Set against the backdrop of a bustling city on the brink of the 1904 World’s Fair, “Meet Me in St. Louis” came to life this week at Alhambra Theatre & Dining with a full cast and crew ready to transport audience members back in time.
This heartwarming coming-of-age musical was popularized by none other than Judy Garland in the 1944 film of the same name. “Meet Me in St. Louis” didn’t make it to an actual stage until its first performance on Broadway at the Gershwin Theatre in 1989, starring Betty Garrett.
The musical opens with a lively rendition of the title song, “Meet Me in St. Louis,” performed by the youngest Smith family member, Tootie, portrayed by Ivy Ayres, Grandpa Prophater, portrayed by Dan Embree, and a full ensemble. We quickly meet Esther and Rose Smith, played by Sofia Lourdes Smith and Kelly Wolfe, who are vying for their happily-ever-afters amid the changing of the seasons.
While Rose, the eldest Smith daughter, is playing coy with the affections of Warren Sheffield, portrayed by Korey Kristensen, Esther, the next eldest daughter, is questioning her growing admiration for the Smiths’ neighbor, young mister John Truitt, portrayed by Johnny Flannigan.
The Smiths’ lives are thrown for a loop when their father, Mr. Alonzo Smith, portrayed by Clay Smith, announces that the family must leave their beloved home in St. Louis, Missouri, for the concrete jungles of New York, New York. All the while, the World’s Fair edges closer and closer to completion in the background, bringing with it the temptations of possibility.
Alhambra Theatre & Dining takes full advantage of the early-1900s time period by transforming the theater into the quaint living space of the Smith family, complete with changing projections on either side of the theatre showing the slow progression of the 1904 World’s Fair.
Other members of the cast, including Lily Davidson, Elliot Miller, Martha Wingfield, Patti Eyler and Sarah Dickey, help move the production along through performances of classic songs such as “Skip to My Lou,” “The Trolley Song,” and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.”
Chef DeJuan Roy whips up a meal befitting the Smith family themselves, with options like a roasted tomato bisque or a Waldorf-inspired autumn salad for an appetizer and prime rib, iconic St. Louis chicken modiga, seafood newberg, or vegetable lasagna for an entree. For dessert, guests can choose from an ooey-gooey butter cake or an apple crumb pie.
You can catch “Meet Me in St. Louis” at Alhambra Theatre & Dining now through Nov. 8.
