Kxly Anchor Quits To Pursue ‘Other Passion’
Karen Kelly is pulling up anchor and getting out of TV.
She has taken a job as director of development for the Intercollegiate Center for Nursing Education in Spokane.
Kelly has been a KXLY anchor for eight years and a TV news veteran for 17 years.
“After 17 years, everybody needs a change,” said Kelly, a Spokane native and Lewis and Clark High School graduate.
She called education her “other passion” besides broadcasting. Kelly has long been involved in community service and educational issues; most recently, she was on the committee for Campaign WSU, a Washington State University endowment drive.
“I just got to the point where I wanted to pursue my other passion,” she said.
The nursing center is a public-private partnership between WSU, Eastern Washington University and Whitworth College.
It will be a full-time job for Kelly, but she still plans to do occasional community affairs shows for KXLY.
Her last broadcast as an anchor will be on Jan. 1, and she starts her new job on Jan. 2.
Tonia Bendickson will take over the 11 a.m. co-anchoring duties with Mark Wright.
No decision yet on who will replace Kelly at 5 p.m.
Local Darden connection
This has been in the works for weeks, but we can finally announce it: Local author Jess Walter has been chosen as the collaborator on O.J. prosecutor Christopher Darden’s upcoming book.
Walter, the Spokesman-Review reporter who wrote “Every Knee Shall Bow” about Randy Weaver, is now in L.A. working on the book with Darden. The credits will probably go something like: By Christopher Darden, with Jess Walter, although as Walter pointed out, the former name will be in much bigger type than the latter.
Walter got this sought-after job because Darden is working with the same editor Walter had for his first book: Judith Regan, New York’s biggest publishing star. Regan bought the rights to Darden’s memoir for a reported $1.3 million.
‘Master Class’
Speaking of unlikely occurrences, a bunch of Montana theatergoers and I have already seen Broadway’s hottest play and hottest performance - and we saw it way back in May 1994 in Bigfork, Mont.
The play was Terrence McNally’s “Master Class,” about opera legend Maria Callas. McNally wrote the play for The Gathering at Bigfork, a playwrights festival in that tiny Flathead Lake resort town.
McNally even had the great actress Zoe Caldwell flown in to play the role of Callas. I remember sitting in that audience thinking that someday this play could make a big splash on Broadway.
Today, “Master Class,” starring Zoe Caldwell, is making a huge splash on Broadway. Tickets are almost
impossible to get, and Tony nominations are a certainty for both McNally and Caldwell.
And guess how much we had to pay to see “Master Class” in Bigfork? Five bucks per ticket. They run $45 and $32.50 each on Broadway.
Which makes it all the more sad that the Gathering at Bigfork died after the 1994 event. It succumbed to a lack of sponsorships and grants.
Uptown Opera postponed
The Uptown Opera’s “The Ballad of Baby Doe,” scheduled for February at The Met, has been postponed for a full year, to February 1997.
The problem: “Extremely high royalty and production costs,” according to artistic director Marjory Halvorson.
“We just got into a show that was a little too expensive, so we decided to delay it,” said Halvorson. “It just kills me to do it.”
A “gala evening” will be scheduled in its place in February.
Zephyr postponed
The Zephyr chamber music concert “A Spiritual Odyssey,” at St. John’s Cathedral, has also been postponed, but not for quite as long.
The concert will be on Feb. 25 instead of Feb. 11. Tickets are available through G&B Select-a-Seat.
Help the Rep
The Valley Repertory Theatre, reeling from lower-than-average crowds for its Haunted House fund-raiser in October, will try to boost morale (and ticket sales) with a Champagne Gala Party on opening night of its Christmas comedy “Inspecting Carol” on Dec. 8.
The show starts at 8 p.m.; the party begins after the play. There will be champagne, soft drinks and surprises.
The party is free with your play tickets: $8 for adults, $7 for seniors, $6 for children.
Evening attire is requested. Call 927-6878 for reservations.
More Valley theater
A new children’s theater, Theater Arts for Children, is opening in the University City Mall between Kaybee Toys and Graham Office Supply.
A benefit concert, “It’s a Fine Night For Singing,” featuring Night Magic, a men’s barbershop quartet, and Esprit, a women’s barbershop quartet, will be held on Dec. 8 at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are $7, available by calling 921-1239. All proceeds will go toward funding the non-profit children’s theater.
The theater also will stage its first children’s play, “The Polar Express,” on Dec. 9 and Dec. 16 at 10:30 a.m., noon and 1:30 p.m. each day. Admission is free, donations requested.
A new Spokane Fourth
The Six Bridges Arts Association wants to create a new Fourth of July tradition in Spokane.
This is a Spokane non-profit group formed early this year to promote live arts-and-entertainment performances. Its board includes such well-known Spokane arts names as Don Hamilton, Craig Heimbigner, Bill Burke and Val Workman.
The group has proposed “The Spokane American Music Festival” at Riverfront Park on July 4-7. It would include the fireworks show as well as a tribute to the music, history and food of America. This would fill the void left by Neighbor Days, which is now history.
Will it happen? Who knows. The plan has been submitted to the city - now it awaits approval and sponsors. Call Bill Burke at 747-0826 if you want to get involved.
Victory for the blues
Bolo’s, a club at 116 S. Best Road in the Valley (formerly the Main Attraction), is switching from rock to blues.
A local blues band will perform every Wednesday; this week it will be Nothin’ Personal. Rock still reigns on weekends, but by January the blues will take over Wednesdays through Saturdays.
The most exciting news is this: The club also will be a midsized venue for regional and national blues acts. The names of Eric Burdon, Spencer Davis, Junior Wells, Charlie Musselwhite and Savoy Brown have been bandied about.
, DataTimes