Steve Wilson - Page 3

The powerfully moving play, THE WHITE ROSE: WE DEFIED HITLER, by David Meyers opened Friday, January 24, at The Coterie Theatre in Kansas City. The 70-minute play is produced in cooperation with the University of Missouri at Kansas City Theatre Department and produced with the Midwest Center for Holocaust Education. The show based on actual events runs at The Coterie through February 9.

On occasion a show comes along that puts a smile on your lips from the opening curtain to the final bows, CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY is that kind of show. CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY, presented by The American Theatre Guild, opened on Tuesday night at the Kauffman Center for Performing Arts. The staged musical is adapted from the children's novel by Roald Dahl with book by David Greig, music by Marc Shaiman, and lyrics by Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman.

Thought-provoking, 'NIGHT, MOTHER sheds new light on a subject that few want to talk about, and no one wants to face head-on, suicide. 'NIGHT, MOTHER a play by Marsha Norman and directed by Sidonie Garrett for the Kansas City Actor's Theatre continues at the City Stage in Union Station through January 26.

It's the Christmas season so what should I do? I'll go to the theater and see Cindy Lou Who. WHO'S HOLIDAY the hilarious parody of Dr. Seuss's a?oeThe Grinch Who Stole Christmasa?? is now playing at The Louis Curtiss Studio Building in Kansas City through December 21. This is not a children's show like Dr. Seuss wrote, WHO'S HOLIDAY is intended for an adult audience.

The 2019 theatrical season has afforded me the opportunity to see several fantastic plays and musicals, unfortunately, Ken Ludwig's SHERWOOD THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD does not rank among them. Yes, if you like slapstick, old jokes, and sword fights then it does provide a nice evening of entertainment and several moments of raucous humor. SHERWOOD THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD, starring Hal Linden, at the New Theatre Restaurant runs through February 2, 2020.

Smoke, gunfire, screams, the sound of a helicopter overhead, it's not just another night in Kansas City it's the opening night for Miss Saigon now playing at the Music Hall through December 15. While other theaters are busy bringing Christmas shows to life the Kansas City Broadway Series brings us a musical tale from one of the most turbulent times in American history, the Vietnam War.

It wouldn't be Christmas without a visit to the Folly Theatre in Kansas City for another much-anticipated holiday show performed by the Heartland Men's Chorus on December 7 and December 8. MAKING SPIRITS BRIGHT is the name of the 2019 offering for the holiday season and the name describes exactly what the show accomplishes.

Dear Santa, for Christmas please bring me another ticket to Musical Theater Heritage's Christmas show, A SPECTACULAR CHRISTMAS SHOW, what a marvelous way to get into the holiday season. As one theater-goer said, a?oeif this doesn't get you in the Christmas spirit I don't know what willa??. A SPECTACULAR CHRISTMAS SHOW opened Saturday, December 7 at the Musical Theater Heritage Theater located in Crown Center in Kansas City.

a?oePhenomenala?? is how one theatergoer, Elaine Jacobs, described the opening night of A CHRISTMAS CAROL, now a Kansas City tradition in its 39th year. Presented by the Kansas City Repertory Theatre the Charles Dickens classic opened Saturday, November 30 at the Spencer Theatre on the University of Missouri at Kansas City campus and runs through December 29.

The magic of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter comes to life at the Folly Theatre in POTTED POTTER THE UNAUTHORIZED HARRY EXPERIENCE, now playing through December 1st. This hilarious parody covers all seven of the best-selling Harry Potter fantasy series in just 70 side-splitting minutes.

If your washer and dryer sing to you it may be a bad reaction to medication or you may be at the wonderfully humorous and thought-provoking musical production of CAROLINE, OR CHANGE, which opened Saturday night November 9 at the Johnson County Arts and Heritage Center in Overland Park. The Spinning Tree Theatres Kansas City premiere, with book and lyrics by Tony Kushner and music by Jeanine Tesori, runs through November 24. Spinning Tree Artistic Director Michael Grayman-Parkhurst directs this musical incorporating blues, Motown, Jewish melodies, and folk music.

The only snow I want to see this year is the snow that transforms the stage at the Coterie Theatre into a winter wonderland at opening night of A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS. William J. Christie directs this hilarious stage adaption by Eric Schaeffer. Written by Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz the play is based on the 1965 television special by Bill Melendez and Lee Mendelson.

Cruise over to the White Theatre for their wonderful production of ANYTHING GOES now playing through November 17. ANYTHING GOES opened on Saturday, November 2 to kick off the 15th season of the theater located at the Jewish Community Center. Tim Bair directs this whimsical musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The original book was by P. G. Wodehouse and Guy Bolton and was heavily revised by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. The new book is by Timothy Crouse and John Weidman.

It's not just a concert it is an art, Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel that is. Step back into time as a young-looking Simon and Garfunkel took the stage at the Kauffman Center for Performing Arts in Kansas City on Tuesday, October 22 for the SIMON AND GARFUNKEL STORY. Two very talented actors, George Clements as Simon and Andrew Wade as Garfunkel, portrayed the famed folk/rock duo who have sold over 100 million albums since making their appearance in 1965.

A DOLL'S HOUSE PART 2 opened Saturday October 19 on the Jerome Stage of the Unicorn Theatre and runs through November 10. Darren Sextro who directed A DOLL'S HOUSE at the City Stage, where it was produced by the Kansas City Actor's Theatre directs the sequel which takes place 15 years after the end of the original play.

If I was to have to find one flaw in the ROCKY HORROR SHOW, now playing at the Louis Curtiss Studio Building in Kansas City (formerly Prohibition Hall), it is that I only get to review it once this run. Seeing so many shows each year it is seldom that one comes along that makes me want to see it again. The ROCKY HORROR SHOW by Padgett Productions is definitely one of those shows I could see over and over. Audience participation isn't required but is highly encouraged.

The Kansas City Actors Theatre continues to provide Kansas City with some of the best dramas to appear in local theater with the opening of a?oeMASTER HAROLDa??a??AND THE BOYS Saturday night, at the City Stage in Union Station. Directed by Gary Heisserer the play runs through September 29.

The Unicorn Theatre in Kansas City opened its 46th season with WHO'S YOUR BAGHDADDY, OR HOW I STARTED THE IRAQ WAR on Saturday, September 7, on the Levin Stage. As with most of the productions coming out of the Unicorn Theatre the show itself was extremely well-produced, with fabulous talent, and wonderful choreography provided by Kyle Mullins.

Join the highly talented tribe of HAIR as Padgett Productions brought the opening night to Kansas City on Saturday, September 7. This is one of the top productions of the highly acclaimed musical that I have had the good fortune to review. Return to an age of hippies, free-love, and the tribe as you enter the small newly renovated Black Box Theatre in the West Bottoms Entertainment District. If you're not ready to party, you are probably in the wrong place.

A BRIGHT STAR shines, shines, shines in the Olathe Civic Theatre Associations (OCTA) current production of BRIGHT STAR now playing at the Buddy Rogers Family Playhouse in Olathe. Directed by Julie Ewing, with music direction by Ashley Jones, and choreography by Carolyn Braverman this phenomenal production is anything but community theater. Who would ever think community theater could be so good? BRIGHT STAR is of a quality that any professional theater would be delighted to attain.