The show must go on

Broadway will always have a special place in Kristi Tingle Higginbotham’s vocal studio.

Framed on the wall where she teaches lessons to Mountain Brook girls and boys hangs the handwritten manuscript of the Hugh Martin song “The Boy Next Door” from his musical Meet Me in St. Louis.  

On his messy paper, Martin signed, “You would always be my Esther.” 

His words remind Higginbotham of the role that could have changed her life.

During her senior year at Birmingham-Southern College, Martin asked her to perform in his new musical Wedding Day at the Town and Gown Theatre, now the Virginia Samford Theatre. He and his partner Ralph Blane planned to test the show in Birmingham before attempting to take it to Broadway. 

Once they were done, Higginbotham thought she would never hear from the Martin or Blane again, but a few months later Martin called. He told her producers in New York were not interested in Wedding Day — it was a very southern play — but they would back a Broadway performance of Meet Me in St. Louis.  

Martin wanted her for the part of Ester in the production, but as the lyricist he couldn’t just give her the role. She would have to audition. 

“So that started a two-year — maybe year and a half — process of me flying back and forth to New York, and going to a cattle-call,” Higginbotham said. “Broadway shows take forever to mount and millions of dollars.”

Even so, Higginbotham said she remembers feeling like the stars were aligning for her. The character Ester was one of four sister roles who all needed to be descending in height differences, and Higginbotham was the exact height requirement for the part.

The decision was down to the final four women when the auditions came to a standstill. Higginbotham filled her time with a show at Children’s Theatre, but she never expected what would happen when they took the show to Troy Dec. 1. 

Walking back to her cheap hotel from dinner at Pizza Hut, a car hit her. 

“We were crossing the street — [I and the] girl that was my roommate for the tour,” Higginbotham said. “I looked at her, and I just saw headlights. I screamed, and she jumped out of the way. The driver didn’t see me and just went into me.”

Although she had surgery and her right leg was being held together with wires and screws, Higginbotham believed she would be able to bounce back for the show. Even in physical therapy, they told her she would dance again. 

In February, New York called. 

“I got up to sing the ‘Trolley Song,’ which is another famous song that is from that show,” Higginbotham said. “All the reporters thought I was going to get it, but they saw me limping still. I had to come clean, so there went the Broadway show.”

Although her Broadway dreams were over, her career on stage was not. She moved back to Mountain Brook, where she had performed in every play and musical while she was at Mountain Brook High and had been voted most talented in music when she graduated in 1983.

For the past 30 years, she has been performing, primarily at the Virginia Samford Theatre and at Red Mountain Theater. Her body of work includes the roles of Dally in Annie Get Your Gun, the Witch in Into the Woods, Miss Mona in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Nellie in South Pacific, Eva Peron in Evita and Guienever in Camelot.

Her next performance is in the Virginia Samford Theatre’s presentation of Beehive in September, and then she will return to her alma mater, Birmingham-Southern, for its performance of Carrie the Musical in October.

Along with her stage work, Higginbotham also performs with two vocal groups, Four For Time and The Hot Tamales. The Hot Tamales, a comedic, cabaret-style duo performance with Jan Hunter, will celebrate its 20th anniversary next summer. 

“She is bigger than life, extremely professional and polished,” Hunter said about Higginbotham. “I know that whatever she is going to be doing, I can trust her instincts and that she is going to be completely prepared and professional. We always have a great time working together.” 

Looking at Martin’s signature hanging in her studio, Higginbotham sometimes wonders “What if?” But she said she knows everything happens for a reason. 

Often strangers who approach her to say, “You don’t know me, but I know you. Thank you for all of the years, and thank you for staying in Birmingham.” 

Beehive runs Sept. 11-28 at the Virginia Samford Theatre. For tickets and more information, visit virginiasamfordtheatre.org.