Spring break is a time for freedom from school work and new experiences. If you’re interested in seeing something new, exciting and artistic that’s close to home, check out these nearby on-stage performances in major cities.
####Kansas City####
_[Informed Consent](http://www.unicorntheatre.org/?page=season-Informed-Consent)_
Unicorn Theatre
March 7–April 1
Ticket Prices: $37 – $42
_Informed Consent_ is based on a 2004 court case, Havasupai Tribe of the Havasupai Reservation v. Arizona Board of Regents and Therese Ann Markow. In the late ‘80s, Arizona State University researchers reached out to members of the Havasupai Tribe to include them in a study regarding the high rates of Type 2 diabetes within the tribe. Years after the diabetes testing, a woman from the tribe attended a researcher’s lecture and discovered the tribe’s blood samples had been used for other testing outside of diabetes. A lawsuit about participants’ informed consent during research followed.
The play, by Deborah Zoe Laufer, is a thought-provoking look into the ethics behind the court case and the process of informed consent. It follows a determined yet borderline obsessive genetic anthropologist from Arizona in her research and how her personal life relates to the case. It’s an intense show, and it explores the intricate minefield of genetic testing.
_[Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street](http://kcrep.org/show/sweeney-todd-demon-barber-fleet-street)_
Kansas City Repertory Theatre
March 23 – April 15
Ticket Prices: $25 – $80
Stephen Sondheim’s horror musical about London urban legend Sweeney Todd is a gory and spectacular event. The show puts the killer at the center of its plot. Todd, after being wrongfully imprisoned for most of his life, returns to London, bent on seeking revenge against those who had him imprisoned. His ploy is slightly complicated by a surprise accomplice, a poor baker named Mrs. Lovett. Infatuated with Todd, Lovett indulges him in his path to revenge. She bakes his victims into meat pies and makes a killing off the profits. It’s a dark show, but it’s musical numbers make it surprisingly lighthearted. Popular songs from the show include “Green Finch and Linnet Bird”, “The Worst Pies in London” and “A Little Priest.” If you aren’t sold on the live production, there is a 2007 film version starring Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter.
####St. Louis####
_The Color Purple_
The Fabulous Fox Theatre
March 20 – April 1
Ticket Prices: $25 – $85
Based on the renowned book by Alice Walker, the Broadway tour of _The Color Purple_ will play in St. Louis over spring break. It’s a heartbreaking yet wonderful story of what it means to be a family and to be an African-American woman in the early 1900s. Sisters Celie and Nettie are abused by their father and end up being separated. Through marriages, children, affairs and mission work, Celie must slowly work her way back to Nettie, building a family of their own along the way.
The enticing tale of friendship during hardship won the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical in 2016, and actress Cynthia Erivo won the Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical for her emotional and stunning performance as Celie.
####Chicago####
_[On Your Feet! The Emilio and Gloria Estefan Musical](https://onyourfeetmusical.com/tour/)_
Cadillac Palace Theatre
March 23 – April 1
Ticket Prices: $77 – $199
The national tour of this Tony-nominated Broadway production stops in Chicago over spring break. _On Your Feet!_ made its world premiere at the Oriental Theatre in Chicago in 2015 and was Broadway-bound shortly after. The plot follows Grammy-winning husband and wife duo, Emilio and Gloria Estefan. Through ups and downs, the pair stays devoted to each other and the success of their music. It’s a passionate, energetic show that features some of the Estefans’ most popular songs, such as “Conga,” “Turn the Beat Around” and “Mi Tierra”.
_[The Gentleman Caller](https://www.raventheatre.com/stage/the-gentleman-caller/)_
Raven Theatre
March 28 – May 13
Ticket Prices: $15 – $29
This is the world premiere of _The Gentleman Caller_, a steamy, intimate look at the true love affair of playwrights Tennessee Williams and William Inge. The show takes place before the playwrights had found fame. Williams is opening a new show and Inge is a newspaper critic. Right before the premiere of Williams’ play _The Glass Menagerie_ in the 1940s, Inge invites Williams over for an interview. This sparks a romance perfect for the stage.
The show is incredibly familiar for those of you with a good deal of Midwest pride. Williams’ show is opening in Chicago. The interview between Williams and Inge takes place in St. Louis. What’s most familiar is the fact that Inge was once a Stephens College faculty member.
_Edited by Brooke Collier | bcollier@themaneater.com_