Kansas City Ballet already canceled ‘Nutcracker.’ Now it loses another show to COVID
The pandemic has claimed its second holiday presentation of the Kansas City Ballet.
First it was the annual presentation of “The Nutcracker” at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. Now the Ballet has canceled its smaller-scale replacement, “The Holiday Show,” after the recent explosion of COVID-19 cases, officials announced Thursday.
That production was scheduled for Dec. 4-20 at the Todd Bolender Center for Dance & Creativity and was sold out.
“While we had strict protocols planned and considered asking for an exemption from the city’s health department, we ultimately felt it was more important for us to do everything we can to protect the health and safety of our patrons, staff, and dancers,” the Ballet said on its website. “We value our community’s health and determined after much consideration that gathering was too great a risk with too great a potential cost.
“Instead, we encourage all of you to remain diligent in protecting the health of not only yourselves but our community as a whole.”
Kansas City’s new COVID-19 rules take effect Friday, limiting gatherings to 10 people. The Health Department will grant waivers to those who demonstrate they are taking proper safety precautions.
The city of Merriam also has canceled its Christmas in the Courtyard, scheduled for Dec. 4 at the Merriam Community Center, because of the recent Johnson County order limiting gatherings.
Members of the Kansas City Ballet will perform in the broadcast-only Plaza Lighting Ceremony, to be shown at 6 p.m. Nov. 26 on KMBC.
