Chris Gibson - Page 41

TITANIC: THE MUSICAL is just the sort of production that's perfectly suited to the vast expanse the Muny provides. After all, it's a big show, and there's no space quite as mammoth in size and scope as the Muny stage. And, I'm happy to report that their current presentation is a grand and entertaining spectacle that's powered by a top notch cast and sharp direction.

Celebrated jazz pianist, composer and arranger Linda Presgrave and her quintet will launch 'Jazz in July,' a series of free summer concerts sponsored by Washington University's Jazz at Holmes, with a performance from 8 to 10 p.m. Thursday, July 8.

The much anticipated third installment in the Greater Tuna trilogy, RED, WHITE & TUNA takes the audience through another satirical ride into the hearts and minds of the polyester-clad citizens of Texas' third smallest town. Two comic masters, Lyceum Theatre artistic director Quin Gresham and Lyceum favorite Daryl Vaughan, ignite the stage playing all 24 firecracker characters from Tuna, Texas.

The Stages St. Louis production of PROMISES,PROMISES will be produced and presented from the original script and score that premiered on Broadway at the Shubert Theatre in 1968. Adapted from Billy Wilder's 1960 Oscar-winning film The Apartment, PROMISES,PROMISES focuses on a rising executive, Chuck Baxter, who tries to curry favor with his superiors by letting them borrow his apartment for romantic trysts. Set in the Mad Men era of Manhattan's Madison Avenue, Promises, Promises remains slick, hip and timeless. With its propulsive score, eye-catching dances, dazzling designs, and laugh-out-loud hilarity, PROMISES,PROMISES is a show you will long carry in your heart.

The passengers sailing on the S. S. American from New York to England are an unusual lot. Among them are a gangster, an evangelist turned nightclub crooner, a society debutante, a wealthy business man and many more! The madcap antics of a love triangle at sea, a myriad of mistaken identities and a lively Cole Porter musical score including, 'You're the Top,' 'I Get A Kick Out Of You,' and 'It's De-Lovely,' make for a special performance of energy and entertainment. It's a wonder that all the romances are sorted out and disaster is averted aboard the magical ship where ANYTHING GOES!

Stray Dog Theatre presents Thornton Wilder's OUR TOWN, considered to be one of the most important American plays of all time. The brillliant, Pulitzer Prize-winning masterpiece comes alive again. More than any American classic, this play stands for simple truths and eternal connections. Return to Grover's Corners for a fresh take on the play that changed theatre history! A poignant family tale that reminds us of what is truly important in life.

Celebrated jazz pianist, composer and arranger Linda Presgrave and her quintet will launch 'Jazz in July,' a series of free summer concerts sponsored by Washington University's Jazz at Holmes, with a performance from 8 to 10 p.m. Thursday, July 8.

In 2003, 23-year-old American Rachel Corrie was crushed to death by an Israeli Defense Forces bulldozer in the Gaza strip. A volunteer with the International Solidarity Movement, Corrie was protesting the destruction of Palestinian homes. With the permission of the Corrie family, actor Alan Rickman and Guardian journalist Katharine Viner accessed Rachel Corrie's diaries and emails and edited a huge volume of her written material into a 70-minute one-woman show titled MY NAME IS RACHEL CORRIE.

HotCity Theatre, a professional theatre company with a focus on contemporary programming and new play development announces the production of the company's 5th Annual GreenHouse New Play Festival. Three plays 'in progress' are chosen from over 250 submitted by playwrights all over the world. Each script is given a workshop that includes professional directors on staff at HotCity, a professional dramaturg (a literary drama scholar) and professional local actors. This workshop provides a springboard for re-writes, culminating in readings at the festival by professional actors and adjudicated by HotCity artistic staff. At the festival event, scripts are performed as staged readings, followed by talkback sessions where you, the patrons, are given the opportunity to offer your thoughts and ask questions of the playwrights.

The Midnight Company will present the St. Louis premiere of Mickle Maher's AN APOLOGY FOR THE COURSE AND OUTCOME OF CERTAIN EVENTS DELIVERED BY DOCTOR JOHN FAUSTUS ON THIS HIS FINAL EVENING at Dressel's Pub in the Central West End, June 2-24. A lean, tragicomic version of the Faustus story, AN APOLOGY... presents Doctor Faustus in the last hour of his final night on earth - irritated, whining and repentant of nothing save his failure to keep a proper diary. Over the course of this hour, he rails against his silent servant Mephistopheles and tells the fantastic tale of his life - a life filled with wonders, as well as an immeasurably vast evil.

The classic French fairy tale, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, is given the full-blown Disney treatment in this adaptation of their own 1991 animated film. While retaining many of the elements that gave the movie it's own particular charm, this version runs a bit too long and leisurely for my tastes, being padded out with additional, and largely forgettable songs by Alan Menken, Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, some of which were cut from the movie. But, there's no denying the appeal of this material, and the large contingent of families in attendance on a muggy night at the Muny all seemed to be having a great time with this appealing and fun production that kicks off their 2010 season.

Don't miss this hit Broadway comedy. IT HAD TO BE YOU is an absurd, fast-paced comedy that tells the story of Theda Blau (Stellie Siteman), a zany, eccentric, ex-Hollywood B movie actress and wannabe playwright seeking love and/or a writing partner in New York City. She meets TV producer-director Vito Pignoli (Jerry Vogel), when she (unsuccessfully) auditions for one of his commercials.

The St. Louis Actors' Studio and That Uppity Theatre Company have combined their efforts to close their season with the premiere of Joan Lipkin's (with collaborator JT Ricroft) original play, THE STATE OF MARRIAGE. The title does double duty here, allowing for commentary on the current state of nuptial bliss (or lack, thereof) in our country, while also referencing the fact that there are relatively few states that are currently allowing same sex marriages to be performed. The show is structured like a surreal wedding reception, with the audience invited to join in the festivities, including the distribution of cake to attendees. But there are also serious messages about tolerance and acceptance that are being conveyed here, making this an intriguing project.

Muddy Waters Theatre is a unique company in that they devote each or their seasons to a single playwright, which in most cases would result in a schedule that strictly hews to the familiar. But, as a rare treat during their current season, which is devoted to Eugene O'Neill, they've decided to stage a little known comedy of his titled NOW I ASK YOU. While the true authorship of the play is a matter of conjecture (Agnes Boulton O'Neill is also credited), there's a certain unmistakable quality to the dialogue that bears traces of a master at work. This current production is a nicely mounted affair that's surprisingly witty and amusing.

The production of WICKED that's currently playing the Fox Theatre delivers an enchanting experience to its audiences that dazzles and delights, filling the stage with jaw-dropping scenery and incredible special effects, as well as a host of wonderful performers. The plot based on Gregory Maguire's novel gives a back story to L. Frank's Baum's beloved Wizard of Oz, that is unexpectedly infused with a strong, positive message about accepting people for who they are inside And, while most musicals are guilty of utilizing a threadbare plot to hang a multitude of songs upon, this is not the case with Wicked, where the reverse is nearly true, with Winnie Holzman's clever adaptation providing a more than sturdy framework for Stephen Schwartz's catchy score.

St. Louis Actors' Studio concludes its third season with the world premiere of the performance piece THE STATE OF MARRIAGE. Conceived by Joan Lipkin, this original work is co-produced by That Uppity Theatre Company and St. Louis Actors' Studio in their first collaboration. The piece explores the changing face of marriage and considers the institution's complicated emotional, religious, and social dimensions and history.

What do Lucille Kallen, Mel Brooks, Neil Simon, Woody Allen, Michael Stewart, Mel Tolkin, Larry Gelbart, Carl Reiner and Selma Diamond have in common? Most are Jewish, and all were denizens of the famed 'Writer's Room' where they labored to create the comedy sketches for the live 90 minute weekly variety series, 'Your Show of Shows' starring the legendary Sid Caesar. Composites of these writers make up the characters in Neil Simon's raucous comedy,LAUGHTER ON THE 23RD FLOOR, set in 1953 during television's golden age.

The passengers sailing on the S. S. American from New York to England are an unusual lot. Among them are a gangster, an evangelist turned nightclub crooner, a society debutante, a wealthy business man and many more! The madcap antics of a love triangle at sea, a myriad of mistaken identities and a lively Cole Porter musical score including, 'You're the Top,' 'I Get A Kick Out Of You,' and 'It's De-Lovely,' make for a special performance of energy and entertainment. It's a wonder that all the romances are sorted out and disaster is averted aboard the magical ship where ANYTHING GOES!

Thornton Wilder's venerable American classic OUR TOWN is an interesting character study, focusing its attention on a small New England town and the changes that occur to various characters as time passes. This was an era when entire families put down roots and never gave a thought to moving, with children growing up and taking over the family businesses. Stray Dog Theatre is currently presenting the play, and though it's a flawed presentation, a game cast does a fairly good job of bringing Wilder's characters to life.

THE ME NOBODY KNOWS is a musical plea for understanding by a group of underprivileged children that's set in one of the poorer neighborhoods of New York City. It's an indictment of our current social and economic conditions that this show, written in 1970, explores themes and issues that still resonate with audiences today. The current production by the Black Rep is a rousing and entertaining show that features a young and talented cast.