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Kauffman Center Presents
Spring 2023 Shows Announced

Line-up Includes Bluey’s Big Play, The High Kings & Gaelic Storm,
Floyd Nation and National Geographic Live Season

Kansas City, MO – Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts is pleased to announce the Kauffman Center Presents spring 2023 line-up. These events promise to deliver extraordinary and diverse experiences featuring internationally recognized artists and performers for Kansas City audiences. High-res photos with IDs can be found here.

President and CEO Paul Schofer is enthusiastic about what lies ahead. “Our upcoming performances offer such a range of talent and styles that I believe everyone will find a reason to visit the Kauffman Center this spring. From Irish folk songs to classic Pink Floyd rock tunes, music lovers will find themselves in step (and perhaps on their feet) with our spring season. I’m also looking forward to welcoming families and wide-eyed children to enjoy the first national tour of Bluey’s Big Play.”

KAUFFMAN CENTER PRESENTS SPRING 2023 SHOWS

The Kauffman Center Presents series is made possible by the John N. and Marilyn P. McConnell Foundation. Support also is provided by Saint Luke’s Health System and Aristocrat Motors and Mercedes-Benz of Kansas City.

The High Kings & Gaelic Storm
March 9, 2023, at 7 p.m. in Muriel Kauffman Theatre
Single Ticket On-sale Date: Sept. 28

The true heirs of Ireland's folk heritage, The High Kings are internationally acclaimed singers of Irish folk songs. A quartet of accomplished musical pedigrees, the band first exploded onto the Irish folk music scene in 2008. They have sold out hundreds of shows, in Ireland and the U.S., and appeared on numerous TV shows. The High Kings showcase their incredible versatility and skills as multi-instrumentalists, playing 13 instruments between the four artists, bringing a rousing acoustic flavor to brand new songs as well as some old favorites. Their first 'Best Of' Compilation DECADE was released in November 2017. Multi-platinum artists The High Kings include Finbarr Clancy, Brian Dunphy, Darren Holden and George Murphy and former member - Martin Furey.

It’s hard to imagine a band just coming into their own after 20 years of success, but that’s exactly what makes Gaelic Storm a true anomaly. This multi-national, Celtic juggernaut grows stronger with each live performance, and as you can imagine, after two decades and over 2000 shows, it is a true force to be reckoned with. With their latest release, Go Climb a Tree, their music has never sounded more representative of themselves as musicians and as live performers. The band attributes their continued success to their fanatic audience, and it’s a well-diversified crowd. The country-music folks adore the storytelling, the bluegrass-heads love the instrumentals, Celtic fans love their devotion to tradition and the rockers simply relish the passion displayed when playing their instruments.

On Go Climb a Tree, co-founders of Gaelic Storm, Steve Twigger, and Patrick Murphy, along with longtime friend and co-writer Steve Wehmever, are again at the helm of song-writing duties. The album has everything — party drinking songs (“The Beer Song”), patriotic anthems (“Green, White and Orange”), beautiful folk songs (“Monday Morning Girl”), spritely instrumentals (”The Night of Tomfoolery”), perfect pop songs (“Shine On”) and even a raucous pirate song (“Shanghai Kelly”).

Floyd Nation
April 7, 2023, at 7:30 p.m. in Muriel Kauffman Theatre
Single Ticket On-Sale date: Sept. 9

Floyd Nation is a U.S.-based Pink Floyd Tribute Band that performs all of your favorite hits from the vast collection of Pink Floyd albums such as The Wall, Dark Side of the Moon, Animals, Wish You Were Here, Meddle and The Division Bell. You’ll be immersed in sound, lights and lasers as they take you on an epic journey, bringing back your best memories of some of the most iconic music ever produced. The group’s precise tone and extreme accuracy shows their deep respect for the music of one of the most incredible bands to ever take the world stage.

Bluey’s Big Play – The Stage Show
June 24-25, 2023, at 12:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m., in Muriel Kauffman Theatre
Single Ticket On-Sale date: Sept. 9

Grab the sticky geckos, break out the duck cakes and alert the grannies! It’s time to meet the much-loved Heeler family, who will be coming to Kansas City with Bluey’s live show, Bluey’s Big Play – The Stage Show!

The Emmy^® Award-winning animated preschool series hits the road as fans of all ages see Bluey, Bingo, Bandit and Chilli as they’ve never seen them before. Presented by the Kauffman Center and Tobin Entertainment, watch as the Heelers embark on their very first live theater show in the U.S., featuring puppetry, live actors and iconic sets. Based on an original new story written by Bluey creator Joe Brumm, Bluey’s Big Play – The Stage Show also contains new music by Bluey composer, Joff Bush.

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC LIVE 2023 SEASON:

The 2023 National Geographic Live series in Kansas City is made possible by the Teresa and Tom Walsh Family Foundation. Support for the National Geographic Live series in Kansas City also is made possible by the John N. and Marilyn P. McConnell Foundation.

Jasper Doest, Photographer
A Voice for Nature
Jan. 24, 2023, at 7:30 p.m.
Single Ticket On-Sale date: Oct. 21

“A Voice for Nature” is sponsored by the Kansas City Zoo.
Dutch photographer Jasper Doest creates visual stories that explore the relationship between humankind and nature. From Bob, a rehabilitated flamingo on the island of Curaçao who now acts as an educational ambassador, to the Japanese “snow monkeys” that delight in soaking in local hot springs, Doest aims to give a voice to our world’s wildlife. His emotional, award-winning images are an urgent reminder of the beauty and fragility of our planet. “A Voice for Nature” is sponsored by the Kansas City Zoo.

Sandesh Kadur, Photographer and Filmmaker
Wild Cats of India
Feb. 21, 2023, at 7:30 p.m.
Single Ticket On-Sale date: Oct. 21

With landscapes spanning the towering Himalaya, arid plains and dense jungles, India is home to an unmatched diversity of wild cats. While many of the big cats are well known and thoroughly documented, photographer and filmmaker Sandesh Kadur is on a mission to highlight the country’s lesser-known felines in order to protect their future. Discover the tiny, grumpy-faced Pallas’s cat, the fishing cat that jumps into water to catch its prey, and the ancient, elusive clouded leopard. Through Kadur’s captivating images and video, you’ll get a unique and up-close look at a world of wild cats.

Diana Magaloni-Kerpel, Art Historian and Microarchaeologist
Mesoamerica Illuminated
March 14, 2023, at 7:30 p.m.
Single Ticket On-Sale date: Oct. 21

Discover how the iconic Olmec heads of Mexico were created, explore the true meaning behind the imposing Teotihuacan pyramids and get a peek into the culture and daily life in the Mayan city of Chichen Itza. Art historian and microarcheologist Dr. Diana Magaloni-Kerpel uncovers millennia-old murals and sculptures throughout Mexico and Central America — then studies them to understand what their colors, textures and techniques reveal about these ancient cultures. Join her as she brings ancient Mesoamerican civilizations to life in a way you've never seen before.

Special Engagement
Robbie Shone, Photographer
In Deep: Adventures in Caving
April 11, 2023, at 7:30 p.m.
Single Ticket On-Sale date: Oct. 21

For more than 20 years, renowned cave photographer Robbie Shone has traveled to remote parts of the world to illuminate and document the world’s deepest, largest and longest known cave systems. In 2018, he joined a team on a National Geographic expedition to Abkhazia, Georgia, to descend to the bottom of Veryovkina, the deepest known cave in the world. But when a sudden flood pulse hits, Shone and the team had to climb for their lives to escape the rapidly rising waters. Join him for a first-hand account of this gripping adventure and an inside look at the mesmerizing beauty of one of the world’s last known frontiers of exploration.

Kakani Katija, Bioengineer and Research Diver
Designed by Nature
May 23, 2023, at 7:30 p.m.
Single Ticket On-Sale date: Oct. 21

As a child, Dr. Kakani Katija dreamed of being an astronaut. She trained as an aerospace engineer but eventually became captivated by an even less explored environment than space: our Earth’s oceans. As a bioengineer, instead of searching space for signs of life, she studies the waters that are teeming with it. Dr. Katija hopes to illuminate the twilight zones of the ocean — its little explored midwaters — with technology inspired by the creatures who live in it.

More information and updates about the Kauffman Center Presents series can be found at kauffmancenter.org/kcpresents. Additional performances may be announced throughout the season.

TICKET INFORMATION

Tickets for Floyd Nation and Bluey’s Big Play go on sale to the public Sept. 9, 2022, at 10 a.m. Tickets for The High Kings & Gaelic Storm will go on sale to the public Sept. 23, 2022, at 10 a.m. Tickets range in price from $32.50 to $59.50 plus applicable fees. Tickets will be available through the Kauffman Center Ticket Office at 816.994.7222 or online at tickets.kauffmancenter.org.

National Geographic Live 2023 season subscriptions are on sale now and single tickets for these performances go on sale Oct. 21 at 10 a.m.

HEALTH & SAFETY PROTOCOLS

For the latest COVID-19 policies at the Kauffman Center, please visit kauffmancenter.org/health.

PARKING & DOWNTOWN MAPS

Find information and maps for Kauffman Center parking and construction updates at kauffmancenter.org/parking. The Arts District Garage, immediately south of and beneath the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, is the primary parking garage for Kauffman Center patrons. Purchasing event parking in advance is highly recommended as it often will sell out. The garage is $10 per car or valet is $18 in advance or $20 upon arrival.

ACCESSIBILITY

The Kauffman Center’s promise to bring artists and audiences together is reflected in many ways, including removing barriers and providing access to our performing arts experiences for all patrons. You can learn more by visiting kauffmancenter.org/accessibility. To request services or receive additional information that would make your visit more enjoyable, please contact our box office at 816.994.7222 or contact@kauffmancenter.org.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Receive updates by following our Facebook page at facebook.com/kauffmancenter, Instagram page at instagram.com/kauffmancenter and Twitter page at twitter.com/kauffmancenter. Watch videos at youtube.com/kauffmancenter and follow our blog at kauffmancenter.org/news.

MEDIA

Visit the Kauffman Center’s online press room for media resources, multimedia library, press release archive and more: kauffmancenter.org/about/press-room

SPONSORS

The Kauffman Center Presents series is made possible by the John N. and Marilyn P. McConnell Foundation.

The 2023 National Geographic Live series in Kansas City is made possible by the Teresa and Tom Walsh Family Foundation.

Support is also provided by Saint Luke’s Health System, as well as Aristocrat Motors and Mercedes-Benz of Kansas City. “A Voice for Nature” is sponsored by the Kansas City Zoo.

ABOUT THE KAUFFMAN CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

The Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts - a major not-for-profit center for music, opera, theater and dance designed by Moshe Safdie - opened in 2011. Honored as one of the World's 15 Most Beautiful Concert Halls, the Kauffman Center serves as a cultural cornerstone for Kansas City and the region delivering extraordinary and diverse arts experiences.

Through education outreach programs and community engagement, the Kauffman Center nurtures a love of the arts for present and future generations. For more information, visit kauffmancenter.org.