James Lindhorst - Page 4

What did our critic think of KING HEDLEY II at The Black Rep?

The Muny has set a high bar for the remaining productions of their 106th season with an exquisite production of a beloved classic. Seth Skylar-Heyn's collaboration across his entire production team brought a fresh production of Les Misérables to the stage and captured all the emotion of the original production. He filled his cast with dozens of magnificent voices led by the extraordinary performances of John Riddle and Jordan Donica.  

The 2024 summer theatre season is already in full swing in St. Louis, Missouri, with three exceptional comedy-dramas opening last week. St. Louis stages opened their 2024 season with STEEL MAGNOLIAS starring a mostly local cast. Broadway World called the Stages St. Louis production “wonderfully funny – creating contagious uncontrollable laughter.”  Albion Theatre opened a terrific production of Alan Ayckbourn’s WOMAN IN MIND with a tour-de-force performance from Emily Baker in the lead role. Baker is on stage the entire production. Stray Dog Theatre had audiences laughing out loud with their production of David Lindsay-Abaire's RIPCORD. All three productions run through the end of June. The most anticipated productions of the remaining summer season include shows at The Muny, Stages St. Louis, and The New Jewish Theatre.

Opera Theatre of Saint Louis (OTSL) announced repertory and celebrations for a landmark 50th season in 2025, celebrating five decades of artistic innovation and discovery since the company’s founding in 1976. The 2025 Festival Season opens on May 24, 2025, with Johann Strauss II’s effervescent Die Fledermaus, which has not been seen at Opera Theatre since 1989. The season continues with the company’s 44th world premiere, This House, with music by Ricky Ian Gordon and libretto by Pulitzer Prize-winner Lynn Nottage and her daughter Ruby Aiyo Gerber. Next, Opera Theatre will present an all-new staging of Donizetti’s Don Pasquale — the very first opera that the company ever performed. Britten’s enchanting adaptation of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream rounds out the season. In addition to four mainstage productions, Opera Theatre will continue to present the annual young artist showcase, Center Stage. This concert shines a spotlight on the members of OTSL’s highly selective Young Artist Programs, accompanied onstage by members of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, which has served as OTSL’s Festival Season orchestra since 1978.

The Muny opens its 106th season next week with the epic musical sensation Les Misérables. John Riddle returns to play Jean Valjean following his award-winning performance as Anatoly in CHESS last season. Broadway World sat down with John Riddle during his rehearsal lunch break to talk about the upcoming production, how he got his start on The Muny stage, and his success performing on Broadway in THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, THE VISIT, and Disney’s FROZEN.  

Albion Theatre’s WOMAN IN MIND is a mad, absurd comedy that works on every level. It is a marvelous collaboration between director, actors, and technical crew to enrich comedic storytelling. Emily Baker is fantastic in the insanely demanding role as Susan. She leads this company with a workhorse-like performance that affords the supporting cast the opportunity to create ridiculously droll characters.  

For the second year in a row, STAGES St. Louis knocks it out of the park with a non-musical offering. STEEL MAGNOLIAS is a laugh out loud comedy-drama about sisterhood and how friends overcome fear, uncertainty, sadness, and profound grief. Price’s directorial vision, the casts’ exceptional performances, and the ravishing work of the technical team make this production as beautiful as a Louisiana magnolia tree in full June bloom.  

Critics are raving about Opera Theater of St. Louis’ (OTSL) production of THE BARBER OF SEVILLE, calling it riotously funny and dazzling with comedic brilliance. Tenor Andrew Morstein is making his OSTL debut and sings the role of Count Almaviva. His comedic performance has been called virtuosic, lyrically beautiful, and vocally acrobatic. Morstein, who is a rising international opera star, sat down with Broadway World to talk about his experience with the Rossini opera, the current production at the Loretto-Hilton Center, and what he is doing with his time in St. Louis.  

Caitlin Cook brought her one-woman musical THE WRITING ON THE STALL to Blue Strawberry Showroom and Lounge for two shows over the weekend. Cook, a songwriting social media sensation, has penned a musical asserting that bathroom graffiti is art. She starts her show, seated on the commode, and asks the audience for toilet paper.

This outstanding production of AS YOU LIKE IT is a perfect introduction for Shakespeare newbies and delivers a high-quality performance for the most ardent of Shakespeare aficionados. The directorial vision is beyond remarkable.

The Stein family has gathered to celebrate the Passover Seder for the first time. Linda, the controlling family matriarch, insisted that all the members of her family gather for the traditional celebration that has been anything but a tradition for their non-practicing secular family.

McDaniel’s vision for their collaboration, his music direction, and accompaniment brought an award-winning musical theatre actor back to the stage after a lengthy hiatus. Their show played directly into the strengths of Ripley’s vocal stylings with her massive voice. Ripley belted for two hours while these two artists graciously gave more of themselves than most artists do with a 90-minute cabaret set.

Prism Theatre Company rolled out their new production concept at Greenfinch Theater and Dive Bar on Thursday Evening.  BROADWAY DIVAS is the first installment of their Meadowlark Cabaret Series. Their company of 14 local actors performed 18 musical theatre songs originated by some of the best-known divas in Broadway history, featuring music by some of the most lauded musical theatre composers. While the production is billed as a cabaret performance, BROADWAY DIVAS is more of a musical revue that featured 5 dynamic and memorable vocal performances.  

Caitlin Cook is bringing her show THE WRITING ON THE STALL: A One-Woman Bathroom Graffiti Musical to The Blue Strawberry Showroom and Lounge for two shows on Saturday, June 1, and Sunday, June 2, 2024. She says her show appeals to a wide variety of people. “Musical Theatre fans have latched onto the show and know the songs coming in. That is so cool as a songwriter,” she said. In addition to theatre people, Cook said her show also appeals to art history buffs and people who love comedy. “It’s a show that people identify with and see a little bit of themselves in it,” Cook said.  

The Muny in St. Louis announced today that they are bringing concerts back to their stage in Forest Park. In an interview with Broadway World, Muny president and CEO, Kwofe Coleman, shared that on September 7, 2024, Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Winner John Legend will take the stage in Forest Park with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra (SLSO.)  

For the second year in row and the seventh time in his career St. Louisan Jack Lane has been nominated for a Tony Award, this time for his work on WATER FOR ELEPHANTS.  In addition to his nomination for Best Musical, WATER FOR ELEPHANTS was nominated for Best Direction of a Musical, Book of a Musical, Choreography, Scenic Design, Costume Design, and Lighting Design.  

The Blue Strawberry in Midtown St. Louis welcomed John Lloyd Young on Wednesday evening for the first of two Shows.Highlights from his set included a soulful performance of the R & B classic “Show and Tell,” and a haunting introspective rendition of The Hollies song “The Air That I Breathe.” To say that Young’s voice is special is an understatement. His phrasing is impeccable. His vowels are open, pure, and rich. Young’s tenor is lush and resonant with pitch-perfect head and chest voice and a falsetto that soars. His vocal stylings are magnificent.  

The Tesseract Theatre Company’s production of THE INHERITANCE was a marvelous accomplishment thanks to the genius direction of Stephen Peirick and the out-of-body performances he evoked from each member of his cast. Peirick took the more than 300 pages of Lopez’s wordy script and swiftly paced the production, making it so succinct that the time in the theater melted away as rapidly as a piece of satisfying chocolate on the tongue.   Peirick artfully blocked his well-rehearsed actors on his small set design consisting of two small risers surrounded by the three walls of the small black box theatre. Paintings of familiar New York City scenes representing The Bethesda Terrace Fountain and theatre marquees were interspersed with artwork of cherry blossoms adorning the side walls. Decorating the back wall were vines of cherry blossoms in a crisscross pattern reminiscent of a NYC subway map. He judiciously used the performance space to move his actors between NYC, the apartment interiors, and an upstate New York estate while maintaining a lively pace to his sensational storytelling. 

STAGES St. Louis unveiled their stellar ensemble cast for its upcoming production of Steel Magnolias. The cast includes Amy Loui (M'Lynn), Taylor Quick (Shelby), Jilanne Marie Klaus (Truvy), Abigail Isom (Annelle), Zoe Vonder Haar (Ouiser), Kari Ely (Clairee) Lari White (Standby), Lexy Witcher (Standby), and Meme Wolff (Standby). This beloved story, known for its memorable characters and heartfelt message, will grace the stage from May 31 – June 30 in The Ross Family Theatre at the Kirkwood Performing Arts Center. 

Some bright local voices were heard at Prism Theatre Company’s SPOTLIGHT ON ... BEING YOU over this past weekend in St. Louis. The best of the festival was the performance billed as a ‘Popera’ written and composed by Holly Barber and Lee Ehmke. THAT PERFECT KISS, a retelling of Cinderella and her Prince, is a short musical ditty about finding one’s genuine self. Accompanied by composer Holly Barber on guitar, Sarah Lueken, Rachel Bailey, Zach Thompson, and Matt Kauzlarich performed the light pop score with charm and pizzaz. In just a few minutes, Barber and Ehmke used familiar characters, re-told their stories, provided them arc, and created an indelible musical memory for the audience. The prince wasn't the only thing that was charming in this coming-of-age tale.