Tagged: Kauffman Center

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, approximately 5.7 million Americans are affected by bipolar disorder, a mental illness accompanied by moods that can swing from deep lows to dizzying highs.

When the musical "Evita" swept the 1980 Tony Awards, it triumphantly announced the arrival of two young actors - Mandy Patinkin and Patti LuPone - who would spend the next 30-plus years making remarkable choices in their theater, film, and television roles. 

This year marks the Kansas City Ballet’s 39th annual production of The Nutcracker. It’s a holiday tradition, with a cast of more than 200, mostly children.

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Rebecca Smith, the stage manager, is the one charged with the herculean task of coordinating all of the students, dancers, costumes and props. Not surprisingly, she's hard to keep up with this time of year.

This year marks the first time Handel’s Messiah will not be performed at the Community of Christ Auditorium in Independence, Mo. since 1916.

The challenge: how to transfer the sound of almost 250 voices - the combined Kansas City Symphony Chorus and the Independence Messiah Choir -  from a cavernous hall to the more intimate Helzberg Hall at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts in Kansas City, Mo.