Celebrate Diversity at Culture Night 2017
Each week, the University of Missouri-Kansas City offers an array of on-campus activities. It’s nothing new. UMKC has a long legacy of hosting countless culturally enriching events. These activities are part of what give UMKC a vibrant campus life, and make UMKC an arts and culture powerhouse. The influence of UMKC-based and UMKC-trained alumni extends well beyond the campus’ edge, so their activities are listed here as well.
Featured Event:
What: Culture Night
Culture Night is the biggest and most diverse culture event at UMKC. Festivities will start with free international food and booths representing ethnic cultures and Kansas City student-related non-profit organizations from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in Pierson Auditorium of the Atterbury Student Success Center. The evening progresses from 7 to 9 p.m. in UMKC’s Swinney Recreation Center for a talent show and fashion show of countries. Approximately 20 to 25 booths will participate in Culture Night this year, with a new “best booth” competition. Prizes will be given for best talent, best ethnic dish and best booth.
Where: Pierson Auditorium, Atterbury Student Success Center, and Swinney Recreation Center.
When: 5 p.m., Saturday, April 22
It’s free.
April 19-25
What: Boeing-Boeing
This stylishly retro production was a monster comedy hit on London’s West End and a Tony winner on Broadway. Bernard is a bachelor juggling a very precarious social calendar. He is engaged simultaneously to three different flight attendants. Helped by his long suffering housekeeper Bertha (Debra Jo Rupp), Bernard has devised a sophisticated timetable so that each girlfriend visits him on their layovers and remains oblivious of the other two. Everything proceeds like clockwork until the arrival of the new double speed Super Boeing which changes the schedules of the airlines. Bernard’s old school friend Robert arrives unexpectedly and unwittingly joins in this farcical whirlwind of mayhem.
Where: New Theatre Restaurant, 9299 Foster St., Overland Park, Kan.
When: Now through April 23
UMKC Connection: Co-owners Dennis Hennessy and Richard Carrothers are both UMKC graduates; the UMKC College of Arts and Sciences presented both honorary doctorates in 2012. For tickets and show times, visit the website.
What: I’m Gonna Pray For You So Hard
UMKC Theatre Professor Theodore Swetz and UMKC Theatre alumna Dina Thomas are the sole cast members of the Unicorn Theatre’s newest play, I’m Gonna Pray For You So Hard. The play is by Halley Feiffer and directed by Jeff Church. It’s about the complicated relationship between a competitive young actress and her famous playwright father and the intrigues that go on behind-the-scenes in the production of new art within the New York City theater world. It’s a powerhouse drama with darkly funny and shocking insights into the minds of artists, addiction and the attempt to overcome a father’s legacy.
Where: Unicorn Theatre, 3828 Main St., Kansas City, Mo.
When: Now through May 14
Tickets can be purchased online or by calling the Box Office at 816-531-PLAY (7529) x10.
What: Inside the Art Life of Adrienne Walker Hoard
Beyond her life as a professor at UMKC, Adrienne Walker Hoard, M.F.A., Ed.D., is an accomplished painter, photographer and jewelry maker. Her work will be on display at the Miller Nichols Library.
Where: Dean’s Gallery, Fourth Floor, Miller Nichols Library, 800 E. 51st St., Kansas City, Mo.
When: Now through May 19
It’s free.
What: Elephant and Piggie’s “We are in a Play!”
When “bestus” friends Elephant and Piggie get together, anything is possible! They might get invited to a fancy costume party, learn a crazy new dance or decide to spend the day playing ping-pong in silly hats. Adapted by Mo Willems from his wildly popular book series, this lively musical features Gerald Elephant and Piggie and their delightfully nutty back-up singers, the Squirrelles, discovering the fun of being in a play – all the while encouraging the audience to join in for some interactive fun. The script and lyrics are by Mo Willems. The music is by Deborah Wicks La Puma.
Where: The Coterie, Crown Center, Suite 144, 2450 Grand Ave., Kansas City, Mo.
When: Now through May 21
UMKC Connection: Two UMKC graduate theatre students founded The Coterie.
Tickets can be purchased online or by calling the Box Office at 816-474-6552.
What: Making History: Kansas City and the Rise of Gay Rights
Kansas City’s pivotal role in helping to launch the modern gay rights movement is the central story of a new exhibit built by faculty, students and staff at UMKC.
Where: Miller Nichols Library, 800 E. 51st St., Kansas City, Mo.
When: Now through Sept. 30.
More information is available online at GLAMA.
What: Conservatory Wind Ensemble
The Conservatory Wind Ensemble, directed by Joseph Parisi, will perform the following pieces: Morel: Flares/Flutters Fanfare; Spittal: Consort for Ten Winds; King-Smith: Between Glimpses of Blue; and Mashima: Les Trois Notes du Japon.
Where: White Recital Hall, James C. Olson Performing Arts Center, 4949 Cherry St., Kansas City, Mo.
When: 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, April 19
Tickets are $8; $6 for seniors; and free for UMKC faculty, staff and all students with UMKC or student ID. Tickets can be purchased online.
What: Alberto Racanati, Doctoral Recital
This is a doctoral recital for Alberto Racanati, trumpet. Performance pieces include Telemann: Sonata da Concerto TWV:41:DA3; Franciax: Sonatine for Trumpet and Piano; Hindemith: Concerto for Trumpet, Bassoon and Strings; Sutermeister: Gavotte de Concert; Mas: Pavane; and Porrino: Preludio, Aria e Scherzo.
Where: Central United Methodist Church, 5144 Oak St., Kansas City, Mo.
When: 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, April 19
It’s free.
What: UMKC Women’s Soccer vs. Omaha
Where: Durwood Soccer Stadium, 5025 Cherry St., Kansas City, Mo.
When: 8 p.m., Wednesday, April 19
It’s free.
What: UMKC Women’s Tennis vs. Saint Louis
Where: Plaza Tennis Center, 4747 J. C. Nichols Pkwy., Kansas City, Mo.
When: 1:30 p.m., Thursday, April 20
It’s free.
What: UMKC Men’s Tennis vs. Saint Louis
Where: Plaza Tennis Center, 4747 J. C. Nichols Pkwy., Kansas City, Mo.
When: 1:30 p.m., Thursday, April 20
It’s free.
What: Turning the Mind Inside Out Lecture Series
Intertwining art, philosophy and neuroscience, this lecture series features three key representatives of different areas of study who examine the complexity of the embodied mind and the role of aesthetics in knowledge production. Each of them invites us to consider how art elicits not only astounding sensory experiences, but also fascinating inquiries into how we perceive, think and act. Jose Luis (Pepe) Contreras Vidal, professor of Neural Engineering, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Houston, Will present Your Brain on Art: The Neuroscience and Aesthetics of Creativity. This is part of the UMKC Department of Art and Art History Lecture Series.
Where: 451 Miller Nichols Learning Center, 800 E. 51st St., Kansas City, Mo.
When:7 p.m., Thursday, April 20
It’s free.
What: Conservatory Wind Symphony
The Conservatory Wind Symphony, directed by Steven D. Davis, performs the following pieces: Higdon: TenFold; Strauss: Serenade in E-flat, Op. 7; Turina: La Procession du Rocio; and Navarro: Downey Overture.
Where: White Recital Hall, James C. Olson Performing Arts Center, 4949 Cherry St., Kansas City, Mo.
When: 7:30 p.m., Thursday, April 20
Tickets are $8; $6 for seniors; and free for UMKC faculty, staff and all students. Tickets can be purchased online.
What: Trevor Stewart, Artist’s Certificate
This is an artist’s certificate recital for Trevor Stewart, clarinet. Performance pieces include Debussy: Première rhapsodie; Hedges: Clarinet Sonatina ‘Gumbo’; and Brahms: Clarinet Quintet in B Minor, Op. 115.
Where: Trinity Lutheran Church, 5601 W. 62nd St., Mission, Kan.
When: 5 p.m., Friday, April 21
It’s free.
What: Josiah Sprankle, Junior Recital
This is a junior recital for Josiah Sprankle, composer. Performance pieces include Sprankle: Piano Sonata No. 1; Sprankle: The Pilgrim; Sprankle: In the Gardens of Jerusalem; Sprankle: Elegy for Solo Horn; Sprankle: Last Chance! (U.S. premiere); Sprankle: Sketches from the City (world premiere); and Sprankle: Voices (world premiere).
Where: Grant Recital Hall, 5227 Holmes St., Kansas City, Mo.
When: 7:30 p.m., Friday, April 21
It’s free.
What: Kyle Chandler, Master’s Recital
This is a master’s recital for Kyle Chandler, trumpet. Performance pieces include Hertel: Trumpet Concerto No. 2 in E-flat Major; Jolivet: Concertino for Trumpet, Strings and Piano; Enescu: Légende; and Ramsoe: Quartet No. 1, Op. 20.
Where: Central United Methodist Church, 5144 Oak St., Kansas City, Mo.
When: 7:30 p.m., Friday, April 21
It’s free.
What: Nicole Deuvall, Doctoral Recital
This is a doctoral recital for Nicole Deuvall, horn. Performance pieces include Hindemith: Sonata for Horn; Gluck: Orfeo ed Euridice: “Melody”; Turner: La Viuda de Salamanca; and Brahms: Horn Trio Op. 40.
Where: Diastole Scholars Center, 2501 Holmes St, Kansas City, Mo.
When: 7:30 p.m., Friday, April 21
It’s free.
What: Double Reed Day
UMKC Double Reed Day is hosted by Celeste Johnson and Marita Abner with special guests Nancy Ambrose King, professor of Oboe at the University of Michigan, and Kristin Wolfe Jensen, professor of Bassoon at the University of Texas. Specific performance schedules are: 9:30-11:30 a.m. – oboe master class with Nancy Ambrose King – Grant Hall Room 122; 9:30-11:30 a.m. – bassoon master class with Kristin Wolfe Jensen – Grant Recital Hall; 12:30-4:30 p.m. – Young Artist Oboe Competition – Grant Hall Room 122; and 12:30-3:30 p.m. – Young Artist Bassoon Competition – Grant Recital Hall.
Where: Grant Hall Room 122 and Grant Recital Hall, 5227 Holmes St., Kansas City, Mo.
When: Saturday, April 22
It’s free.
What: Trevor Thornton, Master’s Recital
This is a master’s recital for Trevor Thornton, piano. Performance pieces include Bach/Rachmaninoff: Suite from Violin Partita No. 3, BWV 1006; Debussy: Estampes, L. 100; Mozart: Piano Sonata in D Major, K. 576; and Liszt: Deux légendes, S. 175.
Where: Country Club United Methodist Church, 400 W. 57th St., Kansas City, Mo.
When: 5 p.m., Saturday, April 22
It’s free.
What: Double Reed Day Recital
The Double Reed Recital features faculty members Celeste Johnson, oboe; Marita Abner, bassoon; Dan Velicer, piano; with guest artists Nancy Ambrose King, oboe; and Kristin Wolfe Jensen, bassoon. Performance pieces include Poulenc: Trio; Weissenborn: Nocturne; Rossini: Cavatina; Bitsch: Suite Français; Steinmetz: Etude #5 – “Streets of Laredo”; Pasculli: Fantasia sull’opera Les Huguenots di Meyerbeer; and Previn: Trio.
Where: Central United Methodist Church, 5144 Oak St., Kansas City, Mo.
When: 5 p.m., Saturday, April 22
It’s free.
What: Ho Man Lee, Master’s Recital
This is a master’s recital for Ho Man Lee, violin. Performance pieces include Mozart: Violin Sonata in E Minor, K.304/300c; Debussy: Violin Sonata in G Minor, L 140; Beethoven: Sonata for Piano and Violin in D Major, Op 12, No. 1; and De Falla: Danse Espagnole for Violin & Piano from La Vida Breve.
Where: Old Mission United Methodist Church, 5519 State Park Rd., Fairway, Kan.
When: 5 p.m., Sunday, April 23
It’s free.
What: Po Sim Wong, Master’s Recital
This is a master’s recital for Po Sim Wong, piano. Performance pieces include Haydn: Andante and variations in F Minor ‘Sonata, Un piccolo divertimento’, Hob XVII:6; ChopinN: Ballade No. 2 in F Major, Op. 38; Ravel: Le Tombeau de Couperin; and Prokofiev: Sonata No. 1 in F Minor, Op. 1.
Where: Grant Recital Hall, 5227 Holmes St., Kansas City, Mo.
When: 5 p.m., Sunday, April 23
It’s free.
What: Victoria Olson, Master’s Recital
This is a master’s recital for Victoria Olson, voice. Performance pieces include Handel: “Let the Bright Seraphim; from Samson; Bach: “Quia respexit humilitatem” from Magnificat in D Major; Mozart: “No, no, che non sei capace” from Il curioso indiscreto (Pasquale Anfossi); Mozart: “Vorrei spiegarvi, oh Dio” from Il curioso indiscreto (Pasquale Anfossi); Rorem: The Silver Swan; Rorem: Pippa’s Song; Rorem: Song for a girl; Debussy: Coquetterie Posthume; Debussy: Quatre chansons de jeunesse; Strauss: Säusle, liebe Myrthe, Op. 68 no. 3; Strauss: Breit über mein Haupt, Op. 19 no. 2; and Strauss: Amor, Op. 68 no. 5.
Where: St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 11 E. 40th St., Kansas City, Mo.
When: 7:30 p.m., Sunday, April 23
It’s free.
What: Conservatory Orchestra
The Conservatory Orchestra directed by Robert Olson, performs. The program includes Richard Strauss: Alpine Symphony, Op. 64 and Chancellor’s Concerto Competition alternate Xiangyu Zhao, piano, performing Sergei Rachmaninoff: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43.
Where: Helzberg Hall, Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, 1601 Broadway Blvd., Kansas City, Mo.
When: 7 p.m., Monday, April 24
Tickets are $25 for the general public; and $10 for UMKC faculty, staff and all students with UMKC or student ID. Tickets can be purchased online.
What: UMKC Softball vs. Seattle University
Where: Missouri 3&2 Field, 9600 Blue River Rd., Kansas City, Mo.
When: 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., Friday, April 21
It’s free.
What: UMKC Softball vs. Seattle University
Where: Missouri 3&2 Field, 9600 Blue River Rd., Kansas City, Mo.
When: Noon, Saturday, April 22
It’s free.
What: Christian Atteberry, Sophomore Recital
This is a junior recital for Christian Atteberry, piano. Performance pieces include Bach: Selections from The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I; Chopin: Études, Op. 10, No. 3; Chopin: Études, Op. 10, No. 5; Chopin: Ballade No. 3 in A-flat Major, Op. 47; Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 7 in D Major, Op. 10, No. 3; and Shostakovich: Piano Concerto No. 2 in F Major, Op. 102.
Where: Grant Recital Hall, 5227 Holmes St., Kansas City, Mo.
When: 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, April 25
It’s free.
What: Opera Scenes
The UMKC Opera Theatre presents selected scenes from favorite operas, directed by Fenlon Lamb. Performance pieces include Mozart: Le nozze di Figaro; Humperdinck: Hänsel und Gretel; Offenbach: Grand Duchess of Gerolstein; Verdi: Rigoletto; J. Strauss: Die Fledermaus; Delibes: Lakmé; Gilbert & Sullivan: The Mikado; R. Strauss: Rosenkavalier; Gilbert & Sullivan: Pirates of Penzance; and Bernstein: Candide.
Where: Studio 116, James C. Olson Performing Arts Center, 4949 Cherry St., Kansas City, Mo.
When: 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, April 25
It’s free.