This Week in KC, March 2-8: Alvin Ailey, Lisa Lampanelli, Art Garfunkel

These are the only dates the internationally acclaimed dance troupe is scheduled to perform this year in its official second home of Kansas City. In conjunction with the performances, the Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey will hold its Inspire Benefit and Dance Party at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art. Carlsen Center, JCCC. 816-471-6003 or 913-469-4445. kcfaa.org or jccc.edu/theseries. $25-$65 ($125-$175 for Saturday evening).

Who hasn’t looked back on a relationship and wondered, “What if I had just …?” This two-character love story presented by the Kansas City Repertory Theatre applies scientific principles to provide possible answers to that question. The scene resets again and again, revealing how the slightest change in conversation might send the characters down an entirely different path. Runs through April 2. 816-235-2700. kcrep.org. $30-$59.

Be prepared to be shocked. Lisa Lampanelli is known for her insult comedy that leaves few targets untargeted and can tend toward the sexually graphic. The comic’s appearance in January was postponed because of a potentially catastrophic ice storm that wasn’t. Tickets from the earlier date remain valid. 816-753-8665. uptowntheater.com. $29.50-$39.50.

Composer Benoit Charest will direct Le Terrible Orchestre de Belleville in a live performance of his original score for the film, “The Triplets of Belleville,” including his Oscar-nominated best song, “Belleville Rendez-Vous.” The movie, a tale set in 1920s Paris that was nominated for best animated feature at the 2004 Academy Awards, will play on a big screen. Carlsen Center, JCCC. 913-469-4445. jccc.edu/theseries. $21-$25.

Brantley Gilbert is a country singer who draws on his personal life — good and bad — for inspiration. He talks openly about his battles with drugs and alcohol, and he has incorporated them into some of his songs. The 32-year-old Georgian’s newest album, “The Devil Don’t Sleep,” provides more insights into his demons but closes with “Three Feet of Water” about being born again into Christianity. 816-949-7000. sprintcenter.com. $27.75-$37.75.

The book by a Catholic nun (Helen Prejean) that became a movie starring Susan Sarandon has been turned into an opera that will make its Kansas City premiere. It follows the spiritual journey taken jointly by a nun and a convicted killer about to face the death penalty. In the process, the story raises the conflicting issues of society’s demand for retribution and the Christian belief in forgiveness. Also, 7:30 p.m. March 8 and 10, 2 p.m. March 12. Muriel Kauffman Theatre. 816-471-7344. kcopera.org. $29-$194.

The taller, curlier half of the legendary 1960s folk-rock duo Simon & Garfunkel will appear solo for an evening of lyrical melodies and poetic storytelling. Art Garfunkel and Paul Simon broke up in 1971 and reunited for performances several times in the years thereafter, but their relationship is on the rocks again. In a 2015 Rolling Stone interview, Garfunkel accused Simon of suffering from a Napoleonic complex. Last year on NPR, Simon simply said, “We’re done.” Helzberg Hall. 816-994-7222. kauffmancenter.org. $49-$79.

If you wonder whether Snow White was really as pure as the driven snow and find the fact she lived with seven little friends somewhat suspicious, then this is the musical for you. The play has fun with Snow White, Cinderella, Pocahontas and other fairy-tale heroines, who take the stage to set the record straight. It is designed for ages 14 and up. Runs through March 19. 816-363-7827. kcstarlight.com. $36-$56.

The first day of the Big 12 tournament will feature the bottom four teams in the regular-season standings, so Kansas won’t play and Kansas State hopes it won’t either. Regardless, the likes of Oklahoma, Texas and Texas Tech should provide close competition. The real fun will come March 9-11 with the quarterfinals, semifinals and final. Final at 5 p.m. Saturday, March 11. 816-949-7000. sprintcenter.com or big12sports.com. Sold out.

Danai Gurira, who plays Michonne on AMC’s “The Walking Dead,” wrote this drama that earned six Tony Award nominations — including for Best Play — after a three-month run on Broadway last year. It takes place in 2003 and tells the story of five women who are brought together by civil war in Liberia. Four are held captive as wives of a rebel commander, and the fifth works to free them. Runs through April 2. 816-531-7529. unicorntheatre.org. $30-$40.

You don’t have to be a gearhead to enjoy a day at the auto show. Sure, more than 500 new cars, trucks, SUVs, crossovers and minivans will be on display, as will an array of classic and vintage cars. But there will be so much more, including music, a new Kids Korner to entertain the younger audience, local food trucks and craft beers served in KC’s Garage (the new beer garden). kcautoshow.com. $6-$11.

This story was originally published February 28, 2017 at 11:03 AM.