St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of March 20, 2023

To get your event listed here, send an email to chuck [at] kdhx.org Your event information should be in text format (i.e. not part of a graphic), but feel free to include publicity stills.

Albion Theatre presents Harold Pinter’s The Birthday Party Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm and Sundays at 2 pm through March 26. “In a small boarding house at the English seaside.  Stanley, the only lodger, has a secret.  Two mysterious strangers arrive with a job to do.  Nothing is what it appears to be but what happens at Stanley’s birthday party changes everyone’s lives.  Combining realism and absurdism, humor and menace, this classic of British theater remains as powerful as it did when first performed in 1958.” Performances take place at the Kranzberg Arts Center 501 N. Grand in Grand Center. For more information: albiontheatrestl.org.

Chuck Lavazzi and Carol Schmidt

The Cabaret Project and The Blue Strawberry present a Singers Open Mic Tuesday, March 21, from 7 to 9:30 pm. “Chuck Lavazzi is your host, with pianist and music director Carol Schmidt. 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. Or you can just relax, have a drink and dinner or a snack, and enjoy the music. No admission or cover, but there is always a tip jar! All proceeds go to The Cabaret Project, a 501c3 non-profit dedicated to promoting, developing, and sustaining the art cabaret in St. Louis."  The Blue Strawberry is at 364 N. Boyle. For more information: thecabaretproject.org.

Call to Conscience Interactive Theater for Social Change presents Say it Flo, written and performed by Michelle T. Johnson, Thursday through Saturday at 7 pm, March 23 – 25. “Say it Flo pays homage to Missouri born Florynce Kennedy. An Attorney/Activist Florynce worked as an activist for feminism and civil rights on cases that not only damaged black people, but they also damaged women, gay people, ex-prison inmates, prostitutes, children, old people, handicapped people, and native Americans. Kennedy was one of the lawyers in the Abramowitz v. Lefkowitz case, the class action suit that wanted to repeal New York's strict abortion laws which used women who suffered from illegal abortions as expert witnesses instead of relying on physicians. These tactics were eventually used in the Roe v. Wade case, in 1973, which overturned restrictive abortion laws.” Performances take place in the Legend Room at the National Blues Museum, 615 Washington. For more information:     acalltoconscience.org

Clayton Community Theatre presents Ordinary People Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 pm and Sundays at 2 pm, March 23 – April 2.  “Conrad Jarrett had an older brother named Buck, and now Buck is gone. What's left of young Conrad's family, with his successful, well-intentioned father and his beautiful, organized and remote mother, is in terrible jeopardy, as is Conrad himself. They are all "ordinary people," and each is fighting a hard battle. This play goes to the essence of a young man, his friends, and family, their relationships and survival.” Performances take place at the Washington University South Campus Theatre, 6501 Clayton Rd. For more information: www.placeseveryone.org.

Tootsie the Comedy Musical

The Fabulous Fox presents Tootsie the Comedy Musical opening on Tuesday, March 21 and running through April 2.  “This laugh-out-loud love letter to the theatre tells the story of Michael Dorsey, a talented but difficult actor who struggles to find work until one show-stopping act of desperation lands him the role of a lifetime.” The Fabulous Fox is on North Grand in Grand Center. For more information: fabulousfox.com.

The Lemp Mansion Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre and Jest Mysteries present Murder at the Abbey through May 6th. "Immerse yourself in a world full of aristocracy, old money a perhaps a touch of murder!  You’ve been invited to the dinner party held by the Earl of Grantham himself. Some would kill for the opportunity to meet the Crawley family.  They’ll all be there!  The Earl, his beautiful wife and three daughters…not to mention all your favorite characters in, and around, the Grantham house." The Lemp Mansion is at 3322 DeMenil Place in south city. For more information: www.lempmansion.com

Just One Look
Photo: The Midnight Company

The Midnight Company presents Just One Look by Joe Hanrahan, starring Kelly Howe as Linda Ronstadt Wednesdays at 7:30 pm through March 29 and again Wednesday through Friday April 12-14. “Linda Ronstadt ruled the pop charts and filled stadiums in the 70’s and 80’s. The reigning rock goddess of her era, she later took on light opera - Gilbert and Sullivan on Broadway - and The Great American Songbook with Nelson Riddle. Her involvement in social issues accelerated during her relationship with California Governor Jerry Brown, then running for President. But for Linda, it was always a search for the next great song. Kelly Howe will portray Linda Ronstadt and sing her sensational songs.” Performances take place at The Blue Strawberry, 356 N. Boyle. For more information: bluestrawberrystl.com

Grand Horizons
Photo: John Gitchoff

Moonstone Theatre Company presents Grand Horizons by Bess Wohl  through April 2. “The comedy is sophisticated, funny, delightful, and sometimes provocatively honest, as it takes an intimate look at the unpredictable and enduring nature of love. Happily married for 50 years, Bill and Nancy practically breathe in unison. They anticipate each other’s sighs, sneezes and ends of sentences. But just as they settle into their new retirement home in Florida, Nancy wants out. As their two adult sons struggle to cope with the news, they’re forced to question everything they assumed about the people they thought they knew best.” Performances take place at the Kirkwood Performing Arts Center in Kirkwood, MO. For more information: moonstonetheatrecompany.com

New Jewish Theatre presents Duncan MacMillan's Every Brilliant Thing Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm and Sundays at 2 pm, through April 2 “You're 7-years old. Mom's in the hospital. Dad says she's "done something stupid." She finds it hard to be happy. So you start to make a list of everything that's brilliant about the world. Everything that's worth living for.  1. Ice cream.  2. Kung Fu movies.  3. Staying up past your bedtime and being allowed to watch TV.  4. The color yellow. You leave it on her pillow. You know she read it because she's corrected your spelling. Soon the list will take on a life of its own. A play about depression and the lengths we go to for those we love.” Performances take place at the SFC Performing Arts Center, 2 Millstone Campus Drive. For more information: jccstl.com/arts-ideas/new-jewish-theatre.

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express, adapted for the stage by Ken Ludwig through April 9. “It’s 1934, just after midnight, and a snowstorm has stopped the opulent Orient Express sleeper train in its tracks. A wealthy American businessman is discovered dead, and the brilliant and beautifully mustachioed Hercule Poirot must solve the mystery before the murderer strikes again.” Performances take place on the main stage at the Loretto-Hilton Center on the Webster University campus. For more information: www.repstl.org

The St. Louis Writers' Group presents Bits and Pieces, an open workshop for playwrights Tuesday, March 21, at 6:30 pm. "If you are an aspiring writer of work for performance, then this evening is for you. We invite anyone with some work that they have at any stage of development, whether complete or not to come along.  The intention is for ideas to be explored, discussion of concepts, part-completed scripts to be read by experienced actors so writers can hear what they sound like, plots to be evaluated, or indeed any bits and pieces that you have to be brought out.  To ensure that there is plenty of scope, we are setting a limit of 20 pages on any material submitted."
 The reading takes place upstairs at Big Daddy's, 1000 Sidney in Soulard. For more information, visit the St. Louis Writers' Group Facebook page.

Take Two Productions presents the Stephen Schwartz musical Godspell through March 25. “A small group of people help Jesus Christ tell different parables by using a wide variety of games, storytelling techniques and hefty doses of comic timing. An eclectic blend of songs, ranging in style from pop to vaudeville, is employed as the story of Jesus' life dances across the stage. Dissolving hauntingly into the Last Supper and the Crucifixion, Jesus' messages of kindness, tolerance and love come vibrantly to life.” Performances take place at Third Baptist Church, 620 N. Grand in Grand Center. For more information: www.taketwoproductions.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.