How Well Do You Know Starlight?

When most people think about Starlight, they remember the Broadway shows or concerts they’ve experienced. Maybe they think about sitting next to the fountain with friends on a beautiful evening or marveling at the iconic towers rising above Swope Park.

Have you ever thought about what it would be like to work here? Sitting behind the soundboard or even behind a desk can be exciting but can be challenging, too.

To help combat that, Starlight has created opportunities for the team to take a break from the work day with special activities such as enjoying some ice cream or paid time to volunteer at other organizations. The recent addition of a new vending machine that provides healthier options has been a welcomed change.

A Fun Afternoon

Perhaps the most fun event recently has been a staff scavenger hunt. On a sunny (and warm) Friday afternoon, staff were divided into teams and given the ground rules. There were 50 clues scattered in and around Starlight that touched upon every part of the venue – from donor plaques to washing machines. One member of each team had to stay with the clue sheet in one spot while the others ran around the grounds to find the answers.

“It was a fun challenge to create an organization-wide scavenger hunt, because each department has unique Starlight knowledge,” said Andy Pierce, Manager of Community and Engagement and one of the masterminds behind the scavenger hunt.

Starlight has a lot of long-time staff members as well as a lot of newcomers. It was fun to work together to decipher the clues and find the numbers associated with each location. There was a lot of cooperation and maybe a little bit of smack talk.

The winning team got 45 out of the 50 questions answered correctly and were awarded gift cards for Starbucks.

How Do You Measure Up?

Here are some of the clues that were part of the scavenger hunt. How well do you know Starlight?

This Starlight star is remembered here, long before she was Mrs. Potts.

Angela Lansbury was dubbed the “First Lady of Musical Theatre” by The New York Times and for good reason – she has five Tony Awards® to her credit and performed in eight Broadway musicals and six Broadway plays between 1957 and 2012.

Lansbury achieved worldwide fame for her acclaimed performances, both on stage in musicals like Gypsy and The King and I, and on screen in “Murder, She Wrote” and Beauty and the Beast. She lit up the night at Starlight in two Broadway productions – 1976’s Mame and 1987’s Gypsy.

Learn more about Starlight's Walk of Stars.

What long faces you have, not to mention new and red.

A new sculpture by artist Douglas Kornfeld was revealed on the north lawn of Starlight Theatre on June 2.

The work is comprised of two large, abstracted faces made of bent steel tubing. The artist was inspired by masks symbolizing tragedy and comedy that originated in ancient Greece.

The completed work measures approximately 9 feet high by 13 feet wide and resides on the lawn on the north side of the venue.

Learn more about the sculpture.

Hippo on high.

Starlight's location in Swope Park means it sits beside the Kansas City Zoo.

At the north corner of Starlight Road and Zoo Drive, there are two pedestals with little hippo sculptures.

At the southeast corner of Zoo Drive, there are two pedestals with rhino sculptures.

The oldest (and largest) mounted metal dedication construction plaque in the venue.

This plaque commemorates the opening of Starlight in 1950 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the city of Kansas City, MO.

It can be found on the wall of the west tower of the light bridge at the back of the seating bowl.