch photoThe Grammy-winning singer-songwriter’s memoir “Let’s Go (So We Can Get Back”): Memoir of Recording and Discording with Wilco, Etc.,” features stories about his childhood, putting Uncle Tupelo together, and recollections about St. Louis record store, rock clubs and live-music scene during his formative years.
Now based in Chicago, Tweedy can be spotted in the indie movie “Hearts Beat Loud” as a customer, in what else, a record store.
Playwright Vladimir Zelevinsky was in town for the opening weekend of West End Players Guild “The Great Seduction,” and graciously spoke to Tina Farmer of KDHX and I about his interesting life and writing process.
 
Zelevinsky also wrote “Manifest Destiny,” performed at WEPG in 2016, which was nominated for Best Ensemble by the St. Louis Theater Circle.
***SANTA’S COMING! I KNOW HIM: With the holiday essential film “Elf” as its next movies-for-foodies event, Tenacious Eats returns to the St. Louis Banquet Center in Holly Hills, at 5700 Leona Street, on Saturday, Dec. 15.
Guests will feast on five courses and have cocktails themed to the movie, and the event also includes contests and live music. Chef Liz Schuster has left West End Grill and Pub to devote more time to her cinema-and-theme-dining experience – and Tenacious Eats is known for its “full-contact dining experiences.” Tickets are on sale now at BrownPaperTickets.com.
***GO SEE A PLAY POLL: Ah, Church Ladies and Christmas Pageants are customary fixtures during the holiday season, so the folks behind the Lutheran laugh-apalooza, “Church Basement Ladies: Away in a Basement” have returned with a warm, sentimental and uproarious show.
Now playing at The Playhouse @ Westport through Jan. 6, this is a perfect show to take your mom or grandma to – and you can win two free tickets to the show if you enter our drawing.
Select a show from the list below to answer our question: “What is your favorite holiday-themed play or musical?”
 
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever
A Christmas Carol
A Christmas Story
Elf
Inspecting Carol
It’s a Wonderful Life
White Christmas
And send it via email, along with your name, cell phone and email address by 5 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 25, to [email protected] and you will be entered in a drawing. Winner will receive 2 tickets to an upcoming show.
In our last “Go See a Play” poll, Graham Emmons of St. Louis won two tickets to Rebel and Misfits’ “Macbeth: Come Like Shadows.” The survey’s response to best mystery play landed the 1952 classic “Dial M for Murder” by Frederick Knott op top, with “Wait Until Dark” – another Frederick Knott play from 1966 — a close second.
***FOSSE, VERDON AND ALL THAT JAZZ: The next show-biz limited series for FX will be “Fosse/Verdon” in 2019, about the legendary Broadway choreographer Bob Fosse and his professional and personal relationship with dancer Gwen Verdon.
Oscar winner Sam Rockwell is cast as Fosse while Oscar nominee Michelle Williams will be Verdon, returning to the network 20 years after “Dawson’s Creek.”
The cast features St. Louis native Norbert Leo Butz as writer Paddy Chayefsky, Margaret Quall as Ann Reinking and Nate Corddry as Neil Simon.
Lin-Manuel Miranda is executive-producing the eight episodes and “Hamilton” choreographer Andy Blankenbuehler is creating the dance.
***WHISTLING A HAPPY TUNE: The lavish acclaimed Tony-winning revival, “The King and I,” will be shown two nights at the Plaza Frontenac Cinema, on Nov 29 and Dec. 4 at 7 p.m. The Rodgers and Hammerstein musical filmed during its run at the London Palladium, June 21 to Sept. 29 and features more than 50 performers.
Kelli O’Hara reprised her Tony Award-winning performance and Tony and Oscar nominee Ken Watanabe played The King again. Tony winner Ruthie Ann Miles returned as Lady Thiang and West End “Aladdin” star Dean John Wilson and Na-Young Jeon played Lun Tha and Tuptim. Director Bartlett Sher reunited the original creative team.
***TRIVIA TIME-OUT: With St. Louis performers making a name for themselves on the national stage, here’s a little flashback to the halcyon days of “American Idol,” the big-bang of reality competition singing shows.
1. Who is the only St. Louisan to make “American Idol” Top Ten Finalists?
2. What “American Idol” winner tried out in St. Louis one of the two times auditions were held here?
Answers (both Season 4):
Nikko Smith, born Osborne Earl Jr., son of Cardinal Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith, who wound up ninth overall in 2005. He had been voted off in the third round of the semi-finals, but the producers asked him back to take the place of Mario Vazquez, who left for “family reasons.”
Carrie Underwood, who drove up with her mom from the family farm in Checotah, Okla., in 2004, sang “I Can’t Make You Love Me” by Bonnie Raitt.
Here’s that audition: https://youtu.be/P0j9NGV-Jm4
She just won CMA Female Vocalist of the Year, killed with a live awards show performance of “Love Wins” at six months’ pregnant, and has to date seven Grammy Awards, including Best New Artist in 2007, the only second country artist to win it.
St. Louis has hosted auditions for Seasons 4 and 11.
***WORD: “Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.” – Plato
 
 

Kwofe Coleman Named Managing Director of The Muny

Kwofe Coleman Named Managing Director of The Muny

The Muny has announced the appointment of Kwofe Coleman as Managing Director. Coleman, who previously served as The Muny’s Marketing and Communications Director, will work with the President and CEO, Artistic Director, department heads, staff and community to support the larger vision of The Muny, maintaining a dynamic environment in keeping with The Muny’s mission while ensuring financial stability and growth.
“Kwofe is an incredibly talented individual who understands both the culture inside the institution and how The Muny interacts with the St. Louis community,” said Muny President and CEO Denny Reagan. “As we embark on our second century, it’s important to honor the past and just as important to ensure the future is sustainable and exciting. I am eager to see Kwofe step into this new role and continue the growth of The Muny’s mission.”

“I am both honored and thrilled by this opportunity to evolve my contribution to this incredible staff and institution as managing director,” said Coleman. “Having had the great fortune of working in various parts of this organization for its past 20 seasons, I have seen and participated in the remarkable spirit of collaboration and community that makes The Muny such a special place, on both sides of the footlights. I look forward to helping continue grow this great tradition well into our second century.”
Among his duties as the Managing Director, Coleman will take an active role in overseeing the organizational, financial and business affairs of The Muny, while embracing and articulating the artistic and institutional vision. This will include the development of annual budgets, determining income and expense assumptions, and overseeing those revenue and expenditures. In this position, he will also take a leadership role in developing new and expanded income streams and creating strategic initiatives to expand and deepen The Muny’s community engagement, educational and outreach efforts.
Coleman began his Muny career in 1998 as an usher and has served as the Director of
Marketing and Communications since 2013. Coleman has held several other positions at The
Muny including staff accountant, house manager and digital communications manager. In the
Director of Marketing and Communications position, Coleman directed the teams responsible
for all external communications, marketing campaigns and the development of strategies to
meet The Muny’s annual revenue budget.
He is currently part of The Muny’s Second Century
Committee, a combination of key staff and board members who together, drafted, confirmed
and are now implementing The Muny’s Second Century Strategic Plan.
He was a 2018 Fellowship Advisor for The DeVos Institute of Arts Management at the University of Maryland and is an active member of the Board of Directors for the National Alliance of Musical Theatres.
He has also remained an active contributor to the St. Louis community, with local activities
including the advisory board for Common Circles and as a mentor for The Urban League’s Save
our Sons program among others. He is the recipient of the St. Louis American’s Salute to Young
Leaders Award.
The 2019 season schedule is: Guys and Dolls (June 10 – 16), Kinky Boots (June 19 – 25), 1776 (June 27 – July 3), Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella (July 8 – 16), Footloose (July 18 – 24), Lerner and Loewe’s Paint Your Wagon (July 27 – August 2) and Matilda (August 5 – 11).
World Wide Technology (WWT) and The Steward Family Foundation became the first overall season sponsor in the history of The Muny in 2014. They are committed to continuing in this role with their leadership gift as The Muny’s 2019 Season Presenting Sponsor.
Muny gift cards for the 101st season are now available online and at The Muny Box Office. For more information, visit muny.org or call (314) 361-1900.

2019 Muny Line-Up Includes Two Premieres: ‘Kinky Boots’ and ‘Matilda’

2019 Muny Line-Up Includes Two Premieres: ‘Kinky Boots’ and ‘Matilda’

By Lynn Venhaus
Managing Editor
The Muny is stepping into its second century with two smash-hit premieres among its seven-show 2019 season.
It will be the first theatre in the U.S. to produce the Tony, Olivier and Grammy Award-winning Best Musical “Kinky Boots.” Pop icon wrote 16 original songs for this adaptation of the movie about a struggling British shoe factory. It won six Tony Awards in 2013, and had 13 nominations.
In addition, the Muny will premiere Roald Dahl’s “Matilda,”which won four Tony Awards in 2013 and seven Olivier Awards in 2012. Based on Dahl’s 1988 children’s novel, Matilda is a smart girl with a vivid imagination.
A revised edition of Lerner and Loewe’s first musical, “Paint Your Wagon,” is being developed specifically for the largest and oldest outdoor theater in the country. During the past two seasons, the Muny was the birthplace of two re-imagined musical classics, “The Unsinkable Molly Brown” and “The Wiz.” This 1951 collaboration, set in the California gold rush, has a revised book by Jon Marans, and will be produced in association with On the Wagon Productions and Garmar Ventures. The one and only time the show had been at the Muny before was in 1956.
Two Muny favorites return — “Guys and Dolls” for the eighth time, but it has not been staged since 2004, and Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Cinderella,” which is the 2013 Broadway version making its debut. Previously, the Muny presented the show, which was based on the 1957 TV edition, five times, the last one in 2003.
The Tony-winning musical that tells the behind-the-scenes of The Declaration of Independence, “1776,” will return after 20 years. It was presented in 1972, 1976 and 1999.
“Footloose,” the dance-favorite with the chart-topping hits from the 1984 movie, is back for a second time after its debut in 2010.
The announcement of the 101st season took place Oct. 17 during the annual “Muny Magic” concert at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

“This is a thrilling, eclectic line-up that I believe will take the Muny audience on another great summer adventure,” Muny Artistic Director and Executive Producer Mike Isaacson said. “It’s a new century, and a new stage, and here we go. Gulp!”
The Centennial Season was historic, drawing more than 400,000 theatregoers over nine weeks this past summer.
“As the first season of our second century, this line-up is both ambitious and nostalgic,” Muny President and CEO Denny Reagan said. “On our brand new stage, the 2019 season promises the thrills and unforgettable Muny magic that have defined our theatre for over a century.”
Show order, performance schedule and audition dates will be announced later this fall. Subscription renewals will be mailed in early December.
New subscriptions will go on sale in March 2019, and single tickets will be available beginning May 2019.
World Wide Technology and The Steward Family Foundation became the first overall season sponsor in the history of The Muny in 2014. They are committed to continuing in this role with their leadership gift as The Muny’s 2019 Season Presenting Sponsor.
“Both WWT and The Steward Family Foundation are committed to The Muny and to making exceptional musical theatre, accessible to everyone,” said David Steward, Chairman and Founder of WWT. “This year’s season promises to be spectacular and will showcase how much the performing arts enrich our community.”
Muny gift cards for the 101st season are now available online and at The Muny Box Office. For more information, visit muny.org or call (314) 361-1900.
For more information about The Muny, visit muny.org
For more information about The Missouri History Museum’s Muny Memories: 100 Seasons Onstage exhibit, visit mohistory.org 

Making a Scene: St. Louis Theatre Expo to Spotlight Local Stagecraft

Making a Scene: St. Louis Theatre Expo to Spotlight Local Stagecraft

 
More than one dozen St. Louis-area theatre companies will unite to showcase the very best in local performance art at Making a Scene: A St. Louis Theatre Expo, presented by PNC Arts Alive, hosted Saturday, Sept. 29 at The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis.
The free event will run from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Loretto-Hilton Center for the Performing Arts (130 Edgar Road, on the campus of Webster University), and feature talks, demonstrations, pop-up performances, backstage tours, children’s craft activities and more. With numerous events happening throughout the building at any given time, visitors can create their own schedule as they explore the art of theatre. (See a schedule of events on the Expo’s online event page).
Featured speakers include local artistic directors, such as Michael Isaacson of The Muny, Steven Woolf of The Rep and Christina Rios of R-S Theatrics, as well as St. Louis-based actors and behind-the-scenes talents who make magic happen onstage.
Companies that will be on-hand to highlight their seasons include The Rep, Shakespeare Festival St. Louis, STAGES St. Louis, Stray Dog Theatre, St. Lou Fringe Festival, New Jewish Theatre and Slightly Askew Theatre Ensemble.
This is the second St. Louis Theatre Expo, following the inaugural edition in September 2016.
Support comes from PNC Foundation through the PNC Arts Alive initiative. A $20,000 grant will allow The Rep to hire videographers to film several of the Expo’s sessions, and then post those videos online as an educational resource for area students. Learn more about that grant here.

Muny Announces Casting Partnership with Telsey + Company

Muny Announces Casting Partnership with Telsey + Company

The Muny announced Friday that beginning with its 2019 season, casting for its productions will be by Telsey + Company, one of the nation’s premier casting offices for theatre, film and television.
The Telsey team will work closely with The Muny’s artistic and production staff on principal and ensemble casting, with St. Louis local casting managed by The Muny. Given the intensity and breadth of The Muny’s seven-show season, the initial casting team from Telsey + Company will include Craig Burns, Rachel Hoffman, Patrick Goodwin, Rebecca Scholl and Laura Wade.
“I’ve collaborated with the Telsey office on several Broadway shows, and they’re an amazing team – they bring passion, insight and a standard of excellence to all of their work,” said Muny Artistic Director and Executive Producer Mike Isaacson. “As we begin our second century, I’m proud to collaborate with Telsey + Company and bring their artistic voice to The Muny.”

“When we initially sat down to talk about the potential of this partnership, I was immediately inspired by Mike’s passion for actors, directors, choreographers, and all creative teams that come together to collaborate during the summer at The Muny,” said Bernie Telsey. “We’re proud to join this team and work with an institution that has such a prolific history.”
Telsey + Company’s current Broadway musicals include Anastasia, Carousel, Come From Away, Frozen, Hamilton, Kinky Boots, Mean Girls, My Fair Lady, Once on This Island, Spongebob The Musical, Waitress andWicked. 
The casting schedule for The Muny’s 2019 season will be made available via muny.org shortly after the highly-anticipated 2019 season is announced on Oct. 17 at The Muny’s bi-annual concert series, Muny Magic at The Sheldon.
 

Muny Announces $20 Million Pledge For Second Century Campaign

Muny Announces $20 Million Pledge For Second Century Campaign

The Muny has announced a remarkable pledge of $20 million from The JSM Charitable Trust for its Second Century Capital Campaign. This fundraising effort will fund major capital improvements, including a complete rebuild of the Muny stage, the support, maintenance and upkeep of the aging 11.5 acre campus, and the building of the theatre’s endowment, which supports The Muny’s ever-growing education and outreach programs.
Elizabeth and James McDonnell“As one of the lead supporters of this campaign, James and Elizabeth McDonnell, through The JSM Charitable Trust, have once again set the tone for philanthropy in the St. Louis community and we are incredibly humbled and grateful to be on the receiving end of their generosity,” said Muny President and CEO Denny Reagan. “This gift helps secure a thriving future for The Muny and the generations of St. Louisans we will continue to serve.”

“There’s music and magic on that stage, but behind the scenes are dated technologies and a crumbling infrastructure that hold it all together,” said James S. McDonnell III, Trustee of The JSM Charitable Trust, Honorary Campaign Chair, Board Member and long-time Muny supporter. “This is our chance to give a gift of great value to generations and secure the future of this civic institution for years to come.”
This announcement was part of The Muny’s official kick-off event, Intermission: Setting the Stage for the Next Act, for the upcoming stage renovation. Major donors were invited for an intimate evening onstage that included brief remarks regarding the Second Century Capital Campaign and the upcoming major renovations to the theatre.
Mike Isaacson, artistic director and executive producerPhotos by Phillip Hamer

Many St. Louisans Met at The Muny This Summer: Attendance Figures Released

Many St. Louisans Met at The Muny This Summer: Attendance Figures Released

100th Season Included Two Regional World Premieres
The numbers are in: 393,398 people attended the Muny’s Centennial season under the stars at America’s oldest and largest outdoor musical theater.
It is a six percent increase over 2017, and that includes an 11 percent growth in season tickets. Nearly 100,000 guests experienced a Muny production at no cost through The Muny’s free seat and community access programs.
Of the seven shows, “Meet Me in St. Louis” drew the biggest crowds, with  76,500 in attendance.  The season included “Annie,” 69,638; “Singin’ in the Rain,” 56,385; “Jersey Boys,” 54,766;  “The Wiz,” 49,486;  “Gypsy,” 43,712; and “Jerome Robbins’ Broadway,” 42,911.
“This season – from that magnificent Gala all the way through the fireworks finale of Meet Me In St. Louis – was truly a community-wide celebration,” said Muny President and CEO Denny Reagan. “We are so proud to have had this opportunity to share this summer with the hundreds of thousands of audience members who have made The Muny’s storied past and inspiring future possible.”

“Muny 100 was a season we will all remember the rest of our lives,” said Muny Artistic Director and Executive Producer Mike Isaacson. “The passion and joy we received from the audience was palpable, and everyone on and backstage gave their extraordinary best. The only response I can have is profound awe and gratitude.”
 In addition, 6,804 guests attended The Muny’s Centennial Gala, An Evening with the Stars. When combined, total attendance for the seven-show summer season and An Evening with the Stars: 400,202.
VIDEO recap of 2018 Season: https://youtu.be/WsMENOI8yv4
100th Season attendance by show:
Jerome Robbins’ Broadway: 42,911
This monumental world regional premiere was a celebratory start to our centennial season! Scenes from some of Robbins’ biggest hits, including West Side Story, On the Town, Peter Pan, The King and I and Fiddler on the Roof showcased the talent of Tony Award-winning director and choreographer, Jerome Robbins. In its first ever staging since its original Broadway production and national tour, it enchanted audiences.
The Wiz: 49,486
In its first Muny production in 36 years, this feel-good favorite had audiences clicking their heels in the aisles all night long. Sparkling with heart-pounding soul, unforgettable gospel and infectious rock rhythms, this reimagined familiar favorite had audiences ready to “Ease on Down the Road” to meet The Wiz!
Singin’ in the Rain: 56,385
Known for its splashy production numbers and snappy dialogue, this timeless Muny favorite was a downpour of pure delight. The forecast predicted sunny smiles and dazzling dancing, and stars Corbin Bleu, Berklea Going and Jeffrey Schecter splashed right into audiences’ hearts.
Jersey Boys: 54,766
The story of the magic behind the music of international sensation Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons arrived at The Muny in style in its world regional premiere. The star-studded cast even captured the heart of real-life Four Seasons member Bob Gaudio, who stopped by to give our production his heartfelt blessing.

Annie: 69,638
Everyone’s favorite plucky, freckle-faced orphan did not disappoint! Audiences took a stroll down “Easy Street” to follow the story of Annie’s journey from a “Hard Knock Life” to her forever home. With songs and kick-lines that entertained the entire family, this production was a multigenerational hit!
Gypsy: 43,712
Fans were awestruck by the countless showstoppers and striking backstory of famous burlesque dancer Gypsy Rose Lee. The hidden hardships and highlights of show business came center stage with a heart-stirring performance by Beth Leavel as Momma Rose in this cherished classic. We loved letting them entertain us all night long!

Meet Me In St. Louis: 76,500
Zing, zing, zing went our heartstrings! Meet Me In St. Louis was the perfect finale to our majestic centennial season. Showcasing a boy-next-door romance and a close-knit, Midwestern family, this production was the perfect ribbon on a monumental season…right here in St. Louis.

The Muny’s 101st Season announcement will take place at Muny Magic at The Sheldon on October 17 and 18 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available now, online at muny.org, by phone 314-534-1111 or at The Muny Box Office.
 
The Muny’s mission is to enrich lives by producing exceptional musical theatre, accessible to all, while continuing its remarkable tradition in Forest Park. As the nation’s largest outdoor musical theatre, we produce seven world-class musicals each year and welcome over 390,000 theatregoers over our nine-week season.
Celebrating 100 seasons in St. Louis, The Muny remains one of the
premier institutions in musical theatre. For more information about The Muny, visit muny.org

Bright Lights Column: Twinkle Twinkle Little Stars

Bright Lights Column: Twinkle Twinkle Little Stars

By Lynn Venhaus
Managing EditorA STAR WAS BORN: It was as if scripted in a movie. You’ve heard of that classic moment in the 1933 movie “42nd Street” when an understudy takes over for an injured diva. Well, it really happened right here in St. Louis one summer 46 years ago at The Muny.
On Aug. 14, 1972, MGM musical star Ann Miller was playing Reno Sweeney to Michael Callan’s Billy Crockett in “Anything Goes.” The classic Cole Porter romantic romp was underway when right after the song “Friendship” during a scenery change, Miller was conked on the head by a steel boom. Callan had followed her off-stage, then found her on the floor, dazed and bruised.

“Is there a doctor in the house?” A call went out from the stage and 15 doctors responded. The show was cancelled and Miller taken to Deaconess Hospital with a mild brain concussion and loss of equilibrium. She spent 23 days there.With Miller out but not wanting to cancel the week, Muny brass sought a replacement. They plucked Pat St. James, a senior at Webster University, from the ensemble. She rose to the occasion.
St. James, whose parents were local broadcast celebrities Clif and Nance St. James, was praised for her soaring performance. She later thrived in a musical theater career.
But in 1999, she switched gears, earning a degree in theology and ordained an Episcopal priest. She was married to David Roberts, and they lived in Atlanta with their two children, Oliver and Julia. At age 61, after a four-year battle with cancer, she died on Dec. 5, 2010.
Her moment in the sun became a Muny legend.
“Anything Goes” may have been Miller’s first appearance at The Muny but it wouldn’t be her last. She would be persuaded to return in the next decade, for ‘Sugar Babies” with Mickey Rooney in 1984.
Miller starred in “Kiss Me Kate,” “Easter Parade,” “On the Town,” “Stage Door,” “Room Service” and “Mulholland Drive” (?!?).Side Note: I actually saw Pat St. James as Reno Sweeney that week at The Muny. Everyone was abuzz.
(“Anything Goes” photo from Muny archives, from left, Pat Paulsen, Pat St. James, Michael Callan.)
***HELLO, USA!: Congratulations to Madison Johnson of St. Louis, who has been cast in the national tour of “Hello, Dolly!” that begins in late September. She is part of the ensemble and understudy for Minnie Fay.This tour of the Broadway revival, which won four Tony Awards in 2017, will feature Betty Buckley as Dolly Levi and Lewis J. Stadlen as Horace Vandergelder. Stadlen, a three-time Tony nominee, has been in several Muny shows, including “The Producers,” “Damn Yankees,” “Meet Me in St. Louis” and “Fiddler on the Roof.”
Madison has been part of the Muny ensemble the past six years, recently playing Lucille Ballard in “Meet Me in St. Louis.” She was Kristine in “A Chorus Line” last summer and Frenchie in 2014’s “Grease.” She started at age 7 as a Muny Kid. A graduate of Whitfield School and Elon College, she moved to New York City in 2016.
***
SIX DEGREES OF ST. LOUIS: John David Washington is starring in “BlackkKlansman” as undercover cop Ron Stallworth, who wrote the book that Spike Lee has adapted into this acclaimed film.

He was signed by the St. Louis Rams in 2007 after he was not drafted in the NFL Draft. Later cut from the Rams, he was a running back for the Hamburg Sea Devils, a German team playing in the NFL Europe League. Fun fact: Eldest son of two-time Oscar winner Denzel Washington.
Photo: Adam Driver and John David Washington
***GO SEE A PLAY! POLL: The St. Louis Fringe Festival’s local headlining act is an original musical written and composed by Colin Healy called “The Gringo.” The world premiere will be performed four times from Thursday, Aug. 16 through Sunday, Aug. 19, at the .Zack, 3224 Locust.
It’s about how art can bring a community together. Set in Miami, a local street artist is wrongfully gunned down by police. As told through the lens of a successful painter, this community faces injustice and rapid gentrification. They learn what it means to fight for your home.
The cast includes Gheremi Clay, Kevin Corpuz, Robert Crenshaw, Evann De-Bose, Riley Dunn, William Humphrey, Omega Jones, Tim Kaniecki, Alicia Revé Like, Brittany Losh, Samantha Madison, Gabby McNabb, Carly Niehaus, Janine Norman and David Zimmerman.
Healy directs, with Bradley Rohlf assistant director; Christopher Page-Sanders choreographer and Carly Uding costume design.Tieliere Cheatem contributed the artwork. On opening night, they will give this portrait away that has been signed by the cast and the crew. Tickets available at Metrotix.com

For a chance to win two tickets to one performance, enter our poll drawing!Poll Question: What Is Your Favorite Show About Art? “Art”
“Is He Dead?”“Red”“Sunday in the Park with George”“Sight Unseen”
Submit your selection to [email protected] by noon on Wednesday, Aug. 15. Please include your phone number. You will be notified that afternoon if you won, and you can select what performance so that tickets can be arranged. The show is at 8 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, and Sunday at 2 p.m. Thanks for participating.
Winner of our two tickets to “Meet Me in St. Louis” was Chuck Brinkley. Thank you, Muny!
“Meet Me in St. Louis” received the most votes as the favorite local movie shot in or made about St. Louis.
***TRIVIA TIME-OUT: Oscar winner Shelley Winters, whose career spanned five decades, was born Shirley Schrift on Aug. 18, 1920, in St. Louis to Jewish immigrant parents. Her father, a tailor, moved the family to Brooklyn when she was a child. She died at age 86 in 2006.
Once nicknamed “The Blonde Bombshell,” she later became known for forceful dramatic roles.For what movie performances did she win her two Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actress?Answer: “The Diary of Anne Frank” in 1959, as a shrill Mrs. Van Daan, and “A Patch of Blue” in 1965, in which she played a slatternly mother cruel to her blind daughter.
Her breakthrough role on stage was as Ado Annie in “Oklahoma!” five years into the run, and she was noticed in “A Double Life” starring Oscar winner Ronald Coleman in 1947.But after a dissatisfying number of movie roles, she finally got the role of her lifetime in “A Place in the Sun” with Montgomery Clift and Elizabeth Taylor.
Some of her other big movies were “A Night of the Hunter” in 1955 and “The Poseidon Adventure” in 1972. Earlier, she had returned to studying at the Actors Studio and became a big advocate of the Lee Strasberg method.
A lifelong progressive Democrat and outspoken on feminist issues, she became quite a raconteur on talk shows during the 1970s and ‘80s. Her two tell-all autobiographies created quite a stir, as she had some high-profile leading-men dalliances.
Fun fact: She roomed with Marilyn Monroe when they were just starting out in Hollywood.
Happy Birthday, Shelley! (She would have been 98 Monday).Photo at right: Marilyn Monroe, Robert Mitchum and Shelley Winters.
***ICYMI: A movie adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Tony-winning “In the Heights” is planned for summer release 2020. Jon M. Chu, who helmed the new romantic comedy “Crazy Rich Asians,” will direct.Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Cats” will be made into a movie, and production is to start in November. Stars signed so far are Tony winners James Corden and Ian McKellen, along with Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson and Grammy winner Taylor Swift.
***WORD/DOWN MEMORY LANE: “Would you shut your phones off for Christ sakes?” – Stanley Tucci, during the Aug. 14, 2002, performance of “Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune” at the Belasco Theatre on Broadway. An audience member’s cell phone kept ringing. Calls for a ban on cell phones at NYC’s theatres grew louder, and a law was put into effect in 2003.
***Have any tidbits for this people column? Contact Managing Editor Lynn Venhaus – [email protected]
.All photos from archives or submitted. Featured image is of St. Louis native Shelley Winters.