Wednesday, April 14, 1999
The University Daily Kansan
Section B · Page 9
East/West
Crown Center offers 'city within a city'
By Sarah Smith Nessel Special to the Kansan
Crown Center attracts families and students alike. In addition to the special activities the center offers, Crown Center visitors have a wide variety of shops and restaurants from which to choose. Photo by Joy Shepard/KANSAN
It's hard to spend much time in Kansas City without hearing about Crown Center.
Crown Center is a shopping, dining and entertainment complex geared toward a variety of tastes.
"A lot of the activities we do are free, so it's nice for college students on a budget," said Kristi Ernsting, public relations specialist at Crown Center. "We try to offer something for everyone."
for you.
The complex is not just the Hallmark Cards headquarters, and it's not just a shopping mall. Both elements are part of Crown Center, but the complex billed as a "city within a city" doesn't stop with stores and offices.
In the mood for jazz? Live performances are scheduled from 1 to 4 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday, and they're free.
Seeking out the quirky side of Kansas City? Look no further than "Even More Things People Collect," an exhibit opening May 22 that showcases treasured collections of beer cans, snow domes, cartoon memorabilia and even toilets. One collector remembers My Little Pony, and others have soft spots for Animal Crackers boxes. Dukes of Hazzard memorabilia and those smiley faces that were popular during the 1970s. More than 100 collectors will be participating in the free event, which will be in The Showplace on the first floor of Crown Center Shops.
The activities available at Crown Center change with the seasons.
"When I went, we went ice skating," said Danner Evans, Wichita junior. "We had a good time. It's in such a good location in Kansas City."
Would-be skaters will have to wait until November to step onto the ice at Crown Center's outdoor rink. During the summer, the rink area can be used for concerts.
Erin Obee, Cottonwood Falls junior, said she wouldn't choose Crown Center for a serious shopping trip. But she said co-workers had recommended the Russian Dinosaur Exhibition, which has been extended through April 25. It includes 33 complete skeletons collected from sites across Asia. The exhibit is free.
Here's a look at Crown Center's permanent offerings and a few coming events:
- Crown Center Shops consists of 65 stores on three floors. It is anchored by Halls Crown Center, an upscale department store known for its china, crystal, silver and stationery collections as well as fashions from top designers.
The mall itself includes nationally known retailers such as Function Junction, Bath and Body Works, Waldenbooks, Casual Corner and Camelot Music. For cat lovers, Cat's Meow offers specialty gifts with a feline theme. Other theme stores include Car's the Star, an "auto art" gift gallery; Second Star to the Right, which sells Disney collectibles; and Best of Kansas City, which offers "collectibles and edibles" with a Kansas City twist.
With 20 restaurants and food vendors, Crown Center offers dining options from traditional food-court fare to the four-star American Restaurant.
Heartland Market in Crown Center Shops includes several food vendors as well as full
service restaurants. The offerings include Italian, Greek, Japanese, Chinese and Mexican fare as well as traditional American cuisine, baked goods and various candy and ice-cream treats.
American Heartland Theatre, a 400-seat playhouse on the third floor of Crown Center Shops, features live productions ranging from comedies and musicals to dramas and mysteries.
Playing through May 2 is "Steel Magnolias," a play about the lives of several women in a small Louisiana town. It was the basis for the 1989 film of the same name starring Julia Roberts, Dolly Parton, Sally Field and Shirley MacLaine.
"Murder Among Friends," a mystery about a wealthy Manhattan woman who plans the death of her husband, an aging actor, opens May 14 and runs through June 27.
For show times and ticket information, call (816) 842-9999.
The Coterie Theatre on the first floor of Crown Center Shops offers live productions for families with children and teen-agers.
The current production is "Free to Be ... You and Me," which will continue through May 16. The musical, which presents stories, poems and songs, is billed as a project "about dispelling myths that have imprisoned children's imaginations — like pretty equals good, and all mothers stay in the kitchen, and big boys don't cry."
The show is a 25th anniversary presentation of the project created by several entertainers and children's authors, including Marlo Thomas, Shel Silverstein, Mary Rodgers, Carl Reiner, Judy Blume and Judith Vorset. It is recommended for children 5 and older. Tickets cost $6. For more information, call (816) 474-6552.
The Hallmark Visitors Center houses $ ^{14} $
exhibits relating to Hallmark Cards Inc. One of those exhibits is a timeline showing how Hallmark products have reflected various trends in 20th-century America. Placed against a backdrop of newspapers and magazine covers are humorous cards from the Depression era, World War II greetings for servicemen and women, a flower-covered, paper dress from the 1960s, hologram from the 1980s and recordable greeting cards and ornaments from the 1990s. Also on display are paintings by artists such as Norman Rockwell, Grandma Moses and Saul Steinberg. All have appeared on Hallmark cards.
Other displays show how Hallmark products are made. The center is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturdays. The exhibits are free.
Kaleidoscope, Hallmark's art workshop, is open to children 5 to 12 and adults who accompany them. During the 55-minute sessions, children create art using colored paper, wax, glitter, yarn and other materials. Hours vary; call (816) 274-8300. The workshop is free.
- The Trinity Hospital Hill Run begins at 7 a.m. June 6 at Crown Center. The event, which has been recognized by *Runner's World* magazine, includes a half-marathon, a 12-kilometer race and a 5-kilometer race. A pre-race party is scheduled for the night before the races. For registration information, call (816) 274-3635 or go to Crown Center's Web site, www.crowncenter.com.
The Kansas City International Jazz Festival is scheduled for June 25-27 in Crown Center Square. Local and nationally known musicians will perform. Previous performers have included Pete Fountain, Joe Lovano and Dee Dee Bridgewater. For ticket information, call (816) 931-0222 or 1-888-337-8111.
— Edited by Karen Lucas
Japanese restaurant offers unique dining experience
Special to the Kansan
Bv Yoshitaka Ebisawa
Welcome by Japanese warmth and huge bamboos, guests would feel as if they have stepped into the Orient.
Kabuki Japanese Restaurant is on the lower level in Crown Center, 245 Grand Ave., Kansas City, Mo., and its paper screens and framed calligraphies on the wall add to the atmosphere.
Patrons of Kabuki Japanese Restaurant can choose to eat at one of the three sections: restaurant, bar or sushi bar.
The sushi bar, where the chefs
make sushi in front of guests, is the most popular section in Kabuki.
Sayoko Shadley has been working at Kabuki as a waitress for 14 years and said that she had noticed that Americans' reactions to sushi had changed.
"Americans seemed to be reluctant to eat raw fish 14 years ago," she said. "But we see some American experts in sushi recently. One of our regular guests likes hamachi (yellowtail) very much, so he is called 'Mr. Hamachi.'"
Kabuki also has some "zashiki" — a room with tatami mats — in the restaurant section for those who want to experience Japanese culture. In Japan, people sit either upright or crossed-legged on zashiki. In Kabuki guests are able to sit as if they sit on a chair, because the areas below the tables are below floor level.
The menu at Kabuki Japanese Restaurant includes sushi, yakitori, which is broiled chicken and vegetables on a skewer; tempura, which is deep-fried shrimp, fillet of fish and garden fresh vegetables; and sukiyaki.
The bar serves sake (Japanese rice wine), Japanese spirits and beers, as well as domestic alcohol.
Robert and Kisela Charlotte, both of Gladstone, Mo., often come to the restaurant because they like the food.
KABUKI RESTAURANT
Kabuki Japanese Restaurant's lunch hours are 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday and noon to 2 p.m. Saturday. The dinner hours are 5:30 to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 5:30 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 5 to 10 p.m. Sunday
"This place is very warm to people," Robert Charolte said.
For more information, call (816) 472-1717.
atmosphere and people.
-Edited by Julie Sachs
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