Enjoy dinner and a live show at one of Kansas City’s premier theaters.
The Coterie is Kansas City’s professional children’s theater, located on the first floor of Crown Center. From Sept. 19 to Oct. 22, watch We Shall Not Be Moved, as you are invited to take a seat at a whites-only lunch counter with a group of four freshmen from A&T College in North Carolina who launched a youth-led movement for African Americans to receive equal service by challenging racial injustice. From Nov. 7 to Dec. 31, A Charlie Brown Christmas is back by extraordinary popular demand. The beloved TV classic soars off the screen and onto the stage as your favorite characters come to life. Imaginary Friends: Legend of Sinnissippi Park is on stage Jan. 23-Feb. 11. A world premiere production with magic and wonderment, the play begins with 13-year-old Jack McCall’s learning some very bad news about his health. Reality blends with fantasy as Jack becomes convinced he needs to find his way back to the magical park and the imaginary friends from his childhood. Crown Center is home to many fantastic restaurants, but all-time faves for the kids will always be Fritz’s Railroad Restaurant where trains deliver food to your table, d’Bronx, the New York-style delicatessen and pizzeria, and Unforked, a fast-causal restaurant serving food using local, organic ingredients as much as possible.
The Kansas City Repertory Theatre performs on two stages, one on the UMKC campus near the Country Club Plaza and the other in the Kansas City Power & Light District. Both shopping districts are home to dozens of excellent restaurants appealing to any palate. Between the Lines is showing Sept. 8-Oct. 1, the story of 17-year-old Delilah McPhee, whose life is turned upside down by her parents’ divorce. Fences, Oct. 13-Nov. 5, the winner of the 1987 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony Award for best play that same year, is set in 1950s Pittsburgh against the backdrop of a rapidly changing America. A Christmas Carol, Nov. 16-Dec. 24, is one of Kansas City’s favorite holiday traditions. The production, back for its 36th season, presents a ripping good telling of the classic story of Ebenezer Scrooge. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Jan. 26-Feb. 18, was winner of the 2015 Tony Award for best play and tells the story of 15-year-old Christopher, a boy with an extraordinary brain who is exceptionally intelligent but ill-equipped for dealing with everyday life.
Enjoy the Kansas City Ballet’s performances at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. Romeo and Juliet, Oct. 13-22, Shakespeare’s romantic tragedy comes to stage with soaring choreography and sweeping characterizations. Dec. 7-24, enjoy the annual holiday tradition of The Nutcracker. Kansas City Ballet artistic director Devon Carney promises a traditional yet boisterous, adventurous production audiences will adore. New Moves, Feb. 15-18, is the chance for audiences to see Kansas City Ballet Company and tomorrow’s sought-after choreographers in an up-close, intimate space. Los Tules, one of the most authentic and delicious Mexican restaurants in town, is across the street. And for upscale dining, you can enjoy brunch or dinner next door at the elegant Webster House.
Little ones will delight in Theatre for Young America’s live plays at Union Station. The upcoming season includes Click, Clack, Boo! A Tricky Treat (Oct. 17-Nov. 11), Raggedy Ann and Andy’s Christmas Adventure (Nov. 28-Dec. 30), The Toughest Kid in the World (Feb. 1-7), Junie B. Jones Is Not a Crook (Feb. 13-March 24) and more. Stop in at Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory for a treat before or after the show!