KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The summer months in Kansas City usually are synonymous with entertainment, concerts and other big events at the Sprint Center or shows at Starlight Theatre being among the most popular options.
For now, those venues sit empty due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
As counties begin to reopen, venues that attract large crowds are working to navigate their own reopening process.
"If we are going to do a show, we have to get the theatrical unions to agree," Starlight CEO RIchard Baker said. "We have submitted a plan for our 'Godspell' show."
Baker, who survived his own bout with coronavirus earlier this year, doesn't take recommended health and safety precautions lightly, but he is working with city leads to bring shows and concerts back at some point this summer.
"We have said all along that we would love to reopen Starlight this summer, but we won't do it unless it's safe for our patrons," Baker said.
Starlight sent a survey to its patrons to get a sense of how comfortable people feel about gathering and what steps would be needed to reassure guests.
"The very first question, we said, 'If we did certainly social distancing and masks and things like that, would you come.' 71% said, 'Yeah, I would.' We thought that is fantastic."
41 Action News asked some Kansas City residents what steps would be necessary to feel comfortable going back to a venue like Starlight.
"Definitely someone taking temperatures as everyone is going in," Amanda Grout said.
Matt Buyers said he'll probably need a little more time before going to such events.
"For me personally, it's going to have to get to a point where the stigma of masks is kind of gone, meaning that people are comfortable not wearing them," he said.
As encouraged as Starlight was by some responses to its survey, Baker still has some concern. After all, only 14% said they would feel comfortable going to a show by August.
"Suppose we do a show and nobody comes?" he said. "When you make an investment in a show like that, we are self-producing that show ('Godspell'). So, if we do it, we are going to make an investment of at least $300,000. So, we at least need to get that much in ticket sales to make it worth our while."
Meanwhile, some concerts remain on the Sprint Center schedule for July, including the Impractical Jokes tour on July 18, but that could change.
Justin Bieber and Elton John concerts, which had been scheduled for early next month, have been postponed and no new date has been announced.
