Courtesy of The Muny
"A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum," at The Muny
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum | July 5–11
Stephen Sondheim's musical is based on the works of the ancient Roman playwright Titus Maccius Plautus, but in its heart of hearts it's not just a classic farce but a vaudevillian American comedy. Set in Rome, the protagonist is Pseudolus, who attempts to win his freedom by helping his master, Hero, woo a lady. And of course, all sorts of pratfalls, cases of mistaken identity, and hilarity ensue. When it premiered in 1962, it took home five Tony statues, including for Best Musical and Best Book. Free–$95. 8:15 p.m. The Muny, Forest Park, 1 Theatre, muny.org.
Union Avenue Opera: Albert Herring | July 7–15
Christine Brewer joins Union Avenue Opera for a performance of Albert Herring, Benjamin Britten’s comic chamber opera. The title character, a young butcher's assistant who still lives with his mother, is elected May King when no suitably virginal young woman is found in the village. The timid Albert is mortified, but his mother is thrilled with the prize money and pushes him to go. At the reception, Albert is given a spiked drink—thanks to rum, he forgets the humiliation of being May King, embarks on a night of debauchery, and finds the wherewithal to defy his smothering mother. $40–$55. Union Avenue Church, 733 N. Union, unionavenueopera.org.
Contemporary Indian Art Show | July 7–9
Cahokia hosts nearly 30 Native American artists working in a variety of mediums, including painter Norris Chee (Navajo), silver artist Nelson Garcia (Santo Domingo Pueblo), mixed media artist Anita Jackson (Cherokee), flute maker Will Harjo (Muscogee Creek), painter and dollmaker Catherine Mowry (Miami), painter and potter Victoria McKinney (Echota Cherokee), painter Jon Tiger (Creek), knife maker Ted Lawrence (Chocktaw), potter Keith Yazzie Jay (Navajo), sculptor Janice Albro (Sioux), potter Patricia Baxter (Hopi), doll maker and bead worker Kimberly Bugg (Oneida), mask maker Dan Corly (Cherokee), potter Mel Cornshucker (Cherokee), painter Dawn Dark Mountain (Oneida), sculptor David Farnham (Cayuga), wood carvers Eddie and Faye Morrison (Cherokee), and painter Ron Mitchell (Cherokee). See a preview of the show on Friday at a ticketed reception, which features wine, beer, hors d'oeuvres, live music, and a chance to meet the artists and purchase work before the show opens to the public. $20 Friday night opening reception, 6–9:30 p.m. Free Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site Interpretive Center, 30 Ramey Street, Collinsville, Illinois, cahokiamounds.org.
Jill Scott | July 8
What can't Jill Scott do? After launching her career as a spoken word artist in the late '90s, she released the spoken word/musical hybrid Who Is Jill Scott?, which pretty much made her a star. She's since collaborated with The Roots, released five records, won three Grammys, acted on stage and in movies and on TV, written books, and designed clothing. Renaissance talents aside, this tour is all about the music; with her signature high soprano, Scott samples from her catalog of works, including her most recent, Woman, which The Guardian praised, writing that "Scott’s mighty voice is a commanding presence throughout, whether flying around the melodies of songs such as 'Prepared' or multi-tracked on the dreamy 'Fool’s Gold.'" $45–$125. 8 p.m. Fox Theatre, 527 N. Grand, fabulousfox.com.
An Evening With Roxane Gay | July 8
Her best-known work is probably Bad Feminist, but Gay’s oeuvre also includes two short story collections, a novel, MARVEL comics texts, multiple essays in pubs like The New York Times, and of course her very witty Twitter feed. She also founded Tiny Hardcore Press, co-edits at the literary collective PANK, and serves as a nonfiction editor at The Rumpus.This week, she'll be in St. Louis to read from her most recent book, Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body. The Los Angeles Times called Hunger "a bracingly vivid account of how intellect, emotion, and physicality speak to each other and work in tireless tandem to not just survive unspeakable hurt, but to create a life worth living and celebrating." $30 includes a copy of Hunger. 7 p.m. St. Louis County Library Headquarters, 1640 S. Lindbergh, slcl.org.
Check out SLM's top five family-friendly events for this weekend, as well as coverage of other major happenings, including Jimmy Buffett and the Coral Reefer Band at Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, Antiques Roadshow at America's Center, Megadeth at Family Arena, the St. Louis LGBT Wedding Expo, and Cardinals games. And for more options, visit SLM's calendar.
Editor's note: We edited this post to amend the spelling of Roxane Gay's name.
