Get ready for the 4th of July this weekend with some calendar picks from KC Studio editor Alice Thorson! It’s your last chance to see the Heart of America Shakespeare Festival’s production of Hamlet, closing on Sunday (read Robert Trussell’s review here). Tomorrow night, the Nelson presents The Sound of Soul concert for young adults and children. on Saturday, Kansas City Public Library’s Lucile H. Bluford branch celebrates its namesake, who was a leading voice in the civil rights movement in Kansas City. Saturday night, celebrate the 4th early with Booms & Blooms at Powell Gardens. And Sunday afternoon, join the World War I Museum for a conversation about their exhibition Vive l’Amérique. For more ideas this weekend visit Kansas City’s most comprehensive arts calendar at kcstudio.org/events.
Hamlet
June 13, 2017 – July 2, 2017
Southmoreland Park
6:00 p.m. – Gates open. Food and drink available from Festival vendors through intermission.
6:30 p.m. – Show Talk
7:00 pm* – Pre-show Parody performed by Team Shakespeare
7:30 pm – Hamlet performance
- Parody start times are subject to change.
Concerned about the forecast?
The show must go on — and will, unless conditions are unsafe for the company and our audience members. Should the decision be made to delay or cancel a performance because of weather conditions, a notice will be posted on the Festival’s Facebook and Twitter pages and an announcement will be made in the park. This decision is made as close to show time (7:30 p.m.) as possible, so we won’t announce a cancellation during normal business hours. If it’s sprinkling, plan on bringing a rain coat to the park!
Sound of Soul Concert and Dance of Mother Earth Performance
June 30, 2017 @ 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm | Free
Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
International performer and extraordinary talent from India Mr. Nirmalya Roy will present an uplifting evening of entertainment featuring young adults and children from local choral groups and dance schools. The Sound of Soul concert by Mr. Nirmalya Roy and premier performance by children of Dance of Mother Earth will inspire the audience. Dance of Mother Earth is based on part of the literary work “WE”, written by Dr. Nivedita Ganguly with original music by Mr. N. Roy.
Lucile Bluford Day
July 1, 2017 @ 11:00 am
Kansas City Public Library-Lucile H. Bluford Branch
It’s Lucile Bluford’s day. Officially.
Bluford, for whom the Library’s L.H. Bluford Branch is named, was a leading voice in the civil rights movement in Kansas City and helped make The Call one of the largest and most important African-American newspapers in the nation. In recognition a year ago, the state of Missouri designated July 1—her birthday—as Lucile Bluford Day.
Rep. Brandon Ellington, who cosponsored the commemoration bill, is the featured speaker as the Library celebrates her legacy at the branch named for her. Special, daylong exhibits highlight Bluford’s life and career. And a new, early literacy play station connects young visitors with her story; it includes a replica of her newsroom desk, an old-fashioned typewriter, and a phone (connecting callers to the Library’s Dial a Story program).
Lucile Bluford lived a life that was truly dedicated to building a better world, which is the theme of this year’s Summer Reading program. Discover books, events, activities, and more at kclibrary.org/summerreading.
Booms & Blooms
July 1, 2017 @ 2:00 pm – 10:00 pm | Free – $12
Powell Gardens
Fireworks, flowers and fun! Join us Saturday, July 1 for Booms & Blooms. Tour our new exhibition, ‘Gardens of Myth’ during the day, cool off in our fountain, enjoy hands-on activities and family-friendly games and in the early evening spread your blanket in your favorite viewing spot and wait for the show, while enjoying the musical stylings of the Lee’s Summit Symphony and the wares of various food and drink vendors.
Vive l’Indépendance!
July 2, 2017 @ 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm | Free
National World War I Museum at Liberty Memorial
From Lafayette and Washington to Foch and Pershing, commemorate our American independence by looking at the celebratory image of the U.S. through the eyes of French children and examining our fraternity with France. Join Archivist and Edward Jones Research Center Manager, Jonathan Casey for a conversation on the exhibition Vive l’Amérique and the alliances between France and the United States.
