MTH Announces 20th Anniversary Season

MTH Theater at Crown Center has unveiled an innovative and imaginative season to commemorate the organization's 20th Anniversary. Utilizing three different venues, MTH's 20th Anniversary Season highlights stories of resilience and resolve and includes Tony Award winners, regional premieres, re-imaginings, an original concert production, and the freshly minted RUBY ROOM Series. "

It's an exciting time at MTH," remarked MTH Executive Artistic Director Tim Scott. "Now, with three unique venues under our umbrella, we have the opportunity to curate experiences like never before. The stories we've chosen to highlight in our 20th Anniversary season are remarkable. We're looking forward to collaborating with local artists in celebration of this tremendous milestone at MTH!"

STEVIE: Signed, Sealed, Delivered

presented in the MTH Main Stage
March 24 - April 10
Directed and Choreographed by Marc Wayne
Written and Musical Direction by Ron Lackey

No American recording artist personifies resilience more than Stevie Wonder. Blind since shortly after his birth, Stevie is one of the best-selling musicians of all time. A musical pioneer, he reshaped the conventions of R&B and frequently used his platform to raise racial awareness with socially conscious statements and complex compositions. A collaboration with Kansas City's acclaimed Motown/Funk band 2 Proud 2 Beg, this original concert production celebrates the life, work, and musical contributions of the great Stevie Wonder.

Andrew Lloyd Webber's SONG & DANCE

presented in the MTH Main Stage
May 12 - 29
Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber
Lyrics by Don Black

Andrew Lloyd Webber's rarely produced musical in two acts, one told entirely in "Song" and the other told entirely through "Dance." The story examines the road to love and the ever-changing obstacles along the way. The two mediums of song and dance offer a startling juxtaposition and highlight how a singular narrative can be interpreted differently, depending on the lens you choose to view from. Due to the vigorous demands placed on the cellist (Webber composed the dance portion for his cellist brother Julian, which is based on the A Minor Caprice No. 24 by Paganini) the rights for this production are closely-guarded and extremely exclusive, making this rarely-produced musical, featuring cello and rock band, a must-see for theater fans everywhere. Regional premiere.

TITANIC

presented in the MTH Grand Theater
June 16 - July 3
Music & Lyrics By Maury Yeston
Book By Peter Stone

More than a hundred years later, the ill-fated story of the RMS Titanic remains one of the most compelling tales of all time. The musical swept the Tony Awards in 1997 and features some of the most majestic and soaring melodies found in the musical theater. In this new adaptation, the orchestrations have been re-imagined to include only the instrumentation found on the actual ship, a grand piano and a string quartet. The gripping stories of the passengers reflect the resilience of the human spirit, even under the most trying of circumstances. Kansas City professional premiere.

CABARET

presented in the MTH Grand Theater
August 11 - 28
Music By John Kander
Lyrics By Fred Ebb
Book By Joe Masteroff

Arguably one of the greatest musicals ever written, Kander & Ebb's masterpiece won eight Tony Awards in 1967. The universal story of identity has made Cabaret one of the most powerful and relatable stories of all time. Though set in a different time, themes of racial profiling, inclusiveness, and fear of the other are more relevant today than ever. Combine that with a red hot score and some of the most memorable tunes in musical theater, and it's easy to understand why Cabaret has remained prolific for over 50 years.

MAN OF LA MANCHA

presented in the MTH Main Stage
October 6 - 23

Music By Mitch Leigh
Lyrics By Joe Darion
Book By Dale Wasserman

Inspired by the famed Spanish novel Don Quixote and set during the Spanish Inquisition, Man of La Mancha reflects the struggle to better both yourself and the world, despite being ridiculed by those with different ideologies. The inspirational tale about one's refusal to give up an impossible dream was the winner of 5 Tony Awards when it debuted on Broadway. In an innovative twist, MTH's production will feature re-imagined orchestrations in a collaboration with Kansas City's esteemed performance group, Ensemble Iberica.

SPECTACULAR CHRISTMAS SHOW

presented in the MTH Main Stage
December 8 - 23

MTH's annual Holiday show has become a Kansas City tradition. An original revue featuring Holiday tunes from Musical Theater, innovative arrangements of Holiday classics, and more! A high-energy singing and dancing extravaganza that has proven to be a Yule log-filled, Figgy Pudding fun-fest for the entire family.

THE RUBY ROOM SERIES

presented in the MTH Ruby Room
Curated by Linnaia McKenzie

The Ruby Room Series is MTH's original concert series that celebrates Artists who have made a significant impact on American culture. Curated by MTH Associate Producer Linnaia McKenzie, in MTH's freshly minted Ruby Room, the series strives to both entertain and inform in a sleek and intimate setting, unlike anything else in Kansas City. It's about martinis, music, and mood.

The Ruby Room Series includes:

February 11-12 - For Lovers: Sonny & Cher, Ike & Tina, Captain & Tennille
April 22-23 - Jump & Jive: Louis Prima, Billie Holiday, and Duke Ellington
June 3-4 - For the Culture: Nina Simone, Sam Cooke, and Otis Redding
July 29-30 - Let It Be: John, Paul, George, and Ringo
September 16-17 - Beatnik Cafe: Ginsberg, Kerouac, bebop, and cool jazz
November 11-12 - Autumn Leaves: Johnny Mercer and Harold Arlen

MTH Ruby Room: MTH's Ruby Room is a completely redesigned and re-imagined space specifically curated for intimate cabaret and concerts. The room seats 130 guests in large, comfortable movie theater-style seating. The reinvention of the space was the brainchild of Executive Artistic Director Tim Scott, who wanted to curate an intimate venue evocative of iconic spaces like 54 Below and The Oak Room. Akin to a traditional proscenium, the design was rendered and executed by MTH Production Manager and Installation Artist Mark A. Exline.

MTH Grand Theater: In September 2021, MTH permanently added the 399 seat Theater on the 4th floor of Crown Center to its portfolio. Renamed The Grand Theater, the three-quarter thrust venue is a magnificent space, retaining the intimate sensibilities MTH has become known for. Like the MTH Main Stage, The Grand Theater has only seven rows, as well. MTH has spent the last two years collaborating with Kansas City born performance collective Quixotic to update the venue, both aesthetically and technologically.

MTH Main Stage: The full-thrust MTH Main Stage Theater is the venue guests traditionally know and love. The Main Stage accommodates up to 240 guests in large, comfortable movie theater-style seats. Since its inception, the warm and inviting venue remains as a home for most MTH productions, seamlessly transitioning from spacious to intimate experiences.

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