Courtesy of Upstream Theatre
April 28 | Eleanor Friedberger at The Duck Room
She made her name as one half of the Fiery Furnaces (the other half, of course, being her brother Mathew Friedberger), but she's received just as much acclaim for her solo work. Her latest record, New View, was recorded in upstate New York. Though it features her signature quirky singing and songwriting styles, it's also her most grounded—and grown-up—effort to date. $12, $14 day of show. 8 p.m. Blueberry Hill, 6504 Delmar, blueberryhill.com.
April 29–May 5 | Upstream Theater's The Glass Menagerie
If you're excited about next month's Tennessee Williams Festival, you can get an early taste with Upstream Theatre's production of his most popular play. It gets a radical makeover, thanks to director Philip Boehm. (Check out this preview for all the details.) $30, $25 seniors, $20 students. 8 p.m. Kranzberg Arts Center, 501 N. Grand, upstreamtheater.org.
April 29 | St. Louis Symphony's Storytelling
This Friday, the St. Louis Symphony performs story-driven symphonic works we know by heart, including Dukas' The Socerer's Apprentice, as well as works we don't, including the premiere of Cyrillic Dreams, a piece by Missouri composer Stephan Freund, associate music professor at Mizzou and founding member of New York-based new music ensemble Alarm Will Sound. $25–$87. 8 p.m. Powell Hall, 718 N. Grand, stlsymphony.org.
April 30 | Webster Groves Herb Society Annual Herb Sale
The line on Saturday morning might make you think the herb sale harbors some celebrity. But no, the stars are the plants, including rare herbs you'd be hard-pressed to find at a big-box hardware store. Take a peek at the full list on WGHS' website, fill your Thermos with coffee, and secure a spot in line well before the doors open at 8:30 a.m. Free. First Congregational Church of Webster Groves, 10 W. Lockwood, wgherbs.org.
Through May 1 | The Black Rep's Twisted Melodies
The Black Rep closes out its 2015–16 season with Twisted Melodies, which tells the story of composer, singer, and multi-instrumentalist Donny Hathaway. Though he was born in Chicago, Hathaway grew up in St. Louis' Carr Square neighborhood. He penned hit after hit, many with friend Roberta Flack, and is still cited as an influence by young musicians, including Ed Sheeran. Like other artistic geniuses, Hathaway suffered under the pressures of fame; he took his own life at age 34. The show stars St. Louis native Kelvin Roston, Jr., who starred in the original Chicago production. In its review of that show, the Chicago Tribune wrote that Rostron "inhabits his troubled man, feels what he feels, honors his complexity and sings his songs as if his life depended on doing them justice." $30, $15 kids. See website for details. Edison Theatre, 6445 Forsyth, edison.wustl.edu.
