Gay & Lesbian Film Festival preview by Tim Engle

A son’s “love letter” to his gay father — played by the onetime Capt. Von Trapp, Christopher Plummer — and a documentary on the coming-out of homegrown country singer Chely Wright are among the highlights of the Kansas City Gay & Lesbian Film Festival.

more at kansascity.com

Block Artspace "Answers to Questions" review by Alice Thorson

Indulge your silly streak at Block Artspace this summer, where British artists John Wood and Paul Harrison give Laurel and Hardy a run for their money in a series of comic videos starring themselves and assorted everyday objects.

more at kansascity.com

Theatre in the Park "Sound of Music" review by KConfidential

The Sound of Mediocrity

Rating: 3

The Sound of Music

The Theatre in the Park

It was with great anticipation that I attended "The Sound of Music" at Theatre in the Park.  Not only was this the first show of the 2011 season, it was the inaugural show of newly appointed artistic director, Tim Blair. It also was the first time director Nathan Norcross returned to the TITP stage after his notorious corruption of "Beauty and the Beast," oft referred to as one of the worst shows in TITP history.

Norcross' version of "Sound of Music" can only be described as mediocre. There was nothing special about this retelling, for which I'm sure hundreds of TITP patrons are greatful. This seemed to be a "Sound of Music" without a clue; a recapitulation of nothing new. However, I think the songs were out of order? Is this my own bias based on the film or the way the musical was originally staged?

An overly obtuse unit set serves as the Von Trapp mansion, which looks as stately as a double wide.  Indeed, the sets are an atrocious parody of what one thinks the largest community theatre in the country should be capable of producing. The new institution of the orchestra backstage led to many lethargic tempos and the monitors projecting the conductor were simply distracting to those sitting on the periphery. The production only used the added downstage space once in the production; therefore, why did the orchestra need to be backstage?


read the review at KC Stage

Barn Players "Frost/Nixon" review by KConfidential

Frost in June
Rating: 4

Frost / Nixon 

The Barn Players, Inc.

The artist formerly known as Prince once sang "Sometimes it Snows in April," but rarely does it frost in June. The Barn Players have stepped outside of the comfort zone of community theatre once again to produce an ambitious and (mostly) satisfying work, Peter Morgan's "Frost/Nixon."

The play is obviously indebted to its titular characters and this is where the Barn's production proves extraordinary. Bill Pelletier as Richard M. Nixon and Rick Williamson as David Frost are about as perfect for their parts as one can imagine in KC or elsewhere. Not only do they embody the iconographic characteristics of these historic figures, but they imbue them with their own ethos that moves the audience to hate and empathy and all the other emotions wrapped up in political scandal. The climactic scene between these two characters is one of the most compelling moments of theatre I have experienced in recent memory.

Kudos are also due to Kate O'Neill, Peter Leondedis, and Carrie Lenahan who all deliver strong supporting roles to the title characters. The other actors remind us that we are, in fact, viewing community theatre. I was also impressed with the projections and video clips.

The night I attended the show, there were only a handful of audience members, which is a shame. Sometimes in snows in April, but "Frost/Nixon" at the Barn is sure to deliver chills and thrills. Once again, the Barn proves themselves as the preeminent community theatre for KC's theatre cognoscenti.

read the review at KC Stage

Starlight "9 to 5" promo

"Witnesses" short film by The Overgrads

Witnesses

Even from the comfort of a serene park bench, the world can be a vicious place.

UMKC Conservatory "Musica Aestas" preview by Patrick Neas

Last year, as a way to involve the public in summer workshops for students, the Conservatory of Music and Dance at the University of Missouri-Kansas City began to offer concerts by its students, professors and visiting professors.

more at kansascity.com

ArtsKC Fund announcement at the Shakespeare Festival

2011 ArtsKC Fund Closing Celebration & Announcement of Results

ArtsKC Fund Closing - VIP Reception

The Arts Council of Metropolitan Kansas City raised $396,818 during its fifth-annual ArtsKC Fund Campaign. The results, announced Wednesday, mean a five-year total of almost $2.5 million raised for the arts in the Kansas City area.