Chris Gibson - Page 47

New Line Theatre, 'the Bad Boy of Musical Theatre,' continues its nineteenth season of provocative, adult, alternative musical theatre with the St. Louis premiere of Andrew Lippa's rowdy, raunchy, jazz musical THE WILD PARTY, running April 22-May 15, 2010, and New Line has announced a web video contest in connection with the show.

Shakespeare Festival St. Louis announced the full cast of this season's production of HAMLET, running May 26-June 20, 2010. As previously announced, St. Louisan and Kevin Kline Award winner Jim Butz plays the title role. Joining Butz will be Justin Blanchard as Laertes, John Rensenhouse as Claudius, Anderson Matthews as Polonius, Deanne Lorette as Gertrude, Rob Krakovski as Ghost/Player King, and Kimiye Corwin as Ophelia.

The Sheldon presents the St. Louis Stompers, Tuesday & Wednesday, April 6 & 7 at 10 a.m. in the perfect acoustics of the Sheldon Concert Hall. Tickets include complimentary pastries and coffee at 9 a.m., followed by the one-hour concert. The Saint Louis Stompers, a nationally recognized group has been playing a mixture of Chicago and New Orleans style traditional jazz and Dixieland, reminiscent of Louis Armstrong, Bix Beiderbecke, and King Oliver, since 1981.

Playwright Paul Zindel's work THE EFFECT OF GAMMA RAYS ON THE MAN-IN-THE-MOON MARIGOLDS tells a painful and dark story, and offers only a glimmer of hope to its protagonist. Vaguely reminiscent of the work of Tennessee Williams, Zindel's play is peppered with poetic and lyrical snatches of dialog that seem at odds with their grungy surroundings, and he even includes a demented alcoholic figure that lords over the other characters, making their lives miserable in the process. Stray Dog Theatre's current presentation is a nicely mounted production, featuring a very solid cast.

In March, the Washington University Opera will celebrate Jolly Stewart's upcoming retirement with an 'all-star' performance of DER FLEDERMAUS (1874), the beloved operetta by Johann Strauss II (1825-99). The production will feature nine returning alumni - all of whom now sing professionally - as well as celebrated baritone Ian Greenlaw, teacher of applied music in Arts & Sciences.

My first introduction to the work of playwright Tracy Letts was covering a local production of Bug. I came away amazed and enthralled with the play, marveling at the way Letts writes dialog, and captivated by a bizarre tale of conspiratorial madness fueled by excessive drug consumption and psychotic behavior. So, needless to say, I had high expectations for the Steppenwolf Theatre Company's presentation of AUGUST:OSAGE COUNTY that touched down at the Fox Theatre for a two week run. I'm happy to report that I was blown away by the brilliance of the writing and the cast. August: Osage County is must-see theatre.

Jazz and blues singer Billie Holiday had a hard and tragic life, and her addictions have become almost as well known as her musical contributions. YESTERDAYS: AN EVENING WITH BILLIE HOLIDAY illuminates the high and low points of her career, while framing them in guise of her last concert appearance in May 1959. As a musical presentation, it succeeds with a lively assortment of some of Holiday's best material offered up with the crack backing of a talented three piece ensemble.

THE PEOPLE'S VIOLIN is an interesting search for identity, as an experimental filmmaker attempts to track down his father's true lineage, and hopes to find himself in the process. It's interesting to note that Charlie Varon's play was originally a one man show, especially since its lead protagonist, Sol Shankman, is so self-obsessed that it's sometimes too painful to watch. The New Jewish Theatre's current presentation (February 24 - March 14) is definitely thought-provoking and engaging, and though some of the characters might not be all that likable, there's still something compelling about watching this mystery unfold, as Sol begins to come to terms with his father's 'true' identity, as well as his own.

Continuing its tradition of devoting an entire season to exploring the work of a single playwright, Muddy Waters Theatre Company opens its Eugene O'Neill season with the passion-filled DESIRE UNDER THE ELMS presented March 12-28, 2010 in the Kranzberg Arts Center, located in the Big Brothers Big Sisters Building at Grand and Olive in Grand Center.

Controversial playwright/filmmaker Neil Labute has a unique talent for crafting works that deliver a solid sucker punch to the gut. I can appreciate that approach, and since I'm always on the lookout for something out of the ordinary, I made it a point to check out the St. Louis Actors' Studio production of THE SHAPE OF THINGS. Director Alec Wild's sharp direction combines with a well cast ensemble to bring this provocative and challenging piece to life at the Gaslight Theater.

After experiencing some initial success in the world of cabaret last year, Jeffrey Wright has returned to the Kranzberg Arts Center for a weekend of sold out performances. With the encouragement of mentors Lina Koutrakos and Rick Jensen, Wright has fashioned a show centered around the theme of 'The Dance', featuring an eclectic mix of standards, show tunes, classic rock and country. But, Wright breaks down these genre classifications by investing each song with the same sense of genuine warmth and sensitivity that characterizes his own personality.

[insert name here] Theatre Project, in association with Stray Dog Theatre) presents Speech and Debate by Stephen Karam. Final performance of the show is slated for February 20, 2010.

The 48-voice Greenville College Choir and 20-voice Chamber Singers will perform at The Sheldon Concert Hall (3648 Washington Boulevard, St. Louis, MO) on Sunday, March 7 at 3:00 p.m. This year's tour program, entitled 'Kingdom Come,' features diverse selections from South Africa, Germany, England, France, and America, composed over a period of 400 years.

Kevin Kline Award winner Ben Nordstrom and St. Louis veteran actor Steve Isom star in the St. Louis premiere of GUTENBERG! THE MUSICAL!, the Off-Broadway hit that the New York Times called 'A Smashing Success!' The Temporary Theatre (The Temp), a new company headed by Isom, has chosen as its inaugural offering the exclamation point-littered two-man musical spoof by Scott Brown and Anthony King.

Stray Dog Theatre presents the strong, funny, and best-known drama by Paul Zindel, THE EFFECT OF GAMMA RAYS ON THE MAN-IN-THE-MOON MARIGOLDS. Winner of the 1971 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and one of Off Broadway's greatest successes, this powerful intimate portrait of a widow and her two young daughters has been hailed as one of the most significant plays of the 20th century.

It happens every day, or maybe it just seems that way. Breaking up is not only hard to do, it is awful, terrible, painful -- and funny once you pick yourself up off the floor. Christina Rios finds the funny inside the pain, and the pain inside the funny. Her choice of breakup songs includes: everything from Weird Al Yankovic to Paul Simon to Stephen Sondheim.

The Community Music School of Webster University and The Sheldon are teaming up to present a lively one-hour education program for schools entitled 'St. Louis Classical All-Stars,' Thursday, March 11, 2010 at 10 a.m. in the perfect acoustics of the Sheldon Concert Hall. Six top student musicians will perform short works designed to introduce classical music to their peers in an attractive format, to inspire study of a musical instrument or voice and participation in school music programs, and to plant seeds for future listening to and exploration of the classical music genre.

It's easy to understand the appeal of a jukebox musical like MAMMA MIA!, especially when you consider just how tuneful the score is, overflowing with a couple dozen of ABBA's greatest hits. And, on a cold evening in February, it's setting in sunny Greece is a warm and welcome alternative to the weather outdoors. The current touring show gracing the stage of the Fox Theatre is a splendid production, as engaging and charming as we've come to expect, and brimming with enough good humor to act as a perfect remedy for the winter blues.

Playwright Wendy Kesselman has referred to her current adaptation of THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK as the definitive version, and considering the fact that newly available passages of Anne's diary were incorporated into the text, it's certainly more eye opening in a lot of respects. Kesselman gives us a more thorough understanding of Anne, while also enhancing some of the darker aspects of her story, packing this episode in history with considerable emotional weight. The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis is presenting a superb staging of this fresh adaptation (February 10 - March 7), featuring a stellar ensemble that breathes new life into this tragic tale.

I'm encouraged by the recent trend of malls offering up empty retail space to the artistic community. If there's one thing that theatre groups often lack it's a decent performance space, and these type of ventures, like the ArtSpace at Crestwood Court, provide them with an opportunity to bring their talents to the masses. Dramatic License Productions makes their debut in the 'Artopolis' at Chesterfield Mall with a pleasant and emotionally affecting staging of Robert Harling's Southern-fried comedy-drama STEEL MAGNOLIAS (February 4 - 20).