Review: THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT: THE MGM YEARS Now Playing at the Quality Hill Playhouse

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.

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer produced more musicals than any other studio. Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Debbie Reynolds, and Gene Kelly were only a few of the world's greatest stars under contract with MGM. In the 1930s and 1940s, MGM billed itself as "having more stars than there are in heavens." In 1924 entertainment entrepreneur, Marcus Loew merged his holdings Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation, and Louis B. Mayer Pictures to form the most glamourous of all the studios MGM.

That's Entertainment: The MGM Years opens with the band playing the "Tara Theme" from Gone With the Wind. J. Kent Barnhart on piano leads the sensational three-piece band with Ken Remmert on drums and the incomparable Brian Wilson on bass. Barnhart, the founder of Quality Hill Playhouse, explained that the program reflects the movie that the songs first appeared in as an MGM production and not necessarily the first time it was on screen. Barnhart charmed the audience with his humorous quips (always a delightful part of each program) and his telling of the history of many of the songs.

Lauren Braton, Kathryn Long, and Tim Scott joined the band on stage in the tribute the studio. Act I includes such songs as "Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart" from Listen Darling, "Long Ago (and Far Away)" from Till the Clouds Roll By, and a wonderful rendition of "Johnny One Note" from Words and Music sung by Braton.

If you want to know what love looks like, look into the face of Brian Wilson as his wife Kathryn Long sings "I Wanna Be Loved By You" from Three Little Words in Act II. Long and Tim Scott humorously perform a song with one of the longest titles, "How Could You Believe Me When I Said I Love You When You Know I've Been a Liar All My Life" from Royal Wedding.

Long, who is a member and has performed with the Lyric Opera of Kansas City Chorus, creates pure magic when she performs "Villa" from The Merry Widow in the second act. She made her Starlight debut in 2014 in The Sound of Music. Her fabulous vocal could only be followed by "Who's Sorry Now?" from Three Little Words and magnificently performed by Lauren Braton. Two distinct styles that truly complimented each other to the highest degree.

Identified as the voice of the American League Champions the Kansas City Royals, it was Tim Scott who hit a home run with his vocals. His interpretations of "When the Midnight Choo Choo Leaves for Alabam" from Easter Parade, "Viva Las Vegas" from Viva Las Vegas, and "Too Darn Hot" from Kiss Me Kate! are superb. His facial expressions as he reacts to the lyrics of the songs add an extra degree of humor to the production.

At the end of the night, you cannot help but say, "now that's entertainment." That's Entertainment: The MGM Years continues at Quality Hill Playhouse through February 15. Purchase tickets at 816-421-1700 or visit the Quality Hill Playhouse website. Photo courtesy of Quality Hill Playhouse.

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