Chris Gibson - Page 26

Max and Louie Productions presents THE LADY WITH ALL THE ANSWERS by David Rambo, drawn from the life and letters of Ann Landers with the cooperation of Margo Howard. This production stars Stellie Siteman as Ann Landers and is directed by Sydnie Grosberg Ronga. The play opens on Thursday, May 12th at the COCA Black Box Theater.

Avalon Theatre Company closes its sixth season with John Pielmeier's haunting glimpse into science, faith, and even miracles, AGNES OF GOD, April 28 - May 8 at Avalon in ArtSpace at Crestwood Court.

In what can be labeled a 'First,' the New Jewish Theatre is proud to boast that the director for the upcoming production of Clifford Odet's 1935 classic AWAKE AND SING! is Steve Woolf, Artistic Director of the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis. While Woolf does direct outside of the Rep, he does not direct for other theatres in the St. Louis area. So this is a genuine First for both Woolf and the New Jewish Theatre. Most recently outside of the Rep, Mr. Woolf directed THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK at the Arrow Rock Lyceum Theatre (and then went on to direct the Rep's production of the same show). But the upcoming production at NJT was a show that he could not resist. Its realism and grittiness and the strength of the characters appealed to him.

I've seen a lot of unusual and unique productions, especially since I've been checking out the Ovations! Series at the Edison Theatre the past couple of years, and a recent presentation of THE ALUMINUM SHOW (April 30, 2011) provided yet another example of the kind of energetic and engaging fare that I've come to expect from them. Though I've seen the show described as being some kind of cross between Blue Man Group and Stomp, it's really something else entirely. In fact, with it's use of recycled industrial material, it has more in common with ScrapArtsMusic than it does with either of those. What it does provide is a dazzling display of tightly choreographed dance set to pulsating music, combining puppetry, along with remote-controlled 'critters' and outlandish costuming, to produce a spectacle wholly different from anything you've ever seen before.

If you've ever stayed up and listened to late night AM radio programs like the popular 'AM Coast to Coast' show, then you're fully aware that there are a lot of folks out there who believe in a lot of very peculiar things. While some of these unusual occurrences and sightings of critters and spacecrafts are probably chemically induced hallucinations, or purely bogus in nature, occasionally something happens that just can't be explained away. The former, more than the latter, forms the backbone of the plot of Lauren Dusek Albonico's INTELLIGENT LIFE, a new play which HotCity Theatre is presenting, that explores the depth of faith that individuals place in their beliefs, and how it can allow them to be easily blinded by the truth in the process.

Playwright John Pielmeier has constructed an interesting work with AGNES OF GOD. It's decidedly uneven in tone, and the template for the script is very similar to the one utilized by the far-superior Equus (as a learned colleague of mine pointed out), but it's an engaging and involving show nonetheless. Avalon Theatre Company's current production is certainly a solid one, driven by three fine performances and intelligent direction.

Mustard Seed Theatre presents the final performance of Till We Have Faces May 1, 2011.

The Sheldon presents Paul H. Alpert & '3' w/ Kimmy V & John Farrar on Tuesday, May 03, 2011 at 7:00 PM.

Avalon Theatre Company closes its sixth season with John Pielmeier's haunting glimpse into science, faith, and even miracles, AGNES OF GOD, April 28 - May 8 at Avalon in ArtSpace at Crestwood Court.

How much truth is too much? When dealing with the masses, is it better to entertain or enlighten? Should people hear what they want or need to hear? How do we find meaningful relationships in such a diverse world? These are just a few of the issues addressed with compassion and lots of humor in Bill C. Davis' comedy/drama MASS APPEAL, presented by Dramatic License Productions.

Stray Dog Theatre presents DARK MATTERS by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa. In an isolated house at the edge of a cornfield, in the mountains of Virginia, something almost beyond belief is happening to the Cleary family. When Bridget Cleary goes missing in the dead of night, her husband Michael and son Jeremy do everything within their power to help find her. Then, as suddenly as she vanished, Bridget reappears, talking about strange visitations and otherworldly beings. Is she lying, or are supernatural forces at work? A suspenseful thriller about the secrets that hold families together. Justin Been directs the show and the cast features Sarah Cannon, John Reidy, David Wassilak, and Tyler Whiteman.

Magic Smoking Monkey Theatre presents THE ABOMINABLE DR. PHIBES...in 3-D! Performing May 13 - 21, 2011, Friday and Saturday at 8pm and 10:30pm nightly at the Regional Arts Commission Studio Theatre, 6128 Delmar in University City.

This month, the university's Performing Arts Department (PAD) in Arts & Sciences will present the world premiere of Chris Kammerer's THE STROKE SCRIPTURES in the A.E. Hotchner Studio Theatre. Performances take place at 8 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday, April 28, 29 and 30; and at 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, April 30 and May 1. Tickets are $15, or $10 for students, seniors and Washington University faculty and staff, and are available through the Edison Theatre Box Office and all MetroTix outlets.

John and Alan Lomax were pioneering folklorists and ethnomusicologists who tracked down songs and performers to produce field recordings that provide a compelling picture of our cultural history in musical terms. Oft times, their recordings required them to travel to remote locations, or even prisons, to find heretofore undiscovered gems. BLACK PEARL SINGS!, by playwright Frank Higgins, is an intriguing and fictionalized take on their unique talent for ferreting out these songs, here casting an ambitious female in their role. The Black Rep's current production is an engaging glimpse into the processes individuals like the Lomax brothers utilized, and it features sharp direction and a terrific two person cast.

Though playwright Clifford Odets wrote AWAKE AND SING! in 1933, it still has the power to resonate with an audience over 70 years later, not only due to the fact that our country is currently struggling with its own economic uncertainties, but also because the theme of pursuing your dream under undeniably dire circumstance is a timeless one. Revived in 2006, but rarely staged otherwise, this is a rare opportunity to see an American masterpiece. The New Jewish Theatre's current production is a real stunner, chock-full of drama and humor, and brimming with electric performances.

The Sheldon Art Galleries presents a free Gallery Talk with Bärbel Schulte, curator of the exhibition Max Lazarus: Trier / St. Louis / Denver - A Jewish Artist's Fate, Saturday, April 23, 1 p.m. Dr. Schulte will speak on Max Lazarus' life and career in conjunction with the exhibition, admission free.

Hazard To Ya Booty fuses old-school funk with elements of rock, hip-hop and soul to make a unique sound that's guaranteed to get your body moving. Garage-rock band The 4th Row continues its reunion tour at The Sheldon Ballroom! Led by Radio Rich Dalton of KHITS 96, thehigh-energy group performs your favorite hits from the '60s, including the music of The Doors, the Moody Blues, and more!

It's always exciting when a reviewer gets the opportunity to see a new work premiered, and Mustard Seed Theatre is currently presenting an adaptation of the C.S. Lewis novel TILL WE HAVE FACES by playwright/director Deanna Jent, and it's a well-done and literate play that captures the prose and style of the author quite nicely. While I was always more attracted to the science fiction of C.S. Lewis, the 'Space Trilogy' in particular, I think the show has appeal beyond the fan base of Lewis, and at the sold-out performance I attended it was clear that there's definitely an audience for this material. A terrific cast under Jent's thoughtful direction brings this novel, and the mythologies that it represents, to life in fine fashion.

The Friends of the Sheldon present Steve Tyrell, May 15 at 7:30 p.m. in the perfect acoustics of the Sheldon Concert Hall. Grammy Award-winning vocalist Steve Tyrell has spent four decades in the music business, has achieved great success as an artist, producer, songwriter and performer and is a two-time Emmy nominee. Tyrell helped to re-invent and re-popularize classic pop standards for a modern-day audience and has worked with legendary artists such as Diana Ross, Ray Charles, Burt Bacharach and Stevie Wonder.

Like a space-age mix of Stomp and Blue Man Group, THE ALUMINUM SHOW is a visually arresting spectacle filled with unique choreography, avant-garde lighting, pulsating electronic music and ingenious sets and costumes constructed entirely from the title substance. The show dates back to 2002, when Israeli dancer Ilan Azriel and his wife, Ella Munk-Azriel - cofounders of Dollbeat Productions Ltd. - began developing a theatrical evening that would personify industrial materials while enabling direct interaction between audience and performers.