Whether your student is stage ready or still waiting in the wings, we have something for everyone in classes with The Coterie! In our classes, we learn through the creative process which builds confidence, utilizes empathy, encourages cooperation, and enhances listening skills all while students think that they are simply having a blast!  By combining acting training with the innovation and excitement of our students, each class becomes a unique experience for every young actor. The Coterie's classes will prepare your student to take on whatever may come their way through the growth of creative and flexible thinking. So come join in the fun! What are you waiting for?

At Pembroke Hill Wornall Campus - JUNE 17-21: Magical Toy Adventures (Grades 1-2), Monsterologists (Grades 3-5). JUNE 24-28: Funny Bones: Intro To Improv (Grades 6-8), Sketch Comedy (Grades 9-12). JULY 8-12: Elephant And Piggie And You! (Grades 1-2), Imagination Travelers (Grades 1-2). JULY 8-12 & 15-19: Footloose Performance Camp (Grades 9-12). JULY 15-19: Summer Term At Hogwarts (Grades 3-5). JULY 22-26: Audition Lab (Grades 6-8), Welcome To Musical Theatre (Grades 6-10), Audition Lab (Grades 9-12).

Whether your student is stage ready or still waiting in the wings, we have something for everyone in classes with The Coterie! In our classes, we learn through the creative process which builds confidence, utilizes empathy, encourages cooperation, and enhances listening skills all while students think that they are simply having a blast!  By combining acting training with the innovation and excitement of our students, each class becomes a unique experience for every young actor. The Coterie's classes will prepare your student to take on whatever may come their way through the growth of creative and flexible thinking. So come join in the fun! What are you waiting for?

In Lee's Summit at MCC Longview - JUNE 2-28: Imagination Travelers (Grades K-2), Zombie Island (Grades 5-7), Funny Bones: Intro To Improv (Grades 5-7), Sketch Comedy (Grades 8-12). JULY 8-12: Broadcast Mayhem! (Grades 3-5), Audition Lab (Grades 5-7), Welcome To Musical Theatre (Grades 5-10), Audition Lab (Grades 8-12). JULY 15-19: Magical Toy Adventures (Grades K-2), Monsterologists (Grades 3-5). JULY 22-26: Elephant And Piggie And You! (Grades K-2), Summer Term At Hogwarts (Grades 3-5). JULY 22-26 & 29-AUG 2: Frozen Jr Performance Camp (Grades 5-10).

Whether your student is stage ready or still waiting in the wings, we have something for everyone in classes with The Coterie! In our classes, we learn through the creative process which builds confidence, utilizes empathy, encourages cooperation, and enhances listening skills all while students think that they are simply having a blast!  By combining acting training with the innovation and excitement of our students, each class becomes a unique experience for every young actor. The Coterie's classes will prepare your student to take on whatever may come their way through the growth of creative and flexible thinking. So come join in the fun! What are you waiting for?

In Liberty at the Liberty Community Center - JULY 15-19: Elephant And Piggie And You (Grades K-2), Funny Bones: Intro To Improv (Grades 5-7), Welcome To Musical Theatre (Grades 5-10), Sketch Comedy  (Grades 8-12). JULY 22-26: Magical Toy Adventures (Grades K-2), Broadcast: Mayhem! (Grades 3-5), The Lion, the Witch, And The Wardrobe Performance Camp (Grades 5-10). JULY 29-AUG 2: Summer Term At Hogwarts (Grades 3-5), Audition Lab (Grades 5-7), Advanced Musical Theatre (Grades 6-12), Audition Lab (Grades 8-12).

Gerald the Elephant is cautious and Piggie is not. Along with the three nutty Squirrelles, these “bestus” friends might get invited to a swimmy fancy costume dancey pool party or decide to spend the day playing ping-pong in silly hats.  This lively and irresistibly charming musical look at friendship has become one of the best-selling and loved young readers’ series of the past decade.

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 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.

Matt Villinger was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri.  From there he received his Undergraduate and Masters in Jazz Performace from Southern Illinois University of Edwardsville.  He has got to work with greats, such as Reggie Thomas, Peter Martin, Adam Maness, Peter Schlamb and others.  Villinger currently resides in Kansas City leading his own groups as well as playing in Electric Tinks and other sideman projects.

Matt Otto is currently the Assistant Professor of Jazz Studies at the University of Kansas (KU)  teaching Jazz Theory and Performance, Jazz Combo 1 and private lessons. Matt is also an Adjunct Professor at Rutgers University teaching online courses in jazz improvisation, theory and performance.

Matt currently performs his original compositions with his Kansas City based septet with members Gerald Dunn on alto saxophone, Jeff Harshbarger on acoustic and electric bass, Shay Estes (vocals), TJ Martley on Piano/Keys, Mike Warren and/or Brian Steever on drums and Hermon Mehari on trumpet, as well as traveling several times per year to NYC and LA to perform and record with various jazz artists.

The Louis Neal Big Band plays traditional big band music as well as contemporary hits. Comprised of five saxes, four trumpets, four trombones, and a rhythm section, this big band puts one in the mindset of Duke Ellington or Count Basie.

The band was formed in the mid 1990s and consists of Kansas City’s finest jazz musicians. The band plays for notable venues in and around the Kansas City area such as the Blue Room on 18th & Vine and The Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts.

Kansas City saxophonist Charlie "Yardbird" Parker was born August 29th, 1920. To learn more about Parker and celebrate his birthday all month long, the American Jazz Museum presents an array of free programming opportunities! 

In partnership with Grace United Community Ministries Youth Education Initiatives, "Ready, Set, Bird!" features a social hour viewing objects related to Parker and live music by local Kansas City jazz musicians. For more information visit the official website link below.

Charles Williams is a native of Kansas City, Kansas. Mr. Williams has played piano for over 40 years. 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.

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.

Trumpeter/composer/bandleader/educator Clint Ashlock grew up in the Kansas City area. An in-demand musician across various genres, Clint is a dedicated and tireless contributor to the scene. Alongside his position as the Artistic Director and conductor of the esteemed Kansas City Jazz Orchestra, he has performed with such luminaries as Aretha Franklin, the Temptations, Nicholas Payton, and Natalie Cole, as well as being a mainstay on the local Kansas City performing circuit, most notably with his own groups, the quintet Forward, his ‘other’ big band, New Jazz Order (releasing that group’s first CD in 2012, featuring such musicians as Hermon Mehari, Mark Lowrey, and Bobby Watson), and the singer/songwriter/bandleader Jessica Paige.

From the creator of HAMILTON, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s IN THE HEIGHTS tells the universal story of a community on the brink of change, full of hopes, dreams and pressures, where the biggest struggles can be deciding which traditions you take with you, and which ones you leave behind. IN THE HEIGHTS is the winner of the 2008 Tony Awards for Best Musical, Best Score, Best Choreography and Best Orchestrations. 

Glamour Profession is an 11-piece band made up of KC’s top studio and jazz musicians that play the music of Steely Dan. The band plays faithful arrangements of the Dan’s songbook with music director, keyboardist, and arranger Paul Roberts leading the group. One highlight of the show is the band performing the entire Aja album from front to back.

Molly Hammer has been performing in the Kansas City area since 2005. With an eclectic vocal background, she has found her home in the world of jazz and blues, drawing inspiration from the likes of Peggy Lee, Dinah Washington, Sara Vaughn, and many others. She has had the privilege of performing with some of the finest jazz musicians in the Kansas City area. You can hear her regularly at The Green Lady Lounge. She can also be seen and heard at one of the many Unity Churches in the area nearly every Sunday. Molly is a graduate of the Artist INC program and has also had the honor of singing the National Anthem for both The Royals and The Chiefs.

Kansas City saxophonist Charlie "Yardbird" Parker was born August 29th, 1920. To learn more about Parker and celebrate his birthday all month long, the American Jazz Museum presents an array of free programming opportunities!

"Bird's The Word" features original poetry and a beatbox performance and workshop by local Kansas City artists. For more information visit the official website link below.

Spinning Tree Theatre opens the 2019-20 season August 16 – September 1 with Every Brilliant Thing. This Kansas City premiere tackles the issue of depression using a life-affirming list and a partly-improvised structure that engages audiences in a way never before seen at Spinning Tree. This production will also mark the company’s first mainstage production at Johnson County Arts and Heritage Center.

Created by British playwright Duncan Macmillan with comedian Jonny Donahoe, Every Brilliant Thing found success at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and Off-Broadway and was adapted into an HBO movie. The Kansas City premiere of Every Brilliant Thing is directed by Doug Weaver and features R. H. Wilhoit.

You’re seven years old. Mom’s in the hospital. Dad says she’s “done something wrong.” She finds it hard to be happy. So you start to make a list of everything that’s brilliant about the world. Everything that’s worth living for. 1. Ice cream. 2. Kung Fu movies… 6. Me. You leave it on her pillow. You know she’s read it because she’s corrected your spelling. Audiences are taken on a remarkable journey that truly examines what makes life worth living – and the power of theatre to bring people together.

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.

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.

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.

Performer, composer, arranger, educator and arts administrator Dan Thomas has received countless performance awards, and has performed and recorded with some of the most influential jazz artists and pedagogues in nearly every state in the continental US, Canada, and abroad.  Thomas emigrated from his native Canada to the United States in 1993.

Thomas currently serves as the executive director of the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra.  The band holds post at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts.  Prior to his current appointment he served as the co-chair of the Jazz Studies Program at UMKC’s Conservatory of Music and Dance with Bobby Watson. Thomas was the chief architect of a new model for jazz education which garnered national attention for the program and he led a team of Kansas City Jazz royalty.   Thomas’ contributions to education have been recognized with inductions into Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers as well as being awarded the Muriel McBrien Kauffman Excellence in Teaching Award (2017), given to one Conservatory faculty member, and twice recognized by the Missouri Music Educator’s Association.

Enjoy our 9th annual KC Dance Day at the Bolender Center from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. with FREE dance classes and FREE performances; even an open rehearsal by Kansas City Ballet dancers! All events take place at the TODD BOLENDER CENTER, 500 W. PERSHING, just west of Union Station.

Visit our website, kcballet.org, for more information.