Some things are smart to do. Others are not.
We could argue forever about which is which, which wouldn’t be the brainiest move on anyone’s part.
My advice? Just pick something to do this weekend from the list that I’ve dutifully assembled for your intelligent perusal. See, you’re smarter already.
If you’re not familiar with the longest-running musical in Off-Broadway history, Kansas City Repertory Theatre is happy to school you with what promises to be an insightful staging of this bittersweet yet ultimately triumphant love story involving a boy, a girl and a wall. If you’ve already seen “The Fantasticks,” then that tickling sensation in your frontal lobe is telling you to go see it again – if only for its sentimental signature song, “Try to Remember,” which never fails to make audiences sigh and then some. Think of it as nostalgic enlightenment. Anyway, you’ll leave the theater feeling brighter and better for it.
Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m.; Sunday, 7 p.m.; Kansas City Repertory Theatre at Spencer Theatre, 4949 Cherry St., Kansas City, Mo.; tickets: $25-$60.
2. 2016 Fall/Winter Kansas City Fashion Week
Join the smartly dressed set – or at least gawk at its decked-out supporters – when models strut the runway in snazzy styles presented by local, regional and national designers. Only scattered seats remain to appreciate the head-turning work of such designers as More than Just Figleaves, My Heirloom and Architexture. But if you’re any kind of a bold fashionista, you should be able to talk-and-walk your way in.
Thursday, 7:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m.; Union Station, 30 W. Pershing Road, Kansas City, Mo.; tickets: $20-$85.
3. National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts Conference
Ceramic art is not only potentially practical – ala beautiful cups – it’s also cerebral stuff. See for yourself at events that are free and open to the public as part of this 50th annual national ceramic arts conference being held in downtown KC. There’s a gallery expo, a projects space (where you can hobnob with working artists), a K-12 exhibit and – you knew this was coming – a cup exhibit and sale. Well, you’ve got to drink your coffee in something.
Approximately 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Thursday and Friday, Kansas City Convention Center, 301 W. 13th St., Kansas City, Mo.; admission: free.
Here’s maybe a shaky analogy, but let me have at it: In the late 1970s, the Kinks put out a super easy to enjoy rock ’n’ roll album called “Low Budget.” It was a popular record. But for some critics, it almost seemed too easy to like, as if to say, “How hard could it be to write this stuff?” The songs were that naturally enjoyable, as if the words and music weren’t individually composed but just tumbled forth all at once from a collective brain trust. Nobody had to hurt their heads to have a good time with that record, and something similar can be said about country singer/songwriter William Clark Green’s fourth album, “Ringling Road,” and especially its uncomplicated shout-out tune, “Hey Sarah.” This young Flint, Texas, native exudes a talent that is seemingly effortless. Sometimes the simplest thing is the smartest thing.
Friday, 9 p.m.; Riot Room, 4048 Broadway, Kansas City, Mo.; tickets: $10.
5. Crowns & Crayons Grownup Coloring Event
It used to be that coloring books were only for children. Today, adults have also taken to this most basic of self-entertainment mediums. What can we learn from this? Perhaps more than we’d care to know. But one thing is clear: It’s more fun to be a kid than a grownup. Unless your mature self has a glass or two of wine while coloring inside (or outside) the lines at the Crowns & Crayons Grownup Coloring Event. Then you can have the best of both worlds as a grown kid. Smart!
Sunday, noon-5 p.m.; Weston Wine Company, 519 Main St., Weston, Mo.; admission: free.
What’s in your noggin? Find out by visiting the Museum at Prairiefire’s latest family friendly exhibit organized by the American Museum of Natural History. Discover how the brain controls your senses, emotions and thinking; even how it changes with time and – gulp – the possible ways that advancing technology may change it in the future. What else? Hey, I can’t remember everything!
Daily, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. (Sunday, noon-5 p.m.), Museum at Prairiefire, 5801 W. 135 th St., Overland Park, Kan.; admission: $14 for adults; $10 for seniors and students; $8 for ages 3-12.
Brian McTavish is a regular arts and culture contributor for KCUR 89.3. You can reach him at brianmctavish@gmail.com
