JuliARTs: Real people making a living in the arts

Damon Brown is an Artist in Residence at The Georgetown Palace Theater and currently directing Bright Star, written & composed by Steve Martin & Edie Brickell. He knew from a young age that he wanted a creative career but he could not have known how much stuff he was going to be able to create! From an Emmy award winning PBS musical television series called Biscuit Brothers to one of the very first documentaries on Burning Man, Damon seems to have done it all and with some terrific collaborators along the way.

Esin Aydingoz is an incredibly talented musician, composer and conductor who is currently on tour with Orquesta Folclórica Nacional de México performing Disney and Pixar's Coco-Live-to-Film Concert playing at The Long Center on November 8th. You've already heard her work in Wednesday, The Witcher, and Black Barbie, to name just a few of her projects. And Esin is really just getting started. She shares a lot about her journey as an artist and the importance of "seizing your moment."

Annie made a plan for her life, to sing and then lead. And the really amazing thing is: she did exactly that! She made her vision come true and today is the General Director and CEO of Austin Opera. Annie shares the surprising dollars and cents behind every production, how being a singer informs her leadership, and why if you've never seen an opera, Pagliacci, on November 4th & 5th, is the one for you.

Kathy Valentine is a musician, writer, student and now making her first foray as Musical Director for Zach Theatre's production of Head Over Heels featuring the music of The Go-Go's. She wasn't sure she would love it, but sometimes you've got to go for it to find out. You know Kathy best as the bassist for The Go-Go's, but some of her proudest achievements happened only very recently. And I know you'll be inspired by how openly she shares her tough moments and what she learned from them.

Add to that a soul songstress, a crowd-controlling DJ, and a fire-breathing MC and that is still but a fraction of what you’ll get when you catch Thee Phantom & The Illharmonic Orchestra in action. Thee Phantom combines the raw energy and passion of Hip-Hop with the beautiful, sweeping melodies of live orchestration. Phantom wrote his first rhyme at the age of 8 and made his first beat by mixing the instrumental from the Beastie Boys’ Paul Revere with Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony at age 12. Ironic considering that the movement of Beethoven’s 5th is entitled, “Destiny”. Little did he know, Phantom’s combination of B-Boy meets Beethoven would later open up a world of opportunities for him. Come celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Hip-Hop with this one-of-a-kind event at the Long Center on August 12th.

Singer-songwriter Alicia Keys was drawn to music very early in her life. And while it may seem like things worked out quickly for her, they really didn't. Alicia is open about her challenges, what we can all learn about the importance of not giving up, and why she feels her upcoming show on Monday night in Austin is her best show yet.

This is Atticus Finch as we've never seen him before so I hope you get to experience To Kill a Mockingbird firsthand. Richard Thomas (Atticus) reveals what's new and different about this story we all know so well, Yaegel Welch (Tom Robinson) talks about embracing what's unique about you, and Melanie Moore (Scout) shares what it's like to be all grown up & playing a child on stage.

Bassist John Taylor had been making music with Duran Duran for 40 years and it's no accident they've managed to stay together all that time. They're ready to celebrate their musical journey in Austin at Moody Center on June 6th. John talks about his excitement for this FUTURE PAST tour and he shares openly what it takes to sustain relationships (he's been married for 24 years), what he does to handle difficult moments, and the big lessons he learned during the pandemic.

Things were really coming together for Katie Folger. Lots of opportunities were opening up for the working actress; she had a great new job and was looking for an apartment in a new city when the world suddenly closed down in 2020. Everything she was excited about quickly dissolved and she contemplated a completely different life path, even enrolling in grad school. But then inspiration found Katie, and her one woman show, Getting in Bed with the Pizza Man, was born. If you liked Sex and the City and Fleabag, you'll love her witty show! It premieres in ATX at Crashbox, May 4th - 13th and you can get tickets now at katiefolger.com. (This podcast contains adult language not suitable for all audiences).

Howie Mandel got up on stage because of a dare, and that moment changed everything. He became a comic, an actor, a voice actor, a game show host, a podcaster, a producer --  and the list goes on. Howie shares how he's been able to manifest such a diverse career, how his parents handled his passion for pranks, and why it's the awkward & uncomfortable moments that he finds thrilling.