Month: April 2014

Mid-Life Players presents ‘Cats’ in concert April 25- 26, May 1-2 at Alcott

The Mid-Life Players, a local nonprofit musical theater group, will present a concertized performance of the Andrew Lloyd Webber favorite, “Cats,” this Friday and Saturday, April 25 and 26, and next weekend, May 2 and 3, at the Alcott Arts Center, 180 S. 18th St., in Kansas City, Kan.

Curtain time is 7:30 p.m. for each performance. Tickets are $10 each and may be purchased through brownpapertickets.com

Mid-Life Players was created by is a group of four friends, Ruth Baum Bigus, Catherine Boone, Curt Knupp and Dan Prather, all singers and actors who love to perform. This quartet enjoys the sheer joy of singing and entertaining an audience, so they decided it would be fun for others in “their age” group, too.

The group provides an outlet for singers and actors age 35 and older. Mid-Life Players produces “concert style” musicals and musical reviews incorporating blind casting when appropriate or needed. Auditions are help prior to productions and a limited rehearsal schedule is held for each show. Productions use minimal costuming, make-up and sets – just enough to enhance the audience experience. Mid-Life Players is a 501(c) 3 not-for-profit organization.

“As Mid-Life Players, we relish the opportunity to perform works that are not often done in the community and take on roles that we would not likely be selected for at this ‘stage’ of our lives,” Boone said.

Mid-Life performers come from all walks of life. The current production of “Cats” is directed by Dan Prather and Curt Knupp with Julie Fox as assistant director and Becky Clark as music director.
Past productions include “Into the Woods,” “Rent,” “Rocky Horror Picture Show” and “Company.” Mid-Life Players is guided by a board of directors and an advisory board that are dedicated to the mission of the group.

For more information about Mid-Life Players visit https://www.facebook.com/midlifeplayers.

Mid-Life Players “Cats” cast (some roles are double-cast):
Bill Bergman – as Skimbleshanks; Grandview, Mo.
Chad Burris – as Mungojerrie; Independence, Mo.
Curt Knupp – as Munkustrap; Kansas City, Mo.
Dan Prather – as Rum Tum Tugger; Kansas City, Mo.
Debra Skodack Burnes – as Cassandra; Westwood, Kan.
Dee Green – as Grizabella; Kansas City, Mo.
Diana Leonard – as Jellylorum; Raytown, Mo.
Dottie Bartlett – as Demeter; Overland Park, Kan.
Ed Leonard – as Gus; Raytown, Mo.
Gary Barber – as Skimbleshanks; Edwardsville, Kan.
Georgia Schmittling – as Jemima; Raymore, Mo.
Janet Shelman – as Jemima; Blue Springs, Mo.
Joe Bartlett – as Bustopher Jones, Mistoffolees; Independence, Mo.
John Vandevort – as Deuteronomy; Shawnee, Kan.
Joy Richardson –aas Bombalurina; Kansas City, Kan.
Julie Fox – as Bombalurina; Olathe, Kan.
Julie McDaniel – as Grizabella; Oak Grove, Mo.
Kate Elcock – as Ecetera; Olathe, Kan.
Ken Kasten – as Gus; Overland Park, Kan.
Kristine Norvaishas – as Tantomile; Cleveland, Mo.
Linda Wetzel – as Jennyanydots; Olathe, Kan.
Patty Moore Armstrong – as Jennyanydots; Lenexa, Kan.
Rebecca Shaw Stabno – as Rumpleteazer; Lee’s Summit, Mo.
Richie  Johnson – as Rum Tum Tugger; Kansas City, Mo.
Robert Ritter – as Bustopher Jones, Mistoffolees; Liberty, Mo.
Scott Powell – as Deuteronomy; Kansas City, Mo.
Thomas Anderson – as Munkustrap.

Supreme Court upholds murder conviction

The Kansas Supreme Court today upheld a murder conviction from Wyandotte County, while overturning a provision ordering lifetime postrelease.

A Wyandotte County jury convicted Loviss Todd on charges of felony murder, aggravated robbery, aggravated battery, and aggravated assault. Todd was convicted of the December 2008 murder of Vincent Green.

On direct appeal to the Kansas Supreme Court, Todd challenged the jury instructions, claimed prosecutorial misconduct, and contended that cumulative error denied him a fair trial. Todd also challenged the district court judge’s imposition of lifetime postrelease supervision as part of his life sentence. The court affirmed Todd’s convictions and sentence, with the exception of the provision ordering lifetime postrelease.

The court identified error with the district judge’s failure to instruct the jury on the caution it should exercise in evaluating an accomplice witness’ testimony, but held the error was harmless. The court also held that the district judge should not have instructed the jury that the degree of certainty expressed by an eyewitness is a factor to be weighed in assessing reliability of the identification. But, because the eyewitnesses in this case did not express a degree of certainty on the identification of Todd, the instruction was not clearly erroneous.

The court held that retroactive application of the 2013 amendments made in a state law, which eliminated lesser included offenses of felony murder and expressly provided for retroactive application to cases pending on appeal, does not violate the federal ex post facto clause. Accordingly, Todd was not entitled to a second-degree murder instruction.

The court rejected Todd’s claims of prosecutorial misconduct and cumulative error. The state conceded that Todd’s lifetime postrelease supervision portion of his sentence was improper, and the court vacated that portion of his sentence.

To read the decision, visit http://www.kscourts.org/Cases-and-Opinions/opinions/SupCt/2014/20140425/106021.pdf.

Downtown KCK YMCA receives more funding

The Unified Government Commission unanimously voted Thursday to give $75,000 to the Downtown 8th Street YMCA in Kansas City, Kan.

The UG is providing the funding to keep the Y open during the next 12 months while funds are being raised for a new downtown YMCA building as part of a Healthy Campus. A year ago, the UG made an agreement to fund the Y temporarily to keep it open.

According to the new agreement, the Y will continue operations and building upkeep at a cost of $6,250 per month, which is $3,750 less per month than the current agreement.

The $75,000 will come from the casino grant that is in the 2014 budget as part of the Consolidated Parks Fund and is not currently allocated for any specific expense for 2014, according to UG information.

When asked by UG commissioners, YMCA officials said on Thursday there were now 663 YMCA members at that location, which are households representing a little more than 5,000 people who use the facility.

At Thursday’s meeting, Commissioner Hal Walker said that this will be the last time he votes to approve any money for this YMCA.  He said he didn’t like the way the Y announced its closing last year, pulling out and then being kept open with public dollars.

“At some point the public needs to stop paying for the benefits to a few,” Walker said.

Commissioner Tarence Maddox asked if there were any programs free to the public and was told there is a nutrition and weight program that is free to the community, and also free soccer youth events on four Saturdays in April and May.

Maddox said the UG needs to receive something in return for its funding and asked about the possibility of using the Y building for UG services when a new Y is built.

Maddox also said he would like to see more UG money spent on UG parks and recreation facilities, which may need repairs.

While she supported the Y’s request, Commissioner Ann Murguia said the UG’s money should be linked to UG goals, and she asked if research supported the idea that health improves when people have access to a facility. She said they should be able to demonstrate to the public whether the goal was met – whether health rankings improved or whether people were healthier.

She also said the commission needs to be strategic about its tax dollars, and these requests should be handled during the budget, not outside the budget. She added she could become more of a cheerleader for the project if there were measurable goals to connect to it.