Jewish Community Center Announces 2018-19 Season

Excitement is in the air as The Lewis and Shirley White Theatre at The Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas City announces its 2018-2019 season of arts and cultural offerings,

The 14th season at The White Theatre, produced by The J's Arts + Culture Department, includes a variety of genres: well-known Broadway musicals, a Tony-Award-winning play, world-renowned artists in both music and dance, as well as a Leawood favorite, The J's Artist-in-Residence, the Kinnor Philharmonic.

This year performance offerings are grouped as Theatre Series, Concert Series and Special Engagements.

According to Director of Arts + Culture, Keith Wiedenkeller, what makes this so season special "is the level of choice and flexibility: there's literally something for everyone."

The Theatre Series* includes four locally produced shows with some of Kansas City's best talent, including:

• CAMELOT, Nov. 3-18: Lerner and Loewe's Tony Award-winning musical leaps from the pages of T.H. White's Once and Future King to the White Theatre stage in this classic tale of swords, sorcery, intrigue and romance. Rated PG.

• CABARET, Feb. 2-17, 2019: Kander and Ebb's award-winning musical -- as reimagined in the 1998 Broadway revival -- takes us back to pre-WWII Berlin, where "Life is Beautiful" ... but only inside the decadent Kit Kat Club, and often not even there. Rated R.

• INHERIT THE WIND, March 16-24, 2019: Raising issues as relevant today as they were when it was written, this riveting drama uses the Scopes Monkey Trial to explore the complex - and sometimes adversarial -- relationship between faith and science. Rated PG.

• PETER PAN-THE MUSICAL, July 6-28, 2019: This high-flying Tony Award-winning musical leads the whole family on a grand adventure to Neverland: a place where dreams are born, where Lost Boys fight pirates, where anything is possible, if you just believe! Rated G.

*Evening performances are at 7:30 p.m. and matinees are set for 2 p.m.

The White Theatre's Concert Series includes:

• An Evening with Amit Peled, Dec. 5, 2018 (7:30 p.m.): Join Israeli-American, Grammy-nominated, cellist, conductor, and educator Amit Peled as he continues his quest to make classical music more accessible to all audiences by teaching and playing concerts in a way that makes classical music true entertainment.

• Kinnor Philharmonic Winter Concert, Jan. 1, 2019 (3 p.m.): Make this your New Year's tradition! Join The White Theatre's artists-in-residence for a New Year's Day symphonic concert that will start your 2019 in grand style, complete with champagne reception afterwards!

• Heartland Men's Chorus, March 31, 2019 (4 p.m.): The unique electricity of The Heartland Men's Chorus comes to the White Theatre Stage as they perform one of their signature "musical documentaries" to enlighten, inspire, and heal as only they can.

• Kinnor Philharmonic Summer Concert, June 2, 2019 (3 p.m.) Kick your summer off with The White Theatre's artists-in-residence as they present their June concert, reflecting the long traditions of symphonic repertoire and the historical connection of their educational artistry.

The White Theatre's Special Engagements include:

• Dan Thomas, Sept. 2, 2018 (3 p.m.): Join world-renowned jazz performer and educator Dan Thomas, as he and his band present a unique Jazz concert, with special emphasis on celebrating the Jewish elements of this amazing art form.

• Open Stage at The J (Dance & Choreography showcase), March 3, 2019 (3 p.m.): Join us for the third annual dance and choreography festival at The J. Kansas City's premier companies and best dancers come together on The White Theatre stage to showcase their original works

• Fire in the Heart, April 6 (7 p.m.) & April 7 (2 p.m.), 2019: Fire in the Heart showcases - through story, music, art, and dance - how the arts can help us process, heal, and transcend the most traumatic events of our lives. Join us for this unique celebration of Tikkun Olam (repairing the World).

• Mama Doni, August 11, 2019 (3 p.m.): Mama Doni helps explore the inner child in all of us through laughter, love, dance, and song. The award-winning Mama Doni band brings their unique and special band of "funky music with a Jewish twist" to kids nationwide.

Assisted Listening devices will be available for all performances and many shows include The J's signature Open Captioning services. See individual show pages on the web site for details. Full descriptions and performance times for each event are available at TheWhiteTheatre.org. Auditions for various musicals and plays produced by The White Theatre productions will be held throughout the year.

The White Theatre's new ticketing program offers four different package options: Full Season, Theatre Series, Concert Series, and a Flex Five, "mix and match" option. Season tickets are now on sale. Those purchasing season tickets to The White Theatre receive a number of benefits:

• Up to 40 percent discount

• First selection of seats

• Discounted single tickets - bring family and friends

• Free & easy ticket exchanges (up to the day before the show)

• NO online ticketing fees

• Flexible payment options

• First opportunity to buy tickets to Special Engagements, at a discounted price

• This year only: 20 percent discount on tickets to select shows at KC Repertory Theatre: "Last Days of Summer," "Indecent," and "Pride & Prejudice"

Tickets may be purchased online at TheWhiteTheatre.org, by calling the box office at (913) 327-8054 or in person at 5801 W. 115th St., Overland Park. The White Theatre box office is open Tuesday through Friday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

About the Lewis & Shirley White Theatre

Located at the Jewish Community Campus, 5801 W. 115th St., in Overland Park, the non-profit Lewis & Shirley White Theatre, built in 2005, is a 500-seat, state-of-the-art facility, featuring the latest amenities in terms of seating, sound and lighting technology, and regularly hosts a mix of top talent from the region and around the world. Called "the best kept secret" in Kansas City's theatre scene, The White Theatre's mission is to provide enriching, thought-provoking entertainment that builds on Jewish cultural values, enhancing wellness, meaning and joy for people of all cultural backgrounds.

About "The J"

Established more than 100 years ago, the Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas City-The J, provides a warm welcome to families of all backgrounds. The J's all-in-one hub for health, learning and well-being elevates the lives of the community and its members with programs of excellence in fitness, sports, theatre, arts + culture, senior adult programming and youth services including summer camps and child development. Everyone can "live up" at The J, located in Overland Park, Kansas, and at thejkc.org.