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.
Renowned singer and actress Idina Menzel will bring her Tony Award®-winning voice to Starlight on Aug. 12. Kansas City is one of 39 North American stops on Menzel’s 2015 global concert tour. She promises to lead audiences on a vocal journey of classic pop, musical theatre favorites and her own personal catalogue of songs. Menzel’s … Continued
It’s never too soon to start making Valentine’s plans, and, with 50 Shades! The Musical Parody ready to heat up Starlight Theatre during Valentine’s week, we think we have the ideal outing for couples and groups alike. This sexy satire of the “Fifty Shades of Grey” phenomenon premieres in Kansas City at Starlight – indoors and under … Continued
As a not-for-profit organization, Starlight Theatre relies heavily upon the great work and good deeds of volunteers. If you’re looking for a way to give back to your community while putting your time and talents to use in 2015, consider becoming a Starlight Ambassador! More than 200 adults volunteer on a seasonal or year-round basis … Continued
Looking for some outings over the holiday break? Let us suggest a couple of Broadway blockbusters coming soon to the silver screen. Opening December 19: The newest film rendition of Annie opens in theatres the Friday before Christmas. Columbia Pictures puts a contemporary, comedic spin on the Broadway classic that has delighted audiences for generations. Starring as Annie … Continued
Idina Menzel joined a group of star-studded musical guests and performed the holiday classic “Holly Jolly Christmas” at the lighting Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center. The arrival of the holidays wouldn’t be complete without the lighting of the world’s most famous Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center. Since the Great Depression, the Rockefeller Center Tree has … Continued
The nation’s most beloved spectacle, the Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, returns for the 88th year of magic on Thursday, Nov. 27. A full broadcast of the parade will air on NBC, with “Today” hosts Matt Lauer, Al Roker and Savannah Guthrie. Portions of the parade hosted by Kevin Frazier, “Entertainment Tonight” and Thea Andrews, … Continued
Education camps that impact 225 children every year. A high school performance troupe that performs in front of nearly 5,000 people annually. 14,700 free Broadway show tickets given to local nonprofits during each Broadway season. These are all things that Starlight Theatre is able to provide thanks to your financial support. During this season of … Continued
We’re trying something new at Starlight Theatre this February – and it looks like things will definitely be heating up! After playing to sold-out houses across the country, 50 Shades! The Musical Parody will premiere in Kansas City at Starlight – indoors and under cover – for eight performances Feb. 10-15. Just over 500 seats in our … Continued
Each summer we love to welcome families to Starlight, and apparently families love the entertainment and experience we deliver. In KC Parent magazine’s 2014 Family Faves award competition, Starlight took home two top honors. From among the 60,000 votes that readers cast in 30 award categories, Starlight emerged as Favorite Live Show and Favorite Parents’ Night Out. … Continued
Starlight Theatre, along with Theater League and Broadway Across America, recently had the honor of hosting The Broadway League’s 18th Annual Road Marketing Forum. Nearly 80 marketing representatives from theatres across the country and press agents associated with Broadway touring productions came together in Kansas City on Oct. 22-23 to discuss topics ranging from publicity … Continued
Runners will traverse the open spaces around Starlight Theatre and throughout Swope Park on Saturday morning, Dec. 13, for the 2014 Candy Cane Course Run organized by Bodies Health and Fitness. A portion of proceeds from the run will support Starlight’s education programs.Participants can also bring new toys to donate to Toys for Tots. As the … Continued
Broadway fans, especially those who refuse to grow up, will want to mark their calendars for Thursday night, Dec. 4. That night NBC will debut Peter Pan LIVE! Following in the footsteps of the success of 2013’s The Sound of Music LIVE!,which starred Carrie Underwood and drew more than 18 million viewers, the network’s newest live musical … Continued
The 2014 Destination Starlight gala on May 17 truly had it all: An original theatrical performance produced by EPIC Events, a multi-course dinner and dancing until midnight. And of course, who could forget the beautiful graphic design work in our gala invitations, programs, and tickets? Bob Farley, Manager of New Media at Polsinelli, will be recognized at … Continued
Everywhere you turned around town this weekend, people and places were decked out in blue to support the Kansas City Royals’ playoff run. Starlight Theatre was no exception. In rolling out the (blue) carpet for Ringo Starr, His All Starr Band and 5,000+ concert fans on Saturday night, Oct. 4, Starlight dyed its signature fountains … Continued
When WaterFire KC ignites the Country Club Plaza’s night on Oct. 10-11, the Starlight STARS of Tomorrow will be among the local performers kicking off the celebration in high style. They will take the festival stage at 8:30 p.m. on Friday to perform their 2014 Broadway show medley, featuring show tunes from The Sound of Music, … Continued
The air is crisp, leaves are falling and high schools are gearing up to showcase their students’ theatrical talents. ‘Tis the season for high school fall musicals, and adjudicators from Starlight’s Blue Star Awards will soon fan out across Kansas City to see and critique the productions, doing so again in the spring. “As we … Continued
Children and families served by the local SAFEHOME shelter took a welcome break from their routines in mid-September to enjoy a Starlight Theatre presentation of “Just Imagine.” Since 2011, this Starlight outreach program has brought live, interactive theatre directly to some of Kansas City’s most vulnerable residents, particularly children hospitalized with chronic illnesses or living … Continued
At Starlight Theatre, we congratulate lifetime Starlight Board member and supporter Anita Gorman on an important honor that will soon come her way! Gorman has been selected as this year’s Outstanding Fundraising Volunteer by the Mid-America Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. She will receive the prestigious award from the chapter during its National … Continued
It’s been a busy year for Starlight Theatre’s event-focused subsidiary. First, the company updated its name to EPIC Events, Inc. (formerly EPIC Entertainment, Inc.) to better represent the comprehensive services it provides in creating and managing live events, conferences and meetings. When EPIC was founded in 2002, the name EPIC Entertainment was appropriate because the … Continued
NBC announced last week the addition of two new faces to its cast of Peter Pan Live! Broadway’s Taylor Louderman will join the production as Wendy Darling. Louderman previously played a lead role on Broadway in Bring It On: The Musical, and she also starred as Ariel Moore in Starlight Theatre’s 2013 production of Footloose. Meanwhile, actress … Continued
Two outstanding young people associated with Starlight Theatre’s education programs were publicly recognized as “Our Town Heroes” during the Kansas City Repertory Theatre’s recent production of Our Town. Ve’Shawn Dixon, a 2008 recipient of Starlight’s Vincent Legacy Scholarship, and Joann Armstrong, a four-year member of the Starlight STARS of Tomorrow, received recognition from the KC Rep … Continued
If you are a fan of Starlight Theatre who lives outside of the five-county Kansas City metro area, we invite you to share your love of our outdoor theatre by voting for Starlight in the 2014 Visitors’ Choice Awards. This annual awards competition is sponsored by Visit KC (formerly the Kansas City Convention & Visitors … Continued
Closing night of Blue Man Group gave Starlight Theatre more to celebrate than bald heads, blue faces and pulsing drumbeats. Sunday night, Sept. 14 also marked the arrival of Starlight’s 250,000th guest of the season! When Dee Hilsinger of Lenexa, Kan., had her ticket scanned at Gate 3 at 7:15 p.m., she became the quarter-millionth person to … Continued
It’s a homecoming this week for Steven Wendt, who stars as a Blue Man in the North American tour of Blue Man Group. After growing up near the Country Club Plaza and attending Shawnee Mission North High School, Steven went on to earn his acting degree at California Institute of the Arts. He trained to be … Continued
At Starlight Theatre, we’ve gotten a lot of love from the compilers of Top 10 lists this summer. While not intending to appear boastful, we can’t help but share our pride in this good news from external sources: Green Label The most recent accolade came in early August from Green Label, which placed Starlight as … Continued
Starting one week from tonight, Starlight Theatre will be basking in blue as the theatrical production of Blue Man Group kicks off the newest leg of its North American tour on our Cohen Community Stage. Through at least next April, the Blue Men and their supporting instrumentalists will be traveling cross-country to 49 U.S. cities and one … Continued
Less than 24 hours after being challenged by their staff, the executive management of Starlight Theatre accepted the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge and went feet first into the Shirley Bush Helzberg Fountain and Garden of the Stars on Wednesday afternoon, Aug. 20. Starlight President and CEO Rich Baker was joined in the fountain by Brenda … Continued
Be sure to set your DVRs for Lifetime’s morning show, “The Balancing Act.” The talk show has teamed up with touring Broadway for a series of six TV segments that will highlight musicals that are currently on the road or will launch within the year. The new series, called “Broadway Balances America,” will showcase behind-the-scenes … Continued
Starlight’s summer of national accolades continues with our latest inclusion in a Top 10 list. Just last week, Green Label placed Starlight as No. 1 on its list of “The 10 Most Amazing Outdoor Music Venues in the Country.” Green Label, which bills itself as a Mountain Dew online venture, credited Starlight’s “castle-like façade that … Continued
On Saturday night, July 12, Starlight audience members had cause to celebrate before settling in to enjoy Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. That’s because the three young people selected as Starlight’s 2014 Vincent Legacy Scholarship recipients were formally presented on our Cohen Community Stage. The aspiring young performers who will now hone their skills with … Continued