AMC Theatres support center in Leawood

America loves the movies. And soon Leawood will welcome a little bit of Hollywood to its community when AMC Theatres completes construction on its new corporate headquarters – or Theatre Support Center – in the Park Place development this spring.

more at Leawood Lifestyle

Columbian Theatre "Wizard of Oz" preview by Bill Blankenship

Among the cast of this season's production of "The Wizard of Oz" at the Columbian Theatre will be a couple of faces familiar to audiences members who joined earlier treks down the Yellow Brick Road at the Wamego venue.

more at the Topeka Capital Journal

Valentina Igoshina, David Halen UCM piano series preview

The Warrensburg Friends of Music will present two internationally renowned classical music artists, Valentina Igoshina on piano and David Halen on violin, in concert at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 9, in the University of Central Missouri’s Hart Recital Hall.

more at the University of Central Missouri

Vigthor Zophoniasson, Ashley Wheat interview by Deborah Shouse

During the second day of preparations for the 2005 summer Aspen Music Festival, 85 student opera singers were taking turns performing their audition monologues. Two hours into the day, a handsome redheaded man strode onto the stage. Vigthor Zophoniasson, a 24-year-old from Iceland, gave a riveting monologue. Singer Ashley Wheat, then 23, thought, “My project for the summer is getting to know him.” A day later, she started talking to him, and they soon spent an evening under the stars in deep and interesting conversation.

more at kansascity.com

KC Symphony "Picture Studies" preview by Laura Spencer

This season, the Kansas City Symphony focuses on the theme of “Symphonic Pictures," exploring the intersection between art and music. It marks a collaboration between the Symphony and the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art that will culminate in a new work.

more at KCUR

Tony nominee speaks to Topeka high schoolers

Jayne Houdyshell, who has twice been nominated for Broadway’s highest honor, a Tony Award, talked Thursday morning in the Topeka High School classroom where she got her first lessons in acting and theater.

more at the Topeka Capital Journal

Lee's Summit Symphony celebrates 10 years, announces new members

Members of the Lee’s Summit Symphony Board of Directors and Friends surprised the group’s musicians recently with a cupcake reception in honor of the Symphony’s 10th year.

more at Lee's Summit Lifestyle 
and more here

Lied Center "West Side Story" preview

From the first note to the final breath, West Side Story soars as one of the greatest love stories of all time and remains as powerful, poignant and timely as ever. West Side Story comes to the Lied Center Tuesday, February 19, 2013.

"Found Footage Film Festival" preview by Aarik Danielsen

Nick Prueher and Joe Pickett, co-founders of the Found Footage Festival, have not embraced or reversed that old axiom, but rather subverted it. The pair has has taken VHS broadcasts that were once a treasured means of expression for performers and pontificators, then were later treated like trash – showing up in Goodwill stores and bargain bins – and given them a new chance to shine.

more at the Columbia Daily Tribune

Lynne Taylor-Corbett "Mercury" interview with the KC Ballet

Kelsea Victoria Mclean "Vote (Twice) for Murder" interview by Jennifer Bhargava

“When I was younger, I didn’t know acting was going to be my career for a hot second — I just knew I had fun doing it.”
more at Ink

Lied Center, Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles "It Gets Better" preview

Members of the Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles will perform with local choirs at the Lied Center in a performance that addresses bullying and the broader issues of tolerance and diversity. It Gets Better comes to the Lied Center Saturday, February 16, 2013.

"The Salad" short film by David Berry

The Salad is a short film made back in 2007... Enjoy :)

Broken window at the Kauffman Center

At night, the glass-enclosed lobby glows red and blue, as the carpeting adds hints of color to the white walls. But during the day, if you look closely enough on the west side of the building, along Broadway, you'll notice something else: broken glass. A window in one of the top rows of the four-story-tall lobby is fractured.

more at KCUR

Kansas Creative Arts Industries Commission to seek federal funds

In 2011, Kansas made headlines by eliminating all public funding for the arts. That meant the state no longer qualified for federal matching grants of more than $1 million.

more at KCUR
and at the Topeka Capital Journal
and at the Lawrence Journal World

Blue Springs South "Les Mierables" preview by Kelly Evenson

Amanda Morgan likes playing a noble character like Eponine in Blue Springs South High School’s production of “Les Miserables.”

more at the Examiner

History of Laugh-O-Gram studios and Mickey Mouse by Joel Nichols

KMBC's Joel Nichols has more on the beginning of Walt Disney's career and a character now named Mickey Mouse.

KC Repertory "Pippin" review by Deborah Hirsch

Local theater marquees the last several months have gone retro, promoting popular shows first produced 40 or 50 — or more — years ago: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, The Music Man, The Fantasticks, The Mousetrap, Little Shop of Horrors. That's not a complaint. Plays are revived, sometimes revitalized, made continually rele­vant (hello, Shakespeare). And if an entirely new audience or new generation is seeing it for the first time, it's new to them.

more at the Pitch

Gladstone company builds drum kits

Inside a nondescript warehouse down a narrow alley in Gladstone, six full-time employees spend their days piecing together drum kits for some of the country’s premier bands.

more at Ink

Read more here: http://inkkc.com/content/cc-drums-is-on-a-roll/#storylink=cpy

Lied Center, Black Watch and The Band of Scots Guards preview

Join us as the members of Black Watch and The Band of the Scots Guards command the stage with a mix of color, fantastic sound, traditional music and military flair. Approximately 70 musicians will captivate the audience with expertly-delivered music from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales. Black Watch and The Band of the Scots Guards comes to the Lied Center February 15, 2013.

"Lils" short film by Nouvelle Vids

Knocking summertime right in the mouth.

Olathe students win at International Thespian Festival

Olathe East High School High School students Blake Thomas (Class of 2012) and Meredith Hollan, senior, won the National Individual Events showcase at the International Thespian Festival in Lincoln, Neb.

more at the Johnson County Lifestyle

Tempe Ostergren "Carmina Burana" interview with the KC Ballet

Our fall show, featuring "Carmina Burana" shares the evening with two other ballets; "Mercury" and "End of Time." Tempe Ostergren talks to us about her role in Mercury and how it differs from "Carmina Burana."

 

Coterie "Spring Awakening" review by Deborah Hirsch

Spring Awakening, also emerging from another era, holds parallels to young lives today. The Coterie has begun its new season with the 2006 musical (book and lyrics by Steven Sater, musical score by Duncan Sheik), which also earned 11 Tony Award nominations. It won eight, including Best Musical.

more at the Pitch  (after the Pippin review)

Lyric Opera "Il Trovatore" preview by Don Degenais

Don Dagenais of the Lyric Opera Guild previews the Lyric Opera of Kansas City production of Verdi's Il Trovatore. The production will be performed at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts November 3-11, 2012.

Emanuel Ax review by Paul Horsley

There are good reasons why Emanuel Ax is held in such high esteem in the American classical scene. He has an innate, “natural” musicality that seems to adapt to any period or style, he plays with extreme delicacy but can also tear into a thunderous fortissimo without banging, and he can “sing” you a melody as if it had words to it. (Plus he’s a gregarious guy you would want to invite to dinner some night.) All of these qualities were on display at his recital on September 22nd at the Folly Theater, the opening of the Harriman-Jewell Series’ 48th season and Ax’s 12th appearance on it.

more at the Independent

KC Repertory "Pippin" review by Meredith Shea

“Pippin,” a musical by Roger O. Hirson and Stephen Schwartz, opened last Friday at the Kansas City Repertory Theatre  under the direction of Eric Rosen. Traditionally, “Pippin” productions keep the original 70’s pop style musical score, but Rosen had a different vision for his production: punk rock.

more at the University News

Lied Center "Guru of Chai" preview

Indian Ink Theatre's Guru of Chai is set in a train station in Bangalore, India, and tells the story of how a tea seller's life is changed forever when a young girl is abandoned in the busy station and brings the place to a standstill with her beautiful singing. Guru of Chai comes to the Lied Center February 7-9, 2013.

Sharon Wright "Change for a Dollar" wins regional Emmy

Kauffman Center one year later on "Week in Review"

It's been exactly a year now since the curtain opened on the much anticipated $415 million Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. The downtown venue designed by Moshie Safdie has quickly garnered both national and international attention. Many of the center's shows have earned rave reviews and there have been countless sold out performances. But one year on, is it meeting expectations? And what about the future?

UMKC professor Dan Thomas releases jazz recording

The 18th and Vine District received a taste of UMKC talent on Thursday, opening The Blue Room’s stage to Associate Director of Jazz Studies Dan Thomas’ jazz band, Voyage. The performance featured and promoted the premiere of the band’s namesake album.

KC Repertory "Pippin" review by Jeff Tamblyn

In the 1960’s, a theatrical ‘test period’ took place in which the coffee-house beatnik aesthetics of the 50’s were exploded into larger-scale pieces that punctured the bubble of conventional theatricality. The ‘fourth wall’ of the proscenium was broken and actors were often seen naked, performing sounds and motions that were more abstract than naturalistic. This was an important time in the theatre because it had become stale and needed an overhaul.

more at Infozine

Johnson County Community College 2012-2013 Concert Season by Anne Hunt

The music department of Johnson County Community College opens a new academic concert season with Basie Meets Bach, a performance featuring both the JCCC Concert Band and the JCCC Midnight Express Jazz Ensemble.

more at Infozine

A bit part in "Jayhawkers" by Phil Wilke

I was lucky enough to be cast in a minor, minor, minor part for the upcoming film “Jayhawkers.” My character is “Theater Manager,” and the only instruction I was given before I arrived on the set was “Your character is trying to deter people from entering a theater.”

more at lawrence.com

American Heartland "Making God Laugh" review by BobEvans

God's Not Laughing Rating: 3


Making God Laugh
American Heartland Theatre

AHT's production entertains, but the title misleads the audience. Much of the humor focuses on the Fastasia Dip, an unsavory concoction Ruthie serves at all family gatherings. Unbeknownst to Ruthie, her family hates the stuff.

Lied Center "Beauty and the Beast" preview

Based on the Academy Award-winning animated feature film, Disney's Beauty and the Beast comes to the Lied Center on Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Theatre Gym "The Miser" review by BobEvans

Unmiserly laughs Rating: 5


The Miser
The Theatre Gym

If you like to leave a theater performance smiling and entertained, consider The Miser presented by Theater Gym in the Union Station H&R Block Stage.

Be prepared to be entertained by an updated French Farce written by Moliere and updated by Stephen Booser. Even though performed in late 1700s costumes with white face paint, the updated, modern dialog fits just fine and entertains the audience.

Quality Hill "On the Sunny Side of the Street" review by kellyluck

A musical evening in at Quality Hill Rating: 4


On the Sunny Side of the Street
Quality Hill Playhouse

"Intimate" is a good word for the Quality Hill Playhouse. As soon as this reviewer entered the space, it felt less like a theatrical performance and more like the performers were having a few friends over for a musical evening. You wouldn't manage "Phantom" in a space like this, but for the cabarets and musical revues that make up the bulk of QHP's repertoire it is ideal. One feels less an audience member and more a treasured guest, and that feeling stays with one throughout the performance.

KC Repertory "Pippin" review by Alexia Lang

What is the meaning of life? Most of us have asked it and many of us have also wondered what our purpose in life is. That fact alone helps make “Pippin,” currently in production at the Kansas City Repertory Theatre, every man’s musical.

more at the Vignette

T.J. Martley "Meditation Vol. 1" review by Happy in Bag

Meditations Vol. 1, one of the best albums released by a locally-based jazz musician in 2012, doesn't swing.  Furthermore, it bears little relationship to the Kansas City piano tradition of Pete Johnson, Count Basie and Jay McShann.  Instead, the solo piano project by T.J. Martley evokes the music of Keith Jarrett, Erik Satie, Thelonious Monk and Johann Sebastian Bach.

more at Plastic Sax

Burlesque Downtown Underground "Bad Things" performance at the 2011 KC Fringe Festival

Burlesque Downtown Underground performers Vic Sin, Cherry Pop, Puss-n-Boots, and GiGi perform at the Off Center Theatre for the 2011 Kansas City Fringe Festival in BDU's BOY'S VS. GIRLS: Rumble In The City. Rumble In The City was the most attended show at the annual KC Fringe Festival.

Living Room "Sex, Drugs, Rock & Roll" review by Robert Trussell

The rarefied universe of Eric Bogosian is full of truth-tellers.
But here’s the thing: Some of them — the homeless, the mentally ill, the guys serving time — tell the truth because they have nothing to lose. But others — fast-talking lawyers, rabid consumers — reveal the truth in spite of themselves. And some articulate the truth virtually by accident.

more at kansascity.com

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/09/23/3829696/sex-drugs-rock-roll-showcases.html#storylink=cpy

 

Lied Center "¡Sofrito!" preview

David Gonzalez teams up with the Latin Legends Band to retell traditional stories from Latin America. ¡Sofrito! comes to the Lied Center Saturday, Nov. 10, 2012.

Empty Spaces "Holidays are Nice and Warm" music video by Micki Hadley

The Empty Spaces present "Holidays Are Nice And Warm" from their new album "Party Line".
Directed By Micki Hadley

Special Thanks to: Britt Ernst, Nicholas Stahl, Mitch Jones, Casey Osburn, Golden Sound Records

more at the Pitch

Prairie Village Jazz Festival photos by kcjazzlark

Thousands of fans. They crowded the hill at Harmon Park on September 8th to enjoy the music, the food, the beer and the wine – but mostly the music – at the third annual Prairie Village Jazz Festival.

more at kcjazzlark 
and part 2 here

Brian Paulette, Cinnamon Schultz interview by Melissa Treolo

Recently, Anika Paulette, a third-grader at Benninghoven Elementary School, had her acting debut, performing with her parents and younger brother, Leo, in a 30-second commercial for Earth Friendly Products.

more at the Dispatch

Aram Demirjian, KC Symphony interview by Julie Denesha

Aram Demirjian joined the Kansas City Symphony as the new assistant conductor for the 2012-13 season. In this role, Demirjian conducts the Family and Pops Series concerts and other select concerts. He says he's "particularly excited" to conduct the Thursday evening Classics Uncorked series at Helzberg Hall in the Kauffman Center for Performing Arts. Kansas City Symphony's "Pops in the Park" performance, recorded on September 3, 2012. Video by Julie Denesha/KCUR.

Emanuel Ax review by John Heuertz

World-famous pianist Emanuel Ax returned to Kansas City for the 12th time Saturday night in the triumphant opening concert of the 48th Harriman-Jewell Series at the Folly Theater.

more at kansascity.com

"We Alaways Swing" season preview by Amy Wilder

America has a long history of cultural rebellion and revolution, of questioning even the recently established status quo and of constantly struggling to reshape identity. We habitually take old styles and values, shake them out, reinvent them and — from government and music to sports or religion — give birth to something fresh. Jazz is one of the bred-in-the-bone creations of American culture. The spirit of the genre is that of constant refashioning, and the unbound freedom of the music itself reflects our proud individuality.

more at the Columbia Daily Tribune

Fall theatre in Lawrence

If you’re looking for something different in the way of entertainment this fall, you shouldn’t have any trouble finding it at area theaters.

more at the Lawrence Journal World

Lied Center "Here to Stay: The Gershwin Experience" preview

Here to Stay: The Gershwin Experience is a multimedia concert event featuring the music of brothers George and Ira Gershwin. Featuring Ryan VanDenBoom, Sylvia McNair and Kevin Cole, Here to Stay offers a unique and entertaining insight into the Gershwin duo's lives.

Sunday, Oct. 28, 2012
http://lied.ku.edu/events/gershwin-experience.shtml

"The Spirit of Monument Rocks" short film by Stephen Locke

KC Symphony "Pictures at an Exhibition" preview by Patrick Neas

In his suite of piano miniatures called “Pictures at an Exhibition,” Modest Mussorgsky leads listeners on a promenade of paintings. They are pictures by his friend Viktor Hartmann, and they include scenes of an ox-drawn cart, baby chicks being hatched and two French women arguing in a marketplace. Mussorgsky’s final musical image, “The Great Gate of Kiev,” especially as Maurice Ravel later arranged it for orchestra, is a majestic vision that sends chills down the spine.

more at kansascity.com

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/09/22/3825006/kc-symphony-opens-on-a-high-note.html#storylink=cpy

Black House Improvisors "Fluid Fracture" performances

This is long overdue but here are the recordings from Fluid Fracture last month.

more at the Black House Improvisors' Collective

Barbara Eden "Social Security" interview by Michelle Davidson

Thursday, Sept 20 - Barbara Eden is in Kansas City performing at the New Theatre Restaurant. She stopped by Studio 41 to talk about her show, Social Security, and of course, I Dream of Jeannie.

Young Concert Artists, Lied Center preview

Robert Belinić, guitar
Sunday, Oct. 21, 2012
http://lied.ku.edu/events/robert-belinic.shtml

Mark Morris Dance preview by Lisa Jo Sagolla

Mark Morris is the serious music-lover’s choreographer, possessing a sophisticated understanding of classical music and an astounding ability to interpret it through ingeniously crafted modern dance. Not since the heyday of ballet genius George Balanchine has a choreographer generated such critical acclaim for his musical sensibilities.

more at kansascity.com

KC Repertory "Pippin" review by Robert Trussell

At a certain point during the opening-night performance of Kansas City Repertory Theatre’s wild production of “Pippin,” I realized that I was witnessing a creative act of madness.

more at kansascity.com

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/09/22/3828218/pippin-at-kc-rep-is-a-trip.html#storylink=cpy

Marilyn Lynch "Three Tall Women" interview by Robert Trussell

Part of Marilyn Lynch had died until she discovered Metropolitan Ensemble Theatre.Now she has never been more alive. And theatergoers can see that in Edward Albee’s “Three Tall Women,” the MET’s current production. Lynch plays more than one version of Albee’s adoptive mother in the show, and she lights up the stage.

more at kansascity.com

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/09/22/3824886/marilyn-lynch-is-back-for-a-second.html#storylink=cpy

Michael Stern, KC Symphony interview

The Kansas City Symphony is thriving as it gets ready to open its second season at the Kauffman Center.

Rockhill Theatre finally demolished

When the bulldozers finally razed the sleazy porno shop — formerly the Rockhill Theater — at 46th and Troost, more than a decade ago, one portion of the building was left standing: a two-story buff brick tower from the original entrance area. This piece of the 1923 structure retained the original metal dome, long rusted, but surrounded by the original finials installed when the second-run theater was opened, with great fanfare in 1923.

more at the Pitch

Patrick Rea interview by Lonita Cook

Patrick Rea shares with Lonita Cook his path that lead to fimmaking, and how he's achieved being a creative force in the Kansas City film community.

Paul Mesner Puppets interview with "The Local Show"

KC Repertory "Pippin" preview

Tickets are on sale, playing through October 7. Reserve your seats today! 816.235.2700

Sō Percussion, Lied Center preview

Sō Percussion is known for its less-than-conventional instrumentation, which can include everything from xylophones and drum sets to cactus needs and aluminum cans. Sō Percussion comes to the Lied Center Thursday, Oct. 18, 2012.

SideProject "Stay Bizzy" music video by Nouvelle Video

SideProject
"Stay Bizzy"
The Album: The Bakery
Produced by ShawnP/JB/Curtis
Directed by Shawn Porter

Julia Kauffman, Shirley Helzberg on "The Local Show"

Bobby Watson, 14th St Jazz Festival performance

Will Matthews Organ Trio w/Bobby Floyd, Marty Morrison-drums and special guest Bobby Watson at the 14th St. Jazz Festival in Kansas City Sept.8, 2012

more at Plastic Sax

Topeka Civic Theatre "Legally Blonde" review by Deb Bisel

The premise of Legally Blonde is a high-minded moral axiom – “be true to yourself” and everything else falls into place. Or, how about this one – “love conquers all” (when it’s the right love). And then there’s “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” Yes, there are many lessons to be learned from Legally Blonde. The most important, however, is don’t take a shower just hours after perming your hair.

more at seveneightfive

Tony Gates "One by One Concert" preview by midtownkcposter

West Plaza resident and recording artist Toni Gates started her annual One by One Concert years ago when she was teaching music at the Paseo Academy, a Kansas City school focused on the performing arts. As she looked around at fellow faculty members, she says, “I realized that, at the time, I had friends who were serious, amazing musicians. They were also great educators.” She thought the educators deserved a chance to get into the spotlight, and she invited them to join her on stage.

more at the Midtown KC Post

KC Repertory "Pippin" preview by Steve Walker

The journey of a young prince is the subject of the musical Pippin, which opens the Kansas City Repertory Theatre's 48th season this week. It’s been 40 years since the original Broadway production – and the creative team behind the Rep’s show is hell-bent on bridging the cultural gap between the music and dance of the early '70s and the contemporary styles of today.

KC Ballet "Carmina Burana" promo

Tickets to "Carmina Burana" are on sale NOW! Order by calling the Ballet Box Office at 816-931-2232 or online at www.kcballet.org.

Nnenna Freelon, Lied Center preview

Six-time Grammy-nominated jazz vocalist Nnenna Freelon sings a tribute to Lena Horne in her performance. Freelon will present Horne classics, along with songs that connect herself and Horne. Freelon will perform at the Lied Center Friday, Oct. 12, 2012.

Living Room "Sex, Drugs, Rock & Roll" preview by Robert Trussell

Twelve against one aren’t very good odds, unless you happen to be making theater in a strange new way. The Living Room opens its 2012-13 season with a production of Eric Bogosian’s “Sex, Drugs, Rock & Roll,” a series of monologues that invites viewers on a funny, scathing and sobering tour of 1980s angst.

more at kansascity.com

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/09/19/3821568/living-rooms-unconventional-sex.html#storylink=cpy

American Heartland "Making God Laugh" preview

Showing September 7 to October 21, 2013 at Kansas City's American Heartland Theatre. Home is where the heart is, and also where the laughs are! Empty nesters welcome their children home for the holidays over a period of thirty years. Family traditions are rekindled, dubious recipes are resurrected, dreams are reevaluated, ancient tensions flare and comedy abounds during Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's. A Kansas City premiere by Sean Grennan. 816-842-9999 or http://www.ahtkc.com

Mark Morris Dance Group preview by Paul Horsley

If you want to be a member of the Mark Morris Dance Group, you’d better get busy. For not only are the auditions for his 18-member company as rigorous as just about anything in modern dance, some 300 men and women show up to fill one position, but Mark requires much more than just dance chops. 

more at the Independent

Teacher Judith Schieszer honored for Oregon Trail play

The Oregon California Trails Association this year gave her its National Outstanding Teacher Award. A six-act play that Schieszer wrote about life on the Oregon Trail, from the Shawnee Indian Mission through Kansas to the Nebraska border, led to the honor.

more at the Prairie Village Post

KC Fringe "Greatest Speech of All Time" highlights

A Rhetorical Banquet! A preview of Tim Mooney's newest one-man show, "The Greatest Speech of All Time," featuring speeches from Socrates, Mark Antony, Frederick Douglass, Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt, Winston Churchill and Martin Luther King. Quick clips and reviews from one of the first performances at the Kansas City Fringe Festival, 2012!

Tim Mooney presents Frederick Douglass' famous "The Hypocrisy of American Slavery" (also known as "What to the American Slave is the Fourth of July?") as part of "The Greatest Speech of All Time," presented at the Kansas City Fringe Festival, July, 2012. Mooney effectively captures the soaring rhetoric and emotional power of the speech. Is this "the greatest speech of all time?" Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Composers Stylianos Dimou, Ted Goldman, Patrick Harlin interviews by Steven Stucky

The Mizzou New Music Initiative’s “Conversations With Composers” podcasts offer an inside perspective from the composers who took part in the 2012 Mizzou New Music Summer Festival, featuring candid discussions of their work, backgrounds, influences and processes; their experiences during the Festival; and much more. Episode 101 features guest composer Steven Stucky talking with resident composers Stylianos Dimou, Ted Goldman and Patrick Harlin.

more at the Mizzou New Music Initiative

Stan Kessler, Sons of Brazil interview by Chris Lewis

Guy walks into a big bungalow in Westport carrying a “Sharp” cassette tape recorder bought recently at a thrift store. The thing was built right and works great. “When the world is runnin’ down….you make the best of whats still around…….”

more at Killer Stray Horn

[Thanks, Plastic Sax]

KC Ballet "Carmina Burana" dancer interviews

"Pas de deux" is the ballet term for a type of duet. In Kansas City Ballet's production of "Carmina Burana," Oct. 12-21, two couples were cast to perform a pas de deux. They will each be performing the number on different nights, depending on when their 'cast' is scheduled.

Learn more about the difficulty of partnering and perfecting the pas de deux in this video from the two couples; Rachel Coats & Anthony Krutzkamp and Angelina Sansone & Geoffrey Kropp.

Southminster Presbyterian "Hymnfest" review by Dan Blom

A full sanctuary at Southminster Presbyterian Church Monday evening joined the voices in the choir to celebrate Hymnfest, a concert featuring widely-known and loved music from the hymnal.

more at the Prairie Village Post

Tambourine Club "Summertime" music video by Danny Joe Gibson

Today we bring you a new video that visual artist Danny Gibson has made for "Summertime," a breezy new folk-psych jam from local bedroom-pop guy Brian Lammano, aka The Tambourine Club. The video is weird in a Flaming Lips type of way — shaky and shot from strange, colorful angles. There are blobs of paint. Why am I bothering to describe this video? It's right up above us there. Just watch it!

more at the Pitch

Diane Wittry, Topeka Symphony interview by Bill Blankenship

A concert should be "a journey, an experience, a once-in-a-lifetime thing," said Diane Wittry, who will conduct Saturday's season-opening program by the Topeka Symphony Orchestra as one of five candidates to become its next music director.

more at the Topeka Capital Journal

KC's jazz history by Tyren Rushing

Long before being placed on the National Register of Historic Places, 18th and Vine District was a significant part of Kansas City and jazz music history.

more at the University News

KC Repertory "Pippin" photos by Don Ipock

Kansas City Repertory Theatre opens its 48th season with the Tony Award-nominated musical Pippin, which features a score by Grammy-winner Stephen Schwartz and book by Roger O. Hirson. The Rep’s artistic director Eric Rosen directs the musical, which is currently running through October 7 in Spencer Theatre.

more at Broadway World

John Lithgow on the Kauffman Center

John Lithgow joined the Kansas City Symphony in Helzberg Hall at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts on September 16, 2012. "John Lithgow Stars in Farkle & Friends" was the first Family Concert for the 2012-13 Season, and Mr. Lithgow was thrilled to perform with the orchestra in Helzberg Hall; here is what he had to say.

Coterie "Spring Awakening" review by Alexia Lang

There are some theatrical productions that are not for everyone. Yet, they are impactful and meaningful for a select audience. “Spring Awakening,” being presented now through Sept. 30 at The Coterie, is one of those productions.

more at the Vignette