Theatre Review: SOMETHING ROTTEN! Offers Fresh Laughs at New Line Theatre
No matter if it’s a big Broadway show or a promising tryout that flew under the radar, St. Louis audiences know they can expect great productions from New Line Theatre. In the case of Something Rotten!, currently playing The Marcel through Oct. 15, they’ve taken the hit musical comedy and turned it into an intimate […]
Theatre Review: A CHORUS LINE Offers Raw, Spectacular Insight Into Lives of Artists
The audience of a Broadway musical sees only the final product – not the months of auditions, rehearsals, workshops, and everything else that leads the cast to be standing on-stage before them. That is unless they are seeing A CHORUS LINE, the 1975 musical developed and directed by Michael Bennett, with music by Marvin Hamlisch, […]
Theatre Review: Union Avenue Opera’s Glorious Season Finale Features a Lot of Night Music
Union Avenue Opera concludes its 28th season with a rousing production of A Little Night Music. Based on Ingmar Bergman’s 1955 film, Smiles On A Summer Night, the company’s rousing tribute to Stephen Sondheim is filled with wonderful singing and plenty of laughs. Set in Sweden at the start of the 20th century, A Little […]
Laughter and Lust Propel Union Avenue Opera’s FALSTAFF (Review)
Hosting a 28th season dominated by excellent performances, Union Avenue Opera’s second production, Falstaff may be the strongest of the bunch. Written when he was almost 80, Verdi’s comedic opera is a pared-down version of The Merry Wives of Windsor amended with scenes from Henry IV, Part 1, and Part 2 for dramatic heft and […]
Theatre Review: EUGENE ONEGIN Opens Union Avenue Opera’s New Season
Opening the 28th season in their home for the first time in over two years, Union Avenue Opera is filled with a renewed sense of energy. This vitality is especially apparent in the season’s opener, Eugene Onegin, an intense production filled with incredible performances and beautiful music. Based on Pushkin’s novel, Eugene Onegin is set […]
Opera Theatre of St. Louis Hits All the Right Notes with THE MAGIC FLUTE (Review)
With so much intensity permeating through Opera Theatre of St. Louis’ 48th season, it is good to see the company let its hair down. With two emotionally heavy world premieres surrounding it, The Magic Flute provides some much-need relief. Renovated by director Omer Ben Seadia’s clever pacing, Jessica Jahn’s vivaciously creative costumes, and Ryan Howell’s set design, […]
The Fight for Equality Has Dire Consequences in OTSL’s Poignant HARVEY MILK (Review)
It is only fitting that Opera Theatre St. Louis closes out its 48th season with an opera about overcoming adversity. Back on its home stage in front of an audience for the first time since 2019, the company has faced several challenges, including postponing two world premiere presentations. But, in the case of Harvey Milk, […]
Theatre Review: URINETOWN at New Line Theatre
Urinetown is the meta, satirical musical we need right now. Created by Greg Kotis (Book/Lyrics) and Mark Hollmann (Music/Lyrics), the story takes place in a dystopian future (an eagle-eyed Scott Miller spotted the year 2027 on a prop in the original Broadway production) where a decades-long drought has eliminated private restrooms. Now all public restrooms, […]
Theatre Review: AWAKENINGS Is the Sleeper Hit of the Season
For Opera Theatre St. Louis, the season doesn’t get much better than having two world premiere operas in the same season. The first, an adaptation of Dr. Oliver Sacks’ book Awakenings, was originally planned as the opener for the 2020 season. Despite being stalled, this highly emotional opera has finally arrived. Relentless in its intensity […]
Disney’s THE LION KING Roars at The Fox Theatre in St. Louis (Review)
It goes without saying, The Lion King is a fantastic musical. Based on the 1994 Disney animated film, the Broadway show opened in 1997 and won six Tony Awards, including: Best Musical, Direction (Julie Taymor), Choreography, Scenic Design, Costume Design, and Lighting Design. It holds the record for the 3rd longest-running show in Broadway history, […]