Vol.2, No.10, March 13, 2026
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People. Places. Things To Do. |
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| | Hello friends, and welcome back to The Green Room.
The arts bring us together most of the time, as an audience or as participants, but they can also divide us or force us to choose sides.
This week, we look at how a single mural has sparked a wider conversation about legacy, ownership, and the role public art plays in shaping a community’s identity. The work of internationally recognized folk artist Robert E. Smith is back in the spotlight after the recent covering of a downtown mural inspired by his work, prompting debate and a new effort to preserve that history. KSMU student reporter Mavis Parks brings us insights from both sides of the story.
We also head inside the beautiful Landers Theatre, where Springfield Little Theatre continues its more than 90-year tradition of community theater with the opening of its latest production, Stephen Sondheim’s “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.” Director Joanie Garner DiPrizio discusses the challenges of staging the dark musical classic, from navigating its demanding score to balancing tradition with a fresh visual approach for modern audiences. The dreadful fog of London rolls through downtown Springfield through March 29.
Questions of right and wrong, good or bad... these linger between the lines of a paintbrush or during intermission.
Let’s step back into The Green Room and take a closer look together.
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| Jimmy Rea
Host, Arts News
KSMU 91.1 - FM
Ozarks Public Broadcasting
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The Green Room is sponsored by Springfield Community Gardens
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The Sweeney Todd cast rehearses at Landers Theatre. Photo Credit: Springfield Little Theatre
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A dark and gripping musical is coming to the Landers Theatre. Stephen Sondheim’s “Sweeney Todd” plunges audiences into a haunting tale of revenge, dark humor, and one of the most powerful scores in musical theater. With its gothic atmosphere and unforgettable music, the production promises a thrilling night on stage in downtown Springfield....read more.
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The mural cover-up in progress. Photo Credit: SGFCO
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When a well-known downtown Springfield mural recently disappeared under a fresh coat of paint, the reaction was swift. Many in the community say the artwork was a beloved piece of the city’s creative identity, while the building’s new owner says a different mural is planned. The sudden change has sparked a larger conversation about art, ownership, and who gets to shape the look of a city’s cultural landscape...read more.
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Eric Leick Photo Credit: Eric Leick
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Eric Leick has always had an active imagination. It plays a big role in his dark, weird, sometimes creepy, sometimes funny songs. Combined with his unique growl of a voice, Eric has been a vital, yet elusive part of the Springfield music scene for decades...read more.
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Arts News on KSMU is your long-standing source for what's happening in the Ozarks arts scene spotlighting local creators, performances, and cultural events every week. Tune in Fridays at 10 a.m. on 91.1-FM or stream at KSMU.org
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👉Got a story, event, or artist I should know about? Share your arts and music tips with The Green Room, and help us shine a spotlight on the creative pulse of the Ozarks! You can email them to me at JRea@MissouriState.edu.
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Sponsored by Sothern Plumbing
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🎶Friends don't leave friends out of the music and arts scene - they share all the local arts and music happenings. Just forward this email to friends!
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Eventually, I’m going to run out of things to write about for this column, but not today — not as long as pieces of truly unknown-to-me information keep popping up in my life. We may live in the third-largest city of the 19th-most-populous state in the nation, but I’ll be darned if there still aren’t a few surprises left around here.
Last week, thanks to an offhand comment on an unrelated podcast, I learned the band King’s X was originally formed in Springfield, Missouri. I immediately scrambled to learn more.
Now, if you’re under 40, I would be shocked if the name King’s X means anything to you — and if you are over 40, equally as shocked. This band has a career of more than four decades, with the same three original members and 13 studio albums to its name. But unless you were really dialed in to MTV in the early ’90s — their biggest commercial moment — they likely escaped you entirely.
And yet, Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, and The Smashing Pumpkins all hail them as a major influence. Jeff Ament of Pearl Jam simply declared, “King’s X invented Grunge.” If you listen to their 1989 album Gretchen Goes to Nebraska, you can already hear the sound of the next several years of rock radio, even as those outfits were still just figuring it out.
Go figure: it was two Evangel students who first came together in 1979 and found themselves thrown in with a vocalist and bass player from suburban Chicago who would help formatively define a generation of music, even if they only ever achieved modest success — and even if they had to move to Houston before they ever became a thing.
King’s X is a band I’ve been aware of since college, and I definitely didn’t appreciate how important these guys were then. But I absolutely never knew they started out right here, on a Christian rock label, doing bar gigs and playing Top 40 covers alongside the likes of The Skeletons and The Dog People.
I want a thousand more words to write on this, but that simply is not to be. So take a listen to “Out of the Silent Planet” from 1989, reflect on how sometimes the most surprising information is just sitting there waiting for you to find it — and we’ll see you next week.
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Local Radar with Ran Cummings is a weekly music and conversation radio show on KSMU featuring bands and performances from in and around the Ozarks every Friday night at 9:00 p.m. on 91.1 - FM or stream at KSMU.org.
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Studio Live with Melissa Rea and Jess Balisle airs on the 2nd Friday of every month at noon. Tune in at 91.1-FM or stream at KSMU.org for an hour of live music and conversation with talented local artists. Later that evening, experience the music in person at a FREE live performance from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. at Springfield Brewing Company.
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| April 10: The Shandies
May 8: Little Jones
June 12: The Sideburns
July 10: Jin J. X
August 14: Patti Steel
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Eric Leick will be performing today at noon on KSMU's Studio Live. Tune in at 91.1-FM or stream online at KSMU.org. Catch him again tonight at Studio Live Social Hour, a free in-person event 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. at BrewCo in downtown Springfield
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In the mood to stay in? Queue up one of these videos handpicked by our staff at Ozarks Public Broadcasting, perfect for a night in when you're skipping the scene but still craving culture.
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These favorites from KSMU and OPT are just the beginning—there’s a whole world of storytelling, music, documentaries, and local gems waiting on you to dive in and discover at your local public broadcasting station.
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Was this email sent to you by a friend? If you'd love fresh takes, local gems, and behind-the-scenes artsy goodness in your inbox every week subscribe to The Green Room.
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The Green Room is a production of Ozarks Public Broadcasting. For more information about our programs and services please visit our website.
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Mailing Address:
901 South National Ave.
Springfield, MO 65897
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Ozarks Public Television 417-836-3500
KSMU Radio 417-836-5878
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