Chris Gibson - Page 34

The Sheldon presents Clarion Brass: 'Deck the Halls,' Tuesday and Wednesday, December 7 and 8 in the perfect acoustics of the Sheldon Concert Hall. Complimentary coffee and pastries will be served beginning at 9 a.m. in the Louis Spiering Room. Composed of five of the best brass players St. Louis has to offer, the Clarion Brass celebrates the holiday season with 'Deck the Halls, featuring repertoire that spans more than five centuries - from Greensleeves, to the Nutcracker Suite and your favorite carols.

Echo Theatre Company, who continually push the envelope by presenting fresh and daring plays and musicals as part of their theatrical mission, offer up the St. Louis premiere of playwright Sheila Callaghan's wacky and surreal work CRUMBLE (Lay Me Down, Justin Timberlake) for your holiday season perusal, and it's a tasty morsel. This is a truly odd, but engaging play that confounds expectations and, in its own weird little way, provides its characters with a way to reconcile their feelings and get over their grief. While not your typical holiday offering, CRUMBLE is certainly worthy of your attention, particularly if you like things that are quirky and offbeat.

THIS WONDERFUL LIFE, conceived by Mark Setlock is a funny and heart-warming theatrical re-enactment of the Frank Capra holiday classic movie, It's a Wonderful Life. 40 characters are played by one man,'the narrator' who, much like many families, has made watching the movie a holiday tradition. In Dramatic License's case, the actor tackling 40 roles in 75 minutes, is St. Louis stage veteran, Kevin Kline Award nominee and Actors' Equity Association member, Alan Knoll.

I'm a big fright film fan and aficionado, and I've even been to a couple of horror conventions, so playwright Alison Moore's fiendishly clever work, SLASHER, is right up my alley. In fact, I was hooked from the opening dinner conversation, which immediately makes mention of film director Tobe Hooper (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre) during a discussion of the much-maligned genre, and winds up turning into a job interview for two 'lucky' people. HotCity Theatre provides an alternative to the typical holiday fare with this brilliantly conceived and staged production, and it will certainly warm the cuckolds of any groovy ghoul's heart.

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis continues their stellar season with their third consecutive play concerning issues of faith, and just like those other two productions, it's a definite winner. Playwright Tom Dudzick has constructed a terrific, semi-autobiographical coming of age piece that's both uproariously funny and emotionally touching. OVER THE TAVERN is required viewing, and a perfect indulgence for the holiday season, with a wonderful cast delivering impressive performances under the expert guidance of director Michael Evan Haney.

Sophie Tucker, born Sophie Kalish, was an extraordinary performer, possessing a big voice and an even bigger personality, she charmed audiences with her spicy humor and risque material. Tony Parise (who also directs this staging) and Karin Baker have assembled an entertaining and informative show, LAST OF THE RED HOT MAMAS...A SOPHIE TUCKER REVUSICAL, that tells Tucker's life in story and song, offering up over 30 selections that are culled from a lengthy and successful career that found her doggedly moving forward through vaudeville, burlesque, the follies, radio, Hollywood, and television. The New Jewish Theatre is offering up a delightful and nostalgic production filled with catchy and moving tunes and tales, and it positively sizzles.

St. Louis Actors' Studio's Fourth Season Continues With Neil Simon's Timeless Comedy THE SUNSHINE BOYS starring Joneal Joplin and Whit Reichert, December 3rd and continues thru December 19th for 11 performances.

When I asked my son what part of THE WIZARD OF OZ he liked the best he said: 'All of it.' So, I pressed him a little further, and asked who his favorite character was, and he said: 'The Wicked Witch.' I can only say that I wasn't surprised by his answers, but I was surprised by his stamina, as he sat riveted by the action taking place on stage for 2 and 1/2 hours. The touring company at the Fox Theatre this weekend (November 26-28) has conjured up a solid and engaging effort that's greatly enhanced by some memorable special effects wizardry that's particularly effective during the twister sequence.

Before Madonna, before Marlene, there was the legendary Sophie Tucker, the Queen of Vaudeville and the jazz age, whose career spanned a sensational 60 years in showbiz. THE LAST OF THE RED HOT MAMAS, the Sophie Tucker Revusical, an original musical about the life of the Russian-born chanteuse features many of the songs she made famous including 'My Yiddishe Momme' and her signature song 'Some of These Days.' Tucker, born Sonia Kalish, was known for her for her bawdy sense of humor and outspoken views on men and relationships. Her legacy has influenced comediennes and singers alike for generations. During her career, which spanned over seven decades, this gutsy vaudeville entertainer found popularity and fame with self-parody and suggestive songs like 'I'm the Last of the Red Hot Mamas.'

Legendary guitarist John McLaughlin is a special talent, and he brings a real sense of passion and spirituality to his live performances. From the opening notes of his concert at the Sheldon (November 19, 2010), the audience was immediately spellbound by his hypnotic, and often challenging, musical landscapes, which act as a kind of framework for an incredible assemblage of musicians, known collectively as the 4th Dimension, to deconstruct and make anew via their own solo excursions. This was jazz in its purest form, with the melodies and progressions taking on new forms and rhythms as each instrumentalist took their turn interpreting and reshaping them.

The NonProphet Theater Company presents the final show of their 2010 season RECKLESS by Craig Lucas opening Friday, December 3, 8pm at the Regional Arts Commission, 6128 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, Missouri 63112. The show will run until Sunday, December 12 with performances Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm and Sundays at 5pm. Tickets are $15 for general audiences and $12 for students (must provide a valid ID) and seniors (Ages 55+).

HotCity Theatre, a professional theatre company with a focus on contemporary programming and new play development announces the opening of SLASHER, by Minneapolis-based playwright Allison Moore. SLASHER premiered at the 2009 Humana Festival of New American Plays and it continues to be produced in theatres across America. HotCity brings this 'horrifying comedy' to St. Louis as the final show in their 2010 Season. Chuck Harper directs.

Ben is excited to return to the cabaret stage December 9 at The Bistro. His show is an evening filled with laughs and a fun, upbeat, and surprising mix of pop and theatre music. We may even do a few holiday numbers! The incomparable Neal Richardson returns to music direct.

Pizzarelli's performance will feature music from his latest album, Rockin' in Rhythm, a tribute to jazz pianist/composer Duke Ellington, whom Pizzarelli calls 'jazz's greatest star!' Songs such as 'Don't Get Around Much Anymore,' 'I'm Beginning to See the Light,' 'Satin Doll' and 'In My Solitude' are re-interpreted with Pizzarelli's trademark style and personality, but with great respect towards the original compositions.

The 25-person chorale, directed by Allen Carl Larson, celebrates the season with popular selections from Handel's Messiah, including mezzo-soprano Alice Montgomery singing 'O Thou That Tellest Good Tidings to Zion,' 'A Ceremony of Carols' by Benjamin Britten with the entire choir and Amy Camie, harpist; plus a world tour of delightful carols for choir and instruments, with string players from the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, including 'Ding, Dong Merrily on High,' 'O Tannenbaum,' and the 'Wexford Carol.'

Stray Dog Theatre presents AS BEES IN HONEY DROWN by Douglas Carter Beane. Take a heavy dose of Auntie Mame, add a hearty splash of Sally Bowles, mix generously with the spirit of Holly Golightly, and you have one of the most intriguing, self-made celebrities of all time. When Alexa Vere de Vere sinks her claws into media 'hottie' Evan Wyler, sparks begin to fly. As illusion gives way to reality, this deliciously wicked satire takes aim at style over substance.

The Muddy Waters Theater company concludes their season devoted to playwright Eugene O'Neill with an American classic; LONG DAY'S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT. After you see this intense and powerful play, you'll understand why O'Neill didn't allow it to be staged during his lifetime, since it's autobiographical in nature, and would have obviously rekindled painful memories from his past. This production is especially well acted, and brings this season of O'Neill to a dramatic finish.

We probably take the cultural impact of rock 'n' roll for granted, not fully comprehending the effect this raw, powerful blast of rebellious freedom has had worldwide, where it has somehow managed to shape generations that are far removed from its origins. With his play ROCK 'N' ROLL, Czech playwright Tom Stoppard is able to show us firsthand how this music molded the beliefs, hopes, and dreams of his own youth, and he filters it through a unapologetic, surprisingly sentimental haze that makes for an engaging and compelling ride through time. The St. Louis Actors' Studio is currently presenting a very entertaining and sharply acted and directed production of this work at the Missouri History Museum.

Neil Simon's THE GOOD DOCTOR finds the playwright mining the short stories of Anton Chekhov for material, and this comedy with music, is a decidedly mixed bag, occasionally producing laughs, but not nearly in the abundance we've come to expect. It's an odd marriage of styles, and more often than not, the humor seems strained or overly familiar. Avalon Theatre Company opens their 2010-2011 season with a fairly solid production of this minor work from the Simon canon, although it could benefit greatly from a bit of tightening.

If you've only ever seen the movie version, or a community theatre production, you owe it to yourself to check out the touring company of the 2008 Broadway revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein's SOUTH PACIFIC that's currently playing the Fox Theatre. This is a lavish and impressive production filled with gorgeous melodies, many of which have become standards that you'll find yourself humming on the way home. The social issues that this Pulitzer prize winning drama tackles were groundbreaking for their time, and they still manage to make an impact today, despite how far we've come. But, most importantly, this production affords you the opportunity to see a top notch, and well-seasoned cast tackling this wonderful material.