St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of June 22, 2015

[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 web site.

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The Barber of Seville
Photo: Ken Howard

Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents Rossini's comedy The Barber of Seville in rotating repertory with three other operas through June 27. "There's a good reason it's one of the world's most popular operas! Rossini's zany and sparkling score sets the gold standard for opera that is fresh, elegant, funny, and brimming with vocal fireworks. Delight as the young barber Figaro helps Count Almaviva steal the beautiful Rosina from under the nose of her doddering guardian." 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. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

O'Fallon TheatreWorks presents Beauty and the Beast Jr. at the O'Fallon Municipal Centre auditorium through June 27. The O'Fallon Municipal Centre is located at 100 North Main Street in O'Fallon, MO. For more information, visit www.ofallon.mo.us or call 636-379-5606.

COCA presents Bring It On: the Musical, Friday and Saturday, June 26 and 27. “Bitingly relevant and sprinkled with sass, Bring It On takes audiences on a high-flying journey filled with the complexities of friendship, jealousy, betrayal, and forgiveness.” COCA is at 524 Trinity in University City. For more information, call (314) 725-6555 or visit www.cocastl.org.

Jefferson College presents the classic musical Bye Bye Birdie through June 27. Performances take place at the Jefferson College Fine Arts Theatre on the campus in Hillsboro, MO. For more information, visit jeffco.edu or call 636-481-3369 or 636-789-3000 ext. 3369.

Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville Summer Showbiz presents Shakespeare's The Comedy of Errors through June 27. Performances take place in the Dunham Hall theater on the campus in Edwardsville, IL. For more information, call 618-650-2774.

Stages St. Louis presents Disney's The Aristocats, based on the film, through June 28. "Sacrè bleu! Madame's furry felines have been cat-napped! What's a cat to do? Luckily, Thomas O'Malley and his rag-tag bunch of Alley Cats are ready to spring to the rescue of Duchess and her Aristokittens. What happens next is anyone's guess! You'll be clapping your paws and wagging your tail to our hep, jazzy beat. With songs like "The Aristocats," "Scales and Arpeggios," and "Ev'rybody Wants to Be a Cat," this modern version of the familiar Disney classic is just purrrrr-fect for the entire family. " Performances take place at the Westport Playhouse in Westport Plaza. For more information, visit stagesstlouis.org or call 314-821-2407.

Emmeline
Photo: Ken Howard

Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents Tobias Picker's drama Emmeline in rotating repertory with three other operas through June 27. " Inspired by a compelling true story from a mill town in 19th century New England, Emmeline's heart-wrenching saga echoes the age-old Oedipus legend." 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. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

The Lemp Mansion Comedy-Mystery Dinner Theater presents A Fistful Of Hollers through August 29. The Lemp Mansion is at 3322 DeMenil Place. For more information: lempmansion.com.

The Muny presents the classic musical Hairspray nightly at 8:15 PM, June 23-30, in the outdoor theatre in Forest Park. "Winner of eight Tony® Awards including the 2003 Tony® for Best Musical, Hairspray brings its infectious beat and hilarious fun to the Muny for 8 performances. Set in the changing times of 1960s Baltimore, Tracy Turnblad dreams of dancing on the Corny Collins Show AND creating a perfect integrated world! Does she have the moves and the courage? Based on the 1988 John Waters Film of the same name, Hairspray features incredible dance numbers and a blazing set of pop tunes including “Good Morning Baltimore” and “You Can't Stop The Beat!”" For more information, visit muny.org or call 314-361-1900.

The Looking Glass Playhouse presents the musical The Little Mermaid Wednesday through Sundaym June 24-28. Performances take place at 301 West St. Louis Street in Lebanon, Ill. For more information, visit www.lookingglassplayhouse.com.

Act Inc presents Love From a Stranger by Frank Vosper, from a story by Agatha Christie, June 26 and 27. Performances take place in the Emerson Black Box Theatre at the J. Scheidegger Center for the Arts on the Lindenwood campus in St. Charles, MO. For more information, visit actincstl.com.

The Bissell Mansion Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre presents Mayhem In Mayberry through July 26. The Bissell Mansion is at 4426 Randall Place. For more information: bissellmansiontheatre.com

Silhouettes Production Company presents the musical Next to Normal Thursday trough Saturday, June 25-27. " Nominated for eleven Tony Awards in 2009, Next to Normal tells the story of a mother who struggles with worsening bipolar disorder and the effects that her illness has on her family. As she attempts to alleviate her symptoms, other issues rise to the surface, such as grief, loss, suicide, drug abuse, and ethics in modern psychiatry. " Performances take place at Life Church, 8134 Mexico Road, St. Peters, MO. For more information: silhouettesn2n.bpt.me.

St. Louis Shakespeare's Magic Smoking Monkey Theatre presents The One Hour Game Of Thrones Parody Fridays and Saturdays at 8 and 10:30 p.m. through June 27. "If you enjoyed MSMT's world-famous, internationally-renowned 1-hour productions of The Star Wars Trilogy, The Ten Commandments, Lord Of The Rings, then you will spend exactly 60 minutes to see The One Hour Game Of Thrones Parody!" Performances take place at the Regional Arts Commission in University City. For more information: stlshakespeare.org. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

One Summer on 2nd Street

Circus Flora presents its new show, One Summer on 2nd Street through June 28 under the air-conditioned, red-and-white, big top tent in Grand Center next to Powell Hall. "Travel back with us to The Jazz Age - to a time at which American cities grew rapidly, becoming home to families from all walks of life and corners of the map. We'll journey together to a typical block in a typical city on a typical day - and meet a very atypical set of families. Find yourself enchanted by a small Ukrainian family who tame the cats that live in the alley. Feel the excitement as Russian carriage drivers ride wildly through the streets, and the Flying Wallendas maneuver their way along clotheslines strung between buildings. Experience the bliss of young love, determined to stand strong amid their families' protests. These stories, and more, will come alive under the Big Top this summer." For more information, visit circusflora.org. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

Act Inc presents Woody Allen's comedy Play It Again, Sam June 27 and 28. Performances take place in the Emerson Black Box Theatre at the J. Scheidegger Center for the Arts on the Lindenwood campus in St. Charles, MO. For more information, visit actincstl.com.

Richard the Lionheart
Photo: Ken Howard

Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents the American premiere of Handel's Richard the Lionheart in rotating repertory with three other operas through June 26. "If you only know him from Robin Hood, you don't know the whole story of Richard the Lionheart. Shipwrecked on the way to the Third Crusade, one of England's bravest kings must disguise himself to protect his future bride and prevent war in a foreign land. But who can he trust in this all-too-real game of thrones? Handel's virtuosic vocal writing in this opera, never before heard in the United States, makes Richard an eagerly-anticipated event for all music-lovers." 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. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

La Rondine
Photo: Ken Howard

Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents Puccini's La Rondine in rotating repertory with three other operas through June 28. " Can a beautiful, sophisticated Parisian courtesan find happiness with a young man from the country? Or is her love affair doomed by a past she cannot keep secret? Celebrated OTSL music directorStephen Lord brings Puccini's gorgeous music and romantic storytelling to life in this stunning, newbelle epoque period production." 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. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

Smokey Joe's Café
Photo: Peter Wochniak

Stages St. Louis presents the musical revue Smokey Joe's Café, based on the songs of Lieber and Stoller through June 28. " Welcome to the neighborhood for a nostalgic exploration of the lives, loves, and aspirations of a group of friends who know how to rock 60s style. Featuring nearly 40 chart-topping hits that span over three decades of popular American music, this thrilling Grammy Award-winning song celebration will knock your socks off. Relive the glory days of rock and roll with such pop standards as "Stand By Me,""Jailhouse Rock," "I'm A Woman," "Hound Dog," and "On Broadway." Now, Baby, that's rock 'n' roll! Words and Music by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller." Performances take place in the Robert G. Reim Theatre at the Kirkwood Community Center, 111 South Geyer Road in Kirkwood. For more information, visit stagesstlouis.org or call 314-821-2407. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

The St. Lou Fringe Festival runs through June 27 at several venues in the Grand Center area including the Kranzberg Arts Center (501 N. Grand) and TheStage at KDHX. Performances include traditional theater, dance, music, comedy, circus arts, performance art, cabaret, and burlesque, with acts from St. Louis and around the country. For a complete schedule, visit stlfringe.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.