Entertainment

Review: Kelly Howe’s Linda Ronstadt Soars in Just One Look at Blue Strawberry | Arts Stories & Interviews | St. Louis

Published

1 year ago

March 2, 2023

click to enlarge Todd Davis Kelly Howe is a convincing Linda Ronstadt in Just One Look.

Linda Ronstadt is having a moment. Her heartrending “Long, Long Time” was featured on HBO’s The Last of Us — and if there’s any recipe these days for breaking through the noise to become a bona fide sensation, it’s being on the soundtrack of a hit HBO show.

If you were born after, say, 1975, you know Ronstadt, if you know her at all, as the wide-eyed presence on the cover of your parents’ old Pirates of Penzance cast recording or as the must-be-famous singer in a bolero jacket hamming it up on Sesame Street. You probably didn’t know she hung out with Mick Jagger and brought the Eagles together. You wouldn’t have known she was besties with Emmylou Harris and Dolly Parton, much less connected her to top-40 hits as disparate as “Blue Bayou” and “Poor Poor Pitiful Me.” You’d have no idea that — before she retired to San Francisco, before a disorder akin to Parkinson’s stopped her in her tracks — Linda Ronstadt was cool.

The new two-actor show at the Blue Strawberry, Just One Look, makes a terrific case that Ronstadt is more than just one song and more than worthy of your time. Written and directed by Joe Hanrahan, the Midnight Company’s 90-minute production expertly utilizes the venue’s tiny cabaret stage to keep the spotlight on Kelly Howe, who positively dazzles as Ronstadt. With a voice so powerful it nearly knocked out the sound system during last night’s premiere, Howe inhabits Ronstadt so completely she even seems to look like her, despite wisely eschewing the singer’s 1980s mop of hair for timeless bangs.

The setup is simple, as befits the stage: Longtime journalist Lonny Anderson (Hanrahan, channeling a cross between Joe Edwards and a British Ray Hartmann) indulges in his crush on Ronstadt, interviewing her at length about her hit songs. Lonny never really gets anywhere with the coquettish singer, but that’s not the point — he’s simply the setup to let Ronstadt belt out her favorite songs, and belt them she does. It’s an astonishing parade of hit after hit after genre-defying hit, ably assisted by Curt Landes on piano, Tom Maloney on guitar and Mark Rogers on percussion. (Landes and Rogers even manage to fill in for Parton and Harris on backup vocals for one song — no small feat.)

That this production is taking place at the Blue Strawberry adds to the fun. This isn’t the sort of intricately plotted play that requires audiences to sit still and focus. Instead, Howe’s beautiful vocals invite us to lean back, relax with a cocktail and remember the music we took for granted on the soundtrack of our youths. That the cabaret-style venue allows audiences to get dinner first, and keep drinking throughout the show, provides an apropos intimacy that only puts Howe’s talents in higher relief.

Yes, there’s the occasional crash of silverware in the hallway, and you might notice your server slip past to bring the adjacent table a drink. But sitting in the positively packed cabaret, with hits breaking over you like a tidal wave, you might fool yourself into thinking you’re seeing Ronstadt at the height of her powers in an intimate venue. Thanks to Howe, Hanrahan and the rest of this thoroughly enjoyable production, you can’t help but marvel — slip past to bring the adjacent table a drink. But sitting in the positively packed cabaret, with hits breaking over you like a tidal wave, you might be able to fool yourself into thinking you’ve lucked what a show that would have been!Just One Look is directed and written by Joe Hanrahan. Presented by Midnight Theatre Company at Blue Strawberry (364 North Boyle Ave, bluestrawberrystl.com) on Wednesdays through March 15. Tickets $25 with a $20 food and drink minimum.

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Entertainment

Patton Oswalt, Tig Notaro and David Sedaris Are All Coming to Stifel Theater

Published

2 hours ago

May 13, 2024

Natural Bridge

Get ready to laugh, St. Louis. This morning, Stifel Theater (1400 Market Street) announced that three very funny people will be visiting town this year. First up are Patton Oswalt and Tig Notaro, who are coming to town as the headliners of the Flyover Comedy Festival on November 15. The two are set to perform together that night at 8 p.m. The duo are so famous that they likely need no introduction (and if you don’t know who Oswalt is, stop reading immediately and Google “KFC Famous Bowls” for a quick primer). But just in case: Oswalt is a ell-known comedian and actor who not only has eight comedy specials with Netflix and elsewhere, but has been on shows ranging from Parks and Recreation to Seinfeld and is the voice of Remy in Ratatouille. He also brought to life the book I’ll Be Gone in the Dark, the final work of his late wife Michelle McNamara, before the apprehension of Joseph James DeAngelo as the Golden State Killer.Notaro is also a stand-up comedian and actor who also writes and does radio and is a regular on talk shows such as Ellen and the Late Show with Stephen Colbert. You might know her from being honored as one of Rolling Stone’s 50 Best Stand-Up Comics of All Time, her TV show One Mississippi or her podcast Don’t Ask Tig or her other podcast Tig and Cheryl: True Story.Early bird three-day wristbands to the comedy festival go on sale on Friday at 10 a.m. and cost $45 to $75. More information at flyovercomedyfest.com.But wait, there’s more. Author David Sedaris will soon be bringing his wry humor and wacky tales to town at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, October 22. He’s touring behind two newish books, Happy Go Lucky (2022) and Pretty Ugly (2024).Sedaris is known for his his observational humor, which often takes aim at his own life, his family and friends and humanity in general. Stop to talk to him in the signing line, and you might find yourself in his next collection of essays. However hilarious it is to read his words on the page, he’s undeniably that much funnier in person. Want to experience that for yourself? Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday and cost $45 to $55. More at davidsedarisontour.com.
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Urban Prospector Finds Treasure in the Most Unlikely St. Louis Places

Published

8 hours ago

May 13, 2024

Natural Bridge

Emanuel Taranu, a self-described “humble carpenter and urban prospector” was hunting for treasure in the Delmar Loop when RFT photojournalist Zachary Linhares came across him on April 20. And by “in the Loop,” Linhares found him literally hunting for detritrus in the tracks of the Loop trolley. Perhaps a dangerous mission, but one Taranu is experienced in handling.

He shared how he got started, the most valuable item he’s ever found and what he’s learned through years of searching for treasure in overlooked places. This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

Can you tell folks a little bit about what urban prospecting is?

Urban prospecting is just looking in unexpected places where people’s lost items like jewelry might settle. So there’s all sorts of ways to do it. But basically, you’re looking for cracks where rainwater is washing heavy metal objects to that point, and you’re just looking for that collection point. It’s as simple as, like, cleaning out a filter and seeing what you find.

What’s the most money you’ve pulled from an urban prospecting expedition?So I used to do this with my dad as a kid. We dabbled in it. He’s a treasure hunter too. He normally hunts with a treasure metal detector. So I’m back into it recently.

But also, you know, it’s kind of an archaeological project. So part of the beauty of it is paying closer attention to the built environment. And asking yourself questions about what was here before and, like, how did it get to be like this? Those are the kinds of questions that you need to ask to find good, good sites. And so recently, I did find a 10-carat engagement ring, a vintage ring, in an antique sewer drain. It’s a beautiful storm drain. It’s got a brick barrel-vaulted ceiling and wooden decking, which is cool because you can take a metal detector in there. But yeah, the ring has a tiny diamond in a white gold setting and it’s a 10-carat baton from probably the 60s.

If somebody’s wanting to get into urban prospecting, what advice would you give?

All the treasure hunters in the country are gonna be so mad at me. I would say keep your eyes open where other people don’t usually look. If you see signs that heavy metal objects are getting stuck there, that’s a good thing. Typically, you’re gonna start seeing screws, nuts and bolts. You’re gonna see a lot of pennies obviously. So you’re gonna start with the most common, and it’s a numbers game, so you know you do enough searching and enough thinking and enough planning you can find a good spot. And yeah, look for a place that has maximum rainwater drainage to that one central collection point to make it easy for you. So like I was in the county, on Watson Road, and there’s a huge hill and all of the businesses, all the parking lots, they’re all feeding into this one tunnel and I found stuff there from the 60s. I found a buffalo nickel in another drainage tunnel. You don’t find that on the surface. Those were minted in the 1930s.

What sort of life lessons or wisdom have you’ve gained from treasure hunting?

That’s a good question. I mean, I’m a big critic of the built environment. So in general what have I learned from treasure hunting? I mean, it teaches me to ask questions about how we got to be where we are. People made decisions that we all live with — individuals made these decisions and that’s how we ended up with the streets we have. We have the car traffic, we have the lack of pedestrian infrastructure, and that’s how we end up with pedestrian deaths in a city. That’s how we end up with a lack of public transportation.

So yeah, I think paying attention to public spaces has been an exploration of my curiosity for the built environment.

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Entertainment

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

Published

3 days 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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