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And the Category is… “CATS: The Jellicle Ball” Realness

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  Upper: CATS: The Jellicle Ball (revival currently playing in NYC) Lower: CATS (Original Broadway Tour);  Kip as Munkustrap; Natalie Toro as Grizabella CATS is the 5 th longest-running Broadway show in history, having played 7,485 performances, from 1982 until 2000. It was the first Broadway show I ever saw in 1987 when I was in high school, and it probably sounds cheesy, but it forever changed me. I knew that I wanted, more than anything, to be up there like those cats one day. Well, it took eleven years and more than a few auditions, but then at long last I made it to the final callbacks, which took place onstage at the Winter Garden Theatre. I had made it up there just like I dreamed about in 1987. And I also ended up getting the job! I absolutely loved performing the role of Munkustrap in the 1998 Broadway touring company. And that culminated in my access to the “Private: Invite Only” Broadway closing performance and after-party on September 10, 2000. It was not lost on me ho
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Jonesing for the JIMMYS!

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  Hey y’all, I’m back! I took a little vacation time to visit my family just outside of Fairhope and then up to Franklin. But I’ve been very eager to discuss the 15 th annual Jimmy Awards. Did you watch the livestream? Well, I just finished rewatching several video clips from the sold-out show at Broadway’s Minskoff Theatre and once again I feel like I’ve been transported back to my 1980’s theatre kid version of Kip Driver! It. Was. Awesome!   A little background for you as shared by the Broadway League Foundation Inc.: The Jimmy Awards invites two nominees from each local regional ceremony to New York City for a 10-day theatre intensive that includes coaching sessions, training, and rehearsals led by some of Broadway’s most accomplished professionals. All their combined efforts will lead to one extraordinary talent showcase performed live in front of an audience on a Broadway stage. This year the Jimmys took place on June 24, 2024, at Broadway’s Minskoff Theatre and welcomed 102
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Blow a kiss! Take a bow! Honey, everything's coming up TONYS!

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  There are only two more sleeps until the 77 th Annual Tony Awards! This is what would have been going through Grissom High School theatre kid, Kip Driver’s, head back in the mid-eighties. What about now? Same thing! Haha. Hosted again (third year in a row) by the fabulous Ariana DeBose. Ms. DeBose is probably best known for being in the original Broadway company of Hamilton , her Tony nominated performance as “Disco Donna” in Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, and of course winning an Academy Award for her portrayal of Anita in Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story film. Where/How/When do you watch the Tony Awards: “The 77 th Annual Tony Awards will air from the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City on Sunday, June 16 (8:00-11:00 PM, LIVE ET) on the CBS Television Network, and streaming on Paramount+ in the U.S. It is certainly a jam-packed Season on Broadway, with 18 shows that opened in March and April alone, and 35 Broadway shows cu
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Katie Broad on Broadway: 24 years in the making!

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Katie Broad in An Enemy of the People I met Katie Broad randomly in NYC (when I was still living there) on July 26, 2022. My bestie, Jill Balch Coon, was visiting so we met for cocktails and snacks aboard The Frying Pan: a docked Coast Guard ship/bar/restaurant on 26th Street and the Hudson River. Katie Broad was bartending that day and somehow we realized that we were all from Huntsville. It was crazy! We talked all about theater, in Huntsville & NYC, and posed for a picture to share with our friends and family back home. Say Cheese: Kip, Katie Broad & Jill Cut to two years later, I've moved back to Huntsville (where a big part of my job is interviewing my Broadway friends and sharing an insider's view into that world) and now I'm interviewing Katie Broad, who is currently making their Broadway debut in An Enemy of the People ! Now I can't make up a better story than that. Btw, it's really difficult for me not to refer to Katie as Katie Broad every time I t
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Bryan Adams interview....YES THAT BRYAN ADAMS!!!

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As you know Pretty Woman: The Musical played here a week and a half ago and it was a big hit! "Big. Huge!" Ok, I love that line like everyone else but that's the last time I can say it... for a while at least. Anyway, it closed here on May 12. But the really big news happened on May 13. Wil had been in touch with Bryan Adams' manager hoping to score an interview with him for Kip's Korner. But we didn't hear back. Until we did, on May 13!! Bryan Adams was touring in Denmark at the time but we were able to send him my interview questions. And here's what he had to say "Straight From the Heart" (Sorry I couldn't help myself): It’s such a treat for me getting to interview you. My very first live concert experience was in 1983 when you were the opening act for Journey in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. And it still remains my favorite concert. How was that experience for you and what can you tell me about the incredible Steve Perry? I didn't really
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11 Broadway Shows in 3 Days… Ready for our reviews?

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  You might be thinking how in the world did we see 11 Broadway Shows in 3 Days? Especially when Pretty Woman: The Musical was about to play here in Huntsville for five performances. Well, we divided and conquered is how: half of us flew to NYC for a long weekend, while the other half stayed in Huntsville to prepare for Pretty Woman’s arrival. We’re all exhausted, but we’re all equally inspired! Pretty Woman was a big success. BIG! HUGE! The audiences loved it. And now that they’re off to their next tour stop, I can share our reviews on the 11 shows we saw in NYC: The Great Gatsby : The show was visually stunning. A big splashy Broadway musical for sure with the sets & the costumes, set in the 1920’s, and what a feast for the eyes! Jeremy Jordan was outstanding. We’re still in shock that he didn’t receive a Tony nomination for this one. We highly recommend The Great Gatsby if you’re a fan of the book and/or the movie(s). Andrew pointed out how he’s always felt connected to
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