“Hello (again) Gorgeous!”

Featuring one of the most iconic scores of all time by Jule Styne and Bob Merrill and a revised book from Harvey Fierstein based on the original classic by Isobel Lennart, the anticipated revival of the Broadway classic, Funny Girl has made a tour stop in downtown Kansas City. It's playing now through Sunday at The Music Hall, and we were fortunate enough to catch opening night.

First staged in 1964, it’s rightfully best-known as the star launching pad for a young Barbra Streisand, who made her film debut in the William Wyler directed 1968 version, after her successful run in the original Broadway cast, and then taking it to London’s West End.

This bittersweet comedy is the story of plucky Fanny Brice, a girl from the Lower East Side who dreamed of a life on the stage, eventually becoming one of the stage’s beloved performers, and her stormy relationship with entrepreneur and gambler Nicky Arnstein.

This revival originated on Broadway in 2022 starring Beanie Feldstein and later Lea Michelle and is out on its first nationwide tour starring Hannah Shankman as Fanny Brice, Stephen Mark Lukas as Nicky, Grammy Award-winner Melissa Manchester as Fanny’s mother, and Izaiah Montaque Harris as friend Eddie.

Harris is stunning in an Act I tap dance, with tap choreography by Ayodele Casel, and there’s another fun tap routine in Act II along with several cast dance numbers, courtesy of choreography by Ellenore Scott, with direction from Michael Mayer.

Shankman was unfortunately called away on short notice on opening night, so the role fell effortlessly to NYC-based Leah Platt, who typically plays Emma, and also understudies and takes on the lead role on most Thursday performances. Platt’s voice proved her range by the first few numbers, and seemed to grow stronger and slightly more confident as the show continued.

The songs themselves should have at least a few familiar to most, with several becoming modern stage standards - “People,” “I’m the Greatest Star,” “Sadie, Sadie Married Lady,” “You are Woman,” and “Don’t Rain on My Parade” are among the just over two-dozen selections.

At 71 years young, Bronx native Manchester (who really leans into that NYC accent) showed she still has plenty of lung power left on “Who Taught Her Everything?” sung by her Mrs. Brice and the Eddie Ryan character.

Kansas City’s own Walter Coppage as Flo Zeigfield (of Follies fame) is another welcome addition to the cast, featuring a booming speaking voice that is part Giancarlo Esposito, part James Earl Jones. The other 20 or so members of the company get involved in several of the full cast song and dance routines that embody that of timeless and classic Broadway performances.

Costumes by Susan Hilferty are often lush, especially as Brice’s star rises and pay homage not only to the now 1924-set year the musical inhabits but also are a slight nod to the designs from the late 60’s film, that many will recognize. Lighting by Kevin Adams stays effective throughout without trying to be obtrusive or extreme, and thanks to the many backdrops, scenes moved quickly and without a hitch.

The weakest part may be in the narrative itself and trying to get every little part of the story in during the run time. Brice is a struggling up-and-comer as the musical begins, but within some 20min, she becomes a lead performer and is in deep as a couple with entrepreneur Nicky, quickly getting rich and famous. The Follies numbers could be bigger in scale as well but is likely limited by the size of the company.

All said, those are minor quibbles for a classic musical that’s taken sixty years to have a revival. Funny Girl has been away too long; but now’s your chance, to again say “Hello Gorgeous!” to this timeless production.

Funny Girl plays in Kansas City at The Music Hall through Sunday, December 8 with Tickets available here: Funny Girl (Touring) Tickets | Event Dates & Schedule | Ticketmaster

(National Tour Photos by Matthew Murphy and provided by their website) / Click on any image to enlarge and see in full)

Coffee shop set to open third location by the beginning of the year

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City, Missouri, announced Thursday it made its initial disbursement of Back to Business Fund grants this week.

About 120 small businesses applied for grants since the fund was approved by the city council in September, according to the city.

This week, 30 businesses were awarded their grants. Businesses will use the grants to make repairs to damaged property and install security measures.

Mildred's Coffee shop was among the first recipients.

"I think the city put their money where their mouth is, and that means a lot," said Evan Ashby, co-owner of Mildred's.

To be eligible, businesses had to experience a break-in starting July 1. The fund was established after a summer full of break-ins across the city, which seemingly targeted small, local businesses.

"The Back to Business Fund shows our commitment to supporting local entrepreneurs during challenging times, while investing in the long-term resilience of our small business community,” Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas said Thursday in a press release.

Ashby's two locations — in the Crossroads and downtown — were broken into six days apart in September. He said suspects stole $1,200 from a safe and left thousands of dollars behind in damages.

Ashby — who co-owns the coffee shop with his brother — says they received their first of three grants this past week. They're expecting to receive two more grants by next week. In all, the city will reimburse them with about $3,000, according to Ashby.

While the grants will help, Ashby says he won't be fully compensated.

“The problem for us was, because we have two stores — both of which had security upgrades and repairs to be done — I had four applications," Ashby said. "The city would only allow up to three applications regardless of how many locations you have.”

Even still, Ashby says the fund sends a good message to the local business community.

"Felt great, it was a little bit of closure to the matter," he said.

Ashby says the suspects are still at-large, which hinders him from feeling completely at ease.

"Once they're caught, that'll be great news for the small business community," he said.

NEW CHAPTER FOR MILDRED'S

Despite the break-ins, Ashby says his coffee shop has a bright future.

"It really never slowed down our vision for the future with Mildred's," he said.

The shop is expanding with a new location in a different part of the city — just south of the County Club Plaza.

"Really, really excited, especially with this neighborhood," Ashby said.

Ashby was at the new shop — located at 5060 Main Street — on Thursday. Construction is still underway, but it's expected to open by the beginning of the year.

While Ashby recognizes break-ins happen all over the city, he's excited about the new location.

"We're still very much in the city, it's just we're in a more neighborhood type of place with a lot more residential density," he said.

Ashby, a University of Missouri - Kansas City graduate, is looking forward to serving coffee to nearby students.

"If I had easy access to a breakfast sandwich within walking distance to the dorms, that would've been a lot of fun," he said.

Another perk for Ashby — the Kansas City Streetcar will run nearby once completed.

"We're really, really excited about that," he said.

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City, Missouri, City Council will discuss a resolution on Thursday to once again make animal services within city limits be handled by the city.

Right now, they're operated by the Kansas City Pet Project.

Controversy over the city outsourcing animal services is something KSHB 41 covered over the years, and more recently, a push for change has come from the family of a man who was mauled to death by a pack of dogs last month in south KCMO.

Chris Culbertson died from injuries sustained in the attack on Nov. 2 in the 3200 block of east 80th Street.

"That’s a good first step; that's what we want," said Angela Culbertson, Chris Culbertson's sister.

For Angela Culbertson, it's not just about getting accountability in the death of her brother, but from other dog owners too.

"It was not handled the way it should be handled this time whatsoever. I don't wish it to happen to anyone, but if it does, there needs to be some sort of system set that holds these people accountable for their actions," she said. "It needs to go in the hands of someone who's going to enforce the laws."

KCMO councilwoman Melissa Patterson Hazley is backing the change. She says it was prompted by recent constituent feedback over the course of many months.

"They want some confidence; they want to know if they report something, it gets taken seriously," Patterson Hazley said.

Patterson Hazley said residents have requested the animal services return to being handled by the city.

"I've heard from the community that they want animal services to come back to city hall, encouraging an aspect at the level of confidence that the community has in the city that it has to manage its animal services," she said.

She thinks there could be more education for Kansas Citians on pet laws, including leash laws, behavior issues, how to report a problem, what citizens have to do to follow through, and clarity of what animal services responsibility is.

"Because we're at a crossroads; it is an opportunity for us to figure out what were the pitfalls and why was it so difficult to really manage," Patterson Hazley said. "The staff here is really eager to solve the problem and is always involved when we get these pretty significant complaints."

Holly Lane, who was trying to help Chris Culbertson, was also injured in the attack.

Lane now says she doesn’t have faith in how animal services is operated, especially because dogs on the property in question have recently escaped twice.

"Somebody had to chase after it with a shovel to get it back in its yard," Lane said.

If the council accepts the resolution Thursday, then a budget plan of how much money is needed to gear up with staff and equipment.

Currently, KC Pet Project receives $2.3 million of the city's budget.

"I don’t know what the plan would be of how much it costs, but I do know the cost is not necessarily the biggest issue right now — the biggest issue is that we need a better approach to animal services," Patterson Hazley said.

KSHB 41 received the following statement from KCPP:

KC Pet Project has proudly provided animal control services to the residents of Kansas City since 2020, serving nearly half a million community members annually. With a dedicated team of 25 employees, including professionally trained field officers and dispatch staff, we manage over 15,000 calls for service each year – an increase from when the city ran this division - ensuring the safety and well-being of both people and animals. Our division is recognized as one of the most respected animal control programs in the nation, a testament to our commitment to progressive and compassionate animal services.Today, we were informed that some city officials wish the City would perform animal control services versus KC Pet Project continuing to perform this function. This announcement comes as a surprise and poses significant concerns for the continuity of services. Transitioning such a critical operation will create massive disruptions to the quality of care and responsiveness that Kansas City residents have come to rely on. Moreover, this shift will result in a considerable financial burden on taxpayers, introducing unnecessary costs for the city to rebuild infrastructure, hire and retrain staff, and establish systems that are already effectively in place through KC Pet Project.KC Pet Project has proven its ability to deliver efficient and effective animal control services since 2020, and we remain committed to serving the residents of Kansas City with the highest standards of care. We currently have a contract for services in effect until April 30, 2025, with an option for a one-year extension beyond that, and we hope to continue to be the City’s vendor for these services in the future. We believe our professionally trained Animal Services Division is in the best position to continue providing the most effective and efficient services for residents and animals in Kansas City

KC Pet Project

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Copyright 2024 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Royals announced Tuesday that fans will be able to watch games next season on the FanDuel Sports Network.

“Our top priority has been and always will be reaching as many fans as possible,” Royals Chairman and CEO John Sherman said in a release Tuesday. “We want to be available to anyone who wants to watch our exciting team as the ownership group continues to invest in the progress we’re making on the field.”

Earlier this fall, Diamond Sports Group announced a rebrand of the Bally Sports Network to FanDuel Sports Network.

The Royals are one of the last remaining teams to reach a new deal to have their games on FanDuel Sports. Several other teams either renegotiated their TV rights deal with DSG or sought other partnerships through Major League Baseball.

RELATED | Kansas City Royals announce home game times for 2025 season

The deal comes after months of negotiations, deal-making and bankruptcy court hearings involving Bally Sports’ parent company, Diamond Sports Group.

Tuesday's announcement clears the way for Royals games to be produced and distributed by FanDuel Sports Network in the same way as previous years.

Fans who streamed Royals games last season on the Bally Sports app will be able to do the same through the rebranded FanDuel Sports Network app.

As part of Tuesday's announcement, fans will also be able to stream Royals games through Amazon Prime Video as an add-on subscription. The agreement covers all non-nationally televised Royals games in 2025, starting with spring training.

“Our renewed partnership with the Royals highlights our shared commitment to connecting as many fans as possible to the team, however they choose to watch,” Diamond CEO David Preschlack said in Tuesday's announcement. “We are confident that our evolving partnerships with Amazon and FanDuel, and combined linear and digital platforms, will provide fans with exceptional value and an unparalleled viewing experience.”

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Kansas City Chiefs HC Andy Reid is still keeping his plans close to the vest for the starting left tackle position in Week 14 against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Humphries didn't play in Week 13 against the Raiders due to the quick turnaround time of playing on a Friday. This week, the team is similarly taking precautions with a player they envision as their starting left tackle for the remainder of the season.

Reid spoke to reporters after practice on Friday and was asked directly about the team's plans for D.J. Humphries. Will he be the team's starting offensive tackle in Week 14's "Sunday Night Football" game? Reid is still playing it all by ear based on how things go with today's practice and tomorrow's walkthrough.

"Yeah, I'm going to just evaluate," Reid said. "I'm gonna stick with what I told you before. That he took some reps, but let's just see how he ends up after today, and then we'll go from there. But we've kind of rotated guys in there [at left tackle], but he did take some reps, and he made it through yesterday good. So, we'll see how it went today."

Why are the Chiefs being so cautious with Humphries? They don't want to put him in a bad spot coming off an ACL injury. It's all about his comfort level with the playbook, scheme, and, of course, his knee.

What will happen if Chiefs LT D.J. Humphries isn't the starter in Week 14?

Reid spoke on Monday and again on Wednesday about what could happen if Humphries weren't ready to go. To summarize, Reid mentioned both Wanya Morris and Joe Thuney among the team's options. His comments from Friday suggest that both players have practiced playing left tackle some this week, along with Humphries. Morris, of course, was benched a week ago against the Las Vegas Raiders. Thuney played left tackle on the final offensive series in that game, with Mike Caliendo playing left guard in his place.