By Lynn Venhaus

A sweet-and-salty nutty mixed bag of brash gal pals and scummy exes who didn’t deserve them, “Sweet Potato Queens” sets a table for women to be proud and live out loud, no matter their lot in life.

With the exalted Boss Queen in the house, and members of the audience adorned with tiaras, sequins and neon pink feather boas, a spirited crowd – including the real inspirations behind some of the colorful characters – was in a feisty Saturday night mood to partake in the sassy and saucy Southern rock musical, “Sweet Potato Queens.”

If you are unfamiliar with the SPQ national movement, founder Jill Conner Browne and her closest friends in Jackson, Miss., have been empowering women since 1982. A New York Times’ bestselling author, she has spawned 6,200 registered Sweet Potato Queens chapters in 37 countries around the world.

New Line Theatre is producing the musical’s regional premiere, which is attracting appearances by Sweet Potato Queens and the creative people behind the musical, which debuted in 2016 in Houston and so far, has only been performed four other times.

The plucky material blends Southern prototype ‘girl power’ settings like “Designing Women” and “Mama’s Family,” and pink-collar components to “Steel Magnolias,” “Sex and the City,” and “The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood” for a frothy ‘you go, girl’ energy shot.

Talichia Noah as Jill Conner Browne. Photo by Jill Ritter Lindberg..

These are belles without a cotillion, no sorority sisters in sight, but they’ve bonded in silly and sublime ways, thanks to going through some things. Directors Scott Miller and Tony L. Marr Jr. make a point to bring out the humanity amid a carnival environs.

On March 9, the regal Browne and her entourage made grand entrances in sparkly outfits at The Marcelle, and upon introduction before the show, she regaled the crowd with the origins of her girls’ group in a very funny warm welcome. Their first appearance in a St. Patrick’s Day parade is a hoot (Google it!).

A woman who grabs life with gusto and lives by the tagline, “Be Particular,” Browne is the author of nine books, starting with “Sweet Potato Queens’ Book of Love” in 1999, then “God Save the Sweet Potato Queens” in 2001, followed by “The Sweet Potato Queens’ Big-Ass Cookbook and Financial Planner” in 2003, and including “Sweet Potato Queens’ Field Guide to Men: Every Man I Love Is Either Married, Gay, or Dead” in 2004,  “The Sweet Potato Queens’ Guide to Raising Children for Fun and Profit” in 2008, and “Fat is the New 30: The Sweet Potato Queens’ Guide to Coping with (the crappy parts of) Life” in 2012.

While many fans are primarily middle-aged and middle-class women, many chapters have people from all walks of life, and all promote positive thinking and self-esteem. Browne says the SPQ movement is to inspire “all of us to do what makes our hearts sing,” and that’s the opening number of the show.

While the uninitiated may think the spotlighted women fall into Southern stereotypes, it is wise not to go there, for do not underestimate their wit, smarts, and resilience. These are not tsk-tsk yokels from another branch of the family tree or plucked fresh from the cabbage patch to be laughed at – you will laugh with them because they find out who they are and are OK with that.

Jeffrey M. Wright as Tyler and Talichia Noah. Photo by Jill Ritter Lindberg.

Brown refers to her first husband as the anti-Christ, and if he’s anything resembling Jeffrey M. Wright’s woeful dirtbag Tyler, whoa.

Wright is such a polished, likeable performer that at first, it’s hard to adjust accepting him as a sleazeball, but he oozes unctuousness in his ladies-man encounters and is slick as this low-life liar that’s not smart enough to be convincing in his ruses (and he has a couple dandy ones). Yes, it’s called acting, and he showed his range.

Meanwhile, his long-suffering wife, Jill Conner Browne, played by good-natured Talichia Noah, is at her wit’s end, and finally musters enough dignity and self-determination to break free from the ‘stand by your man’ mantra.

She does so as part of a playful quartet with her three lively BFFS, all named Tammy. Of course! They introduce themselves in the cheeky “It’s Me” and spunky “SPQ-tiful,” and give Jill advice in the ballad “Make a Wish.”

A consummate pro, Ann Hier Brown is a revelation as firecracker “Too Much Tammy,” with heaping helpings of street smarts and in-your-face bravado. She dives into the amusing second act opener “Funeral Food” with abundant zest.

Another veteran, Mara Bollini, sashays with attitude as Floozie Tammy, uninhibited in “One Last Kiss” and spills the sweet tea on her sexual escapades. Brown, Bollini and Noah are a force on “The Only Thing I Know.”

Aarin Kamphoefner leads “Mad Dog Twenty Twenty.” Photo by Jill Ritter Lindberg

Victoria Pines completes the Tammy trio, as Flower Tammy, an abused wife who leans on her friends about her predicament. She displays her terrific vocal skills in the poignant ballad “Cherries in the Snow.”

The show’s standout this performance was Aarin Kamphoefner as George, going beyond the cliches as a beacon of hard-fought self-acceptance, and a caring friend to the girls – no judgment, just reassurance.

He has fun leading “Mad Dog Twenty-Twenty” as a good time song. Comfortable in his skin as a queer in the deep South, George, a good listener, has something to say, and Kamphoefner shines, tugging at our heartstrings reprising “It’s Me.”

Performing on March 9, while the real “TammyGeorge” was sitting in the front row, he deserved a standing ovation for pouring his heart out in an emotionally vulnerable solliloquy while a patron’s cell phone was audible and wasn’t immediately turned off. Kamphoefner held composure and drew everyone into his character’s truth. Bravo!

Portraying the concerned parents dispensing homespun wisdom are Bethany Barr as Mama and Kent Coffel as Daddy. Coffel also has a couple different minor roles, and always shows his versatility as a local MVP. He kindheartedly reprises “Do What Makes Your Heart Sing” several times.

The music is composed by Melissa Manchester, a longtime singer, songwriter and actress, who has been active since the 1970s. She first came to prominence as one of Bette Midler’s back-up singers, “The Harlettes.”

Noah and Kent Coffel. Photo by Jill Ritter Lindberg.

Some of her career highlights include her first smash hit “Midnight Blue” (recently a music video duet with Dolly Parton!), her Grammy-nominated performance of Peter Allen’s “Don’t Cry Out Loud,” and co-writer with Kenny Loggins on his collaboration with Stevie Nicks “Whenever I Call You Friend.” She won a Grammy in 1983 for “You Should Hear How She Talks About You.”

As an actress, she played Maddy Russo on the TV show “Blossom” 1993-95, and last year played Mrs. Brice on the first national tour of “Funny Girl.”

Fun fact: Her solo 1984 concert at the Fabulous Fox Theatre here was my first review assignment from a St Louis Globe-Democrat editor.

Lyrics are by country songwriter Sharon Vaughn, who has penned hits for Randy Travis, Reba McEntire, Patty Loveless, Kenny Rogers and others. Her big breakthrough in 1976 was with the Waylon Jennings hit “My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys,” which Willie Nelson covered for the 1979 Robert Redford movie “The Electric Horseman.” She was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2018.

With two women writing the female-forward songs, the numbers flavor the characters’ arc with a range of earnest emotions, what the characters are feeling at the time. The music has a peppy ‘60s girl-group vibe, with a splash of the self-acceptance of Tracy Turnblad in “Hairspray” and the boldness to be who you are of “Kinky Boots.”

“Five” is a showstopper, detailing Brown’s list for five men you must have in your life at all times: 1. Someone who can fix things 2. Someone you can dance with 3. Someone you can talk to 4. Someone who can pay for things (so you’re not paying their share) and 5. Someone to have great sex with. That about covers it, wouldn’t you say?

The Tammys and Jill. Photo by Jill Ritter Lindberg.

The band is tight, with seasoned New Line regulars John Gerdes on electric bass, Clancy Newell on percussion and Adam Rugo on electric guitar, and they are joined by Brandon Thompson on reeds, Nikki Ervin on keyboard, and conductor Dr. Tim Amukele on keyboard as well.

The enormity of the vocal load the lead must carry is daunting, as Jill must sing solo: “Do What Makes Your Heart Sing,” “Southern Side of Jackson,” “All That Matters,” and “To Be Queen,” and duos with Mama in “Sears,” Tyler in “We Had Some Good Times,” and the others in ensemble pieces. With that much to sing, Noah struggled at times, and her voice seemed strained because of the role’s demands the farther the show progressed. Perhaps Amukele’s guidance will help on the rough spots. But even for the most accomplished vocalist, that’s a herculean effort.

The book By Rupert Holmes lovingly spotlights the characters for their strength, grace under pressure, and their willingness to be audacious. Holmes won multiple Tony Awards for the book music and lyrics, all solo acknowledgements, for “The Mystery of Edwin Drood.” He’s known for the pop song “Escape (The Pina Colada Song).”

According to press material, “The team continues to work on the show. The St. Louis production will be the fifth production of the show so far.” While entertaining, it does appear to be a work in progress, and the rough-around-the-edges effort is well-meaning and good-hearted, but some tightening up would make it zing.

Rob Lippert’s minimal set design emphasizes the vibrant spirit of the production, with the iconic pink sunglasses as a major focal point. Matt Stuckel and Ryan Day capably handled the lighting and sound.

Ann Hier Brown and Mara Bollini. Photo by Jill Ritter Lindberg.

Zachary Phelps designed the flashy and curvy baby-doll SPQ anthem costumes as well as the everyday attire of the cast. The shiny pink-and-green outfits look like a vamped-up creation crossing “Amazon Women of the Moon” with “Barbarella” and John Waters’ movies.

For anyone who has experienced dreams-deferred, “Sweet Potato Queens” is a reminder to believe in your potential and stay true to your ideals. It does so with an energetic mindset, a desire to spread goodwill, and a celebratory, humorous spirit. After all, real queens adjust each other’s crowns.

Addendum: To follow in the footsteps of other SPQs across the land, Browne recommends Revlon® “Love That Pink” lipstick, flowing red wigs, and majorette boots. They wore green hand-me-down ball gowns and tiaras for their first St. Patrick’s Day Parade, and said when she discovered she lived near Vardaman, Miss., the self-proclaimed Sweet Potato Capital of the World, that was all it took to offer herself as the queen for the farmers’ annual festival.

Bethany Barr as Mama. Photo by Jill Ritter Lindberg.

New Line Theatre presents “Sweet Potato Queens” from Feb. 29 to March 23, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 8 p.m. at the Marcelle Theater, 3310 Samuel Shepard Drive.

Tickets are $25 for adults and $20 for students/seniors for the preview; and $30 for adults and $25 for students/seniors for all other performances. To charge tickets by phone, call MetroTix at 314-534-1111 or visit the Fox Theatre box office or the MetroTix website.

For more information about discounts, visit the website: www.newlinetheatre.com

The Queen herself, Jill Conner Browne. Lynn Venhaus Photo.
Sweet Potato Queens in the audience March 9. Lynn Venhaus Photo.

St. Louis, MO (March 4, 2024) – A new musical written for students at the Missouri University of Science & Technology will have a brief run in New York City this month before having its World Premiere at the Tesseract Theatre Company in St. Louis this July.

Cascade’s Fire, a modern adaptation of Sophocles’ Antigone story, was written by Taylor Gruenloh and Kyle Wernke, professors at Missouri S&T.

“The students at this university,” Gruenloh says, “are super bright and drawn to creative adventures. Like other theatre programs at schools across the country, we came out of the pandemic swinging and haven’t slowed back down yet.”

Gruenloh and Wernke’s Cascade’s Fire had a workshop production on the campus of Missouri S&T in October 2023. Since the university doesn’t have a theatre major, the acting ensemble featured students studying in majors like engineering management, physics, education, and biological science.

“It was a staggeringly new experience,” said David Pisoni, a chemical engineering major. “Not only do you get to go through the rehearsal process with the writer and composer of the piece, but you’re approaching it with completely fresh eyes.”

Cascade’s Fire sees the character of Cascade return to her old college campus looking for answers after the death of her ex-girlfriend.

Taylor Gruenloh

The same cast from the October production will travel with the show to New York this month.

“It has always been a dream of mine to perform in New York,” said Madison Kastner, an education major. “I’m so grateful to have the opportunity to do the thing I love.”

While the student actors perform Cascade’s Fire during the evenings at Under St. Marks Theatre in the East Village, Gruenloh will be escorting them to career related activities during the day.

“Not only do these few students get to perform a new musical in New York, the university is helping send a larger student group with us to visit an entertainment engineering firm, talk with technical theatre professionals, and seeing a new Broadway show.”

Gruenloh says it’s his mission at Missouri S&T to showcase pathways for engineering students to achieve careers in the arts. “A lot of students came in around the start of the pandemic, thinking they weren’t going to have many opportunities in theatre, thinking this school only championed STEM activities, and now they’re taking a show to the busiest theatre city in the world.”

Cascade’s Fire won’t stop after the brief run in New York. St. Louis’ Tesseract Theatre Company will produce the musical’s official World Premiere as part of their 2024 New Musical Summer Fest in July.

Gruenloh has a strong history with Tesseract Theatre, co-founding the company in 2012 with current Creative Director Brittanie Gunn. Gruenloh stepped away from the company in August last year to focus on building the theatre program at Missouri S&T. “We’re excited to bring Taylor back,” said Kevin Corpuz, a Creative Director at Tesseract. “To share his new musical with St. Louis audiences is very special and we can’t wait to get started.”

While the St. Louis production of Cascade’s Fire will have a new cast at Tesseract for the World Premiere, the titular role of Cascade will be played by Josie Schnelten, who originated the role in October and will lead the show in New York this month.

“I never thought that I’d get the opportunity to bring a brand-new character to life,” said Schnelten, an engineering management major at Missouri S&T. “It’s been special to work on Cascade from her very beginnings and I cannot wait to be a part of her professional debut in St. Louis.”

The Tesseract Theatre Company will run Cascade’s Fire July 19 – 24 at the Marcelle Theatre in Midtown St. Louis. The 2024 New Musical Summer Fest will also feature My Heart Says Go, a show about a first-generation college student, Indigo, who defies his father and drops out of medical school to become a singer-songwriter.

Gruenloh, who is directing Cascade’s Fire in St. Louis, said, “This is the best possible outcome for this little experiment. I wanted to give the theatre students at Missouri S&T a taste of new play development, the bragging rights of originating roles in a musical, but the support from the university and the excitement at Tesseract Theatre has made this project a years long journey that is leaving a lot of people with some great memories.”

By Lynn Venhaus

A masterful melding of massive spectacle, heartfelt high-stakes performances, and astonishing visual artistry, “Dune: Part Two” expands the mythic hero’s journey to its full potential.

After the global embrace of “Dune” in 2021 as a stunning adaptation of Frank Herbert’s 1965 book, considered the best-selling science fiction novel of all-time, the sequel has been highly anticipated to complete the first book on screen.

Part Two chronicles the novel’s second half, which follows a feudal interstellar society in a galaxy far, far away. At this time, while seeking revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family, Paul Atreides (Timothee Chalamet) unites with Chani (Zendaya) and other Fremen. Forced to make either a personal choice or save the fate of the known universe, he endeavors to prevent a terrible future only he can foresee.

While it’s more riveting because of the whole picture, there could always be further character development due to its gigantic scope – nevertheless, the entire arc’s lucidity is much improved here.

In the first’s attempt at world-building, the narrative was largely unwieldy. However, no one could deny its mesmerizing grand-scale wizardry. (A second viewing really helped sort out the planets and houses).

Now that we are familiar with the desert wasteland Arrakis, the risks between the warring dynasties are made clearer. That is, for those of us who didn’t read Herbert’s first novel (or the other five in the “Dune” series).

‘Spice,’ the most precious resource in this universe’s existence, spurs the malevolent forces who want to control its extraction in Arrakis, because it is necessary for space navigation and its multidimensional awareness and foresight properties.

By picking up where the first left off, this second part effectively ties up loose ends, and deepens what is at stake. The focus narrows on young Paul Atreides, who must grow from an unseasoned boy, without his royal father to guide him, into the man he needs to become. Sacrifices must be made, and he continues to manifest his future in visions/dreams.

The religious and political implications of whether he is fulfilling a prophecy is what makes for propulsive viewing. The screenplay, co-written by director Denis Villeneuve and Jon Spaihts, contains requisite bombastic and brutal confrontations, but also includes sincere intimate moments that give the film its beating heart.

To that end, all the actors in this finely-tuned sprawling ensemble bring their A game, but Chalamet discernibly takes the reins – and without question, has come into his own as Paul.

It’s an emotionally charged turn, as he conveys a range of feelings, tormented by the burden of expectations and the challenge of learning ways to survive, especially conquering fear. As he notably rises above the pressures, his brooding Paul summons a strength that is exhilarating to watch.

Chalamet is fully invested as the gifted heir of the noble house of Atreides, who saw nearly everyone he cared about massacred. As the Harkonnen sharpen their attacks, Paul, who escaped Caladan with his mother to find refuge in Arrakis, is aided by the Fremen so that his people, and his family, have a future.

Whereas in the first, he was a blank slate “to the manor born,” and being groomed to take over. He accepted his duties, although reluctantly. But now, it’s urgent that he ascend into this pre-ordained role, and the question looms about his readiness. So far, he’s demonstrated heroic bravery and fierce loyalty, and must believably transform to meet the moment.

Now called “Usul,” or “Muad’Dib,” the Fremen respond to him with reverence – if they believe he is their savior. There are skeptics, though.

His mother, Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson), becomes a Reverend Mother, and has a more fully developed role, steering her son towards his destiny and acting mysteriously as she prepares for the birth of her second child, a daughter. Ferguson is shrewdly alert and misses nothing as Leto’s widow.

Zendaya is more prominent as well, as Chani, a devoted and fearless Fremen warrior. Paul, a nobleman, is everything she has previously despised, but admiring his derring-do, they fall in love. That, of course, is complicated, and the two become a dynamic duo. Now bona fide movie stars, the camera loves both actors.

Also given more heft is venerable Javier Bardem as the courageous and wise Stilgar, who becomes a mentor and protector of Paul, fully believing that he is the next Messiah “as written.”

In a spellbinding scene pitting man against “a grandfather” sandworm that is one of cinema’s most astounding ever, Paul wins over a majority of Fremen. This is the money shot folks will be talking about for a long while.

Bardem is terrific, and so is Josh Brolin, who returns as brawny Gurney Halleck, the war master of the House of Atreides, who is one of Paul’s trusted advisors. Noteworthy, too, is Souheila Yacoub as Shishakli, a powerful Fremen sandrider.

On the dark side, a hulking, menacing Dave Bautista rages as Beast Rabban, part of the ruthless Harkonnen House, never to be trusted, and Stellan Skarsgard is a slimy and treacherous baron, a grotesque cross between Jabba the Hut and Palpatine in the “Star Wars” universe.

New to the story is a mind-blowing Austin Butler as the diabolical Feyd-Rautha, the baron’s cruel nephew and heir apparent. A cunning psychopath, the na-baron is imposing physically, and Butler’s transformation is startling. He proves that he is no one-trick pony after his breakthrough Oscar-nominated role as Elvis in Baz Luhrmann’s biopic last year.

Another new wrinkle is Florence Pugh as savvy Princess Irulen, daughter of the scheming emperor, smartly played by Christopher Walken. Pugh is properly regal, and while she only has one scene with her “Little Women” suitor Chalamet, it’s a showcase for all – the battle royale.

The cast serves the complexities of the characters well, we care more about their fates, and while the uninitiated might not understand all the elements at play, this trajectory is much smoother with this second helping.

Villeneuve establishes himself as a true visionary here – while I’ve enjoyed many of his films (“Blade Runner 2049,” “Arrival,” “Sicario” among them), and he is a meticulous craftsman, this is the first time I understood his fully realized end game, how the storytelling rose to the level of the visual effects.

If “Oppenheimer” is Christopher Nolan’s magnum opus, then “Dune: Part Two” is Villeneuve’s. What is impressive about both directors is their desire to create cinematic experiences, films that demand big-screen viewings because they fill the screen with wonder.

It was also smart to delay the sequel’s release date from November because it becomes the first welcome and sorely needed blockbuster of 2024. Mark my words, if “Dune: Part One” won six Oscars two years ago (original score, sound, film editing, cinematography, production design and visual effects), clear the trophy case for this latest during next year’s awards season.

The mythology’s epic scale is presented in a next-level, state-of-the-art artisanal way. Oscar winner Greig Fraser’s cinematography again dazzles with his panoramic planetary landcapes, scary sandworm eruptions, and grisly gladiator confrontations.

Production designer Patrice Vermette has created eye-popping worlds distinguishing each planet and house. Hans Zimmer’s stirring music effectively underscores the action and enhances the moods.

The first film was 2 hours and 35 minutes, and this follow-up adds 11 minutes, but didn’t detract. It certainly sets up an eager anticipation for “Dune: Part 3,” which is supposedly in the works, and will be based on the second novel, “Dune: Messiah.”

Villeneuve’s “Dune” series is the most successful to date for the devoted fan base. Filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky attempted a film adaptation in the 1970s but was cancelled after three years in development. Then David Lynch made a complex adaptation in 1984, which was not well-received, although fans were receptive to a Sci-Fi Channel miniseries in 2000.

With its breath-taking and jaw-dropping visuals and big-stakes bravado, “Dune: Part 2” is an enthralling cinematic marvel that we can both admire and enjoy.

“Dune: Part Two” is a 2024 science fiction action-adventure directed by Denis Villeneuve and starring Timothee Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Austin Butler, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Florence Pugh, Christopher Walken, Dave Bautista, Stellan Skarsgard and Charlotte Rampling. It is rated PG-13 for sequences of strong violence, some suggestive material and brief strong language, and its runtime is 2 hours, 46 minutes. It opens in theatres March 1. Lynn’s Grade: A.

Film now available on DVD, Blu-Ray and Digital

By Lynn Venhaus

A charming origin story with a winsome Timothee Chalamet as a joyful chocolatier with grand ambitions, “Wonka” is a super-sized old-fashioned musical. It’s a sweet treat for families, but also anyone who is captivated by pure imagination.

While the British-based film might not soar to exciting uncharted horizons, it has a comfortable, whimsical feel amid its eye-popping magical world.

After traveling the seven seas gathering exotic ingredients, a young and poor Willy Wonka (Timothee Chalamet) dreams of setting up a candy shop in London, but discovers that the industry is run by a cartel of greedy chocolatiers.

As a prequel, there is no foreshadowing of a darker candy emperor, but a hint of the eccentricity and mischief Gene Wilder displayed in 1971’s now beloved “Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory,” or Tim Burton’s weirdness in the 2005 Johnny Depp take “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” — just a sincere motherless son who will need pluck and luck to overcome the many hurdles in his path.

Inventive writer-director Paul King gave us a most enchanting double-shot of “Paddington” and “Paddington 2” that we didn’t know we needed in 2014 and 2017 — but were so grateful to receive (don’t miss the sequel and thank me later).

Inspired with the best of intentions, he approached Roald Dahl’s 1964 novel, “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” with a big-sized heart.

Leaning into the anticipation of a fanciful adventure, he gives us a storybook tableau that’s part Dickensian London and part funhouse.

He’s also enlisted a splendid supporting cast to boost the entertainment value, with Keegan-Michael Key as the shady police chief who has a chocolate addiction and Rowan Atkinson, aka “Mr. Bean,” as a chocoholic priest.

Featuring exaggerated performances by a cadre of villains, the meanies are just obnoxious, not terrifying, starting with Oscar winner Olivia Colman as a cruel captor, Mrs. Scrubbit, who foils lodgers into signing rigged long term labor contracts. Character actor Tom Davis plays her boyfriend, “Bleacher,” a hulking enforcer.

The main trio of bad guys are a chocolate cartel straight out of old-timey melodramas – Slugworth (Paterson Joseph), Prodnose (Matt Lucas), and Fickelgruber (Mathew Baynton). They can’t have competition in the form of a wide-eyed world traveler, eager to elevate candy-making to high art.

They do everything they can to block him. But Chalamet’s Wonka is such a charming dreamer that he quickly forms friendships with the other downtrodden captives, and their newfound family bond will help him through many pickles he gets into while trying to succeed.

Calah Lane plays his orphaned wingman, Noodle, and they are a beguiling duo. Jim Carter, familiar to “Downtown Abbey” fans, is a kind leader in the sweat shop, Abacus Crunch.

Stealing the show, however, is Hugh Grant as an annoyed Oompa Loompa, sporting a green wig – yet dances with glee.

The script was co-written by King’s frequent collaborator Simon Farnaby, who is also an actor known for the British version of “Ghosts.” He plays a goofy zoo security guard here. There are many good-natured dollops of humor, especially sight gags.

Six original songs are featured in the movie, composed by Joby Talbot, who worked on “Sing” and its sequel, and his former Divine Comedy bandmate, lyricist Neil Hannon. “A World of Your Own,” “A Hatful of Dreams,” and “For a Moment” are solid tunes that add flavor to the story.

While no one is going to mistake Chalamet for Josh Groban, he does an adequate job, eliciting a few tears from me with his heartfelt rendition of “Pure Imagination.” Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse’s classic is evergreen.

The big number establishing the chocolate rivalry is “You’ve Never Had Chocolate Like This (Hoverchocs)” and it’s a dandy in execution.

This new release is somewhere in the middle between the 1971 and 2005 films but offers an amusing and fresh perspective on a delightful story. And was a pleasant diversion amid more bombastic and edgy fare.

And if you didn’t get any candy at the concession stand beforehand, you’ll be craving a confection soon enough. An Everlasting Gobstopper won’t suffice – must involve a cacao bean,

If you want to view paradise, simply look around and view it, Anything you want to, do it. Want to change the world? There’s nothing to it…

A sentimental, nostalgic and earnest “Wonka” has all the ingredients to be a big crowd-pleaser, especially with its adorable reveal in the finale.

“Wonka” is a 2023 musical fantasy adventure film directed by Paul King and starring Timothee Chalamet, Hugh Grant, Olivia Colman, Keegan Michael Key, Rowan Atkinson, Sally Hawkins and.Calah Lane. It is rated PG for some violence, mild language and thematic elements and the runtime is 1 hour, 55 minutes. It was released in theaters Dec. 15 and as of Feb. 27, is now available on DVD, Blu-ray and Digital Code, 4K Ultra HD + Digital Doe, VOD and Digital. Lynn’s Grade: B

Blu-ray extras: “Unwrapping Wonka: Paul King’s Vision”; “The Whimsical Music of Wonka”; “Welcome to Wonka Land”; “Hats Off to Wonka”; “Wonka’s Chocolatier”: Chocolatier Gabriella Cugno provides an in-depth look at the creation of the beautiful chocolates seen in “Wonka.”

R.E.M. co-founder Mike Mills, violinist Robert McDuffie, and a rock band join the orchestra for performances of Mills’ Concerto for Violin, Rock Band, and Orchestra; concert opens with symphonic arrangements of R.E.M. hits

The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra has announced a one-night-only symphonic tribute to the music of R.E.M., the award-winning American rock band. Mike Mills, R.E.M. co-founder and bassist, joins the orchestra in the second half of the concert for a performance of his new Concerto for Violin, Rock Band, and Orchestra, with celebrated violinist Robert McDuffie, who collaborates with the SLSO for the first time in more than 20 years. The concert is 7:30pm, Friday, April 5, at the Stifel Theatre in downtown St. Louis.

Tickets starting at $45 are on sale now and may be purchased at slso.org or by calling the Box Office at 314-534-1700.

R.E.M. Explored
Friday, April 5, 2024, 7:30 pm
Stifel Theatre 
1400 Market Street, St. Louis, Missouri, 63103 

Ward Stare, conductor
Mike Mills | bass, piano, and guitar
Robert McDuffie, violin
Gerry Hansen, drums
John Neff, guitar
William Tonks, guitar
Note: This concert does not feature vocalists.

R.E.M. Co-Founder Mike Mills and Robert McDuffie in “R.E.M. Explored” with Winston-Salem Symphony. J Farley Photography

The SLSO explores some of the greatest hits of R.E.M.—the Grammy Award-winning American rock band hailing from Georgia—in newly reimagined orchestrations of the band’s legendary catalogue. The orchestra performs many of R.E.M.’s chart toppers including “It’s the End of the World As We Know It,” “Man on the Moon,” and “Everybody Hurts.” Then, Mike Mills—R.E.M. co-founder, singer-songwriter, and bassist—joins the SLSO for performances of his eponymous Concerto for Violin, Rock Band, and Orchestra, a synthesis of his rock background fused with symphonic form that also draws partially from the band’s catalogue, including the 1993 song “Nightswimming.” Grammy-nominated violinist Robert McDuffie joins Mills and a rock band for the St. Louis premiere of this concerto.

About the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra

Celebrated as one of today’s most exciting and enduring orchestras, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra is the second-oldest orchestra in the country, marking its 144th year with the 2023/2024 season and its fifth with Stéphane Denève, The Joseph and Emily Rauh Pulitzer Music Director. Widely considered one of the leading American orchestras, the Grammy® Award-winning SLSO maintains its commitment to artistic excellence, educational impact, and community collaborations—all in service to its mission of enriching lives through the power of music. 

The transformational expansion and renovation of its historic home, Powell Hall, slated to be completed in 2025, builds on the institution’s momentum as a civic leader in convening individuals, creators, and ideas, while fostering a culture welcoming to all. Committed to building community through compelling and inclusive musical experiences, the SLSO continues its longstanding focus on equity, diversity, inclusion, and access, embracing its strengths as a responsive, nimble organization, while investing in partnerships locally and elevating its presence globally. For more information, visit slso.org

Concerto for Violin and Rock Band. Photo J. Farley Photography

By Lynn Venhaus

If you didn’t know it really happened, “Ordinary Angels” is the type of schmaltzy movie aiming straight for the heart that some would scoff at, yet even though cynics will pick it apart, people seeking an uplifting jolt will be touched by the selfless acts of human kindness.

Inspired by the true story of Kentucky hairdresser Sharon Stevens (Hilary Swank) who single-handedly rallied an entire community to help a widowed father Edward Schmitt Jr. (Alan Ritchson) save the life of his critically ill young daughter Michelle (Emily Mitchell), who needed a liver transplant.

Those who need their faith in humanity restored can find plenty to respond to in this tearjerking drama, from the heartfelt performances to the duplication of a harrowing effort by a community responding to a life-or-death situation that really took place in Louisville, Kentucky, during an historic snowstorm when 17 inches fell on Jan. 17, 1994.

Two-time Oscar winner Swank plays a hot mess of a hairstylist who decides to help a widowed father and his two daughters after she reads a newspaper article detailing the youngest’s battle with an incurable liver disease. As brassy as she is, Sharon finds purpose in this mission and gets things done.

You know the adage, “People come into your life for a season or a reason,” well this is that moment. Thirty years ago, in one of Kentucky’s worst blizzards, a life was saved by people going the extra mile, coming together, and making things happen against impossible odds.

Alan Ritchson as Ed and Emily Mitchell as Michelle in Ordinary Angels. Photo Credit: Allen Fraser

Not that life was easy for the Schmitts under any circumstance. Think: The Book of Job. Or Stevens, for that matter.

The film is set mostly in 1993. Ed’s beloved Theresa (Amy Acker) has died of a congenital liver disease, biliary atresia, which their daughters have, Ashley (who received a transplant in 1991, which the film leaves out), and Michelle, who is in desperate need of a transplant, as medical bills mount, and her condition worsens. The film is at its best when focusing on the not-enough time and money scenario.

And then the cavalry arrives when Stevens becomes their lifeline, starting a fundraiser and then crusading for financial breaks, corporate donations and helping Ed find more work as a roofer.

 It is one of these incredulous examples of divine intervention. The film, in partnership with Kingdom Story Company, a faith-based operation responsible for Kurt Warner’s story “American Underdog,” isn’t preachy, in case you were wondering, or pandering. The filmmakers display earnest intentions, and it’s a terrific public service announcement for organ donors.

Stevens is fictitiously written as an alcoholic with an estranged grown son, and Swank sympathetically shows a tormented woman masking her pain by throwing herself into the role of miracle worker. She leans in as this sassy, saucy do-gooder who won’t take no for an answer, but her undivided attention and tenacity help a grieving family in need.

This is the kind of role Swank excels at, transforming into a force of nature. It’s inspiring to watch this flawed woman’s journey as she makes a difference, called to action (my sister refers to these ‘Godwinks’ as ‘Angels with skin on”), and restores her faith – and those around her.  

Hilary Swank as Sharon in Ordinary Angels. Photo Credit: Allen Fraser

Ritchson, who has played a wide array of tough action heroes, from Aquaman on “Smallville” and Raphael in “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” movie reboots to Lee Child’s retired military police officer Jack Reacher on the current Amazon Prime Video TV series, is good at depicting the strong, silent type who’s hiding his pain. He’s overwhelmed by grief, medical bills and a nagging feeling he isn’t doing enough for his family.

The conflict here – because of course we need one – is that Ed resents Sharon swooping in and helping his family when he thinks he should be the superhero. He’s wary of her pushiness and questions her motives. But as he pushes back, she pushes forward. His mom Barbara (Nancy Travis), helping with the girls, considers her a gift, and so do the kids.

The young actresses playing Ashley (Skywalker Hughes) and Michelle (Emily Mitchell) couldn’t be cuter, and the situation resonates easily (and not in a manipulative way – but have tissues nearby).

Director Jon Gunn’s filming of the race-against-the-clock sequence to get to an Omaha hospital for Michelle’s liver transplant is truly remarkable when empathy and mutual aid are tested by nature’s harsh elements. Cinematographer Maya Bankovic intensely captures the raging blizzard and editor Parker Adams’ work ramps up the tension.

Co-screenwriters Meg Tilly, the actress now retired, and Kelly Fremon Craig, who wrote and directed “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret” highlight the transformative power of human connection and what happens when people collectively meet a moment.

If a film celebrating community and kindness doesn’t elicit some joy during this dreary winter, then we, as a people, are in a truly sad place. We need every opportunity to see how people can respond to others in need with extraordinary compassion and resourcefulness. “Ordinary Angels” is a welcome beacon of hope in these difficult divisive modern times.

Hilary Swank as Sharon and Alan Ritchson as Ed in Ordinary Angels. Photo Credit: Allen Fraser

“Ordinary Angels” is a 2024 drama based on a true story, directed by Jon Gunn and starring Hilary Swank, Alan Ritchson, Nancy Travis, Tamala Jones, Emily Mitchell and Skywalker Hughes. It is rated PG for thematic content, brief bloody images and smoking and the run time is 1 hour, 56 minutes. The film opens in theaters Feb. 23. Lynn’s Grade: B.

The Fabulous Fox Theatre is ecstatic to announce its electrifying 2024-2025 Broadway season that will take audiences on a journey of timeless entertainment. The 2024-2025 Broadway Subscription will include the beloved, cinematic classic that’s now a smash-hit on Broadway, BACK TO THE FUTURE: THE MUSICAL, the untold true story A BEAUTIFUL NOISE: The Neil Diamond Musical,the newly-imagined PETER PAN, the highly anticipated return of SIX, the “corniest” hit SHUCKED, the spectacular Grammy Award® winning SOME LIKE IT HOT, the most Tony Award®-winning musical of the season KIMBERLY AKIMBO, and the sensational & JULIET

Off-Series specials include CHICAGO, Dr. Seuss’ HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS! The MusicalMEAN GIRLSRIVERDANCE- 30th Anniversary Tour and AIN’T TOO PROUD- The Life and Times of The Temptations. As previously announced, the return of HAMILTON will kick off the 2024-2025 Broadway Season August 28 – September 8. Subscribers will have priority access to purchase tickets to HAMILTON before the general public.

BACK TO THE FUTURE: The Musical | September 24 – October 6, 2024

Great Scott! BACK TO THE FUTURE, the beloved, cinematic classic is now a Broadway musical with its destination set for St. Louis in 2024. Winner of the 2022 Olivier Award for Best New Musical, four WhatsOnStage Awards, including Best New Musical, and the BroadwayWorld Award for Best New Musical, Back to the Future: The Musical is adapted for the stage by the iconic film’s creators Bob Gale (Back to the Future trilogy) and Robert Zemeckis (Forrest Gump) and directed by Tony Award®-winner John Rando with original music by multi-Grammy® winners Alan Silvestri (Avengers: Endgame) and Glen Ballard (Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror”), alongside hit songs from the movie including “The Power of Love,” “Johnny B. Goode,” “Earth Angel,” and “Back in Time.” When Marty McFly finds himself transported back to 1955 in a time machine built by the eccentric scientist Doc Brown, he accidentally changes the course of history. Now he’s in a race against time to fix the present, escape the past, and send himself… back to the future. When BACK TO THE FUTURE hits 88mph, it’ll change musical theatre history forever.


A BEAUTIFUL NOISE: The Neil Diamond Musical | October 29 – November 10, 2024

Created in collaboration with Neil Diamond himself, A BEAUTIFUL NOISE is the uplifting true story of how a kid from Brooklyn became a chart-busting, show-stopping American rock icon. With 120 million albums sold, a catalogue of classics like “America,” “Forever in Blue Jeans,” and “Sweet Caroline,” an induction into the Songwriters and Rock and Roll Halls of Fame, a Grammy® Lifetime Achievement Award, and sold-out concerts around the world that made him bigger than Elvis, Neil Diamond’s story was made to shine on Broadway-and head out on the road across America. Like Jersey Boys and Beautiful: The Carole King Musical before it, BEAUTIFUL NOISE- The Neil Diamond Musical is an inspiring, exhilarating, energy-filled musical memoir, that tells the untold true story of how America’s greatest hit maker became a star, set to the songs that defined his career.

PETER PAN | November 13-24, 2024

This high-flying musical has been thrilling audiences of all ages for close to 70 years and is now being brought

back to life in a new adaptation by celebrated playwright Larissa FastHorse, with direction by Emmy® Award winner Lonny Price and choreography by Lorin Latarro. The adventure begins when PETER PAN and his mischievous sidekick, Tinker Bell, visit the bedroom of the Darling children late one night. With a sprinkle of fairy dust and a few happy thoughts, the children are taken on a magical journey they will never forget. This extraordinary musical full of excitement and adventure features iconic and timeless songs including “I’m Flying,” “I Gotta Crow,” “I Won’t Grow Up” and “Neverland.” PETER PAN embraces the child in us all so go on a journey from the second star to the right and straight on ‘til morning–your entire family will be Hooked!

SIX I January 21 – February 2, 2025

From Tudor Queens to Pop Icons, the SIX wives of Henry VIII take the microphone to remix five hundred years of historical heartbreak into a Euphoric Celebration of 21st century girl power! This new original musical is the global sensation that everyone is losing their head over! SIX won 23 awards in the 2021/2022 Broadway season, including the Tony Award® for Best Original Score (Music and Lyrics) and the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best

Musical. The New York Times says SIX“TOTALLY RULES!” (Critic’s Pick) and The Washington Post hails SIX as “Exactly the kind of energizing, inspirational illumination this town aches for!”

SHUCKED | February 11-23, 2025

SHUCKED is the Tony Award®–winning musical comedy The Wall Street Journal calls “flat out hilarious!” And nobody knows funny like economists. Featuring a book by Tony Award winner Robert Horn (Tootsie), a score by the Grammy® Award–winning songwriting team of Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally (Kacey Musgraves’ “Follow Your Arrow”), and directed by Tony Award winner Jack O’Brien (Hairspray), this corn-fed, corn-bred American musical is sure to satisfy your appetite for great musical theater.

SOME LIKE IT HOT | February 26 – March 9, 2025

Winner of 4 Tony Awards®, including Best Choreography and Best Costumes, and the Grammy Award® for Best Musical Theater Album, SOME LIKE IT HOT is “A Super-Sized, All-Out Song-And-Dance Spectacular!” – The New York Times. Set in Chicago when Prohibition has everyone thirsty for a little excitement, SOME LIKE IT HOT is the “glorious, big, high-kicking” (Associated Press) story of two musicians forced to flee the Windy City after witnessing a mob hit. With gangsters hot on their heels, they catch a cross-country train for the life-chasing, life-changing trip of a lifetime. And what a trip it is! With its irresistible combination of heart and laughs, song and dance, SOME LIKE IT HOT won more theater awards than any show this season, and was named Best Musical by the Drama Desk, The Drama League, and the Outer Critics Circle. No wonder Deadline calls it “a tap-dancing, razzle-dazzling embrace of everything you love about musical theater.”

KIMBERLY AKIMBO | March 25 – April 6, 2025

A new musical about growing up and growing old (in no particular order), KIMBERLY AKIMBO is the winner of 5 Tony Award® including BEST MUSICAL.  It features Tony Award®-winning book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire (Shrek), a Tony Award®-winning score by Jeanine Tesori (Fun Home), choreography by Danny Mefford (Dear Evan Hansen) and direction by Tony-nominated director Jessica Stone. Kimberly is about to turn 16 and recently moved with her family to a new town in suburban New Jersey. In this “howlingly funny heartbreaker of a show” (The New Yorker), Kim is forced to navigate family dysfunction, a rare genetic condition, her first crush … and possible felony charges. Ever the optimist, she is determined to find happiness against all odds and embark on a great adventure.

& JULIET | May 20 – June 1, 2025

Created by the Emmy®-winning writer from “Schitt’s Creek,” this hilarious new musical flips the script on the greatest love story ever told. & JULIET asks: what would happen next if Juliet didn’t end it all over Romeo? Get  whisked away on a fabulous journey as she ditches her famous ending for a fresh beginning and a second chance at life and love—her way. Juliet’s new story bursts to life through a playlist of pop anthems as iconic as her name, including “Since U Been Gone‚” “Roar,” “Baby One More Time,” “Larger Than Life‚” “That’s The Way It Is,“ and “Can’t Stop the Feeling!”—all from the genius songwriter/producer behind more #1 hits than any other artist this century. Break free of the balcony scene and get into this romantic comedy that proves there’s life after Romeo. The only thing tragic would be missing it.

Series Specials

Including HAMILTON, six Broadway shows will be offered as specials to 2024–2025 season ticket holders for priority seating before their public on-sale dates. The longest-running American musical in Broadway history, CHICAGO, will razzle-dazzle St. Louis audiences November 29 – December 1. In Dr. Seuss’ HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS! The Musical, the classic holiday tale comes to life on stage at the Fox December 27-29. You know you’ll want to sit with us when Tina Fey’s hilarious hit musical MEAN GIRLS returns for a limited engagement March 14-16. The 30thAnniversary production of RIVERDANCE will return May 2-4Get ready to dance in your seats with the signature dance moves and silky-smooth harmonies of the legendary quintet in AIN’T TOO PROUD- The Life and Times of The Temptations May 9-11.

A seven show package is also available to subscribers that will exclude the show SIX. New seven and eight-show season ticket packages will go on sale Friday, May 10. Current Broadway season ticket holders will receive their renewal information in the coming days. On-sale dates for individual shows will be announced later. For more information, please visit FabulousFox.com.

2024 – 2025 Broadway Series Shows and Specials:
(The Season Ticket Package shows are in bold)
HAMILTON * August 28 – September 8, 2024
BACK TO THE FUTURE * September 24 – October 6, 2024
A BEAUTIFUL NOISE: The Neil Diamond Musical * October 29 – November 10, 2024
PETER PAN * November 13-24, 2024
CHICAGO * November 29 – December 1, 2024
Dr. Seuss’ HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS! The Musical * December 27-29, 2024
SIX * January 21 – February 2, 2025
SHUCKED * February 11-23, 2025
SOME LIKE IT HOT * February 26 – March 9, 2025
MEAN GIRLS * March 14-16, 2025
KIMBERLY AKIMBO * March 25 – April 6, 2025
RIVERDANCE * May 2-4, 2025
AIN’T TOO PROUD- The Life and Times of The Temptations * May 9-11, 2025
& JULIET * May 20 – June 1, 2025

By Lynn Venhaus

With its sinister hints of Adam-and-Eve symbolism, “Dutchman” is a daring and thought-provoking ritual drama that indicates Soul Siren Playhouse is a new group with something to say.

The gritty and raw one-act is now playing at the well-appointed Greenfinch Theatre (formerly the Way Out Club), the newest performing space in St. Louis. The intimate setting lends itself to focus on the two bravura performances by Cameron Jamarr and Eileen Engel.

Written by Amiri Baraka, aka poet activist LeRoi Jones, he had much to say about black men in ‘60s society during the heightened civil rights struggle. With its themes of racism, sexism, and discrimination, it may make people uncomfortable, but its intention is to start a dialogue, and that’s necessary.

Soul Siren’s co-directors – Jamarr, Engel, Bradford Rolen and Zahria Moore — unpacks the complexities of this revolutionary play related to bias, stereotypes, race relations in America and our social responsibility as bystanders. An interactive dramaturgy display designed by Moore is at the back of the room and illuminating the period that influenced Baraka – beat poets, emerging black artists and the avant-garde movement in a vibrant Greenwich Village.

Photo by Zak Littrell

Fast forward to the 21st century, and divisions, misinformation and social media outrage fan flames that point out that we have a long way to go towards understanding common humanity.

Jamarr and Engel are fearless in undertaking this challenging work, which is as disturbing as it was in 1964. Bakara boldly presented a distinct sociological situation, heavy on symbolism, to propel audiences into action, and the pair convey the intensity required. It’s quite the tango.

The first slave-bearing ship to America was from the Dutch, and Bakara also references the legend of “The Flying Dutchman,” a doomed ship cursed with never finding safe harbor.

In describing his short play’s metaphorical setting, Bakara wrote: “In the flying underbelly of the city, steaming hot and summer on top, outside. Underground. The subway heaped in modern myth.”

Rolen’s scenic design puts us on the subway car, and Lenny Banks’ lighting design sets the mood well. De’Janna Scales-Hand’s sound design has enhanced the experience too.

Jamarr is an unsuspecting sharp-dressed man named Clay on a mass transit train who encounters a mysterious white woman, Lula, who looks like a wild flower-child dressed in Bohemian attire. Unfiltered, Lula is obviously trying to seduce the man, who is at first wary, but then gives in to the temptation.

Engel’s character is no hippy-dippy chick, although she looks like a poster-girl for 1967’s “Summer of Love.” Presenting herself as a flirty seductress with a good time on her mind, she slowly indicates her intensions are not noble.

Calculating, with a maniacal unhinged laugh, Lula tries to manipulate, but Clay is no push-over. An eerie aspect is that Lula seems to know things about Clay and that is both mysterious and unsettling.

The confrontations become emotionally charged, compelling in a horror-movie jump-scare kind of way. This collision course of a play, unpredictable and with actions unexpected, will linger. It’s certain to spark conversations.

Photo by Zak Littrell.

That, of course, was Baraka’s point. The fact that we can still talk about social injustice in a meaningful way is a unifying message, but it also points out that much more change is needed.

This production takes a timeless approach to the story – a cell-phone! – as the play will celebrate its 60th anniversary next month, of its premiere off-Broadway in March 1964 It won the Obie Award for Best Play that year.

The cast includes Jeremy Thomas and alternate DeAnte Bryant as the conductor and an annoying drunk passenger, and Donald Kidd in a brief role.

Racially explicit language is used, and physical violence is part of the piece.

One can see and feel the passion and commitment involved in this well-produced show, and I look forward to seeing what’s next on their schedule.

Soul Siren Playhouse presents Amiri Baraka’s “Dutchman” Feb. 1 through Feb. 18 at Greenfinch Theatre and Dive Bar on 2525 South Jefferson. Performances are Thursday at 7 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday two shows – 4 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. The cost is free (donations can be made), but RSVPs are necessary. For more information: www.playsiren.com

Photo by Zak Littrell

THE SLSO OFFERS PERFORMANCES THROUGHOUT ST. LOUIS WHILE TRANSFORMATIONAL EXPANSION AND RENOVATION OF POWELL HALL PROCEEDS

SUBSCRIPTIONS ON SALE NOW; ADDITIONAL PROGRAMMING TO BE ANNOUNCED LATER

Highlights include:

  1. The free Forest Park concert on Art Hill on September 19, 2024, a St. Louis tradition for more than 55 years
  2. World premieres of two SLSO commissions: Anna Clyne’s PALETTE and Nina Shekhar’s Accordion Concerto; an SLSO co-commission and U.S. premiere of Magnus Lindberg’s Viola Concerto; U.S. premieres of Guillaume Connesson’s Lost Horizons Violin Concerto and Daniel Slatkin’s Voyager 130; and the first SLSO performances of works by Mason Bates, Gabriela Lena Frank, Detlev Glanert, Adolphus Hailstork, James MacMillan, Cindy McTee, Kevin Puts, Outi Tarkiainen, John Williams, and more
  3. Denève leading two programs exploring Mozart’s output from musical prodigy to Classical era icon
  4. A theatrical version of Edvard Grieg’s Peer Gynt, led by Denève with writing and direction by Bill Barclay and actors from Concert Theatre Works, to conclude the season
  5. A program celebrating Conductor Laureate Leonard Slatkin’s legacy, with music by himself and his family
  6. The second season of the Live at The Sheldon series, chamber music concerts curated by SLSO musicians featuring a variety of chamber music repertoire including world premieres by student composers at the University of Missouri, building on a successful inaugural season
  7. The 21st Live at the Pulitzer season, curated by St. Louis-based composer Christopher Stark
  8. Artists making their first SLSO appearances include conductors David Afkham, Patrick Dupré Quigley, and Ruth Reinhardt; pianist Yeol Eum Son; Hardanger fiddle player Vidar Skrede; violist Lawrence Power; cellist Andrei Ioniță; accordionist Hanzhi Wang; and vocalists Ben Bliss, Brandon Cedel, and Jamez McCorkle
  9. Returning artists include conductors Daniela Candillari, David Danzmayr, Jonathon Heyward, Hannu Lintu, Cristian Măcelaru, Gemma New, Leonard Slatkin, and John Storgårds; pianists Behzod Abduraimov, Saleem Ashkar, Kirill Gerstein, Nikolai Lugansky, and Conrad Tao; violinists James Ehnes, Gil Shaham, Akiko Suwanai, and Christian Tetzlaff; and vocalists Dashon Burton, Sasha Cooke, Joélle Harvey, Kelley O’Connor, Susanna Phillips, Michael Spyres, and Camilla Tilling
  10. Programming that showcases the entire family of SLSO ensembles: the St. Louis Symphony Chorus, St. Louis Symphony IN UNISON Chorus with Director Kevin McBeth, and the St. Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra

The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra (SLSO) and Stéphane Denève, The Joseph and Emily Rauh Pulitzer Music Director, have announced programming for the orchestra’s 2024/2025 season, the orchestra’s 145th and Denève’s sixth as Music Director.

While the transformational expansion and renovation of the orchestra’s historic home at Powell Hall progresses, the orchestra will perform throughout the St. Louis region, connecting with communities where they are and showcasing the signature sound of the orchestra and the talents of its remarkable musicians. As the orchestra spends a second season away from its musical home, programming reflects themes of new perspectives discovered through traveling.

Stéphane Denève, The Joseph and Emily Rauh Pulitzer Music Director of the SLSO, said, “The versatility, virtuosity, and vibrancy of our wonderful musicians will be on display throughout this season—from well-known symphonic favorites and family concerts to film scores and chamber music. As we spend a second season away from our beloved Powell Hall, our 24/25 season will reflect on the meaning of home—from Mozart’s travels as a rising composer to Guillaume Connesson’s musical search for the Shangri-La paradise and Mason Bates’ Nomad Concerto, and more. Many amazing guest artists will bring their talents to St. Louis, and we are excited to offer music from voices of today including Anna Clyne, Detlev Glanert, Nina Shekhar, Adolphus Hailstork, and many others. It is a joy to be living in St. Louis and to connect with audiences throughout the community as the SLSO and I anticipate returning to our musical home in 2025.”

Marie-Hélène Bernard, SLSO President and CEO, said,“Our 24/25 season offers a wide variety of memorable music experiences, tapping into the remarkable talents of our musicians, and meeting audiences where they are as the transformational expansion and renovation of Powell Hall progresses. Under Stéphane’s spirited and creative leadership, some of today’s most celebrated artists, composers, and conductors will join our orchestra and choruses to share beloved works, world and U.S. premieres, and meaningful musical experiences unique to St. Louis. We look forward to making new memories with our audiences this year as we share the joyous and transformative power of music throughout the region.”

Bjorn Ranheim and Chris Tantillo, co-chairs of the SLSO Musicians’ Council, said, “It is a joy and honor for the musicians of the SLSO to share our music throughout the community during this time of renovation and renewal of our beloved Powell Hall. We are incredibly grateful for the support of our loyal audiences and excited about the tremendous variety of world-class programming that we will present during the 2024/2025 season.”

Throughout the season, the orchestra will share music in several venues throughout the community, including:

  • The Touhill Performing Arts Center at the University of Missouri–St. Louis
  • Stifel Theatre
  • J. Scheidegger Center for Performing Arts at Lindenwood University (St. Charles)
  • The Sheldon
  • Pulitzer Arts Foundation
  • The E. Desmond Lee Concert Hall, 560 Music Center at Washington University (University City)

Curated and Compose Your Own Subscriptions are on sale now. Single tickets for specials, films, and holiday concerts go on sale in May 2024. Single tickets for classical concerts go on sale in summer 2024. Visit slso.org/season or call the Box Office at 314-534-1700 for more information. 

Camilla Tilling

Season highlights and collaborations with Denève

Denève leads a host of programs, with repertoire spanning genre and time. Following the annual community concert in Forest Park, he opens the season with the much-anticipated return of violinist Gil Shaham, a close collaborator of Denève’s and frequent SLSO guest, giving the first SLSO performances of Mason Bates’ Nomad Concerto. Denève closes the season with a semi-staged version of Edvard Grieg’s opera Peer Gynt, with internationally renowned soprano Camilla Tilling serving in the lead role of Solveig and Vidar Skrede on Hardanger fiddle. These performances of Peer Gynt include staging, costumes, and actors, led by acclaimed writer and director Bill Barclay in adaptation of the Henrik Ibsen play.

Throughout the season, Denève conducts the SLSO in some of symphonic music’s most beloved works including Hector Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique, Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 1, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet Overture-Fantasy, and Maurice Ravel’s Bolero, alongside the first SLSO performances of many works, including Guillaume Connesson’s Lost Horizons Violin Concerto, Adolphus Hailstork’s An American Port of Call, John Williams’ Theme from Seven Years in Tibet, and more. Denève also leads the orchestra in a live presentation of John Williams’ score to E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, a formative film in his life, while the film plays.

Denève and the orchestra take audiences a two-week exploration of the music of W.A. Mozart. The first week features Mozart’s brooding late-in-life works including the Requiem with vocalists Joélle Harvey, Kelley O’Connor, Ben Bliss, and Dashon Burton and the Adagio and Fugue in C minor. The second week explores Mozart’s journeys away from home in works including the Symphony Nos. 1 and 31, “Paris”; Piano Concerto No. 20 with Behzod Abduraimov; and the overture to the rarely heard opera Mitridate, rè di Ponto. Additional pieces from contemporary composers Detlev Glanert and Anna Clyne connect Mozart’s music to today.

Denève extends his tradition of meaningful artistic partnerships, collaborating with internationally renowned artists, including Grammy Award-winning violinist James Ehnes on Beethoven’s Violin Concerto,and Akiko Suwanai on the U.S. premiere of Guillaume Connesson’s Lost Horizons Violin Concerto. A leading interpreter of the music of Maurice Ravel, Denève and pianist Kirill Gerstein, a frequent SLSO guest artist, collaborate on Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G and Concerto for the Left Hand in the same program in celebration of the composer’s 150th birthday. Pianist Nikolai Lugansky returns for performances of Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 and tenor Michael Spyres, who received critical acclaim in the title role in the 2023 SLSO performances of Hector Berlioz’s The Damnation of Faust, returns to sing Benjamin Britten’s Les Illuminations and Mahler’s Songs of a Wayfarer in a program of signature music for Denève.

Magnus Lindberg

WORLD AND SLSO PREMIERES

More than 20 pieces enter the SLSO’s repertoire during the 2024/2025 season, including 12 works by living composers. In addition to world premieres by Anna Clyne and Nina Shekhar and U.S. premieres by Guillaume Connesson, Magnus Lindberg, and Daniel Slatkin, the SLSO performs works by living composers including Mason Bates, Gabriela Lena Frank, Detlev Glanert, Adolphus Hailstork, James MacMillan, Cindy McTee, Kevin Puts, Outi Tarkiainen, and John Williams.

Nina Shekhar’s Accordion Concerto, an SLSO commission,will receive its world premiere with conductor Daniela Candillari, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis’ Principal Conductor, and accordionist Hanzhi Wang (January 10-11). Wang, a noted interpreter of her instrument, makes her SLSO debut to perform the concerto.

Anna Clyne’s PALETTEan SLSO commission, combines electronically augmented sounds captured from microphones placed among the musicians with the live orchestral performance for a unique sonic experience (February 14-15). Denève leads this world premiere. A champion of Clyne’s music, Denève has conducted three of Clyne’s pieces since beginning his tenure in September 2019. The SLSO gave the U.S. premiere of Clyne’s PIVOT in November 2021 with conductor David Danzmayr.

Magnus Lindberg’s Viola Concerto,an SLSO co-commission, will receive its world premiere in February 2024 with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra and soloist Lawrence Power, who will also give the U.S. premiere performance with the SLSO and conductor Hannu Lintu, a fellow Finn and close collaborator (March 14 & 16).

Guillaume Connesson’s Lost Horizons Violin Concerto tells the story of the search for the famed paradise, Shangri-La, and will be performed by Akiko Suwanai as violin soloist (March 21-22), led by Denève. Since his Music Directorship began in 2019, Denève has championed Connesson’s music in St. Louis, leading performances of three of his works with the orchestra, including the world premiere of Astéria in November 2022.

Daniel Slatkin’s Voyager 130 completes the opening half of a program celebrating the legacy of Conductor Laureate Leonard Slatkin, Daniel Slatkin’s father (October 25 & 27). A prolific composer for film and television, Slatkin found inspiration for this concert piece, which tells the story of the Voyager spacecrafts, from Beethoven’s 13th string quartet.

Leonard Slatkin

CELEBRATING LEONARD SLATKIN’S LEGACY

A weekend of concerts celebrates the legacy of SLSO celebrates Conductor Laureate Leonard Slatkin. Slatkin—who served as the SLSO Music Director from 1979 to 1996—leads the orchestra in a family-oriented celebration. The program includes Timepiece by Cindy McTee, Leonard’s wife; the U.S. premiere of Voyager 130 by Daniel Slatkin, Leonard’s son; Leonard’s own arrangement of piano sonatas by Domenico Scarlatti for winds; and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5, a signature work which Leonard took on multiple tours with the orchestra. Details of additional events will be announced later.

24/25 SEASON VENUES

The SLSO will welcome audiences at venues throughout the St. Louis region, while the transformative expansion and renovation of Powell Hall, the orchestra’s historic home, progresses. Concerts will take place at several venues:

  • The Touhill Performing Arts Center at the University of Missouri–St. Louis will serve as a venue for symphonic programming, after serving in the same capacity throughout the current season. The SLSO will perform in the Anheuser-Busch Performance Hall, which seats 1,600.

·         Stifel Theatre, a 3,100-seat venuein downtown St. Louis, will host a combination of symphonic, choral-orchestral, film, holiday, and special concerts.

  • The J. Scheidegger Center for Performing Arts at Lindenwood University in St. Charles will again host SLSO holiday concerts (December 17-18).
  • The Pulitzer Arts Foundation in Grand Center will again serve as the venue for the Live at the Pulitzer series, providing an intimate atmosphere for the 21st season of the adventurous chamber music series.
  • The Sheldon in Grand Center will again host the Live at The Sheldon chamber music series, providing an acoustically rich environment to elevate the individual talents of SLSO musicians.
  • The E. Desmond Lee Concert Hall, 560 Music Center at Washington will welcome the orchestra for a weekend of Baroque Music featuring SLSO soloists (December 6-7).

ARTIST DEBUTS

Yeol Eum Son

Throughout the 24/25 season, many acclaimed artists will make their SLSO debut.

Conductor David Afkham, Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Spanish National Orchestra and Chorus, makes his SLSO debut on a program that includes Johannes Brahms’ Symphony No. 1. Rising German conductor Ruth Reinhardt makes her SLSO debut conducting music by Grażyna Bacewicz, Antonín Dvořák, and Paul Hindemith.

Instrumentalists making their SLSO debuts include: pianist Yeol Eum Son, a prizewinner at the International Tchaikovsky and Van Cliburn competitions, performing Sergei Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 2; violist Lawrence Power, who will give the U.S. premiere of Magnus Lindberg’s Viola Concerto; cellist Andrei Ioniță, the Gold Medal winner of the 2015 International Tchaikovsky Competition, tackles Antonín Dvořák’s Cello Concerto; and accordionist Hanzhi Wang, an international ambassador for her instrument, gives the world premiere of Nina Shekhar’s Accordion Concerto. Vidar Skrede makes his debut on Edvard Grieg’s Peer Gynt on Hardanger fiddle.

Tenor Ben Bliss debuts in performances of W.A. Mozart’s Requiem, while tenor Jamez McCorkle and bass-baritone Brandon Cedel join the SLSO for Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9.

Federico Ramos, featured guitarist on the soundtrack of the Disney Pixar film Coco, reprises the role for the SLSO performances of the Germaine Franco score.

IN UNISON chorus

RETURNING ARTISTS AND SLSO ENSEMBLES

The world’s leading conductors Daniela Candillari, David DanzmayrJonathon Heyward, Hannu Lintu, Cristian Măcelaru, and John Storgårds return to lead the SLSO along with pianists including Behzod Abduraimov (Mozart’s Concerto No. 20), Saleem Ashkar (Mozart’s Concerto No. 24), Kirill Gerstein (Ravel’s Concerto in G and Concerto for the Left Hand), Nikolai Lugansky (Rachmaninoff’s Concerto No. 2), and Conrad Tao (Camille Saint-Saëns’ Concerto No. 2). Returning violinists include James Ehnes (Beethoven’s Concerto), Gil Shaham (Mason Bates’ Nomad Concerto), Akiko Suwanai (Guillaume Connesson’s Lost Horizons Concerto), and Christian Tetzlaff (Brahms’ Concerto).

Two SLSO musicians take center stage in the Baroque Christmas program: Associate Principal Violist Alejandro Valdepeñas in Telemann’s Viola Concerto in G major and piccolo player Ann Choomack in Vivaldi’s Piccolo Concerto in C major.

The St. Louis Symphony Chorus, which has performed repertoire from the entire choral-orchestral canon to critical acclaim since its formation in the 1976/1977 season, performs a trio of large-scale choral works: Mozart’s Requiem; Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9; and Grieg’s Peer Gynt. All choral performances will take place at Stifel Theater.

The St. Louis Symphony IN UNISON Chorus, which preserves and performs music from the African diaspora and is directed by Kevin McBeth in his 14th season, returns for its annual holiday-time soulful celebration: IN UNISON Christmas with award-winning a cappella group Take 6 (December 13). The chorus performs its annual Lift Every Voice: Celebrating Black History Month concert, also under McBeth’s direction and featuring veteran Broadway singer and actor Brian Stokes Mitchell (February 28).

The St. Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra, the region’s premiere training orchestra for young musicians aged 12-22, will present three concerts in its 55th season, which include free seats for the community. Concert details will be announced later.

E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial Sept. 21-22 at Stifel Theatre

COMMUNITY, FILM, FAMILY, AND HOLIDAY PROGRAMMING

Denève and the SLSO open the season with the much-anticipated concert in Forest Park for a free night of music on Art Hill (September 19). The concert is performed in memory of Mary Ann Lee.

Film presentations with the SLSO playing the score live include E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, led by Stéphane Denève(September 21-22); Coco (November 2-3); The Muppet Christmas Carol (December 14-15); and Casino Royale (March 8-9). On Mother’s Day weekend, the SLSO will present Disney Princess–The Concert (May 9-10) featuring songs from popular Disney films. All film presentations will take place at Stifel Theatre.

Holiday concerts include the popular IN UNISON Christmas concert, previously known as Gospel Christmas (December 13, 2024), which features a cappella group Take 6 and the IN UNISON Chorus led by Kevin McBeth.  The Mercy Holiday Celebration presents four concerts of beloved holiday music with conductor Norman Huynh and vocalist Capathia Jenkins—two at the J. Scheidegger Center for the Arts at Lindenwood University in St. Charles (December 17-18, 2024) and two at Stifel Theatre (December 21-22, 2024). Former Assistant Conductor Stephanie Childress leads the annual New Year’s Eve Celebration Concert (December 31). The SLSO also performs its annual Lift Every Voice: Celebrating Black History Month concert with the IN UNISON Chorus and Broadway veteran Brian Stokes Mitchell (February 28).

In May 2024, the SLSO will announce plans for additional programming, including:

  • Family Concerts, 45-minute performances designed for families with young children
  • Special, one-night concerts that celebrate a breadth of musical styles and artists
  • Programming for the 21st Live at the Pulitzer series, chamber music by composers of today programmed in response to art exhibitions at the Pulitzer Arts Foundation
  • Programming for the second Live at The Sheldon series, a broad range of chamber music curated and performed by SLSO musicians at The Sheldon

OPERA THEATRE OF SAINT LOUIS

The SLSO will conclude its season as the resident orchestra of Opera Theatre of Saint Louis (OTSL), the 47th year of this partnership. The 2025 Festival Season runs May 24–June 29, 2025. Programming for OTSL’s 2025 Festival Season will be announced later this summer. The current 2024 Festival Season takes place this May and June; tickets and more information can be found at ExperienceOpera.org.

PREMIERES AND FIRST PERFORMANCES

Classical concerts in the 2024/2025 season include the first SLSO performances of 20 different works, with 12 by composers of today. Denève remains committed to discovering and performing works by living artists that will become mainstays of the orchestral repertoire, as well as developing deep relationships with composers of today.

World Premieres/SLSO commissions
Nina Shekhar                                         Accordion Concerto (January 10-11, 2025)
Anna Clyne                                             PALETTE (February 14-15, 2025)

U.S. Premiere/SLSO co-commission
Magnus Lindberg                                 Viola Concerto (March 14 & 16, 2025)

U.S. Premieres
Daniel Slatkin                                        Voyager 130 (October 25 & 27, 2024)
Guillaume Connesson                        Lost Horizons Violin Concerto (March 21-22, 2025)

Nina Shekhar

First SLSO Performances
Mason Bates                                          Nomad Concerto (September 27 & 29, 2024)
Gabriela Lena Frank                            Concertino Cusqueño (October 4 & 6, 2024)
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor                   Ballade(October 18-19, 2024)
James MacMillan                                                 One(October 18-19, 2024)
Domenico Scarlatti (arr. L. Slatkin)     Five Sonatas for Orchestral Wind Ensemble (October 25 & 27, 2024)
Cindy McTee                                          Timepiece (October 25 & 27, 2024)
W.A. Mozart                                           Overture to Mitridate, rè di Ponto (November 15-16, 2024)
William Grant Still                                               Threnody: In Memory of Jean Sibelius (November 22 & 24, 2024)
Outi Tarkiainen                                     The Ring of Fire and Love (February 21 & 23, 2025)
Kevin Puts                                               Hymn to the Sun (March 1-2, 2025)
J.S. Bach (arr. Elgar)                            Fantasia & Fugue in C minor (March 1-2, 2025)
John Williams                                        Theme from Seven Years in Tibet (March 21-22, 2025)
Adolphus Hailstork                             An American Port of Call (March 21-22, 2025)
Jean Sibelius                                          Lemminkäinen Suite (Four Legends from the Kalevala)(April 11-13, 2025)*
Grażyna Bacewicz                                                Concerto for String Orchestra (April 26-27, 2025)
Edvard Grieg                                          Peer Gynt (May 3-4, 2025)*

*First complete performances

MEDIA PARTNERSHIPS

The SLSO’s partnerships with 90.7 KWMU St. Louis Public Radio and Classic 107.3 continue with select Saturday night symphonic concerts broadcast and streamed online by St. Louis Public Radio for a 16th year, and simulcasts on Classic 107.3 continuing for a fifth year.

About the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra

Celebrated as one of today’s most exciting and enduring orchestras, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra is the second-oldest orchestra in the country, marking its 145th year with the upcoming 2024/2025 season and its sixth with Stéphane Denève, The Joseph and Emily Rauh Pulitzer Music Director. Widely considered one of the leading American orchestras, the Grammy® Award-winning SLSO maintains its commitment to artistic excellence, educational impact, and community collaborations—all in service to its mission of enriching lives through the power of music. 

The core of the SLSO’s artistic foundation is its dynamic partnership with Denève, whose energetic musicianship, visionary storytelling, and collaborative spirit have created stronger connections with local and visiting artists, as well as advanced the SLSO’s role as a leader in music education. The SLSO musical family also includes two resident choruses: the St. Louis Symphony Chorus, founded in 1976, performs choral-orchestral music from the Baroque era to today; and the St. Louis Symphony IN UNISON Chorus, founded in 1994, focuses on the performance and preservation of music from the African diaspora. The St. Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra, founded by Conductor Laureate Leonard Slatkin in 1970, is the region’s premiere training orchestra for high school and college students.

The transformational, 65,000-square foot expansion and renovation of the orchestra’s home, Powell Hall, begun in 2023, continues. Led by the internationally acclaimed architecture firm Snøhetta, the project will transform the audience and artistic experience while protecting Powell Hall’s historic character and celebrated acoustics, creating a state-of-the art center for community, innovation, and powerful music experiences. The revitalized Powell Hall will open in 2025 to coincide with the building’s centennial.

An integral part of the vibrant St. Louis community, the SLSO enjoys a long history of robust and enduring artistic collaborations with individuals and organizations locally and around the world. Orchestra musicians share dozens of education and community performances throughout the region each year at medical facilities, places of worship, community centers, and schools. For 20 years, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra: Live at the Pulitzerseries has highlighted today’s leading musical voices through innovative performances in collaboration with, and reaction to the exhibitions at, the Pulitzer Arts Foundation. The SLSO has served as the resident orchestra for Opera Theatre of Saint Louis for more than 45 years. The orchestra also continues to develop new artistic collaborations, continuing a chamber music series in collaboration with The Sheldon, begun in the 23/24 season, as well as regular partnerships with The Muny, The Big Muddy Dance Company, the Saint Louis Art Museum, and others. Beyond the St. Louis region, the SLSO’s impact is realized through Saturday night concert broadcasts on St. Louis Public Radio and Classic 107.3, acclaimed recordings, regular touring activity, and a digital portfolio that includes a robust online education platform with digital concerts and learning activities for all ages.

Since the arrival of Marie-Hélène Bernard as President and CEO in 2015, the SLSO has aligned its mission to make music more accessible, while fostering a culture welcoming to all. Building on its momentum, the SLSO serves as a convener of individuals, creators, and ideas, and is committed to building community through compelling and inclusive musical experiences. As it continues its longstanding focus on equity, diversity, inclusion, and access, the SLSO embraces its strengths as a responsive, nimble organization, while investing in partnerships locally and elevating its presence globally. For more information, visit slso.org.

About Stéphane Denève, The Joseph and Emily Rauh Pulitzer Music Director

Stéphane Denève is The Joseph and Emily Rauh Pulitzer Music Director of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, the Artistic Director of the New World Symphony, and the Principal Guest Conductor of the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic. He recently concluded terms as Chief Conductor of the Brussels Philharmonic and Principal Guest Conductor of The Philadelphia Orchestra, and previously served as Chief Conductor of Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra (SWR) and Music Director of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. 

Recognized internationally for the exceptional quality of his performances and programming, Denève regularly appears at major concert venues with the world’s greatest orchestras and soloists. He has a special affinity for the music of his native France, and is a passionate advocate for music of the 21st century. 

He is a frequent guest with the New York Philharmonic, The Philadelphia Orchestra, The Cleveland Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, NHK Symphony Orchestra, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra (with whom he conducted the 2020 Nobel Prize concert), Orchestre national de France, Czech Philharmonic, NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra, Vienna Symphony, DSO Berlin, Orchestre philharmonique de Radio France, and Rotterdam Philharmonic. 

A graduate and prize-winner of the Paris Conservatoire, Stéphane Denève worked closely in his early career with Sir Georg Solti, Georges Prêtre and Seiji Ozawa. A gifted communicator and educator, he is committed to inspiring the next generation of musicians and listeners, and has worked regularly with young people in programmes such as those of the New World Symphony, Tanglewood Music Center, the Colburn School, the European Union Youth Orchestra, and the Music Academy of the West. 

For further information, please visit www.stephanedeneve.com

By Lynn Venhaus

Mesmerizingly crafted, “Moby Dick” is an astonishing triumph of sound and fury.

Through its hybrid expressionist storytelling involving aerials, acrobatics, dance, visual artistry and dramatic encounters, the aesthetically innovative staging is extraordinary.

This brilliant vision by director David Catlin, who adapted the 1851 novel by Herman Melville, has been executed fluidly with bold intentions. He has stripped an unwieldy story down to essentials — although it still takes 3 hours with 2 intermissions to tell this three act masterpiece.

Catlin immerses us as green hands on the Pequod whaling ship – you will feel as if you are on the voyage on the treacherous high seas around the world.

Perhaps comparable to a Cirque du Soleil experience, it is unlikely that you have seen anything like it, unless you were privy to its landmark 2015 debut at the Lookingglass Theatre Company in Chicago, where it was developed and mounted.

The Fates, Photo by Liz Lauren

Catlin, a longtime ensemble member, is not the only one involved in The Rep’s stunning and at times, jaw-dropping, production. An outstanding Christopher Donahue, who originated the role of Captain Ahab there, returns as the maritime officer obsessed with revenge against the great white sperm whale who bit his leg off.

A sparse high concept set designed by Courtney O’Neill, aided by assistant designer Catalina Nino, yields to an epic sea adventure that at its core is a battle between fate and free will, as Ahab goes mad in his maniacal quest while his first mate Starbuck believes that our choices fulfill our destiny.

This isn’t your English class study guide, rather a living work of art, composed stylistically with dynamic imagery and movement that creates an unrivaled seafaring adventure.

The now iconic Ishmael is the first sailor we encounter, a philosophical narrator who has worked on a merchant vessel. This time, he signs up for the Pequod, leaving Nantucket. This sea hunt is for whale oil and the byproducts used in the 19th century – the appeal of a comfortable lifestyle was at odds with the messy and grimy business of whale hunting.

Ishmael and Queequeg. Photo by Liz Lauren.

At a crowded inn, he is forced to share a room with a distinctively tattooed Polynesian harpooner, Queequeg, and that comical situation cements a friendship between the men. Muscular Kevin Aoussou is an imposing and regal Queequeg.

Walter Owen Briggs conveys Ishmael’s curious nature and sense of wonder, while looking at developments sensibly. He struggles with Ahab’s recklessness and the looming doom.

The Fates and the sailors. Photo by Liz Lauren

Ahab’s single-mindedness is his tragic flaw, and it will consume him. As the men resist, he pushes harder. He has tough altercations with brave first mate Starbuck, a fierce and agile Felipe Carrasco, that are intense and frightening.

The ensemble offers personal portraits to help identify them as crew members, and their instincts are finely tuned. In supporting roles are original castmates Micah Figueroa as Cabaco and Captain of New Bedford whaleship and Raymond Fox as Stubb as well as Captains Boomer and Gardiner, joining Julian Hester as Bulkington.

They indicate the physical aspects of their struggles with precise movements by acrobatic choreographer Sylvia Hernandez-Distasi, a founder and artistic director of The Actors Gymnasium in Chicago. She impresses with dazzling derring-do.

Three women portray the Fates – Maggie Kettering, Ayana Strutz and Bethany Thomas – and they swirl in and out, like spirits. They also present themselves as images of loved ones left behind, and townspeople in the villages.

The dexterity and physical stamina required of these performers is remarkable, and not unnoticed.

Kevin Aoussou. Photo by Liz Lauren

Costume designer Carolyn “Sully” Ratke and associate designer Stephanie Gluggish have fashioned ethereal garb for the mystical spirits, and an interesting wardrobe to create a human metaphor for Moby Dick and other whales. The other costumes are period-appropriate.

The squalls, the hunt, and the insurmountable typhoon are thrillingly staged as spectacles, diving deep into the life-or-death danger. The technology used is next-level and breathtaking, especially what Rigging Designer Isaac Schoepp has created.

(Kudos to the stagehands who participated in the curtain call, deserving a major standing ovation for their efforts), Bravo!

Lighting designer William C. Kirkham, and assistant designer Madeleine Reid, along with sound designer Rick Sims and associate sound designer Forrest Gregor, have recreated an atmospheric ocean tableau — thunderstorms, eerie nighttime shadows, blazing sun daylight, fire, the mysterious echoes of the high seas and the relentless waves.

They have captured dreamlike sequences as well as nightmares through aural and visual techniques, and Sims’ music compositions add texture.

A sequence of staggering beauty is when lanterns lit with whale oil illuminate the night sky, as they rise and seemingly float away, like fireflies.

Photo by Liz Lauren

Moments of non-traditional storytelling are effective bridging the gap between the classic text and a new way to look at a staged presentation. However, the everlasting human condition commentary is not overshadowed by the production’s technical mastery.

Now, this show can be a challenge to navigate, particularly if you have never read “Moby Dick” or only made it through a few pages – it is not an easily digested drama. But stick with it, let the experience sweep you away, and you will be rewarded handsomely. (And you may want to read some Cliff Notes or Wikipedia information beforehand).

It’s exciting to watch something so significantly singular swing for the fences and achieve a greatness that people will be talking about for years.

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents “Moby Dick,” adapted from the book by Herman Melville and directed by David Catlin of the Lookingglass Theatre Company through Feb. 25. Performances take place on the main stage of the Loretto-Hilton Center on the Webster University campus. For more information: www.repstl.org.

Christopher Donahue as Captain Ahab. Liz Lauren photo.