Meet Matthew Lees, the current Maître d’hôtel and Sommelier of the Kauffman Center Dining Experience. As Maître d’, Matthew is responsible for coordinating the guest experience. Matthew manages a variety of responsibilities from staffing the restaurant to selecting the custom wine list offered to guests.

As Sommelier, Matthew procures customized wine, beer and spirits specifically with the Kauffman Center’s Dining Experience meal palate in mind. He has a well versed knowledge of wine and spirits and is passionate about curating a varied and inclusive beverage menu that caters to all guests. Matthew takes time to teach his staff about the selection and pairing process and shares “a good Sommelier and Maître d’s primary role is to serve the guest – inquiring about likes, dislikes and preferences.  I take pride in creating a welcoming environment and strive to create the best guest experience from start to finish.”

Matthew has been in the restaurant industry for 20 years. His passion for food, wine and a top-notch customer experience is what drives him to go to work each day. Matthew has had the opportunity to work with many amazing chefs, several of whom have been featured on culinary shows such as “Chopped,”  “Top Chef Masters”  and “The Next Iron Chef,”  among others.

Matthew Lees was recently interviewed by Crushed, the creators of a new social wine app for a new generation of wine drinkers. Matthew gives several wine tips and speaks about his role as Sommelier of the Kauffman Center Dining Experience.

Matthew states that “being a part of The Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts is truly amazing.  I feel like being here as the Maître d’ and Sommelier is a part of history in the making.”

The NEA Award, among 1,023 granted nationally, will support the Kauffman Center’s 2nd annual Future Stages Festival to be held on Sunday, June 28^th.

Through its grant-making to thousands of nonprofits each year, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) promotes opportunities for people in communities across America to experience the arts and exercise their creativity.

In the second major grant announcement of fiscal year 2015, the NEA will make a $10,000 award to Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts to support the second annual Future Stages Festival, a free event for the entire community that provides opportunities for future artists to take center stage at the Kauffman Center. The NEA will make 1,023 awards totaling $74.3 million nationwide in this funding round.

NEA Chairman Jane Chu said, “The NEA is committed to advancing learning, fueling creativity, and celebrating the arts in cities and towns across the United States. Funding these new projects like the one from Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts represents an investment in both local communities and our nation’s creative vitality.”  

“We are committed to shining a spotlight on the talented youth in our community and celebrating the diverse array of performing arts experiences available to both participants and audiences in Kansas City. Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts is deeply appreciative of the support of the National Endowment for the Arts, providing recognition of the value of nurturing and inspiring future artists and audiences,” stated Paul Schofer, President & CEO of Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts.

As proud mother Lisa Lala stated after the inaugural Future Stages Festival in 2014, seeing her 14-year-old daughter perform a silk solo with the Quixotic School of the Performing Arts at the Kauffman Center was “nothing short of heart-stopping.” When daughter, Gigi, was asked what it was like being on the Muriel Kauffman Theatre stage, she answered “This was something I’ve dreamed of all my life. It was amazing.”

Future Stages Festival will be held at the Kauffman Center on Sunday, June 28, 2015 from 11 am – 4 pm. The free one-day festival invites youth and families to experience a diverse range of performances and interactive arts activities. Future Stages Festival, an extension of the Kauffman Center’s Open Doors Spotlight on Youth program, also provides opportunities for youth and community arts organizations to perform on stage at Kauffman Center.

Future Stages Festival is free and open to the public. Attendees are encouraged to register at kauffmancenter.org/futurestages to receive the latest event updates and schedule for performances and activities.

ABOUT THE OPEN DOORS PROGRAM

The Kauffman Center Open Doors program connects young people to the arts through three major components:

The Open Doors Spotlight on Youth program inspires and nurtures the next generation of artists by giving young performers the opportunity to perform on the stages of the Kauffman Center.

Kauffman Center is celebrating diversity in the arts with the second annual Future Stages Festival this June. Building on the success of the 2014 inaugural event during which Kauffman Center welcomed more than 6,000 guests and hosted 600 performers, the second annual Future Stages Festival is a free community event that showcases youth in the performing arts.

The Open Doors Community Ticket Fund offers access to programming at the Kauffman Center for youth and families through reduced price or free tickets.

The Open Doors Transportation Fund offers funding to schools in the metropolitan area so that bringing students to the Kauffman Center for school matinee performances is more affordable.

The Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts would like to thank our official building sponsors, Aristocrat Motors and Mercedes-Benz of Kansas City.

To join the Twitter conversation about this announcement, please use#NEASpring2015. To find out more about how NEA grants impact individuals and communities, visit www.arts.gov.

This project is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Patti LaBelle

Friday, July 17th | 7:30 PM
Muriel Kauffman Theatre

Buy Tickets

GRAMMY Award winning vocalist Patti LaBelle will perform on Friday, July 17 at 7:30 pm in Muriel Kauffman Theatre. Tickets range from $49 to $129. Patti LaBelle is widely regarded as the ‘Godmother of Soul.‘ She has received acclaim for many of her songs, including “Lady Marmalade,” “When You Talk About Love” and “New Attitude.”

ABOUT PATTI LABELLE

Patti LaBelle began her career as part of the Ordettes in 1959, who became The Bluebelles in 1961.  Her success as a solo artist started in 1983 when she released her hit album I’m In Love Again.

In 1991, LaBelle released Burnin’, which hit gold status and landed the singer her first GRAMMY Award.  She was honored again for her work in 1993 when she was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.  Patti LaBelle continued releasing popular albums throughout the 90’s including Gems (1994), Flame (1997) and Live! One Night Only (1998) – which won LaBelle her second GRAMMY Award.

In 2009, she reunited with Sarah Dash and Nora Hendryx for the first time in 30 years for the critically acclaimed LaBelle reunion album, Back to Now.

In November 2008, Patti released her fifth book and third cookbook, Recipes for The Good Life, and an instructional cooking DVD, In the Kitchen with Miss Patti.  The cookbook features recipes and anecdotes that reflect Patti’s philosophy that good cooking and the love of entertaining come from the heart.  More recently, Patti introduced a line of signature sauces and marinades called Patti’s Good Life and launched a designer bedding collection, Patti LaBelle Home.

In addition to her amazing career as an entertainer and entrepreneurial success, Ms. LaBelle’s work as a humanitarian is just as legendary.  She remains an advocate for adoption, foster care, Big Sisters and the United Negro College Fund, among many other initiatives.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to get more details about upcoming performances at the Kauffman Center and behind-the-scenes access.

The Kauffman Center is a nonprofit organization, operating independently of the excellent resident companies that use our performing spaces. To offer outstanding programming and support the work of all the arts organizations that perform here, we rely on the gifts of thousands of individuals, businesses and foundations every year.

There are now many charitable entry points for people who want to help. There are so many reasons to support the Kauffman Center and its programs, and now, we have giving opportunities that align with your goals and allow you to make a personal connection between your gift and the programs you want to support.

For the Audience

Our diverse and dynamic programming brings world-class talent to Kansas City. Consistent with our vision and mission, Kauffman Center has a variety of programming to drive diversity and ensure excellence for everyone in our community. Underwriters and sponsors are critical to bringing extraordinary talent to perform on our stages as part of the Kauffman Center Presents series. Additional opportunities to support are available through outreach programs, our 700 member volunteer program and upcoming special celebration programming.

For the Kids

We continue to look for ways of promoting and developing creativity through programs, activites and performances. If there is a need for youth that you would like to see addressed here at the Kauffman Center, your donation and support could help bring that to life. Check out our Open Doors program to see where your interests might mesh with our work or consider directly supporting the Kauffman Center’s the annual free community event, Future Stages Festival which welcomed 6,000 guests in its first year and provided opportunities for 600 youth to perform on stage. Future Stages Festival returns this summer on Sunday, June 28th.

For the Future

You can make a difference in ensuring the finest performing arts experiences are here for our future artists and audiences via a gift to the endowment. Funds within the endowment allow you to target a gift to youth education, performances, the pipe organ and more. Donors can also create a lasting legacy by considering making a planned gift and becoming part of our Legacy Society. Make a planned gift now that can cost nothing during yoru lifetime but leaves a future gift to make your dreams – and the Kauffman Center’s dreams – of providing diverse and extraordinary performing arts experiences a continued reality.

For You

Join our individual or business membership programs to become an instant insider. Enjoy pre-sale notices, behind-the-scenes priority access, complimentary tickets and parking, discounted venue rentals and other benefits. Individuals can join our Spotlight program, with membership opportunities ranging from $65 to $25,000. Businesses can join Ensemble and receive strategic marketing benefits, networking opportunities and employee benefits.

April is Volunteer Appreciation Month across the nation.  At the Kauffman Center that means saying “thank you” more than 650 times.  Those smiling faces greeting you in Brandmeyer Great Hall, showing you to your seat or answering your questions are volunteers.  Yes, they work for free—and they love it.

“I feel good about myself, about Kansas City and about the arts when I step into the Kauffman Center,” says Alexis Martin who has earned her 1,000+ hour badge by working in the administrative offices once a week and ushering at performances with her husband, Don.  “I feel like I’m really making something important happen here.” 

President and CEO Paul Schofer can’t say enough positive things about the Center’s 650+ volunteers.  “Yes, their contribution of time is significant and saves money for this nonprofit organization. But that’s not the most important thing.  Volunteers are often the first contact point for patrons and guests.  Their positive can-do attitudes, their anticipation of patron needs and their commitment to our mission are priceless.” 

If you’d like to volunteer, or know of a friend who would find this of interest, please contact Jennifer Stapleton, Volunteer Supervisor at jstapleton@kauffmancenter.org or 816-994-7912.