The Compton Heights Community Band is a great organization that calls an old Catholic church…read morelocated at 3120 Lafayette home. I've been a member for about half a year, and the group continues to grow on me -- the people are friendly, both young and old; the music is great; and the performance opportunities are stellar. This location is only a rehearsal hall right now, but there are plans in the works to make it a legitimate performance venue. I estimate it'd take about 5-10 years for this to happen. The ensemble is run by a trio of the most hardworking, dedicated folks I've met in St. Louis this far, and presided over (by the baton) by Edward Dolbashian, a professor of music at the University of Missouri. The band plays many concerts over the course of the year. I've just had the opportunity to experience one, a holiday spectacular performed at Powell Hall, home of the St. Louis Symphony. For this concert, we invited Cameron Carpenter, a world-renowned organist, to be our guest star for the evening; his virtuoso skills mesmerized the crowd. If you're looking to dust off that old horn and get back into music, or are looking to increase your range of performance opportunities and enjoy professional instruction, the Compton Heights Concert Band is the place to look.

Review: Jan 2026 The experience was everything I expected…read moreand more! I went to Alicia Keys Broadway Play "Hell's Kitchen." She is my childhood/ adulthood favorite. Of course the event was on one of the coldest night we experience this past Winter in STL. For fashion, I decided to ditch my bulky coat in the truck and take the lighter instead. Fortunately, I arrived early and was able to find street parking close by and didn't have to endure the bitter cold too long Design: The architectural designs are breathe taken! It's something about "antique designs that I am always fascinated with. Food: My friend & I decided to have dinner at the restaurant next door (don't remember the name). I wanted to grab a drink at the Fox, however didn't want to miss out on any of the play standing in long lines. Service: Everyone hustled to get in after going through the metal detector or being scanned by security. There were staff members present to guide you to your seat. Overall Experience: I truly enjoyed myself. I definitely will be back!

What an amazing theater!! An absolute great place to see a show…read more Really easy to Uber and get dropped off. Lines go quickly - quick metal detector scan, ticket check, and you're in! Artwork and decor is stunning! This is where you'll find many of your concessions stands as well as merchandise. If you're on the orchestra level, head straight to the back. Otherwise, take the elevator or stairs to the balcony. The rows are set steep, so watch your footing! The Curtain Call restaurant is a nice place to grab a bite before or after. Concessions inside are a bit expensive, to be expected. Bathrooms are located on most levels.

I havent found many Hidden Gems in St. L yet, but I think we're changing that here.. Maybe?…read more Okay, you think Comedy and St. Louis - you think Funny Bones, The Helium Club and maybe the Pageant and Fox Theatres I recommend you add one more to your list, the Improv Room. Warning: I had received some conflicting info so bear with: Now first and foremost, I have to explain that this is not your typical standup comic set. These are Improv students (Being taught at ... THE IMPROV ROOM) doing a nice take of "Drew Carey's Improv Ganza" Show (I would say "Who's Line Is it Anyway", but they usually only do one scene per show). Mind blown yet? Don't be. Cause you've got an amazing operation here with so MUCH you're not going to realize it, and it's incredible for the cost. Basically, this is operation is a series of classes, in which you can come in to learn how to do "improv" (ironically, I don't think it's limited to comedy, at least per the website, although that's their specialty). There are literally three stages in one quaint (Ironically, "out of the way" location, which seems to make it feel safer for parking than you can expect). It's time to take things out of order: Because of the special fact of the Improv Room. I will start with the drinks/food: The food is minimal fare honestly, but that's okay. Sandwiches/Wraps/and Quick Bites. (The good news is that if you're in a show, simply turn on the tea lamp on your table and someone will come to you. My problem was that I picked a lightless table. OOPS on the staff!). {sorry guys; have to take off 1 point since I didn't get to try the food for this error} The good news was they have bar and a 'Lounge" (of sorts) out front, and the nice young bartendress told me how the building and stages worked (and made a great Vodka Collins beforehand.) and a nice conversation with her about the entire building and company for a while. And just for warning purposes, the lighting was very dim in the "lounge".. dunno if it was for aesthetic purposes, but it did a very bad job of hiding the "STEPS" up to the stage rooms.. (Yes, i found out the hard way, but held it together) Anyway, so why do the food first? Because now it's time to talk about the shows. ** and there is some confusion on Yelp and the website (so this will be a "at your own risk" at the moment) The Shows: Now remember these are mostly improv students, so you're getting some amateurs with a little practice or maybe first timers, so be gentle. Mondays: You get to watch one of (up to 3) shows of the students doing a scene of some sort (sometimes with audience participation, sometimes without), all of which run about 60 minutes. and then a second "elevated' show with participants who have had more class time. But believe it or not, for you the audience, it's absolutely FREE! Come on, you can't argue that cost, can you? *NOTE; this is where Yelp and the website differ: The website calendar says they do Monday shows and even have a Monday specific menu, Yelp says it's closed, so if anyone can unconfuse me, please do * Note: My last attendance was on a Monday show, so I think yelp may be in the wrong here The keys are the show times; 7:30 and 9:00 PM. Usually you get your choice of one of two shows on each hour process (again, check the calendar for confirmation), and that goes for Thurdsay (fee for the early show, FREE for the late show), Friday (all ticketed/fee-prices) and Saturday (all ticket/fee-prices) So back to my visit: I managed to find the place in time to make the last bit of the early show (where teams were competing for audience applause) and the late show on a Monday where the featured act was a "LARP" of a Dungeons and Dragons game. (well as much as you can when you're pretending to be doing laundry [audience suggested by the way} as a major quest - final hint: we can say the laundry DIDN'T get done by the end of the scene) Again, I wasn't expecting professional standup comics, I got stage actors having fun doing unique scenes for laughs. And all at a reasonable price and accommodations. And looking back through all this. I feel bad that I haven't even mentioned the "Improv classes". Remember how I told you the shows are ticketed and free, and you have to keep asking yourself how do they do them for free? Think of it as a co-op. Sign up for (I believe) 8 weeks of courses you learn the art of improv (and ironically, I don't think it's all comedy, although I think that's where it's focused) and these free shows are your "tests" along the way. And just as a warning: I'd minimum age of 16 for attendance, due to potential subject matter, although i don't think they have any rules against kids, and try to keep it reasonably PG+ So go support your young aspiring St. Lou actresses and actors. Go now! Yes now! (but make sure it's a show day!)

Came on a Thursday night for the first time to see a friend in a show. It's a much bigger space…read morethan I imagined! They had a bar with alcoholic beverages available and food! I didn't get anything to drink, my friend got an old fashioned and didn't love it, but it looked fine to me! The improv was really good! I was very impressed. Every show is different, the show I saw had three groups. Would come back. Tickets seem very affordable.

Small, quaint venue. Awesome for accommodating the ARTS (all forms)…read more I had the pleasure of attending JPEK production: Real Life: A Hip Hopera. Amazing work by the entire staff from musical engineering, lighting, talented actors, concessions and panelists. The play touched on real life topics; not just relevant to St. Louis but nationwide hot topics. Seating can be tight...this was a sold-out event. However I believe the seats were setup to make those attending as comfortable as possible. Snacks & wine were available for purchase, restroom was clean and facility itself well kept. Easy to find in the Grand Arts District. Plenty of private lot as well as off-street parking available. ~Christy

From the owner: "The Bad Boy of Musical Theatre," producing daring, provocative, muscular theatre about politics,…read moresexuality, race, religion, the media, and more, offering an up-close-and-personal alternative to the big, commercial musical theatre of New York and Broadway tours, since 1992.

I believe this was my first time at The Marcelle. A group of us girls came to see The Sweet Potato…read moreQueens. I wasn't a fan of the musical and left at intermission. So, this review is about the venue itself. Free parking across the street is convenient and a plus for me when considering attending future events. Full bar available before show and at intermission. The theatre is rather small holding about 100 people. Seating is U shaped around the stage. So, this is not a bad thing as you are fully emerged in the show. I will consider future shows.

If the show is good, enjoy the Marcelle. Had seating on the ground level on the side of the stage…read more Unfortunately, the show faces forward for same price. A bit awkward. Like free parking lot, but get there early. Nice space for small productions.

Still loving this gem in St. Louis! I try to make at least one performance each year...this year…read morewas Tango Buenos Aires. Dance St. Louis really does an amazing job at curating their seasons. Usually there is something for everyone. This year boasts Dirty Dancing, the Dance Theatre of Harlem, Tango Buenos Aires, ballet from the Aspen Santa Fe company, and Stomp, just to name a few. Next year is really going to be over-the-top, as they are planning on hosting Momix again and also the Nashville ballet collaborating with some St. Louis groups on Carmina Burana. I've been to performances of both, and they are really fabulous. I love the community feel of Dance St. Louis. They try to engage the audience; yesterday the dance company held a tango class in between their shows. It was really neat to see so many people...of all walks of life...wanting to participate! They do so much community outreach too...from dance classes to scholarships, such as the high schoolers they recognized yesterday. Prices are so reasonable, especially when all the seats are pretty good at the Touhill. They are still continuing on their yearly Spring to Dance Festival over Memorial Day weekend, which shows a conglomerate of dance companies all over the country...and tickets still cost between $10 to $20. How could you not love St. Louis for all of its dedication to art?!

Think of this organization as a gauge of how cultured and arts-driven St. Louis is! This is still…read moreworth supporting! AND, of COURSE, how can we forget the really amazing Spring to Dance festival bringing incredible artist from all over to dance in our festival for one ticket price!

Charming place to enjoy a cocktail before dinner & the theatre. Strict Covid protocol observed.read more

The Kranzberg is a place that houses a variety of small intimate theaters to be used for different…read moreperformances. I've been here over the years for different concerts, spoken word events etc. The spaces are the perfect size for small events. The sound and lighting here are also great. If you're putting on a small production, lecture, or performance event, consider having it here.

Nice little spot for any occasion to be celebrated here but today I came for a memorial of a client…read morethat passed. Perfect spot for him since he was a radio personality. Open bar and small buffet. Seating and stage for us to speak on his behalf and family to come together. Even had a PowerPoint view going. Highly recommend!

Yesterday, I went to the Grandel Theatre to see a magic show. I'm really not into that stuff. I…read moreprobably wouldn't have gone without persuasion from the group that was going. I was amazed, stupefied, dumbfounded, in awe. It literally was the best concert/show I've attended in the last few years. First, let me start off with the venue. I've been to the Grandel once before. It's located near the other theaters on Grand, but is much smaller. It actually reminds me of a college theater. I'm not sure on the seating capacity, but it can't be more than 100 or so. They have a reception lobby that usually has a very limited bar. The place is clean, comfortable, and there really isn't a bad seat in the house. The act last night was Keith Jozsef. I didn't know much about his act prior to the night, other than that he was a magician and that previous years shows impressed my friends. Here's his website if you want to take a gander... http://keithjozsef.com/. Here's an RFT article on his show... http://www.riverfronttimes.com/2008-10-29/calendar/tricks-and-treats/ The act consisted of card tricks & allusions. Stuff that you would expect to see in Vegas. I literally was on the edge of my seat throughout the show... amazed at what I was watching. Copperfield like stuff. Throughout the show he brought up audience members to help with the tricks. There's only a few shows/events that I will plan on going back every year. The El Monstero holiday show, Cards opening day to name name a couple. But I WILL be back to this show next year... and will be bringing a large group. This dude is for real. I can't believe he's a STL performer and I've never heard about his shows before. I'm so happy that this randomly happened to be my 400th review. This was a night to remember, and an event I will surely not miss next year.