Wichita hasn’t been this excited since Harrison Ford visited in March.
If you’ve been looking at social media over the past few days, you’ve likely noticed pictures of Wichita business owners, news anchors and citizens posing for photos with Emmy winner Kelsey Grammer — the famous actor who played the title character in “Frasier,” a show that aired on NBC from 1993 to 2004. And of course, “Frasier” was a spin off of the show that made Grammer a household name — “Cheers,” which aired on NBC from 1982 to 1993.
Grammer appears to have arrived in town on Saturday (at least that’s when Wichitan John Fincher snapped a photo of him in the airport). Why is he here? Grammer is starring in Wichita Grand Opera’s production of “Candide” — an operetta by Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim and more — which will be performed Friday and Saturday at Century II’s Concert Hall. Grammer will narrate the operetta.
Grammer arrived early to rehearse with the cast, several of whom shared photos and videos of the star practicing his part at First Presbyterian Church, 525 N. Broadway.
Rehearsing is not the only thing Grammer is doing while in town, though. He’s also been making the rounds of local television stations to promote the show. On Tuesday, he was at KSN filming a segment and posed for photos with several employees, including anchors Jeff Herndon and Julia Thatcher and Chief Meteorologist Lisa Teachman.
But not even a famous actor can survive on rehearsals and media spots alone. Grammer also has been eating and drinking his way across town.
On Tuesday, Reverie Coffee Roasters pastry chef Britt Shoffner was treating her kids to ice cream at Frost , 3429 E. Douglas, when she ran into the star and asked for a selfie.
Shoffner suggested he stop by Reverie, and on Wednesday morning, he did just that, posing for a photo with owner Andrew Gough and operations manager Drew Perry.
“He was super gracious and chatted up quite a bit with our staff and several guests,” Gough said, adding that Grammer ordered a breve latte and a brioche cinnamon roll. “He was exactly how I imagined he would be: warm and friendly, engaging and witty. I was delighted he chose to visit our coffee shop and bakery.”
As I shared on Tuesday, Grammer also had lunch on Tuesday at Bite Me BBQ , 132 N. St. Francis, and posed for a photo with executive chef Julian Bohanon.
And he also appears to have stopped by Vorshay’s , a cocktail lounge at 417 E. Douglas, on his first night in town. That’s where Wichita comedian Shane Laughary ran into the star and posed with him in a photo.
Since he’ll be in town through Sunday, Wichitans will likely spot Grammer in the wild again. Let me know if you do at dneil@wichitaeagle.com
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