August 27, 2025 • 25 mins
Musicians Manny Moreira and Lou Wilkin join the show to tell us about their musical careers and their upcoming show, "Beatles and Bossa," which combines the amazing music of the Beatles with the beautiful rhythm of Bossa Nova from Brazil. "Beatles and Bossa" plays two shows on September 25th and October 9th, 2025 at the Waxlax Stage at Riverside Theatre. Get tickets at the Riverside website, box office, or at BeatlesAndBossa.com.
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Episode Transcript
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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 each week I get to talk
to people in the arts about the arts on the
Treasure Coast and beyond. Arts Blast on the Air is
(00:23):
proud to be supported by Ballet Vero Beach. Subscriptions for
the big new season are available online now and single
seats go on sale November. First time to add the
Nutcracker on the Indian River to your calendar December eleventh
through the thirteenth, and it's at Riverside Theater this year.
(00:44):
Be sure to ask about this year's VIP add on experience. Plus,
Nutcracker for All has some new options as well. Learn
about everything at ballet Vero Beach dot org. And now
on with the show. My guest today Mannymurra and Lou Wilkin.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
Hi.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
Good, great, how about you guys? Good, we're recording in
the morning and you're dressed for a great performance. Both
of you.
Speaker 3 (01:15):
Well, we try to promote elegance, Willie. This is kind
of our mission I have another We have another show
called a New Deco Orchestra, and the tagline for that
is Experienced Elegance. It's been a mission I've been on
for quite a while now, about fifteen years.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
Okay, you you you created the New Deco Orchestra. Okay,
and what's your background and music? Are you a musician yourself? Oh?
Speaker 3 (01:45):
Yes, I've been a musician my whole life. My father
was a musician, His father was a musician. It's very
much in the family.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
So you come by it, honestly.
Speaker 3 (01:56):
That's right.
Speaker 1 (01:57):
I heard. Now I'm not citing any sources, but I
heard that you've been in the pit at Riverside Theater
for some shows. Is that right?
Speaker 3 (02:07):
Yeah, I've done quite a few over there. I came
The first season I did was twenty sixteen. My first
show there was a chorus line, and I've done I
think it's eight. I kind of lost count. Yeah, COVID
sort of interrupted it and so we missed a couple
of shows there, and then there were some other commitments
(02:29):
I had I wasn't able to do. But I think
it is a total of about eight shows that I've
done there. Yeah, your instruments, what do you play guitar
and voice. A hah, no brass for you, No brass
for me. I hire that.
Speaker 1 (02:44):
How did you get into the genre you're doing? Okay,
the show at Riverside that you're going to be performing
two dates is Beatles and Basa.
Speaker 3 (02:56):
Yes. So I'm Brazilian. My parents, my family, I speak
fluent Portuguese, was raised very bilingually, biculturally as well. We
went to Brazil quite a bit when I was a kid,
and as an adult again, I've lost count how many
times I've been there, lived there for a while, and
so Brazilian music has always been present in my life,
(03:18):
and so has the Beatles. So have the Beatles, and
has the Beatles music. I have an older brother and
an older sister, and they were a great influence on
me as well. They brought home different genres of music.
My father was into classical music and classical Brazilian music.
My sister was very into all kinds of pop music,
(03:40):
motown and Brazilian popular music, Samba, Bostonova, Brazil sixty six,
all that stuff from the sixties, and of course Antonio
Carlos will being the great prolific composer of Brazilian Bosonova,
and popular music, and my brother was bringing home the
British Invasion stuff, and I had some older friends as well,
(04:02):
and so I was very much exposed to the Beatles
early on. My father loved the Beatles. He would bring
home albums Beatle albums and took us to see A
Hard Day's Night when it came out. And actually my
father was the one who called me into the room
one night in February nineteen sixty four. I thought I
was in trouble for something. He called me kind of
(04:25):
commanded me into the living room and I went in
and there everybody was sitting around the TV watching the
Beatles on at Sullivan and so I saw that, and
they were having such a great time, and they looked
so cool in their suits and had these cool looking instruments,
and they camera panned around and showed seven hundred screaming
(04:46):
young girls, and I thought this was a job option
for me. At some point, I wanted to be an astronaut,
but I always played music, and by the time I
was fifteen, it became clear that music was going to
be my life.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
Okay, I have to say, you look a little young
for those memories.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
Thank you, okay, And we'll leave it at that. I
was eight years old in nineteen sixty four.
Speaker 1 (05:12):
If you're here to do the math, okay, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (05:15):
But but yeah, I'm uh the music keeps us young,
will he?
Speaker 1 (05:20):
Oh yeah, it does a lot for us.
Speaker 3 (05:22):
My partner here, Lou Wilkin, is only seven years old.
Look at it. Look at wow, she's aged tremendously.
Speaker 1 (05:29):
To eight since working with you.
Speaker 3 (05:32):
I should exactly I got that math wrong. I should
have said she's fifty three. And look doesn't she look amazing? Yeah? No, ouch, okay,
you do look amazing, by the way.
Speaker 1 (05:44):
Thank you always. Okay, introduce us manny.
Speaker 3 (05:48):
Okay, So, Lou Wilkin here is a very talented young
woman that I met about coming up on a year
ago or so in November. Yeah, and uh we were introduced.
Well you know what, let me tell we'll tell the story.
She tells it very well. Over to you, Lou. Yeah. Yeah. So.
Speaker 4 (06:07):
I actually I work in the food and beverage department
at Grand Harbor, and one evening was taking care of
Kevin Given, the general manager of Quail Valley, and my
general manager at the club kind of facilitated a conversation
between the two of us and he invited me to
Quail valleity to Quail Valley to see one of the
(06:29):
musicians performing there and to you know, kind of get
a lay of the land, so to speak. And I
went and the person that was performing was Manny, and
I didn't really know what to expect. I didn't have
any anticipation of forming a relationship with him when I
(06:50):
went there. I just wanted to see what was going on.
And I ended up one of his other vocalists was
there and performed with him that evening, and her family
was there and they welcomed me to their table like
a good Italian family, and I spent the evening with them.
It was an absolute blast and we got to sing
some tunes and just talk. And afterwards, Manny kind of
(07:13):
pulled me aside and we spoke and he was like, so.
Speaker 3 (07:15):
What do you do?
Speaker 2 (07:15):
What have you done? And I told him.
Speaker 4 (07:19):
I, you know, I have a background in theater. I've
been doing that since I was eight years old. I
did professional choir for ten years and that took me
all over the country to you know, places like Carnegie
Hall and the Mormon Tabernacle.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
It was so so much fun.
Speaker 4 (07:34):
And when I told him all of this, and I,
you know, studied music in college as well, and I
was his eyes were kind of like he was leaning
in a little bit. And and from there we got brunch,
Manny's favorite meal of the day, and we talked and
kind of slowly over time started working together. And then
(07:57):
come this past June, we just really hit the ground running.
We decided to make this show happen. And since then
it's the the abundance that it's experienced and the way
that it's all started to come together is just really beautiful.
It's you know, and working together with Manny as a
creative partner is a blast, first and foremost. It's so
(08:20):
much fun, and I feel very fortunate to be in
this industry. And you know, it's to me, working with
music is like being a kid in a candy store.
It's my favorite thing. And the Beatles, in Brazilian music
in particular is so fascinating and so subverting your expectations.
It takes you exactly where you think you're not.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
Going to go.
Speaker 4 (08:42):
And but that being said, it's it's ear candy for everyone.
You know, it's it's beautiful as you, as Manny likes
to put it, very sublime.
Speaker 3 (08:52):
You know, it's sort of deceptively sophisticated music, even when
they're when the Beatles are doing you know pop, you know,
she loves you, you know.
Speaker 5 (09:04):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (09:04):
Yeah, we're diving into doing deep dive into all this music,
going back and sort of revisiting it. It's incredibly sophisticated,
even you know, deceptively so so it's it's like it's accessible.
Sophistication basically is what it is, and so it's just
very rewarding. It's a rich catalog, both in the Brazilian
(09:25):
world and in the Beatles world, and it's just a
really really fun show.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (09:33):
And something that's been really fun about this partnership and
the age difference between us is there's been several moments
I saw the Beatles perform live on the rooftop for
the first time last year, and I told Manny this
that he.
Speaker 2 (09:49):
Had that same face of horror.
Speaker 4 (09:53):
How but as I've been exposed to this music and
really delving into it, it's been cool. I have these
reactions and Manny looks at me and he said, that's
what I did exactly when I was listening to it
for the first time, exactly.
Speaker 3 (10:09):
What's fun for me is watching Lou experience it for
the first time, so it takes me back to when
it happened for me. It's another really fun thing about
the show is that for people of our generation, my generation,
they experience it as a nostalgic experience, right, as a
nostalgic journey. Oh, I remember the first time I heard that,
(10:30):
and I remember what was happening in the world and
what was happening personally for me, et cetera. But for
people of Lou's generation, it's a journey of discovery. So
they through me, you know, our generation sort of identifies
with the show, and through Lou, the younger generation identifies
with the show. So it's a really unifying kind of
(10:53):
relationship we have for the audience.
Speaker 1 (10:56):
And speaking of the audience, we should probably mention the dates.
Speaker 3 (11:00):
What do you say, good idea Riverside Theater October well, September.
Speaker 2 (11:06):
Twenty fifth, and October ninth and.
Speaker 3 (11:08):
October ninth, and which happens to.
Speaker 2 (11:10):
Be John Lennon's birthday.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
And on that note, I think we should take a
break and then we'll come back and talk some more.
Speaker 3 (11:21):
Great.
Speaker 1 (11:21):
Absolutely, Okay, Now I'm going to ask everybody to check
into Riverside Theater's website. Because there is so much to
learn about the coming season, plus everything happening this summer,
There's still plenty on the menu. Live in the Loop
for one, and don't forget there are now two shows
per evening in the Comedy Zone Friday and Saturday, six
(11:42):
thirty and eight thirty. Learn about the coming season and
everything Riverside at Riverside Theater dot com.
Speaker 5 (11:50):
Vallet Viro Beach is leaping into its thirteenth season, and
you're invited to experience every breathtaking moment, from timeless classics
to bold new works. The companies upcoming season promises unforgettable
performances for the whole family, featuring performances at Riverside Theater,
VBHS Performing Arts Center and the Verra Beach Museum of Art.
There's something for everyone in the company's extraordinary lineup. Subscribe
(12:14):
now and enjoy exclusive perks all season long. Visit Ballet
Vero Beach dot org to reserve your subscription today.
Speaker 6 (12:20):
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Speaker 7 (13:21):
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.
(13:44):
Buy tickets at Riversidetheater dot com and get ready for
a night of NonStop laughs.
Speaker 1 (13:54):
And we are back with arts Plaster on the air
of Got Manny Murera and Lou. I was thinking when
you were talking about how how you met and got
started together, just reminded me lou probably doesn't remember, but
and maybe you don't either, because it was even before
(14:16):
my time. The scene in the movies with the drug
store and the people, the singer and the actor and
the director people meeting there. You don't remember that either
in the movies.
Speaker 3 (14:32):
The no, I'm not sure what you mean.
Speaker 1 (14:36):
Just the coincidental meeting of all.
Speaker 4 (14:38):
The stars aligning that happenstances that must have taken place
to get us to where we are.
Speaker 3 (14:44):
There's no doubt we feel very fortunate to have have
come cross paths.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
And Willie, that's one of many.
Speaker 4 (14:52):
It's truly amongst all of the things that kind of
brought this show and this collaboration to where it is
right now. It's you know, we were talking about that
just last night. What brought me I'm originally from Virginia
and what brought me to Vera Beach was one phone
call with my mom on a whim out of nowhere
in twenty twenty three, and three months later I decided
(15:15):
to move down here. I lived with my aunt and
uncle for a little bit and they live here in
Vero and.
Speaker 2 (15:21):
I got stuck happily.
Speaker 1 (15:24):
So I think that happens to a lot of people
when they get to Vera.
Speaker 3 (15:27):
Yeah, and well, everything is really about that in my opinion.
You know, it's all about connections and karma, you know,
to a degree of things, you know, just pulling us
together and absolutely and let you know, call it what
you will with stars aligning or luck or whatever it
(15:50):
may be. But I also am a firm believer in
creative manifestation to some degree. You know, when you have
something and that you believe in and that you're focused
on and that you sort of dedicate yourself to, it
creates a current that pulls people together. And when you
(16:10):
commit to something, it really is a powerful thing. The
great German uh philosopher Gerta has a thing about that,
about how a wonderful essay on commitment and how when
someone really commits to something that it begins to pull
energy from the universe and suddenly, you know.
Speaker 2 (16:32):
He uses the word magic right, that the.
Speaker 3 (16:36):
Couplet at the end is what you believe. What is
it If there's something that you truly believe in begin it,
commitment has genius power and magic in it. And so
that that's I just believe it's true. I mean, things
(16:57):
fall in your path, obstacles that come your way and
then just disappear, and other doors open and things happen.
And had things gone differently, Lou and I may have met,
but may have not had the opportunity to actually spend
the time to work together. And just the way things
have happened in our lives, we've been working together like
(17:17):
almost like we're on a constant retreat basically like NonStop
yet every day, and that is really where the power happens.
You know. The beat the Beatles did the same thing.
They just all they did was play music. That's it.
They they were completely dedicated and committed to what they did.
Speaker 1 (17:40):
And here you are here.
Speaker 3 (17:41):
We are. Yeah, it's really really fun.
Speaker 1 (17:43):
I do often think that any small turn in my
path or your path or your path, we wouldn't Jusse's path,
our producer, we wouldn't very unlikely that we would be
sitting here this morning talking about Beatles and Boss and
(18:05):
the shows coming up at Riverside Theater.
Speaker 4 (18:08):
And how serendipitous it all is because of the Beatles
message of peace and love and connection and sharing space
with others. And you know, these conversations are circulating around us,
you know.
Speaker 2 (18:24):
I a video popped up for me yesterday about.
Speaker 4 (18:28):
The concept of neighboring and you know, actively participating in
your community and being close with the people that you
live right next to, you know. And I think that
is a current that really drives this show and all
(18:48):
of the work that we do together, because at the
end of the day, it's fun, you know, at the
very core of what we're doing, it's friends making music
and enjoying it to no end, you know.
Speaker 3 (19:04):
And that has such power in it. And coming down
from New York to join us for this show, or
two of my best friends and steadfast colleagues in the business,
Leo Traversa on bass and Norbert Goldberg on drums and percussion.
And yeah, we've been playing together for thirty years or
(19:26):
something up in New York in a Brazilian jazz quartet
and we've done festivals, traveled and recorded, et cetera. And
so here they're coming to join us. So it's just
going to be a wonderful sort of connection. On October ninth,
we'll be bringing adding a keyboard player to the show
who's down in Miami and I met him doing a
(19:47):
show a couple of years ago and have formed a
relationship with him. He's from Rio. He's a Brazilian living
in the States and just a phenomenal keyboard player, wonderful,
one of the best musicians I've ever worked with, and
a beautiful guy. And so he's going to be joining
us as well. So he's a sort of a new
friend and connection as well. And it's just a wonderful
(20:11):
energy around the whole thing. And I got to say also,
I want to thank John Moses for bringing us to Riverside.
He's just been wonderful in supporting this and believing in it.
And Alan Cornell, a longtime artistic director there at Riverside.
Laura Scott is going to be our wonderful stage manager.
It's a very exciting group. The rest of the team
(20:32):
people that I know and have worked with at Riverside
over the years. So it's really an exciting and and
fun project that I hope that I know people will
enjoy if they come and see it.
Speaker 1 (20:43):
You know what it didn't ask is this on the
main stage in the black box outside.
Speaker 3 (20:47):
The Waxlax stage.
Speaker 1 (20:49):
Okay, okay? And people can get tickets online.
Speaker 3 (20:53):
Yes, yes, they can go to Riverside dot com or
they can go Riversidetheater dot com. Yes, or to beatles
Basa dot com spelled out Beatlesandbasa dot com and they
can find tickets there. And it's great that it's inside
because it's a multi media show, so there's going to
be projections and lots of lighting. It's going to be fun.
Speaker 1 (21:14):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (21:14):
People are meant to, as we have this morning, dress
up and come out for a night of fun and style,
you know, and elegance.
Speaker 3 (21:24):
Yeah, but not stuff the elegance fun elegance.
Speaker 1 (21:27):
Okay. I think we do fun here in Fero Beachsolu definitely.
Speaker 3 (21:31):
They certainly do. Hear at Evergreen Media.
Speaker 1 (21:35):
Okay, now we're talking September twenty fifth and October ninth.
What else are you doing? Do you have other gigs planned?
Speaker 3 (21:42):
Yeah, we're talking to We have a date in January
on the books right now, January twenty second at the
Cravis Center.
Speaker 2 (21:50):
That'll also be Beatles in Basa.
Speaker 3 (21:53):
And then in February, we're going to be doing a
New Deco show at a place called the Banyan Live
in West Palm, which is a wonderful venue, really fun venue.
That's going to be a great show. It's going to
be on Valentine's Day over the weekend Friday and Saturday,
and it's going to be a Brazilian Carnival Venetian masquerade
(22:16):
ball Marty Gras Bacchanal because it so happens that it's
at valentine Lightly then Valentine's Day and Carnival, you know,
Marty Gras are the same weekend this year, so it's
really going to it's going to be an amazing show.
I'm really excited. I'm really excited to add Lou to
(22:37):
the New Deco Orchestra. She's going to be just she's
the new face and voice of the New Deco Orchestra.
Speaker 1 (22:44):
No have you been to Brazil.
Speaker 4 (22:45):
No, no, it's my My exposures have been almost solely
through through Manny as well as other Brazilian friends and
colleagues I've encountered in my time in Florida.
Speaker 1 (23:00):
You're gonna be the girl from me Panima.
Speaker 3 (23:02):
Well, I gotta say. Lou has been really embraced Brazilian
music in a way that is astonishing. Her pronunciation in
Portuguese is absolutely amazing. It's I've never seen anyone pick
it up so quickly.
Speaker 1 (23:18):
Thank you, sech okay, can you say something in Portuguese?
Speaker 3 (23:22):
Some lyrics? Yeah, I guess sing us a little song, Lou,
Oh gosh, you a little piece.
Speaker 2 (23:29):
Of yeah maybe maybe girl from what works for you?
Speaker 3 (23:34):
Yea ella.
Speaker 1 (23:48):
We are running out of time, so we do want
to say again. September twenty fifth and October ninth, Beatles
and Basa featuring Lou Wilkin and Manny Marrera. It's been
great fun talking with you. Thank you so much, Willy Oh,
it's been my pleasure. And once again in the.
Speaker 3 (24:04):
Website Beatlesandbasa dot Com spell it out beatles A and
d Bassa Bossa.
Speaker 1 (24:11):
Okay, thanks again, great to meet you too, likewise you
so much. Thanks and thank you as always out there
for joining us again this week for arts Blast on
the Air podcast radio show and Alexiskill, all presented by
a Riverside Theater and Ballet Vero Beach, covering the arts
online and in Arts Blast, the free emailed weekly Florida
(24:35):
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 each week I get to talk
to people in the arts about the arts on the
Treasure Coast and beyond. Arts Blast on the Air is
(00:23):
proud to be supported by Ballet Vero Beach. Subscriptions for
the big new season are available online now and single
seats go on sale November. First time to add the
Nutcracker on the Indian River to your calendar December eleventh
through the thirteenth, and it's at Riverside Theater this year.
(00:44):
Be sure to ask about this year's VIP add on experience. Plus,
Nutcracker for All has some new options as well. Learn
about everything at ballet Vero Beach dot org. And now
on with the show. My guest today Mannymurra and Lou Wilkin.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
Hi.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
Good, great, how about you guys? Good, we're recording in
the morning and you're dressed for a great performance. Both
of you.
Speaker 3 (01:15):
Well, we try to promote elegance, Willie. This is kind
of our mission I have another We have another show
called a New Deco Orchestra, and the tagline for that
is Experienced Elegance. It's been a mission I've been on
for quite a while now, about fifteen years.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
Okay, you you you created the New Deco Orchestra. Okay,
and what's your background and music? Are you a musician yourself? Oh?
Speaker 3 (01:45):
Yes, I've been a musician my whole life. My father
was a musician, His father was a musician. It's very
much in the family.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
So you come by it, honestly.
Speaker 3 (01:56):
That's right.
Speaker 1 (01:57):
I heard. Now I'm not citing any sources, but I
heard that you've been in the pit at Riverside Theater
for some shows. Is that right?
Speaker 3 (02:07):
Yeah, I've done quite a few over there. I came
The first season I did was twenty sixteen. My first
show there was a chorus line, and I've done I
think it's eight. I kind of lost count. Yeah, COVID
sort of interrupted it and so we missed a couple
of shows there, and then there were some other commitments
(02:29):
I had I wasn't able to do. But I think
it is a total of about eight shows that I've
done there. Yeah, your instruments, what do you play guitar
and voice. A hah, no brass for you, No brass
for me. I hire that.
Speaker 1 (02:44):
How did you get into the genre you're doing? Okay,
the show at Riverside that you're going to be performing
two dates is Beatles and Basa.
Speaker 3 (02:56):
Yes. So I'm Brazilian. My parents, my family, I speak
fluent Portuguese, was raised very bilingually, biculturally as well. We
went to Brazil quite a bit when I was a kid,
and as an adult again, I've lost count how many
times I've been there, lived there for a while, and
so Brazilian music has always been present in my life,
(03:18):
and so has the Beatles. So have the Beatles, and
has the Beatles music. I have an older brother and
an older sister, and they were a great influence on
me as well. They brought home different genres of music.
My father was into classical music and classical Brazilian music.
My sister was very into all kinds of pop music,
(03:40):
motown and Brazilian popular music, Samba, Bostonova, Brazil sixty six,
all that stuff from the sixties, and of course Antonio
Carlos will being the great prolific composer of Brazilian Bosonova,
and popular music, and my brother was bringing home the
British Invasion stuff, and I had some older friends as well,
(04:02):
and so I was very much exposed to the Beatles
early on. My father loved the Beatles. He would bring
home albums Beatle albums and took us to see A
Hard Day's Night when it came out. And actually my
father was the one who called me into the room
one night in February nineteen sixty four. I thought I
was in trouble for something. He called me kind of
(04:25):
commanded me into the living room and I went in
and there everybody was sitting around the TV watching the
Beatles on at Sullivan and so I saw that, and
they were having such a great time, and they looked
so cool in their suits and had these cool looking instruments,
and they camera panned around and showed seven hundred screaming
(04:46):
young girls, and I thought this was a job option
for me. At some point, I wanted to be an astronaut,
but I always played music, and by the time I
was fifteen, it became clear that music was going to
be my life.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
Okay, I have to say, you look a little young
for those memories.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
Thank you, okay, And we'll leave it at that. I
was eight years old in nineteen sixty four.
Speaker 1 (05:12):
If you're here to do the math, okay, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (05:15):
But but yeah, I'm uh the music keeps us young,
will he?
Speaker 1 (05:20):
Oh yeah, it does a lot for us.
Speaker 3 (05:22):
My partner here, Lou Wilkin, is only seven years old.
Look at it. Look at wow, she's aged tremendously.
Speaker 1 (05:29):
To eight since working with you.
Speaker 3 (05:32):
I should exactly I got that math wrong. I should
have said she's fifty three. And look doesn't she look amazing? Yeah? No, ouch, okay,
you do look amazing, by the way.
Speaker 1 (05:44):
Thank you always. Okay, introduce us manny.
Speaker 3 (05:48):
Okay, So, Lou Wilkin here is a very talented young
woman that I met about coming up on a year
ago or so in November. Yeah, and uh we were introduced.
Well you know what, let me tell we'll tell the story.
She tells it very well. Over to you, Lou. Yeah. Yeah. So.
Speaker 4 (06:07):
I actually I work in the food and beverage department
at Grand Harbor, and one evening was taking care of
Kevin Given, the general manager of Quail Valley, and my
general manager at the club kind of facilitated a conversation
between the two of us and he invited me to
Quail valleity to Quail Valley to see one of the
(06:29):
musicians performing there and to you know, kind of get
a lay of the land, so to speak. And I
went and the person that was performing was Manny, and
I didn't really know what to expect. I didn't have
any anticipation of forming a relationship with him when I
(06:50):
went there. I just wanted to see what was going on.
And I ended up one of his other vocalists was
there and performed with him that evening, and her family
was there and they welcomed me to their table like
a good Italian family, and I spent the evening with them.
It was an absolute blast and we got to sing
some tunes and just talk. And afterwards, Manny kind of
(07:13):
pulled me aside and we spoke and he was like, so.
Speaker 3 (07:15):
What do you do?
Speaker 2 (07:15):
What have you done? And I told him.
Speaker 4 (07:19):
I, you know, I have a background in theater. I've
been doing that since I was eight years old. I
did professional choir for ten years and that took me
all over the country to you know, places like Carnegie
Hall and the Mormon Tabernacle.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
It was so so much fun.
Speaker 4 (07:34):
And when I told him all of this, and I,
you know, studied music in college as well, and I
was his eyes were kind of like he was leaning
in a little bit. And and from there we got brunch,
Manny's favorite meal of the day, and we talked and
kind of slowly over time started working together. And then
(07:57):
come this past June, we just really hit the ground running.
We decided to make this show happen. And since then
it's the the abundance that it's experienced and the way
that it's all started to come together is just really beautiful.
It's you know, and working together with Manny as a
creative partner is a blast, first and foremost. It's so
(08:20):
much fun, and I feel very fortunate to be in
this industry. And you know, it's to me, working with
music is like being a kid in a candy store.
It's my favorite thing. And the Beatles, in Brazilian music
in particular is so fascinating and so subverting your expectations.
It takes you exactly where you think you're not.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
Going to go.
Speaker 4 (08:42):
And but that being said, it's it's ear candy for everyone.
You know, it's it's beautiful as you, as Manny likes
to put it, very sublime.
Speaker 3 (08:52):
You know, it's sort of deceptively sophisticated music, even when
they're when the Beatles are doing you know pop, you know,
she loves you, you know.
Speaker 5 (09:04):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (09:04):
Yeah, we're diving into doing deep dive into all this music,
going back and sort of revisiting it. It's incredibly sophisticated,
even you know, deceptively so so it's it's like it's accessible.
Sophistication basically is what it is, and so it's just
very rewarding. It's a rich catalog, both in the Brazilian
(09:25):
world and in the Beatles world, and it's just a
really really fun show.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (09:33):
And something that's been really fun about this partnership and
the age difference between us is there's been several moments
I saw the Beatles perform live on the rooftop for
the first time last year, and I told Manny this
that he.
Speaker 2 (09:49):
Had that same face of horror.
Speaker 4 (09:53):
How but as I've been exposed to this music and
really delving into it, it's been cool. I have these
reactions and Manny looks at me and he said, that's
what I did exactly when I was listening to it
for the first time, exactly.
Speaker 3 (10:09):
What's fun for me is watching Lou experience it for
the first time, so it takes me back to when
it happened for me. It's another really fun thing about
the show is that for people of our generation, my generation,
they experience it as a nostalgic experience, right, as a
nostalgic journey. Oh, I remember the first time I heard that,
(10:30):
and I remember what was happening in the world and
what was happening personally for me, et cetera. But for
people of Lou's generation, it's a journey of discovery. So
they through me, you know, our generation sort of identifies
with the show, and through Lou, the younger generation identifies
with the show. So it's a really unifying kind of
(10:53):
relationship we have for the audience.
Speaker 1 (10:56):
And speaking of the audience, we should probably mention the dates.
Speaker 3 (11:00):
What do you say, good idea Riverside Theater October well, September.
Speaker 2 (11:06):
Twenty fifth, and October ninth and.
Speaker 3 (11:08):
October ninth, and which happens to.
Speaker 2 (11:10):
Be John Lennon's birthday.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
And on that note, I think we should take a
break and then we'll come back and talk some more.
Speaker 3 (11:21):
Great.
Speaker 1 (11:21):
Absolutely, Okay, Now I'm going to ask everybody to check
into Riverside Theater's website. Because there is so much to
learn about the coming season, plus everything happening this summer,
There's still plenty on the menu. Live in the Loop
for one, and don't forget there are now two shows
per evening in the Comedy Zone Friday and Saturday, six
(11:42):
thirty and eight thirty. Learn about the coming season and
everything Riverside at Riverside Theater dot com.
Speaker 5 (11:50):
Vallet Viro Beach is leaping into its thirteenth season, and
you're invited to experience every breathtaking moment, from timeless classics
to bold new works. The companies upcoming season promises unforgettable
performances for the whole family, featuring performances at Riverside Theater,
VBHS Performing Arts Center and the Verra Beach Museum of Art.
There's something for everyone in the company's extraordinary lineup. Subscribe
(12:14):
now and enjoy exclusive perks all season long. Visit Ballet
Vero Beach dot org to reserve your subscription today.
Speaker 6 (12:20):
At Sunshine Furniture, our thirty five thousand square foot showroom
is filled with the largest selection of in stock, tariff
free coastal furniture on the Treasure coats, dining in bedroom sets,
occasional tables, sofas, sleeper sofas, love seats and chairs in
the latest styles and colors from Tommy Bahama, Lexington Hooker,
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(12:41):
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furniture you need, including a gallery of American made telescope,
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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
(13:01):
Florida home, including all pictures, lamps and accessories. Half Pride
Sunshine Furniture twelve ninety five US one in the public
Splaza Aero Beach. Don't forget to visit our outlet store
directly across the street, filled with lots of name bround
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sale and visit our website at Sunshine Furniture Casual dot com.
Speaker 7 (13:21):
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.
(13:44):
Buy tickets at Riversidetheater dot com and get ready for
a night of NonStop laughs.
Speaker 1 (13:54):
And we are back with arts Plaster on the air
of Got Manny Murera and Lou. I was thinking when
you were talking about how how you met and got
started together, just reminded me lou probably doesn't remember, but
and maybe you don't either, because it was even before
(14:16):
my time. The scene in the movies with the drug
store and the people, the singer and the actor and
the director people meeting there. You don't remember that either
in the movies.
Speaker 3 (14:32):
The no, I'm not sure what you mean.
Speaker 1 (14:36):
Just the coincidental meeting of all.
Speaker 4 (14:38):
The stars aligning that happenstances that must have taken place
to get us to where we are.
Speaker 3 (14:44):
There's no doubt we feel very fortunate to have have
come cross paths.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
And Willie, that's one of many.
Speaker 4 (14:52):
It's truly amongst all of the things that kind of
brought this show and this collaboration to where it is
right now. It's you know, we were talking about that
just last night. What brought me I'm originally from Virginia
and what brought me to Vera Beach was one phone
call with my mom on a whim out of nowhere
in twenty twenty three, and three months later I decided
(15:15):
to move down here. I lived with my aunt and
uncle for a little bit and they live here in
Vero and.
Speaker 2 (15:21):
I got stuck happily.
Speaker 1 (15:24):
So I think that happens to a lot of people
when they get to Vera.
Speaker 3 (15:27):
Yeah, and well, everything is really about that in my opinion.
You know, it's all about connections and karma, you know,
to a degree of things, you know, just pulling us
together and absolutely and let you know, call it what
you will with stars aligning or luck or whatever it
(15:50):
may be. But I also am a firm believer in
creative manifestation to some degree. You know, when you have
something and that you believe in and that you're focused
on and that you sort of dedicate yourself to, it
creates a current that pulls people together. And when you
(16:10):
commit to something, it really is a powerful thing. The
great German uh philosopher Gerta has a thing about that,
about how a wonderful essay on commitment and how when
someone really commits to something that it begins to pull
energy from the universe and suddenly, you know.
Speaker 2 (16:32):
He uses the word magic right, that the.
Speaker 3 (16:36):
Couplet at the end is what you believe. What is
it If there's something that you truly believe in begin it,
commitment has genius power and magic in it. And so
that that's I just believe it's true. I mean, things
(16:57):
fall in your path, obstacles that come your way and
then just disappear, and other doors open and things happen.
And had things gone differently, Lou and I may have met,
but may have not had the opportunity to actually spend
the time to work together. And just the way things
have happened in our lives, we've been working together like
(17:17):
almost like we're on a constant retreat basically like NonStop
yet every day, and that is really where the power happens.
You know. The beat the Beatles did the same thing.
They just all they did was play music. That's it.
They they were completely dedicated and committed to what they did.
Speaker 1 (17:40):
And here you are here.
Speaker 3 (17:41):
We are. Yeah, it's really really fun.
Speaker 1 (17:43):
I do often think that any small turn in my
path or your path or your path, we wouldn't Jusse's path,
our producer, we wouldn't very unlikely that we would be
sitting here this morning talking about Beatles and Boss and
(18:05):
the shows coming up at Riverside Theater.
Speaker 4 (18:08):
And how serendipitous it all is because of the Beatles
message of peace and love and connection and sharing space
with others. And you know, these conversations are circulating around us,
you know.
Speaker 2 (18:24):
I a video popped up for me yesterday about.
Speaker 4 (18:28):
The concept of neighboring and you know, actively participating in
your community and being close with the people that you
live right next to, you know. And I think that
is a current that really drives this show and all
(18:48):
of the work that we do together, because at the
end of the day, it's fun, you know, at the
very core of what we're doing, it's friends making music
and enjoying it to no end, you know.
Speaker 3 (19:04):
And that has such power in it. And coming down
from New York to join us for this show, or
two of my best friends and steadfast colleagues in the business,
Leo Traversa on bass and Norbert Goldberg on drums and percussion.
And yeah, we've been playing together for thirty years or
(19:26):
something up in New York in a Brazilian jazz quartet
and we've done festivals, traveled and recorded, et cetera. And
so here they're coming to join us. So it's just
going to be a wonderful sort of connection. On October ninth,
we'll be bringing adding a keyboard player to the show
who's down in Miami and I met him doing a
(19:47):
show a couple of years ago and have formed a
relationship with him. He's from Rio. He's a Brazilian living
in the States and just a phenomenal keyboard player, wonderful,
one of the best musicians I've ever worked with, and
a beautiful guy. And so he's going to be joining
us as well. So he's a sort of a new
friend and connection as well. And it's just a wonderful
(20:11):
energy around the whole thing. And I got to say also,
I want to thank John Moses for bringing us to Riverside.
He's just been wonderful in supporting this and believing in it.
And Alan Cornell, a longtime artistic director there at Riverside.
Laura Scott is going to be our wonderful stage manager.
It's a very exciting group. The rest of the team
(20:32):
people that I know and have worked with at Riverside
over the years. So it's really an exciting and and
fun project that I hope that I know people will
enjoy if they come and see it.
Speaker 1 (20:43):
You know what it didn't ask is this on the
main stage in the black box outside.
Speaker 3 (20:47):
The Waxlax stage.
Speaker 1 (20:49):
Okay, okay? And people can get tickets online.
Speaker 3 (20:53):
Yes, yes, they can go to Riverside dot com or
they can go Riversidetheater dot com. Yes, or to beatles
Basa dot com spelled out Beatlesandbasa dot com and they
can find tickets there. And it's great that it's inside
because it's a multi media show, so there's going to
be projections and lots of lighting. It's going to be fun.
Speaker 1 (21:14):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (21:14):
People are meant to, as we have this morning, dress
up and come out for a night of fun and style,
you know, and elegance.
Speaker 3 (21:24):
Yeah, but not stuff the elegance fun elegance.
Speaker 1 (21:27):
Okay. I think we do fun here in Fero Beachsolu definitely.
Speaker 3 (21:31):
They certainly do. Hear at Evergreen Media.
Speaker 1 (21:35):
Okay, now we're talking September twenty fifth and October ninth.
What else are you doing? Do you have other gigs planned?
Speaker 3 (21:42):
Yeah, we're talking to We have a date in January
on the books right now, January twenty second at the
Cravis Center.
Speaker 2 (21:50):
That'll also be Beatles in Basa.
Speaker 3 (21:53):
And then in February, we're going to be doing a
New Deco show at a place called the Banyan Live
in West Palm, which is a wonderful venue, really fun venue.
That's going to be a great show. It's going to
be on Valentine's Day over the weekend Friday and Saturday,
and it's going to be a Brazilian Carnival Venetian masquerade
(22:16):
ball Marty Gras Bacchanal because it so happens that it's
at valentine Lightly then Valentine's Day and Carnival, you know,
Marty Gras are the same weekend this year, so it's
really going to it's going to be an amazing show.
I'm really excited. I'm really excited to add Lou to
(22:37):
the New Deco Orchestra. She's going to be just she's
the new face and voice of the New Deco Orchestra.
Speaker 1 (22:44):
No have you been to Brazil.
Speaker 4 (22:45):
No, no, it's my My exposures have been almost solely
through through Manny as well as other Brazilian friends and
colleagues I've encountered in my time in Florida.
Speaker 1 (23:00):
You're gonna be the girl from me Panima.
Speaker 3 (23:02):
Well, I gotta say. Lou has been really embraced Brazilian
music in a way that is astonishing. Her pronunciation in
Portuguese is absolutely amazing. It's I've never seen anyone pick
it up so quickly.
Speaker 1 (23:18):
Thank you, sech okay, can you say something in Portuguese?
Speaker 3 (23:22):
Some lyrics? Yeah, I guess sing us a little song, Lou,
Oh gosh, you a little piece.
Speaker 2 (23:29):
Of yeah maybe maybe girl from what works for you?
Speaker 3 (23:34):
Yea ella.
Speaker 1 (23:48):
We are running out of time, so we do want
to say again. September twenty fifth and October ninth, Beatles
and Basa featuring Lou Wilkin and Manny Marrera. It's been
great fun talking with you. Thank you so much, Willy Oh,
it's been my pleasure. And once again in the.
Speaker 3 (24:04):
Website Beatlesandbasa dot Com spell it out beatles A and
d Bassa Bossa.
Speaker 1 (24:11):
Okay, thanks again, great to meet you too, likewise you
so much. Thanks and thank you as always out there
for joining us again this week for arts Blast on
the Air podcast radio show and Alexiskill, all presented by
a Riverside Theater and Ballet Vero Beach, covering the arts
online and in Arts Blast, the free emailed weekly Florida
(24:35):
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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