Lynne Bernfield: psychotherapist / author / consultant / speaker / musician / performer and media artist

2-21-12 – Interview

Four year old Peter Amster decided that if Peter Pan could fly so could he and he had to be restrained from jumping out of the window. From then on he never stopped pushing his limits. Although he was to discover that his body was not designed to dance, he became a passionate dancer and choreographer. Although he says he wasn’t a very good actor – he nonetheless got work, and finally although already a working director – he questioned his technique and expanded his skill. Peter is not only a triple threat; he is a charming, delightful and funny man. Listen to his remarkable journey and go see his direction of Noel Coward’s Fallen Angel at the Asolo Repertory Theater.

2-14-12 – Interview

Jeffrey Kin is a sextuple threat! He sings, he dances, he acts, he writes, he directs, he produces and all this while guiding the fate of Sarasota’s community theater – The Players. A farm boy who discovered as a small child that he was a performer, Jeffrey pursued his chosen field with a vengeance and now brings all of the knowledge and skill he’s garnered to The Players production of A Chorus Line, which opens on Feb 16th and which he not only directs acts in as well. Listen to this charming, dedicated, funny man talk about his life and work and hear a special song from A Chorus Line.

Bonnie and Clyde, the Musical will open on Broadway December 1, 2011. In the weeks before the opening I will be re broadcasting interviews I did with the stars and the creative team when they worked on the show at the Asolo Theater in Sarasota FL., and adding new interviews. First up is my interview with the multi-talented, wonderfully engaging and generous director of Bonnie and Clyde The Musical, Jeff Calhoun.

Interview with Jeff Calhoun 10-18-11 - By the time he was 8 years old Jeff Calhoun knew what he wanted to do: he wanted to be Dick Van Dyke, he wanted to be Fred Astaire, he wanted to dance with the Ernie Flat dancers on the Carol Burnett show; he wanted to be a dancer! It was “in his DNA.” And, as if it was meant to be, a series of circumstances propelled him on the path to becoming a dancer, choreographer and director of musicals. Listen to unexpected way he became the protégé of the amazing Tommy Tune and the remarkable series of happenstance’s that led to his directing such musicals as Jekyll and Hyde, Grease, Big River and most recently Bonnie and Clyde – The Musical, which will open on Broadway this December. Then hear one of the songs from Don Black and Frank Wildhorn’s wonderful score.

8-2-11

Stephanie Shine began dance class at three years old because the doctor said it would straighten her “wobbly ankle.” No one expected it to it to be the genesis of a life’s work. The mini-musicals she danced and sang in at the Linkletter Tot n Tot studio, and seeing musicals like Peter Pan, cemented her ambition to make a life in the theater. And seeing Franco Zeffirelli’s film Romeo and Juliet began a lifelong love affair with Shakespeare. Stephanie has worked as an actor and director and spent 25 years as the artistic director of the Seattle Shakespeare Company Stephanie met Sunny Thomson (listen to Sunny’s interview next week), and became the director of Sunny’s one woman show called Forever Blond, an homage to Marilyn Monroe. Listen to Stephanie’s description of the passion she and Sunny share to honor Marilyn Monroe on stage and hear Sunny bring Marilyn to life in a few of the songs from the show.

5-31-11 Interview

By the time he was 8 years old Jeff Calhoun knew what he wanted to do: he wanted to be Dick Van Dyke, he wanted to be Fred Astaire, he wanted to dance with the Ernie Flat dancers on the Carol Burnett show. He wanted to be a dancer! It was “in his DNA.” And, as if it was meant to be, a series of circumstances propelled him on the path to dancer, choreographer and director of musicals. Listen to unexpected way he became the protege of the amazing Tommy Tune and the remarkable series of happenstance’s that led to his directing such musicals as Jekyll and Hyde, Grease, Big River and most recently Bonnie and Clyde – The Musical, which is scheduled to open on Broadway this fall/winter. Then hear one of the songs from Frank Wildhorn’s wonderful score for Bonnie and Clyde sung by Jeremy Jordon as Clyde and Laura Osnes as Bonnie.

Interview with Betty Garrett Part 2

The second half of my interview begins with Betty talking about the impact that her husband’s decision to talk to the House on Un-American Activities Committee had on their lives. She describes the rejection they experienced and how it caused them to create a cabaret act which they toured in Europe and Las Vegas – where ironically the blacklist didn’t exist. She also talks about their courtship and marriage (she doesn’t believe in love at first sight, but that’s what happened); and describes her first hand experience with the dictatorial nature of the movie studio system. Listen to the life of a courageous, creative and candid woman and hear her singing with Gene Kelly, Jimmy Durante and her husband Larry Parks.

4-5-11 – ­Memorial for Betty Garrett – Part 1

Betty Garrett – was truly a singleton. A protege of Danny Kay, she starred on Broadway, capered on film with Frank Sinatra, Gene Kelly, Mickey Rooney and Red Skelton, made us laugh in Laverne and Shirley and It’s All in the Family, and was always a kind, loving, generous, accessible, friend. On April 6th 2011 at the forum in LA, people will be celebrating the life and work of this extraordinary woman. For the first two weeks in April I will be replaying an interview that I did with Betty several years ago.. Hear her remarkable story and some of her music, watch clips of her – go to my website to see clips of Betty in some of her movie roles…

4-5-11 – ­Memorial for. Betty Garrett – Part 1

From the moment the Bishop told Betty’s mother that she’d “better put that girl on the stage.” professionally Betty seems to have lived a charmed life. Her first dance performance was with the Martha Graham Company; her first acting role was with Orson Welles’ Mercury Theater co. She did everything from dancing in the chorus and a sort or strip tease at the 1939 World’s Fair, to performing and staring in Cabaret, Broadway, Film, TV, and recording. Listen to her funny, magical story and hear some of the music she made over the years with Milton Berle, Gene Kelly and of course her beloved husband Larry Parks.

October 26, 2010

Interview with Principal Ballet Dancer with the Sarasota Ballet Co, Victoria Hulland.

In this show I also include NY theater reviews of “Million $ Quartet”, “Memphis” and ” Freud’s Last Session”

October 19, 2010

Interview – Yaima Franco was only interested in her school studies and not the ballet class her parents took her to at age 8. At age 13, however, she realized that “she could do this” and so began an interest that grew into a passion. At 18 she auditioned for the Cuba Nation Ballet Co, where only 2 would be chosen. Yaima was told that she was great but had to lose 15 pounds in a month. She did this by eating only fruit and tea. Listen to Yalima’s story of the couples escape and her happy ending as mother of her 3 year old daughter and teacher of the students in the Sarasota Ballet Company

October 12, 2010

Octavio Martin is a principal dancer in the Sarasota Ballet Company, but before he could find his way to Sarasota, Octavio first had to escape (with his wife – whose story you will hear next week) from the clutches of the Cuban Ballet Co. Listen to the hair-raising story of their escape, his mission to assure boys that they can be both masculine and Ballet dancers, his love of his new home, and as always his passion for the Dance to which he has dedicated his life.