KC events Sept. 28-Oct. 4: ‘Kinky Boots,’ John Cleese, ‘Eugene Onegin’
Martin Hayes and Dennis Cahill
7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 28, at Karbank 1900 Building
St. Patrick’s Day is nearly six months away, but Irish music is always in season. Martin Hayes hails from County Clare, where he had won six All-Ireland fiddle championships by the age of 19. Dennis Cahill, born in Chicago to Irish parents, is a master guitarist. The two met in Chicago and have combined on three albums and have performed together around the globe. 816-221-4488. Tickets are $25-$45 through 1900bldg.com.
Gladfest
5-10 p.m. Friday, Sept. 29; 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 30; noon-4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 1; at Linden Square, Gladstone
With the theme “Ahoy Mate! Sail into Gladfest 38,” the three-day festival will celebrate pirates, mermaids and sailors. Among the highlights will be crafts, a train show, a dog show, camel rides, a parade (10 a.m. Saturday) and entertainment featuring Retroactive on Friday night and Travis Marvin on Saturday night. Sunday’s activities will be limited to the carnival and a 5K run/walk at 7:30 a.m. gladstonechamber.com/gladfest. Free except for carnival.
“I’ve Got a Crush on You”
Opens 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 29, at Quality Hill Playhouse
Vocalists Victoria Botero, Christina Burton and Tim Noland will take audiences on a tour of Broadway with “I’ve Got a Crush on You,” which will present songs that went from the Great White Way to the American Songbook. They will perform standards such as “Someone to Watch Over Me,” “Send in the Clowns,” “I Don’t Know How to Love Him” and, of course, “I’ve Got a Crush on You,” with accompaniment by piano, bass and drums. Runs through Oct. 29. 816-421-1700. Tickets are $35-$38 through qualityhillplayhouse.com.
Royals vs. Arizona
7:15 p.m. Friday, Sept. 29; 6:15 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 30; 2:15 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 1; at Kauffman Stadium
This long, long regular season will finally draw to a close with three games against the team that might be the least likely to be called a rival of the Royals. But National League West opponent or not, it will be an emotional setting when the free-agents-to-be core of the Royals’ 2015 World Series champions — Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas, Lorenzo Cain and Alcides Escobar — play together for what will undoubtedly be the final time. 800-676-9257. Tickets are $19-$111 through kansascity.royals.mlb.com.
“Kinky Boots”
8 p.m. Friday-Sunday, Sept. 29-Oct. 1, at Starlight Theatre
Only four years after premiering on Broadway, this musical by Cyndi Lauper has already become something of a classic. The 2013 Tony Award winner for best musical, best score and best choreography tells the fact-based story of a shoe factory owner who, in an effort to save the business, partners with a cabaret performer and drag queen to produce a line of high-heeled boots. 816-363-7827. Tickets are $14-$117 through kcstarlight.com.
Pumpkin Hollow
Opens Friday, Sept. 29, at Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead
At this pumpkin patch, kids have more to do than simply pick out pumpkins to take home. They can ride the Pumpkin Hollow Express, maneuver through a maze and slide down a hay pyramid, to say nothing of enjoying the Farmstead’s regular attractions. As a re-creation of a turn-of-the-century Kansas farm, the 12-acre site also offers nearly 200 animals and birds of prey, gardens, a one-room schoolhouse, a fishing pond and pony rides. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Friday and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday-Sunday; through Oct. 31. artsandrec-op.org/farmstead. $7-$8 (plus $2 regular admission) at gate.
“Eugene Onegin”
Opens 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 30, at Muriel Kauffman Theatre
The Lyric Opera’s season opener will be a new production telling a tragic 19th century love story. Tchaikovsky turned Alexander Pushkin’s classic Russian novel into one of the world’s most beloved operas filled with arias and ballroom dance numbers. The libretto, which retains much of Pushkin’s poetry, will be sung in Russian with English subtitles Also, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 4 and 6, 2 p.m. Oct. 8. Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. 816-471-7344. Tickets are $35.50-$175.50 through kcopera.org.
Sporting Kansas City vs. Vancouver
8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 30, at Children’s Mercy Park
Every match is big from here on out. With barely three weeks left in the regular season, Sporting continues to vie for the top spot in Major League Soccer’s Western Conference. It and the Vancouver Whitecaps were among three teams within one point of one another in the battle for first place entering this week. After this match, Sporting will have four games remaining, with three on the road. 913-387-3400. Tickets are $42-$69 through sportingkc.com.
Kansas City Symphony, “Superheroes at the Symphony”
2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 1, at Helzberg Hall
Superman, Indiana Jones and other movie heroes will rule the stage as the Kansas City Symphony Family Series begins. Children, as well as their parents, will enjoy music from film classics along with hero-centric compositions from the classical repertoire, including music by Strauss and Wagner. Costumes are encouraged. Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. 816-471-0400. Tickets are $10-$46 through kcsymphony.org.
Chiefs vs. Washington
7:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 2, at Arrowhead
Are you ready for some (Monday night) football? Well, don’t be shocked if it isn’t a very competitive game. This is about as lopsided as an NFL series can get, and it might surprise some NFC East elites that the Chiefs have been the dominant team. They are 8-1 against Washington in a series dating to 1971 and have won six straight matchups by an average score of 31.8-11.5. Washington’s lone victory came in 1983. 816-920-9300. Tickets are $63-$474 through chiefs.com.
Samantha Power
4 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 3, at Helzberg Hall
The youngest-ever U.S. ambassador to the United Nations (2013-2017), Samantha Power was named one of Time magazine’s “100 Most Influential People” in 2015 and won a Pulitzer Prize in 2003 for “A Problem From Hell: America and the Age of Genocide.” She will be the keynote speaker at the Women’s Foundation’s We Work for Change 25th Anniversary Celebration. Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. 816-988-2003. Tickets are $156.50 through womens-foundation.org/25th or kauffmancenter.org.
John Cleese
7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 4, at Carlsen Center Yardley Hall
A screening of “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” will precede an appearance by John Cleese, the 77-year-old writer, actor, producer, teacher and co-founder of the British comedy troupe Monty Python. Cleese, who has written two books on psychology and an autobiography called “So, Anyway … ,” will speak and answer audience questions. Johnson County Community College. 913-469-4445. Tickets are $49-$199 through jccc.edu/theseries.
Also this week
Classical music and dance
KU Symphony Orchestra with Simone Porter, violin, Sept. 28, Lied Center. lied.ku.edu
Tango Buenos Aires: Spirit of Argentina, Sept. 29, Lied Center. lied.ku.edu
Conservatory Orchestra, Oct. 4, Kauffman Center. conservatory.umkc.edu
Theater
“2121,” Sept. 29-Oct. 14, KC MeltingPot Theatre. kcmeltingpot.com
Musical Monday and Tuesday, Oct. 2-3, Musical Theater Heritage. musicaltheaterheritage.com
Comedy
Amazing Jonathan, Sept. 29-Oct. 1, Kansas City Improv. improvkc.com
Music (rock, pop, jazz)
JD McPherson, Sept. 28, Knuckleheads. knuckleheadskc.com
Monsters of Mock featuring Almost Kiss, KC/DC and Poison Overdose, Sept. 29, Crossroads KC. crossroadskc.com
Asleep at the Wheel, Sept. 30, Yardley Hall. jccc.edu/theseries
Clint Black, Sept. 30, Ameristar. ameristar.com
Tommy Castro & the Painkillers, Sept. 30, Knuckleheads. knuckleheadskc.com
Curren$y, Oct. 1, Riot Room. theriotroom.com
Johnny Gill, Oct. 1, Kansas City Live. powerandlightdistrict.com
Moodie Black with Ebony Tusks, Oct. 1, Riot Room. theriotroom.com
Kim Walker-Smith, Oct. 2, The Truman. thetrumankc.com
Dawes, Oct. 3, Madrid. madridtheatre.com
Exodus and Obituary with Power Trip and Dust Bolt, Oct. 3, Granada. thegranada.com
Kesha, Oct. 23, Uptown. uptowntheater.com
The XX, Oct. 3, Starlight. kcstarlight.com
Kaleo with ZZ Ward, Oct. 4, Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland. midlandkc.com
Katie Thiroux, Oct. 4, Californos. californos.com
Nothing More, Oct. 4, The Truman. thetrumankc.com
Willie Nelson & Family, Oct. 4, Starlight. kcstarlight.com
Events/festivals/etc.
Oktoberfest Celebration, Sept. 28-Oct. 1, Westport. westportkcmo.com
Oktoberfest, Sept. 29, Shawnee Civic Centre. shawneegermanclub.org
Universal Film Festival, Sept. 28-30, B&B Overland Park. universalfilmfestival.com
Vintage Market Days, Sept. 29-Oct. 1, Zona Rosa. zonarosa.com/events
Belton Oktoberfest, Sept. 30, Belton Memorial Park. beltonparks.org
Dust Bowl Jamboree, Sept. 30, E. H. Young Riverfront Park. visitplatte.com/event/dust-bowl-jamboree-2
Fall Swing, Sept. 30-Oct. 1, KC Pumpkin Patch. thestrawberryswing.com
Tobacco Festival, Sept. 30, Weston. westonmo.com
Tour de BBQ, Sept. 30, Prairiefire. tourdebbq.com
Book talks
Colleen Hoover for “Without Merit,” Oct. 4, Mid-Continent Public Library-Woodneath Library Center. mymcpl.org or rainydaybooks.com
Sports/recreation
St. Louis Blues vs. Minnesota Wild (exhibition), Sept. 28, Sprint Center. sprintcenter.com
FC Kansas City vs. Houston, Sept. 29. Swope Soccer Village. fckansascity.com