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.
In each issue of “On The Spot” from now through September, we are sharing selected highlights from each decade of Starlight Theatre. Following several troublesome seasons of financial struggles, the 1980s brought continued challenges, operational changes and, by the middle of the decade, a hopeful outlook to Starlight Theatre. The 1980 Broadway season struggled through … Continued
As Starlight Theatre works to encourage creativity and appreciation for the performing arts, talented local visual artists have come forward to share their work with Starlight guests. If you attend a Friday night Broadway performance or concert at Starlight this season, you might be the lucky one taking home a piece of original artwork! Free … Continued
Congratulations to all of the 2015 Blue Star Award recipients, nominees and participating high schools! …and the winners are… Outstanding Overall Production ———————————-Winner———————————– Raymore-Peculiar – Man of La Mancha Lee’s Summit North – Disney’s Tarzan Liberty – Shrek the Musical Olathe East – Catch Me If You Can Shawnee Mission Northwest – Little Shop of Horrors Shawnee Mission West – A … Continued
In each issue of “On the Spot” from now through September, we are sharing selected highlights from each decade of Starlight Theatre. The following is excerpted from Making Memories for 50 Years, a Starlight commemorative magazine published in 2000. Richard Hill Berger, Starlight’s first theatre manager and producing director, took the reins in 1951 and continued as producing … Continued
There’ll be a whole lotta shakin’ goin’ on this Memorial Day weekend as Starlight Theatre opens its 65th Broadway season with the Tony Award®-winning musical Million Dollar Quartet. One of two weekend special engagements scheduled during Starlight’s 2015 season, Million Dollar Quartet is now in its fourth year of touring nationally. Kansas City is among more than 60 … Continued
In each issue of “On The Spot” from now through September, we are sharing selected highlights from each decade of Starlight Theatre. The following is excerpted from Making Memories for 50 Years, a Starlight commemorative magazine published in 2000 and from The Story of Starlight Theatre published in 1993. By the end of the 1960s, Starlight Theatre … Continued
Once the house lights go down on show nights, the action on Starlight Theatre’s stage commands the audience’s attention. But in the minutes and hours before the curtain rises, our flowering gardens and extensive landscaping often steal the show. Just as a musical requires hard work behind the scenes to succeed, so, too, do the … Continued
Our continuing Q&A series allows Rich Baker, Starlight president and CEO, to share his thoughts and insights about topics related to our Broadway season, venue, industry trends and more. Q. How do recent changes in Broadway touring productions impact Starlight audiences? A. It’s important to discuss how changes in the offerings coming out of Broadway affect … Continued
Look for the Girl Scouts of Northeast Kansas and Northwest Missouri to be out in force at several Broadway shows this summer. Starlight Theatre is again partnering on a fundraising effort that, in 2014, returned more than $4,500 from ticket sales to the regional Girl Scouts organization. With the volume of attendees it attracts, the … Continued
Today, 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 13th annual Blue Star Awards from Starlight Theatre. Starlight leaders and staff personally delivered 129 nominations to 35 area high schools. On Thursday, May 21, the Blue Star Award … Continued
An American in Paris and Fun Home topped the nominations for the 69th annual Tony Awards on April 28, earning 12 nods each, including Best Musical. Other standouts included a nomination for Sting for Best Score for The Last Ship, which closed on the Great White Way in January, and On the Twentieth Century’s Kristin Chenoweth, who will also co-host … Continued
They’re making the lists, and at Starlight Theatre we’re checking them twice! National and local list-makers continue to give a nod to Starlight as one of the best places to spend a summer night. Just this week, Visit KC shared online its “15 Reasons to Love KC this Summer.” Among its listing of “new and … Continued
A diverse mix of music genres awaits Starlight Theatre concert-goers in 2015. As the number of concert events included in this season’s Capitol Federal Concert Series approaches 20, there is sure to be something to satisfy nearly every musical taste. “Whether you like classic rock, R&B, pop, alternative or all of the above, we’ve got … Continued
Our new Q&A series allows Rich Baker, Starlight president and CEO, to share his thoughts and insights about topics related to our Broadway season, venue, industry trends and more. This issue’s topic addresses improvements audience members can look forward to at Starlight this season. Q. What new features can audience members expect at Starlight Theatre … Continued
On Monday afternoon, April 6, Kansas City baseball fans cheered as the Kansas City Royals opened their 47th season against the Chicago White Sox. Way back in 1969, when the Royals first called Kansas City home, they were also a hit at Starlight Theatre. As cast members rehearsed for Starlight’s August 1969 production of Damn Yankees, … Continued
Starlight Theatre leaders welcomed many familiar faces to the theatre on April 1 to recount and celebrate the important ways in which their volunteer service has enhanced the Starlight venue since the 1980s. A reunion of members of the Starlight Board of Directors from the past 3½ decades took place in the Applause Club. Current … Continued
Welcome to our new Q&A series with Rich Baker, Starlight president and CEO. On a regular basis, Rich will share his thoughts and insights about topics related to our Broadway season, venue, industry trends and more. This issue’s topic addresses Starlight’s recent presentation of its first-ever musical indoors on the Cohen Community Stage. Q. What … Continued
The 2015 season marks Starlight Theatre’s 65th year of producing and presenting live Broadway entertainment under the stars. In celebration of this important milestone, each issue of “On the Spot” from now through September will share selected highlights from each decade. We invite newsletter readers and Starlight guests to share their own memories of special … Continued
Carolyn Watley, who serves as President of CBIZ Benefits & Insurance Services of Kansas City, has added an important new title to her civic leadership résumé – Chair of the Starlight Theatre Board of Directors. Watley joined the Starlight board in 2012 and served as Vice Chair of Strategic Planning in 2013-14. She succeeds Russ … Continued
Starlight recently bid farewell to three of its board members and thanked them for their dedicated volunteer service to the theatre. The members whose board terms expired in December were: W. Russell Welsh. Russ joined the board in 2007, served as Chairman from 2011 through 2014, and provided key legal advice to Starlight on an ongoing … Continued
The application period is under way for the 2015 Bob Rohlf Internship Program at Starlight. College students interested in spending a summer learning the inner workings of theatre administration and production are encouraged to download an application at kcstarlight.com/education and apply by March 2. Selected applicants will be invited to interview in the spring. Each year the … Continued
The book 50 Shades of Grey has been the center of controversy, but a production in Kansas City is putting a very different spin on the steamy romance novel. 50 Shades of Grey is an international best seller. The popular series has sold more than 100 million copies, and the movie opens Friday. In Kansas City people can … Continued
Mindy Cooper, a veteran choreographer equally at ease with classical ballet and contemporary Broadway jazz moves, is returning to Kansas City – at least in spirit. Cooper choreographed the touring company of “50 Shades! The Musical Parody,” which opens Tuesday on the enclosed stage at Starlight Theatre. The strictly-for-laughs show suggests that Cooper is basically … Continued
Roses are red, violets are blue, we made these Valentine’s cards, just for you! Whether you’re five or fifty, sending valentines to the people you love is a fun thing to do. So, why not do it in style with our free printables? We think it’s worth it alone to avoid the trip to the … Continued
Starlight Theatre is pleased to welcome Staci Shute as our new Group Sales Coordinator. Newly relocated from Las Vegas to the heart of the Midwest, Staci calls Starlight home during work hours and Lawrence, Kan., home the rest of the time. “Moving to the Midwest has been a bit of a culture shock, especially with … Continued
The new and highly acclaimed national touring production of PIPPIN was the subject of an action-packed feature Jan. 4 on “CBS Sunday Morning.” The video segment took viewers behind the scenes of the production as cast members rehearsed in preparation for the tour’s opening in Denver last September. Sure to be a highlight of the 2015 Broadway … Continued
The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear and NBC will be spreading lots of cheer on Tuesday, Dec. 16. The network is bringing in the holiday spirit with the stop-motion hour-long animated special Elf: Buddy’s Musical Christmas. Based on the popular film Elf and the hit Broadway musical Elf: The Musical, the … Continued
You don’t have to wait until summer to enjoy a performance by the Starlight STARS of Tomorrow. The troupe is performing at several holiday events in the next few weeks. The festivities kick off at Santa’s Wonderland at Gillham Park on Friday, December 12 followed by back-to-back-to-back performances at the Candy Cane Course at Starlight … Continued
In celebration of Disney Theatrical Productions’ 20 years on Broadway, ABC will air “Backstage with Disney on Broadway: Celebrating 20 Years,” this Sunday, Dec. 14 at 7 p.m. The one-hour special, hosted by Jesse Tyler Ferguson of “Modern Family” and Darren Criss of “Glee” will explore the making of Disney’s eight Broadway ventures. Viewers will … Continued
Attendance at our five Broadway productions and 25 concerts approached 300,000. Our 11 performing arts education programs reached more than 5,000 youth from age 5 through college. The Starlight community ticket program gave 11,284 people served by local nonprofits the chance to enjoy a Broadway musical for free. And, our new venue-wide sound system enhanced … Continued