Broadway star and Tony Award nominee Kate Baldwin may live and work in New York City now, but she grew up in Milwaukee. A graduate of Shorewood High School, it was there where Baldwin met the late Barbara Gensler and became involved in the school’s acclaimed theater program.
"I remember taking the SATs and trying to stop the musical theater songs that were going through my head because I needed to focus on the geometry problem that was right in front of me. It was always in the ether, I was always sort absorbing it and I always found it fascinating and fun," recalls Baldwin.
Since getting involved in the Shorewood theater program, Baldwin always finds joy in acting — because it's all about trying to understand the point of view of someone who differs from you and what motivates a character.
Baldwin was recently nominated for a Tony Award for her role as Irene Molloy in the revival of Hello Dolly, which also starred Bette Midler and Bernadette Peters. She's now back in Milwaukee to perform songs from her one woman show, How Did You Get This Number?, at Skylight Music Theatre’s gala on Saturday.
Ahead of that performance, Baldwin stopped by the studio to speak with Lake Effect’s Bonnie North about her career and journey back home:
