St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of January 21, 2013

[Looking for auditions and other artistic opportunities? Check out the St. Louis Auditions site.]

For information on events beyond this week, check out the searchable database at the Regional Arts Commission's ArtsZipper site.

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The Looking Glass Playhouse presents the musical The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee January 24-February 3. Performances take place at 301 West St. Louis Street in Lebanon, Ill. For more information, visit www.lookingglassplayhouse.com.

©Photo by Lon Brauer

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents 4000 Miles through February 3. “Leo biked for a month from Seattle to New York, but it's a small Greenwich Village apartment where his real journey begins. Reeling from a tragedy, the rudderless twenty-something arrives at the doorstep of his 91 year-old grandmother Vera, an old lefty navigating the rough waters of aging. Together, these two outsiders find their way in one of this year's most touching new plays.” Performances take place in the studio theatre at the Loretto-Hlton Center, 130 Edgar Road in Webster Groves, MO. For more information, call 314-968-4925 or visit repstl.org. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

The Alton Little Theater presents the comedy Almost, Maine through January 27 at 2450 North Henry in Alton, IL. For more information, call 618.462.6562 or visit altonlittletheater.org.

The Pub Theater Company presents Bye Bye Liver: The St. Louis Drinking Play, a comedic romp through the joys and pitfalls of The Gateway to the West's favorite pastime. Performances take place on Saturdays at 9 PM at Maggie O'Brien's, 2000 Market Street. For more information, you may call 314-827-4185, email stlouis at byebyeliver.com, or visit byebyeliver.com/stlouis.

Upstream Theater presents Café Chanson, a “ballet in song” created and directed by Broadway star and native St. Louisan Ken Page, Thursdays through Sundays, through January 27. The show “includes World War II period songs from some of France's most renowned singers and songwriters.” Performances take place at the Kranzberg Arts Center, 501 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information, including show times: upstreamtheater.org. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

Circus Harmony presents Capriccio, A Vaudevillian Adventure, Saturday at 2 and 7 PM and Sunday at 2 PM,. “Capriccio features children from all corners of St. Louis. For this first time ever, this Circus Harmony production will include singing along with unicycling, juggling, wire walking and other feats of skill and daring.” Performances take place at City Museum, 701 N. 15th Street. For more information: circusharmony.brownpapertickets.com or call 314-436-7676. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

St. Louis Actors Studio presents Albee's The Goat, or Who is Sylvia? January 18 through February 3 at the Gaslight Theatre, 358 North Boyle. “The tale of a married, middle-aged architect whose life crumbles when he falls in love with a goat, the play focuses on the limits of an ostensibly liberal society. Through showing this family in crisis, Albee challenges audience members to question their own morality in the face of other social taboos including infidelity, homosexuality, pedophilia, incest and, of course, bestiality.The play also features many language games and grammatical arguments in the middle of catastrophes and existential disputes between the characters.” For more information, call 314-458-2978 or visit stlas.org. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

©Photo by Jerry Naunheim, Jr.

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents Good People through January 27. “You can't keep a good woman down - unless that woman is from Southie, the gritty, blue-collar Boston neighborhood that Margie Walsh has always called home. Down on her luck and facing eviction, Margie turns to Mikey, an old fling who made good and secured himself a new life in the ritzy suburbs. But is he strong enough to face his humble beginnings and give Margie a hand? Laughter is never far from heartache in this poignant look at the "haves" and "have-nots".” Performances take place at the Loretto-Hlton Center, 130 Edgar Road in Webster Groves, MO. For more information, call 314-968-4925 or visit repstl.org. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

Metro Theatre Company and the The Edison Theatre at Washington University present the St. Louis premiere of Jackie and Me by Steven Dietz, adapted from the book by Dan Gutman, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 PM and Sundays at 2 PM through January 27. There will also be special school matinees Tuesdays through Fridays at 10:00 AM. “An exciting play that illuminates Jackie Robinson's courage and dignity in the face of cruel racial prejudice, Jackie and Me will have you on the edge of your seat as we all root for the man who changed the face of the game.” Each performance will be immediately followed by a discussion exploring questions raised by the story. The play is recommended for adults and young people 10 and over. For more information, call the Edison Theatre Box Office at (314) 935-6543. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

The COCA Family Theatre Series presents The Mark of Zorro performed by Scotland's Visible Fictions Saturday, January 26, at 2 and 5 PM. COCA is at 524 Trinity in University City. “Ages 5+. Scotland's Visible Fictions performs this swashbuckling adventure featuring the mysterious masked man. Is he friend or foe? Grab your cape and lock swords with Zorro as he ricochets from one sticky situation to another.” For more information, call (314) 725-6555 or visit www.cocastl.org.



Dance St. Louis presents the Royal Winnipeg Ballet production of Moulin Rouge-The Ballet Friday at 8 PM and Saturday at 2 and 8 PM, January 25 and 26. “Fin de siècle Paris throbs with love, ambition, and desire when an original new story told entirely through dance brings the oldest continuously running ballet company in North America to St. Louis for the first time. Set to classical music by Debussy, Offenbach and more, Moulin Rouge® - The Ballet was created in 2009 for the Royal Winnipeg Ballet's 70th anniversary by their own Jorden Morris and has been a sold-out sensation on tour in Canada and the U.S. In a city where pomp runs hand in hand with poverty, where the heady elixir of freedom breeds reckless passion, struggling artist Matthew and cancan dancer Nathalie tempt fate as they seek love and destiny at the infamous cabaret - The Moulin Rouge®.” The performances take place at the Touhill Performing Arts center on the campus of The University of Missouri at St. Louis. For more information, you may visit dancestlouis.org or call 314-534-6622.

Mustard Seed Theatre presents Christopher Durang's Mrs. Sorken and David Manet's The Duck Variations January 25-February 10 at the Fontbonne Fine Arts Theatre, 6800 Wydown Blvd. “These two one-act plays are comic explorations of the meaning of theatre, the challenges of aging, and the importance of friendship.” For more information, call (314) 719-8060 or visit the web site at www.mustardseedtheatre.com.

The Lemp Mansion Comedy-Mystery Dinner Theater presents Murder in Mayberry through April 27. . The Lemp Mansion is at 3322 DeMenil Place. For more information: lempmansion.com

The Bissell Mansion Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre presents Nursery Crimes through April 30th. The Bissell Mansion is at 4426 Randall Place. For more information: bissellmansiontheatre.com

Photo: Stewart Goldstein

The Black Rep presents August Wilson's The Piano Lesson through February 3. “Depression-era Pittsburgh. A family strives to hold on to its history. The masterful Pulitzer Prize winner from one of American's greatest playwrights.” Performances take place at the Grandel Theatre, 3610 Grandel Square. For more information, visit theblackrep.org or call 314-534-3810. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

Peabody Opera House presents Sesame Street Live "Can't Stop Singing" Thursday through Sunday, January 24-27. For more information, visit peabodyoperahouse.com or call 314-622-5420.

Clayton Community Theatre presents the drama Splendor In The Grass Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM and Sundays at 2 PM, January 25-February 3. Performances take place at the Washington University South Campus Theatre. For more information, call 314-721-9228 or visit placeseveryone.org.

Would you like to be on the radio? KDHX, 88.1 FM needs theatre reviewers. If you're 18 years or older, knowledgeable in this area, have practical theatre experience (acting, directing, writing, technical design, etc.), have good oral and written communications skills and would like to become one of our volunteer reviewers, send an email describing your experience and interests to chuck at kdhx.org. Please include a sample review of something you've seen recently.