It’s great to see lots of sizzling shows in the winter; a bit harder to talk about them in one column, but here we go. St. Louis’ first snowstorm also was the opening of Newsies at the Fox. A slim storyline gets plenty of heat from the buff, athletic ‘newsies,’ a “rag-tag gang of ruffians that take on the world” (or, at the very least, Pulitzer’s dominant newspaper enterprise) with a newsboy strike. They get roughed-up and succeed in the end, but the entertainment lies in the dance and the scenic design. Sometimes structural, sometimes a backdrop for terrific computer graphics, the scaffolding becomes one sexy set that revolves and twirls and matches the testosterone the boys put forth in their dancing. The message of the show is timely: How many revolutions does it take to secure equality?
Over at Winter Opera Saint Louis, it continued its season with a second offering, Cosi fan tutte. Mozart’s 225-year-old opera still charms with its tale of deceit and disguise all in the name of ‘testing fidelity.’ It’s slight and silly, albeit delightful stuff. The four lovers, deliciously sung by silky-voiced Gina Galati, Sarah Nordin, Christopher Holmes and Daniel Gerdes, love, betray and love again, all within 24 hours. Servant Despina, a charming Lily Guerrero, teaches the girls how to ‘play the game’ wrought by trickster Don Alfonso (Kevin Wetzel). Although Don Alfonso’s motive for stirring this pot is never explained, the resulting mayhem is waggish and fun. In particular, the poisoning scene was well-mined for humor. Kudos to the cast and to director Corrine Hayes.
Upstream Theater continues to provide the most interesting work in town with Conor McPherson’s Shining City, starring two of my favorite actors, Jerry Vogel and Chris Harris. McPherson’s works often feature otherworldly aspects, but, although there is a ghost, the focus here is on the exploration of regret and guilt in human relationships. Vogel gets the meatier role of John, a man haunted by his wife’s ghost. He visits a therapist, played by Harris, to rid himself of the specter, and eventually works through his guilt of betrayal. Harris’ quieter, simmering character, Ian, has his own demons, and Harris is, as always, fascinating to watch. Em Piro and Pete Winfrey, with one scene each, make their presence felt as the representations of Harris’ inner battle. The acting from all four is top drawer.
Finally, I had the pleasure of seeing Metro Theater Company’s And in this Corner…Cassius Clay, a biopic on the early life of the boxer who would become Muhammad Ali, during an afternoon student performance with a group of young people from one of the city schools. The play was well done, as much about the burgeoning Civil Rights movement as Clay’s life, but the true joy was staying for the talk afterward and listening to the bright and probing questions and answers given by these middle schoolers. Cold and snow getting to you? Hie thyself to the theater!
on the marquee
» AMERICAN IDIOT by New Line Theatre | March 3-26 | Marcelle Theater
» Disney’s BEAUTY AND THE BEAST | March 11-13 | The Fox Theatre
Pictured: Jerry Vogel and Chris Harris in Shining City
Photo courtesy of ProPhotoSTL.com
