Broad Perspectives

International touring artists Diane Van Deurzen & Lisa Otey are a dynamic duo, a perfect blend of hot jazz, sultry blues and boogie-woogie. They take their act to festivals, clubs and theatres around the world and are known for creating an atmosphere of intimacy with their humor and joyful interactions with the audience.

Diane and Lisa  have both been inducted into the Arizona Blues Hall of Fame. Lisa has also been inducted into the Tucson Music Hall of Fame and appeared on the Grammy-nominated CD, “Ladies Man” with Pinetop Perkins.

Diane and Lisa have co-produced several CDs on their label, Owl’s Nest Productions, including Diane’s “I Never Knew”, Lisa’s “Trio”, “Bring Your Own Boa” for Lisa Otey and the Desert Divas, and 3 of Diane & Lisa’s duo CDs.

Hailey Dukart and Sharly Scannell, the founders of Blk House Mrkt.

Sharly Scannell is a transplant from South Carolina and moved to Tucson to pursue her education at the University of Arizona. Aside from Blk House Mrkt, Sharly is an SEO content writer, the proud owner of Clever Stitches, and a loving mom to her two small children. Sharly aspires to create spaces for her children to grow up where representation matters and knowing where your community is!

Hailey Dulart grew up in Tucson and rarely saw events and spaces intentionally created for Black folks. As she got older, it became a personal mission to create spaces that are created for and by Black people. In her off time, she is a full-time case manager at Emerge, supporting domestic violence victims in creating a life free from abuse.

Together, their shared vision turned into a passion project and then into a community collective.

Golden by Jill Scott was played on our music break.

Eliza Hitch, originally from Atlanta, Georgia, is playing the role of Meg March. During her time at U of A, Eliza has appeared in Bright Star, Sweeney Todd, Jesus Christ Superstar, and Legally Blonde. Eliza is a College of Fine Arts student ambassador, Medici Art Scholar, and a member of the W.A. Franke Honors College. On graduation this May, she plans to move to New York to pursue her dream of working in theatre, film and television.

Meghan Gray is from Marietta, Georgia. She will playing Marmee. Prior to Little Women, Meghan has appeared in numerous stage productions including Bright Star, Much Ado About Nothing, and Jesus Christ Superstar. She stars in the upcoming short film Blush’n, due to premiere at I Dream in Widescreen, TFTV’s showcase of senior thesis films at the Fox Tucson Theatre on May 10. After graduating in May, she will direct Shrek the Musical JR for the Due West Center for the Arts in Georgia.

On this show they will be talking about the production of Little Women from U of A’s School of Theatre, Film and Television, or TFTV, and why it’s still relevant today.  It will be showing from April 20, 2025 to May 4, 2025 at the Marroney Theatre on campus.

Here Alone was played on our music break.

Chris O’Dell left Tucson in 1967 to begin her life in Los Angeles. Through synchronicity and, perhaps, fate, she met people who propelled her life into the highest echelon of Rock and Roll. She worked for The Beatles in London in the late 60’s at their company Apple. After a stint as a personal assistant to The Rolling Stones in LA, she became the first female Tour Manager, working with many of the most popular artists of the Seventies.

After twenty years in the music business, she became a certified Hypnotherapist and from there earned her Masters degree as a Licensed Professional Counselor in Tucson. For the next twenty years she worked with drug addiction and psychiatric disorders, retiring in 2012. No surprise here! Chris is now settled back in Tucson. 

Coyote by Joni Mitchell was played for our music break.

Libby Tobey, a native of Tucson, has a deep-rooted affection for the desert flora and fauna that define her hometown and the tight-knit community that inhabits it. Her academic journey led her to study psychology and sociology at the University of Arizona.

Libby’s career path has been as diverse and vibrant as the landscapes she cherishes.  These experiences formed roots for her passion for the arts. This led her to some short film projects, working with prop and set design, scouting locations, and honing her skills in creating visual stories. Her love for nature and plants drew her to work at a desert nursery, where she focused on plant care and played a significant role in organizing an annual art market.

Her artistic journey eventually led her to PopCycle, where she played a pivotal role in the creation of the ‘Made in Tucson’ market, a testament to her commitment to fostering local art and community engagement. Libby Tobey’s multifaceted career and dedication to the arts reflect her vibrant personality and her profound connection to Tucson’s cultural and natural heritage, and the community she calls home.

The song A Change Is Gonna Come was played for our music break.

Christina Colosimo DO, MS, is a clinical assistant professor in the Division of Trauma, Surgical Critical Care, Burns, and Acute Care Surgery with the University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson. She is the Director of Injury Prevention and Outreach, and the Associate Pediatric Trauma Director.

Dr. Colosimo developed and launched the Hospital Based Gun Violence Prevention Initiative at the University of Arizona, which has over 30 community partners, as well as a school-based gun violence prevention program that has been introduced in 3 separate school districts.

Throughout her training, Dr. Colosimo has received various accolades including 2023 Women in Medicine and Science Awardee and recipient of the 2024 John M. Templeton, Jr., MD Injury Prevention Research Scholarship. She was awarded a Proclamation by the Tucson Major in 2024 on her gun violence prevention work. She is Chair of the Injury Prevention Committee of The Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma. She is also on the Tucson City Community Violence Advisory Board and Chairs the School Violence Subcommittee.

Just a Girl by No Doubt was played on our music break.

Becky Buller is a multi-instrumentalist, singer/songwriter who has travelled the globe performing bluegrass music to underwrite what she calls “her insatiable songwriting habit.” She has written songs for three Grammy award-winning albums. She has made multiple guest appearances on WSM’s Grand Old Opry, which, for those who don’t know, is the most famous country music radio station in the world. Becky tours extensively with the Becky Buller Band.

Jennifer Johnson is Vice President of the Desert Bluegrass Association (aka DBA). She describes herself as “an old lady with a bass who learned how to spell septuagenarian this year.”  Jennifer moved to Tucson in the 70’s and has spent 50 years working at various jobs including as a special education teacher. She retired a couple of years ago and started playing in a girl band with 3 other women who named themselves “The Notorious No Gig Girl Band!” She says they don’t take themselves too seriously. She plays music regularly and walk dogs at Pima Animal Care Center twice a week.  Jennifer has been active in the

Dr. Lisa Kopp is a Pediatric Oncologist and works in drug development in which she provides expertise in the design, execution and interpretation of oncology clinical trials. She also practices part-time caring for patients with pediatric cancer. She holds a Doctorate of Osteopathy from Michigan State University and a Master of Public Health with a specialization in Epidemiology EPA DEEM IOLOGY from The University of Arizona. Beginning with children and cancer, serving in advocacy and social justice to those with little or no voice has always been critical to Lisa’s core. She became involved in the gun violence prevention group Moms Demand Action shortly after the Uvalde mass shooting. She is currently serving as the state legislative lead which allows her to fight for gun sense legislation, hoping to have an impact on the public health crisis of gun violence which affects all people of Arizona.

We played Pink – Raise Your Glass on our music break.

Amanda Freed is a Licensed Massage Therapist, Registered Yoga Teacher, and a Certified Mindfulness & Meditation Instructor, (LMT, RYT, CMMI )with over 30 years’ experience healing, presenting, and teaching nationally and internationally.

She has studied with academic scholars, Native American tribes, and renowned yoga and meditation masters. A lover of brain science as well as esoteric studies, Amanda has spent thousands of hours in contemplative practice and taught simple meditation methods to hundreds of people internationally. Amanda’s clients and students represent an extremely wide range of people including collegiate, pro, and Olympic athletes, stroke and traumatic brain injury survivors, corporate clients and more.

Katy Perry – Roar was played on our music break.

Connie Brannock is a Blues Force of Nature! She took the Tucson music scene by storm after she retired from the Army National Guard as Command Sergeant Major. Connie says, “A pivotal moment for me was my decision to enlist in the US Army. My friends thought I was nuts, yet the military helped me find and nurture my best self. Twenty-two years later, that best self danced into Tucson, where I live and play today.” She is now the bandleader of The

But she is also a woman of many other talents, too. In this show we talk about a book she has come out with that has the songs from a children’s album that she recorded in 2020 called Snorts and Rattles – Songs of the Desert Southwest. The book is full of the poetic lyrics about creatures that live in our desert.