Archive for April, 2016

The Fox Theatre is Alive With “The Sound of Music”

Posted in St Louis Theatre, USA Theatre, tagged , , , , , , , , , on April 29, 2016| Leave a Comment »

The Sound of Music
Music by Richard Rodgers, Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
Book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse
Directed by Jack O’Brien
The Fox Theatre
April 26, 2016

 

Kerstin Anderson Photo by Matthew Murphy The Sound of Music National Tour

Kerstin Anderson
Photo by Matthew Murphy
The Sound of Music National Tour

The Sound of Music is unquestionably a musical theatre classic.  Since its debut on Broadway in 1959, it has been performed in various productions around the world as well as two live television productions and, of course, the Oscar-Winning movie. I personally have seen so many productions of it that I’ve almost got the show memorized. Audiences generally know what to expect when they see this show. With the new touring production now on stage at the Fox, director Jack O’Brien has brought a good mixture of timelessness and immediacy to this time-honored show, as well as finding a promising young star to lead the cast.

Everyone knows the story, it seems. As Maria (Kerstin Anderson) finds it difficult to fit in at Nonnburg Abbey, the Mother Abbess (Melody Betts) decides the young would-be nun needs to see more of the world. So for that purpose, Maria is sent to be a governess to the seven children of lonely widower Captain Georg Von Trapp (Ben Davis), who since the death of his wife has become more of an authoritarian commander than a father to his children. Maria soon wins her way into the hearts of the children and, eventually, their father as well, despite the romantic efforts of the wealthy widow Elsa Schraeder (Teri Hansen), who also wants to marry the Captain. And then there’s the Captain’s enterprising friend Max (Merwin Foard), who hopes to recruit the children–whom Maria has taught to sing–to perform in a big music festival. And then comes the Nazi occupation of Austria, and the drama that follows.

Kerstin Anderson follows in the footsteps of many a Maria, including stage legend Mary Martin and the movie’s iconic Julie Andrews. Anderson, thankfully, doesn’t try to imitate her famous predecessors, although she has a quirkiness about her that is more comparable to Martin than to Andrews. She also has a youthful, energetic spirit and a great voice. As Maria navigates her road from the convent to the Von Trapps’ villa, Anderson visibly matures and acquires a sense of grace and poise. It’s an impressive performance, although she also occasionally tends to deliver her lines in an over-rehearsed, somewhat artificial manner. For the most part, however, she makes an excellent Maria, and she has great chemistry with Ben Davis’s charming, authoritative but increasingly boyish Von Trapp. Their love duet “Something Good” is very sweetly sung and their showcase dance charged with romantic tension. Davis also gets one of the show’s best moments when he leads his family in singing “Edelweiss” at the concert. There’s also a strong comedic performance by Foard as Max, and Betts as the Mother Abbess radiates kindness and strength, stopping the show with a soaring rendition of “Climb Ev’ry Mountain”. Other standouts in the cast are Paige Silvester as a particularly rebellious eldest Von Trapp daughter, Liesl, and Svea Elizabeth Johnson as the wise, observant daughter Brigitta. The children have a good rapport with Anderson’s Maria, and all the production numbers are well-done, including the energetic “Do Re Mi” and “The Lonely Goatherd”.

Visually, the production is impressive as well. Douglas W. Schmidt’s excellent set is notable for its period authenticity and colorful painted backdrops of beautiful mountain vistas, well-lit by lighting designer Natasha Katz. The costumes by Jane Greenwood are well-crafted and suited to the characters, from the nuns’ habits to Maria’s succession of dresses that range from the frumpy to the elegant. The children’s play costumes, supposedly made by Maria from the curtains in her bedroom, are appropriately whimsical. Maria’s hairstyles also go through a believable progression throughout the production, so kudos to hair designer Tom Watson for that effect.

Overall, the tone of this production strikes a good medium between the classic and the new. There’s a sense of energy and urgency brought to the proceedings, as well as an authentic-seeming 1930’s sensibility and an “old Broadway” style without seeming too dated. It’s not trying to to overly innovative or different. It’s just trying to tell the story and tell it well, and for the most part, this iteration of The Sound of Music achieves that goal. It’s a delightful show.

Ben Davis and cast Photo by Matthew Murphy The Sound of Music National Tour

Ben Davis and cast
Photo by Matthew Murphy
The Sound of Music National Tour

The national tour of The Sound of Music is running at the Fox Theatre until May 8, 2016.

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Mustard Seed’s “Bosnian/American” Tells a Fascinating Story

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , , on April 29, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Bosnian/American: The Dance for Life
by Deanna Jent
Directed by Adam Flores
Mustard Seed Theatre
April 24, 2016

Cast of Bosnian/American: The Dance of Life Photo by John Lamb Mustard Seed Theatre

Cast of Bosnian/American: The Dance of Life
Photo by John Lamb
Mustard Seed Theatre

Mustard Seed Theatre’s latest project tells an important story in the history of St. Louis, and the world. The Bosnian-American  community in St. Louis has become a vital part of the city over the past two decades, revitalizing a neighborhood contributing to the overall quality of life in St. Louis. Working with Fontbonne University’s Bosnia Memory Project, playwright Deanna Jent has taken the stories of first-generation Bosnian-Americans and shaped them into Bosnian/American: The Dance for Life, a play that uses memory and metaphor to illustrate their experience in St. Louis.

This isn’t a long play. Running at approximately 45 minutes, it’s a succinctly structured, vividly told story that reflects the experiences of various Bosnian immigrants to St. Louis, including a group of young adults who meet at a coffee shop and share their memories, of fleeing war and genocide in their homeland, of moving to St. Louis, and of growing up and adjusting to life in a new city and country. This story is intertwined with the framing device of a tale told to a young girl (Carly Uding) by her grandmother (Agnes Wilcox), of “Aska and the Wolf” in which a young lamb (Melissa Gerth) is separated from her flock and must figure out how to outwit a dangerous wolf (Andrew Kuhlmann) through means of dance. The 10 cast members (also including Elvedin Arnautovic, Arnelia Bogdanic, Katie Donnelly, Amir Salesevic, Mary Schnitzler, and Bob Thibaut) all play several roles in the story, including the sheep in the “Aska” story, as well as soldiers, parents, teachers, school children and more.

This show initially played two performances at Grbic Restaurant before settling into Mustard Seed’s usual space at Fontbonne University. The set, designed by Kyra Bishop, authentically recreates the restaurant setting. The costumes by Jane Sullivan are well-suited to the various characters, including the simple and inventive use of hats and a mask to represent the sheep and the wolf. There’s also good use of lighting by Michael Sullivan and excellent sound by Zoe Sullivan. The music is provided by Salesevic on the accordion, setting the tone of the production well.

The cast is uniformly excellent. From Gerth’s brave Aska, to Kuhlman’s menacing Wolf, to Wilcox’s kind, wise Nena, to Uding’s inquisitive Ariyana, to Arnautovic and Salesevic in various paternal roles, to the entire group, the ensemble is cohesive and energetic. The stories are told with a mixture of drama and humor, and the staging is well-paced.

Simply stated, Bosnian/American: The Dance for Life is a well-told story of the shaping of a community, and that community’s impact on the city of St. Louis. Produced with the participation of members of St. Louis’s Bosnian-American community, this play serves to inform and instruct as well as celebrating the real life experiences of individuals and families.

Melissa Gerth, Elvedin Arnautovic Photo by John Lamb Mustard Seed Theatre

Melissa Gerth, Elvedin Arnautovic
Photo by John Lamb
Mustard Seed Theatre

Bosnian/American: The Dance For Life is being presented by Mustard Seed Theatre at the Fontbonne University Fine Arts Theatre until May 1, 2016. 

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“Twisted Melodies” at the Black Rep is an Emotional Musical Journey

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , , on April 29, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Twisted Melodies
by Kelvin Roston, Jr.
Directed by Ron Himes
The Black Rep
April 23, 2016

Kelvin Roston, Jr. Photo by Stewart Goldstein The Black Rep

Kelvin Roston, Jr.
Photo by Stewart Goldstein
The Black Rep

A biographical one-person show, written by the show’s star, is an ideal way for a talented writer and performer to showcase his talents while also paying tribute to a notable person. The latest production from the Black Rep, Twisted Melodies, is an excellent example of this kind of show. Featuring the remarkable performance of writer/star Kelvin Roston, Jr., the play tells the story of legendary R&B singer Donny Hathaway by taking the audience on an immersive trip into Hathaway’s life and mind.

The play introduces the audience to Hathaway (Roston) on a pivotal day in his life in 1979. After a troubling recording session, he’s back in his room at the Essex House Hotel in New York. Plagued by hallucinations attributed to paranoid schizophrenia, Hathaway recounts the story of his life and music, engaging the audience as if we are a benevolent hallucination, unlike the more hostile voices and visions that haunt him. He tells the story of his childhood in St. Louis and his upbringing in the home of his strict but loving and devout grandmother, who insisted that Hathaway spend hours practicing piano and developing his musical gifts. The story continues into Hathaway’s adolescence and young adulthood, where he attended Howard University in Washington, DC and eventually began his musical career. He tells of his marriage, his musical collaborations with Roberta Flack and others, and his experience with mental illness that grew to dominate his adult life. The play is structured so that we don’t just hear the story, though. We are put into Hathaway’s head, hearing what he hears and seeing what he sees, with the troubling, confusing and terrifying sounds and sights realized by means of Rick Sims’s superb sound design, Sean Savoie’s stunning lighting, and Mark Wilson’s vividly realized projections.  All the while, Hathaway’s music is used to tell his story, expertly played and sung by Roston.

Roston didn’t just write this show–he is the show. The first-rate technical aspects of this play, including the excellent set by Jim Burwinkel, serve as the backdrop for this first-rate performance. The amiable, personable Roston presents a Donny Hathaway whose talent is clearly at the forefront, as are his struggles. His battle with paranoid schizophrenia and his reluctance to take the drugs to treat it–since their side effects can be extreme–is portrayed with clarity and intensity. Roston’s musicality is also on clear display, with his smooth, soulful voice and impressive keyboard skills presenting Hathaway’s music remarkably. He does a great job of sounding like Hathaway as well, with strong performances of songs such as “The Ghetto”, “She Is My Lady” “Giving Up”, “A Song For You”, and perhaps most impressively, singing both parts of his duet with Flack, “The Closer I Get to You”. Hathaway’s joy in his music is made clear, as is his fear, desperation, and search for hope. As Hathaway’s journey takes him back and forth from hope to despair, Roston powerfully portrays every aspect of that journey.

Twisted Melodies is a tour-de-force performance and a superbly crafted theatrical piece, with lighting that contributes to Hathaway’s feelings of isolation and fear, inventive use of projections, and excellent sound that incorporates recorded music that blends seamlessly with Roston’s live performance. It’s a compelling and sometimes disturbing look into the mind of a brilliant but troubled musician, and it’s not to be missed.

Kelvin Roston, Jr. Photo by Stewart Goldstein The Black Rep

Kelvin Roston, Jr.
Photo by Stewart Goldstein
The Black Rep

The Black Rep is presenting Twisted Melodies at Washington University’s Edison Theatre until May 1, 2016.

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Inventive Staging, Strong Acting Distinguish STLAS’s “Ivanov”

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , on April 24, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Ivanov
by Anton Chekhov, Translated by Tom Stoppard
Directed by Wayne Salomon
St. Louis Actors’ Studio
April 15, 2016

Cast of Ivanov Photo by John Lamb St. Louis Actors' Studio

Cast of Ivanov
Photo by John Lamb
St. Louis Actors’ Studio

Ivanov by Anton Chekov has a rather large cast for the small stage at the Gaslight Theatre. I can’t remember seeing so many people on stage at once in a St. Louis Actors’ Studio production. That could be seen as a problem considering the small stage that STLAS has to work with, but with this latest production, director Wayne Salomon makes the most of the space. With an excellent cast and some inventive staging, Chekov’s play is brought to life in an intriguing, fascinating production.

The story is a critical look at Russian society in last half of the 19th Century. The central figure, the once-vibrant Nikolai Ivanov (Drew Battles) has reached a point in his life in which he is chronically unhappy. His formerly passionate marriage to Anna (Julie Layton)–who gave up her Jewish faith to marry him–is now stagnant and unsatisfying for him. Even though Anna is dying from tuberculosis, Ivanov can’t bring himself to care very much. He’s constantly criticized by self-proclaimed “honest man” Lvov (Reginald Pierre), who is caring for Anna. He’s also beset with pressures, temptations and confusion from others in his life, including his scheming pal Borkin (David Wassilak), the elderly and cantankerous Count Shabelsky (Bobby Miller), and the lovestruck, naive young Sasha (Alexandra Petrullo), the daughter of Ivanov’s old friend Lebedev (B. Weller), whose domineering wife Zinaida (Teresa Doggett) is constantly reminding Ivanov of the money he owes her and is unable to pay. There are more characters and more subplots, but the central dilemma is Ivanov’s struggle to find meaning in his increasingly aimless life.

STLAS’s space at the Gaslight Theatre is tiny, but this company has been able to make the of their limited space time and again. Ivanov is no exception, despite the fairly large cast. The style is generally 19th Century, with Patrick Huber’s wood plank-lined set and Teresa Doggett’s richly detailed costumes, but that set is also marked by fluorescent tube lighting lining the walls, illuminating the stage as the actors rarely leave, even when their characters’ aren’t in a given scene. The performers are kept on stage throughout most of the action, just standing or sitting on the sidelines, sometimes with their backs to the audience and sometimes watching what’s happening on stage. This staging adds to the sense of uneasiness that Ivanov expresses, and it works extremely well. The lighting, also designed by Huber, is particularly striking and effective, as the overall  effect of the play is one of increasing depression and futility for Ivanov.

The actors do an excellent job here with this rather talky play, especially Battles as the melancholy Ivanov and Weller as the more optimistic Lebedev. Weller is particularly strong as possibly the most likable character in the play. Petrullo as Sasha convincingly plays the determined young woman who’s prepared to devote her whole life to “saving” the dejected Ivanov. Pierre is fine as the “honest” Lvov, although he does tend to underplay the role. Layton makes a sympathetic Anna, and Miller brings his usual energy and charm to the role of the amoral Count. There’s also a memorable turn by Wassilak as the gleefully manipulative Borkin. The rest of the ensemble is convincing, as well, carrying the tone of the production as the tension builds leading up to a somewhat abrupt conclusion.

One of the biggest issues I had with this play is that the title character isn’t particularly easy to sympathize with despite Battles’s excellent performance. Neither are most of the characters, for that matter. To a degree that seems to be Chekhov’s aim, though, looking at the society and mores of his day and how they would contribute to Ivanov’s growing sense of ennui. The people around him vary in degrees of ridiculousness, and the staging of this production helps to heighten that sense of dissatisfaction. It’s a clever production, well-acted and impressively presented.

Drew Battles Photo by John Lamb St. Louis Actors' Studio

Drew Battles
Photo by John Lamb
St. Louis Actors’ Studio

St. Louis Actors’ Studio’s production of Ivanov runs at the Gaslight Theatre until May 1, 2016.

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“Great Falls” at WEPG Is Intriguing But Bleak

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , on April 15, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Great Falls
by Lee Blessing
Directed by Tom Kopp
West End Players Guild
April 9, 2016

Shannon Lampkin, Isaiah DiLorenzo Photo by John Lamb West End Players Guild

Shannon Lampkin, Isaiah DiLorenzo
Photo by John Lamb
West End Players Guild

Great Falls is not a happy play, and that’s an understatement. The newest offering from West End Players Guild is a two-person travelogue of a play that takes its audience on a tour not only of the American Northwest, but of its lead characters’ emotions and personal struggles. It’s a well-cast character study that does manage to evoke a few laughs, although for the most part its outlook on life is grim.

The characters here–a recently divorced man and his former stepdaughter–aren’t given names. They’re listed in the program and referred to in the play as Monkey Man (Isaiah DiLorenzo) and Bitch (Shannon Lampkin). In the wake of multiple infidelities and an acrimonious divorce, Monkey Man is eager to salvage his relationship with his ex-wife’s daughter, so he takes her on an impromptu road trip to South Dakota, Wyoming, and Montana with the intention of revisiting the locations of his own childhood vacations, as well as having some serious conversations. Although his intent is to maintain a relationship, Bitch isn’t interested, at least at first. Through the course of the play, their journey takes them to a variety of well-known and lesser known locations, and some surprising truths are revealed. Without giving too much away, I’ll say that many of those truths are unpleasant, and the play’s revelations about the nature of the men and boys in Bitch’s life are more than a little disturbing. It has its lighter moments, but the overall mood is increasingly dark.

The interplay between the two performers is the highlight of this production. DiLorenzo portrays a determined, guilt-plagued Monkeyman, trying to maintain a sense of optimism and not quite succeeding, as he continually spars with Lampkin’s snarky, moody character who insists that Monkeyman call her Bitch. Their verbal sparring is the centerpiece of the show, and their journey from antipathy to empathy and beyond is compelling to watch.

The setting here is fairly simple. As usual for most WEPG productions, the production utilizes the stage and the area in front of it, with Stephanie Draper’s set framed by material suggesting a cavern of some sort. There’s a low-budget hotel room set on the stage, and a simple framework of Monkeyman’s car that is brought for several scenes, and a backdrop with projections representing the various landmarks the characters visit. The costumes, by Tracey Newcomb-Margrave, are well-suited to the characters, and Draper’s lighting is also effective.

This play is more than “not happy”, really. It can be downright depressing, with an ending that leaves more questions than answers. Themes of estrangement, loneliness, violence and assault are addressed in a matter-of-fact manner that can be jarring and relentless. Still, it does a good job of creating a mood and setting, and the characters are well portrayed.  Great Falls is not for all audiences, but it tells a memorable story.

Shannon Lampkin, Isaiah DiLorenzo Photo by John Lamb West End Players Guild

Shannon Lampkin, Isaiah DiLorenzo
Photo by John Lamb
West End Players Guild

Great Falls is being presented by West End Players Guild at Union Avenue Christian Church until April 17th, 2016.

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“Richard III” Schemes and Reigns With Brutal Intensity at St. Louis Shakespeare

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , on April 14, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Richard III
by William Shakespeare
Directed by Suki Peters
St. Louis Shakespeare
April 8, 2016

Charlie Barron Photo by John Lamb St. Louis Shakespeare

Charlie Barron
Photo by John Lamb
St. Louis Shakespeare

Richard III, as told by William Shakespeare, may or may not be particularly accurate from a historical point of view. It’s clear whose side the Bard was on in the epic battle between the Houses of Lancaster and York, but what matters in drama is the how the story is told and how the characters portray that story. In St. Louis Shakespeare’s superbly cast new staging of the classic history play, raw ambition is at the forefront as Richard schemes his way to the throne.

Richard (Charlie Barron) begins the play as the Duke of Gloucester. In a series of asides to the audience that seem something like “talking head” interviews from a TV show, the unscrupulous Duke hatches and executes his plan to become King of England, starting with having his brother, George, Duke of Clarence (Maxwell Knocke) imprisoned and later killed. He wheedles his way into marriage with the (very) recently widowed Anne Neville (Jennifer Theby-Quinn) in order to secure an alliance with her family. Through the course of play Richard connives and manipulates, running afoul of the current queen, Elizabeth (Michelle Hand), the former queen, Margaret (Jeanitta Perkins), and even his own mother, the Duchess of York (Margeau Steinau). He enlists an array of henchmen and “advisors”, but his trust in them varies. Chief among these allies is the conflicted Duke of Buckingham (John Foughty), who is increasingly uneasy with Richard’s plans. Eventually ascending the throne, Richard is eventually led to war with his chief rival, the nobly depicted Henry, the Earl of Richmond (Erik Kuhn).

Regardless of historical quibbles and whose side the viewer may be on in this legendary clash, Shakespeare’s Richard is painted as a clear villain. Usually portrayed with a contorted body and a decided stoop, Richard here is portrayed by Baron as more upright in the posture department, but still as gleefully villainous. Walking with a limp is about the extent of the physical limitations of Barron’s Richard, although he brings a sharp physicality to the role, and a wily, conniving, viciously forceful manner. He holds the viewer’s attention with ease, and his scenes with Theby-Quinn’s defiantly reluctant Anne, Hand’s harried Elizabeth, Perkins’s confrontational Margaret, and Foughty’s principled, conflicted Buckingham are intensely charged. Other standouts include Chuck Winning in a dual role as King Edward IV and another of Richard’s allies, Sir Robert Brackenbury. There’s also a particularly menacing turn by Brennan Eller as hired assassin Sir James Tyrell. Erik Kuhn plays a reluctant assassin with sympathy, although his turn as the heroic Richmond is slightly less convincing. For the most part, though, this is an extremely strong cast, with too many strong performances to name.

It’s a well-staged production, with a multi-level set by Jason Townes that appropriately evokes the era. JC Krajicek’s costumes are colorful and detailed, and Steve Miller’s lighting sets the mood well. There’s also some impressive staging particularly in the battle scenes, bringing the Battle of Bosworth Field to the stage in a convincing, personal way.

St. Louis Shakespeare has brought a lot of humanity to this production. It’s easy to see Richard III, as portrayed by Shakespeare, as a monster, and while he’s clearly a villain, here he’s a decidedly three-dimensional villain. The people whose lives he manipulates, challenges and destroys are portrayed in vivid detail as well, particularly the women. It’s a fast-moving, never boring staging of this classic portrayal of of King’s ambitious, brutal ascent to the throne and his inevitable downfall. This Richard III at its most approachable, and most powerful.

Charlie Barron, cast Photo by John Lamb St. Louis Shakespeare

Charlie Barron, cast
Photo by John Lamb
St. Louis Shakespeare

St. Louis Shakespeare is presenting Richard III at the Ivory Theatre until April 17, 2016.

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“Bridges” at the Fox Looks, Sounds Great, But the Story is Lacking

Posted in St Louis Theatre, USA Theatre, tagged , , , , , , , , on April 9, 2016| Leave a Comment »

The Bridges of Madison County
Book by Marsha Norman, Music and Lyrics by Jason Robert Brown
Based the Novel by Robert James Waller
Original Direction by Bartlett Sher, Direction Recreated by Tyne Rafaeli
The Fox Theatre
April 5, 2016

Elizabeth Stanley, Andrew Samonsky Photo by Matthew Murphy The Bridges of Madison County National Tour

Elizabeth Stanley, Andrew Samonsky
Photo by Matthew Murphy
The Bridges of Madison County National Tour

The Bridges of Madison County was one of those books that everyone seemed to be reading in the early 1990’s. It has since become a well-known film, and now it’s a musical, featuring a score by one of the most celebrated modern composers, Jason Robert Brown. And the score is gorgeous, as are the production values. Unfortunately, despite a good cast, the story isn’t quite as gorgeous.

Although this was a best-selling book and a popular movie, I haven’t read the book and this version is the first adaptation I’ve seen. It tells the story of a lonely Italian woman, Francesca (Elizabeth Stanley) who married an American soldier after World War II and moved with him to his farm in Iowa. After years of living with Bud (Cullen R. Titmas) and raising their now-teenage children Carolyn (Caitlin Houlahan) and Michael (John Campione), Francesca is bored with farm life and misses Italy. When Bud and the kids take a trip to a state fair to show off Carolyn’s prize steer, Francesca stays home, where she soon meets traveling photographer Robert Kincaid (Andrew Samonsky), who has been sent by National Geographic  to take pictures of the area’s famous covered bridges. He stops at Francesca’s to ask for directions to the last bridge, and the two are soon intrigued by one another, as Robert has recently traveled to Francesca’s hometown of Naples and his more worldly, less conventional outlook on life intrigues her. They begin an affair, despite the frequent calls from Bud and Francesca’s neighbor and friend Marge (Mary Callanan) to check up on her.

This affair is apparently supposed to be life-changing for both Francesca and Robert, but the way it’s presented in this musical, I don’t really buy it. Everything moves too quickly and isn’t given the proper resonance. I keep finding myself sympathizing with the nice-but-boring Bud, and with his and Francesca’s kids, who have no clue what’s going on back home while they have their own “adventures” at the fair that don’t have much bearing on the rest of the story. The music is gorgeous, representing a variety of styles from a more classical sound to country and folk, and there are some stand-out songs, some with clever settings like Marge standing in for a radio singer singing “Get Closer” as Robert and Francesca dance. There’s also the haunting “Who You Are and Who We Want to Be” and Robert’s memorable “It All Fades Away”, but despite the beautiful music, the story around the songs reads as kind of shallow, with the connection between Francesca and Robert seeming little more than superficial, and the story’s continuation after the key events making the supposedly torrid affair seem kind of pointless.

The show looks great, as well. With a positively stunning set design by Michael Yeargan, adapted for the tour by Mikiko Suzuki MacAdams and beautifully realized lighting by Donald Holder and Michael Jones, the atmosphere of the sweeping farmlands of Iowa is well-embodied. There’s also excellent, well-suited costume design by Catherine Zuber that captures the style of the time period.

The cast for this show is also excellent, led by a top-notch performance by Stanley as the disillusioned Francesca. Her presence and strong voice help to make her character relatable despite the lack of chemistry with Samonsky’s nice-looking but somewhat bland Robert. The real stand-outs in this cast are the supporting performers, especially Callanan as the nosy but supportive neighbor Marge, and David Hess as her affable, loving husband Charlie. Houlahan and Campione are also excellent as Francesca’s children, the nervous but determined Carolyn and the initially rebellious but well-meaning Michael. Titmas is also fine in the somewhat flatly written role of Bud, and there’s a strong ensemble that fills out the cast, representing townspeople and various people from Francesca’s and Robert’s personal history.

The Bridges of Madison County is  a good-looking, great sounding show, but I wish it was more than that. It’s set up as a great love story but it doesn’t come across that way, especially with the lack of chemistry between the leads and the sense that most of the subplots are merely window-dressing for the unconvincing main event. I haven’t read the book so I don’t know if the story is better told in novel form, but here it’s all kind of thin. Still, it’s Jason Robert Brown, so the music is wonderful, and the songs are well-sung.  There’s enough here for a reasonably interesting story, but I wish there had been more of a point to it all.

Elizabeth Stanley, Andrew Samonsky Photo by Matthew Murphy The Bridges of Madison County National Tour

Elizabeth Stanley, Andrew Samonsky
Photo by Matthew Murphy
The Bridges of Madison County National Tour

The national tour of The Bridges of Madison County plays at the Fox Theatre until April 17, 2016.

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“Hedwig” Entertains, Explores Identity at Stray Dog Theatre

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , , on April 8, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Text by John Cameron Mitchell, Music and Lyrics by Stephen Trask
Directed by Justin Been
Stray Dog Theatre
March 31, 2016

Michael Baird, Anna Skidis Vargas Photo by John Lamb Stray Dog Theatre

Michael Baird, Anna Skidis Vargas
Photo by John Lamb
Stray Dog Theatre

Stray Dog Theatre has transformed Tower Grove Abbey into a concert venue for their latest production, Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Introducing us to a complex central character and her dramatic story, Hedwig isn’t a traditional musical. With an immersive experience that involves audience interaction and a dynamic lead performance, this show is unique, entertaining, and challenging all the same time.

This is a well-known show that’s had a celebrated off-Broadway run and a film starring co-author John Cameron Mitchell, as well as an award-winning Broadway revival starring Neil Patrick Harris, who was then replaced by a succession of notable stars. It makes sense that a lot of actors would want to portray Hedwig, a complex and interesting character with an unusual and compelling story. Presented as a 1990s-era concert by East German-born rocker Hedwig (Michael Baird), the show explores issues of gender identity, personal fulfillment, the concept of love and soul mates, and more. Hedwig’s story is revealed as she performs a succession of autobiographical songs, through which she tells the story of her upbringing (as Hansel) in East Germany, and then her botched sex reassignment operation, her move to America and the evolution of her career as a performer, including her influence on another, now more famous, rock singer and former lover, Tommy Gnosis. There’s also Hedwig’s husband and bandmate Yitzhak (Anna Skidis Vargas), whose relationship with Hedwig is emotionally fraught, to say the least.

The casting of Hedwig is essential for a production of this show, and SDT has cast very well with Michael Baird. Baird’s emotionally charged, energetic, powerful performance is the centerpiece of this production. Hedwig’s personal journey is reflected well here, with Baird’s winning performance of stand-out songs like “Sugar Daddy”, “Wicked Little Town” and the especially memorable “Wig In a Box”. Baird is matched in intensity by Skidis Vargas as the conflicted, disgruntled Yitzhak, turning in a strong performance especially on “The Long Grift”. They are backed by a top-notch band, as well, led by music director Chris Petersen as Hedwig’s band leader, Skszp, who interacts with Hedwig throughout the performance.

The whole “rock concert” atmosphere is well-realized here. The bar is operating throughout the performance, with audience members encouraged to go up any time to order drinks. The stage set, designed by Rob Lippert, is appropriately representative of a rock music venue, with a two-level stage and scaffolding flanked by video monitors on all sides. The use of projected illustrations and animations by Ryan Wiechmann contributes style and substance to the show, as do the spectacular costumes by Eileen Engel, and the makeup and wig styles by Priscilla Case. Tyler Duenow’s lighting is also appropriately atmospheric.

This is an excellent, highly entertaining production. I did have one issue with the ending, in that the story seemed to be heading in a particular direction and didn’t actually go there, although when I read about the show online, it appears that it usually does end the way I had been expecting, although it doesn’t in this production. I’m not sure what to think about that. Overall, though, I would say this is an energetic, engrossing, well-staged and well-performed production that is very much worth checking out.

Michael Baird and Cast Photo by John Lamb Stray Dog Theatre

Michael Baird and Cast
Photo by John Lamb
Stray Dog Theatre

Hedwig and the Angry Inch is being presented by Stray Dog Theatre at the Tower Grove Abbey until April 16, 2016.

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