Summertime Spells Outdoor Entertainment
by Margaret Cashill
For most Kansas Citians summer brings poolside afternoons, evening block parties, and weekends at the lake. For fans of live music and theatre, summertime also means outdoor shows.
Fortunately for the concertgoer, the region abounds in
outdoor theatre and concert venues, which host everything
from local bands to touring national headliners to familyfriendly
Broadway shows.
A Kansas City favorite, the Starlight Theater in Swope
Park offers both Broadway shows and popular music every
summer. Since it first theater performance in the summer
of 1950, the 8,000 plus capacity amphitheater has become
a landmark and a regional draw with its picturesque setting,
comfortable seating, and congenial atmosphere. Now,
with the opening of the Helzberg Diamonds VIP Club, members
can enjoy also the catering of the Hereford House.
Some highlights of the 2008 outdoor concert series at
the Starlight include Sheryl Crow, James Taylor and the
Steve Miller Band, while the 2008 Broadway season features
The Drowsy Chaperone, High School Musical on Tour,
The Music Man, Fiddler on the Roof, and Les Misérables.
The Starlight still offers roles for Kansas City performers.
In the spring, the Starlight holds auditions to cast local
children and adults in chorus, principal and ensemble roles.
On the other side of the state, the oldest and largest outdoor theatre in the country, the Muny (Municipal Theatre Association of St. Louis), offers seven Broadway-style musicals in this its 90th season. Located in St. Louis’s Forest Park, the Muny seats approximately 11,000 with an additional 1,500 free seats available for each performance.
High-end amphitheaters operate in both Kansas City
and St. Louis. On the Kansas side, the Capitol Federal Park
at Sandstone (formerly Sandstone Amphitheatre) in Bonner
Springs hosts a variety of headliners. The venue plans
to increase its general admissions section and make upgrades
to its sound and video systems. These upgrades will
also see a new emphasis on environmental friendliness. The
Verizon Wireless Amphitheater St. Louis, located in Maryland
Heights, also offers a lively concert season of national acts.
Several smaller format music venues provide entertainment
in Kansas City and throughout the state.
At Toad Cove, Lake of the Ozarks, the Horny Toad
Entertainment Complex offers a summer concert series
of national performers. In Kansas City’s Crossroads
District, the aptly named Crossroads KC at Grinders
presents a diverse selection of live musical acts each
summer in the space behind Grinders restaurant,
now with bleacher seating available. These shows are
often a highlight of the Crossroads District’s First Fridays.
Even further downtown, the Kansas City Market's Concert
Series can accommodate up to 10,000 concertgoers in
its historic location.
Whether seeking theater or music, a nearby venue
or a day trip, the Kansas City concertgoer has plenty of
choices this summer.
Outdoor Venues in the Greater Kansas City Region
and throughout Missouri
Capitol Federal Park at Sandstone, Bonner Springs, Kan.
www.livenation.com/venue/getVenue/venueId/999
City Market Concert Series, Kansas City, Mo.
www.thecitymarket.org
Crossroads Kansas City at Grinders, Kansas City, Mo.
www.crossroadskc.com
The Horny Toad, Toad Cove, Lake of the Ozarks, Mo.
www.toadcove.com/concerts.aspx
Starlight Theatre, Kansas City, Mo.
www.kcstarlight.com
The Muny, St. Louis, Mo.
www.muny.com
Verizon Wireless Amphitheater St. Louis, Maryland Heights, Mo.
www.livenation.com/venue/getVenue/venueId/2240