This holiday season reached for the one butter that never disappoints Kerry Gold. made with milk from grass fed cows on Irish family farms, it's rich, creamy, and perfect for baking. whether browning butter for cookies or crafting the flakiest pie crust, Kerry Gold's high butterfat content makes all the difference in flavor and texture. Holiday treats will taste extraordinary. From the Mighty 990 Broadcast Center, you're waking up in Starnes Country with Todd Starnes.
And good morning, everybody. Welcome to Starnes Country. I'm Todd Starnes and the principal Toyota Memphis studio. Great to have you with us today. And we're.
We are dealing with some pretty difficult tech issues this morning, so bear with us here as we get through the show. And we have a terrific show for you coming up a little bit later. We're going to be checking in with our friends at Theater Memphis, the big Ebenezer Scrooge. It's become a longtime Christmas tradition. We'll be talking to our friends at Theater Memphis about that.
Also, our good buddies over at Strategic Financial Partners, Adam Martin and Chris Loftus, are going to be here as well.
So we've got a lot of things happening, and we're also going to be talking in just a few moments with our good friend Jan Hamilton for an incredible Christmas celebration that's taking place over at the Agro Center. Of course, the big story everyone is talking about here in the Mid-South. Yesterday, late yesterday, District Attorney Steve Ulroy announced. that he would not be prosecuting Tammy Sawyer, the Shelby County Clerk, no charges in this really disgusting courthouse. Idle know, brawl, debacle, whatever it was.
It was ugly, and Tammy Sawyer ought to be in jail. Anybody else had done what Tammy Sawyer had done, they would be in jail right now. No question about it. But as we all know, there's one set of rules for folks like Tammy Sawyer, and there's another set of rules for all of us law-abiding taxpayers. And that is something we're, I think, everybody here in Shelby County is very familiar with.
Again, Senator Brent Taylor had really been leading the charge on this. The Republican senator from EADS saying that at the time he had spoken with multiple DAs and the TBI about the disturbing events that transpired outside the Shelby County Courthouse when Sawyer allegedly attempted to illegally usher armed individuals past security and then unleashed a racist tirade. Against the deputies. I mean, it was really ugly. It really was.
And anyway, the District Attorney's Office. Said, you know what? Yeah, we're not going to do anything here. They released a statement saying there is simply no evidence that Clerk Sawyer solicited, aided, or directed her security guard to bypass courthouse security.
So she basically threw the security guard under the bus. Her interaction with sheriff deputies did not appear to violate any state law. As a result, she will face no criminal charges in this matter.
So this woman, and fortunately for us, all of this is captured on video.
So there's no conjecture about what happened, no speculation about what happened. We know exactly what happened because the entire thing was filmed.
So if they're telling us, if the district attorney's office is telling us that there was no criminal, there was nothing criminal with how she treated those deputies and the way she treated those deputies did not violate any state law, then, ladies and gentlemen, my question to all of Memphis and Shelby County: should all of us behave like Tammy Sawyer behaved towards those deputies? If. I mean, if it's good enough for Tammy, then okay, why can't we get out there and why should we not be treating Tammy Sawyer the same way she treated those deputies? I mean, if that's perfectly legal and perfectly appropriate.
So, again, going on, the statement says that the full record does not support criminal wrongdoing by Clerk Sawyer. And that's where we're at right now.
So, we're going to be taking your calls. Do you think this is justice, ladies and gentlemen? 901-260-5926 is our telephone number. Again, that's 901-260-5926. You know, another big story: a couple of other major elections last night, and not here in the Mid-South, but it's really important for us to pay attention to what's happening around the nation because.
We cannot be dealing with voter apathy moving into the midterm elections. And that's clearly what happened in the state of Florida last night, as well as Georgia, where for the first time in nearly 30 years, a Republican now leads the mayor's office, will lead City Hall, a Democrat winning the mayor's race down there for the first time in nearly 30 years in Miami, even though the nominee had the backing and the support of Ron DeSantis and President Trump. And in Georgia, there was a special House District race. This was a race that initially went the last time they had an election there, it was plus 12 for Trump. And the Democrats Beat the Republican in that particular race.
So these are warning signs about voter apathy, and there are already rumblings that the candidate in the Miami race, the Republican, was something of a moderate or even possibly a rhino.
Well, let me just say something about that. It doesn't really matter. It doesn't matter as long as when you are the nominee of your party, it's incumbent upon all the members of that party to get behind the nominee. And if you don't, that's on you, not the candidate.
Well, Todd, they don't support everything I believe in.
So if they don't support everything I believe in, I just can't give them my vote. You know, fine. You elect a Democrat. Congratulations to you. I mean, it really is that simple.
So, anyway, we're going to break down some more of this in just a little while. Gonna take a quick break when we come back, going right to Jan Hamilton for an incredible event that's happening over at the Agra Center. You're gonna want to get your family involved in this incredible, incredible opportunity. All right, our telephone number again: 901-260-5926. This is Stern's Country, and the principal to you at a Memphis studio.
As the holidays approach, it's time to return to the classics. Flaky pie crusts, perfectly browned butter, and cookies with just the right texture. and one ingredient you cannot compromise on is kerrygold butter. Kerrygold butter is crafted with milk from grass fed cows that graze on lush green pastures across family farms in Ireland. The result?
A rich, creamy butter with a high butterfat content that elevates every recipe. Whether you're making signature shortbread or browning butter for a nutty depth in your pecan pie, Carry gold makes all the difference. the flavor is unmatched, and the texture it brings to baked goods is simply divine.
So, this holiday season, if you're baking for loved ones or just for yourself, Reach for Kerry Gold. It's the butter of choice, and your pies, your cookies, and your cakes will thank you. Uh And welcome back to Sterns Country. We're broadcasting from the Principal Toyota Memphis studio. By the way, one of our K-Wham traffic troopers just dropped us a note.
There is a big, big crash on Forest Hill Irene Road. That is between Tennessee 175 Shelby Drive and Mayfield.
So the entire roadway there is shut down.
So if that road is on your morning commute, you've got to find another way to get into the office this morning. We'll keep you updated. Commander Chunk will be along in just a few moments. Want to go to our Patriot Mobile newsmaker line and say hello to our good friend Jan Hamilton. Jan, it's been a while.
Hope you're doing well. Good morning, Todd. We are great, and thank you so much for helping us get the word out.
Well, I want to talk about the Winter Wonderland in Memphis. By the way, we have a website, folks, winterwonderlandmemphis.com. This is my understanding, Jan, this is a brand new holiday tradition here in the Mid South. For the first time ever, Todd. AgriCenter International is hosting this magical event That Dear, no more standing out in lines, freezing, no more rain to wash away your fun.
95% of our event, Todd, is in the Agri Center building. This is really remarkable, Jan. And I was looking at the lineup, and by the way, Winter Wonderland starts December 12th through the 21st, 10 days of Christmas fun for the entire family. And Jan, some of the things that the kids are just going to love this, you guys have bumper tubes, a 20-foot slide, and a live snow globe, among other things. Oh, we have so many attractions for not just children, for the whole family.
You know, Santa this time of the year is the big draw. And Santa's going to be here every day. You can get your pictures done. You can sit on his lap and give him your wish list. Or you can send him that all-important letter to Santa.
We're going to have booths set up where you can do all of this. And Todd, it's just it's a great way to bring the community out to celebrate Christmas. I just love this. And I know a lot of folks appreciate that it's indoors. You never know how the weather is going to be from one day to another, you know, in December here at Memphis.
So you don't have to worry about that because you're going to be able to celebrate, have a lot of fun. Most of the activities are actually indoors. And I understand also, and this is pretty cool, you guys are going to have a lot of school and community choirs performing as well. We sure are. They will be on our stage here in the dome area.
We're also going to have magic shows daily. We're going to have concerts. Um um just Every kind of Christmas music you can imagine, Todd, and we are bringing in. Community organizations Um to decorate trees. This will be an awesome way to see all the different cultures that are representative here in Shelby County and Memphis, because we're drawing all these people together.
And we want everybody to come by and enjoy this. It is a winter wonderland at the Agra Center International Expo. That's over on Walnut Grove, and it's just a wonderful facility. And what a great treasure for the Mid South and especially for West Tennessee. Jan, it's also we celebrate the reason for the season, and it's my understanding that you guys are going to be doing that as well with a nativity scene.
Well, you know as well as I do, Todd, that's what Christmas is all about. We have a lot of people that enjoy saying happy holidays. That's fine, but Christmas is about Christ. And we are promoting our nativity. We have a live petting zoo right here in the courtyard.
You'll be able to walk right out of the building and enjoy all of that and then come right back in and grab a cup of hot cocoa and a special Christmas snack or treat. and just enjoy some more.
So and there will also be live performances every day as well as you mentioned. And of course, Santa Claus, you guys are hitting all the buttons here for the Christmas season. As I said, Todd, we want the families to come and have a good time. If you're looking for a fun date night, Come see us. We're going to be showing family-oriented Christmas movies in the theater.
You'll be able to get your snacks, your concessions. At the same time, You know, the kids are all about Santa. And the big guy himself is here every day. You could even come and have breakfast with him on Saturday. All of our ticket prices are on the website.
You can buy tickets on the website. And right now you can get a special discount on family fun packs if you buy them through the website. And of course, we'll be selling tickets at the door. for the next Can day. I just love this idea.
Winterwonderlandmemphis.com is the website, winterwonderlandmemphus.com, and you'll be able to get tickets Monday through Friday. Hours are 4 to 9, and Saturday and Sunday, 11 to 9, and then breakfast with Santa on the weekends, 9:30 to 10:30, and you're going to get early access as well.
So that's going to be a lot of fun. I want to go back, though. I didn't want to brush over this, but you're telling me that boys and girls are actually going to be able to write letters to Santa Claus. Yes, right on site. And we will get those mailed Because the Santa that's coming here to see boys and girls, he's going to have to get back to the North Pole and give that list to all the elves so they can get everything prepared.
So we're going to have access to get Santa those letters. Um Everybody can enjoy the workshops that are going on and see how things are done. It's just going to be a magical time, Todd. All right.
Well, I'm excited about this. I only have one question, Jan. You mentioned the Christmas movies. Will Die Hard be shown? There's a big debate over whether Die Hard is a Christmas movie.
Die Hard. It is a Christmas movie, but it's not a family movie.
So, no, I will not be showing you that hard in the theater. I just wanted to clear that up. Jan Hamilton joining us. And, Jan, congratulations, and we're excited to be promoting this. And we just wish you guys nothing but the best.
I know our Mid-South families are going to love this.
Well, and I want to give a special shout out to our owner and promoter, Namario Yancey. He is, his father, Todd, had this dream to do this winter wonderland here at Acker Center for families. and mister Yancey passed away in May.
So Namario and the family had gotten together And they are doing this. And we just want to thank them for all their hard work and efforts to bring this event to the community.
Well, I'm so glad that he did that, and we're so glad that you guys are following through on that vision and on that. Dream. All right, Jan, we're going to have to leave it there. I know you've got a lot of Christmassy stuff to do, and we sure do appreciate you taking some time to visit with us here on KWAM. Have a wonderful day and come see us.
All right.
Merry Christmas, Jan Hamilton. And again, the website, go check this out, folks. Winterwonderlandmemphis.com. That's winterwonderlandmemphis.com. It is going to be, my understanding is just really going to be phenomenal.
And by the way, speaking of tickets, Jan was so gracious, and we've got a package of tickets to give away. This is an $80 value. Your package of tickets includes two adults, two children, and we're going to take caller number three. If you've already won something, you can't call in and participate on this one.
So we want to try to spread out the Christmas cheer.
So again, if you're caller number three, 901-260-5926, that's 901-260-5926, you are going to pick up an incredible package, a family package, two adults, two children that value $80. All right, back to politics here. President Trump last night in Pennsylvania. And the president holding one of these big rallies that he's been known to do. And here's the backstory, and I want you to hear the backstory first.
The only reason that Trump is doing this because he's got a lot on his plate right now. But the only reason President Trump is out there, and we understand he's going to be doing these rallies all across America, is because the Republicans have screwed this thing up. It is a complete mess. And the president reads the same numbers that everybody else is reading.
So the president's out there, and he's going to try to save the midterms for the RNC. But that's the reason why That's the reason why he's doing this.
So, anyway, President Trump talking about Ilhan Omar, and here's what the president had to say about Ilhan. Do we have any individuals from Somalia in the group? Please raise your hand. That's for Minnesota, you know. That's called the great big Minnesota scam with one of the dumbest governors ever in history.
I love this Elon Omar, whatever the hell her name is, with the little shoe, the little turban. I love her. She comes in, does nothing but bitch. She's always complaining. She comes from a country where I mean, it's considered about the worst country in the world, right?
They have no military, they have no nothing, they have no parliament. They don't know what the hell the word parliament means. They have nothing, they have no police. They they police themselves, they kill each other all the time. I love her.
She comes to our country and she's always complaining about the Constitution allows me to do this. The Constit we ought to get her to hell out. She married her brother in order to get in, right? She married her brother. Can you imagine?
If Donald Trump married his sister, beautiful, she's a beautiful person, if I married my sister to get my citizenship, do you think I'd last for about two hours or would it be something less than that? She married her brother. To get in, therefore, she's here illegally. She should get the hell out, throw the hell out. She does nothing but complain.
All right.
There you go. There you go. A little bit of the action last night. President Trump was fired up last night. Let's go to the phone lines here.
Cindy listening to us here in beautiful Memphis. Hi, Cindy. Merry Christmas. How are you today? I'm great, Todd.
How are you? Cindy, I'm doing well. Thank you for asking.
Sounds like you're driving out there. The highway's looking good. I haven't made it to the interstate yet, but I'm hopeful. All right.
Well, that's all we can be is hopeful. All right, Cindy. Guess what? Congratulations. You are caller number three, and you just scored four tickets to the big winter wonderland at the Agri Center.
Oh, great. Thank you so much.
Well, you are welcome, and thank you for listening to K-Wham. Cindy, we're going to put you on hold, and we're going to get all your information and show you how you can get your ticket.
So hang tight, don't go anywhere. And we sure do appreciate you listening to the Mighty 990. All right, guys, coming up, we're going to be talking to our friends at Strategic Financial Partners. Also, We've got Theater Memphis. I think we're talking to Scrooge later this week.
This is going to be a lot of fun. And your calls as well: 901-260-5926. This is Stard's Country. We're cooking with gas. As the holidays approach, it's time to return to the classics.
Flaky pie crusts, perfectly browned butter, and and cookies with just the right texture. and one ingredient you cannot compromise on is kerrygold butter. Carrygold butter is crafted with milk from grass-fed cows that graze on lush green pastures across family farms in Ireland. The result? A rich, creamy butter with a high butterfat content that elevates every recipe.
whether you're making signature shortbread or browning butter for a nutty depth in your pecan pie, Carry gold makes all the difference. The flavor is unmatched, and the texture it brings to baked goods is simply divine.
So, this holiday season, if you're baking for loved ones or just for yourself, Reach for carry gold. It's the butter of choice, and your pies, your cookies, and your cakes will thank you. Ah! And welcome back. We've got a busy week here.
Senator Marshall Blackburn is going to be dropping by later this week. Also, we're going to be talking to the crew over at Bellevue Baptist Church, the Singing Christmas Tree. That is the largest Christmas celebration in the Mid-South, and it's one of the largest in the nation. Of course, that kicks off this weekend, and it's only this weekend.
So, if you want to get tickets, you need to do that now. You can go to bellevue.org, and you'll see all of the information there. Had a chance to sneak into one of the rehearsals yesterday, day before yesterday. It was Phenomenal.
So be sure to check that out. All right.
Want to say hello to our good friends from Strategic Financial Partners, Adam Martin, financial advisor, Chris Loftus, financial services rep. Guys, good to see you. Merry Christmas to you. Good morning. Merry Christmas as well.
I got a question for you. We were just talking to Jane Hamilton over at the Agro Center. You know, they're doing the big, they've got this brand new event called Winter Wonderland, and she said they're actually going to be showing Christmas movies.
So, you know, like old school Christmas movies.
So if you've got like a date, you can grab some hot cocoa and watch the movies. I asked her if Die Hard was going to be one of the movies. She said no. Did you see Bruce Willis say Die Hard is not a Christmas movie? I don't believe that.
I think it's fake. It's AI. I mean, I'm more partial to It's a Wonderful Life personally. Are you? I'm an old soul.
Well, after they survived, you know, what happened at Nakatomi Plaza, I mean, it was a wonderful life for Bruce Willis. I go to Bing Crosby and White Christmas. Oh, that's all. You guys are definitely old school. All right.
I feel really bad now. I feel like I need to go to church. Wow.
Okay. You know, we've been talking about a lot of gifts. You know, it's the Christmas season. People are buying gifts. People are hoping to get a gift.
And, of course, here in the mid-south, and somebody told me this, and I'm sure it's quantifiable that we are the most philanthropic city in America. And I believe that because we have a lot of charities here, and people are always looking to, you know, contribute to charitable donations. And that's really our talking point today. Yep.
So this is the time of year where, obviously, at the end of this month, we'll be having a lot of conversations around required minimum distributions. That's where you have to take a distribution from your qualified retirement account. And a lot of people out there don't need it. They have plenty of income, and all that RMD does is just create a bigger tax liability for them.
So what do you do with it?
So St. Jude, you talk about Memphis being very charitably inclined. That's one of the major ones that I see a lot of people send money to. We mostly just want you guys to be thinking strategically instead of spontaneously. We know how wonderful it is to give a gift and you want to do it as soon as possible.
But let us help you think through how to do that gift and the most tax-efficient way to do that gift. I never would have thought about that. As far as the financial planning aspect is making sure you're planning your charitable giving. I just remember years ago when I was at Fox, I don't know what got into me one particular year, but my tax guy called me up and says, there is such a thing as being too charitable, and you're going to have to start asking for charity to keep this up. That's true.
So what's a smart way to give to charity?
Well, it first starts with the conversation. Of course, go to your tax professional, your financial advisor. We want to make sure that people aren't confusing their personal strategy and their financial strategy as separate. They're very much one and the same. Especially when you get to the end of the year and you're looking at not just your legacy if you're older and you're thinking about, hey, what am I leaving to my kids?
What am I leaving to my city? But you also want to make sure that you are taking care of your children's interests. We also work with a lot of different charities in the area. One specifically comes to mind where they're trying to start an endowment fund. And part of their giving strategy this year might involve doing a charitable gift of life insurance, where, hey, somebody might not be able to just drop a huge lump sum in order to help them do that.
But what they can do is take out a life insurance policy, a regular life insurance policy, and the beneficiary turns into just a non-taxable benefit to that charity. That is a lump sum that could help to start that endowment fund. That goes a long way. And is it true that giving to charity actually can help you and your overall financial plan? Yeah, absolutely.
So whenever we, you know, right after the end of the year, we start thinking. Thinking through what do I need to do for taxes? Do I need to make a contribution to reduce my taxable income? Or the distribution I take, can I send it somewhere and not pay taxes on it? That's how it can help your financial situation.
Is we're looking at it going, would you rather send the money to St. Jude or do you want to pay it to Uncle Sam? It's a fair question. And again, we're talking with Adam Martin and Chris Loftus, our friends from Strategic Financial Partners, that website, strategicfinancialpartners.com. All right, let's talk about.
Intentional giving, you know, again, I'm one of these guys.
Somebody comes up to me and says, Hey, would you like to support this charity? I'm like, Absolutely sure. Here's some whatever. But you guys are saying that we ought to be making it more intentional. What do you guys mean by that?
So, when you're thinking, like, all right, you go to the grocery store, you see the Salvation Army bell ringer, and you're like, I'm going to put some money in there.
Okay, those are small amounts. But these are some people that, let's say you have a large estate and they're saying, Hey, I want to give a gift to my kids, and this is what I'm going to spend.
So, it could be a charity you want to send to, or it could be, I want to gift this to my kids.
Well, when we do a gifting strategy for a large estate, we're pulling money out of an estate that would be taxed at a higher tax bracket, giving it to our kids or loved ones that gives them a nice gift for Christmas or a Head Start, and they're in a low tax bracket, and there's no taxable event there.
So, one of my favorite stories is so terrible. Former President Bill Clinton was known to put everything on his tax deductions, right? And he would give to charity, but not in a way you would think. And he actually gave his underpants to like Goodwill or Salvation Army, and he put that on his taxes. I'm going to go no comment on Bill and his underpants being charged.
I'm not sure why that came to mind. Bill Clinton is not a financial professional.
So, I don't know if that counts as financial advice in terms of charitable deductions, but yeah. And I would say marriage advice, too, probably not the gift. You guys don't comment on that. Not at all. Let's talk about some ways that people can do these contributions that they might not even think about.
So prime example, last year, going through who needs to take required minimum distributions from their portfolios. And we start with a conversation, do you go to church? Yes. Do you put money in the offering plate every Sunday? Yes.
Well, that's not being able to be deducted.
So, one of the things that we do, and last year we did a lot of it, was. Hey, I'm going to do $2,300 to my church. I'm getting a full tax write-off of $2,300. Where if you think about, hey, last year I did, you know. 100 bucks a week there, you know, pay 5,200 bucks, and nothing was written off there.
And what we want to do is just think about it proactively, have the conversation is because we get approached all the time with saying, Well, hey, I had a really large tax bill, and then we look, and you did 10 grand to a charity, and you did nothing to write it off.
So we want to sit down in front of you. Identify that you are charitably inclined and then help you think through a way to gift the gift that you want to give and do it the right way. And again, I think that's an important thing.
Some people get a little squirrely. I don't know if I should, you know, deduct my gifts to my church, but you're allowed to do that under the law. And the Bible does say we have to be good citizens. Give unto Caesar. Exactly.
But if you can get it back, go ahead and do that too. That's what I say. All right.
So, strategicfinancialpartners.com. What are people going to find when they get to your website? They're going to find our team, qualified source for how to get in touch with us as well as where to find us. We're located all across the Mid-South as well as the Southeast. But our headquarters are here in Memphis, Todd.
And that tells you specifically how to get in touch with us, our credentials. We have a wide-ranging team from 401k planning specialists to retirement solutions specialists, life insurance, disability insurance, specifically in terms of the business planning, small and large. You're going to find all that information on our website and specifically how to get in touch with Adam and I. All right.
Again, that website, strategicfinancialpartners.com. Guys, good to see you. Merry Christmas to you. Merry Christmas, good to see you. All right, folks, have to take a quick break.
We're going to be talking to our friends at Theater Memphis. They've got a great show. It is a longtime Memphis Christmas tradition. And also an opportunity for you to win, possibly, some Pew's flowers, Denstels candies, Germantown commissary barbecue, some beautiful jewelry from Weimer's Jewelry, and $100 of coffee from our friends at Pure Rose Coffee. You've got to answer this trivia question correctly.
We are celebrating the 60th anniversary of this Christmas cartoon classic. Can you name that Christmas cartoon classic that debuted on CBS? Give us a call, 901-260-5926. That's 901-260-5926. This is Stern's Country in the principal Toyota Memphis studio.
As the holidays approach, it's time to return to the classics. Flaky pie crusts, perfectly browned butter, and and cookies with just the right texture. and one ingredient you cannot compromise on is kerrygold butter. Carrygold butter is crafted with milk from grass fed cows that graze on lush green pastures across family farms in Ireland. The result?
A rich, creamy butter with a high butterfat content that elevates every recipe. Whether you're making signature shortbread or browning butter for a nutty depth in your pecan pie, Kerry Gold makes all the difference. The flavor is unmatched, and the texture it brings to baked goods is simply divine.
So, this holiday season, if you're baking for loved ones or just for yourself, Reach for Kerry Gold. It's the butter of choice, and your pies, your cookies, and your cakes will thank you. Uh All right, it is now 44 degrees out at the Memphis Zoo. Hello, everybody. I'm Todd Stearns.
Welcome back to Sterns Country. We're broadcasting in the principal Toyota Memphis studio today. And we have got a jam-packed show, you know, the rest of the show, the rest of the day, is going to be politics galore. And so it's fun to be able to kick back and talk about some of the great non-political things that are happening in the Mid-South. And one of our great, really crown jewels in theater and community theater is Theater Memphis.
And they have been doing a Memphis tradition for many, many years, a Christmas Carol. And we are just so honored to have Stephen Garrett with us, who is one of the stars of that great show. And Stephen, first, welcome to K-Wham. Great to have you here. Thanks for having me.
And I didn't realize, I mean, we were chatting before the break, and we've got some.
Some mutual friends, Aiden Pettit, who does our entertainment report. And you were actually in a Bronx Tale over at the Playhouse. Yes, sir. He played my son.
Well, and you did a great job. That was a pretty epic show and well done. I was curious how the movie, I was a big fan of the movie, and I was curious how that was going to translate onto the stage. It's a big change. It's weird.
If you watch the movie, it's an interesting change to watch it go from a gangster movie to a musical.
So that is obviously. Just a little different. You know, you're beating somebody's brains out and then you're doing a song about it. You're singing a song about it. Exactly.
So that's, it's theater. What are you going to do?
Well, tell us about this great Christmas tradition at Theater Memphis and what it's like to be a part of it because you play Scrooge. It's my third year playing Scrooge, and this is the 48th anniversary of a Christmas Carol over at Theater Memphis. Wow.
And it's a wonderful tradition. It's my favorite theater to do in town, to be honest. And I do a lot of theater like we just talked about. It's a lot of people's first experience with theater, either seeing it or participating in it. It's a wonderful family event to come see.
And the story is universal. It's a person having the face and Face who they are as a person and how they affect the world. And I think that's an important lesson for every human to go through because um I could talk about Christmas Carol forever, Todd, but it's a beautiful story. And it's one of my favorite traditions we have here in Memphis. It really is a beautiful story.
And it's when you step back, and it's one of those movies where I don't want to compare it to The Godfather, but I'm a huge Godfather fan movie. Wonderful movie. But when you go back and watch something over and over and over again, you pick up something new every time you watch the show. Is that what happens with a Christmas Carol? It does because now it's my third year doing it.
I've had people approach me this year because they've seen it all three years and they've been like, you found some new things this year. And it's because. You're just running into the psychology of a normal human being, and when you watch a tradition, it can easily become a parody of itself.
So now we have an idea of who Scrooge is, this old man, and everybody's like, oh, he's a Scrooge. If you take a step back, like you just said, and look at it from the perspective of a story, He's just a guy. He's just the guy working who thinks he's going about his day and the world is an imposition to him. And when he learns that it's not, that's... and that he's actually part of the problem, that's where the beauty of the story comes and he can change and be better.
I want to talk about Theater Memphis because it is, I think, one of not just the crown jewels of what we do here in Memphis, but really nationwide. I mean, you guys really set the standard for community theater across the country. Absolutely. Debbie Lich is the executive producer of Theater Memphis, and she is a wonderful leader of that place. I've never seen a harder-working person in my life than Debbie Lich at Theater Memphis.
And I did my first show at Theater Memphis 20 years ago. It's a beautiful, beautiful community theater. I love that place. What is it that makes Theater Memphis Theater Memphis? The people there are wonderful.
Randall, who does their marketing, Jack Yates and Michael Compton, they have wonderful people there who deeply care about just putting on a good story and telling it well. And they have wonderful patrons who support the arts. You feel supported there. You feel like you're a part of a community, and that's what community theater should be, obviously. It's in the name.
So it's, like you said, the crown jewel. I know it's one of the top theater or community theaters in the country, for sure. And the shows are always so well done, and you've got such a variety. We had the cast of Cinderella on back when that was. Yeah, Aiden Pettit was the Pettitor.
And just an amazing. An amazing show, and it's an intimate setting too, which is what I really enjoy. I know the same thing over at Playhouse, but it's just a nice intimate setting. It is. Playhouse and Theater Memphis are both different beasts, and they both have their.
Their own strengths. Like, Playhouse is a really cool space. Like, we talked about it when I was in Bronxdale. I love that theater, the space. It's kind of like an industrial area.
Theater Memphis feels more like a Ensconced home where you feel like warm and safe, if that makes sense. Yeah. Yeah. And I could talk about theater all day, Todd. I love it.
No, well, it's an important part of the fabric of the city. And when you look at, I know our radio station sponsors the theater program at Collierville High School. And when you see the talent coming up through the ranks, this is not what we did old school back in the 80s and high school when we were just doing cardboard cutout sets. I mean, it's pretty elaborate what you guys do at Theater Memphis. Yes, sir, it is.
And it's because a lot of people of my generation, kids of my generation, they're all the teachers now.
So they've all become theater teachers. And watching them take what they've learned from going to school for acting, going to school for tech stuff, and turning high school kids into people who really want to pursue that has been a really fun thing to watch. And that's actually one of the reasons I like Christmas Carols, because I've watched. There've been kids who play the orphans in the show. I've watched them grow up over three years.
They've gotten taller. I've met their parents. It's a really cool thing to be a part of. Stephen Garrett is with us here in studio on the Mighty 990, a Christmas Carol, the 48th annual production. And this runs until December 23rd.
If you want to get tickets, you can do that at theatermemphis.org. That's theatermemphis.org. I think it's also interesting that this is, you guys all have day jobs, so you've got other things you're doing. This is not what you do 24-7. It is not.
No, I've got a normal day job, but it's worth. This is where I find my joy. And while it's a hobby that takes up a lot of time, it's fun to just be a part of it. This is where I find a community. And that's hard to find in the modern age with technology and everything like that because mostly we're stuck at home.
So it's fun to go be a part of a group telling a really universal story and watching people bring their families and experience that. You know, I'm glad you brought that up. That is, I realized that's the only time that I'm literally able to turn off the phone because you have to. But you turn off your phone, you put it away, and for 90 minutes, however long, you don't have to worry about it. And it's like you're transported to a whole different world, which is very unusual in our super connected world right now.
Yeah, Ms. Debbie gives the speech about turning your phone off before the show, and people still don't. I hear at least two or three phones ring every single time. But when we actually, if you just take, like we've talked about, taking a step back, if the power goes out and your phone goes off, at the end of the day, it's just us in a room.
So If you take the time to stop and be present where you are, you can experience a really beautiful story. And that's like you said. There's only two places in the world now where you're like required to not spend money and not have your phones, and that's the library where you don't spend money, and phones are the theater. And that's why they're two of my favorite places. It's it.
I was years ago, I was in New York City. I worked in New York City for 15 years and went to a lot of Broadway shows. One of my favorite Gorfa doll. It was a play based on a 1960 political drama. And it was a Lou.
The best man. It was the best man. And it had, you know, Candace Bergman. You had Morgan Freeman. It was like heavy hitters.
I'm literally on the front row just looking up. And I didn't realize everybody smoked cigarettes in that theater and on stage. And so it was all coming off the stage. And just, I think I may have gotten lung cancer. You know, I'm cured of it now.
But it was just that whole experience, though, of just you never know what's going to happen in a theater and just being there and watching the stories unfold. Absolutely. And that's. That's my favorite thing about theater is because a lot of people ask, how do you get up there and tell a story like be in front of people like that? And it's because two things can be true.
When you're telling a story, The stakes cannot be higher. Because when you approach a story, that's what it is. You're approaching characters who are experiencing something really big, and you get to watch that. But the second thing that's true is. If you're on stage, also the stakes could not be lower.
Because if you mess up on stage, what's the worst that could happen?
Somebody makes fun of you for a few seconds. Exactly. I mean, there you go. You get a good laugh. Right.
You get a good laugh. Things go wrong all the time. All right.
Well, that music means we've got to scoot out of here. Steven, congratulations. What a great opportunity. What a great show. Thank you for the great work y'all are doing at Theater Memphis.
Thanks for having me. Please come see it. All right, folks. Coming up, the national show, 11 o'clock right here on the Mighty 990 tonight, Todd Stern Show on News Max. 5 o'clock.
Be sure to watch that. Get out there. Have a great day, everybody.
