Jerry Jay Cranford News

The Coterie Theatre and The White Theatre at "The J," the Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas City, will "Seize the Day" with their co-production of Disney's Newsies, which opens for a limited run on July 7 and continues through July 29. The show will mark The Coterie and The White Theatre's first collaboration, as well as the Kansas City region's first production of Newsies that is being locally produced. This show features a cast of all-local professional and non-professional adult and youth actors, and will be performed live on stage at The White Theatre at The J, 5801 W. 115th Street, in Overland Park.

The latest show at the Coterie Theatre is musically exciting and theatrically adventurous entertainment that is sure to give you goosebumps! The current show at the Coterie Theatre bounces along with the springy vitality of its energetic cast and a playfully exciting story. Everyone from age 4 to 104 will find this a tantalizing treat, without getting too scared. If you have elementary aged children, they will love it…and  SURPRISE. you will too.  A definite MUST SEE!

Next up at the White Theatre is a joint production with Crown Center's Coterie Theatre of “Disney's Newsies;” a live stage musical version of the 1992 musical film. “Newsies” recalls the real-life newsboys' strike of 1899.   

There is good news at the Rose Theatre! NEWSIES The Broadway Musical opened on June 1 running through the 17th. BRAVO! I am extra sold on this show.

For a really, enjoyable evening, don't miss New Theatre Restaurant's musicalized version of the 1992 film comedy 'Sister Act' with a great score by Alan Menken and Glen Slater.  Here is a show with a cast that features absolutely NO WEAK SISTERS. Seldom does an audience get to sit back and simply smile.  You know what is coming and it is still fun. 

Nationally-recognized Coterie Theatre's 2017/2018 season of plays selected by Producing Artistic Director Jeff Church aims to deliver engagement for family members of any age. One of the national leaders in producing theatre for youth and family audiences, The Coterie also enriches curriculum for schools looking for excellence in arts education. This coming season, The Coterie will have several productions where young theatre-goers will interact and participate during the performances.

Excitement is in the air as The Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas City announces its 2017-2018 season of arts and cultural offerings at the White Theatre.

The Coterie Theatre and the White Theatre at "The J," the Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas City, will come together to co-produce Disney's Newsies for a limited run in the Summer 2018. The show will mark The Coterie and The J's first collaboration, as well as the Kansas City region's first locally-produced production of Newsies. It will be co-directed by Coterie Producing Artistic Director, Jeff Church, and Jerry Jay Cranford, who will also serve as choreographer, with musical direction by Pam Williamson, veteran of 10 musicals at The J. Newsies will feature a cast of all-local professional and non-professional adult and youth actors, and will be performed live on stage at the White Theatre at The J, July 7-29, 2018.

Troubling premise

The Coterie Theatre and the White Theatre at "The J," the Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas City, will come together to co-produce Disney's Newsies for a limited run in the Summer 2018. The show will mark The Coterie and The J's first collaboration, as well as the Kansas City region's first locally-produced production of Newsies. It will be co-directed by Coterie Producing Artistic Director, Jeff Church, and Jerry Jay Cranford, who will also serve as choreographer, with musical direction by Pam Williamson, veteran of 10 musicals at The J. Newsies will feature a cast of all-local professional and non-professional adult and youth actors, and will be performed live on stage at the White Theatre at The J, July 7-29, 2018.

Widely considered the most controversial musical ever written, ASSASSINS premiered off-Broadway in 1990 at Playwrights Horizons and won the 2004 Tony Award for Best Musical Revival. This is a unique vision of American history told through imagined interactions between antiheroes from John Wilkes Booth to Lee Harvey Oswald…from Charles Guiteau to John Hinckley. ASSASSINS is recommended for mature audiences.

One of the world's most beloved movie musicals comes to life at the Civic Center Music Hall this summer in Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma's production of THE WIZARD OF OZ. Running July 12 through 16 and sponsored by Express Employment Professionals, this joyous musical will feature some of Oklahoma's most talented performers in its leading roles.

Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma announces casting and production teams for its annual summer shows, featuring new and returning national talent, including Emily Skinner, Adam Heller, Sandra Mae Frank, Trista Dollison, Kyle Taylor Parker, Jerry Jay Cranford, Martin Burke, David Coffee, Kristina Love, Monte Riegel Wheeler, Casey Elizabeth Gill, and more. All four productions- DREAMGIRLS, THE WIZARD OF OZ, FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, and THE DROWSY CHAPERONE - will perform at the Civic Center Music Hall in Oklahoma City.

At The Coterie, where there are no small characters, only big ideas and massive talent, the 2015/2016 season of plays selected by Producing Artistic Director Jeff Church aims to deliver engagement for family members of any age. One of the national leaders in producing theatre for youth and family audiences, The Coterie also enriches curriculum for schools looking for excellence in arts education. This coming season, The Coterie will have several productions where young theatre-goers will interact and participate during the performances.

All things ghoulish, macabre, ghastly, and a little bit frightening are alive and well living within the walls of the Addams Family home. The only place to see this outrageous musical comedy is at the New Theatre in Overland Park. Richard Carrothers directs The Addams Family a New Musical running through September 20 at the dinner theater. Daniel Doss provides musical direction and Katelin Zelon the choreography for the delightful yet maybe a little bizarre musical.

This toad will not give you warts, but he will make your side hurt from laughing so hard. A Year with Frog and Toad opened on Friday June 19 at the Coterie Theatre in Kansas City, Missouri. Based on the Frog and Toad books by Arnold Lobel with music by Robert Reale, book and lyrics by his brother Willie Reale.

At The Coterie, where there are no small characters, only big ideas and massive talent, the 2015/2016 season of plays selected by Producing Artistic Director Jeff Church aims to deliver engagement for family members of any age. One of the national leaders in producing theatre for youth and family audiences, The Coterie also enriches curriculum for schools looking for excellence in arts education. This coming season, The Coterie will have several productions where young theatre-goers will interact and participate during the performances.

Musical Monday closes with the cast singing "One Day More," which is the amount of time left to catch one of the most phenomenal shows to appear at Musical Theater Heritage at Crown Center. Musical Monday and Tuesday opened on April 20 with Jerry Jay Cranford singing Les Miz from Forbidden Broadway. The theme of the two-day musical event is Les Miserables and Others. Others included tunes from Chorus Line and Little Shop of Horrors.

The outstanding musical production of Kansas City Christmas opened the 29th season of the Heartland Men's Chorus on Friday December 5 at the Folly Theater. The newly appointed Artistic Director Dustin S. Cates led the chorus of about 120 men through an array of humorous and sincere holiday songs to kick off the festive season. Cates served as a Guest Conductor for the Chorus's production of I Am Harvey Milk.

The world premiere of the Theatre for Young Audiences version of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang opened Friday June 20 at The Coterie Theatre in Crown Center. Ian Fleming the creator of the legendary James Bond spy novels wrote the novel that Roald Dahl adapted. Dahl's adaption became the hit musical MGM motion picture.