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St. Louis Stage Capsules

Dennis Brown and Paul Friswold suss out the local theater scene

By Paul Friswold

Published on May 07, 2008

Jersey Boys Although this saga about the rise and fall of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons is masquerading as a Broadway musical, it also exploits the mass hysteria of a rock & roll concert, emits the echoing sounds of a studio recording session and employs the spare, minimalist dialogue of a lean motion-picture script to serve up a hybrid entertainment with the power of a thunderclap. As wildly satisfying as Act One is, this primer about ego and vanity doesn't kick into high gear until Act Two. The production is as polished as a shiny gold record, and the cast is sensational. Technology makes Jersey Boys an exhilarating experience; the four lead actors — Erik Bates, Steve Gouveia, Christopher Kale Jones and Andrew Rannells — make that experience human and deeply moving. Through May 18 at the Fox Theatre, 527 North Grand Boulevard. Tickets are $28 to $130. Call 314-534-1678 or visit www.fabulousfox.com. — Dennis Brown

Parenting 101: A Musical Guide to Raising Parents This extended revue about the trials and tribulations of having children is yet another entry in the "you too can write a musical" sweepstakes. The sketches, whose subjects range from childbirth to the loss of a pet to shopping in toy stores, strive for jokes; the songs are full of puns. Some people enjoy this kind of in-your-face entertainment. But by the end of Act One, the only reason I could think of to return for Act Two was to see if the four energetic actors — who played the first act at the top of their lungs — would have any voices left by evening's end. It wasn't reason enough. Open-ended run at the Playhouse at West Port Plaza (second level), Page Avenue at I-270, Maryland Heights. Tickets are $42.50. Visit www.theplayhouseatwestport.com or call 314-469-7529. (DB)