Since opening in 2011, the Kauffman Center has hosted more than 3 million attendees and expanded artistic opportunities for Kansas City schools and students.
Photo by Cody Boston.
Kansas City, MO – In December 2018, the Kauffman Center celebrates more than seven years of bringing extraordinary and diverse performing arts experiences to the Kansas City community. Since its 2011 grand opening, the Kauffman Center has hosted over 2,150 performances welcoming more than 3.2 million guests through its doors. Its wide range of programming continues to shine a spotlight on Kansas City’s own vibrant arts community while attracting national and international talent from all genres. Resident companies the Kansas City Ballet, Kansas City Symphony, and Lyric Opera of Kansas City, along with numerous other community arts organizations continue to thrive in their Kauffman Center performance home.
The Kauffman Center’s mission focuses on providing diverse and extraordinary performing arts experiences for audiences of all ages and interests. Kansas City’s youngest arts enthusiasts from local schools enjoy dozens of performances at the Kauffman Center annually through the Center’s educational outreach program Open Doors. More than 300,000 students have attended a matinee performance, and the Kauffman Center’s Open Doors Transportation Fund provided bussing assistance for more than 150,000 of those students.
In addition to hosting more than 260 school matinees, the Kauffman Center provides community access to a wide range of public performances through the Open Doors Community Tickets program. “We continue to expand our programming offered to the community to ensure high-quality performing arts experiences are affordable and often free for many of Kansas City’s most deserving citizens through our Open Doors Program initiatives,” noted Paul Schofer, Kauffman Center President & CEO. Through a network of social service agencies, the Kauffman Center has provided more than 3,500 free tickets to underserved young people and families. In addition, the Open Doors Community Tickets program recently expanded to include ticket discounts for students, educators, veterans, and military service members.
The Kauffman Center also provides a wide range of free or low-cost programming to the general public, including the Kauffman Center’s own Future Stages Festival. This annual free community event has welcomed more than 25,000 people and provided opportunities for 3,500 performers, mostly youth, to perform on stage since the event’s inception in 2014. Audiences also have affordable access to performances with tickets priced as low as $15, such as the popular National Geographic Live series.
With more than 3 million visitors in its first seven years, the Kauffman Center eagerly continues to expand its reach in connecting the performing arts to the greater community. “The Kauffman Center stands as a cultural cornerstone for Kansas City’s thriving and vibrant artistic community,” reflected Schofer. “We are thrilled to offer a diverse array of performing arts experiences that will continue drawing millions of visitors and arts enthusiasts for many decades to come.”
Click here to view images highlighting Kauffman Center audiences and performances since 2011.
Kauffman Center Milestones at a Glance
- 3,200,000 guests have visited the Kauffman Center since opening in 2011
- 2,150 performances occurred
- 325,303 students and educators attended 262 school matinees
- 154,885 students received Open Doors bus transportation assistance to attend school matinees
- 3,574 individuals from social service agencies have been awarded free Community Tickets to Kauffman Center performances
Coming Soon to the Kauffman Center Presents Series:
- January 9: National Geographic Live – Ronan Donavan, Social by Nature
- January 12: Live from Here with Chris Thile
- March 13: Anoushka Shankar
- March 30: The Summit – The Manhattan Transfer Meets Take 6
- June 11: Snarky Puppy
- June 28: Napoleon Dynamite
New programs will be announced throughout the year. Visit kauffmancenter.org to learn more and sign up for email updates.
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to get more details about upcoming performances at the Kauffman Center and behind-the-scenes access.
Special Guests for Live from Here on Jan. 12: Mandolin Orange, My Brightest Diamond, Judy Gold, Gaby Moreno
Broadcasting live from the Kauffman Center, the show will reach 2.6 million listeners
UPDATE: Previously announced special guest Ry Cooder has recently torn his right bicep tendon and will not perform on January 12. Even though it is minor and he will recover completely, unfortunately Ry will not be able to play guitar properly for the next several weeks. Wishing Ry a swift healing process. For ticketing questions, contact the Kauffman Center Box Office: (816) 994-7222 or contact@kauffmancenter.org.
Americana/folk duo Mandolin Orange and singer-songwriter/multi-instrumentalist My Brightest Diamond have joined the lineup for Live from Here with Chris Thile, broadcasting live from the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts on Saturday, Jan. 12, 2019. The event is part of the 2018-2019 Kauffman Center Presents series.
Mandolin Orange formed after North Carolina-based singer-songwriter Andrew Marlin and multi-instrumentalist Emily Frantz met at a bluegrass jam session almost a decade ago. The duo has become one of roots music’s most thoughtful young groups, touring the U.S. and Europe, and wowing audiences nationwide.
Shara Nova is a classically trained vocalist and self-taught multi-instrumentalist who records shapeshifting music My Brightest Diamond. Over the course of five albums, including her most recent, A Million and One, she has blended elements of rock, art pop and chamber music into a sound totally her own.
Comedian, actor, writer and producer Judy Gold has had stand-up specials on HBO, Comedy Central and LOGO. She appears in the new season of Murphy Brown and is a regular on Comedy Central’s This Week at the Comedy Cellar. Gaby Moreno has earned an EMMY nomination, a Latin GRAMMY and the top prize in the 2006 John Lennon Songwriting Content. She writes in both Spanish and English.
They’ll be part of a two-hour broadcast of Live from Here, featuring performances by host Chris Thile and the show band, comedy sketches, thoughts from Out In America from comedian correspondent Tom Papa, and much more.
Live from Here is produced by American Public Media and is heard by 2.6 million listeners each week on nearly 600 public radio stations, online, and on the American Forces Networks, SiriusXM Radio, Radio New Zealand, and KPRG in Guam.
Media support for Live from Here at the Kauffman Center is provided by KCUR 89.3 FM and Kansas Public Radio.
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to get more details about upcoming performances at the Kauffman Center and behind-the-scenes access.
Biologist-Turned-Photographer Ronan Donovan to Present in
National Geographic Live Speaker Series
National Geographic photographer Ronan Donovan will present “Social by Nature” on January 8-9, 2019
Photo by Neal Herbert
Since birth, Ronan Donovan was a born adventurer. With humble beginnings in rural Vermont, Donovan has since been to all seven continents, had his work displayed on the walls of the Natural History Museum in London and the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C., and had his films aired on the BBC and PBS.
His most recent exploration has been photographing wolves in Yellowstone National Park. A scientist by education and a photographer by profession, Donovan has been on assignment with National Geographic to capture and analyze the behaviors of the apex predator of Yellowstone.
Every year around the globe, National Geographic provides opportunities for scientists, photographers and explorers to present their work to live audiences. National Geographic Live is returning for its eighth season at the Kauffman Center with five exciting new presentations, including Ronan Donovan’s Social by Nature.
During Social by Nature, Donovan will explore human and animal interactions and what drives us to communicate with one another. You’ll also go on a visual journey through Donovan’s most recent exploits tracking wolves through Yellowstone, hiking volcanoes to photograph mountain gorillas, and documenting the human-wildlife conflict between wild chimpanzees and humans in Africa. Be amazed as Donovan tells his fascinating tales about interactions between and within the species, as well as his own adventures and interactions with nature. The presentation will conclude with a personalized Q&A, allowing audience members to ask questions.
To see a sample of Donovan’s work, check out this video:
National Geographic Live in Kansas City is generously supported by Teresa and Tom Walsh.
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to get more details about upcoming performances at the Kauffman Center and behind-the-scenes access.
Dining Experience Introduces Winter Three-Course Dinner Menu
Seasonal menu highlights holiday flavors and local ingredients
Winter 2018-2019 Craft Cocktails Menu
The Dining Experience at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts debuted its winter menu on Dec. 7, featuring seasonal dishes and original creations by Executive Chef Laura Comer. The three-course dinner menu will be available prior to holiday and winter season performances at the Kauffman Center.
Recently named “Chef of the Year” by the Greater Kansas City Restaurant Association, Executive Chef Comer combines classic French technique with modern twists for her seasonal offerings at the Dining Experience. Winter selections include bright starter options like the Pomegranate Orange Salad, hearty entrées like the Hatfield Signature Braised Short Rib and home-style desserts like the Let’s Go Bananas banana bread waffle. The Dining Experience continues to partner with local providers for the finest fresh ingredients, including Circle B Ranch pork, Hatfield beef and Farm to Market bread.
Guests choose one item from each course for the three-course menu, priced at $37 per person. The Dining Experience also offers small plates for lighter fare, a rotating collection of craft cocktails and a curated wine list. The Dining Experience is available prior to most evening performances at the Kauffman Center. Reservations are recommended. Walk-in seating is available at a new, 10-seat bar, custom-designed by local firm Division 51.
The Dining Experience is located in the Founders’ Lounge, just inside the south doors on Level 2 of the Kauffman Center. For reservations, visit Tock or call the Kauffman Center box office at (816) 994-7222. For menus and more information, visit kauffmancenter.org/dining.
ABOUT EXECUTIVE CHEF LAURA COMER
Executive Chef Laura Comer brings a wealth of fine dining history to her work at the Kauffman Center, where she has led the culinary team since fall 2016. Her background includes time with well-known local establishments including Bluestem, Justus Drugstore and Treat America. The Greater Kansas City Restaurant Association named Comer its 2018 “Chef of the Year.” Comer is a Kansas City native and graduate of the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music and Dance. She holds an A.O.S. in Culinary Arts and Le Cordon Bleu Diploma from The California School of Culinary Arts.
Photos by Anna Petrow.
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to get more details about upcoming performances at the Kauffman Center and behind-the-scenes access.
Snarky Puppy to Perform at the Kauffman Center on June 11
Three-time GRAMMY Award winners join the 2018-2019 Kauffman Center Presents series
Fusion-influenced, genre-bending group Snarky Puppy brings its brand of exploratory jazz, funk and rock to the Muriel Kauffman Theatre stage on Tuesday, June 11. The concert is part of the 2018-2019 Kauffman Center Presents series.
Displaying a rare and delicate mixture of sophisticated composition, harmony and improvisation, Snarky Puppy has been praised for being “big, rich and funky” by NPR Music.
The band features a wide-ranging collection of more than 30 musicians known as “The Fam,” centered around bassist, composer and bandleader Michael League. Each live performance highlights a rotating cast of about a dozen musicians, ensuring every show is different. The group has earned GRAMMY Awards for Best R&B Performance (2014) and Best Contemporary Instrumental Album (2016, 2017).
Formed in Denton, Texas in 2004, Snarky Puppy started as a group of college friends from the University of North Texas jazz studies program. Three years later, it was a serendipitous intersection with the Dallas gospel and R&B community that transformed the music into something funkier, more direct and more visceral. That’s when the group absorbed musicians like Robert “Sput” Searight (drums), Shaun Martin (keyboards) and Bobby Sparks (keyboards), and were heavily influenced by legendary keyboardist Bernard Wright (Miles Davis, Chaka Khan, Marcus Miller).
Since then, Snarky Puppy has grown to represent musical cultures from around the world. The past four years have brought dramatic changes for the band, as they’ve found themselves held up as major figures in the jazz world after a decade of relentless touring. The individual members maintain busy schedules as sidemen (with such artists as Erykah Badu, Snoop Dogg, and D’Angelo), producers (for Kirk Franklin, David Crosby, and Salif Keïta), and solo artists (many of whom are on the band’s indy label, GroundUP Music).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=46&v=npQO85vb00g
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to get more details about upcoming performances at the Kauffman Center and behind-the-scenes access.
Page 17 of 66