TeenTix KC Blog by Martin English

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. 

Bleach cleaner, microwave dinners, car headlights, candy bars, a bag of chips; these ideas don’t necessarily invoke couture unless, of course, you're Jeremy Scott. I had the honor and privilege to see Scott and Katherine Bernhardt’s breathtaking exhibit Match Made in Heaven. They are both known for taking ideas found in nursery’s, grocery stores, the back of pantry’s and elevating them to a new level. I found Scott’s collection of unique womenswear particularly captivating. 

His designs are loud and bright but maintain a level of chic elegance. It is no surprise that his designs have been worn by celebrities like Katy Perry, Charli xcx and Kim Kardashian. His outfits grace the line between junk drawer and New York fashion week in a seamless way. Although Scott’s pieces speak for themselves Bernhardt’s paintings are not to be ignored. She uses spray paint and acrylics to create vivid pieces that invoke a strange nostalgia for the 80s and 90s. Bernhardt’s paintings follow a free loose structure as the artist often tries to not think about what she’s painting when she paints. This makes her works incredibly expressive and truly one of a kind. This art show was quickly one of my favorites I’ve ever seen. My first experience with it was back in July when it had recently opened. I knew the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art as a small art museum connected to a community college. I had only seen small modern exhibits when I had been dragged there for a field trip before. This exhibit changed my view completely. 

The Beauty and the Beast National Tour came to the Kansas City Music Hall from Oct 28th to Nov 2nd. The show was directed by Andrew Flatt, Thomas Schumacher, and Anne Quart; music by Alan Menken; lyrics by Howard Ashman & Tim Rice; and book by Linda Woolverton. 

This show delivered on the magic. It brought the classic movie to life, leaving certain details intact, keeping the nostalgia, but also adding exciting new elements. The effects were consistently delivered by the costumes, set, choreography, music, and special effects. 

Dracula arrived at the Kansas City Repertory Theatre Copaken Stage on October 14th, and you may think you know the story, but co-writers Vanessa Severo and Joanie Schultz impress with a brand-new retelling. I attended this show on October 23rd and thought it was amazing.

This version of Dracula follows two doctors, Seward and Van Helsing, as well as the two best friends Lucy and Mina. Drs. Seward and Van Helsing are working with a patient named Renfield, who has been experiencing some strange symptoms that collide with Lucy and Mina’s world sooner than you think.

Leave your field to flower and your cheese to sour, UMKC's performance of Pippin invites you into a world of illusion, wonder, and reflection, where every spotlight hides a question and every smile conceals a truth.

Pippin is a musical that dances between fantasy and philosophy. With music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Roger O. Hirson, the show follows a young prince’s quest to find his “corner of the sky,” that elusive place where life finally feels meaningful. Originally directed and choreographed by the legendary Bob Fosse in 1972, Pippin has always blurred the line between theater and reality, mixing Broadway razzle-dazzle with existential searching. Known for its meta-theatrical style, the story unfolds as a troupe of performers led by the mysterious Leading Player tells (and manipulates) Pippin’s tale, pulling the audience into the illusion of performance itself.

Devon Carny’s stunning adaptation of this classic ballet tells a tale of two lovers in an enchanted world that is trying to tear them apart.  

The Kansas City Symphony took Tchaikovsky's music and amplified it through the entire building. The orchestration was graceful enough by itself but with the KC Ballet company's gorgeous performance the whole thing was an amazing experience.   

A Wrinkle in Time was originally published in 1962 by Farrar, Straus & Giroux and written by Madeleine L'Engle. Since then, it has been recognized around the world, and even is now a movie and plays. Recently it has been adapted by The Coterie Theatre, and stars Phoenix Storm. This adaptation of A Wrinkle in Time did a wonderful job showing every aspect of the story in a one hour play. Not only did each actor show amazing talent, but they took on each character in a beautiful way. From Meg's quiet and safe personality to Mrs. Whatsit’s, played by Erdin Schultz-Bever, outgoing and eccentric personality. Many of the characters were taken over by the “Red-Eyed man” at some point during the show. Yet Charles Wallace, played by Ceci Sellers did an exceptional job transitioning personality, and showing different emotions, when being taken over by the “Red-Eyed man” and embracing the audience in those feelings as well. Erika Baker, the props master did an amazing job creating the huge red eyed man prop, not only did it come to life, but it represented the character well. During the time Charles was overtaken by the “Red-Eyed man” he tried to get Meg to come with him because “everyone was always happy there.” Meg countered with “Maybe if you aren't unhappy sometimes you can’t be happy.” This quote really stuck and shows how you must be sad sometimes so you can truly appreciate the happiness you have in your life. This scene really enchanted and struck the audience. 

I especially enjoyed how the director, Khalia Davis Philp, decided to have actors walk through the seats and audience, giving more to the setting and more for the audience to feast their eyes upon. I’d also like to recognize how each actor - excluding the actors portraying Meg, Charles Wallace, and Calvin as they were not background characters - was a background character at some point also. These people were Erdin Schultz-Bever, Andrea Hobley, Kisha Henry, Francisco 'Pancho' Javier Villegas and Erik J Pratt. It’s extremely impressive how easily they were able to go from one character to another so smoothly. 

Kansas City Ballet brings Swan Lake to the Muriel Kauffman Theatre at the Kaufmann Center for the Performing Arts from Oct. 17-26 for the first time since 2020. I attended the show on opening night, Oct. 17, to watch the iconic ballet come to life. KCB’s artistic director, Devon Carney, choreographed the ballet on the KCB dancers after the original choreography done by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov in the late 1800s. I have been doing ballet for the last 14 years, and as a ballet dancer, I can confidently say that this performance was phenomenally put together and a must-see for all ages of artistic performance lovers. 

Swan Lake follows the story of Prince Siegfried, who, upon hunting, falls in love with Odette, a swan by day and human by night, as she is under the sorcerer Von Rothbart's spell. Later, Siegfried attends a grand ball where he must choose a princess to be his bride. He only wants Odette, who is stuck on the lake as a swan. However, the mysterious Odile, who reminds Seigfried of Odette, arrives at the ball. After being transfixed by the wrong girl, chaos erupts between Siegfried, Von Rathbart and Odette. 

“I want you to be a story for me that I can believe forever.” That line echoes the heart of The Color Purple and for me, Kansas City Repertory Theatre’s production at the Spencer Theatre became exactly that: a story I can believe forever. It’s not just a show; it’s a legacy, a narrative woven for generations.

Directed by Daniel J. Bryant, with choreography by Heather Beal and music direction by Pamela Baskin-Watson, KCRep’s staging shines as both intimate and epic. Scenic design by Eli Sherlock grounds the production in engraved lines from the show, while Bentley Heydt’s lighting design washes the stage in emotion cloaking moments of despair in shadow and flooding scenes of triumph with radiance. Jarrod Barnes’ costumes, Jon Robertson’s sound design, and Kelley Jordan’s hair and makeup design enrich the storytelling, ensuring every detail reflects the world of Alice Walker’s novel.

This piece was written by a TeenTix KC teen who is learning about arts journalism. TeenTix KC seeks to engage teens in the arts and amplify their voices. This may be the first time this teen has publicly expressed their opinion about an arts experience. Thank you for reading this, and in doing so, supporting this teen’s development as an arts journalist.

There’s something special about the ferocity of women in opera. The bigness of the medium, all the lights and music and murder adds to the image of a woman who is almost divine in her nature. From Carmen to Tosca, a well-executed opera can make the audience feel as though they’re living the story themselves. I’m so glad TeenTix KC gives me the opportunity to attend them.