Chris Gibson - Page 36

St. Louis-based group, Elsie Parker and The Poor People of Paris, specializes in popular French music. Elsie Parker, the group's founder, became enchanted with the voice and songs of Edith Piaf and performs many of her early works, as well as songs associated with Hervé Vilard, Mireille Mathieu, Michael Legrand, Patricia Kaas, Jacques Brel, Eddy Mitchell, Vanessa Paradis, and Sylvie Bernard, as well as her own original material.

West End Players Guild continues its 100th season of theatre in the Central West End with an evening of one-act plays titled A WOMAN'S PLACE. An ensemble cast will appear in the four short plays presenting women in extraordinary circumstances. A WOMAN'S PLACE opens on Friday, November 5, and continues through Sunday, November 14. Shows are at 8:00 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2:00 p.m. on Sundays, with all performances at the Union Avenue Christian Church, 733 Union Avenue.

Through personal stories and family photographs, Erin Kelley shares her experiences of growing up in a Native American/multi-racial family. PORTRAIT OF MY PEOPLE offers a fresh, contemporary perspective of multiculturalism and Shawnee and Cherokee history which engages students and adults alike. Most appreciated by ages 10 and up. A talk back follows each performance.

The NonProphet Theater Company presents the third show in their 2010 season A FEMININE ENDING by Sarah Treem opening Friday, October 29th, 8pm at the Regional Arts Commission, 6128 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, Missouri 63112. The show will run until Sunday, November 7 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+).

Grammy award-winner John McLaughlin is known as an extraordinary solo artist, a collaborator and sideman for artists such as Miles Davis, as the leader of both the ground breaking Mahavishnu Orchestra and the revolutionary indo-jazz group Shakti, and as the composer of some of the most stunning classical jazz-fusion pieces written. Through the almost four decades of his career, one constant has been his artistry as a guitarist and improviser.

While the chief target of David Mamet's hilariously funny play, NOVEMBER, may not in actuality be former president George W. Bush, Bush's uncanny knack for coming off less than intelligent, and his frequent, and often creative malapropisms, are clearly evident. But, really this isn't about any one particular presidency, but a delicious skewering of modern politics as a whole. Mamet's work is given a terrific production by the St. Louis Actors' Studio, which features top notch comic performances and tight, fast-paced direction.

There's a moment in playwright Matthew Lombardo's play HIGH when Father Delpapp asks the coarse and tough-demeanored Sister Connelly why she became a nun. Her answer is telling, because it's not the typical selfless response you might expect; she's seeking redemption and forgiveness for her transgressions in life. It's something each of the three characters in this story is looking for in their lives, and it acts to make each of them seem all the more human and flawed. The world premiere of this brave new work continues its trek toward Broadway with a run in St. Louis, and this presentation by the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis is a dark and unsettling triumph, powered by bravura performances and sharp, incisive direction.

I can distinctly recall catching filmmaker Sam Raimi's Evil Dead 2 in a local theatre (an unrated cut) and being wowed by his audacious and imaginative camera work, as well as the copious amounts of gore and humor that gushed forth at breakneck speed. I'd only had the opportunity to see the first film, Evil Dead, on video, since it had been victimized by a decidedly limited and slipshop distribution, but I quickly became of a fan of the series, and even enjoyed the further adventures of Ash in the silly, but fun flick. Army of Darkness. I bring this all up because Stray Dog Theatre is presenting EVIL DEAD: THE MUSICAL, which pays homage to, and parodies, the Evil Dead trilogy, as well as other horror movie and musical theatre conventions, and it's a gruesome fun fest that's perfectly timed for the Halloween season.

West End Players Guild has announced open auditions for the last two shows of its 100th season of theatre in the Central West End. On Saturday, Nov. 13 at 2:00 p.m. the Guild will host auditions for Shelagh Stevenson's MEMORY OF WATER, directed by Tom Kopp. On Saturday, Dec. 11 at 1:00 p.m. the Guild will host auditions for Kathryn Chetkovich's ACTS OF LOVE, directed by Robert Ashton. Both auditions will be held in the Guild's performance space at the Union Avenue Christian Church, 733 Union Ave.

The story of Oedipus is a tragic one, and perhaps one of the most pitiable and pathetic in all of the Greek canon. The tale is familiar and famous enough to have inspired a complex named after the protagonist, although Sigmund Freud's description of it relates more to the unconscious guilt that centers around an individual who exhibits obsessive behavior toward their parent of the opposite sex, than it does the actual circumstances surrounding Oedipus. That definition really doesn't fit the actual figure of Oedipus, because he's completely unaware of the missing fork in his family tree when he takes his own mother as his wife, after being abandoned as a child. Upstream Theater is presenting a powerful and memorable production of this play, OEDIPUS KING, from an adaptation by David Slavitt, which actually manages, even amidst all the heartbreak and pain, to find some small moments of humor to lighten the overall darkness of the piece.

Joan MacLeod's play, ANOTHER HOME INVASION, is a cautionary tale, and while the setting may be Canada, the message is one that will resonate with anyone who has aging parents that are living on their own. This short work, which runs about 70 minutes, focuses our attention on the survivor of a home invasion, letting us see how letting your guard down, even for an instant, can lead to unexpected and terrifying consequences. Echo Theatre Company continue their 2010-2011 season with a simply mounted production of this informative work that's nicely conceived and executed.

Playwright Aaron Posner has done a wonderful job of adapting Chaim Potok's novel MY NAME IS ASHER LEV for the stage. With amazing economy, Poser whittles down the work to 90 minutes of stage time, and with two of the three actors playing multiple roles, condenses the complexities even further, and yet the play still maintains the flavor and intensity of Potok's writing. The New Jewish Theatre begin their 2010-11 season with a mesmerizing production of this engaging and compelling portrait of a young artist struggling with reconciling his family and religious beliefs with his own particular artistic aesthetic.

Since I started writing theatre reviews a few years back one of the most interesting things that's occurred has been the opportunity to watch performers grow and take risks. A little over a year and a half ago I had the chance to cover Ben Nordstrom's first cabaret performance at the Kranzberg Arts Center, and I thought he did a solid job, but I could tell he was still finding his way as a solo performer. However, if his concert at the Sheldon this past Tuesday (10/5/2010) is any indication, he's really coming into his own as a solo singer who can engage and captivate a crowd with both his voice and personality

Move over Rocky Horror, and make way for EVIL DEAD: THE MUSICAL! Based on the 80's cult classic Evil Dead films, this show is hilariously campy and bursting with more farce than a Monty Python skit. Five college kids take a trip to a remote cabin in the woods and encounter everything from ancient evil spirits to revenge-seeking Candarian Demons. One outrageous, horror-filled moment leads to another as every attempt is made to ward-off the bloodthirsty villains. It's all ridiculous and wild, while the term 'Fresh Blood!' takes on new meaning!

Shakespeare's last great play, THE TEMPEST, has always been a favorite of mine, if only because it lends itself to intriguing stagings and imaginative re-interpretations with it's appealing mix of comedy, romance, and magic. And, with director Julie Taymor's film version about to be put into wide release, it's certainly a good time to revisit this material.

The original Kingston Trio, formed in San Francisco in 1957 by Bob Shane, Nick Reynolds and Dave Guard, changed the face of pop music, introducing a new take on classic American folk music. Their 'folk revival' sound paved the way in the 1960s for groups such as the Limelighters, the Smothers Brothers and the Brothers Four, eventually inspiring the protest folk music of Bob Dylan, Joan Baez and Peter, Paul and Mary. In their heyday, the Trio's albums and concert performances were out-sold only by the Beatles, and their sound influenced the musical tastes of a generation.

Mustard Seed Theatre opens THE CHOSEN October 22 - November 7, 2010, which follows two teen-age Jewish boys who meet as rivals in a baseball game and begin an unlikely friendship, navigating the opposing political and religious views of their fathers. Adapted from the classic novel by Chaim Potok. The cast includes Justin Ivan Brown as Reuven Malter, Adam Moskal as Young Reuven, Jim Leibrecht as David Malter, David Chandler as Danny Saunders and Richard Lewis as Reb Saunders.

After having previewed the new Marvin & Harlene Wool Studio Theatre in June with the final production of our two seasons of wandering, the New Jewish Theatre embarks on a new era as we open our first full season in this wonderful new space. The season opens October 6 with an adaptation of Chaim Potok's poignant novel, MY NAME IS ASHER LEV. Aaron Posner who adapted the novel into dramatic form, also adapted NJT's highly successful production of THE CHOSEN several years ago. Potok's widow, Adena Potok consulted on the production. Potok will be in St. Louis for the final weekend of performances to offer her insights in audience talk backs.

With their funky and fun production of I LOVE MY WIFE, New Line Theatre begins their 20th season with a trip back to the swinging seventies, when the last dying embers of the sexual revolution were still smoldering in the suburbs. It was a time when collars were broad, chests were hairy, and polyester was the fabric of choice. And though the obvious reference point for some might be Paul Mazursky's 1969 film Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, the two are actually quite dissimilar, except for the fact that two couples wind up sharing the same bed. But, I LOVE MY WIFE is more concerned with friendships and making connections. New Line's presentation of this perfectly charming adult comedy is superbly cast and directed, and well worth your time and attention.

In the academic world of mathematics 'proofs' are a kind of intellectual currency. If published, they can launch a career. But, they're rare and precious items, essentially the product of sweat and genius; the very essence of math. David Auburn's play, PROOF, examines this form of the word, but also visits upon many of the other meanings present as well. Filled with moments of drama, mystery and humor, Proof is a compelling tale that never bores, and Insight Theatre Company closes their season with a generally solid production of this clever and engaging work.