Keep up with the latest from Starlight including details about Broadway shows, new programs, history, and more.
The trial run of Starlight INDOORS last January got two thumbs up from the vast majority of guests who attended, so the “show will go on” again this fall and winter after Starlight Theatre’s traditional outdoor season has concluded. We are pleased to share the news of four Off-Broadway-style shows that will warm up the … Continued
As summer begins to wind down in Kansas City, there are still many opportunities to enjoy a concert under the stars. Starlight Theatre’s 2016 Capitol Federal Concert Series still has 13 great dates on the concert calendar, including six in August. From funk to classic rock and even comedy, Starlight is the place to be … Continued
When 2016 Blue Star Award winners Alison Ann Gillespie and Lucas Lowry accepted their trophies on the Starlight Theatre stage May 19, they were just beginning an adventure that would find them in New York City performing on a Broadway stage less than six weeks later. Alison Ann and Lucas took home the honors of … Continued
Looking for some musical mayhem to break up the dog days of summer? We have the show to lighten up the mood of mid-August! Head to Starlight Theatre on Aug. 9-14 for 2014’s Tony Award® winner for Best Musical – A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder. Yes, there are a few folks killed along the … Continued
Some of our brightest stars are never seen on stage, while others shine in the spotlight and become fixtures in Kansas City’s theatre community. In tribute to several individuals who made key contributions to Starlight Theatre during their lifetimes, a memorial wall of bronze stars was erected in our west annex courtyard. Starlight guests can … Continued
For the second year in a row, Starlight Theatre was honored by ArtsKC for participating in the ArtsKC Fund Campaign. Starlight received the 2016 award for “Most Dollars Raised at a Non-Profit Organization” after receiving charitable contributions from 100 percent of its 38 year-round staff members. Thanks to the generosity of Starlight employees, more than $4,200 … Continued
In 1996, the Broadway sensation and Tony Award®-winning musical Rent debuted at an Off-Broadway theater. It soon moved to Broadway’s Nederlander Theatre and ran for 12 years and 5,123 performances, making it the 11th-longest-running show in Broadway history. Anthony Rapp played the role of Mark Cohen, a struggling Jewish-American documentary filmmaker and narrator of the show. Rapp performed … Continued
Make a night of it Thursday, July 28, when you tap your creative side at Starlight Theatre’s first-ever Wine & Design event before that night’s performance of If/Then! For $50, you can learn to paint with artists from Kansas City’s own Wine & Design and stay to enjoy the show that evening in Starlight’s Terrace seating section*. Your ticket … Continued
The journey to creating Disney’s Beauty and the Beast began with an 18th-century French fairy tale written by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont. It was this story that Linda Woolverton, the screenwriter for Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, used to create the original 1991 Disney movie. Once the screenwriter molds the story, the Disney design team takes over. Disney … Continued
Four cast members from Disney’s Beauty and the Beast brightened the day of young patients at Children’s Mercy Hospital on July 14, when they visited the hospital to perform two songs from the musical, answer questions and autograph show photos. Brooke Quintana, who plays the lead role of Belle, captivated the audience of about 50 children, parents … Continued
Bring the kids to one of this week’s special story time events. Join us for Beauty and the Beast stories, games and activities for children of all ages. At each reading, we will hold a drawing for two tickets to either the July 13 or July 18 performance. Upcoming Readings Tuesday, July 12 at 10:30 a.m. Kansas City Kansas … Continued
When creating a musical, writers often turn to the influences in their everyday lives for inspiration. Throughout the history of Broadway, many shows have been written based on life lessons, songs, TV shows and books. In fact, several shows at Starlight Theatre this season were inspired by books, including Matilda the Musical, The Bridges of Madison … Continued
There’s a new and unique opportunity to experience the magic of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast next week – and it’s at an early hour when even the youngest of fans are sure to be awake! Starlight Theatre is pleased to announce the newly scheduled matinee performance of Beauty and the Beast at 10 a.m. on Saturday, July 16. … Continued
Last month we kicked off of an ongoing weekly Twitter series, #MusicalMonday. Each week we’ll share a song from a different musical circulating around a common theme for the month! What could have been a more fitting theme to start our series, than Tony winning and nominated shows for Best Musical? June’s #MusicalMonday series featured … Continued
She Loves Me, the acclaimed Broadway musical revival starring Laura Benanti, Zachary Levi and Jane Krakowski, will make musical theater history tonight, when the online streaming service Broadway HD broadcasts the show live from the Studio 54 theater in New York City. This groundbreaking presentation of the critically acclaimed, Tony Award-winning musical transports the power … Continued
We thought it would be fun to share a few fun facts compiled by the tour of The Bridges of Madison County. In showbiz, a triple threat is a performer who can sing, dance and act. The Bridges of Madison County could be considered a triple threat because it has been a novel, a movie and a musical! … Continued
Enhance your Tony Awards® party with two exclusive live streams. For pre-Tonys Red Carpet coverage, check out the Tony Awards Live Stream Show, which will be available to view in the window below beginning at 4:30 p.m. Following the Red Carpet coverage, the Tony Awards Live Stream Show will continue for a second-screen experience offering behind-the-scenes content and interviews with … Continued
The 2016 Tony Awards are just hours away and we have everything you need to put on the perfect last minute party. As the countdown to Sunday’s show continues, Starlight Theatre is bringing you a Tony Award playlists, available to stream and share for free on Spotify. We’ve created a mix of tracks from this year’s … Continued
This Sunday, June 12, marks the biggest night of the year for theatre fans everywhere. As Broadway’s biggest stars gather at the Beacon Theatre for a night of glamour, laughter and excitement; we’ll gather around our televisions to watch the magic unfold. A night this exciting is sure to work up an appetite, so we’ve … Continued
The soulful original score of composer Jason Robert Brown fills the summer skies of Winterset, Iowa, in The Bridges of Madison County, the romantic musical taking the stage at Starlight Theatre on June 14-19. For his work on the Broadway musical, Brown was honored with two Tony Awards® in 2014 – for Best Original Score and … Continued
In order to accommodate our many guests who were unable to attend Matilda The Musical due to the weather-related cancellation of Thursday night’s performance, the show’s producers have agreed to add a matinee performance on Saturday afternoon, May 28. While a few of the show’s lighting and special effects may be affected during the daytime performance, Starlight … Continued
Matilda The Musical, at Starlight Theatre through May 28, got our own staff thinking about our younger years, specifically about what we wanted to be “when we grow up.” For many working year-round at Starlight, theatre has been a lifelong love. Some Starlight associates stole the spotlight on stage in high school and college. And, … Continued
Two Kansas City-area middle school students received the good news on May 23 that they’ve joined the elite group of Starlight Theatre’s Vincent Legacy Scholarship recipients. Seventh-grader Nahrya Williams (Raytown Middle School) and eighth-grader Faith Andrews-ONeal (St. Paul’s Episcopal Day School) were awarded $2,500 Vincent Legacy Scholarships to help advance their training in the performing … Continued
The red carpet was rolled out, the seats were filled, and the stage was brimming with song and dance as Starlight Theatre recognized high achievers in Kansas City high school musical theatre at the 14th annual Blue Star Awards Ceremony on May 19. Modeled after Broadway’s Tony Awards®, Starlight’s Blue Star Awards celebrate the talented … Continued
Hamilton broke the previous record held by The Producers and Billy Elliot by one, picking up 16 Tony nominations for the 70th annual Tony Awards on May 3. The Best Musical category also included Bright Star, Hamilton, School of Rock, Shuffle Along and Waitress. Broadway’s biggest night is scheduled for June 12, hosted by James Corden. Here is the complete list of 2016 Tony Award nominees: Best Musical … Continued
We’re gearing up for our biggest summer season ever – and a communitywide celebration of KC Loves Starlight Day! On Thursday, April 28, the City Council of Kansas City approved a special action that officially declares today Monday, May 2, as KC Loves Starlight Day. This City declaration is in recognition of the fact that the iconic … Continued
After Hours at the Towers, an inaugural fundraising event hosted by Center Stage-Young Professionals of Starlight Theatre, proved to be a memorable evening for hundreds of Kansas City young professionals and supporters of Starlight. The 1920s-themed event on Friday, April 22 was inspired by Starlight’s upcoming production of Bullets Over Broadway and featured live music by Lost … Continued
On April 29, 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 14th annual Blue Star Awards from Starlight Theatre. Starlight leaders and staff personally delivered 133 nominations to 40 area high schools. On Thursday, May 19, the Blue … Continued
Ginger Zee proved she’s the Belle of the “Dancing with the Stars” ballroom on the episode that aired Monday, April 11. “For 20 years, I’ve wanted to be Belle,” Zee told reporters after the show. “And tonight, I got to live out a dream.” The “Good Morning America” meteorologist and her pro dancing partner, Val Chmerkovskiy, unleashed a dazzling … Continued
Pavement work under way at Starlight Theatre this spring presented an opportunity to install two new bronze stars in the Shirley Bush Helzberg Walk of Stars. The stars were previously cast and presented to two Hollywood stars – Cathy Rigby and George Hamilton – who performed on the Starlight stage during the 2012 Broadway season. As you … Continued