This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon, Feb. 8, 2012 - Whether you're bitter or bitten by the love bug this Valentine's Day season, there's an arts event in anticipation of the day to suit your mood.
"Love Gone Wrong, Songs of Love Amuck," presented Thursday by the faculty of Webster University's music department, pays tribute to broken hearts. Its unconventional message is delivered through such tunes as "I Attempt from Love's Sickness to Fly" by Purcell.
More starry-eyed, but also with a nod to the dark side of love is Dramatic License Theatre's weekend presentation of "A Valentine Cabaret," which includes songs from George and Ira Gershwin, Kander and Ebb and Billy Joel, among others.
For those who prefer a jazzier sound, Jazz on Broadway in Alton presents a Friday night dinner-and-dancing event featuring Tim Cunningham, Anita Jackson and guest vocalist Theo Peoples, whose name you may remember from the Temptations and the Four Tops.
If it's urban poetry that stirs your soul, check out Urb Poetry's Valentine's Day-theme reading on Friday night at Legacy Books and Cafe on Delmar near Union, featuring Mocha Williams and DJ Will Power.
And if you've got a taste for sculpture, wine, brandy or hot cider with some Kakao chocolates and s'mores, feel the love at Laumeier's 'LOVEmeier' event Saturday night. The evening includes an illuminated sculpture tour, poetry readings and a DJ.
