John Clancy News

What did our critic think of MEAN GIRLS at Robinson Center?

See photos of the Broadway company of The Notebook meeting the press!

Watch as the cast of the Broadway musical The Notebook discusses the show's themes!

Direct from Broadway, Mean Girls is the hilarious hit musical from an award-winning creative team, including book writer Tina Fey (30 Rock), composer Jeff Richmond (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt), lyricist Nell Benjamin (Legally Blonde), and original director and choreographer CASEY NICHOLAW (The Book of Mormon).

Check out rehearsal photos for The Notebook on Broadway!

“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.

Shrek The Musical is coming to the Fisher Theatre in August. Learn how to purchase tickets!

Rehearsals have begun for the new Broadway musical The Notebook, based on the bestselling novel by Nicholas Sparks that inspired the iconic film.

KIMBERLY AKIMBO, winner of the 2023 Tony Award for Best Musical, has announced its final Broadway performance and we have all the details.

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!

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!

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!

It's December, and the first standings of the month have been announced as of Tuesday, December 5th 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!

Today’s subject Jeanine Tesori is a two-time Tony Award winning composer whose work spans the gamut from large scale and chamber musicals for Broadway to grand opera and beyond. Her holiday children’s opera The Lion, The Unicorn and Me premiered ten years ago at Kennedy Center as a commission for Washington National Opera (WNO). The work will be returning to Kennedy Center’s Terrace Theater for a one weekend four performance engagement on December 8th through 10th.

An all-new version of SHREK THE MUSICAL will depart Duloc to embark on a cross-country national tour in February 2024.  Find out where to catch the show in a city near you!

Happy Holidays! The latest wave of standings have been announced as of Monday, November 27th 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!

Full casting has been announced for the Broadway company of The Notebook, the new musical based on the bestselling novel by Nicholas Sparks that inspired the iconic film. Find out who is joining the new musical here!

Five new recordings have earned nominations for Best Musical Theatre Album at the 2024 Grammy Awards, including: Kimberly Akimbo, Parade, Shucked, Some Like It Hot, and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Listen to all of them here!

The nominations for the 2024 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theatre Album are out! Discover the nominees for Best Musical Theatre Album at the 2024 GRAMMY Awards, including SWEENEY TODD, PARADE, and more. Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, and more were also nominated for GRAMMYS.

Get the latest updates on the Broadway musical adaptation of 'The Notebook.' Discover the cast, including Joy Woods and Ryan Vasquez, and find out the opening date and venue details.