Starting June 30 through July 26, the entrance from 63rd Street will be closed to all traffic. Starlight guests should use the Elmwood or Meyer/Swope Parkway entrances to Swope Park.
Keep up with the latest from Starlight including details about Broadway shows, new programs, history, and more.
The soulful original score of composer Jason Robert Brown fills the summer skies of Winterset, Iowa, in The Bridges of Madison County, the romantic musical taking the stage at Starlight Theatre on June 14-19. For his work on the Broadway musical, Brown was honored with two Tony Awards® in 2014 – for Best Original Score and … Continued
In order to accommodate our many guests who were unable to attend Matilda The Musical due to the weather-related cancellation of Thursday night’s performance, the show’s producers have agreed to add a matinee performance on Saturday afternoon, May 28. While a few of the show’s lighting and special effects may be affected during the daytime performance, Starlight … Continued
Matilda The Musical, at Starlight Theatre through May 28, got our own staff thinking about our younger years, specifically about what we wanted to be “when we grow up.” For many working year-round at Starlight, theatre has been a lifelong love. Some Starlight associates stole the spotlight on stage in high school and college. And, … Continued
Two Kansas City-area middle school students received the good news on May 23 that they’ve joined the elite group of Starlight Theatre’s Vincent Legacy Scholarship recipients. Seventh-grader Nahrya Williams (Raytown Middle School) and eighth-grader Faith Andrews-ONeal (St. Paul’s Episcopal Day School) were awarded $2,500 Vincent Legacy Scholarships to help advance their training in the performing … Continued
The red carpet was rolled out, the seats were filled, and the stage was brimming with song and dance as Starlight Theatre recognized high achievers in Kansas City high school musical theatre at the 14th annual Blue Star Awards Ceremony on May 19. Modeled after Broadway’s Tony Awards®, Starlight’s Blue Star Awards celebrate the talented … Continued
Hamilton broke the previous record held by The Producers and Billy Elliot by one, picking up 16 Tony nominations for the 70th annual Tony Awards on May 3. The Best Musical category also included Bright Star, Hamilton, School of Rock, Shuffle Along and Waitress. Broadway’s biggest night is scheduled for June 12, hosted by James Corden. Here is the complete list of 2016 Tony Award nominees: Best Musical … Continued
We’re gearing up for our biggest summer season ever – and a communitywide celebration of KC Loves Starlight Day! On Thursday, April 28, the City Council of Kansas City approved a special action that officially declares today Monday, May 2, as KC Loves Starlight Day. This City declaration is in recognition of the fact that the iconic … Continued
After Hours at the Towers, an inaugural fundraising event hosted by Center Stage-Young Professionals of Starlight Theatre, proved to be a memorable evening for hundreds of Kansas City young professionals and supporters of Starlight. The 1920s-themed event on Friday, April 22 was inspired by Starlight’s upcoming production of Bullets Over Broadway and featured live music by Lost … Continued
On April 29, high school theatre students and instructors across metropolitan Kansas City and in neighboring communities received the good news that they had received nominations for the 14th annual Blue Star Awards from Starlight Theatre. Starlight leaders and staff personally delivered 133 nominations to 40 area high schools. On Thursday, May 19, the Blue … Continued
Ginger Zee proved she’s the Belle of the “Dancing with the Stars” ballroom on the episode that aired Monday, April 11. “For 20 years, I’ve wanted to be Belle,” Zee told reporters after the show. “And tonight, I got to live out a dream.” The “Good Morning America” meteorologist and her pro dancing partner, Val Chmerkovskiy, unleashed a dazzling … Continued
Pavement work under way at Starlight Theatre this spring presented an opportunity to install two new bronze stars in the Shirley Bush Helzberg Walk of Stars. The stars were previously cast and presented to two Hollywood stars – Cathy Rigby and George Hamilton – who performed on the Starlight stage during the 2012 Broadway season. As you … Continued
This summer’s concert schedule at Starlight Theatre is shaping up to be one of the biggest and most diverse yet. Fans of just about any genre will find live music to love under the stars in 2016, as the number of concerts approaches 25. Four new shows were recently added to Starlight’s 2016 Capitol Federal … Continued
If seeing Tony Award®-winning musicals tops your wish list, you’ll want to spend the month of May at Starlight Theatre! ONCE The 2016 Broadway season at Starlight kicks off May 20-22 with a weekend special engagement of ONCE. The winner of eight Tony Awards in 2012, including Best Musical, ONCE is a truly original Broadway experience. Based on the … Continued
Center Stage, the young professionals group of Starlight Theatre, will mix fun and fundraising at an all-new event at the theatre this month. The inaugural After Hours at the Towers, which will take place from 7 to 10 p.m. on Friday, April 22, is geared toward 21- to 40-year-olds throughout the metro. Designed as a younger complement … Continued
The spotlight shone on Starlight Theatre on Feb. 25 in Columbia, Mo., when Starlight president and CEO Rich Baker accepted an award from the Missouri Parks and Recreation Association (MPRA). Starlight was one of just three Missouri organizations selected to receive a 2016 MPRA Citation Award. The annual award honors a not-for-profit or business organization … Continued
Starlight Theatre is accepting applications for its Vincent Legacy Scholarships through Monday, March 28. The annual scholarship opportunity provides minority middle-school students with funding to pursue professional training in the performing arts. The Vincent Legacy Scholarship Fund was established in 2006 by local community leaders Greg and Rebecca Reid to give qualified students an opportunity … Continued
Two months before the eight-time Tony Award®-winning musical ONCE takes the stage at Starlight Theatre, it will get its Irish on during Kansas City’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Starlight and the producers of ONCE are collaborating with Cumulus Radio to re-create the musical’s Dublin pub setting atop the parade float of KCMO-FM on March 17. Kansas City’s annual parade … Continued
The thousands of Kansas City area students who participate in Starlight Theatre’s performing arts education camps, classes and programs each year have a new place to call home when at the theatre. Starlight’s brand-new Education Pavilion, constructed on the site of its original 1950 Director’s Pavilion, provides 2,700 square feet of climate-controlled space for use … Continued
Get 16 songs from Broadway’s hottest hit shows for FREE! Starlight’s Broadway iTunes sampler will have you humming great music from the shows that are delighting audiences in New York and around the country. Some of these musicals are currently playing on Broadway. Others are getting ready to make their Broadway debuts or are touring … Continued
Starlight Theatre staff are taking to the road this month to recruit prospective candidates for its Bob Rohlf Internship Program in 2016. Each summer Starlight hires more than a dozen college students to work alongside its professional staff members to learn the ins and outs of live theatre production and administration. Interns quickly are immersed … Continued
Live music under the stars is a summertime tradition at Starlight Theatre, and with eight concert dates already confirmed for 2016, it’s shaping up to be another concert season to remember. The two newest concert announcements are Barenaked Ladies with OMD and Howard Jones on Saturday, June 4, and Grammy Award®-winning folk singer Ray LaMontagne on … Continued
Starlight? Indoors? In the winter? REALLY?!! At about 9 p.m. on January 31, the final guests to attend the inaugural run of Starlight Indoors were still laughing as they filed out of One-Man Star Wars Trilogy and exited through the Applause Club to their cars. They were the last of more than 10,000 patrons who believed us when … Continued
Looking for a Valentine’s gift idea? Love stories are at the heart of three Broadway musicals included in Starlight’s 2016 season! Sweethearts will enjoy a gift of season tickets to Starlight Theatre long after February 14th has come and gone. Summer nights under the stars at Kansas City’s iconic outdoor theatre have been a beloved … Continued
Longtime season ticket holder Noda Scherer of Kansas City, Mo., got an early holiday gift from Starlight Theatre in December. She won two free season tickets for the 2016 Broadway season! By renewing her season tickets before the first deadline of Dec. 4, Scherer was entered into a drawing along with thousands of other early … Continued
Behind every great performance is inspiration, and behind inspiration is a great teacher. The Tony Awards® and Carnegie Mellon University want to celebrate the teachers who create the next generation of theatre artists. Through their Excellence in Theatre Education Award program, the organizations seek to recognize dedicated teaching professionals who discover, nurture and inspire talented … Continued
The 26 members of the 2015 Starlight STARS of Tomorrow troupe wrapped up another successful year with a celebratory pizza party with Starlight Education leaders. At the January event, special recognition was given to two Starlight STARS. Anna Hastings of Olathe and Sarah Navran of Overland Park were awarded $500 scholarships in recognition of the … Continued
Get in the mood for One-Man Star Wars Trilogy at Starlight Indoors with some fun and easy snowflake patterns from a galaxy far, far away. Anthony Herrera has been designing Star Wars themed snowflake patterns and posting his creations for free on his website (anthonyherreradesigns.com) for more than five years. Now is your chance to … Continued
As Starlight has grown its portfolio of education programs to 11 and expanded its reach to more than 5,000 students each year, one thing hasn’t grown – the physical space needed to accommodate all those classes, camps and kids. Until now, that is! In 2016, Starlight will introduce its new 2,700-square-foot Education Pavilion, built on … Continued
Center Stage, the official Young Professionals group of Starlight Theatre, will support two upcoming shows in the Starlight Indoors series. The group is offering discounted show tickets and pre-show events for Dixie’s Tupperware Party and One-Man Star Wars Trilogy. Both events below are open to all young professionals in the Kansas City area. Dixie’s Tupperware Party: Welcome Dixie … Continued
The “Kansas City Live” set at KSHB-TV was visited this week by a guest from a galaxy far, far away. On Tuesday morning, January 26, Charles Ross, the star of One-Man Star Wars Trilogy, stopped by the studio to preview a short segment from his one-man show. One of the first performances of One-Man Star Wars Trilogy was … Continued