SOUL SISTERS: ARETHA / BILLIE / ELLA
Action on KC stages slows down a bit prior to the kick-off of the Fall 2022 season, but there is still some fun to be had at the theater, including two different Alices, Starlight hits and a couple of revues that will keep your toes tapping. Enjoy!
ALICE’S WONDERLAND
Now through Aug. 7 | Coterie Theatre in Crown Center
The world premiere of a new musical based on “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” by Lewis Carroll features an original score inspired by hip-hop, pop, gospel and Broadway. When brilliant teen-coder Alice dreams of changing the world with her new video game, Rabbit suddenly emerges from the screen and offers her an escape from reality, Alice takes the leap — and lands in her own virtual world. Tickets at www.thecoterie.org.
FREAKY FRIDAY THE MUSICAL
July 7-Sept. 11 | New Theatre Restaurant
Adapted from the beloved novel and hit Disney films, Freaky Friday the Musical is a heartfelt, funny and unexpectedly emotional update on the American classic. By spending a day in each other’s shoes, overworked mom Katherine and teenage daughter Ellie come to appreciate one another’s struggles, learn self-acceptance and realize the immeasurable love and mutual respect that bond a family. “A fast-paced, very funny musical with a great message for all ages,” praised Variety for this New Theatre Restaurant premiere. www.newtheatre.com.
PREJUDICE & PRIDE
July 8-24 | Music Theatr Heritage
A KC musical premiere from 2016 Best of KC award winners Nicholas Collett and Sam Wrigh, this knee-slappin’, toe-tappin’ good time at Hoedown Jane’s Bar and Grill, Prejudice & Pride turns Jane Austen on her head. A down-home musical for the entire family. Tickets at ci.ovationtix.com.
SOUL SISTERS: ARETHA / BILLIE / ELLA
July 15-Aug. 7 | Quality Hill Playhouse
Kent Barnhardt and company fire up the QHP stage with this thrilling tribute to the sisters of soul. Aretha Franklin, Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald earned our R-E-S-P-E-C-T through their powerhouse voices and dynamic personalities. With hits such as God Bless the Child, Natural Woman and At Last, you’re sure to be on the edge of your seat with this powerful revue. Tickets at www.qualityhillplayhouse.com.
SPIDER’S WEB
July 20-31 | City Stage in Union Station
Suspense, anyone? KCAT returns to the mysterious world of Agatha Christie for a classic “whodunnit” story that is sure to thrill audiences of all ages. Featuring KCAT favorites Hillary Clemens, Teisha Bankston, Patrick Beasley, Logan Black, Walter Coppage, Phil Fiorini, Trevor French, Ashlee LaPine Lanker, Eric Palmquist and Criston Starks. “What sets Spider’s Web apart from most specimens of its overstuffed genre, is that its real motive is fun,” praised the New York Times for this Christie classic. Tickets at www.kcactors.org/shows/spider’s-web.
THE PIRATES AND THE LOST PEARL
July 20-30 | City Stage in Union Station
Sharing the stage with KCAT in July, Theatre for Young America presents this new play created for TYA audiences. A very uncertain captain leads a band of very peculiar pirates on a quest for the Ultimate Treasure. The pirates’ fantastical journey unfolds within a whimsical musical full of unexpected plot twists, swashbuckling action, Sea Monsters and a Mermaid! Tickets at www.tya.org.
EVERYTHING IS BEAUTIFUL
July 28-Aug. 28 | Chestnut Fine Arts Center
This intimate Olathe theatre salutes the music of the 60s and 70s. Wear your bell bottoms, mood rings and polyester shirts as radio hits like Leaving on a Jet Plane, Tie a Yellow Ribbon, Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head, and more wash over your summer nights. Tickets at www.chestnutfinearts.com.
ANASTASIA
Aug. 9-14 | Starlight Theatre
From the Tony Award®-winning creators of the Broadway classic Ragtime, this dazzling show transports us from the twilight of the Russian Empire to the euphoria of Paris in the 1920s, as a brave young woman sets out to discover the mystery of her past. Pursued by a ruthless Soviet officer determined to silence her, Anya enlists the aid of a dashing conman and a lovable ex-aristocrat. Together, they embark on an epic adventure to help her find home, love and family. Tickets.kcstarlight.com for more information.
CABARET
Aug. 11-28 | Music Theater Heritage
KC native John Kander’s Tony and Academy Award winning score and Fred Ebb’s lyrics empower this universal story of identity, making Cabaret one of the most powerful stories of all time. Though set some 90 years ago, its theme of racial profiling, inclusiveness and the fear of “others” are as relevant now as ever. Tickets at ci.ovationtix.com.
SISTER ACT
Aug. 16-21 | Starlight Theatre
Follow up the international glamour of Anastasia with the feel-good musical comedy that has audiences jumping to their feet! Tony- and eight-time Academy Award winning composer Alan Menken puts Vegas diva Deloris Van Cartier through her disco moves to inspire the local down-on-their-luck church choir. Deloris breathes new life into the church and discovers the power of Sisterhood. Tickets at kcstarlight.com.
ABOUT ALICE
Aug. 17-28 | City Stage in Union Station
From KC native Calvin Trillin comes this touching, humorous adaptation of his 2006 best-selling paean to his beloved wife Alice. Trillin paints a moving portrait of the day-to-day experiences of being in love, being loved by, and ultimately losing a loved one. Featuring KCAT members Jen Mays (Picnic) and David Fritts (My Old Lady), About Alice “shocks us back into a restorative innocence vis-à-vis the human heart,” (New York Times). Get tickets at www.kcactors.org/shows/about-alice/.
