Kristopher McDowell's Blog

Summer News

Greetings Presenters, June is busting out all over! We are very ready for summer in both our NY and CA offices, how about you? It seems we have not stopped moving since last September...  We know you understand more than anybody so we hope you grab a few days in the sun soon! KMP Artists is pleased to announce the updated roster for the 2012-2013 season.  After careful consideration and listening to presenters like you, we added some fresh faces, veteran entertainers & speakers, as well as, three new touring productions. Continue to check out the website between now and the end of the month as we add even a few more names for the 2012-2013 season.  After careful consideration and listening to presenters like you, we added some fresh faces, veteran entertainers & speakers, as well as, three new touring productions. Check out the new KMP Artists website , which is still under construction [please excuse our dust]. We also have something very special up our sleeves to offer presenters that will stimulate interest from new audiences - we will be ready to share by the time we see you this fall.  Hint - it is not something that's typically presented on the stage. Looking for a Holiday Show?  Now Booking for December 2011 & 2012: - Gregg Edelman: Back In Town for the Holidays - Sally Mayes: Christmas Stories - Spider Saloff: Cool Yule - Vaudeville Holidays with Hensley & Montiel E-mail us to discuss future opportunities to work together & join us on Facebook or Twitter for more updates. Best always, Kristopher McDowell, Andrew Delicata & the Part-Time staff at KMP NYC ------------------------------------------------ THE 2012/2013 ROSTER Productions THE MAN THAT GOT AWAY: Ira Without George (Company size: 8 to 11) STORMY WEATHER: The Lena Horne Project (Company size: 4 to 8) DEEP IN A DREAM: The Long Night of Chet Baker (Company size: 5 to 6) THEY CALL ME MR. FRY THE ROAR OF THE BUTTERFLY Broadway Sally Mayes Gregg Edelman David Burnham Danny Gurwin Karen Mason Independent Christopher Rice Philip Fortenberry Adam Shenk Hensley & Montiel Enrichment Rex Reed James Gavin Michael Childers John Edward Hasse, PhD Steve Ross Cabaret Carole Cook Spider Saloff Marilyn Maye Kristen Towers-Rowles Uptown Express	Next from KMP... SPIDER SALOFF THE ROAR OF THE BUTTERFLY June 16-19, 8:30pm The Buttefly Club (Melbourne, Australia) August 17-20, 8:00pm Celebration Theater (Los Angeles, CA) CONGRATULATIONS to Spider for a fantastic article in the Chicago Tribune about her upcoming trip to Australia! ------------------------------------ ADAM SHENK Friday, June 3 YogaFit® Mind Body Fitness Conference SIMPLY BARBRA Monday, June 13, 7:30pm Kirkland Performance Center HENSLEY & MONTIEL LATE NIGHT VAUDEVILLE (3rd Thursdays this summer) June 16 / July 21 / Aug 18, 10:00pm The M Bar (Hollywood, CA) SALLY MAYES DAVID BURNHAM Off-Broadway - THE BEST IS YET TO COME Now through July 13 59 E 59 Theatre (New York, NY) UPTOWN EXPRESS June 24 & 25 at 6:30pm Metropolitan Room (New York, NY) HENSLEY & MONTIEL AIN'T WE GOT FUN! Sunday, June 26, 2:00pm Arthur Newman Theatre (Palm Desert, CA) DANNY GURWIN Faculty for at Six Days of Broadway June 27 to July 10 Segerstrom Center (Costa Mesa, CA) DAVID BURNHAM Faculty at Camp Sing July 11-16 / July 25-30 / August 8-13 HENSLEY & MONTIEL AIN'T WE GOT FUN! Sunday, July 17, 2:00pm Arthur Newman Theatre (Palm Desert, CA) KRISTIN TOWERS-ROWLES in A LOVELY LINEAGE Sunday, July 24, 6:30pm Upstairs at Vitello's (North Hollywood, CA) KMP Showcases August 31 at 8:30pm-12:30am Western Conference (Seattle, WA)
KMP Artists, Inc.

Live Events for KMP Artists in March & April 2011 - Come one, come all!

JAMES GAVIN NY Times Best Selling Author and biographer of Lena Horne, Chet Baker & Peggy Lee speaks and performs as host production of STORMY WEATHER: The Lena Horne Project featuring Mary Wilson and Paula West.

Wed. Mar. 16, 6PM (Detroit, MI) Talk on Stormy Weather Special Collections, Detroit Public Library

Fri. Mar. 18, 12:15PM (Chicago, IL) Interview by Christopher Popa Chicago Public Library's Pritzker Auditorium

Sat. Mar. 19, 6:30PM (Chicago, IL) Deep in a Dream: The Long Night of Chet Baker in concert with Spider Saloff (vocals) Katerina's Supper Club

Sat. Mar 26 (Scottsdale, AZ) Stormy Weather: The Lena Horne Project in concert with Mary Wilson (vocals), Mike Renzi (piano)

REBECCA SPENCER & PHILIP FORTENBERRY From Broadway To Las Vegas Sat. Mar 19, 8:00PM McPherson Opera House (KS) 

JOHN EDWARD HASSE, PhD Sun. Mar 20, 2:00PM Panel with Kenny Burrell and Quincy Jones Fowler Museum at UCLA (CA)

GREGG EDELMAN Now through March 27 Stars in the hit off-Broadway show, BLACK TIE Primary Stages (NYC)

REX REED March 26-30 (New Orleans, LA) Tennessee Williams Centennial Celebration Festival

STEVE ROSS Mar 22-24, 8:00PM Dallas Women's Club (TX)

CHRISTOPHER RICE Thu. Apr 28, 9:30AM-Noon is a featured guest at the annual Los Angeles County Library Appreciation & Awards Breakfast Q&A (Los Angeles, CA)

SIMPLY BARBRA Fri. & Sat. Apr 1 & 2 with Marvin Hamlisch & the NC Symphony  (Raleigh, NC)

SPIDER SALOFF Mon. Apr 4, 6:30PM Stage 773 (Chicago)

MENZIE & MICHAEL Midwest debut of ISN'T IT ICONIC Saturdays in April, 8:00PM (Chicago)

HENSLEY & MONTIEL Thu. Apr 14, 9:00PM Alexandria Hotel - Part of ArtWalk in downtown LA

KAREN MASON opens on Broadway in WONDERLAND Sun. Apr 17, 9:00PM Marquis Theater (NYC)

GREGG EDELMAN & SALLY MAYES Sun. & Mon. Apr 24 & 25, 7:30PM Double-concert at the hip Show @ Barre The Vermont (Hollywood, CA)

SALLY MAYES & GREGG EDELMAN Thu. Apr 28, 8:00PM ONE NIGHT ONLY (benefit) McCallum Theatre (Palm Desert, CA)

STEVE ROSS The Songs of Fred Astaire Sun. Apr 30, 7:00PM Grace Rainey Rogers Auditorium at the Met (NYC)

www.kmpartists.com

facebook.com/kmpartists

Christopher Rice at KMP Artists APAP Exhibit Space on Jan 8, 2011

New York Times best selling author and public speaker Christopher Rice will make an appearance at the Association of Performing Arts Presenters Conference on Saturday January 8th at the Hilton New York from 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM. KMP Artists invites you to meet Rice at their booth #547. For media inquiries, appointment requests and speaking engagements for 2011/2012 please contact info@kmpartists.com or call (212) 353-7796.

About Christopher Rice

Christopher Rice comes from a family of authors and was first published at 22 years old. His parents are Anne Rice and the late poet Stan Rice; his aunt, Alice Borchardt, is also a noted writer. Now at just 32 four of his books are New York Times best-sellers and his latest novel The Moonlit Earth was published in April of this year by Simon and Schuster.

With KMP Artists as tour manager, Christopher does public speaking, community enrichment lectures, and interactive conversations with fans throughout the United States inspiring writers everywhere. Rice speaks about writing in the South in Louisiana and now in Southern California. A warm and engaging speaker Rice has David Sedaris like humor and talks about growing up the son of Anne Rice, contemporary American novels, and a variety of specialty topics. He also hosts various writing workshops.

Nonetheless, Rice is proud of his large following in the gay community, explaining "it was incredibly rewarding when I got a huge positive response from the character Stephen in A Density of Souls. More than a thousand young gay men contacted me and said that I captured what it was like for them going through those years. That means everything to me." Rice also writes a regular feature for the LGBT-related biweekly news magazine The Advocate called "Coastal Disturbances," in which he discusses various topics. You can learn more about him at www.christopherricebooks.com.

About KMP Artists

From solo pianists to multi-celebrity concerts, KMP is committed to bringing top quality American talent and art forms to performing art centers and universities around the country. Just a handful of their talented performers include celebrity critic Rex Reed, Master pianist Philip Fortenberry, the Smithsonian Institute's Curator of American Music Dr. John Edward Hasse, James Gavin's Stormy Weather with Mary Wilson and much more. Partners Kristopher McDowell and Andrew Delicata are also delighted to announce they now have offices in Los Angeles and New York City. More information on KMP and their artists please go to www.kmpartists.com.

Fall News

Autumn Greetings,

KMP Artists is having a wonderful time seeing so many friends and colleagues at the conferences. We continue to serve arts presenters and music fans with a roster of solo artists, major concert events, theatrical productions and, now, public speakers.

KMP is pleased to announce the addition of UPTOWN EXPRESS, the dynamic all-male harmony vocal group. Click here to sample vocals from Uptown Express.

Some of you may have met Emily Bley this year in Indianapolis. Emily is now an Associate Manager with KMP Artists. Originally from the great state of Montana, Emily moved to New York City where she began to play a pivotal role at KMP Artists. She currently leads a permanent office in the city. In addition to industry experience as Producer and Production Manager for large concerts and trade shows, Emily also cherishes leading guided tours of the Upper Missouri River (by raft). Emily earned a BA in Fine Arts and Music Management from the University of Montana at Missoula. Emily will also travel to Chicago periodically and can be reached (in NYC or Chicago) directly at 773-327-1919 or by e-mail at emily@kmpartists.com.

KMP Artists is booking artists through 2013. Routing is already available for many concerts and artsits.

Call 702-629-5448 or e-mail us to discuss any opportunities.

Join Us on Facebook or Twitter for More Frequent Updates!

Sincerely,

Andrew & Kristopher
KMP Artist Management

For a complete roster, visit kmpartists.com or call
773.327.1919 (Chicago) // 702.629.5448 (LV) // 212.353.7796 (NYC)

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Other KMP News...
- John Edward Hasse was featured in Smithsonian Magazine, Sep '10
- Beckie Menzie was honored by the Chicago Cabaret Professionals at Park West on October 17.
- Karen Mason returns to Broadway originating the role of 'The Queen of Hearts' in WONDERLAND, The Musical. Coming April 2011.
- Rebecca Spencer continues performances in THE FULL MONTY at The Village Theater in Washington through November 2010.
- Sally Mayes workshops a new musical by Arlo Guthrie with performances in Arizona Dec 2010 & Jan 2011.
- Simply Barbra appears at The Westchester Sandbox Theatre in Mamamroneck, NY on Sat, Nov 13.
- Kurt Reichenbach, cast member of THE MAN THAT GOT AWAY, performs two sets at The Iridium in NYC Tue, Nov 9.

The KMP Roster:

THE MAN THAT GOT AWAY: Ira Without George
Company size: 9 to 12

STORMY WEATHER: The Lena Horne Project
Company size: 4 to 8

DEEP IN A DREAM: The Long Night of Chet Baker
Company size: 5 to 6

UPTOWN EXPRESS
Company size: 5 to 7

Concert Vocalists
Steve Ross; Gregg Edelman; Sally Mayes; Philip Fortenberry; Rebecca Spencer; Karen Mason; Marilyn Maye; Spider Saloff; Menzie & Michael; Paula West; Simply Barbra

Public Speakers
Rex Reed; Christopher Rice; John Edward Hasse PhD; James Gavin; Rick McKay

KMP Artists On Tour

STORMY WEATHER:
The Life & Music of Lena Horne
Now with Mary Wilson

James Gavin (Author) is narrator and guide for this
staged biography of the late Lena Horne. Stormy
Weather debuted Spring, 2010 in Boston, MA

"Gripping... Marvelous!" - Liz Smith

Recent Dates & Appearances!
Sun, Sep 26 - West Hollywood Book Fair
Tue, Sep 28 - Palm Springs Public Library
Wed, Sep 29 - The San Francisco Heritage Museum
Sat, Oct 2 - Kirkland Performance Center (WA)
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The Man That Got Away:
Ira Without George
Rex Reed & Company celebrate of the genius of Ira
Gershwin, taking audiences on a journey of
American song with some of the bigger names
touring today like Tom Wopat, Linda Purl, Marilyn
Maye, Kurt Reichenbach and Sally Mayes

"One of the season's most satisfying programs"
- The New York Times

Upcoming Dates in Texas!
Fri, Nov 12 - Eisemann Center (Richardson)
Sat, Nov 13 - 1894 Grand Opera House (Galveston)
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PHILIP FORTENBERRY
Master Solo Concert Pianist (nationally recognized
for his breadth of skills & depth of character) is as
gifted with story-telling as he is with the keys.
Among his countless credits include conducting for
over 12 Broadway Shows, accompanying Frederica
Von Stade at the White House twice, and solo
concerts in halls across the heart of America

"A genius solo pianist whose styles encompass a
wide range of musical genres." - LV Magazine

Recent & Upcoming Dates in MT & ID!
Wed, Oct 27 - Chouteau County Performing Arts
Thu, Oct 28 - Grand Union Hotel
Sat, Oct 30 - Boise State University
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SPIDER SALOFF
Award winning vocalist / songwriter tours her one-
woman musical comedy, Entertaining Guests

"Saloff will win you over completely!" - NY Post

Upcoming Dates!
Sun, Nov 7 - The Wilmette Theatre
Fri, Dec 10 - Eaglebrook, IL
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MENZIE & MICHAEL
With "two voices and one sound" this duo's whimsy
and nostalgia pack Midwestern halls. Popular shows
include THAT 60's SHOW,
THE SOUNDS OF THEIR MUSIC, & REEL LOVE

"Cabaret at it's best!" - The Chicago Tribune

Recent & Upcoming Dates!
Tue, Sep 28 - North Platte Concert Association
Sat, Dec 11 - Bart Howard Room (Iowa)

 

www.kmpartists.com

Invitation to LIKE WATER FOR CHOCOLATE The Musical

   This event is by invitation only.   Click here to send an email request or call 773.294.9816.

Seating is limited.  Call for deatils.

Early Fall 2010

I am in shock that we are nearing the end of September already!  What a great fall so far.  Conferences in CA and IN were a blast to meet new friends and colleagues and reconnect with valued clients and long time relationships face to face... 

So far this month, Philip Fortenberry (solo pianist) has showcased at The Queen Mary in Long Beach, CA and also at The Columbia Club in Indianapolis as part of a festival that featured KMP clients Karen Mason, Gregg Edelman, Sally Mayes, Spider Saloff, Simply Barbra and others.  Menzie & Michael play the elegant Auditorium Theater in Chicago September 28th and James Gavin's STORMY WEATHER will make its West Coast premiere in Seattle at Kirkland Performance Center on Saturday, October 2nd after public speaking engagements in West Hollywood, Palm Springs and San Francisco (see Gavin's full schedule below).

Next month we are thrilled to attend the Cal Poly Arts Jazz festival and Arts Northwest with Christopher Rice, Philip Fortenberry and Rebecca Spencer.

JAMES GAVIN EARLY FALL APPEARANCES & PERFORMANCES



Wed. Sept. 22, 5PM:
Talk on Lena Horne: Institute of Jazz Studies, Rutgers University, Newark, New Jersey (with Daryl Sherman singing songs of Lena)

Sun. Sept. 26, 3-4PM:
West Hollywood Book Fair: Biographers' panel with Bill Marx (Son of Harpo Speaks) and Ray Charles Robinson, Jr. (You Don't Know Me: Reflections of My Father, Ray Charles); Luke Yankee, moderator; West Hollywood Park, 647 N. San Vicente Blvd.

Tues. Sept. 28, 6PM:
Talk on Lena Horne and Stormy Weather, Palm Springs Public Library,
300 S. Sunrise Way Palm Springs, CA

Wed. Sept. 29, 7PM:
Talk on Lena Horne for Women in Jazz exhibit, San Francisco Jazz Heritage Center, 1320 Fillmore St Palm Springs, CA

Sat. Oct. 2, 8PM:
Stormy Weather: The Life and Music of Lena Horne (with Paula West and Rebecca Parris), Kirkland Performing Arts Center, Kirkland, WA

Spring Newsletter

KMP Artist Management
Friends, KMP is proud to announce new additions to the KMP roster with Terri White (FINIAN'S RAINBOW) who will play "Mama Morton" in the revival of CHICAGO on Broadway this summer and will tour her solo concerts in the 2011-2012 season. Also, we are proud to join forces with Tony and Drama Desk Award nominee Sally Mayes SHE LOVES ME (Broadway) BYE BYE BIRDIE (ABC) and currently in GOOD OL' GIRLS (Off-Broadway). Both additions add unique and wonderful diversity to the KMP family. To Presenters: If you are a presenter interested in complimentary tickets to any of the shows listed in this newsletter, contact KMP Artists for more information. As KMP artists and shows travel through your region, we would love for you to experience the magic yourself whenever possible. To Fans: Please follow the links on the right for tickets and/or special offers. The Spring is very busy across the nation and we invite you to be entertained by one of these fine artists this season! Join our Facebook Fan Page for more updates. Sincerely, Andrew & Kristopher KMP Artist Management ------------------------------------------------ For the Complete KMP Artist Roster, visit KMPartists.com or contact us at 773.327.1919 (Chicago); 702.629.5448 (Las Vegas); or 212.353.7796 (New York) KMP Artists: Philip Fortenberry; James Gavin; Jimmy James; Karen Kohler; Laurie Krauz; Sally Mayes; Rick McKay; Beckie Menzie & Tom Michael; Kurt Reichenbach; Rex Reed; Steve Ross; Spider Saloff; Simply Barbra; Rebecca Spencer; Paula West; Terri White; Melissa Young KMP Shows: Rex Reed's THE MAN THAT GOT AWAY: Ira Without George with special guest Polly Bergen and others STORMY WEATHER: The Life of Lena Horne with author/narrator James Gavin, Paula West and Rebecca Parris DEEP IN A DREAM: The Long Night of Chet Baker with author/narrator James Gavin, starring Spider Saloff, featuring Eric Jekabson (trumpet), and special guest Julie Wilson La Vie Paris; A Dickens Christmas; Ladies and Tramps with Kyle Hustedt, Brian Felder, Katie Mack, Kelli Morgan and more TAPESTRY REWOVEN with Laurie Krauz and the Daryl Kojak Octet The Music of Robert Altman's NASHVILLE with Daryl Glenn and Jo Lynn Burks	Routing Opportunities Menzie & Michael THAT 60s SHOW Every Saturday in April at 8pm Davenport's (Chicago, IL) Philip Fortenberry Every Week on Tue, Thu, Sat at 1pm The Liberace Cabaret (Las Vegas, NV) Jimmy James IMPRESSIONISM Fri & Sat, April 2 & 3 at 10pm Upright Cabaret (Hollywood, CA) Rex Reed hosts a benefit for Jewish Family Service for the Desert Thursday, April 8 at 6:30pm The McCallum Theater (Palm Springs, CA) Spider Saloff ENTERTAINING GUESTS April, 17 at 8pm & April 25 at 4pm Gorton Center (Lake Forest, IL) James Gavin STORMY WEATHER Sat, April 24 (Scullers) 8PM & 10PM Sun, April 25 (Camden Opera House) 4PM Steven Brinberg is SIMPLY BARBRA  Sun, April 25 at 4pm End-of-Season Event for the 2nd Annual Lakeshore Salon Series (Chicago, IL) Proceeds benefit The Cabaret Foundation (publisher of Cabaret Scenes Magazine) MAY 2010 James Gavin STORMY WEATHER Wed, May 5 at 8pm & 10pm Blues Alley (Washington DC) Jimmy James ONE AND MANY VOICES May 7, 8 & 9 at 10:30pm Clocktower Cabaret (Denver, CO)  Spider Saloff THE MEMORY OF ALL THAT Saturdays, May 8 & 27 6:30pm & 8pm Katerina's (Chicago, IL) Menzie & Michael THAT 60's SHOW Saturday, May 8th 7 PM Ovations Nightclub (Houston, TX) Philip Fortenberry (solo) BROADWAY MY WAY: CD Release Event Sat, May 15 at 7pm & 10pm Bart Howard Room (Burlington, IA) Rebecca Specner BROADWAY PASSAGES w/ Philip Fortenberry Sun, May 16 at 8pm Castle on the Hudson (Westchester County) Jimmy James IMPRESSIONISM Sun, May 16 at 8pm & 10:30pm The Can Can Room (Seattle, WA) Jimmy James IMPRESSIONISM Fri, May 28 thru Mon, June 14 at 10pm Horizons Casino & Resort (Lake Tahoe, NV)
KMP Artist Management, Inc.

News about STORMY WEATHER posted today on TheaterMania.com

Click here to read feature on TheaterMania.com

Don't Miss STORMY WEATHER in MA, ME & DC

James Gavin's STORMY WEATHER: The Life of Lena Horne with Paula West & Rebecca Parris

BOSTON, MA Saturday, April 24th 8 PM & 10 PM   --   Tickets:  www.ScullersJazz.com

CAMDEN, ME Sunday, April 25th 4 PM   --    Tickets:  www.CamdenOperaHouse.com  (See image below.)

WASHINGTON D.C. Wednesday, May 5th 8 PM & 10 PM   --    Tickets:  www.BluesAlley.com

James Gavin Nominated for 2010 NAACP Image Award

Watch the 41st NAACP Image Awards on Fox this Friday (check local listings).  James Gavin (2010 Nominee) for STORMY WEATHER has also developed a show around this wonderful book on the life of Lena Horne.  STORMY WEATHER featuring James Gavin and Paula West and others will begin touring Spring 2010.