Comments:

• "Mr. Klein is a diligent scholar and talented actor who educated as well as he entertains. He is also a pleasure to work with" Chris Wilson, Smithsonian National Museum of American History -
• “Thirty-five years in professional and educational theatre have taught me that the prime requisite for a performer is to know his audience.   Fritz Klein as Abraham Lincoln not only knows the characteristics of particular age groups and interests, but he has that magical ability to adapt his performance to varying groups without sacrificing a whit of authenticity. Within a month’s time I saw Mr. Klein hold forth for a full-length performance mesmerizing an adult crowd that included many professional historians, and then a lively audience of elementary school children. Both performances grabbed and enraptured his audience.  I’ve seen (and often directed) many Lincolns over the years, but Fritz Klein has distilled our 16th President into living, breathing national treasure.”  Dr. Ken Bradbury (Educator, playwright, actor, musician, composer, and syndicated newspaper columnist.)
• The reaction from our clients to your presentation was exceptional.  Both the 'history buffs' and the 'history resistant' were very impressed with your talk.  Our conference survey included the following comments:
  - He did a great job!
  - I had met Mr. Klein previously but had not heard him speak. I thought his thoughts were engaging and was impressed that he could remain in character during the question and answer period.
  - Lincoln was a highlight, both fun and informational
  - You made a very good choice for the motivational speaker. His choice of words were very applicable to every day business and individual life. Kudos to all of you on this.
  - Fritz was Great............ Fantastic. Thank you
  I couldn't be more pleased with how the whole thing turned out.  Your interactive style was just what I was looking for in this setting.  I would be happy to recommend you in the future.  I'll look for you on TV in November.  Bob Blythe LRS Pensiongold Teaming Conference, Sept. 2009
• "Fritz Klein IS Abraham Lincoln - He exhibits all the complexity, wisdom, and great country humor that Lincoln possessed. We could not imagine a better Lincoln impersonator - our audiences spoke in raving terms about his appearance at our recent Civil War reenactment. We have invited him back." Jeff Schultz, Wade House State Historic Site, Greenbush, Wisconsin.
• " I wish I could adequately express my delight regarding your performance as Abraham Lincoln during the Indiana Chamber of Commerce Annual Awards Dinner..." "Your performance was absolutely outstanding and I was completely mesmerized throughout its duration. I can also relay to you how profoundly moved our attendees were that evening. My telephone has not stopped ringing!" Christopher LaMothe, President, Indiana Chamber of Commerce.
• "In the days following your performance at Westmer, I heard many favorable comments from students and teachers. We were impressed by your sensitivity to the audiences as you were able to change the direction of a story and alter inflection or volume to regain the children's attention. Your material was appropriate for each age group, and the children enjoyed listening." Robert Cummins, Principal, Westmer Elementary School, New Boston Illinois.
• "That was the best, most excellent assembly I've ever had in my life."  Gregory Robak, 4th Grade, Lincoln Elementary School, Highland Park, Illinois
• We worked with Fritz Klein last year for our Docudrama “Lincolns Last Night” that aired on TV pretty much world wide, including a primetime slot on NatGeo Channel US for B.Obama’s inauguration night, a primetime slot on national TV networks in Germany, France, Italy, Belgium etc.
• I am the executive producer of “The Real Abraham Lincoln” as our show was called in the U.S. and I can highly recommend to work with Fritz. He is very professional, has great and deep knowledge on Lincoln and is a positive character to work with. He constantly inspired us on the filming site and his performance was so good that NatGeo took him for all their further assignments with Lincoln stories and there were quite a few.
• We were glad that we choose to work with Fritz and hope you will also give him a chance to become one of  your best horses in your stable as we call it here in Germany.  Peter Bardehle  VIDICOM Media GmbH und Co KG, Geschäftsführer CEO: Dr. Peter Bardehle, Geffckenstr.15, 20249 Hamburg, Germany, TEL +49-40-222133, FAX: +49-40-2271 5757 bardehle@vidicom-tv.com // VISIT OUR WEBSITE: www.vidicom-tv.com // Company Registration Handelsregister Hamburg HRA 10754
• "...knew his material and one felt we were in the room with Abe Lincoln" Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, St Louis, MO
• In terms of his look and presence, Fritz really became Lincoln. Members of my crew even remarked to me how they "gasped when he walked into the room"...and felt as if "he'd just stepped out of a time portal from the 19th century". I noticed a change in everyone's behavior, as if they were truly in the presence of our 16th president. We shot Fritz with the Red Cameras at 4k resolution and even under this scrutiny he passed with flying colors. I highly recommend Fritz for any acting needs you may have. He's a great actor and when it comes to presenting Lincoln, he's the best in the business.  Tucker Bowen Freelance Director / Producer 
  
• I can whole heartedly endorse his skills having worked with him on my National Geographic Special "Lincoln: American Mastermind" which will air Nov 23rd at 9pm EST. Having worked with stage actors before, I was a little nervous Fritz's live event experience would have to be toned down for the intimacy of film work. However, this was not the case. Fritz's performance was wonderfully subtle and nuanced. He was right at home in front of the camera and really brought the character of Lincoln to life for us. He also brought to the table a wealth of knowledge and insight into Lincoln's behavior and mannerisms, even his speech patterns. In addition to his impressive acting chops, Fritz was a pleasure to work with...always patient and thoughtful, he responded well to direction, and gave it his all even late into the night.
• Fritz Klein has become Springfield’s go-to Abraham Lincoln presenter. He’s all over town — in “History Comes Alive” presentations, at news conferences, chiming in on tourism presentations. And now he’s omnipresent in the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum’s production of James Still’s play, “The Heavens Are Hung in Black.”                                
  Except for a few Walt Whitman interludes, Klein is in every scene and on stage for more than two hours of the two-hour,  20-minute production. It’s a tour-de-force of endurance and line memorization, if nothing else.                         
  But there is, in fact, something else. Klein also turns out to be the best actor in almost every scene, and this in a 20-some-character play that goes deep into central Illinois’ semipro acting community.  “Heavens” is a quasi-mystical, highly imaginative look at Lincoln’s decision to propose the Emancipation Proclamation,  with sidewise looks at military discipline, Gen. George McClellan’s “slows,” the Lincolns’ marriage, and the burden of the presidency. It’s complicated enough that the program includes a page with mini-bios of a dozen of the more-or-less major characters.                                                                                                       
  The play originally was commissioned for the Lincoln birthday bicentennial in 2009, as the inaugural production at the revamped Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C. The presidential museum, however, got an advance look at the script, and Phil Funkenbusch, who produced and directed the local version, says he’s been champing at the bit for nearly four years to put it on here.                                                                                                      
  One reason probably is that, although most of “Heavens” is staged around (and briefly beneath) Lincoln’s White House desk, what the play calls “the busy wilderness of Springfield” also plays no small role. One scene features a three-panel, blown-up photo of part of the Old Capitol square during the Lincoln family’s years in town, and both Abraham and Mary Lincoln (played by Pam Brown), remember the city wistfully. “Washington,” laments Mary, “lacks Springfield’s impulsive generosity.”                                                                                
  
  “Heavens” gets talky every now and then, delving, for instance, into the high weeds of the Dred Scott decision. And several characters, especially abolitionist John Brown (Patrick Foster) and Secretary of War Edwin Stanton (Stephan Kaplan) suffer from almost comically fake beards. As compensation, perhaps, Rick Dunham’s usual Elvis Himselvis pompadour adds color — and a couple inches in height — to Dunham’s portrayal of the shade of Stephen Douglas.
  
  Otherwise, Funkenbusch’s staging is impeccable, thanks in great part to the availability of the presidential museum’s Union Theater. Nowhere else in town offers the same combination of technical sophistication and audience intimacy, not to mention the museum’s overall Lincoln aura. (Not that those of us attending Sunday’s matinee had a chance to enjoy any aura; a gauntlet of museum workers whisked us into the theater, apparently so no one got an illicit museum tour as a bonus for our $18 “Heavens” ticket.)                                                                                     
  Supporting cast Pam Brown, almost as familiar to Springfieldians as Klein’s Abe, is a sympathetic and surprisingly vivacious Mary. Other supporting actors of note include Lucas McQuillan as Lincoln’s secretary, John Hay, Matthew Donathan and Alex Remolina, portraying the scene-stealing Lincoln boys, and Lincoln Ghost Tour impresario Garret Moffett as the bluff bodyguard Ward Hill Lamon. Corey M. Morrison deserves some kind of award for playing every black character — including an interesting one in the final scene about whom I’ll say no more.
  
  James Daniels might be the only “Heavens” actor whose stage presence matches Klein’s — no small thing, since Daniels portrays 19th-century stage star Edwin Booth (brother of John Wilkes) in a scene that culminates in a Booth vs. Lincoln Shakespearean poetry slam. “Few die well that die in battle,” Lincoln concludes, reflecting his anguish at the Civil War’s carnage.                                                                                                           
  Time after time, Klein’s Lincoln pulls you in, from romping around his desk as Tad’s horsie to solemn debates with Stanton over whether to pardon sleepy Union sentries, to awkwardly consoling Mary over the shattering death of 11-year-old Willy. In the end, “Heavens’ is hostage to its Lincoln, and Fritz Klein is up to the job.                  
  Source: SJ-R.com Assistant metro editor Mike Kienzler can be reached at 217-788-1519.                                                        
               

  Schools:

  "In the days following your performance at Westmer, I heard many favorable comments from students and teachers. We were impressed by your sensitivity to the audiences as you were able to change the direction of a story and alter inflection or volume to regain the children's attention. Your material was appropriate for each age group, and the children enjoyed listening." Robert Cummins, Principal, Westmer Elementary School, New Boston Illinois.

  "That was the best, most excellent assembly I've ever had in my life."  Gregory Robak, 4th Grade, Lincoln Elementary School, Highland Park, Illinois
  
  "Mr. Klein understands how to engage students by weaving together American history, Lincoln's early life, and the imiportance of good character through his storytelling." Todd Jefferson, Principal, Ridgeview Elementary School, Peoria, Illinois.