Thursday 06/01
Big Tent Revival
Last year, Circus Flora brought a bona fide Hollywood star to the big top in Grand Center — Illinois native Britt Lower, recently of the HBO hit series Severance and in St. Louis to research a film project about circus folk. So how does St. Louis' favorite homegrown circus top that? Well, how about motorcycle tricks? And crossbow stunts? And, get this ... a "'human fountain' act you have to see to believe." No idea what most of that means, but all will be revealed this Thursday, June 1, with Circus Flora's new show Undercover. It also includes juggler Roberto Carlos; the Flying Wallendas highwire act; a few dogs; a pig; and Laura Lippert, an aerialist who gets suspended by her own hair. If that's not enough to entice you, well, this probably isn't your kind of circus. For the rest of us, it's one of the high points of the summer — and a steal at just $15 a seat. Thursday's peanut-free preview will be followed by the official opening night on Saturday, June 3, and the show will run Tuesdays through Sundays through June 25. Find tickets and more details at circusflora.org.
Cavorting with Courtesans
Surely, if ever a show earned the adjective "madcap," it is A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, the Stephen Sondheim musical about a Roman slave who tries to help his master court a young courtesan. The slave, Pseudolus, develops an increasingly convoluted plan to secure the courtesan, who is promised to another, for his master. And eventually the hijinks involve three families and several chases through the streets of Rome. New Line will stage this farcical sex comedy, which is just as relevant today as it was when it first came out in 1962. The show runs Thursday, June 1, through Saturday, June 24, at the Marcelle Theater (3310 Samuel Shepard Drive, 314-533-0367), with shows each week on Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. Tickets are $25 to $30 and can be purchased at newlinetheatre.com.
Hot Buttered Soul
The greatest record label in the history of the entire world is going to be celebrated this Thursday, June 1, on the north lawn of the Missouri History Museum (5700 Lindell Boulevard, 314-746-4599). Another season of the museum's Twilight Thursdays events has begun — and this week's event will really swing because it will feature music from the Stax Records catalog. The outdoor concert series is always a huge hit, and for good reason. Not only is the entertainment free, it's also a great place to spread out your blanket, eat some food and maybe sip on a little wine while listening to professional musicians play some of your favorite tunes. The event runs from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. and there will even be some food trucks on site in case you don't have time to pack your own snacks. Visit mohistory.org for more information.
Friday 06/02
Love at First Site
It's always art time in Grand Center, thanks to museums such as the Pulitzer Arts Foundation and the Contemporary Art Museum. But on the first Friday of every month the already culture-rich neighborhood really brings it, as institutions open their doors for an after-hours affair (often with some art food, a.k.a. wine and snacks). Known as First Friday, the event is always a party — but First Friday: Queer Revolution might be the best party of them all. Held at the Contemporary Art Museum (3750 Washington Avenue, 314-535-4660), the event is meant to be a kickoff celebration for Pride Month and includes performances and art honoring "queer legends and history makers." Artist Maxi Glamour will serve as co-host, and the event will focus on all the recent infringements upon queer and trans rights across the U.S. — and especially here in Missouri. The event begins at 5 p.m. on Friday, June 2, with performances at 6:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. Admission is free. More info at camstl.org.
Say Cheese
Missouri wineries aren't exactly known for being good. Suffice it to say the overall tenor and character of Missouri's "Rhineland" in no way rivals California's warm and sunny wine country. But what we do have is some damn good cheese. To celebrate Missouri cheese makers and local artisans, McKelvey Vineyards (8901 State Highway YY, Leslie; 573-459-6123) will host its second annual Missouri Artisan Cheese Festival this Friday, June 2, and Saturday, June 3. Dairy lovers can sample cow-milk cheese from Cool Cow Cheese and Homestead Creamery, goat-milk cheese from Terrell Creek and Baetje Farms, and sheep-milk cheese from Green Dirt. Tickets vary in price based on what you want to do. On the low end, a $14 ticket gets you a curated wine flight of three McKelvey Vineyard wines. A $100 ticket earns entry into a "cave to table" dinner. The event kicks off at 6:30 p.m. on Friday and 11 a.m. on Saturday. For more information, visit mckelveyvineyards.com.
Pure Wild Animal Craziness
Wes Anderson is fully a thing at the moment, and fans are getting psyched for the release of his 11th film, Asteroid City, which will open in St. Louis on June 23. Thankfully, those of us living in St. Louis don't have to wait until then to get our Wes Anderson fix. Instead, we can just head to Wes-Fest, Cinema St. Louis' celebration of the film auteur. During Wes-Fest, Cinema St. Louis will screen Anderson's first six films over the first two weekends in June, with one film showing per day. This weekend's shows include Bottle Rocket, Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums, and all will play at the organization's home base, the Hi-Pointe Theatre (1005 McCausland Avenue, 314-995-6273). Friday and Saturday films will begin at 7 p.m., and Sunday's starts at 5 p.m. Tickets are $12 or $10 for students and Cinema St. Louis members. Visit cinemastlouis.org for more information.
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