LOST IN YONKERS to Take the Stage at the Jewish Community Center

Neil Simon's Lost in Yonkers, one of the playwright's most iconic works, will take the stage of The White Theatre at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas City (The J) for a five-performance run opening Saturday, Feb. 11 at 7:30 p.m. Additional evening performances are Feb. 16 and 18 as well as 2 p.m. matinee performances on Sundays Feb. 12 & 19. The White Theatre is located at in the Jewish Community Campus, 5801 W. 115th St., Overland Park, KS.

Lost in Yonkers is a coming-of-age story sprinkled with both comedy and drama focusing on love, responsibility and the importance of family. In this semi-autobiographical and poignant tale set in the 1940s, brothers Arty and Jay, find their lives turned upside down after moving in with their grandmother and absent-minded Aunt Bella. The boys have to grapple with tensions in the household between their no-nonense grandmother and Bella who decides to marry her longtime boyfriend. Lost in Yonkers is Simon at his best having won both a Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award. The J's production is directed by Bob Stewart starring an all-local cast including two talented area high school students.

Adding a little flavor to The J's Lost in Yonkers is the opportunity to enjoy a traditional East Coast boxed deli lunch prior to the two matinee performances. The special New York-style deli lunch is available for $15 per person, in addition to the coast of the play's tickets. Served at 12:30 p.m., the Vaad-supervised Kosher boxed lunch includes a pastrami sandwich, Israeli salad, fruit salad, Black and White Cookie and a beverage. Paid reservations are required at least one week in advance. Tickets for Lost in Yonkers and the the boxed lunch can be ordered online at thejkc.org/boxoffice, by phone (913) 327-8054 or in person at The White Theatre Box Office.

The J's 2016-2017 Arts + Culture season continues with musicals, concerts, visual arts and literature presentations.

The J's 2016-17 season includes:

March 5, 2017: Open Stage at The J is an inaugural choreography festival for Kansas City's best dancers and dance companies. This professional showcase includes the original work from Kansas City Ballet II, Kacico Dance, City in Motion and much more.

March 25-April 2: Fahrenheit 451 (local production) Is an adaptation of the Ray Bradbury novel about a future society that has banned all reading material and the job of the firemen is to keep the fires at 451 degrees: the temperature that paper burns. A fireman begins to re-think his job when he meets a book-loving girl

April 9: Grammy award-winning, Kansas City Chorale concert, "Shirim Yehudim-Music of the Jewish Tradition".

May 6-7: Broadway actor, producer and Kansas City native, Jana Robbins, brings her critically acclaimed Cabaret show "I'm Still Here". Telling tales of growing up as Marsha Eisenberg in a Jewish family from Johnstown, Pennsylvania, she tells of the challenges of pursuing her dream of a career on Broadway.

July 8-23: Disney's musical Beauty & the Beast (*a co-production with Theatre in the Park), brings the most beautiful love story ever told to life in this lush, romantic Broadway musical for all generations.

(Full descriptions for each event are available at thejkc.org/boxoffice.)

About "The J"

Established more than 100 years ago, the Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas City-The J, provides a warm welcome to families of all backgrounds. The J's all-in-one hub for health, learning, and well-being elevates the lives of the community and its members with programs of excellence in fitness, sports, theatre, arts + culture, senior adult programming and youth services including summer camps and child development. Everyone can "live up" at The J, located in Overland Park, Kansas, and at thejkc.org.

Lost in Yonkers Cast

(Role, Performer & City of Residence)

Louie: Joshua Gleeson, Kansas City

Eddie: Don Leonard, Olathe

Bella: Laura Schwartz, Mission

Jay: Luke Knopke

Arty: Andrew Stout, Shawnee

Grandma: Irene Blend, Leawood

Gert: Meghann Deveroux, Shawnee

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