St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of July 23, 2018

New shows this week include Sondheim/Styne musical classic at the Muny, a less often seen Verdi opera at Union Avenue, and the local premiere of a play by Will Eno.

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Annie
Photo by Phillip Hamer

The Muny presents the musical Annie through July 25. "Leapin' lizards! Everyone's favorite plucky, irresistible orphan is back! Based on the popular 1920s Harold Gray comic strip, Little Orphan Annie, Annie is considered one of the most acclaimed musicals of all time. This seven-time Tony Award-winning family favorite features unforgettable hits like "It's the Hard Knock Life," "Easy Street" and the iconic Broadway standard "Tomorrow." You can bet your bottom dollar this is one beloved, multigenerational Muny favorite guaranteed to entertain the entire family." Performances take place on the Muny's outdoor stage in Forest Park. For more information: muny.org.

The Black Mirror Theatre Company presents Ravi Joseph's Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo opening on Thursday, July 26, at 7 pm and running through August 4. The show is about "a tiger that haunts the streets of present day Baghdad seeking the meaning of life. As he witnesses the puzzling absurdities of war, the tiger encounters Americans and Iraqis who are searching for friendship, redemption, and a toilet seat made of gold." Performances take place in the black box theatre at the Kranzberg Center, 501 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information: metrotix.com.

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 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 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 Muny presents the musical Gypsy opening on Friday, July 27, at 8:15 pm and running through August 2. "Revered by many as the greatest musical ever written, Gypsy is the timeless tale of an ambitious stage mother, Momma Rose, fighting for her daughters' success…while secretly yearning for her own. With a book by Academy Award-winner Arthur Laurents and lyrics by Tony Award-winner Stephen Sondheim, Gypsy features countless showstoppers, including "Let Me Entertain You," and "Together, Wherever We Go." Take our word for it, "You Gotta Get a Gimmick," or better yet a ticket, to see this spectacular Muny gem shine." Performances take place on the Muny's outdoor stage in Forest Park. For more information: muny.org.

St. Charles Community College presents the musical It Shoulda Been You Tuesday through Saturday 7:30 pm and Sunday at 2 pm, July 24 - 29. "It Shoulda Been You is a modern spin on the traditional wedding comedy, proving that when it comes to wedding day insanity, it's all relative. It's a culture clash for the ages when two families from wildly different backgrounds come together to celebrate a wedding. As if the union wasn't complicated enough, the bride's ex-boyfriend arrives, bringing the wedding to a screeching halt and throwing both families into hysterical chaos. It's up to the sister of the bride to turn a tangled mess into happily ever after in this musical comedy for anyone who ever had parents. " Performances take place in the FAB Theater in the Donald D. Shook Fine Arts Building on the campus at 4601 Mid Rivers Mall Drive in Cottleville, MO. For more information, call 636-922-8050 or visit stchas.edu.

The Hawthorne Players present Legally Blonde the Musical July 27 - August 5. "Elle Woods appears to have it all. Her life is turned upside down when her boyfriend Warner dumps her so he can attend Harvard Law. Determined to get him back, Elle ingeniously charms her way into the prestigious law school. While there, she struggles with peers, professors and her ex. With the support of some new friends, though, Elle quickly realizes her potential and sets out to prove herself to the world." 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.

Mamma Mia!

Stages St. Louis presents the musical Mamma Mia!, based on the music of ABBA, through August 19. "The ultimate feel-good show, MAMMA MIA! uses the music of ABBA to tell the hilarious and touching tale of a teen's search for her birth father on a Greek Island paradise. See why 54 million people all around the world have fallen in love with this pop-music phenomenon of a mother, a daughter, three possible dads, and an unforgettable trip down the aisle! Chock full of explosive dance numbers, you'll want to unleash your inner "Dancing Queen" with such ABBA hits as "Winner Takes It All," "Take A Chance On Me," and the smash title tune, "Mamma Mia." This enchanting tale of love between mothers and daughters, laughter between old friends, and a celebration of newly found family is a guaranteed non-stop party that you won't want to miss!!" 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.

Union Avenue Opera presents Verdi's Nabucco Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM, July 27 - August 4. Performances take place at the Union Avenue Christian Church, 733 Union at Enright in the Central West End. The opera is sung in Italian with projected English text. For more information, visit unionavenueopera.org or call 314-361-2881.

4th Reich
Photo by Patrick Huber

St. Louis Actors' Studio presents the Neil LaBute New Theater Festival, Part 2 through July 29 at the Gaslight Theatre, 358 North Boyle. The festival features professional, new and previously unproduced one-act plays 45 minutes or less in length, chosen from submissions to the festival over the previous year. The plays in Part 2 are "4th Reich" by Neil LaBute, "Unabridged" by Sean Abley, "The Gettier Problem" by Michael Long, and "The Process" by Peter McDonough. For more information call 314-458-2978 or visit stlas.org.

Hard Road Theatre Productions presents Rodgers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma! Fridays and Saturdays at 7 pm and Sundays at 2 pm, July 27 - August 5. Performances will be held at the Highland Elementary Schoo auditorium in Highland IL. For more information: www.hardroad.org.

The Theatre Guild of Webster Groves presents Portrait of Christina by St. Louis playwright Jim Danek Fridays through Sundays through July 29. 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.

The St. Louis Writers' Group presents a reading of the play Rain Dance by Mario Farwell on Monday, July 23, at 6:30 pm. "Four college friends have gathered to celebrate the life of their late friend Philip Branson. As the reminisce that evening, tensions rise until all hell breaks loose and the four friends are forced to deal with personal conflicts and face up to suppressed aspects of their lives." The event takes place upstairs at Big Daddy's, 1000 Sidney in Soulard. For more information: www.stlwritersgroup.com.

The Realistic Jonses
Photo by Eric Woolsey

Rebel and Misfits Productions presents The Realistic Joneses opening on Wednesday, July 25, and running through August 12. "In The Realistic Joneses, Will Eno connects two suburban couples who have so much more in common than their identical homes and their shared last names. As their relationships begin to irrevocably intertwine, the Joneses must decide between their idyllic fantasies and their imperfect realities and, ultimately, confront mortality." Performances take place at the black box theater at the JCC, 2 Millstone Campus Drive in Ladue. For more information: www.rebelandmisfitsproductions.com.

The Looking Glass Playhouse presents the rock musical The Rocky Horror Show Friday and Saturday at 7 and 10 pm, July 27 and 28. "In this cult classic, sweethearts Brad and Janet, stuck with a flat tire during a storm, discover the eerie mansion of Dr. Frank-N-Furter, a transvestite scientist. As their innocence is lost, Brad and Janet meet a houseful of wild characters, including a rocking biker and a creepy butler. Through elaborate dances and rock songs, Frank-N-Furter unveils his latest creation: a muscular man named 'Rocky.'" Performances take place at 301 West St. Louis Street in Lebanon, Ill. For more information, visit www.lookingglassplayhouse.com.

Ignite Theatre Company presents the School Edition of Sondheim's Sweeney Todd Thursday Saturday at 7 pm and Sunday at 2 pm, July 26 - 29. "An infamous tale, Sweeney Todd, an unjustly exiled barber, returns to nineteenth-century London, seeking vengeance against the lecherous judge who framed him and ravaged his young wife. The road to revenge leads Todd to Mrs. Lovett, a resourceful proprietress of a failing pie shop, above which he opens a new barber practice. Mrs. Lovett's luck sharply shifts when Todd's thirst for blood inspires the integration of an ingredient into her meat pies that has the people of London lining up... and the carnage has only just begun! PG:13 Audience Advisory: Strong language, adult themes & gore." Performances take place at the Marcelle Theatre in Grand Center. For more information: ignitewithus.org.

COCA presents the musical West Side Story Friday at 7 pm and Saturday at 1 and 5 pm, July 27 and 28. "West Side Story sets Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet in 1950s New York City as the two star-crossed young lovers find themselves caught between warring street gangs. From the first notes to the final breath, their struggle to survive in a world of violence and prejudice remains one of the most memorable and powerful musical dramas of our time. Book by Arthur Laurents. Music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Entire original production directed and choreographed by Jerome Robbins." Performances take place in the Edison Theatre on the Washington University campus. For more information: cocastl.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.