St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of April 15, 2024

What's on St. Louis theater and cabaret stages this coming week. Please leave a comment if anything was wrong or got left out

Leann Schuering

The Blue Strawberry presents Hindsight is 20/20 with singer Leann Schuering on Thursday, April 18 at 7:30 pm. “St. Louis singing actress Leann Schuering makes her Blue Strawberry debut in this heartwarming musical theater cabaret exploring some of the lessons she has learned from parenthood - so far. Singing hits from musicals like “Ragtime, “Into the Woods,” and “Dear Evan Hansen,” she’ll share some of the joys, the trade-offs, and the universal lessons gained from the rear view mirror of life.” Ron McGowan is pianist and music director for the show.   The Blue Strawberry is at 364 N. Boyle. For more information: bluestrawberrystl.com.

The Blue Strawberry presents It Must Be Him: A Genderful Musical Memoir with singer Michael Kearns on Saturday, April 20 at 7:30 pm. “Blue Strawberry presents Michael Kearns’ sixteenth solo show, It Must Be Him: A Genderful Musical Memoir. The iconic artist-activist extends his unerring commitment to self-discovery that is delicately placed within the expansive LGBTQI+ experience. Kearns’ latest memoir follows a tradition of expressing that which provokes, reveals, and questions while capturing the zeitgeist of his generation with a unique voice defined by hope, reality, desire, tragedy, and promise. After three decades of defining performances, Kearns returns with a new musical memoir directed by Ryland Shelton with piano accompaniment by Carol Schmidt.”  The Blue Strawberry is at 364 N. Boyle. For more information: bluestrawberrystl.com.

Steve Brammeier

The Blue Strawberry presents Johnny Mathis: Different Stands Alone with singer Steve Brammeier and the Pfeffer Trio on Sunday, April 21 at 7:30 pm. “Join Steve and The Pfeffer Trio as he celebrates Johnny Mathis, sings some of his hit songs and some lesser known tunes while sharing stories about Johnny’s life and career.”  The Blue Strawberry is at 364 N. Boyle. For more information: bluestrawberrystl.com.

The Whale

St. Louis Actors' Studio (STLAS) presents The Whale by Samuel D. Hunter Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings at 8 pm and Sundays at 3 pm, through April 21. “On the outskirts of Mormon Country, Idaho, a 600-pound recluse hides away in his apartment and slowly eats himself to death. Desperate to reconnect with his long-estranged daughter, he reaches out to her, only to find a viciously sharp-tongued and wildly unhappy teen. Big-hearted and fiercely funny, The Whale tells the story of a man's last chance at redemption, and of finding beauty in the most unexpected places.” Performances take place at the Gaslight Theatre on North Boyle. For more information: stlas.org.

Xanadu
Photo: John Lamb

Stray Dog Theatre presents the musical Xanadu Thursdays through Saturdays at 8, through April 27, with additional performances at 2 pm on April 14 and 21. “Xanadu follows the journey of a magical and beautiful Greek muse who descends from the heavens of Mount Olympus to Venice Beach, California. It’s 1980 and she’s on a quest to inspire a struggling artist to achieve the greatest creation of all time – the first ROLLER DISCO! But when she falls into forbidden love with a mortal, her jealous sisters take advantage of the situation and chaos abounds.” Performances take place at Tower Grove Abbey, 2336 Tennessee in Tower Grove East. For more information: www.straydogtheatre.org.

Upstream Theater presents Don't Wait for the Marlboro Man a play by Olivier Garofalo (Luxembourg) translated by Philip Boehm. Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm and Sunday at 2 pm, April 19 through 21. “Two very different people meet in a hospital. Sarah has just received news of her partner's motorcycle accident and rushed out of her office, cell phone in hand. Word has also reached Pedro, the hospitalized man’s good-natured motorcycle buddy. Their encounter reveals a collision of lifestyles and values that touches on larger issues of risk and security, individual freedom, and social responsibility—all with vivid dialogue in an intriguingly theatrical frame.” Performances take place at the Kranzberg Center in Grand Center. For more information: www.upstreamtheater.org

The Washington University Performing Arts Department presents Cry it Out by Molly Smith Metzler Thursday and Friday at 7:30 pm, and Saturday  at 2 and 7:30 pm, and Sunday at 2 pm, April 18 through 21. “Jessie and Lina are neighbors and brand-new mothers on parental leave. The shared digital sweet spot of their baby monitors forces them to meet in the backyard for their daily coffee during naptime.  In this oasis, they share hilarious, maddening, heartbreaking stories about family, home, work and motherhood. Their friendship becomes an essential and empowering force in their lives.  But hold on!  They learn that someone has been watching them...is there room for another parent in the oasis? In Cry It Out, Molly Smith Metzler examines how each character navigates the socio-economic hand they have been dealt and scrutinizes the assumptions many still make about how a "good mother" should behave. It is a comedic gem with a shrewd and thoughtful undertow.”  Performances take place in the Edison Theatre on the Washington University Campus. For more information: pad.wustl.edu.

Looking for auditions and other artistic opportunities? Check out the St. Louis Auditions site.

To get your event listed here, send an email to chuck at kdhx.org Your event information should be in text format (i.e. not part of a graphic), but feel free to include publicity stills.

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.