Coterie "Frindle" review by Russ Simmons

“Frindle,” adapted by William Massolia from Andrew Clement’s popular book, chronicles a power struggle between an imaginative fifth-grader named Nick (Cooper J. Scott) and his inflexible English teacher, Mrs. Granger (Peggy Friesen).

more at Sun Publications

Glenwood at Red Bridge opens today

The movies have returned to the Red Bridge shopping center. On Friday, operator Brian Mossman and the Fine Arts Group will open the first of four auditoriums in the new Glenwood at Red Bridge. The first title being offered: the Australian thriller “The Square”.

more at kansascity.com

Unicorn "And Her Hair Went With Her" preview by Robert Trussell

Playwright Zina Camblin and director Jacqueline Gafford found they had a lot in common when they collaborated on the Unicorn Theatre’s current production, “And Her Hair Went With Her.”

more at kansascity.com

Margo May interview by Timothy Finn

Her music resume includes a trip to Hollywood and a swing at fame via Season 9 of “American Idol.” Now Kansas City singer/songwriter Margo May can add “first full-length record released” to her list of accomplishments with “Summer Of,” a collection of breezy, folk-pop songs that has been available online for several weeks.

more at kansascity.com

TYA "Monarchs of KC" interview by Steve Walker

The Theatre for Young America is revisiting plays and the players of the Negro Leagues in a musical fable called “The Monarchs of KC.” The show proposes what might happen if the team were to reappear on the old field to a contemporary Kansas City family.

listen at KCUR

Duke Ellington vs. Count Basie tonight, and other jazz events

This week we have a swinging dilemma — a major concert of Duke Ellington’s music and a major concert of Count Basie’s music on the same night.

more at kansascity.com

Topeka Symphony "Parables" preview by Bill Blankenship

"Parables," which will debut during a 7:30 p.m. Saturday program in White Concert Hall by the Topeka Symphony Orchestra, a 115-voice chorus and four soloists, explores the theme of tolerance and universality among the world's three major monotheistic religions: Christianity, Judaism and Islam.

more at the Topeka Capital-Journal

Andres Franco conducts last Philharmonia concert

It wasn’t long after the Colombian-born Andres Franco arrived six years ago to conduct the Philharmonia of Greater Kansas City that you could hear people say, “That guy’s going places.”

more at kansascity.com (along with other weekend music events)

Pianist Garik Pederson recieves Outstanding Music Alumnus Award

The UCM Department of Music will honor alumnus and pianist Garik Pederson with the department’s Outstanding Music Alumnus Award during a guest recital presented by Pederson and his wife, UCM alumna Patrice Hogan Pederson, at 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 30, in Hart Recital Hall. The public is invited to attend at no charge.

more at the University of Central Missouri

This week in jazz

Plastic Sax gives a rundown of this week's jazz offerings.

Roger Ebert comes to KC for EbertfestKC

[UPDATE: Roger Ebert will not be attending.]


Pulitzer Prize-winning film critic Roger Ebert joins the annual Off-the-Wall Film Series on Friday, May 21 for EbertfestKC, showing films or formats he believes deserve wider attention.

In A Simple Plan, director Sam Raimi elicits flawless performances from Bill Paxton and Bridget Fonda, who play a working class couple whose lives are hardly eased after stumbling into a found fortune. Ebert’s review: "Rarely is a film this skillful at drawing us, step by step, into the consequences of criminal action."

The film will be screened on the Rooftop Terrace of the Central Library at 8:45 pm. Film-goers are welcome to bring seating.

RSVP at the Kansas City Public Library 

Barn Players to host Tony Awards Party

"What good is sitting alone in your room?" Bring the gang to The Barn Players to watch and participate in the annual Tony Awards Live. Walk the red carpet and watch the award ceremonies on the big screen. Vote on your favorite categories for prizes!

more at Broadway World

Locally-lensed "Ride With the Devil" gets Criterion release

Ride With the Devil is Ang Lee’s lost movie. Filmed around Kansas City in the spring and summer of 1998, this unconventional Civil War drama was caught in the fighting between incoming and outgoing regimes at Universal Pictures.

more at kansascity.com

KC Rep "Venice" review by Russ Simmons

If nothing else, Eric Rosen has proven that he’s willing to take risks. Since taking over as artistic director of the Kansas City Repertory Theatre, he’s made it his job to shake things up a bit. For the most part, his gambles have paid off. From the looks of things, his latest dicey venture will, too.
more at Sun Publications

How "12 O'Clock Jump" became "12th Street Jump"

The Theatre League's KCUR Jazz program recently changed its name from "12 O'Clock Jump" to "12th Street Jump" after leaving the Mutual Musicians Foundation.

Tony Botello has reported on this at KC Confidential and at Tony's Kansas City and here's news about the change from an earlier KC Confidential post by Hearne Christopher.

Here's the Theatre League's press release [pdf] about the change and the announcement [also pdf] of the new program from the "12th Street Jump" website.

You can listen to the "12th Street Jump" program at KCUR.

[It should be noted that Mark Edelman, president of the Theatre League, is a regular contributor to KC Confidential.]

Experimental Instrument Orchestra interview by Alex Smith

Kansas City's Experimental Instrument Orchestra is a folk band, in which the two members craft their own instruments.

listen at KCUR

UMKC Prof. Paul Rudy wins Elliott Carter Rome Prize

On April 15 the American Academy in Rome selected Paul Rudy as its 2010-2011 winner of the Elliott Carter Rome Prize in musical composition.

more at UMatters

"Madea's Big Happy Family" review by Aaron Barnhart

It has been five years since Madea, Tyler Perry’s wig-wearing, gun-toting alter ego, last appeared in one of the traveling musical shows that made Perry a superstar in African America.

more at kansascity.com

Starlight Theatre Benefit Gala is May 22

For the 24th consecutive year, the black-tie Starlight Theatre Benefit Gala will raise needed funds for the historic outdoor theatre's operations, programming, education and community outreach. The 2010 gala will be hosted by chairs and local community leaders Jan and Tom Kreamer on the theatre's Cohen Community Stage.

In celebration of Starlight's 60th anniversary season in 2010, the event's theme is "Building on the Past and Reaching for the Stars." Custom entertainment will spotlight Starlight's past growth and future success against the backdrop of legendary Broadway performances of the past six decades.

The theatre's annual Star Award will be presented to Peggy and Terry Dunn, Mayor of Leawood and President/CEO of J.E. Dunn Construction Co., respectively. The Dunns will be recognized for their community leadership, service and longtime commitment to Starlight and numerous other local civic and cultural organizations. Proceeds benefit annual operations, programming, education and outreach at Starlight Theatre.

The event will be at 7pm, May 22, Starlight Theatre, 4600 Starlight Road, Kansas City, MO, 641312.  Tickets are $300 each, with benefactor levels range from $1,000 to $50,000.  For more information, call 816-997-1127 or visit www.kcstarlight.com.

Sinag-Tala Performing Arts Troupe photos by Mike Alvarado

The Sinag-Tala Performing Arts Troupe presented a colorful interpretation of Filipino tribal, rural, Spanish, and Moslem cultures Saturday, April 18, at Johnson County Community College. The event benefited the Filipino Cultural Center Phase II Expansion Project.

more at Community Faces

"12 Names of Kansas City Comedy" by Jonathan Burnos

Kansas City and stand up comedy go together as smooth as changing a twenty dollar bill with a stripper. You haven’t heard of such a thing happening very often. If you can name one well known comedian from the Kansas City area you are doing fantastic. Eddie Griffin might be the only Kansas City comic name that comes to mind. Kansas City can be a major fly over zone for many well known comedians unless a big venue will pay some money for some of their stage time.

more at examiner.com

Lyric Opera "Don Giovanni" interview by Laura Spencer

The central character in Mozart's "Don Giovanni" is the Don himself, a young nobleman with a list of more than two thousand female conquests. As the opera begins, this ladies' man has assaulted a young noblewoman and killed her father, and he’s also trailed by jilted lovers. Don Giovanni's schemes and their consequences will be on display at the Lyric Opera of Kansas City. 

listen at KCUR

National playwriting award named after KU professor

The Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival has named a playwriting award for longtime University of Kansas professor and noted playwright Paul Stephen Lim.

more at Infozine

"Dark Play or Stories for Boys" review by KCReviewer24

Not Relevant At All
Rating: 2

Dark Play or Stories for Boys
Relevance Productions

Unfortunately, this was a disappointing night of theatre. The performances in Dark Play were unmotivated, with the exception of a few (unfortunately those two actors were placed in the background). The audience was talked to for the first hour, given about 5 minutes of real acting, and then talked to again for the last 20 minutes. The play left me, as well as those that I saw it with, feeling untouched and as if our time and money were wasted.

Read the review at KC Stage

James Mobberley NewEar interview by John Heuertz

NewEar, the contemporary chamber ensemble, has encouraged more new composers and gotten more new music performed than just about anyone in Kansas City, and its concert Saturday will showcase the music of one of its longtime collaborators — along with his principal influences, their principal influences and one of his principal students.

more at kansascity.com

Top Rated Shows: Apr 26-May 3

Reviews - Current Events

• 5.00 Frindle - The Coterie Theatre. (2 Votes)
• 3.14 Pippin - The Barn Players, Inc. (7 Votes)

Ratings - Current Events

• 5.00 Frindle - The Coterie Theatre. (2 Votes)
• 5.00 Becky's New Car - New Theatre Restaurant. (1 Vote)
• 4.00 Valhalla - Egads Theatre Company. (3 Votes)
• 3.14 Pippin - The Barn Players, Inc. (7 Votes)
• 3.00 You Can't Beat the House - Encore Theatre. (1 Vote)
• 2.25 Kansas City's Original Comedy Sports - ComedyCity. (8 Votes)

Ratings - Top Ten Rated Events of the Last 3 Months

• 5.00 Dark Play or Stories for Boys - Relevance Productions. (3 Votes)
• 5.00 Frindle - The Coterie Theatre. (2 Votes)
• 4.75 Kiss Me Kate - Musical Theater Heritage. (4 Votes)
• 4.67 I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change - American Heartland Theatre. (3 Votes)
• 4.50 Life On The Mississippi - The Coterie Theatre. (4 Votes)
• 4.50 Slammed: KC Speaks Out on the Recession - UMKC Theatre. (2 Votes)
• 4.33 Mappi Mundi - Metropolitan Ensemble Theatre. (3 Votes)
• 4.29 Grey Gardens - Unicorn Theatre. (7 Votes)
• 4.20 Big River - Shawnee Mission Northwest High School Theatre. (10 Votes)

Reviews - Five Most Recent of Past Events

• 4.20 Big River - Shawnee Mission Northwest High School Theatre. (10 Votes)
• 3.67 Bus Stop - Kansas City Repertory Theatre. (12 Votes)
• 3.55 Doubt, A Parable - Olathe Community Theatre Association. (11 Votes)
• 3.40 Dirty Rotten Scoundrels - The Barn Players, Inc. (20 Votes)
• 2.67 Annie - ACT One of Kansas City. (3 Votes)

 Rate and review events online at KC Stage

Stanley Kubrick's Kansas City connections

Stanley Kubrick and Kansas City. Aside from the fact that his films played here, what connection could there be between the late great filmmaker and our hometown? A couple, it turns out.

more at kansascity.com

Lawrence High School lip-dub filmmaker interview by Lindsey Slater

Luke McDaneld has won more awards for his work than most filmmakers could ever hope for. And Luke is still a senior at Lawrence High School.

more at the Lawrence Journal-World

Topeka ensemble to honor Bob Dole in D.C.

The sounds of "Ichabod Fanfare," a work commissioned by Washburn University to honor one of its most prestigious alumnus, former Sen. Bob Dole, will be heard Wednesday night in the nation's capital at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

more at the Topeka Capital-Journal

Interview with historical consultants for local film "Arkansas Traveler"

On the set of “Arkansas Traveler,” an independent film set at the end of the Civil War and co-directed by Sean Bridgers and Michael “Fish” Hemschoot, Bears is assistant director, Hadley is assistant costume director and both are historical consultants.

more at the Blue Springs Journal

Volunteer Lawyers & Accountants to hold ArtsSmarts Seminar

Kansas City Volunteer Lawyers & Accountants for the Arts is hosting the ArtSmarts Seminar - Ask the Experts: One on One with a Lawyer starting at 9am-1pm Saturday, May 1 at the Arts Incubator, 115 W 18th St. Make an appointment to sit down with a lawyer and discuss your arts-related legal issue for thirty minutes. Attorneys can assist with general questions related to contracts, copyrights, business formation, employment issues, and more. You must make an appointment to attend! To make an appointment, e-mail admin@kcvlaa.org with the subject line “Ask the Experts”. In your e-mail, please give us a general idea of the type of issue or question you want to discuss.

For more information call (816) 472-3535 or visit www.KCVLAA.org.

Topeka Civic Theatre "Taming of the Shrew" review by Phil Grecian

Lots of people don't like Shakespeare. This is largely because they were exposed to him in public school by teachers who didn't like him or didn't understand him or treated his work as if it were holy text.

more at the Topeka Capital-Journal

UMKC "Train to 2010" interview by Steve Walker

When it was announced that South Africa would host soccer’s World Cup this June, the pride of the country swelled in proportion to the amount of work necessary to bring the infrastructure up to that of previous host countries.

listen at KCUR

KC Art Institute students to create mural for Kauffman Center

Sixteen art students will begin painting a mural inside the new Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts sometime in May.

more at Present Magazine (here's Part Two)

Crown Center events schedule 2010-11

Located on the southern edge of downtown Kansas City, Crown Center offers fine hotels, entertainment, dining, shopping, offices and residential living. Home to the international headquarters of Hallmark Cards, Inc., the complex attracts more than five million visitors each year.

more at Broadway World

Todd Norris' short film "L..."

From the archives! I shot this short film in 1997 on Hi-8 and Super VHS! But I think it proves that a strong concept and a little bit of humor go a long way.

High school students to study arts in Springfield

For their artistic achievements, eight students from the Kansas City Missouri School District’s Gifted and Talented Program will attend the 2010 Missouri Fine Arts Academy in June at Missouri State University in Springfield.

During their three-week stay, the students will focus upon a specific fine arts area, receiving in-depth lessons. The following students will attend:

From Lincoln College Preparatory Academy: Abdullhamid-Ahmed Ali, visual arts; and Victor Cole, instrumental violin.

From Paseo Academy of Fine and Performing Arts: Gabrielle Davis, dance; Melvin Gibson, Jr., theatre/drama; Montanna McDaniel, instrumental trumpet; William Newman, theatre/drama; Lucas Piercy, theatre/drama; and Cedric Woodcuff, vocal music.

more at kansascity.com

Midwest Arts Conference meeting in Indianapolis

The Midwest Arts Conference has announced that they will be in Indianapolis in 2010.

The Midwest Arts Conference brings together a richly varied group of arts professionals to network, learn, and conduct business during four intense days dedicated to promoting and presenting live touring performing arts. It’s one of the largest convenings in the nation for performing artists, artist managers/agents, theater and facility managers, and arts administrators from throughout the United States and beyond. It provides a platform for these performing arts professionals to come together for an educational and motivational four days focused on promoting and presenting live touring performing arts.

The dates for the 2010 conference are Sept. 13-16, and discount registration is through July 7. For more information, visit www.artsmidwest.org/programs/mac.

New Theatre "Becky's New Car" review by Robert Trussell

One day in 2007, Charles Staadecker, a successful real estate agent, walked into the offices of ACT, one of the companies that make up Seattle’s vibrant theater scene. He made a curious request.

preview at kansascity.com
review at kansascity.com

Van Horn "Much Ado About Nothing" preview by Kelly Evenson

Anthony Edmisten has been involved in competitive drama for the last three years, so after he moved to Van Horn High School, it was not a hard decision to tryout for the school’s spring theater production of William Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing.”

more at The Examiner

Lyric Opera "Don Giovanni" review by John Heuertz

Saturday night, the Lyric Opera presented the 1787 masterpiece “Don Giovanni” and proved that Mozart’s fascinating work can still captivate an audience.

more at kansascity.com

Washburn University "Rent" review by Phil Grecian

Back in June 2004, the road show version of Jonathan Larson's Tony Award-winning Broadway musical "Rent" played for one night at the Topeka Performing Arts Center. Your friendly neighborhood critic wrote that it was a powerful production that triumphed in spite of muddy acoustics.

more at the Topeka Capital-Journal

Ed Asner interview by Bill Blankenship

Ed Asner was a 15-year-old growing up in Kansas City, Kan., when President Franklin Delano Roosevelt died April 23, 1945, leaving the adolescent to wonder, "What will we do now?"

more at the Topeka Capital-Journal

Week-on-Stage: Apr 26-May 3

Events for this week

• Ain't She Sweet - Chestnut Fine Arts Theatre
• The Amorous Ambassador - River City Players
• And Her Hair Went With Her - Unicorn Theatre
• Antigone - Johnson County Community College
• Anything Goes - University of Kansas Theatre
• Becky's New Car - New Theatre Restaurant
• Chaos Theatre's 2 Much Duck - ComedyCity*
• Cinderella - Christian Youth Theater
• Cubic Z - Improv-Abilities
• Don't Dress for Dinner - River City Community Players
• Fools - Kearney/Holt Community Theatre
• Frindle - The Coterie Theatre
• Hedda Gabler - Emporia State University Theatre
• Kansas City's Original Comedy Sports - ComedyCity*
• Lullaby of 42nd Street - Quality Hill Playhouse
• A Midsummer Night's Dream - Olathe South High School*
• The Monarchs of KC - Theatre for Young America*
• Moscow Festival Ballet in Coppélia - Harriman-Jewell Series
• Murder on the Wrong Side of the Tracks - The Mystery Train
• Musical Monday - Musical Theater Heritage
• Pippin - The Barn Players, Inc.*
• Sherlock Holmes Hound of Baskervilles, or Not Another Dog-Gone Detective Story - Martin City Melodrama
• Showcase 2010 - UMKC Theatre
• Taming of the Shrew - Topeka Civic Theatre
• There Was an Old Woman Who Swallowed a Fly! - Martin City Melodrama
• Train to 2010 - UMKC Theatre
• Valhalla - Egads Theatre Company
• Venice - Kansas City Repertory Theatre
• You Can't Beat the House - Encore Theatre
• Young Playwrights Festival 2010 - The Coterie Theatre

Classes/workshops for this week

• ArtSmarts Seminar - Ask the Experts: One on One with a Lawyer - Kansas City Volunteer Lawyers and Accountants for the Arts
• Tap Classes - Lawrence Community Theatre

Auditions for this week

• Combined Coterie and Unicorn Auditions - The Coterie Theatre
• God is Love: A Preacher's Confession - Nu Image Pioneerz
• Sophia's Adventures - IMAGO DEI: Arts*
• TinTypes - IMAGO DEI: Arts*

 *Subscribers to KC Stage receive a discount to these affiliate organizations with their KC Stage member card.
 
Get complete show info at KC Stage

New UMKC Student Union to include 329 seat theatre

Lenexa Arts Council announces scholarships

The Lenexa Arts Council announced Tuesday it has selected nine Lenexa high school seniors to receive visual and performing arts scholarships.

more at Infozine

KC Art Institute animator Liz Van Verth interview

Liz Van Verth, who teaches animation at the Kansas City Art Institute, is featured in Kansas City Art Institute at 125: A tribute to our faculty.

more at Present Magazine

Shawn Edwards honored at National Entertainment Journalism Awards

FOX 4's Shawn Edwards and Chat with the Stars was honored at the National Entertainment Journalism Awards on Thursday night in Los Angeles! Shawn took home third place for Best Entertainment Feature for Chat with the Stars, third place for Best Entertainment website for iloveblackmovies.com and second place for Best Entertainment Blog for iloveblackmovies.com on Facebook. Congratulations, Shawn!

more at FOX4

[thanks, Tony] 

Kansas City's theatres of the past

On May 29, 1910, the Empress Theatre opened its doors on the northwest corner of 12th and McGee. In its structure and in its performances, it was advancing a new age for Kansas City. With matinee and evening shows, and the screening of motion pictures, it was a popular haunt of the city’s growing vaudeville entertainment circuit. It was hailed at the time, not only as a “model for fireproof construction”, but also as “one of the most modern vaudeville houses in America.”

more at KC Free Press

KC Rep "Venice" photo album

Eric Rosen and Matt Sax, creators of the Rep's hip hop sensation Clay, present their new musical, Venice, April 11-May 9 at Copaken Stage. Rosen, who is artistic director of Kansas City Rep, directs. Choreography is by John Carrafa (Tony Award nominations for Urinetown and Into the Woods) and Tanisha Scott (video choreography for Sean Paul, Alicia Keys, Beyoncé, Rihanna and many additional recording artists).

more at Broadway World

Pianafiddel performance for the Harriman-Jewell Series

Pianafiddel, comprised of Classically trained violinist Adam DeGraff and bluegrass pianist Randy Morris, performed at the Harriman-Jewell Series presented "Fanfare at the Farm: Prelude to the 45th Anniversary Season of the Harriman-Jewell Series" on September 21, 2009. The performance was held at EverGlades Farm in Kansas City, Missouri.

Barn Players "Pippin" review by AWjames

Musical Mediocrity
Rating: 3

Pippin
The Barn Players, Inc.

Don't let the title of this review fool you, I enjoyed the show. There were many qualms I had with it though.

First of all the musical itself. Pippin is not Schwartz's finest musical by a long shot. Of course, before coming to any show one must have some knowledge of the content and the origin of the show. Pippin was a project put together by Schwartz while he was in his undergrad at Carnegie Mellon. After success with Godspell on Broadway Schwartz decided that it would be a good idea to put Pippin forward for producing. Regardless of the long run and popularity I find this show obscure and generally without focus. The music having strong 70's pop style lacks complexity and interest - as most 70's pop does.

With that aside I thought this production was decent.

The director, Nathan Norcross, a young man who originally comes from KC, received his BFA from NYU. He is now back in KC for the last couple of ears acting and directing. This is his third production at the barn (if I am correct - Closer and Private Eyes) and his first musical in this space. For this particular production Mr. Norcross has tried to pull together a complete and thought out production - and for the most part he has succeeded - I feel that he may have been between a rock and a hard place. The show itself is not easy to work with and I find it to be truly lacking. And the other end of that is his cast. Casting a show such as this from a pool that I am sure is shallow must be difficult. I applaud his effort and look forward to attending his shows in the future.

This production began with an interesting convention that I won't give away if you plan on seeing it but Norcross has rewritten the top of the show to make it seem much more spontaneous and individual.

The Leading Player played by Joshua Pulos began the show by himself and ended it that way. I thought to myself when he appeared in the audience at the top of the show that this actor may take the leading player over the edge. Contrary to popular belief and as this part is often played, he is NOT the focus of the show. Quickly into the first act I was relieved to see that Pulos was wandering in and out of the scene shaping the action while drawing just enough focus to propel the scene forward. The combination of Pulos and Norcross' for the most part, seemed to work well and keep the show moving at a surprising pace. Vocally I felt Pulos has an incredible range and unique tone. It is obvious he is a strong vocalist but I was often distracted by excessive vibrato. Pulos creates a dark and brooding Leading Player that I find truly interesting but I occasionally lost interest due to Pulos' lack of physicality. The blocking and choreography was there but often the characterization was not fully physically connected.

Pippin Played by Rob Constance (that evening) was youthful and eager. As a young actor Constance still has a lot of growing up to do. The character of Pippin is naive which Constance captures well - whether this is a choice on his part or not is a matter of opinion. Vocally, Constance, seemed to struggle to reach some of the higher notes and was often searching for the correct note. He lacked confidence and style. I found some of his vocal runs uncomfortable and lacked focus. Constance seemed somewhat comfortable on stage and for the most part held his own against other players.

Charles played by Scott Powell was strong and entertaining. With a highly presentational style Powell brought the ruthless ruler a sense of humor and depth. What I found most interesting about Powell is his mastery over his voice. Powerful and booming at moments and delicate in others. My main issue with Powell was his ability to move freely on stage - I understand not being a gifted dancer but Powell seemed to be very focused on what the steps were and not so much on how he looked doing those steps. Overall a solid performance.

Catherine played by Mackenzie Zielke was the highlight of the evening for me. I have seen Zielke in a few other productions around town and I am never disappointed she is a talented singer and a capable actress. In this production she brings a sense of grace that is not found in the rest of the cast. Her gentle and sensitive portrayal of this character was for the most part moving.

The rest of the cast were entertaining and adequate. They moved in and out of the scenes fluidly and kept the show moving.

The orchestra of this show was also a highlight. They provided an immediate sense of the scene. The talent of this group was immense. I never heard a wrong note or improper start - although I was not looking for imperfections none were glaring. Good work!

Technically this show was decent. The sound for the show was for the most part quality. There were moments of crackle or other issues but overall not bad. I could hear everyone that I needed to hear. The lighting by Sean Glass and Russell Langdon was good for what the space can offer. I especially liked the use of sidelight to help shape the actors and provide bold strokes of color and emotion. If I am correct, this is both of the Lighting Designer's second show at the Barn and I feel more successful than their previous. The set was simple and prop centered but justified and appropriate. Costumes were well done with pleasing color palettes and generally flattering silhouettes.

Overall, the show was entertaining with a quick pace and catchy numbers. The energy of the cast is refreshing but the lack of audience members was HIGHLY DISAPPOINTING! I am an avid supporter of KC theatre so go see it! The artists in this town need our support.

Good work all and I look forward to seeing you elsewhere on stage.

Read the review at KC Stage

Johnson County Community College's 2010-11 Season

Johnson County Community College’s Performing Arts Series is celebrating its 20th anniversary season in 2010-11, and to honor the milestone, it’s bringing in some big-name performers, including eight-time Grammy Award winner Natalie Cole.

more at kansascity.com