Archive

Review: St. Louis Symphony Orchestra Performs “Brahms X Radiohead” With Composer/Conductor Steve Hackman

Posted: March 6, 2024 at 6:47 pm   /   Live Theater, Live Theater Reviews

As classical music looks to connect with younger audiences, the programming offered by many of symphonies is adapting. While the classics of Mozart, Beethoven, Vivaldi, and their ilk remain standard in symphonic repertoires, the works of these masters now are nestled amongst film scores, themed concerts, and rock music. This synthesis of rock and classical […]

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Theater Review: Fascism, Physics, and Friendships Collide in COPENHAGEN

Posted: February 20, 2024 at 3:01 pm   /   Live Theater, Live Theater Reviews

From physics to physical confrontation, the St. Louis Actors Studio production of Copenhagen delivers tense drama, political intrigue, and plenty of existential dread. Focusing on the story, director Wayne Saloman’s minimalist staging allows the actors to bring the intensity, making this a must-see production. Set against the backdrop of occupied Denmark, Copenhagen uses nonlinear time to chronicle the friendship between […]

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Movie Review: The Evocative CHAPERONE Screens at Slamdance 2024

Posted: January 29, 2024 at 5:18 pm   /   Film, Movie Reviews

Chaperone is a lively indie film that breaks many of the norms of traditional narratives in moviemaking. First, it features an entirely Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander cast, led by Misha-Mitzi Akaha and Jake-Laird Akeo in leading roles. Second, the movie builds its plot around an illicit love affair between and older woman and […]

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Theatre Review: COSI FAN TUTTE Offers A Comedic Clash of the Sexes

Posted: June 22, 2023 at 6:55 am   /   Live Theater, Live Theater Reviews

The battle of the sexes is in full effect at Opera Theatre of St. Louis. This clever mêlée of wits drives their production of Mozart’s comedic opera, Cosi fan tutte. What starts as a leisurely vacation turns into a high-stakes competition when two fresh recruits, Guglielmo and Ferrando foolishly believe that their girlfriends, Fiordiligi and Dorabella, […]

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God, Guns, and Gossip: OTSL Delivers a Sparkling SUSANNAH 

Posted: June 14, 2023 at 9:09 am   /   Live Theater, Live Theater Reviews

There was a rapturous moment offstage during the opening night of Opera Theatre of St. Louis’ Susannah. Conductor Gemma New, herself in the midst of a glorious performance, took advantage of a musical pause to set aside her baton, fold her hands and take in the moment before joining the audience in their thunderous applause for soprano […]

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Theatre Review: Passionate and Political, Opera Theatre St. Louis’ TOSCA Refreshes a Classic

Posted: June 3, 2023 at 5:40 pm   /   Live Theater Reviews

There is not much color in Opera Theatre St. Louis’ production of Tosca. But that does not mean it is drab.  Relying on minimalist lighting, projections and powerful singing, stage director James Robinson has accentuated the powerful drama of Puccini’s opera and taken a cue from Orson Welles, giving audiences a stark and sleek presentation that fully […]

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Opera Theatre’s “Treemonisha” Gloriously Revives Scott Joplin’s Final Opera

Posted: May 26, 2023 at 8:35 am   /   Live Theater, Live Theater Reviews

Every king needs a queen. If you’re Scott Joplin, the king of Ragtime, that queen is Treemonisha. Opening Opera Theatre of St. Louis’ 2023 season, Treemonisha is an emotive production featuring powerful performances and a rousing score from the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. This rendering of Treemonisha, now presented as an opera within an opera, was envisioned and created […]

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The Magnetic Fields Create A Strong Attraction at City Winery

Posted: March 29, 2023 at 8:56 am   /   Concert Reviews

The Magnetic Fields two-night residency at City Winery was more of a marathon than a series of concerts. Playing thirty songs from across their catalog in around ninety minutes, the five-piece unit never mistepped in delivering their unique brand of punchy and quirky melody driven compositions. Known for their tongue in cheek lyrics that range from the macabre, […]

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Blue Man Group Brings A Brisk New Production to The Fabulous Fox

Posted: February 10, 2023 at 5:46 pm   /   Live Theater, Live Theater Reviews

Since 1987, Blue Man Group’s mix of percussive drumming, performance art, high-energy showmanship, and colorful moments of creativity has dazzled audiences worldwide. Despite their lasting success, the men in blue have never wavered from upping their game.  The creative threesome’s newest show, now playing at The Fabulous Fox Theatre, is a relentless production that meshes […]

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St. Louisan Alex Winter Probes THE YOUTUBE EFFECT (Interview)

Posted: November 2, 2022 at 9:18 am   /   Film

As rapidly changing technology and unchecked access make the world of digital media tricky to navigate, Alex Winter’s The YouTube Effect could not have arrived at a better time. His urgent and cautionary documentary examines how YouTube has made our lives easier and more enriched, while also presenting dangers that make the world a more perilous […]

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