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This Olathe Calendar of Events is presented by the Kansas City Real Estate Network.
March 2011 - Posts
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A two-day project in the Family and Consumer Science (FACS) classroom at California Trail Middle School became a school-wide fundraiser to benefit victims of the Japan earthquake and tsunami. Katie Gibson's students are making and selling tote bags and iPod covers for their fellow Bulldogs, with proceeds benefiting the American Red Cross.
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The Senator will make remarks followed by brief moderated Q&A.
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It’s my senior year of high school and I’m in Anaheim, Calif., with some of my friends from our filmmaking class. My high school had an advanced filmmaking program, equipped with advanced cameras and editing software, and every year our teacher, Mr. Kapeller, would take some of his students to the Student Television Network (STN) conference, a convention dedicated to student filmmaking across the country.
more at The University Daily Kansan
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She'll be here May 6th to accept a lifetime achievement award from Shawnee Mission East, her high school. Bergman won the Golden Globe for Conan The Barbarian with Arnold Schwarzenegger in 1982. This is the second time Shawnee Mission East has given the award.
more at KC Confidential
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Spinning Tree Theatre presents the music of William Finn in "Make Me A Song," April 1-10 at Off Center Theatre, located on Level 3 of the Crown Center Shops in Kansas City, Mo. More information at http://www.spinningtreetheatre.com
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 Don't Call Him Rating: 5
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) Olathe Community Theatre Association
It was a true delight to witness this phenomenal comedy on Saturday, March 26th. It was my first time visiting the space and I was very impressed with how they had transformed the old church into a beautiful and comfortable theatre. Upon entering, the audience is greeted by a vibrant and comical set designed by actor Shea Coffman. I loved the labels painted on the stage such as "C" for center and "You are about to break the fourth wall" on the edge. There were so many funny and interesting things to look at!
Though I knew the general concept of the show I was unprepared for the crazy trip that was director Kipp Simmons's three-man extravaganza. They crammed so many clever jokes into this show that there was barely a moment that I wasn't laughing (which at sometimes was an issue because I couldn't hear the next few lines over the audience). I really appreciated the way they made things personal and relevant by making references to modern celebrities, local events, and their own eccentricities.
The three actors, Kyle Dyck, David Martin, and Reed Uthe, had amazing chemistry and comedic timing. Each of them had their own style and the audience was quick to catch on to their niches. Dyck (which, as joked about, is pronounced dick) was the "dumb one" who was always the first one to get confused and all of the female parts. I took a particular joy in his performance as we are good friends from the cast of the Brownville Village Theatre's 2009 season. Even though he was constantly running around in different wigs pretending to vomit on the audience, we still got to see his serious side when he performed on of the monologues from Hamlet (which took up the entirety of Act 2) in the traditional style. Knowing him personally, I was already aware of his prowess for Shakespearean acting and I was glad they decided to showcase that talent. David Martin was the "goofy one" and his extreme height (6'6" I believe) really lent itself to that character. The highlight of his performance was his physical comedy; I especially enjoyed his take on the old man, Polonius, from Hamlet. Reed Uthe was the "pretentious one" who was supposed to be the one that knew the most about Shakespeare; so it was that much funnier when he got something wrong. His shining moment? Hamlet, of course! I think he did it best backwards.
>From the witty banter with the sound guy, Bob, to the insulting of various audience members (though Kyle was kind enough to compliment me on my hair as he was running through the row behind me to get away from Reed), to getting everyone in the room to play a part of Ophelia's personality, the show was a complete riot! I wish they would have had a longer run so that more people could have enjoyed this wonderful show. I haven't laughed that hard since Edward Cullun took off his shirt! Do I even have to say it? 5 out ot 5.
Jamie Lin
read the review at KC Stage
 
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A well-rounded show Rating: 4
Cabaret Kansas City Repertory Theatre
"Cabaret" is an event from the beginning at the Kansas City Repertory Theatre. From the ushers with cabaret style hats on to the velvet red curtain and small candle-lit tables on the front row to the costumes (the oh-so-excellent costumes, especially for the Kit Kat girls - I just wish the Kit Kat boys' costumes were just as sexy) and the blocking in-the-round, the show helps you believe that you're not in 2011 in a theatre but in the 1930s in a cabaret club.
With a drum roll, the spotlight opens on the excellent Brian Sills as the Master of Ceremonies, who steals the show every single time he steps on stage, let alone sings. "Wilkommen" gets a double steal as the use of the rotating stage and the gay subtext (as we not only get men dancing together but women as well) is used to full effect. Sills really shines, however, during "The Money Song" - making the song have the true double-meaning and disturbing concept its supposed to.
This is the perfect show for staging in the round, and sometimes it's awesome (especially with the use of the rotating stage). However, sometimes it's gimmicky. The blocking and choreography felt like it played to the house a lot, so I was left wondering if the people on the risers on the stage really got the full effect of the show. Also, the "Telephone Song" ended up being too busy and distracting, the one time the blocking for in the round didn't really work for me as I didn't know quite where to look.
Claybourne Elder, as Clifford, started out small and quiet - as the character needs to be - and really shines in Act II. He has tremendous stage presence, and commands the scenes he's in. He exudes a quiet shyness that makes you want to watch him.
Which leads me to Kara Lindsay as Sally Bowles. As the whole reason for the plot, the character of Sally Bowles needs to grab the audience's attention right off the bat with "Don't Tell Mama" and keep it for the rest of the show. Lindsay just didn't have it - "Don't Tell Mama" was the weakest of the Act I songs, feeling like it's 'just another song' as opposed to an introduction. Her English accent wandered from time to time, and it wasn't really until the last song, "Cabaret", that she sang with energy and passion. I'd love to blame it on having to compare her to Liza Minelli and the movie version - but it's been ages since I've seen the movie, and Sills was able to take the roll of the Emcee and make it his own, even though one of the few things I did remember from the movie was how much Joel Grey creeped me out. It wasn't that she was bad - it's that she should've been so much better. She just didn't command the audience's attention, and she's the one you need to be attracted to regardless of your sexual preferences.
"Life is depressing," the Emcee states - and this show definitely shows that (I felt guilty applauding at the end of Act I, as that's when the Nazi menace shows up in the plot). Act II has some definite parallels to the world of today that makes this a great choice to produce. I had been looking forward to this since the Rep announced it in their season, and I was not disappointed. It was a decent production, with just a couple of flaws. "Cabaret" is a roller-coaster of a show - when it's good, it's really good; but when it's not so good, it's very noticeable as a result.
"Cabaret" is playing at the KC Rep until April 10, 2011, and more information can be found at kcrep.org.
Angie Fiedler Sutton
review can also be seen at http://angiefsutton.wordpress.com/
read the review at KC Stage
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The California Trail chess team wrapped up its 2010-11 season by winning the Kansas Scholastic Chess Association's state championship K-8 section in Wichita during spring break. In addition, team member Tony Cheng earned his fourth consecutive Kansas state champion title from the K-8 and elementary sections and will represent Kansas in the National K-8 Tournament of Champions at the U.S. Open this summer in Orlando, Fla.
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The Artistic Director for the Lyric Opera of Kansas City since 1998, Ward Holmquist, admits he didn’t know much about the Lyric Opera of Kansas City when he was first considered for the job in 1997. But he said that the Lyric Theatre was one of the most important aspects of the job for him. “I couldn’t help but be impressed that a regional opera owned its own theatre. That was really remarkable and very interesting to me. It was one of the first things that piqued my interest. I assumed, correctly, that the city had a great love and support of opera.” Interestingly, The Marriage of Figaro was the first opera that Holmquist conducted at the Lyric Theatre.
more at KCUR
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Thanks to all who entered our Max & Ruby Bunny Party ticket giveaway…and thanks to our friends at Midland Theatre, we are lucky enough to have 5 winners! Each winner will receive 4 tickets to the June 12, 2011 production… more 
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Jazz will bookend the weekend as Friday offers the Washburn University Coleman Hawkins Jazz Festival capped by a Sons of Brasil performance in White Concert Hall and Sunday brings saxophonist Kim Park to the Ramada Hotel and Convention Center for a Topeka Jazz Workshop Inc. Concert Series show.
more at the Topeka Capital-Journal
Three Topeka houses of worship will provide the venues for weekend performances by an Italian concert organist, a Kansas City, Mo.,-based baroque ensemble and musically inclined local medical care providers.
more at the Topeka Capital-Journal
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Students from the Paseo Academy of Fine and Performing Arts in Kansas City are learning from a theatre entrepreneur in Baton Rouge, La., thanks to the Urban Entrepreneur Partnership (UEP), a program of the Kauffman Foundation, the world's leading foundation in entrepreneurship.
more at Infozine
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Yet over the last few years the British documentary maker — whose subjects have ranged from Muhammad Ali to the Chernobyl nuclear accident — has gained a reputation for making films about great composers that are accessible to classical newbies even as they satisfy hard-core types.
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Topic: "Recruiting, Retaining, and Facebook"
With an introduction and feedback from KU Career Placement director, Sara Clayton, explore the boundaries and opportunities that exist with the use of Facebook and other social media. How do you retain talent for when the economy improves? Does Facebook play a role?
10-Minute Sponsor: Avila University
What is the HR Roundtable?
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It offers a unique environment for human resources practitioners to interact with their peers on a monthly basis, discuss and share related best practices, emerging trends, and workplace issues.
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Meeting registration opens two weeks prior to the event date and ends the Friday before the meetng date. Cost is $11 per person for catered lunch or FREE for the "B.Y.O.Lunch" option. Complimentary Pepsi beverages always available.
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Payments for catered lunch are accepted online or at the door. Notify staff of B.Y.O.Lunch option via email or phone call. Cancelations must be received by 5 p.m. on the Friday prior to the event in order to avoid charges.
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Space is limited to 30 people. A waiting list will be maintained as needed and individuals will be contacted if space becomes available.
Mission Statement:
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The Olathe HR Roundtable offers human resource practitioners of member organizations a forum to discuss and share related best practices, emerging trends, and workplace issues. The main purpose of the roundtable is to create a unique environment where information can be shared in an open-exchange format that is collaborative, engaging, and valuable to represented organizations and the HR profession.
Who is it designed for?
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The HR Roundtable was created as a networking and problem-solving opportunity for human resource practitioners who are directly involved in the personnel and hiring process of their organization (i.e. HR managers, recruiters, payroll administrators, etc.).
Can vendors attend?
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Due to limited space and because of the nature of the topics that are openly discussed by the HR practitioners, some attendance restrictions do apply. Thus it is crucial to the group’s success that attendance is restricted to vendors that provide uniquely human resources services and/or products.
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Up to five seats will be reserved for vendors representing a relevant product or service may attend each meeting, with only one representative per business or organization each month.
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Vendors are sometimes the “solutions experts” to the questions and concerns that the HR practitioners have; therefore vendor input is welcome while “sales messages” are not.
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In determining the appropriateness of the various vendors in attendance, Chamber staff will consider the relevance to the hiring and employment situations that the HR practitioners face in their day-to-day jobs or to the topic of the month (i.e. vendors who deal with payroll services, pre-employment testing, staffing assistance, training, benefits, etc.).
Can non-members of the Olathe Chamber attend?
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One representative of a non-member organization is welcome to attend one meeting a year.
Can vendors make presentations to the HR practitioners that attend?
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Presentations are at the sole discretion of the Olathe Chamber of Commerce. Please consider the sponsorship opportunity described below.
The “Quarterly Lunch Sponsorship” program is an exclusive opportunity for vendors to promote their products and services. Please contact Chamber staff for details. It is offered to Olathe Chamber members in order to best serve its membership while continuing to discourage “sales messages” from meeting discussions:
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Vendors are offered an opportunity to provide printed materials and promotional items on a designated table and to be available afterwards to answer questions. Chamber staff will oversee the quantity and duration of displayed items and the length of the meeting.
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On occasion, the Chamber might invite various “experts” to address the group as deemed necessary and helpful to the overall group and topic of discussion. This is not a sales opportunity and may not qualify for the HR Roundtable Lunch Sponsorship program.
Discussion is facilitated by Susan Wallace, Olathe Chamber, Personnel & Projects Manager
To RSVP w/o online pre-payment, you may submit the form below and indicate "RSVP," your name, email, and lunch choice: (1) $11 Catered lunch option but pay at the door, or (2) Free B.Y.O.Lunch option. We will respond to submitted questions at our earliest convenience, or you may call the Olathe Chamber (913) 764-1050.
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Enjoy a great meal at Texas Roadhouse and be "served" by local law enforcement officers. Patrons are encouraged to tip your officer after the meal, with proceeds to Special Olympics Kansas
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Thursday night’s production of “The Music Man” at the Lawrence Arts Center may as well be called “All In The Family” for all of the familial units that are a part of the cast. Brothers will perform with sisters, husbands with wives, fathers with their daughters, mothers with their sons, and grandparents with grandchildren.
more at the Lawrence Journal-World
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The Geoscience Program at Olathe North High School has received a $28,000 grant from the Johnson County Stormwater Management Program for community outreach to educate homeowners about managing storm water runoff, and steps they can take to influence the water quality in local lakes and streams.
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Don’t be confused when you see Cherubino on stage in The Marriage of Figaro. The role is of a man being played by a woman and Brenda Patterson, our Cherubino, is well versed in portraying this man on stage.
more at the Lyric Opera
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Circles can symbolize unity or closure, but they can also convey inertia, stasis, even claustrophobia. The Kansas City Repertory Theatre’s production of Kander & Ebb’s Cabaret at Spencer Theatre uses the circle to represent all of those things, by placing the action on a rotating central disc and seating the audience “in the round”—a configuration created by installing semi-circular rows of seats in what would normally be the upstage area.
more at The Independent
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Strings and keys; the “whuff” of a pedal and the rhythmic tippling of fingerpads along saxophones and trumpets; horsehair bows gracefully cuffing their partner strings; the glowering melt of a tuba solo. All of these sounds are the stuff of the nationally known, locally grown Plowman Chamber Music Competition.
more at the Columbia Daily-Tribune
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Jason Herman, assistant principal/athletic director at Olathe North High School, received the 2011 Dr. Arthur Newcomer Promising Athletic Director Award from the Kansas Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (KIAAA) during its March 19 banquet.
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This is a massive garage sale to raise funds for the Navajo Children of Sun Valley Indian School in Sun Valley, Arizona. A team of MNU faculty and students will donate a week of teaching and coaching at Sun Valley Indian School for the week of May 21-28, 2011. The sale takes place on the campus of MNU in the Land Gymnasium. Donations will be accepted May 9-11 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
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This is a collection of Kansas City jazz all-stars. All but Matt are better known in KC in other groups. Yet in this configuration, they blend their talents into a unique voice for Matt’s compositions (and some by Monk and others) to fill the room with musical wonder.
more at kcjazzlark
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In what promises to be one of the most significant musical events of the Kansas City season, this week the Boston Early Music Festival brings Handel’s Acis and Galatea to the Friends of Chamber Music’s chamber series. This semi-staged production—at 8 p.m. on April 1st at the Folly Theater—strives for historical authenticity in all aspects.
more at The Independent
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The Metropolitan Ensemble Theatre’s Artistic Director; actor, director, business leader, Mother to Holland and James, wife of co-collaborator actor director Bob, and excellent cook. When I arrived at the MET this afternoon, a cast rehearsed the upcoming production of “Enchanted April”. Bob has a role, Karen’s not directing or acting in this one but she’s stewarding the ship, USS MET.
more at Present Magazine
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The Missouri Motion Media Association's Legislative Day, originally scheduled for February 1 in Jefferson City, had to be postponed due to the snowstorm that hit the area. They have now officially rescheduled the event for April 19.
The goal of the legislative day is to meet legislators about keeping the current film production tax incentive of $4.5 million. The governor's tax incentive task force had recommended the money be transferred to another industry.
The original schedule for the legislative day included having tables to showcase various film jobs, such as sound editing, animation, 3-D, etc., followed by visiting with legislators.
If you are involved in the Missouri film industry any way and are interested in attending the rescheduled legislative day, please visit the MOMMA website at www.mommaonline.com. 
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Creating a rotating stage for a 360 degree stage production is no small task. Sauntering across a catwalk of chairs in a role made famous by Liza Minnelli– also rather challenging. But entertaining Kansas City is perhaps the most difficult feat of them all.
more at The Vignette
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This article appeared in the February 2011 issue of KC Stage Top-Rated Shows (20 vote minimum)
- Women of Rock - The Barn Players, Inc. (4.50)
- Our Town - Olathe Community Theatre (3.95)
- Guys & Dolls - Leawood Stage Company (3.71)
- My Girdle is Killing Me - KC Fringe Festival (3.63)
- All Shook Up - The Theatre in the Park (3.62)
- The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee - American Heartland Theatre (3.60)
- You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown - She&Her Productions (3.56)
- Death and the Publican - Tara Lane Productions (3.47)
- Dirty Rotten Scoundrels - The Barn Players, Inc. (3.40)
- Khan! the Musical - KC Fringe Festival (3.40)
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| Cathy Barnett in Grey Gardens. Photo by Cynthia Levin |
Top-Rated Equity Shows (7 vote minimum)
- Grey Gardens - Unicorn Theatre (4.29)
- Lucky Duck - The Coterie Theatre (4.00)
- Marion Bridge - Kansas City Actors Theatre (3.86)
- Bus Stop - Kansas City Repertory Theatre (3.67)
- The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee - American Heartland Theatre (3.60)
- [title of show] - Unicorn Theatre (3.45)
- Broke-ology - Kansas City Repertory Theatre (3.25)
- Glorious! - American Heartland Theatre (3.14)
- Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day - The Coterie Theatre (2.43)
- Harriet Jacobs - Kansas City Repertory Theatre (2.29)
Top-Rated Professional Shows (5 vote minimum)
- Valhalla - Egads Theatre Company (4.17)
- The US & THEM Reunion - KC Fringe Festival (3.80)
- Say You Love Satan - Egads Theatre Company (3.67)
- Dark Play or Stories for Boys - Relevance Productions (3.67)
- Thrill Me: The Leopold & Loeb Story - KC Fringe Festival (3.64)
- My Girdle is Killing Me - KC Fringe Festival (3.63)
- Breaking the Trust - Tara Lane Productions (3.54)
- Morphotic - KC Fringe Festival (3.54)
- Death and the Publican - KC Fringe Festival (3.47)
- The Event - KC Fringe Festival (3.43)
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| Aurelie Roque in Women of Rock. Photo by Vida Bikales |
Top-Rated Community Shows (20 vote minimum)
- Women of Rock - The Barn Players, Inc. (4.50)
- Our Town - Olathe Community Theatre (3.95)
- Guys & Dolls - Leawood Stage Company (3.71)
- All Shook Up - The Theatre in the Park (3.62)
- You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown - She&Her Productions (3.56)
- Dirty Rotten Scoundrels - The Barn Players, Inc. (3.40)
- Chicago - City Theatre of Independence (3.32)
- Rent - The Barn Players, Inc. (3.15)
- Annie - The Theatre in the Park (2.95)
- Jesus Christ Superstar - The Theatre in the Park (2.82)
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| Zachary Andrews, and Andrea Morales in The King Stag. Photo by Kristi Lewczenko |
Top-Rated Academic Shows (2 vote minimum)
- The King Stag - UMKC Theatre (4.75)
- A Midsummer Night’s Dream - UMKC Theatre (4.50)
- Slammed: KC Speaks Out on the Recession - UMKC Theatre (4.50)
- Big River - Shawnee Mission Northwest Theatre (4.25)
- Miss Julie - UMKC Theatre (3.50)
- Black Comedy/The White Liars - UMKC Theatre (3.34)
- Hedda Gabler - Emporia State University Theatre (3.00)
- The Drowsy Chaperone - Music Theatre for Young People (3.00)
- The Laramie Project - Shawnee Mission South (2.86)
- Annie - ACT One of Kansas City (2.67)
And the audiences have spoken. The Barn Players’ musical benefit Women of Rock won not only the top rated show overall, but also the top rated community show. “I thought it would be just a rock concert but it was much more than that,” wrote reviewer Mhull. “The entire production from the ladies on stage, to the costuming and lighting, a rocking band and the delightful Mistress of Ceremonies Shelly Stewart, was flawless, energetic, moving, and captivating,” wrote reviewer brn2act1969.
We also asked some of our top reviewers for their input as to their favorite show.
Nicole Hall wrote, “I went to see Head at this year’s Fringe Festival, and I thought that show was, by far, one of the more risky, yet successful, productions done this year. Each individual cast member was strong in their own right, the director’s vision was clear, and it was just plain entertaining to take in. Kyle Hatley really showed me what it was to thoroughly enjoy a production instead of just analyze it.”
The reviewer known as Guildenstern wrote, “There were a handful of little-seen shows this year that really stood out for me. The best was perhaps Egads Theatre’s Valhalla [winner of top rated professional show], a complex comedy set in two different time periods that were nicely intertwined. While Steven Eubank’s stable of performers are well-known for their song-and-dance camp, they dove into this piece and made it as substantial and effective as any drama, anchored by Matt Weiss’ strong performance and balanced by Doogin Brown’s versatile comic abilities.
“Another great play with a smattering of audience was Relevance Production’s Dark Play, or Stories for Boys at Fringe Central. It seemed like just another story admonishing the dangers of online dating, but went far deeper as a character study and offered some real revelations. I kept trying to second guess where the play was going and was surprised. The staging was sparse but effective and the performances rough but sincere.
“UMKC’s King Stag [winner of top rated academic show] was an absolute delight that left me pleading for a better ending, or else it would have been my favorite play of the year. The Metropolitan Ensemble Theatre did a nice job with Eugene O’Neill’s Moon for the Misbegotten, finding a lot of much-needed humor that I’d never seen in prior productions.
“I caught a few great shows at the KC Fringe Festival, including Kyle Hatley’s Head, which was impressively presented but the script needed to be further developed. Morphotic was a remarkable staging of Franz Kafka’s life by Butcher Block Productions from Las Vegas, and I was also impressed with Bob Paisley’s hilarious and thought-provoking one man show The Event.
“Unfortunately I seem to have missed all the great shows by the big professional houses, because nothing I went to see really interested me much. In fact, some of the worst shows I saw were at the big professional houses. Is all the great theatre in this town really being done in ragtag Crossroads buildings on a shoestring?”
As for me, as I wrote in my blog Stage Savvy (angiefsutton.wordpress.com), “My overall favorite performance I saw in 2010 was Boston Court Performing Arts Center’s performance of The Twentieth Century Way, which was the last performance I saw in LA [for my fellowship]. This show moved me in a way I’ve not felt with regards to a show in a very long time (and not just because it ended with two nude men expressing their interest in each other). The acting was superb, especially as the story involved the two actors playing a vast array of characters, and I got chills as the show reached its climax.
“On the local KC side, my favorite performance of the year is a close tie between two shows that couldn’t be more different. On one hand, there was the Barstow’s Fringe production of Not Just For the Birds. As my review stated, this was good edutainment, and while it had a few bumps in the production I saw, it had a great energy to it. Great energy also applies to my other favorite show, the Unicorn Theatre’s A Very Joan Crawford Christmas. This show was just fucked up enough (phraseology definitely intended) to make me remember why I love theatre.”
KC Stage listed over 450 performances in 2010, and the “Annie Award” (for most produced show of the year) actually goes to the five companies who produced Annie this year - ACT One of Kansas City, Gardner Community Theatre, Inc., Raytown Arts Council, River City Community Players, and The Theatre in the Park.
Everyone’s a critic – especially in the world of Facebook, Twitter, Yelp, and other forms of social networking. KC Stage’s top rated shows are based on the ratings and review system on our website. Anyone can rate and/or review any of the shows listed on kcstage.com. The more votes a show has, the more likely it will be included in the top rated show listings. If you really want to speak your mind, write a review as well — sharing your thoughts and opinions. You do need to register with KC Stage to become a reviewer, but it’s fast and free.
Don’t forget to encourage your audience members as often as you can - online, at the box office, even in the curtain speech — to go online to kcstage.com to rate your shows.
We’d also love to hear from you. Write to editor@kcstage.com with your thoughts on our Top Rated Shows.
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Two and a half minutes fly by as Chisholm Trail Middle School's FIRST Lego League team races to manipulate its robot through a tabletop course based on this year's Body Forward medical theme.
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The Joffrey Ballet, founded by Robert Joffrey and Gerald Arpino in 1956, has been touring since the beginning. In the early days, the ensemble of six dancers would travel across America with a trailer, bringing the best of ballet to audiences all over the country.
more at kansascity.com
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What makes a theater? An instinctive response to that question might start with elements of its material constitution — a stage suitable for plays and players, seating, lights, set pieces, perhaps even an orchestra pit.
As Michael Scott and all who love the Maplewood Barn Theatre have learned, a theater is not, in fact, a passive, brick-and-mortar building just waiting for patrons to wander in and fill it up. Rather, it’s an active, wonder-filled community of people aware of how fortunate they are to share their lives and craft.
more at the Columbia Daily-Tribune
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Sarah McMullen began to make her mark in school musicals and local productions at the Coterie Theatre and Starlight Theatre. Then she hit the big time. McMullen was voted Pop Artist of 2010 at the Los Angeles Music Awards.
more at KCTV-5
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Disturbingly Wonderful
Rating: 5
The Pillowman
She&Her Productions
I had the pleasure of seeing Pillowman at The Birdhouse this past weekend and it was amazing. The actors were all stellar with extra kudos to Coleman Crenshaw. The show is disturbing yet extremely captivating! Added bonuses were the live music coming from the piano and the cool set design. Not only was this an amazing show but i would like to mention the really cool theater space of She&Her Productions. The raw brick walls and brick floor were incredible, along with the exposed timber beams. They had a seperate bar area which was amazing as well. The space definitely helped create the mood for the show. Im so excited for more She&Her Production shows! Glad they are here creating wonderful theater. If you miss this show it will be too bad. Definitely a show you can not pass up. Thank you for a great night of theater!
read the review at KC Stage
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Things are blooming at Starlight Theatre. On April 8 it will host a party in Kansas City with the proceeds benefiting the Kansas City Free Health Clinic. The Kansas City Free Health Clinic is one of the largest free clinics in the country. The fundraiser we be held at the Starlight Theatre at 4600 Starlight Rd. in Kansas City, Mo. from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m on Friday, April 8.
more at KSHB
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Those who know George Frideric Handel only from “Messiah” and a few of his orchestral works are missing out on what many consider his greatest music: his operas.
more at kansascity.com
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It was 5 degrees outside on a wintery Kansas City night. Despite a wet guitar and some frozen fingers, it turned out to be a good time to capture a pretty song from the Kansas City band, for the birds. And, boy, does it sound nice through the filter of snowflakes.
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Jaclyn Dalbey, Mallory Dorn & Travis Drahozal. KCAI Animation, 2011 independent project.
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The art of vocal production is both subtle and difficult, and the Trio Medieval displayed their impressive skills Saturday night in a program of English Medieval polyphony and Norwegian folk songs.
more at kansascity.com
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I attended your final debate on Monday, March 21 at the Plaza branch of the Kansas City Public Library, and was struck by two of the answers you gave to questions asked by debate moderator, Up to Date host Steve Kraske. When Mr. Kraske asked if there would be a place in your administration for your opponent, Mike Burke, you said that you would utilize Mr. Burke as an advocate for the arts in Kansas City. I strongly urge you to make this one of your first acts as mayor, and officially create a special position for Mr. Burke to galvanize support for the arts in the region, in coordination with the Arts Council of Metropolitan Kansas City. (“Arts Czar”? “Arts Poo-bah”? I’ll try to think of a more catchy title.)
more at KCUR
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If you asked 10 people who have attended a performance of “We!” to describe their experiences, chances are you’d get 10 very different responses. “We!” is an installation dance performance staged in an abandoned office space in the sixth floor of the Town Pavilion (formerly occupied by AT&T). It is co-produced and co-directed by jazz musician and horn sculpturer Mark Southerland and Jane Gotch, the show’s choreographer. The show comprises several performances and installations, each in a different part of the office space, which in various states of demolition and construction.
more at kansascity.com
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Watching Kansas City Repertory Theatre’s classy production of “Cabaret” with its rotating circular stage and bifurcated audience from my customary seat in the orchestra section made for an interesting and ultimately rewarding experience on opening night.
more at kansascity.com
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Actor Kevin Scott Richardson takes a break from filming Steve Balderson's movie "The Casserole Club" to dish with host Garrett Swann about relationships, food and more.
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Thanks to our friends at The Midland by AMC in downtown Kansas City, we have Max & Ruby Bunny Party tickets! And we have lots of them- 5 sets of 4 tickets. Do the… more 
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DANCING! DANCING! DANCING! WE LOVE DANCING! Whoop Dee Doo is the place for dancing of all types.
Here on Whoop Dee Doo all kinds of performers are welcome, here we've got some incredible vocalists, going all out to show their skillzzz!
Dancing dancing dancing, nothing is better than dancing, except maybe singing, and/or 80's classics.
MUSIC!! Music is something you can dance to! Music is something that can be made by people of all ages, look at these youngsters rocking!
Here on Whoop Dee Doo, we love to challenge our audience, but always in the most fun ways possible, watch as these kids struggle to enjoy a fizzy beverage through a delicious strawberry licorice strawwwwww
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Lanford Wilson, a Pulitzer-Prize-winning playwright and Missouri native, died Wednesday at 73. Wilson, who wrote big, sprawling plays with heart about misfits and eccentrics, was the most celebrated playwright from Missouri and, along with William Inge of Kansas, one of the most significant dramatists from this region.
more at kansascity.com
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Kansas City, in case you hadn’t noticed, has become a place to see original plays and musicals -- more than ever before, in fact. And the general rule of thumb seems to be: the smaller the venue, the edgier the material.
more at kansascity.com
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This is what’s happening more and more in Kansas City — young theater artists creating original work. They take paying gigs when they can get them, but they’re happy to make theater even when they earn nothing. The key word is “young.” There are probably more theater artists — actors, designers, directors, playwrights — in their 20s and 30s in Kansas City than ever before. Some are UMKC graduates. Others went to Stephens College in Columbia. Some went to New York and decided to come back.
more at kansascity.com
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Two guests were better than one at the Lyric Theatre Friday when guest conductor Larry Rachleff and pianist Ingrid Fliter appeared with the Kansas City Symphony.
more at kansascity.com
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(Bloody) Brilliant! Rating: 5
The Pillowman She&Her Productions
Martin McDonagh's The Pillowman is both moving and disturbing, and on Monday, March 21st, director Trevor Belt and his cast did it justice. Those of you who haven't experienced this dramatic piece of theatre need to make it down to the Westbottoms this weekend while you still have time. Musician Caleb Hopkins set the mood with the eerie sounds of an old piano – it's slightly out of tune, but it really added to the ambiance of it all – and the audience knew they were in for a trip, especially as they took their seats so close to the action.
The play opens in an interrogation room where Katrurian, played by Coleman Crenshaw, is being questioned and beaten by Tupolski and Ariel (Rick Williamson and Matt Leonard, respectively) over the recent murders of children who have met their demise in the same fashion of the characters in Katurian's short stories. It is soon revealed that they are also holding his mentally retarded brother, Michael (Jeremy Frazier) in another room. Without revealing any plot points, things get crazy and there is a lot of stage blood. Throughout the play, the audience sees many of Katurian's stories acted out by Cheryl Barker, Jared Walters, Alice Pollack, and Quinton Barker, all of which did a wonderful job with the mostly silent characters.
Crenshaw's performance as Katurian started out slow. When the lights came up and he was sitting there blindfolded, being startled by the sounds of Williamson in the room, it felt really contrived. I was not convinced. However, the further into the production (and the bloodier he got), Crenshaw became more and more believable. Once he hit his pace, he delivered an amazing character with real human emotions. You couldn't help but feel for him as he was being mistreated, even while you doubted his innocence. His interactions with his brother were the highlights of his performance, showing a wide range and severe dedication to his character.
Williamson as Detective Tupolski was brilliantly funny. The man was so hilarious that you felt bad for laughing so hard when the topic of the play is such a serious one. His witty banter and sarcasm was perfect for his role as the "good cop" and you can't help but like him. However, when his personality takes a meaner turn in the third act, the previous nice-guy demeanor doesn't hold him back from laying down the law. The switch seemed a little over done to me and I feel it would have benefitted Williamson to pull back on the anger a little bit. Because the audience was so fond of him and his pleasant behavior from earlier in the play, it's almost a shock to the system to see him so different at the end. Other than that small critique, a spot on job.
Frazier had a hard task ahead of him when he was cast as a mentally handicapped man. There is always the risk of over doing it and making it seem cartoonish and offensive. However, this was not an issue for him. Frazier played Michael more like a boy trapped in a man's body and it was so natural that I'm sure he must be a fun loving guy, in touch with his inner child. Michael suffers more from ignorance, or even innocence, than he does from a lack of intelligence; Frazier hit the nail right on the head. You only ever see him interact with Katurian, but that's all you need to fall in love with him.
I saved Matt Leonard for last for a few reasons: (1) I consider him a good friend, so I'm slightly biased, (2) I've got a lot to say about his character, and (3) my favorite part of the show involves him specifically. Leonard's character Officer Ariel is, without a doubt, the bad cop. For reasons later revealed, he hates Katurian and has no problem showing that hate with his fists (all of that stage blood is entirely his fault). For the majority of the play, Ariel seems pretty two dimensional: a slightly sadistic cop who really enjoys "interrogations" and cigarettes. Let's talk about the cigarettes. I'm fairly certain he went through at least a pack and a half over the course of the production. I understand that it is in the script and a staple for his character, but that is overkill. If you are sensitive to tobacco smoke, be sure to sit in the back because he is smoking like a chimney. Leonard uses it to show his character's anger and frustration, but I think we get that enough from his facial expressions and physicality. He gets so into it that he speeds through each cigarette in half the time it should take to smoke. He also made the decision to do the scene changes with a lit cigarette in his mouth. Again, maybe it's because I don't want my friend's lungs to shrivel up, but I think I would be concerned even if I didn't know the actor. Ariel's rage is very passionate and violent – Belt had everyone yelling a lot so Leonard had no choice but to crank it up to eleven since his character is supposed to be the loose cannon. I think it would have been just as effective, if not more, for him to have a seething rage, rather than a loud one. And everyone was pretty loud (shouting in such a small performance space might have something to do with it). But we did get to see the more understated emotions of Ariel in the third act and that is where my favorite part is. When Tupolski has flipped to "bad cop" it makes sense for Ariel to swap with him. Leonard has a beautiful moment at the end of the play in which he has no lines at all, but the subtle changes in his physicality and the softening of his face speak volumes. Yes, the play is about Katurian and his brother. But at that moment, when you see just how their story has affected this once raging cop, your eyes well up a little bit. I am so glad that McDonagh included this scene in his script, and that Leonard was there to do it justice.
Just like any production, there were a few things that could be improved upon. A lot of the blocking is down on the floor so some people have sight line issues, the light board operator is right behind the audience and whispered conversations could be heard, and then there is the trains passing the building and blowing their horns (which no one can do anything about anyway). But overall, I was extremely impressed (I gave one of those standing ovations that I'm so stingy with). I want to take just a moment to pat scenic designer Donovan Kidd on the back. You come in thinking, that's simple enough, but then the first scene change comes and that thought changes immediately to, WOW that's cool! I won't ruin it for you. GO SEE IT! There are only three more performances left, so please don't miss the opportunity to be a part of this experience. The building's chilly, so bring a jacket, and it's a long show with a later starting time, so make sure the babysitter can stay la!
te. Congratulations to Trevor Belt and his phenomenal cast. You have a show to be proud of. 5 out of 5 stars.
read the review at KC Stage
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The KCVLAA needs your help. If you have been a volunteer for KCVLAA, have taken a case, have been helped by their volunteers, have attended their seminars, or have been helped or helped them in any manner, they need your testimonials!
On Tuesday, April 12, at our Copyrights seminar at the Arts Incubator, the Independent Filmmaker's Coalition of Kansas City will be filming testimonials and classroom shots for a short promotional video for the KCVLAA. This is where you come in! Please come fill the classroom for the classroom shots, or give a filmed testimonial or both. Please email at admin@kcvlaa.org, to let them know if you are going to attend and if you would be providing a testimonial.
Thank you for your consideration!! Please let the KCVLLA know by April 5th if you will be able to join them on April 12.
Information about the April 12th seminar:
What Everyone Needs to Know About Copyrights: Apr 12: 6 pm Tue
Learn the basics of copyright law: who owns what, how much you can use of someone else's work, what's really "fair" about "fair use," what happens when you sell a piece, and how to avoid disputes! Myths will be debunked and famous artists' infringements analyzed. Arts Incubator, 115 W. 18th St., (816) 974-8522, www.KCVLAA.org
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The Olathe Community Theatre Association (OCTA) is pleased to announce its 38th Season.
[title of show]
Musical (and yes, that's really the title). August 12 - 28, 2011.
Music and Lyrics by Jeff Bowen, Book by Hunter Bell. Directed by Shelly Stewart
Twelve Angry Men
Drama. October 7 - 23, 2011
Adapted by Sherman Sergel. Based on the television movie by Reginald Rose. Directed by Dave Martin
Every Christmas Story Ever Told (And Then Some!)
Comedy. December 2 - 18, 2011
By Michael Carleton, James Fitzgerald and John K. Alvarez. Directed by Shari Johnson
Two Rooms
Drama. February 17 - March 4, 2012
By Lee Blessing. Directed by Coleman Crenshaw
Fuddy Meers
Comedy. April 13 - 29, 2012
By David Lindsay-Abaire. Directed by Jessica Franz
Season tickets are on sale now for OCTA's 38th season. Please contact the box office at 913-782-2990 or at www.olathetheatre.org.
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The Olathe Community Theatre Association (OCTA) is pleased to announce its 38th Season.
[title of show]
Musical (and yes, that's really the title). August 12 - 28, 2011.
Music and Lyrics by Jeff Bowen, Book by Hunter Bell. Directed by Shelly Stewart
Twelve Angry Men
Drama. October 7 - 23, 2011
Adapted by Sherman Sergel. Based on the television movie by Reginald Rose. Directed by Dave Martin
Every Christmas Story Ever Told (And Then Some!)
Comedy. December 2 - 18, 2011
By Michael Carleton, James Fitzgerald and John K. Alvarez. Directed by Shari Johnson
Two Rooms
Drama. February 17 - March 4, 2012
By Lee Blessing. Directed by Coleman Crenshaw
Fuddy Meers
Comedy. April 13 - 29, 2012
By David Lindsay-Abaire. Directed by Jessica Franz
Season tickets are on sale now for OCTA's 38th season. Please contact the box office at 913-782-2990 or at www.olathetheatre.org.
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The Olathe Public Schools Alumni Association will soon announce the 2011 winners of its four scholarships, but contributions are needed to prevent depleting the funds.
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Geoscience, a 21st Century High School program in oceanography, meteorology, astronomy, green industry technology and paleontology, has received the Excellence in Conservation and Environmental Education award from Kansas Association for Conservation and Environmental Education.
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Two of the nations new play leaders talk about why they are dedicated to writing, developing and producing new plays. They also talk about the importance of the National New Play Network for their theaters. 
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Some new Facebook-posted pictures from an “anonymous photographer” who has a vested interest in Helzberg Hall. As the poster noted in one image: “looks just like the 3D renderings!”
more at KCUR
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Enter your contact info to win two free tickets to Piane Productions' "For the Love of Broadway", a concert on April 2 of legendary stage and screen performer Betty Buckley at the Music Hall.
The contest is open to anyone. It closed March 30 at noon, and winners will be picked at random.
Piane Productions has also provided a special 10% discount off the price to KC Stage audiences - just enter the discount code 'KCStage' on the Ticketmaster website to get this tickets. Tickets are priced at $35-$60.
Questions? Comments? E-mail contest@kcstage.com
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Ridgeview Elementary School celebrated healthy habits during a special Fuel Up to Play 60 assembly presented by the Dairy Council and Kansas City Chiefs safety Jon McGraw. The Chiefs player talked to the students about being physically active and eating nutritious food to help them study, learn and be healthy.
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Harsh but fair. Rating: 4
The Pillowman by She&Her Productions
"The Pillowman" is a dark comedy written by one of the most famous dark comedic writers of the modern theatre age, Martin McDonough. As dark and as violent as this production is, however, it never loses the playwrights intention of being a *comedy*.
Trevor Belt's direction is strong and precise in this production. As two detectives grill a confused writer, (the good: Tupolski, the bad: Ariel, and the clueless: Katurian), there are moments of severe and scathing dialogue that drift seamlessly into ridiculous banter that will make you forget they're going to shoot him in the head at any minute. The audience finds themselves torn between taking it too seriously and cracking a wide-eyed and surprised smile at it all while the police grill him mercilessly.
When Michal, Katurian's mentally challenged brother, enters the action, things take an even more frightening twist. Jeremy Frazier's brilliant performance is heart-wrenchingly believable, and the brotherhood that exists between he and fellow actor Coleman Crenshaw is fascinating to watch. Likewise, the dichotomy between Matt Leonard as the bad cop(?) and Rick Williamson as the good cop(?) mixes in colorful but painful layers of drama that carry throughout the play.
As fascinating, funny, and harsh as it all is, there are some minor set-backs. Yes, it's an interrogation -- but does there really have to be that much screaming during one? I don't know, I've only seen them on movies and TV, and those are obviously exaggerated. But I found myself wondering if some moments might've been more effective "whispered" than "shouted". Costumes seemed minimal if non-existent. If it's set in a totalitarian dictatorship, would the citizens really be wearing Abercrombie and Fitch? I don't know, I've never lived in one. But hey, non of my complaints are a very big deal anyway.
I love the script, have loved it for a while, and I think the production as a whole does the playwright and the play more than justice. I recommend all KC theater-goers to make the time to see this show. After all, escapism can only give you so much -- and this show will give you the rest.
read the review at KC Stage
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On February 13, 2011, the acclaimed mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato returned to sing her fourth recital for the Harriman-Jewell Series on her birthday and in her hometown. She was joined by pianist David Zobel, who played for DiDonato's 2006 recital, to perform arias and songs by Rossini, Haydn, Chaminade, Hahn, Buzzi-Peccia, Di Chiara, and Leoncavallo. Following the recital program, Series Director Clark Morris wheeled a birthday cake onto stage to celebrate the occasion. This recording was approved by Ms. DiDonato. www.hjseries.org
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Actor Theodore Swetz and Director Kyle Hatley, discuss the skills that it takes to collaborate.
Actor Theodore Swetz describes his process for creating a character based on a historical figure like Ben Franklin.
How Does Lightning occur and how will Coterie artists create this natural phenomena on stage?
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Soundz of Africa & Grupo Manos Student Showcase
more at KC Dance
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We had a chance to speak with Troy Cook, Count Almaviva in our upcoming production of The Marriage of Figaro. He talks about his small town roots, early enjoyment of singing, and why he may be getting spring fever while performing in Kansas City.
more at the Lyric Opera
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There are no happy endings in real life Rating: 4
The Pillowman She&Her Productions
She&Her Productions' performance of "The Pillowman" is an intense, heart-wrenching roller coaster that left me speechless and emotionally drained by the end of the evening.
The plot is, as their description indicates, about a writer in an unnamed totalitarian state being interrogated about the violent content of his short stories and their similarities to a series of child murders. It delves into the concepts of what art is, and whether a creator is responsible when it goes beyond the story. Is "Taxi Driver" (and Jodie Foster) at all responsible for John Hinckley's shooting of Ronald Reagan? Can you really blame Marilyn Manson for the massacre at Columbine high school? Does what Stephen King or Clive Barker write reflect or inspire humanity? The character of Tupolski says at one point, "I think there is a solution, but then I'm clever." But by the end of the play, the only solution is the quote of my title - that there are no happy endings in real life.
The story has echoes of "Of Mice and Men", "A Clockwork Orange", and "Waiting for Godot", and the dialogue is very precise - almost too precise, as the few times the actors flubbed a line it was a little too obvious as a result. And as with "Of Mice and Men" and "Waiting for Godot", it takes a while for the story to settle in and find its bearing, the characters hard to tell apart and figure out right away. But once I figured out what's going on, I was reminded of watching the coverage of 9/11 - too gruesome to watch, but too compelling of a story to turn away.
As for the acting, Coleman Crenshaw (as Katurian) started out slow, which made it a harder buy in since he was who we needed buy in from. But once he got going, he did a very good job. Rick Williamson (as Tupolski) and Matt Leonard (as Arial) also got better as the show progressed, but special note needs to go out to Jeremy Frazier as Michal. As the brother of Katurian, who (for reasons pertaining to the plot) is not emotionally an adult even though he's physically older than Katurian, did an excellent job of playing innocently 'idiotic' without turning it into a stereotype or a caricature.
Kudos to the fight choreography and makeup - as a techie, there were only a couple of times in the show where it was obviously fake to me - and that might be partly because I was sitting on the side and not in front. And double kudos to the decision to use a real fire at the end of the show, as it added a sense of realism that gave me shivers. And the scene changes? I don't want to ruin it, but let's just say they were some of the best scene changes I've ever seen.
I can't say I enjoyed the piece, any more than I could say I enjoyed watching "Shindler's List". If you want to be entertained, this is not a production you want to go to. But if you want to be awed and shown what theatre truly can be, you have to catch this before it closes.
Angie Fiedler Sutton
http://angiefsutton.wordpress.com/
read the review at KC Stage
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A cast of Broadway veterans will converge on a small Kansas town April 13 to perform a new musical comedy by Sheldon Harnick, co-creator of "Fiddler on the Roof."
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The highlight of my musical weekend was the concert on Sunday, March 20th of Quartet Accorda. This was a big event in the Park University calendar, as it represented the first time in nearly a year that these four terrific musicians—violinists Kanako Ito and Ben Sayevich, violist Chung-Hoon Peter Chun and cellist Martin Storey—have been able to unite to make music.
more at The Independent
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California Trail Middle School took first place and several other Olathe district schools placed highly in the Feb. 26 Northeast Kansas Science Olympiad Regional competition. A total of five Olathe schools qualified to compete in the state Science Olympiad competition on April 2 at Wichita State University, based on their high rankings in the regional competition.
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Leaders are everywhere in the Olathe Public Schools. In fact, a group of 16 Olathe educators participated in a pilot assessment for the new teacher leader endorsement.
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Enter your contact info here to win two free tickets to opening weekend (April 1 - 3) of Spinning Tree Theatre's production of Make Me a Song: The Music of William Finn.
This contest is open to anyone. It closes March 29 at Noon, and winners will be picked at random.
Paid subscribers have been getting offers for tickets to the Unicorn's Two Jews Walk into a War, She&Her's The Pillowman, and the Kansas City Ballet's Giselle - among other great prizes.
Subscribe today, and not only do you get these offers, you also get complete show listings & auditions for over 200 organizations in the Kansas City area, not to mention local arts news, insightful articles, and independent film news. All for only $4 a month (with a 1-year subscription).
Questions? Comments? E-mail contest@kcstage.com
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We spoke with Sari Gruber, who will be performing the role of Susanna, recently about her opera origins, why this probably won’t be her last Susanna, and her favorite opera. Read what this leading lady has to say.
more at the Lyric Opera
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Due to the Kansas Senate's passage of Resolution 1819 retaining the Kansas Arts Commission as a state agency, the KAC is moving forward with two of its Fiscal Year 2012 Grant Programs:
Kansas Arts on Tour Presenters Program
Applications accepted beginning April 13, 2011
Operational Support
Deadline: May 5, 2011
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Great Show Rating: 5
Evita The Barn Players, Inc.
Overall, I was incredibly impressed by this production of EVITA at The Barn Players. Phil Kinen did an excellent job in pulling off this incredibly challenging show and I was quite impressed.
Erin Hamer did a wonderful job as Eva Peron; truly doing the music justice. Erin's performance overall was very impressive; both her vocal performance and acting were superb.
John Clearly who played Che was an absolute pleasure to watch. His vocals were nearly always spot-on and his interpretation of the character was intriguing and entertaining.
Ken Schmidt who played the role of Juan Peron truly embodied the role of the Argentine dictator. His performance for me, really captured what I expected Juan Peron to be.
The ensemble in this cast was also full of talent. They held their own on stage next to the principle characters and truly brought the show to life. One member in particular that stood out to me was a new name to me; Sarah Montoya. She has a great stage face-- she immediately stood out from the rest. Aside from that, her expressions and character changes from scene to scene were extremely entertaining. After reading her biography and learning she has only just started in the theater, all I have to say is, watch out for this one!
This production overall was a pleasure to watch. I could really tell that the cast enjoyed what they were doing and that definitely translated to the audience.
read the review at KC Stage 
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Compellingly Creepy Rating: 5
The Pillowman She&Her Productions
"The Pillowman" is a dark (oh so very dark) comedy about an author in a totalitarian state who is being interrogated for the murder of three children in the neighborhood. The cops suspect him because many of his stories include the gruesome death of a child. It was a very compelling production and story. The set, although minimalistic was utilized very well (In ways I won't tell you so that I don't spoil anything). The actors in the play are some of the best in the city. The acting was captivating throughout the run. You could sense the chemistry within the ensemble very well. At points the yelling in the play teetered to the somewhat irritating, but you simply have to keep in mind that it's necessary (It's an interrogation, whaddya expect?). The overall atmosphere was an experience in itself. The venue was the perfect space for a show of this nature. The style of lighting, creepy piano playing, and floor leveled stage helped a great deal to further engage you with the play. It's creepy, it's funny, and it's downright interesting. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you just may pee your pants (Or just get really uncomfortable. Whatever happens when you get scared). So go see it! (Note: There are real cigarettes used in the performance. So if you can't take real smoke, make sure you sit in the back. If you don't come, you may regret it.)
read the review at KC Stage
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Enter your contact info here to win two free tickets to opening weekend (April 1 - 3) of Spinning Tree Theatre's production of Make Me a Song: The Music of William Finn.
This contest is open to anyone. It closes March 29 at Noon, and winners will be picked at random.
Paid subscribers have been getting offers for tickets to the Unicorn's Two Jews Walk into a War, She&Her's The Pillowman, and the Kansas City Ballet's Giselle - among other great prizes.
Subscribe today, and not only do you get these offers, you also get complete show listings & auditions for over 200 organizations in the Kansas City area, not to mention local arts news, insightful articles, and independent film news. All for only $4 a month (with a 1-year subscription).
Questions? Comments? E-mail contest@kcstage.com
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Charles Jones, director of the KU Public Management Center, will share his insight on how trust is the most essential characteristic to determine an organizations’ success or failure during critical budgetary times. He will look specifically at these challenges within the public sector and detail concepts and ideas that are universal to all of us.
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John Kolvenbach's comedy Love Song gives the young Turks on McGee a chance to flash their unexpectedly whimsical and sentimental parts. In this update of the comedy classic Harvey.
more at The Pitch (at the end of the article)
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Put your pants on and see this show!!! Rating: 5
In Trousers Egads Theatre Company
Steven Eubank does it again.
Eubank and his team have managed to take William Finn's obscure first work and transform it into a smash hit. I went into the Off Center Theatre on Sunday, March 20th, completely blind. The only thing that I knew about the production was that the show was written by the same person that brought us The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (a show that is very close to my heart). While the lyrics are strange and a bit cryptic at times, once you get into the flow of the show, you assimilate to the symbolism and can just sit back and enjoy the ride.
>From personal experience I know that Eubank is a phenomenal director and choreographer, but where his genius really shines is in his ability to cast the right actors for the roles. This ensemble worked together so well that I'm not sure I could picture anyone else playing the roles. All four singing voices were perfect for their individual roles, but they also blended well.
Marvin, played by Jared Hill, is tossed back and forth between the past and the present, as well as some obscure dream land in the middle. Hill did a marvelous job at changing his character choices while still remaining, regardless of age or time, Marvin. From a 14 year old struggling with a crush on a teacher to a weary husband and father, Hill moved seamlessly through his character's life journey (as far from chronological as it was). A very nice costume touch was the choice to keep Marvin in pajama bottoms for the entirety of the show. He was never 'in trousers" until the end of the production.
Molly Denninghoff as Marvin's estranged wife is as stunning as she ever was. I have been a fan of Denninghoff since her performance in another Egads! Production, Eating Raoul and I knew that I would not be disappointed. Every little facial expression told volumes and she captivated the audience with her heart-wrenching performance of "I'm Breaking Down" as she laments her failing marriage. The stage chemistry between Hill and Denninghoff really shined in "Breakfast Over Sugar" and a particularly understated bit of blocking that represented Martin finding out his wife is pregnant.
Marvin's high school sweet heart, played by Katie Karel, provided most of the comedic relief for the show. Her narration during "The Rape of Miss Goldberg" was a simple announcement of "scene changes" and yet her physicality brought on near hilarity. At one point, "How America Got Its Name" came to a screeching halt because the audience just wouldn't stop laughing at her rendition of Queen Isabella's "royal laugh". My only criticism for Karel's performance is that there were times her face went blank and she seemed to be completely void of emotion. I'm not sure if this was a character choice that I just didn't understand, or if she just zoned out.
Then there is Shelby Floyd who played Marvin's sexy drama teacher, Miss Goldberg. Wow. This girl has got some serious pipes. I had heard Floyd sing prior to this performance and knew that she has an incredible instrument, but I was unprepared for the stellar vocals that she provided this production. My jaw nearly hit the floor when she brought her soulful sound to "Set Those Sails". Again, wow. My only disappointment was that the script requires her to wear dark glasses for the majority of the show and so it was hard to see her facial expressions.
But we can't forget the band! Kevin Bogan and his five cohorts were so good that you didn't notice them, and they were right on stage amid the action! When the music is so flawless that you forget that it's live, you know you have some talented musicians. And I want to also give kudos to Jeff Eubank for his set design which incorporated the instrumentalist into the small space without taking away from the action of the play. Bogan was literally level with the head of the bed and his keyboard was used as a bedside table, but you were never distracted by his presence there.
So, what are you waiting for? You still have one more weekend to see this fabulous show. Go and make your reservations now! I am so glad that Steven decided to throw one more show into his season before giving Egads! a rest. I sincerely hope that this production will inspire more people to throw caution to the wind and try out some other obscure scripts. Egads! took a risk and it paid off tenfold…but then again, it is Steven Eubank.
5 out of 5 stars, without a second thought.
Jamie Lin
read the review at KC Stage
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Even with Tim and Nina Zagat in the lobby, Fully Committed's restaurant of the hour has far less to do with food than with power. At this nexus of epicurean fetishism and social competition, the baseness of the characters is a given.
more at The Pitch (after the Unicorn review)
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If the title of Seth Rozin's play, Two Jews Walk Into a War, at the Unicorn Theatre, sounds like the opening of a joke, that's because it is. The setup: Two men are the last Jews in Kabul. The punch line: They hate each other's guts.
more at The Pitch
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An over-all achievement Rating: 5
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) Olathe Community Theatre Association
I attended the opening night performance of this show and I loved every minute of it. The set and lighting were fun and engaging, the script is tons of fun -- and, of course, the actors were phenomenal. The three gentlemen varied in age and acting range and they created a wonderfully entertaining and hilarious show. Audience participation was loads of fun and I loved being able to have fun with the actors on stage. I'd definitely recommend it.
read the review at KC Stage
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If your kids are at all like mine, they love anything having to do with Toy Story. Buzz, Woody, you name it! The third movie in this terrific series was fantastic–make sure you see it if you… more 
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A cover of 'To Love Somebody" By The Bee Gees
"You & I" from the album 'Be Ok'
"First Love" by Adele from the album '19'
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This is a preview video of Cabaret at Kansas City Repertory Theatre. The show runs March 18 - April 10, 2011 at the Rep's Spencer Theatre. The Book is by Joe Masteroff, and is based on the play by John Van Druten and stories by Christopher Isherwood. The music by John Kander with lyrics by Fred Ebb. The Broadway production was directed by Harold Prince and it was produced for the Broadway Stage by Harold Prince. KC Rep's production is directed by Eric Rosen with Music Director/Conductor/Pianist Anthony T. Edwards, orchestrator Doug Peck, choreographer Richard J. Hinds, set design by Jack Magaw, costume design by Sarah Beers, lighting design David Weiner, sound design by Zachary Williamson, and the production stage manager is Brooke Redler. The cast includes KC Comeaux, Jerry Jay Cranford, Claybourne Elder, Jenny Florowski, Charles Fugate, Colleen Grate, Gary Neal Johnson, Bryan LaFave, Kara Lindsay, Mandy Morris, Kym Chambers Otto, Hollis Resnik, Vanessa Severo, Emily Shackelford and Brian Sills. 
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The Lyric Opera of Kansas City’s Allison May recently talked to staff members about favorite memories of the Lyric Theatre.
more at KCUR
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Producer-director Steven Eubank wanted a string section for his Egads production of William Finn's In Trousers. Thank Zeus, he didn't get one. As it is, his fine six-piece ensemble and terrific four-person cast blast the living daylights out of the Off Center Theatre, deploying about three times the firepower called for per number.
more at The Pitch (after the American Heartland review)
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With his Inspector Clouseau mug and snappy delivery, Tim Scott was born to play comic detectives. The opening words are his in the American Heartland Theatre's No Way to Treat a Lady, and at first I wasn't sure whether they were being spoken or sung, so natural and intelligent is Scott's phrasing. His voice might waver on ballads, but its flexibility is made for Douglas Cohen's conversational lyrics. His ability to portray faceted morality can read as insincerity in earnest roles, but it's perfect for Morris Brummel, the detective who needs the killer as much as the killer needs him.
more at The Pitch
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Roberto Díaz would meet any reasonable person’s definition of “overachiever.” Diaz, a former principal violist for the Philadelphia Orchestra and the National Symphony, visited Kansas City on Friday night to perform as a soloist with the Kansas City Symphony at the Lyric Theatre.
more at kansascity.com
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This article appeared in the February 2011 issue of KC Stage
If there’s one word David Tate Hastings uses to describe his involvement in theatre, it’s ‘passion’.
“I love what I do,” he says. “I’m passionate about it. The passion hopefully is in my voice when I’m talking to the kids. I think when you really love something, kids can see that. And when they get a taste of it, it’s just - you know this as a theatre person - it’s addictive.”
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| David Tate Hasting with his son Isaiah. Photo by Angie Fiedler. |
Growing up in Kansas City, Hastings got into theatre indirectly. “My mother took me to drama classes when I was in preschool so I would be comfortable with public speaking when I became a doctor. Unfortunately for her, the drama stuck and I’ve been in drama ever since.”
However, he didn’t start teaching drama right away. He worked in a bank when he graduated school, and after meeting his wife decided to stay in Kansas.
“I was assuming I would move away and get my MFA and end up I assume in New York,” he says, “but life changed. One day I woke up at the bank five and a half years later in a corner office and I had three secretaries and a huge staff and was in charge of different branches of the bank in the retail section in Lawrence, and I said, ‘What in the heck am I doing here?’” He credits his wife, a math teacher, for giving him the inspiration to become a math teacher. “[She] was having great fun going to school, coming up with creative ways to teach math, and I thought, ‘Well, if you can be creative teaching math and enjoy that, I can be creative teaching theatre and do that.’” He went to Ottawa University, student taught with Phil Kinen, taught in Lawrence for three years, and then through a friendship with Eric Magnus found out about the job at Olathe South - and he’s been there ever since.
“I like how I can help kids grow as people and as artists,” Hastings says. “I just wish that there were more people that I could work with in the school to help kids, because I think the program would just grow and grow and grow and grow. I mean, my goal every year is to have ten percent of our student body involved with theatre, and I’ve achieved that every single year. And you know, if there were more of me, the school literally could hire ten teachers and I think we could fill up the classes. Kids love it. It’s not whether you’re going to go on and be an actor or director in life, it’s learning responsibility and it’s learning that you can achieve great things when you work with a group of people and that you can see problems in new and different ways and how to function on a schedule. For me, it’s a life skill - theatre becomes a life skill.”
Olathe South has the main stage and a black box, and Hastings tries to pick shows not only to work with the talents he has each year but also to expand the minds of the students. “There are so many shades of different plays that are out there that really what I’m trying to do each time I pick a show is to pick something different and expose the kids to different kinds of theatre,” Hastings says. “I just think the more ways that I can challenge the kids to think, to not settle in and feel like there is one way to do theatre or there is one kind of theatre that’s out there, the better. There’s a broader world of theatre out there than high school theatre, and I want them to be prepared for their future. I don’t want them to just love high school theatre: I want them to love theatre for the rest of their life.”
Hastings obviously has a knack for the role: his first year at Olathe South was also the first year of the Starlight’s Blue Star Awards, and that first year they were up for best show. And in 2007, Hastings won the award for Outstanding Direction. “I’m kind of glad they got rid of that award,” he says, “because I just love that it celebrates kids.”
Hastings’ modesty comes to the front (not for the first time) as he continues. “I feel so silly that you’re interviewing me, because I love theatre, and I love that I get to do theatre, but it’s about teaching and learning, it’s about the experience and the process of it, and hopefully along the way some really magical things happen. We do some really nice shows, but. I’m hoping to inspire kids to go on and do things and create things that they’re proud of as well.”
Hastings also works with the Kansas Thespian Festival, a state festival for high schools and educators that involve workshops and performances (more information on the festival can be found at www.kansasthespians.com). This started back when he was in Lawrence, when fellow drama teacher Jeanne Averill suggested he take the kids that year.
“I didn’t know anything about it,” he says. “I’d never been. It was just an amazing experience to see a thousand high school kids from around the state of Kansas come together, and for the high school kids to see that there are other people just like you out there, and there are a lot of people just like you out there that love the same thing that you love. And honestly, even at the thespian conference, it’s only a small percentage of all the kids who love theatre across Kansas.” So, he says, when he got the job at Olathe, he started asking how he could help. He served on the board as well as helping out with the conference, including teaching some of the workshops.
Hastings makes sure that all aspects of theatre are taught to his students - including the technical side. “There are so many kids who want to be in theatre that I have never had trouble getting kids to do tech. I have enough kids that love theatre that I say, ‘Hey, you know, not everybody can be on stage, and if you want to be involved in theatre, there’s a lot of room to be on theatre on the other side.’ Technicians are needed, and it’s just as much of an art. The set is a character in the play, and the sound is a character in the play, and the lights color the mood of the show,” he says. This extends to having a student assistant director for each production as well as casting on talent, only keeping in mind the grade if it’s a close casting decision. In fact, the student playing Ren in Footloose, performing February 3-5, is a freshman.
“I’m just passionate about the entire show. I guess I’m a director at heart. I see the whole thing: I watch the actors, and they may be great, and they may have great energy, and they may look great and they may sound great, but they’re nothing without the material around them.
“What gives me inspiration is an idea to build a show on,” Hastings says. “When I found the thing that I think the show is about, then it gets exciting, then I get passionate about the show.”
Hastings can’t see any other life than theatre. “I just love theatre,” he says. “I can’t think of anything else I would rather do. I like memorizing, I like painting, I like creating, I like directing, I like creating something, and I love tearing it down. I love looking at the blank stage right now and thinking about what I can do next. And I love that feeling of accomplishment and that you could do it over and over again and that every day is different, every show is different, and yet the things that we’re working on I can use to go apply for a job or I can use to build a fort for my kids in the back yard or I can use to paint something or ... I just love it.”
David Tate Hasings will not only be directing Footloose at Olathe South in February, but has been selected as director for The Theatre in the Park’s production of Les Miserables - School Edition . Check out Olathe South at http://teachers.olatheschools.com/~dhastingsos.
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The district's Geoscience Program, based at Olathe North High School, will host rain barrel and rain garden workshops for the community this spring. The workshops teach community members how to effectively use these two methods of storm water management in their own landscaping. The workshops are open to the public, but registration is required.
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Really Good Time Rating: 5
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) Olathe Community Theatre Association
What a delightful surprise! I've seen The Complete Works of William
Shakespeare Abridged before and found it rather tedious and tiresome,
but not here in the Olathe Community Theatre production. This
production is completely charming and a delight to behold. A wonderfully
quirky scenic design by Shea Coffman sets the tone and its promise is
fulfilled.
All three actors, David Martin, Reed Uthe and Kyle Dyck are very funny and
quite adept at the various characterizations. The interaction with the
audience is relaxed and non assaultive and lends a nice sense of
community to the proceedings. At evening's end, you feel like you've
spent a really fun evening in the theatre with some very creative friends.
Kudos to director Kipp Simmons for creating such a warm environment.
Go see it!
read the review at KC Stage
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Put the right pianist and the right repertoire together and sparks can fly. That’s just what happened Saturday night when Garrick Ohlsson played at the Folly Theater, presented by the Friends of Chamber Music.
more at kansascity.com
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The Olathe School District has been recognized by the Association of School Business Officials (ASBO) International with a Meritorious Budget Award for excellence in budget presentation. The budget document prepared and distributed by the district's business and finance division contains 190 pages of information, including both text and charts and graphs. The district has received a Meritorious Budget Award every year since 1997.
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The Kansas City Symphony announced Thursday that Llewellyn Crain, who has led the Kansas Arts Commission since 2006, will become the Symphony’s new development director. She starts the new job on Monday.
more at kansascity.com
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Some people in the theater world call him “Phil DeMille.” Who better to get an epic Broadway show with a record-setting budget back on track? Director Philip William McKinley, who worked in Kansas City often in the 1990s, has been tagged to take over “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark,” a musical whose opening has been rescheduled repeatedly since it began previews in late November.
more at kansascity.com
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With tax credits to put toward locally made features now officially in jeopardy, artists in Kansas City, Lawrence, and surrounding areas continue to flex their creative muscles. Undaunted by the myriad of obstacles against filmmakers today, they have an ironic and unprecedented means of distributing their work. One new relief valve is the introduction of CinemaKC — a weekly television program broadcast Saturday evenings at 9:30 p.m., beginning March 26 on KSMO-TV (channel 62). With any luck — and hopefully dedicated viewers — CinemaKC will be doing its part to keep the spirit of independent film not only alive, but also celebrated.
more at Review
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It has been a long road from conception to selling tickets, but release plans are firming up for “Earthwork,” Chris Ordal’s Lawrence-shot film starring John Hawkes (an Oscar nominee for last year’s “Winter’s Bone”).
more at kansascity.com
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For many years, pianist Garrick Ohlsson has been an international sensation who continues to amaze with his technical prowess and dynamic interpretive skills, performing works by Chopin as well as movements from Granados' Goyescas, inspired by Spanish painter Francisco Goya. Today from the stage of Kansas City's historic Folly Theater, Ohlsson talks about his career, and describes the mechanics, beauty, and challenges of the piano.
listen at KCUR (mp3)
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Richard Bruening, president of the Lyric Opera of Kansas City, announced today that Evan Luskin, the Company's general director since 1998, will be retiring on June 30, 2012. Mr. Luskin's retirement will come at the conclusion of the Lyric's first year of residence in the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, which will open this fall.
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Actress Starina Johnson takes a break from filming Steve Balderson's movie "The Casserole Club" to dish with host Garrett Swann about relationships, food and more. 
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This sounds like lots of fun…and a great deal, too! Families can enjoy the Kansas City Royals at the K every Sunday this year for Family FunDay Sundays! Here’s the scoop: Only $65 gets you tickets to… more 
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The beat keeps right on going for Kansas City Kansas Community College’s Jazz Band and Jazz Combo, earning top ratings at both the 2011 Pittsburg State Jazz Festival and University of Kansas Jazz Festival.
more at the Kansas City Kansan
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Maybe a year ago, I first heard him. He sat in and jammed on the last set of someone else’s show (I don’t remember whose), and this kid was good.
more at kcjazzlark
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Demonstrations for state employees' collective bargaining rights in Wisconsin lasted for weeks and were ultimately unsuccessful, but when artists and arts supporters headed to Topeka, Kansas, February 10, their voices — and creative costumes and signs — did make a difference.
more at Review
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Evita is a MUST See! Rating: 5
Evita The Barn Players, Inc.
Let me first begin by stating that I was extremely skeptical about how this show was going to turn out as I entered the theatre. As most are probably aware, EVITA is usually done with about 70+ people in the cast as well as an incredibly 20+ piece orchestra. The budget usually needed for this show is extreme and I couldn't fathom such a small community theater actually pulling this show off. I was completely wrong.
Although these actors are performing with little budget with limited space, they make the most of it. Before I talk about the principle characters I'd first like to mention the ensemble in this cast. Most ensembles are merely faces in a crowd, carrying some sort of tune. Not the case with this cast's ensemble. The ensemble in this cast is filled with an incredible amount of talent vocally as well as dramatically. Each and every one of them held their own, created their own characters, and really became part of the story-- not just a face in the crowd. BRAVO!!
As for the principle characters, Che played by John Cleary would have to be my favorite. His performance is hands-down what makes the show what it is. He literally BECOMES Che despite having no physical similarities at all. At first I thought this would be somewhat distracting but after his first number I cast all doubts aside-- his performance was incredible.
I was also blown away by the vocal performance from Kevin Rehrer who played Migaldi. Although this is virtually a cameo role, when he takes the stage it is HIS.
Ken Schmidt did a wonderful job playing the Argentine dictator-- he demanded the audience's attention when he was on stage and to me really embodied Juan Peron.
Erin Hamer who plays Evita not only looks the part, but plays the part. When I heard The Barn was putting on this production I was skeptical about how they would find someone in the community theater circuit to carry such a role-- they found her. Erin's acting is truly what made her performance wonderful. Looking around me and seeing the tears in the eyes of the audience cemented the thought in my mind that to them, she was Eva.
The show is not without flaws however-- some of the choreography is a little shaky in spots, there are some vocal mess-ups, and there tends to be some sloppiness when it comes to costuming. The biggest problem I had were sound problems-- mics were either off or too loud; sometime screaching through the audience. Bravo to the performers however for never showing signs of this getting to them.
Phil Kinen pulled this show off and I believe impressed everyone in the audience. If you haven't yet seen this show, are skeptical about it like I was, or have never seen Evita; I urge you to see this performance! Forget your past ideas and judgements about "community theater"-- this is something different.
read the review at KC Stage
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Who he is: Partner at Liquid 9, a post-production house in the Crossroads.
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“Look to the Rainbow: The Lyrics of Yip Harburg,” the current revue at Quality Hill Playhouse, showcases some of the man’s finest work, from the opening rendition of “It’s Only a Paper Moon” (“it’s only a paper moon sailing over a cardboard sea, but it wouldn’t be make believe if you believed in me”) to the finale, an a cappella reading of “Over the Rainbow” (“somewhere over the rainbow skies are blue and the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true”).
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Director Steve Balderson and screenwriter Frankie Krainz ("Stuck!" and "The Casserole Club") are teaming up again for a third film and have started a fundraiser at IndieGoGo; where they are giving away some exciting perks in exchange for contributions to their latest collaboration.
http://www.indiegogo.com/Untitled-Balderson-Krainz-Project
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Jay Ungar & Molly Mason chat with the Lied Center about American folk and traditional music and about working with Ken Burns on the PBS documentary, The Civil War.
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Less than two weeks after the final performance of “Messiah” in Independence, Larry Boyce started an effort to begin a new, non-denominational choir that would remain in Independence. Boyce has participated in the choir for three years.
more at The Examiner
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Ry Kincaid is sort of, but not really, running for mayor. The 34-year-old Northland playwright launched a halfhearted, half-serious write-in campaign before the primary last month. His platform included installing ziplines downtown, opening a barbecue-flavored cereal plant and renaming the city’s most famous museum The Nelson-Atkins Funk Time Experience.
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Well, there’s life in the old warhorse yet. Jeanne Beechwood, artistic director of the Martin City Melodrama & Vaudeville Co., has turned once again to a classic Broadway melodrama for inspiration — David Belasco’s “The Girl of the Golden West,” first staged in 1905.
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The Kansas Senate voted, 24 to 13, to pass Senate Resolution #1819 opposing Governor Sam Brownback’s Executive Reorganization Order #39 and the directive to eliminate the Kansas Arts Commission.
more at Infozine
and the Kansas Arts Commission
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Nick Padgett, Producing Artistic Director of Padgett Productions, Kansas City's Most Eclectic Theatre Company, Presents CHICAGO with Sally Struthers as Matron "Mama" Morton. 
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Stage director Mark Streshinsky gives us a behind-the-scenes look at the upcoming Lyric Opera production of Mozart's "The Marriage of Figaro." This production will be the last opera production in the Lyric Theatre, and Mr. Streshinsky and scenic designer R. Keith Brumley have found unique ways to pay homage to the Theatre during this production. The Company moves to the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts in October 2011. Tickets: www.kcopera.org. 
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The role of Giselle is the ultimate measure of a ballerina’s worthiness.
It presents a full battery of tests, challenging the ballerina’s Romantic sensibilities, dramatic weight, physical technique and ability to charm an audience.
more at kansascity.com
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Pianist Alpin Hong talks with the Lied Center about classical piano, his contemporary influences and Super Mario Bros.
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Hey…it’s the Fonz! And Richie, Mr. and Mrs. Cunningham, Potsie, Ralph Malph and all the gang from the former hit TV show “Happy Days.” Except there’s one small change — they’re all being portrayed by middle school and high school students from Johnson County and the rest of the metro area.
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More Than Community Theater Rating: 5
The Wedding Singer River City Community Players
This was easily the best community theater performance I've ever seen. I felt like I was watching something on the level of a Broadway touring company or a professional show. Some of the cast members were of such a high quality, it seems hard to rate their performances as non-professionals, so I won't. I loved this show so much I had to go back and see it again. Time permitting; I would have gone to see it a third time or more.
First and foremost, the credit for this production belongs to Eric Van Horn, who managed to pull together the right cast to perform in the right roles and bring the 1980s back to life in musical form. The choreography was stunning, as well, particularly the "Saturday Night in the City" number, Linda's "Let Me Come Home", and the absolutely awesome thriller homage in "Casualty of Love". Lauren Wilson and Kristin Seefeldt had to have been linked at the hip to have provided such seamless blends of dance and music. This is not an easy task and I was blown away. I think many in the audience were struggling to stay in their seats during this absolutely rocking musical performance. I know I was.
I thought Bradley J. Thomas as Glen Guglia was nothing short of amazing. This performer managed to take what was an otherwise bland character and turn him into something worth watching. In fact, I was excited to watch him every time he came on stage. He has a very stunning vocal range and his dancing is true quality. His "All About the Green" song with Brian Shortess (Robbie) was amazing. Having listened to the Broadway version, I am convinced that this performance was better for an audiophile like me. Although the backup singing needed more projection, it was within pitch range and sounded good. It would have been awesome to have more Glen in the show in this performance.
I'm not sure what the issue was, but Jessica Knecht did not seem to pull off Holly very well from my perspective. She may have been the only weakness in an otherwise spectacular performance. Her pitch was obviously off at times and she failed to really nail the most important note in the show (the high note with the water coming down in "Saturday Night in the City"). Her dancing was ok, but seemed a little over the top at times. I don't know if this was intentional, maybe a bit of choreography miscue, or simply her. I cringed every time she came out, and I don't mean that to sound so crass. She left me desiring greater range in her singing and more sex appeal in her dancing. Her one really shining performance in the show was the song "Right in Front of Your Eyes" with Sammy. I thought she pulled that off well and made you want to see her end up with Sammy in the end. She seems to be a very talented actress and I just would have liked more from her.
Nikcoma Mahkewa was spectacular as George, pulling off an incredibly overt and entertaining flamboyance. He has amazing vocal range and really showed it off in the few songs he had in the show. Even his "Amens" in the bar mitzvah scene were taken to another level. His "Move That Thing" performance with Tracy McClung (Rosie) was sheer comedic greatness and had the audience rolling. They were both hilarious in the scene, as were all the "old people" dancing the robot in the background. Well done!
Vanessa Harper as Julia was the best vocal performance in the show. She sounds like pure silk on the stage and would be worth listening to on the radio. Her obvious chemistry with Brian Shortess made this production a romantic success. They really made this show into the great performance it was. Vanessa's charming sweetness made the audience love her, and led to relief when Glen was finally exposed as a fraud to her at the end, when she could ultimately be united with Robbie. The fairy-tale ending would have seemed too sappy if the character of Julia were not so loveable.
I am very glad that I got to see a second performance of the show, because I think Brian had a throat issue the first night I went. The second performance was excellent. He managed to pull off a likeability that left the audience wanting to see him happy in the future with Julia. That is, after all, the critical piece to the show and the driving force. The audience was with the performance. Ideally, I would have liked to see a little more of that likeability consistently throughout, but it met the mark and I was happy with his work.
As previously mentioned, the "Casualty of Love" performance was excellent. The use of the "Thriller" choreography was wonderful, because it pulled those audience members that were alive in the '80s back to the era. Everybody knows thriller. Even the secondary performances in that scene were off the charts. Mallie Rust as the sideburns lady, Spencer Williams as the groom, Cape Rust as the father, Megan Crain as Donatella the bride, and the rest of the cast in that scene really pulled it off as a family in horror at the hijacking of their wedding by the heartbroken Robbie. Some of the individual nuances of a cast that was truly clicking were evident in this scene, with so much going on and so much depth at the same time.
I really enjoyed Jeff Adams as Sammy, whose Brooklyn-esque accent was comically enjoyable. Some of his scenes really brought the whole show to life, and his one-liners were delivered with excellent timing. Easily the comic lifeblood of this show. Although his dancing may not have been as superb as some of his fellow cast-mates, it was somehow right for the character (should Sammy the goofball really be able to dance well?). I thought his singing was perfect for the role, as well. "Single" was a really solid performance, as was his pairing with Jessica for "Right in Front of Your Eyes".
Although lacking in time on-stage, I though Nicole Theno was excellent as Linda. Her "A Note From Linda" was an excellent individual performance with some very funny body language additions. Having now seen the show from both sides of the theater, I realize why it may have needed the "PG-13" warning. Nicole's dance in "Let Me Come Home" was really well done. It's hard to put it another way, but the dance made you truly love and hate Linda at the same time, which was the perfect reaction for the audience.
I would be remiss if I did not mention the five impersonators that helped Robbie to finally find Julia and Glen in Las Vegas. Jason Coats pulled off a very funny "Fake Billy Idol", Guy Gardner was great as the Elvis impersonator, Rachel Asbury as Tina Turner, Sarah DaMetz as Cyndi Lauper, and Stephen Walker as Mr. T. They all pulled it off and were a nice comedic element to the show. I thought Stephen's vocals sounded marvelous at the end of the show, and I was left thinking it would have been nice if he had been given a little more to work with. You could hear the talent in his voice and I would love to see him in a little more of a role in the future.
The live music was an excellent touch. I really liked the Lead Guitarist Jason Noble. I thought the free form jazz riffs he kicked out during one of the songs (I think it was "George's Prayer") were really wonderful. I also liked the keyboard accompaniment of Chris Alexander during the songs on-stage and thought Tim Loper was spectacular on percussion. The band was part of the show, of course, and it blended wonderfully. I would have liked the sound of the guitars boosted for the scenes where Sammy was rocking out. You could see him with the guitar, and you could hear the guitar, but the guitar sound remained in the background and needed to be matching what was going on on-stage. That being said, I think David Powell pulled off a great audio performance.
The rest of the ensemble was very fun to watch. For such youth, the performances were professional. I was surprised at what Eric and staff were able to accomplish in bringing it all together with such a young cast.
Again, this was a spectacular performance and the best community theater performance I've seen. This was worthy of a touring company and it speaks volumes of the hard work, dedication, and competence of the cast and crew. I look forward to the next Eric Van Horn production and look forward to seeking out some of these individual performers in their future performances. If I could rate this a 6 I would.
read the review at KC Stage
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When the Olathe Youth Symphony takes to the stage at the Music Hall in Kansas City on Saturday, don’t expect them to play the “Moonlight” Sonata the way Beethoven had in mind.
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Troubled, passionate, sensationalistic, raw — Tennessee Williams, Mississippian by birth and Missourian by residence, was born 100 years ago into a churning turn-of-the-century South. As a child, his family moved to St. Louis, where he began to turn his angst and restlessness into works of theater and literature. Eventually, Williams had a short stint at the University of Missouri, and although his time there was relatively short, the university hasn’t forgotten his influence on American culture of the 20th century — especially since Williams wrote his very first play as a resident student. He fiercely cultivated relationships with three arch figures over the years: his sister Rose, his partner Frank Merlo and his own writing. MU celebrates Williams’ blaze of a life with a centennial celebration Friday through next Sunday, “Tennessee Williams: The Art of Endurance.”
more at the Columbia Daily-Tribune
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The American Heartland Theatre presents "No Way To Treat a Lady" until April 17, 2011. Tickets at http://ahtkc.com
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A product of its time Rating: 3
Giselle Kansas City Ballet
This review can also be read on my blog: angiefsutton.wordpress.com.
As with my previous review of "The Daughter of the Regiment", I am not overly familiar with the format of ballet. I've been to one or two (and yes, have gone to "The Nutcracker") and have seen dance at the Fringe Festival - but I am not familiar enough with the style and vocabulary to be entirely comfortable reviewing this as a critic.
So, I will review it as 'just' a patron. The story of "Giselle", first performed in 1841, is - as my title indicates - a product of its time. It's quaint and sweet, but shows off the gender politics of its time. (After all, the plot involves a woman dying just because she can't have the man she loves, who loves her and yet is engaged to another woman - and HE'S the hero!)
As a ballet, it was hard to follow the story and figure out who was who, even knowing the plot beforehand (I had interviewed one of the two ladies playing Giselle for the March "KC Stage" spotlight - and with ballet, it is typical to know and/or research the plot beforehand). And the Pas de Deux completely confused me. I know it's supposed to highlight a dance between the couple, but I guess I've seen too many 'behind the scenes' items on musicals where they talk about how everything needs to advance the plot, as I felt this just seemed a break from the main story and just seemed to be a 'dance off'. It really took me out of the story. The final negative is that the production had a LACC, as I've been calling them - otherwise known as the long-ass curtain call (although it was interesting to see the ballerinas receiving flowers - I didn't think that was done anymore!).
On the plus, the ballet fights between Albrecht (played at this performance by Logan Pachciarz) and Hilarion (played at this performance by Luke Luzicka) were well done and highly enjoyable. Tempe Ostergren, as Giselle, was sweet and played the frailness well. At the end of Act I, when the character goes mad with grief, she finally started showing her passion and the story really started to take off - alas, just in time for intermission to break it. And kudos to the stage manager, who had to find two big trained hunting dogs for the dancers playing the nobles to bring on.
Act II never quite got up to the same speed, and Kaleena Burks, as Myrtha, never seemed to take off. It was way too obvious to me that she was TRYING to dance; trying too hard to show off her skills. While she is supposed to be Queen of the Wilis, something other than human, in the end she was 'just' a dancer.
Albrecht finally shined in the end of Act II, finally showing a passion and loss that made me feel a bit for his character.
While technically good, the show was emotionally very distant - and again, I think that was primarily that it is a product of its time. I was hoping to have my heart broken - and it didn't even twitch.
read the review at KC Stage
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Beth Harrison, English teacher at Pioneer Trail Middle School, is the 2011 Olathe Public Schools Read 180 Teacher of the Year. This honor includes recognition at the Read 180 Rising Star Ceremony in April and entry in the National Read 180 Outstanding Educator Award competition. READ 180 is an intensive reading intervention program for struggling readers.
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In 1970, Garrick Ohlsson was the first American to win the International Chopin Competition in Warsaw, Poland. And, with countless recitals of his music and recordings of his complete works, Frédéric Chopin has been at the heart of the American pianist’s career ever since.
more at kansascity.com
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Colin finds out he has a job interview. Andrew comes to the rescue by helping him prepare for said interview.
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Don’t you cry Kansas City, for Evita is in town. “Evita” an epic stage musical, with story by Tim Rice and music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, opened the Barn Players 2011, 56th consecutive season, March 4.
more at The Vignette
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There will be those who try to tell you theatre is dead, that all the best plays have already been written and theatre fell to the wayside after Shakespeare’s death. But they couldn’t be more wrong. Theatre today is just as ripe with content and emotional fodder, and it’s just begging to be produced on stage.
more at the University News
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Robert Brand is a Kansas City actor. Next Sunday, Brand will portray George Caleb Bingham in a live, nontelevised “Meet the Past” performance with R. Crosby Kemper III. The performance, part of Kansas City Public Library’s “Meet the Past” series, is one of several events at the Nelson this month commemorating the 200th anniversary of the Missouri painter’s birth.
more at kansascity.com
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Texting while driving is dangerous and members of the Olathe Youth Congress want to stop it. Last fall they adopted a No Texting While Driving campaign and this spring they created a video to spread the word.
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At the ripe old age of 23, pianist Natasha Paremski is something to behold. She already has career successes, making her an ideal candidate for a Harriman Jewell Series Discovery Concert. But after hearing her perform a recital Saturday night at the Folly Theater, I suspect she will be receiving even more attention in the years ahead.
more at kansascity.com
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We recently had a chance to speak with Katie Van Kooten, who will be starring in the upcoming production of The Marriage of Figaro as Countess Almaviva. Although she may not be as scandalous as the character she will portray, Katie still has some interesting things to say.
more at the Lyric Opera
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Being in the doghouse should always feel as good as it does when the Watch D.O.G.S. visit Black Bob Elementary School. These Dads Of Great Students are part of a national program to encourage fathers to volunteer in their child's school. Watch D.O.G.S. came to Olathe about six years ago and now has volunteers across the district.
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Support buildings open 8 a.m.-4 p.m. March 15-17
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How does one pay suitable homage to Henry Fogel, arts visionary, longtime orchestra executive, and current dean and distinguished professor of the arts at Roosevelt University? For the League of American Orchestras, which Henry led from 2003 to 2008, the best way to honor the man who has fought tirelessly for the continued importance of classical music in America was to commission a piece from one of the world’s hottest composers working today, Osvaldo Golijov.
more at The Independent
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Today, the sunshine contrasts with the white sky day earlier this week, those rumors of flurries and sleet. Spring approaches inch by inch. We’re ready for a bit of contrast to this past winters white stuff and early darkness. Clocks spring forward on Saturday. A mythical extra hour of sleep we’ll pay back in the fall. We’re ready.
more at Present Magazine
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Meet Dan: a young filmmaker in Kansas City determined to make his movie dreams a reality. Meet Hannah: she likes fun things like cats and sci-fi. These two may appear to be just another couple of Midwestern ragamuffins, but one lucky break sets them apart: a feature that Dan helped to make is premiering at the Cannes Film Festival. Join the pair as they go for broke to infiltrate the red carpet and charm the stars in this raucous documentary... They're about to open a "Cannes" of worms.
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Welcome to episode three of Stage Savvy: The Podcast, hosted by Angie Fiedler Sutton and Jen Morris. This show clocks in just a smidge over 30 minutes. First up was an interview with local actor, writer, director, and producer Pete Bakely, and then we told tales of theatre firsts.
more at Stage Savvy
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A recent article in Metal Architecture describes how custom-designed and fabricated steel framing was used in the walls and ceilings of Helzberg Hall, and the ceilings of the Muriel Kauffman Theatre, the balcony, and the donor’s area to create a “symphony of steel designed to support the magnificent curves of the sculpted building.”
more at KCUR
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The dancers of the Kansas City Ballet are known for their proficiency in a wide variety of styles, and we sometimes forget that classical ballet remains at the core of their training and artistry. The company’s mastery of this centuries-old art form—which stands at the center of Western dance—was on glorious display at its production of Giselle that opened March 10th.
more at The Independent
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Last year Eric Rosen, the artistic director of the Kansas City Repertory Theatre, was trying to decide which show he wanted to personally stage this season. One choice was “A Streetcar Named Desire,” Tennessee Williams’ sexually charged drama. The other: “Cabaret,” the classic musical set in the decadent cabaret culture of the Weimar Republic from composer John Kander and lyricist Fred Ebb.
more at kansascity.com
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This article appeared in the February 2011 issue of KC Stage
In the wake of Missouri Governor Jay Nixon proposing to cut funding for the Missouri Film Commission, and Kansas Governor Sam Brownback seeking to eliminate the Kansas Arts Commission budget, it seemed appropriate to look at the financial side of independent, local filmmaking. Whether the budget is large or small, financing an independent film is always a daunting and difficult task, especially in the Midwest. I asked a few local producers how they went about raising funds for their film projects.
Aaron Laue is a producer and actor who has two feature films due out this spring. He’s currently helping to put the finishing touches on Ty Jones’ Last Breath to give to the distributor, and is working to get Patrick Rea’s Nailbiter ready for the Kansas City Film Festival. His advice in dealing with investors: “It’s always good to be honest in all your attempts to raise money. Never promise something you can’t deliver on. Be sure to include the ‘facts’ of movie making. The ‘fact’ that the likelihood of them making any money on their investment is perhaps less than zero.”
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| Matt Connolly [second from left] working on “A Good Crease.” Photo by 2sday Productions. |
Matt Connolly is currently producing and directing “A Good Crease,” which he describes as “a socially positive short film that looks at the basic human need to belong — regardless of how odd the fit.” He is working with 2sday Productions, a local non-profit that that specializes in educating, inspiring, and empowering people by producing videos that promote the great works of other non-profit organizations, and by making movies with unique stories that raise awareness on socially relevant issues. He has taken to networking and the internet to raise money for the project.
“We had a successful fundraising night at Hamburger Mary’s via a charity bingo night. I’ve also been very lucky with supportive ex-in-laws. What doesn’t work is thinking you can raise money from your immediate circle of fellow artists. I love them all, but they are looking for the same thing I am. You have to look outside your circle of comfort and approach avenues you don’t normally tread.”
He’s also turned to the online fundraising site IndieGoGo to help raise the $7,500 he needs for the production. As of press time, www.indiegogo.com/AGoodCrease had only accumulated $285, but the online campaign continues throughout February. Sites like IndieGoGo and Kickstarter have helped local artists set project-specific fundraising goals without developing their own elaborate online fundraising mechanisms.
Rossana Jeran’s first feature film Godhead was released in 2007, and the project was not easy to get off the ground. “I tried for years both locally, nationally, and internationally to raise private funds for my first feature to no avail. I didn’t have much luck until I participated in the Panic Button program through the Independent Filmmaker’s Coalition, which gave us a 501(c)3 status to raise productions funds as tax-deductible donations.”
Once the initial funding came in, she turned to more creative fundraising efforts. “I came up with the idea of throwing a fundraiser and ‘prop drive.’ Everyone had to bring a prop that they would want to see in the film, but not get returned. We also sold ‘credits’ in the film for $25 each. It was great. I didn’t have to spend any money on props or furniture for that entire film, and we created two different apartments. In the end, we raised about $3,000 with various other levels of donation that evening, and one very kind donation of $20,000 which funded the film’s production costs.”
Jeran’s company Blurgirl Productions can be found at www.blurgirl.com. She has recently set aside her work for Blurgirl to create a series of fitness and spirituality videos and digital products called Fit Conscious Happy, which currently has two iPod apps. You can find out more at www.fitconsciencehappy.com.
Why do Films Cost So Much?
Regardless of the budget, making a film involves a myriad of tiny details, each of which can drive up the costs of shooting. When I asked Jeran what was the biggest cost factor in independent film, she said, “locations and insurance.” She added, “I think feeding the crew well is very important, especially if they are working for less pay or deferred payment. Insurance is by far the biggest cost factor, though. You must have a $1 million policy to rent a grip truck and to rent any type of commercial location. That alone ate up $2,500 of my budget, but it lasted one year and insured other projects.”
She offered some tips on saving money: “Get local restaurants to donate food for film credit. Same with using locations — get to know new local businesses, and you can use the marketing and exposure angle to help get free locations. I have always found people and businesses very receptive and open to the film process.”
For Connolly, a major expense is food. “If I can’t pay people for time or equipment, I’m sure as hell going to honor the golden rule of indie filmmaking and feed them. And I’d have to say that, so far, I’ve been able to excel in at least this aspect. For this project, if everything goes according to budget, my biggest cost will be cast and crew.”
To that end, he suggests, “Find people who are willing to work for free in exchange for experience. Ask for food donations in exchange for credit endorsements. Use what you have, not what you want.”
Laue insists that most production budgets on feature films go to pay workers. “The human capital is always the biggest cost. People’s time. You can feed the crew really good for three weeks (twenty people, three times a day, for 18 days) for about $2,000. However, those 20 people will cost you $2,000 a day at $100 per person. So, you have to provide a wonderful experience, otherwise they will want $300 a day the next time. And then one day of shooting will cost you $6,000 as opposed to $2,000.”
But Connolly added this valuable insight: “The single biggest surprise came in a cost that is difficult to calculate — the amount of time you will spend on your project. Once you decide to make a film, when you are not working on it, it is still never very far from your mind. You start viewing the world you live in as a series of shots, your day job as a set and your stuff as props.
From Post to Premiere
Shooting the movie is only the beginning of the filmmaking process. The road from final wrap to world premiere can often take longer and cost more than indie filmmakers anticipate. Jeran was lucky to strike a deal. “When making Godhead, I wasn’t even thinking about post production. I was just so excited to have the funds to begin shooting. In the middle of production, I got a call from Linda Buckner of Take2 Productions. They were interested in doing my post for deferred payment because they were just getting into the visual effects marketplace, and Godhead was such an FX driven story. They needed a feature film to cut on and I needed killer special effects.”
Laue agrees on hidden costs. “It always cost more in post-production than you think it’s going to cost. You have to keep making passes at the film, getting the music better, and the editing tighter; and that stuff racks up some serious costs if you haven’t worked out some sort of really great deal beforehand.”
Another factor for Jeran is simply time. “It’s amazing how long it really takes to get the film to where it needs to be for release. One of my favorite film people, and dear friend in Kansas City, producer Rick Cowan said, ‘Rossana, a film is never finished, you just have to abandon it.’”
Of course, after all the money’s spent, it’s time for the finished film to make its money back. Unfortunately, turning a profit is a hit and miss (mostly miss) proposition for the independent filmmaker, and it generally hinges on getting distribution.
Laue’s secret? “Connections! It helps to know someone or have a relationship with someone to get your film into festivals. I can tell you that has been my experience. So, take a year off and volunteer at 30 or 40 film festivals. Get to know all the awesome festival people; then go make your film. If you make it good it will get exposure. If you make it thrifty enough and good enough it might even make a profit. The movie should be able to hold-up in national and international markets. Bottom line, make a really good film and it will find an audience. It may take some time; but eventually it will find an audience.”
Laue acknowledges that not all films are destined to make money. “If you are making a film that has no real possibility for finding a mainstream audience, be honest with yourself.”
Jeran initially viewed film as purely an artistic medium. “When I began making films 18 years ago, my intention was never to make a profit. I approached it as an artist expressing herself through the lens and medium of film and video. But after eight shorts and two artsy low budget features, working a day job and using all my extra money to fund those projects, I decided it was time for a change. Hence, my reinvention. Locally made films have a chance if the film is clever or done really well. But the marketplace has changed so much. Filmmakers have to have some connections to get into festivals, or at least a sales agent. Of course, D.I.Y. is big now too, and if you can make a splash or statement with your film and get it noticed, it doesn’t matter where you make movies.”
Connolly approaches it from a more practical viewpoint “Determining where, by whom, and how you want your film distributed really should be a form of pre-pre-production. Too many films are made in response to a good idea, but then have nowhere to go. Hammering out where your film could go will tell you if it should even be made. It will also help you budget your post-production costs, which of course impacts the total figure you need to finance.”
So if turning a profit from indie film is so difficult, why would anyone invest in it? Connolly explains, “It is a way to ensure a community has a strong arts culture, which in turn ensures a strong community as art crosses barriers created by economic and social stratigraphy. That investment doesn’t always have to take the form of a check. Just buying a ticket to see a locally produced film is an investment in local filmmaking. Providing a location, helping on a set, cooking chili for a cold crew — these are all investments that have value beyond money.
According to Jeran, “Local filmmaking has an economic impact on an entire city, from cabs and car rentals, to restaurants, hotels, and the like. Investing in a local project also helps put a city on the map nationally and brings attention to the rich and talented pool of filmmakers in Kansas City.”
But Laue is cautious about dealing with big-time investors. “Good movies are art. If you buy local works of art, then investing in a locally made movie makes sense, but be sure it’s going to be art and not just product. I would also suggest that investors be leery of filmmaking movers-and-shakers. During my feature filmmaking experience, I have been the second in line to the movers-and-shakers. They come in and give a fancy resume and throw a bunch of star names around, but at the end of the day they don’t know much about storytelling — and at the end of the day it really is all about storytelling. So I would encourage investors to ask for three films over the last three years to see if there’s progress in the director or producer as a storyteller.”
Joe Heyen, producer and director of Cowtown Ballroom, put it bluntly. “Anyone who invests in film is really stupid.”
As Heyen explains, “Dennis Fallon probably understands film finances better than anyone. As I remember he made money on his first four films, and then lost all those profits on his fifth. So you can see there are no magic formulas. Cowtown Ballroom is close to being in the black, but I’m really fumbling in the dark. I do know that almost all filmmakers make a fatal assumption — that their goal is distribution. There is almost no profit in U.S. distribution, but most filmmakers still believe it is the Holy Grail.”
“Making a profit should not be the reason you make a film. The goal should be to make the best film possible, but if you don’t make a profit it is very difficult to raise money for your next film. You have a much better chance of making money by going to the boats — and they are heavily stacked against you. But if you have a track record of success, investors will at least listen to your pitch.”
Connolly summed up the whole experience. “The fascinating thing about filmmaking is that you can spend a lifetime learning about it. The challenge about filmmaking is that it might take a lifetime.”
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Don Dagenais of the Lyric Opera Guild previews the Lyric Opera of Kansas City production of Mozart's "The Marriage of Figaro." This production will be the final in the Lyric Theatre, which has been the Company's home for 41 years. In Fall 2011, the Lyric Opera will begin performing in the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. This production of "The Marriage of Figaro", directed by Mark Streskinsky, will pay special tribute to the Lyric Theatre. Opens April 9, 2011. Tickets: www.kcopera.org 
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Believe it or not, it’s almost time for Kansas City’s 2011 Spring Consignment Sales! There are lots of them popping up all over the city. Your kids are growing like weeds and the economy is sputtering…a consignment sale might be just… more 
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Blue Springs City Theatre is seeking a music director for their winter musical, Scrooge. Auditions will be in October and performances in December. If you are interested, please contact the director, Andrew McKinley at werdna_tterrag@sbcglobal.net.
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RED by John Logan
2010 Tony Award Winner for Best Play, Directed by Cynthia Levin
Previews September 7, 8 and 9, September 10 - 25, 2011, On The Mainstage
Master Abstract expressionist Mark Rothko has just landed the biggest commission in the history of modern art, a series of murals for New York's famed Four Seasons Restaurant. In the two fascinating years that follow, Rothko works feverishly with his young assistant, Ken, in his studio on the Bowery. But when Ken gains the confidence to challenge him, Rothko faces the agonizing possibility that his crowning achievement could also become his undoing. Raw and provocative, with groundbreaking performances, Red is a searing portrait of an artist's ambition and vulnerability as he tries to create a definitive work for an extraordinary setting.
God of Carnage by Yasmina Reza, Translated by Christopher Hampton
2009 Tony Award Winner for Best Play, Co-Produced with Kansas City Actors Theatre
Previews October 19, 20 and 21, October 22 - November 13, 2011, On The Jerome Stage
What happens when two sets of parents meet up to deal with the unruly behavior of their children? A calm and rational debate between grown-ups about the need to teach kids how to behave properly? Or a hysterical night of name-calling, tantrums and tears before bedtime? Boys will be boys, but the adults are usually worse – much worse. Yasmina Reza's (who wrote the smash hit Art seen at the Unicorn in 2000) sharp-edged new play God of Carnage is a 90-minute thrill ride that takes you into the most dangerous place on earth: parenthood.
The Salvation of Iggy Scrooge, book by Larry Larsen and Levi Lee, Music by Edd Key
Previews November 30, December 1 and 2, December 3 – 24, 2011, On The Mainstage
A cross between Dickens and a rollicking trip down pop culture memory land, this is a phantasmagorical evening of irreverent Christmas cheer. Ebenezer is a burned out misanthropic superstar who snarls through Christmas Eve until a top of the charts gaggle of ghosts shows up: rock legends Buddy Holly, Bob Marley and King Elvis come to boogie with Iggy and set his warped values straight. The rock icons cook up a jambalaya of reggae, Cajun, rockabilly and heavy metal numbers in this inventive Christmas offering that reverberates with saucy lampoonery, show stopping tunes and characters that never occurred to Dickens.
Next Fall by Geoffry Nauffts
Previews January 25, 25 and 27, January 28-February 12, 2011, On The Mainstage
The play is about two gay men in a committed relationship with a twist, with one being devoutly religious and the other a militant atheist. The play revolves around their five-year relationship and how they make it work despite their differences. However, when an accident changes everything, Adam must turn to Luke's family for support and answers.
Hungry by Lia Romeo
Directed by Cynthia Levin, Previews February 29, March 1 and 2, March 3-18, 2011, On The Jerome Stage
High school misfit Amy struggles to fit in at home and at school, dealing with weight gain, boy problems, and her parents' troubled marriage. But when a minotaur mysteriously appears in her backyard one afternoon, Amy finds help and support from a very unlikely source. Being best friends with a giant, man-eating mythological beast has its difficulties, however, as Amy discovers when the "mean kids" at her high school start going missing. Will the minotaur be her salvation, or her downfall?
TO BE ANNOUNCED
Previews April 11, 12 and 13, April 14-29, 2011, On The Mainstage
Unicorn Theatre does shows so new, that sometimes the rights haven't quite been released when we announce our season. In this slot we will be bring you EITHER Bruce Norris' Clybourne Park, a comedy that takes place in the past and present in the same house with very different demographics. These hilarious and horrifying neighbors pitch a battle over territory and legacy that reveals how far our ideas about race and gentrification have evolved—or have they? The other play we are considering is Donald Margulies' Time Stands Still. The play is set in Brooklyn and revolves around Sarah, a photo journalist who has returned home injured from covering the Iraq war. We will formally announce which show we are doing in this slot soon.
Everyday Rapture by Sherie Rene Scott and Dick Scanlan
Previews May 16, 17 and 18, May 19-June 3, 2011, On The Mainstage
A semi-autobiographical story by Sherie Rene Scott, Everyday Rapture is the story of a woman's psycho-sexual-spiritual journey on the rocky path that separates her mostly Mennonite past from her mostly Manhattan future. She travels from Topeka, Kansas to New York (with a disturbing detour through YouTube).
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Eighteen years ago, when I was three years old, I started dance lessons with the Betty Tillotson Studio of Dance. Betty Tillotson celebrated her 60th Anniversary of teaching at the Folly Theater for her annual dance recital. The memories of dancing with Betty will be forever engrained in my mind, and I hope to one day send my children learn from the sweetest women to don tap shoes.
more at Present Magazine
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The Akademie für alte Musik Berlin performs Baroque music with a bright, solid sense of style, technique to spare and, where necessary, a sense of playfulness and mirth. Their performance on March 11th at the Folly Theater, part of the Friends of Chamber Music’s series, offered delights and, at times, frustrations but was ultimately a satisfying evening of Bach, Handel and Telemann.
more at The Independent
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Charm and acerbic humor rarely coexist as comfortably as they do in John Kolvenbach's "Love Song," an eccentric, clever and oddly sentimental two-act play that offers a unique take on mental illness.
more at kansascity.com
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“In Trousers,” initially staged in 1979 and revised in 1985, is the first chapter in Marvin’s story, which Finn moved forward in “Falsettoland” and “March of the Falsettos.” The narrative jumps back and forth between past and present as Marvin recalls relationships with his high-school sweetheart (Karel) and his sexually aggressive English teacher, Mrs. Goldberg (Floyd). His unnamed wife (Denninghoff), meanwhile, feels increasing frustration about her relationship with Marvin.
more at kansascity.com
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The first play I've ever seen . . . Rating: 5
The Wedding Singer River City Community Players
I finally got a chance to watch the movie version of "The Wedding Singer". It wasn't bad, but I couldn't help but find myself comparing the movie to the play. The play actually worked the 80's feel into the story, the movie didn't seem to, other than a few costume pieces. In fact, the only point the movie manages to get over the play is: Billy Idol. No offense to you, Jason, but Billy Idol is a tough act to follow. Of course, you were playing a fake Billy Idol, so points to you for that.
Robbie Hart:
I think Brian was better in the role. He's hands down a better singer than Adam Sandler, and brought an easily likeable charm to the character. In some ways, he reminded me of Ryan Reynolds (that is a compliment). I never really understood why anyone would actually want Adam Sandler to sing at their
wedding? Excellent job, Brian.
Julia Sullivan:
Although I like Drew Barrymore, I think Vanessa brought more of a "girl next door" charm to the character. Couldn't help but feel for her when she meets Linda. Could almost hear the breaking of her heart. Nicely done, Vanessa.
Sammy:
I can't believe this character was a limo driver in the movie. He worked so much better as a fellow band member. Jeff totally rocked the part!
George:
The character in the movie just seemed like an excuse to have a Boy George/Pete Burns (lead singer from "Dead or Alive") impersonator. Nikcoma did
an excellent job with the character.
Holly:
I can't believe the movie didn't do more with the character. Jessica did an amazing job portraying the party girl with the heart of gold. Good job, Holly!
Linda:
Another character the movie seemed to not do much with. Nicole was awesome as the "slutty heartbreaker" (that is a compliment, by the way).
Glen Guglia:
I couldn't believe that the movie version was more or less a self-centered, "Miami Vice" clone. Bradley played the perfect "oily, wall street" type. Nicely done, Bradley.
Angie:
Nicely done, Betty!
Rosie:
What can I say? Tracy, you were awesome! Not a surprise really, having worked with you in the past. You really disappeared in to the "old lady" makeup.
To the rest of the ensemble:
You guys were all great! Good job to all of you.
This was the first play I've seen, and I enjoyed it. Good job to all involved.
-Shane DeMink
an1134production@yahoo.com
read the review at KC Stage
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Anyone who thinks that classical music is laid back, boring or predictable has never seen or heard the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin. One of the world’s leading early music ensembles took the stage of the Folly Theater by storm Friday night, sponsored by the Friends of Chamber Music.
more at kansascity.com
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The American Heartland Theatre has crafted a handsome physical production and assembled a superior musical-theater cast for "No Way To Treat a Lady," an attempt to tell the story of a serial killer in a musical-comedy format.
more at kansascity.com
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Sally is back in town. Sally Struthers, the two-time Emmy Award winner fondly remembered as Gloria on the long-running “All in the Family,” has returned to Kansas City to play Mama Morton in a production of Kander and Ebb’s “Chicago” at Union Station.
more at kansascity.com
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At the Unicorn Theatre in Kansas City, punch lines in the early part of the production are followed with a percussive flourish for punctuation, a common device in a comedy act, sometimes referred to as a rimshot. Appropriately, in Afghanistan the flourish is the sound of gunshots and explosions off stage. It is war-torn Kabul, after all.
more at Infozine
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Superstar Jane Wiedlin takes a break from filming Steve Balderson's movie "The Casserole Club" to dish with host Garrett Swann about relationships, food and more. 
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This has been a long time coming....like most of the side projects we do. Thanks to Chris and the other artists at Timeless for letting me just show up one day and ask a lot of questions. Enjoy.
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Building and shaping narrative is fundamental to effective interpretation, for musicians to bring a composition to life in performance (see esp. William Rothstein, in the book edited by John Rink, link below). In regard to constructing exciting and coherent narratives, Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin is second to none. Their performance last night was warmly received by Kansas Citians.
more at Chamber Music Today
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"Chicago," although certainly produced on the cheap -- and sloppy in places -- proved to be a refreshing change of pace at a sparsely attended Thursday night performance. The band was fairly tight, some of the performances were good and the dancers captured the Bob Fosse attitude even if they lacked the precision to really pull it off.
more at kansascity.com
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The spring break trip of a lifetime awaits 20 MidAmerica Nazarene University (MNU) students and sponsors from MNU’s Heritage Choir as they prepare for a trip to New York City and their feature performance at Carnegie Hall.
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Late Sunday afternoon on the Missouri Theatre stage, the emotions took over and the tears started flowing down Ameena Matthews’ cheeks. It was all out of gratitude to the True/False Film Fest and, even more so, the city of Columbia.
more at the Columbia Tribune
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Unicorn Theatre presents Two Jews Walk Into A War... by Seth Rozin. Directed by Cynthia Levin and featuring Robert Elliott and JIm Korinke. Hear the actors talk about their roles in the show. 2011 
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The Topeka Jazz Workshop Band and Topeka Jazz Workshop Inc. have announced the names of young musicians from this area who will be attending summer jazz camps or workshops courtesy of scholarships awarded Saturday by the two organizations.
more at the Topeka Capital-Journal
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Back in 2005, the first group of KCAI Junior animation students formed a production team and then designed, storyboarded and traditionally animated this whimsical piece about an old woman and her relationship to the little people inside her television. The student's hand painted over 700 cells! This was one of the first fully finished films made in the animation department.
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"An Affair of the Arts," a showcase for Kansas City, Missouri School District (KCMSD) students held on Thursday, March 10, 2011.
more at Tony's Kansas City 
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In May of 2007, Greensburg, Kansas, was devastated by one of the largest tornadoes ever recorded. Now, under the leadership of the William Inge Center for the Arts at Independence Community College, Kansas, and through a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the Greensburg community will share their incredible story in a unique way, creating a theatrical event about their ordeal and recovery.
more at Broadway World
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Kansas City Symphony Music Director Michael Stern shares the excitement of Helzberg Hall in the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts.
Kansas City Symphony Music Director Michael Stern, Yo-Yo Ma and Joyce DiDonato share the excitement of the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. The Classical Season is announced.
Kansas City Symphony Music Director Michael Stern shares the new music that we can look forward to in our new performance home, Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. City of fountains project announced.
Executive Director Frank Byrne talks about the 4 dimensions of music in the state-of-the-art Helzberg Hall in Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts.
Music Director Michael Stern announces the POPS and Family Series in the 2011-12 season.
Kansas City Symphony Board President Shirley Bush Helzberg talks about the experience of the world-class Helzberg hall in Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts.
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 Spring break has snuck up on us. How do I know?! Because Kansas City’s St. Patrick’s Day festivities begin this weekend!
Back in the day, St. Patrick’s Day meant that we headed out to Kelly’s and other Westport bars (are… more 
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Carnival of the Animals & Peter and the Wolf storyteller David Gonzalez speaks with the Lied Center about the classical musical works for young people and about collaborating with pianist Frederic Chiu.
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March 21 is the deadline for April 5 election
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By mail begins March 16; in person begins March 29. www.jocoelection.org (http://www.jocoelection.org/)
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The Topeka Symphony Orchestra will play jazz instead of classical music when it presents "Richie's House of Jazz." The pops concert at 7:30 p.m. Saturday in Washburn University's White Concert Hall will feature as guest artists, alto saxophone legend Richie Cole and the vocal group Five by Design.
more at the Topeka Capital-Journal
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The primary goal of Just Like You Films is to provide a video to every child going through a physical and emotional challenge such as surviving severe burns or having cancer. Unlike many movies that merely entertain, Just Like You videos strive to relay the message to all children that no matter their situation, in every way that matters we are all the same.
more at 435 South
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Blue Springs City Theatre is currently seeking directors for the following productions. Please visit their website for more information: www.bluespringscitytheatre.com
Blather, Blarney, & Balderdash
Written by Patrick Rainville Dorn
Auditions: January 2012. Performances: March 2012
Willy Wonka
Lyrics and Music by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley
Adapted for the Stage by Tim McDonald and Leslie Bricusse
Based on the Book Charlie and The Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
Auditions: May 2012. Performances: July 2012
A Tomb with a View
Written by Norman Robbins
Auditions: August 2012. Performances: October 2012
Babes in Toyland
Based on the operetta by Victor Herbert and Glen MacDonough
Adapted by Ruth Perry and Ann Smith. Auditions: October 2012. Performances: December 2012
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Adam Schoenberg’s American Symphony adopts an accessible style but does not stray so far into a Hollywood idiom that it grows cheesy. The agreeable new piece, a Kansas City Symphony commission, received its world premiere on March 4th at the Lyric Theatre, with the Symphony led by music director Michael Stern. If the finale felt prolix in proportion to the overall length of the symphony, the piece revealed the soul of a strong musician with a natural sense of melody, a playful knack for rhythm and a serious approach to orchestration. Inspired by the 2008 election and its implications for change in America, the symphony nevertheless eschews conventional patriotism: There is, happily, no rousing rendition of the National Anthem.
more at The Independent
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BBQ Lunch will be served!
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This event is hosted in conjunction with the Overland Park Chamber of Commerce
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Associate professor Dr. Thomas Poe, demonstrates that sometimes big changes pay off for the better. “While I totally loved teaching in the area of religious studies and wanted to continue to do so, I also realized that entering the 1980s there was a narrowing window of opportunities to do so outside of self-identified church-related colleges and universities,” Poe explained.
more at University News
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Westview Elementary School students love their extra helpings of fresh fruits and vegetables, served each month as a result of a $12,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The grant's purpose is to encourage children to choose fresh fruits and vegetables as a healthy snack choice.
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The Kansas City community remembers a classical piano pioneer who died. Ronald Brown died Monday at the age of 73.
more at KMBC
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Waiting for HaShem? Rating: 5
Two Jews Walk Into A War... Unicorn Theatre
In many ways, the Unicorn production of "Two Jews Walk Into A War," written by Seth Rozin, that I saw last night could be likened to a Jewish version of "Waiting for Godot"—just as dark and funny, but with a political background and clearer religious import that the earlier comedy does not contain. In this two-character play, directed by Cynthia Levin, we are introduced to the last two Jews living in Kabul, Afghanistan: Ishaq (played by Jim Korinke) and Zeblyan (played by Robert Elliott).
With chutzpah, a sense of humor and a tenacity of faith that are characteristic of the Jewish people throughout history, these two characters—walking contradictions in light of their geopolitical surroundings—do their best to put their extreme dislike of each other aside and band together as narrator and scribe to do the impossible: double-handedly transcribing the Torah and resurrecting Judiasm in the midst of a war-torn country in which they are the last two Jews.
Along the way, we are treated to much comic banter, religious and otherwise, but with punch lines frequently punctuated by gunfire in the distance or explosions from very realistic-sounding mortar shells—complete with fallout from the sky. Credit for the sound effects is due to David Kiehl, who also has selected several pieces of lively, entertaining ethnic music as "filler" before and during the performance. The Unicorn makes the absolute most of the smaller Jerome Stage in this production, with a very functional, effective set designed by Evan Hill that depicts a crumbling, bombed-out synagogue where the action takes place.
This is not just a comedy, however. The play moves past humorous discussions of how to interpret passages from the Old Testament and its seemingly-arbitrary rules of "Thou shalt nots" to larger issues, including a metaphysical questioning of faith and God's plan for humankind in the larger scope of existence. Imagine Abbot and Costello having a rabbinical debate on biblical interpretation and you have a sense of the humor at the least common denominator, but the depth of the play certainly doesn't stop there.
Korinke and Elliott have an onstage chemistry in this production that captures the essence of the characters they portray, even though neither seems initially to have a distinctive "Jewish" sensibility—if there even is such a thing. Whether the director's unusual decision to have Elliott chew gum during the first half of the play—it fell out of his mouth when he bent over during the performance—was a good idea should be left up to the individual audience member, but some may find it distracting. Overall this entertaining play, tightly arranged into several short scenes with blackouts in between, will certainly make you laugh and leave an impression on you and your perception of the Old Testament long after attending it.
read the review at KC Stage
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The Frontier Trail Middle School MATHCOUNTS team of Camella Carlson, Erica Chang, Isaiah Hastings and Akshay Prabhushankar placed third at the state MATHCOUNTS competition in Salina on March 5.
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A night of wedded bliss Rating: 5
The Wedding Singer River City Community Players
I went to "The Wedding Singer" opening weekend in Leavenworth because a friend is part of the show and enjoyed the so much I'm going back with more friends. I was amazed what a great production from the opening number till the end. Kristin Seefeldt the choreographer did such a great job with all the production numbers and dance was one of the many highlights of the show. The leads Brian Shortess and Vanessa Harper have wonderful voices and acted the roles so well bringing warmth and sincerity to their parts. Other main roles were also portrayed so well there wasn't a boring moment in the entire show. I fell in love with all of them. The full cast sounded so good on all their group singing numbers. The thing that really kept the show going was how there was no delays between scenes the stage crew was incredible in how well they made their changes. The set was very creative for the show and the size of the stage. I saw this show at an outdoor theatre a couple years ago and even though it was very good I didn't leave the theatre with the same feeling and smile as I did this weekend.
On the down side of the show there was one scene when the actors weren't in light and I didn't realize who was speaking. Sometimes the music was too loud for were I was sitting, which was on the same side as the musicians. I did hear some backstage noise at quite times in the show. I did miss some dialogue here and there because of accents or the microphones weren't working.
I personally didn't find anything that offensive about the show but there were PG-13 signs all over the ticket office warning about a couple curse words and adult situations. I thought that was odd but I guess it is needed for a small community theatre.
I rated the show with a 5 and wrote this not because my friend was involved but because it is truly a entertaining production form start to finish that I am sure I will enjoy again next weekend. It was well worth the drive. There were even a couple times others and I started to applaud in the middle of a musical number because they were just that good. I can't write all of this good stuff with out mentioning the director Eric Van Horn who brought together a wonderful group of talented people.
Mary H.
read the review at KC Stage
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I ran a detailed analysis of the March music calendars for Kansas City's three most recognized jazz clubs. The results raise a few interesting questions. When is a jazz club no longer a jazz club? What's the difference between jazz and R&B? And what would I do without my calculator?
more at Plastic Sax
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A free one hour informational presentation about easy techniques to prevent virus and malware issues. Free resources to remove viruses and malware are provided as a courtesy to all attendees. Including an always entertaining and interesting question and answer session. This presentation is part of the "Small Business Development" program of Rare Orb Technologies LLC and is completely free to the public including small businesses and their employees. For more information feel free to email support@rareorb.com or visit http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=134601679940778 . See you friday!
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A free one hour informational presentation about easy techniques to prevent virus and malware issues. Free resources to remove viruses and malware are provided as a courtesy to all attendees. Including an always entertaining and interesting question and answer session. This presentation is part of the "Small Business Development" program of Rare Orb Technologies LLC and is completely free to the public including small businesses and their employees. For more information feel free to email support@rareorb.com or visit http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=134601679940778 . See you friday!
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A free one hour informational presentation about easy techniques to prevent virus and malware issues. Free resources to remove viruses and malware are provided as a courtesy to all attendees. Including an always entertaining and interesting question and answer session. This presentation is part of the "Small Business Development" program of Rare Orb Technologies LLC and is completely free to the public including small businesses and their employees. For more information feel free to email support@rareorb.com or visit http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=134601679940778 . See you friday!
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A free one hour informational presentation about easy techniques to prevent virus and malware issues. Free resources to remove viruses and malware are provided as a courtesy to all attendees. Including an always entertaining and interesting question and answer session. This presentation is part of the "Small Business Development" program of Rare Orb Technologies LLC and is completely free to the public including small businesses and their employees. For more information feel free to email support@rareorb.com or visit http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=134601679940778 . See you friday!
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A free one hour informational presentation about easy techniques to prevent virus and malware issues. Free resources to remove viruses and malware are provided as a courtesy to all attendees. Including an always entertaining and interesting question and answer session. This presentation is part of the "Small Business Development" program of Rare Orb Technologies LLC and is completely free to the public including small businesses and their employees. For more information feel free to email support@rareorb.com or visit http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=134601679940778 . See you friday!
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A free one hour informational presentation about easy techniques to prevent virus and malware issues. Free resources to remove viruses and malware are provided as a courtesy to all attendees. Including an always entertaining and interesting question and answer session. This presentation is part of the "Small Business Development" program of Rare Orb Technologies LLC and is completely free to the public including small businesses and their employees. For more information feel free to email support@rareorb.com or visit http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=134601679940778 . See you friday!
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A free one hour informational presentation about easy techniques to prevent virus and malware issues. Free resources to remove viruses and malware are provided as a courtesy to all attendees. Including an always entertaining and interesting question and answer session. This presentation is part of the "Small Business Development" program of Rare Orb Technologies LLC and is completely free to the public including small businesses and their employees. For more information feel free to email support@rareorb.com or visit http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=134601679940778 . See you friday!
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A free one hour informational presentation about easy techniques to prevent virus and malware issues. Free resources to remove viruses and malware are provided as a courtesy to all attendees. Including an always entertaining and interesting question and answer session. This presentation is part of the "Small Business Development" program of Rare Orb Technologies LLC and is completely free to the public including small businesses and their employees. For more information feel free to email support@rareorb.com or visit http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=134601679940778 . See you friday!
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A free one hour informational presentation about easy techniques to prevent virus and malware issues. Free resources to remove viruses and malware are provided as a courtesy to all attendees. Including an always entertaining and interesting question and answer session. This presentation is part of the "Small Business Development" program of Rare Orb Technologies LLC and is completely free to the public including small businesses and their employees. For more information feel free to email support@rareorb.com or visit http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=134601679940778 . See you friday!
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A free one hour informational presentation about easy techniques to prevent virus and malware issues. Free resources to remove viruses and malware are provided as a courtesy to all attendees. Including an always entertaining and interesting question and answer session. This presentation is part of the "Small Business Development" program of Rare Orb Technologies LLC and is completely free to the public including small businesses and their employees. For more information feel free to email support@rareorb.com or visit http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=134601679940778 . See you friday!
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A free one hour informational presentation about easy techniques to prevent virus and malware issues. Free resources to remove viruses and malware are provided as a courtesy to all attendees. Including an always entertaining and interesting question and answer session. This presentation is part of the "Small Business Development" program of Rare Orb Technologies LLC and is completely free to the public including small businesses and their employees. For more information feel free to email support@rareorb.com or visit http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=134601679940778 . See you friday!
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A free one hour informational presentation about easy techniques to prevent virus and malware issues. Free resources to remove viruses and malware are provided as a courtesy to all attendees. Including an always entertaining and interesting question and answer session. This presentation is part of the "Small Business Development" program of Rare Orb Technologies LLC and is completely free to the public including small businesses and their employees. For more information feel free to email support@rareorb.com or visit http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=134601679940778 . See you friday!
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A free one hour informational presentation about easy techniques to prevent virus and malware issues. Free resources to remove viruses and malware are provided as a courtesy to all attendees. Including an always entertaining and interesting question and answer session. This presentation is part of the "Small Business Development" program of Rare Orb Technologies LLC and is completely free to the public including small businesses and their employees. For more information feel free to email support@rareorb.com or visit http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=134601679940778 . See you friday!
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A free one hour informational presentation about easy techniques to prevent virus and malware issues. Free resources to remove viruses and malware are provided as a courtesy to all attendees. Including an always entertaining and interesting question and answer session. This presentation is part of the "Small Business Development" program of Rare Orb Technologies LLC and is completely free to the public including small businesses and their employees. For more information feel free to email support@rareorb.com or visit http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=134601679940778 . See you friday!
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A free one hour informational presentation about easy techniques to prevent virus and malware issues. Free resources to remove viruses and malware are provided as a courtesy to all attendees. Including an always entertaining and interesting question and answer session. This presentation is part of the "Small Business Development" program of Rare Orb Technologies LLC and is completely free to the public including small businesses and their employees. For more information feel free to email support@rareorb.com or visit http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=134601679940778 . See you friday!
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A free one hour informational presentation about easy techniques to prevent virus and malware issues. Free resources to remove viruses and malware are provided as a courtesy to all attendees. Including an always entertaining and interesting question and answer session. This presentation is part of the "Small Business Development" program of Rare Orb Technologies LLC and is completely free to the public including small businesses and their employees. For more information feel free to email support@rareorb.com or visit http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=134601679940778 . See you friday!
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Want to know what’s on the minds of young people in an ascendant, tech-savvy China, the generation struggling with the vestiges of the Cultural Revolution and the Communist government’s stranglehold on the country’s high-octane present? Spend 45 minutes watching Chinese artist Cao Fei’s video “RMB City Opera” at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, and you’ll walk away with some answers.
more at kansascity.com
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Prima ballerina is an old-fashioned term, not often used by ballet companies these days. It indicates a dancer of extraordinary excellence and accomplishment, a leader and inspiration to the other dancers. If the Kansas City Ballet were a ranked company, its prima ballerina would surely be Kimberly Cowen.
more at kansascity.com
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 Today is Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of Lent. For practicing Catholics, it means 40 days of complying with Lenten regulations – beginning with fasting today and again on Good Friday. The “no meat on Fridays” runs… more
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Rare Orb Technology Presents the "Small Business Development" training series. Every Friday morning a one hour session on subjects that actually put value into your business, no sales pitches, just good solid information you can use! You can send your employees or attend yourself!
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The Olathe Public Schools Culinary Arts team
once again swept the Kansas ProStart Invitational competition, taking both
first and second place.
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Fast paced dance, great sounds, beautiful people, WHAT A SHOW! Rating: 5
The Wedding Singer River City Community Players
The Wedding Singer, as presented my the River City Community Players
in the Leavenworth Performing Arts Center is a show not to be missed.
The theater itself is inviting and there's a feel of anticipatory excitement
as the tickets are taken, and the audience is seated.
Then comes the first notes of music and you know it: this is going to be
a great night of musical theater. Director Eric Van Horn means to
deliver just that, and contrary of some of the more recent productions
taken on by others up there, he delivered on what he meant to give to
an audience. He put together an incredibly talented cast, placed them
on one of the most versatile sets I've seen in years, and assembled a
terrific creative team to make this a show to remember.
Brian Shortess and Vanessa Harper are a great romantic duo in their
roles as Robbie Hart and Julia Sullivan, not knowing themselves in the
earliest part of their relationship, that they were destined for each
other. The audience does! What a beautifully underplayed chemistry.
The audience gets to fall in love with them as they fall in love with each
other. I hope I get to see them again in future productions. They are a
joy.
Robbie's buddies and band mates, Sammy and George, played by Jeff
Adams and Nikcoma Mahkewa, add much comedy, romance, and fun to
the show. They are talents to watch.
Holly, Sammy's former girlfriend, present annoyance, and future
relationship, does an impressive job, gently, (and sometimes not so
gently) pushing Julia towards the right man, and pushing Sammie's
buttons just enough.
Bradley. J. Thomas makes the role of Glen Guglia his very own. As
Julia's husband-to-be, he is overbearing, arrogant, greedy, unfeeling,
and anything but the man for Julia to spend her life with. He's the man
you really want to boo and hiss at.
Rosie, Robbie's kind but a bit unconventional Grandma, and Linda,
Robbie's unconventional former fiance, played by Tracy McClung and
Nicole Theno respectively, seem like the good in Robbie's life on the
part of the former and the and the "good-God, run- for-your life from
her" character, on the part of the latter. They are played perfectly.
The rest of the cast provides some great surprises; comic moments,
dumbfounded Dad, not-so-best Best Man, and bigger-than-life
personalities that you'll be all too familiar with.
Just to be honest, were there a couple of missed notes, or a delayed
line during some lively repartee? Probably, but don't ask me when
they happened or who missed or delayed. I can't remember.
The set is character in its own rite, and Van Horn played double duty to
design it for his cast. With the bright and outlandish colors that harken
back to the 80's, and little mini-sets that suddenly appear to provide a
great place to perform the designated scene, there's plenty of room for
the action of this non-stop song-and-dance-a- thon. The cast was
also definitely dressed for the parts. Marianne Tennant and Nancy
Mazzia must have toured the second hand stores and flea markets of
the area to find some of the pastel tuxedos, wigs that looked like Tina
Turner hair for one of the guys, and bustier for one of the girls.
Lights and sound were terrific. This show was one that not only could I
see every part of, but I wanted to. I personally thanked one of the pit
band members for keeping the music and the voices balanced so that
the music didn't get played so loud that you couldn't hear the singing,
a usual problem with community theater. Lauren Wilson kept a tight
rein on the balance of dynamics between the pit and the cast.
The choreography was razz-ma-tazz, from beginning to end.
Creative, imaginative, and thoughtful, considering a majority of the cast
were obviously not trained dancers, Kristen Seefeldt put together
movement that added to the story that the songs were telling
throughout the show. Haven't seen that in a long time up there either.
The cast looked like they were having a ball every time they started to
shake-a-leg.
The program credited the cast as the stage crew behind the scenes,
under the leadership of Teresa Hingula and Jesse Jacobs, as Stage
Manager and Assistant respectively. With all the moving pieces I saw,
from bedroom, to dumpster, to airplane, they moved like a well oiled-
machine.
Eric Van Horn has done it again in Leavenworth. He showed them what
can be accomplished on their small stage, and created a production
that is second to none up there. The show told a story, entertained
your ears and your eyes, and flowed nearly non-stop. (There was an
intermission after all.) The audience showed their appreciation for his
efforts with a well-deserved standing "O" on the night that I saw "The
Wedding Singer."
I was a little jealous of the great time the cast was having, and will not
hesitate to go see it one more time, at least. It's like going to see a
Broadway show, without having to go all the way to New York. It's
playing just one more Friday and Saturday, March 12th and 13th. I
strongly recommend you make reservations early. Wow! What a
Show!!
read the review at KC Stage
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At a concert titled “Darkness and Light,” the Kansas City Chorale explored those themes and their attendant realities — life and death, hope and longing, promise and loss — Sunday afternoon at Redemptorist Church.
more at kansascity.com
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Fred Andrews knows what it means to program a screening. He has been doing so for a decade and a half, as the founder of the Kansas City Jubilee film festival. Andrews is a seminal figure in the introduction of many independent films to the Kansas City region, films that might never have been available to us if not for his perseverance and determination to bring quality and thought-provoking stories to the neighborhood.
more at Review
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The Official Scrabble Players Dictionary is seldom out of reach when third- through fifth-grade students gather for the latest after-school club offered at Arbor Creek Elementary School. They bury their noses deep into the reference guide to see how they might build new words across their Scrabble board.
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As devotees of the Harriman Jewell series are quick to point out, the presenters have an uncanny sense of prognostication. Since 1973 they have compiled an impressive list of American recital debuts for vocalists, including Juan Diego Florez, Ben Heppner and, of course, Luciano Pavarotti.
more at kansascity.com
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Great day for a White Wedding Rating: 5
The Wedding Singer River City Community Players
I can't add to the great reviews except I agree. My wife and I had a great time from start to finish. Makes me proud to be part of the Leavenworth community and have a theatre that can provide quality entertainment. I have seen a few of Eric Van Horn's productions in the past and have never been disappointed. It is good to have him back. When we tried to complement him in the lobby after the show he deflected all the praise to his staff and the actors. Being in the military for many years I know it takes a strong leader to harness raw talent, direct the focus on mission goals and archive them by building confidence and trust. He may give the praise to the performers but we still give him the credit for being a great leader and in this case a very talented director.
read the review at KC Stage
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The phrase, “You oughta be in pictures,” may soon come true for some residents who presented their resumes and photos Saturday during the open casting call for extras for the movie “The Story of Bonnie and Clyde.”
more at the Neosho Daily News
and at KMBC
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Evita is a Pleasure Rating: 4
Evita The Barn Players, Inc.
The Barn Player's Production of Evita is a good production overall but it isn't without its flaws. What I enjoyed the most of the show was a great supporting ensemble who did a fantastic job singing and the headliner Erin Hammer who played Evita. The music throughout the show was good but was muddled by a poor speaker system which did get better throughout the show.
The few other issues were some sloppy costumes and a Che that couldn't be heard throughout the show. But the rest of the music and the dedication of the cast was what pulled this show together. I have a feeling another week of fine tuning and finish is what this show will benefit from the most.
Acting - 3
Singing - 5
Lights - 3
Sound - 2
Direction - 4
Costumes - 2
Set - 4
Overall - 4 - Come for the music and a batch of talented actors.
read the review at KC Stage
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BSCT Finds a Rare Treasurer in Rating: 5
Lost & Foundling Blue Springs City Theatre
This was by far the best kids show I have ever seen. Staci, played by Marley Brown, grabs your attention immediately with her energy and strong voice. She is the narrator throughout the show. Jesse, played by John Forth and Custodian, played by Chase Matchael are a real comedy duo. They really play off each other and keep you laughing with their antics.
The set was very creative. I liked how the shelving units would move and change for different scenes. The set was also very colorful and eye catching - it complemented the actors beautifully.
Although this is Michelle Brown's directing debut you would never know it. She did a fantastic job with this production. The kids all had energy and you could tell they loved what they were doing.
My hat is off to Blue Springs City Theatre. If you missed this show then you really missed it! Cudos to all!
read the review at KC Stage
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The mind of a child is free, David Gonzales says. It is not cluttered by the worries and deadlines of adulthood. Because of this, the professional storyteller says, it is important to nurture children’s inherent curiosity and creativity.
more at the Lawrence Journal-World
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Awesome Rating: 5
The Wedding Singer River City Community Players
This show was really great, I was really happy I went to see it. The songs were wondeful and the acting was really awesome. I really liked the movie so I was stoaked that there was a musical version of it in town. For the price it seemed like a professional show, like the touring shows that come through Starlight or the Music Hall. Brian Shortess as the main character Robbie was supurb, with a wondeful voice, amazing dancing and a charming attitude throughout. Vanessa Harper was beautiful and fun as Julia, she had grace and warmth that flowed off the stage and into the laps of the audience. Jessica Kneckt and Jeff Adams as Holly and Sammy do a great job of being the comedy to the Robbie and Julia Romance, with fun songs and great scences. I was very entertained by them both. Tracy Mcclung and Nikoma Mehkewa as Grandma Rosie and George were scene stealers and added a fun quality to the show. Betty Walsh and Nicole Theno as Angie and Linda are very good in the work they have, acting was great and for Theno her songs were entertaining. I did not however like Bradley Thomas as Glen...I thought he was actually quite bad and didn't fit in the show, his singing was horrible and acting was muggy...overall least favorite performer in a show of greatness. He was my only complaint. I really loved the ensemble and the staging of scencs. I think that if I would see another show again it would be this one because I had so much fun...I reccommend this to you as a patron of the arts and a lover of great musical theatre...GO SEE THIS SHOW!!!!
read the review at KC Stage
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Tenor Stephen Costello possesses a natural, rich-auburn voice with a durable top, a pleasantly feathery lower register, a sweet head-voice that can shift into full voice with fetching ease, and a big capacity for warm pathos. The American artist, who made his Metropolitan Opera debut in 2007 and won the Richard Tucker Award in 2009, seems destined for a big career.
more at The Independent
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Rain didn't damper the mood at the True/False March March parade even after a tornado warning Friday afternoon. Eccentricity was out in force. Costumes, props and behavior all tasted of the ridiculous and wondrous nature of True/False. Enjoy a bit of bacchanalian beauty and make sure to checkout True/False for yourself this weekend. 
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Great Show! Rating: 5
The Wedding Singer River City Community Players
I am far from being even a fair writer, but had to submit a review for "The Wedding Singer" now playing at Leavenworth's River City Community Players. I was very impressed with this show, especially the choreography. Kristin Seefeldt has put together some very graceful yet energetic steps that have become a series of very tightly executed performances. There were a couple of actors who were obviously not dancers, but that just followed with their characters.
This is a must-see production and well worth a drive to see. Get your reservations in now, because I think this may be selling out.
Note: I have had seats all over this theater and have yet to find a bad seat.
read the review at KC Stage
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The Chestnut Fine Arts Center is proud to announce their 13th season of plays and musicals.
Jukebox and Bobby Socks: Sept. 15 - Oct. 16, 2011
A Tribute to the Big Band: Nov. 3 - Dec. 11, 2011
Daddy's Dyin' Who's Got the Will?: Feb. 2 - Mar. 4, 2012
A Spoonful of Sugar: A Tribute to the music of Julie Andrews: Mar. 29 - April 29, 2012
...And the Oscar Goes To...: May 17 - June 17, 2012
How Great Thou Art: July 12 - Aug. 19, 2012
Season auditions (for adults 16 and older) will be held Saturday, April 30 from 11:00-3:00pm at the theatre. Auditions will be open to both equity and non-equity performers. The Chestnut is located at 234 N. Chestnut St. Olathe, KS 66061 Telephone: 913-764-2121 .
Appointments are not necessary and an accompanist will be provided. Please bring sheet music in the correct key. Those auditioning should be prepared to present a musical theatre selection. Those auditioning only for "Daddy's Dyin" should be prepared to perform a one (1) minute monologue. Questions? Contact Brad Zimmerman by phone or email: chestnutfac@comcast.net
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It's fiesta time! Planning for Fiesta Kansas City has begun and it's time to plan on featuring your business at the largest Hispanic festival in the Midwest! Fiesta Kansas City features national and local entertainment, great food and fun for the entire family. With over 40,000 attendees during the thee-day festival, your business can reach the heart of the Hispanic community. Admission is $5.00 per day and $10.00 for a 3-day Fiesta Pass. Children 10 and under get in free with a paid admission. For food and product booth vendor applications, please contact Brenda Salcedo at the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Office at 816-472-6767 or bsalcedo@hccgkc.com. Also, volunteers are needed to run the Fiesta. Contact Estella Morales at fiestakc@yahoo.com to register as a volunteer. You will receive a free t-shirt, 2 beverage tickets and free admission to the fiesta on the day(s) you volunteer. Hyatt Regency Crown Center is the host hotel for Fiesta Kansas City. Make reservations at 816-421-1234. The promo code is “Fiesta Kansas City” to get discounted price of $89/night.
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In a memorable scene from the classic musical “A Chorus Line,” one of the characters bellyaches about the seemingly absurd games and exercises that students often participate in during acting classes.
more at The Johnson County Sun
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THE WEDDING SINGER SINGS!!!!! Rating: 5
The Wedding Singer River City Community Players
Last Friday I saw a great musical comedy open up in Leavenworth…THE WEDDING SINGER was a huge production by the River City Community Players directed wonderfully by Eric Van Horn, Musical Direction by Lauren Wilson and choreography by Kristen Seefeldt. If you are a fan of the movie you are in for a treat. I didn't really know what to expect traveling so far out of the way to a theatre I had never been to, to see a musical based on a movie that was over 10 years old set in an era that was 20 years ago…but let me tell you this show rocked! It follows the same basic outline of the film, changing things here or there or reinventing moments. But the source material is handled with care. Each actor brought something unique to their respective roles and it was a nice change of pace to see some fresh faces on stage here in the Kansas City area. It made me go out and buy the soundtrack (which is wonderful by the way).
As the Wedding Singer Robbie Hart, Brian Shortess does a very good job of riding the line between originality and the Adam Sandler-esque stuff you expect. He has a great voice, though at times seemed to struggle…I chalk that up to opening night jitters though as the young man was on stage more than anyone in the show. I thought he danced very well and had a great timing in most of his dialog. I did however think his microphone was too loud during group songs and duets, though not a bad thing when solo. He was very memorable in the number that replaces Love Stinks from the movie… He dances with a group of "losers" in what can only be called an homage to the music video "THRILLER" and you understand why he feels the way he does by the events that happen to him. He reminded me of a young Ben Affleck…which is weird to say but it is his delivery style, clear with a good resonance and his ability to convey heart, hurt and humor in just his smile or look does wonders. He isn't the egg-shaped head of Sandler, he is more Matinee star than goof, but somehow he makes it work being the Robbie he needs to be. I also really enjoyed the fact that he had very good chemistry with the other characters on stage especially Julia and his grandmother Rosie… I wish though that the song "Today you are a man" was left in(it replaced the bar-mitzvah scene in the movie but was cut from this production) as it would really show Robbie's fun and funny side. You want to root for an underdog…well you have one in this young man.
As the waitress and main female lead Julia Sullivan, Vanessa Harper sparkles and does an amazing job of playing an understated character well. Julia isn't the flash in the show, or the goofy one… She is the heart to Robbie's soul. Vanessa has a wonderful air of wide-eyed hopefulness that shows in her numbers, and in every scene. Her voice could rival any that are on Broadway right now and I could draw comparisons to Idina Menzel or Sutton Foster in her delivery and style of singing, I am honestly surprised by the amount of talent that has and that I had not seen her perform someplace else. Her Julia is sweet and innocent just as Drew Barrymore's was but where they differ is that once she sings you are now invested in her 100%. You can't take your eyes off of her when she is onstage, not because she is beautiful, which she most certainly is, but because you want to see what she is going to do next. In particular the song Dumpster is a thrill to see because you get a feel for the kind of song and heart that she gives throughout the show. I would venture to say that without her the show would have a much different feel. Best performance I have seen by a leading woman in a musical in years.
Bradley J. Thomas gives a memorable performance as the arrogant and pompous yet smooth and charismatic fiancé to Julia, Glen Gulia. I guess what you would really call the bad guy of the show and the obstacle of Julia and Robbie's love. He has some great lines and is a bit more expanded than the one note character from the film. He dances well if somewhat unpolished. But he really brings it with his singing, acting and commitment to the scene. His singing in his big number "All about the Green" is about as Broadway a sound as any, again I am surprised by a talent that should be in another market or venue. He is funny, you want to hate him even though he is making you laugh and his snap thing is funny as hell. He is a powerhouse of a singer that reminds me of Adam Pascal and Brian Stoakes Mitchell with a look that is a young Billy Dee Williams… in fact he has that smoothness, almost oily nature to the Glen character that makes you think of a combo of Wall Street and Harlem Nights. Again watching this young man is wonderful and tight, something you wouldn't normally say for a character that if in other hands could have been forgettable
As Julia's more sex and style driven cousin, Holly, Jessica Knecht plays quirky well. Her singing and dancing are great and her scene work with Julia and the rest of the cast is enjoyable. Her relationship to Sammy is just as sweet as Julia and Robbie's romance but with a funnier edge. Her song "Right in front of your eyes" is sweet and funny with clever blocking and dance. She electrifies in the large dance number that finishes the first act "Saturday Night" and has a very big surprise at the end that really delivers something unexpected. She brings to mind the new breed of Hollywood female Icons like Anne Hathaway or Amy Adams, the funny and quirky girls that have both humor and Beauty. Very enjoyable and holds her own onstage and gives a very great performance.
As Robbie's best friend and comic relief Sammy, Jeff Adams comes off as a solid performer, in scenes that could be played for laughs he does with style and panache. Great timing and playoff from all the characters he interacts with, it is a joy to watch. While different from the movie, the character in some ways is a better interpretation in the musical. He brings to life a certain quality that makes you like him more and more…and you really want him to get together with Holly as much as the Robbie/Julia situation. He inhabits a world of men that includes Chris Farley and Mark Addy, those funny guys that have heart and that are actually more graceful than you give them credit for. His singing on the other hand was smoky and almost bluesy with a kind of grit when rocking out that harkened back to Rod Stuart or Brian Adams. Great watching this guy perform…just a joy!
As Robbie's other band mate and bestie George, Nekoma Mahkewa is super funny. Though not the traditional casting for George I have seen, he brings more heart, love and humor than any of the iterations on stage or in the film. He sings and dances quite well and his sweet personality and playful demeanor is such that he works off the other characters well. I particularly liked the part where he was talking about General Hospital to both Robbie and Sammy…super funny moment. His song with Robbie's Grandma is a crowd favorite and very comical. In certain aspects I found that he reminded me of Adam Beach, and his singing was very much like Wilson Jermaine Heredia (Angel from the Original cast and film of RENT). I super enjoyed the care he took in not making him a stereotype and a real fleshed out character!
As Grandma Rosie, Tracy Mcclung is funny! She very caring and delivers both humor and heart with wit and wonder. She has a youth to her that I have not seen in other productions and that was a refreshing change of pace. I really enjoyed her comic stuff which was the bulk of her stage time, but she had some touching moments with both Robbie and Julia at the end of the show. My favorite part in the film was Rosie, so I was hoping that she lived up to it, and she did!
As the heartless bride to be Linda who doesn't show up to the wedding, Nicole Theno does a great job of playing someone who doesn't care until she can't find anyone else to go with so comes back to Robbie at his lowest point. She has a great voice that lends a rock quality to the character and is a direct contrast to Julia's sweet tones. I would have liked to see her dance expanded in the second act but what she did worked. She reminded me of Glen Close in Fatal Attraction with her attitude…and singing wise rocker Joan Jett. Though less stage time than the others she was memorable, and not just for the "wardrobe malfunction"...it happens, it's live theatre.
The rest of the cast was solid and strong, moving the action of each scene along and adding life to the backgrounds. They had a feel for what was happening on stage and had some very fun numbers and choreography to work with. From beginning to end of this show I was tapping my toes, smiling, laughing and crying with each moment as it passed. I was glad that I had the chance to see a great production of something I didn't think I would enjoy and ended up being something I will never forget. Best musical I have seen anywhere in recent years and I hope that many more people go see it. I might even have to come back for another viewing…it was that good!
read the review at KC Stage
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Two veteran actors exercise every refined instinct for comic timing at their disposal in the Unicorn Theatre production of "Two Jews Walk Into a War."
more at kansascity.com
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In the beginning, James Marsh didn't even want to direct documentary films. “To be blunt, my ambition was always to make fiction films. But in the U.K., where I grew up and started working, there's a huge documentary culture on television," he said. "Documentaries were really just the easiest way to become a director – well, it’s not that easy, but it's certainly the path of least resistance."
more at The Missourian
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The synergies between Stephen Costello’s tenor voice and Danielle Orlando’s piano last night were incredible.
more at Chamber Music Today
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SUCH a fun show! I've seen it twice! Rating: 5
The Wedding Singer River City Community Players
Overall the River City Community Players' production of The Wedding Singer is both highly entertaining and eye-popping! The show has such a great energy that at times it is difficult to sit still in your chair, especially during the musical numbers! I love the whole look of the show, the sets, the costumes, and the dancing really make me feel like I am in the 80's. This show does have some adult themes and language, but less than the movie version. That being said, it is love story with a message that really speaks to me: Love yourself and others will love you too. Robbie, the show's main character learns that he doesn't need fame or fortune to deserve the love of his life, Julia, he just needs to be himself. The two leads have a good chemistry which grows stronger as the show progresses, and both are strong vocalists, dancers and actors. Robbie and Julia are complemented by a wonderful supporting cast of lively characters, like Holly, who does a great job of being both over -the-top sexy and feisty, but likable at the same time, Sammy is a comical charmer with a "flock of seagulls' hair", George is a firecracker on the stage, Rosie, a grandma who can bust a move like nobody's business, and Linda and Glenn, whom I can't decide if I love or hate! The brilliant cast is carried by a marvelous ensemble full of animated and funny cameos who really breathe life into the show! The show's musical numbers are at times a bit rough around the edges, but the vocalists make up for it with feeling and heart, and you can tell they have fun with the music. At certain points in the show you just want to jump on the stage and start dancing and singing with them! You'll laugh hard, maybe shed a tear or two, cheer like crazy when it's over, and want to see it again!
read the review at KC Stage
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Ray Reed, a popular jazz singer in Kansas City, is ill with cancer and is now hospitalized. Reed was at Truman Medical Center for about a week, suffering from prostate, bladder and brain cancer, and now has been transferred to Blue Ridge Rehabilitation Center.
more at kansascity.com
[Thanks, Tony]
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KMBC's Joel Nichols talks with Vida Bikales of the Barn Players.
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Kansas City Ballet is rehearsing for Giselle - at the Lyric Theatre March 10-13 
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Mark Lowrey is one of the most talented musicians in Kansas City. It's no surprise that a Mayoral hopeful would want to be associated with his level of skill, versatility and -- as Charlie Sheen has been saying lately -- winning.
more at KC Confidential
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Hundreds of masked moviegoers attended the True/False Film Festival Jubilee Gala on Thursday night at the Missouri Theatre Center of the Arts. Born of an idea in 2003, the festival has grown into an annual event that is in its eighth year. Documentary enthusiasts descend on Columbia for a weekend of the arts — True/False 2011 will feature music, events and panels.
more at The Missourian
and more here
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War, religion and comedy are not usually three words you find in the same sentence. But it’s exactly those elements that make up Unicorn Theatre’s latest production, opening tomorrow, March 5.
more at The Vignette
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In somewhat of a surprise move in Topeka, the Senate Federal and State Affairs Committee rejected Gov. Sam Brownback’s resolution to get rid of the Kansas Arts Commission.
more at the Kansas City Business Journal
and at KCUR
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A 16-year-old pianist and a chorus of boys and girls will join the Topeka Symphony Orchestra Youth Ensembles when they perform their spring concert Sunday afternoon.
more at the Topeka Capital-Journal
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Is it my imagination or is the Kansas City Symphony getting better and better as the opening of the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts approaches? The orchestra and guest pianist Jonathan Biss dished out romantic fervor and American innovation in large servings at their concert Friday night at the Lyric Theatre.
more at kansascity.com
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This weekend that line will be tested as thousands will descend upon Columbia to experience a smorgasbord of offerings at the True/False Film Festival, a four-day event featuring documentary films from around the world. "Benda Bilili!" follows a paraplegic music group in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and "An African Election" details the crucial 2008 election in Ghana.
more at Global Journalist
and The Missourian
another interview with Elliot Reed
and on KCUR's Up to Date (mp3)
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Actor, poet, and playwright Dael Orlandersmith is winner of the 2011 William Inge Theatre Festival's Otis Guernsey New Voices in the American Theatre Award. Orlandersmith will be presented with the award at the 30th Annual Inge Festival April 13-16 at Independence Community College.
more at Broadway World
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It’s Here! It’s Here!
Kansas City summer camps, Overland Park summer camps, Lee’s Summit summer camps, Northland summer camps, Johnson County summer camps – Yes! They’re all here! As happens every year, we’ve been getting antsy emails… more 
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After editions in Belgium, Poland, Canada, Qatar, and most recently France, the sixteenth edition of FUTURALLIA 2011 will take place in Kansas City, USA.
Whether you call it business matchmaking, business speed dating, or B2B meetings, FUTURALLIA is a fast-paced and intense business event where, all in all, more than 9,000 B2B meetings will take place!
The concept is simple: It is to gather more than 800 entrepreneurs from more than 30 countries for 2 days of pre-selected and pre-arranged one-on-one business meetings.
To request information about this event, click here.
Or download a copy of the flyer.
You can also visit the website at www.futuralliakc2011.com
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After editions in Belgium, Poland, Canada, Qatar, and most recently France, the sixteenth edition of FUTURALLIA 2011 will take place in Kansas City, USA.
Whether you call it business matchmaking, business speed dating, or B2B meetings, FUTURALLIA is a fast-paced and intense business event where, all in all, more than 9,000 B2B meetings will take place!
The concept is simple: It is to gather more than 800 entrepreneurs from more than 30 countries for 2 days of pre-selected and pre-arranged one-on-one business meetings.
To request information about this event, click here.
Or download a copy of the flyer.
You can also visit the website at www.futuralliakc2011.com
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After editions in Belgium, Poland, Canada, Qatar, and most recently France, the sixteenth edition of FUTURALLIA 2011 will take place in Kansas City, USA.
Whether you call it business matchmaking, business speed dating, or B2B meetings, FUTURALLIA is a fast-paced and intense business event where, all in all, more than 9,000 B2B meetings will take place!
The concept is simple: It is to gather more than 800 entrepreneurs from more than 30 countries for 2 days of pre-selected and pre-arranged one-on-one business meetings.
To request information about this event, click here.
Or download a copy of the flyer.
You can also visit the website at www.futuralliakc2011.com
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If your child is anything like my oldest, you’re probably looking for a science camp for this summer! Here is the KC Kids Fun listing of 2011 Kansas City area science and nature camps. Whether your kid is scientifically-inclined or… more 
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LOTS of outstanding Kansas City-area theatre, dance, vocal music, instrumental music and other performing arts camps for 2011. In every part of town, there are great offerings for your child, no matter his or her age. Be sure to check… more 
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This city is full of artists – and so many of these artists are generous enough to share their talents with our children. Kansas City has the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, the Nerman Museum… more 
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Everywhere we look there are new sports camps popping up in the Kansas City metro area. We won’t even begin to scratch the surface with this list, I fear – but we’ll give a go! The obvious place to start is… more 
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Looking for a traditional summer camp in the Kansas City area? Here is our list of 2011 general day and overnight camps - some of these camps have no theme, no greater purpose other than fun; some of them have… more 
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Lawrence High School in Lawrence, Kansas celebrates its 2011 Winter Court and the 150th birthday of the state of Kansas. "Sunflower" (2011) performed by LHS' own the Sesquicentennials and sung by the students. Original music and lyrics by Mack David (1948).
more at Fox4KC
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Kansas City is an amazing place to find a variety of camps to meet the special needs of children. Our list of Kansas City-area special needs summer camps probably doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface though! Please let us… more 
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Welcome to the second episode of Stage Savvy: The Podcast, hosted by Angie Fiedler Sutton and Jen Morris. This first show clocks in a little over 39 minutes. The first topic was stage managing, and then we told some theatre tales.
more at Stage Savvy
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A golf tournament fundraiser that provides primary financial support for the work of Pathway To Hope. In a time when governmental funding of programs for those with mental illness is shrinking, Pathway To Hope brings eductaion, support, advocacy and transitional housing to individuals and their families that are affected by mental illness. This golf event at Ironhorse Golf Club on Monday, May 16th is a key financial provider toward the resources Pathway To Hope offers. Pathway To Hope is a 10-year old non-profit agency based in Olathe, KS.
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A Wonderful Wedding Romp Rating: 5
The Wedding Singer River City Community Players
I had the chance to make the journey out to the RCCP production of the musical The Wedding Singer, and let me tell you… it was well worth the trip. I have seen several versions of this show and Eric Van Horn has directed a top notch show filled with heart, fun and fluff that would make the movie and the 80's itself very proud.
For those of you unfamiliar with the film of the same name staring Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore, the story centers around Robbie Hart(Played by Brian Shortess), a hard working wedding singer in 1985 Ridgefield New Jersey, hopeless romantic who lives in his grandma Rosies' (Tracy Mcclung) basement and is about to be married to the girl of his dreams Linda(Nicole Theno). His band mates Sammy (Jeff Adams) and George (Nikcoma Mahkewa) are his best friends as well. He meets a fellow hopeless romantic in Julia Sullivan (Vanessa Harper) who is herself has been dating her boyfriend Glen Gulia(Bradley J. Thomas) for some time and wants desperately to be married. She backed up by her cousin Holly (Jessica Knetch) and her Mom Angie (Betty Welch) to marry him. Then when Robbie's girl turns out to not be the right one, the crushed wannabe rocker has to be coaxed back into life by the help of Julia and his friends…in the all the feelings and longings the two become close and then true love blooms when they both realize that they are meant be together.
This production has an amazing sprite…the kind you don't normally find these days. The cast of colorful characters, wonderful musical numbers and fun dances make this a strong show, though not without problems from time to time.
Playing the role of Robbie, Brian Shortess indeed has some inspired moments and has some great movement and dancing in numbers. While Robbie is the glue that holds the pieces of the story together, he is also the engine that moves scenes along. I found that at times I really saw that happening but at certain times he had pitch problems though that I found hard to not be taken out of the moment with. There was a certain feeling of disconnect from the heart of a character that could be viewed as likeable and caring in a few scenes. I am in no way saying that he did a bad job but I would have liked to have felt more from him, and his connection to other characters on stage. Though he did have stellar moments with "Somebody Kill Me" and with the tune "If I told you" a second act duet with Julia that did bring a tear to my eye. I have seen his work before and I do enjoy it… just didn't feel the kind of love and warmth one normally does from the character. But he does hold it together for the rest of the ensemble cast and ends up shining when he needs to. It is a work horse role and I believe that he does a good if sometimes unbalanced job. I do have to commend him though because of the range and amount of time on stage he has, he keeps going… he makes dose make a very good center for the others to revolve around.
Vanessa Harper as Julia on the other hand was so amazing I just about had a heart attack. She is instantly likable as Julia. With a stand out, clear as a bell voice. You instantly see the Barrymore-ish quality to her but there is something else she brings to the role. She has a classic grace on stage, even through the demeanor of someone who gets trampled by her overbearing fiancé Glen. Her performance is subtle yet heartfelt and genuine, you are drawn into her with both care and love that doesn't end until she finally gets the right guy in the end. Her first song "Someday" is an ode to girls everywhere that hope one day that their prince will come. Her stirring "Dumpster" song is both funny and loving and is a nice change to see a song that could be over done on shtick to have found that balance. But the real moment this young lady shines is in the second act, on a platform in a wedding dress…singing something that makes you want to make Robbie and Julia fall in love right there! I have seen this young woman perform in several shows…this is a star turn if I have ever seen one… I hope this leads to huge things for her because she is an untapped resource in our little community and people better take notice, there is a new leading lady in town.
Jeff Adams plays Sammy, one third of Robbie's band and best friend. This man was so fun to watch… every time he came on stage you just wanted to laugh. The "Hair" he had was classic 80's and he had some of the best one liners in the show. His duet with Holly is sweet and the song "Single"…an ode to being an 80's man is a crowd pleaser. He comes on like a loveable lummox and gives heart to a lot of the show even without meaning to. Though I would say he lacked a certain something while dancing, for some reason it worked for his character.I had a chance to see him in Little Shop and this rivals that in the fun factor in a very different way. Very strong performance.
Jessica Knecht as Holly has some strong moments in the show and wonderful dance moments. Playing the "sexy" on stage in 80's attire can be difficult but she pulls it off in stride. I would say though that some of her singing had some pitch problems, but other than that her character was funny, fun and exciting to watch. Her song "Right in front of your Eyes" is both sweet and funny and her ending act "Saturday Night" is a show stopper…flash dance would be proud! She channels the Madonna "Material Girl" to a tee and her Jersey accent is comical yet somehow works with her character. Her personality is bubbly entertaining and she milks laughs out of most of her lines. Her scene work with Julia in act two makes you feel a real connection there with both of them that really creates a bond for the audience… which is can be hard to convey but works with both of them. I hope to see more from this young lady as time goes on…wonderful work.
Bradley J. Thomas as the arrogant fiancé Glen Gulia is like a force of nature on stage. He brings a depth to what would be the heavy in the show and usually a very forgettable character. Both dislikeable yet charming he rides a very fine line. He is crisp, sharp and on. You want to hate him but you can't. I have seen this performer in several shows here in Kansas City and each one he amazes me more and more. He has an amazing voice, great comic timing and can actually dance. His playing off of Robbie makes those scenes come to life and his scenes with Julia are the tightest in the show. He has one big musical number that starts out the second act "All About The Green" that is quite possibly the scene stealer of the show, it flows smooth, all of the performers seem into it and it blows the doors off of coming from intermission. Every moment he is on stage he takes it, and makes it his own. This is a performance and actor not to be missed, a huge part of what makes the show so fun is his work in it… Scene stealing performance.
Tracy Mcclung as Rosie is sweet and fun…you just want to give the poor old woman a hug cause she is just too cute for words…then she busts a move or uses a foul word and you realize she is more Betty White than June Clever and you love her all the more. Her song first act song, has both heart and humor and her final line will make you laugh hard. Her second act duet with George "Move that Thang" which replaces the rapping Granny scene from the film is as funny but you really see her get to break it down, her spin move is one of the best parts of the number. I did have issues hearing her at certain points in time though…I hope that was just mic problems. She is a fun addition to the cast and a talent.
Nikcoma Mahkewa as George is a stand out with his flamboyant work and beautiful voice. He has some funny lines, heart to his singing and some of the best costumes in the show. You find that when he is onstage you feel like the stage lights up. He has great presence, his song "George's Prayer is beautiful and funny…all be it short and as stated with Tracy "Move that Thang" is funny and a great break from the love songs that fill the second act.I have not seen his work before but I hope that he gets more work and soon, fine work form this young man and great make up too!
Nicole Theno as the ex fiancée Linda has some good moments but I found her singing to be a little pitchy. I have seen this character be better in other productions but also worse. She does make it her own and her song "A note to Robbie" has some very good moments. I found that her second act song spent way too long with her back to the audience and it was hard to understand her a lot of the time. Her acting work though was very strong and both her scenes with both Julia and Robbie work very well. I have only seen her in one other production and I look forward to watching her career as it goes along. Talented and someone who should be encouraged.
Betty Welch as Angie has some fine moments. I have always felt that the character of Angie could have been expanded on but what can you do. She sings well and has some great scene work with both Holly and Julia. In particular the wedding dress scene in the second act you really feel like there is a mother daughter moment in there. Fine work for a role that can be thankless. Oh and watch for both her and Tracy in scenes where they aren't playing the characters…they both dance quite well and look like they are having fun.
The ensemble had some stand outs as well…the Sideburns Girl was a particular favorite in the song "Casualty of love", the Bum in "Single", and a few of the Impersonators at the end of the show Cyndi Lauper, Tina Turner and Mr. T. All in all it was a tight cast. There were some sound issues and some pitch problems in certain numbers and balance issues as well. At times some of the ensemble looked a little lost on stage, but I chalk that up to youth. I was impressed with the amount of high schoolers taking on certain roles and I commend everyone for making it feel like the show was vibrant.
I would say that this is the best show so far this year, even with any problems or bothers that I had with any performance, I would say that over all this is an amazing show. I think the RCCP should be proud of it as well as the cast and I hope that everyone in the KC area that wants to see a great piece of musical theatre should go see this great show!
read the review at KC Stage
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The 2011 Summerfest Concert four-week series schedule begins July 9 and 10 with guest soprano Gwen Coleman Detwiler, singing Lester Trimble's Four Fragments from the Canterbury Tales and songs by Henry Purcell. The program also includes Elizabeth Brown's Liguria and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Piano Quartet in G minor, K.478.
Week Two, July 16-17, continues with the Kansas City premiere of Thomas Albert's 13 Ways, a piece for flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano and percussion and Alessandro Scarlatti's Sonata No. 2, in A Minor; Jean Francaix's Scarlatti 5 Sonatas; and Vivaldi's Bassoon Concerto in E Minor, RV 484.
Week Three, July 23-24, will include Haydn's String Quartet in G major Op. 9, No. 3, Hob.III:21; Carlos Chavez's Trio for Flute, Viola and Harp; Liebermann's Fantasy on a Fugue by J.S. Bach, op. 27; and Martinu's Musique de chambre, No. 1, H. 376.
The fourth and final week of the series, July 30-31, will include Muzio Clementi's Trio for Piano, Violin and Cello in D Major, Op. 32#2; Karim Al-Zand's Three Character Pieces for Bassoon and Viola (2006); Joan Tower's Petroushskates; and Brahms' Serenade No. 1 in D Major, Op. 11.
Saturday concerts are at White Recital Hall, 4949 Cherry St., Kansas City, MO. Sunday concerts are held at St. Mary's Episcopal Church, 1307 Holmes St., Kansas City, MO. Ticket options include a 4 concert subscription, a 3 concert flex pass, or single concert. Call the Central Ticket Office, 816.235.6222 or purchase online at summerfestkc.org. Ticket subscriptions go on sale in March with single tickets following in May. All concerts include the complimentary "Meet the Musicians" receptions and free parking.
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Don’t look for the 5,548-pipe organ, a mechanical organ in the French romantic tradition, to be played at the Kauffman Center until June 2012. It’s still under construction.
more at KCUR
and at the Kauffman Center
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Beginning after spring break, high school students will attend school an additional 13 minutes per day to make up for lost time due to six snow days earlier this winter. The decision to extend the high school day was made March 3 during the Board of Education's regular meeting.
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One way to promote healthy eating is to show students how their bodies use food for energy, cell growth and building strong organs. Thanks to the Body Venture traveling exhibit from the Kansas State Department of Education, Child Nutrition and Wellness, Pleasant Ridge Elementary students walked through the body and learned how to eat smart.
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The district has had to cancel school six times this year due to inclement weather. However, if there are no more snow days, elementary and middle school students will have enough time to meet the state required minimum. The high schools will have to make up some time.
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LOVE THIS SHOW!!!!!! Rating: 5
The Wedding Singer River City Community Players
I was blown away with this show! I don't go to see theatre that often and this was a very worthwhile experience. I am a huge fan of the movie of the Wedding Singer, and of the 80's and it just was super fun to watch. All of the dancing and singing was stellar and the acting was touching and great. The main character Robbie (Brian Shortess) did an amazing job of keeping me entertained and not comparing him to Adam Sandler. He sang beautifully, had great movement and was super fun to watch…his hair was silly but made him all the more adorable, just a super cute guy and it made you want to hug him when he feels sad! Julia(Vanessa Harker) was so beautiful in the role and sang so great…I really envied her, I was enthralled with every note and every move she made…she seemed so sweet and tender…when her fiancé is walking all over her you just want to slap the jerk yourself, she was my favorite in a show of wonderful performances. Holly and Sammy were great and had a wonderful chemistry on stage… they had two of the best numbers in the show… I found it odd that the stage show changed the Sammy character but it worked. The Boy George kid and the Grandma made fine showings as well…both were super funny and super cute at times. Robbie's Ex fiancé Linda was entertaining and I enjoyed her musical numbers…the effect of the smoke during her first one gave her a ghostly quality in her number and I really enjoyed that, great rocker voice. I felt the Glen Gulia guy was a jerk in just the right way…I always disliked that character from the movie so I was glad to see that it didn't suck that much in the stage show. He also sang really well and had kind of an interesting look, his one song though ended up being my favorite number… it reminded me of Wall Street, and in the 80's Greed was good! The ensemble was great and the set had a techno color feel that just screamed 80's. Great cameos at the and fun numbers from the first to the last make this a must see show for any fan of musicals, the movie or romance… Would make a great date… it did for me.
read the review at KC Stage
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The touring production of Grease stopped into Kansas City’s Music Hall for the February production of Broadway across Americas season. For those curious, the thirteenth longest running musical in history did come before the 1978 film which many are, I am willing to guess, much more familiar with. I can’t say I am as I’ve never seen the film. Sure I’ve heard “Summer Nights” and a couple of melodies from the film/show over the years but short of that I was about as blank a slate as one could be to the pop culture force known as Grease.
more at Lost in Reviews
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The heart of Berniece, The Piano Lesson's history-haunted sister, has been clamped for years and shuts up tighter when her brother, Boy Willie, descends unexpectedly on the Pittsburgh home she shares with their uncle, Doaker and her daughter, Maretha.
more at The Pitch (after the KC Rep review)
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Enjoy a large selection of used materials at the sale sponsored by the Friends of the Olathe Public Library. All materials are reasonably priced and sorted by categories. Featured items at this sale will be materials about the Civil War. Signed books will be 1/2 price. Music cassettes and videos will be priced at clearance prices. Checks or cash are accepted. All sales are final. Strollers and large book carts are not allowed in the room.
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Enjoy a large selection of used materials at the sale sponsored by the Friends of the Olathe Public Library. All materials are reasonably priced and sorted by categories. Featured items at this sale will be materials about the Civil War. Signed books will be 1/2 price. Music cassettes and videos will be priced at clearance prices. Checks or cash are accepted. All sales are final. Strollers and large book carts are not allowed in the room.
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Enjoy a large selection of used materials at the sale sponsored by the Friends of the Olathe Public Library. On Sunday only, there will be a "Six-Bucks-A-Bag" Sale from 1 - 3 pm. Purchase a plastic bag at the door for $6 and fill with materials. Buy two bags, get two bags free! Checks or cash are accepted. All sales are final. Strollers and large book carts are not allowed in the room.
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Like the small-town community-center room in which it is set, Annie Baker's Obie Award-winning Circle Mirror Transformation seems a modest and unassuming affair. There is no high-concept premise, no intriguing instigation, no razzle-dazzle, no big reveal. Dialogue stutters, and action sputters. The fragmentary scenes end too short or go too long, and there are moments when one wonders, along with sullen teenager Lauren, whether there is ever going to be "any real acting."
more at The Pitch
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The Olathe Fire Department invites all area children to bring their bikes to the annual Olathe Helmet Head Bike Rodeo. Kids ages 15 and under will receive a free bike helmet, while supplies last. All parents must be accompanied by a child.
While at the Rodeo, stop by Olathe Medical Center’s Family Fun Fest for free screenings, health information and, of course, lots of family fun activities. The festival will be held adjacent to the Bike Rodeo in The Doctors Building II parking lot at Olathe Medical Center.
For more information about the Rodeo, call the Olathe Fire Department at 913-971-6333. For more information about the Olathe Medical Center Family Fun Fest, visit olathehealth.org.
Thanks to our premier sponsors: Atmos Energy, Olathe Fire Department, Olathe Medical Center, the Pilot Club of Shawnee Mission and Safe Kids Johnson County.
Also thanks to: Med-Act and the Olathe Police Department.
Spanish and American Sign Language interpreters will be available, courtesy of Olathe Medical Center.
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This is a Bike Bash to benefit the Spring Hill High School Band
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In 2002, the New York Times ran a story about two angry men living at opposite ends of a dilapidated synagogue who were thought to be the last two Jews in Kabul. But Zbolon Semantov, 41, and Isaak Levi, 60, found no solidarity by surviving the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. Quite the contrary.They hated each other’s guts.
more at kansascity.com
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Topher Grace produced, co-wrote and stars in the new comedy “Take Me Home Tonight” for one reason. “I’m a laugh whore,” he said, keeping an absolutely straight face.
more at kansascity.com
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The Kansas City Ballet is proud to continue it’s 53rd Season with the classic of Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot’s Giselle, from March 10-13 at the Lyric Theater. Created in 1841, this production stays close to the original with a few modern tweaks, but remains true to the haunting nature of the ballet.
more at Present Magazine
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The district's Student Development Department is busy coordinating two major events that will impact fifth- and sixth-graders across the district: Camp ABLE and Law Day.
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In the second portion of today's program, composer Adam Schoenberg talks about his new work The American Symphony, commissioned by the Kansas City Symphony, which receives its world premiere this weekend with the orchestra. Schoenberg discusses his early childhood music experiences - including daily improvisation at the piano, his influences, and his dream to be able to compose one symphony and one film score - each year.
listen at KCUR
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The Blue Springs City Theatre production of “Lost and Foundling,” directed by BSCT board president Michelle Brown, is set in the Mega Price Mart where a little girl, “Pryce,” is found amongst the truck mirrors and oil filters by the store’s employees. The Mega Price Mart employees raise her. As she gets older, she learns of a place called “Lost and Found” on the other side of the store. Pryce sets out on a journey across the store to see if answers about who she is and where she came from can be found there.
more at The Examiner
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Drop-in reception for L. Franklin Taylor in honor of his retirement as president of the Olathe Chamber of Commerce. A brief program will take place at 5:00 p.m. Light refreshments will be served.
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Artistic Director Eric Rosen, Costume Designer Sarah Beers and Set Designer Jack Magaw talk about the Rep's upcoming show Cabaret. Set in 1931 Berlin as the *** are rising to power, Kander and Ebb's award-winning musical about nightclub singer Sally Bowles and her relationship with an American writer will be freshly re-imagined in a new production by KC Rep Artistic Director Eric Rosen.
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With a brilliant cast of students and members of the Kansas City Actors Theatre, “Oh What a Lovely War,” directed by Barry Kyle, is one of the most entertaining pieces I’ve seen this year.
more at the University News
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?????Shen Yun presents colorfull and exhilarating performances of classical Chinese dance and music. A performance by Shen Yun is a presentationof traditional Chinese culture as it once was: a study in grace, wisdom, and the virtues distilled from the five millennia of Chinese civilization.??
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Griffin and her colleagues are responsible for the accuracy, clarity, organization and distribution of the music the Orchestra performs. They are all musical sleuths who must figure out which publisher to contact for any given piece of music; possess a knowledge of instrumental ranges, transpositions, and arcane notational conventions for the entire orchestra; be highly organized multi-taskers with an encyclopedic knowledge of the repertoire and an eye for detail; and have very neat handwriting.
more at the UMKC Alumni Association
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Michael Joiner moved his family to Los Angeles in search of his big break but found it years later a lot closer to home. The Independence resident plays the lead in “The Grace Card,” a gritty cop drama that was filmed last year in Memphis, Tenn., and opens nationwide Friday, including at AMC Independence Commons 20.
more at The Examiner
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Certainly Harmony and Heartland early childhood centers benefit preschool-age children, but they also have something for high school students.
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Karen Errington, a Kansas City-based actress who was known for her powerful singing voice and charismatic stage presence, died just after midnight Tuesday after battling a recurrence of *** cancer for several months.
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Adam Schoenberg, a young composer at the beginning of his professional career, has a goal for his creative happiness.
more at kansascity.com
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Although the play hit Broadway before the birth of some of these high school actors’ grandparents, Rock Bridge students said the play’s universal themes and humor make it relatable for any audience.
more at the Columbia Daily-Tribune
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The Director and Assistant Director of Egads! Theatre's 'In Trousers" (a musical by William Finn) share an intimate moment in the can.
The Cast of Egads! Theatre's 'In Trousers" (a musical by William Finn) shares thoughts and non-thoughts about the show.
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The Wedding Singer Rating: 4
The Wedding Singer River City Community Players
The River City Community Players offer a fun romp through the 1980s with "The Wedding Singer".
Robbie Hart (Brian Shortess), a once-aspiring rock star, finds his "fifteen minutes of fame" singing at local weddings, backed up by friends Sammy (Jeff Adams) and George (Nikcoma Mahkewa). His drive to croon newlyweds on their way to happiness abruptly snaps when his own bride, Linda (Nicole Theno), leaves him at the altar. When his bitterness ruins his next appearance at a wedding reception, the sympathy of a catering waitress, Julia (Vanessa Harper), sets him on a path that takes him through despair, confusion, friendship and, maybe, true love.
Directed by Eric Van Horn, with music direction by Lauren Wilson and choreography by Kristin Seefeldt, this is an energetic show with a spirited cast and lots of nice nods to the 80s. Brian Shortess and Vanessa Harper display a fun chemistry as Robbie and Julia move from friends to something more, exhibited through the songs "Awesome", "Come Out of the Dumpster", "Not That Kind of Thing", and "Grow Old with You." They have great support with the rest of the cast. A second romantic story of Sammy and Julia's friend, Holly (Jessica L. Knecht), provides good comic moments. Bradley J. Thomas shines as Julia's wealthy, high-power fiance, Glen, and has a great salute to the 1980s "me decade" with "All About the Green", backed up by an ensemble of Wall Street staffers. Tracy McClung as Rosie, Robbie's saucy, supportive grandmother, and Betty Welch, as Angie, Julia's ambitious mother, add to the fun.
Van Horn's set makes good use of the theater's beautiful stage, and an upper-level panel that opens to reveal characters (such as Linda, singing her jilting letter or Julia, aboard a plane with clouds drifting by) is a nice touch.
Jason Coats, Guy Garner, Rachel Asbury, Sarah DaMetz, and Stephen Walker appear in cameos too wonderful to give away in a review.
The show runs February 26, March 4, 5, 11 and 12 at 8 p.m. and a March 6 matinee at 2 p.m..
read the review at KC Stage
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KMBC's Kerri Stowell talked with actor Holmes Osborne.
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Good theatre holds the power to change people’s lives. At least that’s what all of our theater professors tell us in college. So, it was only fitting that two of KC’s best theatre professors (and my own college theatre professors) sat in the front row Friday night as the Kansas City Repertory Theatre premiered the Obie Award-winning “Circle Mirror Transformation,” a play set in a theatre class that deals with the changing power of theatre.
more at The Vignette
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From the bright lights of the sets of “Seinfeld” to the Performing Arts Center of Kansas City Kansas Community College, Tom Cherones’ resume reads like a “Who’s Who of Entertainment.”
more at the Kansas City Kansan
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Beyond the fact that the 2011 season for the Blue Springs City Theatre begins tonight, there’s also the organization’s 25th anniversary to consider.
more at The Examiner
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Despite the presence of an active population and the preponderance of college-town night life, Columbia probably isn’t next in line to join New York City on a list of metropolises that never sleep. Even in the city’s most indefatigable cultural centers, there’s an abundance of activity each morning with deliveries being made, coffees being poured and people heading to work, proving somebody experienced a little shuteye the night before. Yet, as this week wears on, rest will be increasingly precious for many residents of our city.
more at the Columbia Daily-Tribune
and some of the must see films
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Members of the Olathe Board of Education will hold their
regular monthly meeting at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, March 3, in the Education
Center, 14160 Black Bob Road, Olathe. Among the topics to be addressed is a snow
day make-up plan because of six school days canceled due to inclement weather.
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