Up To Date

Listening To Opera For 200 Days Taught This Kansas Citian To Love It

By Steve Kraske,

Published October 6, 2020 at 2:37 PM CDT

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"Einstein on the Beach" was the 189th opera that music contributor Bill Brownlee binged recently. He writes that the 1976 work by composer Philip Glass transmuted him "into a state of enlightened acquiescence."

"It's just like the Ramones with violins."

Kansas City music reviewer Bill Brownlee usually listens to jazz, blues and rock 'n' roll. But he's taking advantage of the pandemic to listen to an opera a day. We caught up with him on day 200 to find out what spurred him to take on the genre.

Bill Brownlee, KCUR music contributor and blogger

You can hear Royal Opera House on Saturdays at 12 p.m. on Classical KC 91.9.

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Up To Date Talk Show opera classical music Kansas City Missouri (KCMO)Local music

Steve Kraske

When I host Up To Date each morning at 9, my aim is to engage the community in conversations about the Kansas City area’s challenges, hopes and opportunities. I try to ask the questions that listeners want answered about the day’s most pressing issues and provide a place for residents to engage directly with newsmakers. Reach me at steve@kcur.org or on Twitter @stevekraske.

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Danie Alexander

As senior producer of Up To Date, I want our listeners to hear familiar and new voices that shine light on the issues and challenges facing the myriad communities KCUR serves, and to expose our audiences to the wonderful and the creative in the Kansas City area. Just as important to me is an obligation to mentor the next generation of producers to ensure that the important conversations continue. Reach me at alexanderdk@kcur.org.

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Mackenzie Martin

Whether it’s something happening right now or something that happened 100 years ago, some stories don’t fit in the short few minutes of a newscast. As a podcast producer and reporter at KCUR Studios, I help investigate questions and local curiosities in a way that brings listeners along for adventures with plot twists and thought-provoking ideas. Sometimes there isn’t an easy answer in the end – but my hope is that we all leave with a greater understanding of the city we live in. Reach me at mackenzie@kcur.org.

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