This Should Be a--Huge?--Boon and Boom for Starlight Theater

Someone asked out on Facebonkers today what people would like to see from local dance companies what with this pandemic.

It got me thinking.

First, I thought, open air performances of all kinds should be done, weather-permitting, of course And these should take place here from Spring through Summer and into Fall. They become all the more important and helpful. Anywhere and everywhere with a stage outdoors, of whatever size. Perfect.  With social distancing, of course.

And where, in Kansas City, is the biggest outdoor stage?

Why, Starlight Theater, of course!

Unfortunately, when I went to their web page today, there was this message:

Ensuring the health and safety of our patrons and staff is our number one priority. While we are still able to serve you via phone and website, we have suspended walk-up ticket sales until further notice in support of the guidance from Mayor Quinton Lucas and the City of Kansas City. Patrons will be notified if any Starlight events are postponed or cancelled and we will update our website and ticketholders as information becomes available. Thank you for your understanding, patience and continued support as we learn and adjust to the ever-changing circumstances regarding COVID-19.

And sure, it's understandable and it's one more business and they have to react to the pandemic and the Mayor's stay at home order but now that it's being relaxed, it seems that, again, with social distancing, this could and would be a fantastic place for us to all--carefully--congregate and enjoy ourselves this year, in spite of COVID-19.

I'd like to take it one step further, too.

I'd hope they'd actually have literally one performance a night out there. 

In the best case, with all the different arts organizations and performances there are in the area, the different ones could rotate in their performances.  Dance, music, theater--think Unicorn and the other live theater there is in town.

Sure, it would take a great deal of planning and organization and the logistics could/would be tough, very tough, to pull off, I recognize that.  But if they could, can and do??

And if not one performance a night, then as many performances per week as they could pull off.

And if they could pull it off?

Man, would we all enjoy ourselves and make the most of a very difficult, even tough time and situation.

Another upside?

Quite possibly a ton of profit for Starlight while also hopefully saving some other organizations and artists and performers, too.

I know, I know, this is hoping for a lot.   I mean A LOT. I recognize that.

And maybe it's dreaming an impossible dream.

But tough times make for tough people.  And solutions. And great answers.

It could, really, pull us all together, too. All across the city, area and even region.

Here's hoping.

Quote of the Day -- On the Political Illiterate

Get involved. Be involved. Stay involved. Be aware.

And yes, vote.



Links:

Bertolt Brecht - Wikipedia

Bertolt Brecht | German dramatist | Britannica.com

Bertolt Brecht - Theatre Database

Bertolt Brecht

Bertolt Brecht | Poetry Foundation

"Kansas City Choir Boy" hits New York This Week

I hadn't heard anything about this but a new play is to premier in New York later this week--"Kansas City Choir Boy"  with Courtney Love:


Courtney Love has been cast as the star of Todd Almond's "Kansas City Choir Boy", an experimental opera that will premiere at Prototype Festival at the Manhattan Arts Center from January 8 to 17. According to the New York Times, productions at the Prototype: Opera/Theater/Now festival "seek ways to erode the boundaries between opera and pop". 

Then there's this from today's New York Times:

Ditch the Persona, Then Move a Piano

Courtney Love's latest and thoroughly unexpected gig is the music-theater piece "Kansas City Choir Boy."

Singer, songwriter, punk-rocker, actress, fashionista, tabloid bonanza and ... piano mover? That’s part of Courtney Love’s latest and thoroughly unexpected gig. The performer who made her name in the 1990s with her primal rasp and confrontational, straight-from-the-id songs will play the lead in “Kansas City Choir Boy,” a music-theater piece she’s performing with its songwriter, Todd Almond, in the 84-seat South Village performance space Here from Jan. 8-17.

It’s not “Mary Poppins,” but it’s not Grand Guignol either. Billed as a “theatricalized concept album,” “Kansas City Choir Boy” is a song cycle with very little dialogue: the story of a couple pulled apart by ambition. In Kansas City, he’s a nameless musician who composes on his laptop and his piano; she’s a singer, Athena, and they’re teenage sweethearts. He’s content in the Midwest, while she leaves him behind to make it in New York. He tries to follow her and reconnect, but she has been seduced by the siren call of fame.

“Kansas City Choir Boy” is the most immediately eye-catching show in thePrototype festival, which is devoted to contemporary opera and innovative music theater. Prototype had asked its director, Kevin Newbury, to suggest a production, and he had long envisioned “Kansas City Choir Boy” as what he calls “an immersive theater experience.”

The story of “Kansas City Choir Boy,” Mr. Almond said, grew out of a memory. More than a decade ago, he had been hired by the Juilliard School of Music to do a musical adaptation of “The Odyssey.” The actress who played Athena disappeared and was later found murdered; he was watching TV news when her face suddenly came on screen. Some years later, around 2006, he was in a hotel room in Kansas City, Mo., writing music with his laptop when “the face of a missing girl popped up on the news.” It elicited a memory of the woman who had played Athena; he started imagining her as someone who “ran off to the big city to make something of herself, and then she fell into the wrong hands.”

This should be interesting to watch and see how it develops. If at all.

Seniors?

Found on Facebook today from someone named Steve Herman:

As I was waiting in line behind an older gentleman at Wendy's recently,I heard him ask for his senior discount. The girl at the register apologized and charged him less. When I asked the man what the discount was, he told me that seniors over age 55 ...get 10% off everything on the menu, every day. (But you need to ASK for your discount.)

Being of 'that' age myself, I figured I might as well ask for the discount too. 

This incident prompted me to do some research and I came across a list of restaurants, supermarkets, department stores, travel deals and other types of offers giving various discounts with different age requirements. I was actually surprised to see how many there are and howsome of them start at the young age of 50. This list may not only be useful for you, but for your friends and family too.

Dunkin Donuts gives free coffee to people over 55. If you're paying for a cup every day, you might want to start getting it for FREE.

YOU must ASK for your discount!

RESTAURANTS:
Applebee's: 15% off with Golden Apple Card (60+)
Arby's: 10% off ( 55 +)
Ben & Jerry's: 10% off (60+)
Bennigan's: discount varies by location (60+)
Bob's Big Boy: discount varies by location (60+)
Boston Market: 10% off (65+)
Burger King: 10% off (60+)
Chick-Fil-A: 10% off or free small drink or coffee ( 55+)
Chili's: 10% off ( 55+)
CiCi's Pizza: 10% off (60+)
Denny's: 10% off, 20% off for AARP members ( 55 +)
Dunkin' Donuts: 10% off or free coffee ( 55+)
Einstein's Bagels: 10% off baker's dozen of bagels (60+)
Fuddrucker's: 10% off any senior platter ( 55+)
Gatti's Pizza: 10% off (60+)
Golden Corral: 10% off (60+)
Hardee's: $0.33 beverages everyday (65+)
IHOP: 10% off ( 55+)
Jack in the Box: up to 20% off ( 55+)
KFC: free small drink with any meal ( 55+)
Krispy Kreme: 10% off ( 50+)
Long John Silver's: various discounts at locations ( 55+)
McDonald's: discounts on coffee everyday ( 55+)
Mrs. Fields: 10% off at participating locations (60+)
Shoney's: 10% off
Sonic: 10% off or free beverage (60+)
Steak 'n Shake: 10% off every Monday & Tuesday ( 50+)
Subway: 10% off (60+)
Sweet Tomatoes: 10% off (62+)
Taco Bell : 5% off; free beverages for seniors (65+)
TCBY: 10% off ( 55+)
Tea Room Cafe: 10% off ( 50+)
Village Inn: 10% off (60+)
Waffle House: 10% off every Monday (60+)
Wendy's: 10% off ( 55 +)
Whataburger: 10% off (62+)
White Castle: 10% off (62+) 

RETAIL & APPAREL :
Banana Republic: 30% off ( 50 +)
Bealls: 20% off first Tuesday of each month ( 50 +)
Belk's: 15% off first Tuesday of every month ( 55 +)
Big Lots: 30% off
Bon-Ton Department Stores: 15% off on senior discount days ( 55 +)
C.J. Banks: 10% off every Wednesday (50+)
Clarks : 10% off (62+)
Dress Barn: 20% off ( 55+)
Goodwill: 10% off one day a week (date varies by location)
Hallmark: 10% off one day a week (date varies by location)
Kmart: 40% off (Wednesdays only) ( 50+)
Kohl's: 15% off (60+)Modell's Sporting Goods: 30% off
Rite Aid: 10% off on Tuesdays & 10% off prescriptions
Ross Stores: 10% off every Tuesday ( 55+)
The Salvation Army Thrift Stores: up to 50% off ( 55+)
Stein Mart: 20% off red dot/clearance items first Monday of every month ( 55 +)

GROCERY :
Albertson's: 10% off first Wednesday of each month ( 55 +)
American Discount Stores: 10% off every Monday ( 50 +)
Compare Foods Supermarket: 10% off every Wednesday (60+)
DeCicco Family Markets: 5% off every Wednesday (60+)
Food Lion: 60% off every Monday (60+)
Fry's Supermarket: free Fry's VIP Club Membership & 10% off every Monday ( 55 +)
Great Valu Food Store: 5% off every Tuesday (60+)
Gristedes Supermarket: 10% off every Tuesday (60+)
Harris Teeter: 5% off every Tuesday (60+)
Hy-Vee: 5% off one day a week (date varies by location)
Kroger: 10% off (date varies by location)
Morton Williams Supermarket: 5% off every Tuesday (60+)
The Plant Shed: 10% off every Tuesday ( 50 +)
Publix: 15% off every Wednesday ( 55 +)
Rogers Marketplace: 5% off every Thursday (60+)
Uncle Guiseppe's Marketplace: 15% off (62+)

TRAVEL :
Airlines:
Alaska Airlines: 50% off (65+)
American Airlines: various discounts for 50% off non-peak periods (Tuesdays - Thursdays) (62+)and up (call before booking for discount)
Continental Airlines: no initiation fee for Continental Presidents Club & special fares for select destinations
Southwest Airlines: various discounts for ages 65 and up (call before booking for discount)
United Airlines: various discounts for ages 65 and up (call before booking for discount)
U.S. Airways: various discounts for ages 65 and up (call before booking for discount)
Rail:
Amtrak: 15% off (62+)
Bus:
Greyhound: 15% off (62+)
Trailways Transportation System: various discounts for ages 50+

Car Rental:
Alamo Car Rental: up to 25% off for AARP members
Avis: up to 25% off for AARP members
Budget Rental Cars: 40% off; up to 50% off for AARP members ( 50+)
Dollar Rent-A-Car: 10% off ( 50+) Enterprise Rent-A-Car: 5% off for AARP members Hertz: up to 25% off for AARP members
National Rent-A-Car: up to 30% off for AARP members

Overnight Accommodations:
Holiday Inn: 20-40% off depending on location (62+)
Best Western: 40% off (55+)
Cambria Suites: 20%-30% off (60+)
Waldorf Astoria - NYC $5,000 off nightly rate for Presidential Suite (55 +)
Clarion Motels: 20%-30% off (60+)
Comfort Inn: 20%-30% off (60+)
Comfort Suites: 20%-30% off (60+)
Econo Lodge: 40% off (60+)
Hampton Inns & Suites: 40% off when booked 72 hours in advance
Hyatt Hotels: 25%-50% off (62+)
InterContinental Hotels Group: various discounts at all hotels (65+)
Mainstay Suites: 10% off with Mature Traveler's Discount (50+); 20%-30% off (60+)
Marriott Hotels: 25% off (62+)
Motel 6: Stay Free Sunday nights (60+)
Myrtle Beach Resort: 30% off ( 55 +)
Quality Inn: 40%-50% off (60+)
Rodeway Inn: 20%-30% off (60+)
Sleep Inn: 40% off (60+)

ACTIVITIES & ENTERTAINMENT ;:
AMC Theaters: up to 30% off ( 55 +)
Bally Total Fitness: $100 off memberships (62+)
Busch Gardens Tampa, FL: $13 off one-day tickets ( 50 +)
Carmike Cinemas: 35% off (65+)
Cinemark/Century Theaters: up to 35% off
Massage Envy - NYC 20% off all "Happy Endings" (62 +)
U.S. National Parks: $10 lifetime pass; 50% off additional services including camping (62+)
Regal Cinemas: 50% off Ripley's Believe it or Not: @ off one-day ticket ( 55 +)
SeaWorld, Orlando , FL : $3 off one-day tickets ( 50 +)

CELL PHONE DISCOUNTS :

AT&T: Special Senior Nation 200 Plan $19.99/month (65+)
Jitterbug: $10/month cell phone service ( 50 +)
Verizon Wireless: Verizon Nationwide 65 Plus Plan $29.99/month (65+).

MISCELLANEOUS:
Great Clips: $8 off hair cuts (60+)
Supercuts: $8 off haircuts (60+)

Now, go out there and claim your discounts - - and remember -- YOU must ASK for discount ---- no ask, no discount.

Everyone knows someone over 50 please pass this on

Saturday night at the Uptown

Ever since I first heard it, I've marveled that parents could name their child, their son Adonis.

This was there Saturday night, anyway.

Who could but wish them well?

Entertainment overnight

Enjoy:

Quote of the day

“Terrorism is the war of the poor and war is the terrorism of the rich”.

--Sir Peter Ustinov, English actor, writer and dramatist, filmmaker, theatre and opera director, stage designer, author, screenwriter, comedian, humourist, newspaper and magazine columnist, radio broadcaster and television presenter.

Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Ustinov

We can't be Austin, Texas but we'll take this, anyway

Sure, we can't be Austin, Texas, what with its Sixth Street, its Congress Avenue, its music history, etc., and we don't have to want to try to be, certainly. But at least we got one thing from that city that they do so well.

That is, we got the Alamo Drafthouse. It went into the space of the former AMC Mainstreet Theater downtown.

And I can tell you, there's only one reason this place appeals to me.

The Alamo Drafthouse in Austin, Texas has always been famous--and popular--for being tough on moviegoers who talk in theaters but who also feel they must bring their telephones or computers into the theater and use them during the movie experience.

Alamo Drafthouse takes on texters: kxan.com

Of course, one of the big, wonderful ironies of this is that Austin is known for being at the forefront of the comuter industry and culture, yet here these people are, fighting the rudeness of some people with their technology. Bravo for them, I say, naturally, and great for us. Maybe it will spread. So if you've ever experienced the rudeness and selfishness and ignorance of that kind of fellow-moviegoer--and who hasn't?--this should be the place for you. Heck, it's the place for all of us. Links: http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/local/Alamo-Drafthouse-takes-on-texters http://drafthouse.com/kansas_city/mainstreet

Save the date--for the Folly Theater

Bill Shapiro of KCUR and "Cyprus Avenue" fame, is sponsoring a fundraiser for our own Folly Theater again, God bless him. This time, he's having singer/songwriter Sam Baker Saturday, August 25 at 8 pm, in case you missed last evening's show. Besides being able to enjoy Mr. Baker's wonderful, soulful, heartfelt music--live, at that--you can help a terrific and very worthwhile cause, our own Folly Theater.

Finally, the tickets are extremely reasonable, beginning at only $10 each with the best seats in the house going for only $20 to $35, a real bargain.

They go on sale this Monday morning. You can find more information at the first link below, especially. Phone the Folly box office this Monday at 816-474-4444

It's Mr. Shapiro's goal to fill all 1,082 seats that night.

Let's help make it happen.

Links: http://www.follytheater.com/siteresources/apps/calendar/eventview.asp?id=315

http://www.sambakermusic.com/

Side/final note--if you absolutely have to, go here for tickets:
http://www.ticketmaster.com/Sam-Baker-tickets/artist/1392489

A drive-in movie? A double feature? FREE?

You heard right. As the KC Confidential blog said first, the Boulevard Drive-in theater is having a double-feature movie night and letting folks in free, to boot. It's all to promote their new technology. From KCC: " The BOULEVARD Drive In is currently in the final stages of converting its facilities to state-of-the-art Christie 4K Digital projection equipment powered by a 6,000 watt Xenon bulb . According to the Neal's, (the owners) 'No other Drive In in the country will have as sharp and crisp a picture on the screen as we will and our digital sound will be crystal clear.'"

"Note that just as at the I-70 and TWIN Drive In's, movie sound is broadcast to car radios via FM frequencies. The BOULEVARD will be showing off its new 4K digital projection system next Friday, April 6th with an absolutely free, one night Fan Night featuring a great double feature of Steven Spielberg classics, RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK starring Harrison Ford and the original BACK TO THE FUTURE with Michael J. Fox." So not only would you get to enjoy a bit of a flashback with a drive-in theater, but you get to see a double-feature and it's in the latest technology and it's free. How can you beat that? Join their Facebook page to keep up with them here: http://www.facebook.com/boulevard.drive.in

Entertainment overnight

Check out that very local marquee in the first, opening shot of this great old song by the very talented, taken-from-us-far-too-soon, Jimmy Spheeris, from his album "Isle of View." Fantastic stuff.

Like--and want to help--the Heart of America Shakespeare Festival?

Brio Tuscan Grille is donating to the Festival with YOUR help. If you are planning to dine sometime between March 11 - 15, please consider dining at Brio on the Plaza. Just say SHAKESPEARE to your server and 20% of your total will be donated to the Festival!

You get to eat and give to the Festival at the same time. You can also either dine in or carry out, too, so you know. You'll get and enjoy a terrific meal and help a great cause at the same time. It's great for all. Link: www.kcshakes.org

Please allow me to gush

Indeed, please allow me to gush here a bit on the incredible film and incredible film-maker that is "2001: A Space Odyssey" and Stanley Kubrick. I know I wrote of this recently but I just watched it again Friday evening for a bit as it was on TV. Once again, it just stunned me. Not only does it still resonate but I had to check to see when, exactly it was made--what year--because not only is the story intriguing and engaging but the visuals are just simply extraordinary. From the scenes in space to the shots on distant planets, it all works so well, creates magnificent tension and yet is so stunningly beautiful. It left me wondering, if Mr. Kubrick were still alive today, what with all the CGI and other technologies available for creating movies, what would he have yet created for us and our enjoyment and fascination.

Cross "The Blair Witch Project" and "Cloverfield" with "X-Men" and "Carrie" and voila'

A movie opening this weekend.

One of the best movie ideas ever

"Star Wars", redone, in 3-D. Oh, yeah. That's the good news. The bad news, if there is any? It's "The Phantom Menace." Yeah, Jar Jar Binks will still be in it.

Want to keep up with the arts in KC?

If you don't already know about it, you need to go to and register at this site: http://kcmetropolis.org/. Music, theater, movies, dance--it's all here. AS they describe themselves: Kansas City's Online Journal of the Performing Arts. Enjoy.

No more drive-in theaters?

There's an interesting, if possibly sad, article out right now at the BBC site, pointing out that the drive-in movie theater may be all but dead. At the height of the drive-in's popularity--way back in 1958--we peaked at 4,063 of the buggers. Yowza. Now? We have a total of 374 sites in the US with 618 screens. Big drop, for sure. With the next shift coming of going digital, it will require approximately $112,000 per projector and housing to make the switch. The conclusion I come to, folks? If you enjoy a drive-in theater, you'd better get to it next Summer. (Pass the popcorn, will you?) Link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-15930813

Zombies at the gym?

Sure, people have a stereotype of "gym rats" having no brains and being mindless but since when did zombies in movies EVER have exercise programs--clearly--so they end up not only young--that was the point of being a zombie--but also ripped with bulging biceps, triceps, pecs and six-pac abs?

The thing was, in the past, zombies were ugly and slow and brainless so who'd want to be one, right? Now, like I said, they're young and muscular and the women are beautiful and both are fast. That goes against everything zombies were supposed to be about. Then there's this:

If these are zombies, as they are supposed to be, I ask you, who doesn't want to sign up for a millenia of this? Somebody put me on the list, will you, please?

I'm so old...

I remember when females who acted weren't referred to as "actors". THAT old.

I'm a sucker for a flashmob

and this is recently done.That said, I remember, even as a kid, when "West Side Story" first came out, that I found the depiction of mobs doing modern, contemporary dance jarring, at least. Here's another, from across the pond: I love how sweat pants, in Europe, apparently mean "gang clothing". I also love that both versions were updated to include both sexes. Leonard Bernstein lives.