James Lindhorst

“The Butcher of Baraboo” is a grim dark comedy that spirals into complete brutality. The characters are willing to go to extreme measures to protect themselves and their secrets. The is no familial loyalty among this group of vicious characters. The West End Players Guild has staged a cutting production of a play that is gratuitous in savage barbarity. 

“Don’t Be a Hero, Thank You” is a one-act play that takes a humorous look at the challenges faced by the fictional Kate following her release from prison for a felony conviction after robbing a bank. The narrative is comprised mostly as a single-person monologue that is interrupted by phone calls from friends. Leemon’s smartly written script builds empathy through laughter.Hazel McIntire’s “Go Before I Do” also deals with complex emotions but by using dramatic storytelling instead of satire. Like Leemon’s script, McIntire uses monologue, combined with dialogue between characters, to manage generational grief stemming from the loss of a spouse and parents.

Credit director Brittanie Gunn for Tesseract Theatre’s extraordinary production of ANASTASIA. Gunn’s vision and her collaboration with her actors and technical teams has created an extravagant production with outstanding performances, sensational singing, exhilarating dancing, and absorbing storytelling. 

ELEPHANTS' GRAVEYARD is a lovely piece of writing. It doesn’t wallow in sadness or pathos. It looks death in the eye and laughs. Corbett, Meyer, and Rausch have given the world premiere of ELEPHANTS' GRAVEYARD a beautiful staging. Williamson’s salubrious script proves that when facing even the gravest situations laughter is a pretty damn effective medicine.  

“Wolf Kings” is more performance art than a play. The snappy banter is often witty and funny. The vivacious movement is dance-like. There are elements that are peculiar, comedic, and dramatic. It condemns predatory behavior though spectacle by granting victims strength. Its thought-provoking message is cloaked and shrouded in unusual absurdity with a final scene that is oddly disconnected. “Wolf Kings” will prompt both post-performance discussion and a bit of head scratching because its narrative gets messy and a little lost along the way. 

STAGES St. Louis has announced their 2025 line-up, and it is a season of comedy, romance, and nostalgia. The season opens with the hilarious madcap musical MURDER FOR TWO. That will be followed by the pre-Broadway tryout of the Jane Austen bio-musical AUSTEN’S PRIDE and the Tony Award Winning Broadway hit BEAUTIFUL: THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL. Broadway World had the opportunity to sit down last week with STAGES artistic director Gayle Seay, executive producer Andrew Kuhlman, and marketing director Michael Adkins to talk about their upcoming season.  

St. Louis Shakespeare’s production of Julius Caesar is an excellent opportunity for high-school and college students studying this piece to see a decent staged production. Locker prepared her actors well and coached them to project with authority. The four leading actors deliver excellent performances that drive the story and create a mostly satisfying experience.  

Upstream Theater’s production of LIFE IS A DREAM is an illustrious production of Calderón's complex work. It has a clear directorial vision, exceptional acting, and stunning technical design elements. It is a superior in its artistry, staging, and storytelling.

Albion continues to stage exceptional productions of plays from the United Kingdom and LUNGS is no exception. Director Ellie Schwetye’s production is an emotional look at relationships and the forces that help maintain or derail a couple. Nicole Angeli and Joel Moses are convincing as the woman and man considering parenthood who find understanding and wrestle with conflicts along the way.  

“An Unlikely Hero” is a hero’s journey that would appeal to any young theater goer. It's a story that embraces friendship, teaches the values of honesty, collaboration, and helping your peers succeed. Metro Theater Company has created a show that grabbed a young audience's attention and engaged them with dynamic storytelling. 

Michael Madden’s “Red Jasper” is a romantic and hopeful story that doesn’t wallow in sentimental melodrama. The characters find connection quickly and develop a tight bond at warp-speed. Director Suki Peters identified the emotional core of the story and collaborated with her actors to hastily pace the heartwarming and bittersweet tale. 

FINAL DRESS is another of Midnight Company’s scripted cabaret shows that features some memorable songs for people of all ages. It’s comes recommended solely for the chemistry between Howe and Cereghino. Howe takes on a dozen of chart-topping hits from the past seven decades including the Frankie Lymon hit “Goody Goody,” a plot advancing version of Alanis Morissette’s “Uninvited,” and Carole King’s “It’s Too Late.” Howe continues to show in her cabaret performances that she has the vocal chops to take on many different genres of music, including pop, rock, opera, musical theater, and Latin/mariachi.  Cereghino is strong on the keys, but he really captivated the room singing with Howe on the Barbra Streisand/Barry Gibb hit “Guilty,” and the delightful “Suddenly Seymour” from Little Shop of Horrors.

AM I DANGEROUS? asks many relevant questions facing women today. e.k.doolin’s prose is elegant and bold. Her unique story telling convention poses questions without providing answers. The narrative pushes the audience to the edge of discomfort and provokes meaningful dialogue through entertaining story telling.  

West End Players’ eerie production of The Turn of the Screw continues through October 13, 2024. Morgan Maul-Smith, Payton Gillam, and Rob McLemore collaborate to stage Jeffery Hatcher’s unnerving adaptation in entertaining style. It is a bit unsettling, a little chilling, and a lot of fun for those who like a spooky tale.

Contraband Theatre’s new production will be the World Premiere of AM I DANGEROUS? written by local playwright by E.K. Doolin. BroadwayWorld spoke with the playwright and producer. Read the interview here!

Take Two Production of MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG far exceeded expectations. Stephen Peirick’s leadership, the vocally accomplished cast, and the polished musical direction all come together to create a gem of a show. This production illustrates how, in the hands of the right people, a show of any size can succeed, giving an audience a memorable evening in the theatre.

Last week The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis opened a thrilling and playful production of Frederick Scott’s DIAL M FOR MURDER. The production, running through October 13th, is filled with stellar performances from a cast of all St. Louis based actors. Broadway World had the opportunity to sit down with DIAL M’s Jayson Heil and Eric Dean White to talk about the show, their experiences acting, and their appreciation of St. Louis’ thriving professional theater scene.  

STAGES St. Louis production of RAGTIME is exquisite and an important piece of Americana. The symphonic quality of the Ahrens and Flaherty score has many beautiful sections, and the relevance of the story is timeless. The slowly unfolding narrative is told nicely through Goodwin’s focused direction, the competent performances of the accomplished cast, the gifted musical direction and accompaniment, and the polished work of the technical theater professionals. RAGTIME does not reach the grand heights of the other epic musicals that have become a global phenomenon. But it is certainly monumental in its storytelling and deserves to be seen, especially this beautifully staged production at STAGES St. Louis.

Director Rachel Tibbetts takes 20-year-old Alice back down the rabbit hole in Slightly Askew Theatre Ensemble’s (SATE) world premiere of Shualee Cook’s TEMPEST IN A TEAPOT. Tibbetts has created a magical world of make-believe for Alice to revisit her past while confronting her future. Everything about the exaggerated whimsical world is fantasy come to life at the eternal tea party. As is often the case with recontextualized works of the classics, the play-within-a-play convention of TEMPEST IN A TEAPOT can become a bit convoluted in its complicatedness. Tibbetts’ vision and the cast’s execution of the material is highly entertaining, however those with limited or no exposure to The Tempest could be left behind in the storytelling. 

Tony nominees Ann Hampton Calloway and Joe Iconis are bringing their cabaret shows to Blue Strawberry Showroom and Lounge. Calloway will perform two shows on September 27 - 28, 2024. Iconis will visit the midtown showroom for two performances on October 18 - 19, 2024.