Looking for something special to do while you’re in Kansas City for the 2015 AMTA conference? The Hospitality Committee has compiled a list of some exciting entertainment events happening the weekend of conference. Most do require advance tickets, so plan ahead. See our Attractions page and our Pinterest board for more local entertainment, shopping & dining ideas.
Nelson-Atkins Museum of Fine Art
Museum admission is free and open Wednesday through Sunday; however, there is a ticketed exhibit for those interested:
AMERICAN EPICS: THOMAS HART BENTON AND HOLLYWOOD
Adults: $12
Seniors over 55: $10
Students with ID: $6
Admission is free every Thursday from 5 to 9 p.m.
The first major exhibition on Thomas Hart Benton in more than 25 years, American Epics: Thomas Hart Benton and Hollywood reveals the fascinating but overlooked relationship between Benton’s art, movie making and visual storytelling in 20th-century America.
Benton’s early experiences on silent movie sets in Fort Lee, New Jersey—the first “Hollywood”—and later in Hollywood itself influenced his acute awareness of contemporary storytelling’s shift toward movies and inspired his signature style of painting that melded centuries-old traditions with more recent movie-production techniques to tell stories that appealed to a broad range of Americans.
The exhibition brings together nearly 100 works by Benton including 50 paintings and murals, as well as a selection of his drawings, prints and illustrated books. It also presents rarely seen archival photographs, related ephemera, film clips and stills that highlight the allure of his paintings’ cinematic content, composition and technical underpinnings.
Kansas City Repertory Theatre
BLUEPRINTS TO FREEDOM: AN ODE TO BAYARD RUSTIN
October 16 to November 15, 2015 at Copaken Stage
Written by Michael Benjamin Washington; directed by Phylicia Rashad
In the political and racial upheaval of 1963, Bayard Rustin– the brilliant proponent of non-violent civil resistance–is pushed to orchestrate an unprecedented march on Washington D.C. for jobs and freedom. Exiled from the Civil Rights movement by both internal and external forces, Rustin grapples with his last chance for professional restoration and spiritual redemption as he masterminds “a tribute to the ancestors.” Appropriate for ages 13 and up.
Folly Theatre
KALICHSTEIN-LAREDO-ROBINSON TRIO
Beethoven: Piano Trio, 14 Variations in E-Flat Major, Op. 44
Shostakovich: Piano Trio No. 2 in E Minor, Op. 67
Brahms: Piano Trio No. 1 in B Major, Op. 8
Saturday, November 14, 8pm
Tickets: $30, $20, under 18–free
Musical Theatre Heritage at Crown Center
URINE TOWN THE MUSICAL
Nominated for a staggering 10 TONY AWARDS, winning 3 including “BEST SCORE” and “BEST BOOK”, Urinetown parodies musicals such as Les Miserables, Big River, The Three Penny Opera, and the Broadway musical art form itself. The characters of Bobby Strong and Hope were included on the New York Theater Monthly’s list of “The 100 Greatest Roles in Musical Theater.” Music Therapist & Local committee member Andrea Boswell-Burns is a cast member! Crown Center is easily accessible by skywalk from the Sheraton Hotel.
Performance Times:
Thursdays @ 7pm
Fridays @ 8pm
Saturdays @ 2pm & 8pm
Sundays @ 2pm
Single Ticket Prices:
$40-$55 Primo Center
$35-$41 Center
$17-$21 Left / Right
*KIDS COME FREE!
Group Tickets:
$29 Center (10 + people)
$15 Left / Right (10 + people)
Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts
The Kansas City Symphony presents SCREENLAND AT THE SYMPHONY: STAR TREK 2009
Performances: Thursday, November 12 @ 7 pm and Saturday, November 14 @ 7 p.m.
Director J.J. Abrams re-invigorated the iconic Star Trek franchise with one of the most exciting and irresistible blockbusters in recent movie-going history, “Star Trek (2009).” Reach warp speed as you watch the entire film on the giant Helzberg Hall screen and experience composer Michael Giacchino’s thrilling scores performed live by the Kansas City Symphony, boldly going where no orchestra has gone before!
Tickets: $40–$80
Opera Kansas City presents Antonín Dvorák’s Rusalka
Performances: Weds., Nov 11 @ 7:30 pm, Friday, Nov. 13 @ 7:30 pm & Sunday, Nov. 15 at 2 p.m.
Although Disney’s The Little Mermaid and Dvorák’s Rusalka are based on the same Hans Christian Andersen fable, this isn’t your daughter’s Ariel. A hauntingly poetic libretto matched with a lush score, Rusalka tells the story of a lovely yet lovelorn mermaid who yearns to become human. The searing aria, “Song to the Moon,” is filled with longing as she prays for the prince to return her love. Her wish is granted, but she discovers that what we desire can also destroy and redemption is seldom granted.
Sung in Czech with English titles. Appropriate for children 11+
Union Station
DaVinci: The Exhibition, featuring 10,000 square feet of themed galleries showcasing his discovery of art, engineering, flight, hydraulics, music and light. Hours are T-Th, 10a- 5p; F-Sa 10a-6p & Sun 12-5p.
Sea Life Aquarium & Lego Land Discovery Center
Plan a trip to one attraction or both! It is cheaper to purchase tickets on-line ahead of time.
https://www.visitsealife.com/kansas-city/
https://www.legolanddiscoverycenter.com/kansascity/
