St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of January 31, 2022

Now including both on-line and live events during the pandemic. Your event information should be in text format (i.e. not part of a graphic), but feel free to include publicity stills. To get your event listed here, send an email to calendar [at] stageleft.org.

The Blue Strawberry presents a Singers Open Mic Night with host Ken Haller and pianist Ron McGowan on Tuesday, February 1, from 7 to 9:30 pm. “Musicals, Standards new and established, Cabaret and Pop. First Tuesday of every month (unless we change a date here and there!). Bring music in your key. "  The Blue Strawberry is operating under a "COVID careful" arrangement with mandatory vaccination and masking. The Blue Strawberry is at 364 N. Boyle. For more information: bluestrawberrystl.com.

Eleri Ward

The Blue Strawberry presents guitarist Eleri Ward in A Perfect Little Death: Acoustic Sondheim on Friday at 7:30 pm, February 4th. “Eleri Ward – New York City based actor, singer, and musician – makes her Blue Strawberry debut with A Perfect Little Death: Acoustic Sondheim to celebrate the release of her album from Ghostlight Records, which takes Stephen Sondheim songs and reinvents them with ethereal, acoustic guitar arrangements. After gaining a viral TikTok following, Eleri’s project was released to great acclaim and impressive streaming numbers, and will be followed by national tour dates over the upcoming year.” The Blue Strawberry is operating under a "COVID careful" arrangement with mandatory vaccination and masking. The Blue Strawberry is at 364 N. Boyle. For more information: bluestrawberrystl.com.

ERA Theatre presents the radio play SHE by Nancy Bell with music by Joe Taylor and Lyrics by Nancy Bell via on-demand streaming  "SHE controls the radio station of the fascist regime in power. SHE's also the star of the broadcast. Her recording studio abounds with music and oysters. But in the nearby government camps full of misfits and would-be revolutionaries, only torture and starvation is thick on the ground. Tonight, however, SHE's realm feels different. The bombs sound closer. Time moves faster. But SHE will finish her radio show, and it will be her finest. If executing every number in the broadcast means some people need to die, so be it; it is a small sacrifice. The citizens need her and she will not let them down." SHE is available on most major platforms including Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Music, YouTube, and BandCamp. For more information: www.eratheatre.org

The Prom
Photo by Deen Van Miller

The Fabulous Fox presents the musical The Prom, through February 6.  “Everyone’s invited to the joyous Broadway hit that New York Magazine hails as “smart and big-hearted” while The New York Times declares it “makes you believe in musical comedy again!” THE PROM is a new musical comedy about big Broadway stars on a mission to change the world and the love they discover that unites them all.” The Fabulous Fox is on North Grand in Grand Center. For more information: https://www.fabulousfox.com

The Kirkwood Theatre Guild presents Tennessee Williams’s Cat on a Hot Tin Roof February 4-13. “After Brick Pollitt injures himself while drunkenly revisiting his high school sports-star days, he and his tempestuous wife, Maggie, visit his family’s Mississippi plantation for the 65th birthday of his hot-tempered father, Big Daddy. Cantankerous even with declining health, Big Daddy demands to know why Brick and Maggie haven’t yet given him a grandchild, unlike Brick’s brother Gooper and his fecund wife, Mae. By evening’s end, Maggie’s ingenuity, fortitude, and passion set things right, and Brick’s love for his father, never before expressed, will retrieve him from his path of destruction.” Performances take place at the Kirkwood Performing Arts Center at 210 E. Monroe Avenue in Kirkwood, MO. For more information: www.ktg-onstage.org

The Lemp Mansion Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre and Jest Mysteries present Bullets in the Bathtub J through May 7. "Mob bosses, flappers, bootleggers and crooked cops will abound as event attendees are transported back in time to Trixie's speakeasy right in the heart of the roaring 20's. There will be plenty of rowdy characters at this fun, interactive event but none so dangerous as Harry "Bullets" Hyde. He’s the boss of the bosses and he is not too keen on "The Familys" taking over his territory. Parts will be passed out at the door and guests can participate as much or as little as they would like too. Some might be famous gangsters of the past, others may dodge the cops as they bootleg over state lines and a few might even be fun, flirty flappers. When a group like this gets together, it’s almost inevitable that somebody ends up "sleeping with the fishes." The Lemp Mansion is at 3322 DeMenil Place in south city. For more information: www.lempmansion.com

Metro Theater Company presents Last Stop on Market Street February 6-27. “Get ready for a heart-thumpin’, toe-tappin’ joy ride in this Motown/hip-hop musical adaptation of New York Times bestselling and Newbery Medal-winning picture book Last Stop on Market Street! CJ is reluctantly staying with his Nana, in a world considerably different from the one he’s used to, always plugged in to his phone and tablet. Guided by his veritable force-of-nature Nana, CJ travels a little closer to his roots and sees that things are not always what they seem. With a spectacular, spirited score by Motown legend Lamont Dozier and his son Paris Ray Dozier, you might find yourself dancing in your seat as you enjoy this vibrant story about connecting to your community. “ Performances take place at the Grandel Theater in Grand Center and also via video stream beginning February 11. For more information: www.metroplays.org/marketstreet

R-S Theatrics presents While the Ghostlight Burns, a virtual discussion series featuring R-S Artistic Director Sarah Lynne Holt in conversation with St. Louis theatre artists, Mondays at 7 pm.  Conversations will be archived at the R-S Theatrics YouTube channel. For more information: r-stheatrics.com/while-the-ghostlight-burns.html

Iphigenia in Splott
Photo by ProPhotoSTL

Upstream Theater presents the St. Louis premiere of Iphigenia in Splott by Welsh playwright Gary Owen Fridays through Sundays through February 6. “Hear me roar: Effie is the kind of person you’d avoid eye contact with as she stumbles around Cardiff’s gritty Splott neighborhood at 11:30 am drunk. You think you know her, but you really don’t—because here is someone whose life spirals through a mess of drink, drugs and drama every night, and a hangover worse than death the next day … until one night gives her a chance to be something more. We will also offer a streamed version of the live event to be made available during the run--please stay tuned for more information on how to access." Performances take place at the Marcelle Theatre, 3310 Samuel Shepard Dr. in Grand Center. For more information: www.upstreamtheater.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.