Kansas City events Feb. 13-19: Negro Leagues 100th Anniversary, ‘Swan Lake’

As part of the 100-year celebration of the forming of the Negro Leagues at the Paseo YMCA, a Centennial Art Exhibition by artist Graig Kreindler will present 200 portraits of Negro League baseball greats. The exhibition will run through May 31, and the anniversary celebration will conclude Nov. 14 with a Centennial Gala held in conjunction with Buck O’Neil’s 109th birthday celebration. 816-221-1920. Tickets for opening reception are $100 through nlbm.com.

Formerly known for posting risqué photos of herself on social media as well as hosting Playboy TV’s “Undercover” and occasionally doing her stand-up act wearing a bikini, Kate Quigley has backed off from promoting such a sexy image. The Ohio native with several TV acting gigs to her credit hosts the podcast “#DateFails” and has been performing at comedy clubs around the nation. 816-326-8776. Tickets are $10-$25 through thecomedyclubkc.com.

About 55 photographs of boxing champion Muhammad Ali, most of which were never published, will be on view in this exhibition. The photographs originated with two in-depth assignments Gordon Parks, a native of Fort Scott, Kansas, shot for Life magazine. They capture the early chapters in the life of the fighter during a time both men faced prejudice and bigotry. Runs through July 5. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday-Monday and Wednesday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Thursday-Friday. 816-751-1278. nelson-atkins.org. Free.

Damon Wayans is one of the funniest Wayans brothers, which means he’s also one of the funniest people on the planet. He started doing stand-up comedy in 1982, appeared in his first movie (“Beverly Hills Cop”) in 1984 and has been a comic stalwart ever since. Wayans was fired after less than one season as a featured player on “Saturday Night Live,” but that turned into a blessing because he went on to help create the ground-breaking “In Living Color” and later starred in “My Wife and Kids.” 816-759-5233. Tickets are $40-$50 through improvkc.com.

What could be more romantic than ballet on Valentine’s Day? “Swan Lake,” one of the world’s most recognized ballets, will return to Kansas City after breaking box office records in 2016. The love story featuring a score by Tchaikovsky involves a wicked sorcerer who turns the beautiful Princess Odette into a swan. His spell can be broken only if a young prince pledges his love and marries her. Runs through Feb. 23. Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. 816-931-8993. Tickets are $34-$134 through kcballet.org.

The Kansas City Symphony will have a busy weekend. First it and a full rock band will play Pink Floyd hits such as “Money,” “Another Brick in the Wall” and “Comfortably Numb.” Then it will join Leslie Odom Jr., who won a Tony Award for his role in “Hamilton,” for jazz standards and Broadway favorites. Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. 816-471-0400. Tickets are $70-$95 and $45-$125 through kcsymphony.org.

KC MeltingPot Theatre will present Lorraine Hansberry’s classic “A Raisin in the Sun,” which became the first play written by a black woman to be produced on Broadway when it debuted in 1959. The drama that the New York Drama Critics’ Circle named its best play of 1959 portrays a brief period in the lives of the Youngers, an African American family living on Chicago’s South Side in the 1950s. Runs through Feb. 29. 816-226-8087. Tickets are $17.25-$27.50 through kcmeltingpot.com.

Rodney Carrington might be the only comedian who has released a greatest hits album with a full disc of his original music. The Texan combines comedy with country music, and the formula has worked for more than 20 years as he has consistently been one of the top 10 highest-grossing touring comics. Carrington also starred in his own TV sitcom, “Rodney” on ABC, and co-wrote and co-starred with Toby Keith in the film “Beer for My Horses.” 816-414-7000. Tickets are $60-$79 through ameristarkansascity.com.

A national touring company will bring the stage adaptation of the 1951 Academy Award-winning Gene Kelly movie to town for two shows. “An American in Paris” wasn’t turned into a musical until 2014, opening on Broadway in 2015 and winning four Tony Awards. Songs include George and Ira Gershwin classics “I Got Rhythm,” “The Man I Love” and “They Can’t Take That Away from Me.” Johnson County Community College. 913-469-4445. Tickets are $20-$125 through jccc.edu/carlsen-center-presents.

Based on a 1977 children’s book by Harry G. Allard Jr., the Theatre for Young America production of “Miss Nelson is Missing” focuses on the antics of a classroom full of misbehaving students. When their teacher, the congenial, long-suffering Miss Nelson, goes missing and is replaced by the scary Viola Swamp, the students set out to find Miss Nelson. Runs through Feb. 29. 816-460-2083. Tickets are $12 through unionstation.org or tya.org.

Award-winning filmmaker and photographer Andy Mann, who has journeyed from rock climber to ocean storyteller, will present “From Summit to Sea” as part of National Geographic Live. Mann follows scientists to some of the most extreme locations on the planet, spending more than 100 days a year at sea to tell stories about our rapidly changing planet. Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. 816-994-7222. Tickets are $22-$67 through kauffmancenter.org.

Blending Chinese music with high-tech special effects and acrobatic feats, The Peking Acrobats create the festive pageantry of a Chinese Carnival. They are experts at trick-cycling, precision tumbling, juggling, somersaulting and gymnastics as they push the limits of human ability with amazing displays of contortion, flexibility and control. 785-864-2787. Tickets are $11-$30 through lied.ku.edu.

Brian Torosian, Feb. 14, Country Club Christian Church. kansascityguitarsociety.org

Aristo Sham, Feb. 15, Folly. hjseries.org

Russian National Ballet, “Don Quixote,” Feb. 16, Lied Center. lied.ku.edu

Free Symphony Happy Hour Concert, “Fabulously French,” Feb. 18, Kauffman Center. kcsymphony.org

“Love … And Other Crazy Ideas,” Feb. 13-23, Metropolitan Ensemble Theatre. metkc.org

“How I Learned What I Learned,” Black Repertory Theatre of Kansas City, Feb. 14-29, Plexpod Westport Commons. brtkc.org

“Merry Wives of Windsor,” Feb. 14-March 1, Olathe Civic Theatre. olathetheatre.org

“Mrs. Krishnan’s Party,” Feb. 14-16, Johnson County Arts & Heritage Center. jccc.edu/carlsen-center-presents

Burlesque Downtown Underground, “Addicted to Love,” Feb. 15, Opera House. kcburlesque.com

“Little Red Riding Hood: A Newfangled Prairie Tale,” Feb. 18-March 8, Mesner Puppet Theater. mesnerpuppets.org

Doug Thompson, Feb. 13, Kansas City Improv. improvkc.com

Mike Saccone, Feb. 13-15, Clint’s Comedy Stop. clintscomedystop.com

Truth in Comedy, Feb. 15, Bunker Center for the Arts. truthincomedy.com

Franco Harris, Matt Bellak and Tim Hanlon, Feb. 19, Kansas City Improv. improvkc.com

Excision, Feb. 13, Silverstein Eye Centers Arena. silversteineyecentersarena.com

Roddy Ricch, Feb. 13, Uptown. libertyhall.net

Dustin Lynch with Travis Denning, Feb. 14, Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland. arvestbanktheatre.com

Jimmy Webb, Feb. 14, Knuckleheads. knuckleheadskc.com

John Fullbright, Feb. 14, Knuckleheads. knuckleheadskc.com

King Princess, Feb. 14, The Truman. thetrumankc.com

Blunts and Blondes, Feb. 15, Granada. thegranada.com

Cosmic Country Ball, Feb. 15, VooDoo. voodookc.com

Tyrese with Joe, Ginuwine, Avant and Brownstone, Feb. 15, Sprint Center. sprintcenter.com

William Duvall, Feb. 15, RecordBar. therecordbar.com

Poppy, Feb. 17, Liberty Hall. libertyhall.net

Martin Sexton, Feb. 18, Knuckleheads. knuckleheadskc.com

Matoma and Two Friends, Feb. 18, Granada. thegranada.com

Chris Thile, Feb. 19, Lied Center. lied.ku.edu

Eric Johnson, Feb. 19, Madrid. madridtheatre.com

The High Kings, Feb. 19, Drexel Hall. irishcenterkc.org

Mid-Winter Art Fair, Feb. 14-16, Ward Parkway Center. wardparkwaycenter.com

Kansas City Comic Book Convention, Feb. 15, VFW Post No. 7397, Lenexa. epguides.com/comics

Kansas City Golf Show, Feb. 15-17, Overland Park Convention Center. kansascitygolfshow.com

“True Justice” screening, Feb. 18, National Archives. archives.gov/kansas-city

Diane Rehm for “When My Time Comes: Conversations About Whether Those Who Are Dying Should Have the Right to Determine When Life Should End,” Feb. 18, Kansas City Public Library-Plaza Branch. kclibrary.org or rainydaybooks.com

Kansas City Mavericks (hockey) vs. Utah, Feb. 14-15. Silverstein Eye Centers Arena. kcmavericks.com

Kansas City Comets (indoor soccer) vs. St. Louis, Feb. 16. Silverstein Eye Centers Arena. cometsindoorsoccer.com

KC Challenge and WAKO USA Nationals, Feb. 14-15, Hy-Vee Arena. wakousa.org

JamFest, Feb. 15-16, Hy-Vee Arena. varsity.com/jf

Valentine’s Day Menu. Feb. 14. $80; wine pairings $30. Affäre Restaurant, 1911 Main. affarekc.com, 816-298-6182

Taqueria Vegana plant-based dinner for Valentine’s Day. 6 and 8 p.m. Feb. 14. $75. The Bite, 23 E. Third. eventbrite.com/event/91261107429

Valentine’s Day three-course dinner. 5:30, 7 and 8:30 p.m. Feb. 14. $85; wine pairings $50. Valentine’s Tea. 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Feb. 15. $17-$50. Bluestem, 900 Westport. bluestemkc.com, 816-561-1101

Valentine’s Day Chef’s Table Dinner. 6-9 p.m. Feb. 14. $75-$135. Lenexa Public Market, 8750 Penrose, Lenexa. lenexapublicmarket.com, 913-477-7516

Valentine’s Day. 4-11 p.m. Feb. 14. $75; wine pairings $40. The Restaurant at 1900, 1900 Shawnee Mission Parkway, Mission Woods. therestaurantat1900.com, 913-730-1900

Valentine’s Eve soiree. 7 p.m. Feb. 13. $30. Restless Spirits Distilling Company, 109 E. 18th, North Kansas City. eventbrite.com/event/90984122961

Valentine Pairing for Two. Feb. 13. $80. Seasons 52 Fresh Grill, 340 Ward Parkway. seasons52.com, 816-531-0052

Intercourses: An Aphrodisiac Dinner Valentine’s Day 2020. 6-9 p.m. Feb. 14. $45. Soiree Steak & Oyster House, 1512 E. 18th. soireekc.com or eventbrite.com/event/89646030691, 816-214-5706

Valentine’s Day Prix Fixe Dinner. Feb. 14. $125; wine pairings $65. Story, 3931 W. 69th Terrace, Prairie Village. storykc.com, 913-236-9955

Love at First Bite Menu. Feb. 14-15. $79. Sullivan’s Steakhouse, 4501 W. 119th, Leawood. sullivanssteakhouse.com/leawood, 913-345-0800

Valentine Dinner Series. 5 p.m. Feb. 14. $80. Webster House, 1664 Wyandotte. websterhousekc.com, 816-221-4713

This story was originally published February 11, 2020 at 12:21 AM.