James Lindhorst - Page 9

Broadway World had the opportunity to sit-down with Director Taylor Gruenloh, and the shows two leads, Tiélere Cheatem who plays Lola and Kelvin Urday who plays Charlie Price. Each of them shared their excitement about their production of KINKY BOOTS, getting to work in the Grandel Theatre, and what show means to each of them.

Director Phil Wright magnificently captures the playwrights voice in this premiere production of WAYWARD. He leads a talented cast to tell the stories of the young women who were forced to give their babies up for adoption due to the societal norms of the 1960s. Wright’s analysis of the script and his collaboration with his cast take Berg’s compelling characters from page to stage with genuine realness and authenticity. Each of the actors successfully and effectively creating brand-new characterizations of never before played roles. Eric Berg has penned an extraordinary narrative filled with fascinating characters facing trying personal situations while navigating complex relationships. While his work takes on a serious subject matter and an important topic his script is not without a few light moments and laughs. Wright’s staging of the play is phenomenal and his work with his cast and crew have breathed life into a new play that is both entertaining and captivating.

Kelly Howe and Joe Hanrahan, the creative minds behind the blockbuster Linda Ronstadt show JUST ONE LOOK are premiering a brand-new narrative driven cabaret show titled PROFESSOR SUNSHINE’S TRAVELING POST-APOCALYPTIC ROCK AND ROLL REVIVAL on September 20th and 23rd at The Blue Strawberry in St. Louis. Loosely based on Old West Traveling shows, PROFESSOR SUNSHINE’S TRAVELING POST-APOCALYPTIC ROCK AND ROLL REVIVAL will feature the music of Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Patti Smith and more.

Director Lili-Anne Brown follows up her magnificent production of last season’s THE COLOR PURPLE with a poignant production of RENT and the story of friends who are coping with the extreme circumstances of life-threatening disease and poverty. Her treatment of Jonathan Larson’s RENT remains true to the intimacy of the original production.

The Blue Strawberry continues to bring some of the biggest Broadway names to St. Louis, making it the preeminent cabaret venue in the area. The club has recently announced the return engagement of RENT’s Adam Pascal for three shows, October 6th, 7th and 8th. In addition, they have added two shows featuring Tony winner Beth Leavel on October 20th and 21st.

Fans of Judy Garland will love Midnight Company’s production of YOU MADE ME LOVE YOU for three reasons. First, because Hanrahan’s script about Garland’s life and career is compelling. Second, because Owens is relatable when she is sharing Garland’s story to the audience. Finally, because of the delightful nostalgia of Judy Garland’s music catalog.

Director Brian McKinley, his cast, orchestra and technical team have staged a production of CAROLINE, OR CHANGE that elevates the script and score. In his first try as a director, McKinley has led a vocally accomplished cast and an exceptional crew to a tremendous success. CAROLINE, OR CHANGE will continue at The Marcelle through August 12th.

St. Louis Stages is producing their first play in decades with their astonishing, brilliant and comical production of CLUE. The dictionary doesn’t hold enough superlatives to describe the superb quality of this production. This review is going to sound cliché in its description but be assured that a hysterical and entertaining 90-minutes awaits anyone who buys a ticket to witness murder, see whodunnit and experience theatrical excellence.

Director Maggie Burrows and choreographer William Carlos Angulo have put their unique spin on this frighteningly fun new Muny production of LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS. Burrows knows that for any production of LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS to succeed it requires stellar lead and background vocals from the trio of storytellers named Chiffon, Ronnette, and Crystal who open the show and drive the story’s narrative. In the opening number Angulo's choreography, inspired by the female singing groups of the 1960s, is accented with sharp zombie-like choreography to set the tone that something evil is about to go down. Every element of the trio’s vocal arrangement and choreography is perfectly detailed. Taylor Marie Daniel (Chiffon), Stephanie Gomerez (Ronnette), and Kennedy Holmes (Crystal) make a fabulous female trio. Each are individually terrific, but their work as a collective group is dynamic. Their delivery of the “Prologue (Little Shop of Horrors),” “Skid Row,” and “Dee Doo” sets this comically entertaining and macabre production in motion.

Schall and Schmidt are a lovely duo providing a vintage feel of a 1940’s supper club. Wrapping his vocals with his pleasing tenor and a deep resonant lower register, Schall takes on standards of old and what he calls the new standards of the 1970s Baby Boomers. His opening set is “S Wonderful” as he takes on some of the most popular standards of old including “I Can’t Give You Anything but Love, Baby,” and “Almost Like being in Love.” The diners are also treated to his unique takes on Lerner and Loewe’s “Wouldn’t it be Loverly,” and “On the Street Where You Live” from MY FAIR LADY. His second set included some of the biggest hits of the late 1960’s and 1970s with “Up on the Roof,” “New York State of Mind,” “Both Sides Now,” and more. Schmidt accompanies him splendidly on piano and helps return romance to dining in an intimate setting where you come for a leisurely dinner and to be entertained by a skilled musician accompanying an outstanding vocalist.

Ruggiero, his casting partner’s at Telsey & Co., and the Muny assembled an appropriately youthful, talented and beautiful cast. Every member of this young cast understands how to use lyrics plus subtext to tell story through song. Kanisha Feliciano’s (Maria) gorgeous soprano pierces the stratosphere.

Sisters Andrea (Alicen Moser) and Eloise (Summer Baer), and their first cousin Isabella (Ashley Bauman) are the trio of women who help one another cope with the hardships that life throws at them. Moser, Baer and Bauman access their character’s genuine feelings by tapping into the character’s emotional state. Each of the three actors realistically convey their character’s anger, love, sadness, fear and joy. It is in each of their emotional performances that make The Midnight Company’s production of THE YEARS compelling. There is such realness in their performances that the audience senses their familial ties.

Moonstone Theatre Company’s production of THE NERD is a riotous fun time thanks to swift direction and the cast’s ability to execute on slapstick comedy with impeccable timing. Director Gary Wayne Barker juices ever last laugh from the script. His vision and blocking extracts performances of sharp physical comedy from each of his actors. His brisk pacing makes the 2-hour fly by in a flash, but it is the fearless performances of his cast, especially Ryan Lawson-Maeske (Rick) and Greg Johnson (Warnock) that make this comedy succeed.

While this Muny production is more similar to the original West End production in London versus the Broadway rewrite, CHESS is still more of a concert-like production. While the actors, ensemble and orchestra perform this material masterfully, the story doesn’t fully capture the competitive nature of the Chess champions or the tensions of the cold war. The love story is slightly more compelling, but the lack of a well-written and emotional narrative does not allow the audience to fully connect to the story and softens the overall production. This production of CHESS is a must-see for those who love this score. This is not a musical that packs a powerful emotional wallop. If that is more of what you’re looking for then wait for WEST SIDE STORY or RENT.

The Muny and director John Tartaglia have staged an enchanted and epic tale as old as time for the second show of the Muny’s 105th season. This production of Disney’s BEAUTY AND THE BEAST is like no other production you’ve experienced before. The opulent scenic design, the elegant set decoration, the stunning costumes, the intricate choreography, the magical orchestrations and vocal arrangements are produced on the grandest of scale crafting a multi-layered technical theatre experience to enhance the exceptional performances of a richly talented cast. Tartaglia’s vision and leadership allowed his actors and creative teams to produce a luxurious show that is a visual, auditory and emotional indulgence.

The Muny’s production of BEAUTIFUL is a nostalgic delight. They have taken one of the best jukebox musicals, adapted to The Muny stage and elevated it with a large cast of exceptional performers who deliver the songbooks of two prolific and competitive songwriting teams of the 1960’s, Carole King/Gerry Goffin and Cynthia Weil/Barry Mann. The vast Muny stage comes alive with high energy vocal performances, exceptional choreography and colorful vintage inspired costumes.

There are those rare instances when a director perfectly casts and directs a play. The actor in every role inhabits the playwright’s characters and delivers performances that transcend an exceptional script to further elevate the material. That is exactly what Robert Ashton has done with Albion Theatre’s second show of their inaugural season with his casting and direction of Alan Ayckbourn’s comical farce ABSENT FRIENDS.

Salgado, his company, and STAGES St. Louis delivers a touching story of fateful, forbidden and unrequited love with originality and panache. While Salgado’s choices are modernistic, it is his focus on the characters and their love story, told through Elton John and Time Rice’s score that allows this production to provide an emotional wallop. This may be different visually than what may be expected, but this performance has the impassioned heart of the original production.

Last year, Luis Salgado directed and choreographed IN THE HEIGHTS at STAGES St. Louis. It was among the most critically acclaimed productions of the year in St. Louis. His production was recognized with 11 St. Louis Critics Circle nominations and six wins including Outstanding Production, Outstanding Ensemble and Outstanding Choreography. This year, Salgado returns to STAGES St. Louis to direct and choreograph AIDA.

New Line Theatre’s production of A FUNNY THING HAPPENS ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM succeeds due to Scott Miller’s directorial vision and the comedic timing of Miller’s strong cast. There are plenty of laughs in the First Act, but the second act builds to a crescendo of complete hilarity. Miller’s blocking and the actors’ execution of  the Second Act chase scene is downright madcap. Ann Hier Brown’s delivery of “That Dirty Old Man,” Kent Coffel and Chris Moore’s delivery of “Lovely,” and the Company’s collaboration on “Funeral Sequence” keeps the audience laughing nonstop following the intermission. The remaining cast Jason Blackburn, Danny Brown, Gary Cox, Robert Doyle, Nathan Hakenewerth, Brittany Kohl Hester, Aarin Kamphoefner, Ian McCreary and Sarah Wilkinson rely on their deadpan delivery and comedic timing to deliver big laughs throughout the show.