Editor’s Weekend Calendar Picks, March 30 – April 2

Time for weekend calendar picks from KC Studio editor Alice Thorson! Tonight, the Metropolitan Ensemble Theatre and The Black Repertory Theatre premiere their latest stage productions. Friday is packed, with the Kansas City Ballet opening its production The Sleeping Beauty at the Kauffman, the Harriman-Jewell Series presenting Anne-Sophie Mutter at the Folly and The Kansas City Chorale performing Duke Ellington with the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra. On Saturday, The Friends of Chamber Music present master pianist Fabio Bidini at the Folly. For more events this weekend, visit Kansas City’s most comprehensive arts calendar at kcstudio.org/events.

Tennessee Playboy

March 30 – April 15
Metropolitan Ensemble Theatre

“…a self proclaimed redneck romance — humorously contemplates love and the glorification of celebrity in a bittersweet parable… poetic and melodic.” – CVNC.org

Five Guys Named Moe

March 30 – April 2 | $30
Arts Asylum

5 Guys named Moe is a musical with a book by Clarke Peters and lyrics and music by Louis Jordan and others. The musical is based on an earlier musical short of the same name by Louis Jordan from 1943.

It had its UK debut in 1990 at Theatre Royal Stratford East, running for over four years in the West End, and then premiering on Broadway in 1992. It was revived in 2010 at Edinburgh Festival, starring Peters himself, and returned later in 2010 to the theatre in which it originally premiered. The musical won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Entertainment.

THE SLEEPING BEAUTY

March 31 @ 7:30 pm
April 1 @ 7:30 pm
April 2 @ 2:00 pm
Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts

The Sleeping Beauty is perhaps the most beloved ballet fairy tale of all. This sumptuous production brings to life the enchanting story of Princess Aurora. The evil Carabosse bewitches the princess and her kingdom, but the benevolent Lilac Fairy places all in a deep and protective sleep which can only be awakened by true love’s kiss. This romantic and tender tale is told with glittering dances, vibrant storybook characters and one of the most beloved grand pas de deux in all of ballet. This family-friendly ballet is a Kansas City premiere and sure to sell out.

Anne-Sophie Mutter, violinist in recital

March 31 @ 7:30 pm – 10:00 pm
Folly Theater

Called “the undisputed queen of violin-playing” by The Times (London), Mutter has reigned as one of the world’s most acclaimed violin virtuosos for more than three decades. Since her Lucerne Festival debut in 1976, she has played on stages worldwide. This recital will mark her third Harriman-Jewell Series appearance.

The Kansas City Chorale: Sacred Choral Works of Duke Ellington, with the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra

March 31 @ 8:00 pm
Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts

One night only! Join the Chorale and the incredible Kansas City Jazz Orchestra for this thrilling performance in Helzberg Hall. Ellington said, “these concerts are the most important thing I have ever done.” The critic Gary Giddins has characterized these pieces as “Ellington bringing the Cotton Club revue to the church.”