March 17 Entertainment Briefs

JCCC presents play about black Kansas town

"Flyin’ West," a play about Nicodemus, Kan., an all-black town settled by former slaves in 1877, will be performed at 7 p.m. March 11, in Polsky Theatre of the Carlsen Center, Johnson County Community College, 12345 College Blvd., Overland Park.

In this frontier drama, playwright Pearl Cleage tells the tale of three black women struggling to keep their land and preserve their way of life, fighting the greed of white speculators and some of their own black townspeople only 20 years after the end of the Civil War.

"Flyin’ West" will be followed by a brief presentation by Angela Bates, Nicodemus Historical Society executive director, and, in advance of the play, Bates will give a lecture, "Blacks and Black Towns in the West – The Nicodemus Story," from 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Thursday in Craig Community Auditorium.

The play and lecture are free and open to the public. For information, call 469-8500, ext. 3673.

Cast brings humor to edgy material in ‘Green Whales’

The late, great comedian Richard Pryor peppered his standup routines with foul language and sexually explicit references. Still, even conservative audiences seemed willing to look past the offensive content.

Why? Probably because he was so funny that he made the crass material seem downright profound.

A daring new romantic comedy titled "Green Whales," the latest offering from the Unicorn Theatre, will probably get a pass for the same reason.

While it deals with edgy subject matter – alcoholism and pedophilia – its genuinely funny script and sharp acting make the vexatious elements easier to abide.

'Alice in Wonderland' has many strengths

ALICE IN WONDERLAND

2 and a half stars

Rated PG

Walt Disney Pictures pairs quirky genius filmmaker Tim Burton (“Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” “The Nightmare Before Christmas” and “Beetlejuice”) with the extremely popular actor Johnny Depp (“The Pirates of the Caribbean” series) for the seventh time in the first big movie event of 2010.

Your very important date is a complete reimagining of the classic fairy tales “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” and “Through the Looking-Glass,” written in 1865 by Lewis Carroll.

The script by Linda Woolverton (“Beauty and the Beast” and “The Lion King”) includes all the familiar characters, story elements and central themes. The most significant changes are that Alice (relatively unknown Australian Mia Wasikowska  previously seen in “That Evening Sun,” “Amelia” and “Defiance”) is on the verge of turning 20 and the place she ends up after tumbling down a rabbit hole is “Underland.”

KC native hits home with new play

According to Ennis King, a barbecue joint worker, “Broke-ology” is his scientific examination of two concepts.

“One, being broke,” Ennis explains. “Two, staying alive despite your broke-ness.”

Ennis is a character in “Broke-ology,” an affectionate new comic drama by Kansas City, Kan., native Nathan Louis Jackson, a writer for the NBC-TV series “Southland.”

March 3 Entertainment Briefs

The Groovaloos, a troupe of 14 hip-hop street dancers and winners of NBC’s "SuperStars of Dance," performs at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, March 5 and 6, in Yardley Hall of the Carlsen Center, Johnson County Community College, 12345 College Blvd., Overland Park.

Based on the troupe’s true-to-life experiences as told by the dancers, Groovaloo combines physicality with heart-pounding music and stories that chronicle the struggles, hopes and triumphs of the cast.

For tickets, call 469-4445 or go to www.jccc.edu/TheSeries.

Marvelous acting in 'The Last Station'

THE LAST STATION

3 and a half stars

Rated R

The ensemble cast puts on an acting showcase in this historical drama written and directed by Michael Hoffman (“Restoration” and “A Midsummer’s Night Dream”).

Based on the 1990 novel by Jay Parini, the film explores the turbulent final year in the life of Russian writer and philosopher Leo Tolstoy (Christopher Plummer from “The Insider” and “The Man Who Would Be King”).

The movie could pass as a finely crafted stage play. The simple premise is a tug of war between Tolstoy’s wife of 48 years, Countess Sofya (Helen Mirren from “The Queen” and “Gosford Park”) and Tolstoy’s trusted disciple and righthand man, Vladimir Chertkov (Paul Giammati from “The Illusionist” and HBO’s “John Adams” miniseries), over the rights to the literary works (including “War and Peace” and “Anna Karenina”) and vast estate of this great man regarded as a living saint.

Chertkov represents the interests of the Russian people. Sofya wants the estate to stay within the family, passing to her as surviving spouse and then to their 13 children.

Besides being a devoted wife, Sofya has been a passionate lover, muse and secretary to this man with a long bushy white beard and mustache. She has even copied “War and Peace” by hand six times. She uses every trick of seduction in her feminine arsenal to deter her husband from signing a new will.