Keep up with the latest from Starlight including details about Broadway shows, new programs, history, and more.
Starlight is excited to announce a new partnership with Disney this spring for a virtual field trip and screening of NEWSIES: The Broadway Musical. “Starlight has been actively pursuing new pathways to arts experiences throughout the pandemic, and though nothing can replace the experience of young people sitting next to each other at a live … Continued
Starlight is thrilled to welcome its new Vice President of Community Engagement to the team. With nearly 20 years of experience in the field, Jones brings his expertise of arts education and community engagement all the way from California. Learn more about Starlight’s newest team member and what he’s looking forward to most about this … Continued
Each year, Starlight invites Vincent Legacy Scholars and their families to the theatre for a holiday celebration dinner. The evening introduces the newest scholars, provides an opportunity for current scholars and alumni to share performing and life updates, and connects students and their families to Starlight staff and program donors, Greg and Rebecca Reid. This … Continued
A wrap party via Zoom on Monday, December 21, concluded the 2020 season for the Starlight Stars and Starlight Stars of Tomorrow performance troupes. Along with reflecting on the season and sharing favorite memories, a portion of the evening included awarding two $500 scholarships from Starlight and the programs’ donors. Katy Sheehan, a sophomore at … Continued
Starlight’s Bob Rohlf Internship program is back for the summer of 2021! Applications are now available online for college students seeking a paid internship experience filled with hands-on opportunities. Starlight interns contribute to the success of the theatre’s Broadway shows, concerts and community engagement programs. Bob Rohlf Interns have the opportunity to work closely with … Continued
Starlight’s family of Vincent Legacy Scholarship recipients grew by five in mid-November when the students who participated in our 2020 series of performance workshops received a pleasant surprise – $500 scholarships to pursue additional training in the performing arts! Each of the students – now in grades 7 through 9 – originally applied in early … Continued
With the new school year well under way, Starlight’s community engagement team is hard at work on the 2020-21 Blue Star Awards. While this year will be very different from years past, Starlight is thrilled to continue to celebrate the success and talent of Kansas City metro high school theatre students. With covid-related changes and … Continued
In partnership with the University of Missouri—Kansas City, Starlight will once again offer a college credit course for high school students in grades 10-12. Titled “Theatre Industry Career Possibilities,” the course allows students to identify skills and training needed for selected careers, research possible employment opportunities and develop personal career path strategies. Students are eligible … Continued
Breana Smith, a 2019 Vincent Legacy Scholarship winner, is the latest Starlight student to share her talents and perspectives in “Raise Our Voices.” Starlight introduced this new performance initiative in June, giving students with a connection to Starlight an opportunity to publicly share their responses to racial injustice and other social issues our nation faces. … Continued
Starlight and the Vincent Legacy Foundation extend CONGRATULATIONS to three of our scholars who are now high school graduates! We shine a spotlight on Faith Andrews-O’Neal, T’Khara Jones and Amari Lewis as they begin their pursuit of new goals and adventures, and we applaud them for succeeding in a senior year filled with challenges and … Continued
In early March, Starlight and talented students from across the metro were preparing for our annual Vincent Legacy Scholarship auditions. Starlight community engagement staff had just hosted a successful pre-audition workshop, and the prospective scholars were eager to show off their skills on audition day. Then came the pandemic and, with local leaders restricting in-person … Continued
In it’s first-ever virtual Blue Star Awards ceremony, Starlight announced the winners of the 2019-20 Blue Star Awards on Friday, July 31. The online evening featured a number of guest presenters, interviews with students and teachers, and pre-recorded performances by nominees for Outstanding Actor and Actress in a Lead Role. In another “first,” Starlight debuted … Continued
This year’s first-ever virtual Blue Star Awards ceremony also led to Starlight staff creating the first-ever digital Blue Star Awards ceremony souvenir program. While we put it together—we thought, why not dig up the ceremony programs from years past and post them online? Blue Star Awards student alumni, teachers, parents and more can explore and … Continued
The coronavirus pandemic won’t keep talented students from pursuing training in the performing arts—even if it means going virtual! Earlier this year, Starlight’s community engagement team accepted video auditions for Starlight’s two youth performance troupes—the Starlight Stars and Starlight Stars of Tomorrow. Now, until it’s safe to meet in person again, the troupes train with … Continued
Our final Starlight Senior in the spotlight has been active in theatre at Shawnee Mission South throughout her high school years. She shared her passion for performing and creativity as a member of Starlight’s Blue Star Awards Student Council. ALEXA MORGAN New Graduate, Shawnee Mission South High School Blue Star Awards Student Council, 2019-20 … Continued
For the first time in the program’s 18-year history, the Blue Star Awards ceremony will become a virtual event and premiere live on Starlight’s Facebook page Friday, July 31 at 7:30 p.m. Although Starlight had previously postponed the ceremony in hopes of holding an in-person event in July, leadership and staff have since determined that … Continued
This week’s Starlight Senior spent many a long night at Starlight last summer, working numerous Broadway and concert events as an Operations intern. Now, newly graduated from MIZZOU, she has landed her dream first job and is ready to get started on this new chapter of life. MADISON O’DELL New Graduate, University of Missouri 2019 … Continued
This week’s Starlight Senior is a Blue Star Awards standout. She won the 2019 Blue Star Award for Outstanding Actress in a Lead Role and went on to represent Starlight at the Jimmy Awards in New York City last year, in addition to serving the past two years on the Blue Star Awards Student Council. … Continued
This week’s Starlight Senior will graduate in December from Missouri State University. She served as a Creative Marketing intern in the summer of 2019 and looks forward to spending one more semester at school before joining the workforce full time. In the meantime, she’s focusing on developing her freelance business—Rachel Yaros Design. Check out her … Continued
Inspired by so many Broadway stars sharing songs from their living rooms, our 2019 Starlight Stars recently took to Zoom to create a rendition of “Found/Tonight”—a mashup of two popular songs from Broadway’s hit musicals Hamilton and Dear Evan Hansen. Released in 2018, “Found/Tonight” combines “The Story of Tonight” from Hamilton with Dear Evan Hansen’s … Continued
With graduation season officially under way, we are thrilled to continue to shine a light on several highly dedicated students. This week’s featured Starlight Senior is a two-year member of our Blue Star Awards Student Council. Throughout her years at Liberty North High School, she excelled in leading creative and technical efforts behind the scenes … Continued
In its first-ever virtual announcement, Starlight revealed the nominations for the 18th annual Blue Star Awards in a live broadcast on Facebook Thursday, May 21. Fifty-three of 54 schools were able to stage their 2019-20 Blue Star Awards musicals throughout the past school year, leading to 179 nominations in 23 categories. Hundreds of Blue Star … Continued
Each Broadway season, a talented troupe of high school students known as the Starlight Stars performs for guests before our shows and at community events. We raise the curtain this week on a Starlight Senior who polished her singing, dancing and leadership skills as a Starlight Star for three straight summers. DANIELLE WOODS Senior, Olathe … Continued
Our second Starlight Senior from the Vincent Legacy Scholarship program won her performing arts training scholarship as a seventh-grader at Arrowhead Middle School in Kansas City, Kan., in 2015. Worth noting is that she was awarded a split scholarship that she shared with her one-year-younger sister. T’KHARA JONES Senior, Sumner Academy of Arts and Science … Continued
Although the coronavirus pandemic cut the spring semester short for many high school students, it did not negate the months of hard work spent preparing for and staging their high school musical theatre performances last fall and winter. Starlight will publicly recognize many outstanding Kansas City area students and schools when its community engagement team … Continued
This week’s featured Starlight Senior will soon graduate virtually from the UMKC Bloch School of Business. He excelled as a member of Starlight’s 2019 class of Bob Rohlf Interns, and now he is set to return this summer as a Starlight Operations intern. JACOB BORESOW Senior, University of Missouri-Kansas City 2019 Starlight Bob Rohlf Intern, … Continued
In April, Big Brothers Big Sisters Kansas City notified M’racle Morgan-Bryant that she earned the new Voice of Potential (VP) position with BBBSKC. A sophomore at Summit Christian Academy, M’racle has been a dedicated member of the Starlight Stars since 2016 in addition to performing in Starlight galas and community holiday performances. Created in 2018, … Continued
In this week’s installment of Starlight Seniors, we shine the spotlight on a second member of our Blue Star Awards Student Council. Recently sporting purple hair for her lead role in Disney’s Descendants, this senior shines in the theatre department of Leavenworth High School. HALEY BELL Senior, Leavenworth High School Member, Starlight Blue Star Awards Student … Continued
Three members of Starlight's Vincent Legacy Scholarship family will graduate from high school in May. Since receiving their $2,500 scholarships in middle school, these young people have excelled not only in their training in the performing arts but in academic, leadership and other pursuits. We can't wait to see how they'll impact the world in … Continued
Each summer Starlight gets a boost of youthful energy and creative thinking when our newest class of Bob Rohlf Interns arrives. Some of our awesome summer 2019 interns aren’t concluding their college careers quite as they expected, but they’re making the best of a tough situation. We proudly give them a virtual round of applause, … Continued