Columbus native Phil Geoffrey Bond has received a number of honors for his work in the theatrical arts — including several awards from the Manhattan Association of Cabarets and a Presidential Medallion awarded by President Bill Clinton for his work as a young playwright.
However, when asked what he felt his greatest accomplishment was, Bond simply replied, “Being a nice person.”
“It’s a quality lacking all too frequently in our current climate,” he said. “Also, not allowing the traumatic events of my past to define my present nor my future.”
In May, Bond will add another achievement to the list — his induction into Columbus East High School’s Alumni Wall of Fame. According to the school’s alumni association, he will be honored on May 13 with a 6 p.m. reception at East and an official ceremony later that night, during the intermission of the Spring Choir Concert, which begins at 7 p.m.
Bond, who plans to attend the reception, said that the award brings with it a sense of nostalgia.
“I’m just very touched and grateful that someone would consider me,” he said. “High school is both rewarding and tough for everyone, so to come back all these years later — it’s surreal.”
Bond graduated from East in 1993. In 2021, former East performing arts administrator Nancy Kessler — who Bond described as “the administrative glue” that held the entire department together — told her friend and former student that she’d like to nominate him for the honor. When he later found out he’d received the award, Bond was “delighted and, well, pretty shocked.”
Nominations for the Wall of Fame are evaluated based on “contributions in professional achievements, honors or awards received, community service, meritorious contributions to society and memoriam for death in the line of duty.”
“The program is working to build a legacy of excellence for past, present and future generations of Columbus East students,” the association said.
Bond is the founder and CEO of Above Deck Entertainment, which provides Broadway performers to the cruise industry. During his career in the arts, he has been a theatrical publicist, an assistant producer for the Broadway production of “The Lion King,” and director of programming and original programming at 54 Below, one of New York’s premier cabaret venues. He has held leadership roles in various New York theaters and recently returned to Broadway to co-produce the play “Hangmen.” He has also written various books, such as “The Last Year at Low Tide,” “My Queer Youth” and “Small Town Confessions.”
Additionally, Bond recently partnered with Yellow Sound Label to produce the three-volume, six-disc set “Sondheim Unplugged: The NYC Sessions,” commemorating the work of the late composer Stephen Sondheim. One critic at broadwayworld.com called the effort “a landmark collection destined to be a major contribution to the canon of Sondheim recordings.” The recordings feature 70 vocalists and more than 120 of Sondheim’s songs backed only by piano. The third volume is scheduled for release in June.
The project grew out of Bond’s popular and award-winning cabaret series, “Sondheim Unplugged,” which he has orchestrated for more than a decade.
Closer to home, Bond’s contributions to the community included organizing Arts For AIDS performance fundraisers, which supported Indianapolis’ Damien Center in its work treating HIV and AIDS patients.
While Bond considers Columbus his hometown, he was born in the suburbs of Detroit. His family moved here when he was 5, as his father had accepted a position with Cummins. He remembers many of his teachers from the town with fondness and remains in touch with some of them, including one who helped him amid a difficult time in junior high.
“I was bullied ruthlessly and relentlessly,” he said. “However, there was one teacher, Mary Kendrick, who really took me under her wing. Recognizing my interest in theatre, she brought me her LP’s of Broadway cast albums so I could listen to them in the library. She even arranged a reading of my first play during my 7th or 8th grade Lit class.”
Bond was involved in community theatre from a very young age, participating in productions with the Mill Race Players and Columbus Theatre Arts Guild. When he wasn’t onstage, he was working behind the scenes.
In addition to theatre, he was also involved in speech and choir during his time at East.
“But really, my life revolved around the drama department and a very influential and brilliant teacher named Ray LeBlanc, who passed on fairly recently,” said Bond. “He instilled in all of us a deep sense of professionalism, even at that age, that I carry with me to this day.”
He also remembers then-principal Philip Huston as a man who knew most students by name and “supported the performing arts on one end of the building as much as sports, which were situated on the other.”
Bond commended East for its commitment to the arts. During his time there, students were able to participate in not only drama, but a number of different musical ensembles. The experience was “life-changing” for him, but many public school students don’t have those same opportunities, he noted.
“Having opportunities like that at a young age also creates a sense of community,” he said.
When asked what advice he would give to students who want to go into the theatre industry, Bond said, “If you feel passionate about anything else, do that instead. But if you really believe that this is where it’s at for you — throw yourself at it with ferocity. DON’T wait for the phone to ring or that magic email or text to come. Create your own opportunities.”
For instance, during Bond’s time in Columbus, he “begged” to be involved in a theatrical revue being performed at The Commons — and ended up operating a spotlight.
The show? “Side by Side by Sondheim.”
The rest, said Bond, is history.
