The Cabaret Project of St. Louis and Max & Louie Productions present the legendary Marilyn Maye on Wednesday, November 19, at 7 pm at The Sheldon Concert Hall. Marilyn Maye was called a “Super-Singer” by Johnny Carson himself and appeared on The Tonight Show 76 times – a show record for singers! 2025 marks the…
“What the Heck Is Really Going on in Alton, Illinois?”
In one of my last pieces, “Art in the Age of Disillusionment,” I mentioned “The Exodus from the Machine,” a phrase echoing the idea of The Great Unplugged. It’s a cultural undercurrent pulling Gen X away from the digital noise and back into the arts. And it’s not just them. Young Millennials, Zoomers, and even the emerging Alphas are…
Art of PAWS & People Returns November 1 to Celebrate the Healing Power of Pets and Community
The 22nd annual Art of PAWS & People, presented by Purina, returns Friday, November 1 at The Gatsby Ballroom at The Alverne. The beloved fundraiser pairs art, pets, and purpose to raise critical funds for Vivent Health’s Pets Are Wonderful Support (PAWS) program, ensuring that people living with HIV in St. Louis never have to choose between caring for…
Will Maximalist Interior Design Be a Short-lived Trend, or Is It Here to Stay?
Who said it ever really went away? Let’s first define what we’re talking about. Maximalist interior design is the art of collecting and layering objects—things inherited or gathered over time. For some, this might veer into hoarding territory, but it doesn’t have to be that extreme. Maximalism is the opposite of minimalism, which is known…
SIRenity Ends Their Sensational Sixth Season With Epic MGMA Drag Brunch
On Sunday, November 2, SIRenity closes out its sixth season with a brunch featuring an all-star Miss Gay Missouri America cast. The show, which will be hosted by Trixie LaRue and co-hosted by Akasha Royale, features forever MGMAs Vivian Versace, Tajma Stetson, and Tumara Mahorning, as well as reigning MGMA Penelope Booze. Brunch will be served at…
Survival, Stephen Colbert, and an Emmy-Winning Film: “I Am” Is a Story of Hope
A powerful new documentary titled I Am is gaining attention not only for its emotional storytelling but for the remarkable journey it captures—one of survival, resilience, and human connection in the face of unspeakable trauma and anti-LGBTQ+ bias. The 2025 film, produced by 17-year-old twin brothers Ethan and Aidan Sinconis of Arizona, tells the…
Michelle Zauner: Queer & Unflinchingly Honest
One of the gifts of watching Michelle Zauner live is seeing someone who lives her truth in public, in performance, in lyric. She is openly bisexual, and though she doesn’t always make headlines for it, it flows through her songs and words. Some of Michelle’s words that stick: “I’m hella bi. Always have been always…
Ghosts of Alton Past
This feature originally ran in the October 25, 2023 issue of The Riverfront Times The year was 2015, and I’d been trying to set up an interview with Janet Kolar, Alton’s hearse-racing “Mistress of the Macabre” and proprietor of the Historic Museum of Torture Devices. I had first been drawn to Alton while exploring…
Life of Pi at The Fabulous Fox: A Beautiful Retelling of Trauma, Survival, and Reframed Reality
The curtain has risen on the Fabulous Fox’s season opener Life of Pi, a tour deforce production that does more than just dramatize a shipwreck. It invites the audience into a profound meditation on trauma, memory, and the human capacity to rebuild meaning in the aftermath of disaster. This magical stage adaptation of Yann Martel’s…
Mooneyham Art to Host Show Before Alton’s Legendary Halloween Parade
Mooneyham Art invites you to step out of the ordinary and slip into The Zone, an art exhibition unfolding at 305 State Street in haunted downtown Alton. The Zone will coincide with the city’s historic Halloween Parade. This immersive experience offers a surreal escape from the cold, complete with live music, hot cocoa, and mind-bending art while…