Lou Diamond Phillips Meets with Kids at Mattie Rhodes Center June 9

On Thursday, June 9, actor Lou Diamond Phillips visited Mattie Rhodes Center, one of Kansas City's oldest nonprofit institutions.

Established 117 years ago, the agency provides a wide variety of social and community services, which include several after-school programs for youth of all ages and a dedicated art center for classes, workshops and summer camps, complemented by an art gallery that hosts monthly exhibits.

While Mr. Phillips is in town starring in "The King and I" at Starlight Theatre, he is meeting with kids from the center to highlight the power of the arts.

Mr. Phillips is a successful actor at the national level, starring in theater, television and films. His breakout role was Richie Valens in the 1987 film "La Bamba." Among his notable film credits are "Stand and Deliver," "Courage Under Fire" and "Young Guns" I and II. He has also been on a number of television shows: "Numb3rs," "24," "Chuck," "Psych," "Law and Order: SVU" and most recently "Cougar Town" and "Stargate: Universe."

Having gotten his start in theater with a degree in it from the University of Texas-Arlington, Mr. Phillips was cast in the Broadway revival of "The King and I" in 1996 and earned a Tony nomination for his performance as the King of Siam. Eleven years later, he starred as King Arthur in the national tour of "Camelot." Now he reprises his early role with the new "The King and I" production.

"I know how passionate Lou Diamond Phillips is about the arts and how he advocates for the arts to be a part of all of our everyday lives," said John Fierro, president/CEO of Mattie Rhodes Center. "His dedication to the arts aligns closely with our own vision of helping children and families reach their full potential, particularly their creative and artistic potential, through the services we offer at our arts campus."

Mr. Phillips met with children from many of the agency's programs at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, June 9, 2011, at the Mattie Rhodes Art Center & Gallery (919 W. 17th Street). He spent time with the children participating in a hands-on art activity and spoke to them about the importance of the arts and arts programming. Youth from Mattie Rhodes Center's multiple after-school programs have been invited to attend and meet Mr. Phillips for free.

Lou Diamond Phillips can be seen as the King of Siam in Starlight Theatre's season-opening production of "The King and I." Performances run nightly through Sunday, June 12. Tickets for the remaining performances can be purchased at www.kcstarlight.com or by calling (816) 363-7827.

Founded in 1894, Mattie Rhodes Center bridges cultures and communities through arts, mental health and social services by providing culturally competent, bilingual services in a respectful and compassionate environment. For more information, please visit www.mattierhodes.org or call (816) 471-2536.
http://www.kcstarlight.com

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