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Review of It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play at the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis

It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play is a triumph at the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis. Combining such uproarious comedy and moving drama in a single evening is an extraordinary achievement. Full review to follow.

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Review of Walter Cronkite is Dead at West End Players Guild

Under Anna Blair’s astute direction, Kate Durbin as Margaret and Leslie Wobbe as Patty respond perceptively to each change in the emotional temperature. Nothing seems forced in the compelling transitions.

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Review of ’Twas the Night Before… at the Fox Theatre

The magic of circus and the holiday season come together in ’Twas the Night Before… by Cirque du Soleil, the ooh-and-aah-inspiring show now playing at the Fox Theatre.

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Review of Sophocles’ Elektra at Critique Theatre Company

One of the more popular figures in ancient Greek literature is Elektra (often anglicized as “Electra”), daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra, sister of Orestes, Iphegenia, and Chrysothemis. She is a major character in a play by each of the three classic tragic playwrights of the Athenian Dionysian celebrations: The Libation Bearers, by Aeschylus; Electra, by […]

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Review of Q Brothers Christmas Carol at St. Louis Shakespeare Festival

According to a street sign onstage at the start of Q Brothers Christmas Carol, the setting is the intersection of Dickens and Hip Hop. I cannot think of a more succinct or accurate phrase to describe of this marvelous show, which is currently running in a superb production by St. Louis Shakespeare Festival.

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Review of God of Carnage at Washington University

The changes in emotional temperature were astutely judged in the entertaining Washington U. production.

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Review of Our Town at Saint Louis University

Attention to detail was key to excellence of the recent production of the Thornton Wilder classic by Saint Louis University Theatre and Dance.

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Review of Bell, Book and Candle at the Theatre Guild of Webster Groves

Watching the enjoyable Theatre Guild of Webster Groves’ production of John Van Druten’s play Bell, Book and Candle, in which the central character is a witch – really, a witch, who can cast spells and such – I began to wonder, “How much of an effort does it take to suspend one’s disbelief and believe, […]

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Review of Don Giovanni at Winter Opera Saint Louis

At the start of the second act, the title character in Mozart’s Don Giovanni tries to further his seduction of Donna Elvira’s maid by swapping identities with his servant, Leporello. In the splendid recent production by Winter Opera Saint Louis, Don Giovanni’s dark, flowing wig was part of the exchange. The nobleman revealed his bald […]

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Review of Daddy Long Legs at Hawthorne Players

“The oldest orphan in the John Grier Home,” sings Stefanie Kluba with a lovely voice and a great feel for the dilemma of her character Jerusha Abbott as she opens the Hawthorne Players’ production of Daddy Long Legs at the turn of the twentieth century with one of the musical’ s songs by Paul Gordon […]