Arts organizations, especially those in the performing arts, perceive that palpable energy and almost giddy eagerness in the opening of the Kauffman Center of the Performing Arts. Regional, national and international attention has already turned toward Kansas City with the focus on this center.

Why did Daedalus and Icarus strap wings to themselves? Why did Leonardo Da Vinci sketch bat-like wings and fantastical flying machines? Why did the Wright brothers construct a plane? Why do many people like to fly in dreams? Gravity has locked people to the earth, but for a select few, the chance to escape the physics for a few minutes is a rare treat.

Nothing beats a fairy tale. Originally, adults were the audience of a fairy tale just as often as children. Literary fairy tales appeared in works intended for adults, but in the 19th and 20th centuries the fairy tale became more associated as a child’s tale. Well, the UMKC Theatre Department plans to remind adults that fantasy and magical lands can still be a very powerful force.