Ann Lemons Pollack
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A Streetcar Named Desire
A Streetcar Named Desire kicks off this year’s Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis. Get thee hither. I’m not sure what scholars say about this work, but I think it’s probably Williams’ masterpiece. For those who don’t know the story, Blanche, a fading Southern belle comes to visit her married sister Stella in New Orleans. She’s
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Breakfast: Schneithorst’s
The Schneithorst family has been feeding people so long, they had a place in the old St. Louis airport – the one on Lindbergh. And there was the Hampton location for burgers and such. But the Hofamberg Inn morphed into the place we still see at Lindbergh and Clayton, And here's what we find there today
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Hamilton
Why beat around the bush? Hamilton is stunning. It’s fascinating, it’s beautiful, and, yes, it’s revolutionary. It requires attention, make no mistake about it. But somehow those revolutionary changes to music and casting seem the most natural thing in the world, once the lights go up. Alexander Hamilton, boy wonder, orphaned illegitimate child, immigrant and
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Brunch: Scape
Absolutely delicious: Here's brunch at Scape.
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Stiff
Whatever you do, don’t think Stiff is about someone who’s awkwardly formal in their dealings with other people. Even the full title of the regional premiere from Inevitable Theatre Company is Stiff: A Fast-Paced Comedy About Moving Slow doesn’t really do it justice. There are indeed many laughs in the one-woman show which is not
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Born Yesterday
"I want everyone to be smart. As smart as they can be. A world of ignorant people is too dangerous to live in." That’s a serious quote to start a review of a comedy. Born Yesterday, the last show of the season at Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, is now on the Mainstage. It’s a
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As It Is In Heaven
As It Is In Heaven isn’t quite a Shaker musical, although there’s plenty of music and even dance in it. It’s a fascinating story of women in a Shaker community in 1840’s Kentucky. The Shakers were a religious community of both men and women, segregated by gender, founded by Mother Ann Lee. Lee believed in
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Brunch: Hendel’s
It's a pilgrimage, or at least a road trip, for some of us to go up to Florissant. But the trip to Hendel's can be a good way to spend a Sunday midday. An interesting combination of busy – or at least popular – and relaxed, the brunch is very worthwhile. They don't take reservations
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Caught
Here’s another chance for the reviewer to use that classic Monty Python title, “And Now for Something Completely Different”. Lately, it feels like those opportunities are coming up at least twice a year. But the current production, Caught, at the Rep Studio qualifies beyond any possible doubt. The first clue is that entering the theatre,
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Anything Goes
Anything Goes comes from the era when musicals were musical comedies, and the music was the important thing. Stories were just something to bridge the gap from one song to the next. Admittedly, there were some madcap romps that came from this era – and Anything Goes certainly is one – but holes in the