St. Louis Theater Reviews Page 2

Review: 'CENTER STAGE' AT OTSL at Opera Theatre Of Saint Louis
by Steve Callahan - July 03, 2024

It’s like the dreamiest dessert cart one could imagine after the glorious musical meal of OTSL’s four main productions this summer....

Review: DREAMGIRLS at The Muny
by James Lindhorst - June 29, 2024

Tiffany Mann is magnificent in The Muny's DREAMGIRLS as Effie White. She is a powerhouse performer with riveting stage presence and gigantic voice. Her heartbroken, resentful, and bitter portrayal painted a determined Effie who would not be pushed aside....

Review: TITANIC ON ICE: THE MUSICAL! at the The Lift For Life Academy Theater
by James Lindhorst - June 23, 2024

TITANIC ON ICE: THE MUSICAL is a cross between a semi-successful “Saturday Night Live (SNL)” skit and a ridiculous hour-long sketch from the old “Carol Burnett Show.” The script, adapted by Rob McLemore, includes all the memorable pot points from the film, plus every silly joke or sight gag that cam...

Review: KING HEDLEY II at The Black Rep
by James Lindhorst - June 22, 2024

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

Review: LES MISERABLES at The Muny is a an Exquisite Production Filled with World-Class Vocal Talent
by James Lindhorst - June 19, 2024

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...

Review: Stray Dog Theatre Has A Senior Moment With The Hilarious Ripcord
by Rob Levy - June 17, 2024

Hilariously funny, this well acted the production features black humor, searing one-liners and plenty of emotion....

Review: DRACULA at The Marcelle Theater
by Rob Levy - June 12, 2024

Finishing the company’s 32nd season, this alluring redux of Bram Stoker’s literary classic emerges from the shadows to give audiences an emotionally charged musical with plenty of chilling moments....

Review: Albion Theatre's WOMAN IN MIND at Kranzberg Black Box Theater
by James Lindhorst - June 08, 2024

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-lik...

Review: STEEL MAGNOLIAS at STAGES St. Louis is as Beautiful as a Louisiana Magnolia Tree in Full Bloom
by James Lindhorst - June 06, 2024

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 performa...

Review: THE WRITING ON THE STALL at Blue Strawberry Showroom And Lounge
by James Lindhorst - June 03, 2024

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 th...

Review: AS YOU LIKE IT at Shakespeare In The Park is a Charming and Romantic Romp
by James Lindhorst - June 02, 2024

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....

Review: WE ALL FALL DOWN at The New Jewish Theatre
by James Lindhorst - May 31, 2024

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. ...

Review: Alice Ripley with John McDaniel at Blue Strawberry Showroom and Lounge
by James Lindhorst - May 25, 2024

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 whil...

Review: BROADWAY DIVAS at Greenfinch Theater And Dive Bar
by James Lindhorst - May 25, 2024

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 ...

Review: JOHN LLOYD YOUNG Wows with His Lush Tenor and Soaring Falsetto
by James Lindhorst - May 09, 2024

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 ...

Review: Tesseract Theatre Company's THE INHERITANCE PARTS 1 & 2 is a Gripping Triumphant Success
by James Lindhorst - May 04, 2024

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 p...

Review: SPOTLIGHT ON ... BEING YOU a Festival of New Works Presented by Prism Theatre Company
by James Lindhorst - April 28, 2024

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 Pr...

Review: SANDRA'S SON: A LIFE SKETCHED OUT WITH CBABI BAYOC at Greenfinch Theater And Dive Bar
by James Lindhorst - April 19, 2024

Bayoc, like the rest of us is just an everyday person finding his way in this world. He is talented, has enjoyed success in the art world, learned from his mistakes, and understands the importance of personal accountability. Bayoc shares many sensitive moments. None more exposing than the story of t...

Review: XANADU at Tower Groves Abbey
by Rob Levy - April 15, 2024

Based on the 1980 film starring Olivia Newton-John and, before that, the Rita Hayworth film, Down To Earth, this lively adaptation never takes itself too seriously. From start to finish the ensemble prances, preens, and mugs it up, giving audiences a sugary sweet over the top show filled with kineti...

Review: St. Louis Shakespeare's HAMLET is a Well Acted Gem
by James Lindhorst - April 14, 2024

This well-directed and remarkably acted version of HAMLET illustrates how entertaining and engaging Shakespeare’s works can be. Siler and his cast created a production that would meet the highest standards of a finicky bardolator while entertaining a casual theater goer who may wonder if Shakespeare...

Review: DON'T WAIT FOR THE MARLBORO MAN at The Kranzberg Black Box Theatre
by James Lindhorst - April 13, 2024

Boehm’s translation and direction tells a melancholic tale about life, choices, relationships, and death. His trio of actors create stylized characters to challenge beliefs and self-morality. DON’T WAIT FOR THE MORLBORO MAN uses different conventions to tell a somber story that penetrates your consc...

Review: THE CHER SHOW at The Stifel Theatre
by James Lindhorst - April 11, 2024

THE CHER SHOW is an eye-popping traipse down memory lane but suffers from drive-by storytelling. While far from perfect as a full-fledged Broadway musical, there are plenty of wildly entertaining moments that make this show more enjoyable than it should be. It is the casting, strong vocal performanc...

Review: DARK MATTERS at Union Avenue Christian Church
by James Lindhorst - April 08, 2024

Garner, Peters, and Richie’s performances all elevate a passable script that doesn’t quite reach the level of a disquieting and chilling story. Pierce’s directorial choice makes the production worth recommending, however go with the expectations that the aliens never materialize to create a chilling...

Review: SATE Presents THE 8TH ANNUAL APHRA BEHN FESTIVAL at The Chapel
by James Lindhorst - April 07, 2024

The entertaining 8th Annual Aphra Bren Festival successfully gave fresh female, transgender, and non-binary voices the medium to have their works professionally produced and be heard. Four playwrights presented new works as part of the Festival. Anne Valentino’s play THE THE stood out amount the pro...

Review: THE WHALE at The Gaslight Theatre
by James Lindhorst - April 06, 2024

This is an excellent production of a story that is difficult to watch. The direction is sharp, the acting is flawless, and the technical theatre quality is first rate. The artists at St. Louis Actors’ studio have milked every bit of emotion they can wring from a strong script with, what was for me, ...