The Front Row Network

Front Row Classics welcomes Tony Maietta for the first time. Tony is an author, actor, film historian and fellow podcaster. His podcast Going Hollywood is a fun deep dive into films and television series from the Golden Age and beyond.

Brandon and Tony discuss their mutual love for Lucy, What's Up Doc and Bringing Up Baby among other topics. The conversation then turns to the 50th anniversary of the legendary documentary Grey Gardens. We discuss Tony's fascination with the film which led to him co-authoring the book, "The Marble Faun of Grey Gardens" with Jerry Torre.

You can find information about all of Tony's projects at https://tony-maietta.com/.

Front Row Classics welcomes author Laurence Mason to celebrate the art of both Alfred Hitchcock and a great drink. Maslon recently wrote "Hitchcocktails: Lethal Libations inspired by the Master of Suspense". The books pairs Hitchcock's legendary films with a cocktail appropriate for the occasion. Larry mixes both film history and mixology in an attractive package for both films fans and drink enthusiasts alike.

"Hitchcocktails: Lethal Libations inspired by the Master of Suspense" is available now from Weldon Owen wherever books are sold.

Laurence Maslon is an arts professor at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, as well as associate chair of the Graduate Acting Program. His most recent book is an updated companion volume to the PBS series Broadway: The American Musical. He is also the host and producer of the weekly radio series, Broadway to Main Street (winner of the 2019 ASCAP Foundation/Deems Taylor Award for Radio Broadcast) on the NPR station WLIW-FM. He edited the two-volume set American Musicals (1927-1969) for Library of America, as well as their Kaufman & Co., Broadway comedies by George S. Kaufman. Other books include the companion book to Come From Away, Broadway to Main Street: How Show Music Enchanted America (Oxford), The Sound of Music Companion, and the South Pacific Companion. He is the writer and coproducer of the PBS American Masters documentary, Sammy Davis, Jr.: I've Gotta Be Me, and wrote American Masters documentary Richard Rodgers: The Sweetest Sounds. He served on the nominating committee for the Tony Awards from 2007 to 2010. He has written for the New York Times, the Washington Post, the New Yorker, Opera News, Stagebill, and American Theatre. Mr. Maslon, otherwise a nice guy, mixes a mean drink.

The Front Row Network is pleased to welcome Pretty City Express (CLAS and Devin Reno) to the show. Based in the southwest, CLAS and Reno are just as charismatic & entertaining out of the ring. Brandon dives into their journey into professional wrestling as well life outside the ring. The conversation also turns to the importance of finding your passion and maintaining your mental health.

Front Row Classics is taking a look at one of the most popular friends in Elvis Presley's catalog. Brandon is joined by Daveyanna Garcia to discuss 1964's Viva Las Vegas. The two discuss the incredible chemistry between Presley and Ann-Margret. We also pay tribute to director George Sidney whose experience in directing MGM musicals, keeps the film moving at a fun pace.

The Front Row Network welcome Dante Pharaoh to the podcast this week. Dante is a talented performer who has been making his name known throughout our area. This weekend, he'll be challenging Mario Pardua for the Midwest Wrestling Coalition Heavyweight Championship in Brighton, IL. Brandon and Dante discuss his origins in wrestling as well and what his ultimate goals are.

You can find more information for this weekend's free show at Midwest Wrestling Coalition's Facebook and Instagram pages.

Front Row Classics welcomes author and journalist, Jennifer O'Callaghan to discuss one of Alfred Hitchcock's seminal masterpieces. Jennifer recently penned a book called "Rear Window: The Making of a Hitchcock Masterpiece in the Hollywood Golden Age". The book chronicles the origins, production and legacy of a film that remains one of the most beloved in the Hitchcock canon.

"Rear Window: The Making of a Hitchcock Masterpiece in the Hollywood Golden Age" is available from Citadel wherever books are sold.

Jennifer O'Callaghan is a freelance writer and journalist. She has worked as a reporter for Metro News, The Sundance Channel, Shaw TV, and CKUA radio in news, entertainment, and lifestyle beats. She has also appeared as a red-carpet reporter for the web entertainment site MyBroadway.com, and as host on Paradetown USA on NYC-TV. She has interviewed celebrities including Will Ferrell, Meryl Streep, and Cameron Diaz, and appeared as a featured model on The Today Show and The View. She currently lives in Toronto and can be found online at JenniferOCallaghan.com.

Front Row Classics welcomes author Samuel Garza Bernstein to the show. Brandon and Samuel are discussing his newest book, "Cesar Romero: The Joker is Wild". This is the first biography ever written on the legendary performer.

"Cesar Romero: The Joker is Wild" is available from University Press of Kentucky wherever books are sold.

Samuel Garza Bernstein is a bestselling author, a Stonewall Book Award winner, and an award-winning screenwriter and playwright whose work often reflects the wild intersections of modern life. He, his husband Ronald Shore, and their pack of incorrigible dachshunds split their time between Porto, Portugal, and Los Angeles, California.

After the success of Brandon and Peter's discussion of cigarettes on film, Front Row Classics is bring you movies that are defined by alcohol. Brandon is joined by Emmett Stanton to discuss their top five drinking films. The movies discussed span multiple eras and genres. Brandon and Emmett discuss how drinking can define a film's DNA through bubbly comedy or thought provoking drama. Let us know your thoughts.

Front Row Classics is taking a look at one of the most underrated films of Humphrey Bogart's career. Brandon is joined by author and film historian Christ Yogerst to chat about 1937's Black Legion. The film, directed by Archie Mayo, is a hardboiled socially relevant film that still shocks in 2025. Brandon and Chris also discuss the risk Warner Brothers took in brining it bringing it to the screen.

The Front Row Network is pleased to welcome independent professional wrestler, Matthew Ennis. Brandon sits down with Matt to discuss his journey through the world of wrestling. The two talk about Matt's military background, early days in the business and his journey to joining House of Champions in Orlando, FL. We also discus his process in preparing for matches and what the future may hold.