October 22, 2025 • 25 mins
Rachel Carter Murphy of Community Church of Vero Beach joins the show to talk about "Tricks and Treats," a special concert this Saturday, October 25th, 2025, at 3pm, with pianist Jacob Craig at Grace Chapel. It features everything from early boroque music to modern times. We also discuss the Church's Holiday plans, including the Free Christmas Ensemble Celebration, December 7th.
We then speak with Larry Strauss about Vero Beach Theatre Guild's production of "Dancing on the Dingle," November 29th and 30th at 2pm, with music by Jacob Craig and storybooks and lyrics by Larry Strauss. We also discuss the upcoming Irish Christmas Musical. Get tickets and details at the box office, 772-562-8300, or VeroBeachTheatreGuild.com
We then speak with Larry Strauss about Vero Beach Theatre Guild's production of "Dancing on the Dingle," November 29th and 30th at 2pm, with music by Jacob Craig and storybooks and lyrics by Larry Strauss. We also discuss the upcoming Irish Christmas Musical. Get tickets and details at the box office, 772-562-8300, or VeroBeachTheatreGuild.com
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Welcome to arts Plaster on the Air. It's a podcast
and a radio show and an Alexis Skill, all 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. Artsplast on the Air is
(00:24):
so proud to be supported by Ballet Vero Beach. Subscriptions
for the exciting new season are available online now. Single
seats on sale November first, and I'm thinking holiday gifts.
How about you stocking stuffers. The Nutcracker on the Indian
River is a little earlier and in a new venue
this year December eleventh through the thirteenth at Riverside Theater.
(00:47):
Ask about the new VIP add on experience for a
little more fun. Plus, Nutcracker for All has some new
options too. Learn about everything at Ballet Vero Beach dot org.
Now on with the show. My guest today Larry Strauss
and Rachel Harder Murphy. Okay, Rachel, let's see what you
(01:08):
are up to. You are at Community Church of Vero
Beach and you are the administrative coordinator for Music and Worship.
Long title.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
It's a very long title, and it's changed actually in
the last year or so. I'm doing a lot more
than just for music. I'm also working with the children
in family ministry and doing a little bit of social
media work as well.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
How do you have time to do all that and
take care of an almost one year old baby?
Speaker 2 (01:41):
Community Church is very kind with my time.
Speaker 1 (01:44):
Okay. That tells me and everybody that you are a
very much valued member of the staff and of their community.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
I like to think so, and I value them as well.
Speaker 1 (01:59):
Okay, what okay? Baby? Aside? What else is new? Recently?
You do a lot of why Rachel, You're a singer,
aren't you?
Speaker 2 (02:12):
Yes, I'm one of one of the one of the
many things I do at Community Church is I'm the
resident soprano And this year I was invited and I
chose to kick off our concert series with a voice
and piano concert called Tricks and Treats.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
This Sunday, Tricks and Treats. How appropriate for the end
of October, I think.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
So it's going to be kind of spooky, and we've
invited pianist Jacob Craig from First Presbyterian to play along
with me. So we're going to collaborate on what I
think is going to be a wonderful afternoon.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
It absolutely has to be between you and your fabulous
soprano voice and Jacob with his many, many talents. He's
not bringing his bagpipes, is he?
Speaker 3 (02:56):
Oh?
Speaker 1 (02:56):
Not this time, just a piano. Yes, it's going to
be a great concert. I know it's It's not in
the sanctuary, is it.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
No, We're going to have it in Grace Chapel. It's
a wonderful venue. It sounds great for smaller ensembles, voice
and piano concerts, and it seats about one point fifty
so seating is limited, and there are tickets that are
ten dollars each, so you might want to run out
and grab your tickets.
Speaker 1 (03:22):
Now. Okay, say I'm coming on campus and I'm not
going to the major auditorium part, how do I where's
the chapel.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
Grace Chapel is on the twenty third street side of
our campus and there's a lot of signs that will
lead you through the Memorial Garden into the Grace Chapel doors.
Speaker 1 (03:43):
Okay, what about parking?
Speaker 2 (03:45):
Parking? You can park anywhere on the church campus. We
have four different parking lots.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
So okay, and I remember going to events there and
parking I guess in a vacant line on the grasse
across the street. Are those things still available?
Speaker 4 (04:03):
Yes?
Speaker 2 (04:04):
Yes, we have a north lot on nineteenth and twenty third,
and then we have our main parking lot as well.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
Okay, talk about what you and Jacob will be playing
and singing.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
Well, Tricks and Treats is at three o'clock on the
twenty sixth, and we're going to be playing music that
ranges from early baroque music all the way to modern
modern times. I've got some handle planned and also some lehar,
some rock Mononoff. I mean, it's there's something for everybody.
(04:38):
There's Operetta, musical theater, and Jacob's preparing some solo pieces
as well.
Speaker 1 (04:44):
Okay, I'm trying to picture an entire afternoon of spooky
music with Rockmanonoff and composers like that. Yeah, they wrote
spooky music.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
Well, not necessarily, just make it sound spooky, right, So
we have a mixture. There's some pieces that everybody knows
and has heard of before. Those are the Treats, and
then there's some music that sort of challenges your ear
just a little bit, and those are.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
Our tricks, okay, and you put the program together. Yes,
what's your background, Rachel? I mean I've been hearing you sing,
and I know you're very much you have been very
much involved with the programming yet community church. What did
you study? What did you study?
Speaker 2 (05:28):
My degrees are in vocal performance, so I have a
bachelor's degree in vocal performance and I went on to
do my master's in vocal performance and opera.
Speaker 1 (05:40):
Okay, So no administrative you've kind of learned on the job.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
Yes, My administrative was sort of came naturally to me.
My father is very administrative, works with graphic design and
things like that. So a lot of what I do
after the singing is all learned at home skills.
Speaker 1 (06:02):
Interesting, what did what did he do?
Speaker 2 (06:05):
He was an editor. He was a teacher of computer sciences,
and so he he sort of came home and taught
more after having a full day of college teaching.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
So he had to be organized. And that just kind
of spread to you automatically.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
Yes. Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
Are you spreading that to your daughter?
Speaker 2 (06:25):
More than likely she walks over and she plays the
piano A couple keys at a time and then looks
at us like she's just performed a grand concerto. So
she's she's she's starting to get it.
Speaker 1 (06:38):
And she's not even one.
Speaker 2 (06:39):
She's not even one.
Speaker 1 (06:40):
Wowcht Now what's her name?
Speaker 2 (06:42):
Her name is Eliza Joy.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
She's on the way, she is stand aside, mom, here
I come. Yes, Okay. Community Church traditionally does some great
stuff at Christmas time too, are you? I don't have
to ask if you already planned the holidays?
Speaker 2 (07:01):
Oh no, Our director, Jill True access planned all the
way through to Easter. So we're we've got a pretty
full schedule coming up.
Speaker 1 (07:09):
Okay, So Jill has taken over as CHR title.
Speaker 2 (07:13):
Director of Music and Fine Arts.
Speaker 1 (07:15):
Okay, Jill True acts a huge talent on her own,
but now she's organized. Oh do you like organization?
Speaker 2 (07:24):
Yes?
Speaker 1 (07:25):
What is it has to be? I mean you can't.
You can't do the pro kind of programs that Community
Church does on a regular basis without being totally organized.
Speaker 2 (07:37):
That's correct. And she's she's a forward thinker and a
pre planner to the max. She's got many things planned
even for next year. So we're looking forward to what
she's got in store for us.
Speaker 1 (07:49):
Can you give us a hint about what will happen
over the holidays.
Speaker 2 (07:53):
Will we have our Advent Poetry and Music series coming back. Great,
We've got some great talents coming. Michael Tellasmanic is going
to play again, jazz pianist and improvisational artists Logan Kohler,
who has been our interim organist and organist in residence
at Community Church will be playing, and then Jill will
(08:14):
join me for an afternoon of poetry and song. So
we're really excited about that.
Speaker 1 (08:21):
Some audience participation, congregation participation, like a sing.
Speaker 2 (08:25):
Along, that would be nice, but not this year.
Speaker 1 (08:29):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
But we do have our Christmas Celebration coming up on
December seventh at seven pm, and that's our free concert
to the community, and all the ensembles of Community Church
will be presenting music for everyone to hear.
Speaker 1 (08:43):
Oh, got to get that on my calendar. Absolutely, that's
in the sanctuary right, Yes, what did you say six
hundred about ish?
Speaker 2 (08:54):
Yeah, depends depends on how many chairs we add in.
We can put a few in there.
Speaker 1 (09:00):
Okay. Is that ticketed?
Speaker 2 (09:01):
No? Absolutely not. So the Christmas Celebration is free. There's
a free will donation, but that's up to you and
your heart.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (09:09):
And the time again, that one is at seven pm.
Speaker 1 (09:14):
Okay recommends even though you have six hundred seats, that
is such a popular anything you do musically, truthfully is
very popular. And so I'm going to say get there early.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
Absolutely, you'll want to get there to get to get
your good seats.
Speaker 1 (09:32):
Yeah, and to get a parking space, yes, and just
to take a chance to relax and enjoy the beauty
of the sanctuary.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
Right, and give yourself a chance to check out the
gallery in the narthex, which is the sanctuary lobby. We've
got the wonderful drawings of Steve Bradbury up right now
until January.
Speaker 1 (09:50):
Okay, that was my next question. Are you doing the
shows for the season?
Speaker 4 (09:55):
Are you?
Speaker 2 (09:55):
Yes?
Speaker 1 (09:57):
Hearing how organized everything is, have it through the season, right,
What's what's after the first show?
Speaker 2 (10:05):
So so, Steve Bradberry is here until January, and then
our Congregational Art show is coming in January, where we
invite people who attend our church to submit at least
one art piece. We also have Jackie Shindahet will be
showing as well this year.
Speaker 1 (10:25):
Oh wow.
Speaker 2 (10:26):
And then we're inviting past artists in the spring to
do a retrospective. So each artist, as many as we
can get a hold of, will bring at least one
piece to kind of do a what we have done
so far display in the Nartheks Gallery.
Speaker 1 (10:45):
Okay, poetry an advent m.
Speaker 2 (10:48):
Sean Sexton, Yep, he's going to be He's going to
be there, and then we have one more for the advent,
and then I'm taking one for my music.
Speaker 1 (10:57):
Okay, about out of time. So once again, the concert
with you, Rachel.
Speaker 2 (11:05):
Yes, Treason Treats is Sunday, October twenty sixth at three
pm in Grace Chapel. Tickets are ten dollars each and
seating is.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
Limited and it's you and Jacob Craig. Correct, yay, yay music. Rachel,
great to talk to you. Thank you for having me,
my pleasure. Hugs and a kiss for Eliza will do. Okay,
all right, that was Rachel Carter Murphy. And let's take
a break now and check out what Riverside's doing. We
go to the website to learn about the coming season
(11:35):
plus everything happening this fall. If you are under forty,
you should ask about the new forty for forty program
and find out how special you really are always plenty
on the menu. There great bands, good food for Live
in the Loop and now two shows per evening in
the Comedy Zone six thirty and A thirty. Learn about
(11:55):
the great new season just kicking off the Little Shop
of Horrors Domain stage through November ninth. Then get everything
Riverside at Riversidetheater dot com.
Speaker 3 (12:07):
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
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now and enjoy exclusive perks all season long. Visit Ballet
Vero Beach dot org to reserve your subscription today.
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Speaker 3 (13:37):
You'll scream with delight at Little Shop of Hearts.
Speaker 6 (13:41):
The uplandish your funny sci fi music will open in
the new season at the Beautiful Riverside Theater at Vero Beach.
Seymour A tipid flower Shop Porny discovers a mysterious plant
with an appatite for fame, fortune.
Speaker 4 (13:52):
And human blood.
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With our rocket pop score, this cult classic will have
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Speaker 4 (13:59):
A lots is.
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Now played at your best tickets now at the bus
office or Riversidetheater dot com.
Speaker 1 (14:11):
And we are back with arts past on the air.
Old pal Larry Strauss is here my public shopping partners.
Speaker 4 (14:20):
Sometimes I will Yes, we do see each other at publics.
I must go there three four times a week.
Speaker 1 (14:27):
Hmm, I do too. I spend more time and money
at publics than almost anywhere.
Speaker 4 (14:34):
But my bed, well, we certainly have that in common.
Speaker 1 (14:39):
Wait, your bed and my bed.
Speaker 4 (14:42):
That's right, we don't have.
Speaker 1 (14:45):
Absolutely, sorry, Carol okay. Larry Strauss Carol Strauss are familiar
names to so many people after many years at the
Vero Beach Theater Guild and for other other reasons. But
your back. The Theater Guild coming up soon for a
special weekend in November. Special Well see you think it's
(15:09):
special because of dancing on the dingle. November twenty ninth
is my birthday, and that's.
Speaker 4 (15:16):
November twenty ninth. You are you coming to the show
that day?
Speaker 1 (15:19):
Absolutely?
Speaker 4 (15:20):
Okay, Okay, that's good.
Speaker 1 (15:22):
Okay. You're not going to invite me up on this
stage to sing and dance, right.
Speaker 4 (15:26):
Look for you. If you want to do that, you
are most welcome nobody else, but you're okay.
Speaker 1 (15:33):
Okay, No, you're safe. Okay, let's go back to the
beginning if we could, for people who don't, who aren't
aware of your involvement in not just the theater guild,
but the arts community. Where did you come from? And
don't tell me you floated down the Susquehanna on a
cabbage leaf. That's an old story.
Speaker 4 (15:54):
It sounds like more interesting. But Caroly and I came
down from Chicago in nineteen ninety eight. We built a
little house on the beach, and I was going to
play golf four times a week at Orchid Island.
Speaker 1 (16:08):
In fact, yeah, how'd that work out for you?
Speaker 4 (16:11):
Not well? Because I went there, even had a check
and they said, oh, mister Strasper, sorry, you don't live here,
you don't own property here, so I'm sorry, but you
can't be a member. They were very nice about it.
I love Orgt Island, so I went over to Sandridge
and I said, can you put me in with somebody?
They put me in with a guy, the Threesome guy
(16:33):
the name of Duff Thomas. Duff Thomas was a former
ABC cameraman who had gone to Russia with Nixon to
meet Bresnev. He had filmed some of Reagan's memoirs, and
he was also a doing volunteer lighting work at the
Vera Beach Theater Guild, which I had never heard of.
And in the course of those four hours I got
(16:54):
very much interested in the theater Guild. I tried out
for a show. First one was Send Me to No Flowers.
Probably remember that that movie. I was not the rock Hudson, Uh,
Doris Day and Uh. And my first musical was the
next year was Meme. And that's where I got to
know d Rose. I love d Row. She's in the show.
She's dancing in the ding which she's the current president
(17:16):
of the theater Guild. And she was she was Mame
and I was Beauregard Pickett Burnside I think was the name.
Speaker 1 (17:22):
Of the I will never forget you in that role.
Speaker 4 (17:25):
That's a long time ago. You have a very good memory.
Speaker 1 (17:28):
Well, it was, It was. It was momentous. I mean
that was you have such a voice. Did when did
you start singing?
Speaker 4 (17:38):
I started singing, uh, probably more seriously in college. I
went to Saint John's University, not the one in New York,
to one in Minnesota, and uh, I joined the men's
chorus because I knew they were going to Europe a
couple of times. And their director was the former director
of the Vienna Boys Choir Your hard Rock. He had
all these all these connections. So that's really when I
(17:59):
started singing again. It was it was just for fun.
I got to go to Europe a couple of times.
And throughout my business career, I really didn't do any
singing other than you know, just an occasional you know,
the party or something that was that was about it.
But for fun, I became a I was a novelty
songwriter in Chicago, for example, and that was just just
for fun. I like to play with lyrics and and
(18:21):
I like country music, so I I did. I wrote
country songs and or simple, you know, folks songs. And
then then I started doing stuff for retirement parties and
so on, because people found out that that I could
be clever with lyrics, and but that was that was
pretty much it until I moved down here.
Speaker 1 (18:42):
Okay, give me. Do you remember an example of your
country folk?
Speaker 4 (18:48):
Oh? Boy, okay, here's one. I wrote a song I
called it, Uh, It's a great country. Okay, that was
the title. Here's the lead in. I remember this now
it's been a while. My folks had a rule. I
had to go to school. Sure was extreme, but required.
(19:11):
They wanted education. I wanted vacation. Now I'm eighteen and
happily retired. Don't ask me the second verse of that.
Speaker 1 (19:24):
So you're still writing lyrics like that?
Speaker 4 (19:27):
No, No, I put all my concentration on this music.
It took me three years, and I had been in
thirty five shows at the Guild. I did Guild on
the Go for seven years as a director the singing group.
We ended up being the closing act of the Vera
Beach Centennial in October of twenty nineteen, only because the
(19:48):
Beatles got rained out so we went inside. And then
we did Putting on the Rest at in December, and
I decided to hang it up after those thirty five shows,
and then COVID hits and so now my wife Carol
is a clinical psychologist, so now she's seeing patients online
(20:09):
through some kind of a zoom type program, you know,
closed off in her office at home, I'm climbing the
walls and she says, you should go back to your songwriting.
So I pulled out some files. Then a week later,
she says, when this is over, whatever this thing is,
we should go back to Ireland. And I pulled out
(20:31):
a map of Ireland and totally disconnected between the two,
and I started looking at the names of towns and
villages in County Kerry and the Dingle Peninsula of Ireland, Bally, Bunyon, Trelee, Dingle,
these lyrical sounding names, and it hit me like a
ton of bricks. It was the inspiration that led to
(20:51):
you know, seven days a week, three hours a day
for three years.
Speaker 1 (20:55):
Well, I remember it well at at first pros was
it in the capital, right.
Speaker 4 (21:02):
Matt mcavee hall you were, I remember you. You were
in the front row at back of the hall, First Presbyterian.
Speaker 1 (21:08):
And I'm sure my jaw had dropped. And I was
having such a good time with dancing on the Dingle.
By the way, I just saw I think it was
on Netflix. Did you see this program about the Dingle,
about the peninsula.
Speaker 4 (21:23):
I didn't see that one. But I have done some
research on the because more of my research is old.
It's more than a hundred years old, because Dancing in
the Dingle is nineteen eleventh through nineteen fourteen. But it's
a very popular today. Dingle, the town of Dingle, on
the Dancing on the Dingle Peninsula is still only about
two thousand people in about two hundred pubs or something.
(21:44):
It's a it's a popular place, okay, but it's beautiful.
It's uh yeah, cliffs and the and the Dingle Peninsula
promontory which is which is prominent in my show. And
we also have ninety six scenic visuals and some of
these are fantastic of the Dingle Peninsula and that get
(22:04):
projected during the show.
Speaker 1 (22:07):
Okay, before we run out of time. How will people
get to see Dancing on the Dingle at the Vereau
Beach Theater Guild.
Speaker 4 (22:13):
Okay, they can call the box office Vero Beach, Thetereal
box Office five six two eighty three hundred. They can
go online Vero beachtheatergild dot com. Probably those are probably
the two best right race to get tickets, and tickets
are on sale right now. They're selling faster than I thought,
because well I thought it's a special event the end
(22:35):
of November. Most would sell in November. But they're selling fast,
so this is a good time to get choice seats.
Speaker 1 (22:41):
Okay, November twenty ninth and thirtieth, two o'clock only.
Speaker 4 (22:44):
Two o'clock only, two matinees right Saturday on Saturday. It's
a it's a fundraiser for the theater Guild.
Speaker 1 (22:50):
Okay. And Jacob Craig. Craig did the music, right.
Speaker 4 (22:54):
Jacob Craig did the music. He's a musical genius. I
love him. He is of course, he's everywhere, but we
were so lucky to have him, and I was so
lucky to have him.
Speaker 1 (23:03):
Yeah, you did the storybook and lyrics?
Speaker 4 (23:06):
I did?
Speaker 1 (23:06):
Okay, God, I cannot wait to see this. How will
it be different from what I saw at first present?
Speaker 4 (23:15):
I think it's a more intimate setting within the Theater Guild.
We have a professional sound system. I think the technical
aspects will be a little better. And I have some
new cast members.
Speaker 1 (23:26):
Okay, Carol Strauss, stage manager, pianist Elena Yancy.
Speaker 4 (23:31):
Yes, and Lena's fifteen years old.
Speaker 1 (23:33):
By the way, Oh no kidding. Okay, We're so well
out of time. Music composed by doctor Jacob Craig, directed
by the one and only.
Speaker 4 (23:43):
The one and only Mark Wagani.
Speaker 1 (23:44):
I am so glad to see him involved in this. Okay,
we are just about out of time. So once again
thorough Beachtheaterguild dot com for Dancing on the Dingle and
Irish Christmas Musical Larry Strauss, Jacob.
Speaker 4 (24:00):
Grat to eighty three hundred bucks office.
Speaker 1 (24:02):
Okay and manny more people in the cast, but we
are so out of time. Very great to.
Speaker 4 (24:07):
See you, Thank you, great to see you, Willie, thank.
Speaker 1 (24:10):
You okay, and thanks again to Rachel Carter Murphy, and
thank you listeners as always for joining us again this
week for Arts Blast on the Air podcast radio show
Alexis Skill, all presented by Ballet Vero Beach and Riverside Theater,
covering the arts online and in Arts Blast, the free
(24:31):
emailed weekly Florida Arts news magazine. Join us again next
week for another edition of Arts Blast on the Air.
I am Willie Miller, and I thank you for listening.
Welcome to arts Plaster on the Air. It's a podcast
and a radio show and an Alexis Skill, all 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. Artsplast on the Air is
(00:24):
so proud to be supported by Ballet Vero Beach. Subscriptions
for the exciting new season are available online now. Single
seats on sale November first, and I'm thinking holiday gifts.
How about you stocking stuffers. The Nutcracker on the Indian
River is a little earlier and in a new venue
this year December eleventh through the thirteenth at Riverside Theater.
(00:47):
Ask about the new VIP add on experience for a
little more fun. Plus, Nutcracker for All has some new
options too. Learn about everything at Ballet Vero Beach dot org.
Now on with the show. My guest today Larry Strauss
and Rachel Harder Murphy. Okay, Rachel, let's see what you
(01:08):
are up to. You are at Community Church of Vero
Beach and you are the administrative coordinator for Music and Worship.
Long title.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
It's a very long title, and it's changed actually in
the last year or so. I'm doing a lot more
than just for music. I'm also working with the children
in family ministry and doing a little bit of social
media work as well.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
How do you have time to do all that and
take care of an almost one year old baby?
Speaker 2 (01:41):
Community Church is very kind with my time.
Speaker 1 (01:44):
Okay. That tells me and everybody that you are a
very much valued member of the staff and of their community.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
I like to think so, and I value them as well.
Speaker 1 (01:59):
Okay, what okay? Baby? Aside? What else is new? Recently?
You do a lot of why Rachel, You're a singer,
aren't you?
Speaker 2 (02:12):
Yes, I'm one of one of the one of the
many things I do at Community Church is I'm the
resident soprano And this year I was invited and I
chose to kick off our concert series with a voice
and piano concert called Tricks and Treats.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
This Sunday, Tricks and Treats. How appropriate for the end
of October, I think.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
So it's going to be kind of spooky, and we've
invited pianist Jacob Craig from First Presbyterian to play along
with me. So we're going to collaborate on what I
think is going to be a wonderful afternoon.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
It absolutely has to be between you and your fabulous
soprano voice and Jacob with his many, many talents. He's
not bringing his bagpipes, is he?
Speaker 3 (02:56):
Oh?
Speaker 1 (02:56):
Not this time, just a piano. Yes, it's going to
be a great concert. I know it's It's not in
the sanctuary, is it.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
No, We're going to have it in Grace Chapel. It's
a wonderful venue. It sounds great for smaller ensembles, voice
and piano concerts, and it seats about one point fifty
so seating is limited, and there are tickets that are
ten dollars each, so you might want to run out
and grab your tickets.
Speaker 1 (03:22):
Now. Okay, say I'm coming on campus and I'm not
going to the major auditorium part, how do I where's
the chapel.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
Grace Chapel is on the twenty third street side of
our campus and there's a lot of signs that will
lead you through the Memorial Garden into the Grace Chapel doors.
Speaker 1 (03:43):
Okay, what about parking?
Speaker 2 (03:45):
Parking? You can park anywhere on the church campus. We
have four different parking lots.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
So okay, and I remember going to events there and
parking I guess in a vacant line on the grasse
across the street. Are those things still available?
Speaker 4 (04:03):
Yes?
Speaker 2 (04:04):
Yes, we have a north lot on nineteenth and twenty third,
and then we have our main parking lot as well.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
Okay, talk about what you and Jacob will be playing
and singing.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
Well, Tricks and Treats is at three o'clock on the
twenty sixth, and we're going to be playing music that
ranges from early baroque music all the way to modern
modern times. I've got some handle planned and also some lehar,
some rock Mononoff. I mean, it's there's something for everybody.
(04:38):
There's Operetta, musical theater, and Jacob's preparing some solo pieces
as well.
Speaker 1 (04:44):
Okay, I'm trying to picture an entire afternoon of spooky
music with Rockmanonoff and composers like that. Yeah, they wrote
spooky music.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
Well, not necessarily, just make it sound spooky, right, So
we have a mixture. There's some pieces that everybody knows
and has heard of before. Those are the Treats, and
then there's some music that sort of challenges your ear
just a little bit, and those are.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
Our tricks, okay, and you put the program together. Yes,
what's your background, Rachel? I mean I've been hearing you sing,
and I know you're very much you have been very
much involved with the programming yet community church. What did
you study? What did you study?
Speaker 2 (05:28):
My degrees are in vocal performance, so I have a
bachelor's degree in vocal performance and I went on to
do my master's in vocal performance and opera.
Speaker 1 (05:40):
Okay, So no administrative you've kind of learned on the job.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
Yes, My administrative was sort of came naturally to me.
My father is very administrative, works with graphic design and
things like that. So a lot of what I do
after the singing is all learned at home skills.
Speaker 1 (06:02):
Interesting, what did what did he do?
Speaker 2 (06:05):
He was an editor. He was a teacher of computer sciences,
and so he he sort of came home and taught
more after having a full day of college teaching.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
So he had to be organized. And that just kind
of spread to you automatically.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
Yes. Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
Are you spreading that to your daughter?
Speaker 2 (06:25):
More than likely she walks over and she plays the
piano A couple keys at a time and then looks
at us like she's just performed a grand concerto. So
she's she's she's starting to get it.
Speaker 1 (06:38):
And she's not even one.
Speaker 2 (06:39):
She's not even one.
Speaker 1 (06:40):
Wowcht Now what's her name?
Speaker 2 (06:42):
Her name is Eliza Joy.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
She's on the way, she is stand aside, mom, here
I come. Yes, Okay. Community Church traditionally does some great
stuff at Christmas time too, are you? I don't have
to ask if you already planned the holidays?
Speaker 2 (07:01):
Oh no, Our director, Jill True access planned all the
way through to Easter. So we're we've got a pretty
full schedule coming up.
Speaker 1 (07:09):
Okay, So Jill has taken over as CHR title.
Speaker 2 (07:13):
Director of Music and Fine Arts.
Speaker 1 (07:15):
Okay, Jill True acts a huge talent on her own,
but now she's organized. Oh do you like organization?
Speaker 2 (07:24):
Yes?
Speaker 1 (07:25):
What is it has to be? I mean you can't.
You can't do the pro kind of programs that Community
Church does on a regular basis without being totally organized.
Speaker 2 (07:37):
That's correct. And she's she's a forward thinker and a
pre planner to the max. She's got many things planned
even for next year. So we're looking forward to what
she's got in store for us.
Speaker 1 (07:49):
Can you give us a hint about what will happen
over the holidays.
Speaker 2 (07:53):
Will we have our Advent Poetry and Music series coming back. Great,
We've got some great talents coming. Michael Tellasmanic is going
to play again, jazz pianist and improvisational artists Logan Kohler,
who has been our interim organist and organist in residence
at Community Church will be playing, and then Jill will
(08:14):
join me for an afternoon of poetry and song. So
we're really excited about that.
Speaker 1 (08:21):
Some audience participation, congregation participation, like a sing.
Speaker 2 (08:25):
Along, that would be nice, but not this year.
Speaker 1 (08:29):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
But we do have our Christmas Celebration coming up on
December seventh at seven pm, and that's our free concert
to the community, and all the ensembles of Community Church
will be presenting music for everyone to hear.
Speaker 1 (08:43):
Oh, got to get that on my calendar. Absolutely, that's
in the sanctuary right, Yes, what did you say six
hundred about ish?
Speaker 2 (08:54):
Yeah, depends depends on how many chairs we add in.
We can put a few in there.
Speaker 1 (09:00):
Okay. Is that ticketed?
Speaker 2 (09:01):
No? Absolutely not. So the Christmas Celebration is free. There's
a free will donation, but that's up to you and
your heart.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (09:09):
And the time again, that one is at seven pm.
Speaker 1 (09:14):
Okay recommends even though you have six hundred seats, that
is such a popular anything you do musically, truthfully is
very popular. And so I'm going to say get there early.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
Absolutely, you'll want to get there to get to get
your good seats.
Speaker 1 (09:32):
Yeah, and to get a parking space, yes, and just
to take a chance to relax and enjoy the beauty
of the sanctuary.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
Right, and give yourself a chance to check out the
gallery in the narthex, which is the sanctuary lobby. We've
got the wonderful drawings of Steve Bradbury up right now
until January.
Speaker 1 (09:50):
Okay, that was my next question. Are you doing the
shows for the season?
Speaker 4 (09:55):
Are you?
Speaker 2 (09:55):
Yes?
Speaker 1 (09:57):
Hearing how organized everything is, have it through the season, right,
What's what's after the first show?
Speaker 2 (10:05):
So so, Steve Bradberry is here until January, and then
our Congregational Art show is coming in January, where we
invite people who attend our church to submit at least
one art piece. We also have Jackie Shindahet will be
showing as well this year.
Speaker 1 (10:25):
Oh wow.
Speaker 2 (10:26):
And then we're inviting past artists in the spring to
do a retrospective. So each artist, as many as we
can get a hold of, will bring at least one
piece to kind of do a what we have done
so far display in the Nartheks Gallery.
Speaker 1 (10:45):
Okay, poetry an advent m.
Speaker 2 (10:48):
Sean Sexton, Yep, he's going to be He's going to
be there, and then we have one more for the advent,
and then I'm taking one for my music.
Speaker 1 (10:57):
Okay, about out of time. So once again, the concert
with you, Rachel.
Speaker 2 (11:05):
Yes, Treason Treats is Sunday, October twenty sixth at three
pm in Grace Chapel. Tickets are ten dollars each and
seating is.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
Limited and it's you and Jacob Craig. Correct, yay, yay music. Rachel,
great to talk to you. Thank you for having me,
my pleasure. Hugs and a kiss for Eliza will do. Okay,
all right, that was Rachel Carter Murphy. And let's take
a break now and check out what Riverside's doing. We
go to the website to learn about the coming season
(11:35):
plus everything happening this fall. If you are under forty,
you should ask about the new forty for forty program
and find out how special you really are always plenty
on the menu. There great bands, good food for Live
in the Loop and now two shows per evening in
the Comedy Zone six thirty and A thirty. Learn about
(11:55):
the great new season just kicking off the Little Shop
of Horrors Domain stage through November ninth. Then get everything
Riverside at Riversidetheater dot com.
Speaker 3 (12:07):
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
(12:30):
now and enjoy exclusive perks all season long. Visit Ballet
Vero Beach dot org to reserve your subscription today.
Speaker 5 (12:37):
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Sunshine Furniturecasual dot com.
Speaker 3 (13:37):
You'll scream with delight at Little Shop of Hearts.
Speaker 6 (13:41):
The uplandish your funny sci fi music will open in
the new season at the Beautiful Riverside Theater at Vero Beach.
Seymour A tipid flower Shop Porny discovers a mysterious plant
with an appatite for fame, fortune.
Speaker 4 (13:52):
And human blood.
Speaker 6 (13:54):
With our rocket pop score, this cult classic will have
you laughing, gasping and singing.
Speaker 4 (13:59):
A lots is.
Speaker 6 (14:01):
Now played at your best tickets now at the bus
office or Riversidetheater dot com.
Speaker 1 (14:11):
And we are back with arts past on the air.
Old pal Larry Strauss is here my public shopping partners.
Speaker 4 (14:20):
Sometimes I will Yes, we do see each other at publics.
I must go there three four times a week.
Speaker 1 (14:27):
Hmm, I do too. I spend more time and money
at publics than almost anywhere.
Speaker 4 (14:34):
But my bed, well, we certainly have that in common.
Speaker 1 (14:39):
Wait, your bed and my bed.
Speaker 4 (14:42):
That's right, we don't have.
Speaker 1 (14:45):
Absolutely, sorry, Carol okay. Larry Strauss Carol Strauss are familiar
names to so many people after many years at the
Vero Beach Theater Guild and for other other reasons. But
your back. The Theater Guild coming up soon for a
special weekend in November. Special Well see you think it's
(15:09):
special because of dancing on the dingle. November twenty ninth
is my birthday, and that's.
Speaker 4 (15:16):
November twenty ninth. You are you coming to the show
that day?
Speaker 1 (15:19):
Absolutely?
Speaker 4 (15:20):
Okay, Okay, that's good.
Speaker 1 (15:22):
Okay. You're not going to invite me up on this
stage to sing and dance, right.
Speaker 4 (15:26):
Look for you. If you want to do that, you
are most welcome nobody else, but you're okay.
Speaker 1 (15:33):
Okay, No, you're safe. Okay, let's go back to the
beginning if we could, for people who don't, who aren't
aware of your involvement in not just the theater guild,
but the arts community. Where did you come from? And
don't tell me you floated down the Susquehanna on a
cabbage leaf. That's an old story.
Speaker 4 (15:54):
It sounds like more interesting. But Caroly and I came
down from Chicago in nineteen ninety eight. We built a
little house on the beach, and I was going to
play golf four times a week at Orchid Island.
Speaker 1 (16:08):
In fact, yeah, how'd that work out for you?
Speaker 4 (16:11):
Not well? Because I went there, even had a check
and they said, oh, mister Strasper, sorry, you don't live here,
you don't own property here, so I'm sorry, but you
can't be a member. They were very nice about it.
I love Orgt Island, so I went over to Sandridge
and I said, can you put me in with somebody?
They put me in with a guy, the Threesome guy
(16:33):
the name of Duff Thomas. Duff Thomas was a former
ABC cameraman who had gone to Russia with Nixon to
meet Bresnev. He had filmed some of Reagan's memoirs, and
he was also a doing volunteer lighting work at the
Vera Beach Theater Guild, which I had never heard of.
And in the course of those four hours I got
(16:54):
very much interested in the theater Guild. I tried out
for a show. First one was Send Me to No Flowers.
Probably remember that that movie. I was not the rock Hudson, Uh,
Doris Day and Uh. And my first musical was the
next year was Meme. And that's where I got to
know d Rose. I love d Row. She's in the show.
She's dancing in the ding which she's the current president
(17:16):
of the theater Guild. And she was she was Mame
and I was Beauregard Pickett Burnside I think was the name.
Speaker 1 (17:22):
Of the I will never forget you in that role.
Speaker 4 (17:25):
That's a long time ago. You have a very good memory.
Speaker 1 (17:28):
Well, it was, It was. It was momentous. I mean
that was you have such a voice. Did when did
you start singing?
Speaker 4 (17:38):
I started singing, uh, probably more seriously in college. I
went to Saint John's University, not the one in New York,
to one in Minnesota, and uh, I joined the men's
chorus because I knew they were going to Europe a
couple of times. And their director was the former director
of the Vienna Boys Choir Your hard Rock. He had
all these all these connections. So that's really when I
(17:59):
started singing again. It was it was just for fun.
I got to go to Europe a couple of times.
And throughout my business career, I really didn't do any
singing other than you know, just an occasional you know,
the party or something that was that was about it.
But for fun, I became a I was a novelty
songwriter in Chicago, for example, and that was just just
for fun. I like to play with lyrics and and
(18:21):
I like country music, so I I did. I wrote
country songs and or simple, you know, folks songs. And
then then I started doing stuff for retirement parties and
so on, because people found out that that I could
be clever with lyrics, and but that was that was
pretty much it until I moved down here.
Speaker 1 (18:42):
Okay, give me. Do you remember an example of your
country folk?
Speaker 4 (18:48):
Oh? Boy, okay, here's one. I wrote a song I
called it, Uh, It's a great country. Okay, that was
the title. Here's the lead in. I remember this now
it's been a while. My folks had a rule. I
had to go to school. Sure was extreme, but required.
(19:11):
They wanted education. I wanted vacation. Now I'm eighteen and
happily retired. Don't ask me the second verse of that.
Speaker 1 (19:24):
So you're still writing lyrics like that?
Speaker 4 (19:27):
No, No, I put all my concentration on this music.
It took me three years, and I had been in
thirty five shows at the Guild. I did Guild on
the Go for seven years as a director the singing group.
We ended up being the closing act of the Vera
Beach Centennial in October of twenty nineteen, only because the
(19:48):
Beatles got rained out so we went inside. And then
we did Putting on the Rest at in December, and
I decided to hang it up after those thirty five shows,
and then COVID hits and so now my wife Carol
is a clinical psychologist, so now she's seeing patients online
(20:09):
through some kind of a zoom type program, you know,
closed off in her office at home, I'm climbing the
walls and she says, you should go back to your songwriting.
So I pulled out some files. Then a week later,
she says, when this is over, whatever this thing is,
we should go back to Ireland. And I pulled out
(20:31):
a map of Ireland and totally disconnected between the two,
and I started looking at the names of towns and
villages in County Kerry and the Dingle Peninsula of Ireland, Bally, Bunyon, Trelee, Dingle,
these lyrical sounding names, and it hit me like a
ton of bricks. It was the inspiration that led to
(20:51):
you know, seven days a week, three hours a day
for three years.
Speaker 1 (20:55):
Well, I remember it well at at first pros was
it in the capital, right.
Speaker 4 (21:02):
Matt mcavee hall you were, I remember you. You were
in the front row at back of the hall, First Presbyterian.
Speaker 1 (21:08):
And I'm sure my jaw had dropped. And I was
having such a good time with dancing on the Dingle.
By the way, I just saw I think it was
on Netflix. Did you see this program about the Dingle,
about the peninsula.
Speaker 4 (21:23):
I didn't see that one. But I have done some
research on the because more of my research is old.
It's more than a hundred years old, because Dancing in
the Dingle is nineteen eleventh through nineteen fourteen. But it's
a very popular today. Dingle, the town of Dingle, on
the Dancing on the Dingle Peninsula is still only about
two thousand people in about two hundred pubs or something.
(21:44):
It's a it's a popular place, okay, but it's beautiful.
It's uh yeah, cliffs and the and the Dingle Peninsula
promontory which is which is prominent in my show. And
we also have ninety six scenic visuals and some of
these are fantastic of the Dingle Peninsula and that get
(22:04):
projected during the show.
Speaker 1 (22:07):
Okay, before we run out of time. How will people
get to see Dancing on the Dingle at the Vereau
Beach Theater Guild.
Speaker 4 (22:13):
Okay, they can call the box office Vero Beach, Thetereal
box Office five six two eighty three hundred. They can
go online Vero beachtheatergild dot com. Probably those are probably
the two best right race to get tickets, and tickets
are on sale right now. They're selling faster than I thought,
because well I thought it's a special event the end
(22:35):
of November. Most would sell in November. But they're selling fast,
so this is a good time to get choice seats.
Speaker 1 (22:41):
Okay, November twenty ninth and thirtieth, two o'clock only.
Speaker 4 (22:44):
Two o'clock only, two matinees right Saturday on Saturday. It's
a it's a fundraiser for the theater Guild.
Speaker 1 (22:50):
Okay. And Jacob Craig. Craig did the music, right.
Speaker 4 (22:54):
Jacob Craig did the music. He's a musical genius. I
love him. He is of course, he's everywhere, but we
were so lucky to have him, and I was so
lucky to have him.
Speaker 1 (23:03):
Yeah, you did the storybook and lyrics?
Speaker 4 (23:06):
I did?
Speaker 1 (23:06):
Okay, God, I cannot wait to see this. How will
it be different from what I saw at first present?
Speaker 4 (23:15):
I think it's a more intimate setting within the Theater Guild.
We have a professional sound system. I think the technical
aspects will be a little better. And I have some
new cast members.
Speaker 1 (23:26):
Okay, Carol Strauss, stage manager, pianist Elena Yancy.
Speaker 4 (23:31):
Yes, and Lena's fifteen years old.
Speaker 1 (23:33):
By the way, Oh no kidding. Okay, We're so well
out of time. Music composed by doctor Jacob Craig, directed
by the one and only.
Speaker 4 (23:43):
The one and only Mark Wagani.
Speaker 1 (23:44):
I am so glad to see him involved in this. Okay,
we are just about out of time. So once again
thorough Beachtheaterguild dot com for Dancing on the Dingle and
Irish Christmas Musical Larry Strauss, Jacob.
Speaker 4 (24:00):
Grat to eighty three hundred bucks office.
Speaker 1 (24:02):
Okay and manny more people in the cast, but we
are so out of time. Very great to.
Speaker 4 (24:07):
See you, Thank you, great to see you, Willie, thank.
Speaker 1 (24:10):
You okay, and thanks again to Rachel Carter Murphy, and
thank you listeners as always for joining us again this
week for Arts Blast on the Air podcast radio show
Alexis Skill, all presented by Ballet Vero Beach and Riverside Theater,
covering the arts online and in Arts Blast, the free
(24:31):
emailed weekly Florida Arts news magazine. Join us again next
week for another edition of Arts Blast on the Air.
I am Willie Miller, and I thank you for listening.
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