12-17-18 Interview

2/1718 Michael Donald Edwards is in his thirteenth season as producing artistic director of Asolo Repertory Theatre. As a boy he attended Catholic schools where he was steeped in theology and philosophy and thought of becoming a priest or a teacher. He didn’t see a play until college, where he discovered what he was really meant to do with his life. But having given up religion for theater he none the less maintained his passion for philosophy and the life of the spirit. Listen to this articulate, passionate, sometimes outrageous man talk about his belief in the “golden rule” and how it informs his work. Then hear him describe Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible” which he is directing for this season at the Asolo.

10-15-18 Interview

12/10/18 Press agent Susan L. Schulman has done publicity for all kinds of artists; authors, performers, etc. But her first love was the theater was and that is where she spent most of her career. She worked on Dream, Dancin’, Sly Fox, State Fair, Applause, Death of a Salesman, A Streetcar Named Desire, Scapino, Death and the Maiden, and Requiem for a Heavyweight, with Mary Martin, George C. Scott, Lauren Bacall, Yul Brynner, Robert Redford, David Merrick, Bob Fosse, Raul Julia, Zero Mostel, Vanessa Redgrave, Henry Winkler, Lesley Ann Warren, Katharine Hepburn, Glenn Close, and Mike Nichols, to name a few Her first book “Backstage Pass to Broadway: True Tales from a Theatre Press Agent” was so successful that she just released a second edition subtitled “MORE True Tales from a Theatre Press Agent.” Listen to Susan tell the serendipitous story of how she became what she was clearly always meant to be, and grab a copy of Backstage Pass to Broadway – a great choice as a holiday gift for anyone interested in theater or insider stories.

11-26-18 Interview

11-25-18 – By popular demand Sheldon Rhoden is reprising his role as the iconic performer Marvin Gaye in the Westcoast Black Theater Troupe’s next production, Marvin Gaye – Prince of Soul. Sheldon clearly remembers the very first time he sang in public. He was six years old and singing in front of his church congregation. He sang with his eyes closed, simply concentrating on the song. When he opened his eyes he was surprised to see the reaction of the congregation – they were smiling. Sheldon can still remember the delicious feeling of bringing a smile to the faces of his audience. Today he is still motivated by his desire to use his gift to make people smile. Listen to this thoughtful young man talk about his intention to bring pleasure and joy wherever he can, and to strive always to be better. And come to see Marvin Gaye – Prince of Soul and let Sheldon put a smile on your face.

11-12-18 Interview

11/12/18 Director James Dean Palmer’s life is proof that miracles can still happen. James’ miracle was not metaphysical – it was human. Born into circumstances which almost certainly would have doomed him to an unpleasant and perhaps short life, James was lucky enough to have many people intervene. These interventions allowed him to recognize, utilize and benefit from abilities and skills he might otherwise never have known he had. Listen to this delightful, passionate man tell his moving story and describe his remarkable journey. And come down to the Asolo Conservatory to see him use those skill in his direction of Tom Stoppard’s powerful play Arcadia.

10-1-18 Interview

10/15/18 Sandra Musicante is a theater person, she has done and loved all the jobs it takes to get a show on. She discovered very young that she loved to sing. And in middle school found that she also loved, and was good at, acting. She had her heart set on becoming a performer but her father, who had old school ideas, forbid it. But although she took many jobs, married and had a child, she never stopped being involved with theater. She acted in Community Theater and synagogue productions, she made sets, did lights, stage managed and was an assistant director. And currently she is part of the ensemble cast of the delightful musical version of the movie Calendar Girls which is open’s on 10/18 in the Kiwanis Theater at The Manatee Preforming Arts Center.

7-9-18 Interview

10/1/18 In Part 2 of our interview, musician, composer, educator and philosopher Stephen Miles describes the “accident” which caused him to explore new ways for audiences to experience music and led to the creation of New Music New College, which is celebrating its 20th year. He describes innovations, like Club Sudakoff, which provides a Cabaret atmosphere instead of the conventional, static setting in which music is usually heard. Listen to Stephen describe his belief that music can actually affect behavior. Many of his compositions are intended to achieve that goal and in this interview he describes one which does just that. Come out on Thursday Oct. 4, to hear this season’s first New Music New College Artist Conversation and on Sat Oct 6th to experience So Percussion.

9-1718 Interview –

9/17/18 Part 3 of my interview with Roger Steffins begins with his description of how he discovered Bob Marley and Reggae Music and how this discovery became a lifelong obsession. Today his collection of records, posters and other memorabilia, is the largest in the world. Hear about his frustrating campaign to establish an archive of this collection as the Museum of Reggae Music in Jamaica. Then he describes his years of doing a radio show on MPR, the creation of the Reggae/African Music newsletter which lasted 28 years and had as many as 60,000 subscribers, his relationships with film greats Waldo Salt, Bill Link and John Ritter which led to his career as an actor and narrator of film, audio books and documentaries.

9-10-18 Interview

9/10/18 The radicalization of Roger Steffins. Part 2 of my 3 Part interview with Roger takes him through his service in the army during the Vietnam War. Listen to Roger describe his extraordinary experiences, including; training in Psyops, having had the Tet Offensive happen all around him, and being responsible for tons of food and clothing delivered to displaced refugees. Listen to him talk about the impact his war-time experience had on his beliefs, the life he then chose to lead as a result, and the work it spawned. This segment ends with my asking Roger about his relationship with the legendary Bob Marley.

9-3-18 Interview

9/3/18 This is the first of a 3 part interview with the indescribable Roger Steffins. It seems impossible that one person would have had the time, energy or talent to care about and/or do all the things that Roger has both cared about and done. Truly Roger demonstrates what we humans are capable of, but which few achieve. In this segment Roger describes his early love of, interest in, passion for all things visual which begins at the age of 5 with stamp collecting, all things written, beginning with newspapers, he wrote his first newspaper at seven both the copy and the editorial cartoon, and the serendipitous way in which he created his one man show “Poetry for people who hate poetry”’ which took him all over the world. This segment ends with my asking Roger if he was drafted during the Viet Nam war.

2-11-19 Interview

Many artists describe themselves and their work with one or a few adjectives, they’re a writer, a painter, a musician, an actor, a singer, a dancer; they work with light or sound or design. Eliza Ladd uses all these adjectives and more to describe herself and her art. She has spent her life exploring every possible way a person can express themselves creatively. Although she didn’t know how she was going to use all the skills she pursued, Eliza followed her curiosity and instinct and has created an art which synthesizes all of the skills she studied, trained in and developed. Listen to this spontaneous, guileless, breathless woman describe a journey for which there was no roadmap, a life in which she had to be her own guide and in which she created an Art which is uniquely her own

8-13-18-23-8/13/18 Memorial to Jimmy Clark.

This is an interview I did in 2011 when Jimmy was part of the ensemble company of 12 Angry Men. In it he recounts his life from his five year old memory of seeing Jimmy Cagney in Midsummer Night’s Dream and telling his mother that he wanted to “live there,” through his eccentric education and rapid success. He is candid, spontaneous, outrageous, self-deprecating, funny and serious by turns. He is quintessential Jimmy Clark and all the reasons that he is missed.18 Interview

7-23-18 Interview

8/6/18 Monica Cross’s mother loved to sew and she passed her love of creating costumes on to her daughter. But that was just the beginning of a life dedicated to all things theater for Monica. Today, as the Production Manager and Technical Director of the black box theater at Sarasota’s New College, she acts, directs, costumes, creates lights, sound and scenery and teaches. In her spare time she writes. Her first full-length play The Wonder of Our Stage, recently won the competition at the new play reading festival at the Players Theater and will be fully produced next season. Listen to Monica talk about her discovery that theater was where she belonged and her infectious passion for all the things she does there.

7-30-18 Interview

Actor, singer, dancer, musician, educator Kyle Blanzel realized that he was performer when his 2nd grade costar, Mrs. Claus, sang his line instead of hers and he went on with the show, just like a professional. Years of training and understudying Joe Kinosian, one of the writers of Murder for Two, in the National Tour of the show, made him the absolutely best choice to portray the role/s (12) he is currently playing in the Florida Studio Theater production. Don’t miss this!

7-23-18 Interview

7/23/18 Pianist, singer, director, actor, musical director Paul Helm was lucky. From the elderly babysitter who convinced his parents to give four year old Paul piano lessons, to the choir teacher who “saw something in him,” to the agent who having seen Paul on stage, pursued him until Paul agreed to leave his beloved Wisconsin and make the leap to New York City, Paul has been led to the career which he “loves” and which although often difficult, he “wouldn’t have it any other way.” Listen to this enthusiastic young man talk about his work and don’t miss his delightful performance in the wacky and wonderful musical “Murder for Two” at Florida Studio Theater.

7-16-18 Interview

When he was five years old and had never taken a piano lesson Mark Kroll could play by ear the pieces his eight year old brother was studying. His brother was so embarrassed by his baby brother’s ability that he gave up the piano, but Mark never did. Dreaming of being a concert pianist Mark filled his life with music, studying, practicing and listening to his favorite works, by his favorite pianists and composers. At seventeen he fell in love with “early music,” but thought it didn’t sound quite right played on the piano. Then he heard Harpsichordist Ralph Kirkpatrick play and his fate was sealed. Listen to Mark tell the story of his parents moving his bed out of the bedroom to make room for his harpsichord. And get a taste of Mark playing.

6-18-18 Interview

12 year old Trudie Kessler was recruited to help her 18 year old brother learn his lines for a high school play. Watching him on stage and mouthing all his lines, Trudie knew that she wanted to do that too. She waited, not to patiently, for freshman year to arrive when she was finally able to audition. Terrified, but determined, she auditioned for, was cast in the first freshman play and she was “home.” Like many others who fall in love with an art, Trudie was determined to have a steady paycheck and so although she majored in Theater she always knew she would teach. Adding directing and voice to her skill set Trudie taught theater first at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City and then at the Goodman School of Drama, which was adopted by DePaul University, where she taught voice, acting and directing for 33 years. Retirement has given her an opportunity to get back on stage herself. Listen to this lovely woman talk about a life dedicated to experiencing and passing on the joys of theater. And come see her demonstrate that joy as she plays Hannah the “shotgun” – matchmaker, in the Players Theater production of Crossing Delancey.

8-2-16 Interview

When Alto Sax player Frank Ascone was four years old he saw the Louis Prima band and fell in love. Unable to play an instrument at that time little Frank taught himself to tap dance. Seeing that he was captured by Jimmy Dorsey’s clarinet, his parents bought Frank a $200.00 clarinet for his 11th birthday and his fate was sealed. He loved the instrument, learned quickly and on his 13th birthday his parents bought him a saxophone. Although music was and would always be his “life” Frank wanted to have a steady paycheck – something a career in music was not guaranteed to provide – so Frank went to art school and for many years balanced his full time job and his love of playing music. When gigs for Sax became less plentiful Frank taught himself to play the drums and piano, now retirement has given him an opportunity to indulge his lifelong passion for music. Listen to this delightful, self-deprecating man, who can’t “pass a piano without sitting down to play,” describe a life in which music is his constant companion.

6-4-18 Interview

6/4/18 Actor, theater maker Brendan Ragan loves being on stage. He always knew he was a natural; but he “never wanted to settle for pretty good,” and the need to hone his “artistry,” to be pushed, to be torn down and rebuilt if that was what it took for him to reach his personal best, drives him. It drove him to risk to joining 11 other graduates to create Single Carrot, a theater company in Baltimore on what was – although they didn’t know it – the most dangerous street in town; it drove him to leave there, although people thought he was crazy to leave that wonderful set up, and apply to graduate school; and its driven him to join Summer Wallace and Harry Lipstein in creating the Urbanite theater in Sarasota. Listen to this passionate, articulate man talk about his obsession to create the very best theater experience he can for himself and his audience, come see him demonstrate his “artistry” in the Urbanite’s current production of “Incognito”

1-15-18 Interview

5-28-18 Jerry Billik is a composer, arranger, songwriter, conductor, and director of stage productions. Although he downplays his skill and accomplishments Jerry’s career is extraordinary. A musical virtuoso by the age of 13, he has composed more than 50 pieces of music, from popular ballads to marches to his ‘Symphony for Band’. His concert march “Block M” composed for the University of Michigan Marching Band when he was a senior there has been voted by band composers as one of the top 100 marches of all time. He wrote the “M Fanfare” which is still played by the University of Michigan marching band prior to their playing the famous fight song. He has worked with many popular artists, including Danny Kaye, Dick Van Dyke, Leonard Bernstein, Barbra Streisand, and Neil Diamond. He has arranged music for several television series and serves as Vice President of creative development for Disney on Ice, having arranged all the music for the Disney on Ice shows, which he also writes and directs. Listen to this self-deprecatory charming man tell delightful stories of a life spent with music and theater like the ironic reason he taught himself to play piano.

5-21-18 Interview

5-21-18 Actor, Singer, Dancer Jared Joseph never actually decided to be a musical theater performer. His first love was art, he drew and painted and won awards while still in elementary school. But his mother encouraged him to join the choir and a teacher invited him to a poetry class – which seemed to lead to a drama club. And then they needed boys to sing… So somehow he wound up at the New York University Musical Theater Program, and the rest as they say – is history. It was a fortunate choice as anyone who has seen his portrayal of Coalhouse Walker Jr. in the Asolo production of Ragtime will attest. The production is so popular that an additional performance has been scheduled – this is no small part due to Jared’s powerful performance. Listen to this charming, spontaneous man talk about his ironic way to the musical theater stage.