Posts Tagged ‘lindsay joy lancaster’

Delightful “Guys & Dolls” is a Timeless Hit at Stages

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , , , , , on July 30, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Guys & Dolls
Music and Lyrics by Frank Loesser, Book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows
Directed by James Monroe Iglehart
Choreographed by Lindsay Joy Lancaster
Stages St. Louis
July 29, 2026

Sam Harvey and Cast
Photo: Stages St. Louis

Guys & Dolls is a seamless show, when I think about it. It’s a Broadway classic, certainly, but it’s also almost impossible to get wrong, considering how well it’s put together. I’ve seen a few productions of this show over the years, and I’ve also been struck with how open it is to interpretation by the actors and crew, but it still holds together with the Damon Runyon flair that’s intended. At Stages St. Louis, their current production is a fine example of creativity and faithfulness to the source material blending together into a colorful, delightful package, with a great cast directed by James Monroe Iglehart and fantastic dancing choreographed by Lindsay Joy Lancaster. 

The story is well known if you’ve seen it. It’s one of the rare shows I’ve seen that has four equal leads, and they are all “types” without being caricatures–gamblers Nathan Detroit (Matthew Schatz) and Sky Masterson (Sam Harvey) and their “dolls”, nightclub dancer Miss Aidelaide (Katerina Papacostas) and “mission doll” Sarah Brown (Lindsay Roberts Green). Their stories drive the majority of the plot, but the cast is also peppered with memorable characters such as Benny Southstreet (Wesley J. Barnes), Nicely-Nicely Johnson (Tamar Greene), and visiting gambler Big Jule (Zoe Vonder Haar), among others. The trick is that these are colorful characters, but they’re also recognizably human. It’s a broad comedy, but with some real emotion there as well.

The show is so well constructed that it’s difficult to do wrong, but it’s versatile enough that doing it right can look different from production to production. This one is bright, colorful, and vibrantly energetic, with excellent dance sequences choreographed by Lancaster that liven up the story and contribute to the overall atmosphere. In addition to the colorful set by Ann Beyersdorfer, there are also vividly designed costumes by Tim Kent, eye-catching lighting by Sean M. Savoie, and sound by Breanna Fais. The wigs and hair design by Paige Stewart also contribute to the overall evocation of the time and place. There’s also an excellent orchestra bringing these classic tunes to life, led by music director Dolores Duran-Cefalu. 

As for the cast, they’re uniformly excellent, led by the four leads who are all marvelous. Schatz is hilariously in a state of bewilderment as Nathan, who’s looking for a place for his crap game and trying to hold on to Aidelaide at the same time. Papacostas, for her part, is sensational, giving us an Aidelaide with real pathos as well as humor. Harvey is smooth and slick as Sky, leading the “Luck Be a Lady” number with style and energy, and he’s well-matched by Lindsay Roberts Greene as the determined, golden-voiced Sarah. These four form the heart of the show, but they’re back up by a stellar ensemble, with standouts including Tamar Greene as the personable Nicely-Nicely Johnson, who leads a rollicking “Sit Down You’re Rockin’ the Boat”, and a memorable title song along with the also excellent Barnes. Vonder Haar also standouts as commanding Chicago gangster Big Jule, getting some great comic moments, and John Flack is endearing as Sarah’s protective grandfather, Arvide Abernathy. The whole cast is well-defined and energetic, making for a thoroughly well-defined and entertaining production. 

Guys & Dolls is a classic for a reason, and Stages is proving that with its well put-together, thoroughly vibrant production currently running onstage at the Kirkwood Performing Arts Center. It fits into that space especially well, and entertains with song, dance, laughs, and a good deal of heart. It’s a “Musical Fable” for the ages, and well worth checking out. 

Katerina Papacostas, Matthew Schatz, Lindsay Roberts Greene, Sam Harvey and Cast
Photo: Stages St. Louis

Stages St. Louis is presenting Guys & Dolls at the Kirkwood Performing Arts Center until August 23, 2026

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Energetic “Newsies” Take the Stage by Storm at STAGES

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , , , , , on August 2, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Disney’s Newsies
Music by Alan Menken, Lyrics by Jack Feldman, Book by Harvey Fierstein
Directed by Steve Bebout
Choreographed by Lindsay Joy Lancaster
STAGES St. Louis
August 1, 2024

Daniel Marconi (center) and Cast
Photo by Phillip Hamer
STAGES St. Louis

STAGES St. Louis is continuing its 2024 season with a vibrant, energetic production of a popular modern musical inspired by a real historical event. Disney’s Newsies began as a movie in 1992, but the stage version that opened on Broadway in 2012 has become a big international hit, and this is the fourth production of the show I have seen. At STAGES, the familiar characters, music, and high-energy dancing are all here, but slightly scaled down for the smaller space, and it works especially well, bringing new attention to aspects of the story and characters, and presenting the story in an approachable and thoroughly entertaining manner. 

The now-familiar story is highly fictionalized from actual events, though it is based on an actual strike of newspaper carriers in New York City in 1899. Here, the hero is Jack Kelly (Daniel Marconi), an orphan and “newsie” who escaped from “the Refuge”, a  rough and abusive home for “troubled” youth.  He tells his friend Crutchie (Matthew Cox) about his dreams of moving out west, but before that can happen, the two and their fellow paper carriers find themselves in the midst of a conflict with Joseph Pulitzer (Christopher Gurr), who suddenly raises the price that the newsies pay for the papers they deliver, making it hard for them to earn enough money to live on. New Newsie Davey (Richard Spitaletta) and his kid brother Les (Davin Wade) help inject some energy into the group as the idea for a strike is brought up, and Davey becomes the “brains” of the operation while Jack is the charismatic “face”. Meanwhile, the newsies’ cause is boosted by aspiring young reporter Katherine (Taylor Quick), who hopes to become a more serious journalist and not be stuck in the “girl reporter” role of writing for the Society page. Jack and Katherine develop an attraction, but Katherine has a secret she’s not sharing that could threaten their relationship. As the newsies fight the establishment, led by Pulitzer and his allies, they are aided by local entertainer Medda Larkin (Anita Michelle Jackson), for whom the talented artist Jack paints backdrops and who lets the newsies use her theatre for a union rally. As the conflict heats up and the tensions rise, the newsies band together for their cause and there’s a lot of energetic singing, athletic dancing, and a persistent quest for hope against difficult odds. 

This show usually features a large cast, and the group here at STAGES is enough to fill their smaller stage, but noticeably not as numerous as other casts I’ve seen. Still, what they lack in numbers, they make up for in sheer enthusiasm, presence, and energy. Marconi is excellent as the charismatic dreamer Jack, who has to fight his own sense of inadequacy and embrace his potential and his found family. Marconi’s got a strong voice and plenty of charisma, and he works well with the also excellent Cox as the mistreated but hopeful Crutchie and Spitaletta as the clever, enterprising Davey. He also has strong chemistry with Quick’s gutsy, strong-voiced Katherine.  The rest of the newsies are also strong, with impressive dance skills for some truly thrilling production numbers featuring Lindsay Joy Lancaster’s spirited choreography. There are also memorable performances from young Wade as the plucky, outspoken Les, Jackson as the sympathetic, kind Medda, John Flack as the creepy Snyder, who runs the Refuge; and especially Gurr ,who manages to provide some depth and ferocity to the role of Pulitzer, who can often come across as something of a cardboard villain. 

The production looks great, as well, with a dynamic set by Anne Beyersdorfer that features many moving pieces including scaffolding, beams, pillars and rails reflecting the late 19th Century city vibe, backed by Saki Kawamura’s memorable projections. There are also colorful, detailed costumes by Brad Musgrove that fit the characters and atmosphere well. There’s also vibrant lighting by Sean M. Savoie and sound design by Mike Tracey that works well for the most part, despite some mixing issues in the first part of Act One that can make the singing harder to hear.

This staging of Disney’s Newsies is a lot of fun! It’s the same story you might already know, but scaled to its space with thoughtful staging a a great deal of energy. It’s a story that can resonate with several generations. STAGES is continuing its season with style, talent, and infectious enthusiasm. 

Cast of Disney’s Newsies
Photo by Phillip Hamer
STAGES St. Louis

STAGES St. Louis is presenting Disney’s Newsies at the Kirkwood Performing Arts Center until August 25, 2024

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