Area theaters ready for new fall season

After Kansas City audiences have gorged themselves on a feast of summer theater offerings, it might be a good idea to push back from the table for a respite. But the fall season is about to get under way, so the banquet continues unabated.

The Barn Players are presenting summer’s dessert, a popular musical version of the classic novel “The Secret Garden,” with book and lyrics by Marsha Norman and music by Lucy Simon. The show opens Aug. 28 and runs through Sept. 13.

They will follow that production later in the fall with a “relationship thriller” called “Private Eyes” and the Kander & Ebb standard “Cabaret.”

Starlight Theatre wraps up its season with a return engagement of the Abba musical “Mamma Mia!” Sept. 8-13.

The New Theatre Restaurant welcomes back actor Barry Williams of “The Brady Bunch” fame in the comedy sequel “Church Basement Ladies 2.” The show runs Sept. 2 through Nov. 29.

Two Pulitzer Prize-winning dramas are the focus of the Metropolitan Ensemble Theatre this season. Edward Albee’s “Seascape” appears Sept. 10-27, followed by William Saroyan’s “The Time of Your Life,” Nov. 5-22.

CenterSeason at the Jewish Community Center will present a musical revue of Barry Manilow tunes, “I Write the Songs” Sept. 9-13. They will follow that with Mel Brooks’ wildly popular musical “The Producers” Oct. 24 through Nov. 28.

The Kansas City Repertory Theatre is bringing in renowned Broadway director Moisés Kaufman to mount Stephen Sondheim’s acclaimed musical “Into the Woods.” This unique take on classic fairy tales will run Sept. 11 through Oct. 10.

In one of the most controversial moves of the year, The Rep will not be presenting “A Christmas Carol” for the first time in decades. Instead, Eric Rosen will direct a pre-Broadway run of an original musical adaptation of the hit movie “A Christmas Story,” Nov. 20 through Dec. 27.

The Mystery Train, Kansas City’s interactive murder mystery theater, offers an original whodunit, “Dead Man’s Creek,” Sept. 4 through Oct. 31.

And speaking of mysteries, The American Heartland Theatre brings “I’ll Be Back Before Midnight” to their stage in Crown Center on Sept. 11. This comic drama runs through Oct. 25. They will follow that with a radio-style re-enactment of the holiday standard “It’s a Wonderful Life” Nov. 5 through Dec. 27.

The Chestnut Fine Arts Center’s fall season begins with a gospel musical, “Smoke on the Mountain: Homecoming,” Sept. 24 through Oct. 25.

Just down the street at the Olathe Community Theatre, the time-tested favorite “Arsenic and Old Lace” will be presented Oct. 9-25.

Broadway Across America is bringing the Broadway touring company of the Tony Award-winning rock musical “Spring Awakening” to Kansas City’s Municipal Auditorium Oct. 13-18. That will be followed by a return engagement of the phenomenally popular “Wizard of Oz” knock-off “Wicked,” Nov. 11 through Dec. 6.

Speaking of Broadway, the Great White Way’s greatest composers will be saluted in the Quality Hill Playhouse revue “Curtain Up” Oct. 2 through Nov. 1.

Christian Youth Theatre brings an original musical version of “The Little Princess” to the stage at Rockhurst High School Oct. 29-31. They will also present “High School Musical” at the Youthfront Theatre in Shawnee Nov. 5-8.

On the children’s theater scene, The Coterie mixes Edgar Allen Poe and electric guitars for the unlikely cocktail “Tell-Tale Electric Poe” Sept. 15 through Oct. 9.

Following that, they will bring in playwright Mitch Brian’s sequel to “Night of the Living Dead,” a tongue-in-cheek thriller called “Maul of the Dead,” Oct. 16-31.

Theatre for Young America brings Margaret Wise Brown’s beloved bedtime story “Goodnight Moon” to the stage in Union Station Oct. 13-31. “The Toughest Kid in the World” returns Nov. 10-18.

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