This week in KC: How to celebrate Cinco, Michael Jackson musical, Brookside art fest

Dan Kelly
·4 min read

Here are four ways to celebrate Cinco de Mayo in the Kansas City area:

▪ The Cinco de Mayo Festival at the Guadalupe Centers will feature local and national entertainment, as well as mariachis, folkloric dancers, food, children’s activities and more, 5-10 p.m. May 3, noon-10 p.m. May 4, noon-8 p.m. May 5 (free). guadalupecenters.org.

▪ The 5 de Mayo Wyandotte County Mexican Culture Pride Day at Bethany Park will include charro dancing horses and banda music as well as food and arts, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. May 4 (free). cabakck.org/cincodemayo.

▪ The Ship in the West Bottoms will present a doubleheader of entertainment May 4, with Maria the Mexican at 6 p.m. ($10-$12) and DJ Luis with The Ramos Brothers at 9 p.m. ($10-$15). theshipkc.com/music.

▪ Fiesta de Mayo at KC Live! will offer live entertainment and drink packages, 2-5 p.m. May 5 (free). powerandlightdistrict.com.

Roman Banks portrays Michael Jackson in the national tour of “MJ: The Musical,” which will run May 7-12 at the Music Hall.
Roman Banks portrays Michael Jackson in the national tour of “MJ: The Musical,” which will run May 7-12 at the Music Hall.

Theater

▪ “My Shadow Is Pink,” 9:45 and 11:30 a.m. May 2, 7 p.m. May 3, Folly ($6-$25). follytheater.org.

▪ “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf,” Melting Pot Theatre, 7:30 p.m. May 2-4, 2 p.m. May 5, 7:30 p.m. May 8-11, Just Off Broadway Theatre ($17.25-$27.50). kcmeltingpot.com.

▪ “MJ: The Musical,” PNC Broadway in Kansas City, 7:30 p.m. May 7-10, 2 and 7:30 p.m. May 11, 1 and 6:30 p.m. May 12, Music Hall ($49-$229). broadwayinkc.com.

▪ “H.O.T. the Musical,” opens 7:30 p.m. May 8; runs through June 2, Unicorn Theatre ($48-$58). unicorntheatre.org.

Worlds of Fun and the Zambezi Zinger roller coaster will open for the season May 4.
Worlds of Fun and the Zambezi Zinger roller coaster will open for the season May 4.

More entertainment

▪ More than 170 artists from around the nation will show their works at the Brookside Art Annual in the historic Brookside Shops area, 5-9 p.m. May 3, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. May 4, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. May 5 (free). brooksideartannual.com.

▪ The Kansas City Burlesque Festival will include the Late Night Stage Strut at The Bird Comedy Theater (10 p.m. May 3, $36.70) and the performer competition at the Folly (7 p.m. May 4, $41-$106). kcburlesque.com.

▪ Truman Day activities celebrating President Harry Truman’s 140th birthday on the Independence Square will feature the unveiling of a boyhood statue, 9:30 a.m.-8 p.m. May 4; statue unveiling at noon (free). indepsquare.com.

▪ Worlds of Fun will open for its 2024 season, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. May 4 ($36.99-$89). worldsoffun.com.

▪ Art demonstrations and interactive art activities, along with music and food trucks, will celebrate the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art’s 30th anniversary at the Kemper Museum Block Party, noon-4 p.m. May 4 (free). kemperart.org.

▪ Taste of AAPI under the Interstate 670 viaduct bridge in the West Bottoms will showcase foods from Asians and Pacific Islanders, noon-7 p.m. May 4 (free). tasteofaapi.com.

Classical music and dance

▪ Kansas City Chamber Orchestra, 7:30 p.m. May 2, Grace and Holy Trinity Church ($15-$35). kcchamberorchestra.org.

▪ Les Violons du Roy, 7:30 p.m. May 2, Yardley Hall ($12.50-$42). jccc.edu/midwest-trust-center.

▪ Chanticleer, 7:30 p.m. May 3, Atonement Lutheran Church ($10-$49). chambermusic.org.

▪ Lyric Opera of Kansas City, “Journey to Valhalla,” 7:30 p.m. May 3, 2 p.m. May 5, Kauffman Center ($39-$207). kcopera.org.

▪ Opus 76 Quartet, “Mozart and Brahms,” 2 p.m. May 5, Polsky Theatre ($12-$35). jccc.edu/midwest-trust-center.

▪ Kansas City Civic Orchestra, “Ode to Joy!” 3:30 p.m. May 5, Kauffman Center (sold out). kccivic.org.

More music

▪ Greta Van Fleet with Geese, 7 p.m. May 2, T-Mobile Center ($34.50-$119.50). t-mobilecenter.com.

▪ Trampled by Turtles, 7:30 p.m. May 2, Uptown ($18-$60.50). uptowntheater.com.

▪ Hippie Sabotage, 8 p.m. May 3, Uptown ($35). uptowntheater.com.

▪ Knocked Loose with Show Me the Body, 8 p.m. May 3, Granada (sold out). thegranada.com.

▪ Slowdive with Drab Majesty, 8 p.m. May 3 ($35-$70), The Truman. thetrumankc.com.

▪ Tori Kelly, 8 p.m. May 3, Midland ($30-$35). midlandkc.com.

▪ MerleJam, 5 p.m. May 4, Knuckleheads ($20). knuckleheadskc.com.

▪ Tech N9ne with Kansas City Symphony, 8 p.m. May 4, Midland ($45-$109). kcsymphony.org.

▪ Air Supply, 8:30 p.m. May 4, Ameristar (sold out). ameristarkansascity.com.

▪ First Sundays featuring The Utilitarians, Critterz and Papa Huey with Hugh Ruddick, 1-4 p.m. May 5, Theis Park (free). kcparks.org.

▪ Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, 8 p.m. May 7, Liberty Hall (sold out). libertyhall.net.

▪ Portugal. The Man, 8 p.m. May 7, The Truman ($39.99-$85). thetrumankc.com.

▪ Alan Doyle with Adam Baldwin, 8 p.m. May 8, Knuckleheads ($45). knuckleheadskc.com.

Recently announced

▪ Steve Earle, Aug. 2, Knuckleheads. knuckleheadskc.com

▪ Great Gatsby Party, Sept. 7, Union Station. greatgatsbyparty.com

▪ Styx with John Waite, Sept. 21, Cable Dahmer Arena. cabledahmerarena.com

▪ Chelsea Handler, Oct. 27, Midland. midlandkc.com

▪ Billie Eilish, Nov. 16, T-Mobile Center. t-mobilecenter.com