The following is excerpted from the Church News. To read the full article, CLICK HERE.
Dressed in a light blue shirt and dark suit, emcee Kirby Heyborne stood on the main stage and smiled into the camera as he introduced keynote speaker Kristin Chenoweth on the final day of RootsTech 2024.
“I’m thrilled to introduce a true powerhouse of talent and a beloved figure in the entertainment industry. She’s an Emmy and Tony Award-winning actress known for her extraordinary versatility. Her phenomenal voice can reach the stars, and she is an absolute delight to be around. Her charisma is bound to light up the stage, and her incredible voice will leave you all enchanted. Do you all know who I’m talking about yet?” he said with a laugh. “Let’s give a warm RootsTech welcome to my new BFF, the one and only Kristin Chenoweth.”
For the next 30 minutes in talk show fashion, Heyborne carried on an engaging conversation with Chenoweth about her life experiences and invited her to share her musical talents with the audience. When it was over, thousands gave Chenowth a standing ovation. She gave Heyborne a hug as she left the stage.
It was the fulfillment of something one of the RootsTech organizers told Heyborne a few days earlier: “You were born to do this.”
Heyborne sat down with the Church News during the three-day global family history conference to discuss his experience as RootsTech emcee, his call to serve as a Latter-day Saint bishop and other topics.
Who is Kirby Heyborne?
Heyborne, who served a Latter-day Saint mission in the Dominican Republic, is an actor, comedian, musician, singer, songwriter and award-winning audiobook narrator.
Many know the 47-year-old from his work in films centered around the culture of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, such as the “The Singles Ward” (2002), “The R.M.” (2003) and “The Best Two Years” (2003).
In 2019, he became the host of a BYUtv show called “Making Good,” in which he travels across America using his sense of humor and heart to help non-profit organizations to make a difference in their communities.
To read the full article, CLICK HERE.
