(orchestral music) - Musical Theater Heritage is in Crown Center.

It's been around since 1997.

It was founded by George Harder, who founded it to kind of syndicate his nationally syndicated radio show, called "A Night on the Town."

Lots of people in Kansas City know George of course, and so for a local mission started producing shows at the Belger Arts Center, on the loading dock in 2003, and got successful, and people love seeing musicals, and moved to Crown Center in 2008, and we do the greatest musicals of all time in a theater with about 250 seats, and it's awesome.

We're really lucky that we've got a lot of talented, versatile people, so, you know, we're very nimble, we've always been nimble in how we produce shows.

You know, if you're gonna produce big musicals in a small space, you gotta be very creative, and innovative, and nimble, and so we were used to drawing on that toolkit to begin with, so when we had to figure out a different way to give our product to our audience, our ticket holders, and to keep our local artists employed, but in the COVID climate, we really wanted to be cognizant of doing it as small as we could, you know, to have as few people in the room as possible, and fortunately we've been successful, and people seem to like what we've been doing.

("This Nearly Was Mine") ♪ One dream in my heart ♪ ♪ One love to be living for ♪ ♪ One love to be living for ♪ ♪ This nearly was mine ♪ ♪ One girl for my dream ♪ ♪ One partner in paradise ♪ ♪ This promise of paradise ♪ ♪ This nearly was mine ♪ ♪ Close to my heart she came ♪ ♪ Only to fly away ♪ ♪ Only to fly as day flies from moonlight ♪ ♪ Now, now I'm alone ♪ ♪ Still dreaming of paradise ♪ ♪ Still saying that paradise ♪ ♪ Once nearly was mine ♪ ♪ So clear and deep are my fancies ♪ ♪ Of things I wish were true ♪ ♪ I keep remembering evenings ♪ ♪ I wish I'd spent with you.

♪ ♪ I keep remembering kisses ♪ ♪ From lips I've never owned ♪ ♪ And all that lovely adventures ♪ ♪ That we had never known ♪ ♪ One dream in my heart ♪ ♪ One love to be living for ♪ ♪ One love to be living for ♪ ♪ This nearly was mine ♪ ♪ One girl for my dream ♪ ♪ One partner in paradise ♪ ♪ This promise of paradise ♪ ♪ This nearly was mine.

♪ ♪ Close to my heart she came ♪ ♪ Only to fly away ♪ ♪ Only to fly as day flies from moonlight ♪ ♪ Now, now I'm alone ♪ ♪ Still dreaming of paradise ♪ ♪ Still saying that paradise ♪ ♪ Once nearly was mine ♪ (light music) - Park ICM actually started in 2003 by Stanislav Ioudenitch, who is our Piano Master.

He had the dream of creating what is really a very boutique and very unusual program, a conservatory in the United States that trains soloists.

It was developed on the European master apprentice relationship.

Very much a one-on-one relationship between their professor and the student, so that they can learn and craft their music to a whole new level.

We have 30 incredible musicians from all over the world, right here in Kansas City to train with these world-class musicians.

If you want to learn more about Park International Center for Music, you can go to icm.park.edu.

(light music) (classical music) - There I was in Boston Ballet.

It was the night before my premiere, on March 11th.

We got through the dress rehearsal, and then we were all called in on the day of May 12th, sorry, March 12th, we were all called in on March 12th to the theater, and the director let us know, Mikko Nissinen, that everything was shut down.

So I rented a car, and packed all my stuff up, and drove back to Philadelphia.

And I got to say, you know, up until that point, I'm an independent choreographer, I work with people in sweaty ballet studios all the time, it is my work, it is what I love, I love the whole comradery, community, but I'm with people all the time.

So after about a month, I'll call it of wondering, actually it was a lot of TV watching in my bed, I was having a hard time reconciling with this, I woke up one day and I decided, right, so this is, you know, this is not me.

I don't take things literally lying down, I don't.

I have to figure out a way, so I thought, right, so I would like in this time to support, and give back to my community, and I want to learn something new, so I thought about dance films, and I love the art of filmmaking anyhow.

I just, I've always found it, editing, all of that.

So I started, I started contacting dancers I'd worked with, directors I'd worked with, and I said, "Listen, I have a new endeavor."

Not, not new, of course.

Dance films have been happening a long time, but something new for me, and man, people were amazing, and how they were like, "Yeah, right.

"Let's let's do, let's do this."

(intense slow music) - This year has been extremely challenging for not only Quixotic, but other performing arts communities and companies, and we can all use your support.

There's a lot of, you know, people behind the scenes that also are impacted by this, and all of our wishes right now is just to move forward, stay positive, and just continue to create in the best of our abilities in these challenging times.

(intense upbeat music) (dramatic music) ("Ain't Nobody Like My Baby") ♪ Ain't nobody like my baby ♪ ♪ He's my favorite guy ♪ ♪ Ain't nobody like my baby ♪ ♪ He's my favorite guy ♪ ♪ He's got two big arms that'll hold me ♪ ♪ Takes me to paradise ♪ ♪ Well that man gives me pretty good loving ♪ ♪ Keeps me good and satisfied ♪ ♪ Said that man gives me pretty good loving ♪ ♪ Keeps me good and satisfied ♪ ♪ When I need him in the midnight hour ♪ ♪ He's always right on time ♪ - Now let me tell you about that man.

♪ He stands about six foot 10 ♪ ♪ With skin so chocolate brown ♪ ♪ Makes me weak in the knees y'all ♪ ♪ Every time he comes around ♪ ♪ My man don't take no mess ♪ ♪ He's from the east side of KC ♪ ♪ He might be bear to them ♪ ♪ But he's sugar bear to me ♪ ♪ Said ain't nobody like my baby ♪ ♪ He's my favorite guy ♪ ♪ He's got two big arms that'll hold me ♪ ♪ Takes me to paradise ♪ Play your piano.

♪ Skin as smooth as whiskey ♪ ♪ Soothes me to the core ♪ ♪ Keeps me warm and fuzzy ♪ ♪ Got me coming back for more ♪ ♪ He treats me like a queen ♪ ♪ Just like a good man should ♪ ♪ And when he says he loves me ♪ ♪ It's more than understood ♪ ♪ There ain't nobody like my baby ♪ ♪ He's my favorite guy ♪ ♪ He's got two big arms that'll hold me ♪ ♪ Takes me to paradise ♪ ♪ And when you ask my why I love him ♪ ♪ I'll tell you all the reasons why ♪ ♪ Oh yeah ♪