Ten young vocalists took the stage on Aug. 30 for the KC SuperStar finals, which had a “Turn Back Time” theme.
The J’s largest annual fundraiser, KC SuperStar, featured performances, a panel of accomplished judges and a sold-out crowd celebrating music, talent and the Jewish community.
“This year’s theme gave us so many directions we could go, both musically and with the production elements,” Tammy Ruder, KC SuperStar producer, said. “Ultimately, we thought it would be fun to choose songs from the past five decades, from Baby Boomers through Generation Alpha. For the graphic elements, we landed on time portals and clocks, with inspiration from the old ‘Time Tunnel’ TV show. Hopefully, the audience enjoyed our choices because we had a lot of fun creating them.”
The evening began with a Patron Party, where family members, donors, ticket holders and other supporters gathered to mingle and enjoy food and drinks before the live show.
“Seeing our donors and community members come together at the patron party is always a highlight for me," said Cindy Bodker, director of philanthropy at The J. "Seeing old friends reconnect and enjoy visiting each other over food and drink is so much fun to witness. I always enjoy the opportunity to speak face to face with people in a casual setting”
The live show followed, featuring a production led by Ruder. After the performance, participants, family members, J Legacy Society members and VIP donors gathered for an afterparty to celebrate a memorable night.
2011 KC SuperStar winner Michaelah Weaver, who was also a member of this year’s production team, reflected on the work that goes into bringing KC SuperStar to the stage.
“So many hours of tireless work on choreography and getting the notes right to make this show great," Weaver said. "It takes a lot of different people working in their specific gifting who are passionate about pouring into the next generation and being part of a team to really make it happen.”
After the top four finalists were announced, the decision was turned over to the audience, who voted for the 2026 KC SuperStar using handheld devices. In total, four scholarships were awarded:
- First Place and 2026 KC SuperStar ($15,000 scholarship): Corbin Newberry
- Second Place ($7,500 scholarship): Cameron Ritchie
- Third Place ($5,000 scholarship): Jocelyn Salter
- Fourth Place ($2,500 scholarship): Addy Gardner
Abby Eden served as the event emcee, and Micaela Diamond was the celebrity host. Presenting sponsors were Bonnie and Herb Buchbinder, Danielle and Sam Levine and Stifel.