This week in KC: New show tells the ‘untold’ story of the original Aunt Jemima

Dan Kelly

Michelle Matlock, the first Black woman to create a main character for Cirque du Soleil, will bring her show “The Mammy Project: Untold History of Nancy Green” to the Westport Bowery as part of a fall series presented by the Kansas City Fringe Festival.

The show, with original music, circus and storytelling, follows the story of Nancy Green, who was born into slavery and became the original model of the now-retired character Aunt Jemima. The Aunt Jemima pancake mix was introduced in St. Joseph in the late 19th century before Quaker Oats purchased the brand.

Shows will run at 8 p.m. Oct. 6-7, 2 p.m. Oct. 8, 8 p.m. Oct. 13-14, 2 p.m. Oct. 15 ($15-$20).

Also at Westport Bowery: “It’s Gonna Be a Lovely Day: A Tribute to Bill Withers,” 6 p.m. Oct. 8 and 15 ($10-$12), and “J to the A to the Double Z,” 2 p.m. Oct. 7 and 14 ($10-$12).

More information and tickets are available at kcfringe.org.

Monster trucks will return Oct. 7-8 to the T-Mobile Center with a twist. They will perform in the dark at the Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live Glow Party. File photo
Monster trucks will return Oct. 7-8 to the T-Mobile Center with a twist. They will perform in the dark at the Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live Glow Party. File photo

More entertainment

▪ Padgett Productions will stage “The Rocky Horror Show” outside at the Black Box, opens 8 p.m. Oct. 6; runs through Oct. 31 ($32.50-$37). padgettproductionskc.com.

▪ Unicorn World at Bartle Hall will feature life-size, animatronic creatures, 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Oct. 7, 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Oct. 8 ($29.25-$39). kcconvention.com.

▪ Fans can see the big trucks perform in the dark at the T-Mobile Center during the Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live Glow Party, 12:30 and 7:30 p.m. Oct. 7, 2:30 p.m. Oct. 8 ($27-$70). t-mobilecenter.com.

▪ Theatre for Young America will present “Chicken Little” at the City Stage in Union Station, opens 10 a.m. Oct. 10; runs through Nov. 4 ($10-$12). tya.org.

Festivals

▪ Oktoberfest Art & Craft Show, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Oct. 6, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Oct. 7, The Pavilion at John Knox Village (free). ibdpromotions.com.

▪ KC Oktoberfest, 5-11 p.m. Oct. 6, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Oct. 7, Crown Center Square ($15). kcoktoberfest.com.

▪ Heartland Book Festival, 7 p.m. Oct. 6, Folly, and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Oct. 7, Kansas City Public Library-Central Library (free). heartlandbookfest.org.

▪ Pumpkin Festival, 8 a.m.-noon Oct. 7, Historic Downtown Liberty (free). historicdowntownliberty.org.

▪ Silver City Day Parade and Festival, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Oct. 7, Emerson Park, KCK (free). argentinekc.org.

▪ Fall Bazaar, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Oct. 7, Union Cemetery (free). kcparks.org.

▪ Fall Festival of Arts, Crafts & Music, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Oct. 7, Missouri Town ($15 per car, $25 per van or bus). makeyourdayhere.com.

▪ Japan Festival, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Oct. 7, Johnson County Community College ($10-$20). jccc.edu/midwest-trust-center.

▪ Chicano Art Festival, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Oct. 7, 14th and Liberty, West Bottoms (free). facebook.com.

▪ Fall Fest, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Oct. 7, Zona Rosa (free). zonarosa.com.

▪ KC Foodie Fest, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Oct. 7, Aspiria Town Square ($25). kcfoodiefest.com.

▪ Midwest Soul Vegfest, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Oct. 7, Swope Park Pavilion (free). midwestsoulvegfest.com.

▪ Oktoberfest, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Oct. 7, Prairiefire (free). visitprairiefire.com.

▪ River Market Art Festival Revival, 6-10 p.m. Oct. 7, River Market. eventbrite.com.

Classical music and dance

▪ Kansas City Dance Collective, “Malice & Masquerades: A Fateful Phantom Tale,” 7 p.m. Oct. 5-6, 2 and 7 p.m. Oct. 7, Just Off Broadway Theatre ($15-$25). justoffbroadway.org.

▪ Park International Center for Music, Orchestra Fall Concert, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 6, Graham Tyler Memorial Chapel (free). icm.park.edu.

▪ Spire Chamber Ensemble, “Considering Matthew Shepard,” 7:30 p.m. Oct. 6-7, Country Club Christian Church ($25). spirechamberensemble.org.

▪ Kansas City Symphony, “The Music Is Calling,” 8 p.m. Oct. 6-7, 2 p.m. Oct. 8, Kauffman Center ($25-$99). kcsymphony.org.

▪ Owen/Cox Dance Group, “She Breathes Fire,” 8 p.m. Oct. 6-7, 2 p.m. Oct. 8, City Stage ($25). owencoxdance.org.

▪ “New Horizons,” 7:30 p.m. Oct. 7, 1900 Building ($30). chambermusic.org.

The Temptations will perform Oct. 7 at the Ameristar. File photo
The Temptations will perform Oct. 7 at the Ameristar. File photo

More music

▪ Warren Zeiders, 8 p.m. Oct. 5, Uptown (sold out). uptowntheater.com.

▪ The Wonder Years with Anxious, Sweet Pill and Action/Adventure, 6:45 p.m. Oct. 6, The Truman ($29.50-$60). thetrumankc.com.

▪ Amos Lee, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 6, Liberty Hall ($39-$89). libertyhall.net.

▪ The Band Camino with Bad Suns and The Wldlfe, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 6, Midland ($34.50-$59.50). midlandkc.com.

▪ Sammy Rae & The Friends, 8 p.m. Oct. 6, Madrid (sold out). madridtheatre.com.

▪ The Oak Ridge Boys, 8:30 p.m. Oct. 6, Ameristar ($45-$60). ameristarkansascity.com.

▪ Melvins with Boris, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 7, Bottleneck (sold out). thebottlenecklive.com.

▪ TripleS, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 7, Uptown ($59.50-$209). uptowntheater.com.

▪ Moe., 8 p.m. Oct. 7, Liberty Hall ($30-$75). libertyhall.net.

▪ The Temptations, 8:30 p.m. Oct. 7, Ameristar ($55-$200). ameristarkansascity.com.

▪ The Mars Volta with Teri Gender Bender, 7 p.m. Oct. 8, Uptown ($59-$109). uptowntheater.com.

▪ Lucinda Williams, 8 p.m. Oct. 10, Uptown ($39-$109). uptowntheater.com.

▪ The Darkness, 8 p.m. Oct. 11, The Truman ($30-$60). thetrumankc.com.

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