KCMETROPOLIS.org
Kansas City's Online Journal of the Performing Arts

By Megan Browne Helm   Tue, Nov 03, 2009

Dame Emma Kirkby reminds me of Shakespeare's Queen Mab, that mythological fairy that makes mischief in people's dreams. Dressed in a green silk wrap jacket, peasant skirt and elfish leather shoes, she has the unsuspicious sweetness of a woodland fairy, but sings tales of heartbreak and lost love with relish.  Taking the Polsky Theatre stage at Johnson County Community College last Friday night with lutenist Jakob Lindberg, she presented the music of John Dowland (1563-1626) and Henry Purcell (1659-1695).

Emma Kirkby's voice has always been known for its purity, flexibility and bell-like resonance.  One of the first sopranos' to be accepted for singing with a straight tone, Kirkby inspired a generation of non-operatic singers. Her connection with such groups as the Taverner choir and the Consort of Musicke helped to popularize early music throughout the world.  She was even ranked number 10 in a survey of critics "greatest sopranos."

In her 60^th year, Kirkby still performs regularly and tours, but her voice has changed.  It still has its delicate sweetness, but there is more vibrato which gives it a folk-like authenticity that audiences relate to.  She has the ability of a troubadour to sing fascinating stories.

Dame Emma began with the song, Come, heavy sleep which tells the tale of a person wanting death to take them from misery.  Her ability to phonate into the first notes wasn't apparent. She sang quietly to the subtle support of the lute.  John Dowland's songs are plaintive airs that spin tales of unrequited love, lost love and tortured love full of adolescent angst. Yet, the beauty of these pieces is their passionate texts and melancholy descent which were sung with conviction. 

Sitting behind a small black cloaked table, Jakob Lindberg interspersed lute arrangements throughout the concert which gave Kirby a chance to rest her voice.  His lute, a 10-course Renaissance by Sixtus Rauwolf, was built in 1590. Honey colored, with a thick neck and beautiful cathedral rose window-like sound hole, it is the oldest lute in playable condition with its original soundboard.  It is pitched one tone below modern pitch which might explain why Kirkby was singing in the lower, less effective, part of her range.  He mentioned that there is a place worn down on the body of the lute where everyone who ever played the instrument has placed their pinky. Watching Lindberg expertly coax the past from the strings was like being transported back to a court banquet of Queen Elizabeth.  Music can take us back in time unlike any other art form.

The Purcell set in the second half was a collection of delightful, poignant and even bawdy songs that showed off Kirby's range of expression and interpretation.  Purcell was a more florid composer and Kirkby's elegant ornamentation seemed spontaneous and improvisational.  Lindberg was able to play a broader range of strings and use a thicker more supportive chordal accompaniment.

Concluding the concert with one of Purcells most beloved arias, Music for a while, was a masterstroke.   Full of creepy Halloween imagery and mythological references it is an aria fit for Queen Mab.


REVIEW
Orpheus in England: Music of Dowland and Purcell
Dame Emma Kirkby with Jakob Lindberg, lute
October 30, 2009
Polsky Theatre at Johnson County Community College
http://www.jccc.edu/home/depts.php/001440/site/ChronList0910

By   Sat, Sep 22, 2012

Click here to see all the  events on the KC Events performing arts calendar.


How do you list your events on KC Events? It is easy!!
As an arts organziation or musician, you can add and edit your own events.

KCMetropolis.org's mission is to promote traditional and independent classical music, dance, theatre and independent film. We are very sorry, but we do not cover pop, rock, Christian or country music; we do not cover the visual arts or non-performing arts community events. If you would like to send a press release about an upcoming performing arts event, please send to press@KCMetropolis.org.

KC Events Categories are:
Traditional & New Classical Music
Dance
Theatre
Jazz

KCMetropolis.org builds assignments for reviews, previews and interviews exclusively from KC Events.  Please make sure your events are listed inorder to be considered.

To Submit Information:

• Please go to the KCM front page and click on the login tab located at the top right-hand side of the website.
• Create a login account and then sign-in.
• Read the KC Events Terms of Service before proceeding
• On the left-hand nav is a category called Submit Content
• Click on Submit an Event or Manage Your Events.
• Listings will be approved with 48 hours if it fits the KCMetropolis.org criteria.

By KCM Staff   Tue, Nov 03, 2009

Check out all the events on the KC Events performing arts calendar.


How do you list your events on KC Events?
As an arts organziation or musician, you now have the ability to add and edit your own events.

KCMetropolis.org's mission is to promote traditional and independent classical music, dance, theatre and independent film. We are very sorry, but we do not cover pop, rock, Christian or country music; we do not cover the visual arts or non-performing arts community events. If you would like to send a press release about an upcoming performing arts event, please send to press@KCMetropolis.org.

KC Events Categories are:
Classical Music
New Classical Music
Dance
Theatre
Jazz

To Submit Information:

• Please go to the KCM front page and click on the login tab located at the top right-hand side of the website.
• Create a login account and then sign-in.
• Read the KC Events Terms of Service before proceeding
• On the left-hand nav is a category called Submit Content
• Click on Submit an Event or Manage Your Events.
• Listings will be approved with 48 hours if it fits the KCMetropolis.org criteria

By Amy Kelly   Tue, Nov 03, 2009

If there was ever a question that some people are born with innate musical talent, Ida McBeth can unequivocally deliver the proof.

While many blues or jazz performers only take the stage long after they've spent time as watchful, moldable audience members themselves, McBeth was already honing her vocal skills at the age of 8. It's not shocking to see a child in a church choral group, but when that youngster is designated to the adult choir rather than one for her own age group, it's difficult to not take notice. One could easily write off this proclivity toward performing as a result of good parenting and a healthy diet of Mahalia Jackson records, but McBeth wasn't just excelling among those 10 and under. She was standing out among her 50-year-old seasoned peers.

"I always had a mature, very deep voice when I was a child," McBeth explained. "I was the only child in the adult choir singing adult gospel songs."

 With an uncanny ability to deliver a heartfelt, deep gospel song, McBeth eventually was assigned more solos than any of the adults within the choir. It was a situation that didn't always sit well with her classmates - and more than a few of the "mature" church members weren't thrilled, either.

"A lot of times I could hardly pronounce some of the words in the songs," McBeth said. "Some of these solos were initially given to the adults in the choir. I had several grown-ups that were a little upset with me that I was taking over some of their solos! It's amazing how even an adult can be jealous of a child."

When McBeth was introduced to the world of R&B and Soul during her teenage years, things got slightly more complicated. Bill Withers and Aretha Franklin were among the artists shaping her latest musical course, a newfound path that wasn't immediately embraced by McBeth's mother. In her eyes, gospel should never take second place to R&B. With that unpopular proclamation, a slight rebellion began in the form of sneaking into clubs. Of course, unlike other obstinate 16-year-olds, McBeth was on a mission. That tenacity paid off with her first professional gig at Kansas City's Playboy Club.

"They thought I was 21 years old," McBeth said. "My mother thought that I was working at Montgomery Ward!"

McBeth's performance skills were in high enough demand that venues like the Playboy Club were willing to dole out handsome paychecks. For McBeth's mother, who was working as a cook and earning a fraction of her daughter's wages, the idea of a singing career quickly became not such a scary notion after all.

"Money has a tendency to change your mind, especially when a single mother is raising five kids by herself," McBeth said. "She finally gave in and started to help me as far as finding clothes that would be appropriate."

In 1972 McBeth received her first big break, a job in Los Angeles as a backup singer for Blood, Sweat & Tears. That prized gig opened up the door to other opportunities, including a job singing for Mattel commercials.

When McBeth became a wife and mother a few years later, she opted to return to Kansas City. She continued to perform, but the number of gigs that required long-distance travel were cut down considerably after the death of her mother, a divorce, and the birth of an autistic child.

The mid-1980's spawned a Kansas City Renaissance of sorts for McBeth, who reached a new level of productivity as a performer. There was a mutual admiration between city and singer that hasn't subsided since that time. You only need to look at a list of the numerous accolades and awards that McBeth has received to get the full gist. Among the honors were the titles of "Best Female Jazz Vocalist" and "Entertainer of the Year" by the Jazz Hall of Fame in 1984, and in 1990 she earned a spot as one of Ingram Magazine's "People of the Year."

Today McBeth has made Jardine's and The Blue Room her homes away from home, usually performing about twice per month at the respective venues. When asked to compare the KC music scene with the nonstop action of the City of Angels, McBeth delivered an eye-opening response. While she had been accustomed to performing everything from gospel to blues to jazz over the years, the singers who frequented Los Angeles' clubs were focused primarily on Top 40 material.

"I was able to find a little more work because I was a little more versatile," McBeth explained. "Kansas City is rich with this music. So you have to really, really know what you're doing to be welcomed and have a light shine upon you. You have to work a whole lot harder."

That work has been chronicled on a series of solo albums throughout the last few decades and the vocalist plans on releasing a CD titled The Best of Ida McBeth in the coming months. The album will feature material spanning from her days as 19-year-old, up-and-comer up to the most contemporary recordings.

While McBeth never shies away from taking on the popular music genre ("I Can't Make You Love Me") or gospel ("Prayer"), you'll always find a good helping of blues and jazz within her performances. When asked whether she believed here was still a dedicated audience in Kansas City for the historical genres, McBeth didn't hesitate with a response.

"Oh, yes. I'm grateful for that," McBeth said. "Otherwise I wouldn't be working!"

For more information visit http://www.idamcbeth.com/

Upcoming Gigs:

November 6, 8:30- 12:30 am
The Blue Room
1616 E 18th St; Kansas City, MO

November 14, 6:00 - 10:00 pm
Jardine's
4536 Main St; Kansas City, MO

November 27, 8:30 - 12:30 pm
The Blue Room
1616 E 18th St; Kansas City, MO

November 28,  6:00 - 10:00 pm
Jardine's
4536 Main St; Kansas City, MO

By KCM Staff   Tue, Oct 27, 2009

As part of its permanent collection, the American Jazz Museum is home to one of the world's largest and most comprehensive collections of early and rare jazz film. Originally  amassed by John H. Baker, an Ohio attorney and collector, the collection is comprised of  over 5,000 titles, 1 million feet of 16-mm and 35-mm black & white and color films - roughly 700 hours - dating from 1927 through the early 1970s.

In addition to providing dynamic visuals of many of the performers with whom the sights and sounds of jazz are immediately associated, the collection also provides a wide breadth and depth of educational & research material, new insights into the evolution of jazz performance methods & practices, principles & techniques of filmmaking, the development of American culture and captivating documentations of significant eras of American history.

The John H. Baker Jazz Film Collection Exhibit focuses on the first three areas of a planned series of rotating thematic content: "Women in Jazz," "African-American Dance in Early Films," and "Big Bands."  It also features new state-of-the-art SoundShower® audio technology, never-before-seen photos, and individual film viewing kiosks where users can browse through dozens of "soundies," short performance film clips that serve as the precursor to today's music video.

"Women In Jazz Films" is a collection of short films, soundies, and television excerpts from the 1920s to the 1970s featuring female jazz vocalists and musicians who were popular performers of the day. As singers, musicians, composers, and bandleaders, these women shaped and influenced jazz music in America and abroad with their extraordinary musical skills and talent.

"African American Dance In Early Films" a collection of soundies, short films, and excerpts from feature films that highlight African American singers and dancers from the 1930s-1940s performing on the theater and film stage, in chorus lines and nightclubs, and in front of big bands and small jazz combos. These multi-talented performers popularized a variety of dance styles, including: tap dancing, lindy hop, jitterbug, jive, ballet and modern dance.   

 "Big Bands" is a collection of dance and swing band performances from the 1930s-1950s. Typically consisting of 10-25 pieces, big bands became popular in the 1920s, and rose to prominence playing swing music throughout the 1930s. The big bands of Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and Cab Calloway played a major role in defining swing as a distinctive jazz style. "All-girl" bands, such as the International Sweethearts of Rhythm, also popularized swing music nationally and internationally.

For more information visit www.americanjazzmuseum.org

Reprinted permission of Greg Carroll, CEO of the American Jazz Museum

By Lee Goodman   Mon, Oct 05, 2009

The Metropolitan Opera will again broadcast many of this season's operas in high def directly into your local movie theaters.  These broadcasts have been very successful over the past few years, not only for their artistic values, but attendance has been uniformly excellent.  If these were actual Hollywood movies, many of the broadcasts would have outsold all but the biggest offerings.  I expect similar results this season. 

So assuming you intend to pick and choose which ones to see as opposed to just going to all of them, here are some in the "can't miss" category and some can be skipped.  Let's run them down.

Tosca - Giacomo Puccini
October 10, 2009 at noon
US Encore: Wednesday, October 28, 2009 (6:30 pm local time)
Expected Running time: 3 hours 27 minutes, 2 intermissions
Starring Karita Mattila as Tosca and Marcelo Alvarez as Cavaradossi. 

This is a new production that was vociferously booed on opening night.  The production replaced the highly beloved Zeffirelli production with a stripped down one and has several reportedly bizarre directorial decisions.  The audience hated it.  The reviews of the singing were mixed. 

There are two reasons to go see this production.  First - it's Tosca one of the most popular operas ever written.  Secondly, if you were paying attention you will note that I didn't name who was singing the role of Scarpia, the bad guy.  That's because the original Scarpia dropped out due to illness and his replacement has just been adequate.  HOWEVER, rumors are swirling around New York that Bryn Terfel may be flown in just for this HD performance to sing the role.  Bryn Terfel has an amazing voice and a riveting stage presence.  I have seen him three times at the Met and your eyes never leave him for fear you will miss something great.  If the Met announces him as a one time replacement, I would go see this just for Terfel no matter who else is in it and no matter how bad the production is.  I would keep an eye out on the Met website and/or The New York Times for an announcement.

Aida - Giuseppe Verdi
October 24, 2009 at noon
US Encore: Wednesday, November 11, 2009 (6:30 pm local time)
Expected Running time: 3 hours, 56 minutes, 2 intermissions

Verdi's Aida is another of the most popular operas ever written.  The Met's production is a lavish one and well worth seeing no matter who is in it.  This performance stars Violetta Urmana as Aida, the great Dolora Zajick as Amneris, Johan Botha as Radames, and Carlo Guelfi as Amonasro.  This is an excellent cast by today's standards and should be a very fine performance.

Turandot - Giacomo Puccini
November 7, 2009 at noon
US Encore: Wednesday, November 18, 2009 (6:30 pm local time)
Expected Running time: 3 hours 21 minutes, 2 intermissions

Another of the world's most popular operas in an absolutely stunning Franco Zeffirelli production.  The cast includes Maria Guleghina, Marina Poplavskaya, Marcello Giordani, and Samuel Ramey.  This should be a very fine performance. 

Les Contes d'Hoffmann - Jacques Offenbach
December 19, 2009 at noon
US Encore: Wednesday, January 6, 2010 (6:30 pm local time)
Expected Running time: 4 hours, 2 minutes, 2 intermissions

This is another new production and is directed by the acclaimed Bartlett Sher.  The Met usually assembles a top notch cast for new productions and especially for their HD broadcasts since they will eventually try to sell them on DVD.  This cast includes Kathleen Kim, Anna Netrebko, Ekaterina Gubanova, Kate Lindsey, Joseph Calleja, Alan Held.  I would call this a good cast (with Netrebko being the big selling name as she plays the tragic Antonia) but not necessarily a great one.  Still worth seeing.

 Der Rosenkavalier - Richard Strauss
January 9, 2010:  Noon
US Encore: Wednesday, January 27, 2010 (6:30 PM local time)
Expected Running time: 4 hours, 45 minutes, 2 intermissions

Strauss' Der Rosenkavalier is a very popular opera but it's never been a favorite of mine.  However, the Met has given us a great cast that includes Renée Fleming, Susan Graham, Christine Schäfer, Eric Cutler, Thomas Allen, Kristinn Sigmundsson.  Renee Fleming and Susan Graham are widely acclaimed for their portrayals in this opera and that alone makes this a must see.

 Carmen - Georges Bizet
January 16, 2010
US Encore: Wednesday, February 3, 2010 (6:30 pm local time)
Expected Running time: 3 hours, 30 minutes, 1 intermission

What can I say about Carmen?  If I wanted to introduce someone to their first opera, Carmen might be my choice.  Again we have a new production and a fine cast which includes Barbara Frittoli, Elīna Garanča, Roberto Alagna, Mariusz Kwiecien.  This should be well worth seeing.

Simon Boccanegra - Giuseppe Verdi
February 6, 2010
US Encore: Wednesday, February 24, 2010 (6:30 pm local time)
Expected Running time: 3 hours, 40 minutes, 2 intermissions

I have never seen a live production of Simon Boccanegra but I think it is unjustly neglected.  The problem with this opera is that it needs a really great cast to put it over and the Met gives us exactly that with Adrianne Pieczonka, Marcello Giordani, Plácido Domingo, and James Morris.  In fact, Domingo is singing the baritone role in this production.  At this stage of his career, he has lost some of his top notes but is still singing at a very high level and he is assuming a few baritone roles.  This should be very interesting to see how long he can still sing at such a high level.  I will not be in the movie theater to see this as I will be seeing it live in New York.  As far as I am concerned, this should be a great performance of a neglected masterpiece and true opera lovers will not want to miss this.

Hamlet - Ambroise Thomas
March 27, 2010 at noon
US Encore: Wednesday, April 14, 2010 (6:30 pm local time)
Expected Running time: 3 hours, 43 minutes, 2 intermissions

I doubt if any but the most fanatical opera lovers have seen this opera live in an opera house because it is rarely performed.  However, from listening to this on CD, while it shouldn't replace Rigoletto (for example) it shouldn't be as neglected as it is.  It is a very lovely and powerful work.  Furthermore, it stars Simon Keenlyside as Hamlet (the French pronounce this Ohmm Lay) and my absolute favorite soprano, Natalie Dessay.  I will also be in New York to see this at the Met because I am such a Dessay fan - and Keenlyside is a major talent.  This performance also stars the wonderful Jennifer Larmore and legendary bass James Morris.  The opera connoisseurs should not miss this one.

Armida - Gioachino Rossini
May 1, 2010 at noon
US Encore: Wednesday, May 19, 2010 (6:30 pm local time)
Expected Running time: 4 hours, 19 minutes, 2 intermissions

I have mixed feelings about this one.  First of all, it is a wonderful opera -  but a very long one.  It is also a bel canto opera which is an acquired taste for some people.  I happen to like these neglected bel canto operas even if they are a long sit.  Furthermore, they need bel canto coloratura specialists who can effortlessly sing all the coloratura that is demanded by these roles.  The Met has cast this with wonderful bel canto coloratura specialists such as Lawrence Brownlee and Bruce Ford.  But the lead is given to Renee Fleming.  The Met only revived this production because Ms. Fleming wanted to sing it - and I must give her a lot of credit for wanting to sing rarely performed operas.  The problem is that despite Ms. Fleming's numerous virtues (and I am a big fan of hers), effortless and spectacular coloratura is not among them.  She sings coloratura very carefully instead of brilliantly and virtuosically.  Nonetheless, if you have a sturdy backside, I would recommend going to see this as you never know if you will get another chance to see Armida.

So there you have it.  The Met's HD schedule is an excellent one with no real duds among the broadcasts and several "must sees".  All true opera lovers should be in the theaters or at the Met for these.  Where will you be?

 
Theatre locations in the metropolis

Cinemark 20 (Merriam)
5500 Antioch, Merriam, KS
913-789-7038

Cinemark 14, The Palace
500 Nichols Road, Kansas City, MO
816-756-5877

AMC Town Center 20
11701 Nall Ave, Leawood, KS
913-498-8696

AMC Olathe Studio 29 with IMAX
12075 S. Strang Line Rd, Olathe, KS
913-393-3030

 Kansas City 18 Cinemas
3200 Ameristar Dr,, Kansas City, MO
816-454-7921

Southwind 12
3433 Iowa Street, Lawrence, KS
785-832-1364

Hollywood Theaters 10
5405 N. Belt Hwy, Bldg. M, St. Joseph, MO
816-233-0929

Hollywood Stadium 14
6200 SW 6th Ave, Topeka, KS
785-272-7440

By Diane Thompson   Tue, Nov 03, 2009

Staged Readings is a unique way to experience your most beloved of movies.  Actors, musicians and lighting crew work in an almost-improv setting.  The non-union acting company has put on monthly performances for the past 18 months and every performance has sold out (admission to the performances requires only a small donation).  Producing Director, Beth Spencer's, troupe historically has selected only the most delightful of cult, or at least cultish, films.  Past performances include such treats as The Wrath of Khan, This is NOT Spinal Tap and The Royal Tennebaums. 

When asked about the preparation involved prior to the latest offering from Staged Readings The Lost Boys,  Vi Tran ("Laddie"), explained, "the director picks out a movie and selects the actors.  The company gets together for an informal screening of the film.  We have one rehearsal the night before the show, and then, we're on." 

Music Director, Cody Wyoming, added, "this structure keeps it fresh; it keeps it true to the way we started - just a bunch of friends with no lives getting together to do what we love the most."

Staged Readings was born out of Ron McGee's West Bottoms loft, initially as a way for actor/musician friends to expand on their favorite hobby - performing.  As Staged Readings' popularity and audience members grew, performances moved elsewhere.  Venues varied; however, the past six performances, including the latest - The Lost Boys, were staged at Westport Flea Market. 

To call the productions informal would be an understatement.  Do not expect a program.  If you don't know the actors on stage, you are most certainly not cool enough to know them anyway. Move on and sit back for a terrific ride.  These are professionals.  In the case of The Lost Boys, easily half of the actors, musicians, and even the director were involved in The Coterie at Night's latest play Maul of the Dead.  The remaining cast was as familiar as the audience members watching.  If you've seen theatre in Kansas City in the past year, you've seen these professionals. 

Halloween trinkets scattered the tables in the back room of Westport Flea Market.  Not only did the already-close-knit audience enjoy attention from the acting company, bar and grill owner, Joe Zwillenberg, visibly happy with the show and the crowd, doted over each of his guests at intermission while Staged Readings conducted a small, but well-received costume contest.  Spirits flowed freely both on and off stage, and the crowd and actors become more zealous as the performance progressed. 

Cody Wyoming, music director, and his crew kicked off the night and kept the night rocking with classic Lost Boys soundtrack pieces.  Actors began the performance by strolling across stage, touting black binders whose covers displayed names and characters.  This was as organized as the performance would get; but through each unpredictable scene, the actors successfully told the story of two young brothers trying to get by in a town infested with vampires. Stands littered the stage to allow the actors to use their entire bodies as they read, quite literally, from the screenplay, and though working on an obviously low budget, the production's special effects showed immense ingenuity and at times, downright comedy. 

Doogin Brown, without a doubt, dominated the stage in his depiction of younger brother Sam.  It was hard to imagine he'd only rehearsed once; his depth of character was tremendous, and when he did venture out of character - when a line was missed or when a prop was awkwardly missing, his timing and creative retorts had the audience roaring. "This is an important part here, people!" 

Other notables included Artistic Director, Matt Rapport, who played David, lead vamp,  as well as Ron McGee (Lucy) and Matt Weiss (Michael) whose chemistry and banter slayed the crowd over and over.  The Frog Brothers (this reviewer is not cool enough to know those actors by sight), a.k.a. vampire slayers, were also a delightful duo, and their antics were ceaseless.

The entire cast and crew worked in orchestrated chaos to generate an energy and excitement unmatched.  It was a ruckus and an absolutely entertaining affair. 

The greatness of Staged Readings truly resides with the actors - in their total delight with and brilliance in working in an almost completely improv setting.  Under the direction of Kimberely Queen, Staged Readings' rendition of The Lost Boys was a train wreck of a great time! 

Reservoir Dogs, directed by David Kiehl, is Staged Reading's next selection and plays on November 16, 2009 at Westport Flea Market.  To find out more about Staged Readings, join their group on Facebook or shoot an email to stagedreadings@yahoo.com.

REVIEW
Westport Flea Market Bar & Grill
Staged Readings
The Lost Boys
October 26, 2009
817 Westport Road, Kansas City MO
Tickets available at door. Donations only.

Top Photo by Paul Andrews

By Michael D. Smith   Tue, Nov 03, 2009

One hundred years from now, assuming that the Earth hasn't turned into a blob of warm butter thanks to global warming, cinema students will be studying the cinematic works of Ethan and Joel Coen. However, their instructors will not be including A Serious Man in the class curriculum.

After a brief, extremely strange visit to a possible 19th century Jewish village in Poland, A Serious Man takes us on a journey to 1967 and to an immaculate Midwestern neighborhood populated almost entirely by Jewish families. The idyllic setting is the home of Larry Gopnik (2005 Tony Award nominee Michael Stuhlbarg), a physics professor at a local university.

So with a well-paying job, nice home, wife and two kids you would think everything was great in Larry's world. Wrong. The lowlights, just to name a few, include Larry's wife wanting a ritual divorce so she can marry a widower; a lack of respect from his teenage children; a foreign exchange student who tries to bribe him; and his Uncle Arthur (Richard Kind) who barely leaves the house and yet gets in trouble with the law. Oh, and Larry also faces a mountain of legal bills.

Larry wants to think of himself as a serious man, however, he cannot figure out what God is trying to tell him as a myriad of bad things continue happening to him. So he goes through a trio of rabbis in search of guidance but to no avail. His son's pot-hazed Bar Mitzvah provides a brief glimmer of hope to a better tomorrow but nothing is easy, or good in Larry's world.

Burn After Reading ... No Country for Old Men ... O Brother, Where Art Thou? ... The Big Lebowski ... Fargo ... Raising Arizona  ... They are all Coen Brother classics that involve captivating drama or dark comedy. A Serious Man tries too hard to be both and fails, especially on the humor side which relies heavily upon Jewish customs and language for material.

Larry is like a modern day Job and is seemingly tested every day by God. However, his trials and tribulations become repressive to watch as they stack up. As such, the humor is lost. Furthermore, while Job was blessed by God and lived 140 years, the Coen Brothers put a different spin on it, which results in something disappointingly lackluster.

Stuhlbarg does deliver an extremely solid performance as a man whose psyche becomes frayed. He gives Larry a kind of everyman quality that the audience can identify with. The other characters, though, are borderline stereotypes that are uninteresting to watch.

Much like how no one can remember every John Ford film, no one will remember this Coen effort. Hopefully.

On a letter grade scale from A being excellent to F for failing, A Serious Man receives a C-.
    
A Serious Man is rated R and has a running time of 105 minutes.

Now showing through December 10 @
Tivoli Cinemas
Westport Manor Square, 4050 Pennsylvania, KCMO
Visit www.tivolikc.com or call 913-383-7756 for showtimes.

Check run dates
Glenwood Arts
9575 Metcalf
Overland Park
Visit www.fineartsgroup.com or call 913-642-4404 for more information.

By KCM Staff   Tue, Oct 28, 2008

By KCM Staff   Tue, Nov 03, 2009

The Kansas City Symphony, led by Music Director Michael Stern, will release their second CD for award-winning audiophile label Reference Recordings on November 10, 2009. Titled Britten's Orchestra, this project explores the compositional genius of British composer Benjamin Britten's music. Recording sessions were held in June in the outstanding acoustics of the Community of Christ Auditorium in Independence, Missouri.

Included is music from Britten's dramatic score to Peter Grimes, one of the true operatic masterpieces of the 20^th century.   His important, controversial Sinfonia da Requiem is rooted in the darkness of World War II.  The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra is a delightful piece used in music education for decades as an introduction to the orchestra's different instrumental families.   

"These works by Britten are all very close to my heart, and we all put a lot of ourselves into these performances. Above all, I am very proud of how everyone in the Kansas City Symphony plays on this recording. Working with Reference Recordings and with David Frost on this project was also very special experience. I think that the recorded sound they captured is tremendous, and it makes us all very excited as we plan our next collaborations," said Stern.

This new release was produced by four-time Grammy Award winner David Frost. Frost says he is honored to work with Reference Recordings engineer "Prof." Keith Johnson for the first time.

"We are delighted to continue our relationship with Reference Recordings and look forward to building on the great success of our first project together.   I feel that Britten's Orchestra is superior both sonically and musically, and look forward to sharing it with music lovers worldwide," said Executive Director Frank Byrne.

The Kansas City Symphony's first project for Reference Recordings, The Tempest, debuted to critical acclaim. It is a high-resolution recording of two sets of incidental music to Shakespeare's The Tempest, by Sir Arthur Sullivan and Jean Sibelius.

 Pre-order now and save 20% at http://www.allegro-music.com/online_catalog.asp?sku_tag=REF3120

Both CD's are available online at www.allegro-music.com.

The Kansas City Symphony has previously recorded for Naxos, and Michael Stern has recorded for Sony, Arabesque, Denon, Hyperion, and Naxos.

By KCM Staff   Tue, Nov 03, 2009

For Immediate Release - October 29, 2009

Kansas City Symphony commissions and premieres new piano concerto: Lost Souls by Avner Dorman
"a séance for piano and orchestra" -- ghosts of music's past weave through the three movement concerto

(Kansas City) - The Kansas City Symphony will present the world premiere of Lost Souls - A Piano Concerto by Israeli composer Avner Dorman on November 20-22. Lost Souls tell the haunting story of a séance summoning ghosts of concertos past, ending in an exorcism.   Praised by Gramophone Magazine as "a fresh, young voice, worth following," Avner Dorman is a rising star composer whose orchestral works were recently performed by the New York Philharmonic and the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

Dorman wrote Lost Souls for Israeli pianist Alon Goldstein, who will be performing the work in Kansas City.   For Dorman, this work is channeled straight from his relationship with the pianist: "I love Alon's playing. He seems like he is from a different era - the way he carries himself, his mannerisms - it seems like he was born and lived in the 19th century," Dorman recalls. He wanted to capture Goldstein's special quality in this new work and took what he could from their relationship and his knowledge of Goldstein's musicianship - Goldstein has performed Dorman's Piano Sonata No. 2 close to forty times. Dorman says "one thing I truly admire about Goldstein's playing is that he can go quite crazy during the sonata, but in the end he is a very refined classical pianist, with all of the notes coming out very clear, as if he had predetermined all of the dynamics and articulations - he has very stylized playing. I wrote this concerto to give him those moments, on the one hand, but to also give him the simple melodies, to give him room to express his unique musical persona."

Goldstein recently performed Dorman's Second Sonata at a Town Hall recital in New York. Allan Kozinn's review in The New York Times called it "an irresistible powerhouse performance."

"The orchestra and I have the privilege of presenting the remarkable music of composer Avner Dorman with the world premiere of his new concerto Lost Souls, which he wrote for us and our soloist, the brilliant pianist Alon Goldstein. Rhythmically charged and inventive in its lyricism, this is music that I am proud to introduce here in Kansas City," said Music Director Michael Stern.

Lost Souls was commissioned by the Kansas City Symphony under a grant from the Miller Nichols Charitable Foundation, Kansas City, Missouri; the Seattle Commissioning Club; Patricia Tall-Takacs and Gary Takacs with support from an anonymous donor and International Arts Foundation.   Additional support for the performances was received from the Consulate General of Israel to the Midwest. 

"Michael Stern is a passionate advocate for new music, strongly believing that audiences should hear the best music of both yesterday and today.   The Symphony was very blessed to receive a generous multi-year grant from the Miller Nichols Charitable Foundation to establish a new music commissioning program, and Michael Stern and I have been working for several seasons to identify the right composers and to fit our commissions into their schedules.   We were pleased to find two opportunities this season to commission two new concerti for two exceptional soloists - the first is this new piano concerto for Alon Goldstein by Avner Dorman.   We are grateful for the generous support from the Seattle Commissioning Club and the International Arts Foundation, both of whom joined us to make this project possible.   Virtuoso performers and brilliant composers offer a collaboration that we find very exciting, and we feel certain our audiences will agree," noted Executive Director Frank Byrne.

Stern will lead the orchestra on Friday-Saturday, November 20-21 at 8pm at the Lyric Theatre in downtown Kansas City, and again at 2pm on Sunday, November 22 at Yardley Hall on the Johnson County Community College campus.   "Concert Comments," a pre-concert discussion about the program led by Music Director Michael Stern will take place one hour before concert time at each location. 

Tickets are available by calling the Symphony Box Office at 816.471.0400 or online at www.kcsymphony.org. Box office hours are 10am-5pm Monday-Friday.  

-xxx-

Alon Goldstein on Lost Souls:

What makes this project intriguing, interesting, different and very attractive:

"First of all, Avner's concept of the piece is incredibly imaginative. Initially, before talking to Avner about the piece I had put down all sorts of ideas. At our first meeting, when he shared with me the premise, the focal point of this new concerto I became silent. He saw and heard it so clearly in his mind. There was nothing for me to add verbally - just to continue to inspire him with my playing.

The idea of starting a piece with a séance!   Are we back in the 1960s with all this experimental 'stuff', or are we really going back in time trying to relive a lost era and bring to life all these Lost Souls - souls of the great piano concerti - Grieg, Chopin, Ravel and Rachmaninov? The result ends up being what we hope will be a concerto that opens a new era.

I have been practicing the piece now for almost two months and something very interesting and strange is happening - curiousity!!  It happened to me maybe a dozen times so far - I would be practicing alone somewhere, and suddenly some people will come and, looking very excited, they will ask me questions about what they've just heard, wanting to hear more and know more. There is something intoxicating in the music, as if it casts a spell on the people who come in contact with it. You see it in their eyes."

Musical Analysis by the composer:

In three movements performed without pause (attacca).  Timing - 25 minutes 

I.      Séance - Allegro - Adagio -Allegro -Presto 

II.     Twilight - Adagio - Scherzo "Mischievousso" - Adagio 

III.    Exorcism - Presto

1^st movement - closely related to sonata form with a short introduction in the high strings and a concluding coda in the tonality of D. (i) The opening haunting motif (the Séance motif) consists of soft high string slides over an interval of a minor third. It is followed by the soloist's wild entrance cadenza - a hard landing back from the after life. (ii) The main motif of the exposition is a major second mordent (A-G-A). The exposition explores this motif through various toccata-like sections morphing the simple motif into a variety of different themes. Dramatically, the soloist is trying to remember his old favorite repertoire, hence the allusions to great piano concertos of the past (Ravel, Bach, Prokofiev, Lutoslawski, and Ligeti in the first movement). As the exposition progresses, it becomes increasingly clear that the afterlife (the pianist) and our world (the orchestra) cannot fully synchronize and are bound to clash. (iii) The development begins with an expressive adagio (first soft, then passionate, and soft again). After a return to the opening 'Séance motif,' the development proceeds to a fast section which explores various polymetric, polytonal, and polyrhythmic combinations of the various motifs of the movement. (iv) In the recapitulation, the motifs of the entire movement collide more aggressively. The highest point of complexity resolves to four octaves of the note D in the piano and strings. (v) The coda is the catharsis of the first movement resolving its harmonic, rhythmic, and emotional conflict.  

2^nd movement - in modified Rondo Form: A, B, A', B', A'', C, A&B. The ritornellos (A sections) in the orchestra are of an otherworldly nature alluding to the 'Séance motif'. The solo (B) sections are very simple and reminiscent of some of the earliest keyboard music we know (like that of the Swedish composer Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck). The solo (B) sections represent the pianist's 'return engagement.' After a short third ritornello (A'') a mischievous scherzo (with hints of Messiaen) in the piano and some percussion leads back to the 'Séance motif', now appearing in the woodwinds and not as ghostly as before. The final ritornello combines the A and B sections in a solemn coda in C major. At the very end of the second movement 'Séance motif' appears for the last time summoning the last, and most evil, spirit in the concerto.  

3^rd movement - in A A B form - is an exorcism scene. The last soul conjured will not leave the stage. The orchestra performs an exorcism ritual (in changing meters but mostly in 13/16 meter) to vanquish it. The piano fights back (now mostly in 7/8 meter) and does not show signs of fatigue. The orchestra splits up and the different sections of the orchestra attempt to exorcise the spirit separately.  As the sections join forces again, they finally manage to defeat the demon.

For more information about Lost Souls, Avner Dorman and Alon Goldstein, please follow the links below:

Print Articles

• Sunday LA Times Feature article by David NG about Avner Dorman - http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-ca-dorman26-2009jul26,0,7504613.story

Audio/Video clips

• Video of soloist Alon Goldstein performing Avner Dorman's Piano Sonata No.2 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdXdsdMyDSg
• Audio Interview: Avner Dorman speaks with Scott Simon in March 2009 (NPR Morning Edition, National Broadcast) - http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=101893914
• Audio Interview: Avner Dorman speaks with Leonard Lopate on New York's WNYC: http://www.wnyc.org/shows/lopate/episodes/2009/03/19/segments/126532  

Biographies

• Avner Dorman Biography: http://www.schirmer.com/Default.aspx?TabId=2419&State_2872=2&composerId_2872=2197
• Alon Goldstein Biography: http://www.franksalomon.com/Artist.asp?ArtistID=15
• Michael Stern Biography: http://kcsymphony.org/AboutUs/MeettheOrchestra/michael_stern.jsp

About the Kansas City SymphonyLed by Music Director Michael Stern, the Kansas City Symphony's 80-member orchestra performs more than 50 concerts on three series (Classical, Family, Pops) during its 42-week season, September through June. In addition, the Symphony performs non-series concerts such as Bank of America Celebration at the Station and Symphony in the Flint Hills, educational programs, community outreach performances, and serves as the orchestra for the Lyric Opera and the Kansas City Ballet. Classical performances are broadcast weekly on KCUR 89.3 FM during the Kansas City Symphony Hour, Thursdays at 9 pm. Visit the Kansas City Symphony online at kcsymphony.org.

Mon, Oct 26, 2009

UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance
Fall Dance Recital
Thursday, November 5 at 7:30 p.m.
White Recital Hall, Performing Arts Center
4949 Cherry, Kansas City, MO
For tickets call 816-235-6222 or online at www.umkc.edu/conservatory.

After an overload of outstanding dance performances the last couple of weeks, featuring the Kansas City Ballet, the Ailey II dance company, and the Owen/Cox Dance Group, the pickings get a little slimmer during this two-week period.  However, you can check out the UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance performers in a recital featuring faculty choreography. Among the pieces to be performed are The Widows by Sabrina Madison-Cannon, Utmost by Rodni Williams, Percussion Suite by Mary Pat Henry, Bound Too... by DeeAnna Hiett, and Between  Impulse and Action by Paula Weber.

Lyric Opera of Kansas City
H.M.S. Pinafore
Friday, November 6 at 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, November 8 at 2:00 p.m.
Wednesday, November 11 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, November 14 at 8 p.m.
Sunday, November 15 at 2 p.m.
Lyric Theatre
11^th and Central, Kansas City, MO
For tickets call (816) 471-7344 or online at www.kcopera.org.

The Lyric Opera continues its season with a Gilbert and Sullivan favorite, H.M.S. Pinafore. Although today we think of these pieces as being light-hearted and humorous, the biting sarcasm which permeated Gilbert's story lines and dialogue were intended to punctuate the inflated egos and ideals which were then prevalent in Victorian England.

Sullivan is known primarily for his comic operettas, but in fact was an organist, hymnist and composer of music for state occasions, deeply steeped in the traditions of the Anglican Church. Gilbert, who wrote the lyrics, was a central figure in British literary and theatrical circles, a veteran of the civil service and law practice, and member of an elite group of British playwrights.

Gilbert's pen left no corner of British society unscathed. He loved to poke fun at the inequities which resulted from Britain's rigid class system, the absurd results of patriotic extremism, and the foibles of bureaucracy. Sullivan's music proved a perfect accompaniment to these themes.

Famed Kansas City singer and actor Bob Brand portrays Admiral Porter, a character drawn to poke fun at both bureaucratic ineptitude and the folly of class rank. He was patterned after W.H. Smith, the real-life head of the British Navy at the time, who was unschooled in maritime matters and had won his position by rising through the bureaucracy without making enemies.

William Jewell College graduate Daniel Belcher, now enjoying an impressive international career, is Captain Corcoran, with newcomer soprano Ava Pine singing Josephine Porter and tenor Jon-Michael Ball singing her suitor Ralph Rackstraw.

As members of the society they satirized, Gilbert and Sullivan were the ideal choices for the job of deflating English excesses. They always did so, however, with that self-deprecating good nature which won their audiences' hearts and made the satire so much more effective than a more biting commentary would have been.

The Lyric Opera's performances continue throughout the week and an extra Sunday matinee performance has been added for November 15.

NewEar Contemporary Chamber Ensemble
American Currents
Friday, November 6 at 8:00 p.m.
All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church
4501 Walnut Street, Kansas City, MO
For tickets call 816-235-6222 or online at www.tickets.cto.umkc.edu/

For its second concert of the season NewEar Contemporary Chamber Ensemble is presenting a concert of American composers, focusing upon Stephen Hartke and his The House With the Lavender Eye for violin, clarinet and piano. Hartke is one of the leading composers of today, and in this piece he pulls in strands of music influence from Japan, the 19^th century Brazilian novelist Machado de Assia and, we are told, Looney Tunes.  Okay

Also on the program are Gradus for mixed ensemble, and Night Rubrics for solo cello, also by Hartke.

Community of Christ
Jan Kraybill, organ
Friday, November 6 at 8:00 p.m.
Community of Christ Auditorium
1001 West Walnut, Independence, MO
Freewill offering

Fifty years ago, on November 6, 1959, more than 7,000 were in the audience to hear famed female organist Catharine Crozier play the inaugural recital on the organ in the then recently completed RLDS Auditorium. On the 50th anniversary of that event, Dr. Jan Kraybill, the current organist at the RLDS Auditorium, will recreate the inaugural recital in its entirety.

The Friends of Chamber Music
St. Lawrence String Quartet
Saturday, November 7 at 8:00 p.m.
Folly Theater
12^th and Central Streets, Kansas City, MO 
For tickets call 816-561-9999 or online at www.chambermusic.org.

The St. Lawrence String Quartet, the winner of various young artist competitions in the early 1990's and once one of the new "hot" young quartets on the concert scene, has now been performing together for twenty years and in over 2,000 concerts. A finely polished ensemble, they return to The Friends of Chamber Music stage to play Haydn, Mendelssohn, and a late Beethoven quartet.  The Quartet has recorded the works of Schumann, Tchaikovsky and Bach, as well as more modern composers.

In a recent interesting experiment, the Quartet is soliciting donations from classical music foundations around the world to help fund a new recording of Haydn and Dvorak quartets. See www.artistshare.com. This effort may be the coming "thing" in the world of classical music recording if commercial record companies are unwilling to keep issuing classical releases.

Alex Ross of The New Yorker magazine has written that "the St. Lawrence are remarkable not simply for the quality of their music making, exalted as it is, but for the joy they take in the act of connection."

Bell Cultural Events Center
Nathaniel May, pianist
Sunday, November 8 at 2:30 p.m.
Mid-America Nazarene University
2030 E. College Way, Olathe, KS
For tickets call 913-971-3636 or online at www.admitix.com.

The Bell Cultural Arts Center is presenting pianist Nathanael May in recital.  According to the publicity for this concert, May "is a pianist with a penchant for new music, whose performances composers have heralded as 'first-rate, dynamic, and refreshing.' In a habit of speaking from the stage almost as much as he plays, May derives true joy from the educational act of performing."

The recital is titled "Piano Fantasies of Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Brahms, Crumb and Foss." It sounds like an interesting combination of the old and the new.

Parkville Community Band
Fall Concert
Sunday, November 8, at 3:00 p.m.
Graham Tyler Memorial Chapel
8700 NW River Park Drive, Park University, Parkville, MO
Free admission

The program for this concert has not yet been announced, but the Community Band generally plays classical music selections.

By KCM Staff   Tue, Sep 22, 2009

KCMetropolis.org - YOUR Online Journal of the Performing Arts - is a nonprofit arts service organization designed to offer critical, quality dialogue about our community's performing arts through new online technologies and social medias. We have been publishing for over a year and feature articles on traditional and independent classical music, dance, theatre, indie films and jazz, and are in the process of launching a new section called theSTEADY that will highlight local hard-working generative performers in the community. We are a true grassroots organization and have 20+ local writers on board - talented and expert voices coming from the musicologists, professional writers, etc within the community. 

KCMetropolis.org publishes weekly on Wednesdays and has 600+ articles up on the site stretching back through October 2008.  This has allowed us to offer more, and more easily accessible coverage of performing arts events - both small and large - than has ever been offered in one place to the Kansas City community.

In July, KCMetropolis.org debuted a new performing arts calendar - KC Events - that allows arts organizations to add and manage their own events. It is much more than just a listing - click on the link and find an entire page of information on each performance, all with easy links to share, print, send to your mobile, etc. We are partnering with other performing arts organizations, online arts purveyors and tourism-based businesses to make KC Events easily accessible in many locations.

KCMetropolis.org was recently awarded a Missouri Arts Council Capacity Building match grant of $5000 to continue development of crucial coverage for the performing arts in our community.  We are the second only online arts organization to receive funding through this government entity.

Please help make us a sustainable voice for the performing arts for many years to come - help us meet the match goal of $5000.  Every little bit helps - and any donation will be gratefully accepted and gratefully acknowledged on our website.

It is easy to donate to KCMetropolis.org.  Click on donate online via Pay Pal or send your checks to KCMetropolis.org at 814 East 33^rd Street, Kansas City, MO 64109. All donations are tax deductible.

Thank you for your continued support of KCMetropolis.org and the performing arts in our community!

KCM Staff and Board of Directors

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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