August 21, 2025 • 25 mins
Jon Bell, the "Singing Astronomer" and Associate Astronomy Professor at Indian River State College and Hallstrom Planetarium Director joins the show to tell us about the FREE Open House at the Planetarium on Saturday, August 30th from 6-9pm. For details, call the box office in Fort Pierce at 772-462-4750 or visit irsc.edu.
Rob Volsky tells us about his upcoming show, "Rob Volsky's Creature Feature Halloween Monster Makeup Show" on Saturday, October 25th at 10am at Vero Beach Theatre Guild.
Rob Volsky tells us about his upcoming show, "Rob Volsky's Creature Feature Halloween Monster Makeup Show" on Saturday, October 25th at 10am at Vero Beach Theatre Guild.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome to Arts Blast on the Air. It's a podcast
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 talk to people
in the arts about the arts on the Treasure Coast
and beyond.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Arts.
Speaker 1 (00:23):
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(00:44):
VIP add on experience. Plus Nutcracker for All has some
new options too. Learn about everything at ballet Vero Beach
dot org. And now on with the show. My guest
today John Bell and Robin Volsky. Two guys, what are
we calling you? The the go to go tea guys.
(01:07):
They both I won't mention the color, but they both
have wonderful mustaches and goateea.
Speaker 3 (01:13):
Thank you so much?
Speaker 1 (01:13):
Did you plan this?
Speaker 3 (01:15):
No? No, it's just it's one of those things that
worked out.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
Now.
Speaker 4 (01:18):
People are very impressed with our looks until we start
talking and then it's like, oh.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
Last year at the opera, we decided let's go on
and will we know the show and both have goates.
Speaker 4 (01:29):
You invited us both in separately, and we didn't know
the other one was coming.
Speaker 3 (01:33):
And it turns out we're opera buddies. So there you go.
We both do opera.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
I know you're a singer.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
I'm the singing astronomer, Robin, I'm a wanna be opera singer.
I'm the makeup artist.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
For the show.
Speaker 1 (01:47):
Okay, but you're you're you're a singer as well.
Speaker 3 (01:50):
I could sure he's got that first tenor voice.
Speaker 4 (01:54):
Yeah, okay, I'm more of a baritone second tenor, which
is more of the support tenor group of oa to
sing too.
Speaker 1 (02:01):
All right, John, you know, let's forget about we're talking about.
Let's talk about the singing. Where do you sing? Where
can people hear you?
Speaker 3 (02:09):
Well?
Speaker 4 (02:10):
Once in a while, For example, I have a class
that meets regularly at the Planetarum and in the classroom
for the college students. And one of the best ways
to learn things is to memorize certain patterns and mnemonics,
and singing is a great way to do that. So
if you want to learn about something about, say the
order of the planets, right, you forget which was closest,
(02:32):
and you go you say, my very educated mother just
served us nine pizza pies. My letter m Mercury, very
Venus educated earth mother Mars just juberous served saturn Us Uranus,
nine Neptune and pizza pies.
Speaker 3 (02:50):
Pluto. Can we talk about Pluto? Yes, let's talk about Pluto.
Speaker 4 (02:54):
So basically, I sing a lot. Since I kid, I
was singing inquirers and choruses.
Speaker 1 (02:58):
I can use that, you know what, I think. We
can all go home now we just learned everything we're
going to learn for this week.
Speaker 4 (03:06):
Songs are a great way not just to uh to
express emotions and feelings and tell stories, but also to
remember things for that will be on the test. So
I started off doing that workshops were little kids too,
and I've always liked the opera. My folks would take
me to Opera under the Stars in Rochester every summer,
and so I was kind of tuned into it, and
(03:27):
I sang with Virginia Opera for many years. When I
was working planetarium up at Newport News and so coming
down here the Vera Beach Opera. It does great things,
And I said, Rob and I ran into each other
doing was it don Giovanni?
Speaker 3 (03:40):
No, it was before that.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
It was oh, who can remember some great opera? I've
done so many?
Speaker 4 (03:45):
Yeah, and more coming up Rigoletto, uh, cavalrya Rusticana.
Speaker 3 (03:51):
So it's gonna be a really good season there. But
you should you have Joan come on in and have
Roman come in and talking.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
I haven't talked to them for quite a while. Yeah, okay,
Now should we talk about why you're here?
Speaker 3 (04:02):
Yes, let's do that.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
Okay, you are What is your title?
Speaker 4 (04:06):
I am an associate astronomy professor at Indian River State
College and I'm also the Hawstrom Planetarum Director. So as such,
I work with college students, but I also work with
k through twelve school groups, other community groups, and public
programs on select weekends.
Speaker 3 (04:21):
I don't have a staff.
Speaker 4 (04:23):
Well, I have a halftime gift shop coordinator, but I
do all the programs, all the lectures, all the talk.
So about every second or third weekend we'll have public
shows for people to come out to look at.
Speaker 1 (04:36):
How did you get into this field?
Speaker 4 (04:39):
Well, I went to college and got a degree in geology,
but they also had a planetarum that was open that
the director let the students learn to operate. So I said,
this is more fun than picking up rocks and fossils,
pointing out dots on.
Speaker 3 (04:52):
The ceiling, and getting paid good money to name the dots.
Speaker 4 (04:55):
As long as you name the dots and they're correct
every time, that's where the ticket is. I parlay that
into an internship at the American Museum of Natural History
of the Hayden Planetarum and worked under doctor Ken Franklin,
who taught me an awful lot of astronomy. And then
for fourteen years I ran the Planetarum and Newport News
at the Virginia Living Museum. And I've been here since
(05:16):
March of nineteen ninety three, which is thirty two years
something like that. The roles, the years just keep rolling
on by. So it's a great profession and being able
to share the stars with people. Just to be able
to it seems silly just to name the stars. But
when you name the stars and you see them, and
you come up and you can find them in the
real sky, you greet them like old friends, and the
(05:39):
universe becomes a little bit less scary when you can
name the friendly stars.
Speaker 1 (05:44):
You know what, I thought, that's true. So I sometimes, honestly,
I feel a sense of overwhelming. I guess I'm just
overwhelmed by what on earth is out there?
Speaker 3 (05:56):
A lot?
Speaker 1 (05:56):
And is it coming for me?
Speaker 3 (05:58):
And more important, have they got something better than chocolate
chip cookies? That's what I'd like to know.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
I need a friendly star, friendly star, Yeah, someone who
can get me into Hollywood.
Speaker 3 (06:11):
And oh that kind of a star.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
Okay, John, I have to say this, you look terrific.
Speaker 3 (06:17):
Thanks.
Speaker 1 (06:17):
You look too young to have been at thet in
this business so many years. I'm not going to ask
how old you are, but give me a sense of it.
It agrees with you.
Speaker 4 (06:28):
My junior year in college was when I started volunteering
at the planetarium. This October marks the fiftieth anniversary of
my first presentation to a group in a planetarum theater.
Speaker 3 (06:39):
So wow, it's been a while. Yeah, I'm old enough.
I saw Sputnik. I was a little kid when I
saw Spud Dick, but I saw spot Dick. It's one
of my earliest memories.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
Cool, Okay, let's talk about what's happening August thirtieth.
Speaker 3 (06:53):
Yes, so that's our open house.
Speaker 4 (06:55):
So we've got shows in September, October, all the way
through till April, and then after April of the Planetarium
is going to be closed down for some renovation work.
But we're getting an early start with an open house
on August thirtieth, that Saturday, from six o'clock until nine
o'clock PM, ongoing programs in the Planetarum Theater. It's free
and we'll give you a taste a sampler of what's
coming up, including laser light shows in February. And also
(07:19):
we'll have the Treasure Coast Astronomical Society that's the community
Astronomy club and also the student club, the Hallstrom Astronomy Society.
They'll be in hand with telescopes, whether permitting, will be
able to look at the moon and anything else out
there in the heavens.
Speaker 3 (07:32):
That's going to be. It's gonna be a great night
of out of this world entertainment.
Speaker 1 (07:37):
August thirtieth, that's from six to nine. Where can where can?
How do people get to the halls?
Speaker 4 (07:42):
So it's it's in Fort Pierras On, Virginia, Avenue, so
you'll be going to the Massy campus in Fort Pierce.
It's three to two oh nine Virginia Avenue, but that's
like about five blocks from on Virginia from thirtieth to
thirty fifth Street, and you'd be getting on you want
to be taking thirtieth Street. That'll go right past the
White Dome for the planet Jam and you park there
(08:03):
and you're there. It's just from US One. You'd make
a turn to the west on Route seventy, which is
Virginia from the interstate or the turnpike. You'd be going exit.
You'd make a turn toward the east on seventy and
then you're there.
Speaker 3 (08:18):
Oh, you can google it or you can google it.
Google Down's first grade. I guess map quest.
Speaker 1 (08:25):
Okay, I have a question that the planetarium now has
some decades on it's how do you maintain it on
the inside. You just get in there on a scaffold
and roll.
Speaker 3 (08:37):
It all funny. You should mention that.
Speaker 4 (08:39):
So we we did it back in two thousand and four,
right in the middle of hurricanes Frances and Jean. We
repainted the interior of the dome and it's held up
really nicely. So we have a fresh coat of paint there.
The outside, it's actually a dome within a dome, kind
of like those nested Russian dolls. So you see the
dome from the outside. That's the concrete dome, and from
(09:00):
that is suspended in rebar all these cables and chains
and the steel skeleton that holds the inner dome, the
projection dome like a big movie screen, but in a
dome shape, which is made of aluminium, and that's that's
the theater. So when you go to the planetarium, we
never open up the dome to look at the stars.
That's an observatory. It's more like a movie theater in
(09:23):
three point sixty one eighty a round. So it's a
projection theory and the thing is held up remarkably well.
We have We're going to be getting new seats and
new carpeting this coming summer, so a year from now.
But we've kept in a good repair. The machine itself,
the optical mechanical star projector of the Planetarum itself was
installed in the winter of nineteen ninety three, and we've
(09:47):
kept in a good repair. The company that built it
is still in existence, but they no longer build planet
Terum projectors. But there are a couple of good support
companies out there where we can get parts, and I
can do a lot of the maintenance myself, and we
have a couple of people come in who have specialized
skills and specialized tools that can do the rest of it.
So we see the machine's in very good repair and
we'll keep on showing the start they keep shining on
(10:08):
our dome.
Speaker 2 (10:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (10:10):
How can people get information? You have a website IRSC
dot edu as where you start.
Speaker 4 (10:17):
Right, So you go to irs C dot edu and
you look for the bar labeled community and you scroll
down and there's the Planetarum information. Or you can call
us at seven seven two or six two four seven
five oh and talk to a person or leave a message.
Speaker 3 (10:38):
They'll call you back. And that's our box office.
Speaker 1 (10:41):
Okay. Now, the event on August thirty at the open
house six to nine. Is that free or is that ticketed?
Speaker 3 (10:47):
That is free, so just you don't need a ticket,
just show up.
Speaker 4 (10:50):
We'll be doing programs about every fifteen twenty minutes as
we rotate through, and I'll be the available to answer
any questions you've got about outer space or those things
you see in the sky. And we'll be there for that,
and then starting in September, we have a couple of
programs about the Space Force and why we have a
Space Force, and also how to find satellites in the evenings.
(11:12):
Guy Saturn is coming into view in the evening hours
as we get into fall, so we'll have a show
about Saturn in the fall. We'll have our Star Wonder
program and our Ornaments in the Sky program in the
holiday times, and then after our laser shows, we've got
Rockets Rockets one on one coming up.
Speaker 1 (11:28):
In the lots of stuff going on at the Hallstrom
Planetarium at the Indian River State College Fort Pierce Campus. Yes,
and don't forget August thirtieth, six to nine. That's the
big open house.
Speaker 3 (11:41):
We'll see you there under the stars.
Speaker 1 (11:43):
Yep, good to see you, John, really great to see
it is a pleasure, thank you. Okay, Well, now why
don't we take a break. Let's check into Riverside Theater's
website to learn about the coming season plus everything happening
this summer. There's still plenty of things to do, like
Live in the Loop and don't forget now two shows
(12:03):
per evening in the Comedy Zone Friday and Saturday six
thirty and eight thirty while learn about the coming season
and everything Riverside at Riversidetheater dot com.
Speaker 5 (12:16):
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VBHS Performing Arts Center and the Vero Beach Museum of Art.
There's something for everyone in the company's extraordinary lineup. Subscribe
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Speaker 7 (13:46):
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(14:09):
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Speaker 1 (14:20):
And we are back with arts Blasts on the air.
I'm Willie Miller and now I've got the I've got
part two of the Goateea go to guys rob ol Ski.
Speaker 3 (14:33):
That's correct, Yeah, we were.
Speaker 1 (14:37):
We haven't really known each other too long, but I've
known about you for longer than that. You you are,
you could, You could make anybody look gorgeous or really
really awful. You're gonna do that soon, aren't you.
Speaker 2 (14:55):
One of my favorite lines Willie, when somebody says, can
you make me gorgeous? Is it's hard to improve upon perfection.
The other one is a little paint make you what
you ain't. So, yeah, we've we've met across We've met
across the microphones a couple of times in association with
(15:16):
different events happening at Via Beach Theater Guild, where I've
been their resident make up consultant artists for at least
a couple of decades. Now I know that time went by,
didn't it?
Speaker 1 (15:31):
Sure did?
Speaker 2 (15:32):
Wow?
Speaker 1 (15:33):
Okay, so you have you have a presentation coming up
that Okay, who's your favorite movie? Monster?
Speaker 2 (15:41):
Well? The Theater Guild has given me the opportunity to
create a special presentation. I call it a show around
the famous movie monsters of all time. And I've called
the show Rob Volsky Creature Feature Halloween Monster Makeup Show.
(16:03):
And in the hall I met I met John from
from the previous interview, and he's he said, he's good
at jingles, so we're going to try to do something
with a rhythm here right now. And he's an opera
singer too, so he can do the baritone and the
mnemonics in This is wonderful because people will remember the
name of the show. It's called Rob Volsky's Creature Feature
(16:25):
Halloween Monster Makeup Show.
Speaker 3 (16:28):
So let's think of a tune for.
Speaker 2 (16:29):
That, Rob Volsky's Creature Feature Halloween Monster Makeup Show. He's
got like kind of a rhythmical Okay, you do the baritone. Okay,
Rob Creature Feature Halloween Monster make Up.
Speaker 3 (16:52):
But they will remember it.
Speaker 1 (16:54):
Okay, when is this happening and tell me what it
will be like? Is this a Audi's participation?
Speaker 2 (17:01):
Tell me, yes, here's the most important date they that
they can remember. It's one morning in October before Halloween.
So Saturday October twenty fifth, at ten am at the
Vera Beach Theater Guild. So what better way to spend
a Saturday morning before Halloween? Oh, buying candy, corn, et cetera.
Speaker 1 (17:25):
That is it?
Speaker 3 (17:25):
Good? Good point.
Speaker 2 (17:26):
So when you go to the store, and now you're
going to go visit the Halloween costume store and you're
going to think to yourself, what are we going to
be for Halloween? And everybody's all bumping into each other
wondering what they're going to do, and then they come
to the makeup section and they.
Speaker 3 (17:44):
Go, what do we do with us?
Speaker 2 (17:46):
What's this stuff? What's liquid LaTeX's, what's phone latex? What's
crape wool? How do I use all that stuff? So
my show is going to answer all those questions for
people when they come up with a question, Rob, what
am I?
Speaker 3 (17:58):
How am I going to?
Speaker 2 (17:59):
What am I going to be for Halloween? I? How
can you help me use this stuff? So in the
background during the show, we're going to review all the
famous Hollywood monsters to give people inspirations. So we're going
to see Frankenstein and the Mummy and Dracula and the
Bride of Frankenstein and to that point, we're doing the
(18:22):
show Young Frankenstein, which is going to be a hoot
at the same time, So the same day as my
morning show, that afternoon and that evening, Vier Beach Theater
gild is going to do Young Frankenstein and the Bride
of Frankenstein is featured, and Frankenstein's Monster is going to
(18:42):
be featured as well. So I'm going to take that
opportunity to show everybody who wants to see how it's done,
how do we do this? And so two live demonstrations
will be occurring in the studio theater there showing people
how makeup artists make up these creatures and then they're
going to come to life at the end, and we're
going to play a few tricks on the audience and
(19:04):
have some fun. So it will be interactive, definitely interactive.
Speaker 1 (19:08):
Okay, And the show Young Frankenstein is running at Bureau
Beach Theater Guild October seventeenth to November two. That's that's
what I have.
Speaker 2 (19:16):
You are good. I wrote that down and you didn't
even have to.
Speaker 3 (19:19):
Yeah, that's perfect.
Speaker 1 (19:20):
No, I write it down perfect, yeap.
Speaker 2 (19:24):
So we're going to answer all these questions, how did
they do that? When you know, we're watching Wolfman or something.
I may have some of the stuff that they used
on Wolfman to create the creature, and people might get
some ideas. They say, Oh, I see how he does that. Yeah,
I can do that. Let's be let's be mister and
missus wolf Man. Let's make up the whole family is
Frankenstein or something. So that's that's the gist of it,
(19:48):
and I think it's going to be fun. It's going
to be more like a infotainment than a presentation.
Speaker 1 (19:55):
Okay, do you think the average person is going and
to be able to do what you've taken in all
these decades to learn.
Speaker 2 (20:07):
Well, it took decades to learn, but the time I
spent boiling it down to bite sized pieces is what
comes into the show. And it's much simpler than people think.
They often get intimidated by all the supplies. But if
they look at three supplies, or we can show them
three supplies and how they are so fundamental in creating
so many different characters. It's amazing what you can do
(20:30):
with liquid latex, making ears and noses and scars and
burns and cuts and wounds. All the young girls are
into this. They have videos online they don't play with
Barbie dolls anymore. They play with special effects makeup. I
didn't know that it's a big thing.
Speaker 1 (20:45):
Wow, where do you buy this stuff?
Speaker 2 (20:48):
Well, I want to mention a few stores. There are
halloween stores that are coming to town seasonally that provide
makeup supplies once a year that you won't you won't
see these supplies anywhere else. And some of the big
box stores have some of these supplies, like liquid latex.
Now that people have learned how to use it and
(21:09):
it sells, it's going to be flying off the shelves now.
Speaker 1 (21:13):
I remember, I'm not sure if it was last year
or the year before. Maybe they've been there every year.
In the former Kmart plaza on US one there was
a Halloween.
Speaker 2 (21:24):
Store yep, and they come back every year and they
do different locations.
Speaker 1 (21:28):
And where else can people are? Okay, suppose I want
to go online, I want to google this? What do
I look for.
Speaker 2 (21:35):
Liquid latex for example? You might just say the material
that you're looking for or halloween makeup supplies.
Speaker 1 (21:42):
Okay, that sounds a little a little more generic. Okay,
are all of these things? Do you think maybe kids safe?
Speaker 2 (21:52):
Of course I wouldn't drink it. I would definitely use
some of this stuff under adult supervision for anybody you're
twelve years old. Oh, I've heard of them putting terrible
thing Elmer's glue they put on their face. They put
plaster Paris on their face.
Speaker 3 (22:06):
Oh my gosh, the.
Speaker 2 (22:07):
Things they get into. Anyway, it's going to be at
the Vera Beach Theater Guild and you can call the
box office at five six two eighty three hundred or
order on tickets online on Vero Beachtheaterguild dot com after
August twenty fifth.
Speaker 1 (22:23):
Right after August twenty fifth, we're recording this a little
bit earlier about it will be online forever and ever.
Speaker 2 (22:31):
Yep. And I can come back and talk more if
you want some other time.
Speaker 1 (22:33):
Will you come back in full makeup? John wants here
for that.
Speaker 2 (22:41):
That's a big ask.
Speaker 3 (22:42):
I can bring something.
Speaker 1 (22:44):
John. You have a comment.
Speaker 3 (22:45):
I have appeared as a klingon from time to time. Yes,
I used to have a clean as I say, you
wear the suits you take on the person.
Speaker 2 (22:53):
I had a cling on head for a while too.
Maybe I can reborrow it or borrow it back.
Speaker 4 (22:57):
Well, we could do that, or I kind of prefer
the original series without the without the forehead things, it's
a lot easier to do.
Speaker 3 (23:04):
I think.
Speaker 1 (23:04):
Okay, so you guys go out trick or treating?
Speaker 2 (23:08):
Yep together, But no, we've just met.
Speaker 4 (23:11):
Really basically, my kids have kind of grown up now,
so they're at the point where they didn't.
Speaker 3 (23:16):
Ask if you.
Speaker 1 (23:17):
If they did, I've said, do you go out trick
or treating?
Speaker 5 (23:20):
Oh?
Speaker 4 (23:22):
You know, at my age is kind of like a nice,
warm afternoon nap, stretching into the evening hours is a
delight to think of, Okay, and get out later at
night to watch the stars of us.
Speaker 2 (23:34):
Amazed at the number of adults that go to these
costume contests and win prizes.
Speaker 1 (23:40):
Wow, what are you going to be for Halloween?
Speaker 3 (23:43):
I makeup artist.
Speaker 1 (23:46):
Okay, we're running out of time, so let us say
one more time. Vero Beach Theater Guild, Saturday, October twenty fifth,
at ten am learn to make a Monster with Rovolski.
Speaker 2 (23:58):
Right, well, create your future Halloween monster make show.
Speaker 1 (24:05):
I think I've just created my own monster here.
Speaker 2 (24:07):
We'll have it better next time.
Speaker 3 (24:09):
You have to practice.
Speaker 1 (24:10):
Okay, thank you, Rob Bolsk and John Bell. Great fun today.
Thank you. Yes, of course, and thanks, of course to
our audience. Thank you for joining us again this week
for Arts Blast on the Air. It's a podcast radio
show and Alexis Skill, all presented by Riverside Theater and
Ballet Vero Beach, covering the arts online and in Arts Blasts,
(24:33):
the free emailed weekly Laara 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
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 talk to people
in the arts about the arts on the Treasure Coast
and beyond.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Arts.
Speaker 1 (00:23):
Blast on the Air is proud to be supported by
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(00:44):
VIP add on experience. Plus Nutcracker for All has some
new options too. Learn about everything at ballet Vero Beach
dot org. And now on with the show. My guest
today John Bell and Robin Volsky. Two guys, what are
we calling you? The the go to go tea guys.
(01:07):
They both I won't mention the color, but they both
have wonderful mustaches and goateea.
Speaker 3 (01:13):
Thank you so much?
Speaker 1 (01:13):
Did you plan this?
Speaker 3 (01:15):
No? No, it's just it's one of those things that
worked out.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
Now.
Speaker 4 (01:18):
People are very impressed with our looks until we start
talking and then it's like, oh.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
Last year at the opera, we decided let's go on
and will we know the show and both have goates.
Speaker 4 (01:29):
You invited us both in separately, and we didn't know
the other one was coming.
Speaker 3 (01:33):
And it turns out we're opera buddies. So there you go.
We both do opera.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
I know you're a singer.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
I'm the singing astronomer, Robin, I'm a wanna be opera singer.
I'm the makeup artist.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
For the show.
Speaker 1 (01:47):
Okay, but you're you're you're a singer as well.
Speaker 3 (01:50):
I could sure he's got that first tenor voice.
Speaker 4 (01:54):
Yeah, okay, I'm more of a baritone second tenor, which
is more of the support tenor group of oa to
sing too.
Speaker 1 (02:01):
All right, John, you know, let's forget about we're talking about.
Let's talk about the singing. Where do you sing? Where
can people hear you?
Speaker 3 (02:09):
Well?
Speaker 4 (02:10):
Once in a while, For example, I have a class
that meets regularly at the Planetarum and in the classroom
for the college students. And one of the best ways
to learn things is to memorize certain patterns and mnemonics,
and singing is a great way to do that. So
if you want to learn about something about, say the
order of the planets, right, you forget which was closest,
(02:32):
and you go you say, my very educated mother just
served us nine pizza pies. My letter m Mercury, very
Venus educated earth mother Mars just juberous served saturn Us Uranus,
nine Neptune and pizza pies.
Speaker 3 (02:50):
Pluto. Can we talk about Pluto? Yes, let's talk about Pluto.
Speaker 4 (02:54):
So basically, I sing a lot. Since I kid, I
was singing inquirers and choruses.
Speaker 1 (02:58):
I can use that, you know what, I think. We
can all go home now we just learned everything we're
going to learn for this week.
Speaker 4 (03:06):
Songs are a great way not just to uh to
express emotions and feelings and tell stories, but also to
remember things for that will be on the test. So
I started off doing that workshops were little kids too,
and I've always liked the opera. My folks would take
me to Opera under the Stars in Rochester every summer,
and so I was kind of tuned into it, and
(03:27):
I sang with Virginia Opera for many years. When I
was working planetarium up at Newport News and so coming
down here the Vera Beach Opera. It does great things,
And I said, Rob and I ran into each other
doing was it don Giovanni?
Speaker 3 (03:40):
No, it was before that.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
It was oh, who can remember some great opera? I've
done so many?
Speaker 4 (03:45):
Yeah, and more coming up Rigoletto, uh, cavalrya Rusticana.
Speaker 3 (03:51):
So it's gonna be a really good season there. But
you should you have Joan come on in and have
Roman come in and talking.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
I haven't talked to them for quite a while. Yeah, okay,
Now should we talk about why you're here?
Speaker 3 (04:02):
Yes, let's do that.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
Okay, you are What is your title?
Speaker 4 (04:06):
I am an associate astronomy professor at Indian River State
College and I'm also the Hawstrom Planetarum Director. So as such,
I work with college students, but I also work with
k through twelve school groups, other community groups, and public
programs on select weekends.
Speaker 3 (04:21):
I don't have a staff.
Speaker 4 (04:23):
Well, I have a halftime gift shop coordinator, but I
do all the programs, all the lectures, all the talk.
So about every second or third weekend we'll have public
shows for people to come out to look at.
Speaker 1 (04:36):
How did you get into this field?
Speaker 4 (04:39):
Well, I went to college and got a degree in geology,
but they also had a planetarum that was open that
the director let the students learn to operate. So I said,
this is more fun than picking up rocks and fossils,
pointing out dots on.
Speaker 3 (04:52):
The ceiling, and getting paid good money to name the dots.
Speaker 4 (04:55):
As long as you name the dots and they're correct
every time, that's where the ticket is. I parlay that
into an internship at the American Museum of Natural History
of the Hayden Planetarum and worked under doctor Ken Franklin,
who taught me an awful lot of astronomy. And then
for fourteen years I ran the Planetarum and Newport News
at the Virginia Living Museum. And I've been here since
(05:16):
March of nineteen ninety three, which is thirty two years
something like that. The roles, the years just keep rolling
on by. So it's a great profession and being able
to share the stars with people. Just to be able
to it seems silly just to name the stars. But
when you name the stars and you see them, and
you come up and you can find them in the
real sky, you greet them like old friends, and the
(05:39):
universe becomes a little bit less scary when you can
name the friendly stars.
Speaker 1 (05:44):
You know what, I thought, that's true. So I sometimes, honestly,
I feel a sense of overwhelming. I guess I'm just
overwhelmed by what on earth is out there?
Speaker 3 (05:56):
A lot?
Speaker 1 (05:56):
And is it coming for me?
Speaker 3 (05:58):
And more important, have they got something better than chocolate
chip cookies? That's what I'd like to know.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
I need a friendly star, friendly star, Yeah, someone who
can get me into Hollywood.
Speaker 3 (06:11):
And oh that kind of a star.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
Okay, John, I have to say this, you look terrific.
Speaker 3 (06:17):
Thanks.
Speaker 1 (06:17):
You look too young to have been at thet in
this business so many years. I'm not going to ask
how old you are, but give me a sense of it.
It agrees with you.
Speaker 4 (06:28):
My junior year in college was when I started volunteering
at the planetarium. This October marks the fiftieth anniversary of
my first presentation to a group in a planetarum theater.
Speaker 3 (06:39):
So wow, it's been a while. Yeah, I'm old enough.
I saw Sputnik. I was a little kid when I
saw Spud Dick, but I saw spot Dick. It's one
of my earliest memories.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
Cool, Okay, let's talk about what's happening August thirtieth.
Speaker 3 (06:53):
Yes, so that's our open house.
Speaker 4 (06:55):
So we've got shows in September, October, all the way
through till April, and then after April of the Planetarium
is going to be closed down for some renovation work.
But we're getting an early start with an open house
on August thirtieth, that Saturday, from six o'clock until nine
o'clock PM, ongoing programs in the Planetarum Theater. It's free
and we'll give you a taste a sampler of what's
coming up, including laser light shows in February. And also
(07:19):
we'll have the Treasure Coast Astronomical Society that's the community
Astronomy club and also the student club, the Hallstrom Astronomy Society.
They'll be in hand with telescopes, whether permitting, will be
able to look at the moon and anything else out
there in the heavens.
Speaker 3 (07:32):
That's going to be. It's gonna be a great night
of out of this world entertainment.
Speaker 1 (07:37):
August thirtieth, that's from six to nine. Where can where can?
How do people get to the halls?
Speaker 4 (07:42):
So it's it's in Fort Pierras On, Virginia, Avenue, so
you'll be going to the Massy campus in Fort Pierce.
It's three to two oh nine Virginia Avenue, but that's
like about five blocks from on Virginia from thirtieth to
thirty fifth Street, and you'd be getting on you want
to be taking thirtieth Street. That'll go right past the
White Dome for the planet Jam and you park there
(08:03):
and you're there. It's just from US One. You'd make
a turn to the west on Route seventy, which is
Virginia from the interstate or the turnpike. You'd be going exit.
You'd make a turn toward the east on seventy and
then you're there.
Speaker 3 (08:18):
Oh, you can google it or you can google it.
Google Down's first grade. I guess map quest.
Speaker 1 (08:25):
Okay, I have a question that the planetarium now has
some decades on it's how do you maintain it on
the inside. You just get in there on a scaffold
and roll.
Speaker 3 (08:37):
It all funny. You should mention that.
Speaker 4 (08:39):
So we we did it back in two thousand and four,
right in the middle of hurricanes Frances and Jean. We
repainted the interior of the dome and it's held up
really nicely. So we have a fresh coat of paint there.
The outside, it's actually a dome within a dome, kind
of like those nested Russian dolls. So you see the
dome from the outside. That's the concrete dome, and from
(09:00):
that is suspended in rebar all these cables and chains
and the steel skeleton that holds the inner dome, the
projection dome like a big movie screen, but in a
dome shape, which is made of aluminium, and that's that's
the theater. So when you go to the planetarium, we
never open up the dome to look at the stars.
That's an observatory. It's more like a movie theater in
(09:23):
three point sixty one eighty a round. So it's a
projection theory and the thing is held up remarkably well.
We have We're going to be getting new seats and
new carpeting this coming summer, so a year from now.
But we've kept in a good repair. The machine itself,
the optical mechanical star projector of the Planetarum itself was
installed in the winter of nineteen ninety three, and we've
(09:47):
kept in a good repair. The company that built it
is still in existence, but they no longer build planet
Terum projectors. But there are a couple of good support
companies out there where we can get parts, and I
can do a lot of the maintenance myself, and we
have a couple of people come in who have specialized
skills and specialized tools that can do the rest of it.
So we see the machine's in very good repair and
we'll keep on showing the start they keep shining on
(10:08):
our dome.
Speaker 2 (10:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (10:10):
How can people get information? You have a website IRSC
dot edu as where you start.
Speaker 4 (10:17):
Right, So you go to irs C dot edu and
you look for the bar labeled community and you scroll
down and there's the Planetarum information. Or you can call
us at seven seven two or six two four seven
five oh and talk to a person or leave a message.
Speaker 3 (10:38):
They'll call you back. And that's our box office.
Speaker 1 (10:41):
Okay. Now, the event on August thirty at the open
house six to nine. Is that free or is that ticketed?
Speaker 3 (10:47):
That is free, so just you don't need a ticket,
just show up.
Speaker 4 (10:50):
We'll be doing programs about every fifteen twenty minutes as
we rotate through, and I'll be the available to answer
any questions you've got about outer space or those things
you see in the sky. And we'll be there for that,
and then starting in September, we have a couple of
programs about the Space Force and why we have a
Space Force, and also how to find satellites in the evenings.
(11:12):
Guy Saturn is coming into view in the evening hours
as we get into fall, so we'll have a show
about Saturn in the fall. We'll have our Star Wonder
program and our Ornaments in the Sky program in the
holiday times, and then after our laser shows, we've got
Rockets Rockets one on one coming up.
Speaker 1 (11:28):
In the lots of stuff going on at the Hallstrom
Planetarium at the Indian River State College Fort Pierce Campus. Yes,
and don't forget August thirtieth, six to nine. That's the
big open house.
Speaker 3 (11:41):
We'll see you there under the stars.
Speaker 1 (11:43):
Yep, good to see you, John, really great to see
it is a pleasure, thank you. Okay, Well, now why
don't we take a break. Let's check into Riverside Theater's
website to learn about the coming season plus everything happening
this summer. There's still plenty of things to do, like
Live in the Loop and don't forget now two shows
(12:03):
per evening in the Comedy Zone Friday and Saturday six
thirty and eight thirty while learn about the coming season
and everything Riverside at Riversidetheater dot com.
Speaker 5 (12:16):
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
(12:39):
now and enjoy exclusive perks all season long. Visit Ballet
Vererobeach dot org to reserve your subscription today.
Speaker 6 (12:46):
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Speaker 7 (13:46):
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.
(14:09):
Buy tickets at Riversidetheater dot com and get ready for
a night of non stop laughs.
Speaker 1 (14:20):
And we are back with arts Blasts on the air.
I'm Willie Miller and now I've got the I've got
part two of the Goateea go to guys rob ol Ski.
Speaker 3 (14:33):
That's correct, Yeah, we were.
Speaker 1 (14:37):
We haven't really known each other too long, but I've
known about you for longer than that. You you are,
you could, You could make anybody look gorgeous or really
really awful. You're gonna do that soon, aren't you.
Speaker 2 (14:55):
One of my favorite lines Willie, when somebody says, can
you make me gorgeous? Is it's hard to improve upon perfection.
The other one is a little paint make you what
you ain't. So, yeah, we've we've met across We've met
across the microphones a couple of times in association with
(15:16):
different events happening at Via Beach Theater Guild, where I've
been their resident make up consultant artists for at least
a couple of decades. Now I know that time went by,
didn't it?
Speaker 1 (15:31):
Sure did?
Speaker 2 (15:32):
Wow?
Speaker 1 (15:33):
Okay, so you have you have a presentation coming up
that Okay, who's your favorite movie? Monster?
Speaker 2 (15:41):
Well? The Theater Guild has given me the opportunity to
create a special presentation. I call it a show around
the famous movie monsters of all time. And I've called
the show Rob Volsky Creature Feature Halloween Monster Makeup Show.
(16:03):
And in the hall I met I met John from
from the previous interview, and he's he said, he's good
at jingles, so we're going to try to do something
with a rhythm here right now. And he's an opera
singer too, so he can do the baritone and the
mnemonics in This is wonderful because people will remember the
name of the show. It's called Rob Volsky's Creature Feature
(16:25):
Halloween Monster Makeup Show.
Speaker 3 (16:28):
So let's think of a tune for.
Speaker 2 (16:29):
That, Rob Volsky's Creature Feature Halloween Monster Makeup Show. He's
got like kind of a rhythmical Okay, you do the baritone. Okay,
Rob Creature Feature Halloween Monster make Up.
Speaker 3 (16:52):
But they will remember it.
Speaker 1 (16:54):
Okay, when is this happening and tell me what it
will be like? Is this a Audi's participation?
Speaker 2 (17:01):
Tell me, yes, here's the most important date they that
they can remember. It's one morning in October before Halloween.
So Saturday October twenty fifth, at ten am at the
Vera Beach Theater Guild. So what better way to spend
a Saturday morning before Halloween? Oh, buying candy, corn, et cetera.
Speaker 1 (17:25):
That is it?
Speaker 3 (17:25):
Good? Good point.
Speaker 2 (17:26):
So when you go to the store, and now you're
going to go visit the Halloween costume store and you're
going to think to yourself, what are we going to
be for Halloween? And everybody's all bumping into each other
wondering what they're going to do, and then they come
to the makeup section and they.
Speaker 3 (17:44):
Go, what do we do with us?
Speaker 2 (17:46):
What's this stuff? What's liquid LaTeX's, what's phone latex? What's
crape wool? How do I use all that stuff? So
my show is going to answer all those questions for
people when they come up with a question, Rob, what
am I?
Speaker 3 (17:58):
How am I going to?
Speaker 2 (17:59):
What am I going to be for Halloween? I? How
can you help me use this stuff? So in the
background during the show, we're going to review all the
famous Hollywood monsters to give people inspirations. So we're going
to see Frankenstein and the Mummy and Dracula and the
Bride of Frankenstein and to that point, we're doing the
(18:22):
show Young Frankenstein, which is going to be a hoot
at the same time, So the same day as my
morning show, that afternoon and that evening, Vier Beach Theater
gild is going to do Young Frankenstein and the Bride
of Frankenstein is featured, and Frankenstein's Monster is going to
(18:42):
be featured as well. So I'm going to take that
opportunity to show everybody who wants to see how it's done,
how do we do this? And so two live demonstrations
will be occurring in the studio theater there showing people
how makeup artists make up these creatures and then they're
going to come to life at the end, and we're
going to play a few tricks on the audience and
(19:04):
have some fun. So it will be interactive, definitely interactive.
Speaker 1 (19:08):
Okay, And the show Young Frankenstein is running at Bureau
Beach Theater Guild October seventeenth to November two. That's that's
what I have.
Speaker 2 (19:16):
You are good. I wrote that down and you didn't
even have to.
Speaker 3 (19:19):
Yeah, that's perfect.
Speaker 1 (19:20):
No, I write it down perfect, yeap.
Speaker 2 (19:24):
So we're going to answer all these questions, how did
they do that? When you know, we're watching Wolfman or something.
I may have some of the stuff that they used
on Wolfman to create the creature, and people might get
some ideas. They say, Oh, I see how he does that. Yeah,
I can do that. Let's be let's be mister and
missus wolf Man. Let's make up the whole family is
Frankenstein or something. So that's that's the gist of it,
(19:48):
and I think it's going to be fun. It's going
to be more like a infotainment than a presentation.
Speaker 1 (19:55):
Okay, do you think the average person is going and
to be able to do what you've taken in all
these decades to learn.
Speaker 2 (20:07):
Well, it took decades to learn, but the time I
spent boiling it down to bite sized pieces is what
comes into the show. And it's much simpler than people think.
They often get intimidated by all the supplies. But if
they look at three supplies, or we can show them
three supplies and how they are so fundamental in creating
so many different characters. It's amazing what you can do
(20:30):
with liquid latex, making ears and noses and scars and
burns and cuts and wounds. All the young girls are
into this. They have videos online they don't play with
Barbie dolls anymore. They play with special effects makeup. I
didn't know that it's a big thing.
Speaker 1 (20:45):
Wow, where do you buy this stuff?
Speaker 2 (20:48):
Well, I want to mention a few stores. There are
halloween stores that are coming to town seasonally that provide
makeup supplies once a year that you won't you won't
see these supplies anywhere else. And some of the big
box stores have some of these supplies, like liquid latex.
Now that people have learned how to use it and
(21:09):
it sells, it's going to be flying off the shelves now.
Speaker 1 (21:13):
I remember, I'm not sure if it was last year
or the year before. Maybe they've been there every year.
In the former Kmart plaza on US one there was
a Halloween.
Speaker 2 (21:24):
Store yep, and they come back every year and they
do different locations.
Speaker 1 (21:28):
And where else can people are? Okay, suppose I want
to go online, I want to google this? What do
I look for.
Speaker 2 (21:35):
Liquid latex for example? You might just say the material
that you're looking for or halloween makeup supplies.
Speaker 1 (21:42):
Okay, that sounds a little a little more generic. Okay,
are all of these things? Do you think maybe kids safe?
Speaker 2 (21:52):
Of course I wouldn't drink it. I would definitely use
some of this stuff under adult supervision for anybody you're
twelve years old. Oh, I've heard of them putting terrible
thing Elmer's glue they put on their face. They put
plaster Paris on their face.
Speaker 3 (22:06):
Oh my gosh, the.
Speaker 2 (22:07):
Things they get into. Anyway, it's going to be at
the Vera Beach Theater Guild and you can call the
box office at five six two eighty three hundred or
order on tickets online on Vero Beachtheaterguild dot com after
August twenty fifth.
Speaker 1 (22:23):
Right after August twenty fifth, we're recording this a little
bit earlier about it will be online forever and ever.
Speaker 2 (22:31):
Yep. And I can come back and talk more if
you want some other time.
Speaker 1 (22:33):
Will you come back in full makeup? John wants here
for that.
Speaker 2 (22:41):
That's a big ask.
Speaker 3 (22:42):
I can bring something.
Speaker 1 (22:44):
John. You have a comment.
Speaker 3 (22:45):
I have appeared as a klingon from time to time. Yes,
I used to have a clean as I say, you
wear the suits you take on the person.
Speaker 2 (22:53):
I had a cling on head for a while too.
Maybe I can reborrow it or borrow it back.
Speaker 4 (22:57):
Well, we could do that, or I kind of prefer
the original series without the without the forehead things, it's
a lot easier to do.
Speaker 3 (23:04):
I think.
Speaker 1 (23:04):
Okay, so you guys go out trick or treating?
Speaker 2 (23:08):
Yep together, But no, we've just met.
Speaker 4 (23:11):
Really basically, my kids have kind of grown up now,
so they're at the point where they didn't.
Speaker 3 (23:16):
Ask if you.
Speaker 1 (23:17):
If they did, I've said, do you go out trick
or treating?
Speaker 5 (23:20):
Oh?
Speaker 4 (23:22):
You know, at my age is kind of like a nice,
warm afternoon nap, stretching into the evening hours is a
delight to think of, Okay, and get out later at
night to watch the stars of us.
Speaker 2 (23:34):
Amazed at the number of adults that go to these
costume contests and win prizes.
Speaker 1 (23:40):
Wow, what are you going to be for Halloween?
Speaker 3 (23:43):
I makeup artist.
Speaker 1 (23:46):
Okay, we're running out of time, so let us say
one more time. Vero Beach Theater Guild, Saturday, October twenty fifth,
at ten am learn to make a Monster with Rovolski.
Speaker 2 (23:58):
Right, well, create your future Halloween monster make show.
Speaker 1 (24:05):
I think I've just created my own monster here.
Speaker 2 (24:07):
We'll have it better next time.
Speaker 3 (24:09):
You have to practice.
Speaker 1 (24:10):
Okay, thank you, Rob Bolsk and John Bell. Great fun today.
Thank you. Yes, of course, and thanks, of course to
our audience. Thank you for joining us again this week
for Arts Blast on the Air. It's a podcast radio
show and Alexis Skill, all presented by Riverside Theater and
Ballet Vero Beach, covering the arts online and in Arts Blasts,
(24:33):
the free emailed weekly Laara 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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