St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of March 14, 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.

Chuck Lavazzi and Carol Schmidt

The Blue Strawberry presents a Singers Open Mic Night with host Chuck Lavazzi and pianist Carol Schmidt on Tuesday, March 15, from 7 to 9:30 pm. If you plan to sing bring sheet music or a chart in your own key, and perform your favorite Broadway, pop, or jazz tunes. Medium/up-tempo songs are encouraged but not required. This month it's a special "it's almost St. Patrick's Day" edition where we encourage songs that are in any way remotely related to the day on which drinking green beer is seen as normal. Or you can just relax, have a drink, and enjoy the music.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 Kirkwood Theatre Guild presents Calendar Girls through March 20. “After the death of her best friend’s husband from cancer, spirited Yorkshire housewife Chris Harper hatches a scheme to raise money for a memorial to him. Utilizing a tradition from the Woman’s Institute association, Chris encourages Annie and their friends to create a calendar – with the novel detail of using the middle-aged women of their village as nude models. Based on the true story of eleven women who posed nude for a calendar to raise money for the Leukemia Research Fund.” 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

Head Over Heels
Photo: Jill Ritter Lindberg

New Line Theatre presents the musical Head Over Heels through March 26. “Head Over Heels is the bold, sexy new musical comedy from the visionaries that rocked Broadway with American Idiot, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Avenue Q and Spring Awakening. Conceived by Jeff Whitty, with an original book by Whitty, adapted by James Magruder, originally directed by Michael Mayer, based on a novel from 1580 (not kidding!) and set to the music of the iconic 1980s all-girl rock band The Go-Go's, this subversive, high-octane, laugh-out-loud love story includes hit songs like, “We Got the Beat,” “Our Lips Are Sealed,” “Vacation,” “Heaven is a Place on Earth” and “Mad About You.” The wild story follows the escapades of a royal family who set out on a journey to save their beloved kingdom from extinction -- only to discover the key to their realm’s survival lies within each of their own hearts. . . though not always in the way they expect. . . and in their willingness to let go of rigid tradition and change with the times.” Performances take place at the Marcelle Theater, 3310 Samuel Shepard Drive. For more information: newlinetheatre.com

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents The 39 Steps March 18 to April 10. “Hitchcock meets hilarity in this madcap comedic thriller. Richard Hannay is an everyday bloke looking for a little more excitement in his life. But he gets more than he bargains for when he is unwittingly plunged into the world of spies, agents and espionage. Now it’s up to him, with the help of a mysterious woman, to thwart the plot of the dubious organization known as “The 39 Steps.” Don’t miss the tour de force performances as four actors take on over 150 roles in a plot packed with intrigue, international danger, old-fashioned romance, high-spirited comedy and a death-defying finale!” Performances take place on the Emerson Main Stage at the Loretto-Hilton Center on the Webster University campus. For more information: www.repstl.org.

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

The St. Louis Black Repertory Company presents Behind the Sheet by Charly Evon Simpson March 16 - April 3. "Behind the Sheet follows several Black women who suffered invasive experimental surgeries while enslaved on a plantation in Alabama during the 1840s. Although the story is fictionalized, it is deeply rooted in history and the early career of Dr. J. Marion Sims, considered the founder of modern gynecology." Performances take place at the Catherine B. Berges Theatre at Center of Creative Arts (COCA) in University City. For more information: www.theblackrep.org.

The St. Louis Writers' Group presents a reading of the new play Code by Dennis Fisher on Tuesday, March 15th, at 6:30 pm,  The reading takes place upstairs at Big Daddy's in Soulard and will be streamed live via Zoom. More information is available at the St. Louis Writers Group Facebook page.

The Theatre Guild of Webster Groves presents Aaron Sorkin’s drama A Few Good Men through March 22. “Military lawyers at a court-martial uncover a high-level conspiracy in the course of defending their clients, two US Marines accused of murder” Performances take place at 517 Theatre Lane at the corner of Newport and Summit in Webster Groves. For more information: the Theatre Guild Facebook event page.

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.