Starlight Theatre Information
About The Starlight Theatre
The Starlight Theatre is located in Swope Park at 4600 Starlight Rd., Kansas City, MO 64132. It’s been open since the 1950s, with its outdoor stage and seating area providing the ideal scene for traveling New York Broadway performances and musical concerts.
The venue has a capacity of around 8,000 people. Most shows have around 7,700 seats. All sections are open to the elements, and guests have a choice of four seating areas — each with their own characteristics, benefits, and considerations.
Starlight is the oldest and most prominent nonprofit organization in Kansas City. It is dedicated to opening up access to the performing arts for all visitors, with additional community outreach and education efforts.
The crowds at the Starlight Theatre are diverse and enthusiastic. You’ll often hear visitors describe it as their favorite venue in Kansas City. So, why not attend a show under the stars and see for yourself?
The Starlight Theatre history
The local Kansas City area began planning an outdoor entertainment venue during the 1940s when it scheduled centennial celebrations. The location of Swope Park was chosen, with construction starting in 1949.
The venue fully opened in 1951. The Starlight Theatre Association was formed as a nonprofit managing the new venue. It immediately arranged its first Broadway season that summer.
The following decades saw crowds drawn to see both theatrical plays and musical concerts. Venue milestones have included:
- A stage extension in 1958, allowing for full Broadway productions
- Another stage extension in the 1980s, placing performers closer to the crowd
- Additions to the venue’s staging options in 2000.
In recent years, the venue has continued to host a fantastic array of comedy shows, Broadway performances, and live music, further enhancing its reputation as a leading Missouri outdoor entertainment venue.
Construction
The history of the theatre began in 1925 when Queen Marle of Romania made a visit to Kansas City. In honour of her arrival, the City Federation of Music organized a public showcase of local talent. The showcase drew an enormous audience and raised $7,000, and the City Federation of Music decided to put the proposal of a Kansas City outdoor theatre, toyed with prior to 1925, into action. Proposals continued for 15 years, after which the need for a venue to house celebrations commemorating Kansas City’s 100th birthday served to speed up the process. The location, Swope Park, was chosen, a committee was chosen, and construction began in December 1949.
Completion was a local effort. Volunteers from the community raised money and established theatre policy, local craftsmen helped to finis construction, and the Starlight Theatre was finished. The theatre then began to bring Broadway to the city, and continues to do so to this day.