KC STUDIO – Covering the performing, visual, cinematic and literary arts in Kansas City

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Artist to Watch: Enrique Chi

The official music video for Making Movies’ powerful 2019 song, “Tired of Giving In,” begins with the Kansas City Latinx band perfunctorily performing onstage while literally handcuffed to their instruments. But the band’s seething front man, Enrique Chi, can play nice for only so long.

Theatre for Young America Celebrates Negro Leagues in Expanded Third Production of ‘Fair Ball’

Delayed due to the pandemic, Theatre for Young America is finally able to present its revamped production of “Fair Ball: Negro Leagues in America.” 

Concert to Come: Prepare for a “Transformative Experience”

When the Kansas City Ballet returns to performances in the Kauffman Center this October, prepare for a transportive experience with a trio of signature works in “Celts.”

From the Magazine

‘History From Their Viewpoint’: Photography During World War I

World War I was the first major conflict to occur after the widespread democratization of photography.

Arts News: George Caleb Bingham Catalogue Raisonné Now Available Online

The recent announcement by the Riverbank Foundation that the George Caleb Bingham catalogue raisonné is in the process of being converted to an online format is welcome news.

Arts News: Mattie Rhodes Expands Its Arts Presence

Mattie Rhodes is preparing to assume an even larger role in the Kansas City arts scene.

Dr. Adrianna Marshall: A Passionate Advocate for Arts Education in Public Schools

Kansas City native, Adrianna Marshall, Ph.D., has been on the job as the K-12 Coordinator of Fine Arts and Physical Education at Kansas City Public Schools for a year.

Online Reviews

Performing

Faust Theatre Brings Camp (and a Little Chaos) to “Carrie: The Musical”

Frenetic pacing and technical challenges hampered Faust Theatre’s “Carrie: the Musical” on opening night—but a campy staging and talented cast and crew kept the show fun.

Performing

Community and Sharing in “Protest + Hope = Healing”

In “Protest + Hope = Healing,” choreographer and organizer Tyrone Aiken brought together a multi-disciplinary cadre of artists for an intimate event that explored how these artists have challenged injustice, offering models for others.

Visual

“With Liberty and Justice,” Charlotte Street Foundation

Organized by the Charlotte Street Foundation’s Jedel Family Foundation Curatorial Fellow Kimi Katada, “With Liberty and Justice” features the works of nine contemporary artists looking closely at American history.

Performing

At Kansas City Actors Theatre, “Four Children” Connects the Darkest Moments of Our Past

“Four Children” is an intricately woven script that highlights the dazzling cruelty of war even as its staging keeps us at an emotional remove.

Performing Arts

Kansas City Symphony Presents Exuberant Mahler and Kahane World Premiere

With a megawatt Mahler, a tuneful world premiere piano concerto, and a healthy dose of excitement, the Kansas City Symphony was back in Helzberg Hall for an exuberant opening concert.

New Dance Partners Delivers, Back On Stage

New Dance Partners at JCCC’s Midwest Trust Center is back on stage with diverse realms of choreographic style.

Visual Art

“Gregg Deal: Yadooa Hookwu (I Will Speak Now),” UMKC Gallery of Art

Gregg Deal’s exhibition “Yadooa Hookwu (I Will Speak Now)” is a combination of tested pop art techniques and Indigenous Native American images.

“2021 Kansas City Flatfile & Digitalfile,” H&R Block Artspace at the Kansas City Art Institute

Go to the “2021 Kansas City Flatfile & Digitalfile exhibit” at the Kansas City Art Institute’s H&R Block Artspace and pull open some drawers.

“Benjamin Rosenthal: and the band played on, and on on,” Studios, Inc

Benjamin Rosenthal’s solo exhibition at Studios Inc, “and the band played on, and on on,” is conceptualized around the HIV/AIDS film of the same title.

Cinematic Arts

Kansas City Underground Film Festival, Charlotte Street Foundation

The Kansas City Underground Film Festival, which opened Sept. 16 and runs through Sept. 26, features 114 films, culled, says KCUFF’s director and co-founder Willy Evans, from 800 submissions requiring 400 hours of viewing by the KCUFF board.

In Memoriam: Robert Fletcher

ou love “Star Trek,” George Balanchine, Orson Welles, Liza Minnelli and the “Game of Thrones,” then you love the art of famed designer Robert Fletcher.

Literary Arts

Arts News: New Book Traces Architectural History of KCAI

Architectural historian Cydney Millstein agreed to write what would become “The Kansas City Art Institute: Architecture & Innovation 1885-2020” not knowing what she’d uncover in the necessary research.