This week in Kansas City: Zombies, NASCAR, the Kansas City Symphony and the Royals in the playoffs

“An Evening with Marilyn Maye and the Kansas City Symphony”

While every appearance by the legendary Marilyn Maye is an event, Thursday’s concert promises to be particularly momentous. After delighting audiences at area festivals, theaters and jazz clubs in recent years, the indomitable cabaret star and her longstanding accompanists pianist Tedd Firth, drummer Jim Eklof, bassist Gerald Spaits and guitarist Rod Fleeman will receive the lavish support of the Kansas City Symphony in her adopted hometown’s most prestigious venue. Maye, 86, continues to display the joyful élan that’s the envy of artists of all ages.

7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 2, Helzberg Hall. 816-471-0400. kcsymphony.org. $35-$75.

Owen/Cox Dance Group, Fall Performance: “A Body of Work”

The graceful athleticism of ballet dancers and the imaginative instruction of the choreographers who guide their movements are the central aspects of modern dance’s appeal. The Owen/Cox Dance Group’s world premiere of “A Body of Work” may alter that perception during three performances at La Esquina. The efforts of five dancers will be accompanied by a combination of music performed by multi-instrumentalist and composer Brad Cox and vocalist Victoria Botero and by the live and “pre-recorded sounds that dancers’ bodies produce when dancing.”

8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 2, 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 4 and 8 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 5, La Esquina. owencoxdance.org. $15 adults, $10 students.

Priest Tyaire presents “Mrs. Independent”

Income disparity continues to be a source of conflict in many relationships. “Mrs. Independent,” a new work by playwright and actor Priest Tyaire, examines a marriage troubled by the materialistic impulses of a highly compensated attorney and her mechanic husband. Robin Givens, the actress best known for her stormy marriage to boxer Mike Tyson, stars as the lawyer displeased by her husband’s modest means. Tyaire plays her humiliated spouse. The touring production also features gospel artist Dottie Peoples and R&B vocalist Christopher Williams.

8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 3, 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 4, Music Hall. ticketmaster.com. $40.50-$49.50.

Gladfest

Affectionately referred to as “Happy Rock” by many of its proud residents, Gladstone is a large community about a dozen miles north of downtown Kansas City. Two days brimming with activities at the annual Gladfest celebration will be preceded by a “red carpet kickoff party” on Thursday and will be followed by Sunday’s 5K walk/run and carnival. Craft booths, camel rides and the carnival are among the attractions on Friday and Saturday. Other highlights include an apple pie contest, a dog show and a parade. The country-rock band County Road 5 performs on Friday and blues-rock musician Samantha Fish headlines the festival on Saturday.

6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 2; 3 p.m. Friday, Oct. 3; 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 4; 7:30 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 5. Gladstone. 816-436-4523. gladstonechamber.com. Free.

Kansas Speedway races

Vehicles won’t be the only source of high volume at Kansas Speedway this weekend. A concert by Drowning Pool, the Texas-based heavy metal band best known for the violent hit “Bodies,” will follow the 150-mile ARCA 98.9 stock car race on Friday (Oct. 3). Country star Joe Nichols will perform prior to Sunday’s (Oct. 5) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race Hollywood Casino 400. His chart-topping hits include “Yeah” and “Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off.” The Kansas Lottery 300, a NASCAR Nationwide Series competition, is Saturday (Oct. 4).

ARCA 98.9: Gates open at 8 a.m., 7:30 p.m. race, Friday, Oct. 3, Kansas Speedway. 866-460-7223. kansasspeedway.com. $9.89.

Kansas Lottery 300: Gates open at 8 a.m., 2:30 p.m. race, Saturday, Oct. 4, Kansas Speedway. $40-$80.

Hollywood Casino 400: Gates open at 8 a.m., 1 p.m. race, Sunday, Oct. 5, Sprint Cup Series, Kansas Speedway. $29-$139.

Great KC Pet Expo

While this weekend’s Great KC Pet Expo will feature plenty of activities and offerings pertaining to traditional animal companions including dogs and cats, Saturday’s Backyard Chicken Roundup will add a fowl twist to the show. Two Iowa-based experts will provide guidance on building and maintaining chicken coops in residential neighborhoods. The Marvelous Mutts, a team of talented dogs rescued from animal shelters, will entertain visitors with athletic routines. Dogs and their owners attending the expo can demonstrate their skills in “ultimate stay” and “leave it” contests.

10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 4, 10 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 5, Overland Park International Trade Center. 515-778-4762. greatkcpetexpo.com. $8 adults, $6 seniors, $5 for members of the military, $4 children 6-12, children under 6 free.

Harvest Moon American Indian Festival

Although it’s designed as a showcase for American Indian artists and musicians, the fourth annual Harvest Moon American Indian Festival will feature a wide variety of goods and entertainment. National performers include the R&B vocal group the Dramatics; Carl Carlton, the soul singer behind the 1982 hit “She’s a Bad Mama Jama”; and Supaman, a Native American rapper from Montana. Ruben Little Head, a graduate of Haskell Indian Nations University and the University of Kansas, will serve as master of ceremonies at the community-oriented event.

Noon Saturday, Oct. 4, and noon Sunday, Oct. 5, Linwood and Troost. 816-216-1188. harvestmoonfestivalkc.com. $10 per day, children 10 and under free.

Zombie Pub Crawl

Area residents who frown upon the antics of the Tech N9ne fans known as Technicians are advised to avoid midtown on Saturday. The Kansas City rapper is one of the headliners of the Zombie Pub Crawl. The application of morbid makeup for the themed event is likely to embolden the bacchanalian behavior of Technicians. A tradition in Minneapolis since 2005, the inaugural Kansas City edition of “the world’s greatest undead party” is an impressive music festival that features more than two dozen acts on eight stages. Tech N9ne, the notoriously lewd rap group 2 Live Crew, the groundbreaking DJ and producer Peanut Butter Wolf and the metal band the Devil Wears Prada are among the performers.

4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 4, Westport district. zombiepubcrawl.com. $20-$50.

Royals vs. Angels, Major League Baseball postseason playoffs

The winner-take-all wild card game between the Kansas City Royals and the Oakland A's that opened Major League Baseball's postseason on Tuesday was so dramatic that the remainder of the playoffs threaten to seem anticlimactic. The lengthy contest's twists and turns left the Royals' long-suffering fan base deliriously happy. The Royal's first post-season appearance since 1985 resumes with a best-of-five series against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. After two games in California, the teams will play the third and (if necessary) fourth game in Kansas City on Sunday and Monday. The Angels racked up more regular season wins than any team in baseball in 2014, but Tuesday's spellbinding contest proved that anything is possible.

7:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 5, and (time TBA) Monday, Oct. 6,. Kauffman Stadium. 1-800-676-9257. kcroyals.com. The face value of tickets ranges from $62 to $450.

Adam Tanner for “What Stays in Vegas: The World of Personal Data and the End of Privacy as We Know It”

Anyone alarmed when a social media site like Facebook displays advertisements based on their recent web browsing history will be fascinated by Adam Tanner’s disturbing “What Stays in Vegas: The World of Personal Data and the End of Privacy as We Know It.” Tanner’s examination of the extensive data mining employed by casino operator Caesars Entertainment serves as a case study about the ways in which corporations obtain and apply information about customers through tools ranging from loyalty cards to surveillance cameras. Tanner will discuss his unsettling findings Tuesday at the Central Library.

6:30 p.m. Oct. 7, Central Library. 816-701-3400. kclibrary.org. Free.

“Mamma Mia!”

“Mamma Mia!” remains a commercial juggernaut 15 years after it opened in London. The jukebox musical reconfigures the indefatigable hits of the Swedish pop group Abba in the theatrical production about the complexities of romance. “Mamma Mia!” has the ability to unite members of multiple generations, and that’s at the core of the show’s ongoing success. Older audience members who recall their kids listening to “SOS” in 1975 and people who heard “Dancing Queen” at school dances in 1976 can bond with their children and grandchildren as they sing along to Abba’s timeless pop songs.

7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 7, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 8, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 9, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 10, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 11, 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 12, Music Hall. 800-745-3000. theaterleague.com/kansascity. $26-$71.

This story was originally published October 1, 2014 at 11:19 AM with the headline "This week in Kansas City: Zombies, NASCAR, the Kansas City Symphony and the Royals in the playoffs."