Archive for October, 2026

Rocking “Lizzie” Features Stellar Cast, Thrilling Production Values at SDT

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , , , on October 14, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Lizzie
Music by Steven Cheslik-deMeyer and Alan Stevens Hewitt
Lyrics by Steven Cheslik-deMeyer and Tim Maner, Book by Tim Maner
Additional Music by Tim Maner, Additional Lyrics by Alan Stevens Hewitt
Based on an Original Concept by Alan Stevens Hewitt and Tim Maner
Directed by Justin Been
Stray Dog Theatre
October 10, 2026

Katherine Garrett, Nadja Kapetanovich, Lisa Hinrichs, Grace Seidel
Photo: Stray Dog Theatre

Lizzie is a musical I had seen before, in a fantastic production by another local theatre company in 2017. Now, Stray Dog Theatre is staging the punk-rock musical about Lizzie Borden, and it’s almost like I’m seeing it for the first time. The clever staging, stellar performances and particularly stunning production values and projection work, along with the marvelous onstage band, give this show a new boldness and freshness that emphasizes the emotion, relationships, and personal stories of the characters in an intense and chilling way. 

The way the show begins is particularly striking, with each character’s costume waiting for her, hanging from microphone stands on the stage. The performers enter wearing long white slips, then introduce themselves and don their costumes, becoming the characters–Lizzie Borden (Nadja Kapetanovich), her older sister Emma (Katherine Garrett), housemaid Bridget Sullivan (Lisa Hinrichs), and next-door neighbor Alice Russell (Grace Seidel). The story then unfolds recounting the events before, during, and after the infamous murders of Lizzie’s father and stepmother, with the premise that most dramatizations take–that Lizzie, who was ultimately acquitted of the murders–was actually guilty of the crimes. It takes a highly personal–and loud–approach using modern punk-rock music for its score, while delving into the relationships between Lizzie and her abusive father, her domineering stepmother, and the other onstage characters. We see her older sister Emma’s protectiveness, as well as the close bond between Lizzie and neighbor Alice, who often calls on Lizzie upstairs and alone. Bridget is there, as well, dealing with being constantly called the wrong name (Maggie, that of a previous maid) and having to witness the tensions and mistreatment in the “House of Borden”. The show makes a compelling case for its version of events, and why Lizzie would be driven toward homicide and how those closest to her would react.

In this production, the relationship between Lizzie and Emma particularly stood out, due to the fantastic performances of both Kapetanovich as the increasingly provoked and angry Lizzie, and Garrett as the protective Emma, to whom Lizzie is initially close. There are also poignant scenes between Lizzie and Seidel’s gentle, devoted Alice, whose reaction to the murders threatens to drive a wedge between them. Hinrichs also has memorable moments as tough-talking Bridget, and all four have excellent vocals and energy, performing the memorable, driving score with intensity and power. The score is mostly rock but has its quieter moments as well, such as the gentle “Will You Stay” and the hymnlike “Watchmen For the Morning”. It’s a fantastic and thrilling show with strong performances all around.

Another aspect about this production that particularly standout out are the truly thrilling production values and staging, featuring an excellent multilevel set by Rob Lippert that represents the Borden house, with windows through which the audience can see what’s going on inside, and featuring shades to cover up some events. The lighting by Tyler Duenow is brilliant in illuminating the set and casting shadows to add to the visual intensity, and Justin Been’s projections are particularly astounding. Featuring in memorable sequences like “The Soul of the White Bird”, “Somebody Will Do Something” and “Thirteen Days in Taunton”, the projections are vivid and striking. There are also excellent costumes by Corinna Redford that reflect the time and place as well as the personalities of the characters. The band, led by music director Leah Schultz, is also stellar, delivering the driving score with energy and style. 

Lizzie is not exactly a horror show, but it has horror elements and a chilling tone that works well for this time of year. It’s also a highly personal, intense look at the characters and why they could have acted the way they did. The music is memorable, and the performances are truly stunning. It’s another fantastic musical experience from Stray Dog Theatre. 

Nadja Kapetanovich (top), Grace Seidel, Lisa Hinrichs, Katherine Garrett
Photo: Stray Dog Theatre

Stray Dog Theatre is presenting Lizzie at the Tower Grove Abbey until October 24, 2026

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Highly Engaging “2 Pianos” Entertains at the Rep

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , , on October 14, 2026| Leave a Comment »

2 Pianos 4 Hands
by Ted Dykstra & Richard Greenblatt
Directed by Tom Frey
Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
October 9, 2026

Matthew McGloin, Richard Todd Adams
Photo by Julie Merkle: Echos Photo & Film
Repertory Theatre of St. Louis

The Rep’s latest production is simply stated, truly a delight. 2 Pianos 4 Hands is a hit show that originated in Canada and is based on the experiences of its two authors and original performers. Now, it comes to the stage at the Rep directed by Tom Frey and featuring two amiable and stellar performers who tell their story of growing up as “piano nerds” with humor and energy, along with lots of familiar, wonderfully played music. 

The stage is simply set, with two Steinway grand pianos and a backdrop of picture frames that feature projections by Steve Lucas. Two men walk onstage and humorously sort out which piano–and bench–are for each performer. Then, the story begins, as Ted (Richard Todd Adams) and Richard (Matthew McGloin) start as young boys taking piano lessons, being alternately encouraged and stressed by parents and teachers. The actors take turns playing the adults in each character’s life as we learn in detail the different challenges and pressures as Ted and Richard grow up, enter competitions, learn contradictory advice, and aspire to be successful concert pianists, with Ted leaning toward classical and Richard eventually leaning toward jazz. Throughout, we hear many familiar classical pieces by such composers as Bach, Beethoven, and Grieg, as well as jazz standards like “My Funny Valentine” and pop hits from Billy Joel and others. 

The beauty of this show isn’t simply the music and the humor–it’s the universality of the experience. Even though everyone hasn’t aspired to be a classical pianist, we all have our hopes, dreams, and goals that can be encouraged, fulfilled, or dashed as we grow up and aspire to discover success as adults. I never took piano lessons, but I had my goals as a writer and the encouragement from teachers along the way as well as discouragements from various experiences. I also found myself thinking about musicians that I know who may have gone through experiences similar to Ted’s and Richard’s. The performers, Adams and McGloin, are eminently likable and relatable, playing their instruments impeccably well and acting out their various triumphs and failures with genuine energy and credibility. It’s hard to discuss these two individually, because they work together so well and form an inseparable team, communicated both their love and frustration with the experience of being “piano nerds” with fascinating truth. That phrase, “piano nerds”, is used a lot in the various notes in the program, and it accurately reflects the level of interest and, at times, obsession that is depicted here, although the show also deals with some serious issues of what to do when your goals consume your life for such a long time, but then don’t pan out the way you expected, which eventually leads to a delightful duet at the conclusion of the play.

The minimal set and basic costuming works well to keep the focus on the story, and the music. There’s also excellent work from lighting designer Katherine Stepanek. It’s a well put-together show that celebrates music, creativity, and the pursuit of life goals and dreams. It’s also highly relatable whether you are a classical pianist or not. It’s an excellent, hilarious and inspiring piece, sure to delight audiences at the Rep. 

 

Richard Todd Adams, Matthew McGloin
Photo by Julie Merkle: Echos Photo & Film
Repertory Theatre of St. Louis

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis is presenting 2 Pianos 4 Hands until October 25, 2026

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Well-Cast “Glut” Raises Thought-Provoking Questions at Contraband Theatre

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , on October 14, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Glut
by e. k. doolin
Directed by Taijha Silas
Contraband Theatre
October 8, 2026

Ronmal Mottley, Reagan Posey
Photo by Katie Orr

Contraband Theatre seems to like doing plays set in the near-future, as well as tackling topics from today and imagining how they will be addressed in that not-so-distant future. Their latest production, e. k. doolin’s Glut, directed by Taijha Silas, is another show in that vein, although it is more of a comedy than previous productions, although there are elements of drama. The show, for the most part, is an intriguing show with humor, heart, and many topics for thought and conversation, although there are a few plot and character issues that could be addressed. 

The story follows engaged couple Sarah (Reagan Posey) and Steve (Ronmal Mottley), who are first seen meeting with their wedding coordinator (Kelly Howe, who plays several roles) to talk about setting a date and a venue for their wedding. Film buff Steve wants to hold the ceremony in a historic movie theatre, but Sarah, for personal reasons, hopes to have it at the church she attended as a child with her mother. She’s disturbed when the wedding coordinator informs her of the church’s new policy of not marrying “practicing gluttons”, which apparently refers to both Sarah and Steve’s being overweight. Sarah, eventually runs into Reverend Jody (Rachel Bailey)–the church’s perky pastor–at a coffee shop and is received warmly, causing Sarah to doubt what she’s heard and investigate further. Meanwhile, Steve hangs out with his brother Cab (Joshua Mayfield), and reveals his concerns about a general fat-phobic trend in the world itself, outside the one church. Even Cab’s husband, the somewhat stuffy Miles (Brian McKinley, who also plays several roles), seems to agree with the overall trend, despite the discrimination both he and Cab have experienced as gay men, as Cab points out.  Other figures in their lives, including Sarah’s mother (Howe) and a park worker named Carl (McKinley) also weigh in, either directly or indirectly, on the couple’s plight and the general rising prejudice against overweight people in the neighborhood, the country, and the world, adding a level of fear and intensity to the story despite its generally comic tone. 

For the most part, this is a thought-provoking, entertaining show with a fantastic cast, although their are a few issues with the plot that can be worked on, such as the church being somewhat of a caricature, as well as the lack of resolution for a key scene between Cab and Miles, who isn’t the easiest character to like despite a strong performance by McKinley, who is also excellent as the somewhat mysterious Carl. Howe is also strong as the wedding planner, Sarah’s flighty mom, and others, as Mayfield has a warm, likable turn as Cab. Bailey, as the somewhat excitable and over-the-top Reverend Jody, is also excellent. The stars, however, are Posey and Mottley as Sarah and Steve, who display strong chemistry and presence, although I wish they had more scenes together and had a little more backstory about how they met and got together. Still, the cast is the strongest point of this show, lending much warmth, humor, and drama to the story.

The production team has created a credible “world” for this play, which is staged in a different way in each act. At first with the audience seated on either side of the performance area, Act I unfolds with the action in the center on the floor of the Chapel’s performance space. Then, the audience is ushered out of the space for intermission, only to return to a more “traditional” setup with chairs facing the stage, preparing for the opening scenes of Act 2 which take place at the church. Erik Kuhn’s set is simple and effective, aided a great deal by the excellent lighting by Theresa Comstock and sound by Tre’von Griffith. The costumes by Elena Jaquez are well-suited to the characters, as well. 

Glut is another thought-provoking show from Contraband Theatre. There are many issues raised here that are sure to raise topics for conversation and thought. It uses its performance space especially well, and most importantly, serves as a showcase for a first-rate cast of excellent local performers. 

Rachel Bailey, Kelly Howe, Reagan Posey, Ronmal Mottley, Joshua Mayfield, Brian McKinley
Photo by Katie Orr
Contraband Theatre

Contraband Theatre is presenting Glut at The Chapel until October 24, 2026

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“ZM (Zombie Musical)” Entertains with Dark Comedy, Satirical Horror at New Line

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , on October 7, 2026| Leave a Comment »

ZM (Zombie Musical)
Book and Lyrics by Greg Kotis
Music and Lyrics by Mark Hollmann
Directed by Scott Miller and Chris Moore
Choreographed by Livy Potthoff
October 2, 2026

John Lucas, Kenya Devine, Adeline Hudelson
Photo by Jill Ritter Lindberg
New Line Theatre

It’s getting close to Halloween, and in St. Louis that usually means various theatre companies are doing horror shows. This year is no different, with several companies planning horror-themed productions either series, comic, musical, or a combination. At New Line Theatre, it’s comic horror on stage with the American premiere of a show from the writers of Urinetown and Yeast Nation. It’s called ZM (Zombie Musical), directed by Scott Miller and Chris Moore. For the most part, it’s a fun satire with a strong cast and fine score. 

This is a show that takes the Zombie genre and uses it to tell an engaging, darkly funny story that satirizes teen horror films, corporate greed, generation gaps, and more. It starts out in full zombie-apocalypse mode, as zombies are terrorizing a small town and the residents are doing what they can to hide and protect themselves. The focus then turns to a franchise of huge fast food chain Chicken Hutt, where teenage employees Barnabas (John Lucas) and Mercy (Adeline Hudelson) are holed up and singing about the strength of their relationship in the midst of the crisis. Soon they are joined by Lydia Light (Kenya Devine), a nutritionist for Chicken Hutt’s corporate headquarters, who has brought the unconscious child Billie (Leah Connelly), who is the daughter of the head of the company, William Hutt (Jeff Loeffler). Although Billie has been bitten by zombies, she has not “turned”, and Lydia leaves her with Mercy to protect her while Lydia enlists Barnabas to drive her to look for Hutt and confront him about a “correlation” between the zombie outbreak and Chicken Hutt’s popular new sandwich which features a special sauce. In the meantime, Mercy is still at the Chicken Hutt store, where she’s confronted by the creepy Hippy John (Robert Hanson), who has ideas of repopulating the world with Mercy. She’s also joined by her friend Anna (Steph House), who had been separated from her boyfriend, Uriah (Daniel Chioco), who they are presuming has been caught by the zombies. What ensues is a story of zombie terror, greed, and ambition, including a (not exactly necessary) love triangle and a few secrets and twists along the way and the zombies ran rampant and the “heroes” rush to find Mr. Hutt in the seemingly vain hope of stopping the zombie invasion. 

For the most part, although there are sound issues at the beginning that make the first song difficult to understand, this is an entertaining show with a talented cast. It’s cleverly constructed with perhaps one subplot too many, and creates a believable world and memorable characters, particularly Mercy, played with gutsy energy by Adeline Hudelson, and Barnabas, played by Lucas with goofy charm and determination. There are also memorable performances by Connelly as the increasingly mysterious Billie–who has some flashback moments that reveal hints of what’s to come–and Devine as Lydia, who has strong vocals and secrets to reveal. There are also memorable turns from Loeffler who gets a standout moment with “Wrong” in Act 2; House as the determined Anna; Hanson as the creepy Hippy John; along with Bee Mecey and Jacob Brewer as Chicken Hutt corporate employees Julie Hempstead and Junius Hampton. They are also well supported by Chioco as Uriah and Lamarkus Jones in various roles. The ensemble has a great deal of energy, and the zombies especially seem to be having a good time with their roles, with excellent movement and strong choreography by Livy Potthoff in the production numbers. 

Physically, the show looks great, with a simple but effective set by Rob Lippert featuring two revolving set pieces that represent various locations in the show. The lighting by Eric Wennlund is also memorable, helping to maintain the dark, ominous tone that the show demands. There are also excellent costumes by by Madeline Trinity that suit the characters and the theme of the show especially well. The excellent New Line Band, led by music director Jason Eschhofen, performs the score with energy, although at times they can drown out the singers, especially at the beginning of the show. 

Overall, ZM (Zombie Musical) is a fun, clever and satirical show that maintains a dark and creepy but humorous tone throughout. Although it’s not a perfect show, it’s highly entertaining and a good showcase for an excellent cast. Especially if you’re into comic horror, and zombies in particular, this is an ideal show to see for Halloween season. 

Leah Connelly, Jeff Loeffler, and Cast
Phot by Jill Ritter Lindberg
New Line Theatre

New Line Theatre is presenting ZM (Zombie Musical) at the Marcelle Theater until October 24, 2026

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Empathy and Humor Confront Hate in NJT’s Excellent “Just For Us”

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , , , on October 7, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Alex Edelman’s Just For Us
by Alex Edelman
Directed by Alan Knoll
New Jewish Theatre
October 1, 2026

Jacob Flekier
Photo by Jon Gitchoff
New Jewish Theatre

New Jewish Theatre has turned into a comedy club for its latest production, Alex Edelman’s Just For Us, directed by Alan Knoll and starring Jacob Flekier as the play’s writer, comedian Alex Edelman. While the show is unquestionably a comedy, it tackles a serious subject with sensitivity and empathy as well as humor. It provides a lot to think about as well as providing a platform for a fantastic solo performance and not a few genuine laughs in this ultimately upbeat story about one man’s choice to confront hatred directly and the effects that confrontation had on him in the process.

Walking into the theatre space for this production truly did feel like being in a comedy club, with Jayson Lawshee-Gress’s set and lighting setting the stage, and tables set up in the front for audience members. There’s also clever staging with use of stools to represent where characters in the narrative are sitting at various times, and the stage provides a great backdrop for Flekier’s amiable, energetic performance. There’s also strong work from sound designer Ethan Foss and costume designer Michele Friedman Siler in setting the overall mood and tone of the show, as we meet a comedian who is about to tell his intriguing, funny story that also has degrees of sadness.

The show, originally performed by Edelman himself in various venues including a Broadway run, has a narrative but also takes several diversions to talk about Alex’s background and upbringing, and particularly his devout Jewish family and the values his parents raised him with and also modeled as Alex grew up. These diversions provide some of the more memorable moments of the show, especially the story about how his family celebrated Christmas one year to support a lonely friend of Alex’s mother’s who had nowhere else to go. There are also a few seemingly unrelated jokes thrown in from time to time, but these get tied into the overall story quite well by the end. 

The main story follows Alex, who has been occasionally harassed on social media by anti-Semitic posters, as he makes a Twitter/X list of the harassers and finds out through that list about a gathering of white supremacists that is coming up soon in Queens; so Alex decides to go. The descriptions of the event are vivid and well-portrayed by the energetic, personable Flekier, as Alex finds himself in an apartment surrounded by a group of white nationalists who share their grievances with one another, including obvious hatred and distrust for Jewish people. Alex describes and portrays several of these people clearly, including Chelsea, whom Alex finds attractive, the suspicious Matt, who calls himself “Cortez” when he introduces himself to Alex, and an older lady who is fond of putting together giant jigsaw puzzles. Through the course of the meeting, Alex is careful to not reveal his Jewish identity, and even manages to attract the admiration of some of the attenders, until inevitably, the truth is revealed and the reactions are not exactly surprising. I won’t reveal too much because I don’t want to spoil, but the fascinating part of the story is its focus on empathy, bringing into play the values with which Alex was raised and talks about in his various anecdotes. It doesn’t downplay the dangers of hatred and anti-Semitism, but it does raise ideas of how to confront such hatred with thoughtfulness and empathy.

At the center of this intriguing, hilarious, and thoughtful show is Flekier’s first-rate performance as Alex. Flekier has fantastic stage presence, energy, and comic timing, making the stories he tells all the more engrossing as the show goes along. It’s a stellar performance by a talented performer who has performed excellently at NJT before, although here he is at his best. It’s a marvelous comic and heartwarming turn.

Alex Edelman’s Just For Us is a fine showcase for a supremely talented performer, well-directed and well-paced. It’s a fascinating show that looks at confronting hatred with empathy, coming across ultimately as an upbeat, optimistic look at the values that Alex learned from his Jewish upbringing. It’s another great show from this consistently excellent company. 

Jacob Flekier
Photo by Jon Gitchoff
New Jewish Theatre

New Jewish Theatre is presenting Alex Edelman’s Just For Us at the JCC’s Wool Studio Theatre until October 18, 2026

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