Justice at War by Mimi Katano, Wendy Lement & Jordan Winer

Directed by Andi Meyer

Audiences are sworn in as Supreme Court justices to hear Mitsuye Endo’s challenge to her years long incarceration at an internment camp by the U.S. government during World War II. As an American citizen of Japanese descent, Mitsuye declares her detention unconstitutional and takes her argument all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court in a compelling case that asks audiences to hear testimony, question witnesses, and reflect on crucial questions about national security, government responsibility, and the administration of justice. Both enlightening and inspiring, Justice at War is a real-life account of how one young woman defended the rights of millions.

For families with ages 10+

Approx. Length: 70 Minutes

5:15-6 p.m. | Jekyll & Hyde rehearsal 6-7 p.m. | Dance Speaks Panel

Kansas City Ballet Artistic Director Devon Carney invites Dance Speaks patrons to join him and guests (TBD) in an engaging conversation inspired by the ballet Jekyll & Hyde. Get a sneak peek beforehand of a company rehearsal of Jekyll & Hyde and gain inside information about the production. The program includes an audience Q and A.

Tickets $12 each and on sale August 14.

https://kcballet.org/events/dance-speaks-ndp/

From the place that launched the careers of Tina Fey, Stephen Colbert, Steve Carell and more comes the next generation of comedy superstars! The Second City’s Comedian Rhapsody is a brand-new revue featuring the best sketch comedy and songs from their history, new classics and, of course, their trademark improvisation performed by The Second City Touring Company’s best and brightest…and funniest!

Horn-driven soul/R&B/rock/pop/funk band Tower of Power have been rocking their sound since 1968, infusing “Soul With a Capital ‘S’” into the music industry for over 50 years. For their Kansas City Symphony debut, hear tunes from their latest album “Step Up,” plus explosive hits like “You’re Still a Young Man,” “What Is Hip?" and “So Very Hard to Go.

VIP packages are available for purchase and include: -One premium reserved ticket located in the first few rows of the orchestra -Limited edition Tower of Power tour jacket (exclusive to package only) -Tower of Power pin set -Commemorative tour laminate -Commemorative ticket -Limited availability Please note, all items will be shipped to buyers.

Critically acclaimed rock & soul singer Bette Smith traces elements of her life-affirming new album “The Good, The Bad & The Bette” to her childhood in Brooklyn, NY. Musically, it connects to the gospel music she heard in church and the soul music on the corners. This injection of soul and gospel into rock & roll powered a breakout in 2017’s “Jetlagger,” which received raves from NPR, American Songwriter, Billboard, MOJO, and a feature in the New York Times. Now, “The Good, The Bad & The Bette” on Ruf Records is garnering equal praise with “All Things Considered” calling it “A stompin’ good time!” and landing on legendary critic Jim DeRogatis’ (“Sound Opinions”) “Best Albums of 2020” list. In 2021, Living Blues and Blues Blast magazines, respectively, nominated Bette and her album “Blues Artist of the Year (Female)” and best “Soul Blues Album.” The past couple years, Bette toured with the Drive-By Truckers and Kenny Wayne Shepherd, and performed at the Telluride Blues & Brews Festival, Calgary Folk Music Festival and Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. In 2023, Bette will return to Europe with performances in Scandinavia, the Netherlands and Spain.

The Donegal based singer, who is one of the most prolific and successful recording artists on the UK charts, is the only artist in the world to score a hit on the UK album charts every year since 1988, an unprecedented and unbroken 35-year span. In doing so, he has outshone everyone from Michael Jackson and Madonna to U2 and the Rolling Stones. O’Donnell’s 17th special, “Daniel O’Donnell from Castlebar, Ireland,” released March 2023 and is airing on select Public Television stations nationwide. O’Donnell’s latest, I Wish You Well, released on Nov. 4, 2022, and entered the official UK Album Charts at No. 16. Including this latest release, O’Donnell has now amassed 48 Top 75 albums, including 42 Top 40 albums, 30 Top 30 and 20 Top 10 albums, with 18 of the latter being in this century, a feat that has not been achieved by any other recording artist. He has now sold in excess of 15 million albums worldwide. O’Donnell also burst into superstardom in the United States and Canada in 2002 with his first-ever PBS special, “The Daniel O’Donnell Show.” That began a special relationship between O’Donnell and PBS that has lasted more than 20 years.

Michael Stern, conductor

Yefim Bronfman, piano

GABRIELA ORTIZ  Kauyumari

BÉLA BARTÓK Concerto for Orchestra

JOHANNES BRAHMS Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat Major

Every concert is a celebration of Michael Stern’s visionary artistic leadership this year, his final season as music director. He has long championed music of our time so it is a special pleasure to feature Gabriela Ortiz’s Kauyumari, composed in 2021. Ortiz notes that “music has the power to grant us access to the intangible, healing our wounds and binding us to what can only be expressed through sound.” A stunning masterpiece, Béla Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra is one of the greatest works of the 20th century. By turns playful, daring, mystical and brassy, this Concerto will wow you with its inventiveness and virtuosic displays. Be ready to be amazed. A longtime friend of Maestro Stern and the Symphony, pianist Yefim Bronfman plays with extraordinary technical prowess and remarkable creativity. He’s a perfect match for Johannes Brahms’ Second Piano Concerto, a tour de force for soloist and orchestra alike. From intimate solo moments to thunderous outbursts — and everything in between — you’ll be swept along on waves of elegant melody.

Three-time Grammy Award-winning violinist Hilary Hahn melds expressive musicality and technical expertise with a diverse repertoire guided by artistic curiosity. Her barrier-breaking attitude towards classical music and her commitment to sharing her experiences with a global community have made her a fan favorite. Hahn is a prolific recording artist and commissioner of new works, and her 22 feature recordings have received every critical prize in the international press.

A strong advocate for new music, Hahn has championed and commissioned works by a diverse array of contemporary composers. In the 2018-19 season, before her season-long sabbatical in 2019-20, she premiered two new works written for her: Two Serenades, and Lera Auerbach’s Sonata No. 4: Fractured Dreams. The season was bookended by another major release: her most recent solo commission, 6 Partitas by the late Antón García Abril. García Abril, Auerbach, and Rautavaara had been contributing composers for In 27 Pieces: the Hilary Hahn Encores, Hahn's Grammy Award-winning multi-year commissioning project to revitalize the duo encore genre.

Hahn first appeared on the Series nearly two decades ago, making her debut performance in 2004. She returns with a program of works for unaccompanied violin by Bach and from her celebrated commissioning project of new encores.

October 13, 2023 7:30 PM, October 14, 2023 7:30 PM, October 15, 2023 1:30 PM, October 19, 2023 7:30 PM, October 20, 2023 7:30 PM, October 21, 2023 1:30 PM & 7:30 PM, October 22, 2023 1:30 PM

Choreography: Val Caniparoli

Based on: The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson Music by Krzysztof Penderecki, Henryk Górecki, Wozjciech Kilar, Henryk Wieniawski, and Frédéric Chopin

Music compiled, edited and arranged by Ramona Pansegrau

Witness the psychological torment and self-destruction of Henry Jekyll, a morally upright and well-mannered doctor, as he struggles against the vile urges of his alter ego Edward Hyde in Victorian England. This North American premiere of Val Caniparoli’s newest ballet focuses on the eternal struggle of good versus evil as it plays out within one man.

The North American premiere of the classic Gothic suspense thriller. Single tickets will go on sale Aug. 14. https://kcballet.org/events/jekyll-hyde/ To purchase a subscription, visit https://kcballet.org/subscriptions/

Chicago Tap Theatre stands apart from other dance companies by bridging the gap between tap and other forms of concert dance (such as jazz, ballet and modern) by adopting a conceptual, narrative (story-based) and more emotional approach to its work. The troupe performs exclusively with live music provided by some of Chicago’s finest musicians, playing everything from Duke Ellington to David Bowie, and many artists in between. The company has performed the works of Buster Brown, Eddie Brown and Bill Evans, and regularly performs classic, universal tap pieces such as the BS Chorus and the Shim Sham. Chicago Tap Theatre has performed in traditional and non-traditional settings, including the historic Green Mill in Chicago, Jazz Dance World Festival, the New York Musical Theatre Festival and Lollapalooza. Artistic Director Mark Yonally is a sought-after master teacher in tap dance, improvisation, tap and jazz music history and music theory for dancers.

Morgan James, vocalist

The music is Bond, James Bond, as the KC Symphony takes you into the world of your favorite spy. The legacy of 007 comes alive in a symphonic tribute featuring music from five decades of Bond films, including "Casino Royale," "Goldfinger," "Diamonds are Forever" and more.

Rum Ragged takes a bold approach to the distinct folk music of their home, the Eastern Canadian island of Newfoundland. Boasting bouzouki, fiddle, bodhran, banjo, guitar and button accordion, these new champions of East Coast music enliven and enlighten audiences with their signature brand of Newfoundland folk. Always honest, thought-provoking and often humorous, it’s Rum Ragged’s live show that makes them a fast favorite to any audience. With a combination of striking vocal harmonies, staggering musicianship and captivating storytelling, they know just what it takes to deliver an experience concertgoers won't soon forget.

GRAMMY-Award winner, Samara Joy, makes her case to join the likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, and Billie Holiday as the next jazz singing sensation recorded by the venerable label, Verve Records. Her voice, rich and velvety yet precociously refined, has already earned her fans like Anita Baker and Regina King, appearances on the TODAY Show, and millions of likes on TikTok — cementing her status as perhaps the first Gen Z jazz singing star. On her latest album, 'Linger Awhile', Samara introduces that massive audience to a slew of classic standards several times older than she is through her timeless, irresistible sound.

Samara is still relatively new to jazz. Growing up in the Bronx, it was music of the past — the music of her parent’s childhoods, as she put it — that she listened to most. She treasures her musical lineage, which stretches back to her grandparents Elder Goldwire and Ruth McLendon, both of whom performed with Philadelphia gospel group the Savettes, and runs through her father, who is a singer, songwriter and producer who toured with gospel artist Andraé Crouch.

This killer comedy is for everyone who has ever been desperate to be a part of a team. When a college freshman unexpectedly lands the coveted role of Lady Macbeth, she threatens to upend the entire hierarchy of the theatre department. When the girls gather to “celebrate” their roles, the Fireball flows, and more than secrets will spill in this wickedly smart comedy.

Vita thinks her family has gone loco planning a celebration for deceased loved ones. Why throw a party for the dead? But when a spirited candy skeleton suddenly springs to life, Vita finds herself on a magical, musical journey to unravel the true meaning of Día de Muertos. Meet Sugar Skull, a charismatic skeleton with a secret or two. With her skeletal new friend, Vita dances with ancient ancestors, sings with a sorrowful sorceress, escapes the trickster Chaneques and even meets the famous Catrina Calavera. But can this clever youth gather the missing pieces needed for her family ofrenda before it’s too late?

The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis comprises 15 of the finest jazz soloists and ensemble players today. Led by Wynton Marsalis, Jazz at Lincoln Center Managing and Artistic Director, this remarkably versatile orchestra performs a vast repertoire ranging from original compositions and Jazz at Lincoln Center-commissioned works to rare historic compositions and masterworks by Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Thelonious Monk, Mary Lou Williams, Dizzy Gillespie, Benny Goodman and many others.

Marsalis, world-renowned trumpeter and composer, has won nine Grammy Awards and was the first jazz artist to be awarded the prestigious Pulitzer Prize in music. He is also an internationally respected teacher and spokesman for music education. Marsalis helped lead the effort to construct Jazz at Lincoln Center’s home – Frederick P. Rose Hall – the first education, performance, and broadcast facility devoted to jazz, which opened in 1984.

Jazz at Lincoln Center, a Series favorite with over 10 appearances to date, returns with a program that will keep you grooving all through the night!

The ensemble’s concerts are performed with pure voices, augmented by minimalistic percussion, traditional instruments such as the Mbira (thumb piano) and organic, authentic dance movements. Nobuntu was nominated for Best Musician of the Year at the Zimbabwe International Women Awards in London in 2015 and won for the Best Imbube Group at the Bulawayo Arts Awards in 2017 and 2019. The quintet has performed at festivals and concert halls in Italy, Austria, Germany, Belgium, the Czech Republic and throughout the African continent. The ensemble was a huge critical success at Trans-Vocal in Frankfurt and Voice Mania in Vienna. Their first tour to Canada, in 2016, included performances in Toronto, Winnipeg, Vancouver and Victoria. The word “Nobuntu” is an African concept that values humbleness, love, unity and family from a woman’s perspective. The ensemble represents a new generation of young African women singers who celebrate and preserve their culture, beauty, and heritage through art. The ensemble’s mission is the belief that music can be an important vehicle for change, one that transcends racial, tribal, religious, gender and economic boundaries. Nobuntu has released three recordings – “Thina” in 2013, “Ekhaya” in 2016 and “Obabes beMbube” in 2018. The group has made dozens of television and radio appearances throughout Africa and Europe, promoting these recordings and the culture of their homeland.

Woodhull has appeared on “The Late Late Show with James Corden,” “Conan,” “Live at Gotham” and “The Half Hour” on Comedy Central. In 2014, he was the first comedian to make his network television debut on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.”

His Dry Bar comedy special on YouTube has over 9 million views. All five of his comedy albums are in rotation on Sirius Satellite Radio and his jokes have played over 40 million times on Pandora.

Most recently, Woodhull worked as a writer on SYFY’s “The Movie Show” and was featured in two episodes.

Musical America’s 2019 Conductor of the Year Carlos Miguel Prieto makes a triumphant return to Kansas City stages with pianist Gabriela Montero and the Minería Symphony Orchestra of Mexico this season. The program includes Montero’s own piano concerto “The Latin Concerto,” Silvestre Revueltas’ massive work for expanded orchestra Night of the Mayas, a new piece by Gabriela Ortiz and Carlos Chávez’s Symphony No. 2.

Widely regarded as a leading ensemble and musical institution in Mexico, the Minería Symphony Orchestra of Mexico remains at the musical forefront through eclectic programming, collaborations with renowned soloists and composers, and staunch advocacy of community and educational development.

Carlos Miguel Prieto—recognized as the leading Mexican conductor of his generation—is characterized by his dynamism and the expressivity of his interpretations. He has appeared with elite orchestras that include Chicago, Cleveland, Seattle, Oregon, Toronto, and Vancouver symphony orchestras.

Gabriela Montero’s visionary interpretations and unique compositional gifts have garnered her critical acclaim and a devoted following on the world stage. Celebrated for her exceptional musicality and ability to improvise, Montero has performed with dozens of the world’s leading orchestras.

Unleash your mind and ignite powerful conversations on democracy, equality, and justice! This coming-of-age story features an interactive, onstage debate. WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME will both charm and inspire you!

Fifteen-year-old Heidi earned her college tuition by winning Constitutional debate competitions across the United States. In this hilarious, hopeful, and achingly human new play, she resurrects her teenage self to trace the profound relationship between four generations of women and the founding document that shaped their lives.

Dorothy Papadakos, organ

Spend a frightful yet delightful evening in Helzberg Hall. With live organ accompaniment, this classic 1929 silent film starring Lon Chaney tells the creepy tale of a demented organist lurking in the catacombs beneath the opera house. The entire movie is shown on the giant Helzberg Hall screen, with acclaimed organist Dorothy Papadakos providing the spooky soundtrack on the Julia Irene Kauffman Casavant Organ. Note: The Kansas City Symphony does not perform on this concert.