Steve Wilson - Page 10

Entering Musical Theater Heritage at Crown Center for BIG BANDS ARE BETTER, is like stepping out of a time machine and into the Copacabana of the 1930s and '40s. The scenery, costumes, and the musical arrangements by Brad Cox take the audience back to when Swing was king, a time known as the Big Band Era and a unique program that should not be missed.

Valentine's Day is just over a week away, and it's time to make plans for that special someone. A box of chocolates can make a good gift, but not very creative. You can send an expensive dozen roses, but after a few days they wilt and become are thrown away. Or you can give a gift that instead of becoming trash becomes a wonderful memory, tickets to live theatre.

The 40th season of live theatre for families and young audiences continues at The Coterie Theatre with a marvelous production of SECRET SOLDIERS: HEROINES IN DISGUISE. The very entertaining and highly educational show is a co-production with the University of Missouri Theatre and The Coterie Theatre. Jeff Church, Producing Artistic Director, and Bree Elrod co-direct this important interactive drama.

An uplifting, toe-tapping, amusing winter relief continues at Quality Hill Playhouse with SONGBOOK OF THE 40S, the second installment of their Broadway And All That Jazz 2018-2019 season. A nation engulfed with war took comfort in songs from Broadway musicals, to big bands, to just feel good songs. Poet Rod McKuen once said, "1939 was a terrible time for the world, but it was a glorious time for songs and fighter pilots."

Abandon your inhibitions, taboos, and what you think you know about being a young girl in today's contemporary society, when you enter EMOTIONAL CREATURE THE SECRET LIFE OF GIRLS AROUND THE WORLD. Directed by Chioma Anyanwu, in her directorial debut, and Andrew Grayman-Parkhurst, Spinning Tree Theatre presents its enlightening production of Eve Ensler's critical look into the thoughts and emotions of young women everywhere.

Kansas City Repertory Theatre presents its Girl Power Campaign for the last half of the 2018-2019 season, celebrating strong, powerful women everywhere. The remaining five plays are all written by women and about women and demonstrate the strength, intelligence, and bravery of women around the world.

With the onset of winter, snow-covered streets, no sunshine and freezing temperatures, Kansas City can become depressing. Fortunately for Kansas City audiences, the snow-covered hills are filled with THE SOUND OF MUSIC. The hit Rogers and Hammerstein's musical opened Tuesday, January 15th at Kauffman Center for Performing Arts and runs through January 20th.

The Theatre in the Park Winter Academy presented ZOMBIE PROM, for a limited engagement on Friday, December 28 and Saturday, December 29. The performance would best be described as fabulous, hilarious and one of the most professional young performer musicals to have appeared in Kansas City. Unfortunately for theater audiences, it did only run two days, so it had a limited audience.

Remember turning off the lights and not answering the door when the men in white shirts and a tie rang the doorbell wanting to give you that free book and tell you about their religion. No need to shut off the lights and run and hide when these men appear at the Music Hall. Yes, they do want to spread their faith with THE BOOK OF MORMON, the hilarious musical comedy now playing at the Kansas City Music Hall through Sunday, December 30.

THE HAPPY ELF is filled with elves, Santa Claus, Mrs. Claus and a town where everyone is the naughty list and Christmas is forbidden. These are just some of the things that face Eubie, the happiest elf at the North Pole. THE HAPPY ELF is featured at the Black Box Theatre, located in the Johnson County Arts and Heritage Center in Overland Park, Kansas. THE HAPPY ELF runs thru December 23rd and is a wonderful show for the whole family.

Don't miss the final performance of “SLEIGH!, DASHING THROUGH THE HOLIDAYS WITH HMC!” at Yardley Hall Johnson County Community College on Sunday December 9th. Conducted by Dustin S. Cates, Artistic Director of the Heartland Men's Chorus, and accompanied on piano by Robert Lamar Sims the chorus puts on a must-see musical tribute to the holidays.

The call of the wild is an indoor soccer team made up of eleventh grade girls in THE WOLVES, now showing at the Unicorn Theatre in Kansas City. Directed by Heidi Van, THE WOLVES is a glimpse into the minds and lives of a diverse group of girls from varied ethnic and social backgrounds.

If CHRISTMAS IN SONG at Quality Hill Playhouse does not get you in the holiday spirit, then you are either the Grinch or Ebenezer Scrooge. Directed by J. Kent Barnhart and with Barnhart at the piano Lauren Bradshaw, Brad Dawby and Lindsey McKee celebrate the Christmas season with performances through December 23rd.

Only weeks ahead of Halloween THE TURN OF THE SCREW opened this weekend at the Just Off Broadway Theatre in Kansas City. Julie Shaw directs the Spinning Tree Theatre production of the novella from the story by Henry James. THE TURN OF THE SCREW runs through Halloween weekend, closing on Sunday November 1.

The Broadway hit musical WICKED opened at the Music Hall October 7, enchanting the Kansas City audiences. Joe Mantello directs the Broadway Across America production of the longest running Broadway show in history. Stephen Schwartz wrote the music, lyrics, and Winnie Holzman the book for the musical, which is the first to gross over $3 Million in one week.

YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU is the current production running at The New Theatre in Overland Park, Kansas. Dennis D. Hennessy directs the comedic play written by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart. James A. Misenheimer provides a fantastic set for the cast to operate in and Treva Farrell designed the choreography mainly performed by Katie Karel as Essie Carmichael.

A true work of genius appeared on The Coterie Theatre stage on Friday September 23 with the opening of THE MIRACLE WORKER. William Gibson wrote the play adapted from his 1957 Playhouse 90 teleplay of the same name. Helen Keller's autobiography, "The Story of My Life," was the basis for the play.

The high quality of productions such as THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE, which opened on Friday September 18, is why The Barn Players won the 2014 Broadway World Regional Award for Outstanding Theater of the Year in the Kansas City Region. Kip Simmons directs the musical based on the 1967 film of the same name, starring Julie Andrews. Richard Morris wrote the original story and screenplay for Universal Pictures. CHRYSANTHEMUM, which opened in London in 1956, was the basis for the story and screenplay.

Originally titled PETER & JERRY, AT HOME AT THE ZOO opened on Saturday September 12 at the H&R Block City Stage in Union Station. Edward Albee wrote AT HOME AT THE ZOO the latest production of the Kansas City Actors Theatre. Doug Weaver directs the powerful dramatic offering starring three of Kansas City's top performers.

Opening night for SCHOOL HOUSE ROCK LIVE! at the Olathe Civic Theatre on Friday September 11 was billed as a show full of energy, humor, music, dancing and some very valuable grammar lessons. Unfortunately, the show became more of a test of tolerance for low energy acting, singing that made audience members cringe, and choreography that was awkward and unimaginative at the best.