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"Adventures" to remember
Wed, Feb 01, 2012
Kansas City Repertory Theatre’s new staging of “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” is a boisterous blend of veteran acting talent and ingenious stagecraft.
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An intimate evening with Simone
Tue, Jan 31, 2012
As part of the Performing Arts Series at Johnson County Community College, the talented pianist Simone Dinnerstein delivers an impressive—if unadventurous—performance on the stage of Yardley Hall.
Fine “Romance” at Quality Hill Playhouse
Wed, Jan 25, 2012
Some very familiar love songs are the subject of Quality Hill Playhouse’s current cabaret offering, “My Romance: The Songs of Rodgers and Hart.”
A somewhat enchanted evening
Tue, Jan 24, 2012
The Lied Center of Kansas brought "South Pacific" to Lawrence on Wednesday. The night’s performance assembled a cast of varied talents, impressive sets, and colorful costumes which brought the beloved Rodgers and Hammerstein musical to life.
The chilly comedy of Chekhov
Wed, Jan 18, 2012
With a fine presentation of Tom Stoppard’s adaption of Anton Chekhov’s “The Seagull,” the Metropolitan Ensemble Theatre brings a bit of Russian winter to Kansas City.
A rich "Tradition" renewed
Wed, Jan 11, 2012
A solid cast, anchored by John Preece, and simple-yet-effective design made all the humor and abject heartbreak of "Fiddler on the Roof" palpable in Troika Productions’ performance at on the Performing Arts Series at Johnson County Community College.
Spring 2012 preview: Opera
Wed, Jan 04, 2012
Whether straight out of history or far more fantastical imaginations, the offerings that Kansas City’s opera presenters have lined up for spring should delight discerning fans of modern tours de force and traditional favorites.
Spring 2012 preview: Piano and organ
Tue, Jan 03, 2012
In the spring 2012 piano and organ season, Kansas City will have host high profile artists, some up-and-comers, some local favorites, and the dedication of a very special new organ.
Spring 2012 preview: Orchestras
Wed, Dec 28, 2011
The Kansas City Symphony continues its first season in the Kauffman Center and the numerous local orchestras provide an embarrassment of riches for fans of orchestral sound this spring. Some superb foreign orchestras will also be gracing the stages of the KC metro area.
Spring 2012 preview: Jazz
Wed, Dec 28, 2011
Another musical season kicks off this spring, and no Kansas City season would be complete without jazz! Check out all the different offerings, from local legends to visiting giants, the Kansas City metro area will host in the coming months.
Bluegrass holiday of brotherly love
Wed, Dec 21, 2011
Despite the drizzly and dreary weather, the music was sizzlin’ inside Helzberg Hall last Monday night, where DuPue Brothers Band warmed the audience with lively genre-crossing holiday cheer.
Clever arrangements full of Christmas cheer
Wed, Dec 21, 2011
Witty and wonderful in their winter concert, the Burning River Brass showcased slick arrangements and commendable chops as part of the Performing Arts Series at Johnson County Community College.
Opulent offerings from Octarium
Wed, Dec 14, 2011
Taking the audience on a gradual progression from solemn classical favorites to jazzy pop standards, Octarium showcased polished professionalism and magnificent musicality.
Tradition rings true for 39th season
Wed, Dec 07, 2011
Kansas City Ballet sets the scene for the holiday season on a new stage at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. Staying true to previous Artistic Director Todd Bolender’s vision, the troupe's annual production of "The Nutcracker" has remained the same but ticket sales have shattered all past records.
Christmas is rockin’
Tue, Dec 06, 2011
The Unicorn Theatre, in cooperation with the UMKC Theatre department, treats Kansas City to “The Salvation of Iggy Scrooge,” an irreverent musical take on “A Christmas Carol,” featuring The King, Buddy Holly, and Bob Marley—and other ghosts.
Symphony's spectacular performance
Wed, Nov 30, 2011
Kansas City Symphony presented a thoughtful program of Russian musical lineage under the direction of Carlos Miguel Prieto with violin soloist Tianwa Yang.
Alvin Ailey astonishes and receives resounding praise
Tue, Nov 22, 2011
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre’s four-day, five-performance series was presented by Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. Friday’s program began with the newest work of the four, each one showcasing a different genre and strength of the company.
Bach, the Bard, and a bull
Tue, Nov 22, 2011
Attuned to the upcoming holiday season, Bach Aria Soloists offered a program inspired by literature, featuring one of the best-known characters of children's literature: Ferdinand the Bull.
Electric edges of space
Tue, Nov 15, 2011
Kansas City Electronic Music and Arts Alliance’s solid "Electronic Spaces" program on Saturday night was an impressive display of sound and video manipulation aided by soloists Eric Honour and Samuel Wells.
Weinberg rocks out
Tue, Nov 15, 2011
Max Weinberg and three other rock veterans brought to life a collage of the musical styles that formed not only the careers of the musicians on stage, but shaped American rock history.
Skill and musicality in equal measure
Wed, Nov 09, 2011
James Galway's Harriman-Jewell Series recital at the Folly Theater found the seasoned Irish flutist delivering both dazzling virtuosity and evocative and sensitive musicality in a well-balanced program.
Foolish games of fickle hearts
Tue, Nov 08, 2011
An abrupt 180-degree shift from opulence of "Turandot," the Lyric Opera Kansas City’s updated version of Mozart’s "Così fan tutte" was an intimate ensemble affair with some over-the-top laughs.
“Kisses” is a subtle seaside seduction
Wed, Nov 02, 2011
David Cale’s one-man show "The History of Kisses," playing through November 27 at Kansas City Repertory Theatre’s Copaken Stage, is a languorous but rewarding series of fleeting seaside romances.
Owen/Cox breaks out of comfort zone with collaboration
Tue, Nov 01, 2011
The Owen/Cox Dance Group began the 2011–12 season Saturday night at a new location and in the company of a new group of musicians from Park University's International Center for Music.
Storied quartet invigorates Folly
Wed, Oct 26, 2011
The Friends of Chamber Music’s Friday night performance by the Tokyo String Quartet at the Folly Theater was at times revelatory and other times reaffirming but always meticulously played with spell-binding musicality.
Dancing an all-American ballet
Tue, Oct 18, 2011
In 1876, the same year that Swan Lake debuted in Moscow, Mark Twain published one of his greatest novels, "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer." Over a century later, Tony Award-winning composer Maury Yeston had a vision of an all-American ballet. Yeston called on William Whitener to help accomplish the project. Their vision, "Tom Sawyer—A Ballet in 3 Acts," debuted on Friday at the new Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts.
Chant elevated
Tue, Oct 18, 2011
Charles Bruffy's Kansas City Chorale opened their 30th season with a program focusing on the use of chant through nine centuries of music history.
Rhythm & Ribs in full swing and full of flavor
Tue, Oct 11, 2011
Rhythm & Ribs Jazz and Blues Festival, a Kansas City staple, offered an eclectic menu of musical delights for every taste and every age.
Art of memory and identity
Tue, Oct 11, 2011
American performance pioneer, Laurie Anderson, opened the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts’ Vanguard Series on Sunday evening with wit, soundscapes, and stories.
Ice princess melts audiences' hearts
Wed, Oct 05, 2011
If the question were “Would the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts deliver on its promise of a new sophistication for Kansas City’s opera goers?” then the answer comes easily: yes, indeed. "Turandot" was the ideal artistic vehicle for this inaugural event of the Lyric Opera of Kansas City's season, and the audience welcomed the titular princess into their new home with enthusiastic appreciation.
Jazz, blues, and a few local surprises
Tue, Oct 04, 2011
Talented jazz trumpeter, educator and advocate Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra shined on the Harriman-Jewell Series last Saturday night, proving Helzberg Hall isn't just for classical.
KCRep goes local and reaps the rewards
Wed, Sep 28, 2011
Thanks to a remarkable collection of all-local talent, Kansas City Repertory Theatre opens its 2011–12 season with style and substance, debuting “August: Osage County,” the Tony-winning family drama that bursts with hilarity and heartbreak.
Seeing “Red”
Tue, Sep 27, 2011
The Unicorn Theatre opens its 38th season with “Red,” John Logan’s 2010 Tony Award winner for Best Play, a wholly accessible and thoughtful examination of the artist Mark Rothko.
Glitz, glamour, and grooves rule grand opening gala
Tue, Sep 20, 2011
The second night of the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts’ Grand Opening christened Helzberg Hall, the new home of the Kansas City Symphony with performances by the Symphony, Itzhak Perlman, Bobby Watson, Diana Krall, Kevin Mahogany, the Kansas City Symphony Chorus, and the American Jazz Museum All-Star Orchestra.
Lasting impressions from an extravagant evening
Sat, Sep 17, 2011
The biggest musical event in the United States is happening this weekend in Kansas City. Anyone with an interest in music, theater, dance and opera has watched closely over the last decade and a half as the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts has taken shape on the Kansas City skyline. All that planning comes to fruition the weekend of September 16–18 with an extravagant grand opening bash. Here is Libby Hanssen's take on Friday's festivities which included the inauguration of the Muriel Kauffman Theatre.
If only more Mondays were Musical
Tue, Sep 13, 2011
Once again, Musical Theater Heritage and a talented cast of local performers transform the most dreaded day of the week into a "Musical Monday" with an impromptu and delightful evening of song.
Liszt’s legacy at the Lied
Tue, Sep 13, 2011
The University of Kansas’ Liszt Odyssey, September 11–13 celebrated the bicentennial of the superstar pianist/composer’s birth. With scholars and performers from the around the world involved it was celebration of all-things Lisztian. Central to that was KU faculty member Steven Spooner’s recital at the Lied Center of Kansas.
Fall 2011 preview: Opera and musical theatre
Tue, Sep 06, 2011
A Chinese princess, star-crossed lovers, a rich widow, an elephant, Hank Williams, Noël Coward, puppy dogs, and a mighty boomstick are all coming to opera and musical theatre stages across Kansas City this fall.
Todd Bolender Center celebrates grand opening
Wed, Aug 31, 2011
As the new home for the Kansas City Ballet, the Todd Bolender Center for Dance and Creativity welcomed dancers of all ages and experiences for a week of free classes and performances. Troupes from Kansas City and around the world joined in celebrating all things dance during the Center's festive opening.
Fall 2011 preview: Chamber music
Tue, Aug 30, 2011
Kansas City chamber music enthusiasts have a lot to look forward to this fall season, with a rich variety of performances by world-renowned groups and artists including the Midori, James Galway, Tokyo String Quartet, and REBEL as well as offerings from local favorites like Lyric Arts Trio, Bach Aria Soloists, and Allégresse.
Local label making big waves
Wed, Aug 24, 2011
Is the recording industry dead? Not so for local label Irritable Hedgehog. The spiky upstart has carved out a niche in recording minimalist and post-minimalist works. Their efforts have received great critical acclaim, but here's the story of those behind the tracks.
Fall 2011 preview: Dance
Tue, Aug 23, 2011
Kansas Citians look forward to what the art of dance will bring in fall 2011, both from local groups and touring ensembles. For a preview of what is to come over the next couple of months, look inside, and be sure to mark your calendars in advance.
Some “Strange Magic” at Starlight
Wed, Aug 17, 2011
Like an aging drag queen’s acid fantasy, the Starlight Theatre’s production of "Xanadu" is ridiculously sensational, colorful and most enjoyable.
"Evita" is "High Flying Adored"
Tue, Aug 16, 2011
Musical Theater Heritage scores another hit with the classic Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice collaboration, "Evita." The three fine leads make this a show a must-see.
Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts inaugural season
Wed, Aug 10, 2011
The Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts is getting ready to throw open its doors to audiences as talents including Aretha Franklin, Mavis Staples, Philip Glass, and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater grace its two stages for the 2011–12 inaugural season. Read on to find more information about the three resident companies and other local groups also performing in the KCPA.
Gauntlet thrown on grand Gloria
Wed, Aug 10, 2011
Concluding the Jewell Early Music Summer Festival with "Handel, The Ultimate Cosmopolitan" it was the continuo and vocalists that showcased Baroque music's exciting and powerful potential.
Fractured horror tale is freaky good
Wed, Jul 27, 2011
Full of physical comedy and clever song lyrics, Egads! Theatre Company brilliantly blends two cult classics in the campy and hilarious “The Rocky & Bullwinkle Horror Picture Show Parody” at the Kansas City Fringe Festival.
Interpreting sculpture through dance
Wed, Jul 20, 2011
Roxy Paine's "Ferment" on display on the grounds of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art has become a favorite subject of local composers and choreographers. Owen/Cox Dance Group is the most recent to interpret the massive stainless steel sculpture into dance.
Summerfest seeks to transform
Wed, Jul 13, 2011
Summerfest asks the question, “How has music transformed you?” as the through-line for its 2011 season. With Week One offerings ranging from new works to classic favorites, the audiences was treated to fine performance of rarities.
Daunting and dazzling final performance at the Lyric
Tue, Jun 28, 2011
The choice of a lean concert program clocking in at just under an hour and half proved the old adage of quality over quantity. The Kansas City Symphony was thrilling, impressive and delightful in their final Friday night performance at the Lyric Theatre.