Quality Hill Playhouse, located in downtown Kansas City’s Arts District, produces six musicals and cabaret revues each year. A cabaret revue is a performance with emphasis on the music, usually built around a theme. Each performance features three or four professional singers accompanied by piano; one or two shows each season feature the singers accompanied by a piano, bass and drums combo.rrJ. Kent Barnhart serves as pianist and emcee for the cabaret revues, offering interesting tidbits about the music as well as his unique, humorous anecdotes. Mr. Barnhart, who is also Executive Director, produces and arranges the original cabaret revues. His extensive experience in musical theater and knowledge of American popular song provides the basis for selecting great music and talented performers. The Kansas City Star described Mr. Barnhart as “a debonair standup” who “burns up the piano keys” and “delivers a winning cabaret formula.”rrKansas City is home to a wealth of extremely talented performers, and Quality Hill Playhouse is committed to hiring the finest local singers. The playhouse’s original productions provide these individuals with a venue to perform material that is selected just for them. By highlighting the strengths of each individual performer, each production showcases the best of what Kansas City has to offer. According to Russ Simmons of the Johnson County Sun, “If anyone is wondering whether Kansas City has vocal talent, they need look no further than Quality Hill.”rrNot only is the talent first-class, so is the venue. With only seven rows and 153 seats, Quality Hill Playhouse is Kansas City’s most intimate theatre and provides excellent viewing and hearing from all seats. You’re never closer to the music.rrProfessional singers and the relaxed yet elegant atmosphere make for entertainment you won’t find anywhere else. Discover why The Kansas City Star said it is “pure entertainment” that is “like being invited into someone else’s home.”rrrrr
