Lauren Braton News

'Nine' makes its audiences work to achieve full understanding

Spinning Tree offers Kansas City audiences opportunity to see rarely-produced Broadway gem NINE.

Spinning Tree offers Kansas City audiences opportunity to see rarely-produced Broadway gem NINE.

It's midnight in March of 1959 at a seedy bar in Philadelphia. The audience is about to witness one of Billie Holiday's final appearances, just four months before her death. In between funny and heartbreaking stories about her life and career, "Lady Day" sings her most beloved songs including "What a Little Moonlight Can Do," "Crazy He Calls Me," "God Bless the Child" and "Strange Fruit."

Enjoyable show with fine singers

This year's original show from Musical Theater Heritage will be "AN EVENING WITH COLE PORTER" March 3-13, written by MTH Executive Director & Founder, George Harter. The program will feature an all local cast including the internationally famous tenor, Ben Gulley and Kansas City favorite Lauren Braton.

IN THE MOOD: SONGS OF THE GREAT BAND LEADERS runs now through February 21, 2016 at Quality Hill Playhouse. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

How do you tell if a musical is a success? The answer is easy, it is a success when at intermission, you walk into the restroom, one person is whistling, and two are humming songs from the show. That is what happens with the Quality Hill Playhouse production of Judy, Barbara, Liza at the Playhouse at 303 W. 10 in Kansas City. Judy, Barbara, Liza wraps up the 20th season of Quality Hill.

Guys and Dolls, featuring a number of the finest Guys and Dolls in Kansas City performing arts, opened on Saturday night at the Musical Theater Heritage of Crown Center. Sarah Crawford directs the musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser, book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows, and a pre-show talk by Executive Director George Harter. Guys and Dolls is based on two short stories, "The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown" and "Blood Pressure" by Damon Runyan.

That's Entertainment: The MGM Years the current production of the Quality Hill Playhouse continues through February 15 at the theatre in Kansas City, MO. The show highlights the songs from the movie studio MGM, but in the case of Quality Hill MGM stands for Music Glorious Music and that is exactly what the audience receives.

Scrooge walking into the Off Center Theatre in Crown Center would have had the Bah Humbug chased from him with the second performance of A Spectacular Christmas Cabaret Show! Anyone entering the theater without the Christmas spirit would leave filled with joy over the gift Musical Theater Heritage is presenting to audiences this holiday season.

Each time I think that the performing arts in Kansas City cannot get any better Spinning Tree Theatre opens another production and proves there is no limit to the highest quality shows available to local audiences. Opening night for Violet at the Just Off Broadway Theatre on Saturday November 8 was no exception, as some of the most talented actors in the area delighted the audience with another outstanding performance.

The Spinning Tree Theatre production of the musical Violet opens at the Off Broadway Theatre November 6. Michael Grayman and Andy Parkhurst co-direct the Kansas City premiere, which is one of the first regional theatres to secure the rights to the musical. Angie Benson provides the musical direction and leads a five-piece orchestra.

Nine of the finest voices in Kansas City Theater made their way to the stage of the Off Center Theatre on September 8 to appear on Musical Monday and presented the audience with a night that will not be forgotten. Musical Monday began with only a handful of entertainers, Tim Scott, Jeremy Watson, and Chad Gerlt among a few others, with no microphones performing for a small audience. Over the last six seasons, the popularity of the show has caused Musical Theater Heritage to add a second night Tuesday September 9 to the schedule.

A tear glistened as it rolled down her cheek, and the audience knew they had seen something special. That something special was the opening night of Ghost-Writer at the Quality Hill Playhouse in Kansas City on Saturday August 23. Michael Grayman directs the Spinning Tree Theatre production of Michael Hollinger's Ghost-Writer. The production opens the 2014-2015 season for Spinning Tree, and if this is an indication of the remainder of the season, it is going to be a marvelous ride.

Andy Parkhurst the Managing Director of the Spinning Tree Theatre announced the cast for the upcoming 2014-2015 season. The theatrical production company expands their season to four shows for the first time. Spinning Tree will present three Kansas City premieres during the season.

A Little Night Music, produced by Spinning Tree Theatre, is now playing at the Off Center Theatre in Crown Center. Michael Grayman directs an immensely talented cast for the play with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by Hugh Wheeler. The musical opened on Broadway in 1973 based on a film by Ingmar Bergman. Andy Parkhurst designed the choreography, which early in Act I is impressive as the performers entangle themselves on stage. This production marks the largest cast utilized by Spinning Tree Theatre.

A Little Night Music by Stephen Sondheim marks the largest cast to appear for the Spinning Tree Theatre in Kansas City. The production on the Off Center Theatre stage in Crown Center will feature 13 actors and 7 musicians. The Ingmar Bergman film Smiles of a Summer Night inspired the Sondheim musical.

Tonight's MUSICAL MONDAY will feature the musical SIDE SHOW with its writer/lyricist, Tony Award Nominee Bill Russell, on hand to participate in the event. Musical Monday, now in its 5th season, is MTH's Musical Theatre flavored cabaret show featured six times each year at the Off Center Theatre in Kansas City.