If Walls Could Talk

If walls could talk, you might be surprised what local Kansas City theaters could say.

The Folly Theater has undergone drastic changes since its inception in 1900. Originally known as the Standard Theater, this 2,400-seat auditorium was built for a cool $250,000 to showcase vaudeville acts. Through the years, a broad variety of entertainment has graced its stage, including comedians, acrobats, dancers, prizefighters and, in its heyday, stars such as Humphrey Bogart and the Marx Brothers. By mid-century however, the “Grand Old Lady of Twelfth Street” had begun offering less-than-wholesome entertainment and was subsequently “bombed” when a stick of dynamite was placed in one of the theater’s drainpipes. It seemed the theater was destined for demolition as later plans were revealed to pave a parking lot in its place. Thankfully, vast renovations were undertaken, and the Folly continues to thrive more than a century later, with events like the Folly Kids Series and the Folly Jazz Series, making it once again the crown jewel of the downtown district.

Municipal Auditorium is a triple threat venue. If its streamline modern architecture appears familiar, it is because the architects responsible also designed another local art deco icon, the KCP&L Building. Municipal’s arena is home to the Kansas City Roller Warriors and has hosted multiple sporting events over the years. Since its opening in 1936, the 7,300-seat arena has also hosted events ranging from rock concerts to U.S. presidential campaigns. Its sister stage, the Music Hall, is a popular venue for touring symphonies and Broadway shows and also houses a 1927 Robert-Morton theater pipe organ. Adjacent to these two halls you will find the Little Theatre, an octagonal ballroom with a private balcony room, used primarily for formal events.

The Todd Bolender Center for Dance & Creativity knows something about making diamonds out of coal. Designed by Jarvis Hunt in 1913, the Union Station Power House supplied coal-powered energy to the station and other nearby buildings. Ninety-six years later, through careful preservation and a massive expansion, the new Todd Bolender Center is a rich marriage of modernity and historicity, with design elements such as ash shoots and coal hoppers in the children’s dressing rooms. The Center houses seven studios and a 180-seat theater. And while the Kansas City Ballet calls the Bolender Center home, its doors also welcome aspiring dancers who hope to shine like sparkling diamonds though the center’s line of classes.

One of the newest venues in the area has been turning heads over the past year. The Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts is a state-of-the- art complex boasting two theaters, Helzberg Hall and the Muriel Kauffman Theatre. The Kauffman Center strives to enrich the Kansas City community by providing rich and diverse performing arts experiences. Free tours are available, allowing one to marvel at this local wonder. Resident companies include the KC Ballet, KC Symphony and the Lyric Opera. A vast array of family favorites includes the symphony’s Family Series and the ballets’ ever-popular Nutcracker, performed every December.

Lauren Greenlee loves living in a community so rich in the arts. She writes and resides in Olathe.