Strange But True

Presidential families are not without their black sheep: Roger Clinton’s coke ring, Neil Bush’s Chinese prostitutes, Billy Carter’s beer. Even the Camelot-evoking Kennedys weren’t without their eccentric relatives. Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis’ aunt and cousin, “Big Edie” and “Little Edie” Bouvier Beale, were part of the once-aristocratic branch of the family and fell into isolation at their ruined estate, Grey Gardens. They sprang into popular view in the 1975 documentary Grey Gardens — singing, arguing and living in a house infested by fleas and raccoons — and were recently resurrected in both an HBO movie and a Tony-nominated musical, Grey Gardens, which traces the family history from its 1940s social heights to its 1970s squalid reclusiveness. Grey Gardens, the musical, opens tonight at 8 at the Unicorn Theatre (3828 Main) and runs through February 28. Call 816-531-7529 for ticket information or see unicorntheatre.org.

Tuesdays-Sundays. Starts: Jan. 29. Continues through Feb. 28, 2010