KANSAS CITY THEATER REVIEWS

Noises Off, the hilarious farce on theater by Michael Frayn, opened Friday night July 18 at the Barn Players in Mission, Kan. Frayn wrote the 1982 play after watching from the wings of a play he had written for Lynn Redgrave. He said, "It was funnier from behind than in front, and I thought that o...

One of the best musical comedies to reach a Kansas City stage this season opened on Saturday July 12 at the White Theatre. Steven Eubank directs Monty Python's Spamalot, with book and lyrics by Eric Idle, music by John Du Prez and Eric Idle, and music direction by Pam Williamson. Eubank appears to...

The hilarious production of Legally Dead opened Thursday June 26 at The Mystery Train, Murder Mystery Dinner Theater. Legally Dead written and directed by Wendy Thompson opened on June 27 and runs through August 16. The Mystery Train utilizes the Golden Ox in Kansas City, Mo. and Californos in Wes...

The world premiere of the Theatre for Young Audiences version of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang opened Friday June 20 at The Coterie Theatre in Crown Center. Ian Fleming the creator of the legendary James Bond spy novels wrote the novel that Roald Dahl adapted. Dahl's adaption became the hit musical MGM ...

The Barn Players Kids presented Disney's Cinderella Kids at the Barn Players Theater located in Mission, Kan. June 17 through June 19. Mack David, Al Hoffman and Jerry Livingston wrote the music and lyrics and Marcy Heisler adapted the book and wrote additional lyrics. Based on a screenplay by Ken...

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Kansas City audiences are fortunate to be highly entertained with a Vegas style show, including magicians, entertainers suspended above the stage, a Liberace impersonator, and the phenomenal Heartland Men's Chorus as they present Vegas Baby at the Folly Theater in Kansas City. Anthony T. Edwards ap...

The world premiere Master of the Universe opened Friday night June 13 at the Living Room Theatre in Kansas City. The science fiction retelling of Georg Buchner's Woyzeck was written and directed by Kyle Hatley. Sean Hogge scored and supervised the music and the epilogue was written by Charles Fuga...

Rhapsody in Gershwin currently plays at the Quality Hill Playhouse in Kansas City, Mo. The musical tribute to George and Ira Gershwin runs through July 6. The Gershwin brothers wrote songs for Broadway, jazz clubs, films, and concert halls in the 1920s and 1930s. The production is part of the Qua...

By the Way, Meet Vera Stark opened on Saturday night June 7 at the Unicorn Theatre in Kansas City, Mo. The play written by Lynn Nottage takes place in 1930's Hollywood, where Vera Stark is a black housekeeper for a Hollywood starlet. Directed by Missy Koonce, Vera Stark lands a part in a movie sta...

Roger and Hammerstein's The King and I opens on Saturday June 7 at the Metropolitan Ensemble Theatre in Kansas City. Karen Paisley directs the musical, and stars as Anna Leonowens. Tim Braselton provides musical direction and the choreography's designed by Matthew King. The King and I is based on...

Watching the play August: Osage County it is easy to understand why it won the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. You only need to watch a few minutes of the Barn Players production to know that you are in for something special. Before the evening is over you realize you are viewing the best dramatic...

A chill went up and down my spine; did I step back in time when I entered through the door? Did I land in Las Vegas, at the Sands watching a show starring the Rat Pack? No, I landed at the hilarious and most entertaining show performed in Kansas City this theatrical season. Sandy Hackett's Rat Pa...

The premiere of Flowers in the Wardrobe currently is playing at the Arts Asylum at 1000 E. 9th in Kansas City, Mo. Produced by Whim Productions and directed by Steven Eubank it is the first full-length production by the theatrical company. Eubank brings his flamboyant comedy style to the show, giv...

A Little Night Music, produced by Spinning Tree Theatre, is now playing at the Off Center Theatre in Crown Center. Michael Grayman directs an immensely talented cast for the play with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by Hugh Wheeler. The musical opened on Broadway in 1973 based on a...

The KC Melting Pot production of White Sangria opened Friday night at the Just Off Broadway Theatre in Kansas City, Mo to a sparse audience. Harvey Williams the founder of the KC Melting Pot, which is in its inaugural season, directs the play written by Arika Larson. The 2011 Kansas City Fringe F...

You get song, you get dance, and the only thing that is missing is seltzer in your pants. The Musical of Musicals: The Musical! is one of the funniest productions to appear on the Quality Hill Playhouse stage. The musical with lyrics by Joanne Bogart, music by Eric Rockwell and stage direction by Ri...

Water by the Spoonful a play by Quiara Alegria Hudes currently runs on the Jerome Stage at the Unicorn Theatre in Kansas City, Mo. The 2012 Pulitzer Prize winner for Drama is the story of an Iraqi war veteran who returns home to discover his mother is running a chat room for recovering addicts. Mar...

If you have seen the current performance of Schoolhouse Rock Live! at The Coterie, or if you have not seen it and are 13 years old or older you should see it again. The best production of The Coterie season gets even better on Saturday nights at 9 p.m. when it is transformed to a teen-adult sing-al...

Board The Mystery Train and ride the rails of comedy to the Funeral for Brother John. Wendy Thompson wrote and directed the latest offering of the dinner theater. The Mystery Train runs through June 7, utilizing three different venues for the dinner and show. The Golden Ox at 1600 Genessee Street...

Steel Magnolias by Robert Harling is currently playing at the Metropolitan Ensemble Theatre in Kansas City, Mo and is one of the best productions to appear on their stage. If you can see only one play this spring, this should be the top of your list. Directed by Marc Liby the play is the comedy-dr...

Follies at the Barn Players in Mission, Kan. is an amusing musical about the demise of the follies and the Weissman Theatre in New York in 1971. Stephen Sondheim wrote the music and lyrics and James Goldman wrote the book for this highly entertaining production. Follies opened on Broadway in 1971 ...

Rock of Ages the theme for Musical Monday, presented by Musical Theater Heritage, played on the stage at the Off Center Theatre on April 14. Kristin Hanggi the Tony Award nominated Broadway director is in Kansas City for the production. Hangii came on stage to talk about the songs and the producti...

Whoever says that learning is not fun, has not seen Schoolhouse Rock Live at the Coterie Theatre in Kansas City? Schoolhouse Rock Live opened Friday night April 11 to a sold-out house. The show is without a doubt the best production of an already fantastic season, but they are not done yet with Ch...

The Harper Lee classic, dramatized by Christopher Sergel, To Kill A Mockingbird opened Saturday April 5 at the White Theatre in Overland Park, Kan. Darren Sextro directs the White Theatre production that runs through April 13. Mary Badham, the actor who starred as Scout in the 1962 film starring G...