Curtain Call Conversations: A Van Wezel Podcast
The Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall presents a broad spectrum of the world's finest performers representing the diverse tastes of Southwest Florida residents and visitors. Curtain Call Conversations takes listeners behind the scenes of the iconic purple building on Sarasota Bay giving audiences insights into upcoming shows, secrets of the trade, and news on the entertainment industry. Episodes include rotating hosts of staff members, performers, and more. Tune in every other Wednesday!
Episodes
The 2025-2026 Broadway season is here at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, and Public Relations Director Muffy Lavens had a chance to speak with Shafiq Hicks from The Book of Mormon. Learn about the upcoming performances at the Van Wezel, playing December 9-14, 2025. Plus, learn about Shafiq's career touring with other productions and performing for the Pope! It's a career you'll want to learn more and more about. Get...
Executive Director Mary Bensel and Public Relations Director Muffy Lavens sat down with the mean, green one himself...The Grinch! All the way from Mount Crumpit, The Grinch stopped by the Van Wezel to share a little bit about his musical, Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical, coming to Sarasota November 14-16 for five performances. Tickets on sale now at VanWezel.org
October 22 is National Make a Dog's Day so Manatee County-based nonprofit Dogs, Inc. joins Van Wezel Public Relations Director Muffy Lavens to discuss what exactly Dogs Inc does. Duo-Certified Training Marisa Blanco shares the importance of training guide dogs and service dogs, and talks about the day guide dog trainers spent at the Van Wezel so the dogs could get some real life experience in a theater setting. Then, meet the d...
Spooky season is here and so are spooky shows at the Van Wezel! In this edition of Curtain Call Conversations, Griffyn and Muffy talk about Twilight in Concert and Haunted Illusions, two thrilling shows you won't want to miss. Additionally, Muffy sits down with David Caserta, master illusionist from Haunted Illusions to learn more about the show.
It all ends with Griffyn and Muffy's love of Disney while coming up with TV sh...
Do you and nine of your closest friends want to see a show? Then a group package is the right option for you! In this episode of Curtain Call Conversations, PR Director Muffy Lavens sits down with Group Sales Coordinator Pam Foster and Group Leader Char Mordini to learn more about the group sales process at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall. For more information on group sales, visit https://www.vanwezel.org/events/group-sales
The Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall is hosting the very first Family Fest! Education Director Justin Gomlak is joined by Terrance Jackson from the Asolo Repertory Theatre to talk about their production of Alice in Wonderland debuting at the Fall Family Fest, along with all the other vendors and markets who will be part of the event.
Plus, Terrance and Justin have a little fun mixing up the Broadway shows, Aladdin and Wicked.
To lear...
In this episode, General Manager Kyle Turoff and Director of Education Justin Gomlak discuss some of the exciting shows coming to the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall this season. Shows like Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical, Dave Koz and Friends 2025 Christmas Tour, an all-new Neil Berg show, and so much more! Plus, Kyle and Justin play a game of "This or That" reliving their theater days. Learn mo...
Do you love Celsius, ice cream, and chicken nuggets? Have you ever wondered how a show gets loaded in to a venue? Do you generally like listening to random banter? If so, this is the episode for you!
Griffyn and Nate use this episode to share what a day behind the scene in the theatre is like for them...with a few random topics thrown in. These two are sure to make you laugh, while also providing a little bit of insight into what t...
In this episode, Muffy is back to speak with Clover and Dani, two students who went through the Van Wezel Education & Community Engagement Department's Technical Theatre Camp earlier this summer. Learn all about the activities and stay tuned for more information on next year's camp.
For more offerings from the Education & Community Engagement Department, visit https://www.vanwezel.org/education-community
We're celebrating Christmas in July at the Van Wezel with new shows going on sale July 18. Join Muffy and Thom as they discuss the 2025 holiday line up.
- Segment 1: Holiday shows going on sale
- Segment 2: Interview with Mel Marvin, the music composer for Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical,
- Segment 3: Guess the show
Links:
...In the inaugural episode, Justin Gomlak (Director of Education & Community Engagement) and Muffy Lavens (Public Relations Director) sit down to talk about Broadway, specifically how to get the best seats and discounts through a Broadway Subscription. They also discuss the controversy of the proposed casino coming to Times Square, and they end the episode with a little reflection on last season.
Links:
A sneak peek at the podcast coming out of Sarasota's Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall. Episodes will air every two weeks on Wednesdays.
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