St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of May 29, 2023

What's on St. Louis theater and cabaret stages this coming week. Please leave a comment if anything was wrong or got left out.

Mark Nadler

The Blue Strawberry presents presents  Mark Nadler: Cole Porter After Dark on Friday, June 2, at 7:30 pm. “Cole Porter did most of his writing after the sun went down — usually in the very small hours of the morning. Internationally acclaimed, multi-award winning singer, pianist, tap dancer and comedian Mark Nadler takes you deep into the heart and psyche of one of the greatest song writers of all time. “Night and Day”, “You’re The Top” and “Begin the Beguine” are just a few of the timeless hits in this tuneful celebration of wit and passion.” The Blue Strawberry is at 364 N. Boyle in the Central West End. The Blue Strawberry is at 364 N. Boyle. For more information: bluestrawberrystl.com.

The Blue Strawberry presents presents Stephanie Faulders in  Tunes Through Time: An Evening of Show Tunes and Classics on Tuesday, May 30, at 6:30 pm. “Enjoy a relaxing evening of show tunes and classic jazz and pop standards from Rogers and Hammerstein to Ahrens and Flaherty with mezzo soprano Stephanie Faulders. Stephanie is a local performer who has been featured in productions in St. Louis and in the metro east. Some of her favorite credits include “The Sound of Music,” “All Shook Up,” and “The Pajama Game.” She was most recently seen as Rose Smith in "Meet Me in St. Louis."” The Blue Strawberry is at 364 N. Boyle in the Central West End. The Blue Strawberry is at 364 N. Boyle. For more information: bluestrawberrystl.com.

The Cherokee Street Theatre Company presents The Clash of the Titans Live Parody through June 17th. “Perseus must prove his worth to his daddy, foil his step-mom, complete  heroic tests, battle Medusa and the KRAKEN to save the Princess Andromeda live on stage Cherokee Street Theater style.” Performances take place through June 1st at Upstairs at The Golden Record, 2720 Cherokee, and June 9 through 17 at the Playhouse at Westport Plaza. For more information: www.cherokeestreettheatercompany.com.

Circus Flora presents Undercover June 1 through 25. “This summer, Circus Flora enters the daring world of espionage! With nods to beloved spy stories throughout the years, Undercover introduces the world’s top double agent who faces an archvillain obsessed with world domination. Our spy has plenty of helpful allies – but the villain has a team, too. Will good overcome bad . . . and how? Aerialists, acrobats, contortionists, and comedians will craft this thrilling story, which will captivate your whole family!” Performances take place at The Big Top on Washington next to Powell Hall in Grand Center. For more information: circusflora.org.

Circus Harmony presents Swashbuckle! Saturdays at 3 and 7 pm and Sundays at 3 pm through June 3rd. “Circus Harm!ony is back with their annual, full length, ticketed show. This year, it is an epic adventure with somersaulting, sword fighting, and circus.  The show features all-new acts co-created with Circus Harmony’s sensational staff and talented students. Swashbuckle! features a Pirate Queen, a sea witch, and a real parrot all after the same treasure. The show is presented in the circus ring at City Museum that Circus Harmony calls home. Acts include unicycling, contortion, minitrampoline, wire-walking and much more. Circus Harmony performs at the City Museum downtown. For more information: circusharmony.org

Clayton Community Theatre presents Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Nile Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 pm and Sundays at 2 pm, May 25 – June 4.  “Love, money, meddling, politics, betrayal, and violence are all on the itinerary in this international whodunit romp, Murder on the Nile, by master of mystery Agatha Christie. Heiress Kay Mostyn and her new husband, Simon, relish having it all: youth, good looks and wealth. They embark on their grand honeymoon journey down the Nile River for a euphoric start to their new life together. But things quickly become very complicated, and nothing is quite as it seems. ” Performances take place at the Washington University South Campus Theatre, 6501 Clayton Rd. For more information: www.placeseveryone.org

ERA Theatre presents The Brechtfast Club Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 pm, June 1-10. “The Brechtfast Club is ERA’s theatrical adaptation of the classic movie The Breakfast Club in the style of Bertolt Brecht! In the late 1980’s in the village of Shermer, East Germany, the five members of the worst-performing Stasi firm in the country and their boss work on a Saturday to try to reach their political dissident quota. Just when their ability to uncover secret intelligence seems hopeless, a special radio attachment expands their listening network all the way to the United States. What the Stasi hear, or what they think they hear, might not only pull them out of their slump but also put an end to Gorbachev's Perestroika nonsense.” Performances take place at The Chapel, 6238 Alexander Drive in Clayton. For more information: eratheatre.org.  

The Lemp Mansion Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre and Jest Mysteries present Death of a Blackheart through August 26. "Ahoy matey! Join us for an exciting evening of murder, mystery and pirates at the best comedy dinner theater show in town. Don your favorite pirate gear and escape to the high seas for an adventure fraught with peril! What part will you play in this hilarious show full of fair maidens, lost boys, rival pirates and wenches? Whichever character you acquire, beware of that famous pirate Captain Jack Blackheart! Aye, he's a scurvy seadog if my eye ever seed one! Gee, I hope no one kills him off!" 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, on Wednesday May 10th at 7:30 pm. “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 continue on selected Wednesdays through August 30 at The Blue Strawberry, 356 N. Boyle. For more information: bluestrawberrystl.com.

New Jewish Theatre presents Emily Mann’s Gloria: A Life Thursdays at 7:30 pm, Saturdays at 4 and 8 pm and Sundays at 2 pm, June 1-18 “Gloria: A Life explores the iconic feminist's legacy. Decades after Gloria Steinem began raising her voice for equality and championing the voices of others, her vision is as urgent as ever. This play embodies Steinem's philosophy that conversation is a catalyst for change as it celebrates one of the most inspiring women of our time.” Performances take place at the SFC Performing Arts Center, 2 Millstone Campus Drive. For more information: jccstl.com/arts-ideas/new-jewish-theatre.

New Line Theatre presents Sondheim’s musical comedy A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 pm, June 1 through 24. “To close New Line's 31st season, Sondheim and comic playwright and screenwriter Burt Shevelove take the classical Roman comedies of Plautus, mash them up with American vaudeville, and the result is one of the great musical farces of all time, every bit as smart and subversive as Sondheim’s later shows. In 1962, this show satirized America’s hang-ups about sex at the beginning of the Sexual Revolution; today, the show bumps up against lots of complicated questions we’ve all been asking lately, about sex, gender, and more.” Performances take place at the Marcelle Theatre in Grand Center. For more information: www.newlinetheatre.com.

Treemonisha
Photo: Eric Woolsey

Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents Scott Joplin’s Treemonisha through June 24. “Sometimes out of the deepest tragedy springs the greatest hope. Embark on a life-affirming journey of love and creativity in Scott Joplin’s opera Treemonisha, re-imagined with two new acts by composer Damien Sneed and librettist Karen Chilton. As Joplin celebrates his wedding to his new bride, Freddie Alexander, he is inspired to write a masterpiece — with Freddie as his muse. His heroine will be called Treemonisha, and she will lead her community into a bright and bountiful future of education, opportunity, and prosperity.” Performances are sung in English with projected English supertitles and take place at the Loretto-Hilton Center on the Webster University Campus. For more information: opera-stl.org

Tosca
Photo: Eric Woolsey

Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents Puccini’s Tosca opening on Saturday, May 25, at 7:30 pm and running through June 25. “The year is 1800. Rome is caught in the middle of a war between Napoleon and the Austrian empire, and republican sympathizers are on the run from the police. Spying, double-crossing, and torture have become the order of the day. Tosca would do anything to protect her lover, the painter Cavaradossi — a fact that the lustful police chief Scarpia is all too ready to exploit. When Cavaradossi is accused of harboring political prisoners, Scarpia asks Tosca to make an unthinkable decision. Little does he know how fiercely she will fight to protect herself and those she loves. ” Performances are sung in English with projected English supertitles and take place at the Loretto-Hilton Center on the Webster University Campus. For more information: opera-stl.org

Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents Mozart’s comedy Così fan tutte opening on Sunday, June 4, at 7:30 pm and running through June 25. “Love makes fools of us all. Guglielmo and Ferrando naively insist that their girlfriends Fiordiligi and Dorabella could never fall for other men, and the two women believe that their suitors are the hottest catches in town. But when the jaded Don Alfonso and housemaid Despina team up to prove the young couples wrong, things are primed for an epic battle of the sexes. Set to some of Mozart’s most beautiful music, Così fan tutte embraces the line between romantic comedy and social satire.” Performances are sung in English with projected English supertitles and take place at the Loretto-Hilton Center on the Webster University Campus. For more information: opera-stl.org.

St. Louis Shakespeare Festival presents the comedy Twelfth Night Tuesdays through Sundays at 8 pm May 31 through June 25. “Often regarded as Shakespeare’s greatest comedy, Twelfth Night is bursting with romance, music and high times. The tale of Viola and her shipwrecked twin brother – separated and finding their way in a strange new world – this year’s Shakespeare in the Park sets them in glamorous, celebrity-filled Miami. In a world of appearances, not everyone is who they seem, but love is love in this glorious Latin-inflected story of longing and reinvention.” Performances take place nightly at 8 pm except for Mondays at Shakespeare Glenn next to the Art Museum in Forest Park. For more information: stlshakes.org.

Stages St. Louis presents the musical Aida June 2 through July2. “A timeless love story for the ages, Disney’s AIDA tells the tale of the transcendent love triangle between Aida, a Nubian princess stolen from her country; Amneris, an Egyptian princess; and Radames, the soldier they both love. Set in a time of great turmoil in ancient Egypt, this story of forbidden love has thrilled audiences for over twenty years. Wrapped in an electric Tony and Grammy Award-Winning score by Elton John and Tim Rice, AIDA is both a stunning musical theatre experience, and an uplifting story of faith, duty, and redemption.” Performances take place at the Kirkwood Performing Arts Center in Kirkwood, MO. For more information: stagesstlouis.org.

The Brass Menagerie

The Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis presents  Amy Jo Jackson's Bistro Award-winning cabaret show The Brass Menagerie Wednesday and Thursday, May 31 and June 1, at 7:30 pm. Described as a campy romp through the women of Tennessee Williams, The Brass Menagerie answers the musical question: what would it be like to hear Blanche DuBois, Maggie the Cat, or the Wingfield ladies sing through their plays.   The Wednesday performance is a gala fund raiser for the Williams Festival. Performances both nights take place athe Curtain Call Lounge at the Fabulous Fox in Grand Center.  For more information: twstl.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 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.

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.