There’s something funny going on around here – make that some things.
From stand-up comedy and a phantasmagoric (now there’s a funny word) stage spectacle to droll drawings and the outdoor antics of more than a few family dogs, the Kansas City area is chock full of variously amusing stuff to experience this weekend.
So exactly which witty to sidesplitting activities await the intrepid go-and-doer? Funny you should ask.
- Jimmie Walker
Best known as J.J. on the 1970s sitcom, Good Times, which was a spinoff of Maude, which was a spinoff of All in the Family – just sharing – Jimmie Walker made a large impact on pop culture with an animated catch phrase (“Dyn-o-mite!”) and an irrepressible attitude that demanded his audience’s attention. Walker is still at it on the stand-up comedy stage, and the fans who’ve stuck with him are still busting a gut when his point of view collides with the things that make him go a little crazy. Thursday (8 p.m.), Friday and Saturday (7:45 and 9:45 p.m.); Stanford’s Comedy Club, 7328 W. 119th St., Overland Park, Kan.; tickets: $12-$55.
- Chris D’Elia
There’s a big difference between the guy doing his stand-up comedy act on Friday night at the Midland Theatre and Jerry Seinfeld, who’ll do his routine the next evening at the same venue: You can still get tickets at the box office to see Chris D’Elia. Perhaps D’Elia will one day sell out the Midland like the legendary Seinfeld, but he’ll have to be satisfied for now with being an impressive up-and-comer as one of Variety’s “Top 10 Comics to Watch” and playing Danny this fall on season two of the NBC buddy sitcom, “Undatable.” Friday, 8 p.m.; Midland Theatre, 1228 Main St., Kansas City, Mo.; tickets: $25, $30.
- Alice (in Wonderland)
The Kansas City Ballet mixes up funny ha-ha and funny strange with its curiously imaginative and visually enticing Alice (in Wonderland), an unquestionably kindred interpretation of Lewis Carroll’s 19th-century masterpiece of way weird children’s literature. Between the beguiling Mad Hatter, the leering Cheshire Cat and the totally insane Queen of Hearts (provided with a cadre of dancing cards in this inventive staging), it will be tough to know where to look – so how about just everywhere at once? Your eyes deserve to be delighted by this wild treat. Friday (7:30 p.m.), Saturday (7:30 p.m.), Sunday (2 p.m.); Muriel Kauffman Theatre at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, 1601Broadway, Kansas City, Mo.; tickets: $59-$119.
- Murder Among Friends
After more than half a century in show business, actress Morgan Fairchild still looks good. And, let’s face it, that’s part of the appeal of going to see the celebrity attraction of the New Theatre Restaurant’s current stage comedy, Murder Among Friends. But here’s another relevant truth: Morgan’s acting chops continue to do the trick, as she’s shown over the decades in scores of TV and movie appearances, including roles on Mork & Mindy, Friends, Roseanne and the prime-time TV soaps, Falcon Crest and Dallas. And don’t forget how she lit up the big screen in PeeWee’s Big Adventure. The gal’s been around. And did I mention that she still looks good? Thursday-Saturday (6 p.m.), Sunday (11:45 a.m., 6 p.m.); New Theatre Restaurant, 9229 Foster St., Overland Park, Kan.; tickets: $41-$57.
- The Art of John Lennon
Not long after the Beatles first stormed the pop charts in America, John Lennon, the so-called intellectual Beatle, also assailed bestseller lists with two short books of whimsical tales and poetry (In His Own Write, A Spaniard in the Works) that he illustrated with his own satiric doodles. Lennon’s output of humorous and intelligent drawings continues to draw attention in a national touring exhibit that stops for three days in Kansas City with 120 examples of artwork by the late rock star and political activist. Be ready to grin. Friday-Sunday, Crown Center Shops, Level 1 Showplace, 2405 Grand Blvd., Kansas City, Mo.; admission: free.
- The War on Drugs
Indie rock band the War on Drugs from Philadelphia has a moniker that’s obviously tongue in cheek. I mean, rock bands are supposed to do drugs, right? And, if they don’t, aren’t they supposed to make us think they do? Actual proclivities aside, the members of the War on Drugs definitely have a sense of humor, starting with their name: “It was either that or the Rigatoni Danzas,” singer/guitarist Adam Granduciel has reportedly explained. “I think we made the right choice.” No doubt, if only because I’m still confused. Subversive rock musicians! Saturday, 8 p.m. (doors); Granada Theater, 1020 Massachusetts St., Lawrence, Kan.; tickets: $16.
- Bark in the Park
The finale of the 25th anniversary celebration of the Donald J. Hall Sculpture Park will go to the dogs, when canines and their caretakers stroll, rollover or what have you on the front lawn of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. Take a picture, adorn a “doggie bandana” with sculpture park-oriented designs or walk the four-legged version of the park’s Glass Labyrinth. Just remember to bring the Frisbee. Saturday, 1-4 p.m.; Donald J. Hall Sculpture Park, Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, 4525 Oak St., Kansas City, Mo.; admission: free.
