Kansas City events Jan. 2-8: E-Sports Expo, ‘Night, Mother,’ Todd McComas

Prior Productions’ website says it seeks to “give an outlet to college-aged young performers to explore all aspects of the theatrical canon.” The website also says the local company was conceived to “focus on presenting little seen work by undervalued playwrights.” Tennessee Williams’ “A Streetcar Named Desire” hardly falls into that category, but Prior will present the classic drama nonetheless. 816-654-5473. www.priorproductions.org. $10-$15.

Local comedian Mike Baldwin, whose website says he has been “making people laugh for almost 20 years,” has made a name for himself around the nation. He won the 2010 Trial by Laughter Comedy Competition in Indianapolis and the 2011 Seattle International Comedy Competition, and he finished third in the San Francisco Comedy Competition in 2007. 816-326-8776. Tickets are $10-$20 through thecomedyclubkc.com.

The Kemper Teen Arts Council offers a variety of free programming specifically for teens throughout the year, and the first event of 2020 will be special. Designed for youths ages 13-18, Teen Night at the Kemper Museum invites young partygoers to dress in 1920s-inspired outfits and enjoy artmaking, food, music and more. 816-753-5784. kemperart.org. Free; reservations required.

Now that e-sports have attained standing in the worlds of professional and college athletics, it makes sense that they would have an expo dedicated to them. KCEX is designed for video gamers ranging from novices to tournament champions. It will include tournaments for “Call of Duty,” “Fortnite,” “Smash Bros.,” “Cross Up” and “Rocket League,” as well as casual gaming, dancing and panels. Tickets are $10-$75 through kcex.info.

Alexa Morgan will play the title role and Ryan Russell will portray Bert amid a cast of dozens for the Music Theatre Kansas City production of “Mary Poppins.” The musical, based on the books by P.L. Travers and the classic 1964 Disney film, opened on Broadway in 2006. It received nominations for seven Tony Awards, including best musical, and ran for more than 2,500 performances. 913-341-8156. Tickets are $8-$15 through mtkc.org.

For those who might have missed the news, after closing its doors in Westport in April, the Tivoli Cinemas have opened operations in the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, with movie showings several times a week. “Pain and Glory,” a Spanish drama starring Antonio Banderas as a film director in physical decline, has been nominated for two Golden Globe Awards and is Time magazine’s best movie of 2019. 816-751-1278. nelson-atkins.org/tivoli. $7-$10.

When you’re a former Marine who has spent 21 years as a detective for the Indiana State Police, mostly undercover in the drug-enforcement section, the next natural career move is to become a comedian. At least it was for Todd McComas. In addition to stand-up, McComas is host of the “Heartland Radio 2.0” podcast, a cast member on “The Pat McAfee Show 2.0” sports podcast and a regular guest on “The Bob & Tom Show.” 816-759-5233. Tickets are $17-$47 through improvkc.com.

Libbie Higgins regularly performs at comedy clubs in her native St. Louis and at the Improv Shop with her improv team “Group Shower.” She is co-host of the “Slop City” podcast with Tina Dybal, who will also perform at The Rino, a North Kansas City night spot, as will local comedy favorites Jack Merrywell and Maeret Lemons. 816-800-4699. Tickets are $15 through therinokc.com; $20 at door.

The Music in the American Wild project is unique in that it creates new music that celebrates the people, places and ideas that have helped shape American history and culture. Its American Wild Ensemble will perform commissioned pieces during a trip to Hawaii in February, and this free event will serve as a preview for those works. 913-314-7544. musicintheamericanwild.com. Free.

The Bon Ton Soul Accordion Band, known for playing songs with explicit lyrics and funky grooves, filled area venues in the 1980s and ’90s before retiring in 2001. After a 13-year hiatus, the zydeco band re-formed in 2014 and now plays regularly at the Riot Room. This kickoff of the new year will also provide a chance to buy the new Bon Ton book, “Taint Nuthin’ But A Party, Ya’ll.” 816-442-8179. bontonsoulaccordionband.com or theriotroom.com. $10.

Author KelLee Parr will appear for his book, “Mansion on a Hill: The Story of The Willows Maternity Sanitarium and the Adoption Hub of America,” as part of Missouri Valley Sundays. Parr’s grandmother was among thousands of infants adopted through The Willows, a Kansas City facility that took in unwed mothers for 64 years before closing in 1969. 816-701-3400. kclibrary.org. Free.

Kansas City Actors Theatre will kick off 2020 with Marsha Norman’s “’Night, Mother,” which premiered in 1983 and won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama that year. The story about a daughter and her mother who has been driven to her breaking point was turned into a 1986 moving starring Sissy Spacek and Anne Bancroft. KCAT’s version will star Jan Rogge and Cinnamon Schultz. Runs through Jan. 26. 816-235-6222. Tickets are $22-$47 ($22-$37 for Jan. 8-10 previews) through kcactors.org.

This story was originally published December 31, 2019 at 7:00 AM with the headline "Kansas City events Jan. 2-8: E-Sports Expo, ‘Night, Mother,’ Todd McComas."