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

Seth Sikes and Nicholas King

The Blue Strawberry presents Seth Sikes and Nicolas King: The New Belters on Friday August 18 at 7:30 pm. “Nicolas King and Seth Sikes, two of New York’s most popular young nightclub entertainers, join forces for an evening you won’t want to miss. The swinging American Songbook is the specialty of these performers. They will pay tribute to the show-stopping stars who paved the way for modern day entertainers, such as Sammy Davis Jr., Anthony Newley, Eydie Gormé, Liza Minnelli, Judy Garland, Ethel Merman, Barbra Streisand and more! Nicolas and Seth will carry the torch from these legendary performers and the great songwriters who wrote so many of their hits.” The Blue Strawberry is at 364 N. Boyle. For more information: bluestrawberrystl.com.

Tim Schall

The Blue Strawberry presents Sunday Standard Time with Tim Schall and Carol Schmidt on Sunday August 20 from 6:30 to 9:00pm. “Join Tim Schall (vocals) and Carol Schmidt (piano) in the lounge for a casual, classy Sunday evening of jazz standards, a little sophisticated pop and a dash of classic Broadway. Tim is no stranger to the theater and concert stages of St. Louis, Chicago and New York's Lincoln Center. Carol has a rich history of entertaining St. Louis audiences as musician and singer. Together they will help you wind down your weekend with timeless music and a lot of irreverent dry humor.” The Blue Strawberry is at 364 N. Boyle. For more information: bluestrawberrystl.com.

Christ Memorial Productions presents the musical Disney’s Freaky Friday Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm and Sundays at 2:30 pm, through August 20.  Performances take place at Christ Memorial Lutheran Church, 5252 S. Lindbergh Blvd.  For more information, visit CMPShows.org or call 314-631-0304.

First Run Theatre presents Wayward by Eric Berg through August 11 20. “You won't want to miss this beautiful and moving new play by Eric Berg.  Based on real stories of women in the 1960's homes for wayward girls, Berg weaves a tale that will transport and touch your heart.” Performances take place in the black box theatre in the Kranzberg Arts Center in Grand Center. For more information: firstruntheatre.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

You Made Me Love You

The Midnight Company presents You Made Me Love You: A Tribute to Judy Garland starring Jennelle Gilreath Owens through September 14. The show is written by Joe Hanrahan with a band headed by John and Lea Gerdes.  Performances take place at The Blue Strawberry is at 364 N. Boyle. .For more information: midnightcompany.com

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.

The Muny presents Sister Act August 14 - 20 at 8:15 pm.  “Based on the smash hit film, Sister Act is a heavenly musical comedy that proves nothing can stand in the way of sisterhood! Disco diva Deloris dreams of fame and fortune, but is she prepared for the way she receives it? Songs inspired by Motown, soul and disco, including “Take Me to Heaven,” “Fabulous, Baby!,” and “Raise Your Voice,” this score is sure to raise your spirits. The grand finale to the Muny season promises to be divine!”  Performances take place on the Muny's outdoor stage in Forest Park. For more information: muny.org.

SATE presents This Palpable Gross Play: A Kind-of Midsummer Night’s Dream August 16 through September 2.  Adapted by Ellie Schwetye and directed by Lucille Cashion, the play re-tells Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream imagining if the Mechanicals were rehearsing a play about star-crossed lovers: Hermia, Lysander, Helena, and Demetrius. Meanwhile, Puck, Titania, and Oberon use whatever - and whoever - around them to work out their feud, turning a story from one we think we all know into This Palpable Gross Play. Performances take place at The Chapel, 6238 Alexander Drive. For more information: satestl.org

Clue
Photo: Phillip Hamer

Stages St. Louis presents Clue through August 20. “Based on the iconic 1985 Paramount movie which was inspired by the classic Hasbro board game, CLUE is a hilarious farce-meets-murder mystery. The play begins on a dark and stormy night at a remote mansion, where six mysterious guests assemble for an unusual dinner party. When their host turns up dead, they all become suspects. Sip soup with Miss Scarlett, Professor Plum, Mrs. Peacock, Colonel Mustard, and a host of other classic oddballs as you unravel this whodunnit. CLUE is laugh-a-minute, high-octane fun for the entire family!” Performances take place at the Kirkwood Performing Arts Center in Kirkwood, MO. For more information: stagesstlouis.org

The STL Fringe Festival takes place August 14 through 20 with over two dozen acts at various locations in Grand Center.  For information on shows, performance schedules, and tickets: www.stlfringe.org

St. Louis Shakespeare Festival’s TourCo on presents free performances of The Merry Wives Of Windsor Tuesdays through Sundays at 6:30 pm, through August 27.  “This is a condensed 90-minute adaptation performed by six actors in a 90’s sitcom style, adapted and directed by Suki Peters.” Performance take place at local parks; see https://stlshakes.org/plan-your-visit/ for details.

The St. Louis Writers' Group presents a reading of the play The Huddled Masses Part 3 - The Jap by Brad Slavik on Tuesday, August 15, at 6:30 pm. "Ryoko “Rose” Tanaka is Issei, first generation Japanese-American and it’s 1944. She is living in an interment camp in Arizona while her husband is fighting in Europe.She is pregnant and the camp doctor, Major Joe Rosenstein, has a severe resentment against all Japanese." The reading takes place upstairs at Big Daddy’s in Soulard. For more information, visit the St. Louis Writers' Group Facebook page.

Godspell
Photo: John Lamb

Stray Dog Theatre presents the Stephen Schwartz musical Godspell Thursdays through Saturdays through 26. “Prepare ye for the timeless tale of friendship, loyalty, and adoration! Godspell uses song, dance, and storytelling to retell the passion and parables of the gospels. This reimagined theatrical celebration brings messages of kindness, tolerance, and love to life.” 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 Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis presents Something Spoken: Tennessee Williams on the Air, a series of one act plays by Tennessee Williams, Saturdays at 3:30 pm through August 26. The plays are Something Unspoken, The Case of the Crushed Petunias, Sunburst, and The Magic Tower. The plays are broadcast on Classic 107.3. For more information: twstl.org.

Tesseract Theatre presents the musical Kinky Boots August 17 through 27.  “Kinky Boots is the big-hearted musical extravaganza that won six Tonys including Best Musical, the Grammy for Best Musical Theatre album and London’s Olivier Award for Best Musical. Kinky Boots features a joyous, Tony-winning score by pop icon Cyndi Lauper, and a hilarious, uplifting book by four-time Tony winner, Harvey Fierstein.” Performances take place at the Grandel Theatre in Grand Center. For more information: www.tesseracttheatre.com

Union Avenue Opera presents Ragtime by Flaherty and Ahrens Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm, August 18 through 26. “Scored with the syncopated rhythms of a hopeful new age, Ragtime effectively weaves together three distinctly American tales: from the Jewish immigrant searching for a better life for his daughter, to the stifled upper-class wife yearning for something more, to the daring young Harlem musician with the determination to empower change. Social and racial conflicts rise to the surface as the lives of the characters become intertwined. United by their courage, compassion and belief in the promise of the future, together they confront history’s timeless contradictions of wealth and poverty, freedom and prejudice, and hope and despair. The Tony-winning score is just as diverse as the melting pot of America itself, from the ragtime rhythms of Tin Pan Alley to the klezmer of the Lower East Side, with waltzes, banjo tunes, period parlor songs and expansive anthems throughout. Ragtime is an impassioned, jubilant, and timeless tribute to the American Dream.” Performances are sung in English with projected English supertitles and take place at Union Avenue Christian Church, 733 Union at Enright in the Central West End. For more information: unionavenueopera.org

Looking for auditions and other artistic opportunities? Check out the St. Louis Auditions site.

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