I reviewed the Lyric Opera's production of Rossini's "The Barber of Seville" for The Kansas City Star. That damn "Largo" aria has been stuck in my head for days.
REVIEW for KCStar: Lyric Opera’s “The Barber of Seville”
REVIEW for KCMetropolis: “James and the Giant Peach” at Coterie Theatre
I reviewed an adaption of Roald Dahl's "James and the Giant Peach" for KCMetropolis.org. The Coterie Theatre put on the production, with costumes that rivaled the whimsy of Dahl's fantastic tale.
REVIEW for KCStar: Stefon Harris and Blackout
I reviewed Stefon Harris and Blackout for The Kansas City Star. They performed at the Gem Theater for the American Jazz Museum's Jammin' at the Gem series. This concert was also the part of the 18th & Vine Jazz Festival, featuring workshops and performances by middle school, high school and college ensembles. I was surprised... Continue Reading →
REVIEW for the Kansas City Star: Red Star Red Army Chorus and Dance Ensemble
Last Friday was quite the Communist uprising at the Kauffman Center. Lyric Opera presented John Adams "Nixon in China" in Kauffman Theatre and the Harriman-Jewell Series brought in the Red Star Red Army Chorus and Dance Ensemble to perform in Helzberg Hall. I reviewed the group for the Kansas City Star. It was a pleasure,... Continue Reading →
FEATURED STORY on KCMetropolis.org: MET’s “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”
My review for the Metropolitan Ensemble Theatre's production of "One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest" is a featured article on KCMetropolis.org. Read the review here.
REVIEW for KCStar: KCBallet’s “Romeo & Juliet”
I reviewed the Kansas City Ballet's production of "Romeo & Juliet" for The Kansas City Star. Choreography by Ballet Arizona artistic director Ib Andersen, beautiful sets and costumes from Boston Ballet, and great dancing (and acting) from the resident company.
COVER STORY on KCMetropolis.org: newEar’s “Worlds Apart”
I reviewed newEar Contemporary Chamber Ensemble's "Worlds Apart" concert. The performance featured two excellent pieces by Kansas City resident composers Nicholas S. Omiccioli and Ingrid Stölzel. Read it here.
Reading with newEars: “No Such Thing As Silence: John Cage’s 4’33” “
A group of mostly strangers sat in an old house in the Valentine neighborhood staring at the walls. We were listening to a recording by Frank Zappa, performing the most famous piece by one of the last century’s most innovative composers. The HVAC system swirled, the beams of the old house creaked. Bewildered, some people... Continue Reading →
REVIEW: Father and Son at the Piano
“Piano for Two Large Hands and Two Small Ones” by Wisman the Elder and Wisman the Younger, performed by the composers. The indeterminate display featured amorphic responsorial effects, laced with motivated sequences. In an atypical situation, the players performed with Wisman the Younger sitting on the lap of his compositional partner, Wisman the Elder. The... Continue Reading →
HIGHLIGHTS from 2011
The old adage holds true: Never work with children or animals. Or try to compete with them.... Nothing Kansas City offered this past year - not the opening of the Kauffman Center, not the great programming at the Nelson-Atkins, not the most intimate show nor the biggest extravaganza of a production - could compare to the experience... Continue Reading →
Proust Eats a Sandwich 