Judy Gail Krasnow
If You Are Looking for…
- The author of “Rudolph, Frosty, And Captain Kangaroo”
- Unique Educational Entertainment
- Programs and Portrayals that Make History Jump Off The Page
- Custom-tailored Speeches, Performances, and Workshops
Then You Want …
JUDY GAIL KRASNOW
Historical Portrayal Artist • Speaker • Storyteller • Singer/Songwriter • Author
Judy Gail Krasnow grew up in the recording studios of Columbia Records where her father, Hecky Krasnow, founded and directed the Children's Record Department and produced classics such as “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” “Frosty the Snowman,” and Captain Kangaroo's many songs and stories. Judy's memoir, Rudolph, Frosty, And Captain Kangaroo: The Musical Life of Hecky Krasnow - Producer of the World's Most Beloved Children's Songs, tells the story of the thriving children's record business, never-before told anecdotes about stars Hecky recorded, such as Gene Autry who sang the original recording of "Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer.” Hecky also recorded Rosemary Clooney, Arthur Godfrey, Art Carney, Dinah Shore and other top celebrities of the era. Judy tells the story of how children's media changed with the advent of television and rock 'n' roll. She shares her memories as a child actress and backup singer.
Today, Judy is an historical portrayal artist, storyteller, speaker, singer/songwriter, and author. Judy makes history jump off the page. As a Chautauqua Scholar and Performance Artist, she portrays courageous women who have followed their convictions and changed the course of history. She presents musical storytelling programs about the history of work and labor, traveling troubadours, adventurers and explorers, and more. As a Kennedy Center trained Artist-In-Education, Judy offers exciting workshops on how to use the spoken word to bring history to life while encouraging reading and literacy. Judy performs for all ages, adapting her programs accordingly. She is masterful at researching and creating programs and Keynotes for specific requested themes.
In 2007, after 26 years in Miami, Florida, Judy dared to move to the far-colder climate of Jackson, Michigan. Here, she lives in Michigan’s First State Prison, once the largest walled prison on the planet, and now Armory Arts Village, a resident artists community. Armory Arts Village is listed on MSN in the top ten most unique buildings worldwide in which to live. Her historical storytelling has found yet a new outlet: Jackson Historic Prison Tours. Starting in the brick and mortar building that is Armory Arts, with bars still on the windows and surrounded by a 25’ granite wall with castle-like guard towers, Judy tells the fascinating history of how and why Jackson came to have the prison, along with gripping tales of prison life and colorful inmates. Then, she takes people on a bus to Seven-Block, a fully intact cellblock in a closed area of the operating Southern Michigan State Prison. This is where inmates went when the first prison closed in 1934. From Fairy Tales to Prison Tales, Judy is the consummate storyteller.