St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of October 24, 2016

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Alton Little Theater presents the musical The Addams Family Thursdays through Sundays, October 28 - November 6. "The weird and wonderful family created by New Yorker cartoonist Charles Addams comes to life in this zany musical comedy. All the memorable “creepy and kooky” characters are there: Morticia, Gomez, Uncle Fester, Lurch, Grandmama, Wednesday and Pugsley, accompanied on stage by some of their deceased ancestors. In this story, Morticia and Gomez Addams want to continue living amongst death, pain and suffering as they always have. But there is a change brewing.” Performances take place at 2450 North Henry in Alton, IL. For more information, call 618.462.6562 or visit altonlittletheater.org.

Tovah Feldshuh

The Presenters Dolan presents Tovah Feldshuh in Aging is Optional on Friday and Saturday, October 28 and 29, at 8 p.m. as part of the Gaslight Cabaret Festival. "Broadway star and four-time Tony Award nominee (Lend Me a Tenor, Golda's Balcony, Yentl, Sarava,) brings her cabaret show to town. "Aging is Optional" is an age-defying romp. As Tovah puts it, "Some people call them decades; I call them my collected works." Broadway' sTovah Feldshuh has earned four Tony Award nominations and is currently a regular on TV's The Walking Dead and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend." The performances take place at the Gaslight Theater, 358 North Boyle. For more information: gaslightcabaretfestival.com.

YoungLiars present the world premiere of Burrow, an adaptation of Kafka's Der Bau adapted and performed by Jeff Skoblow, running through October 29. "Our nameless hero has at long last completed his elaborate secret burrow. Far beneath the ground he is safe from the predators and danger that lurk everywhere above. Or is he? That noise he hears just beyond the edges of the burrow...what is it? Have they found him? Is it the sound of some terrible beast digging relentlessly towards him? Or is it something even worse?" __Performances take place in in the hundred-year-old basement of the Centene Center for the Arts, 3547 Olive Street in Grand Center. For more information: youngliarsburrow.bpt.me.

Chuck Lavazzi
Photo: Jill Ritter Lindberg

The Cabaret Project and The Monocle present cabaret open mic night every Wednesday from 7 to 10 PM. "Drop by and enjoy a night of great music from St. Louis cabaret artists, backed up by the guest music director Carol Schmidt on the baby grand." The master of ceremonies this week is singer and Cabaret Project board member Chuck Lavazzi. If you're planning to sing, be prepared to do one or two songs and bring music, preferably in your key. At least one of your two songs should be a medium-or up-tempo number. It's also recommend that you have your song memorized. The Monocle is at 4510 Manchester in The Grove neighborhood. For more information: thecabaretproject.org.

The Bissell Mansion Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre presents CSI: Bissell through October 30. The Bissell Mansion is at 4426 Randall Place. For more information: bissellmansiontheatre.com

That Uppity Theatre Company presents Every 28 Hours, and evening of one-act plays inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, on Monday, October 24, at 8 p.m. "The One-Minute Play Festival (Dominic D'Andrea, Producing Artistic Director), and Oregon Shakespeare Festival (Claudia Alick, Producer) collaborated to create a collection of 71 one-minute plays from across the country called “Every 28 Hours”. This national partnership focuses on the widely shared statistic that every 28 hours in America, a black person is the victim of systemic violence and is killed by the police, vigilante, or security guard. The performance takes place at the Loretto-Hilton Center on the campus of Webster University. For more information: uppityco.com.

The Ivory Theatre presents the world premiere of Famalee Wednesday through Friday at 8, Saturday at 2 and 8, and Sunday at 6 p.m., October 26 - 30. "After a shocking misfortune, the grieving Raul is forced to care for his opinionated, feisty mother-in-law, Emma, who turns Rauls life upside down. When the birthfather of Raul and his partner Peter's, adoptive son, Chris, makes a surprising return to wrestle custody of the child he never knew he had, the one person Raul never expected he could count on, Emma, becomes his greatest ally. Famalee, A dramatic, sensitive, and surprisingly funny stage play. Famalee, explores the topical and very real issues of adoption, fear, marriage equality, religion, love and loss and the courage it takes to be an unconventional family". The Ivory Theatre is at 7622 Michigan in the Carondelet neighborhood. For more information: www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2526249

Golda's Balcony
Photo: Eric Woolsey

New Jewish Theater presents Golda's Balcony through October 30 "This is a strong show about a strong woman, Israel's fourth Prime Minister, Golda Meir. We meet her as she struggles with what became known as the Yom Kippur War in 1973 and which was very nearly a disaster for the State of Israel. The play asks us to consider what happens when idealism becomes power." 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.

Satori presents I'm Gonna Pray for you so Hard Thursdays through Sundays at 8 p.m. through November 6. " Ella is a precocious and fiercely competitive actress whose sole aim in life is making her famous playwright father, David, proud. Over the course of a boozy evening, Ella and David deliberate over whether to read the reviews of her Off-Broadway debut and things unravel from there. Halley Feiffer's dark, probing and very funny new play pulls the audience into the middle of a deeply complicated relationship and sheds new light on the eternal struggles of parents and children to find common ground." Satori is at 3003 Locust in Midtown. For more information: www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2666888

Christina Rios

The Emerald Room at the Monocle and The Presenters Dolan present singer Christina Rios in In 18 More Years, I Will Be Able To Sleep Again on Saturday, October 29, at 7 p.m. "A seasoned performer and a mother of four, Rios is returning to the cabaret stage with a show about the joys and heartbreak of parenting. Come enjoy an evening of Steven Schwartz, Kacey Musgraves, Fleetwood Mac, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and more as Rios uses her versatile voice and signature wit to explore the gooey lows and incredible highs of parenting. Leah Luciano is pianist and music director for the show, which is directed by Ben Nordstrom." The performance takes place in the Emerald Room at The Monocle, 4510 Manchester in the Grove neighborhood. For more information: themonoclestl.com.

Winter Opera St. Louis presents Lehar's comic operetta The Merry Widow Friday at 8 PM and Sunday at 3 PM, October 28 and 30. Performances take place at The Skip Viragh Center for the Arts at Chaminade College Preparatory School, 425 S. Lindbergh. For more information, visit winteroperastl.org.

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents Mothers and Sons by Terrence McNally October 26 - November 13. "Time stopped for Katharine the day her son died of AIDS. Twenty years later, she seeks out his former partner, Cal, only to discover that he has a husband and a six-year-old son. As she and Cal explore memories of someone they both loved, Katharine begins a rocky journey toward reconciliation with the side of her son that she never understood." Performances take place in the studio theater at the Loretto-Hlton Center, 130 Edgar Road in Webster Groves, MO. For more information, call 314-968-4925 or visit repstl.org.

Clayton Community Theatre presents the thriller Night Must Fall Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m., through October 30. "In this masterful thriller with humorous moments and sequences of sustained suspense, a woman's body is found behind a wealthy woman's house and all the while, the audience and most of the characters in the play think they know who did it. This person also happens to be right in front of you." Performances take place at the Washington University South Campus Theatre. For more information, call 314-721-9228 or visit placeseveryone.org.

The Performing Arts Department at Washington University presents the musical Passing Strange through October 30. "Passing Strange is a semi-autobiographical account of a young brother's encounters with sex, drugs, and rock and roll as he searches for "the real." A rock musical that is equal parts comedy and drama, Passing Strange follows “the Youth” on his pilgrimage of self-discovery from Los Angeles to Amsterdam, Berlin and beyond. Passing Strange breaks theatrical boundaries, crosses musical genres, and ultimately brings the audience home with a new understanding of personal and creative authenticity." The performances take place in Edison Theatre in the Mallinckrodt Student Center on the Washington University campus. For more information, call 314-935-6543 or visit pad.artsci.wustl.edu.

The Rocky Horror Show

Stray Dog Theatre presents the rock musical The Rocky Horror Show through October 29. “The cult classic is back! After a flat tire has them stuck in a storm, sweethearts Brad and Janet come upon the eerie mansion of Dr. Frank-N-Furter. Once inside, a houseful of colorful characters take the couple on a bizarre journey they will never forget. This raucous musical is an over-the-top tribute to mid-20th century science fiction and horror B-movies." Performances take place at The Tower Grove Abbey, 2336 Tennessee. For more information, visit straydogtheatre.org or call 314-865-1995.

Through November 6, the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents Until the Flood. Writer, performer and Pulitzer Prize finalist Dael Orlandersmith spent a week in St. Louis interviewing people from every corner of the region about recent social unrest. From these conversations, she has crafted a play that reflects the complexity of St. Louis. Performances take place at the Loretto-Hilton Center on the Webster University campus. For more information: repstl.org.

Chesterfield Community Theatre presents Wiley and the Hairy Man Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m., October 28 - 30. "In this play we follow Wiley as he overcomes his fear of the Hairy Man and realizes he has all the magic he needs within himself." Watch this story come alive on stage this holiday season." Performances take place at the West County YMCA, 16464 Burkhardt Place. For more information, visit www.gwrymca.org/program/chesterfield-community-theatre-west-county-ymca or call (636) 532-6515 Ext. 227.

The Lemp Mansion Comedy-Mystery Dinner Theater presents Zombie Love through October 28. The Lemp Mansion is at 3322 DeMenil Place. For more information: lempmansion.com.

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.

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 Calendar.