Steve Wilson - Page 16

Step through the lobby doors and enter the tropical resort that is the stage for The Night of the Iguana. Based on his short story the Tennessee Williams 1961 play opens this weekend at the Metropolitan Ensemble Theatre in Kansas City. Karen Paisley directs this classic tale of desperation, fear, and loneliness with a cast of some of the most talented actors in Kansas City. Paisley designed the impressive set that with a bamboo jungle and a two-story resort takes the audience from the cold Kansas City region to the hot, humid climate of Mexico.

The 2012 Tony Award Nominee for Best Play and Pulitzer Prize for Drama finalist, Other Desert Cities, comes to the Unicorn Theatre in Kansas City March 5 through 30. Saturday March 8 is opening night of the play directed by Sidonie Garrett. She has previously directed numerous plays at the Unicorn Theatre, The Coterie, and American Heartland Theatre among others.

Dramatic, powerful, and intense describes When I Come To Die now playing at the Kansas City Repertory Theatre, Copaken Stage. Nathan Louis Jackson, playwright in residence for KC Repertory, wrote the thought-provoking look at a prisoner on death roll that cheats death at his execution, only to have to relive waiting to die.

With songs such as "Lost in the Darkness," "Take Me As I Am," and "Murder, Murder" Jekyll and Hyde the Musical comes to life on the stage of the Just Off Broadway Theatre in Kansas City. Produced by She and Her Productions and directed by Tiffany Schweigert the show is scheduled to run from February 28 through March 16.

What happens when a trainload of cartoon characters come to life in route to Kansas City? Throw in the gruesome death on the train and you cannot help but be Drawn to Murder. Drawn to Murder is the current hilarious production of The Mystery Train, the Murder Mystery Dinner Theater.

Anyone who could not feel the sense of macabre sensuality on the stage of the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts should join the members of the undead in Dracula. The Kansas City Ballet production of Michael Pink's Dracula opened on Friday February 21 with the Kansas City Symphony performing the musical score.

Some of the strongest, most dynamic voices in Kansas City resounded Monday night February 17 onto the stage of the Off Center Theatre in Crown Center. Dreamgirls, the theme for Musical Theatre Heritage's Musical Monday, featured some songs from the musical by composer Henry Krieger.

An outrages romp into Victorian England with ballpoint pens and yellow plastic sunglasses awaits audiences at the Just Off Broadway Theatre in Kansas City, Mo. Journeyman Theatre presents their hilarious look at Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest, A Trivial Comedy for Serious People.

The Theater League and Broadway Across America this week announced the line-up for the 2014-2015 Kansas City Broadway Series. Performed at the Music Hall and described by Entertainment Weekly as "the funniest musical of all time," The Book of Mormon anchors the season.

Thrilling, exciting, one of the top feel good productions of the Kansas City theatrical season best describes Bring It On: The Musical, now playing at the Kauffman Center for Performing Arts. The play inspired by Bring It On the movie opened on Tuesday February 11. The touring cast performs music by Tom Kit and Lin-Manuel Miranda, lyrics by Amanda Green and Lin-Manuel Miranda and libretto by Jeff Whitty. Andy Blankenbuehler directs and choreographs this high energy and entertaining spectacle.

The Journeyman Theatre Company kicks off their 2014 season tonight, February 12 with The Importance of Being Earnest, a Trivial Comedy for Serious People, by Oscar Wilde. The play first appeared in 1895 at the St. James's Theatre in London. The popular play introduces the audience to Jack and Algernon, both eligible bachelors, who adopt fictitious personalities in an attempt to escape obligations placed on them by Victorian society.

The Heartland Men's Chorus unites with the St. Louis Gateway Men's Chorus to bring "I Am Harvey Milk," to the stage of the Folly Theatre in Kansas City, Mo. The celebration of the life of civil rights icon Harvey Milk takes the stage on March 29 and 30. Preceding the Kansas City performance, the choruses will present a free preview on March 8 at 7 p.m., at the Missouri United Methodist Church in Columbia, Mo. An encore performance will take the stage of the Washington University's 560 Music Center in St. Louis on April 5.

Company, the musical comedy about a single man turning 35, opened to a sold-out house Saturday February 8 at the White Theatre in Overland Park, Kan. With music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and from a book by George Furth, Director Barb Nichols assembled a talented cast of singers and dancers for the production. Music Director Martha Risser conducted a flawless performance by the accompanying orchestra.

Andy Parkhurst and Michael Grayman describe their current production of Motherhood Out Loud as, "our Valentine to all the parents who have supported, inspired, and endured us." Opening night for Motherhood Out Loud, an Off-Broadway Kansas City premiere produced by Spinning Tree Theatre at the Off Center Theatre is Saturday February 8, with previews the two preceding nights.

All Sinatra a tribute to Frank Sinatra originally was set to close on February 23, but due to overwhelming popularity and the demand for tickets, the Quality Hill Playhouse in Kansas City has extended the run to March 9. Sellout crowds filled the playhouse two out of the three performances for the productions opening weekend and since Opening Night on January 24 has been a sell out over a dozen times.

Godspell, produced by Egads! Theatre Company comes to the Off Center Theatre located in Crown Center in Kanas City, Mo. Steven Eubank, Artistic Director of Egads! Theatre Company directs with Associate Director Tyler Parsons the musical by Stephen Schwartz and a book by John-Michael Tabelak. Various touring companies have performed the play that opened Off-Broadway on May 17, 1971. A Broadway revival ran from October 13, 2011 through June 24, 2012.

Competitive cheerleading and team rivalries come to the stage of the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts in Kansas City, MO. with Bring It On: The Musical. Inspired by the 2000 film, Bring It On, The Musical opened on Broadway August 1, 2012 at the St. James Theatre, playing through December 30, 2012. The show premiered in Atlanta, Georgia in January 2011 and utilized competitive cheerleaders from across the country.

The Journeyman Theatre Company kicks off their 2014 season on Tuesday February 12 with The Importance of Being Earnest, a Trivial Comedy for Serious People, by Oscar Wilde. The play first appeared in 1895 at the St. James's Theatre in London. The popular play introduces the audience to Jack and Algernon, both eligible bachelors, who adopt fictitious personalities in an attempt to escape obligations placed on them by Victorian society.

The world premiere of Afflicted: Daughters of Salem, written by Laurie Brooks opened Friday January 31 on the stage of the Coterie Theatre in Kansas City, Mo. The National Endowment for the Arts award winning drama directed by Jeff Church, Producing Artistic Director at the Coterie, is the tale of the teenage girls who were instrumental in the infamous Salem witch trials.

The tragic love story of the ages, Romeo and Juliet, playing at the Kansas City Repertory Theatre runs through February 9. William Shakespeare's disastrous tale of family feuds, loyalty, and teenage love has stood the test of times. Directed by Eric Rosen, Artistic Director for the KC Rep, the production with minimal scenery and beautiful elaborate costumes, designed by Lindsay W. Davis and Lauren Gaston, which transports the audience back to Verona, Italy.