Sunday, May 28, 2017

St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of May 29, 2017

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The Black Rep presents a revival production of their original musical revue Crossin' Over through June 18. "From roots in Africa - from village to slave ship - through the middle passage - from auction block to plantation fields and up to the modern Civil Rights movement, CROSSIN' OVER tells its tale with traditional West African drumming, hymns, psalms and Gospel standards such as "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot," "Precious Lord," and "We Shall Overcome," as well as contemporary gospel music today." Performances take place in the Emerson Performance Space on the campus of Harris-Stowe State University in midtown. For more information: theblackrep.org.

The Lemp Mansion Comedy-Mystery Dinner Theater presents Death of a Blackheart through July 29. "Welcome aboard the largest, (and safest), cruise liner ever to sail the low seas. That's right. Welcome aboard the Gigantic! But wait! What do I hear? "Argggghhhhhhh!" Avast ye mateys and get yer gizzard ready to be robbed by the most famous pirate ever to pillage a maiden! Of course, we're talkin' Captain Jack Blackheart! He's the pirate that has cheated more people, emptied more pockets and pillaged more ladies than any politician. Gee. I hope no one kills him off. You'll meet lots of fun characters at this show. In fact audience members will get to play lots of fun characters in this show because it's "chock full" of "Fair Maidens", "Lost Boys", "Rival Pirates", and more. One thing is for sure. If you've ever wanted to stand up and shout out Arggggghhhh!...then "Death of a Blackheart" is the show for you!" The Lemp Mansion is at 3322 DeMenil Place. For more information: lempmansion.com.

Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents the world premiere of The Grapes of Wrath by Ricky Ian Gordon and Michael Korie, based on the John Steinbeck novel, through June 25. "When the Dust Bowl sweeps across Oklahoma, the Joad family sets out for a new life in California. But the promised land isn't all it seems. In the face of countless obstacles, can the American dream survive? Both heartbreaking and uplifting, this acclaimed opera vividly captures all the beauty of John Steinbeck's best-selling novel." 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.

Stages St. Louis presents the musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat June 2 - July 2. "One of the most enduring shows of all time, Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber's Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is the irresistible family musical about the trials and triumphs of Joseph, Israel's favorite son.” Performances take place in the Robert G. Reim Theatre at the Kirkwood Community Center, 111 South Geyer Road in Kirkwood. For more information: stagesstlouis.com

Madame Butterfly
Photo: Ken Howard
Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents Puccini's Madame Butterfly through June 24. "A Japanese geisha. An American soldier. Their attraction is immediate, but their love story can't last. When their union results in a child, Cio-Cio-San is forced to do whatever it takes to protect her son's future. Set to breathtaking music, this timeless opera pays powerful, wrenching tribute to a mother's love." 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.

The Bissell Mansion Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre presents Phantom of the Grand Old Opry through July 30. The Bissell Mansion is at 4426 Randall Place. For more information: bissellmansiontheatre.com.

JPEK CreativeWorks Theatre presents Samuel Huddleston in the one-man show Sam Cooke, the Musical Revue on Sunday, June 4th, at 3 and 6 p.m. The performances take place at the Kranzberg Arts Center, 501 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information: metrotix.com.

Citilites presents the national tour of Squeeze My Cans Wednesday through Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m., May 31 - June 4. Cathy Schenkelberg (Pepper the Clown: WGN's Bozo Show), a successful actress and voice over talent, spent most of her young adult life inside a "cult". Squeeze My Cans is the hilarious and horrifying story of her fourteen years inside The Church of Scientology and her five year struggle to escape it. Performances take place at the Gaslight Theatre, 358 North Boyle in the Central West End. For more information: www.brownpapertickets.com.

Sweet Smell of Success
New Line Theatre presents the Marvin Hammlisch musical Sweet Smell of Success, based on the 1957 film of the same name, Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 PM, June 1 - 24. "It's New York, 1952. After dark. Welcome to Broadway, the glamour, power, and sleaze capital of the universe. J.J. Hunsecker rules it all with his daily gossip column in the New York Globe, syndicated to sixty million readers across America. J.J. has the goods on everyone, from the President to the latest starlet. And everyone feeds J.J.'s appetite for scandal, from J. Edgar Hoover and Senator Joseph McCarthy, down to a battalion of hungry press agents who attach their gossip to a client that J.J. might plug. When down-and-out press agent Sidney Falco tries to hitch his wagon to J.J., all while keeping secrets about his new client's relationship with J.J.'s sister, Sidney learns that you can become no one fast when J.J. turns on you." Performances take place at the Marcelle Theater, 3310 Samuel Shepard Drive, three blocks east of Grand, in Grand Center. For more information, visit newlinetheatre.com or call 314-534-1111.

Circus Flora presents its new show, Time Flies, June 1 - 25 under the air-conditioned, red-and-white, big top tent in Grand Center next to Powell Hall. "Imagine that you could travel through time. Would you go back to relive historic events? What if you could alter the course of your own life? Now imagine you had the grace, power, and beuty of an acrobat or aerialist. Circus Flora's all new production uses the timeless art of circus to explore the fabric of time." For more information: circusflora.org.

Broadway Fantasies presents A Toast to the Tonys Saturdays at 7 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m., June 3 - 11. "This is the 28th consecutive year that St. Louis' original song and dance revue featuring talented professionals and amateurs from all walks of life, will perform for fun and for charity. All net proceeds from this Broadway Fantasies production are donated to CORP, County Older Residents Programs. This year's show is directed by Christy Simmons with musical director Joe Dreyer." Performances take place at St. Joseph's Academy, 2307 S Lindbergh Blvd. For more information: broadwayfantasies.com

Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents The Trial by Philip Glass and Christopher Hampton, based on the novel by Kafka, opening on Sunday, June 4, and running through June 23. "It's strange enough that Josef K. spontaneously finds himself arrested on his 30th birthday, stranger still that no one seems able to explain why. He embarks on a year-long search for justice, encountering absurd characters and situations at every turn. Based on Franz Kafka's novel, this dark comedy comes to St. Louis after a sold-out run at London's Royal Opera House." 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.

The Monroe Actors Stage Company presents Wild Oats Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 and Sundays at 2:30 p.m., June 2 - 11, in the Historic Capitol Theatre in downtown Waterloo, Illinois. "Wild Oats is your typical knee-slapping wild West story, complete with the evil landlord coming for the rent, long lost children, bar room sing-a-longs and... Shakespeare?" For more information, visit www.masctheatre.org or call 618-939-7469.

Shakespeare Festival St. Louis presents the comedy/drama The Winter's Tale nightly except for Tuesdays, June 2 - 25. "Written in approximately 1610, The Winter's Tale is considered to be one of a group of Shakespeare's plays defined by their tragic undertones and simultaneous use of straightforward comic situations. Other plays that are grouped in this category include Measure for Measure, The Merchant of Venice, Troilus and Cressida, All's Well that Ends Well, and Timon of Athens." Beginning at 6:30 the Green Show presents pre-play entertainment a variety of local performers on multiple stages. The play begins at 8 p.m. Performances take place in Shakespeare Glen next to the Art Museum in Forest Park. For more information, visit shakespearefestivalstlouis.org.

Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville presents the musical Working, based on the book by Studs Terkel, Wednesdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m., June 2 - 11. Performances take place in the Dunham Hall Theater on the campus in Edwardsville, IL. For more information, call 618-650-2774 or visit siue.edu

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.
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.

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