October 1, 2025 • 25 mins
Aaron Collins joins the show to discuss "Back Home Again: A Tribute to John Denver and the Space Coast Symphony Orchestra," a special benefit concert for the Space Coast Symphony Orchestra in conjunction with Music Works, November 22nd, 2025 at the Emerson Center in Vero Beach. Get tickets at MusicWorksConcerts.com.
Performers Clint Hromsco and Nicholas Ward then join us in studio to tell us about their roles in "Little Shop of Horrors" on the main stage at Riverside Theatre in Vero Beach October 16th - November 9th. Nicholas is the voice of "Audrey II" (The Big Men-Eating Plant) and Clint is the puppeteer of "Audrey II." Get tickets at RiversideTheatre.com
Performers Clint Hromsco and Nicholas Ward then join us in studio to tell us about their roles in "Little Shop of Horrors" on the main stage at Riverside Theatre in Vero Beach October 16th - November 9th. Nicholas is the voice of "Audrey II" (The Big Men-Eating Plant) and Clint is the puppeteer of "Audrey II." Get tickets at RiversideTheatre.com
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:04):
Welcome to Arts Blast on the Air.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
It's a podcast, it's a radio show and an Alexis skill,
all presented by a ballet Vero Beach and Riverside Theater
Arts supporting the arts in Florida.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
I'm Willie Miller.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
And each week I get to talk to people in
the arts about the arts on the Treasure Coast and beyond.
Arts Blast on the Air is proud to be supported
by a ballet Vero Beach. Subscriptions for the exciting new
season are available online now with single seats on sale
November first. The Nutcracker on the Indian River is earlier
(00:38):
and in a new venue this year December through eleventh
through the thirteenth at Riverside Theater, and ask about the
new VIP add on experience for extra fund plus. Nutcracker
for All has some new options too. Learn about everything
at ballet Vero Beach dot org. My guests today Aaron Collins,
(01:00):
Nicholas Ward, and Clint Rump Scow. And first I'm going
to talk to Aaron Collins. Aaron, we always talk about
the Space Coast Symphony and we're going to talk about
a concert by Scuzzo and for this is a special
benefit concert.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
We want to talk about it.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
There's music Works putting it on the special benefit concert
November twenty second.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
How are you before I studied that.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
How are you doing? Aaron, So good to talk to
you again. Always welcome in the studio here.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
Well, thank you so much for having me. I always
happy to talk to you. I'm doing well. How are
you doing?
Speaker 2 (01:40):
Okay, okay, getting ready for fall? In fact, I've been
ready for fall for about two months now.
Speaker 3 (01:48):
Yeah, I'm excited about it. So yeah, we have well,
we have a wonderful program coming up in November with
our partner music Works. It's a group that we partnered
with before and I've always enjoyed working with them, and
(02:08):
they have offered to do this program for us, this
benefit concert for the symphony, and we are so grateful
for it. If you remember about last year, at this time,
I think it was September of last year, we founded
ourselves in the hole. The orchestra found ourselves in the whole,
(02:31):
and we were behind about one or two concerts financially,
and it was a very challenging position. As you know,
every concert that we put on is quite expensive. I
mean it could range anywhere from ten to thirty to
forty thousand dollars put on a concert. So if you know,
you have a concert or two that don't do well,
(02:54):
not well attended, you could just find yourself in the
whole pretty quickly. So UH we made the decision to
you know, cancel a concert and last year and and
really focused on raising funds and figuring out how to
better position ourselves and UH we we were very grateful
(03:19):
for all the donations that came in and UH and
we we got out of the hole. But you know,
it's always a it's a it's a tight rope we
walk every concert, so, you know, we just do our
best to get by. And and Stacey at Music Works
thought it would be wonderful to UH to support us,
and we are so grateful for her friendship, and she
(03:43):
thought of this idea of doing a benefit concert for us.
This is what this is going to be, a concert
to UH to support us, and I'm excited about it.
It's called back Home Again. It's a tribute to John Denver,
and it's going to be UH us working with an
incredible singer, Tom Becker, and he's appeared on Popular on
(04:05):
PBS and all around the world and he just does
a wonderful job doing John Denver's music. So it'll be
him and the orchestra and will present this concert at
the Emerson Center in November.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
Okay, could could I just interrupt interrupt you for a second.
That's always okay with me, Aaron. I wanted to remind
people that music works as the company and it's I
guess it's mostly Stacy now, but they have been presenting
the concert season at the Emerson Center in Vero Beach
(04:43):
for years, so everybody who has gone to their sellout
concerts knows that they know what they're doing. This is
going to be great. It's wonderful that they're getting that
they're partnering with you to help the Space Coast Symphony Orchestra.
We cannot lose you.
Speaker 3 (05:01):
Oh yeah, yeah, we're I mean, Stacy is incredible and
you know her great husband, Rusty, who was just a
great friend of the orchestra and the great guy. You know,
he was a big support of the symphony too, So
we're very grateful for Stacy. And yeah, I love all
the concerts they do. They have a great lineup every
(05:22):
year of just really wonderful programs for Vero Beach.
Speaker 1 (05:25):
So yeah, and it's a great it's a great venue too.
Speaker 3 (05:29):
Oh yeah, the Emerson Center is fantastic. It's intimate, it's
right there, and it's it's they're great friends bars too.
So we're you know, we're very lucky to be associated
with both music works and the Emerson Center.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
Okay, so the special benefit concert is called concert is
called back Home Again with Tom Becker. He used to
be in the New Christy Minstrels? Am I right about that?
Speaker 3 (05:55):
Yes? You are, wow, which I was completely unfamiliar with
until really yeah, yeah, it was a little before my time.
It was just a little but yeah, it's so I've
had to learn about them and and and find out
new things, you know.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
But there will be some old things too. Oh.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
Everybody knows John Denver's thank God I'm a Country Boy
and Annie's Song. So many familiar John Denver pieces, but
you'll be playing some maybe some lesser known pieces as well.
Speaker 3 (06:32):
Yeah, we'll be doing many of his works. I mean obviously,
you know there's Rocky mont High, Leaving on a jet plane,
Sunshine on my Shoulders. I mean, there's just so many
great songs and John Denver's music, I mean, his music
was it wasn't too complex. It was very The simplicity
about it is what I really love about his music.
(06:54):
His message and his his writing just really connected with
everybody when he was performing, and so it's just it's
just really beautiful music, and it's going to be really
wonderful backed by a big orchestra. The sound of an
orchestra accompanying it, so it works really well. I think
(07:16):
his music pairs really well with an orchestra.
Speaker 1 (07:18):
I was reading something that I guess he sent me.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
He wrote a song that was selected by the US
Navy as the official commemorative song for the US Navy
Navy Memorial in Washington, DC.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
Wow, that's called Sailor.
Speaker 2 (07:38):
I'm not familiar with that at all, so I'm looking
forward to hearing that.
Speaker 3 (07:43):
Yeah. I'm not familiar with that either, so I'm looking
forward to it as well.
Speaker 1 (07:47):
So quite a.
Speaker 3 (07:49):
Minute now I'll be diving into his music. I'll be
diving into his music a lot more prior to the concert,
so you know, good, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:58):
Richard, if we haven't mentioned, I will now November twenty second,
seven pm at the Emerson Center in Vero Beach.
Speaker 1 (08:07):
And I really really.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
Suggests that listeners get their tickets early. Those concerts do
sell out, and this is a very special one. Let
me see here the website music Works Concerts, and that's
plural dot com is where you can get the information.
Speaker 1 (08:25):
Now we'll call.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
We'll open at six o'clock that night and seeding begins
at six thirty. So I do suggest people get there early,
and you are welcome. People who are going to the
concert come early, enjoying a enjoy a complimentary taste of
champagne as a toast, and wishing good luck to Spacecastinfony Orchestra.
(08:49):
There's also a separate thirty five dollars ticket, I'm told
for another reception that's following the concert, and that will
have light refreshments and I meet and greet with Tom
Becker and Aaron Collins. All the musicians will be there.
I think what you need to do is just go
to Musicworksconcerts dot com to get all of the information,
(09:11):
all the all of the ticket proceeds are going to
the Space Coast Infony Orchestra. Okay, Aaron, let's be well,
well we will review that in just a minute, But first,
what else are.
Speaker 1 (09:23):
You up to?
Speaker 3 (09:26):
We've got lots of concerts still coming up. So our
next concert is going to be a program called Classic
Broadway in Elvis. We're actually doing a benefit concert for
another organization this weekend in Barbard, the Children's Hunger Project.
It's called Pop Spectacle. It's going to be a wonderful
program in Cocoa Beach, not in Vero Beach unfortunately, but
(09:46):
the Children's Hunger Project is a is a wonderful group
here in Bavard who provides so many meals for kids
throughout Barvard County. So we're excited about doing that benefit
concert for them. And then in Verra Beach will be
coming down doing Classic Broadway in Elvis, which is going
to take place at the Emerson Center, which is going
(10:08):
to be music by Elvis. We have an incredible singer,
Jack Smink, who is performing the music of Elvis, and
then we have some Broadway selections sprinkled in there. On
October twenty sixth, and then the next day we're doing
our children's concert in Burea Beach at Vero Beach High
School for thousands of kindergarteners and first graders called Ella
(10:28):
Loves Elvis, and it's a really wonderful children's story with
Elvis thrown in and the kids will love it as well.
So we have some really great programs down in Bureau
Beach in the next month.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
Okay, what's Gozo's website Space Ghost Symphony or go ahead.
Speaker 3 (10:47):
It's Spacecoastsymphony dot org.
Speaker 1 (10:50):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
Okay, once again the benefit concert back Home Again. And
we didn't mention I didn't mention that the Emerson Center
is in the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Vero Beach at
fifteen ninety twenty seventh Avenue. That's on the southeast corner
of sixteenth Street and twenty seventh Avenue, and there's an
(11:15):
elevator to the second floor balcony in case you're interested
and listening devices.
Speaker 1 (11:20):
So lots of.
Speaker 2 (11:21):
Things going on with the Space co Symphony Orchestra. And
this one a special benefit concert back Home Again with
singer songwriter Tom Becker, and it's going to be the
music of John Denver. Aaron, always good to talk to you.
We will do it again soon, okay.
Speaker 3 (11:39):
I look forward to it. Willie, thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (11:41):
Thank you, Bye bye, hebe And that was Aaron Collins,
of course.
Speaker 2 (11:48):
Now let's take a break and check in with Riverside Theater.
I'm telling you to check in with the website because
there's so much coming on. There's lots to learn about
the coming season, plus every happening this fall. Hint here
you are under forty, call and ask about the new forty.
Speaker 1 (12:08):
For forty program.
Speaker 2 (12:09):
While always plenty on the menu, they are live in
the Loop and now two shows per evening in the
Comedy Zone six thirty and eight thirty, and learn about
the great new season starting October sixteenth with Little Shop
of Horrors on the main stage and Everything Riverside at
Riversidetheater dot com.
Speaker 4 (12:29):
Ballet Vero Beach is leaping into its thirteenth season and
you're invited to experience every breathtaking moment, from timeless classics
to bold new works. The company's upcoming season promises unforgettable
performances for the whole family, featuring performances at Riverside Theater,
VBHS Performing Arts Center and the Vero Beach Museum of Art.
There's something for everyone in the company's extraordinary lineup. Subscribe
(12:52):
now and enjoy exclusive perks all season long. Visit Ballet
Vererobeach dot org to reserve your subscription today.
Speaker 5 (12:59):
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(13:20):
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(13:42):
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Speaker 6 (14:00):
Welcome to Riverside Theater's Comedy Zone, where the comedy is wild, untamed,
and downright hilarious. Hit the Zone this Friday and Saturday
night at six thirty and eight thirty for the Treasure
Coast best live stand up comedy show featuring nationally recognized
comedians with cabaret style seating and food and drink table service.
(14:23):
Buy tickets at Riversidetheater dot com and get ready for
a night of NonStop laughs.
Speaker 1 (14:34):
And we are back with arts Blast on the Ear.
Speaker 2 (14:37):
I have two gentlemen here to talk about what's coming
to Riverside Theater. I cannot wait to hear about this
man eating plant. I have Nicholas Ward and Clint Rumscow. Okay,
we're going to talk about Little Shop of Horrors. I
have seen the movie with Rick moranis, but that's my
(14:59):
only experience with it. So let me see. Nicholas, you
are the voice? Are you Nicholas or Nick Nicholas? Are
you theo? You are the voice of Audrey the second
the two And that's the big plant.
Speaker 7 (15:17):
Well, that's the plant.
Speaker 1 (15:19):
Okay. My description I was given was the big plant.
Speaker 2 (15:22):
Yes, and Clint is the body, yes of Audrey correct,
and it's fully grown and needs people.
Speaker 1 (15:31):
Yes, I'm sorry you look.
Speaker 2 (15:34):
I hate to say this, Nicholas, but you look more
like the people eating person.
Speaker 1 (15:40):
You're a big guy.
Speaker 7 (15:42):
Okay, so the first time I've ever been told that,
but I'll receive that.
Speaker 1 (15:46):
I mean, between the two of you, now, come on.
Speaker 8 (15:48):
Well, he is the life force of Audrey two, and
I'm all the physicality of Audrey two.
Speaker 2 (15:54):
Okay, all right, one of you needs to tell us
the story of Little Shop of Horrors.
Speaker 1 (16:00):
Either one you'd like to go for it?
Speaker 7 (16:02):
Sure, A Little Shop of Horrors is about Seymour and
he is a adopted He gets adopted by Mushnik and
he had a really rough life and this is his journey.
He finds a plant h on a full moon night,
(16:22):
and this plant he feeds this plant, this plant needs
to be fed by blood. And I know it's a
real lighthearted, warm.
Speaker 1 (16:31):
Story like Cinderella.
Speaker 7 (16:34):
You know it all ends happily ever after, No, it
actually ends pretty dark. Happy Halloween everybody. And yeah, and
it's about just this really amazing, fun, silly, wacky kind
of story about the two Like Seymour meets a love
interests Audrey and he names the plant after Audrey. That's
(16:54):
why I'm We're called Audrey too. And I think so
many people know this story because it's truly a fun
musical that's been around for a very very long time.
I can't remember the year it came out, but it
was a movie first, and yeah, it's I'm trying to
(17:15):
keep some of the secrets because I want people to,
you know, enjoy the ride. But it's a really it's
like kind of the perfect Halloween show because it's dark
but silly dark, if that's a good description.
Speaker 8 (17:30):
Yeah, there's a certain heightened sense of comedy and a
very specific genre. It just lives in that kind of
cult classic, almost comic strip kind of kind of feel,
and I feel like our production really does a really
great job of honoring that heightened sense of performance value.
Speaker 1 (17:46):
I have some dates here that I was given. Would
you like to hear this?
Speaker 7 (17:49):
Love it?
Speaker 1 (17:50):
The story dates back to eighteen ninety four.
Speaker 7 (17:53):
Oh wow, my birthday.
Speaker 1 (18:00):
Okay. It was a short story by H. G.
Speaker 2 (18:04):
Wells called The Flowering of the Strange Orchid. Interesting okay,
So anyway, it was Oh, dare I say The Passionate
People Eater? That was a nineteen sixty B movie, and
then that was later renamed The Little Shop of Horrors,
(18:27):
And after that it went off Broadway in May nineteen
eighty two, ran for a month, then it went to
the Orpheum Theater in July. Was a hit, ran for
five years. Pretty interesting stuff, won all kinds of awards,
and then later it was adapted for the movie by
(18:47):
Frank Oz. That was Brick Moranis and Ellen Green s
Seymour and Audrey Okay, Audrey.
Speaker 1 (18:54):
One, All right, onward and upward. Tell me about yourself.
Speaker 7 (18:59):
I'm from the Panhandle of Florida. Niceville, Florida sent me
between Panama City, Pensacola destined Fort Wamby. You know you're
a Florida boy when you have to explain all the
places around where you're from. Yeah, and I grew up there.
I went to a small community college there. I was
a choral kid growing up. I loved to sing in
the chorus. As you can tell, I was a soprano
(19:21):
and the chorus. Now I was a.
Speaker 1 (19:23):
Basis and.
Speaker 7 (19:25):
Then I started my career working for Disney and Universal Studios.
I used to dance for the w NBA many years ago.
I know it's wild and then moved to New York. Uh,
and I've been really blessed to travel all around the world.
I've done cruise ships, I've been in six Broadway shows,
ten encorees, and yeah, I've just been loving life and
(19:47):
getting to see and meet beautiful people along the journey.
Speaker 1 (19:51):
I have to tell you do not look old enough.
Speaker 7 (19:54):
I told you my birth year, and don't you do
this to me. Don't you do this to me? Ninety four,
eighteen ninety four. It was a good year. It was
a good good year.
Speaker 1 (20:05):
Produce you, okay, Nick, Clint, Clint Clint, Yeah, sorry, do
no worries. You threw me off.
Speaker 7 (20:14):
I'm sorry, that's my jo this morning. You understand that.
Speaker 8 (20:19):
We all get flustered with the voice in the rehearsal room.
I get it, okay, Clint, Yes, your background. Yeah, so
I'm originally from reading Pennsylvania. No, yes, for real reading Pennsylvania.
You know it too, Are you serious?
Speaker 7 (20:34):
Yeah? Wow?
Speaker 8 (20:35):
No, yes, Oh you mom, mom, Grandma, Willie.
Speaker 1 (20:45):
Oh my gosh, that is so fine.
Speaker 8 (20:46):
So I went to Muelmburg High School. Okay, so it's
an immediate suburb of reading. I was even going to
do a whole reading railroad on monopoly board things. I
feel like a lot of people don't know it, but
you know it absolutely, absolutely, that's incredible. I love that
very kiss met to be here this morning. It's amazing. Absolutely,
Pagoda everything, I know. The outlets, Oh yeah, we'll talk
about We'll talk about it all. I love a good alley.
(21:09):
People come and writing for the outlets. It's a real thing.
I mean it was put us on the map in
a lot of ways.
Speaker 1 (21:18):
But yeah.
Speaker 8 (21:18):
So anyway, I went to Ithaca College to get my
my degree and uh, very fortunate to have started working
right after graduation. I did five big national tours, uh,
you know, worked along the whole regional circuit across the country.
I am a professional puppeteer, and I got into puppeteering
right before pandemic and then coming out of pandemic, it's
(21:38):
been really my main source of performance that I've been
contracted to do. I've done anything from Princeton and rod
and Avenue q uh to full body puppets of Spen
and Frozen. So it's it's really been a wonderful journey
for me as a puppeteer, and I'm so excited to
be working on Little Shop of Horrors. As a puppeteer,
it's been a dream show of mine, my, my whole life,
(21:59):
and this is my first time doing it, so very
excited to check that.
Speaker 1 (22:02):
Check that bucket list.
Speaker 2 (22:04):
Tell me, puppeteer, is that with a hand puppet or
a marionette with the string?
Speaker 8 (22:09):
Yeah, So puppeteering it spans a large range of what
we call puppet families, anything from hand and rod which
is something if you're familiar with Avenue Q, that's what
that kind of puppet is, or just a hand puppet,
or a boom Raku style puppet, which is a very
niche kind of puppet with rods and no moving mouth.
And then there's also the full body puppets. And in
(22:29):
our show Audrey two, the plant is represented as four
different puppets in varying sizes as the plant grows. The
first one is a simple traditional hand puppet, the second
one is also a hand puppet that's held, and then
the third one is a full body puppet that is
over top of me and I'm actually seat belted into
the pot of the plant. And it's an incredible physical
(22:53):
workout of using your core and arms and shoulders and
moving this plant around and then the fourth one I
don't want to reveal too much is the largest one
towards the end of the show, where it's at its
max size and I'm actually standing inside the plant and
use these bars and levers and pulley systems to manipulate,
manipulate the plant. It's really quite astounding and beautiful as
a craft, it's extraordinary.
Speaker 1 (23:14):
I can't wait to see this.
Speaker 8 (23:15):
Oh, yeah, it's beautiful.
Speaker 1 (23:17):
I guess we should tell people when it is.
Speaker 8 (23:20):
Yeah, so it's it's Yeah, it's October sixteenth through November ninth.
Speaker 2 (23:25):
Right at Riverside Riverside Theater. Yeah, and Riverside Theater dot com.
Speaker 1 (23:30):
Yes, yeah, absolutely, we do it. We got it that question.
Speaker 2 (23:37):
I do want to mention that it's directed and choreographed
by DJ Salisbury and.
Speaker 1 (23:44):
Does the other people. Some of the other people in
the cast.
Speaker 2 (23:47):
Are Brian Gollub, Robby Lewis, Ruby Lewis, Adam Lasan, Alan Lewis,
Rickman and Moore.
Speaker 1 (23:55):
A lot of a lot of people in this cast.
Speaker 2 (23:57):
Wonderful cast, What an exciting show. We are just about
out of time. I want to thank you both, What
a pleasure to talk with you.
Speaker 8 (24:04):
Reading Yes, incredible.
Speaker 7 (24:06):
I can't believe that.
Speaker 1 (24:06):
I know, it's extraordinary, son.
Speaker 8 (24:13):
So good.
Speaker 2 (24:15):
Thank you Nicholas Ward and Clint Rumsco from a Little
Shop of Cars, and thanks to Aaron Collins as well.
And thank you for listening, and thank you always for
joining us again. It's Arts Blast on the Air podcast
radio show Alexis Skill All presented by Riverside Theater in Ballet,
Vero Beach, covering the arts online and in arts Plast,
(24:39):
the free emailed weekly Florida arts news magazine. Join us
again next week for another edition of Arts Blast on
the Air.
Speaker 1 (24:47):
I'm Willie Miller. Thanks for listening.
Welcome to Arts Blast on the Air.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
It's a podcast, it's a radio show and an Alexis skill,
all presented by a ballet Vero Beach and Riverside Theater
Arts supporting the arts in Florida.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
I'm Willie Miller.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
And each week I get to talk to people in
the arts about the arts on the Treasure Coast and beyond.
Arts Blast on the Air is proud to be supported
by a ballet Vero Beach. Subscriptions for the exciting new
season are available online now with single seats on sale
November first. The Nutcracker on the Indian River is earlier
(00:38):
and in a new venue this year December through eleventh
through the thirteenth at Riverside Theater, and ask about the
new VIP add on experience for extra fund plus. Nutcracker
for All has some new options too. Learn about everything
at ballet Vero Beach dot org. My guests today Aaron Collins,
(01:00):
Nicholas Ward, and Clint Rump Scow. And first I'm going
to talk to Aaron Collins. Aaron, we always talk about
the Space Coast Symphony and we're going to talk about
a concert by Scuzzo and for this is a special
benefit concert.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
We want to talk about it.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
There's music Works putting it on the special benefit concert
November twenty second.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
How are you before I studied that.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
How are you doing? Aaron, So good to talk to
you again. Always welcome in the studio here.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
Well, thank you so much for having me. I always
happy to talk to you. I'm doing well. How are
you doing?
Speaker 2 (01:40):
Okay, okay, getting ready for fall? In fact, I've been
ready for fall for about two months now.
Speaker 3 (01:48):
Yeah, I'm excited about it. So yeah, we have well,
we have a wonderful program coming up in November with
our partner music Works. It's a group that we partnered
with before and I've always enjoyed working with them, and
(02:08):
they have offered to do this program for us, this
benefit concert for the symphony, and we are so grateful
for it. If you remember about last year, at this time,
I think it was September of last year, we founded
ourselves in the hole. The orchestra found ourselves in the whole,
(02:31):
and we were behind about one or two concerts financially,
and it was a very challenging position. As you know,
every concert that we put on is quite expensive. I
mean it could range anywhere from ten to thirty to
forty thousand dollars put on a concert. So if you know,
you have a concert or two that don't do well,
(02:54):
not well attended, you could just find yourself in the
whole pretty quickly. So UH we made the decision to
you know, cancel a concert and last year and and
really focused on raising funds and figuring out how to
better position ourselves and UH we we were very grateful
(03:19):
for all the donations that came in and UH and
we we got out of the hole. But you know,
it's always a it's a it's a tight rope we
walk every concert, so, you know, we just do our
best to get by. And and Stacey at Music Works
thought it would be wonderful to UH to support us,
and we are so grateful for her friendship, and she
(03:43):
thought of this idea of doing a benefit concert for us.
This is what this is going to be, a concert
to UH to support us, and I'm excited about it.
It's called back Home Again. It's a tribute to John Denver,
and it's going to be UH us working with an
incredible singer, Tom Becker, and he's appeared on Popular on
(04:05):
PBS and all around the world and he just does
a wonderful job doing John Denver's music. So it'll be
him and the orchestra and will present this concert at
the Emerson Center in November.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
Okay, could could I just interrupt interrupt you for a second.
That's always okay with me, Aaron. I wanted to remind
people that music works as the company and it's I
guess it's mostly Stacy now, but they have been presenting
the concert season at the Emerson Center in Vero Beach
(04:43):
for years, so everybody who has gone to their sellout
concerts knows that they know what they're doing. This is
going to be great. It's wonderful that they're getting that
they're partnering with you to help the Space Coast Symphony Orchestra.
We cannot lose you.
Speaker 3 (05:01):
Oh yeah, yeah, we're I mean, Stacy is incredible and
you know her great husband, Rusty, who was just a
great friend of the orchestra and the great guy. You know,
he was a big support of the symphony too, So
we're very grateful for Stacy. And yeah, I love all
the concerts they do. They have a great lineup every
(05:22):
year of just really wonderful programs for Vero Beach.
Speaker 1 (05:25):
So yeah, and it's a great it's a great venue too.
Speaker 3 (05:29):
Oh yeah, the Emerson Center is fantastic. It's intimate, it's
right there, and it's it's they're great friends bars too.
So we're you know, we're very lucky to be associated
with both music works and the Emerson Center.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
Okay, so the special benefit concert is called concert is
called back Home Again with Tom Becker. He used to
be in the New Christy Minstrels? Am I right about that?
Speaker 3 (05:55):
Yes? You are, wow, which I was completely unfamiliar with
until really yeah, yeah, it was a little before my time.
It was just a little but yeah, it's so I've
had to learn about them and and and find out
new things, you know.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
But there will be some old things too. Oh.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
Everybody knows John Denver's thank God I'm a Country Boy
and Annie's Song. So many familiar John Denver pieces, but
you'll be playing some maybe some lesser known pieces as well.
Speaker 3 (06:32):
Yeah, we'll be doing many of his works. I mean obviously,
you know there's Rocky mont High, Leaving on a jet plane,
Sunshine on my Shoulders. I mean, there's just so many
great songs and John Denver's music, I mean, his music
was it wasn't too complex. It was very The simplicity
about it is what I really love about his music.
(06:54):
His message and his his writing just really connected with
everybody when he was performing, and so it's just it's
just really beautiful music, and it's going to be really
wonderful backed by a big orchestra. The sound of an
orchestra accompanying it, so it works really well. I think
(07:16):
his music pairs really well with an orchestra.
Speaker 1 (07:18):
I was reading something that I guess he sent me.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
He wrote a song that was selected by the US
Navy as the official commemorative song for the US Navy
Navy Memorial in Washington, DC.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
Wow, that's called Sailor.
Speaker 2 (07:38):
I'm not familiar with that at all, so I'm looking
forward to hearing that.
Speaker 3 (07:43):
Yeah. I'm not familiar with that either, so I'm looking
forward to it as well.
Speaker 1 (07:47):
So quite a.
Speaker 3 (07:49):
Minute now I'll be diving into his music. I'll be
diving into his music a lot more prior to the concert,
so you know, good, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:58):
Richard, if we haven't mentioned, I will now November twenty second,
seven pm at the Emerson Center in Vero Beach.
Speaker 1 (08:07):
And I really really.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
Suggests that listeners get their tickets early. Those concerts do
sell out, and this is a very special one. Let
me see here the website music Works Concerts, and that's
plural dot com is where you can get the information.
Speaker 1 (08:25):
Now we'll call.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
We'll open at six o'clock that night and seeding begins
at six thirty. So I do suggest people get there early,
and you are welcome. People who are going to the
concert come early, enjoying a enjoy a complimentary taste of
champagne as a toast, and wishing good luck to Spacecastinfony Orchestra.
(08:49):
There's also a separate thirty five dollars ticket, I'm told
for another reception that's following the concert, and that will
have light refreshments and I meet and greet with Tom
Becker and Aaron Collins. All the musicians will be there.
I think what you need to do is just go
to Musicworksconcerts dot com to get all of the information,
(09:11):
all the all of the ticket proceeds are going to
the Space Coast Infony Orchestra. Okay, Aaron, let's be well,
well we will review that in just a minute, But first,
what else are.
Speaker 1 (09:23):
You up to?
Speaker 3 (09:26):
We've got lots of concerts still coming up. So our
next concert is going to be a program called Classic
Broadway in Elvis. We're actually doing a benefit concert for
another organization this weekend in Barbard, the Children's Hunger Project.
It's called Pop Spectacle. It's going to be a wonderful
program in Cocoa Beach, not in Vero Beach unfortunately, but
(09:46):
the Children's Hunger Project is a is a wonderful group
here in Bavard who provides so many meals for kids
throughout Barvard County. So we're excited about doing that benefit
concert for them. And then in Verra Beach will be
coming down doing Classic Broadway in Elvis, which is going
to take place at the Emerson Center, which is going
(10:08):
to be music by Elvis. We have an incredible singer,
Jack Smink, who is performing the music of Elvis, and
then we have some Broadway selections sprinkled in there. On
October twenty sixth, and then the next day we're doing
our children's concert in Burea Beach at Vero Beach High
School for thousands of kindergarteners and first graders called Ella
(10:28):
Loves Elvis, and it's a really wonderful children's story with
Elvis thrown in and the kids will love it as well.
So we have some really great programs down in Bureau
Beach in the next month.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
Okay, what's Gozo's website Space Ghost Symphony or go ahead.
Speaker 3 (10:47):
It's Spacecoastsymphony dot org.
Speaker 1 (10:50):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
Okay, once again the benefit concert back Home Again. And
we didn't mention I didn't mention that the Emerson Center
is in the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Vero Beach at
fifteen ninety twenty seventh Avenue. That's on the southeast corner
of sixteenth Street and twenty seventh Avenue, and there's an
(11:15):
elevator to the second floor balcony in case you're interested
and listening devices.
Speaker 1 (11:20):
So lots of.
Speaker 2 (11:21):
Things going on with the Space co Symphony Orchestra. And
this one a special benefit concert back Home Again with
singer songwriter Tom Becker, and it's going to be the
music of John Denver. Aaron, always good to talk to you.
We will do it again soon, okay.
Speaker 3 (11:39):
I look forward to it. Willie, thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (11:41):
Thank you, Bye bye, hebe And that was Aaron Collins,
of course.
Speaker 2 (11:48):
Now let's take a break and check in with Riverside Theater.
I'm telling you to check in with the website because
there's so much coming on. There's lots to learn about
the coming season, plus every happening this fall. Hint here
you are under forty, call and ask about the new forty.
Speaker 1 (12:08):
For forty program.
Speaker 2 (12:09):
While always plenty on the menu, they are live in
the Loop and now two shows per evening in the
Comedy Zone six thirty and eight thirty, and learn about
the great new season starting October sixteenth with Little Shop
of Horrors on the main stage and Everything Riverside at
Riversidetheater dot com.
Speaker 4 (12:29):
Ballet Vero Beach is leaping into its thirteenth season and
you're invited to experience every breathtaking moment, from timeless classics
to bold new works. The company's upcoming season promises unforgettable
performances for the whole family, featuring performances at Riverside Theater,
VBHS Performing Arts Center and the Vero Beach Museum of Art.
There's something for everyone in the company's extraordinary lineup. Subscribe
(12:52):
now and enjoy exclusive perks all season long. Visit Ballet
Vererobeach dot org to reserve your subscription today.
Speaker 5 (12:59):
If you dream of creating a home that embodies, sophisticated
island living. Visit Sunshine Furniture now during our fifty percent
off Tommy Bahama and Lexington Fall Home, event, bedroom, living
and dining room, home, office, media and occasional pieces. Tommy
Bahama Furniture is distinctive and unique, yet inviting and comfortable,
and is all fifty percent off. We're also having a
(13:20):
floor sample closed out sale on outdoor furniture where you
can save up to half price on selected close out
patio sets from Berlink Garden, Kingsley, Bait, Brown, Jordan, Telescope
and others. Chases, chairs, sofas, love seats, dining sets, and
fire pits, all built to withstand the Florida elements, and
we specialize in replacement cushions, umbrellas, outdoor lamps and rugs. Also,
(13:42):
all pictures, lamps and accessories are half priced. Don't forget
to visit our outlet and sales center directly across the
street for the best deals anywhere. Sunshine Furniture twelve ninety
five US one in Vero Beach. Visit our website at
Sunshine Furniture Casual dot com and come in now for
the fifty percent off Tommy Bahama fall sale.
Speaker 6 (14:00):
Welcome to Riverside Theater's Comedy Zone, where the comedy is wild, untamed,
and downright hilarious. Hit the Zone this Friday and Saturday
night at six thirty and eight thirty for the Treasure
Coast best live stand up comedy show featuring nationally recognized
comedians with cabaret style seating and food and drink table service.
(14:23):
Buy tickets at Riversidetheater dot com and get ready for
a night of NonStop laughs.
Speaker 1 (14:34):
And we are back with arts Blast on the Ear.
Speaker 2 (14:37):
I have two gentlemen here to talk about what's coming
to Riverside Theater. I cannot wait to hear about this
man eating plant. I have Nicholas Ward and Clint Rumscow. Okay,
we're going to talk about Little Shop of Horrors. I
have seen the movie with Rick moranis, but that's my
(14:59):
only experience with it. So let me see. Nicholas, you
are the voice? Are you Nicholas or Nick Nicholas? Are
you theo? You are the voice of Audrey the second
the two And that's the big plant.
Speaker 7 (15:17):
Well, that's the plant.
Speaker 1 (15:19):
Okay. My description I was given was the big plant.
Speaker 2 (15:22):
Yes, and Clint is the body, yes of Audrey correct,
and it's fully grown and needs people.
Speaker 1 (15:31):
Yes, I'm sorry you look.
Speaker 2 (15:34):
I hate to say this, Nicholas, but you look more
like the people eating person.
Speaker 1 (15:40):
You're a big guy.
Speaker 7 (15:42):
Okay, so the first time I've ever been told that,
but I'll receive that.
Speaker 1 (15:46):
I mean, between the two of you, now, come on.
Speaker 8 (15:48):
Well, he is the life force of Audrey two, and
I'm all the physicality of Audrey two.
Speaker 2 (15:54):
Okay, all right, one of you needs to tell us
the story of Little Shop of Horrors.
Speaker 1 (16:00):
Either one you'd like to go for it?
Speaker 7 (16:02):
Sure, A Little Shop of Horrors is about Seymour and
he is a adopted He gets adopted by Mushnik and
he had a really rough life and this is his journey.
He finds a plant h on a full moon night,
(16:22):
and this plant he feeds this plant, this plant needs
to be fed by blood. And I know it's a
real lighthearted, warm.
Speaker 1 (16:31):
Story like Cinderella.
Speaker 7 (16:34):
You know it all ends happily ever after, No, it
actually ends pretty dark. Happy Halloween everybody. And yeah, and
it's about just this really amazing, fun, silly, wacky kind
of story about the two Like Seymour meets a love
interests Audrey and he names the plant after Audrey. That's
(16:54):
why I'm We're called Audrey too. And I think so
many people know this story because it's truly a fun
musical that's been around for a very very long time.
I can't remember the year it came out, but it
was a movie first, and yeah, it's I'm trying to
(17:15):
keep some of the secrets because I want people to,
you know, enjoy the ride. But it's a really it's
like kind of the perfect Halloween show because it's dark
but silly dark, if that's a good description.
Speaker 8 (17:30):
Yeah, there's a certain heightened sense of comedy and a
very specific genre. It just lives in that kind of
cult classic, almost comic strip kind of kind of feel,
and I feel like our production really does a really
great job of honoring that heightened sense of performance value.
Speaker 1 (17:46):
I have some dates here that I was given. Would
you like to hear this?
Speaker 7 (17:49):
Love it?
Speaker 1 (17:50):
The story dates back to eighteen ninety four.
Speaker 7 (17:53):
Oh wow, my birthday.
Speaker 1 (18:00):
Okay. It was a short story by H. G.
Speaker 2 (18:04):
Wells called The Flowering of the Strange Orchid. Interesting okay,
So anyway, it was Oh, dare I say The Passionate
People Eater? That was a nineteen sixty B movie, and
then that was later renamed The Little Shop of Horrors,
(18:27):
And after that it went off Broadway in May nineteen
eighty two, ran for a month, then it went to
the Orpheum Theater in July. Was a hit, ran for
five years. Pretty interesting stuff, won all kinds of awards,
and then later it was adapted for the movie by
(18:47):
Frank Oz. That was Brick Moranis and Ellen Green s
Seymour and Audrey Okay, Audrey.
Speaker 1 (18:54):
One, All right, onward and upward. Tell me about yourself.
Speaker 7 (18:59):
I'm from the Panhandle of Florida. Niceville, Florida sent me
between Panama City, Pensacola destined Fort Wamby. You know you're
a Florida boy when you have to explain all the
places around where you're from. Yeah, and I grew up there.
I went to a small community college there. I was
a choral kid growing up. I loved to sing in
the chorus. As you can tell, I was a soprano
(19:21):
and the chorus. Now I was a.
Speaker 1 (19:23):
Basis and.
Speaker 7 (19:25):
Then I started my career working for Disney and Universal Studios.
I used to dance for the w NBA many years ago.
I know it's wild and then moved to New York. Uh,
and I've been really blessed to travel all around the world.
I've done cruise ships, I've been in six Broadway shows,
ten encorees, and yeah, I've just been loving life and
(19:47):
getting to see and meet beautiful people along the journey.
Speaker 1 (19:51):
I have to tell you do not look old enough.
Speaker 7 (19:54):
I told you my birth year, and don't you do
this to me. Don't you do this to me? Ninety four,
eighteen ninety four. It was a good year. It was
a good good year.
Speaker 1 (20:05):
Produce you, okay, Nick, Clint, Clint Clint, Yeah, sorry, do
no worries. You threw me off.
Speaker 7 (20:14):
I'm sorry, that's my jo this morning. You understand that.
Speaker 8 (20:19):
We all get flustered with the voice in the rehearsal room.
I get it, okay, Clint, Yes, your background. Yeah, so
I'm originally from reading Pennsylvania. No, yes, for real reading Pennsylvania.
You know it too, Are you serious?
Speaker 7 (20:34):
Yeah? Wow?
Speaker 8 (20:35):
No, yes, Oh you mom, mom, Grandma, Willie.
Speaker 1 (20:45):
Oh my gosh, that is so fine.
Speaker 8 (20:46):
So I went to Muelmburg High School. Okay, so it's
an immediate suburb of reading. I was even going to
do a whole reading railroad on monopoly board things. I
feel like a lot of people don't know it, but
you know it absolutely, absolutely, that's incredible. I love that
very kiss met to be here this morning. It's amazing. Absolutely,
Pagoda everything, I know. The outlets, Oh yeah, we'll talk
about We'll talk about it all. I love a good alley.
(21:09):
People come and writing for the outlets. It's a real thing.
I mean it was put us on the map in
a lot of ways.
Speaker 1 (21:18):
But yeah.
Speaker 8 (21:18):
So anyway, I went to Ithaca College to get my
my degree and uh, very fortunate to have started working
right after graduation. I did five big national tours, uh,
you know, worked along the whole regional circuit across the country.
I am a professional puppeteer, and I got into puppeteering
right before pandemic and then coming out of pandemic, it's
(21:38):
been really my main source of performance that I've been
contracted to do. I've done anything from Princeton and rod
and Avenue q uh to full body puppets of Spen
and Frozen. So it's it's really been a wonderful journey
for me as a puppeteer, and I'm so excited to
be working on Little Shop of Horrors. As a puppeteer,
it's been a dream show of mine, my, my whole life,
(21:59):
and this is my first time doing it, so very
excited to check that.
Speaker 1 (22:02):
Check that bucket list.
Speaker 2 (22:04):
Tell me, puppeteer, is that with a hand puppet or
a marionette with the string?
Speaker 8 (22:09):
Yeah, So puppeteering it spans a large range of what
we call puppet families, anything from hand and rod which
is something if you're familiar with Avenue Q, that's what
that kind of puppet is, or just a hand puppet,
or a boom Raku style puppet, which is a very
niche kind of puppet with rods and no moving mouth.
And then there's also the full body puppets. And in
(22:29):
our show Audrey two, the plant is represented as four
different puppets in varying sizes as the plant grows. The
first one is a simple traditional hand puppet, the second
one is also a hand puppet that's held, and then
the third one is a full body puppet that is
over top of me and I'm actually seat belted into
the pot of the plant. And it's an incredible physical
(22:53):
workout of using your core and arms and shoulders and
moving this plant around and then the fourth one I
don't want to reveal too much is the largest one
towards the end of the show, where it's at its
max size and I'm actually standing inside the plant and
use these bars and levers and pulley systems to manipulate,
manipulate the plant. It's really quite astounding and beautiful as
a craft, it's extraordinary.
Speaker 1 (23:14):
I can't wait to see this.
Speaker 8 (23:15):
Oh, yeah, it's beautiful.
Speaker 1 (23:17):
I guess we should tell people when it is.
Speaker 8 (23:20):
Yeah, so it's it's Yeah, it's October sixteenth through November ninth.
Speaker 2 (23:25):
Right at Riverside Riverside Theater. Yeah, and Riverside Theater dot com.
Speaker 1 (23:30):
Yes, yeah, absolutely, we do it. We got it that question.
Speaker 2 (23:37):
I do want to mention that it's directed and choreographed
by DJ Salisbury and.
Speaker 1 (23:44):
Does the other people. Some of the other people in
the cast.
Speaker 2 (23:47):
Are Brian Gollub, Robby Lewis, Ruby Lewis, Adam Lasan, Alan Lewis,
Rickman and Moore.
Speaker 1 (23:55):
A lot of a lot of people in this cast.
Speaker 2 (23:57):
Wonderful cast, What an exciting show. We are just about
out of time. I want to thank you both, What
a pleasure to talk with you.
Speaker 8 (24:04):
Reading Yes, incredible.
Speaker 7 (24:06):
I can't believe that.
Speaker 1 (24:06):
I know, it's extraordinary, son.
Speaker 8 (24:13):
So good.
Speaker 2 (24:15):
Thank you Nicholas Ward and Clint Rumsco from a Little
Shop of Cars, and thanks to Aaron Collins as well.
And thank you for listening, and thank you always for
joining us again. It's Arts Blast on the Air podcast
radio show Alexis Skill All presented by Riverside Theater in Ballet,
Vero Beach, covering the arts online and in arts Plast,
(24:39):
the free emailed weekly Florida arts news magazine. Join us
again next week for another edition of Arts Blast on
the Air.
Speaker 1 (24:47):
I'm Willie Miller. Thanks for listening.
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