This weekend in Kansas City: ‘Urinetown: The Musical!’, First Friday in the Crossroads, and the Kansas International Film Festival

Actors directly address the audience during “Too Much Exposition,” one of many hilarious songs in “Urinetown: The Musical!” A character named Little Sally notes that “a bad title … could kill a show pretty good.” She also questions the musical’s “bad subject matter” and “absurd” premise. Little Sally’s skepticism isn’t shared by critics. The initial Broadway show won Tony Awards in the categories of Best Original Score, Best Book of a Musical and Best Direction of a Musical in 2002. Amusing critiques of capitalism and an affectionate spoof of the absurdities of musical productions continue to resonate with audiences. Musical Theatre Heritage’s staging stars Don Richard, a veteran actor who’s familiar to theater lovers in New York and Kansas City.

Thursday, Nov. 5-Sunday, Nov. 22, Musical Theatre Heritage. 816-221-6987. mthkc.com. $17-$55.

Partly because the Midwest lacks majestic mountains and beautiful ocean views, the dramatic scenery overhead tends to inspire its residents. Four keen observers of weather in the middle of the country — Jay Antle, a professor of history at Johnson County Community College; television weatherman Joe Lauria; poet Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg; and photographer and videographer Stephen Locke — will discuss the region’s extreme weather on Thursday. Locke and Mirriam-Goldberg are the authors of “Chasing Weather: Tornadoes, Tempests and Thunderous Skies in Word and Image.” The presentation is billed as “a virtual storm chase through photography, videos, poetry and stories.”

7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 5. Hudson Auditorium at the Nerman Museum. 913-469-8500. jccc.edu/events/2015/11/storm-chasing.html. Free.

Celebrity astronauts and famous NASA engineers seem like relics of a distant era. A few members of the exclusive club survive. Gene Kranz, 82, whose place in the popular imagination was underscored by Ed Harris’ portrayal of him in the 1995 film “Apollo 13,” will speak at Unity Temple on the Plaza on Thursday. The creativity and grace under pressure that Kranz displayed when the 1970 mission went awry continues to inspire new generations of engineers and scientists, and his insistence that NASA’s staff be “tough and competent” altered the organization’s culture. Kranz documented his extensive career in his autobiography “Failure Is Not an Option: Mission Control From Mercury to Apollo 13 and Beyond.”

6:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 5. Unity Temple on the Plaza. 816-926-8753. lindahall.org. Free, online reservations are required.

Soccer fans will converge on Independence to catch the home opener of the Missouri Comets. The indoor soccer team plays in the Major Arena Soccer League. The Comets concluded the previous regular season with 20 consecutive wins before falling to the Baltimore Blast in the playoffs. The off-season signing of Kevin Ten Eyck, a former rookie of the year while playing for a professional franchise in Wichita, might help the team retain that winning form. The Comets also picked up Boris Pardo, a former Major League Soccer goalkeeper.

7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6. Silverstein Eye Centers Arena. 855-452-4625. cometsindoorsoccer.com. $15-$45.

Scarves and caps rather than sunglasses and flip-flops are among the preferred accessories at First Friday celebrations during the chilly months. A wide range of artistic endeavors on display makes the November edition of First Friday particularly appealing. An exhibition titled “Sign of the Times: The Great American Political Poster, 1844-2012” opens at the Mid-America Arts Alliance (2018 Baltimore Ave.). Viewers may able to glean new insights about the evolution of politics as they examine posters from the Polk-Clay to the Obama-Romney presidential campaigns. A ceramic “Empty Bowls Across America” fundraiser at ArtsTech (1522 Holmes St.) is among the other compelling events on Friday.

Friday, Nov. 6. Crossroads Arts District. 816-994-7313. kccrossroads.org. Free.

Viewers of the 2012 film “Cloud Atlas” might have reasonably assumed that the drama starring Halle Berry and Tom Hanks was the imaginative concoction of a Hollywood screenwriter. The movie was actually based on David Mitchell’s 2004 novel. Mitchell is the rare experimental author who has achieved popularity in spite of his penchant for nonlinear narratives. “Slade House” is the latest in the British writer’s series of interconnected works. The book’s publisher describes “Slade House” as an “intricately woven novel (that) will pull you into a reality-warping new vision of the haunted house story.” A daring writer with an unconventional life, Mitchell is an amusing public speaker.

7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6. Unity Temple on the Plaza. 913-384-3126. rainydaybooks.com. $26 plus tax, includes an autographed hardcover copy of “Slade House.”

Ice skating at Crown Center Square is one of Kansas City’s signature winter traditions. The activity has become an even more enticing proposition in recent years. Experienced skaters may be content to gracefully glide across the ice, but the activity is fraught with peril for novice and infrequent skaters. Sore leg muscles and aching hindquarters can temper the enthusiasm of many people who hit the ice. That’s why new Crown Center attractions are especially welcome. Knowing that Legoland and Sea Life Aquarium are mere steps away may transform skating expeditions into more rounded experiences. Crown Center’s many dining options, theaters and shops further enhance the destination’s appeal.

Friday, Nov. 6 to mid-March. Crown Center Square. 816-274-8411. crowncenter.com. $6, free for skaters who are older than 60 or 4 and younger. Skate rentals are $3.

With purveyors of coffee seemingly proliferating more quickly than a caffeine aficionado can consume an espresso, this weekend’s Caffeine Crawl offers a handy introduction to several coffee-oriented establishments. Ten routes — transportation options include buses, bikes and individual driving — will guide curious coffee lovers to several new destinations. With a goal of “fostering relationships between the public and local specialty shops and manufacturers,” the Caffeine Crawl allows participants to interact with the owners of local shops and roasteries. Sites on the tours range from lesser-known locations like Headrush Roasters Coffee & Tea to more familiar favorites like Parisi Artisan Coffee.

Various times and locations on Friday, Nov. 6, Saturday, Nov. 7, and Sunday, Nov. 8. 816-679-2474. caffeinecrawl.com/kansas-city---fall.html. $25-$35.

The images flickering across screens at the Glenwood Arts Theatre represent only a portion of the attraction of the Kansas International Film Festival. The annual event allows audiences to interact with filmmakers, actors and musicians. A showing of two short jazz-related films by Tony Ladesich will be augmented by a performance by the Grand Marquis, a retro swing band. Several of the people responsible for “The House on Pine Street,” a haunted-house thriller shot in Kansas City, will attend a screening of their film. Justin Roberts, who is behind a film billed as “the first theatrical documentary by an active-duty soldier,” will be present when “No Greater Love” is featured.

Friday, Nov. 6-Thursday, Nov. 12. Glenwood Arts Theatre. 913-642-1133. kansasfilm.com. Festival passes are $70. Individual tickets are $8.50 and $7 for 60 and older. Individual matinee tickets for showings before 5 p.m. are $6.50. Individual tickets for showings between 5 and 6 p.m. are $6.75.

Witchcraft, water goblins and the romanticism of death sound like the subjects of an overwrought heavy-metal song. The melodrama of Antonín Dvořák’s opera “Rusalka” might be considered an antecedent of the abrasive form of rock. Ellie Dehn, a New York-based soprano who has performed at major opera houses in Rome, Milan, Munich and San Francisco, stars in the title role as a naive water nymph. Her suitor is portrayed by Russian tenor Maxim Aksenov. The opera will be sung in the original Czech, an artistically pure decision made easier by the seatback subtitle monitors in Muriel Kauffman Theatre. Eric Simonson will direct the ambitious production.

7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 11, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 13, 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 15. Muriel Kauffman Theatre. 816-471-7344. kcopera.org. $39-$169. $9 for children 18 and younger.

The Harry S. Truman Library and Museum will waive its usual admission fees on Sunday. Even so, the special events planned for the Fourth Annual Ike Skelton Veterans Day Ceremony are so compelling that visitors may opt to give the facility only a cursory glance. Hungry guests will line up at the “free chow line.” Others will inspect the new and old military vehicles on display. Joseph L. Galloway will deliver the keynote address. The veteran journalist is the author of “We Were Soldiers Once … And Young,” a book about the Vietnam War on which the 2002 Mel Gibson film is based. The Heart of America Commemorative Air Force will conduct a flyover in vintage aircraft. Entertainers include the World War II-era themed Star Spangled Betties.

noon-5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 8. Harry S. Truman Library and Museum. 816-268-8200. trumanlibraryinstitute.org/events/veteransday. Free.

Before the Internet raised the self-awareness of entertainers, hucksters and proselytizers, countless television broadcasts and low-budget videos were loaded with odd, disturbing and unintentionally hilarious content. The people behind “Everything Is Terrible!” are dedicated to uncovering and compiling cringe-worthy videos. A recent compilation of found footage promises to take viewers on “a journey so mystical, so magical and so mind-splitting that all concepts before its existence sound stupid and boring.” Live presentations of “Everything Is Terrible!” feature screenings of unaccountably awful videos that are supplemented by the deployment of correspondingly tasteless “props, puppets, sets and costumes.”

7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 9. RecordBar. 816-753-5207. therecordbar.com. $10.

An appearance by Chelsea Clinton at UMKC in 2014 made national news when The Washington Post reported in June that the institution paid Clinton $65,000 for a 10-minute speech, a 20-minute question-and-answer session and 30 minutes of posing for photos. Tuesday’s event at Unity Temple on the Plaza is less likely to initiate controversy. Clinton’s new book, “It’s Your World: Get Informed, Get Inspired & Get Going!” is designed to motivate children and teenagers to actively confront issues related to topics including poverty, education, health, gender equality, climate change and endangered species. Clinton cites the charitable work of other youth to inspire readers.

7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 10. Unity Temple on the Plaza. 913-384-3126. rainydaybooks.com. $18.99 plus tax, includes one hardcover copy of “It’s Your World: Get Informed, Get Inspired & Get Going!”

People seeking an evening of escapist entertainment are advised to steer clear of Unity Temple on the Plaza on Wednesday. During an era in which even brief interruptions to electricity, cable or Internet services are greeted with anguished howls of outrage, a complete outage of connective services represents a cataclysmic nightmare. Veteran television journalist Ted Koppel speculates on the possibility of an enemy of the United States using “the Internet as a weapon of mass destruction” in a cyber-attack that would wipe out the country’s power grid in his new book “Lights Out: A Cyberattack, a Nation Unprepared, Surviving the Aftermath.” He’ll discuss the grim scenario with Vivien Jennings of Rainy Day Books on Wednesday.

7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 11. Unity Temple on the Plaza. 913-384-3126. rainydaybooks.com. $26, includes one autographed copy of “Lights Out: A Cyberattack, a Nation Unprepared, Surviving The Aftermath.”

This story was originally published November 4, 2015 at 4:00 AM with the headline "This weekend in Kansas City: ‘Urinetown: The Musical!’, First Friday in the Crossroads, and the Kansas International Film Festival."