Today, I once again had the immense pleasure of attending a Matinée performance at this wonderful little theater.
The best rhythm section in the Central Time Zone.
Hand-Picked Casts that are both Musicians and Actors.
Artisans in Song, taking the Songs and creating them anew.
The Melodies. The Harmonies (Oh! Those Harmonies!)
Any Singer will tell you it is not just the song, it's the Arrangement.
And the Lyrics. This Season is ALL about the Lyrics and the Lyricists.
The intricate stories in 32 bars. The Tune and the Telling that is
the American Treasure Trove of Popular Music of the 20th Century.
J. Kent Barnhart has been Crafting shows in and for this venue for the last
15 years. He is, most lamentably, one of a kind. He is not just a Producer/
Arranger/Musical Director/Accompanist.
He does more than just pick the songs, cast and assign the tunes, create
those outstanding arrangements.
(Did I mention those Heavenly Harmonies?? ;->)
He researches each song, finds the historical reference, the story behind the
song that makes the story told by the song all the more meaningful.
He Curates each offering, as carefully, throughly and thoughtfully as any
Artistic offering available.
And we here in KC benefit profoundly from the experience.
And THAT, my friends, is what makes it ART.