Parents Night Out in Kansas City: Fall 2013

Fun ideas for a great night out in Kansas City when you're needing a break from the little ones at home

Miss Saigon Sept. 7-13, KC Starlight Theatre. A classic love story is brought up to date in one of the most stunning theatrical spectacles of all time. In Miss Saigon, Puccini's Madame Butterfly is brought to the modern world. This powerful pop opera is an emotional tale about forbidden love, the tragedies of war and the sacrifices made to achieve the American dream.

Under the Harvest Moon: A Farm-to-Table Dinner Sept. 22, Powell Gardens. Chef Pope will prepare a multi-course feast celebrating the bounty of our local autumn harvest. The event begins with a cocktail reception in the vineyard, followed by an elegant dinner with wine pairings served at two long tables beneath the eaves of the Missouri Barn. Proceeds benefit youth education programs at Powell Gardens.

American Royal Pro Rodeo Sept. 27-28, Hale Arena. Grab your boots and join us for the 64th annual American Royal Pro Rodeo! Arrive early for live music, shopping, dinner and lots of family-friendly activities. Stay late to hear your favorite country music entertainers.

The Foreigner Oct. 11- Nov. 3, Spencer Theatre. Charlie Baker needs to get away, and his friend Froggy knows just the place—his favorite fishing lodge in rural Georgia. To give Charlie much needed peace and quiet, Froggy convinces the locals Charlie doesn’t understand English. But the plan backfires when the lodge’s inhabitants reveal deep secrets and diabolical plans in front of their quiet foreign guest. Nonstop hilarity ensues and builds to an outrageously funny climax in this wild and wacky comedy..

Fancy Free Oct. 11-20, Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. Three sailors on leave in New York City make for great fun in Fancy Free. Legendary choreographer Jerome Robbins’ first ballet, accompanied by the exuberant music of Leonard Bernstein, sets the high-spirited tone for a spectacular evening of dance.

Murder Mystery Dinner: Storage Wars of Death Oct. 25 & 26, Holyfield Winery, 18807 158th St., Basehor, KS. Upstage Productions presents a night of non-stop fun that is “to die for!”   Reservations required; $40/ea. 913.724.9463

An Evening with Rita Moreno Nov. 16, Yardley Hall. Rita Moreno, one of nine performers to win all four major artistic awards, the Oscar, the Grammy, the Emmy and the Tony, will perform at Yardley Hall this autumn. Her performance will be with a trio and include her favorite songs and stories, including virtuoso performances of classic songs forever associated with her career.

Rodin Sculptures on exhibit in the Rozzell Balcony thru Dec. 8, FREE, Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. The gallery is open until 9:00 on Thursdays and Fridays and until 5:00 on weekends, making it the perfect free date night. The exhibit highlights the work of Auguste Rodin (French, 1840-1917), one of the most influential sculptors of the 19th century. Going against academic tradition, Rodin created highly expressive sculptures of the human body in his quest to convey such universal emotions as love, longing, reverie and despair.

Comedy City Friday & Saturday evenings, Comedy City at Westport Flea Market, 817 Westport Rd., Kansas City, MO, 816.842.2744. Enjoy live improv comedy shows created with suggestions from the audience, making for laugh-out-loud sketches.

Standees, open daily, Standees  3935 W. 69th Ter., Prairie Village, KS, 913.601.5250. Standees, new on the KC scene in the past year, is an entertaining eatery fast becoming a local favorite. Order delicious food from the affordable upscale-casual restaurant, then enjoy a movie in the comfortable theater with oversized leather seats.