Entertainment

Molly Sweeney Captivates With a Touching, Bittersweet Tale

Published

1 month ago

March 28, 2024

Too often, the ability to change a situation captures our imagination and takes over rational thought before we’ve had the time to consider whether that change is for the best. Or if that change is something we actually want. Such is the case in Molly Sweeney by Irish playwright Brian Friel. Albion Theatre, which primarily produces plays from the UK, captures this logical and emotional conflict in an effectively compelling production directed by company founder Robert Ashton.Molly Sweeney has been blind since she was 10 months old, yet she manages to navigate her world with confidence and relative ease. Naturally, there are longings, questions and a multitude of challenges as she moves through the sighted world, but there’s a sense of comfort and wellbeing in her life. Approaching middle age, she is relatively happy with her marriage to Frank, her friendships and her occupation as a massage therapist. Frank, however, is a wannabe hero always looking for his next project. This compulsion leads to an appointment with Mr. Rice, a noted eye surgeon who’s recently taken residence at the local hospital. Intrigued by Molly’s condition and the possibility of restoring her vision, the doctor agrees to examine and then operate on Molly.
While the procedures do not fully restore her sight, they are nonetheless a success — at least initially. As the story progresses, the doctor battles his affection for the bottle while dreaming of redemption among his peers. Frank is supportive, but begins to look for a new opportunity to be the hero far away from County Donegal. Molly struggles to adjust, finding comfort in retreat and the warmth of memory and darkness.
Maggie Wininger is captivating and convincing as Molly, and her portrayal of blindness is remarkable in its believability and lack of prosthetics or dark glasses. There’s an easy charm to her manner and a certainty of movement that emphasizes Molly’s misgivings about the sighted experience. Wininger fully embraces the poetic cadence of Friel’s script to the point that the audience often sees the world as Molly does, particularly through descriptions of the plants and flowers she adores and recollections of her courtship and early days with Frank. While Rice and Frank often proclaim that she “has nothing to lose,” Molly convincingly questions what it is she has to gain.
Paul Gutting is sympathetic as a surgeon with blunted but not abandoned ambition, his senses dulled through betrayal and addiction. CJ Langdon easily captures Frank’s delusion of heroism, his constant need for a project to conquer and the way he expresses that need though controlling behaviors and obsessive but shallow research. Frank’s an ebullient, enthusiastic fellow, full of facts and unfounded certainty but unable to comprehend the important distinction between seeing and understanding.
The intimate and deeply personal Molly Sweeney offers audiences a glimpse into the psyche of a blind person as well as the opportunity to reflect on the benefits and drawbacks of our own abilities and challenges. Albion Theatre’s production and Wininger’s deeply connected performance ensure that this lovely but tragic play lingers long after the final bow.

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Moulin Rouge! Brings the Spectacle of Bohemian Paris to St. Louis

Published

1 day ago

May 10, 2024

Natural Bridge

In theater, the term jukebox musical is most often used to refer to a musical that features a singular songbook, usually popular tunes from an era, performer or group. Moulin Rouge! The Musical, at the Fabulous Fox Theatre, pushes the envelope on this idea with fantastically entertaining results. Based on the 2001 movie of the same name, the high-energy show features integrated musical mash-ups showcasing chart-topping pop songs as well as snippets of familiar blues and opera numbers.

Set around 1900, the show introduces audiences to Paris in its Bohemian heyday as Christian, an American poet and composer fresh off the boat, arrives eager to immerse himself in the artist’s life. He soon meets the painter Henri Toulouse-Lautrec and Santiago, an Argentinian dancer and choreographer, who welcome him and his songwriting prowess and invite him to the famed Moulin Rouge. Christian is immediately smitten with the club’s star, the beautiful and tragic Satine, who mistakes him for the Duke of Monroth and tries to seduce him in hopes he will invest in the financially strapped club. The Duke and the club’s proprietor walk in on the two but, with help from Toulouse-Lautrec and Santiago, Christian and Satine quickly improvise a musical pitch and secure the investment. A love triangle forms between Christian, Satine and the Duke, threatening the production and forcing Satine to make a heartbreaking choice.

Christian Douglas is immensely likeable and engaging as Christian, with a rich, pleasing voice and impressive range that harmonizes well with the other characters. He’s genuine and easy to root for with a touch of naivety that keeps hopes high. Gabrielle McClinton gracefully conveys Satine’s hidden fragility and longing while balancing her affection for Christian against her need to win over Andrew Brewer’s Duke of Monroth. Brewer is one of the most captivating villains I’ve seen in a while and uses charm and complimentary vocals to make a convincing case to win Satine before revealing a cruel, manipulative and transactional nature. Nick Rashad Burroughs and Danny Bergos are the embodiment of “truth, beauty, freedom and love,” the Bohemian creed, and a delightful addition to any scene, while Sarah Bowden is surprisingly sympathetic as Nini, and Robert Petkoff is fabulously over the top as the proprietor and emcee Harold Zidler.

As with the film, Moulin Rouge! The Musical is more about the songs, love and spectacle than the story, which borrows heavily from familiar period tales. Movie fans may miss the Bollywood influence, but that gap is filled with several new and highly entertaining numbers mixing in songs released in the last 20 years. Intricately interwoven songs, energetic choreography and a lavish set that seamlessly fits into the Fox keep audiences enraptured and do a better than expected job of making the large theater feel like an intimate club. Moulin Rouge! The Musical is an exceptionally well produced and enjoyable take on the jukebox musical genre.Written by John Logan, based on the 2001 movie written by Baz Luhrmann. Directed by Alex Timbers. Now playing at the Fox Theatre (527 North Grand Boulevard, fabulousfox.com) through Sunday, May 12. Tickets are $45 to $150. Showtimes vary.

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The Midnight Company’s Spirits to Enforce Offers Otherworldly Fun

Published

1 day ago

May 10, 2024

Natural Bridge

After producing several successful theatrical cabarets this spring, the Midnight Company turns its attention to the stage with an impressive production of Mickle Maher’s Spirits to Enforce. The clever script deftly re-imagines the otherworldly spirits released at the end of The Tempest as modern day superheroes on an unusual mission. Smart casting, and a clear vision with choreographic staging by Lucy Cashion, keeps the audience laughing throughout the quick moving mixed worlds comedy.

Having defeating the notorious villain Dr. Cannibal, the superheroes of Fathom Town turn their attention to a new challenge — a production of William Shakespeare’s The Tempest. Naturally, the production requires money to succeed, and the play opens on the superheroes’ assumed everyday personas conducting a fundraising phone bank from their submarine headquarters deep in the bay. They aren’t bringing much in and decide that they will reveal their superhero identities to the donors for a contribution of $50 or more, all while continuing to rehearse and prepare for the big show. Despite not raising much money, opening night arrives and the house is full but their audience is the escaped Dr. Cannibal and his villainous cronies! Can the superheroes win over this critical audience and once again save the town?

The majority of the play is delivered over phone lines as the characters keep the citizens updated on the production’s progress while soliciting donations. This device is played for comic and sympathetic impact, and it’s surprisingly effective; anyone who’s participated in a fundraising drive will relate to the desperation and humor. With all characters often speaking at the same time about similar matters, the room is filled with a cacophony of rising and falling voices and movement, resulting in moments of discord and harmony. Cashion’s sharp direction, the expert cast’s perfectly synchronized performances and Merkle’s malleable script come together to create a modern theatrical symphony that’s chaos perfected.

The show is a true ensemble piece where each performer plays three characters: their everyday persona, their superhero and their character in The Tempest. With the exception of Will Bonfiglio’s maestro-like Ariel, the superheroes feature unique and quirky powers, from the easy to grasp abilities of Rachel Tibbetts’ Memory Lass, Alicen Moser’s The Page, Ash Arora’s The Ocean and Cassidy Flynn’s The Tune; to the logical but odd Spencer Lawton’s The Intoxicator, Joe Hanrahan’s The Untangler and Miranda Jagels Felix’s The Silhouette; to the more offbeat abilities of Celeste Gardner’s Fragrance Fellow, Kayla Bush’s The Bad Map, Ross Rubright’s The Pleaser and Joey Taylor’s leitmotif of The Snow Heavy Branch. Every performer has at least one standout moment, but the real joy is the way they work together to create a masterful and wholly satisfying comedy.

Spirits to Enforce is a captivating dive into a Shakespearean multiverse filled with inventive and unusual yet thoroughly compelling superheroes. Shakespeare purists may be a bit puzzled by the plays quirky, whimsical approach, but the mashup of literary and comic sensibilities really entertains. Written by Mickle Maher. Directed by Lucy Cashion. Presented by the Midnight Company at the Kranzberg Black Box (501 North Grand Boulevard) through May 18.

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Soulard, Bevo Mill Both Unveil Pride Celebration Plans

Published

3 days ago

May 8, 2024

Natural Bridge

St. Louis is full of pride. We’re not talking hometown pride, though that’s cool, too. We’re speaking Pride, capital P. St. Louis is unique in that it has a ton of different Pride celebrations that take place throughout the year across the city, not just the big corporate-sponsored one downtown. Two of those neighborhoods announced their Pride details today: Soulard and Bevo Mill.The third annual Soulard Pride Street Festival and Soulard Pride Golf Cart Parade will step off on June 1 at the corner of Russell Boulevard and Geyer Street, while the golf cart parade will go forth from Big Daddy’s (1000 Sidney Street). Presented by the Krewe of Vices and Virtues, the event also includes a street festival with stages full of entertainment, food and drink and vendor booths, a kids area and more. It is free to attend.“This event has grown immensely over the years, and we are so happy to announce that we have extended our footprint a full block this year, in addition to adding another stage and so many more vendors and performers,” said Levi Cullifer, the Soulard Pride committee co-chair, in a statement. “This event means so much for the LGBTQIA+ community. It’s a time for us all to come together and celebrate Pride month.To get involved, visit kreweofvicesvirtues.com/soulard-pride.Meanwhile, Bevo Mill has announced its first-ever Pride Unified: A Ball for All, which will take place on June 21 at the Little Bevo (4751 Morgan Ford Road). The event features our very own RFT columnist, Chris Andoe, our sister publication’s Out in STL Influential Awards, Jade Sinclair and the Belles of Bevo and entertainment aplenty, which means dancing, a costume contest and more.Tickets are a very reasonable $10 and are on sale now on Little Bevo’s website.“I’ve been dreaming of hosting an event like Pride Unified for years, and I’m so excited to see it come to fruition. Pride is the time to celebrate unconditional love and being free to be thee. What better way to spotlight some of the most influential members of the LGBTQIA+ community than with a gathering of celebration and togetherness,” said organizer Luann Denten in a statement. “I hope this event brings unity to the community and brings all of the Metro area Pride groups together as one.”
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