“First, get yourself a life-long friend like this.”
Kevin McCollum would hate being on my page. He’s not a self-promoter. He takes his name off shows he’s producing so as to not draw attention to himself. If he saw it, he’d probably call me and tell me to take it down. That’s okay. He’s been my best friend for 40 years, so he knows where my heart is.
It’s hard for me to think of this man without crying. Tears of pain, joy and gratitude. We have grown up together. Music theatre majors at the College Conservatory of Music (CCM) at University of Cincinnati, something drew us to each other to decide to become roommates. He was exceedingly goofy in those days, and I was laughingly self-serious. But he had a vision, from the age of 18, and a fearlessness born of becoming a full-on orphan at the age of 14. That vision and fearlessness endures. Luckily, so does some of the goofiness. I would have followed Kevin anywhere, as countless have, many of them to life-changing, historical results (look him up, along with the names Bobby Lopez & Jeff Marx, Bob Martin, Lin-Manuel Miranda). There are many stories, too many for a web page. But over these years, his friendship and support have not only meant so much to my growth as an artist, he has given me hope and direction when there was none, and the most difficult moments between us, and there have been many, have forged me into a better man.
The photo on the opposite page was taken at an event honoring the late Darren Deverna, head of the Production Resource Group theatrical technology and equipment company, whom Kevin admired very much. He had asked me to write some specialty material for the event, and I suppose it had gone over well. As he introduced me to Darren and his colleagues, and described the work I had done on Motown and Invisible Thread in glowing terms (Kevin had produced both), I replied that Kevin was my “secret weapon.” “No,” Kevin shot back, “you’re my secret weapon,” and in front of that assembled group of luminaries, kissed my hand.
And that is my friend Kevin. Get yourself one like him.
Me and Kevin (on the stage floor) in Marat/Sade, directed by the great Worth Gardner, CCM, circa 1982. Kevin was Marat, I was the Herald, and this would be the last time I would ever have anything over on Kevin McCollum. (Photo by Sandy Underwood.)