KC events Sept. 19-25: Quixotic, Plaza Art Fair, Cindy McCain, ‘Hello, Dolly!’

The Arts Asylum and This Happy Breed will produce “Jesus Christ Superstar” for the 50th anniversary of the Andrew Lloyd Webber-Tim Rice musical loosely based on the final days of Jesus Christ. The opening-night celebration will include dessert, champagne, wine and a chance to meet the cast and production team. Runs through Oct. 12. 816-301-7444. Tickets are $15-$35 ($10-$15 for Sept. 19-21 previews; $50 for Sept. 22 opening night) through theartsasylum.org/jcskc.

You might have walked through the Overland Park Arboretum and Botanical Gardens before, but you’ve never experienced its natural wonders like this. Quixotic’s performers will merge with the twilight landscape as visitors embark on a multimedia journey through the grounds for a performance featuring live music, dance, aerial acrobatics and more. 913-685-3604. Tickets are $20 through artsandrec-op.org/arboretum; $25 at gate.

KC MeltingPot Theatre will present “King Hedley II,” the 1980s portion of August Wilson’s 10-play “The Pittsburgh Cycle,” which examines the African-American experience through the 20th century. “King Hedley II,” considered perhaps Wilson’s darkest play, follows an ex-con in Pittsburgh trying to rebuild his life with dreams of opening a video rental store using money generated from selling stolen refrigerators. Runs through Oct. 5. 816-226-8087. Tickets are $17.25-$27.50 through kcmeltingpot.com.

The city’s biggest annual celebration of art, with about 240 artists occupying nine city blocks in the heart of the Country Club Plaza, annually attracts more than 250,000 attendees. In addition to the thousands of paintings, sculptures and photographs on display and for sale, the 88th annual Plaza Art Fair will provide more than 20 restaurant booths and three music stages. plazaartfair.com. Free.

This benefit concert supporting student scholarships at the Park International Center for Music celebrates the world-class talent at Park ICM, which has no greater ambassador than Kenny Broberg. The piano master’s student was the 2017 Van Cliburn silver medalist and tied for third place in the recent Tchaikovsky International Competition in Moscow, considered one of the major events in international music. Park ICM founder Stanislav Ioudenitch, a former Van Cliburn gold medalist, also will perform, as will many others. Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. 816-584-6484. Tickets are $82 through icm.park.edu.

When you think of Mozart, you don’t usually envision a tale involving the golden age of Hollywood. Lyric Opera’s season opener, “The Abduction from the Seraglio,” features Mozart’s melodies (sung in German, with English subtitles), but the story is updated from the original 18th century opera to the 1930s, when a businessman kidnaps a showgirl and locks her away in his swanky nightclub. Also, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 25 and 27 and 2 p.m. Sept. 29. Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. 816-471-7344. Tickets are $36-$195 through kcopera.org.

With four matches remaining in the regular season, Sporting is very much on the outside looking in when it comes to the playoff race in the Western Conference of Major League Soccer. Seven other teams are battling for the final six playoff spots, and Sporting needs two of them to collapse in the final weeks. Meanwhile, Sporting, which played to a 1-1 draw March 17 at Colorado, must beat the Rapids in this rematch to have even a glimmer of hope of extending its eight-year string of playoff berths. 913-387-3400. Tickets are $38-$73 through sportingkc.com.

The Baltimore Ravens will present the Chiefs, who started the season with two road victories, with a substantial test in their regular-season Arrowhead debut. The Ravens, who went 4-0 in the preseason and are 2-0 in the regular season, won the AFC North last year despite losing 27-24 in overtime at Arrowhead last December. 816-920-9300. Tickets are $150-$450 through chiefs.com.

The concert’s title sounds as if the Kansas City Symphony will be launched into the stratosphere, but that’s the case only figuratively. The symphony will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the moon landing with a musical exploration of the planets and solar system through story, song and symphonic space travel. Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. 816-471-0400. Tickets are $10-$48 through kcsymphony.org.

The widow of John McCain, who has taken on the substantial challenge of promoting greater civility in politics, will speak at the Women’s Foundation’s “We Work for Change” Annual Event. The event coincides with the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment granting women the right to vote and will assemble elected officials, activists and business executives. Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly also will speak. Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. 816-988-2000. Tickets are $150 through womens-foundation.org.

After setting box-office records — and winning the 2017 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical — with the likes of Bernadette Peters and Bette Midler starring during its 2017-18 run on Broadway, “Hello, Dolly!” has gone on tour with the entire creative team of the Broadway production. Three-time Tony Award nominee Carolee Carmello will make her Dolly debut at Starlight. Daniel Beeman, who attended UMKC and performed in several local productions before moving to New York, will play Cornelius. 816-363-7827. Tickets are $14-$145 through kcstarlight.com.

The last time the Atlanta Braves played at Kauffman Stadium was just three years ago, but it seems like another lifetime. In 2016, the then-reigning world champion Royals took two of three games from Atlanta, and Edinson Vólquez and Chien-Ming Wang (where are they now?) were the winning pitchers. The Braves will be preparing for the National League playoffs as the East Division champions. The Royals will have just three more games after this two-game set, concluding the 2019 season Sept. 27-29 at home against Minnesota. 800-676-9257. Tickets are $15-$166 through mlb.com/royals.

Also this week

Classical music and dance

Gracias Christmas Cantata, Sept. 20, Municipal Auditorium. christmascantata.us

Kantorei KC, “Music of the Iberian Peninsula,” Sept. 22, St. Peter’s Church. brownpapertickets.com/event/4314407

Comedy

Carmen Morales, Sept. 19 and 22, Comedy Club of Kansas City. thecomedyclubkc.com

Jessimae Peluso, Sept. 19, Kansas City Improv. improvkc.com

Capone, Sept. 20-21, Kansas City Improv. improvkc.com

Jeff Allen, Sept. 22, Kansas City Improv. improvkc.com

Music (rock, pop, jazz)

Carrie Underwood with Maddie and Tae and Runaway June, Sept. 19, Sprint Center. sprintcenter.com

Deep Purple, Sept. 19, Uptown. uptowntheater.com

Little Steven and The Disciples of Soul, Sept. 19, Knuckleheads. knuckleheadskc.com

Gloria Trevi with Karol G, Sept. 20, Sprint Center. sprintcenter.com

Lee Fields & The Expressions with Neil Francis, Sept. 20, Knuckleheads. knuckleheadskc.com

Logan Mize, Sept. 20, Uptown. uptowntheater.com

Queensryche, Sept. 20, Ameristar. ameristarkansascity.com

The Band That Fell to Earth KC: A Tribute to David Bowie, Sept. 21, Lawrence Arts Center. lawrenceartscenter.org

Greta Van Fleet with Shannon & the Clams, Sept. 21, Starlight. kcstarlight.com

JoJo Siwa with The Belles, Sept. 21, Sprint Center. sprintcenter.com

New Years Day with Ded, Sept. 21, Granada. thegranada.com

Tommy Emmanuel and Joe Robinson, Sept. 21, Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland. arvestbanktheatre.com

Jonas Brothers with Bebe Rexha and Jordan McGraw, Sept. 22, Sprint Center. sprintcenter.com

Los Angeles Azules, Sept. 22, Memoria Hall. ticketmaster.com

Babymetal with Avatar, Sept. 23, Uptown. uptowntheater.com

Gerald Clayton, Sept. 23-24, Lied Center. lied.ku.edu

The Black Keys with Modest Mouse, Sept. 24, Sprint Center. sprintcenter.com

Kamelot, Sept. 24, The Truman. thetrumankc.com

Maggie Rogers, Sept. 24, Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland. arvestbanktheatre.com

Fruit Bats, Sept. 25, RecordBar. therecordbar.com

Visual arts

“Lest We Forget,” Sept. 20-Oct. 6, National WWI Museum and Memorial. theworldwar.org

Unplaza Art Fair, Sept. 21-22, Southmoreland Park. peaceworkskc.org/unplaza

“Etched in Memory,” Sept. 24-March 1, National WWI Museum and Memorial. theworldwar.org

Events/festivals/etc.

Walk a Mile in Her Shoes, Sept. 19, University Playhouse. walkamileinhershoes.org

Autism Speaks Walk KC, Sept. 21, Power & Light District. autismspeaks.org

Festival of the Lost Township, Sept. 21, Downtown Raytown. festivalofthelosttownship.org

Friends of Shawnee Town Arts & Crafts Fair & Fall Festival, Sept. 21, Shawnee Town 1929. shawneetown.org

Troostapalooza, Sept. 21, 30th and Troost. troostapalooza.com

Waldo Fall Festival, Sept. 21, Waldo Area, 75th and Wornall. waldokc.com/event/fall-festival

Book talks/lectures

Madeline Miller for “Circe,” Sept. 19, Unity Temple on the Plaza. rainydaybooks.com

Candace Bushnell for “Is There Still Sex in the City?” Sept. 25, Woodneath Library Center. mymcpl.org or rainydaybooks.com

Sports/recreation

USA BMX Mid America Nationals, Sept. 20-22, Blue Springs BMX Track. usabmx.com

Rugged Maniac, Sept. 21, Snow Creek Ski Area. ruggedmaniac.com/events/kansascity

Food

Grub Crawl. 6-8 p.m. Sept. 21. $30. City Market, 20 E. Fifth. thecitymarket.org, 816-842-1271

Raven’s Nest Winemaker Dinner Series with Antonio Morescalchi of Altos Las Hormigas, Mendoza, Argentina. 6 p.m. Sept. 18. $165. Corvino Supper Club & Tasting Room, 1830 Walnut. corvino.com, 816-832-4564

Farm Table Dinner with chef Aram Reed from Chicago. 6 p.m. Sept. 21. $195. Green Dirt Farm, 19935 Mount Bethel, Weston. greendirtfarm.com, 816-386-2156

Food Truck Frenzy. 4:30-10 p.m. Sept. 21. Lenexa City Center, 87th Street Parkway and Penrose Lane. lenexa.com/foodtruckfrenzy

Brancaia Italian Wine Dinner. Benefits Kick Hunger Challenge. 6:30 p.m. Sept. 24. $75. Michael Smith Private Dining & Events, 1900 Main. extravirginkc.com/events, 816-842-2205

KC Bier Co. Beer Dinner. 5:30 p.m. Sept. 22. $50. Stuey McBrew’s, 321 SE Main, Lee’s Summit. eventbrite.com/event/71559832385

This story was originally published September 17, 2019 at 6:00 AM.