Tag Archive for: Cullen’s Corner

Cullen’s Corner – Thank you for standing with us

/in

As we prepare to open our season with All is Bright, I want to share just how important this performance has become, “from the podium”. This season was planned through a hopeful lens of winning the battle against an ideology of greed, hate, ignorance, and intolerance with this year’s recent election. Suddenly things have changed. While it has always been a mission to share messages of love, acceptance, and unity, this season brings an even deeper significance. We’re stepping onto the stage with a renewed sense of purpose in a time when our voices are needed more than ever.

The reality we face today is challenging. Many of our trans members — and the trans children of our community — are under attack. The rights of women who support our chorus and our sibling choruses are being questioned and restricted. And with initiatives like Project 2025 promising to roll back protections and even marriage rights for LGBTQ individuals, we’re faced with an uphill road ahead. But our commitment to sharing messages of love and acceptance will not waver. Instead, it grows stronger.

All is Bright is our chance to bring people together in the face of this division. For everyone who has ever felt unseen, we are here to say, “You are valued, you are loved, and you are not alone.” We believe in a Kansas City — and a world — where everyone deserves to live authentically, to feel safe, and to be celebrated. Each note, each lyric, and each performance is a way for us to shine that light of hope, resilience, and courage.

Our season is no longer just about the music; it’s about rallying as a community and showing that we will not be silenced or discouraged. To our loyal season ticket holders, new audience members, corporate sponsors, and cherished community partners: thank you for standing with us. You make it possible for us to keep singing and advocating, to keep providing a safe space for those who need it, and to keep inspiring hope in a divided world.

We are proud to be a part of this community, and we invite each of you to join us as we share All is Bright — a beacon of resilience, unity, and love. Together, let’s bring light to a world that needs it now more than ever.

With unwavering hope and gratitude,
Shawn Cullen

Cullen’s Corner

/in

What a year last year was! From the largest ticketed holiday show in HMC history to the sold-out “After All- 60 Years of Cher” spring show to the epic Disney Pride in Concert- we took a big leap in musical excellence, theatrical presentation, and audience growth! One of the biggest challenges I face each and every season is answering the question that everyone asks- “So, how are you gonna top that?” Even though I have over 50 original career productions under my belt, the pressure to produce something that singers and audience members alike will love is sometimes completely overwhelming. 

Creatives often use a process at the beginning of their career rooted in imitating others. Through the learning process, programming moves naturally to assimilation and finally into the final stage of creative producing, innovation. No matter what, each time a producer or writer creates something for the stage, it takes a massive amount of vulnerability and trust grounded in experience and skill (still, always terrifying). 

This season we are taking a fresh, innovative approach to our holiday show by creating an original theatrical storyline with characters and a plot to guide our audiences on a holiday adventure. “A Very Merry Christmas Pageant” is an original musical production that follows all members of HMC as they represent various parts of Kansas and Missouri and compete for the title of “Mister Merry Christmas”. You’ll find out the backstory of a few contestants as they partake in several elements of competitive pageants, all while being judged by three guest judges from the KC arts community. This hilarious and heartwarming production will keep you giggling in your seat as you listen to 140 voices performing an eclectic mix of music to get you in the holiday spirit. You’ll hear everything from “My Grown Up Christmas List” and “Do You Hear What I Hear” to non-holiday pop songs through a holiday lens, like Laura Branigan’s 80’s hit- “Gloria”! Now we just need to figure out how to fit all these singers on the Folly and Yardley Stage! As usual, myself and our leadership team stay so very grateful for the community support of HMC, and we can’t wait to bring our music with a message to Kansas City once again this 38th Season!

Shawn Cullen