Arts Features
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The Weekend To-Do List: May 17-19, 2013
Looking for ways to enjoy the weekend of May 17-19, 2013? Brian McTavish has some options for you on the Weekend To-Do List.
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A Final Opening At The Dolphin
It was only fitting that one of the pioneers of the Crossroads Arts District would announce on a First Friday, May 3, that after two decades, his gallery
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Sculptural Pots With A Bit Of Glitter
The first floor galleries at the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art are filled with glass display cases. Inside: the glittering black ceramics of Navajo
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Collector And Gallerist Byron Cohen Dies At 72
Kansas City gallery owner, art consultant and collector Byron Cohen died this morning. He was 72.
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A Puppet Festival Of Colossal Proportions
This Sunday, the lawn of The Nelson Atkins Museum of Art will be transformed into the main stage for the larger-than-life puppets of StoneLion's puppet
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William Whitener: Taking A Final KC Bow
William Whitener became Artistic Director of the Kansas City Ballet in 1996. After having staged, taught, acquired, commissioned or created 85 works for
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Rock, Jazz, And William Shatner Conclude Kansas City...
The Kansas City Ballet tops off its 55th season with a playful mix of dance.
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Unexpected Combinations In Karole Armitage's 'Energy...
Choreographer Karole Armitage, a native of Lawrence, Kan. says artist Jackson Pollock can be viewed as "a metaphor for the creative process"; his lines of
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[VIDEO] New Directions For Ingrid Stölzel
The new director of the International Center for Music at Park University says the young musicians who study in the program often arrive with the same
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A New CD For The Grisly Hand
This weekend marks the release of Country Singles, the first full-length album for The Grisly Hand. The band played their first shows in Kansas City about
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UMKC Conservatory Student Enters Rock And Roll Hall Of...
The induction ceremony for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame takes place tonight in Los Angeles. Some of this year’s inductees include Heart, Randy Newman,
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Photography Exhibit Portrays 100 Years Of Missouri...
The cultures of Kansas and Missouri was shaped by wave after wave of immigrants: from Germany, Ireland, Italy and Eastern Europe. A new exhibit called, The
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Wrangling 150 Kansas Poets In One Poem
It’s been a challenging term for outgoing Kansas poet laureate Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg, who lost her home in 2011, metaphorically speaking. That was when
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Laughs For A Good Cause
There’s no shortage of entertainment talent in Kansas City, and SNL funnyman Jason Sudeikis is putting his to good use.
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Micro-Distilleries In Kansas And Missouri
Socializing and drinking go hand in hand, and across the United States the hobby of making your own beer and wine has grown in the last few decades. But
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Two KC Artists Earn Prestigious Guggenheim Fellowships
Two Kansas Citians were announced yesterday as winners of this year's very prestigious Guggenheim Fellowships.
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'42' Screened In Kansas City
As a benefit for the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and the Kansas City Sports Commission, the movie "42" was shown on Thursday night at the AMC theaters on
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After 26 Years, American Heartland Theatre Goes Dark In...
It was an unexpected announcement on April 4 that the American Heartland Theatre on the 3rd level of Crown Center would close after 26 years.
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The Fishtank Stages Arthur Miller Play In Birdies
On some occasions, a play calls out to be staged somewhere other than a theater. For example, last year, a production of William Inge's "Bus Stop," which
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A New Name For The Kansas City Sculpture Park
The Kansas City Sculpture Park, the more than two dozen sculptures outside the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, opened in 1989. In honor of the park’s 25th
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Charlotte Street Announces New Visual Artist Fellows
Three artists. $10,000 each in unrestricted cash gifts. The Charlotte Street Foundation - a nonprofit supporting Kansas City artists through exhibitions,
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A New 'Cultural Icon' For Overland Park
A museum with ties to the American Museum of Natural History in New York is slated to open in April 2014 in Overland Park, Kan. It’s part of Prairiefire, a
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Fatherhood Inspires Experimental Musician Ashley Miller
To a lot of local music fans, Ashley Miller’s new music might bring a shock. Not because it’s noisy or avant garde, but because it’s not.
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An Art & Theater Fusion
Take a stroll through an art gallery, and you just might find yourself humming a Sondheim tune.
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Pat Jordan On The Future Of Arts In KC
The co-chair of the Mayor’s Task Force for the Arts is a woman who’s been a formidable presence in Kansas City’s art scene since the early 90s. Pat Jordan
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Heartland Men's Chorus Explores Love, Before And After...
In the 1920's and into the early 1930's, there was a thriving gay culture in Europe, especially in Berlin. But, with the rise of Hitler and the Nazi party,
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Actor Harrison Ford And '42' In Kansas City
Actor Harrison Ford plays Branch Rickey in "42," the movie on baseball Hall of Famer Jackie Robinson to be released next month. Rickey is the former
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A Vision Taking Shape For KC's Arts And Culture Plan
In January, the Mayor’s Task Force for the Arts launched a series of meetings - at community centers, nature centers, libraries and other venues - to try
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St. Patty's Hangover With 'Blarney Stoned'
Six years ago, cook and guitarist Mark Vick got tired of spending St. Patrick’s Day working behind the bar instead of jamming onstage. So he and a few of
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[VIDEO] Annual St. Pat’s Senior Ball Held In Kansas City
St. Patrick's Day is a cultural and religious holiday that takes place every March 17 – and it’s been embraced widely in America by descendants of Irish
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The Weekend To-Do List: March 14-17, 2013
Looking for some fun (and the luck of the Irish) the weekend of March 14-17, 2013? Brian McTavish returns with the Weekend To-Do List.
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The Living Room's Minimalist 'Carousel' Revived At KC Rep
Rodgers and Hammerstein’s musical Carousel is revered by many for its artfully woven tapestry of story, song and dance - including Time magazine, which in
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[VIDEO] 'The Flying Dutchman' Captain Cursed To Sail The...
"The Flying Dutchman" is an early opera by Richard Wagner. And, like many of Wagner's later works, it's rooted in myth. The Lyric Opera of Kansas City
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A Journey Through Chinese Landscapes
Nature has provided a source of inspiration for Chinese poets and painters for thousands of years. An exhibition at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
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Film Traces Career Of KC Musician
He tickled the ivories from Kansas City to Paris in the 1920s. Now, a new documentary is chronicling organist Virgil Thomson ’s journey from movie theater
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Do Cities Need Old Buildings, Even If They're Not...
A proposal is in the works to tear down the Orion Pictures building in the Film Row District in the Crossroads Arts District in Kansas City, Mo. and put a
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A New Kind Of Wash, Dry, Fold: Art In The Laundromat
Over the next six months, a quiet Midtown laundromat will be transformed into the site for a series of arts events. It’s an experiment, in more ways than
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'The Science of Consequences'
In the course of a day you make lots of decisions and each one has a consequence. Sometimes very trivial, other times the consequence may be profound.
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Local Band Rocking for KU Med
Quiet Corral , a Lawrence-based band, has experienced recent success playing Austin City Limits and being booked for Middle of the Map Fest with
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Young Musicians Take The Stage At The Kansas City...
In the second part of Wednesday's Central Standard , we'll talk with Stephanie Brimhall , Education Manager at the Kansas City Symphony , about the Young
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Art And The Grotesque
Leonardo da Vinci once peered deeply into the opening of a cave and wrote, “After having remained at the entry of the grotto some time, two contrary
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The Touring Musical 'Hair' Performs In Kansas City
Back in the 1960s, long hair, political protests and nudity on stage were all taboo subjects to appear in the theater, but that changed when the musical
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[VIDEO] 'A Modern Night' Highlights Local Choreographers
Choreographer Andrea Skowronek says after she creates a new work, she steps away and lets it have a life of its own. She says it then "becomes the dancer
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Improving The Arts In Kansas City
For the first time in 15 years, Kansas City, Mo. is examining its arts-related policies through Mayor Sly James' Task Force for the Arts . This task force
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'Greetings From Kansas City' Exhibits Golden Age Of...
Long time readers of the Kansas City Star and Times might remember a column by a woman named Mrs. Sam Ray. The columns always featured commentary and a
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Composer Kirke Mechem On Realizing What Opera Could Be
Composer Kirke Mechem has lived in San Francisco since 1963, but he grew up in Topeka, Kansas. He says he still considers himself a Midwesterner: "You can
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From Poetry To History
It's not often a state poet laureate turns her pen to write a non-fiction tale , but Kansas Poet Laureate Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg has done just that.
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Where The Blues Lives In KC's East Bottoms
It's the place where performers as diverse as Nick Low , Merle Hagard and Carrie Rodriguez play when they hit town.
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Inaugural Poet Richard Blanco
During the President’s inauguration ceremony today, Richard Blanco delivered a poem written especially for this occasion. At age 44, he is not only the
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As In 'Billy Elliot,' Barriers To Boys In Ballet...
The musical Billy Elliot, which won ten Tony Awards in 2009 and comes to Kansas City's Music Hall next week, teaches that to move toward a dream, the
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'Housebreaking' Reveals A Family At A Breaking Point
The dysfunctional family is an often-mined subject for drama, from the early Greeks to the present. The play "Housebreaking," by Jakob Holder, combines
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Remembering Kansas City Jazz Musician Eddie Saunders
Kansas City saxophone player and jazz singer Eddie Saunders passed away on December 30, 2012. The late Lucky Wesley of The Scamps came up with Saunders and had described him as nice, naughty but nice. Saunders loved to sing and he loved to play, and he was proud of his Kansas City jazz heritage.Jazz guitar player Charles Gatchet remembers that he had more belly laughs with Eddie Saunder than anybody else he knew.Gatchet and Brian Morahan played with Saunders in the Blue Note Four in the late...
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What's Showing In Independent, Foreign & Documentary Film
Visit a small town, ripe for fracking exploitation, and zip down Central Park West with FDR. Feel the pain of a gay couple in the 1970s as they fight to care for an abandoned, mentally ill teenager.Up to Date's indie, foreign and documentary film critics’ list includes all of these and much more, as they take a look at the films open on the silver screen in Kansas City this week.We’ll also hear their opinions on this year's Academy Awards nomineesannounced Thursday and hear about last...
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The 'Swinging' Sounds Of The Drums In A Pipe Band
Bagpipers and drummers from across North America and the U.K. hope to stay on the beat and in tune this week while competing in the annual Winter Storm piping and drumming contest. One challenger, Joe Cameron, plays bass drum with the Kansas City-based Tullintrain West Pipe Band. On a recent Tuesday, at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, the practice begins with the tuning of the instruments. INTERVIEW HIGHLIGHTS TO FOLLOW Cameron competes on Friday, January 11, 2013, as part of the Winter Storm...
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Marva Whitney Remembered In Kansas City
Iconic funk and soul singer Marva Whitney will be buried Saturday in Kansas City. She died two weeks ago at the age of 68, just six years after the passing of James Brown, who catapulted her to national stardom.In recent years, Whitney had made a comeback, performing all over Europe and Japan, just not here in Kansas City.KCK native Marva Whitney became known in the 1960s for her soaring vocals and diva style. Her friend and record collector Dawayne Gilley says she was one of the first women...
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[VIDEO] The Ghostly Specters Of 'A Christmas Carol'
Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol opens on a "cold, bleak, biting" Christmas Eve.It's seven years after the death of Jacob Marley, the business partner of the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge. Scrooge and Tiny Tim may get the best lines, but it's the ghosts who really move the plot along.Two of the actors who play ghosts in the Kansas City Repertory Theatre’s production are Jim Gall, The Ghost of Christmas Present; and Mark Robbins, The Ghost of Jacob Marley, the first to visit Scrooge on Christmas...
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Best Music of 2012
There's no doubt that much of Kansas City's creativity is embodied in its local music scene.Friday on Up to Date, Steve Kraske welcomes the return of the Local Music Show, during which our music expertsChris Haghirian,Bill BrownleeandMichael Byarswill check out some of thebest music - local and international - of 2012.Bill Brownlee's Picks:Mark Lowrey- "Buildings and Mountains" from the album Tangos for 18th StreetIris DeMent- "Livin' on the Inside" from the album Sing the DeltaKrizz...
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One Man's Walkabout In Kansas
In recent years, urban planners have renewed their focus on creating walkable communities. Walking is the most basic mode of transportation – and yet, in the Kansas City metropolitan area, it’s not as common as in other parts of the country. One local man walks the roads less traveled...across Kansas.The Kansas City Public Library hosts hundreds of events each year – and often, a familiar face, a man with glasses and a full beard, provides introductions.But, not on this night, in early...
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The Weekend To-Do List: December 20-23, 2012
Looking for something to do this weekend? Let Brian McTavish Up To Datemake your plans for you.Mayan Calendar BashesIt Ain’t Over Till It’s Over!Celebrity Apocalypse, 7 p.m. Friday, Fishtank Performance Studio, 1715 Wyandotte, $8End of the World Party, 7 p.m. Friday, Arts Asylum, 1000 Ninth, $10The Longest Night Ball, 9 p.m. Friday, Metropolitan Ensemble Theatre, 3604 Main, $25fishtanktheater.blogspot.com, theartsasylum.org, metkc.orgSantacon 2012Santa-suited pub crawlMartini Corner,...
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90-Mile View: Amy Farrand
"I've never been the kind of person to say 'I don’t think I could do that' butmore like 'I’m gonna do THAT!', says singer/songwriter Amy Farrand and from early childhood that attitude hasshaped her life both in and out of the music scene.In today's conversation with Steve Kraske we'll introduce you tothe Kansas Citywoman who has spent more than 20 years carving outaplace for herself as a live performer.Hear howdiversity and resourcefulnesshave enabledAmy tomaintainher independence and...
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Big Tuba Turnout At This Year’s Tuba Christmas
Tuba Christmas was founded by Harvey Phillips, a Missouri native, more than 30 years ago. It brings tuba and euphonium players together once a year to play a concert of traditional holiday songs for the season.There are more than 200 Tuba Christmas Concerts across the U.S. This is the fifth year that The Kansas City Symphony hosted Tuba Christmas in KC. As KC Currents intern Zack Lewandowski found out, this concert featuring the biggest brass instrumentkeeps getting bigger.At some point or...
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Visual Wordplay In 'At Wit's End'
Finding meaning in contemporary art often depends more on the viewer than on the artist. What you make of the work is up to you. But what words to use? An exhibition at the Epsten Gallery explores the intersection between the two – and the open-ended nature of language.Language as "flexible and hilarious"Remember palindromes? They're words or phrases that read the same forwards and backwards. Probably the most famous is "Able was I ere I saw Elba," a nod to Napoleon's exile on the island of...
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The Weekend To-Do List: December 14-16, 2012
Looking for something to do this weekend? Let Brian McTavish Up To Datemake your plans for you.Carrie Underwood: 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Sprint Center, 14th and Grand, Kansas City, Mo. Tickets: Officially sold out, but available at ticket brokers.Oak Ridge Boys. 8 p.m. Friday at the Uptown Theater, 3700 Broadway, Kansas City, Mo. Tickets: $29.50 to $75Tuba Christmas: Kansas City Symphony hosts yuletide concerts performed on tubas and euphoniums. Noon today and Friday, in Helzberg Hall,...
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Kemper ARTcast: Bryan Park and David Ellis
A local sculptor/educator and a prototype model maker talk about their process in conjunction with the exhibition The Map as Art at the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art. In conversation with Lauren Park, Museum Educator of School and Family Programs, artist Bryan Park discusses his works and the idea of place as more than a location. Also, Prototype Model Maker David Ellis offers a look into how industrial design models help Garmin utilize form and function in their GPS devices.The Map as...
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Food For A Hanukkah Feast
It just wouldn't be Hanukkah without the oil. Latkes, jelly doughnuts and other foods for the holiday are drenched in the stuff to honor the miracle of the oil lamp in the Hanukkah story.On Friday's Up to Date, we're talking with chef Bonnie Winston about the best ways to fry up a great Hanukkah meal.Get your oil boiling and potatoes peeled as we delve into this happy h-oily-day.Bonnie Winston's Sweet Potato Pancakes2 lbs sweet potatoes4 large eggs, lightly beaten1/4 cup all-purpose flour1/2...
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'We Are Superman'
In the heart of Kansas City, at the intersection of 31st and Troost, a select few work to transform a dividing line into a gathering place.The documentary We Are Superman tells their story, and in the second part of Friday's Up to Date, director Kevin Bryce talks about the geographic line between black and white, rich and poor that Troost has symbolized for over 60 years. Amidst prejudicial legislation, exploitative corporations, and a stereotype that has stigmatized the urban coreare the...
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Movie Critics: Best Films Of 2012
Join Central Standard Friday as our movie critics Russ Simmons of KKFI and Fox 4 News, Marie Asner of Metro Voice, On Air Prep Phantom Tollbooth, and John Tibbets, Associate Professor of Theater and Film at KU, discuss the recent releases and look for your feelings about what have been the best movies and performances of 2012.Films discussed:Lincoln - 4 out of 5The Sessions - 4 out of 5Life of Pi - 4 out of 5The Silver Linings Playbook- 3.5 out of 5Killing them Softly- 3.5 out of 5Rise of...
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Great War Memorial Plan Inches Forward
Kansas City’s Congressman won’t guarantee passage of a bill that would make Liberty Memorial the nation’s official World War One Museum and Memorial.However the measure has passed from House committee with unanimous support.Language of the bill was introduced by Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill last year.A similar measure passed the house three years ago but languished and died in the Senate.This time, House co-sponsor Congressman Emanuel Cleaver said the mood for cooperation looks...
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The Weekend To-Do List, Dec. 7-9
Looking for something to do this weekend? Let Brian McTavish Up To Date make your plans for you.Steve Forbert, Troubadour time: 8 p.m. Friday at Knuckleheads Saloon, 2715 Rochester.Tickets: $20Les Miserables, Broadway classic: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, 1 and 6 p.m. Sunday at the Music Hall, 301 W. 13th St. Tickets: $30 to $110Kevin Pollak, stand-up comedy: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, 7:30 and 9:45 p.m. Friday and Saturday at Kansas City Improv, 7260 NW 87th Zona Rosa,...
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Kemper ARTcast: Interview with Angela Dufresne
A 1991 graduate of the Kansas City Art Institute, Angela Dufresne paints loose figurative works that evoke works by seminal artists of 19th-century Europe and America, such as Thomas Cole and Frederick Church as well as French painters Jean Corot and Gustave Courbet. Dufresne manipulates idyllic scenes to rewrite history in her works. In this Kemper ARTcast, Lauren Park, Museum educator for school and family programs, asks how Dufresne's teaching informs her work and the urgency present...
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Tenor Nathan Granner on "Hymn: Songs of Great Faith" and...
Tenor Nathan Granner has done his share of traditional work with the likes of the Lyric Opera here in Kansas City and as a member of The American Tenors trio.But Granner has gone beyond the boundaries with ventures into pop, flamenco, and jazz, and he has a new album for the season: Hymn: Songs of Great Faith.In the last portion of Friday's Up to Date, Steve Kraske talks with Ganner about his new album and a new performing arts project, The Monocle.
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Prairie Village Home Houses Huge Art Collection
If you're ever invited to the Prairie Village home of Linda and John "Topper" Johntz, be prepared for your jaw to drop.Apparently, that's the most common reaction people have when they visit the home that contains nearly a thousand works by more than one hundred world-famous and Kansas City-area artists.The collection? Paintings including works of Piccasso, Miro, Degas, Goya, Cezanne....twenty-one Tiffany Studio lamps, sculptures by Calder, Oldenburg, and Moore....and a collection...
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The Monocle Launches A Living Gallery Of Performing...
When a visual artist paints or sculpts something "on commission," it means a gallery, company, or private collector has contracted that artist to create something very specific to their particular wants or needs.Performing artists haven't always had the same luxury.But with the recent formation of a troupe called The Monocle, four Kansas City performers have combined their talents in a way that will allow patrons to commission them.House PartyOn a balmy afternoon earlier this fall, the...
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Local Artist’s Drawings Help Solve Crimes
You’ve probably seen crime shows like CSI and America’s Most Wanted, where artists work with victims to create a drawing that helps identify a criminal.This job is performed by a forensic illustrator. If you’ve seen one of these drawings on the news in Kansas City, then you’ve seen the work of artist and author Lee Hammond, who lives in Overland Park.As part of our Odd Job Series, KCUR’s Suzanne Hogan met up with Lee to look at how using memories, the face of a suspect or victim can come to...
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Bronze Installation Inspired By Idea: 'Look Up, Look...
At the new South Branch Library in the Argentine district in Kansas City, Kan., nine 700-pound bronze panels flank the entrance, some with images of vertical stacks of library books. Artist Michael Wickerson says he drew on the theme, "Look Up, Look Down, Look All Around," a nod to children's author, Dr. Seuss, and a line from his book, Oh, the Thinks You Can Think!: “Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try.”As part of our...
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Terry Evans: Revealing The Secrets Of The Prairie
It’s fitting that the first career retrospective for photographer Terry Evans takes place in her hometown of Kansas City, Mo., at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, a place where she took art classes as a child. For decades, Evans has documented the Midwest prairie, its people and artifacts; more recently, she’s explored her new hometown of Chicago, and the oil and gas industries, always examining the relationship between people and the land.Photography as "interface with the world"Terry Evans...
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What's Showing In Independent, Foreign & Documentary Film
Ever wonder how someone falls in love with a felon? What about the romantic frustrations of a paralyzed man?Friday on Up to Date, indie, foreign and documentary film critics Steve Walker and Bob Butler will also discuss documentaries about the founder of Alcoholics Anonymous and the twisted story of a search for a missing child.We'll also talk with Christopher Walken about his venture into the worlds of music and Parkinson's disease.We'll post a complete list of films soon.
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Sterling Witt: Upside-Down And Backwards
A man who plays his guitar upside-down and backwards. Sounds difficult, but it's also beautiful.On Wednesday's Central StandardAmericana Alt-Folk-Rocker Sterling Witt comes into the studio and shares tracks from his newest album"Sterling Loves U" recorded, mixed and mastered in just 23 hours. Discover Witt's unconventional personality in his music and visual works.http://youtu.be/I-KKEh9dzBEUPCOMING PERFORMANCES: - November 24 at9pm at the Uptown Arts BarSterling Witt was born and raised in...
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A Country Conversation With Rosanne Cash
Singer-songwriter Rosanne Cash is bringing her country tunes back to the Midwest.In the first part of Tuesday's Up to Date, we'll talk with her about her memoir, Composed, and her most recent album, "The List."HEAR MORE: Rosanne Cash will perform Nov. 17 at the Folly Theater, 300 W. 12th St. in Kansas City, Mo. For tickets, call (816) 474-4444 or click here.
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Movie Critics: Alcoholism On Film
The movie critics are back this week with a look at alcoholism on the silver screen. Join Central Standard Friday as our movie critics Russ Simmons of KKFI and Fox 4 News, Loey Lockerby of the Kansas City Star, and Eric Melin of Lawrence.com and Scene-Stealers.com discuss the portrayal of alcohol addiction in cinema. Our panel will be joined by Kevin Hanlon, producer of the documentary Bill W. about Alcoholics Anonymous co-founder and twelve-steps author William G. Wilson.And as always, our...
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An Artistic Slant On Health Care At The Spencer
The state of health care in the U.S. was at the top of the list of concerns many Americans took to the voting booths this week.Though the country is divided about how to fix it, there are a multitude of shared experiences being addressed by a new exhibit at the Spencer Museum of Art in Lawrence called The Drop-In/Pop-Up Waiting Room Project.In the lobby of the Spencer Museum of Art on the KU campus in Lawrence are two kiosk-like pieces of a new installation by Marguerite Perret, Bruce...
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Local Music Critics Pick KC's Best
Looking for a new sound? Kansas City's musical veins are still pumping with melodies.On Friday's Up to Date, local music critics Chris Haghirian, Bill Brownlee and Michael Byars will check out some of the latest tunes to come out of the area.Chris Haghirian's picks:Making Movies - "Cuda de Vida" - from the album A Le DerivaWe Are Voices - "Fighting Fires" - from the album Tread LightlyRoss Brown - "Small Victories" - from the album Small VictoriesThe Empty Spaces - "Holidays Are Nice and...
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The Weekend To-Do List, Nov. 2-4
Need something to do for the weekend of November 2-4? Brian McTavish returns with the Weekend To-Do List for Kansas City.Snow Patrol and Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds: 8 p.m. Thursday, Midland Theatre, 1228 Main. Tickets: $39.50-$44.50Lindsey Buckingham: A solo concert by the Fleetwood Mac singer/songwriter/guitarist, 7 p.m. Sunday, Carlsen Center’s Yardley Hall, Johnson County Community College, Overland Park. Tickets: $50 - $150Shrek the Musical: A stage musical based on the...
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Altar Celebrates Life In Day Of The Dead Tradition
November 1st marks the traditional Mexican holiday called Dia de Los Muertos or Day of the Dead – a time to celebrate the lives of those who’ve passed away. At the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, artists gathered recently to create an altar for the museum’s second annual Day of the Dead celebration.Kirkwood Hall at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art is bathed in an orange glow of light. The marbled hall has been lushly decorated with glowing paper lanterns, marigold garlands and floaty memorial...
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With A New Name, The Toy & Miniature Museum Looks Ahead
Thirty years ago, the Toy Miniature Museum of Kansas City opened its doors, with a display of dollhouses, toys, and miniatures mostly collected by two Kansas City women.The museum is making plans for the future with a new name and a new look.A collaborative work in miniatureThe Toy Miniature Museum is housed in a 1911 mansion atop a hill, at the end of a long driveway, across from the UMKC School of Law.On this day, a Tuesday, the museum is closed. Inside, it's quiet as educator Laura Taylor...
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The Weekend To-Do List: October 26-28, 2012
Looking for something to do for the weekend of October 26-28, 2012? Brian McTavish has some great ideas as he returns with the Weekend To-Do List.Red Hot Chili Peppers: Rock concert. 8 p.m. Saturday at the Sprint Center, 1407 Grand, Kansas City, Mo. Tickets: $59.50Harvest Moon American Indian Festival: American Indian juried art show with music, dancing, children’s activities. Saturday and Sunday at Union Station, 30 W. Pershing, Kansas City, Mo. Admission: $10 adults, $5 kids.Super...
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Jazz Singer Deborah Brown's New CD And International...
Kansas City-based singer Deborah Brown says her new CD, All Too Soon, explores hidden gems of jazz songs.Like most of her music, the disc delivers a no-nonsense, romantic sound to fans of classic, swinging jazz. For much of her career, the singer has found those classic jazz fans at nightclubs, concerts and festivals in Europe. She’s spent the last couple of decades living and teaching off and on in Europe, and she also performs regularly in Russia.Deborah Brown recently talked to KCUR’s...
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'Irma Vep' A Show Dependent On Clothes Encounters
The Kansas City Repertory Theatre's latest production, The Mystery of Irma Vep, features eight characters of both sexes, including the Lord and Lady Hillcrest, their maid and butler, and a couple of surprise visitors.Because the license for the show stipulates that it can only be cast with two actors of the same gender, it requires a dizzying amount of split second costume changes that depend on both a skillful designer and dressers with laser focus.Charles Ludlam's satire of several...
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Aptly Named Gem Theater Celebrates 100 Years
It started as the Star Theater in 1912. Back then it was a one-story building presenting silent films. Just one year later it was renamed the Gem Theater.In its 100-year history the Gem Theater has witnessed the trials and tribulations of the 18th and Vine District. On the first part of Tuesday's Central Standard, Jabulani Leffall talks with Pat Jordan and Queen Bey about the theater's changing role in the historic area, from silent-movie house to baroque-style landmark to centerpiece of the...
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[VIDEO] The Pounding Rhythms Of 'Carmina Burana' Open...
Carl Orff's “Carmina Burana” is based on Medieval poems about love, drinking, and spirituality – some bawdy and irreverent.For the Kansas City Ballet's epic-scaled production, music director Ramona Pansegrau leads the Kansas City Symphony, and a chorus, on-stage and in the balconies.Choreographed by Toni Pimble, the Kansas City Ballet's production pf "Carmina Burana" continues through October 21, at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts."Most of our listeners and viewers will relate to...
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What's Showing In Independent, Foreign & Documentary Film
Ever pretend you were Canadian in a foreign country? A new film based on a true story has a group of Americans doing just that to sneak past Iranian border guards.Friday on Up to Date, indie, foreign and documentary film critics Cynthia Haines and Steve Walker will also review documentaries that track down a ‘70s icon and look at lives all over the world through a colorful, yet silent, lens.Plus, we'll have a dose of college life and a dysfunctional family comedy to keep you warm this chilly...
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Political Power Of Imagery
What images best convey the meaning of politics in America? An exhibition at the Spencer Museum of Art in Lawrence explores this idea through photography, prints, paintings, archival political ads, and a poodle skirt. Burdett Loomis, longtime professor of political science at the University of Kansas, curated this exhibition - it's his first.Interview highlights"Over the course of time, probably over the last 30, 35, 40 years, my wife and I have collected a lot of art. We have a house full...
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Adania Shibli: Growing Up In Palestine
Adania Shibli grew up in Palestine which became a source of inspiration for her writing.On the second part of today's Central Standard the author joins Jabulani Leffall to talk about her youth on the West Bank and her thoughts on current events in the Middle East.Hear more: Adania Shibli will read from her current works at the Kansas City Artists Coalition Thursday, October 18, at 6:00 p.m. More information is available here.Adania Shibli, born in Palestine in 1974, has twice been awarded...
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Political Theater Gets Loud In 'Bloody Bloody Andrew...
If there's not enough political theater in the run-up to the November elections, the Unicorn Theatre is offering a bit more with its production of Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, the emo rock musical biography of America's seventh President.Now that it's popping up at regional theaters across the country, the composer and the Kansas City show's lead actor and director all hint that the current political climate makes it more relevant than ever.Upon entering the Midtown theater at a recent...
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Artist Don Reitz, Art As Discovery At The Belger Arts...
The Belger Arts Center often displays works from its own extensive collection, sometimes adding pieces borrowed from other collectors.A current exhibition, a tribute to ceramic artist Don Reitz, includes nearly 100 works, many from the artist’s own collection.Decades Of Work, 1960's To PresentOn the ground floor at the Belger Arts Center, tall ceramic totems with colorful drawings carved into the surface are illuminated like Japanese lanterns.Walk up the stairs, or take the lift to the third...
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The Weekend To-Do List: October 11-14, 2012
Looking for something to do for the weekend of October 4-7, 2012? BrianMcTavishhas some great ideas as he returns with theWeekend To-Do List.Jerry Seinfeld: Stand-up comedy. 7 p.m. Friday at the Midland Theatre, 1228 Main, Kansas City, Mo. Tickets: $64 to $79Rhythm Ribs Jazz Blues: Local and national jazz and blues artists on three stages, including trumpeter Arturo Sandoval. 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday at theAmerican Jazz Museum, 18th and Vine. Admission: $25; $15 for seniors“Bloody Bloody...
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KC's Music Scene Drives Filmmaker's Latest Effort
The sounds of Count Basie and Charlie Parker are part of Kansas City’s musical identity.In the second half of Wednesday's Up to Date, we hear from the woman behind Kansas City Jazz Blues; Past, Present Future, a new documentary that drops by 18th Vine to explore the city’s famed blues and jazz scene in this year’s Kansas International Film Festival.It’s not all about the past, though, and documentary-filmmaker Sue Vicory will talk about how today’s musicians are continuing to contribute to...
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UMKC Dancers Take The Stage At The Kauffman Center
It’s been a year since the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce released its "Big 5" list with ideas and priorities for the region.One of those ideas: a downtown arts campus for UMKC, with the first phase to include the Conservatory of Music and Dance. This weekend marks the Kauffman Center debut for the dance division, putting the program and its challenges into the spotlight.Rehearsing a large work in a small spaceIn the basement at UMKC’s performing arts center, dance students, in...
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The Weekend To-Do List: October 4 - 7, 2012
Looking for something to do for the weekend of October 4-7, 2012? BrianMcTavishhas some great ideas as he returns with theWeekend To-Do List.All You Need Is…Love Me Do!: A celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Beatles first single, “Love Me Do". “A Hard Day’s Night” at 7 and 10 p.m.; tribute band Abbey Road at 8:30 p.m. Friday at Screenland Armour Theatre, 408 Armour, North Kansas City. Tickets: $10American Royal Barbecue: “World Series of Barbecue” cook-off and chow-down with live...
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Boxcar Installation Transforms Downtown Rooftop
A landscaped roof at 12th and Walnut, in the Power Light District of downtown Kansas City, is now an art space and community focal point with the addition of a new sculpture called “Prairie Logic." The custom-fabricated boxcar marks a collaboration between Janet Zweig, a Brooklyn-based artist, and Kansas City-based architecture firm, el dorado, inc.Commissioned by the city of Kansas City, Missouri, aspart of the One Percent for Art program, “Prairie Logic” sits on a railway track amid a...
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Kansas City Chefs Create Culinary Treasures
So three absolutely amazing chefs were walking down the street one day when a man jumped out from behind a bush... and surprised them with a simple request:"Reach into my hat, and pull out 4 ingredients. I'll give you just a few minutes to come up with a dream concoction."So they did. Or more precisely, they will during Wednesday's Up to Date, as Steve Kraske welcomes Room 39's Ted Habiger, Julian's Celina Tio, and The American Restaurant's Debbie Goldto explain real-life culinary...
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Work-In-Progress Inspired By Art At The Nelson
This season, the Kansas City Symphony focuses on the theme of “Symphonic Pictures," exploring the intersection between art and music.It marks a collaboration between the Symphony and the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art that will culminate in a new work.Music as highest form of artAt the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Sanders Sosland Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art Jan Schall stands next to Wassily Kandinsky’s painting, Rose with Gray, 1924. There’s a circle near the center and other...
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The Weekend To-Do List: September 27-30
Looking for something to do for the weekend of September 27-30? BrianMcTavishhas some great ideas as he returns with theWeekend To-Do List.Nick Lowe: Rock solo show. 7 p.m. Thursday at Knuckleheads, 2715 Rochester, Kansas City, Mo. Tickets: $29Ben Folds Five: Rock. 7:30 p.m. Friday at Starlight Theatre in Swope Park, Kansas City, Mo. Tickets: $10 to $75Eric Church: Country. 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Sprint Center, 14th and Grand, Kansas City, Mo. Tickets: $38.50Museum Day Live! National event...
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Two Decades Sharing A Vision For Collecting Art
When you think of a patron of the arts, what name comes to mind? Maybe it’s Medici or Guggenheim. In Kansas City, it’s likely to be Bloch, Hall, Helzberg, Kauffman, Kemper...or Oppenheimer. A new exhibition at the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art displays the ongoing relationship between Johnson County Community College and the Oppenheimers. It's one that’s literally filled the campus with more than 100 pieces of art.The beginnings of "The Three Musketeers"The year was 1992. Tony...
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Adult Studio Art Classes / ACT, SAT Prep
During the first half of Wednesday's Central Standard, a discussion about broadening artistic learning opportunities for adults.Then later in the hour, since it's that time of year for students... we'll talk about preparing for the ACT and SAT. Hear about a program aiming to level the playing field with college prep services for local low-income and underprivileged students.GUESTS:Kreshaun McKinney, Educator for Public Programs at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of ArtSoni Joi Ruffin, artistGwen...
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The Weekend To-Do List: September 21-23
Looking for something to do for the weekend of September 21-23? Fear not! Brian McTavish returns with the Weekend To-Do List for Kansas City.Jason Boland the Stragglers: Country music. 8 p.m. Friday at the Beaumont Club, 4050 Pennsylvania, Kansas City, Mo. Tickets: $14Kevin Nealon: Stand-up comedy. 8 p.m. Thursday, 7:30 and 9:45 p.m. Friday, 7:45 and 9:45 p.m. Saturday, 7 p.m. Sunday at Kansas City Improv at Zona Rosa, 7260 N.W. 87th St., Kansas City North. Tickets: $25Dustin Diamond:...
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Kansas City Rep Brings 'Pippin' Into The 21st Century
The journey of a young prince is the subject of the musical Pippin, which opens the Kansas City Repertory Theatre's 48th season this week. It’s been 40 years since the original Broadway production – and the creative team behind the Rep’s show is hell-bent on bridging the cultural gap between the music and dance of the early '70s and the contemporary styles of today.A Prince Giving PurposeWhen Bob Fosse’s production of the Stephen Schwartz and Roger O. Hirson musical Pippin opened its 4 1/2...
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Connecting To Visual Arts With PLUG Projects
On this Tuesday’s Central Standard, plug into a conversation with the artists behind the new arts gallery PLUG Projects. We’ll discuss their efforts to bring more thought-provoking works to Kansas City, local fundraising initiatives and resources to help develop local art writing and critique.Later in the hour, visiting artist Carrie Scanga talks about "BREATHE: The Emergent Colony," her new experimental, collaborative exhibition that's transforming PLUG's gallery space. GUESTS:Cory Imig,...
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'SmellScape' Encourages Nose-First Exploration
Berlin-based artist Sissel Tolaas travels the world collecting scents. Her latest project with Grand Arts, SmellScape, maps the invisible city – well, actually, two cities: Kansas City, Kan. and Kansas City, Mo. - through her sense of smell.At Grand Arts, a contemporary project space in the Crossroads Arts District, visitors hover and pick up thin smelling strips from glass beakers. Each is labeled with a number."I really like the Municipal Court smell. I think it smells like traffic.""Is...
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Movie Critics: Lawless, Not Flawless
On this week's Central Standard Friday, join host Russ Simmons and the Movie Critics for a look at what's new in a theater near you, including Lawless, The Bachelorette, Cosmopolis and The Words.Plus, our critics discuss the re-release of Finding Nemo 3D. Is it worth seeing again?This batch of Movie Critics includes Russ Simmons of KKFI, Fox 4 News, Marie Asner of Metro Voice, On Air Prep Phantom Tollbooth andThom Poe, Professor of Film at UMKC.TELL US:What have you seen lately in theaters?...
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The Weekend To-Do List: September 14 - 16, 2012
Need something to do for the weekend of September 14-16? Fear not! Brian McTavish returns with the Weekend To-Do List for Kansas City.Expo Americas: Celebration of Latin culture in the U.S. with music festival, entertainment and art, 11 a.m. to midnight Saturday, noon to 10 p.m. Sunday. Union Station, Pershing and Main streets. Tickets: $15 ($40 family four-pack), ages 5 and younger get in free.Gotye: “Buzz Under the Stars” modern rock show also featuring Chairlift and Zammuto, 7:30 p.m....
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Songs & Moments With Kevin Mahogany
In the second part of Thursday's Up to Date we take some time with jazz vocalist Kevin Mahogany. We'll talk with the Kansas City native who, like many American jazz artists, will be heading out for an extended tour to other parts of the world. But for now, Mahogany is in town for an appearance with the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra. We'll ask Kevin about a career that began at age 12 as a saxophone player and recently found him starting his own record label.More information: Kevin Mahogany...
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Living The Artist's Life
It's one thing to create art and quite another to make a living as an artist. After all, the phrase "starving artist" exists for a reason.For those brave enough to try we offer some help in the first part of Thursday's Up to Date. Gallery owner Paul Dorrell offers pragmatic advice in Living the Artist's Life: A Guide to Growing, Persevering, and Succeeding in the Art World. From a ten-point checklist to keep your goals in sight to getting into galleries, Dorrell explains his commitment to...
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Writing 'Paterno'
For a sportswriter like Joe Posnanski it had to be a dream come true: unprecedented access to the most revered figure in college football, Joe Paterno. Two years spent with the legendary coach and permission to read Paterno’s notes and files positioned Posnanski to write the comprehensive biography of the beloved Joe Pa. Then the Sandusky scandal broke and suddenly the ending to the Paterno story changed. Despite pre-release criticism and scrutiny, Paterno debuted at number one on the New...
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Live Music For A Living
If you spend any amount of time going to concerts or music shows in Kansas City, you’ve probably seen a tall, thin man with a shock of grey hair usually standing by himself, often near the back of the club.He might say hi to passing friends, but this guy’s a lot more tuned in to the music than your typical concert-goer. And he should be; he’s working.For the past 16 years, Tim Finn has been the pop music editor for the Kansas City Star. This week, he’s the subject of the latest installment...
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Lyric Opera Officially Opens New Center
The Lyric Opera of Kansas City on Friday marked the official opening of its new $10.5 million, two-building facility in the Crossroads Arts District. The crowd chanted together in a countdown: "Five, four, three, one!" With brief snips by pairs of scissors, a thick, bright red ribbon was cut. "We are open!" announced General Director Deborah Sandler.Opening doors The doors of the Lyric Opera of Kansas City's administration building opened Friday morning to about 100 arts officials, city...
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Kansas Native Karrin Allyson Returns To Prairie Village...
Jazz singer and pianist Karrin Allyson is in town this weekend to perform at the Prairie Village Jazz Festival.The Grammy-nominated artist was born in Great Bend, Ks., got her start in the Midwest, attending college in Nebraska where she studied classical piano. It was there that she began experimenting with the American Songbook and jazz. Seeking to expand her career, the Allyson moved to New York City in the late 1990s.Friday on Up to Date, guest host Stephen Steigman sits down with Karrin...
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The Weekend To-Do List: September 7 - 9, 2012
Need something to do for the weekend of September 7-9? Fear not! Brian McTavish returns with the Weekend To-Do List for Kansas City.Daryl Hall and John Oates: 8 p.m. Saturday at Starlight Theatre in Swope Park. Tickets: $15 (standing room) to $149.50Y’allapalooza featuring Dierks Bentley: 5:30 p.m. Saturday at Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre (Sandstone), Bonner Springs, Ks. Tickets: $14 to $38Animation Celebration: CinemaKC and Midwest Association of Professional Animators present the first...
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Urban Empowerment Flash Mob
It's not the first dance symbolizing a deeper message, but who knew one day we'd have something called the Urban League Slide?On Thursday's Central Standard, we talk dancing, empowerment and flash mobs with Gwendolyn Grant of the Urban League of Greater KC.COMING UP:The Urban League Empowerment Explosion will be next Friday through Sunday at the Urban League Complex on 17th Paseo and at the Paseo Baptist Church, located at 2501 Paseo. This event is free and open to the public.URBAN LEAGUE...
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Coterie Theatre's Sex Ed Goes On Stage And To School
One in four Americans who test positive for HIV at present is 20 years old or younger.Among Kansas City’s most visible prevention efforts is the Dramatic Health Education Project, which is celebrating twenty years of delivering messages about sexual responsibility to area youth.As the Coterie Theatre is a partner in the project, it is marking the anniversary with the rock musical Spring Awakening, based on a controversial German play from the late 1800’s about what happens when sex education...
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Healthy Hip Hop With Local Rapper Roy Scott
Roy Scott loves music. He was 12 when he first started writing lyrics, 15 when he started to produce his own beats. He became part of the underground “gangster rap” subculture. This is when Scott became “Macc James,” a member of the Chop It Up Clicc. But as Scott got older with kids of his own, he realized the power and influence music can have on young people’s lives.He turned in the alias and gangster rap messages to have a more positive impact on his kids. Scott is now the president of...
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The Weekend To-Do List, August 31-September 2
Need something to do for the weekend of August 31-September 2? Fear not! Brian McTavish returns with the Weekend To-Do List for Kansas City.Kansas City Irish Festival: Celebration of Irish heritage, with music by the Elders, Red Hot Chili Pipers and Gaelic Storm. 5 to 11 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Crown Center Square, 25th and Grand Blvd. Tickets: $10 (single day); $25 (weekend pass); $5 (Friday night only)“La Cage Aux Folles”: Broadway musical starring George...
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BREAD KC! Kneading Needs
On this Wednesday's Central Standard, how a group of Kansas City artists are putting an end to that whole starving artist thing.Joining us is Andrew Erdrich, Sean Starowitz and Erin Olm-Shipman for BREAD KC!, a group that raises the unleavened bread of artists through microgrants from community dinners. We'll hear how the easiest grant process ever has helped launch innovative new works in our community.TELL US:Have you been to a BREAD! dinner? What was your impression? Send us a tweet, or...
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Best & Worst All Nighters From The Art Institute
Students often describe being up all night as “the all-nighter.” And who among us who’ve faced a deadline of any sort can’t relate to being awake until 5 a.m. doing something you intended to finish the day before. We stopped by the Kansas City Art Institute for some stories from students who’ve been up all night creating art.
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Mutual Musicians Foundation's Spirit Won't Stop
For more than eighty years, the small two-story building at 1823 Highland Avenue has been the heart of Kansas City jazz.Today it’s the Mutual Musician’s Foundation, but in 1917, the building became the headquarters for the Local 627 Colored Musician’s Union. Over the decades, nearly every jazz great in the country has jammed here, and the all-night weekend jam sessions have also served as training grounds for jazz students.Susan Wilson spent a late night there to find out what draws...
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Ai Weiwei Director Alison Klayman
The documentary Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry tells the story of China's greatest contemporary artist who is also one of his country's most passionate dissidents. Steve Kraske and the Up to Date film reviewers talk with the director, Alison Klayman, about her access to the artist and the challenges she faced in the making of the film.
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What's Showing In Art, Independent, Foreign And...
A dream house, the perfect woman, and one of our greatest singer-songwriters are among the topics of the films being reviewed today. Up to Date's independent, foreign, and documentary film critics walk us through The Queen of Versailles, a documentary that shows the viewer the rise and fall of a billionaire couple through the construction of their 90,000-square foot palace. They also examine Jonathan Demme's third documentary on Neil Young which follows the 65-year old performer back to the...
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The Weekend To-Do List: August 17-19
Looking for something to do the weekend of August 17-19, 2012? Brian McTavish is back with Up to Date's Weekend To-Do List.Ethnic Enrichment Festival: Food and entertainment from around the world. 6 to 10 p.m. Friday, noon to 10 p.m. Saturday, noon to 6 p.m. Sunday at Swope Park (to avoid construction on 63rd Street, use Meyer Boulevard to festival) Admission: $3; ages 12 and younger get in free.The Toy Piano Collective featuring Mark Lowrey: 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Czar Bar, 1531 Grand Blvd.,...
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Kansas City Actors Theatre's 'The Mousetrap' A Killer...
When Kansas City Actors Theatre started fishing for a theme for the launch of its eighth season, the founders first picked one play, then tailored a similar one around that.They are now poised to give audiences what theyre calling its "Summer of Mystery."Opening this week is Agatha Christies The Mousetrap, which is marking its 60th anniversary in London and is believed to have laid the foundation for all subsequent theatrical mysteries.The St. Martins Theatre in the West End, that citys...
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The Weekend To-Do List: August 9 - 12
Looking for something to do the weekend of August 9-12, 2012? Brian McTavish is back with Up to Dates Weekend To-Do List.Crosby, Stills and Nash: 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Starlight Theatre in Swope Park, Kansas City, Mo. Tickets: $45 to $150Wanda Jackson: 8:30 p.m. Friday at Knuckleheads Saloon, 417 E. 18th, Kansas City, Mo.Tickets: $25Aida : 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, 1601 Broadway, Kansas City, Mo. Tickets:...
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Kemper Hosts First Museum Retrospective For Lois Dodd
Artist Lois Dodd is known for painting from the inside looking out and the outside looking in - from the cityscapes of the Lower East Side of Manhattan to the gardens near her farmhouse in rural Maine.Fifty paintings spanning the artists six-decade career line the walls of an exhibition at the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art.Defying categorization Lois Dodd, with her short white hair, crisscrossed wrinkles on her face, and deep laugh lines, resembles a kindly grandmother more than one of...
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The Weekend To-Do List: August 3-5
Looking for something to do this weekend? Up to Dates Brian McTavish offers up a few options in his Weekend To-Do List for August 3-5, 2012.Summer Car Jam: Classic rock from Mark Farner, Shooting Star, Pat Travers, Black Oak Arkansas, Racy Grace. 6:10 p.m. Saturday at Cricket Wireless Amphitheater (formally Sandstone), Bonner Springs, Ks. Admission: Advance carload $30; advance motorcycle $10Kenny Loggins with Blue Sky Riders: Soft rock and country the Kenny Way. 8 p.m. Friday at Crown...
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Goodbye Green Hand, Hello Snot Cat
One of the most special spots in Kansas City is getting a new look. Sprawled atop the storefront at 124 West 18th Street is a snotty, smoking feline texting on its cell.Its the latest creation of designer Peggy Noland.A fixture in the Kansas City community, Peggy has recently been splitting her time between KC and LA. Well hear what shes been working on, and her tips for mixing up your summer wardrobe.
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Lee Langston Carries The Soul Music Torch
Kansas City vocal artist Lee Langston has been a fixture on the local music scene for the past several years. His covers of neosoul music have attracted a faithful audience of young urban professionals. Langstons tribute shows celebrating the music of artists like Erykah Badu and Lauren Hillhave drawn sold out crowds. He recently assembled a musical tribute show to the neo soul artist DAngelo.Lee Langston grew up in Kansas City, and hes spent years performing with gospel groups, like the St....
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What's Showing In Art, Independent, Foreign and...
A corporate headhunter steals to maintain his lavish life style. Sound like a news headline?Could be, but its actually the plot of a Norwegian thriller Up to Dates independent, foreign, and documentary film critics talk about on Fridays program.We also review a movie that tells the story of a six-year old girl living with her ailing father and searching for her mother. Plus, some suggestions for great art, indie, foreign and documentary films now available on DVD.Also: what does Google Fiber...
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The Weekend To-Do List: July 26-29
Looking for something to do this weekend? Up to Dates Brian McTavish offers up a few options in his Weekend To-Do List for July 26-29, 2012.Peter Pan: Cathy Rigby stars as the boy who never grew up. 8 p.m. Thursday through Sunday at Starlight Theatre in Swope Park. Tickets: Start at $10Big Time Rush: Boy band from Nickelodeon TV series. 7 p.m. Friday at the Sprint Center, 1407 Grand, Kansas City, Mo. Tickets: $28.50 to $64Los Lobos: 7 p.m. Thursday at Knuckleheads Saloon, Kansas City, Mo....
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Local Actors Moonlight In Other Artistic Careers
Given the growing theater scene in the metropolitan area, professional actors can make a pretty good living here. But there is steady competition and there are down times between jobs. Two veteran Kansas City actors have managed to snare big roles while also stretching their employability by tapping other artistic talents and it seems theyve been moonlighting their whole careers.More people know Peggy Friesen for her work as an actor, as shes appeared on nearly every stage in Kansas City in...
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William Trowbridge: Ship Of Fool
Poet William Trowbridge has been appointed Missouris next poet Laureate, and is the first Kansas City poet to receive the title.He was a guest on Central Standard earlier this year, where he shared selections from his book Ship of Fool.The collection features a series of poems about one of the oldest literary figures there is: the fool. The term Ship of Fools is one of the most enduring allegories in Western literature and art -- a vessel populated by mankind, oblivious of direction or...
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KC Fringe Dares Artists To Take A Chance
KC Fringe has been called a festival of daring providing an opportunity for artists to take risks and to challenge themselves. In recent years, local actors have tried their hand at directing and directors have taken up acting. Two artists are crafting something new out of the past.Inspired by ChaucerMaybe its been since high school, or that British Literature class you took in college, since you heard the General Prologue from Geoffrey Chaucers "The Canterbury Tales," a 14th century...
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The Weekend To-Do List, July 20-22
Dont let the heat advisory get you down! Theres still plenty to do and see in Kansas City this weekend. Check out Brian McTavishs top five events for July 20-22.Chicago and the Doobie Brothers: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Starlight Theatre in Swope Park, Tickets: Start at $26 (four for $19.75 each).James Taylor: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Starlight Theatre in Swope Park, Tickets: $65.Urinetown: 8:30 p.m. Friday, Saturday, Sunday; Theatre in the Park, Shawnee Mission Park, 7710 Renner Road, Shawnee....
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Missouri Tragedy, Kansas Suburbs Get Fringe Festival...
Though the 8th annualKansas City Fringe Festivalisincreasingly drawing groups from out of the area, more than half of this years 87 performance and filmofferings originated with Missouri-based artists, while about a quarter hail from Kansas. Two shows in particular look distinctly at events or locales in our adjacent states with very different moods and tones.The thing about the Kansas City Fringe Festival that makes it such a draw is the variety of genres - from theater and dance to film...
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Local Father-Daughter Duo Shines On A National Stage
Kansas Citys own father-daughter singing duo, Maurice and Shanice Hayes, are competing in NBCs national talent competition, Americas Got Talent, for a $1 million prize.Before hitting prime time, Maurice and Shanice were popular street performers on the County Club Plaza.KC Currents profiled the two of them about year ago. Now, they are holding their own on the national stage and so far crowd reaction and judges comments have been very positive. KCURs Susan Wilson sat down with them to see...
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Allan Winkler's Whimsical World
Artist Allan Winklers whimsical paper and metal cut-outs of people and animals are instantly recognizable. A 1975 graduate of the Kansas City Art Institute, his style has been described as "deliberately nave."Winkler, a Chicago native, is also an accomplished teacher and drummer. Hes taught classes and workshops to students ages kindergarten through college as well as playing with the Afrobeat collective Hearts of Darkness and the Indonesian percussion ensemble Gamelan Genta Kasturi.For a...
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Citywide Picnic Celebration
When was the last time you packed a basket and headed outside to dine with the ants and the cicadas? On this Thursdays Central Standard, join us for a picnic. Well learn about a large-scale gingham blanket picnic blanket coming to the Nelson-Atkins Museum lawn this weekend, and get a picnic cocktail recipe from the mixologist behind Manifesto.For the first half of the show, meet Alison Heryer, the artist behind the KC Picnic Project. Shes involved the entire city in creating a 10,000 square...
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Slam Poetry Meets Jazz
Lets play a word association game. Whats do you think when I say, Kansas City? Barbecue? The Royals? How about jazz? Now what about when I say Jazz, what do you think? It probably isnt poetry.
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Encore Broadcast: National Geographic Photographer Annie...
National Geographic staff photographer Annie Griffiths says shes "learned that even without a shared language, its easy to let people know that their children are beautiful, their homes are lovelyand that their stories are worth sharing with the world.
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KC Exit Interview: Illustrator Nathan Fox
From large Mutant Mosquitoes to sumptuous femme fatales to souls that turn into wolf form, illustrator Nathan Fox has drawn and seen it all. His work has appeared in The New York Times, The New Yorker, Rolling Stone, Wired, ESPN, Entertainment Weekly, Mother Jones, Spin, Mad Magazine, DC Comics, Vertigo, Dark Horse Comics, Marvel and more. And, up until just 2 weeks ago, he was based here in KC.
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Rising Local Pianist Behzod Abduraimov Releases Debut...
One of Kansas Citys musical greats has just made another leap in his quest for international acclaim.
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Putting the U Back in Curator at the Kemper
On television shows like IAmerican Idol/I, the audience picks the winner. A new exhibition-in-progress at the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art engages museum patrons in the same way, by allowing them to choose what hangs on the walls.
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A World Premiere of Carmen at the Kansas City Ballet
One of the foremost authorities in Spanish dance is in Kansas City helping stage flamenco choreography for the Kansas City Ballets world premiere of iCarmen/i, choreographed by artistic director William Whitener.
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High School Student Competes in National Poetry...
Michael T. Brown is reading poems by Langston Hughes and Walt Whitman for this years national A href=http://www.poetryoutloud.org/ target= _blankPoetry Out Loud/A recitation competition. The winner receives a $20,000 college scholarship.
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Playwright James Still's Works in Two Kansas City Venues
This weekend, the voice of a writer with deep Kansas roots, James Still, will be heard in two very different Kansas City theater venues.
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WEB EXTRA: An Interview with James Still
Two very different venues - an edgy theatre company and a local high school - are presenting the works of James Still. Still is a renowned playwright who also writes for childrens television and feature films. KCURs Steve Walker talked to Still about his Kansas roots and the appeal of his stories to a wide audience.
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TRUCK: A Kansas City/St. Louis Exchange
Artists in St. Louis and Kansas City say theyre trying to open dialogue and spark more interest in each citys visual arts scene through an art exchange.
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Play Explores Impact of an Injury
CrossCurrents Theatre is premiering a new work from a local playwright that explores the profound impact of a disabling injury on a football player and his family.
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Photographer Chester Higgins
For 25 years, the New York Times photographer has been documenting spirituality throughout the African diaspora. Nearly 100 of his black and white photographs are in the Changing Gallery at the American Jazz Museum until June 17th.
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BCR Showcases 25 Years
BCR, the afro-nuclear wavabilly funk swing reggae turksa band, celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. Dwight Frizzell and Dean Allaudin Ottinger talked recently about the history of the band and its wide ranging influences from Duke Ellington to Sun Ra.
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WEB EXTRA: An Interview with Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo is an indie rock band, based in Hoboken, New Jersey. The group is famous for creating a lush mixture of pop music, punctuated by looping organs and bursts of feedback. Yo La Tengo performs tonight in Lawrence.
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Spoken Word Poet Returns to KC
Kansas City native A href=http://www.nikkiskies.com/ target= _blankNikki Skies/A was in town to perform at the Blue Rooms monthly A href=http://www.americanjazzmuseum.com/?page=sublinklink=jazzpoetryaction=display target= _blankJazz Poetry Jams/A in March. She plans to return to Kansas City in May; hopefully for another performance and a book signing for her latest book of short stories, iMississippi Window Cracks/i.
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New Film Explores a Journey of Faith
IThe Longing: The Forgotten Jews of South America/I will be shown tonight at the Jewish Film Festival. Its a documentary about Christians seeking to recapture their Jewish roots.
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Jennifer Steinkamp at the Kemper
Most museums and galleries exhibit works of art youre not allowed to touch. An exhibition at the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art encourages a bit of interactivity, as viewers cast a shadow on the colorful digital projections.
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Tango Mixing KC and Argentine Musicians
A href=http://www.beaubledsoe.com/Home.html target= _blankBeau Bledsoe/A has invited A href=http://www.hectordelcurto.com/index.php target= _blankHector Del Curto/A to Kansas City several times to perform with his group. Bledsoe just released an album, Ole Che, where they perform together on many of the tracks. Bledsoe, Harshbarger and del Curto came to KCUR recently to talk about their histories with tango.
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Nickel and Dimed Takes the Stage at the Unicorn
While Congress is still haggling over the fate of the country's minimum wage laws, the Unicorn Theatre is jumping into the fray with the play <I>Nickel and Dimed</I>.
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Composers In the Schools
The program called Composers in the Schools started more than a dozen years ago and works with young musicians to enhance their skills and introduce them to the art of composing.
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WEB EXTRA: Snatam Kaur Interview
A Sikh and Kundalini Yoga teacher, Snatam Kaur is a singer and musician, gaining a growing fame in the world of spiritual music. Renee Blanche, host of KCUR's "Night Tides" music program, talked with Snatam Kaur during a recent visit to Kansas City.
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New Public Art in Kansas City
A few new public art projects have cropped up in the metropolitan area in recent months. KCUR’s Laura Spencer takes us to two locations where the art is visible and also fits into its surroundings.
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Dead Man Walking at Avila
Good actors are used to doing homework in preparation for a role. Prior to Avila University Theatre Department's production of Dead Man Walking, KCUR's Steve Walker talked with members of the student cast who prepared by visiting Lansing penitentiary.
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The Story Behind Jose Limon's The Moor's Pavane
Dance has been described as an artform written on the body. And works by choreographers, past and present, are passed through the generations from dancer to dancer.
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Photos of Kansas City's Black History
When historian <b>Delia Gillis</b> began compiling photographs for a book on Kansas City's African American history, she turned to both local and national archives. But she found some of the most compelling images in her friends' family albums--like this one of Marcheita Bush, reprinted with permission from <i>Kansas City</i>, by Delia Gillis.
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Outtake: Jennifer Steinkamp on Wreck of the Dumaru
A new exhibit of Jennifer Steinkamp's large-scale installations opens tonight (February 16) at the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art. Here, Steinkamp talks about a work with personal significance called <I>Wreck of the Dumaru</I>.
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Producing Artistic Director Peter Altman on Copaken Stage
The Kansas City Repertory Theatre recently opened its second stage, Copaken Stage, in the new H&R Block headquarters at 13th and Walnut. The day before previews began of the current production of <I>Love, Janis</I>, KCUR's Laura Spencer talked about the new chapter in the Rep's history with Producing Artistic Director Peter Altman.
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Secret Lives of Losers
The UMKC Theater Department is exhibiting a healthy commitment to new, original works with what it calls its Festival of N.O.W.
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Beasts
Animals and ways of perception have been the topics of exhibitions in recent months in area galleries. From Cryptozoology at the H&R Block Artspace to the new exhibit at Grand Arts exploring the sense of smell. The Greenlease Gallery at Rockhurst University continues this trend in an invitational group exhibition called Beasts.
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Mayoral Candidates Court Creative Class
The 12 candidates running for mayor of Kansas City Mayor have courted business leaders, neighborhood activists and different geographical parts of the city...but at least two of them are actively pursuing a constituency often by-passed in politics: artists, the <A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creative_class">creative class</A>. KCUR's Laura Spencer has the story.
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