As St. Louisans begin to emerge from a year of pandemic-related restrictions, cultural and entertainment venues are showing that they’re up to the task, with a range of socially distanced indoor and outdoor offerings, including Metro Theater Company’s “The Very Hungry Caterpillar,” the premiere of Opera Theater of Saint Louis’ 2021 Festival Season with “Gianni Schicchi,” a provocative, cutting-edge exhibition by Swedish-American artist Michele Pred at Barrett Barrera Projects, and your last chance to see the largest display of Mississippi River artifacts in “Mighty Mississippi” at the Missouri History Museum.
WHAT: MIGHTY MISSISSIPPI
WHERE: Missouri History Museum
WHEN: Through June 6
The 6,000-square-foot special exhibit features the largest display of Mississippian artifacts at the museum in three decades– more than 200, with many dating back 1,000 years – and explores the rich heritage of the fabled river. The exhibit tells the story of survival along one of the world’s greatest watersheds, from its days as the largest and most influential American Indian centers of the Mississippian period; to the vast European and Indian fur trade networks that forever changed the continent; to the steamboats, factories and immigration of the Industrial Age. Highlights include an earthenware salt pan circa 1000-1700 found in Kimmswick, Missouri and a pilothouse from the storied Golden Eagle steamboat.
Free; mohistory.org
WHAT: THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR SHOW
WHERE: Kirkwood Performing Arts Center
WHEN: Performance times vary; through May 23
The St. Louis debut of the global sensation, “The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show,” marks Metro Theater Company’s return to live performances. The Drama Desk-nominated production, which has played to sold-out audiences worldwide, features an all-St. Louis cast of performers and more than 75 larger-than-life puppets from Eric Carle’s iconic picture books in a music-filled experience. The bilingual English/Spanish show is performed in an outdoor setting where audiences are seated in socially distant pods of two to eight people.
Outdoor seating pods start at $56 (for two); metroplays.org
WHAT: “FREEDOM IS FOR EVERYBODY”
WHERE: projects+gallery at Barrett Barrera Projects
WHEN: Noon to 5 p.m. (Thursday to Saturday); May 20 to Aug. 7
A new exhibition by Swedish-American artist Michele Pred will be unveiled this month at Barrett Barrera Projects’ McPherson Avenue gallery. The artist, known for using sculpture, assemblage and performance to uncover the cultural and political meaning behind everyday objects, focuses on feminine themes such as equal pay, reproductive rights and personal security. A series titled, “Power of the Purse,” features vintage bags emblazoned in neon with phrases like “Time’s Up,” “Feminist” and “Freedom is for Everybody.” The artist also underscores the continuing and growing obstacles to fair, safe and affordable access to birth control and other women’s health services through a pair of vintage shoes dotted with birth control pills titled, “In Our Shoes,” and other pieces.
Free; barrettbarrera.com
WHAT: PUCCINI’S GIANNI SCHICCHI
WHERE: Opera Theatre of Saint Louis
WHEN: Performance times vary; May 22 to June 20
Opera Theatre’s live 2021 Festival Season kicks off with Puccini’s comedic masterpiece, which has not been seen on the OTSL stage for more than 40 years. The comedy tells the tale of the wily Gianni Schicchi, who is enlisted by the relatives of old Buoso Donati. Upon the wealthy man’s death, family members are horrified to learn that he has left his entire fortune to a local monastery and hires Gianni to help them steal back the money. Baritone Levi Hernandez stars in the title role. The performance will be presented in a new outdoor space adjacent to the Loretto-Hilton Center, OTSL’s usual venue on the Webster University campus. Other productions in this year’s lineup include “Highway 1, U.S.A.” and “La voix humaine.”
$39 per person; opera-stl.org
Large-Scale Origami Sculpture Exhibit Comes to Missouri Botanical Garden
