Richard Skipper Celebrates

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LANA GORDON was born in New London, Connecticut. In 1989, she studied dance at New York City’s Alvin Ailey School. Gordon next participated in a repertory ensemble directed by Sylvia Walters for over 3 years, before joining Donald Bird’s ensemble “The/Group.” Gordon then played the role of Dionne in the European tour of the musical “Hair.” In 1997, Gordon made her Broadway debut as an ensemble original cast member in “The Lion King,” where she also played the role of Shenzi. Following that, she joined the cast of “Jesus Christ Superstar” on Broadway. During the past 10 years Gordon has performed all over Europe and the Middle East in a variety of shows including “Chicago” as Velma, “Sister Act” as Deloris, “Tarzan” as Kala, “West Side Story” as Anita, “Carmen Cubana” as Carmen, and at Jazz at Lincoln Center in Qatar as a guest vocalist. Gordon has also worked as a model in America, both in print and TV advertising, and as an independent vocal artist. Lana is currently represented on Broadway in Hadestown.

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Legendary Producer and General Manager Albert Poland's work has spanned the dawn of Off-Broadway, the Broadway blockbusters of the 1980s and 1990s, and beyond.  He worked with them all, from an unknown Sam Shepard and David Mamet, to Edward Albee and Arthur Miller.  He was also the founder of the Judy Garland Fan Club as a young teen.  An insider's view of his many legendary productions, although there is plenty of that, from The Fantasticks and Little Shop of Horrors to Long Day's Journey Into Night, and from The Grapes of Wrath to The Boy from Oz.

Witty, colorful, unconventional, and wickedly insightful, Poland has had a career that comprises a fascinating portrait of the social and cultural landscape of New York from the early 60s to the present, seen through the lens of a life in the theater (and yes, he managed the play with that title).  We talk about Judy Garland,  Hugh Jackman, and Liza Minnelli, as well as such theatrical titans as Cameron Mackintosh, Gerald Schoenfeld, Bernard B. Jacobs, and Ellen Stewart.  Poland is the author of Stages: A Theatrical Memoir

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National Promposal Day Get ready to ask your boo to prom in a super elaborate way.

We are wrapping up the week on a positive note. Of Course, there is still the weekend! We will discuss the week we've all just experienced.

Richard is joined by

Joe Brancato: Under the dynamic leadership of founding Artistic Director Joe Brancato and executive director Andrew M. Horn, Penguin Rep Theatre has grown in 44 years from a summer theatre in a converted 1880's hay barn to become one of the Hudson Valley's most influential nonprofit cultural institutions. Paul Brogan:  "Was That a Name I Dropped?" tells in chilling detail a true story about growing up gay and battling depression so deep that suicide seemed like the only option available. Paul's road to Hollywood is colorful and filled with memorable moments and characters. 

Scott Brogan: Scott Brogan, Founder & Webmaster of The Judy Room: https://judygarlandnews.com/2011/07/22/scott-brogan-founder-webmaster-of-the-judy-room-gives-an-interview/

Carolyn Montgomery: Singer. Songwriter. Recording Artist. Mother. Most Fun Host @With Carolyn212. Novelist. Mixologist and Chef. Uber nerd. withcarolyn.norby.live/

Judy Cheeks: Judy Cheeks is an American singer and actress. In the 1970s and 1980s, she recorded as a soul and R&B singer, before releasing more dance-oriented music in the 1990s. Cheeks performed with Ike & Tina Turner as an Ikette.

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Creativity In The Age of Covid  

The show in which the Arts and Therapy come together to to try and make sense of it all! Hosted by Dr. Judi Bloom and Richard Skipper 

National Telephone Landline Day - Remember when phones were left at home because they were attached to the house? Luckily, we are virtual instead of a party line!

Dr. Judi Bloom is a practical, interactive, solution-focused therapist specializing in relationships and in navigating through major life transitions.

Andrea Bell Wolff played Ermengarde in the first National Tour of Hello, Dolly! starring Carol Channing. She has played roles in George M!, L’il Abner, Grease, Little Shop of Horrors and Funny Girl among other shows, performing at such venues as The St. James Theater, Goodspeed, The Papermill Playhouse and Sacramento Music Circus.

Claudia Erickson is a Digital Wellness expert who helps people power down technology, and power up authentic human connection and community.  She has 25 years of experience working in maternal child health and broke ground on the Unplugged Village™ concept in her own town of La Mesa (a suburb of San Diego) in 2018 after becoming troubled at seeing faces everywhere staring at their phones and missing out on life.

Meg Flather is a two-time Bistro Award winner, four-time MAC Award winner, and recently won the 2021 Broadway World Cabaret Award for Best Original Song. As a singer/songwriter, Meg has released eight CD’s of her original music (all of which are available on iTunes).  Meg is a member of SAG/AFTRA and AEA, and after years serving as a Brand Ambassador for five International skincare brands on all home shopping networks in North America and Australia.

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Todd Schroeder is a brilliantly talented pianist, composer, vocal performance coach and certainly one of the hardest-working music directors in the world with the prestigious L.A Stage Alliance awarding him their Ovation Award for “Best Musical Direction” and BroadwayWorld.com named him their “Musical Director of the Year”. Schroeder has musical directed and performed with a coterie of distinguished performers including Tony Award winners Leslie Odom Jr., Billy Porter, Katrina Lenk, Jason Alexander, Liza Minnelli and the legendary Angela Lansbury. Other celebrities include Tom Jones, Haley Reinhard, Shoshana Bean, Cheyenne Jackson, Sam Harris and the you-tube sensation "Postmodern Jukebox". He has also performed on “The Late Late Show”, “Oprah”, at Radio City Music Hall and Carnegie Hall. As music and vocal director for live performance shows, Todd has worked on such projects as Disney's "Aladdin, A Musical Spectacular" and "Wicked" at Universal Studios Japan.  (Just named “2022 Best Theme Park Show in the World”.) Todd has composed music for film, television and stage including the movies “HAM, A Musical Memoir”, “Bridesman” and the stage productions, “Unbeatable”, “Longing4Love.com” and “Wallace, das Musical”. And finally, Todd is very proud to be the founder of the “Todd Schroeder Young Artist Grant”, an annual scholarship presented to graduating high school students that wish to pursue a career in the arts. For more info: ToddSchroederMusic.com, @thetoddschroeder

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Join Lee Roy Reams on a journey from his hometown of Covington, Kentucky to the bright lights of Manhattan where he encounters “Broadway’s best.” Listen as he recalls his first Broadway audition for the great Richard Rodgers that resulted in his portrayal of Will Parker in the Lincoln Center revival of Oklahoma! Ever wonder what it’s like to appear opposite Lauren Bacall in Applause or Carol Channing in Lorelei and Hello, Dolly!, or make Broadway history starring in the legendary 42nd Street? Wonder no more! Lee Roy will tell you! You’re sure to have a grand time laughing and crying through this very personal and entertaining musical evening as hometown boy makes good. Tune in for an evening of surprises.

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Robert Montano – was raised in Hempstead, LI, close enough to Belmont Park Racetrack where he had his first career as a professional racehorse jockey. However, by age 18, Mother Nature caught up to him and outgrew his silks. Smitten by the film Saturday Night Fever, Robert traded his jockey boots for ballet slippers and applied to Adelphi Universities dance department at age 20 without any prior training. He was accepted and offered a full scholarship. One week shy of graduating he booked his first professional job in, “Cats.” His career took off jumping from one show to the next, working with great directors and choreographers such as Hal Prince, Rob Marshall, and Jerome Robbins. He has also had the pleasure of working with the legendary, Chita Rivera in Kiss Of The Spiderwoman, as well as her act, Chita Plus Two... he sang and danced with Peter Allen in Legs Diamond, and starred as Ozzie in On The Town, directed by the innovative George C. Wolfe. But he couldn’t contain his creative scope to only musical theatre so he ventured into plays, film, and television. He has created roles for the Academy Award nominated writer, Jose Rivera in Cloud Tectonics, and References To Salvador Dali Makes Me Hot, Lynn Nottages play, Fabulation, Bess Wohl’s, Barcelona, Tira Palmquist’s, Two Degrees, Ken in’s, Fallow, Richard Vetere’s, One Shot One Kill, and Edwin Sanchez’s, Diosa. At Actors Theatre Of Louisville, Robert was given the honor to portray Cal in the epic of East Of Eden, directed by Jon Jory, later to be invited back to exercise his Shakespeare in Comedy Of Errors.  www.robertmontano.com

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Patrice McKinley has been a certified life coach for 12 years and is also a certified facilitator of the highly acclaimed Thinking into Results program. She has been personally trained and mentored by world-renowned success and personal development expert Bob Proctor and legendary corporate attorney Sandra Gallagher. The Thinking into Results program is built on the premise that within the mind, each of us has all the resources we need to have anything we want. By combining classic coaching techniques and Thinking into Results, Patrice is able to help individual clients and businesses use the power of their mind to achieve quantum success in any area of their lives.

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Patrice McKinley has been a certified life coach for 12 years and is also a certified facilitator of the highly acclaimed Thinking into Results program. She has been personally trained and mentored by world-renowned success and personal development expert Bob Proctor and legendary corporate attorney Sandra Gallagher. The Thinking into Results program is built on the premise that within the mind, each of us has all the resources we need to have anything we want. By combining classic coaching techniques and Thinking into Results, Patrice is able to help individual clients and businesses use the power of their mind to achieve quantum success in any area of their lives.

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On Broadway, Sam received a Tony, Outer Critic’s Circle and Drama Desk nominations for his work in Cy Coleman’s THE LIFE, a Drama League Award and Drama Desk nomination for his role in Tommy Tune’s GREASE, and appeared in Mel Brooks’, THE PRODUCERS, as well as JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, CABARET, JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT, HAIR, PIPPIN, and THE JAZZ SINGER. His autobiographical show HAM: A Musical Memoir (directed by Billy Porter) played off Broadway and in Los Angeles. Sam has toured extensively in concert and has played to sold-out audiences everywhere from Carnegie Hall to the Boston Pops. He performed with Cyndi Lauper on her TRUE COLORS tour. He and Liza Minnelli performed their duo-show SCHMOOLIE AND MINNOOLI in a limited sold-out run in New York.  He hosted his own segment on EXTRA TV show called “Six Degrees of Sam Harris.” Behind the scenes, Sam co-wrote the TBS sit-com, DOWN TO EARTH, co-produced and directed the television special LOVE LETTER TO NEW YORK, supervised and directed segments of MICHAEL JACKSON’S 30TH YEAR ANNIVERSARY at Madison Square Garden, and co-wrote LIZA’S AT THE PALACE for Liza Minnelli, which won the Tony Award. He created and directed the concert event, NEW YORK’S FINEST – BROADWAY’S LEADING MEN, and has directed numerous multi-star events featuring Broadway and recording luminaries. Sam wrote the best-selling book “HAM: Slices of a Life,” which was the basis for the hit show. His new novel, which is literary fiction this time, is titled “The Substance of All Things,” which has garnered extraordinary reviews from all prominent book publications, and is in development for a feature film.