Here are fourteen great things to do in KC this weekend, May 18-21, including: The Princess Bride in concert, Thomas Rhett at T-Mobile Center and Willie Nelson at Azura Amphitheater.
Peter Pan and Wendy
Taking the original spirit of adventure and wonder from J.M. Barrie’s classic, Lauren M. Gunderson’s fresh adaption, Peter Pan and Wendy, focuses on budding scientist Wendy Darling, who dreams of earning a Nobel Prize. But when Peter Pan arrives at her bedroom window, she leaves school behind, chasing adventure with characters like Captain Hook and Tiger Lily instead. Soon, she and her friends discover the power of standing up together for what’s right.
May 17–21. Times vary. Spencer Theatre.
Stew
The final show of the Melting Pot Theatre’s season is 2021 Pulitzer Prize finalist Zora Howard’s Stew, set in a kitchen as four generations of women come together to prepare a special meal for an annual celebration. As with all other shows, it will feature talk backs and themed community events that celebrate the long history of family and reunion in Black culture. “The kitchen is the heart of the home,” Stew director Ile Haggins says. “That’s where everything happens, that’s where conversations occur, where connections are made. [Stew] unpacks their dreams, their struggles, some turmoil that they’re faced with and the violence that’s in their community that creeps into their home.”
May 17–20. Times vary. Melting Pot Theatre.
Bliss Point
Kansas City Ballet presents Bliss Point, featuring ballets by Mark Morris, Jiří Kylián and Alexander Ekman in a mixed repertory production of three unique contemporary dance pieces. Working in unity, these distinct creative pieces show the wide diversity of performance art through an evening of thrilling and thought-provoking dance.
May 19–21. Times vary. Muriel Kauffman Theatre.
Beautiful Disruption
Beautiful Disruption: Experiencing the Bloch Galleries explores the minds and struggles of the Impressionist artists as they reached for the impossible—capturing a fleeting moment using the ephemeral effects of light. Guests are encouraged to analyze these pieces deeper, witnessing the beauty and the messiness behind the masterpieces in the Bloch Galleries.
May 19 and 26. 6 pm. Bloch Galleries, Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.
Steel Magnolias
For the first time in over 10 years, Steel Magnolias returns live to KC. Based on the beloved 1989 classic of the same name, Nick Padgett now serves as Producing Artistic Director with Katie Gilchrist as Director. Just in time for Mother’s Day, the enduring themes of women and their friendship grow stronger and closer in times of both tragedy and good fortune.
May 19—21. Times vary. MTH Theater at Crown Center.
The Princess Bride in Concert
Rob Reiner’s beloved film The Princess Bride gets reimagined with the KC Symphony performing the entire musical score live-to-picture. Mark Knopfler’s unforgettable score is specially arranged for symphony orchestra while the comedy-romance-action story unfolds on the big screen in an “inconceivable” new form.
May 18–20, 8 pm; May 21, 3 pm. Helzberg Hall.
Afrique en Cirque
Afrique en Cirque is a vibrant show featuring incredible acrobatics and traditional choreography to the unexpected rhythms of the native instruments, including the melodious sound of the Kora of Guinea. Artistic director and company founder Yamoussa Bangoura brings audiences on an exciting and unexpected journey, exploring the diversity of traditional African arts mixed with modern circus performance.
May 19. 7 pm. Yardley Hall.
Tivoli Presents: The Passenger
In celebration of the new exhibit, Alberto Giacometti: Toward the Ultimate Figure, the Tivoli at Nelson-Atkins presents Michelangelo Antonioni’s 1975 mysterious and visually arresting film, The Passenger. The film stars Jack Nicholson as a war correspondent who begins living under the identity of a dead man while in Morocco, following this absurd path no matter where it takes him. Antonioni’s film shares similarities to the sculptor’s surrealist work and his association with existentialist philosophers such as Sartre.
May 19, 7 pm; May 21, 2 pm. Nelson-Atkins Museum.
Thomas Rhett
Country singer-songwriter Thomas Rhett is touring the U.S. with the “Home Team Tour ‘23,” with his signature romantic ballads and feel-good melodies, like “Die A Happy Man” and “Marry Me.”
May 19. 7:30 pm. T-Mobile Center.
Behind The Art Auction
Gallery residents Case Trick is hosting a silent auction of original prints, posters, paintings, and more at ArtsKC. Case Trick is a collaboration between two artists: CR, Casey Reid, and Z, Patrick Disanto, who together create abstract art that explores the experiences of neurodivergent individuals and those who have experienced brain injuries. Proceeds support Kansas Head Injury Protocol (KHIP) and Children’s Mercy Hospital.
May 20. 10:30 am -12 pm. ArtsKC.
Playtime
Part of Stray Cat Film Center’s Bargain Bin Film School collection, Jacques Tati’s 1967 nearly silent film Playtime took almost three years to complete and nearly bankrupted the director. The fantastically choreographed comedy centers on the themes of confusion in an age of rampant technology and stars the recurring character of the old-fashioned Monsieur Hulot, who bumbles around modern Paris. Filled with sparks of humor and inventiveness, the film serves as a record of modern life slipping into an absurd oblivion.
May 20. 2 pm. Stray Cat Film Center.
Willie Nelson & Family
Icon and legendary music singer-songwriter and activist Willie Nelson is performing with special guests Tracy Lawrence and Gary Allan in honor of country radio station 94.1 KFKF’s sixtieth anniversary celebration.
May 20. 4:30 pm. Azura Amphitheater.
Disco Fries
DJ duo Danny Boselovic and Nick Ditri come together as Disco Fries. They met as roommates in their freshman year at Berklee College of Music in Boston and have been experimenting with different music styles since. In KC, they are opened by local DJs MAAD, RiTZ and others.
May 20. 8 pm. MOD Gallery.
The Dolly Party
This Dolly Party Dance Party follows suit with other popular U.S. touring themed dance parties, like Taylor Swift or Emo Night. This is for the 9-to-5 workin’ girls who want to dance to the music of iconic women like Dolly Parton, Tina Turner and Shania Twain. Come join the roving dance party—but I beg you, please don’t take my man.
May 20. 8:30 pm. The Truman.
