When interviewed by The Kansas City Star in early December, with just three months under his belt as the new president and executive producer of Starlight Theatre, Denton Yockey summed up his impressions so far: “When I introduce myself as the new guy at Starlight, people’s eyebrows raise and a smile comes on their faces, and they start talking about some special Starlight memory. It makes me know that I made the right decision coming here, and I have a great responsibility to carry on that tradition.”

Starlight welcomed Yockey to its top post last September. He succeeds longtime Starlight leader Bob Rohlf, who retired after 29 years. A professional actor by training, Yockey has been involved in theatre management for more than 25 years. Most recently, he led the operations of Casa Mañana theatre in Fort Worth, Texas, for 11 years.

It didn’t take long for Yockey to learn what a special place his nearly 60-year-old outdoor theatre has in the hearts of generations of Kansas Citians. In operation since 1951, Starlight is one of only three outdoor theatres of its size and type still operational in the United States. (The Muny in St. Louis and Wolf Trap in Vienna, Va., are the others.)

Located on 16 acres in Swope Park, Starlight presents and produces live Broadway musical entertainment and hosts top-name concert artists each summer. Its 10-story, climate-controlled Cohen Community Stage opened in 2000, equipping Starlight to host some of Broadway’s biggest national touring shows. Extensive capital improvements during the past decade have provided significant new facilities and amenities for both performers and audience members. The historic theatre seats nearly 8,000, and show tickets start as low as $9.

“Starlight Theatre has worked hard to keep its average Broadway ticket price among the lowest in the nation, and, in so doing, we’ve exposed generations of Kansas City residents and visitors to the magic of live musical theatre,” Yockey said. “The memories that audiences make at Starlight are memories they keep for a lifetime.”

He is confident that 2009’s shows will again deliver on the community’s high expectations:  

• Legally Blonde The Musical – June 30-July 5
• Anything Goes – July 13-19
• Chitty Chitty Bang Bang – July 28-Aug. 2
• Chicago – Aug. 11-16
• Mamma Mia! – Sept. 8-13