July 16, 2025 • 24 mins
Dee Rose, President of Vero Beach Theatre Guild, joins the show to tells us about "A Chorus Line" and the show's 50th Anniversary. "A Chorus Line" plays at Vero Beach Theatre Guild July 18th - August 3rd.
We also speak with Michael PIsacane, Director, Actor and Board Member of Pineapple Playhouse in Fort Pierce. Auditions are coming for "Boeing Boeing" July 20th and 21st at 7pm, and the new season starts with the "Soapy Murder Case" September 5th.
We also speak with Michael PIsacane, Director, Actor and Board Member of Pineapple Playhouse in Fort Pierce. Auditions are coming for "Boeing Boeing" July 20th and 21st at 7pm, and the new season starts with the "Soapy Murder Case" September 5th.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Welcome to Arts Blast on the Air. It's a podcast,
a radio show, and an Alexis skill presented by Ballet
Vero Beach and Riverside Theater Arts supporting the arts in Florida.
I'm Willie Miller and every week I get to talk
to people in the arts about the arts on the
Treasure Coast and beyond. But it is a Treasure Coast today.
(00:25):
But first before I get to d Rose. Arts Blast
on the Air is proudly supported by Ballet Vero Beach
presenting the Riverside Dance Festival August first and second at
Riverside Theater. It's an unforgettable evening of dynamic dance featuring
the La Contemporary Dance Company, with a world premiere created
(00:45):
during the company's recent residency in Vero Beach. Tickets now
available online at Ballet Vero Beach dot org and now
on WITS show. I do have d Rose here and
later on the phone Michael Bisakane. But d You're doing
something fun at Vero Beach to Theater Guild, aren't you.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
Really, ma'am.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
That's a really big big deal, yes.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
Ma'am, that we are. We are presenting a chorus line
we opened this Friday, July eighteenth, and it is the
fiftieth anniversary of the show itself, so it's somewhat of
a big festive experience for us.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
Yes, how I mean, I have not seen it on stage.
I have seen the movie. How can you produce something
like that a huge cast, tremendous musical numbers on the
Vero Beach Theater Guild stage.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
Well, let me answer that this way. The movie, as
wonderful as it is, doesn't do the show justice as
seeing it and doing it on stage itself. You get
to see these characters and a huge bunch of dancers
coming to audition for a show, and you see the
elimination process of thank you but no thank you, and
then all of a sudd and it's down to seventeen people.
(02:02):
And I think when you see that actually live on stage,
it's a true life experience for many, many, many actors
and actresses. Did you get hundreds of dancers coming to audition?
We had quite a few, yes, ma'am. Because with the
colleges being out for the summer, high schools being out
for the summer, and the gentleman that's directing who is
a pool itself, we had many many, many, many people,
(02:26):
and you know, unfortunately you just can't use everybody, but
we used as many as we could.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
Okay, how many shows altogether?
Speaker 2 (02:32):
Twelve?
Speaker 1 (02:34):
Do you have like a secondary cast cast be so
that you can alternate or is it all everybody does
the same show the whole time, Yes, ma'am.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
Everybody does the show the entire twelve twelve shows of
the performance. Yep, performances of the show?
Speaker 1 (02:49):
Sorry, yep? Okay. How when somebody auditions for a role
like that? How important is the acting part? I guess
the dancing part? Is that the most important part.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
In this one?
Speaker 1 (03:04):
It was.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
It's kind of a tie three ways, because all the
characters must dance, all the characters must act, and all
of them must sing, and so they need to be
triple threats.
Speaker 1 (03:17):
It's what they need to be.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
And one area cannot be it can be not as
strong as the other, but overall, everybody needs to do
all three of those elements of theater.
Speaker 1 (03:27):
Where did you find enough people on? They're not all
through a beach. I take it that is correct.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
We have many from the Melbourne area, many from the
South area, Saint Lucie, many many from this area as
well as I said, college kids are home, and we
got them.
Speaker 1 (03:44):
They came in Okay. Not being an actor or dance
or anything at all. For me, it would seem to
me to be a goal to be in a show
like a chorus line. It's it's so iconic. Yes, that's
(04:04):
a perfect word, Willie. Because of the well in our production,
as of many that do the production. We are formulating
to the costumes of the era, and we are also
doing the iconic gold costumes at the end of the show.
So everything we are following the true deform. Michael Bennett
choreography as well. And the gentleman that's directing also has
(04:28):
directed this show about nine times, so he's pretty well
veteraned in what's happening on that stage. Tell me about him,
Steven Smeltzer. I believe you interviewed him when he did
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels here as well. We selected him as
the director for this show. He's a local gentleman, but
gone professional elsewhere. He's done New York. His last stint
(04:50):
was in Oklahoma, Oklahoma.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
University and really shared his talents with all those college
kids out in that area. But his resume goes on
and on and on. But he is back home now
and we are very fortunate to have him back at
the Guild with us.
Speaker 1 (05:04):
Okay, when you put out the call for a show
like this, what do you expect? I mean, okay, you've
got a lot of people. Do you expect beginners who
would like to have a chance at something like this
or are you expecting only the real pros who have
(05:25):
done this kind of thing before?
Speaker 2 (05:28):
Very good question. We like to see any and all
people interested come out. Some people may not realize how
well they sing, dance and act. You know, some people say, well,
I sing in the shower, but you know, they really
have a wonderful voice. And you know, maybe you don't
do ballroom dancing or jazz or ballet, but you can
move very well. So we get pleasantly surprised from all
(05:52):
people that come in. We do have some rookies that
have never been on stage before that somewhat some rookies
by that turn, I mean they have never been on
the very Beach stage, nor any stage at all, but
have loved theater from a young age and watched it
and said, let me go try spelled that r.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
O O K I E Oh rookies, rookie I was
hearing f Oh sorry, nope, okay, rookies, rookie newbies, newbies.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
There we go all the way up to the veteran
actor and actress, and again all all of them are
you know, the ones we could cast?
Speaker 1 (06:29):
We did. How much rehearsal time do you have to
do for a show like a chorus line?
Speaker 2 (06:36):
He auditioned this in April and has been rehearsing since April.
Speaker 1 (06:40):
Wow, that's a huge commitment for I'm assuming not too
many professional but mostly amateur actors, dancers, singers who have
full time jobs, families, most of them do.
Speaker 2 (06:54):
Some of them again, as I keep saying, our home
from college, but some of them got part time jobs
as well. This summer they were home with mom and
dad as well. But yes, it is. It's a big commitment.
And he's had a few Saturday rehearsals as well, but
with something of this caliber and as intricate as the
moves and the songs again, iconic songs like what I
Did for Love, the Music in the Mirror, those are
(07:18):
all well known songs and people are expecting, you know,
the right on the mark performances.
Speaker 1 (07:24):
Yeah, I guess that's a kind of not a kind
of challenge, a real challenge to put on a show,
especially a musical like this one that so many people
have seen, probably multiple times and loved. Do you feel
as though you're you're on the mark there and you
you better performed.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
Yes, yes, I agree, Yeah, I agree with that statement.
And many times we have people come through the audience
and will say, oh, I saw this on Broadway, or
oh I just saw this on tour and loved what
you did, or you know, we always get that saying
better than Broadway. You hear you that occasionally as well,
and we thank them for those those compliments. But we
try that's that's what we do. We try very hard
(08:07):
to uh well, to match as much much professional professionalism
pardon me, as we can in our performances.
Speaker 1 (08:14):
Well, you bring that history to your role. You're you're
the executive director now as well as the director of
this show.
Speaker 2 (08:21):
I am. I am not the director of the show,
but I am the president of the Verbage Theater Steven Spieltterer. Yeah,
but the presidency does come in with a lot of
a lot of hats to wear.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
So yes, yes, I well, okay, give me a little
bit of your history. You're your theater history and your
education history.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
Took classes. I went to Shenanoah University. It was Shenandoah
College and Conservatory at the time. Worked professionally in Maryland
at Toby's Dinner Theater, which is a very marked dinner
theater in that area, and many people actually that have
come down here. We we talk about it and they're like, oh, yeah,
you worked at Toby'soo. So it's kind of a landmark
(09:04):
for college kids too. Long story short. Came to Verro
with a group called Musicana, landed at Riverside, got my
equity card over there, and taught Vera Beach High School
theater for thirty five years. Landed that shop, took that
on a whim, thought, oh, I'll be here a couple
of years, and thirty five years later there. We were
just retired in twenty twenty two and landed back at
(09:25):
the Vera Beach Theater Guild and all of a sudden
I got voted president.
Speaker 1 (09:28):
So at a YORKSLL while you were at Vera Beach
High School, you took your students, the drama department students
to competitions statewide.
Speaker 2 (09:41):
Yes, we would do state our districts in our own
counties and then we would take them to State in Tampa,
Florida as well. And as a little note, several of
those students that I had are now adults, and a
couple of them are actually in course Line. Megan Callahan
is playing Michael Dilks is playing al So there's a
(10:05):
there's a few of them in there that I'm very
proud of.
Speaker 1 (10:07):
Okay, I'm sure everybody will be delighted at this show,
more than delighted. It's at chorus Line July eighteenth to
August third at Vero Beach Theater Guild. I'm going to
guess tickets will sell very well.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
They actually, we did a ticket run this morning and
we are almost sold out for this Sunday. We have
two tickets left for Sunday, approximately thirty for Friday, and
I think six for Saturday. So we're selling.
Speaker 1 (10:31):
Okay, So take that as a cautionary tale. Listeners, get
your tickets if you want to see a chorus Line
at Vero Beach Theater Guild. You have seasons fifty eight
coming up. We don't really have too much time to
talk about it. Rumors starts in September. The first show
(10:51):
that interestingly, this is the fifty eighth season and you
started in nineteen fifty eight, Yes, we did so. It's
going to be a big season of big year for
Vero Beach Theater Guilds and once again a chorus line
July eighteenth to August third, and the website Vero Beachtheaterguild
dot com for your tickets. Yes, de Ro is great
(11:12):
to talk to you. Thanks for taking time to come
in see you on the stage. Thank you much, good
to see you. Okay, bye way, Okay, let's check in
with Riverside Theater. We'll go to the website to learn
about the coming season plus everything happening this summer. This
weekend see Legally Blonde, the musical Fielder performances in the
Alumni showcase on the seventeenth. Join the Fun at Riverside
(11:35):
Theaters Vegas nights the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth, and that's
a fundraiser benefiting Riversides Youth Tuition Assistance program. Plus it's
Comedy Zone and Live in the Loop Friday and Saturday.
Learn about everything Riverside at Riversidetheater dot com.
Speaker 3 (11:53):
Arts Last on the Air is probably supported by Ballet
Vero Beach, the company in partnership with Riverside Theater presents
the Riverside Dance Festival featuring the return of La Contemporary
Dance Company. August first and second, at seven thirty pm
at Riverside Theater, experience an unforgettable evening of contemporary dance
that showcases dynamic and innovative choreography, including a world premiere
(12:13):
created during La Contemporary Dance Companies. Viero Beach Residency. Tickets
are available now by visiting Ballet Vierobeach dot org and
secure your seats today. That's Ballet Vierobeach dot org.
Speaker 4 (12:23):
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.
(12:46):
Buy tickets at Riversidetheater dot com and get ready for
a night of NonStop laughs.
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(13:35):
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Speaker 1 (13:57):
And we are back with Artstlin on the air. I'm
Willie Miller. Now it's arts blaster on the air. How
often do I do that arts blast on the air.
I'm Willie Miller talking with Michael Piscani on You're on
Hutchinson Island, I think, aren't you for pineapp Iland?
Speaker 6 (14:16):
Yes, I'm I'm I'm on North hutch Island, right by
the Navy Seal Museum.
Speaker 1 (14:20):
Oh, nice place, nice, nice neighborhood.
Speaker 6 (14:24):
The ocean's beautiful. Yes it is, okay, pineap neighborhood.
Speaker 1 (14:29):
How long have you been there?
Speaker 6 (14:31):
Well, you know, I moved to Florida in October twenty
twenty one, so I've been there just just over three years.
Speaker 1 (14:39):
And where did you come down from?
Speaker 6 (14:41):
I came down from. Uh lived in New York City
for thirty two years, and it was in New Jersey
prior to moving to Florida.
Speaker 1 (14:49):
Okay, what brought up? What brought you to the Vero
Beach Fort Pierce area.
Speaker 6 (14:56):
The way it turned out, the way it happened was
my in laws, meaning my mother in law my father
in law were ninety nine years old and when COVID happened,
they got sick and one of them, my father in law,
didn't make it. So my mother in law is you know,
just approaching. At the time, she was approaching one hundred
and was suffering from dementia, so she had to move
(15:18):
in immediately following the funeral of her husband to her
son who had retired to Fort Pierce. So my wife
and my wife and I came down to help and
to help care for her. So that's what brought us
to here, and we have loved it ever since.
Speaker 1 (15:34):
And you're here to stay.
Speaker 6 (15:35):
We are here, We're not going anywhere.
Speaker 3 (15:37):
That's right.
Speaker 6 (15:39):
She showed turn one hundred and three in September, which is amazing.
But yeah, yeah, nobody should live that long. Let me
tell you, nobody should live that long.
Speaker 1 (15:50):
I'm kind of agreeing with you, at least for myself.
You can do what you want. But yeah, okay, let's
talk about why we're talking. Yeah, talking about Pineapple Playhouse
and you're a board member there.
Speaker 6 (16:05):
I am. I'm also an actor and a director there,
so I'm I'm into community theater. I'm really into it.
Speaker 1 (16:11):
Have you were you before you got to Florida?
Speaker 6 (16:16):
Yes, a little bit. I actually got a master's in
directing from Catholic University in Washington, d C. But you
know when that was, that was nineteen eighty one. You
probably weren't even born, warrior.
Speaker 1 (16:28):
Are you kidding? I was an old lady in nineteen
eighty one. Oh my god.
Speaker 6 (16:32):
Okay, well, well maybe not grad school. I was in
grad school in eighty one. It got my masters. And
then after that when I moved back to New York,
you know, I worked in art galleries and I worked
on then I ended up working on Wall Street, and so,
you know, listen, New York is just it's such a
an amazing market that you know, it's just so many
you know, actors and so many people like you know,
(16:54):
in that industry that it was. It wasn't in the cards.
I just was like, hey, let's I just used to
go to shows all the time on Broadway and off
Broadway and off off off Broadway, and it was just
it was a lot of fun living there and seeing
all that theater. So I did the occasional community theater thing,
but not there wasn't as much. There just wasn't any
as many opportunities up there as there seemed certainly down
(17:16):
here there are plenty, And it was it was a
godsend to get involved with Pineapple Playhouse.
Speaker 1 (17:21):
They've been around for quite a long time. I've been
talking to them for various shows for Okay, it's decades, great,
not since nineteen eighty one, but it's been quite a
long time. So yeah, describe the building. I know they
went through a big upbradings a while ago.
Speaker 6 (17:45):
What they did was they bought a church about forty
years ago, and you know, it's then COVID happened, Like
fast forward to COVID and it you know, a most
theaters in the United States were really struggling after COVID.
I think sixty five percent of like all fears in
(18:07):
the US were just like really like having financial difficulties.
Through some hard work for some board members and others,
that we made it. They made it out of the
COVID difficulties. The last couple of years have been a
huge success in terms of the shows and in terms
(18:27):
of ticket sales. You know, there's cash in the checking
account now and that we've we've been able to do
some upgrades to the physical you know, building. We did it.
We did it in new roof. We did a new
air conditioning system, we did a new sound system, we're
doing new lights. You know, we just installed new lighting.
So it's been a really good time for this theater
(18:49):
to make those improvements. And we have a lot of
a lot of big plans on you know, in the future,
you know, like a five or ten year plan. You know,
people don't actually realize we're on three point six six
acres there on whether it be rose I know I
did not.
Speaker 1 (19:03):
Yeah, you're planning on expanding maybe or is this still
in the works.
Speaker 6 (19:09):
It's a it's it's it's it's it's been like one
of the ideas that's been kicked around by a few
of us, and it's certainly not out of the question.
But because we have the property and we think, we
think we can you know, we think we can serve
a community, you know, the community by adding adding to
our existing you know, physical theater. So yeah, you know,
(19:31):
we want to do a kids theater in the future.
We want to do a black box in the future,
We want to do a rehearsal space, things like that.
So maybe it can all happen. We could do that. Yes,
we should do that. There's no question you know that
it's there's a market for it. We we you know,
we have people who would want to teach in that,
(19:51):
you know, and then a volunteering to teach in that environment.
So yeah, I think that the you know, with the
growth of Saint Lucis County, I think we'd we'd you know,
we fill a very you know, much needed slate lead. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (20:04):
Yeah, I see wonderful things ahead in the crystal ball
for an Apple playhoff Yeah, yeah, Okay, let's talk about
Boeing Boeing quickly. You absolutely you have the auditions coming
in the next couple of days.
Speaker 6 (20:19):
Yes, we do. We have auditions coming on Sunday, Monday
at the theater at seven o'clock, so at seven hundred
Weatherby Road, yep. And you know I'll be there with
you know, my staff, sort of my team so to speak,
you know, my my stage manager, assistant stage manager, assistant director,
some of the other the artistic directors will be there.
(20:39):
We love to see that, you know, whatever talent it
shows up, because you never know who's going to show up.
And we the auditions for the first show of the year,
Soapie Murder, Miss Case. You know, I think we had
twenty thirty people auditioned for a few roles. So it's
been been really you know, exciting, very exciting.
Speaker 1 (20:55):
And that's July twenty eighth and twenty First, did you
say seven o'clock or six?
Speaker 6 (21:00):
Yes, that's right, seven o'clock July twenty and twenty one,
this Sunday, Monday.
Speaker 1 (21:05):
Yes, okay. I just talked to de Rose from Vero
Beach Theater Guild and they get a tremendous number of
people coming into audition.
Speaker 6 (21:15):
Yes, with the they have quite a quite yeah, quite
quite a following. It's beautiful.
Speaker 1 (21:21):
Okay. The season starts September fifth with the soapy murder
case and then it's Boeing Boeing, yes in October. Yeah, okay,
Then what's coming up next? Oh, you have a Ken
Ludwig show.
Speaker 6 (21:38):
We have a Ken Lowid show, Gods of Comedy, and
then we have a Christmas special which is Charles Dickens
Christmas Carol, which is done through a it's an interesting
twist on its retelling. It a retelling of the Christmas
Caroll story by Charles Dickens, the author, and you know,
with the assistance of some of his friends who play
all the roles. So like I think four or five characters,
(22:01):
four or five actors will be playing all the roles
in the story. And I think Charles Dickens reads from
his own from his own book or whatever. So yeah,
that should be a lot of fun. That's going to
be directed by Carolyn Warline and Shelley right Ling, two
fabulous directors.
Speaker 1 (22:21):
Yeah, and you're doing God of Carnage right in the spring.
Speaker 6 (22:25):
I'm doing God of Carnage. Yes, I am. We we
had we stepped up in the Joseph and myself, we
took on the the the huge responsibility of directing two shows.
We had our heads examined after that. For some reason,
they didn't find anything wrong. I don't know why.
Speaker 1 (22:48):
Okay, So once again, actually we didn't. We didn't give
the address. It's seven hundred West Weatherby Road for Pearson.
As I recall driving south on US One from from Vera,
when you get past Virginia Virginia Abnue seventy, you'll see
a sign directing you to how to get there.
Speaker 6 (23:11):
You know, it's really funny when you're heading south on
US One that once you get to all the car dealerships,
you know, that's when you'll see Honda on Coggan Honda
on the left and Coggan BMW on the right, and
you know you're at the corner of Weatherby Road. Yeah, intersection,
Mercedes is on another corner, whatever it takes. Those those
(23:35):
are the landmarks. You can't miss them, the big big landmarks.
Speaker 1 (23:39):
Okay, So once again auditions for Boeing Boeing July twenty
and twenty first at seven o'clock at the theater seven
hundred West Weatherby Road in Fort Piras. And that's Pineapple Playhouse.
Michael Piskayana, am I pronouncing it right? Pizoni pisiconnie. Oh yes,
(24:00):
thank okay, thanks so much for joining me today, going on.
Speaker 6 (24:06):
Everybody see us Sunday and Monday. Take care.
Speaker 1 (24:09):
Thank you, bye bye, and thanks again to de Rose
from Vero Beach Theater Guild. And thanks as always to
you our listeners for joining us again this week for
Arts Blast on the Air podcast radio show and Alexa Skill,
all presented by Riverside Theater in Ballet, Vero Beach. We're
covering the arts online and in Arts Blast, the free
(24:31):
emailed weekly Florida arts news magazine. Join us again next
week for another edition of Arts Blast on the Air.
I'm Willie Miller. Thanks for listening.
Welcome to Arts Blast on the Air. It's a podcast,
a radio show, and an Alexis skill presented by Ballet
Vero Beach and Riverside Theater Arts supporting the arts in Florida.
I'm Willie Miller and every week I get to talk
to people in the arts about the arts on the
Treasure Coast and beyond. But it is a Treasure Coast today.
(00:25):
But first before I get to d Rose. Arts Blast
on the Air is proudly supported by Ballet Vero Beach
presenting the Riverside Dance Festival August first and second at
Riverside Theater. It's an unforgettable evening of dynamic dance featuring
the La Contemporary Dance Company, with a world premiere created
(00:45):
during the company's recent residency in Vero Beach. Tickets now
available online at Ballet Vero Beach dot org and now
on WITS show. I do have d Rose here and
later on the phone Michael Bisakane. But d You're doing
something fun at Vero Beach to Theater Guild, aren't you.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
Really, ma'am.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
That's a really big big deal, yes.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
Ma'am, that we are. We are presenting a chorus line
we opened this Friday, July eighteenth, and it is the
fiftieth anniversary of the show itself, so it's somewhat of
a big festive experience for us.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
Yes, how I mean, I have not seen it on stage.
I have seen the movie. How can you produce something
like that a huge cast, tremendous musical numbers on the
Vero Beach Theater Guild stage.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
Well, let me answer that this way. The movie, as
wonderful as it is, doesn't do the show justice as
seeing it and doing it on stage itself. You get
to see these characters and a huge bunch of dancers
coming to audition for a show, and you see the
elimination process of thank you but no thank you, and
then all of a sudd and it's down to seventeen people.
(02:02):
And I think when you see that actually live on stage,
it's a true life experience for many, many, many actors
and actresses. Did you get hundreds of dancers coming to audition?
We had quite a few, yes, ma'am. Because with the
colleges being out for the summer, high schools being out
for the summer, and the gentleman that's directing who is
a pool itself, we had many many, many, many people,
(02:26):
and you know, unfortunately you just can't use everybody, but
we used as many as we could.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
Okay, how many shows altogether?
Speaker 2 (02:32):
Twelve?
Speaker 1 (02:34):
Do you have like a secondary cast cast be so
that you can alternate or is it all everybody does
the same show the whole time, Yes, ma'am.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
Everybody does the show the entire twelve twelve shows of
the performance. Yep, performances of the show?
Speaker 1 (02:49):
Sorry, yep? Okay. How when somebody auditions for a role
like that? How important is the acting part? I guess
the dancing part? Is that the most important part.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
In this one?
Speaker 1 (03:04):
It was.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
It's kind of a tie three ways, because all the
characters must dance, all the characters must act, and all
of them must sing, and so they need to be
triple threats.
Speaker 1 (03:17):
It's what they need to be.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
And one area cannot be it can be not as
strong as the other, but overall, everybody needs to do
all three of those elements of theater.
Speaker 1 (03:27):
Where did you find enough people on? They're not all
through a beach. I take it that is correct.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
We have many from the Melbourne area, many from the
South area, Saint Lucie, many many from this area as
well as I said, college kids are home, and we
got them.
Speaker 1 (03:44):
They came in Okay. Not being an actor or dance
or anything at all. For me, it would seem to
me to be a goal to be in a show
like a chorus line. It's it's so iconic. Yes, that's
(04:04):
a perfect word, Willie. Because of the well in our production,
as of many that do the production. We are formulating
to the costumes of the era, and we are also
doing the iconic gold costumes at the end of the show.
So everything we are following the true deform. Michael Bennett
choreography as well. And the gentleman that's directing also has
(04:28):
directed this show about nine times, so he's pretty well
veteraned in what's happening on that stage. Tell me about him,
Steven Smeltzer. I believe you interviewed him when he did
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels here as well. We selected him as
the director for this show. He's a local gentleman, but
gone professional elsewhere. He's done New York. His last stint
(04:50):
was in Oklahoma, Oklahoma.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
University and really shared his talents with all those college
kids out in that area. But his resume goes on
and on and on. But he is back home now
and we are very fortunate to have him back at
the Guild with us.
Speaker 1 (05:04):
Okay, when you put out the call for a show
like this, what do you expect? I mean, okay, you've
got a lot of people. Do you expect beginners who
would like to have a chance at something like this
or are you expecting only the real pros who have
(05:25):
done this kind of thing before?
Speaker 2 (05:28):
Very good question. We like to see any and all
people interested come out. Some people may not realize how
well they sing, dance and act. You know, some people say, well,
I sing in the shower, but you know, they really
have a wonderful voice. And you know, maybe you don't
do ballroom dancing or jazz or ballet, but you can
move very well. So we get pleasantly surprised from all
(05:52):
people that come in. We do have some rookies that
have never been on stage before that somewhat some rookies
by that turn, I mean they have never been on
the very Beach stage, nor any stage at all, but
have loved theater from a young age and watched it
and said, let me go try spelled that r.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
O O K I E Oh rookies, rookie I was
hearing f Oh sorry, nope, okay, rookies, rookie newbies, newbies.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
There we go all the way up to the veteran
actor and actress, and again all all of them are
you know, the ones we could cast?
Speaker 1 (06:29):
We did. How much rehearsal time do you have to
do for a show like a chorus line?
Speaker 2 (06:36):
He auditioned this in April and has been rehearsing since April.
Speaker 1 (06:40):
Wow, that's a huge commitment for I'm assuming not too
many professional but mostly amateur actors, dancers, singers who have
full time jobs, families, most of them do.
Speaker 2 (06:54):
Some of them again, as I keep saying, our home
from college, but some of them got part time jobs
as well. This summer they were home with mom and
dad as well. But yes, it is. It's a big commitment.
And he's had a few Saturday rehearsals as well, but
with something of this caliber and as intricate as the
moves and the songs again, iconic songs like what I
Did for Love, the Music in the Mirror, those are
(07:18):
all well known songs and people are expecting, you know,
the right on the mark performances.
Speaker 1 (07:24):
Yeah, I guess that's a kind of not a kind
of challenge, a real challenge to put on a show,
especially a musical like this one that so many people
have seen, probably multiple times and loved. Do you feel
as though you're you're on the mark there and you
you better performed.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
Yes, yes, I agree, Yeah, I agree with that statement.
And many times we have people come through the audience
and will say, oh, I saw this on Broadway, or
oh I just saw this on tour and loved what
you did, or you know, we always get that saying
better than Broadway. You hear you that occasionally as well,
and we thank them for those those compliments. But we
try that's that's what we do. We try very hard
(08:07):
to uh well, to match as much much professional professionalism
pardon me, as we can in our performances.
Speaker 1 (08:14):
Well, you bring that history to your role. You're you're
the executive director now as well as the director of
this show.
Speaker 2 (08:21):
I am. I am not the director of the show,
but I am the president of the Verbage Theater Steven Spieltterer. Yeah,
but the presidency does come in with a lot of
a lot of hats to wear.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
So yes, yes, I well, okay, give me a little
bit of your history. You're your theater history and your
education history.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
Took classes. I went to Shenanoah University. It was Shenandoah
College and Conservatory at the time. Worked professionally in Maryland
at Toby's Dinner Theater, which is a very marked dinner
theater in that area, and many people actually that have
come down here. We we talk about it and they're like, oh, yeah,
you worked at Toby'soo. So it's kind of a landmark
(09:04):
for college kids too. Long story short. Came to Verro
with a group called Musicana, landed at Riverside, got my
equity card over there, and taught Vera Beach High School
theater for thirty five years. Landed that shop, took that
on a whim, thought, oh, I'll be here a couple
of years, and thirty five years later there. We were
just retired in twenty twenty two and landed back at
(09:25):
the Vera Beach Theater Guild and all of a sudden
I got voted president.
Speaker 1 (09:28):
So at a YORKSLL while you were at Vera Beach
High School, you took your students, the drama department students
to competitions statewide.
Speaker 2 (09:41):
Yes, we would do state our districts in our own
counties and then we would take them to State in Tampa,
Florida as well. And as a little note, several of
those students that I had are now adults, and a
couple of them are actually in course Line. Megan Callahan
is playing Michael Dilks is playing al So there's a
(10:05):
there's a few of them in there that I'm very
proud of.
Speaker 1 (10:07):
Okay, I'm sure everybody will be delighted at this show,
more than delighted. It's at chorus Line July eighteenth to
August third at Vero Beach Theater Guild. I'm going to
guess tickets will sell very well.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
They actually, we did a ticket run this morning and
we are almost sold out for this Sunday. We have
two tickets left for Sunday, approximately thirty for Friday, and
I think six for Saturday. So we're selling.
Speaker 1 (10:31):
Okay, So take that as a cautionary tale. Listeners, get
your tickets if you want to see a chorus Line
at Vero Beach Theater Guild. You have seasons fifty eight
coming up. We don't really have too much time to
talk about it. Rumors starts in September. The first show
(10:51):
that interestingly, this is the fifty eighth season and you
started in nineteen fifty eight, Yes, we did so. It's
going to be a big season of big year for
Vero Beach Theater Guilds and once again a chorus line
July eighteenth to August third, and the website Vero Beachtheaterguild
dot com for your tickets. Yes, de Ro is great
(11:12):
to talk to you. Thanks for taking time to come
in see you on the stage. Thank you much, good
to see you. Okay, bye way, Okay, let's check in
with Riverside Theater. We'll go to the website to learn
about the coming season plus everything happening this summer. This
weekend see Legally Blonde, the musical Fielder performances in the
Alumni showcase on the seventeenth. Join the Fun at Riverside
(11:35):
Theaters Vegas nights the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth, and that's
a fundraiser benefiting Riversides Youth Tuition Assistance program. Plus it's
Comedy Zone and Live in the Loop Friday and Saturday.
Learn about everything Riverside at Riversidetheater dot com.
Speaker 3 (11:53):
Arts Last on the Air is probably supported by Ballet
Vero Beach, the company in partnership with Riverside Theater presents
the Riverside Dance Festival featuring the return of La Contemporary
Dance Company. August first and second, at seven thirty pm
at Riverside Theater, experience an unforgettable evening of contemporary dance
that showcases dynamic and innovative choreography, including a world premiere
(12:13):
created during La Contemporary Dance Companies. Viero Beach Residency. Tickets
are available now by visiting Ballet Vierobeach dot org and
secure your seats today. That's Ballet Vierobeach dot org.
Speaker 4 (12:23):
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.
(12:46):
Buy tickets at Riversidetheater dot com and get ready for
a night of NonStop laughs.
Speaker 5 (12:54):
At Unshine Furniture, our thirty five thousand square foot showroom
is filled with the largest selection of in stock tarra
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furniture experts, and have hundreds of styles of any patio
furniture you need, including a gallery of American made telescope,
Berlin Gardens and Pollywood, all with no tariff. Ever, we
specialize in fire bits, outdoor rugs, umbrellas and replacement cushions.
Right now we're having a summer sale with lots of
great markdowns and discounts on everything you need for your
(13:35):
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Sunshine Furniture twelve ninety five US one in the public
Splosa Aero Beach. Don't forget to visit our outlet store
directly across the street, filled with lots of name ground
closeouts and sale item Come in now for our summer
sale and visit our website at Sunshine Furniture Casual dot com.
Speaker 1 (13:57):
And we are back with Artstlin on the air. I'm
Willie Miller. Now it's arts blaster on the air. How
often do I do that arts blast on the air.
I'm Willie Miller talking with Michael Piscani on You're on
Hutchinson Island, I think, aren't you for pineapp Iland?
Speaker 6 (14:16):
Yes, I'm I'm I'm on North hutch Island, right by
the Navy Seal Museum.
Speaker 1 (14:20):
Oh, nice place, nice, nice neighborhood.
Speaker 6 (14:24):
The ocean's beautiful. Yes it is, okay, pineap neighborhood.
Speaker 1 (14:29):
How long have you been there?
Speaker 6 (14:31):
Well, you know, I moved to Florida in October twenty
twenty one, so I've been there just just over three years.
Speaker 1 (14:39):
And where did you come down from?
Speaker 6 (14:41):
I came down from. Uh lived in New York City
for thirty two years, and it was in New Jersey
prior to moving to Florida.
Speaker 1 (14:49):
Okay, what brought up? What brought you to the Vero
Beach Fort Pierce area.
Speaker 6 (14:56):
The way it turned out, the way it happened was
my in laws, meaning my mother in law my father
in law were ninety nine years old and when COVID happened,
they got sick and one of them, my father in law,
didn't make it. So my mother in law is you know,
just approaching. At the time, she was approaching one hundred
and was suffering from dementia, so she had to move
(15:18):
in immediately following the funeral of her husband to her
son who had retired to Fort Pierce. So my wife
and my wife and I came down to help and
to help care for her. So that's what brought us
to here, and we have loved it ever since.
Speaker 1 (15:34):
And you're here to stay.
Speaker 6 (15:35):
We are here, We're not going anywhere.
Speaker 3 (15:37):
That's right.
Speaker 6 (15:39):
She showed turn one hundred and three in September, which is amazing.
But yeah, yeah, nobody should live that long. Let me
tell you, nobody should live that long.
Speaker 1 (15:50):
I'm kind of agreeing with you, at least for myself.
You can do what you want. But yeah, okay, let's
talk about why we're talking. Yeah, talking about Pineapple Playhouse
and you're a board member there.
Speaker 6 (16:05):
I am. I'm also an actor and a director there,
so I'm I'm into community theater. I'm really into it.
Speaker 1 (16:11):
Have you were you before you got to Florida?
Speaker 6 (16:16):
Yes, a little bit. I actually got a master's in
directing from Catholic University in Washington, d C. But you
know when that was, that was nineteen eighty one. You
probably weren't even born, warrior.
Speaker 1 (16:28):
Are you kidding? I was an old lady in nineteen
eighty one. Oh my god.
Speaker 6 (16:32):
Okay, well, well maybe not grad school. I was in
grad school in eighty one. It got my masters. And
then after that when I moved back to New York,
you know, I worked in art galleries and I worked
on then I ended up working on Wall Street, and so,
you know, listen, New York is just it's such a
an amazing market that you know, it's just so many
you know, actors and so many people like you know,
(16:54):
in that industry that it was. It wasn't in the cards.
I just was like, hey, let's I just used to
go to shows all the time on Broadway and off
Broadway and off off off Broadway, and it was just
it was a lot of fun living there and seeing
all that theater. So I did the occasional community theater thing,
but not there wasn't as much. There just wasn't any
as many opportunities up there as there seemed certainly down
(17:16):
here there are plenty, And it was it was a
godsend to get involved with Pineapple Playhouse.
Speaker 1 (17:21):
They've been around for quite a long time. I've been
talking to them for various shows for Okay, it's decades, great,
not since nineteen eighty one, but it's been quite a
long time. So yeah, describe the building. I know they
went through a big upbradings a while ago.
Speaker 6 (17:45):
What they did was they bought a church about forty
years ago, and you know, it's then COVID happened, Like
fast forward to COVID and it you know, a most
theaters in the United States were really struggling after COVID.
I think sixty five percent of like all fears in
(18:07):
the US were just like really like having financial difficulties.
Through some hard work for some board members and others,
that we made it. They made it out of the
COVID difficulties. The last couple of years have been a
huge success in terms of the shows and in terms
(18:27):
of ticket sales. You know, there's cash in the checking
account now and that we've we've been able to do
some upgrades to the physical you know, building. We did it.
We did it in new roof. We did a new
air conditioning system, we did a new sound system, we're
doing new lights. You know, we just installed new lighting.
So it's been a really good time for this theater
(18:49):
to make those improvements. And we have a lot of
a lot of big plans on you know, in the future,
you know, like a five or ten year plan. You know,
people don't actually realize we're on three point six six
acres there on whether it be rose I know I
did not.
Speaker 1 (19:03):
Yeah, you're planning on expanding maybe or is this still
in the works.
Speaker 6 (19:09):
It's a it's it's it's it's it's been like one
of the ideas that's been kicked around by a few
of us, and it's certainly not out of the question.
But because we have the property and we think, we
think we can you know, we think we can serve
a community, you know, the community by adding adding to
our existing you know, physical theater. So yeah, you know,
(19:31):
we want to do a kids theater in the future.
We want to do a black box in the future,
We want to do a rehearsal space, things like that.
So maybe it can all happen. We could do that. Yes,
we should do that. There's no question you know that
it's there's a market for it. We we you know,
we have people who would want to teach in that,
(19:51):
you know, and then a volunteering to teach in that environment.
So yeah, I think that the you know, with the
growth of Saint Lucis County, I think we'd we'd you know,
we fill a very you know, much needed slate lead. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (20:04):
Yeah, I see wonderful things ahead in the crystal ball
for an Apple playhoff Yeah, yeah, Okay, let's talk about
Boeing Boeing quickly. You absolutely you have the auditions coming
in the next couple of days.
Speaker 6 (20:19):
Yes, we do. We have auditions coming on Sunday, Monday
at the theater at seven o'clock, so at seven hundred
Weatherby Road, yep. And you know I'll be there with
you know, my staff, sort of my team so to speak,
you know, my my stage manager, assistant stage manager, assistant director,
some of the other the artistic directors will be there.
(20:39):
We love to see that, you know, whatever talent it
shows up, because you never know who's going to show up.
And we the auditions for the first show of the year,
Soapie Murder, Miss Case. You know, I think we had
twenty thirty people auditioned for a few roles. So it's
been been really you know, exciting, very exciting.
Speaker 1 (20:55):
And that's July twenty eighth and twenty First, did you
say seven o'clock or six?
Speaker 6 (21:00):
Yes, that's right, seven o'clock July twenty and twenty one,
this Sunday, Monday.
Speaker 1 (21:05):
Yes, okay. I just talked to de Rose from Vero
Beach Theater Guild and they get a tremendous number of
people coming into audition.
Speaker 6 (21:15):
Yes, with the they have quite a quite yeah, quite
quite a following. It's beautiful.
Speaker 1 (21:21):
Okay. The season starts September fifth with the soapy murder
case and then it's Boeing Boeing, yes in October. Yeah, okay,
Then what's coming up next? Oh, you have a Ken
Ludwig show.
Speaker 6 (21:38):
We have a Ken Lowid show, Gods of Comedy, and
then we have a Christmas special which is Charles Dickens
Christmas Carol, which is done through a it's an interesting
twist on its retelling. It a retelling of the Christmas
Caroll story by Charles Dickens, the author, and you know,
with the assistance of some of his friends who play
all the roles. So like I think four or five characters,
(22:01):
four or five actors will be playing all the roles
in the story. And I think Charles Dickens reads from
his own from his own book or whatever. So yeah,
that should be a lot of fun. That's going to
be directed by Carolyn Warline and Shelley right Ling, two
fabulous directors.
Speaker 1 (22:21):
Yeah, and you're doing God of Carnage right in the spring.
Speaker 6 (22:25):
I'm doing God of Carnage. Yes, I am. We we
had we stepped up in the Joseph and myself, we
took on the the the huge responsibility of directing two shows.
We had our heads examined after that. For some reason,
they didn't find anything wrong. I don't know why.
Speaker 1 (22:48):
Okay, So once again, actually we didn't. We didn't give
the address. It's seven hundred West Weatherby Road for Pearson.
As I recall driving south on US One from from Vera,
when you get past Virginia Virginia Abnue seventy, you'll see
a sign directing you to how to get there.
Speaker 6 (23:11):
You know, it's really funny when you're heading south on
US One that once you get to all the car dealerships,
you know, that's when you'll see Honda on Coggan Honda
on the left and Coggan BMW on the right, and
you know you're at the corner of Weatherby Road. Yeah, intersection,
Mercedes is on another corner, whatever it takes. Those those
(23:35):
are the landmarks. You can't miss them, the big big landmarks.
Speaker 1 (23:39):
Okay, So once again auditions for Boeing Boeing July twenty
and twenty first at seven o'clock at the theater seven
hundred West Weatherby Road in Fort Piras. And that's Pineapple Playhouse.
Michael Piskayana, am I pronouncing it right? Pizoni pisiconnie. Oh yes,
(24:00):
thank okay, thanks so much for joining me today, going on.
Speaker 6 (24:06):
Everybody see us Sunday and Monday. Take care.
Speaker 1 (24:09):
Thank you, bye bye, and thanks again to de Rose
from Vero Beach Theater Guild. And thanks as always to
you our listeners for joining us again this week for
Arts Blast on the Air podcast radio show and Alexa Skill,
all presented by Riverside Theater in Ballet, Vero Beach. We're
covering the arts online and in Arts Blast, the free
(24:31):
emailed weekly Florida arts news magazine. Join us again next
week for another edition of Arts Blast on the Air.
I'm Willie Miller. Thanks for listening.
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