Libby Hanssen

Originally from Indiana, Libby Hanssen covers the performing arts in Kansas City. She’s written for KCUR, “KC Studio,” “The Kansas City Star,” “The Pitch” and “KCMetropolis.” Libby maintains the culture blog “Proust Eats A Sandwich” and writes poetry and children’s books. Along with degrees in trombone performance, she was a Fellow for the NEA Arts Journalism Institute at Columbia University.

Kansas City Symphony Opens Classical Series with Themes of Struggle and Triumph

Ah, opening day. The fanfare, the National Anthem, that first pitch…it’s the opening concert of the Kansas City Symphony’s 2019/2020 Classical Series. The orchestra has already been hard at work for the last month in its various capacities, but this cornerstone series kick starts a season of celebrations and milestones, with an impressive roster of […]

October 5, 2019
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Goons, Dames and Mozart: Hometown Tenor Debuts in Lyric Opera of Kansas City’s “The Abduction from the Seraglio” Reboot.

Lyric Opera of Kansas City makes “The Abduction from the Seraglio”—a story about love, about pride and about power—into a captivating rom-com set in the seedy back alleys of Hollywood. It’s a smart remake, originally for New Orleans Opera, directed by Alison Moritz. These timeless elements translated on stage and beyond. Pride, for one, in […]

September 22, 2019
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Wylliams/Henry Contemporary Dance Company Presents “Southern Exposure”

This fall, Wylliams/Henry Contemporary Dance Company restages its 2010 work “Southern Exposure” with the help of a $10,000 Art Works grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. “With all of these things that have happened in the past few years...I thought it was time to revisit it again, in a slightly different perspective,” said Mary Pat Henry.

September 17, 2019
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Arts News | Midwest Chamber Ensemble’s Third Album: A Francophile Delight

This summer, Midwest Chamber Ensemble released its third album: “Vieux Amis-Nouveaux Costumes” (Old Friends in New Clothes). It’s a Francophile delight. The album features works by American composer Philip Lasser, including arrangements of song settings by Gabriel Fauré and Claude Debussy. MCE performs the songs with vocalist Sarah Tannehill Anderson. The songs are written for […]

September 16, 2019
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Arts News: Name Change Signals Big Changes Ahead for UMKC Conservatory

Effective July 1, 2019, the University of Missouri-Kansas City officially changed the name of its performing arts unit, formerly the Conservatory of Music and Dance, to the UMKC Conservatory. For students and alums — I graduated from the UMKC Conservatory in 2006 with a master’s degree — it’s a welcome change. It’s also a significant […]

September 13, 2019
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Fall Season Lookahead: Dance

The dance community starts out strong this season with five straight weekends of stunning contemporary dance. New Dance Partners at Johnson County Community College’s Carlsen Center, which has facilitated some thrilling performances during its tenure, once again brings together the Kansas City Ballet, Owen/Cox Dance Company, Störling Dance Theater and Wylliams/Henry Contemporary Dance Company with national-level choreographers.

August 28, 2019
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