STAGES St. Louis and the City of Kirkwood are thrilled to announce the naming of the Main Stage Theatre at the Kirkwood Performing Arts Center (PAC). Thanks to a very generous gift from Don and Nancy Ross, the theatre will be named The Ross Family Theatre.
“Nancy and Don Ross have been extraordinary supporters of Stages for many years. This amazing gift to name the Main Stage Theatre at the Kirkwood Performing Arts Center is a transformative one. The entire Stages organization will be forever grateful,” said Executive Producer Jack Lane.
The Ross Family Theatre will serve as the mainstage for STAGES performances, beginning with the organization’s 35th Anniversary Season in 2021. The theatre will feature both orchestra and mezzanine levels, totaling 525 seats.
“Our entire family is so pleased to support Stages St. Louis with the naming of the Ross Family Theatre at the Kirkwood Performing Arts Center. For 34 years, Stages has been a tremendous asset to the cultural landscape of our community. On this new national level with the stunning state-of-the-art building, the future appears limitless for Stages. We are very proud to play a role and we hope others in our community will join us in supporting Stages for future generations,” said Don and Nancy Ross.
In addition to The Ross Family Theatre, the new Kirkwood PAC will also house a 2,000 square-foot event space, spacious upper and lower level lobbies connected by a grand staircase, a 3,000 square-foot studio theatre, and community and artistic support spaces.
The Performing Arts Center is slated to open in July 2020. In its inaugural year, the PAC is projected to entertain over 100,000 patrons between the seasons at both STAGES and the Kirkwood Theatre Guild and community events hosted by the City of Kirkwood.
STAGES 2020 Season, the final one in the Robert G. Reim Theatre, will kick off May 29 and runs through Oct. 4, 2020. The season features:
A Chorus Line
Music by Marvin Hamlisch Lyrics by Edward Kleban
Book by James Kirkwood & Nicholas Dante
May 29 – June 28
La Cage Aux Folles
Music and Lyrics by Jerry Herman Book by Harvey Fierstein July 17 – August 16
Always… Patsy Cline
Written and originally directed by Ted Swindley
Featuring the music of Patsy Cline
September 4 – October 4
Disney’s Alice in Wonderland
Music and lyrics by Sammy Fain and Bob Hilliard, Oliver Wallace and Cy Coban, Allie Wrubel and Ray Gilbert, Mack David, Al Hoffman and Jerry Livingston
Music adapted and arranged and additional music and lyrics by Brian Louiselle
Book adapted and additional lyrics by David Simpatico
June 16 – June 28
STAGES St. Louis is the region’s foremost not-for-profit company committed to preserving and advancing the art form of Musical Theatre through excellence in performance and education.
In 2020, STAGES celebrates its 34th year of producing Broadway-quality theatre, presenting 132 performances from June through October to nearly 50,000 patrons. STAGES opened in 1987 with a budget of $50,000 and a part-time seasonal staff of eight. Today, the company employs a full-time staff of 23 overseeing a budget of $5.1 million. During the performance season, an additional 150 actors and crew members bring the productions to life.
To date, STAGES professionals have produced 119 musicals, with over 3,700 performances, playing to more than one million patrons. Subscriptions to the 2020 Season begin at just $120 and are on sale now. Single tickets will go on sale April 6, 2020. Single ticket prices range from $25 – $66.
STAGES’ Mainstage productions perform in the intimate, 377-seat Robert G. Reim Theatre at the Kirkwood Civic Center, 111 South Geyer Road in St. Louis, MO 63122. For more information or to purchase tickets call 314-821-2407 or visit www.StagesStLouis.org.
Lynn (Zipfel) Venhaus has had a continuous byline in St. Louis metro region publications since 1978. She writes features and news for Belleville News-Democrat and contributes to St. Louis magazine and other publications.
She is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic, currently reviews films for Webster-Kirkwood Times and KTRS Radio, covers entertainment for PopLifeSTL.com and co-hosts podcast PopLifeSTL.com…Presents.
She is a member of Critics Choice Association, where she serves on the women’s and marketing committees; Alliance of Women Film Journalists; and on the board of the St. Louis Film Critics Association. She is a founding and board member of the St. Louis Theater Circle.
She is retired from teaching journalism/media as an adjunct college instructor.