"Karen Black's Missouri Waltz is a sweet, fanciful treat with a strong heart, memorable characters, and the kind of poetic dialog not heard often enough on today's stages." -- Bob Benedetti, multiple Emmy and Peabody Award-winning writer/producer.
"I loved Missouri Waltz. A charming and delightfully composed play, in text and songs.
"Karen Black was just magnificent. How thrilling it was to hear those words and see Karen’s beauty and eloquence.
"Missouri Waltz is that most unusual combination: fresh, disarmingly smart, and deeply moving." -- Martin Perlich, program director and host KCSN/novelist.
"A sojourn through the comical tribulations of one family in a small Midwestern town.
"Missouri Waltz" is enlivened by the quirky interactions of middle-aged sisters Chrissie (Black) and Bea (Dana Peterson) and their prodigal, twentysomething niece Zoe (Whitney Laux)...The five melodic and insightful [Grammy nominated Harriet] Schock songs are incorporated as commentary on the action...captivating interweaving of Chrissie's and Bea's personas as they speak directly to the audience, relating the family's 150-year Irish immigrant history, recalling their own lives, rife with quirky shenanigans, unfulfilled dreams and failed marriages. Particularly entertaining is the often simultaneous discourse on a specific event, with each sister offering a slight variation on the actual facts. Together, they offer a richly detailed, comedic panorama of an American family." -- Julio Martinez, Theater reviewer, Variety"Inspired by songs from the incredibly gifted songwriter, Harriet Schock, actor/writer/singer, Karen Black serves up a real tour de force in her poignantly written but humorous answer to the question, 'Why are we here?'."
"Karen Black is amazing...a WONDER. I loved and am so impressed by the play, the performances, the production, the tone…nothing but BRAVOS… and oh that dress!!!!"
"Liked it? I loved it. I loved it. Brilliant.
"My friend and I (as did the entire audience) sat completely absorbed in the play and the extraordinary performances by the actors, having had no sense of the passage of time when it ended. The story and Harriet Schock's songs seemed to weave seamlessly into and out of each other, supporting and giving dimension to what the characters were feeling, making the total experience uniquely and thoroughly enjoyable." -- Nelson Varon, Songwriter/Composer
"The evening is really refreshing. Believe me when I say there is a healing effect as well. From the songs and the way Karen Black speaks, you can tell it’s from the heart. That indeed is very powerful.
"What made it stand out was that while, on one level it was an amusing light-hearted comedy, at the same time it addressed very serious subjects in a very serious fashion. It did so without sinking into anything morbid or depressing or pedantic. And then it flipped right back into revealing the strength of a light-hearted playfulness." -- Frank Blumer, Businessman
"Cross the poetic sensibilities of Tennessee Williams with the warmth and intimacy of the best 1970's singer-songwriter albums and a dollop of whimsy and you have " Missouri Waltz " the new " play with songs " by actress Karen Black and an experience not to be missed ! She delivers a moving performance that is beautifully nuanced and is wonderfully complemented by the comedic timing of Dana Peterson as her more pragmatic sister, Bea. Whitney Laux brings a luminosity to her role in a show that is graced with a beautiful score by the gifted singer-songwriter Harriet Schock. Listening to the three actresses deliver the closing song " Home " with its heartfelt and plaintive lyric and melody, it is impossible not to be moved. This is an authentic show with its heart planted firmly in the right place ; devoid of cynicism and guaranteed to send you out into the night smiling."-- Mark Cote, Recording Artist/Songwriter/Visual Artist
This is a picture of our lovely set, with myself in the foreground singing and Dana Peterson in the background, who plays my sister. The set was designed by Ginne Ann Held. Angela Combs is the brilliant director of the piece. Her ideas for staging and the way she works with actors is divine.
This is a picture of the whole cast. From Left to right, Weston Blakesley, Dana Peterson, Whitney Laux, myself and Eric Pierpoint.
Dana and I play two ghosts. In this shot we are trying to make our niece feel better, who can't see us, but can feel our presence.
