This week in Kansas City: Musical with man-eating plant, plus first Black Comedy Fest

Dan Kelly
·4 min read

The Kansas City Repertory Theatre will conclude its 60th season with the comedy rock musical “Little Shop of Horrors” opening next week at Spencer Theatre.

The musical by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman (“The Little Mermaid,” “Beauty and the Beast”) features the man-eating plant Audrey II and has entertained stage audiences for more than four decades. It was turned into a movie in 1986.

“Little Shop of Horrors” opens at 7 p.m. April 30 and runs through May 19. Tickets ($39-$83) and more information at kcrep.org.

Chloe Castro-Santos will star as Audrey in “Little Shop of Horrors.”
Chloe Castro-Santos will star as Audrey in “Little Shop of Horrors.”

More theater

▪ “Rubik,” Spinning Tree Theatre, opens 7 p.m. April 26; runs through May 5, Johnson County Arts and Heritage Center ($10-$20). spinningtreetheatre.com.

▪ “Marvelous Movie Musicals,” opens 7:30 p.m. April 26; runs through May 19, Quality Hill Playhouse ($42-$45). qualityhillplayhouse.com.

▪ “The Simon and Garfunkel Story,” 2 and 7 p.m. April 28, Yardley Hall ($5-$85). jccc.edu/midwest-trust-center.

“Tarot Garden” by Niki de Saint Phalle will be part of her exhibition “Rebellion and Joy” running April 27-July 21 at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.
“Tarot Garden” by Niki de Saint Phalle will be part of her exhibition “Rebellion and Joy” running April 27-July 21 at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.

More entertainment

▪ The first Black Comedy Fest KC will present three nights of laughs at three 18th and Vine venues (Gem Theater, Black Archives of Mid-America and Mutual Musicians Foundation), 7:30 p.m. April 25, 7 p.m. April 26, 5 p.m. April 27 ($15-$20). bcfkansascity.com.

▪ The comedy “Cancelled Podcast” with Tana Mongeau and Brooke Schofield will come to the Midland, 8 p.m. April 25 ($29.50-$49.50). midlandkc.com.

▪ “Rebellion and Joy,” drawn from the contemporary art of Niki de Saint Phalle at the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Nice, France, will run April 27-July 21 at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday-Monday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Thursday-Friday ($22; free for members). nelson-atkins.org.

▪ The Spring Parade of Homes will showcase hundreds of new houses on both sides of the state line, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. April 27-May 12 (free). kchba.org.

▪ Bianca Del Rio, known as the “Joan Rivers of the Drag World,” will perform at the Midland, 8 p.m. April 28 ($39.50-$49.50). midlandkc.com.

▪ Kansas City Jazz Alive will celebrate International Jazz Day with the panel discussion “Past, Present and Future” at the Uptown Lounge, 7 p.m. April 30 ($20). kcjazzalive.org.

Bianca Del Rio, winner of the sixth season of “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” will perform April 28 at the Midland.
Bianca Del Rio, winner of the sixth season of “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” will perform April 28 at the Midland.

Festivals

▪ Barnyard Babies Family Festival, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. April 27, National Agricultural Center & Hall of Fame ($5-$10). aghalloffame.com.

▪ Earthbeat Festival, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. April 27, 1100 Main (free). eventbrite.com.

▪ Parkville Microbrew Fest, 1-5 p.m. April 27, downtown Parkville ($49.20-$60). parkvillemicrobrewfest.com.

▪ Great Wind Festival, 2-6 p.m. April 28, Ironwoods Park Amphitheatre (free). greatwindfest.com.

Classical music and dance

▪ Kansas City Symphony, “Simply the Best: The Music of Tina Turner,” 8 p.m. April 25, Kauffman Center ($54). kcsymphony.org.

▪ Gregorian, 8 p.m. April 26, Madrid ($40-$150). madridtheatre.com.

▪ “Spark of Genius,” 7:30 p.m. April 26, Folly ($10-$44). chambermusic.org.

More music

▪ Alvvays, 8 p.m. April 25, The Truman ($30-$60). thetrumankc.com.

▪ Brett Young, 8 p.m. April 26, KC Live! ($30-$70). powerandlightdistrict.com.

▪ Roger Clyne and The Peacemakers, 8 p.m. April 26, Knuckleheads ($30). knuckleheadskc.com.

▪ Chris Tomlin, 7 p.m. April 27, Cable Dahmer Arena ($20-$76). cabledahmerarena.com.

▪ Michael Martin Murphy, 7:30 p.m. April 27, Knuckleheads ($35). knuckleheadskc.com.

▪ Alex Cuba, 8 p.m. April 27, Folly ($20-$50). follytheater.org.

▪ Jeezy, Babyface Ray, YTB Fatt and JT, 8 p.m. April 27, Municipal Auditorium ($72-$202). kcconvention.com.

▪ Jessie Murph, 8 p.m. April 27, Granada (sold out). thegranada.com.

▪ Liquid Stranger, 8 p.m. April 27, Midland ($29.99-$45). midlandkc.com.

▪ Home Free, 8:30 p.m. April 27, Ameristar ($40-$131). ameristarkansascity.com.

▪ Morgan Wade, 8 p.m. April 28, Liberty Hall ($37-$77). libertyhall.net.

▪ Wage War with Nothing More and Veil of Maya, 6:30 p.m. April 30, Midland ($29.50-$55). midlandkc.com.

▪ Black Veil Brides with Dark Divine, Ghostkid and Creeper, 7 p.m. April 30, The Truman ($39.50-$80). thetrumankc.com.

▪ Hot Mulligan, 7 p.m. April 30, Uptown ($33-$66). uptowntheater.com.

▪ Sessanta featuring Primus, Puscifer and A Perfect Circle, 7:30 p.m. April 30, Azura Amphitheater ($99.50). azuraamp.com.

▪ Drew Holcomb and The Neighbors, 8 p.m. April 30, Knuckleheads ($32.50). knuckleheadskc.com.

▪ Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams, 8 p.m. April 30, Knuckleheads ($30). knuckleheadskc.com.

▪ Joe Satriani and Steve Vai, 8 p.m. May 1, Uptown ($80.75-$143.75). uptowntheater.com.

Recently announced

▪ Maren Morris, July 22, Midland. midlandkc.com

▪ Judah & the Lion, Oct. 5, Uptown. uptowntheater.com

▪ Cody Johnson, Oct. 12, T-Mobile Center. t-mobilecenter.com

▪ “Avatar: The Last Airbender in Concert, Nov. 2, Kauffman Center. kauffmancenter.org