"Split the Check" short film by Patrick Rea

It's officially Halloween, and to help kick off the day's festivities, we have the online debut of the latest short film from Patrick Rea and SenoReality Pictures, Split the Check. Enjoy... and be careful whom you share tonight's dinner with!

Midland Theatre ghost tour

Michelle & Michael take a first-of-its-kind ghost tour inside Kansas City's Midland theater.

Aurelie Roque flash-mob marriage proposal on Fox 4 News

Robert proposed to Aurelie on Saturday, October 27th, 2012, by the JC Nichols Fountain on the Country Club Plaza in Kansas City! I was fortunate enough to shoot the Flash Mob that ensued, video to come! Special Thanks to reporter Monica Evans and photojournalist Phil Maslin for covering the event! Videography by Scott Smith and Alec Schwartze. Special Thanks to Zumba by Mandy in Kansas City for choreography!

Robert proposed to Aurelie on Saturday, October 27th, 2012, by the JC Nichols Fountain on the Country Club Plaza in Kansas City! I was fortunate enough to shoot the Flash Mob that ensued, video to come! Special Thanks to reporter Monica Evans and photojournalist Phil Maslin for covering the event!

Dancer/actor Eric Tedder interview by Grace Suh

I was a dancer in “Beauty and the Beast” at Lawrence Community Theater when I was 18. Then I started auditioning and kept getting roles.

more at Ink

Read more here: http://inkkc.com/content/party-people-eric-todder-obama-for-america-volunteer/#storylink=cpy

ARTSConnect awards $20,000 in grants to Topeka organizations

ARTSConnect Topeka has distributed $20,000 in performing arts grants to a dozen local nonprofit organizations.

more at the Topeka Capital Journal

Playwright Vicki Vodrey stranded in New York

Kansas City-based playwright Vicki Vodrey will have quite a story to share when she gets back to town. She was in New York City for an awards ceremony, but thanks to Superstorm Sandy, she’s going to be there for a while longer.

more at Fox 4 News

Hearne Christopher questions "Waterfire" headcount

Let’s talk about, oh, investigative journalism for a minute… Specifically WaterFire, of KC’s most over-hyped non-event, event. Think of it as an outdoor, New Age send-up featuring “55 floating braziers” in Brush Creek with a mix of performances by local arts groups, fire eaters, jugglers and the like.

more at KC Confidential

KC Repertory "Mystery of Irma Vep" review by Steve Wilson

It is amazing the amount and quality of talent that can be found in the Kansas City area. It has never been more evident than Friday night at the Kansas City Repertory Theatre production of “The Mystery of Irma Vep (A Penny Dreadful)”, starring Mark Robbins and Ron Megee. The play written by the late Charles Ludlam is a sidesplitting romp that is perfectly suited for the Halloween season. The audience is meet with a barrage of characters; vampires, werewolves and mummies, oh my.

more at Examiner.com

Filmmaker Jefferson Donald interview by Lonita Cook

Filmmaker Jefferson Donald chats with Lonita Cook.

Quixotic interview by Michael Mackie

We talk with Quixotic Fusion business manager Dan Barickman, aerialist Megan Stockman and dancer Laura Jones.

If you haven't seen the aerial artists of Quioxtic perform, you are missing out. Not only are they homegrown right here in Kansas City - they've been taking their high-flying theatrics on the road lately dazzling people from coast to coast.

David Witter wins Sinquefield Composition Prize

The University of Missouri School of Music and the Mizzou New Music Initiative are pleased to announce that David Witter is the winner of the 2013 Sinquefield Composition Prize. Witter, who holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in composition from Mizzou, submitted his piece “Garden Music” to the competition and was selected for the prize by a panel of independent judges.

more at the Mizzou New Music Initiative

Jay Oetman "Rocky Horror" interview by Kristi Luther and Mary Elgin

There are few things Jay Oetman won’t do for theater. He has a bruise to prove it, one he acquired from falling down stairs in 4-inch heels.

more at the Missourian

Carla Mock "Divas Dancing for Divas" interview by Michelle Davidson

Now you can channel your inner diva, dance and help out a great cause. Carla Mock is the chairperson for "Divas Dancing for Divas" and the owner of Stiletto Gym. She tells us about the event and how it helps Newhouse Domestic Violence Shelter.

KC Repertory "Mystery of Irma Vep" review by Alexia Lang

It’s spooky, it’s kooky and it’s altogether fun – “The Mystery of Irma Vep – A Penny Dreadful” that is. Now showing at the Kansas City Repertory Theatre, “Irma Vep” is a fun feature of two local talents, Mark Robbins and Ron Megee.

more at the Vignette

Metropolitan Ensemble "Kentucky Cycle Part 1" review by Robert Trussell

I’d waited a long time – much too long, really – for a Kansas City theater company to stage Robert Schenkkan’s tragic historical epic, “The Kentucky Cycle.” The wait is over, thanks to the Metropolitan Ensemble Theatre, which is tackling the monumental work and dishing it up to audiences in the intimate confines of the MET. The results are impressive, even if the Sunday matinee looked a little rough around the edges.

more at kansascity.com

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/10/29/3890406/the-kentucky-cycle-is-a-dark-portrait.html#storylink=cpy

"Waterfire" review and photos by Tony Botello and midtownkcposter

This was the biggest and best year yet for Waterfire Kansas City. The cold didn't cut down the crowd as much as I would have imagined.

more at Tony's Kansas City
and at the Midtown KC Post

Unicorn "Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson" preview

Watch cast thrash during Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson and hear what it's like to be a rock star every night!

"Prowler" short film by Alden Miller

A man must do what it takes in order to protect his loved ones.

more at Vimeo

American Jazz Museum tour by Joel Nichols

KMBC's Joel Nichols reports that the museum highlights some big name music legends.

more at Youtube

Harry Allen, John Allred, Topeka Jazz Workshop review by Chuck Berg

What an afternoon! The justly ballyhooed tandem of tenor saxophonist Harry Allen and trombonist John Allred put smiles on Topeka Jazz Workshop patrons filling the Regency Ballroom of the Ramada Hotel and Convention Center on Sunday. They also put fingers and toes to work with irresistibly smoking cookers, such as “Dinah”!

more at the Topeka Capital Journal

River City Community Players "Little Murder Never Hurt Anybody" by ghostpug6

Title: A Lot of Entertainment 
Rating: 4

A Little Murder Never Hurt Anybody 
River City Community Players

Though the plot might be a bit hard to buy (telling a spouse that your New Year's resolution is to kill her before next New Year's Day), this story works because of some excellent performances by the actors. Best of all is Rich Bayse. His portrayal of inept Detective Plotnik is absolutely brilliant. His lines are funny and his physical comedy superb. I've seen a good bit of theater here at the local and KC Rep level, and he could work and excel on any stage. Bayse is a gifted actor and shows it in this play.

Unicorn "Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson" review by Detailer

Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson 
Rating: 4

Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
Unicorn Theatre

With Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson, the Unicorn again offers an irreverent twist on a timely topic. This election season gives us the wild and, yes, bloody times of Andrew Jackson, and it's eerily relevant to the election of 2012. References to bankers, Bush, guns, posters, prejudice, and the fickle public, among other topics, keep the 19th century pointing a mirror to today. Humorous anachronisms emphasize that.

Metropolitan Ensemble "Kentucky Cycle Part 1" review by BobEvans

Kentucky Grit 
Rating: 5

Kentucky Cycle Part I 
Metropolitan Ensemble Theatre

Old time Kentucky Shows True Grit

If you like westerns and true grit and a new sense of pioneer realism, go see The Kentucky Cycle at the MET, and be prepared for an extensive look into the unglamorous past of the characters that shaped the American nation.

KC Repertory "Mystery of Irma Vep" review by Robert Trussell

There are moments in Kansas City Repertory’s delightfully absurd production of “The Mystery of Irma Vep” when you may decide you’re watching a duel of titans. Sort of.

more at kansascity.com

"Waterfire" photos and Nathan Granner interview

Raised and trained here in Kansas City, Nathan Granner has gone on to become one of the most recognized and well-respected American tenors across the globe.  He joined us in studio to talk about his career and his involvement in this weekend’s WaterFire KC.

photos at Eric Bowers Photoblog

Shae Estes, Fado Novato "Fado de defesa" performance

Fado Novato: Beau Bledsoe (Portuguese guitar), Jordan Shipley (Spanish guitar),Jeff Harshbarger (bass) and vocalist Shay Estes launched their new project last week at Grunauer in Kansas City, then at a private event in a perfect, off-the-radar location on Sunday night, where I shot this song. Fado is a Portuguese folk-song tradition celebrating heartache and everyday struggle.

Shades of Jade "Youth Education Program" by Plastic Sax

The credulous questions posed by prominent Kansas City-based jazz artists dripped with skepticism last Thursday at the Mutual Musicians Foundation.   Shades of Jade was hosting an event billed as a "Youth Education Program to expose people of ages (15-28) of the relevance of Jazz music in our mainstream society and in their local community." 

more at Plastic Sax

Bar Natasha "Girly Show" reunion behind the scenes

In 2006, Missy Koonce brought Bar Natasha "The Girly Show". Now six years later, they've reunited for a limited engagement in Kansas City at Missie B's & the Uptown Arts Bar in November!

KC Symphony, Eighth Blackbird review by Timothy McDonald

Most concertos feature one soloist playing with an orchestra, and a smattering of works feature two or three. Enter eighth blackbird, a contemporary chamber ensemble that served as a six-person solo group with the Kansas City Symphony on Friday night at Helzberg Hall.

more at kansascity.com

Starlight 2013 Season preview by Robert Trussell

Starlight Theatre’s 2013 will include two touring productions and four shows produced or co-produced by Starlight. During the course of the season, Starlight will team up with other notable regional theaters, including the Paper Mill Playhouse in New Jersey, Theatre Under the Stars in Houston and the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera.

more at kansascity.com

Ron Megee, Mark Robbins "Mystery of Irma Vep" interviews by Michelle Davidson

Thursday, October 25 - Friday night is opening night for the latest Kansas City Rep production "The Mystery of Irma Vep." As actors Mark Robbins & Ron Megee show us this is a play with 2 actors but multiple characters, including both genders.

Apollo's Fire, Friends of Chamber Music review by Erin Hale

Immersed as we are in today’s harried, drive-thru-coffee-shop zeitgeist, it is easy to forget just how pivotal a role the humble cup of coffee has played in Western culture since its 18th-century debut on Europe’s shores. Cleveland-based Baroque orchestra Apollo’s Fire sought to remind its Folly Theater audience of this simple fact as they harkened back to the Collegium Musicum soirées at the Catharinenstrasse coffee-house in Leipzig.

more at the Independent

Alamo Drafthouse "Don't Talk or Test During Movies" video contest

Calling all filmmakers and film lovers! It is your chance to creatively tell Drafthouse audiences not to talk or text during the movies with our new Filmmaking Frenzy, “Don’t Talk or Text During Movies!” You could win $1,000 and your video creation could screen nationwide! Read on to our press release for additional prizes, rules, guidelines and how to submit.

more at the Alamo Drafthouse

Friends of Chamber Music Benefactor's Party photos by Don Ipock

The beautiful home of Anita and Gary Robb was the setting for a Benefactors’ Party for Prelude: A Celebration of the 48th Season of the Harriman-Jewell Series. Excitement was in the air for the Prelude event which was held at Indian Hills Country Club on September 24th. Linda and Dr. Burnell Landers were the honorary chairmen, and Gretchen Jacobson served as the chairman.

more at the Independent

Metropolitan Ensemble "Kentucky Cycle" preview by Robert Trussell

Theater is really pretty simple business. All you need are more than 25 actors, between 150 and 200 costumes, an armory of functioning stunt guns, a director who thinks like a field marshal — and before you know it, you’re in business.

more at kansascity.com

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/10/24/3881405/small-theater-takes-on-a-big-kentucky.html#storylink=cpy

Trumpeter Shunzo Ohno interview by Joe Klopus

Trumpeter Shunzo Ohno is a seemingly shy and modest guy, and the kind of player who wins you over with subtlety and songfulness, not with cascades of notes.

more at kansascity.com

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/10/24/3881227/trumpeter-shunzo-ohno-proves-power.html#storylink=cpy

 

 

UMKC Theatre "Lady from the Sea" review by Deborah Hirsch

Henrik Ibsen had a thing for trapped women, and in 19th-century Norway, the limits of social station left many women feeling trapped. Ibsen's access to the female psyche still feels insightful today.

more at the Pitch

Unicorn "Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson" review by Deborah Hirsch

Think politics are lie-filled, money-driven and negative now? Go back a couple of centuries and 38 presidents and ask Andrew Jackson — or, anyway, the rock-star version of Old Hickory portrayed in the Unicorn Theatre's Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson.

more at the Pitch

Lawrence Arts Center "Threepenny Opera" review by Deborah Hirsch

If you prefer your musical satire driven by an anti-hero, then you know "The Ballad of Mack the Knife." The song opens German dramatist Bertolt Brecht and composer Kurt Weill's most durable collaboration, The Threepenny Opera, the still-vital 1928 work now onstage at the Lawrence Arts Center in a well-executed, enjoyable production.

more at the Pitch

Americans for the Arts grades congress on the arts

Americans for the Arts Act Fund PAC has prepared the 2012 Congressional Arts Report Card as a one-stop guide that contains metrics and analysis based on official congressional voting records, sponsorship of key arts legislation, and participation in the cultural caucuses.

more at Broadway World

Uptown Arts Bar "Tango Tuesdays" promo

Free tango lessons from 7 to 8pm. Tango dancing from 8pm for the rest of the evening.

Jill Sixx "Slaughter Movie House" interview by Justin Kendall

I was asked to host a horror film festival, Shock-O-Rama’s Gorefest, in Minneapolis October 26. I am bringing with me the three feature films and two of the shorts that I’ve already played here in KC, so it’s kind of like I’m taking Slaughter Movie House on the road!

more at the Pitch

UMKC Theatre "Lady from the Sea" review by DeborahBuckner

An Easy Choice Rating: 4


The Lady from the Sea
UMKC Theatre

UMKC Theatre brings the sea to Spencer Theatre with its production of Henrik Ibsen's "The Lady From the Sea". The show runs through October 28 and should not be missed.

Carol Grimaldi "Waterfire" interview by Michael Mackie

The WaterFire Kansas City public art installation returns to Brush Creek for the sixth straight year. WaterFire board president Carol Grimaldi previews this Saturday's event, which features water, fire and live music.

more at Fox4 News
and at the Midtown KC Post 
and more here

Deborah Brown "All Too Soon" interview by Susan Wilson

Kansas City-based singer Deborah Brown says her new CD, All Too Soon, explores hidden gems of jazz songs.

more at KC Currents

Nathan Boyer, Anne Thompson "Strange Skies" interview by Aarik Danielsen

Serial Box Projects is simple in execution, profound when encountered. A sequence of silent films projected in outdoor spaces and onto building facades, the ongoing festival brings Columbia audiences in proximity to visually stimulating, conceptually compelling cinema in which the absence of sound merely provides an opportunity to amplify the experience of the other senses.

more at the Columbia Daily Tribune

Tour the KC Symphony Showcase House

Lindsay Shively is at this year's Symphony Showcase Home on Ward Parkway.

Lindsay Shively is at this year's Symphony Showcase Home on Ward Parkway.

Starlight Theatre 2013 Season

SPAMALOT May 31-June 6, 2013

Monty Python's Spamalot is the outrageous musical comedy lovingly ripped off from the film classic "Monty Python and the Holy Grail." With music and lyrics by the Grammy-Award winning team of Eric Idle and John Du Prez, Spamalot tells the story of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table as they embark on their quest for the Holy Grail. Audiences can expect flying cows, killer rabbits, taunting Frenchmen and show-stopping musical numbers ("Always Look on the Bright Side of Life," "Find Your Grail").

CATCH ME IF YOU CAN June 11 – June 16, 2013

A new musical from the team behind Hairspray! Based on the hit film and the incredible true story that inspired it, Catch Me If You Can is the high-flying, Broadway musical that tells the story of Frank W. Abagnale, Jr., who runs away from home in search of the glamorous life. With nothing more than his boyish charm, a big imagination and millions of dollars in forged checks, Frank successfully poses as a pilot, a doctor and a lawyer - living the high life and winning the girl of his dreams. A big big-hearted musical adventure based on an astonishing real-life story of being young, in love…and in deep, deep trouble!

FLASHDANCE July 9 – July 14, 2013

Based on the movie that defined a generation, Flashdance – The Musical tells the unforgettable story of Alex, a working-class girl from Pittsburgh striving to make her dreams of becoming a professional dancer a reality. Featuring a score including the hit songs from the movie, including the Academy Award-winning title song "Flashdance – What a Feeling," "Maniac," "Gloria," "Manhunt," "I Love Rock & Roll." Direction and choreography by Sergio Trujillo (Jersey Boys, Memphis, The Addams Family).

DISNEY'S THE LITTLE MERMAID July 23-28, 2013

In a magical kingdom beneath the sea, the beautiful young mermaid Ariel longs to leave her ocean home to live in the world above. Based on one of Hans Christian Anderson's most beloved stories, it's a hauntingly beautiful love story for the ages. The score features the classic songs by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman: "Part of Your World," "Kiss the Girl," and the Academy Award-winning "Under the Sea."

FOOTLOOSE August 5-11, 2013

One of the most explosive movie musicals bursts onto the stage with exhilarating results. When Ren and his mother move from Chicago to a small farming town, Ren isn't prepared for the rigorous local edicts, including a ban on dancing. To the rockin' rhythm of its Oscar and Tony-nominated top 40 score and augmented with dynamic new songs for the stage musical, Footloose celebrates the wisdom of listening to young people, guiding them with a warm heart and an open mind.

MISS SAIGON September 7-13, 2013

A classic love story is brought up-to-date in one of the most stunning theatrical spectacles of all time. In Miss Saigon, Puccini's Madame Butterfly is brought to the modern world. This powerful pop opera is an emotional tale about forbidden love, the tragedies of war and the sacrifices made to achieve the American Dream. Tony Award-winning musical Miss Saigon, created by the visionaries behind Les Miserables, features a touching love story told through a series of sensational musical numbers including "Why God Why?" and "The American Dream."

The Magic Jazz Fairy is happy

All that turmoil, that was nearly a year ago, it mused. Surely, everybody knew then, jazz in Kansas City would never survive all that. But look at the venues today. Sure, the scene isn’t perfect. The scene will never again be what it once was, decades back. But a year ago, who expected this? A broad smile crossed its face, and it let its wings flap lightly. Jazz in Kansas City certainly survived the turmoil.

more at kcjazzlark

Chuck Haddix, Marr Sound Archive interview by Joey Hill

The Marr Sound Archive on the ground floor of the Miller Nichols Library houses Chuck Haddix, KCUR radio DJ, director of the Archive and recipient of the Pinnacle Award for Excellence in the Arts by the Johnson County Library. Haddix often asks students who approach him, “What would you like to listen to today?” and happily unearths the selection from the vast array of the Archive’s material.

more at the University News

Hollie Howard "Broadway Dolls" preview by Kris Hilgedick

A local woman who made it big on Broadway is bringing her talents back to the Capital City on Saturday with the all-girl musical revue, “The Broadway Dolls.”

more at the News Tribune

"Shady Acres" Kansas International Film Festival submission by David Berry

ShadyAcres is a parody film produced for the 2012 KIFF Film Festival, winning 3rd place!!

KS Creative Arts Industries Commission grilled by state panel

Members of the Legislative Budget Committee grilled the director of the newly formed Kansas Creative Arts Industries Commission on Wednesday, asking him repeatedly why the agency hasn’t doled out any of the nearly $700,000 appropriated by the Legislature last session.

more at the Topeka Capital Journal

Allison McKinzie, Kacico Dance interview by Michael Mackie

Kacico is a non-profit, professional dance company based right here in Kansas City. Co-artistic director Allison McKinzie tells us what people can expect to see at their upcoming fall concert.

Kauffman Center organ in action

Ever wonder what goes on inside the massive Julia Irene Kauffman Casavant Organ? This video was taken inside the organ behind the console and as the instrument is played, you can see the movement of the tracker mechanism each time a key is depressed. The performer is Dr. Jan Kraybill and the selection is the finale from the Symphony No. 1 for Organ by Louis Vierne. Hear the organ in its full glory at the recital by Dr. Richard Elliott Wednesday October 24th at 7 pm.

KC Repertory "Mystery of Imra Vep" preview by Steve Walker

The Kansas City Repertory Theatre's latest production, The Mystery of Irma Vep, features eight characters of both sexes, including the Lord and Lady Hillcrest, their maid and butler, and a couple of surprise visitors.
Because the license for the show stipulates that it can only be cast with two actors of the same gender, it requires a dizzying amount of split second costume changes that depend on both a skillful designer and dressers with laser focus.

more at KCUR

UMKC Theatre "Lady from the Sea" review by Meredith Shea

Written in 1888, Henrik Ibsen’s “The Lady From the Sea” is a beautiful play where love, secrets and mental illness are constant struggles witnessed by each character.  Performed by UMKC second year M.F.A. actors at the Spencer Theatre, the play showcases genuine talents.

more at the University News

Gem Theatre 100th anniversary by Jabulani Leffall

It started as the Star Theater in 1912. Back then it was a one-story building presenting silent films. Just one year later it was renamed the Gem Theater.
more at Central Standard

Jerry Price, Missouri Contemporary Ballet interview by

I came in contact with Missouri Contemporary Ballet several years ago through its Dancing with Missouri Stars fundraising event. I was one of the celebrity dancers and found the experience to be beyond my expectations.

more at the Missourian

Jen Greenstreet "Down Syndrome" interview by Michelle Davidson

A new film that focuses on the challenges people with Down Syndrome face is set to premiere in the Northland tonight. Amy Allison is the Executive Director of the Down Syndrome Guild of Greater Kansas City. Jen Greenstreet is the director of Just Like You Films. They join us to share why they want people to see the film.

UMKC Theatre "Lady from the Sea" review by kellyluck

On the Perils of Being Landlocked Rating: 4


The Lady from the Sea
UMKC Theatre


For some little time now there has been an outlier hypothesis among a few renegade biologists and such that The Creature Eventually Known As Man spent a sizable amount of its development time in the sea. Adherents point to man's bipedalsim, relative hairlessness and so on as proof that we are an aquatic mammal come up to shore. This notion, which among biologists finds slightly less adherents then that of Prometheus creating humans from clay, nevertheless does find a certain appeal in the right minds. It seems we are drawn to the sea, after all: we explore it relentlessly; we congregate our major population centers next to it. We buy alarmingly expensive condominiums with views of it. Is it too soppy a notion to think that perhaps a little saltwater runs through our veins? And that our moods, our ecstasies, can be influenced by the shifting of the tide?

Take The Lady From The Sea, the Henrik Ibsen play now being performed by the UMKC Theatre: Ellida (Courtney Salvage) is trapped in a loveless marriage with Dr. Wangel (Logan Black), who married her shortly after losing his first wife. Every day she goes out and swims in the bay in their tiny tourist-trap town. There is kindness in the family, if not affection, but Ellida grew up on a lighthouse, the sea stretching away before her, and to be away from it is living death. Sensing this, the doctor sends for Arnholm (Michael R Pauley), who once tutored his two daughters, to cheer her up. But it is not until a ship comes in to the harbor bearing a Stranger (Antonio Jerron Glass) that the truth comes out: she fell in love with him, many years before, but he'd had to flee due to having killed his captain. In an impromptu ceremony, they tied their rings together and cast them into the sea, and he promised he would return and take her back. The rest of the play concerns Ellida's agony as she wrestles with herself, tries to decide between Wangel and the Stranger.

Ibsen of course is known as 'The Father of Realism', and with reason. He writes meticulous dialogue, lines stepping on each other, awkward phrases, the minutiae of everyday conversation are noted and faithfully reproduced. Done well, it can be quite affecting, and the group of student cast and crew assembled here does a commendable job. Special notice must be given to Mr Black, who brings an impressive maturity to his portrayal of the doctor and his anguish at being on the giving end of what is essentially a one-way relationship. Also there is Ms. Salvage, who manages to keep the histrionics right at the sweet spot. Also of note were Jessica Biernacki-Jensen and Janae Mitchell, who played Bolette and Hilde, Dr. Wangel's daughters by his first wife. They did a very good job bringing off the older/younger sibling dynamic, with Biernacki- Jenson's Bolette having taken the reluctant mantle of ersatz mother figure and Mitchell's Hilde still deep in the casual cruelties of childhood. Vincent Wagner is quite good as Lyngstrand, a conceited would-be sculptor down for the season, and Thomas E Tucker gives a very interesting Ballested--one rather wishes this character was not quite so sparsely used.

Technically, the show was very well presented. The sets by Kristen Yager were simple, and engineered so that transitions could be done swiftly and with minimum of fuss, which always meets with appreciation from this reviewer. Brandon J Clark's lighting design was very good, not just ably handling tricky water effects and dramatic scene setups, but subtle notes, like the gradual toning of light as the day approaches evening. Overall the production ran very smoothly, and came off very well.

Ibsen was a man fascinated by the sea, and by the ebb and flow of human interaction. In his other plays, he often came back to the theme of being trapped or to the complications between two married people. It's not a common choice for production, but a good one, and this reviewer for one appreciates the opportunity to see it here performed by a very talented group of students. Fans of Ibsen and modernism in general would do well to see for themselves this production before time washes it back out to sea and carries it away, as it must, indeed, do with all things.

How Walt Disney designed the UMKC kangaroo mascot

Kasey the Kangaroo won’t be an endangered species even if UMKC undergoes a name change. Kasey is a historic mascot and represents UMKC’s pride and history, dating back to 1936 when  editors of the school newspaper decided it was time to pick a mascot for the debate team.

more at the University News

Backstage photos by Aaron Lindberg

Couple backstage DSLR photos of a local performance.

more at Aaron Lindberg Photography

Theatre department petitions Chancellor over university name change

A petition urging Chancellor Leo Morton to drop the UMKC name change proposal has received 104 signatures, including all but one faculty member of the College of Arts and Sciences Theatre Department.

more at the University News

"The 2012 Renaissance Festival: A Talk with the Maestro" by Angie Fiedler

This article is from the September 2012 issue of KC Stage

Jim Stamburger has been with the Kansas City Renaissance Festival for 32 of its 36 years. "I'm one of those people: I have really done almost everything you can do out here," he says - with just a bit of pride in his voice. "I started out in Shakespeare, and I have pushed the Unicorn up the wire and now know that the Unicorn's holder is exactly 1 1/2 inches taller than I can reach and I have to jump, I ran games and rides for a while, I was a shop person for a little while, and I've always been hawking .... I think the only thing I haven't done is cooked in the food booths."

D'Anthoni Wooten performance

Recent jazz song 17 yr. old musician and producer D'Anthoni Wooten is currently working on. The song is untitled.

Chuck Haddix receives Pinnacle Award

Chuck Haddix, the University of Missouri-Kansas City's Marr Sound Archives Director and beloved host of KCUR-FM 's Fish Fry, has received a 2012 Pinnacle Award from the Johnson County Library Foundation.

more at Infozine

So Percussion performance with KJHK

So Percussion visited KJHK October 17th before their Lied Center performance the following day.
 

KC Society of Burlesque Farewell photos

The KCSOB has had a long wonderful run, but even good things come to an end. We thank all our loyal fans and look forward to the future!

Brian Baggett Trio "2012" review by Happy in Bag

2012?  More like 1962.  That was my inital reaction upon downloading the new release by the Brian Baggett Trio.  A mainstream guitar trio in the Jim Hall tradition with standards like "God Bless the Child," "Angel Eyes" and "Stella By Starlight" seemed like a pointless anachronism.  Even so, I found myself repeatedly turning to the project as I worked at my computer. 

more at Plastic Sax

ArtsKC Fund to award local business for supporting the arts

The Arts Council of Metropolitan Kansas City is recognizing six area businesses for their workplace ArtsKC Fund campaigns.

more at kansascity.com

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/10/22/3879600/honors-for-support-of-the-arts.html?story_link=email_msg#storylink=cpy

Columbia Entertainment Company "Rocky Horror" preview by Amy Wilder

So, 1973 called. This time they didn't ask for anything back. In fact, they said we can hang onto Richard O'Brien's gender-bending, science fiction/horror, rock opera/deranged romantic musical featuring a singing, dancing, murderous transvestite alien mad scientist — and all of the adjectives that go with it.

more at the Columbia Daily Tribune
and more here

KC Symphony, Eighth Blackbird preview by Patrick Neas

For the last year, off and on, Eighth Blackbird, an outstanding experimental music group, has been perched at the UMKC conservatory as the Barr Laureate Ensemble. Members of the ensemble coach students and give master classes. Now the rest of the city will be able to experience the group’s unusual music when it joins the Kansas City Symphony to perform a work written for them by Jennifer Higdon.

more at kansascity.com

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/10/20/3873447/symphony-to-feather-its-nest.html#storylink=cpy

Tosin Morohunfola "Shrek" interview by Michelle Pekarsky

Of course, most people know Shrek the Musical is a fairytale about an unsociable ogre who embarks on a life-changing journey and discovers the unexpected-that others can accept him just as he is.

more at Fox4KC

Paranormal activity at the Alamo Drafthouse

Last night Paramount took over Alamo Drafthouse Mainstreet's main window lobby in order to promote Paranormal Activity 4's release! Rooms from each film were set up in each window space, and filled with local actors to reenact everyone's favorite scenes. Shirts, hats, and posters were given out as people walking past the theater in KCs Power & Light District scoped out the event. Not only were we able to promote the release of the film, but we were able to get a lot of you excited about our grand reopening! We're looking forward to being able to bring more events like this in the future!

KC Repertroy "Mystery of Imra Vep" preview

The Mystery of Irma Vep is now playing at our Copaken Stage. Call 816.235.2700 or visit kcrep.org to reserve your seats today! Starring Mark Robbins & Ron Megee, this show features a dizzying array of lightning-fast transformations and costume changes while quoting from a range of literary, cinematic and pop culture sources. You don't want to miss this madcap romp!

Olathe Community Theatre "Much Ado About Nothing" review by BobEvans

Much Ado About Perfection Rating: 5


Much Ado About Nothing
Olathe Community Theatre Association

Olathe Community Theater Association dove in head first after 39 seasons to produce their first Shakespearean play, and did they ever deliver a quality show. OCTA's Much Ado About Nothing is a wonderful romp through a Shakespeare comedy that involves humorous characters in a blend of mischief and mayhem to end with both a happy resolution and a happy audience.