Episode 210

Kelly Bishop, legend of stage, screen, chorus lines and iconic television joins us to talk about her magnificent book, The Third Gilmore Girl! Kelly’s media path took her from Broadway dancer to a Tony winning performance in A Chorus Line to her partial culpability for putting Baby in a corner in Dirty Dancing to Friday night dinners with Lorelei and Rory as Emily Gilmore. And the journey continues… As Kelly’s book and this conversation reveal, she did it all with grace, charm, dedication, diligence and humility.

First, we speak with singer/actor Sam Harris, whose rocket ride aboard starship Star Search launched him into millions of living rooms with his celestial rendering of Over the Rainbow. After battling Covid related vocal issues, Sam is readying his  triumphant return in a stage show he calls, Beyond The Rainbow.  Sam and Fritz discuss their shared history at a little Santa Monica nightclub called The Horn where they honed their crafts and were both discovered!

Then Kelly Bishop tells us how her work ethic and confidence were shaped by a nurturing mother, who ran interference against her neglectful father, teaching her ballet and carving a path for her to reach for her dreams.

Kelly shares how inspired she has been by show runners Amy Sherman and Dan Palladino and how taking on the role of Emily Gilmore allowed her to explore the relationship she witnessed between her mother and her grandmother. She also talks tenderly about her love story with her husband, Journalist Lee Leonard, her surprisingly primal response to the death of her father and her treasured friendships with Amy Sherman-Palladino and Lauren Graham. Kelly also gives us some hints about the newest Palladino project, Etoile, which is coming soon to Prime. All this plus  rounds of IMDB Roulette and Gilmore Girls Trivia!