Rudolph and his friends, Clarice, Hermey the Elf, and Yukon Cornelius learn what makes you different makes you special. As one reviewer put it, “If adorable is at the top of your Christmas list, save an afternoon or evening for Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Musical... as rich as eggnog!"

Cherished Christmas carols and Yuletide songs, talented special guests and one jolly visitor from the North Pole are sure to fill you with holiday spirit. Your family and friends will love this special concert experience, capturing the true essence of the season. At each performance, we’ll give away a dazzling jewelry prize from Helzberg Diamonds, no purchase necessary. Sponsored by Helzberg Diamonds. Tickets start at $30 for adults and $15 for children.

Jason Seber, David T. Beals III Associate Conductor

Vanessa Thomas, guest vocalist

Kansas City Symphony Chorus
Charles Bruffy, chorus director

Rezound! Handbell Ensemble

Allegro Choirs of Kansas City
Christy Elsner, founder and artistic director

Celebrate the joy of the Christmas season through its beloved songs and carols. Featuring our signature blend of sacred and secular, popular and traditional, this Kansas City tradition has been called “the best Christmas show in town” and “Kansas City’s most consistently stirring Christmas show for 15 years” by critics and audiences alike. From gospel to contemporary to classical, this intimate cabaret revue features something for everyone, making it the perfect holiday tradition for the whole family!

Choreography by Devon Carney
Music by Peter I. Tchaikovsky
With Kansas City Symphony

Last year, Kansas City Ballet’s The Nutcracker awed Kennedy Center audiences in Washington, D.C., and was hailed as “positively oozing charm” and being “especially lovely with its bright, fresh décor.” by The Washington Post. The classic, Victorian-era story by E.T.A. Hoffman featuring Clara, the Nutcracker Prince, Dr. Drosselmeier and the Sugar Plum Fairy is a magical theatrical experience wrapped with exquisite costumes, grand sets and captivating choreography. Let your wonder ignite and feel the glimmer once more as your childhood dreams return and inspire you to IMAGINE AGAIN.

Ebenezer Scrooge, a miserly, cold-hearted creditor, continues his stingy ways on Christmas Eve. He rejects a dinner invitation and all the good tidings of the season from his nephew, Fred; he yells at charity workers; and he overworks his earnest employee, Bob Cratchit. Until, he is visited one-by-one, by the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come, who show him the errors of his ways until he ultimately discovers what’s really worth celebrating at Christmas-time and beyond.

by Sarah DeLappe

A Co-production with UMKC Department of Theatre

Left Quad. Right Quad. Lunge. A fierce girl’s soccer team warms up for games and practice. From the safety of their indoor soccer field, the team kicks around everything from balls to politics. Each one struggles to hang on to her individuality while remaining a part of the group. Take a first-hand look at nine young women exploring who they are and who they want to become in a complicated world.

Singing • Dancing • Show Tunes • Christmas: These are a few of our favorite things! Holiday tunes from Musical Theater, innovative arrangements of Holiday classics and more! A jam-packed Holiday treat sure to fill you with the Christmas spirit. There’s nothing better than Crown Center during the Holidays!

As a pianist, Charles Williams has accompanied many legendary artists such as Sonny Kenner, Claude “Fiddler” Williams, Queen Bey, Angela Hagenbach, Sharon Thompson, The McFadden Brothers, Bobby Watson, Dr. Wayne Goins (Jazz Director at KSU), Richard Ross, and more. He toured in Brazil in 1998, where he accompanied jazz singer Queen Bey and the internationally acclaimed jazz saxophonist, Arthur Blythe; served as the accompanist musician for the KC Boys Choir from 1997-2000; and, was a featured artist for the 2004 and 2005 Swing Series Concert seasons at the Manhattan Arts Center in Manhattan KS. Recently, he was featured at Kansas City’s Rhythm and Ribs Jazz Festival in 2006.

Today, Mr. Williams performs with his own ensembles; while also serving as the pianist for both, the Louis Neal Orchestra (Louis Neal, director) and The Kansas City Jazz Orchestra (Jim Mair, director); and, he also performs regularly as keyboardist with the widely renowned singer Ida McBeth. In the supplemental areas of music education, community service, and artistic outreach, Mr. Williams has established a Keyboard Academy where he teaches students to play keyboard during various weekly music instruction programs.

The James Ward Band was formed January of 1997 at The Blue Room located on 18th and Vine in Kansas City, MO. The James Ward Band (The JWB) is a Contemporary Jazz/Smooth Jazz Band, whose show consists of a combination of Latin, R&B, Fusion, Funk, Jazz, and Gospel.  On May 12, 2007, they released their debut album entitled “In Perspective”, which debuted on the Smooth Jazz Indie Charts at #42 and quickly soared to the top 20 and stayed for a number of weeks.

For its latest Christmas program, Stile Antico turns to the sensuous musical world of Renaissance Spain, drawing together an irresistible mix of rich polyphony and infectiously joyful folk dances. A superbly rich and luminous mass by Alonso Lobo, based on a motet by Guerrero and intended for performance at Toledo Cathedral, forms the program’s centerpiece. Interspersed between its movements are an exuberant ‘ensalada’ by Mateo Flecha, inviting us to be present at the nativity through the use of traditional dance rhythms, beautiful Christmas miniatures by Tomás Luis de Victoria, and classic villancicos, Spain’s answer to the traditional carol. And just as in Spain the feast of the Epiphany forms the climax of the Christmas season, so this enthralling selection is capped by a magnificent motet by Morales retelling the story of Herod and the Three Kings. About Stile Antico: ​Stile Antico is firmly established as one of the world’s most accomplished and innovative vocal ensembles. Working without a conductor, its twelve members have thrilled audiences throughout Europe and North America with their fresh, vibrant and moving performances of Renaissance polyphony. Its bestselling recordings on the Harmonia Mundi label have earned accolades including the Gramophone Award for Early Music, Diapason d’or de l’année, Edison Klassiek Award and Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik, and have received three Grammy® nominations.

Jazz flutist, educator, band director, and vocalist Amber Underwood is a native of Kansas City and has been entertaining and performing music since the tender age of 8. She began her musical journey on the piano and soon after began playing classical flute. Amber has been a presence in the Kansas City jazz scene making a place and a voice for her instrument. In the beginning of 2014 the Amber Underwood Project was formed with original members Drew Davis, DeAndre Manning, and Tyree Johnson with the mission to showcase an instrument that is normally used as an auxiliary instrument in jazz but now as a solo instrument. AUP is a modern and fresh take on smooth jazz and R&B sounds. AUP uses the rich tones and colors of the flute to interpret the various styles and genres of jazz.

Kansas City Symphony Chorus
Charles Bruffy, chorus director

Frank Capra’s Oscar®-winning holiday classic comes to life with Dimitri Tiomkin’s entire score performed live by your Kansas City Symphony. Jimmy Stewart portrays George, who is thinking about ending it all. As George is about to jump from a bridge, he instead ends up rescuing his guardian angel, Clarence, who shows George what his town would be like without all of his good deeds. Experience this beloved Christmas movie transformed into a live film concert event! Tickets start at $35 for adults and $24 for children.

In Kansas City, there is a popular jazz group that has performed every week since their inception in 1991. This would not be so remarkable, as Kansas City is renowned for its tradition of great jazz since the days of Count Basie and Charlie Parker. What is remarkable, is that this group of native Kansas Citians plays nothing but Brazilian jazz, with a flavor and passion one might think could only be found at a night club in Ipanema or Leblon. The Sons of Brasil invite you to sample these sounds, which stem from their love and admiration of “musica bem brasileira.”

This holiday jazz event brings together Brass & Boujee by Marcus Lewis Big Band, Kemet the Phantom, and Kadesh Flow, along with Bobby Watson, and Lisa Henry.

Marcus Lewis currently lives in Kansas City, MO where he leads his own quintet, 18-piece big band and continues to tour with Grammy nominated vocalist, Janelle Monáe. Kemet Coleman otherwise known as Kemet the Phantom is one of Kansas City most elusive yet heralded musicians. Kemet, shines as a complete showman embracing a James Brown-esque persona via syncopated vocals, rhythmic dance moves and dapper costume style. As a rapper, trombonist, and producer, Kadesh Flow has been wowing both suspecting and unsuspecting listeners with his musical versatility since his early teens.  He has also shared the stage with numerous Billboard charting and prolific artists such as B.o.B., Tech N9ne, Caroline Shines, the Revivalists and numerous other performing acts.

For more than three decades now Bobby Watson has contributed consistently intelligent, sensitive and well-thought out music to the modern-day jazz lexicon. All told, Watson, the immensely talented and now-seasoned veteran, has issued some 30 recordings as a leader and appeared on 100-plus other recordings, performing as either co-leader or in support of other like-minded musicians.

In the company of Nancy Wilson, Sarah Vaughan and Ella Fitzgerald, Lisa Henry makes musical magic when she greets the microphone. With her sincere, warm vocal delivery, classic vocal interpretations and unique improvisations, Lisa takes the listener to musical Nirvana.

The Kansas City Latin Jazz Orchestra is the premier Salsa & Latin Jazz ensemble in the Kansas City region. Navigating the universe of Afro-Latin music under the influence of jazz, Pablo Sanhueza has 15 years of dedication to the uplifting of Latin American culture in the Heartland. A Kansas City Latin Jazz Orchestra concert is always a high energy and timeless experience for intercultural audiences.

Pablo Sanhueza is the Kansas City region’s foremost Salsa & Latin Jazz percussionist, bandleader and co-founder of the Kansas City Latin Jazz Orchestra. Since his arrival to Kansas City in 1996, he has distinguished himself as the avant-garde of Latin American and Caribbean music across the Midwest. 2018, marks the Fifteenth Anniversary of his artistry as a Salsa & Latin Jazz Bandleader.

The Kansas City Latin Jazz Orchestra was formed to preserve and perpetuate the artforms and traditions of Latin American and Salsa music as it exists in conjunction with the cultural expressions of folkloric and community dance. We accomplish this by advocating for and demonstrating the local and international cultural relevance of these artforms within the historical evolution of jazz through cultural immersion, community engagement, youth education, and performance.

www.kansascitylatinjazzorchestra.com

Max Groove is one of the pioneers of the smooth jazz style that has dominated the airways and captivated countless listeners for years. He has twelve internationally released CDs, three in the top twenty Billboard Jazz.  His current release “Night Owl” has his signature urban smooth jazz sound while showcasing his innovative Funky jazz structures.

Along with Garland Smith on drums, and Clay Johnson on bass, they bring their world of sound, melody, and emotion to the stage, a refreshing combination of original and contemporary jazz that guarantees to satisfy the most avid fan.

Over the years, national tour appearances with performers such as Joe Sample & the Crusaders, the Temptations, Four Tops, Peabo Bryson, Count Basie, Chaka Khan, Jeff Lorber, Ronnie Laws, Joan Armatrading, Russ Freeman and the Rippingtons, Marcus Miller, Dave Koz, and many other greats have added to the reputation of “The Groove."

There’s a quiet storm in Kansas City. And it swirls around the captivating, elegant, mystifying and delightful music of singer Ida McBeth.

Ida’s musical style is so unique that it is hard to classify. Over the years, her repertoire has included pop-style ballads, jazz and blues, show tunes, funk, R&B, gospel and well known standards.

Critics have described her as “a jazz singer,” “a blues singer,” “a pop singer” and “a cabaret singer.” Still others have referred to her as “a story teller,” “a professor emeritus of body language,” “a consummate actress” and “the complete entertainer.” A song stylist is the title Ida prefers.

By the age of five, Ida McBeth knew she wanted to be a singer. Born in Kansas City, Kansas, Ida was provided early exposure to a variety of talented vocalists by her mother. These singers included such greats as Nancy Wilson, Arthur Prysock, Nat King Cole, Bill Withers, Gladys Knight and Sarah Vaughan.

Pianist Joe Cartwright makes his home in Mission, Kansas and is recognized as a proponent of ‘Kansas City Jazz.’  He is a graduate of the UMKC Conservatory of Music and currently serves as music director for Unity Village Chapel in Unity Village, Missouri.  He served for ten years as music director for the critically acclaimed NPR radio show 12th Street Jump. Joe has performed on and produced numerous recordings, many on his own label, Lafayette Music, including the 2017 release Out Of This World, featuring vocalist Molly Hammer. Some of his credits include work with jazz luminaries Eddie Harris, Christian McBride, Jeff Hamilton, John Clayton, Karrin Allyson, Jimmy Witherspoon, Kevin Mahogany and Mel Torme. Cartwright has performed for audiences in Africa, the Middle East, India, and Southeast Asia as part of the USIA/Kennedy Center Jazz Ambassador Touring Program. In the fall of 2012, the Joe Cartwright Quartet headlined the CCPA Jazz Festival in Asuncion, Paraguay as representatives of Kansas City Jazz.

The Triwizard Tournament comes to Hogwarts^™ in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire^™ in Concert. Relive the magic of Harry Potter^™ soaring across the big screen in high-definition and experience the music of a live symphony orchestra performing Patrick Doyle’s unforgettable score. Tickets start at $40 for adults and $32 for youth/children.

HARRY POTTER characters, names and related indicia are © & ™ Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. J.K. ROWLING’S WIZARDING WORLD™ J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Publishing Rights © JKR. (s18)

For 35 years, Millage Gilbert has taken center stage at the red hot, blues drenched clubs of urban Kansas City. For over five years, Blues, R&B and Soul aficionados have swarmed to his Saturday matinee at the world famous Grand Emporium. He has chiseled out a solid style of Delta Blues, Memphis Soul, and Kansas City Blues.