Jim Sajovic created his “Dark Paintings,” eight of which now hang like specters in the closed Leedy-Voulkos Art Center, from 1991-95. They were the artist’s demonstrative response to images of
In the new era of social distancing, performance art seems at once both anachronistic and a symbol of the human desire for connection and intimacy. It was thus a bittersweet
Not so long ago we were debating if it was gauche to clap between the movements of a symphony. Now, the argument is whether or not pajama bottoms count as
As the theater community reels from a community-wide shutdown ordered by public officials on both sides of the state line, artistic leaders are faced with two questions: How long? What
It was a Friday the 13th like no other. Friday is normally a big day for the performing arts. But this was not a normal Friday. For theater companies and
I can’t remember ever having left an exhibition of paintings and subsequently thinking much about how they were created. The “Summer Wheat: Blood, Sweat, and Tears” exhibit of 17 paintings and drawings from 2017- 2019 at Kemper Museum of Contemporary has changed all that. Wheat considers her work to be “an intersection of painting, drawing […]
The stage was awash with lively music, amity, optimism and national pride Tuesday for the opening-night performance of “Come From Away” at the Music Hall. The Tony Award-winning show, set in Newfoundland in far northeastern Canada, celebrates human resiliency on one of the darkest days of the 21st century. This Canadian musical brims with upbeat […]
The city was bathed in fiery light the evening of newEar Contemporary Chamber Ensemble’s “Dislocation + Defiance” program. The anticipation of the Chiefs’ impending Super Bowl game has the city in a spirit of jubilant civic pride, eager to spotlight our culture, energy, and creativity, shared with two billion people tuned in worldwide. It’s a […]
Kansas City Repertory Theatre offers a handsomely mounted production of “Fun Home,” the musical adaptation of Alison Bechdel’s graphic memoir about growing up in uniquely dysfunctional family in Pennsylvania. The show, adapted by Lisa Kron (book and lyrics) and Jeanine Tesori (music) racked up an array of awards in 2014-15, including five Tonys. While the […]
The Coterie’s production of “The White Rose: We Defied Hitler” by David Meyers hums with relevance. The one-act drama depicting the interrogation of Sophie Scholl, a young resister in Nazi Germany who was tried for treason and executed for distributing anti-Hitler leaflets, will almost certainly bring to mind young people in the here and now. […]
The vibe was celebratory during the Kansas City Symphony’s opening Classical Series concert of 2020 and it had nothing at all to do with the impending Chiefs game, though the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts was blasted with red light in support of the team. This year, organizations all over the world are commemorating the […]
