Capsule Reviews

Betrayal Reviewed in this issue.

Menopause The Musical This sassy musical revue parodies songs of the '60s and '70s focusing on issues of aging and hormone imbalance (to give you an idea: A disco medley includes "Night Sweating" and "Stayin' Awake"). Sandra Benton is a powerhouse singer whose Tina Turner brings down the house. Brooke Davis scores with "Puff the Magic Dragon" and Lee Anne Mathews delivers a sultry "Tropical Hot Flash," while Rosemary Watts has fun with the raciest number, a tribute to self-love. The only problem with music director Joe Dreyer's slick 90 minutes is that it's too loud. Open-ended run at the Playhouse at West Port Plaza, 635 West Port Plaza (second level), Page Avenue and I-270, Maryland Heights. Tickets are $44.50. Call 314-469-7529 or visit www.playhouseatwestport.com.
— Deanna Jent

Ordinary Nation At a time when ethics seem to be taking a back seat to expediency, playwright Carter Lewis delivers a smart new play commissioned by the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis. Against the backdrop of a U.S. Senate campaign, the Jones family unravels before our eyes, metaphors for a nation so polarized that — forget healing — even understanding seems a remote hope. Everyone keeps telling our teenage heroine that life's problems are not so simple, but she's smarter than any of the adults onstage because she knows they are. The real problem is trying to maintain your balance in a society where merely being moral is no longer enough to get you through the day. Through November 12 at the Loretto-Hilton Center, 130 Edgar Road, Webster Groves. Tickets are $32 to $50 (rush seats for students and seniors, $8 and $10 respectively, 30 minutes before showtime). Call 314-968-4925 or visit www.repstl.org.
— Dennis Brown

Spamalot Reviewed in this issue.