St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of May 9, 2016

[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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The Lemp Mansion Comedy-Mystery Dinner Theater presents Bullets in the Bathtub through July 30. The Lemp Mansion is at 3322 DeMenil Place. For more information: mansion.com

The Looking Glass Playhouse presents the classic musical Fiddler on the Roof Thursdays through Sundays through May 15. Performances take place at 301 West St. Louis Street in Lebanon, Ill. For more information, visit www.lookingglassplayhouse.com.

Tim Schall

The Sheldon Concert Hall presents Tim Schall in The Gaslight Generation Tuesday and Wednesday, May 10 and 11, at 10 a.m. "Clubs like The Crystal Palace lined St. Louis' Gaslight Square neighborhood and played host to the stars of tomorrow. Tim Schall takes a musical look back at this exciting time in popular music, with songs like “Moon River” and “Georgia On My Mind,” and tunes by beloved composers such as Hoagy Carmichael and Carole King. The times were a-changin' and so was the music!" The Sheldon Concert Hall is at 3648 Washington in Grand Center. For more information: thesheldon.org.

Upstream Theater presents Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie, with live music by Joe Dreyer, through May 15. "As Tennessee Williams'classic has entered our collective memory, it has moved from cutting-edge to canonical. Upstream Theater aims to take the piece out of the museum in a way guaranteed to move you, and move you to think. We are proud to present this production in conjunction with the inaugural Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis." Performances take place at the Kranzberg Arts Center, 501 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information, including show times: upstreamtheater.org.

Family Musical Theater presents the classic Cole Porter musical Kiss Me, Kate running through May 15th. "The exciting story of Kiss Me, Kate involves the production of a musical version of William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew and the conflict on and off-stage between Fred Graham, the show's director, producer, and star, and his leading lady, his ex-wife Lilli Vanessi. A secondary romance concerns Lois Lane, the actress playing Bianca, and her gambler boyfriend, Bill, who runs afoul of some gangsters." Performances take place at the Ivory Theatre, 7622 Michigan. For more information, visit www.familymusicaltheater.org or call 314-571-9579.

Brian Owens

The Sheldon Concert Hall presents Brian Owens in Lean on Me Saturday, May14, at 11 a.m. "Acclaimed vocalist Brian Owens is quickly making a name for himself nationally as the new torch bearer for classic soul music in the tradition of Marvin Gaye and Sam Cooke. He returns to The Sheldon with a tribute to the legendary Bill Withers, performing hits including “Lean on Me,” “Just the Two of Us,” and more! " The Sheldon Concert Hall is at 3648 Washington in Grand Center. For more information: thesheldon.org.

The Emerald Room Cabaret at The Monocle resents Amy Armstrong in Mama's Big Ones, a musical tribute to Mama Cass Elliot of The Mamas and the Papas, Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., May 13 and 14. " Amy is the complete package - an exceptionally fine singer and dead-on comedienne, the total pro who is fresh and compelling and funny every night. Now she is bringing us her Mama Cass show, developed and honed on her tour of Mexican resort clubs this winter. Mama's Big Ones (the title of Cass's first solo album) takes us through her life and work. Though far from all, a big part of Cass's professional life was The Mamas and The Papas, whose California Dreamin' defined a sound for a generation. The performances take place in The Emerald Room at The Monocle Bar, 4510 Manchester in The Grove neighborhood. For more information: www.buzzonstage.com/st-louis.

The Bissell Mansion Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre presents Nursery Crimes through July 31. The Bissell Mansion is at 4426 Randall Place. For more information: bissellmansiontheatre.com.

Act Two Theatre presents Neil Simon's The Odd Couple (Female Version) May 11-22. " Unger and Madison are at it again! Florence Unger and Olive Madison, that is, in Neil Simon's hilarious contemporary comic classic: the female version of The Odd Couple. Instead of the poker party that begins the original version, Ms. Madison has invited the girls over for an evening of Trivial Pursuit. The Pidgeon sisters have been replaced by the two Costazuela brothers. But the hilarity remains the same. " 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.

Alton Little Theater presents the comedy Skin Deep Thursdays through Sundays, May 12-22, at 2450 North Henry in Alton, IL. If you like a show that is filled with laugh-out-loud humor then Skin Deep is sure to please. A large, lovable, lonely-heart, named Maureen Mulligan, gives romance one last shot on a blind-date with sweet awkward Joseph Spinelli; she's learned to pepper her speech with jokes to hide insecurities about her weight and appearance, while he's almost dangerously forthright, saying everything that comes to his mind. They were set up on the date by Maureen's sister Sheila and her husband Squire, who are having problems of their own: Sheila undergoes a non-stop series of cosmetic surgeries to hang onto the attractive and much-desired Squire, who may or may not have long ago held designs on Maureen, who introduced him to Sheila. " For more information, call 618.462.6562 or visit altonlittletheater.org.

The Tennessee Williams Festival opens on Wednesday, May 11, and runs through May 15 at multiple venues throughout the St. Louis area. Events include theatrical performances, films, exhibits, lectures, and even a Williams-themed St. Louis bus tour. For more informatoin and a complete schedule of events, visit twstl.org.

The Theatre Guild of Webster Groves presents Horton Foote's drama The Trip to Bountiful Fridays through Sundays through May 15. "Mrs. Watts, an aging widow living with her son & daughter-in-law in Houston, Texas, fears that her presence may be an imposition on her family especially her demanding daughter-in-law. Mrs. Watts imagines that if she can get away and return to her old home in the town of Bountiful, she is sure to regain her strength, dignity and peace of mind. This is the story of her journey as she attempts to run away and the kind people she meets along the way." 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.

The Two-Character Play

The Midnight Company presents The Two-Character Play by Tennessee Williams Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays at 8 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays at 3 p.m., May 11-15. "Two actors, a brother and a sister, are stranded in a theatre, struggling to perform, struggling to survive." Performances take place at The Historic Mummers Theatre, 4504 Westminster in the Central West End. For more information: midnightcompany.com.

New Jewish Theater presents the musical Yentl May 11 - June 5 “Based on Isaac Bashevis Singer's short story “Yentl the Yeshiva Boy” and updated with new music and lyrics by Jill Sobule, “Yentl” tells the story of a young girl in 19th century Eastern Europe forbidden to pursue her dream of studying Talmud. Unwilling to accept her fate, she disguises herself as a man. But when she falls in love, Yentl must decide how far she's willing to go to protect her identity. This marks 40 years since the play - then without music - ran on Broadway. With parallels in Singer's short story coinciding with the burgeoning second wave of feminism, we find Yentl as an outsider seeking to find her own voice within a very proscribed world.” Performances take place in the Marvin and Harlene Wool Studio Theater at the Jewish Community Center, 2 Millstone Campus Drive in Creve Coeur. For more information: www.newjewishtheatre.org or call 314-442-3283.

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.