Podcast appearances and mentions of blair thomas

On this edition of The Arts Section, host Gary Zidek previews the 6th Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival. We'll hear from Fest founder & artistic director Blair Thomas. The Dueling Critics, Kerry Reid and Jonathan Abarbanel, look ahead to the theatrical productions their most looking forward to seeing this winter. Later in the show, Gary catches up with musician and filmmaker Haroula Rose to talk about her new movie, ALL HAPPY FAMILIES. And we'll revisit a feature on a local photographer behind some rare photos of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Gerald Barnes has 30 + years of experience in logistics and Supply Chain at all levels of building operations. As a new member, Gerald has proved very supportive of the NABWIC organization and serves on various national committees such as Marketing and Communications.  He is a member of the NCR or Washington, DC Area of NABWIC and has a passion for building connections and relationships between people and organizations. Blair Lamar Thomas  is a former professional American footbal running back in the NFL for the NY Jets, New England Patriots, Dallas Cowboys, Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers. Contact:  Gerald D. Barnes | B&G Solutions LLC | 2012.378.8032 | gbarnes@consultant.com NABWIC's Vision: The Vision of the National Association of Black Women in Construction (NABWIC) is to build lasting strategic partnerships with first-rate organizations and individuals that will provide ground-breaking and innovative solutions for black women in construction and their respective communities.| NABWIC.ORG

John Canzano brings on Dr Blair Thomas, a visiting professor at the University of Oregon. Thomas gives a preview of his upcoming appearance at the Worlds of Sport event; discussing race, culture, and politics in the sports industry. Subscribe NOW to this podcast for more great content. And tune in to the BFT with John Canzano live every weekday from 3-6 p.m. on 750 The Game! Follow @JohnCanzanoBFT on Twitter

John Canzano spends a lot of time discussing pressing topics such as the LIV Golf Tournament controversy and new developments in the potential sale of the Portland Trail Blazers. John brings on Todd Jones, a sportswriter in Ohio, to discuss a variety of sports topics in that state. He also welcomes on UO professor Dr. Blair Thomas to discuss race, culture, and politics in sports. We also play the 5 @ 5 and Big Splash. Subscribe NOW to this podcast for more great content. And tune in to the BFT with John Canzano live every weekday from 3-6 p.m. on 750 The Game! Follow @JohnCanzanoBFT on Twitter

Blair Thomas, the Founder and Artistic Director of The Chicago International Puppet Festival, joins John Landecker on the show this evening. Blair walks us through what to expect with the festival, explains the different types of shows people can see, and later in the segment, Robin Frohardt, a Brooklyn artist and creator, joins via the […]

The 2020 Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival is coming to Chicago this week. We talk to its founder, Blair Thomas, and to artist Robin Frohardt, who has created an installation called The Plastic Bag Store. It is stocked with food-like items that are handcrafted from discarded, single-use NYC plastic trash. Marta Keane from the Illinois Recycling Foundation joins the conversation to talk about how we deal with what is a world-wide plastic crisis. Meteorologist Rick DiMaio reports on snowstorms in America and exploding volcanoes in the Pacific Ocean.

Ryan talks with video director and producer Blair Thomas, about the sudden resurgence of creativity and burst of classic songs that came from the band after Keith Richards discovered the Open-G guitar tuning. Hear Blair on episode 2 of the podcast on Radiohead's song, "Idioteque:" https://www.thesongsofnote.com/radiohead-idioteque/John Mulaney sket about Mick Jagger: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWrKf5ik1i4Sign up for an exclusive Songs of Note episode and playlist here: https://mailchi.mp/5a4c0459fa02/songsofnotenewsletterFollow me: http://instagram.com/songsofnotehttps://www.facebook.com/songsofnotehttps://twitter.com/thesongsofnoteMusic  provided by Tyler Ramsey.  Find Tyler on Spotify, Apple Music, and his website. 

This week on THINK HUMANITIES, host Bill Goodman interviews Speakers Bureau member Blair Hess. Blair is Assistant Director for the Council of State Governments and has coauthored several books with Cameron Ludwick all about Kentucky's unique sightseeing and culinary opportunities. THINK HUMANITIES is made possible by generous funding from Spalding University.

NHISG Where Are They Now - Hosts David Riley & Princess - Guest: Blair Thomas

This week, we caught up with WMPAC Director John Zirkle about why he loves Manual Cinema so much, and spoke over the phone with Manual Cinema Co-Artistic Directors Julia Miller and Sarah Fornace about their adaptation of "A Christmas Carol."SARAH FORNACE is a director, puppeteer, choreographer, and narrative designer based in Chicago. She is a co-Artistic Director of Manual Cinema. Outside of Manual Cinema, Sarah has worked as a performer or choreographer with Redmoon Theatre, Lookingglass Theatre Company, Court Theatre, Steppenwolf Garage, and Blair Thomas and Co. Most recently, Sarah wrote the story mode for the video game Rivals of Aether. In 2017, she directed and edited the first episode of the web series, The Doula is IN. In 2016, she directed and devised an “animotion” production of Shakespeare’s Hamlet with Rokoko Studios for HamletScen at Kromborg Castle in Elsinore, Denmark.JULIA MILLER is a director, puppeteer, and puppet designer. With Manual Cinema she has directed Mementos Mori and The End of TV as well as created original roles in Ada/Ava (Ada), Lula del Ray (Lula’s Mother), The Magic City (Helen), and Hansel und Gretel (Hansel). In Chicago she has worked as a performer and puppeteer with Redmoon Theatre and Blair Thomas and Co. She spent several years training in devised theatre, clown and mask with Double Edge Theatre, Carlos García Estevez and at the Academia dell’Arte in Arezzo, Italy. She is a co-producer of the new web series The Doula is IN, and has directed and edited several episodes.

Blair Thomas is joined by decorated Chef Robbie Jester to talk about reopening restaurants during COVID-19 (8:34), why Yelp can be incredibly frustrating (20:28), beating Bobby Flay & reality cooking TV secrets (26:17), the one food Robbie will NOT try (35:46), Robbie’s craziest kitchen story (36:36), if Blue crabs are overrated (41:49) and more!

Blair Thomas and lifelong friend John Stepp catch up on quarantine life, peeing on house plants as kids (3:30), how a riot led to John losing his job (6:30), parenting under quarantine (13:30), COVID-19 conspiracy theories (21:50), a heated ice cream vs doughnuts debate (26:35), returning to normal (31:00), Blair’s next move (41:00), and the time John met a ghost (51:53).

Blair Thomas is joined by veteran country radio programmer Brad Austin as they discuss the state of radio (1:15), getting swindled by one of the Backstreet Boys (14:00), an incredible behind-the-scenes story about 15-year-old Taylor Swift (18:35), accidentally insulting Luke Bryan (26:56), an all-time great story about Brad making Sheryl Crow cry (30:46), stalking Tom Hanks at an after party (40:19), remembering country music legend Joe Diffie (42:54), and an update on Brad Austin Management (45:50).

STRING OF ECHOES is a music-puppetry performance collaboration between Tatsu Aoki and Myra Su that explores notions of truth and loss via a young boy's journey on the high seas. Utilizing 2D and 3D puppetry styles and a unique diasporic soundscape, the piece presents an auditory and visual conversation in thinking about what place "authenticity" has in our world today. Myra Su is a storyteller, puppeteer, and puppet maker. Based in Chicago, Myra has been an active member in the puppetry community since 2013. Her primary medium is shadow puppetry, but her work also includes experimentations with bunraku, crankies, video, and taxidermy. Her work has also expanded to collaborations outside of theater, with indie bands and musicians. In addition to her independent work, she is currently an international touring performer with Manual Cinema. She is a co-curator for the quarterly puppet slam in Chicago; Nasty, Brutish & Short. In the past, she has done work for other puppetry/spectacle companies such as Redmoon and Blair Thomas & Co. Growing up in-between the United States, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, she is interested in using puppetry to convey stories that are culturally mobile and emotionally universal. Her work is usually driven by a simple concept or motif, which is then explored through a self-reflexive application of puppetry. Myra holds a BA with honors in Theater and Anthropology from the University of Chicago.

Guests: Former Penn State football great Blair Thomas looks back fondly on his Nittany Lions career and returns to Happy Valley for his State College Spikes bobble head night! Then, Penn State football writer Ben Jones (StateCollege.com) recaps Big Ten Football Media Days.

Guests: Former Penn State football great Blair Thomas looks back fondly on his Nittany Lions career and returns to Happy Valley for his State College Spikes bobble head night! Then, Penn State football writer Ben Jones (StateCollege.com) recaps Big Ten Football Media Days.

Blair Thomas Hess joins host Bill Goodman to discuss all things Kentucky bourbon. Hess is an author of "The State of Bourbon," which showcases the region’s first distilleries, local restaurants, hotels, parks, and adventures that every bourbon lover needs to experience. Her new book takes you across the state in a road trip experience to explore the history and heritage of bourbon in Kentucky.

Former star running back Blair Thomas of Penn State and the NFL's Jets, Cowboys, Patriots and Panthers makes his first visit to the Philly Pressbox Radio Roundtable to talk about his football career, the Nittany Lions' Rose Bowl matchup against the USC Trojans, the college football playoffs and more. Also on the show, Fred Hugo joins Bill Furman and Jim "Chet" Chesko for the final regular-season segment of "Fred & Butter Time," when the guys preview the New Year's Day Eagles-Cowboys matchup and some other Week 17 contests of interest. Flyers and Sixers talk, too. We'll also have our Philly sports trivia question and prize giveaway, courtesy Carl's Cards & Collectibles.

This week on Thursday Night Tailgate our guests are: former Patriots Pro Bowl RB Tony Collins, former Broncos & Falcons RB Gene Lang, former Broncos RB Olandis Gary, and former Jets RB Blair Thomas. Plus Sports 1 Marketing CEO David Meltzer joins us in his weekly12th Man Segment and his special guest this week is Rams Hall of Fame Tackle Jackie Slater. Join Chris Mascaro and Bob Lazzari every Thursday night from 8:00-10:00 PM EST as they talk with current and former players and coaches from around the NFL & CFL on "Thursday Night Tailgate." Chris and Bob talk football with the greats of the game year round so set a reminder, you don't want to miss an episode. Plus, check out the TNT web site: www.thursdaynighttailgate.com to keep track of upcoming guests, stream or download any of our archived episodes, plus see what players are saying about the show. “I want to congratulate you on your outstanding show. I’m extraordinarily impressed. I’ve been on a lot of shows over the years in various cities but this one is exceptional."  Andy Russell, Former Pittsburgh Steelers LB

Our very special guest, Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi, Co-Artistic Director & Co-Founder of the Actors Gymnasium and choreographer of the Lookingglass Theatre production of Moby Dick, stops by for an in-depth interview about circus, performance, training and flying! We are so excited to have Sylvia as our guest on the show today. Gary and Roscoe have just seen the sensational Moby Dick, adapted and directed by David Catlin. Read one of the "through the roof" reviews here. Hedy Weiss. Here are a couple of quotes from that review we couldn't agree with more: "Lookingglass Theatre’s world premiere production of Moby Dick is a triumph of grand theatrical imagination, deep thought, superb acting and eye-popping, ingeniously deployed physical daring." AND "As a co-production with the Actors Gymnasium, it also is shot through with astonishingly original aerial choreography by Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi, and its fearless, acrobatic cast brilliantly captures the grueling and perilous labor of life aboard a whaling ship." Such beautiful and imaginative story-telling. Gary ran into friends who were at the show with their two young children (maybe 7 and 8?). This is an intense story and ran for 2.5 hours, but these kids were spell-bound. Sylvia's fabulous interview comes after a couple of brief opening segments. Gary found a fascinating article in The Week entitled, "Do Sharks Like to Eat Humans?" Why some meals are better than others for these monsters of the deep. Legendary silent film director F.W. Murnau's skull has been stolen (not for the first time) from a cemetery outside Berlin. Gary and Roscoe discuss this senseless vandalism. Could it be the work of occultists? Ross, who is a bit of a silent film expert, tells us about Murnau's films, such as Nosfaratu and Sunrise (cited as one of the greatest films of all time). He  says The Last Laugh starring Emile Jannings would turn even the biggest skeptic into a silent movie fan. Among other innovations, Murnau introduced the subjective point of view camera. His 1928 film, 4 Devils, was set in a circus.  Read more. Speaking of the circus, again, we are so happy to welcome Sylvia Hernandez-Distasi! Gary asks her to describe what it was like to tour with the professional circus and we hear about her adventures living on the train. She was a flyer for a teeter board act, landing on a chair resting on the shoulders of her four brothers. Sylvia told us about the various kinds of living quarters on the trains and said that walking through the circus train was like traveling through Europe. We talked with her about the evolution of Moby Dick from the first workshop at University of Chicago with Blair Thomas and House, through David's production at Northwestern and at Lookingglass. She told us about David Catlin's amazing collaborative process and the specific ways her choreography and the staging changed based the strengths of different cast members in the three productions. They talk about the dream/nightmare choreography featuring the amazing performances of Anthony Fleming III and Jamie Abelson. Gary describes "the dress" that becomes the sea. You really have to see it to believe it. We learn more about the Actor's Gymnasium in Evanston, a place where actors can build physical skills to enhance their repetoire - as well as a thriving school for adults and children who want to learn circus arts. They offer all kinds of cool classes. Roscoe and our producer are considering "Circus Arts Fitness." Gary wants to write a show with Sylvia. We'll keep you posted. Check out Actors Gymnasium Actor's Gym also develops their own productions. Winter Circus opens on February 13, 2016. Sylvia announces, for the first time on our show...that since it's the 20th anniversary of Actor's Gymnasium, she will be joining the cast of the show this year. Run don't walk. By the way, "Learn to Fly" is the tagline for Actor's Gymnasium. It's a great one. Kiss Of Death:

This week on Thursday Night Tailgate our guests are: Sports 1 Marketing CEO David Meltzer, former Packers Guard Bill Ferrario, former Bills LB Shane Nelson, former Rams Pro Bowl Guard Kent Hill, former Jets RB Blair Thomas, former 49ers LB Chris Borland and former Dolphins & Jets DB Kerry Glenn. Join Chris Mascaro and Bob Lazzari every Thursday night from 8:00-10:00 PM EST as they talk with current and former players and coaches from around the NFL & CFL on "Thursday Night Tailgate." Chris and Bob talk football with the greats of the game year round so set a reminder, you don't want to miss an episode. Plus, check out the TNT web site: www.thursdaynighttailgate.com to keep track of upcoming guests, stream or download any of our archived episodes, plus see what players are saying about the show. “I want to congratulate you on your outstanding show. I’m extraordinarily impressed. I’ve been on a lot of shows over the years in various cities but this one is exceptional."  Andy Russell, Former Pittsburgh Steelers LB

Join host Elysabeth Alfano and go behind the scenes with master puppeteer, Blair Thomas.

Join host Elysabeth Alfano and go behind the scenes with master puppeteer, Blair Thomas.

Join host Elysabeth Alfano and go behind the scenes with master puppeteer, Blair Thomas.