Michael Gray News

As spectacular as the lights of the Aurora Borealis, that is how Spinning Tree Theatre lit up the stage on opening night of Fiddler on the Roof at the Just Off Broadway Theatre. Jerry Bock wrote the music, Sheldon Harnick the lyrics, and Joseph Stein the book for Fiddler on the Roof, a musical based on Tevye and his Daughters (or Tevye the Dairyman) and others stories written by Sholem Aleichem.

A line from the play best describes Black Pearl Sings when Susannah Mullally says, "Pearl is a pearl." Black Pearl Sings opened on Saturday March 7 at the Just Off Broadway Theatre in Kansas City, Missouri. The production marks two firsts for Spinning Tree Theatre, the production of a local playwright and the first time the company utilized a director outside the organization.

Below are March's events at Bookworks. For more information visit, bkwrks.com/event.

Hale Centre Theatre (HCT) brings the classic, well-known love story based on the 1990 film into the New York City of 2015. Audiences will be charmed by the dynamic music, urban set design, and theater magic. GHOST THE MUSICAL plays tonight, February 20 through Saturday, April 11.

Spinning Tree Theatre in Kansas City announced their 2015-2016 season schedule, which includes two plays and two musicals. The season will premiere Spinning Trees first dance musical. Venues and dates for the 2015-2016 season are to be announced later. The production company is currently searching for a permanent home, after four years of renting venues in the Kansas City area.

Hale Centre Theatre (HCT) brings the classic, well-known love story based on the 1990 film into the New York City of 2015. Audiences will be charmed by the dynamic music, urban set design, and theater magic. GHOST THE MUSICAL plays Friday, February 20 through Saturday, April 11.

?Hale Centre Theatre (HCT) is ringing in the New Year with the long-lost production of Is He Dead? written by American author Mark Twain. The play was 'rediscovered' in a drawer of Twain's forgotten works at the University of California at Berkeley in 2001. It has since appeared on Broadway and will hit HCT's stage tonight, December 31, 2014, through Saturday, February 7, 2015.

It's your last week to vote for the 2014 BroadwayWorld Delaware Regional Awards! Check out the latest live stats as of December 26th. Voting closes at the end of the year, in under one week!

Time is ticking on your last chance to vote for the 2014 BroadwayWorld Delaware Regional Awards! Check out the latest live stats as of December 19th. Voting closes at the end of the year!

?Hale Centre Theatre (HCT) is ringing in the New Year with the long-lost production of Is He Dead? written by American author Mark Twain. The play was "rediscovered" in a drawer of Twain's forgotten works at the University of California at Berkeley in 2001. It has since appeared on Broadway and will hit HCT's stage Wednesday, December 31, 2014, through Saturday, February 7, 2015.

Voting has now opened for the 2014 BroadwayWorld Delaware Regional Awards! Check out the latest live stats as of December 4th.

City Theater Company gets their Irish up for the 21st season, opening in December with a reimagined staging of James Joyce's The Dead. Richard Nelson won the Tony Award for Best Musical Book in 2000 for his adaptation of the short story that closes out Joyce's seminal collection The Dubliners. The music is by Shaun Davey, with lyrics conceived and adapted by Richard Nelson and Shaun Davey.

Voting has now opened for the 2014 BroadwayWorld Delaware Regional Awards! Check out the latest live stats as of December 4th.

Voting has now opened for the 2014 BroadwayWorld Delaware Regional Awards! Check out the latest live stats as of November 25th.

Each time I think that the performing arts in Kansas City cannot get any better Spinning Tree Theatre opens another production and proves there is no limit to the highest quality shows available to local audiences. Opening night for Violet at the Just Off Broadway Theatre on Saturday November 8 was no exception, as some of the most talented actors in the area delighted the audience with another outstanding performance.

City Theater Company gets their Irish up for the 21st season, opening in December with a reimagined staging of James Joyce's The Dead. Richard Nelson won the Tony Award for Best Musical Book in 2000 for his adaptation of the short story that closes out Joyce's seminal collection The Dubliners. The music is by Shaun Davey, with lyrics conceived and adapted by Richard Nelson and Shaun Davey.

The Spinning Tree Theatre production of the musical Violet opens at the Off Broadway Theatre November 6. Michael Grayman and Andy Parkhurst co-direct the Kansas City premiere, which is one of the first regional theatres to secure the rights to the musical. Angie Benson provides the musical direction and leads a five-piece orchestra.

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 Michael Hollinger's Ghost-Writer. The production opens the 2014-2015 season for Spinning Tree, and if this is an indication of the remainder of the season, it is going to be a marvelous ride.

Andy Parkhurst the Managing Director of the Spinning Tree Theatre announced the cast for the upcoming 2014-2015 season. The theatrical production company expands their season to four shows for the first time. Spinning Tree will present three Kansas City premieres during the season.

The Kansas City debut of Michael Hollinger's play Ghost-Writer comes to the Spinning Tree Theatre August 22 through September 7. Artistic Director Michael Grayman directs the production being staged at the Quality Hill Playhouse, 303 W. 10 Street.