Oh, He Was A Dandy

Oscar Wilde’s fame endures partly because of his reputation as a slinger of bon mots and partly because his written works are as entertaining as his scathing putdowns. Wilde’s big comedies, such as The Importance of Being Earnest and Lady Windermere’s Fan, are satires of Victorian morals and manners, full of witticisms and florid language. And then there’s Wilde’s biblical tragedy, Salomé, which was so inflammatory that the Lord Chamberlain of England banned its production. Spicy stuff. Richard Strauss transformed this scandalous tale into his opera Salomé, which did some scandalizing of its own. The Dance of the Seven Veils, as performed by Salomé, has a way of firing up the blood, don’tcha know. Opera Theatre of St. Louis unveils its new production of Strauss’ Salomé on Saturday, May 30, with the lovely Kelly Kaduce in the title role. But to ramp up excitement now, OTSL presents From Page to Stage: Oscar Wilde’s Works for Theatre at 7 p.m. at Left Bank Books’ downtown location (321 North Tenth Street; 314-436-3049 or www.left-bank.com). Local actors will perform readings from Wilde’s comedies, as well as scenes from Salomé and refreshments will be served. Admission is free, but maybe you’ll want to buy copies of Wilde’s works.
Tue., May 12, 2009