Rick Truman, President and CEO of The Folly Theater
Host Michael Mackie sits down with Rick Truman, President & CEO of the Folly Theater to discuss the Theater’s 125th anniversary programming and the impact of the Streetcar for their theater attendees. Note: This episode was recorded prior to the recent break-in and vandalism that caused an estimated $750,000 in damage to the Folly Theater. The Folly is currently seeking community support for restoration efforts. Please consider donating at follytheater.org.
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Michael Mackie:
Hi everyone, it’s Michael Mackie here, coming to you from KC Studio. KC Studio and kcstudio.org is the only regional magazine and website entirely devoted to covering all arts all the time. I’m excited to work with KC Studio on this special podcast that will provide valuable insights into how public transit and the World Cup are shaping cultural expression and events in the heart of our city. So thanks for joining us on this month’s stop of KC Studio’s Artful Connections Along the Streetcar podcast presented by Arvest Bank and sponsored by TIVOL. We’ll be featuring some of Kansas City’s finest cultural arts and civic organizations each month that are along the recently extended Kansas City Streetcar route that now goes from the riverfront to the Country Club Plaza and UMKC. Streetcar riders are now able to hop on the streetcar at any of the stops and ride to and from their favorite exhibits and events throughout the year. So please take a ride with us.
Support for Artful Connections Along the Streetcar comes from Arvest Bank. Arvest Bank believes that financial confidence should be within reach for everyone. Whether you’re just getting started planning for your future or starting a new chapter, we are here to help you plan and meet your goals every step of the way. Because everyone deserves a financial partner who cares. Arvest Bank. We believe. For more information, visit arvest.com or visit one of our 20 locations throughout Kansas City.
Hi everyone. I’m here today with Rick Truman, president and CEO at the Folly Theater. The Folly Theater is having an exciting year celebrating its 125th anniversary of this historic theater. And for those of you that are not familiar with the Folly Theater, it is Kansas City’s oldest historic theater. The theater started out as a burlesque and vaudeville venue named the Standard Theater way back in 1900. And through the years and under various names like the Century and the Schuberts’ Missouri Theater, the theater has featured famous acts including Al Jolson, Fanny Brice, the Marx Brothers, Gypsy Rose Lee, I could go on and on, and many others. In 2000, a new lobby, restrooms and second-story shareholders room were added. And recently the seats and technology have all been upgraded and the theater hosts a wide range of quality events for the community. So Rick, it is great to have you here today. I did not know that you have been here almost four years holding down the fort.
Rick Truman:
It’s crazy, isn’t it? Since January of ’22.
Michael Mackie:
Okay, well, we want to say welcome to Artful Connections Along the Streetcar podcast. So first of all, right out of the gate, what sort of changes have you seen in the arts community? Well, and specifically at the Folly over the last, what? Four years?
Rick Truman:
Wow. Well…
Michael Mackie:
You got here right as the pandemic was sort of happening.
Rick Truman:
Yes. It’s a very interesting time for all arts organizations because venues were opening back up in fall of ’21, and so we were still masking in early ’22. We were still doing social distancing to some degree, and so it has been very interesting to see audiences responding and we are still trying to get audiences off of their sofa and away from Netflix back into theaters, because the pandemic totally changed people’s behaviors.
Michael Mackie:
What I want to know is the streetcar. How do you think that’s going to change the cultural or the historical aspect of Kansas City by and large?
Rick Truman:
Oh my God, the streetcar is a huge lift to everybody. I mean, we are less than a quarter of a mile from a streetcar stop, less than five minutes.
Michael Mackie:
Facts.
Rick Truman:
So the fact that people can get here from UMKC all the way down to us, that will enable us to reach all kinds of audiences that might otherwise have been like, I don’t want to deal with my car, I don’t want to park, I don’t want to do all that. It’s great.
Michael Mackie:
Support for Artful Connections Along the Streetcar comes from TIVOL. For more than a century, TIVOL has helped Kansas City mark treasured moments and create cherished memories with fine jewelry of the highest quality. Visit us at our Country Club Plaza or Hawthorne Plaza locations or online at tivol.com. TIVOL is proud to be a sponsor of this special podcast and to celebrate our city’s vibrant arts community.
Since you’ve gotten there, you have seen some big changes in the city, but you have really, the Folly Theater has embraced all of these. I know, but the Folly Theater has really embraced all of these renovations and expansions and things. What’s next? What is on your to-do list still?
Rick Truman:
Breathe after all of that? No, we did a major renovation, $4 million renovation in 2022 in the summer, and then with the anniversary, 125th anniversary this year, it feels like we are constantly chasing something. We do have a couple of cool ideas that we are looking at doing with an additional marquee on the theater, replacing some of the handrails in the theater that we haven’t been able to replace yet. A number of things like that. And there’s, we’ll be talking about that probably early next year.
Michael Mackie:
Yes, right around. And happy holidays, by the way.
Rick Truman:
Happy holidays to you as well.
Michael Mackie:
Yes. Okay. I’m going completely off script because I’m obsessed, but I loved it when you changed the Folly to the Dolly when Dolly Parton showed–
Rick Truman:
Wasn’t that awesome?
Michael Mackie:
Can we talk about Dolly for just, oh my God, 5, 10, 15 minutes?
Rick Truman:
Yeah. She’s a national treasure. We should talk about her all the time.
Michael Mackie:
All the time.
Rick Truman:
She’s five foot nothing and as nice as you can expect her to be, and it was such an honor to have her at the Folly. And we did, we renamed it the Dolly Theater, put a great big D over the F.
Michael Mackie:
I did see that.
Rick Truman:
It was the coolest thing.
Michael Mackie:
I did see that.
Rick Truman:
We still have the D in our office. It’s one of those things that we wish we would’ve had her sign, like a duplicate of it or something.
Michael Mackie:
You should have her sign it. Okay, next time. Next time. For sure. For sure. Congrats on 125 years.
Rick Truman:
Thank you.
Michael Mackie:
You had a birthday, you had a lot going on this past year. Can we talk about how we celebrated all the things?
Rick Truman:
Yeah.
Michael Mackie:
You were, everything everywhere all at once?
Rick Truman:
It was super cool. We had The Freedom Affair, a local Kansas City Band, was in actually on the birth date itself, Tuesday night, the 23rd. That was a blast. Our former director of theater operations came in. She has a wealth of knowledge about the Folly Theater. She gave a presentation about that. We had over 300 people that day alone, and then it’s still available for streaming through the library’s website. And then about 60 of those people came over for tours of the theater. Then we had Samara Joy in for our gala in November. Oh my God, she’s amazing. That show sold out a month in advance. It’s crazy. But she’s kind of the perfect person to celebrate our anniversary because she’s old school. Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, that kind of voice. But she’s the new generation. She’s only 25, already won five Grammy Awards, 25.
Michael Mackie:
We hate her. And we love her.
Rick Truman:
Right? And again, nicest person, stayed after the concert, met everybody, signed autographs. So sweet. So it’s the perfect way to have a gala celebration, celebrating the past and the future. It’s been phenomenal. And we have, Marilyn Maye at 97 years old, so the other end of the spectrum,
Michael Mackie:
The Marilyn Maye.
Rick Truman:
The Marilyn Maye will be here December 21st for a holiday concert. So it’s kind of the end of an anniversary year with Marilyn, who is also a Kansas City icon. I mean, let’s just call it out. She is fabulous.
Michael Mackie:
Didn’t I read somewhere that she was on The Tonight Show more than any other guest? Full stop.
Rick Truman:
I used to the number 76 times, I think. More than any other female vocalist.
Michael Mackie:
Vocalist. All right.
Rick Truman:
In particular. But yeah, 76 times on the Johnny Carson Show. Unbelievable.
Michael Mackie:
Okay, so 125 years, you’ve had a big birthday year, but why do I feel like it’s going to carry on into 2026 question mark?
Rick Truman:
Well, I mean, there’s always got to be a reason to celebrate. Actually, we’re talking to a couple different people, The Black Archives about doing a talk about what the experience was of People of Color, particularly during the Jim Crow era, which is when our theater was built. You don’t want to shy away from the parts of your past that you aren’t the most proud of, because we don’t want to go back to those times. So we’re talking with them about something. We’re talking about history of other historic theaters from our time, talking about them and celebrating the fact that the Folly is still standing and is the only one of her generation that’s still around. We have a phenomenal jazz season this year, and that will kind of continue the birthday celebrations. We have new merch, like this beautiful lapel pin that everyone might run to our website and get.
Michael Mackie:
Why don’t I have one?
Rick Truman:
I should have brought you one. Why did I not think of that? That’s what I want for Christmas. Holiday? Okay. When I see you at the Folly, because you’ll be back soon.
Michael Mackie:
I will be.
Rick Truman:
Then I will have one for you. I promise.
Michael Mackie:
You spoke about jazz, but you guys are also super committed to children’s programming, children’s theater, and you also have a lot of family programs. Can we talk about that?
Rick Truman:
We do. We do. Of course. We can talk about that. We can talk about anything.
Michael Mackie:
Yes, we can. It’s the holidays.
Rick Truman:
Exactly. Anything goes at the holidays. We have a great kid series where we bring in shows that tour throughout the country, and we particularly focus on STEM education and even STEAM education, with the arts in there as well. And we already had, Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus back in November. And then we’re bringing in Meet Dr. King for Black History Month in February, Pout-Pout Fish, which is a great book, The Magic School Bus, which is another great book that kids will love. And it’s really a cool way that the thing that I love about this experience is it’s both about the show itself and the educational component of what’s happening on the stage, but also just the experience of these kids being in a 125-year-old theater. Sometimes they walk in, they’ve never been into a theater before, and they’re like, what is this magical place? It is the coolest experience to see them experience downtown, experience historic theater. It really warms your heart.
Michael Mackie:
The Folly is used by countless productions, countless other shows. Like I was just there for Late Night Theatre’s “Redesigning Women.” I mean, what a hoot.
Rick Truman:
Right? Oh my God.
Michael Mackie:
A hoot! So can you speak about how these organizations and private events sort of utilize the Folly?
Rick Truman:
Yes.
Michael Mackie:
You’re kind of a communal theater.
Rick Truman:
We are. We absolutely want to feel that we are a community resource. We’re the community’s living room. Come here and experience your event, but also experience part of Kansas City history. We’re really fortunate that we have great partner organizations, Friends of Chamber Music, Harriman-Jewell Series, Heartland Men’s Chorus, Kansas City Jazz Orchestra, Friends of Alvin Ailey, when they have an every two years out of three relationship. And so they regularly bring shows to us. I mean, this month, Heartland Men’s Chorus will be here with their holiday show. And so
Michael Mackie:
And I went to go see Megan Mulally not too long ago for her one-woman show.
Rick Truman:
And then we have,we had one-off things like that as well, where people want a venue of our size. And the thing that I love about the Folly is we seat a thousand people, but even if you have 300 people in there, it is an intimate experience. If you have a thousand people in there, it’s an intimate experience. It’s not like you’re lost, one among many thousands of people. You’re only 50 feet from the edge of the stage to the back row. Performers even have come in and stood on the stage and said, wow, oh my gosh, they’re right back there. They love the intimacy and the fact that it’s more of a dialogue than it is a solo experience of the artist on stage and the audience just sitting in their seats clapping.
Michael Mackie:
Oh, preach. Well, when I saw Cheyenne Jackson at the Pride event, I think I was in maybe the eighth or 10th row, I could feel his breath. It was shamazing.
Rick Truman:
Yeah. Well, and he was just super dynamic. I mean, he was, and again, talk about the nicest person, such a great performer.
Michael Mackie:
That was a great show. Barney Allis is undergoing, shall we say, a renaissance?
Rick Truman:
Shall we?
Michael Mackie:
Shall we? Can we call it that?
Rick Truman:
I think we can call it that.
Michael Mackie:
But there’s construction, there’s parking, there’s all the things going on down there. But the streetcar really is helping a brother out, is it not?
Rick Truman:
Absolutely. Because you can bypass all that craziness.
Michael Mackie:
Yes, you can.
Rick Truman:
Just take the streetcar to 12th and Main, walk, I don’t know, three blocks, whatever it is. Like I said, less than a quarter of a mile. It’s super, super convenient.
Michael Mackie:
The World Cup? The World Cup is coming.
Rick Truman:
The World Cup is coming.
Michael Mackie:
The World Cup is looming.
Rick Truman:
They are bringing the world to our door.
Michael Mackie:
What does the Folly have planned?
Rick Truman:
Oh, we have all kinds of things. Nothing I can talk about yet. That’ll all be coming out in early 2026. I’m sorry, December’s just too early.
Michael Mackie:
That’s fine. It’s fine.
Rick Truman:
But we are looking for corporate partners that will be able to use the Folly as a home base for corporate watch parties and running people out to the stadiums when we have games in town, but also doing things that are going to lean into Kansas City’s history, maybe Kansas City’s burlesque history? So some really cool stuff that will appeal to both Kansas Citians and people from outside of Kansas City who are here to experience American culture, Kansas City culture. We might lean into a little bit of jazz as well, all kinds of stuff in the hopper.
Michael Mackie:
Do you feel like the streetcar has had an impact with all this sort of construction and parking and
Rick Truman:
Oh my gosh, yes.
Michael Mackie:
Has it helped a brother out?
Rick Truman:
Yeah, absolutely. I mean, the fact that you can just get on the streetcar from wherever, whether it’s in the River Market, whether it’s Union Station, and obviously now with UMKC, I mean the UMKC extension is, I mean the chef’s kiss to that. That is huge. And the fact that students alone or people who live, I mean, heck, I live in Waldo. I can just go to UMKC, park in the area and then come downtown. It’s perfect. People have so much more flexibility now. And we have a parking garage right next to the theater and it’s not too expensive. But any way that you can bypass that and bypass getting out of a garage after a show, I can’t tell you how many times that I’ve either been to the Kauffman or been to the Folly or gone to a show at the Midland and
Michael Mackie:
You’re trapped for a hot minute.
Rick Truman:
But yeah, and it may only be five or 10 minutes, but that’s five or 10 minutes of my life. I want back.
Michael Mackie:
You are preaching to the choir.
Rick Truman:
And if I can enjoy the streetcar in doing it at the same time, it’s an experience at the same time that you’re actually getting from one point to another. Love it.
Michael Mackie:
Support for Artful Connections Along the Streetcar comes from Arvest Bank. Arvest Bank believes that financial confidence should be within reach for everyone. Whether you’re just getting started planning for your future or starting a new chapter, we are here to help you plan and meet your goals every step of the way. Because everyone deserves a financial partner who cares. Arvest Bank. We believe. For more information, visit arvest.com or visit one of our 20 locations throughout Kansas City.
I feel like your renovations have had renovations. Its not like you can necessarily expand, but you’ve done so much over the last, so can we talk about if people haven’t been to the Folly lately. What’s new?
Rick Truman:
Yes, absolutely. I have so much excitement about what has been going on at the Folly. You’ve always got to innovate and keep things fresh and keep people wanting to come back. And so in 2022, we put in all new seats. The seats were getting to be a hundred years old. You couldn’t keep the armrests on sometimes. And some of the padding was a little
Michael Mackie:
Sketch.
Rick Truman:
Worn. Sketch. And so the seats are so much comfortable and hundred year old seats, well, they were built for a hundred, people who lived a hundred years ago. They were smaller. So these are all on average two inches wider, super, super comfortable, which is great. We put in all new carpet throughout, new hardwood floors, the balcony lobby. Some people don’t go up to the balcony. I urge people, just go up there, even if you don’t have a need to go up there because your seats are on the orchestra floor, because it is gorgeous up there. There is a stained glass window that fits in with the architecture. Louis Curtiss, who is the architect, put lots of stained glass in his projects. He just didn’t do a lot in the theater. And there’s this beautiful stained glass window that pays homage to the facade of the theater. There’s this lovely sculpture that celebrates jazz that was commissioned in the ’80s actually, but got repositioned up there and it looks like it’s been there forever. It’s gorgeous. The backstage has got renovated as well. World-class artists can’t go out and give an amazing performance if they don’t have a space to get ready in that’s comfortable and inviting. And so we actually had a funder who said, this is important. So they directed their gifts specifically to that, which was so helpful. There’s a great lounge space upstairs that used to be just kind of a closed in room with not a lot of natural light, and now it’s opened up and it’s lovely.
So we’ve added new live streaming cameras as well so that you can see things throughout the building, even if you’re not in the hall. But also we have the capability to stream that out to the public, which is what we did with Dolly when she was there. We sent it out to all the library systems. And so we’re trying to keep things fresh and new, but also keep them appropriate to the historic theater. One of the nicest compliments I got when we reopened with the renovations was a staff person, part-time staff person who said to me, I came in expecting to hate it because I don’t like change, and it’s perfect. Everything feels exactly right. And I thought that was such a nice compliment to PGAV Architects, who made such great choices that it felt appropriate for the building, but fresh and new. Very comfortable.
Michael Mackie:
The last time I was there, which was just a couple months ago, I love that it still smells like new car when you walk in.
Rick Truman:
It does, doesn’t it?
Michael Mackie:
It really does.
Rick Truman:
It’s not your father’s Folly.
Michael Mackie:
No, it is not. But that leads me to my next question. What is this I hear? The Folly almost got torn down, not once, but twice?
Rick Truman:
Twice. So the theater shut down in the ’30s because of the Great Depression, people didn’t have money togo out to see shows, and so it was dark. It didn’t even have a name, because the Schuberts ran it in the ’20s, and it was the Schuberts’ Missouri Theater. But when they ended their lease, the theater had no name. And one person who owned one 11th of the theater tried to get the other 10 owners to sell it so they could tear it down and put it in a parking lot because it wasn’t operational. Thankfully, that didn’t happen. In ’41, when the US entered the war, the soldiers were coming through Union Station and somebody said, Hey, there’s this theater. Let’s reopen it and put in shows, USO type shows, but maybe a little more risque to entertain the soldiers coming through. And so from ’41 up into the ’70s, it operated with shows like that. Well, it devolved from–
Michael Mackie:
Burlesque-esque.
Rick Truman:
Classy burlesque to strip to really strip. And then in the ’70s, it was just showing X-rated films. And so by ’74, the ceiling had caved in.
Michael Mackie:
Oh my.
Rick Truman:
You could not use the ceiling at all. And they were showing X-rated films. And so it finally shut down in ’74, and there was a permit polled to tear the building down and once again, turn it into a surface parking lot. Why everybody wants a surface parking lot I don’t know.
Michael Mackie:
They paved paradise and put up a parking lot.
Rick Truman:
Exactly. And thankfully, Joan Kent Dillon and William Deramus III said absolutely not. This is an important part of Kansas City history, Kansas City architecture. We must save this. They led the charge. It took them seven years to raise the money to acquire the building, renovate it, painstaking efforts to really bring it back to her glory. They dug nine tons of pigeon poop out of the balcony.
Michael Mackie:
Ugh.
Rick Truman:
Because the ceiling had caved. I mean, it was just terrible. But in ’81, it reopened, and our nonprofit organization has been running it since 1981 and making it a place where the community is welcome and all kinds of community events happen there. It’s truly the honor of my life to be the custodian of this important cultural treasure.
Michael Mackie:
Support for Artful Connections Along the Streetcar comes from TIVOL. For more than a century, TIVOL has helped Kansas City mark treasured moments and create cherished memories with fine jewelry of the highest quality. Visit us at our Country Club Plaza or Hawthorne Plaza locations or online at tivol.com. TIVOL is proud to be a sponsor of this special podcast and to celebrate our city’s vibrant arts community.
Who is on your wishlist? If you had zero budget and you could bring in anybody into the Folly? This is, I’m totally going off script on this one.
Rick Truman:
Wow. Well you know who was, was Dolly. I wanted Dolly back for an actual show, and they were like, oh, you’re cute. Next!
Michael Mackie:
Next! I saw her at the Folly back in, what was that, 20? I don’t even remember. She was at the Folly about a decade ago.
Rick Truman:
Yes. Yes. But I want another big celebration with her. I would love to have Emmylou Harris. I think she would be fabulous in that venue. Molly Tuttle is an up and coming bluegrass artist that I have been trying for years and have–
Michael Mackie:
Molly, If you’re watching this, and I know that you will be, listen up. The Folly wants you.
Rick Truman:
Hey, don’t go to Lawrence next time. Come here. Oh, there are all kinds of Broadway people that I would love to have here. Jane Krakowski would be crazy.
Michael Mackie:
Yeah, she just unveiled herself in, “Oh, Mary.”
Rick Truman:
Right?
Michael Mackie:
Was that a month and a half ago?
Rick Truman:
Yeah, something like that. Oh, you know who I really want? If money were no object and they were willing to do it, Bette Midler. Would she not be?
Michael Mackie:
I just gasped.
Rick Truman:
Right. The epitome of celebrating burlesque, celebrating music. She’s kind of the very top pinnacle of my list.
Michael Mackie:
Does she know that it’s your 125th anniversary? I feel like…
Rick Truman:
She should. I mean doesn’t everyone?
Michael Mackie:
Bette, if you’re listening and I know that you probably are, don’t be selfish. Come to the Folly.
Rick Truman:
Exactly.
Michael Mackie:
So yes. What else do you want people to know about the Folly that they might not necessarily know? I mean, you’re an institution, but what are some other nuggets that we need to know?
Rick Truman:
I think what can be a hard story to tell, but I really want people to know is no matter who you are or what your story is, you should find it represented on the Folly stage. We have so many types of shows that happen there. Comedy, dance, classical music, pop music. We had a hip-hop artist a little while back. We had a K-pop artist a little while back. I mean, no matter what you like, you should be able to find something there. And if you don’t find it, tell us what that is and we will find a partner to bring that in, because we want everyone in Kansas City to feel like they are at home there. And that doesn’t mean just, oh, I like classical music, and so I’ll go sit in the seats. It means you should be able to look up on that stage and say, I look like that person. I had the same experience as that person. And that’s my story being told to me. That’s what it means to be a part of community.
Michael Mackie:
What is a show that really, really surprised you that, I mean, you go see all your shows, but what was a show that really surprised you since you arrived at the Folly?
Rick Truman:
Oh my gosh, there’s so many. I mean, I shouldn’t say they surprised me, but the Heartland Men’s Chorus shows every time. I’m always like–
Michael Mackie:
Oh, goosebumps.
Rick Truman:
What are they doing now?
Michael Mackie:
Goosebumps.
Rick Truman:
Oh my God, how creative is that? And speaking of Heartland Men’s Chorus, a show that I loved, we did a partnership with them for our kids’ series, like you mentioned. And it was a book called My Shadow is Pink. And we commissioned an original score for this, and it was about a little boy who liked to wear dresses and liked things that were considered girly, and he was afraid to show his true self. But once he did show his true self, he found friends that liked him for who he was. And the Heartland Men’s Chorus did this beautiful rendition of it. And I kept thinking, okay, how is this going to turn out? I can see it all in my head, but will it actually happen onstage the way I hope it will? And it was gorgeous. Shawn Cullen and the guys in the chorus just did a beautiful, beautiful job.
Michael Mackie:
Ridiculously talented, the Heartland Men’s Chorus As you keep going with more funding and more, how can the community help you guys? What can the community do? What’s on your wishlist for funding for 2025, 2026 and beyond?
Rick Truman:
Yeah. If anybody has $56,000 laying around that, they say, hey, I’d like to buy a hot water tank for a historic theater. That’s something we could use.
Michael Mackie:
A hot water tank. And you have a very specific–
Rick Truman:
It’s sexy, isn’t it?
Michael Mackie:
$56,000. You have that down to the price.
Rick Truman:
That’s the estimate. That’s another thing that’s surprising. When I interviewed for this job, they said, what experience do you have with historic buildings? And I said, well, my home was built in the ’50s and I was treasurer at my church, and the church was built in the ’20s. So I have experience with historic buildings. No, I do not. 125-year-old building. There is always something going on, whether it’s regular maintenance on the doors or whether it’s the hot water tank in the building, because we are powered by steam. Our heat is–
Michael Mackie:
I did not know that.
Rick Truman:
Totally random. But that’s how–
Michael Mackie:
You are learning a lot today on the podcast, kids.
Rick Truman:
So there’s, trust me, there’s always something. The tech director or the events manager will call me and go, we just found out about this in the building. And I’ll say, okay, the roof hatch is so, okay, I’ll give you a deal. Okay? If you don’t have $56,000, $2,600 to put in a new roof hatch into the building, because people were getting into our building by breaking in through the roof hatch. They were climbing up the side of the building and coming in the top. It’s secured now. So if you are one of those people, and you are listening to this podcast, and I know you are listening, you can’t get in anymore because it’s secured, but we still have to replace the actual broken roof hatch. Random. So that’s a deal. That’s only $2,600.
Michael Mackie:
What a bargain. That seems really ambitious. Who would want to get–
Rick Truman:
I know. Isn’t that bizarre? And I bet they did not take the streetcar because they’re not thinking. See, they’re not a streetcar person. Just telling you.
Michael Mackie:
They are not a streetcar person. Okay. So I know that some of the, and again, putting on the spot, deviating from the script, why, who even needs a script? I hear that some of the theaters in Kansas City are allegedly haunted.
Rick Truman:
We just came out of haunting season, yes.
Michael Mackie:
Yes. Is yours? is the Folly? Is there anything?
Rick Truman:
A hundred percent. I have two great stories to share with you. Okay.
Michael Mackie:
Hit me.
Rick Truman:
So first of all, we moved our offices a couple of months ago, and 24 years worth of paper in our office. And we were going through this and I found a file literally labeled Ghost Story from the previous executive director, Gale. Thank you for leaving this behind, because it’s invaluable. A gentleman who was a police officer who patrolled at night was driving by the theater, and he wrote Gale this email, and he saw somebody behind the bar in the theater wearing a top hat and tails and said, I just wanted to make sure that this person works for you. Because it was after hours,there were minimal lights on, but this person was behind the bar. And it just looked very odd. And so I wanted to make sure that this was okay. And if I ever saw that again, I shouldn’t worry about it.
Because It was late at night. He didn’t have a way to get ahold of anybody. Well, that was Joe Donegan, who was the manager of the theater from 1904 to the 1920s. He was notorious for wearing a top hat, wearing tails. He was always found in the lobby. And this guy drove by and saw him there. And then I was told by the director of theater operations when she came in for our anniversary, that she would get calls from people saying, I just want to thank that donor that was so helpful in telling me stories about the origins of the theater. And she would say, oh, is it one of the ushers? No, not the ushers. It was the donor, the docent. And she said, we don’t have docents. What are you talking about?
Michael Mackie:
You don’t have docents.Rick Truman:
And they would describe him, and it would be Joe Donegan. Top hat, tails, dressed like an old timey person.
Michael Mackie:
Oh my.
Rick Truman:
One 10-year-old girl who was a daughter of a staff person was in the downstairs dressing room doing homework while a show was going on while her mom was working. She told her mom, that guy, that costumed guy that tells stories about the theater? He was so nice and I learned so much about the theater. And she talked about the hotel that was nextdoor and the speakeasy that was downstairs. And her mom was like, what are you talking about? Crazy. So Joe. Joe Donegan.
Michael Mackie:
Joe Donegan, for the win. He’s omnipresent. Literally.
Rick Truman:
Literally.
Michael Mackie:
I love that the Folly is so versatile. You could have a rap concert one day and then a Broadway show the next. Is that by design you’re taking everything and anything?
Rick Truman:
Absolutely. Yes. We want to represent all people, because I feel like if we’re going to be Kansas City’s living room, we be need to be everybody’s Kansas City living room, not just the people who want to hear a piano concert, or not just the people who want to hear a jazz concert or see a comedy show. It should be reflective of everybody. And so yeah, we actively want to seek out people to bring in shows that are going to bring in all kinds of people.
Michael Mackie:
And I know that you’re playing it close to the vest, but what things do you have lined up for next year for 2026 that you can talk about?
Rick Truman:
So our jazz series, I’m really, really excited about. For those people who don’t know jazz very well, Miles Davis, it’s the 100th anniversary of his birth. And Miles Davis is from St. Louis, so he is a Missouri brother.
And we are bringing in a special concert in March, celebrating the 100th anniversary. John Beasley, who actually played with Miles Davis, is music directing. It’s a combo of six musicians, and it’s not a tribute band, it’s not a re-creation, but it’s playing Miles Davis music in homage to him in celebration of his 100th birthday. Joshua Redman is a huge fan favorite for jazz. Terri Lyne Carrington is a drummer that has never been on the Folly stage. She has had a four-decade career but has not been to the Folly, and she’s bringing in a show, it’s a reimagining. It’s literally called, We Insist! (Reimagined). It’s a 1960s civil rights protest album, and she’s redoing that for the modern era and taking that out on tour, and I’m super excited to have that in our building. I think it’s an important part of history for us to reflect on and remember, and it’ll be a great concert. That’s in April.
Michael Mackie:
The only famous person that I have never interviewed that I want to interview…
Rick Truman:
Yes?
Michael Mackie:
Is Dolly, so I’m making you commit right now, when you get her, and she will come back to the Folly Dolly. The Dolly, the Folly.
Rick Truman:
Yes, absolutely.
Michael Mackie:
I will meet her, as God as my witness.
Rick Truman:
Okay.
Michael Mackie:
I’m playing my Rick card right now.
Rick Truman:
Okay. Put it right there in the back of my head when it happens. She’s doing a Vegas residency.
Michael Mackie:
I know!
Rick Truman:
And so why shouldn’t she try that out here first?
Michael Mackie:
She should workshop it here.
Rick Truman:
Okay. I’m on that. I’m on that.
Michael Mackie:
Okay, get on that. All right. Congrats, young man.
Rick Truman:
Thank you.
Michael Mackie:
On 125 years of the Folly. Thank you for being on our podcast, Artful Connections Along the Streetcar.
Rick Truman:
Great pleasure.
Michael Mackie:
And let’s crush 2026.
Rick Truman:
Absolutely.
Michael Mackie:
You had an amazing 2025, but I feel like 2026, your little shooting star is going to go supernova at the Folly.
Rick Truman:
Woo.
Michael Mackie:
Woo. Thanks for coming on today.
Rick Truman:
Thank you.
Michael Mackie:
Thank you so much for joining us today on our monthly stop of the Artful Connections Along the Streetcar podcast, presented by Arvest Bank and sponsored by TIVOL. You can find this podcast and our future stops wherever you find your favorite podcast. As a reminder, this is Michael Mackey for KC Studio, Kansas City’s only full-time magazine, website, and e-newsletter with professional journalists covering the cultural arts region. Go to kcstudio.org to check out all our upcoming arts events, our latest podcasts, and to sign up now to receive your free, yes, just like the streetcar, your free magazine, six times a year in your mailbox, or to receive our weekly newsletters at kcstudio.org /subscribe. Thanks for riding with us during this month’s episode.
