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Kansas City's Online Journal of the Performing Arts

Quality Hill Playhouse is celebrating Phase 1 and 2 of a major renovation this season with a well deserved sigh of relief.  After years of cramped, inadequate quarters the cast and staff can stretch out, and audiences will be able hear and see better engineered performances.  J. Kent Barnhart, artistic director and emcee explains it all here.

KCM: Did you feel as though the playhouse was "busting at the seams?"  What limitations were you experiencing that catalyzed the decision to expand?

J. Kent Barnhart: Quality Hill Playhouse was indeed bursting at the seams. Our administrative offices and costume and prop storage were off-site, two blocks away, for 14 years. Not only was it difficult having the office and playhouse in different locations, but the office space was simply not large enough to accommodate our growing staff - I did not have an office for the last four years prior to the renovation. We had no backstage space and the dressing rooms were extremely small. When a show included musicians (bassist and drummer), the musicians did not have dressing room space; they had to arrive dressed and enter the stage from the audience seating area. We did not have laundry facilities; I took the laundry home myself for fourteen years!

KCM:  What improvements have been made for the performers backstage and onstage? The audience? The employees?

JKB:  We now have, on-site, permanent offices for four full-time staff members, as well as work stations for four ticket representatives. The performers now have spacious dressing rooms (one for men, one for women) plus a backstage - until the renovation there was no backstage whatsoever; the performers were not able to cross from one side of the stage to the other. We also have costume storage on-site, full laundry facilities and ample storage for our music library, consisting of thousands of scores and pieces of sheet music.

Due to the generosity of Mrs. Beth Ingram, we now have the "Ingram Green Room". The green room is the place for actors to gather before and after a performance; this space includes a full kitchen and serves both the actors and administrative staff.

The changes most visible to the audience will be the improvements to the lobby and theatre interior. We now have a box office on-site so patrons may do business in person. (For 14 years we did not have a physical box office presence; patrons could order tickets by phone or online only.) Our lobby has been expanded and includes area for patrons to gather prior to performance and beautiful, new, larger public restrooms. The theatre interior has all new décor, including carpet, house lighting, and refurbished seats. Prior to the renovation, our production values were limited by having only 24 lighting dimmers and instruments that were over 30 years old. We now have 48 dimmers and state-of-the art lighting instruments; the audience will experience more visually appealing productions as a result.

KCM:  What are the highlights of the upcoming season?  Are you pushing the envelope or focusing on maintaining the consistently high quality entertainment you are known for?

JKB:  This season is dedicated to the songs of Broadway, one of the only truly American art forms. Our first show, Curtain Up! includes many familiar and unknown songs from the early days of musical theatre and is a very interesting look at the historical context of these songs. We will continue to maintain the high quality for which we are known, and will continue to offer new experiences to our audiences. I'm particularly excited about the last show of the season, Souvenir. It stars Lindsey McKee as Florence Foster Jenkins (quite possibly the worst singer ever - Florence, not Lindsey!) I will play her pianist. Although I serve as emcee for our cabaret productions, this will be the first time I appear as a singing actor in a specific role. Rick Truman is directing, and I'm very excited to share this funny, touching musical play with our audience.

KCM:  Will the experience of a Quality Hill Playhouse night change for the audience?  In what ways?

JKB: A performance at Quality Hill Playhouse will, in many ways, be the same as before - a casual but elegant experience featuring superior musical performances by Kansas City's finest talent in the city's most intimate theatre. For the audience, the on-site box office, larger lobby and renovated theatre interior will make it a more enjoyable experience in more beautiful surroundings. The state-of-the-art technical equipment and expanded backstage will allow for more flexibility in the staging of our shows.

KCM: How would you describe the sort of musical theater the playhouse offers?

JKB:  Performances at Quality Hill Playhouse are a unique mix of cabaret, concert and theatre. As emcee, I offer interesting history and amusing anecdotes about the songs and composers that I hope enhance the experience for the audience. We offer the opportunity to hear music from shows that audiences would not otherwise hear live. The intimacy of the space allows the audience to feel truly close to the performers; every little facial expression means quite a bit in our space!

KCM:  Anything you think an "in the know" patron should be aware of?

JKB:  Many patrons enjoy sitting on the left side of the center section or in the left section in order to see the piano keyboard. Most performances include a piano solo, and many people enjoy watching the keyboard. All patrons should know that most of our performances sell out in advance, so it is always wise to order early. Becoming a subscriber is a good way to be sure to have a seat to every show. There is still time to subscribe to our season; we also offer a "Your Choice" package that offers the flexibility of choosing your own dates.

Quality Hill Playhouse
Curtain Up!
Running through November 1^st
Quality Hill Playhouse
303 W. 10th St, Kansas City, MO
For more information on the rest of the season call 816-421-1700 or online at www.qualityhillplayhouse.com

Top Photo:
New lobby

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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