Big Donald
THU 4/15
Fans of NBC’s The Apprentice might be a little embarrassed by their addiction. But like other addicts, they won’t be able to keep from indulging themselves, sitting in front of the television every Thursday night rooting for their favorite tycoon-in-training. The rest of us are mostly bewildered at what the big deal is, but we also have a sneaking suspicion that everyone is at a giant party and we haven’t been invited. The Isle of Capri Casino (Interstate 35 and Front Street) seeks to unify these factions (as only the Isle of Capri could do) by inviting everyone to “Meet Us in the Boardroom!” to watch The Apprentice‘s finale on the Caribbean Cove’s big-screen TV — everyone, that is, who is 21 and older. Guests can guess which contestant will win and enter a drawing for a weekend trip for two to Trump International Hotel and Tower in New York City. Local celebrities, including former Chiefs player Neil Smith; CiCi Rojas, executive director of Kansas City’s Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; and restaurateur Sebrina McCrainey host the event, which starts at 4 p.m. It’s obviously guaranteed fun — they punctuated the party’s name with an exclamation point. Call 816-590-9697 for more information. — Annie Fischer
Poetic Justice
A filmmaker gets poets talking.
THU 4/15
At a poetry reading? You could read the label? Of a can of soup? But if you read it like this? It’s poetry? Filmmaker Jeff Stapleton Jr. exposes this phenomenon (or myth, depending on who is talking) in the documentary The Pit Poet Picture Show, premiering at 8 p.m. Thursday at the Just Off Broadway Theatre, 3051 Central. For his movie, Stapleton dragged three regulars from the popular last-Sunday-of-the-month poetry readings at Prospero’s Books (1800 West 39th Street) into the light of day to get them to wax nonpoetic about the gatherings, where folks of questionable mental stability alternate between smashing windows and publishing collected works. And he added plenty of colorful commentary on 39th Street’s bohemian leanings from its denizens.
Local musicians showcased in the film also perform at the premiere, which is sponsored in part by Naked Juice and the Free Speech Coalition. The $10 admission goes partly to benefit Literacy KC; tickets are available at www.piggybankproductions.com. —Nadia Pflaum
Into the Mystic
Psychics predict fun.
4/16-4/18
The weekend before St. Patrick’s Day, we were in a bar for an early celebration when we encountered an Irish fellow who determined the future with a woozy glance at our open palm. “You’ve not long, lass,” he slurred. Though obviously clairvoyant, he also was three sheets to the wind. We want a second opinion. Luckily, the Psychical Research Society of Kansas City’s Psychic Fair comes to the Business and Technology College’s Exhibit Hall (formerly the Kansas City Market Center) at Interstate 435 and Front Street this weekend. We predict psychic readings, lectures on metaphysical topics and the sale of special items — crystals, books, cards, incense and such — designed to enhance the commoner’s telepathic tendencies. For more information, call 816-880-9474. — Fischer
Fifty Years Later
SAT 4/17
In 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court’s Brown v. Topeka Board of Education decision made racial segregation in public schools illegal. There are still questions about how much progress the country has made when it comes to equal opportunity in education. This Saturday, the University of Missouri-Kansas City commemorates the anniversary of the decision and explores its implications with Hope for the Future: A Local Perspective at 5 p.m. in Pierson Auditorium (50th Street and Rockhill Road). Call 816-235-1007. — Sarah Steele
