Fringe Festival for the classical fan, from dance to world music
Classical music has its outer limits, an area where time signatures melt, eras blur and genres collide. KC Fringe Festival is a great place to sample this wilder side of classical music. Here are some highlights that might appeal to a classical fan’s sense of adventure and exploration.
Kacico Dance: “Reflection”
Kacico Dance, one of Kansas City’s contemporary dance ensembles, will reprise its sold-out 2013 Fringe performance “Reflection.” The work features choreography by Kacico’s artistic directors, Holly Noel Harmison, Allison McKinzie and Maggie Osgood Nicholls, music by Hunter Long and costuming by Eleve Dancewear.
6:30 p.m. Friday; 8 p.m. Saturday; 3:30 p.m. July 19. Todd Bolender Center for Dance and Creativity, 500 W. Pershing Road.
River Cow Orchestra
The River Cow Orchestra performs what it calls chill jazz. Every song is created on the spot without arrangements, written music or retakes. If you want to experience the sound of a late-night jam session, give River Cow a try.
6:30 p.m. Friday; 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Uptown Arts Bar, 3611 Broadway
Music + Dance + Poetry
River Cow will join Writers Place poets and Kacico Dance for a program of “music, movement and verse.”
6:30 p.m. July 19; 9:30 p.m. July 22 and 25. Todd Bolender Center for Dance and Creativity, 500 W. Pershing Road
Oread Quartet
The Oread Quartet specializes in experimental, modern classical music, but don’t let that scare you. These four fine musicians perform exciting, engaging music by composers like tango master Astor Piazzolla. The four members of Oread are David Ramirez on flute, Robbie Harvey on alto sax, Eric Hessel on French horn and Mai Tadokoro on marimba.
9 p.m. Saturday and July 21; 6 p.m. July 22 and 25. Phosphor Studio, 1730 Broadway
Words + Music Showcase
Linda Ade Brand, director of education and community engagement for the Lyric Opera of Kansas City, is spearheading an effort among the Lyric Opera, the Coterie theater and the University of Missouri-Kansas City’s Conservatory of Music and Dance composition department. Fringe-goers will be able to sample the fruits of their efforts at the Words + Music Showcase, a program of 10 new arias that cover every possible topic written in a variety of musical styles.
8 p.m. Saturday; 6:30 p.m. July 20 and July 25. Heartland, 2450 Grand Ave.
Synergy
Defy Dance Project and Heartlines Dance Company bring together their dynamic dance skills and visionary ideas for “Synergy,” a program of works choreographed by local artists.
8 p.m. July 21 and 22; 6:30 p.m. July 23. Todd Bolender Center for Dance and Creativity, 500 W. Pershing Road
VidaDance Company
“What’s the Pointe?” should be a great introduction to dance for the entire family. VidaDance, founded this year by Lindsey Smith, will perform styles from ballet and jazz to tap and contemporary.
9:30 p.m. Friday; 6:30 p.m. July 20 and 24; 8 p.m. July 25. Bolender Center for Dance and Creativity, 500 W. Pershing Road
Dances and Music of India
The Fringe Festival always offers some really fine international classical music, something not easy to come by here in the middle of the United States. This year, Fringe will present programs of music and dance from India.
▪ The Nritya School of Indian Dance and Music
The group will perform various styles of Indian classical dance: Bharatanatyam, Kathak and Odissi. Musicians will play the veena, violin and tabla.
8 p.m. Friday, July 20 and 24; 6:30 p.m. July 25. Todd Bolender Center for Dance and Creativity, 500 W. Pershing Road
▪ Divine Sounds: Arup Ratan Mukherjee
For Indian classical music devotees, sitarist Arup Ratan Mukherjee is the real deal.
Mukherjee will present a program of Hindu ragas accompanied by tabla, the Indian percussion instrument used for highly complex rhythms.
6:30 p.m. Saturday; 7:30 p.m. July 19 and 23. Phosphor Studio, 1730 Broadway
The Matchsellers
The Matchsellers comprises a classically trained violinist from Kansas City, Julia Bates, and a Chicago blues guitarist, Andrew Morris of Indiana. Bates and Morris met in Germany, where they formed a bluegrass duo and spent a year performing throughout East Germany to great acclaim. Their high-energy concerts include classic bluegrass, covers of folk songs and German lieder.
7 p.m. July 23 at Uptown Arts Bar, 3611 Broadway
Mighty Mo Combo: “Casino Royale”
Fringe isn’t only about broadening your horizons and exploring other cultures — sometimes it’s about just being goofy. The Mid America Freedom Band’s jazzy Mighty Mo Combo will perform “Casino Royale,” what the band calls a “rainbow riff” on film noir and the spy genre. Expect tunes from James Bond and Austin Powers films and the television show “Peter Gunn.” This has all the makings for a festive, fun and freaky show.
7:30 p.m. Saturday and July 21; 9 p.m. July 24; 6 p.m. July 25. Union Station City Stage, 30 W. Pershing Road
The one-time purchase of the $5 Fringe button is required for each audience member. It serves as a pass to all Fringe shows, which also require ticket purchases.
Patrick Neas is a freelance writer and program director for RadioBach.com. You can reach him at pneas@jccc.edu.
This story was originally published July 11, 2015 at 3:00 AM with the headline "Fringe Festival for the classical fan, from dance to world music."