St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of June 18, 2018

New shows this week include The Wiz at the Muny, a provocative new play inspired by the Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting, and the Cabaret Projecdt open mic at the .ZACK.

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That Uppity Theatre Company and the University of Central Oklahoma present 26 Pebbles by Eric Ulloa on Tuesday through Friday at 7 pm and Saturday at 2 pm, June 19 - 23. Presented in partnership with the Missouri Chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America and “Painting for Peace in Ferguson”, the play combines live music, singing, and interviews from Newtown residents as they recount the ripples in their community in the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. The performance takes place at First Congregational Church of St. Louis, 6501 Wydown on 6/19; at St. Paul United Church of Christ 3510 Giles Avenue on 6/20; at Christ Church Maplewood UCC, 2200 Bellevue on 6/21; at Lafayette Park United Methodist Church, 2300 Lafayette on 6/22; and at Daniel Boone Branch of the St. Louis County Library, 300 Clarkson Rd., on 6/23. The production is suitable for ages 12 and above. All performances are free and open to the public. For more information: uppityco.com.

An American Soldier
Photo by Ken Howard

Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents the world premiere of An American Soldier, by Huang Ro and David Henry Hwang, running through June 22. "Danny Chen is the son of Chinese immigrants, and a proud American. He enlists in the US Army in 2011, eager to serve his country. In boot camp, Danny is welcomed by his band of brothers. But in Afghanistan, his own base becomes enemy territory as military hazing turns deadly. Based on a true story, this opera asks powerful questions about what it means to be an American." 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 call 314-961-0644.

Blithe Spirit
Photo by John Lamb

Act Inc presents Noël Coward's comedy Blithe Spirit Fridays at 8 pm and Saturdays and Sundays at 2 pm through June 24. "Blithe Spirit is a comic play by Noël Coward. The play concerns the socialite and novelist Charles Condomine, who invites the eccentric medium and clairvoyant, Madame Arcati, to his house to conduct a séance, hoping to gather material for his next book. The scheme backfires when he is haunted by the ghost of his annoying and temperamental first wife, Elvira, after the séance. Elvira makes continual attempts to disrupt Charles's marriage to his second wife, Ruth, who cannot see or hear the ghost." 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.

Carol Schmidt

The Cabaret Project presents Cabaret Open Mic Night on Wednesday, June 20, from 7 to 10 pm. Drop by and enjoy a night of great music from St. Louis cabaret artists, backed up by pianist and music director Carol Schmidt and hosted by 88.1 KDHX's Chuck Lavazzi. 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 event takes place at Sophie's Artist Lounge on the second floor of the .ZACK performing arts space at 3226 Locust in Grand Center. For more information: thecabaretproject.org.

CSZ St. Louis presents The ComedySportz Show on Saturday nights at 7:30 pm. The show is "action-packed, interactive and hilarious comedy played as a sport. Two teams battle it out for points and your laughs! You choose the winners the teams provide the funny!" Performances take place on the second floor of the Sugar Cubed, 917 S Main St. in St Charles, Mo. For more information: www.cszstlouis.com.

The Bankside Repertory Theatre Company presents The Complete Works Of William Shakespeare (Abridged) [Revised] June 21 - 30. "A comedy crash-course on the Bard's canon, an iambic pentametric delight! For adult audiences." Performances take place at The Jacoby Arts Center, 627 E. Broadway in Alton, IL. For more information: www.banksiderep.com.

Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville presents Disney's Beauty and the Beast Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm and Sundays at 2 pm, through June 24. " With the classic songs, "Be Our Guest," "Something There," and "Beauty and the Beast," this will be a fairy-tale musical experience the whole family can share and enjoy. Based on the Academy Award-winning animated feature, the stage version of Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" has enthralled Broadway audiences for over 22 years." Performances take place in the Dunham Hall Theater on the campus in Edwardsville, IL. For more information, call 618-650-2774 or visit siue.edu.

Hard Road Theatre Productions presents Disney's Mary Poppins Jr. Friday and Saturday at 7:00 pm and Sunday at 2 pm, June 21 - 24. Performances will be held at the Highland School Auditorium, 1800 Lindenthal, in Highland IL. For more information: www.hardroad.org.

Fourth Wall Down presents The Drowning Girls opening on Friday, June 22, and running through July 14. 'The play gasps to life with Bessie, Alice, and Margaret (English women of the early 1900s) trying to remember their lives. Though fragmented, the tragic truth is slowly unraveled: each unassuming, lonely and on the cusp of 'spinsterhood', they're surprised to find Love, along with an avenue toward societal worth… Marriage to “a man of independent means”.' Performances take place at Wild Carrot, 3901 Shaw in the Shaw Neighborhood. For more information: www.fourthwalldown.org.

End of the Rainbow

Max and Louie Productions presents Angela Ingersoll in the one-woman show End of the Rainbow June 21 - July 1. "It's 1968 and Judy Garland is about to make her comeback… again. In a London hotel room, with both her new young fiancé and her adoring accompanist, Garland struggles to get “beyond the rainbow” with her signature cocktail of talent, tenacity and razor sharp wit. Featuring some of Garland's most memorable songs, this savagely funny play-with-music offers unique insight into the inner conflict that inspired and consumed one of the most beloved figures of our time." Performances take place at the Grandel Theatre, 3610 Grandel Square in Grand Center. For more information: maxandlouie.com.

The Lemp Mansion Comedy-Mystery Dinner Theater presents A Fistful of Hollers through July 28. The Lemp Mansion is at 3322 DeMenil Place. For more information: lempmansion.com.

The Game of Thrones Seasons 2 - 4

St. Louis Shakespeare's Magic Smoking Monkey Theatre presents The Game of Thrones seasons 2 - 4: Four Weddings and a S#!t-ton of Funerals Fridays and Saturdays at 8 and 10:30 pm, through June 23. "Join us in June for a wacky evening of sex (sorta), violence (ouch!), nudity (kinda), cussing ($#!%), dragons, shadow demons, White Walkers, kings, queens, weddings, and deaths. Lots and lots of deaths!" Performances take place at the Regional Arts Commission in University City. For more information: brownpapertickets.com.

The Bissell Mansion Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre presents Get "Hitched" To A Redneck Or Die through July 29. The Bissell Mansion is at 4426 Randall Place. For more information: bissellmansiontheatre.com.

The St. Louis Summer Players presents the musical Guys and Dolls Thursday through Saturday, June 21 - 23, at 7:30. 'Set in the Manhattan of Damon Runyon's short stories, Guys and Dolls tells of con-man Nathan Detroit's efforts to find new life for his illegal, but notorious, dice game. When their trusty venue is found out by the police, Nathan has to find a new home for his game quickly - but he doesn't have the dough to secure the one location he finds. Enter Sky Masterson, a high-rolling gambler willing to take on any honest bet with a high enough reward attached. Nathan bets Sky that he can't take the “doll” of Nathan's choosing to Havana, Cuba, with him on a date. When Sky agrees to the bet, Nathan chooses uptight Evangelist Sergeant Sarah Brown, head of Broadway's Save-a-Soul Mission. Sky thinks he's been duped, but he's in for even more of a surprise when his efforts to woo Sarah are so successful that he falls in love with her himself! Guys and Dolls takes us from bustle of Times Square to the dance clubs of Havana to the sewers of New York City as it demonstrates the great lengths to which a guy will go when he truly falls in love with a “doll.”' Performance take place on the campus of Missouri Baptist University. For more information: mobap.edu.

Stray Dog Theatre presents Ibsen's tragedy Hedda Gabler Thursdays through Saturdays through June 23. " A masterpiece of modern theatre, Hedda Gabler exposes a powerful and reckless heroine who finds herself stranded in the seemingly ordinary but dangerously imbalanced Victorian Era. Employing methods that define the modern psychological drama, the plot stealthily reveals the bitter conflicts and thwarted longings that lie just below the "civilized" interactions of daily life and unflinchingly leads us to a shocking but inevitable conclusion." Performances take place at The Tower Grove Abbey, 2336 Tennessee. For more information, visit straydogtheatre.org or call 314-865-1995.

Corinne Melançon and Steve Isom in I Do! I Do!
Photo by Peter Wochniak

Stages St. Louis presents the musical I Do! I Do!, by the creators of The Fantasticks, through July 1. "I DO! I DO! tells the poignant story of 50 years in the married lives of Michael and Agnes. This two character musical version of the comedy/drama 'The Fourposter' takes place entirely in a bedroom and takes its audience on a whirlwind journey that begins in 1895 and ends half a century later. I DO! I DO! offers its audiences a frank look at the miracle of marriage as Michael and Agnes experience childbirth, parenthood, and the eventual settling down to face the future and their advancing years together. Originally written for the Broadway stars, Mary Martin and Robert Preston, STAGES employs the innovative theatrical hat-trick of two separate rotating casts: neither of which you will want to miss! An unabashed gift to the many couples who have walked through our doors, I DO! I DO! will be sure to steal your heart while celebrating the many triumphs and heartaches of marriage: past, present, and future!" Performances take place in the Robert G. Reim Theatre at the Kirkwood Community Center, 111 South Geyer Road in Kirkwood. For more information: stagesstlouis.org.

The Goshen Theatre Project presents The Lion King Jr. June 21 - 24. The performances take place at the Nazarene Community Center in Roxana, IL. For more information: www.goshentheatreproject.org.

Stages St. Louis presents the musical Madagascar: A Musical Adventure, based on the animated film, June 19 through July 1. "STAGES invites you to take a journey out of the Central Park Zoo and onto an enchanted desert isle with your favorite crack-a-lackin' friends from the DreamWorks blockbuster film, MADAGASCAR! Join Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Melman the Giraffe, Gloria the hip-hip Hippo, and, of course, mad King Julien for a musical adventure of a lifetime. Filled with gut-busting laughs galore, rockin' dance moves, and an upbeat up-to-the-minute score that includes “Move It, Move It,” exploring a brave new world was never so much ridiculous fun!” Performances take place in the Robert G. Reim Theatre at the Kirkwood Community Center, 111 South Geyer Road in Kirkwood. For more information: stagesstlouis.org.

Orfeo and Euridice
Photo by Ken Howard

Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents Gluck's Orfeo and Euridice through June 21. "What would you do if you lost your soulmate? For Orfeo, the answer is simple: get her back - even if it means traveling to the underworld. He braves every challenge, armed with nothing more than his music and his devotion. Little does he realize that his greatest obstacle will ultimately be his own passion. As a myth, it's a celebration of love and of music's transcendent power. As an opera, it's a ravishing masterpiece." 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 call 314-961-0644.

Regina
Photo by Ken Howard

Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents Mark Blitzstein's Regina running through June 24. "Theft. Blackmail. Murder. Is there nothing that Regina Giddens won't do to satisfy her ambition? Based on Lillian Hellman's play The Little Foxes, and set against a Southern backdrop of spirituals, jazz, and ragtime, this deliciously twisted opera pits siblings and spouses against each other in a battle for the family business. Prepare to be scandalized - and entertained - as the renowned Susan Graham returns to Opera Theatre to portray one of the American stage's most fascinating characters." 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 call 314-961-0644.

Shakespeare Festival St. Louis presents the tragedy Romeo and Juliet nightly except for Tuesdays through June 24. Beginning at 6:30, the Green Show presents pre-play entertainment a variety of local performers. The play begins at 8 p.m. Performances take place in Shakespeare Glen next to the Art Museum in Forest Park. For more information, visit sfstl.com.

La Traviata
Photo by Ken Howard

Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents Verdi's La Traviata through June 23. "Violetta has one important rule: never fall in love. As a Parisian courtesan, her life is full of parties, admirers, and - most importantly - freedom. Then she meets Alfredo. His naive sincerity sweeps her off her feet. Just when Violetta thinks she has escaped her past, she is asked to make an unthinkable sacrifice. Will pride, love, or honor prevail? Embrace the romance of this Verdi masterpiece, featuring the directing debut of star soprano Patricia Racette" 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 call 314-961-0644.

The St. Louis Writers' Group presents a reading of the screenplay The Vampire's Widow by Johnny Xeno on Monday, June 18, at 6:30 pm. "Livia's abusive husband, Eddie, is always cheating on her but things get worse when he unknowingly hooks up with a vampire. Already violent, Eddie soon grows more unstable until a confrontation with the police leaves him shot and buried. Livia's relief is short-lived however when she discovers that even his death can't free her." The event takes place upstairs at Big Daddy's, 1000 Sidney in Soulard. For more information: www.stlwritersgroup.com.

The Muny presents The Wiz opening on Tuesday, June 19, at 8:15 p.m. and running through Monday, June 25. Based on L. Frank Baum's nostalgic classic, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, The Wiz is considered a feel-good favorite sparkling with heart-pounding soul, unforgettable gospel and infectious rock rhythms. Grammy Award-winner for Best Cast Show Album, and ranked as one of the highest watched live television musicals, this reimagined familiar favorite will have you ready to “Ease on Down the Road” to meet The Wiz for yourself!” Performances take place on the Muny's outdoor stage in Forest Park. For more information: muny.org.

Yeast Nation
Photo by Jill Ritter Lindberg

New Line Theatre presents the St. Louis premiere of the rock musical Yeast Nation Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 PM, through June 23. "The world's first bio-historical musical comedy, from the mad geniuses who brought you Urinetown! It is the year 3,000,458,000 BC. The Earth's surface is a molten mass of volcanic islands and undulating waves. The atmosphere is a choking fog lit by a dim red sun. And the mighty waters of the world are inhabited only by rocks, sand, salt, more rocks, a little silt, and the great society of salt-eating yeasts - yes, yeasts! - the world's very first life form! These single-cell salt-eaters are the only living creatures on earth, and they're struggling against a food shortage, a strange new emotion called Love, and the oppression of a tyrannical yeast king. But when the king's son ventures out of the known yeastiverse, the yeasts' epic story - and ours - is changed forever." 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.

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.