Metro Theater Company Announces 51st Season and Programs

Metro Theater Company Announces 51st Season and Programs

Metro Theater Company (MTC), St. Louis’s premiere professional theater for youth and families and St. Louis’ third-oldest professional theater company, announces its 51st season. 

Metro Theater Company’s 2023-24 season celebrates the strength and power we find within ourselves through our connections with others, and the joy that friendship brings, especially in those moments where it is tested. “Season 51 productions are filled with joy. They celebrate acceptance of difference, the importance of friendship, and the strength and wisdom we find in ourselves and our community,” stated Artistic Director Julia Flood. Managing Director Joe Gfaller adds, “As we continue our commitment to reach every child in the St. Louis region over the next decade, this season of live theater and in-school residencies deepens young people’s relationships to one another, our community, and their own imagination,” 

The season kicks off with a tour of Maddi’s Fridge (September 11 – October 22), followed by two productions at The Grandel Theater: Eddie & Vinnie (October 18 – November 5) and the Tony-nominated A Year with Frog and Toad (February 7 – March 3). Through a new partnership with St. Louis County Children’s Service Fund, MTC’s  programming in Season 51 will include in-school residencies of anchor programs Building Community Through Drama and Say Something, Do Something with fourth graders across the University City, Ferguson-Florissant, and Hazelwood school districts. In addition, a special two-day family festival to celebrate 50 years of MTC will be held October 21 and 22. Tickets go on sale to the general public on August 29.  

Metro Theater Company 23-24 Season   

Maddi’s Fridge
By Anne Negri 

Adapted from the book by Lois Brandt 

Directed by Jess Shoemaker 

September 11 – October 18  

Touring to schools across the St. Louis metropolitan region. Limited public performances in September and October 2023. 

What if the only way to help a friend was to break a promise? Sofia and Maddi are best friends. They live in the same neighborhood, go to the same school, and play at the same rock-climbing gym. But when Sofia learns a secret about Maddi’s family, she’s faced with a difficult decision: to keep her promise or tell her parents about Maddi’s empty fridge to help her friend. With humor and heart, this play is sure to inspire conversations with your young people about honesty, sensitivity, empathy and helping others. The cast includes Sarah Lantsberger, Gabrielle Watson Torres, and DeAnté Bryant. Maddi’s Fridge is recommended for ages 5 to 11.  

Free Public Performances 

September 16, 10 am
Buder Library

September 16, 2:30 pm
Central Library

October 1, 2 pm
Stone Barn
Hermann Farm

Fall Family Festival Performances*

October 21 & 22, 10:30 am** & 1:30 pm
Grand Center Arts District
On Oct 22, the 10:30 am performance of Maddi’s Fridge will be Audio Described and ASL-Interpreted. Audio Description by MindsEye. 

Eddie & Vinnie 

A New Play by Jenny Millinger 

Directed by Alicia Revé Like  

October 18 – November 5, 2023 

Grandel Theatre   

Eddie is an unstoppable artist with a uniquely beautiful mind – and his best friend is a gecko. Together, the pair spends hours making intricate and beautiful puzzles. But he’ll be stuck in summer school if he can’t get his grades up. In a last-ditch effort, Eddie teams up with the overly helpful new girl for the dreaded end-of-year report. Will their presentation on MC Escher save his grades? Eddie & Vinnie reminds us that there is more than one way to learn – and more than one way to shine. The cast of Eddie & Vinnie includes Caleb Long, Hailey Medrano and Rae Davis. Eddie & Vinnie is best enjoyed by ages 6-12. 

Public Performance Schedule 

Ticketed Public Performances
October 27 – November 5
Fridays at 7 pm
Saturdays at 10:30 am & 2 pm
Sundays at 2 pm 

Free Fall Family Festival Performances*
October 21 & 22, 12** & 3 pm
**The October 22 12 pm performance of Eddie & Vinnie will be Audio Described and ASL-Interpreted. Audio Description by MindsEye. 

A Year with Frog and Toad
Music by Robert Reale  
Book and Lyrics by Willie Reale
Based on the books by Arnold Lobel
Presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI)
Directed by Julia Flood
Music Direction by Jeremy Jacobs
Choreography by Tyler White
February 7 – March 3, 2024
Grandel Theatre                                       

Hibernation is over, and it’s time to celebrate! Even though Frog and Toad find joy and wonder in very different things, their year together is filled with adventure. Dive into the delight of Arnold Lobel’s award-winning books in this three-time Tony-nominated musical. Across a jazzy, upbeat score, this nostalgic duo reminds us that individuality makes a friendship stronger – delighting longtime fans and the youngest tadpoles alike! The cast of A Year with Frog and Toad will be announced at a later date. Recommended for all audiences. Best enjoyed by ages 3 – 8. 

Public Performance Schedule 

Fridays at 7 pm
Saturdays at 10:30 am & 2 pm
Sundays at 2 pm 

Tickets to the mainstage 2023-2024 Season productions are $20- $38. Tickets go on sale to the general public at 10 am CST on August 29 and are available through metroplays.org. For school bookings, email community@metroplays.org of fill out a bookings interest form online at metroplays.org/education.   

*Fall Family Festival
October 21-22, 2023
Grand Center Arts District
This fall Metro Theater Company partners with some of our region’s most loved arts and education organizations to create two days filled with artmaking, learning, food, and fun. Anchored by MTC’s productions of Maddi’s Fridge and Eddie & Vinnie, this festival will 

help the young people in your life sample all the best of the visual, creative, and 

performing arts. Food trucks on site. General admission is free for all. Advance registration is strongly recommended.  

Institutional and 2023-2024 Season support for Metro Theater Company is provided by 

Regional Arts Commission, Emerson, Crawford Taylor Foundation, Shubert Foundation, Whitaker Foundation, Fred M. Saigh Foundation, Missouri Arts Council, and National Endowment for the Arts.   

About Metro Theater Company: Since 1973, Metro Theater Company has been creating productions that respect young people’s intelligence, tell compelling stories, stimulate curiosity and provoke thoughtful reflection. The Company has reached a total audience of more than two million and has a national reputation for excellence in the field of professional theater for young audiences. Metro Theater Company has received major honors and awards, both locally and nationally. The company is led by Artistic Director Julia Flood and Managing Director Joe Gfaller. For more information, visit metroplays.org.  

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Beethoven Piano Concerto Cycle Part of St Louis Symphony’s 144th Season

Beethoven Piano Concerto Cycle Part of St Louis Symphony’s 144th Season

HILARY HAHN RETURNS TO OPEN THE ST. LOUIS SYMPHONY ORCHESRTA’S 144TH SEASON WITH MUSIC DIRECTOR STÉPHANE DENÈVE; SEASON-LONG BEETHOVEN PIANO CONCERTO CYCLE BEGINS, SEPTEMBER 23-30

Season-opening classical concerts at Stifel Theatre September 23-24, led by Denève, feature violinist Hilary Hahn in Felix Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto; concerts also include Richard Strauss’ Don Juan and Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks, W.A. Mozart’s The Magic Flute Overture, and Paul Dukas’ The Sorcerer’s Apprentice

In September 29-30 concerts at the UMSL Touhill Performing Arts Center, Denève conducts Robert Schumann’s Symphony No. 4, Ludwig van Beethoven’s Coriolan Overture, and first SLSO performances of Unsuk Chin’s subito con forza; pianist Jonathan Biss performs Beethoven’s First Piano Concerto to begin the season’s complete cycle of Beethoven Piano Concertos

(August 24, 2023, St. Louis, MO) – Today, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra announced details of its September classical concerts to open its 144th season, led by Stéphane Denève in his fifth season as Music Director. Concerts feature superstar violinist Hilary Hahn and pianist Jonathan Biss, both of whom return to the SLSO for the first time in more than a decade to perform monumental concertos by Felix Mendelssohn and Ludwig van Beethoven. These opening concerts follow the SLSO’s ceremonial opening of the season, the free community concert in Forest Park on Thursday, September 21.

Tickets start at $15 and are on sale now. Tickets may be purchased at slso.org or by calling the Box Office at 314-534-1700. A full concert calendar is available at slso.org or on the SLSO’s mobile app available for iOS or Android.  The Saturday, September 30, concert will be broadcast live on 90.7 FM KWMU St. Louis Public Radio, Classic 107.3, and online. Audiences can attend a Pre-Concert Conversation, an engaging discussion about the music and artists on the program, one hour prior to each concert. 

While the expansion and renovation of Powell Hall continues, the SLSO will perform classical concerts at two landmark performance venues: Stifel Theatre in downtown St. Louis (September 23-24) and the Touhill Performing Arts Center at the University of Missouri–St. Louis (September 29-30). Shuttle service will be available for all classical concerts starting at $15/seat. There will be two shuttle pick-up locations for performances at Stifel Theatre: Plaza Frontenac and St. Louis Community College–Forest Park. Shuttles for performances at the Touhill Performing Arts Center at UMSL will depart from Plaza Frontenac and free parking is available on UMSL campus.

Conductor Stephane Deneve, now in his fifth year

Opening Weekend with Hilary Hahn

Saturday, September 23, 2022, 7:30pm CDT
Sunday, September 24, 2022, 3:00pm CDT
Stifel Theatre
1400 Market Street, St. Louis, Missouri, 63103

Stéphane Denève, conductor
Hilary Hahn, violin

Richard Strauss                                      Don Juan
Felix Mendelssohn                                Violin Concerto
W.A. Mozart                                           The Magic Flute Overture
Paul Dukas                                               The Sorcerer’s Apprentice
Richard Strass                                         Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks

Presented by the Thomas A. Kooyumjian Family Foundation.

The SLSO’s season-opening concerts led by Denève meld grandeur, enchantment, and jollity. The program begins with Richard Strauss’ symphonic poem Don Juan, which tells the adventures of the legendary character Don Juan. Violinist Hilary Hahn delivers the heart of the concert with performances of Felix Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto. The concerto is famous for its lyrical melodies and is one of the most beloved concertos in the violin repertoire. Hahn’s most recent performance with the SLSO was 21 years ago. She is a three-time Grammy winner and one of the foremost violinists of our time, known for her exceptional musicianship and her commitment to expanding the accessibility of classical music through her educational partnerships and through her social media engagement.

The program continues with a trio of playful works including W.A. Mozart’s The Magic Flute Overture, Paul Dukas’ The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, and Richard Strauss’ Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks. The Magic Flute, considered one of Mozart’s most famous works, overflows with dynamic and captivating melodies. Dukas’ piecetells the story of an enchanted broomstick, a piece made famous for its inclusion is Disney’s Fantasia. The excitement continues through to the final work, Strauss’ Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks which is based on a trickster from German folklore.

Beethoven’s Piano Cycle: Jonathan Biss Plays the First
Friday, September 29, 10:30am CDT*
Saturday, September 30, 7:30pm CDT
Touhill Performing Arts Center at the University of Missouri–St. Louis 
1 Touhill Circle, St. Louis, Missouri, 63121 

Stéphane Denève, conductor
Jonathan Biss, piano

Ludwig van Beethoven                        Coriolan Overture
Unsuk Chin                                              subito con forza (First SLSO performances)
Ludwig van Beethoven                        Piano Concerto No. 1
Robert Schumann                                 Symphony No. 4

*Refreshments courtesy of Kaldi’s Coffee and Eddie’s Southtown Donuts.

September 29-30 concerts honor the composer Ludwig van Beethoven. The program opens with Beethoven’s Coriolan Overture, inspired by Heinrich Joseph von Collin’s play “Coriolan,” which tells the story of the Roman general Gaius Marcius Coriolanus who seeks revenge against Rome. Korean composer Unsuk Chin’s subito con forza was composed in 2020, the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth. Inspired by the Coriolan Overture, the piece references some of Beethoven’s most well-known music, his Symphony No. 5 and Piano Concerto No. 5, which the SLSO will perform later this season.

Pianist Jonathan Biss collaborates with the SLSO for the first time in 15 years in Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 1, the first of all five Beethoven piano concertos performed by the SLSO this season. One of today’s foremost Beethoven experts, Biss recorded an audio book, Unquiet: My Life with Beethoven, in 2020 where he details his complex relationship with the composer. Like Biss and Chin, the composer Robert Schumann took inspiration from Beethoven. In his Fourth Symphony, Schumann develops a motif throughout the four movements in a similar cyclic form to Beethoven’s works, and dramatic shifts in mood and dark orchestral textures reveal Beethoven’s influence.

SLSO at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign 
Sunday, October 1, 3:00pm CDT
Krannert Center for Performing Arts at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign 
500 S Goodwin Ave, Urbana, Illinois, 61801 

Denève, Biss, and the SLSO take the September 29-30 program to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s Krannert Center for Performing Arts—the SLSO’s third visit to the university since Denève became Music Director.

The SLSO’s 144th season runs through May 2024. For more information, visit slso.org.

About the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra

Celebrated as one of today’s most exciting and enduring orchestras, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra is the second-oldest orchestra in the country, marking its 144th year with the 2023/2024 season and its fifth with Music Director Stéphane Denève. Widely considered one of the leading American orchestras, the Grammy® Award-winning SLSO maintains its commitment to artistic excellence, educational impact, and community collaborations—all in service to its mission of enriching lives through the power of music. 

The transformational expansion and renovation of its historic home, Powell Hall, slated to be completed in 2025, builds on the institution’s momentum as a civic leader in convening individuals, creators, and ideas, while fostering a culture welcoming to all. Committed to building community through compelling and inclusive musical experiences, the SLSO continues its longstanding focus on equity, diversity, inclusion, and access, embracing its strengths as a responsive, nimble organization, while investing in partnerships locally and elevating its presence globally. For more information, visit slso.org. 

About the University of Missouri–St. Louis Touhill Performing Arts Center

Designed by the renowned architectural firm I.M. Pei, Cobb, Freed and Partners, the Touhill Performing Arts Center is a landmark performance facility on the campus of the University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL). The Touhill at UMSL hosts an average of 120 events, 200 performances, and 90,000 visitors per year.

The Touhill at UMSL staff manages several collaborative relationships and programs that, along with campus and community partners, to bring together a diverse season of dance, theatre, music, festivals, and special events.

Stifel Theatre interior

About Stifel Theatre

Stifel Theatre is a historic, 3,100 seat theatre in the heart of downtown St. Louis. Originally opened in 1934, Stifel Theatre’s stage has welcomed some of entertainment’s greatest performers and was the primary venue for the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra from 1934-1968. Following a $78.7 million restoration, this historical gem has been restored to its original splendor and undergone state-of-the-art upgrades.

Stifel Theatre plays host to a wide variety of events, including concerts, comedies, theatricals, family shows, holiday productions and more.

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Food City Hires Keisha Mabry Haymore as Community Manager

Food City Hires Keisha Mabry Haymore as Community Manager

Will host first public info session at Heydays HQ in Midtown on August 27 

Food City kicks off community outreach events and microgrant series, announces new team member.

With a bold vision for a grassroots community engagement campaign to reimagine the future of food in the St. Louis region, Food City has hired Keisha Mabry Haymore as Community Manager.

Jan Marson, Founder of Serving Our Communities Foundation selected Mabry Haymore for her brilliance and shine, saying: “Keisha is an inspiring speaker, connector, organizer and mentor. Most importantly she is a friend to all and deeply trusted by the community. We couldn’t be more excited to have such a shining star acting as our liaison to the St. Louis region.”

Haymore

Darren Jackson, Chief Operations Officer of Serving Our Communities, says they couldn’t have found a better person for the role: “Keisha is on the ground in St. Louis advocating for entrepreneurs and community every single day. She has a gift for inspiring people to believe in themselves, and that’s exactly what Food City is about. We want people to know: your idea is good, your product is good, you deserve accessible food options in your own neighborhood, and you have the power to make whatever change you know is needed. With Keisha’s help and the community’s involvement, Food City will become a force for good throughout the entire St. Louis Metro Area.”

Mabry Haymore’s first order of business is to bring people together through a series of community gatherings and microgrants for people looking to improve the food system. She describes the series as having three goals: “We’re organizing these gatherings to do three things: Listen, Learn and Louden! ‘Food For All’ means everyone has access to fresh, healthy food. It means lifting up food entrepreneurs as a vehicle for economic and community development so that all this momentum behind our beautiful food scene creates an abundance of opportunity for diverse entrepreneurs and industry professionals.”

Attendees can expect complimentary food and drinks, guest speakers, and opportunities to share their ambitions and make new connections. Each gathering is free and open to the public, but attendance is limited.

Upcoming Gatherings include:

Food City Community Info Session

August 27 from 1-4PM at Heydays HQ in partnership with Frizzy By Nature

Designed for major grant applicants to learn more, ask questions and gain advice.

Food City Info Booth

August 27 from 10AM-6PM at Festival of Nations

Microgrant Recipient: Festival of Nations

Brunch at the Trap with Sunday’s Best

September 9 from 9:30AM-Noon at Trap Run

Microgrant Recipient: Trap Run STL

Art Meets Food Happy Hour

October 4 from 6-8PM @ 21C x Idol Wolf

Microgrant Recipient: Urban League Food Pantries

Friendsgiving on Cherokee Street

November 10 from 6-8PM at Profield Reserve

Microgrant Recipient: To Be Determined 

To connect with Keisha or nominate a grantee, email Community@SOCFoundation.com. Visit FoodCitySTL.org to learn more.

### 

:Food City is currently running three programs:

Community Survey – Public input gathered through this survey will inform Food City’s strategic plan aimed at fostering a more inclusive, sustainable food ecosystem in the St. Louis Metro Area.

Grants for Packed Food Brands & Social Impact Initiatives 

  • Growth Grant: $75,000 – For existing food brands currently selling packaged food directly to consumers; this grant also includes $25,000 in production
  • Innovation Grant: $50,000 – For new food brands looking to create packaged food products to be sold directly to consumers
  • Food For All Grant: $20,000 – For nonprofit and social impact projects helping to get food to people who need it the most in the St. Louis Metro Area
  • Environmental Justice: $5,000 – For nonprofit and social impact projects that improve the environment through farming, soil treatment, cleanup, community gardens, or sustainability

Microgrant Program & Community Gatherings

  • Monthly Community Gatherings – Networking and $500 Micro-Grants awarded to support food entrepreneurs and local projects with growth and innovation

About Food City:

Food City by Serving Our Communities aims to create a more inclusive, sustainable food ecosystem in the St. Louis Metro Area with a shared value system of equality, empowerment, and social responsibility. 

Food City supports a diverse range of stakeholders through funding, resources, relationships, education, workforce development, and mentorship. The project serves budding food entrepreneurs, industrious farmers, conscientious food policy and direct service organizers, educational institutions, social enterprises, and nonprofit initiatives with one thing in common: a relentless commitment to Food For All. 

Recognizing the transformative power of accessible opportunities, the project strives to create an enabling environment that inspires everyone to thrive. 

About Serving Our Communities:

Serving our Communities is a foundation and social enterprise launched by the Marson Family, former owners of Nature’s Bakery. After selling their company to KIND (a Mars company) in 2020, the family committed to investing heavily in Nevada and the St. Louis, MO region, injecting nearly $5 million in social impact investments. 

Their standout venture is the Marson Foods facility, backed by an investment of close to $21 million. This facility not only generates jobs in the food industry, but it also acts as a vital hub for the Serving our Communities mission. It supports local entrepreneurs by providing essential resources such as machinery and workforce assistance. Additionally, it serves as an educational hub for food science, facilitating learning for both children and adults. 

The Marson Family has shown a firm commitment to the St. Louis region’s food ecosystem, fostering a sustainable food chain that champions equality, empowerment, and social responsibility. Serving our Communities has been instrumental in backing underrepresented leaders and founders, from aiding the initiation of a farm in North St. Louis city to funding scholarships for local youth. This is all part of a grand vision: to utilize the universal need for food as a catalyst to bring communities together, nurturing both consumers and creators in this vibrant ecosystem.

About Keisha Mabry Haymore:

Keisha Mabry Haymore is a connector, convener and social entrepreneur on a mission to change the world one connection at a time. She is the owner of Heydays, a business incubator and coworking space for women and founders of color to connect, create and curate anything. Keisha has been featured on National Public Radio, The Daily Show, Fast Company, Success Magazine, Huffington Post, Essence, Black Enterprise, Fox 2 News, Nine Network, The Business Journal and more.

In addition, Keisha is the Grow With Google Digital Coach for Missouri—a program that provides free digital skills training to Black and Latinx entrepreneurs to close the digital divide gap. Keisha is also an adjunct lecturer at the University of Missouri, an Aspen Ideas Scholar, a Hatch Fellow, a TEDx speaker and her book Hey Friend: 100 Ways to Connect with 100 People in 100 Days is a movement to make the world friendly again, or at the very least, friendlier than it’s ever been.

She’s delivered more than 150 keynote speeches for Fortune 500 companies and top brands like Spotify, Mastercard, Edward Jones, Square, Bayer, Facebook, YUM!, Ikea, SHRM, US Bank and Brit + Co. Learn more at keishamabry.com and heydayshq.com.

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St Louis Shakespeare Company Cancels Remaining Park Dates

St Louis Shakespeare Company Cancels Remaining Park Dates

We regret to announce that the remaining performances of MERRY WIVES have been canceled due to a knee injury in the company.

We so would have loved to share this wonderful show with all of you in Columbia (IL), Fairground, Ferguson, Maplewood, Hermann and Manchester, but we need to support our artist in their immediate treatment and full recovery.

Thanks to the many of you who shared your well wishes, and to the thousands of you who joined us for the first 15 nights of the show, and a special thank you to each of the 24 partner locations and our generous sponsors.

We hope to see many of you in just three weeks for the 10th anniversary Shakespeare in the Streets production, “The Game’s Afoot” – free in Downtown St. Louis at the intersection of 22nd and Olive on September 14, 15 and 16.

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Brian McKinley New Director of Education at The Black Rep

Brian McKinley New Director of Education at The Black Rep

The St. Louis Black Repertory Company has named Brian McKinley as Director of Education and Community Programs. The actor, educator, and former intern assumes the role after serving 6 years in various positions at the Company.

“Brian is a talented emerging leader in our field,” said Ron Himes, Founder and Producing Director of The Black Rep. “I am very pleased that he has agreed to continue to bring his innovative and collaborative style to advancing our initiatives in the schools and community.”

Brian came to The Black Rep as an intern in 2017, directly after earning his BFA in Musical Theatre from Western Illinois University. Most recently he has served in the role of executive assistant to Producing Director Ron Himes, where he has coordinated the Black Rep’s Professional Fellow company, ensuring that thousands of local children gain access to quality theatre and engaging them in conversation and inquiry about the world around them. 

As an actor, Brian’s talents have taken him to stages across the country. Recent credits include: Skeleton Crew; Sweat (The St. Louis Black Repertory Company), King Lear (St. Louis Shakespeare Festival), The Wizard of Oz (Theatre League, Inc.), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Minot State University Summer Theatre), and The Wiz (COCA-Center of Creative Arts). He was recognized in 2021 with an award for Outstanding Supporting Performance from the St. Louis Theatre Circle for his role in Spell #7 (The St. Louis Black Repertory Co.) and was among the early-career professionals selected for the Fall 2021 Focus-St. Louis cohort of Emerging Leaders.

As education and community engagement director, McKinley will continue to manage the company’s professional fellow company as well as oversee the Touring Show Productions and growing portfolio of  programming for education and community partners. 

“I’m excited to continue to spread my wings as an arts leader and to continue to build awareness and partnerships with The Black Rep,” said McKinley. “Thanks to the support of generous donors we are able to bring the arts to more of the St. Louis community and most importantly, to our growing list of school partners.”

McKinley won a St. Louis Theater Circle Award for his performance in “Spell #7” at The Black Rep.

About the Black Rep

The Black Rep, a 46-year-old legacy Black arts organization, is committed to producing, re-imagining, and commissioning work written by Black playwrights and creating opportunities for new voices and youth. Founded by Producing Director Ron Himes, the vision for The Black Rep continues: a more equitable distribution of opportunities and resources for Black professionals and students in the theatre; improved representation on and back-stage in the theatre industry; and a fostered community culture of support and mentorship for those who will follow. For more information: www.theblackrep.org 

Brian McKinley
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Free Tickets to Original ‘My Big Fat Greek Wedding’ Showing Aug. 22

Free Tickets to Original ‘My Big Fat Greek Wedding’ Showing Aug. 22

Focus Features and Cinema St. Louis are celebrating the upcoming release of MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING 3 with a big fat free screening of the original comedy, MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING!

When: Tuesday, August 22 at 7:00pm
Where: Hi Pointe Theatre (1005 McCausland Ave, St. Louis, MO 63117) 

Trivia prior to the screening will offer the audience a chance to win gift cards from local Greek restaurants and more.

Tickets for this special screening are free and open to the public, while supplies last.

Click here for link to free tickets:
https://hi-pointe.eventive.org/schedule/64d10fb4e9c86b00476902c1?mkt_tok=MTY4LVRIRy05NDkAAAGNuIyL7uF47Ubn8xuG-pzC58n3ZaZ6T5cUkktwdsK8HBLjLXCLNUB1gprJMt3LXyCOdNReVhYxMidQnfwDfM2F3mtUVIMxXI-3deC_Gl5_

The 2002 romantic comedy

My Big Fat Greek Wedding is a 2002 romantic comedy film directed by Joel Zwick and written by Nia Vardalos, who received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay. The film starred Vardalos, John Corbett, Lainie Kazan, Michael Constantine, Gia Carides, Louis Mandylor, Andrea Martin, and Joey Fatone. The story was about a young Greek-American woman who falls in love with a non-Greek and struggles to get her family to accept him while she comes to terms with her heritage and cultural identity.

The sleeper hit was a box office success, grossing $368.7 million worldwide and cost $5 million to make. It spawned a franchise, inspired a sitcom “My Big Fat Greek Life” in 2003, a movie sequel in 2016 and a third film is scheduled to be released on Sept. 8. It’s a joint production of Playtone, Gold Circle Films, HBO Films, and Focus Features. It is dedicated to Michael Constantine, who died on Aug. 31, 2021 at the age of 94. The plot is about the Portokalos family on a trip to Greece for a family reunion — and another wedding will be featured.

Michael Constantine as the Greek dad in “My Big Fat Greek Wedding.”



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‘San Francisco Sounds: A Place in Time’ Explores Creative Explosion

‘San Francisco Sounds: A Place in Time’ Explores Creative Explosion

2-part docuseries airs Aug. 20 and 27 at 9 p.m. CST on MGM+

By Robert Hunt
It was in 1966 that word started to spread of a “San Francisco Sound,” a new kind of music that had popped up in the Bay area and created new ways of playing and experiencing music. But this was more than just a musical trend or a record label’s marketing ploy.

Sure, a few new bands were starting to attract attention – Jefferson Airplane, the Grateful Dead, Big Brother and the Holding Company, Moby Grape among them – but the music was just one part of a confluence of social movements and utopian ideas that came together in the Bay area. San Francisco in 1966 and the myth of Haight Ashbury were just a day-glo variant of the American Dream, and the “San Francisco Sound” – a mélange of rock, folk, blues, bluegrass, psychedelia and anything else you wanted to slip in the punchbowl – provided the soundtrack.

That’s the lesson stressed by many of the participants in “San Francisco Sounds: A Place in Time,” a lively two-part exploration of the social phenomenon that evolved in the mid-60s, told mostly through the musicians who spread its message.  Directors Alison Ellwood and Anoosh Tertzakian have compiled a dizzying assortment of talking-head interviews, archive material, concert footage and inobtrusive recreations (including an inventive animated scene simulating the effects of a hallucinogen), deftly packing the sights and sounds of a mind-expanding era into an efficient 150-minute package. (Ellwood knows her way around both the music and the cultural context, having previously delivered the 2020 “Laurel Canyon” and co-directed “Magic Trip”). 

Grace Slick and Marty Balin of Jefferson Airplane

In Part One, we see the San Francisco scene develop in an air of almost magical innocence. Strangers wander into each other, drawn by the sound of music playing, and end up forming a band. New styles of art, advertising, and theatrical display (light shows and Be-Ins!) are developed, more from a love of experimentation than for their commercial potential.

The sounds began to spread around the country (Jefferson Airplane hit the Top Ten in early 1967 with “Somebody to Love”), but most of the bands were simply content to keep playing locally. Part One ends with an extended look at the event that gave a national spotlight for many of the Bay area bands and even changed a few skeptical L.A.-based minds, the Monterey Pop Festival in June 1967.

Although most known for Jimi Hendrix’s fiery performance and D. A. Pennebaker’s invaluable 1968 film, Monterey was a showcase for San Francisco acts, who made up nearly a quarter of the performers (Big Brother, the Dead, the Airplane, Steve Miller, Moby Grape and Quicksilver Messenger Service all performed) and left no doubt that Janis Joplin was only about a millimeter away from stardom. They came, they played, they conquered.

Sadly (spoiler alert!), it didn’t last. Part Two begins with the much-heralded “Summer of Love,” when the siren calls of Free Love, mind-altering chemicals and rock and roll brought thousands of young people (some reports claim 100,000) to the Bay area, most of them without the benefits of money, resources or much of a plan.

Dusty Street, the first female DJ on the west coast and one of the interviewees who provide observations on the past events, calls it “the Summer of the Death of an Idea.” The scene couldn’t last, but the musicians persisted.

Janis Joplin and Big Brother and the Holding Company

The wide-ranging second installment follows the paths of the bands from Part One while also chronicling the new acts that continued to emerge: Sly and the Family Stone, Creedance Clearwater Revival, Santana, Tower of Power, Journey, and the Doobie Brothers. The 1969 Woodstock festival (and the enormously popular 1970 film) solidified Sly’s success and made a star of Carlos Santana- whose first album hadn’t even been released at the time. (Janis Joplin and the Dead also performed but declined to be in the film). 

Unfortunately, the euphoria of Woodstock was quickly overshadowed by the despair of Altamont, the hellish December 1969 event (held 2000 miles away from San Francisco), where Airplane vocalist Marty Balin was beaten by Hell’s Angels and the Grateful Dead (who were instrumental in organizing the event – and according to some reports were responsible for hiring the Angels as security) flew away without performing.

“San Francisco Sounds” covers an enormous range of personalities and events, but they’re illuminated by new commentary from dozens of the musicians whose stories are included, as well as other veterans of the scene, like actor Peter Coyote, “Rolling Stone” journalist Ben Fong-Torres, artist Victor Moscoso and the aforementioned Dusty Street.

Curiously, in a directorial decision that ultimately makes emotional sense, we see only the last three on screen;  We hear the voices – some slightly less steady today – of Steve Miller, most of the Airplane, Country Joe McDonald, and many others, but we see them only as they appeared 55 years ago: naïve, energetic and forever young.

Note: this review was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the docuseries being covered here wouldn’t exist.

Tower of Power
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Sci-Fi Satire ‘Landscape With Invisible Hand’ Doesn’t Rise Above Curiosity

Sci-Fi Satire ‘Landscape With Invisible Hand’ Doesn’t Rise Above Curiosity

By Lynn Venhaus

Ambitious and intriguing, “Landscape with Invisible Hand” takes an absurd concept and revels in its strangeness as a suburban horror story.

It’s 2036. Most of the remaining Earthlings are impoverished and unemployed after an alien species, the Vuvv, has occupied the planet for five years. Their advanced technology was promising but their labor-saving ways and bureaucratic rule have wreaked havoc on the American way of life.

For their struggling families’ survival, 17-year-old artist Adam Campbell (Asante Blackk) and his classmate Chloe Marsh (Kylie Rogers) take their budding romance to a livestream reality dating show format that earns them cash and restores their families’ livelihood. But their love story hits a bump in the road, throwing them back into chaos and mounting debt, forcing life-altering changes.

How much is art and truth worth in a topsy-turvy world? What sacrifices would you be willing to make if aliens took over, nearly rendering everything that shapes our society obsolete? What is it about adversity that brings out the worst in some people?

These are big philosophical questions raised, yet on a small canvas, and while the Americans go through the motions, depicting a dreary way of life and adapting to a drab environment, the curiosity level never rises to compelling.

This quirky sci-fi hybrid should be funnier and more heart-tugging. The economic and environmental implications are damning, and yes, the blame is on us. And while it’s never predictable and always unusual, there is just something that prevents the film from totally clicking. I am not familiar with the book, though.

Yet, there are sharp, witty barbs and some amusing visuals in writer-director Cory Finley’s adaptation of M.T. Anderson’s 2017 young adult novel. The aliens are peculiar-looking – flesh-colored squishy rectangle blobs who have weird features, bordering on the grotesque. Everything, from their voices, vocabulary, and views are out of sync with humans, and the interactions are odd. The awkwardness is always played for laughs.

Yet, as good as this ensemble is, the plot’s constraints regarding the depressing behaviors of humans during colonization make it hard to connect with the characters, rather something to admire for its sharp criticism instead of an emotional response.

Finley centers the story on a pair of smart entrepreneurial teens, who fall in and out of love, and their vastly dysfunctional families at a time of great duress.

Now a New York-based playwright and filmmaker, Finley grew up in the Clayton suburb of St. Louis and graduated from John Burroughs School in 2007. Burroughs hosted their heralded alumnus last spring to speak to students, staff, faculty, and the community. The theatre department also produced his play, “The Feast,” in the black box. St. Louis Actors’ Studio had presented the horror-comedy-drama in 2017.

Finley, who went on to Yale, has made three feature films, demonstrating a flair for dialogue, a keen eye for detail, and an affinity for satire and dark comedy. While different, his projects have a common theme, focusing on high school students, and this one is by far the most bizarre.

His first film, “Thoroughbreds,” starred Olivia Cooke, Anya Taylor-Joy and Anton Yelchin, and became an arthouse darling that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2017, earning him an Independent Spirit Award nomination for best first screenplay.

His next was the 2019 HBO movie “Bad Education,” based on a true story, and starred Hugh Jackman as a Long Island superintendent whose epic $112 million embezzlement was uncovered by a student reporter. It won the Emmy Award for best television movie in 2020.

In his third, which premiered at Sundance in January, Finley is willing to take risks, but perhaps the frustrations of this heartless story are too much of a dead end.to overcome.

Like last year’s “White Noise,” it has so many layers that it’s overly complicated. Although it’s worth investing the time to figure it out, mainly for its sheer audacity, but it does take a while to unpack.

A Vuvv

Production designer Sue Chan has given us an unsettling portrait of occupation and oppression, aided with meticulous work by art director Erik Louis Robert and set decorator Lynne Mitchell. Cinematographer Lyle Vincent matter-of-factly captures the situation’s bleakness, with editor Louise Ford focusing on the off-kilter aspects.

Promising young stars deliver solid performances – Blackk’s defiance and desire to push through all the hardship rings true. The young actor, first noticed on “This Is Us” as Randall’s daughter Deja’s boyfriend Malik, is one to watch.

So is Rogers, who plays the young Beth on “Yellowstone” and reminds me of a young Chloe Grace Moretz. Her financial motivations become apparent, and there is hell to pay for deceiving those aliens. The Vuvv may be incapable of love, but they can spot phonies easily.

Each has a surly sibling in this – Chloe’s sullen brother Hunter Marsh is portrayed by Michael Gandolfini, who doubles down on ‘doesn’t play well with others’, and Brooklynn MacKinzie is Natalie, a typically annoying sister, who finds fault with what Adam’s up to – usually drawing or painting.

Tiffany Haddish is credible as out-of-work attorney Beth Campbell, who is an exasperated but tough mother trying to hang on to her homestead as her world crumbles all around her/ Josh Hamilton has the most fun as a desperate dad willing to do whatever it takes to fit in with the Vuvvs and has some key scenes sucking up to the superiors.

Nevertheless, the laughs become intermittent and the points on race, class and gender seem less effective as the film winds down its 1 hour, 45-minute runtime. With all its flaws, it is still thought-provoking, but interest wanes. What started strongly as something with a different point of view doesn’t draw us in enough to satisfy.

“Landscape with Invisible Hand” is a 2023 sci-fi comedy-drama directed by Cory Finley and starring Asante Blackk, Tiffany Haddish, Kylie Rogers, Josh Hamilton, Michael Gandolfini, and Brooklynn MacKinzie. It is rated R for language and brief violent content and 1 hour, 45 minutes. It opens in theatres Aug. 18. Lynn’s Grade: C+

Note: this review was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the movie being covered here wouldn’t exist.

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Hallelujah, Baby! Muny’s Spirited ‘Sister Act’ is a Boogie Wonderland

Hallelujah, Baby! Muny’s Spirited ‘Sister Act’ is a Boogie Wonderland

By Lynn Venhaus

As shiny as a disco ball and as bouncy as a 1970s dance party, “Sister Act” overflows with heart and soul to end the Muny’s 105th season on a high note, the cherry on top of a sensational summer.

The upbeat Alan Menken score may not be as familiar as his Disney animation renaissance classics, but you’ll be humming a happy tune and leaving the Forest Park amphitheater giddily grinning with a spring in your step.

For this adaptation of the 1992 feel-good hit movie starring Whoopi Goldberg, composer Menken teamed up with lyricist Glenn Slater, who is known for “School of Rock,” “A Bronx Tale,” and the animated feature musical “Tangled.” All the songs are originals, no songs used in the movie are featured.

The screen-to-stage musical comedy made its debut in Pasadena in 2006, moved on to London’s West End starring Patina Miller in 2009, and opened on Broadway in 2011 with Miller in the lead role. It earned five Tony Award nominations, including best musical, book, and original score (losing those three to “The Book of Mormon”).

“Take Me to Heaven,” “Raise Your Voices” and “Spread the Love” are quite satisfying super-sized soul sister anthems.

.James T. Lane as Eddie Souther. Photo by Phillip Hamer

And the more intimate solos tug at the heartstrings – especially “I Haven’t Got a Prayer” by angelic-voiced Mamie Parris as Mother Superior and “I Could Be That Guy” by James T. Lane, touching as ‘Sweaty’ Eddie, both well-liked Muny veterans.

But it’s a star-making performance by wheelchair-user Meredith Aleigha Wells as postulant (pre-novice) Sister Mary Robert in her show-stopping “The Life I Never Led” that’s the most memorable moment.

The book by Bill and Cheri Steinkellner, two-time Emmy Award winners for “Cheers,” with additional material by Douglas Carter Beane, takes the movie screenplay by Joseph Henry and transfers the place from Reno and San Francisco to Philadelphia and the time to 1977-1978 from the movie’s contemporary (1992) setting, but keeps the story basically the same.

A lounge singer witnesses an informant executed by her thug boyfriend, then police hide her in a convent for witness protection until she can testify, where undercover as Sister Mary Clarence, she takes over a rough-sounding choir and transforms it into a vocal powerhouse.

She tussles with the Mother Superior while winning over the other nuns. Suddenly, their vivacious music numbers start attracting churchgoers, filling the pews, and becoming a local sensation. And she’s stayin’ alive (I couldn’t resist).

Bryonha Marie, Mamie Parris. Photo by Phillip Hamer.

A mash-up of a police procedural with a sitcom-y vibe (think that ‘70s chestnut “Barney Miller”), the plot’s routine, but the passion of the performers isn’t. They dive into Funkytown with glee.

What made the movie so fun – transforming Motown songs from romantic love to spiritual love by a cloistered convent choir – becomes contagious crowd-pleasing disco/R&B/gospel confections on the vast outdoor stage, including an exuberant “Sunday Morning Fever” – complete with gyrating altar boys and the nuns shaking their groove thing.

The City of Brotherly Love – and cheesesteaks — adds further meaning because of its “Philadelphia Sound,” popularized in the late ‘60s and ‘70s that laid the soul music foundations for disco, with funk influences, jazzier melodies, and lush arrangements.

Music Director Michael Horsley integrated the electric rhythms with such pizzazz, elevating the sweeping strings section (5 violinists, 2 viola/violinists, 2 cellos and 1 harp) along with the fabulous rich sound of 4 woodwinds, 3 keyboards, 2 trumpets, 2 French horns, 2 trombones, and 1 tuba, guitar, bass, drums, and percussion.

Bryonha Marie winningly plays Deloris Van Cartier with panache, sassy posing as a nun and silky in delivering such various sounds as “Fabulous, Baby!” and the poignant “Sister Act.” Memorable as the Mother Abbess in the Muny’s 2021 “The Sound of Music,” she plays a very different nun this time around. Deloris turns the beat around, inspires female empowerment, and makes their numbers into dance-floor type celebrations.

Michelle Burdette Elmore, Thom Sesma, Kaitlyn Maise, and Katie Geraghty. Photo by Phillip Hamer.

Katie Geraghty, breakout scene-stealer as a Little Red replacement in the acclaimed “Into the Woods” Broadway revival last year, is an ebullient Sister Mary Patrick, her naivete and chirpy personality a delight.

The supporting players brim with brio – especially the goofy trio of goons: Rob Colletti as Jack Black-like Joey, Brandon Espinoza as Pablo, and Darron Hayes as dim TJ in “Lady in the Long Black Dress” and with the imposing villain Curtis Jackson, played by a formidable Alan H. Green, who was memorable as the Cobra Kai sensei John Kreese in last year’s “The Karate Kid-The Musical” premiere at Stages St. Louis. Just listen to those words of “When I Find My Baby”!

Thom Sesma, as Monsignor O’Hara, is very funny as he watches his church go from impending closure to standing room only —  and can bust a move as well.

The nuns are luminous, with Madeleine Dougherty, Rebecca Young and Michelle Burdette Elmore noteworthy as Sisters Mary Lazarus, Mary Martin-of-Tours and Mary Theresa respectively.

Photo by Phillip Hamer.

Director-choreographer Denis Jones’ trademark pep-in-the-step is present. When I see his name in the credits, I know he will endear with his crisp and snappy style, having earned St. Louis Theater Circle Awards for directing and choreographing “Chicago” (2021) and for his eye-popping work in “42nd Street” (2015) and “A Chorus Line” (2017), among others.

Besides the inherent comedy in nun-focused musicals as amusing entertainment, Jones has emphasized that cheerful bond like the 1979 disco anthem “We Are Family” throughout the show.

In elaborate costume designer Leon Dobkowski’s capable hands, the costumes are a time-capsule of Studio 54, conveying progression from standard nun garb to ultra-glam sequined habits, and the fantasy dancers are wildly adorned in sparkly attire, silver lame and over-the-top styles seen on Elton John and David Bowie. There’s also the garish fashions of that ’70s era, with eyesore checks and plaids and the god-awful polyester.

Wig designer Kelley Jordan has supplied appropriate big hair for the secular singers, dancers, and hitmen.

Meredith Aleigha Wells as Sister Mary Robert. Photo by Phillip Hamer.

Scenic Designer Edward E. Haynes Jr., who had so much fun with the flamboyant sets last year for “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” applies a heavy layer of kitsch – vintage Naugahyde! – on nightclub, neighborhood bar, and Eddie’s apartment while being ingenious on the open church design for the turntable.

Video designer Kevan Loney carries that retro flair onto the screens while lighting designer Shelby Loera  effectively illuminated the moods.

The Muny premiere follows the regional premiere by Stages St. Louis in 2016, and the first national tour came to the Fox Theatre in 2013.

Laugh-out-loud funny throughout, this lighthearted romp gets the crowd on their feet with a rousing curtain call. Oh, what a jubilant late-summer night it was, complete with fireworks.

And “Sister Act” defines the faith, hope, and love St. Louisans have for this cultural institution and generational tradition.

And just like that, the Muny’s wonderful, celebrated summer comes to a dandy grand finale.

iDarron Hayes, Rob Colletti, Brandon Espinoza and Alan H. Green. Photo by Phillip Hamer.

Reflections on the Muny’s championship season of 2023

As the days lose their light and autumn looms, it’s time to rejoice, to revel in the communion that 11,000 people can share watching shining stars on stage, and to marvel at the never-ending joyful noise a St. Louis summer yields.

This has been a season marked not only by the major spectacle we have come to expect on the largest outdoor stage in the country, but also a seven-show arc of uncommon grace – a genuine depth of feeling in each well-executed production.

From premieres “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical” and “Sister Act” bracketing a standout season that featured technically proficient creative teams mastering that elusive Muny magic and superior quality talent delivering the special moments we’ll remember deep in December: The transformative power of music – through musical theater – is the reason we flock to The Muny year after year.

In every performance, there was a palpable sense of yearning – a future Hall of Fame talent finding her voice, outsiders opening their hearts in a timeless fairy tale classic, of high-stakes gamesmanship and personal cost in a political arena, star-crossed lovers clinging to a dream, unearthing your worth and wish fulfillment in a flower shop, discovering love and nurturing friendship in a bleak place, and using your gifts to foster community.

Believe. Longing. Belonging. Overcoming. All were themes this summer, and you could feel the Muny audience lean in, the risks worth the rewards. We all shared something very special, this 105th year – it felt different. We could dream again, after coming out of the dark — all the drama of a public health emergency, global pandemic in pre-vaccine times, and the isolation that went with it.

And it sure was fun to be together. God willing, see you next year for 106.

Brady Foley, Bryonha Marie, Gordon Semeatu, Collin J. Bradley. Photo by Phillip Hamer.

The Muny presents “Sister Act” Aug. 14-20 at 8:15 p.m. at the outdoor stage in Forest Park. For tickets or more information, visit www.muny.org.

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Fox Associates Partner with Stifel Theatre For Shorter Runs of Broadway Touring Shows Next Year

Fox Associates Partner with Stifel Theatre For Shorter Runs of Broadway Touring Shows Next Year

Fox Associates, LLC is thrilled to announce a multi-year agreement to present Broadway productions at Stifel Theatre in downtown St. Louis. “We are excited to bring more great Broadway entertainment to St. Louis” said John O’Brien, Fox Associates Vice President of Programming.

“While the Fabulous Fox will continue to be the home of our two-week Broadway season ticket series, having the ability to utilize another magnificent venue will allow us to book return and short run engagements that we would otherwise have to pass on due to a full calendar. St. Louis Broadway fans will now have a selection of even more national touring theatrical experiences to enjoy.”

“Stifel Theatre is thrilled to partner with Fox Associates, LLC, a fellow cultural gem in St. Louis’ vibrant arts landscape,” said Todd Mitchell, Enterprise Center and Stifel Theatre Vice President and General Manager. “Through this collaboration, Stifel Theatre and Fox Associates, LLC are elated to expand their commitment to present audiences bold, entertaining, and thought-stirring works. A delightful mix of classic and new, this inaugural Broadway at Stifel Theatre season promises to offer theatre-goers a wonderful night out in downtown St. Louis.”  

The first season will include three outstanding Broadway shows at Stifel Theatre in the spring of 2024: Harper Lee’s TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD; HAIRSPRAY; THE CHER SHOW. 

Richard Thomas played Atticus Finch on national tour of “To Kill a Mockingbird” that was at the Fox last winter.

Harper Lee’s TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD | January 9-10, 2024

All rise for Academy Award® winner Aaron Sorkin’s adaptation of Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prize-winning masterwork. The New York Times Critic’s Pick TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD is “the most successful American play in Broadway history” (60 Minutes). Rolling Stone gives it 5 stars, calling it “an emotionally shattering landmark production of an American classic,” and New York Magazine calls it “a real phenomenon. Majestic and incandescent, it’s filled with breath and nuance and soul.” With direction by Tony Award® winner Bartlett Sher, TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD — “the greatest novel of all time” (Chicago Tribune) — has quickly become “one of the greatest plays in history” (NPR). Emmy Award®-winning actor Richard Thomas plays the role of Atticus Finch in the National Tour.

HAIRSPRAY | February 8-9, 2024

You Can’t Stop the Beat! HAIRSPRAY, Broadway’s Tony Award-winning musical comedy phenomenon is back on tour! Join 16-year-old Tracy Turnblad in 1960s Baltimore as she sets out to dance her way onto TV’s most popular show. Can a girl with big dreams (and even bigger hair) change the world? Featuring the beloved score of hit songs including “Welcome to the ‘60s,” “Good Morning Baltimore” and “You Can’t Stop the Beat,” HAIRSPRAY is “fresh, winning, and deliriously tuneful!” (The New York Times). This all-new touring production reunites Broadway’s award-winning creative team led by Director Jack O’Brien and Choreographer Jerry Mitchell to bring HAIRSPRAY to a new generation of theater audiences.

Stephanie J. Block, center, won a Tony Award for her performance as Cher

THE CHER SHOW | April 10-11, 2024

Superstars come and go. Cher is forever. For six straight decades, only one unstoppable force has flat-out dominated popular culture – breaking down barriers, pushing boundaries and letting nothing and no one stand in her way. THE CHER SHOW is the Tony Award®-winning musical of her story, and it’s packed with so much Cher that it takes three women to play her: the kid starting out, the glam pop star, and the icon. THE CHER SHOW is 35 smash hits, six decades of stardom, two rock-star husbands, a Grammy®, an Oscar®, an Emmy®, and enough Tony Award-winning Bob Mackie gowns to cause a sequin shortage in New York City, all in one unabashedly fabulous new musical that will have audiences dancing in the aisles!

Performance times for all show dates is 7:30 pm. Single tickets will go on sale to the public Monday, October 2. More information about pricing and how to purchase will be available at a later date at www.stifeltheatre.com

Harper Lee’s TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

January 9-10, 2024 * 7:30 pm each evening

HAIRSPRAY

February 8-9, 2024 * 7:30 pm each evening

THE CHER SHOW

April 10-11, 2024 * 7:30 pm each evening

Stifel Theatre
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