On the Aisle with Tom Alvarez

In this episode, host Tom Alvarez sits down with Austin Campagna, Director of Sales & Marketing at Hotel Carmichael and Feinstein’s at Hotel Carmichael, for an inside look at one of Indiana’s most distinctive arts and hospitality destinations. Austin shares his journey from rural Indiana and Purdue’s top-ranked hospitality program to helping shape the brand, programming, and guest experience at the luxury Autograph Collection hotel.

The conversation dives into the vision behind Hotel Carmichael and Feinstein’s—from its deep connection to the Great American Songbook and Michael Feinstein’s hands-on influence, to the intimate, transportive cabaret experience that draws audiences from around the world. Austin also announces an exciting new Allied Solutions–sponsored performance series, bringing nationally recognized artists to Carmel, including Maggie Baugh, Morgan James, Casey Abrams & Hunter, and Will Hoge.

Listeners get a behind-the-scenes look at how Feinstein’s balances national talent with beloved local favorites like Don Farrell, dueling pianos, and the ever-popular Drag Brunch, while continuously elevating food, cocktails, and service. The episode wraps with a passionate discussion about the power of cabaret, the accessibility of world-class entertainment in Central Indiana, and why Feinstein’s offers a “not a bad seat in the house” experience for newcomers and regulars alike.

An essential listen for arts lovers, cabaret fans, and anyone curious about how Carmel became a Midwest cultural hotspot.

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Watch Tom every other Thursday on Lifestyle Live on WISH-TV, and listen every week on the All- Indiana Podcast Network.

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In this wide-ranging conversation, we explore the stories, artistry, and leadership behind two of Central Indiana’s most influential performing arts forces: Central Indiana Dance Ensemble (CIDE) and the Indiana Repertory Theatre (IRT).

The episode opens with the origins of CIDE and its companion school, the Central Indiana Academy of Dance, founded over 25 years ago by former Sacramento Ballet dancer Suzanne DeLay. What began as a response to a major cultural gap—no youth concert ballet company and no local Nutcracker—quickly grew from fewer than 50 dancers into a thriving nonprofit organization. Today, CIDE supports more than 70 company dancers, over 135 Nutcracker performers, and a professional faculty made up entirely of former ballet dancers, emphasizing serious classical training, ensemble excellence, and artistic integrity.

Suzanne and her daughter Ashley Jacobs, now co-leading the organization, reflect on ballet as both art and athletic discipline—one that demands musicality, strength, precision, and emotional truth. They discuss evolving ballet culture, increased diversity and inclusion, breaking gender stereotypes, and how strong foundational training allows dancers to adapt across styles, companies, and careers. The conversation also touches on modern stagecraft, including video projection and choreography in productions like Frozen and contemporary Nutcracker stagings.

The episode then shifts to theater, tracing Richard’s remarkable journey at the Indiana Repertory Theatre—from arriving in Indianapolis in 1981 and landing a stage management role on A Christmas Carol, to a decades-lon g career as IRT’s resident dramaturg. Richard shares insights into dramaturgy, directing, arts journalism, and mentorship, reflecting on how encouragement, curiosity, and collaboration shaped his path. He discusses preserving tradition while embracing change, inclusive casting, workplace culture, and why theater remains a vital space for empathy, storytelling, and community connection.

Together, these stories reveal a shared truth across dance and theater: great arts organizations are built on vision, discipline, mentorship, and collaboration. Whether nurturing young dancers, preserving theatrical legacy, or adapting art for modern audiences, this episode celebrates the people who keep live performance meaningful—and alive.

Support your local arts. Attend performances. Volunteer. Donate. And keep the stories moving.

Follow host Tom Alvarez on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok.

Watch Tom every other Thursday on Lifestyle Live on WISH-TV, and listen every week on the All- Indiana Podcast Network.

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In this in-depth conversation, podcast host Tom Alvarez sits down with Los Angeles–based composer, conductor, and orchestrator Dan Redfeld to explore his wide-ranging career and his newest major project: Jo, a cinematic new musical based on Little Women. Redfeld shares how his lifelong passion for music began at an early age, shaped by classical training, film scores, and musical theater, and how those influences converge in Jo, a richly orchestrated, story-driven score with a strong feminist lens.

The discussion traces the musical’s long journey—from early workshops in the 1990s, through a COVID-era reinvention, to a full London cast recording and an upcoming one-night-only West End concert at Theatre Royal Drury Lane on January 25. Redfeld also reflects on his work in Broadway, opera, film music, and education, his creative process as a composer, and the enduring power of collaboration with musicians. The episode offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at how a large-scale musical is built—and reborn—over decades, with eyes firmly set on a future full West End and Broadway production.

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In this wide-ranging podcast conversation, host Tom Alvarez sits down with Nancy Heck, Communications Director of the Carmel Symphony Orchestra, and Davis Brooks, Concertmaster and Butler University professor, to explore the orchestra’s rich history, evolving role in the community, and its home at the Palladium.

They discuss the power of live music, the unique responsibilities of a concertmaster, the importance of arts-driven placemaking in Carmel’s transformation, and the symphony’s efforts to build sustainability, grow audiences, and secure an artistic director.

The conversation highlights how live symphonic music creates shared, human experiences that can’t be replicated digitally—and why the Carmel Symphony Orchestra is poised for an exciting future.

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In this episode of On the Aisle, host Tom Alvarez speaks with veteran lighting designer and production manager Laura Glover, celebrating her 35-year career with Dance Kaleidoscope and her wide-ranging impact on Indiana’s performing arts community. Glover reflects on her journey from early training in theater and lighting to formative collaborations with mentors like David Hochoy, her philosophy of collaboration and visual storytelling, and her deep love of lighting as an art inspired by nature, movement, and emotion. She discusses the importance of adaptability, mentorship, and continuing artistic growth, her work across dance, theater, and music, and her belief that the arts provide vital connection and refuge in today’s world.

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Host Tom Alvarez sits down with veteran performer Craig Meyer, best known for his acclaimed Elton John tribute show, in a lively podcast that begins with Meyer calling in from a cruise ship in the middle of the Atlantic. Meyer shares his journey from Southern California to Carmel, Indiana, where his passion for theater and music took shape, leading to a career spanning Broadway, TV, film, and international touring. Now based in Atlanta, he explains how his Elton John tribute evolved into an 18-year global success focused on theatrical storytelling rather than impersonation. The conversation also previews his upcoming New Year’s Eve return to Feinstein’s at Hotel Carmichael, reflects on lessons learned touring with Barry Manilow and Frankie Valli, and explores his latest project, the AskMoDo App, created to help musicians evaluate gig opportunities.

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In this conversation, we dive into the magic and evolution of the Indiana Repertory Theatre’s beloved A Christmas Carol, from its imaginative Tom Haas staging—where actors and minimal props bring Dickens’ world to life on a snowy, sloped stage—to the behind-the-scenes realities of trap doors, rehearsal challenges, and mountains of fake snow. Former director Richard shares the pressure and pride of guiding a production that everyone else in the room had performed for years, the subtle artistic updates made over time, and the influence of new directors like Cara Hihn, whose own childhood experiences at IRT helped shape her inclusive vision. The discussion expands into how theater has long championed representation, diversity, and authenticity in casting, the collaborative joy of working with artists, and the importance of leadership in setting a positive creative environment. We talk about the casting process in the age of Zoom, the resilience of the IRT during COVID—producing streamed productions while many theaters shut down—and the emotional return of audiences craving community. The conversation closes with reflections on the irreplaceable value of live performance, especially in the age of AI, and how theater continues to offer shared human experiences no technology can replicate.

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Part 1 -- Tom welcomes back singer and songwriter Anthony Nunziata to highlight his December 13 holiday fundraising concert at Broadway United Methodist Church, benefiting Actors Theatre of Indiana, Kids Dance Outreach, and the Indianapolis Men’s Chorus. They reflect on Anthony’s many Indiana performances and his growing connection to the city’s arts community.

Anthony shares what he admires about each beneficiary, noting that Kids Dance Outreach will again open the show. The concert will feature music from his new Christmas album, his vinyl release, and special collaborations — including a duet of “The Prayer” with rising local soprano Nicole Soprano.

He also updates Tom on his creative projects: a new original album, a Christmas album of 13 songs, an upcoming Live at Café Carlyle recording, and a newly announced children’s TV show co-created with talent from Sesame Street. They also touch on his collaborations with his twin brother, producer Will Nunziata, and his recent songwriting trip to Tuscany.

Part 2 of the conversation brings together leaders from three Indianapolis arts organizations—Actors Theatre of Indiana (ATI), Kids Dance Outreach (KDO), and the Indianapolis Men’s Chorus (IMC)—to discuss their upcoming collaborative benefit concert organized by arts supporters Michael Schafer and Jeffrey Brinkman.

Host Tom Alvarez guides Judy Fitzgerald, Michael Johnson, and Stephen McCoy through a discussion of how the project came together, their organizations’ missions, and their growth within the local arts community. Each shares a brief history of their group, the challenges of building visibility, and how their backgrounds as performers shape their leadership.

They emphasize collaboration, community impact, and mutual admiration while previewing the December 13 performance at Broadway United Methodist Church featuring all three organizations as well as New York performer Anthony, with proceeds benefiting their nonprofits.

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In this episode, Tom sits down with conductor Lorenzo Lopez for a rich conversation that spans culture, music, and the surprising paths that shape an artist’s life. Calling in from Cleveland, Lorenzo shares his Honduran–Puerto Rican roots, growing up in a multicultural household, and how food, family, and community helped shape his identity. He talks about his time in Indianapolis while earning his master’s degree at Butler University, the city’s vibrant Latino presence, and how those experiences influenced his artistic journey. Lorenzo dives deep into the world of conducting—how he went from piano and French horn to discovering the “magic” of leading an orchestra, why ballet collaborations challenge and inspire him, and what it truly means to honor a composer’s intentions while still bringing your own voice to the podium. From the joys and struggles of live music in dance to the importance of experience, communication, and artistic conviction, this conversation pulls back the curtain on what a conductor actually does and why it matters. Tune in for an insightful, human, and inspiring look into the mind and passion of a modern conductor.

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Part 1

In this podcast episode, the host interviews Scott Osborne, a Carmel-based sculptor and owner of Brown Hound Studio. Osborne shares his journey as a visual artist, discussing his work in sculpture, painting, and pottery, including his innovative kinetic painting projects and commissions like the Monarch Butterfly sculpture at the Monon and pieces for local businesses like an olive oil shop. He also highlights his connections to theater, having created stage props such as the car for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and the angel for Angels in America, as well as his involvement in Actors Theater of Indiana’s 4th of July parade floats.

Osborne reflects on his artistic education, emphasizing the importance of mentorship, constructive criticism, and multidisciplinary learning. He discusses his experience running his own studio, managing commissions, and the support he receives from his manager and local arts community. He also talks about his work in broadcasting, hosting two podcasts where he applies his storytelling and production skills.

Throughout the conversation, Osborne offers advice for aspiring artists, encouraging them to explore different media, stay open to new opportunities, and embrace the creative process. He concludes by discussing upcoming projects, including a secondary ceramic studio for teaching classes, and shares how listeners can view or purchase his work.

Part 2

Michael Quinn, former banker turned general contractor and now Chief Development Officer of the Hoosier Art Salon, shared his journey from a career in banking to leading one of Indiana’s oldest art organizations. Passionate about the visual arts, Quinn discussed expanding the Salon’s reach through new gallery spaces, events, and collaborations, including a partnership with the Phoenix Theater. He emphasized supporting artists, both emerging and established, and fostering diversity and community engagement in the arts. With initiatives like artist workshops, an online gallery, and the annual Clues Collaborative exhibition, Quinn aims to increase exposure for Indiana artists and cultivate a strong, inclusive arts community. He also highlighted the personal fulfillment of collecting art and the importance of connecting artists with audiences, while encouraging young artists to pursue their passion and utilize community resources.

Follow host Tom Alvarez on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok.

Watch Tom every other Thursday on Lifestyle Live on WISH-TV, and listen every week on the All- Indiana Podcast Network.

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