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Sunday, April 10, 2016

St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of April 11, 2016

The Bridges of Madison County
Photo: Matthew Murphy

The Fox Theatre presents the musical The Bridges of Madison County through April 17. "THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY, one of the most romantic stories ever written, first captured the nation's attention as a best-selling novel by Robert James Waller and is now an irresistible, two time Tony Award®-winning Broadway musical. This stunning new production features gorgeous, soulful music by Tony Award®-winning composer Jason Robert Brown (Parade, The Last Five Years) that the Daily News hails as "one of Broadway's best scores in the last decade." With a book by Pulitzer Prize Winner Marsha Norman (The Secret Garden, The Color Purple) and direction by Tony® winner Bartlett Sher (South Pacific, The Light in the Piazza), THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY is the unforgettable story of two people caught between decision and desire, as a chance encounter becomes a second chance at so much more." The Fox is on North Grand in Grand Center. For more information: fabulousfox.com.

The Lemp Mansion Comedy-Mystery Dinner Theater presents Clueless through April 16. The Lemp Mansion is at 3322 DeMenil Place. For more information: lempmansion.com

St. Louis Community College at Meramec presents the drama Death and the Maiden by Ariel Dorfman Wednesday through Sunday, April 13-17. "Paulina Salas is a former political prisoner in an unnamed Latin American country who had been raped by her captors, led by a sadistic doctor whose face she never saw. Years later, after the (also unnamed) repressive regime has fallen, a chance encounter allows Pauline to take the doctor captive in order to put him on trial and extract a confession from him." The production is recommended for mature audiences. Performances take place in the theatre on the campus at 11333 Big Bend Road. For more information, stlcc.edu/MC or call 314-984-7500.

Hard Road Theatre Productions presents the musical comedy First Date opening on Friday, April 15, at 7:30 p.m. and running through April 23. "When blind date newbie Aaron (Zachary Levi; “Chuck” and Thor: The Dark World) is set up with serial-dater Casey (Krysta Rodriguez; “Smash” and The Addams Family), a casual drink at a busy New York restaurant turns into a hilarious high-stakes dinner. As the date unfolds in real time, the couple quickly finds that they are not alone on this unpredictable evening. In a delightful and unexpected twist, Casey and Aaron's inner critics take on a life of their own when other restaurant patrons transform into supportive best friends, manipulative exes and protective parents, who sing and dance them through ice-breakers, appetizers and potential conversational land mines. Can this couple turn what could be a dating disaster into something special before the check arrives?" Performances will be held at the Kennel at Highland High School, 12760 Troxler Ave, Highland IL. For more information: www.hardroad.org.

Clinton County Showcase presents the comedy The Foreigner opening on Friday, April 15, at 8 p.m. and running through April 24. "The Foreigner is about a chronically shy man named Charlie who pretends to not speak a word of English. Misunderstandings and hilariious antics abound. Soon Charlie finds himself playing and embracing the role of the exotic foreigner and emerges from his shell all while keeping the charade. Characters include Charile's best friend Froggy, the innkeeper with a motherly role, a young couple, an not-so-bright young man, and a man who has trouble accepting racial progress." Performances take place at the Avon Theater, 525 North 2nd Street Breese IL. For more information, visit ccshowcase.com.

Great Falls
Photo: John Lamb

The West End Players Guild continues their 105th season with Lee Blessing's comedy/drama Great Falls Thursday through Saturday at 8 PM and Sunday at 2 PM, April 14-17. "This long, strange trip is undertaken by Monkey Man, a divorced middle-aged writer, and his teenaged ex-stepdaughter, who goes by the name of Bitch. Both of them have lost their way in life, and they set off in search of answers on a road trip through the great American West. By turns funny, sad, touching and profane, Great Falls will take you on a memorable and moving theatrical tour." Performances take place at the Union Avenue Christian Church, 733 North Union at Enright in the Central West End. For more information, call 314-367-0025 or visit www.westendplayers.org.

Stray Dog Theatre presents the rock musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 PM through April 16. "The 'internationally ignored song stylist' Hedwig Schmidt, an East German diva, is also the victim of a botched sex-change operation. As she tours the U.S. with her loyal band, Hedwig candidly shares her life story. Raucous, soulful and wickedly funny with a brilliant rock score, this show has inspired legions of fans." Performances take place at The Tower Grove Abbey, 2336 Tennessee. For more information, visit straydogtheatre.org or call 314-865-1995.

The Touhill Performing Arts Center presents Chicago's Second City comedy ensemble in Hooking Up With Second City Friday and 7 and 10 p.m. and Saturday at 6 and 9 p.m., April 15 and 16. "The Second City knows a few things about love - we've been looking at and laughing about relationships for over 55 years. Hooking Up With The Second City makes mirth out of missed connections, girls' night out adventures and all the crazy things we do for love. This gaspingly funny revue is a modern mix of romance, rancor and everything in between." The Touhill Performing Arts Center is on the University of Missouri St. Louis campus. For more information: touhill.org.

St. Louis University Theatre presents Oscar Wilde's comedy The Importance of Being Earnest, opening on Friday, April 15, at 8 p.m. and running through April 24. "Regarded by many as the wittiest play in the English language, the University Theatre is proud to close its 2015-16 season with this audience favorite." Performances take place in Xavier Hall, 3373 West Pine Mall. For more information, call 314-977-3327 or visit slu.edu/utheatre.

St. Louis Actors' Studio presents Ivanov by Anton Chekov, as translated by Tom Stoppard, opening on Friday, April 15, and running through May 1. "Once a man of limitless promise, Ivanov is plunged into debt. His marriage is in crisis, and his evenings are spent negotiating loans, avoiding love affairs and fighting to resist the small town jealousies and intrigues which threaten to engulf his life." Performances take place at the Gaslight Theatre, 358 North Boyle For more information, call 314-458-2978 or visit stlas.org.

Lindenwood University presents the comedy The Liar by David Ives, adapted from the play by Pierre Corneille, Thursday and Friday at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday at 2 and 7:30 p.m., April 14-16 “Paris, 1643. Dorante is a charming young man newly arrived in the capital, and he has but a single flaw: he cannot tell the truth. In quick succession, he meets Cliton, a manservant who cannot tell a lie, and falls in love with Clarice, a charming young woman whom he unfortunately mistakes for her friend, Lucrece. What our hero regrettably does not know is that Clarice is secretly engaged to his best friend, Alcippe. Nor is he aware that his father is trying to get him married to Clarice, whom he thinks is Lucrece, who actually is in love with him.” The performance takes place on the main stage at the J. Scheidegger Center for the Arts on the Lindenwood campus in St. Charles, MO. For more information, call 636-949-4433 or visit lindenwood.edu/center.

The Westport Playhouse presents Men Are From Mars-Women Are From Venus Live! running through April 17. "The Off-Broadway hit comedy Men Are From Mars - Women Are From Venus LIVE!, is a one-man fusion of theatre and stand-up, and is a light-hearted theatrical comedy based on the New York Times #1 best-selling book of the last decade by John Gray. Moving swiftly through a series of vignettes, the show covers everything from dating and marriage to the bedroom." Performances take place at the Westport Playhouse in Westport Plaza. For more information: marsvenuslive.com.

The Muny presents A Night With the Buddy Holly Boys on Wednesday and Thursday, April 13 and 14, at 7:30 p.m. "The boys of summer are back! Our three Buddy Holly stars reunite for a rockin' concert." The event takes place at the Sheldon Concert Hall on Washington in Grand Center. For more information: muny.org.

The Bissell Mansion Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre presents Nursery Crimes through July 31. The Bissell Mansion is at 4426 Randall Place. For more information: bissellmansiontheatre.com.

Our Town

The Hawthorne Players present the Thornton Wilder's Our Town through April 17. "Narrated by a stage manager and performed with minimal props and sets, audiences follow the Webb and Gibbs families as their children fall in love, marry, and eventually-in one of the most famous scenes in American theatre-die." The performances take place at the Florissant Civic Center Theatre at Parker and Waterford in Florissant, MO. For more information, call 921-5678 or visit hawthorneplayers.info.

Lutheran High School South presents the Stephen Schwartz musical Pippin Friday and Saturday at 7:00 p.m., April 15 and 16. Lutheran High School North is at 9515 Tesson Ferry Road in south St. Louis County. For more information: lhssstl.org.

St. Louis Shakespeare presents Shakespeare's tragedy Richard III Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m., through April 17. "A brilliant military commander, Richard, Duke of Gloucester, cannot be content in peacetime. As Richard centralizes power and makes a play for the crown, his motives grow uglier, sending him, enraged, into a bloody battle at Bosworth Field against Henry Tudor." Performances take place at the Ivory Theatre, 7620 Michigan in the Carondelet neighborhood. For more information, call 314-361-5664 or visit stlshakespeare.org.

The St. Louis Art Museum presents a live HD broadcast of the Metropolitan Opera production Donizetti's Roberto Devereux on Saturday, April 16, at 11:55 a.m. " Soprano Sondra Radvanovsky takes on the extraordinary challenge of singing all three of Donizetti's Tudor queen operas in the course of a single season, a rare feat made famous by Beverly Sills-and not attempted on a New York stage since. In this climactic opera of the trilogy, she plays Queen Elizabeth I, forced to sign the death warrant of the nobleman she loves, Robert Devereux. Tenor Matthew Polenzani is Devereux, and mezzo-soprano El_na Garan_a and baritone Mariusz Kwiecien complete the principal quartet in the bel canto masterpiece, conducted by Donizetti specialist Maurizio Benini. As with the earlier Anna Bolena and Maria Stuarda, the production is by Sir David McVicar, who with this staging completes an enormously ambitious directorial accomplishment." The live digital HD video broadcast from New York takes place in The Farrell Auditorium at the Art Museum in Forest Park. For more information: slam.org.

David Guintoli

The Emerald Room Cabaret presents David Guintoli in Sinatra...The Man and His Music on Friday, April 15, at 8 p.m. "David Giuntoli sings songs that Frank Sinatra made famous. He would have been 100, if alive, and although he was from a different era, his musical stylings are a as swinging today as they were in the 40s, 50s, and 60s when he was at his peak. Sinatra had a gift of taking songs from great composers like, Cole Porter, Jimmy Van Heusen, Sammy Cahn, and, along with his fantastic arrangements, giving them that “Sinatra” stamp. The show includes these songs; I've Got the World on a String, All or Nothing at All, The Best is Yet to Come, I've Got You Under My Skin, The Way You Look Tonight, Angel Eyes, Fly Me to the Moon, Night and Day, The Lady is a Tramp and more." The show features Adam Maness on piano and Ben Wheeler on bass. The performance takes place in The Emerald Room at The Monocle Bar, 4510 Manchester in The Grove neighborhood. For more information: www.buzzonstage.com/st-louis

COCA's student dance companies - Ballet Eclectica, COCAdance and the COCA Hip-Hop Crew - conclude their seasons with an annual Spring Repertory Concerts Friday at 7 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m., April 15-18. The concerts feature pieces from a range of local and national choreographers. COCA is at 524 Trinity in University City. For more information: cocastl.org.

Gateway Center for Performing Arts' Youth Theatre Company finishes its 2015/2016 Mainstage Season with the musical Thoroughly Modern Mille Friday at 7 p.m.., Saturday at 2 and 7 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m., April 15-17. "This Tony Award winning musical is set in 1922 follows Millie Dillmount, straight off the bus from Salina, Kansas as she searches for more in New York City. With grand plans to marry the "modern" way, for money and not love, she finds herself on a madcap adventure that proves everything is not what it seems. With music by Jeanine Tesori, lyrics by Dick Scanlan and Book by Dick Scanlan and Richard Morris, you won't want to miss tunes like Not for the Life of Me, Forget About the Boy, and Gimme Gimme in a story filled with bobbed hair, raised skirts and fiery tap numbers!" Performances take place at Central Visual and Performing Arts High School , 3125 South Kingshighway Blvd. For more information: www.gcpastl.org/thoroughly-modern-millie.

St. Louis Community College at Florissant Valley presents the comedy Too Much Sun by Nicky Silver opening on Friday, April 15, at 7:30 p.m. and running through April 23. Performances take place in the Fisher Theatre on the campus at 3400 Pershall Road. For more information, stlcc.edu/FV call 314-644-5522.

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.

Sunday, February 14, 2016

St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of February 15, 2016

Eve Seltzer

The Presenters Dolan present Eve Seltzer: An American Cabaret on Thursday, February 18, at 8 p.m. "Eve makes her St. Louis cabaret debut. She has performed at The Metopolitan Room, Sylvana and Jules in NYC." The performance takes place in The Emerald Room at The Monocle Bar, 4510 Manchester in The Grove neighborhood. For more information: presentersdolan.com.

The Bissell Mansion Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre presents And Away You Go through March 27. The Bissell Mansion is at 4426 Randall Place. For more information: bissellmansiontheatre.com.

Metro Theatre Company and the Missouri History Museum present And in This Corner...Cassius Clay by Idris Goodwin through February 28. "This is the story of young Muhammad Ali as he struggles with racism and segregation in Jim Crow Louisville, Kentucky, how a chance encounter with police officer Joe Morgan (later to become his first coach) sets him on the path toward becoming a legendary boxer and how finally he learns that it is not enough to achieve personal success, one must also work for the good of others." Performances take place in the Lee Auditorium at the Missouri History Museum in Forest Park. For more information: mohistory.org. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

Chuck Lavazzi
Photo: Jill Ritter Lindberg

The Cabaret Project and 88.1 KDHX present the monthly cabaret open mic night on Wednesday, February 17, from 7 to 10 PM at the Tavern of Fine Arts “Drop by and enjoy a night of great music from St. Louis cabaret artists, backed up by special guest music director Ron McGowan on the baby grand.” The master of ceremonies is Chuck Lavazzi, senior performing arts critic at 88.1 KDHX. If you're planning to sing, be prepared to do one or two songs and bring music, preferably in your key. At least one of your two songs should be a medium-or up-tempo number. We'd also recommend that you have your song memorized. The Tavern of Fine Arts is at 313 Belt at Waterman in the Central West End. There's free parking in the lot right across the street. For more information: thecabaretproject.org.

The Emerald Room Cabaret presents Cher the Love Cabaret on Friday and Saturday, February 19 and 20, at 8 p.m. "This February, 'Cher' The Love with this cabaret tribute to the fabulous icon! 'Cher The Love' spans the full and comprehensive songbook of this amazing Diva's career with comedy and a just enough love to send you off with a few butterflies!" The performances take place in The Emerald Room at The Monocle Bar, 4510 Manchester in The Grove neighborhood. For more information: www.buzzonstage.com/st-louis.

The Lemp Mansion Comedy-Mystery Dinner Theater presents Clueless through April 16. The Lemp Mansion is at 3322 DeMenil Place. For more information: lempmansion.com

St. Louis University Theatre presents The Dead, "a charming, intimate musical based on the James Joyce short story," February 19-28. Performances take place in Xavier Hall, 3373 West Pine Mall. For more information, call 314-977-3327 or visit slu.edu/utheatre

Disgraced
Photo: Peter Wochniak

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents Disgraced by Ayad Akhtar through March 6. “Successful corporate lawyer Amir Kapoor comes from a Pakistani family, but he long ago distanced himself from his roots to embrace life as a slick New Yorker. On course to become a partner at his law firm, Amir's carefully constructed world begins to unravel when unexpected events cause him to question his own beliefs. Raw, turbulent and unsettling, this smart drama reveals hidden attitudes toward modern culture and faith. Winner of the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.” Performances take place on the mainstage at the Loretto-Hlton Center, 130 Edgar Road in Webster Groves, MO. For more information, call 314-968-4925 or visit repstl.org.

YoungLiars present The Dispute: A Spectacle for Lovers and Fighters running through February 26. "It's 1744 (sort of) and an exasperated playwright with a wicked case of writer's block accidentally launches the world's first reality entertainment. Four self-absorbed teenagers, raised in total isolation, are turned loose on each other to figure out who committed the first infidelity - men or women. Baroque Farce, Euro-Dance, and The Dandy Warhols collide in this new adaptation of Marivaux's classic comedy where Courtship Etiquette turns into Mortal Combat and the only true love is the one in the mirror. The creative team that brought you Whammy! The Seven Secrets to a Sane Self and other HotCity favorites make their debut as YoungLiars." Performances take place in the fourth floor ballroom at the Centene Center for Arts and Education, 3547 Olive Street in Grand Center. For more information: youngliarsdispute.brownpapertickets.com. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

Educating Rita
Photo: John Lamb

The West End Players Guild continues their 105th season with Willy Russell's comedy Educating Rita Thursday through Saturday at 8 PM and Sunday at 2 PM, February 18-21. "Frank is a tutor of English in his fifties whose disillusioned outlook on life drives him to drink and to bury himself in his books. Enter Rita, a forthright 26-year-old hairdresser who is eager to learn. After weeks of cajoling, Rita slowly wins over the very hesitant Frank with her innate insight and refusal to accept no for an answer. Their relationship as teacher and student blossoms, ultimately giving Frank a new sense of self and Rita the knowledge she so craves." There will also be a show on Thursday, February 18, at 8 PM. Performances take place at the Union Avenue Christian Church, 733 North Union at Enright in the Central West End. For more information, call 314-367-0025 or visit www.westendplayers.org.

Eleemosynary
Photo: John Lamb

Mustard Seed Theatre presents the comedy Eleemosynary Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. through February 21. "Both funny and poignant, this play examines the subtle and often perilous relationship between three remarkable women: a young girl, her mother, and her grandmother. Artie abandons her daughter Echo to be raised by Echo's grandmother, Dorothea. But when Dorothea's health begins to fail, can Artie and Echo move beyond the superficiality of words and begin to build a deeper relationship?" Performances take place at the Fontbonne Fine Arts Theatre, 6800 Wydown Blvd. For more information, call (314) 719-8060 or visit the web site at www.mustardseedtheatre.com. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

KTK Productions presents Farce of Nature February 19-28. "From the successful writing team of Jones Hope Wooten, comes the Texas premiere of the newest, Southern-fried comedy! Meet the Wilburn family of Mayhew, Arkansas, and spend an outrageously funny day at The Reel 'Em Inn--finest little fishing lodge in the Ozarks. Can the lodge be saved from gangsters, love-starved females, jealous husbands, ruthless corporate executives, bad Swedish accents, a cranky, senior citizen maid packing heat, a jittery man masquerading as a woman, and vicious critters right outside the door? By the delightfully chaotic climax of this one remarkable day, love has blossomed, truths have been revealed and the lives of all - family, guests and gangsters alike - change in incredible and surprising ways in this laugh-'til-your-sides ache comedy!" Performances take place at Southampton Presbyterian Church, 4716 Macklind. For more information: kurtainkall.org or call 314-351-8984.

St. Louis Actors' Studio presents Gidion's Knot through February 28 at the Gaslight Theatre, 358 North Boyle. "Over the course of a parent/teacher conference, a grieving mother and an emotionally overwhelmed primary school teacher have a fraught conversation about the tragic suicide of the mother's son, Gidion. Gidion may have been bullied severely-or he may have been an abuser. As his story is slowly uncovered, the women try to reconstruct a satisfying explanation for Gidion's act and come to terms with excruciating feelings of culpability." For more information, call 314-458-2978 or visit stlas.org.

The Improv Shop presents Heartbreak running through March 19. "Heartbreak is an improvised serial show where we explore, in depth, the stages of doomed relationships. Watch characters go from strangers to friends, friends to lovers, and from lovers to heartbreakers. Heartbreak. It doesn't happen all at once." The Improv Shop is at 510 North Euclid in the Central West End. For more information on this and other Improv Shop shows: theimprovshop.com.

I'll Be Back Before Midnight
Photo: John Lamb

Stray Dog Theatre presents the thriller I'll Be Back Before Midnight Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 PM through February 20. "Having suffered a nervous breakdown, Jan retreats with her husband to an old, country farmhouse where the owner delights in telling gruesome ghost stories. Before long, eerie sounds and visions are tormenting Jan. Is she suffering another breakdown or is someone trying to drive her mad?" Performances take place at The Tower Grove Abbey, 2336 Tennessee. For more information, visit straydogtheatre.org or call 314-865-1995. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

Ben Nordstrom

The Sheldon Concert Hall presents Ben Nordstrom: Isn't It Romantic on Tuesday and Wednesday, February 16 and 17, at 10 a.m. "One of St. Louis' most acclaimed musical theater performers, Ben Nordstrom celebrates Valentine's Day with love songs from the Great White Way. Guest vocalist Julie Hanson Battaglia, who has appeared on Broadway and at theatres around the country, joins Nordstrom for this romantic program of Broadway favorites." The performance takes place at The Sheldon Concert Hall, 3648 Washington in Grand Center. For more information: thesheldon.org.

COCA presents the musical Three Little Birds Saturday at 2 and 5 p.m. and Sunday at 1 and 4 p.m., February 20 and 21. "Based on the known and loved reggae music of Bob Marley, join the fun of this musical, which has been adapted from the children's book “Three Little Birds” by Cedella Marley. An empowering tale about triumph over anxiety, the musical's young protagonist, Ziggy, must find a way to leave the house despite a fear of hurricanes, mongooses and other things in his native Jamaica. Music and lyrics by Bob Marley himself, mon." COCA is at 524 Trinity in University City. For more information, call (314) 725-6555 or visit www.cocastl.org.

Brass Rail Players present Meshuggah Nuns Live through February 21. The performances take place at The Turkey Hill Grange, 1375 Illinois Rte. 15 in Belleville, IL. For more information, visit brassrailplayers.org.

St. Louis Community College at Florissant Valley presents Shakespeare's comedy A Midsummer Night's Dream through February 20. Performances take place in the Fisher Theatre on the campus at 3400 Pershall Road. For more information, call 314-644-5522.

Webster University's Conservatory of Theatre Arts presents Molière's comedy The Miser Wednesdays through Sundays, February 17-28. “Molière's classic comedy introduces us to Harpagon, a man so consumed by greed that he is set on sacrificing the happiness of his children in marriages of convenience. But Harpagon's son and daughter, Valère and Mariane, will plot against their father to marry those they love instead. Molière treats the age-old conflict between love and money with unparalleled and sparkling wit.” Performances take place in the studio theatre at the Loretto-Hilton center on the Webster University campus. For more information, events.webster.edu or call 314-968-7128.

The Monocle presents an open mic night every Mondays from 9:00pm to midnight. "Musical Theater actor? Cabaret singer? Balladeer? Belter? Coloratura soprano? Crooner? Student? Teacher? Performer? Fan? Come on down and sing. All are welcome. Ron Bryant is your accompanist. Bring your sheet music"." The monocle is at 4510 Manchester in The Grove neighborhood. For more information: themonoclestl.com.

Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville presents David Auburn's drama Proof Wednesday through Sunday, February 17-21. "On the eve of her 25th birthday, Catherine, a troubled young woman, has spent years caring for her brilliant but unstable father, a famous mathematician. Now, following his death, she must deal with her own volatile emotions; the arrival of her estranged sister, Claire; and the attentions of Hal, a former student of her father's who hopes to find valuable work in the 103 notebooks that her father left behind. Over the long weekend that follows, a burgeoning romance and the discovery of a mysterious notebook draws Catherine into the most difficult problem of all: How much of her father's madness - or genius - will she inherit? Winner of the 2001 Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award for Best Play, PROOF is a must see." Performances take place in the Dunham Hall Theatre on the campus in Edwardsville, IL. For more information, call 618-650-2774 or visit siue.edu.

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents Ayad Akhtar, author of the current mainstage show Disgraced, in a panel discussion on Public Perceptions of Islam in Post-9/11 America on Monday, February 15, at 7:30 pm. Also on the panel will be Faizan Syed, Executive Director, Council on American-Islamic Relations - St. Louis and Dr. Ghazala Hayat, Former Board President, Islamic Foundation of Greater St. Louis. The moderator will be Associate Director of the Rep, Seth Gordon. The event takes place at the Loretto-Hilton Center on the Webster University campus. For more information: repstl.org.

Lindenwood University presents the musical Violet February 19-27. “As a girl, Violet was struck by a wayward axe blade when her father was chopping wood, leaving her with a visible scar across her face. With enough money finally saved she's traveling across the 1964 Deep South towards a miracle - the healing touch of a TV evangelist that will make her beautiful. Though she may not succeed in having the scar on her face healed, Violet is able to repair those that are lying deeper than her skin, and on the way she meets a young African-American Soldier whose love for her reaches far past her physical 'imperfections.'” Performances take at the black box theatre at the J. Scheidegger Center for the Arts on the Lindenwood campus in St. Charles, MO. For more information, call 636-949-4433 or visit lindenwood.edu/center.

The cast of The Weir

Cocktails and Curtain Calls presents The Weir, the award-winning play by Irish playwright Conor McPherson, Monday through Thursday at 8:00pm, through February 18. It will be the first local production to utilize the new Members' Project Code, under the auspices of the Actors' Equity Association. All profits from ticket sales go directly to the artists. Performances will take place at McGurk's Irish Pub and Dressel's in the Central West End. For details on performance times and locatsions, visit CocktailsandCurtainCalls.com. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

Sunday, February 22, 2015

St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of February 23, 2015

[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 web site.

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Dance St. Louis presents the Aspen Santa Fe Ballet Friday at 8 p.m. and Saturday at 7 p.m., February 27 and 28. " Considered one of the most cutting-edge, pioneering ballet companies in the country, Aspen Santa Fe Ballet has been dubbed "the classically trained company of the future." Composed of 11 young, talented top-flight dancers, Aspen Santa Fe Ballet is known as a gifted, sophisticated, versatile and technique-conscious company that pushes the boundaries by performing a diverse and engaging repertoire and by commissioning new works from some of the world's foremost established and emerging choreographers." Performances take place at the Touhill Performing Arts Center on the University of Missouri-St. Louis campus. For more information: dancestlouis.org.

Webster University's Conservatory of Theatre Arts presents Charles Mee's Big Love Wednesdays through Saturdays at 7:30 PM and Sundays at 2 PM, through March 1. "A runaway bride, one of 50 sisters escaping marriage contracts, takes refuge in a sumptuous Italian villa. Undoing her wedding dress, discarding everything underneath, she is a woman released, jumping into a bathtub, to be cleansed, unchained at last. [...] The woman named Lydia and her 49 sisters have sailed away from Greece. No sooner has the boat docked than a helicopter lands, bearing the jilted grooms, all brothers. Wearing military fatigues, as if armed for the marriage wars, they have come to claim their rightful possessions." Performances take place in the Emerson Studio Theatre at the Loretto-Hilton Center on the Webster University campus. Fore more information, events.webster.edu or call 314-968-7128.

Blues for Mr. Charlie
Photo: Whitney Curtis

The Performing Arts Department at Washington University presents Blues for Mr. Charlie, directed by Ron Himes, through March 1. "In this searing drama by James Baldwin, sex and racism explode in a small Southern town when a bigoted store owner kills a young black man and dumps his body on the side of the road. " The performances take place in the Edison Theater in the Mallinckrodt Student Center on the Washington University campus. For more information, call 314-935-6543 or visit pad.artsci.wustl.edu.

Act Two Theatre presents Kander and Ebb's Chicago: A Musical Vaudeville February 27 - March 8. "In roaring twenties Chicago, chorine Roxie Hart murders a faithless lover and convinces her hapless husband Amos to take the rap...until he finds out he's been duped and turns on Roxie. Convicted and sent to death row, Roxie and another “Merry Murderess” Velma Kelly, vie for the spotlight and the headlines, ultimately joining forces in search of the “American Dream”: fame, fortune and acquittal. This sharp edged satire features a dazzling score that sparked immortal staging by Bob Fosse." Performances take place in the St. Peters Cultural Arts Centre at 1 St Peters Centre Blvd, St. Peters, MO 63376. For more information: act2theater.com.

Mariposa Artists presents In Concert: Classic Rock Reimagined and Unpluged on Saturday, February 28, at 8 p.m. The show is features 11 local singers and directed by Lina Koutrakos with Rick Jensen on piano. The performance takes place at the Kranzberg Center, 501 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information: inconcertstl.brownpapertickets.com

Strut and Fret Stage presents Kilroy Was Here, a world première play written and directed by Jim Sala, Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m., through Februay 28. "It's 1943 and war rages abroad. At a boarding house in a provincial Illinois town, a precocious young boy entertains an eclectic bevy of roomers with his improvised radio station, his repertoire of celebrity impersonations, and his laudable dream of fomenting world peace. As the boy transforms into a man and the lofty idealism of his youth calcifies into strident dogmatism, he finds himself yearning for the relative simplicity of his childhood; for a halcyon age that was paradoxically both tranquil and acutely tumultuous." Performances take place at Yemanja Brasil Restaurante, 2900 Missouri Avenue in Benton Park. For more information: 314.361.1885, 314.276.7321, or email jommyslaw at gmail.com.

The Fox Theatre presents the musical Million Dollar Quartet Friday through Sunday, February 27 - March 1. “Million Dollar Quartet is the Tony® Award winning Broadway musical, inspired by the electrifying true story of the famed recording session that brought together rock 'n' roll icons Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins for the first and only time.” The Fox Theatre is at 527 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information: fabulousfox.com.

The Lemp Mansion Comedy-Mystery Dinner Theater presents Murder in Mayberry. The Lemp Mansion is at 3322 DeMenil Place. For more information: lempmansion.com.

Lindenwood University presents the musucal A New Brain Friday through Sunday, February 27 - March 1. " By the Tony-award winning authors of Falsettos, here is an energetic, sardonic, often comical musical about a composer during a medical emergency. Gordon collapses into his lunch and awakes in the hospital surrounded by his maritime-enthusiast lover, his mother, a co-worker, the doctor, and the nurses. Reluctantly, he had been composing a song for a children's television show that features a frog - Mr. Bungee - and the spectre of this large green character, and the unfinished work haunts him throughout his medical ordeal. This is the music and story of a man reflecting on his life, relationships, and work when confronted with the fact that this could be the end. Did he let life pass him by, or is there still time to live it?" Performances take place at the J. Scheidegger Center for the Arts on the Lindenwood campus in St. Charles, MO. For more information, call 636-949-4433 or visit lindenwood.edu/center.

Or
Photo: Joey Rumpell, RumZoo Photography

Slightly Askew Theatre Ensemble presents Or by Liz Duffy Adams Wednesdays through Sundays at 8 p.m., through February 27. "Or, takes place (mostly) during one night in the life of Aphra Behn: poet, spy, and soon to be first professional female playwright. Aphra is desperate to get out of the spy trade. She has a shot at a production at one of only two London companies, if she can only finish her play by morning despite interruptions from sudden new love, actress Nell Gwynne, complicated royal love, King Charles II, and very dodgy ex-love, double-agent William Scot-who may be in on a plot to murder the king in the morning. Can Aphra save Charles' life, win William a pardon, resist Nell's charms, and launch her career, all in one night? " Performances take place at The Chapel Venue, 6238 Alexander Drive. For more information: slightlyoff.org.

The Bissell Mansion Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre presents Phantom of the Grand Ole Opery through April 26. The Bissell Mansion is at 4426 Randall Place. For more information: bissellmansiontheatre.com

St. Louis University Theatre presents Niel Simon's comedy Rumors through March 1. "The Deputy Mayor of New York and his wife are celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary. Guests arrive to find their unconscious host bleeding and his wife missing. Hoping to avoid a scandal, his lawyer concocts a story to hide what is assumed to be the truth. But as the rest of the guests arrive, the story grows awry with everyone complicit in a hilarious cover-up that no one even really understands. Neil Simon at his farcical best!" Performances take place in Xavier Hall, 3373 West Pine Mall. For more information, call (314) 977-2998 or visit www.slu.edu/theatre.

The Florissant Fine Arts Council presents the musical Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, based on the MGM movie, on Sunday, March 1, at 2 PM at the Florissant Civic Center Theatre at Parker Road at Waterford Drive in Florissant, MO. "Set in Oregon in 1850, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers tells the story of Millie, a young bride living in the 1850?s Oregon wilderness. Her plan to civilize and marry off her six rowdy brothers-in-law to ensure the success of her own marriage backfires when the brothers, in their enthusiasm, kidnap six women from a neighboring town to be their brides. Bursting with the rambunctious energy of the original film, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers is all boisterous fun and romance that harkens back to the glory days of the movie musical." For more information: florissantfinearts.com/wp1/

Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville presents Venus by Suzan-Lori Parks through March 1. The performances take place in the Metcalf Theatre on the campus in Edwardsville, IL. For more information, www.siue.edu/artsandsciences/theater/ or call 618-650-2774.

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

The Winslow Boy
Photo: Jerry Naunheim, Jr.

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents Terrence Rattigan's The Winslow Boy through March 8. "When young Ronnie Winslow is expelled from military school for stealing a five-shilling postal order, his father wages an exhaustive fight to clear his son's name. What begins as a private matter quickly becomes a larger question of the rights of the individual against the power of the state. Though the legal battle jeopardizes his health and the reputation of the entire family, Arthur Winslow is determined that right will prevail, no matter what the sacrifice." Performances take place on the mainstage at the Loretto-Hlton Center, 130 Edgar Road in Webster Groves, MO. For more information, call 314-968-4925 or visit repstl.org. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

St. Louis Community College at Forest Park presents Wrapped in Rainbows February 26 - March 1. Performances take place in the Bastian Theatre on the campus at 5600 Oakland. For more information, www.stlcc.edu/FP/ or call 314-644-9100.

Sunday, February 15, 2015

St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of February 16, 2015

[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 web site.

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KTK Productions presents the comic thriller Any Number Can Die through February 22. "A hilarious take off on the mystery plays of the Twenties complete with sliding panels, robed figures, wills being read at midnight, etc. The idioms, costumes, hairdos, and make up of the period add to the thrills and laughter. Four ingenious murders take place in an island mansion as a pair of elderly detectives set to work on their first case. The ever popular storm, the unexpected guests, the cryptic poem, and the missing fortune all add to the intricate and inventive mystery off which the laughs bounce." Performances take place at Southampton Presbyterian Church, 4716 Macklind. For more information: kurtainkall.org or call 314-351-8984.

Webster University's Conservatory of Theatre Arts presents Charles Mee's Big Love Wednesdays through Saturdays at 7:30 PM and Sundays at 2 PM, February 18 - March 1. "A runaway bride, one of 50 sisters escaping marriage contracts, takes refuge in a sumptuous Italian villa. Undoing her wedding dress, discarding everything underneath, she is a woman released, jumping into a bathtub, to be cleansed, unchained at last. [...] The woman named Lydia and her 49 sisters have sailed away from Greece. No sooner has the boat docked than a helicopter lands, bearing the jilted grooms, all brothers. Wearing military fatigues, as if armed for the marriage wars, they have come to claim their rightful possessions." Performances take place in the Emerson Studio Theatre at the Loretto-Hilton Center on the Webster University campus. Fore more information, events.webster.edu or call 314-968-7128.

Blues for Mr. Charlie
Photo: Whitney Curtis

The Performing Arts Department at Washington University presents Blues for Mr. Charlie, directed by Ron Himes, February 20 - March 1. "In this searing drama by James Baldwin, sex and racism explode in a small Southern town when a bigoted store owner kills a young black man and dumps his body on the side of the road. " The performances take place in the Edison Theater in the Mallinckrodt Student Center on the Washington University campus. For more information, call 314-935-6543 or visit pad.artsci.wustl.edu.

Gateway Opera presents The Boor by Dominick Argento, based on the Chekov comedy, Friday and Saturday, February 20 and 21, at 7:30 p.m. " In this hilarious contemporary opera, a youthful widow receives an unwanted social call from a neighbor who was owed money by her late husband. Their polite conversation quickly turns into a standoff, and before the man knows what has happened, the widow has challenged him to a duel! But will she aim for the heart?" Performances take place at the Kranzberg Center 501 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information: 1-800-838-3006 or gatewayopera.org.

Carol Schmidt

The Cabaret Project and 88.1 KDHX present the cabaret open mic night on Wednesday, February 18, from 7 to 10 PM at the Tavern of Fine Arts. “Drop by and enjoy a night of great music from St. Louis cabaret artists, backed up by the inimitable Carol Schmidt on the baby grand.” The master of ceremonies for the evening will be Chuck Lavazzi, senior performing arts critic at 88.1 KDHX. If you're planning to sing, be prepared to do one or two songs and bring music, preferably in your key. At least one of your two songs should be a medium-or up-tempo number. We'd also recommend that you have your song memorized. The Tavern of Fine Arts is at 313 Belt at Waterman in the Central West End. There's free parking in the lot right across the street. For more information, visit tavern-of-fine-arts.blogspot.com or call 314-367-7549.

The Florissant Fine Arts Council presents Della's Diner on Sunday, February 22, at 4 PM at the Florissant Civic Center Theatre at Parker Road at Waterford Drive in Florissant, MO. "Join us for this Off-Broadway song and dance jukebox type musical comedy with original country blues, gospel and rockabilly tunes." For more information: florissantfinearts.com/wp1/

God of Carnage
Photo: John Lamb

Stray Dog Theatre presents Yasmina Reza's God of Carnage Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 PM through February 21. "A comedy of manners ... without the manners. Two married couples meet to sort out a playground fight between their sons. At first, niceties are observed but as the evening progresses and the rum flows, the gloves come off and the night becomes a side-splitting free-for-all." Performances take place at The Tower Grove Abbey, 2336 Tennessee. For more information, visit straydogtheatre.org or call 314-865-1995. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

The Alexandra Ballet presents Adolphe Adam's Giselle Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m., February 21 and 22. "The talented dancers of Alexandra Ballet will present this masterpiece of the Romantic Era at the Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center. This poignant story is about an innocent peasant girl who grants protection and mercy to the man who betrays her. Music by Adolphe Adam and restaging by internationally-renowned choreographer Marek Cholewa. Performing the feature role of Giselle will be Alexandra Ballet Alumna Georgia Reed." The performance takes place at the Touhill Performing Arts Center on the University of Missouri St. Louis campus. For more information: touhill.org.

Alfresco Productions presents the two-actor comedy Greater Tuna Friday through Sunday, February 20-22. Performances take place at the Alfresco Art Center, 2401 Delmar in Granite City, IL. For more information: (618) 560-1947 or www.alfrescoproductions.org.

Strut and Fret Stage presents Kilroy Was Here, a world première play written and directed by Jim Sala, Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m., Februay 19-28. "It's 1943 and war rages abroad. At a boarding house in a provincial Illinois town, a precocious young boy entertains an eclectic bevy of roomers with his improvised radio station, his repertoire of celebrity impersonations, and his laudable dream of fomenting world peace. As the boy transforms into a man and the lofty idealism of his youth calcifies into strident dogmatism, he finds himself yearning for the relative simplicity of his childhood; for a halcyon age that was paradoxically both tranquil and acutely tumultuous." Performances take place at Yemanja Brasil Restaurante, 2900 Missouri Avenue in Benton Park. For more information: 314.361.1885, 314.276.7321, or email jommyslaw at gmail.com.

Mr. Marmalade
Photo: John Lamb

The West End Players Guild continues their 104th season with the comedy Mr. Marmalade Thursday Saturday at 8 PM and Sunday at 2 PM, February 19-22. "Growing up isn't easy these days. Little Lucy is spending her childhood doing all the things little girls like to do - playing house, having tea parties and playing with friends both real and imaginary. But even as a tot, Lucy seems to have learned most of what she knows about life from reality TV and her childhood is chock-full of very odd, very adult stuff - the oddest of which may be Mr. Marmalade. He's the imaginary friend who rarely has time for Lucy because he's way too busy dealing with the demands of his day planner, anger management issues and some very adult naughty habits." There will also be a show on Thursday, February February 19, at 8 PM. Performances take place at the Union Avenue Christian Church, 733 North Union at Enright in the Central West End. For more information, visit www.westendplayers.org.

The Lemp Mansion Comedy-Mystery Dinner Theater presents Murder in Mayberry. The Lemp Mansion is at 3322 DeMenil Place. For more information: lempmansion.com.

Brass Rail Players present Dan Goggins' musical comedy Nunsense II: The Second Coming through February 22. The performances take place at The Turkey Hill Grange, 1375 Illinois Rte. 15 in Belleville, IL. For more information, visit brassrailplayers.org.

Slightly Askew Theatre Ensemble presents Or by Liz Duffy Adams Wednesdays through Sundays at 8 p.m., February 18-27. "Or, takes place (mostly) during one night in the life of Aphra Behn: poet, spy, and soon to be first professional female playwright. Aphra is desperate to get out of the spy trade. She has a shot at a production at one of only two London companies, if she can only finish her play by morning despite interruptions from sudden new love, actress Nell Gwynne, complicated royal love, King Charles II, and very dodgy ex-love, double-agent William Scot-who may be in on a plot to murder the king in the morning. Can Aphra save Charles' life, win William a pardon, resist Nell's charms, and launch her career, all in one night? " Performances take place at The Chapel Venue, 6238 Alexander Drive. For more information: slightlyoff.org.

The Bissell Mansion Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre presents Phantom of the Grand Ole Opery through April 26. The Bissell Mansion is at 4426 Randall Place. For more information: bissellmansiontheatre.com

St. Louis University Theatre presents Niel Simon's comedy Rumors February 20 - March 1. "The Deputy Mayor of New York and his wife are celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary. Guests arrive to find their unconscious host bleeding and his wife missing. Hoping to avoid a scandal, his lawyer concocts a story to hide what is assumed to be the truth. But as the rest of the guests arrive, the story grows awry with everyone complicit in a hilarious cover-up that no one even really understands. Neil Simon at his farcical best!" Performances take place in Xavier Hall, 3373 West Pine Mall. For more information, call (314) 977-2998 or visit www.slu.edu/theatre.

St. Louis Community College at Florissant Valley presents John Guare's comedy Six Degrees of Separation through February 21. Performances take place in the Fisher Theatre on the campus at 3400 Pershall Road. For more information, call 314-644-5522.

The Black Rep presents Stick Fly through February 22. "This is the new, knockout comedy-drama featuring steamy romance, sexual sparks and generational conflicts. A wealthy African-American family gather in Martha's Vineyard for a few, super-charged days, and the results are gasp-worthy revelations. Directed by Lorna Littleway, director of The Piano Lesson." Performances take place at the Emerson Performance Center at Harris-Stowe State University in midtown. For more information: theblackrep.org Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

The University of Missouri at St. Louis presents Shakespeare's The Tempest Thursday and Friday at 7 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 7 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m., February 19-22. One of Shakespeare's last romances, The Tempest combines magical storms, shipwrecks and monsters, enslaved spirits, and the power of love, to tell the story of a father's quest for redemption." Performances take place at the Touhill Performing Arts Center on the University of Missouri-St. Louis campus. For more information, touhill.org or call 314-516-4949.

Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville presents Venus by Suzan-Lori Parks February 21 - March 1. The performances take place in the Metcalf Theatre on the campus in Edwardsville, IL. For more information, www.siue.edu/artsandsciences/theater/ or call 618-650-2774.

COCA presents Walking the Tightrope Saturday and Sunday, February 21 and 22. “Winner of three Drama Critics Circle Awards and honored with more than a dozen nominations for acting, music, video design and more, this magnificent production is an experience adults and children can enjoy together. Written by Mike Kenny, one of England's leading writers for young audiences, and produced in Los Angeles by 24th Street Theatre, Walking the Tightrope is a creative and moving story of a grandfather and granddaughter who must redefine their relationship after Grandma leaves to "join the circus." Featuring a cast of talented actors, a sophisticated set and original music, Walking the Tightrope will not be easily forgotten.” COCA is at 524 Trinity in University City. For more information, call (314) 725-6555 or visit www.cocastl.org.

White to Gray
Photo: John Lamb

Mustard Seed Theatre presents White to Gray through February 22. "Mustard Seed Theatre is proud to offer the world premiere of local playwright Rob Maesaka’s White to Gray-the story of a young couple, one white and one Japanese-American, en route to the mainland from Hawaii on a cruise ship when bombs drop on Pearl Harbor. Amidst fear and uncertainty and caught in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, loyalties are tested and love comes under suspicion." Performances take place at the Fontbonne Fine Arts Theatre, 6800 Wydown Blvd. For more information, call (314) 719-8060 or visit the web site at www.mustardseedtheatre.com. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

St. Louis Actors' Studio presents Edward Albee's dark comedy Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? through March 1 at the Gaslight Theatre, 358 North Boyle. "George, a professor at a small college, and his wife, Martha, have just returned home, drunk from a Saturday night party. Martha announces, amidst general profanity, that she has invited a young couple-an opportunistic new professor at the college and his shatteringly naïve new bride-to stop by for a nightcap. When they arrive the charade begins. The drinks flow and suddenly inhibitions melt. It becomes clear that Martha is determined to seduce the young professor, and George couldn't care less. But underneath the edgy banter, which is crossfired between both couples, lurks an undercurrent of tragedy and despair. George and Martha's inhuman bitterness toward one another is provoked by the enormous personal sadness that they have pledged to keep to themselves: a secret that has seemingly been the foundation for their relationship. In the end, the mystery in which the distressed George and Martha have taken refuge is exposed, once and for all revealing the degrading mess they have made of their lives." For more information, call 314-458-2978 or visit stlas.org.

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents Terrence Rattigan's The Winslow Boy through March 8. "When young Ronnie Winslow is expelled from military school for stealing a five-shilling postal order, his father wages an exhaustive fight to clear his son's name. What begins as a private matter quickly becomes a larger question of the rights of the individual against the power of the state. Though the legal battle jeopardizes his health and the reputation of the entire family, Arthur Winslow is determined that right will prevail, no matter what the sacrifice." Performances take place on the mainstage at the Loretto-Hlton Center, 130 Edgar Road in Webster Groves, MO. For more information, call 314-968-4925 or visit repstl.org.

Friday, December 05, 2014

St. Louis classical calendar for the week of December 8, 2014

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The Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis presents Christmas at the Cathedral on Saturday 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m., December 13 and 14. "The Tenth Annual Christmas at the Cathedral concert is the perfect way to celebrate the holiday season. The concert includes the Archdiocesan Adult Choir, Children’s Choir, Handbell Choir, and Orchestra all in the sonic splendor of the Cathedral Basilica. The program features Christmas classics old and new." The Cathedral is at 4431 Lindell in the Central West End. For more information: cathedralconcerts.org.

Circus Flora and the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra present A Winter Fable Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m., December 12-14. "Circus Flora joins the STL Symphony in high-wire holiday fun for the family. A Winter Fable is a classic fairy tale with an edge of romance and deceit. Circus Flora imagines a strange and wonderful world, in which the pairing of symphony and the circus arts is only the beginning of the magic you will experience. We welcome back all your favorites including the gravity-defying Flying Wallendas, the circus dog act and Circus Harmony’s St. Louis Arches!" The performances take place at Powell Symphony Hall, 718 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information: stlsymphony.org.

The Gateway Ringers present Believe, a holiday handbell concert, on Friday, December 12, at 7:30 p.m. "Join the Gateway Ringers as we celebrate the season with our holiday concert – “Believe”. Featuring new and old holiday favorites including “White Christmas”, “Sleigh Ride” and “Believe” (from “The Polar Express”), there’s a little something for everyone. All concerts are free and open to the public. For more information, contact us at info at gatewayringers.org." The concert takes place at Holy Cross Lutheran Church, 8945 Veterans Memorial Parkway in O'Fallon, MO. For more information: gatewayringers.org.

The Gateway Ringers present Believe, a holiday handbell concert, on Sunday, December 14, at 4 p.m. "Join the Gateway Ringers as we celebrate the season with our holiday concert – “Believe”. Featuring new and old holiday favorites including “White Christmas”, “Sleigh Ride” and “Believe” (from “The Polar Express”), there’s a little something for everyone. All concerts are free and open to the public. For more information, contact us at info at gatewayringers.org." The concert takes place at Messiah Lutheran Church, 2846 S. Grand Blvd. For more information: gatewayringers.org.

The Kirkwood Public Library presents the Bella Corda and Musica Viva guitar ensembles in a Christmas concert on Monday, December 15, at 7 p.m. The library is at 104 E. Jefferson in Kirkwood, MO. For more information: kirkwoodpubliclibrary.org.

The Maryville Symphony Orchestra presents a concert featuring Beethoven's "Symphony No. 5" on Sunday, December 14, at 2 p.m. The concert takes place at the Maryville University Auditorium, 650 Maryville University Drive. For more information: maryvillesymphony.com.

The St. Louis Symphony’s Crescendo Circle presents Sips and Symphonies on Thursday, December 11, at 7:30 PM. “What is Sips and Symphonies? It is a great way to learn about music in a fun, casual environment. On the third Thursday of each month, we get together at Tavern of Fine Arts to listen to and discuss a piece of music being performed at an upcoming concert at Powell Hall. We will have a different guest moderator each month who will help lead an informal conversation about the music.” A special cocktail is created for each event to accompany the music. The event takes place at The Tavern of Fine Arts, 313 Belt in the Debaliviere Place neighborhood. For more information: tavern-of-fine-arts.blogspot.com.

Saint Louis University’s Fine and Performing Arts Music Program presents a holiday concert by the University Jazz Band on Monday, December 8, at 7:30 p.m. The concert takes place in the Xavier Hall Theater, 3733 West Pine, on the St. Louis University campus. For more information: www.slu.edu/department-of-fine-and-performing-arts-home.

Saint Louis University’s Fine and Performing Arts Music Program presents a holiday concert by the University Concert Band on Wednesday, December 10, at 5 p.m. The concert takes place in the Xavier Hall Theater, 3733 West Pine, on the St. Louis University campus. For more information: www.slu.edu/department-of-fine-and-performing-arts-home.

The Sheldon Concert Hall presents the contemporary chamber music ensemble Alarm Will Sound in concert on Thursday, December 11, at 8 p.m. "Cutting-edge chamber orchestra Alarm Will Sound returns for its third St. Louis Season! The ensemble performs the newest music being composed today with energetic virtuosity and a sense of adventure, creating programs that not only span a wide range of styles, but also innovate the traditional concert experience itself." The Sheldon is at 3658 Washington in Grand Center. For more information: thesheldon.org.

The Tavern of Fine Arts presents a classical open stage night on Monday, December 8 from 7:30 – 9 PM. “Come by yourself or bring your quartet. Sight read through a Beethoven quartet or use this as an opportunity to put the finishing touches on that Hindemith Viola Sonata you have been working on. All ages and skill levels are welcome. We have a 6' grand piano and an accompanist.” The Tavern of Fine Arts is at 313 Belt in the Debaliviere Place neighborhood. For more information: tavern-of-fine-arts.blogspot.com.

The Tavern of Fine Arts presents a Christmas concert by the River City Pops Saturday, December 13, at 8 PM. "River City Pops is not your usual choral group. We put on real shows - musical reviews that tell stories through song and choreography. Men’s and women’s voices accompanied by piano bring the great music of our time to life through multipart harmonies, duets and solos. There’s never a dull moment in a River City Pops performance - and our audiences love us for it." The Tavern of Fine Arts is at 313 Belt in the Debaliviere Place neighborhood. For more information: tavern-of-fine-arts.blogspot.com.

The Touhill Performing Arts Center presents Sounds of the Season, a holiday concert by the a cappella vocal group Ambassadors of Harmony, on Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m., December 12-14. "Each December, the International Chorus Champion Ambassadors of Harmony’s Sounds of the Season fills the Touhill with the joy and magic of the holidays. The first half of the show is an energetic look at the lighter side of Christmas. Then the chorus puts its heavenly harmonies on classic carols and songs." The Touhill Performing Arts Center in located on the University of Missouri at St. Louis campus. For more information: touhill.org.

The Washington University Department of Music presents the Washington University Choirs and Soloists in a Sing-Along of Handel’s Messiah on Sunday, December 14, at 3 p.m. The participatory performance takes place at Graham Chapel on the Washington University campus. For more information: music.wustl.edu.

Friday, November 28, 2014

St. Louis classical calendar for the week of December 1, 2014

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The Chamber Music Society of St. Louis presents Wind Serenade on Monday and Tuesday, December 1 and 3, at 7:30 PM. "Chamber Music Society of St. Louis presents an updated re-creation of the 18th Century party environment. Music of Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven." The concert takes place at The Sheldon Concert Hall, 3648 Washington. For more information: chambermusicstl.org.

The Jefferson College Concert Band presents a Winter Classics concert on Tuesday, December 2, at 7:30 p.m. The performance takes place in the Fine Arts Theatre at 1000 Viking Drive on the Hillsboro campus in Hillsboro, MO. For more information: jeffco.edu.

The Jefferson College Music Department presents Sounds of the Season, a choral concert, on Sunday, December 7, at 3:30 p.m. The performance takes place in the Fine Arts Theatre at 1000 Viking Drive on the Hillsboro campus in Hillsboro, MO. For more information: jeffco.edu.

The New Music Circle presents The Craig Taborn and Roscoe Mitchell Duo on Friday, December 11, at 7:30 p.m. "An internationally renowned musician, composer and innovator, Roscoe Mitchell began his distinguished career in the spirited 1960s of Chicago. In Mitchell's own opinion, his work is a product of his heritage in the fertile art communities of the AACM (Association for Advancement of Creative Musicians) and The Art Ensemble of Chicago. Both organizations spawned large networks of musicians and inspired radical approaches to performance and musical thought, thus informing his own practice for over five decades. Primarily known for his saxophone playing, Mitchell's multi-instrumental palette also includes various flutes, woodwinds and a broad range of percussion. NYC pianist and ECM recording artist, Craig Taborn, has remained a ubiquitous presence on the jazz scene for the past two decades, performing with jazz musicians and seasoned veterans as well as experimental rock and techno artists. His pianistic approach alludes to the explorations of Bill Evans, Keith Jarrett, and Cecil Taylor." The performance takes place at The Stage @ KDHX, 3524 Washington in Grand Center. For more information: newmusiccircle.org.

The St. Louis Brass Band presents A Holiday Spectacular on Sunday, November 16, at 2:30 p.m. "This concert will bring a smile to your face and Ho Ho Ho to your lips as the British Brass Band presents holiday and seasonal favorites as only a brass band can. As this concert also falls on December 7th, a portion of this concert will honor the servicemen and servicewomen who have given so much to the freedoms we enjoy. The Band will also be looking forward to their annual visit from that special holiday character from the North Pole." The concert takes place at The Florissant Civic Center, 1 James J. Eagan Drive in Florissant, MO. For more information: stlbb.org.

Steven Jarvi conducts the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra along with violin soloists Jessica Cheng, Angie Smart, Jooyeon Kong, and Alison Harney, on Friday at 10:30 a.m. and 8 p.m., Saturday at 8 p.m., and Sunday at 3 p.m., December 5-7. The program features Vivaldi's "Four Seasons" along with music by Barber and Wagner. "Drawing inspiration from his everyday surroundings, Vivaldi's Four Seasons evoke the sounds of nature unique among the composer's two hundred violin concertos. Resident Conductor Steven Jarvi makes his subscription debut with Vivaldi's masterwork that puts the soloists—the STL Symphony's own Jessica Cheng, Angie Smart, Jooyeon Kong, Alison Harney—and ensemble on stunning virtuosic display." The concerts take place at Powell Symphony Hall, 718 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information: stlsymphony.org.

Saint Louis University's Fine and Performing Arts Music Program presents a holiday concert by the Guitar Ensemble on Wednesday, December 3, at 7:30 p.m. The concert takes place at Boileau Hall, 38 N. Vandeventer Avenue on the St. Louis University campus. For more information: www.slu.edu/department-of-fine-and-performing-arts-home.

Saint Louis University's Fine and Performing Arts Music Program presents a holiday student recital on Friday, December 5, at 5:30 p.m. The concert takes place in Room 348, Xavier Hall, on the St. Louis University campus. For more information: www.slu.edu/department-of-fine-and-performing-arts-home

Saint Louis University's Fine and Performing Arts Music Program presents a holiday String Orchestra concert on Friday, December 5, at 7:30 p.m. The concert takes place in the Xavier Hall Theater, 3733 West Pine, on the St. Louis University campus. For more information: www.slu.edu/department-of-fine-and-performing-arts-home

Saint Louis University's Fine and Performing Arts Music Program presents a holiday concert by the University String Quartets on Sunday, December 7, at 2 p.m. The concert takes place at St. Francis Xavier College Church at the corner of Lindell and Grand on the St. Louis University campus. For more information: www.slu.edu/department-of-fine-and-performing-arts-home

Saint Louis University's Fine and Performing Arts Music Program presents a holiday concert by the University Choirs on Sunday, December 7, at 6 p.m. The concert takes place at St. Francis Xavier College Church at the corner of Lindell and Grand on the St. Louis University campus. For more information: www.slu.edu/department-of-fine-and-performing-arts-home

The Shepley Program of Music and Arts presents A Holiday Gift from Webster University on Sunday, December 7, at 2 PM. "This concert, titled 'A Holiday Gift to the People of Saint Louis' is presented and performed by the Students and Faculty of Webster University." The recital takes place at Christ Church Cathedral, 1210 Locust. Admission is free. For more information: christchurchconcerts.org.

Cardinal String Quartet

The Tavern of Fine Arts presents The Cardinal String Quartet in a program of music by Beethoven and Dvorak on Tuesday, December 2, at 8 PM. The Tavern of Fine Arts is at 313 Belt in the Debaliviere Place neighborhood. For more information: tavern-of-fine-arts.blogspot.com.

The Touhill Performing Arts Center presents a Holiday Concert on Thursday, December 4, at 7:30 PM at the Touhill Performing Arts Center on the University of Missouri at St. Louis campus. "Come Join the University Community Chorus, directed by John Smith, the University Orchestra, directed by Dr. Jim Richards, the Arianna String Quartet, and guest choirs, presenting a selection of music for the holiday season." For more information: touhill.org.

The Washington University Symphony presents a free concert on Monday, December 1, at 7:30 p.m. The program will include music by Debussy and Bizet. The performance takes place at the 560 Music Center, 560 Trinity in University City, MO. For more information: music.wustl.edu.

The 442s

Washington University's Danforth University Chamber Music Series presents The 442s in concert on Tuesday, December 2, at 7:30 p.m. "What happens when you combine two outstanding members of the world-class St. Louis Symphony with two of the city's finest jazz musicians from the Erin Bode Group? You get The 442's, an exciting new acoustic instrumental quartet named for the modern standard tuning of 442 Hz! Brought together by the innovative and inspired compositions of Adam Maness, who also plays guitar, accordion, melodica and glockenspiel in the group, The 442's features Shawn Weil on violin, Bjorn Ranheim on cello and Sydney Rodway on bass. This unique collaboration combines outstanding musicianship, group singing, inventive improvisation, whistle solos and special guest appearances by famed jazz vocalist, Erin Bode. Exploring the boundaries of jazz, classical, folk and rock music, their music can move you to the edge of your seat or comfort you like a lullaby, all within the same set." The concert takes place at the Danforth University Center, 1 Brookings Drive on the Washington University campus. For more information: music.wustl.edu.

The Washington University Department of Music presents a student recital on featuring organist Ethan Schueler on Tuesday, December 2, at 8 p.m. The program includes music by Chopin, Vaughan Williams, Schumann and Beethoven. The performance takes place at Graham Chapel on the Washington University campus. For more information: music.wustl.edu.

The Washington University Department of Music presents a Guitar Gala, featuring students in the university guitar program, on Thursday, December 4, at 8 p.m. The program includes music by Bach, Fernando Sor, and Hindemeth. The performance takes place at Graham Chapel on the Washington University campus. For more information: music.wustl.edu.

The Washington University Department of Music presents the Washington University Flute Choir, Community Flute Choir, and the Clayton High School Flute Choir in a program of works for large flute ensemble. The concert takes place on Sunday, December 7, at 8 p.m. at the 560 Music Center, 560 Trinity in University City, MO. For more information: For more information: music.wustl.edu.

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