The national tour of the new Tony Award-winning Broadway revival of Cole Porter’s Anything Goes will play in Cape Girardeau on November 1 as part of the Touring Series of the River Campus of Southeast Missouri State University.

MISSOURI ARTS COUNCIL ▪ SEPTEMBER 2014

Fave Raves for the 2014-15 Performing Arts Season by Barbara MacRobie The performing arts never slow down in Missouri, but so many companies focus their seasons on autumn through spring that come September there’s a distinct feeling of “curtain up.” Last year, we seized this occasion to ask arts directors around the state to choose a show in their new season that they would like to spotlight. We also asked them to pick a production they were especially excited about in another company’s season. The article was a hit. So in Hollywood fashion, we’re doing a sequel. From people who make the performing arts happen, we present their personal picks for Missouri’s 2014-15 season of music, theatre, and dance.

Carthage Stone’s Throw Dinner Theatre: The 39 Steps and Little Old Ladies in Tennis Shoes October 3-12, 2014 and March 20-29, 2015 Stone’s Throw Dinner Theatre on Historic Route 66 At Stone’s Throw Dinner Theatre, “everybody but the house manager and the chef is a volunteer, from actors to kitchen helpers,” said Wendy Wolf, treasurer of the board. “I think that’s what makes our little theatre so special. Our community may be small, but our love of the arts is great.” The company traces its history to 1928 when the Carthage Music Club began doing musical shows in schools and churches. Since the late 1980s, Stone’s Throw has performed in its own custom-made building. “Everyone loves a play, but dinner theatre is a uniquely different experience,” said volunteer Shannon Wendt. “There is not a bad seat in the place, the surroundings are comfortable, and the food is superb. It’s a wonderful, cultural experience for all ages.”

In the troupe’s collaborative spirit, both Wendy and Shannon represented Stone’s Throw to give us picks. Shannon is directing Patrick Barlow’s The 39 Steps. “Four actors portray over 50 characters in this riotous play version of Hitchcock’s movie classic…as told by Monty Python…sorta!” she said. “The sets change almost as fast as the characters, and it happens right before your eyes. It’s a how-do-they-do-that experience packed with British humor and fast-paced hilarity.” Wendy along with Dolph Hubbard is directing Little Old Ladies in Tennis Shoes, a gentle, bittersweet comedy by Sandra Fenichel Asher about friendship between generations. “We chose this play because of the variety of ages needed,” Wendy said. “We will have a spot for actors from age 11 to 70-plus.” More about Stone’s Throw Dinner Theatre ▪ stonesthrowdinnertheatre.webs.com and 417-358-9665 Stone’s Throw Dinner Theatre 2014-15 Season ▪ Jump, I'll Catch You, June 20-29 ▪ Cheaper by the Dozen, Aug. 15-24 ▪ The 39 Steps, Oct. 3-12 ▪ Sorry, Wrong Chimney, Dec. 4-14 ▪ Moon Over Buffalo, Jan. 30–Feb. 8 ▪ Little Old Ladies in Tennis Shoes, March 20-29 ▪ The Odd Couple, May 8-17

Shannon and Wendy’s pick from someone else’s season

Mt. Vernon Mt. Vernon Community Theatre: 12 Angry Men October 24-26, 2014 The MARC (Mt. Vernon Arts and Recreation Center) “Mt. Vernon Community Theatre is a perfect example of ‘community’ because the whole town attends, helps with costumes, works as ushers, whatever it takes,” said Wendy. “It is amazing the percentage of participation from that community.” The troupe’s production of 12 Angry Men will go well beyond the casting

in the classic 1957 movie from which screenwriter Reginald Rose adapted his play. There will be people of diverse ages and backgrounds, and not only men but women will play the jurors who must contend with their own prejudices and fears as they struggle to reach a unanimous verdict in a trial for murder. The Mt. Vernon Community Theatre owes its existence to The MARC, the Mt. Vernon Arts and Recreation Center. The company was born in 2012 after the City of Mt. Vernon, Mt. Vernon Sports, Crowder College, and the Mt. Vernon Regional Arts Council partnered to transform an unused church complex into a multi-faceted resource for the community. The Arts Council manages

A contemporary ad for Hitchcock’s 1935 thriller—as the New York Times reviewed, “one of the most fascinating pictures of the year…a blend of unexpected comedy and breathless

terror.” – photo from Greenbriar Picture Shows

the center’s arts programming, which includes theatrical shows, concerts, movies, classes, and exhibits. “We add events as opportunities come up,” said Karen Colton-Millsap, Council director, “so it’s always a good idea to check our Facebook and website for up-to-date information.” More about Mt. Vernon Community Theatre ▪ Mt. Vernon Community Theatre, Facebook Page and 417-413-4104 ▪ Mt. Vernon Regional Arts Council, mtvernonregionalarts.webs.com and 417-461-0295 ▪ In Fervent Volunteers Forge Small-Town Arts Triumphs, our March 2013 story, we profile the Mt. Vernon Regional Arts Council along with three other arts councils in rural Missouri communities. Mt. Vernon Regional Arts Council 2014-15 Season so far Events at The MARC unless otherwise indicated ▪ Blackberry Winter Band, Aug. 23 ▪ Not So Square Arts Festival including the 417 Show Me Talent Show, Sept. 6 ▪ Inner Voyage Mixed Media/Abstract Painting Workshop, Sept. 13 ▪ Movies at The MARC: Heaven Is for Real, Sept. 20 ▪ Mystery and Intrigue Fest, Oct. 4 ▪ Music at The Bean (at KeenBean Coffee Roasters): Jeremiah Jones, Oct. 4

▪ Movies at The MARC: Captain Phillips, Oct. 18 ▪ 12 Angry Men by Mt. Vernon Community Theatre, Oct. 24-26 ▪ Movies at The MARC: Last Ounce of Courage, Nov. 8 ▪ Abstract/Media Art by Dale Auguston, Nov. 15–Dec. 31 ▪ Kid’s in the Attic Youth Theatre Workshop, Jan. 5 ▪ Movies at The MARC: Saving Mr. Banks, Jan. 24 ▪ Movies at The MARC: Singin’ in the Rain, Feb. 21 ▪ Movies at The MARC: To Kill a Mockingbird, April 18

Cape Girardeau River Campus: Peter Nero in For Art’s Sake: A Salute to Art Tatum October 30, 2014 Donald C. Bedell Performance Hall, Southeast Missouri State University River Campus Southeast Missouri State University boasts not only the 141-year-old main campus but also the River Campus that opened in 2007 as a focused community for visual arts, music, theatre, and dance. Every year, River Campus produces a copious variety of performances by faculty, students, and visiting artists. Among the 55 such events on the 2014-15 calendar is a tribute by renowned jazz pianist Peter Nero to 20th-century keyboard genius Art Tatum. As part of the concert, Nero will perform with Southeast’s own jazz musicians. Bob Cerchio, assistant director of River Campus’s Earl and Margie Holland School of Visual and Performing Arts, books the large-scale touring shows, and he told us this one really rang his bell.

“When growing up, I was fortunate to attend a high school with a strong arts program,” said Bob. "I was into every kind of music, but my favorite was performing in the best high school jazz band in the Delaware Valley. So last year when Columbia Artists gave me the opportunity to book a Peter Nero concert, it was a no-brainer. “My one worry was that this man who I knew only from his music might turn out to be a jerk. I hate it when that happens—like discovering there is no Santa Claus,” Bob said. “But last weekend, when I answered my cell phone at home, I found a kind,

Peter Nero

clever, and caring teacher on the end of the line. Peter Nero had called personally to discuss his upcoming visit. Amazing! We talked not only about the concert, but music, his family, and life in general. The call lasted two hours but I knew after five minutes the booking was no mistake. You can bet I'll be in the audience for every minute. October 30th should prove to be one of best evenings of my life." River Campus’s season also gave us our lead photo: the national tour of the new Broadway revival of Anything Goes, Cole Porter’s classic 1934 musical of romance and hijinks on a transatlantic cruise. Earl and Margie Holland, the major donors for whom the Holland School is named, selected Anything Goes as their special choice event at River Campus for this season. More about River Campus and Peter Nero ▪ semo.edu/rivercampus, rivercampusevents.com and 573-651-2265 ▪ News release announcing River Campus’ entire 2014-15 season, including performance descriptions and an interview with Bob ▪ Peter Nero performance details ▪ Peter Nero’s website, peternero.com River Campus 2014-15 Jazz Series ▪ Peter Nero: For Art’s Sake: A Salute to Art Tatum with bassist Michael Barnett, Oct. 30 ▪ Blues, Basie and Beyond, Nov. 5 ▪ Clark Terry/Phi Mu Alpha Jazz Festival Gala Concert with trombonist Michael Dease, Feb. 6 ▪ Let’s Swing! April 30

Bob’s pick from someone else’s season

St. Louis Dance St. Louis: Dance Theatre of Harlem November 7 and 8, 2014 Touhill Performing Arts Center "Missouri is a gateway state. Just about everything touring east-to-west comes through here,” said Bob. “So it's no surprise that Dance St. Louis has one of the most amazingly strong ballet companies in the world, Dance Theatre of Harlem, on its 2014-15 season. “You’d think that having worked over 35 years as a presenter I would have had the opportunity to present this company. But I've seen them only in video. 'Plumbers always have leaky pipes.'" However, Bob plans on breaking with his tradition this November. "My own touring series has a busy fall, but I am absolutely going to visit my old friend Michael Uthoff, Dance St. Louis' artistic and executive director, for an evening of pure, solid dance. I was introduced to dance while in college and have come to realize the amazing effect these companies have on your soul. When you see the best of the best, you expect nothing less."

Dance Theatre of Harlem: Davon Doane and Ashley Murphy in Far But Close – photo by Rachel Neville

“The best, brought here” has been the motivating principle for Dance St. Louis during all its 50 years of presenting great dance of the world. Performances in the 2014-15 season are at the Touhill Performing Arts Center at the University of Missouri-St. Louis and also co-presented with the Fox Theatre, the restored 1929 movie palace in the city’s Grand Center arts and restaurant district. More about Dance St. Louis and Dance Theatre of Harlem ▪ dancestlouis.org and 314-534-6622 ▪ Dance Theatre of Harlem performance details ▪ Dance Theatre of Harlem website, dancetheatreofharlem.org Dance St. Louis 2014-15 Season ▪ So You Think You Can Dance Season 11 Tour, Oct. 8 ▪ New Dance Horizons III, Oct. 10-11 ▪ Dirty Dancing – The Classic Story on Stage, Oct. 21–Nov. 2 ▪ Dance Theatre of Harlem, Nov. 7-8 ▪ Tango Buenos Aires: Song of Eva Perón, Jan. 30-31

▪ Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, Feb. 27-28 ▪ STOMP, April 10-12 ▪ Compagnie Käfig / CCN Créteil et Val-de-Marne, April 24-25 ▪ 8th Annual Emerson SPRING TO DANCE® FESTIVAL 2015, May 22-24

St. Joseph St. Joseph Community Chorus: Christmas at the Cathedral December 14 and 15, 2014 Cathedral of St. Joseph The all-volunteer 85-member St. Joseph Community Chorus “provides a community where adults from various walks of life can gather and make music,” said Founding Artistic Director Frank D. Thomas. Each season the chorus sings three concerts from classical to contemporary in several locations throughout the area. Frank noted that St. Joseph has a history of community choirs going back to the 1930s. He took the helm of the St. Joseph Community Chorus in 1980. This year, he was honored with the Allied Arts Mayor's Award for Extraordinary Lifetime Achievement in the Arts. “I am looking forward to this our 35th season, but if I have to choose just one concert,” Frank said, “it is Christmas at the Cathedral because it is an ongoing tradition for the choir and community. Many of our patrons love to come as a family to start their holiday season.” The Chorus collaborates regularly with other regional arts groups, and for this Christmas concert the partner is the Fountain City Brass Band from Kansas City. “They are comprised of some of the best brass players from colleges and universities in the area,” Frank said. “An important component of this concert will be audience participation. To sing carols with the Chorus and be accompanied by the Band will be a real treat.”

The St. Joseph Community Chorus at the Cathedral of St. Joseph for Christmas at the Cathedral 2013

More about the St. Joseph Community Chorus and Christmas at the Cathedral ▪ stjoechorus.org and 816-390-0315 ▪ Christmas at the Cathedral performance details St. Joseph Community Chorus 2014-15 Season ▪ Festival of Voluntaries, Anthems and Hymns with guest organist Joby Bell, Oct. 19 ▪ Christmas at the Cathedral with the Fountain City Brass Band, Dec. 14-15 ▪ Celebrated Choruses from Musical Theater and the Cinema, April 12

Frank’s pick from someone else’s season

St. Joseph Performing Arts Association: Cantus February 8, 2015 Missouri Theatre “I was beside myself when I learned that the Performing Arts Association had contracted Cantus, one of the very finest men’s choral ensembles anywhere,” said Frank. Cantus began as a college group in Minnesota and now performs around the world. “Their interesting and adventurous programming is an inspiration,” Frank said. “I have their CD That Eternal Day, American sacred music including ‘Wanting Memories’ by a singer of Sweet Honey in the Rock. That performance always gets me going,” said Frank. “Some of my singers heard Cantus last year in Kansas City and they came home almost crying because of that piece.” The nonprofit Performing Arts Association has been presenting a wide-ranging season of music, theatre, and dance at the Missouri Theater, as well as educational programs throughout the community, every year since 1979. The PAA was founded when the City of St. Joseph bought the downtown theater, a 1927 movie palace, to develop it into a regional center for performing arts. More about the Performing Arts Association and Cantus ▪ saintjosephperformingarts.org and 816-279-1225 ▪ Cantus performance details ▪ Cantus’ website: cantussings.org ▪ Cantus singing “Wanting Memories” Other Missouri performances by Cantus during 2014-15 ▪ Joplin, Pro Musica, Nov. 13, performance details ▪ St. Louis, Feb. 6, performance details Performing Arts Association 2014-15 Season ▪ Rich Little in Jimmy Stewart & Friends, Sept. 13 ▪ Texas Gypsies, Oct. 11 ▪ Neil Berg's 100 Years of Broadway, Nov. 8 ▪ A Tribute to Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Nov. 29 ▪ Cantus, Feb. 7

▪ Ailey II – the Next Generation of Dance, March 7 ▪ Church Basement Ladies: The Last (Potluck) Supper, March 31 ▪ Deana Martin – The Concert, April 16

Cantus – photo by Curtis Johnson

St. Louis The Big Muddy Dance Company: Wit, Grit, & Grace

January 30, 2015 The Pageant The 11-member Big Muddy Dance Company performs an eclectic mix of contemporary, jazz, and Broadway dance. The professional troupe also produces classes, a pre-professional training program, a student company, and its Senior Embrace senior outreach program. Artistic Director Paula David, former dancer with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago and a teacher for more than 30 years, founded Big Muddy in 2010. One of the dancers, Erin Warner Prange, is also executive director. “We are constantly striving to fulfill The Big Muddy Dance Company’s mission of ‘invigorating life through dance’—always looking to push the envelope,” said Erin. “So Paula and I are most thrilled to present Wit, Grit, & Grace at the Pageant.” The Pageant is a concert nightclub in the Loop, an entertainment, restaurant, and shopping district at the border of the City of St. Louis and the streetcar suburb of University City. “The evening will be completely unexpected in terms of the ‘usual’ atmosphere for dance,” said Paula. “Among fan favorites as well as new works, we are remounting The Band by gloATL director Lauri Stallings. She has a keen ability to draw artistry out of dancers in unusual ways, and to challenge previous notions

about live performance. There is no place better to take down the fourth wall than at a concert venue like the Pageant.” The Big Muddy Dance Company 2014-15 Season Performances are in St. Louis unless otherwise indicated ▪ Invigorate, Cape Girardeau, Sept. 6 ▪ Steppin’ Into Soulard “Friend-Raiser,” Sept. 25 ▪ Dance St. Louis’ New Dance Horizons III, Oct. 10-11 ▪ The Little Mermaid, Oct. 24-26 ▪ Season Premiere Performance at Casa Loma Ballroom, Nov. 14 ▪ Invigorate, Nevada, MO, Jan. 23 ▪ Wit, Grit & Grace, Jan. 30

▪ Invigorate, Amarillo, Texas, Feb. 14 ▪ Invigorate, Hillsboro, April 16-17 ▪ Convergence Trainee Program Showcase, May 15 ▪ Dance St. Louis’ 8th Annual Emerson SPRING TO DANCE® FESTIVAL 2015, May 22-24 ▪ The Big Muddy Ball, May 29 ▪ More Wit, Grit & Grace, May 29

Paula’s pick from someone else’s season

Kansas City Harriman-Jewell Series: Acis and Galatea February 6 and 7, 2015 Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts Choreographer Mark Morris casts his 2014 perspective on love and jealousy in mythological Greece. The music is an opera by Handel about a triangle between a shepherd, water nymph, and Cyclops. Morris’s version, which debuted April 25, is an opera-ballet for singers, orchestra, and his Mark Morris Dance Group.

The Big Muddy Dance Company: Morgan Cameron – photo by Gerry Love

“Mark Morris has proven to be a master at combining brilliant minds to create brilliant work,” said Paula. “I took class from him when I was on tour with Hubbard Street at the Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival in the ‘80s. Loved him then and have followed him from afar ever since! I am very intrigued by the whole concept of Acis and Galatea. Sounds worth taking a trip to KC!” The Harriman-Jewell Series along with four other arts organizations across the country co-commissioned Morris to create Acis and Galatea. The Series was founded at William Jewell College in Liberty and is celebrating its 50th season of bringing internationally renowned performing arts to the Kansas City region. The 2014-15 performances, including free Discovery concerts, take place in downtown Kansas City at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts and the 114-year-old Folly Theater, plus one program (pianist Emmanuel Ax) at the John Gano Memorial Hall on the college campus. More about the Harriman-Jewell Series and Acis and Galatea ▪ hjseries.org and 816-415-5025 ▪ Acis and Galatea performance details ▪ Acis and Galatea website, ▪

acisandgalatea.org Mark Morris talks with the Boston Globe about his new work

Harriman-Jewell Series 2014-15 Season ▪ National Acrobats of China, Oct. 10 ▪ Yo-Yo Ma, cellist, and Kathryn Stott, pianist, Oct. 16 ▪ Kronos Quartet in Beyond Zero: 1914-1918, Oct. 18 ▪ Senegal St. Joseph Gospel Choir, Oct. 14 ▪ San Francisco Symphony with Gil Shaham, violinist, Nov. 12 ▪ Anne-Sophie Mutter & The Mutter Virtuosi, Nov. 16 ▪ Simon Trpceski, pianist, Nov. 22 ▪ The King’s Singers Holiday Concert, Dec. 20 ▪ Russian National Ballet Theatre in Giselle, Jan. 18

▪ Yunqing Zhou, pianist, Jan. 24 ▪ 50th Season Gala Concert, Feb. 1 ▪ Acis and Galatea, Feb. 6-7 ▪ Zhang Zuo, pianist, March 7 ▪ Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, March 20 ▪ Joshua Bell, violinist, March 14 ▪ Savion Glover & ensemble in STePz, April 25 ▪ Joseph Calleja, tenor, April 14 ▪ Emmanuel Ax, pianist, May 2 ▪ Parsons Dance, June 6

Mark Morris Dance Group: Acis and Galatea, sets by Adrianne Lobel, costumes by fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi – photo by Susana Millman

Jefferson City Scene One Theatre: Short Attention Span Theatre: Seven Deadly Sins March 19-28, 2015 Scene One Theater 2014-15 marks the 10th season since Scene One Theatre’s president/artistic director Mark Wegman, together with his wife, Tracy, and some friends, turned an old beauty shop in downtown Jefferson City into a 50-chair black box theater. Setting the tone for seasons to come, their first show was Charles Busch’s Psycho Beach Party. “Original works and works that are avant-garde are a huge part of our mission,” said Mark. For the past seven years, in every season this community company has featured an edition of Short Attention Span Theatre, a full-length evening of about 10 mini-plays by local writers. “We always have a theme,” Mark said. “This year it’s the Seven Deadly Sins.” In the past, the theme has usually been a prop or an aspect of the space—a shoe, a picnic table, the floor-to-ceiling support beams in the middle of the room. This season’s theme came out of the suggestion jar Mark put up in the lobby. “Someone in our audience thought of seven sins for the seventh Short Attention Span show,” Mark said. “I’ve put out the call for plays, and the submission period is going on right now. This program always gets local people writing. Last year for the first time we also had submissions from Kansas City and Columbia.” More about Scene One Theatre and Seven Deadly Sins ▪ sceneonetheatre.com and 573-635-6713 ▪ Ticket details Scene One Theatre 2014-15 Season ▪ Requiem for a Heavyweight, July 15-19 ▪ The Graduate, Sept. 18-27 ▪ Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, Nov. 13-22 ▪ Drinking in America, Jan. 8-17 ▪ Speed-the-Plow, Feb. 26–March 7 ▪ Short Attention Span Theatre: Seven Deadly Sins, March 19-28 ▪ Flowers for Algernon, May 28–June 6

Mark’s pick from someone else’s season

Webster Groves The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis: Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner January 7–February 1, 2015 Loretto-Hilton Center for the Performing Arts Mark’s pick is the new adaptation by Todd Kreidler of the Oscar-winning 1967 film about an interracial couple breaking the news of their whirlwind engagement to their parents. “Besides Jefferson City, I go to theatre in Kansas City, Columbia, and St. Louis, and this show at the Rep jumped out at me,” he said. “I am so jazzed! I love that movie. I’m a huge Katherine Hepburn fan, and then those performances by Spencer Tracy and Sidney Poitier—the dynamic of the situation and the conflict within—the movie is a classic. Just thinking of it being on the stage—awesome!”

Mark told us that Matt Connor got the idea for Scene One’s logo while he was rehearsing a play published by Samuel French, the company from which theatre troupes obtain many of their scripts. Samuel French’s logo, printed on the back of each script, is a bearded man in a top hat. Matt was doodling during rehearsals, Mark said, and his drawing turned into Teddy Roosevelt. “And Roosevelt always used ‘bully!’ for ‘wonderful!’”

Another reason Mark is intrigued by Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner is that Scene One itself is doing a film-to-stage show during the 2014-15 season: The Graduate, September 18-27. “From a movie to a play is the opposite of what you usually see,” he said. Yet another coincidence of the two companies’ seasons is that both are performing Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, the Chekhov-inspired comedy by Christopher Durang that won the 2013 Tony Award for Best Play. 2014-15 is the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis’ 48th season of professional productions that range from classics to musicals to world premieres. Nine of the season’s 12 shows are being performed at the Loretto-Hilton Center in suburban Webster Groves. Three more go on the road at schools,

libraries, and community centers. More about The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis and Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner ▪ repstl.org and 314-968-4925 ▪ Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner performance details The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis 2014-15 Season ▪ One Man, Two Guvnors, Sept. 10–Oct. 5 ▪ A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Oct. 15–Nov. 9 ▪ A Kid Like Jake, Oct. 29–Nov. 16 ▪ Ring of Fire: The Music of Johnny Cash, Dec. 3-28 ▪ Bah! Humbug! Dec. 13-23 ▪ Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, Jan. 7–Feb. 1 ▪ Safe House, Jan. 21–Feb. 8

▪ The Winslow Boy, Feb. 11–March 8 ▪ Buyer and Cellar, March 11-29 ▪ Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, March 18–April 12 ▪ The Emperor’s New Clothes (touring only) ▪ Robin Hood (touring only)

Kansas City Quality Hill Playhouse: Judy, Barbra, Liza May 29–June 28, 2015 Quality Hill Playhouse Every season this cabaret company creates six revues of American popular songs and the music of Broadway, with more than 30 performances of each show. All the talent is local, from technicians to the professional singers. The company performs in its own seven-row, 153-seat theater in the historic Quality Hill neighborhood near downtown Kansas City. The songs of each revue are threaded together with anecdotes and historical tidbits by emcee J. Kent Barnhart. Kent founded the company in 1995 and is executive director. He also plays piano for the shows, both solo and as part of a bass, drum, and piano combo.

Artwork for the production

Chanteuse Molly Hammer perches on top of the grand piano that Kent is playing. She will perform in Judy, Barbra, Liza.

With more than 35,000 songs to select from in the company’s music library, Kent unifies each season with a theme. The upcoming 20th anniversary season is themed Hooray for Hollywood: Magical Music From the Movies. Kent said he had a special place in his heart for the season’s closing revue: Judy, Barbra, Liza. “Quality Hill Playhouse is committed to keeping the American Songbook alive, and for me, that desire began when I was a child,” Kent said. “Watching Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz and A Star Is Born. Discovering great American songs and musicals as I began to collect Barbra Streisand albums. Then later, seeing Liza Minnelli on screen in Cabaret and live at Kansas City’s Starlight Theatre. These are the inspiration for Judy, Barbra, Liza.” Accompanied by piano, bass, and drums, the singers will perform the divas’ signature songs such as “Over the Rainbow,” “People,” and “New York, New York.” More about Quality Hill Playhouse and Judy, Barbra, Liza ▪ qualityhillplayhouse.com and 816-421-1700 ▪ Judy, Barbra, Liza performance details Quality Hill Playhouse 2014-15 Season ▪ Cheek to Cheek: The Songs of Fred Astaire, Sept. 16–Oct. 26 ▪ Christmas in Song annual holiday celebration, Nov. 20–Dec. 24 ▪ That’s Entertainment: The MGM Years, Jan. 16–Feb. 15 ▪ Broadway and Back, Feb. 27–March 29 ▪ What They Did for Love: The Songs of Marvin Hamlisch and Burt Bacharach, April 17–May 17 ▪ Judy, Barbra, Liza, May 29–June 28

Kent’s pick from someone else’s season

Springfield Springfield Contemporary Theatre: The Normal Heart October 17–November 2, 2014 SCT’s Center Stage at Wilhoit Plaza

“I am drawn to those who bring music and dramatic theatre to people in places that might not otherwise have the opportunity to experience them live,” said Kent. “Which is why I am especially excited about Springfield Contemporary Theatre’s production of Larry Kramer’s The Normal Heart. This gripping play dealing with AIDS is as relevant today as it was 25 years ago. “Whether it be American standards or thought-provoking theatre, Missouri is the place to discover it this season!” Springfield Contemporary Theatre is already well into its 20th anniversary season, because this company performs year-round nonstop. Productions include both world premieres and regional productions of major works “that can be re-energized through a contemporary view.” Shakespeare’s Tempest shares the 2014-15 bill with the rock musical Spring Awakening and the psychological ghost story Shining City. Performers are both volunteers and guest professionals. As well as multi-week runs of plays, the company produces Sunday Songbook

evenings about once a month featuring local and visiting singers and bands. The performances all take place at SCT’s Center Stage space within the restored 1926 Wilhoit Plaza building in downtown Springfield’s theater and restaurant district.

Artwork for the production

More about Springfield Contemporary Theatre and The Normal Heart ▪ springfieldcontemporarytheatre.org and 417-831-8001 ▪ The Normal Heart performance details Springfield Contemporary Theatre 2014-15 Season ▪ Don’t Dress for Dinner, June 6-22 ▪ Sunday Songbook: Bella Donna, June 15 ▪ The Spitfire Grill, July 11-27 ▪ Sunday Songbook: Heather Marie & Co., July 20 ▪ Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill, Aug. 8-24 ▪ Sunday Songbook: Canto 17, Aug. 17 ▪ Moonlight and Magnolias, Sept. 12-28 ▪ Sunday Songbook: Carol Reinert, Sept. 14 ▪ The Normal Heart, Oct. 17–Nov. 2 ▪ Sunday Songbook: Ned “the Band” Wilkinson, Oct. 26 ▪ Around the World in 80 Days, Nov. 21–Dec. 14

▪ Sunday Songbook: R.H. Silverwood, Dec. 7 ▪ Shining City, Jan. 9-18 ▪ Sunday Songbook: Heart and Music: The Music of William Finn & Jason Robert Brown, Jan. 23-25 ▪ The Tempest, Feb. 13–March 1 ▪ Sunday Songbook: Jeff Carney, Feb. 22 ▪ Painting Churches, March 20–April 4 ▪ Sunday Songbook: Lisa Murphy, March 29 ▪ Spring Awakening, April 24–May 17 ▪ Sunday Songbook: Special Guest TBA, May 3

Cape Girardeau: River Campus

Carthage: Stone’s Throw Dinner Theatre

Jefferson City: Scene One Theatre Kansas City: Quality Hill Playhouse Harriman-Jewell Series

Mt. Vernon: Mt. Vernon Community Theatre

St. Joseph: St. Joseph Community Chorus Performing Arts Association

St. Louis: The Big Muddy Dance Company Dance St. Louis

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis

Springfield: Springfield Contemporary Theatre

All photos and graphics are courtesy of the artists and organizations featured unless otherwise indicated. Fave Raves for the 2014-15 Performing Arts Season was created in September 2014 for the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency and division of the Department of Economic Development. The Missouri Arts Council provides grants to nonprofit organizations that meet our strategic goals of increasing participation in the arts in Missouri, growing Missouri’s economy using the arts, and strengthening Missouri education through the arts. For information, contact moarts@ded.mo.gov.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. Please feel free to share and distribute. Attribution: Courtesy of the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency.

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