A Night at the Rite

SUN 10/31
No matter where we are after hours on Election Day, we’re getting drunk and belting out “We Are the Champions” when the results are in. To get primed, we’ll hear the Kansas City Civic Orchestra‘s symphonic tribute to Queen at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Scottish Rite Temple (1330 Linwood). Call 816-333-9115. —Jason Harper

Trippin’ Out
Beam us up, Georgie.

SUN 10/31
Narrative film pioneer Georges Méliès’ 14-minute masterpiece, 1902’s La Voyage dans la Lune (A Trip to the Moon), helped launch the concept of special effects in movies. The film, about a group of men in a capsule shot by a cannon to the moon, proved to be an inspiration for auteurs to follow. As a testament to the film’s continued relevance, Kansas City’s BCR ensemble, which labels itself an Afro-nuclear-wavabilly-funk-swing-reggae-turska band, teams up with the Kansas City Art Institute Performance Art Ensemble and guest video artist Chris Williams to present Trip, a live-video ballet, at 5 p.m. Sunday at the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art (4420 Warwick).

“Live performers and dancers will be keyed and mixed … into Méliès’ sci-fi landscapes, along with footage from NASA archives,” explains director Dwight Frizzell. “The score includes several BCR originals, along with music by Erik Satie, Duke Ellington and Sun Ra. [It explores] the transformative aspects of the hero’s journey through a new frontier.” Call 816-931-4648.— Annie Fischer

Give Us Moire

SAT 10/30
Most Halloween concerts sacrifice creativity for authenticity. Though it takes talent to perform Black Sabbath and Misfits tunes, those selections are perhaps overapt for the holiday. It’s like a guy trying to win a costume contest as a bear — he can consult wildlife experts, craft an anatomically correct outfit and still lose to a less-obvious option. As Gringos el Diablo, members of the local metal monster Moire try on tunes from Night Ranger and Sinead O’Connor, among others. Eschewing Moire’s usual velocity, the Gringos turn pop ditties into dire dirges. And they play while wearing Mexican wrestling masks. See them Saturday at El Torreon (3101 Gillham Plaza, 816-561-8349). — Andrew Miller

Just Say Yes

10/28-10/31
With the University of Missouri-Kansas City’s theater grad students staging so many high-quality plays, undergrad shows often get overlooked. This weekend’s dark comedy The House of Yes should reel in the masses to Grant Hall Theatre (5228 Charlotte, 816-235-6222). Wendy MacLeod’s disturbing tale of obsession, incest and violence charmed hipster audiences in the 1997 film version, starring indie darling Parker Posey. From Thursday through Sunday, director Kara Armstrong hopes to do the same. — Fischer