Friday, December 11, 2020

Meet Me in St. Louis: A Holiday Special in Song and on Screen

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Just in time for the holidays, Irish Repertory Theatre brings us this delightful treat. It's an abridged online version of the 1989 Broadway musical based on the beloved 1944 Judy Garland film. Through the magic of technology, the actors, each filmed in a different location, have their performances blended together into the production so skillfully that, except for a couple of awkward moments during the ball scene, it is easy to forget that they are not actually performing together. Director Charlotte Moore has done an amazing joy of supporting the illusion. The musical itself, with songs by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blaine and a book by Hugh Wheeler, is a modest affair depicting the life of an upper-middle class St Louis family during the period leading up to the 1904 World's Fair. The best known songs are "The Trolley Song," "The Boy Next Door," "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" and the title song. The appealing cast includes recognizable names such as Melissa Errico as the mother and Max von Essen as the boy next door. Shereen Ahmed is lovely as Esther (the Garland role). The other members of the diverse cast -- William Bellamy, Rufus Collins, Kerry Conte, Ali Ewooldt, Kathy Fitzgerald, Ian Holcomb, Austyn Johnson,  Jay Aubrey Jones, Kylie Kuioka and Ashley Robinson -- perform well as an ensemble, even though they were never on the same set. Kudos to the creative staff -- Charlie Corcoran, scenic design; Meridith Sommers, video editing; M. Florian Staab, sound design and mix; Michael Gottlieb, lighting; Tracy Christensen, costumes; John Bell, musical direction -- for bringing off a unique experiment so successfully. It will be running until January 2. Go to irishrep.org for tickets. $25 is the suggested contribution.

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