The Muny
The St. Louis Municipal Opera Theatre (commonly known as The Muny) is an amphitheater located in St. Louis, Missouri. The theatre seats 11,000 people with about 1,500 free seats in the last nine rows that are available on a first come, first served basis.[2]
Not to be confused with Music Under New York.Former names
Municipal Theater of St. Louis (1917-19)
Municipal Theatre Association of St. Louis
11,000
June 5, 1917
1923, 1930, 1935, 1997, 2004, 2014-15, 2018-19
$10,000
($280,000 in 2023 dollars[1])
The Muny seasons run every year from mid-June to mid-August. It is run by a nonprofit organization. The current president and chief executive is Kwofe Coleman. The current artistic director and executive producer is Mike Isaacson.
Production[edit]
The Muny produces all of its musicals (typically seven) in the season and operates only in the summer. During the winter, a full-time staff of 35 people prepare for the next summer season. During the season itself, the summer staff expands to include more than 500 people in various positions. All shows are rehearsed within the course of 11 days, with two technical rehearsals (one costumed, one not) being held in the two to three days before the show's opening. Shows run 7 days, although exceptions to this have occurred, particularly in recent years, when each season has had at least one production with an extended run. There is a two-three day break between shows to allow for tech and set, boom, and floor change.
In 2015, The Muny began producing Muny Magic at The Sheldon, bi-annual concerts at the Sheldon Concert Hall.[10] They are cabaret-style concerts featuring artists who have appeared on the Muny stage. In recent years, Muny Artistic Director and Executive Producer Mike Isaacson has announced the lineup for the upcoming summer season at the spring installments of Muny Magic at the Sheldon.[11]