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The Cabaret Project and The Curtain Call Lounge at the Fox present the Broadway Open Mic Night on Thursday, October 19, from 8 to 11 p.m. Drop by and enjoy a night of great music from St. Louis cabaret artists, backed up by the pianist and music director Carol Schmidt. The special guest MC this month in Bob Wetzel. If you're planning to sing, be prepared to do one or two songs and bring music, preferably in your key. It's also recommend that you have your song memorized. The Curtain Call Lounge is next door to the Fabulous Fox in Grand Center. For more information: thecabaretproject.org.
My take: Granted, I'm member of the Cabaret Project board and the usual host of the open mic, but I can tell you from personal experience that this is a good time all the way around, whether you're a singer or just a lover of great music. Since its inception over five years ago, the open mic has been attracting some of our area's finest singers interested in performing favorite songs or trying out new material. And the Curtain Call has a nice lineup of food and drinks for you.
The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents Shakespeare's Hamlet through November 5. "For the first time in its 50-year history, The Rep will produce Hamlet. Spurred on to vengeance by the ghost of his father, Prince Hamlet hovers in limbo between bloody retribution and madness. Potentially fatal indecision delays his every step. With its profound soliloquies, complexly shaded characters and brutal plotting, it's Shakespeare's most enduring tragedy." Performances take place at the Loretto-Hilton Center on the Webster University campus. For more information: repstl.org.
My take: Director Paul Mason Barnes' fast-paced take on Shakespeare's classic has gotten great notices from pretty much everyone, as have the performances from his cast. I'll be seeing it this weekend and will let you know my thoughts on it next week.
The Presenters Dolan presents Broadway star Alice Ripley on Friday and Saturday, October 20 and 21, at 8 p.m. as part of the Gaslight Cabaret Festival. "Alice Ripley brings to her cabaret shows the explosive brilliance that has taken her to Broadway stardom. In addition to Next to Normal, she has been in the original Broadway casts of Les Miserables (Fantine), Sunset Boulevard, Side Show, The Rocky Horror Show, and American Psycho. Currently appearing as Kathleen on the new Netflix comedy Girlboss." The performances take place at the Gaslight Theater, 358 North Boyle. For more information: gaslightcabaretfestival.com
My take: Ms. Ripley is a Broadway star with solid credentials, and I have always said that musical theatre people make some of the best cabaret performers.
And now, a diverse brace of shows that have been accumulating rave reviews since Chuck's Choices went on hiatus while yours truly was traveling around Europe. They all close this weekend the they're all worth your attention.
New Line Theatre presents the rock musical Lizzie Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 PM through October 21. "A prominent businessman and his wife are brutally axed to death in their home. Their daughter Lizzie Borden is the prime suspect. Lizzie's trial is a coast-to-coast media sensation, and her story becomes an American legend." 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.
Stray Dog Theatre presents the rock musical Spring Awakening Thursdays through Saturdays through October 21. "Spring Awakening explores the journey from adolescence to adulthood with poignancy and passion that is illuminating and unforgettable. This landmark musical is an electrifying fusion of morality, sexuality, and rock and roll that since its premiere has been exhilarating audiences like no other musical in years. A heart-rendering story that follows a group of teenage friends as they travel the fraught and rocky path of adolescence and find themselves along the way." Performances take place at The Tower Grove Abbey, 2336 Tennessee. For more information, visit straydogtheatre.org or call 314-865-1995.
Upstream Theater presents the St. Louis premiere of Sweet Revenge Fridays through Sundays through October 22. "Considered the finest Polish comedy ever written, this 19th century verse drama uses Moliere-like wit to poke fun of human follies. Upstream takes the hijinks to another level by presenting the play as performed by an actual amateur Polish immigrant theater from the 1930s. A sympathetic satire with a focus on tolerance." Performances take place at the Kranzberg Arts Center, 501 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information, including show times: upstreamtheater.org.
New Jewish Theater presents Tuesdays With Morrie through October 22. "In this adaptation of the dearly loved book by Mitch Albom, Tuesdays with Morrie explores the ever-deepening relationship of journalist Albom with his Brandeis University professor and mentor, Morrie Schwartz. 16 years after graduation from college, Mitch catches Morrie on a television news program and discovers he is battling Lou Gehrig's disease (ALS). What begins as a one-time visit to his former professor turns into a weekly pilgrimage where Mitch is schooled in life lessons and ultimately discovers the meaning of life." Performances take place in the Marvin and Harlene Wool Studio Theater at the Jewish Community Center, 2 Millstone Campus Drive in Creve Coeur. For more information: www.newjewishtheatre.org or call 314-442-3283.
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