Archive for October, 2022

Moonstone’s Energetic, Very 1960s “Barefoot in the Park” Features Strong Cast

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , on October 29, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Barefoot in the Park
by Neil Simon
Directed by Sharon Hunter
Moonstone Theatre Company
October 27, 2022

Luis Aguilar, Rhiannon Creighton
Photo by Jon Gitchoff
Moonstone Theatre Company

Barefoot in the Park is one of celebrated playwright Neil Simon’s earlier works, first having been staged on Broadway in 1963, starring a young Robert Redford, who later starred in the 1967 film adaptation opposite Jane Fonda. Moonstone Theatre Company has chosen to set their season opening production in 1966, perhaps to take advantage of the late 1960s style trends, and this production certainly achieves an eye-catching aesthetic. It also features some winning performances and well-paced direction by Sharon Hunter, highlighting the more timeless elements of the play’s appeal, although the age of this script does show through in places.

This is one of those shows that, while contemporary in its time, only works as a period piece today. The 1960s setting is one of the highlights of this production, but it also highlights the changing times, including views of marriage, relationships, and perceptions of age and gender roles. The story focuses around young newlyweds Corie (Rhiannion Creighton) and Paul (Luis Aguilar), who have just come from their honeymoon to settle into a small, fifth-floor walkup apartment in New York City. Although they are still in the flush of “young love”, these two are very different in terms of personality. Corie is impulsive, vivacious, and upbeat, always looking for a new adventure in life. Young lawyer Paul, on the other hand, is more conventional, and wary of Corie’s more outgoing, quirky ways. Still, they’re obviously in love, and excited about beginning their life together, until a series of interactions calls both to question whether or not they should even be together. This is a Neil Simon comedy, so the complications tend toward the madcap rather than the introspective, and hilarious characters and situations are the focus. First, there’s Corie’s mother, Ethel (Jilane Klaus), who personality-wise seems to have more in common with her new son-in-law than her daughter. Ethel, who voices her support for the new couple, is also obviously concerned and has the tendency to want to meddle. She’s also lonely, set in her ways, and (*gasp*) 50(!), so Corie is determined to inject some excitement into her mother’s life by introducing her to their worldly, eccentric upstairs neighbor, Victor Velasco (TJ Lancaster), who proves to be charming and affably wacky. Naturally, hijinks ensue, leading to the young couple’s questioning their own relationship and their attitudes toward one another and life in general. 

The show is certainly funny, and the characters and situations are never dull, especially with the excellent performances and brisk staging. Still, there are some creaky elements to the script that make it obvious how much society has changed in the past six decades. First, although both Corie and Paul learn about compromise in relationships, the major “weight” of the self-reflection is given to Corie, with elements of the old “change to keep your man” theme. Also, the attitudes toward aging, and  how people age 50+ (especially women) are perceived and expected to behave, is especially jarring. Still, there is a lot to like here, as well, and a lot of the themes are still as relatable today as they were 60 years ago.

For this production, the vibrancy comes from the excellent, very period-focused atmosphere as well as the wonderful cast. Dunsi Dai’s colorful, detailed set is a mid-century marvel, as are Michele Siler’s character-appropriate costumes, Michael Sullivan’s atmospheric lighting and Amanda Werre’s excellent sound design. The period-specific music played before the show and during the two intermissions also highlights the 1960s mood. 

As for that wonderful cast, everyone is strong, with a cohesive ensemble chemistry and excellent comic timing. Creighton as the energetic Corie and Aguilar as the more reserved Paul make a memorable pair, making the somewhat rocky arc of their relationship believable. Klaus is also strong as Ethel, who undergoes a believable transformation of sorts aided by the hilarious Lancaster, who gives a charming, scene-stealing performance as Victor. There are also excellent featured performances from Chuck Brinkley as a telephone repairman and Bob Harvey as a delivery guy. 

Overall, Moonstone’s Barefoot in the Park is a brightly atmospheric trip into the 1960s, and a fun look at how contrasting personalities and outlooks on life can influence relationships. It does have its share of dated elements, but this production, featuring its great cast and memorable aesthetic, is ultimately fun, funny, and heartwarming. It’s an entertaining opening for Moonstone’s new season.  

TJ Lancaster, Jilanne Klaus, Luis Aguilar, Rhiannon Creighton
Photo by Jon Gitchoff
Moonstone Theatre Company

Moonstone Theatre Company is presenting Barefoot in the Park at the Kirkwood Performing Arts Center until November 13, 2022

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Black Mirror’s Roll With It! Rolls Through a Range of Emotions in Compelling Autobiography

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , , on October 17, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Roll With It!
by Katie Rodriguez Banister and Michelle Zielinski
Directed by J. Michelle Rebollo
Black Mirror Theatre Company
October 13, 2022

Kate Rodrigquez Banister, Hannah “Mo” Moellering
Photo by Brian J. Rolf
Black Mirror Theatre Company

Black Mirror Theatre Company has returned to the stage with a world premiere production starring and co-authored by its subject. Roll With It! is a highly personal look at writer, speaker, and disability activist Katie Rodriguez Banister’s life and relationships with family, friends, the world, and herself. It’s an inventively staged production that tells a fascinating story, even if it could use a little bit of editing. 

The stars of this production are unquestionably Banister, who plays herself and co-wrote the script with Michelle Zielinski, and Hannah Geisz, who plays Katie Before the Accident, who sticks around with Katie while her life story plays out in the form of vignettes, flashbacks, and commentary. The car accident that changed Katie’s life and left her paralyzed from the chest down is the major inciting incident, but the main subject is Katie herself, as she learns to deal with her own issues not just stemming from the accident, but also relating to her relationship with her parents, her own self-image, and more. The play also recounts her recovery from the accident, her lawsuit of the company that made the car she was riding in on that fateful day, her involvement in theatre and in disability education and activism, and her meeting the man who would eventually become her husband–Steve Banister, played by Tyler Gotsis. Ultimately, though, the story is about Katie coming to terms with herself, and learning to accept the earlier version of herself along with who she becomes. This aspect is inventively portrayed through the device of having two “Katies” who not only act out events as they happened, but who also directly interact with one another, wrestling with their issues in a visual, visceral way that forms most of the compelling drama, and humor, in this production.

The two main performers are both excellent, portraying a full range of emotions and interacting with energy, intensity, and credible emotion. They are supported by an ensemble of supporting players (Kelly Ballard, Dennis Calvin, Gotsis, Kristen Hayes, Hannah “Mo” Moellering”, Claire Sackman, Luke Steffen, and Rob Tierney), who each play a variety of roles including friends, colleagues, family, doctors, nurses, lawyers, and more as Katie’s story plays out in a series of scenes. For the most part, the staging is compelling, although there are some uneven moments, and a few “backstory” moments that could be explained more clearly. Still, Banister’s story is fascinating and compelling, and this play reflects that reality well.

Technically, it’s a simply staged show with some memorable projections by director J. Michelle Rebollo, as well as excellent lighting by Ryan Luedloff and sound design by Banister and Rebollo. Overall, Roll With It! is a promising new work that features a pair of impressive performances and tells a remarkable and fascinating true life story. 

Hannah Geisz, Katie Rodriguez Banister, Tyler Gotsis
Photo by Brian J. Rolf
Black Mirror Theatre Company

Black Mirror Theatre Company is presenting Roll With It! at the Kranzberg Black Box Theatre until October 23, 2022

This review was originally written for KDHX

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Haunting “Hadestown” Is Fantastically Compelling at the Fox

Posted in St Louis Theatre, USA Theatre on October 13, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Hadestown
Music. Lyrics, and Book by Anaïs Mitchell
Developed and Directed by Rachel Chavkin
Choreographed by David Neumann
The Fox Theatre
October 11, 2022

Hannah Whitley, Matthew Patrick Quinn, Nathan Lee Graham, Maria-Christina Oliveras, Chibueze Ihuoma, Cast and Musicians of Hadestown
Photo by T. Charles Erickson
Hadestown North American Tour

Hadestown, the Tony-winning Broadway musical, is now onstage at the Fox. I’m happy to be able to see it again, having seen it in New York three years ago. I loved it then, and was looking forward to seeing the tour and seeing if it’s as impressive as it was on Broadway. I’m glad to report that it’s a wonderful production, with a few necessary set and staging adaptations, but still with stunning production values and a great, Broadway-caliber cast. 

The story is adapted from Greek mythology, set in a nebulous time and place reminiscent of the Depression-era USA. Featuring a primarily folk/folk-rock/jazz/blues score by singer-songwriter Anaïs Mitchell, the show took a long road to the Broadway stage, starting out with small productions in New England, and eventually to a concept album, then an Off-Broadway run and stops in Edmonton and London’s National Theatre before finally arriving on Broadway and winning several Tony Awards, including Best Musical.  The story features several figures from Greek legend, including the god Hermes (Nathan Lee Graham), who narrates the story, and Hades (Matthew Patrick Quinn), who rules over an industrial underworld known as Hadestown, and whose marriage to Persephone (Shea Renne on Opening Night, understudying principal Maria-Christina Oliveras) has become rocky, affecting the normal progression of the seasons and causing much consternation in the world above. The main focus, though, is on the relationship of earnest young poet/singer Orpheus (Chibueze Ihuoma), and the world-weary Eurydice (Hannah Whitley), whose story is compelling even when you do know how it turns out. The story is also engaging in the way it incorporates the excellent band into the action, as well as the ensemble and notably the enigmatic Fates (Dominique Kempf, Belén Moyano, Nyla Watson), who are a constant presence throughout. 

The cast for this tour is terrific, even considering it is not the original touring cast. The level of excellence here is impressive. Graham, as narrator/mentor figure Hermes, is dynamic and in great voice, with a vibrant physicality. Ihuoma and Whitley are also standouts, with their strong chemistry and compelling performances and vocals. Quinn makes a suitably menacing Hades, working well with Renne, who gives an impressively complex performance as Persephone. Kempf, Moyono, and Watson display strong presence and vocals as the Fates, and the ensemble is strong in support. This is a first-rate production from start to finish, performing David Neumann’s strikingly inventive choreography with energy and power, and effectively carrying the intensity and emotion of the story.

In a technical sense, the production dazzles just as much as it did in New York, with some impressive adaptations to Rachel Hauck’s eye-catching set design so that it works better on tour. Most notably, the lift in the middle of the stage has been replaced by big “elevator” doors that suggest movement between the “up” and “down” worlds more than directly showing it. The lighting by Bradley King is also stunning, as are the meticulously detailed costumes by Michael Krass. The staging is thoroughly thrilling, keeping up a pace that fits the rhythm and mood of the score, as well as the intensity, heart, and occasional humor of the story. 

Hadestown is one of my favorite recent musicals, and I’m glad its touring production is so strong. It helps a little in following the story if you know at least a little about Greek mythology, but you don’t have to know all the details to enjoy this wonderfully original take on an oft-told legend. It’s hauntingly intense, marvelously cast, and thrillingly energetic. It’s a remarkable production.

Maria-Christina Oliveras, Chibueze Ihuoma, Matthew Patrick Quinn, and Cast of Hadestown
Photo by T. Charles Erickson
Hadestown North American Tour

The North American Tour of Hadestown is playing at the Fox Theatre until October 23, 2022

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The Midnight Company’s “St. Louis Woman” is an Entertaining Musical History Lesson

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , on October 10, 2022| Leave a Comment »

St. Louis Woman
by Joe Hanrahan
Directed by Joe Hanrahan
The Midnight Company
October 9, 2022

The Midnight Company’s latest production, St. Louis Woman, is more of a revue than a play. Written by the company’s artistic director Joe Hanrahan, the show features a dynamic central performance by a talented singer backed by first-rate musicians, and features an illuminating backdrop of projections that illustrate the stories well. The show tells the stories of St. Louis women in music and the arts, with a variety of songs, dancing, and informative narration.

St. Louis Woman is a one-woman show starring locally-based singer/songwriter and cabaret performer LAKA, who narrates the history of women–particularly Black women–in the arts in St. Louis from the late 19th Century until the present day. She starts out telling the stories behind the classic songs “Frankie and Johnny” and W.C. Handy’s “St. Louis Blues”, singing the songs with style and power. Then, the story turns to individual performers and a variety of musical styles, from Willie Mae Ford Smith’s gospel music to the soul and R&B sounds of Fontella Bass and Ann Peebles. There are also sections about dancer and choreographer Katherine Dunham and writer Maya Angelou. The biggest featured segments, however, are those centered around legendary singer and cabaret performer Josephine Baker, and Rock/Pop/R&B icon Tina Turner. The performance is a lesson in history as well as a celebration of the work of these celebrated artists, introduced and performed with memorable and versatile style by LAKA.

The main reason to see this production is undoubtedly its leading performer, as well as the superb backing musicians, music director Corey Patterson on keyboards and Gabe Bonfili on percussion. LAKA is notable for her remarkable versatility as she manages various styles from Jazz, to pop, to gospel, to R&B, to rock n’ roll, with excellent power and presence, managing to sing in the styles of the performers she portrays with expert skill, in marvelous tribute to these legendary performers. Acting-wise, she seems a little more uneasy at times, although she also has moments of excellence, especially in the Tina Turner sequence. 

The show itself is highly informative and fascinating, for the most part, although some of the segments are dragged out a little too much, and sometimes it seems more like a series of disjointed vignettes than a cohesive show. The transitions (in which LAKA changes costumes) can be overly long as well, although the musicians and Michael Musgrave-Perkins’s eye-catching projections do help maintain interest in these moments. Visually, it’s an enjoyable show in terms of those wonderful projections of historical photos, and the detailed costumes by Liz Henning, along with Tony Anselmo’s evocative lighting.

Overall, I would say that St. Louis Woman is an entertaining and informative production, covering the important St. Louis music and art and the women who made an impact on this city, and on the world. Although there are a few rough edges, it’s still a memorable, well-performed production featuring an immensely talented performer. LAKA gives this performance her all, and her voice, versatility, and enthusiasm are great reasons to see this show.

LAKA
Photo: The Midnight Company

The Midnight Company is presenting St. Louis Woman at the .ZACK Theatre until October 22, 2022 

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STLAS’s “Fiction” Takes an Intriguing Look at Secrets, Mysteries, and the Truth

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , on October 10, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Fiction
by Steven Dietz
Directed by Wayne Salomon
St. Louis Actors’ Studio
October 8, 2022

William Roth, Lizi Watt
Photo by Patrick Huber
St. Louis Actors’ Studio

I’ve sometimes thought that if I were ever to write my memoirs, they would have to be at least partially fictionalized. Since life is rarely as dramatic as literature, at least a little embellishment would be necessary in telling my life story. Also, there are real people involved in my story, and I don’t own their lives, so fudging to protect privacy would also be needed. In addition to these reasons, imagining what could have happened is often easier, more fun, and sometimes less painful than remembering what really happened. These ideas–of truth vs. fiction in telling our stories and those of others we know–are dealt with in intriguing, highly personal detail in Steven Dietz’s relationship drama Fiction, which explores the marriage of two writers who, upon being faced with mortality, are forced to confront their own secrets, mysteries, and realities in their relationship and in their writings. 

The story begins mid-conversation in a café in Paris, where Michael Waterman–played by William Roth, and Linda, played by Lizi Watt–are arguing about music. It’s a conversation that establishes the characters’ personalities to a degree, and we see the good-natured banter and obvious affection between them. Then, the story flashes forward to the present, in which Michael and Linda are both well-known authors who have been married for 20 years. Linda, who lives in the shadow of her more famous husband and the memory of her celebrated first novel, teaches a college writing class. Michael churns out a series of best-selling novels that keep getting made into movies. They have their concerns and regrets, but they know each other well, and they’re happy. That is, they’re happy until Linda gets diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumor and is given just weeks to live. In the midst of the pending grief, Linda tells Michael she wants him to read her journals after she dies, and requests to read his. Michael is hesitant, but eventually agrees, and as they say, the plot thickens, as the years and years of diaries contain secrets that Michael hasn’t told Linda, involving a young woman that he met at a writers’ colony–Abby, played by Bryn McLaughlin. It may appear obvious where this story is going, and in a way, that is where it goes, but in a much bigger way, this story leads back to something less obvious and potentially more devastating. It’s a story that challenges not only the Watermans’ relationship, but also their identities as writers, and the very ideas of truth and fiction in their lives, as these concepts blend together in mysterious and occasionally confusing ways, leading to some startling revelations and a conclusion that brings the story back to where it began, with a degree of resonance concerning what is to come for the young, unwitting couple. 

I’ve seen a few plays by Steven Dietz, and I think this is most well-constructed, although the characters are hard to like at times–especially Michael. Still, Roth manages to infuse him with enough charm that, as blustery and self-important as he can be, I can understand the connection between him and Linda. Linda, for her part, is much more likable at first, and Watt conveys such an earnestness in her portrayal that makes later revelations all the more surprising. It’s a rich, nuanced performance, and the centerpiece of the play. Watt and Roth also display believable chemistry. McLaughlin, in the somewhat mysterious role of Abby, is also excellent, as her motives aren’t made obvious at first. McLaughlin is adept at maintaining the mystery until the necessary reveals, playing well against both Roth and Watt with a believable degree of antagonism mixed, occasionally, with admiration.

The staging by director Wayne Salomon is fairly briskly paced, taking just enough time for the drama to play out credibly and with due poignancy, but without dragging. The set, designed by Patrick Huber, is dark and minimal, with a bit of abstraction represented by the vague scribblings painted on the walls, like the mysterious vagaries of a writer’s mind. Kristi Gunther’s mood-setting lighting adds to the atmosphere of the production, as do Carla Landis Evans’s well-suited costumes. 

Overall, this is a play that holds my attention from the sheer strength of the acting, as well as the well-crafted intrigue of the unfolding mystery that has more layers than may be apparent at the start. It’s a difficult story at times, in terms of trying to figure out where it’s going, but I’m sure that’s deliberate on the playwright’s part, as even the strongest relationships have their difficulties, and their conundrums. Fiction is the title, but there’s much truth here, in the play itself as well as in the first-rate staging and performances. 

William Roth, Bryn McLaughlin, Lizi Watt
Photo by Patrick Huber
St. Louis Actors’ Studio

St. Louis Actors’ Studio is presenting Fiction at the Gaslight Theatre until October 23, 2022

This review was originally written for KDHX

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“Private Lives” is a Witty, Raucus Romp at the Rep

Posted in Snoop's Soapbox, tagged , , , , , , , on October 8, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Private Lives
by Noël Coward
Directed by Meredith McDonough
Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
October 7, 2022

Amanda Pedlow, Stanton Nash
Photo by Jon Gitchoff
Repertory Theatre of St. Louis

The latest entry in the Rep’s current season is a classic “comedy of manners” from celebrated British playwright Noël Coward. Private Lives is hilarious look at contrasting relationships, as well as marital expectations among the English upper class in the 1930s. As staged by the Rep, it’s a meticulously orchestrated, highly physical romp that brings a great deal of laughter from the audience, thanks to the superb direction and pitch-perfect cast.

As the old saying goes, some couples can’t seem to live with or without one another. One such couple is former spouses Elyot Chase (Stanton Nash), and Amanda Prynne (Amelia Pedlow), who haven’t seen each other for five years until they suddenly find themselves staying next door in the same French hotel on their honeymoons with their respective new spouses, Sibyl Chase (Kerry Warren) and Victor Prynne (Carman Lacivita). While each professes to be devoted to their new spouse at the beginning of the play, once they see one another again, Elyot and Amanda can’t help but be drawn together, despite their volatile, clashing personalities that eventually led to the breakup of their former marriage. Of course, there is the matter of their current spouses, who haven’t previously met but find themselves having to work together to confront Elyot and Amanda, with potentially explosive results. 

This is a show that’s more about the characters and their interactions than the plot. The plot is fairly simple, in fact, but the relationships are anything but simple, as Elyot and Amanda deal with the intense magnetism that drew them together as well as the intense conflicts that drove them apart, and their new spouses have to contend not only with aspects of their partners that they hadn’t seen before, but with their new acquaintances as well, along with their own burgeoning personality conflict. This is a show that highlights Coward’s famous wit, as well as as the intense chemistry and conflict among lovers. It’s also oh-so-British and oh-so-1930s, with sharp humor, a bright, energetic tone, and a few memorable musical moments featuring memorable period tunes. The atmosphere is impeccably maintained, with a richly detailed set by Lex Liang, marvelous costumes by Kathleen Geldard, excellent lighting by Colin Bills, and superb sound design by Lindsay Jones. 

As for the cast, they are stellar, with sizzing chemistry between Nash and Pedlow as the intense, witty, and emotional Elyot and Amanda. These two bring much energy to their roles, and their chemistry is like that of a classic old film pairing. There’s also excellent work from their co-stars, with Warren hilarious as the needy Sibyl and Lacivita comically bewildered as the more strait-laced Victor. When all four are together, the comic energy is especially strong. There’s also a fine performance by Yvonne Woods in a small role as Parisian maid Louise. 

Overall, this is a show that sparkles with comic intensity and expert direction and pacing. It’s also one of those shows that makes me feel for the stage crew, since the beautifully appointed set isn’t so neatly organized by the time our leads get through with it, and each other. I hadn’t seen Private Lives before, but I’m glad this excellent production has been my introduction. It’s a classic comedy of wit, character, and passion, superbly staged at the Rep. 

Kerry Warren, Amelia Pedlow, Stanton Nash, Carman Lacivita
Photo by Jon Gitchoff
Repertory Theatre of St. Louis

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis is presenting Private Lives at COCA’s Catherine B. Berges Theatre until October 23, 2022

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“A Little Night Music” is an Emotional, Melodic Delight at Stray Dog Theatre

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , , , on October 8, 2022| Leave a Comment »

A Little Night Music
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, Book by Hugh Wheeler
Directed by Justin Been
Choreographed by Michael Hodges
Stray Dog Theatre
October 6, 2022

Jonathan Hey, Paula Stoff Dean
Photo by John Lamb
Stray Dog Theatre

Stray Dog Theatre is honoring the late Stephen Sondheim with a delightfully vibrant production of the composer’s 1973 musical A Little Night Music. Although in his pre-show speech artistic director Gary F. Bell mentioned that this show was planned before Sondheim’s passing, it’s nonetheless a fitting tribute to the celebrated legend of musical theatre to have one of his well-known shows staged with such energy and style. At SDT, this production highlights acting, emotion, and musicality in a memorable and thoroughly entertaining way.

This is the second production of this show I’ve seen this year. The first one, by a local opera company, was also excellent, although SDT’s version seems to emphasize the sensuality and emotion a little more in this tale of entanglements, temptations, and volatile emotions in early 20th Century Sweden. There’s a fairly large cast of characters, but the main focus is famous stage actress Desirée Armfeldt (Paula Stoff Dean) and lawyer Fredrik Egerman (Jonathan Hey), who were once lovers but have been apart for 14 years before being reunited when Fredrik takes his new, much younger wife Anne (Eileen Engel) to one of Desirée’s plays. Anne, who professes to love Fredrik but who still refuses to consummate the marriage, is distraught when it becomes obvious that her husband carries a torch for Desirée, though at first he claims not to know her. Meanwhile, Anne engages in somewhat of a flirtation with Fredrik’s son Henrik (Bryce A. Miller), an earnest young seminary student who tries to suppress his feelings for his young stepmother. Eventually, Desirée arranges to have her mother, Madame Armfeldt (Liz Mischel) invite the Egermans to her country estate for the weekend, and Desirée’s latest paramour, the jealous and self-important Count Carl-Magnus Malcolm (Scott Degitz-Fries), decides to crash the party along with with his neglected wife, Charlotte (Madeline Black), who hatches a plan to make her husband jealous so he will drop the affair with Desirée, who already appears to be tiring of the affair and turning her affections back to Fredrik. Also figuring into the story are Desirée’s young daughter Fredrika (Adeline Perry), who has been living with her grandmother while Desirée tours; Anne’s romantically adventurous maid Petra (Sarah Gene Dowling), and a quintet listed here as the “Liebeslieder Singers” (Cory Anthony, Shannon Lampkin Campbell, Jess McCawley, Kevin O’Briend, and Dawn Schmid), who serve as something of a Greek Chorus, singing songs that offer commentary on the proceedings. 

The plot may seem somewhat convoluted, but it all makes sense in the context of the show, and the subplots weave together with precision. The themes include the volatility of relationships, moral hypocrisy in high society, the fleeting nature of life, and more. It’s a highly melodic show with an Old World atmosphere, and a style that’s obviously influenced by older European musical styles, as well as operetta. There’s comedy ranging from the light and witty to the more risqué, as well as some darker comic moments along with moments of poignancy and romance. The staging here gets the tone just right, with the right balance of wit, energy, and drama, with a superb cast who are all in excellent voice, led by the wonderfully melodic Liebeslieder Singers, who also play other roles in the story as needed. There’s also excellent, waltz-heavy choreography by Michael Hodges that fits well with the mood of the show, along with an excellent small orchestra led by music director Leah Schultz.

As for individual performances, it’s great to see Dean again, who makes a return to SDT after several years, and who shines as Desirée, especially showcasing the character’s wit and strength, also providing a particularly emotional rendition of the show’s most famous song, “Send in the Clowns”. Dean is well-matched by the equally excellent Hey, who is especially adept at showing Fredrik’s vulnerability and progression of awareness through the course of the show. There are also standout performances from Miller as the conflicted, idealistic Henrik and Engel as the also conflicted Anne, who doesn’t seem to know exactly what she wants until suddenly, she does. Mischel is also memorable as the strong-minded but somewhat regretful Madame Armfeldt, and young Perry makes a strong impression as the curious and surprisingly observant Fredrika. Degitz-Fries and Black give fine performances as the Malcolms, as well, as does Dowling in a memorable and well-sung turn as Petra. It’s a strong ensemble all-around, and they do justice to Sondheim’s classic score and Hugh Wheeler’s witty, incisive book.

The show looks wonderful, as well, with gorgeously appointed period costumes by Engel, excellent atmospheric lighting by Tyler Duenow, and a minimal but effective set by Justin Been, consisting of a color-changing backdrop and various furniture pieces as needed. It’s a musical delight from start to finish, and one of the most marvelous shows I’ve seen from the already excellent Stray Dog Theatre. A Little Night Music may not be as well known as some other Sondheim shows, but this production emphasizes its classic, timeless appeal.

Cast of A Little Night Music
Photo by John Lamb
Stray Dog Theatre

Stray Dog Theatre is presenting A Little Night Music at Tower Grove Abbey until October 22, 2022

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St. Louis Shakespeare Presents a Suitably Rustic, Likable “As You Like It”

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , on October 2, 2022| Leave a Comment »

As You Like It
by William Shakespeare
Directed by Patrick Siler
St. Louis Shakespeare
September 30, 2022

Oliver Bacus, Summer Baer
Photo by Dan Donovan
St. Louis Shakespeare

As You Like It is one of Shakespeare’s better-known comedies. It’s a witty examination of the pastoral life vs. more “sophisticated” court life, as well as a look at the lengths that some people will go to for love. St. Louis Shakespeare’s current production is a gently staged, fun rustic romp that highlights the relationships and features an especially strong leading pair. 

The story is mostly set in the Forest of Arden, a rustic, wooded setting to which young Rosalind (Summer Baer)–daughter of the exiled Duke Senior (Shane Signorino)–flees along with her cousin and BFF Celia (Rhianna Anesa)–after Rosalind is also banished by her usurping uncle, Duke Frederick (also Signorino). So, accompanied by court clown Touchstone (Jacob Cange), the cousins flee in disguise, shortly after Rosalind has had a love-at-first-sight moment with Orlando (Oliver Bacus), who has also been banished from his home by his bitter elder brother, Oliver (John Waller). Orlando also ends up in Arden, where he decorates the local trees with love poems to Rosalind and eventually encounters her again, only this time she’s disguised as Ganymede, a  young man, accompanied by Celia as Ganymede’s sister Aliena. While Rosalind tests Orlando’s affections with witty banter, she (as Ganymede) also gets involved in the romantic dealings of the locals–namely, Silvius (Joey File), a lovesick shepherd who is constantly spurned by the object of his affections, the haughty Phebe (Bethany Miscannon), who to Rosalind’s dismay, becomes enamored of Ganymede. Meanwhile, Touchstone becomes involved with a young country woman named Audrey (Kanisha Kellum), and Duke Senior is found wandering about the forest with a band of followers, including the moody Jaques (Colin Nichols), who offers his curmudgeonly commentary on everything he sees, but becomes amused and fascinated by Touchstone. All the plots eventually weave together in comically convenient ways, leading up to a big, festive conclusion. 

As You Like it is a fun play that I’ve seen staged in various settings, from traditional to more modern. This production is more on the traditional side, with period costumes by Theo Dawson that suit the characters well, and a simple but evocative set by Cris Edwards that adapts well to the change between the court locale at the beginning to the more pastoral setting of the rest of the play. The mood is augmented by Patrick Huber’s lighting design and Jimmy Bernatowicz’s sound design. It’s a fairly laid-back, almost minimalist staging, but it works especially considering the gentle approach to the direction, in which the pacing is more deliberate and not quite as raucous (for the most part) as other productions of this play that I have seen.

The casting is strong, especially for the leads. Baer makes an amiable, enthusiastic Rosalind, and her scenes with the equally excellent Bacus as the earnest Orlando are crackling with chemistry. Baer also works especially well with Anesa, who makes for a likable Celia, and Cange, whose Touchstone is confident, engaging, and boldly comical. Cange has excellent chemistry with all of his castmates, especially Baer and Anesa, along with the hilarious Kellum as Audrey, and the glum Nicholas as Jaques. Other standouts include File in a delightfully physical turn as the lovesick Silvius, as well as Signorino in a commendable dual turn as both Dukes. It’s a strong ensemble, for the most part, with several of the actors playing more than one role, as courtiers, servants, foresters, shepherds, long-lost brothers, etc.

While the tone of this production can sometimes veer into the overly subdued, for the most part, this is a fun and entertaining production of a classic Shakespearean comedy. With an especially strong leading pair, along with a host of other memorable performances, this production is sure to induce much laughter. It’s an As You Like It that has a lot to like. 

Summer Baer, Jacob Cange, Jim Read, Rhianna Anesa
Photo by Dan Donovan
St. Louis Shakespeare

St. Louis Shakespeare is presenting As You Like It at the Robert G. Reim Theatre in Kirkwood until October 2, 2022

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