Even if you don’t earn a prize, you are still a winner for having attended “Broke: The Game Show Show,” a convivial interactive musical comedy parody.
Created by partners Liz Muller and C.E.Simon, this world premiere strives for a party atmosphere. Fortunately, the Saturday night I was there, a bachelorette party attended, ready to have a good time, as were the other audience members.
Muller deftly directed the inventive show with a livewire attitude in mind and kept the music direction peppy and light-hearted. The show has been extended from May 6 through May 19.
Ryan Myers and Ashley Rube excel as the two quick-witted actors in the show within a show. Myers is perfectly congenial as Hank the Host, with a dash of snark and swagger, while Rube is relatable as the more exasperated and pragmatic Alex the Technical Director.
Both are connected to the Improv Shop and other local theatrical endeavors, and their veteran improvisational skills are put to good use, as they keep the tempo lively and project a sense that wackiness will ensue.
It really is true that no two shows are the same, as the performers and contestants feed off the energy of the crowd. If you are not laughing at some of the antics, check your pulse.
During the goofy game show, people answer trivia questions for their shot to be a contestant on stage. And they have an appealing assortment of prizes to giveaway from generous local donors to give away, like tickets, meals, and fun outings.
But if you’d rather just watch from the sidelines, that’s OK – no one is forcing you to go onstage.
The experience is enhanced by the 30-foot LED video wall projections, and the “Broke” creators designed the slick video background to give it a professional game show feel – and the technical difficulties seem real. Joel Wilper has added effective lighting design while Lenny Mink and Wilper smoothly handled the sound engineering.
Stage Manager J. Myles Hesse keeps things moving swiftly, no matter what appears to be going awry (all scripted). The performance is at least 90% game show, with the behind-the-scenes story of the host and tech crew a personal subplot for character development.
The show is performed with one intermission, and drinks are permitted in the playhouse.
“Broke” is as advertised, a silly romp well-suited for diverting you from more serious world affairs – and produced with spreading good cheer in mind. Providing a communal good time is always a welcome endeavor.
“Broke: The Game Show Show” is performed every Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. through May 19 at the Westport Playhouse in St. Louis, with a 2 p.m. matinee set for the final day besides an evening show. It is recommended for ages 18 and older. Tickets are $30 and are available at www.westportplay.com. Groups of 10 or more can call 314-605-3799 for special rates.
Lynn (Zipfel) Venhaus has had a continuous byline in St. Louis metro region publications since 1978. She writes features and news for Belleville News-Democrat and contributes to St. Louis magazine and other publications.
She is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic, currently reviews films for Webster-Kirkwood Times and KTRS Radio, covers entertainment for PopLifeSTL.com and co-hosts podcast PopLifeSTL.com…Presents.
She is a member of Critics Choice Association, where she serves on the women’s and marketing committees; Alliance of Women Film Journalists; and on the board of the St. Louis Film Critics Association. She is a founding and board member of the St. Louis Theater Circle.
She is retired from teaching journalism/media as an adjunct college instructor.
Funny, sad, poignant and personal, “Gruesome Playground Injuries” is the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis’ impressive return to the Steve Woolf Studio series, renowned for its adventurous programming for years.
It’s an accomplished production of Rajiv Joseph’s 2009 two-character drama featuring raw and affecting performances from Brian Slaten and Jessika D. Williams, who will break your heart as damaged souls Doug and Kayleen.
The year is 1983 and they meet as eight-year-olds in their parochial school infirmary. He’s a daredevil prone to accidents that get more series as time goes by and she’s waylaid by a sensitive stomach – her mother blames it on “bad thoughts” – and her internal wounds progress to self-harm and substance abuse.
Both outsiders, their lives intersect for the next 30 years, while they wrestle with their feelings.
With his keen wit and sharp emotional insight into the human condition, Joseph brings the friends back together – even with long stretches apart. It’s complicated – and compelling. They may be a lifeline, but they exasperate each other, push people away in a cruel world, and from their perspective, connecting isn’t so easy.
Adulting is hard, we know. Life happens. Friends move, get different jobs, start and end other relationships, raise families. But the ones we maintain ties with become a special part of the fabric of our lives. And the ones we reconnect with, after drifting part, that opportunity is a great tonic – and we know that feeling. It’s universal.
“Gruesome Playground Injuries” evokes those friendship memories. It’s obviously more complex with Doug and Kayleen, who learn they can’t heal each other, but they can provide sustenance.
A finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for his outstanding 2009 play “Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo,” Joseph crafts fully dimensional characters, flaws and all.
Jessika D Williams, Brian Slaten Photo by Philip Hamer
In this nonlinear narrative, the pals’ encounters are rather unusual, through early teens, 20s and 30s, with the actors revealing more emotional depth each time. Every rueful scene deals with pain, both physical and psychological. They ask each other: “Does it hurt?”
Slaten inhabits the hyper and impulsive Doug with an appealing goofball energy while Williams unmasks a guarded person concealing internal scars but can’t hide the darkness within. Director Becks Redman emphasizes the characters’ vulnerability.
The pair is on stage the entire time, never out of sight, and they change clothes on opposite sides. The simple outfits selected by costume designer Carolyn Mazuca reflect the various time periods in their lives.
The production’s technical design work is also superb, with an interesting monochromatic set of multi-purpose shapes by scenic designer Diggle. The actors move pieces around to create their settings – efficient and functional spaces doubling for interiors and outside. Lighting designer Anshuman Bhatia also gives the characters a sense of place and enhances the mood.
David Gomez’ soulful instrumental composition adds a mournful tone, reflecting on missed opportunities and regrets. Sound designer Kareem Deanes’ crisp work excels in the black box space.
Post-pandemic, this play resonates even more than in the before times. We have acutely felt the isolation of social distancing and loss of human connection through time and distance. We have fought similar battles separately and together the past three years.
With mesmerizing performances and a director desiring to bring out parallel lines we can relate to, this production aims straight for the heart and achieves a bulls-eye. It makes us think and feel about how people make their marks on our lives.
Photo by Philip Hamer.
The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis is presenting “Gruesome Playground Injuries” in the return of Steve Woolf Studio series from April 14 through May 13 at the Strauss Black Box Theatre in the Kirkwood Performing Arts Center, 210 E Monroe Ave, Kirkwood, Mo.
The show runs 80 minutes without intermission.House doors will open 30 minutes before the show starts to begin seating. Please plan to arrive accordingly as this show is general admission.Concessions will be available to purchase before the show. They are only able to accept debit/credit cards.There is a free lot for parking directly behind the theatre on W Monroe Ave. and S Fillmore Ave. Additional free parking is available on adjacent streets.
For tickets or for more information, visit www.repstl.org
Lynn (Zipfel) Venhaus has had a continuous byline in St. Louis metro region publications since 1978. She writes features and news for Belleville News-Democrat and contributes to St. Louis magazine and other publications.
She is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic, currently reviews films for Webster-Kirkwood Times and KTRS Radio, covers entertainment for PopLifeSTL.com and co-hosts podcast PopLifeSTL.com…Presents.
She is a member of Critics Choice Association, where she serves on the women’s and marketing committees; Alliance of Women Film Journalists; and on the board of the St. Louis Film Critics Association. She is a founding and board member of the St. Louis Theater Circle.
She is retired from teaching journalism/media as an adjunct college instructor.
Stephen Sondheim’s lush and richly layered score is flawlessly presented by music director Leah Schultz and an extraordinary 12-piece orchestra, with touching ensemble harmonies to match, setting apart Stray Dog Theatre’s fresh and clever “Into the Woods.”
Since the musical was first produced in 1986 before going to Broadway the next year, audiences have found new ways to see the message behind this beguiling gem: No one is alone.
Starting with its deceptively simple concept featuring familiar fairy tale characters interacting, the second act swerves into much darker territory. For they are desperately seeking happily ever after, but not transforming their lives until they change their selfish, foolish, and childish ways. But eventually, hope emerges after harsh occurrences.
The roster from Brothers Grimm and Charles Perrault’s centuries-old literary works includes Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, Rapunzel, and the childless couple from Thumbelina.
The themes involving parents and children touch on responsibility, morality, and the consequences of wishes to beautiful, emotional effect. (I expect to get misty-eyed in multiple scenes.)
“Nice is different than good.” It is a very grown-up tale that becomes more profound with each viewing and the passage of time, yet its structure isn’t predictable. The complexities of this insightful tale resonate 26 years later, which has been crucial to this show’s staying power.
That’s the genius of Sondheim’s collaboration with book writer and director James Lapine. They both won Tony’s – for score and book – but that year the top prize went to “The Phantom of the Opera.”
(If we’re mentioning prizes, the 2002 revival won the Tony for Best Musical Revival, a London West End revival in 2010 won the Olivier Award, and the most recent Encores! revival in 2022 that was so popular it extended its run multiple times, closing on Jan. 8, won the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theatre Album – and expect Tony nominations this spring.) Clearly a show that gets better with age, as long as the humanity is displayed.
Before Disney revised fairy tales, many were dark, and upon second glance, it’s not all cuddly forest animals and talking birds. However, director Justin Been recognized the whimsy and the playfulness, which he focuses on, with some snark. That helps considerably on the small intimate stage – yet he does not gloss over the less-than-merry, adding that necessary depth.
The library setting, with well-placed bookshelves, designed by Been and Dominic Emery, gives it a different perspective. The program lists the place as “an old library on the fringes of our memory.” And the time – “Maybe yesterday, could be tomorrow.” Been’s staging adroitly moves the characters physically to convey their power plays. And they leap off the pages, as this cast has no trouble breaking the fourth wall.
The narrator (Jon Hey) introduces four groups of characters – Cinderella (Maggie Nold) wishes to go to the festival, Jack (Shannon Lampkin Campbell) wishes that his cow Milky White would give milk, a baker and his wife (Tyler Luetkenhaus and Margaret Stall) want to have a baby, and Little Red Riding Hood (Grace Langford), wants to visit her grandmother.
The baker’s neighbor is a witch (Jennelle Gilreath Owens) who has been pulling the strings from bitterness. A curse she cast has made them infertile because his father stole her vegetables, including magic beans. Her own mother cursed her, making her old and hideous. In turn, she took the baker’s father’s child, Rapunzel (Dawn Schmid).
The Witch makes a deal – bring her four ingredients “the cow as white as milk, the cape as red as blood, the hair as yellow as corn, and the slipper as pure as gold” in three days’ time – and she’ll reverse it.
And we’re off “Into the Woods” on the rugged journey, where there is more chicanery afoot. Nobody is who they appear to be. Will they find out if what they’ve always wished for is what they truly want? They will lie, cheat, and steal to achieve their goals, but when the going gets tough, realize they must work together. The characters learn that they must carry each other, or the show will not resonate as deeply.
The 14-member cast fluidly follows its course, with some roles typically doubled. Most display crisp comic timing and strong vocals at the same time, although some characters aren’t that amusing (Jack’s mom, the tragic Rapunzel, and the rather generic roles of Granny and Cinderella’s Mother).
The Wolf, Little Red. Photo by John Lamb
As the petulant Little Red Riding Hood, Grace Langford brings out the girl’s brattiness, and then learns some things: “I Know Things Now.”
The ever reliable and assured Jon Hey plays both the Narrator and the Mysterious Man, who slithers out of owning up to responsibility. And his occasional jig must be a nod to Rumplestiltskin.
This time, though, Cinderella’s Prince and the Wolf, are played by separate characters. Agile Drew Mizell and animated Sarah Polizzi humorously step into the princes (Cinderella’s and Rapunzel’s) and as Cinderella’s awful stepsisters Florinda and Lucinda. It may be stunt-casting, but it works.
In fact, the broader the comedy, the more fun the performer has. It’s a treat to see comical Michael Wells return to the Tower Grove Abbey stage in multiple roles, for he is deliciously wicked as the Wolf (“Hello, Little Girl”), then portray Cinderella’s father, Prince’s steward and make hilarious sound effects as the crying baby.
The splendid Jennelle Gilreath Owens takes a more cynical, less menacing approach to the diva role of the Witch, which suits her, delivering a disconcerting “Last Midnight” and dynamic “Children Will Listen.” Her dialogue stings – especially such memorable lines as “I’m not good; I’m not nice; I’m just right” and “I was just trying to be a good mother.”
Other standouts include Tyler Luetkenhaus and Margaret Stall as the Baker and Baker’s Wife, both making noteworthy debuts. They breezily sail through “It Takes Two,” while their signatures “Moments in the Woods” and “No One Is Alone” are superb.
Bringing out the baker’s flaws, Luetkenhaus adds a layer of deceit that’s not always there, and you sense that the couple is truly working through their issues as the characters. It’s not always as superficial as some of the other characterizations. They delve into the hearts and minds.
Shannon Lampkin Campbell is a spunky yet naive Jack the Giant Killer, robust in “Giants in the Sky.” Been has moved the physical confrontation between the giant’s wife, steward and Jack’s mom (Laura Lee Kyro) offstage, which accounts for less fireworks. Yet, Milky White is as funny as ever, with its goofy, squatty, small appearance.
Photo by John Lamb
Just as she showed in “A Little Night Music,” Madeline Black has a regal bearing and her speech pattern accents the haughtiness of Cinderella’s stepmother. Granny and Cinderella’s mother are handled competently by Jennifer Clodi, who also voices the frightening Giant and his livid Wife.
The princess roles are capably filled by Dawn Schmid as distraught Rapunzel and Maggie Nold as tormented Cinderella, bringing out their characters’ insecurities.
The ensemble appears to be having fun together and has the silky-smooth voices to meet their major moments. It’s such a pleasure to hear the sublime Sondheim sung as intended.
Schultz has conducted the orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick with expert finesse, nimbly leading Marie Brown and Paul Rueschhoff on cello (alternating performances), Mo Carr on trumpet, Chuck Evans on viola, Steve Frisbee on violin, John Gerdes on horn, Lea Gerdes on flute, piccolo and reed, Mike Hanson on percussion, Ian Hayden on reed, and M. Joshua Ryan on bass through Sondheim’s recurring motifs. They are strategically placed among the bookshelves, a savvy touch.
Sarah Gene Dowling’s colorful wig design enhances the fantasy storybook world, pairing well with Eileen Engel’s character-appropriate costume design.
Jacob Baxley’s sound design is crystal clear, and Tyler Duenow’s lighting design effectively sets the moods.
And because the songs are so exquisitely rendered, moments will linger. The second act is aural perfection, connecting the story threads into a magical experience that is awe-inspiring.
Photo by John Lamb
Stray Dog Theatre presents “Into the Woods” March 30 – April 22 at 8 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays, with additional performances at 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 2 and Sunday, April 16, at the Tower Grove Abbey, 2336 Tennessee Avenue, Saint Louis, MO 63104. Gated Parking. Additional information and ticket reservations: Call (314) 865-1995. Visit www.straydogtheatre.org.
The 3/31, 4/7, 4/14, and 4/21 performances will be presented with ASL interpretation by students from Southwestern Illinois College. ASL interpreted performances are suitable for audience members who are Deaf, deafened, or have hearing loss. They can also be valuable for people who are learning ASL.
Audio Description: The 4/16 performance will be Audio Described by MindsEye. Audio Described performances are suitable for audience members who are blind or partially sighted. Please note that if you are interested in participating in the audio description of this performance you will need to call the Box Office to order your ticket. Please announce that you would like to reserve a pair of headphones for the Audio Description.
Lynn (Zipfel) Venhaus has had a continuous byline in St. Louis metro region publications since 1978. She writes features and news for Belleville News-Democrat and contributes to St. Louis magazine and other publications.
She is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic, currently reviews films for Webster-Kirkwood Times and KTRS Radio, covers entertainment for PopLifeSTL.com and co-hosts podcast PopLifeSTL.com…Presents.
She is a member of Critics Choice Association, where she serves on the women’s and marketing committees; Alliance of Women Film Journalists; and on the board of the St. Louis Film Critics Association. She is a founding and board member of the St. Louis Theater Circle.
She is retired from teaching journalism/media as an adjunct college instructor.
By Lynn Venhaus Stages St. Louis’ “In the Heights,” a jubilant celebration of culture, community, and connection, won six awards, including Outstanding Musical Production, Music Director, Choreography, Set Design, Costume Design (tie) and Ensemble in a Musical, at the St. Louis Theater Circle Awards Monday.
Their world premiere of “The Karate Kid – The Musical” won Outstanding Lighting Design for a total of seven, and Jack Lane, retired executive producer, announced the musical is Broadway-bound in 2024.
Seven is what The Black Repertory Theatre of St. Louis amassed for four productions: August Wilson’s “Jitney” (2 – Outstanding Production and Ensemble), “Behind the Sheet,” (2 – tie for Outstanding Production – Drama and Best Director), “The African Company Presents Richard III” (1 – Supporting Performer, Male or Non-Binary, Cameron Jamarr Davis) and “Dontrell, Who Was Kissed by the Sea” (2 – Lighting Design and Sound Design).
Brian McKnight accepted on behalf of The Black Rep and described founder Ron Himes as a man “who has vision.”
The Muny, SATE (Slightly Askew Theatre Ensemble), and West End Players Guild each won four at the 10th Annual Theater Circle Awards, which recognized achievements in comedies, dramas, musicals and operas.
SATE’s original play “Bronte Sister House Party” won 4 (Best New Play, Outstanding Comedy Production, Comedy Ensemble and Supporting Performer Male or Non-Binary Role). “The Color Purple” at The Muny won 3 – Leading Performer, Female or Non-Binary in a Musical, Supporting Performer, Female or Non-Binary, and Costume Designer while Martin McDonagh’s “The Lonesome West” won 3 – Leading Performer, Male or Non-Binary, Supporting Performer, Female or Non-Binary, and Director Robert Ashton for the West End Players Guild.
For more than 10 years, the St. Louis Theater Circle has been presenting annual awards for regional professional theater, and resumed a live ceremony after virtual productions streamed by HEC Media online in 2020 and 2022 because of the coronavirus pandemic, cancelling 2021 (but including a few of those productions last year).
It was the first live ceremony since 2019, and held at the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis’s Loretto-Hilton Center on Webster University’s campus.
Approximately 90 productions were considered for this year’s event. Three productions – “Chicago” at the Muny, “A Christmas Carol” at The Rep, and “Head Over Heels” at New Line Theatre — were ineligible because the same production was presented within the last three years at the respective venues.
The Circle presented more than 30 categories for outstanding achievements from 2022, with 20 theater companies receiving nominations.
Nationally recognized playwright, theater producer, and long-time advocate for the arts Joan Lipkin was honored with a special award for lifetime achievement.
Records that evening included Joel Moses winning two acting awards in one night and Jennifer Theby-Quinn won her third acting award, joining Will Bonfiglio and Laurie McConnell as three-time winners.
Luis Salgado, who made “In the Heights” ‘pop’ with his spirited direction and vibrant choreography, accepted awards while praising the theater community in St. Louis. He and actor Ryan Alvarado, a nominee for playing Usnavi, flew in from New York City to attend .
Here are the awards given out April 3:
Cameron Jamarr Davis “The African Company Presents Richard III” at the Black Rep
Outstanding Supporting Performer in a Comedy, Female or Non-Binary Role: Hannah Geisz, “The Lonesome West,” West End Players Guild
Outstanding Supporting Performer in a Comedy, Male or Non-Binary Role: Joel Moses, “Brontë Sister House Party,” SATE
Outstanding Performer in a Comedy, Female or Non-Binary Role: Molly Burris, “Dear Jack, Dear Louise,” New Jewish Theatre
Outstanding Performer in a Comedy, Male or Non-Binary Role: Jason Meyers, “The Lonesome West,” West End Players Guild
Outstanding Lighting Design in a Play: Jasmine Williams, “Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea,” The Black Rep
Outstanding Sound Design: Jackie Sharp, “Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea,” The Black Rep
Outstanding Costume Design in a Play: Oona Natesan, “House of Joy,” Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
Outstanding Set Design in a Play (tie): Bess Moynihan, “Rodney’s Wife,” The Midnight Company and Josh Smith, “Much Ado About Nothing,” St. Louis Shakespeare Festival
Winner Jason Meyers, at right “The Lonesome West”
Outstanding Supporting Performer in a Drama, Female or Non-Binary Role: Rachel Tibbetts, “Rodney’s Wife,” The Midnight Company
Outstanding Supporting Performer in a Drama, Male or Non-Binary Role: Cameron Jamarr Davis, “The African Company Presents Richard III,” The Black Rep
Outstanding Performer in a Drama, Female or Non-Binary Role: Jennifer Theby-Quinn, “Iphigenia in Splott,” Upstream Theater
Outstanding Performer in a Drama, Male or Non-Binary Role: Joel Moses, “The Christians,” West End Players Guild
Joel Moses, “The Christians” at West End Players Guild
Outstanding New Play: “Brontë Sister House Party,” by Courtney Bailey, SATE
Outstanding Achievement in Opera: (tie) Thomas Glass, “Harvey Milk,” Opera Theatre of Saint Louis and Robert Mellon, “Falstaff,” Union Avenue Opera
Outstanding Production of an Opera: “A Little Night Music,” Union Avenue Opera
Outstanding Musical Director: Walter “Bobby” McCoy, “In the Heights,” Stages St. Louis
Outstanding Choreographer: Luis Salgado, “In the Heights,” Stages St. Louis
Outstanding Supporting Performer in a Musical, Female or Non-Binary Role: Nicole Michelle Haskins, “The Color Purple,” The Muny
Outstanding Supporting Performer in a Musical, Male or Non-Binary Role: Jeffrey Izquierdo-Malon, “Something Rotten!” New Line Theatre
Outstanding Lighting Design in a Musical: Bradley King, “The Karate Kid – The Musical,” Stages St. Louis
Outstanding Set Design in a Musical: Anna Louizos, “In the Heights,” Stages St. Louis
Outstanding Costume Design in a Musical: (tie) Samantha C. Jones, “The Color Purple,” The Muny and Brad Musgrove, “In the Heights,” Stages St. Louis
Anastacia McCleskey “The Color Purple” at The Muny
Outstanding Performer in a Musical, Female or Non-Binary Role: Anastacia McCleskey, “The Color Purple,” The Muny
Outstanding Performer in a Musical, Male or Non-Binary Role: Ben Davis, “Sweeney Todd,” The Muny
Outstanding Ensemble in a Comedy: “Brontë Sister House Party,” SATE
Outstanding Ensemble in a Drama: “Jitney,” The Black Rep
Outstanding Ensemble in a Musical: “In the Heights,” Stages St. Louis
Outstanding Director of a Comedy: Robert Ashton, “The Lonesome West,” West End Players Guild
Outstanding Director of a Drama: Ron Himes, “Behind the Sheet,” The Black Rep
Outstanding Director of a Musical: Bradley Rohlf, “Assassins,” Fly North Theatricals
“Bronte Sister House Party” won four Circle Awards
Outstanding Production of a Comedy: “Brontë Sister House Party,” SATE
Outstanding Production of a Drama: (tie) “Behind the Sheet,” The Black Rep and “Jitney,” The Black Rep
Outstanding Production of a Musical: “In the Heights,” Stages St. Louis
Special Award: Joan Lipkin, for lifetime achievement
The St. Louis Theater Circle was formed the summer of 2012 and began awarding excellence in regional professional theater in 2013. No touring, community theater or school productions are considered.
Current embers of the St. Louis Theater Circle include Steve Allen, stagedoorstl.com; Mark Bretz, Ladue News; Bob Cohn, St. Louis Jewish Light; Tina Farmer, KDHX; Rob Levy, Broadwayworld.com; Michelle Kenyon, snoopstheatrethoughts.com and KDHX; Gerry Kowarsky, Two on the Aisle (HEC-TV); Chuck Lavazzi, KDHX; Judith Newmark, judyacttwo.com; Lynn Venhaus, PopLifeSTL.com and KTRS Radio; Bob Wilcox, Two on the Aisle (HEC-TV); and Calvin Wilson, St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Eleanor Mullin, local actress and arts supporter, is group administrator.
The mood was extraordinary, and, in Joan Lipkin’s words, we could feel the “palpable joy” for each other. The speeches were heartfelt, and I wish we had them on record. It was truly “celebratory revelry.”
The Black Rep was a winner for four separate shows in the same year, an a back to back winner for August Wilson, as last year’s drama production was “Two Trains Running”)
We discovered we had two different Josh Smiths nominated — the one for Shakepeare’s Italian villa who won for “Much Ado About Nothing” was not the same for the carnival in “Ride the Cyclone.”
Happy the ‘tribe’ had so much fun — and the fellowship was really special. Hope the feedback continues to be positive.
GO SEE A PLAY!
“Jitney” Best Drama Production and Best Dramatic Ensemble
Lynn (Zipfel) Venhaus has had a continuous byline in St. Louis metro region publications since 1978. She writes features and news for Belleville News-Democrat and contributes to St. Louis magazine and other publications.
She is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic, currently reviews films for Webster-Kirkwood Times and KTRS Radio, covers entertainment for PopLifeSTL.com and co-hosts podcast PopLifeSTL.com…Presents.
She is a member of Critics Choice Association, where she serves on the women’s and marketing committees; Alliance of Women Film Journalists; and on the board of the St. Louis Film Critics Association. She is a founding and board member of the St. Louis Theater Circle.
She is retired from teaching journalism/media as an adjunct college instructor.
Let’s hear it for the risk-takers. A fascinating underdog story about a game-changing move in corporate America that revolutionized celebrity endorsements is personality-driven, thanks to an all-star cast and savvy script in “Air.”
How Nike was victorious in courting then-NBA rookie Michael Jordan for a shoe campaign in 1984 is told through the eyes of Nike staffers, especially marketing executive Sonny Vaccaro (Matt Damon), advertising manager Rob Strasser (Jason Bateman), shoe designer Peter Moore (Matt Maher), and co-founder and chairman Phil Knight (Ben Affleck).
Tightly constructed, Alex Convery’s first-time screenplay highlights the key elements — a growing niche footwear market; the arrival of the greatest player of all-time, Michael Jordan, on the professional basketball scene; a protective mother’s fierce negotiations; and a think-outside-the-box company located near Portland, Ore. This inspired-by-true-story is an energetic, entertaining film with a lasting impression — and not only for sports fans.
In his first directorial effort since 2016’s lackluster “Live by Night,” Ben Affleck is back to triple-threat greatness, shepherding this crowd-pleaser with smart moves and a keen sense of time and place. After all, his storytelling is on fine display in “Argo,” “The Town,” and “Gone Baby Gone,” too.
Ben Affleck as Nike co-founder and chairman Phil Knight
With considerable skill, he steeps what’s essentially a story of contract maneuvers and phone calls into a culture-defining era, from Knight zipping his purple Porsche with his personalized license plates into the Beaverton headquarters after a run, to Vaccaro buying his Wheaties in a Mary Lou Retton-Olympics box and a Sports Illustrated at the mini-mart.
The year is 1984, and the movie is drenched with a kicky ‘80s soundtrack of MTV classics that sets the mood, and quick news-and-photo montages encapsulates the Reagan years.
At the time, third-best Nike was known for its running shoes, and the upstart company viewed themselves as renegades, while entrenched Adidas and Converse were known for their basketball lines.
In 1984, Jordan left North Carolina after his junior year and was third in the NBA draft, going to the Chicago Bulls. His ability to leap and slam-dunk gave him the nickname “Air Jordan,” which Nike capitalized on as an innovator — and a lasting global brand. It’s a remarkable American ingenuity story.
As Sonny Vaccaro, Matt Damon is forceful and earnest about having a hunch about Jordan and following it through with bold aggressive moves. Sonny develops a special relationship with MJ’s Mom, Deloris Jordan (Viola Davis), that is instrumental in sealing the deal. Damon’s character is as appealing as he was in “Ford v Ferrari,” that likeable real-life guy committed to his convictions and smart enough to carry his plan through
In a small but pivotal role, Davis is masterful as the mom whose belief in her son changed celebrity endorsements and deals for athlete’s families.
Before making the film, Affleck said Michael Jordan had one request – that Davis play his mother. His father, James, is genially played by Davis’ real-life husband, Julius Tennon. Affleck focuses on the close relationship Michael had with his parents, and Davis and Tennon depict it beautifully.
Affleck also decided to have an actor play Michael only as a physical presence, preferring to use archival footage, and that works – creating more of a mythology around this larger-than-life mortal. Damian Young is credited but has no dialogue.
Relationships are key to this story’s success, and the long legendary friendship of Damon and Affleck elevates the story as well. Oscar winners for screenplay in “Good Will Hunting,” this is their 20th collaboration, and their first pairing since the underrated “The Last Duel” in 2021 is as dynamic as ever. Word is that they both contributed rewrites to Convery’s original screenplay, and they have an unmistakable rhythm/shorthand with each other.
With its folksy charm and crackling dialogue, “Air” delivers a well-acted and written story that appeals beyond the sports market. It’s a dream team of natural actors defining these colleagues so that we can celebrate their considerable achievements.
Matt Maher, Matt Damon, Jason Bateman
Chris Tucker is well-suited to play Howard White, one of the inspiring former college players on Nike’s roster who helped Air Jordan take flight. He developed relationships with young athletes, including Jordan. Marlon Wayans is seen briefly as Olympics basketball coach George Reveling, who coached Jordan the summer of 1984, and that powerful scene is an important foundation piece. Jordan did not want them left out of his story.
Chris Messina plays Jordan’s bulldog agent David Falk with fiery abrasive bluster.
Matt Maher, who works frequently with Ben and Casey Affleck, deftly portrays the genius shoe designer Peter Moore, who also designed the icon symbol of Jordan taking flight.
It’s a collaborative effort, indicative of a workplace drama-comedy, and gives the real-life people their due for their efforts. Even though we know what happened — but not the particulars per se — we still are enthralled by all the developments. The results-wrap-up is truly remarkable, how such a deal had tremendous ripple effects and outcomes.
It’s early yet, but “Air” is likely sturdy enough to be among the last movies standing at year’s end and will make my short list for Top Ten. Yes, it’s that meaningful, fun and enjoyable.
“Air” is a 2023 sports biopic drama directed by Ben Affleck that stars Affleck, Matt Damon, Jason Bateman, Chris Tucker, Chris Messina, Viola Davis, Julius Tennon, and Marlon Wayans. It is Rated R for language and run time is 1 hour, 52 minutes. Movie opened in theaters on April 5. Lynn’s Grade: A.
Lynn (Zipfel) Venhaus has had a continuous byline in St. Louis metro region publications since 1978. She writes features and news for Belleville News-Democrat and contributes to St. Louis magazine and other publications.
She is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic, currently reviews films for Webster-Kirkwood Times and KTRS Radio, covers entertainment for PopLifeSTL.com and co-hosts podcast PopLifeSTL.com…Presents.
She is a member of Critics Choice Association, where she serves on the women’s and marketing committees; Alliance of Women Film Journalists; and on the board of the St. Louis Film Critics Association. She is a founding and board member of the St. Louis Theater Circle.
She is retired from teaching journalism/media as an adjunct college instructor.
By Lynn Venhaus With his childlike wonder, boundless energy, warm smile, and ability to never know a stranger, Will Bonfiglio uses his talent for good in the uplifting one-person show, “Every Brilliant Thing,” now playing at the New Jewish Theatre.
Running one tidy hour, this humorous and touching personal reflection on life and loss can be interpreted many ways.
What started as a performance piece and installation art project around a decade ago grew into a Facebook group where people listed their own “brilliant things,” and productions have been mounted all over the U.S.
The one-act play was first produced in England, at the 2013 Ludlum Fringe Festival, and started out as a short story called “Sleevenotes” by Duncan McMillan. For the stage, he involved comedian Jonny Donahue, who was filmed for the 2016 HBO presentation.
Bonfiglio plays Sam, the adult son of a mother whose chronic depression altered his emotional development and life perspective.
What do you do when you are six years old, and your mother is in the hospital for attempting suicide? The lead character started a list of everything beautiful and wondrous about the world. He/she left it on their mother’s pillow. And thus, began life-long list-making giving us hope about what makes life worth living.
In this production, Bonfiglio engages by relating the challenges of life. Through the identifiable list, he finds light amid depression’s darkness.
Ice cream. 2. Water fights 3. Staying up past your bedtime and being allowed to watch TV. 4. The color yellow
The list is as broad as 11. Bed and 1006. Surprises, and as specific as 2390. People who can’t sing but either don’t know or don’t care, and 1654. Christopher Walken’s voice.
The list eventually grew to a million, with entries as clever as 123321. Palindromes, as funny as 7. People falling over, as adorable as 575. Piglets, as pleasurable as 9997. Being cooked for, and as nostalgic as 315. The smell of an old book.
That list turned into a lifeline during adolescence, college, marriage, and bumpy roads, eventually leading to peace and acceptance.
Bonfiglio plays Sam as vulnerable yet strong, resonating as someone who feels helpless when they can’t protect, control, or prevent family members from harm.
He has re-teamed with director Ellie Schwetye after working on “Fully Committed” in 2019, which earned him his third St. Louis Theater Circle Award for Leading Performer in a Comedy, Male or Nonbinary Role. He previously won for “Buyer and Cellar” and “Red Scare on Sunset,” both at Stray Dog Theatre.
They have both worked together in SATE (Slightly Askew Theatre Ensemble), where Schwetye is a producer, and ERA (Equally Represented Arts)., among other companies.
They are both expert collaborators. In this project, their ability to focus on joy through communal storytelling and create community reaffirms the power of theater.
Essential elements include audience interaction and participation, which makes the show unpredictable and improvisational. Bonfiglio tells a few people what to say and where to move in a charming way, while others just are called on to read a lead entry. (If you do not want to participate, no one will force you).
Schwetye keeps Bonfiglio on the move to all corners of the stage.
The technical elements are also superb, with Bess Moynihan’s outstanding lighting design and scenery work with the list items hanging in different hand-written notes making the message simple yet profound.
Schwetye is also an award-winning sound designer, and because of her expertise selecting music, that helps make the music influential to the people in the story.
This play is more than a litany of favorite things, but a journey through turning points in life, which makes it special.
One of its life-affirming aspects is to not wait for moments, but let them in and be open to them.
Bonfiglio never feels less than real. And his kindness projects an openness to the event, for the hardest things to talk about are things we should talk about – and this play allows us to, for catharsis can come out of crushing sadness. Sam has earned this accomplishment.
There is information about mental health in the program, and this team knows of its importance. This production touches our lives in an interesting way — complex, but manifests beauty.
It is that understanding that you feel. And I am grateful.
The New Jewish Theatre presents “Every Brilliant Thing” March 16 – April 2 at the J’s Wool Studio Theatre, 2 Millstone Campus Drive, St. Louis, Tickets are available by phone at 314-442-3283 or online at www.newjewishtheatre.org.
Lynn (Zipfel) Venhaus has had a continuous byline in St. Louis metro region publications since 1978. She writes features and news for Belleville News-Democrat and contributes to St. Louis magazine and other publications.
She is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic, currently reviews films for Webster-Kirkwood Times and KTRS Radio, covers entertainment for PopLifeSTL.com and co-hosts podcast PopLifeSTL.com…Presents.
She is a member of Critics Choice Association, where she serves on the women’s and marketing committees; Alliance of Women Film Journalists; and on the board of the St. Louis Film Critics Association. She is a founding and board member of the St. Louis Theater Circle.
She is retired from teaching journalism/media as an adjunct college instructor.
An absurd comedy with heightened drama is an aural treat in Albion Theatre’s tension-filled, cryptic Harold Pinter classic, “The Birthday Party.”
In a small boarding house – “it’s on the list!” – at the English seaside, longtime lodger Stanley is tormented by a secret. When two mysterious strangers arrive, nothing seems to be what it appears to be.
Pinter’s unusual combination of humor and menace crystalizes the chaos at a bizarre birthday party, and lives will change that night and in the aftermath.
They talk to each other, but do they really listen?
A skilled and sharp ensemble is crisply directed by Suki Peters in the Kranzberg Black Box Theatre. Creating this odd world, they never skip a beat, measuring their pauses and growing a sense of dread while supplying both irrational behavior and their usual routines.
Nick Freed, Ted Drury, Chuck Winning. Photo by John Lamb
When they focus on the humor, they draw out nervous laughter from the audience. Playwright Pinter’s first work, from 1959, is seen through this creative team’s fresh eyes, and while edgy and powerful, is a model of restraint.
Pinter’s trademarks of confusing time and space, as well as making isolated characters ambiguous are noted here.
The extraordinary work of this cast in shaping their enigmatic portrayals elevates this experience. Instead of confusion about its peculiarities, we grasp their rhythms.
Robert Ashton is Petey, an amiable senior with a menial beach job who seems to tolerate his wife Meg’s daffiness. Teresa Doggett is delightfully flaky and giggly as an eccentric Meg, flitting about her domestic duties.
As the charming Boles’, Ashton and Doggett add authenticity with their native tongues amplifying their characters, and the remaining cast members, Midwesterners all, are flawless in delivering their United Kingdom dialects.
This sets the mood splendidly. Danger is looming, but what and why?
The couple’s boarder seems harmless, but then reveals a temper. In a flash, Ted Drury complicates Stanley’s erratic behavior. He says he was a piano player, which impresses Meg – but leaves things open for interpretation. He’s concealing his past, which is murky. Drury conveys simmering tension until he boils over.
Winning, Summer Baer. Photo by John Lamb
An imposing Chuck Winning is a marvel when his threatening blowhard character Goldberg waltzes down memory lane or philosophizes about life, in a dominating, disturbing way.
His associate McCann, well-played by newcomer Nick Freed, isn’t as intimidating as Goldberg, but is frightening, nonetheless. A mob enforcer? Hitman? He has the look and the sinister tone, but also projects a world-weariness.
Ryan Lawson-Maeske has capably choreographed significant fight scenes, and one is an especially scary encounter.
A sunny Summer Baer has a small but pivotal role as Lulu, a light-hearted local girl who enjoys socializing. She’s an innocent who becomes targeted in untoward behavior.
Baer looks terrific in vintage outfits fashioned by costume designer Tracey Newcomb, who has captured the characters’ well in apparel. A special shout-out for Meg’s shiny party gown.
Set designer Brad Slavik’s shabby living and dining rooms accurately reflect the Boles’ economic status, with Majorie Williamson’s scenic design contributions, while Tony Anselmo’s lighting design punctuates the atmosphere perfectly.
Gwyneth Rausch has found appropriate props – that toy drum – to reflect the period, and sound designer Michael Musgrave-Perkins has enhanced the atmosphere with his choices.
“The Birthday Party” is meant to often seem illogical, but Albion’s inspired production is actually quite cohesive, benefitting from outstanding ensemble work and Peters’ distinct direction.
Teresa Doggett, Ted Drury, Nick Freed. Photo by John Lamb
Albion Theatre presents “The Birthday Party” Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. from March 10 through March 26 at the Kranzberg Arts Center, 501 N. Grand in Grand Center. For more information: albiontheatrestl.org.
Lynn (Zipfel) Venhaus has had a continuous byline in St. Louis metro region publications since 1978. She writes features and news for Belleville News-Democrat and contributes to St. Louis magazine and other publications.
She is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic, currently reviews films for Webster-Kirkwood Times and KTRS Radio, covers entertainment for PopLifeSTL.com and co-hosts podcast PopLifeSTL.com…Presents.
She is a member of Critics Choice Association, where she serves on the women’s and marketing committees; Alliance of Women Film Journalists; and on the board of the St. Louis Film Critics Association. She is a founding and board member of the St. Louis Theater Circle.
She is retired from teaching journalism/media as an adjunct college instructor.
Heart-wrenching yet hopeful, “The Quiet Girl” is the first-ever Irish film to make the shortlist for the Academy Awards’ Best International Feature.
Tightly constructed, with emotions that swell significantly in non-showy ways, writer-director Colm Bairead’s first feature film showcases understated performances in an unforgettable story of humanity.
Catherine Clinch is remarkable as shy nine-year-old Cait, already an outcast in her family and at school. She’s growing up poor in a dysfunctional, overcrowded family in County Meath. Her wretched father, too busy gambling and drinking, calls her “The Wanderer.” Her mother has more children than she can handle, and neglects this sensitive, inquisitive daughter.
Sent away to distant relatives in County Waterford for the summer of 1981, she learns about love and kindness. While living on a farm with her mother’s cousin, Eibhlin (Carrie Crowley) and her husband Sean (Andrew Bennett), she blossoms. The middle-aged couple live alone in a nice, neatly-kept home.
It’s not an easy situation, but Eibhlin is nurturing and Sean, gruff at first, lets his guard down. Cait will eventually learn about their lives and a secret from a chatty neighbor, Una, played by Joan Sheehy.
The film’s pace is measured and there is simplicity in its storytelling. What Bairead indicates with a glance or shows with a compassionate gesture tugs hard at your heart.
As the preoccupied parents, Kate Nic Chonaonaigh is an overwhelmed Mam while Michael Patric is a selfish Da. The other siblings are of minimal focus here.
Based on the novella, “Foster” by Claire Keegan, “The Quiet Girl” says so much with a minimum amount of words – making the performances stand out even more. The native tongue is Gaelic, so there are English subtitles.
Ireland’s lush landscape is an affecting setting for daily rural life, and cinematographer Kate McCullough adds a poignancy, John Murphy’s editing strengthens how well constructed it is, and production designer Emma Lowney recreates a magical summer of childhood.
With its ability to touch people, “The Quiet Girl” has become the highest grossing film ever in Ireland.
Recently, it won Best Foreign Language Film from AARP’s Movies for Grownups Awards.
It is indeed a winner, no matter if it loses to “All Quiet on the Western Front” on this year’s Oscar night.
This is the kind of story that will linger, for its literate and lyrical. Out of darkness comes light, and that’s a beautiful thing.
“The Quiet Girl” is a 2022 drama, in Gaelic with English subtitles. Written and directed by Colm Bairead, it stars Catherine Clinch, Carrie Crowley, Andrew Bennett, Joan Sheehy, Michael Patric and Kate Nic Chonaonaigh. It is Rated PG-13 for some strong language and smoking and runtime is 95 minutes. It opened in St. Louis at Plaza Frontenac on March 10 and will be at the Hi-Pointe Theatre on March17.You can also buy or rent on VUDU.Lynn’s Grade: A
Lynn (Zipfel) Venhaus has had a continuous byline in St. Louis metro region publications since 1978. She writes features and news for Belleville News-Democrat and contributes to St. Louis magazine and other publications.
She is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic, currently reviews films for Webster-Kirkwood Times and KTRS Radio, covers entertainment for PopLifeSTL.com and co-hosts podcast PopLifeSTL.com…Presents.
She is a member of Critics Choice Association, where she serves on the women’s and marketing committees; Alliance of Women Film Journalists; and on the board of the St. Louis Film Critics Association. She is a founding and board member of the St. Louis Theater Circle.
She is retired from teaching journalism/media as an adjunct college instructor.
What’s your favorite scary movie? Horror film nerds, this “Scream VI” is for you.
If you have followed the California teenagers through the slasher series since 1996, this sixth chapter — the ‘sequel to the requel,’ keeps the scary meta movie-verse chugging along with all the tricks of the trade.
Shocking killings. Innocent victims. Flipping formula. Characters self-aware of horror movie conventions. Twisting those rules and structures to keep viewers guessing. Subverting expectations. Make it bigger, elevated and raise the body count. Bring it on – and there are still surprises to be seen, along with more blood and gore.
Following the last Ghostface killings in 2022’s “Scream,” the four survivors leave Woodsboro behind and start a fresh chapter in New York City.
No doubt “VI” is set up for co-directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett to finish their trilogy, with a seventh –and possible final one, but time will tell. This chapter is a satisfying conclusion, if it is, but they also leave the door open. (But please, bring back Neve Campbell!).
Their set pieces are impressive – even for the most jaded moviegoer. An intensive scene involving crowded subway cars filled with Halloween revelers in classic scary masks ramps up the tension as only this franchise can. Touche! And then there is the ‘meta’ shrine to “Scream” and the “Stab” movies based on the real-life murders.
While at 2 hours and 3 minutes, this chapter gets to be a tad tedious as we lurch to the big reveal. But the fact that they keep coming up with fresh ways to surprise us, kudos to how smart and clever not only the directors are, but also screenwriters James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick.
Building on what creator Kevin Williamson started 27 years ago, and horrormeister director Wes Craven did for the first four films, “VI” features a great deal of terror, brutality, and anxiety as it continues the saga with an appealing cast of characters.
Williamson, who wrote the original, sequel and chapter four, was an executive producer of the fifth and this sixth film.Since the beginning, he was able to capture youth behavior and culture so well. Craven died in 2015.
The creative team provides fan service and homage to the “OG” duo. With the growing market for the horror genre, these “More Four” – Bettinelli-Olpin, Gillett, Vanderbilt and Busick, had to up their game, and they have, for the most part, succeeded – they make us care about the “Core Four.”
Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega
The Carpenter sisters have returned to be the revenge targets — Sam (Melissa Barrera) and Tara (Jenna Ortega), along with their hometown pals, twins Mindy and Chad Meeks-Martin (Mason Gooding, Cuba Jr.’s son, and Jasmin Savoy Brown), now that they’ve escaped to New York City. Their uncle was film-geek Randy Meeks (Jamie Kennedy) and Sam’s dad was the first Ghostface Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich),
Because of their notoriety associated with the brutal serial killings, they are no longer considered poor victims, but social media has fanned the flames that Sam orchestrated the killings herself. Barrera, who evokes sympathy from the get-go, has a fragile psyche and will need to build her strength as she attempts to avoid danger. But she shows her mettle splendidly.
Apparently, someone with intimate details of all the murder and mayhem in Woodsboro wants to wreak havoc into their lives and inflict great harm. Jealousy has been a theme – along with twisted psyches — since the first film in 1996.
That bold launch, featuring Drew Barrymore as the first high profile victim Casey Becker, which introduced Neve Campbell as Sidney Prescott, Courtney Cox as tabloid reporter Gale Weathers, and David Arquette as Dewey Riley as a local policeman, became the highest grossing slasher film ever until the David Gordon Green “Halloween” reboot in 2018.
The holiday dress-up aspect of Halloween plays an intriguing factor here as well, after all the “Core Four” are in college and Tara wants to party while Sam is super-protective of her half-sister. They have a complicated relationship, but their bond is as important as their conflicts.
And what’s a “Scream” movie without a party? Both Barrera and Ortega are seasoned pros and capably carry the convincing horror movie tropes along. They work well with the twins, as they all are attending Blackmore College.
The new cast members include Chad’s nerdy roommate Ethan, played well by Jack Champion, most recently seen in the “Avatar” sequel, and the sisters’ trampy roomie Quinn (Liana Liberato), whose dad is a NYPD detective (Dermot Mulroney).
The directors made the horror film “Ready or Not” in 2020, and two of its stars, Samara Weaving and Henry Czerny, figure significantly here.
Cox returns as a legacy character. Last seen in “Scream 4,” Hayden Panettiere reprises Kirby Reed, now an FBI agent. The women aren’t used a lot, but they are effective.
Roger L. Jackson, who has supplied the creepy altered voice of Ghostface, which sends shivers down spines, is up for round 5.
To me, the disclosure of the killer isn’t ever as strong as one would like, and here is no exception.
Yet, in this latest chapter, the Easter Eggs are plentiful, the nostalgia factor duly noted and the snarky humor still lands.
“Scream VI” is a 2023 horror film directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett. It stars Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding, Hayden Panettiere, Courtney Cox, Dermot Mulroney, Tony Revolori and Samara Weaving. It is rated R for strong bloody violence and language throughout, and brief drug use and the run time is 2 hours and 3 minutes. It opened in theaters March 10. Lynn’s Grade: B
Lynn (Zipfel) Venhaus has had a continuous byline in St. Louis metro region publications since 1978. She writes features and news for Belleville News-Democrat and contributes to St. Louis magazine and other publications.
She is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic, currently reviews films for Webster-Kirkwood Times and KTRS Radio, covers entertainment for PopLifeSTL.com and co-hosts podcast PopLifeSTL.com…Presents.
She is a member of Critics Choice Association, where she serves on the women’s and marketing committees; Alliance of Women Film Journalists; and on the board of the St. Louis Film Critics Association. She is a founding and board member of the St. Louis Theater Circle.
She is retired from teaching journalism/media as an adjunct college instructor.
The crème de la crème of local female vocal talent displays why they have earned those reputations in a lusty version of “Nine,” an exotic Felliniesque musical being presented by New Line Theatre March 2-25.
Based on filmmaker Federico Fellini’s 1963 semi-autographical angsty-existential-fantasy masterpiece “8 ½,” Tony-winning composer-lyricist Maury Yeston has tackled the age-old conundrum about a woman’s relationship to a man in an expressive, emotional score. Ballads are rueful, company numbers are vigorous in this 1982 musical. Yeston, who started this project in college in 1973, also won a Tony for the 1997 “Titanic” musical.
New Line’s glamorous production has a cast of 13 females who are connected to celebrated director Guido Contini, a womanizer going through a midlife personal and professional crisis.
Set at a Venetian spa in the early 1960s, an exasperated Luisa Del Forno (Lisa Karpowicz) has gone there with her preoccupied husband Guido (Cole Gutmann) to save their troubled marriage. Karpowicz makes you feel her pain, and her best number is the poignant “My Husband Makes Movies.” After all her sacrifices and his infidelities, she sings a mournful “Be On Your Own.”
The cast of “Nine.” Photo by Gerry Love.
He’s a cad, the boy who never grew up, and while smart and chic, she’s more of a caretaker. He does seem to care, but obviously has commitment issues, and they really don’t have much spark left. Contini (you’ll never forget his name because they say it over and over) brought all this misery on himself and is caught in a web of his own lies.
Discovered by the paparazzi, Guido tells reporters he is there to direct his latest film. Three previous movies have flopped, and the pressure is intense. His tough film producer, Liliane La Fleur (a flamboyant Kimmie Kidd-Booker), wants him to make a musical.
Gutmann conveys Guido’s desperation as he tries to come up with his next big picture, spinning tall tales and improvising with a riff on Casanova. His macho meltdown is precipitated by his turning 40, writer’s block, and his shabby treatment of people.
Has he run out of things to say? As the chaotic circus of his life flashes before our eyes, we see what the women have meant to him and what they have put up with – which makes him mostly unsympathetic. Can he change into a better person?
As the magnetic Guido, Gutmann is obsessive and frantic interacting with his mother, wife, teacher, temptress, mistress, muse, younger self, and other people who cross his path.
Cole Gutmann as Guido Contini. Lisa Karpowicz, at left, is Luisa. Photo by Gerry Love.
Gutmann has a rich melodic voice and the confident stage presence to pull off this conflicted character, but because the center of attention is often a jerk, it’s not that easy to emotionally connect to Guido, no matter how famous, important, handsome, and charming he is.
But Gutmann’s soulful delivery of his numbers – especially “Guido’s Song” and “I Can’t Make This Movie” — and his willingness to show the guy at his worst, makes you appreciate his skills. It’s a very demanding, energetic role, as he is on stage about 95 percent of the time.
The drama does have humorous moments but the book by Arthur Kopit seriously attempts to make a statement on artists, the creative process, and one’s demons and desires. Yet, it’s mostly a psychoanalysis of a self-absorbed talent, a male-centered fantasy and it runs hot and cold.
The story flips from real to invented, often taking place in Guido’s head, as he explores his past and present relationships.
Co-directors Scott Miller and Chris Kernan capitalize on the strength of the performers in their minimalist staging, keeping in mind the necessary surrealism. Kernan also choregraphed the movements to be functional, simply depicting moods and attitudes.
The ensemble moves the story forward with added oomph, starting with the exquisite harmonies in the opening “Overture Delle Donne.”
Because it’s about filmmaking, the company delivers melodramatic versions of “Not Since Chaplin,” “Western di Guido,” “Bible di Guido,” and “Documentary di Guido,” plus Guido’s exaggerated “The Script” and “The Grand Canal.”
Guttman is strong leading “The Bells of St. Sebastian,” which shows off the belters to close the first act. In keeping with the plot thread about how the Catholic religion affected his childhood, “Kyrie eleison” (“Lord, have mercy”) is repetitively sung.
Cole Gutmann, Ann Hier Brown. Photo by Gerry Love.
Throughout the two acts, which run 2 hours and 15 minutes, with a 15-minute intermission, the women sit on a striking black and white set cleverly designed as cubes by Rob Lippert, moving off the steps onto the tiled floor for various processions in a dream-like way.
Like a black-and-white film, this work contrasts darkness and light, and this staging uses that aesthetic to its advantage. Lighting designer Matt Stuckel heightens the shadows effectively.
Costume Designer Sarah Porter has outfitted the women in cosmopolitan black apparel that reflects their characters’ personalities and the period styles, while Gutmann’s all-black attire comfortably suits the role.
Music Director Jenna Lee Moore, making her New Line debut and playing keyboard, deftly leads a cohesive orchestra – Tyler Davis on cello, John Gerdes on brass, Lea Gerdes and Joseph Hendricks on reeds, Mallory Golden on violin, and Clancy Newell on percussion.
Ryan Day’s sound design works well at The Marcelle.
The spa sojourn doesn’t turn out as planned. Guido’s mistress, the young and sexy Carla Albanese, shows up. Sarah Wilkinson is a fireball, agile in movement and frisky in “A Call from the Vatican.” She nimbly maneuvers her slinky, satiny mini-dress with bike shorts underneath. Lovely as well in voice, she tugs at the heartstrings in “Simple.”
His muse, actress Claudia Nardi (Ann Hier Brown) has previously been an inspiration, so she is called again in that capacity. However, their relationship is complicated, and she holds her ground. Brown’s luscious mezzo soprano is sublime in “A Man Like You” and the plaintive “Unusual Way.”
Kimmie Kidd-Booker as Liliane. Photo by Gerry Love.
Another highlight is big personality Kidd-Booker, hamming it up and interacting with the audience in her robust “Folies Begeres.” After all, Liliane is a former showgirl, and Kidd-Booker is a scene-stealer as a diva.
Guido’s mother is played sentimentally by Stephanie Merritt, featuring her outstanding operatic voice. As an apparition, she is tender towards her genius son, yet she is aware of his faults. Merritt may be younger than the role calls for, but she appropriately projects the loving mother’s nurturing side and dazzles in the title number, “Nine.”
A seductive Sarah Lueken plays the local prostitute Saraghina from Guido’s youth, seen costumed as a nun. She made an indelible impact on him at age 9, and he must face that truth. Her rousing “Be Italian” is provocative, and the company joins in the naughty fun, using tiny tambourines for effect.
Gillian Pieper is sardonic as Stephanie Necrophorus, a writer and film critic not enamored by Guido neither as a man or a visionary and is downright hostile as she disapproves.
Much of the action takes place in the spa. Kathleen Dwyer is the hospitable manager Mama Maddelena, and a flirty, comical Annabella, while Kay Love is the ethereal Our Lady of the Spa, giving off a spiritual vibe. Then there are spa workers and guests, who are chorus and dancers – Olga (Julia Monsey), Renata (Chelsie Johnston), Diana (Kat Bailey) and Juliette (Brittany Kohl Hester).
Monsey is also Lina Darling, Liliane’s bodyguard. Hester is also the voice of little Guido, and sings the significant “Getting Tall.”
Normally, a little boy is featured in the cast, but New Line uses Hester’s fine vocals and a portrait instead as the young Guido. Like the 2003 Broadway revival, they have dropped “The Germans at the Spa.”
This tale has been an awards magnet and conversation piece since the iconic film debuted 60 years ago, and then became a musical in 1982, revived in London in the ‘90s, then on Broadway in 2003 and film adaptation of the musical (and original film) in 2009. It’s one of those unorthodox works that you may not comprehend completely at first glance, but perception deepens in time and repeat viewings.
It remains maestro Fellini’s chauvinistic source material, nevertheless.
Fellini’s elegant Italian film won two Oscars, for Best Foreign Language Film and for costume design in 1964, and was also nominated for best director, screenplay, and art direction-set decoration (black and white).
Sarah Wilkinson, Gutmann. Photo by Gerry Love.
The musical, and New Line’s interpretation, forego other male characters, trims the women to manageable cast size, cuts the constant smoking and omits Guido’s snazzy hat that Marcello Mastroianni wore.
1963 was a very different time for women, so it’s good to have some cuts, such as the harem scene, Mastroianni’s disturbing whip-cracking, and revisions in dialogue.
However, I wished the playwright would have kept the movie’s best line: “Happiness consists of being able to tell the truth without hurting anyone.”
(An aside: my college film professor adored Fellini, so I was introduced to his films as a student. I struggled with his ideas and images back when I was a teen, but upon watching as an adult, it’s a stirring avant-garde work, and Claudia Cardinale takes your breath away. If you are an HBOMax subscriber, the original “8 ½” in glorious black-and-white and the filmed musical “Nine” are available streaming).
The 1982 musical received 12 Tony Award nominations and won five, including Best Musical, Tommy Tune as director, Yeston for score, Liliane Montevecchi for featured actress as Liliane Le Fleur, and William Ivey Long for costume design. Receiving nominations: Raul Julia as Guido, Karen Akers as Luisa, Anita Morris as Carla, Kopit for book, Thommie Walsh for choreography, lighting design and scenic design.
The 2003 Broadway show earned nine Tony Award nominations, winning for Best Revival and Jane Krakowski for featured actress as Carla, with Antonio Banderas as Guido, Mary Stuart Masterson as Luisa, Chita Rivera as Liliane, director, lighting design and orchestrations nominated.
The film version of the musical, directed by Rob Marshall and starring Daniel Day-Lewis as Guido, was not well-received in 2009, but earned four Oscar nominations for Penelope Cruz as Carla, Maury Yeston for the original song “Take It All,” costume design and art direction.
This cinematically inspired musical, because it’s not typically structured, is more difficult than many other modern theatricals, and is not often produced. While its themes are intriguing, it can be frustrating for those unfamiliar with how the plot unfolds. Yet, the characters are passionate and the music sophisticated, so performers willing to risk the challenge can make their mark.
The focus in New Line’s crisp performance is the sense of collaboration instead of coming across as distant. This cast exhibits sincerity, brings out colors and feelings not always apparent, and appears to be on ‘Cloud Nine’ embarking on this journey.
Photo by Gerry Love.
“Nine” runs March 2 – 25 at The Marcelle Theatre in the Grand Center Arts District, 3310 Samuel Shepard Drive. Shows are Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 8 p.m. For more information, visit www.newlinetheatre.com, and for tickets, they can be purchased at metrotix.com or by calling 314-534-1111.
Lynn (Zipfel) Venhaus has had a continuous byline in St. Louis metro region publications since 1978. She writes features and news for Belleville News-Democrat and contributes to St. Louis magazine and other publications.
She is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic, currently reviews films for Webster-Kirkwood Times and KTRS Radio, covers entertainment for PopLifeSTL.com and co-hosts podcast PopLifeSTL.com…Presents.
She is a member of Critics Choice Association, where she serves on the women’s and marketing committees; Alliance of Women Film Journalists; and on the board of the St. Louis Film Critics Association. She is a founding and board member of the St. Louis Theater Circle.
She is retired from teaching journalism/media as an adjunct college instructor.
