This week in KC: Kids Jam, Elvis’ birthday, a stand-up comic’s view of Neanderthals
The Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts will kick off its 2024 Trailblazing Talks series (formerly National Geographic Live) with paleoanthropologist Ella Al-Shamahi.
But Al-Shamahi, who will speak at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 9 in Muriel Kauffman Theatre, is far from your typical paleoanthropologist. She not only is an expert on Neanderthals, but she also is an explorer, an evolutionary biologist, the author of “The Handshake: A Gripping History” and a TV star, having presented documentaries for the BBC.
Oh, and she’s a stand-up comic. The native of Birmingham, England, is a regular at the famed Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
Her presentation at the Kauffman is titled “2% Neanderthal: Redrawing Our Family Tree.” Tickets ($45-$68) and more information at kauffmancenter.org.
More entertainment
▪ Trombone-playing rapper Kadesh Flow and musician/storyteller Dinosaur O’Dell will entertain during the MTC Kids Jam at Polsky Theatre, 11 a.m. Jan. 6 (free). jccc.edu/midwest-trust-center.
▪ Kansas City PBS will present the Season 4 premiere of “All Creatures Great and Small” at the Screenland Armour Theatre, 6 p.m. Jan. 4 (free). kansascitypbs.org.
▪ The Kansas City Engaged winter wedding show at the Overland Park Convention Center will include vendors from around the Midwest, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Jan. 7 ($6-$12). kcengagedshow.com.
▪ Kansas City’s top Elvis Presley impersonators will celebrate the King of Rock ’n’ Roll’s 89th birthday two days early at Knuckleheads, 8 p.m. Jan. 6 ($20-$35). knuckleheadskc.com.
▪ The Rink at Zona Rosa will offer “Skate with Elsa, Anna and Olaf” featuring characters from “Frozen,” 1-2:30 or 3-4:30 p.m. Jan. 7 ($20). zonarosa.com.
▪ The Ailey Trio from the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater will perform at Starlight’s Cohen Community Stage House, 7 p.m. Jan. 10, and at the Gem Theater, 7 p.m. Jan. 11 (free; tickets no longer available at Starlight). kcfaa.org.
