Archive for December, 2022

A Fun, “Marvelous” Parody from Magic Smoking Monkey

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , , on December 12, 2022| Leave a Comment »

It’s a Marvelous Life
by Rob McLemore and Jaysen Cryer
Directed by Donna Northcott
Magic Smoking Monkey Theatre
December 9, 2022

Cast of It’s a Marvelous Life
Photo by John Lamb
Magic Smoking Monkey Theatre

Magic Smoking Monkey Theatre is St. Louis Shakespeare’s more mischievous sibling, best known for performing un-polished but hilarious parodies of well-known pop culture properties. Their latest, the cleverly titled It’s a Marvelous Life, was two spoofs in one, with a holiday theme and lots of laughs, a slapstick style, and an energetic cast performing a variety of roles. The show just finished up a two-weekend run on December 10. It was a short show, running approximately one hour, but that was plenty of time to provide loads of clever, fast-paced humor, likely to appeal most to fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the the classic film It’s a Wonderful Life. 

The story was inventively constructed, following all the major points of It’s a Wonderful Life while also essentially telling the story of the four “official” Avengers films. Each Marvel character had a role to fill in the source story–with Steve “Captain America” Rogers in the George Bailey role–here played by co-writer Rob McLemore in a spot-on Jimmy Stewart impression. The events were being viewed by Uatu, the Watcher (James X. Randolph) and Dr. Strange (Riley Stevenson), who took the “Clarence the Angel” role, with his reward for helping Steve being his own movie franchise instead of wings.  The story played out, hitting all the main story points of both It’s a Wonderful Life and the Avengers saga, with a good deal of inventive shoehorning to make everything fit. Mr. Potter was Thanos, Tony Stark/Iron Man was Mary Bailey (sort of), and–perhaps most hilariously–George’s Uncle Billy was the Hulk. Many Avengers showed up, too, as well as other heroes from Guardians of the Galaxy, Black Panther, and more, with the story moving at a lightning pace and several actors frequently switching roles. There were many in-jokes and meta nods along the way, with references to actors and creators providing some of the funnier jokes.

It was a great time to be had for anyone, but I thought it would especially appeal to Marvel and classic film fans. The cast was excellent, with everyone seeming to have a great time. Standouts included McLemore as the very Stewart-like Steve Rogers; Tori Stukins as a swaggering Tony Stark, Stevenson as a delightfully goofy Dr. Strange; John Fisher in a variety of roles including Kevin Feige, Red Skull, and Black Widow’s stunt double; Kim Byrnes as the villainous Thanos/Potter and Bucky Barnes; and John Waller as the smash-happy Hulk. It was a great cast all around, portraying an array of Marvel characters with madcap energy and flair.

The staging was brisk, with some jokes landing better than others, but since there were so many jokes, there were more than enough laughs to go around. The set by Ethan Dudenhoeffer was simple, colorfully painted by Brian Wasserman. The elaborate and whimsical costumes by Tracey Newcomb were a lot of fun, as well. There was also effective lighting and sound by John “JT” Taylor. 

Overall, It’s a Marvelous Life provided a simply marvelous good time. With superheroes, magic tricks, puppets, and more, there was a lot to like here. It has been another entertaining exercise in creative silliness from Magic Smoking Monkey Theatre. 

This review was originally published at KDHX.

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Black Mirror’s “Fever” is an Inventively Staged, Deliberately Unsettling Production

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , on December 9, 2022| Leave a Comment »

The Fever
by Wallace Shawn
Directed by Brian J. Rolf
Black Mirror Theatre Company
December 7, 2022

Kelly Ballard
Photo by Jessica Koenig
Black Mirror Theatre Company

The Fever, as currently being produced by Black Mirror Theatre Company, is an intriguing production. The play, which is written as essentially a one-person monologue, originally performed by playwright Wallace Shawn, has been expanded in an inventive way. Featuring a cast of six, the story uses it’s clever staging to drive home its unsettling, personal and political message. 

In an author’s note included in the digital program, playwright Shawn explains that this work was written to be able to be performed by anyone in various contexts, including in people’s living rooms. In this production, director Brian J. Rolf’s setup resembles a cocktail party, featuring a well-stocked bar cart, and ashtrays with cigarettes. The unnamed central figure, played by Kelly Ballard, tells the story of staying in a hotel room in a war-torn country, where she reflects on the state of society around her, and suffers from a mysterious illness. She is surrounded by the “cocktail party”, its participants (Hannah de Oliveira, Uche Ijei, Victor Mendez, Kyra Pearson, and Michael Wagner) seemingly unaware of Ballard’s existence as they banter, opine, and tell stories about their lives, focusing on the great disparity between the privileged and the poor, and reflecting on revolutionary movements and the promises of politicians regarding “gradual change”. The points are made in various ways, as the ailing protagonist is suffering a “fever dream” of sorts, and the elite partygoers range in their approaches from the smug to the fearful to the downright cruel. The “plot” is fairly basic, and the main point of this show is the message, which is deliberately designed to make audience members uncomfortable, faced with unsettling realities of the disparity of living situations around the world.

This is an intense, political and personal message, made all the more visceral in this production’s presentation. The transformation of the script from monologue to multi-character story is seamless, to the point where if I didn’t know it was written for just one actor, I wouldn’t have guessed. The “dialogue” seems natural, and the give-and-take of the conversations illustrates the message in a powerful way. All the players are excellent, as well, with Ballard giving a strong, emotional performance as the central figure battling physical illness as well as an intellectual, emotional, and mental crisis. The rest of the cast is also strong, and the flow of the conversation ranges from the arch to the smug to the intensely emotional. The pacing is deliberate, and the language is precise to the point where paying attention requires effort at times, but the presentation is duly challenging and pointed. The setup is simple and effective, with the production staged in the round, and the performance area sparsely furnished, with appropriately stark lighting by Michelle Zielinski that helps maintain the overall challenging mood of the production. 

Overall, The Fever is an effective, highly challenging production that’s sure to provoke thought and self-examination. It’s an intelligent production with impressive staging and a strong cast. It’s only running this week, so there are only a few days left to see it. It’s certainly worth checking out. 

Hannah De Olivera, Kyra Pearson, Kelly Ballard, Michael Wagner, Victor Mendez, Uche Ijei
Photo by Michelle Rebollo
Black Mirror Theatre Company

Black Mirror Theatre Company is presenting The Fever at the Kirkwood Performing Arts Center until December 10, 2022

This review was originally published at KDHX

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West End Players Guild’s “Christians” is a Thought-Provoking, Semi-Immersive Experience

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , on December 5, 2022| Leave a Comment »

The Christians
by Lucas Hnath
Directed by Ellie Schwetye
West End Players Guild
December 4, 2022

Rachel Hanks, Joel Moses, Joseph Garner, Michael Byrd, Chrissie Watkins
Photo by John Lamb
West End Players Guild

The West End Players Guild has the ideal venue for their latest play. While their productions are usually presented in the basement of the Union Avenue Christian Church, their latest production is using the sanctuary. This is fitting, since Lucas Hnath’s The Christians is about a church, and the overall effect of this location creates something of an immersive experience for the audience, with the director, Ellie Schwetye acting as a greeter before the show, and taking “prayer requests” from attendees as they arrive. There’s also church music playing over the speakers before the show. It feels so much like a church service, in fact, that I accidentally referred to it as “the service” instead of “the play” to my husband after the show. The immersive quality adds a lot to he presentation, but the show itself–and especially this production with it’s excellent cast and direction–is compelling enough to stand on its own even without the extra “churchy” elements added by venue. 

The story begins in what appears to be a typical Sunday service at an unnamed non-denominational Evangelical megachurch. Pastor Paul (Joel Moses) is preaching a sermon that, at first, seems to mostly be about the history of the church and how much the congregation has grown over the past twenty years, and how the church has recently paid off the loan they took to build their current building. He then drops a bombshell, telling his congregation of a recent radical change in his theology, informing them that he no longer believes in the existence of hell, or that people with other religious beliefs can’t go to heaven. This causes something of an uproar in his congregation, first putting Paul at odds with Associate Pastor Joshua (Joseph Garner), and eventually with others in the church, represented by supportive but concerned Elder Jay (Michael Byrd), conflicted church member Jenny (Chrissie Watkins), and his own wife, Elizabeth (Rachel Hanks), who was surprised by the announcement and finds herself in a dilemma of her own as a result. 

Whether you’re familiar with church services or not, this show provides a lot to think about beyond the basic presentation, and the playwright has admirably presented the various “sides” with a reasonable degree of fairness. The dilemmas presented are real ones, and they are treated with due seriousness here. I had been half-expecting a parody, but that’s not at all what this is. It’s a straightforward drama that presents fully realized characters that all have their flaws and virtues–there are no caricatures here, which is refreshing. The issues presented could be talked about in a much longer essay, but I will focus on the production itself for the sake of brevity. Still, no matter what you believe about God, Christianity, or the concept of hell, this story is compelling, and sure to provoke much thought and discussion. Also, beyond the theological issues, there are issues of ethics raised by various situations, such as Paul’s decision to surprise his congregation, his staff, his elder board, and even his family with his change in belief. It’s a multi-layered, fascinating play, and it would take too long to cover all the issues it raises, although one importance aspect of theatre is to make audiences think, and this play certainly does that.

It’s a well-paced, impeccably cast play, with no weak links in the cast. All the performers turn in memorable, nuanced performances, led by Moses as Pastor Paul, ably portraying the character’s personal charisma along with a degree of self-focus and smugness, as well as an obvious concern for his congregation, and for his wife. Garner as Joshua is also memorable, delivering an emotional performance that is intense but not over-the-top.  Hanks has little to do but sit and react for the first half of the play or so, but when she finally does have a conversation with Paul, it packs a credible emotional punch. There are also strong performances from Watkins as the conflicted Jenny and Byrd as the increasingly concerned Elder Jay.

Technically, there isn’t an elaborate production because of the venue, with the use of a real church sanctuary negating the need for a constructed set. This sanctuary is equipped with theatrical seats and lighting, though, since it’s also the home of Union Avenue Opera. The lighting by Catherine Adams, and sound and projection design by director Schwetye contribute well to the overall mood and tone of the production. 

This is a play that, overall, seems designed to get people thinking, and talking–and this production is ideally staged to do just that. The issues brought up here are timely and relevant, and the performances grounded and credible. It’s an impressive, semi-immersive production.

Chrissie Watkins, Rachel Hanks, Joel Moses
Photo by John Lamb
West End Players Guild

West End Players Guild is presenting The Christians at Union Avenue Christian Church until December 11, 2022

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NJT’s Tuneful “Jerry’s Girls” is Fun, Stylish Tribute

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , on December 5, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Jerry’s Girls
Featuring the Music and Lyrics of Jerry Herman
Directed and Choreographed by Ellen Isom
New Jewish Theatre
December 1, 2022

Kelsey Bearman, Lisa Rosenstock, Greta Rosenstock, Molly Burris, Christina Rios
Photo by Jon Gitchoff
New Jewish Theatre

If you love classic musical theatre, you’ve probably heard of Jerry Herman, or at least you’ll have heard of at least one of his shows. The New Jewish Theatre is closing out their 2022 season with a lively revue celebrating the music and lyrics of this musical theatre legend. Jerry’s Girls features a small cast, but it’s full of style and energy, and a worthy tribute. 

Jerry Herman’s best known shows are probably Hello, Dolly!, Mame, and La Cage aux Folles, all of which are represented here along with some of his other works like Mack and Mabel, Dear World, and more. There’s no story to this show, which was produced on tour and on Broadway in the mid-1980s and featured Herman himself along with stars of the day including Carol Channing, Leslie Uggams, Chita Rivera, and Andrea McArdle. Here, it’s just five performers and one musician, presenting some of Herman’s most timeless hits along with some lesser-known gems. There are group numbers and solos, showcasing the excellent cast well, and featuring some fun settings to a few of the songs, including a hilarious version of “Hello, Dolly!” that closes the first act.

The cast is uniformly excellent. Kelsey Bearman, Molly Burris, Christina Rios, Greta Rosenstock, and Lisa Rosenstock shine in the group numbers, and all have memorable solos, as well–including Rios with “Before the Parade Passes By”, Lisa Rosenstock with “Time Heals Everything”, Greta Rosenstock with “Wherever He Ain’t”, Bearman with “It Only Takes a Moment”, and Burris with “I Won’t Send Roses”. These are only some of the solo highlights, as there are several. The performers are accompanied by music director Cullen Curth on piano and accordion, and the rapport between performers and accompanist is another highlight of the show, as is the simple but elegant staging by director Ellen Isom. Isom’s choreography also provides some memorable moments, like a fun tap number for Bearman, Burris, and Greta Rosenstock on “Tap Your Troubles Away”.

The show looks great, as well, with a stylish set by Cameron Tesson, and well-suited costumes by Michele Friedman Siler, featuring the cast members all clad in red. There’s also excellent work from lighting designer David La Rose and sound designer Amanda Werre, helping maintain an understated glamor to the proceedings. 

This is a show that should appeal especially to fans of classic musicals, and the work of Jerry Herman in particular. Jerry’s Girls has humor, emotion, and style, along with a great cast and a strong sense of musicality and ensemble chemistry. It’s an entertaining tribute to a prolific and celebrated artist and his work. 

Kelsey Bearman, Lisa Rosenstock, Greta Rosenstock, Molly Burris, Christina Rios
Photo by Jon Gitchoff
New Jewish Theatre

The New Jewish Theatre is presenting Jerry’s Girls at the J’s Wool Studio Theatre until December 18, 2022

This review was originally published at KDHX

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“Forget Me Not” at STLAS Explores Uncomfortable Truths Through Magic

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , on December 3, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Forget Me Not
Co-Written and Co-Directed by Kyle Marlett and Gunnar Sizemore
St. Louis Actors’ Studio
December 3, 2022

Kyle Marlett
Photo by Patrick Huber
St. Louis Actors’ Studio

St. Louis Actors’ studio is presenting a unique show this month, which isn’t exactly a play. A one-man show starring professional magician Kyle Marlett, Forget Me Not comes across more like performance art, although there apparently is a script, co-written by Marlett and Gunnar Sizemore.  Featuring some audience participation that, to my mind, borders on the intrusive, the show explores Marlett’s life experiences and relationship with his chosen profession, as well as exploring the ideas of memory, secrets, and honesty. 

Marlett comes across as a personable guy, and this show starts out with him introducing himself and what he does. He demonstrates some basic magic tricks, and then starts telling his story, almost as if he’s making up the show as it goes along, although the staging essentially requires a script, as certain lines trigger things that happen in the show–especially when a series of boxes suspended above the stage drop at various times throughout the performance. Marlett tells stories of his life and his family relationships–especially with his older brother and his father–performing feats of illusion along the way. The story gets highly personal, and so does the magic show, as Marlett invites audiences members up onstage to participate, and it increasingly comes across as awkward and more than a little intrusive. I’m sure there are people who like this kind of thing, but I usually find this way of putting strangers on the spot uncomfortable. I’m fairly sure the audience members weren’t “plants”, either.

Still, some of the magic tricks are truly amazing, and the technical effects and coordination of those effects are impressive. It’s an entertaining show in terms of spectacle. Patrick Huber’s lighting design and Marlett’s sound design, featuring highly effective use of music, are excellent. I also find the setup striking, with Marlett alone onstage with only a table and two chairs as furniture, and an array of boxes surrounding him as walls, along with the ones that hang from the ceiling.

As Marlett tells a compelling and, at times, intensely emotional series of stories, the magic tricks and special effects help him tell that story, presenting thought-provoking concepts exploring the ideas of lies vs. honesty, as well as the weight of secrets. It’s certainly a memorable show, true to it’s title, and for attendees who are cool with the more awkward and challenging aspects of it, this will be the most effective. Marlett is a gifted magician, and the blend of theatre and magic is inventive. If you go in knowing what to expect, it’s probably easier to enjoy. 

St. Louis Actors’ Studio is presenting Forget Me Not at the Gaslight Theater until December 18, 2022

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Stray Dog Theatre’s Memorable “Cyclone” is a Whirlwind of Emotions, Memorable Music

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , , , on December 3, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Ride the Cyclone
Book, Music, and Lyrics by Jacob Richmond and Brooke Maxwell
Directed by Justin Been
Choreographed by Michael Hodges
Stray Dog Theatre
December 2, 2022

Riley Dunn, Grace Langford, Eileen Engel, Mike Hodges, Dawn Schmid, Stephen Henley
Photo by John Lamb
Stray Dog Theatre

When Stray Dog Theatre originally announced this season a while back, I was unfamiliar with Ride the Cyclone. Since then, over the past year, I’ve seen it mentioned quite a bit in theatre fan spaces online. Although it’s never had a Broadway run (yet), this quirky Canadian musical has developed a fairly large cult following, so I read more about it and was looking forward to seeing SDT’s production to see what all the enthusiasm was about. After seeing the show, I’m pleased to say that for the most part, it lives up to the hype. With the great cast that SDT has assembled, along with excellent production values, it’s a little show with a memorable score and a compelling story.

Ride the Cyclone has a fairly familiar general setup, in a broad sense, that has been used in several other musicals, such as Cats and another recent SDT show, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Several characters tell their stories, with one of them selected to win a “prize” of some sort at the end.  Here, the characters are teenagers from a Canadian high school choir who recently were killed in a roller coaster accident at a traveling carnival, and they are “competing” for a second chance at life. The host for the event is The Amazing Karnak (billed “As Himself” in the program), a carnival fortune telling machine that has the mysterious ability to predict the exact day of a person’s death, including his own. Karnak has assembled the five choir members and a mysterious sixth teen only known as “Jane Doe” (Dawn Schmid) to plead their cases and then vote for which one should be brought back to life. The characters are a varied collection of personalities, from chronic overachiever Ocean (Eileen Engel) to her professed BFF and “nicest girl in school” Constance (Grace Langford), to the theatrical Noel (Mike Hodges), who laments being seemingly the only gay teen in his small town. We also meet Misha (Riley Dunn), an aspiring rapper who is originally from the Ukraine and who pines for his online fiancée; and Ricky (Stephen Henley), who was somewhat isolated due to a degenerative illness and constructed an elaborate imaginary adventure for himself in his head. These five–along with Jane Doe, who was unidentified after the crash and doesn’t remember her life–each get their solo moments to state their cases, or for the most part, simply to tell everyone else who they were. Most of the “campaigning” comes from Ocean, who sees herself as the obvious candidate for a second chance. The interactions between the characters are the center of the story, along with their strikingly staged musical moments–ranging from the more straightforward (Ocean’s “What the World Needs) to the elaborate (“Noel’s Lament” and Ricky’s “Space Age Bachelor Man” to the more melancholy and/or haunting numbers like Misha’s ode to his far-away fiancée “Talia” and the memorable “Ballad of Jane Doe”, to Constance’s cathartic “Jawbreaker/Sugarcloud”.  

The tone of the show is darkly comic, for the most part, with some poignant moments of drama thrown in. There’s an overall eerie quality set by Jane’s haunting “Dream of Life” from the very beginning, and that mood shapes much of the proceedings even at their most comic. I see why this has such a following, especially among teens and young adults, since there’s a lot here with which to relate in terms of growing up and figuring out one’s purpose in life, even here where we are already told most of the characters won’t be continuing in the land of the living. There’s a sense of “what could have been” that lingers in the air, adding weight to the stakes, as well as providing cause for personal reflection for the audience. 

All of the performers are ideally cast, giving top-notch performances with excellent characterization and vocals. The ensemble chemistry is essential in a show like this, and that’s on display here in a big way. It’s hard to single anyone out, because everyone fits their roles so well. Still, for me the biggest standouts are Schmid with her strong vocals and otherworldly and melancholy portrayal; and Langford as the “nice girl” Constance who is keeping a secret, and eventually and dramatically reveals it. Everyone is great though, and the staging is also memorable with some fun choreography by Hodges and some hilarious production numbers–most notably from Henley and Hodges in their characters’ big moments. 

The production values are truly spectacular, especially from a smaller theatre company without an enormous budget. SDT pulls out all the stops, with a mood-setting, detailed set by Josh Smith, spectacular costumes by Engel, dazzling lighting by Tyler Duenow, and superb projections by director Justin Been that contribute to some of the shows more intensely poignant moments. There’s also a great on-stage band led by music director Leah Schultz, providing strong musical accompaniment to the story and the singers.

Ride the Cyclone might be a show that has flown under your radar, but I would highly recommend checking out this production. It’s a thought-provoking story with a memorable score and some striking visuals, as well as providing a showcase for a truly excellent cast. Especially if you’re into more quirky, off-beat shows with a bit of an edge, this is one not to be missed. 

Grace Langford, Riley Dunn, Mike Hodges, Dawn Schmid, Eileen Engel, Stephen Henley
Photo by John Lamb
Stray Dog Theatre

Stray Dog Theatre is presenting Ride the Cyclone at Tower Grove Abbey until December 17, 2022

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