Metro Theater Company is bringing together notable St. Louisans for a special reading of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Participants include Emmy-nominated actress Ellie Kemper, Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, Grammy-winning soprano Christine Brewer and medical director for the St. Louis Fire Department Mark Levine. The reading will be streamed Dec. 10 and 13, and the public can register for free or make a donation at metroplays.org/christmascarol.


The Bayer YMCA celebrated its reopening after a $2.5 million renovation project, made possible through the support of Bayer. The new space includes an expanded Early Childhood Education Center and Teen Tech Center, an updated community kitchen and garden, additional health and wellness services, and a new family changing room.


Congrats to Ja’Niyah Banks-Ewing, who was named Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis’ Youth of the Year. A member of the BGCSTL Herbert Hoover Club for more than 10 years, the Clyde C. Miller Career Academy senior received $9,000 in scholarships and a new car.


Missed any of the performances from the fifth annual Tennessee Williams Festival STL? It’s not too late! You can still stream them on twstl.org and classic1073.org through Nov. 22.


Mercy GoHealth Urgent Care now is offering rapid COVID-19 testing at all locations. Unlike with tests that must be sent to a reference lab for processing, results can be determined in approximately 15 minutes. Walk-in patients are not eligible for the quicker testing, so schedule a virtual visit or save your place online for evaluation at gohealthuc.com/st-louis.


A locally produced podcast is offering insight on arts and culture in St. Louis and beyond. Created by Sharon Hunter, Moonstone Connections focuses on in-depth interviews with arts leaders and can be found on platforms like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, SoundCloud and Stitcher.