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By Don Dagenais   Wed, Jan 21, 2009

Kansas City's own Joyce DiDonato, now a world-famous mezzo, put her estimable coloratura and dramatic talents on display January 21 at a Harriman-Jewell recital at the Folly Theater with the French baroque instrumental ensemble Les Talens Lyriques.

Each time DiDonato appears here, she seems to have gained not only in vocal pyrotechnics but also in dramatic stage presence. In this concert, her convincing dramatic and acting abilities added almost more to the sense of fury and anger in these selections as did her impressive singing of Handel fireworks from her new recording, Furore! Handel Opera Arias.

The theme of the recording - and the program - was songs of anger or fury sung by characters from Handel operas. The excerpts were largely laments or arias of vengeance composed by Handel to be sung by the male heroes in his operas, often sung in those days by castratos, the castrated males who were so popular in European opera houses of the day. The range of the castrato singer was similar to that of today's mezzo-soprano, which is why singers such as DiDonato find these selections so fitting to their voices.

Most of DiDonato's arias were tortured, angry pieces of music, spitting venom and vengeance in equal measure.  They call for guttural roars in the lower register - almost growls - and spectacular trills, leaps, glissandos and throw-away high notes in the higher register. In every respect DiDonato was more than up to the task, occasionally sacrificing tonal beauty for dramatic effect, but in each instance, portraying the anguish or fury of the character with apt characterization.

The three selections from Handel's early Teseo (1713) to open the program displayed the trademark DiDonato perfection in the rapid sixteenth-note passages.  No scooping or sliding here - every note was perfectly placed and absolutely in tune, no matter how rapidly she sang. Her portrayal of her characters' overly wrought emotional states continued with arias from Imeneo (1740) and Serse (1737), whose "Crude furie" was probably the most spectacular coloratura number of the evening, coupled with DiDonato's outstretched arms, tortured facial expressions and an occasional clasping of the temples. 

Les Talens Lyriques, formed 18 years ago by Christopher Rousset, the conductor of the performance, grew out of his experience with the baroque ensemble Les Arts Florissants and his love of early music, particularly opera. The 18-piece ensemble showed its obvious affection for this music in several instrumental interludes, including the overtures fromImeneo and Hercules (1745), a fine chaconne from Il Pator Fido (1734) and a passacaglia from Rodrigo (1707). The Hercules overture was particularly impressive, as the eighteen musicians made the majestic score with its grand closing fugue sounded like it was being produced by a much larger band.

Individual members of the ensemble were featured in several of the accompaniments, particularly the fine oboist Joseph Domenech in the second Teseo aria and Rhoda Patrick, bassoonist, in DiDonato's selection from Ariodante. In addition, first violinist Stephanie Paulet showed off a fine talent in her solos in a passacaglia from Rodrigo.

In the program's second half DiDonato featured a famous aria from Ariodante (1734) with slow, anguished arching phrases complete with floating pianissimos, and then finished with two spectacular demonstrations of vocal pyrotechnics from Handel's late workHercules, the only oratorio selections on the program (the others were all from Handel's Italian opera period), and thus the only ones sung in English.

By the end of the program the audience was nearly exhausted, as was the singer, and so for her two encores DiDonato treated the crowd to works of different nature, although both still by Handel, demonstrating that composer's remarkable ability to characterize different emotional states in music. 
The first was the slow and hauntingly beautiful "Ombra mai fu" from Serse, better known as the "Largo," an aria sung (of all things) to a tree. Many singers have given us this familiar tune on a variety of recordings over the years, but this listener has never heard it sung more beautifully.

In her second and final encore, DiDonato treated the crowd to an aria of jubilation, "Dopo notte" from the final act of Ariodante, a piece much different from the more anguished lament from the same opera which she has sung earlier in the evening.

The standing ovation for both singer and ensemble was richly deserved. After departing Kansas City from this recital DiDonato and company were to take this same show on the road to Carnegie Hall. We were glad to have heard it first in Kansas City.
 

REVIEW:
Harriman-Jewell Series
Joyce DiDonato and Les Talens Lyriques
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Folly Theater 
www.harriman-jewell.org

By Lee Goodman   Wed, Jan 14, 2009

 Joshua Bell is probably one of the three or four most well known classical violinists today (I don't count Andre Rieu whose videos are ubiquitous on PBS during pledge time as a classical violinist-Mr. Bell is the 'substance' to the 'show' of Mr. Rieu).  However, Bell is more than just a pretty face.  This guy has it all.  Interesting recital programs, impeccable and virtuosic technique and most importantly, he makes something of the music he is playing.  Many artists can play the notes but Mr. Bell puts thought behind them.  And you know he is thinking of not merely the next note, but how this phrase connects to the next phrase and how those many phrases make up the whole of a movement so that it becomes a complete work and just not a succession of notes.

First up on the program was the Janácek Sonata for Violin and Piano, JW VII/7. Truthfully, I had never heard this work until I checked out a copy of it from the library.  I listened to the recording diligently in hopes that it would hit me or at least, it would hit me when I heard Bell play it.   While I think Bell played it as well as it could be played, I think it's somewhat of a musical dud despite two lovely secondary melodies in the second and fourth movements.  If you loved it, feel free to let me know why it moved you.

The first half concluded with one of my favorite violin sonatas and one of the great masterpieces of the violin sonata literature, the Brahms Sonata No. 3 in D Minor, Op. 108.  While most violin sonatas are in three movements (as are Brahms' earlier ones), Brahms obviously was so overflowing with music he needed four movements to contain his inspiration.  I always think of Brahms as richly harmonic rhythmically vital and filled with beautiful melodies.  This sonata exemplifies exactly what I think of when I think of Brahms.  It opens with a strong opening movement with lots of syncopation and a flowing melody which leads into a second movement that features one of Brahms' most beautiful long breathed melodies.  The third movement is dance-like and rhythmically complicated - the relative calm before the storm of the last movement.  

Bell maintained a beautiful singing tone, even in the most frenzied passages.  He cut through the dense harmonies of the piano, but did not stint on the drama.  I just love hearing two excellent artists playing off one another in one of my favorite works.

Before I forget, I'd like to comment on the accompanist, Jeremy Denk.  This is a first-class pianist with a first-class career of his own - but not just because he is an accompanist for Joshua Bell.  Without dismissing pianists who make excellent livings as accompanists,  I admire any soloist who chooses a pianist with a significant career in his own right.  Such a pianist will contribute his own ideas and not be subservient to the big soloist; and the sum of two first rate artists will be greater than the two individual parts.  Denk was no exception.  I particularly enjoyed his interpretation of the Brahms and thought he made several fine musical points on his own which further served to heighten my enjoyment of the work.  

Further raising Denk and Bell in this writer's estimation was that the piano had its lid fully raised.  Many soloists have the piano lid only on the short stick for fear the piano will drown them out.  In my opinion, any soloist who cannot be heard with a raised piano lid needs to consider another career.  

Jeremy Denk performed last spring with the Kansas City Symphony and it would be nice to hear a solo recital here someday.  Check out his website www.jeremydenk.net  He has many interesting things to say about various musical works and especially the two Brahms piano concertos.  
Following intermission, Bell returned for a solo work, Eugène Ysaÿe's Violin Sonata No. 2 in A Minor, Op. 27.  Ysaÿe wrote six sonatas for solo violin and dedicated each one of them to a leading violinist of the day.  Any solo work for stringed instrument (like the Bach Violin Sonatas and Partitas, Paganini's Caprices, the Kodaly Solo Cello Sonata) takes guts to program on a recital.  The soloist is completely exposed with no accompanist to provide support. The Ysaÿe solo sonatas are highly virtuosic and rarely played because they are so intimidating.  Bell played No. 3 here in 1997 and that was the first time I had ever heard one of them played in public - and this recital was the second time.  The Violin Sonata No. 2, in four movements, begins with quotations from Bach and maybe a few other works I cannot place.  Then the rest of the movement and the other three movements are basically sets of variations on the famous Dies Irae theme. 

Dies Irae or "Days of Wrath", was used in the Catholic Requiem Mass and is thought to date back to the 13th century.  It was informative of Bell to demonstrate the Dies Iraetheme before he performed this work so that the audience could listen for it during the variations.  Other composers have used this theme in their works.  Just a few off the top of my head are Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique, Liszt's Totentanz, Saint Saens' Danse Macabre, Rachmaninoff in his symphonies, Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini and Isle of the Dead, Britten's War Requiem, and Sondheim's Sweeney Todd (in this writer's opinion, the greatest opera written in the last 50 years).

It's hard to tell which movement is more difficult because they run the gamut of virtuoso violin techniques.  Trying to keep track of the Dies Irae theme throughout, is a challenge made to the listener but Bell always kept it clear.  He showed immaculate technique and a real flair for this type of music.  I had been listening to the Ricci recording of this sonata and the other ones Ysaÿe wrote (from a CD available from the Johnson County Library).  Ricci was well known as one of the great technicians of the violin and his recording is excellent. Bell made it all look easy which is just what he is supposed to do.

The program ended with another one of my favorite violin sonatas, the Violin Sonata in A Minor by César Franck.  Composed as a wedding present for Ysaÿe, this is a beautiful work and certainly lighter and fluffier than the heavy, dense Brahms.  (Perhaps the dessert of the program?)  Just as in the Brahms, a great pianist is needed to really make this piece work, and both Bell and Denk collaborated perfectly in sync to make it really sing.  

All week I had wondered what Bell might choose for an encore.  Something with flash and dash, or something simple.  He chose the latter and a work that was a regular staple of violinist's encores a couple of generations back, the Meditation from Massenet's Thäis.  Bell played it with simple elegance and it was a lovely conclusion to a great recital.  

To sum it up, great artists, great program, great performances, great evening.  To coin a phrase, who could ask for anything more?  



REVIEW
Harriman-Jewell Series
Joshua Bell, violin with Jeremy Denk, piano
Saturday, January 10 at 8 p.m.
Folly Theatre
12th and Central, Downtown Kansas City, MO
harriman-jewell.org

By Michael D. Smith   Mon, Jan 19, 2009

There is a difference between simply surviving from day to day and actually living. Despite the severe hardships they face, the Bielski brothers, who are portrayed with distinction in the World War II action/drama Defiance, forge ahead often with grim determination to not only save hundreds of desperate Jews but also to show them that they need to keep living.

 It is summer in 1941 and the German war machine has blasted through Soviet defenses in its attempt to capture Moscow before winter. Behind German lines, Nazi death squads are murdering Jews by the thousands. Those the Nazis do not kill right away are marched off to ghettos or camps. It is no different in what is known today as Belarus where village after village is emptied of its inhabitants.

In order to survive, the Bielski brothers escape into the dense surrounding woods they have called home all their lives. Much to the chagrin of both Tuvia (Daniel Craig, Quantum of Solace) and Zus (Liev Schrieber, The Manchurian Candidate), Jews who have also managed to escape the Nazis begin joining them in the forest.

Both of the oldest Bielski brothers lose loved ones, but a stark divide begins to form between them as to what to do with their anger. Tuvia, who becomes the recognized leader of the growing Jewish encampment, decides he wants to avoid confrontation with the Nazis while Zus wants to strike back at the Nazis every chance he can get.

Ultimately, Zus leaves with a handful of followers to assist the Soviets, while Tuvia and his younger brother Asael (Jamie Bell, Flags of Our Fathers) stay behind to help build a Jewish community in the forest. But when the Nazis aggressively pursue them in early 1942, the Bielskis must reunite in order to ultimately save approximately 1,200 Jews by war's end.

One of the things that makes Defiance special is that it pays genuine homage to an historical event that in all probability few people knew about prior to its production and release. The script is solid and the cast does a good job at bringing their characters to life, which is essential because in the end they must absolutely get it right. If the cast and direction had not succeeded with their difficult task, they would have only disrespected what the Bielskis and others fought and died for.

The one actor who deserves to be singled out is Craig. Before becoming James Bond, Craig was perhaps best known to American audiences for his role as a betrayer of Angelina Jolie's Lara Croft in Tomb Raider. While he has shined like no other in his successful turn as Bond, Craig finally gets to show his mettle in a role that is far more significant than playing a secret agent.

Craig deftly moves through the range of emotions that Tuvia experiences, including the pain of losing his wife; the sick feeling in the pit of his stomach after an act of murderous retribution; and inspiring his forest community to live and not give up despite dour circumstances.

Defiance's director, Edward Zwick, has become a master of presenting the horrors of the battlefield and the scars it produces. This can be found in his previous works that include The Last Samurai, Courage Under Fire, Legends of the Fall and Glory. Zwick purposely toned down the brutality depicted in Defiance, but in a small way it hinders the film from becoming an even more gut-wrenching experience.

In the end, Defiance does not attain the same dramatic level or have a similar emotional impact that Schindler's List or even The Pianist did. However, it is still a film that shines a brilliant light on a story that should never be forgotten. It is also a film that younger generations not only should -  but better yet -  must see to appreciate what millions of people endured all across Europe. And to remind them that some did everything they could to live.

On a letter grade scale from A being excellent to F for failing, Defiance receives a B+.

Defiance, which is wide release across the Kansas City area, is rated R for language and violence, and has an approximate running time of 137 minutes.

 

By Michael D. Smith   Mon, Jan 26, 2009

Academy Award nominations are much like the NCAA men's basketball tournament in March - there's always someone left out that many believe should have been invited to the big dance. The newest name to add to the snubbed list is English actress Kristin Scott Thomas who delivers a brilliant performance in the excellent French drama I've Loved You So Long.

It is an awkward homecoming for the chain-smoking Juliette Fontaine (Thomas) when her younger sister Léa (Elsa Zylberstein) picks her up at the airport to take her home. Home proves to be something that eludes Juliette, who seems unable and unwilling to fit in with a society and a family she's been away from for 15 years.

Léa's husband, Luc (Serge Hazanavicius), is wary of Juliette being brought into their home because of her past, which he believes puts their two adopted Vietnamese children at risk. Léa will hear none of it as she is determined to renew her relationship with a sister she barely remembers from childhood.

For her part, Juliette remains in the same isolated state she banished herself to 15 years before when she went to prison. Although a deeply wounded soul, Juliette slowly tries to restart her life by trying to find employment and through interaction with Léa's family and university colleagues.

Ultimately, if Juliette can ever restore herself to some sense of normalcy depends on whether or not she can finally let go of tremendously painful emotions that she's kept buried deep within her for so many years.

For most American audiences, the one recognizable face in I've Loved You So Long is Thomas, who made a name for herself in such films as The Other Boleyn Girl, The Horse Whisperer, and The English Patient. Much like watching Ben Kingsley in Gandhi or Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight, if you want to study what acting perfection is then you must witness Thomas in this role.

Thomas doesn't need to say anything beyond staring out a window or absentmindedly dragging on her next cigarette to convey how much of a pained soul her character has become. It's easy to become lost in her haunted eyes as Thomas glides effortlessly across a dark emotional spectrum from one scene to the next. Yet in the midst of it all, like a ray of sunshine that briefly peers through cracks in a cloud-laden sky, Thomas effectively brings out moments of joy and tenderness her character experiences with her sister's family.

What makes I've Loved You So Long an effective human drama is the steady way in which only one layer of Juliette's story is peeled back at a time. The revelation of her past is masterfully paced, keeping the viewer thirsting for more as the story progresses to its deeply emotional conclusion.

Other reviews might contain what Juliette did exactly but it is my opinion to let you, the potential filmgoer, know what it is then I would be doing you a disservice. It would be akin to giving you a preview of the next LOST episode on ABC right after the last one ended with a cliffhanger, as is usually the case.

 With several international nominations under its belt, including a Golden Globe nomination for best foreign film, I've Loved You So Long is a film you shouldn't snub.

On a letter grade scale from A being excellent to F for failing, I've Loved You So Long receives an A-.

 I've Loved You So Long is rated PG-13 and has a running time of 115 minutes.

NOW SHOWING
Tivoli Cinemas
Westport Manor Square
4050 Pennsylvania in KCMO.
Visit www.tivolikc.com or call 913-383-7756 for showtimes.

By Beau Bledsoe   Sun, Jan 25, 2009

The press material released in anticipation of Mr. Lakatos's concert last Friday night read more like the stats for an athlete rather that a musician. Multiple references to his speed, acrobatics and technical clarity were found in all of the preview materials and his biography in the concert program. And no one in the audience that evening could possibly have had any doubt that he was the "devil's fiddler" that his press kit trumps him to be. 

Lakatos arrived onto the stage with an assortment of Eastern European musicians dressed in loosely cut long jackets and oiled-back black hair. The 'devil' himself wore black leather pants, a shiny purple coat and rhinestones wherever they could be fastened (even on the fine tuners of his violin!). He also possessed a magnificent handlebar mustache that Dalí himself would have envied.

With the exception of a few melancholic heart-breakers, the ensemble played music so fast and furious that one felt as if they were on a reckless horseback ride for over two galloping hours. I work regularly with two violinists from Lakato's area of the world. One is from the Ukraine; the other from Romania and they both excel in this over-the-top virtuosic genre. Unfortunately for me, I always get to play what I call the "boochie boochie" accompaniment part on the guitar and the violinists get to have all the fun. 

Audiences love these pieces for their exotic tonalities, rapid shifts in sentiment and accelerating tempo to a wham-bam finale. The Carlsen Center audience was given this treatment by the truckload as Lakatos and his equally masterful colleagues ripped through virtually all the of standard "classical/gypsy" show pieces including Deux Guitares, Liszt'sRhapsodie Hongroise, the Czardas of Vittorio Monti and Ochi Chornye (Dark Eyes) as an encore.

I have had the great fortune that two of my own teachers have been of gypsy heritage.  The Roma (gypsy) relationship with music and performing is a very complex one. Often what most people think of as "gypsy" music is not the music they play for themselves in their own homes. What we non-gypsy audience members in the café's and concert halls see is really a mixture of 19th century Fritz Kreisler virtuosity and stereotypical theatrics. 

The Roma musicians are full of working "hustle" and will always find pleased audiences wherever they are performing. Enormous musical dynasties exist where the overbearing Mozart father-son relationship is the norm. One of my teachers lamented to me once of the great shame he felt because his beautiful daughter was pursuing a career in the medical field and was no longer going to be the dancer she had trained from birth to be. You cannot imagine the drama this caused in his family. The music the Roma retain for themselves, is just as culturally reversed as my teacher's feelings about his daughter attending medical school. It is wholly unmarketable to the typical American or European mindset, and is related only to the Roma. Ideally everyone should experience authentic Roma music and these days it is becoming much easier to find it via adventurous world music labels and the internet.

The musical instrumentation of Lakota's ensemble would be familiar to almost anyone except for the Eastern European cimbalom. (Personally, I could listen to the cimbalom for weeks on end.)

The cimbalom is an instrument indigenous to Hungary and the surrounding area. It's part Turkish kanun and hammer dulcimer encased in the body of a 19th century German piano with lathed legs, ornately carved floral motives and a sustain pedal. It is performed with two hammer-like sticks in a more or less monophonic fashion with a technique resembling a marimba player with only two sticks. Jeno Lisztes is an absolute master of this instrument who was given much liberty to shine throughout the night. I found him to be much more engaging than Lakatos. 

On the opposite end of the stage from Lisztes was pianist Frantisek Janoska who added a distinctly modern jazz approach to the ensemble. It was very evident that all of the musicians on stage could play jazz very well and all exhibited true facility and taste in the genre. Janoska also had an inclination to launch into grandiose Liszt -like cadenzas that would incite the other musicians onstage to giggle at their extravagance. The combination of the cimbalom and piano is one of the most interesting timbres I've heard. I never experienced this combination when I was in Hungary or on any of the recordings that I own, but I would attend this concert again solely for that sonic experience.

 As for Lakatos, I've never been a fan of excessive athletic playing and I've had my fair share of playing next to devil violinists. The program did wear thin after the fifth or sixth note avalanche. I realize that it is probably what the audience expected of Lakatos, and what he expected the audience to want from him, but do we really want to hear the theme fromYentil played by such a master, or listen to yet another Czardas?

I suspect there is something more in this exceptional ensemble of Roma musicians that could have transcended what everyone in the concert hall expected -  including the expectations of Lakatos himself.
 

REVIEW:
Carlsen Center at JCCC
Roby Lakotas
Friday, January 23, 2009 at 8 p.m.
www.jccc.net/home/depts.php/001440/site/Chronological_Listing

By   Sat, Sep 22, 2012

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By Megan Browne Helm   Wed, Jan 21, 2009

Brooklyn's  Metta  Quintet strolled onto the stage of the Lied Center at the University of Kansas last Friday night and got right down to the business of introducing the audience, made up mostly of aficionados over the age of forty, to jazz.  A large projection screen provided the multimedia backdrop for the ensemble as a mini documentary, a la Ken Burns, asked the question "What is jazz?"   The program was presented as part of the Lied Family Series, Stolen Moments: The First 100 Years of Jazz, is designed to share the excitement of jazz with children.

The ensuing hour and a half was a whirlwind tour, from New Orleans to Chicago to Harlem, touching down briefly in Kansas City, of the genre and many of the significant players and movements that have shaped this national musical treasure.  Omitted from the first one hundred years, however, were the vocalists. They chose not to mention Ella or Billie or Cab and Bing, just instrumentalists made the cut making the title more like "The First 100 Years of Instrumental Jazz."  

The group is the official ensemble-in-residence of JazzReach Performing Arts and Education Association Inc. which is dedicated to promoting  and teaching jazz music.  The ensemble also offered a companion school outreach program for 7-12 grade called He said/She said which explores the female composers, arrangers, instrumentalists and vocalists.  

In Stolen Moments, fast-talking narrator, Beresford Bennett  blasted through the history of jazz, as listeners heard more modern arrangements of pieces from the past.  Although authentic interpretations of the early jazz styles would have been more instructive, especially to a younger audience who may never have heard Dixieland jazz, the nature of jazz is mercurial and new arrangements can nearly always be justified.  

From King Oliver to the Duke, the sextet soared.  The video projections provided original source material of these legendary musical figures, but the looping technique used to animate the greats, at time seemed robotic and distracting, "stealing the moment"  from the live musicians on stage.

This was particularly so during the piano segments.  The pianist for the group, Helen Sung, couldn't be there that night and while their substitute pianist, Lawrence Fields played a wonderful rendition of "Rockin in Rhythm" by Ellington, a larger-than-life Duke was playing the same riff over and over in black and white above him.  

It was during the later years, Be-bop to fusion, that the group hit their stride.  Obviously more comfortable with modern jazz, the group was able to jell and swell.  "Shaw 'Nuff"  by Charlie Parker was clean and tight as the horn trio articulated every last note with precision.  The Alto Sax player, Myron Walden, showed considerable technique with lightning-fast passages.   As the 1993 winner of the coveted Charlie Parker Competition, he was able to channel the Bird to near perfection.

The stylistically versatile trumpet player, Keyon Herrold, could blow the muted "wah-wah" of Louis Armstrong as well as the wails of Dizzy Gillespie and Miles Davis.  Mr. Herrold was most recently dubbed "The future of the trumpet" in an article in Down Beat Magazine.

Bass and horns melted together during the opening bars of "Walkin Shoes" by Chet Baker and Gerry Mulligan, representing the West Coast /Cool Jazz movement. Bass player Joshua Ginsberg made the challenge of holding up the rhythmic structure of the pieces look easy.  

The Miles Davis piece, "So What" offered each player a chance to dig in to their improvisational chops. The audience responded with appropriate applause between each solo, helping the few children in the audience learn how to listen to jazz.  

Watching a jazz combo on a large stage, in a theater, is still a novel approach and although experiencing jazz in its natural habitat, bars, clubs and dives, offers the listener the chance to have a drink, tap toes and dance, it isn't an appropriate venue for children.  

The Metta Quintet and their special guests do a fine job of laying the foundation for children to understand how jazz was invented and  how it continues to evolve. For anyone interested in forwarding the jazz education of youth in Kansas City, a trip to the Jazz Museum at 18th and Vine is a must.
 

REVIEW:
Lied Center
Metta Quintet with Special Guests
Friday, January 16 at 7:30 p.m.
Lied Center of Kansas
1600 Stewart Dr., Lawrence, KS
 www.lied.ku.edu 

By   Fri, Jan 09, 2009

 
This economy has everyone carefully choosing where their money should be spent.  If theatre is that choice, then our metropolis has a plethora of options pining for your cash. But let it be said that Metropolitan Ensemble Theatre's current production of "Hedda Gabler" is one show you might want to give some heavy consideration - depending on your taste of course.

Henrik Ibsen's 1890 play about a woman's desire for 'something more than what she has' is considered to be the 'female' Hamlet.  Involving complex motives, manipulation and good old-fashioned mind playing, this classical high drama is an academic staple in college classrooms across the country.  The title character, portrayed in a variety of ways from a strong feminist all the way to a bored housewife, has challenged actresses, some actors and audiences alike.  

Hedda Tesman (Katie Gilchrist), the daughter of General Gabler, has just married Jorgan Tesman (Matt Rapport). Jorgan has made use of their honeymoon to research a book he is writing that will hopefully land him an appointment as a professor.  Ejlert Lovborg (Richard Stubblefield) - an old rival to Jorgen - has also written a book that could land him that same position.  Add to this a love tangle that involves the recently separated Thea Elvsted (Christina Shafer Martin), and the not-so-subtle hints of Judge Brack (John Robert Paisley) who wants Hedda to be his mistress, and the plot is set for the new Mrs. Tesman to play a complex game. All of this manipulation and calculated action naturally backfires on Hedda and becomes the impetus for her downfall.   

In this adaptation by Andrew Upton though, the language and tone of the dialogue is more focused and not as convoluted as some of the textbook translations of this play.  And so, much applause to Karen Paisley, MET's artistic director, for selecting Upton's script.  (Another adaptation by Christopher Shinn is currently playing on Broadway.)  However, this critic must point out that Upton, who superbly unravels the play's themes and journey, may not have appreciated the outside influences that muddled his script in the MET's production with unnecessary curtain talk, unintentional claques and a distracting underscore.

Karen Paisley began the evening with the usual greetings and courtesies by requesting everyone to silence cell phones, pagers and the like, but what followed was the beginning of an uneasy feeling.  Adding to the warnings that a gun will be used during the performance, Paisley continued by informing the audience that her cast was well rehearsed in the use of this firearm and any attempt to mediate the situation would not be needed.  A well intentioned warning, but instead it was perceived by this critic as condescending.  Perhaps this warning was made in good fun, perhaps this was to offer assurance to the audience whose average age could be estimated at 65, and perhaps this warning was in fact needed, but to say that an audience member would jump out of their seat and interrupt the play was amiss or a miss.

This feeling of uneasiness was intensified by the crew behind the booth a few feet away.  How the audience reacted was encouraged through their applause and verbal influences such as - what seemed - perfectly timed laughter and applause.  It wasn't enough that the musical score held your hand, but the technical crew felt it necessary to nudge you in their direction.  

There is a school of thought that any score used in a play is a tool to support the action on stage.  Not only did the music become an intrusive and unneeded character, it became a distraction.   "Hedda Gabler" has been likened to a soap opera of sorts, like "As The World Turns" or "All My Children," and in fact there are many plays whose dramatic action is only successful if done in that manner.  If the concept of this production was to highlight that particular undertone, then it did a great disservice.  The score was certainly successful in pointing out the 'soap opera' style of drama, but its use made the play more melodramatic and cheesy, thus cheapening the playwright's intention.  

Despite some of these missteps in the production, there were some nicer aspects of the evening.  Paisley's set design and Atif Rome's costumes were stunning.  Gilchrist's portrayal of Hedda was superb.  Filled with subtle nuances, effective conviction and clear understanding of her characters motivation her portrayal of Hedda was that of a confident and determined woman.    Her performance was clear and concise and worth seeing.  

Rapport, whose performance was too large for the intimate stage of METspace, gave Jorge Tesman a likable and memorable quality often missed by actors.  If Rapport was slightly over the top, then Mr. Paisley's Judge Brack was a little too subtle.  Creating a more human Brack, who seemed just like one of your father's drinking buddies was nice to see, but perhaps too laidback for a gentleman of the late 19th century.  Stubblefield and Martin rounded off the strong cast while Marilyn Lynch, who played the Tesman's maid, Berte, and Rozanne Devine, as Jorge's Aunt Julie, dragged in the back.  Lynch and Devine's opening scene was not up to par with their professional counterparts and could have killed the play's first act if Rapport had not entered and saved the day.  

MET is creating a niche for themselves as 'the little company that could' by producing works more often seen in regional theatres.  For smaller theatre companies to take this on is not so common in Kansas City, but time and the economy will determine their success and continuous growth.  If MET continues on this path, then the metropolis will have another theatre organization affixed to its artistic spine, but as anything upcoming and new, there are a few things to iron out.      


Metropolitan Ensemble Theatre (MET)
Hedda Gabler
By Henrik Ibsen
Runs January 8 - 25 (Reviewed 1-9-09)
METspace,
3614 Main St., Kansas City, MO
For tickets call 816-569-3226 or online at www.metkc.org 

By   Sat, Jan 10, 2009

 
American Heartland Theatre, one of the few commercial theatres in the metropolis, definitely has their finger on the pulse of their audiences.  Their latest production, "Murder by the Book" written by Duncan Greenwood and Robert King, is a testament to that pulse.  

Selwyn Piper (Scott Cordes) is a best selling murder mystery writer and book critic going through a nasty divorce.  Imogen Piper (Cheryl Weaver) is Selwyn's soon-to-be ex-wife; a famous actress who "gives a great Juliet while she's playing Ophelia."  In a play that has multiple twists and turns, backstabbings, gun shots and poisons, this cast of characters kept it believable and entertaining.  And so, to keep the suspense and mystery under wraps, nothing will be spoiled here.  

Cordes gives a fantastic performance as Selwyn, the mastermind of the play's plot.  At times Cordes' character fell a little flat, though that could be the fault of the writers who made this particular character responsible for all of the twisted interactions on stage.  Other than some slip-ups on his British-esque dialect here and there, Cordes kept you believing that the unfolding events where indeed part of his plan.  

Weaver as the diva actress hungry for a quick fortune by plotting to murder her soon-to-be-ex-husband for his life insurance, adds the right amount of seduction and beauty.  Per her abilities and talent, Weaver gives a strong and believable performance.

Making his AHT debut as Peter Fletcher - Selwyn's neighbor and a wannabe detective - was Pete Weber.  Using magnificent comic timing and a deep sincerity, he mesmerized the audience with his performance.  As Fletcher made his final exit in Act One, several people in the audience had to stop themselves from applauding his performance.  Weber, a recent graduate of Avila University, definitely stole the first half of the show.

If Weber was Act One, then James Wright robbed the act after halftime.  Playing the not-so-bright publisher and Imogen's secret lover John Douglas, Wright captivated the audience with an honest performance.  His reactions alone were fantastic to watch as the second act unfolded.  A character that could easily been cheapened and overplayed, Wright handled John Douglas with care and precision never dangling over the line between slapstick and good comedy.  

Another debut was that of Jennie Greenberry - a recent graduate from Stephens College.  As Christine Scott, Selwyn's typist and secretary, Greenberry portrayed this role with good subtlety.  And with the burden of portraying the one straight and seemingly not-so-crazed character, this actress revealed that even within a serious and truthful character, absurdity can still be present.  
    
There was nothing weak about this production except perhaps several parts of the script that were just a little too drawn out - but director Paul Hough did a magnificent job of masking those problems.  Hough's costumes, along with Alex Perry's set design, settled nicely under Shane Rowse's lights and Roger Stoddard's sound.  

If there was anything to complain about during this evening of theatre, it was the long line at the bar during intermission.  

REVIEW:
American Heartland Theatre
Murder By the Book
By Duncan Greenwood and Robert King
A Kansas City Premiere
Runs January 9 - February 22 (Reviewed 1-10-09)
Crown Center - 3rd Level
2450 Grand Blvd, Kansas City, MO
For tickets call 816-842-9999 or online at www.ahtkc.com.

By Steve Shapiro   Mon, Jan 19, 2009

Taking him at his word, the Kansas City Repertory Theatre's haunting new production of The Glass Menagerie makes full use of Tennessee Williams' published production notes to remake this squarely mid-20th century American drama into a 21st century play, which is to say, almost a movie. Williams originally wrote the play for the camera, while working for MGM in Los Angeles, in the early 40's. He rewrote his short story, "Portrait of a Girl in Glass," as a screenplay titled The Gentleman Caller, and finally met with success as the play we know.  His writing here is so powerful (the monologues, especially) that other aspects which lead to the play's intensity, such as his elaborate lighting and design cues, are overlooked or somehow seen as secondary: one might think a simple staged reading, with the playwright supplying all the entangled truths, would still strip bare the play. But Williams understood The Glass Menagerie to be a "memory play," and the specific directions ("LIGHT upon Laura should be distinct from the others, having a peculiar pristine clarity such as light used in early portraits of female saints or madonnas"), as evinced by the Rep's revival which opened January 16th, prove that the naturalistic quality we associate with Williams' dramas comes more from the well-known movie adaptations than the original plays. It is something of an event to have Williams as Tennessee Williams wanted.

The acclaimed Chicagoan director, David Cromer (whose unusual movie-like musical The Adding Machine used projection and other video elements to enhance a story set in the 1920's on its path to both regional and Off Broadway success, in 2008), has made the set and the lighting into an integral whole. The handsome new Copaken Stage in the H&R Block Building, in downtown Kansas City, is ideal for Cromer's exploded set, with the ceiling and one wall hanging up and away, giving the audience a view like that of a dollhouse sliced open; the ceiling is used, just enough, for video projection, for instance when a character stands in front of a mirror-by allowing the audience to see both the back and the front of a disembodied character, there is an eerie sense of seeing through the mirror (another sense of slicing open to see the inside of something). Williams was always a psychologically heavy writer; Cromer and his crew (Jeffrey Cady on lighting and projection, Collette Pollard on sets, and Janice Pytel on costumes) add to, but never add on, what makes The Glass Menagerie iconic even now. The play has fresh room to breathe.

At heart, it is the eternal story of a family living together physically but living individually in their own dream worlds. It could be played for laughs (Tracy Letts' blistering funny August: Osage County) or for the saturnine effect of Chekhov, but its starkness comes through the more Williams' autobiographical elements are brought to light: like the Wingfields in the play, the Williamses lived in St. Louis for a time as young Tom and his sister Rose were growing up. And like the absent father in the play, Williams' father, a traveling businessman, eventually made his travels permanent. Williams wrote himself into both the characters of Tom, the grown son who works at a warehouse by day (Williams worked in a shoe warehouse) and goes to the movies (and drinks) by night, and his younger sister, Laura, shy, withdrawn to her victrola and her tiny glass figurine collection. Laura's impediment-her bad foot, which causes her to clomp-was actually Tennessee Williams' own problem; when Laura speaks of the self-conscious humiliation of walking into high school singing class after everyone was seated (and walking up all those steps), the playwright's bitterness feels immediate. Something of Laura's mystery is also derived, no doubt, from Rose's schizophrenia; the play's pin-drop moments occur whenever Laura turns quiet or begins to shake uncontrollably: the audience is with her onstage, but (like the other characters) forever shut out of her inner self, as much as everyone wishes to help her.

The adult Wingfield children are nurtured (or tortured) by their mother Amanda; she dominates the stage much like the mother in the Sondheim musical Gypsy. Played by Annalee Jefferies-to Derek Hasenstab's Tom and Susan Bennett's Laura-Amanda is a volatile well-meaning matriarch, of the sort that launched a thousand artists and neurotic grownups. She is precisely the mother figure who provoked Portnoy's complaint in the 1960's, and whose variation will play out as long as good intentions backfire. Torn between living in the past when she entertained gentleman callers in absurdly ornate gowns, and the present, with a husband-ghost and two half-there children, Amanda pivots from guardian angel to prison guard in a turn of a moment. Her insistence on the children making something of themselves-an immigrant desire already hackneyed by the 1930's, but still essential to the American Dream-is undone by her iron-handed loving. By play's end, Tom, who intermittently turns to the audience to narrate a bit of the past or of the future, will leave home (like Tennessee Williams did): how many children leave because of a parent's wrongly-directed affection?

The whole play is set up for the second act, when a coworker of Tom's is invited to dinner, at Amanda's urging, so that Laura will be able to entertain her own gentleman caller. The mother is blind to her daughter's protestations but Tom is not, and yet he does nothing to stop the coming train-wreck when Laura's would-be suitor, Jim O'Connor (Kyle Hatley), turns out to be the same Jim of their high school years, and especially of Laura's: she still keeps her yearbook out, with the pages with his photographs bookmarked. Williams never presses the issue. Events unfold hesitantly, delicately, yet inexorably. In his description of Tom in the published play, Williams notes simply, "His nature is not remorseless, but to escape from a trap he has to act without pity." Williams' sentimentality is pitiless; it makes Laura's breakdown all the more piercing, and focuses a grimmer spotlight on Amanda. The four actors never push their characters' motivations to make sure the person in the last row follows along. Like an intricately threaded quilt, with the lighting accentuating now Laura, now Amanda, now Laura and Jim, the play's depth of pain emerges, naturally. (Asked once what brought him to New Orleans, Williams replied, "St. Louis.")

Acting in revivals is supposed to be liberating but it is always treacherous: setting oneself up against expectations can be a path to failure. Amanda was originally played by Laurette Taylor, then in London in 1948 by Helen Hayes, and subsequent film, stage and television versions have engaged the likes of Katharine Hepburn, Jessica Tandy, Jessica Lange, and Sally Field. Tom has been portrayed by Kirk Douglas, Rip Torn, even Christian Slater. The Wingfield family are such elemental roles that one can see why so many actors put their imprints on the characters: yet as written by Williams, these three, each crippled emotionally, demand wholly immersing oneself in the character. Lange's performance, for example, was criticized as too sensuous and beguiling to properly make Amanda the 'Mommie Dearest' that Williams envisioned her as. Ms. Jefferies makes Amanda into part Lady Macbeth, part Our Lady of Sorrow (or really, of Self-Pity). Her flirting with Jim, assigning her children to the sideline, increases her monstrousness, even as it makes Amanda memorable for her (self-) destructiveness.

Laura's part, the easiest to overplay, is realized by Susan Bennett with grace and attention to her character's inability to be herself, rather than an idealized, infantilized child in her mother's and brother's-and therefore her-eyes. Ms. Bennett's greatest moment comes toward the end, after the lights have gone out at dinner and Tom and Amanda have moved into the kitchen, leaving Jim to talk with Laura and discover that she is the same girl he used to call Blue Roses, mishearing her explain of an illness that kept her home from school. They sit together on the floor, try to dance, and-before Jim ruins her night and possibly her life with a surprise announcement-even kiss, briefly. The lights contract to Laura, and at one point Jim leans back onto the floor so that all we see is Laura, listening. The way that she begins to light up, as it were, talking more than ever, showing humor and intelligence that the withdrawn sister and daughter never revealed to her brother or mother, makes the sudden ending still overwhelming after sixty-three years, as the lights go out on the Wingfield family. Think twice before looking too closely into your own mirror.

REVIEW
The Kansas City Repertory Theatre
The Glass Menagerie
Runs through February 8
Copaken Stage
13th and Walnut, in the H&R Block Building.
For tickets call 816-235-2700 or online to www.kcrep.org

By Nicole English  

When I was a young adult involved in ballet at the Conservatory, it was always so exciting to have professional ballet touring companies come through Kansas City.  When I was younger, we did not have as many opportunities to see such dance companies locally.  When such an opportunity presented did itself, it was quite an event and the whole dance community would turn out in their finest regalia.  Some of that same excitement struck me last Friday night,  as I settled into my seat at the Folly and perused my program of "Great Moments from Russian Ballets".  The Folly was full to near capacity, and the air crackled with anticipation.  Also in the audience were many Russian-speaking patrons who had come specifically to see the Russian National Ballet Theatre, giving the evening an added exotic cosmopolitan atmosphere.  

The Russian National Ballet Theatre was founded in Moscow during the transitional period of Perestroika in the late 1980s, changes which were reflected in the dance world as well.  The company was originally named the Soviet National Ballet, and founded by, and included, graduates from the great Russian choreographic schools of Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Perm.  Former Bolshoi principal dancer, Elena Radchenko, is the artistic director for the company, and she has focused the Company on continuing the great national tradition of major Russian ballet works and developing new talent throughout Russia.  The repertory of the Company includes virtually all of the full works of the legendary choreographer, Marius Petipa, among other classic ballets.  

The program for the concert presented selections or highlights from these well-known Russian Ballets, including Sleeping Beauty, The Humpbacked Horse, Carmen, Le Corsaire, Don Quixote, La Bayadère, The Dying Swan, and Paquita, as well as well-known pieces set to the music of Tchaikovsky, Pugni, and Gluck.  This program of ballet selections presented some of the most legendary names in Russian ballet choreography, including Petipa, Saint-Leon, Messerer, Perrot, Zabelin, Fokine, and Cuban choreographer, Alberto Alonso.  

The selections were some of the most exciting or memorable parts of these well-loved ballets, creating a wonderful sampler of great dance works.  For someone who has not had the opportunity to see the works performed live by a skilled company, this was a wonderful chance to see these classic works in concert.  

The drawback of such a program, of course, is that the audience does not have the advantage of seeing the entire production, with sets, costumes, and scenery, or even the entire story to give the works a context.  However, the printed program was well-written and explained very well the context of each piece and often where it fit in the story of the ballet or its place in ballet history.  The selections that were presented featured the smaller groups of dancers, (usually solos, duets, trios, quartets, etc.), which are much more manageable on the road.  One exception was the group number from Paquita that served as the closing number for the concert.  

The dancers as whole were quite competent and skilled in their execution of the steps.  Despite the fact that there was a minimum of scenery and setting, the selections were entertaining because of the classic choreography.  The dancers all seemed to have mastered the clean, controlled movements and emotive panache that we typically associate with the Russian ballet style.  These components made the concert well worth the trip and the price of the ticket.  

The show, however, did suffer from some of the trials and tribulations that plague large-scale touring dance groups, which were not the fault of the dancers or the theater, but are common obstacles that are a fact of life in touring.  For example, the music was quite "muffled" for the first act, which gave a vague impression of "something missing" from the performances, when actually the dancers were working quite hard.  If it could have been subliminally perceived by the audience, it might have also affected the dancers' performances as well, so we may not have been able to see them presented at their best.  Also, the Folly stage, as beautiful as it is, is actually a bit small for the kind of choreography that was presented, so it looked as if the dancers often had to "pull up short" in order not to collide with each other.  As it was, there were a couple of obvious near-collisions on stage that were quickly and deftly disguised by these experienced dancers, so that few in the audience would have been aware that they occurred.  It looked as if there was much "adjusting" on the fly that may have caused slight disconnects between dancers, making them seem a tad uncoordinated with each other, or that they were slightly under-rehearsed.  Once during the closing of a number, a back curtain was pulled closed, for no apparent reason, (so it was either late or early).  

However, these distractions were minor and few and then quickly corrected.  These anomalies occur on the road and are often unavoidable.  It is a testament to the dancers and the theater workers that they were able to compensate for unexpected changes.  Again, corrections were made so quickly and professionally that most of the audience were probably unaware that they occurred.  The performance, although not flawless, was quite good because of the heroic efforts of the performers.  It would be nice to see this group again, however, under more ideal performing circumstances and in full elaborate production to see what more they have to offer the audience.  

REVIEW:
Harriman-Jewell Series
Great Moments from Russian Ballets
Friday, January 16 at 8 p.m.
Folly Theatre
12th and Central, Downtown Kansas City, MO
www.harriman-jewell.org

By Gayle G. Hathorne   Sat, Jan 24, 2009

Kansas City Symphony Music Director, Michael Stern returned to the podium this weekend, with the proud announcement of the birth of his second daughter, Nora Elizabeth Stern on Jan. 10th given at the top of his pre-concert talk.  His ebullient enthusiasm found fertile fodder in the program whose works shared the theme of renewal in nature.   

Stern began the program with an evocative performance of the Helios Overture, a seldom-performed jewel by Danish composer, Carl Nielsen that is more tone poem than overture.  The word 'Helios' is the Greek word for sun and the Greek Sun God.  Composed in 1903 while in Greece, Nielsen described his concept for the piece as beginning in 'Silence and darkness, the sun rises with a joyous song of praise. It wanders on its golden way - and sinks quietly into the sea'.  The work opened to a soft unison drone from the celli in dynamic ebbs and swells upon a low tone that sounded like the slumbering breath of God upon a still harbor.  Horns seemed to softly call the world awake in sustained fifths and fourths, and were soon joined by the strings in a gentle opening theme.  

Sunrise was painted sonorously by the gradual awakening of the orchestral forces, above which the horns soared in unison like the mighty sun god Helios riding his chariot high into the endless blue sky.  A trumpet fanfare opened the presto in hopeful, optimistic rhythmic drive, and fleet woodwind passages depicted the flurry of birds.  Stern directed the strings in a marvelously tight and bright fugal section, punctuated by the brass in its conclusion.  As in nature, where twilight proceeds from a calming bright into the dark stillness of night, the beautiful, calming sound of a horn sang its lullaby to the world, and the celli heaved one final unison sigh of slumber.  The orchestra magnificently painted Nielsen's creation in stunning clarity and spirit.  In accepting the appreciation of the audience, Stern beckoned Associate Principal Horn, Ryan Gruber to take a solo bow for his outstanding performance.  

Pianist, Kuok-Wai Lio made his debut appearance with the Symphony in a classical interpretation of the Piano Concerto No. 2 by Mendelssohn.  From the opening of the work, Lio, 19, already an acclaimed competition winner and star student at the Curtis Institute brought forth a beautiful full singing sound and sensitive, mature nuance of phrasing.  Apart from some spotty responses from the winds in the opening, who answered the baton instead of the soloist, the orchestral colors blended and contrasted in excellent balance throughout the work, and Stern led the forces to achieve together a marvelously homogeneous realization of Mendelssohn's masterpiece. The third movement displayed Lio's brilliant command of technique.  His flying fingers produced an easy, lovely melodic line that flowed to its happy full chord ending.

Mahler's Symphony No. 1 filled the second half of the program, in what can be rightfully claimed a triumph for the Kansas City Symphony.  Not so very long ago, Mahler Symphonies were not standard fare for orchestras, but they are now.  In 1979, as a student at the Karajan Orchestra Academy, I played extra horn with the Berlin Philharmonic in Mahler's 9th Symphony conducted by Leonard Bernstein in his historic first and only time to direct that orchestra.  It was the first time the Berlin Philharmonic played that work, but a few months later Karajan decided to do it, too, and he recorded it.  From then onwards, Karajan directed many more Mahler in concerts, and Bernstein continued to introduce Mahler in many of his concerts with orchestras throughout the world.  

Works that challenged professional musicians in 1979 are now standard fare for today's orchestral musicians.  It is an exciting and inspiring phenomenon to witness the bar of instrumental performance standards rising to new levels, and the quantum leap of musical development that is spreading like wildfire in concerts in Kansas City and around the world.  The performance Saturday night showcased brilliant horn playing throughout, in an impressive array of colors from lip trills to hand-stopping, lilting solos by Principal horn, Alberto Suarez, to my all-time favorite sight in the world, the row of eight horns standing to play the final triumphant horn melody at the conclusion of the work.  That said, the high point of the entire evening was delivered by Principal bass, Jeffery Kail, who opened the third movement with the famous forlorn tune of Frere Jacque played in minor tonality upon his solitary double bass, accompanied only by the slow heart thump of the timpani.  Kail's bass tone was so vibrant and clear that it rang in the hall luminously.

It is impressive to hear the consistently high performance standards met by the Kansas City Symphony.  Its performance of Mahler's first symphony Saturday night richly deserved the thunderous applause and endless calls for encore that swept the full house to its feet at its completion.  Although it may not yet be as polished and perfect as the Berlin Philharmonic, this Symphony orchestra has developed into a truly top-notch creative force - most worthy of the multi-million dollar performing arts center being constructed for its use in the near future.        


 

REVIEW:
Kansas City Symphony
with Kuok-Wai Lio, piano
Saturday, January 24, 2009 at 8:00 pm, 
Lyric Theatre, DowntownKansas City, MO
www.kcsymphony.org

By Sarah Tyrrell   Wed, Jan 21, 2009

The Friends of Chamber Music presented an impressive program on Saturday night while honoring various milestones of the performers and composers involved (Chanticleer, the Shanghai String Quartet, the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, and Chen Yi's home institution, the UMKC Conservatory of Music all celebrate distinguished anniversaries this year).  The program was packed with stimulating pieces that required much of the listener and that proved great works of art present many questions while offering valuable dividends. Certainly the challenges proved worthwhile to the sold-out crowd, whose members were divided: some came for the highly acclaimed performers comprising Chanticleer and the Shanghai String Quartet, while others attended for their chance to hear live Chen Yi's new piece, From the Path of Beauty. All left satisfied on both fronts, and in fact the full house was granted even more: the partnership between The Friends of Chamber Music and the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art was also on display, as prints from the Nelson's Chinese collection (referenced in Chen's work) were on display.

The Folly event was part of a world premier tour of From the Path of Beauty (it is on its way to Beijing in May). Before the music began, the audience was treated to generous commentary from the composer, as Chen divulged details of her compositional language and of her musical interests. From the Path crosses disciplines, linking China's rich visual and literary arts legacy and its dynastic history with illustrative musical materials. 

The seven movements boast a logical sequence, but the narrative flow is only gradually revealed. The chant-like material in the first movement, for voices alone, featured the pure sound for which Chanticleer is known, as the twelve men handled the tight intervals that yielded an almost sound-mass quality. The controlled sustain at cadences was impressive (and the tuning remarkable), and it is difficult to imagine a tighter, more "collective" ensemble. 

The second movement for strings provided a contrast in medium and in character with more rhythmic passages countering the static nature of the first movement. Precision and balance met rhythmic momentum, and out of a dense musical fabric came fragmented but lyrical and memorable melodies. The third movement brought strings and voices together and proved that each movement, even with varying artistic anchors, truly complemented the next. Here, Chanticleer shone through an admirable mastery of the challeng

ing vocal techniques (including glissando and nonsensical syllables). This movement was one of the most atmospheric, with string harmonics providing a mysterious partner to the voices. Throughout, Chen's expertise as a string player is obvious, as she demanded complicated and novel techniques from the players. 

The fourth movement is billed as an "instrumental realization" of two poems, and the graceful passing of melody among the instruments sounded like a sophisticated conversation. The fifth movement was one of two rambunctious episodes, exploiting more widely spaced sonorities. The sixth movement was sweetly melodic and almost familiar; the rich cello melody (perhaps representative of the traditional Chinese string instrument the qin) blended with voices in a wash of sound, then a spontaneous, dance-like flurry came as a surprise. The final movement, the most metric of all, brought fast passagework and an energetic flair to replicate a village band made up of folk instruments. 

The Chanticleer singers know this new work well, which allowed them to be intelligently engaged with one another. They worked fluidly through the choral movements, secure at each turn. These twelve men are capable experts (they are full-time, salaried singers, a curious thing to the semi-professional or amateur choral singer), and nothing but professionalism and superb musicality were exhibited. The only thing lacking in Saturday's performance was a bit more emphasis on the bass resonance of Gabriel Lewis-O'Connor and Eric Alatorre, since at times they seemed outnumbered by the higher voices. (The ensemble's history and singers' biographies are available on their website, and no choral enthusiast should miss the "About Us" link posted there, as Chanitcleer's background is a fantastic and inspiring story.  www.chanticleer.org)

From the Path of Beauty is dense, dissonant, and long (about 40 minutes), and no doubt, a second chance to hear it will benefit all.  The piece requires patience and focus, but if the music and the imagery are allowed to evolve in tandem, the value of the complete work is realized.  The singers' and players' commitment was obvious and commendable, but the real treat is sensing the discipline and dedication of the composer in creating such a masterful work. Chen Yi is someone of whom Kansas City should be very proud. She represents the local academic and cultural community with enthusiasm and charm. Her music obviously comes from a place deeply introspective, and her musical accomplishments speak for themselves.

To follow was a selection of songs by Gyorgy Ligeti, and it is a rare treat to hear Ligeti's music performed so deftly. Pápainé featured Michael McNeil's striking soprano as he rendered his solo in a transparent timbre and with an extraordinary range. McNeil produces a stunning clarity of tone. Cortez Mitchell's alto/countertenor voice rang true as well. The set of four songs in Ligeti's Idegen Földön was the opportunity to revel in Chanticleer's ensemble sound. The programming of Ligeti's work alongside Chen's is interesting: both composers lived the reality of artistic suppression (Ligeti's music was often criticized as "non-conformist" and his dissonance deemed "subversive"); the composers' analogous experiences yielded vastly different but complementary results, making for smart programming.
Like the rest of the program the Ravel String Quartet in F Major was atmospheric and reliant on visual imagery. Ravel's music is known for transparency of form and of melodic structure, and the composer creates distinct pivot points and moments of climax in the musical sequence. The second movement's colorful pizzicato was fiery and energetic (and the clarity of the ABA form satisfying for listeners), while the sweetly lyrical third movement boasted plenty of repetitive melody to engage the ear. The aggressive and compact finale was effective. Throughout, the Shanghai Quartet was light on its feet, crisp and sure. They were also patient with a seemingly unsophisticated (or just overly enthusiastic?) audience which clearly knows what it likes and clapped between movements, rather breaking the mood. 

There was so much to take in during this two and a half-hour event and perhaps too many "impact" pieces on one bill. The thirty-minute intermission dampened enthusiasm, serving as a reminder that a well-paced evening is critical to overall effect. Nonetheless, even with a late start (no doubt the consequence of a gracious Folly staff trying to get the full house to its correct seats), the performance was not to be missed. 
 

REVIEW:
The Friends of Chamber Music
Chanticleer with the Shanghai String Quartet 
Saturday, January 17 at 8 p.m.  
Folly Theater
12th and Central, Downtown Kansas City, MO
www. chambermusic.org

Chen-Yi

By Gayle G. Hathorne   Wed, Jan 14, 2009

Internationally acclaimed violinist, Midori filled the Lyric Theatre Friday night at a premium price of $60 per ticket, as concert-goers were treated to a stirring performance of the Brahms Violin Concerto with the Kansas City Symphony directed by assistant conductor, Steven Jarvi.

The Brahms concerto, acknowledged to be one of the most physically demanding in the violin repertoire, was tackled masterfully by the beautiful and petite Midori, whose vivid athleticism was matched by a mature musical interpretation that would have wowed the master Brahms himself.  The beautiful silken tones that she coaxed from her 1734 Guarneri del Gèsu "ex-Huberman" instrument with extraordinary nuance were, in lyrical passages, occasionally swallowed into the acoustical black holes of the hall, despite the good overall control of dynamics that Jarvi commanded of the orchestra.  (Won't it be fine when the Kauffman Center is completed so that we can finally hear world-class artists in an acoustical space worthy of their talents.)  

Midori's rich, sonorous low notes and perfect intonation of beautifully executed double stops highlighted the first movement, preceding the cadenza written by Brahms' good friend and violin muse, Joseph Joachim.  Spun masterfully in a classical interpretation, the silvery timbres of the violin held the audience spellbound as its magic winked transcendentally through the veil of time at countless other evenings when the notes of that very cadenza played across its bridge under the bows of earlier violin virtuosi Ricci, Rabin, and Huberman.  The latter, and namesake of Midori's instrument, had studied with Joachim as a child prodigy, and played Brahms' concerto in Vienna with Brahms in the audience in 1896.  In the pre-concert talk, Midori shared that her Guarneri had previously belonged to Ruggiero Ricci, who had heard it played in the 1950s by Michael Rabin, whom this reviewer was privileged to have heard in Kansas City with the then Philharmonic about a year before Rabin's death.
The second movement Adagio was marred by a lethargic tempo and some intonation discrepancies among the winds.  Nevertheless, oboist Lora Schaefer-Berndt achieved a beauty of tone that shimmered serenely above the thickly textured sostenuto of the wind accompaniment in her lengthy solo.  The rollicking third movement brought the concerto, sometimes dubbed a symphony for violin and orchestra, to an energizing conclusion.  The performance was extremely satisfying, both from Midori and from the orchestra alike, despite one minor flaw in the third movement, namely the missing lift that is traditionally imparted before the fourth note of the quarter notes at the end of the main theme.  Midori gave the spot a musically lilting lift, but Jarvi did not impart to the players the direction needed to allow the entire orchestra to echo her phrasing.  That omission aside, the concerto unfolded to its brilliant conclusion and Midori was feted with a wildly enthusiastic standing ovation.

Although the concerto was 'the thing' in this performance of the Kansas City Symphony, it was flanked by two equally satisfying works, namely Haydn's 1st Symphony to open the program, and Sibelius' masterful Symphony No. 5 performed on the second half of the program.  It was in the symphonic works that conductor Jarvi stepped marvelously into his own, from the sidelines of his customary role as Assistant Conductor of the Symphony.  In one of those rare and exciting moments of last minute change, Director Michael Stern joined his wife for the impending birth of the couple's second child, and Assistant Director Jarvi more than capably took over.  Under Jarvi's capable direction, the Symphony opened the Haydn Symphony No. 1 with sprightly elegance.  The opening phrase crescendos sparkled with wit and energy.  Twangs from the harpsichord colored the second movement sonority in the eccentric language of Haydn, a movement also notable for its lovely sequence midway through.

Jarvi achieved excellent orchestral balance throughout the Sibelius 5th Symphony.  Grand growling bass notes from the fourth horn, Stephen Multer, energized the opening quartet.  Excellent solo passages were delivered by bassoonist Ann Bilderback, trumpeter Gary Schutza, and first horn Alberto Suarez, whose ringing tone seemed to float and glimmer above the expansive texture of the orchestra in the first movement, and lent beauty and grace to the third movement opening horn call.  The performance was a fitting tribute to the Nordic masterpiece, and left one wanting to hear more from Jarvi with the Kansas City Symphony.


REVIEW:
Kansas City Symphony
with Steven Jarvi, Conductor/Assistant Conductor
Featuring Midori, Violin
Friday, January 9 at 8:00 pm (reviewed)
Lyric Theatre, Downtown Kansas City, MO
 www.kcsymphony.org

Mon, Jan 26, 2009

Harriman-Jewell Series
Danielle de Niese
American Recital Debut
Wednesday, February 4 at 8 p.m.
Folly Theater
12th and Central Streets, Downtown Kansas City, MO

For those who have seen Danielle DeNiese's sensational performances at the Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago or other major companies, you already know that we have a major superstar of the opera stage among us, and she is only 28 years old, an age when many singers are still entering the Met Auditions, hoping for a break!

Her incredible combination of spectacular coloratura singing, together with a lovely stage presence and sensational acting abilities (she dances like a Broadway dancer, while singing difficult arias at the same time!), make her a performer the likes of which many of us have simply never seen before.

The Harriman-Jewell Series, famed for offering significant singers in the recital debuts, has pulled off another coup this time in convincing DeNiese to make her American recital debut right here in Kansas City at the Folly Theater.  On Wednesday evening, February 4, she will be performing arias from Handel, her signature repertoire, along with songs by Grief, Poulenc, Wolf, Barber and others. This may prove to be one of the best Harriman-Jewell concerts of the year.

For tickets call 816-415-5025 or online at www.harriman-jewell.org
 

Lied Center of KU
Interpreti Veneziani
Friday, January 30 at  7:30 p.m.
Lied Center, University of Kansas
1600 Stewart Drive, Lawrence, KS

Interpreti Veneziani is a string orchestra based in Venice, Italy, which performs 350 concerts annually, both at home and abroad. Its home venue is the San Vidal Church, the same venue where Vivaldi regularly performed, and it specializes in the music of Vivaldi and other Baroque musicians, although its repertoire also embraces later composers and even contemporary music.

Its achievements include appearances in the Bayreuth Festival and concerts at the Stockholm Royal Palace, participation in the World Vision telemarathon at the Kirov, a concert at the Osaka Symphony Hall in live broadcast for Japanese radio, concerts at the Tokyo Suntory Hall and Kjoi Hall, and appearances in glamorous concert seasons such as those of Sapporo and Yokohama during four tours in Japan. The group has toured to Australia (Melbourne, Ballarat, Perth) and throughout the Americas (Bahamas, Mexico, Venezuela, Guatemala, Colombia). In 2007 the ensemble began touring in the United States.

Interpreti Veneziani has recorded compact discs with the music publishers Musikstrasse with music by Giuseppe Tartini and has made compact discs recorded with Rivo Alto. This program will consist of music by Vivaldi, Corelli, de Falla and others.

For tickets call 785-864-2787 or online at www.lied.ku.edu
 

Civic Opera Theater of Kansas City
Great Opera Scenes Concert
Friday, January 30 at 8:00 p.m. and
Sunday, February 1 at 2:00 p.m.
Metropolitan Ensemble Theatre space
3604 Main Street, Kansas City, MO

The Civic Opera Theater of Kansas City, Kansas City's "other" opera company which specializes in low-frills productions featuring up and coming local singers and promising Conservatory students, will present a concert of opera scenes under its new producing artistic director, tenor David Adams. He has lined up an impressive list of singers for these performances, including Nathan Granner, Sarah Tannehill, Robert McNichols Jr., Elaine Fox, Aaron Burns-Barkdale, Ida Nicolisi and others.

This performance will be held in the charming Metropolitan Ensemble Theatre space at 3604 Main Street, where theater-goers have learned that the modest facade belies the impressive performing space within. Dr. Ryan Board will direct the performance, and Julie Wyma will offer some modest staging assistance. This performance is but a prelude to the Civic Opera's next, more ambitious offering, Donizetti's marvelously comic Don Pasquale, in June.

If you haven't heard the Civic Opera Theatre recently, you should check and see what it's about.

For tickets call  816-536-9464 or online at www.kccivicopera.org 

Friday, January 30 at 7:30 p.m.
Graham Tyler Memorial Chapel, Park University Campus
8700 N.W. River Park Drive, Parkville, MO

Cyprus-born pianist Martino Tirimo has appeared with many of the world's leading orchestras, including all the major British orchestras and those in Berlin, Cleveland, Dresden, Leipzig, Munich, Prague, Vienna and other centers, with such famed conductors as Barbirolli, Boult, Pritchard, Kurt Sanderling, Masur, Norrington and Rattle.

He has also directed from the keyboard several cycles of the five Beethoven concertos with the Dresden Philharmonic, both in Germany and at the Royal Festival Hall in London. He has often appeared with this orchestra both as soloist and conductor.

His selections for this program have not been announced, but it should be an outstanding recital.

Free admission.  For more information www.park.edu/calendar/arts.html

Park University
Grand Piano Festival Series
Martino Tirimo, pianist

UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance Signature Series
Formosa String Quartet
Saturday, January 31, 7:30 p.m.
White Recital Hall,
4949 Cherry, Kansas City, MO

Formosa is the name the Portuguese gave to the island of Taiwan and means “beautiful.” The original formation of the Formosa String Quartet with cellist Ru Pei Yeh was completely Taiwanese, but since then the group has changed to encompass musicians from other countries.

Winners of the prestigious 2006 Tenth London International String Quartet Competition, the young group has drawn high praise. The Washington Post wrote, “the Formosa’s sound is fastidious but energetic...Intonation was wonderfully precise; in the Mozart Quartet No. 23, K. 590, the Strads rang out with perfectly centered harmonies.” The program includes Bedrich Smetana’s String Quartet No. 1 in E Minor, (From My Life), composed in 1876 and Shih-Hui Chen’s String Quartet No. 5, Mei-Hua which was written for the Formosa Quartet in 2007.

For tickets call 816-235-6222 or online at www.conservatory.umkc.edu 

Super Bowl Sunday Recital: Jan Kraybill, organ
Sunday, February 1, 3:00 p.m.
Community of Christ Auditorium
River and Walnut, Independence, MO
No tickets required

Kansas City is fortunate to have one of the country's finest organists in Jan Kraybill, who for the tenth year in a row will present her famous Super Bowl Sunday recital on the 113-rank, 6334-pipe Aeolian-Skinner organ. She performs regularly as an organist, pianist and harpsichordist, and has appeared as a recitalist and lecturer at regional and national musicians' conventions in the United States and Canada. She has performed in Russia and Poland, and has undertaken multiple tours of the United Kingdom which have included solo performances on historic organs, including St. Paul' Cathedral in London. Here in Kansas City, however, we have a chance to hear her right on her home turf.

This program consists entirely of requests submitted this year from audience members, and includes Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, Dupré's Prelude and Fugue in G Minor, a fantasia on Celtic melodies by Paul Halley, a medley from the High School Musical movies, Rossini's William Tell Overture, and more.

There is nothing that makes Super Bowl Sunday more "super" than an organ recital by Jan Kraybill, and there's nothing shabby about the price, either.

While you are at it, you might check out Kraybill's CD recording made on the organs in both the Auditorium and the Temple at the Community of Christ complex. It is called Two by 2: Two Organ Symphonies on Two Magnificent Organs, and was released by .  It features Sowerby's Symphony in G and Widor's Symphony No. 5.   It is available from www.cdbaby.com either on compact disc or as an MP3 download.

Visit www.cofchrist.org/dome_spire for more information.

Mon, Jan 19, 2009

Harriman-Jewell Series
Joyce DiDonato with Les Talens Lyriques
Wednesday, January 21 at 8 p.m.
Folly Theater
12th and Central Streets, Downtown Kansas City, MO

When it comes to the world of classical vocal music, there are few superstars around today who can equal the popularity of Joyce DiDonato, Kansas City's own mezzo soprano (well, okay, she is from Prairie Village which rightly claims her as its own, but we can still say she's from Kansas City, can't we?).  We are blessed to hear her not once but twice this season; she appeared last fall with the Kansas City Symphony and now returns for an appearance on the Harriman-Jewell Series with Les Talens Lyriques in an all-Handel program.

The French vocal and instrumental ensemble Les Talens Lyriques was founded in 1991 by Christopher Rousset and reflects his passion for 18th century music and opera in particular. The group's repertoire encompasses composers like Monteverdi, Handel, Lully, Cimarosa and even early Mozart. Les Talens Lyriques has recorded for the Decca (Universal Music), Naïve and Ambroisie labels, and won a classical music prize in 1994 for its original sound track of the film Farinelli il Castrato. They have previously performed in Kansas City on The Friends of Chamber Music.

Joyce DiDonato has won worldwide praise for her performances in a variety of operatic styles, but is best known for her Rossini and Handel interpretations. She was featured in a Metropolitan Opera simulcast last year of l Barbieri di Siviglia (Rossini) and has appeared on several Handel recordings, including Floridante and Radamisto.

The program for this concert features excerpts from Joyce's new compact disc recording of Handel arias entitled Furore!  The operas represented include Ariodante, Hercules, Serse, Teseo and Imeneo, among others.  Immediately after this recital, the group journeys to New York City where they will perform the same concert January 23 at Carnegie Hall.  And then two days later Joyce is back onstage at Carnegie Hall (two appearances in two days!) with James Levine with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra in excerpts from Rossini and Mozart.  Let's see, now, I wonder how those New York ticket prices compare with the prices we are paying in Kansas City?!

By the way, the Furore! compact disc is being released just a week before this recital.  Now, I wonder if copies of it will be available for sale at the Folly Theater during intermission?

If you don't already have your tickets, call the Harriman-Jewell Series to see if there are any left, but it certainly will be a sellout.  This will be one of the Kansas City classical music events of the year!

For tickets call 816-415-5025 or online at www.harriman-jewell.org 
  

Kansas City Symphony
Stern Conducts Mahler
Kuok-Wai Lio, piano
Friday, January 23 at 8 p.m.
Saturday, January 24 at 8 p.m.
Lyric Theatre
11th and Central, Downtown Kansas City, MO

Michael Stern and his wife Shelly just had their second child (in fact, the baby's birth led assistant conductor Steven Jarvi to make his classical series debuts conducting the Kansas City Symphony's concerts with Midori on January 9 through 11).  What better way for the new daddy (again) to celebrate than with a program Mahler's Symphony No. 1, the "Titan"?  Mahler's symphony, greeted with bewilderment when first performed in 1899, has since gone on to become a classic and defined the new style of composition which the Viennese master brought to classical music around the turn of the last century.

Also on the Symphony program this week are Danish composer Carl Nielsen's overture to Helios and the Mendelssohn Piano Concerto No. 2.  The Mendelssohn, a big Romantic crowd-pleaser, features 19-year-old pianist Kuok-Wai Lio, a native of Macau. A budding international star, he won third prize in the Tchaikovsky International Competition for Young Musicians held in Japan, and the gold prize and the Yoda prize in the International Chopin Competition in Asia while only 16. He also won prizes in the Steinway International Piano Competition and the Seiler International Piano Competition in Germany.

For Symphony fans in Lawrence, the Symphony's performance will be given on Sunday, January 25, at 7:30 p.m. at the Lied Center in Lawrence. Tickets are available 785-864-2787, or through the Lied Center web site, www.lied.ku.edu.

For tickets call 816-471-0400 or online at www.kcsymphony.org 

Carlsen Center
Roby Lakatos, violin
Friday, January 24, 8:00 p.m.
Johnson County Community College
12345 College Boulevard, Overland Park, KS

Born in 1965 into the legendary family of gypsy violinists descended from Janos Bihari, "King of Gypsy Violinists," Roby Lakatos was introduced to music as a child and at age nine he made his public debut as first violin in a gypsy band. Unlike many gypsy violinists, he took classical music seriously and studied at the Béla Bartók Conservatory of Budapest, where he won the first prize for classical violin in 1984. Between 1986 and 1996, he and his ensemble delighted audiences at Les Atéliers de la grande Ille in Brussels, their musical home throughout this period. His playing was greatly admired by Sir Yehudi Menuhin among others.

Lakatos' unique concerts mix classical music with the magic of the Hungarian-gypsy style. Don Heckman of the Los Angeles Times wrote, "If violinist Roby Lakatos were paid on the basis of how many notes he plays in any given performance, he'd probably be the richest musician in the world."

For tickets call (913) 469-4445 or online at
http://www.jccc.net/home/depts.php/001440/site/Chronological_Listing
 

Mon, Jan 12, 2009

The Friends of Chamber Music
Chanticleer and the Shanghai Quartet
Saturday, January 17 at 8 p.m.
Folly Theater
12th and Central, Downtown Kansas City, MO

Chanticleer is considered the world's leading male vocal group, and this weekend the group returns to Kansas City in a unique collaboration with the versatile Shanghai Quartet.

Chanticleer has developed a remarkable reputation for its vivid interpretations of vocal literature ranging from Renaissance to jazz, as can be heard on its numerous recordings, several of which are Grammy award winners. Meanwhile, the Shanghai Quartet melds the delicacy of Eastern music with the power of Western repertoire, from traditional Chinese folk music to the most challenging classical works. The Quartet regularly tours the great music centers of North and South America, Asia, and Europe, and has appeared frequently at New York's Carnegie Hall, as well as venues in London, Vienna, Prague and Australia, among others.  They have 24 recordings to their credit.

But that's not all.  This concert is of special interest to Kansas City audiences, because it will feature the world premiere of From the Path of Beauty composed by internationally renowned composer and UMKC Conservatory professor, Chen Yi.

In conjunction with the Chen Yi composition, The Friends is partnering with the Nelson-Atkins Museum to mount an exhibit in the lobbies of the Folly Theater comprised of large-scale prints of pieces from the Nelson's famous Chinese collection.  These pieces represent the Chinese dynasties referenced in Chen Yi's work.

Also on the program are
Ligeti's Papaine, Idegen Foldon and Magany, as well as the Ravel String Quartet in F major
and " Soupir" from Ravel's Trois Poèmes de Stéphane Mallarmé.

For tickets call 816-561-9999 or online at www.chambermusic.org

 Kansas City Symphony
in partnership with the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts
Community Connections Performance
Saturday, January 17 at 8:00 p.m.
J.E. Construction Company offices
17th and Baltimore, Kansas City, Missouri

Members of the Kansas City Symphony will perform a free chamber music concert at the offices of J.E. Dunn Construction Company in the Crossroads District, the location of the acoustical model for the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. This concert will give you an opportunity to learn more about the Kauffman Center and hear some of the great masterworks of the 20th century and beyond.

The musical program will include Villa-Lobos' Bachianas Brasileiras No. 6, Stravinsky's Octet for Winds and Colgrass' Variations for Four Drums and Viola, as well as the Prokofiev Quintet Op. 39.

Unfortunately this event sold out quickly.

Kansas City Youth Symphony
Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration
with the Academy Orchestra
Saturday, January 17 at 6:30 p.m.
St. James United Methodist Church
5540 Wayne Avenue, Kansas City, MO

The Kansas City Youth Symphony has been presenting concerts of sometimes surprising sophistication for more than forty years.  It has toured far and wide, including trips to Eastern Europe and Italy within the past few years.  Its commitment to diversity among its instrumentalists adds to the broad range of its audience appeal.  This weekend the Symphony, expanded with the addition of somewhat younger students from the Academy Orchestra, performs a Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day concert (the actual holiday is January 19) under the direction of Steven D. Davis, with Russell E. Berlin as music director of the Academy Orchestra.  The program has not been publicly announced.

Free admission. For more information visit www.youthsymphonykc.org

 Lied Center, University of Kansas
University of Costa Rica/KU Baroque Ensemble
Saturday, January 17 at 7:30 p.m.
Lied Center, 19th and Iowa Streets, Lawrence, KS

The Lied Center has provided no information about this concert, but it sounds like an interesting alternative for Saturday, January 17 if you are in the Lawrence area.

Free Admission. For information visit www.lied.ku.edu

 Topeka Symphony Orchestra
American Heritage Concert
Saturday, January 17 at 7:30 p.m.
White Concert Hall
Washburn University, Topeka, KS

If you are in the vicinity of Topeka this weekend, then you can catch the Topeka Symphony Orchestra performing a variety of American favorites including Aaron Copland's A Lincoln Portrait, Charles Ives' Variations on America, Michael Abels' Dance for Martin's Dream, Morton Gould's Amber Waves and Lucas Richman's Colonial Liberty Overture.

There is also a special family matinee that afternoon with discounted tickets.

For tickets call 785-232-2032 or online at www.topekasymphony.org

 Park University
Music for Two Pianos and Piano Duets
Sunday, January 18 at 3 p.m.
Graham Tyler Memorial Chapel
Park University Campus
8700 NW River Park Drive, Parkville, MO

This free concert will feature a quartet of excellent pianists: Stanislav Ioudenitch, Tatiana Ioudenitch, Marina Sultanova and Lolita Lisovskaya, in piano duets and pieces for two pianos.  The exact program has not been announced, but with players of this caliber it should be excellent.  And you can't beat the price!

Free admission.  For more information visit www.park.edu/calendar/arts

 Harriman-Jewell Series
Joyce DiDonato with Les Talens Lyriques
Wednesday, January 21 at 7:30 p.m.
Folly Theatre
12th and Centeral, Downtown Kansas City, MO

We'll talk more about this one in next week's column, but you should definitely mark on your calendars for Wednesday, January 21, when the Harriman-Jewell Series will present Kansas City native and worldwide opera superstar Joyce DiDonato, mezzo-soprano with Les Talens Lyriques at the Folly Theater.  Not to be missed!

For tickets call 816-415-4025 or online at www.harriman-jewell.org

Mon, Jan 19, 2009

Even though it's cold and in the dead of winter, there are plenty of vocal and choral opportunities in mid-late January to warm the soul. Listed below are some highlighted performances. As always, visit KCM's full arts calendar for a full listing of arts events in our area.

Midwest Early Opera Works
Terzetto: Baroque Opera Trios
Sunday, January 18 at 2:30pm
Village Presbyterian Church, 6641 Mission Road, Prairie Village, KS

Don't miss this concert, one of Fiona's picks for this week. Some of the area's finest singers and chamber musicians will join with conductor Dr. Ryan Board and artistic director Douglas Dodson to present early opera works by Monteverdi, Purcell, Handel, Rameau, Arne, and Mozart. A $5 donation is suggested.

Visit www.villagepres.org or call 816-808-7432 for more information.

Harriman-Jewel Series
Joyce DiDonato, Mezzo-Soprano with Les Talens Lyriques
Wednesday, January 21 at 7:30pm
Folly Theater,
12th and Central in Downtown Kansas City, MO

Kansas City's favorite mezzo is presenting a collection of arias and orchestral selections from the operatic repertoire of G.F. Handel. Joyce DiDonato will be joined by the Paris-based ensemble Les Talens Lyriques. Christophe Rousset will serve as harpsichordist and conductor of the concert, which will only be performed twice in the United States (once on the Harriman-Jewel series and in New York City at Carnegie Hall.)  The wonderful setting of the Folly Theater will play host to this not-to-be-missed event.

Ticket information at www.harriman-jewell.org

The Metropolitan Opera: Live in HD
Orfeo ed Euridice - by C. Gluck
Featuring Stephanie Blythe and Danielle de Niese
Saturday, January 24, at noon

The Metropolitan Opera: Live in HD is continuing their successful run of live broadcasts this year. The Met will transmit a total of eleven live and ten encore events this season from September to May. Don't miss the excitement of experiencing the Met on the big screen. This broadcast is of Gluck's Orfew ed Euridice. This production is choreographed by Mark Morris with costumes by Isaac Mizrahi. Stephanie Blythe stars in the title role, and the alluring Danielle de Niese plays Orfeo's adored wife Euridice, who inspires the hero to face the underworld for her sake. Metropolitan Opera music director James Levine is conducting the performance. Several movie theaters in town are showing this event.

For ticket information, visit www.fathomevents.com or check out fiona's list for locations in the metropolis.
 

Kansas City Civic Opera
Great Opera Scenes
Friday, January 30 at 8:00pm and Sunday, February 1 at 2:00pm
Metropolitan Ensemble Theatre
3604 Main Street, Kansas City, MO

Conductor Dr. Ryan Board leads this eclectic concert featuring vocalists David Adams, Nathan Granner, Elaine fox, Sarah Tennehill and more in works by Mozart, Rossini, Monteverdi, Bernstein, Strauss, and Donizetti.

For tickets, call 816-536-9464 or visit www.kccivicopera.org

By KCM Staff   Tue, Oct 28, 2008

Mon, Jan 26, 2009

 Carlsen Center at JCCC
National Acrobats of China
"The China Blossom"
Friday, January 30 at 8 p.m.
Saturday, January 31 at 8 p.m.
Carlsen Center at  JCCC,
12345 College Blvd, Overland Park, KS

The National Acrobats of China are a breath-taking, colorful troupe of artists that combine ancient traditions with the technology of a Las Vegas show.  Graduates of the highly-esteemed Fu Hsing Academy, their artistic folk art skills range from music, martial arts, dancers, contortionists, athletes, and magicians.  The 35 members of the troupe are considered the foremost acrobatic troupe in China and present their traditional arts in a fresh, exciting, and colorful way.  The show is a thrilling spectacular suitable for the entire family.  

For tickets call 913-469-4445
or online at www.jccc.net/home/depts.php/001440/site/Chronological_Listing/

City in Motion
Modern Night at the Folly
Saturday, February 7  at 8 p.m.
Folly Theater, 300 W. 12th Street, KCMO

To see the latest in original, contemporary works of regional choreographers in full theatrical production, this is the concert to attend for those interested in the contemporary dance scene.  The annual event is produced by City in Motion, but features new works performed by several talented KC area dance companies.  The works represent a wide variety of genres and styles of Modern Dance, but are always colorful, innovative, and entertaining.  

For tickets call 816-474-4444 or online at www.follytheater.com
For information about the company, call 816-561-2882 or online at www.CityInMotion.org

Photo Credit:  Mike Strong, KCDance.com

Kansas City Ballet
Winter Performance
"The Firebird"
Thursday, February 19  at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, February 20 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, February 21 at 2 and 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, February 22 at 2 p.m.
Lyric Theatre
11th and Central Streets, Downtown Kansas City, MO

The Kansas City Ballet continues its 51st season with its Winter Performance.  This performance features Igor Stravinsky's haunting piece, the Firebird, as well as a premiere of Ben Stevenson's End of Time, and George Balanchine's Apollo.  All three of these works will be new to most Kansas City audiences, and well worth the price of admission.  The performance will also include an encore production of Twyla Tharp's very popular piece, As Time Goes By.  

The tentative program will open with Balanchine's Apollo.  Choreographed in 1928 to Stravinsky's "Apollon Musagete", this work is based on Greek mythology and is choreographed in "neo-classical" style.  The story revolves around Apollo, the god of music, who is visited by three muses.  The choreography initiated a reinvention of tradition, became Balanchine's first public success, and eventually, a seminal Balanchine work.  

Next on the program is Twyla Tharp's As Time Goes By, set to the music of Haydn, which was orginally created for the Joffery Ballet in 1973 (performed 1979).  It was the first time that Tharp had created work for a company other than her own, and was her first piece created for dancers en pointe.  William Whitner, artistic director for the Kansas City Ballet, is intimately familiar with the choreopgraphy of Tharp, since he was a member of her dance company and one of her star performers.  Tharp's choreography is know for its innovative, quirky, improvisational style that is a mixture of classical ballet, barefoot Modern and American vernacular dance set to popular music.  

Continuing the temporal motif is End of Time, a passionate pas de deux created by British choreographer, Ben Stevenson, set to Rachmaninoff.  Created in 1984, this piece portrays a couple at the end of our existence on earth.  

Last on the program is the immortal Firebird, created by a relatively young Russian choreographer, Yuri Possokhov, and set to Stravinsky's powerful score (the reduced 1945 Firebird Suite version). 

Based on a Russian folk tale, this version of the ballet was created in 2004, but like its 1910 Diaghilev original production, the designer, Yuri Zhukov, and Possokhov worked closely together to create a look remniscent of the Russian folk tale illustrations from the early 1900s.  It is a charming tale of a handsome prince hunting a beautiful glittering, golden bird.  He succeeds in capturing her, but decides to set her free.  Enamored of the prince, she gives him a magic feather, with which to summon her. 

The tale evolves into a classic love triangle between the prince, his princess, and the Firebird, portrayed in an imaginative, colorful, contemporary ballet style.  This particular piece is creating some excitement in the Kansas City dance community and will prove to be one of the "must-see" events of the season.  

For tickets call 816-931-2232 or online at www.kcballet.org

Mon, Jan 12, 2009

Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey
Ailey Trio
Tuesday, January 13, 2009 at 7 p.m.
Gem Theater
1616 E. 18th St, Kansas City, MO

The Ailey Trio consists of three leading members of the internationally acclaimed Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Guillermo Asca, Clifton Brown and Khilea Douglass. 

The dynamic trio will perform excerpts from the dance company's current repertory.  This event is also an educational event targeted to school children, and includes the members of the company addressing issues of physical fitness and pursuing life goals.  

Free admission. For information call 816-474-8463 or online at www.KCFAA.org

Harriman-Jewell Series
The Russian National Ballet: Great Moments from Russian Ballets
Friday, Jan. 16, 2009 at 8 p.m.
Folly Theater
12th and Central, Downtown Kansas City, MO

The Russian National Ballet features highlights and favorite scenes from some of the most popular Russian Ballets, including selections from La Bayadere, Paquita, Carmen, Don Quixote, Sleeping Beauty, and The Humpbacked Horse.  The performance will also include complete concert works, such as Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 6, Perrot's Pas de Quatre, Lumley's Melody, and the famous signature work of famed Russian Ballerina, Anna Pavlova, in Folkine's The Dying Swan. 

This will give ballet fans an exciting opportunity to see a professional Russian ballet company perform elaborate Russian works not often available to Midwest audiences.  

For tickets call 816-415-5025 or online at www.harriman-jewell.org

City in Motion
Children's Student Showcase
Saturday, January 17 at 2 p.m.
Academie Lafayette
6903 Oak Street, Kansas City, MO

City in Motion Dance Academy, home of both student and professional dance, offers its children's program showcase for the public.  Demonstrating age-appropriate creativity and skill, these young dancers offer a very colorful and entertaining dance program appropriate for family members of all ages. 

Teachers and choreographers are professional dancers from the Kansas City area, teaching in residence at the Academy and giving students a taste of professional-level performance.  Ticket sales are donated to support the children's dance program at the Academy, including scholarships for students coming from low-income families.  

For information call 816-561-2882 or online at www.CityInMotion.org

Thu, Jan 01, 2009

Now Playing...

Broadway Across America presents
Annie
Runs December 30, 2008 - January 4, 2009
Visit the website for performance times.
The Music Hall
13th and Central, Downtown Kansas City, MO

The Broadway musical, Annie, based on the Depression Era comic strip, comes to Kansas City audiences for the holiday family viewing season.  Its optimistic message of "never giving up hope", set to a memorable score, is ripe for a new generation.  Presented with a professional cast in colorful song and dance, this is a delightful production appropriate for the entire family. 

For tickets call 1-800-366-0583 or online at www.BroadwayAcrossAmerica.com
 

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Favorite Picks for Winter/Spring 2009

Harriman-Jewell Series presents
Great Moments from Russian Ballets with the Russian National Ballet
Friday, Jan. 16, 2009 at 8 p.m.
Folly Theater
12th and Central, Downtown Kansas City, MO

This performance of the Russian National Ballet features highlights and favorite scenes from some of the most popular Russian Ballets, including selections from La Bayadere, Paquita, Carmen, Don Quixote, Sleeping Beauty, and The Humpbacked Horse.  The program also includes complete concert works, such as Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 6, Perrot's Pas de Quatre, Lumley's Melody, and the famous signature work of famed Russian Ballerina, Anna Pavlova, in Folkine's The Dying Swan.  This will give ballet fans an exciting opportunity to see a professional Russian ballet company perform elaborate Russian works not often available to Mid-West audiences. 

For tickets call 816-415-5025 or online at www.harriman-jewell.org
 

City in Motion presents
Modern Night at the Folly
Saturday, Feb. 7, 2009 at 8 p.m.
Folly Theater,
12th and Central, Downtown Kansas City, MO

To see the latest in original, contemporary works of regional choreographers in full theatrical production, this is the concert to attend for those interested in the local contemporary dance scene. 

The annual event is produced by City in Motion, but features new works performed by several talented Kansas City area dance companies.  The works represent a wide variety of genres and styles of Modern Dance, but are always colorful, innovative, and entertaining.  

For tickets call 816-474-4444 or online at www.follytheater.com
For information about the company, call 816-561-2882 or online at www.CityInMotion.org
 

Kansas City Ballet presents
Winter Performance 'Firebird'
Thursday, Feb. 19, 2009, at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 20, 2009, at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 21, 2009, at 2 & 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, Feb. 22, 2009, at 2 p.m.
Lyric Theatre
11th and Central, Downtown Kansas City, MO

The Kansas City Ballet's Winter Performance features Igor Stravinsky's haunting piece, the Firebird, as well as a premiere of Ben Stevenson's End of Time, and George Balanchine's Apollo.  All three of these works will be new to most Kansas City audiences, and well worth the price of admission.  The performance also includes an encore production of Twyla Tharp's very popular piece, As Time Goes By.  

For tickets, call 816-931-2232 or online at www.kcballet.org
 

Owen/Cox Dance Group presents
Spring Performance: 
World Premiere collaboration with artist Nate Fors
Thursday, March 26, 2009, at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, March 27, 2009, at 8 p.m.
Saturday, March 28, 2009, at 8 p.m.
H&R Block City Stage Theater, Union Station, 30 W. Pershing Road, KCMO

A relatively new dance group to the area, the Owen/Cox Dance Group features accomplished dancers, original choreography, and original music presented in innovative ways, often blending elements of classical and contemporary works.  This concert will feature a world premiere collaboration with artist Nate Fors, along with an assortment of other shorter works.  Never disappointing, this up and coming dance group is one for dance fans to keep their eyes on, as they continue to develop their own particular genre of contemporary dance.  

For tickets call 816-460-2020 or online at www.unionstation.org

For information on the company, call 816-931-1277 or online at www.OwenCoxDance.org

Mon, Jan 19, 2009

NOW RUNNING

The New Theatre Restaurant
Boeing-Boeing
By Marc Camoletti
Runs November 12, 2008 - February 1, 2009 
9229 Foster, Overland Park, KS.  

Praised as the "best dinner theatre operation in the country," by The Wall Street Journal, The New Theatre Restaurant presents the 2008 Tony award winning 'Best Revival of a Play' Boeing-Boeing; a retro comedy of farce and mayhem.  Bernard, a bachelor, is juggling three airline stewardesses (yes, three!) who are also his fiancés.  With the help of his traffic controlling housekeeper (Marla Gibbs from television's The Jefferson's) Bernard manages to balance each relationship by juggling flight schedules and near misses.   With the arrival of the new double speed Super Boeing, and his old college pal Robert, a comedic whirlwind ensues as we watch the bombastic bachelor balance love by trick and skill.  A major hit in London's West End and still running on Broadway with Christina Baranski at the helm, artistic directors Richard Carrothers and Dennis Hennessy bring another contemporary production to their tasty stage.  

For tickets call 913-649-SHOW or online at www.newtheatre.com
 

Metropolitan Ensemble Theatre (MET)
Hedda Gabler
By Henrik Ibsen
Runs January 8 - 25  
METspace, 
3614 Main St., Kansas City, MO

Often considered as the "female Hamlet," Hedda Gabler is the masterful work of Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen.  Published in 1890 and premiering in 1891 in Germany, Ibsen's story of a newly married woman struggling with a new existence was marred with negative reviews.  Today, his play is considered the hallmark of classical realism and produced the world over.  The character of Hedda has been portrayed both controversially and questionably; from a heroine taking on society, to a feminist or a manipulative villain all the way to a man in drag.  It will be interesting to see how MET will portray this strong woman with local metropolis actress, Katie Gilchrist, at the helm.        

For tickets call 816-569-3226 or online at www.metkc.org

CLICK HERE to read the KCMETROPOLIS.org review
 

Kansas City Repertory Theatre
The Glass Menagerie
by Tennessee Williams
Directed by David Cromer
Runs January 9 - February 15
Copaken Stage
13th and Walnut, Downtown Kansas City, MO

Tennessee Williams' enduring classic is an award-winning portrayal of a disintegrating family during the depression of the 1930s. Vulnerable and tragic, The Glass Menagerie is one of Williams' most intimate and heartrending dramas and introduced him as one of the preeminent American playwrights of the 20th century. 

David Cromer makes his KC Rep debut with The Glass Menagerie. His home base is Chicago where his productions have garnered a total of 16 Joseph Jefferson Awards including Best Production and Best Director for The Cider House Rules, The Price andAngels in America. His critically acclaimed Off-Broadway production of Adding Machine: A Musical recently won an Outer Critics Circle Award for Best New Musical and a Lucille Lortel award and an Obie award for outstanding direction.

For tickets call 816-235-2700 or online at www.kcrep.org
 
CLICK HERE to read the KCMETROPOLIS.org review

American Heartland Theatre 
Murder By the Book
By Duncan Greenwood and Robert King 
A Kansas City Premiere
Runs January 9 - February 22
Crown Center - 3rd Level
2450 Grand Blvd, Kansas City, MO

Witty barbs exchanged between master thriller writer, Selwyn, and his estranged wife, Imogen, turn fatal...or do they? When the writer is found dead by his loyal secretary and the amateur detective neighbor insists on solving the crime, the twists and turns begin. Crisp and funny, this light-hearted and inventive thriller unfolds with a series of deadly games.

For tickets call 816-842-9999 or online at www.ahtkc.com.

COMING UP SOON...

InPlay Productions
Collected Stories
By David Margolies 
Runs January 26 through February 15
Just Off Broadway Theatre, 
3051 Central in Penn Valley Park

A runner up for the Pulitzer Prize, David Margolies' Collected Stories is a play about how sometimes a teacher-student relationship can turn from friendship to peer to rival.  A well-respected short-story writer, Ruth Steiner, becomes the mentor of a struggling author, Lisa Morrison.  Giving Morrison an education on the craft of writing and life, Steiner and Morrison become battling contemporizes that ultimately changes their lives.  It has been a while since we have seen something from InPlay Productions and it will be exciting to see what kind of show they present to the metropolis.     

For tickets call 816.784.5020 or online at www.justoffbroadway.org
 

The Coterie Theatre
Our Town
By Thornton Wilder
Runs January 27 through February 20
Crown Center (lower level), Grand & Pershing

Continuing their 30th anniversary, The Coterie plunges forward with their season by presenting the full length version of Thornton Wilder's Pulitzer Prize winning play Our Town.  A timeless classic about a girl's time in Grover's Corners, the audience will come away with asking if they are aware of life while living it; one of the plays many themes.  Originally performed at the McCarter Theatre in Princeton, New Jersey on January 22, 1932, Our Town was Wilder's attempt to steer theatre away from the inadequate and evasive style he felt it had become.  By making the actors mime their props and performing on a set made up of only tables, chairs and ladders, he forced the audience to see the play's theme without distraction of the spectacle theatre tended to produce.  Another first was having the role of Stage Manager, completely aware of his relationship to the audience and the actors on stage break the ever present fourth-wall that theatre was known for using.  (The fourth-wall is the idea that the audience is looking in on the lives of other people as if looking through a wall.)  Tied to a curriculum focusing on communication, arts, literature, social studies, psychology and philosophy, this play is suitable for an elementary age child and adults alike.  

For tickets call The Coterie Theatre at 816.474.6552 or online at www.coterietheatre.org

Paul Mesner Puppets
Anansi Returns
Adapted by Paul Mesner & Mike Horner
Wednesday, January 28 at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Thursday, January 29 at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Friday, January 30 at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Saturday, January 31 at 2 p.m.
Sunday, February 1 at 2 p.m.
Unity Temple on the Plaza, 707 W. 74th Street

A mixture of folktales from Africa and the Caribbean, this tale involving Anansi the spider, who gets mixed up in all sorts of situations, comes from the Ashanti people.  Dr. Cheryl Grossman, associate professor of education from UMKC, says: "The traditional values of the Ashanti people may be seen in the Anansi tale; and discussed with the children. The importance of wit, cunning, the ability to use one's wit to outsmart another, and strength are - threads running through the stories."  The tales of this Anansi have traveled the world and have been heard in France, Trinidad and now in Kansas City.  Dr. Grossman continues, "It is my belief that after seeing The Paul Mesner Puppet Show, 'Anansi the Spider,' children will not only be interested in the cultural and historical aspects of the stories but they will be stimulated to learn about "all things spider" and further explore some theme; and motifs included in the stories."  An education guide can be found on The Paul Mesner website to further your exploration into this classical folk tale and to read more from Dr. Grossman.    

For tickets call 816.235.6222 or online at www.paulmesnerpuppets.org
 

Unicorn Theatre
The Velvet Rut 
By James Still
Runs January 30 through February 22
3828 Main Street

Having appeared in Unicorn Theatre's 2007-2008 In-Progress New Play Reading Series, James Still's The Velvet Rut moves onto the main stage in its first metropolis performance at the Unicorn.  A high school teacher who loves his students, adores his wife, and is passionate about his poetry, goes on a soul searching camping trip after he meets Virgil, a seemingly mysterious young man.  What they both discover are the tools they will need to survive.  This two actor play stars veteran Kansas City actor Jim Korinke and Unicorn newcomer Matthew Jayson Weiss with direction from Joseph Price.  Still, a native of Kansas, also has two other plays premiering at Ford's Theatre in Washington D.C. and Indiana Repertory Theatre in Indianapolis, IN.

One more thing: Talk back performances will be on February 3, 8 & 10 to discuss the play with the cast and director.  On February 5th at 6:30 the Unicorn host Play Before the Play Party, visit their website for more details. 

For tickets call 816.531.7529 or online at www.unicorntheatre.org
 

Theatre for Young America (TYA)
Africa's Daughters
Runs February 3 through February 21
Union Station's City Stage
30 West Pershing Road

Appropriate for children in 2nd grade and beyond, this play celebrates the struggles and triumphs of the African-American people.  Understanding that African-American heritage is celebrated through out the year, TYA brings forth this production during the month where we are reminded the importance of being a melting-pot nation has benefited us as a community of people.   "A young girl named Makeda takes an amazing journey through 4 millennia of African and African-American history, seen through the eyes of women ranging from the Ethiopian Queen of Sheba to modern playwright Lorraine Hansberry.  In between ancient times and modern times Makeda joins the struggles and shares the triumphs of this historical pageant, and the experience changes her forever."  This play has ties in curriculum areas of drama, biography, African and African-American history, U.S. history, Civil War studies, women's studies, civil rights, and the Underground Railroad.    

For tickets call 816.460.2020 or online at www.unionstation.org

Mon, Jan 05, 2009

 Now Running...

The New Theatre Restaurant
Boeing-Boeing
By Marc Camoletti
Runs November 12, 2008 - February 1, 2009 
9229 Foster, Overland Park, KS.  

Praised as the "best dinner theatre operation in the country," by The Wall Street Journal, The New Theatre Restaurant presents the 2008 Tony award winning Best Revival of a Play Boeing-Boeing; a retro comedy of farce and mayhem.  Bernard, a bachelor, is juggling three airline stewardesses (yes, three!) who are also his fiancés.  With the help of his traffic controlling housekeeper (Marla Gibbs from television's The Jefferson's) Bernard manages to balance each relationship by juggling flight schedules and near misses.   With the arrival of the new double speed Super Boeing, and his old college pal Robert, a comedic whirlwind ensues as we watch the bombastic bachelor balance love by trick and skill.  A major hit in London's West End and still running on Broadway with Christina Baranski at the helm, artistic directors Richard Carrothers and Dennis Hennessy bring another contemporary production to their tasty stage.  

For tickets call 913-649-SHOW or online at www.newtheatre.com
 

Unicorn Theatre 
The Women of Brewster Place: The Musical
By Tim Acito
Runs December 5, 2008 - January 11, 2009
3838 Main Street, Kansas City, MO

From the original novel by Gloria Naylor, to Oprah's television adaptation, all the way to Tim Acito's score and lyrics, The Women of Brewster Place has a universal message that is worthy of print, screen and stage.  Ten diverse and strong African-American women reside in a dilapidated and deteriorating housing project on the outskirts of a big city surrounded by a wall.  Going head on against severe poverty, racism and prejudice, the women decide to tear down the wall as they build up each other.  With an eclectic cast of local actresses, jazz and gospel performers, this Unicorn production will not only enlighten, but will also entertain.    

One more thing: Join other arts minded audience members at "Play Before the Play Party" - Unicorn's dessert and drink reception on December 11th at 6:30pm before the 8:00 show!

For tickets call 816-531-PLAY or online at www.unicorntheatre.org
 

COMING UP SOON . . .

Metropolitan Ensemble Theatre (MET)
Hedda Gabler
By Henrik Ibsen
Runs January 8 - 25  
METspace, 
3614 Main St., Kansas City, MO

Often considered as the "female Hamlet," Hedda Gabler is the masterful work of Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen.  Published in 1890 and premiering in 1891 in Germany, Ibsen's story of a newly married woman struggling with a new existence was marred with negative reviews.  Today, his play is considered the hallmark of classical realism and produced the world over.  The character of Hedda has been portrayed both controversially and questionably; from a heroine taking on society, to a feminist or a manipulative villain all the way to a man in drag.  It will be interesting to see how MET will portray this strong woman with local metropolis actress, Katie Gilchrist, at the helm.        

For tickets call 816-569-3226 or online at www.metkc.org
 

Kansas City Repertory Theatre
The Glass Menagerie
by Tennessee Williams
Directed by David Cromer
Runs January 9 - February 15
Copaken Stage
13th and Walnut, Downtown Kansas City, MO

Tennessee Williams' enduring classic is an award-winning portrayal of a disintegrating family during the depression of the 1930s. Vulnerable and tragic, The Glass Menagerie is one of Williams' most intimate and heartrending dramas and introduced him as one of the preeminent American playwrights of the 20th century. 

David Cromer makes his KC Rep debut with The Glass Menagerie. His home base is Chicago where his productions have garnered a total of 16 Joseph Jefferson Awards including Best Production and Best Director for The Cider House Rules, The Price and Angels in America. His critically acclaimed Off-Broadway production of Adding Machine: A Musical recently won an Outer Critics Circle Award for Best New Musical and a Lucille Lortel award and an Obie award for outstanding direction.

For tickets call 816-235-2700 or online at www.kcrep.org

American Heartland Theatre 
Murder By the Book
By Duncan Greenwood and Robert King 
A Kansas City Premiere
Runs January 9 - February 22
Crown Center - 3rd Level
2450 Grand Blvd, Kansas City, MO

Witty barbs exchanged between master thriller writer, Selwyn, and his estranged wife, Imogen, turn fatal...or do they? When the writer is found dead by his loyal secretary and the amateur detective neighbor insists on solving the crime, the twists and turns begin. Crisp and funny, this light-hearted and inventive thriller unfolds with a series of deadly games.

For tickets call 816-842-9999 or online at www.ahtkc.com.

Actor's Theatre of Kansas City (ATKC)
Death and the Maiden
By Ariel Dorfman
Runs January 16 - 25, 2009
Previews: January 9 -15, 2009
Off Center Theatre at Crown Center
2450 Grand Blvd, Kansas City, MO

From the artistically driven company, ATKC, comes a spellbinding work by Chilean playwright Ariel Dorfman.  Her 1991 play Death and the Maiden continues their theme of "oppression and triumph of the human heart," and will be directed by James F. Mitchell, a well-known production stage manager here in the metropolis.  Premiering at the Royal Court Theatre in London on July 9 of that same year, Dorfman reveals to us a story about Paulina Escobar, a one-time political prisoner in an unnamed Latin American country, who many years after a the countries dictating regime had fallen rediscovers the man who led her torture.  A parable on how people desire justice for the wrong done to them, this play is sure to captivate and promote dialogue among audiences in Kansas City.   

For tickets call 816-235-6222 or online at www.kcactors.org

By Lee Goodman   Thu, Jan 01, 2009

Do you ever get tired of hearing the same, admittedly great, piano concertos of Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, Schumann, Grieg, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff etc?  Not only on the radio but in the concert halls?  If so, then read on.

Believe it or not, there were scores of other fine composers during the Romantic era who wrote very accessible piano concertos that were quite popular in their day.  Some of these composers, perhaps most, were piano virtuosos in their own right and they composed to have something of their own to play when performing with a symphony orchestra as they traveled around Europe.  Others were professional composers who either wrote concertos or were commissioned by pianists for new works to play.  Whatever the reason, a lot of these works have rarely been performed since they were written.

My friend, Michael, and I used to have season tickets to the Kansas City Philharmonic in the Maurice Peress days.  Every so often a work unknown to Michael would appear on the program.  For example, Beethoven's Concerto for Kazoo.  Michael would remark that he never knew Beethoven had written a concerto for kazoo and I would say something like, "It was quite popular in its day but has since become neglected." Or perhaps a piano concerto by Heinrich Gluckmeister was programmed and Michael would remark that he had never heard of Herr Gluckmeister and I would say that he was very popular a hundred years ago but has since become neglected.  After both of these examples Michael would say "Now I know why that work or composer has been neglected."  This led to my promulgating the Michael Theory of Neglected Composers and Works.  Namely:  whenever a work or composer has been neglected, THERE'S A REASON.

Hyperion Records, based in London, has a mission to disprove the above 'Michael Theory' with its series of Romantic Piano concertos.  I have no idea where they found the manuscripts of most of these works, probably in the musky dark archives of music libraries in Europe.  But many of these recordings are quite wonderful.  Here is a link to all of them: 

www.hyperion-records.co.uk/al.asp?al=CDA67659

I have purchased several of them based on recommendations from friends and reviews I have read.  A couple were nice, but nothing special. But most were well worth the purchase and well worth hearing someday in the concert hall (dream on, Lee!).  The list of composers includes almost every half-forgotten piano virtuoso of the 19th century who also composed, and many I have never heard of.  Each CD usually has two concertos (although a few have only one long or three shorter ones) and is over 60 minutes of music.  While Hyperion is a full priced label, many of these pieces are receiving their world premiere recording, and it is unlikely they will be recorded again.  All the performances feature first-rate soloists, orchestras, conductors and the recorded sound is excellent.  

CDs I have purchased and that I enjoy include:

#1 - Paderewski/Moszkowski
#11 - Scharwenka/Sauer
#14 - two works by Litolff
#18 - Korngold/Marx
#19 - Mackenzie/Tovey
#20 - Three works by Brull
#21 - Three works by da Motta with Artur Pizarro as the soloist
#22 - The Busoni piano concerto, one of the titanic concertos of all time with Marc-Andre Hamelin, a titanic superhuman pianist whose lack of  an appearance on the Harriman or Friends of Chamber Music series is a disgrace.  UMKC had him in a tremendous recital several years back and Michael Stern had him play the Brahms No. 2 last year and it was a highlight of the season.  (Note to self-I need to do a column just on Marc-Andre Hamelin soon. )The concerto is 75 minutes in length and even has a choral finale.  I wish Michael Stern would program THIS work some day.  
#31 - Four works by Pierne

The latest in the series is #47 and seem to show no signs of ending.  

Occasionally they have chosen to resurrect a 20th century composer who wrote in a Romantic style but has been neglected for years.  

Hyperion has also started a series of Romantic Violin concertos.  I have only purchased one of them (#3) which feature two violin concertos of Jeno Hubay. Tthey are delightful highly virtuosic melodic concertos that should be played more often by anyone with the chops to get through them.  Soloists in the violin series include Tasmin Little and Ilya Gringolts who are both excellent, if relatively unknown violinists.  Here's a link:  www.hyperion-records.co.uk/find.asp?f=romantic+violin

Hyperion has even just started a Romantic Cello series - although I haven't heard any of them.  Here's a link: www.hyperion-records.co.uk/find.asp?f=romantic+cello

So how come these works are not played at all anymore?  I have some guesses and they are: #1.  Some of them are finger busters and many soloists would rather not attempt them.  #2.  If a soloist bothered to learn the piece, few if any music directors would program it as the sole concerto on a symphony program so why make the effort?  #3.  The local music critic would criticize the soloist and music director for performing such shallow music instead of a concerto by Brahms or Shostakovich or some modern unlistenable composer of the moment.  

Now don't get me wrong.  None of these are Brahms piano concerto No. 3 nor will replace any of the dozen masterpieces of the piano concerto literature, BUT all of the ones I have heard are well written, highly melodic, colorful concertos and well worth hearing.  You should take a flier and buy a couple of them.

All of the ones I own are delightful but I think #11 Scharwenka/Sauer,  #18 Korngold/Marx (the Marx sounds like a tone poem of Richard Strauss), #19 Mackenzie/Tovey, and #20 Brull are particularly engaging.  The Busoni #22 is also worth a listen.  Give one or more a try and let me know what you think.

Happy New Year and I am looking forward to a great spring of performances here in Kansas City.

Thu, Apr 16, 2009

A Super Star

For ten years, Dr. Jan Kraybill, Principal Organist of the Community of Christ Church, has played an organ recital on Super Bowl Sunday.  2009 is no different; she will play this year's recital on the great Aeolian-Skinner organ in the Auditorium at River and Walnut Streets in Independence on Sunday February 1st, beginning at 3:00 p.m.

The program consists of requests from the many people who have attended in years past.  In fact, Jan writes that she "was completely overwhelmed by the number of requests - I have over three single-spaced pages of them!"

Some of the works to be played: Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D Minor; "I'm a Jayhawk"; a medley from the High School Musical Movies; the William Tell Overture; and, one that  I especially want to hear, "Outer Hebrides" by Paul Halley.  She'll play these and other pieces with consummate artistry.

And, the program is FREE!  Don't miss it!
Visit www.cofchrist.org/dome_spire for more information.
 

Old Wine in a New Bottle

Recently, one of the local newspapers featured an article about an E. and G. G. Hook organ, built in 1869 and recently re-installed in the Rainbow Mennonite Church.  This small jewel of an instrument is now in a beautiful, intimate acoustic and is the vehicle for an organ recital on February 16th, to be given by Bruce Stevens.  Mr. Stevens plays frequently for conventions of the Organ Historical Society; he crafts ingenious programs for relatively small pipe organs, showing the versatility of such instruments and the wide range of music for them.  The recital begins at 7:30; the church is located at 1444 Southwest Blvd.  It's a bit tricky to find - it is probably best to look for a map on the internet so as to determine how to get there.  Once you have arrived, you will be delighted with the sound of the organ and the room in which it is placed and with the recital given by Mr. Stevens.

Oh, yes, one other word - the company that put the organ in its new home is Quimby Pipe Organs of Warrensburg; the company just completed the re-installation of the massive and wonderful Aeolian-Skinner organ in the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York.  And they are curators of Kansas City's finest instruments, including the Gabriel Kney organ at Grace and Holy Trinity Cathedral and the Auditorium organ.   They approach every instrument for which they are responsible with love and careful attention

Mon, Jan 05, 2009

Happy New Year! The first few weeks of the 2009 are a little slow for choral and vocal concert opportunities. So, I'd first like to list a few featured performances. Then, I'm going to give a preview of some exciting choral/vocal concerts coming up in the first quarter of 2009.

The Metropolitan Opera: Live in HD
La Rondine
by G. Puccini
Featuring Angela Gheroghiu and Roberto Alagna
Saturday, January 10, at noon

The Metropolitan Opera: Live in HD is continuing their successful run of live broadcasts this year. The Met will transmit a total of eleven live and ten encore events this season from September to May. Don't miss the excitement of experiencing the Met on the big screen. If you've never taken one of these performances, I highly encourage you to attend. This broadcast is of Puccini's La Rondine.

Opera's charismatic real-life duo, Angela Gheorghiu and Roberto Alagna provide the star power to deliver this ravishing romance from one of the world's most popular opera composers. Gheorghiu plays the kept woman who gambles on true love, and Alagna is the man who makes her question the cost of her glittering existence. Nicolas Joel directs the new production of this gorgeously melodic look at love. Marco Armiliato conducts. Several movie theaters in town are showing this event. At approximately $20 per ticket, seeing the Met has never been so economical and convenient.

For ticket information, visit www.fathomevents.com or check out fiona's list for this week

The Friends of Chamber Music
Chanticleer with the Shanghai String Quartet
Saturday, January 17 at 8 p.m.
The Folly Theater
12th and Central, Downtown Kansas City, MO

The Grammy Award-winning vocal ensemble Chanticleer returns to Kansas City in a unique collaboration with the versatile Shanghai Quartet in a world premiere tour of "From the Path of Beauty," composed by internationally renowned composer and UMKC Conservatory professor, Chen Yi.

Chanticleer has developed a remarkable reputation for its vivid interpretations of vocal literature ranging from Renaissance to jazz. The ensemble's performance with the Shanghai, known for their passionate musicality, impressive technique and multicultural innovations, will be nothing short of spectacular. It's a given that this event will be sold out. Get your tickets soon!

Visit Chanticleer on the web at www.chanticleer.org and www.myspace.com/sfchanticleer.

For tickets call 816-561-9999 or online at www.chambermusic.org

Vocal Highlights for 2009

As for the upcoming first quarter of 2009, there are a number of performances that will be a blessing to vocal and choral music lovers in the Kansas City metropolitan area. We are so blessed to have so many wonderful musicians dedicated to great choral and vocal music working in Kansas City.

On Friday, January 30th at 8:00pm, the Kansas City Symphony will present a concert featuring the glorious voice of Sandi Patty in a Broadway revue. She will sing music from West Side Story, My Fair Lady, The Phantom Of The Opera and many more. This concert is at the Church of the Resurrection in Johnson County. Visit www.kcsymphony.org for more information.

In February, the UMKC Conservatory of Music will present Mozart's Cosi Fan Tutte. The opera will run at White Hall on UMKC's campus on February 19-22. For more information, go to conservatory.umkc.edu.

March both comes in and goes out like a lion this year. UMKC's Conservatory Singers, with direction by Dr. Ryan Board, and Orchestra, along with the Village Church Chamber Choir, will present the wonderful and underappreciated Mendelssohn Oratorio Paulus (St. Paul) at Village Presbyterian Church on March 1 at 3:00pm. Visit www.villagepres.org for more information.

In mid-March, the Lyric Opera of Kansas City will present Verdi's La Traviata, featuring Metropolitan Opera Star Mary Dunleavy as Violetta. Performances are on the 14th, 16th, 18th, 20th, and 22nd of March. Visit www.kcopera.org for information concerning this and other Lyric productions.

This great month of choral/vocal music continues as the Grammy award winning Kansas City Chorale partners with the Phoenix Chorale (both led by Maestro Charles Bruffy) to present music written for double chorus. The concert will be performed on Saturday, March 21 at 7:30pm at the Church of the Nativity and on Sunday, March 22 at 2:00pm at the Redemptorist Church. This performance features three world premiers: Rene Clausen's Mass as well as two new pieces from Kansas City composer Jean Belmont Ford. They are on the web at www.kcchorale.org.

There is a new choral group in Kansas City that will be presenting their first performances this spring. Kansas City native Matthew Christopher Shepard is introducing Te Deum, a small choral ensemble of 16 voices whose mission is to present sacred choral music that is both musically gratifying and spiritually stirring. Their concert will feature music by Britten, Stanford, Tavener, Part, and Thompson. The concert will be presented on March 28 at 7:30pm at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception and March 29th at 3:00 at Village Presbyterian church.

The first quarter of 2009 will go out with a bang as the William Baker Festival Singers, along with organist Wayne Smith and members of the Kansas City Symphony, present Johann Sebastian Bach's masterful Mass In B Minor on Tuesday, March 31 at 7:30pm. This epic work is Bach's crowning achievement. It is truly one of the greatest works of a man considered by many to be the greatest composer who has ever lived. Visit www.festivalsingers.org for ticket information.

By KCM Staff   Mon, Jun 16, 2008

Many thanks to ArtsJournal.com's editor, Douglas McLennan
~ Formerly an arts columnist and arts reporter with the Seattle
Post-Intelligencer and the Seattle Weekly. Doug writes on
the arts for a number of publications (in his abundant free time)
and is currently acting director of the National Arts Journalism
Program while it reinvents itself ~

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