History of RVC Theatre

History of Starlight Theatre

In the fall of 1967 a group of Rock Valley College students wanted to bring their community to the corner of Spring Brook and Mulford Roads. They hoped to encourage the public to appreciate the beauty of their college’s farm setting. With the permission of Reuben Johnson, acting Dean of Community Services, the students decided that the best way to accomplish this goal was to perform a musical nestled beside the beautiful farm pond. They chose the production Finian’s Rainbow, which explores the overcoming of racial barriers through hard work and a little bit of magic. Opening night of Finian’s Rainbow was a greater success than anyone had ever imagined. People from the community came out with their lawn chairs and watched the amazing production. It is the cast, crew and countless volunteers that truly make Starlight Theatre what it is today.

One of the biggest moments in Starlight's history occurred on June 10, 2003, when the college held a roof-opening gala for the newly remodeled Bengt Sjostrom Theatre (Starlight Theatre). The 135,000 square foot architectural wonder was designed by world-renowned architect, and Belvidere native, Jeanne Gang and her firm Studio Gang Architects. The design’s most unique feature is its 200-foot, retractable star-shaped roof, which opens like the petals of a flower, allowing audiences to enjoy the night sky while still being protected from inclement weather. The project was three years in the making. The gala featured a hors d'oeuvres table highlighted by an ice sculpture of the Starlight Theatre, a cast of 500 people performing numbers from shows Starlight has put on over the years, a performance by Lakota Sioux Great Native American Dancers, fireworks, flaming desserts, and music by Moonlight Jazz Orchestra. The 2003 Starlight season, the first in its new home, featured the musicals Big River, Just So, and Children of Eden.

Starlight Production History

During the past 49 summers Starlight theatre has brought over 140 productions to the stage – that’s a whole lot of magic. A cast and crew totaling nearly 25,000 people have all given of themselves for our community’s enrichment, and in the process have shared their joy of performing for over one million audience members!

Season Show Directed By
Season 1 (1967) Finian’s Rainbow David Meisenholder
Season 2 (1968) Patience Donald Colucci
Season 2 (1968) Waiting for Godot  Donald Colucci
Season 3 (1969) Oklahoma! John Pearce
Season 4 (1970) Man of LaMancha Ted Bacino
Season 5 (1971) Oliver Ted Bacino
Season 5 (1971) Fiddler on the Roof Ted Bacino
Season 6 (1972) 1776 Ted Bacino
Season 6 (1972) The King and I Ted Bacino
Season 7 (1973) My Fair Lady Ted Bacino
Season 7 (1973) Promises, Promises Ted Bacino
Season 8 (1974) How to Succeed... Ted Bacino
Season 8 (1974) No, No Nanette Ted Bacino
Season 9 (1975) Godspell Ted Bacino
Season 9 (1975) Jesus Christ Superstar Ted Bacino
Season 10 (1976) Of Thee I Sing Kirk Denmark
Season 10 (1976) A Little Night Music Kirk Denmark
Season 10 (1976) Once Upon a Mattress Jim Smith
Season 11 (1977) The Sound of Music Jim Crow
Season 11 (1977) The Music Man Jim Crow
Season 12 (1978) Camelot Jim Crow
Season 12 (1978) Showboat Jim Crow
Season 13 (1979) West Side Story Jim Crow
Season 13 (1979) Hello Dolly! Jim Crow
Season 14 (1980) Carnival Jim Crow
Season 14 (1980) Funny Girl Jim Crow
Season 15 (1981) The Wizard of Oz
Neil Thackaberry
Season 15 (1981) H.M.S. Pinafore Neil Thackaberry
Season 16 (1982) Grease Dominic Missimi
Season 16 (1982) Jacques Brel is Alive & Well & Living in Paris Neil Thackaberry
Season 16 (1982) South Pacific Neil Thackaberry
Season 17 (1983) Man of La Mancha Dominic Missimi
Season 17 (1983) Pirates of Penzance Neil Thackaberry
Season 17 (1983) Guys and Dolls Neil Thackaberry
Season 18 (1984) Carousel Neil Thackaberry
Season 18 (1984) My Fair Lady Neil Thackaberry
Season 18 (1984) George M! Victoria Bussert
Season 19 (1985) Cabaret Rod & Ginny MacDonald
Season 19 (1985) Oklahoma! Thom Sobota
Season 19 (1985) Evita Mike Webb
Season 20 (1986) Barnum Mike Webb
Season 20 (1986) Music Man Leslie Robins
Season 20 (1986) Fiddler on the Roof Mike Webb
Season 21 (1987) Peter Pan Mike Webb
Season 21 (1987) 1776 Mike Webb
Season 21 (1987) Candide Mike Webb
Season 22 (1988) Camelot
Mike Webb
Season 22 (1988) Annie Get Your Gun
Mike Webb
Season 22 (1988) 42nd Street Mike Webb
Season 23 (1989) Oliver!
Mike Webb
Season 23 (1989) Jesus Christ Superstar Mike Webb
Season 23 (1989) Anything Goes Mike Webb
Season 24 (1990) The King & I Mike Webb
Season 24 (1990) The Student Prince Mike Webb
Season 24 (1990)

My One and Only

Mike Webb
Season 25 (1991) West Side Story Mike Webb
Season 25 (1991) Shenandoah
Mike Webb
Season 25 (1991) A Chorus Line Mike Webb
Season 26 (1992) Hello, Dolly! Mike Webb
Season 26 (1992) Big River Mike Webb
Season 26 (1992) Into the Woods Mike Webb
Season 27 (1993) Kiss Me Kate Mike Webb
Season 27 (1993) Rags Mike Webb
Season 27 (1993) City of Angels Mike Webb
Season 28 (1994) Meet Me in St. Louis Mike Webb
Season 28 (1994) My Fair Lady
Mike Webb
Season 28 (1994) Evita Mike Webb
Season 29 (1995) Seven Brides for Seven Brothers Mike Webb
Season 29 (1995) The New Pirates of Penzance Mike Webb
Season 29 (1995) Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Mike Webb
Season 30 (1996) Bye, Bye Birdie Mike Webb
Season 30 (1996) Pippin Mike Webb
Season 30 (1996) Crazy for You Mike Webb
Season 30 (1996) Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Mike Webb
Season 31 (1997) Guys & Dolls Mike Webb
Season 31 (1997) Children of Eden Mike Webb
Season 31 (1997) The Sound of Music Mike Webb
Season 32 (1998) The Secret Garden Mike Webb
Season 32 (1998) Cinderella Mike Webb
Season 32 (1998) Western Star Mike Webb
Season 33 (1999) Annie Mike Webb
Season 33 (1999) Once on the Island Mike Webb
Season 33 (1999)

Fiddler on the Roof

Mike Webb
Season 34 (2000) Godspell Mike Webb
Season 34 (2000) A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum Mike Webb
Season 34 (2000) Hans Christian Anderson Mike Webb
Season 35 (2001) The Music Man Mike Webb
Season 35 (2001) Grease Mike Webb
Season 35 (2001) Rebels Mike Webb
Season 36 (2002) South Pacific Mike Webb
Season 36 (2002) Honk!
Mike Webb
Season 36 (2002) 42nd Street Mike Webb
Season 37 (2003) Big River Mike Webb
Season 37 (2003) Just So!
Mike Webb
Season 37 (2003) Children of Eden
Mike Webb
Season 38 (2004) Showboat
Mike Webb
Season 38 (2004) You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown
Mike Webb
Season 38 (2004) Hot Mikado
Mike Webb
Season 38 (2004) Seussical The Musical
Mike Webb
Season 39 (2005) Oklahoma!
Mike Webb
Season 39 (2005) Jesus Christ Superstar
Mike Webb
Season 39 (2005) Disney’s Beauty & the Beast
Mike Webb
Season 39 (2005) Chess
Mike Webb
Season 40 (2006) Cats
Mike Webb
Season 40 (2006) State Fair
Mike Webb
Season 40 (2006) Miss Saigon
Mike Webb
Season 40 (2006) Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Mike Webb
Season 41 (2007) Peter Pan
Mike Webb
Season 41 (2007) Disney’s Geppetto & Son
Mike Webb
Season 41 (2007) Jekyll & Hyde
Mike Webb
Season 41 (2007) Ragtime
Mike Webb
Season 42 (2008) Jonah
Mike Webb
Season 42 (2008) The Wiz
Mike Webb
Season 42 (2008) Little Shop of Horrors
Mike Webb
Season 42 (2008) Thoroughly Modern Millie
Mike Webb
Season 43 (2009) David the King
Mike Webb
Season 43 (2009) Evita
Mike Webb
Season 43 (2009) The King and I
Mike Webb
Season 43 (2009) The Producers
Mike Webb
Season 44 (2010) Chicago
Mike Webb
Season 44 (2010) Aida
Mike Webb
Season 44 (2010) Rent
Mike Webb
Season 44 (2010) Annie
Mike Webb
Season 45 (2011) The Phantom of the Opera
Mike Webb
Season 45 (2011) After Dark
Mike Webb
Season 45 (2011) The Drowsy Chaperone
Mike Webb
Season 45 (2011) Hairspray
Mike Webb
Season 46 (2012) Sweeney Todd
Mike Webb
Season 46 (2012) Little Women
Mike Webb
Season 46 (2012) Into the Woods
Mike Webb
Season 46 (2012) 9 to 5
Mike Webb
Season 47 (2013) Starlight Express
Mike Webb
Season 47 (2013) Xanadu
Mike Webb
Season 47 (2013) The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Mike Webb
Season 47 (2013) Les Misérables
Mike Webb
Season 48 (2014) The Sound of Music
Mike Webb
Season 48 (2014) Tintypes
Mike Webb
Season 48 (2014) Honk!
Mike Webb
Season 48 (2014) Monty Python’s Spamalot
Mike Webb
Season 48 (2014) Angel
Mike Webb
Season 49 (2015) Mary Poppins
Mike Webb
Season 49 (2015) The Last Five Years
Mike Webb
Season 49 (2015) Memphis
Mike Webb
Season 49 (2015) Young Frankenstein
Mike Webb
Season 50 (2016) Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Mike Webb
Season 50 (2016) Jesus Christ Superstar
Mike Webb
Season 50 (2016) The Phantom of the Opera
Mike Webb
Season 50 (2016) Children of Eden
Mike Webb
Season 51 (2017) Disney’s Beauty & the Beast
Christopher D. Brady
Season 51 (2017) Disney’s Beauty & the Beast
Christopher D. Brady
Season 51 (2017) Sister Act
Christopher D. Brady
Season 51 (2017) Godspell
Christopher D. Brady
Season 52 (2018) Shrek Christopher D. Brady
Season 52 (2018) Jane Eyre Christopher D. Brady
Season 52 (2018) Dirty Rotten $coundrel$ Christopher D. Brady
Season 52 (2018) Anything Goes Christopher D. Brady
Season 53 (2019) Mamma Mia! Christopher D. Brady
Season 53 (2019) West Side Story
Christopher D. Brady
Season 53 (2019) Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Christopher D. Brady
Season 53 (2019) The Addams Family Hannah R. Sleger
Season 54 (2021) A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder Richard Raether
Season 54 (2021) You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown Christopher D. Brady
Season 54 (2021) Once Upon A Mattress Christopher D. Brady
Season 54 (2021)

Little Shop of Horrors

Christopher D. Brady
Season 55 (2022) The Little Mermaid Christopher D. Brady
Season 55 (2022)

Disaster!

Christopher D. Brady
Season 55 (2022) Dreamgirls Mychall Cornejo
Season 55 (2022) Hello, Dolly! Wendy Taylor
Season 56 (2023) Footloose the Musical Amanda Jensen
Season 56 (2023) In the Heights Mychall Cornejo
Season 56 (2023) Oliver! Christopher D. Brady
Season 56 (2023) Rodger’s & Hammerstein’s Cinderella Christopher D. Brady