Original image of Kevin Miller and Lawrence Brownlee by There Stands the Glass.
One of the most rewarding things about residing in the Kansas City area is also one of the most discouraging elements about life in the center of the country. Disinterest in what’s dismissed by others as highbrow art allows a lowbrow hick like me incredible access to topflight performances of classical music.
I bought two front-row center tickets to Lawrence Brownlee’s appearance at the Lied Center on Tuesday, March 19, for $21 apiece on Cyber Monday last November. Brownlee has been my favorite operatic tenor since he and Eric Owens stunned me at the Folly Theater in 2019.
The 2,000-seat venue was at about ten percent capacity for the star who regularly appears on the world’s most prestigious stages. Brownlee and pianist Kevin Miller didn’t disappoint.
The recital featuring familiar Italian arias, art songs by Austrian composer Joseph Marx and contemporary works from Brownlee’s Grammy-nominated 2023 album Rising couldn’t have been more rewarding. Kudos to presenters who continue to program decidedly unpopular music in the hinterlands.
Much as some professional sports franchises opt for a “best player available” philosophy when drafting talent, I’ll keep allotting my resources to the best deals available regardless of style. Regrettably, I’m priced out of next week’s Bad Bunny concert.