Best Bets: Avett Brothers, 'Love Is in the Air'
FRIDAY
Editor's pick: St. Louis Music Festival with Maze featuring Frankie Beverly, Anthony Hamilton, Joe, Leela James
When 8 p.m. Friday • Where Chaifetz Arena, 1 South Compton Avenue • How much $49-$89 • More info Ticketmaster.com
The St. Louis Music Festival may oddly have no St. Louis artists on it, but the event is full of performers (Frankie Beverly, Anthony Hamilton and Joe) who visit often. Also on the lineup is someone a little less familiar, Leela James. The gritty soul singer, who duets with Hamilton on “Say That,” is one to watch. On her website, she says “the best artists stay true to who they are, no matter the scale. I think you can be relevant and still have substance, so I try to never stay in a box.” James has joined the cast of the upcoming season of “R&B Divas: LA.” By Kevin C. Johnson
Editor's pick: St. Louis Ballet’s ‘Love Is In the Air’
When 8 p.m. Friday and 7 p.m. Saturday • Where Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center • How much $28-$45 • More info 314-516-4949; touhill.org
With that Valentine’s Day vibe in the air, the emphasis is on romance in this St. Louis Ballet program that includes Twyla Tharp’s “Sinatra Suite” and artistic director Gen Horiuchi’s “Romantique.” Miyako Yoshida, formerly a principal dancer with London’s Royal Ballet, will perform in the Horiuchi piece. If you liked the company’s contribution to “New Dance Horizons II,” you won’t want to miss its latest offering. By Calvin Wilson
Editor's pick: ‘Lift Every Voice: Black History Month Celebration’
When 7:30 p.m. Friday • Where Powell Symphony Hall, 718 North Grand Boulevard • How much $20-$25 • More info 314-534-1700; stlsymphony.org
For this year’s edition of the annual “Lift Every Voice” concert, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra’s featured soloist is Broadway star Jennifer Holliday. The In Unison Chorus is always the backbone of this celebration of black culture and tradition; director Kevin McBeth will conduct the singers and SLSO in a variety of music. By Sarah Bryan Miller
‘Lovers’
When Friday through Feb. 23; 8 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays • Where Union Avenue Christian Church, 733 Union Boulevard • How much $20 • More info 314-367-0025; westendplayers.org
In “Lovers,” playwright Brian Friel tells two different Irish love stories. The first act deals with a couple still in high school, expecting a baby. They love each other very much so they plan to marry, though they can’t know what life may hold. In Act Two, a 50-year-old bachelor and a vital, mature woman decide to wed, even though she can’t leave her her invalid mother. Jan Meyer directs. By Judith Newmark
‘Art of Its Own Making’
When Opening reception at 6 p.m. Friday • Where Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts, 3716 Washington Boulevard • How much Free • More info 314-754-1850; pulitzerarts.org
According to the Pulitzer’s website, this new exhibition “explores the artistic process and the ways in which artworks evolve over time through interactions with people and their surroundings.” Among the artists represented in “Art of Its Own Making,” which features sculpture, film, video and performance and sound works, are Tony Conrad, Edith Dekyndt, Hans Haacke, Nam June Paik and Meg Webster. Dekyndt and Webster will talk about their work at 1 p.m. Saturday in the galleries. Regular hours are noon to 5 p.m. Wednesday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. By Calvin Wilson
SATURDAY
‘Casablanca’
When 7 p.m. Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday • Where Powell Symphony Hall, 718 North Grand Boulevard • How much $30-$85 • More info 314-534-1700; stlsymphony.org
The Germans wore gray, you wore blue, and the musicians of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra will wear concert black as they play the score of the classic black-and-white film “Casablanca” this weekend. Rick and Ilsa will always have Paris, and their semi-cynical love story will provide the background for a romantic Valentine’s Day weekend for thousands of St. Louisans. You will be shocked, shocked to learn that the movie looks better on a big screen than on your TV set; this is your chance for a great viewing (and listening) experience. Play it, SLSO. By Sarah Bryan Miller
Editor's pick: Ayana Mathis
When 7 p.m. Saturday • Where St. Louis County Library, 1640 South Lindbergh Boulevard • How much Free • More info 314-994-3300
Novelist Ayana Mathis kicks of this year’s Read St. Louis with her story of Hattie, an African-American woman who moves from Georgia to Philadelphia. In “The Twelve Tribes of Hattie,” an Oprah Book Club 2.0 pick, Mathis portrays the vast struggles and lives of Hattie and her children. The book is also in connection with Black History Month. By Jane Henderson
SUNDAY
Editor's pick: ‘A Choral Celebration of St. Louis’
When 3 p.m. Sunday • Where Touhill Performing Arts Center, One University Boulevard • How much Free; tickets are first-come, first-served • More info 314-652-2224; stl250.org
St. Louis is the Mound City, a sports city, a city of churches and a city with a great history. It has also been a city of music from its earliest days. The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, the country’s second-oldest professional symphony orchestra, was founded in 1880 as the St. Louis Choral Society before turning its attention to the instrumental side of things. Choral music will get its due in this weekend’s kickoff of stl250, when “A Choral Celebration of St. Louis” is heard. Bach Society of St. Louis director A. Dennis Sparger and his St. Louis Sings initiative are behind it, bringing together six of the region’s finest choirs: the Bach Society Chorus, the St. Louis Chamber Chorus, the St. Louis Children’s Choirs, the UMSL University Singers, the SLSO’s In Unison Chorus and the Ambassadors of Harmony. Each choir will sing alone; for a very grand finale, the more than 300 singers will make music together. Radio Arts Foundation general manager Jim Connett will serve as the master of ceremonies. By Sarah Bryan Miller
‘Praying With Lior’
When 2 p.m. Sunday • Where Galleria 6 Cinemas, 30 St. Louis Galleria • How much $8 adults, $5 children • More info 314-442-3179; stljewishfilmfestival.org
Lior Liebling is a young man with Down syndrome whose unwavering faith is a challenge to those around him. In this documentary, motherless Lior prepares for his bar mitzvah by fervently praying, which alternately inspires and aggravates those around him. The acclaimed film screens in conjunction with a 1 p.m. resource fair featuring Jewish agencies that offer services for individuals with disabilities. By Joe Williams
TUESDAY
‘What Matters?’
When 6:30 p.m. Tuesday • Where AMC Esquire Cinema, 6706 Clayton Road • How much $12 • More info whatmattersmovie.com
Mark Twain once said that everyone always complains about the weather, but no one ever does anything about it. The same principle usually applies to global poverty; but in 2009, local filmmakers Dan Parris, Rob Lehr and Davd Peterka put their money where their mouths were, literally hitching rides to Africa and trying to live on the world-poverty average of $1.25 per day. While filming their adventure, they suffered a plane crash that killed two colleagues. Undeterred, the three friends have refined the film (whose title has been changed from “Give a Damn?” to “What Matters?”) and are embarking on a national screening tour before the video-on-demand release. The first stop is in their hometown, where they will show the documentary and answer questions about their efforts to raise awareness about hunger. Some tickets still remain, but even if the screening sells out, it’s worth visiting the theater to salute these heroes and encourage their work. By Joe Williams
THURSDAY
Editor's pick: Avett Brothers
When 8 p.m. Thursday and Feb. 21-22 (Feb. 22 is sold out) • Where Peabody Opera House, 1400 Market Street • How much $35-$50 • More info Ticketmaster.com
Avett Brothers are giving loyal fans not one, not two, but three full nights of music with a three-night stand at the Peabody. Fans will be treated to an abundance of music from “Magpie and the Dandelion” (2013), “The Carpenter” (2012), “I & Love & You” (2012) and much more from the Rick Rubin-produced alt-folk rockers. By Kevin C. Johnson
Lauren Alaina
When 8 p.m. Thursday • Where Event Center at River City Casino, 777 River City Casino Boulevard • How much $25-$40 • More info Ticketmaster.com
Big-voiced Lauren Alaina, an “American Idol” finalist from season 10, is “Barefoot and Buckwild” these days. That’s the name of her new single, which is expected on her work-in-progress album, a follow-up to 2011’s “Wildflower.” By Kevin C. Johnson
Heather Brewer
When 7 p.m. Thursday • Where Left Bank Books Downtown, 321 North 10th Street • How much Free • More info 314-367-6731; left-bank.com
A launch party for the last book in Brewer’s Slayer Chronicles will draw preteen and teenage readers downtown. “Third Strike” follows Joss McMillan as he tracks a murderous vampire and tries to protect his family. At 7 p.m. Friday, Brewer will discuss her book at the Spencer Road library branch in St. Peters. By Jane Henderson
Editor's pick: ‘Old, New, Borrowed and Blue’
When 8 p.m. Thursday and Feb. 21 • Where Gaslight Theatre, 360 North Boyle Avenue • How much $35-$40 • More info 314-725-4200, ext. 10; licketytix.com
Ken Page — the St. Louis-born performer who created the role of Old Deuteronomy in “Cats” on Broadway and who remains a favorite with Muny audiences — performs a cabaret act featuring everything from show tunes to the blues. His show opens the Gaslight Cabaret Festival, a series of acts at the Gaslight that features both home-grown talent and lots of out of town visitors. Wisely, and in true cabaret tradition, it’s being held at a theater that’s physically attached to a bar.
The festival, which runs through runs through April 25, offers lots of music from lots of perspectives. There’s Tim Schall’s salute to the Mad Men era, “1961” (Feb. 22), New York’s Marissa Mulder singing “The Songs of Tom Waits” (Feb. 27-March 1), and Ken Haller’s popular “TV Show,” with loads of theme songs (March 6). Joe Dreyer and Rosemary Watts “Swing into Spring” with Broadway melodies, plus some Dreyer originals (March 7 and March 29), while Connie Fairchild, lead singer of Fairchild, heads “Down by the River” (March 8). Emily Bergl, of “Desperate Housewives” and “Shameless,” offers alternatives “Until the Real Thing Comes Along” (March 13-15), while New Yorker Morgan A. Faulker admits “I Got It All from My Mom” (April 3). Katie McGrath probes “Love in the Desert: Romance in an Age of Scarcity” (April 4) and Todd and Kelly Decker salute the Gershwins in “They Can’t Take That Away from Me” (April 5). Taylor Pietz laughs at life’s missteps in “If I Only Had a Brain” while Storm Large, who fronts Pink Martini, brings her four-piece band to “Taken By Storm: songs of seduction and obsession” (April 11-12). Lara Teeter, another Broadway veteran and Muny favorite, wraps things up with his tribute to musical theater composers from Cole Porter to Rodgers and Hart. Staged by the Presenters Dolan, tickets for individual cabarets range from $22 to $45; package tickets are available, too. By Judith Newmark
FAST FORWARD
“Nearly Lear,” Feb. 22 at COCA: Actress Susanna Hamnett mixes humor and tragedy with her one-woman take on the Bard’s classic
“Non-Stop,” opens in theaters Feb. 28: Liam Neeson is an air marshal trying to stop bad guys from killing passengers
Mardi Gras Grand Parade, March 1 in Soulard: Join the revelers for one of St. Louis’ biggest street parties
“Peter and the Starcatcher,” March 7-9 at Peabody Opera House: The Tony-winning play is based on the best-seller by Dave Barry and St. Louis writer Ridley Pearson
