All Entries Tagged With: "performing arts"
Guy Fieri brings some sizzle to the Touhill
You can hardly flip through the channels these days and not find something with Guy Fieri. The Food Network reality star known for his spiky hair and bold personality has become one of the most recognizable chefs in America, appearing in commercials and headlining no fewer than four TV shows, including Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives and the game show Minute to Win It on NBC.
The co-owner of five popular restaurants in northern California, Fieri began his food career at the age of ten, selling soft pretzels off the back of a bicycle. Today he’s reaching a much wider audience, hosting his second cross-country food tour in as many years. On May 29, it comes to the Touhill.
Described as a cross between “a live cooking show, a variety revue and a rock concert,” the tour sold out in 21 cities last year and received rave reviews. High-energy and packed with fun surprises, it features Fieri in his full, unscripted glory and also includes some audience participation….if you’re willing to fork over the extra dough.
Standard admission is $35 or $55, but if you want a chance to meet Fieri, you’ll need to choose between two VIP packages. The “Off Da Hook” package, for ages 21 and up, is $250 and includes onstage seating, a pre-show meet and greet, a copy of Guy Fieri Food and a chance to sample Fieri’s cooking. The “Kulinary Krew” package is $150 and includes all of the above, except the food sampling.
For tickets and more info, visit Touhill.org or call (314) 516-4949. The Guy Fieri Food Tour will take place Sunday, May 29, 8pm, at the Touhill Performing Arts Center, One University Blvd, 63121.
The (condensed) Marriage of Figaro comes to UMSL
FROM THE NEWS WIRE…
Does your heart burn for a Mozart opera without all the trimmings? Do you find all the recitatives just a bit too much to digest?
Then join the University of Missouri–St. Louis Opera Theatre as they dish up a deliciously slenderized evening of one of opera’s tastiest morsels, “The Marriage of Figaro.” The comic opera classic is about a count, a countess, their two soon-to-be married servants and the count’s efforts to delay the wedding in his lust for the bride-to-be.
UMSL’s rendition, “The Marriage of Figaro – Sliced & Diced,” begins at 7:30pm on March 11 and 12 and 3pm on March 13 in the E. Desmond and Mary Ann Lee Theater in the Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center. A preshow talk will be given at 2pm on March 13. The performances are free and open to the public.
“The Marriage of Figaro – Sliced & Diced” is directed by Stella Markou, director of vocal studies at UMSL. She has sung throughout the world and locally with the Ambassadors of Harmony and Arianna String Quartet. She has performed roles from “Die Zauberflote,” “The Turn of the Screw” and “The Mikado.”
The Touhill is on the North Campus at UMSL, 1 University Blvd., 63121. Visit touhill.org or call 314-516-4949 for more information.
P.S. Remember the beautiful song played over the loudspeaker in The Shawshank Redemption? That is from “The Marriage of Figaro.”
Florissant Theatre goes Walkin’ with Patsy Cline
She cursed like a sailor but sang like an angel. Maybe that’s why 48 years after her untimely death, music legend Patsy Cline still has millions of fans.
Born on the wrong side of town in Winchester, Virginia, she went from brassy high school dropout to country music star in the early 1960s, recording hits like “Crazy,” “I Fall to Pieces,” and “Walking After Midnight.” Before a plane crash took her life at the age of 30, Cline was a rabble-rousing kind of gal who offered perhaps the best description of her unique vocal style: “trouble and honey.”
It’s that amazing voice and the bold woman behind it who inspired A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline, the popular touring stage show that’s coming to the Florissant Civic Center Theatre on February 26.
The show stars some of the finest Patsy “interpreters” in the world, and apparently is so close to the real deal that it’s sanctioned by Cline’s husband. It follows her early life, rise to stardom and shocking death, and features 21 Patsy Cline songs, all played with a live band onstage.
A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline is scheduled for Saturday, February 26, 8pm at the Florissant Civic Center Theatre, 1 James Eagan Drive, 63033. Tickets are $27.00 Adults; $25.00 Seniors/Student. Reserve yours by calling (314) 921-5678.
Here’s a preview of the show:
UMSL stages provocative “Stop Kiss” at the Touhill
UMSL students Ashley Bauman and Vanika Spencer star in the upcoming production of "Stop Kiss" at the Touhill.
As the great American melting pot continues to stir and change, being able to view the world from different perspectives, with compassion, is becoming a vital skill. That’s why I was thrilled to learn that UMSL’s Department of Theatre, Dance and Media Studies is bravely staging a compelling play that’s sure to push some buttons and make you think.
Set in New York City, “Stop Kiss,” written by Diana Son, is what you might call a dark romantic comedy. It’s the story of Callie, a radio traffic reporter, and Sara, a teacher from St. Louis, who become fast friends and discover, quite surprisingly, that they’re attracted to one another. The women share their first kiss on a park bench, only to be savagely attacked in a hate crime, and Sara winds up in a coma.
What follows is a clever and deeply thoughtful look at love, relationships and the challenge of living life to the fullest. And before you go thinking, wow, this sounds like a big downer and/or political diatribe, you should know that the comedic tone of “Stop Kiss” has been compared to early episodes of The Mary Tyler Moore Show. It’s fun and fresh and often very moving. It just happens to deal with a subtle undercurrent of larger issues that affect us all.
Debuting in 1998, “Stop Kiss” has won numerous awards and was named a Top 10 play by the New York Times, Newsday and New York Magazine. This performance at the Touhill will be its St. Louis academic premiere.
February 3-5 and February 10-12 @ 7:30 pm, and February 6 @ 3pm (with a post-show discussion). Tickets: $3-10. For more info, call (314) 516-4949 or visit the Touhill’s website.
Are you getting ready for the big day? NOCO is a proud sponsor of the 3rd annual Live Well Ferguson 5K