Watching the eclipse at the Kauffman Center

Staff members from the Kauffman Center, Kansas City Ballet, Kansas City Symphony and Lyric Opera gathered on the Arts District Lawn on Monday, Aug. 21 to watch a much-anticipated solar eclipse.

The Kauffman Center during the August 2017 solar eclipse.

About 60 staff members from the four performing arts organizations watched as the moon’s shadow moved across the Arts District Lawn just south of the Kauffman Center’s entrance. Downtown Kansas City was just on the edge of the eclipse’s path of totality. A few staff photos of the event are included here.

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Vote for the Kauffman Center for Best Missouri Attraction

Kauffman Center Nominated for USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice: Best Missouri Attraction

Online voting closes Monday, August 28

Northwest exterior photo of the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts in Kansas City, MO. Photo by Tim Hursley.

Kansas City, MO – The Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts is one of 20 sites nominated for USA Today‘s 10Best Readers’ Choice contest for Best Missouri Attraction.

Voting is open through 11 a.m. CST Monday, Aug. 28. Fans of the Kauffman Center can vote once per day through the end of the contest. Click here to vote through the 10Best website.

As of Tuesday, Aug. 22, the Kauffman Center was ranked No. 10 on a list that includes Missouri attractions such as the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art, City Museum in St. Louis, and Katy Trail State Park.

10Best.com is part of the USA Today Travel Media Group. The website features city guides created by local experts.

The Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, a major not-for-profit center for music, opera, theater and dance designed by Moshe Safdie, opened in 2011. Serving as a cultural cornerstone for Kansas City and the region, the Kauffman Center delivers extraordinary and diverse performing arts experiences. Honored as one of the World’s 15 Most Beautiful Concert Halls, the Kauffman Center attracts some of the world’s most renowned performers and entertainers.

Photo by Tim Hursley

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Student Rush Ticket Announcement

Kauffman Center Announces New Student Ticket Discount

Student rush tickets will be available 90 minutes before Kauffman Center Presents performances

Students at the Kauffman Center to see a performance. Photo by Jillian Shoptaw.

Kansas City, MO – Today, the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts announced a new student ticket discount as part of the Center’s Open Doors Community Tickets program.

High school and college students will now be able to purchase discounted tickets for $15 at the Kauffman Center Box Office 90 minutes prior to Kauffman Center Presents performances. This is one of the Kauffman Center’s many initiatives to make the performing arts more accessible to students.

“Young people are the future of the arts and the Kauffman Center is dedicated to increasing access to Kauffman Center Presents performances for those younger audiences in Kansas City,” said Paul Schofer, President and CEO of the Kauffman Center. “As an expansion of the Open Doors Community Tickets program, the student rush discount will give high school and college students an opportunity to experience performances from national and international artists.”

Discounted tickets will be available for purchase at the Kauffman Center Box Office with a high school or college student ID. Seating will be based on availability, and there is a limit of one discounted ticket per valid student ID.

The Kansas City Symphony, Kansas City Ballet and Lyric Opera of Kansas City also offer special pricing for student tickets. For a full list of available discounts and additional information, visit kauffmancenter.org/ticketdiscounts or call the Kauffman Center Box Office at (816) 994-7222.

ABOUT THE OPEN DOORS PROGRAM

The Kauffman Center Open Doors program connects young people to the arts through three major components:

  • The Open Doors Spotlight on Youth initiative contains several programs that inspire and nurture the next generation of artists, arts patrons, and arts professionals with access to the Kauffman Center’s staff, stages, and resources.
  • The Open Doors Community Tickets program offers access to programming at the Kauffman Center for youth and families through reduced prices or free tickets.
  • The Open Doors Transportation Fund offers funding to schools in the metropolitan area so that bringing students to the Kauffman Center for school matinee performances is more affordable.

More information is available at kauffmancenter.org/open-doors.

Photo by Jillian Shoptaw.

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Riverdance coming to the Kauffman Center in March 2018

Riverdance – The 20th Anniversary Tour coming to the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts

The international Irish dance phenomenon performs in Muriel Kauffman Theatre March 16 & 17 

Tickets go on sale Friday, Aug. 25

Riverdance at the Kauffman Center - March 16 and 17, 2018

Kansas City, MO – Riverdance – The 20th Anniversary World Tour will present three performances in Muriel Kauffman Theatre at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts in March 2018.

Riverdance – The 20th Anniversary World Tour brings new costumes, lighting, projections, and a new number to the Kauffman Center for an evening performance on Friday, March 16, and matinee and evening performances on Saturday, March 17. Tickets for the event range from $39 to $79 plus fees, and go on sale to the public at 10 a.m. on Friday, August 25. This event is presented in partnership with MagicSpace Entertainment.

Tickets will be available through the Kauffman Center Box Office at (816) 994-7222, via the Kauffman Center mobile app, or online at www.kauffmancenter.org.

ABOUT RIVERDANCE

Riverdance – The 20th Anniversary World Tour is composed by Bill Whelan, produced by Moya Doherty and directed by John McColgan.

Riverdance is an innovative and exciting blend of dance, music, and song. Drawing on Irish traditions, the combined talents of the performers propel Irish dancing and music into the present day, capturing the imagination of audiences across all ages and cultures. The show has set design by Robert Ballagh, lighting design by John Comiskey, costume design by Joan Bergin, and sound design by Michael O’Gorman.

Riverdance began its journey as the interval act during the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest, produced for television by Moya Doherty. This electrifying and innovative seven minute dance piece was then developed into a full-length show by Doherty, composer Bill Whelan and director John McColgan. With its fusion of Irish and international music and dance, the show broke box office records during its world premiere in Dublin in 1995. A hugely successful world tour started in New York in March 1996. Since its inception, Riverdance has packed theaters across the globe.

For the complete Riverdance – The 20th Anniversary World Tour North American tour schedule, visit www.riverdance.com.

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Herbie Hancock at the Kauffman Center on Aug. 12

Herbie Hancock

Saturday, August 12 | 7:30PM

 Muriel Kauffman Theatre

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The Kauffman Center for Performing Arts is proud to welcome jazz legend and innovator Herbie Hancock to Muriel Kauffman Theatre on Saturday, Aug. 12. Tickets range from $45 to $150 plus fees, and are available now. This event is presented in partnership with Mammoth.

Herbie Hancock performs August 12, 2017 at the Kauffman Center. Photo by Douglas Kirkland.

Herbie Hancock and his band will treat fans to a taste of Hancock’s highly-anticipated new album, along with music from throughout his celebrated career. An all-star band joins Hancock on stage, featuring: Vinnie Colaiuta on drums, James Genus on bass, Lionel Loueke on guitar, and multi-instrumentalist Terrace Martin.

Read NPR’s recent interview/profile on Herbie Hancock here.

Now in the sixth decade of his professional life, 14-time GRAMMY Award winning artist Herbie Hancock remains where he has always been: at the forefront of world culture, technology, business and music. In addition to being recognized as a legendary pianist and composer, Hancock has been an integral part of every popular music movement since the 1960’s.

As a member of the Miles Davis Quintet that pioneered a groundbreaking sound in jazz, he also developed new approaches on his own recordings, followed by his work in the 1970s – with record-breaking albums such as Headhunters – that combined electric jazz with funk and rock in an innovative style that continues to influence contemporary music. “Rockit” and “Future Shock” marked Hancock’s foray into electronic dance sounds; during the same period he also continued to work in an acoustic setting with V.S.O.P., which included ex-Miles Davis bandmates Wayne Shorter, Ron Carter, and Tony Williams.

In honor of his work, Hancock was awarded the GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award in February 2016.

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