Richard Skipper Celebrates Donna McKechnie For Project ALS

Tony winner Donna McKechnie will take the airwaves with Richard Skipper through Richard Skipper Celebrates on Facebook AND YouTube for Project ALS June 15th at 5PM ET. They will follow Donna's career from her youth in the Midwest with dreams of becoming a dancer to her recent induction into the Theater Hall of Fame. They will go behind the scenes with stories about McKechnie's co-stars and discuss Promises, Promises, Company, Sweet Charity, Follies, and, of course, A Chorus Line.

Streaming LIVE at Richard Skipper Celebrates on Facebook and Youtube
Monday Afternoon June 15th, 5 PM ET

An outstanding dancer, singer, and actress, McKechnie grew up in Detroit and decided she wanted to be a dancer after seeing the classic 1948 British film THE RED SHOES. Her parents were opposed to the idea, but when she was 15 she moved to New York to try out for the American Ballet Theatre, but was turned down. There followed a brief and unhappy spell at Radio City Music Hall, before she discovered the world of the musical theater. After touring in "West Side Story," in which she played one of the "Cool girls," and various other productions, she made her Broadway debut as a dancer in "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" in 1961. This was her first meeting with choreographer Bob Fosse, and Gwen Verdon, who was the dance captain. McKechnie was involved in several numbers, including "A Secretary Is Not a Toy" and "Coffee Break." She subsequently toured as Philia in "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum," before becoming one of the six gyrating girl dancers on the popular television program HULLABALOO. Also in the show was Michael Bennett, who was to become an immensely influential figure in her life. In April 1968, McKechnie was back on Broadway as Kathy McKenna in the short-lived musical version of Leo Rosent's collections of short stories "The Education Of H*Y*M*A*N K*A*P*L*A*N," and in December of that year she played Vivien Della Hoya in Burt Bacharach and Hal David's "Promises, Promises, "performing the Act One closer, "Turkey Lurkey Time." This was followed by a spell as the Princess in the touring company of "Call Me Madam," which was headed by the legendary Ethel Merman. THAT IS JUST FOR OPENERS!

Richard Skipper is an entertainer, raconteur, arts advocate, theater historian and promotions/marketing guru. Under the guise of Richard Skipper Celebrates, he has conducted over 700 interviews celebrating people in the arts. Recent interviews have included Joyce Bulifant, Linda Purl, Bill Boggs, Melissa Manchester, Lesley Ann Warren, Dee Wallace, Tippi Hedren, Rich Little, and Scott Brogan (The Judy Room) in celebration of Judy Garland's 98th Birthday." He opened his SOLD-OUT show, An Evening with Richard Skipper: From Conway to Broadway off Broadway at St. Luke's Theatre last August. He then took it to his hometown of Conway SC where it all began for him, The Theatre of The Republic, and The American Popular Song Society in NY.

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