Meet Kenny Ingram

We were lucky to catch up with Kenny Ingram recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Kenny with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?

I received my work ethic from my father. I saw him get up every morning at dawn and work hard for his family. Either as a garbage collector, a janitor, cleaning up chain stores, mopping bar saloons or shining shoes. He held down three or four different jobs a day. I witnessed it. So, I knew there was no other way but to work. I figured if I put my all into myself with working hard. I could live my passion, My true dream.
When I started to study dance as a teen. I applied my father’s work ethic to my career. he wore different hats. I still apply his work ethic to this very day. I like researching and studying about the project I am going to work on. and also have a few different projects going on. but I also like to refuel and take a minute.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I am grateful to have the opportunity to direct and choreograph musical theatre. I would also like to be considered to be an associate artistic director. I feel that my knowledge would be welcomed into a room. I have also been focused on Artistically Producing for a upcoming project.
My Story, As a child I was always captivated by dance or by movie musicals. I was about 8 years old and my mother took me to see my brother in their spring production of Guys and Dolls in his high school musical. My brother Cubby Ingram played Benny Southstreet. Little did I know later on I would choreographed this show. Anyway, I was hooked by all the color lights, make up, dancing and singing. I knew I wanted to be a part of this world. A couple of years later. I would loose my mother. she passed away when I was 10 years old. My mother has been my angel. I had earthly angels who pointed me on the journey. One of those angels was my brother’s friend, Gary DeMattei who was also in that production of Guys and Dolls. Gary would put me in a production that he directed of Cinderella where I played a Rat. Gary also got me into a performing arts school that taught singing, acting and dancing. By the time I got to High School. My speech teacher suggested that I audition for the spring musical. “The Me Nobody Knows” and I played Clorox. My sophomore year I was the Narrator in Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamboat. The choreographer notice me and asked if I would like to start taking Dance Classes. so that summer of 1979 I enrolled at Marie Stinnett Dance Studio in Campbell, Calif.

The following year Prop 13 cut all the arts in my school. so no more musical theatre, drama , or marching band. yes, I played the tuba in marching band. with all the Arts gone. My junior year I tried to choreograph a Revue for the high school spring musical and each song was played on a turntable. We would sing over the song, lol. We did “Money” from Cabaret!
That same year I auditioned for community theatre at San Jose Civic Light Opera, West Side Story and was cast with Gary!

In my Senior year of High school. I performed in The Bugs Life Story show at Great America Theme Park as a dancer. And the following year I auditioned for the singing show at The Grand Music Hall “Evolution of Rock” was the name of the show where I played Little Richard singing “Tutti Frutti”.
I would move to Chicago, Illinois. the next year and continue to play Little Richard. I decided to stay in Chicago where I received a scholarship for Lou Conte Dance School. (Home of The Hubbard Street Dance Company). Claire Bataille was a big part of my growth at this dance studio and a huge part of my career. After a year of studying a minimum of 15 dance classes a week. I would get my Actors Equity Card playing Ritchie in the first regional production of A Chorusline at The Marriott Lincolnshire Theatre. I would perform in the chorus in a lot of shows at the Marriott: Hello Dolly, Anything Goes, Grand Hotel, playing the Scarecrow in The Wiz and eventually I started to choreograph at The Marriott Theatre: 42nd Street where I won a Jeff Award and Dreamgirls which was moved to Paper Mill Playhouse. I would start to Direct at Marriott Lincolnshire Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat.
I also would choreograph at The Goodman, Steppenwolf Theatre, Court Theatre and Drurylane Oakbrook Theatre.

I pioneered The First Musical that went to Chicago Shakes in 2000 which I directed and choreographed. Joseph and his Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat was a transfer from Marriott Lincolnshire to Chicago Shakes Navy Pier.

My journey as a performer was the old climb up the ladder. from community theatre, theme parks, dinner theatre, bus and truck tours like 42nd Street and Bob Fosse’s Dancin’, Industrial Shows with Liberace and Rita Moreno, Broadway in Chicago Joseph and
The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat with Donny Osmond, I also served as Assistant Resident director for Hal Prince’s Showboat and dance captained for the Black Ensemble for Susan Stroman. I danced in Ragtime with Hinton Battle and LaChanze in the Chicago Original Company. I did Original Chicago National Tour Company of Disney’s The Lion King as a swing and eventually went into the Broadway Company for ten years .
I left Broadway’s Lion King in 2018 and since have choreographed Emojiland Off Broadway, directed and choreographed Triple Threat Starring James T. Lane, and recently I directed and choreographed The First Regional production of Funny Girl at Maine State Music Theatre. My agent is Dave Secor with the Daniel Hoff Agency.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

The most impactful of skills of knowledge for me: I did not go to an acting school or university for my training. I was blessed enough to be around people that I learned from.
1. Learning, was always impactful in my journey. I was lucky to play opposite of Cherry Jones on stage. We were both in a production of The Good Person of Setzuan by Bertoldt Brecht at The Goodman Theatre. I learnt so much from her as an actor. I would literally leave a scene with her on stage. go put my prop away and come back to the wings and watch. her. that was the best way to learn. just to watch and listen.

2. Sitting by The late Frank Galati, was truly a master class. while I choreographed “Everyman” at Steppenwolf Theatre and absorbing Frank’s humbleness as a director and how he would make the most beautiful pictures on the stage. Sitting by Hal Prince and Ruth Mitchell and Susan Stroman. Again, learning was a true masterclass.

3. I also learned honesty from Ntozake Shange. When I choreographed “Nomathemba” with Ladysmith Black Mambazo at Steppenwolf. Ms.Shange honesty was always in those rehearsal rooms. I was truly blessed to see the truth in her eyes and to be around her knowledge. And learn from her

What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?

The most impactful thing that my parents did for me was allowing me to be me.

I can remember how my mother was always ok with me. She knew me better than I knew myself. She knew that I wanted to be a part of show business. she knew that I would be a part of show business. I would tell her at 7 years old that I had a crush on a boy at school or that I wanted to play with a doll or that I did not want to play little league baseball and she listened. And because she listened to me I never questioned myself of who I was or who I was going to be. She loved me for me. I was always ok with me in my own skin. a mother’s love is a wonderful love. my father would loved me. He was not a person who told you that he loved you. but he showed me he loved me. My father and I became very close in my adult life. He was so funny, a charming Gentleman.
I miss them both terribly. I was the youngest of 12. I lost my Dad when I was 48 years old. My Parents gave our family a new life in California. they came from Texas in 1955 for a better way. I am grateful to God for them both.
Kennyingram.com

Contact Info:

• Website: https://kennyingram.com
• Instagram: thekennyingram
• Facebook: Kenny Ingram
• Linkedin: Kenny Ingram
• Twitter: Kennyingram12
• Other: Agent: Dave Secor at Daniel Hoff Agency

Image Credits

the first two photos are First Regional Production of Funny Girl at Maine State Music Theatre
followed by an interview on NBC’s Maine’s 207
photo shoot funny girl with Tyler Johnson- Campion
Kenny as Ritchie in the The First Regional Production of A Chorusline
Kenny at the Audleco Awards being nominated for Best Direction of Triple Threat starring James T. Lane
Opening Night Triple Threat Off Broadway at Theatre Row with James T. Lane
First Reginal Production of Funny Girl Douglas Williams as Nick Arnstein and Jenna Lea Rosen as Fanny Brice directed and choreographed by Kenny Ingram