KC events Jan. 4-10: Jurassic Quest, Joel Osteen, Markiplier, MLK 50th Anniversary

Summer seems a long way off, but the Lake of the Ozarks Marine Dealers Association will bring a bit of the season indoors with its annual show in the heated comfort of the Overland Park Convention Center. Cruisers, runabouts, performance boats, ski boats, personal watercraft and boating accessories will be on display, plus there will be vendors ranging from Aqua Pest Solutions to Captain Ron’s Bar & Grill. 3-9 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 4; noon-10 p.m. Friday, Jan. 5; 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 6; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 7. overlandparkboatshow.weebly.com. $5-$9 at door; under 5 free.

Blood-thirsty plant Audrey II has an appetite that is almost endless, and Seymour the nerdy floral assistant keeps feeding her until she grows big enough to devour everything in her path. Turns out Audrey II is from outer space and is intent on gaining world domination. Plus, she sings. Faust Theatre will present this musical comedy by composer Alan Menken and writer Howard Ashman, the minds behind “Beauty and the Beast” and “Aladdin.” Also, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 5, and 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, Jan. 6-7. Tickets are $12-$15 through fausttheatre.com.

Mark Edward Fischbach, known online as Markiplier, is one of the most popular personalities on YouTube, with nearly 20 million subscribers to his channel that focuses on comedy and video games. For his stage presentation, he has assembled a cast of characters who will involve the audience in improv games and other challenges. 816-283-9921. Tickets to the sold-out show were $36.50-$126.50 through midlandkc.com.

It’s hard to resist baby dinosaurs. They are among the attractions at Jurassic Quest, which will present more than 80 life-size dinosaurs ranging from an Apatosaurus to a Spinosaurus. Some of the beasts can walk and will be let out to play several times each day of the show. Also available will be crafts, face-painting, a dino bounce, bungee pull, dino rides and fossil digs. Tickets are $18-$34 through jurassicquest.com/kansascity.

Joined by his wife, Victoria, popular televangelist and author Joel Osteen will present “A Night of Hope.” The Osteens are pastors of the largest church in America, the non-denominational Lakewood Church in Houston, which has weekly attendance of 43,500, according to 24/7 Wall St. 816-949-7000. Tickets are $18 through sprintcenter.com.

After clinching the AFC West title with their late-season resurgence, the Chiefs will play Tennessee in a wild-card playoff game. Fans who are happy the opponent is Tennessee rather Baltimore, which missed the playoffs because of a loss Sunday to Cincinnati, should know that the Titans have been an even bigger nemesis than the Ravens. They have played at Arrowhead five times since 2007 and have won four times, including 19-17 last season. 816-920-9300. Tickets are $50-$295 through chiefs.com.

After struggling through the non-conference portion of their schedule, the Kangaroos will get a chance to kickstart their season with this Western Athletic Conference opener against the Vaqueros. UMKC, which ended a six-game losing streak with a Dec. 28 home victory over Avila, were 4-11 entering a game at South Carolina Upstate on Tuesday, Jan. 2. The Kangaroos defeated UTRGV twice last season. 816-235-2849. Tickets are $13-$18 through umkckangaroos.com.

“YidLife Crisis” is a Yiddish comedy web series created by Eli Batalion and Jamie Elman, Montreal-based performers who pay homage to the “yiddishkayt” in their upbringing. Best friends and debating adversaries, Batalion and Elman will take to the stage to discuss — in Yiddish — life, love and other important topics. Jewish Community Campus. 913-327-8054. Tickets are $14-$25 through thejkc.org.

Ryan M. Jones, a historian at the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, will be the keynote speaker during an event commemorating the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. and marking the 50th anniversary of his death. Performances by the Storling Dance Theatre and the William Baker Festival Singers will help mark the occasion. Johnson County Community College. jccc.edu/events/2017/1206-mlk-anniversary.html. Free.

The National Geographic Live Series will feature “Ocean Wild” with Brian Skerry, one of National Geographic’s most respected photographers. Skerry, who has logged more than 10,000 hours underwater with his camera, will provide an intimate look at dolphins’ intelligence, hang out with manatees and explore the ocean for other wild creatures. Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. 816-994-7200. Tickets are $52.50-$64.50 through kauffmancenter.org.

Before he died in 1987, author James Baldwin had begun a book, “Remember This House,” that was to be a personal account of the lives and assassinations of Medgar Evers, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. Raoul Peck’s 2016 film, “I Am Not Your Negro,” an Oscar nominee for best documentary, envisions the book Baldwin never finished. It will be shown as a KCPT Indie Lens Pop-Up. Register at eventbrite.com/event/40945165091. Free.

How many among us have fallen in love with a person we’ve seen only once? That’s the premise of this two-person Irish play written in 1981 by Gardner McKay and produced by Kansas City Actors Theatre. A fisherman on a remote island woos a woman by mail, she falls in love with his words, they meet and they realize they come from very different worlds. Previews through Jan. 12; runs through Jan. 28. 816-361-5228. Tickets are $15-$35 through kcactors.org.

Mitch Fatel, Jan. 4-7, Kansas City Improv. improvkc.com

Here Come the Mummies, Jan. 5, Knuckleheads. knuckleheadskc.com

Lana Del Rey with Jhene Aiko, Jan. 9, Sprint Center. sprintcenter.com

First Fridays in the Crossroads, Jan. 5, Crossroads Arts District. kccrossroads.org

“The Outhouse The Film 1985-1997,” Jan. 5, Uptown. uptowntheater.com

Kansas City Mavericks vs. Kalamazoo, Jan. 5; vs. Quad City, Jan. 6. Silverstein Eye Centers Arena. kcmavericks.com

This story was originally published January 2, 2018 at 11:31 AM with the headline "KC events Jan. 4-10: Jurassic Quest, Joel Osteen, Markiplier, MLK 50th Anniversary."