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 Theatre.

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.

2-7-12 – Interview

When twelve year old Larry Barrett sang in his school choir he made a discovery which has informed his entire life. He discovered that loved “collaboration.” He loved to be part of something larger than himself, working with others to create something new. Luckily Larry has many skills which allow him to do this in many areas of his life. An actor, writer, director and producer of theater as well as a dedicated and talented chef, Larry loves to combine his various talents and passions. Currently he is once again combining theater and food by presenting an evening of The Firesign Theaters’ Nick Danger, Third Eye, and a classic dinner from the famous Delmonico restaurant, every Wed and Thursday in February. Listen to him describe this delightful event, his unique take on afternoon teas and the ingenious dinner parties he has invented for his catering company Simply Gourmet. Also hear a piece from The Outrageous Firesign Theater.

1-31-12 Interview

Clyde Compton arrived at his chosen career of directing in a very unusual way. A “regular boy” of 12 who played sports and had no interest in theater, Clyde was smitten by a girl who happened to be in a school play, so he allowed himself to be persuaded to take a role and was amazed to find that he really liked it. Although he still thinks he may one day go to Law School or become a neurologist, in the meanwhile Clyde is delighted to be assisting established directors Gordon Greenberg and Peter Amster, in their direction of “Yentl” and “Fallen Angels.” Listen to Clyde talk about directing and specifically the different approaches taken by directors who have or have not begun their careers as actors. And hear a review of ‘God of Carnage” by Sharon Leslie.

1-24-12 – Interview

In this show I am replaying portions of an interview I previously did with Greg Leaming who is the Director of the FSU Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training Company and Assistant to Michael Donald Edwards the Producing Artistic Director at the Asolo. In that interview Greg described his philosophy of teaching acting and gave interesting insights into training techniques. Then I am playing a follow up interview in which Greg talks about directing and specifically his direction of the Tony Award Winning “God of Carnage”.

1-10-12 Interview

Mark Rucker discovered that he was a director in the third grade when, confronted by chaos, he spontaneously directed his classmates in a recitation of The Night Before Christmas. He says “I loved it, and they seemed to appreciate it.” I’m sure that they did. Mark has the skill of giving his actors “room to discover,” and still get what he wants on the stage. Listen to him talk about the many tools a director can use to create magic, and come see his delightful direction of Once in a Lifetime, a hilarious play he discovered and fell in love with when he was 12 years old.

1-3-12 Interview

Michael Newton-Brown’s Dad was a high school track coach, who might have wanted his son to be a jock. He tried to interest him in golf and put a pole vault in his hands and said jump (listen to Michael’s reaction to that). But Dad was somehow able to allow Michael be who he really is – a deeply creative person who was drawn to and consequently learned everything there is to know, about making theater happen. There were many twists and turns in Michael’s path. He found himself in the middle of several violent eruptions in the 60’s. He went on the road with the newly discovered Bette Midler and Barry Manilow. And luckily for Sarasota finally found a home there. He is currently directing the quirky musical Dear World, at the Players Theater in Sarasota. Listen to Michael’s unusual story and hear a song from the show.

12-27-11 Interview

Jeff Calhoun – the director of Bonnie and Clyde The Musical calls set and costume designer Tobin Ost his “secret weapon.” Soft spoken and serious Tobin thought he was going to be an architect. But when, as a high school student he was turned down for a job at an architectural firm, he approached the theater across the street, was hired and the rest is history. Listen to the twists and turns that led Tobin inexorably to what it without question his right place.

12-20-2011 Interview

Ivan Menchel wrote the script for Bonnie and Clyde The Musical. He was born into a show-biz family; his mother is a singer and his father was a stand-up comic. With an early life filled with writers, performers, comics, etc, perhaps Ivan would have been a writer no matter what, but it was the tragic events of his early life which dictated the kind of writer he would become and the kind of material he would have to write. The deaths of his three month old brother when he (Ivan) was only five, and his beloved father when he was 18, were the impetus for his very first writing and continue to inform his work to this day. Listen to this charming man talk about the courageous struggle he waged to integrate these dreadful events and the fallout of despair and depression that he was somehow able to turn into comedy.

12-13-11 Interview

Although he knew he could sing – having made his solo debut in church in the 2nd grade – Joel Hatch always thought he was headed for the seminary and a religious life. Despite being cast as the lead in Annie Get Your Gun and The Sound of Music, Joel doggedly continued to believe that he would become a Pastor. After graduation he spent a year as an assistant Pastor and learned that there were things about that life that were not what he wanted. Ironically Joel found that he had more opportunity to lead a truthful life on the stage than in the Church. Listen to this thoughtful, interesting man talk about this discovery and hear the song he sings in My Fair Lady, performed here by Robert Coote and Rex Harrison from the film version.

12-6-11 – Interview

Jeff Parker began appearing in musicals at his church as a youngster but it was not until spending the summer of his high school junior year at Northwestern University’s National High School Institute, that he began to think seriously about a career in theater. He did four years of actor training at California’s USC, but knowing that he could always fall back on ‘the family business,’ Jeff kind of coasted. While teaching at Northwestern’s Institute, a friend surprised him by setting up an audition at the theater she was working at. He got the job and literally never looked back. Today Jeff is starring as Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady at the Asolo Repertory Theatre in Sarasota FL. Charming and easygoing he nonetheless makes you believe that Henry Higgins is cold, and even boorish. Listen to Sharon Leslie’s review of the show and two songs from the film version of the show, sung by Rex Harrison.

11-29-11 – Click here to listen to the Interviews

Interview with Laura Osnes
Director Jeff Calhoun describes Laura as “beautiful inside and out” and it is definitely true. The term unaffected is old-fashioned but seems to apply here; Laura seems almost unaware of her beauty, talent and sweetness. And her story is perfect for her; from the beginning others saw the potential star in her and encouraged it. Listen to the remarkable way her career simply unfolded, including how she won her starring role in Grease on a reality show. From there she captured roles in South Pacific and Anything Goes, but they were roles others had created. On Dec 1st Laura gets her chance to define a role – she will put her stamp on Bonnie Parker, beloved partner of Clyde Barrow. If you want to catch a rising star – hurry on down to the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre, and see Laura launched.

Interview with Don Black
If Laura Osnes and Jeremy Jordan are on the cusp of their careers, Don Black the lyricist for Bonnie and Clyde the Musical is riding the crest of his. With more than 1000 songs for film and stage to his credit, mega hits – To Sir With Love and Born Free among them – Don continues to write songs which perfectly establish and define the characters for whom he is writing. Lyrics like the exuberant “When I Drive” and the poignant “My Bonnie” help us see the Clyde behind the gun. And the lyrics for “You Love Who You Love” and “Dying” help us understand why a “sweet girl like Bonnie” would give her life to a “bad boy” like Clyde. A tried and true veteran Don continues to love the life he’s chosen, to appreciate the opportunity to dream. He says that old song writers maintain a “twinkle,” and a spring in their step, this is definitely true of Don. Listen to him twinkle and .hear his beautiful lyrics.

11-22-11 Interview

Jeremy Jordan is charismatic bad boy Clyde Barrow in Bonnie and Clyde the Musical, which is now in preview and will be opening on Broadway 12/1/11, but he didn’t intend to be an actor. From the beginning Jeremy could sing and his Mom encouraged him to audition for shows at the community theater, but his first auditions were “horrible” and he “couldn’t even get cast in Peter Pan or Oliver Twist.” But he didn’t mind because he was a really good student and thought he was going to be an engineer. Just before his junior year in high school Jeremy attended a prestigious conference to jump-start his engineering career and realized that he had no interest in the field. As he says, “when you go for your career and return remembering only a couple of pretty faces, you know something is wrong.” Not knowing what he was going to do with his life Jeremy let life lead him. He sang in chorus in school and was heard by someone who offered him a role in a play. Jeremy was hooked and knew that this was the life he was meant for. And it must be true because at 26 he’s already had starring roles in Grease and West Side Story, Newses and now, he will be creating the role of Clyde Barrow, Listen to Jeremy describes the difference between telling people you are an actor (before you’ve had any success) and then when you can say you’re on Broadway….and hear the many sides of Clyde Barrow and the multi talents of Jeremy Jordan as he sings 2 songs from the show.

11-15-11 Interview

Continuing my series of interviews with the creative team and stars of Bonnie and Clyde The Musical which opens on Broadway December 1, 2011- is my interview with the composer Frank Wildhorn. Frank says “As soon as my hands hit the keys, although I didn’t know what I was doing, I knew I was making music.” He was 14 and living in Hollywood Florida where his family had relocated, and although terrifically enjoying all the things his new Florida home had to offer, Frank’s future was sealed; he would make music. One after another mentors came into his life; a friend’s musician father cautioned him to avoid having ‘something to fall back on’ as his parents had urged, because he said “if you do, you’ll fall back on it.” Miraculously, famous, talented and accomplished mentors like actor/director John Housman and lyricist Leslie Bricuse came into his life and “took him under their wing” Listen to the mysteriously directed life and the glorious music of Frank Wildhorn.

11-08-11 Interview Part 3

On December 15th 1941, (following the bombing of Pearl Harbor) President Franklin Delano Roosevelt requested that Norman Corwin’s radio play “We Hold These Truths,” become the first radio program to be carried by all the network stations in the country. Written to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the ratification of the Bill of Rights, and starring Edward Arnold, Walter Brennen, Bob Burns, Walter Huston, Marjorie Mane, Edward G Robinson, Corporal James Stewart.

11-1-11 Interview Part 2

The second half of my interview with 100 year old Norman Corwin begins with his description of Orson Wells’ narrating “We Hold These Truths,” which Norman wrote to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the ratification of the Bill of Rights and which was rebroadcast 50 years later on NPR to celebrate its 200th anniversary. Hear him tell the story of the program he created for Election Eve, the year that FDR ran against Thomas Dewey, and his unwillingness to be paid for it because of his concern that he would “not be safe” at CBS if he declared himself a Democrat. Norman’s story continues with the description of his relationship with actor Charles Laughton and how this relationship lead to a career in Hollywood and the writing of screenplays for films such as “Lust For Life,” the Vincent Van Gogh story which he wrote for director Vincent Minnelli and starred Kirk Douglas. Finally hear a portion of his radio play “Between American’s” – also narrated by Orson Wells.

And listen next week for the full airing of “We Hold These Truths.”

I’m interrupting the airing of my Bonnie and Clyde The Musical interviews to dedicate the next 3 shows to what I believe is the last interview given by Norman Corwin who died on 10/18/11 at the age of 101. I interviewed Mr. Corwin at his home shortly before his 100th birthday. Propped in his wheelchair, with little capacity to move his ancient body, Mr. Corwin was nonetheless lucid, erudite, and remembered virtually everything about his 70 plus year career. After the interviews I will rebroadcast one of his most beloved radio plays “We Hold These Truths.”

10-25-11 Norm Corwin Interview Part 1

Norman Corwin has been called “the poet laureate of radio,” the Bard of Broadcasting, a “citizen of the world” “and “to radio what Shakespeare was to theater.” He is truly a national treasure. Listen to the hilarious “accidents” which propelled his career. Hear the story of his interview with world’s greatest ashcan roller, (who could roll an ashcan faster and further than anyone without spilling an ash,”) and was the very first interview ever broadcast on radio, to the production,”On a Note of Triumph.,” written to mark the end of the war in Europe, which then president FDR had alerted him was soon to come, so that he could have the piece ready in time.

The Plot to Overthrow Christmas
[youtube pckeK56C4cw]

Orson Welles performs “Between Americans” by Norman Corwin 1 of 3
[youtube _F-HnMh312c]

Orson Welles performs “Between Americans” by Norman Corwin 2 of 3
[youtube FU1v2r41Sbo]

Orson Welles performs “Between Americans” by Norman Corwin 1 of 3
[youtube NOoKNqqiySA]

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.

10-4-11 Re-broadcast of Interview with Dick Smothers – Part 1

While I am in New York doing follow up interviews with the Cast and Creative Team of Bonnie and Clyde the Musical – which opens on Broadway December 2, 2011. I am re-broadcasting two of my favorite shows, both with the delightful Dickie Smothers. At the beginning of both shows I am talking about Brain Chemistry and how the chemicals our brain drops into our blood stream, cause us to think, feel and act in ways which, while once appropriate, even self-defensive, may have now become counterproductive. And what we can do about it.

9-27-11

Benny Green is in love with jazz music. A student of the roots of jazz, Benny says that while the people who created it were often despised, their music was beloved, even by those who despised its creators. And so he calls it a “victorious music.” As a small child Benny picked out notes on the piano that he heard on the Thelonious Monk records his father loved to play. His fate was sealed – he would be a jazz musician – the real thing. Benny says he was fortunate enough to be “lead” to teachers, mentors, and “musical parents” like Ray Brown, Oscar Peterson Freddie Hubbard, Art Blakey, and Betty Carter, who validated his place in jazz music. Listen to this gentle yet passionate musician talk about the music and the culture of jazz, and hear his remarkable fingers on the piano when I play a couple of cuts from his most recent CD called Source..