Kansas City Star: Entertainment

Tech N9ne's resurrection

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 08:23 CDT

Can the mad rapper reclaim his Kansas City Kingdom with a “Killer” CD? Jason Whitlock, writing for The Star's weekly publication Ink, finds out.

Summer Fun 2008

Thu, 22 May 2008 02:31 CDT

If getting in the car and driving around used to be one of the options, gas prices may have put an end to that. And if wandering around downtown on a hot Saturday never used to be a choice, this year it is, thanks to the Power & Light District.

Fringe Festival 2008

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 10:33 CDT

The arts-KC Fringe Festival, running until July 27, is jam-packed with live theater, dance, performance art, visual art, spoken word, puppetry, storytelling, film and fashion.

Conrad Dobler spills on the Chiefs and offers haircut advice

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 04:18 CDT

Nobody lays down a verbal clothesline like former St. Louis Cardinal football dirty-pooler Conrad Dobler ...

Say hello to new, returning fall shows

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 17:37 CDT

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. | Television critics come to L.A. every summer to get acquainted with the stars and staff of the new fall shows. This year, though, with the TV industry still playing catch-up after the writers’ strike, we spent a lot of summer press tour being reacquainted with old favorites.

‘Step Brothers' | 2 stars

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 14:03 CDT

“Step Brothers” is a one-joke comedy that might have made a decent recurring sketch on “Saturday Night Live,” digested in five-minute doses.

Fringe so far: A major leap forward

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 10:47 CDT

Well, I'm a happy camper so far. The five performances caught by your humble theater critic in the first two days of the KC Fringe Festival clearly indicate that the annual arts celebration has taken a major leap forward in terms of quality.

Dragon Boat Festival Saturday celebrates the melding of Chinese and American cultures in Kansas City.

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 17:32 CDT

Bob Chien’s dreams for a Kansas City Dragon Boat Festival started small, beginning with his humble choice of vessel.

The best films of people facing the worst

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 17:37 CDT

The great Sam Peckinpah once said, “It’s not just blowing up a bridge, it’s the way you blow up a bridge.”

Royals throwing celebration just for women

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 09:01 CDT

What do women want … at a Royals game? At least the second half of that question was answered at the first Royals Girls’ Night Out last year at Kauffman Stadium. Thousands of women enjoyed being pampered while taking part in a pre-game party that included an exclusive question-and-answer session with Royals players, said Channel 9 sportscaster Karen Kornacki.

COMING UP ON DVD AND CD | ‘WAR GAMES' AND “SHINE A LIGHT' LEAD DVD RELEASE SLATE

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 17:42 CDT

“War Games” turns 25 this year and will be seen in theaters tonight with an extra interview reel. Show time is 7:30 p.m. at the Cinemark Palace, Cinemark 20 in Merriam and Olathe Studio 30; see www.fathomevents.com for more information.

Bev Gegen's new landscapes were inspired by Florida Keys

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 17:42 CDT

Kansas City artist Bev Gegen has painted her share of landscapes from observation. But for her current exhibition of six new paintings, executed in response to a trip to the Florida Keys, she chose to go the abstract route.

ORDER UP FOR BARTENDERS COMPETITION

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 17:37 CDT

Belly up to the Second Annual Bartending Competition, starting at 6 p.m. Aug. 10 at the Uptown Theater, 3700 Broadway.

Let Bat-mania subside before declaring flick the No. 1 movie of all time

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 17:37 CDT

I used to joke that the mass movie audience is made up of people who think cinema began with the first “Star Wars” movie.

Now showing

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 17:37 CDT

THE ANIMATION BEFORE BIGGER STRONGER Not available for early review Doc about steroids, body image and the nature of truth.

‘All Things Considered' regular Bill Harley plays at KC Library/Plaza branch

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 17:37 CDT

Grammy Award-winning singer and storyteller Bill Harley, who has been called “the best thing to happen to kids since tree houses,” will perform at 7 p.m. Friday at the Plaza Branch of the Kansas City Library, 4801 Main St.

Free films abound

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 17:37 CDT

As Bluto (John Belushi) of “Animal House” would put it, it “don’t cost nothin” to see any of these films:

To the delight of Bluestem diners, couple settles into parenthood and kitchen rhythms

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 17:37 CDT

Her corkscrew curls rakishly swept off her forehead with a flowered hairclip, Madilyn Elizabeth Garrelts leaned across the bar at Bluestem, twirling a cell phone, jibber-jabbering to anyone who’d listen.

Former backup singer Sarah Buxton stepping forward

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 17:32 CDT

If you don’t know much about Sarah Buxton, you should be a little chagrined, but you can also forgive yourself. Neither did I, frankly, and the oversight is a little embarrassing.

Our favorite Sophia Petrillo lines

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 11:51 CDT

Estelle Getty, the wise and wisecracking Sophia Petrillo on “The Golden Girls,” died Tuesday in Los Angeles, just three days shy of her 85th birthday. Some of our favorite Sophia lines from the beloved sitcom (1985-1992):

Tickets on sale now or soon

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 17:47 CDT

John Mayall, Sept. 5, Knuckleheads. $20 Wanda Jackson, Sept. 6, Knuckleheads. $18 Children of Bodom, Sept. 27, Beaumont Club. $19

Posters for vintage black movies grace U.S. Postal Service stamps

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 18:02 CDT

A mocha-skinned beauty is bent over backward, pushing away from a tan lover with lacquered waves. Maybe she is fighting him off. Or maybe she is giving a second thought to this seduction. Whatever, the embrace is definitely heated and one you usually don’t find on a postage stamp.

Good & Cheap | Amor Fiery Steakhouse

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 08:54 CDT

Wielding a frighteningly long knife, the waiter pointed toward the skewer of lombo — brined and seasoned pork loin in a rosemary and Parmesan crust — and asked politely, “Would you like some?”

‘Head for the Art' show begins Friday

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 20:27 CDT

The exhibit and auction “Head for the Art” is from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday at ARTichokes Gallery at 107th and Mission Road. There is no admission charge. All proceeds from sales go to the Head for the Cure Foundation to help find cures for brain cancer.

Winners of our Haiku contest

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 17:39 CDT

Haiku Winners

Summer Fun 2008

Thu, 22 May 2008 11:29 CDT

2008 Summer Camp Guide

Tue, 11 Mar 2008 17:06 CDT

Excited or apprehensive, kids all across the metro will head to summer camps this year. With hundreds to choose from, camps, classes and programs provide a wide range of enrichment and entertainment.

Weekend events: April 11-13

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 14:39 CDT

Can it be real? Has the snow finally stopped? Let’s hope. This weekend the Royals are back, Worlds of Fun opens and lots of other fun stuff is going on in Kansas City.

Weekend events

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 16:37 CDT

There's First Friday in the Crossroads, comic book worship in Overland Park, soccer in Kansas City, Kan., basketball on TV .. and lots more going on this weekend including tickets for 'Walking with Dinosaurs: The Live Experience.'

'The X-Files: I Want to Believe' | Two stars

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 14:40 CDT

"This sequel settles into familiar but not terribly thrilling territory."

Who is the best screen Joker?

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 13:17 CDT

Now showing

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 12:06 CDT

THE ANIMATION Compilation of recent animated shorts. BEFORE THE DARK

Music is all in the family for Matt Pryor, who has two albums coming out

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 18:17 CDT

As his family has grown, Matt Pryor’s music world has adapted accordingly: He tours less, he writes and records at home, and when he hits the road, he often takes one of his three children with him.

Review: Foo Fighters are true arena rockers

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 20:15 CDT

About half a dozen songs into a show that would approach two and a half hours, the Foo Fighters covered a Who song: “Young Man Blues.” It’s a song they performed at a recent Who tribute show. But it was appropriate for other reasons. If any band can call itself this generation’s version of that larger-than-life band, let it be the Foos, whose shows are huge and furious and whose music is beefy enough to fill an old-school hockey barn like Kemper Arena.

Ted Nugent loves KC, hates liberals and music biz

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 15:38 CDT

He will turn 60 in December, and some people will tell you that the older they get, the less they care about what other people think.

Anna Cole is taking Lights & Siren for a spin after dramatic changes

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 17:15 CDT

On a hot, dreary Tuesday in the middle of July, Anna Cole’s life is a whirlwind of transition and, for the most part, she’s happy about it.

Improv groups join KC Fringe fun

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 18:12 CDT

Are you ready for some improv? An inordinate number of improv groups have signed up for the 2008 edition of the KC Fringe Festival. Some shows are for mature audiences. Some are PG. Some are for all ages.

Review: Committed, quirky performances in 'Parade'

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 13:41 CDT

A low-budget independent production of John Murrell's “Waiting for the Parade” provides an engaging evening of theater enlivened by committed, sometimes quirky performances.

While a performance is muted, Brian Friel's play is pointed and poignant

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 12:34 CDT

Brian Friel’s “Translations” is as sad as it is funny, as emotional as it is cerebral, as bleak as it is humanistic.

Burlesque's practitioners find humor, art and feminism in their risqué shows

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 10:41 CDT

The All-Star Burlesque Weekend this month in Las Vegas produced a flurry of wire stories. Many of them focused on Tempest Storm, the 80-year-old burlesque queen who in the 1950s was known for her fleshy sexuality and ability to excite male fantasies. Storm still performs, and as she strutted her stuff at the Burlesque Hall of Fame’s annual weekend, the audience watched her with respect, amazement and awe.

Assistant artistic director for KC Rep presents darker material this week at Fringe Festival

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 17:25 CDT

Russian roulette, Delta blues and Greek tragedy. Ever wonder what floats around in a young playwright’s mind?

Corporate artists featured at Union Station

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 15:10 CDT

Artworks by employees of 20 local companies go on view Sunday in the Grand Hall at Union Station as part of the Arts Council of Metropolitan Kansas City's “Art/ Work - Creativity from the Cube” program.

More public art for Bartle Hall

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 15:22 CDT

There's more art on the way for Bartle Hall, joining the R.M. Fisher “Sky Stations” atop the pylons and Omaha artist Jun Kaneko's “Water Plaza” on the south side of the ballroom. The newest project, an animated mesh “tapestry” designed by New York artist Suikang Zhao, is part of Crawford Architects' improvements to the convention center's north dock.

ArtsKC Fund announces $574,000 in arts grants

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 13:53 CDT

The ArtsKC Fund has announced its 2008 grants to arts organizations and art programs. Twenty established arts organizations received $413,425 in Ovation Grants, which are earmarked for operating expenses. Forty-five smaller arts projects and programs received $160,737 in the Catalyst category.

Best sellers

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 10:33 CDT

1. The Last Patriot, by Brad Thor (Atria; $26). Scot Harvath, a Homeland Security superagent, searches for an ancient secret that could defeat Islamic militants.

Gratitude for, irritation at 'How to Fish'

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 10:36 CDT

A part of me wants to thank Chris Yates for his book, and another part wants to punch him in the mouth.

Between the Lines: ‘Lemmings,' a poem by David Ray

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 17:30 CDT

Taking little note of global warming, icebergs melting, seas rising, solar dimming, tsunamis and hurricanes,

LITERARY DATEBOOK

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 20:54 CDT

BOOK DISCUSSION/TRIVIA: Eclipse on Friday, by Stephenie Meyer. 7 p.m. July 25, Barnes & Noble, Town Center Plaza, 4751 W. 117th, Leawood. www.bn.com (913-491-4535)

Poetry about absence reflects mature growth

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 20:54 CDT

Poems in Light Subtracts Itself, a new book by Maryfrances Wagner, gleam with the patina of experience and glow with a melancholy light.

Amid a splendid cast, Severo shines in ‘The Coppelia Project'

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 23:59 CDT

Do this job long enough and expectations set in. You expect certain directors to deliver the goods. You expect certain theater companies to hit you with challenging material. And you expect certain actors to turn in exceptional performances because that’s what they normally do.

Review: Tom Petty at the Sprint Center

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 11:28 CDT

You know it's going to be a great night when, 30 minutes into the show, Tom Petty sings "Free Fallin' " -- an arena anthem worthy of finale status.

Over-the-top ‘Watering the Grave' works on a gut level

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 01:14 CDT

Kyle Hatley, Kansas City Repertory Theatre’s assistant artistic director, has boldly declared his presence at this year’s KC Fringe Festival by directing two eccentric, creative and decidedly grim plays that sprang from his creative imagination. Each proves interesting enough to whet a viewer’s appetite for more.

Food safety concerns yield another reason to make your own salsa

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 16:42 CDT

A healthy condiment bursting with fresh tomato flavor and few calories, salsa has become nearly as popular as ketchup.