Kip's Korner

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...

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...

  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...

  Pretty Woman: The Musical is currently playing in Birmingham and just received a rave review there from BroadwayWorld: “Brace yourself for an enchanting production of ‘Pretty Woman: The Musical’ in Birmingham. With all the glitz and glamor of the iconic film, this adaptation is a triumphant celebration of love, laughter, and fashion. ” “Whether you’re a die-hard fan or new to this romantic tale, ‘Pretty Woman: The Musical’ delivers a dazzling night at the theater. Get ready to reignite your belief in fairy tale endings. ” I’ve always loved the movie Pretty Woman, but I hadn’t seen the stage show before. So, I was extra excited to get “the skinny” from Kerry D’Jovanni over the phone from his hotel room in Birmingham. Kerry plays David Morse and various ensemble in this National Tour. Let’s just get right to it. What was your journey with Pretty Woman: The Musical ? I had been working as a performer in various capacities: Kinky Boots , Holland America Cruise lines, an inter...

  We’re so excited about our Stellar 2024-2025 Season and we’ve been super busy working on Renewals, New Season Ticket subscriptions, Mini Seasons, and Pick 3+ orders. But it turns out we already need to start thinking about our 2025-2026 Season too. That’s ok because we love to multitask here at BTL. There are THIRTEEN new shows opening on Broadway this month alone. And many of those shows will be sending out National Tours. So that means we need to start vetting these shows for all of you. Translation: ANDREW, LISA, AND I ARE HEADED TO THE BIG APPLE TOMORROW!! We really will be living our best theatre lives over the weekend! Do you want to know which shows we are seeing in NYC? (This is one of the many reasons working at Broadway Theatre League Huntsville is just the best job). Ok, without further ado, here’s our list of shows for this trip: The Notebook the Musical Water for Elephants a New Musical The Great Gatsby a New Musical Mother Play The Who’s Tommy Stereophonic a B...

  You may or may not know that the Broadway touring companies, more often than not, will leave behind a "Thank-You Note" of sorts backstage for BTL. In fact, it's quite the tradition for these tours to leave these love letters in the form of a gorgeous backstage mural in theaters all across the country. And this has been going on for decades. So my advice to you is if you ever have the opportunity to go backstage at any of the big touring houses, go and seek out these time capsules of artistry. It's great fun to take that walk down memory lane, checking out the dates and reading the signatures of all the people that were part of these beautiful shows.  So this is how it usually works: A member of the props team will take the lead by using a stencil to create the show image and integrate the color palette of the show into their mural. After it has fully dried the entire company will sign it and the rest is history. Literally, it becomes history for all the future shows...

  As you all know we announced our “Stellar” 2024-2025 Season last week. I thought it would be interesting to get an unbiased opinion about our new season from someone outside of BTL. Cue Broadway veteran Betsy Werbel, who also works for Broadway Plus: The world’s first and only Broadway experience company, connecting you to the magic of theater through custom experiences that go above and beyond the ticket. For more information on Broadway Plus: www.broadwayplus.com In full transparency, Betsy and I have been best buddies for over 20 years and were roommates for a long time during our Les Misérables touring days. In fact, she also played Huntsville with me when the show was here in 2004. How serendipitous is that?! Before I ask for Ms. Werbel’s opinion on our new season, here a little information about her: Betsy spent nine years in “Oz” as the Madame Morrible understudy/ensemble in Wicked on Broadway and on the National tour. Prior to Wicked, she performed for seven years ...