BLUE VALLEY WEST THEATRE

by Alan Portner - January 22, 2026

“Kimberly Akimbo” is a tiny, idiosyncratic musical with a cast of only nine actors that somehow manages to share the full Broadway experience with its opening night audience at Kansas City’s Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts.  ...

by Alan Portner - December 01, 2025

Overland Park, KS — The New Theatre & Restaurant has built its reputation on polished, crowd-pleasing comedies, and its latest production of Nobody’s Perfect keeps that tradition humming along with bright energy and old-fashioned farce. This show is a four-hander with a super cast starring Jim O’Hei...

by Andrew Burrill - November 30, 2025

What did our critic think of A CHRISTMAS CAROL AT KANSAS CITY REPERTORY THEATRE at Kansas City Repertory Theatre – Spencer Theatre, UMKC Campus?...

by Steve Wilson - November 29, 2025

MAXINE’S CHRISTMAS CAROL opened Friday night, November 28th, to an eruption of laughter inside The City Stage, located at Union Station in Kansas City, MO....

by Alan Portner - November 24, 2025

Titanic… An Immersive Experience. The Exhibit has opened at Union Station for a multi-month run through April of 2026.   The key word is “Immersive.”  “Immersion” means that audience members are meant to feel like they are part of the experience.  The Titanic Immersion Voyage is the next logical st...

by Alan Portner - November 20, 2025

The national tour of “& Juliet” opened Tuesday night for a run through Sunday at the Kansas City Music Hall with enough voltage to transform the theater into a full-color pop arena.  “& Juliet” is a clever take and reimaging of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet.”  It is funny.  It is hip! It is hugely...

by Alan Portner - November 04, 2025

“Hello, Dolly!” is a crown jewel of American Musical Theatre.  “Dolly” is a jubilant blend of romantic comedy, brassy optimism, and showstopping choreography. Opening night for the White Theatre production of “Dolly” was so surprising and memorable that it earned itself a five-star rating from this...

by Steve Wilson - October 06, 2025

Happy anniversary, Rocky. You turned fifty this year! THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW, a cult classic, opened in 1975, two years after the musical stage production opened in the United Kingdom. This is the 10th year that Padgett Productions has produced THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW in Kansas City. It is also...

by Alan Portner - September 22, 2025

What Audiences at New Theatre’s new production of “Alone Together” experience an immediate, hilarious sense of “Been There… Done That…” and identify mostly with George and Helene, the lead characters....

by Alan Portner - September 20, 2025

“Stuff of Dreams” is a locally written and produced original musical play within a play. It is offered by the writing team of writing team of Barbara Nichols and Krista Eyler. Eyler is also responsible for conjuring the musical score. ...