One-Man Hip-Hop Drama

At last. Tonight, on the new Copaken Stage, marks the debut of new artistic director Eric Rosen’s tenure at the Kansas City Repertory Theatre. This is good news not just because Clay — a one-man hip-hop musical written by its star, Matt Sax, in collaboration with Rosen — is reputed to burst with life, insight and world-class beatboxing. Or because those top-notch Copaken acoustics should deliver some serious boom bap. Or even because the show has already been toasted by Los Angeles critics and is off to New York once it’s done here. No, the biggest cause for celebration is this new alertness at the sleepy old Rep, a theater suddenly leaping again at challenging contemporary work. The new age dawns at 8 p.m. at the Copaken Stage (13th Street and Walnut). For tickets, call 816-235-2700.

Sat., Sept. 6, 8 p.m.; Sun., Sept. 7, 7 p.m.; Tue., Sept. 9, 7 p.m.; Wed., Sept. 10, 7 p.m.; Thu., Sept. 11, 7 p.m.; Fri., Sept. 12, 8 p.m.; Sat., Sept. 13, 2 & 8 p.m.; Sun., Sept. 14, 2 & 7 p.m.; Tue., Sept. 16, 7 p.m.; Wed., Sept. 17, 7 p.m.; Thu., Sept. 18, 7 p.m.; Fri., Sept. 19, 8 p.m.; Sat., Sept. 20, 2 & 8 p.m.; Sun., Sept. 21, 2 & 7 p.m.; Tue., Sept. 23, 7 p.m.; Wed., Sept. 24, 7 p.m.; Thu., Sept. 25, 7 p.m.; Fri., Sept. 26, 8 p.m.; Sat., Sept. 27, 5 & 10 p.m.; Sun., Sept. 28, 2 p.m., 2008