It's Showtime with Rikki Lee

Writer and actress April Noel is the featured guest on this exciting episode of It’s Showtime with Rikki Lee. She is on hand to promote the September 17th premiere stage reading of Shutter Speed – her newest full-length dramatic play. As host Rikki Lee Travolta points out in the interview, the talented writer has multiple stage plays and film scripts to her credit.

Shutter Speed is a heartfelt story that embraces the themes of family, love, passion, and friendship. The story about the complex relationships between a father, his daughter, and his older brother as they relate to the world of photography were inspired by the author’s inheriting her father’s 1972 Cannon 35mm camera and her subsequent embrace of the dark room.

The production features a cast of talented performers from throughout the greater Chicagoland area including Paul Lockwood, Travis Greuel, Steve Connell, Abby White, Chelsea Smith, Samuel J Howard, and Katelin Stack.

The stage reading of the sizzling new drama takes place at Steel Beam Theatre located at 111 W. Main Street in St. Charles, IL.  Curtain is at 2 PM with tickets only $5.

For ticket information visit https://steelbeamtheatre.thundertix.com/events/216555 or call the box office at (630) 587-8521. Tickets are also available at the door. There is ample free parking in the area.

The goal of the stage reading is to further develop the script and raise the funds for a fully staged run in 2024. Those unable to attend on September 17 at 2 PM at Steel Beam Theatre can still contribute via GoFundMe at https://gofund.me/01e196d7.

Author James Patrick Heatherly is the guest on this week’s episode of radio show and podcast It’s Showtime with Rikki Lee to promote his new book Sherlock Holmes: The Coronet Conspiracy.

The shutdown of the country due to the COVID-19 pandemic inspired a lot of people to embark on a lot of new hobbies. In the case of James Patrick Heatherly, he decided to write his first fiction novel.

 What Heatherly ended up writing is not just any debut novel, Sherlock Holmes: The Coronet Conspiracy is part of a four-book series being released by MX Publishing. It is tagged as Book One in the Sinister House Series.

Set in 1888 Sherlock Holmes: The Coronet Conspiracy includes all the classic elements of the most successful novels about the world’s most famous detective. There’s murder, coded messages, and mistaken identity in a case that even Scottland Yard knows only the great Sherlock Holmes and his trusted colleague Dr. John Watson can solve.

Heatherly is also known to Chicago audiences for his work in film, television, and stage. He holds a BA in English and an MBA in Marketing and taught at DePaul University for over 35 years.

Tony Calzaretta has been a part of Chicagoland theater for decades. He’s an incredibly talented performer who balances a successful law career with his enjoyment for being on stage.

After a start in musical theater as a child, as an adult, Calzaretta became a favorite of Chicago audiences for years as a regular at Pheasant Run Dinner Theatre in St. Charles, IL. Over the ensuing years, he has achieved an impressive resume as a musical theater actor, director, and choreographer. His credits include such musicals as Guys and Dolls, Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita, Brigadoon, Forever Plaid, Dracula: The Musical, The Pajama Game, Kiss Me Kate, and 42nd Street.

In this half-hour interview, host Rikki Lee Travolta guides Calzaretta through a discussion on his background in theater, including the influences his parents had on getting him involved in the arts at a young age. During the interview, Calzaretta also paints a verbal picture of his approach to theater that listeners will be excited to hear.

The discussion also includes talk on Metropolis Performing Arts Centre, a vibrant and growing theater that Calzaretta serves on the board of directors for. Calzaretta and his fellow board members have worked hard to create a new era of excitement and excellence at the Arlington Heights-based theatre.

Triple threat actress Erica Stephan is the talk of Chicago for her stunning interpretation of the iconic character Sally Bowles in Porchlight Music Theatre’s mounting of Cabaret.

On this episode of It's Showtime with Rikki Lee, Erica joins host Rikki Lee Travolta to talk about her starring role in Cabaret, how she developed her character, the background and training that got her to this point, and what the future might hold.

Reviews have raved about Stephan’s amazing performance as Sally Bowles under the direction of Michael Weber, the artistic director for Porchlight Music Theatre. Choreography is by Brenda Didier and vocal and musical direction is by Linda Madonia – both instrumental parts of Stephan’s performance.

The Chicago Tribune labels Stephan “a knockout”, PickInSix calls Stephan’s performance “breathtaking”, and Talkin’ Broadway endorses her talents as “terrific.”  New City Stage raves “Stephan has undoubtedly set the bar for Sally Bowles.”

Skokie Theatre is a gem of a performing arts company on Chicago’s North Shore. It has a historic outside façade and a fully renovated, state-of-the-art performance space inside.

The theatre puts on great shows. Sometimes they produce internally through MadKap Productions like their recent smash hit production of the rock musical HAIR and other times they bring in works from other companies that they know North Shore audiences are going to love too like the upcoming The Princess Strikes Back starring Victoria Montalbano.

On this episode of It’s Showtime with Rikki Lee, Skokie Theatre managing director Wayne Mell joins host Rikki Lee Travolta to discuss the history of Skokie Theatre and MadKap Productions, the theatre's ties to the legend of Charlie Chaplin, and what’s coming up for the exciting performing arts organization including the mainstage musical A Chorus Line.

Music Theater Works will be presenting it’s 150th production – THE PRODUCERS: A Mel Brooks Musical – at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts with a press opening on Friday, August 11th.

Gearing up for the landmark event, director L. Walter Stearns, choreographer Darryl K. Clark, and Thomas M. Shea who plays the starring role “Max Bialystock” sit down with host Rikki Lee Travolta on this week’s episode of radio show and podcast It’s Showtime with Rikki Lee.

Sterns is one of Chicago’s most celebrated directors. He has won numerous recognitions for the quality of his work including Jeff Awards, BroadwayWorld Awards, and After Dark Awards. He has directed over 40 musicals and has overseen the cultural and physical revival of Mercury Theater Chicago.

Clark has over 30 years of as a dancer and choreographer and is an associate professor of Music Theater Dance at Southern Illinois University. This is a full-circle journey for Clark, who was involved in the

Shae has appeared at Mercury Theater, Porchlight Theatre, Drury Lane Theatre, and is a favorite at Music Theater Works having just won rave reviews as “Charlemagne” in their recent smash hit mounting of Pippin. He, too, was on stage in the company’s first production many years ago. However, it is his reverence for the role he is currently playing that will

Ron Onesti is proud of his Italian heritage, as evidenced by his position as President of the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans. He is also proud of his growing entertainment empire of Chicago-area restaurants and concert venues.

On this episode of It’s Showtime with Rikki Lee, the president of Onesti Entertainment talks to host Rikki Lee Travolta about his many entertainment ventures including the Arcada Theatre and the Des Plaines Theatre, as well as his experiences growing up in a heavily Italian community on Taylor Street in Chicago where he learned the art of Italian cooking.

Onesti is also the owner and executive chef of Club Arcada Speakeasy and Restaurant, Bourbon ‘N Brass Speakeasy, Rock ‘N Za Pizza Experience, Rock ‘N Ravioli Italian Restaurant, and Des Pizza.

For more information on the life and times of Rikki Lee Travolta visit www.LifeandTimes.biz - your guilty pleasure for entertainment news, views, and reviews.

In this episode of It’s Showtime with Rikki Lee, host Rikki Lee Travolta visits with one of the treasures of Chicago’s suburban music scene: Tim Paul - musician, businessman, and creator of smiles.

Tim is the owner of Piano Trends Music Co., the board president of Raue Center for the Arts, and an annual presenter at the NAMM Show

In addition, Tim and the staff at Piano Trends Music Co. regularly take to the internet with their message of hope and happiness with “Lifting Spirits Through Music”. Each day they livestream musical performances from the store – often times featuring guest artists. This celebration of the beauty of music is the source of smiles for viewers around the world.

On this episode of the It’s Showtime with Rikki Lee radio show and podcast, host Rikki Lee Travolta sets fun and games aside to focus on real issues. Travolta's guest is 2022 TIME Magazine Next Generation Leader Daria Kolomiec – a Ukrainian DJ, producer, and activist who is using her prominence in the entertainment field to give a voice to life in her country since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.

It's a powerful interview about subjects of worldwide importance. Daria gives a vivid description of hearing the air raid sirens and running through the streets trying to find safety from the bombings, eventually huddling with strangers in the basement of a cafe because that was the closest thing to a bomb shelter that she could find access to.

From the confines of that dark basement in Kyiv, Daria started the Diary of WAR podcast – giving a first-person voice to how the war has changed the lives of each individual person in Ukraine.

The Pajama Game won the Tony Award for Best Musical in 1955 and then claimed the Award for Best Revival over half a century later. That is a testament to the popularity of the lively score by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross and the fun and entertaining script and energetic dance numbers.

Summer Place Theatre in Naperville, IL is presenting The Pajama Game Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays through June 25th.

Featured on this episode of It’s Showtime with Rikki Lee, host Rikki Lee Travolta is joined by cast members Bob Bullen, Jason Peck, and Christina Peck and Vocal Director and Producer Ted Waltmire.