KANSAS CITY THEATER REVIEWS

'The King and I' at the Starlight Theatre, in Kansas City, this week only! The ever popular Rodgers & Hammerstein's musical about the Anna and the King of Siam is now showing at the Starlight Theatre, June 12-17th, 2018....

J. Kent Barnhart's Quality Hill Playhouse trots out another of his patented cabaret style revues, "Sinatra's Songwriter."  This revue celebrates Sammy Cahn, the longtime lyricist and songwriter for legendary crooner Frank Sinatra.  If the well loved music of the long Sammy Cahn-Frank Sinatra colla...

Musical Theater Heritage presents a super re-imagination of Andrew Lloyd Weber's 1982 'Cats.'  This show is a two magical hours that will be savored by its audiences.  Director Tim Scott has built a team of designers, actors, dancers, and musicians who would be tough to match on any stage.  'Cats...

This week at Starlight Theatre; 'Dirty Dancing.'  If you are a die-hard fan of the 1987 film "Dirty Dancing," the live-on-stage version of the film might be the "Time of Your Life."   For others, not so much....

Unicorn Theatre bills itself as a venue for "Bold New Plays."  Its current production, 2014s "Hir" (pronounced "Here") by the playwright Taylor Mac certainly fits in with that expressed goal.  Hir" bills itself as a dark family comedy performed as absurd reality.  It is funny in places and tragic...

The original Broadway production of 1975s 'A Chorus Line' ran 6,137 performances because it caught something true and sometimes sad about all those people who labor in the background of musical theater. This new iteration produced by 'Big League Productions,' a non-equity tour company, captures som...

Kansas City Actors Theatre "Skylight" by British playwright David Hare features excellent performances in a top-caliber production running now through June 10th at the H&R Block City Stage inside Union Station.   "Skylight" relates a single evening in the life of three people as they relive and re...

Fans of Gloria and Emilio Estefan and their Miami Sound Machine are in for a treat with the touring version of their musical 'On Your Feet!' now playing through Sunday as Starlight Theatre in Swope Park.  'On Your Feet' kicks off Starlight's 2018 summer Broadway season....

For a really, enjoyable evening, don't miss New Theatre Restaurant's musicalized version of the 1992 film comedy 'Sister Act' with a great score by Alan Menken and Glen Slater.  Here is a show with a cast that features absolutely NO WEAK SISTERS. Seldom does an audience get to sit back and simply s...

Lyric Opera's production of 'The Barber of Seville' or 'The Useless Precaution' by Rossini opened Saturday evening at the Kauffman Center in the first of four performances. As is usual for the Lyric, this 'Barber' is slyly updated from the original 1816 version first performed in Rome....

Welcome To Fear City an exhilarating thrill-ride through the burning Bronx of the '70's that brought hip-hop to life. A powerful story of family and community and how one dangerous choice leads to catastrophic results. Part of KCRep's Origin KC: New Works Festival 2017-2018 this creative new play i...

Running through April 29, is a handsomely mounted production of Irish playwright Jacki McCarrick's "Belfast Girls" presented by Fishtank Theatre at the tiny La Esquina Theater.   A cast of eight young women recalls the Earl Grey "Orphan Immigrant Scheme" which facilitated the resettlement of aroun...

The Spinning Tree Theatre production of 'Once On This Island' at the Off Broadway Theatre is ninety minutes of your life worth devoting to some excellent vocal performances and some great dance. The plotline is a little involved, but the experience is so much fun you don't care....

'Vietgone", an exciting new play by Qui Nguyen and directed by Cynthia Levin now performing at the Unicorn Theatre in Kansas City, April 18-May 13, 2018...

'The Coterie Theatre' has opened a new and clever retelling of the classic 1734 English fairy tale about a boy, a giant, and a magic beanstalk. For adults, the enduring charm of 'The Coterie' is seeing a gaggle of squirmy preschoolers and primary schoolers morph into a rapt and respectful audience a...

Zach Faust's second year community theater company opened its new show, 'Band Geeks' May 19th at the Black Box Theatre inside The Johnson County Heritage Center for a three day run.   A young cast tells the story of the forlorn, stereotypical members of a marginalized high school marching band fro...

URINETOWN, THE MUSICAL a production of Barn Players directed by Korey Childs opened to a golden shower of audience applause.  Flush with talent and plumb full of hilarious comedy this 2001 Broadway musical takes a swipe at political mismanagement and corporate greed run amuck. April 19-29, 2018 by ...

Olathe Civic Theatre's current comedy/drama "Superior Donuts", by award-winning playwright Tracy Letts, and directed by Diane Bulan is a tasty, sentiment glazed, box of satisfaction. Now showing through April 22, 2018!...

??'Anna in the Tropics' heats things up at the newly reopened Warwick Theatre in Kansas City. Metropolitan Theatre presents Nilo Cruz award winning play as the inaugural production in their new venue. Running April 12-22 tickets are available online at metkc.org or call 816-569-3226...

Chicago playwright Jerry Hickey offers a first-time production of his pleasant and entertaining new play entitled 'The Mascot' at 'The Living Room Theatre' in the Crossroads near downtown KC.  ...

Community theatre hits a high note with a favorite farcical, fast-paced, irreverent, and funniest musicals ever written - A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. Independence City Theatre winds wit, crafty comedy, salacious slapstick, fast-paced farce for an evening to twists, turns, and mu...

The Beatles (or the next best thing existing) played KC's Kauffman Center this past weekend. The ersatz Fab Four treated a full auditorium to fifty-five memorable Beatles' melodies during their 2012 re-creation entitled 'Let It Be.'...

INFORMED CONSENT now showing at the Unicorn Theatre in Kansas City takes a startling look at the challenges society faces when science clashes with cultural pride and historical faith....

Kansas City Women's Chorus 'ALL THAT KC JAZZ' March 16 & 18 Folly Theater downtown with guest artists Millie Edwards & Kelly Hunt. A concert of classic and contemporary hits that span the depths of blues to the soaring excitement of Jazz....

Sex With Strangers' by Laura Eason at K.C. Repertory Theatre's Copaken Stage downtown is not about what you think it is. Put the sex piece aside.  The 'Sex' is the romantic comedy / tragic / life lesson framework inside of which the real story is constructed.  ...