Community Conversations use opera to discover our shared humanity, on and off the stage. We invite the culturally curious to explore the “here and now” implications of productions in a series of free events featuring live music and stimulating conversation. No prior opera knowledge necessary!
Upcoming Events
Porgy and Bess in Context
Kansas City Public Library, Plaza Branch
Truman Forum Auditorium
4801 Main Street, Kansas City, MO 64112
- Tuesday, February 17, 2026, 6:00–7:00 pm
- Come early for a reception at 5:30 pm
- Registration Cost: FREE
For more than ninety years, The Gershwins®’ Porgy and Bess and its songs, such as “Summertime,” have resonated deeply with audiences. This celebrated American opera tells the fictional story of a Black community in Charleston, South Carolina, in the early 1920s. The beloved opera has also raised questions about who creates art, how people are represented, and what impact it leaves behind.
Before you see Porgy and Bess at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, join Lyric Opera of Kansas City to discuss these topics and enjoy a live performance.
Panelists include the production’s conductor Michael Ellis Ingram, chief conductor of the Staatsoperette Dresden, and Dr. Howard Pollack, professor of music at the University of Houston and author of an award-winning biography of George Gershwin. Dr. Paul Laird, professor emeritus of musicology at The University of Kansas and a noted musical theater scholar will moderate and join the conversation.
Presented by Lyric Opera of Kansas City and the Kansas City Public Library.
Michael Ellis Ingram is Chief Conductor of the Staatsoperette Dresden, a theater that presents opera, operetta, ballet, musical theater, and orchestral concerts. He has served as Kapellmeister of two of Germany’s oldest orchestras: the Loh-Orchester Sondershausen (est. 1600) and the Mecklenburgische Staatskapelle Schwerin (est. 1563). Michael has collaborated with composers Peter Ruzicka, Dominik Argento, and Rhiannon Giddens, and he has brought contemporary classical music to new audiences at a variety of nontraditional venues: a cathedral, a vaudeville theater, a foundry, a yacht club, a salt mine, and a zoo. As a music educator, Michael has taught at the conservatories of Leipzig, Dresden, and Hamburg, as well as at The Salzburg Institute of Religion, Culture and the Arts.
As a composer and orchestrator, Michael celebrated simultaneous world premieres on two continents with Seattle Opera’s production of Jubilee and Theater Bremen’s production of his musical The 35th of May in October 2024. He also wrote the book, music, and lyrics and debuted as Stage Director of the musical Erwin and Elmire, which opened in June 2024 at the Mecklenburgisches Staatstheater Schwerin.
Michael’s interests extend far beyond the realm of music. He has published poetry and prose, lectured on literature, race, film, and theology, and moderated for NPR member station KBIA. In his free time, he can be found folding origami in a windowsill or standing in quiet contemplation of a bronze sculpture.
Other recent highlights include Omar (Boston Lyric Opera, 2023), Blue (New Orleans Opera, 2023), Aida (Barclays Arena Hamburg, 2024), La bohème, Show Boat (Staatsoperette Dresden, 2024), She Who Dared (world premiere, Chicago Opera Theater, 2025), and Sunday in the Park with George (The Glimmerglass Festival, 2025).
Howard Pollack is John J. and Rebecca Moores Professor of Music at the University of Houston, where he has taught since 1987. Born in Brooklyn in 1952, he holds degrees from the University of Michigan and Cornell University, where he received a doctorate in musicology in 1981. His eight books include award-winning biographies of composers Aaron Copland, George Gershwin, Marc Blitzstein, and Samuel Barber, and lyricist-librettist John Latouche. He is currently researching the life and music of the Swiss-American composer Ernest Bloch.
Paul Laird is Professor Emeritus of Musicology at the University of Kansas. He is a noted scholar on American musical theater, especially the life and works of Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Schwartz, and co-edited three editions of The Cambridge Companion to the Musical with William A. Everett. Laird’s current project is a book on mezzo-soprano Joyce Castle for the University Press of Kansas. Laird frequently speaks before performances for the Midwest Trust Series at JCCC and the KC Friends of Chamber Music and has done numerous Pre-Opera Talks for Lyric Opera of Kansas City.
Previous Events
Eyes Full of Magic
The Museum of Kansas City
3218 Gladstone Blvd, Kansas City, MO 64123
- Saturday, November 1, 2025, 10:30 am–12:30 pm
- Registration Cost: FREE
This event is sold out.
Join Lyric Opera of Kansas City and The Museum of Kansas City for an immersive gathering exploring Japanese American relations, past, present, and future. Deepen your connection to the upcoming production of Madame Butterfly by meeting Miss Shizuoka—a cherished friendship doll gifted from Japan to Kansas City—and viewing an original costume from Boston Opera’s 1910 production of the opera, starring Kansas City soprano Alice Nielsen. Enjoy a rich morning that includes a panel discussion, Japanese cultural performance, food, and beverage.
Bites provided by KC Craft Ramen.
Akiko Takeyama is Professor of Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and Director of the Center for East Asian Studies at the University of Kansas. She is the author of Staged Seduction: Selling Dreams in a Tokyo Host Club (Stanford University Press, 2016), which was shortlisted for the 2017 Michelle Rosaldo Book Prize by the Association of Feminist Anthropology. Her new book, Involuntary Consent: The Illusion of Choice in Japan's Adult Video Industry (Stanford University Press, 2023) received an Honorable Mention for the John Whitney Hall Book Prize by the Association for Asian Studies. The prize recognizes outstanding scholarly work in Japanese studies.
She currently works on consent issues in sexual violence.
Lisa Shockley has over thirty years of experience in the museum field, primarily in curation and collections management. Her specialties are clothing and textiles, and late nineteenth to twentieth century history. Having worked for two different museums with Friendship Dolls in their collection and as a curator for a doll museum, she has a special interest in Friendship Dolls.
In addition to history, Lisa also has a degree in theater and a minor in vocal performance. She loves working with the costumes and the history of Alice Nielsen, Broadway's first recognized star, who left musical theater to become a well-respected opera singer and producer.
Kris Imants Ercums is Curator of Global Contemporary and Asian Art at the Spencer Museum of Art, where he has curated over thirty exhibitions and twelve artist residencies since 2007. He earned his PhD in Chinese art history from the University of Chicago in 2014. His curatorial work explores transnational perspectives and queer artistic practices, including a project begun during a 2018 research residency at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Seoul. He is currently co-curating Street Nihonga: The Art of Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani with Maki Kaneko, opening at the Spencer Museum in February 2026.
Community Conversation: Everything Changes
- Friday, September 12, 2025, 6:00–8:00 pm
- Michael and Ginger Frost Production Arts Building, 712 E 18th Street, Kansas City, MO 64108
What makes a Cinderella story? Join folk and fairy tale expert Naphtali Faris to explore how Cinderella stories have evolved over time, deepening your connection to Lyric Opera's upcoming production of Rossini's Cinderella. This event will explore the tale's enduring appeal across cultures and generations through live storytelling experiences. See the premiere of Fire Tale Productions’ Yeh-Shen—a captivating shadow puppet retelling of the ancient Chinese “Cinderella”—and make your very own shadow puppet to take home.
Community Conversation: Love and Division
- Wednesday, February 21, 2024, 7:00–9:00 pm
- Greenwood Social Hall, 1750 Belleview Avenue, Kansas City, MO 64108
Join Lyric Opera of Kansas City and Greenwood Social Hall for an unforgettable evening in which we transcend time and space to explore the enduring mysteries of love and division. From ancient literature and civilizations to the star-crossed tale of Romeo and Juliet to artistry in Kansas City today, these themes persist and resonate deeply within us all. This free interactive evening will feature live music, wine, and the opportunity to contribute your written and expressive voice in a poetry workshop.
Community Conversation: The Voice of Your Heart
- Thursday, February 20, 2025, 6:00–7:30 pm
- The Museum of Kansas City, 3218 Gladstone Boulevard, Kansas City, MO 64123
Curated by oral historian and Chicana scholar Christina Loya, this event will delve into the rich tapestry of Mexican American identity and the multifaceted story of immigration in Kansas City. This interactive evening—with food, drink, and live music—will span the historic roots of Mexican American communities in our region, including an in-depth look at the Bracero Program and its significant impact on Mexican labor migration. We will also examine the evolving presence and influence of these communities in the present day and envision the future of our shared culture.
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