Don Knotts’ daughter coming to Wichita for one-woman show on her dad
Growing up, Ken Spurgeon liked the “The Andy Griffith Show.”
He especially liked Don Knotts.
So, two years ago when the Kansas filmmaker and historian saw Karen Knotts – the daughter of Don Knotts who played Deputy Barney Fife on the famed show – was doing a show, Spurgeon decided he wanted to get her to come to Wichita.
He’s booked her for Century II’s Mary Jane Teall Theater for Nov. 8 at 7 p.m.
“My admiration for her dad was what started this,” Spurgeon said. “I heard she was a librarian and spent much of her life trying to be a regular person. I wanted to hear her story about growing up around ‘The Andy Griffith Show’ and being around her dad and Ron Howard. We reached out to her – not that I have a lot of money but hopefully, we can sell tickets.”
Don Knotts died in 2006.
The theater seats 650 people.
Spurgeon said Knotts will do comedy in her “Tied Up in Knotts” concert but will also talk about her father.
A native Kansan, Spurgeon said he is a descendant of Civil War veterans. His interest in Kansas history began, he said, by hearing family stories about 19th-century Kansas and the roles his family played.
His most recent movie, “The Road to Valhalla,” tells the story of the Kansas-Missouri border tensions from the time of the state’s territorial period throughout the Civil War, using historic photographs, interviews and re-enactment footage. It also includes the state’s legacy after the war was over.
The documentary is narrated by actor Buck Taylor, who is best known for having played Newly O’Brien in the long-standing CBS series “Gunsmoke.” Spurgeon said Wednesday that Taylor’s connections in Hollywood helped inspire him to bring Karen Knotts to Wichita. His next interest is producing a documentary on Smith County pioneer doctor Brewster Higley and his “Home on the Range” cabin.
In a news release, Karen Knotts describes in a prepared statement what to expect in her one-woman show: “I try to capture the essence of Don, the man, because I always thought he was funniest when he was just being himself.”
Reach Beccy Tanner at 316-268-6336 or btanner@wichitaeagle.com. Follow her on Twitter: @beccytanner.
If you go
‘Tied Up in Knotts’
When: 7 p.m., Nov. 8, Century II’s Mary Jane Teall Theater, 225 W. Douglas.
Tickets: Cost is $20 per ticket and can be purchased at Century II box office or www.wichitatix.com
This story was originally published October 16, 2014 at 6:48 AM with the headline "Don Knotts’ daughter coming to Wichita for one-woman show on her dad."