Starlight wants to raise $40 million to ‘get more people to great theater and music’ | KCUR
Starlight declared nowadays that it’s embarked on a $40 million “Uniquely KC Marketing campaign” to elevate dollars for enhancements to the outdoor theater venue.
In a statement, Lindsey Rood-Clifford, Starlight president and CEO, declared that the marketing campaign has currently lifted $21.6 million in donations from the Sunderland Foundation the City of Kansas Metropolis, Missouri the Corridor Family members Basis, the State of Missouri, the William T. Kemper Foundation and the Morgan Charitable Foundation.
“For much more than 70 a long time, Starlight has provided stay doing arts ordeals for all at a historic landmark in 1 of the largest municipal parks in the United States,” Rood-Clifford claimed in the announcement. “Through this marketing campaign, we want to not only increase the Starlight practical experience for our present-day patrons, but prolong the tradition to new, assorted contributors of all ages — fostering a shared available house for executing arts.”
Rood-Clifford mentioned the alterations will consist of a new manufacturing truss and light bridge that will increase the lights capabilities, permitting Starlight to book a wider selection of experienced reveals.
“Right now, all of the entrance lights for the theater arrives from the historic light-weight bridge at the again of the dwelling, which is incredibly tough to light,” Rood-Clifford explained. “There are some shows that pick out not to arrive here (to Kansas City) due to the fact they have to redesign their lighting.”
A prepared new seating canopy will deliver shade to approximately 3,200 seats to enable for summertime Broadway matinees.
Rood-Clifford mentioned the canopy framework makes it possible for Starlight to increase programming into the afternoon several hours.
“Countrywide Broadway excursions, everywhere else in the environment they are carrying out 8 displays, because that includes six evening performances and two matinees,” Rood-Clifford claimed. “When they appear to Starlight, even even though we are paying for eight reveals, we’re only essentially presenting 6 mainly because, in its latest point out, I never consider everyone desires to sit outside the house at Starlight at 2:00 p.m. in July.”
Starlight opened as a theater in 1950. It is the greatest and oldest continually functioning undertaking arts firm in Kansas Town.
“We applaud organizations like Starlight that foster a vibrant Kansas Town,” reported Kent Sunderland, chairman of the Sunderland Basis, in the assertion. “These funds tasks will not only increase Starlight’s iconic location they will tackle essential improvements to welcome new audiences, enhance access to the arts to underrepresented populations, and bolster the economic climate.”
There are also options to renovate the restrooms to increase potential and include nursing rooms and publicly obtainable loved ones restrooms. Starlight’s kitchen area will be renovated to update foods and beverage expert services.
Starlight’s design jobs are prepared for two phases. Period 1 is slated to start out in the tumble of 2024 and be concluded by the spring of 2025. Section 2 is slated to get started in the tumble of 2025 with an predicted completion date of April 2026. Growth companions involve GastingerWalker& and JE Dunn Development.
The campaign proposes to aid launch five new group systems, built to fill gaps in arts programming throughout Kansas Metropolis. One particular will contain a free residency program for elementary educational institutions to generate their first musical a performance sequence for young audiences and households a specialized theater coaching software for pupils and growth of Starlight’s current local community tickets system to minimize obstacles to participation.
“It’s been practically 20 many years considering that Starlight’s past main capital campaign and now is the time to glance in advance and help this institution for generations to appear,” Howard Cohen, President of Starlight’s Board of Administrators, stated in the launch.
According to the launch, the campaign’s a few major goals are to and extend live arts encounters, make additional instruction and community obtain possibilities and enrich the visitor working experience as a result of location advancements.
“For me, it truly is about the option to get started to get much more people today to wonderful theater and music,” Rood-Clifford claimed. “It truly is about making additional prospects, specifically in a put up-pandemic ecosystem, to get far more family members out below, children, grandkids to be capable to occur to shows.”
