4.17.23

Broadway star Karla Burns’ legacy lives on at Wichita State

Karla Burns graduated from Wichita State in 1981 and embarked on an award-winning career as a singer and stage performer. When she passed away in 2021, two of the Wichitan’s closest friends established the Karla Burns Memorial Scholarship for Performing Artists at WSU to honor her memory.

“Education was a huge part of Karla’s life,” said Rick Bumgardner, who, in addition to being her close friend, also directed her in a few stage productions. “We wanted to pass the torch and keep her legacy alive to help other young students in the program.”

Bumgardner and Tom Frye are the two responsible for starting the memorial scholarship, and both have fond memories of their time with Karla as students at Wichita State, where the three developed a friendship that spanned decades.

Frye said Burns would often stay with him when she returned to Wichita after a production, and he recalls one trip in particular when she wanted to run a song by him that she had been practicing. “We were just sitting around the kitchen table at 11 o’clock at night and she sang ‘Home’ from the ‘Wizard of Oz,’” he said. “Her vocal range and her empathy toward the song were unbelievable. She was the highlight of any production she was in, and that was why.”

Burns was the first Black performer to win a Laurence Olivier Award, Britain’s highest stage honor, which she received for her role as Queenie in the production “Show Boat.” Her performance was also nominated for a Tony Award and won her a Drama Desk Award.

“One of the things that set Karla apart was that she was every bit as much an actress as a singer,” said Frye. “She never stopped working on her craft. She would call her college vocal instructors to do lessons over the phone whenever she landed a new role. She was dedicated.”

Frye and Bumgardner hope the students who receive this scholarship recognize what it means, and, like Burns, are able to know that the world is their oyster no matter what their background is.

“Karla gave so much of herself to everyone she met, and this scholarship is keeping that spirit alive by educating young artists,” said Bumgardner. “Music speaks to your soul; it’s the chords of your life. It’s important for us to continue teaching it and making it.”

The Karla Burns Memorial Scholarship was awarded for the first time this year, and while it is not yet endowed, Frye and Bumgardner hope more individuals who were inspired by Burns’ legacy will consider giving. Once the fund reaches the endowed level, it will provide scholarships each year in perpetuity.

Alexis McGowan, a senior graduating this spring, was the first recipient of the scholarship.

“It’s such an honor to receive this scholarship and I’m proud to be a part of carrying on her legacy and her memory,” she said.

For more information on how to support the scholarship, contact Alyssa Scott at alyssa.scott@wichita.edu.