St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of June 5, 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.

Albion Theatre presents Alan Ayckbourn’s Absent Friends June 9 through 25. “A tea party is arranged supposedly to console an old friend, but it reveals the troubled relationships of the others at the party.  One of Ayckbourn’s most successful plays, it has been called ‘the saddest.…and the funniest” of his plays’.” Performances take place at the Kranzberg Arts Center 501 N. Grand in Grand Center. For more information: https://albiontheatrestl.org.

The Black Rep presents Denise Thimes: Celebrating the Artistry of Bessie Smith on Saturday, June 10, at 7 and 9 pm.  Tickets are free but reservations are required.  Performances take place in the Legends Room at the National Blues Museum downtown. For more information: www.theblackrep.org.

Laurence Levy

The Blue Strawberry presents presents Laurence "Nothing Up My Sleeve" Levy and Not Quite Right Improv in an evening of magic and comedy on Monday, June 5, at 6:30 pm 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 a Singers Open Mic on Tuesday, June 6, from 7 to 9:30 pm. “Focusing on Pop, Standards old and new, Broadway and Musical Theater. But Anything Goes! Bring sheet music in your key.” Ken Haller is your host with Ron McGowan at the piano. 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 through June 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.

ERA Theatre presents The Brechtfast Club through June 11. “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 selected Wednesdays through August 30 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 at The Blue Strawberry, 356 N. Boyle. For more information: bluestrawberrystl.com.

Gloria: A Life
Photo: John Gitchoff

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, through June 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.

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
Photo: Jill Ritter Lindberg

New Line Theatre presents Sondheim’s musical comedy A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 pm through June 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 through June 23. “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.

Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents Carlisle Floyd’s drama Susannah opening on Saturday, June 10, at 7:30 pm and running through June 24. “The young and innocent Susannah lives with her brother in a small town in Appalachia. One fateful day, men from her church happen to spot her bathing in a stream and begin to spread vicious rumors about her. As gossip circulates, the community turns their back on Susannah, forcing her to choose between conformity and isolation. But Susannah won’t be made a victim forever. She refuses to give a false confession, inflaming the town around her with tragic, life-altering consequences. Set to a rich score, this classic American opera offers a powerful indictment of religious and social hypocrisy.” 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.

Twelfth Night
Photo: St. Louis Shakespeare Festival

St. Louis Shakespeare Festival presents the comedy Twelfth Night Tuesdays through Sundays at 8 pm 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.

The St. Louis Writers' Group presents a reading of the play The Potentate's Apparel by Robert Schmidt on Tuesday June 6 at 6:30 pm. "Winner of the first round of the 2022 St Louis Playwright Slam, The Potentate’s Apparel is a proven winner. It is the story of three activists who try to get the queen to put on some clothes who are frustrated by two conniving nobles, a pair of enabling soldiers, and one potentate." The reading takes place upstairs at Big Daddy’s in Soulard. For more information, visit the St. Louis Writers' Group Facebook page.

Stages St. Louis presents the musical Aida through July 2. “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.

Stray Dog Theatre presents the comedy Vampire Lesbians of Sodom by Charles Busch Thursdays through Saturdays June 8 – 24. “One of the longest running comedies in Off Broadway history, Vampire Lesbians of Sodom tells the saga of two fatally seductive vampiresses. Their immortal paths collide throughout history, from ancient Sodom to 1920s Hollywood, and end up in current day Las Vegas. Their bitter rivalry as actresses endures for more than two thousand years! Showbiz has never been so blood thirsty.” Performances take place at Tower Grove Abbey, 2336 Tennessee in Tower Grove East. Tickets are only offered in physically distanced groups of two or four. For more information: www.straydogtheatre.org

The Wildey Theatre presents Get Your Kicks!, a musical travelogue along Edwardsville's historic Route 66, on Thursday, June 8, at 7 pm. "This one-night-only event is being produced as an Alumni Players! and Friends of The Wildey Community Partnership Event. The cast-all Edwardsville High School alums-will perform songs from the Pop Charts of the 1940's, 50s & 60's, reminding us of what was on the minds and the radios of a generation of motorists passing right through our HomeT own USA as they traveled The Mother Road. Vintage cars, historic images and local Route 66 Memorabilia on display prior to the performance, as well as the travelogue that accompanies the show, all highlight Edwardsville's special and very personal history with her most lasting legacy." The show is produced and directed by singer Craig Becker. The Wildey Theatre is at 250 N. Main in Edwardsville, IL. For more information: wildeytheatre.com
 

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