One of my favorite actresses of all time was Katharine Hepburn I admired her on the screen but never imagined seeing her in a live performance.
Ken’s job required extensive travel during the seventies. He was returning from a week in Dallas and listening to the radio when he heard an announcement that Katharine Hepburn was appearing at the theatre on the campus of Southern Methodist University. He stopped and made reservations for that evening.
When I arrived home from school (teacher, not a student), he had been home for about an hour. He was talking to the lady who babysat for us when I walked into the house.
He said, “Hurry and get ready. We are going out.”
I never turned down a chance to go to Austin for dinner. I naturally assumed that an early dinner was what he had planned. I did ask, “Where?”
He replied, “It is a surprise, and we don’t have much time.”
Instead of turning toward Austin on IH 35, he turned north. I again asked where we were going and was again told that it was a surprise. I was wondering what could be happening in Temple or Waco. I grew more curious when he breezed through both of those towns and kept going north.
I was still in the dark after we arrived in Dallas and had a quick dinner. We had arrived on the SMU campus before he told me what the surprise was. I was in disbelief. It was too good to be true.
It was truly a night to remember. She had a broken ankle and performed in a wheelchair. That fact did not detract from her performance. I will never forget the distinct sparkle in her eyes. She literally lit up the stage. She was magnificent, and I was ecstatic.