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Located atop a gently rolling hill along Renner Road, the Theatre in the Park is a well-established cultural tradition in Johnson County. Originally nothing more than a black box theater in Antioch Park, and moving through various locations, this thriving outdoor theater enjoys a permanent home in the verdant Shawnee Mission Park. 

The Theatre in the Park has served as a proving ground for young talent in Kansas City since 1969.  The selected shows cast many roles for children and teenagers. It isn't uncommon for entire families to audition together, from grandparents to toddlers. People from all walks of life volunteer their summer leisure hours to sing, dance and act in the family-friendly musicals.  Auditions are held every spring, and hundreds of aspiring performers line up for hours for their chance to put on a show.   

Executive producer Melissa Wyckoff also caught the acting bug at the Theatre in the Park. She began her theatrical career at age 2 on the Kansas City children's show from the '70s called The Jack and Jill Players, which aired on Channel 9.  She was cast in a Theatre in the Park production of The Music Man when she was 11. The faded photograph of a young Melissa Kelly as Amaryllis still hangs on her office wall. From there she danced with the Kansas City Ballet under the direction of Tatiana Dokoudovska. After working for a number of arts organizations across the country, she returned to her hometown in 2008 to take the helm of The Theatre in the Park.

Some of the better known entertainment personalities who spread their roots at The Theatre in the Park are Constance Ramos of HGTV's Extreme Makeover Home Edition and Bryan Sears, who was recently cast in the musical Grease on Broadway. "Wherever you go in town, people have a connection to it. They come see the shows, know a person who has been involved, or have performed in shows themselves," says Wyckoff.

2009 is the 40^th season and packed with crowd-pleasing movie musicals. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers was the season opener, and Disney's blockbuster hit High School Musical Onstage is opening this week. The Wedding Singer and The Wizard of Oz finish out the summer.

The Theatre in the Park is commemorating its 40th anniversary with glow-in-the-dark popcorn buckets and T-shirts that list every production since 1969 on the back. Wyckoff knows what makes people tick. "The popcorn buckets are great because people can bring them back for a $1 refill."

Other new features are e-tickets and reserved seats. "The reserved seats have been a huge hit.  You don't have to bring anything; your seat is waiting up front with your name on it."

The viewing is relaxed. It's a little bit like putting on a show in your back yard -- only the stage is a professional space with up-to-date technology and the yard is 10 acres! Your ticket gets you in the gate, but because only the formal seats are reserved, lawn chairs, blankets and stadium seats are the norm. Patrons are free to bring picnics and coolers but, for safety reasons, there is no glass, alcohol or pets allowed on the premises. There is a concession stand and a brand-new restroom facility complete with changing tables.

Good seats are everywhere and ticket prices are inexpensive, so for a fun, informal summer theater experience, it's hard to beat The Theatre in the Park. The box office opens at 7:00 p.m.; curtain time is 8:30 p.m.

For more information call 913-312-8841 or online at www.theatreinthepark.org 

The Theatre in the Park Season

Disney's High School Musical I
June 26, 27, 28, July 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, 10, 11, 12

The Wedding Singer
July 17, 18, 19, 23, 24, 25, 26

The Wizard of Oz
July 31, August 1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 9

By Megan Browne Helm

Classical, Vocal and Theatre Contributor

Megan Browne Helm grew up singing, dancing and acting.  Inspired by Emma Kirkby as a high school student in St. Louis she went on to study voice and sing with the Collegium Musicum at the Oberlin Conservatory in Ohio where she also had a radio show of contemporary classical music on WOBC.  At the University of Kansas she had the pleasure of working with former Kings’ Singer, Simon Carrington in his Collegium Musicum and Oread consort. Years later, she was a choral fellow at the Yale School of Music’s  Norfolk Chamber Music Festival.  She is currently singing with the Kansas City Symphony Chorus under the direction of Charles Bruffy. 

 As a freelance music and culture writer her work can be found on KCMetropolis.org, presentmagazine.com, the Lawrence Journal World, Shawnee Magazine, Leawood Lifestyle Magazine and KC Parent.  She was one of 26 journalists in the country chosen as a NEA Institute Fellow for Classical Music and Opera at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. 

Her current interest is how classical music remains relevant through active collaborations with artists in different fields, including science.  She also sees a connection between classical music, travel and food as a way to engage all of the senses in a 360 degree cultural experience.  She blogs at raworganum.wordpress.com.

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