Podcasts about center theater group

Chatting With Sherri welcomes back award winning composer; David Raiklen! David Raiklen is an American composer best known for the science fiction series Space Command and for the Emmy winning Mia, A Dancer's Journey. David was mentored by Oscar winner John Williams and Pulitzer Prize winner Mel Powel. Dr. Raiklen studied at USC, UCLA, and CalArts and later taught at those universities. He has worked for the major studios including Sony, Fox, Disney, Sprint, Mattel, Warner Bros and PBS, plus many independent productions. His projects have starred Elliott Gould, Doug Jones, Blythe Danner, and Martin Sheen. David made the New York Film Critics Top Ten with the documentary Heist, the short list for an Academy Award® for Worth, and Mia, A Dancer's Journey won the Emmy. An oratorio for the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial titled Discovery, a mixed reality giant projection event for the Center Theater Group's 50th anniversary, episodes of Star Trek Continues, and a violin concerto for festival darling Worth. David Raiklen compositions have been performed at the Hollywood Bowl and Disney Hall. He was also host of a successful radio series, Classical Fan Club, where guests include Yo-Yo Ma and John Williams; and was host and leader of The Academy of Scoring Arts seminars. David  produced and composed for Space Command, a series of epic adventures set in a hopeful future, and producing Augmented Reality experiences. And his latest project is the soundtrack album to Space Command, recorded with symphony orchestra, choir, and cool electronics - available everywhere!  

Paul Irving is a corporate and nonprofit director and advisor to leaders in business, investment, philanthropy, and academia. Author/editor of “The Upside of Aging: How Long Life Is Changing the World of Health, Work, Innovation, Policy, and Purpose,” Wall Street Journal expert panelist,  and a contributor to the Harvard Business Review, PBS NextAvenue, and Forbes Pau  l speaks and writes about health, finance, and the future of retirement; innovation in the longevity economy; and the changing culture of aging in America and the world. Irving is a distinguished scholar-in-residence at the University of Southern California Leonard Davis School of Gerontology and senior advisor at the Milken Institute. He previously served as the Institute's president and founding chair of its Center for the Future of Aging, an advanced leadership fellow at Harvard University, and chair, CEO, and head of the financial services group of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP, a national law and consulting firm.  Irving is a director and chair of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee of East West Bancorp, Inc. and a member of the International Strategic Committee of the Quadrivio Group Silver Economy Fund. Chair emeritus and a member of the board of CoGenerate (previously, Encore.org), Irving serves on the Global Advisory Council of the Stanford University Distinguished Careers Institute, the Board of Councilors of the USC Leonard Davis School, and the Advisory Board of WorkingNation. Irving has served on the National Academy of Medicine Global Commission on Healthy Longevity, the Bipartisan Policy Center Senior Health and Housing Task Force, and as a participant in the 2015 White House Conference on Aging. Named an “Influencer” by PBS NextAvenue, Irving was recognized with the Affordable Living for the Aging Janet L. Witkin Humanitarian Award, the Stanford University Distinguished Careers Institute Life Journey Inspiration Award, the Center for Workforce Inclusion Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Loyola Law School, Los Angeles Board of Governors Award. In three decades as a corporate lawyer, Irving represented public and private companies and prominent investors in complex merger, acquisition, and capital markets transactions, and in a wide range of business, governance, and regulatory matters. Throughout his legal career, Irving was actively involved in pro bono services and charitable leadership in organizations including Operation Hope, Human Rights First, Bet Tzedek Legal Services, Center Theater Group, and New Roads School.

Hal is joined by Meghan Pressman, the CEO of Center Theater Group, to discuss the abrupt end of the Mark Taper Forum's season. Then, Lois Neville and Ellen Boudreau Den Herder join Hal to talk about the Hollywood Fringe Fest. Also, Laemmle theater chain owners Greg and Tish Laemmle discuss what has changed in movie theaters since the pandemic. 

LA County DA declines to charge police despite previous cases. Contaminated strawberries cause hepatitis case. Center Theatre Group appoints first POC artistic director. Support The L.A. Report by donating now at LAist.com/joinSupport the show: https://laist.com

Whenever I bring American comedic actor Kristina Wong on my show, there's never a dull moment, and never any uncomfortable silent gaps. She came on this time to promote her award-winning solo show, "Kristina Wong, Sweatshop Overlord," a co-production of the Center Theater Group and East West Players at the Kirk Douglas Theater in Culver City, CA, from February 12-March 12. You're going to love hearing her recount how she initially responded to a severe shortage of face masks at the start of the pandemic to her organizing and directing an army of 'aunties' who made and gave away well over 300,000 face masks to those needing them most.

A weekly magazine-style radio show featuring the voices and stories of Asians and Pacific Islanders from all corners of our community. The show is produced by a collective of media makers, deejays, and activists. Host Miko Lee talks about Theatre & Memory with Bay Area native artists: composer Byron Au Yong and playwright Lauren Yee. They provide behind the scenes news about their upcoming productions at ACT and Berkeley Rep. More info on our guests: Byron Au Yong, composer The Headlands, ACT   Lauren Yee, playwright Cambodian Rock Band, Berkeley Rep   Transcript: Theatre and Memory or Why Art Matters [00:00:00] Miko Lee: Good evening and welcome to APEX Express. I'm your host, Miko Lee, and tonight we're talking about theater and memory or why art matters. So many artists grapple with this concept of memory and how each of us has a different story to share. And tonight we get to hear from two bay area locals, a playwright, and a composer, each share a bit about their creative process and why art matters to them. I have the pleasure of speaking with composer, Byron Au Yong who had been creating music for the Headlands, which opens this weekend at act. And with playwright Lauren Yee who's musical Cambodian rock band comes back home to Berkeley rep at the end of the month. First off. Let's take a listen to one of Byron Al Yong's compositions called know your rights. This is part of the trilogy of the Activists Songbook. This multi-lingual rap, give steps to know what to do when ice officers come to your door. song That was know your rights performed by Jason Chu with lyrics by Aaron Jeffries and composed by my guest, Byron Au Yong. Welcome, Byron Au Yong to Apex Express. We're so happy to hear from you. [00:04:11] Byron Au Yong: Thanks, Miko. It's so great to be here. [00:04:13] Miko Lee: I wanna talk to you about a couple of things. First and foremost, you have the Headlands that is opening up at ACT really soon. Tell me about who your people are and where you come from. [00:04:27] Byron Au Yong: Sure. So my grandparents, both maternal and paternal, left China in the late thirties and they both immigrated to the Philippines. And so both my parents were born to Philippines in different areas. And so I come from a family of refugees who then settled into Philippines and my parents were not the first in their family. They were actually both the fourth and they left and immigrated to the United States when the United States opened up immigration in post 1965. So they were part of that wave. And then I was born in Pittsburgh. They, they were actually introduced here in Seattle. And I was born in Pittsburgh because my dad was in school there. And then they moved back to Seattle. So I'm from Seattle and in 2016 I moved to San Francisco. [00:05:17] Miko Lee: Thank you. So you are a composer. Have you always played music and have you always been attuned to audio? Tell me about how you got started as a composer. [00:05:28] Byron Au Yong: Sure. As a kid my parents divorced when I was age seven and I was an only child up until age 16. My mom worked. In the evenings. And my dad wasn't in the household and so I had a lot of time to myself and I would sing a lot to myself. And then my next door neighbor was a piano teacher, and so I started to play the piano at age nine, and then at age 11 I started to write stuff down. And yeah, so I've been doing music for a bit. [00:05:59] Miko Lee: So music has always been a part of your life, essentially. It's been your playmate since you were young. [00:06:04] Byron Au Yong: Yes, absolutely [00:06:05] Miko Lee: Love that. So tell us about the Headlands that's gonna be opening at ACT pretty soon. [00:06:11] Byron Au Yong: Yeah so The Headlands is a play by Christopher Chen, who you may know is playwright, who is born and raised and continues to live in San Francisco. And it's his love letter to San Francisco. It's a San Francisco noir play. It's a whodunit play. It's a play about a main character who's trying to figure out who he is after the death of his dad. Which causes him to wonder who he is and where he is from. I'm doing original music for the show, this is gonna be an American Conservatory Theater, and Pam McKinnon, who's the artistic director, will be stage directing this production as well. I actually met Chris Chen in 2013 when I had a show called Stuck Elevator that was at ACT. And I've been really fascinated with his work as a playwright for a while, and so I was thrilled when ACT invited me to join the creative team to work on music. Miko Lee: Oh, fun. Okay. I wanna talk to you about Stuck Elevator next, but first let's stick with the headlines.This is a play that's about memory and storytelling. I'm wondering if there is a story that has framed your creative process. Byron Au Yong: Yeah. Thinking about this show as a memory play, and, memory as something, we go back in our memories to try and figure stuff out, which is very much what this play is. And also to claim and to. figure out if something from our memory was recalled maybe in completely. And so the main character is, piecing together fragments of his memory to figure out who he is in the present. And considering this I actually went back to music. I composed when I was still a teenager. I actually dropped outta school and was working a lot. I think I realized early on that I was indeed, I wanted to dedicate myself to being an artist and was very concerned about how I would make a living as an artist in the United States. And so I thought I'll figure out how to make money away from the music. And so I had a lot of jobs and I was trying to write music, but, I was in a sad place, and so I never finished anything. I have a bunch of fragments from this time. But on Memorial Day I woke up and, it was sunny in Seattle and so I said, I'm gonna finish a piece of music today. And that became part of a project in mine where every Memorial Day I finish a piece of music and it's a solo piano piece that I finish. And so, going back in my personal history, I found one of these Memorial Day pieces and thought, oh, this actually works. Because it's a bit awkward and it doesn't resolve, and I remember who I was back then, but it's also me piecing together things and so I used that as the foundation for the music, for The Headlands, which is a different thing. If you didn't know that was my source material, that's in some ways irrelevant. But that's my personal connection in thinking about music for this. And of course I've also done a lot of research on film noir. A lot of noir films were set in San Francisco. And and the music is awesome, amazing of this genre. And, it's mysterious it is a certain urban Americana music. And so I include those elements as well. [00:09:36] Miko Lee: Thank you. That's so interesting that you have a Memorial Day ritual to create a piece of music. I'm wondering if, aside from the Headlands, have you used the Memorial Day Music in other pieces you've created? [00:09:48] Byron Au Yong: No this is the first time. [00:09:51] Miko Lee: Wow. Yeah. That's great. [00:09:53] Byron Au Yong: I think Miko is because, it's a private thing for me. I think the other thing too is as you mentioned, music was my friend growing up. The piano was. Definitely one of my best friends. And so solo piano pieces for me are, it's where you can have an audience of one. And one of the things that helped me, when I was not in school was. Playing through a lot of different other solo piano pieces. And so part of these Memorial Day pieces too are that they're meant to be simple enough that they could be sight read. And so if, if there's a musician who you know, is in a similar state of, oh, I'm not able to really do anything, but I want to be with music. I can sight read through, these different Memorial Day pieces. [00:10:38] Miko Lee: And do you have them set in a specific part of your house or where, how, where do you keep your Memorial Day projects and when do you open them up to look at them? [00:10:48] Byron Au Yong: Oh yeah. They're handwritten in a folder. None of the things so special. [00:10:54] Miko Lee: What was it that inspired you to go back and look at them for the headlands? [00:10:58] Byron Au Yong: Oh, you know what it is there are, be, because I know you, you also create stuff too in your memory of your catalog.I'm wondering if you have. If you have works that, that you remember that you made and then tho those works may remind you of a certain mood you were in or a certain room or and so I think they're musical things from certain or, things I was experimenting with for these Memorial Day. Said, I'm like, oh, I remember this. Let me go back to the folder where I collect this stuff every year and look through it. And I think that parallels actually the headlands and what the main character is doing because he recalls, and what's so cool about the production is we go into the same scene, but there's like a clue that's been revealed. And so we as an audience get to revisit the scene again. And there's a different interpretation of what was happening in the scene. And so what might have been like a scene between Henry's parents, Lena and George, which he thought, oh, this is how it was when I was a kid, when I was 10 years old. Thinking about it, remembering it, but now with this new information, this is how I'm gonna interpret the scene. And so I think similarly with, music from my past, these Memorial Day pieces, I'm like, oh, this is what I was interested in working on. But now as a older composer, I'm like, ah, and I can do this with this material. [00:12:26] Miko Lee: I love that. And I also really appreciate that this play about memory you pulled from your Memorial Day pieces, that it goes with this whole flow of just re-envisioning things with your own frame and based on where you're at in any given time. [00:12:42] Byron Au Yong: Totally. [00:12:43] Miko Lee: I know that the show was created 2020, is that right? Yes. Is that when, first? Yeah, Byron Au Yong: I think it's right before the pandemic. Miko Lee: Yeah. And you've had several different directors, and now in a way you both are coming home to San Francisco and artistic director, Pam McKinnon is directing it. I wonder if you have thoughts about some of the difference approaches that these directors have brought to the process. [00:13:06] Byron Au Yong: Oh, yeah. And, miko, this is the first time I'm working on the headlands. And so when it was at Lincoln Center, there was a different creative team. [00:13:12] Miko Lee: Oh, so the music, you're just creating the music for this version of the show. [00:13:16] Byron Au Yong: Yes, correct. Wow. And it is a new production because that Lincoln Center was in a stage called LCT 3, which is a smaller venue. Whereas this is gonna be in a Toni Rembe theater, which is, on Geary. It's a 1100 seat theater. And the set is quite fabulous and large . And what's also great is, aside from Johnny, all the cast is local. And like it will have the feel of a San Francisco production because many of us live here, have lived here and know these places that are referenced in the show. [00:13:51] Miko Lee: Thanks for that clarification. So that's really different to go from a small house at Lincoln Center to the big house at a c t Yes. With local folks with, your local music. That brings a very different approach to it. I'm excited to see it. That sounds really interesting. And now I wanna go back to talk about Stuck Elevator, which I was so delighted to learn about. Which was your first piece That was at ACT what, back in 2013? So tell our audience first about where Stuck Elevator came from and then tell what it's about. [00:14:23] Byron Au Yong: Sure. So stuck elevator. So I was living in New York in 2005 and there were some there were some images of like photos in the newspaper, initially it was local news because it was a Chinese delivery man who was missing. And most of the delivery people at the time, they carry cash, they won't go to the police. And there, there had been a string of muggings and then one was actually beaten to death. And so it was local news that this guy was missing. And then a few days later, and in New York Times, there was a big article because he was found in an elevator in the Bronx and he had been trapped in his elevator which had become stuck. And he was trapped for 81 hours, which that's like over three days. And so it made international news. And then when I read the article and learned more about him, there were many parallels like where he was from in China, which is Fujan Province, which is where my grandparents left that he was paying a debt to human smugglers to be in the United States. And different things that I thought, wow, if my grandparents hadn't left I wonder if, I would be the one who was, paying to be smuggled here rather than paying for grad school. And so I became quite fascinated with them. And then also, realized at the time, in 2005, this is like YouTube was just starting, and so all like the Asian American YouTube stars, they weren't as prominent in the news. And, BTS wasn't around then. So for me to see an Asian male. In the US media there was always this feeling of oh why is this Asian male in the news? And then realized, oh, it's actually part of a larger story about being trapped in America about family obligation, about labor, about fear of, in his specific case because he's an undocumented immigrant, fear of deportation. So there were many issues that, that I thought were broader than the specific story. And so I thought, this would be a great opera slash musical. So that's what it became at [00:16:23] Miko Lee: you, you basically read a story and said, whoa, what is this? I feel this is so wild. And then created it into an opera. Yes. Also, it just resonated with me so much as a person who has been trapped in elevators, in broken elevators six different times, . Oh my goodness. Yes. I'm like, wow. And his story, that many hours, that has to be like a record. Byron Au Yong: Right? Nobody else has been trapped that long. Yeah. It's a record. Miko Lee: So you created this piece, it premiered at ACT? Yes. Did you ever connect with the guy that was stuck in the elevator? [00:16:59] Byron Au Yong: No. So the New York Times did something which is actually not cool. They they revealed his immigration status and that at the time I'm not sure if it's still the case,but at the time, you're not allowed to reveal people's immigration status. Especially, in such a public way. And so what was cool was that the AALEDF, which is the Asian American Legal Education and Defense Fund, they the volunteer attorneys there step forward to represent Ming Kuang Chen and his case and ensure that he had legal representation so he would not be deported. The thing is, he was suffering from PTSD and there was also another case at the time it was a different un undocumented immigrant case that AALEDF was representing that had a bit more visibility and so he actually didn't want to be so much into public eye, and so he went back into hiding. And so while I didn't meet him specifically, I met his translator. I met other people at AALEDF met with other people who were related to the stories that he was a part of. So for example, used to be an organization, which I think they've changed their name, but they were the Fujanese Restaurant Workers Association. Most of the undocumented immigrants who worked in restaurants at the time are from Fujan Province. Also, Asian Pacific American Studies at New York University. Is a mix o f people who were working in restaurants as well as people, scholars who were studying this issue. [00:18:46] Miko Lee: Can you describe a little bit about Stuck Elevator for folks that haven't seen it? Sure. How did you conceive of this piece, that song? [00:18:53] Byron Au Yong: Yeah so it's a thru sung piece about a guy who's trapped in America. He's a Chinese food delivery man, and he's, delivering food in the Bronx. And what I think is You know what I didn't realize when I started it. And then I realized working on it was the thing about being stuck in the elevator is, especially for so long, is that you and I don't know if this is your case, Miko it's so fascinating to hear you've been trapped six different times. There's the initial shock and initial oh my gosh, I have to get out. And then there's this. Maybe not resignation but there's this, okay. Okay. I'm gonna be here so now what? Now what I'm going to do and the time actually, especially for someone who works so much delivering food and sending money back home to his wife and son in China and his family is that he actually is not working, right? And so he has time to consider what his life has been like in New York for the past, the two years he's been there. And to consider the choices he's made as well as to remember his family who are back in China. And part of this too is you're not awake the entire time. Sometimes you go to sleep, and so in his sleep he dreams. He has hallucinations. He has nightmares. And this is where the music theater opera really starts to confront and navigate through the various issues of being trapped in America. [00:20:22] Miko Lee: Any chance this will come into production, somewhere? [00:20:26] Byron Au Yong: Yeah, hopefully, we were just at Nashville Opera last week, two weeks ago. [00:20:30] Miko Lee: Oh, fun. [00:20:31] Byron Au Yong: so Nashville Opera. So the lead Julius Ahn who was in ACT's production is an opera singer. And and he had told the artistic director of Nashville Opera about this project years ago. And John Hoomes, who's the artistic director there had remembered it. Last year John Hoomes reached out to me and said, you know, I think it's the time for to be an operatic premiere of Stuck Elevator. And so we had an amazing run there. [00:20:58] Miko Lee: Great. Wow. I look forward to seeing that too somewhere soon. Yes. I also wanted to chat with you about this last week, a lot of things have been happening in our A P I community with these mass shootings that have been just so painful. Yes. And I know that you worked on a piece that was called The Activist Songbook. Are you, can you talk a little bit about that process and the Know Your Rights project? [00:21:23] Byron Au Yong: Yeah, absolutely. And I'm gonna back up because so Activist Song Book is actually the third in a trilogy of which Stuck Elevator is the first, and related to the recent tragedies that have happened in Half Moon Bay and also in Monterey Park. The second in the trilogy is it's called the Ones. It was originally called Trigger, and it also has the name Belonging. And I can go through why it has so many different names, but the first in the trilogy was Stuck Elevator, and it was prompted by me again, seeing an Asian male in the US media. So the second actually all three are from seeing Asian males in the US media. And the second one was an incident that happened in 2007 where a creative writing major shot 49 people killing 32, and then himself at Virginia Tech. And and when this happened I realized, oh shoot Stuck elevator's part of a trilogy. I have to figure out how to do this show called Trigger or what was called Trigger. And then realized of the different layers in a trilogy. Yes. There's this initial thing about Asian men in the US media, but then there's this other thing about ways out of oppression. And so with Stuck Elevator, the way out of oppression is through the main character's imagination, right? His dreams, his what ifs, right? The possibilities and the different choices he can make with the second one, what me and the creative team realized is that, the way out of oppression is that the creative writing major who you may remember was a Korean American he was so isolated at Virginia Tech and the tragedy of him being able to purchase firearms and then kill so many people, including himself in working on it, I was like, I need to understand, but it's not this story I necessarily want to put on stage. And so what it became is it became a story, and this is also the national conversation changed around mass violence in America. The conversation became less about the perpetrator and more about the victims. And so it became a choral work for community performers. So rather than a music theater opera, like Stuck Elevator, it's a music theater forum with local singers. And this was actually performed at Virginia Tech during the 10 year memorial of the tragedy. And this one I did eight site visits to Virginia Tech and met with people including the chief of police of Blacksburg. First responder to director of threat assessment to family members whose children were lost. A child of, teachers were also killed that day to counselors who were there to Nikki Giovanni, who was one of the faculty members. So yeah so many people. But this one, the second one, the way out of oppression is from isolation into community, into belonging. And Virginia Tech Administration said we could not call the work trigger. And so the work there was called (Be)longing with the be in parentheses. And now we've done a new revision called The Ones partially influenced by the writer, one of his teachers was June Jordan who was at UC Berkeley. And she has a phrase, we are the ones we've been waiting for. And so the ones which is a 2019 revision, the show, what it does is Act three youth takeover, right? It's about coming of age and an age of guns, and the youth have become activists because they have no choice because they are being shot in places of learning, and so Parkland in Chicago and other places have been influential in this work. And then the third in the trilogy is Activist Songbook. And for this one we went back to an earlier asian male who was in the US media, and that was Vincent Chin who you may know was murdered 40 years ago. And so activist song book is to counteract hate and energize movements. And it's a collection of different songs that is even further away from musical theater opera production in that the rally component of the songs can be taught within 10 minutes to a group of people outdoors to be used right away. And that one, the way out of repression is through organizing. [00:25:49] Miko Lee: Well, Byron Au Young, thank you so much for sharing with us about all the different projects you've been working on. We'll put a link in the show notes to the headlands that folks can see at a c t. Tell our audience how else they can find out more about you and your life as a composer and more about your work. [00:26:05] Byron Au Yong: Sure. I have a website. It's my name.com or b y r o n a u y o n g.com. [00:26:12] Miko Lee: Thank you so much for spending so much time with me. [00:26:14] Byron Au Yong: Of course. [00:26:15] Miko Lee: You are tuned into apex express on 94.1, KPFA an 89.3 K P F B in Berkeley and online@kpfa.org. We're going to hear one more piece by composer, Byron Al young called This is the Beginning, which was prompted by Lilly and Vincent chin and inspired by Helen Zia and other organizers. song That was, This is the Beginning by Byron Au Yong and Aaron Jeffrey's. Featuring Christine Toi Johnson on voice and Tobias Wong on voice and guitar. This is a beginning is prompted by organizing in response to the racially motivated murder of Vincent Chin in Detroit. This hate crime was a turning point for Asian American solidarity in the fight for federal civil rights. Lily chin Vincent's mom refused to let her son's death be invisible. Next up, I have the chance to speak with playwright Lauren Yee who's musical Cambodian rock band. Returns to Berkeley rep where it first got its workshop and it will be there from February 25th through April 2nd. And here's a teaser from Cambodian rock band by Lauren Yee. Take a listen to seek CLO. song Miko Lee: Welcome Lauren Yee to Apex express. [00:34:35] Lauren Yee: Thank you so much, Miko. [00:34:37] Miko Lee: We're so happy to have you a local Bay Area person. Award-winning playwright. Coming back to town at Berkeley Rep with your show, Cambodian Rock Band. Yay. Tell us about the show. [00:34:51] Lauren Yee: Yes so Cambodian Rock Band. Is actually a piece that has some of its like earliest development roots in the Bay Area and also like specifically at Berkeley Rep. Getting to bring the show to Berkeley rep really feels like some sort of poetic justice. In addition to the fact, that it's like my old stomping grounds. . Essentially Cambodian rock Band started in 2015, or at least the writing of it. It actually started, if I'm being honest much earlier than that. I think it was about 2010 2011. I was down in San Diego in grad school and one of my friends was just like dying to go see this band play at a music festival. She was like, I saw this band play. They're amazing. You should totally come. And I was like, sure. And I don't know if you've ever had this experience, but it's like, going somewhere, hearing a band, and even before you know anything about them or their story, you just fall in love. You fall like head over heels in love and you say, oh my God who are these people? And I wanna know everything about them. And that band was Dengue Fever. Which is amazing. You fell in love with the band first. Yep. Before the play. Yes. And it was the band Dengue Fever which is an LA band. And their front woman Choni Mall is Cambodian American and she leads this sound that I think started in covers of Cambodian oldies from that golden age of rock for them, and has over time morphed into Dengue Fever's own original sound. Like we're nowadays, they're coming out with an album soon, their own original songs. But I fell in love with Dengue Fever and I was like, oh, okay, who are these people inspired by? And I just went down that rabbit hole of learning about this whole musical history that I never knew about. My own background is Chinese American. I'm not Cambodian American. And so a lot of kids who grew up in the public school system, I did not get basically any education about Cambodian history and America's role in seeding the elements that led to the Khmer Rouge's takeover the country, and the ensuing genocide. [00:37:12] Miko Lee: So you first fell in love with the band and then you went down an artist rabbit hole. We love those artist rabbit holes. Yes. And then what was your inspiration for the play itself? The musical? [00:37:22] Lauren Yee: Yeah so I fell in love with the music and I was like, there is something here because you had all these musicians in Cambodia who like, when 1975 hit and the communists took over the country there was just a time when like the country was a hostile place for artists where artists were specifically targeted among other groups. And so much of Cambodia's musicians and its musical history, was snuffed out, and I was like, there is a story here, that I find deeply compelling. And for a long time I didn't know how to tell that story because there's just so much in it. And then came 2015 where two things happened. One was that I was commissioned by a theater in Orange County called South Coast Rep, and they invited me to come down to their theater and just do research in the community for two weeks on anything you want. So I was like, I wanna look at malls, I wanna look at the video game culture down there, all kinds of things. And one of the things that I was interested in and just bubbled to the surface was the Cambodian American community, which is not in Orange County proper, but in, situated largely in Long Beach, right next door. And it just so happened that while I was there, There were just a lot of Cambodian American music related events that were going on. So the second annual Cambodian Music Festival, the Cambodia Town Fundraiser, Dengue Fever, was playing a gig in Long Beach. Like all these things were happening, that intersected me, with the Kamai or Cambodian community in Long Beach. And the other thing that happened coming out of that trip is that I started beginning to write the seeds of the play. And I did a very early workshop of it up at Seattle Rap. And I'm the sort of playwright. probably like writes and brings in collaborators like actors and a director sooner than a lot of other people. Most people probably wait until they have a first draft that they're comfortable with, whereas I'm like, I have 20 pages and I think if I go up and get some collaborators, I think I can generate the rest of it. So I went up to Seattle with kind of my, 20 or 30 pages and we brought in some actors. And that workshop had an actor named Joe No in it, and I knew Joe from previous work I'd done in Seattle. But during our first rehearsal when we were just like chatting he said to me like, this is my story. And I was like, oh, it's a story that calls out to me too. Thank you. And he was like no. You don't understand. Like, So my parents were born in Battambang Cambodia. They were survivors of the Khmer Rouge. I feel deeply connected to this material. And that conversation sparked. a very long relationship, between me and Joe and this play. That I, I think of him as like the soul, of this play. He became just like an integral part. And in the South coast rep production and in subsequent productions he's kind of been like our lead. He is Chum, and it's a role that I think is like perfectly suited for who he is as a human being and what his like essence is. And also he plays electric guitar which I think influenced things a lot because initially it was a play about music, right? It wasn't a musical, it was just people like talking about a music scene that they loved. And as I went along and found like the perfect people for these roles it was like, Joe plays electric guitar. It would be crazy not to have him try to play a little electric guitar in the show. And that kind of began that, the evolution of this play into a piece where music is not only talked about, but is an integral part of the show. You know that it's become a show that has a live band. The actors play the instruments. They play about a dozen songs. And it's a mix of Dengue, half Dengue Fever songs, half mostly Cambodian oldies. It's kind of been an incredible journey and I could not have imagined what that journey would be, it's hard to replicate. [00:41:53] Miko Lee: I love that. So has Joe been in every production you've done of the show so far? [00:41:57] Lauren Yee: So he hasn't been able to be in everyone. There were two productions happening at the same time, and so he could only be in one place at one time. But I bet you he would've tried to be in two places at once. But he's basically been in almost every production. And the production that he's in currently running at the Alley Theater in Houston is is like the production, the original production directed by Chay Yew. [00:42:24] Miko Lee: Wow. And was it difficult to cast all actors that were also musicians? [00:42:30] Lauren Yee: In some ways there there's I think if you were starting from scratch and you like open your window and you're like, where could I find some actors? I think it would be tough. But I just kept running into kind of like crazy happenstance where I would find a person and I wasn't even thinking about them musically. And they'd be like, yeah, like I've played bass, for 15 years. and I could kind of do drums, right? That what was remarkable is that there were all these Asian American actors who were like known as actors. But then once you like, dig down into their biographies, you're like, Hey, I see like you've actually played drums for X number of years, or, Hey, I see that you play like guitar and bass. Miko Lee: Tell me more about that. Lauren Yee: So it's almost like finding all these stealth musicians and like helping them dust the instruments off and being like, Hey, come back here. Fun. And so it's just been, it's just been like a joy. [00:43:27] Miko Lee: Oh, that's so great. I know the play is about music and also about memory, and I'm wondering if there's a story that has framed your creative process that stands out to you. [00:43:39] Lauren Yee: I don't know if it's one specific memory, but I find that just a lot of my stories I think they deal with family. I think they deal with parents and their grown children trying to reconnect with each other, trying to overcome family secrets and generational struggles. I would say I have a great relationship with my father. But I think, in every parent and child relationship, one thing that I'm fascinated by are these attempts to get to know someone, like especially your own parent, even when you know them well, and especially when you know them well. That kind of is able to penetrate that barrier that sometimes you hit in generations, right? That there's a wall that your parents put up. Or that there's this impossibility of knowing who your parents were before you had them because they had a whole life. And you only know this like tiny bit of it. And I think I'm just like fascinated by that. I'm fascinated by the impact of time. I'm fascinated by extraordinary circumstances and the ordinary people who lived through those times. And I think for a large part, even though Cambodian rock band features a family whose lived experience is different from my own. I think there's a lot of my own relationship with my father that I put into that relationship. This desire to know your parent better, this desire to know them even as they're trying to protect you. So yeah. [00:45:06] Miko Lee: What do your parents think about your work? [00:45:10] Lauren Yee: I think my parents are incredibly supportive, but like different in the way that one might think because my parents aren't arts people they of course like enjoy a story or enjoy a show, but they're not people who are like, I have a subscription to this theater, or I'm gonna go to this museum opening. and so their intersection with the arts, I feel like has been out of a sense of like love for me. Their ways of supporting me early on when like I was interested in theater and trying to figure out a way to go about it, like in high school when I was trying to like, put on a show with my friends and they were like in the back folding the programs or like building, the door to the set. And hauling away, all the furniture, so we could bring it to the theater. So like my parents have been supportive, but in a very, like nuts and bolts kind of way. Miko Lee: That's so sweet and that's so important. When I was doing the theater, my mom would come to every single show. Lauren Yee: Just Oh, bless that is, bless her. [00:46:14] Miko Lee: Ridiculous commitment. Yeah. I don't that for my kids, like every show. I wanna back up a little bit cuz we're talking about family. Can you tell me who are your people and where do you come from? [00:46:27] Lauren Yee: Ooh. That's such a great question. I think there are like many ways of answering that. When I think of home, I think of San Francisco, I live in New York now. But my whole youth, I grew up in San Francisco. My parents were both born there. My grandmother was born and raised there, one of my grandfathers was, born more like up the Delta and the other side of my family, my grandparents came from Toisan China. So on one hand, my family's from like that Pearl River Delta part of China. And at various times, like made a break for the United States. I think starting in the 1870s and spanning into the early 20th century you know, so we've been here for a while. And another way of thinking about it is we're all very, I think, suffused in our family's history in San Francisco. It's hard for me to go to a Chinese restaurant with my family without somebody from our table knowing somebody else in the restaurant, like inevitable. And it's something that never happens to me. I don't think it's ever happened to me when living in New York. Yeah. And I think And that's fun. That's fun. I love that. Yeah. Yeah. And I think b eing able to be Chinese American. Growing up in San Francisco, it's different than other, Asian Americans living in other parts of the country. Like in a strange way, it allows you to like be more of whoever you wanna be, right? When you're like not the only one. That it allows you to like, potentially choose a different path and not have to worry about. I don't know, just like carrying that load. [00:48:01] Miko Lee: That is so interesting. Do you mean because there's safety, because you're around so many other Chinese Americans, Asian Americans, that you can bring forth a greater sense of your individuality? [00:48:13] Lauren Yee: Yeah, I think so, like I went to Lowell High School where, you know, two thirds of the class is Asian American. There's just such a wide range of what an Asian American student at Lowell looks like. And what we're interested in and how our weird obsessions manifest so I think I just felt more freedom in differentiating myself cuz I like theater and I like storytelling. [00:48:36] Miko Lee: That's really interesting. Thanks so much for sharing that. I'm wondering, because Cambodian rock band is partially about when the communists took over Cambodia. If, when you were growing up as a multi-generational Chinese American, did you hear very much about communism and the impact on China? [00:48:57] Lauren Yee: I did not. And possibly it was swirling around. And I was too young to really understand the impacts. But when I look back on it, a lot of my plays, Cambodian Rock Band included, have to do with the intersection of Communism and American culture. Like another play I have called The Great Leap which was at ACT in San Francisco, also dealt with American culture like basketball, intersecting in communist China in the 1970s and then the 1980s. And like, honestly, in retrospect, the effects of communism were all around me growing up in San Francisco in the nineties. That the kids that I went to school with, like in elementary school, came there in various waves, but a lot of them pushed from Asia because of the influences of communism that you had of a wave of kids who came over. In the wake of the fall of the Soviet Union, you had kids who came preempting, the Hong Kong handover back to China. You had kids, who came to San Francisco in the wake of the fall of the Vietnam War. So there were like all these, political movements the effects of war that were like shaping the people around me. And I didn't realize it until like very much later. [00:50:19] Miko Lee: Oh, that's so interesting. Thank you so much. By the way. I really loved the Great Leap. It was such an interesting thank you way of really talking about some deep issues, but through such an American sport like basketball I enjoyed that so much. So thank you so much for sharing about your San Francisco influence. I'm curious because you've been writing TV now limited series like Pachinko and also congrats on writing the musical for Wrinkle In Time. Amazing. Thank you. [00:50:49] Lauren Yee: That is a book that I loved and just shook me, I forget what grade I was in, but I was probably like, 10 or 11 or something. So I think the fact that I get to interface and get to dig into such an iconic work as Wrinkle in Time, blows my mind. [00:51:05] Miko Lee: That is going to be so exciting. I'm really looking forward to that. Yeah. Yeah. But my question was really about you working on Pachinko and these other series, how different is playwriting to screen versus TV writing? [00:51:17] Lauren Yee: Yeah. I think in a way like the work that I did on Pachinko, for instance, like I was on the writing staff, that's a role where you're like supporting the creator of the show, which in this instance is Sue Hugh, who is just an incredible mind. And she had like kind of this vision for what she wanted to do with the adaptation of Pachinko. And, you know, you, as a writer on staff you're really helping to support that. So I think your role is a little bit different when you're brought on staff for tv that you're helping to birth the thing along and contribute your part. Whereas when you're a playwright like the piece remains with you, and you just have I think a greater sense of control over what happens to it. [00:52:00] Miko Lee: What surprised you in your creative process while you were working on this play, this musical? [00:52:08] Lauren Yee: I think the thing that I realized when I was writing Cambodian Rock Band is that in order for the play to really click together is that joy has to be at the center of it. That Cambodian rock band is a piece about art and artists and family surviving really horrific events. And in order to tell that story, you need to fall in love with the music. You need to understand why these people might have risked their lives. For art, you need to understand why art matters. And I think a feature of my work is finding the light in dark places that there is a lot, in the play that is heavy. There are points where it is surprisingly and shockingly funny and that there are moments of just incredible heart in places like you probably won't be expecting. And I think that's been a big lesson of developing this piece. [00:53:14] Miko Lee: Lauren Yee thank you so much for talking with me and sharing about Cambodian Rock Band and your artistic process. I know it's gonna be running at Berkeley rep February 25th through April 2nd. Where else is it running for folks that might not live in the Bay? [00:53:30] Lauren Yee: Yeah, so if you live in the Bay Area, or if you want just see it again, which is totally fine. Lots of people see it again. This same production is going to travel to arena stage in DC over the summer in the fall it'll be at Fifth Avenue and Act Theater up in Seattle, and then at the very beginning of 2024 it will be at Center Theater Group. [00:53:54] Miko Lee: Thank you so much for chatting with me today. I really appreciate you and your work out there in the world. [00:54:00] Lauren Yee: Thank you, Miko. [00:54:02] Miko Lee: That was playwright Lauren Yee. And I'm going to play you out, hearing one song from Dengue Fever, which is in Cambodian rock band. This is Uku. song [00:56:55] Miko Lee: Thank you so much for joining us. Please check out our website, kpfa.org backslash program, backslash apex express to find out more about the show tonight and to find out how you can take direct action. We thank all of you listeners out there. Keep resisting, keep organizing, keep creating and sharing your visions with the world. Your voices are important. Apex express is produced by Miko Lee Jalena Keane-Lee and Paige Chung and special editing by Swati Rayasam. Thank you so much to the KPFA staff for their support have a great night. The post APEX Express – 2.9.23 Theatre & Memory or Why Art Matters appeared first on KPFA.

Chatting With Sherri welcomes back award winning composer; David Raiklen! David Raiklen is an American composer best known for the science fiction series Space Command and for the Emmy winning Mia, A Dancer's Journey. David was mentored by Oscar winner John Williams and Pulitzer Prize winner Mel Powel. Dr. Raiklen studied at USC, UCLA, and CalArts and later taught at those universities. He has worked for the major studios including Sony, Fox, Disney, Sprint, Mattel, Warner Bros and PBS, plus many independent productions. His projects have starred Elliott Gould, Doug Jones, Blythe Danner, and Martin Sheen. David made the New York Film Critics Top Ten with the documentary Heist, the short list for an Academy Award® for Worth, and Mia, A Dancer's Journey won the Emmy. An oratorio for the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial titled Discovery, a mixed reality giant projection event for the Center Theater Group's 50th anniversary, episodes of Star Trek Continues, and a violin concerto for festival darling Worth. David Raiklen compositions have been performed at the Hollywood Bowl and Disney Hall. He was also host of a successful radio series, Classical Fan Club, where guests include Yo-Yo Ma and John Williams; and was host and leader of The Academy of Scoring Arts seminars. David  produced and composed for Space Command, a series of epic adventures set in a hopeful future, and producing Augmented Reality experiences. And his latest project is the soundtrack album to Space Command, recorded with symphony orchestra, choir, and cool electronics - available everywhere! David will be composing the music for our newest Sherri's Playhouse radio play Cyrano, coming in November!

Chatting With Sherri welcomes back award winning composer back David Raiklen! David Raiklen is an American composer best known for the science fiction series Space Command and for the Emmy winning Mia, A Dancer's Journey. David was mentored by Oscar winner John Williams and Pulitzer Prize winner Mel Powel. Dr. Raiklen studied at USC, UCLA, and CalArts and later taught at those universities. He has worked for the major studios including Sony, Fox, Disney, Sprint, Mattel, Warner Bros and PBS, plus many independent productions. His projects have starred Elliott Gould, Doug Jones, Blythe Danner, and Martin Sheen. David made the New York Film Critics Top Ten with the documentary Heist, the short list for an Academy Award® for Worth, and Mia, A Dancer's Journey won the Emmy. An oratorio for the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial titled Discovery, a mixed reality giant projection event for the Center Theater Group's 50th anniversary, episodes of Star Trek Continues, and a violin concerto for festival darling Worth. David Raiklen compositions have been performed at the Hollywood Bowl and Disney Hall. He was also host of a successful radio series, Classical Fan Club, where guests include Yo-Yo Ma and John Williams; and was host and leader of The Academy of Scoring Arts seminars. David  produced and composed for Space Command, a series of epic adventures set in a hopeful future, and producing Augmented Reality experiences. And his latest project is the soundtrack album to Space Command, recorded with symphony orchestra, choir, and cool electronics - available everywhere! David will be composing the music for our newest Sherri's Playhouse radio play Cyrano, coming in November!

Chatting With Sherri welcomes back award winning composer back David Raiklen! David Raiklen is an American composer best known for the science fiction series Space Command and for the Emmy winning Mia, A Dancer's Journey. David was mentored by Oscar winner John Williams and Pulitzer Prize winner Mel Powel. Dr. Raiklen studied at USC, UCLA, and CalArts and later taught at those universities. He has worked for the major studios including Sony, Fox, Disney, Sprint, Mattel, Warner Bros and PBS, plus many independent productions. His projects have starred Elliott Gould, Doug Jones, Blythe Danner, and Martin Sheen. David made the New York Film Critics Top Ten with the documentary Heist, the short list for an Academy Award® for Worth, and Mia, A Dancer's Journey won the Emmy. An oratorio for the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial titled Discovery, a mixed reality giant projection event for the Center Theater Group's 50th anniversary, episodes of Star Trek Continues, and a violin concerto for festival darling Worth. David Raiklen compositions have been performed at the Hollywood Bowl and Disney Hall. He was also host of a successful radio series, Classical Fan Club, where guests include Yo-Yo Ma and John Williams; and was host and leader of The Academy of Scoring Arts seminars, and he serves on the Board of the National Association of Composers. David is currently producing and composing for Space Command, a series of epic adventures set in a hopeful future, and producing Augmented Reality experiences. And his latest project is the soundtrack album to Space Command, recorded with symphony orchestra, choir, and cool electronics - available everywhere SOON!

This week we're traveling back to 1940s LA with Zoot Suit! Join us to learn more about the zoot suit style, the history of the word "Chicano", the CIO's work on the Sleepy Lagoon murder trial, and the real fate of main character Henry Leyvas. * *Note: Sofia would like to let readers know that she had a long day prior to recording this and was bitten by the "um" bug, so thank you for your understanding. Sources: Film Background: Siskel and Ebert Review, Zoot Suit: https://siskelebert.org/?p=7033 Center Theater Group, "How 'Zoot Suit' Changed Theater Forever." https://www.centertheatregroup.org/news-and-blogs/news/2017/january/how-zoot-suit-changed-theatre-forever/ Robert Ito, "Zoot Suit, a Pioneering Play, Comes Full Circle," New York Times, available at https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/26/theater/zoot-suit-a-pioneering-chicano-play-comes-full-circle.html Zoot Suit, IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083365/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0 Chicano: Google Books Ngram, Chicano: https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=chicano&year_start=1800&year_end=2019&corpus=26&smoothing=3&direct_url=t1%3B%2Cchicano%3B%2Cc0#t1%3B%2Cchicano%3B%2Cc0 Jose Limon, "The Folk Performance of Chicano and the Cultural Limits of Political Ideology," Unpublished working paper, UCLA. Code Switch, "You Say Chicano, I Say. . ." Available at https://www.npr.org/transcripts/718703438 Henry Leyvas: "Enrique "Henry" Reyes Leyvas (1923-1971)," American Experience, PBS. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/zoot-enrique-henry-reyes-leyvas/. "Sleepy Lagoon Trial: The Sleepy Lagoon Murder Trial of 12," Zoot Suit Discovery Guide. https://research.pomona.edu/zootsuit/en/trial/ . Sleepy Lagoon Trial Photos: https://digital.library.ucla.edu/catalog?f%5Bsubject_sim%5D%5B%5D=Sleepy+Lagoon+Trial%2C+Los+Angeles%2C+1942-1943&sort=title_alpha_numeric_ssort+asc Zoot Suits: Kathy Peiss, Zoot Suit: The Enigmatic Career of an Extreme Style, (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2011). https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt3fhn0m Stuart Cosgrove, "The Zoot-Suit and Style Warfare," History Workshop 18 (1984): 77-91. https://www.jstor.org/stable/4288588. Steve Chibnall, "Whistle and Zoot: The Changing Meaning of a Suit of Clothes," History Workshop 20 (1985): 56-81. https://www.jstor.org/stable/4288649. Ralph H. Turner and Samuel J. Surace, "Zoot-Suiters and Mexicans: Symbols in Crowd Behavior," American Journal of Sociology 62, no.1 (1956): 14-20. https://www.jstor.org/stable/2773799. Catherine S. Ramirez, "Crimes of Fashion: The Pachuca and Chicana Style Politics," Meridians 2, no.2 (2002): 1-35. https://www.jstor.org/stable/40338497. Catherine S. Ramirez, "Saying "Nothin": Pachucas and the Languages of Resistance," Frontiers: A Journal of Women Studies 27, no.3 (2006): 1-33. https://www.jstor.org/stable/4137381. Alice McGrath: PBS, American Experience, "Zoot Suit Riots": https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/zoot/#transcript Joan Trossman Bien, "Outlaw Activist: Alice McGrath Turns 90," Ventura County Reporter, available at https://web.archive.org/web/20080606170822/http://www.vcreporter.com/cms/story/detail/?id=4917&IssueNum=133 Carlos Larralde, "Josefina Fierro and the Sleepy Lagoon Crusade, 1942-1945," Southern California Quarterly 92, 2 (2010) V. Ruiz, "Una Mujer Sin Fronteras," Pacific Historical Review 73, 1 (2004) Kenneth C Burt, "The Power of a Mobilized Citizenry and Coalition Politics: The 1949 Election of Edward R. Roybal to the Los Angeles City Council," Southern California Quarterly 85, 4 (2003)  

Every month, we pick a play or two to discuss, and this week's episode is a play called "The Two Kids That Blow Shit" by Carla Ching. We discuss what we noticed, what we liked, and questions that came up while reading the play. SPOILER ALERT: There are going to be some spoiler alerts! We highly recommend you read the play before listening to this episode! About the Play: Here's what the play's about which you can read on New Play Exchange: ”As kids, Max and Diana meet on their parents' date, then are kicked out of the house so their parents can get it on. They are forced to play together even though they aren't really that fond of each other. Through over two decades of their parents' tumultuous relationship of getting together, breaking up, getting married and then divorced, Max and Diana are perpetually forced together and become the most unlikely of friends. They see each other through their own marriages and divorces, rehabs and spin-outs, career rejiggerings and epic life fails. But when they actually fall into each other, will they lose the only family they've ever known? A play about falling in and out of love with your best friend.” About the Playwright: An LA native, Carla Ching's other plays include Revenge Porn or the Story of a Body, Nomad Motel, Fast Company, and The Sugar House at the Edge of the Wilderness. Just to name a few-- her full-length plays have been produced or workshopped by Artists at Play, Berkeley Rep's Ground Floor, Center Theater Group, The Lark Play Development Center, Ma-Yi Theatre Company, The National New Play Network Showcase of New Plays, and The O'Neill Playwrights Conference. She is a member of New Dramatists and founding member of The Kilroys. Carla wrote on USA's Graceland, AMC's Fear the Walking Dead, Amazon's I Love Dick, Apple's Home Before Dark and the forthcoming Mr. and Mrs. Smith co-created by Francesca Sloane, Phoebe Waller Bridge and Donald Glover. She is currently developing a new project with Netflix. Glistens: Cho - Took a trip to Michigan. Met Nik's extended family. Mosquito bites all over my face… cool. Sam - Walden by Amy Berryman at Theatreworks Hartford ____________________________________________ Please support Beckett's Babies by reviewing, sharing an episode with your friends or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter: @beckettsbabies And as always, we would love to hear from you! Send us your questions or thoughts on playwriting and we might discuss it in our next episode. Email: contact@beckettsbabies.com For more info, visit our website: www.beckettsbabies.com Theme Music: "Live Like the Kids" by Samuel Johnson, Laura Robertson, Luke O'Dea (APRA) --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/beckettsbabies/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/beckettsbabies/support

It's a special day in the Gayborhood filled with a new vision for the American theater! Over the last several months, Roger has been mentoring two brilliant rising star writers, Ayla Xuân Chi Sullivan and Nick Mwaluko, as part of the New Visions Fellowship, which has been sponsored by the National Queer Theater and Dramatists Guild of America to provide a platform for Black TGNC playwrights. It is our pleasure and privilege to welcome these two geniuses to join us today. In addition to multiple mic drop moments discussing both of their experiences as BIPOC creators navigating higher education, Ayla fills us in on their upcoming play For Colored N*****, or Who Gonna Beat My Ass?, and Nick tells us all about their plays Silence is a Sound and Waafrika 123 -- and we highly encourage everyone to check out their work as soon as you get the opportunity! You heard it here first, friends! Go on Instagram to follow Ayla at @thatblasianayla and Nick at @nickmwaluko, and learn everything you can about the folx highlighted in this week's Gayborhood Watch: poet J. Delys, the rap group Close Good featuring Aaliyah Bradshaw and Tay Bivens, actor T.L. Thompson, actor Troy Rocket, and director Shariffa Ali. And don't forget to follow @rogerq.mason and @lovell.holder on Instagram for all your Gayborhood updates -- and be sure to catch the filmed theater performance of The Duat, Roger's regional theater debut with the world famous Center Theater Group, streaming now until August 12, 2021, at https://www.centertheatregroup.org/digitalstage (https://www.centertheatregroup.org/digitalstage).

We're all dressed up and turning over a new LEAF - because this episode is all about Salad. No really, trust us! First Lia Ballentine tells us all about National Salad Month, National Egg Salad Week (yep, a whole week!), and the real person (ahem, the woman) behind Hellman's Mayonnaise. Then she'll take us back to Tijuana to hear the history of Caesar Salad, and learn about the dressing so mysterious they made a documentary about it. But that's just the tip of the ICEBERG! In the Deep Dish, Anna Van Valin gives us an intro to gender theory lesson as we try to answer the question: if meat is manly, why is salad girly? Plus, she reminisces about that meme that sparked a global conversation about representation, inspired a whole play, and left us laughing alone with our salads. So LETTUCE stick a fork into the fascinating stories behind the history and cultural impact of salad, and what makes us actually crave one. Quesadilla croutons, for example (Chili's: call us).Cook this podcast! We've partnered with the Manna cooking app to create delicious, episode-inspired recipes you can cook while you listen. Download the app, follow "Every Day is a Food Day," and check out the recipe "Smash the Patriarchy...and Cucumbers"  inspired by this episode. Connect with us: Follow @FoodDayPod on Instagram, Twitter & Facebook and join our mailing list for more great content about the stories & foods we talk about on the show (plus a peek BTS)!Want to support our women and BIPOC-created independent podcast? Buy us a coffee!Its a GIVEAWAY! Enter to win a personalized mugs from our friends at Creative Cravings plus a YumDay summer snack box. Explore from the show:See the meme that started it all...Watch the trailer for “The Mysterious Origin of Thousand Island Dressing."Read "Smash the Wellness Industry" by Jessica Knoll in the New York Times. Watch the teaser for the Center Theater Group's production of "Women Laughing Alone with Salad" by Sheila Callaghan.(c) Van Valin LLC, Yumday Co

In this episode of "JIM ON THE AIR," I had a chance to talk with Ryan Howard. Ryan's dance film will be featured during the "RE: EMERGE A DANCE FESTIVAL" at Center Stage Theater in Santa Barbara. The short film, "Sylkies," will be shown on opening night, Thursday, June 17, and Saturday, June 19. Both screenings will be at 7:00 PM. Mr. Howard has a degree in Theater Production and Design from UC Santa Barbara. He works and lives in Los Angeles as a Designer and Maker. Ryan has worked with Center Theater Group as a Prop Artisan and Theater Technician and is the Director of Production and Design for Psychopomp Dance Theater. His work has been seen onstage at the Ahmanson Theater, the Mark Taper Forum, and the Kirk Douglas Theater. His current artistic adventure is exploring the world of analog film, in both still and motion picture formats. Ryan is thrilled to show his short film at Center Stage Theater! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/jim-sirianni/support

Chatting With Sherri welcomes back award winning composer, producer, educator, and host; David Raiklen! David Raiklen is an American composer best known for the science fiction series Space Command and for the Emmy winning Mia, A Dancer’s Journey. David was mentored by Oscar winner John Williams and Pulitzer Prize winner Mel Powel. Dr. Raiklen studied at USC, UCLA, and CalArts and later taught at those universities. He has worked for the major studios including Sony, Fox, Disney, Sprint, Mattel, Warner Bros and PBS, plus many independent productions. His projects have starred Elliott Gould, Doug Jones, Blythe Danner, and Martin Sheen. David made the New York Film Critics Top Ten with the documentary Heist, the short list for an Academy Award® for Worth, and Mia, A Dancer's Journey won the Emmy. An oratorio for the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial titled Discovery, a mixed reality giant projection event for the Center Theater Group’s 50th anniversary, episodes of Star Trek Continues, and a violin concerto for festival darling Worth. David Raiklen compositions have been performed at the Hollywood Bowl and Disney Hall. He was also host of a successful radio program, Classical Fan Club, where guests include Yo-Yo Ma and John Williams; and was host and leader of The Academy of Scoring Arts seminars. David is currently producing and composing for Space Command, a series of epic adventures set in a hopeful future, and producing Virtual Reality experiences. And his latest hosting duties is his new show; "SOUNDS FANTASTIC" on scifi.radio, coming soon!   

Calleri Jensen Davis casting, formally Calleri casting until very recently, have a casting partnership that spans over twenty years. Television credits include Dickinson, The Path, Army Wives, Lipstick Jungle, Hope and Faith, Ed, Monk, and numerous pilots for Netflix, Fox the CW NBC ABC among many others, Films they have cast have been screened at Sundance, The Cannes Film Festival, and have won dozens of awards.Broadway credits include the upcoming productions of Thoughts of a Colored Man, For Colored Girls who have considered suiside when the rainbow is enough, and Blue all opening on Broadway this year. Past Broadway credits include Burn This, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, The Elephant Man, Of Mice and Men, Fool For Love, Venus In Fur, 33 Variations, Chicago, A Raisin in the Sun, Hughie, James Joyce’s The Dead, and the Bright Star National TourAdditional New York and Regional credits include Playwrights Horizons, Classic Stage Company, Rattlestick, The Flea, Keen Company, Williamstown Theater Festival, The Long Warf, The Cleveland Playhouse, The Actors Theater of Louisville, Hartford Stage, The Alliance, Center Theater Group, Humana, The Old Globe, Syracuse Stage, OSF, Alley Theater, Berkley Rep, McCarter Theater and dozens more.

Writer: Brian C. PettiBrian is a Hudson-Valley, NY-based playwright who has been published and produced in NYC, LA, and Ireland.Cast:Anne Cooper as Woman #1 Anne Cooper, a member of SAG/AFTRA and AEA for over thirty years, has acted under the direction of many talented Film and TV directors. She is in the upcoming movie MARRY ME with Jennifer Lopez. She is a theatre consultant to LA GOAL, which provides services for adults with developmental disabilities. She is a big fan of Bernadette Armstrong as a writer and director, and was in her production of SIMPLE LIVES and feels lucky to again be working with Bernadette.Sonja Alarr as Woman #2Sonja Alarr is a mom, writer, and erstwhile actor/singer. She used to do a ton of regional theatre, working at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, PCPA, La Jolla Playhouse, Crown City Theatre, Ensemble Theater, and the Kirk Douglas Theatre among others. But she really freaked out about auditioning, and the truth is, she wasn’t very good at it. So she and her husband, Albert, started a theatre company back in the day but stopped that to raise Anton and Zosia, two truly amazing kids. Now Sonja writes and does her own cabaret shows when she feels the itch to perform. If you need more: She has a BFA in theatre from CalArts and graduated summa cum laude with a master’s degree in feminist theory and English literature from Cal State Long Beach. She had her kids at home with no drugs. She’s a certified life coach. She’s currently writing her second novel. And she’s on the cusp of Gemini and Cancer, which explains a lot.Director: Joanne McGeeJoanne McGee has been a professional actor since 1977 and has work in Union and Non-Union theaters around the country includingThe Florida Rep., Utah Shakespeare Festival, Nevada Shakespeare in the Park, Detroit Rep., and Sonora Rep. To name a few. She’s been seen in Jag, General Hospital, America’s Most Wanted, West Wing, and others. She finally had a dream come true and performed at the Mark Taper Forum as, Sladjana, in the world premiere of, Archduke, with Center Theater Group. She has done voice-over and commercials but this is her very first PodCast.Sound Production: Recorded at ES Audio Services in Glendale, CA. Recorded and Mixed by Hall CantrellSound Editor: Hall CantrellSupport the show (https://fundraising.fracturedatlas.org/open-door-playhouse)

Performance artist, comedian, and actor Kristina Wong speaks with BAO about her upbringing as a third-generation Chinese American, her path to creating a whole new medium for her performance art, and how her art is intertwined with real-life events. She recently concluded a month-long run of her show "Kristina Wong for Public Office" presented by the Center Theater Group and is now embarking on a new show called "Kristina Wong, Sweatshop Overlord." Learn more about Kristina at kristinawong.com Coffee with BAO is a series of casual conversations with Vietnamese American songwriter and producer Bao Vo exploring creative process, cultural identity, and personal growth. Coffee with BAO is also available as a Youtube video series. Your financial support is super appreciated. You can donate to help create this content at http://coffeewithbao.com --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/baovomusic/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/baovomusic/support

The title says it all, good friends Annie and Frannie go to the mall to spend time together and chat about their lives, loves, and everything in between.Writer: Don GoodrumA stage veteran of almost 50 years, Don Goodrum was born in Tennesseeand raised in Mississippi, where he got his first taste of the spotlight as TheKing of the Calendar in his second-grade play. Don moved onto the churchplay circuit and managed to turn a Best Actor win in a One Act Play Festivalinto a theatre scholarship to Mississippi College. At MC, Don began writing inearnest and saw several of his plays produced. After college, Don wound upon the radio, a career choice that kept sharpening his comedic and writingskills for the next 25 years. Don retired from radio in 2006 and began teachinghigh school theatre and writing once again. He has seen productions of manyof his plays throughout the US and hopes to see many more. He is retired andlives in Florida where he is surrounded by his three grown daughters, threegranddaughters, a grandson, various sons-in-law, and the (assumed)adoration of millions.Director: Bernadette ArmstrongBernadette moved to Los Angeles to work in film in the late 1990s and after her first two films went to festivals she took a short hiatus from writing until she fell in love with small theater. Since 2008 she has had several successful theater projects produced in No Hollywood. Her play The Reading Group was named Pick of the Week by LA Weekly Magazine and in 2017 her play Simple Lives was nominated for Outstanding Writing of an Original Play or Musical by the Valley Theater Awards (the only woman nominated).Cast:Joanne McGee as AnnieJoanne McGee has been a professional actor since 1977 and has work in Union and Non-Union theaters around the country includingThe Florida Rep., Utah Shakespeare Festival, Nevada Shakespeare in the Park, Detroit Rep., and Sonora Rep. To name a few. She’s been seen in Jag, General Hospital, America’s Most Wanted, West Wing, and others. She finally had a dream come true and performed at the Mark Taper Forum as, Sladjana, in the world premiere of, Archduke, with Center Theater Group. She has done voice-over and commercials but this is her very first PodCast.Noelle Evangelista as FrannieNoelle received her MFA in Acting from the California Institute of the Arts. She was cast in the following major motion pictures: Terminator Two, LA Confidential, and Pacific Heights. Noelle has performed in numerous theaters in Los Angeles and one of her favorite and most memorable roles as Liz in The Philadelphia Story. She loves working on commercials and voice-overs and had a great time doing a radio play pre-Covid with the Screen Actors Guild. Enjoy and stay safe and healthy everyone!Sound Production: Recorded at ES Audio Services in Glendale, CA. Recorded and Mixed by Hall CantrellSound Editor: Hall CantrellSound Effects: Ryan MarshSupport the show (https://fundraising.fracturedatlas.org/open-door-playhouse)

Welcome to the 22nd episode of Broadway Babies! This week Noelle and Stephanie welcome the wonderful Joe Iconis (Be More Chill, Smash)! Joe Iconis is a musical theater writer and performer. He has been nominated for a Tony Award, four Drama Desk Awards, two Lucille Lortel Awards, two Outer Critics’ Circle Awards, and is the recipient of an Ed Kleban Award, a Jonathan Larson Award, and a Richard Rodgers Award. Be More Chill (with Joe Tracz) is currently playing London’s West End, after running at Broadway’s Lyceum Theatre and off-Broadway’s The Pershing Square Signature Center after a world premiere at Two River Theater. Joe is the author of Love in Hate Nation (directed by John Simpkins; Two River Theater), Broadway Bounty Hunter (with Lance Rubin and Jason SweetTooth Williams; Barrington Stage Company and Greenwich House Theater Off-Broadway), Bloodsong of Love (Ars Nova, NAMT), The Black Suits (with Robert Maddock; Center Theater Group, Barrington Stage Company), ReWrite (Urban Stages, Goodspeed Opera House), and Theaterworks USA’s The Plant That Ate Dirty Socks and We the People. Musicals currently in development include The Untitled Unauthorized Hunter S. Thompson for La Jolla Playhouse (directed by Christopher Ashley), Punk Rock Girl! His music appeared on season two of NBC’s Smash. Albums: Be More Chill (OCR and OBCR, which over 500 million streams); Broadway Bounty Hunter (OCR); Things to Ruin (OCR); Two-Player Game, The Joe Iconis Rock & Roll Jamboree, and the upcoming Broadway Bounty Hunter (OCR) all available on Sh-K-Boom/Ghostlight Records. Joe is hugely inspired by Robert Altman, Dolly Parton, The Muppets, and the Family of artists he frequently surrounds himself with. www.MrJoeIconis.com --- Stephanie Andersen (Bare: A Pop Opera, Original Cast, Cast Recording and Revival) and Noelle Hannibal (Hair: 20th Anniversary Production, Star Trek, Buffy) and are professional performers and fangirls with a deep and never-ending love for musical theatre. Join them as they chat about all things Broadway on this special podcast which will feature interviews with some of Broadway's most beloved stars. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/broadway-babies/support

Robert W. Schneider is an award-winning director and producer based in NYC. He currently holds the titles of Original Programming Producer at Feinstein’s/54 Below, Artistic Director of The J2 Spotlight Musical Theater Company, Host of the podcasts Behind The Curtain: Broadway’s Living Legends (w/Kevin David Thomas) and Gay Card Revoked (w/Robbie Rozelle), and faculty member at Penn State University, New York Film Academy, and Mount Union University. Robert has had the great fortune to collaborate with such theaters as Second Stage, Lincoln Center, Center Theater Group, Walnut Street Theater, The York Theater, NYMF, and many others. Proud member of SDC! https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Robert-W-Schneider/ https://www.robertwschneiderdirector.com/bio https://broadwaypodcastnetwork.com/hosts/robert-w-schneider/ https://54below.com/artists/robert-schneider/ https://twitter.com/robwschneider?lang=en https://www.facebook.com/robwschneider https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6509714/

ABOUT: Dizzy is a seventy-year-old woman hell-bent on getting her tattoo removed. She and her friends end up in a Tattoo Parlor where she meets the much younger Char, a non-binary tattoo artist. Dizzy and Char spend some time in verbal sparring but end up finding common ground as they recognize the pain that formed each other's SCARS.WRITER: Pamela KingsleyPamela Kingsley is an actress and director with more than 200 productions to her credit. A playwright, Pamela's work has been selected by theatres in cities across the U.S. including Buffalo, Cleveland, Indianapolis, Kansas City, New Haven, N. ... She is a member of The Dramatists Guild.DIRECTOR: Jan SwankJan Swank has produced and directed over 300 theatre productions and appeared in over 100 in his professional career. He was Managing Artistic Director of three different theatres over 35 years. His production of The Diviners won four awards, including Best Producer (Director) and the Audience Award at the International Festival in Dundalk, Ireland. He attended Indiana-Purdue Ft. Wayne, Southern Oregon University, and the University of South Dakota. He holds a BFA in Classical Theatre, an MA in Theatre, and an MFA in Theatre Directing. He is a South Dakota Arts Fellow, a member of Actors' Equity Association, and a decorated veteran of the U.S. Army. He and his wife Jill live in Rapid City, South Dakota.ACTORS:Noelle Evangelisti - As Lindy Noelle received her MFA in Acting from the California Institute of the Arts. She was cast in the following major motion pictures: Terminator Two, LA Confidential, and Pacific Heights. Noelle has performed in numerous theaters in Los Angeles and one of her favorite and most memorable roles as Liz in The Philadelphia Story. She loves working on commercials and voice-overs and had a great time doing a radio play pre-Covid with the Screen Actors Guild. Enjoy and stay safe and healthy everyone!Joanne McGee - As BabsJoanne McGee has been a professional actor since 1977 and has work in Union and Non-Union theaters around the country includingThe Florida Rep., Utah Shakespeare Festival, Nevada Shakespeare in the Park, Detroit Rep., and Sonora Rep. To name a few. She’s been seen in Jag, General Hospital, America’s Most Wanted, West Wing, and others. She finally had a dream come true and performed at the Mark Taper Forum as, Sladjana, in the world premiere of, Archduke, with Center Theater Group. She has done voice-over and commercials but this is her very first PodCast. Bonnie Bailey-Reed - As DizzyBONNIE BAILEY-REED Bonnie’s career began in NYC with touring with two Musical Theatre First National Tours. In L.A., she has appeared in award-winning roles including Mags in the World Premiere of THE SUPER VARIETY MATCH BONUS ROUND at The Rogue Machine Theatre, Mrs. Brummett in the World Premiere of Arlene Hutton's GULF VIEW DRIVE (LA Weekly Award, Supporting Actress). Sue Gisser - As CharSue trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, Steppenwolf West, the Groundlings, iOWest, Second City, Antaeus Academy, Theatricum Botanicum, and holds a BFA from Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers. In her professional career, Sue is blessed to seldom work with a director, show, or theatre company only once. SOUND PRODUCTIONRecorded at Clear Lake Studios in North Hollywood and mixed at Avant Sound Recorded and Mixed by Hall CantrellSound Editor: Hall CantrellSound Effects: Ryan MarshSupport the show (https://fundraising.fracturedatlas.org/open-door-playhouse)

Joe Iconis is a musical theater writer and performer. He has been nominated for a Tony Award, four Drama Desk Awards, two Lucille Lortel Awards, two Outer Critics’ Circle Awards, and is the recipient of an Ed Kleban Award, a Jonathan Larson Award, and a Richard Rodgers Award. Be More Chill (with Joe Tracz) is currently playing London’s West End, after running at Broadway’s Lyceum Theatre and off-Broadway’s The Pershing Square Signature Center after a world premiere at Two River Theater. Joe is the author of Love in Hate Nation (directed by John Simpkins; Two River Theater), Broadway Bounty Hunter (with Lance Rubin and Jason SweetTooth Williams; Barrington Stage Company and Greenwich House Theater Off-Broadway), Bloodsong of Love (Ars Nova, NAMT), The Black Suits (with Robert Maddock; Center Theater Group, Barrington Stage Company), ReWrite (Urban Stages, Goodspeed Opera House), and Theaterworks USA’s The Plant That Ate Dirty Socks and We the People. Musicals currently in development include The Untitled Unauthorized Hunter S. Thompson for La Jolla Playhouse (directed by Christopher Ashley), Punk Rock Girl! His music appeared on season two of NBC’s Smash. Albums: Be More Chill (OCR and OBCR, which over 500 million streams); Broadway Bounty Hunter (OCR); Things to Ruin (OCR); Two-Player Game, The Joe Iconis Rock & Roll Jamboree, and the upcoming Broadway Bounty Hunter (OCR) all available on Sh-K-Boom/Ghostlight Records. Joe is hugely inspired by Robert Altman, Dolly Parton, The Muppets, and the Family of artists he frequently surrounds himself with. www.MrJoeIconis.com @mrjoeiconis Jennifer Ashley Tepper is producer of the musicals Be More Chill, Broadway Bounty Hunter, and Love In Hate Nation, recent projects that are part of a decade-long collaboration with the group known as Joe Iconis & Family. From producing small concerts in basements to producing a show on Broadway, Tepper has cultivated the theatrical collective which The New York Times called “the future of musical theatre”. She is also the Creative and Programming Director at Feinstein’s/54 Below, where she has curated or produced over 3000 shows, including musicals in concert, original solo acts, theatrical reunions, songwriter celebrations, and more. Tepper's leadership at the venue has gained praise from publications including The Huffington Post, The New York Times, Buzzfeed, Playbill, Newsday, The New York Post, and more. As a writer, Tepper has authored three volumes of The Untold Stories of Broadway book series, published by Dress Circle. NBC New York has called the books an "inspiring Must-Read". Published in 2013, 2014, and 2016, each book has occupied the #1 spot on Amazon.com's Best Sellers List in Broadway & Musicals. On Broadway, Tepper has worked on [title of show], The Performers, Godspell, Macbeth, and The Parisian Woman, and off-Broadway Smokey Joe’s Café and Boys’ Life. Tepper is the conceiver and director of The Jonathan Larson Project which premiered in fall 2018 and received an original cast recording from Ghostlight Records. She is historian consultant on the upcoming tick, tick… BOOM! movie and co-creator of the Bistro Award- winning concert series, If It Only Even Runs A Minute, now in its 11th year. Tepper recently received a 2020 Lincoln Center Emerging Artist Award. She was named one of the 10 professionals on Backstage Magazine's "1st Annual Broadway Future Power List", which stated: "Proving herself both a zeitgeist predictor and theatrical historian with her eclectic programming, Tepper is leading the conversation on contemporary musical theatre." @jenashtep . Want more of My Broadway Memory?! Follow us on Social! @MyBroadwayMemory on Instagram and Facebook and @MyBwayMemory on Twitter MICHAEL KUSCHNER: Instagram or The Dressing Room Project Dear Multi-Hyphenate Podcast BRIAN SEDITA: Instagram, Website, Page to Stage Podcast BROADWAY PODCAST NETWORK: Website or Instagram #MyBroadwayMemory Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the COVID 19 Pandemic bringing shows and businesses to a stand still, there isn't much theater news to report but Will Armstrong and Wendy Rosoff wanted to share their conversation with Book of Mormon star Liam Tobin from their Los Angeles run at the Ahmanson Theater. Liam talks about his history with this musical juggernaut and what life is like on the road. After that, friend of the pod, Joseph Corella of 567Broadway shares some tips to inspire us on our fitness journeys. We hope that this episode made you smile. Special thanks to our friends at The Ahmanson Theater and Center Theater Group for helping us connect with Liam and if you are looking for some inspiration and motivation, be sure to check out 567Broadway.com Hope you are all staying safe and healthy and taking this time of extended isolation to rest, recharge. So on behalf of Will & Wendy, good by for now! But, not for long because, if you're looking for us you'll always find us, just West of Broadway! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Post Date: Monday, March 2, 2020 Description: In this episode we cruise down memory lane and discuss the resurgence of street cruising in the 1970s. While this past time began to emerge in the late 1940s, the popularity of cruising in cars hit a peak in the late 1970s. We talk about the film American Graffiti and its depiction of teen culture in Modesto, CA in 1962. We share some of the popular cruising spots around SoCal over the years. And to discuss what the cruising scene was like in Whittier on Whittier Blvd in the late 1970s, we welcome our first guest on the show, Steve Sharp of Alvin, Texas. Links: SoCal Car Culture – socalcarculture.com Information Sources: Feature Shoot – https://www.featureshoot.com/2019/08/cruising-down-the-boulevard-of-the-san-fernando-valley-during-the-1970s/ Los Angeles Times – https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-07-18-me-25230-story.html Los Angeles Daily Times – https://www.dailynews.com/2017/11/27/cruising-back-in-time-on-the-valleys-iconic-van-nuys-boulevard/ Center Theater Group – https://www.centertheatregroup.org/news-and-blogs/news/2017/june/top-five-cruising-boulevards-of-l-a/ OC Register – https://www.ocregister.com/2015/04/03/santa-ana-police-cracking-down-on-easter-cruising/ San Bernardino Sun – https://www.sbsun.com/2015/06/25/cruisin-made-san-bernardino-the-car-town/ LA ist– https://laist.com/2014/06/19/photos_cruising_on_van_nuys.php Jalopy Journal – https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/memories-of-whittier-blvd.272164/ Corvette Forum – https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums/c3-general/2952482-any-memories-of-whittier-blvd-cruising-stick-city-corky-s-diner.html Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cruising_(driving) Credits: Hosted by – Jim Karras Special Guest – Steve Sharp Produced, Directed and post-production by – Jim and Sabrina Karras Music: “Get Ready” “Silly Feet” “Feels Good” Provided by - David Fesliyan 2019 Fesliyn Studios fesliyanstudios.com Visit Us Online: Web Site – https://hamburgersandhotrods.com/ Twitter – https://twitter.com/HmbrgrsNHotRods YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIpBFNXFTfkkKA_GKx6CdmQ Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/HamburgersNHotRods/

Chatting With Sherri welcomes back award winning composer, producer, educator, and host; David Raiklen! David Raiklen is an American composer best known for the science fiction series Space Command and for the Emmy winning Mia, A Dancer’s Journey. David was mentored by Oscar winner John Williams and Pulitzer Prize winner Mel Powel. Dr. Raiklen studied at USC, UCLA, and CalArts and later taught at those universities. He has worked for the major studios including Sony, Fox, Disney, Sprint, Mattel, Warner Bros and PBS, plus many independent productions. His projects have starred Elliott Gould, Doug Jones, Blythe Danner, and Martin Sheen. David made the New York Film Critics Top Ten with the documentary Heist, the short list for an Academy Award® for Worth, and Mia, A Dancer's Journey won the Emmy. An oratorio for the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial titled Discovery, a mixed reality giant projection event for the Center Theater Group’s 50th anniversary, episodes of Star Trek Continues, and a violin concerto for festival darling Worth. David Raiklen compositions have been performed at the Hollywood Bowl and Disney Hall. He was also host of a successful radio program, Classical Fan Club, where guests include Yo-Yo Ma and John Williams; and was host and leader of The Academy of Scoring Arts seminars. David is currently producing and composing for Space Command, a series of epic adventures set in a hopeful future, and producing Virtual Reality experiences.  

Merri Sugarman is a casting director with Tara Rubin Casting and talk about it all. Merri shares her journey into casting, what brought her to the west coast and back! This conversation takes some wonderful twists and turns as we discuss what's important in life, what to have perspective on, and what Merri has learned as a result. Initially an actress ('Les Miserables', 'Aspects of Love', et al.), Merri found herself out West some years back where she quickly made a name for herself at Liberman/Hirschfeld, then Liberman/Patton Casting, working on such shows as "NewsRadio", "The Larry Sanders Show" and the Miramax feature film "Playing By Heart", starring Sean Connery and Angelina Jolie. In 2000, Merri moved to Dreamworks Studios as the Casting Executive in chargeof TV Pilots and Series- including "Spin City", and the critically acclaimed "The Job", starring Denis Leary. She was then offered a position as the Director of Casting for Dramas and Movies at ABC Television, overseeing the casting of "Alias", "NYPD Blue", "The Practice" and the 'made for television movies’ "Gilda Radner - It's Always Something" and "The Music Man", starring Matthew Broderick and Kristin Chenoweth, to name just a few. Merri then returned to the East Coast to teach and coach actors – something she still does (and loves) as time permits, when Tara Rubin offered her a Casting Director position where she’s been happily ensconced ever since, working on, among many others - the Broadway productions, touring and international companies of SPAMALOT, JERSEY BOYS, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, LES MISERABLES, HOW TO SUCCEED…, SCHOOL OF ROCK, MISS SAIGON & A BRONX TALE and the upcoming AIN'T TOO PROUD for Broadway. Her Off-Broadway casting credits include Clueless the Musical for New York's Signature Theater and Joe Iconis' The Black Suits for Center Theater Group in L.A. She also casts for many theaters regionally – including Chicago Lyric Opera, The Old Globe and The LaJolla Playhouse. She is the very proud CD of the critically acclaimed web series SUBMISSIONS ONLY and also boasts many TV & film projects, workshops and readings – including the new musical TREVOR – based on the Oscar winning short film.   In other news, she has been a Big Sister to Jenny via the amazing Big Brothers/Big Sisters program for the last 18 years, is an alumni officer of the professional sorority Kappa Gamma Chi (BFA in Musical Theater - Emerson College), a member of Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities, has been a Tony Voter for the past four years and is a proud member of CSA (Casting Society of America).     Enjoy! 

Chatting With Sherri welcomes award winning composer, producer, educator, and host; David Raiklen! David Raiklen is an American composer best known for the science fiction series Space Command and for the Emmy winning Mia, A Dancer’s Journey. David was mentored by Oscar winner John Williams and Pulitzer Prize winner Mel Powel. Dr. Raiklen studied at USC, UCLA, and CalArts and later taught at those universities. He has worked for the major studios including Sony, Fox, Disney, Sprint, Mattel, Warner Bros and PBS, plus many independent productions. His projects have starred Elliott Gould, Doug Jones, Blythe Danner, and Martin Sheen. David made the New York Film Critics Top Ten with the documentary Heist, the short list for an Academy Award® for Worth, and Mia, A Dancer's Journey won the Emmy. An oratorio for the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial titled Discovery, a mixed reality giant projection event for the Center Theater Group’s 50th anniversary, episodes of Star Trek Continues, and a violin concerto for festival darling Worth. David Raiklen compositions have been performed at the Hollywood Bowl and Disney Hall. He was also host of a successful radio program, Classical Fan Club, where guests include Yo-Yo Ma and John Williams; and was host and leader of The Academy of Scoring Arts seminars. David is currently producing and composing for Space Command, a series of epic adventures set in a hopeful future, and producing Virtual Reality experiences.  

Wild Rose Elementary, a community fixture in the Monrovia Unified School District since 1921, was recently renamed the Wild Rose School of Creative Arts. Principal Dr. Leslie Miller and Intervention Specialist Sharon Naugle discuss the school's commitment to integrating VAPA into the school's core curriculum, the Center Theater Group grant for Disney Musicals in Schools, and Wild Rose's new Spanish language dual immersion program.

Highlights: New Feature: Now publishing the 1917 Official Bulletin daily at ww1cc.org/bulletin | @ 00:45 History: “You want to send American troops to FRANCE!?!” | @ 05:00 Big News: National WW1 Memorial gets nod and OK from CFA | @ 11:30 Helping out: Peer-to-peer fundraising video for Memorial day | @ 12:30 Sports: Randy Mobley - President of the International League | @ 15:00 Education: St. Mary’s University, Texas students making WW1 Mini Docs | @ 22:15 Theater: New WW1 play in Los Angeles | @ 24:15 Television: Nat Geo TV WW1 Special to air Memorial Day weekend | @ 25:00 Music: 369th experience | @ 25:45 Much more... ----more---- WW1 Centennial News - Weekly Podcast World War One Centennial News: May 10, 2017 Welcome to World War One Centennial News. It’s about WW1 news 100 years ago this week  - and it’s about WW1 NOW - news and updates about the centennial and the commemoration.WW1 Centennial News is brought to you by the U.S. World War I Centennial Commission and the Pritzker Military Museum and Library. Today is May 17th, 2017 and I’m Theo Mayer - Chief Technologist for the World War One Centennial Commission and your host. World War One THEN 100 Year Ago This Week We have gone back in time 100 years - and the united states government launches the “The Official Bulletin” the country’s war information newspaper. It is published daily under order of the - President of the United States - published - by the Committee on Public Information, George Creel - ChairmanWe have introduced you to George Creel previously. Creel is a journalist, friend and staunch supporter of Woodrow Wilson - especially during the election of 1916. So it’s not surprising that President Wilson appoints Creel to head the newly minted Committee on Public Information - the CPI - as a part of the new war effort. The CPI’s mission is to swing public sentiment and backing in favor of the U.S. war effort. Effectively George Creel is the head of America's propaganda and war information bureau.This includes all aspects of the U.S. media, including print, film, posters, music, paintings, cartoons… everything.One of the key products of the CPI is the Official Bulletin, largely forgotten and gone unnoticed - in the century since.Starting this week, We are re-publishing each issue of this daily historically newspaper on the centennial date of its release. This archive is a wonderful cultural resource that illuminates this dynamic period in our country’s history.Fortunately, the entire archive has been digitized by Google Books and we are very excited to bring it to you as a daily serial on our web site - at ww1cc.org/bulletin - all lower case.The editorial team at WW1 Centennial News is going over the 120 or so weekly articles, bringing you some of the interesting headlines and digging into a story or two.This week, some of the headlines read:“Urgent need of ships for coastal defense is outlined”This article includes the interesting note: A number of the finest yachts in the country have been tendered to the Government by the owners for use during the war, either free or on a nominal lease basis”In the article - the Assistant Secretary of the Navy writes - “We need coastal defenses. The present war is showing that the submarine is a weapon that has an important bearing on the final result.”That astute assistant secretary of the navy in 1917 will become the 32nd President of the United States in 1933 - Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Another headline reads - MISSION TO RUSSIA.The Department of State authorizes the members of the special diplomatic mission of the United States of America to Russia - our close allies during this war.REGISTRATION DISTINCT FROM THE DRAFT,STATEMENT BY WAR DEPARTMENT EXPLAINSThis article that explains that all young men between 21 and 30 must REGISTER for the draft - but that being drafted is a separate and different issue.This is the first selective service moment in our nation’s history and there is a lot of interest and confusion about how it works.In fact - in the May 12, 1917 issue of the Official Bulletin -  there is a great article looking at the number of men in the US who will be subject to QUOTE “selective conscription”.They estimate that around 10 million men between ages 21 and 30 need to register. That is around 10% of the US’ estimated population of 103-104 million people in 1917.Based on state populations, they are looking at around 1 million young men from New York, 875,000 from Pennsylvania, half a million from Illinois, Texas and Ohio,  Remember a few weeks ago we talked about the fact that the US had virtually no national military - that in fact the state militias totally outnumbered the federal army. The building of that army is a story we will be following over the coming weeks.Link: ww1cc.org/bulletin Great War Project Joining us now is former NPR correspondent Mike Shuster from the Great War Project blog. This week Mike also focuses on the domestic struggle to get a handle on what it means - now that we have declared war. Mike - It sure doesn’t sound like the nation is of one mind on this!?[Mike Shuster]LINK:http://greatwarproject.org/2017/05/14/a-volunteer-army-or-the-draft/That was Mike Shuster from the Great War Project blog. War in the Sky Let’s take a look at the Great War in the sky one hundred years ago this week. Our story is about the first allied flying boat that managed to down a german Zeppelin.What IS a flying boat. Well It’s different from a pontoon sea-plane that has floats replacing or in addition to landing gear. Instead -  flying boats are like ship hulls with wings - they do have pontoons out on the wings for stability when they land and take off - but they are a very desirable concept because they can be big and use a really long distance to take off and land - this works because they don’t need a runway to operate them just a reasonably calm body of water.The Curtiss H series is America’s leading flying boat design in WW1 - In fact, you might remember a few weeks ago when Michael Lombardi boeing’s senior historian, told us about an early Boeing contract to build some Curtiss H series flying boats under licence.Well one hundred years ago this week, a canadian flyer Robert Leike is tooling on patrol around in the north sea near amsterdam with his flight commander John Galpin. It’s nasty and rainy weather and the clouds are low.  Around 4:45 am, the weather breaks and they spot a big german Zeppelin - The L-22 about 10-15 miles away.So they give chase to sneak up on her - the flight commander, Lt. Galpin gives Leike the controls and goes to man the twin Lewis Guns. They get to within half a mile before the zep spots them - but by then it’s too late. Leike dives down on her like a hawk as Galpin unloads an entire drum of incendiary bullets into the zeppelin - which catches on fire and crashes into the sea. The tiny wasp has stung the giant beast and prevailed.  It’s a win for the allies and the loss of a precious zeppelin for the Germans. Leike is given the distinguished service cross and Galpin the distinguished service order for their action one hundred year ago this week in the great war in the sky.LINK:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Leckie_(RCAF_officer)#World_War_Ihttps://www.junobeach.org/canada-in-wwii/articles/air-vice-marshal-robert-leckie/ The Great War Channel Let’s move on to our friends from the Great War Channel on Youtube. They have produced a library of over 400 videos - about WW1 - over the past few years. The videos provide detailed insights - as well as summaries and overviews - If you want to explore WW1 on video we recommend the Great War channel on Youtube - This week the new episodes include: One hundred years ago this week - The Macedonian Standoff - The Five Nation Army Is Repelled And another episode which is a special - shot on location in France with the dutch development team from the Battle of Verdun video game. They explore the validity (or not) of teaching about WW1 with video game technology. This is a really interesting discussion. Follow the link in the podcast notes.Link:https://www.youtube.com/user/TheGreatWar World War One NOW We have moved forward into the present with WW1 Centennial News NOW  - News about the centennial and the commemoration.We will begin with some breaking news from the World War One Centennial Commission.As you know, surprisingly, there is no National WW1 memorial in our nation’s capital.We are very happy to report that on May 18, our concept and design for the National WWI Memorial at Pershing Park, in Washington DC received concept approval from Washington’s Commission of Fine Arts, the CFA - a body that needs to approve everything being built in the Nation’s Capital.You can check out the latest design and learn more about the project at link: ww1cc.org/memorialWe offer our congratulations to WW1 Centennial Commission Vice Chair Edwin Fountain, the designers of the concept Joe Weishaar and Sabin Howard and the WW1 memorial project team that have worked tirelessly to adapt the project vision to the input and requests of the CFA.Just in time for memorial day, we are now clear to proceed with our missions to honor the WW1 Doughboys with their own national memorial in Washington DC. So now - We are asking you - our audience to help us spread the word with a little peer-to-peer fundraising for this project. It is really easy for you to help - Some great people have recorded - special memorial day, 20 second donation appeals video for us - You can post on your web sites and social media pages asking to support this important centennial project.We have 20 second videos specifically for memorial day from former Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, Former US senator and ambassador Carol Moseley BraunThe step-grand-daughter of General of the Armies Black Jack Pershing - Ms. Sandra Sinclair PershingRetired Army General, news commentator and business consultant General Barry McCaffreyAnd Tech guru, internet pioneer and google senior fellow Vinton CerfAll YOU need to do it to post these videos on your facebook page, your website, or your other social media channels and tell your friends about our project. You can find the videos and lots of other great resources including an amazing public domain WW1 image library at ww1cc.org/promotion. Please do it today  - Memorial day is coming up on May 29. Help us build a national ww1 memorial in Washington DCThank you!link:http://ww1cc.org/promotion Activities and Events ABMC LivestreamOn to activities and event - Starting with a livestream from the ABMC. The American Battle Monuments Commission.On Tuesday, May 16th, two American Battle Monuments historians talked about photos from their collection in the ABMCs first Facebook Live chat. They discussed Memorial Day in 1919 and the role of photography in remembrance and commemoration of the First World War. You can watch the video of the event on their facebook page. We put the link in the podcast notes -  Congratulations to the AMBC on your first facebook livestream - we are looking forward to many more.link:https://www.facebook.com/abmcpage/videos/1525585880793451/Wilton CT: ArchivingIn Wilton Connecticut, the Wilton library will be holding a World War I Memorabilia Digitization Day on Saturday, May 20. Community Members can stop by to have their stories recorded and keepsakes scanned, photographed, and digitized. The results will be added to the State Library’s “Remembering World War One” digital project. They will be focusing on wart front related, home front related, or other war efforts. The library has teamed with the Connecticut State Library, American Legion Post 86 and the Wilton Historical Society to produce the event.link:http://www.wiltonbulletin.com/100054/residents-asked-to-contribute-to-online-wwi-archive/International Baseball LeagueAnd as we have been leading up to for the past few weeks - it’s time for peanuts, crackerjack, baseball and WW1 veterans remembrance days.With us today is the president of the East coast’s International League, Mr. Randy Mobley. Randy, you’ve been such an great supporting partner in this program for the WW1 commemoration - Thank you and welcome to the show![Randy Mobley]Your league is supporting a dozen games with WW1 remembrances between now and memorial day - how did that happen?[Randy Mobley]What are some of the events that are happening? [Randy Mobley]Tell us about the International League - How did it get it’s name[Randy Mobley]link:http://ww1cc.org/baseballhttp://www.milb.com/index.jsp?sid=l117Thank you Randy Mobley - President of International League  [closing] Updates from the States Kentucky and slugger stadiumThis coming Sunday on May 21st, in Louisville Kentucky at Slugger Field, the Kentucky state and the national WW1 Centennial Commissions are teaming up with the Louisville Bats for a WW1 commemoration day at the park.Heather French-Henry was on KHAS Channel 11 - the local ABC affiliate - earlier this week where they spoke about the upcoming event at Slugger Field.[clip from show]Michigan: 16th Engineers (railroad) an all-volunteer regimentOn the Michigan State Commission website at ww1cc.org/michigan, there is an article this week about a unique regiment: the 16th Engineers (railroad).  The regiment was organized, mobilized and trained entirely in Detroit, In WW1 Michigan, uniquely, was made up entirely of volunteers. So while the federal government was focusing on conscription and the draft -  Many, many people willingly and enthusiastically volunteered, whether they were men in Detroit or mothers and wives across the county. Read more about the 16th and their accomplishments abroad, including the construction of the largest AEF construction project of the war, by visiting the Michigan State Centennial Commission website at ww1cc.org/michigan  - all lower case.link: http://www.worldwar1centennial.org/index.php/michigan-in-ww1-articles/1524-16th-engineers-regiment-railway.htmlhttp://www.worldwar1centennial.org/index.php/michigan-in-ww1-home-page.htmlNorth Carolina Department of Transportation In North Carolina, Red poppies are blooming along the highways in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of our nation’s entry into World War I.To help honor those who served, North Carolina’s Department of Transportation Roadside Environmental unit planted an additional 70 acres of red poppies, an internationally recognized remembrance of sacrifice - for our military veterans. The poppies are part of the U.S. World War I Commission’s nationwide efforts to raise awareness and give meaning to the events that took place 100 years ago.The department spoke with their native son and national WW1 Centennial Commissioner - Jerry Hester.[Jerry Hester interview]link:https://apps.ncdot.gov/newsreleases/details.aspx?r=13830 Education St. Mary’s University and Commissioner General Alfredo ValenzuelaIn our education update section we have a story from Texas:Professor Teresa Van Hoy’s class - at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, has been given an incredible opportunity to connect with the legacy of WW1. With the support of WW1 Centennial Commissioner General Alfredo Valenzuela, Van Hoy guides her students to research, write and produce a series of mini-documentaries about the war. Students get to choose a topic that interests them, allowing for their voice and perspective to enter the work. The last batch of documentaries will be ceremoniously published online on the centennial of armistice day, November 11, 2018 at 11:11am. BUT you don’t have to wait till then to check out these great mini docs You can watch them now on youtube.Just follow the link in the podcast notes. I watched a 4 minute student peace that was published yesterday called Shell Shock with actual footage of WW1 soldiers in the post traumatic states. It’s pretty powerful! Thank you professor Van Hoy for putting this program together.link:http://www.worldwar1centennial.org/index.php/communicate/press-media/wwi-centennial-news/2269-four-questions-for-teresa-van-hoy.htmlhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzMXnsatQMMtOUdzDOQ4eEg International Report India: Embroidery and rehabilitating wounded soldiersFrom India - A story about post war recovery and the healing power of embroidery. In this story about WW1 soldiers who, reluctantly at first, embraced embroidery as a therapy.Also known as “fancy work” - embroidery was widely used as a form of therapy for British and ANZAC soldiers wounded in the War – challenging the gendered construct of it - as “women’s work” . Themes of the soldiers’ embroidery ranged from military heraldry to scenes from the French countryside to pieces for their sweethearts. You can read more about some individuals who benefitted from embroidery, and see some of their embroidered pieces by following the link in the podcast notes.link:https://thewire.in/133810/first-world-war-embroidery/ Spotlight in the Media Rajiv Joseph’s play ArchdukeIn Los Angeles, Playwright Rajiv Joseph has staged and opened a new play about WW1 called “Archduke”. Commissioned by the Center Theater Group on the occasion of its 50th anniversary, Joseph’s slyly relevant new period dramedy ends where most accounts of World War I begin: with the death of the Austro-Hungarian heir Archduke Ferdinand. The play runs from April 25th to June 4th. You can purchase tickets as well as read a review of the play  by following the link in the podcast notes.link:https://variety.com/2017/legit/reviews/archduke-review-rajiv-joseph-1202421536/https://www.centertheatregroup.org/tickets/mark-taper-forum/2017-18/archduke/National Geographic Television will air their special “America’s Great War 1917-1918” on  Sunday May 28th at 9pm and Monday May 29th at 10:50pm. Their press release states: “Through unreleased archives and contemporary footage shot in the archeological digs of World War I's battlefields, the show will tell the heroic and tragic tale of the American soldiers in who participated in the conflict.”Thank you Nat Geo TV for producing the wonderful work! We look forward to in time for memorial day!link:http://www.natgeotv.com/za/shows/natgeo/america-s-great-war-1917-1918 Articles and Posts The 369th ExperienceOne of the sites you’ll find is for the 369th Experience. Go to   ww1cc.org/369 - this is a project endorsed by the World War I Centennial Commission and sponsored in part by The Coca Cola Foundation. The project re-creates the Harlem Hellfighter’s 369th Regimental Band. The band originally consisted of 65 African American and Puerto Rican doughboys who charmed the hearts and minds of Americans and Europeans alike. It is said that they brought Jazz to Europe.Beginning last November, the program solicited freshmen and sophomore music students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and other colleges and universities across America to enter a competition to be selected to join a re-creation of the 369th band.The band members have now been selected.And this past week it was announced that Dr. Isrea Butler, will lead the band as they retrace the steps of the original 369th, with performances at centennial celebrations in New York City; Brest and Paris in France; and a host of other historic locales. Dr. Buttler is currently the Director of Bands at The University of Maryland Eastern Shore. To learn more about the program you can go to ww1cc.org/369 or follow the link in the podcast notes.link:http://www.worldwar1centennial.org/index.php/communicate/press-media/wwi-centennial-news/2370-dr-isrea-butler-to-lead-369th-experience-band-s-historic-re-creation.htmlWwrite BlogThis week in our WWrite blog - which explores WWI’s Influence on Contemporary Writing and Scholarship, the post is titled “Censored WWI Works Part 2: Mary Borden's Forbidden Zone and Backwash of War by Ellen LaMotte”In the post, WWrite Blog curator Jennifer Orth-Veillon discusses two censored yet extraordinary works by Army nurses: Ellen Lamotte's “The Backwash of War” and Mary Borden's “The Forbidden Zone”. Both Mary Borden and Ellen Lamotte were field hospital nurses who witnessed some of WWI's worst casualties and went on to write about the experience. The post - discusses how many artistic works were censored after WWI because they seemingly portrayed the conflict, or the countries involved, in a negative light. Today, many of these previously censored works are considered among the best artistic representations of the war - in part - because of to the realistic way they painted a horrible, gory, corrupt, and anti-triumphant picture of combat and trench warfare. Read more about these women and their literary contributions at the ww1cc.org/w-w-r-i-t-e. All lowe case.link:http://www.worldwar1centennial.org/index.php/articles-posts/2337-censored-wwi-books-2-mary-borden-s-forbidden-zone-and-backwash-of-war-by-ellen-lamotte.html100 Cities / 100 MemorialsFor the 100 cities / 100 memorials project - the $200,000 matching grant challenge to restore ailing WW1 memorials around the country - there is a new blog post this week profiling some of the recent grant applications to the program - One from Santa Monica California - and another from Tennessee’s Madison Country…MOST important - a reminder for anyone involved in a WW1 memorial restoration project - large or small - it is just ONE MONTH until the submission deadline on June 15, 2017.You can follow the program and sign up for the blog at ww1cc.org/100 memorials ! The Buzz - WW1 in Social Media Posts That brings us to the buzz - the centennial of WW1 this week in social media with Katherine Akey - Katherine - what do you have for us this week?Mother’s Day Dispatch from the FrontAn illustrated dispatch from the War Work Council on Mother's Day, 1918 Link:https://www.facebook.com/ww1centennial/photos/a.774612519380715.1073741840.185589304949709/774612526047381/?type=3PershingA summary biography of Gen. Pershing, tapped 100 years ago this week to lead the AEF. link:https://www.facebook.com/TheGreatWar191418/photos/pcb.1045309348934649/1045306408934943/?type=3&theater Closing That’s WW1 Centennial News for this week. Thank you for listening!We want to thank our guests Mike Shuster from the Great War Project blogRandy Mobley, president of the International LeagueKatherine Akey the Commission’s social media director and also the line producer for the show.And I am Theo Mayer - your host this week.The US World War One Centennial Commission was created by Congress to honor, commemorate and educate about WW1. Our programs are to--Inspire a national conversation and awareness about WW1;We are bringing the lessons of the 100 years ago into today's classrooms;We are helping to restore WW1 memorials in communities of all sizes across our country;and as you heard earlier, we received approval on our design for a National WW1 Memorial in Washington DC.We are not federally funded. We depend entirely on donations for doing this work… You can help by donating any amount at ww1cc.org/donate, you can help us with peer-to-peer fundraising by posting the donation appeal videos from ww1cc.org/promotion and if you are listening to this podcast on your smart phone - you can just text ww1 to 41444 to make a donation large or small.We want to thank commission’s founding sponsor the Pritzker Military Museum and Library for their support. The podcast can be found on our website at ww1cc.org/cn  on  iTunes and google play ww1 Centennial News. Our twitter and instagram handles are both @ww1cc and we are on facebook @ww1centennial. Thanks for joining us. And don’t forget to talk to someone about the centennial of WW1 this week. So long.[music] SUBSCRIPTIONS WW1 Centennial News Video Podcast on iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ww1-centennial-news/id1209764611?mt=2 Weekly Dispatch Newsletterhttp://www.worldwar1centennial.org/index.php/communicate/2015-12-28-18-26-00/subscribe.htm

On this episode of West of Broadway, Will Armstrong and Lara Scott sit down with the Charles Chatelain, President of the Center Theater Group’s Young Producers Circle to discuss the Fiasco Theater’s production of Into the Woods, performing at the Ahmanson Theater from now until May 14th. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lian Dolan and Julie Dolan of the Satellite Sisters on the Tuesday Podcast. On today's show, we talk about the TSA nightmare scenarios at airports nationwide and the #IHatetheWait social media campaign to put the pressure on the TSA to step up efforts before the summer travel season.      Plus:  Wedding Magic  Julie shares an inspiring wedding story.  Lian Goes big on Arts & Culture over that last 4 days: We Heart James Corden Lian and Liz goe to a panel discussion with James Corden and his Executive Producers discussing the Late late show with James Corden. behind the scenes secrets and information plus his creative goals for the show.  Books, Books, Books -- Lian speaks at the Literary Guild of Orange County and wraps her You're the Best Tour with 8 great authors and 400 book-loving fans Beyonce plays at the Rose Bowl. Lian listens as she heads to bed.  An Amazing Night at the Theater- Playwright Suzan-Lori Parks delivers with Father Comes Home from the Wars at the Center Theater Group.  Russian Doping Scandal-- State sponsored and still low budget Tips from Health Magazine on re-gaining your concentration. A new study on why dads stick around with Boys , but not so much with Girls Satellite Sisters Confession: We have acted as our own publicist, too

Lizza Monet Morales is a rising actress who has already made a name for herself as a bilingual reporter and brand ambassador. This proud Latina, is a native Angeleno, who calls Los Angeles and New York home. Picking up her first copy of Variety and The Hollywood Reporter at the age of 8, Lizza immediately fell in love with the entertainment industry and the rest as they say is history. Lizza is a dedicated artist who enjoys storytelling on stage, in film and on television. She was most recently seen in David Mamet’s “Phil Spector” biopic for HBO starring Al Pacino and Helen Mirren. Lizza has been on-air for Access Hollywood, Telemundo, EXTRA, Univision, Celebrity Justice, The Insider and The TV-Guide Channel among others. In addition, she has reported for Us Weekly, People Magazine and was a featured columnist in Item Magazine. You can also find her online reporting on the crazy adventures of her daily life on her blog, xoxoLizza.com. She was featured as Moda & Estilo Magazine’s cover girl for their 2013 holiday issue.  As the ultimate “tomboy in heels”, Lizza is a bold and early adopter who loves all things tech, auto, gadgets, social media and entrepreneurship as much as her obsession with beauty, fashion, travel, philanthropy, eco-living and the arts. Lizza seamlessly combines her vast experience in front and behind the camera, as both a multi-platform bilingual journalist and producer, to deliver a brands’ message in a way that organically connects with consumers. Since at the end of the day, she’s an avid consumer herself. As a result, clients like the Latin GRAMMY Awards have hired her to be their backstage brand ambassador the last three years. In 2014, the GRAMMYS brought her on board in the same capacity. In 2013, she was elected as the first social media conference ambassador for the National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP) Nationwide Conference. She also served as the official host for the 2013 Latinos In Social Media (LATISM) Conference. Others, such as, CBS’s “The Insider”, LA’s prestigious Center Theater Group and HBO Latino have tapped her to be a social media correspondent for a variety of events, such as the Oscars and opening nights for the major theater productions in LA or TV specials. Last year, she was chosen to speak alongside politician Wendy Gruel and eyebrow queen Anastasia Sore to the graduates of a domestic violence survival program.  She also is a frequent “Career Day” speaker for schools in the Los Angeles area and a motivational speaker across the country. Most recently, Lizza was selected as one of ten “All Star Bloggers” in the US, by the board of Hispancize 2014 for excelling in her field. She was also a featured contributor during the White House’s special #GetCovered live telecast from the YouTube Space in Los Angeles. For the 2014 Academy Awards, Lizza was a social media correspondent for Vanity Fair and once again for CBS’s ‘The Insider.” She also was selected to co-host, HBO’s special “Corazon Live: Carlos Santana” alongside Carlos Ponce. Lizza attended Harvard University and Middlebury College, where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and double minor in Economics and Japanese. She also earned a post-graduate journalism certificate from UCLA and is a graduate of the Atlantic Theater Company’s master conservatory program. A natural born connector, nothing brings Lizza greater pleasure than championing on the efforts of other entrepreneurs and being a resource to colleagues and mentor to the next generation.  When not working, you can catch Lizza either, speaking Japanese, salsa dancing, traveling, volunteering, tinkering with a new gadget or tweeting and blogging about her latest adventure. Race to Erase MS, The Carrousel Ball, Junior League Of Los Angeles, Mar Vista Children’s Center and Lupus LA are among the non-profit organizations Lizza donates her time too.  Lizza has also served as a member of the board of directors ...

By David Dower, Diane Rodriguez. Listen to weekly podcasts hosted by David Dower as he interviews theatre artists from around the country to highlight #newplay bright spots. This week: Diane Rodriguez of Center Theater Group.

Director Leigh Silverman talks about the development of the Off-Broadway "Beebo Brinker Chronicles" and its transition from an Off-Off-Broadway space to a larger venue; how she juggles so many projects in a season where she has already staged "Yellowface" and "Hunting And Gathering" and is currently working on "From Up Here" at Manhattan Theatre Club and "Of Equal Measure" for the Center Theater Group in Los Angeles; the genesis of her involvement in the acclaimed play "Wit", as well as the sad circumstances that led her to direct the play's West End debut; and the impact of Lisa Kron's "Well" on her career, as it traveled from The Public Theatre to San Francisco's American Conservatory Theatre then back to New York for the play's -- and her own -- Broadway debut. Original air date - March 21, 2008.

Director Leigh Silverman talks about the development of the Off-Broadway "Beebo Brinker Chronicles" and its transition from an Off-Off-Broadway space to a larger venue; how she juggles so many projects in a season where she has already staged "Yellowface" and "Hunting And Gathering" and is currently working on "From Up Here" at Manhattan Theatre Club and "Of Equal Measure" for the Center Theater Group in Los Angeles; the genesis of her involvement in the acclaimed play "Wit", as well as the sad circumstances that led her to direct the play's West End debut; and the impact of Lisa Kron's "Well" on her career, as it traveled from The Public Theatre to San Francisco's American Conservatory Theatre then back to New York for the play's -- and her own -- Broadway debut. Original air date - March 21, 2008.