Doesn't Kathy have a lovely professional headshot?
Katherine McKalip, or Kathy to us, is a retired elementary school music teacher who has been singing with the Long Beach Chorale for four years. Like many of us, her favorite performance was the Brahms Requiem in the 2009-2010 season.
In retirement, Kathy has gone back to her second love: acting. She regularly treks to Los Angeles to perform in commercials, independent and short films, and plays. She’s currently appearing in Talking With… at the Long Beach Playhouse as part of the Long Beach Repertory Theater. The play is on stage there through December 4, so catch her there while you can!
Kathy earned a bachelor’s degree in music from San Jose State University and has sung with the Carmel Bach Festival, the William Hall Master Chorale, and the Western Stage Musical Theater. She also served as the chancel choir conductor at First United Methodist Church in Salinas, Califorina, for eight years. “A strong need to make beautiful, stirring music has been a driving force for most of my life,” Kathy says.
Kathy on stage at the Long Beach Playhouse.
What would we be surprised to know about her? “I used to do singing telegrams,” Kathy says. “The hardest assignment was for a soldier stationed at Fort Ord while dressed as a bunch of grapes. The guard at the entrance had a hard time trying to stop his laughter!” Kathy recalls. Wow. Now picturing Kathy dressed as a bunch of grapes…she’s a lovely, tall woman–it’s quite an image!
Kathy enjoys listening to all kinds of music. “My second husband was a country western radio DJ, and he taught me that there is good in all genres: Choose an artist or individual song and take it from there,” she says. Couldn’t agree with you more, Kathy.
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