Memories of Theatre in the Park

    Theatre in the Park is celebrating 40 years at Shawnee Mission Park with a wonderful season of shows for the family! 
 

These are the Upcoming Shows: 8:30pm (Gates open at 7:30pm) 

• June 26-28, July 2-5, 9-12: High School Musical 

• July 17-19, 23-26: Wedding Singer 

• July 31, Aug 1-2, 6-9: Wizard of Oz 

 We asked Kansas City Parent Readers to share their memories of Theatre in the Park with us and these are just a few of our favorites:

The Memories of Summer...

    “Going out in the summer and enjoying the weather as you a great show. That was a sign that summer had started.” ~ JoAnn of Shawnee

    “Staying afterward with my daughter as I held her hand and looked up at the night sky. Just spending time with her was the best!!!” ~ Angie of Lee’s Summit

    “I took the kids and one of their friends and we made a day of it. Bike rides on the trails, beach, hiking and a picnic. We finished it off with a fantastic presentation of Seussical. It was a memorable day. “ ~ Heather of Stilwell

    “My favorite is when I took my little girls at that time 2 and 4 to the Park. We took a bucket of fried chicken and their sleeping bags. They were so excited, of course they fell asleep halfway through the show. When they woke up to go home Kelsey said, "That was the best campout under the stars we've ever had!" We have gone back every year since. Now our 4 year old wants to perform on the stage one day.” ~ Christine of Louisburg

The Memories of Family…

    “My favorite memory is when our whole family went to the show. We had a family reunion that day and in the evening to relax all 70 of us enjoyed the show together. I was just a kid then. It was a long time ago and still remains a great memory. It was my first time to see theater outside.” ~ Barbara of Baldwin City

    “Our family loves summer nights at Theatre in the Park! Our favorite memory is going to the park with our extended family (cousins, aunts and uncles) from out of state. We all played on the lawn and then snuggled up in blankets for the show!" ~Kim of Olathe

    “As a Grandparent there is nothing more gratifying then introducing your family to a whole new experience. Taking my daughter, son-in-law and two grandchildren to see Beauty and the Beast last summer was one of those truly wonderful first time experiences. We ate together on our picnic blanket and later snuggled under the stars while watching a live production. The whole evening was delightful.” ~ Joyce of Shawnee

The Romance… 

    “Watching Evita… later that night my husband of twenty years proposed. I will never forget it.” ~ Roxanne of Kansas City

    “My husband and I had our first date at Theater in the park. We went to see Beauty and the Beast. We arrived early and had a charming little picnic. Every time someone says, "Theater in the Park" I am reminded of our first time together as a couple. “ ~ Amanda of Mission

    “I went there with my wife on our first date. I would love to go back for our anniversary.” ~ Chad of Olathe

    “I met my husband at Theater in the Park. It was a wonderful night under the stars watching a great show and chatting with friends prior.” ~ Lisa of Bonner Springs

    “I loved seeing Phantom of the Opera under the stars the first year my husband and I were married. We are now going on 13 years and still love the theater.” ~ Kristin of Bel Aire

The Memories of Childhood… 

    “Going to Theatre in the Park holds a great memory for me as a child. My grandmother took me there to see Wizard of Oz when I was about 8. I felt like such a grown up being able to go to the "theatre." I remember coming in to find "our" perfect seats, and being so excited to find just the right ones. Little did I know how fun and relaxed everyone would be. We had such a wonderful time, and I now look forward to sharing these experiences with my own kids.” ~ Katie of Lee’s Summit

    “I can't just pick one...I love going because my family always went together and I just remember my mom smiling and having fun. On the way home we would all talk so animatedly about the show and what part we loved the best. I want my children to embrace the theatre and have memories to share with their families one day.” ~ Tera of Raymore

    “I went to Theatre in the Park when I was a kid and really loved to come early, bring a picnic dinner and be able to play frisbee and cards with my friends and family. And now I am bringing my own kids to share the same adventures I had. We really look forward to it and really excited about this season!!” ~ Christina of Lee’s Summit

The Magic… 

    “Taking my daughter Madilyn to see Wizard of Oz, it was her first theatre experience. She dressed up as Dorothy and she had the best time. I loved watching her sing “Somewhere over the Rainbow,” as if she was the star in the play.” ~ Angie of Lee’s Summit

    “Watching Peter Pan fly. All of the kids were so amazed that they made Peter fly!” ~ J.N. of Olathe

    “Last year we took our daughter, Valerie, to Beauty and the Beast. She was 4 years old and absolutely loved the production. She sat through the entire show and when we got home she put on her own version of Beauty and the Beast. She still remembers that special, magical night.“ ~ Jill of Lenexa

Welcome to the Heartland… 

     “My family first moved to Kansas when I was in 5th grade. Everything was unfamiliar and my parents were trying to take us to different events to help us be excited about our new city. That summer they took us to every show at Theatre in the Park some of them we saw 4 or 5 times! Music has always been my comfort, and brings me the greatest peace. Seeing those shows with the fantastic music just made Kansas City feel like home to me and I would love to share that with my children.” ~ Becky of Olathe

    “The first time I took my kids there when we moved to Kansas City. It was nice to pack a picnic dinner, play with the kids until the show started and then have them fall asleep on the blanket while we enjoyed the show.” ~ Amy of Olathe

Budget Friendly Fun... 

    “Two years ago, we decided to attend Theatre in the Park for the first time. As we entered the gates, I saw a massive crowd of people and didn’t know where to sit. Fortunately we found a place to put down a blanket on the side of the stage. It turned out to be a beautiful cool eve with great entertainment. Fiddler on the Roof was playing that night. One can’t beat the price for a great evening of musical entertainment." ~ Collette of Overland Park

The Surprises… 

    “About 20 years ago, my husband and I took our two nieces to a show. We arrived a little after dark and were spreading out the blanket on the grassy slopes when I reached for a rock to anchor the blanket. The "rock" leaped forward and I jumped and screamed as did my two nieces. The "rock" turned out to be a rather large toad and so now we bring lawn chairs to sit well above where the wild things are. My two nieces are now 28 and 30 and they still recall the wild adventure at Theater in the Park in the Dark!” ~ Rita of Olathe

    “I remember seeing Annie Get Your Gun and Annie rode a mini bike through the crown instead of a horse. Boy did that get everyone’s attention.” ~ Julie of Olathe

The Friends… 

    “Back before we had kids, we used to have Girls' Night Out at Theater in the Park. We'd pack a picnic, kiss the hubby good-bye, and go enjoy some great musical theater under the stars! Those were the days! Now my kids are finally old enough to be introduced to Theater in the Park themselves!” ~ Colleen of Lenexa

    “My favorite Theatre in the Park memory is getting a few girlfriends of mine together, a big blanket and yummy snacks to watch a show and have a fun evening under the stars! I can't wait for the season to start. “ ~ Heather of Kansas City

    “My favorite memory was watching Oklahoma with my best friends and singing all the songs together. It was so much fun.” ~ Jennifer of Olathe

Performing 

    “My favorite visit to Theatre in the Park was two years ago when my youngest daughter was in the cast of The Music Man. The show was fine but our daughter was spectacular (!). We went several times, as you can imagine.” ~ Barbara of Leawood

    “My favorite Theatre in the Park memory was when my daughter was in Grease. She had already been in two productions at the park, Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and The Wizard of Oz, but Grease was the first time she was cast in a more mature role that included dancing. She was only in the chorus, but as the youngest member of the cast, she held her own on stage with many veterans. She has continued to do theatre in high school and enjoys it very much.” ~ Melissa of Lenexa

    “My favorite memory is being made this summer as my daughter is in her first Theatre in the Park show!" ~ Joy of Overland Park

    “My fondest memory was being part of the orchestra for Wizard of Oz nearly 20 years ago with my best friends.” ~ Jen of Overland Park, 

    “I was in The Wizard of Oz at the Theatre in the Park when I was 13. It was such an unbelievable experience as a kid to be on stage, singing and dancing. My family also went once a year to other shows growing up. I hope to keep that tradition alive with my little girls!” ~ Nicole of Liberty

Want to make memories… 

    “The first time I heard of the Park was when I opened the recent copy of KCParent! I'd love to make this my first memory though!!” ~ Becca of Kansas City

    “We recently moved here so we are hoping to make fond memories with our two daughters and develop a love of theatre arts while we are here.” ~ Cynthia of Blue Springs