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Comedy in the kitchen

‘Church Basement Ladies’ cook up laughs at the Missouri Theater

The writers of “Church Basement Ladies” might have had a Jim Carrey “Number 23”-style obsession with the number 4. The musical comedy features four vignettes that each take place in one of the year’s four seasons. The play spans four years (1964-1967) and stars four loving but radically different ladies who slave over the stove of a Minnesota church basement kitchen to make four very special dinners.

A wayward path

Soulfly refuses to veer from its unique course

When most people turn 40, that’s usually the time they start pumping the breaks. Maybe stopping to reflect or even mellowing out a bit instead of falling back on their former wild ways.

We recommend for March 19, 2010

Entertainment calendars for March 19

This is: '50 States of Plates' by Doug Schroder

This is: “50 States of Plates” by Doug Schroder

Eats: Barbosa’s serves ambiance along with Mexican food

Barbosa’s downtown restaurant is definitely one of a kind. Sure, there are plenty of restaurants that serve Mexican food, but how many are housed in “a fabled castle of fantastic medievalism?”

Lessons from the road

American Theater Arts for Youth presents ‘Wizard of Oz’

Living in Philadelphia, Laurie Wagman’s main knowledge of Kansas stemmed from the L. Frank Baum classic “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.”

The Shuffle: Sizable concerns

When we watched the 2010 Academy Awards a few weeks ago, we got to see the young actress Gabourey Sidibe experience one of the most memorable moments of her young life. The 26-year-old was nominated for an Oscar for her powerful performance in the gut-wrenching and inspiring drama “Precious.”

The green goes on

With St. Patty’s Day approaching, these events should get you in the Irish spirit

America already has enough holidays it can call its own. Independence Day. Memorial Day. Columbus Day. Thanksgiving. The list goes on. But it seems like we’ve had no problem taking the Irish holiday known as St. Patrick’s Day and celebrating it like each and every person came straight from the Emerald Isle. And some people simply won’t settle for just one day of revelry.

Experience is essential

Jonny Lang pays tribute to Hendrix, delves further into Christian music

Joe Satriani, Eric Johnson, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Los Lobos, Aerosmith’s Brad Whitford, Doyle Bramhall II, Ernie Isley, Living Colour, Double Trouble’s Chris Layton and Jonny Lang — you might think this is a list of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominees, but it’s actually the group of musicians who have joined former Band of Gypsys and Jimi Hendrix Experience bassist Billy Cox to pay tribute to one of the greatest guitarists who ever lived. The Experience Hendrix Tour will come to the Uptown Theater in Kansas City at 8 p.m. March 16.

Review: 'Green Zone'

A fast-paced action flick gets bogged down by politics

Whether it’s Scorsese and De Niro or Tim Burton and Johnny Depp, there have been certain director/actor collaborations that seem to bring out the best in both participants. This seems to be the case for director Paul Greengrass and leading man Matt Damon based on their successful reinvigoration of the action thriller with “The Bourne Ultimatum” and “The Bourne Supremacy.”

Entertainment calendars for March 12, 2010

We recommend for March 12, 2010

An interactive investigation

Murder mystery dinner comes to Robidoux Landing Playhouse

Everyone loves a good whodunit. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be three “CSI” shows on TV, and Sherlock Holmes would be irrelevant in the pantheon of pop culture. With this in mind, Robidoux Resident Theatre service manager and education director Connie Willis decided to host a few murder mystery dinners at the Robidoux Landing Playhouse and the Museum Hill Bed and Breakfast. All of them were packed, and the response was so overwhelmingly positive that she decided to schedule a few more in 2010.

Eats: Wiedmaier’s does breakfast like it should be done

Growing up as a truck driver’s son, I was at truck stops a lot, especially Wiedmaier’s. One of the things I missed most now that I have grown up was there breakfast — most notably their biscuits and gravy.