FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024
Contact:
Ellen McDonald, Publicist
Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts
816.213.4355 | publicity@kauffmancenter.org
Karen Badgett, Director of Marketing & Community Engagement
Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts
816.994.7229 | kbadgett@kauffmancenter.org
Kauffman Center Presents
Adds Four New Shows to the 2024-2025 Season
Trace Adkins, The Hip Hop Nutcracker,
DRUMLine Live, and Pink Martini
TICKETS ON SALE for all performances Aug. 9, 2024
Kansas City, MO – Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts is pleased to announce
the latest additions to the Kauffman Center Presents 2024 – 2025 season line-up:
• Trace Adkins, Somewhere in America Tour
Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024, 7:30 p.m. in the Muriel Kauffman Theatre
• The Hip Hop Nutcracker
Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024, 7:30 p.m. in the Muriel Kauffman Theatre
• DRUMLine Live
Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025, 7:30 p.m. in the Muriel Kauffman Theatre
• Pink Martini featuring China Forbes, 30th Anniversary Tour
Monday, March 10, 2025, 7:30 p.m. in the Muriel Kauffman Theatre
Kauffman Center Presents promises to deliver extraordinary and diverse experiences
featuring internationally recognized artists and performers for Kansas City audiences.
High-resolution photos of upcoming Kauffman Center Presents performers can be
found here.
President and CEO Paul Schofer looks forward to these distinctive season additions.
“We have welcomed Pink Martini twice previously at the Kauffman Center and each
time, our audiences enjoy their unique blend of jazz, pop and latin music. It’s always
such fun to hear them perform. The Hip Hop Nutcracker and DRUMLive will be new
to our venue, and both promise to bring so much excitement and pure joy while
Trace Adkins will bring some country fun. I am thrilled to welcome them all!”
Trace Adkins, Somewhere in America
Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024, 7:30 p.m.
Muriel Kauffman Theatre
Single Ticket On-Sale Date: Aug. 9, 2024, at 10 a.m.
In his 25-year career in country music, Trace Adkins has sold more than 11 MILLION
albums, charted over 20 singles and earned numerous awards and GRAMMY nominations.
A Grand Ole Opry member for nearly two decades, the Louisiana native is known for
dynamic baritone and fiery, always-memorable live performances. He broke out in 1996 with
the debut album, Dream’ Out Loud, cracking the Top 5 of Billboard’s Hot Country Songs
chart with “Every Light in the House Is On” and following with the #1 smash, “This Ain’t (No
Thinkin’ Thing).” Since then, Adkins has pioneered a mix of classic Country minded
traditionalism and adventurous, good-natured showmanship, breaking open new avenues in
modern country through fun-filled hits like “Honky Tonk Badonkadonk” and “Hillbilly Bone.”
For more information, visit TraceAdkins.com.
The Hip Hop Nutcracker
Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024, 7:30 p.m.
Muriel Kauffman Theatre
Single Ticket On-Sale Date: Aug. 9, 2024, at 10 a.m.
A holiday mash-up for the whole family, The Hip Hop Nutcracker returns for another
spectacular tour. Directed and choreographed by Tony and Olivier Award-nominated
Jennifer Weber, this contemporary dance spectacle is a re-mixed and re-imagined version of
the classic; smashing hip-hop dance and Tchaikovsky’s timeless music together into a
heart-stirring and inspirational holiday event.
Just like the original, in The Hip Hop Nutcracker, Maria-Clara and the Nutcracker Prince go
on a dream adventure battling a gang of mice, visiting the land of sweets and learning the
lessons of the holiday season. Innovative digital graffiti and visuals transform the landscape
of E.T.A. Hoffmann’s beloved story from traditional 19th Century Germany to the vibrant,
diverse sights and sounds of contemporary New York City.
For more information, visit hiphopnutcracker.com.
DRUMLine Live
Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025, 7:30 p.m.
Muriel Kauffman Theatre
Single Ticket On-Sale Date: Aug. 9, 2024, at 10 a.m.
DRUMLine Live is an international tour based on the Historically Black College and
University (HBCU) marching band tradition. With riveting rhythms, bold beats and eargrabbing energy, this stage show is a synchronized musical showcase of the HBCU
experience. Incorporating original compositions and soul-infused interpretations of top 40
hits, group performances range from colorful, choreographed routines to heavy doses of
drum riffs and cadences.
For more information, visit DRUMLinelive.com.
Pink Martini featuring China Forbes, 30th Anniversary Tour
Monday, March 10, 2025, 7:30 p.m.
Muriel Kauffman Theatre
Single Ticket On-Sale Date: Aug. 9, 2024, at 10 a.m.
A multi-genre, multi-lingual and absolutely beloved “little orchestra,” led by Thomas
Lauderdale and featuring China Forbes as the lead singer and collaborator, Pink Martini is
celebrating its 30th anniversary. Called a “rollicking around-the-world musical adventure”
by founder and pianist Thomas Lauderdale, Pink Martini performs an irresistible,
postmodern amalgam anchored by 20th-century pop and jazz, surprising and delighting
audiences with every new tour and recording.
Featuring a dozen musicians with songs in 25 languages, Pink Martini performs its
multilingual repertoire on concert stages on six continents. After making its European debut
at the Cannes Film Festival in 1997 and its orchestral debut with the Oregon Symphony in
1998, the band has gone on to play with more than 50 orchestras around the world,
including multiple engagements with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl,
the Boston Pops, the National Symphony at the Kennedy Center, the San Francisco
Symphony, The Cleveland Orchestra and the BBC Concert Orchestra at Royal Albert Hall
in London. In 2014, Pink Martini was inducted into both the Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame
and the Oregon Music Hall of Fame. Pink Martini has released 11 studio albums on its own
independent label Heinz Records (named after Lauderdale’s dog), selling over three million
albums worldwide.
For more information, visit pinkmartini.com.
TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets go on sale to the public August 9, 2024, at 10 a.m. Tickets will be available through
the Kauffman Center Ticket Office at 816.994.7222 or online at tickets.kauffmancenter.org.
PARKING & DOWNTOWN MAPS
Find information and maps for Kauffman Center parking and street closure updates at
kauffmancenter.org/parking. The Arts District Garage is the primary parking garage for
patrons. The garage is directly attached to the Kauffman Center just south of the
building with multiple access points to surrounding streets. Purchasing event parking in
advance is highly recommended as it often will sell out. The garage is $13 per car in
advance or $16 upon arrival or valet is $22 in advance or $24 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 ticket office at
816.994.7222 or contact@kauffmancenter.org.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Receive updates by following Kauffman Center’s 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, Premier Partner Saint Luke’s Health System and Building
Sponsor Aristocrat Motors and Mercedes-Benz of Kansas City.
ABOUT THE KAUFFMAN CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
Opening in 2011, the Kauffman Center serves as a cultural cornerstone for extraordinary
and diverse music, opera, theater and dance performances for Kansas City and the region.
Designed by internationally recognized architect Moshe Safdie, the Kauffman Center has
been honored as one of the World’s 15 Most Beautiful Concert Halls, which attracts some of
the world’s most renowned performers and entertainers. The 285,000-square-foot Center
includes two performance halls: the 1,800-seat Muriel Kauffman Theatre that hosts dance
performances, operas, plays and musicals and the 1,600-seat Helzberg Hall, a venue for a
wide range of musical performances, from chamber music to full orchestral concerts, jazz
and pop, lectures and recitals.
The Kauffman Center is the performance home for three of the region’s leading performing
arts organizations – Kansas City Ballet, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Kansas City
Symphony. In addition, the Kauffman Center Presents series brings in performing artists at
the top of their classes as well as Trailblazing Talks, a live speaker series. Since opening,
the Kauffman Center has offered over 3,100 performances and welcomed more than 4.5
million visitors.
By engaging the community and creating access to arts experiences, more than 415,000
students attended over 366 matinees offered by the Kauffman Center, its resident
companies and other arts organizations. More information about the Kauffman Center for
the Performing Arts can be found at kauffmancenter.org.
KAUFFMAN CENTER PRESENTS SCHEDULE*
The Kauffman Center Presents series features extraordinary and diverse artists from a
variety of musical genres and performance styles. Upcoming events include:
2024-2025 Kauffman Center Presents
• Saturday, Aug.17 and Sunday, Aug. 18, 12:30 & 3:30 p.m. – Bluey’s Big Play
– The Stage Show
• Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, 7:30 p.m. – The Righteous Brothers
• Wednesday, Oct. 2, 7:30 p.m. – Celtic Thunder
• Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, 7:30 p.m. – Keb’ Mo’ & Shawn Colvin with Special Guest
Paul Kelly
• Tuesday, Oct. 8, 7 p.m. – Cameron Carpenter
• Tuesday, Oct. 22, 7:30 p.m. – Andy Grammer, Greater Than: A One Man Show
• Friday, Oct. 25, 7:30 p.m. – Walking with Ghosts: Real Life Hauntings with Amy Bruni
• Saturday, Oct. 26, 7:30 p.m. – Trace Adkins, Somewhere in America Tour
• Thursday, Nov. 7, 7 p.m. – Vitamin String Quartet I VSQ, The Music of Taylor Swift,
Bridgerton and Beyond
• Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024, 7:30 p.m. – The Hip Hop Nutcracker
• Thursday, Nov. 21, 7:30 p.m. – Josh Gates Live! An Evening of Legends, Mysteries
and Tales of Adventures
• Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025, 7:30 p.m. – DRUMLine Live
• Monday, March 10, 2025, 7:30 p.m. – Pink Martini featuring China Forbes, 30th
Anniversary Tour
*Kauffman Center Presents events announced to date. Additional performances will be
announced throughout the year.
The Kauffman Center offers more than 350 performances annually. The complete
calendar of events is available at tickets.kauffmancenter.org.
