Starlight’s Ticket Office will be closed December 23-January 1. Learn more.
Keep up with the latest from Starlight including details about Broadway shows, new programs, history, and more.
Congratulations to the 2024 Blue Star Award Nominees Each year, thousands of high school students across the Kansas City metro wait in anticipation for the announcement of the annual Blue Star Awards nominations. On Thursday, April 25, Starlight leadership, staff, and board members revealed this year’s nominees via in school presentations and in a premiere … Continued
Broadway and the Stars Today is the “Great North American Eclipse,” in which Earth’s Moon will pass between the Sun and the Earth. Areas of Mexico, the United States and Canada will experience a total eclipse during part of the day. Kansas City will experience 89.3% of the eclipse at approximately 1:54 p.m. CDT. One … Continued
Women’s History Month at Starlight Since 1982, women have been celebrated in the US during the month of March. This focus is meant to commemorate and encourage the study, observance, and celebration of the vital role of women in American history. Starlight has had a long line of women who have made an impact in … Continued
Starlight’s Recycling Heroes On March 18, the world celebrates Global Recycling Day. Globalrecyclingday.com describes the day and its importance: “Global Recycling Day was created in 2018 to help recognize and celebrate, the importance recycling plays in preserving our precious primary resources and securing the future of our planet. It is a day for the world … Continued
New Broadway 3-Packs Available! Starlight has exciting new options for the 2024 Broadway season this summer. With new 3-packs you can see three Broadway shows at discounted prices. Packages start at $31.50 per person and includes general parking. Plus, if your schedule changes, you can exchange tickets for a different show night. Please give 24 … Continued
Starlight Remembers Bob Rohlf It is with great sadness that we share the passing of former President + CEO Bob Rohlf, who died peacefully on the afternoon of March 4 in Phoenix, AZ. Bob joined the Starlight family in 1980 and the impact of his leadership for 29 years at Starlight and Kansas City is … Continued
JE Dunn Builds It Forward at Starlight Most people know Starlight for its exterior spaces – the outdoor dining, seating, and the iconic towers of the stage house. But a theatre can’t function without all the back-of-house spots such as rehearsal spaces and dressing rooms. Over time, these spaces can become worn down. Recently, a … Continued
Donor Spotlight Denton Williams Denton Williams understands the importance of philanthropy. As the Special Events Manager at The Children’s Place, he raises hundreds of thousands of dollars alongside his fellow team members each year. That’s why he believes it’s vital to support the nonprofit organizations he cares about and ensure they have the resources they … Continued
Starlight Stories: The 2010s The flurry of capital construction that defined much of the 2000s at Starlight Theatre (new stage, restrooms, concessions, indoor rehearsal spaces and more) set the stage for an international honor and program expansion in the 2010s. While Kansas Citians have long considered Starlight a world-class venue, their beliefs were confirmed in … Continued
New Arts Bridge Program Brings Ailey Trio to Starlight One of the first events of Starlight’s new Arts Bridge program was a free performance by the Ailey Trio on January 10, 2024. Three dancers with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (AAADT) brought their talent to Starlight to introduce Alvin Ailey’s vision and legacy to students, … Continued
New Family Series Brings Theatre to Young Audiences The New Year brings a new family series to Starlight. Beginning in March, the Performances for Young Audiences and Families Series will feature international theater companies putting their own twists on classic tales such as The Boy Who Cried Wolf, Snow White, Hansel & Gretel, and more. … Continued
Apply for a 2024 Starlight Summer Internship Theatre has the power to change lives. Whether it’s a musical that lingers long after the curtain closes or it’s a comedy that keeps you laughing for years. Another way is through Starlight’s Bob Rohlf Summer Internship program. Applications are now available online for college students seeking a … Continued
Starlight Stories: The 2000s The year 2000 was the time of flip phones and the introduction of online banking. It was also the 50th anniversary of Starlight and time for a shiny new stage! That summer heralded the opening of the $10 million Jeannette and Jerome Cohen Community Stage, named in honor of the generous … Continued
Broadway Veteran Baayork Lee to Direct West Side Story in 2024 Starlight will produce West Side Story August 20-25 as part of the AdventHealth Broadway Series. Starlight is pleased to announce that renowned director, choreographer, and Tony Award recipient Baayork Lee will return to Kansas City’s historic stage to direct the classic Broadway musical West … Continued
Starlight Stories: The 1990s As the 1980s concluded, Starlight Theatre had returned to financial solvency. Determined to grow and thrive as a new decade dawned, the theatre’s leadership and Board of Directors undertook efforts to bring continued improvement and positive change to the Starlight venue and operations throughout the 1990s. Helping to fuel the activity … Continued
Starlight Announces Series for Young Audiences As part of Starlight’s $40 million capital campaign, Uniquely KC, the historic theatre is piloting five new programs to enhance the Starlight tradition and extend it to new, diverse participants of all ages. One of the first programs is a Performance Series for Young Audiences to launch in Spring … Continued
Starlight Stories: The 1980s Continuing our history of Starlight, this time we look at the decade of the 1980s. 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 one of Kansas … Continued
Staff Highlight: Mandi, CFO & VP of Finance The performing arts aren’t only about singing and dancing. Some of the most important theatrical numbers can be the kind that end in zeroes. As the Chief Financial Officer and Vice President of Finance, Mandi Wright is responsible for managing and leading the financial initiatives of Starlight. … Continued
Celebrating Our ENORE! at the 36th Annual Benefit Gala! On Saturday, October 14, a sold-out crowd of more than 475 attendees gathered at Starlight to celebrate the performing arts and their impact at our 36th Annual Benefit Gala: ENCORE! Chaired by Aviva Ajmera & Wayne Strickland, Nancy Whitworth & Doug Ballou, and Carey & Tom … Continued
A Conversation with Capital Campaign Co-Chairs, Brett and Nikki Emison Starlight just announced its Uniquely KC Capital Campaign, and we had a moment to sit down with Co-Chairs Brett and Nikki Emison to discuss why they support Starlight. Brett Emison: The arts have always been important to our family. Nikki and I grew up with … Continued
Starlight Stories: The 1970s Starlight celebrated its 20th anniversary in 1970 with a season that was deemed “The Greatest Season Ever” and featured popular shows Hello Dolly!, The Man of La Mancha, and Fiddler on the Roof. Before the beginning of the musical season, a special show called The Sound of the Seventies was headlined … Continued
Starlight Hosts North Kansas City Schools Program Starlight recently hosted 400 students from North Kansas Public Schools for a venue tour and career pathway presentation. The students are part of the College and Career Pathways program at North Kansas City high schools, an innovative approach to transform the high school experience. As freshmen, students can … Continued
Match the Musician and the Musical: Jonas Brothers Whether you grew up with the Jonas Brothers or your kids/grandchildren did, the Jo Bros are all grown up themselves and celebrating almost 20 years of music on their World Tour. Today, Claire in Philanthropy does the honors to match the musician to the musical. The Cher Show … Continued
Match the Musician and the Musical: Taylor’s Version We’re back with another episode of “Match the Music to the Musical.” As a Gen-Xer I have an appreciation for Taylor Swift, but my younger colleagues are on a whole other level. This time Kayla in Marketing is matching Taylor Swift albums to shows in our 2024 … Continued
Ambassadors Shine at Annual Recognition Ceremony At the end of each season, Starlight takes time to recognize our volunteers Ambassadors. As a nonprofit organization, Starlight relies on the dedication of the Ambassadors to provide exceptional performing arts experiences to our audience and community. This past season consisted of 54 events, including Broadway shows and concerts, … Continued
Staff Highlight: Andy, Community Engagement Manager + Disney Runner Andy serves as Starlight’s Community Engagement Manager and helps run programs at Starlight that focus on training in the performing arts–the Blue Star Awards, Starlight Stars, Vincent Legacy Scholarships, Starlight Stars of Tomorrow, and a UMKC College Credit Course for high school students. In the course … Continued
Match the Musician and the Musical: Beyoncé Version We just announced our 2024 Broadway season line up and thought it would be fun to create a series that matches the music of Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, and the Jonas Brothers to musicals on stage. First up, Gabe in Group Sales matches albums by Beyoncé to some of the … Continued
Starlight Stories: The 1960s As we approach our 75th anniversary in 2025, we’re looking back at our history, decade by decade. Today, we’re looking at the 1960s. By 1960, Starlight had entertained nearly three million people since the opening night of the 1951 season. From the 1960 season program book, Starlight Theatre Association President J.F. … Continued
Service Dogs Train at Starlight As part of Starlight’s commitment to accessibility, we always welcome service dogs in our venue. Recently, we were happy to host Missouri Patriot Paws (MPP) for a training session. The non-profit organization provides Missouri military veterans and first responders suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) … Continued
Staff Highlight: Juliana, Donor Relations Rockstar Juliana is Starlight’s Donor Relations Manager, a position in which she focuses on individual donors. She joined the Starlight team in 2023, hitting the ground running with fundraising and events. Within her role, Juliana oversees individual donor relationships, legacy giving, and special events like Starry Night at Starlight. Starry … Continued