Things to do around Kansas City: New musical, Eddie Griffin, Wilco, dancing brothers
The new Unity Performing Arts Center will present a new musical, “Broke Open,” this weekend.
Television, movie and theater veteran Greta Ogelsby and Grammy- and Emmy-winning soprano Sarah Tannehill Anderson will star in a staged reading with musical performances. It will run 7 p.m. Aug. 12-13, 2 and 7 p.m. Aug. 14, 3 p.m. Aug. 15.
Written by Keith Andrews with music by Andrews and Robert Pherigo, “Broke Open” is set in 1960s Alabama and follows a friendship between two college students of different races and the effect it has on their families.
The performances will benefit the Unity Performing Arts Center, which is housed in a former theater space in the basement of Unity Temple on the Plaza. Because of the pandemic, seating will be limited with masks and proof of vaccination required.
Tickets are $20 at brokeopen.com.
Other theater
▪ “Rabbit Hole,” Smet Theatrics, 7 p.m. Aug. 12-14, Culture House ($15-$16). culturehouse.getmytix.net.
▪ “Frankenstein,” Theatre for Young America, noon and 7 p.m. Aug. 13 and 2 p.m. Aug. 14-15, City Stage ($10-$12). tya.org.
▪ “Newsies,” 8:30 p.m. Aug. 13-15, Gladstone Theatre in the Park (free). gladstonetip.com.
Music
▪ Wilco and Sleater-Kinney with Nnamdï, 7 p.m. Aug. 12, GrindersKC; moved from Arvest Bank Theatre at The Midland ($35-$87.50). axs.com.
▪ All Time Low with The Maine and Grayscale, 8 p.m. Aug. 13, Kansas City Live! ($20-$85) powerandlightdistrict.com.
▪ Webbie, 10 p.m. Aug. 13, Blvd Nights ($40-$100). eventbrite.com.
▪ William Clark Green, 10:30 p.m. Aug. 13, Knuckleheads ($29.50). knuckleheadskc.com.
▪ The Floozies with Emancipator, 5 p.m. Aug. 14, GrindersKC ($27.50-$75). grinderskc.com.
▪ Mike Zito’s Big Damn Band with Tito Jackson, 7 p.m. Aug. 14, Knuckleheads ($25). knuckleheadskc.com.
▪ Soul Asylum with Local H, 8 p.m. Aug. 15, RecordBar ($30). therecordbar.com.
▪ Corey Taylor with Cherry Bombs, 7 p.m. Aug. 17, GrindersKC ($39.50-$75). grinderskc.com.
More entertainment
▪ For runners seeking fun rather than competition, the Beer & Bagel Run will be a “4(ish)-mile” event at the National Agricultural Center and Hall of Fame, 9 a.m. Aug. 14 ($45). beerandbagel.com.
▪ “Origins: Collecting to Create the Nelson-Atkins” will open Aug. 14 at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, runs through March 6, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday-Monday and 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Thursday ($18, includes two other featured exhibitions). nelson-atkins.org.
▪ Eddie Griffin, who got his comedy start at the old Sanford and Sons Comedy Club, will return to his hometown for a show at the Uptown Theater, 7 p.m. Aug. 14 ($39.50-$77). uptowntheater.com.
▪ Brothers Maks and Val Chmerkovskiy of “Dancing With the Stars” will bring their Stripped Down Tour to the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, 7 p.m. Aug. 15 ($52.19-$74.31). kauffmancenter.org.
▪ The monthlong celebration of Kansas City native Charlie Parker’s 101st birthday will move to the Tivoli Theater at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art for “Bird 101: The Art of Charlie Parker in Kansas City,” which will include a screening of “Bird: Not Out of Nowhere” and a panel discussion, 5:30 p.m. Aug. 17 ($5). spotlightcharlieparker.org.
Hybrid event
▪ KC Baroque will perform “Moliere’s Versailles” with limited seating at the Visitation Catholic Church and via livestreaming, 7:30 p.m. Aug. 13 ($22-$40). kcbaroque..org.
