Popular Johnson County theater was set to reopen soon. Then coronavirus cases swelled

After shutting down in March because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the New Theatre & Restaurant announced this week in print ads and online that it would finally reopen, with safety precautions, on July 7.

But a recent increase in local coronavirus cases suddenly changed those plans. Now the popular Overland Park dinner theater won’t open until September — at the earliest.

“We decided that it is not a safe for us to open at this time,” spokesman Rob McGraw told The Star.

In a statement on its website, the theater said, “The executive staff at New Theatre has decided to not reopen until the number of new Covid-19 cases in Kansas significantly decreases. It’s the responsible thing to do.”

McGraw said the theater called 1,000 of its 25,000 season ticket holders to ask about returning in July, and 70% said they were comfortable.

The theater was set to present “The King in Concert,” a tribute to Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis. Usually, the theater’s shows are sold out, but it had planned to reduce seating to 40% capacity. Its plan also included safety measures requiring customers and employees to wear face masks, checking employees’ temperatures, increasing sanitizing and changing the buffet areas.

Now, it hopes to launch its new season in September, with shows including “Menopause: The Musical,” “Little Shop of Horrors” and “Million Dollar Quartet,” among others — depending on the number of cases then.

“We intend to reopen when it’s safe,” McGraw said.

On Wednesday, Starlight Theatre announced it had canceled its production of “Godspell” set for August as well as all other concerts and musicals for the season.