St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of April 29, 2019

This week's events include two fund-raising cabaret evenings along with new shows at Kirkwood Community Theatre and Clayton Community Theatre.

---

Clayton Community Theatre presents Neil Simon's Biloxi Blues Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m., May 2-12 (except for Friday, May 10, when there is no performance). "This well-known play, the second in Simon's semi-autobiographical “Eugene trilogy,” centers on Eugene's observations of the contest of wills between his drill sergeant and an intellectual recruit at a Biloxi, Mississippi, Army base in 1943. Along the way, he loses his innocence in many ways. It is both a reflection on prejudice and people's reaction to prejudice, and also hilariously funny from beginning to end; and it is the winner of multiple Tony awards. CCT plans to present the entire trilogy over three seasons." Performances take place at the Washington University South Campus Theatre. For more information, call 314-721-9228 or visit placeseveryone.org.

The Black Tulip Chorale presents Cabaret Soirée, a special benefit performance for the group, on Saturday, May 4, at 8 pm, preceded by a silent auction at 7 pm. The Black Tulip Chorale is "St. Louis' only LGBTQIA-friendly mixed voice ensemble welcoming all genders and orientations. In its inaugural season, the Black Tulip Chorale promotes social consciousness through the finest in choral repertoire. This show features a dozen wonderful singers (some of whom are catching the "Cabaret Bug”) from BTC in an evening of songs and stories that are touching, hilarious, profound, and/or kinda raunchy." The evening is hosted by St. Louis cabaret artist Ken Haller and takes place at The Chapel, 6238 Alexander Clayton. For more information: www.brownpapertickets.com/event/4220447

The Gateway Men's Chorus presents Cabaret Risque, its annual fundraiser, on Friday, May 3, at 8 pm preceded by a cocktail hour at 7 p.m. "Gateway Men's Chorus welcomes back Miss Lola Van Ella and her troupe to Cabaret Risqué! Join us for an evening of sultry burlesque acts from male and female performers, incredible edibles from some of St. Louis's best caterers, and a range of tempting silent auction items that will tantalize your senses!" The show takes place Rialto Ballroom on the fourth floor of the Centene Center for the Arts, 3547 Olive in Grand Center. For more information: gatewaymenschorus.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.

Wentzville Christian Church Theatre Group presents the musical Hello Dolly! Friday at 7 pm, Saturday at 2 and 7 pm, and Sunday at 2 pm, May 3-5. "Hello, Dolly!, the blockbuster Broadway hit, bursts with humor, romance, high-energy dancing, and some of the greatest songs in musical theater history. The romantic and comic exploits of Dolly Gallagher-Levi, turn-of-the-century matchmaker and “woman who arranges things,” are certain to thrill and entertain audiences again and again." Wentzville Christian Church is at 1507 Highway Z in Wentzville, MO. For more information: www.wentzvillecc.org.

The Looking Glass Playhouse presents the musical Mamma Mia! Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 pm and Sundays at 2 pm, May 2-12. " ABBA's hits tell the hilarious story of a young woman's search for her birth father. This sunny and funny tale unfolds on a Greek island paradise. On the eve of her wedding, a daughter's quest to discover the identity of her father brings three men from her mother's past back to the island they last visited 20 years ago. A mother. A daughter. Three possible dads. And a trip down the aisle you'll never forget!" Performances take place at 301 West St. Louis Street in Lebanon, Ill. For more information, visit www.lookingglassplayhouse.com.

Miss Saigon

The Fabulous Fox Theatre presents the musical Miss Saigon running through May 5. "Experience the acclaimed new production of the legendary musical Miss Saigon, from the creators of Les Misérables. This is the story of a young Vietnamese woman named Kim who is orphaned by war and forced to work in a bar run by a notorious character known as the Engineer. There she meets and falls in love with an American G.I. named Chris, but they are torn apart by the fall of Saigon. For 3 years, Kim goes on an epic journey of survival to find her way back to Chris, who has no idea he's fathered a son. Featuring stunning spectacle and a sensational cast of 42 performing the soaring score, including Broadway hits like “The Heat is On in Saigon,” “The Movie in My Mind,” “Last Night of the World” and “American Dream,” this is a theatrical event you will never forget." The Fabulous Fox Theatre in on N. Grand in Grand Center. For more information: fabulousfox.com.

Clinton County Showcase presents the musical Monty Python's Spamalot Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm and Sundays at 2 pm, May 3-5. "Spamalot! Lovingly ripped off from the classic film comedy Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Spamalot retells the legend of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table, and features a bevy of beautiful show girls, not to mention cows, killer rabbits, and French people. Did we mention the bevy of beautiful show girls?" Performances take place at the Avon Theater, 525 North 2nd Street Breese IL. For more information, visit ccshowcase.com.

The Lemp Mansion Comedy-Mystery Dinner Theater presents Muurder in Maaaybury! through July 27. The Lemp Mansion is at 3322 DeMenil Place. For more information: lempmansion.com.

Kirkwood Theatre Guild presents the musical Nice Work if You Can Get It May 3-12. "This hilarious new screwball comedy premiered on Broadway in 2012. This new musical, featuring the glorious songs of George and Ira Gershwin, pokes fun at the Prohibition era in a clash of elegant socialites and boorish bootleggers. Set in the 1920s, “Nice Work If You Can Get,” is the story of a charming and wealthy playboy Jimmy Winter, who meets a rough female bootlegger, Billie Bendix, the weekend of his wedding. Jimmy, who has been married three (or is it four?) times before, is preparing to marry Eileen Evergreen, a self-obsessed modern dancer. Thinking Jimmy and Eileen will be out of town, Billie and her gang hide cases of alcohol the basement of Jimmy's Long Island mansion. But when Jimmy, his wife-to-be and her prohibitionist family show up at the mansion for the wedding, Billie and her cohorts pose as servants, causing hijinks galore." 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.

The Bissell Mansion Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre presents Nursery Crimes through May 9. The Bissell Mansion is at 4426 Randall Place. For more information: bissellmansiontheatre.com.

The Playhouse at Westport Plaza presents One Woman Sex and the City: A Parody Friday at 8 pm, Saturday at 4 and 8 pm, and Sunday at 2 pm, May 3-5 "All six beloved seasons of Sex and the City as a one woman show! This laughter infused tribute brings the brunch to the theatre with iconic moments of Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda in New York City. A must see for all Sex and the City fans! There will be puns, cosmopolitans and deal breakers. For anyone who remembers the naked dress, the tantric sex demonstration, the post-it note, and “he's just not that into you,” One Woman Sex and the City: A Parody of Love, Friendship and Shoes will remind you why this series and its characters stayed so firmly in our hearts and minds. So grab your best friends, get a Cosmo, throw on your heels and join us for One Woman Sex and the City: A Parody of Love, Friendship, and Shoes." The Playhouse at Westport Plaza is at 635 West Port Plaza. For more information: www.playhouseatwestport.com.

The Theatre Guild of Webster Groves presents the comedy Over the Tavern opening on Friday, May 3, at 8 pm and running through May 11. "In that most idealized period of 20th-century America, the Eisenhower years of the 1950s, the Pazinski family has a lot going on in their cramped Buffalo apartment. The youngest of the bunch, 12-year-old Rudy, is a smart, wise-cracking kid who's starting to question family values and the Roman Catholic Church. When Rudy goes up against the ruler-wielding Sister Clarissa and announces that instead of being confirmed he'd rather shop around for a more “fun” religion, all hell breaks loose.” Parental discretion is advised." 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.

Salt, Root, and Roe
Photo by ProPhotoSTL

Upstream Theater presents the St. Louis premiere of Salt, Root and Roe running through May 12. "Tim Price's Salt, Root and Roe is a poetic masterwork about the nature of change, the comfort of home, and the eternal bond of love, set against the mythical backdrop of the Pembrokeshire coast in western Wales. The play centers on identical twins Iola and Anest, who are very devoted to each other. Ageing fast, and with the time they have together more fragile by the day, they arrive at a desperate decision. Word of this reaches Anest's daughter Menna, who rushes to her long-abandoned childhood home where her own ideas of love and compromise are tested to the limit. In spite of its somber themes, the play is light, textured and at times very funny-and in the words of one reviewer “like a pebble picked from a Pembrokeshire beach… something to take home and reflect over, something that evokes a smell of the sea...”Another US premiere from Upstream Theater, in co-production with Stages Repertory Theatre of Houston." Performances take place at the Kranzberg Arts Center, 501 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information, including show times: upstreamtheater.org.

Translations
Photo by Sharon Corcoran

The Black Mirror Theatre presents Brien Friel's Translations running through May 4. "Translations is an intimate look into a world at odds with itself. It could have been set in one of any number of eras and lands - anywhere in which an alien force imposes it's culture on a conquered people through the suppression of all that which gave and gives that culture cohesion, especially its language. One need look no farther than America, where indigenous peoples still struggle to maintain and transmit their values, beliefs, their souls thru their native tongues." Performances take place at the .ZACK, 3224 Locust in Grand Center. For more information: blackmirrortheatre.com

Act Two Theatre presents Tuesdays with Morrie running through May 5. "The autobiographical story of Mitch Albom, an accomplished journalist driven solely by his career, and Morrie Schwartz, his former college professor. Sixteen years after graduation, Mitch happens to catch Morrie's appearance on a television news program and learns that his old professor is battling Lou Gehrig's Disease. Mitch is reunited with Morrie, and what starts as a simple visit turns into a weekly pilgrimage and a last class in the meaning of life." 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.

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.