RIVER CITY SIX – KATE WHITECOTTON
Kate Whitecotton is the CEO and artistic/education director of Rave On Productions, home of the McGuigan Arts Academy (mcguiganartsacademy.com).
Tell us a little about your business. – The McGuigan Arts Academy was founded in 2021 by myself and Billy McGuigan, owner. We have a studio in Countryside Village where we operate year-round theatre, art, and music classes and lessons for students of all ages. We also work with community partners to bring our programs into their venues. The part that I’m most passionate about is being able to offer our programs as an outreach or residency program to compliment Billy McGuigan’s internationally touring productions. McGuigan Arts Academy is a place for students to not only discover and pursue their creative passions, but we have the unique ability to provide real life opportunities to work and experience the arts in a professional setting.
How did you get started in the business? – I really fell into the position I’m in. I am originally from Canada and graduated from the Technical Theater program at Red Deer College with the goal of pursuing a career in stage management. One of my first jobs out of college was as the production assistant for a theatre in Connecticut. I was there for 10 months and the last show we produced was Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story. The actor we had hired to play the role of Buddy dropped out a few days before rehearsals were to begin and we scrambled to find someone else who could take on the role. We found a video clip of Billy McGuigan performing as Buddy. He was hired and in Connecticut within the week. We hit it off. I thought he was incredibly talented and knew I wanted to be a part of what he was building here in Omaha with Yesterday and Today: The Interactive Beatles Experience. When Buddy closed, I moved to Omaha to start working with Billy, first as his guitar tech and assistant, then his tour manager, then booking agent, and now CEO of Rave On Productions and one of the founders of the McGuigan Arts Academy.
Tell us a little about your family. – My mom worked for the local newspaper for almost 30 years and retired early to build her dream farm. My dad may be the smartest and most hard-working person I know. He owns Erle’s Auto Repair in Red Deer, Alberta, is super handy, and loves his farm life. I’m the middle child with an older sister and younger brother. The Whitecotton’s are an exciting bunch that throws one heck of a Whitecotton summer BBQ.
What do you see as one of the biggest turning points in your life? – Last year everything came to a screeching halt. It forced us to take a moment to figure out how to move forward. That’s when the Academy was born. We always had ideas on adding an educational element to our touring business but never had the time to really work out what that could look like. The Academy has changed my focus in my career and has ignited a new passion that wasn’t there before.
What is your favorite thing to do on a day off? – I bought my dream house in 2019—little Tudor tucked away in Country Club. With it came an incredible garden in the backyard. In my free time, that’s where I am.
Who inspires you? – Our young students! I have never really worked this closely with kids before, and I find myself in awe of their curiosity, bravery, and boldness.
If you could choose only one descriptive word to be remembered as, what would it be? – Determined.
What is your favorite local restaurant? – Yoshitomo.
If our readers would like to contact you, how should they do so? – (402) 682-2868; kate@billymcguigan.com; mcguiganartsacademy.com.