Dan Daranciang

Finals are quickly approaching, and as many Wash U. students pack up and head for home, others will be anticipating internships, sublets and the steamy sauna known as St. Louis in the summer. We here at Cadenza are also gearing up for summer; with a bottle of sunscreen and this summer arts preview in hand, hopefully we’ll all be prepared for a summer full of meaningless pandering and the occasional artistic adventure.

MUNY

Enjoy a night under the stars at the nation’s oldest and largest outdoor theater. Opened in 1917, and constructed in only 49 days, the MUNY has a rich history of theater production here in St. Louis. Now a strictly musical theater-based company, this year’s season will include classics such as “Singin’ in the Rain” and “West Side Story,” as well as Andrew Lloyd Weber’s more recent hit “Jesus Christ Superstar” and Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast.” Ticket prices range from $8.00 to $58.00 and can be purchased at www.munyinfo.com.

Lafayette Park Free Summer Concerts

Lafayette Park, the oldest park west of the Mississippi, located downtown near Soulard, has been called “an oasis of greenery in the heart of the city.” This historical green space is also the home to the Lafayette Park Summer Concert Series, an annual series of concerts held in the park every other Saturday evening beginning the first Saturday in June. The concerts, which feature a variety of music, including jazz, blues, pop and Latin, are held in the gazebo and are free to the public.

The Shakespeare Festival of St. Louis

This summer, the Shakespeare Festival of St. Louis will take over Art Hill with their production of the “The Tempest.” A nightly pre-performance, featuring singers, dancers, musicians and jugglers, as well as educational lectures by area scholars and a mini-play for children starts every night at 7:00 before the show. The show, which is free to the public, will run from May 27 through June 19, every night, except Tuesdays, and will be located on the east side of Art Hill between the Art Museum and the St. Louis Zoo. Check their Web site: www.sfstl.com for more information about the festival.

Zoo Friday Night Concert Series

Due to extended daylight hours and an increasing number of visitors, the St. Louis Zoo now features extended hours in the summer. On Fridays and Saturdays between May 27 and September 5, the Zoo will be open until 7:00 p.m. On Friday nights, the Zoo will also feature animal enrichment activities and a concert series that is open to the public. So grab a friend, check out the llamas and enjoy a musical evening at one of St. Louis’ most popular attractions.

This entry was posted on Friday, April 22nd, 2005 at 12:00 pm and is filed under Cadenza. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.