Mariah Lyttle and Francis T. Goodbeer

In this episode of the podcast “Unwrap Your Candies Now,” Ernie Manouse chats with Mariah Lyttle, who stars as “Celie” in the North American-touring production of The Color Purple. Society for the Performing Arts presents the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical from January 3 – 4 at The Hobby Center.

Then, Catherine Lu features a sound portrait of Houston poet Francis T. Goodbeer. Produced originally for HPM’s Voices and Verses series, the segment explores Goodbeer’s love of poetry and her journey from retired nurse to published writer through Inprint’s Senior Memoir Workshop. She reads her poem “The Joy of Seniorhood.”

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Music used The Color Purple segment: "What About Love" from The Color Purple (2015 Broadway cast recording) and The Color Purple National Tour trailer

Music used in poetry segment: Valse Pour Maman (excerpt) by Alexandra Stréliski from Pianoscope, Annabel Lee (excerpt) by Edgar Allan Poe read by Basil Rathbone, Dies Irie (excerpt) by Kenji Bunch from Ahn Trio: Lullaby For My Favorite Insomniac, Romanze, op. 28, no. 2 (excerpt) by Robert Schumann from Timothy Hester: The Classical 91.7 Sessions and Hang on Little Tomato (excerpt) by Pink Martini from Hang on Little Tomato