A self-described “anti-conjuror” (translation: “not your grandmother’s magician”), Dan Sperry wants to shock his audiences. He prefers raw industrial music and costumes from the goth end of the weirdo rack, including spiked jewelry, white face paint and fake blood (think Marilyn Manson or Lisbeth Salander from Stieg Larsson’s Girl With the Dragon Tattoo). As a child, Sperry was captivated by…
Written in 1971, three years before her death by suicide, Transformations is a departure from the confessional style for which Anne Sexton is known. The cycle of poem-tales shatters and reinterprets sixteen Brothers Grimm Fairy Tales—rich material for this poet of terror and ruthlessness. Yet Transformations is also surprisingly conversational, intimate and light, qualities the classical composer Conrad Susa expanded…
On separate quests for escape, redemption and freedom, El Casper, a fugitive gang member, encounters Sayra, a Honduran girl, whose family is making the perilous trek across Mexico toward a new life in the United States. That’s the plot of writer-director Cary Fukunaga’s feature Sin Nombre. The 2009 Sundance standout screens at 7 p.m. at Screenland Theatre at the Crossroads…
She learned the truth at 17, and has learned more truths since. Some of those lessons will be shared in song when the Performing Arts Series presents Janis Ian at 8 p.m. in the Carlsen Center’s Polsky Theatre at Johnson County Community College (12345 College Boulevard, Overland Park). Wait — 17? Make that 15. That’s how old Ian was when…
The prelude to the better-known two-part Broadway musical Falsettos (known separately as March of the Falsettos and Falsettoland), In Trousers tells the story of the neurotic and confused Marvin, who finds himself torn between his desire for “family life” with his wife and son and his persistent interest in “kissing men.” William Finn came out swinging in this debut effort,…
Poor Giselle, an innocent peasant girl with such a delicate constitution. Why, she could die at any time. Then, to fall in love with a nobleman disguised as a peasant, who wants one final fling before his royal marriage. It’s just too much for her. Such is Giselle, the tale of love and betrayal presented by the Kansas City Ballet…
For each of the past three years, urban environmental activist Richard Mabion and a team of like-minded people have given Kansas City, Kansas, an event that focuses on issues of the planet — how they affect our town and what folks can do to increase sustainability in their community. Through lectures, panel presentations and youth-oriented activities, this year’s Breaking the…
This year’s theme is “The Irish Rock.” The Snake Saturday Festival runs from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. with all-ages activities including carnival rides, food, a car show featuring over 50 race cars, a children’s square with free pony rides, petting zoo and live entertainment. Sat., March 12, 11 a.m., 2011 Tags: 2404, Night & Day
Rigged or not, professional wrestling is a blood sport. On rare occasions, contestants have actually died in the ring (poor Owen Hart). Even staged blows can result in gnarly injuries. So don’t discount the adrenaline rush that comes from watching the (mostly) controlled chaos live, at the Sprint Center (1407 Grand, 816-949-7050), during WWE Smackdown. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.,…
The Flashpoint series captures “the origin of ignition as water hits pigment in a violent explosion of brilliant color.” Sculptural work by DiPiazzo will also be on display. She is currently a resident artist at the Arts Incubator in the Kansas City Crossroads District. Jan. 27-March 22, 2011 Tags: Kansas City, Night & Day
It’s been about 40 years since the Cowtown Ballroom, at 3101 Gillham Plaza, hosted the Flying Burrito Brothers, Alice Cooper and Frank Zappa. Today, it’s the site of the Cowtown Mallroom, where shoppers and looky-loos alike can find vintage clothing, antiques, records, furniture and art. Vendor liaisons Darrin and Kathi Welch occupy the first-floor space and hope to make it…
Those gleaming white tile floors that restaurateur Loy Edge — who no longer lives in Kansas City — installed back in 2009 for his clubby restaurant-without-a-name are gone. Bret Springs, the co-owner of the new tenant, Coal Vines Pizza and Wine Bar, says he personally helped rip them out of the building. Why? “They didn’t go with the color concept…
City Hall announced today that it would not renew or extend its animal-shelter contract with Halfway Home Pet Adoptions due to “operational concerns.” The announcement comes as Halfway Home and its head — Dr. Wayne Steckelberg — are under investigation by the Missouri Veterinary Medical Board for alleged abuse and neglect. The investigation began after a former Halfway Home employee…
A Jackson County jury today found plaintiff John Coomer 100 percent at fault for putting his eyeball in the path of a perfectly good hot dog. Coomer sued the Kansas City Royals for damages resulting from an injury he received when Slugger, the Royals mascot, flung a foil-wrapped hot dog into the stands and hit Coomer in the eye. The…
Let’s put it this way: The sushi wasn’t the only thing raw at RA Sushi’s Mardi RA party last night. The upscale sushi restaurant, a see-and-see-be-seen JoCo staple in the Park Place shopping center, lifted its top and let it all hang out for Fat Tuesday. The raucous Mardi Gras-themed celebration started with happy hour at 3 p.m. and lasted…
In 1882, the long-forgotten Vienna Model Bakery, Cafe and Restaurant stood here. Jonathan Bender’s new Fat City profile on chef Michael Foust — the young entrepreneur operating the Farmhouse restaurant at 300 Delaware in the River Market — reminded the Fat City historians that back in the late 19th century, when this neighborhood was still an important spot for…
The boycott of Fox News blowhard Glenn Beck has reached Columbia, Missouri. Columbia College is dropping radio ads from Beck’s radio show in Chicago, according to StopBeck.com. StopBeck’s website says it reached out to Columbia College and “kindly requested that they take the responsible action by refraining from financially supporting Glenn Beck’s vitriol.” The college obliged. In fact, CC didn’t…
In the course of a two-hour conversation, chef Michael Foust uses the word “blessed” no fewer than five times. He was blessed to grow up with a family that loved traveling. Blessed to work for talented chefs who demanded his best in the kitchen. And blessed to find a corner space at Third and Delaware, where he opened the Farmhouse…
Leave it to a punter to put the NFL labor dispute into perspective. Kansas City Chiefs punter Dustin Colquitt gets it. While the NFL’s owners and players argue over how many more millions of dollars they’ll split, Colquitt realizes that this isn’t the most sympathetic slap fight. “Obviously, we’re fighting over millions of dollars. But there are people in this…
There’s been a lot of buzz about the upcoming new release from Kansas City’s indie mainstay Republic Tigers. No Land’s Man is a four-track EP that fans can get their hands on during the upcoming Record Store Day in April. But what’s that, you say? You just can’t wait that long for new Tigers? No problem. The EP’s single, “Merrymake…
A few weeks after The Pitch ran a positive review of chef Michael Peterson’s menu at Hickok’s Bar & Grill, the 44-year-old chef announced that he was leaving the stylish Southwest-style saloon in the River Market and was scouting locations for his own restaurant. He might stay in the neighborhood, however. Categories: Dining, Food & Drink Tags: Michael Peterson
I realize this is short notice, but if you’re into sustainable farming and helping out local farmers, you’ll want to be at Williams-Sonoma on the Plaza this afternoon. Josh Kilmer-Purcell and Brent Ridge, the stars of Planet Green TV’s reality show The Fabulous Beekman Boys, will be in town to talk about the “world’s largest community garden” from 3:30 to…
There are a handful of names that inevitably come to mind when you think about the Kansas City hip-hop scene: Approach, Reach and Mac Lethal, to name a few. But one name you probably wouldn’t think of (but should) has just released his third album on Datura Records, and it’s seething with heavy beats and hot rhymes. Royce Diamond’s new…
Steddy P, the guru heading local rap label Indyground, is kicking off his “Lookout Tour” tonight at the Riot Room. Steddy will perform, along with DJ Mahf, Prof and DJ Fundo, CES Cru, and Dallas. Here’s the rapper’s newest music video for “Rock Steddy.” Categories: Music Tags: CES Cru, indyground, Lookout Tour, steddy P, Steddy P.
