Behind the Mitten

John Gonzalez and Amy Sherman are co-hosts of "Behind the Mitten," a radio show and podcast about Michigan beer, food, festivals and the people who make it happen!

On last week's episode of "Behind the Mitten," John and Amy talked to Gabe Bober, the food and beverage director at Treetops Resort in Gaylord about the Rochester Mills Beer Dinner on June 13.

Listen to Gabe describe each course. Meet at the Sports Bar at 6:30 p.m., then a shuttle takes you to the Wilderness Cabin for the five-course dinner.

Tickets to the five-course dinner are $60 per person. More information at http://treetops.com/general-information/event/beer-dinners/?eID=863

"Behind the Mitten" airs at 6 p.m. Sundays on News Radio WOOD 1300 & 106.9 FM. http://www.iheart.com/live/wood-radio-1069-fm-1300am-1165/

Find the latest info and more details about "Behind the Mitten" at https://www.facebook.com/behindthemitten

Or go to out website http://behindthemitten.com/

In this special podcast of "Behind the Mitten," co-host John Gonzalez of MLive talks to actor Robert Newman, who stars in the current production of "Love Letters" at the Barn Theatre in Augusta (near Kalamazoo).

The Barn Theatre School is Michigan's oldest professional Equity summer stock theatre company.

Newman is known by admirers as Joshua in daytime TV's "Guiding Light," where he played opposite Michigan native Kim Zimmer. (The show was the longest-running drama in television history before going off the air in September of 2009.)

Getting his start as an apprentice in 1981 at the Barn, Newman has returned for 11 productions over the years. He said his humble beginnings as an apprentice gave him an appreciation for the teamwork it takes to put on a show.

"It can be a little maddening because you're doing so much work that's not on stage," he said in our interview.

"It's just such an amazing learning experience. It gives you a respect for how everything in the theater has to work together."

In "Love Letters," Newman stars with Penelope Alex as they tell the story of Andrew Makepeace Ladd III, and Melissa Gardner, two affluent East Coasters who meet in the second grade and communicate through letters and postcards over more than 50 years.

Newman said there is no set except for two desks; "no staging, no bells and whistles and no special effects."

"It's not going to be like anything you've ever seen before," he said.

Written by A.G. Gurney, it was nominated in 1990 for a Pulitzer Prize in Drama.

"Love Letters" continues through June 14.

More info at barntheatreschool.org. http://barntheatreschool.org/?page_id=5263

John Gonzalez and Amy Sherman are co-hosts of "Behind the Mitten," a show about Michigan beer, food, festivals and the people who make it happen!

"Behind the Mitten" airs at 6 p.m. Sundays on News Radio WOOD 1300 & 106.9 FM. http://www.iheart.com/live/wood-radio-1069-fm-1300am-1165/

Find the latest info and more details about "Behind the Mitten" at https://www.facebook.com/behindthemitten

Or go to out website http://behindthemitten.com/

John Gonzalez and Amy Sherman are co-hosts of "Behind the Mitten," a radio show and podcast about Michigan beer, food, festivals and the people who make it happen!

"Behind the Mitten" airs at 6 p.m. Sundays on News Radio WOOD 1300 & 106.9 FM. http://www.iheart.com/live/wood-radio-1069-fm-1300am-1165/

On June 2, John traveled to Lansing where stopped by to to talk to long-time friend Paul Starr of I'm a Beer Hound. We caught up on his 4-month-old twins, as well as upcoming events for the month of June.

More details about "Behind the Mitten" at https://www.facebook.com/behindthemitten

More on I'm a Beer Hound at http://www.imabeerhound.com/

John Gonzalez and Amy Sherman are co-hosts of "Behind the Mitten," a show about Michigan beer, food, festivals and the people who make it happen!

"Behind the Mitten" airs at 6 p.m. Sundays on News Radio WOOD 1300 & 106.9 FM. http://www.iheart.com/live/wood-radio-1069-fm-1300am-1165/

Because the Grand Rapids Griffins play on May 31, their show aired on Saturday, May 30.

On this week's show:

Segment 1: John and Amy broadcast from the Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts, where they talk to marketing director Katie Zychowski about upcoming events, including the Festival of Arts Regional Art Show. More on the UICA at http://www.uica.org/

Segment 2: John interviews Joshua Davis of The Voice about his run on this year's show. The Traverse City resident finished 3rd. More on Joshua at http://www.joshuadavismusic.com/

Segment3: John and Amy talk to Fred Bivins of Festival, who oversees the Regional Art Show. The show runs June 3-July 31 at UICA. (Admission is free during Festival, June 5-7.) More on Festival at http://www.festivalgr.org/

Segment 4: John and Amy run down upcoming events, including the June 13 Beer Dinner at Treetops Resort featuring Rochester Mills. This weekend's Beer of Week is their Pine Knob Pilsner. More on the beer dinner at http://treetops.com/general-information/event/beer-dinners/?eID=863

Find the latest info and more details about "Behind the Mitten" at https://www.facebook.com/behindthemitten

Or go to out website http://behindthemitten.com/

John Gonzalez and Amy Sherman appeared on Neal Dionne's "West Michigan Live" (on May 28, 2015) to talk about this weekend's "Behind the Mitten" show. Because of the Griffins game, this weekend's BTM will air at 6 p.m. May 30.

Normally, "Behind the Mitten" airs at 6 p.m. Sundays on News Radio WOOD 1300 & 106.9 FM. http://www.iheart.com/live/wood-radio-1069-fm-1300am-1165/

Find the latest info and more details about "Behind the Mitten" at https://www.facebook.com/behindthemitten

Or go to out website http://behindthemitten.com/

Joshua Davis of The Voice 2015 talks to MLive's John Gonzalez about tour plans and his improbable run on the NBC singing show.

Here is John's recent story on MLive:
http://www.mlive.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2015/05/the_voice_2015_joshua_davis_an.html

John Gonzalez and Amy Sherman are co-hosts of "Behind the Mitten," a show about Michigan beer, food, festivals and the people who make it happen!

Listen to "Behind the Mitten" at 6 p.m. Sundays on News Radio WOOD 1300 & 106.9 FM. http://www.iheart.com/live/wood-radio-1069-fm-1300am-1165/

On this week's show, John and Amy stop at Osteria Rossa, a casual Italian-inspired cuisine in the heart of downtown Grand Rapids.

Segment 1:
They talk to Chef Chris Perky, who has a wine dinner June 3 with Castello Di Ama. More details on Osteria Rossa on their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/Osteriarossa/info?tab=overview

Segment 2:
They talk to Chris Shepler of Shepler's Ferry, which will soon unveil a $3.8 million, 22-foot wide by 85-foot long vessel called the "Miss Margy," named after his grandmother. More on Shepler's Ferry at http://sheplersferry.com/
More on the wine dinner at https://www.facebook.com/events/1824877224404990/

Segment 3:
They talk to country singer Kari Lynch. The rising star is from Clare, Michigan, but spends much of her time between Nashville and the Mitten state. She has set up an Indiegogo campaign to help her record her new CD. Info about the campaign at https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/kari-lynch-is-recording-a-new-album--2#/story More on her tour dates at https://www.facebook.com/KariLynchMusic?fref=ts

Segment 4:
They talk to Nikki Outhier of the Van Andel Institute's Purple Community, which has a 5k race on May 30 at Fifth Third Ballpark. John and Amy have a Behind the Mitten team. Sign up here: http://purplecommunity5K.kintera.org/behindthemitten

Find the latest info and more details about "Behind the Mitten" at https://www.facebook.com/behindthemitten

Or go to out website http://behindthemitten.com/

John Gonzalez and Amy Sherman are co-hosts of "Behind the Mitten," a show about Michigan beer, food, festivals and the people who make it happen!

Listen to "Behind the Mitten" at 6 p.m. Sundays on News Radio WOOD 1300 & 106.9 FM. http://www.iheart.com/live/wood-radio-1069-fm-1300am-1165/

On this week's show, John and Amy stop at Osteria Rossa in downtown Grand Rapids where they talk to Nikki Outhier of the Van Andel Institute's Purple Community, which has a 5k race on May 30 at Fifth Third Ballpark.

John and Amy have a Behind the Mitten team. Sign up here: http://purplecommunity5K.kintera.org/behindthemitten

Also, John and Amy run down some upcoming events, and they talk to Osteria Rossa Chef Chris Perky about Beer of the Week, which is Bell's Smitten Rye Ale.

More details on Osteria Rossa on their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/Osteriarossa/info?tab=overview

Find the latest info and more details about "Behind the Mitten" at https://www.facebook.com/behindthemitten

Or go to out website http://behindthemitten.com/

John Gonzalez and Amy Sherman are co-hosts of "Behind the Mitten," a show about Michigan beer, food, festivals and the people who make it happen!

Listen to "Behind the Mitten" at 6 p.m. Sundays on News Radio WOOD 1300 & 106.9 FM. http://www.iheart.com/live/wood-radio-1069-fm-1300am-1165/

On this week's show, John and Amy stop at Osteria Rossa in downtown Grand Rapids, where they talk to country singer Kari Lynch. The rising star is from Clare, Michigan, but spends much of her time between Nashville and the Mitten state.

She has set up an Indiegogo campaign to help her record her new CD.

Info about the campaign at https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/kari-lynch-is-recording-a-new-album--2#/story

More on her tour dates at https://www.facebook.com/KariLynchMusic?fref=ts

Listen to her music on this show!

Find the latest info and more details about "Behind the Mitten" at https://www.facebook.com/behindthemitten

Or go to out website http://behindthemitten.com/

John Gonzalez and Amy Sherman are co-hosts of "Behind the Mitten," a show about Michigan beer, food, festivals and the people who make it happen!

Listen to "Behind the Mitten" at 6 p.m. Sundays on News Radio WOOD 1300 & 106.9 FM. http://www.iheart.com/live/wood-radio-1069-fm-1300am-1165/

On this week's show, John and Amy played a segment they recorded earlier this month while on Mackinac Island. The interview is with Chris Shepler of Shepler's Ferry, which will soon unveil a $3.8 million, 22-foot wide by 85-foot long vessel called the "Miss Margy," named after his grandmother.

Read more info about the new ferry in a story on MLive.com. http://www.mlive.com/business/index.ssf/2014/12/sheplers_ferry_new_boat.html

More on Shepler's Ferry at http://sheplersferry.com/

Find the latest info and more details about "Behind the Mitten" at https://www.facebook.com/behindthemitten

Or go to out website http://behindthemitten.com/