Category: Articles
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“Dead Man Walking” – “A drama that will reach out and grab you”
Since “Dead Man Walking” premiered at the San Francisco Opera in 2000, there have been more than 40 stage productions worldwide. There are two commercial recordings, one featuring Kansas City native Joyce DiDonato as Sister Helen. For an opera that is only 16 years old, this is remarkable. “Dead Man Walking” is one of the most successful American operas in recent memory.
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The Pluses and Pitfalls of Premieres
In “Ten Things Theaters Need to Do Right Now to Save Themselves,” Brendan Kiley of Seattle’s entertainment newspaper, “The Stranger,” urges theater companies to produce premieres — frequently. Directors must seek them out, he says, playwrights must hasten their submissions, critics must review them consistently and unions should allow equity actors to perform in them.
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Friends of Chamber Music Honors Two Masters of the Historic Keyboard
During this 40th anniversary season, the Friends of Chamber Music will present Lifetime Achievement Awards to Alexei Lubimov and Malcolm Bilson, two of the world’s most acclaimed proponents of historic keyboard performance practice. The Friends bring internationally-renowned musicians to Kansas City every season and connections span the globe.
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A Knockout Punch to Racial Stereotypes
Roger Shimomura’s art has never seemed more timely. In the wake of a vitriolic election season, with its red hot issues of populism, anti-immigration and racial bias, the veteran artist’s unique ability to pictorially blend wit and humor with themes of racism and the anguish it causes is right on target.