St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of April 7, 2025

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

Meghan Kirk

The Blue Strawberry presents Once Upon a Song with singer Meghan Kirk and pianist/music director Ron McGowan on Sunday April 13 at 6 pm. “Step into a world of melody and memory as Meghan Kirk revisits the songs that have been part of her life for the last 20 years. Once Upon a Song is a musical time capsule, unearthing treasured tunes from the Great American Songbook to the timeless hits of the ‘60s, ‘70s, and ‘80s.” The performance takes place in lounge at The Blue Strawberry, 364 N. Boyle. For more information: bluestrawberrystl.com

First Run Theatre presents its 22nd Annual Staged Reading Festival Saturday and Sunday, April 12 and 13. “Help us to choose our season of Mainstage productions. First Run will present four free staged readings of scripts under consideration for our July/August and November productions at the Kranzberg Black Box. Please join us for these readings and give us your feedback on them. Your opinions count for a lot in our decisions of what plays to produce.” The readings take place at The Chapel Sanctuary for the Arts, 6238 Alexander Drive. For more information: firstruntheatre.org

The Midnight Company presents This Will Be: The Spirit and Soul of Natalie Cole featuring Kimmie Kidd, Christina Yancy and Dereis Lambert on Friday at 7:30 pm, April 11 and 18. “Natalie Cole grew up privileged, the daughter of the former Maria Hawkins Ellington, a singer with the Duke Ellington Orchestra, and Nat King Cole, the superstar singer and jazz pianist. Growing up in Beverly Hills, Cole referred to her family as “the black Kennedys.” She was only 15 when her father died, and the shock and grief over his passing stayed with her and severely impacted her life. Her story will be told by a cast of 3. Kimmie Kidd will present the public Natalie, and then be the lead voice for most of the music. Christina Yancy will represent the private Natalie. And Dereis Lambert will be Nat King Cole, a force in Natalie’s life even after he was gone. Christina and Dereis will provide additional voices for the songs in the show.” The performances take place at The Blue Strawberry, 364 N. Boyle. For more information: bluestrawberrystl.com

Cabaret
Photo: Jon Gitchoff

New Jewish Theatre presents the musical Cabaret Thursdays at 7:30 pm, Saturdays at 4 and 8 pm and Sundays at 2 pm through April 13. “In a Berlin nightclub, as the 1920s draw to a close, an intriguing Master of Ceremonies welcomes the audience and assures them they will forget all their troubles at the Cabaret. Cliff, a young American writer newly arrived in Berlin, is immediately taken with English singer Sally Bowles. Meanwhile, Fräulein Schneider, proprietor of Cliff and Sally’s boarding house, tentatively begins a romance with Herr Schultz, a mild-mannered fruit seller who happens to be Jewish. Daring, provocative and exuberantly entertaining, Cabaret explores the dark and heady life of Bohemian Berlin as Germany slowly yields to the emerging Third Reich.  Winner of eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical and Composer/Lyricist.” Performances take place at the SFC Performing Arts Center, 2 Millstone Campus Drive. For more information: jccstl.com

Sherwood
Photo: Jon Gitchoff

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents Sherwood: The Adventures of Robin Hood through April 13. “Join the Merry Rebellion! Ken Ludwig’s Sherwood: The Adventures of Robin Hood is a riotous romp through the enchanted forest, where Robin and his lively band of outlaws plot to outwit a greedy prince. Filled with daring escapades, mischievous humor, and a dash of romance, this timeless tale of justice and camaraderie is a swashbuckling adventure the whole family will cheer for!” Performances take on the main stage of the Loretto-Hilton Center on the Webster University campus. For more information: www.repstl.org.

St. Louis Actors' Studio (STLAS) presents With by Carter W. Lewis Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings at 8 pm and Sundays at 3 pm through April 20. “Clifford and Minnie devolve into a world of humorous, but ultimately heartbreaking minutiae as they navigate a blizzard, a dead son, a rat in the kitchen and worse; their enduring love fuels them through an obstacle course of each day’s events. We are quite fortunate to have Carter Lewis, who until recently was the playwright-in-residence at Washington University, living here in St. Louis. Two of Carter’s plays have been previously featured in our LaBute one-act festival and now we present his heart felt, full length play.” Performance take place at the Gaslight Theatre on North Boyle. For more information: stlas.org.

Rock of Ages
Photo: John Lamb

Stray Dog Theatre presents the musical Rock of Ages Thursdays through Saturdays at 8, through April 26, with an additional performances at 2 pm on Sunday April 13. “Big bands, big egos, big guitar solos…and even bigger hair! Rock of Ages tells the story of a small-town girl, a city boy, and a rock ‘n’ roll romance on the Sunset Strip. But when the bar where rock reigns supreme is set to be demolished, it’s up to these wannabe stars and their band of friends to save the day. Get ready to rock all night to hits from the famous glam metal bands of the '80s. The musical features songs from Styx, Journey, Bon Jovi, Pat Benatar, Twisted Sister, Poison, Europe, and more.” Performances take place at Tower Grove Abbey, 2336 Tennessee in Tower Grove East. For more information: www.straydogtheatre.org

Take Two Productions presents the rock musical Rent throgh April 12. “Based loosely on Puccini's La Boheme, Jonathan Larson's Rent follows a year in the life of a group of impoverished young artists and musicians struggling to survive and create in New York's Lower East Side, under the shadow of HIV/AIDS. The physical and emotional complications of the disease pervade the lives of Roger, Mimi, Tom and Angel. Maureen deals with her chronic infidelity through performance art; her partner, Joanne, wonders if their relationship is worth the trouble. Benny has sold out his Bohemian ideals in exchange for a hefty income and is on the outs with his former friends. Mark, an aspiring filmmaker, feels like an outsider to life in general. How these young bohemians negotiate their dreams, loves and conflicts provides the narrative thread to this groundbreaking musical.” Performances take place in Johnson Hall at Third Baptist Church, 620 N. Grand in Grand Center. For more information: www.taketwoproductions.org.

Meet Me at Dawn

Upstream Theater presents Meet Me at Dawn by Zinnie Harris, April 13 through 27. “Two women wash up on a distant shore following a boating accident. Dazed by their experience, they look for a path home. But they discover that this unfamiliar land is not what it seems — and that, though they may be together, they have never been further apart. A deeply moving, lyrical meditation inspired by the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice.” Performances take place at The Marcelle in Grand Center. For more information: www.upstreamtheater.org.

West End Players Guild presents At the Wedding by Bryna Turner through April 13. “You are cordially invited to the best day of someone else’s life…But what if it’s also the worst day of yours?” Performances take place at the Union Avenue Christian Church, 733 Union in the Central West End. For more information: westendplayers.org.

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

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