Keep up with the latest from Starlight including details about Broadway shows, new programs, history, and more.
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
The 2014 Starlight Broadway season has been one of our most popular in recent years. Among the new faces that audience members may have seen this summer are four new leaders in the Starlight organization. Rich Baker, President and CEO Rich is steering the ship at Starlight this summer, having joined our crew as President … Continued
“If you want to meet young professionals who are concert and theatre fans and the future leaders of Kansas City, this is the group for you,” says Amber Hackett, the first chair of Center Stage – Young Professionals of Starlight Theatre. Center Stage is the young professionals’ membership group of Starlight. The group’s leadership team … Continued
Earlier this summer, online entertainment network E! featured the 10 most unique music venues across the country. A familiar site – our very own Starlight Theatre – made the list! Named one of the best places to see a concert this summer, Starlight joined such prestigious company as The Hollywood Bowl, the Beacon Theatre (New … Continued
The final show in Starlight’s 2014 Broadway season is the worldwide smash-hit Blue Man Group, which takes the stage for six performances Sept. 9-14. All shows start at 8 p.m. More than 25 million people around the world have been wowed by a Blue Man Group performance since the early 1990s. The North American theatrical … Continued
Did you know you can be a permanent part of Starlight Theatre history? Consider adopting one of Starlight’s nearly 8,000 seats and you’ll make your mark on this historic outdoor venue. When participating in our Adopt a Seat program, patrons can personalize a seat with a dedication plaque that captures their Starlight memories. Whether you … Continued
Tony Lorino from 99.7 The Point sat down with Analisa Leaming (Maria Rainer) and Tom Galantich (Captain von Trapp) from the cast of The Sound Of Music. Tony tested the stars’ knowledge of The Sound of Music and discussed the unusually short rehearsal time. The Sound of Music runs through July 31. Click here for more information and … Continued
‘The Sound of Music’ has the hills alive in Kansas City. Stars, Delilah Rose Pellow (Gretl), Josephine Pellow (Marta), and Claire Charland (Liesl) stopped by KC Live to detail this classic production and what makes their performance at Starlight Theatre unique to other productions of “The Sound of Music.” The Sound of Music will take … Continued
Nice performances and a considerable amount of charm enliven Starlight Theatre’s quickly rehearsed production of “The Sound of Music,” the outdoor theater’s only self-produced show of the season. Director Phil McKinley, who chose good actors and terrific singers, assembles the show with workmanlike precision, achieving a surprising degree of emotional resonance in a show that … Continued
With The Sound of Music rehearsals under way, Starlight Theatre decided to speak with a few of the actors to discover a few of their favorite things. The show’s star, Analisa Leaming, sings about her favorite things in the performance, but here are her favorite things were when she is out of character: Favorite TV show Orphan … Continued
ANALISA LEAMING (Maria Rainer) is honored to be making her KC Starlight debut. Off-Broadway: The Fartiste (Downstairs Sophia’s), Where’s Charley? (Encores!) and Pipe Dream (Encores!) Tours: Annie (Grace Farrell), The Sound of Music (Maria u/s). Regional: Pirates! (Mabel) at The Muny, The Music Man (Marian Paroo) at the Geva Theatre, Hello, Dolly! (Irene Molloy) at NSMT, Arlington (Sara Jane) world premiere at Magic Theatre, She Loves Me (Amalia) at the Infinity Theatre, The Game (Emilie) … Continued
For the ninth consecutive year, Starlight Theatre has delivered welcome news to three area middle school students, their parents and teachers. An avid proponent of performing arts education, Starlight presented $2,500 Vincent Legacy Scholarships to fund professional training in acting, singing and dance to two students who attend Arrowhead Middle School in Kansas City, Kan., … Continued