St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of May 13, 2024

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

The Alpha Players present Charlotte’s Web, adapted by Joseph Robinette from the book by E.B. White, May 17 through 26. “A classic for the entire family! A perfect show for the young and the young-at-heart. All the enchanting characters are here: Wilbur, the irresistible young pig who wants to avoid the butcher; Fern, a young girl who understands animals; Templeton, the gluttonous rat; and most of all, Charlotte, the spider, who proves to be a true friend and a good writer. This beautiful, charming play about friendship will surely warm your heart.” Performances take place in the James J. Eagen Center in Florissant. For more information: www.alphaplayers.org.

The Black Rep presents the musical Timbuktu!, based on the Broadway classic Kismet, opening on Wednesday, May 15,  and running through June 9.  “Opulent beyond man’s dreams, travelers died crossing the Sahara in search of Timbuktu! Set against this exotic locale is the story of the Poet; his beautiful daughter, Marsinah; an evil Wazir of Police; his restless Wife of Wives, Lundanda; and The Mania of Mali, Bobo. While wandering incognito, Bobo meets Marsinah and instantly falls in love. Still, the twisted twine of fate must unravel in many thrilling and exciting ways before the two lovers can finally tie the knot.” Performances take place at the Edison Theatre on the Washington University campus. For more information: www.theblackrep.org.

Laka

The Blue Strawberry Laka in I'm Every Woman: Whitney Houston Tribute on Friday May 17, at 7:30 pm. “Laka traces Whitney Houston’s journey from the earliest Billboard #1 albums to her last chart toppers, with excursions to the deeper cuts and the popular soundtracks Bodyguard and Waiting to Exhale. Laka tells the artist’s story the way it happened - from peak to peak to peak, and the tragic descent.”   For more information: bluestrawberrystl.com

The Blue Strawberry presents Sunday Standard Time with Tim Schall and Joe Dreyer on Sunday May 19 at 6 pm. “Join Tim Schall (vocals) and Joe Dreyer (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. Joe 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

Call to Conscience Interactive Theater for Social Change presents Social Justice Shorts, at 7:30 pm, Saturday at 4 and 7:30 pm, and Sunday at 4 pm, May 17 through 19. “Social Justice Shorts is a one-act play festival featuring thought-provoking new narratives centered around themes such as racial equality, reproductive rights, poverty, gun violence, transgender rights, and more.” Performances take place in the Greenfinch Theatre and Dive on South Jefferson. For more information: acalltoconscience.org.

Encore Theatre Group presents Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Othello, Moor of Venice May 16 through June 9. “Othello tells the story of a valiant Moorish general, Othello, who falls victim to the manipulations of a cunning villain. Themes of race, prejudice, and the devastating power of jealousy unfold in a way that feels shockingly contemporary. The play serves as a mirror to our society, reflecting the struggles for acceptance and equal footing that many people of color still face.” Performances take place at 2607 Patomac in the Marine Villa neighborhood. For more information: www.encorestl.org.

The Drunkard

KTK Productions presents the musical The Drunkard with music and lyrics by Barry Manilow Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm and Sundays at 2 pm, through May 19. “Mary Wilson and her widowed mother are in dire straights. When it comes to their attention that the cottage they are renting is to be sold, Mary appears before the handsome new owner, Edward, hoping to request his mercy. Edward had already been informed of the debacle by the villainous lawyer, Cribbs, who has set about to destroy the Wilson family. Edward had already determined that the Wilson family was not to be forced from their home. After laying eyes on Mary, Edward is immediately in love, and the wedding is set; Cribbs' plan has been thwarted. He'll have to implement a new plan just as devious, involving the wicked devil's beverage... alcohol!” Performances take place at the Saint John the Baptist Gymnasium, 4200 Delor Street in south St. Louis. For more information: kurtainkall.org

Spirits to Enforce
Photo: Joey Rumpell

The Midnight Company will present Mickle Maher’s Spirits to Enforce Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 pm through May 18. “They’ve finally imprisoned their arch nemesis, Professor Cannibal, and are keeping the City safe from fanged, venomous, ambulatory whales.  And now the Fathom City Enforcers have taken residence in a secret submarine, and are undertaking the most critical work of their crimefighting mission - fundraising.  Their Plan?  They’re getting ready to present a Superheroic benefit performance of THE TEMPEST.  Infused with comic book lore, chorale arrangements and text from Shakespeare’s masterpiece, SPIRITS TO ENFORCE is an utterly unique theatrical trip.” Performances take place at The Kranzberg Black Box theatre in Grand Center.   Ticket information is available at www.metrotix.com

The Midnight Company presents a return engagement of Just One Look by Joe Hanrahan, starring Kelly Howe as Linda Ronstadt, on Wednesday May 15  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 take place at The Blue Strawberry, 356 N. Boyle. For more information: bluestrawberrystl.com

Paula Poundstone

The Sheldon Concert Hall presents comic, author, actress, and podcaster Paula Poundstone on Friday, May 17, at 8 pm. “Paula Poundstone is a standup comedian, author, and podcaster. She regularly plays theaters across the country, hosts a weekly podcast, Nobody Listens to Paula Poundstone (the comedy podcast), and is a regular panelist on NPR’s Wait, Wait… Don’t Tell Me.” The show takes place in the auditorium of The Sheldon in Grand Center. For more information: www.thesheldon.org

The St. Louis Writers Group presents a reading of the new play Tatyana by Shahnaz Ahmed on  Monday, May 13, at 6:30 pm. “When a call from a hospital interrupts a conversation between a father and his teenage son, the past will be explored and secrets will be revealed.” The reading takes place at the Schlafly Tap Room in Midtown.  More information is available at the St. Louis Writers Group Facebook page.

Amy Jo Jackson

The Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis presents Amy Jo Jackson and music director Brian Nash in the world premiere of Grande Dames: A Celebration of the Diva Wednesday and Thursday, May 15 and 16, at 7:30 pm. “This cabaret will feature an eclectic array of divas of the stage and screen (both real and fictional) like Fanny Brice, Norma Desmond, Stevie Nicks, Judy Garland, Shirley Bassey, and more!” Performances take place in the Curtain Call Lounge at The Fabulous Fox in Grand Center. For more information: www.twstl.org. And check out my video interview with Amy Jo Jackson on Chuck's Culture Channel!

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

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

Would you like to be on the radio? KDHX, 88.1 FM needs theatre reviewers. If you're 18 years or older, knowledgeable in this area, have practical theatre experience (acting, directing, writing, technical design, etc.), have good oral and written communications skills and would like to become one of our volunteer reviewers, send an email describing your experience and interests to chuck at kdhx.org. Please include a sample review of something you've seen recently.

Review: At the Sheldon, everybody listened to Paula Poundstone

The title of comic, actress, and writer Paula Poundstone’s hilarious and informative podcast is “Nobody Listens to Paula Poundstone.” Based on the response by the sold-out crowd on April 30th for her long-postponed appearance at The Sheldon, I’d say that might be something of an exaggeration.

[Check out  my interview with Paula Poundstone on my Chuck's Culture Channel Video Blog]

For over 90 minutes, we not only listened to Paula Poundstone, we also laughed. A lot. Her political jokes fell upon sympathetic ears, of course, but so did her stories of the quotidian travails of a performer constantly on the move in these times of, as Tom Lehrer said, “universal brouhaha.” The simple vexation posed by reclining airline seat backs, for example, became the basis for an extended mix of verbal and visual comedy, especially after an audience member admitted to pushing hers back to prevent her head from rolling to one side.

Paula Poundstone
paulapoundstone.com

Her tales of the joys and sorrows of pet ownership also resonated with the crowd. Our little group has a couple of high-maintenance canine family members, so Poundstone’s account of a visit to a veterinary cardiologist whose solution to her dog’s congestive heart failure involved “inserting a tube into my bank account and draining it” really struck home.

If you’ve never seen Poundstone’s act before it can be difficult to describe. It’s a hybrid of traditional jokes, real-life stories (possibly embellished for maximum comic effect), wry political rants, and impromptu riffs on interactions with audience members in the first few rows. The simple question “what do you do for a living?” can easily lead to an entire routine of its own, as was the case with a retiree whose job at Boeing had involved testing paint fume levels in the shop. It was a rich vein of humor ore and if it was mined past the point of exhaustion, that’s just live comedy, folks. They can’t all be gems.

The vast majority were, though. And while Poundstone claimed that she has a terrible memory, she showed an impressive ability to bring back those off-the-cuff bits later in the show as punch lines when I least expected them. Surprise is an important element of comedy, and she used it well.

I also liked her whimsical wardrobe sense. Last night that took the form of a cartoonish, almost clown-like red and white striped suit with shoes that would not have looked out of place on Jay Gatsby. An outfit like that slaps a smile on your phiz and says “comedy” before a single word has been spoken.

What really makes Paula Poundstone’s act unique, though, is its refreshing, ego-free honesty. She doesn’t drop names (even though she certainly could), and her stories spring from experiences that nearly all of us have shared at one time or another. This is “we’re all in this together” humor. We could use a lot more of that these days.

By the time you read this, Paula Poundstone will have left St. Louis far behind. But she’s on her way to other gigs, and they might even be in your town. To find out where she’s appearing next, check out her web site. And while you’re at it, listen to her podcast. Co-host Adam Felber (a pretty funny fellow in his own right) calls it a “comedy field guide to life.” That’s something else we all need these days.

This article originally appeared at 88.1 KDHX, where Chuck Lavazzi is the senior performing arts critic.

St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of September 21, 2020

Now including both on-line and live events during the pandemic. To get your event listed here, send an email to calendar [at] stageleft.org.

Arts For Life presents Diversity Is No Adversity, a Zoom webinar about diversity and inclusion in theatre, on Wednesday, September 23 at 7 pm. Panelists are Tiélere Cheatem, Michelle Dillard, Karen Fulks, Carmen García, Jon  Hey and Shane Signorino with AFL Board of Directors moderator Colin Dowd.  "With the goal of improving our performing arts community, we want to bring people together for a series spotlighting diversity and inclusion in theater.  Diversity Is No Adversity intends to establish a dialogue on systemic racism and how we can be inclusive and supportive as the nation addresses justice and equality. How did we get here? Where do we need to go? We will discuss these topics in three acts – a monthly program of webinars to take place via the Zoom platform in September, October and November." Attendees will be able to ask questions through the chat feature. Afterwards, the webinars will be available on the AFL You Tube Channel. The event is free and open to the public. To register and receive the link: us02web.zoom.us For more information: www.artsforlife.org.

St. Louis playwright Nancy Bell's MUTE: A Play for Zoom, which was performed live via Facebook on April 5, 2020, is available as a live stream at vimeo.com. "In a world much like ours, there exists a video conference call. And in this call, there are academics, confusion, fire and...one hamster. An experimental theatre piece that steals rabidly from Ionesco, Beckett, real life and Chekhov. The play was for performance on Zoom by Nancy Bell and directed by Lucy Cashion."

The Blue Strawberry presents a Pop-Up Piano Bar with Sir Stryker, "Piano Bar Star of the Holland America Cruise Line," Tuesdays through Sundays from 6 to 10 pm. There is no cover or minimum and sidewalk seating is available. The club is operating under a "COVID careful" arrangement with restricted indoor capacity and other precautions. The Blue Strawberry is at 364 N. Boyle. For more information: bluestrawberrystl.com.

Ken Haller

The Blue Strawberry presents a return engagement of Ken Haller's The TV Show on Friday, September 25, at 8 pm. " We’ve all been spending a lot of time getting reacquainted with television this year. In “The TV Show” Ken Haller brings you songs and stories from and about TV." The club is operating under a "COVID careful" arrangement with restricted indoor capacity and other precautions. The Blue Strawberry is at 364 N. Boyle. For more information: bluestrawberrystl.com.

The Blue Strawberry presents The Soul of Ray Charles with Chuck Flowers on Saturday September 26, at 8 pm. "Chuck does right by Ray. Hear many of the greatest hits, and some of the deeper cuts." The show features Charles Creath on piano and Demarius Hicks on drums. The club is operating under a "COVID careful" arrangement with restricted indoor capacity and other precautions. The Blue Strawberry is at 364 N. Boyle. For more information: bluestrawberrystl.com.

Fly North Theatricals presents three new free digital series. Their new digital line up includes The Spotlight Series, the Grown-Up Theatre Kids Podcast, and Gin and the Tonic. The Spotlight Series highlights the Fly North family of students and actors performing songs from previous FNT shows. In the Grown-Up Theatre Kids podcast you can join Colin Healy and Bradley Rohlf every other Friday as they explore life after drama club and what it means to make a living in theatre far from the lights of broadway. Gin and the Tonic is a "reckless unpacking of music history’s weirdest stories hosted by Colin Healy.” The Spotlight Series and Gin and the Tonic are available at the Fly North Theatricals YouTube channel and the Grown-Up Theatre Kids podcast can also be found on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Sticher, other podcast platforms. All three are updated on a bi-weekly (every other week) basis.

The Lemp Mansion Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre presents Death of a Blackheart through November 7th. "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 join us on a high seas 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

Metro Theatre Company presents After Dark: A Virtual Gala on Thursday, September 24, from 7-8 pm. "Join emcees Jamie McKittrick and Alicia Revé Like for an exciting hour-long virtual celebration including appearances from past and present Metro Theater Company artists, some fun video surprises, a great silent auction, and highlights from our past, our present, and a major announcement connected to our new strategic plan. All proceeds will benefit our programming, including our in-school arts integration residencies, violence prevention program, and theatrical productions." For more information: https://www.metroplays.org/after-dark

Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents its 2020 Digital Festival with a variety of streaming content, including Opening Night Spotlights and the Spring Artists in Training Recital, available at www.opera-stl.org/season-and-events/thisisotsl-digital-festival as well as on its YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/user/OperaTheatreSTL.

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, in collaboration with Baltimore Center Stage, Long Wharf Theatre, The Public Theater and Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, present Play at Home, a series of micro-commissioned short plays from some of the American theatre's most exciting and prominent playwrights. These new plays – which all run 10 minutes or less – are available for the public to download, read and perform at home for free at playathome.org.

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis invites budding young writers throughout the nation to develop and submit plays to for inclusion in its all-new WiseWrite Digital Play Festival. “Through the incredible work of our education department, we've posted an online curriculum at repstl.org/wisewrite that teaches students how to construct plays and characters. We’re accepting submissions from students grades 4 through 12 from throughout the nation for inclusion in the festival, which will feature performances by professional actors.” Submissions will be accepted through August 31st. For more information:  repstl.org/wisewrite.

Come Together

The St. Louis Shakespeare Festival presents streaming videos from the SHAKE20 festival, including re-imagined, condensed versions of classic Shakespeare plays and new takes on old favorites like Joe Hanrahan's Come Together, at the Shakespeare Festival Facebook page at www.facebook.com/pg/STLShakesFest/videos

The St. Louis Writers Group streams live recordings of previous play reading sessions at their Facebook page. For more information: facebook.com.

SATE, in collaboration with COCA and Prison Performing Arts, presents Project Verse: Creativity in the Time of Quarantine. Project Verse presents two new plays: Quatrains in Quarantine by e.k. doolin and Dream On, Black Girl: Reflections in Quarantine by Maxine du Maine. The performances are streamed free of charge on SATE’s website and Facebook page. For more information: slightlyoff.org.

Solid Lines Productions presents That's What She Said 2020, a virtual comedy showcase, on Thursday, September 24, at 8 pm via a live video stream. "That means double the entertainment is on the horizon on September 24th, 2020 at 8pm CST when a group of talented STL-based female performers will take to a virtual stage to showcase their humor-chops to the digital masses. From stand-up to burlesque to improv, music and everything in-between; the 1.5 hour event aims to challenge many of the preconceived notions about the status of the theatre industry in St. Louis in 2020." For more information: www.solidlinesproductions.com.

The Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis presents Something Spoken: Tennessee Williams On the Air alternating Saturdays at 5 pm on Classic 107.3 FM. Each episode will air live and then be available for streaming at classic1073.org until the day before the next episode is broadcast. Episodes include a production of a Williams one-act play, followed by commentary from Williams scholar Thomas Mitchell.  Mister Paradise will air on Thursday, September 24th, at 10 am and will then be available for streaming at the Classic 107.3 web site until October 2. For more information: www.twstl.org/something-spoken

Union Avenue Opera offers Sneak Peeks of its 2021 season operas Il barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville), Les Contes d'Hoffmann (The Tales of Hoffmann) and The Cradle Will Rock on its YouTube channel.

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

For information on events beyond this week, check out the searchable database at the Regional Arts Commission's Events Calendar.

Would you like to be on the radio? KDHX, 88.1 FM needs theatre reviewers. If you're 18 years or older, knowledgeable in this area, have practical theatre experience (acting, directing, writing, technical design, etc.), have good oral and written communications skills and would like to become one of our volunteer reviewers, send an email describing your experience and interests to chuck at kdhx.org. Please include a sample review of something you've seen recently.

St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of December 23, 2019

This week is your last chance for shows at the Rep and the Fox.

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CSZ St. Louis presents The ComedySportz Show on Saturday nights at 7:30 pm. The show is "action-packed, interactive and hilarious comedy played as a sport. Two teams battle it out for points and your laughs! You choose the winners the teams provide the funny!" Performances take place on the second floor of the Sugar Cubed, 917 S Main St. in St Charles, Mo. For more information: www.cszstlouis.com.

The Grandel Theatre presents Da Vinci and Michelangelo: The Titans Experience Thursday through Saturday at 7 pm and Sunday at 2 pm, December 26-29. "First conceived as exhibitions of creations from the mind of Leonardo Da Vinci and the masterworks of Michelangelo, Da Vinci and Michelangelo: The Titans Experience is a one-of-a-kind, multimedia production that brings the works of these two Renaissance men into a brand-new, contemporary light. In the Da Vinci and Michelangelo: The Titans Experience, audiences take an awe-inspiring journey through the Italian Renaissance, led by creator Mark Rodgers, experiencing the world and its possibilities through the eyes of these two monumental geniuses." The Grandel Theater is at 3610 Grandel Square in Grand Center. For more information: metrotix.com

The Lemp Mansion Comedy-Mystery Dinner Theater presents A Dickens of a Killing through January 4. The Lemp Mansion is at 3322 DeMenil Place. For more information: lempmansion.com.

The Elves and the Shoemaker

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis's Imaginary Theatre Company presents the children's musical The Elves and the Shoemaker at 11 am and 3 pm on Monday, December 23. The show is written by Sarah Brandt with music and lyrics by Neal Richardson. "When a kindly shoemaker gives his only remaining pair of shoes to a cold and hungry beggar woman, he finds his good deed rewarded in very unexpected ways. The shoemaker is shocked by the appearance of magic elves who turn his simple shoe shop into a great success, thrilling customers with their special creations. Based on the tale by the Brothers Grimm, this beloved, warm-hearted story is perfect for the holiday season, reminding us that where we find kindness, generosity and hope, anything is possible." Performances take place in the Heagney Theatre at Nerinx Hall High School, 530 East Lockwood Avenue, Webster Groves. For more information: repstl.org.

Katie McGrath

The Blue Strawberry presents Home(sick) for the Holidays with singer Katie McGrath and Rick Jensen on piano on Saturday, December 28, at 8 pm. "Katie McGrath shares the conflict of loving life in Manhattan but missing her St. Louis family, friends, landmarks and holiday traditions, including her indoor caroling party of 20 years. She tells her story using songs from the Great American Songbook, pop, rock and Christmas hymnals. Merry Keller and Bob Becherer are her special guests. All proceeds will be donated to the St. Louis difference-making non-profit Pianos for People." The Blue Strawberry is at 364 N. Boyle in the Central West End. For more information: www.bluestrawberrystl.com.

Pride and Prejudice
Photo: Phillip Hamer

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents Pride and Prejudice, adapted from the Jane Austen novel by Christopher Baker, through December 29. "In a world of opulent estates and lavish private balls, where women's entire futures hinge on marriage, Elizabeth Bennet stands apart. With a vibrant wit and a headstrong sense of pride, Elizabeth places her own needs first and refuses to marry for mere convenience. But she meets her match in the unlikely figure of Mr. Darcy. Beginning as a testy battle of words and ideas, their relationship blossoms into a remarkable romance between two passionate intellects who play by their own rules. " Performances take place at the Loretto-Hilton Center on the Webster University campus. For more information: repstl.org.

The Playhouse at Westport Plaza presents Robert Dubac's Idiocracy opening on Friday, December 27, at 8 pm and running through December 30. "One man's pain is another man's comedy. Especially when he's in a coma and his five inner voices won't stop yakking. How he wakes up from this nightmare is profoundly hysterical." The Playhouse at Westport Plaza is at 635 West Port Plaza. For more information: playhouseatwestport.com.

Wicked

The Fox Theatre presents the musical Wicked through December 29. "So much happened before Dorothy dropped in. WICKED, the Broadway sensation, looks at what happened in the Land of Oz…but from a different angle. Long before Dorothy arrives, there is another young woman, born with emerald-green skin-smart, fiery, misunderstood, and possessing an extraordinary talent. When she meets a bubbly blonde who is exceptionally popular, their initial rivalry turns into the unlikeliest of friendships…until the world decides to call one “good,” and the other one “wicked.”" The Fox Theatre is at 527 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information: fabulousfox.com.

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

For information on events beyond this week, check out the searchable database at the Regional Arts Commission's Events Calendar.

Would you like to be on the radio? KDHX, 88.1 FM needs theatre reviewers. If you're 18 years or older, knowledgeable in this area, have practical theatre experience (acting, directing, writing, technical design, etc.), have good oral and written communications skills and would like to become one of our volunteer reviewers, send an email describing your experience and interests to chuck at kdhx.org. Please include a sample review of something you've seen recently.

Chuck's Choices for the weekend of December 30, 2016

As always, the choices are purely my personal opinion. Take with a grain (or a shaker) of salt.

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New This Week:

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Robert Dubac in The Book of Moron

The Playhouse at Westport Plaza presents The Book of Moron, running through January 1. "Robert Dubac's newest Off-Broadway hit The Book Of Moron has been described as one of the most hilarious, intelligent and scorching satirical attacks on idiocracy since Mark Twain. Having been brainwashed by a culture that worships the Kardashians over character, delusion over truth, and selfies over self-effacement, Dubac begins his journey with a simple question: Who am I? What do I believe? What's the point? Okay, that's three questions but suffice to say, he has no answers. Just voices. Inner voices who come to life with precision and wit. One by one they pull him into a hysterical alternative universe of critical thought in search of the bigger picture. It's a head trip on a banana peel." The Playhouse at Westport Plaza is at 635 West Port Plaza. For more information: westportstl.com.

My take: I haven't seen the local reviews on this one yet, but I'm putting it on the list on the basis of the concept alone. As I noted in a blog post several years ago, we have become so overloaded with information that we are getting very bad at distinguishing between the important and the trivial. As the recent election demonstrated, many of us also seem unable (or unwilling) to distinguish between truth and fantasy. The Denver Post described this show as "high-concept comedy that is provocative and smart; a philosophy lecture with punch lines." Sound like a plan to me.

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Held Over:

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The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane

Metro Theatre Company and the Missouri History Museum present The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane through December 30. "Edward Tulane is a toy who cares for nobody but himself. Ripped from the arms of the little girl who adores him, this privileged china rabbit is thrown into a life-changing adventure. From the depths of the ocean to the top of a garbage heap, Edward discovers what it means to love others on his extraordinary journey home. With themes of family, empathy, home and redemption, this play is the perfect way to celebrate the warmth of the holiday season." Performances take place in the Lee Auditorium at the Missouri History Museum in Forest Park. For more information: mohistory.org.

My take: At the other end of the spectrum from American Buffalo is this heart-warming, family-friendly show from Metro. "If you believe the holidays are about loving and being loved," writes Shannon Cothran at KDHX, "then this show is for you."