Kansas City Theatre Newsroom

Connor McPherson’s “Girl from the North Country” enjoyed the Kansas City opening of its first national tour at the Kauffman Center on Tuesday night for a one week residency. McPherson has written and directed a “slice of life” show and filled in the blank spaces with songs from Bob Dylan’s career. “Girl” might be categorized as a “Juke Box” musical like “Jersey Boys” or “Mama Mia,” but this is certainly not that. This is not a musical play about Bob Dylan.

Popular Broadway Musical 'The Prom' is coming to The White Theatre at The J in Kansas City. The show tells the story of a high school student named Emma who fights for her right to bring her girlfriend to prom.

Today, KIDZ BOP, the #1 kids' music brand, and Live Nation announce an all-new tour, KIDZ BOP LIVE 2024, including a stop at Starlight Theatre Thursday, July 20, 2024.

They say you never forget your first.  That was certainly the situation for a former Scotland Yard Police Inspector named Rough (played by John Rensenhouse).  Oddly, Inspector Rough had no known first name. Rough’s first bloody murder case in 1865 remained unsolved fifteen years after the event.

PNC Broadway in Kansas City will present JOHNNY CASH – THE OFFICIAL CONCERT EXPERIENCE. This brand-new concert event is part of the 23–24 PNC BROADWAY IN KANSAS CITY season and will take the Kauffman Center stage Saturday, February 10, 2024 at 2:00 and 7:30 p.m.

“Judgement at Nuremberg” at Metropolitan Ensemble Theatre’s (MET) Warwick Theatre is a fictional rendering of the 1947 Judge’s War Crime Trial held at Nuremberg, Bavaria, Germany. “Judgement at Nuremberg” is a painful remembrance of an attempt to both punish those accountable for the barbarisms committed in the name of the German state and to be consciously impartial in the administration of an accused’s trial rights. Eighteen million people died at the hands of the Third Reich and its National Socialist (NAZI) leaders. Six and a half million of the dead comprised two-thirds of Europe’s Jewish population. It was a determined and deliberate stated goal of genocide of a people. Post war, many of Europe’s surviving Jews fled places they had lived for millenniums in favor of reestablishing a sovereign state in their ancestral homeland where they could finally feel safe. It is ironic that this play opened in Kansas City on the very day that South Africa brought an accusation of genocide against the descendants of the survivors, today’s Israelis, at the International Court of Justice. The play centers on three main characters. One is Dan Heyward, a retired American District Court Judge called to lead a panel of three non-biased jurists in the trial of three NAZI era judicial officials. The second is a renowned German Judge named Ernst Janning. Janning had once sat in the chair similar to America’s Attorney General during pre-NAZI days. The third character is a youngish defense attorney named Oscar Rolfe, a volunteer defender of the estimable Ernst Janning. Janning initially refuses to recognize the authority of the court. It is two years since the end of the war in Europe. The scope of the evil that was done has become clear. The question facing the court is how far down into the German Bureaucracy must consequences for the German people reach? Usual suspects have already been tried, convicted, jailed, executed, or committed suicide. What is left to adjudicate are those who have allowed the worst to happen and why they allowed it. Were they true believers? Were they people who went along in hopes the system would self-correct? Is there any defense for crimes against humanity? Judge Heyward is our eyes as we attempt to understand how this monstrosity that was the Third Reich could have ever happened. “Judgement at Nuremberg” by Abby Mann is sixty-three years-old, yet it mirrors the Donald Trump era in exquisite detail. The arguments put forward in the staged court and from Judge Heyward’s investigation are heard in today’s legal briefs almost word for word. This makes “Judgement” frightening and important for 2024 audiences to see. When you see this play, you will recognize modern, living associates of the past administration mouthing dialog written before they reached their majority. MET has done an excellent job of casting. Director Karen Paisley has choreographed an exquisite twenty-four scene, two-act play in precise detail using minimal, yet effective set pieces. The few conceits adopted for this production work exceptionally well. Most acting is restrained and understated; except for two or three explosions from wholly appropriate characters when needed. Ms. Paisley has incorporated vintage documentary film from the era and what almost seems like a motion picture score backing up the action. “Judgement” is the third iteration of this story by Abby Mann, born Abraham Goodman, a son of Russian Jewish immigrants to the United States. The story first appeared as a television episode of Playhouse 90 in 1957, a feature film in 1961, and this version, a Broadway play in 2001. The Broadway version of “Judgement” was performed a total of fifty-six times. The expanded filmed version recently became available on “Prime Video.” The leading cast members in the MET production are John Clancy as Judge Dan Heywood, Tim Ahlenius as Ernst Janning, and Michael Dragen as Oscar Rolfe. They are backed up by a fine supporting cast. All the characters in this play are products of the playwright’s imagination. They are inspired by similar, real life people. True, historic situations influenced the plot and the legal arguments. “Judgement at Nuremberg” continues at the Warwick Theatre through January 21. Tickets are available at https://www.warwickkc.org/ or by telephone at (816) 569-3226.

Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts has announced that the 11th annual Future Stages Festival will be held on Sunday, June 9, 2024.

Winners have been announced for the 2023 BroadwayWorld Kansas City Awards! See who was selected audience favorite in Kansas City! Winners include Stage Right Performing Arts, The New Theatre Springfield Little Theatre and more.

Kansas City Repertory Theatre continues its 60th Anniversary 2023 - 24 season with a riveting and soul-stirring journey, Nina Simone: Four Women, written by Christina  Ham, and directed by Malkia Stampley.

Theatre Atchison PRO presents PIANO (WO)MAN, a limited one-weekend engagement featuring the songs of Billy Joel & Elton John.

Special Offer: See Women of Note in Words and Song at the Midwest Trust Center

Saturday, January 13 at 8 p.m. – Women of Note in Words and Song is a collaborative performance bringing  together the Heart of America Shakespeare Festival and the Bach Aria Soloists for an all-female program.  The evening includes riveting scenes from Shakespeare’s “Macbeth,” “Hamlet,” “Taming of the Shrew” and more.

Kansas City Actors Theatre presents the classic Victorian thriller 'Gaslight (Angel Street)' by Patrick Hamilton. This edge-of-your-seat thriller starts January 17th at the City Stage in Union Station.

Join us at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts for Trailblazing Talks - 2% Neanderthal: Redrawing Our Family Tree. Discover the latest research on human evolution and our connection to Neanderthals. Don't miss this fascinating exploration of our ancient ancestors.

It's the final week left to vote for the 2023 BroadwayWorld Kansas City Awards! Voting ends on 12/31 at midnight. Don't miss out on making sure that your favorite theatres, stars, and shows get the recognition they deserve!

 PNC Broadway in Kansas City will present the Tony Award®-winning Broadway musical GIRL FROM THE NORTH COUNTRY, as part of the 23–24 PNC BROADWAY IN KANSAS CITY season.

There's just two weeks left to vote and we have the latest standings as of Monday, December 18th for the 2023 BroadwayWorld Kansas City Awards! Don't miss out on making sure that your favorite theatres, stars, and shows get the recognition they deserve!

The Whos return to Theatre in the Park INDOOR this holiday season with 'Seussical The Musical'! Join Dr. Seuss' beloved characters for a family-friendly show from Dec. 8-23 in Overland Park, Kansas.

It's the final 3 weeks and we have the latest standings as of Monday, December 11th for the 2023 BroadwayWorld Kansas City Awards! Don't miss out on making sure that your favorite theatres, stars, and shows get the recognition they deserve!

Starlight is pleased to announce that renowned director, choreographer, and Tony Award recipient Baayork Lee will return to Kansas City's historic stage to direct the classic Broadway musical West Side Story, playing August 20-25, 2024.

All new photos have been released from IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE: a live radio play at Music Theater Heritage.

The sheer spectacle of “Tina” is amazing.  Emphasizing the fact that Tina Turner was one of a kind, the gravely-voiced, sexy, full out singing style of Tina is so stressful on the performer’s voices, this show uses two actresses to play her on alternate evenings. 

Ebenezer Scrooge is a prosperous curmudgeon who believes that personal wealth is far more valuable than the happiness and comfort of others. Scrooge summates his feelings of Christmas tidings and charitable giving, but is forced to face his selfish ways when three ghosts appear to him on Christmas Eve and lead him through his Past, Present, and Future. Music by Broadway heavy hitters Alan Mencken and Lynn Ahrens breathes new life into this classic tale.

 PNC Broadway in Kansas City has announced that single tickets for the smash-hit musical, MJ, will go on sale Friday, December 8 at 10:00 a.m. This production is part of the 23–24 PNC BROADWAY IN KANSAS CITY season and will take the stage at Music Hall for 8 performances May 7–12, 2024.

Lyric Opera of Kansas City has announced a casting update for its upcoming production of Roméo et Juliette. Kansas City native, Tenor Ben Bliss, will replace Matthew White in the role of Roméo.