Steve Wilson - Page 3

It’s astounding, time is fleeting, madness takes its toll. . .no it’s the opening weekend of Padgett Productions THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW. The cult musical, which has become a Kansas City favorite, has been ushering in the Halloween season for several years. I have been in the audience at least once (most years twice) each season and am glad to report it gets better every year. I don’t know if it is the witches and goblins of Halloween or the creative genius of Nick Padgett the Artistic Director that makes it unique each year, but it is the time of year for magic.

How do you spell winner? A-K-E-E-L-A-H because that’s what The Coterie Theatre has in their production of AKEELAH AND THE BEE, now playing at the theater located in Crown Center. AKEELAH AND THE BEE written by Cheryl West is based on the award-winning film starring Laurence Fishburne with a screenplay by Doug Atchison.

Nick Padgett, Producing Artistic Director of Padgett Productions presents LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, through August 21 at the Warwick Theatre in the Westport Entertainment District. This production is one of the best to hit the stage in Kansas City this year. I know when I left the theater I could still hear the songs in my head, and it continued for several joyous days.

LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS opens on August 5th and runs through August 21st at the Warwick Theatre in the Westport Entertainment District. With book by Howard Ashman and music by Alan Menken, the musical comedy is loosely based on the 1960 film of the same name. What did our critic think of LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS at Warwick Theatre?

The heavens are filled with bright, shiny stars and so is the stage at the Musical Theater Heritage theater located in Crown Center. The hilarious world premiere of PREJUDICE AND PRIDE runs through July 24th and then goes to Edinburgh, Scotland in August. Sam Writes and Nicholas Collett Production brings this gender-swapping American folk music to life with a comedy style befitting of a larger audience. What did our critic think of PREJUDICE AND PRIDE OPENS IN KANSAS CITY at Musical Theater Heritage?

The Coterie Theatres' world premiere of a new family musical, ALICE’S WONDERLAND runs at The Coterie Theatre at Crown Center through August 7. Adapted from the Lewis Carroll classic story the musical features an original score with book, music, and lyrics by J. Quinton Johnson and Julia Riew. Brianna Woods directs, with musical direction by Delano Mendoza, and choreography by Marc Wayne.

The Warwick Theatre, in the Westport Entertainment District, plays host to Padgett Productions' opening of SWEENEY TODD, THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET through June 26. The Stephen Sondheim musical is one of the most elaborate productions I have ever seen Nick Padgett undertake, and he brings it to life with unmatched brilliance. The only regret anyone should have about this magnificent show is if you miss seeing it at The Warwick.

Stephen Sondheim’s wickedly funny musical masterpiece, SWEENEY TODD, THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET, opens June 10th at the Warwick Theatre in Kansas City. The theatre is located on the eastern side of the Westport Entertainment District at 3927 Main Street. Find out how to get tickets and learn all about the production.

This is the first time I can remember something rotten being so enjoyable. SOMETHING ROTTEN! the musical directed by Tim Bair opened on Saturday night November 6 at the White Theatre at the J in Overland Park, KS. If you miss your chance to see this musical comedy, that would be SOMETHING ROTTEN! The show runs through November 21.

The Coterie Theatre made a big splash with the opening of its world premiere of THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL FOR YOUNG AUDIENCES on November 4th at The Coterie Theatre located in Crown Center in Kansas City, MO. The new version of THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL FOR YOUNG AUDIENCES has never been seen before and is adapted from the animated series, which has entertained children for the last 17 years. Though entertaining for younger audiences I found the musical to be tedious and the constant screaming to be annoying. Maybe I would have enjoyed it more if I had grown up during the SpongeBob era.

Halloween is my favorite time of year, with its ghosts, goblins, haunted houses, and Rocky. The season has been made more extraordinary this year with the opening of THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW at The Black Box, in the historic West Bottoms of Kansas City, MO. Having missed the 2020 season due to the pandemic Padgett Productions has renewed, to the delight of a large audience, THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW. How good is the show? The best answer I can give is I’ve done something I seldom do, bought tickets to see it again before it closes.

An early start to the year's creepiest season, Halloween, began on Friday night with the return of The Coterie Theatre’s presentation of ELECTRIC POE 2021. This is the second year of the special engagement at the oldest cemetery in Kansas City, Union Cemetery, and runs through October 31. I described last year's performance as “Haunting”, but the intensity of this year's program makes last year appear like ‘Itsy, Bitsy Spider’.

The Barn Players make a triumphant return to the performing arts scene in Kansas City with their presentation of Stephen Sondheim’s Tony Award-winning musical, COMPANY. The conceptual musical directed by Eric Magnus, with musical direction by Michelle Allen McIntire, runs through September 26 at The Arts Asylum in Kansas City, Missouri.

I saw an AMERICAN IDIOT in Kansas City, and I LIKED it. Produced by Padgett Productions, AMERICAN IDIOT explodes onto the stage at The Black Box in Kansas City, Missouri. With only a short run of four days, it begins to give hope to the theater-starved residents that maybe live theater is beginning to return to the metro area. The invigorating and at times moving punk rock musical opened on August 19 and runs through August 22.

Ladies and gentlemen Elvis has returned to the building! The New Theatre and Restaurant in Overland Park presents THE KING IN CONCERT, starring two-time World Champion Elvis tribute artist, Victor Trevino, Jr., now through September 12.

What happens when you give a dragon a taco with spicy jalapeno sauce? This sounds like the beginning of a bad joke, but instead, it is the marvelous DRAGONS LOVE TACOS now playing at the Coterie Theatre at Crown Center through August 8. This adaption from the New York Times #1bestselling phenomenon, “Dragons Love Tacos” by Adam Rubin, comes to life under the canopy at the Entertainment Pavilion in Crown Center Square.

I can’t think of a better way to welcome live theater back to Kansas City than to BLAME IT ON THE BOOGIE a production of Musical Theater Heritage and playing in the 4th-floor theater in Crown Center. This is MTH’s first indoor production in sixteen months due to the pandemic, and as the announcer says at the beginning of the show it will “transport you to a better time”.

The Coterie Theatre has opened its first in-theater production since the beginning of the pandemic as it presents the Mesner Puppet Theaters’ World Premiere of HOW TO SNAG A SEA MONSTER: A TERRICALLY TALL TELL. Live performances began on Friday, April 30, and run Friday through Sunday at the Coterie Theatre located on the bottom floor of Crown Center. All theatergoers are required to wear a mask and maintain social distancing. Online streaming of the production begins May 5th and runs through May 30th.

The Coterie Theatre and the University of Missouri at Kansas City have teamed together to offer the virtual co-production of BRAINSTORM: THE INSIDE LIFE OF THE TEENAGE MIND, which is streaming and on demand now through February 7. The program is suggested for families and grades 6-12.

The Covid 19 pandemic has halted live performances from Kansas City to Broadway, and all around the world. The Coterie Theatre has joined the ever-growing number of theatrical companies that are bringing their performances to their audiences virtually, with their production of THE SNOWY DAY AND OTHER STORIES BY EZRA JACK KEATS. The production will be available for live streaming on-demand through January 3, 2021.