Archives: May 2026

KC Voices: Unified social orgs list demands for World Cup Host Committee

The KC2026 World Cup countdown clock, from the unveiling, one year back. // Courtesy of KC2026 In the KC Voices column, we ask members of the KC community to submit stories about their thoughts and experiences in all walks of life. If you’ve got a story you’d like to share with our readers, please send it to brock@thepitchkc.com for consideration….

WWII drama Pressure wastes worthwhile talent on a blustering narrative

Brendan Fraser and Andrew Scott front a forgettable D-Day flick, serving tired awards-bait cinema perplexingly distant from awards season.

Next week marks 82 years since the Normandy landings on D-Day, an event that led to the liberation of France and Western Europe, and was an integral part of the victory against Nazi tyranny. But the hundreds of thousands of men braving the French shores and skies also faced another, less predictable enemy: the weather. Pressure stars Brendan Fraser as…

Missouri plans food benefit restrictions, but grocers say details remain unclear

The Missouri Department of Social Services applied last year for federal permission to implement its Healthy SNAP initiative. As the department works with grocers to iron out details, it’s unclear whether the changes will go into effect Oct. 1 as planned.

Missouri is one of 23 states approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to ban SNAP purchases of sugary or highly processed food and beverages. Less than half of those states have implemented the restrictions (Lance Cheung/USDA). As Missouri prepares to limit what low-income families can purchase with public food benefits this fall, grocers say they need to know which…

Chef Jerry Cao brings ingredients to life at Kiyoshi Omakase with preparation and performance

Chef Jerry Cao // Photo by Jordan Baranowski Moving to a new city is always a challenge, but it’s especially difficult if you’re worried your professional experience will have no place there. For Chef Jerry Cao, that was a real concern—he spent well over a decade honing his skills and knives in multiple Omakase-style kitchens of New York City, including…

1601! A Comedically Tragic Hamlet Origin Story captures medieval farce by force

Courtesy Balladeer Theatre Company TeenTix KC is an organization that helps provide KC youth with access to live stage performances. As part of that work, some up-and-coming  ‘Press Corps Members’ are tackling their first reviews—building up a next generation of critical, celebratory voices. Today, we’re thrilled to share Sarah Adams’ take on Balladeer Theatre Company’s 1601! A Comedically Tragic Hamlet…

Tuner wants to be a highbrow heist film. It’s middlebrow meh instead.

Courtesy Black Bear Early on in Tuner, apprentice piano tuner Niki (Leo Woodall) walks composition student Ruthie (Havana Rose Liu) to class at a conservatory in Manhattan. Niki nervously comments on an original piece he heard Ruthie working on the day before, noting composers he heard similarities to. He’s trying to impress her, but it has the opposite effect. Ruthie…

Ahead of Big Slick, actor Will Forte dishes on his ascension as accidental KC royalty

Courtesy Big Slick Actor/Comedian Will Forte has played a lot of roles over the years, but “Kansas City royalty” was not one of the early career objectives. Still, hang around Big Slick long enough, and the city tends to adopt you whether you applied for membership or not. The annual celebrity-packed fundraiser for Children’s Mercy Hospital—which is happening this weekend—has…

KC Sipps: Three local restaurants add new locations, a Pride Month pre-party, and a free three-day Italian festival

This week's Kansas City restaurant news.

KC Sipps logo by Theodore Rosen Life in KC is pretty delicious. In fact, there is often so much going on that it can be hard to decide where to go and what to try. That’s where I come in.  I’ve curated this weekly list of events, openings, deals, and celebrations to keep you in-the-know. Cheers! Something New News Bites:…

Eat This Now: Goodness Bar at Sweet Tee’s Coffee Shop

Photo by Kolby Brown When faced with an overwhelming number of emails to respond to, paperwork to fill out, or an exam to cram for, the required setting for focus is always a cozy cafe. For years, that cafe for me has been Sweet Tee’s: with warm-toned Christmas lights and mismatched couches to curl up on, this coffee shop is…

Photos: New York Yankees grab 7-0 victory over Royals

The New York Yankees beat Kansas City 7-0 on Wednesday night, to run their winning streak to 14 straight over the Kansas City Royals. At least it was a big night for Bobby Witt Jr., who received his 2025 Lou Gehrig Award. Our photographer Tarik Sykes was there to capture it all: Categories: Sports Tags: Gerrit Cole, KC Royals, mlb,…

Columbus Park tea house now moonlights as a Japanese-style bar

Moon Bar // Photo by Sarah Sipple No more elusive pop-ups that sell out before you’ve even heard of them. After holding limited pop-ups at host bars since late 2022, the creative cocktail concept, Moon Bar, officially opens a permanent space on May 27. The Tian Tea House space in Columbus Park transforms into Moon Bar after hours. Saranya and…

Photos: Yankees inflict 15-1 game on Royals

Photo by Tarik Sykes The Yankees clubbed six home runs and every starter in the lineup had at least two hits for the first time in franchise history, sending New York to a 15-1 rout of Kansas City on Tuesday night and its 12th consecutive win over the Kansas City Royals. Our photographer Tarik Sykes was there to capture it…

Abortion-rights coalition launches campaign against Missouri’s Amendment 3

The November measure would repeal the reproductive rights amendment voters approved in 2024 and add a constitutional ban on gender-affirming care for minors.

A campaign called Stop the Ban is focused on defeating a proposed amendment that would again ban nearly all abortions in Missouri. It will appear on the November 2026 ballot as Amendment 3 (photo submitted). The campaign opposing a November ballot measure that would reinstate Missouri’s abortion ban formally launched Wednesday, arguing Republican lawmakers are trying to overturn the 2024…

Photos: Komets stun Mavericks late to win Game Two

Photo by Eli Ralls The Western Conference Finals between the Kansas City Mavericks and Fort Wayne Komets shifted in dramatic fashion on May 23 as Fort Wayne battled back to even the series at one game apiece with a thrilling road victory in Kansas City. After the Mavericks claimed Game 1, the Komets answered in Game 2 with a clutch…

Margaret Cho brings politics, punchlines, and Pride to The Folly

For more than three decades, Margaret Cho has built a career out of scathingly saying the loud parts out loud. She’s skewered politicians, celebrity absurdity, misogyny, homophobia, beauty standards, family dysfunction, and, occasionally, herself with the kind of fearless specificity that makes audiences simultaneously gasp and howl. But as Cho prepares to bring her new Choligarchy tour to Kansas City’s Folly Theater on June 13…

Photos: Yankees take 11th straight victory over Royals

Photo by Tarik Sykes For 10 consecutive regular-season games, the Yankees had figured out ways to beat the Royals. They did it again on Monday when Anthony Volpe delivered a two-strike, two-run single in the ninth inning to give New York a 4-3 victory at Kauffman Stadium. Bobby Witt Jr. had snapped a 2-2 tie with a leadoff homer in…

Photos: Mavericks take Game 1over Komets in Western Conference Finals

The Kansas City Mavericks opened the Western Conference Finals in dominant fashion Friday night, skating past the Fort Wayne Komets with a 5-1 victory at Cable Dahmer Arena. The win gives Kansas City an early 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series as the chase for the Kelly Cup continues. After a scoreless opening period, the Mavericks broke through early in…

‘Mahjong in The Mandarin’ to wrap up AANHPI month by bringing focus back to the game’s Chinese roots

“There’s a lot to be gained from knowing where something comes from, especially if there’s a cultural significance."

Adobe stock image Vivilore in Independence, MO, is wrapping up AANHPI month with an event centered around the traditional way to play mahjong. Jollene Hastings, owner of Vivlore and its event space, The Mandarin, aims to honor the Asian heritage of the game. “It’s very trendy right now, and there’s a push to make it ‘aesthetic,’” Hastings says. “We wanted…

Kevin Morby breaks Little Wide Open ahead of his Uptown show

Kevin Morby. // photo credit Chantal Anderson Kevin Morby plays the Uptown Theater on Friday, May 29, with support from Liam Kazar. Details on that show here. Musician Kevin Morby is a hometown favorite, but his appeal reaches far beyond the borders of Kansas City. His latest album, Little Wide Open, sees Morby collaborating with the likes of Bon Iver’s…

Road trip from your couch with John McGivern’s Main Streets

Emmy Fink and John McGivern. // photo courtesy John McGivern’s Main Streets When planning a trip to Wisconsin and Minnesota in 2019, my wife, Tanya, discovered a show while doing research online. It was called Around the Corner with John McGiven, and featured the Wisconsin actor best known for his role in The Princess Diaries, exploring Wisconsin communities from large…