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First-time
at Muny to see ‘My One and Only’ explains
why Muny has been St. Louis’ ‘one and only’
for 90 magical years
As told by Dr. Greg and Deena Dickerson to
Daniel Hines
Publisher’s note: This year, the Muny is
celebrating bringing ’90 years of Magic’ to
St. Louis audiences and has become perhaps
America’s greatest outdoor musical theater.
But, what would it be like to be able to see
the Muny magic recreated through the eyes of
someone seeing it for the first time? That
led us to present a new approach towards
this review. We asked Dr. Greg Dickerson and
his wife, Deena, who moved to St. Louis about
a year ago and had never seen a Muny
production, to let us see the Muny through
their eyes…perhaps like those people who
were seeing it for the first time 90 years
ago…this is this their story.
Since moving to St. Louis more than a year
ago, the businessiness of a new position
(with the Missouri Cancer Center), the
search for a residence and the task of
moving from Mississippi (although we are
originally from Indiana) has required so
much of our time that it had not been
possible to begin to see all that St. Louis
has to offer.
Unfortunately, that included getting to The
Muny to see just what it is that has enabled
it to not only prosper for 90 years, but to
become recognized as truly the ‘Crown Jewel’
of outdoor musical theaters in the entire
country.
Now we know.
Perhaps for those who have been fortunate
enough to have grown up in St. Louis or
lived here for years, The Muny is such a
part of their lives that they have taken it
for granted. Don’t do that!
It is rare for a community to have such an
attraction, one that exemplifies what it is
that makes the area such a great place.
The setting in historic Forest Park…the
vast, wonderful stage…the comfort of the
outdoor setting (editor’s note: it was a
wonderful, humidity-free evening and the
temperatures were relatively mild)…and the
utter romance of the place.
But, add to that the wonderful
productions—and we were fortunate enough to
see on of the best shows featuring music by
George and Ira Gershwin—“My One and Only”!
The show itself is a ‘collection’ of songs,
including favorites from long ago such as
‘Funny Girl.’ It made its Broadway debut in
1983, and had a long and successful run,
including garnering several Tony Awards.
Interestingly, the year in which the musical
is set is 1927—the same year that Lindberg
crossed the Atlantic in ‘Sprit of St.
Louis’…That made the show highly appropriate
for a venue celebrating its 90th
year in the city that was so instrumental in
Lindberg’s success.
And, living up to the ‘Spirit,’ The Muny
cast offered and evening of outstanding
performances. Especially fun from our
viewpoint was the music itself, including
the dancers who brought the stage to life.
And, the costuming is outstanding, capturing
the spirit of the era.
If you are expecting ‘serious’ theater, this
probably isn’t your show. It’s fun and
lively…and it is really embraced by The Muny…a
fitting part of the celebration of 90 years.
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