The average length of a NFL game? A little over three hours.
The AFC Championship game on Sunday would lock in a Superbowl spot for either the Kansas City Chiefs or the Tennessee Titans. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:05 p.m. at Arrowhead Stadium.
Some arts organizations in the metro are betting that visitors can do both: attend a play and catch the second half of the game; stop by a museum for an exhibition and see the kickoff; or listen to a Symphony concert and still witness a few final touchdowns.
"We’re here for everyone who wants to explore this remarkable exhibition before settling into the game at 2:05 p.m.," said Breeze Richardson, director of marketing and communications at the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, where it's the final weekend of "Hew Locke: Here’s the Thing."
Or, Richardson said, "as someone posted on social media last week, come tailgate among the art!"
The Museum's Cafe Sebastienne is offering 20% off specialty cocktails in honor of the Chiefs for its regular Sunday brunch. And the museum will keep its regular programming, including a Puzzle Party at 12:30 p.m. postponed last weekend due to the snowstorm (more than 500 people have RSVPd).
On Sunday at 2 p.m., the Kansas City Symphony performs works by classical giants, such as Beethoven, Brahms and Mendelssohn — including his violin concerto described as "the dearest of them all, the heart's jewel."
But what if a Symphony-goer's heart, on Sunday at 2 p.m., wants to meet up with friends and watch the game?
Some patrons — "but not tons" — have opted to exchange their Sunday tickets for Friday or Saturday performances, said Beth Buchanan, the Symphony's communications manager. Exchanges are free for season ticket holders, she said, but there's a small fee for those who purchased single tickets.
And for classical music fans who plan to keep their tickets, there should be a TV in the Kauffman Center lobby with the game on at intermission.
No programming changes are planned at theNelson-Atkins Museum of Art, which has scheduled an American Sign Language tour of "Queen Nefertari: Eternal Egypt." The film "63 Up," a documentary series which has revisited the same group of people every seven years since they were seven years old, will be underway at the Tivoli at the Nelson-Atkins.
"We do have our pretty red lights outside to show our support!!" said Kathleen Leighton, media relations manager and video production manager, who encourages visitors to stop in or at least check out the glowing red exterior of the museum's original 1933 building at night.
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Kansas City Actors Theatre continues its run of Marsha Norman's "'night, Mother," a mother-daughter play about love and loss featuring veteran actors Jan Rogge and Cinnamon Schultz.
"We have no special plans for Sunday," said KCAT's director of marketing and development Matt Sameck. But he points out that "the show is only 95 minutes with no intermission."'
MTH Theater at Crown Center is dark on Sunday (the next show on their main stage, "Forever Plaid," opens Feb. 6), but it's still showing its support for the team. "The Chiefs made history overcoming a 24 point deficit and earning a spot in the AFC Championship," MTH wrote in an email accompanying an offer of 24% off all shows for ticket purchasers who use the coupon code "Mahomes." The offer expires Sunday at kickoff at 2:05 p.m.
Starting around kickoff time is the final performance of "Dixie's Tupperware Party" at Starlight Theatre, which hosts performances throughout the winter as part of its indoor series.
"Due to our contracts with touring productions, our performance schedules and show times are set quite far in advance. Sunday’s show will go on at 2 p.m. as planned," said Rachel Bliss, Starlight's communications manager. Like the Symphony, Starlight allows patrons to swap tickets for another performance.
Bliss said the 90-minute one-woman show, an actual Tupperware party, runs without intermission. So there won't be an opportunity to provide updates on the score. However, she said, patrons will still be able to catch the second half of the game — which, if it's a repeat of last Sunday, will be quite a performance.
Laura Spencer is an arts reporter at KCUR 89.3. You can follow her on Twitter at @lauraspencer.
