The St. Louis Muny

[ActingAndy]

Posted: 7/1/06 at 7:36pm

Since a lot of recent discussion has been about the Muny. I thought we should see if anyone else has seen any other shows there in recent years?? What show(s)? Did you like it?
The Muny's Website

[wildcat]

Posted: 7/1/06 at 8:10pm

I hate to start on a negative note but I thought that Michael Feinstein in HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSON was an idea best left on the drawing board.

[ActingAndy]

Posted: 7/2/06 at 12:34am

that was a longg time ago... b4 my muny days... was it '91 or '81?

[hermionejuliet]

Posted: 7/2/06 at 1:05am

Annie - in 94. I have no idea if it was a quality production. All I remember is sitting out in the heat on the uncomfortable seats. Who came up with the idea of musical theatre under the stars. Shakespeare, I get. But when I want a musical, I would like to sit indoors with air (or heat), comfortable seats, a quality sound system, and preferably a visually pleasing theatre .

[hermionejuliet]

Posted: 7/2/06 at 1:05am

double post - sorry!

Updated On: 7/2/06 at 01:05 AM

[Kringas]

Posted: 7/2/06 at 1:07am

The Muny is a horrible place for theatre, unless you're in the very front of the first section. Even then, the heat, the noise and the patrons are still there.

[ActingAndy]

Posted: 7/2/06 at 1:08am

wut shows have u seen at the Muny?

[Kringas]

Posted: 7/2/06 at 1:14am

A lot. I used to go there every year with my family when I was young, and then when I got older I'd see a show or two every year. The last time I was there was proably five or six years ago.

[OnMyWay]

Posted: 7/2/06 at 2:04am

I've seen most of the stuff there bc KC Starlight and the Muny often share shows. Usually pretty good.

[brendcat]

Posted: 7/3/06 at 12:40am

I often go to The Muny and even with some drawbacks, it is still fun and a GREAT way for lots of people to see more musical theatre, especially kids.

Drawbacks: Outdoor theatre during St Louis summers...not the best idea ever (90 degree days with 80% humidity). But maybe 50% of the time it is a nice evening and you really enjoy having the outdoors and great music. I don't know if it is a way to train actors (I worry about them in costume on those bone drenching humid nights) but they make it through.

Most critisms I hear are with the show selections. Usually tend to be very family friendly and a bit too many of the classics that are repeated often every two or three years. But when they launch a new production like this weeks Aida, it is always a crowd favorite. The three leads cast were all veterans of the show on broadway. So, we do get very good talent.

The place is huge. The seats are not as steeped as they could be and often you have to work to look around the person in front of you.

Advantages: The place is huge and so is the stage. Last night during Dance of the Robe, the slave camp was comprised of such a big ensemble, it was awesome listening to so many voices and seeing them all perform.

Access is great. The Muny is in Forest Park and is a beautiful and varied space. People have picnics before the show and there are at least 9 rows in the back that are free seats. Sure, they are very far away from the stage, but the sound is still good and most folks come armed with binoculars.
The cost is very reasonable for the pay seats as well.

The production values can be wonderful (although there are some clunkers I've seen where the set doesn't change between act 1 and act 2) and each show usually can produce a real "wow" moment.

The orchestra is very precise and large. They perform original orchestrations so you feel as you get the full sound as the composer intended.

I've seen so many excited young people enjoying their first show at The Muny so I could never really disparage it. It is a different environment being outside and more apt to distractions, but the audience really seems to respond well to the shows and they bond - especially when everyone is trying to wait out a rain delay.

[hermionejuliet]

Posted: 7/3/06 at 12:58am

Brendcat,
I may have been a bit harsh in my original post. You're right. The Muny is a great way to introduce musical theatre to people who wouldn't normally go out of the way to see a show at the Fox etc. However, due to the surroundings, it is not a place I would travel to see shows. I really would have liked to have seen Aida this summer, but just couldn't bring myself to travel for it in that venue. It does make me grateful for my usual summer musical venue - even though show selection and sound are often an issue. I guess any venue has it good points and bad points. Even Broadway theatres with their nonexistent lobbies and often older (aka more uncomfortable) seats!

[ActingAndy]

Posted: 7/3/06 at 1:08am

The Muny tend to repeat ticket-selling shows(The Wizard of Oz, Meet Me in St. Louis) every 5 years. The place is a greatway to enjoy a night if its not too hot. The chorus is "Dance of the Robe" was made up of 40-50 local teenagers. The Muny has a great educational program for kids and teens. The program includes master classes and a touring troupe. Over 1000 kids tend to audition to be part of the season. Then about 100 are palced into a show (this year there will be 98 munchkins in "The Wizard of Oz") Then after you are selected as one of the 100 or so kids you get to re-audition to be in a touring troupe of around 40-50 kids that tours around the St. Louis area performing a 30 minute musical revue of the shows the Muny is putting on that particular summer. The Muny Teens work similar except not as many try out. Surprisingly, the Kids or Teens add soo much to the shows. As you could tell during "The Dance of the Robe" and "The Gods Love Nubia" both almost got standing ovations the nights I was there. With a stage half the size of a football field, why not fill it up.

[catstagestud]

Posted: 7/3/06 at 5:45am

Sounds cool ActingAndy. A recent graduate of my program was cast in The Muny's production of Oliver! coming up later this summer...I've been contemplating driving down from Omaha to catch him in it. If you get to it I'd love to hear what you thought of the show!

Cheers,

Christopher

[ActingAndy]

Posted: 7/3/06 at 2:47pm

I will try to let you know... I'm in the show.. so I'll know all the inside scoops...

[brendcat]

Posted: 7/3/06 at 11:55pm

Thanks for all the info about The Muny, Acting Andy. Keep them coming as the season goes on. I was trying to decide what other shows to attend this year, so I will have to check out Oliver since you are in it. I already had tickets to take some preteens to see Wizard and besides Gypsy, didn't know what else I'd see. Last year we did the season ticket thing, but I didn't like the lineup as much this year. Will the Muny ever get ambitious enough and fulfill my dreams to produce Ragtime? If they could do that, and effectively use that huge stage, it could be awe-inspiring!

hermionejuliet- yep, you did seem a little harsh, so I had to jump in and defend what I think is one of the best and most accessible cultural things we got going in this midwestern town. It is worth a trip, since a few years ago, many things were modernized and the sound is improved. I could understand each lyric of Aida because the sound was so clear. Thanks for conceding that it may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it is pretty special to many. Come on, give it another try. *trying to be persuasive*

[ActingAndy]

Posted: 7/4/06 at 3:22am

the muy has made many updates over the past years...

the muny is increasingly becoming more and more ambitious with the shows they put on each year... shows i expect to see at the muny within the next 7-10 years: Les Miz, Thouroughly Modern Millie, Titanic, and Ragtime

Typically the way a season is set up.. based on what i have seen is this:
1) Rogers and Hammerstein type classic
1) Andrew Lloyd Weber type somewhat modern show (like JCSS, Godspell, Joseph, or other of the type)
1) show that hasn't been done at the muny for about 10-15 years
1) dance show
1) newer show (Beauty and the Beast last year, and AIda this year)
1) kids show
The Muny

[OnMyWay]

Posted: 7/4/06 at 3:27am

I just keep thinking about that "bird incident" that happened at the Muny about 10 years ago.

Apparently, during "Climb Every Mountin" in TSOM, they were going to set a ridiculous number of birds free from cages above the stage, and they were supposed to fly out over the audience. The cages were too tight, and when they opened the cages, all of the birds fell dead onto the actors on stage. Oops!

[ActingAndy]

Posted: 7/4/06 at 12:59pm

Thats funny and sad.. ive never heard that before.. i know they typially have problems with racoon running on stage
last year in beauty and the beast 2 racoons ran up the wardrobes boig wooden costumes and crawed on her legs during the tech rehearal

[Mr. Tuttle]

Posted: 7/4/06 at 1:55pm

There is no need for 98 Munchkins in "Oz". That's overkill. Why would they do it?

Oh...maybe they have to pay to be part of the "camp" that puts them on stage?

[ActingAndy]

Posted: 7/4/06 at 2:41pm

Have you been to the muny? The stage is soo huge that even with the massive sets 98 munchkins looks just like 20 would on any normal Broadway stage. It isn't a camp, the kids don't pay to be put on stage. It's all an audition process and the kids are selected...i recomend u go see the show if u disagree with the 98 muchkins... but really it looks more like the movie, like a real munchkin city not a munchkin town... the kids are treated like professionals they are expected to act like professionals...