Posts Tagged ‘lee anne matthews’

New Jewish Theatre Takes Theatregoers on a Lively “First Date”

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , , , on November 25, 2024| Leave a Comment »

First Date
Book by Austin Winsberg, Music & Lyrics by Alan Zachary & Michael Weiner
Directed and Choreographed by Lee Anne Mathews
New Jewish Theatre
November 21, 2024

Mitchell Henry-Eagles, Will Bonfiglio, Molly Wennstrom
Photo by Jon Gitchoff
New Jewish Theatre

Have you ever been on a blind date? I haven’t, but after seeing New Jewish Theatre’s production of the musical First Date, I feel like I know all I need to know about the topic. First Date is a small-cast musical that had a relatively short run on Broadway, and its tone is mostly comic with a bit of a hopeful air that maybe there is someone out there for everyone, but it might take persistence and broadening your expectations. With likable leads and an enthusiastic supporting cast, this is a quirky, eventful look at the modern dating scene, especially for middle class city dwellers.

Although the Broadway production was set in New York City, a few tweaks have been made to the script to move the action to St. Louis for this version. Here, in a relatively upscale restaurant/bar, we meet Aaron (Mitchell Henry-Eagles), who has never been on a blind date before and is nervous, while also trying to keep his mind off his ex-fiancée, Allison (Greta Rosenstock), who still looms large in Aaron’s mind, while his best friend Gabe (Jayson Heil) also appears in imaginary form to encourage Aaron to move on. The somewhat geeky Aaron soon meets his date for the evening, Casey (Molly Wennstrom), a quirky aspiring artist who is a veteran of blind dates and has had a series of disastrous relationships with “bad boys”, and is wary upon finding out that Aaron is not her usual type. The pair have been set up by Casey’s happily married sister, Lauren (Grace Seidel), and Lauren’s husband, Kevin, who works with Aaron.  Among the figures such as Lauren, Allison, and Casey’s bestie Reggie (Drew Mizell)–who keeps calling to offer Casey a “bail-out” of the date–who either “appear” in the would-be couple’s minds or from elsewhere, there’s also the Waiter (Will Bonfiglio), who is determined to make his guests’ lives entertaining for the time they are there, including leading a production number with the other staff that he supposedly wrote himself. Meanwhile, we see the progression of Aaron’s and Casey’s date, from skeptical first impressions, to sharing details of their lives, and trying to sort out the voices in their heads and figure out whether they actually want to pursue a relationship beyond this one encounter. It’s a funny show, with memorable songs and well-drawn characters–especially the two leads, and the Waiter who essentially serves as Narrator/Master of Ceremonies/Commentator on the Action. 

The cast is great, with much in the way of presence and enthusiasm, and strong voices. Wennstrom and Eagles make an excellent will-they-or-won’t-they pair, with chemistry that builds naturally but also effectively keeps viewers guessing, at least for a while, since the show is fairly predictable in most of its arcs. Both performers portray a believable mixture of trepidation and vulnerability, and Wennstrom especially has an impressive voice.  Bonfiglio is a delight as the Waiter, as well, with strong comic timing and hilariously snarky charm. Heil, Mizell, Seidel, and Rosenstock each play a variety of characters in addition to the ones listed above, providing some memorable comic moments.  These four also form a strong supporting ensemble in the group numbers. The direction and choreography,  both by Lee Anne Matews, are thoughtful and energetic, with a “quirky rom-com” sort of vibe that’s appropriate for the subject matter.

The technical qualities are top notch, as is usual for this company. John Stark’s set is effective, with a fun setup giving it an appropriate restaurant vibe, including seating some audience members at tables mixed in with the tables containing the members of the ensemble. The fantasy elements are well-realized by means of the set and the excellent lighting by Denisse Chavez. Amanda Werre’s sound design is also strong, as is the first-rate on-stage band led by music director Larry D. Pry. 

First Date is a fun show, playing out the highs and lows of the dating scene with humor and heart. Its two leads make a convincing pair to root for, especially, even though there are moments of indecision that drag out a little too much. Still, this is an entertaining, mostly upbeat way to end an excellent 2024 season for the New Jewish Theatre. 

 

Molly Wennstrom, Mitchell Henry-Eagles and Cast
Photo by Jon Gitchoff
New Jewish Theatre

The New Jewish Theatre is presenting First Date at the J’s Wool Studio Theatre until December 8, 2024

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“Flanagan’s Wake” Provides Some Humor, as Well as Some Problems, at Westport

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on February 7, 2020| Leave a Comment »

Flanagan’s Wake
Conceived by Jack Bronis
Created by Jimmy Binns, Amy Binns-Calvey, Geoff Binns-Calvey, Jack Bronis, Mark Czoke, Phil Lusardi, Patricia Musker and Bonnie Shadrake
Music by Bonnie Shadrake, Lyrics by Jimmy Binns and Bonnie Shadrake
Directed by Lee Anne Matthews
Playhouse at Westport Plaza
February 8, 2020

Teresa Doggett, Dustin Petrillo, Jennifer Theby-Quinn, Lynn Berg, Alan Knoll
Photo by John Flack
Playhouse at Westport Plaza

The latest locally-produced production at the Playhouse at Wesport Plaza has an enthusiastic, talented cast. That’s about the best I can say about Flanagan’s Wake, a new production of a show that was apparently a hit in Chicago. A piece that relies heavily on improvisation and audience participation, the show certainly has its moments. Still, there isn’t much new here, and it seems the entertainment value depends mostly on stereotypes and hopes for good contributions from the audience.

Billed as “The Hilarious Interactive Irish Wake”, this show does have some fun participatory elements, such as making the audience wear “Irishized” nametags, and having a working bar onstage where theatregoers can buy drinks before the show and during intermission. The setup is as you might expect–a collection of characters gathers onstage to mourn a dearly departed friend, Flanagan, whose coffin is the centerpiece of the set, which is a pub in a small Irish town. The characters include some expected “types”, such as the offbeat Catholic Priest, Father Flanagan (Alan Knoll), the stingy pub proprietor who is also the mayor (Lynn Berg), the departed Flanagan’s domineering but incoherent mother (Bill Burke), and his longtime fiancee Fiona (Jennifer Theby-Quinn), who keeps trying to get a bit too affectionate with Flanagan’s coffin. In the midst of a gaggle of oft-used tropes about Irish people (heavy drinking, telling heavily embellished stories, etc.) is the audience element, as the characters take turns paying their respects to Flanagan with emotional speeches, the subjects of which are dependent on contributions from the audience. And, well, these contributions can sometimes be great, and other times not-so-great, so as not to give the players much to work with. While this is a fairly expected issue with improv-dependent shows, this one is so dependent on the improv aspects that poor contributions can especially diminish the entertainment value, since the setup is basically just a series of speeches and songs that can get tedious if they’re not interesting, no matter how hard the talented cast tries to make them interesting.

So yes, there are some fun moments here, and some memorable performances, particularly from Theby-Quinn, Noll, and Burke, as well as musicians and music directors Charlie Mueller and Patrick Blindauer. The set, constructed by TheatreMarine, and costumes by Elizabeth Henning contribute to the overall atmosphere well enough, and the cast does about as well as they can, but still, the overall result is underwhelming and predictable, right up to the “twist” near the end.

I generally love improvisation and improv-based shows, but Flanagan’s Wake is is a mixed bag. It has an enthusiastic tone and a talented cast, but the problems here are a little too big to overcome. I imagine the experience will be slightly different on different days, and that’s good. I hope future audiences give this cast more to work with. It may be worth seeing just for that unknown element. Otherwise, it comes across as something of an enthusiastic–but largely unsuccessful–experiment.

Cast of Flanagan’s Wake
Photo: Playhouse at Westport Plaza

Flanagan’s Wake is playing at the Playhouse at Westport Plaza until March 21, 2020

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New Jewish Theatre’s “Raging Skillet” Features Memorable Characters, and Food

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , on October 8, 2018| Leave a Comment »

Raging Skillet
by Jacques Lamarre
Directed by Lee Anne Matthews
New Jewish Theatre
October 4, 2018

Kathleen Sitzer, Sarajane Alverson, Erin Renée Roberts
Photo by Eric Woolsey
New Jewish Theatre

Raging Skillet is the first show I’ve attended where the ushers handed out napkins along with the programs. That’s fitting for a show like this that has the look and feel of a television cooking show. The first show of New Jewish Theatre’s 22nd season and the first season for new Artistic Director Edward Coffield, this is a show that blends story, biography, and immersive elements to create an entertaining and fascinating look at a real life celebrity chef with a penchant for the dramatic in cooking as well as in life.

The setting here genuinely makes the play look like one of those cable cooking shows, where a celebrity chef cooks, tells stories, and is cheered on by an enthusiastic audience. Here, center stage is taken by Chef Rossi (Sarajane Alverson), a caterer with an adventurous and rebellious attitude toward her profession. Rossi is a real person, and she was actually in attendance on opening night, sitting in my row a few seats over from me. Her presence added another “meta” element to this production for me, witnessing a chef watching someone else embodying her story before the audience. The premise is that we, the audience, are attending the launch of Rossi’s book, also called Raging Skillet, which is the name of her catering company. She’s supported by her DJ and sous chef Skillit (Erin Renée Roberts) as she leads a high-energy, interactive presentation supported by the “Rossi Posse” who hand out samples of her culinary creations to the audience as Rossi cooks. Things don’t go exactly to plan, however, as Rossi soon discovers when her mother (Kathleen Sitzer) shows up unannounced with stories of her own. This is especially vexing for Rossi, since her Mom died 25 years previously. So, the Mom figure is a ghost or a memory or projection of Rossi’s subconscious, or some combination of those elements, and as Rossi tells her life story, Mom interrupts a lot, to Rossi’s increased annoyance. The show uses this device to explore various issues in Rossi’s life and what made her who she is today, including her relationship with her mother, her Jewish heritage, her identity as a lesbian, and her unconventional approach to life and her job. It’s not a long show–just over an hour with no intermission, and it’s fast-paced with a lot of humor and some poignant moments as well, especially involving Rossi’s coming to terms with her memories of her mother.

All three members of the cast are excellent, led by Alverson’s brash, confrontational, snarky, and occasionally vulnerable Rossi. Roberts as Skillit plays various roles in the story as needed, including several co-workers of Rossi’s over the years, Rossi’s first girlfriend, and Rossi’s father, and she’s excellent in all of them, especially in her main role, serving as a support and occasional conscience for Rossi. It’s also great to see Sitzer, who retired earlier this year as Artistic Director of NJT, in what almost seems to be a tailor-made role as Rossi’s eccentric, overprotective Mom. Her scenes with Alverson are the highlight of the production, bringing a lot of laughs as well as some more serious moments.

The production design takes the audience into a studio kitchen where Rossi is at work. Dunsi Dai’s detailed set looks like it could be from one of those aforementioned TV cooking shows. There’s also excellent use of sound and projections by Michael Perkins that add a lot to the overall experience and emotion of the show. Michele Friedman Siler’s costumes are ideally suited to the characters, and Michael Sullivan’s lighting suits the “studio kitchen” setting well. This is a play that takes the audience into Rossi’s memories as well as literally into her kitchen, and the production values reflect that suggestion well.

There are moments of this show where it threatens to come across as an infomercial promoting Rossi’s book, which actually is on sale in the lobby after the show. There is an air of promotion about it, but the story and the characters remain the main focus. It’s a funny, whimsical, occasionally poignant and more than occasionally thought-provoking. It’s a great start to a new season and a new era for New Jewish theatre. And the food is good, too!

Sarajane Alverson
Photo by Eric Woolsey
New Jewish Theatre

New Jewish theatre is presenting Raging Skillet at the Marvin & Harlene Wool Studio Theatre at the JCC’s Staenberg Family Complex until October 21, 2018.

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New Jewish Theatre’s “Madoff” Imagines a Complex Morality Tale

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , , on January 28, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Imagining Madoff
by Deb Margolin
Directed by Lee Anne Matthews
New Jewish Theatre
January 22, 2015

Jerry Vogel, Bobby Miller Photo by Eric Woolsey New Jewish Theatre

Jerry Vogel, Bobby Miller
Photo by Eric Woolsey
New Jewish Theatre

When a person commits a high-profile crime, one of the most common questions asked is, why?  Bernard Madoff, probably the most famous fraudster in recent memory, is the subject of that question in Deb Margolin’s thoughtful three-character drama Imagining Madoff, currently being presented at New Jewish Theatre.  While the answer isn’t easy to discern, Margolin’s exploration of the concepts of morality, greed, and human nature provides an opportunity for thought, reflection, and extremely strong performances, including those of two of St. Louis’s most prominent actors.

This play doesn’t give easy answers.  In fact, it’s more of an exploration of Madoff’s motives than an accurate recounting of his story, and the “moral” seems to be along the lines of the familiar tale of “The Scorpion and the Frog”. Exploring the relationship between Madoff (Bobby Miller) with fictional poet, humanitarian and Holocaust survivor Solomon Galkin (Jerry Vogel), the play examines Jewish tradition and belief, as well as the concepts of trust and faith. Meanwhile, a parallel story tells of Madoff’s trial, as his longtime secretary ((Julie Layton) recounts the history of his crimes from her perspective.  It’s a long play for there only being one act, and the action drags from time to time, especially in the beginning, but there are some truly fascinating concepts explored as Margolin explores what makes Madoff tick.

This is something of a stylized show in terms of setting, with an excellent, extremely detailed set by Kyra Bishop. It features areas representing the courtroom, Galkin’s study and Madoff’s jail cell, and the action shifts between these three locations as Madoff wanders the stage sharing his own reflections on life, people, faith and philosphy, and money. The ideally suited costumes by Michele Friedman Siler add to the authentic feel of the play. The technical aspects of this show are top-notch as is usual for New Jewish Theatre, with the exception of some distracting and occasionally irrelevant projections that are shown during various moments. For the most part, these do little more than add a “gimmick” aspect to the show that it doesn’t need.

As is expected from exceptional talents like Vogel and Miller, the acting is the strongest aspect of this production. As Madoff, Miller is at turns witty, caustic, self-confident and self-doubting, portraying a mixture of disbelief and wonder during his encounter with the virtuous Galkin. Vogel, for his part, is the picture of erudite nobility as the devout, caring and possibly too-trusting Galkin.  It’s a multi-dimensional performance with a great deal of gravity, making the prospect of Madoff’s betrayal seem all the more monstrous in comparison. Layton is also impressive as the secretary who tries to maintain her sense of professionalism in the midst of her growing sense of anger and betrayal as she recounts her working relationship with Madoff.

Imagining Madoff is a little hard to follow at times, although at its best moments, it’s riveting. It’s a compelling exploration of history, ethics, honor, and a pathological scammer’s need to scam no matter who is hurt in the process, including himself.  Featuring some of the finest talent St. Louis theatre has to offer, New Jewish Theatre has presented an intriguing look at an infamous figure in recent history. It’s a production that’s sure to provoke much thought and discussion.

Jerry Vogel, Bobby Miller Photo by Eric Woolsey New Jewish Theatre

Jerry Vogel, Bobby Miller
Photo by Eric Woolsey
New Jewish Theatre

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