Top Rated Shows: Dec 29-Jan 4

Reviews - Current Performances

• 3.67 Little House on the Prairie - The Coterie Theatre. (3 Votes)
  

Ratings - Current Performances

• 5.00 Miss Witherspoon - Unicorn Theatre. (1 Vote)
• 4.00 Martin City Melodrama's 25th Season! - Martin City Melodrama & Vaudeville Company. (2 Votes)
• 3.67 Little House on the Prairie - The Coterie Theatre. (3 Votes)
  

Ratings - Top Ten Rated Shows of the Last 3 Months

• 5.00 Dreamgirls - Ruskin High School Theatre. (4 Votes)
• 5.00 Palomino - Kansas City Repertory Theatre. (2 Votes)
• 5.00 Madeline's Christmas - Theatre for Young America. (2 Votes)
• 4.50 The Fontina & Gruyere Show - Byrd Productions. (2 Votes)
• 4.13 Into The Woods - Kansas City Repertory Theatre. (15 Votes)
• 4.00 It's A Wonderful Life:  A Live Radio Play - American Heartland Theatre. (3 Votes)
• 4.00 Killer Joe - UMKC Theatre. (2 Votes)
• 4.00 Maul of the Dead - The Coterie Theatre. (2 Votes)
• 4.00 Martin City Melodrama's 25th Season! - Martin City Melodrama & Vaudeville Company. (2 Votes)
  

Reviews - Five Most Recent of Past Performances ****

• 5.00 HMS Pinafore - Lyric Opera of Kansas City. (1 Vote)
• 4.00 It's A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play - American Heartland Theatre. (3 Votes)
• 3.42 Cabaret - The Barn Players, Inc. (19 Votes)
• 2.00 The Laramie Project (Undergraduate Fall Production) - UMKC Theatre. (1 Vote)
• 2.00 Arcadia - UMKC Theatre. (3 Votes)

Rate or review events at KC Stage.

Robert Trussell looks ahead at theatre in 2010

The show I’m most eager to see in the new year has got to be “Venice” at Kansas City Repertory Theatre.

more at kansascity.com

Ballet begins construction

From the November 2009 issue of KC Stage

Siobhan McLaughlin Lesley, president of the board of directors of Kansas City Ballet, announced that renovations have begun on the historic Union Station Power House building located on the west edge of the Union Station campus at Pershing and West Penn. The Bolender Center for Dance and Creativity will be the permanent home for the professional ballet company, its large and nationally respected school, and will serve as a unique resource for the not for profit performing arts community in the Kansas City region. The building is named in honor of Todd Bolender, who served as artistic director from 1981 to 1995.

When completed, the ballet center will include seven studios, a physical therapy suite, a community conference room, and a 700-800 foot lobby area, dressing/locker room facilities for the professional company members, and efficient space for support staff in marketing, development, finance, and general and school administration. Located next to the recently opened National Archives Records Administration, the property will also provide 180 secure and free parking spaces adjacent to the building. A virtual tour of the renovations is available online at  www.kcballet.org.

Kansas Arts Commission Workshops

Upcoming Kansas Arts Commission Winter 2010 Workshops

Empowered Volunteers Create Fundraising Success
2:00 - 3:15 pm, Wednesday, January 13
Telephone/Online Workshop

For boards and staff of arts nonprofits.

KAC Fiscal Year 2011 Grant Guidelines
10:00 - 11:15 am, Thursday, January 28
2:00 - 3:15 pm, Friday, January 29
Telephone/Online Workshop

Learn about the many changes to the grant guidelines.

Arts-in Communities Project Mini-Grants
4:00 - 5:00 pm, Wednesday, February 3
Telephone/Online Workshop

All applicants for this grant category must participate in one of these workshops.

Arts-in-Education Grants Program and Writing Curriculum Guides
1:00 - 3:00 pm, Thursday, February 4
Hays Arts Council, 112 E. 11th St., Hays

10:00 am- 12:00 pm, Friday, February 5
Manhattan Arts Center, 1520 Poyntz Ave., Manhattan

Learn about the changes to this grant program and how you can maximixe your organization’s success in education programs.

KAC on Tour: One-on-One Meetings with Grant Applicants
11:00 am - 2:00 pm, Tuesday, February 16
Bowlus Center, 205 E. Madison Ave., Iola

11:00 am - 2:00 pm, Wednesday, February 17
Hays Arts Council, 112 E. 11th St., Hays

11:00 am - 2:00 pm, Thursday, February 18
City Arts, 334 N. Mead, Wichita

11:00 am - 2:00 pm, Tuesday, February 23
KAC Offices, 700 S.W. Jackson Suite 1004, Topeka

Arts-in Communities Project Mini-Grants
10:00 - 11:00 am, Thursday, February 25
3:00 - 4:00 pm, Friday, March 5
Telephone/Online Workshop

All applicants for this grant category must participate in one of these workshops.

more at the Kansas Arts Commission

Week-on-Stage: Dec 22-Jan 4

Performances for this week

• Always ... Patsy Cline - Chestnut Fine Arts Theatre
• Dressed to Kill - The Mystery Train
• Little House on the Prairie - The Coterie Theatre
• Live at the Fishtank! - Improv-Abilities
• Martin City Melodrama's 25th Season! - Martin City Melodrama & Vaudeville Company
• Miss Witherspoon - Unicorn Theatre
• New Year's Eve Cabaret - Quality Hill Playhouse
• A New Year's Eve Party & Cabaret - Musical Theater Heritage
• Run for Your Wife - New Theatre Restaurant
• White Christmas - Music Theatre for Young People of Kansas City 

Auditions for this week

• Chicago - City Theatre of Independence*
• Curtains - Topeka Civic Theatre & Academy
• Footloose - River City Community Players
• Twilight of the Golds - Topeka Civic Theatre & Academy

*Members of KC Stage receive a discount to these affiliate theatres with their KC Stage Membership card.

Visit KC Stage for event details.

"Death of Hollywood" premiere at Metro North Cinema

source

Because Kansas City only produces second rate jokesters nowadays when it comes to mainstream success, this town’s independent moviemaking community continues to thrive.

more at KC Confidential

"A Christmas Story" photo album

Playbill has a photo album of the Kansas City Rep's "A Christmas Story"

more at Playbill

Metropolitan Opera auditions this Saturday

Singers can audition before the Metropolitan Opera National Council starting at 10 a.m. Saturday in the Performing Arts Building at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Judges will be Roger Pines, dramaturg from Lyric Opera Chicago; Richard Bado, chorus master of Houston Grand Opera; and Patricia Wise, soprano and professor of voice at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. Winners of this district competition will compete in the regional auditions Feb. 13 in St. Louis. The winner of that contest will compete in the national semifinals March 7 at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. The Grand Finals Concert will be March 14, a ticketed event with full orchestra. Anyone interested should e-mail Wilma Wilcox at wilmawilcox@yahoo.com. The auditions are open to the public.

from kansascity.com

Star critics remember the best of 2009

So many options, so little time. For those who seek entertainment and cultural enlightenment in our fair city, the calendar has just entered its brief winter hiatus. But soon enough, as the new year unfolds, we’ll be back to the daily dilemma: On any given night, it seems, if you want to hear music or watch theater or go to an art opening or see a new movie, you can be pulled in two or five directions at once.

more at kansascity.com

Playbill's theatre highlights for 2009

The editors and writers of Playbill.com put their heads together this month and looked back at the events of 2009 to choose significant news stories that made headlines and touched the industry uniquely. They follow, in no particular order of importance...

more at Playbill

Timothy Finn's pop music highlights of 2009

Nine good things that happened in the local music scene in 2009.

more at kansascity.com

Robert Trussell's theatre highlights of 2009

The theater community offered so much vital, interesting work this year that it was tough to narrow it all down to nine. But here we go...

more at kansascity.com

Fred Andrews throws his own farewell party

Fred Andrews, founder and president of the long-running Kansas City Filmmakers Jubilee (this year it became the Kansas City FilmFest), is partying down this afternoon with a few friends. It’s more than just a holiday get-together.

more at kansascity.com

Youngsters dance in "The Nutcracker"

Avery Brinkman is so excited she can barely contain herself. A third grader at Sunny Pointe Elementary, she is preparing for the biggest role of her young life – an angel in the Kansas City Ballet’s production of “The Nutcracker.”

more at The Examiner

Screenland Crown Center opens Christmas day

As spiffy as they look now, you’d never know that the two auditoriums of the new Screenland Crown Center have been gathering dust for more than two years.

more at kansascity.com

The Architects interview by Timothy Finn

This summer’s North American Warped Tour comprised 46 shows crammed into 58 days of oppressive heat or lashing rain, and the local rock band the Architects performed at every one of them. By the time the band rolled back into Kansas City, it had traveled about 10,000 miles, a journey that produced a pile of incidents, experiences and memories sweet and sour.

more at kansascity.com

Top Rated Shows: Dec 21-28

Reviews - Current Performances 

• 5.00 It's A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play - American Heartland Theatre. (2 Votes)
• 3.67 Little House on the Prairie - The Coterie Theatre. (3 Votes)

Ratings - Current Performances 

• 5.00 Madeline's Christmas - Theatre for Young America. (2 Votes)
• 5.00 It's A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play - American Heartland Theatre. (2 Votes)
• 5.00 Miss Witherspoon - Unicorn Theatre. (1 Vote)
• 4.00 Martin City Melodrama's 25th Season! - Martin City Melodrama & Vaudeville Company. (2 Votes)
• 3.67 Little House on the Prairie - The Coterie Theatre. (3 Votes)
• 2.00 A Christmas Story, The Musical! - Kansas City Repertory Theatre. (2 Votes)

Ratings - Top Ten Rated Shows of the Last 3 Months 

• 5.00 Dreamgirls - Ruskin High School Theatre. (4 Votes)
• 5.00 Palomino - Kansas City Repertory Theatre. (2 Votes)
• 5.00 Madeline's Christmas - Theatre for Young America. (2 Votes)
• 5.00 It's A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play - American Heartland Theatre. (2 Votes)
• 4.50 Byrd Productions Proudly Presents: The Fontina & Gruyere Show - Byrd Productions. (2 Votes)
• 4.13 Into The Woods - Kansas City Repertory Theatre. (15 Votes)
• 4.00 Killer Joe - UMKC Theatre. (2 Votes)
• 4.00 Maul of the Dead - The Coterie Theatre. (2 Votes)
• 4.00 Martin City Melodrama's 25th Season! - Martin City Melodrama & Vaudeville Company. (2 Votes)

Reviews - Five Most Recent of Past Performances

• 3.42 Cabaret - The Barn Players, Inc. (19 Votes)
• 5.00 HMS Pinafore - Lyric Opera of Kansas City (1 Vote)
• 2.00 The Laramie Project (Undergraduate Fall Production) - UMKC Theatre (1 Vote)
• 2.00 Arcadia - UMKC Theatre (3 Votes)
• 4.13 Into The Woods - Kansas City Repertory Theatre (15 Votes)

Rate or review events at KC Stage.

Film Clips by Larry F. Levenson

From the November 2009 issue of KC Stage

• America’s Most Wanted took time to visit Kingdom City, Mo. A bank robber stayed in a hotel there and was captured.
• A K.C. production company is hiring crew for a music documentary to be shot in the city. Contact Jude at rambleoninfo@gmail.com.
• Auditions were held for the short movie “Factotum” in Lawrence. Producers were looking for males in their 20’s, 30’s, and 40’s.
• Griswold Media is making a short movie in K.C. and is looking for two male leads and one female lead actor. Contact ryan.griswold@sbcglobal.net or visit their website at www.griswoldmedia.com.
• Jeff Albert and Marion Parry of World of Kohr Productions are gearing up for their feature Hope Lost, to be shot in Overland Park and the K.C. area. Contact them at info@worldofkohr.com.
• A television commercial for the Kansas City Convention and Visitors Association was scheduled to be shot in the K.C. area.
• Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis hired Sight and Sound Productions of St. Louis to shoot a series of commercials.
• A film student at UMKC is making a documentary about HIV and healthcare. Contact chm88@umkc.edu if you have a real-life story to relate.

Michael Kaiser video online

Kennedy Center president Michael Kaiser recently spoke in Kansas City  about how nonprofit arts can survive in tough economic times.  Kaiser has been dubbed "the turnaround king" for reviving ailing cultural institutions, including the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, American Ballet Theatre, London's Royal Opera House and Kansas City Ballet. He's touring the country to deliver the message from his book "The Art of the Turnaround," which details 10 basic rules for saving troubled arts organizations. 

Video of Kaiser speaking in St. Louis.
Kaiser recounts visiting Kansas City in the Huffington Post

MAC funding map

The Missouri Arts Council has a nifty interactive map showing who they funded throughout the state in 2009.

New Year's Eve events

From ice skating to karaoke to live music to Denny's, there's a New Year's Eve celebration for everyone, somewhere in town.

more at kansascity.com

Staffing changes at the Arts Council

Terri Harmon, who currently serves as chief operating officer, will leave the Arts Council of Metropolitan Kansas City at year's end. She helped found the Arts Council in 1999, and has been instrumental in the creation of many programs, including Studio150, Business Committee for the Arts (now known as ArtsKC Business Programs), www.ArtsKC.org, and the ArtsKC Fund. Harmon's experiences have prepared her well for her next endeavor as entrepreneur.

Harmon created myVP, myVersatilePartner, as a resource for small business owners and managers. Her passion for helping small businesses comes from over 23 years of operations and executive management experience in retail, communications, legal, and not-for-profit industries. myVP provides a wide range of outsourcing solutions, including bookkeeping, business planning, data management, marketing, and web technology. Details on myVP can be found at http://www.myversatilepartner.com.

And a new director of finance joins the team...

Kathryn Walker, director of finance for the Arts Council of Metropolitan Kansas City, joined the organization in November. She brings with her more than 25 years of financial and business experience, both in the for-profit and not-for-profit sectors. For the past twelve years, she has worked in the community development not-for-profit sector in Kansas City, Missouri. Her primary responsibilities will include all financial aspects for the council as well as providing other operational and programmatic support. She brings strong financial, procedural and organizational skills to the council.

more at ArtsKC

Stage manager and costumer needed for The Theatre in the Park

The Theatre in the Park (TTIP) is seeking a stage manager and a costumer for Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella to be presented July 23-August 1, 2010. Both positions are paid.

Burlesque Downtown Underground review by Tony Botello

A wise man once told me that the term “Burlesque” was a French word for stretchmarks. I didn’t know he was serious until last weekend.

more at KC Confidential

"A Spectacular Christmas" review by Russ Simmons

From the 1950s to the 1970s, holiday variety shows were common television fare. It’s clear that writer/producer George Harter and director Sarah Crawford miss that nostalgic musical format.

more at Sun Publications

"Miss Witherspoon" review by Steve Shapiro

There are a lot of intriguing notions buzzing around in Christopher Durang’s philosophical comedy “Miss Witherspoon.” It’s just too bad that none of them touch down long enough to register effectively.

more at Sun Publications

Week-on-Stage: Dec 21-28

Performances for this week
A Christmas Story, The Musical! - Kansas City Repertory Theatre
Always ... Patsy Cline - Chestnut Fine Arts Theatre
Christmas in Song - Quality Hill Playhouse
Dickens Carolers in Concert - Chestnut Fine Arts Theatre
Dressed to Kill - The Mystery Train
It's A Wonderful Life:  A Live Radio Play - American Heartland Theatre
Little House on the Prairie - The Coterie Theatre
Madeline's Christmas - Theatre for Young America*
Martin City Melodrama's 25th Season! - Martin City Melodrama & Vaudeville Company
Miss Witherspoon - Unicorn Theatre
Run for Your Wife - New Theatre Restaurant

Events for this week
Andy Warhol Portfolios: Life & Legends - Union Station Kansas City, Inc.
Chocolate: The Exhibition - Union Station Kansas City, Inc.

*KC Stage Members receive a discount to these affiliate theatres with their KC Stage Membership card.

Visit KC Stage for event details.

Vedera review by Timothy Finn

source

If there’s a band out there whose career trajectory exemplifies the vagaries of big-label existence, it’s Kansas City’s own Vedera, who are property of Epic Records.

more at kansascity.com

Ken Peplowski review by Bill Brownlee

source

“Do you remember when jazz was fun?” clarinetist Ken Peplowski asked Friday at the Folly Theater.

more at kansascity.com

City Theatre of Independence Seeks Directors for 2010-11 Season

The City Theatre of Independence is seeking directors to interview for their upcoming season.

The Boys Next Door
Auditions: July 26-27, 2010
Performances: Sep. 9-19, 2010

Death Of A Salesman
Auditions: Sep. 13-14, 2010
Performances: Nov. 4-14, 2010

The Last Mass At St. Casimir's
Auditions: Nov. 29-30, 2010
Performances: Jan. 13-23, 2011

Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella
Auditions: Jan. 3-5, 2011
Performances: Feb. 17-27, 2011

Almost, Maine
Auditions: April 11-12, 2011
Performances: June 2-12, 2011

If you would like to apply then visit their website to get an application.

Mouse King Matthew Donnell retiring from ballet

I wanted to explore what retirement means for dancers. I’ve known several people who have retired from the Ballet. And when I tell people I’m retiring at age 28, they look at me sideways. Retirement is such a scary word to so many dancers. We’re not prepared for it. All our teachers say is, “Your career will be short.” I’ve never seen an article written about retiring in Pointe or any other dance magazines. It takes its toll on you emotionally, and I wanted to write about what that felt like and maybe offer assistance to other dancers.

more at kansascity.com

Parthenia, Julianne Baird review by Timothy McDonald

source

Amid the hustle and bustle of the holidays, a step away from the mainstream can illuminate the richness of the season. Soprano Julianne Baird and the viol consort Parthenia presented just such an opportunity Saturday night at the Folly Theater.

more at kansascity.com

New Screenland unveiled at Crown Center

source

"Me and Orson Welles" and "The Road" will be featured at the Screenland Crown Center's debut starting Christmas day.

more at KC Confidential

Garrett Morris interview by Robert Trussell

He stepped into an office on the ground floor of the New Theatre rehearsal studio and scene shop west of downtown. He was instantly recognizable, especially to anyone who watched the first five seasons of “Saturday Night Live” in real time.

more at kansascity.com

Three young thespians from Blue Springs appear in "Madeline's Christmas"

For most children, performing in any kind of production – amateur or professional – would be cause for intense pride and excitement.

more at the Examiner

"Messiah" takes listeners to their own place of peace

source

Sitting in motorized scooter, Laura Gibson tilts her head to the side, her eyes barely open. Gibson’s listening to the music. She was one of hundreds to attend the annual Handel’s Messiah concert Saturday night at the Community of Christ church auditorium.

more at the Examiner

Conservatory of Independence stages its own "Nutcracker"

What makes the Ballet Conservatory of Independence’s performance unique from others, is that the 80-person cast is mainly children and teenagers – something that Ulla Ames, director of the conservatory, said makes it a little different from other productions throughout the Kansas City area.

more at the Examiner

Lawrence embraces the swaying subculture of belly dance

“When I went up there I saw all of these women, who are absolutely crazy and fun and full of life. I didn’t realize there was such a huge belly dance world out there. I’m all for making products that market to a niche audience, and I started to find out we had an underbelly in our world devoted to this dance. Every community has a large following of belly dance, and no one realizes it.”

more at the Lawrence Journal World

Last chance for advertising discount

All advertising in KC Stage is 10% off through December 31, 2009. Don't miss out on this special offer!  And don't forget you can advertise in COLOR.

Advertise Today!

Nathan Granner interview by Christopher Hearne

When it comes to world class, classically-trained tenors Nathan Granner has few peers…

more at KC Confidential

"Nutcracker" review by Anne Spivak

The Kansas City Ballet’s “The Nutcracker” opened Wednesday night at the Music Hall with an unblemished performance.

more at kansascity.com

"Steve and Kathy Reinventing Faith-based TV" by Samuel Stokes

from the November 2009 issue of KC Stage

 

The Steve and Kathy Show is a program that is “reinventing faith-based TV.” Having produced over 100 episodes in its first three seasons, this program has been recognized with 65 Telly awards including two Gold Telly awards and an Emmy. This year, The Steve and Kathy Show has been recognized with four Emmy nominations and on Oct. 3 won a second Emmy in the category of Religion with the entry “Real Preachers of Genius: Door to Door Evangelist”. 

Early look at Paul Mesner's "Nativity"

Walking into Grace & Holy Trinity Cathedral is an awe-inspiring experience. The immense, ornate cathedral held its first services in 1894, and worshipers today sit in the same wooden pews as those original parishioners. The grand scale of the room makes this an unlikely place for a puppet show, but puppetmaster Paul Mesner has created a cast of dozens of giant-scale puppets that do the room and the subject matter justice.

more at KC Free Press

KC Rep's "Glass Menagerie" named one of the best plays in the country

source

I wish "The Glass Menagerie" had transferred to New York and run at least as long. Mr. Cromer has the uncanny ability to take a familiar script and make it seem wholly new—yet it is his great gift to serve the plays that he directs, rather than bending them out of shape. Such, I believe, is the essence of re-creative genius, and David Cromer has it in spades.

more at the Wall Street Journal

"Run for Your Wife" review by Robert Trussell

source

“Run For Your Wife,” which is just as silly as the title suggests, isn’t quite there yet. But when this 1983 farce catches fire in performance it reveals a level of craftsmanship you simply don’t find in contemporary comedies.

more at kansascity.com

Local actresses share the screen with Clooney

Many an actress would give anything to hang out with George Clooney. Kansas Citian Meagan Flynn has done it. Literally.

more at kansascity.com

"Miss Witherspoon" review by Jeannine Chatterton-Papineau

Artistic director Cynthia Levin introduced the audience to Christopher Durang's dark, dark comedy Miss Witherspoon, now onstage at the Unicorn Theatre, and concluded by laughing and saying, "You're in for a wild ride." What followed was 90 minutes of laughter for the audience and angst for our leading lady Veronica, who was later nicknamed "Miss Witherspoon."

more at Infozine

Jason Harper reviews new music by Biarchy

In his recent essay "Dear Musicians — Please Be Brilliant or Get Out of the Way," Dave Allen argues that to make money in the digital age, musicians must abandon the old model of releasing albums on labels and focus on selling the experience that surrounds their own, individual brands.

more at The Pitch

Benefit for musician Kenny Tuna

Nine bands will team up Sunday to raise funds for Kenny Tuna, a longtime Kansas City singer and guitarist. Tuna was seriously injured this fall in a car wreck and was hospitalized for more than two months. And like many musicians, he had no health insurance.

more at kansascity.com

Martin City Melodrama review by Robert Trussell

When viewing a Martin City Melodrama & Vaudeville Company show, there’s only one measure of success that counts: Did it make me laugh?

more at kansascity.com

Equity President Resigns

source

Mark S. Zimmerman has resigned as President of Actors' Equity Association. Equity’s First Vice President Paige Price will carry out the duties of the President until a new President is elected. This comes fast on the heels of John P. Connolly resignation as executive director Dec. 1.

more at Stage Directions
and the Actor's Equity website

KC Rep offering "Christmas Story" gift set

The Kansas City Repertory Theatre is offering a $100 gift pack to go along with "A Christmas Story, the Musical." It includes 2 tickets to a Rep show, fudge, and a mini leg lamp. Nifty!

Purchase it here!

"Art Funding or Arts Funding" by David Byrne

In the long run there is a greater value for humanity in empowering folks to make and create than there is in teaching them the canon, the great works and the masterpieces. In my opinion, it’s more important that someone learn to make music, to draw, photograph, write or create in any form than it is for them to understand and appreciate Picasso, Warhol or Bill Shakespeare — to say nothing of opry. In the long term it doesn’t matter if students become writers, artists or musicians — though a few might. It's more important that they are able to understand the process of creation, experimentation and discovery — which can then be applied to anything they do, as those processes, deep down, are all similar. It’s an investment in fluorescence.

more at David Byrne's Journal

Metropolitan Opera regional auditions

Longtime vocal music fans in Kansas City know that one of the most enjoyable days to be spent midwinter is at the Metropolitan Opera District Auditions which are held here each year. Usually over 30 singers, and sometimes as many as 40, perform a selection of opera arias in front of expert judges to determine a series of winners, three of whom advance to the regional auditions.

more at KC Metropolitan

Abominable Auditions by Beth Bloom Ochesky

from the November 2009 issue of KC Stage.

Everyone has heard the tips about the what-not-to-dos, but what tips should you do to avoid the abominable audition? There are several, and they are valuable to lock away into your coffers when preparing to audition, no matter what ‘level’ of theatre you are working in. So here are some nifty tips on how to avoid the ‘what-not-to-dos’. 

Record Machine Offers Free Holiday Downloads

Download a free compilation of holiday songs all performed by Kansas City area artists at The Record Machine.

"The Nutcracker and the Mouse King" Review by Nicole English

What do you get when you combine the whimsy of Dr. Seuss, the wit of Tim Burton and a twist of jazz swing with the ballet favorite “The Nutcracker”?

more at kansascity.com

Week-on-Stage: Dec 14-21

*Affiliate Theatres - KC Stage Members receive a discount

Auditions for this week

• Spring Shows - Martin City Melodrama & Vaudeville
• The Producers - Starlight Theatre Association

Performances for this week

• A Black Tie Cabaret with a Splash of Holiday! - Antonym Films (Closes Dec 19)
• A Christmas Story, The Musical! - Kansas City Repertory Theatre (Closes Dec 27)
• A Spectacular Christmas - Musical Theater Heritage (Closes Dec 20)
• A Taffeta Christmas - Chestnut Fine Arts Theatre (Closes Dec 20)
• A Winnie the Pooh Christmas Tail - Topeka Civic Theatre & Academy (Closes Dec 20)
• Christmas in Song - Quality Hill Playhouse (Closes Dec 27)
• Cinderella - Lawrence Community Theatre (Closes Dec 20)
• Dickens Carolers in Concert - Chestnut Fine Arts Theatre (Closes Dec 21)
• Dressed to Kill - The Mystery Train (Closes Jan 2)
• Fiddler on the Roof - CenterSeason Theatre (Closes Dec 20)
• It's a Wonderful Life - Topeka Civic Theatre & Academy (Closes Dec 20)
• It's A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play - American Heartland Theatre (Closes Dec 27)
• Little House on the Prairie - The Coterie Theatre (Closes Dec 29)
• Madeline's Christmas - Theatre for Young America* (Closes Dec 6)
• Martin City Melodrama's 25th Season! - Martin City Melodrama & Vaudeville Company (Closes Jan 3)
• Miss Witherspoon - Unicorn Theatre (Closes Jan 3)
• Mrs. Bob Cratchit's Wild Christmas Binge - Olathe Community Theatre Association* (Closes Dec 20)
• Run for Your Wife - New Theatre Restaurant (Closes Feb 6)
• The Nativity - Paul Mesner Puppets* (Closes Dec 20)

Events for this week **

• Andy Warhol Portfolios: Life & Legends - Union Station Kansas City, Inc.
• Chocolate: The Exhibition - Union Station Kansas City, Inc.
• Parthenia, early-music ensemble with soprano Julianne Baird - Harriman-Jewell Series

Check magazine listing or go to www.kcstage.com for showtimes and information.

Theatre Reviews

Reviews - Current Performances

• 5.00 It's A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play - American Heartland Theatre. (2 Votes)
• 3.67 Little House on the Prairie - The Coterie Theatre. (3 Votes)

Ratings - Current Performances

• 5.00 Madeline's Christmas - Theatre for Young America. (2 Votes)
• 5.00 It's A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play - American Heartland Theatre. (2 Votes)
• 5.00 Miss Witherspoon - Unicorn Theatre. (1 Vote)
• 4.00 A Spectacular Christmas - Musical Theater Heritage. (1 Vote)
• 4.00 Mrs. Bob Cratchit's Wild Christmas Binge - Olathe Community Theatre Association. (1 Vote)
• 4.00 Martin City Melodrama's 25th Season! - Martin City Melodrama & Vaudeville Company. (1 Vote)
• 3.67 Little House on the Prairie - The Coterie Theatre. (3 Votes)
• 3.00 A Christmas Story, The Musical! - Kansas City Repertory Theatre. (1 Vote)

Ratings - Top Ten Rated Shows of the Last 3 Months

• 5.00 Dreamgirls - Ruskin High School Theatre. (4 Votes)
• 5.00 Palomino - Kansas City Repertory Theatre. (2 Votes)
• 5.00 Madeline's Christmas - Theatre for Young America. (2 Votes)
• 5.00 It's A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play - American Heartland Theatre. (2 Votes)
• 4.50 Byrd Productions Proudly Presents: The Fontina & Gruyere Show - Byrd Productions. (2 Votes)
• 4.13 Into The Woods - Kansas City Repertory Theatre. (15 Votes)
• 4.00 Killer Joe - UMKC Theatre. (2 Votes)
• 4.00 Maul of the Dead - The Coterie Theatre. (2 Votes)
• 3.67 Altar Boyz - Sonlight Productions. (21 Votes)

Reviews - Five Most Recent of Past Performances

• Cabaret - The Barn Players, Inc.. 3.42 (19 Votes)
• HMS Pinafore - Lyric Opera of Kansas City. 5.00 (1 Vote)
• The Laramie Project (Undergraduate Fall Production) - UMKC Theatre. 2.00 (1 Vote)
• Arcadia - UMKC Theatre. 2.00 (3 Votes)
• Into The Woods - Kansas City Repertory Theatre. 4.13 (15 Votes)
  

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Nathan Granner Interview by Robert Trussell

“I was in ‘A Christmas Carol’ for a couple of years at the Rep, and over the years those characters and how they sounded and acted have just stayed with me,” Granner said. “I’m feeding off them, like when I say, ‘pu-pu-pu potato.’”

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Theatre for Young America Offers Gift Certificates for Classes

PRESS RELEASE

Theatre for Young America is a gift that keeps on giving!

Do you have an aspiring young actor in the family?  Or just someone who loves seeing fantastic stories played out before his or her eyes?

Theatre for Young America is the perfect holiday or birthday gift because a TYA Gift Certificate can be fashioned to fit the recipient's interests and your budget.

Give the gift of a fall semester, spring semester, or full year of drama instruction at either our Avila University location in Kansas City, Missouri, or our Wonderscope Children's Museum of Kansas City location in Shawnee, Kansas.  Classes are available for young people from 3.5 years of age through 12th grade.

Or buy a single performance to one of our plays at Union Station, or season ticket (3 or more plays) for the young person in your life.

Have you thought about purchasing an outreach workshop for a girl scout, boy scout, or youth organization? Or purchasing an enrollment to one of our summer 4-day workshops, weekly Saturday classes, or our two-week all day summer camp?

However you design your gift certificate, your child or teen will be delighted.

Call Theatre for Young America at 816-460-2083 for all the details and to order now!

Theatre for Young America is a professional theater company, which primarily employs local actors, many of whom are members of Actors Equity Association.

Theatre for Young America, Inc., is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) corporation.  Gifts are tax deductible.

Ann Spivak Writes About Performing in "The Nutcracker"

Clara had a problem.The young girl, the star in “The Nutcracker,” got her hair stuck in the carriage and knocked off her crown. No dancer would want to repeat that mistake.

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Billie Mahoney Interview by Ann Spivak

Local dance legend Billie Mahoney recently celebrated her 82nd birthday at the Blue Room, tap dancing with Lonnie McFadden.

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Christopher Durang Interview by Robert Trussell

Christopher Durang, who has been writing challenging, serious and comical plays since the 1970s, now looks back and sees that he chose his artistic path at an age long before most people know what to do with their lives. He just can’t say why.

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"How the Symphony Saved Christmas" Review by Robert Trussell

"I'll be the first to admit that's tough to resist full-blown symphonic arrangements of traditional holiday music. And so "How the Symphony Saved Christmas," a revamped version of the Kansas City Symphony's annual holiday show, had me as soon as the orchestra launched into Leroy Anderson's Christmas Festival, a multi-hued medley of secular and sacred tunes."

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"Little House on the Prairie" reviewed by TheatreDiva

The following review has been posted to kcstage.com.

Little House on the Prairie
The Coterie Theatre
Rating: 4 of 5

Review: It IS a Wonderful Life

The following review has been posted to kcstage.com.


It's A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play
by American Heartland Theatre
Reviewed by: wong@kc.rr.com
Rating: 5

I very much enjoyed the production last night! I was hesitant when I learned it was a "radio play", but it came out excellent. Zuzu did great for a 6 year old. The sound effects were incredible. The most amazing thing was when George Bailey and Pa were having a discussion and it was Tim Scott doing both sides. His voice was right on the money for both characters, almost as if it was a recording from the movie. Thanks for getting me in the Christmas spirit and a very Merry Christmas to you all!

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Brian McTavish Reviews "Wicked"

There’s a great deal of talent on display in “Wicked,” which had Thursday’s large audience at the Music Hall clapping and laughing and likely later buzzing to friends about what a good show it was to clap and laugh at. Indeed, a commercial success.

But unless you’re a major fan of the “Wizard of Oz” or a 12-year-old girl – honestly, both would be best – the nationally touring Broadway musical may strike you as more turgid than terrific.

more at KC Confidential