Comedian Sarah O'Sullivan is flipping Kansas City's rough dating scene into a live monthly show where strangers volunteer for public honesty, awkwardness and flirtation.

Why it matters: KC has long been labeled a difficult city to date, ranked worst in the country in 2022 by BestPlaces.

State of play: That's where "That KC Dating Show" steps in. The show launched in the spring and now returns every six weeks, often selling out before contestants are picked.

• It borrows the structure of the 1970s show "The Dating Game" and runs on O'Sullivan's comic timing, which keeps the energy high and the awkward pauses short.
• "I posted one TikTok and suddenly 80 people applied immediately. After that, I knew KC would get onstage," she tells Axios.

How it works: She builds each show around four rounds, each with its own main contestant and three potential matches.

• She selects contestants from online submissions, looking for forms that show humor or personality. She says, "I cast outgoing people. You have to be comfortable facing 250-plus people."
• She asks the main contestants for their type and casts three matches who represent different versions of what they're looking for.
• The show includes rounds for straight and LGBTQ+ contestants.

Zoom in: At RecordBar last week, the holiday edition of the show, titled "A Naughty Xmas," unfolded like a chaotic social experiment.

• The main contestants hid behind a partition while the matches answered questions.
• The crowd participated by shouting advice, cringing at awkward answers, and cheering when someone took a chance.
• Even Santa made an appearance to give contestants his feedback.

What they're saying: O'Sullivan says the show works because singles are not hopeless — they are just stuck.

• "People crave connection. They need it. They just don't know where to start, and we're all a little emotionally stunted," she says.
• Success rates vary from show to show. She says unexpected connections happen "every single show," sometimes between contestants and sometimes among the audience.

The bottom line: The show is not focused on fixing the city's dating scene, but it is giving singles something they rarely get from apps: a chance to be seen, to be surprised, and to meet someone without hiding behind their phone.

What's next: A Valentine's Day edition will be on Feb. 13.

'Tis the weekend before Christmas, and all through KC, there is plenty a-stirring for locals to see.

🛍️ Shopping

• Merry Market: The City Market's arts and crafts festival is open tomorrow and Sunday 10am to 4pm.
• Strawberry swing: A European-style Christkindlmarkt is popping up tomorrow and Sunday at The Guild, 1621 Locust St. in KCMO, from 10am to 8pm.

🎟️ Shows

• "The Nutcracker": A few seats remain for today's and tomorrow's 7:30pm performances at the Kauffman Center. It's sold out Sunday, but shows run through Christmas Eve. ($34-149)
• "Oy Vey in a Manger": This "Dragapella" satirical musical at The White Theatre at The J in Overland Park features The Kinsey Sicks' reinterpretations of holiday classics. Shows are tomorrow at 7:30pm and Sunday at 3pm. ($26-32)
• A Magical Cirque Christmas: Acrobatics and Christmas aesthetics take the stage at Music Hall tomorrow, 7:30-9:30pm. (Starting at $60)

💡 Lights

• Christmas in the Park: Jackson County's free display at Frank White Jr. Softball Complex runs today and tomorrow from 5:30-11pm and Sunday-Thursday 5:30-10pm. (Optional donation)
• Winter Magic: This drive-thru display at Platte Purchase Park in the Northland runs every night 6-9pm and features a Christmas pickle scavenger hunt. (Starting at $20)

🌡️ Forecasters are predicting near-record highs for Christmas Day. The 1922 record is 67 degrees, and early calculations put KC in the mid-60s. Anyone have an ugly Christmas T-shirt? (Kansas City Star)

🏙️ Plaza owners and city planners have settled on a comprehensive plan for the district's future, which seeks to add more residential units, office space, and hotel accommodations. City Council will have the final vote. (Kansas City Business Journal)

⚾️ New sports and entertainment concept Sandlot Social — a bar and restaurant with batting cages — hopes to make its debut in Lenexa near Oak Park Mall this spring. (Johnson County Post)

As the year winds down, we want to hear the resolutions you are willing to claim out loud, the ones that say something honest about how you want 2026 to feel.

Why it matters: Resolutions are less about self-improvement and more about taking stock. They reveal what people are carrying and what they are ready to set down.

What we want from you

Share one resolution that feels true to where you are right now. It can be practical, strange, overdue or half-formed. Tell us the story behind it!

💭 Abbey's thought bubble: Here is an example: My New Year's resolution is to say one nice thing to a stranger every day.

How to send it

Reply to this email or use this form. We will highlight a few that capture KC's mood heading into 2026.