St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of July 15, 2019

Cabaret is busting out all over this week, with shows from the St. Louis Cabaret Conference and The Cabaret Project. There are also musicals at Stages and the Muny, new plays from St. Louis Actors' Studio and First Run, and a provocative double feature from Encore Theatre Group.

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Marilyn Maye

The Cabaret Project presents the 2019 Cabaret Gala, featuring performances by Marilyn Maye, Jim Caruso, Jeff Harner, and Peisha McPhee and hosted by Sirius XM Radio's Christing Pedi, on Thursday, July 18, at 7:30 pm. The show is preceded by cocktails and hors d'oeuvres at 6:30 and takes place at Jazz St. Louis on Washington in Grand Center. Proceeds beenfit The Cabaret Project's performance and training programs. For more information: thecabaretproject.org.

The St. Louis Writers' Group presents a reading of Blind by Dennis Fisher on Monday, July 15, at 6:30 pm. " Dave and Lloyd, who haven't seen each other in twenty years, reunite to go duck hunting. As they discuss old times, Lloyd reveals he has invited another old classmate to join them in the duck blind. The reunion does not go well." The event takes place upstairs at Big Daddy's, 1000 Sidney in Soulard. For more information: www.stlwritersgroup.com.

Cinderella
Photo courtesy of The Muny

The Muny presents Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderalla through Tuesday, July 16. "A magical evening awaits, but we mustn't be late! This Rodgers and Hammerstein treasure began as one of the most-watched television programs in history and was finally produced on Broadway in 2013, receiving nine Tony Award nominations. With winsome charm and irresistible fantasy, the score features shoe-in favorites, including "In My Own Little Corner," "The Prince is Giving a Ball" and "Ten Minutes Ago." "It's Possible" this timeless tale will have your heart soaring and prove, once and for all, dreams really can come true." Performances take place on the Muny's outdoor stage in Forest Park. For more information: muny.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 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

Encore Theatre Group presents A Dream Deferred Double Feature, consisting of performances of Lorraine Hansberry's drama A Raisin in the Sun and the Bruce Norris comedy Clybourne Park, on Saturday July 20. Raisin in the Sun is performed at 2:30 pm and Clybourne Park at 7:30 pm. "A RAISIN IN THE SUN tells the story of the Youngers, a burdened but strong family consisting of a widowed Mother, a bright and lively college student daughter and a less than satisfied with life son who houses his wife and child in his mother's cramped one bedroom apartment in 1959 South Chicago. A seemingly perfect opportunity for the family members to advance on each of their dreams comes in the form of a $10,000 life insurance check for the life of the late Mr. Younger. Each of them have their own plans for the money's best use but it is ultimately up to Momma (Lena Younger) to decide how the money will be used. Will their dreams flourish with this new seed of hope? Or will the plight of poverty and hopelessness continue to crush and dry them up like a raisin in the sun? CLYBOURNE is the 2009 response to the question, 'What happened to the Youngers after leaving Chicago's south side?' Clybourne Park is a political satire that lends the perspective of the White family who sold the Youngers their house in a less than welcoming neighborhood. In the second act, the audience will witness a fast-forward in time to a modern day conversation between the current homeowners (Younger descendants) and new hopeful White purchasers. WARNING: CONTAINS ADULT LANGUAGE AND SITUATIONS!" The performance takes place at The Fellowship, 3453 S. Jefferson. For more information: www.eventbrite.com

The St. Louis Cabaret Conference presents the Final Showcase and Celebration on Sunday, July 21, at 7:30 pm. " 20 singers take to the stage and sing their hearts out for you. Stick around and enjoy drink and a nosh and say farewell to another STL Cabaret Conference. Celebrate with us!." The event takes place at The Stage at KDHX on Washington in Grand Center. For more information: www.eventbrite.com

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 Muny presents the musical Footloose opening on Thursday, July 18, at 8:15 p.m. and running through July 24. "Kick off your Sunday shoes with this 80s favorite! Based on the 1984 Academy Award-nominated blockbuster hit, Footloose shows how a little teenage rebellion and a love of music can open hearts and transform a town. Featuring chart-topping hits, including "Let's Hear It for the Boy," "Holding Out for a Hero" and the Grammy-nominated title track "Footloose," this four-time Tony Award-nominated dancing-sensation will have the entire family burning and yearning to cut loose!" Performances take place on the Muny's outdoor stage in Forest Park. For more information: muny.org.

Stages St. Louis presents the musical Grease July 19 through August 18. " Welcome to Rydell High where Danny Zuko and his gang of Burger Palace Boys and Pink Ladies rule the school! Bursting with explosive energy and 1950's nostalgia, GREASE blends an irresistible mix of adolescent angst and All-American teen spirit to create a high-octane, pop-culture phenomenon 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.

St. Louis Shakespeare's Magic Smoking Monkey Theatre presents Jaws: The Parody, opening on Friday, July 19, at 8 pm and running through July 27. Performances take place at the Regional Arts Commission in University City. For more information: www.stlshakespeare.org

Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville presents the musical Mamma Mia!, based on the songs of ABBA, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm and Sundays at 2 pm through July 21. "This smash Broadway hit is a hilarious and touching story of marriage, family and finding where you belong. Set on an idyllic Greek island on the eve of a wedding, the musical follows a mother, her daughter, and three possible dads on an unforgettable trip down the aisle. Mamma Mia! features the greatest hits of supergroup ABBA, including "Super Trouper," "Lay All Your Love On Me," "Dancing Queen," "Waterloo" and more! Come see why more than 54 million people worldwide have laughed and danced to this unforgettable jukebox musical. " Performances take place in the Dunham Hall Theater on the campus in Edwardsville, IL. For more information, call 618-650-2774 or visit www.siue.edu.

Take Two Productions the musical Mamma Mia!, based on the songs of ABBA, Thursday through Saturday, July 18-20, at 7:30 pm. "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." Performances take place at Tower Grove Baptist Church, 4257 Magnolia in the Shaw neighborhood. For more information, visit taketwoproductions.org.

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.

Great Negro Works of Art
Photo by Patrick Huber

St. Louis Actors' Studio presents the Neil LaBute New Theater Festival, Part 2 July 19-28 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 "Great Negro Works of Art" by Neil LaBute, Predilections by Richard Curtis, "Henrietta" by Joseph Krawczyk, and "Sisyphus and Icarus a Love story" by William Ivor Fowke. For more information, call 314-458-2978 or visit stlas.org.

First Run Theatre presents the plays Overdone by David Hamley and Screaming at Optimum Pitch by Peg Flach Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm and Sundays at 2 pm, July 19-28. Performances take place at the Theatre Guild of Webster Groves, 517 Theatre Lane in Webster Groves, MO. For more information: firstruntheatre.com.

The St. Louis Cabaret Conference presents the Professional Track Showcase on Saturday, July 20, at 7 pm. "6 select singers from around the country each perform a cabaret set in this culmination of 9 days of study with the St. Louis Cabaret Conference's renowned faculty." The event takes place at The Stage at KDHX on Washington in Grand Center. For more information: www.eventbrite.com

The St. Louis Cabaret Conference presents the Sing Center Stage Showcase on Tuesday, July 16, at 7:30 pm. "18 talented teens take to the stage to showcase the work they've been doing for 5 days as part of this summer performance intensive. This is just the beginning!" The performance takes place at Jazz St. Louis on Washington in Grand Center. For more information: tickets.jazzstl.org

Carol Schmidt

The Cabaret Project presents its monthly Singers Open Mic Night on Wednesday, July 17, 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. Your MC is Chuck Lavazzi of KDHX-FM. 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 in the .ZACK Performing Arts Center in Grand Center. For more information: thecabaretproject.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.