St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of June 8, 2015

[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 events web site.

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Anthony and Cleopatra

Shakespeare Festival St. Louis presents Anthony and Cleopatra nightly except for Tuesdays June 14. Performances take place in Shakespeare Glen next to the Art Museum in Forest Park. Curtain time is 8 PM. For more information, visit shakespearefestivalstlouis.org. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

Alfresco Productions presents the musical Avenue Q Friday through Sunday, June 12-14 "The laugh-out-loud musical tells the timeless story of a recent college grad named Princeton who moves into a shabby New York apartment all the way out on Avenue Q. He soon discovers that although the residents seem nice, it's clear that this is not your ordinary neighborhood. Together, Princeton and his new-found friends struggle to find jobs, dates, and their ever-elusive purpose in life. PARENTAL ADVISORY - STRONG LANGUAGE AND MATURE CONTENT" Performances take place at the Alfresco Art Center, 2401 Delmar in Granite City, IL. For more information: (618) 560-1947 or www.alfrescoproductions.org.

The Barber of Seville
Photo: Ken Howard

Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents Rossini's comedy The Barber of Seville in rotating repertory with three other operas through June 27. "There's a good reason it's one of the world's most popular operas! Rossini's zany and sparkling score sets the gold standard for opera that is fresh, elegant, funny, and brimming with vocal fireworks. Delight as the young barber Figaro helps Count Almaviva steal the beautiful Rosina from under the nose of her doddering guardian." Performances take place at the Loretto-Hilton Center at 135 Edgar Road on the Webster University campus. All performances are sung in English with projected English text. For more information: experienceopera.org or call 314-961-0644. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

The Theatre Guild of Webster Groves Youth Theatre presents Big Top Mayhem (At The Imperial Circus) Fridays through Sundays, June 12-20. Performances take place in the Guild theatre at Newport and Summit in Webster Groves, MO. For more information: theatreguildwg.org or call 314-962-0876.

Metro Theatre Company presents The Boy Who Loved Monsters And The Girl Who Loved Peas June 12-22. "Left alone at the dinner table to finish the remains of his meal (a single, enormous pea), 8-year-oldEvan wishes he had a real live monster to eat his peas and play with him. When a real live monster actually arrives, life is turned upside down for Evan and his family in this hilarious and heartfelt comedy. " Performances take place at Wydown Middle School, 6500 Wydown in Clayton. For more information: metrotheatercompany.org.

Stages St. Louis presents Disney's The Aristocats, based on the film, through June 28. "Sacrè bleu! Madame's furry felines have been cat-napped! What's a cat to do? Luckily, Thomas O'Malley and his rag-tag bunch of Alley Cats are ready to spring to the rescue of Duchess and her Aristokittens. What happens next is anyone's guess! You'll be clapping your paws and wagging your tail to our hep, jazzy beat. With songs like "The Aristocats," "Scales and Arpeggios," and "Ev'rybody Wants to Be a Cat," this modern version of the familiar Disney classic is just purrrrr-fect for the entire family. " Performances take place at the Westport Playhouse in Westport Plaza. For more information, visit stagesstlouis.org or call 314-821-2407.

Dog Sees God
Photo: John Lamb

Stray Dog Theatre presents the musical Dog Sees God: Confessions Of A Teenage Blockhead Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 PM through June 20. "A New York Fringe Festival hit which satirizes the Peanuts comic strip by aging its cast of characters into their teenage years. Consumed with teenage angst, experimentation and sexual identity, CB and his friends face questions of morality, the existence of an afterlife and true friendship." Performances take place at The Tower Grove Abbey, 2336 Tennessee. For more information, visit straydogtheatre.org or call 314-865-1995.

Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents Tobias Picker's drama Emmeline in rotating repertory with three other operas June 13 through June 27. " Inspired by a compelling true story from a mill town in 19th century New England, Emmeline's heart-wrenching saga echoes the age-old Oedipus legend." Performances take place at the Loretto-Hilton Center at 135 Edgar Road on the Webster University campus. All performances are sung in English with projected English text. For more information: experienceopera.org or call 314-961-0644.

St. Louis Community College at Florissant Valley presents An Evening of One-Acts Wednesday through Sunday, June 10-14. Performances take place in the Fisher Theatre on the campus at 3400 Pershall Road. For more information, call 314-644-5522.

The Lemp Mansion Comedy-Mystery Dinner Theater presents A Fistful Of Hollers through August 29. The Lemp Mansion is at 3322 DeMenil Place. For more information: lempmansion.com.

Dramatic License Productions presents Kay Love in Girls Just Want to Have Fun (the women who wrote the songs) on Friday, June 12, at 8 PM as part of its Summer Cabaret Series. "Kay does cabaret at its purest. The shows of this wonderful singer are completely put together." Carol Schmidt is pianist and music director for the show. The performance takes place at Dramatic License Theatre located at the upper-level Sears wing of Chesterfield Mall. For more information, call 636-821-1746 or visit www.dramaticlicenseproductions.org.

Act Two Theatre presents Mark Twain's Is He Dead?, adapted by David Ives, through June 14. "Jean-Francois Millet, a young painter of genius, is in love with Marie Leroux but in debt to a villainous picture-dealer, Bastien Andre. Andre forecloses on Millet, threatening debtor's prison unless Marie marries him. Millet realizes that the only way he can pay his debts and keep Marie from marrying Andre is to die, as it is only dead painters who achieve fame and fortune. Millet fakes his death and prospers, all while passing himself off as his own sister, the Widow Tillou. Now a rich “widow,” he must find a way to get out of a dress, return to life, and marry Marie. " Performances take place in the St. Peters Cultural Arts Centre at 1 St Peters Centre Blvd, St. Peters, MO 63376. For more information: act2theater.com.

The Bissell Mansion Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre presents Mayhem In Mayberry through July 26. The Bissell Mansion is at 4426 Randall Place. For more information: bissellmansiontheatre.com

St. Louis Shakespeare's Magic Smoking Monkey Theatre presents The One Hour Game Of Thrones Parody Fridays and Saturdays at 8 and 10:30 p.m. June 12-27. "If you enjoyed MSMT's world-famous, internationally-renowned 1-hour productions of The Star Wars Trilogy, The Ten Commandments, Lord Of The Rings, then you will spend exactly 60 minutes to see The One Hour Game Of Thrones Parody!" Performances take place at the Regional Arts Commission in University City. For more information: stlshakespeare.org.

One Summer on 2nd Street

Circus Flora presents its new show, One Summer on 2nd Street through June 28 under the air-conditioned, red-and-white, big top tent in Grand Center next to Powell Hall. "Travel back with us to The Jazz Age - to a time at which American cities grew rapidly, becoming home to families from all walks of life and corners of the map. We'll journey together to a typical block in a typical city on a typical day - and meet a very atypical set of families. Find yourself enchanted by a small Ukrainian family who tame the cats that live in the alley. Feel the excitement as Russian carriage drivers ride wildly through the streets, and the Flying Wallendas maneuver their way along clotheslines strung between buildings. Experience the bliss of young love, determined to stand strong amid their families' protests. These stories, and more, will come alive under the Big Top this summer." For more information, visit circusflora.org. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

Dramatic License Productions presents Joy Powell and Andy Waggoner in Over the Rainbow: Women in Song on Sunday, June 14, at 2 p.m. as part of its Summer Cabaret Series. "From the great female jazz and pop singers of all time including Ella Fitzgerald, Judy Garland and Barbra Streisand, Joy Powell -- accompanied by and featuring Andy Waggoner -- celebrates these and other wonderful female artists in a Sunday afternoon performance you won't forget!" The performance takes place at Dramatic License Theatre located at the upper-level Sears wing of Chesterfield Mall. For more information, call 636-821-1746 or visit www.dramaticlicenseproductions.org.

Act Inc presents Woody Allen's comedy Play It Again, Sam June 12-14 and 27-28. Performances take place in the Emerson Black Box Theatre at the J. Scheidegger Center for the Arts on the Lindenwood campus in St. Charles, MO. For more information, visit actincstl.com.

Richard the Lionheart
Photo: Ken Howard

Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents the American premiere of Handel's Richard the Lionheart in rotating repertory with three other operas through June 26. "If you only know him from Robin Hood, you don't know the whole story of Richard the Lionheart. Shipwrecked on the way to the Third Crusade, one of England's bravest kings must disguise himself to protect his future bride and prevent war in a foreign land. But who can he trust in this all-too-real game of thrones? Handel's virtuosic vocal writing in this opera, never before heard in the United States, makes Richard an eagerly-anticipated event for all music-lovers." Performances take place at the Loretto-Hilton Center at 135 Edgar Road on the Webster University campus. All performances are sung in English with projected English text. For more information: experienceopera.org or call 314-961-0644.

Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents Puccini's La Rondine in rotating repertory with three other operas through June 28. " Can a beautiful, sophisticated Parisian courtesan find happiness with a young man from the country? Or is her love affair doomed by a past she cannot keep secret? Celebrated OTSL music directorStephen Lord brings Puccini's gorgeous music and romantic storytelling to life in this stunning, newbelle epoque period production." Performances take place at the Loretto-Hilton Center at 135 Edgar Road on the Webster University campus. All performances are sung in English with projected English text. For more information: experienceopera.org or call 314-961-0644. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

The Monroe Actors Stage Company presents the comedy See How They Run Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 and Sundays at 2:30 p.m., through June 14, in the Historic Capitol Theatre in downtown Waterloo, Illinois. For more information, visit www.masctheatre.org or call 618-939-7469.

Smokey Joe's Cafe

Stages St. Louis presents the musical revue Smokey Joe's Café, based on the songs of Lieber and Stoller through June 28. " Welcome to the neighborhood for a nostalgic exploration of the lives, loves, and aspirations of a group of friends who know how to rock 60s style. Featuring nearly 40 chart-topping hits that span over three decades of popular American music, this thrilling Grammy Award-winning song celebration will knock your socks off. Relive the glory days of rock and roll with such pop standards as “Stand By Me,""Jailhouse Rock," “I'm A Woman," “Hound Dog," and “On Broadway.” Now, Baby, that's rock 'n' roll! Words and Music by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller." Performances take place in the Robert G. Reim Theatre at the Kirkwood Community Center, 111 South Geyer Road in Kirkwood. For more information, visit stagesstlouis.org or call 314-821-2407.

Photo: Jill Ritter Lindberg

New Line Theatre presents Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht's Threepenny Opera, in the English adaptation by Marc Blitzstein, Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 PM, through June 20. "Before there was Urinetown, before Cabaret or Sweeney Todd, there was this dark, comic masterpieces of the art form, Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht's world-famous musical comedy thriller, THE THREEPENNY OPERA (which is not actually an opera), in the famous translation by composer-lyricist Marc Blitzstein (The Cradle Will Rock). This is the show that launched the pop standard, “Mack the Knife,” with a haunting jazz score, acid harmonies, wickedly clever lyrics, and very questionable morals. This is the musical that inspired many shows New Line has produced over the years, includingCabaret, Urinetown, Bat Boy, Sweeney Todd, Assassins, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, and so many other modern musicals. Performances take place at the Washington University South Campus Theatre, 6501 Clayton Road. For more information, visit newlinetheatre.com or call 314-534-1111. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

Dramatic License Productions presents Donna Weinsting and Kim Furlow in Two Comedy Broads on Saturday, June 13, at 8 PM as part of its Summer Cabaret Series. "Accompanied by Carol Schmidt, two comedy broads present music from Broadway's Mama Mia, Chicago, The Drowsy Chaperone, My Fair Lady and standards from the 50's and beyond--all with their own comedic flair. Come laugh with us and sing along!" The performance takes place at Dramatic License Theatre located at the upper-level Sears wing of Chesterfield Mall. For more information, call 636-821-1746 or visit www.dramaticlicenseproductions.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.