Photo by Cody Boston
More than 60 students and chaperones visited the Kauffman Center on April 10, 2018 as part of the Kauffman Center’s Open Doors Spotlight on Youth program. Visitors from Prep KC and Pleasant Lea Middle School in Lee’s Summit participated in a number of activities throughout the day, including tours through the Kauffman Center’s stages and lobby spaces.
High school audiences from Prep KC enjoyed a hands-on lighting lab demonstration from the Kauffman Center’s Audio Production Supervisor, Donna Miller Brown. Students had the opportunity to learn about how light patterns are chosen for performances while also testing their skills with adjusting lights and applying filters and gels.
After a sound design presentation and a tour through Helzberg Hall, Prep KC students visited with Kauffman Center staff to learn about careers in the performing arts management field, including marketing, fundraising, accounting, ticketing services, and volunteer management.
Later in the day, middle school students from the Lee’s Summit school district took a behind-the-scenes tour of the Kauffman Center stages. They also previewed a lighting demonstration before participating in a Q&A about backstage work at the Center.
The Kauffman Center’s Open Doors Spotlight on Youth program will continue engaging students in a wide range of tailored experiences at the Center, including tours, internships, backstage workshops, and discussions with administrative staff. To learn more about Kauffman Center opportunities for educators, schools, and students visit kauffmancenter.org/open-doors.
Photo by Cody Boston
Festival Lineup for Community Event Announced
The Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts is excited to share the lineup of youth performing arts groups who will be performing at the FREE 2018 Future Stages Festival on Sunday, June 10, 2018.
As part of the Kauffman Center’s Open Doors Spotlight on Youth program, Future Stages Festival aims to provide area youth with the chance to exhibit and celebrate a variety of performing arts disciplines. Diverse dance, vocal, and theater performance groups from the Kansas City Metro area will grace the Center’s stages as part of the festival’s fifth year lineup. Large group performances will take place in Muriel Kauffman Theatre, Helzberg Hall, and Saint Luke’s Outdoor Stage. To celebrate the festival’s fifth year, a new Community Outdoor stage will showcase small performance groups and audience engagements including a stage combat training session and a community dance workshop. Performance groups for the 2018 festival include:
Photo by Jillian Shoptaw
- AileyCamp
- Arts in Motion Blkdance Shule
- Caruthers Creative Center’s Hot Stepperz
- Charlie Parker Memorial Jazz Ensemble
- Crescendo Conservatory’s Crescendo in Motion
- Fab 4 Quartet
- Future Jazz KC
- Heart of America Shakespeare Festival: Team Shakespeare
- Heart of America Youth ballet
- House of Dance/BEST Network
- ICE Studios Youth Dance
- Kansas City Boys Choir/Kansas City Girls Choir
- KC Ballet School
- KC Institute of Chinese Dance and Language
- KC Youth Percussion Ensemble
- KC Young Audiences Dance Students
- KC Young Audiences Garage Band
- Kristi’s Academy of Dance
- Lawrence Ballet Theatre
- Lily Zhang Li Dance Academy
- Lyric Opera: LyriKids
- Metropolitan Conservatory
- MTKC – SunRaise
- Mudra Dance Academy
- O’Riada Irish Dance Academy
- Ottawa Suzuki Strings
- Rhythm-scape
- Starlight STARS
- Take the Stage – Team EXCEL!
- The Smithville Ringleaders
- Traditional Music Society’s Soundz of Africa
- United Dance
FREE interactive crafts and events will take place all day on the Center’s south lawn and inside Brandmeyer Great Hall. Community partners have volunteered to provide these family-friendly activities to attendees. Among the wide range of activities, guests will be invited to make kites, build sculptures, create instruments, and dress up in costumes. Interactive arts activities are provided by:
Photo by Jillian Shoptaw
- American Institute of Architects – Kansas City
- Girl Scouts of NE Kansas & NW Missouri
- Great American Kites & Events
- Heart of America Shakespeare Festival
- The Nelson Atkins Museum of Art
- Kansas City Ballet
- Kansas City Chiefs
- Kansas City Symphony
- Kansas City Zoo
- KCPT Kids
- Lyric Opera of Kansas City
- Museum at Prairiefire
- Planet Play KC
- StoneLion Puppet Theatre
- UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance
RSVP to stay up to date on the event’s performance schedules, activities, and other details surrounding the festival. There will be a free ticket drawing for two registrants who RSVP prior to the event. Event details and updates can be found at kauffmancenter.org/futurestagesfestival.
Pianist George Winston Returning to the Kauffman Center as Part of the 2018-2019 Kauffman Center Presents Series
One of the most recognized solo pianists in the world will perform on Dec. 12 in Helzberg Hall
Kansas City, MO – The Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts has announced that pianist George Winston will perform at the Kauffman Center on December 12 in Helzberg Hall, returning after his successful engagement in 2016. This event is part of the 2018-2019 Kauffman Center Presents series and is presented in partnership with Nitelite Promotions.
Inspired by the seasons and topographies, Winston’s concerts feature a variety of styles including melodic folk piano, New Orleans R&B piano, and stride piano. For his concerts, Winston performs songs from his seasonal favorites AUTUMN, DECEMBER, WINTER INTO SPRING, and SUMMER, as well as Peanuts pieces from his Vince Guaraldi tribute albums LINUS & LUCY – THE MUSIC OF VINCE GUARALDI and LOVE WILL COME – THE MUSIC OF VINCE GUARALDI, VOL. 2. He has released 14 solo piano albums since 1972, including his latest album released in March 2017 titled SPRING CAROUSEL – A CANCER RESEARCH BENEFIT.
Tickets will be available through the Kauffman Center Box Office at (816) 994-7222, via the Kauffman Center mobile app, or online at www.kauffmancenter.org.
ABOUT GEORGE WINSTON
George Winston brings his stunning brand of solo piano to audiences of all ages. Winston grew up mainly in Montana, spending his later formative years in Mississippi and Florida. His musical influences from instrumental rock and instrumental R&B include Floyd Cramer, the Ventures, Booker T & the MG’s, Jimmy Smith, and many more. Inspired by R&B, jazz, blues and rock, especially The Doors, Winston began playing organ in 1967. In 1971, he switched to the acoustic piano after hearing recordings from the 1920s and the 1930s by the legendary stride pianists Thomas “Fats” Waller and Teddy Wilson. In addition to working on stride piano, Winston also came up with his own style of melodic instrumental music on solo piano, called folk piano. His main influences currently are the New Orleans R&B pianists Professor Longhair, James Booker and Henry Butler.
Since 1986, Winston has been raising money for food banks and service organizations in every community he visits while on tour. Attendees of his Kauffman Center performance are invited to support a local food bank by bringing a donation of canned food to the concert. There will be collection baskets at the entrances.
Learn more about George Winston on his website.
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Lee Greenwood and Dailey & Vincent coming to the Kauffman Center
Country artists Lee Greenwood and Dailey & Vincent will perform July 1 in Muriel Kauffman Theatre
Kansas City, MO – Country musicians Lee Greenwood and Dailey & Vincent will open the 2018-2019 Kauffman Center Presents series with a double-headliner concert on July 1 in Muriel Kauffman Theatre.
Lee Greenwood and Dailey & Vincent bring a celebration of country music to the Kauffman Center with their Red, White and Bluegrass tour. Greenwood is an icon in popular country music, with more than 30 albums and seven No. 1 songs, including his hit, “God Bless the USA.” The duo Dailey & Vincent has been hailed as one of the most exciting bluegrass bands in America.
Tickets go on sale to the public at 10 a.m. Friday, April 6. Tickets will be available through the Kauffman Center Box Office at (816) 994-7222, via the Kauffman Center mobile app, or online at www.kauffmancenter.org.
ABOUT LEE GREENWOOD
Lee Greenwood has been recognized with awards from the GRAMMYs, the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music. Greenwood’s hits include “It Turns Me Inside Out,” “I Don’t Mind the Thorns If You’re the Rose” and “Somebody’s Gonna Love You.” His patriotic song “God Bless the USA” has been a top five country single three times – in 1991, 2001 and 2003. He released a children’s book based on the song’s lyrics in 2015. Greenwood’s most recent album, I Want to Be in Your World, features a guest spot from Michael McDonald and original songs, including one with Greenwood on saxophone, an instrument he started playing at age 12. Learn more about Lee Greenwood on his website.
ABOUT DAILEY & VINCENT
Jamie Dailey and Darrin Vincent’s contagious brand of traditional country, bluegrass and gospel music has earned them three GRAMMY nominations, induction into the Grand Ole Opry, and a Dailey & Vincent exhibit at the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame. The duo has been praised for the instinctive vocal blends of Dailey’s tenor and Vincent’s reedy harmonies. Together, they have garnered attention with their national television series, The Dailey & Vincent Show, on RFD TV and more than 500 airings of their PBS special, Dailey & Vincent ALIVE – In Concert. The group’s most recent album, Dailey & Vincent ALIVE, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard bluegrass charts. Learn more about Dailey & Vincent on their website.
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Penn & Teller coming to the Kauffman Center
The comedy-magic duo will perform June 22 in Muriel Kauffman Theatre
Kansas City, MO – Comedy-magic duo Penn & Teller will close out the 2017-2018 Kauffman Center Presents season on June 22.
For more than 40 years Penn & Teller have defied labels – and at times physics and good taste – by redefining the genre of magic and inventing their own niche in comedy. With sold-out runs on Broadway, Emmy Award-winning television specials, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and hundreds of TV appearances, comedy’s most enduring team shows no signs of slowing down.
Tickets for their June 22 performance go on sale to the public at 10 a.m. Friday, April 6. Tickets will be available through the Kauffman Center Box Office at (816) 994-7222, via the Kauffman Center mobile app, or online at www.kauffmancenter.org. Penn & Teller in Kansas City is generously supported by NetStandard.
ABOUT PENN & TELLER
With an amazing eight wins as “Las Vegas Magicians of the Year,” Penn & Teller’s 17-year run at The Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino makes them one of the longest-running headline acts in Las Vegas history. Their acclaimed Showtime series, Penn & Teller: BS! was nominated for 13 Emmy awards. They currently host the hit series Penn & Teller: Fool Us! for The CW Network.
Penn & Teller have written New York Times bestsellers; hosted an Emmy-nominated variety show for FX; starred in their own specials for ABC, NBC and Comedy Central; produced the critically lauded feature film documentary The Aristocrats; and produced the acclaimed documentary Tim’s Vermeer. Penn & Teller recently returned to Broadway in a triumphant six-week engagement that USA Today called, “deliciously unsettling.” Learn more about Penn & Teller on their website.
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