
Richard thank you for writing this wonderful and insightful blog. Just before I read this, I was writing in my journal about gratitude for the blessings in my life which have come from doing celebrity impersonations and even asked for a"sign" from above re: my career and here it is your wonderful email. You are an angel of inspiration! Much love to you! ~ Michele Marzano

Look in the mirror.
Michelle, order this book. I truly believe you are exactly where you need to be right now.
The day you STOP caring, is the day you leave the profession. But get back in touch with WHY you got into this business in the first place!


I started writing this week about my friends in the celebrity tribute artist industry.
It started when I received a press release for Randy Roberts who will be at Bob Egan's New Hope on May 28th. Again, I stress DON'T MISS THIS SHOW!
I wanted to write today about one of my favorites: Julie Sheppard as Judy Garland.



Singin’ in the Rain m. Nacio Herb Brown, w. Arthur Freed(pictured)


It was also performed on film by Jimmy Durante (in 1932′s Speak Easily)

Back to JULIE, JULIE, JULIE,a voice from The back of the room says, "Little Nellie Kelly"!

She repeats this a few times before she gets Ricky's attention.
She slowly starts making her way to the stage. She is wearing a fur coat and smoking a cigarette. As she makes her way to the stage, you realize it is Judy Garland. After all, this is 1961! She is in town to appear at Carnegie Hall. At no time, is the name Judy Garland EVER uttered (even in her poster!), but there is no denying. I STILL feel that I saw Judy Garland! (I ended up seeing it 5 times during it's 8 month run!) It ran for eight months the first time around because Julie conceived her son that night!
Well, she had LOTS to celebrate! It was brilliant. As she sat down at the piano for what started out as an intimate conversation with a piano player, we were all drawn in. Then he asked her if she knew the opening verse from "Singin' in the rain" from Little Nellie Kelly: "Have you ever suffered that horrible thing of having your hostess ask you to sing? And just because you're so polite, you mumble through your teeth, 'Well, all right" And suddenly a densely gloom descends upon the entire room, and the whispering galley starts to ring with "With hold your hats, she's gonna sing..."
Ricky interrupts by asking, "Well is she?" Her response is, "You're tricky". And before you know it, we all are treated to a private intimate Judy Garland concert!
The tension was always that at any moment, she could disappear. It was a brilliant show and I wish that she would bring it back!
"She represents a sort of perfection of Garland...she magically becomes her." --Steve Allen
Julie worked with Steve Allen in Seymour Glick is Alive…at the King Cole Room/NYC
I auditioned for that show! I said to Steve Allen, that Jayne Meadows had sent me. He said, "I'' send you back when you finish!"
THE show was actually a joke, a play on words; somebody asked Steve, 'Have you seen ''Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well''?' and he answered, 'No, but I've seen ''Seymour Glick Is Alive but Sick.''
I was shocked yesterday to find out about the passing of Randall Wreghitt. I knew Randall and he was one of the nicest men I have ever met in this profession. He is in my data base and if I ever needed his time for career advice, he ALWAYS made the time for me. He would cross the room to say hello when we were at theatrical events together rather than being that person who just waved across the room. A real mensch. I called my friend Jana Robbins yesterday to talk. They worked very closely together. She said she was losing her friend, her partner, her mentor. I will tell you this, the theatrical community is going to feel this loss.
MIRACLE WORKER, INISHMORE Producer Randall L. Wreghitt Dies from Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
Broadway and off Broadway producer Randall L. Wreghitt has passed away, according to his production company website. A message posted on the homepage reads: Hello friends,
Our beloved Randall passed away early this morning. All arrangements are pending as of now and we will keep you posted.
Christine Ebersole sings "The Revolutionary Costume for Today" from the Scott Frankel/Michael Korie musical Grey Gardens, based on the 1975 documentary of the same name. She won a Tony for this performance. Randall was one of the producers of this.
Any emails can be directed to randallwreghittproductions@gmail.com
http://www.randallwreghitt.com
Wreghitt died from a recent run in with carbon monoxide poisoning.

Rest in peace, Randall! You will not be forgotten!
I received this email yesterday and it touched my heart:
Mornin' Richard.
When Broadway Cares sent me an invitation to last week's private screening of Carol Channing: Larger than Life, I had no doubt that you'd be featured somewhere along the line in 30-foot by 50-foot splendor.
Well, the screen was quite a bit smaller than I expected. Nevertheless, congratulations are in order since you garnered more screen time than Tommy Tune and Chita Rivera.........combined.
I was a bit irritated, though, when the on-screen identifier referred to you as a Carol impersonator. Christopher Peterson impersonates. Alan Palmer impersonates. You......become, which, although it might be considered by some to be a subtle difference (I disagree), is what sets your portrayal apart from all the rest of the Carol wannabes and puts you in a class by yourself. And not intending to demean the performances of the others, I'm nonetheless always pleased to be able to tell people that I have seen more than one of your performances over the years
Hope all is well with you!
- Richard
All you have to do today is bask in the LOVE and talent that surrounds you!
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Tomorrow's blog will be YOU TELL ME...the first three suggestions I receive!
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TILL TOMORROW...HERE'S TO AN ARTS FILLED WEEK!
Richard Skipper, Richard@RichardSkipper.com
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