Today — 5:30 p.m. — RenFest Media Day
This isn’t an open event, except to the media representatives invited, but it is the start of the Renaissance Season for Madrigalia Bar Nonne (I sing tenor/bass) and the other performers at the annual event. Rain was persistent this morning, but might be done before the event starts. So a soggy time, but hopefully not a drenching one.
Weekdays Through August — Clay and Jackson County Zoo Days
Residents of the Clay and Jackson counties still have a few more weekdays to take advantage of their free visits to the zoo in August that is their right for paying the special zoo tax. Anyone in the two counties can take the ticket they got in the mail and get in for free for the remaining weekdays of this Month. Earlier months this year included April and July, and this option will be available again in November.
Through September 23 — Mamma Mia at New Theatre Restaurant
On the eve of her wedding, a daughter’s quest to discover the identity of her father brings three men from her mother’s past to the door of the church. Featuring the #1 hits of legendary group ABBA, DANCING QUEEN, KNOWING ME-KNOWING YOU, TAKE A CHANCE ON ME, and many more. This Super Trouper musical comedy hit sold out 14 years on Broadway.
Weekends September 1 to Oct. 14 — Kansas City Renaissance Festival
Welcome to the 2018 Kansas City Renaissance Festival! The Kansas City Renaissance Festival is celebrating its 42nd Season! Come and be a part of this long-standing tradition by visiting the festival grounds in Bonner Springs, KS.
Open Weekends September 1 – October 14 Plus Labor Day and Columbus Day 10am to 7pm • Rain or Shine • 913.721.2110 Free Parking!
Kansas City’s History with the Festival
The Kansas City Renaissance Festival began its journey in September of 1977 as a benefit to the Kansas City Art Institute. Since then, the Kansas City Renaissance Festival has grown to be one of the largest Renaissance Festivals in the united States with an annual attendance of 200,000.
About Mid-America Festivals
Mid-America Festivals is the nation’s largest producer of outdoor themed events. In 2016, we entertained nearly one million people in a wide variety of locations across the country.
Mid-America Festivals currently devotes its time towards developing some of the best festivals in the country. Mid-America Festivals, along with affiliated entities, owns and operates the Minnesota Renaissance Festival, the Trail of Terror (located in Minnesota), the Bay Area Renaissance Festival at MOSI (located on the grounds of the Museum of Science and Industry in Tampa Bay, Florida), the Kansas City Renaissance Festival, the Michigan Renaissance Festival, the St. Louis Renaissance Festival and many other events. The company demonstrates its event production and promotion leadership by embracing all aspects of event production from specialty merchandise and corporate sponsorship to ticket sales and multi-media marketing.
Based in Minneapolis, Mid-America’s staff is comprised of talented managers’ experiences in all aspects of entertainment. Mid-America Festivals began producing Renaissance Festivals in 1976 as a natural extension of its president’s career in major venue promotion and production. The company’s background ranges from rock and roll events like the Beach Boys, Rolling Stones, and Prince to event management for concerts like Rock the Garden in Minneapolis.
September 8 — Avondale United Methodist Church Book Club
The club meets at 10 a.m. in the Church Library, and is open to anyone that wants to come and discuss, or listen to the discussion of the book slated for the month. For September it is The Radium Girls, by Kate Moore. See the following blurb:
As World War I raged across the globe, hundreds of young women toiled away at the radium-dial factories, where they painted clock faces with a mysterious new substance called radium. Assured by their bosses that the luminous material was safe, the women themselves shone brightly in the dark, covered from head to toe with the glowing dust. With such a coveted job, these “shining girls” were considered the luckiest alive–until they began to fall mysteriously ill. As the fatal poison of the radium took hold, they found themselves embroiled in one of America’s biggest scandals and a groundbreaking battle for workers’ rights. The Radium Girls explores the strength of extraordinary women in the face of almost impossible circumstances and the astonishing legacy they left behind.
September 15, 2018 — Halloween Haunt Opening Night at Worlds of Fun
As darkness falls, fear rises when the Overlord calls his army to transform the park into Halloween Haunt. Experience the thrills of your favorite rides and the chills of Extreme Haunts as you navigate the fog-filled midways where over 400 monsters lurk to feed off your screams. All you fear is here select nights in the Fall.
Not recommended for children under 14.
Friday’s and Saturdays September 15 – October 27 — Halloween Haunt at Worlds of Fun
As darkness falls, fear rises when the Overlord calls his army to transform the park into Halloween Haunt. Experience the thrills of your favorite rides and the chills of Extreme Haunts as you navigate the fog-filled midways where over 400 monsters lurk to feed off your screams. All you fear is here select nights in the Fall.
Not recommended for children under 14.
September 14-16 — Chicago at Kansas City Starlight Theatre
Show Time: 8 p.m.
Gates Time: 7 p.m.
Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes, with intermission
There’s never been a better time to experience CHICAGO, Broadway’s razzle-dazzle smash. This triumphant hit musical is the recipient of six Tony Awards®, two Olivier Awards, a Grammy®, thousands of standing ovations and now the title of No. 1 longest-running American musical in Broadway history.
CHICAGO has everything that makes Broadway great: a universal tale of fame, fortune and all that jazz; one show-stopping song after another; and the most astonishing dancing you’ve ever seen. It’s no surprise CHICAGO has wowed audiences from Mexico City to Moscow, Sao Paulo to South Africa. And now it’s coming to your town!
Whether you’re looking for your first Broadway musical, seen the Academy Award-winning film and want to experience the show live on stage, or seen it before and want to recapture the magic, CHICAGO always delivers!
Contains adult language and subject matter; national tour recommends for ages 13+.
Note: This is the one show at Starlight that Betsy and I ever walked out on when we saw it.
Sept 26-Dec. 2 — Always … Patsy Cline at New Theatre Restaurant
Always…Patsy Cline is more than a tribute to the legendary country singer who died tragically at age 30 in a plane crash in 1963. The show is based on a true story about Patsy’s friendship with a fan from Houston named Louise Seger, who befriended the star in a Texas honky-tonk in 1961, and continued a correspondence with Patsy until her death. The musical play, complete with down home country humor, true emotion and even some audience participation, includes many of Patsy’s unforgettable hits such as CRAZY, I FALL TO PIECES, SWEET DREAMS, WALKING AFTER MIDNIGHT. The show’s title was inspired by Patsy’s letters to Louise, which were consistently signed “Love always… Patsy Cline.”
Sept 28-30 — The Illusionists and Kansas City Starlight Theatre
Show Time: 8 p.m.
Gates Time: 7 p.m.
Duration: 2 hours, with intermission
Direct from Broadway comes the world’s best-selling magic show.
The mind-blowing spectacular of THE ILLUSIONISTS – LIVE FROM BROADWAY™showcases the jaw-dropping talents of five of the most incredible illusionists on earth. This magical production has shattered box office records across the globe as it dazzles audiences of all ages with a powerful mix of the most outrageous and astonishing acts ever seen on stage. A non-stop show, THE ILLUSIONISTS is packed with thrilling and sophisticated magic of unprecedented proportions!
Suitable for all audiences.
December 5-February 17 — Shear Madness at New Theatre Restaurant
SHEAR MADNESS is America’s most popular and longest running comedy (now in its 31st year at Washington D.C.’s prestigious Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts). More than 12 million people worldwide have seen the hilarious whodunit and there is no end in sight; its success just keeps going and going.
In this hilarious whodunit, a renowned classical pianist is murdered in her apartment above the SHEAR MADNESS beauty salon and you, the audience, along with Inspector Nick O’Brien, interrogate the suspects, evaluate the clues and solve the mystery. The wacky, spontaneous comedy never has the same ending twice, so you can see it again and again.
February 20-April 201– Biloxi Blues at New Theatre Restaurant
The laughter rarely stops in this Tony Award-winning “Best Play” that tells the story of Eugene Jerome and his experiences as a 19-year-old draftee who, with a handful of other recruits must endure ten weeks of boot camp and a tough as nails, hard-drinking platoon leader in the steaming swamps of Biloxi, Mississippi in 1943.
April 25-July 7 — The Buddy Holly Story at New Theatre Restaurant
It’s Back! One of our most popular productions of all time! BUDDY-THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY. This joyous musical tells the story of Buddy Holly’s short yet explosive career and features his classical hits: PEGGY SUE, THAT’LL BE THE DAY, NOT FADE AWAY, OH BOY, MAYBE BABY, RAVEON and many more. This show Rocks!
July -Sept. 15 — Joseph and the Amazing TechniColor Dreamcoat at New Theatre Restaurant
Based on the “Coat of Many Colors” story from The Bible’s Book of Genesis, this upbeat musical is filled with a cornucopia of musical styles. From country-western to calypso to bubblegum pop & rock ‘n’ roll, this Old Testament tale emerges both timely and timeless. With its family-friendly storyline, universal themes and catchy music, JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT is a musical theatre event not to be missed. From the composer of PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, EVITA, CATS AND SCHOOL OF ROCK.@
At The Rainbow 