Friends of Englewood Theater-2025

10/10/2026

Great opportunity to talk about the Englewood Theater on KCUR Up To Date. KCUR is a wonderful community resource.
Please share with others who might have missed.

KC Opry Memories Englewood Arts

Englewood Theater in Independence, Missouri, sat vacant for nearly 20 years before a nonprofit purchased the building in 2025. The group is in the initial stages of a large-scale revitalization project, slated to start in early 2027, that they hope will make the theater operational once again.

10/07/2026

BIG NEWS. Garth Brooks will be performing in Kansas City Nov. 6-7. Brooks website, in announcing the KC concert dates, commented:

Garth Brooks says Kansas City “kind of gave me my life.”

He means it. His mother was born there. His first gig as an artist was at the Kansas City Opry. And as his career grew from cowboy events and fairs to sold-out arenas, Kansas City grew right along with him.

https://www.garthbrooks.com/news/garth-brooks-returns-to-kansas-city-a-city-that-kind-of-gave-me-my-life

KC Opry Memories

He means it. His mother was born there. His first gig as an artist was at the Kansas City Opry. And as his career grew from cowboy events and fairs to sold-out arenas, Kansas City grew right along with him.

10/07/2026

Mark for your calendars for the Feb. 6 (2027) Rotary Club of Independence Mardi Gras event benefitting the Englewood Theater. Tickets are available now.

Englewood Theater Friends Friends of Englewood Theater

Be part of the best fundraising event in Independence!Save the date: Feb. 6, 2027 | 5:30pm – 9:00pm The Rotary Club of Independence annually hosts a fun-filled Mardi Gras Gala. This event benefits a local nonprofit organization, carefully selected by Rotary. That organization not only receives a g...

09/16/2026

Did you know the Englewood Theater was used as a location for a 1998 shot on video zombie movie?

Friends of Englewood Theater and Englewood Arts will show "The Paranormal" written and staring Todd Norris. on Thrs., Oct. 29th 7 pm at the Englewood Arts Center. What a great way to get ready for Halloween.

Get your tickets now. Only $10. The director will there for the showing.

Join Englewood Arts AND the Friends of the Englewood Theater for a special screening of “The Paranormal” (1998) by Todd Norris 🎬 Long overlooked and scarcely…

09/16/2026

Friends of Englewood Theater will not be purchasing the adjacent Ben Franklin building. We were unable to obtain financing for the building purchase and decided to focus our efforts on renovation of the Englewood Theater.

09/16/2026

Friends of Englewood Theater has selected HarenCompanies as the general contractor for renovation of the historic Englewood Theater.
The employee-owned construction firm has extensive background working on buildings where historic tax credits are utilized.

Phase One of the theater renovations includes work on the building exterior, the lobby and the mezzanine level which will be developed as rentable space.

Phase One also includes restoring the iconic neon marquee. The Kansas City-based Element Ten has been selected to work on the historic marquee.

We are getting the work organized and working on financing. Watch our progress.

Haren Companies (913) 495-9558 Our Services Design-Build Construction Management Facility Services Industries We Serve Office & Retail Municipal Senior Living Non-Profit Spiritual Multi-Family Industrial Historic Our Projects

09/16/2026

The legendary Ricky Skaggs performed several times at the KC Opry and will be donating an auction item for the Feb. 8 Rotary Club of Independence Mardi Gras event benefitting the Englewood Theater.

Englewood Theater Friends, Englewood Arts District

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

09/15/2026

Grammy-award winner singer/songwriter Lee Greenwood was at the Independence Bass Pro shop selling Allied Flags Lee Greenwood Signature American Flag gift set this week.
Greenwood is best known for his song "God Bless the USA.”
Greenwood performed at the KC Opry at Englewood Theater in October 1983 and his signature is on the theater back wall.
Photo includes Joan Israelite and Karen Williams who operated KC Opry with her spouse Tuffy who has passed.

09/12/2026

Visit Englewood for a special Third Friday (Sept. 18th) which will include free tours of the Englewood Theater and Juli Sackman, a well-known harpist who will be performing in front of the theater.

Also Englewood Arts will have a grand opening of its new Pryor Wittmeyer Wood Studio which will teach wood working skills to the community.

Wonderful evening to be in Englewood.

Englewood Theater Friends

08/25/2026