An Evening With Richard Skipper: Tales of Carol Channing, Judy Garland, and More! 

An Evening with Richard Skipper: Tales of Carol Channing, Judy Garland, and More! is an audience interactive evening (based on questions from the audience) of an unlikely career as a reluctant female impersonator. Richard talks about the people, places,events...and audiences that have shaped his career and life and is still unfolding and being shaped on a daily basis.
On August 5th, 1979, equipped with a one-way plane ticket and five hundred dollars, 18 year-old Ricky Skipper kept a promise to himself, and forty four years later he is still nurturing, daily, his unquenchable thirst for the business of show: “The show business bug did not bite me, I bit it – and I bit it hard. I wanted to be in show business before I even knew what show business was.” The Magic of Believing: An Excerpt from Broadway World, by Stephen Mosher Aug. 6, 2019 The musical autobiography that Mr. Skipper presented was a true celebration of a gifted entertainer and a resilient human being – and it was an absolute delight. The standing-room-only audience was a veritable who’s who of cabaret luminaries, all on hand to hear Skipper’s tale, and it did not disappoint. Armed with only a few songs and impeccable comic timing , Richard spent most of his time on stage regaling with stories that anyone could relate to – especially anyone with a childhood dream of going on the stage, anyone who had been a small-town misfit, anyone from the south, or anyone with fond remembrances of New York of the 70s/80s. The over-forty crowd was so captivated by Skipper that only one person was seen tiptoeing out for a restroom break, an unheard-of feat in a two hour evening of theatre. Skipper’s ability to paint a picture with words brought to life characters one might easily find in the writings of Willa Cather or Armistead Maupin, and it didn’t matter that the characters weren’t famous enough to give the audience a frame of reference because the true star of the night was the story being told. Oh, there were famous names, make no mistake: it would be impossible for Mr. Skipper to speak about his life without some delicious name-dropping, but it wasn’t essential, except in the case of Carol Channing, for obvious reasons. Skipper’s audience hung on his every word, riotous laughter and uncontrollable vocal response ringing in the air, and while much credit goes to his director, Jay Rogers, it was clear that the time for Richard Skipper to be celebrated is now.
March 18th, 2023: Richard Skipper conquered Washington as the opening performer in the new National Capital Cabaret Festival at Crazy Aunt Helen's not far from the Capitol. Real-life politicos could have learned a few lessons in how to rule a room from him: Just bring some great songs, terrific show-biz stories, a spangled jacket (and great hair) and you're sure to win an audience in a landslide. Skipper in 2024!!
Robert Sacheli, Washington, DC
I thoroughly enjoyed Richard Skipper's performance at Roost in Sparkill, NY on March 12, 2023. Richard's warm stage presence and his sheer joy at entertaining his audience permeated the room. I loved the format of questions from the audience that Richard answered with candor and charm. Bits of show biz history and his own personal stories, led seamlessly to tunes we all know and love. His wonderful pianist and a surprise guest made for a lovely evening indeed.
Julianne Ramos, West Nyack, NY
I had a most lovely time seeing Richard Skippers show at Crazy Aunt Helen’s during the opening of The National Cabaret Festival in DC 3/18/23. From entrance to the last goodbye of the evening, our faces were covered with smiles. Richard exuded positive energy and loads of charisma as he entertained spoke and sang. His pianist provided a fantastic introductory to this delightful show. Particularly noteworthy , was the intimate relationship Richard created with his audience while answering questions with candor, humor, and honesty. The show is brilliant, as is it’s creator, Richard Skipper. Brilliant entertainer!
Merrie Guyton, Baltimore, MD (Read more comments in Richard Skipper's Guestbook)

 

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Richard Skipper opens the Capital Cabaret Festival