RICHARD SKIPPER

Entertainer • Host • Producer • Writer • LIVE ENTERTAINMENT Historian

RichardSkipper.com
CallonDolly.com
Richard@RichardSkipper.com

RICHARD SKIPPER CELEBRATES

Richard Skipper is an award-winning entertainer, host, producer, writer, and LIVE ENTERTAINMENT historian whose work is centered on celebration, connection, storytelling, and preserving the legacy of live entertainment.

He created Richard Skipper Celebrates in 2009 as a platform for celebrating artists and the work they have contributed to our cultural lives. What began as an interview and writing platform has grown into a multi-platform brand encompassing live performances, livestreamed conversations and podcasts, the weekly Monday Celebrations newsletter, RichardSkipper.com, and special events celebrating artists and their legacies.

Over the years, Richard has conducted hundreds of interviews with artists, entertainers, writers, directors, producers, and cultural figures. Guests have included Lesley Ann Warren, Melissa Manchester, Loretta Swit, Lillias White, Marilyn Maye, Andrea McArdle, Anita Gillette, Carole Demas, Don Most, Dee Wallace, Joyce Bulifant, Bill Boggs, Julie Budd, Jamie deRoy, David Sabella, Sue Matsuki, Lee Roy Reams, Karen Ziemba, Linda Purl, Melba Moore, Kathryn Crosby, and many others.

At the heart of all of Richard's work is a simple philosophy: the audience is the star.

RICHARD SKIPPER CELEBRATES! LIFE LESSONS FROM LEGENDS

Richard's current touring show, Richard Skipper Celebrates! Life Lessons from Legends, is an audience-driven celebration where stories, songs, and shared memories remind us that the people who inspire us become the legends in our own lives.

Before each performance, audience members are invited to submit questions that help shape the evening. Those questions lead to stories, songs, laughter, conversation, and unexpected moments, ensuring that no two performances are ever the same.

Drawing upon Richard's friendships, encounters, and conversations with artists including Carol Channing, Jerry Herman, Julie Wilson, Marilyn Maye, Lucie Arnaz, Melissa Manchester, Lesley Ann Warren, and others, the show celebrates not only well-known legends but the mentors, family members, friends, teachers, and individuals whose wisdom continues to shape our lives.

The show's New York engagement at The Laurie Beechman Theatre sold out, launching an expanding series of engagements around the country.

Recent and upcoming appearances include:

• Arts Project of Cherry Grove, Fire Island, NY — September 10, 2026
• Feinstein's at the Nikko, San Francisco, CA — October 30, 2026; Feinstein's debut and first San Francisco appearance in 20 years
• Revolution Stage Company, Palm Springs, CA — February 14, 2027; fourth consecutive year at the venue

Critical response to Life Lessons from Legends has included:

“An immersive event space.” — NiteLife Exchange

“A human standing ovation for the business we call show.” — Theater Pizzazz

HOST • INTERVIEWER • EMCEE

• Creator and host of Richard Skipper Celebrates, a continuing livestreamed interview and conversation series seen on YouTube and other digital platforms.
• Host of conversations with hundreds of figures from Broadway, cabaret, film, television, music, writing, directing, and producing.
• Winner of the Turner Classic Movies Classic Film Festival Competition; introduced Jezebel on opening night of the TCM Classic Film Festival — 2018.
• Host/interviewer for the Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella DVD release with Lesley Ann Warren at Barnes & Noble — 2017.
• Host/interviewer for Julie Budd CD release event at Barnes & Noble — 2015.
• Produced and hosted the 50th Anniversary Celebration of Hello, Dolly! at Sardi's with members of the original Broadway company — 2014.
• Produced an online celebration of Broadway animal trainers Bill and Dorothy Berloni — 2020.
• Hosted book event for Rick Lertzman and William J. Birnes' The Life and Times of Mickey Rooney — 2018.
• Emcee, Dancers Over 40 Legacy Awards — 2009, 2014, and 2019.
• Red carpet interviewer for events including The Theatre World Awards, Paper Mill Playhouse, the Oscar Hammerstein Awards, and the Bistro Awards.

RICHARD SKIPPER CELEBRATES — LIVE

From 2016–2019, Richard hosted the live Richard Skipper Celebrates talk/variety series at The Laurie Beechman Theatre and Theatre Row in New York City, produced by Russ Woolley.

Guests included Kathryn Crosby, Marilyn Maye, Melba Moore, Lee Roy Reams, Beth Fowler, Karen Ziemba, Linda Purl, and many other notable entertainers.

The series combined conversation, music, entertainment history, and spontaneous interaction while providing artists with a platform to discuss and promote their current work.

ENTERTAINER

Richard has appeared on stages throughout the United States and internationally.

His solo show An Evening with Richard Skipper: The Magic of Believing opened Off-Broadway at St. Luke's Theatre on August 5, 2019, and subsequently played venues including Theatre of the Republic in Conway, South Carolina, and The Green Room 42 for the American Popular Song Society.

For two decades, Richard appeared internationally celebrating Carol Channing, ultimately developing a close personal friendship with Channing herself. His experiences with Channing and other legendary artists now inform much of the storytelling at the heart of Life Lessons from Legends.

Recent appearances and special events have included engagements in New York City, Palm Springs, Provincetown, the Hudson Valley, and other venues throughout the country.

WRITER • PUBLISHER

Monday Celebrations

Richard publishes the weekly Monday Celebrations newsletter, bringing together live entertainment, artist spotlights, interviews, upcoming events, personal observations, and opportunities for audiences and artists to discover and celebrate one another.

RichardSkipper.com

Richard has written and published more than 1,000 posts and interviews documenting artists, shows, personalities, and moments from the world of live entertainment.

CallonDolly.com

Richard is the creator of CallonDolly.com, an extensive oral-history and research project devoted to preserving the history and legacy of Jerry Herman and Michael Stewart's Hello, Dolly!

Built from more than 25 years of research and over 1,000 interviews, the project documents the experiences of performers, directors, musicians, dancers, designers, producers, and others connected with productions of Hello, Dolly! throughout its history.

PODCAST • DIGITAL MEDIA

Richard Skipper Celebrates is available as a podcast and ongoing video conversation series, bringing together artists, writers, entertainers, and storytellers for discussions about their careers, influences, creative lives, and the people who helped shape them.

Richard also uses the platform to advocate for live entertainment and provide greater visibility to artists and projects deserving of wider attention.

PRODUCER • ARTS ADVOCATE

In addition to his own performances and broadcasts, Richard regularly produces and participates in events celebrating other artists and the history of live entertainment.

His work includes tribute programs, benefits, artist showcases, community events, and special celebrations designed to preserve stories while bringing artists and audiences together.

Recent projects include producing and hosting Let's Celebrate Diana Templeton, a gathering of artists, musicians, colleagues, and friends celebrating the life and career of MAC Award-winning cabaret artist Diana Templeton.

Richard is also actively involved in arts and community organizations in New York's Hudson Valley and continues to advocate for live entertainment, cabaret, and the artists who create it.

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

• Four MAC Awards — Manhattan Association of Cabarets and Clubs
• Bistro Award
• Jim Speake Award, Singnasium — 2025
• IRNE Award Nominee — Outstanding Male Singer
• Named among Cabaret Scenes Magazine's “Top of the Century Premiere Cabaret Acts”
• Named among Cabaret Hotline's Top Ten Cabaret Performers
• Winner, Turner Classic Movies Classic Film Festival Competition

CURRENT FOCUS

Through Richard Skipper Celebrates, Richard continues to expand a body of work connecting live performance, interviews, podcasting, publishing, entertainment history, and arts advocacy.

Whether onstage, behind a microphone, in his newsletter, or in conversation with another artist, his goal remains the same:

To celebrate the people whose work and lives deserve to be remembered, while creating experiences in which audiences feel seen, welcomed, and part of the celebration.

Who/What Are YOU Celebrating Today?
How Can I Celebrate YOU Today?

References, press materials, reviews, photographs, and additional information available upon request.