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Luscious sounds of the Lyric Arts Trio
Tue, Aug 31, 2010
The Lyric Arts Trio showcased very good taste; their program, including a world premiere by Jean Belmont Ford, was enjoyable from start to finish for both the performers and audience.
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Masked production of a new noir
Tue, Aug 24, 2010
The newest venture for Stephanie Roberts, one of the 2010 Charlotte Street Foundation Generative Performing Awards Fellows, integrated two traditionally formulaic genres—classic noir and commedia dell'arte—in "The Mask of the Broken Heart."
Music and Dance Fall Preview
Mon, Aug 02, 2010
August may be a slow month for classical music performances in Kansas City, but the good news is that many of our local classical music and dance performing organizations are gearing up to begin their seasons in earnest in September.
The late, great Buddy Holly
Tue, Jul 06, 2010
"Buddy - A Buddy Holly Story" has an interesting history. Paul McCartney, who owned the rights to Buddy Holly’s music, was unhappy with the movie made about Holly’s life, so he decided to support a new London production (which was conceived in an English pub) and helped pitch it to a West End producer. It was a hit, becoming the longest-running show ever in the West End, well before it ever came to American soil. New Theatre Restaurant has a great new production about the four-eyed rock-n-roller. Starting with Buddy Holly’s early career, the show highlights important events in his life and in his rise to stardom. And of course, his music.
KCM VID: Gamelan Genta Kasturi
Tue, Jun 15, 2010
Gamelan is the orchestral musical tradition of Indonesia and involves a large group of metallophones, gongs and drums that perform alone or with dance. Gamelan Genta Kasturi is an eighteen-member community ensemble that operates in partnership with the UMKC Conservatory's Community Music & Dance Academy.
Splendid music in the grass
Tue, Jun 15, 2010
The fifth annual Symphony in the Flints Hills went on as scheduled this past Saturday, June 12, despite the threat of storms throughout the day and the buckets of rain that fell everywhere but on Ed Bass’s flint hills ranch, Bluestem Cattle Company, in Bazaar, Kansas. Over 6000 people descended on the prairie, traveling unimproved gravel and dirt roads to reach the South Clements Pasture and get in touch with nature—complete with porta-potties.
Duquesne Tamburitzans return to KC after two decade hiatus
Mon, Jun 14, 2010
Kansas City was treated to a kaleidoscope of colorful, multi-cultural Eastern European ethnic music and dance when the Duquesne Tamburitzans returned to perform after almost 20 years. Now in their 73rd year, the Tamburitzans are the longest running live stage show in the US, and have close ties with descendants of Eastern Europe in the Kansas City area.
Kansas City's new voice
Tue, Jun 01, 2010
This past Saturday, the Simon Carrington Chamber Singers (SCCS) presented two concerts of "Go, Song of Mine," a program full of high-quality music that focused on British composers. The assembled choir, consisting of singers from around the country - most with Kansas City roots - displayed near-flawless execution and seamless blending. Carrington is an excellent leader whose gestures were an effective blend of clear patterns and shaping that were never self-indulgent or extravagant and always in good taste.
Wylliams/Henry embraces art, history and emotion
Tue, May 25, 2010
Last weekend the Wylliams/Henry Contemporary Dance Company presented a standout spring program. They offered up styles from modern to contemporary and even some Southern grooves. Showing off diversity and adept storytelling ability, the Company exhibited what they do best.
She is the light in the piazza
Tue, May 25, 2010
Adapted from Elizabeth Spencer's 1960 novella of the same name, MET artistic director Karen Paisley takes center stage as Margaret Johnson, a 1950s mother thrust into "protective mode" when her simple and naïve daughter falls in love with a local boy while vacationing in Italy in "The Light in the Piazza."
Beginnings and endings for the KC Symphony
Tue, May 18, 2010
Friday night was an emotional evening for the Kansas City Symphony. This weekend marked the final Classical Series performance for ten-year veteran concertmistress Kanako Ito and the official Classical Series debut performance for Associate Conductor Steven Jarvi.
Unsteady rhythm
Tue, May 18, 2010
Jean Belmont Ford's two works were the most successful of the evening for the KC Chorale. The 'Magnificat' from "Electa" was the set-piece of the concert and rightfully so. More Salome-esque, Delilah-ish than Mary-like, the exotic rhythms played on bass drum and timpano were highlighted by a seductive, sultry solo sung by Rebecca Lloyd. Progressing from the exotic, through more traditional choral writing, and finally ending with vocal effects, the piece was a stunning sonic journey.
A vivacious finale
Wed, May 12, 2010
The Kansas City Ballet presented a fanfare last Thursday evening for the opening performance of their Spring Performance. The program consisted of four very different works; including two brand new contemporary creations, a classical pas de deux from the Ballet's earliest days, and a KC Ballet premiere of a jazzy favorite.
Resurrecting Clérambault
Tue, May 11, 2010
Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church may just be one of the best venues to hear Baroque music in Kansas City. Hearing the Kansas City Collegium Vocale directed by Ryan Board and the Kansas City Baroque Consortium directed by Trilla-Ray Carter in the beautiful and resonant space for the first time, I was struck by the fact that one doesn't need to go to the Boston Early Music Festival to hear rich and rewarding programming.
The faster we swim, the faster we win
Mon, May 10, 2010
Heralded as the latest "girl-friend" show, "The Dixie Swim Club" is now showing at the American Heartland Theatre. Much like "Steel Magnolias," the story introduces five women who share a long-lasting friendship
Quality Hill swings through Harry Warren tribute
Tue, May 04, 2010
There are a few things of which one can always be certain when attending a performance at Quality Hill Playhouse: First: the performance will be crisp, clear, impeccably rehearsed and skillfully managed. Second: pianist, singer, director and raconteur Kent Barnhart will charm the socks off the audience and play the keyboard like a house afire. Third: the evening will be full of wonderful familiar standards from the American Songbook.
Premiere performance by KCCO
Sun, May 02, 2010
With a program of modern classics for chamber orchestra and a world premiere, the Kansas City Chamber Orchestra performed in the sanctuary of the Old Mission United Methodist Church last Thursday. During the pre-concert talk, director Bruce Sorrell enthusiastically described the program as "lovely....not Baroque and not Classical" and gave the audience some personal insight into the evening's performance.
Imaginings fly high with Owen/Cox
Tue, Apr 27, 2010
The Owen/Cox Dance Group performed in front of a full house last Saturday night at the City Stage Theater at Union Station. Although the audience was a small one, everyone gathered in the intimate theater seemed to thoroughly enjoy themselves. The project was certainly unique and the creative minds behind it fashioned an imaginative interpretation of an historical event falling face first into a classic story.
Italian favorites with the VBO
Tue, Apr 27, 2010
Both jovial and regal in its sound, the Venice Baroque Orchestra clearly takes pure pleasure in what it does and has a deep respect for Baroque music. They play with vigor and exuberance, sometimes to their detriment, yet there is no question that this is an exceedingly talented group of musicians.
Visionary "Venice"
Tue, Apr 27, 2010
In "Venice," Rosen and Sax manage to deliver a work that feels visionary and ahead of its time. In one fell swoop – and notwithstanding all of the vibrancy that Rosen has already brought to The Rep since 2007 – "Venice" is the quantum leap that has every potential to redraw the map of Kansas City theatre
UMKC's Spring Dance is a wild ride
Tue, Apr 20, 2010
The best two works of the night were saved for the end - just like the biggest loops and scariest turns come at the end of an amusement park ride, leaving you wanting more and more...
The State of the Arts in Missouri
Tue, Apr 13, 2010
Last week, the Senate Appropriations Committee did preliminary mark-up for the budget and Chairman Rob Mayer asked that the line item for the Missouri Arts Council and the four Cultural Partners - public broadcasting, humanities, historic preservation, and libraries be cut to ZERO and closed for further debate. YOU can make a difference - contact your Senator and tell them "the arts are good for the economy and for the citizens of Missouri."
A map of your world
Mon, Apr 12, 2010
What would the map of your life look like? Not your family tree…but the map of “you”? Reflecting on that map, would you like what you saw? And what might Schrödinger's Cat, parallel universes and the particle-wave theory have to do with that analysis? Such are the end-of-life reflections that face 76-year-old Jack Armstrong – and reflections that make the MET's "Mappa Mundi" more than the average thinking-person’s dramatic comedy.
Kronos defines the modern quartet
Mon, Apr 05, 2010
For more than 30 years, the Kronos Quartet has been expanding the range and context of traditional quartet music. Through long-running collaborations with today's foremost composers, they have released more than 45 recordings that celebrates the breadth of their creative vision. KCM's Lee Hartman recently spoke with first violinist, David Harrington about his music-making and their upcoming performance at the Lied Center.
Imani Winds is a breath of fresh air
Tue, Mar 30, 2010
The New York City woodwind quintet Imani Winds is perfect blend of individual personalities, accomplishments and sheer talent. During last weekend's UMKC Signature Series performance, it was wonderful to see a traditional chamber ensemble express such exuberance for new music.
Cool start, sensational finish
Tue, Mar 23, 2010
The snow storm on Saturday night cast a potent curse on the Lyric Opera's performance of Verdi's "Rigoletto." The production was, however, worth the extra effort it took to navigate treacherous roads to downtown, and Kansas City was again fortunate to enjoy world-class performances from star singers.
Bossa nova at the Folly
Tue, Mar 16, 2010
After a seemingly endless winter in Kansas City, the idea of taking a sojourn to Brazil seemed like a godsend - even if the only way to accomplish that was vicariously through masters of the bossa nova. For the few hundred lucky jazz lovers who ventured downtown to the Folly Theater last Saturday, a vacation to the tropics wasn't such an arduous trek after all.
Love, spring and a world premiere
Tue, Mar 09, 2010
Charles Bruffy and the Kansas City Chorale staged a spring concert this weekend. The "Sing to Love" theme combined with timely references to the eagerly-awaited season nicely colored the lengthy program. The ensemble sounded in top shape and delivered a diverse yet thoughtfully unified collection of memorable pieces.
KC Ballet revisits collection of comprehensive works
Wed, Mar 03, 2010
The KC Ballet covered all the bases in its winter repertoire performance Thursday night at the Lyric Theatre. The Midwestern company, which is making a national name for itself, offered selections of ballet, contemporary, African and modern in a diverse showing.
Aging in living color
Tue, Mar 02, 2010
Once in a great while, a work –whether a symphony, play, book, or even a movie –comes along that makes you sit up and take notice. Saturday evening, at the Kansas City Repertory’s Copaken Stage, I had such an experience with "Broke-ology."
World-class talent Kansas City style
Mon, Feb 22, 2010
A KCM VID Interview: Fresh from his electrifying win of the 2009 London International Piano Competition Grand Prize at the age of 18—the youngest winner in the history of the competition—Behzod Abduraimov joins Van Cliburn International Piano Competition Gold Medal winner Stanislav Ioudenitch in concert on March 5.
What's not to love?
Mon, Feb 15, 2010
The Fine Arts Chorale knows how to show an audience a good time. "Heartfelt Voices: Our Ode to St. Valentine's Day" blended a fresh, exciting program of love songs with art by Jenny Hahn, chocolate from Andres along with wine and a bit of bubbly courtesy of Rimann liquors.
Reclaiming the body
Tue, Feb 09, 2010
In the world of dance, there is a movement to reclaim the body... and that movement was amply exhibited in "A Modern Night at the Folly." The audience experienced choreography that wrestled with breaking limits as well as choreography that challenged acquiring limits.
"Around the World in 80 Days"
Wed, Feb 03, 2010
From the vantage point of a wired, Googled, You-Tubed, Twittering world, where circumnavigating the globe can be done in less than 80 minutes, it was fun to be transported back to a time when performing such a feat in 80 days was considered a quantum leap in world travel.
Mark O'Connor's "Hot Swing" breathes new life into gypsy jazz
Tue, Jan 26, 2010
"Hot Swing" at the Folly Theatre coincided with the 100th birthday celebration of Django Reinhardt, who before passing away in 1953, helped shape the "gypsy jazz" sound.
"Thank You Gregory" remembers past dance greats
Wed, Jan 20, 2010
Think of Gregory Hines and you think of tap dancing. He brought excitement, nostalgia and the itch to tap at the Carlsen Center last Saturday night. Of course, the late great hoofer was not actually there, but his legacy was close at heart.
Breathtaking Beethoven
Tue, Jan 12, 2010
Hearing the Takács String Quartet is an exercise in ear training. They have that polished, burnished and seamless sound that comes when four musicians play with orchestral unity and unselfish responsibility to one another.
"Reflections" on modern music
Tue, Jan 05, 2010
This will be the first time that some of us - make that nearly all of us - will have the opportunity to hear Menachem Wiesenberg's music when "Reflections" makes its U. S. premiere with the Kansas City Symphony this weekend. David Peironnet talked with the composer about 'new' classical music and his new work.
Second half of the season is star-studded
Tue, Dec 29, 2009
A preview some of the outstanding classical music and dance performances to watch for during the rest of the 2010 season.
"The Nutcracker" proves again why it is an enduring KC tradition
Tue, Dec 22, 2009
Kansas City Ballet's "The Nutcracker" is a timeless, classic production and has become a well-deserved local Christmas tradition. For the most part, the production remains the same from year to year - Tchaikovsky's score and Todd Bolender's choreography - even the scenery and costumes haven't changed much in the past several years. What makes each performance unique and exciting - or not - is the performer's interpretations. A dance review.
Lessons and Carols from No Man's Land
Tue, Dec 15, 2009
Christmas is the time of 'Lessons and Carols' - lessons coming from the Biblical tradition and carols first intoduced by St. Francis of Assisi in the 13th century, becoming popular throughout Europe in the 15th century. The male vocal ensemble, Cantus joined with Theater LatteDa of Minneapolis Friday night at Yardley Hall to teach a lesson of a different sort with carols from all over Europe.
The weather may be frightful, but the music is so delightful
Tue, Dec 08, 2009
Once again the KC music and dance scene is overflowing with riches this weekend - and merits top billing on KCMetropolis. It is impossible to cover - or attend - everything, but here is a hearty list for your consideration.
"A Christmas Story" has Broadway on its wish list
Mon, Nov 30, 2009
After the Kansas City Repertory Theatre's 29-year run of performing "A Christmas Carol," Eric Rosen, in only his 2nd full season as its artistic director, deserves a theatric medal of valor for breaking with three decades of tradition to stage this new musical.
Nationalist themes carry the night
Wed, Nov 25, 2009
"Lost Souls" was commissioned by the Kansas City Symphony from Avner Dorman who wrote the work for pianist, Alon Goldstein. The final product was a perfect melding of orchestra - with a phenomenal interpretation by Maestro Stern - composition and performance: it was at once Stern's work, and Goldstein's work, and, ultimately, Dorman's work.
Grimm never more grand
Tue, Nov 24, 2009
Hänsel and Gretel lost in the Missouri Ozarks? It turns out that the German classic by the Gebrüder Grimm transcends time and place just fine, the Opera Department of the UMKC Conservatory superbly demonstrated this weekend in their production with four performances at White Recital Hall. In fact, Grimm has never sounded more grand.
David Parsons' unforgettable "Remember Me"
Wed, Nov 18, 2009
Wow. Native son David Parson's Parson Dance with members of the East Village Opera Company presented an amazing evening of music and dance at the Folly Theater last Friday as part of the Harriman Jewell Series. The performance is still seared into my brain days later.
"H.M.S. Pinafore" is a great escape
Tue, Nov 10, 2009
There is nothing like a Gilbert and Sullivan getaway to escape reality and "H.M.S. Pinafore" handily transports an audience. In the world of the G and S operetta, social class conflicts are easily resolved, baby farming is explained without difficulty and the coarse language of everyday is discouraged in favor of refined, elegant dialogue.
Dame Emma Kirkby is still spritely at sixty
Tue, Nov 03, 2009
Dame Emma Kirkby reminds me of Shakespeare's Queen Mab, that mythological fairy that makes mischief in people's dreams. Taking the Polsky Theatre stage at Johnson County Community College last Friday night with lutenist Jakob Lindberg, she presented the music of John Dowland and Henry Purcell.
"Secret Voices" was a bonfire for the soul
Mon, Oct 26, 2009
Last Saturday night, while streets were blocked to crowds watching the bonfires of WaterFire float down Brush Creek, an intimate crowd of ancient music lovers gathered at the Visitation Catholic Church for a journey within. There the serenely scintillating voices of Anonymous 4 imparted the cloistered incantations of 13th century royal Castilian nuns in a bonfire for the soul.
Women shine bright in KC Ballet's fall performance
Tue, Oct 20, 2009
Kansas City Ballet's first performance of its 52nd season offered a mix of everything - two classical excerpts, a contemporary pas de deux and a local favorite. Audience members who did their homework knew they were in for a treat because three of the four pieces were Kansas City Ballet premieres.