Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to Passport Mommy. I'm your host, Michelle Jerson. This
show is for anyone raising little humans. We feature experts
with tips and advice to enrich the lives of our children.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Mom and dad.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
Entrepreneurs tell us their inspiring stories, learn about products that
could make both you and your child's life easier and
more fun, and of course, fellow parents discuss and laugh
about what's happening in their child's world. Motherhood is a journey.
Thanks for joining me onmine. Welcome to Passport Mommy. I'm
Michelle Jerson, and I don't think I've been more excited
(00:33):
to have a guest on this show as Cassandra Haines
Riska in.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
A while, because my kids have.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
Fallen in love with learning through a game called Prodigy
that my daughter was introduced to in her second grade class.
And while I'm not a huge fan of screen time,
it's inevitable. And when they just asked me to play
Prodigy all the time, it's really like music to my ears.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
Causandra, thank you so much for writing me today. Yes,
thank you so.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
Much for having me.
Speaker 4 (01:03):
As a former teacher, I am always happy to discuss
a product that I did use myself. In the classroom
and as a mom myself, I am ready to.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
Talk about summer and how students can use their time.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
Yes, absolutely, because I feel like summer is the time
that as parents we're like, well, we don't want our
kids to lose everything that they've learned in the school
year and it be more difficult to start up again
in the fall. And at the same time, we want
them to have a fun summer. So what are some
tips that you have for parents concerned about this.
Speaker 4 (01:31):
Yeah, So, first off the bat, I want to say,
don't stress as a parent.
Speaker 3 (01:36):
Whatever you're doing, you are doing great. You're doing awesome.
There is no right or wrong way to parent. You're
doing awesome.
Speaker 4 (01:43):
So let's just start there and say thank you parents
for doing what you're doing. Keep it up, You're doing great.
So that's my motivational boost to just start this conversation
here now. In terms of from a teacher's perspective, I
always noticed in the fall when I came back to
school that they're sort of three kinds of students that
came to me, and so I could always tell kind
(02:06):
of the habits that happened over the summer based on
who those students were. So student number one was the
student whose parent really forgot about academics completely, didn't really
talk about math, didn't read with their child, sort of
just focused on whatever happens, happens, and fall starts when
fall starts.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
That's right.
Speaker 4 (02:27):
That student typically struggled a little bit to get back
into routines and procedures. They were often sleepy in the
mornings and kind of had to be reminded of, you know,
how to do work, how to respond to class procedures,
and how to just get back in the game. Sometimes
there were gaps between learning. You could see that their
(02:48):
scores dipped a bit from the end of school year
to the beginning of the school year.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
So that's student number one. Then there was student number.
Speaker 4 (02:55):
Two, whose parents sort of had a happy medium, a
happy balance where they infused a little bit of academics
into their normal summer routine. You know, there was summer
camps that may or may not have been academically focused.
There were activities that they did just even at the
kitchen table. There may or may not have been some worksheets,
and there definitely was a little bit of reading. So
(03:17):
that student had a better time, you know, jumping back
in they still had those routines and procedures in their
mind because they didn't forget about school completely throughout the summer.
Then there was student number three, and that student, you know, honestly,
their parent took it to the max where every day
they were doing a worksheet or they were doing something academic,
and they were involved in stam camp, math camp, science camp,
(03:40):
art camp, you know, everything academic focused.
Speaker 3 (03:43):
That child arrived burnt out already back to school time.
Speaker 4 (03:48):
So you know, while I'm not saying there's a right
way or a wrong way to parent, I can definitely
say that there is a clear indication of you know,
what you do in the summer will impact back.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
To school one hundred percent.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
So where does Prodigy come in in these cases and
how can it help?
Speaker 2 (04:09):
Yes?
Speaker 4 (04:09):
Absolutely so I'd like to think that Prodigy is representing
student number two, where it's that happy balance between fun
and academics, and it's going to help your child keep
school in mind while also not making it feel like
that chore that student number three is experiencing. So Prodigy
(04:30):
can help because we are no cost. So even if
your student is not using Prodigy currently at their school,
the good news is is that anyone can sign up
for a Prodigy account at no cost. So all students
have to do is go to prodigygame dot Com. They're
going to create a free account and now they have
(04:51):
access to the same academic content that any other child
that is using Prodigy does. So even if you're a
parent who has a miiled not currently using Prodigy, they
could start right now and get the same benefits over
the summer as well.
Speaker 3 (05:06):
And then the great news is they.
Speaker 4 (05:08):
Can keep that account going into the fall with their
new teacher, and now their teacher can create assignments to
that account and also view data on the student as well.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
That's amazing.
Speaker 1 (05:18):
And so let's just walk parents through Prodigy really quickly
and how it works. Because my kids don't think they're
doing work when they're on Prodigy.
Speaker 3 (05:27):
Yes, absolutely so. Prodigy again is no cost digital game
based learning.
Speaker 4 (05:32):
And the key word in there is learning because that
is at the heart of what Prodigy does. We are
really a skill practice platform where students are practicing the
skills that they are learning in class.
Speaker 3 (05:47):
And so what.
Speaker 4 (05:48):
Prodigy does is it actually adapts to students along the way,
so if students are struggling, it will pull them back
to some prerequisite skills, and if they're doing really well,
it will actually advance them as well. So I like
to think that Prodigy is the ultimate content giver because
it gives the students what they need exactly when they
(06:10):
need it, but the students don't realize it like you
say that.
Speaker 3 (06:14):
You know, I've had students who.
Speaker 4 (06:16):
Will come up to me and say, you know, miss
Hain's RISKA, I'm getting multiplication. And that's amazing as a
teacher who's teaching second grade, because you know, I didn't
give them multiplication, but it's starting to advance them into that.
And then I can kind of give micro lessons, kind
of tutor them on the side within like three to
five minutes of just like here's how you multiply. Now
(06:38):
go apply it to Prodigy, and then Prodigy gives them
the skills they need and the practice to actually start
mastering that concept.
Speaker 1 (06:45):
Yes, and I'm my son who is in kindergarten obviously
has to do it with my daughter because why not.
And so here he's coming to me knowing multiplication and
I'm so impressed.
Speaker 4 (06:58):
Yes, and we actually, because we don't currently have kinder standards,
what I do recommend is if you have a kindergartener,
like you said, a mentoring situation is great because they
do have that buddy model of an older kid helping
them kind of figure out the mechanics of how to
work on a computer or a tablet.
Speaker 3 (07:17):
But then they're getting.
Speaker 4 (07:18):
Exposed to those first grade standards and they're going to
advance and be ready for first grade in a way that.
Speaker 3 (07:24):
You know, the other students may not be.
Speaker 4 (07:26):
So even if we don't have the Kinder curriculum right now,
definitely don't be afraid to start using it.
Speaker 3 (07:33):
You know, if your kid's ready, you no, do it.
Speaker 2 (07:35):
Let's go yeah, one hundred percent.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
And so what grade would you say this goes up
until for kids?
Speaker 4 (07:41):
Yes, so our math content goes up to eighth grade
and our English content goes up to sixth grade. So
if you have a student pretty much first through eighth we.
Speaker 3 (07:51):
Do have your standards.
Speaker 4 (07:53):
If you have a Kinder student who's ready academically and
maturity wise to kind of get on a platform, then
you know, don't be shy. Kinder would be a great
option to to get them ready and get them going,
especially if they're advanced. And also we do have some
students in ninth through twelfth grade who use Prodigy as
well because it's fun remediation. So if you have a
(08:15):
high schooler who's struggling with algebraic concepts and they need
to be reminded of what multiplication is, it's possible with
Prodigy to remind them this is multiplication and then kind
of scaffold up there for those academic skills in a
motivating and engaging way.
Speaker 2 (08:32):
And so how long has Prodigy been around?
Speaker 4 (08:34):
We actually just celebrated our fourteenth birthday this month, so
happy birthday to Prodigy. They're fourteen years old, gosh, teenage years,
you know. And out of those fourteen years, you know,
I started teaching in twenty fourteen, so I started using
Prodigy in twenty fifteen. So I've actually been around for
the majority of Prodigy's existence, using the product myself in
(08:58):
the classroom.
Speaker 1 (08:58):
And if a teacher is listening right now and they
don't use Prodigy, how can they get it?
Speaker 3 (09:04):
Yes, So teachers, when I say it is free, it
is free. It does not cost you anything.
Speaker 4 (09:09):
So prodigygame dot com, click on educators and click on
sign up.
Speaker 3 (09:13):
It's that simple.
Speaker 4 (09:14):
If you use single sign on tools like Google Clever,
or class link. You can use it right there from
the platform as well, and rostering with Clever and Google
takes a button, a click. Now, if you're an administrator listening,
we also offer school partnerships and if you're interested, you
can find out more about that on our admin section
as well on our website.
Speaker 2 (09:34):
That's terrific.
Speaker 1 (09:35):
And again, if we are someone who just wants to
get it for our child over the summer, because it
is a great way to foster learning, and that's really
what it is. I am so impressed with how it
foster's learning and is so much fun for them.
Speaker 2 (09:48):
Where can we go?
Speaker 4 (09:50):
Yep, So same website, prodigygame dot com. There is a
parent's tab, so parents could click on that to sign
up for a free parent account as well.
Speaker 3 (09:58):
But if you just want to sign.
Speaker 4 (09:59):
Up your student, you would click on game sign Up
Student and then you would be walked through how to
set up that profile there.
Speaker 1 (10:06):
And when you say a parent account, what does the
parent account do? That's different from the student account.
Speaker 4 (10:10):
So the parent account is more so that students can
kind of be linked with their parents so that the
parent can see the academic progress of their child and
they could do really cool things like send cheers to
their student in the game. So, you know, I've had
parents kind of, you know, at work, they'll log into
their Prodigy app and kind of send like a way
(10:30):
to go, You're doing great right to their student, and
it just sort of makes it a little bit more
fun and engaging for the parent to be able to
also see their child's progress. As a teacher, I had
some really engaged parents who actually brought the Prodigy app
to parent teacher conferences and actually knew their child's academic
(10:51):
progress based on that app. So it's I definitely highly
recommend kind of being involved there as a parent as
much as you want to.
Speaker 1 (10:59):
Absolutely, well, thank you so much, Cassandra Haines Risko. Thank
you so much for joining me today on Passport Mommy,
and thank you for bringing this gift of learning to
my kids with Prodigy.
Speaker 3 (11:09):
Yes, absolutely, thank you so much for having me my pleasure.
Speaker 1 (11:12):
I'm Michelle Jurson. We're coming up in a few you're
listening to Passport Mommy. I'm Michelle Jurson. And the temperatures
are definitely heating up. At least where I am, it
is going to hit one hundred degrees today and you know,
we think about ourselves and we think about how we
can keep cool and protect ourselves from the.
Speaker 2 (11:31):
Heat, but what are about our pets. Our pets also
need to be kept safe.
Speaker 1 (11:36):
So I'm really happy to have on the show with
me today, doctor Alexandra Meyer. She is a doctor veterinary
medicine at VCA Woodbridge Animal Hospital.
Speaker 2 (11:44):
Thank you so much for joining me today.
Speaker 5 (11:48):
Thanks for having me Michelle.
Speaker 2 (11:49):
My pleasure.
Speaker 1 (11:50):
So what are some of the biggest threats our pets
may face in the summertime.
Speaker 5 (11:57):
Well, you touched on a big one. Heat. It is
really hot right now, and our pets cannot thermal regulate
the same way that we do. They only sweat from
their feet, but to cool themselves off, they pant. So
they're very, very sensitive to these hot temperatures. So being
aware of what the temperature is and keeping your pet
inside is definitely recommended.
Speaker 3 (12:18):
But we also see.
Speaker 5 (12:19):
Problems with normal summer activities like barbecues, fire pits, and
even some of the foods that we enjoy can become
hazards for our pets.
Speaker 1 (12:29):
And so how can we keep our pets protected from
say fire from a barbecue, a candle or a fire pit.
Speaker 5 (12:37):
Avoidance is definitely one of my biggest recommendations. So when
we are having an active grill or an active fire,
keep your pet away from that area, whether they're inside
or they're kept in a gated place away from where
that active fire is. Is one of the easiest way
to keep them safe, but also supervising. When we do
(12:58):
have things like citronella, candles, curious noses, it smells a
little funny. They can come up to the flame, burn
their whiskers, burn their noses. Even that overly curious dog
can give a candle a little bit of a lick,
and that citrinella can cause some irritation in their mouth
and their gi trapped.
Speaker 1 (13:15):
Oh good to know. And so how about with what
they're swallowing? Because I know dogs love to put lots
of different things in their mouths. What are some things
that we should make sure they are not swallowing.
Speaker 5 (13:28):
I think as humans we all love, you know, that
corn on the cob in the summer. It's delicious. We
love our peaches, our mangoes, but those center cores can
definitely become a problem. They're not very digestible and if
our dog were to eat it, it can cause irritation.
Or even can become stuck in that GI system, which
(13:48):
may cause a veterinary trip or even a surgical intervention
to help that. So what I do recommend, if we
are going to have those yummy foods, throw those cobs,
throw those pits into the trash and take that trash
right out to the curb as soon as you can,
so that that pet is going through the trash and
eating something that could become a hazard.
Speaker 2 (14:09):
And what are some tips for keeping them safe.
Speaker 1 (14:11):
Let's say if they like to jump into the swimming pool,
so we love.
Speaker 5 (14:17):
To spend time in the pool. Feels great, our pets
think it feels great, but if they accidentally fall in,
even the strongest swimmer can become tired and they can drown.
So teach your pet how to navigate that swim out
area and as always supervised, keep an eye on that area.
Keep an eye on your pets so that you can
recognize when there is potential dangerous situation. They're also great
(14:41):
little floaties and lifefest for your pet, but that still
does not mean they can be unsupervised. So keep an
eye on our pets this summer.
Speaker 1 (14:50):
And what would you say is like the hottest temperature
that we should be running with our dog when is
hot just too hot.
Speaker 5 (15:00):
We play in the mornings it seems to be a
little bit cooler, but even as we're having this heat wave,
if it's anything over eighty five, I recommend keeping your
pet inside. They just can't tolerate this heat. We really
shouldn't be doing any exercise fetch things like that when
we are pushing eighty five degrees even hotter, and it
can be much more difficult and more deadly. So keep
(15:20):
your pet inside. Another good way to check would be
touching that sidewalk or that asphalt with your hot with
your hand. If you can't keep your hands there more
for the few seconds, it is not safe for your pet.
Keep them on the grass, keep them in the cool areas.
Speaker 1 (15:36):
Yes, and what about those doggy booties, do they do
anything or is still?
Speaker 2 (15:40):
The heat can go right through.
Speaker 5 (15:42):
So pets will actually their only sweat glands are on
their feet, So those booties can actually act as you know,
a little bit of a heat you know, an insulator,
So it causes them to sweat a little bit more
so while we're trying to protect them from the heat,
it actual can cause them to overheap even a little
bit easier. So be very very careful with them, as
(16:05):
it can cause you problems with them actually sweating.
Speaker 2 (16:09):
Yeah, good advice.
Speaker 1 (16:10):
And you know something that always makes me really upset
is when I see dogs left in a car, and
so I mean, especially when it's hot, is it safe
even if the windows are cracked.
Speaker 5 (16:22):
Even with the windows crack, that's not enough air circulation.
Our cars are little ovens and it can get very
very hot, very very quickly. My recommendation is if you
cannot bring your dog into the building with you, do
not bring your pet in the car. The other recommendation
I have to make sure we don't have any accidental
pets left in the car would be to put your purse,
(16:42):
put your wallet, put your keys in the back with
your pet. When you get out of that car, you
grab your purse, the things you need. Your pet is
right there and wanting to come with you. That way,
we don't accidentally have anybody left in the car and
in a dangerous situation.
Speaker 1 (16:56):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (16:56):
Great tips.
Speaker 1 (16:57):
So what resources does VCA Animal Hospital offered to pets
affected by the summer hazards.
Speaker 5 (17:04):
DCA has an amazing handbook online right now talking about
summer hazards. That's available at DCA dot com. We are
also running a special from July twenty three to fifteenth
where pet owners have a fifty percent off their emergency
exam SEA at VCA hospitals. You can find this on
VCA dot com. There is a button says fine Care.
(17:27):
You can put in your zip car zip code and
find your local VCA hospital from there.
Speaker 1 (17:33):
Terrific, doctor Alexandramyer. Thank you so much for joining me
today on Passport Mommy. The tips are invaluable for our pets.
We have to think about them just as much as
we think about ourselves and our children.
Speaker 2 (17:43):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (17:44):
Thanks, michell My pleasure. I'm Michelle Jerson. We're coming up
in a few you're listening to Passport Mommy. I'm Michelle Jerson,
and I'm thrilled to have Lewis Flynn on the show
with me today because I went to see his show
the other.
Speaker 2 (17:58):
Night and it was such a treat.
Speaker 1 (18:01):
I know, originally it was supposed to be a different
type of show which you could tell us about, but
the one that we saw was phenomenal. He had special
guests who were just incredible vocalists, one who I was
a little more familiar with from the Broadway scene than
the other. And I'm so glad he introduced the other
one because I even saw an.
Speaker 2 (18:19):
Interview that you did, Lewis, and.
Speaker 1 (18:20):
You had said, Okay, maybe we're not as familiar, but
she is the what you considered the best soprano in
the country. And it was such a treat your entire show,
just hearing your story, hearing your background and all the
songs that went with it. So Lewis, thank you so
much for joining me today.
Speaker 2 (18:36):
Pleasure to be here, Thank you my pleasure.
Speaker 1 (18:39):
So tell me a little bit about this show that
we got to watch the other night.
Speaker 6 (18:43):
Well, I, as you mentioned, what's scheduled to sort of
do a presentation developmental presentation of another project called Like Love,
and we had two weekends in the space, and then
the lead actress, Mary Testa kept testing positive for COVID
(19:04):
and basically we had to cancel both presentations because there
was no more time to rehearse. So very quickly I
was like, well that kind of is not good just
to leave this beautiful space dark for these prime weekends,
So let me see if I can put something together.
So I pivoted as they say, and went and sort
(19:28):
of into my trunk that had remained pretty much closed
for thirty years and found songs that a I could
pull off vocally and perform, and then that those special
guests you mentioned could also perform, so that it would
(19:48):
ended up being kind of a retrospective kind of presentation
of songs that were my theater songs more standalone, are
songs and songs from some of my shows that originated
back when I had a band in the nineties. So
(20:09):
it is a break for me just to revisit all
of these old songs that hadn't heard the light of
day for you know, thirty thirty five.
Speaker 1 (20:18):
Years, right, which was amazing. And I love the pictures
that you pulled out with it. And for those who
don't know you're a composer, you're a lyricist. You're known
for your catchy melodies, your innovative scores. You have an
acclaimed Broadway musical list is Strata Jones, which debuted in
twenty eleven with the book by Douglas Carter Bean. And
(20:38):
so tell me what your career has been like. And
I know you've been balancing it with a family, which
we can relate to, but not necessarily as in the
Broadway space.
Speaker 2 (20:49):
So tell me how that's been.
Speaker 6 (20:50):
Sure. You know what's interesting is when you launch in
in your twenties. You know, I'm fresh out of college.
There's no path, there's no one right way to pursue
a career as a composer. And at the beginning it's
a bit of a scramble because you're just got to
(21:11):
pay the rent. And I had started with I just
had my band and we were performing. I started writing
music for commercials. I fell into that. I started working
off off Broadway, writing scores for plays. You know, friends
who are actors. Oh, I'm doing this, can you help?
(21:35):
So I was film scores, doing working with a lot
at NYU, so even though I didn't go there, but
I was in the neighborhood. So I was pursuing all
these things in the nineties, and slowly but surely they
all sort of started rolling down the hill and in
(21:56):
terms and one thing sort of led to another. So
as the band became more popular, more people saw me,
and the audience would come up, hey are you available
for this or that? And that's just sort of how
it started and started. I ended up letting go of
(22:17):
the band after Gosh, about three or years, it was
just too hard and I couldn't tour because I was
busy in New York with the Real Moneymaker, which was
at that point writing music and being a jingle singer
for commercials and also doing theater. I was starting to
work here off Broadway, and then one thing led to another,
(22:40):
and I started working with a director a lot Mark Brocall,
and now we're into the two thousands, and he brought
me in to write music for a play by Douglas
Carter Bean a drama department, and that's how I met Dog,
and then we started a relationship, adopted kids. Then I
(23:03):
had family here and started writing music. I'd done it
by that time, Gosh a lot of regional scoring for plays,
so that is what I was doing for him and
for Mark, and one of those plays was Little Dog Laughed,
which started at second Stage and then transferred to Broadway.
(23:28):
A producer of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire at
the game show was in the audience and thought that
that was a great sound for a game show. I
don't know if that's a compliment or not, but it
was quite helpful because that sort of I had already
done a lot of TV music with commercials, so that
was a great gig. I started doing all this music
(23:49):
for game shows. Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? I
did show called Power of ten Million Dollar Password, and
that was great when the kids were young because I
didn't have to travel, right, And then we Doug and
I started working together. We were at Lista Strata Jones
and that opened down in Dallas, and the kids at
(24:11):
that point were gosh, five and three, so that was
a challenge to sort of relocate down there with the
whole family and the dog and figure out childcare down
there while mounting the show. Right, So yeah, care dot
(24:33):
Com was a friend.
Speaker 1 (24:35):
And I know it's not easy. I mean it's really
really hard. And we're actually contemplating a move now. My
kids are a little older, and I'm like, I it
just seems daunting. So to move and continue your career
and balance kids no easy task.
Speaker 6 (24:51):
Yeah, it was. I'm glad I did it. I mean
I'm still doing it. I remember, you know, Lissa Strata
Jones was pretty racy. It's about a sex strike essentially
on a college campus, and I felt a little bad
as a parent on a stage with all but they
didn't know what it meant a recent production which they
(25:12):
went to here in New York City and they're like,
oh my gosh, really that's now that they're eighteen and twenty,
they're like, Oh, that's what that means.
Speaker 2 (25:26):
That's funny.
Speaker 1 (25:27):
So I think a lot of a lot of people
who might have kids who are studying composing in music
and theater and they're wondering, how do we break in?
What advice would you give them?
Speaker 6 (25:40):
That it's advice that people gave me, and I didn't
know really how to take it because it's a heart.
But the advice is you just have to be yourself
and recognize, particularly in casting, that my experience with the
(26:00):
casting all our shows and over the years is quirky, different,
always stands out and compositionally, if you want to be
a songwriter, your own personal aesthetic will differentiate you from
anybody else. So at the beginning I was like, oh look,
I was very fastile like I can do jazz, I
(26:23):
can do this, I can do that, until somebody said, Louis,
if somebody wants a jazz writer, they're going to get
you know, Wyn Marsalis. If somebody wants someone to sound
like Stephen Sondheim. They're going to go get Stephen sondhim.
Speaker 4 (26:37):
So be.
Speaker 6 (26:40):
Really just spend the time and find your own voice
and stick to it, which is hard to do.
Speaker 2 (26:50):
Yeah, excellent advice.
Speaker 6 (26:53):
Very but just you know, as a song on my
sets that you just got to hold on and hopefully
it'll get.
Speaker 3 (27:01):
Slowly but surely recognized, right exactly.
Speaker 6 (27:04):
And the other thing, the other easier piece of advice
is just say yes, say yes to everything, because in
this business, it's a people business, and people work with
people they want to work with. So just be nice
and kind and there and show up knowing your stuff.
Don't be difficult. Everyone's doing their best and it's all
(27:28):
a big team, team effort at the end of the day.
So be a team player.
Speaker 2 (27:34):
Yeah, long way exactly. That was a mentor of mine
when I first got into radio.
Speaker 1 (27:39):
So the same thing. The biggest thing is showing up.
You show up when others don't and continue showing up.
And so tell me about the shows that.
Speaker 2 (27:47):
You have coming up. What are you working on. What
can we expect, Well.
Speaker 6 (27:54):
A kind of few, you know, COVID really was a
big delay which we're still covering from. So my sort
of front burner project is another one that I've written
with Doug called Hood, and it's a retelling of Robin Hood.
And it opened in Dallas in Gosh twenty seventeen, and
there had been presentations prior to that at the Scranton
(28:18):
Shakespeare Festival. We workshop at the Royal Academy in London.
So it's been around and then it was supposed to
commercial producers became attached. It was supposed to open in
twenty twenty and that production was postponed two years twenty
twenty two, and then we had to do another producer
(28:38):
shift came in. So but now that's finally back on
sort of a fast track, headed into Broadway hopefully this season,
and very excited about that. It's you know, it's got
great songs. It's as if there's a young company that
(29:00):
chooses this ancient legend to retell to deal with the
political a climate of the current political climate, whatever current means,
because when we wrote it, current was when Barack Obama
was president. Right now taken on, you know, Prince John,
and you know, everything has taken on quite a different yes,
(29:25):
which is kind of crazy unfortunately. Yes, So that's coming.
Then I've written another musical with Doug based on his
film Too Wong Fu, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar, which
was a hit cult film from the mid nineties. And
he was very smart when he signed that movie deal
that he retained the theatrical rights, which at that point
(29:50):
no one was turning movies into musicals, so the studio
Universal just sort of, I guess didn't realize it. So
that was a coup. So now we have that project
and we opened that in England twenty three and that's
coming into New York, well into the States now. We
(30:12):
were but in England sometimes a little easier these days
to work in England. They're just have a little more
turnover and it's a little less expensive over there. But
I think again, in this day and age, we need
positive images of drag culture and LGBT life. It's certainly
(30:39):
a show that, amongst other things, presents that.
Speaker 2 (30:42):
Oh that's phenomenal.
Speaker 1 (30:43):
Yes, I think, especially in times like this, we need
to show that the community is alive and supportive and
make children who are in that community feel welcome and not.
I mean, I just can't believe how backwards we've become.
But this is a political show, so I won't get
into it.
Speaker 6 (31:02):
Well, you know, theater I think as always political in
some way. I mean, otherwise, what's the point.
Speaker 3 (31:09):
The truth I.
Speaker 6 (31:10):
Think is you don't want to sit there and feel like, well,
you have to teach the audience a lesson, you know.
I can't stand that when I go to see a show.
I'm like, don't tell me how to feel or how
to right right. I just think, as you said, the
mere presence of it on the stage is the statement, right,
the visibility of it. No one wants their finger wagged
(31:33):
in their face, and so I think projects that do
that don't last very long.
Speaker 2 (31:40):
Sure.
Speaker 1 (31:43):
Yeah, So where can we go to read up more
about you and what you're doing and maybe see some
of your work?
Speaker 3 (31:50):
Well?
Speaker 6 (31:51):
Self promotion, I've got up my game, but I do
have my website Lewis Flynn dot com. I'm on Instagram
and I will posts. I actually now have some younger
actor friends who are helping me.
Speaker 1 (32:06):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (32:06):
I like, I'm with you. It's not my strong point either,
I feel like.
Speaker 6 (32:12):
So hopefully you know you'll hear about it in the
in the news.
Speaker 2 (32:17):
Perfect. Well, thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (32:20):
Yeah, I appreciate you joining me today on Passport Mommy,
and I really again. Enjoyed your performance the other night,
and I look forward to seeing you again soon.
Speaker 2 (32:28):
Thank you so much. Lewis Flynn, thank you, thank you
My pleasure.
Speaker 7 (32:32):
I'm Michelle Jurson the Passport Mommy More coming up in
a few Thank you're listening to Passport Mommy. I'm Michelle
Jerson and it is summer blockbuster season and so I
am thrilled to have cinema expert Jed Harmsen on and
he's going to talk to us all about what we
could expect over the summer when it comes to our
(32:52):
favorite movies, and we're going to talk about He's actually
coming to us from Dolby Laboratories High Tech Cinema in
San Francisco.
Speaker 2 (33:01):
Hi, Jed, thank you so much for joining me today.
Speaker 8 (33:03):
Good morning.
Speaker 2 (33:04):
Thank you so much for having me on My Pleasure.
So you're in San Francisco.
Speaker 1 (33:08):
Tell me more about Dolby Laboratory's High Tech Cinema.
Speaker 8 (33:11):
Yeah, so I'm as you said, I'm here in Dolby's
headquarters in San Francisco, where we have over one hundred
labs and hundreds of leading experts from Oscar, Grammy Emmy
winning scientists and engineers and other leaders in their craft
who all come together to innovate and bring to market
the latest insight and sound technologies that'll allow all of
(33:34):
us to engage in our favorite forms of entertainment as
best possible. And I happen to actually be sitting if
you could see me in a Doolby Cinema, which is
the pinnacle of our movie going experience, that combines the
latest in our site technology that we call Dolby Vision,
as well as the latest in our sound technology which
we call Dolby Atmos and Adolby Inspired designed and specified
(33:58):
auditorium to really deliver or the ultimate movie going experience.
Speaker 1 (34:01):
So if that's where I am this morning, amazing, and
I think a lot of people they don't realize exactly
what goes in to making a movie so special. So
why are sound and picture so instrumental to the movie
going experience?
Speaker 8 (34:17):
That's a great question. I honestly always think about it
as our eyes and our ears are the primary means
through which we engage in entertainment, including movies. So audio
and visuals are really storytelling tools that filmmakers leverage to
transport audiences into their stories. Right, And so if you're
(34:37):
able to engage in a film in the greatest sight
in sound technologies, it really can transport or transform, if
you will, the film from being something you see at
a distance, watching something on a distant screen, to something
you can be in the middle of that you can
really feel a part of and create that deeper emotional connection.
And that's ultimately why we view them as so instrumental
(34:58):
to the to the movie making process.
Speaker 1 (35:01):
Right exactly because it's easy to sit at home and say, oh,
I'll just wait until you know it comes where I
can watch it on my own television, But it's not
the same thing. Going to the movies is an experience
and it continues to be so. And so I know
the summer movie season is packed with great films. How
can we get the most out of our movie experience?
Speaker 8 (35:22):
Well, I have to double down on what you just said,
because it's music to my ears, and I think the
first thing we should all be doing is prioritizing actually
going to movie theaters, going and having that communal theatrical experience,
detaching from our day to day and going and engaging
in stories that we love without all of the distractions.
So to me, that's the first priority, which you said
(35:44):
very eloquently to me. The next priority is then ensuring
that the theaters that that customers are able to go
to have the best site, sound, and environment experience possible. Obviously,
I'm a bit biased in that I view that pinnacle
movie going experience to be Dolby Cinema, which we have
over one hundred and sixty of at AMC locations across
(36:07):
the United States, and even better news, we're planning on
expanding that network by adding at least another forty Dolby
Cinema locations by the end of twenty twenty seven, so
hopefully more and more people will have the ability to
have the ultimate movie going experience that I get to
see every day here in San Francisco.
Speaker 1 (36:24):
Yes, you are very lucky in what you do, and
I feel like you have one of those really cool
jobs that affect a lot of people. And you know,
we go to the movies to escape, We go to
the movies, like you said, to just be immersed in
the experience, and you are instrumental in bringing that to us.
Do you have any other tips from when we're choosing
(36:45):
a theater to go to or just how to fully
enjoy the experience?
Speaker 2 (36:52):
Yeah, I guess the.
Speaker 8 (36:53):
Only other tip I would have is first, make sure
you go to Dolby dot com slash Cinema to find
the nearest Dolby Cinema at an am see location near
to you. That'd be the first thing. The second is,
even if you're not able to have a Dolby Cinema
and reasonable drive distance, you can still go and enjoy
all of your favorite summer blockbusters an incredible immersive Dolby
outmost sound. At nearly nine hundred screens across the United States,
(37:16):
there's still a great way to go and get a
premium sound experience. And last but not least, just to
have everyone stay tuned because we are looking to bring
that Dolby Vision latest picture innovation to those dolbiy Autmost
screens and continue to proliferate more and more of the
best site in sound experiences in movie theaters across the country.
Speaker 2 (37:37):
Terrific.
Speaker 1 (37:37):
Well, thank you so much for joining me today, Jed Harmsen.
Thank you for all of the work that you're doing
with Tolby and for just reminding us to get out.
You know, I live in New York City and I'm
always all about getting out to the Broadway shows, and
I'm guilty of not getting to the movies as much.
And just recently I went to see two movies and
(37:58):
that was like the most I've seen in such a
long time, and I said, I need to do this
more often.
Speaker 2 (38:03):
Why have I let this go?
Speaker 9 (38:04):
And it's so easy to just get out and go
and it's a great day, and especially as the summers
are heating up, get into those cool theaters, go take
in a movie, great adventure with your children and really enjoy.
Speaker 2 (38:16):
Thank you so much, Jed for joining me today on
Passport Mommy. Thank you so much for having me.
Speaker 3 (38:21):
Have a great rest of your day.
Speaker 2 (38:22):
Thank you you as well.
Speaker 1 (38:24):
I'm Michelle Jerson the Passport Mommy. Thank you so much
for listening this week, and I'll talk to you next time.
Welcome to Passport Mommy. I'm your host, Michelle Jerson. This
show is for anyone raising little humans. We feature experts
with tips and advice to enrich the lives of our children.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Mom and dad.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
Entrepreneurs tell us their inspiring stories, learn about products that
could make both you and your child's life easier and
more fun, and of course, fellow parents discuss and laugh
about what's happening in their child's world. Motherhood is a journey.
Thanks for joining me onmine. Welcome to Passport Mommy. I'm
Michelle Jerson, and I don't think I've been more excited
(00:33):
to have a guest on this show as Cassandra Haines
Riska in.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
A while, because my kids have.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
Fallen in love with learning through a game called Prodigy
that my daughter was introduced to in her second grade class.
And while I'm not a huge fan of screen time,
it's inevitable. And when they just asked me to play
Prodigy all the time, it's really like music to my ears.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
Causandra, thank you so much for writing me today. Yes,
thank you so.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
Much for having me.
Speaker 4 (01:03):
As a former teacher, I am always happy to discuss
a product that I did use myself. In the classroom
and as a mom myself, I am ready to.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
Talk about summer and how students can use their time.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
Yes, absolutely, because I feel like summer is the time
that as parents we're like, well, we don't want our
kids to lose everything that they've learned in the school
year and it be more difficult to start up again
in the fall. And at the same time, we want
them to have a fun summer. So what are some
tips that you have for parents concerned about this.
Speaker 4 (01:31):
Yeah, So, first off the bat, I want to say,
don't stress as a parent.
Speaker 3 (01:36):
Whatever you're doing, you are doing great. You're doing awesome.
There is no right or wrong way to parent. You're
doing awesome.
Speaker 4 (01:43):
So let's just start there and say thank you parents
for doing what you're doing. Keep it up, You're doing great.
So that's my motivational boost to just start this conversation
here now. In terms of from a teacher's perspective, I
always noticed in the fall when I came back to
school that they're sort of three kinds of students that
came to me, and so I could always tell kind
(02:06):
of the habits that happened over the summer based on
who those students were. So student number one was the
student whose parent really forgot about academics completely, didn't really
talk about math, didn't read with their child, sort of
just focused on whatever happens, happens, and fall starts when
fall starts.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
That's right.
Speaker 4 (02:27):
That student typically struggled a little bit to get back
into routines and procedures. They were often sleepy in the
mornings and kind of had to be reminded of, you know,
how to do work, how to respond to class procedures,
and how to just get back in the game. Sometimes
there were gaps between learning. You could see that their
(02:48):
scores dipped a bit from the end of school year
to the beginning of the school year.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
So that's student number one. Then there was student number.
Speaker 4 (02:55):
Two, whose parents sort of had a happy medium, a
happy balance where they infused a little bit of academics
into their normal summer routine. You know, there was summer
camps that may or may not have been academically focused.
There were activities that they did just even at the
kitchen table. There may or may not have been some worksheets,
and there definitely was a little bit of reading. So
(03:17):
that student had a better time, you know, jumping back
in they still had those routines and procedures in their
mind because they didn't forget about school completely throughout the summer.
Then there was student number three, and that student, you know, honestly,
their parent took it to the max where every day
they were doing a worksheet or they were doing something academic,
and they were involved in stam camp, math camp, science camp,
(03:40):
art camp, you know, everything academic focused.
Speaker 3 (03:43):
That child arrived burnt out already back to school time.
Speaker 4 (03:48):
So you know, while I'm not saying there's a right
way or a wrong way to parent, I can definitely
say that there is a clear indication of you know,
what you do in the summer will impact back.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
To school one hundred percent.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
So where does Prodigy come in in these cases and
how can it help?
Speaker 2 (04:09):
Yes?
Speaker 4 (04:09):
Absolutely so I'd like to think that Prodigy is representing
student number two, where it's that happy balance between fun
and academics, and it's going to help your child keep
school in mind while also not making it feel like
that chore that student number three is experiencing. So Prodigy
(04:30):
can help because we are no cost. So even if
your student is not using Prodigy currently at their school,
the good news is is that anyone can sign up
for a Prodigy account at no cost. So all students
have to do is go to prodigygame dot Com. They're
going to create a free account and now they have
(04:51):
access to the same academic content that any other child
that is using Prodigy does. So even if you're a
parent who has a miiled not currently using Prodigy, they
could start right now and get the same benefits over
the summer as well.
Speaker 3 (05:06):
And then the great news is they.
Speaker 4 (05:08):
Can keep that account going into the fall with their
new teacher, and now their teacher can create assignments to
that account and also view data on the student as well.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
That's amazing.
Speaker 1 (05:18):
And so let's just walk parents through Prodigy really quickly
and how it works. Because my kids don't think they're
doing work when they're on Prodigy.
Speaker 3 (05:27):
Yes, absolutely so. Prodigy again is no cost digital game
based learning.
Speaker 4 (05:32):
And the key word in there is learning because that
is at the heart of what Prodigy does. We are
really a skill practice platform where students are practicing the
skills that they are learning in class.
Speaker 3 (05:47):
And so what.
Speaker 4 (05:48):
Prodigy does is it actually adapts to students along the way,
so if students are struggling, it will pull them back
to some prerequisite skills, and if they're doing really well,
it will actually advance them as well. So I like
to think that Prodigy is the ultimate content giver because
it gives the students what they need exactly when they
(06:10):
need it, but the students don't realize it like you
say that.
Speaker 3 (06:14):
You know, I've had students who.
Speaker 4 (06:16):
Will come up to me and say, you know, miss
Hain's RISKA, I'm getting multiplication. And that's amazing as a
teacher who's teaching second grade, because you know, I didn't
give them multiplication, but it's starting to advance them into that.
And then I can kind of give micro lessons, kind
of tutor them on the side within like three to
five minutes of just like here's how you multiply. Now
(06:38):
go apply it to Prodigy, and then Prodigy gives them
the skills they need and the practice to actually start
mastering that concept.
Speaker 1 (06:45):
Yes, and I'm my son who is in kindergarten obviously
has to do it with my daughter because why not.
And so here he's coming to me knowing multiplication and
I'm so impressed.
Speaker 4 (06:58):
Yes, and we actually, because we don't currently have kinder standards,
what I do recommend is if you have a kindergartener,
like you said, a mentoring situation is great because they
do have that buddy model of an older kid helping
them kind of figure out the mechanics of how to
work on a computer or a tablet.
Speaker 3 (07:17):
But then they're getting.
Speaker 4 (07:18):
Exposed to those first grade standards and they're going to
advance and be ready for first grade in a way that.
Speaker 3 (07:24):
You know, the other students may not be.
Speaker 4 (07:26):
So even if we don't have the Kinder curriculum right now,
definitely don't be afraid to start using it.
Speaker 3 (07:33):
You know, if your kid's ready, you no, do it.
Speaker 2 (07:35):
Let's go yeah, one hundred percent.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
And so what grade would you say this goes up
until for kids?
Speaker 4 (07:41):
Yes, so our math content goes up to eighth grade
and our English content goes up to sixth grade. So
if you have a student pretty much first through eighth we.
Speaker 3 (07:51):
Do have your standards.
Speaker 4 (07:53):
If you have a Kinder student who's ready academically and
maturity wise to kind of get on a platform, then
you know, don't be shy. Kinder would be a great
option to to get them ready and get them going,
especially if they're advanced. And also we do have some
students in ninth through twelfth grade who use Prodigy as
well because it's fun remediation. So if you have a
(08:15):
high schooler who's struggling with algebraic concepts and they need
to be reminded of what multiplication is, it's possible with
Prodigy to remind them this is multiplication and then kind
of scaffold up there for those academic skills in a
motivating and engaging way.
Speaker 2 (08:32):
And so how long has Prodigy been around?
Speaker 4 (08:34):
We actually just celebrated our fourteenth birthday this month, so
happy birthday to Prodigy. They're fourteen years old, gosh, teenage years,
you know. And out of those fourteen years, you know,
I started teaching in twenty fourteen, so I started using
Prodigy in twenty fifteen. So I've actually been around for
the majority of Prodigy's existence, using the product myself in
(08:58):
the classroom.
Speaker 1 (08:58):
And if a teacher is listening right now and they
don't use Prodigy, how can they get it?
Speaker 3 (09:04):
Yes, So teachers, when I say it is free, it
is free. It does not cost you anything.
Speaker 4 (09:09):
So prodigygame dot com, click on educators and click on
sign up.
Speaker 3 (09:13):
It's that simple.
Speaker 4 (09:14):
If you use single sign on tools like Google Clever,
or class link. You can use it right there from
the platform as well, and rostering with Clever and Google
takes a button, a click. Now, if you're an administrator listening,
we also offer school partnerships and if you're interested, you
can find out more about that on our admin section
as well on our website.
Speaker 2 (09:34):
That's terrific.
Speaker 1 (09:35):
And again, if we are someone who just wants to
get it for our child over the summer, because it
is a great way to foster learning, and that's really
what it is. I am so impressed with how it
foster's learning and is so much fun for them.
Speaker 2 (09:48):
Where can we go?
Speaker 4 (09:50):
Yep, So same website, prodigygame dot com. There is a
parent's tab, so parents could click on that to sign
up for a free parent account as well.
Speaker 3 (09:58):
But if you just want to sign.
Speaker 4 (09:59):
Up your student, you would click on game sign Up
Student and then you would be walked through how to
set up that profile there.
Speaker 1 (10:06):
And when you say a parent account, what does the
parent account do? That's different from the student account.
Speaker 4 (10:10):
So the parent account is more so that students can
kind of be linked with their parents so that the
parent can see the academic progress of their child and
they could do really cool things like send cheers to
their student in the game. So, you know, I've had
parents kind of, you know, at work, they'll log into
their Prodigy app and kind of send like a way
(10:30):
to go, You're doing great right to their student, and
it just sort of makes it a little bit more
fun and engaging for the parent to be able to
also see their child's progress. As a teacher, I had
some really engaged parents who actually brought the Prodigy app
to parent teacher conferences and actually knew their child's academic
(10:51):
progress based on that app. So it's I definitely highly
recommend kind of being involved there as a parent as
much as you want to.
Speaker 1 (10:59):
Absolutely, well, thank you so much, Cassandra Haines Risko. Thank
you so much for joining me today on Passport Mommy,
and thank you for bringing this gift of learning to
my kids with Prodigy.
Speaker 3 (11:09):
Yes, absolutely, thank you so much for having me my pleasure.
Speaker 1 (11:12):
I'm Michelle Jurson. We're coming up in a few you're
listening to Passport Mommy. I'm Michelle Jurson. And the temperatures
are definitely heating up. At least where I am, it
is going to hit one hundred degrees today and you know,
we think about ourselves and we think about how we
can keep cool and protect ourselves from the.
Speaker 2 (11:31):
Heat, but what are about our pets. Our pets also
need to be kept safe.
Speaker 1 (11:36):
So I'm really happy to have on the show with
me today, doctor Alexandra Meyer. She is a doctor veterinary
medicine at VCA Woodbridge Animal Hospital.
Speaker 2 (11:44):
Thank you so much for joining me today.
Speaker 5 (11:48):
Thanks for having me Michelle.
Speaker 2 (11:49):
My pleasure.
Speaker 1 (11:50):
So what are some of the biggest threats our pets
may face in the summertime.
Speaker 5 (11:57):
Well, you touched on a big one. Heat. It is
really hot right now, and our pets cannot thermal regulate
the same way that we do. They only sweat from
their feet, but to cool themselves off, they pant. So
they're very, very sensitive to these hot temperatures. So being
aware of what the temperature is and keeping your pet
inside is definitely recommended.
Speaker 3 (12:18):
But we also see.
Speaker 5 (12:19):
Problems with normal summer activities like barbecues, fire pits, and
even some of the foods that we enjoy can become
hazards for our pets.
Speaker 1 (12:29):
And so how can we keep our pets protected from
say fire from a barbecue, a candle or a fire pit.
Speaker 5 (12:37):
Avoidance is definitely one of my biggest recommendations. So when
we are having an active grill or an active fire,
keep your pet away from that area, whether they're inside
or they're kept in a gated place away from where
that active fire is. Is one of the easiest way
to keep them safe, but also supervising. When we do
(12:58):
have things like citronella, candles, curious noses, it smells a
little funny. They can come up to the flame, burn
their whiskers, burn their noses. Even that overly curious dog
can give a candle a little bit of a lick,
and that citrinella can cause some irritation in their mouth
and their gi trapped.
Speaker 1 (13:15):
Oh good to know. And so how about with what
they're swallowing? Because I know dogs love to put lots
of different things in their mouths. What are some things
that we should make sure they are not swallowing.
Speaker 5 (13:28):
I think as humans we all love, you know, that
corn on the cob in the summer. It's delicious. We
love our peaches, our mangoes, but those center cores can
definitely become a problem. They're not very digestible and if
our dog were to eat it, it can cause irritation.
Or even can become stuck in that GI system, which
(13:48):
may cause a veterinary trip or even a surgical intervention
to help that. So what I do recommend, if we
are going to have those yummy foods, throw those cobs,
throw those pits into the trash and take that trash
right out to the curb as soon as you can,
so that that pet is going through the trash and
eating something that could become a hazard.
Speaker 2 (14:09):
And what are some tips for keeping them safe.
Speaker 1 (14:11):
Let's say if they like to jump into the swimming pool,
so we love.
Speaker 5 (14:17):
To spend time in the pool. Feels great, our pets
think it feels great, but if they accidentally fall in,
even the strongest swimmer can become tired and they can drown.
So teach your pet how to navigate that swim out
area and as always supervised, keep an eye on that area.
Keep an eye on your pets so that you can
recognize when there is potential dangerous situation. They're also great
(14:41):
little floaties and lifefest for your pet, but that still
does not mean they can be unsupervised. So keep an
eye on our pets this summer.
Speaker 1 (14:50):
And what would you say is like the hottest temperature
that we should be running with our dog when is
hot just too hot.
Speaker 5 (15:00):
We play in the mornings it seems to be a
little bit cooler, but even as we're having this heat wave,
if it's anything over eighty five, I recommend keeping your
pet inside. They just can't tolerate this heat. We really
shouldn't be doing any exercise fetch things like that when
we are pushing eighty five degrees even hotter, and it
can be much more difficult and more deadly. So keep
(15:20):
your pet inside. Another good way to check would be
touching that sidewalk or that asphalt with your hot with
your hand. If you can't keep your hands there more
for the few seconds, it is not safe for your pet.
Keep them on the grass, keep them in the cool areas.
Speaker 1 (15:36):
Yes, and what about those doggy booties, do they do
anything or is still?
Speaker 2 (15:40):
The heat can go right through.
Speaker 5 (15:42):
So pets will actually their only sweat glands are on
their feet, So those booties can actually act as you know,
a little bit of a heat you know, an insulator,
So it causes them to sweat a little bit more
so while we're trying to protect them from the heat,
it actual can cause them to overheap even a little
bit easier. So be very very careful with them, as
(16:05):
it can cause you problems with them actually sweating.
Speaker 2 (16:09):
Yeah, good advice.
Speaker 1 (16:10):
And you know something that always makes me really upset
is when I see dogs left in a car, and
so I mean, especially when it's hot, is it safe
even if the windows are cracked.
Speaker 5 (16:22):
Even with the windows crack, that's not enough air circulation.
Our cars are little ovens and it can get very
very hot, very very quickly. My recommendation is if you
cannot bring your dog into the building with you, do
not bring your pet in the car. The other recommendation
I have to make sure we don't have any accidental
pets left in the car would be to put your purse,
(16:42):
put your wallet, put your keys in the back with
your pet. When you get out of that car, you
grab your purse, the things you need. Your pet is
right there and wanting to come with you. That way,
we don't accidentally have anybody left in the car and
in a dangerous situation.
Speaker 1 (16:56):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (16:56):
Great tips.
Speaker 1 (16:57):
So what resources does VCA Animal Hospital offered to pets
affected by the summer hazards.
Speaker 5 (17:04):
DCA has an amazing handbook online right now talking about
summer hazards. That's available at DCA dot com. We are
also running a special from July twenty three to fifteenth
where pet owners have a fifty percent off their emergency
exam SEA at VCA hospitals. You can find this on
VCA dot com. There is a button says fine Care.
(17:27):
You can put in your zip car zip code and
find your local VCA hospital from there.
Speaker 1 (17:33):
Terrific, doctor Alexandramyer. Thank you so much for joining me
today on Passport Mommy. The tips are invaluable for our pets.
We have to think about them just as much as
we think about ourselves and our children.
Speaker 2 (17:43):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (17:44):
Thanks, michell My pleasure. I'm Michelle Jerson. We're coming up
in a few you're listening to Passport Mommy. I'm Michelle Jerson,
and I'm thrilled to have Lewis Flynn on the show
with me today because I went to see his show
the other.
Speaker 2 (17:58):
Night and it was such a treat.
Speaker 1 (18:01):
I know, originally it was supposed to be a different
type of show which you could tell us about, but
the one that we saw was phenomenal. He had special
guests who were just incredible vocalists, one who I was
a little more familiar with from the Broadway scene than
the other. And I'm so glad he introduced the other
one because I even saw an.
Speaker 2 (18:19):
Interview that you did, Lewis, and.
Speaker 1 (18:20):
You had said, Okay, maybe we're not as familiar, but
she is the what you considered the best soprano in
the country. And it was such a treat your entire show,
just hearing your story, hearing your background and all the
songs that went with it. So Lewis, thank you so
much for joining me today.
Speaker 2 (18:36):
Pleasure to be here, Thank you my pleasure.
Speaker 1 (18:39):
So tell me a little bit about this show that
we got to watch the other night.
Speaker 6 (18:43):
Well, I, as you mentioned, what's scheduled to sort of
do a presentation developmental presentation of another project called Like Love,
and we had two weekends in the space, and then
the lead actress, Mary Testa kept testing positive for COVID
(19:04):
and basically we had to cancel both presentations because there
was no more time to rehearse. So very quickly I
was like, well that kind of is not good just
to leave this beautiful space dark for these prime weekends,
So let me see if I can put something together.
So I pivoted as they say, and went and sort
(19:28):
of into my trunk that had remained pretty much closed
for thirty years and found songs that a I could
pull off vocally and perform, and then that those special
guests you mentioned could also perform, so that it would
(19:48):
ended up being kind of a retrospective kind of presentation
of songs that were my theater songs more standalone, are
songs and songs from some of my shows that originated
back when I had a band in the nineties. So
(20:09):
it is a break for me just to revisit all
of these old songs that hadn't heard the light of
day for you know, thirty thirty five.
Speaker 1 (20:18):
Years, right, which was amazing. And I love the pictures
that you pulled out with it. And for those who
don't know you're a composer, you're a lyricist. You're known
for your catchy melodies, your innovative scores. You have an
acclaimed Broadway musical list is Strata Jones, which debuted in
twenty eleven with the book by Douglas Carter Bean. And
(20:38):
so tell me what your career has been like. And
I know you've been balancing it with a family, which
we can relate to, but not necessarily as in the
Broadway space.
Speaker 2 (20:49):
So tell me how that's been.
Speaker 6 (20:50):
Sure. You know what's interesting is when you launch in
in your twenties. You know, I'm fresh out of college.
There's no path, there's no one right way to pursue
a career as a composer. And at the beginning it's
a bit of a scramble because you're just got to
(21:11):
pay the rent. And I had started with I just
had my band and we were performing. I started writing
music for commercials. I fell into that. I started working
off off Broadway, writing scores for plays. You know, friends
who are actors. Oh, I'm doing this, can you help?
(21:35):
So I was film scores, doing working with a lot
at NYU, so even though I didn't go there, but
I was in the neighborhood. So I was pursuing all
these things in the nineties, and slowly but surely they
all sort of started rolling down the hill and in
(21:56):
terms and one thing sort of led to another. So
as the band became more popular, more people saw me,
and the audience would come up, hey are you available
for this or that? And that's just sort of how
it started and started. I ended up letting go of
(22:17):
the band after Gosh, about three or years, it was
just too hard and I couldn't tour because I was
busy in New York with the Real Moneymaker, which was
at that point writing music and being a jingle singer
for commercials and also doing theater. I was starting to
work here off Broadway, and then one thing led to another,
(22:40):
and I started working with a director a lot Mark Brocall,
and now we're into the two thousands, and he brought
me in to write music for a play by Douglas
Carter Bean a drama department, and that's how I met Dog,
and then we started a relationship, adopted kids. Then I
(23:03):
had family here and started writing music. I'd done it
by that time, Gosh a lot of regional scoring for plays,
so that is what I was doing for him and
for Mark, and one of those plays was Little Dog Laughed,
which started at second Stage and then transferred to Broadway.
(23:28):
A producer of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire at
the game show was in the audience and thought that
that was a great sound for a game show. I
don't know if that's a compliment or not, but it
was quite helpful because that sort of I had already
done a lot of TV music with commercials, so that
was a great gig. I started doing all this music
(23:49):
for game shows. Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? I
did show called Power of ten Million Dollar Password, and
that was great when the kids were young because I
didn't have to travel, right, And then we Doug and
I started working together. We were at Lista Strata Jones
and that opened down in Dallas, and the kids at
(24:11):
that point were gosh, five and three, so that was
a challenge to sort of relocate down there with the
whole family and the dog and figure out childcare down
there while mounting the show. Right, So yeah, care dot
(24:33):
Com was a friend.
Speaker 1 (24:35):
And I know it's not easy. I mean it's really
really hard. And we're actually contemplating a move now. My
kids are a little older, and I'm like, I it
just seems daunting. So to move and continue your career
and balance kids no easy task.
Speaker 6 (24:51):
Yeah, it was. I'm glad I did it. I mean
I'm still doing it. I remember, you know, Lissa Strata
Jones was pretty racy. It's about a sex strike essentially
on a college campus, and I felt a little bad
as a parent on a stage with all but they
didn't know what it meant a recent production which they
(25:12):
went to here in New York City and they're like,
oh my gosh, really that's now that they're eighteen and twenty,
they're like, Oh, that's what that means.
Speaker 2 (25:26):
That's funny.
Speaker 1 (25:27):
So I think a lot of a lot of people
who might have kids who are studying composing in music
and theater and they're wondering, how do we break in?
What advice would you give them?
Speaker 6 (25:40):
That it's advice that people gave me, and I didn't
know really how to take it because it's a heart.
But the advice is you just have to be yourself
and recognize, particularly in casting, that my experience with the
(26:00):
casting all our shows and over the years is quirky, different,
always stands out and compositionally, if you want to be
a songwriter, your own personal aesthetic will differentiate you from
anybody else. So at the beginning I was like, oh look,
I was very fastile like I can do jazz, I
(26:23):
can do this, I can do that, until somebody said, Louis,
if somebody wants a jazz writer, they're going to get
you know, Wyn Marsalis. If somebody wants someone to sound
like Stephen Sondheim. They're going to go get Stephen sondhim.
Speaker 4 (26:37):
So be.
Speaker 6 (26:40):
Really just spend the time and find your own voice
and stick to it, which is hard to do.
Speaker 2 (26:50):
Yeah, excellent advice.
Speaker 6 (26:53):
Very but just you know, as a song on my
sets that you just got to hold on and hopefully
it'll get.
Speaker 3 (27:01):
Slowly but surely recognized, right exactly.
Speaker 6 (27:04):
And the other thing, the other easier piece of advice
is just say yes, say yes to everything, because in
this business, it's a people business, and people work with
people they want to work with. So just be nice
and kind and there and show up knowing your stuff.
Don't be difficult. Everyone's doing their best and it's all
(27:28):
a big team, team effort at the end of the day.
So be a team player.
Speaker 2 (27:34):
Yeah, long way exactly. That was a mentor of mine
when I first got into radio.
Speaker 1 (27:39):
So the same thing. The biggest thing is showing up.
You show up when others don't and continue showing up.
And so tell me about the shows that.
Speaker 2 (27:47):
You have coming up. What are you working on. What
can we expect, Well.
Speaker 6 (27:54):
A kind of few, you know, COVID really was a
big delay which we're still covering from. So my sort
of front burner project is another one that I've written
with Doug called Hood, and it's a retelling of Robin Hood.
And it opened in Dallas in Gosh twenty seventeen, and
there had been presentations prior to that at the Scranton
(28:18):
Shakespeare Festival. We workshop at the Royal Academy in London.
So it's been around and then it was supposed to
commercial producers became attached. It was supposed to open in
twenty twenty and that production was postponed two years twenty
twenty two, and then we had to do another producer
(28:38):
shift came in. So but now that's finally back on
sort of a fast track, headed into Broadway hopefully this season,
and very excited about that. It's you know, it's got
great songs. It's as if there's a young company that
(29:00):
chooses this ancient legend to retell to deal with the
political a climate of the current political climate, whatever current means,
because when we wrote it, current was when Barack Obama
was president. Right now taken on, you know, Prince John,
and you know, everything has taken on quite a different yes,
(29:25):
which is kind of crazy unfortunately. Yes, So that's coming.
Then I've written another musical with Doug based on his
film Too Wong Fu, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar, which
was a hit cult film from the mid nineties. And
he was very smart when he signed that movie deal
that he retained the theatrical rights, which at that point
(29:50):
no one was turning movies into musicals, so the studio
Universal just sort of, I guess didn't realize it. So
that was a coup. So now we have that project
and we opened that in England twenty three and that's
coming into New York, well into the States now. We
(30:12):
were but in England sometimes a little easier these days
to work in England. They're just have a little more
turnover and it's a little less expensive over there. But
I think again, in this day and age, we need
positive images of drag culture and LGBT life. It's certainly
(30:39):
a show that, amongst other things, presents that.
Speaker 2 (30:42):
Oh that's phenomenal.
Speaker 1 (30:43):
Yes, I think, especially in times like this, we need
to show that the community is alive and supportive and
make children who are in that community feel welcome and not.
I mean, I just can't believe how backwards we've become.
But this is a political show, so I won't get
into it.
Speaker 6 (31:02):
Well, you know, theater I think as always political in
some way. I mean, otherwise, what's the point.
Speaker 3 (31:09):
The truth I.
Speaker 6 (31:10):
Think is you don't want to sit there and feel like, well,
you have to teach the audience a lesson, you know.
I can't stand that when I go to see a show.
I'm like, don't tell me how to feel or how
to right right. I just think, as you said, the
mere presence of it on the stage is the statement, right,
the visibility of it. No one wants their finger wagged
(31:33):
in their face, and so I think projects that do
that don't last very long.
Speaker 2 (31:40):
Sure.
Speaker 1 (31:43):
Yeah, So where can we go to read up more
about you and what you're doing and maybe see some
of your work?
Speaker 3 (31:50):
Well?
Speaker 6 (31:51):
Self promotion, I've got up my game, but I do
have my website Lewis Flynn dot com. I'm on Instagram
and I will posts. I actually now have some younger
actor friends who are helping me.
Speaker 1 (32:06):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (32:06):
I like, I'm with you. It's not my strong point either,
I feel like.
Speaker 6 (32:12):
So hopefully you know you'll hear about it in the
in the news.
Speaker 2 (32:17):
Perfect. Well, thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (32:20):
Yeah, I appreciate you joining me today on Passport Mommy,
and I really again. Enjoyed your performance the other night,
and I look forward to seeing you again soon.
Speaker 2 (32:28):
Thank you so much. Lewis Flynn, thank you, thank you
My pleasure.
Speaker 7 (32:32):
I'm Michelle Jurson the Passport Mommy More coming up in
a few Thank you're listening to Passport Mommy. I'm Michelle
Jerson and it is summer blockbuster season and so I
am thrilled to have cinema expert Jed Harmsen on and
he's going to talk to us all about what we
could expect over the summer when it comes to our
(32:52):
favorite movies, and we're going to talk about He's actually
coming to us from Dolby Laboratories High Tech Cinema in
San Francisco.
Speaker 2 (33:01):
Hi, Jed, thank you so much for joining me today.
Speaker 8 (33:03):
Good morning.
Speaker 2 (33:04):
Thank you so much for having me on My Pleasure.
So you're in San Francisco.
Speaker 1 (33:08):
Tell me more about Dolby Laboratory's High Tech Cinema.
Speaker 8 (33:11):
Yeah, so I'm as you said, I'm here in Dolby's
headquarters in San Francisco, where we have over one hundred
labs and hundreds of leading experts from Oscar, Grammy Emmy
winning scientists and engineers and other leaders in their craft
who all come together to innovate and bring to market
the latest insight and sound technologies that'll allow all of
(33:34):
us to engage in our favorite forms of entertainment as
best possible. And I happen to actually be sitting if
you could see me in a Doolby Cinema, which is
the pinnacle of our movie going experience, that combines the
latest in our site technology that we call Dolby Vision,
as well as the latest in our sound technology which
we call Dolby Atmos and Adolby Inspired designed and specified
(33:58):
auditorium to really deliver or the ultimate movie going experience.
Speaker 1 (34:01):
So if that's where I am this morning, amazing, and
I think a lot of people they don't realize exactly
what goes in to making a movie so special. So
why are sound and picture so instrumental to the movie
going experience?
Speaker 8 (34:17):
That's a great question. I honestly always think about it
as our eyes and our ears are the primary means
through which we engage in entertainment, including movies. So audio
and visuals are really storytelling tools that filmmakers leverage to
transport audiences into their stories. Right, And so if you're
(34:37):
able to engage in a film in the greatest sight
in sound technologies, it really can transport or transform, if
you will, the film from being something you see at
a distance, watching something on a distant screen, to something
you can be in the middle of that you can
really feel a part of and create that deeper emotional connection.
And that's ultimately why we view them as so instrumental
(34:58):
to the to the movie making process.
Speaker 1 (35:01):
Right exactly because it's easy to sit at home and say, oh,
I'll just wait until you know it comes where I
can watch it on my own television, But it's not
the same thing. Going to the movies is an experience
and it continues to be so. And so I know
the summer movie season is packed with great films. How
can we get the most out of our movie experience?
Speaker 8 (35:22):
Well, I have to double down on what you just said,
because it's music to my ears, and I think the
first thing we should all be doing is prioritizing actually
going to movie theaters, going and having that communal theatrical experience,
detaching from our day to day and going and engaging
in stories that we love without all of the distractions.
So to me, that's the first priority, which you said
(35:44):
very eloquently to me. The next priority is then ensuring
that the theaters that that customers are able to go
to have the best site, sound, and environment experience possible. Obviously,
I'm a bit biased in that I view that pinnacle
movie going experience to be Dolby Cinema, which we have
over one hundred and sixty of at AMC locations across
(36:07):
the United States, and even better news, we're planning on
expanding that network by adding at least another forty Dolby
Cinema locations by the end of twenty twenty seven, so
hopefully more and more people will have the ability to
have the ultimate movie going experience that I get to
see every day here in San Francisco.
Speaker 1 (36:24):
Yes, you are very lucky in what you do, and
I feel like you have one of those really cool
jobs that affect a lot of people. And you know,
we go to the movies to escape, We go to
the movies, like you said, to just be immersed in
the experience, and you are instrumental in bringing that to us.
Do you have any other tips from when we're choosing
(36:45):
a theater to go to or just how to fully
enjoy the experience?
Speaker 2 (36:52):
Yeah, I guess the.
Speaker 8 (36:53):
Only other tip I would have is first, make sure
you go to Dolby dot com slash Cinema to find
the nearest Dolby Cinema at an am see location near
to you. That'd be the first thing. The second is,
even if you're not able to have a Dolby Cinema
and reasonable drive distance, you can still go and enjoy
all of your favorite summer blockbusters an incredible immersive Dolby
outmost sound. At nearly nine hundred screens across the United States,
(37:16):
there's still a great way to go and get a
premium sound experience. And last but not least, just to
have everyone stay tuned because we are looking to bring
that Dolby Vision latest picture innovation to those dolbiy Autmost
screens and continue to proliferate more and more of the
best site in sound experiences in movie theaters across the country.
Speaker 2 (37:37):
Terrific.
Speaker 1 (37:37):
Well, thank you so much for joining me today, Jed Harmsen.
Thank you for all of the work that you're doing
with Tolby and for just reminding us to get out.
You know, I live in New York City and I'm
always all about getting out to the Broadway shows, and
I'm guilty of not getting to the movies as much.
And just recently I went to see two movies and
(37:58):
that was like the most I've seen in such a
long time, and I said, I need to do this
more often.
Speaker 2 (38:03):
Why have I let this go?
Speaker 9 (38:04):
And it's so easy to just get out and go
and it's a great day, and especially as the summers
are heating up, get into those cool theaters, go take
in a movie, great adventure with your children and really enjoy.
Speaker 2 (38:16):
Thank you so much, Jed for joining me today on
Passport Mommy. Thank you so much for having me.
Speaker 3 (38:21):
Have a great rest of your day.
Speaker 2 (38:22):
Thank you you as well.
Speaker 1 (38:24):
I'm Michelle Jerson the Passport Mommy. Thank you so much
for listening this week, and I'll talk to you next time.
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