Kip's Korner

  One might ask, Kip, how do you know that "Brendan Jacob Smith triumphs as Art Garfunkel" when he hasn't played here with the show yet? Well, all it took was a little googling and checking out Brendan's social media to realize that he's been wowing audiences across the U.S. and Canada for over two years in The Simon & Garfunkel Story . And that's not the only gig he's been doing either, which is quite evident as you scroll through his Instagram posts and realize that Brendan's professional life is quite a busy one.  I had the pleasure of speaking with Brendan today from his dressing room in Schenectady, NY. I even told him that I usually conduct my interviews in a more linear fashion, but I was so intrigued by several tidbits I came across in my research of him that I would probably just jump all over the place with our discussion if that was ok with him? Well it was, so let's commence with some jumping. One of the other gigs Brendan is curren...

  There were more moving parts during this five-performance run of To Kill A Mockingbird then we’ve ever had, with so many things to say about it all, where do I begin? Well, how about we start with… Friday, February 16: Wil was out and about all morning with the actors playing Scout (Scout Backus) and Tom Robinson (Yaegel T. Welch) for radio and TV interviews with Star 99.1, Mix 96.9, Rocket 95.1, WLRH 89.3, and Tennessee Valley Living on WAFF 48. Andrew, Lisa, and I were with Richard Thomas in downtown Huntsville for his press junket with WAAY 31, WHNT 19 & let’s not forget Kip’s Korner! 😉 Pennie and Kaitlyn were extremely busy selling the last remaining tickets to this season’s most sought after five-performance weekend. David was preparing for tomorrow morning’s student workshop with actors from the tour. Enitza was training her army of ushers. All culminating in a spectacular, sold-out Opening Night of To Kill a Mockingbird, followed by a rip-roaring standin...

  Like many of you, I grew up watching Richard Thomas as John-Boy on The Waltons. It was appointment TV from 1972 until 1981 and families all over the country watched it together. I have very fond memories of watching The Waltons with my parents, sisters, and grandparents (and the nostalgia is really kicking in as I type these words). This show was groundbreaking because there had been nothing like it before. It also made Richard Thomas a huge star. I was thrilled to know that the Broadway touring company of  To Kill A Mockingbird would be playing here, and with Richard Thomas in the lead role. But I was overjoyed to find out I would have the opportunity to interview him for Kip's Korner! Big thanks to Wil for breaking up our eight-minute chat into three easily watchable clips. So, without further ado, let's watch it together. Richard Thomas talks about... Playing Atticus Finch:      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VITcWvKQztg&t=71s Touring the Coun...

  In 1962 Mary Badham was a child star, charming audiences across America with her portrayal of Scout in the film version of To Kill A Mockingbird (TKAM). She was only 10 years old and was nominated for an Oscar for this role. In fact, she still holds the record for the youngest person to be nominated for this award. I recently rewatched the movie and I was enthralled with Mary’s performance. She was so natural, believable, and plucky as Scout. For me personally, when child actors are trying too hard to act it comes across as disingenuous. I’d much prefer the raw talent of a child, like Mary, in the hands of a skilled director (Robert Mulligan) and a supportive scene partner (Gregory Peck). And Mary had no acting experience prior to being discovered at an open call for the movie in her hometown of Birmingham, Alabama. She just had that “special something” at the audition so the talent scout greenlit her for a screentest and the rest is history. After the huge success of TKAM...

  Happy Feel-Good Friday & Groundhog Day y’all! So, let’s get right to it… Here’s my top five things that had me smiling this week: Punxsutawney Phil did NOT see his shadow this morning, which indicates an early Spring is on the way! So, let’s all celebrate by watching that hilarious 1993 movie Groundhog Day, starring Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell. I’m just going to rent it on Amazon Prime for $3.89 (or you can buy it for $7.99).  “I have been stabbed, shot, poisoned, frozen, hung, electrocuted, and burned. And every morning I wake up without a scratch on me… Well, it’s Groundhog Day… again…” Groundhog Day the Musical  is now available for licensing as of today, Groundhog Day! So, we will most likely be seeing this musical being presented again, and again, and again… I have a soft place in my heart for this show because my buddy Andy Karl (we performed together in  Cats ) originated the role of Phil Connors in both the London and Broadway productions (pick...