http://www.thelynneshow.com/Audio/Podcasts/Show_640_%20Stephanie_Larkin_1_24_21.mp3

1-24-21 Interview with the extraordinary Stephanie Larkin, who is the poster child for the adage when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Beginning ballet school at 2 and “adoring” it, Stephanie thought she’d be a dancer. An injury at 13, left her with 6 years of surgeries. Spending her teenage years on crutches, and unable to walk, altered what would have been the natural trajectory of her life. Nudged by her mother to purse another early passion, music, Stephanie began by learning violin. She majored in music, where she learned to “play everything.” She now beleived that her career would simply be in music, as composer and performer. But life had another lemon to throw in her path, a lemon which became another opportunity for Stephanie to discover how versatile she is. Listen for enjoyment and inspiration to the way this intrepid woman turns adversity into opportunity. Stephanie doesn’t make lemonade, she makes champagne.

2-10-20 Interview

1-6-20 Interview

1-6-20 Interview
Joe Plummer describes himself as an “entertainer,” and it is certainly an apt description. Listen to him describe his surprising career as a singer, dancer, actor, playwright, songwriter and director although he never had a lesson or any training. And come to the First Presbyterian Church of Sarasota Tues 1/21 to Sat 1/25 to see him co-star as Louis Armstrong with Marta Mckinnon as Lil Hardin in “Lil and Louis,” a play by Jo Morello which tells the story of their love affair. Tickets at www.LILandLOUIS.com

12-3-20 Interview

4-28-19 Interview

John O’Leary was surrounded by music; his mother was a concert pianist and the house was always filled with musicians; professionals and students. But John also enjoyed and excelled in math and science. His family wanted him to become a doctor and he thought he would. He began playing the Tuba in high school and in college double majored in Tuba performance and chemistry. In college he fell in love with Jazz. He changed his major and began to study Jazz Piano. Serendipitously he was placed in a combo with Mark Feinman and Alejandro Arenas, with whom he would one day be part of the oh so popular jazz trio La Lucha. An injury kept him continuing to study jazz piano after graduation. He applied to Graduate school and completed his MA and PhD in Neuroscience. Listen to this thoughtful, serious man talk about the soul searching which finally led to his choice to pursue his dream, a career as a Jazz musician and listen to a cut from his CD Crispr.
And come see John and La Lucha open the Jazz Club’s kick-off of its 40th anniversary season with the fabulous Shelly Berg Sat, October 26, 2019 7:00 PM – 9:30 PM EDT at Holley Hall, Beatrice Friedman Symphony Center
709 North Tamiami Trail Sarasota, FL 34236

8-12-19 Interview

4-28-19 Interview

4/29/19 On May 6 2019 “The New York Theatre Barn is honoring co-founder and board member Sheilah Rae with a Lifetime Achievement Award for her exceptional contributions to musical theatre as a writer, composer, lyricist and performer for over 50-years, and her outstanding service and vision for New York Theatre Barn for more than a decade”. Sheilah found her life path very young. During the performance of “South Pacific” 5 year old Sheilah told her mother that she was “going to do that.” Her parents arranged for her to study dance with the renowned Edna McRae. Since Ms McRae also required that her students know music, 6 year old Sheilah began piano lessons. She was soon studying dance, piano, music theory and violin at the Chicago Conservatory of Music. She got her first role on Broadway in “Fiddler on the Roof” right out of college and never stopped adding to her arsenal of talents and accomplishments. Listen to this multi-talented, effervescent woman talk about a career in which she has done everything. And hear a song from one of her musicals (“I Married Wyatt Earp,” now called The Belle of Tombstone) lyrics by Sheilah and music by Michele Brourman.

3-18-19 Interview

4/1/19 On Sunday April 14th at 2:00 at Bookstore1 (12 S Palm Ave, Sarasota, FL 34236) Lynne Bernfield will discuss concepts in her book When You Can You Will which explain what stops people from changing. She says “When you can’t do what you want to do there is always a good reason.” Come discover the reason you haven’t been able to do what you want to do. Listen to the introduction to the When You Can You Will audiobook and call Bookstore1 at 941-365-7900 for reservations.

2-18-19 Interview

3-4-19 Multi genre singer Katt Heffner says that “music was coming out of the pores of her family.” Her father was in a band, her uncle Frank was a song writer, her mother played the piano at church, and they made every kind of music “from church to Doo Wop.” Katt and her 5 brothers “would take turns entertaining and applauding each other.” They soon became a band and their uncle Frank was their manager. Katt says she just “loves to play with the boys in the band,” and so it is no surprise that she has made a life with music, performing virtually every genre with virtually every kind of performer including the following Patti LaBelle, Ronnie Spector, Al Hibler, The Four Aces, The Count Basie Quartet, The Temptations, Sandra Reaves, Luther Vandross, Dick Hyman, John Lamb, Buster Cooper, Roger Humphries, Fred Johnson, Kenny Drew Jr., Richard Drexler, The Warren Covington Orchestra, The 42nd Street Big Band, and The Ybor City Underground Orchestra, the 16th Annual Moscow International Jazz Festival, Jeffrey Sexton. The 35th Birthday Celebration of the Clearwater Jazz Holiday,. Listen to this charming, talented, hard-working woman describe making a life in what we all know is a very difficult business and come see why these entertainers wanted to work with her when she performs on the Classic Stage as one of the Afternoon Theme Performers at the Sarasota Jazz Festival.

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1-24-19 Interview

1-28-19 Florida Studio Theater Associate Artist Catherine Randazzo bounded into life. She decided to play the piano at two, by four she was demanding that her family listen while she described and acted out her dreams, but that was just the beginning. A good student, she was also an actor, a singer, a dancer, a volleyball star, president of school government, member of the chorus/choir, accompanist to same. There isn’t room on the page for all of her skills and accomplishments, all of which was achieved with a positive, open, self-deprecating, warm energy. Listen to this, talented, charming, remarkable woman talk about a life in which everything is possible

11-5-18 Interview

11/5/18 The second half of our interview follows Steven Lutvak’s journey from college graduation, through the establishment of very successful coaching and cabaret careers, and then to the remarkable story of the creation of the hit Broadway musical Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, for which he was composer and co-lyricist, and which won the Tony for Best Musical. Listen to this dedicated and inspiring man tell his remarkable story, listen to original songs from his CD’s and come to Florida Studio Theater to see a production of The Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder and appreciate that it was worth all of his effort.

10-29-18 Interview

10/29/18 In the first part of my interview musician, composer, lyricist, cabaret performer, coach and teacher Steven Lutvak, he says that his life’s work is song; “writing them, teaching people to write them, helping people sing them, helping people sing them better, helping people choose them, helping people understand what a song is, and of course writing them, which means music, lyrics and collaborating.” Steven was blessed with a talent that made all things music come easily to him. From his first piano lesson music simply “made sense” to him. With such talent his journey should have been effortless but Steven had to overcome numerous hindrances which would have derailed many others. Luckily Steven seems to be un-derail-able. Listen to this charming, thoughtful, intelligent, man describe the bumpy early part of his journey.

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.

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.

4-2-18 Interview

4-2-18 Actor, singer, dancer, musician Joe Casey brings his talents once again to Florida Studio theater’s cabaret, this time in Blue Suede Shoes where he gets a chance to play guitars and sing Elvis’s songs. In this interview Joe tells us that he was interested in everything; he wanted to be a scientist and a detective, he picked up the piano and the guitar, he painted in oils, and wrote music. Finally unable to choose amongst his interests Joe decided that as an actor to he could be all of these things. Listen to this charming, clever man tell the story of his path and come see him do justice to Elvis and all the other early Rock and Roller’s, in FST’s Blue Suede Shoes.

10-3-17 Interview

9-13-16 The incomparable Billy Marcus joined the Al Hixon jazz jam team after the unforeseen death of beloved pianist Charlie Prawdzik. Bringing a passion and unique style to his solo’s Billy flawlessly supports the many and varied singers and musicians who perform at the jam. Named Miami’s Best Musician by Miami/South Florida Magazine, some of his credits include playing with Bobby Hackett, Stan Getz, Dizzy Gillespie, The Bill Evans Trio, The Horace Silver Quintet, McCoy Tyner, Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Band, Maynard Ferguson, Dexter Gordon and Sonny Rollins, Scott Hamilton, Al Grey, James Moody, Jack Sheldon, Pepper Adams, Mark Murphy, Eddie “Clean-head” Vinson, Kai Winding, Terry Gibbs, Richie Cole, Buddy DeFranco, The Buddy Rich Big Band, Woody Herman, Grover Washington, Freddy Hubbard, Stanley Turrentine, Spyro Gyra, Doc Sevrenson, Ramsey Lewis and Kenny Burell. Billy has appeared in clubs in Miami, Boston, New York Chicago, Los Angeles, Washington, Switzerland, Paris, London, Rome, Amsterdam, Zurich, Bern, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Bangkok, and Dubai. Listen to this modest man describe his haphazard journey to becoming the remarkable musician he is – and listen to a cut from one of his albums. Come out to see Billy at Al Hixon’s Jazz Jam on Monday and the Allegro Bistro in Venice on Thursday