Theatre ,
Starlight's Trek
There are stars, and then there are stars -- and then there is Denton Yockey. In his new capacity as president and executive producer of Starlight Theatre, Yockey is the guiding force behind the actors, singers and dancers seen from under the night skies and applauded after the inevitably happy endings and curtain calls. As the man behind the curtain, so to speak, Yockey is not quite a wizard or magus; rather, he is a businessman, with an actor's calling. As he begins his first season with the resplendently giddy Legally Blonde: The Musical, on June 30, he stopped spinning long enough for an interview to praise Kansas City audiences and explain his journey from the boards to the boardroom.
He did not come from a show biz family, exactly, though how many Barrymores or Redgraves are ever found in the family gene pool? An older brother of Yockey's acted in a few high school shows, and it was at such a production of South Pacific that the younger Yockey had "a cathartic experience, wondering if Emile de Becque would ever return" after the dramatic second-act disappearance by the mysterious plantation owner. Yockey followed in the fraternal footsteps in college: "It was always about the theatre, to be honest -- a little bit of a moving target." At the college level, including Indiana University at South Bend and the University of Georgia, he got an MFA in acting and pursued his plans of becoming a high school drama teacher, then a college professor. His first audition crystallized the dream; yet as a working actor who was unemployed for only six weeks out of three years, he learned more than technique, so when a job offer arose to take on the challenges of production manager and then company manager, he knew "I could do that." Evidently administration appealed to him: Before coming to Kansas City, Yockey had already spent 25 years assembling theatrical seasons, most recently at the Casa Mañana Theatre in Fort Worth, Texas.
Starlight is entertainment for many Kansas Citians; its history as an outdoor venue is part of the city's historical landscape, like the Nelson-Atkins Museum or Union Station. The starry entertainers who have passed through, from Mary Martin in Peter Pan to Ethel Merman and Carol Channing, have been the closest to Broadway's boogie-woogie that many theatergoers will ever get. It is a legacy that Denton Yockey approaches without the least bit of apprehension. On the contrary, "Whenever I tell people where I work, they smile. They all have some Starlight memory, maybe when their dad took them to their first musical. It is a seminal event. It doesn't intimidate me. What a fantastic theatre and an opportunity to work in a setting that people hold so dear. It is part of their lore, woven into the tapestry of their lives."
Mr. Yockey is solely responsible for booking Starlight's shows. As the successor to Bob Rohlf, who managed Starlight for 29 years, the mantle sits easily on his shoulders, backed up by modern business technology. When asked about the forthcoming season, which also consists of Anything Goes (July 13-19), Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (July 28-Aug. 2), Chicago (Aug. 11-16), and the ubiquitous Mamma Mia! (Sept. 8-13), he explained that it was not the human stars who rated most highly in audience surveys. "We had a great list of musicals to choose from. Two were chosen by Bob, and then we chose Mamma Mia! together. I chose Chicago on my own. We knew we had great hits: Mamma Mia! and Legally Blonde came in as one and two, and Chicago was another one that audiences reacted the most strongly about." All this was prior to the economic upheaval, but Yockey was unconcerned. "These are recession-beaters. We considered Cabaret, but right now audiences need light entertainment."
Anything Goes will be the first Starlight self-producing presentation in more than 17 years, and will also allow Yockey's mostly dormant directing side to overlap with his managing side. Local talent will have a chance to audition, and the final product will include "a couple of Broadway stars, but not big names." That is a different circumstance than years past, when Starlight produced its own seasons by putting together subscription packages with "season anchors" like My Fair Lady, around which lesser-known plays were introduced. In the future, Yockey "won't always choose the most obvious choice," which the hit-or-miss production of Anything Goes represents.
If a show fails, it will not be because of the facility (the stage "is one size bigger than the largest tour needed in 2000; it is one of the largest roadhouses in the country") or because of the wattage of the touring stars. "Surveys tell us that stars are not a big deal to customers," Yockey said. "That the Starlight experience -- outside under the stars, informal, with lots of leg room -- is number one, didn't surprise me." He expects to gain experience quickly, working late on show nights to learn everything he can. He believes that the most important quality for an arts administrator "is a passion for the art form he's administrating: failing that, he ought to be an accountant." For one whose entire professional (and with his actress wife and professionally acting children, personal) life is the theatre, when he casts his annual Tony votes he knows the shows from the inside-out. Accountants, beware: The new arts administrator knows how to play by the numbers, and work the numbers, too. There is a new lion king in town.
For more information visit www.kcstarlight.com
Fiona's List for May 6 - 17
Fiona's List for May 6 - 17
Fiona's personal favorites for the next 12 days include Brielle Frost's flute recital on Wednesday the 6th; the William Baker Festival Singers on Friday the 8th; Ben Sayevich Violin Studio Class Recital on Friday the 8th; the Medical Arts Symphony on Saturday the 9th; Mendelssohn's Elijah by Dr. Arnold Epley's new group, Musica Vocale, on Mother's Day the 10th; the Singing Quakers on Tuesday the 12th; the Kansas City Symphony on Saturday the 16th; Octarium on Saturday the 16th; the Mozart Vespers & Poulenc Concerto for Organ at Village Presbyterian Church on Sunday the 17th; the Mozart's Coronation Mass at St. Peter's Cathedral on Sunday the 17th (very highly recommended by me for the music AND the visual and acoustical space); and the Heart of America Wind Quintet on Sunday the 17th.
My two MAJOR PICKS OF THE WEEK celebrate the retirement of two outstanding artistic human beings. Dr. Arnold Epley has directed wonderful choral music at William Jewell College for 28 years. Although Dr. Epley will soon be traveling with the William Jewell Concert Choir to England and Scotland for performances there, his final American concert with them is Friday the 15th. Christopher Barksdale has been wowing Kansas City Ballet audiences for 21 years. His final five performances will be May 7, 8, 9 and 10.
Even with a smaller number of events, there are still conflicts and choices to make.
To see the 2009 performing arts calendar, click on "KC Events" on the top navigation bar.
Try one of the other "fiona favorites" found just below the theatre listings on fiona's list. There's something for you each night of the week. My recommendation this time is SEAN McNOWN, singing at Cafe Trio on Wednesday nights.
Fiona HIGHLY recommends another list of events for families, friends, educators, & neighbors of children 10 and under. Miss Jackie's May list includes Jazz Storytelling, Marble Days, Read to a Dog, Truman's 125th birthday celebration, puppet shows, Asian Heritage Festival, 50 cent train rides, and more. To receive her monthly list, send an email to: missjackielists@gmail.com
Until next Wednesday morning,
Fiona
|
Classical,
Epley's Musica Vocale to present Mendelssohn masterpiece
Many music lovers have no doubt already realized that 2009 is a special year. During this year, we are celebrating some very important anniversaries. The biggest three are the 250th anniversary of Handel's death, the 200th anniversary of Haydn's death, and the 200th anniversary of Mendelssohn's birth. These three composers' music is always well-represented on a wide variety of programs, but this year their music is being celebrated even more, making for an extremely exciting music season.
Kansas City, with our performing arts scene going through a boom of vitality, is playing its part in offering the works of these masters to the public. In early March we heard Mendelssohn's oratorio St. Paul at Village Church, and just a few weeks ago Musica Sacra gave a wonderful program that included a Haydn Missa Brevis, and an obscure but marvelous work by Handel. This coming weekend, Arnold Epley's new ensemble Musica Vocale will present the exquisite oratorio Elijah by Felix Mendelssohn.
Musica Vocale is one of a handful of new choral ensembles to join the ranks of an already impressive stable of choruses in the Kansas City area within the last few years. Their first concert, given just a few months ago, was well-received and showcased great music-making. In their season-ending concert, the group will expand its vocal forces and partner with a 30-member orchestra and some distinguished soloists.
Music Director Dr. Arnold Epley formed Musica Vocale in the fall of 2008 to help fill the void left in his schedule by his departure from the Kansas City Symphony Chorus last summer. All of the singers in his new group were hand-selected by Epley, who has built a wonderful long-lasting legacy as a conductor, singer, educator and supporter of the arts.
In an interview last week, Epley said, "Conducting is teaching. They are one in the same." His love of education is evident. He has been the Director of Choral Studies, as well as the Director of Vocal Music Education at William Jewell College for many years. Even though he will be retiring from university teaching this spring, he plans to stay active in education by conducting and maintaining a vibrant studio of students.
Epley could hardly contain his excitement about the upcoming Elijah performance. His soloists are some of the nation's best. Singing the role of Elijah is baritone Douglas Williams, a graduate of Yale University. Andrew Childs is the tenor soloist. Hometown favorite Ida Nicolosi will sing the soprano solos, and Martha Hart, artist-in-residence at Graceland College in Iowa, will sing the mezzo-soprano solos. The orchestra will be comprised of some of the area's finest instrumental musicians.
Felix Mendelssohn wrote Elijah in 1846, just a year before his death. Some scholars have put forth the notion that in Elijah, Mendelssohn displayed a sense of cohesion in his musical ideas, cultivated over years of non-stop work and dedication to excellence. Mendelssohn was a seminal musician and was highly regarded not only as a composer but also as a conductor and performer. His improvisations are legendary, drawing some similarities to Mozart. In the writing of this work, the composer made a conscious decision to write a dramatic work. The characters portrayed are always pushing the story forward.
Dr. Epley believes that Mendelssohn wrote from the inside-out rather than the outside-in, as the musical lines weave throughout the work's richly layered textures in an organic and extemporaneous way. In this performance, Epley is working to bring out the dramatic nature of Mendelssohn's writing. He said, "It's overly dramatic! Sometimes it's hard to remember that because the music is so beautiful." As the story depicts the life of the old-testament prophet Elijah and uses texts drawn from 1st and 2nd Kings in the Old Testament, Dr. Epley also believes that this work is the perfect balance of faith; Mendelssohn pays homage to the Jewish faith of his grandfather while balancing his own Christian faith.
Mendelssohn's music remains some of the most intrinsically beautiful and moving of all time. In years past, largely through the shadow and acts of Richard Wagner, he has been branded as a conservative composer. With this, the 200th anniversary of his birth, many of those preconceived notions are being washed away through some new scholarship and inspired performances. We are beginning to see his music in a new light, recognizing that Mendelssohn was more of a revolutionary composer than he is typically given credit for.
There are few concerts that come around in a given season that can be thought of as "can't-miss" performances. With Dr. Epley on the podium, his hand-selected Musica Vocale singing, a top-notch orchestral ensemble and a world-class collection of vocal soloists, this Sunday's offering of Mendelssohn's Elijah promises to be such a performance.
Musica Vocale
Elijah - by Felix Mendelssohn
Sunday, May 10, 2009 at 3:00pm
Temple Beth Shalom,
9400 Wornall Avenue, Kansas City, MO
For online tickets visit www.musicavocale.org
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Classical,
Final Crossing
The newEar Contemporary Chamber Ensemble brought its 16th season, titled Crossings, to a close with a special tribute concert to the music of György Ligeti. Jan Faidley, President of the newEar Board of Directors, stated in her opening remarks, that to her knowledge, this is the second concert only entirely comprised of music by Ligeti. Artistic Director David McIntire commented in the concert program notes that since composer György Ligeti had died in 2006, newEar has wanted to perform a concert devoted to the breadth of his work.
Through the constant search for new sounds that ultimately distanced him from the doctrines of 20th century musical styles, György Ligeti had a deep impact on modern composers. After surviving a Nazi labor camp, he fled his native Hungary to escape Soviet-backed ideology, and embraced the post-war avant-garde taking shape in Western Europe. However, Ligeti was soon driven to evade the tenants of the avant-garde and began to carve his own musical direction. As David McIntire pointed out in the program notes, Ligeti said "I am in a prison: one wall is the avant-garde, the other wall is the past, and I want to escape."
Ligeti could be described as the preeminent composer of conceptual music in the 20th century. Further, his conceptualism was motivated to rebuke the pre-meditated and constructional qualities of other music in his time. He was relentlessly in search of new tonalities. Music was the page on which he wrote, but his words were a language all his own.
The first piece on the program was one of Ligeti's early compositions, Six Bagatelles for Woodwind Quintet, was completed in 1953 but not performed until 1969 because it was banned by the Hungarian authorities for its decadent use of chromaticism. To our modern ears, the bagatelles are as delightful as Prokofiev and as fervent Stravinsky, and it's difficult to imagine they were once considered dangerous.
Part I, "Allegro con spirito," was a fast number with a flourishing melody passed around the ensemble contrasted by a steady rhythmic pulse and ending with a humorous single thud, deposited by the bassoon. An expressive melody was featured in part II, "Rubato. Lamentoso." This movement explored changing musical coloration with subtlety. Part III, "Allegro grazioso," contained a rhythmic descending pattern throughout, underpinning an eloquent melody and countermelodies.
A loud, majestic, quick and surprisingly short Part IV, "Presto ruvido" followed. Next was the impressionistic "Adagio. Mesto" dedicated in memoriam to Bartók. It began with long sustained pitches on the reed interments offset by long pulsing chords. The piercing dissonance of this movement evoked the relentless desert sun.
The final movement had a fast chromatic melody that was tossed around between the members of the ensemble and featured a high melody on French horn. To remind us of his uncharacteristic wit, Ligeti ended the bagatelles in the same way as the first movement, with a single mischievous poke from the bassoon.
Second in the concert was four selections from Études pour piano (1985). This was performed by newEar's regular piano player, Robert Pherigo (who is always masterful) and in this performance he presented a flawless rendering of four of the painstaking piano studies.
The first selection was "Cordes vides," or "Open Strings." The music seeped in and meandered, uncertain of its tonal center. It then built to a more complex undulation and sounded like a ship being tossed about on a turbulent sea. Robert Pherigo's playing was gentle and firm, deftly executed, and intense.
The second part, "Fém" is translated from the Hungarian as "Metal." The music sounded both irritated and languid, two emotions not expected in piano studies, but such was the nature of the composer. The piece sounded as though it was searching in vain to find a path to resolution that was never discovered. Third was "En suspens," or "Suspension." This piece was both contemplative and whimsical, like the daydreams of a restless youth. It had a certain curiosity and contrasted highs and lows like questions and answers.
Finally "Fanfares" was a dizzying and highly technical etude. As in other compositions by Ligeti, the music here is playing catch with the melody like an elaborate game of keep-away. In spite of the chaos, a pulse was established, and some heads in the audience began an arrhythmic bobbing.
After the intermission Poéme Symphonique for 100 metronomes (1962) was performed. In a piano student's nightmare, one hundred metronomes beat away in a cacophonous clicking of random rhythm until it sounded like a light hail storm with gusts of wind. It became more interesting as one-by-one the metronomes stopped, leaving fewer combinations in the ongoing clicking. Finally was down to just one metronome, this work had the endurance of the Energizer Bunny, going and going, until finally it suddenly stopped.
NewEar made a lottery out of this piece wherein a number was assigned to each metronome and participants guessed which would be the last one clicking. The last metronome was not one assigned a prime number by some inconceivable rule of mathematics, but was instead, simply, #9.
The final work of the evening was the 1966 chamber version of Ligeti's Cello Concerto. The soloist was Lawrence Figg who has played chamber music in France and has recorded for French radio and television. He was also principal cellist for the Orchestra National Bordeaux Aquitaine and is now a member of the Kansas City Symphony and co-principal cellist with the Kansas City Chamber Orchestra.
Figg began the piece. One faint pitch emerged from the cello; this pitch is held for a long time, requiring fluid transition in the bow strokes. Slowly, the strings joined the cello on the single pitch. The timbre of the single sound begins to change subtly. The strings faded out, and the winds joined the cello on the one long holding pitch. There was a delicate blur of semi-tones around the one pitch, and the cello moved a half step, followed by a series of intervals.
Ligeti was exploring the tiny variances he could produce with an ensemble playing chiefly on one sustained pitch. The cello can produce an array of textures and by playing on the slight edge of the bridge harmonics and variations in timbre produce a sound like resonating glass. There was a long uncomfortable silence in the piece. The ensemble returned and the cello played a melody with expansive intervals. Figg demonstrated great skill in both the long sustained timbral passages and the exact execution of the jumping melodic parts.
This work confused pitch and rhythm so that each was not a single element of the music, but rather the combined groupings of subtly different variations of pitches and rhythms produced the overall affect. The ending passages were so quiet that they were almost inaudible. The cello played out the piece alone on a repeated pattern that faded away as he fingered the notes; and then slowly removed the bow completely so that in the end, he was taping on the neck and the sound faded from a whisper into nothing.
REVIEW:
newEar Contemporary Chamber Ensemble
Crossings concert 4: The Music of György Ligeti
Saturday, May 2, 2009
All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church
4501 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO
To learn about newEar and next year's season, visit their website www.newear.org
Classical,
Celebrated Serenades with KC Symphony Chamber Players
Benjamin Britten's Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings, Op. 31 and Antonin Dvorák's Serenade No. 1 in E Major, Op. 22 drew concertgoers to Visitation Church to hear the Chamber Players of the Kansas City Symphony on Friday night. But it was an evening of bittersweet pleasure.
All the elements for an exceptionally fine concert were present: the soloists, Nicholas Phan, tenor and Alberto Suarez, horn - evenly matched - are both outstanding artists who delivered exciting performances; the orchestra was in top form, as was Steven Jarvi, conductor; the program featured appealing works seldom heard; and the Spanish ambience of the church expanse offered glowing beauty in every direction the eye could gaze, crowned by its double-barrel vaulted ceiling. But, another element made mince-meat of all that. The invisible worm in the hall that night, to parody Blake's centerpiece poem of the Britten Serenade, was the acoustic, whose lengthy reverberation swallowed words whole and muddied fast passages. Only a couple weeks ago that same "invisible" element at Visitation Church was used to tremendous advantage, when Dr. Ryan Board's Collegium Vocale superbly demonstrated the magic of antiphonal effects and how magnificently a pure a cappella vocal line can blossom at Visitation (on choral masterworks composed for the cathedral acoustic). The Chamber Players concert would have attained near perfection had it been performed at the Folly Theatre or another venue suitable for instrumental chamber music.
Those lamentations aside, there was much was to commend the performance. 
The golden tones of Alberto Suarez bathed the space in thrilling ancient intonation with the opening horn solo "Prologue" that utilizes the natural open harmonic series of the horn in F, evoking hunting horn intervals of fourths and fifths and raised partial tones that defy current standards of pitch. Composed at the request of the great British horn player, Dennis Brain, Britten was 29 when the Serenade was completed in the spring of 1943, written at the same time he was also composing his opera, Peter Grimes. The Serenade was the first piece to receive its premiere in the United Kingdom upon Britten's return from the United States, where he and his life partner, tenor Peter Pears, had lived during the time his application for conscientious objector status was being considered. The work is a song cycle comprised of six poems by British poets that span four hundred years, framed by the solo horn prologue and epilogue.
As the lustrous glow of Suarez' final tones faded in the "Prologue," Jarvi brought the strings in without pause to Joseph Cotton's "Pastoral" about the antics of looming shadows during sunset, sung in silken tone and phrasing by Tenor Nicholas Phan. Just for a moment the horn's volume overpowered Phan's well-controlled and gentle phrasing, but Suarez adjusted his dynamics successfully to establish an excellent balance the rest of the work, acoustical challenges notwithstanding. There was great dynamic build up between tenor and horn in the 'blow bugle blow' lyrics, and effective tonal and dynamic contrast in its repetition the second and third times around.
The focal point of Britten's Serenade is found in the fourth movement, "Elegy." The horn part worms its way above and below orchestral heart palpitations in a beautifully treacherous twelve-tone row to the tenor's pronouncement of Blake's text:
O rose, thou art sick!
The invisible worm
That flies in the night
In the howling storm
Has found out thy bed
Of crimson joy,
And his dark secret love
Does thy life destroy.
One of the most difficult and satisfying moments in the repertoire for horn comes toward the end of the movement when the horn enters on a pianissimo high c sustained with crescendo to double fortissimo as it jabs its descent a slippery half-tone lower, to mark the piercing of the heart, and all on the same breath continues then to sustain and ebb the high b natural into a triple pianissimo. Suarez delivered it with ease. As he concluded the movement on the horn's nasal stopped descending half tones, Jarvi brought Phan in beautifully without pause on those same two opening notes, ascending, to the 15th century "Dirge," with its fantastic imagery and sounds of whinny muir and Brig o' dread: an amazingly demanding vocal part that never seems to end.
Phan's tenor tessitura was a marvel to encounter, with his formidable control of vocal and dynamic range matched by an exhilarating sense of musicality. His power and endurance did not falter, but, if anything, shone all the more brilliantly in the final song, Keat's "Sonnet," 'O soft embalmer of the still midnight'. The work concluded in an echo version of its opening, with the "Epilogue" delivered flawlessly by Suarez from the balcony.
Dvorák's Serenade in E Major for strings followed, composed in the same year that Dvorák married, 1873. If Britten's Serenade was a journey of sunset into night, as Jarvi mentioned in comments given before the concert, Dvorák's Serenade represented the opposite phenomenon, namely the joyous bursting forth of light upon the world at day's beginning. Composed at the beginning of Dvorák's career, a hint of Brahms seemed to color its lush, romantic themes in the opening movement of the five-movement work. As it developed, Slavonic influence predominated. Directed with brio by Jarvi, the string ensemble evoked wonderfully spirited music that seemed to dance to the golden glow in the hall emanating from the wall of flickering candles and chandeliers that seemed to brighten all the more as the sun outside darkened. The customary champagne and chocolate reception that followed the concert provided friends and neighbors in the audience opportunity to share their enthusiasm with each other before stepping out into the balmy May evening to return home. The offerings of the Symphony Chamber Players have been so fine this season that I am looking forward to hearing them again next season.
REVIEW:
Kansas City Symphony Chamber Players
with Steven Jarvi Conductor
Nicholas Phan, Tenor and Alberto Suarez, Horn
Friday, May 1, 2009
Visitation Church
5141 Main Street, Kansas City, MO
www.kcsymphony.org
Film,
FILM REVIEW: "Black Hand Strawman" effectively reminds us of the bad and ugly
With each inevitable turn of the calendar, events of yesteryear take on an increasingly deeper hue of golden nostalgia. However, director Terence O'Malley's enlightening crime documentary, Black Hand Strawman, reminds us that Kansas City's past was often dark and bloody.
The film is broken up into various time frames of organized crime in Kansas City, beginning with the Black Hand era that lasted roughly from 1900 to the 1920s. The period was highlighted by extortion perpetrated by Sicilians, who borrowed the name "Black Hand" from a violent Spanish anarchist group, on other Sicilian immigrants. As organized crime began to take shape in the '30s, Black Hand Strawman chronicles the alliance that developed between notorious Irish political boss Tom Pendergast and the Italian Mafia, headed in the '40s by Charles Binaggio. Kansas City was then a hub for heroin distribution, and there were numerous shootouts and assassinations.
Through the '50s and into the mid-1980s, we witness the influence exerted by the Kansas City Mafia: controlling the Teamsters Union; skimming casinos in Las Vegas; and the involvement of the Outfit, headed by boss Nick Civella, in the River Quay war in the '70s and the eventual killing of all the Spero brothers for challenging its authority. It's almost hard to imagine that it was just 30 years ago that the Mafia in Kansas City was still a criminal force to be reckoned with. Anyone who disobeyed it or went against it was heinously murdered by shootings or bombings. Yet anyone in the city under 25 probably has no idea about what went on for decades. Much credit is owed to O'Malley for the meticulous attention to detail and the hours of research he put into the making of Strawman.
To tell his story, he lays narration and music of each period on top of newspaper headlines, photos, political cartoons, author interviews, TV news footage and FBI surveillance recordings. While Black Hand Strawman is educational, there is so much information, and a cast of characters so numerous, that the subject matter is a bit overwhelming. It's unfortunate that O'Malley did not have a bigger budget because the graphics used are about as impressive as watching a game of Pong circa 1980. His film could also use more first person recollections during the first half of the documentary read by modern day thespians in Kansas City, which could have helped bring more life to the story. This could have helped bring more life to the story, but that too may have been a function of budget and time constraints.
Any potential filmgoers should be forewarned that some of the material is not for the faint of heart. Some of the crime scene photos, especially the more contemporary ones, are quite graphic.
Thanks to O'Malley, all of Kansas City's past, including the bad, can be remembered. On a letter grade scale from A to F, Black Hand Strawman deserves a B.
Black Hand Strawman is unrated and has a running time of 128 minutes.
Now showing
The Rio Theatre
7204 W. 80th St., Overland Park, KS.
Visit www.fineartsgroup.com or call 913-383-8500 for more information.
Theatre ,
"Bare" is tender and honest
"Bare" is directed by Jeff Church and produced by the Unicorn Theatre. The show follows the story of Jason, played by Brandon Sollenberger, the All-American high school boy who has a secret love affair with his best friend Peter, played by KC Comeaux. The show closely imitates Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet," ironically the very play our characters are attempting to perform, as impulses and secrets quickly spiral toward tragedy. Rounded out by a stellar supporting cast, the show is one unashamedly honest moment after another.
The structure of the show seemed very much like a traditional opera. Characters advance the plot through individual interaction, with the occasional larger scene. Most of the show was sung. I hardly noticed, because every lyric had a specific purpose. Each character knew exactly whom he or she is singing to, and what each wanted. I could appreciate the power and beauty of the music, but I could also appreciate that with each song, the plot was propelled forward.
Anthony T. Edwards directed the music and also conducted the very visible band. Edwards and the three other band members were as much a part of the story as the actors, often wandering into a scene and seamlessly returning to their instruments upstage. This connection created a laid-back, collaborative atmosphere that provided a nice contrast to the high drama of the story.
The play offered a provocative, powerful story that is accessible to young adults. Never do creators Damon Intrabartolo and Jon Hartmere try to insert gratuitous "hipness" or comic relief into the tale. It just happens. Nor are they clueless to the struggles of young adults. On the contrary: This story has happened in a thousand different ways to countless teenagers.
Brandon Sollenberger's Jason was alternately cautious and impulsive. His easy smile quickly charmed the audience, which made it all the more heartbreaking when Jason makes some very big mistakes.
KC Comeaux played Peter as a passionate young man who must find a way to come out to his mother. KC's scene with the priest toward the end was so lovely and sad I couldn't help but cry.
Areli Gil played Jason's sister, Nadia, who struggles with her feelings of isolation, but also provided much of the play's humor. Gil effectively mirrors the rejection that everyone feels at some point in his or her life.
Katie Karel's performance as the overtly sexual Ivy could have easily fallen into cliché, but she avoided that pitfall and turned in a performance that was brave and honest.
All of the cast members played their parts beautifully. I wish I had space to recognize them all, but in lieu of a very long list, I will say that each performer added something special and unique to the story.
The technical aspects of the show mirror the title. There is little set to speak of, only a few benches, music stands, a wooden frame and some risers. Designed by Gary Mosby, the set is functional and directs the focus toward the characters. Props are mimed. Costumes are simple, and the actors provided parts of the school uniforms themselves. (One cast member found skirts she had worn at her own Catholic high school for the women.) My favorite costume piece appeared in a dream sequence where a Diana Ross-type figure was wearing a floating robe made entirely of plastic grocery sacks. This strangely beautiful garb was conceived and built (I am told) by Frankie Krainz, who coordinated the costumes along with Cheryl Benge.
The sparse scenery and props were not the original intent. However, due to the current financial climate the Unicorn had two choices: severely cut the budget or choose another show. They chose the former, and many of their plans were scrapped. The smaller budget was a blessing in disguise, for it made the show simply about the characters and not about the location or wardrobe. The most interesting thing, however, is that many of the technical aspects, including more than 500 lighting and sound cues, were created by professional volunteers who wanted to help the project succeed. To mention only a few: Jarrett Bertoncin was the lighting designer, Benjamin G. Stickels did the sound design, and Todd Schnake was the fight choreographer.
This was the first performance I have seen at the Unicorn. As a Kansas City native and a theatre lover, that is shameful, and I am kicking myself now. I adored this show. Please support "Bare" at the Unicorn Theatre.
REVIEW:
The unicorn Theatre
Bare
Runs Runs April 24 - May 17
For tickets call 816-531-PLAY or online at www.UnicornTheatre.org
City Classics,
Classical Column for May 6 - 20
Kansas City Symphony
Lord of the Rings Symphony
Friday, May 7 at 8 p.m.
Saturday, May 8 at 8 p.m.
Music Hall
301 West 13th Street, Downtown Kansas City, MO
Can we count Howard Shore's Lord of the Rings Symphony, created from the music the composer created for the three Lord of the Rings movies, as classical music? Well, if it's being performed by the Kansas City Symphony and Chorus, it comes close to counting. Besides, this writer is a big fan of the Peter Jackson larger-than-life trilogy.
The Lord of the Rings Symphony had its birth after the premieres of the three Jackson movies. Shore had put so much into the film scores that he was encouraged to stitch the music together into a larger scale piece to be performed in concert venues. With the assistance of eminent composer and conductor John Mauceri, he divided the trilogy's themes into six movements, called them a Symphony, and...presto!...had a hit on his hands.
Of course, it wasn't quite as easy as that. Shore took four years to write the piece and it had its premiere in November 2003, in New Zealand where the movies were filmed. Since then the work has been heard in 140 performances in dozens of places around the world, but not that often in the United States. In fact, the Kansas City performances are among the few in the states this year. The Kansas City performances are bookended with performances in Finland and the Czech Republic, for example, and if you happen to miss these hearings you can catch them later in June in Rome, if you like.
For the film scores that form the basis for the symphony, Shore looked for unusual instrumentations and effects. According to the publicity, "styles, instruments and performers were collected from around the world to provide each of Tolkien's cultures with a unique musical imprint.
"The rural and simple hobbits were rooted in a dulcet weave of Celtic tones. The mystical Elves touched upon ethereal Eastern colors. The Dwarves, Tolkien's abrasive stonecutters, received columns of parallel harmonies and a rough, guttural male chorus. The industrialized hordes of Orcs earned Shore's most violent and percussive sounds, including Japanese taiko drums, metal bell plates and chains beaten upon piano wires, while the world of Men, those flawed yet noble heirs of Middle-earth, was presented with stern and searching brass figures."
These themes are comingled and used in various fashions, much like Wagnerian leitmotifs, "sometimes combining forces for a culminated power, other times violently clashing...and always bending to the will of the One Ring and its own ominous family of themes.
Mauceri's role was to help Shore stitch all of these themes into a coherent whole. He took his inspiration from "the programmatic orchestral works of Strauss, Liszt, Smetana and Sibelius," according to program notes.
These performances will feature not only the full Kansa City Symphony, but also the Symphony Chorus. Ludwig Wicki will be the conductor. Wicki has specialized in conducting the Lord of the Rings Symphony and has done so dozens of times to date.
Meanwhile, Shore has been busy composing other things. In 2008, his opera of The Fly premiered at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris and at Los Angeles Opera. Other recent works include Fanfare for the Wanamaker Organ in Philadelphia and a piano concerto which will be premiered in 2010 by famed pianist Lang Lang. He is currently working on his second opera and will return to Middle Earth with J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit in the movie theaters.
Note: This performance is taking place at the Music Hall, not the Lyric Theatre. After initial tickets sales by the Symphony ticket office, ticket sales at the Music Hall have now been taken over by Ticketmaster.
For tickets call 816-471-0400 or online at www.ticketmaster.com. Tickets are not available through the Symphony website due to contractual requirements for the performance at the Music Hall.
Park University
Chamber Music Concert
Thursday, May 7 at 2:30 p.m.
Graham Tyler Memorial Chapel at Park University
8700 N.W. River Park Drive, Parkville, MO
No program has been announced for this chamber music concert, but Park University's concerts are always very good and you can't beat the price - it's free.
Kansas City Symphony
Music of World War I
Saturday, May 9 at 1 p.m.
World War I Museum
100 West 26th Street, Kansas City, MO
In a free Community Connections concert rescheduled from March 28, the KC Symphony this weekend offers a free chamber music performance on Saturday afternoon in the J. C. Nichols Auditorium at the beautiful World War I Museum, featuring music of the World War I era. Music of Poulenc, Prokofiev, Hindemith and Ravel headline the program, which will be performed by selected musicians from the Symphony. The local band should be congratulated for these free public concerts, which offer a great opportunity for members of the public to hear such talented musicians at no charge.
For free tickets call 816-471-0400 or online at www.kcsymphony.org
Lee's Summit Symphony
Family Concert
Saturday May 9 at 7 p.m.
Bernard C. Campbell Performing Arts Center
Lee's Summit High School
400 S.E. Blue Parkway, Lee's Summit, MO
This concert by the Lee's Summit Symphony will include The Remarkable Farkle McBride featuring KMBC's Joel Nichols, Fanfare for the Common Man by Aaron Copeland, and movie theme music from Pirates of the Caribbean, Indiana Jones and more.
Tickets are available at Lee's Summit Hy-Vee locations and online at www.lssymphony.org
Medical Arts Symphony
Spring Concert
Saturday May 9 at 8 p.m.
Battenfeld Auditorium
Olathe and Rainbow Blvds, Kansas City, KS
The Medical Arts Symphony consists of doctors, nurses and other medical professionals who have combined their musical talent to form a society that plays symphonic music. The orchestra has been in existence for over 30 years. Some of its members are retired professional musicians. The orchestra gives two concerts yearly in Kansas City, usually in late November and in late April or early May. Professionals fill out the ranks for these concerts.
The program for this concert includes Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 6, Ludwig Boellman's Symphonic Variations, the world premiere of Charles Hoag's The Rainbow Boulevard Two-step Rag and Sibelius' Finlandia. The Boellman piece will feature cello soloist and local cello instructor James Swain.
Purchase tickets at the door.
Kansas City Symphony
Beethoven and Brahms
Friday, May 15 at 8 p.m.
Saturday, May 16 at 8 p.m.
Lyric Theatre
10th and Central, Downtown Kansas City, MO
Sunday, May 17 at 2 p.m.
Carlsen Center at JCCC
Overland Park, KS
The eponymous compositions on this program are Beethoven's Coriolan Overture and Brahms' Serenade No. 1. Both are impressive pieces of music which almost any audience member will enjoy. The real featured work of the concert, however, will be the stirring Shostakovich Violin Concerto No. 1 featuring Latvian virtuoso Baiba Skride, making her Kansas City debut.
First, to the two B's. Beethoven wrote his Coriolan Overture in 1807 as incidental music for a play by Heinrich von Collin about the exiled Roman general Coriolanus, who marched against his own people. The music alternates between a stern militaristic theme and a softer one, characterizing his mother Volumnia, who pleads for mercy until her son finally yields. In life Coriolanus committed suicide, represented by the slow disintegration of the overture at the end. It's a short masterpiece, about eight minutes long that shows Beethoven in full flower as a composer.
The Brahms Serenade No. 1 is much like a full symphony, but in five short movements. Written when the composer was only 25, it the piece started out as a chamber composition but was eventually expanded for performance by full orchestra. Brahms was at his most "modern" here before turning back to more classical sounds later in his career and it makes for an interesting contrast to his later, full-length symphonies.
Twenty-eight year-old violinist Baiba Skride, who won winner of the Queen Elisabeth Violin Contest in 2001, has already turned heads in the musical world in Europe, and plays a Stradivarius on loan from the Nippon Music Foundation. For the Kansas City Symphony she tackles the Shostakovich first violin concerto, which dates from one of the times when the composer's music was banned by Soviet authorities. Its soloist at the premiere years later, David Oistrakh, characterized the first movement as "a suppression of feelings", and the second as "demoniac.". The scherzo is also notable for an appearance by the DSCH motif representing the composer himself, and also a strain from Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, the "Fate" Symphony. It is still not often heard and Skrid's performance affords the audience a rare opportunity to enjoy the piece.
For tickets call 816-471-0400 or online at www.kcsymphony.org
Octarium
Should Have Been Choral
Saturday, May 16 at 8 p.m.
KCYA Auditorium St. Theresa's Academy
5600 Main Street, Kansas City, MO
Sunday, May 17 at 2:30 p.m.
Swarthout Recital Hall
University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS
Octarium, the eight-voiced singing group, has become known as one of Kansas City's most elegant choral organizations, ranking right up there with the Kansas City Chorale in terms of high quality, transcendentally beautiful music, but on a smaller scale. In the spring concert, the group traditionally "lets its hair down" and sings more popular numbers, and this concert is no exception. Octarium will, according to the publicity, give "a presentation of their touring repertoire; a little Abba, a little Rossini, a little Toto, a little Satie, a little American Idol ... a little something for everyone." It should be fun.
For tickets online visit www.octarium.org or purchase tickets at the door.
Dance Around the City,
Dance Column for May 6 - 20
Kansas City Ballet
Spring Performance: Nine Sinatra Songs
Thursday, May 7 at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, May 8 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 9 at 2 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, May 10 at 2 p.m.
Lyric Theatre
11th and Central, Downtown Kansas City, MO
Now in its 51st season, the Kansas City Ballet will present two world premieres and an encore performance of Twyla Tharp's Nine Sinatra Songs. The Spring Performance opens with the world premiere of Salute, choreographed by the company's Artistic Director, William Whitener. This piece will also honor the 21-year career of Company member, Christopher Barksdale, who will be retiring from the Company at the conclusion of this season. The program continues with an award-winning work by local choreograher, Karole Armitage (a native of Lawrence, KS) appropriately titled, World Premiere. The program culminates with an encore presentation of Twyla Tharp's Nine Sinatra Songs, an elegant yet cheeky piece that looks back nostalgically on the social dancing of the 1950s. Tharp, an internationally renowned choreographer, gives the dance a social critique by emphasizing the female partner as she interacts with her male counterpart. Performed on Broadway, at the White House, and abroad, this piece is a popular work among Modern Dance fans. The Frank Sinatra songs featured in the work include Strangers in the Night, All the Way, That's Life, One for My Baby, Softly as I Leave You, Somethin' Stupid, Forget Domani, and My Way.
For tickets call 816-931-2232 or online at www.kcballet.org
Kacico
A Concert of Solos
Thursday, May 7 at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, May 8 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 9 at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, May 10 at 7:30 p.m.
Kacico Studios West
2540 West Pennway (Broadway), 2nd Floor, Kansas City, MO
This innovative local Modern Dance company always presents experimental and engaging works. This particular concert will feature solo pieces choreographed by well-known local choreographers, including Shandi Miller, Lindsay Spilker Tate, Susan Warden, Julie Rothschild, Peter Kalivas, and Michelle Diane Brown.
For tickets call 816-569-5206 or online at www.kacicodance.org/Events.html
Wylliams/Henry Contemporary Dance Company
Spring Dance Concert
Thursday, May 14 at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, May 15 at 8 p.m.
Saturday, May 16 at 8 p.m.
White Recital Hall at UMKC
4949 Cherry St., Kansas City, MO
If you enjoy two of Kansas City's most well-known traditions, KC Jazz and Gates BBQ, then you won't want to miss the high point of the Wylliams/Henry Spring Dance Concert, Gates B-B-Que Suite, featuring an original composition by KC Jazz icon, Bobby Watson, and played by Watson's Big Band Jazz Orchestra. The piece is a playful look at the social life in a barbeque restaurant, as portrayed in dance. The concert will also feature works both by local and internationally acclaimed choreographers. Other works on the concert's program are Red (choreography by Paula Weber to the energetic music of Beethoven), Concrete Abstract (choreographed by Sean Curran to the music of Tigger Benford), We Dance (choreographed by Kevin Iaga Jeff to the music of Johann Sebastian Bach), and Give Your Hand to Struggle (a solo work choreographed by to the music of Sweet Honey In The Rock).
Co-founded by Assistant Dean Mary Pat Henry and the late, great dancer and choreographer, Leni Wylliams almost 18 years ago, the Wylliams/Henry Contemporary Dance Company are "Artists-in-Residence" at UMKC's Conservatory of Music and Dance. Often hailed by fans and critics alike as one of the most interesting professional dance companies in the Midwest, the group recently received a matching grant of $50,000 from the Muriel McBrien Kauffman Foundation to expand special programming for young people within the metro area. The Spring Concert is intended to be a celebration of the group's success, as well as the history and art of local Kansas City.
For tickets call 816-235-6222, or online at www.conservatory.umkc.edu
For more information on the Company, www.wylliams-henry.org
City Stage,
Theatre Column for April 29 - May 13
Now Playing
The New Theatre Restaurant
Don't Dress for Dinner
By Marc Camoletti
Runs April 15 - June 21
9229 Foster, Overland Park, KS.
Starring Jamie Farr (Klinger from televisions famed M*A*S*H), this twisting comedy ran for two years in Paris and an astonishing seven years in London where it played for over 2000 performances between the Apollo and Duchess Theatres.
This rollercoaster ride of a play involves a husband, a wife, a mistress, a best friend and a cook. What possible mischief could come from these Marc Camoletti characters? Author of the recent New Theatre production Boeing-Boeing, Camoletti trained as an architect until three of his plays were produced in Paris simultaneously which launched his career. This French born playwright has seen great success with his works - many of which have been produced in 55 countries. 18 of his plays have seen 20,000 performances in Paris alone. Although he passed away in 2003, his hilarious works are still being produced to this day.
For tickets call 913-649-SHOW or online at www.newtheatre.com
The Coterie Theatre
Roald Dahl's The Witches
Adapted by David Wood
Directed by Missy Koonce
Runs April 14 - May 17
Crown Center - Lower level
2450 Grand Blvd, Kansas City, MO
From The Coterie: "The Grand High Witch has a monstrous plan. Her fellow crones will take over all candy shops and make poisonous candy that transforms children into mice! Luckily, a brave young boy has overheard this terrible plot. With the help of his grandma, who knows something about witches, he will try to stop The Grand High Witch, but time is running out! Roald Dahl reveals the whole ghastly truth about these horrible creatures!"
One More Thing: Do you want to know more about Roald Dahl? Visit his website www.roalddahl.com.
For tickets call 816-474-6552 or online at www.coterietheatre.org
Unicorn Theatre
Bare
Written by Jon Hartmere & Damon Intrabartolo
Directed by Jeff Church
Runs April 24 - May 17
3828 Main Street, Kansas City, MO
In their words:
"Bare, a merge of Spring Awakening and The Dead Poets Society, explores the pleasures and pains of high school seniors at a co-ed Catholic boarding school. Each of them questions where they are in their lives while trying to uphold the standards of their families and the Church. Answers are sought in the confessional, the stage, a rave and a well-locked dorm room."
One More Thing: Unicorn Theatre has partnered with six local University programs for this production to intern on stage, back stage and in the marketing department. The schools are: UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance, UMKC Theatre, Park University, Avila University, University of Kansas and University of Central Missouri.
For tickets call 816-531-7529 or online at www.unicorntheatre.org
Minds Eye Theatre
Hair
Book & Lyrirs by James Rado and Gerome Ragni
Music by Galt MacDermot
Runs April 24 - May 9
Just Off Broadway Theatre
3051 Central, Penn Valley Park, Kansas City, MO
This rock-musical is a product of the hippie counter-culture and sexual revolution of the 1960's. Many of its songs became the cry and anthem of the anti-Vietnam War movement and peace rallies held during that time. With its use of profanity, illegal drug use and sexuality as well as its infamous nude scene, Hair was the show that brought along the paradigm shift for the Broadway musical. It first opened off-Broadway at Joseph Papp's Public Theatre in 1967, moved to a discothèque, and then transferred to Broadway's Biltmore Theatre in 1968. Hair ran for an astounding 1,750 performances and then captured another 1,997 performances in London. There have been many performances, recordings and film adaptations of this hip-rock musical. A revival has been scheduled to open on March 31, 2009 in Broadway's Al Hirschfeld Theatre after its brilliant run last summer in New York's Central Park. Minds Eye Theatre will join Boston University on Broadway, The Winthrop Playmaker in Winthrop, MA and Theatre Le Trianon in Paris as one of four companies to produce this cult-classic.
For tickets call 816-721-2792 or online www.mindseyetheatrekc.com
On Going
Coterie Theatre at Night
The Breakfast Club
Directed by Ron McGee
Open ended run every Monday night
Westport Coffeehouse
4010 Pennsylvania, Kansas City, MO
A resurrection of the defining 1980's "Brat Pack" movie is being played out on stage as Ron McGee directs The Breakfast Club. More then a cult classic, this play - adapted from the original 1985 film - takes us on a retro-journey of five teenage strangers forced to live out a Saturday detention. Souls are revealed, love sparks, and reality sets in as this play not only reminds us of how times in America once were but how everything stays the same. It should be noted that this production is not suited for those under 16 or 17 years of age.
One More Thing: Stay after the play and hangout with the cast on stage, drink coffee, and listen to 80's music.
Another Thing: Visit www.youtube.com/user/anthonyalexanderpro to watch interviews of the cast and learn about their research of the characters they are portraying.
For tickets call 816-474-6552 or online www.coterietheatre.org
Coming Up This Month
American Heartland Theatre
Unnecessary Farce
By Paul Slade Smith
Directed by William J. Christie
Runs May 8 - June 21
Crown Center (Upper Level)
2450 Grand Boulevard, Downtown Kansas City, MO
From their website: "A farce, indeed, and a very good one, too! This laugh -out loud comedy has everything one can hope for in a modern-day farce: two likeable cops operating way out of their league, a supposedly crooked mayor with impeccable timing, his innocent-acting wife, a shy accountant with a penchant for dropping her drawers, a nervous double agent who'd like to get IN those drawers, a Scottish hit man whose brogue gets thicker the angrier he gets, two adjoining hotel rooms, simmering sexual tension and eight doors a slammin'"
The cast includes John Wilson, Jill Szoo, Jessalyn Kincaid, Kevin Albert, Craig Benton, Zach Woods, and Cynthia Hyer.
One more thing: An interpreted performance will be available for the hearing impaired on June 17 at 7:30pm.
For tickets call 816-842-9999 or online www.ahtkc.com
Metropolitan Ensemble Theatre
Kiss of the Spider Woman
Music & Lyrics by John Kander & Fred Ebb
Book by Terrance McNally
Runs May 14 - 24
METspace
3614 Main, Kansas City, MO
This adaptation based on Manuel Puig'a novel El Beso de la Mujer Araña, won a 1993 Tony Award for Best Musical. Prior to its Broadway run, this musical was staged in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1995, Canada's Canstage in 1992 and London's West End also in 1992. In addition to its Best Musical win, Kiss of the Spider Woman grabbed ten additional awards including Best Book of a Musical and Best Original Score.
In their words: "Kiss of the Spider Woman is a harrowing tale of persecution into a dazzling spectacle that juxtaposes gritty realities with liberating fantasies. Cell mates in a Latin American prison, Valentin is a tough revolutionary undergoing torture and Molina is an unabashed homosexual serving eight years for deviant behavior. Molina shares his fantasies about an actress with Valentin. One of her roles is a Spider Woman who kills with a kiss."
For tickets call 816-569-3226 or online www.metkc.org
Musical Theater Heritage
The Taffetas: A Musical Journey Through the Fabulous Fifties!
Runs May 7 - 24
Off Center Theatre at Crown Center
2450 Grand Boulevard, Downtown Kansas City, MO
In their words: "It's the 1950's, and the fabulous decade comes alive again when four singing sisters from Muncie, Indiana are making their national television debut. Tight, four-part harmonies will pay tribute to some of the greatest girl groups and hits of the era."'
For tickets call 816-842-9999 or online www.musicaltheaterheritage.com
City Voices,
Vocal Column for April 29 - May 13
After a few down weeks in the vocal/choral offerings around the area, our local ensembles are collectively ramping up their games to give us a plethora of exciting concert opportunities. Particularly busy is Sunday, May 3, where audiences will have to choose between several quality offerings. For a more complete listing of area events, visit our performance arts calendar, the most exhaustive arts calendar in the region!
The Lyric Opera of Kansas City
The Pirates of Penzance
Gilbert and Sullivan
Wednesday, April 29 at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, May 1 at 8 p.m.
Sunday, May 3 at 2 p.m.
Lyric Theater
11th and Central, Downtown Kansas City, MO
Opera lovers are bursting with excitement over the upcoming performance of one of Gilbert and Sullivan's most entertaining works. In The Pirates of Penzance, we are treated to laughter as we follow the zany misadventures of pirates in the port of Penzance. This performance, sung in English, will also feature subtitles. It will be directed by Dorothy Danner.
For tickets, call 816-471-7344 or visit www.kcopera.org
The Fine Arts Chorale
The Green Concert
with Terri Teal, Music Director and Conductor
Friday, May 1 at 8 p.m.
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Lawrence, KS
Saturday, May 2 at 7:30 p.m.
Grace and Holy Trinity Cathedral
14th and Broadway, Downtown Kansas City, MO
Audience members are invited to join the Fine Arts Chorale in their season-ending concert that will celebrate the earth and touch on ecological themes. The program includes music by Dvorak, Mendelssohn, Rutter, Ticheli, Pfautsch and more.
For tickets call 816-235-6222 or visit www.fineartschoralekc.org
Liberty Symphony
Season Finale Concert
Saturday, May 2 at 7:30 p.m.
Liberty Performing Arts Center
1600 Withers Rd., Liberty, MO
Why would the Liberty Symphony's season-ending concert be included in a vocal/choral column? The appearance of Bernstein's epic Chichester Psalms has caused this inclusion. The rest of the star-studded program include Copland's Appalachian Spring and Debussy's Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun.
For tickets call 816-439-4362.
A Concert with Nathan Granner and Lauren Braton
Sunday, May 3 at 11 a.m.
All Souls Unitarian Church, 4501 Walnut St. KC, MO
Any time hometown and internationally renowned tenor Nathan Granner takes the stage is a performance not to be missed. Join Granner in a program of his favorite songs from a variety of styles and backgrounds. Free Admission!
For more information contact ngranner@gmail.com
The University of Kansas
Maurice Durufle's Requiem
Sunday, May 3 at 4:30 and 7:30pm
Bales Organ Hall at the Lied Center
University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS
Dr. James Higdon plays the organ as Dr. Paul Tucker directs choirs from the KU choral department in a performance of the masterful Requiem by Maurice Durufle. This is a can't miss performance, as Durufle's organ and choral writing is at a high level as any in the 20th century. Plus, the performance will be performed on one of the absolute best French style organs in the entire country. Free Admission!
For more information visit www.arts.ku.edu/~sfa/musicdance
The Kansas City Chorale
Spring Concert: Double Chorus Concert
Featuring the Phoenix Chorale and the Kansas City Chorale
Sunday, May 3 at 2 p.m.
Redemptorist Church
Linwood and Broadway, Kansas City, MO
Tuesday, May 5 at 7:30 p.m.
Church of the Nativity
119th and Mission in Leawood, KS
Headlining this most exciting pairing of two of America's finest professional choral ensembles is the premier performance of Rene Clausen's Mass, commissioned by the Kansas City Chorale. Also on the program is a collection of conductor Charles Bruffy's favorites from the groups' vast repertoire of choral masterworks.
For tickets call 816-235-6222 or visit www.kcchorale.org
The Kansas City Symphony
The Lord of the Rings Symphony
Thursday, May 7 at 8 p.m.
Friday May 8 at 8 p.m.
The Music Hall
13th and Central, Downtown Kansas City, MO
For fans of hobbits, elves, wizards, and rings of power, the Kansas City Symphony concerts are the place to be, as they will be presenting a symphonic version of Howard Shore's award-winning film scores, originally written for the epic movie trilogy. The Kansas City Symphonic Chorus joins the Symphony to give a moving multi-media performance.
For tickets call 1-800-745-3000 or visit www.kcsymphony.org
The William Baker Choral Foundation
The Eleventh Master Season Home Concert - The William Baker Festival Singers
Friday, May 8 at 8:00pm,
Grace and Holy Trinity Cathedral
14th and Broadway, Downtown Kansas City, MO
The Festival Singers cap one of their most artistically rewarding seasons in recent memory with an eclectic collection of their favorites from this and past years. Featured is a command performance of William Dreyfoos' Holocaust Songs as well as the group's trademark offerings of spirituals and gospel songs.
For tickets, call 913-403-9223 or visit www.festivalsingers.org
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