Rebecca Smith

Rebecca Smith

Rebecca Smith is an impassioned supporter of local performances of all types, who welcomes the  opportunity to promote them to KC Studio readers.

Arts News: New Play Explores the Life of KC Jazz Legend Myra Taylor

Arts News: New Play Explores the Life of KC Jazz Legend Myra Taylor

“You should make a movie of my life,” local jazz legend Myra Taylor (1917-2011) said to independent filmmaker Michael Assesandro years ago. He never forgot it. Now, Assesandro is part of a team including Danny Cox, local acting and songwriting legend, and Harvey Williams, founder and director of KC Melting Pot Theatre, who plan to […]

Arts News: Flamboyant Sets and Costumes by Zandra Rhodes Highlight Lyric Opera’s ‘The Pearl Fishers’

It’s “a neon-bright confabulation that recalls the fascination of artists like Delacroix and Matisse with exotic textiles,” said the “Washington Post.” “A cross between a candy-colored Bollywood musical and a psychedelic children’s pop-up storybook,” wrote the “Chicago Tribune.” They’re describing “The Pearl Fishers,” with costumes and sets inventively and flamboyantly designed by internationally famous fashion […]

Artist to Watch: James “SugEasy” Singleton

Artist to Watch: James “SugEasy” Singleton

A Life in Hip-Hop Winner of a 2018-19 Rocket Grant from the Charlotte Street Foundation and a 2018 Inspiration Grant from ArtsKC, Kansas City artist James “SugEasy” Singleton is gaining a growing reputation for his advocacy and performance of hip-hop. “I am a dancer, a dance teacher, an advocate for the positivity of authentic hip-hop […]

Arts News: For Music, Theater and Art – Go to Church

For those who find the arts a source of sanctuary, experiencing them in an actual sanctuary can be doubly enriching. And that’s what’s on offer at Westport Presbyterian Church, home to the Westport Center for the Arts. Founded in 2006, the Center regularly presents concerts, theatrical events and art shows featuring leading artists in the […]

‘On Shoulders Now’

‘On Shoulders Now’

Vernon and Eddie are survivors of the street. Levon is an Iowa farm boy facing eviction. Noi is a pregnant Jamaican immigrant. It is Christmas Eve, so Vernon, in the spirit of the season, decides to provide shelter to this desperate couple. That shelter is a “house of ill repute,” run by Ms. Lacy and her two companions, Shanel and Carmen. But best laid plans often go awry.

A Singular Retirement

A Singular Retirement

The Kansas City theater community knows Douglas Taylor for his 30-year run as head of Theater Technical Production for Missouri Repertory Theatre (now KC Rep), where he was the all-around go-to guy for stage design and management, construction, lighting, sound and maintenance. On productions ranging from “Hamlet” to “A Christmas Carol.”