St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of May 27, 2019

This week's crowded calendar includes musicals from New Line and Stages, a Verdi opera at Opera Theatre, and a new one-man show by The Midnight Company.

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Be More Chill
Photo by Jill Ritter Lindberg

New Line Theatre presents the musical Be More Chill Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 PM, May 30 - June 22. "The Breakfast Club meets Little Shop of Horrors, as New Line closes its season by bringing you the new sci-fi rock musical BE MORE CHILL -- currently breaking records on Broadway! -- with music and lyrics by Joe Iconis and book by Joe Tracz, based on the bestselling novel by Ned Vizzini. It's an honest, fearless, funny look at life in the digital age, exploring teen depression, bullying, and other current issues through the comic lens of sci-fi films of the 50s, horror flicks of the 80s, and teen movies of the 90s. The show has been selling out everywhere it runs. Jeremy is just an average, nothing-special teenage nerd -- until he finds out about the Squip ("Super Quantum Unit Intel Processor"), a tiny Japanese supercomputer in a convenient pill, which promises to "upgrade" him and bring him everything he desires most: a date with Christine, an invite to the coolest party of the year, and a chance to survive life in his suburban New Jersey high school." 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.

Stages St. Louis presents the musical The Boy From Oz May 31 through June 30. "Dazzling and hilarious as the legendary Peter Allen himself, THE BOY FROM OZ follows the Australian singer-songwriter from his humble beginnings performing in backcountry pubs to his international stardom beside such Hollywood icons as Judy Garland and her daughter Liza Minnelli. ” 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 Midnight Company presents the St. Louis premiere of the one-person show Charlie Johnson Reads All of Proust Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 pm, May 30 - June 15. "Charlie Johnson Reads All Of Proust, which premiered in Chicago in January, 2019, at the Den Theatre, tells the story of an older man taking a break from Christmas shopping with his family at a Starbucks. Hungry for dinner, he tides himself over with the purchase of a small package of soft, spongy cookies. When he dips one in his coffee, his snooty daughter-in-law asks him if he's having his “Madeleine moment,” and then proceeds to lecture him about Marcel Proust and Remembrance of Things Past - the classic multi-volume novel inspired by the narrator dipping a madeleine cake into tea, with the taste bringing back memories of his boyhood, and leading to a retelling of his time in 19th/20th century aristocratic France. Charlie decides he's going to read that book (not realizing it's seven books) and be able to talk about it with his daughter-in-law next Christmas. And along the way, he discovers the epic that is his own life. " Performances take place at the Kranzberg Center, 501 N. Grand in Grand Center. For more information: midnightcompany.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 HIlton St. Louis Frontenac presents The Dinner Detective Murder Mystery Dinner Show through July 27. "Solve a hilarious crime while you feast on a fantastic dinner. Just beware! The culprit is hiding in plain sight somewhere in the room, and you may find yourself as a Prime Suspect before you know it!" For more information: https://www.thedinnerdetective.com/st-louis

The Monroe Actors Stage presents the comedy The Dixie Swim Club Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 and Sundays at 2:30 pm, May 31 - June 19. "Five Southern women, whose friendships began many years ago on their college swim team, set aside a long weekend every August to recharge those relationships. Free from husbands, kids and jobs, they meet at the same beach cottage on North Carolina's Outer Banks to catch up, laugh and meddle in each other's lives. The play focuses on four of those weekends and spans a period of thirty-three years." Performances take place in the Historic Capitol Theatre in downtown Waterloo, Illinois. For more information, visit www.masctheatre.org or call 618-939-7469.

The Bissell Mansion Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre presents Flaming Saddles through July 28 The Bissell Mansion is at 4426 Randall Place. For more information: bissellmansiontheatre.com

The Monocle presents The Hush-Hush Cabaret at 10 pm on Saturday, June 1. "Anything can happen at the HUSH HUSH, and you never know what sort of exciting acts you'll see! Booking a diverse line up of variety, burlesque, comedy, and so much more, Mimi Le Uke, the Madame of Mischief at the Monocle, guarantees to satisfy! " The performance takes place in the Emerald Room at The Monocle on Manchester in The Grove. For more information: themonoclestl.com.

I Now Pronounce
Photo by John Gitchoff

New Jewish Theater presents the St. Louis premiere of the comedy I Now Pronounce Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:30 pm, Saturdays at 2 and 8 pm, and Sundays at 2 pm through June 2. "A play that mines disconnections. After Adam and Nicole's wedding culminates in an awkwardly timed fatality, the reception spins into an increasingly strange evening that leaves the bride and groom questioning just what it is they're celebrating. But there's no stopping the festivities: the flower girls are running amuck, the bridal party members are preoccupied with their own flailing relationships, and everyone needs to stop ordering the blue drinks. Comedies end in marriage. Tragedies end in death. This play begins with both." 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: newjewishtheatre.org.

The Kranzberg Center presents Jamie Sauerberger in Ironic, her first solo cabaret, on Saturday, June 1, at 8 pm. Ron McGowan is pianist and music director for the show, with Keith Bowman on drums and Black Mickens on bass. Meghan Kirk directs. The performance takes place at the Kranzberg Center, 501 N. Grand in Grand Center. For more information: https://www.metrotix.com/events/detail/annie-sauerburger-ironic.

Shakespeare Festival St. Louis presents the comedy Love's Labors Lost nightly except for Mondays, May 31 - June 23. "Belonging to Shakespeare's “lyrical” period, which also included Romeo and Juliet and A Midsummer Night's Dream, the play tells the story of the Princess of France and her ladies who arrive on a diplomatic mission to Navarre only to be met by a young king and his lords who have taken a vow not to see women. Affairs of state give way to affairs of the heart as Shakespeare reveals with great humor and compassion the way our culture sometimes doesn't fully prepare us for the realities of love and intimacy. A feast of language and theatrical virtuosity, Love's Labors Lost shimmers with all the passion and promise of a first kiss." Beginning at 6:30 the Green Show presents pre-play entertainment a variety of local performers on multiple stages. 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 shakespearefestivalstlouis.org.

The Marriage of Figaro
Photo by Eric Woolsey

Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents Mozart's comedy The Marriage of Figaro running through June 29. "Life at court is about to get complicated. The maid Susanna is determined to wed her fiancé, Figaro, while the Count is equally determined to add her to his list of conquests. But Susanna and Figaro won't allow one self-entitled nobleman to ruin their happy ending! They each hatch their own plots to teach their master a lesson. What follows is a whirlwind day of romantic intrigue, cunning schemes, and uproarious fun. One of Mozart's most beloved masterpieces, The Marriage of Figaro reminds us all that love will always prevail, and forgiveness is always within reach." The opera runs three hours and ten minutes with one intermission and is sung in English with English supertitles. Performances take place at the Loretto-Hilton Center at 135 Edgar Road on the Webster University campus.  For more information: opera-stl.org call 314-961-0644.

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.

Nina Simone: Four Women
Photo by Philip Hamer

The Black Rep presents Nina Simone: Four Women running through June 2. "Nina Simone's velvet voice was unafraid to sing lyrics that cut right to the truth. Her music and her life were a personal exploration branded in the kiln of the civil rights movement; so, in the aftermath of the 1963 bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church and the tragic loss of the four little girls her powerful anthems, MISSIPPIPPI GODDAM, SINNERMAN, AND OLD JIM CROW, fueled the Civil Rights movement and changed her public persona from songstress to activist. From the iconic 'I PUT A SPELL ON YOU&" to FOUR WOMEN, of the title, Simone's lyrics weave a story of four women alienated from themselves and one another due to the color of their skin." Performances take place at the Edison Theatre on the Washington University campus. For more information: theblackrep.org.

LifeLight Youth Theatre presents Peter Pan Junior Thursday and Friday at 7 pm and Saturday at 2:30 and 7 pm, May 30 - June 1. "PETER PAN jr, based on the high-flying Tony© Award-winning Broadway musical, follows the adventures of Peter Pan and his mischievous fairy sidekick, Tinkerbell, as they visit the nursery of the Darling children late one night. With a sprinkle of pixie dust, they begin a magical journey across the stars that none of them will ever forget. From ticking crocodiles, to fierce warriors, bungling pirates and the villainous Captain Hook himself, this fun classic will delight all ages." Performances take place at Westminster Christian Academy, 800 Maryville Centre Drive in Town and Country. For more information: lifelightyouththeatre.com.

Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents Verdi's Rigoletto opening on Saturday, June 1, at 8 pm and running through June 30. "There is no purer love than that of a father for his daughter - and no more impossible task than protecting her from the world. Rigoletto is a bitter court jester who serves the Duke of Mantua, a lecherous womanizer. Together, they are despised throughout the city. But alone, Rigoletto is all tenderness when it comes to his innocent young daughter, Gilda. Little does he know that an ominous curse is about to take its toll. When the Duke seduces Gilda, only to then abandon her, the enraged father swears vengeance. Set to some of Verdi's most powerful music, this tale of innocence lost is wrenchingly poignant and all too human." The opera runs approximately two hours with one intermission and is performed in English with English supertitles. 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 Fabulous Fox presents the St. Louis Musical High School Theatre Awards on Sunday, June 2, at 4 pm. The St. Louis High School Musical Theatre Awards are designed to celebrate outstanding achievement in high school musical theatre. Participating schools' musical productions are evaluated by a panel of theatre professionals.The June 2 awards ceremony will include exciting performances by talented young local artists selected from 37 area high schools. Award recipients will be announced in 14 categories (plus WOW! Moment and Special Recognition) including an Outstanding Actress and an Outstanding Actor who will go on to compete in The Jimmy Awards® / National High School Musical Theatre Awards® in New York City, presented by The Broadway League. The Fabulous Fox is at 527 N. Grand in Grand Center. For more information: fabulousfox.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.