Review: MUSICAL MONDAY AND TUESDAY Opens to the Delight of Kansas City Audiences

The first offering for 2015 of Musical Monday and Tuesday opened Monday night February 16 at the Musical Theater Heritage in Crown Center. Musical Monday has always been an audience favorite and for 2015, Musical Theater Heritage added Tuesdays to the performance schedule. Hosted by Tim Scott the production featured songs from the Broadway musical Big River, bluegrass, and country. The production was like a big river out of its banks flooding the theater with fantastic vocals by some of the best vocalist in Kansas City.

Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn with book by William Hauptman and music and lyrics by Roger Miller opened on Broadway in 1985, running more than 1,000 performances and revived on Broadway in 2003. The 1985 production, starring Daniel H. Jenkins as Huckleberry Finn and John Goodman as Pap Finn, won the 1985 Tony Award for Best Musical along with six other categories.

Tim Scott and Seth Golay opened the Monday night show with "When I Drive" from Bonnie & Clyde. Tyler Eisenreich and Ron Lackey followed with "River in the Rain" from Big River. In Act I Lackey performed a solo of "She Cries" that left the audience awe struck at the beautiful power of his voice.

Other favorites from the first act included the incomparable Julie Harris Shaw performing "Can't Stop Talkin," Aubrey Ireland with "Wings," "9 to 5" superbly performed by Jessalyn Kincaid, Brian Cross with "And They're Off," closing with Lackey and Golay performing "Muddy Water" from Big River.

The second act opened with Eisenreich and Lexi Brie Morris accompanied by the remainder of the cast in "Arkansas/How Blest We Are" from Big River. To the delight of the audience, Shaw followed with a marvelous rendition of "Lovesick Blues" from Always Patsy Cline. Morris amused the nearly sold-out theater with "Daryl Is A Boy." Never short on humor Musical Monday and Tuesday included a fabulous performance by Jessalyn Kincaid and the Boys of "I Want a Hot Dog" from Bullets Over Broadway, a song loaded with sexual innuendos

Each production of Musical Monday and Tuesday includes at least one lottery winner. Performers enter a lottery and when their names are drawn, get the chance to display their talent in one song. The second act introduced the audience to a fabulous vocal of "Sing But Don't Tell" by lottery winner Kyra Weinberger. Weinberger is new to the Kansas City area, but is making her mark performing at the White Theatre, in Berlin to Broadway with Kurt Weill.

The enormously talented cast was accompanied by Musical Director Jeremy Watson on piano, Julie Danielson on bass, Tod Barnard on drums, Ryan Wurtz on guitar, and Michalis Koutsoupides on violin. Koutsoupides is currently accompanying Weinberger at the White Theatre.

Musical Monday and Tuesday continues with one more performance that should not be missed by anyone who enjoys musical theater. The wonderful vocals, beautiful music, and humorous quips by host Tim Scott make for a superb evening of entertainment. Purchase tickets by calling the box office at 816-221-6987, 816-545-6000, or by visiting the Musical Theater Heritage website. Photo courtesy of Musical Theater Heritage.

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