Summer Fun
The Muny has been dominating summer theater in St. Louis since 1919, but Stages St. Louis, celebrating its 15th season this year, offers a top-notch alternative. Inside the intimate--and air-conditioned--400-seat Kirkwood Civic Center, Stages presents some of the highest-quality summer theater in St. Louis.
The Skinny
Each three-show season usually includes one old-fashioned musical comedy from the '20s or '30s, one musical from the '40s or '50s and one contemporary show. The performers come from New York, the regional theater scene and St. Louis itself, many of them returning season after season. Performances are uniformly strong, the singing and dancing are outstanding, and the refurbished theater is quite comfortable. The only drawback is that Stages uses a computerized orchestra instead of live musicians. Aside from that, you can't do better during the summer.