Chris Gibson - Page 19

Playwright Ron Hutchinson has written a clever farcical comedy with his play, MOONLIGHT AND MAGNOLIAS, based on an actual event that occurred during the tumultuous production of the film Gone with the Wind. It may be true that producer David O. Selznick took extreme measures in order to get a screenplay produced, but unless you were a fly on the wall, the information presented here can only be considered fodder for laughs, since most of what is known about this occurrence is culled from biographies and Hollywood legend. Dramatic License has put together a splendid evening of entertainment with a fine staging of the fitfully funny work.

The Rockettes celebrate 85 years of high kicks with the charming and colorful RADIO CITY CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR. It's an evening filled with holiday spirit and it's fit for the entire family. This yuletide extravaganza is currently playing the Peabody Opera House through November 17, 2012.

Playwright Janet Langhart Cohen has crafted an intriguing work with ANNE & EMMETT, which brings together two seemingly disparate people from history, and then proceeds to show how similar their lives were. The Black Rep's current production is nicely conceived and executed, and features four fine performances. The message conveyed about racism, and its different guises, is an important one, and one not soon forgotten.

Playwright Bruce Norris has written a real gem with his work CLYBOURNE PARK. This is a wonderfully clever and often hilarious work that looks at racism from two different angles, each represented in acts that take place in the past and in the present, respectively. The current production by the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis is simply perfect, with expert direction and a fabulous cast. This is absolutely must-see theatre, and one, I dare say, that may have you coming back for repeat business.

Apparently, if you've seen LES MISERABLES in its current incarnation, you're missing 15 minutes (approximately), and a revolving stage that makes the action come alive. Well, I hadn't seen the production in any form-I even missed the Muny's presentation, so this was a fresh experience for me. I can't imagine what was cut, since it's about 3 hours even with the intermission, but the revolving stage might have been nice to have. In any event, this is still an epic musical that stirs the heart and soul, and it left the audience enthralled as it told its sprawling tale. Having read Victor Hugo's unedited text some years ago, and written a paper on how it compared to the Frederic March and Charles Laughton film, I come at this from a different perspective. For me, this modern opera currently playing the Fox Theatre (through October 28, 2012), is generally more impressive due to it's fine performances and expert staging than its reputation.

Circus Flora tries something different by offering dinner with a show in their October presentation called: A Celtic Night Circus - TIR NA NOG. It's always a fun time seeing the circus performers do their thing, and combining it with a lovely dinner is a special treat. Although, the story this time around deals with love and adult themes, I brought my young son along and we both had a delightful time.

Playwright C.P. Taylor's work, GOOD, is a piece of theater guaranteed to make the audience think. That's a good thing. Too often, things are so cut and dry that the viewer isn't really required to ponder what they've just seen, they simply digest it and move along. But, Good stays with you, and makes you wonder just what it would take to make a person conform their values and beliefs in an effort to get ahead, even if meant the attempted extermination of a whole race of people. The St. Louis Actors' Studio has put together a fascinating and engaging presentation that truly makes you ask this question. And, with current legislation in Germany being discussed that would outlaw circumcision, it's a timely work that makes you aware of the fact that those who don't learn from their own history may be doomed to repeat it.

Though cut from some of the same cloth as his "Eugene" trilogy, LOST IN YONKERS is a different animal all together from playwright Neil Simon. There are laughs to be found for sure, but the overwhelming sense that pervades this particular work is that of the dramatic. There are similarities as well, what with this being a coming-of-age tale, too. But, Simon works these characters differently, even confessing in one of his memoirs that he isn't sure where they all came from. The current presentation by The New Jewish Theatre is a thoughtful and nicely performed rendering.

With there being so much negativity in the world these days, it's nice to see a play, especially a musical, that has such a sweet disposition. DADDY LONG LEGS (book by John Caird with music and lyrics by Paul Gordon) is just such a production, telling a good story with a fine score, and doing so without any of the ranting and raving we've come to expect from so many modern musicals. The Rep's presentation is splendidly staged and performed, and leaves its audience with a decidedly positive vibe.

Upstream Theater consistently brings unique shows to St. Louis. Sometimes they're new and foreign to these shores, and sometimes they're neglected classics. In the case of Eugene O'Neil's THE HAIRY APE, it's the latter, providing us with the opportunity to view a rarely scene play that carries a powerful message of disenfranchisement. The play is buoyed by wonderful performances and exceptional atmospherics. And, it's one of those pieces that stays with you long after the lights dim and the patrons go their separate ways.

When a magician reveals how a particular trick is accomplished it often spoils the moment. Once we know how something is done, there's no longer any "magic" associated with it. Which is what makes Circle of Eleven's presentation of LEO so amazing. We actually see two rooms on stage, one projected, showing a tilted camera's perspective, and one normal. And, even though we're privy to how the illusion is being generated, it loses none of its charm and wit. This presentation by the Edison Theatre's Ovation series is surreal and amusing, and the acrobatics and athleticism needed to pull it off are simply superb.

The original cast album of Spring Awakening (music by Duncan Sheik with book and lyrics by Steven Sater) is still in heavy rotation in my iPod, not only because it's a terrifically catchy score, but because of its dramatic power as well. And though some may try to draw comparisons to the touring company that came to the Fox in 2009, there's really nothing to be gained by doing that. Stray Dog Theatre's current presentation is a much more intimate and "in your face" production that may well carry more impact. It certainly affected me deeply, in fact, I could hardly sleep after seeing the show, with the songs and performances spinning around my brain in continual motion. This is a beautiful and haunting rendering that provides must-see entertainment for any theatre-goer.

The West End Players Guild's 2012-13 season - the troupe's number 102- will be all new to St. Louis theatre-goers, featuring four St. Louis premieres.

It's kind of hard to describe the new musical BLOODY BLOODY ANDREW JACKSON (book by Alex Timbers with music and lyrics by Michael Friedman), but only because it's such a phantasmagorical journey through the life and presidency of Andrew Jackson. Parts of it are downright hilarious, while others are amazingly informative. Kind of like what Bill Cosby used to say during the opening credits of The Fat Albert Show: "If you're not careful, you might learn something before it's done". New Line's current presentation of this wild and woolly excursion into history is a rockin' riot, filled with catchy tunes and funny, anachronistic humor that rarely misses the mark.

Nick Lowe performed a solo session at the Sheldon Concert Hall this past week and put on a whale of a good show, mining his catalog for a collection of material both old and new. Though perhaps lumped unfairly in with the New Wave acts back in the late 70's and early 80's, Lowe actually practices a form of rock and roll that owes more to the great songwriters of the 50's and 60's than any synth-driven band from that era. He and his band Rockpile were part of a wave, but it was more of a throwback to simpler times when music was all about the relationship between young boys and girls, and not overly concerned with the latest technology or latest fashion.

With the divorce rate as startling high as it is, it's not uncommon to find plays that deal with this subject matter. However, playwright Donald Margulies examines not only the plight of the couple going through the breakup, but that of their friends as well. With DINNER WITH FRIENDS, Dramatic License Productions has put together a fine cast under sharp direction in their presentation of this timely and thought-provoking work.

Ken Haller's latest cabaret foray, "THE TV SHOW!" is a sheer delight, reveling in tunes that a lot of us grew up with emanating from the boob tube. It's an interesting approach, and Haller doesn't stick to just singing TV themes, but mixes in commercials, as well as tunes that were written for other mediums that reference the world of the cathode ray. All in all, it's a pleasant trip down memory lane with some familiar (and some less so) tunes that have permeated popular culture.

MY ONE AND ONLY is what I like to call a "retrofit" musical, appropriating tunes from the Gershwin brothers (Ira and George, of course) catalog, while creating a book (Peter Stone and Timothy Mayer) that incorporates familiar elements from 1927, the year it's set in. That being said, it's a slick and flashy excursion into fun that's "all talking, all singing, and all dancing". This final production of the season for Stages St. Louis is a terrifically convivial ride utilizing the old "boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl back" plot that so many musicals, particularly from that era, rely on.

One of the really cool things that HotCity Theatre does every year is their Greenhouse New Play Festival. It not only gives a voice to new playwrights seeking to have their plays produced, but it also provides something fresh and entertaining for the theatre going public. The winner this time around is GOODBYE RUBY TUESDAY by EM Lewis, and it's a funny and touching slice of life that breezes along at a brisk 75 minutes. It's a splendid way to spend an evening, and a very entertaining play.

It may seem odd that over the course of 46 seasons the Rep has never produced a work by prolific playwright Neil Simon, and yet it makes sense in a way. Simon has actually been overproduced by community theatres around the country, and the Rep is dedicated to seeking out new works, and putting a spin on timeless classics, so it's only logical that they've taken this long to get one of his works produced. Still, they've finally gotten around to him, and their production of BRIGHTON BEACH MEMOIRS is a memorable one, with the laughter and the tears flowing in great abundance. It's a wonderful start to what promises to be an entertaining season.