June Magic in St Louis

March 24, 2015 | Updated: March 26, 2015 | By Elizabeth | Reply More

June magic in St Louis: Opera Theatre grounds. This year’s schedule runs from May 23 to June 28.

I love the way the Internet brings people together. St Louis resident Ann Mandelstamm will be visiting my home town, La Jolla, California in a couple of weeks and pinged me a quick message with a few questions. I was happy to answer and, in the course of the exchange, she mentioned her city’s summer cultural festivals. She’s a big fan and they sounded like so much fun that I asked her to write about them for Authentic Luxury Travel. If I was going to be any where near St Louis in June, I’d definitely be in the audience.

June Magic in St Louis

Not even all longtime St Louisans realize the magic that transpires in their Midwestern city during one week in early to mid-June. With strategic planning, you can participate in the confluence of three dazzling cultural festivals: the Missouri Chamber Music Festival, Shakespeare Festival St Louis, and Opera Theatre St Louis - or any combination of the three.

A scene from Shakespeare Festival St Louis’ production in Forest Park last year. Photo credit: J. David Levy.

St Louis magic

Let’s begin with the Missouri Chamber Music Festival (MOCM) which opened its first season at the First Congregational Church of Webster Groves, 10 West Lockwood Ave. in 2011. That year, Festival Co-Directors pianist Nina Ferrigno and clarinetist Scott Andrews invited talented local musicians and those from other cities to join them for the first season of concerts.

The Festival runs for only 4-5 days, but for serious chamber music lovers, it is a Do-Not-Miss celebration with four unique concerts. This year the season is June 17-21. It is a brief season, full of perfection, so getting to these concerts is a top priority.

Missouri Chamber Music Festival, St Louis. Photo credit Brandon Krepel.

Each of the carefully planned programs features ensemble and solo performers playing stunningly beautiful music. For this season’s schedule and ticket information, check their website.

First time visitors to these concerts can scarcely believe their luck, to hear such music in an intimate setting, close to the musicians, who may take a minute to explain the qualities or origins of a piece. After the concerts, the musicians and audience are invited to a small reception on site. Every season features a composer-in-residence (in 2015, clarinetist Derek Bermel), as well as a unique Pro-Am intensive workshop for adult amateur musicians June 4-7.

Overhead shot of a performance of Così fan tutte, 2012. Credit:
Ken Howard, St Louis Opera Theatre.

Shakespeare in St Louis

Opening before MOCM, Shakespeare Festival St Louis runs from May 22 to June 14, 2015, free to all, in Shakespeare Glen, Forest Park, the heart of the city. Now in its 15^th season, the festival opened in 2001 with a production of Romeo and Juliet, a luminous full moon overhead above the trees. Talk about magical! This year’s play will be Antony and Cleopatra, a highly professional production with actors from St Louis, New York City and elsewhere. You will hear every word of The Bard’s exquisite language, thanks to a great sound system, and you will experience the buzz of an audience still in love with Shakespeare after 400 years of performances. Expect to have serious fun!

Jim Butz* and Michael James Reed* in Henry IV. Photo by J. David Levy * Denotes member, Actors’ Equity Association.

While the festival is free to those who want to bring lawn chairs or blankets, plastic arm chairs are available for rent each night or in advance, through the Shakespeare Festival St Louis website.

Come early for the best seats and be entertained by the 90-minute Green Show, strolling musicians, jugglers, clowns, movable quiz games and a family craft area for children accompanied by parents. At 6:30 p.m. every evening you can go on a free backstage tour which lasts about 20 minutes. This is a very family-friendly event, well attended by St Louisans and visitors of all ages. The play begins every night at 8 p.m., except on Tuesdays when the cast rests.

You may want a jacket for cool evenings and some bug spray. Bring your own picnic and refreshments or buy from vendors on site. Be aware that heavy rains can cancel a performance in this outdoor glen, so it is best not to wait until the last evening, June 14, to see Antony and Cleopatra.

Erik Van Heyningen (front) as The Jailer with nuns of Compiègne in Opera Theatre of Saint Louis’ 2014 production of Dialogues of the Carmelites. Photo by Ken Howard.

Opera in St Louis

Meanwhile, in leafy and historic Webster Groves, Opera Theatre of St Louis, a repertory opera company, begins its 40th season this year. All operas are sung in English. Each year, four operas rotate during an approximate six-week season. This year’s schedule runs from May 23 to June 28. The beautiful gardens and grounds encourage pre-opera picnics or post-performance cocktails, with singers often joining the appreciative audience members.

Opera Theatre of St Louis takes pride in encouraging young singers through its Gerdine Young Artist Program and in producing new operas along with the traditional favorites. This year opens with Rossini’s beautiful and high spirited, The Barber of Seville, with Puccini’s La rondine, Handel’s Richard the Lionheart (US premiere) and Tobias Picker’s Emmeline, all in rotation. The intimate theater prides itself in claiming that “94% of the seats in our 987-seat theater are closer to the center of the stage than the front row at the The Metropolitan Opera. . .”

(L to R) David Gonsier as an owl and Levi Hernandez as Papageno in Opera Theatre of Saint Louis’ 2014 production of The Magic Flute. Photo Ken Howard.

For a schedule and ticket purchases go to the Opera Theatre of St Louis website and don’t forget to ask about the box suppers which are ordered in advance and picked up before the show.

Be sure to walk outside at intermission and to stop at the big tent after the opera to mingle with the audience and cast. After dusk, the tiny lights sparkling on the tent and lawn are a late evening reminder of St Louis magic in June.

Thanks, Ann. You’re a great ambassador for your city.

Best,

Elizabeth Hansen