WORK IN PROGRESS: Conversations with Creators

Heidi Kettenring is an award-winning Chicago-based actor and singer who has performed in over 100 productions, including “Wicked,” “Beauty and the Beast” and, most recently, “A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical.” In “A Beautiful Noise,” she plays two roles: Diamond’s mother, Rose, as well as the songwriter and music producer Ellie Greenwich, one of Diamond’s most significant collaborators. Kettenring discusses how she prepared for both roles and what it’s been like to switch between them, including quick costume changes. She also offers advice to aspiring actors on how to audition with confidence.“A Beautiful Noise” opens at Popejoy Hall in Albuquerque on Tuesday, Feb. 3, and runs through Feb. 8.If you enjoy our podcasts, please like and subscribe, and consider becoming a digital subscriber to the Albuquerque Journal, to help us continue to bring you more content like this. Follow the like below for a discount on a digital subscription. http://www.abqjournal.com/subscribe/abqpods/To get your digital subscription to the newspaper for $3 per week, normally charged monthly at $12 that’s a savings of $9.Thank you for Supporting The Albuquerque Journal New Mexico's leading local news source!#broadwaymusical #broadwayinterview #heidikettenring #neildiamond #neildiamondmusical #popejoyhall #albuquerquetheater #musicaltheater #abeautifulnoise #broadwayactor #elliegreenwich #rosediamond #actorinterview

Is professional wrestling an art form? Nic Nemeth and Mara Sadé say yes. In today’s episode, these superstar performers from the sports entertainment league TNA (Total Nonstop Action) Wrestling, describe how creative storytelling, emotional expression and masterful choreography are as important to their craft as physical agility and strength.Nemeth, who previously performed as Dolph Ziggler during his tenure in WWE, is widely regarded as one of the greatest pro wrestlers of all time. Sadé, who grew up in Albuquerque, began her pro wrestling career in 2022 under the ring name Jakara Jackson and is a rising star. Both are performing at Albuquerque’s Tingley Coliseum on Jan. 22 and 23. The shows will be broadcast as episodes of TNA Wrestling’s “Thursday Night iMPACT” on AMC.If you enjoy our podcasts, please like and subscribe, and consider becoming a digital subscriber to the Albuquerque Journal, to help us continue to bring you more content like this. Follow the like below for a discount on a digital subscription. http://www.abqjournal.com/subscribe/abqpods/To get your digital subscription to the newspaper for $3 per week, normally charged monthly at $12 that’s a savings of $9.Thank you for Supporting The Albuquerque Journal New Mexico's leading local news source!

#prowrestling #tnawrestling #nicnemeth #dolphziggler #marasade #jakarajackson #wrestlingasart #artistinterview #artofwrestling #thursdaynightimpact #wrestlingsecretsexposed #wrestlerinterview #loganroycebeitmen 

Santa Fe-based artist Jerry Wellman works in a variety of media, from painting to installation art, to create poetic, open-ended narratives. He is the former head curator at the Los Angeles Institute for Contemporary Art and a co-founder of Axle Contemporary, a mobile art gallery housed in a vintage bread delivery truck. In this episode, Jerry talks with Logan about his extraordinary journey from carnival worker to artist and curator, and his lifelong desire to make art part of people's everyday lives. Wellman's latest exhibition, "Navigators: Edges of Becomings," will be on view at El Zaguan in Santa Fe from Jan. 16 to Feb. 14., 2026.If you enjoy our podcasts, please like and subscribe, and consider becoming a digital subscriber to the Albuquerque Journal, to help us continue to bring you more content like this. Follow the like below for a discount on a digital subscription. http://www.abqjournal.com/subscribe/abqpods/To get your digital subscription to the newspaper for $3 per week, normally charged monthly at $12 that’s a savings of $9.Thank you for Supporting The Albuquerque Journal New Mexico's leading local news source!

Virgil Ortiz (Cochiti Pueblo) is a contemporary artist who reimagines Pueblo history through the language of science-fiction and Indigenous futurism. Born into the prominent Herrera family of Pueblo potters, he still sources and fires his clay using traditional methods, while simultaneously exploring contemporary fashion design and digital media. This episode begins with a discussion of the hot air balloon Ortiz designed for this year's Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. The artist then talks about how he developed his singular artistic vision and how art saved his life.If you enjoy our podcasts, please like and subscribe, and consider becoming a digital subscriber to the Albuquerque Journal, to help us continue to bring you more content like this. Follow the like below for a discount on a digital subscription. http://www.abqjournal.com/subscribe/abqpods/To get your digital subscription to the newspaper for $3 per week, normally charged monthly at $12 that’s a savings of $9.Thank you for Supporting The Albuquerque Journal New Mexico's leading local news source!#virgilortiz #contemporaryart #albuquerqueinternationalballoonfiesta #balloonfiesta #indigenousfuturism #contemporaryindigenousart #puebloart #cochitipueblo #virgilortizartist #artistinterview #newmexicanartist #pueblorevolt #scifiart

Broadway performer Jordan Markus is a triple threat -- exceptionally skilled at singing, acting and dancing alike. He currently plays Michael Jackson in the touring production of "MJ The Musical," a Tony Award-winning bio-musical, which is coming to Albuquerque's Popejoy Hall on Dec. 10. In today's episode, Jordan discusses the more than two-hour-long, dance-heavy show and what he did to prepare for the role of a lifetime.If you enjoy our podcasts, please like and subscribe, and consider becoming a digital subscriber to the Albuquerque Journal, to help us continue to bring you more content like this. Follow the like below for a discount on a digital subscription. http://www.abqjournal.com/subscribe/abqpods/To get your digital subscription to the newspaper for $3 per week, normally charged monthly at $12 that’s a savings of $9.Thank you for Supporting The Albuquerque Journal New Mexico's leading local news source!#contemporaryartscenter #mjthemusical #jordanmarkus #michaeljackson #michaeljacksonmusical #broadwayactor #artistinterview #broadwayinterview #popejoyhall #actorinterview

New Mexico-based artist John Phillip Abbott makes paintings that operate between reading and seeing. His grids of letters are sometimes interrupted and partly camouflaged by layers of striped patterns and expressive plumes of pigment. In this episode, John talks with Logan about spray paint, mysticism, landscapes, Sun Ra and whether art can heal.If you enjoy our podcasts, please like and subscribe, and consider becoming a digital subscriber to the Albuquerque Journal, to help us continue to bring you more content like this. Follow the like below for a discount on a digital subscription. http://www.abqjournal.com/subscribe/abqpods/To get your digital subscription to the newspaper for $3 per week, normally charged monthly at $12 that’s a savings of $9.Thank you for Supporting The Albuquerque Journal New Mexico's leading local news source!#contemporaryartscenter #albuquerqueartist #newmexicoart #newmexicoartist #johnphillipabbott #lawrenceweiner #sunra #kayrosen #abstractart #abstractpainting #contemporaryabstraction #artistinterview

Writer, director, stand-up comic and actor Dan Perlman is best known as the co-creator and star of the Showtime comedy series "Flatbush Misdemeanors." In 2025, he directed and starred in the very funny documentary short, "Being Bublé," in which the comedian attempts to become a Michael Bublé impersonator for a wealthy stranger's party, despite having no resemblance to the singer and limited vocal abilities. In this episode, Dan discusses the film, provides insight into his creative process and talks about the fine line between comedy, tragedy and everyday irritation. If you enjoy our podcasts, please like and subscribe, and consider becoming a digital subscriber to the Albuquerque Journal, to help us continue to bring you more content like this. Follow the like below for a discount on a digital subscription. http://www.abqjournal.com/subscribe/abqpods/To get your digital subscription to the newspaper for $3 per week, normally charged monthly at $12 that’s a savings of $9.Thank you for Supporting The Albuquerque Journal New Mexico's leading local news source!#albuquerquejournal #standup #comedian #comedianinterview #nyccomedian #danperlman #flatbushmisdemeanors #beingbuble #santafeinternationalfilmfestival #michaelbuble #comedianfilm #artistinterview #interviewswithcomedians

The multi-talented Adam Nimoy has been an entertainment lawyer, a television director, a teacher, a photographer and a writer. He is also the son of Leonard Nimoy, who played Mr. Spock in the original “Star Trek” television series. In this episode, Adam discusses his 2024 memoir, “The Most Human: Reconciling with My Father, Leonard Nimoy,” which details their often fraught relationship and shared struggles with addiction. An honest and poignant interview with moments of humor, this episode is a must-watch.If you enjoy our podcasts, please like and subscribe, and consider becoming a digital subscriber to the Albuquerque Journal, to help us continue to bring you more content like this. Follow the like below for a discount on a digital subscription. http://www.abqjournal.com/subscribe/abqpods/To get your digital subscription to the newspaper for $3 per week, normally charged monthly at $12 that’s a savings of $9.Thank you for Supporting The Albuquerque Journal New Mexico's leading local news source!#adamnimoy #leonardnimoy #startrek #mrspock #writerinterview #newmemoir #memoirwriting #contemporaryliterature #addictionrecovery #addictiontestimonial #fathersonrelationships

Living legend Fred Frith reinvented what a guitar could do. From his early experiments with the band Henry Cow, which he cofounded in 1968, to collaborations with Brian Eno, the Residents, John Zorn, Ikue Mori and countless others, the UK-born musician has produced a wide-ranging catalog of eclectic and influential work, appearing on over 400 recordings. Frith stopped by the studio while in town for the New Mexico Jazz Festival this September, full of stories and insights. Hope you enjoy!If you enjoy our podcasts, please like and subscribe, and consider becoming a digital subscriber to the Albuquerque Journal, to help us continue to bring you more content like this. Follow the like below for a discount on a digital subscription. http://www.abqjournal.com/subscribe/abqpods/To get your digital subscription to the newspaper for $3 per week, normally charged monthly at $12 that’s a savings of $9.Thank you for Supporting The Albuquerque Journal New Mexico's leading local news source!

One of the world’s most celebrated photojournalists, Ed Kashi has dedicated the past 45 years to documenting the social and geopolitical issues that define our era. From capturing life in Northern Ireland during the time of the Troubles to his 30-year project on the Kurdish diaspora to shining a light on Nigeria’s oil workers, Kashi has traveled the world, sometimes at great personal risk, to capture compelling, truthtelling images. In this episode, he tells the stories behind some of his most well-known photographs and reflects on the state of photojournalism today.Kashi’s career-spanning exhibition, “A Period in Time,” is on view at Monroe Gallery in Santa Fe through Nov. 16.If you enjoy our podcasts, please like and subscribe, and consider becoming a digital subscriber to the Albuquerque Journal, to help us continue to bring you more content like this. Follow the like below for a discount on a digital subscription. http://www.abqjournal.com/subscribe/abqpods/To get your digital subscription to the newspaper for $3 per week, normally charged monthly at $12 that’s a savings of $9.Thank you for Supporting The Albuquerque Journal New Mexico's leading local news source!#edkashi #nationalgeographicphoto #nationalgeographic #monroegallery #artistinterview #photographerinterview #photojournalist #photojournalism #documentaryphotography #nmart #newmexicoartgallery #contemporaryphotography #artspodcast