Fall in St. Louis also signals the arrival of prime theatre season. Our picks for the month include the Tony Award-winning saga of one family’s ambitious pursuit of the American dream, a Tennessee Williams classic, a “savage” rock ‘n’ roll fantasy, and the world premiere of a play inspired by local soccer stories performed on the streets of St. Louis.
WHAT: THE LEHMAN TRILOGY
WHERE: Loretto-Hilton Center
WHEN: Various times through Sept. 24
The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis’ mesmerizing production of the 2022 Tony Award winner for Best Play tells the epic tale of one family’s pursuit of the American dream and the cost of greed, excess and unbridled power. Seen through the lens of the Lehman brothers – Henry, Emanuel and Mayer – the story spans two centuries, beginning with the brothers’ arrival from Bavaria, full of hope and ambition, to their company’s unimaginable success and its eventual collapse into bankruptcy.
The cast includes Firdous Bamji, Joshua David Robinson and Scott Wentworth, who play the Lehman brothers, as well as 50 other characters, to tell the sweeping saga of the family behind one of the country’s largest banks. Musician Joe LaRocca’s musical score performed on stage weaves through the story as its progresses through the generations. $25 to $75; repstl.org
WHAT: SUDDENLY LAST SUMMER
WHERE: Berges Theatre at COCA
WHEN: Various times; Sept. 14 to 17
Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis’ production of the playwright’s 1957 drama gets a fresh retelling. The story, which focuses on the life and death of Sebastian Venable, a closeted gay poet, has autobiographical roots from Williams’ own family life. When Venable dies mysteriously while on a trip to Italy with his cousin, Catharine, his mother will stop at nothing to keep her son’s – and her own – secrets safe. $45 to $50; twstl.org
WHAT: THE GAME’S AFOOT
WHERE: 22nd and Olive streets in Downtown St. Louis
WHEN: 8 p.m., Sept. 14 and 15; 6 p.m. Sept. 16
There’ll be plenty to celebrate as St. Louis Shakespeare Festival marks the 10th anniversary of Shakespeare in the Streets with the world premiere of “The Game’s Afoot.” Written by St. Louis Post-Dispatch award-winning sports columnist Benjamin Hochman, the soccer-centric play is based on Shakespeare’s “Henriad” and inspired by true stories of soccer in St. Louis.
Three nights of performances on the streets of downtown St. Louis (on 22nd Street between Olive and Locust) will take place across the street from CITYPARK. Saturday night’s performance will culminate in a watch party for the 7:30 p.m. St. Louis CITY SC match versus Houston. Free; stlshakes.org
WHAT: PROFESSOR SUNSHINE’S TRAVELING POST-APOCALYPTIC ROCK ‘N ROLL REVIVAL
WHERE: Blue Strawberry
WHEN: 7:30 p.m., Sept. 20; 8:30 p.m., Sept. 23
Get ready to rock with The Midnight Company’s premiere of “Professor Sunshine’s Traveling Post-Apocalyptic Rock ‘n Roll Revival.” Touted as today’s version of the Old West traveling shows, the production promises to “deliver – or at least, distract – you from these evil days with a new vision of the salvation music can bring.”
Midnight Company artistic director Joe Hanrahan (starring as Professor Sunshine) conceived the show along with actor Kelly Howe, who, as the sultry chanteuse Cheyenne, belts out her signature renditions of savage rock ‘n’ roll classics from Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Patti Smith and more. The duo is the same team who presented Midnight’s highly successful Linda Ronstadt tribute, “Just One Look,” which played to sold-out audiences earlier this year. $25 to $30; bluestrawberrystl.com
Maestro Stéphane Denève Embarks on Fifth Season with St. Louis Symphony Orchestra
