ST. LOUIS’ GUIDE TO THINGS TO DO
SAVOR THE TURKISH DELIGHTS AT SHEESH ON SOUTH GRAND
MANILOW TOUR IS A MASTER CLASS FOR DAVE KOZ
03.25.16–03.31.16 • STLTODAY.COM/GO •
ACTOR STEPS OUT OF HIS COMFORT ZONE WITH ‘HEDWIG’
O U D C I M A DYN BY CALVIN WILSON
SEE+DO
03.25.16–03.31.16
! TOMORROW
12 Taking a risk Actor Michael Baird has ventured out of his comfort zone for the gender-bending musical “Hedwig and the Angry Inch.” BY JUDITH NEWMARK
BARRY MANILOW
THE BIG SCREEN
SATURDAY, MARCH 26
18 Loud and proud With “Batman v Superman,” director Zack Snyder delivers a superhero epic that’s an improvement over its predecessor. BY CALVIN WILSON
THURSDAY, MARCH 31
19 Adventures in food The documentary “City of Gold” shows why LA restaurant critic Jonathan Gold is so appealing.
To see our complete upcoming events schedule, please visit
20 Something old The jokes are stale and the comedic timing is off in the unnecessary sequel “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2.”
SUNDAY, JUNE 26
ScottradeCenter.com
friday, april 1
20 In tune Catherine Frot is moving and hilarious in the title role of “Marguerite.” BY
BLUES vs. BRUINS
SARAH BRYAN MILLER
Strong but boring
HULL & OATES CANVAS CANV
presented by
1ST 15,000 FANS
stlouisblues.com/promotions
PEABODY OPERA HOUSE UPCOMING EVENTS CALENDAR presented by
COVER STORY
MUSIC+CLUBS
13 Caped crusaders Batman and Superman are iconic comic-book heroes but for different reasons. But can the new “Batman v Superman” movie give the Man of Steel an edge? BY CALVIN WILSON
6 Master class Touring with Barry Manilow has been an education for jazz saxophonist Dave Koz. BY KEVIN C. JOHNSON
24•7
TUESDAY, APRIL 5
SUNDAY, APR. 3 Photo Credit: Alan Silfen
FRIDAY, APRIL 22
APRIL 18-19
ScottradeCenter.com · PeabodyOperaHouse.com
314.622.5454
2
11 An evolution After two years, the Dark Room in Grand Center has become a hot spot for seeing local jazz musicians. BY KEVIN C. JOHNSON
STAYING IN 27 TV Q&A In her weekly chat with readers, Gail Pennington talks “The Americans,” “House of Cards” and more.
ON THE COVER ACTOR STEPS OUT OF HIS COMFORT ZONE WITH ‘HEDWIG’
SAVOR THE TURKISH DELIGHTS AT SHEESH ON SOUTH GRAND
MANILOW TOUR IS A MASTER CLASS FOR DAVE KOZ
DYNAMIC DUO BY CALVIN WILSON
To see our complete upcoming events schedule, please visit PeabodyOperaHouse.com
SCOTTRADE CENTER GROUP SALES
7 String kings The group 2Cellos has created vivid versions of songs made famous by rock and pop acts.
24 Soulful surprises The Turkish fare at Sheesh Restaurant is a stirring addition to South Grand Boulevard. BY IAN FROEB
TICKETMASTER 800.745.3000
PEABODY OPERA HOUSE GROUP SALES 314.499.7676
GO! MAGAZINE • ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH • 03.25.16-03.31.16
Ben Affleck (left) and Henry Cavill in “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.” 30
G O ! M A G A Z I N E / S T. L O U I S P O S T- D I S P AT C H / 1 2 . 1 4 . 1 2 – 1 2 . 2 0 . 1 2
WARNER BROS. PICTURES COPYRIGHT 2016 • Go! Magazine is published Fridays by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Lee Enterprises. No part of Go! Magazine may be reproduced without prior written consent. For permissions requests, reprints, back issues and more information, call 314-340-8000, or visit STLTODAY.COM/CONTACT. For distribution information, call STL Distribution Services at 314-556-6404.
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P H O T O : WA R N E R B R O S . P I C T U R E S
SATURDAY, APRIL 16
4 Best Bets Our critics pick the best events in the week ahead, including the Who Hits 50!, “Octarrarium” at the Regional Arts Commission, Six Flags opening weekend, Rick Ross at the Pageant and soprano Julia Bullock at the Sheldon. Plus, what to look forward to in the coming weeks.
6 Pushing forward Bluegrass band Old Salt Union wanted to show how its music has progressed on the new EP “Cut & Run.” BY KEVIN C. JOHNSON
FUEL
ST. LOUIS’ GUIDE TO THINGS TO DO
MONDAY, MAY 2
03.25.16–03.31.16 • STLTODAY.COM/GO •
TUESDAY, APRIL 19
ST LTO DAY.CO M /G O
Here’s what we’re looking forward to in the coming week
P E E K S ’ N A M ON
IF SAHSEEARFOOD CEMLaErB2R6ATI
OUR TEAM
Now –
Gabe Hartwig / editor 314-340-8353 / ghartwig@post-dispatch.com Jody Mitori / Post-Dispatch assistant managing editor for features 314-340-8240 / jmitori@post-dispatch.com Hillary Levin / photo editor 314-340-8118 / hlevin@post-dispatch.com
“The Bottle Rockets are playing a benefit for the South Broadway Athletic Club Saturday. Come on out, y’all!” •
Elaine Vydra / digital marketing manager 314-340-8917 / evydra@post-dispatch.com Emily Tintera / Post-Dispatch event and sponsorship manager 314-340-8510 / etintera@post-dispatch.com
“Headed to Branson for a minivacation — and to write a travel story for the P-D lifestyle section.” •
Donna Bischoff / Post-Dispatch vice president of advertising 314-340-8529 / dbischoff@post-dispatch.com WRITERS AND CRITICS Ian Froeb / restaurant critic, beer writer Jane Henderson / book editor Kevin C. Johnson / pop music critic Sarah Bryan Miller / classical music critic Daniel Neman / food writer Judith Newmark / theater critic Gail Pennington / television critic Alex Siegman / arts writer Calvin Wilson / arts writer
“The STL 100 Great Taste on Thusday!” •
“Sampling the treats at the STL 100 Great Taste Thursday night at Neo.” •
“This weekend, it’s all about Good Friday and Easter.” •
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PIZZA PLAYOFFS Make your bracket picks to declare the best pizza in town. One player gets $50 to spend at the winning restaurant.
STL 100 GREAT TASTE On Thursday, sample from more than 40 restaurants on Ian Froeb’s STL 100. Tickets are just $25.
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Exclusions apply. See mychoice Center for details. Persons who have been excluded from River City, Ameristar St. Charles, MO or all Pinnacle Entertainment, Inc. properties, or who have requested self exclusion from any jurisdiction in which Pinnacle Entertainment, Inc. has gambling facilities, or who are on the Exclusion Lists in any jurisdiction in which Pinnacle Entertainment, Inc. has gambling facilities are not eligible to participate. Must be age 21 or older to gamble. Gambling problem? Call 1-888-BETSOFF. ©2016 Pinnacle Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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BETS FRIDAY The Slaughter Project: ‘Caravan’ WHEN 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday • WHERE Edison Theatre on the Washington University campus • HOW MUCH $15-$20 • MORE INFO edison.wustl.edu
The Slaughter Project, an ensemble that performs work by choreographer Cecil Slaughter and is the resident dance company of Washington University’s Performing Arts Department, encompasses a wide range of movement styles. Its latest offering on the Edison stage will be a program called “Caravan.” BY CALVIN WILSON
‘Octarrarium’ WHEN 6 p.m. Friday • WHERE The Gallery at the Regional Arts Commission, 6128 Delmar Boulevard • HOW MUCH Free • MORE INFO 314-863-5811; racstl.org
✔ Meet “Octarrarium” at the Regional Arts Commission, a
events are ✔ These Editor’s Picks
SATURDAY
SATURDAY
Bottle Rockets
the athletic club.
BY SARAH BRYAN MILLER
The Who Hits 50! WHEN 7:30 p.m. Saturday • WHERE Scottrade Center, 1401 Clark Avenue • HOW MUCH $36.50-$136.50 • MORE INFO Ticketmaster.com
WHEN 10:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday-Sunday • WHERE Six Flags St. Louis, 4900 Six Flags Road, Eureka • HOW MUCH $20.16 for a day’s admission • MORE INFO sixflags.com/stlouis
The third time’s the charm for the Who as its “The Who Hits 50!” tour will finally play St. Louis after two postponements due to Roger Daltrey’s recovery from viral meningitis. But he’s good now, as the band relaunched the tour in late February, firing up songs such as “Substitute,” “The Seeker,” “Join Together,” “Squeeze Box, “The Kids Are Alright,” “Behind Blue Eyes” and “Pinball Wizard.” Joining the Who founding members Daltrey and Pete Townshend are Simon Townshend (guitarist/ mandolinist), Zak Starkey (drums), Pino Palladino (bass), John Corey (keyboards), Loren Gold (keyboards) and Frank Simes (multiinstrumentalist). BY KEVIN C. JOHNSON
WHEN 7 p.m. Saturday • WHERE South Broadway Athletic Club, 2301 South Seventh Street • HOW MUCH $20 • MORE INFO bottlerocketsmusic.com
BY ALEX SIEGMAN
Six Flags opening weekend
Warm Springs Ranch opening day
Flags St. Louis ✔ Six celebrates the 40th anniversary of its Screamin’ Eagle roller coaster by inviting guests to enjoy double rides on the coaster during opening weekend. Parkgoers will also have the opportunity to have their picture taken with two bald eagles from the World Bird Sanctuary. Guests in turn are encouraged to bring paper towels, toilet paper, liquid dish
Roger Daltrey (left) and Pete Townshend of the Who
✔
soap, 9-volt batteries or duct tape to donate to the World Bird Sanctuary. BY ALEX SIEGMAN
The Blackstar All-Stars’ Tribute to David Bowie WHEN 8 p.m. Friday • WHERE The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Avenue •
HOW MUCH $10 • MORE INFO Ticketfly.com
Ever since music icon David Bowie died earlier this year, musicians everywhere have been scrambling to figure out how to best pay tribute to him, and St. Louis artists are no exception. A packed lineup of local acts including 7
Shot Screamers, Karate Bikini, Tori Z Starbuck, Giant Monsters on the Horizon, Lonely Mountain String Band, Aquitaine, Eric Hall, David Grelle and CaveofswordS will put their spin on Bowie. BY KEVIN C. JOHNSON
WHEN Saturday • WHERE Warm Springs Ranch, 25270 MO-98, Boonville • HOW MUCH $12 for tours • MORE INFO warmspringsranch.com
Warm Springs Ranch, home of more than 70 Budweiser Clydesdale horses, will open its doors to the public for the 2016 season on Saturday. Ninety-minute guided walking tours will include a chance to see Mac, the ranch’s first foal of 2016; talks with handlers; views of a 1903 beer wagon and photo-ops with a Clydesdale. Tours are available at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Visitors 21 and older can also sample Budweiser products.
The rock band Bottle Rockets will be in their hometown Saturday performing songs from their latest album, “South Broadway Athletic Club,” at the eponymous club. The album, created at St. Louis’ Sawhorse Studios, is the quartet’s 12th. Proceeds from the event benefit
GO! MAGAZINE • ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH • 03.25.16-03.31.16
Rick Ross WHEN 8:30 p.m. Sunday • WHERE The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Boulevard • HOW MUCH $55 • MORE INFO Tickets can only be purchased at gfestl.com; they will not be available at the box office
BY ALEX SIEGMAN
FAST FORWARD “The Bridges of Madison County,” April 5-17 at the Fox Theatre: A lonely farm wife finds what she’s been missing when a handsome photographer passes through in this musical based on Robert James Waller’s novel “Everybody Wants Some!!,” opens in theaters April 8: Writer-director Richard Linklater revisits the ’80s in this comedy about college baseball players Chita Rivera, April 9 at the Sheldon Concert Hall: The Broadway star will perform a solo concert for a benefit for the Sheldon Kevin Smith, April 10 and 11 at Helium Comedy Club: The director and writer of many films including “Clerks” and “Dogma” shares his thoughts in a stand-up show
4
SUNDAY
Tyler Hoechlin in “Everybody Wants Some!!”
Find more events, and get your own events listed for free ➙ events.stltoday.com stltoday.com/go
P H O T O S : A S S O C I AT E D P R E S S F I L E ( T H E W H O ) ; PA R A M O U N T P I C T U R E S ( H O E C H L I N )
BEST
combination gallery installation and “platform for sound performance.” The large-scale installation developed by Kevin Harris and Chad Eivins is billed as a “multisensory and immersive environment” and uses eight large projections of live and interactive video. You can experience it on Friday evening, when Kevin Harris (electronics) and Alex Cunningham (solo violin) perform in a manner that you’ve probably never before experienced, where all their sounds and movements affect the environment you’re in.
STLTODAY.COM/STL100 BONUS ISSUE • MARCH 13, 2016 •
The Kingston Trio April 1 at 8 p.m. Welcomed by KDHX THURSDAY
Dawn Weber:
STL 100 Great Taste WHEN 6-10 p.m. Thursday • WHERE Neo on Locust, 2801 Locust Street • HOW MUCH $25 in advance; $30 at the door • MORE INFO stltoday.com/greattaste
By now, you’ve seen the 2016 edition of Ian Froeb’s STL 100, our critic’s guide to the best restaurants in St. Louis. (If you haven’t, bookmark it: stltoday.com/stl100.) Our inaugural STL 100 Great Taste is your chance to sample more than 40 of those great restaurants, all in one place. Enjoy unlimited tastings from a diverse group of restaurants ranging from fun, everyday favorites to elegant once-a-year splurges, plus live music by Whiskey Raccoons and Get Down Bella. BY GABE HARTWIG
✔
✔ Bruce Springsteen isn’t
Soprano Julia Bullock
the only boss to pass through St. Louis this month. Rapper Rick Ross is making his way to town as well with a show at the Pageant. Ross is promoting his latest album, “Black Market.” BY KEVIN C.
WHEN 8 p.m. Wednesday • WHERE Sheldon Concert Hall, 3648 Washington Boulevard • HOW MUCH $20-$25 ($10 students) • MORE INFO 314-5339900; thesheldon.org
JOHNSON
WEDNESDAY SFJAZZ Collective WHEN 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. Wednesday through April 2 • WHERE Ferring Jazz Bistro, 3536 Washington Boulevard • HOW MUCH $10-$45 • MORE INFO jazzstl.org
SFJAZZ Collective, a combo that takes an imaginative approach to the most unlikely material, will perform tunes associated with Michael Jackson. The lineup includes saxophonists Miguel Zenon and David Sanchez. BY CALVIN WILSON
stltoday.com/go
Julia ✔ Soprano Bullock is coming home for a long-awaited recital. A St. Louis native, Bullock is a graduate of Opera Theatre of St. Louis’ Artists-inTraining program. She’s gone on to earn a host of degrees and awards and now sings opera, concerts and recitals internationally, from San Francisco to Paris. She and pianist Renate Rohlfing will present a recital in the perfect acoustics of the Sheldon Concert Hall. It promises to be well worth hearing. BY SARAH BRYAN MILLER
Now you can get the power of Go! Magazine on your smartphone, with the latest STL entertainment news, plus interactive features like Ian Froeb’s STL 100 and The Go! List. It’s free!
“From Swing to Funk” April 2 at 11 a.m. Childrens’ ticket price only $5!
David Halen and Friends with pianist Adria Ye & cellist Nathan Chan April 6 at 8 p.m.
Commissioned works made possible by The Sinquefield Charitable Foundation and the Mizzou New Music Initiative Sheldon Classics is welcomed by RAF-STL
Chita: A Legendary Celebration Starring Chita Rivera April 9 at 8:15 p.m.
Underwritten by The Steward Family Foundation and World Wide Technology, Inc.
Ustad Imrat Khan & The Fifty Fingers of Imrat Khan 80th Birthday Celebration Concert April 15 at 8 p.m. Call MetroTix at 314.534.1111 or visit THESHELDON.ORG. Visit the Sheldon Art Galleries one hour before each concert!
03.25.16-03.31.16 • ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH • GO! MAGAZINE
5
SHAZAM ST. LOUIS TOP 10
MOST-SHAZAMED SONGS FOR MARCH 22 “Permission” (Ro James) “Panda” (Desiigner) “Law” (Yo Gotti) “Body” (Dreezy feat. Jeremih) “Not A Little Bit” (K. Michelle) “Might Be” (Luke Nasty) “Low Life” (Future feat. The Weeknd) “Moolah” (Young Greatness) “Oui” (Jeremih) “Pillowtalk” (Zayn) Farrar
Q&A
Educational tour
As the opener for Barry Manilow, jazz musician Dave Koz is learning from a master BY KEVIN C. JOHNSON / POP MUSIC CRITIC / KJOHNSON@POST-DISPATCH.COM
C
lassic pop singer Barry Manilow and smooth jazz saxophonist Dave Koz aren’t the most likely touring partners on paper. But they’re on the road together for Manilow’s “One Last Time!” tour coming to Scottrade Center on Thursday. Koz will open the show and perform a song during Manilow’s set. “He has a great appreciation for all sorts of music,” Koz says of Manilow. “People know Barry Manilow is a great singer, a great songwriter and a master showman. But he’s also one of the most brilliant musicians I’ve ever encountered with his ability to get inside the music from arranging to producing to piano playing.” Being on the tour with Manilow is like an education on the road for Koz, a veteran in his
6
own right. “I get to see from the inside out how this man single-handedly kept his career relevant and growing for over four decades. It’s a painstaking attention to detail. He’s not calling it in. When he shows up he’s there fully and completely. He puts so much into it and he’s constantly reinventing himself, taking the songs everybody knows and rearranging them, putting them in a different order, tinkering them to push himself and make it new for the audience,” Koz says. Koz, usually a headliner, performs in a brisk 30- minute set. He doesn’t mind scaling back because he’s at the side of a master. He says he knows his place. “I haven’t been an opening act for a very long time. It’s like taking the tool out of the tool shed and sharpening it. It makes me fo-
GO! MAGAZINE • ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH • 03.25.16-03.31.16
WHAT Barry Manilow, Dave Koz WHEN 7:30 p.m. Thursday • WHERE Scottrade Center, 1401 Clark Avenue • HOW MUCH $16.75-$166.75 • MORE INFO Ticketmaster.com
Old Salt Union wants fans to know ‘we’re not sitting still’ Area bluegrass favorite Old Salt Union returns to the scene with a new EP, “Cut & Run.” The release concert is this weekend at the Old Rock House. Jesse Farrar (upright bass, co-lead vocals) talked about the band’s new music. How did “Cut & Run” come about? We did 200 shows last year, and we felt ourselves get a little stagnant, as far as new releases. But we’ve been on the road writing and all these songs were piling up and we decided to put something out. We’re letting people know we’re not sitting still. How has Old Salt Union changed? Time is taking its toll. Obviously we’re getting older. Musically, we’re advanced. That’s always been the main goal. If the music’s not progressing and the writing’s not progressing, then we’re doing something wrong. How would you describe the album? We’re five men from different backgrounds and genres. On the last two records we tried to push and pull and weave our ways through it. I don’t know if it fully came to fruition before this. Now we’ve weaved a nice quilt that really works. BY KEVIN C. JOHNSON WHAT Old Salt Union EP release concert for “Cut & Run” with Whiskey Shivers, Greg Silsby WHEN 9 p.m. Friday • WHERE Old Rock House, 1200 South Seventh Street • HOW MUCH $10-$12 (includes the EP) • MORE INFO MetroTix.com
Find more music events, photos and concert news ➙ stltoday.com/music stltoday.com/go
P H O T O S : G R E G A L L E N ( K O Z ) ; H A N D O U T ( FA R R A R )
Dave Koz
cus on putting the absolute essentials into the show,” he says. “My only goal is to put these 10,000 people in a great mood to see their favorite artist.” He adds “although I know for a fact in many of these cities Barry Manilow fans have no idea who I am, Manilow fans are music fans too. If you present music to them in a fun way, even if they don’t know it, they’ll completely open up. We come out there with a very high energy set and put together songs everyone knows so there’s a familiarity.” Koz met Manilow 15 years ago when Manilow asked him to play on one of his albums, “Here at the Mayflower” (2001), which includes a lyric where Manilow says Koz’s name. “I walk into the studio, and it was my first time meeting this legend and he sings my name. My jaw just hit the floor. What was I supposed to do with that?” Koz later invited Manilow to sing on his album “At the Movies” (2007) on the song “Moon River,” and when Koz received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Manilow was there. Last year, Koz released “Collaborations: 25th Anniversary Collection” to mark his time in the business while also acknowledging his various collaborations. The set includes “When Will I Know for Sure” with Boney James, “This Guy’s in Love With You” with Herb Alpert and “Good Foot” with Jeff Lorber. “Whether I’m on the road or in the studio, I’m happiest to work with someone who inspires me to go to places I might not go otherwise, who allows me to get out of my shell into areas I never thought possible. That’s what I’m most proud of,” says Koz, who cites his collaborations with Manilow, Rod Stewart, Luther Vandross, Burt Bacharach and especially Stevie Wonder as favorites. Koz’s next big collaboration will be with Kirkwood native David Sanborn. “He’s my all time sax idol. I prayed this would happen for a lot of years.”
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
the gaslight cabaret festival
2Cellos
Q&A
They’re just your typical classical cellists playing AC/DC and Michael Jackson
PHOTO: HANDOUT
L
ike such groups as the Three Tenors and the Three Graces, the 2Cellos mix classical crossover with good looks and a prime number in their name to create an excitement for music that fills halls with young fans. But in addition to playing Vivaldi and Bach, the two Croatians — Luka Sulic, 28, and Stjepan Hauser, 29 — have created vivid cello-only versions of songs made famous by acts as unexpected as Michael Jackson and AC/DC. Viral videos of that approach (their version of “Smooth Criminal” has been seen more than 17 million times since 2011, and their 2014 “Thunderstruck” nearly 54 million) landed the duo on a tour with Elton John, who said: “I can’t remember seeing anything as exciting as them since I saw Jimi Hendrix live back in the ’60s.” Now Sulic and Hauser are on their biggest U.S. tour yet. We talked recently
stltoday.com/go
with Sulic from the road in Atlanta about the duo’s start, what they learned from touring with Elton John and how rock translates well to the cello. • How many musicians are with you onstage? The first half of the show is only the two of us. The second half, we add our drummer and it becomes a rock show at that point. It’s basically a journey that starts like angels and ends as devils. We begin peacefully with classical and film music, and toward the end it goes crazy. Then for the goodbyes, we also finish with classical music. • Has classical music always been part of your approach? When we grew up, we were classically trained. I started when I was 5 years old. ... But at some point, we wanted to do something different, do our own arrangements and attract young people to this great instrument. When you play only classical music, you’re playing notes that have been there for a few hundred years. We wanted something that was newer. • When did you two meet? When we were around 14. We are from the same country, and there are not many cellists there. So we met at a sum-
mer music camp — young, talented kids playing the cello. We were practicing like crazy. But we were sort of rivals, too, since we went to the same competitions and the same music camps. ... But we were always great friends if we did something together. We didn’t see each other for a long time since he went to study in London and I went to Vienna. But then I came to London in 2010, and we started hanging out and making plans for the future. • What is it about the cello that makes it so amenable to rock? The cello is such a versatile instrument, just about anything can sound good — except for rap. We still haven’t learned how to do rap on the cello. But a cello can be beautiful melodically, which makes it perfect for film music and classical music. Two cellos give you even more possibilities. • What was it like touring with Elton John? We did a 20-minute set before every show for two years, then joined him for half of his set with his band when he needed strings. It was an amazing experience. We played in such big venues. We really got to learn from the best how to be a performer. We got this experience playing for large crowds so that it was much easier for us to do it when it came time for us to headline. BY ROGER CATLIN, SPECIAL TO THE WASHINGTON POST WHAT 2Cellos • WHEN 7:30 p.m. Thursday • WHERE Fox Theatre,
527 North Grand Boulevard • HOW MUCH $34.50-$59.50 • MORE INFO MetroTix.com
Tony Award Winner
Steven Lutvak Composer of “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder.”
rk w Yo e N om In Fr A Gentleman’s Guide to A Gentleman’s Guide “Lutvak is a consummate showman.” - Scott and Barbara Siegel
Friday & Saturday April 8/9 • 8 p.m.
Friends, Fun and Laughter Await You Here With Us We Offer: • 1 & 2 Bedroom • Dining Services • Full Service Amenities • Convenient Location
• Secure Setting • Our team of experts will help you make your move with ease
Call Stacey to schedule a visit and start enjoying worry-free living!
The Gaslight Theater 358 N. Boyle Avenue
Tickets & Info: GaslightCabaretFestival.com
314.725.4200 ext. 10
3350 St. Catherine St. ~ Florissant, MO 63033
314.838.3877
SEASON SPONSORS:
A Non-Profit Retirement Housing Foundation Community
Easter Brunch Buffet 10:00am - 3:30pm
♦ Roast Sirloin w/Horseradish Cream ♦ Glazed Baked Ham ♦ Grilled Chicken w/Wild Mushrooms ♦ San Francisco Shellfish Stew ♦ Green Bean Casserole ♦ Spring Vegetables ♦ Field Green Salad ♦ Omelet Bar
Adults $29.50 Children $13.95 Age 10 & under
♦ Scrambled Eggs & Hash Browns ♦ Bacon and Sausage ♦ Pancakes & Maple Syrup ♦ Smoked Salmon ♦ Bagels & Cream Cheese ♦ Blintz w/Strawberry Sauce ♦ Decadent Dessert Table
In Clayton
8100 Maryland • 314-726-5055
03.25.16-03.31.16 • ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH • GO! MAGAZINE
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The Grea te
st Ballet O
f All Time
!
April 1–3 TICKETS
TOUHILL.ORG 314–516–4949
SLB Dancer Audrey Honert; Photo by Pratt Kreidich
�
�
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GO! MAGAZINE • ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH • 03.25.16-03.31.16
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We put the element of FUN into science!
slsc.org
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When you design, the most common reaction is “fun.” Enjoy a film at our OMNIMAX® Theater, gaze under the stars at the James S. McDonnell Planetarium, and dig deeper with over 700 interactive exhibits. General admission is always free.
03.25.16-03.31.16 • ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH • GO! MAGAZINE
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iPARTY
• Wayne Hancock, 9 p.m. July 9, $12-$15.
BONNIE RAITT • MARCH 18 • PEABODY OPERA HOUSE Tim and Deb Akin of St. Louis Marcia and Tim Underwood of Sikeston, Mo. David Owens and Liz Warden, both of St. Louis Karen and Dale Carlson of Belleville From left: Ouiba Hargens of Omaha, Neb., and Cathy and Jim White of St. Louis Kristi and Todd Weis of St. Louis Pam and Ed Levine of Syracuse, N.Y. From left: Shari Stirnweis of St. Louis and Lisa and Mike Mild of Lincoln, Neb. Larry and Vikki Redington of Hillsboro, Mo. Lee and Francine Evans of St. Louis Laura Korte of Highland, Ill., and Mike Boulware of Greenville, Ill. Kirk and Courtni Holdegraver of Shrewsbury
• Jeff Radford, 9 p.m. May 7, $10. The Firebird Ticketfly.com • Trapt, Superbob, Skylines in Ruin, Fly Method, 7 p.m. April 11, $15-$17. • Red Sun Rising, 7 p.m. May 26, $15. Fox Theatre MetroTix.com • Celtic Thunder, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 8, $45-$75, on sale at 10 a.m. April 4. Helium Comedy Club heliumcomedy club.com • Steve-O, 8 p.m. May 12, 7:30 and 10 p.m. May 1314, $22-$36. Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre Livenation.com • Kenny Chesney, Old Dominion, 7:30 p.m. July 14, $25-$76.25, on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, no service fees at the box office the first week of sales. • Vans Warped Tour with Good Charlotte, Less Than Jake, Sum 41, Issues, Falling in Reverse, New Found Glory, Bullet for My Valentine, Pepper, We the Kings, Mayday Parade, Yellowcard, Atreyu and many more, 11 a.m. July 27, $41.50. Lumière Live Ticketmaster.com • Rock ’N Blues Concert and Fundraiser with Bobby Rush, Shemekia Copeland, Big George Brock and emcee Big Llou Johnson, 7:30 p.m April 1, sold out.
Bonnie Raitt
Old Rock House MetroTix.com • Black Stone Cherry, 8 p.m May 23, $20-$22, on sale at 5 p.m. Friday. The Pageant Ticketmaster.com • Eagles of Death Metal, 8 p.m. May 24, $27.50$32.50, on sale at 10 a.m. Friday. • The Claypool Lennon Delirium, 8:30 p.m. June 12, $26.50-$31, on sale at 10 a.m. Friday. • M83, 8 p.m. July 25, $32.50$42.50, on sale at 10 a.m. Friday. Pulitzer Arts Foundation stlsymphony.org • Glenn Kotche of Wilco and the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra perform “Ilimaq,” 7:30 p.m. April 20, $20. The Ready Room Ticketfly.com • Femi Kuti & the Positive Force, 8 p.m. July 9, $25. Ritz-Carlton St. Louis MetroTix.com • Donell Jones, Arvin Mitchell, Rhoda G., 7 p.m. May 8, $40-$45 with VIP options available. River City Casino Ticketmaster.com • Gregg Allman, 8 p.m. July 15, $50-$65. • Ted Nugent, 8 p.m. Aug. 7, $45-$55.
Find iParty photos from this event and more around town, and order photo reprints and keepsake merchandise: stltoday.com/iparty
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PHOTOS: JON GITCHOFF
TICKET TRACKER
Off Broadway Ticketfly.com
Musical mix
The Blender The Dark Room evolves beyond
its wine bar and photo gallery roots
BY KEVIN C. JOHNSON / POP MUSIC CRITIC / KJOHNSON@POST-DISPATCH.COM
Running a venue in Grand Center can come with a set of challenges, but over at the Dark Room, things have been evolving nicely since opening two years ago as a wine bar and photo gallery. “What we realized was the challenges of doing a retail space in Grand Center are real,” says Dark Room owner Chris Hansen, who conceived the venue as a place that could bring life north of Washington Avenue in the popular arts district. What he saw early on was that, after shows at the Fox Theatre and Powell Hall, or when the venues were in a slow season, the area was essentially dark (save for the nearby Ferring Jazz Bistro). “The challenges were to be consistent, not closed,” Hansen says. “We wanted to build culture, drive our own traffic, be a destination upon itself, since there aren’t enough places staying open with consistent hours. We had to make it so people are comfortable with this being their night out. It’s hard to justify keeping your doors open. Our commitment is keeping our doors open no matter what.” The Dark Room reached its initial goal of being a place where wine and photography combine to attract both stltoday.com/blender
@kevincjohnson
arts patrons and casual viewers. But since then it has morphed into more. “The place grew a life of its own as the patrons and staff ultimately defined the space,” Hansen says. The Dark Room saw business increase 200 percent from 2014 to 2015. Hansen saw that he could drive traffic through music. He slowly began programming music, a mix of local musicians he had relationships with. The musicians were rolled out in a lowkey fashion, and a following developed. Now, the room presents live music, heavy on jazz, five nights a week. “Musicians have found a certain fellowship here,” Hansen says. Tuesday nights at the Dark Room are “Tuesdays Composer’s Club” with Tim Fischer, an evening that’s part education, workshop and performance. #WineFlightWednesdays feature the Kasimu Taylor Trio. Thursdays are Ptah Williams/Eric Slaughter Band. #FridayFizz features Mo Egeston and Jesse Gannon. Saturdays bring rotating bands followed by the Soulition DJs. “We are the place for local live jazz in St. Louis,” Hansen says. “We’re claiming that and doubling down on it. St. Louis happens to have a great local jazz scene, and this is a place for it to live.” The food at the Dark Room has also @blenderpd
@kevincjohnson
evolved. Hansen says with the focus on art and wine in the early days, the food was primarily “a little snack before (patrons) went somewhere.” Guest chefs were brought in until executive chef Samantha Pretto was hired in 2015. General manager Denise Mueller fine-tuned the wine selection since coming on board at the end of 2014. As for the photography, Hansen says the goal has always been to present works to ensure the space is recognized as a legitimate gallery while remaining relevant and progressive. Six exhibitions are showcased each year. “We don’t mind offending,” Hansen says. “We don’t look at it as ‘Is it PC, or will everyone agree with it?’ We let art be art. It has a home here. If you don’t like it, sorry. We’re not bashful about saying that. What we’re presenting is important.” The photography and music are programmed and sponsored by the Kranzberg Arts Foundation; Hansen is the foundation’s director of operations. The Dark Room isn’t Hansen’s first time with a venue. He opened and operated Lola downtown for many years but left the restaurant/club before it closed in 2014. “You always learn from your successes and failures, and you always strive to apply the things you’ve learned,” he says of Lola. “For me, success would have meant forever. It brings me no joy for things I bring to life to not outlive me.” WHAT The Dark Room Two-Year Anniversary
Event with Mo E All-Stars Trio and Jesse Gannon • WHEN 4 p.m.-midnight Friday • WHERE The Dark Room, 615 North Grand Boulevard • HOW MUCH Free • MORE INFO thedarkroomstl.com
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PLAYOFFS
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GO INSIDE THE NEW NATIONAL BLUES MUSEUM
Make your picks through April 6 in our Pizza Playoffs bracket. You could win $50 to spend at the winning spot. stltoday.com/contests
After delays, the National Blues Museum downtown opens to the public April 2. Coming Sunday, watch for a preview of the museum. In Sunday’s P-D A&E section
Michael Baird in “Hedwig and the Angry Inch”
‘Unfamiliar territory’ Michael Baird, starring in Stray Dog Theatre’s ‘Hedwig and the Angry Inch,’ likes roles that make him stretch BY JUDITH NEWMARK / THEATER CRITIC / JNEWMARK@POST-DISPATCH.COM
W
hen “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” debuted off-Broadway in 1998, the playwright, John Cameron Mitchell, starred as the title character, a young East German who, following a botched sex-change operation, turns into an internationally ignored glam-rock diva.
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That time, the show — with music and lyrics by Stephen Trask — won the Obie for best musical. When Neil Patrick Harris starred in its 2014 Broadway production, it won a clutch of Tony Awards, including best revival of a musical and best actor in a musical. Now, Michael Baird says, he has plenty of sympathy for what Mitchell and Harris went through. “The songs in the show use different
GO! MAGAZINE • ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH • 03.25.16-03.31.16
kinds of rock,” explains the 25-yearold actor, who assays the demanding, gender-bending role in a new production of “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” opening at Stray Dog Theatre. “I keep checking: Where is my voice? What’s my register? And the makeup, the wigs — I come from a small Kentucky town. This is way out of my comfort zone!” But then, who wants to live in a comfort zone? Not Baird, who came to St. Louis “WHEN I LOOKED four years ago AT MYSELF IN for Teach for A DRESS FOR America and THE FIRST “fell in love TIME, I FELT ... with this city.” EMPOWERED. It didn’t hurt I WAS DOING that he quickly SOMETHING started to build ARTISTIC — a theatrical SOMETHING resume, parDIFFERENT. IT ticularly with WAS UNFAMILIAR Stray Dog. His TERRITORY. previous roles IT MADE ME there have inREACH. IT cluded CB in MADE ME ASK, the “Peanuts”‘WHAT ARE THE inspired POSSIBILITIES play “Dog HERE?’ ” Sees God,” MICHAEL BAIRD a monkey in the world-premiere musical “Spellbound!” and a seductive dancing waiter in “Cabaret.” And then, in Stray Dog’s December production of the raucous “Devil Boys from Beyond,” he donned a dress. As scheming Lucinda, an evil reporter, Baird vamped it up in a brunette wig and an assortment of glamour-girl outfits. “When I looked at myself in a dress for Neil Patrick Harris as Hedwig
the first time, I felt ... empowered,” he recalls. “I was doing something artistic — something different. It was unfamiliar territory. “It made me reach. It made me ask, ‘What are the possibilities here?’” Priscilla Case, the show’s wig and makeup stylist, helped Baird explore them. “She’s amazing,” he says. “I would go to her shop (Hair Suite Too) to try out different makeup, different wigs, different outfits. “This is apart from rehearsal. For a show like this, you have to prepare to prepare!” Before it came to Broadway, “Hedwig” already had a wide cult following. The show has been performed all over (including back-to-back productions that New Line Theatre and Vanity Theatre staged here in 2005). As a result, Baird said, many people already have an opinion about Hedwig: “They just can’t tolerate her.” The biggest issue, he thinks, is the way that Hedwig treats her husband, Yitzhak, the only other character onstage. (As she tells her stories, Hedwig portrays many other people herself.) Yitzhak is usually played by a woman; in this production, that’s Anna Skidis. “She bosses him around,” Baird said. “She treats him like dirt — and that’s her only interaction with another person. It can be abrasive. “But when Hedwig tells her stories, you can see that she is the creation of her environment. I hope the audience will be able to see that, and to find a way to love her the way that I have during rehearsal.” WHAT “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” • WHEN Thursday through April
16; performances at 8 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays, and 8 p.m. April 6 and 13 • WHERE Tower Grove Abbey, 2336 Tennessee Avenue • HOW MUCH $20-$25; $45 Signature Seating includes cabaret-style seating, two drinks and a preshow meeting with Hedwig • MORE INFO 314-865-1995; straydogtheatre.org
Find more events, reviews and blogs by our critics ➙ stltoday.com/arts stltoday.com/go
P H O T O : J O H N G A N N A M ( B A I R D ) ; A S S O C I AT E D P R E S S F I L E ( H A R R I S ) ; J . B . F O R B E S / P O S T- D I S PAT C H ( B L U E S M U S E U M )
PIZZA
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BEN AFFLECK
BATMAN
DYNAMIC DUO P H O T O S : WA R N E R B R O S . P I C T U R E S
‘BATMAN V SUPERMAN’ PRESENTS THE TWO SUPERHEROES AS ADVERSARIES. IT’S ALSO ANOTHER SHOT AT GIVING THE MAN OF STEEL SOME OF THE DARK KNIGHT’S EDGE. BY CALVIN WILSON
HENRY CAVILL
SUPERMAN
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REVIEW ON PAGE 18
THAT SUPERMAN IS FASTER THAN A SPEEDING BULLET,
more powerful than a locomotive and able to leap tall buildings in a single bound isn’t in dispute — and hasn’t been since the character made his first comic-book appearance in 1938. In fact, you might even say he’s faster than the speed of light, more powerful than a thermonuclear bomb and able to fly from the earth to the moon and back without breaking a sweat. • But despite his impressive talents, the Man of Steel has a formidable image problem: He’s boring. • Yeah, once in a while he has a run-in with kryptonite that reduces him to an agony-stricken mass of protoplasm. But it’s inevitable that he’ll somehow manage to survive and go right back to being in dire need of a personality makeover.
P H O T O S : WA R N E R B R O S . P I C T U R E S ( “ B AT M A N V S U P E R M A N ” ) ; F I L E ( R E E V E S , R E E V E , R O U T H , W E S T, K E AT O N , B A L E )
Henry Cavill and Amy Adams in “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice”
In an era in which moviegoers prefer heroes with at least a hint of craziness — as evidenced by the phenomenal success of “Deadpool” — Superman is a hard sell. Which goes a long way toward explaining the strategy behind the latest potential blockbuster, “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.” The film, which presents the two heroes as adversaries, is at once a sequel to 2013’s “Man of Steel” — which began to reposition the title character as less of a savior from the stars than an alien whose motives humans fear — and a warmup for the much-anticipated “Justice League” movie that hits multiplexes in 2017 and might do for DC Comics what the “Avengers” franchise has done for its longtime rival, Marvel. It’s also another shot at lending Superman some of the dark-and-dangerous mojo that has made Batman one of the most intriguing presences on the big screen. Ben Affleck steps into the role previously assumed, with varying degrees of success, by actors including Christian Bale (in director Christopher Nolan’s “Dark Knight” trilogy), Michael Keaton (in two films by Tim Burton), Val Kilmer and George Clooney. Returning as Superman is Henry Cavill, who certainly looked the part in “Man of Steel” but whose scant chemistry with Amy Adams as Lois Lane left some moviegoers longing for the romantic rapport that Christopher Reeve had with Margot Kidder in “Superman” (1978) and “Superman II” (1980). Throughout comics history, Superman and Batman have frequently
Ben
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ThE bEsT MusIcAL oF ThE YEAR.” -New York Magazine
Final nces! rma Perfo
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ToNIghT 8pM • sATuRdAY 2 & 8pM • suNdAY 1pM
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Ap stltoday.com/go
n Affleck
crossed paths, but mostly as allies. The DC publication “World’s Finest Comics” regularly featured stories in which they teamed up, sometimes including Batman’s sidekick, Robin. But the Man of Steel and the Dark Knight are most famous for their exploits on their own. Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Schuster, Superman first appeared in the debut issue of “Action Comics” (cover date: June 1938), which was published by DC. “Superman,” a comic book devoted exclusively to the title character, was launched a year later. Born on the planet Krypton (before its destruction) as Kal-El, Superman was rocketed to Earth and raised in Kansas by farmer Jonathan Kent and his wife Martha. As such, the Man of Steel is emblematic of American values, and his mythology is in accordance with the classic paradigm of the small-town boy (from, appropriately, Smallville) who ventures into the big city — in this case, Metropolis. It’s a science-fiction story with a homespun spin. The story of Batman turns that mythology on its head. The character symbolizes not idyllic rural optimism but gritty urban pragmatism. Created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, the character debuted in DC’s “Detective Comics” No. 27 (May 1939) and became the star of his own comic book in the spring of 1940. Particularly in the early stories, Batman is an unapologetic vigilante whose worldview was shaped by the murder of his wealthy
socialite parents, Dr. Thomas Wayne and his wife Martha, when he was a boy. Young Bruce Wayne’s frame of moral reference is not small-town innocence but the large-scale corruption of Gotham City. If Superman is science fiction, Batman is film noir. Because of the trauma he suffered from the loss of his parents, Batman’s moral default is based on the idea that bad things are bound to happen to good people. Superman, rather unfashionably for these cynical times, persists in adhering to a sunnier perspective. Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Jules Feiffer, best known for his Village Voice comic strips, has made the point (picked up by Quentin Tarantino in “Kill Bill”) that what sets Superman apart from most superheroes is that the character’s true identity is the costumed crime-fighter, not the secret identity he adopts to function in everyday life. “Superman had only to wake up in the morning to be Superman. In his case, Clark Kent was the put-on,” Feiffer wrote in an essay included in the 1965 book, “The Great Comic Book Heroes.” “And for what purpose?” he continued. “The truth may be that Kent existed not for the purposes of the story but for the reader. He is Superman’s opinion of the rest of us, a pointed caricature of what we, the noncriminal element, were really like. His fake identity was our real one. That’s why we loved him so.” Indeed, as boring as he is, it’s unlikely that the Man of Steel will ever completely lose our affection — regardless of whether “Batman v Superman” is a hit or a flop at the box office.
OUT FOR JUSTICE
NOTABLE ACTORS WHO HAVE PORTRAYED THE HERO OF METROPOLIS AND THE GUARDIAN OF GOTHAM CITY MEN OF STEEL
DARK KNIGHTS
▲ George Reeves crusaded for “truth, justice and the American way” on the “Adventures of Superman” television show in the 1950s. Speculation surrounding the actor’s death in 1959 was the subject of the 2006 film, “Hollywoodland,” in which Affleck played Reeves.
▲ Adam West was a somewhat flabby Batman in the 1960s television series that co-starred Burt Ward as Robin and became a ratings hit and pop-culture phenomenon, inviting viewers to check out the next episode at the “same Bat-time, same Bat-channel.”
▲ Christopher Reeve took on the role of the high-flying superhero on the big screen in the 1970s and ‘80s, delivering the required heroics with a tongue-in-cheek charm, and playing Clark Kent as a distinctly separate and sympathetic character.
▲ Michael Keaton overcame fan skepticism at his casting in “Batman” (1989), director Tim Burton’s gothic take on the caped crusader — getting to the heart of Bruce Wayne’s darkness and successfully reprising the role in “Batman Returns” (1992).
▲ Brandon Routh, a dead ringer for Reeve, earned critical praise in “Superman Returns,” a 2006 effort to reboot the series that was marred by a disappointing script and the miscasting of an oddly humorless Kate Bosworth as Lois Lane.
▲ Christian Bale became a bona fide superstar with his fierce, growling interpretation of the caped crusader, fulfilling director Christopher Nolan’s vision of a vigilante whose heroism is merely incidental to his mission to eliminate crime in Gotham City. BY CALVIN WILSON
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RENT
THIS!
TOP REDBOX RENTALS FOR MARCH 22 “The Big Short” (Paramount) “Spectre” (Fox) “The Night Before” (Sony) “Black Mass” (Warner) “The Good Dinosaur” (BVHE) “The Intern” (Warner) “The Martian” (Fox) “Steve Jobs” (Universal) “Straight Outta Compton” (Universal) “The 33” (Warner)
OUR MOVIE RATINGS ★ Skip it ★★ So-so ★★★ Good ★★★★ Excellent
Henry Cavill in “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice”
Heroic effort
Zack Snyder’s ‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’ is a solid comic-book flick. ★★★ BY CALVIN WILSON / CALVINWILSON@POST-DISPATCH.COM
I
n his approach to fighting crime, Batman (Ben Affleck) isn’t particularly fond of restraint — and that has Gotham City’s bad guys terrified. But the Caped Crusader’s zeal in meting out justice has earned him a reputation as a vigilante, and attracted the attention of a reporter who happens to have some issues of his own. Clark Kent (Henry Cavill), who works for the Daily Planet in Metropolis, sees Batman not as a kindred spirit
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but as a dark reflection. As Superman, Kent strives to do the right thing even in the most difficult of circumstances. But like Batman, he must deal with public scrutiny — particularly from Senator Finch (Holly Hunter), who questions whether the Man of Steel can be trusted to use his powers responsibly. His rescue of colleague and girlfriend Lois Lane (Amy Adams) from yet another tight spot appears to strengthen Finch’s argument.
GO! MAGAZINE • ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH • 03.25.16-03.31.16
Observing from the sidelines with manic glee is corrupt industrialist Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg, channeling both Heath Ledger’s take on the Joker and his own performance as Facebook mogul Mark Zuckerberg in “The Social Network”). Luthor is the guy Finch should really be worried about. His nefarious strategy includes pitting the crime fighters against each other. “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” gets points just for finding a way to make a battle between the title characters credible. But the film’s impact is somewhat undercut by a loud and interminable heroes-versus-scarymonster sequence that cheapens all that had come before — and sets up a
late-coming plot twist that’s likely to be met with considerable skepticism. Working from a screenplay by Chris Terrio (“Argo”) and David S. Goyer (“The Dark Knight Rises”), director Zack Snyder delivers a superhero epic that’s a significant improvement on his work on its predecessor, “Man of Steel.” That’s due in large part to the controversially cast Affleck, who brings not only physical but psychological heft to the Dark Knight and practically steals the film. As potential blockbusters go, “Batman v Superman” is neither as stupid nor as stupendous as it might have been. WHAT “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” • RUN TIME 2:31 • RATING PG-13 • CONTENT
Intense violence and action, sensuality
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Celebrating 21 years in the Loop
Hippie Boutique
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S E RV I N G U P S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y
Jonathan Gold in “City of Gold�
‘City of Gold’ is an appealing documentary on LA food critic ★★★ BY MICHAEL PHILLIPS / CHICAGO TRIBUNE
PHOTO: SUNDANCE INSTITUTE
A
n amiable documentary about an extraordinarily well-liked critic, director Laura Gabbert’s “City of Gold� follows its subject, Jonathan Gold of the Los Angeles Times, as he drives his Dodge pickup from Oaxacan restaurant to Ethiopian joint to his favorite Southern Thai place (Jitlada, on Sunset) looking for his next great, cheap, aromatic meal. The film will mean one thing, or set of things, to those living within a few miles of his recommendations and another thing to those who haven’t been following Gold’s writing since Ronald Reagan was in office. The selling points here, as with any food documentaries, are the many close-ups of glorious-looking food bubbling on a stove, much of it prepared and served in food trucks or in tiny strip mall locations.
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Gold’s palate is expansive and democratic, and he’s a terrific writer (the first to win a Pulitzer for restaurant coverage). First published in the LA Weekly, Gold’s “Counter Intelligence� dispatches became rolling accounts, grease-stained and loving, of his native city, one entree or taco or bowl of peppery stew at a time. He wrote, and writes still, about the way LA’s first-generation cooks from all over the globe become a crucial part of the geography and spiritual fabric of their surroundings. The onetime cellist and full-time punk-rock aficionado did more to redraw the image of the haute-cuisine restaurant critic than any other human. In the film we learn a few basics about how Gold met and married editor Laurie Ochoa (now the Los Angeles Times
Arts and Entertainment editor), with whom he has two kids; the very real monetary value Gold’s lavish praise has meant for so many fledgling restaurateurs; and Gold’s own views on criticism, which he conveyed in a UCLA commencement address excerpted in the documentary. “Criticism is criticism,â€? he says. “An aria is in some way equivalent to a well-cooked potato.â€? We learn from “City of Goldâ€? that he has a procrastination problem; one editor and friend, Peter Meehan, speaks of nearly “psychotic levels of email and phone and text harassmentâ€? required to get Gold to turn something in. On camera, Gold is good, easy company; he doesn’t have a wearying “onâ€? quality, which is nice. The whole movie’s nice, maybe too nice. Director Gabbert doesn’t push her subject into anything too uncomfortable. Still, it’s a tasty primer on the man, the eater, the critic and the city. WHAT “City of Goldâ€? • RUN TIME 1:31 • RATING R • CONTENT Some language
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French film ‘Marguerite’ hits all the right notes ★★★½ BY SARAH BRYAN MILLER / SBMILLER@POST-DISPATCH.COM
M
arguerite Dumont has a great heart, a great fortune, great faith in her abilities as a singer and an even greater gap between her perceptions of her talent and the reality. “Bel canto” means “beautiful singing,” but what Marguerite inflicts on her listeners is quite the opposite — more like “mal canto.” When she opens up, children dive under tables, strong men flee, and her pet peacock Caruso responds with a strikingly similar squawk. “Marguerite,” a French production starring Catherine Frot, directed by Xavier Giannoli and written by Giannoli and Marcia Romano, is “inspired by a true story,” that of American socialitewannabe opera singer Florence Foster Jenkins. A biopic about Jenkins, whose recordings have provided party fare for
20
generations of music students, is on the way with Meryl Streep in the title role. “Marguerite” is worth seeing on its own terms. The year is 1920. Marguerite (whose name’s similarity to that of Marx Brothers doyenne Margaret Dumont may not be coincidental) gives a private recital to benefit war orphans at her chateau near Paris for the Amadeus Club; its members tolerate her caterwauling for the sake of the talented performers her largesse enables them to hire. Her philandering husband, Georges (André Marcon), avoids the issue and her voice by staging automotive breakdowns on recital days. Her imposing butler Madelbos (Denis Mpunga) protects and enables her, while constantly adding to a trove of photographs of her posing costumed for roles that she will never sing. Marguerite loses most of
her friends after taking part in a public piece of anarchist performance art, but she’s hooked on the idea of giving a real recital, for a real audience. She hires an over-the-hill tenor, Atos Pezzini (Michel Fau), to prepare her. But what Marguerite really wants is her husband’s love, and her grip on reality is none too firm. Still, she manages a few beautiful notes at a key moment. “Marguerite” is a tragicomedy, blending hilarity with heartbreaking pathos. Frot won a well-deserved Cesar (the French equivalent of the Oscars; the film won three others, for its sumptuous costumes and sets, and for sound) for her convincing portrayal of the untalented woman with an artist’s soul. The film is a little long; a couple of subplots could be shed with no problem. But “Marguerite” is a shining star, a film that will set you laughing and thinking in equal measure. WHAT “Marguerite” • RUN TIME 2:09 • RATING R • CONTENT
Brief graphic nudity and sexual content, and a scene of drug use • LANGUAGE In French with English subtitles
GO! MAGAZINE • ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH • 03.25.16-03.31.16
There’s nothing new in ‘My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2’ ★★ BY KATIE WALSH / TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE
B
ack in 2002, “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” became a bona fide cultural phenomenon, a romantic comedy that mined the cultural traditions of the Greek heritage of unknown writer and star Nia Vardalos. The film picked up an Oscar nomination for Vardalos’ original screenplay, everyone began adding “My Big Fat” in front of various nouns, and we all learned a thing or two about the versatility of Windex. Fourteen years later, Vardalos and gang are back again for another wedding, but this time, it’s to drastically diminished returns. The screenplay feels as if it was written the year after the first film’s success, just with a few jokes about Facetime inserted for 2016 topicality. The rest of the jokes either don’t land or feel about as fresh as a
two-day old spanakopita. The first half of the film is incredibly rough, a stilted, awkward affair where all the timing is off and none of the halfhearted physical comedy or Greek puns truly land. Part of this is due to Vardalos’ performance. She plays Toula with a dull, listless, deer-in-theheadlights gaze. This is clearly a choice for the story — she’s lost the romance and zest in her relationship since being a mom to teenager Paris (Elena Kampouris). At the urging of her Aunt Voula (absolute MVP Andrea Martin), who reminds her she was “a girlfriend before a mom,” she finally puts on makeup and makes out with her husband, the WASPy lumberjack Ian (John Corbett). This seems to wake her up a bit. Still, the film has much ground to make up after
the rocky start. While the marketing for the movie seems to suggest that her daughter is the one getting married, that’s a bait and switch. In actuality, it’s Toula’s parents who are having another big fat Greek wedding, after discovering that their Greek marriage certificate was never signed. Once the wedding swings into gear, “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2” finally finds its footing. If you liked the first film, there’s more to enjoy from these characters, and the devoted long-term relationship between Toula’s parents (played wonderfully by Lainie Kazan and Michael Constantine) has its truly sweet moments. But there’s nothing fresh brought to the table, and it lacks the element of surprise and discovery of the first film. It’s just another 90 minutes with this group of characters, and unfortunately, that’s not enough. WHAT “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2” • RUN TIME 1:34 • RATING PG-13 • CONTENT
Some suggestive material
★ Skip it ★★ So-so ★ ★★ Good ★★ ★★ Excellent stltoday.com/go
P H O T O S : C O H E N M E D I A G R O U P ( “ M A R G U E R I T E ” ) ; U N I V E R S A L P I C T U R E S ( “ M Y B I G FAT G R E E K W E D D I N G 2 ” )
Alex Wolff and Elena Kampouris in “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2”
Catherine Frot in “Marguerite”
“FUNNY, BEGUILING AND AFFECTING.
“Wonderfully enjoyable.” -Joe Morgenstern,
“MARVELOUS. Hits all the right notes.”
SALLY FIELD GIVES PERHAPS THE YEAR’S FIRST OSCAR®-WORTHY LEAD ACTRESS PERFORMANCE.”
-Kenneth Turan,
“A pitch-perfect comedy...”
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GARY GOLDSTEIN, LOS ANGELES TIMES
“I LOVED IT.... SALLY FIELD IS SO LOVABLE. FUNNY AND REAL.”
-Peter Debruge,
“A SHOWSTOPPER.” JOE LEYDON, VARIETY
“FANTASTIC.” CHRISTOPHER ROSEN, THE HUFFINGTON POST
JEN ORTIZ, MARIE CLAIRE
BAFTA AWARD GOLDEN GLOBE AWARD NOMINEE ®
BEST ACTRESS Maggie Smith ACADEMY AWARD® WINNER
MAGGIE SMITH ALEX JENNINGS
LADY VAN
THE IN THE
directed by NICHOLAS HYTNER screenplay by ALAN BENNETT from his memoir
OFFICIAL SELECTION
TELLURIDE FILM FESTIVAL 2015 OFFICIAL SELECTION
VENICE FILM FESTIVAL 2015
ACADEMY AWARD® WINNER R
SALLY FIELD
COVER YOUR EARS AND OPEN YOUR HEART
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CREVE COEUR DES PERES AMC West Olive 16 Wehrenberg Des Peres 14 amctheatres.com Cine (314) 822-4903
FRONTENAC Landmark’s Plaza Frontenac Cinema (314) 994-3733
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03.25.16-03.31.16 • ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH • GO! MAGAZINE
21
032516
() J CC DVS OC DP
Showtimes and movies change daily and are provided by the theaters.
Friday, March 25, 2016
Central
St. Charles / O’Fallon
Chase Park Plaza (St. Louis Cinemas)
314-367-0101 Kingshighway & Lindell J Batman v Superman: Dawn of
St. Charles Stadium 18 Cine (Wehrenberg)
(11:30 AM 2:45) 6:00
1830 First Capitol Dr. www.wehrenberg.com
9:15 PM
J Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (PG-13) DVS,CC,No VIP after 6PM
Justice (PG-13) DP
J Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice 3D (PG-13) DP J My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 (PG-13) DP (11:10 AM 1:10 3:15) 5:20 7:25 9:30
10 Cloverfield Lane (PG-13) DP (12:00 2:15 4:30) 7:00 9:40
Hello, My Name Is Doris (R) DP
(10:45 AM 12:50 2:55 5:00) 7:10 9:10 Zootopia (PG) DP (11:00 AM 1:30 4:00) 6:30 9:00
Galleria 6 (St. Louis Cinemas)
St. Louis Galleria 314-725-0808 J Batman v Superman: Dawn of
Justice (PG-13) DP
(9:30 AM 12:35 3:40) 6:50 10:00
J Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice 3D (PG-13) DP (11:00 AM 2:15) 5:30 8:45
7:20 10:45
J My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 (PG-13) DVS,CC,No VIP after 6PM 12:40 5:45 8:15
J Miracles from Heaven (PG) DVS,CC,No VIP after 6PM
10 Cloverfield Lane (PG-13) DVS,CC 12:05 2:35 5:15 8:00 10:30
Zootopia (PG) DVS,CC 11:00 AM 1:45 4:25
The Divergent Series: Allegiant (PG-13) DP
Deadpool (R) DVS,CC
(11:05 AM 1:40 4:15) 7:00 9:35
J Miracles from Heaven (PG) DP
3:00 PM
(10:55 AM 1:30 4:00) 6:30 9:00
Clayton & Skinker
(1:00) 3:00 5:15 7:30 9:30
Hi-Pointe Backlot 1002 Hi-Pointe Place
Hello, My Name Is Doris (R) DP
314-995-6273
(2:00) 4:15 6:30 8:30
Moolah Theatre & Lounge (St. Louis Cinemas)
11:15 AM 12:10 12:45 2:45 3:30 4:10 6:10 7:00 7:30 9:35 10:30 11:00
J Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice 3D (PG-13) DVS,CC,No VIP after 6PM 11:45 AM 3:10 6:30 9:50
2 (PG-13) DVS,CC,No VIP after 6PM
(3:45) 7:00
J Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice 3D (PG-13) DP (12:30) 10:15
Omnimax St. Louis Science Center 5050 Oakland Ave.
Jerusalem (NR) 1:00 PM
11:00 AM 2:00 4:00
National Parks Adventure (America Wild) (NR) 10:00 AM 12:00 3:00 5:00
Tivoli Theatre (Landmark) 6350 Delmar in the Loop J The Bronze (R) DVS
11:55 AM 2:15 4:35 7:00 9:20
J The Divergent Series: Allegiant (PG-13) DVS,CC,No VIP after 6PM 11:00 AM 1:50 2:20 4:40 5:10 7:30 8:05 10:20 11:00
314-289-4400 J Miracles from
Living in the Age of Airplanes (NR)
314-727-7271
(12:20) 4:50 9:35
J Creative Control (R) (2:35) 7:10
J Only Yesterday (Omohide poro poro) (NR)
Heaven (PG) DVS,CC,No VIP after 6PM 10:50 AM 1:30 4:10 7:00
London Has Fallen (R) DVS,CC 11:35 AM
Zootopia (PG) DVS,CC 11:30 AM 1:15 2:10 4:50 7:30 10:05
Deadpool (R) DVS,CC 10:00 PM
4:45 9:25
J Spotlight (R) DVS
(1:50) 4:25 7:00 9:15
22
J Batman v Superman: Dawn of
Justice (PG-13) No VIP after 6PM 10:30 AM 11:45 AM 12:45 3:15 4:15 5:30 7:00 7:45 10:30
J Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
11:15 AM 2:00 2:45 6:30 9:00 10:00
J My Big Fat Greek Wedding
2 (PG-13) No VIP after 6PM 10:30 AM 11:30 AM 1:00 2:00 3:30 4:30 6:05 7:05
6:00 PM
J The Bronze (R) No VIP after 6PM 10:00 AM
J The Divergent Series:
Allegiant (PG-13) No VIP after 6PM 10:20 AM 1:20 4:20 7:20 10:20
J Miracles from Heaven (PG) No VIP after 6PM 10:50 AM 1:35 4:25 7:10 9:50
10 Cloverfield Lane (PG-13) 11:15 AM 2:00 4:45 7:30 10:15
The Young Messiah (PG-13) 1:30 PM
London Has Fallen (R) 11:00 AM 4:05 6:45 9:30
Zootopia (PG) 10:00 AM 10:55 AM 12:40 1:35 3:30 4:20 6:10 7:00 9:00 9:40
W E H RE NBERG
(12:15) 2:30 7:05
J Only Yesterday (Omohide poro poro) (NR)
www.wehrenberg.com
J ThozhaNo VIP after 6PM J Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (PG-13) DVS,CC,No VIP after 6PM
Lindell & Vandeventer 314-446-6868 J My Big Fat Greek Wedding J Batman v Superman: Dawn of
Justice (PG-13) DP
40 & Winghaven Blvd.
1220 Mid Rivers Mall Dr.
11:30 AM 2:45 9:00
314-995-6273
My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 (PG-13) DP
(Wehrenberg)
J Oopiri (NR) No VIP after 6PM
(9:45 AM 12:05 2:25 4:50) 7:15 9:40
Hi-Pointe Theatre
O’Fallon Stadium 14 (Regal)
9:30
Zootopia (PG) DP
Deadpool (R) 11:00 AM 1:40 4:20 7:05 9:45
J Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (PG-13) DVS,CC,No VIP after 6PM 12:00 2:00 3:30 4:45 5:30 7:00 8:15 9:00 10:30
GO! MAGAZINE • ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH • 03.25.16-03.31.16
St. Charles / O’Fallon
Mid Rivers 14 Cine
3D (PG-13) No VIP after 6PM
10:30 PM
J My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 (PG-13) DP (10:05 AM 12:10 2:20 4:30) 6:40 8:50
St. Charles / O’Fallon
All Showtimes are p.m. unless otherwise noted
J Run (Telugu) (NR) No VIP after 6PM 8:30 PM
636-300-9900
J Batman v Superman: Dawn of
Justice (PG-13) DVS,CC (10:30 AM 11:00 AM 3:00) 4:30 6:30 8:00 10:00 11:30
J Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
3D (PG-13) CC (10:00 AM 11:30 AM 12:00 12:30 2:30 3:30) 4:00 5:00 7:00 7:30 8:30 9:30 10:30 11:00 12:00 AM
My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 (PG-13) CC (10:10 AM 1:40) 4:05 7:10 10:10
J The Divergent Series:
Allegiant (PG-13) CC (10:40 AM 1:30) 4:40 7:40 11:10
Miracles from Heaven (PG) CC (10:20 AM 12:55 3:40) 6:50 9:50
10 Cloverfield Lane (PG-13) DVS,CC
Bargain Shows No Passes Allowed Closed Captioning Descriptive Video Service Open Captioning Digital Projection
St. Charles / O’Fallon Town Square 12 Cine (Wehrenberg) 7805 Hwy N. www.wehrenberg.com
J Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (PG-13) No VIP after 6PM 11:45 AM 12:15 3:10 3:40 4:55 6:30 7:00 9:45 10:15
J Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice 3D (PG-13) No VIP after 6PM 11:00 AM 1:30 2:25 5:45 8:15 9:00
J My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 (PG-13) No VIP after 6PM 10:45 AM 11:45 AM 1:10 2:10 3:40 4:40 6:10 7:10 9:30
J The Divergent Series: Allegiant (PG-13) No VIP after 6PM 12:30 3:20 6:10 8:55
J Miracles from Heaven (PG) No VIP after 6PM 11:00 AM 1:45 4:30 7:20 10:00
10 Cloverfield Lane (PG-13) 11:30 AM 2:05 4:50 7:30 10:00
London Has Fallen (R) 8:30 PM
Zootopia (PG) 11:00 AM 11:45 AM 1:40 2:20 4:15 4:55 6:50 7:30 9:25 10:15
Deadpool (R) 11:30 AM 2:05 4:45 7:35 10:15
(2:40) 5:20 8:10 10:50
South
The Young Messiah (PG-13) CC (10:55 AM 2:10)
London Has Fallen (R) CC (2:00) 4:45 7:15 9:55
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot (R) CC (1:00) 6:45
Zootopia (PG) CC (3:50) 9:40
J Zootopia in Disney Digital 3D (PG) CC (11:40 AM) 6:40
Risen (PG-13) DVS,CC (10:50 AM 1:45)
Deadpool (R) CC (11:50 AM 2:50) 5:30 8:20 11:20
The Revenant (R) DVS,CC (11:45 AM 3:20) 7:05 10:40
Keller Plaza Cine 8 4572 Lemay Ferry Rd.
314-845-2900
Eddie the Eagle (PG-13) (11:00 AM 1:50 4:20)
How to Be Single (R) 7:00 9:40
The Boy (PG-13) 7:10 9:40
Daddy’s Home (PG-13) (11:20 AM 1:40 4:30) 7:00 9:40
The Revenant (R) (11:30 AM 3:00) 6:30 9:10
Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip (PG) (11:30 AM 2:00 4:20) 6:30 9:00
Star Wars: The Force Awakens (PG-13) (11:00 AM 1:30 4:10) 6:45 9:30
Carol (R) (10:45 AM 1:30 4:10)
Spotlight (R) (10:45 AM 1:30 4:10) 7:00 9:40
Brooklyn (PG-13) (11:10 AM 1:40 4:20) 6:45 9:10
stltoday.com/go
032516
() J CC DVS OC DP
Showtimes and movies change daily and are provided by the theaters. All Showtimes are p.m. unless otherwise noted
South
South
Ronnies 20 Cine (Wehrenberg) Arnold 14 Cine (Wehrenberg) 5320 S Lindbergh Blvd. www.wehrenberg.com J Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
The IMAX 3D Experience (PG-13) No VIP after 6PM 3:30 7:00 10:30
1912 Richardson Rd. www.wehrenberg.com J Batman v Superman: Dawn of
Justice (PG-13) No VIP after 6PM
11:30 AM 12:05 3:00 3:30 4:10 6:30 7:00 10:00 10:30
J Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice The IMAX Experience (PG-13) No VIP after 6PM
J Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice 3D (PG-13) No VIP after 6PM
J Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (PG-13) No VIP after 6PM
J My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 (PG-13) No VIP after 6PM
12:05 PM
11:40 AM 12:20 12:40 2:00 3:15 3:45 4:15 5:30 6:45 7:20 7:45 9:00 10:15 10:50 11:15
J Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice 3D (PG-13) No VIP after 6PM 11:00 AM 2:35 6:05 9:35
J My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 (PG-13) No VIP after 6PM
11:55 AM 12:55 2:25 3:25 4:50 5:50 7:15 8:15 9:40 10:35 J The Bronze (R) No VIP after 6PM 11:15 AM
J The Divergent Series: Allegiant (PG-13) No VIP after 6PM
11:30 AM 12:45 2:30 3:45 5:30 6:45 8:30 9:45 11:35
J Miracles from Heaven (PG) No VIP after 6PM 11:20 AM 2:05 4:50 7:35 10:20
10 Cloverfield Lane (PG-13)
11:40 AM 2:20 4:55 7:40 8:35 10:25 11:30 J Hello, My Name Is Doris (R) No VIP after 6PM 11:30 AM 2:00 4:30 7:10 9:40
11:00 AM 12:45 2:30 6:05 7:45 9:30
10:45 AM 11:45 AM 1:15 2:20 3:40 4:50 6:15 7:15 9:45 J The Bronze (R) No VIP after 6PM 9:00 PM
J The Divergent Series: Allegiant (PG-13) No VIP after 6PM
10:30 AM 11:20 AM 1:20 2:15 4:15 5:10 7:10 8:05 10:05 J Miracles from Heaven (PG) No VIP after 6PM 11:00 AM 1:40 4:20 7:05 9:45
10 Cloverfield Lane (PG-13) 10:45 AM 1:25 4:05 6:50 9:30
10:30 AM 11:15 AM 1:10 2:00 3:50 4:40 6:30 7:20 9:10
Deadpool (R)
North
11:35 AM 5:05 7:45 10:30
St. Louis Mills Stadium 18 (Regal)
11:00 AM 11:45 AM 12:30 1:40 2:25 3:10 4:20 5:05 5:50 7:10 7:45 9:55 10:30
Justice (PG-13) DVS,CC
London Has Fallen (R) Zootopia (PG)
Zootopia in Disney Digital 3D (PG) 1:00 3:45 6:30 9:15
Risen (PG-13) 4:30 7:15
Deadpool (R)
12:20 3:05 5:50 8:35 11:10
(10:00 AM 11:00 AM 12:30 1:00 4:00 4:45) 7:30 8:00 11:00 11:50
J Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice 3D (PG-13) CC
(10:30 AM 11:30 AM 1:30 2:30 3:00) 6:00 6:30 9:30 10:00 11:20
J Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice The IMAX 3D Experience (PG-13) CC
Gravois Bluffs Stadium 12(Regal)
J Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice The IMAX Experience (PG-13) CC
Hwy 30 @ Gravois Bluff by JC Penny 636-326-2862 J Batman v Superman: Dawn of
Justice (PG-13) DVS,CC
(11:30 AM 3:00) 6:30 10:00
J Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice 3D (PG-13) CC
(11:00 AM 12:00 2:30 3:30) 7:00 7:30 10:30 11:00
My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 (PG-13) CC
12:00 3:30 7:00 10:30 PM
My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 (PG-13) CC (11:10 AM 1:40 4:30) 7:25 10:10
J The Divergent Series: Allegiant (PG-13) CC
(10:05 AM 11:50 AM 3:25 4:40) 7:10 10:50 11:35
Miracles from Heaven (PG) CC
(10:00 AM 12:55 3:55) 6:50 9:50 10 Cloverfield Lane (PG-13) DVS,CC (1:20 4:15) 7:20 10:20
(11:40 AM 2:20) 5:00 7:40 10:10
The Perfect Match (R)
10:40 PM
The Young Messiah (PG-13) CC
The Bronze (R) DVS,CC
J The Divergent Series: Allegiant (PG-13) CC
(11:15 AM 12:20 2:05 3:50) 4:55 7:15 7:45 10:15 10:45 Miracles from Heaven (PG) CC (10:55 AM 1:40) 4:20 7:10 9:50 10 Cloverfield Lane (PG-13) DVS,CC (11:10 AM 1:45) 4:30 7:25 10:20 The Young Messiah (PG-13) CC 5:05 PM London Has Fallen (R) CC (11:50 AM 2:30) 8:00 10:50 Zootopia (PG) CC (10:50 AM 1:35) 4:15 7:05 9:45 J Zootopia in Disney Digital 3D (PG) CC (11:25 AM 2:05) 4:45 7:55 Deadpool (R) CC (11:20 AM 2:10) 4:50 7:40 10:25
stltoday.com/go
J Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (PG-13) No VIP after 6PM
The Witch (R)
J Batman v Superman: Dawn of
Justice (PG-13) No VIP after 6PM 11:00 AM 12:35 2:30 4:00 6:00 7:30 8:30 9:30
(10:50 AM 5:05) 7:55 10:55 (1:35 PM)
London Has Fallen (R) CC
(10:40 AM 4:55) 7:45 10:40
The Other Side of the Door (R) CC (10:40 AM 4:55) Zootopia (PG) CC (1:00 4:05) 7:15 10:25
J Zootopia in Disney Digital 3D (PG) CC (12:10 3:20) 6:45 9:55
Gods of Egypt (PG-13) DVS,CC
(12:25 3:45) 6:55 10:15 Triple 9 (R) CC (1:50) 8:15 Race (PG-13) CC (11:40 AM 3:35) 7:05 10:45 Deadpool (R) CC (10:10 AM 1:10 4:25) 7:40 10:45 Ride Along 2 (PG-13) CC (2:10) 7:50
10:00 AM 11:30 AM 1:30 3:00 4:30 5:00 6:30 8:30 10:00
J Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice 3D: Mega Screen (PG-13) No VIP after 6PM 12:00 3:30 7:00 10:30
11:00
J Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
3D (PG-13) No VIP after 6PM 11:35 AM 3:00 6:30 10:00
11:10 AM 12:10 1:30 2:30 3:50 4:50 6:00 7:00 9:20
J Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice 3D (PG-13) No VIP after 6PM 1:00 8:00
J The Divergent Series:
Allegiant (PG-13) No VIP after 6PM 12:45 3:45 6:45 9:45
11:05 AM 1:45 4:25 7:05 9:45
10 Cloverfield Lane (PG-13) 11:45 AM 2:35 5:10 7:45 10:20
J Hello, My Name Is Doris (R) No VIP after 6PM 11:35 AM 2:00 4:25 7:00 9:30
London Has Fallen (R)
Zootopia (PG) 11:15 AM 12:15 2:00 3:00 4:45 5:45 7:30 10:10
11:45 AM 1:00 2:15 4:45 6:00 7:15 9:45
J The Bronze (R) No VIP after 6PM
11:20 AM 2:00 7:20 9:55
The Revenant (R)
J Miracles from Heaven (PG) No VIP after 6PM 10:55 AM 1:40 4:20 7:10 10:10
Justice (PG-13) No VIP after 6PM 12:00 3:30 6:00 7:00 9:30 10:30
1:00 4:10 7:20 10:30
The Danish Girl (R)
O’Fallon 15 Cine (Wehrenberg)
10:30 AM 1:20 4:15 7:15 10:10
1320 Central Park Dr. O’Fallon www.wehrenberg.com
J Hello, My Name Is Doris (R) No VIP after 6PM
J Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (PG-13) No VIP after 6PM
11:15 AM 2:00 4:35 7:05 9:40
The Young Messiah (PG-13)
11:00 AM 12:20 1:30 2:20 3:40 4:50 5:40 7:00 8:10 8:40 9:10 10:20 11:30
3:20 PM
London Has Fallen (R)
J Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice 3D (PG-13) No VIP after 6PM
10:20 AM 8:30
11:40 AM 12:50 3:00 4:10 6:20 7:30 9:40 10:50
Zootopia (PG) 10:00 AM 10:45 AM 12:45 1:30 3:30 4:15 6:15 7:00 9:00 9:45
J My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 (PG-13) No VIP after 6PM 11:10 AM 12:10 1:30 2:30 3:50 4:50 6:10 7:10 9:30
Deadpool (R) 11:00 AM 1:45 4:35 7:30 10:10
J The Divergent Series: Allegiant (PG-13) No VIP after 6PM
J Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (PG-13) No VIP after 6PM
11:00 AM 11:55 AM 1:50 4:40 5:40 7:30 8:30 10:20 11:20
J Miracles from Heaven (PG) No VIP after 6PM 11:30 AM 2:05 4:40 7:15 9:50
10 Cloverfield Lane (PG-13)
Plaza Frontenac (Landmark) 314-994-3733
J City of Gold (R)
(11:10 AM) 1:10 1:40 3:50 4:20 6:50 7:20 9:40
J Hello, My Name Is Doris (R) DVS J Marguerite (R) (1:00) 3:55 7:00 9:10
J The Lady in the Van (PG-13) DVS (11:00 AM) 4:30 9:25
1:50 6:55
The Revenant (R)
1:20 4:15 7:05 10:00
10 Cloverfield Lane (PG-13)
(11:05 AM) 1:20 1:50 4:00 6:45 7:15 9:30
J Batman v Superman: Dawn of
1:10 4:45 7:25 9:55
Ride Along 2 (PG-13)
1:45 3:30 6:40 9:50
J Eye in the Sky (R) WE HRENBERG
1:05 4:55 7:35 10:05
The Boy (PG-13)
Star Wars: The Force Awakens 3D (PG-13)
(11:15 AM) 1:30 4:15 7:10 9:20
8:20 PM
1:25 4:20 7:15 10:10
Kung Fu Panda 3 (PG)
Star Wars: The Force Awakens (PG-13)
J The Divergent Series: Allegiant (PG-13) No VIP after 6PM
Lindbergh & Clayton
4:35 9:25
The Choice (PG-13)
1:15 3:40 7:10
10:00 AM
11:00 AM 2:30 6:00 9:30
Deadpool (R)
1:35 4:30 7:30 10:15
Daddy’s Home (PG-13)
WEHRE N B ERG
4:40 PM
50 Ludwig Dr. Fairview Heights www.wehrenberg.com
1:40 4:25 7:00 9:35
J My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 (PG-13) No VIP after 6PM
10:05 AM 1:10 4:10 7:10 10:10
5555 St. Louis Mills Blvd. (314)227-5503 J Miracles from Heaven (PG) No VIP after 6PM J Batman v Superman: Dawn of
Kung Fu Panda 3 (PG) 11:30 AM 2:00
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot (R)
www.wehrenberg.com
11:10 AM 1:50 4:40 7:30 10:10
10:00 PM 2:15 PM
450 THF Blvd. www.wehrenberg.com
2 (PG-13) No VIP after 6PM
Zootopia (PG)
St. Clair 10 Cine (Wehrenberg)
12701 Manchester Rd.
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot (R) 10:00 PM
Illinois
Chesterfield Galaxy 14 Cine (Wehrenberg)
J My Big Fat Greek Wedding
1:15 6:50 9:20
West
Des Peres 14 Cine (Wehrenberg)
The Young Messiah (PG-13) 3:50 PM London Has Fallen (R)
The Perfect Match (R)
The Young Messiah (PG-13)
West
Bargain Shows No Passes Allowed Closed Captioning Descriptive Video Service Open Captioning Digital Projection
11:40 AM 2:15 4:50 7:25 9:55
The Perfect Match (R) 9:55 PM
The Young Messiah (PG-13) 2:15 PM
London Has Fallen (R) 11:45 AM 5:05 7:35 10:05
Zootopia (PG) 11:00 AM 11:40 AM 1:00 2:15 3:35 4:45 6:10 7:20 8:45 11:20
Risen (PG-13) 2:50 PM
Deadpool (R) 11:55 AM 2:30 5:05 7:40 10:15
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MENU
still misses. Unfortunately, his biggest customers were in Iraq and Libya, so business hadn’t been great. He studied Turkish cuisine while he lived in the country, though, and one of the two chefs who oversees the kitchen is Turkish. He imported most of the restaurant’s fixtures — the copper-topped tables, the fabric on the armless, low-slung chairs, the copper pots hanging from the walls and the copper serving vessels — from Turkey. The menu focuses on grilled meats, lamb Iskender kebab at Sheesh Restaurant especially, and if Sheesh won me over with its ezogelin, the variations the chefs coax from lamb’s singular, strong flavor will bring me back. Of course, there’s a classic shish kebab The Turkish fare at Sheesh Restaurant is a soulful, ($17.99) of marinated lamb served over stirring addition to South Grand Boulevard ★★½ rice. The adana kebab ($17.99) jolts the lamb with chile, while the pistaBY IAN FROEB / RESTAURANT CRITIC / IFROEB@POST-DISPATCH.COM chio kebab ($24.99) softens the meat’s flavor with pistachio’s elegant sweetwas as welcome as it was unexpected. ach of my meals at Sheesh ness. These two kebabs are both made Sheesh had grabbed my attention. It Restaurant began with a from minced lamb formed in a long, should seize yours too. bowl of soup, a gift from flat tube around a skewer, and in both Sheesh opened in December at the the kitchen to every table. cases the intense smoky char imparted south end of South Grand Boulevard’s The first time, though, I by grilling such kebabs works with, not main commercial stretch. Safa Mardidn’t know it was soup. The server against, the distinctive accents. marchi owns the restaurant with other placed a copper bowl with a matching The iskender kebab ($19.99) sauces family members and acts as its manlid on the table and then walked away. thin slices of grilled lamb and thick, Inside the bowl was ezogelin, a tradi- ager. He’s Iraqi by birth, but for several crisp-chewy pieces of pita bread with tional Turkish soup: a brick-red tomato years he lived in Afyon, Turkey, a city butter and a moderately spicy tomato about 160 miles southwest of Ankara, broth coarse with rice, red lentils and sauce. On the side sits a scoop of coolthe capital, before coming to St. Louis bulgur. Snippets of mint floated on the ing yogurt. The contrast of bright as a refugee. surface — a deceptively cool accent. tomato, verdant lamb and tart yogurt Sheesh is Marmarchi’s first resCoiled within the soup was a sharp, is compelling, but the lamb could have taurant. In Afyon, he owned a marble persistent chile heat. Soothing and been more tender. company — a business he told me he startling in each spoonful, the ezogelin Not every lamb dish is grilled, and not every meat on the menu is lamb. stltoday.com/offthemenu stltoday.com/stl100 @ianfroeb
Turkish delights
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GO! MAGAZINE • ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH • 03.25.16-03.31.16
OUR FOOD RATINGS
★ Fair ★★ Good ★★★ Excellent ★★★★ Extraordinary
Lamb biryani ($19.99) brings a hunk of fork-tender bone-in meat atop warmly spiced rice tossed with carrots, raisins and chickpeas. The shish taouk ($17.99) reveals that the chefs’ grill mastery extends to chicken: the individual hunks are juicy throughout, with a fleeting tartness from their marinade to balance the grill char. Vegetarians will need to cobble together a meal from the selection of appetizers, salads and side dishes like a plate of crisp falafel with tahini sauce and slices of pita ($9.99). An order of the garlicky hummus ($4.99) or the creamy baba ghanouj ($4.99) is mandatory for vegetarians and carnivores alike. Both dishes are served with large, puffy rounds of fresh-baked flatbread. For dessert, the baklava’s ($4.99) densely layered phyllo is shockingly light in body and sweetness. After I completed my visits for this review, I did something I usually wouldn’t. When I made my factchecking call, the server with whom I spoke explained that Marmarchi worried about a language barrier. I’d spoken with him — briefly, casually — while dining at the restaurant, so I decided to stop by Sheesh, introduce myself and ask my questions in person. He was more than happy to talk. While we spoke, a server prepared two cups of Turkish coffee. The espresso-sized cups arrived at the table, as the ezogelin had, inside a small, lidded copper vessel. The coffee was thick, black and sweet — as soulful and stirring as Sheesh itself. WHERE Sheesh Restaurant, 3226 South Grand Boulevard • MORE INFO 314-833-4321; sheeshrestaurant.com • MENU Turkish cuisine • HOURS Lunch and dinner daily
OUR CRITIC DISHES Learn more about Ian’s visits to Sheesh Restaurant in his Off the Menu video commentary. stltoday.com/offthemenu
Find more restaurant news and reviews ➙ stltoday.com/dining stltoday.com/go
P H O T O : D AV I D C A R S O N / P O S T- D I S PAT C H
OFF THE
THE LATEST FROM STLTODAY.COM/OFFTHEMENU Chef Chris Lee will open Sure Lee’s, a breakfast and lunch restaurant, at 2639 Cherokee Street in Benton Park West, the storefront formerly occupied by Black Bear Bakery. Lee currently operates the catering firm Chef’s Table STL, which will share the Cherokee Street space with Sure Lee’s. Chef’s Table won’t be moving far — it’s already based out of a commercial kitchen on Cherokee east of South Jefferson Avenue. Lee is aiming to open by May 5 for Cherokee Street’s Cinco de Mayo revelers. A piece of St. Louis restaurant history closed last month without fanfare. Bosna Gold at 4601 Gravois Avenue in Bevo Mill announced its closure in a Facebook post Feb. 10. By some accounts, Bosna Gold’s original location just across the street was the first Bosnian restaurant in St. Louis. BY IAN FROEB
A rendering of Senn Bierwerks, slated to open in 2017
HIP HOPS
very nice pilot system (on which) our brewers are going to be able to brew to their hearts’ content,” Chalfant says. “If any of those beers pass our internal tasting panel, BY IAN FROEB / ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH then we’ll serve those in our tasting room.” Louis from Wichita, Kan., es, 2016 isn’t yet The 20-barrel in 2011 and later that 3 months old, production facility will but St. Louis beer year succeeded Marc Gottfried as Morgan Street brew beer both to be geeks can already start sold at retail and for Brewery’s head brewer. looking ahead to 2017’s an on-premises tasting He left Morgan Street new breweries. Dustin room. Chalfant says the in 2015 and has worked and Kristen Chalfant current plan is not to since then as a brewingand James Hellmuth open the tasting room industry consultant. announced March 17 that until the packaged beer is Chalfant says Senn’s they plan to open Senn available in the market. opening roster of beers Bierwerks early next year. Senn’s slogan is “Brew is still in the works, but it Dustin Chalfant tells No Harm,” which Chalfant will likely include a West Hip Hops that he and his explains as a commitment Coast-style IPA, a maltpartners aren’t quite to the community. forward ale or lager and ready to announce the “Every focus we a hop-forward pilsner. exact location, but it’s have comes down to “First and foremost, “very promising.” community involvement,” we’re not tied to any Senn takes its name Chalfant says. “All around, styles,” Chalfant says. from Chalfant’s greatbrewing no harm (means) “We’ll make whatever great-great-great uncle, having fun and taking care we feel like making.” Frank Senn Sr., a brewer of those who take care of What’s more, Senn will in late-19th-century us and even those who encourage experimentaLouisville, Ky. Chalfant STL 100care of us.” don’t take tion. “We are getting a himself moved to St.
Senn Bierwerks announces 2017 opening in St. Louis
Y
GREAT TASTE
PHOTO: HANDOUT
Sample the best restaurants Our inaugural STL 100 Great Taste — 6-10 p.m. Thursday at Neo on Locust — is your chance to sample more than 40 of the great restaurants from Ian Froeb’s STL 100, all in one place. Enjoy unlimited tastings from a diverse group of restaurants ranging from fun, everyday favorites to elegant once-a-year splurges, plus music by Whiskey Raccoons and Get Down Bella. Tickets are $25 in advance at stltoday.com/greattaste
stltoday.com/go
25% OFF SUSHI
Only valid for dinner menu, cannot combine with any other coupon, discount, special or promotion items. Valid Sunday - Thursday, Dine-In Only Must Present Paper Coupon. Expires: March 31, 2016
SHOGUN - Fairview Heights, IL 314 Fountain Parkway, Fairview Heights, IL 62208 Tel: 618-628-3500 159 & Fountain Parkway.
SHOGUN - South County 10550 Baptist Church Rd St Louis, Mo 63128 Tel: 314-842-8889 Lindbergh & Baptist Church Rd
EastEr sunday BuffEts BREAKFAST BUFFET 8 – 10 A.M. Featuring a Waffle Bar Whipped Butter, Syrup, Pecans, Chocolate Chips, Whipped Topping, Fruit Topping Adult: $12.99 Child: $6.99 (12 & under)
BRUNCH 10 A.M. – 3 P.M. Made To Order Omelets Sausage, Ham, Bacon, Onions, Bell Peppers, Mushrooms, Tomatoes, Spinach, Cheese Adult: $16.99 Child: $7.99 (12 & under)
EVENING BUFFET 3 – 7 p.m. Chef Pasta Station w/2 Sauces Chicken, Sausage, Assorted Vegetables, Parmesan Cheese Adult: $15.99 Child: $7.99 (12 & under) Sorry, No Reservations. Buffet Only.
Snows.org/Rest for complete menu. THE SHRINE RESTAURANT BELLEVILLE, IL
618-394-6237
03.25.16-03.31.16 • ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH • GO! MAGAZINE
25
PRESENTS
SAVOR THE BEST ALL IN ONE NIGHT
Spend an evening sampling some of the St. Louis restaurants named to the 2016 Ian Froeb’s 100 best restaurant list. FEATURING
★ Beast Craft BBQ ★ Bogart’s Smokehouse ★ Brasserie ★ Byrd & Barrel ★ Cielo ★ Clementine’s Naughty and Nice Ice Creamery ★ Cleveland-Heath ★ Comet Coffee ★ Farmhaus ★ Five Bistro ★ Fork & Stix ★ Gioia’s Deli ★ Grapeseed STL ★ Guerrilla Street Food ★ HandleBar ★ Ices Plain & Fancy ★ Juniper ★ Kitchen Kulture ★ Lona’s Lil Eats ★ Mai Lee ★ Niche ★ Pappy’s Smokehouse
★ Pastaria ★ Peacemaker Lobster & Crab Co. ★ Pho Long Restaurant ★ Pi Pizzeria ★ Private Kitchen ★ Público ★ Quincy Street Bistro ★ Randolfi’s Italian Kitchen ★ Retreat Gastropub ★ Salt + Smoke ★ Sidney Street Café ★ Southern ★ Sugarfire Smokehouse ★ Taco Circus ★ Taste ★ The Kitchen Sink ★ The Libertine ★ The Schlafly Tap Room ★ The Shaved Duck ★ The Tavern Kitchen and Bar ★ Three Flags Tavern
Live music by the Whiskey Raccoons and Get Down Bella.
THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 2016 6:00 - 10:00 PM @ NEO ON LOCUST 2801 Locust Street
TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW at www.stltoday.com/greattaste
$25 ($30 at the door) – Must be 21 to enter
A portion of the proceeds will support the St. Louis Public Library.
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GO! MAGAZINE • ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH • 03.25.16-03.31.16
stltoday.com/go
OVERHEARD
ON T V
“A new study has found Donald Trump speaks with the poorest grammar of any presidential candidate. Said Trump, ‘It’s actually the poorliest.’ ” SETH MEYERS on “Late Night”
“Apple announced it’s releasing a new, smaller iPhone. The iPhone is described as so small, it can fit in the palm of the hand of the child who made it.” CONAN O’BRIEN on “Conan”
Beyond Borders”? Heinous. Despicable. All the things I think of the original “Criminal Minds.” OK, so on “Beyond Borders,” it took 7 minutes before young women were being chased, terrorized, sobbing and whimpering. How is this entertainment?
PHOTOS: NETFLIX (“HOUSE OF CARDS”); CBS (SINISE); NBC (MEYERS); TBS (O’BRIEN)
Robin Wright and Kevin Spacey in “House of Cards”
TV Q&A Post-Dispatch TV critic Gail Pennington chats with readers at 1 p.m. Thursdays. Leave your questions at stltoday.com/chat in advance, or join the discussion live. Here’s an excerpt from a recent chat: stltoday.com/tubetalk
Will the Halle Berry series “Extant” be renewed? No, it’s already been canceled. Am I the only one looking forward to the new season of “The Americans”? Like “House of Cards,” it is very suspenseful, and I find I am always rooting for the “bad guys.” I think that may be credit to the writers. “The Americans” is brilliantly written and amazingly well-acted, but it’s difficult. It moves comparatively slowly, and the plots are so complex, a casual viewer probably can’t @gailpennington
keep up with them. On the other hand, “House of Cards” is cheese. Obviously, you’d root for the bad guys, but on “The Americans,” who are the bad guys? “House of Cards” Season 4 was really compelling TV, especially in light of current politics. I am a Kevin Spacey fan, but Robin Wright is outstanding. If you were compelled, I’m not going to say you were wrong; a lot of people were. But I just think this show is hammy (as well as cheesy) and ridiculous.
@tubetalkpd
Find daily TV picks, live chats and celeb news ➙ stltoday.com/tv
Agreed about “House of Cards.” I had enough in the ridiculous Season 2. I barely made it into S.2 before I bailed. I just wanted to say thank you for the column on the renewal of “Better Call Saul.” It is a terrific show. I have every episode of this season of “Better Call Saul” on the DVR. I’ll get to them someday. Patrick Warburton has played the same character in every role he’s ever had. His constant sarcasm and unchanging delivery of his lines makes him tough to watch as a
“star.” Very weak writing on “Crowded” as well. He just kind of plays himself, doesn’t he? But everybody who told me they were going to watch “Crowded” said they were watching because they love him. I wasn’t a fan. I saw your interview with Bridget Lancaster, and I have to say I’m excited for her and Julia to host the new season of “America’s Test Kitchen.” What was she doing in town? Bridget (my new BFF, by the way) and Chris Kimball were in town for a previously scheduled visit for Channel 9. They did two panels at the downtown
library. I think Bridget and Julia Collin Davison will be fantastic hosts. What did you think of “Criminal Minds:
I really thought “CSI: Cyber” was going to leave us with a cliffhanger. I guess since it hasn’t been renewed yet (and probably won’t), they decided to wrap it up as best possible. I enjoy watching it I find it interesting to see the different cyber crimes they make up. Do you think CBS is waiting to see what kind of pilots are on their desk before making a decision? Right, I think CBS is waiting to get through the pilots to see what slots it has for fall. Also waiting to see how “Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders” does. If there are TV gods, it will tank. I like Gary Sinise, but I thought “Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders” was too much of a copy of the original. Right down to the geeky IT guy flirting with one of the agents, albeit the gender roles were reversed. I’ll probably keep watching for a while, though. Are you disturbed by his eyebrows though? I am.
“Second Chance” is a great show. Any chance it survives? Not really. How is “Elementary” doing in the ratings, and will it be renewed? Could go either way, depending on what else CBS has for fall. I feel as if it’s about time to go. “The Family” seems on the brink to me. The psychological material is terrific. The police investigation seems soap-ish. What do you think? And do you know: Will it focus on the family as it tries to recover, or turn into another “Scandal”? I’m enjoying it, but I think they could have cut out about half the plot threads and made it work better. Ratings are horrible, though, so I’m not sure how long it will have to get where it’s going. Loved “Nashville” tonight. Is there any chance it will be renewed? I love the actors and the music even if the story sometimes derails. Prognosis is iffy. It doesn’t help that ABC has renewed almost everything else. Any word on the future of “Rizzoli and Isles”? “Rizzoli and Isles” returns this summer for its final 13 episodes.
GET MORE GAIL
Gary Sinise in “Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders”
Gail talks TV Monday mornings with McGraw Milhaven on KTRS-AM and at stltoday.com/mcgraw — and with readers at 1 p.m. Thursdays at stltoday.com/chats.
03.25.16-03.31.16 • ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH • GO! MAGAZINE
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Fete des Jardins Cocktails by Candlelight & Four Course Pairing Dinner April 6, 2016 | 6:30 pm
Spring has sprung in the gardens on the charming & romantic patio at Sanctuaria & we are celebrating with "Fête des Jardins", a garden “Cocktails by Candlelight” Pairing Dinner. Enjoy four gourmet courses of fresh garden fare, each paired with a fresh handcrafted cocktail. Starting at 6:30 pm, with candle-lighting at dusk. The theme will be Garden Party, so dust off your spring dresses & hats & reserve today!
Reserve Now at: WWW.JARDIN.BPT.ME www.SanctuariaSTL.com | /SanctuariaSTL | @SanctuariaTapas (314) 535-9700 | 4198 Manchester Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110
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