Page "Kansas City, Missouri" Paragraph 50

The Kansas City Repertory Theatre, the metropolitan area's top professional theatre company and the Starlight Theatre, 8, 105-seat outdoor theatre designed by Edward Delk are a popular theatre company and theatre respectively.

The Kansas City Symphony was founded by R. Crosby Kemper Jr. in 1982 to supersede the Kansas City Philharmonic, which was founded 1933.

The symphony currently is located at the new Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts.

The current music director and lead conductor of the symphony is Michael Stern.

Lyric Opera of Kansas City, founded in 1970, offers one American contemporary opera production during its annual season consisting of either four or five productions.

The Lyric Opera also is also located at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts.

The Civic Opera Theater of Kansas City, performs at the Folly Theater in downtown, and the UMKC Performing Arts Center.

Every summer form mid-June to early July, The Heart of America Shakespeare Festival has a production at Southmoreland Park near the Nelson-Atkins Museum.

Marilyn Strauss founded the festival in 1993 and it has gone on ever since.