Stage Capsule Reviews

 8-Track: The Sounds of the '70s Each decade, radio's definition of "oldies" refreshes itself in accordance with the key demographic's nostalgic sweet spot. These days, the Boogie Woogie Bugle Boys of the world have been cut for the Elton Johns and — shudder — Billy Joels. Nobody knows more about tonguing said sweet spots than the American Heartland Theatre, where this tribute, studded with more than 50 hits, is precisely calibrated to please. Expect some disco, some Eagles and some "I Write the Songs" (likely the first song ever performed at both the populist Heartland and the tradition-guarding Quality Hill in the same season). Through Aug. 12 at the American Heartland Theatre, 2450 Grand, 816-842-9999. (Alan Scherstuhl)

Intimate Apparel Lynn Nottage's melodrama about the unlucky marriage of an African-American seamstress at the start of the 20th century reaches for life but mostly grabs plot. The period is lovingly evoked with prim and gorgeous costumes, and Lynn King is grand as Esther, a reticent woman whose hard edges disguise deep romantic longing. Still, the script is self-consciously poetic and packed with the sort of twists you see coming a mile away. Strong senses of class and race enliven it; if you can surrender to the language and put aside lapses in logic and the raw plot mechanics, Intimate Apparel might sweep you up. Through July 15 at the Unicorn Theatre, 3828 Main, 816-531-7529. (Reviewed in our June 21 issue.) (Alan Scherstuhl)