Two audience
favorites set in warm watery places will launch The Theatre in the Park’s 49th
outdoor season during June, and TTIP’s Summer Theatre Academy participants will
present two shows with two performances each at The Black Box Theatre inside
the Johnson County Arts & Heritage Center.
Disney’s© “The Little Mermaid,” which is Rated G,
will be on the outdoor stage in Shawnee Mission Park June 8 through 10, and
June 13 through 16. Based on one of Hans Christian Andersen’s most beloved
stories and the classic animated film, Disney’s© “The
Little Mermaid” is a hauntingly beautiful love story for the ages. With
music by eight-time Academy Award winner, Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman
and Glenn Slater, this fishy fable will capture your heart with its
irresistible songs, including “Under the
Sea,” “Kiss the Girl,” and “Part of
Your World.”
Next up is the
outdoor production of “South Pacific,”
which is Rated PG; and on stage June 22 through 24, and June 27 through 30.
This Rodgers & Hammerstein’s classic is set on an island paradise during
World War II, and tells two parallel love stories, which are threatened by the
dangers of prejudice and war. Musical numbers include “Some Enchanted Evening,” “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair,”
and “Younger Than Springtime.”
Theatre Academy
shows will include “Willy Wonka Kids,”
and “The Lion King Kids.” Both shows
are Rated G, and performers in grades three through eight will present indoor
performances at the Johnson County Arts & Heritage Center, of both shows on
June 16 and 30. Later this summer, two performances of Roald Dahl’s “James and the Giant Peach Jr.,” which
is Rated G, will be presented by performers in grades five through 12 on July
27 and 28. The public performances will be the culmination of two- and
three-week camp programs. For more information of Theatre Academies and show tickets,
visit the theater’s website.
For outdoor
productions, gates open at 7 p.m., and shows begin at 8:30 p.m. General admission is $8 for adults, $6 for
youth ages four to ten, plus tax, and free for children three and under, but
tickets are still required. Tickets can be purchased at the box office or
online. “Anytime tickets” available via either ticket-buying method, are not
specific to a certain night or performance, and can be printed out at home and
scanned at the gate.
Continuing in 2018
is Thrifty Thursdays whereby a 20 percent discount is offered on Thursday night
performances. This makes adult tickets $6.40 and children’s tickets $4.80, plus
tax. The discounted tickets must be purchased at the box office for the
specific show.
Also returning is
Movies in the Park, through which participants can see popular and classic
films on a 40-foot screen on the TTIP stage for only $1 per person at the gate.
Films are shown on selected Tuesday nights when musical productions are not
scheduled. Dates for 2018 Movies in the Park are: Disney’s© “Beauty and the Beast” Sing-Along
version on June 12, “Wonder Woman” on
June 26, “Despicable Me3” on July 10,
the original “The Land Before Time”
on July 24, and Disney’s© “Coco” on
Aug. 7
With the exceptions
of “Wonder Woman,” which is Rated
PG-13, and “The Land Before Time,”
which is Rated G, all of this year’s films are rated PG. Note that the
theatre’s usual rain-out policy does not apply to movie nights. Due to
licensing restrictions, if a movie has to be cancelled due to inclement
weather, no refunds will be issued and no tickets will be revalidated. On movie
nights, gates open at 7:30 p.m., and movies start between 8:30 and 8:45
depending on sunset.
Other outdoor
productions this summer will include: “Into the Woods,” Rated PG, July 6 through 14; “The Addams Family,” Rated PG, July 20 through 28; and Disney’s© “High School Musical 1 & 2,” Rated
G, Aug. 3 through 11. With the exceptions of “The Little Mermaid” and “High
School Musical 1 & 2,” which are rated G, this year’s shows are rated
PG. Much more information about the theatre and this year’s productions is
available at The Theatre in the Park’s website.
This year’s outdoor
season, the Movies in the Park presentations, and Summer Academy programs are
sponsored by Shawnee Mission Health and First National Bank. Sponsorships for
specific shows are still available, and you can learn more by calling Kate
Buenger (913) 826-3016 or at [email protected]
The Theatre in the
Park is located north of the main entrance to Shawnee Mission Park at 7710
Renner Road in Shawnee. The Johnson County Arts & Heritage Center is
located at 8788 Metcalf Ave., Overland Park.
