St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of March 11, 2019

New shows this week include The 2019 Workers' Opera, the Aphra Behn new play festival, and an appearance by composer Jason Robert Brown at the Grandel.

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The 2019 Workers' Opera

Bread and Roses Missouri presents The 2019 Workers' Opera on Monday, March 11, at 8 pm. "The Workers' Theater group gives voice to the rich history and contemporary struggle for living wages and fair working conditions (bread) along with dignity and artistic expression (roses). The performers are workers-turned-actors-members of the movement itself. They have successfully entertained, educated and activated audiences all across Missouri at venues large and small. Their performances commemorate the rich history of the labor movement, while celebrating social justice and solidarity with the arts." The performance takes place at the Gaslight Theatre on Boyle in the Central West End For more information: www.breadandrosesmo.org.

Slightly Askew Theatre Ensemble presents The Aphra Behn Emerging Artists Showcase Friday through Sunday at 8 pm March 15-17. " Now in its third year, this year's festival will consist of three plays written and directed by promising female artists. The festival is named after Aphra Behn, the British playwright, poet, translator and fiction writer from the Restoration era. As one of the first English women to earn her living by her writing, Aphra Behn broke cultural barriers and served as a literary role model for later generations of women authors." Performances take place at The Centene Center for the Arts and Education, 3547 Olive in Grand Center. For more information: brownpapertickets.com

Kirkwood Theatre Guild presents the drama August Osage County through March 17. "Winner of the 2008 Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award for Best New Play, August: Osage County centers around the Weston family, brought together after their patriarch, world-class poet and alcoholic, Beverly Weston, disappears. The matriarch, Violet, depressed and addicted to pills and "truth-telling," is joined by her three daughters who harbor their own deep secrets. More family arrives, equally well-trained in the Weston family art of cruelty. Bursting with humor, vivacity and intelligence, August: Osage County is both dense and funny, vicious and compassionate." Performances take place in the Robert G. Reim Theatre of the Kirkwood Community Center, 111 South Geyer Road. For more information, call 314-821-9956 or visit ktg-onstage.org

Avenue Q

The Playhouse at Westport Plaza presents the musical Avenue Q running through March 17. "Part flesh, part felt and packed with heart, AVENUE Q is a laugh-out-loud musical telling the timeless story of a bright-eyed college grad named Princeton. When he arrives in the city with big dreams and a tiny bank account, he has to move into a shabby apartment all the way out on AVENUE Q. Still, the neighbors seem nice. There, he meets Kate (the girl next door), Lucy (the slut), Rod (the Republican), Trekkie (the internet entrepreneur), superintendent Gary Coleman (yes, that Gary Coleman) and other new friends! Together, they struggle to find jobs, dates, and their ever-elusive purpose in life." The Playhouse at Westport Plaza is at 635 West Port Plaza. For more information: www.playhouseatwestport.com.

The Fabulous Fox Theatre presents Beautiful, The Carole King Musical opening on Tuesday, March 12, at 7:30 pm and running through March 17. " BEAUTIFUL - The Carole King Musical tells the inspiring true story of King's remarkable rise to stardom, from being part of a hit songwriting team with her husband Gerry Goffin, to her relationship with fellow writers and best friends Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann, to becoming one of the most successful solo acts in popular music history. Along the way, she made more than beautiful music, she wrote the soundtrack to a generation." The Fabulous Fox Theatre in on N. Grand in Grand Center. For more information: fabulousfox.com.

The Lemp Mansion Comedy-Mystery Dinner Theater presents Bullets in the Bathtub through April 13. The Lemp Mansion is at 3322 DeMenil Place. For more information: lempmansion.com.

La Cage aux Folles
Photo by Jill Ritter Lindberg

New Line Theatre presents the musical La Cage aux Folles Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 PM through March 23. "What happens when the son of a middle-aged gay couple brings home the daughter of an arch-conservative politician -- and her parents -- for dinner? Musical comedy ensues. Come join us on the French Riviera for a night of love, laughs, illusions and truths, and the triumph of family over bullies and bigots." 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.

CSZ St. Louis presents The ComedySportz Show on Saturday nights at 7:30 pm. The show is "action-packed, interactive and hilarious comedy played as a sport. Two teams battle it out for points and your laughs! You choose the winners the teams provide the funny!" Performances take place on the second floor of the Sugar Cubed, 917 S Main St. in St Charles, Mo. For more information: www.cszstlouis.com.

KTK Productions presents the comedy Farce of Habit Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 pm and Sundays at 2 pm, through March 17. "This absurdly funny Southern-fried romp takes us back to the Reel 'Em Inn fishing lodge where this bizarre family guides you through a new series of preposterous events in "Farce of Habit". Add to the original characters a gaggle of nuns on retreat, a nationally known relationship guru, a shy retiree and a couple of women who may (or may not be) who they claim to be. Throw in an approaching "storm of the century" and the fact that there is an axe murderer on the loose and you will be laughing your way through the lunacy of another Jones, Hope and Wooten comedy.This is one habit you'll never want to break! Performances take place at St. John the Baptist Church, 4200 Delor. For more information: kurtainkall.org or call 314-351-8984.

Jason Robert Brown

The Kranzberg Arts Foundation presents Jason Robert Brown on Friday, March 15, at 7 pm. "Jason Robert Brown is the three-time Tony Award-winning composer and lyricist of Songs for a New World (1995), Parade (1998), The Last Five Years (2002), 13 (2008), The Bridges of Madison County (2013) and Honeymoon In Vegas (2014). His shows are regularly performed on stages across the world, and his songs are regularly heard on television, film and recordings. Jason has recorded several albums, featuring his band The Caucasian Rhythm Kings, and is much in demand as a pianist, singer and conductor. He lives in New York City with his wife, Georgia Stitt, and his two daughters. For this unique performance, Tony Award-winning composer and lyricist Jason Robert Brown will incorporate an eclectic mix of material, featuring music from throughout his acclaimed career, along with works from his new album “How We React and How We Recover.” The performance takes place at The Grandel, 2610 Grandel Square in Grand Center. For more information: metrotix.com.

UMSL Opera Theatre presents Menotti's The Medium Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m., March 15-17. " UMSL Opera Theatre invites you to partake of Menotti's haunting musical realm. The Medium is a dramatic opera that asks the question: Can unyielding love defy the parameters of death? Come and find out for yourself, in our sonorous realm of spirits and séances!" Performances take place in the Touhill Performing Arts Center on the University of Misouri-St. Louis campus. For more information: touhill.org.

Alpha Players present the comedy My Three Angels March 15-24. Performances take place at The Florissant Civic Center Theater, Parker Rd. at Waterford Dr. in Florissant, MO. For more information: alphaplayers.org, call 314-921-5678.

Nonsense and Beauty
Photo: Jerry Naunheim, Jr.

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents the St. Louis premiere of Nonsense and Beauty through March 24. "In 1930, the writer E.M. Forster met and fell in love with a policeman 23 years his junior. Their relationship, very risky for its time, evolved into a 40-year love triangle that was both turbulent and unique. Based on a true story, Nonsense and Beauty captures the wit and wisdom of one of the last century's great writers. This world premiere, developed as part of The Rep's 2018 Ignite! Festival of New Plays, explores the power of love and forgiveness." Performances take place in the studio theatre at the Loretto-Hilton Center on the Webster University campus. For more information: repstl.org.

The Bissell Mansion Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre presents Nursery Crimes through May 9. The Bissell Mansion is at 4426 Randall Place. For more information: bissellmansiontheatre.com.

The Play That Goes Wrong

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents the comedy The Play That Goes Wrong, opening on Wednesday, March 13, and running through April 7. "Calamity, disaster, fiasco: whichever word you'd like to choose, the opening night performance of The Murder at Haversham Manor has gone decidedly wrong. A maelstrom of madcap madness ensues, complete with collapsing scenery, unconscious actors and a stage crew pushed to the brink. Will The Rep survive this train wreck of a play? Come find out!" Performances take place at the Loretto-Hilton Center on the Webster University campus. For more information: repstl.org

The Gateway Men's Chorus presents Seasons of Love on Friday and Saturday, March 15 and 16, at 8 p.m. "Our spring concert is the perfect time to take you through a year of infatuation, passion, happiness, betrayal, heartbreak, and hope: the unpredictability of love. You will be utterly absorbed listening to GMC's specially chosen collection of ballads, blues, and Broadway, as well as the concert's namesake "Seasons of Love" from Rent." The concert takes place at Union Avenue Christian Church, 733 Union at Enright in the Central West End. For more information: gmcstl.org.

Something Rotten

The Stifel Theatre presents the musical Something Rotten Wednesday, March 13, at 7:30 pm. "Something Rotten! is “Broadway's big, fat hit!” (New York Post). Set in 1595, this hilarious smash tells the story of Nick and Nigel Bottom, two brothers who are desperate to write a hit play. When a local soothsayer foretells that the future of theatre involves singing, dancing and acting at the same time, Nick and Nigel set out to write the world's very first MUSICAL! With its heart on its ruffled sleeve and sequins in its soul, SOMETHING ROTTEN! is “The Producers + Spamalot + The Book of Mormon. Squared!” (New York Magazine). " The Stifel Theatre is at 14th and Market downtown. For more information: stifeltheatre.com.

DaySpring Arts presents Thoroughly Modern Millie Jr. on Friday and Saturday at 7 pm and Sunday at 3 pm, March 15-17. "Performed by the students of DaySpring Arts, this is a fully realized production complete with lights, costumes, sets, and choreography. “Thoroughly Modern Millie Jr.” tells the story of a girl who tries to make her fortune in the 1920s and finds love on the way. Filled with fun flappers, dashing leading men, and a villainess audiences will love to hate, “Thoroughly Modern Millie Jr.” is a family-friendly adaptation of the Tony-Award-winning Musical that has all of New York dancing the Charleston!" Performances take place at DeSmet Jesuit High School, 233 N. New Ballas Rd. For more information: dayspringarts.org.

Tesseract Theatre Company presents Two Degrees, a new play by Tira Palmquist, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm and Sundays at 2 pm through March 17. "Emma Phelps is a paleoclimatologist, focusing on ice in Greenland. In drilling and studying ice core samples, she sees first hand the symptoms of our changing planet, which makes the need to act all the more crucial and urgent. In addition to her growing sense of urgency for the planet, Emma, as a recent widow, experiences grief that compounds itself with each passing month. Now she's been asked to come to Washington D.C. to testify in a Senate Committee regarding climate change legislation, and in this intersection of science and politics, of politics and the personal, she finds more than just a little is breaking up under the strain of change." Performances take place at The .ZACK, 3224 Locust in Midtown. For more information: tesseracttheatre.org.

Mustard Seed Theatre presents Well by Lisa Kron Thursday through Saturday at 8 and Sunday at 2 pm through March 17. "Lisa's experimental play intends to explore racial and religious integration and cultural concepts of health. She does NOT want to talk about her Mother, who unexpectedly joins her on stage. What could possibly go wrong?" Performances take place at the Fontbonne Fine Arts Theatre, 6800 Wydown Blvd. For more information, call (314) 719-8060 or visit the web site at www.mustardseedtheatre.com.

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.