St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of October 30, 2017

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St. Louis Community College at Florissant Valley presents the classic comedy Arsenic and Old Lace, opening on Friday, November 3, and running through November 11th. Performances take place in the Fisher Theatre on the campus at 3400 Pershall Road. For more information, www.stlcc.edu/fv or call 314-644-5522.

Will Bonfiglio in Balloonacy

COCA presents the Will Bonfiglio in Balloonacy Saturday and Sunday at 1 and 5 p.m., November 4 and 5. "A grownup discovers the fun, imagination and companionship of childhood with the help of a red balloon. This sensory-friendly production packed with physical comedy, intended for young audiences, is a great introduction to live theatre. Written by Barry Kornhauser." COCA is at 524 Trinity in University City. For more information: cocastl.org.

Windsor Theatre Group presents the musical revue Broadway: The Early 1900's - Victor Herbert and His Contemporaries at 2 and 7 p.m. on Sunday, November 5; 7 p.m. on Friday, November 10; and 2 and 7 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, November 11 and and 12. "Talented professional singers and dancers will take the audience to an era that was very interesting for music lovers. Fantastic shows were staged on Broadway, and jazz, blues and tango began receiving mainstream recognition. Broadway tunes include the great male chorus numbers from Rose-Marie, The Student Prince, The Merry Widow, and The New Moon. There will be solo and duet performances of more Broadway selections and the other genres gaining fame. In addition, highlights of plots or other interesting facts about a song will enhance the enjoyment of the attendees." Performances take place at the historic Ozark Theatre, 103 E. Lockwood in Webster Groves. For more information call 314-832-2114 or visit the group's Facebook page.

Farah Alvin and William Michals

The Gaslight Cabaret Festival presents Farah Alvin and William Michals in Broadway's Greatest Hits of All Time on Friday and Saturday, November 3 and 4, at 8 p.m. "The show that every musical-theater lover has been waiting for. The songs that made Broadway great, that made your heart soar, that you sing leaving the theatre and in the shower! You will hear many of the greatest Broadway songs of all time performed by two of Broadway's most acclaimed voices. The Gaslight is the first stop outside of New York for Scott Siegel's critically acclaimed and wildly popular concert series, which has been playing for 18 months at at Feinstein's/54 Below." The performances take place at the Gaslight Theater, 358 North Boyle. For more information: gaslightcabaretfestival.com.

O'Fallon TheatreWorks presents the musical Bye Bye Birdie at the O'Fallon Municipal Centre auditorium November 3-12. The O'FallonTheatreWorks production of Bye Bye Birdie takes audiences back to the 1950s as the era of rock 'n roll is taking off. But to the consternation of legions of fans, rock star and teen heart throb Conrad Birdie is being drafted into the U.S. Army, But no one is more devastated than struggling songwriter Albert Peterson, whose song Birdie was just about to record. Albert's longtime girlfriend, Rosie, pushes Albert to write a new tune, “One Last Kiss,” which Birdie will perform on television to a fan selected in a contest. The scheme works, with attractive Ohio teenager Kim McAfee declared the winner, but no one has counted on the jealous wrath of her boyfriend. The musical score includes popular songs, “Put on a Happy Face” and “Honestly Sincere” in addition to “One Last Kiss.” 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.

The Lemp Mansion Comedy-Mystery Dinner Theater presents The Christmas Killer November 3 - December 31. " Welcome to the party sponsored by Chatty Cathy, (and the "Misfit Toys"). We certainly hope that you can find a good home for one of our toys! Of course, it'll be a fun party as long as the wrong element doesn't show up! We're talking about Ricky Stitch, of course. Gee! I hope nothing bad happens to him! Anyway, you'll meet lots of characters tonight. In fact, you'll be a character too! Whether you'd like to participate a lot, or just a little, we promise you great holiday fun when you attend "The Christmas Killer!"" The Lemp Mansion is at 3322 DeMenil Place. For more information: lempmansion.com.

The Black Rep presents the Crossin' Over in Concert on Saturday, November 4, at 8 p.m. "From roots in Africa - from village to slave ship - through the middle passage - from auction block to plantation fields and up to the modern Civil Rights movement, Crossin' Over tells its tale with traditional West African drumming, hymns, psalms and Gospel standards such as 'Swing Low, Sweet Chariot,' 'Precious Lord,' and 'We Shall Overcome,' as well as contemporary gospel music in the Black church today. Presentation ofThe Frankie Muse Freeman Spirit Awards and The Woodie Lifetime Acheivement Awards will take place at 7:30 p.m." The performance takes place at the 560 Music Center, 560 Trinity in University City. For more information: theblackrep.org.

Over Due Theatre presents musical The Drowsy Chaperone Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 PM and Sundays at 2 PM, November 3 - 12. "With its laugh-a-minute script and one show-stopping song and dance number after another, it's easy to see why THE DROWSY CHAPERONE won the most Tony Awards of any musical on Broadway in 2006, including Best Book and Score. It all begins when a die-hard musical theatre fan decides to play his favorite cast album in his small brownstone apartment - a 1928 smash hit musical called “The Drowsy Chaperone.” The show magically bursts to life before him as audiences are instantly transported to an earlier time and place and immersed in the glamorous and hilarious tale of a celebrity bride and her uproarious wedding day, complete with gangsters, mistaken identities, an off-course aviatrix, and an uplifting ride to the rafters." Performances take place at the Olivette Community Center, 9723 Grandview Drive, in Olivette, MO. For more information, call 314-210-2959 or visit overduetheatrecompany.com.

Fontbonne University presents the musical Elegies Wednesday through Sunday, November 2 - 5. Elegies is a song cycle about the deaths of friends and family, written in response to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Performances take place in the Fontbonne Fine Arts Theatre on Wydown and Big Bend. For more information: fontbonne.edu

The Playhouse at Westport Plaza presents Brandon Bennett in the one-man show Elvis My Way opening on Thursday, November 2nd, at 2 and 8 p.m. and running through Sunday the 5th. "Elvis: My Way stars the electrifying Brandon Bennett, who most recently appeared in Chicago's "Million Dollar Quartet." Bennett sets the stage ablaze in a spine-tingling tribute to the King himself Elvis Presley. With his pure-bred Southern charm, powerful voice, and scandalous moves, Bennett was named the "Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist" by Elvis Presley Enterprises at Graceland. His must-see show traverses Elvis' career from the Rock n' Roll nativity of the '50s-to the iconic comeback television concert of the 60s-to the legendary jumpsuits of the '70s. All-time greatest hits include "Blue Suede Shoes," "Can't Help Falling in Love," "Suspicious Minds," and many more." The Playhouse at Westport Plaza is at 635 West Port Plaza. For more information: playhouseatwestport.com.

The Fabulous Fox presents An Evening With Garrison Keillor: Just Passing Through on Saturday, November 4th, at 8 p.m. "In a solo performance, the acclaimed host of A Prairie Home Companion, Garrison Keillor, shares hilarious anecdotes about growing up in the American Midwest, the people of Lake Wobegon, and "late-life fatherhood." With a wonderful, dry sense of humor (and sometimes with music), Keillor captivates audiences using his unique blend of comedy, class, charisma, and wisdom as he shares his journey to becoming one of America's greatest storytellers." The Fox is at 527 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information: fabulousfox.com.

Hamlet
Photo: Peter Wochniak

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.

The Gaslight Cabaret Festival presents singer Ken Haller and pianist Marty Fox in Happy Hallerdays on Thursdays, November 2 and 9, at 8 p.m. . "In his take on the holidays, Ken promises to be surprising,funny, personal, moving, great company and just a little exasperating. Just like all our holidays! The very well done video below by Paul Schankman takes you into the world of Ken's shows. " The performances take place at the Gaslight Theater, 358 North Boyle. For more information: gaslightcabaretfestival.com.

The Theatre Guild of Webster Groves presents the thriller The Haunting of Hill House Fridays through Sundays, November 3 - 12. "A small group of people are brought together in a brooding, mid-Victorian mansion believed to harbor evil. Led by Dr. Montague, an investigator of supernatural phenomena, the visitors probe the secrets of the old house and draw forth the paranormal powers that it is alleged to possess - powers which have brought madness and death to those who have lived there in the past." Performances take place in the Guild theatre at Newport and Summit in Webster Groves, MO. For more information: theatreguildwg.org or call 314-962-0876.

Heisenberg
Photo: John Gitchoff

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents Heisenberg through November 12. "A serendipitous encounter at a London train station propels two very different people into a shared orbit. Georgie is crass, deeply odd and impulsive. On a whim, she kisses the neck of Alex, a much older and more subdued man who is sitting by himself. In the unexpected conversations that follow, Georgie and Alex discover shared passions amidst the uncertainty of personal connection. This life-affirming play uncovers the extraordinary in the everyday." Performances take place in the studio theatre at the Loretto-Hilton Center on the Webster University campus. For more information: repstl.org.

Kirkwood Theatre Guild presents the comedy Lend Me a Tenor November 3 - 12. "It's 1934 and Saunders, the general manager of the Cleveland Grand Opera Company, is primed to welcome world famous, Tito Morelli, Il Stupendo, the greatest tenor of his generation, to appear for one night only as Otello. The star arrives late and, through a hilarious series of mishaps, is given a double dose of tranquilizers and passes out, is he dead? Will crisis be averted with a substitute? Will the audience be fooled? Not likely! A sensation on Broadway and in London's West End, Ken Ludwig's Tony Award winning, madcap comedy is guaranteed to leave audiences teary-eyed with laughter." 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.

Act Two Theatre presents the musical Little Shop of Horrors Wednesdays through Fridays at 7:30 and Sundays a 2 p.m., November 3 - 12. Performances take place in the St. Peters Cultural Arts Centre at 1 St Peters Centre Blvd, St. Peters, MO 63376. For more information: act2theater.com.

The Bissell Mansion Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre presents Murder on 34th Street November 3 - December 31. The Bissell Mansion is at 4426 Randall Place. For more information: bissellmansiontheatre.com.

The Spitfire Grill

The Hawthorne Players present musical The Spitfire Grill November 3 - 12. "Recent parolee, Percy Talbott, is trying to find a place for a fresh start and ends up in the small town of Gilead, Wisconsin. The local sheriff finds her a job at the only eatery in this struggling town, The Spitfire Grill-for sale for the last 10 years. Percy suggests the gruff owner, Hannah, try raffling it off. The entry fee is one hundred dollars and an essay on why you want the grill. This musical triumph is an inspiring celebration of new beginnings and the power of what one person can do." The performances take place at the Florissant Civic Center Theatre at Parker and Waterford in Florissant, MO. For more information, call 921-5678 or visit hawthorneplayers.info.

YoungLiars presents Titus Androgynous opening on Friday, October 27, and running through November 11. " Did you know that Shakespeares most brutal tragedy is actually a comedy? YoungLiars aim to prove the point with a vengeance in this riotous reimagining of Titus Andronicus - where the Italian Commedia smashes into All-American Splatter, and Shakespeare comes along for the ride. Titus Androgynous is YoungLiars deliciously deranged deep-dive into the perverse passions and vaudeville violence of the Bard's bloodiest play." Performances take place in in the hundred-year-old basement of the Centene Center for the Arts, 3547 Olive Street in Grand Center. For more information: brownpapertickets.com.

Lindenwood University presents the drama The Visit Wednesday through Saturday, November 2 - 4, at 7:30 p.m. " A wealthy woman returns to her debt ridden home town and offers a sum greater than they have ever imagined to help out. But there is a condition: she wants the life of a villager who years ago had caused her to be expelled from town in disgrace. Ringing denial of this absurd demand is followed by the gradual corruption of everyone in town. He is murdered and money is passed over his body to the town. The lady leaves with a fantastic entourage and with the coffin of her old lover." The performances take place at The Lindenwood Theatre at the J. Scheidegger Center for the Arts on the Lindenwood campus in St. Charles, MO. For more information, call 636-949-4433 or visit www.lindenwood.edu/center.

The Jacoby Arts Center presents Paper Slip Theater's improv show When We First Met on Saturday, November 4, at 8 p.m. "Under the direction of company founder Ed Reggi, the evening’s host, the troupe will take real life stories about dating and falling in love to a whole new comedy experience. Audience members provide all the stories as the evening unfolds into hilarity." The Jacoby Arts Center is at 627 E. Broadway in Alton, IL. For more information: jacobyartscenter.org.

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.