Disney’s Newsies
DISNEY’S NEWSIES
Now through Sept. 8 | New Theatre Restaurant
The Disney movie about the Newsboys’ Strike of 1899 became a popular Broadway musical, thanks to a talented creative team including Tony® Award-winning composer Alan Menken and playwright Harvey Fierstein. Now, enjoy it with those extra-creamy garlic mashed potatoes. Tickets at www.newtheatre.com.
RHAPSODY IN GERSHWIN
Now through Sept. 22 | Quality Hill Playhouse
Kent Barnhart and company dig back to 2009 for this crowd-pleasing cabaret, featuring some of the greatest hits to ever grace the Great American Songbook. “Love Is Here To Stay,” “Someone To Watch Over Me,” “The Man I Love” and so many more will light up the night. If that’s not enough, Kent Barnhart plays the original piano solo arrangement of “Rhapsody In Blue.” Who could ask for anything more? Tickets at www.qualityhillplayhouse.com.
ONCE
Sept. 3 – 23 | Spencer Theater at UMKC
KC Rep kicks off its 2024-25 season with this Tony ® Award-winning Best Musical about a guy and a girl (really — that’s their names in the program) brought together by the magic of music in the heart of Dublin. A tale of chance encounters, unspoken emotions and the transformative power of dreaming big, this
rom-com navigates the delicate balance between love and the pursuit of artistic aspirations. Tickets at www.kcrep.org.
DIAL M FOR MURDER
Sept. 11 – 29 | City Stage at Union Station
A jealous husband spins a dangerous web of suspicion, deception and murder-that-goes-awry in this psychological thriller presented by KC Actors Theatre. Katie Gilchrist directs KCAT favorites Jen Mays and Hilary Clemens along with Elise Poehling, Darren Kennedy and Bradley J. Thomas that promises to have audiences on the edge of their seats. Tickets at www.kcactors.org.
SEVEN GUITARS
Sept. 12 – 21 | Just Off Broadway Theatre
The fourth play in August Wilson’s monumental history of the African American experience finds us back in Pittsburgh, following the travails of Floyd Barton, a talented guitarist striving for fame while facing personal struggles and societal pressures. Floyd’s dreams intertwine with the lives of his friends and paramours in this compelling KC Melting Pot Theatre production. Tickets at www.kcmeltingpot.com.
PETER PAN
Sept. 17 – 22 | Starlight Theatre
Get hooked on this high-flying musical about a boy who would not grow up and his adventures in Neverland. A new adaptation by award-winning playwright Larissa FastHorse clears up some of the 50s cultural gaffes — and a real boy (rather than 50-year- old Mary Martin) plays the eponymous Pan. Tickets at www.kcstarlight.com.
DEAR EVAN HANSEN
Oct. 1 | Lied Center at KU
Meet Evan Hansen, a high school student who always feels like he’s on the outside looking in. After writing a letter to himself that was never meant to be seen, he becomes entangled in a lie that was never meant to be told and a life he never dreamed could be his. The Tony® Award-winning Best Musical makes a touring stop in nearby Lawrence. Tickets at www.lied.ku.edu.
SWEENEY TODD
Oct. 3 – 27 | Musical Theater Heritage at Crown Center
The demon barber of Fleet Street slashes his way through another adaptation of Stephen Sondheim’s Tony® Award-winning Best Musical. This time MTH draws nine of KC’s finest musical theater performers into the fray. Not for the faint of heart. Tickets at www.musictheaterheritage.com.
ROCKY HORROR SHOW
Oct. 4 – Nov. 2 | Grand Theatre at Crown Center
The vagabond Padgett Productions takes refuge in the big upstairs theater at Crown Center, where audiences have been enjoying Quixotic shows and last year’s estimable “A Chorus Line.” This seasonal treat — a Halloween favorite — will have you singing along to the sordid tale of two fresh-faced young kids who get lost on a lonely highway and take refuge themselves in a scary mansion full of surprises. Tickets at www.padgettproductionskc.com.
LADY DAY AT EMERSON’S BAR AND GRILLE
Oct. 8 – 27 | Copaken Stage
KC Rep’s season continues with this bioplay about the legendary Billie Holiday and her tragic final days as a cabaret star. Featuring a selection of her most well-known songs including “Strange Fruit” and “God Bless the Child,” the show celebrates the enduring legacy of one of the greatest jazz vocalists of all time. Tickets at www.kcrep.org.
GOODNIGHT MOON
Oct. 9 – Nov. 2 | City Stage at Union Station
Theater for Young America is back with a charming dramatization of everyone’s favorite children’s book. When Old Lady can’t coax Young Bunny to turn off the lights and go to sleep, she relents and lets him bid adieu to everything in the room — and out the window. Tickets at www.tya.org.
THE HEART SELLERS
Oct. 23 – Nov. 10 | Unicorn Theatre
In the 1970s, the landmark Hart-Celler Act granted thousands of immigrants a new path to citizenship. New arrivals Jane and Luna dream of spreading their wings in the land of opportunity: disco dancing, learning to drive, and even a visit to Disneyland. Will they give up their hearts to make a new home? Tickets at www.unicorntheatre.org.
Compiled by Mark Edelman
