By Rolonda Watts
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The podcast currently has 92 episodes available.
Broadway Publicist and Tony Award Honoree Irene Gandy Takes Us Behind the Curtains of The Great White Way, along with Emilio Sosa, the newly appointed Chair of the American Theater Wing. Emilio is also a tony-nominated costume and fashion designer.
The recent Tony Awards gave us all hope and a strong signal that Broadway is coming back after taking a hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. And we will see more diversity as actors and producers gave speeches about their yearning for more inclusive stories on Broadway stages.
In this interview, these two Broadway leadership stars share a behind the scenes look at one of the best places on earth! Start buying tickets and support the theater now!
Irene Gandy is the only Black female press agent member of ATPAM (Association of Theatrical Press Agents and Managers) for over 50 years. Working with Producer Jeffrey Richards for over three decades, she is a Tony Award-winning Broadway producer for The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess, and was a producer for Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill starring Audra MacDonald. She was also co-producer with Voza Rivers of the National tour of South African musical Sarafina.
In 2008, she became the first female press agent to be immortalized with a Sardi’s caricature. A fashionista known for her furs, in 2015 she launched a signature collection featured in Vogue magazine and will debut a Lady Irene Fur line in 2022.
Gandy’s recent productions include The Great Society, American Son, China Doll, Fiddler on the Roof, and You Can't Take It With You. She began her career in 1968 as a publicist with Douglas Turner Ward and Robert Hooks’ Negro Ensemble Company. Since then, she has worked on over 100 Broadway shows including August: Osage County, Glengarry Glen Ross, Radio Golf, Bubbling Brown Sugar, Smokey Joe’s Cafe, Lena Horne: The Lady and her Music, and The Wiz.
About Emilio Sosa:
Born in the Dominican Republic and raised in New York City, Emilio is one of Broadway’s most unique
talents. He began his theatre career at Grace Costumes, starting as a shopper, and eventually becoming
its Creative Director. He credits this time as the foundation for his career. Emilio went on to tour the
world with Celine Dion, The Alvin Ailey Dance Company, and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra with
Wynton Marsalis. Emilio made a name for himself styling music videos for Hip Hop pioneers, Salt-N-
Pepa, MC Lyte, and Kid & Play to name a few. He has also designed for music icons Diana Ross, Mariah
Carey and Gloria Estefan. Catching the eye of director Spike Lee, Emilio became his in-house stylist,
working on national and international ad campaigns, before setting his sight on Broadway, where he
was mentored by director George C. Wolfe, for whom he designed his first Broadway show, TOPDOG /
UNDERDOG. His other Broadway credits include, ON YOUR FEET! The Emilio and Gloria Estefan Story,
MOTOWN: The Musical, PORGY AND BESS (TONY Award nom) and LADY DAY at EMERSON’S BAR AND
GRILL. He shares the unique distinction of being the first designer of color to design The Radio City Music
Hall Spring Spectacular and a new permanent number for the legendary Christmas Show, both starring
The Rockettes.
He has received both Tony Award and Drama Desk Award nominations and has been the recipient a
Lucille Lortell Award, NAACP Theatre Awards, and LA Ovation Award. Emilio’s talent was also evident on
season seven of Project Runway and Project Runway All Stars, where he showed his final collection on
all models of color, a first for the popular franchise. A proud Trustee of the American Theatre Wing,
Emilio shares his vast theatre knowledge with communities rarely represented, by sponsoring theatre
trips, workshops and talk backs. “I believe theatre has the ability to build the bridges needed for all of us
to better understand ourselves and the world we live in.”
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How lucky was I to get interviewed by my Clubhouse pal - Voice Actor and Talk Show Host Danny Burnside - about my life, childhood, careers, dreams, reinvention process, voice acting and all the stuff it took to get all those places! Sit back and enjoy this moment when the mic is turned on RO!!
Get ready!
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How many times have you asked yourself, "What the hell is a bitcoin? And - Where did this cryptocurrency come from anyway?"
We're getting a better understanding of this mysterious coinage in today's podcast episode as we grab a cigar and kick back with cryptocurrency expert, Dante Noir.
Dante's podcast, Cigars and Crytocurrency, keeps Bitcoin believers informed and in conversation about the digital money sweeping the nation and across the world. CigarsandCrypto.com
Plus, Artist Israel S. Wilson shares why he's been a bitcoin believer since 2012 and feels it's part of his social revolution. @israelswilson
This is the perfect podcast for the crypto-curious
Please be sure to subscribe to my podcast and download lots of the archives to enjoy at your leisure.
Also - leave a rating and review -- and tell a friend!
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In this episode, Dr. Lynn Richardson of Debtors Court is back helping us reinvent the way we handle our money and our money mindset.
Dr. Lynn says most us us found out through COVID-19 that most of what we have -- we no longer need. What will that look like for you post COVID?
She share tips and strategies to rethink how we think about our coins.
Money Mindset 101 and what the pandemic taught us with financial guru Dr. Lynn - right here - right now!
www. LynnRichardson.com
Don't forget to subscribe and share!
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Celebrating Mental Health Awareness Month and checking in with ourselves with Dr. Faith Brown who shares some valuable tips on coping during these challenging times - from eating healthy to engaging in a new morning routine, to exercising 30 minutes each day ...and enjoying really good sex!
BTW - Did you know that May is also Masturbation Month?!?
How are you taking care of yourself and your mental health? Another angle to self-care during COVID-19 pandemic.
Follow Dr. Faith Brown at https://www.drfaithbrown.com/
Follow me @rolondawatts
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Dr. Sunyatta Amen is a Naturopathic Physician. Sexual Thai Chi expert and belly dancer.
In this episode of Rolonda on Demand, Dr. Amen helps us get more in touch with our own bodies and encourages us to move our pelvic areas more to get the blood and energy flowing and wake up the body for a healthier, sexier, stress-free life.
Tips on improving our sex lives with special exercises - or "Sexual Kung Fu" - like, vaginal weight lifting , belly dancing, and using a Yoni egg to tighten up our game and clear out the cobwebs.
Dr. Amen is a 5th generation herbalist, tea crafter, holistic healer.
Check out her Calabash Tea and Tonic
IG @sunyattaamen
Visit: Bellydancersofcolor.com
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While many of us are still taking about GENIUS, the Aretha Franklin anthology on the National Geographic Channel, many of us are still remembering our favorite Aretha songs, appearances, concerts, and so much more,
Rolling Stone magazine called her, "The Greatest Singer of All Times"
She won 18 Grammy Awards and nominated for 26
She won the Presidential Medal of Freedom
... and so much more ...
But in this special episode of my podcast, I pull form the ROLONDA! show vault and share with you the day I spent with this incomparable legend. We sang, she cooked her famous Shrimp a la Ree, and she shared stories that I bet you never heard -- like:
Why she has such a fierce fear of flying
What she was really like as a kid
Why she dropped out of high school
How she responded to questions about her father
What man inspired the song, Call Me - the Moment You Get There!
We talk dating, motherhood, and how she wanted her very own talk show!
Its not every day you get to spend the day with a legend - I want to share that for me with you!
Enjoy! And don't forget to subscribe and please leave a nice rating and review!
Follow me in SM @rolondawatts
Visit Rolonda.com
Contact: [email protected]
#aretha #arethafranklin #queenofsoul #queen #queenoftalk #rolonda #talkshow #shrimprecipe #soulsinger #soul. #souldmusic #talkshows #perfomances #celebrity #interview #celebrityinterview #blacktreasures #africanamericansingers #grammy #grammywinner #grammys #grammyawards #GENIUS #NationalGeographicChannel
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Leeza Gibbons and I are not only friends, but also Talk Show Hosts from the roaring 90s, when some talk shows seemed more like televised saloon brawls in the wild, wild west - chairs thrown, nose broken, fist fights, cursing and spitting on each other - even one guy murdered - all in the mad race for ratings.
Leeza and I both knew change was coming -- as this type of talk was not for us.
We both had to pivot ....
In this episode, Leeza and I have a very frank conversation about how to deal with sudden changes in life and how to reinvent yourself or your world as you must participate in your own rescue and survival,
We celebrate The Art of Reinvention today - sharing tips and tools to use right now as you make friends with fear, doubt and anxiety and get on with the life you've only imagined!
Enjoy! Please don't forget to subscribe!
Follow Leeza at LeezaGibbons.com
Follow me at Rolonda.com
Follow us both on social media @leezaGibbons and @rolondaWatts
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As we celebrate Women's History Month and International Woman's Day, we also celebrate Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award Winner Jane Fonda, who has certainly made history as an artist, activist, philanthropist, environmentalist, fitness guru and so much more.
In this candid and revealing interview, Jane talks about how her mother's suicide and sexual abuse affected her. She also talks about love and forgiveness. And while she recently revealed to the New York Post that she did not want a fourth marriage - Jane speaks very openly about her love for kissing, touching and romance. At 83, Jane's still got it!
Also in this episode, Dr Julianne Malveaux, author, political commentator, and 15th President of Bennett College, shares stories of some of the most amazing women of history - most of whom I bet you don't know!
Please subscribe, leave a review, and share with lots of friends!
Visit Rolonda.com
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In this episode, we celebrate Women's History Month and discuss The State of Women Today with Dr. Sheila Robinson, Founder, Publisher & CEO of Diversity Woman Media. Sheila believes that women can change the world as we have the power to change the conversation at the dinner table.
Sheila is also a huge proponent of women's wellness and hosts Wellness Wednesdays to talk about mental health, self-care, self-love, reinvention and many more relevant and pertinent issues facing women worldwide today.
We also share some of our favorite women in history and the ones we admire making history today.
For more about Dr. Sheila, visit https://www.diversitywoman.com/
Visit: Rolonda.com
For some spicier talk - Join me at Stereo.com/rolondawatts for the podcast afterparty every Friday at 4pm PT/7pm EST!!
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The podcast currently has 92 episodes available.