KANSAS CITY THEATER REVIEWS

The heart gripping, emotional roller coaster, The Normal Heart opened at the Off Center Theatre in Crown Center on October 3. Larry Kramer wrote the largely autobiographical play that opened in 1985 Off-Broadway and on Broadway in April of 2011. The Normal Heart considered one of the best plays to...

Songs, Scenes & Stories: 40 Years of OCTA opened on Friday night October 3 at the Olathe Civic Theatre Association in Olathe, Kan. Written and compiled by Shelly Stewart Banks, Rebekah Grieb, and Peter Leondedis the program celebrates the 40th birthday of the theatrical company....

Cheek to Cheek, the Songs of Fred Astaire opened the 2014-2015 season for the Quality Hill Playhouse in Kansas City, MO. The season pays homage to the magical music from the movies with their series Hooray for Hollywood....

Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott opened with a roar on Friday September 26 at the Coterie Theatre in Kansas City, Mo. "When you have your hand in the lion's mouth it is best to pat it on the head. . ." The lion is segregation and it is Rosa Parks and the Civil Rights Movement that is patti...

It will make you laugh, make you want to cry, and make you want to see it again, Neil Simon's Lost In Yonkers opened Saturday September 20 at the Metropolitan Ensemble Theatre in Kansas City. Karen Paisley directs the amazing production that marks the 10th season of the theatrical company and their...

Step into the dawning of the Age of Aquarius with Hair now playing at the Barn Players in Mission, Kan. The musical with book and lyrics by Gerome Ragni and James Rado, and music by Galt MacDermot opened Friday September 19 and runs through October 5. The original rock musical opened Off-Broadway ...

Our Town opened the 50th season of the Kansas City Repertory Theatre on Friday September 12 at the Spencer Theater located on the campus of the University of Missouri at Kansas City. Thornton Wilder wrote the 1938 classic and winner of the 1938 Pulitzer Prize for Drama that has weathered time to re...

Nine of the finest voices in Kansas City Theater made their way to the stage of the Off Center Theatre on September 8 to appear on Musical Monday and presented the audience with a night that will not be forgotten. Musical Monday began with only a handful of entertainers, Tim Scott, Jeremy Watson, a...

The Magical Murdery Tour opened on Friday September 5 at the Golden Ox restaurant in Kansas City, Mo. Written by Michael M. Dragen the The Mystery Train production is directed by Wendy Thompson. The Golden Ox and Californos in Westport share the stage for the dinner theater that runs through Octob...

On August 17 Cynthia Levin was honored by the Unicorn Theatre when the Main Stage was renamed the Levin Stage by the Board of Directors and the staff. On Saturday night September 6 the now Levin Stage was christened with one of the best performances to be presented in the 41 seasons of the Unicorn ...

A tear glistened as it rolled down her cheek, and the audience knew they had seen something special. That something special was the opening night of Ghost-Writer at the Quality Hill Playhouse in Kansas City on Saturday August 23. Michael Grayman directs the Spinning Tree Theatre production of Michae...

Closer Than Ever opened Friday night at the Barn Players in Mission, Kan. The play with lyrics by Richard Maltby Jr. and music by David Shire is the yearly musical fundraiser for the Barn Players. On Friday night, Danielle Gibbs with Premiere Designs sold jewelry in the lobby, with 25% of the proc...

Home Grown Theatre and XS Lighting have created one of the first "Green Shows" using entirely LED lighting in Kansas City. Bare: A Pop Opera runs through Wednesday August 13 at the Goppert Theatre on the Avila University campus. Home Grown Theatre Company is a non-profit company run solely by stud...

One enchanted evening is what Kansas City audiences received on opening night of South Pacific, the Musical Theater Heritage production at the Off Center Theatre. Premiering on Broadway in 1949 the musical composed by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II garnered 10 Tony Awards including Best M...

The world premiere of Echoes of Octavia opened Friday August 8 at the Just Off Broadway Theatre in Kansas City, Mo. Harvey Williams directs the Meltingpot KC production that runs through August 24. The premiere concludes the 2013-2014 season for Meltingpot KC that highlighted plays by local female...

If you missed Musical Monday presented by Musical Theatre Heritage on July 28, then you missed one of the best revues of the season. The production was set around the Broadway hit Mame, but that did not mean all the songs were from the Tony Award winning musical....

The World Premiere of Dangerous to Dance With continues at the Off Center Theatre in Crown Center through Saturday July 26. Written by Bill Rogers Dangerous to Dance With is produced in conjunction with the KC Fringe Festival. Diane Bulan directs the Martin Tanner Production starring Victor Raider...

Artistic directors for theaters in Kansas City should take a hard look at A Hard Day's Night currently playing at the Just Off Broadway Theatre in Kansas City. Lot in Life Productions and Vicki Vodrey, the writer and producer for A Hard Day's Night, have produced an intricate, enormously funny 90-m...

Jughead Theatricals brings Sing, Sing, Sing to the stage of the Heartland Forum in Crown Center. Diane Bulan produces Sing, Sing, Sing in conjunction with the KC Fringe Festival. The Heartland Forum is located in the space once occupied by the American Heartland Theatre....

Where The Hell's The Bridesmaid????? Is currently playing at the Heartland Forum in Crown Center. The very humorous melodrama written and directed by Madeline McCrae is one of many productions showing at the old American Heartland Theatre in conjunction with the KC Fringe Festival. In addition to ...

Hello Dolly is currently playing at the Leawood Stage Company located at the Amphitheater at Ironwoods Park in Leawood, Kan. The Matchmaker by Thornton Wilder is the basis for the 1964 production that won a record 10 Tony Awards, including Best Musical. Jerry Herman wrote the music and lyrics for He...

The Kings of Israel an original play by Schaeffer Nelson is playing at the Phosphor Studio in Kansas City. Phil Kinen directed the production in conjunction with the KC Fringe Festival. The festival brings performing arts, visual arts, and dance together for 11 days, giving local artists, performe...

Bad Auditions, conceived and curated by Kevin King and produced by Whim Productions is playing at the Fishtank Performance Studio in Kansas City. The Kansas City Fringe Festival is bringing over 100 performances to the Kansas City area through July 27. Fortunately, for Kansas City the uproarious B...

(Virgin), written by Jesse Ray Metcalf, appears at the Just Off Broadway Theatre in Kansas City for the KC Fringe Festival. Directed by Metcalf and J. Will Fritz the play is a dark comedy centering on a chastity belt, sex, drugs, and a catholic schoolgirl....

Girl on Girl, 3 Quickies in One Hour, opened Saturday July 19 at the Just Off Broadway Theatre in Kansas City. The play is part of the Kansas City Fringe Festival, which runs through July 27. Andre Du Broc directs Girl on Girl a Playing Field Production. The show is a compilation of three short p...