Starlight Theatre is a 7,958-seat outdoor theatre in Kansas City, MO that presents Broadway shows and concerts. It is one of the two major remaining self-producing outdoor theatres in the U.S. and Starlight's Cohen stagehouse also permits it to present many national Broadway touring shows.
Each year Starlight Theatre wins numerous awards for being one of the great outdoor venues in all of Kansas City. Starlight Theatre is a 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Organization.
Over the past 10 years, Starlight has been home to some major renovations including in 2015, large LED screens were installed on both sides of the stage, and in 2017 Starlight began streaming its Broadway productions on these big screens, giving patrons close-up views of actors on stage. Other additions included a new sound system, non-invasive security magnetometers, ADA enhancements to parking lots and theatre walkways, and cushioned seats in Producer’s Circle.
The most visible construction project of the decade stemmed directly from audience feedback that summer heat was dampening their enjoyment of Starlight nights. Starlight chose to invest more than $600,000 to install four mega-fans in the seating bowl in time for the 2018 season. These ultra-quiet fans stand 35 feet tall and create a breeze of about 4 mph throughout the seating bowl to keep the audience cool. The fans have gathered quite a fan following among Starlight patrons.
And, speaking of fans, many top concert artists enjoy Starlight so much that they actually ask to return on a nearly annual basis! Among these Starlight super-fans are STYX, The Fray, Train, REO Speedwagon, Chicago and Earth Wind & Fire.
The newest addition to the list of amenities for audiences came in June 2019 when Starlight’s Ovation Museum opened in the space previously occupied by the Ovation gift shop. The new museum chronicles nearly 70 years of Starlight history through photos, timelines, show chronologies, video interviews, profiles of individuals who have greatly impacted Starlight’s development and much more.
