Kansas City Blog by TeenTix KC

The world is so used to the man getting the final say… It can blind us to who is truly the villain, and it’s time for us to open our eyes. John Proctor Is the Villain is a play about high school girls reading and debating whether or not John Proctor is truly a hero in The Crucible. Little did they know they were enacting a modern-day retelling.

Taking place in a one-stoplight (soon to be two) town, every scene in John Proctor Is the Villain had tension, making the crowd hold their breath unconsciously. The girls hope to open a feminist club, but the school’s guidance counselor, played by Elaine Elizabeth, says it's “not the right time” for a girls-only club. Mr. Carter Smith, played by Shane Kenyon, convinces her that if there were some male students in the club, it would work. This problem-solving makes the girls idolize him.

I got the chance to interview Amari Lewis, who is performing in KCRep’s production of John Proctor is the Villain. Lewis plays Nell, one of the five girls in a high school in a small southern town at the center of the play. These girls decide to form a feminist club after deciding that The Crucible is rather sexist.

When I spoke to Lewis, I hadn’t yet seen the show, so I asked for her opinion of the play. “There's some twists and turns, so I can't give away too much,” she told me. “I would say if you love a story about girlhood, it can get a little intense, a little chaotic, a little scary even maybe, It's very much like a suspense, almost thriller type. I love it. I would say it's kind of a hocus pocus vibe. It's very witchy, but like something you see with your best friends.”

Recently, I had the pleasure of seeing V.E. Schwab speak about her newest book at Unity Temple on the Plaza in an event facilitated by Rainy Day Books. Schwab’s newest book is titled Victorious and is the final book in the Villains trilogy. 

Upon arrival, attendees received their signed and embossed copies of Victorious. I’ve never owned an embossed book before, but owning this copy makes me feel like I need more. We then made our way into the nave and took our seats. A detail I loved inside the temple was the beautiful stained glass window that included a book.

When I look back on The Baladeer Theatre Company’s original adaptation of Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, one snapshot sears itself into my mind: four young ladies kneeling beside a worn armchair, listening to their mother read a letter from their father and wondering if he’ll ever come home. The firelight dances across the backdrop, and the stage lights illuminate Jo’s reassuring smile, a complement to Meg reaching for Amy’s hand. I have seen this picture before, I realize, on my copy of Little Women, but to see it brought to life on a stage, until recently, seemed impossible. 

Little Women follows four sisters—Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy—as they lumber through their adolescence, set against the backdrop of the Civil War. As their father serves in the army, the story focuses on the ways the girls’ paths create friction against their “castles in the sky” and the shenanigans that they get up to along the way. The play adaptation by Will Gurley, Savannah Dove, and Kayli Gurley was a faithful adaptation with a few impactful changes. 

You’ve seen the movie—but have you seen the musical? If you haven’t, you need to now. Beetlejuice: The Musical takes every absurdity and quirk from the movie that we know and love and cranks it up to one hundred. With every moment amplified for the stage and usually accompanied by a ridiculously weird song, this musical is hysterical, high-energy, and, of course, strange and unusual.

If you haven’t seen the iconic 1988 Tim Burton film that Beetlejuice: The Musical is based on but you want to go see the show, good news. You don’t have to! The titular character, Beetlejuice, played by Ryan Stajmiger, interacts frequently with the audience, and almost every scene comes with a hilarious explanation.

Have you ever been in love? Love is a form of art. And without it there would be no passion and beauty. This is what La Boheme teaches us. “The most beautiful poems teach us how to love,” states Rodolfo, played by Jose Simerilla Romero in Lyric Opera’s production, currently onstage at the Kauffman Center. Thanks to the director Garnett Bruce, we truly feel the story come to life, both through the words as well as other theatrical elements.

As we first see Rodolfo and Mimi meet, their love is instant. Mimi, played by Gabriella Reyes, is portrayed as a gentle spring and bright like a sunrise. Her love for flowers brings out her personality and the character she is. Rodolfo is so infatuated with her and sings, “For I am the poet, she the poetry,” and “I’m a millionaire in dreams, and you are all of them.” Through words we can feel their love so obviously. There's power not only in words but also in their voices. The power of their voices is ear-ringing–literally. These amazing actors have so much voice control, whether they need to be “whispering” or be as dramatic and loud as possible. Yet words are not everything. We also need to see love through actions and body language. Though these actors have amazing voices, I didn’t feel their faces always matched the words. As Rodolfo and Mimi are speaking of their love for each other, I saw distressed looks. Love should be easy and joyous, but I saw expressions that were stressful and dark.

“Exactly! Protect your child by educating yourself!” — Eureka Day quote

Eureka Day is a play about the argument surrounding how important vaccines are. The play uses the setting of a private school in 2018 in Berkeley, California that is dealing with an outbreak of Mumps and a comedic spin of satire to make an argument about why you should take the time to learn and seriously consider vaccinations. 

The hit Broadway musical Come From Away, written by Irene Sankoff and David Hein and directed by Stuart Carden, carries forth a powerful message of acceptance and the importance of community in times of crisis. Running from September 1st to the 20th, the musical features 22 spectacularly written and choreographed songs, as well as a diverse cast of characters. The story follows the Canadian town of Gander and nearly 7,000 passengers who were grounded there during the airspace closure in America that directly followed 9/11. Even as the residents of the town scramble to find a place for the passengers to stay and food for them to eat, they still welcome the residents with open arms.

Come From Away, despite having some changes made for the sake of theatrics, (such as some characters being a blend of multiple people, rather than one specific person) maintains a strong historical accuracy. The musical being performed on the 25th anniversary of 9/11 helps emphasize how long-lasting the impacts of such an event were. When I walked into the theatre, there were barely any open seats, and many of those were filled by the time the lights went down. It is clear the story behind the musical is incredibly impactful to many, bringing in enough people to fill KC Rep’s entire Spencer Theatre in one night.

The performance of Wicked at the Kansas City Music Hall was a thrilling end to the American Theater Guild’s 2025-2026 Broadway season. I managed to go the first week it was open on August 12th. With the impressive original set design, costuming, and script, this show never fails to amaze audiences worldwide.

This musical is an adaptation of a book, based on a movie that was adapted from another book, which is one of the things that makes Wicked so unique and Popular (Laar). The original book (Wizard of Oz) follows Dorothy and her adventures in Oz. Wicked, on the other hand, gives us the morally grey villain arc of the Wicked Witch of the West known as Elphaba (Aline Myagoitia) and the full backstory of Glinda the Good (Claudia Bennett).

In a time of declining media literacy, Intimate Apparel by Lynn Nottage is a welcome break from plays, musicals, and movies where everything is presented to the audience on a silver platter and explained in perfect detail. I personally believe the title refers to not only the occupation of the main character but also to the intimacy of every relationship in this show, which are complex and interwoven with one another.

Intimate Apparel is set in 1905 and follows a woman named Esther, played by Chioma Anyanwu, who works as a seamstress making intimate apparel for women. It showcases her relationships with everyone in her life and how they evolve and change drastically through the two-hour play. 

Slick your hair and wear your buckle shoes! The World Goes 'Round sweeps audiences into a vibrant, nostalgic, and emotionally rich journey through the legendary catalog of John Kander and Fred Ebb. Featuring songs that have defined Broadway for decades, the revue celebrates every high, every low, and everything in between.

The World Goes 'Round is a musical revue celebrating the iconic works of Kander and Ebb, the legendary songwriting duo behind some of Broadway's most beloved musicals. Rather than telling one continuous story, the production weaves together songs exploring love, loss, ambition, humor, and resilience. Through heartfelt ballads, comedic numbers, and energetic ensemble performances, the revue reminds audiences that no matter what life throws our way, the world keeps turning.

From London’s Globe Theatre to Kansas City’s Southmoreland Park, Macbeth continues to captivate audiences even in the modern day. A staple of high school English classes, this Shakespearean tragedy is a timeless expression of the dangers of ambition, whose message remains relevant even hundreds of years after its first performances. 

The play begins with three witches and their prophecy: that Macbeth will one day become King of Scotland. Emboldened by their prediction and his wife’s encouragement, Macbeth murders King Duncan and takes the throne. As king, Macbeth becomes a violent tyrant, whose unstable reign leads to his own demise. Before seeing the show, I had read the play, but watching it live brought so much more to the story. 

I went to see Macbeth at the Heart of America Shakespeare Festival having no past reference to the storyline other than the fact that it was a tragedy and that there were witches. When I think of Shakespeare's tragedies I think of Romeo and Juliet or some of his other more somber works. This adaptation of Macbeth performed by the HASF (Heart of America Shakespeare Festival) was full of many bloody battles and lengthy monologues but had an undertone of witchy violence.  This may very well be my favorite tragedy I have seen so far.

Elegant costumes, classical music, and tight buns. These are just a few of the things that might come to your mind when you hear the word ‘ballet.’ The Great Gatsby at KC Ballet subverts those expectations completely. The ensemble is dressed in a huge variety of dazzling costumes, from flapper dresses to suits and ties to soldier uniforms. The music in this show is so diverse and beautiful, and even includes a song with lyrics by iconic songwriter Irving Berlin.

I went to this show having read the book and seen the musical of The Great Gatsby and was accompanied by my friend who barely knew the story at all. She came out of the show with an understanding of the story, and I came out with not only a twofold respect for ballet, but with a fresh new version of the story in my mind. While The Great Gatsby at KC Ballet does not take any large creative liberties or divert from the original plot, it is performed so well that it does not need to. 

1601! A Comedically Tragic Hamlet Origin Story is a new play written and directed by Savannah Dove. Like shows such as Noises Off and The Play that Goes Wrong, this farce features a chaotic opening night of the first performance of Hamlet. From the lead role quitting, actors not knowing their cues, and a rat on the loose, the cast members must work together to successfully put on the show. 

From the moment audience members are greeted by Shakespeare, this show entertains. Before the show, Shakespeare (Brandon Baker) told jokes to the audience and even picked audience members to throw ‘tomatoes’ at a skull on his head for a reward of a piece of cheese. The ‘tomatoes’ were red foam balls, sold for $1 each to be thrown at the actors during bows. Baker’s character also had many other moments interacting with the audience, helping us to really feel included in the show, as well as adding comedy.

The Wizard of Oz has been adapted so many times; most of these adaptations are wildly successful. This show, presented by the KC Repertory Theatre, is another excellent remake. Their fantastic performance runs through May 24th.  This play did what all plays aspire to do and made me feel like I was watching a movie. The singing and all the different talents are what made it feel so cinematic.

One of the most unique parts of this show was the sheer amount of puppetry that it took to portray all the otherworldly animals that fill Oz. Zachary Garner did a wonderful job with Toto. I would also like to mention the jitterbugs as the wearable puppet aspect with the backpack-type structures was really quite astonishing, as well as the flying monkeys' creepy design. The puppets flying through the air with the grotesquely human faces was one of the spookiest portrayals of these Ozian creatures I have seen. 

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.