At Kansas City Planet Comicon this weekend: 94-year-old legend. Plus: A new kids museum
Seventy years later, Sid Krofft is returning to Kansas City.
The genius behind the puppet-based children’s TV programs “H.R. Pufnstuf” and “Land of the Lost” as well as “Donny & Marie” and many other shows of the 1970s and ‘80s will appear at Planet Comicon Kansas City this weekend at Bartle Hall.
“Normally I don’t do these things,” Krofft said by telephone from California. “But they came to me, gave me a big guarantee. … They asked me to come, and it’s a big deal for me to be away for five days.”
This will be Krofft’s first big trip since the death of his brother and producing partner, Marty, in November, which Sid said he is still processing.
Now 94, Krofft last spent extended time here in 1954.
Before he and Marty got into producing children’s shows, Sid had a puppet act for nearly three decades. Describing himself as “the world’s youngest puppeteer,” he joined the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus at age 15. He later hit the vaudeville and burlesque circuits, toured with Judy Garland, appeared in an ice show with Sonja Henie and performed worldwide — including for Queen Elizabeth.
By the time he brought his act to Kansas City, Krofft was a seasoned veteran of 24. He opened for singer Maureen Cannon (“Five Feet of Dynamite”) at Eddy’s restaurant at 13th Street and Baltimore Avenue.
Krofft, who said he also had visited Kansas City with the circus, is nervous about his return here.
“I’m there all day,” he said. “Honestly, I don’t know, like I always don’t know, if anybody’s going to show up.”
He probably needn’t worry, however. He has been a regular for decades at the giant Comi-Con International in San Diego, where fans of the Krofft brothers’ TV shows of 50 years ago line up to show their appreciation.
“It’s crazy,” he said. “They want to touch you, and they cry because it meant so much when they were young kids. They were happy kids. All they had was their Saturday morning television. I’ve heard so many incredible stories, and it really touches me.”
Krofft, who does a weekly Instagram Live show called “Sundays with Sid,” is among dozens of celebrities who will be on hand for the 25th anniversary of Kansas City’s Comicon. They will include two actors from his “Land of the Lost” of 50 years ago, Kathy Coleman and Wesley Eure, as well as luminaries such as Henry Winkler, Ian McDiarmid, Charlie Hunnam, Ron Perlman and Paul Bettany.
Planet Comicon will run 1-8 p.m. March 8, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. March 9 and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. March 10. Tickets ($11.99-$56.99; three-day passes $23.99-$91.99) and more information at planetcomicon.com.
More entertainment
▪ Former Star sports columnist Joe Posnanski will appear at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum for his book “Why We Love Baseball: A History in 50 Moments,” 7 p.m. March 7 (free). thejkc.org.
▪ The Voler — Thieves of Flight aerialists will perform “Ada: Poet of Code” at City Stage Theatre in Union Station, 7 p.m. March 7-9, 2 p.m. March 10 ($30). thievesofflight.com/ada.
▪ Clinical psychologist and criminal expert Rachel Toles will present “The Psychology of Serial Killers” at the Uptown, 8 p.m. March 7 ($30). uptowntheater.com.
▪ The Kansas City Public Library will bring author Jacqueline Woodson to the downtown branch, 7 p.m. March 8 (free). kclibrary.org.
▪ The photography exhibit “‘To Prove that I Exist’: Melissa Shook’s Daily Self-Portraits, 1972-1973” will run at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday-Monday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Thursday-Friday, March 9-Aug. 4 (free). nelson-atkins.org.
▪ A fashion show and Q&A with director Terence O’Malley will accompany a screening of “Nelly Don the Musical Movie” at North Kansas City Parks and Recreation, 2 p.m. March 9 (sold out). nkcparksandrec.org.
▪ Two local communities will get an early jump on St. Patrick’s Day with their annual parades: 1 p.m. March 10, Shawnee, cityofshawnee.org, and 2 p.m. March 10, Martin City, martincity.org.
▪ The long-awaited Rabbit hOle children’s literature museum in North Kansas City will open its doors March 12, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday and Saturday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Friday, noon-6 p.m. Sunday ($16). rabbitholekc.org.
Theater
▪ “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone,” Metropolitan Ensemble Theatre, 7:30 p.m. March 7-8, 1:30 and 7:30 p.m. March 9, 2:30 p.m. March 10, Westport Presbyterian Church ($39-$54). warwickkc.org.
▪ “Shout! The Mod Musical,” Theatre in the Park, opens 7:30 p.m. March 8; runs through March 24, Johnson County Arts and Heritage Center ($14-$17.50). theatreinthepark.org.
▪ “That Old Black Magic,” opens 7:30 p.m. March 8; runs through March 31, Quality Hill Playhouse ($42-$45). qualityhillplayhouse.com.
▪ “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder,” opens 7:30 p.m. March 9; runs through March 24, White Theatre ($35-$38). thejkc.org.
Comedy
▪ Brian Posehn, 7 p.m. March 7, 7 and 9:30 p.m. March 8-9, Comedy Club of Kansas City ($22-$42). thecomedyclubkc.com.
▪ Big Jay Oakerson, 7 and 9:45 p.m. March 8-9, Kansas City Funny Bone ($32-$42). improvkc.com.
▪ Gina Brillon, 8 p.m. March 9, Polsky Theatre ($12-$35). jccc.edu/midwest-trust-center.
▪ Ms. Pat, 8:30 p.m. March 9, Ameristar ($40-$50). ameristarkansascity.com.
▪ Letterkenny, 7 p.m. March 12, Folly ($52.50). follytheater.org.
Classical music and dance
▪ Kansas City Chorale, “Durufle’s Requiem,” 7:30 p.m. March 8, Village Presbyterian Church ($20-$25). kcchorale.org.
▪ Stanislav and Friends, 7 p.m. March 8, Kauffman Center ($23-$58). icm.park.edu.
▪ Kansas City Civic Orchestra, “Sinfonia Romantika,” 7:30 p.m. March 9, Atonement Lutheran Church (free). kccivic.org.
▪ Lyric Opera of Kansas City, “Roméo et Juliette,” 7:30 p.m. March 9 and 15, 2 p.m. March 17, Kauffman Center ($38-$214.50). kcopera.org.
▪ Spire Chamber Ensemble with Isaac Cates and Ordained, “We are the Music Makers: Amplifying Black Composers,” 5 p.m. March 10, Resurrection Brookside ($5-$25). spirechamberensemble.org.
▪ Kansas City Symphony, “Around the World in 80 Days,” 3 p.m. March 10, Kauffman Center ($25-$60). kcsymphony.org.
More music
▪ Flogging Molly with Amigo the Devil, 8 p.m. March 8, Uptown ($49-$244). uptowntheater.com.
▪ TobyMac with Cory Asbury, Mac Powell, Tasha Layton and more, 7 p.m. March 8-9, Cable Dahmer Arena ($19.75). cabledahmerarena.com.
▪ Blackberry Smoke, 8 p.m. March 9, Uptown ($98-$178). uptowntheater.com.
▪ John Moreland with Justin Bloss, 8 p.m. March 9, Knuckleheads ($25). knuckleheadskc.com.
▪ Kansas City Jazz Orchestra, “Iconic Masters: Monk, Weather Report & More” featuring John Beasley, 8 p.m. March 9, Kauffman Center ($28-$80). kcjo.org.
▪ Norman Brown, 8 p.m. March 9, Folly ($25-$45). follytheater.org.
▪ North American Welsh Choir, “Peace, Song by Song,” 11 a.m. March 10, National WWI Museum and Memorial (free). theworldwar.org.
▪ Bombay Bicycle Club, 8 p.m. March 11, Liberty Hall ($32-$51). libertyhall.net.
▪ Sunny Day Real Estate, 8 p.m. March 13, Liberty Hall ($32-$61). libertyhall.net.
Recently announced
▪ George Thorogood and the Destroyers, May 11, Yardley Hall. jccc.edu/midwest-trust-center
▪ Donny Osmond, June 11, Kauffman Center. kauffmancenter.org
▪ Mike Campbell & The Dirty Knobs, June 24, Kauffman Center. kauffmancenter.org
▪ “Barbie The Movie”: In Concert, July 15, Starlight. kcstarlight.com
▪ Cage The Elephant, Sept. 14, Starlight. kcstarlight.com
▪ Burton Cummings and His Band, Sept. 18, Knuckleheads. knuckleheadskc.com
▪ Two Door Cinema Club, Sept. 28, Starlight. kcstarlight.com
