Kansas City Blog

Lilly and the Pirates is a charming show filled with adventure and books. Based on the book by Phillis Root, the performance has all the heart and wonder you could wish for in an hour and a half. 

Lilly and the Pirates’ storyline has everything from ships and storms to small towns and libraries. Lilly’s parents are exploring scientists who never slow down. Lilly is a ten-year-old worrywart who hates the sea. But what happens after Lilly’s parents get lost at sea? Will Lilly and her friends be able to save them?

Always the wedding singer, never the groom. Music Theatre Kansas City’s (MTKC) production of The Wedding Singer, directed by Drew Thomas and music directed by Julie Danielson, was a show-stopping performance that took us back to the 80s when hair was big and energy was high. Bring your spouse, fiancé or friends and say “I do” to this show filled with true love, heartbreak, nostalgia and comedic, high-energy wedding celebrations. 

The Wedding Singer is a fun and comedic musical with music by Matthew Sklar, lyrics by Chad Beguelin and a book by Beguelin and Tim Herlihy. It is based on the 1998 Adam Sandler film The Wedding Singer. The musical revolves around Robbie Hart, who does vocal performances at weddings, and his journey to find true love. The show focuses on his failed relationship with his former fiancée, Linda and his growing romance with a new love, Julia. 

Smoke pours from the attic, sirens wail through the night, and red light floods the stage. The audience all asks the same question: how did we let it get this far? UMKC Conservatory’s production of The Arsonists is a blazing reminder that when violence is normalized, complacency kills. Grab your popcorn and a fire extinguisher to experience this shocking yet timely show. 

The Arsonists is a dark satire and absurdist play by Max Frisch that comments on the enablement of evil in an unjust society. The show follows Gottleib and Babette Biedermann, a wealthy couple living in a 1950s town running rampant with fires. When two men appear at their door and ask to stay in the attic, Gottlieb reluctantly agrees. Despite claiming he hates arsonists, Gottlieb finds himself housing two of them, all the while denying the hilariously obvious signs that they are the perpetrators. As the barrels of petrol in the attic grow bigger and Gottleib’s conscious grows louder, he decides he must either speak out against the arsonists or stay silent and hope that his complacency saves him. This is not just a play—it's a reminder that a fire left untamed will only keep spreading.

Chiaroscuro, meaning light to dark, is often used as an artistic technique to describe dramatic contrasts. As I watched the Owen/Cox Dance Group’s open rehearsal for the piece Chiaroscuro, I was taken through the four movements and felt as if I was in the swirl of light and darkness through the dancers’ portrayals of emotions from bitterness to ecstasy. I was very grateful to have the opportunity to be in the room and experience one part of this production come to life. 

Chiaroscuro will be performed March 27 and 28 at 8:00 p.m., and March 29 at 2:00 p.m. at City Stage Theater in Union Station. The Owen/Cox Dance Group is partnering with the Grammy-nominated St. Petersburg String Quartet for the music of the piece. The piece they are performing to is Dmitri Shostakovich's String Quartet No. 8, which consists of four movements, in celebration of the 125th anniversary of the composer's birth. 

The play Everybody, directed by Vanessa Severo and playing at the Kansas City Actors Theatre, is different from most shows from the 21st century for a multitude of reasons. The first is the most familiar in the world of plays—this modern show is based on a 15th century morality play, written by a guy named Petrus Dorlandus (the fancy version of Peter). A morality play is simply a play that has a moral. The second and more unique reason is that the show is never the same. Every night the five main actors draw from a sort of lottery. Four of them will play a side character and one gets the main character representing “Everybody” to thematize the randomness of Death. This means the night you attend is one of the potential 120 different versions of the show.

The actors did such a wonderful job. The five “Somebodys” (Dri Hernaez, Elaine Elizabeth Clifford, R. H. Willhoit, Mateo Moreno, and Julie Shaw) managed to not only memorize the entire script but give each character all the emotion, feeling, and heart this play deserves. I did not manage to see every one of these actors play “Everybody.” However, I was able to see two shows, each with a different “Everybody.”  I was also able to see a preview and compare it to a show in which they were more practiced. These minor differences were no match for how well executed this show was. Each actor gave their take on the character without changing a single line. This play is one of the most impressive feats of theater I have seen in a smaller venue.  But no matter how impressive the main actor(s) were, there would be no show without the great performances of Love (Teisha M. Bankston), Death (Cinnamon Schulz), Time (Bellamy Kelly/Edelweiss Etherton) and the excellent John Rensenhouse (who manages to play the omniscient Usher, the omnipotent God, and the awkward Understanding). The effortless way these actors asked the deep questions this play gives us, with just the right amount of comic relief, makes this play one of the most unique I’ve seen.  

When Clarissa Knighten first started making jewelry it was as a form of therapy. She used the physicality of wire and beads to calm her mind and allow her to focus on something productive. Today, the artist has made complex, winding wearable art that can be found in museums, runways, and even TV screens. I got the opportunity to view her work in person at Kansas City Kansas Community College’s (KCKCC) Art Gallery. The pieces in this exhibit show how she elevates basic jewelry materials into beautiful pieces. 

One of my personal favorite components of Knighten’s art is how all the materials are the kinds of things you could find in a high school art class. She tends to avoid expensive materials, which allows the effort of her art to shine. In one of her most breathtaking pieces titled Connection Affection 2, she uses branches, copper wire, and pearlescent beads to evoke an insect's eggs laying upon a web. It contrasts the unnatural shine of plastic and copper with the natural scene of a spider's web delicately lying between branches. In one of her wearable pieces, Connection Affection 1, Knighten uses nearly the same materials to create a completely different vibe. The exhibition flows together and I was very impressed to see this unique and inspiring collection from a small community college gallery. I got a chance to talk to KCKCC’s Gallery Coordinator, Shai Perry, about this exhibit and what she's got coming up next. 

I had the opportunity to see One of the Good Ones at KC Rep, a dramedy that blends sharp humor with thoughtful conversations about identity, culture, and generational differences. The play centers on a tense and revealing family gathering, where difficult questions about belonging, heritage, and what it means to be American slowly surface through moments of laughter and vulnerability.

After seeing the show, I also had the chance to speak with Natascia Díaz, who plays Ilana, a mother navigating a complicated evening with family and friends. During our conversation, she shared how she prepares for emotionally complex roles, what it’s like working within such a collaborative ensemble, and what audiences might not immediately realize about the play. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Trojan Women MCI is a deeply evocative play with a powerful message and a story you are sure to remember. This play, written by Lauren Gunderson and directed by Ernie Nolan, follows the story of four women: Cassandra, Hecuba, Helen, and Andromache, who are victims of a human trafficking operation run by an unnamed character only ever referred to as “He.” 

I carried a deep appreciation for the consistent references to Greek mythology throughout Trojan Women MCI. A primary example being the character Cassandra, played by actress Haley Knudsen, and her visions of the future that are constantly ridiculed by the other characters. As a Greek mythology enthusiast, the mythological ties deeply appealed to me. However, if you don’t know much about Greek mythology, the Unicorn also offered a wall that was filled with small snippets of information about these characters, as well as their mythological counterparts. On this wall there were also accounts of, and quotes from, various survivors of human trafficking as well as various statistics about the presence of human trafficking across the country. 

Doors fly open as the set slowly starts to open and light begins to shine through cracks in the wall. Porgy slowly walks toward the light, looking into a future so bright he must close his eyes. And then, just as fast as the stage illuminated, it turns dark. These are the final moments of Porgy and Bess presented by the Lyric Opera of Kansas City.

It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a show that made me think so much about the material. Every character in this show feels so real and alive; I can feel each character's past, desires and emotions throughout. 

Before the show started, I saw many young girls running around the lobby in their Snow White dresses and costumes, all giddy and excited to see a princess story performed by ballerinas. I also saw many older, elegant and well-dressed adults who were ready to see the classic story put into the art form of dance. Kansas City Ballet’s performance of Snow White was exactly that: a classic, family-friendly tale that enchanted all members of the audience. 

On the Fourth of July, looking up at the fireworks, you feel a boom throughout your body and almost an ache in your chest. This is an ache of emotion and empathy for the real people who went through this story. Watching Hamilton from the Broadway in KC series you can feel so many emotions as if you’re in the story itself. That’s why this iconic musical is a firework.

At Hamilton, I felt truly immersed in every sense. The lights look as if they are dancing with the actors and I felt a shock wave in my chest with the music and smelled the smoke of the gun fights. Every part is designed to immerse you in the story of Alexander Hamilton.

I got the chance to interview Angie Janas, who is one of the actors in the traveling side by side performances of The Acting Company’s Great Expectations and A Midsummer Night's Dream. She plays Ms. Havisham and Mrs. Joe (Great Expectations) and then Oberon and Hippolyta (A Midsummer Night's Dream). These are very different shows as Great Expectations is set in history and A Midsummer Night’s Dream is much more mystical. 

When asked what her favorite part of the shows was, Janas said, “For Great Expectations, it would have to be Ms. Havisham, because it was a role that I was really excited to play. Because it's a world premiere, no one's done it before, so it was an opportunity for me to really create the character. Then, to also have nights where I get to go to Fairyland and be Oberon, just to have a really different experience night to night. This is a pretty unique experience for an actor. Usually, you're just doing one thing, and that's kind of all you do, so the opportunity to get to do a lot of different things and get to do it all over the country was really exciting to me.”

A group of soldiers. A cigarette factory. A woman named Carmen, whom all the men love. A soldier, Don José, initially shows no interest in Carmen. But Carmen has her eye on José. A turbulent love. A group of smugglers. The foreshadowing of death. A toreador in love with Carmen. A village girl in love with José. An argument. A bull fight. A murder. A suicide. A tragedy.

I went to see Carmen at the UMKC Conservatory on February 11th. I had never seen this opera before, but it has many famous songs, composed by Georges Bizet. The Habanera, “L'amour est un oiseau rebelle,” sung by Carmen (Samantha Georgiana), is instantly recognizable, with its simple melody. The Toreador song sung by Escamillo (Igor Vieria) is also very well known for its refrain. Some that sounded familiar to me were also "La fleur que tu m'avais jetée," sung by Don José (John Henrikson), and "Je dis que rien ne m'épouvante," sung by Micaëla (Yiyu Tang). 

The Drum Closet, written by Kansas City’s own Tosin Morohunfola, is a piece that showcases the many struggles of being different in modern society. First we meet Timi, played by Damarion Leonhart, an eager freshman who wants to audition for drumline section leader. His brother, Kareem, played by Parker VanMichael Jones, is a senior and also wants this role. The two brothers are competing not only against each other but against Matt, played by Ben Brewer. It is clear that Matt is a privileged, rich, white kid, while Timi and Kareem are the only two black kids at their school. 

The brothers have incredible chemistry. The show opens with fast-tempo drum rudiments played live by the actors. They show their connection as they circle each other with intense yet friendly body language. At their home, we see photos of Jesus, family, and traditional Nigerian drums in the dining room. Their mother Fatimah (played by Tobi Omodehinde), Timi, and Kareem perform another sequence of drum rudiments, but this time with their traditional Nigerian drums. Fatimah shows insight into her mind by sharing her yearning for her husband who is always away at work, being forced to convert from Muslim to Christianity for safety, and her Nigerian background. Fatimah wants the boys to acknowledge their background and understand that all things have an origin.

The play Casey and Diana, written by playwright Nick Green and directed by Sidonie Garret, left me in awe (and in tears) when I went to see it at Unicorn Theatre. The story follows residents of the Casey House, Canada’s first AIDS hospice, preparing for the visit of Princess Diana. 

Upon arriving at the Unicorn I was immediately greeted by a wall filled with all sorts of news articles, quotes, and information about the AIDS crisis. Reading all the factoids on display gave me in-depth context for the play, especially in terms of the public perspective. During the show, you constantly get a sense of the residents being looked down on; but reading through the newspaper articles really helps to get a sense of where the fear is coming from. Hearing all the negativity and fear around people affected by AIDS really helped me feel how important the visit from Princess Diana must have been for the residents.

Thanks to Teen Tix KC I had the opportunity to experience The Drum Closet at the Coterie Theatre, a coming-of-age play about two Nigerian-American brothers navigating high school, identity, and pressure in a predominantly white Midwestern community. Written by actor, playwright, and filmmaker Tosin Morohunfola, the play follows Timi, a freshman, and Kareem, a senior, as they chase leadership in drumline while learning how to survive school, family expectations, and the unspoken rules placed on Black boys.

I also had the incredible opportunity to interview Tosin Morohunfola and speak with him directly about where The Drum Closet came from and why this story matters so deeply to him.

What is the story of our land? The people that lived on it, the people that cared for it, the ones who hunted and birthed and died on the land. It is our job to remember and honor these people who came before us and it is our job to care for the land now. This is what the art exhibit Shimmer on Horizons reminds us. Andrea Carlson, an artist of Ojibwe and European descent, was born and raised in Minnesota, where she draws much of her inspiration. She now lives in Chicago and has had exhibits in various places across the country. Andrea Carlson’s exhibit Shimmer on Horizons, which will continue through February 15th at the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, explores concepts of nature, colonization and Native American culture. Her work is striking and captivating. The unique qualities and subjects of her style invites introspection in viewers. 

Carlsons's art is beautiful; there is a boldness and strength to her work. She often uses distinct shapes and solid colors somewhat reminiscent of pop art. The incorporation of various objects, which sometimes feel discordant come together to create a collage-like appearance. She works on a large scale. When looking at one of her pieces, the horizon seems to spread out around the observer forever. What makes the sizes of her work so interesting, though, is that they are not done on one large canvas. Her works are broken up into smaller pieces that come together to create the image. She talks about how even though her work is on a very large scale, she likes to be able to break it down and hold it. The action of being able to hold her own work gives a type of intimacy. When looking at Carlson's art, you can see very clear elements that she incorporates into the image. There is a narrative; her work tells a story. Carlson’s art is not simply decoration, but it says something, and it invites the viewer to listen.

Last night, I had the pleasure of seeing All Is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914 at MTKC Pro, a moving holiday performance that tells the true story of the Christmas Truce during World War I. Written by Peter Rothstein in 2007, the show has been produced twice by MTKC and directed both times by Julie Danielson. It is currently playing at the B&B Theatre in Shawnee, Kansas, and runs through December 21, 2025. All Is Calm is a powerful a cappella documentary musical that brings to life the remarkable moment when soldiers laid down their weapons to share the spirit of Christmas in ‘No Man’s Land’ (the dangerous area between opposing trenches).

The show opens with a single tenor voice alone onstage, gradually joined by seven other voices until the ensemble is complete. Singing in perfect harmony, the performers create an immersive atmosphere that reflects both the brutality of war and the quiet humanity within it. Through a blend of Christmas carols and the recitation of real letters written by soldiers, the cast tells the story of one extraordinary Christmas. In 1914, British and German troops were locked in constant conflict on the Western Front. Though the war had been promised to end by Christmas, morale declined as the holiday approached. On Christmas Day, spontaneous and unofficial ceasefires began after soldiers heard one another singing from across the trenches. Enemies met in No Man’s Land to exchange small gifts such as cigarettes and chocolate, sing carols, bury fallen comrades, and even play soccer, demonstrating shared humanity amid the horrors of trench warfare before fighting resumed the next day.

I saw & Juliet’s touring company performance at the Music Hall on November 19th. I was fortunate enough to have recently been in New York City where I saw the Broadway Cast perform in this production and was able to compare the touring production and one on Broadway.

& Juliet is a musical rewriting of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet using popular music from the 90’s through today, all written by Max Martin. This production was directed by Luke Sheppard.  The plot questions, “what if Juliet didn’t kill herself over a boy she practically just met?” The story is told through discussion between Shakespeare and his wife, Anne Hathaway (played by CJ Eldred and Crystal Kellogg respectively) who delivers an empowering point of view via Juliet’s story.

This whimsical movie has been perfectly directed for the stage by Derek Trautwein.  The classic tale, interwoven with the Coterie Theater's style, shines a new light on ELF.  All the songs flowed well with the plot and gave it a magical vibe.  It really gave some of the characters a good way to show some emotion.

The classic story of ELF recounts Buddy through his adventures in New York City as a human who was raised by elves. He tries to find his birth dad and ends up at Macy's and meets “the most beautiful girl he's ever seen.”  Determined to get her attention he breaks into a cheery song.  On a less happy note, when he finally gets to meet his dad, Buddy discovers something shocking; his dad is on the naughty list and has lost his Christmas spirit. I loved watching Buddy sing loud for all to hear and restore some Christmas cheer and I think you will too.