Rock Valley College Starlight Theatre
Starlight Theatre is one of two theatres operated by Rock Valley College in Rockford, Illinois, the other being the Rock Valley College Studio Theatre.[1] Starlight Theatre performs in the outdoor Bengt Sjostrom Theatre,[2] an award-winning[3] structure that features a unique, one-of-a-kind movable roof.[4] Starlight has transformed itself into a popular destination for the Northern Illinois region.[5] The theatre is situated on 217 acres that were purchased by the college in 1965 from Dr. J.J. Rogers.[6]
Starlight Theatre History
In the fall of 1966 a group of Rock Valley College students approached Dean of Community Services Rueben Johnson about creating a theatre program. The following year, they performed an outdoor musical near the farm pond that had been purchased in 1965 from Dr. J.J. Rogers.[7] Community members watched the first performance on lawn chairs. Starlight Theatre has performed more than 125 productions since its founding in 1967.[8]
- 1967: Finian's Rainbow (Dir. Donald Meisenholder)
- 1968: Patience & Waiting for Godot (Dir. Donald Colucci)
- 1969: Oklahoma! (Dir. John Pearce)
- 1970: Man of LaMancha (Dir. Ted Bacino)
- 1971: Oliver & Fiddler on the Roof (Dir. Ted Bacino)
- 1972: 1776 & The King & I (Dir. Ted Bacino)
- 1973: My Fair Lady & Promises, Promises (Dir. Ted Bacino)
- 1974: How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying & No, No Nanette (Dir. Ted Bacino)
- 1975: Godspell & Jesus Christ Superstar (Dir. Ted Bacino)
- 1976: Of Thee I Sing, A Little Night Music (Dir. Kirk Denmark & Once Upon a Mattress Dir. Jim Smith)
- 1977: The Sound of Music & The Music Man (Dir. Jim Crow)
- 1978: Camelot & Show Boat (Dir. Jim Crow)
- 1979: West Side Story & Hello, Dolly! (Dir. Jim Crow)
- 1980: Carnival & Funny Girl (Dir. Jim Crow)
- 1981: Wizard of Oz & HMS Pinafore (Dir. A. Neil Thackaberry)
- 1982: Grease (Dir. Dominic Messimi), Jacques Brel & South Pacific (Dir. A. Neil Thackaberry)
- 1983: Man of LaMancha (Dir Dominic Messimi), Pirates of Penzance & Guys & Dolls (Dir. A. Neil Thackaberry)
- 1984: Carousel (Dir. A. Neil Thackaberry), George M (Dir. Victoria Bussert) & My Fair Lady (Dir. A. Neil Thackaberry)
- 1985: Cabaret (Dir. Rod & Ginny MacDonald), Oklahoma! (Dir. Thom Sobota) & Evita (Dir. Michael P. Webb)
- 1986: Barnum (Dir. Michael P. Webb), Music Man (Dir. Leslie Robbins) & Fiddler on the Roof (Dir. Michael P. Webb)
- 1987: Peter Pan, 1776 & Candide (Dir. Michael P. Webb)
- 1988: Camelot, Annie Get Your Gun & 42nd Street (Dir. Michael P. Webb)
- 1989: Oliver, Jesus Christ Superstar & Anything Goes (Dir. Michael P. Webb)
- 1990: The King & I, Student Prince & My One and Only (Dir. Michael P. Webb)
- 1991: West Side Story, Shenendoah & A Chorus Line (Dir. Michael P. Webb)
- 1992: Hello, Dolly, Big River & Into the Woods (Dir. Michael P. Webb)
- 1993: Kiss Me Kate, Rags & City of Angels (Dir. Michael P. Webb)
- 1994: Meet Me in St. Louis, My Fair Lady & Evita (Dir. Michael P. Webb)
- 1995: Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, The New Pirates of Penzance & Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Dir. Michael P. Webb)
- 1996: Bye, Bye Birdie, Pippin, Crazy For You & Joseph (Dir. Michael P. Webb)
- 1997: Guys & Dolls, Children of Eden & Sound of Music (Dir. Michael P. Webb)
- 1998: Secret Garden, Cinderella & Western Star (Dir. Michael P. Webb)
- 1999: Annie, Once on this Island & Fiddler on the Roof (Dir. Michael P. Webb)
- 2000: Godspell, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum & Hans Christian Andersen, The Storyteller's Story (Dir. Michael P. Webb)
- 2001: The Music Man, Grease & Rebels (Dir. Michael P. Webb)
- 2002: South Pacific, Honk & 42nd Street (Dir. Michael P. Webb)
- 2003: Big River, Just So & Children of Eden (Dir. Michael P. Webb)
- 2004: Show Boat, You're A Good Man Charlie Brown, The Hot Mikado & Seussical the Musical (Dir. Michael P. Webb)
- 2005: Oklahoma!, Jesus Christ Superstar, Chess & Disney's Beauty & the Beast, Romeo & Juliet (Dir. Michael P. Webb)
- 2006: Cats!, State Fair, Miss Saigon & Joseph (Dir. Michael P. Webb)
- 2007: Peter Pan, Disney's Geppetto & Son, Jekyll & Hyde & Ragtime. (Dir. by Michael P. Webb)
- 2008: Jonah- An Old Testament Yarn, The Wiz, Little Shop of Horrors & Thoroughly Modern Millie (Dir. by Michael P. Webb)
- 2009: David the King, Evita, The King and I, The Producers (Dir. by Michael P. Webb)
- 2010: Chicago, Aida, Annie, Rent (Dir. by Michael P. Webb)
- 2011: The Phantom of the Opera, After Dark, The Drowsy Chaperone, Hairspray (Dir. by Michael P. Webb)
- 2012: Sweeney Todd, Little Women, Into The Woods, 9 to 5 (Dir. By Michael P. Webb)
- 2013: Starlight Express, Xanadu, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Les Misérables (Dir. by Michael P. Webb)
- 2013: The Sound of Music, Tintypes, Honk, Monty Python's Spamalot (Dir. by Michael P. Webb)[9]
References
- ↑ http://www.rrstar.com/x865538469/Starlights-Season-Ends-and-Studio-Theatre-Begins
- ↑ http://www.illinoisgreatplaces.com/
- ↑ http://www.studiogang.net/work/1998/starlighttheatre
- ↑ http://www.rrstar.com/x1629901737/Rock-River-Valley-Insider-Starlight-Theatre-s-retractable-roof-is-a-gem
- ↑ http://www.studiogang.net/work/1998/starlighttheatre
- ↑ http://www.rockfordillinois.com/chron9.htm
- ↑ http://www.rockfordillinois.com/chron9.htm
- ↑ http://www.rockvalleycollege.edu/Community/Theatre/StarlightHistory.cfm
- ↑ http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?ca=18f1ab12-5a9b-40ec-9f66-d094030ead1c&c=313bd050-4584-11e3-aa9a-d4ae52754b78&ch=3314af00-4584-11e3-aace-d4ae52754b78