ARTS & CULTURE IN KC

THE VOCALIST, MUSICIAN, COMPOSER ANSWERS FOUR QUESTIONS

by Judith Fertig photo by Manon Halliburton

Everything’s coming up ballads and up-tempo numbers for Krista Eyler. The ringtone on her phone plays the overture to Jesus Christ Superstar. Her Sparkletones musical, written with Barb Nichols, just debuted at the Johnson County Arts and Heritage Center. In 2019, Overture the Musical, also with Barb Nichols, told the tale of how a grassroots effort saved the Kansas City Philharmonic during its 1953-54 season. It won several awards during its run in New York. Eyler is also the resident “Funky Mama” of Funky Mama Music, the kid-friendly rock band that played at the White House Easter Egg Roll in 2007.

Vocalist, musician, composer, and performer, Eyler loves productions that “bring forth the bittersweet, the goosebumps, the tears, the heartbreak, and the glory of performing arts,” she says. “I believe a resolved chord, a sustained tremolo, a bass-hand can deliver a soul ever closer to understanding a story or a song.”

INKC: When you were growing up in the metro area, did you watch a lot of musicals? What was it that piqued your interest in this genre? Eyler: In my childhood home, my brother and I basically memorized the entire libretto of Jesus Christ Superstar. I was mildly obsessed with Julie Andrews, Judy Garland, and the entire Rodgers and Hammerstein catalog. My teenage years were spent sobbing over Les Miserables, Miss Saigon, and A Chorus Line. I watched many musicals due to the fact my mother and father are gifted musicians who love movie musicals. There was always music of some sort going through my home. My mother is a classically trained choral vocalist, my father is a classically trained pianist, and my brother is a pianist, though all pursued careers outside of music. I fell in love with musicals around the time I started singing at the age of 4. Musicals have just always been there for me.

INKC: What is the secret to a musical that has people singing when they leave, in a much better mood? Eyler: Sondheim has a comical anecdote about a producer telling him a particular song wasn’t “hummable,” and how much that irritated him because a composer has no control over the particular hummability of a song. The audience is the unknown variable. A composer doesn’t know how deep or how shallow his/her song might swim into an audience member’s mind for hours, days, months after hearing it, or how it might affect mood. Without meaning to, I have been told I tend to write earworms. I like great rhythms, soulful chords, a well-placed key change, and a good or unexpected hook. If an audience member is affected in any emotional way by my music, I feel satisfied.

INKC: From a theme of prejudice in 1950s South Pacific to inclusive casting in today’s Hamilton, how are musicals able to tackle issues of the day while still being entertaining? Eyler: When writing historical fiction, you have to honor certain facts and “massage” the truth to serve whatever storyline you’ve chosen to complete. With Overture, we focused on the stories of the people keeping the KC Philharmonic alive and imagined what their lives might have been like circa 1953. Within that context, a composer or writer has a million choices from which to craft stories because you are writing for one person, or one character. You get to dig into their imaginary lives.

INKC: How has the Kansas City area nurtured your creative spirit? Eyler: Kansas City has been so good to me. I’ve lived in the metro area my entire life and have had many opportunities to participate in or make art, and, hopefully, get better and wiser with each attempt. Whether acting, singing, playing, or teaching, I am inspired by the bountiful talents of people around me, most importantly, by my cowriter and business partner, Barbara Nichols. Barb and I want to add to the beauty of art in the Midwest, specifically in musical theater, and are ridiculously proud to be a part of the Kansas City arts scene. (Go on, just ask us.)

SHINIQUE SMITH AND STARGAZERS

BORN IN BALTIMORE and now living in Los Angeles, Shinique Smith is no stranger to Kansas City, having exhibited her work at the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art in 2017. is month, she returns to the metro area with new work to beguile viewers at the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art on the Johnson County Community College campus through July 31. Her exhibit, Stargazers, re ects the artist’s ongoing engagement with “the graceful and spiritual qualities of the written word and the everyday,” says Smith. It also encompasses many media, including photography, video, sculpture, monumental canvases, and performance.

Shinique Smith will give an artist talk, accompanied by a reception, on May 5. e exhibit is free, no tickets required, but the artist talk requires an RSVP. For information visit nermanmuseum.org.

Open Secret by Shinique Smith.

THE ART OF THE WISH

WHAT HAPPENS when two Hallmark creatives decide to spend their sabbatical asking elders what their wishes might be for themselves, their families, their friends, the world? And what happens when the artists give form to those wishes? e result is the thought-provoking, move-to-tears e Art of the Wish, now exhibiting at the Leedy-Voulkos Gallery in the Crossroads. Andy Newcomb and Marn Jensen interviewed more than 200 older adults across the country, then transformed their stories into vignettes made from ephemera: old letters, postcards, cloth scraps, photographs, discarded toys, junkyard metal, and more. One memorable and evocative collage was made from a woman’s boxes of letters and postcards that her kids didn’t want. When this exhibit rst debuted privately at Hallmark in 2017, it resonated with viewers as well as the Center for Practical Bioethics.

Watch e Art of the Wish on YouTube and you’ll get a taste of the impact it has, staying with you for quite a while.

On May 12, the Center for Practical Bioethics will hold a bene t at the gallery. For ticket information, contact practicalbioethics.org.

Admission is free for the exhibit at Leedy-Voulkos Gallery in the Crossroads through May 28. leedy-voulkos.com

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JRUPI KAUR, THE WORLD TOUR

WITH OVER 4.5 MILLION followers on Instagram, Rupi Kaur defines the term “instapoet” with her short, sometimes controversial, poems. Published by Kansas City’s own Andrews-McMeel, of course this poetic phenom would include our town on her world tour.

Born into a Punjabi family in India, Kaur moved to Canada when she was four. She didn’t learn English until grade school. Through her short but compelling poems in books that ride The New York Times bestseller lists, she gives voice to women’s experience of violence, abuse, love, loss, and survival.

On May 18, she returns to the stage at the Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland with more short poetry, humor, spoken word, music, and compelling spoken-word artists from the audience whom she invites to perform with her. Sample her verse at rupikaur.com.

For tickets, visitt axs.com.

THE MUSIC OF QUEEN

FAMILIARITY BREEDS—delight. Sometimes it’s a double pleasure to go to a concert in which you already know the music.

In collaboration with the Kansas City Symphony, the Virginia-based Windborne Music group takes the concept of a tribute band playing another group’s rock music to another level. Windborne has also toured with a program of Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and Rolling Stones music played with orchestras across the country.

This 16-song program features hits such as Bohemian Rhapsody, Under Pressure, and We Are the Champions along with lesser-known songs. Vocalist Brody Dolyniuk channels Freddie Mercury and Jason Seber leads the orchestra.

For short clips of what’s in store for this performance, check out windbornemusic.com.

The ensemble performs at Kauffman Center from May 20 through 22. For tickets, visit kauffmancenter.org.

As our world starts opening back up, so do our homes. It doesn’t get any better than welcoming friends back to your place, especially with a fabulous outdoor space just steps away from your own back door. Just call us and we’ll take care of everything, from design to installation to maintenance.

By Katy Schamberger

When you’re ready to renovate your home, deciding who to work with can be almost as daunting as finalizing your vision for the project.

For those who want to truly enjoy the process from start to finish (yes, really!), one Kansas City-based team stands out: Karin Ross Designs. Read on for a closer look at what makes Ross outstanding in a talented (and crowded) market.

sign services under her supervision significantly impacts the client experience for the better.

“I can oversee both types of work at the same time and ensure that the initial plans we create are built as intended,” she says.

Navigating unforeseen challenges is also easier with a full-service team: there’s less likelihood of unexpected delays caused by a search for an additional vendor or service provider.

These greater degrees of control and efficiency not only make for a smoother project, but also a more enjoyable one as clients watch their vision come to life.

1FULL-SERVICE, IN-HOUSE CONSTRUCTION AND DESIGN TEAM: Ross says the ability to offer both construction and de- 2IMPECCABLE ATTENTION TO DETAIL: It might seem like a prerequisite for an interior designer to understand the art of

details. Yet just like the show-stopping interiors she creates, Ross takes her focus on the smallest of project elements to new heights.

When you consider a kitchen, for example, there’s no shortage of decisions to make: colors, flooring, lighting, tile, countertops, faucets, and fixtures—the list goes on. That’s where Ross and her creativity shine. Give her a foundation that includes your inspiration, your budget, and your input at consultation meetings.

“From there, I’ve got the rest,” she says. “Your experience can be as bold as you want it. If you’d like a professional chef to come and prepare a meal in your new kitchen when we’re done, I can make that happen.”

3THE EMBODIMENT OF LUXURY: The pursuit of luxury may seem omnipresent these days, meant to set a new standard in everything from skincare to automobiles.

When infusing luxury into a home remodeling project, Ross looks beyond price tags and instead embraces not only what luxury is, but how it makes a client feel.

“Luxury is a complete vision, combining details with creativity to create an elegant result,” she says. “When I’ve finished a kitchen, I’ve changed the flow of the home and also changed how the client perceives their home. They feel like they’re in a luxurious place because it looks and functions as it didn’t before.”

Understanding luxury as a guiding concept, not merely a splashy attribute, helps Ross create interior spaces that evoke emotion. Luxury can certainly help guide the evolution of a visual aesthetic, but lasting satisfaction comes with a true connection to the end result.

“When you get the kitchen you’ve dreamed of, it’s a space that makes you happy—and that’s priceless,” Ross says.

Navigating unforeseen challenges is easier with a full-service in-house team like Karin Ross Designs. There's less likelihood of unexpected delays caused by a search for additional vendors or service providers.

4AN UNDERSTANDING THAT TIMING IS EVERYTHING: It’s likely no surprise that the home interior industry—like so many others—has experienced pricing, supply, and other upheavals in the last two years.

Yet Ross has some good news: leading industry resources are signaling that pricing-related turmoil is calming and prices are holding steady. And to Ross, that means the time is right to invest into your home.

“Let’s get your dream done,” she says. “You’ll increase the value of your home and also invest in the place where you spend the most time.” 5THE ART OF TREND-SETTING: Ross, a Belgian native, isn’t shy about crediting her Eastern European heritage for helping her cultivate a keen eye for interior trends, especially before they arrive in the U.S.

“I set the trends; I don’t follow them,” she says.

It’s a bold declaration, yes, but one that’s proven by Ross’s exceptional portfolio. And to solidify her place as a trendsetter, here’s an insider’s tip on what to look for in the coming months.

“As we look at the next season, there’s no color, no door style, no hardware that’s necessarily ‘it,’” she says. “Instead, the focus is on telling the story of your life and your home through design.”

And this is where the process gets really fun. Ross is motivated by the art of what’s possible: understanding a client’s space, but also seeing what they want that space to be.

“Bringing these visions to life is where interior design becomes an art form,” she says. “And I’m the person who can create your masterpiece.”

To explore Karin Ross Designs’ portfolio and services or to schedule a free consultation, visit KarinRossDesigns.com.

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Visit www.KarinRossDesigns.com to explore Ross’s design and remodeling portfolio and schedule a consultation.