Classical,
Cool start, sensational finish
The snow storm on Saturday night cast a potent curse on the Lyric Opera's performance of Verdi's Rigoletto. Opening night saw many empty seats and its fair share of discourteous latecomers. The production was, however, worth the extra effort it took to navigate treacherous roads to downtown, and Kansas City was again fortunate to enjoy world-class performances from star singers.
Set designer Lawrence Schafer adopted dark reds and bulky components to assemble a Renaissance-era context for the action. His design made the opening set visually dramatic, but the Opera still got off to a slow start. The scene looked over populated, which perhaps contributed to a certain disengagement on the part of the chorus. These early moments (the start of a very long Act I) lacked vigor, even though an energetic orchestra did its best to stimulate the action. Ultimately it was Verdi's clever ensemble writing that required more of the chorus and made them a viable presence for the remainder of the evening.
One becomes accustomed to dramatic interruptions when watching nineteenth-century Italian style opera; they are integral to the formulaic scene structure typical of the genre. Fortunately, these disturbances impart additional excitement and almost always a new level of virtuosity from the involved characters. The set change in the middle of Act I was an interruption of a different variety, however; as stage hands moved unwieldy set components to set the next scene, noise and a long wait interrupted Verdi's story.
In addition to what is simply a fantastic story, the libretto of Rigoletto offers a study in contrasts by pitting conflicting attitudes and agendas against one another. The beautiful stands alongside the repulsive, and the virtuous falls in love with the immoral. Rigoletto is the one character who seems to embody both kinds of traits: he is a physically deformed man, at once embittered and dissatisfied with his lot in life, driven to vengeance by jealousy and frustration. This character is one moment reveling in his imagined power, then is soon driven to hysteria brought on by envy of those enjoying a higher social status than his. Yet, the purity of his love for daughter Gilda, revealed so poignantly during his Act I monologue, elicits sympathy from the audience and we root for him throughout.
Richard Paul Fink lived and breathed Rigoletto; in Act I, he absolutely outclassed David Pomeroy (playing the Duke of Mantua) with demonstrative gestures and a full, resonant voice that overwhelmed Pomeroy's opening efforts. Fink's Act II "Cortigiani! Vil razza" demonstrated his remarkable depth: in his agitation he seemed invincible, convincingly promising vengeance if the kidnapped Gilda is not returned, and when he then sinks to his knees to beg Marullo for his help, Fink effectively relinquished the prideful persona to give in to a dark, inward moment.
David Pomeroy's opening aria, "Questa o quella," sounded tight and flat, and in general, the dashing quotient was a bit underwhelming at the start. By late in Act I, however, Pomeroy was more legitimate in the role of the Duke, a suave suitor. Overall, he fared better with arias than recitative Saturday night (to be fair, during the first intermission, Evan Luskin announced that Pomeroy was ill and requesting the audience's understanding). Oddly, Pomeroy only sounded better as the evening went on; whatever ailed him seemed to leave his range and agility intact, as he sang the demanding "La donna e mobile" in Act III with style; he might have been avoiding any extra vocal tricks, but he sustained the high notes beautifully.
It is a luxury to have Mary Dunleavy in Kansas City so soon after her March 2009 turn as Violetta in La Traviata. Dunleavy played Gilda, and in Act I fit perfectly a young woman lost in longing for details about her identity. She patiently and respectfully pushed for specifics from her father, Rigoletto (a man who knows exactly who and what he is). Dunleavy and Fink matched up well in their first duet, each lost in their own purpose, and Dunleavy's last number of Act I boasted effortless delivery and her signature sense of perfect intonation. When Gilda confessed to her father in Act II ("Tutte le feste al tempio"), Rigoletto invited her to cry her tears onto his heart, a tender moment that most likely moved many audience members to tears as well. Dunleavy proved throughout the performance that she is one of the most versatile, expressive singers on the opera stage today.
Kevin Short was fantastic as the ruthless assassin Sparafucile, lurking in enough scenes to become an audience favorite. The dialogue he shared with Rigoletto in Act I (as Rigoletto headed home from the ball to check on Gilda) was when dramatic momentum finally found its footing. This simple dialogue, with characters situated against a plain, dark curtain to discuss revenge, brought the mystery and menace of the story into focus. When Short bottomed out on that final note, he revealed both his vocal and dramatic range. Other memorable performances came from peripheral characters: Harold Wilson's Count Monterone (the character who levied the real curse for the evening) was a menacing interruption in Act I. Local favorites Ben Gulley and Robert McNichols brought distinction to their respective roles with their signature voices and a strong stage presence.
Verdi adeptly wrote for each character, carefully maintaining independent personages even in a thick musical texture. Distinctive voices and clever blocking are necessary supplements for a character to preserve his or her presence in Verdi's dense counterpoint. The leads met this challenge throughout; only Catherine Ratliff, playing Maddalena, struggled. In the famous Act III quartet ("Bella figlia dell' amore"), her mezzo came across as cloudy and muffled, and she was barely audible in the trio that followed.
The chorus was stacked with able singers who (after the opening scene, anyway) played alert and expressive characters. The ensemble added a dramatic layer to many scenes, reacting adequately when called on to shun or to threaten Rigoletto. They came to this production well prepared, executing their parts with admirable diction and sharp entrances.
REVIEW:
Lyric Opera of Kansas City
Rigoletto
Saturday, March 20 at 8:00 p.m. (reviewed)
Wednesday, March 24 at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, March 26 at 8 p.m.
Sunday, March 28 at 2 p.m.
The Lyric Theater
11th and Central, Downtown Kansas City, MO
For tickets call 816-471-7344 or online at www.kcopera.org
Top Photo: Richard Paul Fink as Rigoletto and Mary Dunleavy as Gilda in the Lyric Opera of Kansas City production of Verdi's "Rigoletto". Photo by Douglas Hamer. (c) Lyric Opera of Kansas City
KC Events this week and beyond
Click here to see all the events on the KC Events performing arts calendar.
How do you list your events on KC Events? It is easy!!
As an arts organziation or musician, you can add and edit your own events.
KCMetropolis.org's mission is to promote traditional and independent classical music, dance, theatre and independent film. We are very sorry, but we do not cover pop, rock, Christian or country music; we do not cover the visual arts or non-performing arts community events. If you would like to send a press release about an upcoming performing arts event, please send to press@KCMetropolis.org.
KC Events Categories are:
Traditional & New Classical Music
Dance
Theatre
Jazz
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- Read the KC Events Terms of Service before proceeding
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Jazz,
Bebop, Bid & Boogie
The American Jazz Museum invites you to come join the fun at their 2nd annual Vine Street Boogie spring celebration. On Saturday, April 10, 2010 The AJM Student All-Star Band, renowned jazz vocalist and recording artist Angela Hagenbach, celebrity emcee Bryan Busby and Honorary Chairs Bobby Watson and Pamela Baskin-Watson will take the stage to promote the American Jazz Museum's mission to celebrate and bring awareness to the rich history and experience of jazz. 
The Vine Street Boogie is the Museum's major annual fundraiser, and helps to generate awareness for Kansas City's internationally renowned jazz cultural institution. This event helps generate fiscal support and builds local awareness for the museum's education programs and Changing Gallery exhibits. In addition, a percentage of the proceeds will go to KCMetropolis.org to help fund this important nonprofit arts service organization's mission to keep the performing arts live, vibrant and visible in the community!
So - swing into spring at 18th & Vine for a dynamic 1920's themed evening of delightful cuisine, exceptional entertainment and a silent and live auction featuring a Yamaha AvantGrand piano, a luxury pool table, vacation package getaways, airfare, jazz memorabilia, entertainment packages, jazz festival tickets and a host of other fabulous items. Don't miss this chance to Bebop, Bid and Boogie with the Best in live local entertainment and fellow music lovers in Kansas City!
The American Jazz Museum offers a variety of educational programming to thousands of local students annually, provides opportunities for interaction with renowned musicians from all over the world and builds awareness and appreciation for the diverse range of cultures and people that create jazz. The Vine Street Boogie is an opportunity for YOU to contribute to the presentation and preservation of jazz in Kansas City.
The American Jazz Museum's Vine Street Boogie Silent/Live Auction
Saturday, April 10, 6:30-10:00 pm
American Jazz Museum
$60 per individual or $50 for two or more.
To purchase tickets call Katherine Carttar at 816-474-8463 Ext. 205 or email her at kcarttar@kcjazz.org.
Tell them you heard about this event on KCM!
For more information on the American Jazz Museum visit www.americanjazzmuseum.com
KC Events this week and beyond
Check out all the events on the KC Events performing arts calendar.
How do you list your events on KC Events?
As an arts organziation or musician, you now have the ability to add and edit your own events.
KCMetropolis.org's mission is to promote traditional and independent classical music, dance, theatre and independent film. We are very sorry, but we do not cover pop, rock, Christian or country music; we do not cover the visual arts or non-performing arts community events. If you would like to send a press release about an upcoming performing arts event, please send to press@KCMetropolis.org.
KC Events Categories are:
Classical Music
New Classical Music
Dance
Theatre
Jazz
KCMetropolis.org builds assignments for reviews, previews and interviews exclusively from KC Events. Please make sure your events are listed.
To Submit Information:
- Please go to the KCM front page and click on the login tab located at the top right-hand side of the website.
- Create a login account and then sign-in.
- Read the KC Events Terms of Service before proceeding
- On the left-hand nav is a category called Submit Content
- Click on Submit an Event or Manage Your Events.
- Listings will be approved with 48 hours if it fits the KCMetropolis.org criteria.
Classical,
PREVIEW: Bill's Bach
Bill McGlaughlin is sentimental about Kansas City. "The look of the town, the rolling hills, the Missouri River and the Flint Hills further out in Kansas, it's a beautiful place with the nicest people." As artistic director and conductor of the Kansas City Symphony from 1986 to 1998 he educated as well an entertained the classical music community with award-winning, innovative programming. "Kansas City is an amazing town for music."
Recently I asked Bill McGlaughlin, now a resident of New York City, what he's been doing lately, he chuckled, "bothering musicians." Composing, conducting and educating audiences around the world, his life is inextricably linked to the players with whom he works. His latest collaboration brings him back to his old stomping grounds in Kansas City where he will be "hosting" a concert with the Bach Aria Soloists.
As host of the Peabody Award-winning, St. Paul Sunday Morning, he invited the world's best musicians into his studio for an intimate chat. "People want to know how music is done" says McGlaughlin, "and musicians are so articulate." He speculates that as teachers, musicians know how to demystify music, to make it understandable and McGlaughlin is one of the best teachers in the business. For over 25 years, his unpretentious style has broken down the barriers between listener and participant.
His passion for getting to the heart of great music is still as strong as ever. He has a syndicated daily show with the WFMT Radio Network called Exploring Music where he examines a theme each week and curates a thoughtful collection of insights and inspiring music. He is also developing a concert series at Bryant Park (NYC). "I've been calling up my old friends like Mark O'Connor and the Imani Winds." His long-time partner and three time Grammy winning jazz artist, Karrin Allyson (who I remember from her gigs at the Phoenix Bar and Grill in the early 1990's) will also be on board. 
Elizabeth Suh Lane, executive-artistic director of the Bach Aria Soloists, knew that bringing Bill McGlaughlin back to Kansas City would be an exciting venture. Celebrating their 10th year of music-making, the Bach Aria Soloists have built their reputation on being an unimposing and accessible ensemble. "Our house concerts are in an intimate venue where performers and audience can converse." The relaxed vibe allows curious concert-goers to ask questions after the concert that pop into their minds as they are listening.
According to Suh Lane, the concert at Village Presbyterian Church will be like sitting in the old St. Paul Sunday Morning studio. Bill will prepare the listeners and the ensemble will play. "We're looking forward to hearing Bill's engaging stories and anecdotes. A dialogue can take place onstage." says Suh Lane. "He has such a great style and approach. He speaks directly to the audience."
In addition to pieces by Bach, the program features composers who were influenced by Bach, "Which is just about everyone," she laughed. Beau Bledsoe will join her for guitar transcriptions of Bach preludes and local favorite Rebecca Lloyd will sing Villa Lobos' popular Cantilena from his Bachianas Brasileiras. Harpsichordist/organist, Elisa Blickers will perform an improvisation on a Baroque chorale. Suh Lane will also perform two movements of the beautiful, but excruciatingly difficult, Bartok Solo Sonata for Violin. "Playing this piece is such a thrill," she said.
As for Bill McGlaughlin, he's happy to come back and see old friends. When asked where he thinks classical music is headed, he quickly responds. "It's exploding. More people are listening to classical music than ever before." Technology is helping people access wider varieties of music through online radio, iTunes, websites and podcasts. Applications are invented everyday that help link listeners to classical music. But listening to the music on-site, with live performers, in real time is still a joy to be treasured. And getting to interact and engage in person with the players is priceless."
PREVIEW:
Bill McGlaughlin and the Bach Aria Soloists
Inspired by Bach
Saturday March 27 at 7:30 p.m.
Village Presbyterian Church
Prairie Village, KS
For tickets call 816-235-6222 or online at www.BachAriaSoloists.com
Theatre ,
Local actors and artists team up to fight HIV/AIDS
Pride and Joy and Other Plays by Paul Rudnick will be presented by Actors & Artists Against AIDS to benefit AIDS WALK Kansas City, April 1 through 18, 2010. Directed by Jeff Church, Producing Artistic Director of the Coterie Theatre, this provocative and outrageous comedy, features a collection of hilarious characters, starring local legends, Ron Megee and Missy Koonce.
Koonce and Megee will be joined by Jessica Dressler, Kelly Main and professional wrestler/performer Jeff Smith. Produced by the AIDS Service Foundation of Greater Kansas City, performances will be on the Jerome Stage at the Unicorn Theatre, 3828 Main Street, Kansas City, Mo.
"There are easier ways to raise money than to do a play, but nothing is more fun," laughs director Church. "And I've never forgotten how effective Actors & Artists Against AIDS was in the early '90s when they produced The Normal Heart and The Sum of Us.
Michael Lintecum, who was involved with the group then, felt it was a good idea to resurrect this group this year. I knew I could call in some resources to keep costs down, in order to actually raise money," notes Church.
Indeed, a number of designers are donating their time, talent and expertise to make Pride and Joy and Other Plays by Paul Rudnick. The Coterie donating rehearsal space. Kansas City Repertory Theatre is supporting the play through the loan of scenic items. UMKC Theatre is supplying graduate students.
"This is something artists can do," says Church, who is also donating his services. "This truly fun collection of short comedies celebrates our lives and even our hardships. It is perfect theater to see in the weeks leading up to AIDS WALK this year. Every night will be Opening Night in spirit and with champagne!"
This comical bill of short plays contains some of Rudnick's best works to date. Rudnick also wrote Adams Family Values and Jeffrey. In Pride and Joy, Helene (played by Missy Koonce) is a Long Island matron and self-proclaimed "most loving mother of all time" to her three gay children. The flamboyant Mr. Charles, (played by Ron Megee) spends his time in the company of the hunky Shane, with whom he produces a cable television show, Too Gay.
The group Actors & Artists Against AIDS are promising an evening of extraordinary theater, with characters colliding under surprising circumstances, providing evidence that perhaps the word "family" means something very different than what people might think.
Show Dates:
April 1 through April 18
8 pm Thursday, Friday, Saturday performances
3 pm Sunday matinees
Tickets:
All seats $20, directly benefiting AIDS WALK Kansas City.
There is a $2 per ticket service charge.
For tickets call 816-235-6222 or visit actorsagainstaids.com
Tickets also available at the door one hour prior to performance.
The 22nd annual AIDS WALK Kansas City will be held on Saturday, April 24 at Theis Park 47th and Oak Streets presented by the AIDS Service Foundation of Greater Kansas City the AIDS WALK benefits local HIV/AIDS service organizations to provide practical assistance, housing, long-term nursing care and primary medical, prevention and education services to those whom HIV/AIDS challenges every day. To become a fan of AIDS WALK Kansas City on Facebook.
For more information contact Michael Lintecum at michael@lintecumgroup.com or 913.269.7960, or Karen Massman VanAsdale at kvanasdale@coterietheatre.org or 816.665-8181.
Theatre ,
"Bus Stop" full of local charm
On the heels of the closing weekend of "Broke-ology" at Copaken Stage, Friday evening KC Rep continued Kansas-themed theatre at its UMKC Stage with William Inge's 1955 comedy, "Bus Stop", directed by Steven Cosson. KC Rep's next work, "Venice" (co-written by Artistic Director Eric Rosen), is in pre-production, marking an artistic milestone with three works overlapping one another.
Very funny throughout, "Bus Stop" also provides glimpses into the serious side of human intimacies through the happenstance interactions of an eclectic group of characters at a snowbound "diner in rural Kansas, about 20 miles west of Kansas City, Missouri." There is Elma, the naïve high school student/waitress (played with wide-eyed, innocent perfection by Blair Baker) who nearly falls for the hauntingly creepy advances of middle-aged patron Dr. Lyman (played with spectacular range by Mark Robbins); bus driver Carl (David Fritts) who obliges diner proprietor Grace's (Cheryl Weaver) itch for an extra-marital romp in her over-the-diner apartment; and young cowboy Bo (Jedadiah Schultz) who has to learn - quickly - how to temper and mature his courting demeanor to win over Kansas City chanteuse Cherie (Adria Vitlar). Vitlar plays the role made famous by Marilyn Monroe in the 1956 movie adaptation. She nails the blonde bimbo persona while injecting a likeable and endearing vulnerability.
"Development" characters enhance and foster these relationships: Sheriff Will (Jim Gall) acts both as Cherie's protector from the initially over-aggressive Bo while seeking to coach Bo on how he might improve his awkward wooing; fellow (but much older) cowboy and father-figure, Virgil (Gary Neal Johnson), tries unsuccessfully to keep Bo from pushing Sheriff Will too far while also coaching him to soften his demeanor towards Cherie; and, in a different pairing, Grace offers motherly tutelage to Elma, which includes issuing a stern warning to her about Dr. Lyman's not-so-innocent attentions.
Probably the funniest part of this play is the way Inge lobs these intermingling plots to the audience. After making some fairly subtle overtures towards Grace, Carl announces to the entire diner that he's intent on taking a long, two hour walk to get some fresh air - in a blizzard. This is followed not long afterwards by Grace's sudden "headache", for which she has to retire to her upstairs apartment to "recover". Only the audience initially appreciates the humor in events that are completely unrelated in the eyes of the other characters. Sheriff Will eventually puts 2 and 2 together, at which point everyone, audience included, enjoys watching him torture Carl with his discovery.
Cherie, to whom we are introduced ahead of Bo and Virgil, is intent on ditching Bo, who has become convinced after the briefest of courtships that she has agreed to marry him and move to his Montana ranch. This makes the over-the-top, bombastic entrance of Bo all the more entertaining, and sets up his inevitable climactic conflict with Sheriff Will. In exploring the character's undercurrents, Schultz does a fine job of revealing Bo's vulnerabilities even as the character continues to put up an aggressive and self-assured front that the audience gradually realizes Bo himself doesn't even believe.
On the flip side of "funny" lies the palpable audience discomfort watching Dr. Lyman slowly lure Elma into his personal space towards a potentially life-altering scenario that could forever taint her innocence. There was a collective, non-verbal "ooohhhh nooooo..." as the audience gradually became aware of his nefarious intentions. Whether by excellent casting or artistic execution, Mark Robbins' "Dr. Lyman" was perfect in the most disturbing of ways. In the universe that included only the audience and the play's cast, the only people who knew what he was really up to were Dr. Lyman and the audience! It was eerily realistic how he would intermittently pull Elma aside, making ever-more-aggressive advances while skillfully masking his intentions from the other characters.
I was equally impressed with the subtlety with which Gary Neal Johnson developed Virgil. With little or no lines for much of his early scenes, Virgil first comes across as a minor character - a mere on-stage sidekick to Bo. But as we learn more about him - including that he was Bo's father's best friend, raising Bo since the age of 10 after his death - it becomes more and more evident that his character has a deeper meaning that will help deliver poignant closure at play's end.
Set Design (Andromache Chalfant), in particular, was exceptional. It looked like someone had sliced a real 1950s-era diner in half, length-wise, and placed it on stage. Above this, on a second level, was Grace's apartment. However effortless it appeared, an impressive amount of work and attention to detail went into delivering a set that looked like it had literally been - delivered. Add to this the equally realistic outdoor backdrop - the audience looks out towards the diner's entrance at a dark, snowy night - and the staging comes together magnificently: every time someone came in or out, you half expected to feel a blast of cold air.
Eventually, of course, the road between the diner and its next stop (Topeka) clears and the stranded patrons are able to move on. Bo and Cherie have come to a mutual understanding about their relationship (thanks in no small part to both Sheriff Will's and Virgil's guidance); Carl and Grace seem to have forged a mutually-rewarding, if vapid, understanding about their "arrangement"; and Dr. Lyman has a moral epiphany (or just hits rock bottom one too many times) that spares Elma learning too soon about the treachery of dirty old men.
As I alluded to earlier, the closing minutes of the play reveal a deeper meaning. The last two characters on stage are Virgil - who opted not to return to Montana with Bo and Cherie - and Grace, who is closing up for the night. With no place to go, Virgil is left to hope he can wake the small town's innkeeper for a room; short of that, as Grace puts it to him, he is "literally out in the cold." Virgil dejectedly meanders out front, where we can see him pausing to light and smoke a cigarette. As he does so, Grace finishes closing up before she retires to her apartment, where we can see her slump herself - equally dejected - into one of the kitchen chairs. The paralyzing cold and snow that has dissipated to free the other characters to return to the normal course of their lives - some improved substantially like Bo and Cherie; some simply not made worse, like Elma; and some with at least a hope of redemption, like Dr. Lyman - has left Virgil and Grace with only uncertainty and emptiness.
And so it is that with the closing curtain, Cosson's interpretation of "Bus Stop" reveals itself to be equally enjoyable, funny, disturbing and enlightening. The characters are as surprisingly deep as that first step into a blizzard's deceptive snowdrift: you expect only to sink up to your ankles, but you wind up hip-deep in something far more challenging.
REVIEW:
Kansas City Repertory Theatre
Bus Stop
By William Inge
Directed by Steven Cosson
Runs March 12 - April 3 (reviewed Friday, March 19, 2010)
Spencer Theatre
4949 Cherry Street, Kansas City, MO
For tickets call 816-235-2700 or online at www.kcrep.org
Top Photo: "Bus Stop" at the KC Rep. Cast members Cheryl Weaver (Grace) and David Fritts (Carl). Photo by Don Ipock.
Classical,
Four choral finds
Musica Vocale, directed by Arnold Epley, with guest ensemble the Kansas City Baroque Consortium (lead by cellist Trilla Ray-Carter) presented four vastly different multi-movement works in their woefully under-attended concert this past Sunday. As volunteer choirs go, Musica Vocale put forth a wonderful concert of pieces that demand more attention.
Opening with Handel's Dixit Dominus was a welcome break from Messiah over-programming. I found the piece to be, dare I say... more engaging than the Messiah; it's shorter, the slower portions are well-crafted without desire to get to "something fast," ends unexpectedly in a minor, and it's not often performed. The choir's performance was above what I was expecting. There were some problems with pronunciations not matching, timbral differences among members of a homogenous section, loss of energy in the quiet sections, and uncharacteristic vibrato but overall the choir sounded very good and the piece came off successfully especially in the final "fire and brimstone" chorus. The marcato notes in a rest-heavy passage in the fifth movement set to "Conquassabit capita" [Shattered skulls] was a clever use of text-painting by Handel and the choir sounded fantastic in this section. Jay Carter and Sarah Tannehill sounded resplendent in their arias. The soli singers fared slightly worse as the blend and balance were not calibrated properly. The KCBC, playing with Baroque grips, maintained the nimble lightness of the instrumental parts, but intonation greatly suffered in the exposed interludes. When playing with the choir the pitch settled though. Harpsichordist Rebecca Bell's touch was crisp and her embellishments were welcome additions.
Monteverdi's Lamenti d'Arianna started the second half. With a reduced ensemble and Rebecca Bell again at the harpsichord, the choir conveyed the powerful text with intimacy. The basses throughout sounded fantastic on their well-focused pedal pitches. There was a warm, light quality that is a rare find in bass sections. I felt the third movement "Dove, dove e la fede" could have benefitted from a brisker tempo.
Paul Hindemith's Six Chansons for full choir showcased the kinder, gentler Hindemith. As someone who has played his sonatas, orchestral and band pieces I was not familiar with his choral works aside from a cursory once over of Six Chansons' "Un Cygne" in music history class. It is a shame because Six Chansons is a delightful set and the choir sounded best on this collection. There are elements of Hindemithian harmony, but a lot of the edge and open sonorities present in his other works are tempered by the choral medium. That isn't to say they are lacking in difficulty. "La Biche" opens with a scary unison, deftly handled by the choir. "Un Cygne" perfectly conveys a swan on water with peeling chromatic lines. "Puisque tout passé" was fun and fast, and the rhythmic play carried over into the tricky "Printemps." "En Hiver" was lush and the sopranos sounded the best of the night in "Verger."
Ned Rorem is a self-admitted slave to the text. This is very evident in his art songs as he won't repeat lines or words unless the original text does so. His vast knowledge of prosody also services the text to its fullest extent. His choral works are no exception. I did not need my program to understand the text to From an Unknown Past. Kudos to the choir and Maestro Epley on their excellent diction in this set. Of the seven movements I found the bookends, "The Lover in Winter Plaineth" and "Crabbed Age and Youth" the most successful for different reasons. The former's graceful tenor line immediately setup the wintery soundscape; the latter's vocal group alterations were fun and I was singing the soprano line for the rest of the day. The no-longer-than-ten-second "Suspiria" was performed with perfect cheekiness.
I was pleased this ensemble pushed the degree of difficulty of repertoire for volunteer choir ensembles. I wish I had heard them in a different venue however. The intricate counterpoint of the Handel in particular got lost in the reverb of St. Elizabeth's, but it suited the Hindemith. It certainly is a Catch-22. With engaging programs like this, I'll be back to hear more.
REVIEW:
Musica Vocale:
Surprised by the Expected-Familiar and Overlooked
Sunday, March 21, 2010
St. Elizabeth's Catholic Church
75th and Main, Kansas City, MO
www.musicavocale.org
Classical,
PROFILE: Heidi Grant Murphy, opera singer
Life as an international opera star.
You stride purposefully, but calmly down the platform of a Paris train station, pursued by an army of redcaps with numerous bags containing costumes for the next performance. You spot familiar faces among passengers on the Orient Express enroute to the lounge car to begin the journey with a light refreshment.
You pause briefly to wave to the photographers as the conductor calls "all aboard" and step into your private Pullman. Your day as an international opera star begins afresh. Surely, glamour and elegance will follow you always...
And now - a day in the life of a real international opera star - Heidi Grant Murphy...
"The last thing you want to see is your caller ID with the number of your kid's school."
That's how Heidi Grant Murphy day began recently. She has four children. One of them was sick and the school was calling. That's the difference between image and reality. Image has you sipping champagne aboard the Orient Express. Reality has you picking up your sick kid from school.
Talking to Heidi Grant Murphy is like talking to a friend you haven't heard from in a while. She loves her children, her husband whom she met in college, and her work. She works to find a balance between the role of working mom with four kids, and international acclaim. There is nothing overbearing or presumptuous about her. She could walk down any street of Kansas City and fit in with any of us.
But then......
She sings. And the world sits up and notices when she stands before us on the stage of the Lyric Theatre, Yardley Hall or somewhere in Paris...
This is what Heidi Grant Murphy had to say about her life as an opera star. Her real life:
David Peironnet: When did you first realize that you wanted to be an opera star?
Heidi Grant Murphy: Never. Not until I got to the Metropolitan Opera auditions did I realize that I could even do it.
I went to college as an education major at the University of Indiana, and planned on going into choral conducting. My voice teachers suggested that I give singing a try. I really didn't know what opera was about yet.
I met my husband in college and he convinced me to go to the Met audition. I learned five arias - and that was it. I'd had relatively little vocal training and almost no language training. I didn't know what I was supposed to be afraid of, so I just went out and did it.
DP: Several reviewers have described your voice as "silvery." How would you describe your voice?
HGM: Each singer has a different vocal quality. Some try to impress you with volume. Some show their flexibility and agility in singing. Others try to deliver a quality of sound. My voice is not a large instrument although I can fill a large space because sound can be very focused.
DP: You've performed a lot of lyrical roles including Pamina in the Magic Flute, Sophie in Der Rosenkavalier, and Adina in the Elixir of Love, but also some lesser known, but very challenging roles in Poulenc's Dialogue of the Carmelites, and Stravinsky's The Rake's Progress. There doesn't appear to be a common thread. How do you explain this?
HGM: Oftentimes, directors will cast you by the sound of your voice. I try to deliver a crystal, beautiful sound and that's what these roles call for. For example, composers from Monteverdi to Gluck will write for someone with an angelic voice. I can deliver that quality. Poulenc's Dialogue of the Carmelites calls for a youthful persona, and that's who I am.
DP: Performing in a concert setting such as what you will do in Kansas City with Mahler's Fourth Symphony is quite different from performing in an opera. What is it like to have an entire orchestra directly behind you? Do you prefer opera performance or concert performance? Or, do you even have a preference?
HGM: I enjoy both. Comparing opera to a symphony concert is like comparing apples to oranges; they are hard to compare. Each one requires something different and I find something to like in both.
In a concert setting, I have to be one of the musicians. I may be a soloist but I am still one of the musicians, and I like doing that.
In an opera, I am a performer. The orchestra and the chorus are there to support the leads. I enjoy that, too.
DP: You have recently recorded the Mahler 4th. What draws you to this demanding role? What do you want us in Kansas City to hear in your performance?
HGM: There is so much beauty in the Mahler 4th. Being the soloist means that I get that one great seat, directly in front of the orchestra. I usually remain seated through the first movements and just enjoy the music.
It's also a great responsibility. Even though I am the soloist, I have to be part of the musicians. I listen to those movements before I begin singing and absorb the passion of Mahler's work. The orchestra musicians build this passion but I am the one who finishes. The way I can best show respect to them is to finish the way they have built the entire symphony.
INTERVIEW:
Mahler's Monumental 4th
Kansas City Symphony with Michael Stern
and Heidi Grant Murphy, soprano
Friday, April 9 at 8 p.m.
Saturday, April 10 at 8 p.m.
Lyric Theatre
11th and Central Streets, Downtown Kansas City, MO
Sunday, April 11 at 2 p.m.
Yardley Hall, Carlsen Center at JCCC
12345 College, Overland Park, KS
For tickets call 816-471-1100 or www.kcsymphony.org
Classical,
Commanding cello
With a performer whose career is as storied as cellist Yo-Yo Ma's, a solo recital's repertoire could consist of anything from Silk Road pieces, Appalachian song arrangements, to Bach Cello Suites. Last Thursday night's performance at the Folly Theater found Ma and collaborative pianist, Kathryn Stott firmly in the latter category with works by Schubert, Shostakovich, Piazzolla, Gismonti and Franck.
Performing to a packed house, Ma and Stott showcased the peak echelon of musicianship. They commanded the stage. It was evident that the audience wanted to clap for every note Ma played - but he and Stott ended each movement with such authority and poise that no one dared. As fortunate as the adherence to proper clapping etiquette was, the seat etiquette was not held to the high standards.
A note-if you find yourself coughing more than three times, please quietly and quickly exit the theatre. That action is far less distracting than causing the entire section in front of you to turn around and shoot you nasty looks. Also, why would anyone bring anything cellophane into a concert hall? Guess what. If it makes noise, people can hear it. Unfortunately those audience distractions took away from the gorgeous music-making on stage.
Schubert's Sonata for Arpeggione and Piano, D. 821 was magnificently played and made me appreciate the piece more than ever. Since it was written for the now-obsolete arpeggione (a six-stringed musical instrument, fretted and tuned like a guitar, but bowed) and not the cello, it is a somewhat unidiomatic piece. The hand positions and fingerings can easily become burdensome.
Not in Ma's performance however. Everything from embellishments, pizzacatos, florid passages, and melodic lines was handled with deftness and ease. It was not overly dramatic either, a common flaw in many Schubert performances. Stott's playing was eloquent and clean-a wonderful counterpoint to Ma's. She possessed an astounding range of dynamics and even at the softest levels each pitch was discernable. My breath caught in my throat during the final eight bars when Ma played a gossamer sixteenth note a major arpeggio before the end cadence. It was transcendent. I've never heard anything like it.
The change of styles between the Schubert and Shostakovich's Cello Sonata in D minor, Op 40 was gripping. Ma added more edge and yearning into his sound and Stott turned the piano part into a percussive whirlwind of colors. I enjoyed how Ma colored his sound from fearless senza vibrato (in the opening moments) to achingly tight and fast on more melodic lines (especially in the Largo). Some over-exuberant articulations caused some bow clatter but the wonderful moments more than made up for it. Of note were the natural harmonic glisses that then became piano arpeggios, Stott's precision during the rapid octave scales, and the maintained intensity of the slower, quieter passages.
Sandwiching the intermission were Piazzolla's Le Grand Tango and follow Argentinean, Egberto Gismonti's Bodas de Prata e Quatro Cantos. I would have liked a grittier Piazzolla from both players. The fault is probably Piazzolla's writing though, as the orchestration is thick with both instruments occupying the same sonic space. The ending with the octave double-stops was certainly impressive and gloriously in tune. The Gismonti was a welcome addition to the program. It was the perfect sorbet before the murkiness of the Franck. I enjoyed his exploration of low melodic writing as many solo cello pieces are A-string dominated. The bird-like opening gesture in the piano was very effective especially when it returned in the middle and ended the piece. The morphing into the sound world of a smoky jazz club was also handled well by both composer and performers.
Franck's Sonata in A Major for Violin and Piano was originally intended for cello until Eugène Ysaÿe convinced Franck to adapt it for violin. I prefer the violin adaption as the cello version is too dark. Extra darkness on top of an already thick, maudlin piece does not help the piece compositionally. That being said, Ma and Stott performed the piece expressively, befitting its Romantic roots, without teetering into overt sentimentality.
In a much deserved double-encore, Ma and Stott graciously played the jaunty Cristal by César Camargo Mariano and Saint-Saëns "Swan" from Carnival of the Animals. I look forward to hearing both performers again at some point. They should not be missed; just don't come with a cold.
REVIEW:
Harriman-Jewell Series
Yo-Yo Ma in recital with Kathryn Stott, piano
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Folly Theater
12th and Central Streets, Downtown Kansas City, MO
www.hjseries.org
Film,
"North Face"
Nicknamed the "death wall," the north face of Mt. Eiger in Switzerland's Bernese Alps has claimed over 60 lives during the past 75 years. One of the most disastrous climbing efforts occurred amidst a swirl of Nazi propaganda prior to the 1936 Berlin Olympics and is captured with gut-wrenching horror in North Face.
After two experienced German climbers die in 1935 while trying to climb Mt. Eiger's north face, locals ban anyone else from making the attempt. However, the lure of being the first to do it plus the fame of receiving a gold medal from Hitler inspire others to try anyway.
A pair of celebrated climbers from Bavaria, Toni Kurz (Benno Fürmann) and Andreas Hinterstoisser (Florian Lukas), soon become the focal point of a nation consumed by Nazi propaganda proclaiming that scaling Mt. Eiger's north face will prove Aryan superiority.
For their part, Toni and Andreas could care less about Nazism. Toni is the more conservative of the two and needs convincing by Andreas, who is a risk taker, to make the attempt. Once Toni has made his mind up, they quit the army and make plans.
This is all to the delight of Luise Fellner (Johanna Wokalek), an aspiring photojournalist who grew up with Toni and Andreas, and Henry Arau (Ulrich Tukur), a poorly created, stereotypical newspaper editor who only cares about glory and disaster.
Ultimately, Toni and Andreas have a multitude of struggles in their way including the sheer climb, ever-changing weather conditions, and a pair of Austrian climbers who motivated by nationalism and racial pride.
Directed by Philipp Stölzl, North Face is a beautifully shot film and was recognized in 2009 by the German Film Critics Association for best cinematography. You may not want to climb Mt. Eiger, but you will definitely want to go see it for yourself.
Fürmann gives Toni a quiet strength and steely resolve, while Lukas provides Andreas with a high degree of likability despite his character's reckless nature. And it is in their relationship where the true strength of North Face lays. It also doesn't hurt that it is one of the few films involving suspenseful mountain climbing. Unfortunately, Stölzl's story is plagued with bad pacing and some poorly developed supporting characters that contribute nothing. Thirty minutes could have been left on the editing room floor and North Face would have been an even better film.
On a letter grade scale from A being excellent to F for failing, North Face receives an B.
North Face is unrated and has a running time of 126 minutes.
Now showing through March 25 @
Tivoli Cinemas
Westport Manor Square
4050 Pennsylvania, KCMO
Visit www.tivolikc.com or call 913-383-7756 for show times.
Classical,
Contemporary works make for an unusual and innovative evening
Pianist and composer Keith Kirchoff presented a lecture-recital at the UMKC Conservatory last Friday night. He has an engaging onstage persona and provided insightful introductions to each work, as well as played a variety of music composed in the last twenty years for piano and electronics, including three new works commissioned specifically for his current tour.
Servicio a Domicilio by Robert Morales-Manzanares began with a quiet, mysterious steady line in the mid-upper register of the piano with accents of dissonant cluster chords played by the left hand both high and low on the keyboard. This opening gradually progressed to a more intense section including a busy electronic part created with recorded piano sounds and Kirchoff using his forearms and fists across the full range of the keyboard.
in vitro oink by Christopher Jette was more experimental than musical, involving a Nintendo Wii controller strapped to Kirchoff's left arm. The Wii controller manipulated the sampled playback of live-recorded piano phrases: moving the controller left or right, up or down, slow or fast changed the tempo and pitch of the playback. While this part of the piece was innovative and interesting, the piano part was shallow, random and disjointed. It seemed the piano was just a vehicle for the electronic component and not equally focused on compositionally.
Using a sampler keyboard set above the piano keyboard and programmed with all extended piano technique sounds, Lightning Slingers and Dead Ringers by Annie Gosfield began as a "waltz on acid", so to speak. Each section of the piece was anchored by a striking rock-like loop, which was initially fun and made it one of the more tonal works of the evening, yet there was very little development within each section. The last third of the piece was busy with many ideas: perhaps unnecessary and lasted too long.
Christopher Trebue Moore's praya dubia began as the most compelling work of the concert so far until, like nearly all the works, it went on too long. The prepared piano and electronic parts complimented each other and blended well together. The title is based on a massive underwater creature with several different functional "colonies", Kirchoff explained, and the music reflected this inspiration: distant, distorted sounds reminiscent of the sea and each part (piano, computer) acting as a "colony".
A fusion of minimalism and pop, Lush Intrinsic by Dan VanHassel was one of the stronger pieces of the evening. Its tonal, meditative, and simple lines and chords enjoyed dynamic swells and good development in both the piano and computer parts. The steady tempo was well controlled by Kirchoff. While the second, more dissonant section was a bit more rhythmically blatant, the work was an appropriate length and a nice contrast to the rest of the music on the program.
Velocity Study No. 3: Rip by Allen Strange, while shortest, was definitely the best of the night. With an ominous and dark introduction, harp-like sweeping gestures, much tremolo, and intense glissandi across all keys, the piano part was nothing short of challenging and impressive. The electronic part was the original tape re-mastered, and was more of an accompaniment to the piano, but necessary and fitting.
"Hyperactive" is an apt description of Kirchoff's composition The Adventures of Norby, which was certainly an exciting piece to experience live. This piece included myriad styles, moods, and techniques which would shift sometimes in a split second and you rarely heard the same thing twice. The work was also very physical and theatrical: Kirchoff slapped the sides of the piano, slammed down the keyboard lid, used percussion mallets and brushes on the floor and inside the piano, and even whistled. The electronic part was equally chaotic and included some familiar musical items, such as jazz grooves and haunting music box at the very end. In one of the intense piano lines, a noticeable thudding sound was present in the highest register and at first I thought the piano was not properly "unprepared" from one of the previous piece's set-up, but Kirchoff had in fact broken two strings as a result of his furious and passionate playing.
At two and a half hours, the recital was gratuitously long and would have benefitted from some program editing and a punctual start, but I have absolutely no complaints about Kirchoff's playing. He was energetic, precise, sensitive, and successfully conveyed many moods making him a real pleasure to watch. I applaud Kirchoff for his efforts to encourage and promote new music as well; he is a true asset to today's composers.
REVIEW:
UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance
Keith Kirchoff, piano
Friday, March 19, 2010
White Recital Hall
James C. Olson Performing Arts Center
4949 Cherry Street, Kansas City, MO
www.conservatory.umkc.edu
Local Arts News, Theatre ,
Kansas City Actors Theatre announces 6th season
Beginning with "Sizzling Summer of Siblings," two back-to-back productions exploring special bonds, first between brothers, then among sisters-in two very different works. In July we open with one of America's most prolific playwrights, Sam Shepard and his True West. Over twenty years ago, KCAT favorites Jim Birdsall and Mark Robbins brought True West's Lee and Austin to life on the Missouri Repertory Theatre stage. They'll reprise their roles in this classic play about two estranged brothers and their testosterone-driven rivalry in what David Krasner, author of A Companion to 20th-Century American Drama cites as "Shepard's signature piece, the leanest, most pointed of his full length works." The San Francisco Chronicle calls it "...clear, funny, naturalistic. It's also opaque, terrifying, surrealistic. If that sounds contradictory, you're on to one aspect of Shepard's winning genius; the ability to make you think you're watching one thing while at the same time he's presenting another." True West will be directed by Robert Elliott.
"We have two wonderful plays chosen with our characteristic attention to thematic links, this time in their shared explorations into the struggles-often very passionate-among siblings," says Artistic Committee Chair, Mark Robbins. That exploration continues with the Kansas City premiere of Marion Bridge by Canada's preeminent playwright, Daniel MacIvor. When three troubled sisters reunite to care for their dying mother, they learn more about each other and themselves and come to terms with the past. Ed Guthmann of the San Francisco Chronicle says "...ultimately hopeful, it's a domestic tragedy that cuts clearly to the bone, finding emotional nuance among the family's knotty secrets and dense layers of subterfuge."
Building on last season's success, KCAT is expanding its season to include four shows and as Robbins notes, "...we couldn't do it without the help of our terrific partners in these special collaborations that are sure to be memorable." In the fall, we'll visit Dublin in Conor McPherson's The Seafarer with our friends at the Unicorn Theatre. It's Christmas Eve and four old friends gather for a game of cards; but with the arrival of a stranger from the past, the stakes for some are much higher than you think. Ben Brantley of the New York Times calls The Seafarer "a thinking-person's alternative to It's a Wonderful Life on a flagon of Christmas cheer." "This dark and enthralling Christmas fable of despair and redemption descends at some point to oceanic depths of drunkenness...it tingles with the author's acute and authentic sense of what is knowable and unknowable in life." Brantley calls McPherson "the finest playwright of his generation." Mark Robbins directs the show on the Jerome Stage at the Unicorn Theatre.
In a unique collaboration with the National WWI Museum and the UMKC Theatre Department, KCAT closes the season in February with one of the 20th century's theatrical masterpieces, Oh What a Lovely War! This carnival of song, battle and heartbreak by London's famed Theatre Workshop portrays the war to end all wars and blazes its way on to the stage at America's national museum dedicated to that war. The show features a large ensemble cast including John Rensenhouse and Gary Holcombe directed by Barry Kyle, acclaimed director of the Royal Shakespeare Company and The Globe Theatre in England.
KCAT's summer productions are at Union Station's H&R Block City Stage and run from July 23 through September 12. The Seafarer can be seen on the Unicorn Theatre's Jerome Stage from October 20 through November 7 and Oh What a Lovely War! runs from February 11 - 27, 2011 at the National WWI Museum's stage in Nichols Auditorium.
Season subscriptions now on sale at www.kcactors.org or by calling the Central Ticket Office at 816-235-6222.
The Actors Theatre is Kansas City's only artist-led, artist-driven theatre company, producing classic and modern-classic plays featuring Kansas City theatre artists.
Local Arts News, Theatre ,
Kansas City Repertory Theatre announces 2010-11 season
"I've really tried to build a season that gathers all the success we've realized in my first two years at the Rep and moves us forward a step," said Rosen. "We have a fantastic lineup that includes a joyous, comical new musical; an inspiring story of triumph over adversity; a deeply probing drama about one of the country's most controversial issues and a wild new vision of an Ibsen classic."
The Rep will present a seven-play season with four shows at Spencer Theatre on the UMKC campus, where Kansas City Rep is the professional theatre in residence, and three productions at Copaken Stage at 13th and Walnut streets in downtown Kansas City, Missouri.
Kansas City Rep's 2010-11 season is as follows (dates and titles are subject to change):
Saved!
Music and lyrics by Michael Friedman
Book and lyrics by John Dempsey and Rinne Groff
Directed by Gary Griffin
September 10-October 3, 2010 at Spencer Theatre
Saved! Is a ground-breaking new musical based on the popular movie of the same name. It follows an unforgettable senior year at a Christian high school where a popular girl will do anything to save her boyfriend, including testing the limits of her school and her family's faith in their beliefs and each other. Saved! is a smart, funny and moving new musical by some of the most important artists in the American theatre.
Griffin directed Kansas City Rep's hit production of A Flea in Her Ear, which The Wall Street Journal said was, "direct, vigorous and gimmick-free."
Harriet Jacobs
Adapted by Lydia Diamond from Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs
Directed by Jessica Thebus
October 22-November 21, 2010 at Copaken Stage
A young slave woman's remarkable story of triumph over brutal oppression, Harriet Jacobs is adapted from one of the most important books in the history of the Abolitionist movement, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. After nearly seven years hiding in a tiny garret above her grandmother's home, Harriet Ann Jacobs secretly boarded a boat and escaped to New York and, eventually, to freedom.
Thebus, who co-wrote Winesburg, Ohio with Rosen, is on the faculty at Northwestern University and is a frequent director at Steppenwolf Theatre.
A Special Holiday Event
A Christmas Carol - Thirtieth Anniversary Production
By Charles Dickens
Directed by Kyle Hatley
November 19-December 26, 2010 at Spencer Theatre,
Kansas City Rep brings back its traditional holiday production A Christmas Carol, refreshed for its 30th anniversary production.
Hatley has directed the Rep's productions of The Borderland and its recent hit Broke-ology, a family drama by Nathan Louis Jackson. Hatley is the Rep's assistant artistic director.
Another American: Asking and Telling
Written and performed by Marc Wolf
January 14-February 6, 2011 at Spencer Theatre
Playwright/actor Marc Wolf has created a powerful, provocative performance that brings us face to face with every point of view about the government's "don't ask, don't tell" policy regarding the rights of gay men and women to serve in the military. Over a three-year period, Wolf interviewed more than 150 people with opinions on both sides of the issue to create his compelling and relevant Obie Award-winning play.
Circle Mirror Transformation - Midwest Premiere
By Annie Baker
Directed by Kyle Hatley
February 18-March 20, 2011 at Copaken Stage
Acclaimed as the debut of the year by one of the most exciting new writers in the country, Circle Mirror Transformation is the hilarious, moving new comedy about five citizens of a rural town who begin a community acting class, each with their own expectations, but soon learn more about each other and themselves than they bargained for. Circle Mirror Transformation has been hailed as one of the most insightful and original new plays of the year.
Cabaret
Music by John Kander
Lyrics by Fred Ebb
Book by Joe Masteroff
Directed by Eric Rosen
March 18-April 10, 2011 at Spencer Theatre
or
A Streetcar Named Desire
By Tennessee Williams
Directed by Eric Rosen
March 18-April 10, 2011 at Spencer Theatre
When Eric Rosen took the post of artistic director two years ago, these two classics were at the top of his list of dream projects for the Rep. The final decision will be made in the coming weeks, pending artist schedules and availability.
Prior to his appointment as artistic director, Rosen directed Metamorphoses and The Trip to Bountiful at the Rep. As the theatre's artistic lead he has directed the world premiere of A Christmas Carol, The Musical!, his original musical Winesburg, Ohio, for which he also wrote book and lyrics, and the hip hop musical Clay (and its Lincoln Center run). He will also direct the upcoming world premiere of Venice.
Peer Gynt
By Henrik Ibsen
Adapted and directed by David Schweizer
April 22-May 22, 2011 at Copaken Stage
Based on a Norwegian folk tale with forty characters and five acts, Peer Gynt, one of Ibsen's most influential and famous plays, is almost never staged. World renowned director David Schweizer has brilliantly adapted Ibsen's "impossible-to-produce" play into a wild and surreal comic adventure.
For subscription renewal information, call the Kansas City Rep Box Office at 816-235-2700. Tickets will go on sale to the general public in late summer. Information about the Rep is available at www.KCRep.org
About Kansas City Repertory Theatre
Now in its 45th season, Kansas City Repertory Theatre is its region's only member of the prestigious national League of Resident Theatres (LORT) and serves as the professional theatre in residence at the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC). The company produces plays and events at Spencer Theatre, its mainstage theatre on the UMKC campus, and at Copaken Stage at 14th and Walnut streets in downtown Kansas City. The mission of Kansas City Rep is to present productions of excellence that are diverse, literate and timely, and to provide educational and outreach services for students and our community.
Off the Vine,
May Events
Women In Jazz:
A collection of portraits, artifacts and films showcasing seminal women jazz artists from Kansas City & beyond
Far too long, women have been written out of the history books. Jazz venues and scholars have an obligation to strengthen the awareness of the many incalculable contributions women have brought to the music by showcasing their talents on stage, musing about their historical significance in text books and mounting meaning exhibitions spotlighting their images and personal artifacts.
To that end, the American Jazz Museum has proudly opened a groundbreaking exhibition, Women In Jazz: A Collection of Portraits, Artifacts and Films Showcasing Seminal Women Jazz Artists from Kansas City & Beyond. The exhibit runs through May 30, 2010. Curated by Sonie Ruffin together with Geneva Price and the American Jazz Museum staff, this opening marks an important milestone as the first multi-dimensional exhibition from the archive collections at the American Jazz Museum.
Elements of the exhibit include commissioned portraits by noted Kansas City visual artist Janet Kuemmerlein. Her work pays tribute to eleven celebrated Kansas City Women artists including Oleta Adams, Karrin Allyson, Queen Bey, Deborah Brown, Pearl Thuston Brown, Carol Comer, Angela Hagenbach, Lisa Henry, Marilyn Maye, Julie Turner and the Wild Women of Kansas City.
Priceless images and personal artifacts from the Museum's archives spotlight other seminal women jazz and dance artists including Mary Lou Williams, Julia Lee, Priscilla Bowman, Billie Mahoney, Betty Miller, Marsha Bland, Billie Holiday, Lena Horne, Carline Ray, Joanne Brackeen, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Melba Liston, Betty Carter, Shirley Horn, Abbey Lincoln, Anita O'Day, Cleo Brown, Carmen McCrae, Nancy Wilson, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Dorothy Donegan, Marian McPartland, Annie Ross, Gloria Lynn, Geri Allen, Nnenna Freelon, Alice Coltrane and Lil Hardin Armstrong. 
Women In Jazz also features rare film soundies from the American Jazz Museum's John H. Baker Jazz Film Collection along with recorded aural interviews and an exhibition text booklet with brief biographical support - soon to be released.
These portraits, images, artifacts and films serve as fitting exemplars of the significance women have brought to the music.
To further highlight the far-reaching impact of women and their un-matched contributions, the American Jazz Museum will continue to host a series of public programs, conduct dedicated tours and launch its Women In Jazz National Initiative. We hope you will make a point to visit the Museum and to experience, for yourself, why this exhibition is a fitting tribute to women in jazz.
Public Programs:
May 13, 2010 - 2:00 pm
Changing Gallery - American Jazz Museum
Women in Jazz Salon
An open, yet intimate discussion about your favorite women jazz artists, their barriers and accomplishments. Salon conversation with Geneva Price.
May 22, 2010 - 2:00pm
Atrium - American Jazz Museum
Marching on While Standing on Their Shoulders
Closing Session & Free Atrium Concert w/ Deanna Witkowski
With celebrated recording artist Deanna Witkowski live in concert and an all-star scholar panel including Dr. Tammy Kernodle (Miami University, Ohio), Dr. Sherrie Tucker (University of Kansas), Dr. Doris Wright Carroll (Kansas State University) and filmmaker Carol Bash (Paradox Films, NYC). A special Stories from the Vine event moderated by yours truly.
Exhibition Hours: Tuesday - Saturday, 9:00 am - 5:30 pm; Sunday, 12:00-5:30 pm. Closed Mondays and national holidays. Free admission. School tours available.
All public programs are free and open to the public. Donations of $10 to support education programs are welcomed. For additional details and to RSVP for any of these public programs, please contact Glenn North at (816)474-8463, ext. 221 or for more information visit www.americanjazzmuseum.org
JAMMIN at the GEM SERIES
Bobby Watson and the 18th & Vine Big Band w/Ernie Andrews
Saturday, May 8 at 8:00 p.m.
Closing out the season "KC-style" is our town's very own 18th & Vine Big Band, led by Palmetto Recording Artist, renowned saxophonist and UMKC Director of Jazz Studies Bobby Watson. The Big Band, which features a rotating cast of some of Kansas City's best jazz musicians, will be augmented by the rich, bluesy baritone of special guest vocalist Ernie Andrews.
For tickets to any of these performances call 816-474-6262 or online at www.ticketmaster.com
Gem Theatre
1616 E. 18th St., Kansas City, MO
For information call 816.474.8463 or online at info@kcjazz.org
Auditions,
Upcoming Auditions
AMERICAN HEARTLAND THEATRE ANNOUNCES AUDITIONS FOR ITS 2010-2011 SEASON
Open auditions will be held for American Heartland Theatre's 2010-2011 Season. All auditions will be held by appointment at the theatre.
Dates are as follows:
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
2:30 - 4:30pm Acting
4:30 - 6:00pm Singing
Friday, April 9, 2010 2:30 - 4:30pm Acting
4:30 - 6:00pm Singing
Sunday, April 11, 2010
4:00 - 6:00pm Singing
6:00 - 7:30pm Acting
Acting auditions should consist of two contrasting monologues, not to exceed one minute each. Singing auditions should consist of two contrasting songs no longer than 32 bars. An accompanist will be provided.
To schedule acting and singing auditions, please call the theatre at 816-842-9999 Monday through Friday, between 10:00am and 5:00pm. The theatre is located in Crown Center at 2450 Grand Blvd., Suite 314, Kansas City, Missouri 64108. For more information on American Heartland Theatre, visit our website at www.ahtkc.com.
City Stage,
Theatre through March 31
For complete Theatre listings through 2010, click here to visit the KC Events calendar
Musical Theater Heritage
Kiss Me Kate
Cole Porter's Musical Masterpiece In Concert
Directed by Sarah Crawford
Runs through March 28 at Off Center Theatre, Crown Center
For tickets call 816-842-9999 or online at www.mthkc.com
Call or visit the website for performance days and times.
Kiss Me Kate was a comeback triumph for an aging Cole Porter and became the big smash hit Broadway show of 1948. This musical masterpiece won the first Tony Award ever presented for Best Musical, and the score sounds just as fresh and wonderful today as it did back then! Songs include: Why Can't You Behave, So In Love, Brush Up Your Shakespeare, I Hate Men, Wunderbar, Tom Dick or Harry, and Too Darn Hot, to name a few. This will be another huge cast for Musical Theater Heritage. Sarah Crawford is directing the show, and the orchestra will be led by Jeremy Watson on piano.
Unicorn Theatre
Green Whales
By Lia Romeo
Directed by Cynthia Levin
Runs through March 28 at the Unicorn Theatre
For tickets call 816-531-PLAY or online at www.unicorntheatre.org
Call or visit the website for performance days and times.
In this World Premiere from talented up-and-coming playwright Lia Romeo, Karen looks like a teenager but is actually a brilliant, albeit dateless, 38-year-old philosophy professor. Her wacky sister, Joanna, concocts an ill-advised plan to find Karen's "perfect" match while navigating her own tenuous relationship. This bizarrely comic and twisted love story, hot from the Unicorn's In-Progress New Play Reading Series last season, reinforces the notion that there is indeed someone for everyone.
Read the KCMetropolis review here.
Quality Hill Playhouse
Broadway's Best
Runs March 6 through April 3 at Quality Hill Playhouse
For tickets call 816-421-1700 or online at www.qualityhillplayhouse.com
Call or visit the website for performance days and times.
All Broadway musicals strive for that most coveted recognition - the Tony Award®. Named in honor of Antoinette Perry (actress, producer, director), the Tony is awarded each season for "distinguished achievement" in the theatre. Although the first awards were given in 1947, the "Musical" category wasn't added until 1949. Since that time, American musical theatre's most respected composers, lyricists and producers have been honored for their outstanding work. Quality Hill looks back on more than 50 years of Tony Award® winning shows in this revue of songs from the best musicals of all time.
Read the KCMetropolis review here.
Kansas City Repertory Theatre
Bus Stop
By William Inge
Directed by Steve Cosson
Runs March 12 through April 3 at the Spencer Theatre
For tickets call 816-235-2700 or online at www.kcrep.org
Call or visit the website for performance days and times.
The greatest playwright to come out of Kansas and undoubtedly one of the most important American writers of the 20th century, William Inge was known for his realistic, funny and moving works revolving around the cities of the Central Plains. Bus Stop, one of his greatest comedies, tells the story of the night a March blizzard traps eight strangers in a small cafe 30 miles west of Kansas City. A bus driver falls for the bus stop proprietress, a young local girl becomes fascinated by a professor running away from his failed life back east, and a chorus girl tries to escape a reckless cowboy determined to marry her. As the evening wears on, lives are changed, love is lost and found, and strangers find ways to keep each other warm on the coldest Kansas night.
Read the KCMetropolis review here.
Theatre for Young America
Junie B. Jones and A Little Monkey Business
By Barbara Park
Runs March 2 through April 16 at H&R Block Stage at Union Station
For tickets call 816-460-2020 or online at www.unionstation.org
Call or visit the website for performance days and times.
Barbara Park's wildly popular Junie B. Jones character comes to life onstage in this musical adaptation of the book Junie B. Jones and a Little Monkey Business. Junie finds out from her parents that she is getting a present. She is so excited until she finds out it is a "P. U." baby brother! At first jealous, when she hears that her new baby brother is "cute as a monkey", she gets the school kids to give her their snack treats and other gifts in exchange for a peek at the monkey! Songs and words are by Joan Cushing, the same playwright who adapted TYA's Miss Nelson series of musicals.
American Heartland Theatre
I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change
Book & Lyrics by Joe DiPietro
Music by Jimmy Roberts
Runs March 12 - April 25 at Crown Center
For tickets call 816-842-9999 or online at www.ahtkc.com
Call or visit the website for performance days and times.
I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change celebrates the universal theme of love and pokes fun at the life experiences we've all either gone through or will go through. I Love You explores every aspect of relationships- the joys of dating, romance, marriage, lovers, babies, husbands, wives...and in-laws. Always funny and fresh, I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change is well suited for the new couple looking to see what life's going to be like or for the husband and wife that have been through it all and still say "I love, you're perfect, don't change." When the off-Broadway run of I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change closed in the summer of 2008, it had played 5,003 performances and 20 previews, an astonishingly long run by any measure, but downright historic for an off-Broadway musical (and second only to the run of "The Fantasticks"). If its 12 year run isn't a testament to the enduring charm, wit and wonder of this musical, we don't know what is! Returning to the American Heartland Theatre 12 years after its Kansas City premiere, I Love You is back and better than ever.
ONE SHOW ONLY
Lied Center of Kansas
Avenue Q: PG-13 Broadway musical comedy
Wednesday, March 24 at 7:30 p.m.
Kansas University Campus, Lawrence, Kansas
For tickets call 785-864-278 or online at www.lied.ku.edu
Avenue Q is the Tony Award-winning musical about trying to make it in NYC with big dreams and a tiny bank account. Struggling to find jobs, significant others and their reason for living, the characters in Avenue Q collaborate and commiserate over life's stumbling blocks. Set on a fictitious New York City street, Avenue Q features a cast of people and puppets who serve up a bounty of laughs while telling the story in their smart and risqué way.
For complete Theatre listings through 2010, click here to visit the KC Events calendar.
To be included in this column, you must have your event listed on the KC Events Calendar. Click here for instructions on how to do that.
City Classics,
Music and Dance through March 31
For complete listings through 2010, click here to visit the KC Events calendar
Lyric Opera of Kansas City
Rigoletto
Wednesday, March 24, at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, March 26 at 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, March 28 at 2:00 p.m.
Lyric Theatre
11th and Central Streets, Downtown Kansas City, MO
For tickets call 816-471-7344 or online at www.kcopera.org.
The last three performances of the Lyric Opera's Rigoletto await you this week, featuring one of the strongest operatic casts ever to appear on local stages. Nationally known baritone Richard Paul Fink stars as the hunchbacked jester whose valiant but misguided efforts to protect his innocent daughter lead to tragedy. Soprano Mary Dunleavy portrays the lovesick Gilda, with tenor David Pomeroy starring as the swaggering Duke of Mantua.
Rarely have such vivid characters appeared on the opera stage, and the tunes of Verdi's great opera are so familiar that sometimes we tend to think of the piece as almost trite. Somehow, though, live performances always bring out the tragedy and drama of this piece, and for a riveting evening in the theater a fine performance of Rigoletto cannot be beat.
The Lyric Opera will soon be showcased in the new Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, and it's gratifying to see the company hitting a high level of performance quality as that day approaches. It's a company that will richly deserve the fine performing space it is about to receive.
Read the KCMetropolis.org review here.
Spencer Museum of Art
The Goldenberg Duo
Wednesday, March 24, 12:00 noon
University of Kansas at Lawrence Campus
1301 Mississippi Street, Lawrence, KS
Free admission. For more information visit www.spencerart.ku.edu
Susan Goldenberg is a longtime violinist with the Kansas City Symphony and her brother William is a Distinguished Professor of Piano at Northern Illinois University. Occasionally the two of them are able to get together for performances under the name of the Goldenberg Duo, something they have done for about three decades.
If you are in the vicinity of Lawrence this afternoon, this free noontime concert at the Spencer Museum of Art will include several classical works (yet to be announced) by this remarkable pair. This listener has always found the sister/brother duo to be outstanding performers, and their concerts are always enjoyable.
Kansas City Symphony Chamber Players
Sibelius, Grieg & the Music of the North
Friday, March 26, at 8:00 p.m.
Bell Cultural Center, Mid America Nazarene University
2030 E. College Way, Olathe, KS
For tickets call 816-471-0400 or online at www.kcsymphony.org
Steven Jarvi, the energetic young associate conductor of the Kansas City Symphony, brings the Symphony's chamber players to Olathe this weekend for music of Scandinavian masters. Featured on the program are the Andante Festivo of Finland's Jean Sibelius, Two Swedish Folk Songs by Norwegian composer Johan Svendsen, Little Suite in A Minor by Denmark's Carl Nielsen, and the Holberg Suite, one of the most gorgeous compositions of Norwegian master Edvard Grieg.
Jarvi's programming is always most intriguing, and the last performance by this group was nearly sold out, so you might think about getting your tickets early for this performance.
UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance
Ein deutsches Requiem with Joseph Flummerfelt
Friday, March 26 at 7:30 p.m.
White Recital Hall
4949 Cherry, Kansas City, MO
Free admission. For more information visit www.conservatory.umkc.edu
The UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance welcomes famed choral conductor Joseph Flummerfelt to the campus this week, and his appearances culminate on Friday night with a performance of Johannes Brahms' choral masterpiece, Ein deutsches Requiem, at White Recital Hall. Opportunities are too rare to hear this magnificent work. Flummerfelt will lead the Conservatory Choirs and Orchestra along with UMKC faculty soloists Rebecca Sherburn, soprano and Raymond Feener, baritone.
Flummerfelt has conducted choirs in many of the world's concert halls for nearly four decades. He is founder and musical director of the New York Choral Artists and is an artistic director of Spoleto Festival USA. For over three decades he was conductor of the famous Westminster Choir, which he has led in 45 recordings including Britten's War Requiem and the Brahms Ein deutsches Requiem and Schicksalslied with Kurt Masur and the New York Philharmonic; Mahler's Symphony No. 2 and a Grammy Award-winning Mahler's Symphony No. 3 with Leonard Bernstein. He has also recorded opera and oratorio, collaborating with American composer Samuel Barber on the latter's Anthony and Cleopatra. In 2004 his New York Choral Artists recording of John Adams' On the Transmigration of Souls was awarded three Grammys.
This should be a special opportunity to hear a classic work under the baton of an outstanding conductor. And you can't beat the price.
UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance Signature Series
Imani Winds
Saturday, March 27 at 7:30 p.m.
White Recital Hall
4949 Cherry, Kansas City, MO
For tickets call 816-235-6222 or online at www.conservatory.umkc.edu
Imani Winds, a woodwind quintet, is a path breaking contemporary group founded in 1997. In addition to exploring the traditional wind quintet repertoire, the group creates and performs new works bridging European, American, African and Latin American traditions
At the moment, the Imani Winds is working on a five-year plan to commission and perform 10 new works for woodwind quintet by both established and emerging composers, including jazz, Middle Eastern, Latin and other musical idioms in addition to "classical."
Saturday night the unusual group will perform in the UMKC Conservatory's flagship Signature Series.
Park University Concert Series
Music Extravaganza
Friday, March 26 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 27 at 7:30 p.m.
Graham Tyler Memorial Chapel
8700 N.W. River Park Drive
Park University, Parkville, MO
Tickets available at the door. For more information visit http://news.park.edu/pub/news_001569.shtml
For only $5, you can enjoy some of Kansas City's finest resident musicians in performance at Park University in Parkville. Kanako Ito, the Kansas City Symphony's concert mistress, is joined by violinist Ben Sayevich, violist Chung-Hoon Peter Chun, cellist Martin Storey and pianist Lolita Lisovskaya in a program which will include Gabriele Faure's Quartet No. 2 in G Minor and Tchaikovsky's String Sextet, "Souvenir de Florence."
These musicians from the Park University International Center for Music will be joined by guest artists Brant Bayless on the viola and Brian Manker on the cello. It should be a fine evening of music making, brought to us by Stanislav Ioudenitch, the director of Park University's International Center for Music.
Bach Aria Soloists with Bill McGlaughlin
Inspired by Bach
Saturday, March 27 at 7:30 p.m.
Village Presbyterian Church
6641 Mission Road, Prairie Village, KS
and
Sunday, March 28 at 7:00 p.m.
Private Home
For tickets call 816-235-6222 or online at www.bachariasoloists.com
Fans of the Kansas City Symphony will remember Bill McGlaughlin, who led the local band from 1986 to 1997 and presided over an impressive upgrading of the quality of Symphony performances and programming. You may also know that he has been the host of the St. Paul Sunday Morning show on national public radio for many years. You may also know that he is a noted contemporary composer whose works have been performed by the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Ravinia Festival, Chamber Music Festival of the East, Tucson Symphony and other ensembles. Among other things, he has composed a piece in collaboration with Garrison Keillor, Surveying Lake Wobegon, which had its premiere in 2000; wrote Three Pieces for Wind Trio which was premiered at the Kemper Museum in 2002; and wrote Remembering Icarus for the Las Cruces Symphony.
Well, this weekend he is back in town as the guest of Elizabeth Suh Lane and her Bach Aria Soloists for a Saturday evening concert at Village Presbyterian Church and a Sunday evening appearance at a private home as part of the Bach Aria Soloists' Hauskonzert series.
For the Saturday evening concert, McGlaughlin will introduce the stories behind the music of Bach's Sonata No. 1 for Unaccompanied Violin, Bartok' s Solo Sonata for Violin, both performed by Elizabeth Suh Lane; favorite Bach soprano arias with soprano Rebecca Lloyd; an improvisation of a Baroque Chorale with Elisa Bickers; and the gorgeous Little Preludes for violin and guitar with guitarist Beau Bledsoe.
At the Sunday evening performance, McGlaughlin will feature "music of Bach, Bartok and a little jazz," with McGlaughlin offering commentary and engaging in conversation with a small audience.
McGlaughlin has meant much to Kansas City classical music over the years, and it is a delight to have him back in town.
Read the KCMetropolis preview here.
Heartland Men's Chorus
British Invasion
Saturday, March 27 at 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, March 28 at 4:00 p.m.
Folly Theater
12th and Central Streets, Downtown Kansas City, MO
For tickets call (816) 931-3338 or online at www.hmckc.org.
Joseph Nadeau brings his Heartland Men's Chorus to the Folly Theater stage for two performances of the group's spring concert, featuring music from Great Britain. "From The Beatles to The Rolling Stones to Elton John and Queen," the concert publicity says, "we'll take a 'magical mystery tour' of the UK's best musical exports."
Ordinarily the Heartland Men's Chorus features at some classical selections in its concerts, which is why we list it here, but this concert sounds like it will focus on much of the British Isles' more popular music... with some fun and spicy antics included.
William Baker Festival Singers
A Celebration of Mozart
Saturday, March 27 at 3 p.m.
Grace and Holy Trinity Cathedral
415 W. 13th Street, Downtown Kansas City, MO
For tickets call 913-403-9223 or online at www.festivalsingers.org
Spend a March afternoon celebrating Mozart with the William Baker Festival Singers, O. Wayne Smith, organ, members of the Kansas City Symphony and some local vocal favorites including Sarah Tannehill, soprano, Kristee Haney, mezzosoprano, Charles Martinez, tenor, Joshua Lawlor, bass.
Topeka Symphony Orchestra
No Strings Attached
Saturday, March 27 at 7:30 p.m.
White Concert Hall
Washburn University Campus, Topeka, KS
For tickets call 785-232-2032 or by e-mail tso@topekasymphony.org.
For more information visit www.topekasymphony.org.
Topeka Symphony Orchestra conductor John Strickler leads his forces this weekend in an interesting mix of Baroque, classical, jazz and 20th century compositions.
He opens with Georg Frideric Handel's justly popular Music for the Royal Fireworks, continues with the ravishingly tuneful Serenade for Winds by Czech master Antonin Dvorak, plays an orchestral version of the popular piano piece The Entertainer by Scott Joplin, then finishes with a suite of music from The Threepenny Opera by 20th century German expatriate composer Kurt Weill (written before his departure for the United States). Strickler is a master of interesting and varied programming, and this concert sounds like a treat for the ears.
Kansas City Youth Symphony
50th Anniversary Celebration
Saturday, March 27 at 7:00 p.m.
Gem Theater
1616 East 18th Street, Kansas City, MO
Free admission. For more information visit www.youthsymphonykc.org
Conductor Stephen D. Davis leads the Kansas City Youth Symphony in a celebration of its 50th anniversary this weekend at the Gem Theater. Actually, the Youth Symphony was founded in 1958, so its 50th anniversary occurred a couple of years ago, but the concert is billed as listed, so perhaps half a century is worth more than one celebration. Unfortunately this writer was unable to find out any more detail about this program.
Te Deum
Light in the Darkness
Saturday, March 27 at 7:30 p.m.
Visitation Church,
51st and Main Street, Kansas City, MO
and
Sunday, March 28 at 3:00 p.m.
Village Presbyterian Church,
6641 Mission Road, Mission, KS
Free admission. For more information visit www.te-deum.org
Matthew Shepard's group Te Deum, a relatively new vocal chamber ensemble specializing in sacred music, will present a program called Anthems of Purcell, Spirituals, and Lauridsen's Lux Aeterna.
For complete listings through 2010, click here to visit the KC Events calendar
To be included in this column, you must have your event listed on the KC Events Calendar. Click here for instructions on how to do that.
Local Arts News,
UMKC announces summer Composition Workshop for young composers
The UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance has just announced a Composition Workshop, a new summer opportunity for students between the ages of 14 and 20, to take place June 20-25, 2010 in Kansas City. Zhou Long, Paul Rudy, James Mobberley, Mara Gibson and Ingrid Stölzel will help kick off this exciting engagement for young composers.
The intensive weeklong event will jump-start on June 20 at 3 p.m. with a concert in White Recital Hall featuring the Kansas City based ensemble, Quadrivium followed by orientation and group placement. Each day, students will listen to contemporary music as well as the great achievements of the past, interact with faculty composers and performers and participate in mentoring sessions and composing. Each evening there will be concerts featuring performances by cellist, Daniel Saenz, KcEMA (Kansas City Electronic Music Alliance), the Kinsella/Gitter/Borja Trio, and faculty from UMKC's Cello Days, in addition to Quadrivium. In these concerts, pieces by all members of the UMKC composition faculty will be performed along with many other prominent and inventive composers.
No prior composition experience is required of students, but participants should be experienced musicians. Composers will be grouped based on ability and background level. Participants are free to submit small chamber or solo works when they apply for consideration for performance in the final recital on Friday evening, June 25.
On campus housing is available during the week and encouraged. Slots are available on a first come first serve basis with the final deadline of application April 21.
For more details about the program, UMKC and application, please visit: http://conservatory.umkc.edu/community_academy/compo_workshop.aspx
Local Arts News,
Kansas Arts Commission honors 2010 Governor's Arts Awards recipients
This year's honorees were the City of Hays (Arts Community); Susan Craig, Lawrence (Arts Advocate); the Emporia Arts Council, Emporia (Arts Organization); Elliott Pujol, Manhattan (Artist); Doug Talley, Shawnee Mission (Arts Education); and Kevin Willmott, Lawrence (Artist).
In addition, Jim Richardson, a Kansas native and resident, was honored with this year's Distinguished Arts Award. Richardson is a highly recognized photojournalist and social documentarian known for his photographs of western landscapes, rural life and visual explorations of small-town Kansas life. Richardson has produced more than 20 stories for the National Geographic Society and is a contributing editor of National Geographic Traveler. He resides in Lindsborg and works as a freelance photographer. He and his wife also operate Small World: A Gallery of Arts and Ideas on the town's main street.
The Governor's Arts Awards are given annually to distinguished Kansas artists, patrons and arts educators, and have been given annually since 1974 by the governor and the Kansas Arts Commission. An expert panel, consisting of members of the Kansas Arts Commission, a representative from the Governor's office and arts professionals, selected the winners from submitted nominations.
Legislators in attendance at the event were Representative Sydney Carlin, Manhattan; Representative Barbara Craft, Junction City; Representative Paul Davis, Lawrence; Representative Nile Dillmore, Wichita; Senator Marci Francisco, Lawrence; Representative Don Hill, Emporia; Senator Janis Lee, Kensington; Representative Melody McCray-Miller, Wichita; Representative Eber Phelps, Hays; Representative Jill Quigley, Lenexa; Senator Chris Steineger, Kansas City; Representative Vern Swanson, Clay Center; and Senator Mark Taddiken, Clifton.
Also in attendance were Securities Commissioner Chris Biggs; Kansas Transportation Secretary Deb Miller; and Poet Laureate of Kansas Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg. The emcee for the evening was Ralph Hipp, news anchor for WIBW-13 News, Topeka.
The Kansas Arts Commission is the state agency dedicated to promoting and supporting the arts in Kansas. Its mission is to provide opportunities for the people of Kansas to experience, celebrate and value the arts throughout their lives. For more information on the Kansas Arts Commission, please visit the KAC website at http://arts.ks.gov.
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