This weekend in Kansas City: ‘Star Trek’ at the Symphony, Gladys Knight and the O’Jays, Chris Hardwick, Doris Kearns Goodwin and Bill Moyers

By featuring the 2009 reboot of “Star Trek” in its “Screenland at the Symphony” series, the Kansas City Symphony is appealing directly to the young technocrats who are likely to be a big part of the next generation of Symphony supporters. The selection of the movie to pair with a live performance is more than a savvy marketing decision, though. Michael Giacchino composed a vigorous soundtrack that’s worthy of comparisons to John Williams’ work for “Star Wars.” Butch Rigby of Screenland Theatres gives the concerts the hard sell in a promotional video: “This was a 2009 movie, so they had every bit of the technology at their fingertips, but no one, no filmmaker, no technician, no computer can ever re-create the sound of a symphony.”

7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 12, and Saturday, Nov. 14. Helzberg Hall. 816-471-0400. kcsymphony.org. $60-$85.

Chris Hardwick is the unofficial emperor of the geek kingdom. As the founder and CEO of Nerdist, Hardwick oversees a “digital media empire” that explores “the nerd fabric of today’s pop-culture landscape.” Through his influential podcast and blog, Hardwick acts as an arbiter of what’s cool among his admirers. His frequent TV appearances have also familiarized millions of viewers with his geeky sensibility: He hosts “Talking Dead,” the talk show companion of zombie apocalypse series “The Walking Dead,” and “@midnight,” a nightly program on Comedy Central. Hardwick is reminding fans of his roots in standup comedy on his Funcomfortable Tour.

8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 13. Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland. 816-283-9921. midlandkc.com. $37.50.

Diana Ross doesn’t have anything on Gladys Knight. Born two months apart in 1944, Ross and Knight found fame with Motown Records. While Ross’ voice is an airy whisper, Knight is a powerhouse vocalist. Her vehement declamations on hits like “Midnight Train to Georgia” and “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” are among pop music highlights of the last century. The contributions of the O’Jays are just as momentous. Timeless classics “Love Train,” the acidic “Backstabbers” and the funk staple “For the Love of Money” helped define the Philadelphia sound of the 1970s. Saturday’s outstanding double bill will temporarily transform the Music Hall into the city’s most jubilant dance club.

8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14. Music Hall. 800-653-8000. ticketmaster.com. $59-$125.

Brigham Young University’s football team silenced almost 90,000 fans of the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Sept. 5. A successful Hail Mary pass in the final play of the game spoiled Nebraska’s home opener at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln. BYU upended a ranked Boise State team the following week. Even though subsequent games have proven that BYU is fallible, the team represents a formidable challenge for the Missouri Tigers. Off-field events — the team’s threat to boycott the game and the antics of suspended quarterback Maty Mauk — have shifted focus away from the Tigers’ on-field prospects. Saturday’s contest will allow locally based Missouri backers to turn their attention to the appealing matchup.

6:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14. Arrowhead Stadium. 800-653-8000. ticketmaster.com. $25-$225.

The prospect of Donald Trump influencing world events from the Oval Office alarms many observers. Others are uncomfortable with the idea of Hillary Clinton attaining the presidency. Doris Kearns Goodwin, one of the most popular living historians, and veteran journalist Bill Moyers are uniquely qualified to comment on the repercussions of the 2016 election. The duo will share their thoughts during Saturday’s “Leadership Lessons From the White House” presentation, an event sponsored by the Truman Library Institute. Goodwin and Moyers have firsthand experience in the White House. Both speakers rose to prominence through their affiliations with the Johnson administration.

6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14. Unity Temple on the Plaza. 816-235-6222. trumanlibraryinstitute.org. Tickets to the sold-out event were $10.

Most people don’t spend much time thinking about socks. For the homeless, however, the footwear is essential when the weather turns cold. Debilitating frostbite can have deadly consequences for disadvantaged people. Socks and Hops addresses that concern. In spite of the serious intent of the event, the fundraiser for the outreach programs of the mobile medical unit of Swope Health Services won’t be dour. Six regional breweries and six Kansas City restaurants will offer food and drink pairings. Representatives of Crane Brewing, for instance, have selected a beer to complement a ramen dish prepared by chefs at Happy Gillis. Other participants serving samples include Nothing Bundt Cakes and Double Shift Brewing Co.

7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14. City Market. 816-923-5800. eventbrite.com/e/socks-and-hops-a-benefit-for-swope-health-services-tickets-17620597682. $45. Attendees are encouraged to donate new socks.

Mark Twain wrote about the value of travel in “The Innocents Abroad”: “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.” Gloria Steinem, one of the most influential figures on the American landscape during the past 50 years, attributes much of her enlightened perspective and ongoing vitality to travel. “My Life on the Road,” the feminist icon’s latest book, extols the merits of constant movement. Steinem will discuss her work with Vivien Jennings of Rainy Day Books on Sunday.

2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 15. Unity Temple on the Plaza. 913-384-3126. rainydaybooks.com. Tickets to the sold-out event were $28.

Passionate love affairs are often associated with youthful couples. True love, however, endures through challenges that span decades. In her new novel, “The Japanese Lover,” Isabel Allende imagines an ardent devotion an elderly man has maintained for a woman for almost 70 years. It’s a theme Allende, 73, knows well. One of her inspiring TED Talk addresses is titled “How to Live Passionately — No Matter Your Age.” “It’s very hard to age in this culture,” Allende said. “Inside I feel … charming, seductive, sexy. Nobody else sees that.” The appearance by Allende, one of the most celebrated writers of the last several decades and a dynamic ambassador for Chile, promises to energize readers of all ages.

7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 17. Unity Temple on the Plaza. 913-384-3126. rainydaybooks.com. $28, includes an autographed hardcover copy of “The Japanese Lover.”

A strong case can be made for Gordon Parks being one of the least appreciated artistic contributors of the previous century. Born in Fort Scott, Kan., in 1912, Parks is best remembered as the director of the 1971 movie “Shaft.” While that’s a remarkable achievement, it’s just one portion of Parks’ oeuvre. His captivating work as a photographer is included in the “Through the Lens: Visions of African American Experience, 1950-1970” exhibition. The show includes Parks’ striking 1952 black-and-white photo “Emerging Man, Harlem.” Bruce Davidson, a man who captured iconic images of Martin Luther King Jr. and the civil rights campaigns of the early 1960s, is among the other photographers featured in the show.

Wednesday, Nov. 18-April 3. Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. 816-751-1278. nelson-atkins.org. Free.

“Candid Camera” has a lot to answer for. The vintage program captured the reactions of unsuspecting people placed in awkward situations. While “Candid Camera” was largely wholesome, the cast of “Impractical Jokers” inflicts gags that are often racially and sexually oriented on innocent passersby. The disclaimer that opens each episode — “the following program contains scenes of graphic stupidity among four lifelong friends who compete to embarrass each other” — accurately summarizes the cringe-worthy nature of the series. The four men in the comedy troupe the Tenderloins will enact their rude double-dog-dare humor on the stage of the Midland theater on Wednesday.

7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 18. Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland. 816-283-9921. midlandkc.com. $49.50-$97.

This story was originally published November 10, 2015 at 8:23 AM with the headline "This weekend in Kansas City: ‘Star Trek’ at the Symphony, Gladys Knight and the O’Jays, Chris Hardwick, Doris Kearns Goodwin and Bill Moyers."