Green Room On Air with Ray Renati

ABOUT AfroSolo Theatre Company https://afrosolo.org AfroSolo Theatre Company’s mission is to nurture, promote and present African American and African Diasporan art and culture through solo performances and the visual and literary arts. Since 1994, we have presented the annual AfroSolo Arts Festival, a forum for African Americans and the larger African Diaspora as a way to give voice to the unique experience of being Black. Through art, we bring people of all ethnicities together to explore and share the human spirit that binds us all. AfroSolo Arts Festival is made possible through the support of the CA Arts Council, Grants for the Arts, Dream Keeper Initiative, Kenneth Rainin Foundation, SF Arts Commission, and The Friends of AfroSolo, AfroSolo's collaborative partners include AATAIN, Cultural Odyssey, Intersection for the Arts, Play Ground Theatre, The African American Art and Culture Complex, The Flow Fund, The Dr. George W. Davis Senior Center and the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival. AFROSOLO’S HISTORY AND MISSION: https://afrosolo.org/march2025 AfroSolo Theatre Company presents… AfroSolo ARTS FESTIVAL 31 - LET FREEDOM RING! PART 2 WHEN: Fri. March 28, 2025 – 7:00 pm Sat. March 29, 2025 – 7:00 pm Sun. March 30, 2025 – 3:00 pm WHERE: Potrero Stage* 1695 18th St. (at Arkansas St.), San Francisco, CA 94107 WHO: Performers Include: Douglass Haynes - vocalist Augustene Phillips - writer Libah Sheppard - writer Thomas Robert Simpson - writer Hugh Leeman – filmmaker Dr. Carl Blake (piano for Douglass Haynes) TICKETS: https://tickets.playground-sf.org/The... General Admission Seating. $0 - $35, pay what you can. No one turned away due to lack of funds. In Person & Live Streaming options available. WEB SITE: https://afrosolo.org FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?... INSTAGRAM: / afrosolotheatrecompany FOR INFORMATION VISIT: https://afrosolo.org or call 415-771-2376 _____________________ Thomas Robert Simpson, actor, director, producer, and writer, is the founder and artistic director of AfroSolo Arts Festival. Since 1991 he has concentrated on presenting African American and African Diasporan art and culture through solo performances and the visual and literary arts. For the past 17 years Mr. Simpson has produced the award-winning and critically acclaimed AfroSolo Arts Festival in SF, presenting over seventy-five artists. He has also showcased celebrity artists such as award-winning actor Ruby Dee, comedian and political activist Dick Gregory, beloved teacher, poet and social activist June Jordan, sensational black gospel singer Emmit Powell, and many others. In 2006 Mr. Simpson won a coveted Bay Area Jefferson Award for Public Service. In 2009 he was awarded a prestigious Certificate of Honor from the SF Board of Supervisor, as well as award from SF AIDS Foundation’s Black Brothers Esteem Program, The Reggie Williams Achievement Award and the Oakland Supper Club for his contributions to our community.

From Broadway to classics, on stage and in concert, Lisa Vroman has established herself as one of America's most versatile voices. She starred on Broadway, LA and SF as Christine Daaé in The Phantom of the Opera and garnered theater critics’ awards for her portrayal. Her Broadway debut was in Aspects of Love and she was the first to play both Fantine and Cosette in Les Misérables. She has starred in major productions as Marian Paroo in The Music Man, Lili Vanessi in Kiss Me Kate, Birdie in Regina, Josephine in HMS Pinafore, Anna 1 in The Seven Deadly Sins, Rosalinde in Die Fledermaus, Laurey in Oklahoma, Anna Leonowens in The King and I, Mary Turner in Of Thee I Sing and Rosabella in The Most Happy Fella. Lisa appeared on PBS as Johanna in the Emmy Award winning production of Sweeney Todd and was featured in the London Royal Gala, Hey! Mr. Producer. She has played, sang and danced opposite Dick Van Dyke as Mary Poppins at the Hollywood Bowl Disney’s 75th, and played the role of Maria Callas in Terence McNally’s award-winning play, Master Class. Lisa is a frequent guest with symphonies including SF, Nashville, Philadelphia, Dallas, Utah, St. Louis, Houston, Pacific, Atlanta, Hong Kong, Cleveland, National, Florida, Cleveland, BBC Concert Orchestra, Boston Pops, Philly Pops, and the NY Pops. She is a graduate of the Crane School of Music, SUNY Potsdam (BM, Hon. Dr. of Music, Minerva Award), Carnegie-Mellon University (MFA), and is a George London Competition winner. Lisa has become an active mentor and sought-after clinician with many colleges and universities across the country and around the world. She has acted as a judge in both the Lotte Lenya Competition for the Kurt Weill Foundation and UCLA’s Walter Jurmann Competition, and regularly performs Weill’s music with symphonies throughout the country. Recent performances have included symphony concerts celebrating the music of George Gershwin, and her 2024 Bistro Award-winning cabaret, “Ingénue…Ingé-not-so-new!”, in NY. www.lisavroman.com Lisa also gave us the scoop on the upcoming "Broadway and Beyond" benefit for the Richmond/Ermet Aid Foundation. It's happening on July 14th at the Marines Memorial Theater, and it's set to be a night filled with incredible talent and heartwarming performances, all for a good cause. Trust me, you won't want to miss this intimate look into Lisa's world and the wonderful community she's part of. Head over to reef-sf.org for more details on the event. Let's support the arts together! Contact Ray at Green Room on Air: [email protected] Leave a review on Apple Podcasts (iTunes)Visit Green Room On Air website: http://greenroomonair.comConnect with us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/raysgreenroom/

Abigail Munn – Circus Bella Artistic and Executive Director (Interview begins at the 5:53 mark) Since its inception, Abigail Munn has been directing, creating, and producing new work for Circus Bella. Along with the more conventional duties she has also served as the company's truck driver, catering service and laundress. An accomplished dancer, choreographer, and aerialist, Munn holds a BFA in Modern Dance from UC Santa Barbara. As a child, born and raised in SF, she appeared with the Pickle Family Circus, and with Zoppe Italian Family Circus, Lone Star Circus, the Moisture Festival, the New Pickle Circus, Cabaret Verdelet, Circus Cabaret, Tease-O-Rama, Va Voom Room, and The Velvet Hammer Burlesque. Munn was commended in the NY Times for her performance in Alma Esperanza Cunningham’s Princess. Munn co-directed the nouveau-vaudeville troupe Kitty Bang, an internationally recognized three-time “Best of the Bay” winner that is influential in the modern Burlesque resurgence. Over the past few years Abigail has become increasingly involved in advocacy work for the Circus Arts. When transitioning Circus Bella performers to Employees, she became aware that the current workers compensation rates and policy descriptions in California were way out of step with the current reality of the Circus Industry. Munn embarked on a one-woman quest to help change this and after initiating a study from the Workers Comp Insurance Rating Bureau (WCIRB), rates were significant lowered (by 80%) for ALL Circus Companies in CA. In addition, she is a founding member and on the board of the American Circus Alliance. https://www.circusbella.org/

FEB. 9 - MAR. 3, 2024Directed by Austin EdgingtonThe Pear Theatrewww.thepear.org For Peter Pan on Her 70th Birthdayby Sarah Ruhl When Ann thinks of her father, she immediately remembers playing Peter Pan in her hometown theater in Iowa, and the flowers he delivered after her performance. Her memory is jogged by the fact that she and her four siblings are in their father’s hospital room during his final moments. His death sparks a conversational wake that includes everything from arguments over politics to when each sibling realized that they grew up. A loving look at a family’s view of death, life and the allure of never growing up. “A work that is equal parts dark and light, recalling the ebullient excitement of youth, but also confronting the hard fact of mortality… Ruhl’s imagination is among the most adventurous at play today in the theater.” – The New York Times

Let's take an extraordinary journey together discovering the hit senastion of the Toasters and Moose Christmas video! Contact Ray at Green Room on Air: [email protected] Leave a review on Apple Podcasts (iTunes)Visit Green Room On Air website: http://greenroomonair.comConnect with us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/raysgreenroom/

Step into the captivating world of radio as we sit down with the legendary radio personality, Alex Bennett. From his early days on the airwaves to becoming a trailblazer in the industry, Alex has a wealth of stories and insights to share. Join us in this exclusive podcast interview as we delve into the highs, the lows, and the untold tales of a radio icon. Get ready for a journey through the waves of entertainment with the one and only, Alex Bennett! Contact Ray at Green Room on Air: [email protected] Leave a review on Apple Podcasts (iTunes)Visit Green Room On Air website: http://greenroomonair.comConnect with us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/raysgreenroom/ Closing Music by Carly Ozard

Today's guest is Sara Moore Sara Moore is an award-winning American clown. Her new show is called "The Supers" Moore has created, directed, and performed material for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, The Krofft Puppets, Royal Caribbean International, Tropicana Hotels and Resorts, The New Pickle Circus, Six Flags Show Productions, and Merv Griffin’s Resorts Casino and Hotels, among others. She also wrote, directed, and co-produced the independent feature film “Homo Heights” starring Quentin Crisp, which is widely considered a cult classic today. Her recent solo show, Show Ho, has earned critical and popular acclaim through several sold-out runs. ____________________________________________________________________ Music by Carly Ozard: carlyozard.com Green Room on Air Web Site: raysgreenroom.com Please take a little time and rate my podcast on Itunes - http://bit.ly/GreenRoomOnAir