This weekend in Kansas City: Trans-Siberian Orchestra, the Truce Tournament at the WWI museum, Chiefs, Comets and Cirque Dreams Holidaze

Trans-Siberian Orchestra will extend the holiday spirit during two performances at the Sprint Center on the day after Christmas. Partaking of the ensemble’s seasonal shows is a tradition for many families. The music of Trans-Siberian Orchestra combines the grand drama of George Frideric Handel’s “Messiah” with the rococo pomp of progressive rock bands like Emerson, Lake & Palmer. The presentations are accentuated with state-of-the-art pyrotechnics. In a promotional video for this year’s “The Ghosts of Christmas Eve” show, company founder Paul O’Neill said he would “never let it get boring” because he insists on a “constant changing of the special effects.” The flashy presentation will feature music from Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s new album, “Letters From the Labyrinth.”

3 and 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 26. Sprint Center. 816-949-7000. sprintcenter.com. $36.50-$72.

“Ugly and Angry,” the title of Chris Porter’s 2014 comedy special recorded at the Folly Theater, summarizes the way the entertainer perceives himself. Porter opened his performance with a diatribe about Starbucks customers who don’t order efficiently enough for his liking. Porter’s indignant attacks also target his lack of patience for “stupid people,” including beer drinkers who are unable to independently determine the temperature of their beverages and travelers who elect to visit war-torn territories. The Kansas City native doesn’t hesitate to mock himself. In addition to noting his passing resemblance to Gene Wilder, Porter laments his hair loss and his painfully awkward dating dilemmas.

7 and 9:45 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 26, 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 27, and 7 p.m. Monday, Dec. 28. Kansas City Improv. 816-759-5233. improvkc.com. $16-$23.

The day after Christmas is known as Boxing Day in Britain. Many of the England’s sports fans binge on a full slate of professional sports contests on Dec. 26. Kansas Citians can take part in the tradition at the National World War I Museum and Memorial. Soccer matches that begin on Saturday afternoon in England, including Chelsea vs. Watford, will be screened live at Saturday morning’s watch party. Hearty attendees will sip Guinness beers and play traditional pub games as they take in the games. Others may prefer to cheer on the amateur athletes who will participate in a three-on-three soccer tournament under the shadow of the Liberty Memorial.

8 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 26. National World War I Museum. 816-888-8100. thetrucekc.com. The watch party is free, but advance registration is strongly encouraged.

Johnny Football is coming to Kansas City. Johnny Manziel, one of the most volatile athletes of the new millennium, has a dismaying knack for making the wrong type of headlines. Unfortunate personal issues cost Manziel his job as starting quarterback of the Cleveland Browns earlier this season. He’s acquitted himself well since regaining the position. The Chiefs hope to limit the flashes of brilliance that Manziel has exhibited in recent weeks. The temperament and style of play of sure-handed Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith is diametrically opposed to the unpredictability of Manziel. Smith’s even keel has helped the Chiefs surprise almost all observers by working their way back into playoff contention.

Noon Sunday, Dec. 27. Arrowhead Stadium. 816-920-9400. kcchiefs.com. $30-$290.

Unsuspecting theatergoers who stumble into the Chestnut Fine Arts Center’s production of “Memories Are Made of This” expecting to participate in a liquor-soaked and smoky revival of Dean Martin’s bacchanalian antics with the Rat Pack will be disappointed. Rather than a debauched affair, “Memories Are Made of This” upholds the theater’s successful tradition of offering family-friendly and lighthearted fare. Drawing on Martin’s enormous catalog of hit songs like “That’s Amore” and skits from his television variety show, the playhouse’s encore presentation of “Memories Are Made of This” features Perry White as Martin and the musical support of a full band.

2 and 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 27; 7:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 28, Tuesday, Dec. 29, and Wednesday, Dec. 30; 2 p.m., 5:30 and 9 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 31. Chestnut Fine Arts Center. 913-764-2121. chestnutfinearts.com. $28 and $25 for seniors, students and children.

“Cirque Dreams Holidaze” is billed as “the greatest holiday variety show on the planet.” It certainly qualifies as the one of the busiest seasonal productions. The promotional material for “Cirque Dreams Holidaze” boasts that the show includes more than “300 costumes, 20 acts and 30 artists from every corner of the globe.” The dizzying array of dance, music and acrobatics resembles a mash-up of “The Nutcracker” ballet, a Trans-Siberian Orchestra concert, a glitzy Las Vegas show and an elaborate circus. Neil Goldberg, the director of the touring production, has suggested that he “wanted to create a Broadway musical, a holiday stage spectacle and a cirque show all in one.”

7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 30. Muriel Kauffman Theatre. 816-994-7200. kauffmancenter.org. $30-$91.

Sports fans in the Kansas City area are getting spoiled. The Missouri Comets are among the region’s professional sports franchises with garishly impressive records. The Comets have opened the 2015-16 season of the Major Arena Soccer League with one of the best tallies in the 20-team alliance. The Comets hope to continue their hot streak in their final home game of 2015. The team has already walloped the St. Louis Ambush by a combined score of 19-7 in its two previous matches this season. In addition to giving the Comets an international flair, Argentinian native Lucas Rodriguez and Jamaican native Robert Palmer have made the Comets early favorites for the league championship.

7:35 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 29. Silverstein Eye Centers Arena. 855-452-4625. cometsindoorsoccer.com. $15-$45.

This story was originally published December 23, 2015 at 2:00 AM with the headline "This weekend in Kansas City: Trans-Siberian Orchestra, the Truce Tournament at the WWI museum, Chiefs, Comets and Cirque Dreams Holidaze."