The Top 10 Theater Productions in St. Louis for 2024

This past season was the year of the drama in St. Louis Theater. Patrons returned to the theatre in droves and many of the regional companies experienced strong box office with sold-out or extended runs. Tesseract Theater Company had a breakout year, placing two productions on this top 10 list. The Black Rep, ERA, They Muny, New Jewish Theater, The Repertory Theater of St. Louis, and STAGES St. Louis all benefited from positive word of mouth and strong single ticket box office sales thanks to their marvelous seasons and well-reviewed productions.  

It was incredibly difficult to select 10 productions from the over 100 plays, musicals, operas, and one-act plays that were seen this year. St. Louis continues to be on the forefront of The National Theatre scene with award winning producers, talented artists, actors, and designers creating theater in St. Louis.  

Here is the list of those productions that were among the most entertaining and memorable in St. Louis theater this past year: 

1. THE INTERITANCE Parts 1 & 2 – Tesseract Theater Company’s Brittanie Gunn and Kevin Corpuz acquired the rights for Matthew Lopez’s two-part epic play and tapped Stephen Peirick to direct. Peirick and his cast of 13 worked tirelessly to stage the 7-hour, two-part regional premiere about three generations of gay men and the legacy of those lost to the AIDS epidemic. Peirick’s magnificent leadership extracted fearless performances from a talented cast who left the audience feeling both melancholic and hopeful. The audiences sat quietly stunned, sniffling, and wiping tears at the ends of both Parts 1 & 2 after spending 7-hours with Lopez’s complex characters. Tesseract’s staging of THE INHERITANCE Parts 1 & 2 is the production of the year! 

2. FIDDLER ON THE ROOF – The Muny and director Rob Ruggerio staged a perfect production of FIDDLER ON THE ROOF. The cast was led by Broadway and Muny veteran Adam Heller in a tour de force portrayal of Tevye, the dairyman with five daughters. Heller and the outstanding cast captivated the audience with the story of tradition, family, religious values, growing anti-Semitism, and attacks against Jewish communities in early-1900 Eastern Europe. Broadway World called this production “emotion packed story telling with superb direction and outstanding orchestral accompaniment.” FIDDLER ON THE ROOF was the best of a thoroughly enjoyable season at The Muny filled with seven spectacular productions.  

3. ALL MY SONS – Gary Wayne Barker directed New Jewish Theatre’s riveting production of Arthur Miller’s tragic drama. ALL MY SONS tells the story of a son returning home from war to learn that his parents are flawed people harboring deeps secrets to avoid serious corporate liability within their family business. Actors Greg Johnston, Ami Loui, and Jayson Heil gave threadbare performances that created scorching, searing drama filled with raw unfiltered emotion.  

4. AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY – Tracy Lett’s lengthy Tony and Pulitzer Prize winning play received a grand staging at The Repertory Theater of St. Louis. The three-and-one-half hour play flew by thanks to Amelia Acosta Powell’s brisk direction of the darkly humorous story that unearths shocking truths about the Weston’s family secrets. The Rep’s audiences witnessed extraordinary performances from a gifted cast that included both national and local talent. Ellen McLaughlin and Henny Russell sparred as a drug addicted mother and her desperate daughter in galvanic performances. St. Louis actors Alan Knoll and Michael James Reed turned in magnificent portrayals as the men who are the in-laws in this dysfunctional family. It is noteworthy to mention Alan Knoll’s stellar 2024 season in St. Louis theatre. He turned in two other masterful performances at New Jewish Theatre in WE ALL FALL DOWN and Upstream Theatre in LIFE IS A DREAM, plus he directed a wonderful production of John Logan’s RED at New Jewish Theatre.  

5. WOMAN IN MIND (September Bee) - Albion Theatre took us into the fantasy world of Susan, a woman who sustained a head injury when she stepped on a garden rake and took the handle smack between the eyes. Alan Ayckbourn’s WOMAN IN MIND (SEPTEMBER BEE) is absurdly comedic play filled with eccentric characters created by Susan’s confabulations. Emily Baker turned in the best performance by an actor in a comedy this year as she toiled on stage for the entire play. She marvelously wrestled between Susan’s reality and her fantasy. It was a production filled with kooky characters and wacky performances. Actors Isaiah Di Lorenzo and Joseph Garner were standouts as Susan’s imaginary husband and brother. Albion Theatre consistently stages high-quality productions of plays written by English and Irish playwrights and their entertaining 2024 season was no exception. 

6. Disney’s NEWSIES – One of the biggest surprises of the season was the high-energy production of Disney’s NEWSIES at STAGES St. Louis. Artistic Director Gayle Seay tapped up-and-coming choreographer Lindsay Joy Lancaster to put an original spin on the dance heavy show. Lancaster delivered. Her blend of tap and modern dance propelled this production into the stratosphere. STAGES St. Louis audiences again had the luxury of enjoying a show helmed by visionary director Steve Bebout, who hand selected Belleville, Illinois native Ann Beyersdorfer to design the set. Beyersdorfer built a masterpiece in versatility with her dynamic set design. Other St. Louis area artists were also featured prominently in this STAGES production. St. Louis’ Matthew Cox had a breakout performance as second banana Crutchie. Cox then followed up that performance with another with a revelatory turn as Younger Brother in the STAGES production of Ragtime. HIs star is on the rise. The cast also included some of the young members of the STAGES Academy showing off their vocal and terpsichorean skills. The Academy’s Davin Wade made an impressive debut in his first professional performance in the featured role of Les. STAGES St. Louis continues to wow audiences with their polished top-notch productions at the Kirkwood Performing Arts Center. 

7. WAITRESS – Muny favorite Jessica Vosk electrified St. Louis audiences with her loveable Jenna in the Muny debut of the Sara Bareilles musical WAITRESS. Vosk’s performance was musical theater gold and the best overall performance in a musical theatre season filled with exemplary work. Broadway World said that her portrayal created a perceptible connection with the audience and called her vocals richly textured and layered with emotion. Her delivery of the pop music hit “She Used to Be Mine” was big, haunting, and layered with heartbreak. Director Lili-Anne Brown and scenic designer Wilson Chin brought a prismatic and cinematic feel to the Muny’s vast stage. Brown’s direction was a master class in how to stage an intimate story on a massive stage and flood an audience of 11,000 with tangible emotion. But make no mistake, it was Vosk’s brilliant portrayal that made this a show into a majestic Muny moment. Credit The Muny’s Mike Isaacson and Michael Baxter for putting the most talented actors working today on The Muny stage. The casting for the entire 106th season was phenomenal. 

8. ANASTASIA – Tesseract Theatre Company wowed with a second production that knocked the audience’s socks off. The thought of considering any production of ANASTASIA on a year-end list was beyond comprehension, but director Brittanie Gunn staged a charming, infectious, and satisfying production of the Ahrens and Flaherty musical. Broadway World said, “ANASTASIA exceeded expectations with a charismatic cast, soaring vocals, and high energy choreography.” Sarah Wilkinson (Anya), Aaron Fischer (Dimitry), Margery A. Handy (The Dowager Empress), and Kimmie Kidd (The Countess Lily) were standouts among a splendid cast. Kudos to Michelle Sauer for her expressive choreography and to Sarah Gene Dowling for her resplendent costumes. Tesseract Theatre Company has put the St. Louis community on notice with their sold-out run – they have found their artistic voice! 

9. ROMANOV FAMILY YARD SALE – Equally Represented Arts (ERA), director Lucy Cashion, playwright Courtney Bailey, and a divine cast of 15 created a theatrically immersive experience unlike any other. ROMANOV FAMILY YARD SALE was overflowing with wit, charm, patriotism, and silliness. The loveable Romanovs created a palpable bond with the audience that engendered concrete emotion, compassion, and empathy for the exiled cousins of the overthrown Czar. It was a major disappointment to only see this production one time, but word of mouth made these tickets hotter than melting steel.  

10. [title of show] - Prism Theatre Company treated audiences to a delightful little musical and some tasty Rice Krispy Treats. [title of show] is included on Broadway World St. Louis’ top 10 list because it was simple joyful fun that created entertaining memories that still linger months after seeing the show. There was so much to like about this delightful production including Sam Hayes’ lively direction, Rachel Bailey’s uncanny performance as Susan Blackwell, Savannah Fernelius’ robust voice and soaring vocals, the fearless commitment of the four actors, Mallory Golden’s terrific music direction, and Cady Bailey’s silly unencumbered choreography. Prism Theatre Company’s [title of show] was a giddy good time.  

There are numerous other productions from the 2024 theatre season that were difficult to leave off this list and worthy of an honorable mention. Opera Theatre of St. Louis opened their season with a raucous and colorful production of THE BARBER OF SEVILLE that took the opera world by storm thanks to Lynly Saunders cartoonish costumes for Count Almaviva. The extravagant BARBER OF SEVILLE was a standout production among a robust season for Opera in St. Louis.  

The Muny had a magnificent season with two other outstanding productions that were considered for inclusion in the top 10 productions of 2024. Director John Tartaglia took audiences under the sea with Ariel and dozens of puppets in Disney’s THE LITTLE MERMAID. To say Tartaglia is visionary is to understate his talent. John Riddle (Valjean) ran from Jordan Donica (Inspector Javert) in a musically virtuosic production of Les Miserable. It is notable to mention that Belleville’s Ann Beyersdorfer also designed magnificent sets for both Mermaid and Les Mis in addition to her work on STAGES’ production of Newsies.  

Rebekah Scallet and New Jewish Theater (NJT) are creating theater seasons with shows that have the momentum of a speeding locomotive. In addition to ALL MY SONS, NJT staged two other plays that were strongly considered for inclusion on this list. Broadway World called TRAYF “a wonderfully warm and winning comedy” featuring the spirited performances of Bryce A. Miller and Jacob Schmidt. John Logan’s play RED took the audience inside the studio and mind of a narcissistic painter thanks to Christopher Harris’ remarkable portrayal and Margery and Peter Spack’s immersive set design.  

Dramas reigned in 2024 with The Rep’s athletic production of David’s Caplin’s adaptation of MOBY DICK, St. Louis Actors’ Studio cerebral and well-acted COPENHAGEN, and The Black Reps world premiere production of Paul Webb’s HOLD ON.  

There a few new dramas and one comedy written by local playwrights getting their World Premiere stagings this year that warranted an honorable mention as well. Lize Lewy’s LONGING, e.k. doolin’s THE REASON WHY, Jayne Hannah’s LOVE IN THE TIME OF NOTHING, and Marjorie Williamson’s ELEPHANTS’ GRAVEYARD all tugged at the audience’s heartstrings. 

Live theater is thriving in St. Louis with dozens of exquisite productions of musicals, dramas, comedies, and operas each year. Visit the theater calendar on The St. Louis Theater Circle’s webpage to see a complete listing of all the professionally produced plays in St. Louis: stltheatercircle.org. Go see a play. 

PHOTO CREDIT: Florence Flick

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