Category: Theater Reviews

An older woman in a 1950s housedress sits looking melancholy.K
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February 16, 2023

KCRep’s Captivatingly Absurd World Premiere “Flood” Explores the Dangers of Privilege & Complacency

Mashuq Mushtaq Deen’s new play Flood offers as good an argument as I can imagine in favor of a resurgence of the Theater of the Absurd.
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February 3, 2023

At the Unicorn Theatre, “Refuge” is a Moving, Musical, Magical Experience

Refuge, the new play about borders, barriers, and American dreams currently in a rolling world-premiere at the Unicorn Theatre, is a complex blend of narrative, music, puppetry, and magical realism—powerful and poignant.
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A white man and a Black drag queen pose together.T
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January 31, 2023

The White Theatre’s “Kinky Boots” Balances Out a Few Stumbles With Heaps of Fun and Heart

Cyndi Lauper and Harvey Fierstein’s musical celebration of drag and gender expression in a battle against judgmental bigotry is as relevant as ever.
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A young Black woman stares intently ahead. An Asian woman stands at a podium behind her.A
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January 26, 2023

At KCAT, ‘Smart People’ Is an Aimless Exploration of Human Contradictions

"Smart People" is about the myriad ways racism manifests—from the quotidian to the systemic to the neurological.
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The cast of Hadestown performing.T
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January 20, 2023

The Underworld Comes To Kansas City With the North American Tour of “Hadestown”

If there’s one thing you can count on with a touring Broadway show it’s top-tier production value and Hadestown is no exception.
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December 16, 2022

Padgett’s “Who’s Holiday!” is a Jolly Good Time, Though Just for Adults and Entirely in Rhyme

There is no need to fret; just follow instructions: Go see “Who’s Holiday!” by Padgett Productions.
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Three kitchen workers have an animated discussion.A
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December 14, 2022

At the Unicorn, “Clyde’s” Presents Deft Social Commentary by Way of Sandwiches

Currently onstage at the Unicorn Theatre is an astute commentary on the prison industrial complex. And also sandwiches. 
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A young Black woman in a red Christmas outfit belts while singing.T
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December 14, 2022

The Living Room’s “Milking Christmas” Is an Uproariously Original Bit of Holiday Madness

The cast is working off an incredible script but it’s their capacity for spontaneity that really allows the work to shine.
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An older white man in an old-fashioned dressing gown and night cap kneels on a bed with his arms outstretched, looking up and grinning.K
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November 30, 2022

KC Rep’s “A Christmas Carol” Is a Solid Burst of Seasonal Nostalgia

What KC Rep has created for audiences both new and decades-returning is a beautiful tradition.
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