By Paul Horsley

Kansas City was once a sleepy place culturally during the summer, with a few notable exceptions. As the regular season began to overflow with events, that situation changed: KC Symphony members started playing chamber music, enterprising KC Ballet dancers began mini-festivals, the Fringe Festival took off, and theater companies began to offer summer plays that were as good as anything from the regular season. So here’s our opinionated overview of this summer’s best classical, dance and theater.

June 17th through the 22nd: We Will Rock You (Starlight Theatre). After more than half a century, Starlight remains a KC treasure. Also: July 8th through the 13th: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and July 25th through the 31st: The Sound of Music. 816-363-7827 or kcstarlight.com.

June 17th through July 6th (except July 4th): A Winter’s Tale (Heart of America Shakespeare Festival), Southmoreland Park. A rarity in Shakespeare: a psychological drama with a comedic happy ending. 816-531-7728 or kcshakes.org.

June 19th through August 24th: Smokey Joe’s Café: The Songs of Leiber and Stoller. (New Theatre Restaurant). Dinner and a show, all at the same venue! 913-649-7469 or newtheatre.com.

June 20th and 21st: Kansas City Dance Festival (Spencer Theatre). This second annual festival features dancers and choreographers from KC Ballet, Estonian National Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, Nashville Ballet, and Cincinnati Ballet. Last year’s was sensational! 816-235-6222 or kcdancefestival.com.

June 20th through the 28th: Guys and Dolls (Theatre in the Park, Shawnee Mission Park). Also: July 4th through the 12th: Honk!, July 18th through the 26th: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and August 1st through the 9th: Ragtime. Goodhearted theater in a fun setting. theatreinthepark.org.

Through June 22nd: The King and I (Metropolitan Ensemble Theatre). One of KC’s most adventurous and intimate theater groups. This production features a large cast with Mykel Hill, Karen and Bob Paisley, Tony Beasley, and others. 816-569-3226 or metkc.org.

Through June 29th: By the Way, Meet Vera Stark (Unicorn Theatre). Pulitzer Prize-winner Lynn Nottage takes an irreverent look at Hollywood racial stereotypes. 816-531-7529 or unicorntheatre.org.

Through July 6th: “Rhapsody in Gershwin” (Quality Hill Playhouse). A KC treasure for more than 25 years, led by J. Kent Barnhart. Also: July 18th through August 17th: “Great Duets of Musical Theatre.” 816-421-1700 or qualityhillplayhouse.com.

July 12th and 13th: “A Time to Remember“ (Summerfest, White Recital Hall and Country Club Christian Church) Also: July 19th and 20th: “A Time to Love,” July 26th and 27th: “A Time to Dance” and August 2nd and 3rd: “A Time to Plant.” 816-235-6222 or summerfestkc.org.

July 17th through the 27th: 10th annual KC Fringe Festival (various venues). The schedule is still being worked out, check out the website after July 1st. kcfringe.org.

July 25th through August 2nd: Heartland Chamber Music Festival (JCCC). As usual, this intensive program for youngsters culminates in a Faculty and Guest Concert (July 27th) and a performance by the Miami String Quartet (July 30th, with music by Dvořák, Erwin Schulhoff and Smetana’s “From My Life”), both at Yardley Hall. 913-469-4445 or heartlandchambermusic.org.

August 7th through the 24th: South Pacific (Musical Theater Heritage), Off Center Theatre, Crown Center. 816-842-9999 or mthkc.com.

August 23rd: Mozart, Mendelssohn and Beethoven (Kansas City Chamber Orchestra), Helzberg Hall. The KCCO and Music Director Bruce Sorrell start their 28th season with the “Italian” Symphony and Beethoven’s “Eroica.” (See photo at top.) 816-960-1324 or kcchamberorchestra.org.

August 13th through the 31st: Paul Zindel’s Pulitzer Prize Winning The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds (Kansas City Actors Theatre, at the Living Room). One of KC’s treasures, Actors Theatre, opens its 10th season with three plays. Also: August 26th through September 28th: Shakespeare’s Hamlet (Union Station’s City Stage) and August 28th through September 28th: Tom Stoppard’s Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead (City Stage). 816-235-6222 or kcactors.org.

To reach Paul Horsley, performing arts editor; send an email to phorsley@sbcglobal.net or find him on Facebook (paul.horsley.501) or Twitter (@phorsleycritic).

Read the Independent in its print version, for all the KC society news that’s fit to print. To subscribe call 816-471-2800.

A slider with the ID of 2 was not found.