RVC Starlight Theatre Announces 61st Season

RVC Starlight Theatre Announces 61st Season

• Performing Arts
• 10/07/2026

Following a milestone 60th anniversary season, Rock Valley College's Starlight Theatre is ready to begin its next chapter with a 61st season featuring beloved classics, epic storytelling, dark humor, joyful celebration, and opportunities for performers of all ages.

The 2027 Starlight season will feature four mainstage productions: Annie, directed by Rebecca Jensen; The Prince of Egypt, directed by Mychall Miller-Cornejo; Sweeney Todd, directed by Clarissa Johnson; and The Prom, directed by Theresa Garner-Wilson.

The season will conclude with the StarBright production of Freaky Friday, directed by David Zimmerman and featuring young performers ages 10-18 from throughout the stateline region.

"After celebrating 60 years of Starlight last summer, this season gives us an opportunity to look forward while honoring what has always made this theatre special," said Christopher D. Brady, RVC Director of Theatre and Arts Park. "These five productions are incredibly different from one another, but each has something at its center that brings people together: family, identity, community, belonging, and the courage to become who you are. We have already begun to assemble terrific artistic teams for each of these shows, and I'm excited to see the unique perspective each of them brings to the Starlight stage."

The season opens with Annie, one of musical theatre's most enduring family favorites. Featuring songs including "Tomorrow," "Maybe," and "It's the Hard Knock Life," the musical follows the optimistic young Annie as she searches for the family she has always dreamed of finding.

Next, Starlight will bring the sweeping story of The Prince of Egypt to the stage. Inspired by the DreamWorks Animation film and the biblical story of Moses, the musical features music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and includes songs such as "When You Believe" and "Through Heaven's Eyes."

The season takes a darker turn with Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Equal parts thriller, dark comedy, and musical masterpiece, Sweeney Todd tells a haunting story of revenge, obsession, and the consequences of a world shaped by injustice.

Rounding out the mainstage season is The Prom, a contemporary musical comedy about a group of Broadway performers who travel to a small Indiana town after learning that a high school student has been prevented from bringing her girlfriend to the prom. What begins as an effort to generate publicity becomes a funny and heartfelt story about acceptance, advocacy, and finding the courage to stand up for others.

The summer concludes with StarBright's Freaky Friday. Based on the celebrated novel and Disney films, the musical follows a mother and daughter who magically switch bodies and are forced to see the world through each other's eyes. The StarBright production gives performers ages 10-18 the chance to experience a full theatrical production of their own on the Bengt Sjostrom stage.

This season, Brady will step back from directing to concentrate on overseeing Starlight Theatre's operations and overall artistic vision.

"Starlight has grown over six decades because generations of people have taken ownership of it onstage, backstage and in the audience," Brady said. "Part of my role now is creating opportunities for other artists to lead, while making sure we continue to provide the artistic quality, creativity, and sense of community audiences expect from Starlight. I'm looking forward to being able to support all five productions and the hundreds of people who will make this season possible."

Rock Valley College President Dr. Howard Spearman said Starlight's continued success reflects the important role the arts play at the College and throughout the region.

"For more than 60 years, Starlight Theatre has been a place where our community comes together to create, connect, and experience the arts," Spearman said. "What makes Starlight particularly special is that it brings together experienced artists, community members, students, and young performers who learn from one another while creating something remarkable for our region. As we begin our 61st season, I am excited to see that tradition continue while new artists and new generations make Starlight their own."

Audition information, ticket sales, and additional details for Starlight Theatre's 61st season will be announced in the coming months.

For more information about RVC Starlight Theatre, visit RockValleyCollege.edu/Starlight.

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