Save Starlight is a 501(c) 3 non-profit grassroots organization. Our Goal is to refurbish and reinvigorate Starlight Bowl as a multifaceted hub for San Diego community performance, events, and education.
Old venue, New vision
Our Vision For Starlight Bowl
Save Starlight is an initiative working to restore, revive and revitalize Starlight Bowl—an open-air amphitheater in the heart of San Diego’s Balboa Park. The Bowl has been closed since 2012, and has fallen into disrepair.
We envision a venue for open-air performances, concerts, cinema, festivals, plays, community events, and musical theater.
We imagine a new generation of diverse performances, a stage for the San Diego community hosting magical entertainment experiences. Our goal is to preserve the Bowl’s heritage, ensure accessibility, and use creative technology to address opportunities and challenges for its location and architecture.
A new kind of entertainment
accessible, diverse, inclusive
As a 501c3 non-profit, Save Starlight's intent for this space is to be available for community events and performance of all shapes and size. We want YOU!!! Whether you're in our audience or on our stage, whatever we can dream is what we can do!
Once our space is up and running, performers and organizations from throughout San Diego county will have access to our venue with no upfront cost. Our organization will only collect a small percentage of ticket sales to cover operating costs with the rest going back to the performers or event organizers. This will enable local schools and organizations who may not have an up front budget a cost effective means to do events and performances. We believe the Starlight Bowl should be for everyone, and it is our goal to make that the case!
Your support of Save Starlight helps make this dream come true for not only us, but for every San Diegan that is going to get to enjoy this beautiful Balboa Park treasure under the stars. We can't wait to see you there!
History
BALBOA PARK’S OPEN AIR AMPHITHEATRE
Starlight's Legacy
The Ford Bowl was commissioned by the Ford Motor Company for the 1935-36 California Pacific International Exposition. In its early days the Bowl was home to symphony concerts broadcast via radio across the country, and other events. The name was changed to Starlight Bowl in the 1970s.
The Bowl is probably best known as home to the SD Civic Light Opera Starlight summer musicals most seasons from the late 1950s until 2012. Since the SDCLO folded in 2012, the Bowl has languished and fallen into disrepair.
Plan
A Multi Phase Process
Renovating starlight through a Three Multi Phase Process
Phase 1
Concession and Ticketing Building + Interim Stage:
*Secure
*Fundraise
*Activate Concession and Ticketing Booth Building
Phase 2
Amphitheater seats + Restrooms:
*Active programming on Palisades stage
*Fundraise to restore seating and restrooms
Phase 3
Starlight's Main Stage:
*Fundraise to rehabilitate, and activate Starlight's Main Stage
The first phase includes three primary goals:
Entertainment:
The development of our interim performance platform The Palisades Stage. Our stage will not only help activate the South Palisades, it will also provide opportunities to our community to host family friendly entertainment.
Food experience:
Bringing back Starlight’s concessions with a new twist! - better and healthier food options.
Educational Outreach:
The creation of a media center accessible to students across the county. Our goal is to empower students with an interest in the creative arts. Through seminars and a hands-on experience with state-of-the-art technology, students gain the tools they need to pursue a future utilizing multimedia arts, and have the opportunity to connect with Balboa Park.
*Our ultimate goal is to bring many opportunities to our community while simultaneously raise support and funds to create a sustainable footprint for Starlight. Of course, the more we raise, the faster we can rebuild the space to make Starlight the hub for San Diego family entertainment! This is going to be a multi phase process that will eventually result in the full restoration of this 3,400 seat amphitheater.
What about the plane noise?
TEAM
Visionaries in action
Save Starlight—a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization—is a grassroots initiative led by a team with experience in theatre technology, urban culture, community production, urban revitalization, historic preservation, and sustainable business. Our growing team has a deep commitment to the heritage of the Bowl and surrounding park. Our DIT (do it together) spirit is generating collective momentum across San Diego for this vision.
CEO and Founder
Steve Stopper is the former audio technician for Starlight. He currently runs the largest audio, video design service, in San Diego, with customers ranging from the NFL to the Navy. Stopper is also the founder of The School for Creative Careers, a nonprofit focused on giving students experiences in real world performance art environments.
BOARD OFficials
Chairman of the Board
Steve Karo has performed as a percussionist from Boston to Los Angeles for over 50 years, including many years as percussionist for Starlight Opera at Starlight Bowl. He founded the Save Our Balboa movement when Balboa Theatre faced imminent destruction; He was a founding member of the Balboa Theatre Foundation and listed as agent by the State of California.
Treasurer
Sherry Register *Bio coming soon
Secretary
Mary Karo was a member of the San Diego Symphony, San Diego Opera and California Ballet Orchestras and created the Festival String Trio, Quartet, and Orchestra. She was a leader and musical contractor for Starlight Opera for 5 years and subsequently for San Diego Lyric Opera.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Stan Canaris recently retired after 36 years of service within the Sweetwater Union High School District as a teacher, football coach and dean of activities at various schools. He oversaw the opening of Eastlake High School in 1992 and served as vice principal before assuming the role of principal in 1995. It was under his leadership that the school, then the newest in the district, earned recognition as a California Distinguished School as well as numerous athletic banners. Upon retirement, to honor him and his contributions to the District and the community, Eastlake High named its athletic stadium Stan Canaris Stadium. He also taught and was head football coach at Hilltop High, taught at Sweetwater High School, and served as dean of activities at Mar Vista High School. Stan is a life-time member and Vice President of Eastlake Education Foundation. He has received numerous awards over the years. Highlights of these are: Administrator of the Year at Sweetwater Union High District, San Diego Proclamation, Coach of the Year, Certificate of Congressional Recognition, Recognition from President George W. Bush.
Kevin Charles Patterson comes to San Diego after an extensive career in the performing arts which has taken him on tours for productions around the world. He is also the Executive Director of the San Diego International Fringe Festival as well as the Nations of San Diego International Dance Festival. He is a graduate of the University of the Arts (formerly Philadelphia College of Performing Arts), where he received a BFA in Theatre/Dance.
Ed Hollingsworth is an actor and a retired teacher. He appeared in 35 productions at Starlight, starting in 1980. His wife and all four of his kids have performed at Starlight. He met his wife on the lawn by the back parking lot of Starlight on September 2, 1982. He proposed to her in the same spot one year later. Starlight is a major part of his life.
Iovanka Todt is a Senior Management Analyst in the Performance & Analytics Department. She supports efficiency and effectiveness efforts led by the Performance & Analytics Department, which she joined in September of 2013. Before that, she served 10 years as executive director in the non-profit sector working with agencies, the private sector, interest groups, and academia to improve state and federal policy for water, environment, and public safety. Her past experience also includes over 10 years of experience in: project management services for civil and environmental engineering public projects; program development and management in government grants acquisition for infrastructure projects, public involvement, inter-agency collaboration, education, outreach, and volunteer coordination; and management consulting services in the defense sector.
Iovanka graduated from Princeton University with a combined degree in civil engineering and operations research with a concentration in engineering management and is certified as a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt through UC San Diego Extension.
Chuck Degenhardt Our newest board member has brought to us a fifteen year diverse background covering construction, project and property management too include; curb appeal, budgeting & fundraising right on down to hands on maintenance. Charles stands ready to work with our team in any area needed to meet the goal in restoring the Starlight Bowl.
Patricia Maldonado *Bio coming soon
ORGANIZATIONAL STEERING COMMITTEE
Welton Jones has been involved with San Diego arts and entertainment since 1966, as a theatre and music critic for The San Diego Union-Tribune; as a playwright, director and producer at many venues; and as an activist for innumerable cultural projects.
Diana Cantu is an international business development executive with extensive experience in the intersection of technology and the arts/humanities. Currently she’s a consultant specializing telecommunications, broadcast, and multimedia distribution infrastructure. She also has served/currently serves in leadership capacity on boards for nonprofit arts organizations.
Stephanie Sherman is an art director, public curator, and social designer who creates collaborative systems by transforming underutilized spaces and surplus resources. She co-founded Elsewhere--a living museum and artist residency set in a former thrift store that helped to revitalize Greensboro, NC, and is currently the co-director of Common Field, a new national arts organizing network. She has worked as a collaborator and cultural consultant with Materials & Applications (LA), Sensible Recovery (NY), DesignLab (San Diego), Provisions Library (DC) Rebuild Foundation (Chicago), Kulturpark (Berlin), Save Starlight (San Diego), Merz Barn (UK), Forecast Public Art (MN), RadioEE (Miami) and Port-to-Port (international). Her projects have been supported by the Warhol Foundation, Kresge Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, and ArtPlace America. She holds a BA from University of Pennsylvania in 20th C. Literature, an MA from Duke in Critical Theory+Visual Culture, and is currently working on a Phd in Art+Design at UCSD. She believes there is an art to everything. http://stephaniesherman.net
Volunteer Staff
Chair of the development committee
Jennifer Crespo graduated from the San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts and also is a San Diego State University alumni. She has worked as a performer at Disneyland and Sea World. At the YMCA, she served as site supervisor and Specialty Camp Coordinator for the La Jolla location. As an instructor to the School For Creative Careers she has been involved as a coordinator to after school programs. Jen performs regularly along with her husband Marc Crespo on the mainstage of San Diego National Comedy Theater.
creative and Communications manager
Diana Benavidez is a visual artist, community organizer and an active supporter of female creatives across San Diego. She currently serves in the steering committee for the Rising Arts Leaders San Diego as Co-Chair of Communications. Previously, she was the Executive Production Assistant for Parkeology and Design Forward. As a visual artist, her work adopts the Mexican craft of piñata making as a medium to create sculptures that are a reflection of the artist’s own hybrid identity as a Mexican-American growing up near the San Diego/Tijuana border. Artworks have been exhibited in a variety of spaces including UC San Diego’s Adam D. Kamil Gallery and The Museum of Contemporary Art in La Jolla. Benavidez earned a Visual Arts Degree from UC San Diego. During her undergraduate studies she worked as an undergraduate researcher for UCSD's The DesignLab http://www.dbenavidez.com/
Community Outreach manager
Jamie McGuffee is a creative spirit connected with The School For Creative Careers and many other performance art entities. McGuffee has been involved with School for Creative Careers since 2014. As an instructor she has helped to create and teach seminars for students about music and live production. She has worked for over 60 music festivals and events across the country. She is able to combine her passion and skills for preforming arts, by creating events and through these skills she aims to develop a Save Starlight community. McGuffee is currently part of the outreach team for the campaign.
Advisors
Janelle Woodard Graduated from the University of Southern California (USC) achieving a B.A. in Communications with an emphasis in Business Marketing and a Minor in Fine Art History while interning with the American Federation of The Arts (The AFA) in New York City. Upon graduating and returning to California she was a Media Account Executive for Honda through Rubin Postaer and Associates. Her career then led to the Five-Star resort, Stein Ericksen Lodge where she was the Sales and Marketing Manager and Corporate Event Planner. She then secured the role of International Sales Manager for the Park City Chamber allowing her to travel abroad marketing the area and the Olympics Games. In 2015 she founded the North County chapter of the Non-profit Teen Volunteers in Action (TVIA). Where she currently is the Founder /President of the Board and is the spokesperson for the Chapter's 120 members.
Sierra Poppleton graduated from Brigham Young University-Idaho with her B.A. in Photography (www.sierrapoppleton.com). She is the founder of BYU-Idaho’s Last Voice Standing and has served as the director of their dance and sports program. She has a passion for theatre, dance, sports, business and plans to return to school to get her M.B.A. in the future.
Glenna Trone has experience in both photography and videography with a background in theatre. She first became involved with Americas Finest Sound as technical support in 2014. Soon, she expanded her skills in media through the School For Creative Careers. Her enthusiasm for media production continues to grow through her involvement with Save Starlight.
Tom Versen *Bio Coming Soon*
Alan Ames from Ames Universal is an Internationally acclaimed Award-Winning media production and consulting firm specializing in live event production, internet broadcasting, animation, post-production and distribution. With over thirty years of professional entertainment industry experience.
Debbie Glivar Roberts is an award winning musical theatre expert with more than four decades of experience. Recognized as a gifted soprano vocalist she has appeared in more than 150 musical productions, concerts, television specials and recordings throughout the United States and Europe. Debbie studied classical and Broadway voice with two of New York's finest vocal coaches, Felix Knight and Marni Nixon. As a musical and vocal director, conductor and musician, Debbie has worked with students of all grade levels and ages. Her passion for inspiring and teaching children has lead her to become one of San Diego's most highly sought after voice and audition coaches.
Bill Biersach senior lecturer at USC Thornton, studied electronic music at USC under current faculty member Frederick Lesemann. He taught beginning and advanced Synthesizer Techniques classes from 1975 to 2009, and assisted Richard McIlvery in revamping and expanding the Recording Arts Workshop program, which later became the Music Industry program, from 1984 through 2003.
John Bolthouse is the executive director of the Friends of Balboa Park . He graduated from the University of Louisiana at Monroe with a degree in air transportation and aviation sciences and a master’s in nonprofit leadership and management from the University of San Diego.
Rita Cartwright Cantos first took the stage when she was 14 — Starlight Opera put her in a production of “Bye Bye Birdie.” She’s been “addicted” to being up there ever since, although she’s done some writing and teaching (in human rights and women’s issues) along the way.
Ed Witt a local business owner at Witt Lincoln is dedicated to making the community a better place for all. He has committed much of his time towards helping the less fortunate in our local community. Currently, Ed Witt is the Chairman of the Board at Father Joe's Villages and is proud to support this communities children by sponsoring the Father Joe's Children's Charity Gala. His passion for helping the community has led to his recent involvement with Save Starlight as an adviser.
Alexandra Germon is a real estate agent and former radio personality whose show supported small businesses on a local AM 1170 radio. She is passionate about causes that change people's lives. Alexandra devotes her time to helping Save Starlight to be recognized as pillars of San Diego's community.
Dan Woodard is an alumnus of UC San Diego and received his Juris Doctorate from Loyola Law School in Los Angeles in 1986. He’s been an attorney in private practice since then. In addition to nearly 30 years in estate planning and litigation practice, he’s mediated nearly 1000 disputes. He was honored by the Los Angeles Superior Court as the Probate mediator of the year in 2010, 2011, and 2012. He has been a member of numerous Boards of Directors and been counsel to multiple non-profit organizations over the past 25 years.
Rachael Akin is the Brand Czar & Co-Founder at Benchmark Brewing Company in San Diego. She is a fifth generation San Diegan, who attended the San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts, and holds a BS in Interior Design from the Art Institute of San Diego. Rachael worked for several years in theater design and management, beginning her car rear at the Starlight Bowl. She later transitioned to commercial interior design and graphics where she focused on patient experience and brand identity for large healthcare facilities, specializing in children’s hospitals. She currently holds the office of secretary of the San Diego Brewers Guild, and sits on the board for Save Starlight.
Steve Woodard A Graduate of Denver University (DU) achieving a degree in Business with an emphasis in Finance. He is a local Businessman and Entrepreneur with 20 years of experience in Business Development and Strategic Planning and Startups. Having previously held senior leadership roles in Fortune 50 companies as well as Start-ups in the Healthcare Sector, Steve brings a wealth of experience and demonstrated success is all aspects of Business Development, Sales, and Operations.
Supporters
Strong Community Support
Get involved
join the cause
How you can help!
Donations
As a non-profit organization, Save Starlight relies on generous donors who help us reach our vision for Starlight. All funds go towards restoration, uplift costs, operations costs, and marketing costs.
Credit Card Donations:
Donate through our website today!
Paypal Charity Fund:
PayPal covers all transaction costs for donations made on this site, ensuring that 100% of each gift made is available to charity. Your donation will be made to PayPal Giving Fund, an IRS-registered 501(c)(3) public charity
Amazon Smile:
Amazon donates 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to the charitable organization of your choice.
Corporate Matching Programs:
In some cases large companies or corporations offer Corporate Matching Gift programs to their employees.
Ask your employer to see if your company offers this amazing opportunity!
https://doublethedonation.com/matching-grant-resources/list-matching-gifts-companies/
If you wish to send a contribution by mail,
please send to:
Save Starlight
9590 Chesapeake Dr. Ste. 3
San Diego CA, 92123
Hands on and in kind donations:
If you wish to contribute your skills/time or donate equipment, construction material, furniture, etc. Feel free to contact Jamie McGuffee to receive more details outreach@savestarlight.org
Connect
Contact us
Diana Benavidez (General Info): info@savestarlight.org // 619.252.1744
Steve Stopper (Production): sstopper@savestarlight.org
Jennifer Crespo (Programming) programming@savestarlight.org
Jamie McGuffee ( Outreach): outreach@savestarlight.org
Volunteers (Volunteers): volunteer@savestarlight.org
PrESS & MEDIA
See Press Releases and Press Archives here.
June 9, 2016 - The San Diego Reader
June 9, 2016 Voice of San Diego - Culture Report
June 22, 2016 - Save Starlight Press
June 26, 2016 - Beautiful Balboa Park
June 29, 2016 - 600 KOGO News Radio
July 9, 2016 - Presidio Sentinel
July 29, 2016 - Broadwayworld.com
August 9, 2016 - The San Diego Union-Tribune
August 10, 2016 - KPBS
August 10, 2016 - The November Project
August 11, 2016 - CW6 News
August 11, 2016 - SanDiegoNewsinfo.com
August 13, 2016 - The San Diego Union - Tribune
August 13, 2016 - The Los Angeles Times
August 13, 2016 - NBC San Diego
August, 13 2016 - Fox 5 San Diego
September 7, 2016 - Write Out Loud
December 27, 2016 - VOICE OF SAN DIEGO- Staff Picks
January 3, 2917 - VOICE OF SAN DIEGO
April 19, 2017 - Balboa Park LEEDing on sustainability
April 21, 2017 - The Committee of One Hundred
June 1, 2017 - Balboa Park dreaming — ah, but there's the retro-fitting
August 20, 2017 - UT-San Diego / Starlight Bowl may see new life yet
September 18, 2017 - Committee of One Hundred Fall Newsletter
October 6, 2017- Maker Faire returns to Balboa Park
October 23, 2017 - Tom Petty-signed guitar could be source of lasting San Diego legacy
November 6, 2017 - KUSI Good Morning San Diego
November 7, 2017 - CBS Channel 8 San Diego
November 8, 2017 - NBC SoundDiego
December 3, 2017 - Balboa Park's 'ugly stepsister' is looking for a makeover
March 9, 2018 - Jeff Zevely Zone
FOLLOW US
twitter.com/SaveStarlight
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Our board member Robin Peters and Volunteer Staff member Jamie McGuffee have been working hard on collecting signed… https://t.co/hVe8rHFNmT -
#throwback to that year when the community came together to give Starlight a second chance! August 13, 2016 Join… https://t.co/mO1ebGiGYi
Save starlight NEWSLETTERS
January 10, 2018 A Community's resolution for 2018
February 14, 2018 Love Stories from Starlight Bowl
March 21, 2018 21 Days to Reach our Goal
April 25, 2015 What is Save Starlight going to do about all that plane noise??
May 16, 2018 #ThisPlaceMatters / Historic Preservation Month
June 13, 208 Starlight's Palisades Stage, FREE events & More!!