St. Louis Symphony
The St. Louis Symphony is truly one of the gems of the city. Not only is it a world-class orchestra (they won the Best Orchestral Performance Grammy Award last year), it is also an extremely accessible one! You can, of course, hear fabulous renditions of traditional orchestral repertoire, but you can also attend concerts where the orchestra accompanies Pixar film clips, or plays music from Legend of Zelda. Concerts are usually held in beautiful Powell Hall, just 10 minutes away, and reasonably priced tickets are always available, especially for students. In the summer you can even hear the symphony for free in Forest Park! You don’t have to be a regular symphony goer, or even a big classical music fan, to be able to enjoy the outstanding music of the St. Louis Symphony. I highly recommend taking advantage of such incredible local talent and checking out some concerts during your time here!
– Evelyn R., M1
Moolah Theater
Imagine watching a movie in your home with a giant movie screen, delicious popcorn and a big comfy couch. Seems possible, except the giant movie screen may be hard to fit inside your apartment. Have no fear! You can get all of this in one place, the Moolah Theater and Lounge. Located a short distance from campus, it is a movie theater unlike any other. It has an assortment of couches, chairs and recliners as seats, and incredibly cheap tickets. It shows some of the most popular films and has special films playing throughout the week. After the show, if you need a little more fun, within the Moolah building complex is also a bar and a bowling alley! Whether you want a fun night out or cozy night in, grab your pair of cute boots or comfy slippers and head on over to the Moolah Theater and Lounge.
– Maria S., M1
Fabulous Fox Theater
The Fabulous Fox Theater, located just two miles away from campus, is the premier performing arts center in St. Louis. It has one of the most beautiful and elaborately designed interiors of any building in St. Louis and will make any first-time visitor’s jaw drop. It has been a venue for many famous artists, comedians, musical ensembles, dance groups, and even national tours of Broadway plays/musicals. Matilda and Kinky Boots made stops at the Fox earlier this year and Newsies and Beautiful are coming this winter. One perk of living in St. Louis is that tickets are far easier to get and cheaper than they are in New York. In fact, some shows even offer discounted student rush tickets, which are available to students for – $20 if you pick them up the day of the show (about two hours ahead of the start time). So you might have to wait until 2017 for Hamilton and Fun Home to make it to St. Louis, but if a show is big enough to be touring, it will definitely be making a stop here!
– Erin K., M1
Chase Park Plaza Cinemas
The Chase Park Plaza is a great local theater conveniently located in the Central West End, about a 15-minute walk from campus. They offer good student discounts and tickets are only $5 on Wednesdays and every day before 5 p.m. The movie selection is surprisingly wide for a small theater, and they frequently screen limited-release movies. I recommend arriving early so you don’t miss the lovely older man that plays the organ before evening shows. Other fairly unique amenities include a full bar at the concession stand and post-movie mints served on a silver platter as you exit the theatre.
– Christine H., M1