Tuesday, May 31, 2011

"Cowtown Ballroom" screens in Lawrence

Joe Heyen wanted to make a stop in Lawrence ever since he and Anthony Ladesich started screening their film, “Cowtown Ballroom … Sweet Jesus!”, more than two years ago. He got his wish Saturday.

more at the Lawrence Journal-World

She&Her 2011-12 Season

August 12,13,14,15,18,19,20,21,22
William Shakespeare's Love's Labour's Lost
Directed by Jeremy Riggs

September 8,9,10,11,12,16,17
Neil LaBute's The Mercy Seat
Directed by Matt Hentges

October 7,8,9,14,15,16,17,21,22
Urinetown: The Musical
Directed by Tiffany Garrison-Schweigert

Two Rooms (in rep)
November 11,12,19, 21 Directed by Kyle Wallen
November 12,14,18,19 Directed by Robert Fletcher

February 10,11,13,17,18, 2012
Orange Flower Water
Directed by Doug Ford

March 9,10,12,16,17, 2012
Frozen
Directed by Nino Casisi

April 20,21,27,28,30, 2012
The Baltimore Waltz
Directed by Jamie Peterson

May 18,19,21,25,26, 2012
TBA
Directed by Crystal Gould

June 22,23,25,29,30, 2012
Steven Dietz's Rocket Man
Directed by Jonathan Wehmeyer

Check out their website for upcoming auditions and more info.

Bell Road Barn seeking new board members

The Bell Road Barn Players are looking for energetic, enthusiastic theater lovers to join their board. Duties include working behind the scenes and in the front office to support the Kansas City area’s longest running community theater. Contact Susan Newburger at 816-741-4830 or newie@kc.rr.com.

KC Young Audiences Awards photos by Mike Strong

To kick off 50th-year celebration events for the Kansas City Young Audiences this awards ceremony is the first in a line of events this year.

more at KC Dance

"Blind" Boone Ragtime and Early Jazz Festival preview by Jill Renae Hicks

Nearly 150 years ago, Missouri — and the rest of the nation — had yet to discover the batch of talents all wrapped up in one young boy. John William Boone, born in 1864, had his eyes removed to reduce brain swelling as a 6-month-old. But his severe talent and intellect were left intact, and “Blind” Boone became the man historians link to the flourishing of ragtime music. “Learning about John William Boone seems to touch everyone who hears his music and understands his life experiences,” said Susan Altomari, a music specialist at Lee Elementary School. She helped develop a Boone-based curriculum last year for fourth-graders learning about famous Missourians.

more at the Columbia Daily Tribune

June 2011 issue of KC Stage is online

The June 2011 issue of KC Stage is online for subscribers

Here are this month's articles:
If you enjoy this blog, consider subscribing to help support KC Stage and local performing arts.

Monday, May 30, 2011

American Jazz Museum "Colors of Jazz" exhibit

Borrowing a line from the jazz legend Fats Waller to describe what is happening at Kansas City's American Jazz Museum, "This joint is jumpin'!”

more at Review

Governor Brownback vetoes Kansas Arts Commission

Gov. Sam Brownback vetoed funding for the Kansas Arts Commission today (May 28), thereby ending a scuffle with the legislature, which funded the commission over his objections.

more at ARTSblog

People's Liberation Big Band photos by kcjazzlark

Name a jazz big band with a score-in-waiting for the silent film Battleship Potemkin. Go ahead, name one. Okay, I’ll name it for you: The People’s Liberation Big Band of Greater Kansas City.


more at kcjazzlark

KC Symphony "Celebration at the Station" review by Bill Brownlee

One of Kansas City’s most glorious annual events, Celebration at the Station attracts tens of thousands of patriotic music lovers every Memorial Day weekend to a makeshift performance space between Union Station and Liberty Memorial.

more at kansascity.com

Dan Schultz, Stephens Summer Theatre Institute interview by Jill Renae Hicks

For most students in Columbia, the year is nearing a close. But for the students of Stephens College’s Summer Theatre Institute, the hard work is just beginning. After all, this is show biz.

more at the Columbia Daily Tribune

Sunday, May 29, 2011

Prairie Village Jazz Festival lineup announced

Among the headliners will be David Basse and 12th Street Jump, the band that plays a standing Saturday night gig at the downtown Marriott. Like those Saturday night performance, their set at the Jazz Festival will be broadcast on 89.3 KCUR. The festival will also feature a jazz band from Prairie Village’s sister city, Dolyna, Ukraine.

more at the Prairie Village Post

Quin Gresham, Lyceum Theatre interview by Aarik Danielsen

Arrow Rock is a sleepy town in the purest and most charming sense of the word. Yet, each summer, the town awakes as its crown jewel, the Lyceum Theatre, begins a new season of performances. Lyceum shows run the gamut from irreverent musical comedy to thoughtful drama and pulse-pounding mystery. The theater historically has been a haven for both established and emerging actors, and it’s this mix of small town and bright lights, youth and veterans, laughs and tears that keeps the Lyceum a fresh destination for local theater lovers.

more at the Columbia Daily Tribune

"Celebration at the Station" preview

Big crowds are expected at Union Station Sunday for the Celebration at the Station event, which includes a Kansas City Symphony concert and fireworks. KMBC 9's Kerri Stowell reports.

more at KMBC
and at KCTV

Musica Vocale "Saul" preview by Patrick Neas

Choral conductor Arnold Epley has affected Kansas City’s classical music community like few other people.Through his years of teaching at William Jewell College and as conductor of various ensembles, he has helped shape generations of local singers. Three years ago he founded Musica Vocale, an ensemble devoted to performing rarely heard choral masterpieces.

more at kansascity.com

Barn Players seeking short scripts for "6x10 Festival"

Grab your pencils! Or laptops! The Barn Players Theater is holding its third annual 6x10 Play Festival on December 9-11 and we are looking for some great scripts. The Festival will produce six short plays, each roughly ten minutes in length and all by local writers. Tell us a great story in ten minutes and you'll get the chance to see your work performed on our stage.

Playwrights whose scripts are selected will be encouraged to participate in rehearsal and to work collaboratively with the director. They may modify their script as they watch it take shape on the stage.

The Barn Players will host 3 Short Play Workshops this summer for local playwrights to gather to discuss their plays and hear them read aloud. Playwrights may attend any one or all three workshops. Please bring your script to the Workshop so it can be read and discussed by other writers as well as members of the Barn Players Board.

The workshop dates will be announced shortly, and will take place on Saturday  mornings from 10am to Noon at The Barn Players Theatre.

Playwrights are NOT required to attend a Workshop in order to submit a script for the Festival. Attending a Workshop does NOT guarantee that a playwright's script will be selected for production.

GUIDELINES
  • All playwrights must live within 200 miles of Kansas City.
  • Scripts may not have been produced previously.
  • Scripts should be easily produced in the context of a ten-minute play festival (i.e. small casts and simple sets)
  • Each playwright may submit up to 2 scripts for review.
  • Scripts may be submitted electronically or through the mail.
  • Electronic: send to "tenminute@thebarnplayers.org"
  • Mail: send TWO copies to "6x10 Festival, The Barn Players, 6219 Martway, Mission KS 66202"
  • Please put your name and contact info on a separate page from the text of the script.
  • Deadline for submission is August 31, 2011.
  • Selections will be made and all playwrights informed by September 23, 2011.
  • Scripts sent by mail will not be returned.
  • No comments or feedback on the scripts will be given.
  • There is no entry fee.
By submitting a script for consideration, the playwright agrees that The Barn Players may produce the script during the festival. The playwright agrees to waive any royalty for the production of the piece in the festival and relinquishes all rights to casting decisions or scenic choices.

For more information, please contact Eric Magnus, Artistic Director of The Barn Players at emagnitude@yahoo.com.

Preparing music for the Lyric Opera

Musical Preparations for the 2011-2012 season are already in full swing!  About two weeks ago, the orchestra string parts for Turandot arrived.  Elena Talley, our Music Librarian is already busy at work marking the bowings into the string parts.

more at The Lyric Opera

City in Motion "Transported" photos by Mike Strong

Saturday, May 28, 2011

KC Art Institute student short "Packrats" by Caitlyn Harris


2010 Caitlyn Harris. KCAI Animation, Spring 2010 Senior Graduation Animation.

KC Jazz Commissions tales part 5

Sometimes you wonder why you do it. I wasn’t paid for chairing the Kansas City Jazz Commission.

more at kcjazzlark

Robert Trussell visits Broadway

When your humble theater critic ventures to New York for an annual tour of shows, most of them on Broadway, the effect can be a little disorienting.

more at kansascity.com

Blue Star Award winners

Congratulations to all of the 2011 Blue Star Award recipients, nominees and participating high schools! Thank you for helping us celebrate excellence in high school musical theatre by attending our Blue Star Ceremony on Thursday, May 26.

more at Starlight Theatre

Documentary honors Florence, Kansas

A few years ago, Stephen Lerner was on a trip with friends visiting the Doyle Creek Ranch Bed and Breakfast just outside Florence. “I became fascinated by the history of the town, and the efforts of some to revive it now,” says Lerner. Lerner is referring to the torrent of floods that hit Florence, the most severe of which took place in 1951. In addition, the community is currently struggling to survive once again.

more at lawrence.com

An overview of the Kauffman Center by Jeff Martin

The state-of-the-art facility has been in the planning stages since 1999 when the Kauffman Foundation purchased the property from former presidential candidate and businessman Ross Perot. It will open for its first show on Sept. 16.

more at The Examiner

Abigail Disney "Pray the Devil Back to Hell" interview by Steve Kraske

Abigail Disney is a documentary filmmaker whose work chronicles women at the crossroads of war and peace. Her work explores an often overlooked question: "What if we looked at war as if women mattered?" In doing so, Disney examines the role of rape as a war tactic, and the devastating impact that people being forced from their homes has on families, parents and kids. Today Steve Kraske talks with the organizer, philanthropist, and producer about her film Pray the Devil Back to Hell, which documents the unreported role of women in the peace process in Liberia. Later on today's program Brian McTavish, of KC Confidential, talks with Brian Ellison about five fun and unique things to do in Kansas City this weekend. It's what we call Up to Date's Weekend To-Do List.
listen at Up to Date (mp3 link)

Living Room "Accidental Waiter" review by Jen Harris

“I came up with the idea in Chicago,” said Moses. “I saw high end restaurants with banquet spaces that would just go dead for months and I’d think, ‘You could do theatre here.’”

more at The Vignette

A look at the Lyric Opera scene shop

Many people may not know this, but the Lyric Opera of Kansas City is a very unique company in that we have our own scene shop to build scenery.  Many companies are forced to rely primarily on renting scenery.  In doing so, you lose a certain amount of artistic control of what you choose to put onstage.

more at the Lyric Opera

Friday, May 27, 2011

Short film "(cog)nize" by Benjamin Cleveland

Plastic Sax proposes a jazz festival

I've written extensively about the vast disparity between the size of the audience for "new" jazz and the quality of the music being performed in Kansas City. Too many times the musicians on stage outnumber the members of the audience. That's not right. And I wish someone would do something about it. In spite of the following exercise in futility, that person isn't me.

more at Plastic Sax

Michael Stern interview with "The Local Show"

Cynthia Wheeler-Linden sits down with Art Fillmore to discuss his role in local veteran's causes. Randy Mason welcomes Michael Stern to The Local Show to discuss this year's Celebration at the Station, the new Kauffman Performing Arts Center and what's in store for the Kansas City Symphony. We present a look at last year's Symphony in the Flint Hills performance featuring Lyle Lovett. And we show the recent Biz Kid$ segment featuring the metro's very own Jeffrey Owen Hanson who talks about how he started investing at age 14 and gives advice about how to choose stocks.
 

Bruce Branit "CinemaKC" preview by Justin Gardner

CinemaKC will broadcast this Saturday at 10pm on KSMO-TV 62. The show will focus on well-known visual effects director and supervisor, Bruce Branit and his films “Worldbuilder” and “405.”

more at CinemaKC

Summerfest preview photos by Larry Levenson

On April 8th, the musicians of Summerfest Concerts performed a free evening of chamber music at Atonement Lutheran Church. The group began its concerts in 1990. Summerfest Concerts will hold its main concert series in July.

more at The Independent

KC Fringe Festival promo


Follow Charlie as he tries to get into the KC Fringe Festival. www.kcfringe.org

BOOM! touring America

Kansas City’s most uproarious theater ensemble, BOOM! An International Lost and Found Family Marching Band is currently parading their way across America.

more at The Vignette

Open letter to Governor Brownback from the Vermont Arts Council director

I have been following with great interest your efforts to remove government support from the Kansas Arts Commission and to re-establish it as an independent, non-profit agency, with the expectation that doing so will relieve your administration of the responsibility of allocating taxpayer funds to match federal funds from the National Endowment for the Arts.  The budget now awaits your signature and there is a great deal of concern that you will use your line-item veto to effectively abolish the Commission which, I understand, a bipartisan coalition in the Kansas Senate representing a broad cross-section of Kansas citizens hopes you will not do.

Friends of Alvin Ailey Breakfast photos by Mike Strong

Miyesha McGriff in an arabesque dancing "Glory" by Tyrone Aiken at the Kansas City breakfast for Judith Jamison and Robert Battle. Miyesha comes out of Kansas City Ballet School, KCFAA school and performance and is about to graduate (2011) from UMKC Conservatories dance division, one of the top dance schools in the country.

more at KC Dance

Thursday, May 26, 2011

KC Art Insitute student short "Split" by Alyssa May

2011 Alyssa May. KCAI Animation, Spring 2011 Senior Graduation Animation.

Jeff Hamilton, Topeka Jazz Workshop review by Chuck Berg

Master percussionist Jeff Hamilton is a drummer’s drummer. With an eye-popping resume, including headliners Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie, Woody Herman and Diana Krall, Hamilton brightened Sunday spirits with a Topeka Jazz Workshop concert that won’t soon be forgotten.

more at the Topeka Capital-Journal

Quality Hill "Let's Do It" review by Alexia Lang

Yes, Quality Hill Playhouse has done it again. Their current production of “Let’s Do It: The Lyrics of Cole Porter” has been drawing audiences for a performance filled with musical pleasure. And there’s little more than a week left for theaters lovers to see this production.

more at The Vignette

Seeking entries for the "Show-Me Justice Film Festival"

Entries are now being accepted for the 2nd Annual Show-Me Justice Film Festival, planned for Oct. 13-15 on the campus of the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg, Mo.

more at the University of Central Missouri

Living Room "Accidental Waiter" review by Grace Suh

The unlikely partnership of the Living Room, the Crossroads' bad-boy theater outfit, and Lidia's, the Crossroads' genteel purveyor of vast Italian feasts, has produced an even more unlikely offspring: brunch theater. After partaking of the weekend brunch buffet downstairs, theatergoers adjourn to a small party room upstairs (along with their desserts and drinks) for The Accidental Waiter, a mostly silent improvisational comedy that hearkens back to the silent-movie era.

more at The Pitch (following the Tommy review)

Metropolitan Ensemble "Tommy" review by Grace Suh

Pete Townshend turned 66 years old last week, coinciding with the Metropolitan Ensemble Theatre's spring musical: The Who's Tommy. The production has its issues — imagine an entire Broadway musical squeezed into a New York studio apartment and you have a good idea of what the show feels like. But the MET proves that Tommy still has it.
more at The Pitch

KC Symphony reactions to Helzberg Hall

The Symphony had our first rehearsal in our future home at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, Helzberg Hall. Michael Stern and the orchestra share their reactions to the sound of the hall and chose Beethoven's Symphony No. 1 as the very first piece to rehearse.

KC Symphony, Sasha Cooke review by Timothy McDonald

Music has a unique ability to portray a veritable kaleidoscope of moods in a single evening. Such was the case Saturday evening at the Lyric Theatre when mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke and the Kansas City Symphony took the stage with a program of works by Brahms, Beethoven and Prokofiev.

Theatre League, Blue Man Group promo


and in Spanish...

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Jonathan Butler review by Bill Brownlee

Jonathan Butler’s gospel-based appearance Saturday at the Gem Theater, the final concert in the American Jazz Museum’s Jammin’ at the Gem season, was filled with songs of praise and worship.

"Helzberg Hall Diary" by Roger Oyster

Take flat tire to get patched: check. Call vet to get dog’s prescriptions refilled: check. Go to tour the best concert hall in the US of A, Helzberg Hall, part of the spankin’ new Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, right here in Kansas City: CHECK.

more at KCUR
and part 2

American Heartland "39 Steps" review by Alexia Lang

What happens when you mix Hitchcock mystery with slapstick/almost Monty Python-esque comedy? That’s easy. You get “The 39 Steps,” the fast-paced, spy story currently being brought to life at the American Heartland Theatre.

more at The Vignette

Wildheart performs in Missouri state parks

Kids and adults alike will be inspired and entertained by the music and message of Wildheart, an environmental musical group that will perform in seven Missouri state parks in May and June.
 
more at Infozine

"Sentenced to the Arts" at the Fishtank Studio


"Tax FAQ" by Dean Vivian

 This article is from the April 2011 issue of KC Stage

Editor’s note: what follows are excerpts from Dean Vivian’s 2010-2011 tax letter that he sends out to his clients. It is only excerpts and is not intended as a full-fledged guide on how to prepare your taxes. KC Stage encourages you to seek out qualified help if you have any questions or concerns about preparing your 2011 taxes.

What’s important to know these days?
The continuing big news is the bulls-eye most freelancers have painted on their backs. The IRS has loudly announced targeting the self-employed. A recent study showed about 80% of the under-reported income comes from the self-employed, so audits have increased dramatically, and the IRS is convinced of two things:
1) If you get a 1099, or are self-employed, you’re hiding income, and 2) You don’t have proof for what you’re deducting. I’ve preached the value of keeping good records since the beginning; these increased audits have only made me a stronger advocate. As for the income, I heard something during an audit that put a chill up my spine. From the next cubicle: “If you don’t know what that deposit is, we’re going to count that as Schedule C income.” It’s true: all wealth acquisition is considered income, unless you can prove otherwise. (Aunt Petunia’s birthday check IS NOT considered taxable income ... if you can prove it.) Lesson:  keep records of your deposits, too.

Important note: if you have sponsors or “angels” who give you money as an artist because they believe in a project, be sure you have a written agreement they expect nothing in return and the monies are a gift.

What records do I need to deduct entertainment expenses? 
Besides date, place, and amount, you’ll need whom you were entertaining (it must be someone with “hiring capabilities”), and what specific income-producing opportunity you were discussing. “The upcoming season” is not specific enough; “Louise in Gypsy”, or “pitched upcoming art installation” is acceptable. The only general times would be opening night, closing night, a specific cast party, or the producer/director’s birthday celebration, i.e., something originating with the business and occurring just before or just after the business event.  Contrary to popular belief, going to lunch with a colleague and discussing business does not qualify.

I paid a professional over $600 for lessons. Should I send her a 1099?
Yes. Same for an accompanist, scene partner, contractor, fellow band member, etc. And you should send the IRS a copy as well as a 1096, which is a summary of ALL 1099s.

I gave voice lessons and never got paid. Can I deduct the $500 I’m owed?
Only if the $500 was included in your prior income (which it probably wasn’t). Otherwise, since you didn’t receive any income from this person, no extra income will be reported, and no extra income tax will be due.

Is that fair?

Yes. Think of it this way: if you got paid $400 and stiffed on $500, you wouldn’t be able to suddenly declare a loss of $100. You got the $400, and that’s all you would claim as income.

What is a “qualified performing artist”?
A qualified performing artist is anyone who works for at least two arts organizations with W-2s totaling at least $200 from each, has $16,000 of adjusted gross income or less, and spends at least 10% of their arts income on maintaining their career. The advantage is the QPA gets both a standard deduction, and their itemized arts deductions, which can make a huge difference.

What’s new this year?
Huge change: States are finally serious about the Use Tax, which is sales tax not charged by an online purchase. A recent court ruling allows sales tax to be collected online even if the business has no ties to the state, collected in full by your home state if no sales tax is collected.

Along with that, starting at the end of 2011, electronic payers will report electronic purchases to the government - and probably you - via a new form, a 1099-K, merchant card, and third-party payments.  Any prior avoidance of paying sales tax by buying over the internet will end. It will be very important to track your online purchases and the sales tax you pay or don’t pay from now on!

April’s filing deadline is April 18 instead of April 15. The deadline for filing extended taxes is October 17. Remember: if you’re not going to file, be sure to extend. And keep in mind, an extension to file is not an extension to pay; you’ll still need to pay what you estimate you’ll owe. If you expect a refund, no payment is due, but be sure!

Didn’t get a tax packet from the IRS? They don’t send them out anymore. Neither do most states or cities. They expect you (or me) to download them and print them out. Here are links for the IRS and for state tax information. Similarly, if you got unemployment, paid qualified state tuition payments, or got a tax refund from the State of Missouri, you must go to MO 1099-G to get that information, or call 1-573-526-8299. Your tax dollars at work!

Despite what you may have heard, health care will NOT be taxable next year. Your employer has the option of putting the amount paid on your behalf on your W-2, but it’s informational only (like the 401(k) info), not taxable, and, again, optional. 

New rule: investment companies now must keep records on your cost basis. Staring in 2011, investment companies will track your cost basis of stocks (and other securities) you buy & sell. At times in the past, it’s been a guessing game at best, especially with investments held for years and years. Next January you’ll get a clear statement of profits and/or losses. This change is long overdue. 

The estate tax was suspended for one year in 2010. No one really meant for that to happen, and it’s unconscionable our legislators didn’t fix this before the first of the year. The December 2010 tax bill made the exemption amount $5 million, and the tax above that will max out at 35%. Great news if you’re a multi-millionaire or billionaire!

Most taxpayers with earned income and adjusted gross income under $95,000 ($190,000 for a married couple) still qualify for the Making Work Pay credit, initiated in 2009 and extended into 2010. It’s a 6.2% rebate, up to $400 per person. For workers with steady paychecks, it’s already been “accounted for” via those extra few bucks each week, so it shouldn’t change the usual bottom line. As with last year, those with multiple W-2s could get hurt, as every employer will have accounted for that additional $400. Freelancers should see their burden ease a little. And 2011 will see a different bump in the paycheck, as 2% of the payroll tax has been erased for one year. That means, for filings next year, freelancers will only be paying 13.3% on their profits instead of 15.3% of profits in payroll taxes. If you get a W-2, your withholding percentage for Social Security will be 4.2% instead of 6.2%; your employer will still pay the full 6.2%.

Self-employed workers who pay for health care can now deduct expenses paid for a child 26 and younger (by 12/31/10), even if that child is not your dependant. And this can now be deducted on Schedule C, saving not only income taxes but payroll taxes as well.  Speaking of payroll taxes, here’s an important fact: most workers pay more in federal payroll taxes (Social Security and Medicare) than federal income taxes over their lifetimes.

Dean Vivian has been an actor for over 30 years, and started helping fellow performers with their taxes in 1985. His specialties include performers, the self-employed, and people with home-based businesses. Should you wish to consult him on your taxes, he can be contacted at aaktor@sbcglobal.net or by calling 816-523-3476.

Mammoth 2011 promo reel

UMKC Spring Dance Concert photos by Mike Strong

Antony Tudor's "Dark Elegies" is a major featured work from an outside institution, the Tudor Trust. We are lucky enough that we have an authentic Tudor repetiteur who lives and works in Kansas City, James Jordan, Kansas City Ballet Master, to come in on a regular basis to work with the dancers and to stage the piece. James has also set Tudor work on major companies across the nation and now at UMKC.

more at KC Dance

KC Symphony first rehearsal in Helzberg Hall

This week, the Kansas City Symphony took the stage for the first time at Helzberg Hall, one of two performance venues at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. It marks the beginning of a series of tuning rehearsals before the mid-September opening weekend.

listen at KCUR

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

"Ready to Pop" short film by Michelle Davidson and Anthony Ladesich


Directed by Michelle Davidson & Anthony Ladesich

Jawole Willa Jo Zollar "American: Here and Now" preview by Libby Hanssen

A dancer paces the floor in silence while another moves in a slow groove to her own internal music. They both hold American flags, but it’s not coming naturally. Choreographer Nora Chipaumire notices the awkwardness and offers direction. “We are seeing you struggle with the flag, the handling of it, so let’s make it part of the work,” she says. “The struggle is good.”

KC Symphony "Alexander Nevsky" review by Paul Horsley

The Alexander Nevsky Cantata is a big, raucous masterpiece, one of Prokofiev’s most richly detailed compositions and an orchestral tour de force to boot. The Kansas City Symphony’s performance of it on May 20th did not stint on theatrics, and the orchestra rose to the virtuosic challenge, with Michael Stern’s natural affinity for Russian music on full display.

more at The Independent

"UMKC Conservatory in the Schools" program

Learn about how the UMKC Conservatory's Academy outreach programs impact Kansas City high school students in positive and amazing ways.


Stagehand Lon Muncrief dies from fall at Rockfest

Friends talk about the life of a stagehand who died of injuries he suffered in a fall while setting up for Rockfest last week. KMBC 9's Dan Weinbaum reports.

more at KMBC
and at KCTV
and at KSHB 

KC Chorale, Shakespeare Fest review by Paul Horsely

The range of musical approaches to Shakespeare’s texts is broad, as he is probably the most frequently “set” poet not just in English but in any language.

more at The Independent

American Heartland "39 Steps" review by Russ Simmons

Those familiar with the famed Alfred Hitchcock suspense thriller "The 39 Steps" might be surprised to learn that the rendition presented by the American Heartland Theatre is a comedy.

more at The Johnson County Sun (after the Gypsy review)