This weekend in Kansas City: Music by Neil Diamond, Billy Bob Thornton and Kevin Bacon, tap dancer Savion Glover, Asian Cultural Festival
“Cock”
Opens Wednesday at Unicorn Theatre
True to its mission to present “bold new plays,” the Unicorn Theatre is staging prolific young British playwright Mike Bartlett’s “Cock.” The work is a contemporary twist on the age-old love triangle theme. In a review of a 2009 production of “Cock” in London, a critic for The Guardian praised “the acuity of the writing” and summarized “Cock” as “a sharp, witty study of a man helplessly torn between his longtime male partner and a loving woman.” The Unicorn’s production stars Jacob Aaron Cullum, Zachary Andrews, Molly Denninghoff and Matt Rapport in the comedy about identity, love and sexuality.
Wednesday, April 22-Sunday, May 17. Unicorn Theatre. 816-531-7529. unicorntheatre.org. $25-$35.
Elizabeth Berg for “The Dream Lover”
Thursday at Unity Temple on the Plaza
Elizabeth Berg’s career as a writer was forestalled by a traumatic incident when she was 9. After a poem she had presented to American Girl magazine was rejected, Berg admits that “it took 25 years before I submitted anything again.” Berg’s perseverance has resulted in several blockbusters. Her best-known work is “Open House.” The 2000 novel about a woman’s struggle to reinvent herself after a failed marriage was an Oprah’s Book Club selection. Berg will discuss her latest work at Unity Temple on the Plaza on Thursday. “The Dream Lover” is a historical novel about the complicated life of French author George Sand.
7 p.m. Thursday, April 23. Unity Temple on the Plaza. 913-384-3126. rainydaybooks.com. $28, not including sales tax, includes an autographed hardcover copy of “The Dream Lover.”
Riptide Comedy Festival
Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday throughout Lawrence
The four-day Riptide Comedy Festival that opens Thursday in Lawrence offers a refreshing alternative to conventional comedy club presentations. Amusingly billed as “an unyielding onslaught of laughs and thought provocation, an unforgettable experience, unprecedented in our area,” about 10 events will be held at a variety of venues in Lawrence. An outing by the jokesters behind Arguments & Grievances, a comedic troupe from Chicago known for heated debates on absurd topics, will transpire at the Eighth Street Taproom at 5 p.m. Saturday. “What About Love?,” a “comedy show about love at Love Garden Sounds,” will be held at the record store at 7 p.m. Sunday.
Thursday, April 23, Friday, April 24, Saturday, April 25, and Sunday, April 26. Lawrence. riptidefest.com. Admission to individual events ranges from free to $8.
McGee Street Events presents the Bacon Brothers and the Boxmasters
Friday and Saturday at 12th and McGee
Music-inclined movie stars Kevin Bacon and Billy Bob Thornton will be featured this weekend in a pair of outdoor concerts between 11th and 12th on McGee Street. Friday’s show is headlined by the Bacon Brothers. Kevin, the star of the musical “Footloose” and television’s “The Followers,” plays roots music with his brother Michael. The horn-laden party band Four Fried Chickens and a Coke opens Friday’s event. Thornton will sing droll country-tinged songs as the front man of the Boxmasters on Saturday. Two Missouri-based acts open Saturday’s show. Country singer Matt Snook was a contestant on television’s “The Voice.” The Hillbenders are an accomplished bluegrass band from Springfield.
7 p.m. Friday, April 24, and 4 p.m. Saturday, April 25. Outdoors at 12th and McGee. 816-235-6222. mcgeestreetevents.com. Two-day passes are $35.
K-State Spring Football Game
Saturday at Sporting Park
Saturday can’t come soon enough for all the people consumed with Kansas State football. The Wildcats lost to UCLA in the Alamo Bowl on Jan. 2, leaving the team with a 9-4 record and a final ranking among the year’s top 20 teams. Saturday’s event will give fans a chance to evaluate the athletes competing to replace quarterback Jake Waters and wide receiver Tyler Lockett, star players who have completed their playing careers in Manhattan. Ongoing construction at the football complex in Manhattan forced the relocation of Saturday’s event to Sporting Park, a boon for locally based Wildcat boosters.
3 p.m. Saturday, April 25. Sporting Park. 800-221-CATS. k-statesports.com. $10-$175.
Savion Glover and ensemble, “StePz”
Saturday at Helzberg Hall
A modern-day Gene Kelly, Savion Glover is arguably the premier ambassador of tap dance. His work on Broadway and on television specials introduced millions of people to the possibilities of contemporary dance long before televised competitions became commonplace. Glover’s efforts in a production of “Bring in ’da Noise, Bring in ’da Funk” were recognized with a Tony Award for Best Choreography in 1996. At 41, the New Jersey native is still capable of executing extraordinary feats of athleticism. During Saturday’s production of “STePz,” Glover and a team of dancers will exhibit the latest updates of the form.
8 p.m. Saturday, April 25. Helzberg Hall. 816-415-5025. hjseries.org. $30-$80.
Parkville Microbrew Fest
Saturday at English Landing Park
An ensemble with the apt name Three Drink Minimum is among the four musical acts that will provide a soundtrack for revelers at the 12th annual Parkville Microbrew Fest on Saturday. More than 60 breweries will offer samples of their suds at the scenic English Landing Park. Regional entries include Defiance Brewing Co. of Hayes, Kan.; Heavy Riff Brewing Co. of St. Louis; Topeka’s Blind Tiger Brewery; and Nebraska Brewing Co. Several home brew clubs will also be represented. Attendees will be provided with “a commemorative logo tasting glass” and “a custom tasting note sheet.”
1-5 p.m. Saturday, April 25. English Landing Park. 816-505-2227. parkvillemicrobrewfest.com. $30 in advance and $35 at the gate.
Asian Cultural Festival
Saturday at Olathe East High School
In bringing representatives of 15 Asian countries together under one roof, organizers of the annual Asian Cultural Festival provide a great service to people who might otherwise have to spend weeks at various locations around the metropolis to replicate a similarly diverse experience. More than a dozen groups will demonstrate their skills on a martial arts stage. Another stage will host yo-yo exhibitions, a violin recital and dance troupes representing the cultures of nations including Laos, India, Vietnam and the Philippines. A third area will provide a forum for pursuits ranging from a yoga presentation to awards ceremonies. Children’s activities and dining options are also available.
11 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Saturday, April 25. Olathe East High School. maacaweb.org. $8 in advance and $10 at the door. Children 15 and under are free.
AIDS Walk
Saturday at Theis Park
One of the city’s most notable charitable traditions, the annual AIDS Walk raises funds for the AIDS Service Foundation of Greater Kansas City. Thousands of people solicit contributions from their friends, neighbors and business associates in a friendly competition to generate the most money. Dozens of participants manage to raise more than $1,000 each. The overall goal of this year’s campaign is $500,000. The theme of Saturday’s event — the 27th edition of the fundraiser — is “We Are Family.” A celebration will follow the 3.5-mile walk. Event organizers say that “we are no more done with HIV/AIDS than HIV/AIDS is done with us”.
9 a.m. Saturday, April 25. Theis Park. 816-931-0959. aidswalkkansascity.org. Free, but walkers are requested to raise funds through advance donations.
Peter Max
Exhibition preview on Saturday at Town Center Plaza
Peter Max was the art world’s equivalent of a rock star in the 1960s. His colorful, psychedelic work helped define the look of the era. Max, 77, remains active. Billed as “a museum-like retrospective of Max’s works,” a showing of old and new paintings opens at Town Center Plaza on Saturday, April 25. Art celebrating the 100th birthday of Frank Sinatra will be displayed alongside items like “Kansas City Cosmic,” a depiction of the Liberty Memorial. Max admirers who make purchases at Saturday’s preview will be escorted to the front of the line to greet the artist upon their return on the following weekend.
A preview will be held on Saturday, April 25. Artist receptions will be held on Saturday, May 2, and Sunday, May 3. 5029 W. 117th St. on the north side of Town Center Plaza. 844-832-8800. roadshowcompany.com. Free, reservations required.
“Philip Haas: The Four Seasons”
Opens Saturday at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
Unsuspecting people passing by the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art are likely to do double-takes as they spot unusual new objects in the Donald J. Hall Sculpture Park on the south lawn of the institution. Placed near the playful shuttlecocks of Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen, and the serene sculptures of Henry Moore are a set of startling figures. The 15-foot busts by Philip Haas are inspired by works painted by Giuseppe Arcimboldo during the Italian Renaissance. Smaller versions of the sculptures are displayed in Kirkwood Hall. Haas’ resume of polarizing works includes his direction of the 1995 film “Angels and Insects.”
Saturday, April 25-Oct. 19. Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. 816-751-1278. nelson-atkins.org. Free.
Neil Diamond
Sunday at the Sprint Center
Neil Diamond’s days as a hit maker may have ended decades ago, but the iconic star never stopped making compelling music. The 2014 album “Melody Road” indicated that Diamond’s distinctive voice and songwriting skills are completely intact. Set lists from Diamond’s current tour show that he’s thrilling audiences with a dazzling survey of his remarkable career. He’s dusting off “I’m a Believer,” his joyous composition that was a 1966 hit for the Monkees, and “Red Red Wine,” which made the British reggae band UB40 global stars in 1983. Sunday’s audience can also count on singing along to “Play Me,” “Cracklin’ Rosie” and “Sweet Caroline.”
8 p.m. Sunday, April 26. Sprint Center. 816-949-7000. sprintcenter.com. $63-$148.
“Village in the City: Inspiring Music for an April Evening”
Sunday at Helzberg Hall
Powered by a large congregation of motivated philanthropists, Village Presbyterian Church orchestrates a tremendous amount of charitable outreach efforts, ranging from a well-stocked food pantry to mission programs. The church’s good deeds also extend to the arts. Sunday’s free concert at Helzberg Hall will showcase the talents of the Village Chamber Choir and Orchestra. Billed as “Inspiring Music for an April Evening,” the program includes Arvo Pärt’s rousing Festina Lente for Strings and Harp, Josef Rheinberger’s dramatic Concerto in G minor for Orchestra and Organ, and Ralph Vaughan Williams’ pleading Dona Nobis Pacem.
7 p.m. Sunday, April 26. Helzberg Hall. 816-994-7200. kauffmancenter.org. Free, tickets required.
Mid America Freedom Band
Sunday in the J.C. Nichols Auditorium at the National World War I Museum at Liberty Memorial
Anyone attracted to Sunday’s concert at J.C. Nichols Auditorium at the National World War I Museum solely by the title of the program is likely to be disappointed. The name of the “Let’s Dance” concert is a deliberate reference to Lady Gaga’s 2008 hit. Most of the music slated to be performed, however, bears little resemblance to pop. The Mid America Freedom Band, “Kansas City’s LGBTA community band,” will interpret works by composers including Clifton Williams, Jean Sibelius, Reinhold Glière and Aaron Copland. The ensemble will also perform a newly commissioned piece written by Derek Jenkins titled “Kolo” based on the folk music of the Balkans.
2 p.m. Sunday, April 26. National World War I Museum at Liberty Memorial. 816-888-8100. freedomband.com. The suggested donation is $10.
This story was originally published April 22, 2015 at 7:00 AM with the headline "This weekend in Kansas City: Music by Neil Diamond, Billy Bob Thornton and Kevin Bacon, tap dancer Savion Glover, Asian Cultural Festival."