KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Rooftop Cinema Club, a national and international open-air cinema company, is setting up shop in Kansas City as the film and TV industry is buzzing with excitement.
The most recent excitement comes with the filming of Apple TV’s hit show "Ted Lasso," which has already made stops in places like the Plaza.
"Ted Lasso" continued filming Wednesday in Mike Maksin's Blue Springs neighborhood.
“We've been anxiously awaiting the next season for a long time, and it's pretty cool they're filming in Kansas City,” Maksin said.
His neighbor, Gabe Cross, left his home to catch a glimpse of the set.
“I think it’s pretty cool,” Cross said. “I think, in Kansas City, the creative industry is definitely growing.”
Rooftop Cinema Club hopes to build on that momentum.
“Kansas City, having 'Ted Lasso' sneakily filming something recently, it's a really exciting time to be here in Kansas City,” said Jeaneen Bengtson, director of experience for Rooftop Cinema Club. “And bringing Rooftop Cinema Club to be a part of that is better than we could imagine.”
The 82-seat open-air cinema opens Wednesday evening.
The United Kingdom-based company has eight locations in the United States — Kansas City, Chicago, Fort Worth, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York and San Diego.
“Kansas City ticked a lot of the boxes, specifically in the Crossroads area, it being an arts district. It just really meshes well with our brand,” Bengtson said.
The cinema will be open until October this year, and potentially into November if weather permits.
With a clear view of the Kansas City skyline, patrons can choose between three seating levels: single Adirondack chairs starting at $20, a loveseat Adirondack for $27 and luxe sofas with tableside service for $30.
The venue — located on the fourth floor of 2101 Broadway Blvd. — also includes a “box office” with concessions, food and headphones for moviegoers to wear during screenings.
Anyone is welcome to visit the rooftop bar when the venue opens at 5 p.m., even if they’re not there to watch the movie.
Once you're scanned up to the fourth floor, you’re instantly greeted by a mural featuring various Kansas City landmarks, including a cinematic take on the Western Auto sign.
It was designed and painted by KC Mural, a local artist who’s done various projects throughout the city.
“You’ll start to see some local organizations folded into what we do,” Bengtson said. “Whether it’s a screening that we host alongside an organization, if it’s a private event that we host for them, and it can also be screening films that are filmed here or filmed by a filmmaker who’s in Kansas City."
Bengtson says tickets are sold out for various shows, including opening night.
Movies are shown based on what’s done well in previous locations similar to Kansas City. Upcoming showings include "Love Jones," "Pride and Prejudice," "Dirty Dancing" and "Friday."
"There’s something really exciting happening in Kansas City right now," said a spokesperson from the KC Film Office. "You can feel the momentum with more notable productions coming to town, and new experiences like Rooftop Cinema Club popping up, celebrating the way this community shows up for movies. We’ve always been a city of filmmakers and film-lovers, so we’re happy to see others starting to catch on to that."
Doors open 60 minutes prior to film time. If weather is an issue or leads to a cancellation, guests are issued a transfer credit when it rains and are offered refund protection.
Bengtson says Rooftop Cinema Club also plans to host events catered to different seasons and popular Kansas City traditions.
“We know that you guys love the First Fridays,” she said. “We’re going to get a little bit of a taste of that, too. So we’ll start doing events here alongside our films.”
Screenings are currently set seven days a week, and they’re also planning to offer late-night 11 p.m. screenings Thursday through Saturday.
To view upcoming screenings and learn more, click here.
As the industry continues to expand in both the film and TV realm, the local excitement is certainly palpable.
“I think it just puts a bit of a spotlight on KC, which is great,” Cross said.
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KSHB 41 reporter Rachel Henderson covers neighborhoods in Wyandotte and Leavenworth counties. Share your story idea with Rachel.
