It won’t be long before spring break shows up on the family calendar. If your family isn’t traveling to a vacation destination, you may consider sending your aspiring young artists to Spring Break Camp at Starlight Theatre.
Two camp sessions are available this year to unleash your child’s creativity and talents. Kansas City kids ages 6 to 14 can attend Starlight’s Spring Break Camp during the weeks of March 14-18 or March 21-25. Working together in age-appropriate groups, campers will discover new skills, uncover hidden talents and experience the thrill of live performance.
Participants work alongside theatre professionals as they explore acting, singing and dance. They hone their performance skills while rehearsing for a production to be staged for family and friends at the end of the week. Campers also create sets, props and costumes for their performance. Classic camp games and craft activities round out the week.
The five-day camp meets from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily. Before and After Care are available for an additional fee. The enrollment fee is $225, and no previous performance experience is required.
Register online for Spring Break Camp or call 816.997.1134 with questions.
The Kansas City Golf Association recently announced the Youth On Course program is expanding to the Kansas City area. Youth golfers participating in Youth On Course can play on 11 local courses that will offer $5 rounds of golf to registered youth and junior golfers. Three KC Parks courses–Swope Memorial, Heart of America, and Minor Park— are participating in the program.
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Youth on Course — the non-profit organization providing rounds of golf for $5 or less, college scholarships and caddie programs – will implement programming in the greater Kansas City area following an agreement with the Kansas City Golf Association (KCGA), and the initiative will be reinforced by the Golf Foundation of Kansas City and the Tom S. Watson Supporting Foundation.
Born in Northern California, Youth on Course now has a new easternmost region of courses and members. Other states actively incorporating YOC initiatives include Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Utah, Nevada and Arizona. Nationwide, nearly 15,000 YOC members ages 6-18 have affordable access to unlimited golf at hundreds of courses.
“Youth on Course provides an inexpensive opportunity for young Kansas City Golfers to play a multitude of courses,” says 39-time PGA TOUR winner and World Golf Hall of Famer Tom Watson. “This will open the door for kids to play new courses and to connect with other junior golfers outside of tournament settings.”
Through the subsidizing of greens fees by organizations like Tom Watson’s, Youth on Course eliminates the financial barrier that might prohibit young golfers from enjoying the game. No YOC member ever pays more than $5 for a round at a partner course, and paid intern and caddie programs are available at select locations. Additionally, $282,000 in college scholarships were awarded to 50 deserving members in the past year – part of an ongoing mission to provide educational support.
“Tom Watson, the KCGA and the Golf Foundation of Kansas City realize the benefits for both young golfers and courses embracing financial accessibility through YOC,” says Youth on Course Executive Director Adam Heieck. “With junior golfers come parents, friends and family to the course, helping these properties develop lasting relationships with new guests.”
For additional information, as well as a full list of Youth on Course partners, For more information, visit the Youth on Course website.
About Youth on Course Headquartered in Pebble Beach, Youth on Course is a non-profit organization serving as the charitable arm of the Northern California Golf Association. The core purpose of Youth on Course is to provide youth with life changing opportunities through golf. This is achieved through initiatives that include subsidized rounds at partner courses, mentorship opportunities through caddie programs and paid internships, and scholarship grants for qualifying members. Currently, Youth on Course serves California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Northern Nevada, Arizona, and Utah, with plans to expand nationwide.
About the Kansas City Golf Association
The Kansas City Golf Association (KCGA) is a full service regional golf association dedicated to the betterment of the amateur golf community of greater Kansas City. Founded in 1912, the Association is volunteer-based and governed as a non-profit 501 (c) 4 Missouri corporation. More than 60 volunteers (course raters and tournament committeemen) assist in course ratings, competitions and communications.
The fourth and final show in Starlight Theatre’s new Starlight Indoors series opens tomorrow night, Jan. 26. One-Man Star Wars Trilogy will play a limited engagement of eight performances at Starlight through Sunday, Jan. 31.
Created and brought to life on stage by Canadian actor Charles Ross, One-Man Star Wars Trilogy is just what it seems – a live solo performance of the original trilogy of Star Wars movies (A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi)! The multi-talented Ross stuns audiences by singlehandedly playing all the characters, singing the music, flying the ships, fighting the battles and condensing the Star Wars plots into just over 60 minutes of live entertainment.
Convinced that he has the best job in the world, “professional geek,” Ross has delivered his rapid-fire recap more than 4,000 times to audiences in 500 cities across four continents over the past 15 years.
It all began at the age of 6 when Ross saw Star Wars with his father. When he was later able to tape the movie on his family’s VCR, he would wake every morning at 5:30 a.m. to watch it. At the University of Victoria, Ross befriended T.J. Dawe; the duo soon collaborated on the creation and arduous rehearsal of many treatments of what would become One-Man Star Wars Trilogy.
With Ross performing and Dawe directing, the show made its Toronto Fringe Festival debut in 2002. It toured to Orlando, Fla., Vancouver, B.C., and Chicago. Then, in 2005, the show hit a high point – a performance at Star Wars Celebration III in Indianapolis for an audience of 35,000 ecstatic fans in Indianapolis.
One-Man Star Wars Trilogy is recommended for Star Wars fans of all ages. It plays in the intimate, indoor performance space of the Cohen Community Stagehouse at Starlight on Jan. 26-31. Weeknight shows begin at 7:30 p.m. Two performances are offered on both Saturday and Sunday at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Self-parking is free for all shows, and valet parking will be offered for $10.
Tickets for One-Man Star Wars Trilogy at Starlight Indoors can be purchased at www.kcstarlight.com, by calling 816.363.STAR (7827) or at the Starlight box office at 4600 Starlight Road, Kansas City, MO 64132. Ticket prices begin at $25; a limited number of VIP ticket packages, which include premium seats and valet parking, are also available. Discount pricing for groups of 10 or more is offered through Starlight’s Group Sales department at 816.997.1137 or groups@kcstarlight.com.
NOTE: Audience members are invited to wear costumes, but no masks or weapons are allowed.
In addition to One-Man Star Wars Trilogy, Starlight Indoors continues to present the Off-Broadway hit Late Nite Catechism through Jan. 31. Part catechism class, part stand-up routine, Late Nite Catechism is one of the longest-running shows in U.S. theatre history. Catholic and heathens alike enjoy this interactive comedy.
About Starlight Theatre Starlight Theatre, winner of the 2013 Venue Excellence Award from the International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM), is the largest and oldest performing arts organization in Kansas City and the second-largest outdoor producing theatre in the country. Opened as a theater in 1950 and as a not-for-profit organization in 1951, Starlight presents and produces Broadway musicals and concerts. It also offers extensive community outreach and educational programming, including classes, scholarships and Starlight’s Blue Star Awards, one of the largest high school musical theatre award programs in the nation.
Located on 16 acres in Swope Park, Starlight’s venue includes rehearsal halls, gift store, club area for dining, concessions, gardens, fountains and a 10-story, climate-controlled stage. For more information, visit www.kcstarlight.com.
Kansas City, Missouri’s Forestry Division was recently awarded a TRIM (Tree Resource Improvement and Management) grant to establish Kansas City’s Wood Utilization Program by diverting a significant amount of wood material lost due to the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) and converting it to high value wood products.
Program As part of the City’s EAB program ash trees, which cannot be treated against EAB, are removed and ground to mulch. Many of these trees have saw logs (trunks suitable for cutting up into timber) that can be turned in to higher value products. The grant provides funding for utilization of these logs and assists in the immediate implementation of the plan by transporting these logs to The Urban Lumber Company where they are converted to lumber and other high value wood products. The logs are generated from the approximately 1,000 untreated Ash trees Forestry removed last fall and will be removing this spring.
Partnership The Wood Utilization Project is a partnership between the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC), the City of Kansas City-Forestry and The Urban Lumber Company. This endeavor will become a leading example of EAB and urban forest management that can be replicated by other communities in Missouri and in other states.
Playing Jan. 19-24 at Starlight Theatre, touring production of POTTED POTTER serves up all 7 Harry Potter books – and a live game of Quidditch – in 70 hilarious minutes.
The third show in Starlight Theatre’s new Starlight Indoors series takes the stage beginning Tuesday, Jan. 19. POTTED POTTER: The Unauthorized Harry Experience – A Parody by Dan and Jeff, will play a limited engagement of nine performances at Starlight through Sunday, Jan. 24.
Written and created by two-time Olivier Award-nominated actors Daniel Clarkson and Jefferson Turner, Potted Potter takes on the ultimate challenge of condensing all seven “Harry Potter” books (and a live game of Quidditch) into a 70-minute show.
The fantastically funny show features all the favorite Potter characters, a special appearance by a fire-breathing dragon, endless costumes, brilliant songs, ridiculous props and a generous helping of Hogwarts magic!
Since launching in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 2006, Potted Potter has played to sold-out houses around the world, including London, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and Dubai. Starvox Entertainment and Potted Productions introduced the show to North American audiences in 2012 at Toronto’s Panasonic Theatre. After a record-breaking run there, Potted Potter headed to New York City and played a hit Off-Broadway run at the Little Shubert Theatre. The show has since returned to both cities as part of a third North American tour.
Potted Potter is recommended for ages 6 to Dumbledore (who is very old indeed!) – and for Harry Potter experts and novices alike. So, whether you camped outside a bookstore for three days awaiting the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, or you don’t know the difference between a Horcrux and a Hufflepuff, the comedy, magic and mayhem of Potted Potter will make for a fun and funny visit to Starlight Theatre.
Potted Potter plays in the intimate, indoor performance space of the Cohen Community Stagehouse at Starlight on Jan. 19-24. Weeknight shows begin at 7 p.m. Due to heavy demand, a new, ninth show has been added Saturday, Jan. 23, at noon, so plenty of tickets are still available. Other Saturday performances are offered at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m., while Sunday shows begin at 3 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. Self-parking is free for all shows, and valet parking will be offered for $10.
Tickets for Potted Potter at Starlight Indoors can be purchased at www.kcstarlight.com, by calling 816.363.STAR (7827) or at the Starlight box office at 4600 Starlight Road, Kansas City, MO 64132. Ticket prices begin at $40; a limited number of VIP ticket packages, which include premium seats and valet parking, are also available. Discount pricing for groups of 10 or more is offered through Starlight’s Group Sales department at 816.997.1137 or groups@kcstarlight.com.
MORE: Visit booths and activities for a no cost lunch! Dance performances, yoga sessions, giveaways, prizes, no cost health screenings and more.
HOSTS: Jack and Jill of America Inc. Johnson County Chapter in partnership with KC Parks, Black Health Care Coalition, Linwood YMCA, MissouriCare, Aetna and Home State Health.
It won’t be long before spring break shows up on the family calendar. If your family isn’t traveling to a vacation destination, you may consider sending your aspiring young artists to Spring Break Camp at Starlight Theatre.
