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Up to Date: Tour the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts

photo: Laura Spencer/KCUR

The Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts will hold its grand opening in mid-September, but finishing touches are already well underway, from the installation of the 5,548-pipe Casavant Freres organ in Helzberg Hall, to the addition of decorative touches in reception suites, to the finishing of the parking garage.

By Up to Date (recorded by Laura Spencer, edited by Danie Alexander)

Kansas City, Mo. – (Up to Date, August 5, 2011)

Listen to the broadcast here.

The Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts will hold its grand opening in mid-September, but finishing touches are already well underway, from the installation of the 5,548-pipe Casavant Freres organ in Helzberg Hall, to the addition of decorative touches in reception suites, to the finishing of the parking garage. Meanwhile, the Center has unveiled some of its bookings for the 2011-12 season, including Aretha Franklin, Philip Glass, and the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.

Architect Moshe Safdie was in town recently, and Steve Kraske and KCUR's arts reporter Laura Spencer took a walk through the new facility with him. We'll also visit with Jane Chu about the latest developments in construction, highlights of future programming, and how the center is working with local performing arts organizations to get them on the new stages.

Kansas City is known for its style of jazz, influenced by the blues, as the home of Walt Disney’s first animation studio and the headquarters of Hallmark Cards. As one of KCUR’s arts reporters, I want people here to know a wide range of arts and culture stories from across the metropolitan area. I take listeners behind the scenes and introduce them to emerging artists and organizations, as well as keep up with established institutions. Send me an email at lauras@kcur.org or follow me on Twitter @lauraspencer.
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