11-19-18 Interview
11-19-18 By the time he was 9 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 join the Ernie Flat dancers on the Carol Burnet show. He wanted to be a dancer! It was, he says, “in his DNA.” And, as if it was meant to be, a series of circumstances propelled him on the path of 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, Bonnie and Clyde – The Musical, Newsies, and Pulse. And luckily nor us he is back at the Asolo, teamed once again with the incomparable Noah Racey, to direct the Broadway classic Music Man. Listen to this thoughtful, generous, self-deprecating man talk about a life spent “imagining” for the theater.

5-24-16 Interview

6-21-16 Broadway Producer Ken Waissman decided what he was going to be at 6 years old when he saw his first Broadway plays. He was so profoundly affected by this experience that he can still recall moments from those early plays, like seeing Ella Logan standing at the footlights singing “How Are Things in Glocca Morra” in the original production of Finian’s Rainbow. Knowing that his father was in ‘business’ little Ken asked him who was ‘the boss’ of this amazing thing and when Dad replied “the producer,’” the dye was cast. Unwilling to wait until he grew up to pursue this passion, Ken began producing plays in the family basement when he was 11 years old. Remarkable ingenuity and resolve went into these productions, the profit from which was donated to charity, and Ken, already showing marketing savvy, made sure that the donations took place on TV. Ken went on to produce TV shows in Bogota Columbia for the Peace Corp, apprentice to the iconic theater guru George Abbot, and then to produce such Broadway hits as Fortune in Men’s Eye’s and Grease. Currently he is working on “Josephine” a musical based on the life of Josephine Baker which he expects to bring to Broadway. Listen to this exuberant, passionate man talk about the work to which he has given his life.

3-15-16 Audio Interview

Barry Pearl believes he was born to perform. He was singing, telling jokes and mimicking as a toddler. As the youngest boy in tap class, little Barry and the youngest girl performed for a large audience and Barry was “bitten.” He began to get roles in an adult company and was playing the Duke of York in a production with Roy Scheider when he was 9 years old. He got his first role on Broadway, that of Randolph McAfee in Bye Bye Birdie, when he was 11. And has been an actor ever since. Listen to Barry describe the “woo woo” way his life progressed: the unexpected way he became a director and the irony of having lost a role on a TV show just in time to be cast in the movie version of Grease. Currently Barry lives and works as an actor, director and teacher in Los Angeles. He has just finished a production of the musical 13 and will open a production of Camp Rock for Panic Productions at the NoHo Arts theatre in North Hollywood on May 6th.You can also see Barry as Stan Weaver (the producer for National Bandstand) in GREASE: LIVE which will air on March 27th on FOX.

6-26-12 – Interview

Director Jeff Calhoun describes Laura Osnes 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. She finally got her chance to define the role, when she starred as Bonnie of Bonnie and Clyde the Musical of the same name and to be rewarded for her amazing performance with a Tony nomination for Best Actress in a Musical. Listen to her sing songs from Frank Wildhorn and Don Black’s beautiful score, and you will understand why.

6-12-12 Interview

I interviewed the charming as he is talented Jeremy Jordan as he was about to star as the charismatic bad boy Clyde Barrow in Bonnie and Clyde the Musical. Surprisingly he didn’t intend to be an actor, He says that his first auditions for shows at the local community theater, 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. After deciding that engineering was not for him he didn’t know what he was going to do, so he just let life lead him. He sang in the school chorus 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 27 having already starred in Grease and West Side Story, created the role of Clyde Barrow in Bonnie and Clyde –The Musical, appeared in a movie with Dolly Parton, Jeremy is nominated for a Tony Award as Best Actor in a Musical for his standout performance in Newsies . Listen to his story and the extraordinary voice that got him that first role in high school as he sings the beautifully poignant Santa Fe, from the wonderful score of Newsies by Alan Menken and Jack Feldman.

6-5-12 – Interview

Nominated for the Tony for his direction of the Broadway Musical Newies (which has 8 nominations including Best Musical), Jeff Calhoun knew what he wanted to do by the time he was 8 years old: he wanted to be Dick Van Dyke, he wanted to be Fred Astaire, he wanted to dance 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 not only a dancer but a choreographer and a director of musicals like Jekyll and Hyde, Grease, Big River, Bonnie and Clyde – The Musical, 9-5 The Musical and many more. Listen to unexpected way he became the protege of the amazing Tommy Tune. And the remarkable series of happenstance’s that led to his working with such luminaries as Bob Hope, and Dolly Parton. Then hear one of the songs from Newsies wonderful score by Alan Menken and Jack Feldman.

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.