Thursday 04/11
Turning Back Time
There are not many true divas in the world, but Cher is unquestionably among their number. For 60 years the Goddess of Pop has been a mainstay of American music and popular culture, showing remarkable staying power and a peerless ability to adapt with shape-shifting sound and timeless style. Befitting a talent who has a Grammy, an Emmy, an Oscar and multiple Golden Globe Awards to her single name, the mononymous icon is now also the subject of a Tony Award-winning jukebox musical about her life and times. The Cher Show, coming to Stifel Theatre (1400 Market Street) this week, features 35 of Cher's hit songs and chronicles her astonishing musical career, as well as her TV show with Sonny Bono and her marriages to two rock-star husbands. The pageantry and performance is enough to turn even the most casual Cher fan into a true believer in life after love. Tickets start at $31.50 and the show runs Wednesday, April 10, and Thursday, April 11, only. More info at stifeltheatre.com.
Hidden Talent
Spring is finally springing in the Gateway City, and with the temperate weather comes new exhibitions at the Saint Louis Art Museum (1 Fine Arts Drive). One of the most interesting of the new batch is Concealed Layers: Uncovering Expressionist Paintings, on view through August 4. According to press materials, this exhibit takes visitors "behind the scenes and below the surface for an inside look at art from the museum's permanent collection." It stems from a three-year analysis of the museum's German Expressionism collection conducted from an art conservation standpoint, research that used infrared reflectography, X-radiographs and other modern means to bring to light new and exciting discoveries. Of the 48 paintings studied, 11 are shown in the exhibition, along with images and examples of the tools and materials used during research. The exhibit features stick-figure studio graffiti found in Oskar Kokoschka's The Painter II as well as a previously undiscovered lake scene in August Macke's Landscape with Cows, Sailboat and Painted-in Figures, and also sees Ernst Ludwig Kirchner's early painting Portrait of a Woman regaining its original title — Portrait of Gerti — thanks to an inscription found on the back. The exhibition is free to attend, and the museum is open daily from Tuesday through Thursday and Saturday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. For more details, head to slam.org.
The Cats' Meow
The Amur Tiger Triplets born at the Saint Louis Zoo (1 Government Drive) last November made their public debut last month — and let's just say we've never seen anything cuter. The zoo says three-and-a-half-month-old cubs Darya (female), Ussuri (male) and Sungari (male) were first allowed into the outdoor enclosure in Big Cat Country on March 6, and quickly got down to the business of being tiger kittens: pouncing, exploring, getting tongue baths and getting a little independence from mom Reka. (Proud dad Maxim gets sole proprietorship of the indoor enclosure while the kittens are outside.) And yes, they love to wrestle each other! The zoo reports that, as of mid-March, the triplets weighed between 35 and 41 pounds. "They're nursing a little less, eating more meat and love chewing on bones," the zoo reports. That's all great news: Amur tigers are critically endangered, and the triplets are the first successful tiger births in the Saint Louis Zoo in a decade — which means they're not just adorable, they also play an important role in keeping Amur tigers from extinction. Why not celebrate that success and head on down to cheer them on yourself? The zoo is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and admission, as if you didn't already know, is free. For more information on the tiger cubs, visit stlzoo.org/news/amur-tiger-cubs.
Saturday 04/13
Bubbleheads
Are you a would-be artist looking to get your work into the hands of others without being compensated? Are you really into spheres? Do the vending machines near the exits of the grocery store fill you with glee whenever you pass them? If you answered "yes" to any of these questions – and maybe even if you didn't – you'll want to get in on the Bubble Art Exchange. This week, 31 Art Gallery (3520 Hampton Avenue) invites you to participate in a unique version of a community art swap. The gallery will offer a box filled with plastic bubble containers, and within each of those is art from your fellow St. Louisans who are also participating in the swap. "Current bubbles in the Tank have decorated tokens, stickers (some are rolled or folded), buttons, keychains, found items and tiny collages," according to press materials from the gallery. To get in on the fun, all you have to do is bring your art to the gallery and they'll provide a free bubble; then you pick a new piece of art from the tank. 31 Art Gallery will also provide wooden tokens that folks can take home and decorate to use in the swap. While you're there you'll also want to take in some of the art in the gallery – at present there are works from Jared Minnick, Maxine Thirteen, Andy Dykeman, Kerry Smith, Erik Thompson, Steven Hayes, Willie Gates, Katie Chilman, Mark Regester, Paola Scharberg and guest artists Jeremy Rabus and Neeka Allsup on display. Admission is free, and all ages are invited to participate. The swap runs each Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and continues through April 27. Find more details at 31artgallery.com.
Sunday 04/14
Ball and Chain
The old Chain of Rocks Bridge has finally gotten a major and much-welcomed upgrade. On Sunday, April 14, the Great Rivers Greenway is unveiling its new Chain of Rocks Park (10840 Riverview Drive) with a Grand Opening Celebration from 2 to 4 p.m. Taking place on the Missouri side of the bridge, the celebration will feature live music from the Saint Boogie Brass Band as well as food from Falafel Saha and Destination Desserts. There will be plenty of free, family-friendly activities, including an 8-mile group bike ride with Trailnet beginning at Chouteau Island Trailhead at 1 p.m., zine making with Simiya Sudduth (the artist who created the park's new mural) from 2 to 4 p.m., yoga with Yoga Buzz from 2:45 to 3:45 p.m., a Missouri History Museum-guided tour from 2:45 to 3:14 p.m. and an all-day photo booth. CARE STL will also be at the park with adoptable dogs looking for their forever homes. Attendance is free. For more information, visit greatriversgreenway.org/bridge.
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