Posts Tagged ‘joe hanrahan’

Midnight’s “Professor Sunshine” Entertains with Intriguing Story, Familiar Music

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , on September 22, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Professor Sunshine’s Traveling Post-Apocalyptic Rock ‘n Roll Revival
by Joe Hanrahan
Directed by Joe Hanrahan
The Midnight Company
September 20, 2023

Joe Hanrahan, Kelly Howe
Photo by Todd Davis
The Midnight Company

 

The Midnight Company’s work at the Blue Strawberry Theatre & Lounge is continuing with another concert-with-a-story, Professor Sunshine’s Traveling Post-Apocalyptic Rock ‘n Roll Revival. Written by Midnight’s artistic director Joe Hanrahan and starring Hanrahan and Kelly Howe, the show has a bit more of a story this time, featuring two strong leading performances and Howe’s impressive vocals on a variety of classic hits. The show also benefits from a strong sense of theme. 

The setting is a world in which an unspecified cataclysmic event has happened, and our two leads, Professor Sunshine (Hanrahan) and singer Cheyenne (Howe) apparently spend their days traveling to sparsely populated towns and performing concerts. At first, Cheyenne appears weary and reluctant, complaining about the Professor’s late arrival and controlling ways, and beginning the concert set with the Animals’ “We Gotta Get Outta This Place”, which apparently the “boss” doesn’t like her to sing. Soon, the Professor shows up, and a dialogue of sorts ensues amidst the collection of classic rock hits, mostly from the 60s and 70s, but ranging into the 80’s with “Everybody Wants to Rule the World”. The relationship between these two is at turns prickly and familiar, working out into a sort of odd friendship, as they explore regrets and reflections of life on the road in a post-apocalyptic world. 

Mostly, though, the production is showcase for Howe’s versatile vocals. While for her last collaboration with Hanrahan at the Blue Strawberry, Just One Look, Howe was playing Linda Ronstadt and had to sing (wonderfully) in Ronstadt’s style for the whole show, here she has more freedom to cut loose on songs from The Animals, Patti Smith, Led Zeppelin, Roy Orbison, and more, showing off the power and control of her excellent voice. Howe’s voice is the musical highlight here, but Hanrahan gets his chance to exhibit his own “talk-singing” on “Rocky Raccoon” and “A Song For You” with admirable style and character. The interplay between Howe and Hanrahan and the script full of humorous rock ‘n roll references adds much to the entertainment value here, as does the excellent band made up of music director Curt Landes on piano, Tom Maloney on guitar and bass, and Mark Rogers on percussion and backing vocals. Liz Henning’s costumes add a great deal of flair, as well, helping to further define the characters and tone of the production. 

Overall, this is an enjoyable show that celebrates classic rock music and a supremely talented lead vocalist, with an intriguing, if somewhat vague, story to tie the show together. It all fits very well into the setting of the Blue Strawberry, as well. There’s one more performance scheduled, and it’s worth checking out, especially if you’re into classic rock.

The Midnight Company is presenting Professor Sunshine’s Traveling Post-Apocalyptic Rock ‘n Roll Revival at the Blue Strawberry Showroom & Lounge until September 23, 2023

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Midnight Company Highlights Relationships, Strong Acting in “The Years”

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , on July 14, 2023| Leave a Comment »

The Years
by Cindy Lou Johnson
Directed by Joe Hanrahan
The Midnight Company
July 13, 2023

Joey File, Summer Baer, Ashley Bauman
Photo by Joey Rumpell
The Midnight Company

The Midnight Company puts on some fascinating plays. Whether comedy or drama, one-person shows or ensemble pieces, the shows from this company always seem to offer something to think about, or new angles on aspects of life and relationships. Their latest piece, Cindy Lou Johnson’s The Years, is no exception. Directed by Midnight’s Artistic Director Joe Hanrahan and featuring a universally excellent cast, this play offers a look at family relationships, chance encounters, and the sometimes surprising consequences of people’s actions. 

People can influence and affect one another in a variety of sometimes unexpected ways. The Years looks at a series of incidents in the life of a family and of a stranger who unwittingly begins a chain of connected events that reverberates over several years. It begins on a wedding day, as Andrea (Alicen Moser) prepares to get married and, after a traumatic event involving a strange man (Joseph Garner), has to deal with her family members who are all dealing with their own personal issues, as both Andrea and her sister Eloise (Summer Baer) are still grieving the relatively recent loss of their mother, and Eloise’s husband Jeff (Michael Pierce) arrives with unwelcome news. Meanwhile, their fastidious cousin Isabella (Ashley Bauman) tries to make everything perfect for the wedding, and their other cousin Andrew (Joey File) offers his own cynical view of marriage while serving as a sounding board for his cousins. As the story goes on, the years pass, and there are more weddings and more chance encounters, as the man from the first scene, whose name is Bartholomew, finds he can’t escape what happened earlier in his life no matter how much he thought he could, Andrea deals with her own view of herself and her life choices, and the cousins are faced with harsh truths in their relationships with one another, particularly brother and sister Isabella and Andrew.

There isn’t much detail I can go into without spoiling, but I will say that this is a compelling ensemble drama where all of the characters are given their weightier moments, although there is also a degree of humor that runs through the show that helps to ease the tensions at times, and emphasize it at others. It may seem like an odd series of situations, and it relies a lot on what could be seen as some unbelievable coincidences, but the play, and the performances, make all these seemingly unlikely events seem credible. The performances are first-rate across the board, as well; so much so that it’s difficult to single anyone out. All of the players present truly believable characters and situations, with superb ensemble chemistry and thoroughly authentic-seeming relationships. The staging and pacing by director Hanrahan is also excellent, with the emotional moments building in ways that seem both natural and compelling.

The minimalist set by Brad Slavik serves the story well, using the space at the Chapel venue to excellent effect. Costume designer Liz Henning has outfitted the cast appropriately for their characters, and there’s also appropriate atmospheric lighting by Tony Anselmo. The use of music in transition scenes is also particularly effective.

I wasn’t familiar with The Years before Midnight Company announced they were staging it, and I’m grateful to The Midnight Company for bringing it into my awareness. This is an intriguing, occasionally intense, and highly thought-provoking story that’s told well by a fantastic cast. It’s a remarkable production.

Joseph Garner, Alicen Moser
Photo by Joey Rumpell
The Midnight Company

The Midnight Company is presenting The Years at The Chapel until July 29, 2023

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Midnight Company’s “Leonard Pelkey” is a Compelling, Emotionally Resonant Production

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , on May 10, 2023| Leave a Comment »

The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey
by Celeste Lecesne
Directed by Alicen Moser
The Midnight Company
May 6, 2023

Joe Hanrahan
Photo by Joey Rumpell
The Midnight Company

The Midnight Company is currently back onstage with a poignant, emotional production that features Joe Hanrahan doing what he’s perhaps best known for–a one-man show. The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey isn’t a one character show, however. Hanrahan gets to show his versatility here, telling a short but powerful story and playing a variety of roles, creating a memorable, remarkably affecting portrait of a small town in turmoil, and one character we never actually “meet” who makes the most profound impact of all. 

Hanrahan narrates the story as Chuck DeSoto, a police detective in a small New Jersey town who is remembering the case that has affected him the most. The flashback format has DeSoto offering commentary on the proceedings as the story unfolds, and Hanrahan deftly morphs into the various players, starting when hair salon owner Ellen Hertle and her teenage daughter Phoebe walk into the police station to report a missing person. Leonard Pelkey is a 14-year-old boy who Ellen has been raising after his mothers’ death. Leonard has only been in town for about two years, but he’s already made an impression, with his “weird” theatrical personality and offbeat sense of personal style. It’s made fairly clear that Leonard is gay, as well, and he’s experienced a great deal of bullying at school. As the story unfolds, the efforts to find what’s happened to Leonard unfold like a mystery story, and although there are sad and even tragic elements, there are also moments of hope, as we meet a series of characters who have been affected by Leonard in various ways, including the concerned Ellen; conflicted Phoebe; Buddy Howard, Leonard’s British-born drama instructor; clock repairman Otto Beckerman; and others. As the truth is discovered, we get to learn more about the various characters and their motivations–especially Phoebe, who is perhaps the most well-drawn character here besides Chuck. Also, even though Leonard never actually “appears” onstage, his character seems just as real as the others, and his influence pervades every moment. 

It’s a short play, but especially well-constructed, and Hanrahan does an excellent job playing the various distinctive characters, especially Chuck, Phoebe, Ellen, and Otto. Hanrahan’s handles the humor and the drama well, and the pacing is excellent. Tony Anselmo’s lighting also adds much to the overall mood of the show.

The playwright, Celeste Lecesne, is also a co-founder of The Trevor Project, which provides a crisis hotline and other resources for LGBTQ+ youth. The theme of  this show highlights the difficulties that young gay teens can endure, as well as the positive impact that one boy’s life can make on those around him, even in such a short time.  The play also  features an over-arching theme of individual expression and the importance of community support and respect. It’s a memorable effort from Joe Hanrahan and The Midnight Company.

Joe Hanrahan
Photo by Joey Rumpell
The Midnight Company

The Midnight Company is presenting The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey at the Kranzberg Arts Center until May 20, 2023

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The Midnight Company’s “Just One Look” is an Entertaining Tribute to a Musical Icon

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , , , on March 4, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Just One Look
by Joe Hanrahan
Directed by Joe Hanrahan
The Midnight Company
March 1, 2023

Kelly Howe
Photo by Todd Davis
The Midnight Company

Linda Ronstadt is a musical legend. That’s no question, considering all the accolades she’s received over the years, including several Grammy Awards, a Kennedy Center Honor, and induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Now, she’s become the subject of The Midnight Company’s latest production, written and directed by Joe Hanrahan and starring Kelly Howe as Ronstadt. On stage in a cabaret-like setting at the Blue Strawberry & Lounge, the show is an entertaining and informative look at Ronstadt’s life and career, and especially her music. 

The show is presented in an interview format, with Hanrahan as a music journalist named Lenny Anderson, who doesn’t even attempt to hide his affection for his subject. Howe, as Ronstadt, answers Lenny’s questions about her life, career, and attitude toward music, relationships, politics, and more–but mostly, she sings. If you’re a fan of Ronstadt’s, as I am, you’ll know most if not all of the songs, from Ronstadt’s first hit with The Stone Poneys, “Different Drum”, through her country-pop-folk-rock years of arena tours with songs like “Long, Long Time”, “You’re No Good”, “When Will I Be Loved?” and more, to her later years trying out radically different genres such as jazz-pop classics, operetta, and Mexican music in honor of her father. Howe sings the songs well, showing off an impressive vocal range and versatility, reminiscent of Ronstadt herself. She doesn’t sound exactly like Ronstadt, but I wasn’t expecting that. There’s only one Linda Ronstadt, but Howe does an excellent job of singing in Ronstadt’s style, and her mannerisms are similar to Ronstadt’s, as well, from what I’ve seen in interviews and the excellent documentary Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice, which I highly recommend if you’re a fan. 

Hanrahan, for his part, does a fine job conducting the interview, even though his character can come across as intrusive at times, and he seems to be trying to do a British accent, but it’s not consistent at all, and disappears entirely for most of the show. There’s also an excellent band backing Howe as Ronstadt, led by music director Curt Landes on piano, and featuring Tom Maloney on guitar and bass, and Mark Rogers on percussion and backing vocals. 

This show is an ideal fit for its venue, as well. The Blue Strawberry is known primarily for hosting cabaret shows, and it provides a lively atmosphere for this production. I had never seen a show at this venue before, and I enjoyed it a lot. I look forward to seeing more productions there. 

Overall, Just One Look is a memorable, entertaining musical tribute to one of pop/rock music’s most celebrated voices. It’s also an excellent showcase for Howe, who has an impressive voice of her own and plays Linda Ronstadt convincingly. Especially if you are a fan of Ronstadt’s, this is a production well worth checking out. 

Kelly Howe
Photo by Todd Davis
The MIdnight Company

The Midnight Company is presenting Just One Look at The Blue Strawberry Showroom & Lounge on Wednesday evenings until March 15

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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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The Midnight Company’s Complex “Rodney’s Wife” Features Strong Performances

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

Rodney’s Wife
by Richard Nelson
Directed by Joe Hanrahan
The Midnight Company
July 7, 2022

Kelly Howe
Photo by Joey Rumpell
The MIdnight Company

The Midnight Company’s latest production is a complex character study that features intricate plotting and an excellent showcase for six  talented local performers. Rodney’s Wife is an intriguing period piece that explores family and marital relationships, while also presenting a vivid setting and backdrop for the action. It’s a more elaborate production for this theatre company, and it’s thoroughly intriguing.

If you don’t know much about the story going in, that’s probably a good thing for this show, since the characters and situations are not what they may first appear to be in some ways, while in others ways they are exactly what you might expect. The set-up features Kelly Howe introducing the story as an unnamed character talking about her mother, Fay, and an important time in Fay’s life focused on a period spent in an Italian villa in 1962. Then, Howe takes her glasses off and becomes Fay, and the main story begins, as Fay is staying with her husband Rodney (John Wolbers) in Italy while Rodney, an actor, is filming a western film with an Italian director.  The action begins on an evening in which Rodney’s daughter from his first marriage, Lee (Summer Baer), and her new fiance, Ted (Oliver Bacus), have recently announced their engagement–to everyone except Fay, it seems. Also present is Rodney’s recently widowed sister Eva (Rachel Tibbets), who seems a little too involved in her brother’s life, to Fay’s increasingly obvious irritation. There’s also Henry (Ben Ritchie), Rodney’s manager, who has a new script for Rodney to read with a great role for Rodney, but it’s filming in Los Angeles, and the various characters react to this possibility in starkly contrasting ways. There are many suggestions and hints about what’s really going on, as subtle and not so subtle reactions lead to further revelations later in the play. At the center of all this drama is Fay, who is hiding secrets of her own, and is upset about both Lee’s seemingly sudden engagement and the prospect of going back to Hollywood. I won’t add much more because the real drama here comes from the gradually unfolding plot, as well as the characters’ relationships with one another and with the secrets they keep and reveal. 

This is a drama of relationships, and there are elements of comedy along with the drama. In fact, the first act leans more toward the comic, as a portrait of “jet-setting” Hollywood people in Italy with sometimes hilariously caustic interactions between characters. Still, there’s an undercurrent of something else going on, which is revealed in the second act as the tensions explode, and all the actors play this exceptionally well. As the central character, Howe portrays the character’s complexities with credible emotional reactions, as Fay’s world is often defined by the decisions of those around her, especially the excellent Wolbers as the outwardly amiable but inwardly needy Rodney, and the superb Tibbets as the clingy, controlling Eva.  Baer, as the somewhat mysterious Lee, is also strong, as is Bacus as her affable but somewhat clueless fiance, Ted. Ritchie also lends strong support as the somewhat anxious Henry. Everyone works well together, with some especially memorable moments between Howe and Wolbers, Howe and Baer, and Wolbers and Tibbetts as the story plays out, relationships are shown for what they are, and hidden secrets are revealed.

The action is well-paced by director Hanrahan, and the set by Bess Moynihan is nothing short of remarkable. With meticulous detail, the fully realized Italian villa has been brought into the relatively small space at the Chapel. It’s easily the most elaborate set I’ve seen in this venue, and it serves as an ideal backdrop for the action, setting the mood, tone, and period style of the show. And speaking of “period style”, Liz Henning’s costumes are impressively accurate, colorful, and oh-so-early 60s chic. Along with Moynihan’s evocative lighting and some well-chosen music of the era, the mood is ideally set, adding much ambiance to the proceedings as the story plays out.

Rodney’s Wife is a show that features a lot of mature situations, and some strong language and sexual situations, so it’s for mature audiences. The drama can get intense, as well, especially in the second act, as the show explores the world of characters who aren’t always who they seem. It’s an exploration of truth, lies, artifice, and the sometimes stifling efforts to define oneself by others’ expectations. It’s a fascinating play, performed with compelling skill by the impressive cast and crew at The Midnight Company.

Oliver Bacus, Summer Baer, John Wolbers
Photo by Joey Rumpell
The Midnight Company

The Midnight Company is presenting Rodney’s Wife at the Chapel until July 23, 2022

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An Eerily Intriguing “Experience” from The Midnight Company

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , on May 7, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Anomalous Experience
by Joe Hanrahan
Directed by Morgan Maul-Smith
The Midnight Company
May 5, 2022

Payton Gillam, Joe Hanrahan
Photo by Joey Rumpell
The Midnight Company

Joe Hanrahan’s Midnight Company is back, with an original show that’s not very long in terms of time, but is full of intensity and meaning in its own way nonetheless. Anomalous Experience is actor-playwright Hanrahan’s foray into the unexplained, covering the often controversial topic of alien abductions. It’s an intriguing piece with a strong cast, but what stands out especially are the surprisingly strong production elements that add much to the overall sense of eeriness and mystery.

The play is presented in the format of a lecture by psychologist and professor James Collins (Hanrahan), who has worked with a variety of clients over the years who have claimed to have been abducted by aliens. He introduces us to two such clients–Virginia (Payton Gillam), whose case is described as more “classic”, and Scott (Joseph Garner), whose tales are a little more unusual. It’s all very straightforward in terms of presentation, but the tension ramps up as the stories get going.

There isn’t much here in terms of subject matter that hasn’t been covered in science fiction or shows like Unsolved Mysteries back in the day, but the actors make their stories compelling. Hanrahan makes an effective facilitator as Collins, and both Gillam and Garner are credible in their portrayals of their experiences. What especially adds to the experience, though, is the stellar work by sound designer Ellie Schwetye and lighting designer Tony Anselmo, in elevating this production from a simple interview format to a more increasingly chilling experience. As the characters tell their stories, the lighting and especially the sound effects add a creepy, suspenseful tone that punctuates the storytelling with surprising effectiveness. The pacing and staging by director Morgan Maul-Smith also lends much to the overall tone of the production, and even though you may have heard similar stories on TV or in movies before, these characters and their stories are made all the more compelling by the strong acting and excellent technical production.

No matter what you think about the topic of alien abduction in the real world, the topic makes for an intriguing subject as presented here. Anomalous Experience may not being breaking any new ground in its portrayal of this topic, but it’s a story told especially well. It’s a simply staged production, but an impressive cast and especially impressive technical design elevates the material. It’s an engaging, occasionally chilling, and thought-provoking piece from The Midnight Company.

Joe Hanrahan, Joseph Garner
Photo by Joey Rumpell
The Midnight Company

The Midnight Company is presenting Anomalous Experience at the .ZACK Theatre until May 21, 2022

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Midnight’s “Tinsel Town” Takes an Entertaining Trip to Hollywood

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , , on December 7, 2021| Leave a Comment »

Tinsel Town
by Joe Hanrahan
Directed by Rachel Tibbetts
The Midnight Company
December 2, 2021

Joe Hanrahan, Ellie Schwetye
Photo by Joey Rumpell
The Midnight Company

Los Angeles, California is like no other place on earth, both in its near-synonymous association with the entertainment business and with a specific form of quirkiness. The Midnight Company’s latest production, Tinsel Town, is a suite of interconnected short plays that highlight the unique aspects of this area and with entertainment culture in the age of the pandemic. Showcasing two excellent performers, the show is a fun, alternately hilarious, critical, and insightful look at showbiz personalities and the town in which they live, work, struggle and thrive.

The show is three plays in one, with its two performers, Joe Hanrahan and Ellie Schwetye, each playing a different role each time, although the stories are connected in that they are set in the same “world” representing a day in L.A. and various aspects of the entertainment industry, and through Schwetye’s three characters, who each mention the others and who are working on a film project together. Even with these connections, though, the plays vary sharply in tone, from the broad comedy of the first segment: “Late Lunch on Melrose 1:30pm”; to the more humor-tinged drama of the second segment: “Just Off Sunset 12:15am”; and finally to more lighthearted comedy with the third segment “Shoot in Santa Monica 12:40pm”. Each looks at “the business” from a different angle, highlighting both positive and negative aspects of the L.A. and showbiz life, particularly in the movie and music industries. The plays also all deal with artists experiencing various transitions in their careers, as Schwetye’s demanding movie star Beverly Montclair deals with maybe not being considered “A-list” anymore, and getting offered different roles than she’s used to by her longtime agent Bobby Daniels (Hanrahan) in the first segment; veteran singer Teenah Davis (Schwetye), who is trying to restart her career with a new band after some struggles, has a potentially fortuitous meeting with also struggling longtime session guitarist Hank Riley (Hanrahan) in an alley behind a club after a show in the second segment; and longtime British stage actor Richard Hoffman (Hanrahan) deals with nerves and cultural adjustment issues as he works on his first Hollywood film shoot–for a sci-fi epic featuring villainous “space vampires”–with aspiring director Susan Dmitri (Schwetye) in the third segment.

The performers here adjust impressively to the shifts in tone between the pieces, with both–and especially Schwetye–gleefully hamming it up in the hilariously over-the-top first act, as Hanrahan’s fun script cleverly skewers the stereotypical “Hollywood” atmosphere and demonstrating the versatility of the word “darling”. Both performers also find much poignancy in the melancholy but hopeful second segment, and then deftly return to a slightly more gentle brand of comedy in the third vignette, as Hanrahan’s examination of the L.A. life trends back to the goofy side, but still maintaining a sense of hope. It’s a fun show, overall, showing off the considerable talents of its two leads, as well as their versatility and sense of timing.

The L.A. atmosphere and “Hollywood” vibe are well-maintained throughout by use of excellent mood-setting music in the interludes between shows, and by Erik Kuhn’s excellent lighting and minimalist set, as well as top-notch video design by Michael Musgrave-Perkins. The costumes by Elizabeth Henning are also impressive, and suit the characters especially well. Overall, this is a well-paced, superbly cast, especially memorable look at a day in the life of one of the more celebrated–and parodied–cities in the United States, and in the world. 

Ellie Schwetye, Joe Hanrahan
Photo by Joey Rumpell
The Midnight Company

The Midnight Company is presenting Tinsel Town at the .Zack Theatre until December 18, 2021

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Midnight’s Hanrahan Plays an Impressive “Third Base” at the Chapel

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , , , on July 14, 2021| Leave a Comment »

Now Playing Third Base for St. Louis Cardinals… Bond, James Bond
by Joe Hanrahan
Directed by Shane Signorino
July 8, 2021

Joe Hanrahan
Photo by Camille Mahs
The Midnight Company

It’s summer in St. Louis, and for many in this baseball-obsessed town, this season is synonymous with the St. Louis Cardinals. For Joe Hanrahan of the Midnight Company, the Cardinals and the cultural climate of St. Louis and the wider world at a particular moment in history have been woven into a fascinating feat of storytelling in his new and expanded version of his original one-man play, which has a relatively short running time despite its long title: Now Playing Third Base For the St. Louis Cardinals… Bond, James Bond. It’s a story about a lot of things, but as Hanrahan says in the play, ultimately it’s about theatre. 

Hanrahan performed an earlier version of this show a few years ago at the St. Lou Fringe festival, and I remember being impressed then. What stuck in my memory from that show was the juxtaposition of the triumphs 1964 Cardinals’ championship season with the theatrical telling of the story of the second theatrical Bond film, From Russia With Love, by Hanrahan portraying his teenage baseball teammate, Danny. That combination is still here and is an important and fascinating part of the story, but other aspects stood out to me this time, such as the focus on the national grieving after the relatively recent assassination of President John F. Kennedy, and the influence of music as a soundtrack for the times. There’s also some focus on the pervasive influence of racism in St. Louis and in general, and particularly in Major League Baseball. Above all, though, is the emphasis on theatre, as Hanrahan gives the audience a bit of history about one-person shows and explanations of the nature of theatre itself. In its basic essence, theatre is about storytelling, and Hanrahan tells a compelling story–or, at least 4 compelling stories woven together. Here, Hanrahan becomes characters as he needs to (such as Danny and the movie characters), but he’s mostly narrating as himself, looking back on a memorable time in the city’s, the nation’s, the world’s, and his own personal history. The set is basic, consisting of a bench and a video screen, and Hanrahan is casually dressed in a baseball-style t-shirt and jeans, which is fitting for the casual, reflective tone of the show. 

This is an impressive show in its construction, and Hanrahan commands the stage with his insightful, humorous, and memorable performance. Also impressive are the simple but clever production values, with lighting and overall design by Kevin Bowman, and especially outstanding use of video projections, designed by Michael B. Perkins. The video elements and musical soundtrack work seamlessly along with Hanrahan’s performance to serve as an illustrative backdrop to the events as Hanrahan tells them. 

There’s more going on in this show than is easy to describe. What Hanrahan gives us is essentially a tribute to storytelling, whether in a theatre, on a movie screen, on a baseball field, or anywhere in life. Stories are everywhere, and Hanrahan tells a memorable one here. It’s another fascinating production from The Midnight Company.

Joe Hanrahan
Photo by Camille Mahs
The Midnight Company

The Midnight Company is presenting Now Playing Third Base for the St. Louis Cardinals…Bond, James Bond at the Chapel until July 25, 2021

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Midnight’s “Henry” Spins a Fascinating, Developing Story

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , on June 12, 2021| Leave a Comment »

Here Lies Henry
by Daniel MacIvor
Directed by Ellie Schwetye
The Midnight Company
June 10, 2021

Joe Hanrahan
Photo by Joey Rumpell
The Midnight Company

Here Lies Henry is a show that’s perfect for Joe Hanrahan. Hanrahan’s Midnight Company has become known for his one-man shows (although that’s not all they do), and I can’t think of a better vehicle for Hanrahan’s talent than this one. It’s an ideal showcase, also featuring the talents of a strong technical crew and consistently excellent director.

This is kind of an odd show, but that’s par for this course for The Midnight Company, as well. When we first see Henry (Hanrahan), he’s obviously nervous, and it’s not obvious why he is there, shifting back and forth between different approaches to speaking to the audience, from telling personal stories to corny jokes, to singing a little bit of a song and, occasionally, dancing. For a while, the point of this presentation isn’t clear, and many of Henry’s comments seem random, but as the show continues, everything begins to fall more into place, as references return and return, eventually revealing their meaning, and the purpose for Henry’s speech is gradually revealed, leading to an abrupt but poignant conclusion.

The overall effect here is that the audience gets to know Henry little by little as he catalogs his history of being a great liar, which is one reason for the show’s punny title. In the midst of these lies, though, there is truth, as Henry reveals realities concerning his background, relationship with his parents, his experiences of love and personal identity, and more.  There is also much truth in Hanrahan’s relatable performance. Hanrahan, as usual, is excellent, and this show gives him an ideal opportunity to display a wide range of emotions, as well as philosophizing about the meaning of life–in general, and specifically for his character. 

The staging and technical aspects here are also superb, and deceptively simple, as the show is essentially Hanrahan on a mostly empty stage. Still, even though it’s simple, there’s a lot going on, as Tony Anselmo’s lighting and Kevin Bowman’s production design lend a lot of atmosphere to the story, and the overall effect is a testament to the proficiency of these artists and director Ellie Schwetye in letting Hanrahan shine as Henry tells his fascinating tale and Hanrahan embodies every moment with substance, humor, and drama.

It’s been a welcome return to theatre for me and theatre fans around St. Louis, with a variety of shows currently onstage. Here Lies Henry may seem like one of the “smaller” offerings, although it features a big performance and much to provoke thought and reflection. It’s another excellent and intriguing work from Hanrahan and The Midnight Company.

Joe Hanrahan
Photo by Joey Rumpell
The Midnight Company

The Midnight Company is presenting Here Lies Henry at the Kranzberg Arts Center until June 27, 2021

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