BWW Preview: KC Fringe Festival Kicks Off Today in Kansas City

The KC Fringe Festival comes to Kansas City for eleven days beginning today, July 17 and running through July 27. The festival combines theater, fashion, visual arts, burlesque, dance, music, and film to give the artist an opportunity to produce their work regardless of content. The Fringe Festival utilizes numerous venues to bring the fresh original works to the Kansas City audience.

A KC Fringe Button is needed for access to the Fringe festivities including performance, arts, and discounts from local businesses and restaurants. The one-time fee for the button is $5 and ticket prices range from $5 to $15 for each performance. A $100 Festival pass is available for $90 and an All Access Pass is $250. To learn more about the KC Fringe Festival visit Fringe 411 at the Union Station beginning at noon today, July 17, or visit the KC Fringe website.

Madeline McCrae presents Where the Hell's the Bridesmaid at the Heartland Forum (formerly The American Heartland Theatre in Crown Center). The bride demands the perfect wedding, but plans are interrupted when the bridesmaid comes up missing. Has the bridesmaid been murdered, and what about the missing minister? The cast includes Chioma Anyanwu, Bruce Michael Hall, Edward Turner, Elissa Schrader, Kelsey Matthias, and Andy Penn among others.

The World Premiere of Vicki Vodrey's A Hard Day's Night produced by Lot in Life Production will be featured at the Just Off Broadway Theatre. Directed by Taylor St. John the cast includes Jennifer Mays, Bryan Moses, Melissa Fennewald, Chris Roady, Shelley Wyche, and Mariah Thompson. Discover life with a dysfunctional family, haunted by the ghost of a Beatles-loving grandfather. It is up to Kelly K. Kelley to effect a change on her parent's anniversary. Vodrey was one of the five playwrights chosen by The Kansas City Repertory Theatre to participate in their first Playwright's Slam. Other shows appearing on the stage of Just Off Broadway Theatre include A-Cop-Alypse, (Virgin), Girl on Girl, 41st Day, and mom.com/roadrage.

The original comedy Bad Auditions conceived and curated by Kevin King takes the stage at The Fishtank Performance Studio for five shows beginning July 18. The production will feature cast members presenting favorite audition pieces gone wrong or crafting original works to awkwardly mangle. Cast members include Stefanie Stevens, Matt Sweeten, Alisa Lynn, Genewa Stanwyck, Tara Varney, and Seth Macchi. King the founder of Whim Productions recently closed his popular Flowers in the Wardrobe at the Arts Asylum in Kansas City.

Kings of Israel written by Schaeffer Nelson, directed by Allison Korn, will be featured at Phosphor Studios for 4 performances July 18, 20, 25, and 26. This is the Biblical story of the shepherd David and the paranoid King Saul. Charged by God to overthrow the king David tests the limits of his intimacy with the king. King Saul proves to be unstable and violent so the Prophet Samuel sends David to hasten Saul's demise. Questions have been raised: Can Biblical stories be this steamy? The cast includes Andy Perkins as King Saul, J. Will Fritz as David, and Joshua Gleeson as the Prophet Samuel.

Purchase tickets or for information visit the KC Fringe website. Photo from Where the Hell's the Bridesmaid courtesy of Madeline McCrae.

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