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6 Things To Do With Kids This Weekend In Kansas City

Paul Mesner Puppets

Ever want to be a kid again? Join the club.

But even though the Fountain of Youth has yet to be found, adults wishing to revisit their salad days – as well as kids just wanting to be kids – can find and share in engaging events that speak to the ephemeral sense of wonder embodied by youth.

So go ahead and be a kid, if only for the weekend. Don’t dilly-dally. It’s not like you’re getting any younger!

1. Peter and the Starcatcher

Based on a novel co-written by humor columnist Dave Barry, Peter and the Starcatcher charmed audiences on Broadway with its powerful prequel story of Peter Pan – a.k.a the Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up. Adventure, love and laughter beckon those equipped with the starry-eyed imagination to participate. And, yes, that includes believing in fairies. Thursday and Friday, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, 2 and 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, 1 and 6:30 p.m.; Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, 1601 Broadway, Kansas City, Mo.; tickets: $33 and up (no children under 4 admitted).

2. Charlotte’s Web

E.B. White’s touching children’s tale of Wilber the Pig and the caring spider who spins salvation in the form of her web continues to captivate kids of all ages. See it on stage with a little one you adore for the teaching moments alone. Friday, 10 a.m. and noon; Saturday, 2 p.m.; H&R Block City Stage, Union Station, 30 W. Pershing Road, Kansas City, Mo.; tickets: $10.

3. Back to the ’80s with the Zeros

Kansas City party band the Zeros specializes in new wave and early 1980s rock songs that once made hipster-minded teens want to dance in droves while comparing skinny ties, button-infested lapels and strange hair. If you were into the Psychedelic Furs, the Cure, the Police, the Violent Femmes, Wall of Voodoo, R.E.M., Devo, Trio, the Clash, Billy Idol and a host of other acts that addressed your inner rebel, then this is the show for you. Saturday, 8 p.m., Uptown Theater, 3700 Broadway, Kansas City, Mo.; tickets: $5.

4. The Sing-Off Live Tour

Human beings start out singing for the pure joy of hearing their own voices carry a tune. For some, the thrill can’t be topped, so no other musical accompaniment is required. Tapping into that passion for the singular vocal instrument is NBC-TV’s hit talent show, The Sing Off, featuring such a capella groups as Voice Play and Street Corner Symphony, which are part of the show’s national live tour. Anyone for 99 Bottles of Beer On the Wall? Well, it was a favorite on my playground. Saturday, 8 p.m.; Midland Theatre, 1228 Main St., Kansas City, Mo.; tickerts: $29.50-$49.50.

5. Three Bears

Leave it to the Paul Mesner Puppets to put another spin on Goldilocks and the Three Bears, although the finicky blonde heroine may be missing in action in this latest riff featuring three different bears from around the world. Guaranteed giggles. Friday, 10 a.m. and noon; Saturday, 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.; Paul Mesner Puppets Studio, 1006 Linwood Blvd., Kansas City, Mo.; tickets: $9 child, $12 adult.

6. German Band Free Concert

Every four years, 50 German exchange students, ages 13-21, perform a free band concert at Shawnee Mission South High School. The more than 30-year tradition between sister cities Overland Park and Bietigheim-Bissingen, Germany, offers the perfect opportunity to appreciate talented youth in action. And these kids have come so far to entertain us. Danke! Saturday, 7 p.m.; Shawnee Mission South High School, 5800 W. 107th St., Overland Park, Kan.; admission: free.

Brian McTavish follows popular culture in the belief that the search for significance can lead anywhere. Brian explains, "I've written articles and reviews ... reviewed hundreds of concerts, films and plays. And the thing is, these high arts all sprang from the pop culture of their day. Don't forget: Shakespeare was once Spielberg."
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