Booth One - Celebrating Culture And Conversation

Gary and Roscoe romp through a medley of miscellany, joined unexpectedly by friend-of-the-show Paul Stroili of Episode 43 fame. Paul was loitering outside an Edible Arrangements franchise near our studio, shamelessly advertising for his new hit Chicago show Tony n' Tina's Wedding. So Gary invited him in for a visit and a chat on the air. More about Edible Arrangements than you ever wanted to know... Roscoe reviews The Scivvies for our listeners - singer/actor/musicians Nick Cearly and Lauren Molina from New York, who perform in their underwear stripped down arrangements of eclectic covers and eccentric originals. Roscoe "charms" other patrons seated near him at the event, which featured guest appearances by musical artists from Hamilton and Wonderful Town. Roscoe's informed notice? Two big thumbs up! Gary finally sees Wonderful Town at the Goodman Theatre before closing and his take concurs with Roscoe's - a brilliant re-imagining that simply shows what a theatrical genius like Mary Zimmerman and a stellar c

Gary and Roscoe are pleased and excited to welcome cabaret artist Beckie Menzie to Booth One this week. Beckie is an award-winning performer, teacher, song writer, musical director and vocal coach, a staple of the Windy City music scene, and nationally recognized as one of the country's finest cabaret entertainers. Along with her musical partner Tom Michael, they have been called, "Sizzling...immensely appealing...one of the most compelling duos in cabaret today!" Beckie is from Pierceton, IN, but a Chicago girl through and through. She learned piano at an early age and fell in love with music and the performing arts while hanging around the Wagon Wheel Theatre in Warsaw, IN. She has performed at some of the nation's top clubs, theaters, concert halls, outdoor venues, and cabaret rooms. She most recently appeared at Carnegie Hall and the Auditorium Theatre. We play a few song excerpts throughout the podcast to give you a taste of her talent, style and singular musical gifts. Beckie and the boys chat abo

Gary and Roscoe greet Autumn in Chicago with anticipation and merriment. While discussing pie fights and pet peeves, Roscoe admits to being officially notified by the Library of Congress about misrepresenting the number of screenings of the newly restored and fully assembled 1927 Laurel and Hardy film The Battle of the Century. Seems he saw the third American screening at Cinecon, not the first. A minor quibble, but worthy of correction. Gary's latest Sourpuss Smithers peeve concerns the use of the helper word "like". As in "Like he heard this woman on like the train using the word 'like' like as every third or fourth like word and couldn't like believe that a seemingly well-educated and like professional person would be caught like dead in a loud conversation in like public with such a debilitating like speech pattern. Like." We know this is not a new problem, but seriously? The sharks are back in town in New Smyrna Beach, Florida with three attacks on surfers in one day! NSB is apparently known as the "sh

Gary and Roscoe welcome to The Booth stage and film actor, director, writer and producer Paul Stroili, recently relocated back to Chicago from Los Angeles. Paul's wit, charm and remarkable storytelling make him one of our most hilarious guests to date. See Paul's full bio here. Paul previously co-hosted an entertainment talk radio show in Los Angeles called "State of the Arts" with Michael Sterling, and is pretty savvy behind the mic, as you'll hear. He tells about some of the iconic guests they had on the show, including Carol Channing, Russ Tamblyn and George Chakiris. Roscoe takes us through his latest Cinecon Classic Film Festival adventures, seeing rarely or never-seen films in Hollywood in the course of 5 days over Labor Day weekend. From Carl Laemmle's King of Jazz, to vintage Spencer Tracy, to meeting legendary film actress Marsha Hunt, it sounds like Roscoe had another great year at Cinecon sitting in the dark with friends. Paul's latest project is a new production of the audience-interactive theat

Gary and Roscoe are back in form for a whirlwind episode, encompassing everything from elephants to Greenland sharks, from Porter to Streisand, from War Paint to Byhalia, Mississippi. Our new Audience Participation Manager Michelle Houle sits in with us at the studio. First, a shout out to friend-of-the-show Billy Lawless's new restaurant Coda di Volpe, recently opened in the Southport/Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago. Frequent Booth One listeners will recall Billy's splendid guest appearance during our Taste of Chicago Episode 39. Gary and our producer Betsy were treated like royalty at the Friends and Family soft opening of Coda, and the experience is one to be remembered. This welcome addition to the neighborhood is highly recommended! And they just started serving brunch. Roscoe revisits War Paint with Patti LuPone and Christine Ebersole at the Goodman Theatre. Though now closed, and presumably being reworked for a New York run, his review remains unchanged - stellar performances in a show without much

Gary and Roscoe return once more to the friendly confines of Steppenwolf Theatre to chat with two of the creative geniuses behind a terrific new play, Byhalia, Mississippi, now getting a remounted production through August 21st at the 1700 Theatre, under the auspices of Steppenwolf's Visiting Company Initiative. Playwright Evan Linder and Director Tyrone Phillips share their thoughts on the creative process of crafting a play, working organically with actors and designers, growing up in the South, their first experiences in the theatre, and the themes addressed in Byhalia, Mississippi. Evan is a founding member and the Co-Artistic Director of The New Colony theatre company. He works as a playwright, actor and director and teaches playwriting at the University of Chicago. Evan grew up in Memphis, TN, just a few miles up the road from Byhalia, and is a graduate of the College of Charleston in South Carolina.  Other works include 11:11, Frat, The Warriors, B-Side Studio and 5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche, which

Roscoe ventures out on the town to bring us this lively episode of conversation about theatre, cabaret and Stephen Sondheim. We get his impressions of what's new and exciting, as well as a perspective on some old favorites. Then stay tuned for our live podcast from Writers Theatre and their Sunday Spotlight focused on Company! Photo at left shows us making the magic with a very smart and savvy audience. First, Roscoe tells us about War Paint, the world premiere musical at the Goodman Theatre, starring Broadway veterans Patti LuPone and Christine Ebersole.Written and directed by the creative team that brought the world Grey Gardens, this show tells the stories of Helena Rubinstein and Elizabeth Arden, who defined beauty standards for the first half of the 20th Century. Brilliant innovators with humble roots, both were masters of self-invention who sacrificed everything to become the country’s first major female entrepreneurs. They were also fierce competitors, whose 50-year tug-of-war would give birth to a ma

Recording live from the 2016 Taste of Chicago, Gary and Roscoe enjoy the elements and the sound of Buckingham Fountain while talking in depth with friend of the show, successful restaurateur Billy Lawless Jr. Billy's stable of establishments include The Gage web site, The Dawson web site, Acanto web site and the new Beacon Tavern web site. Days after this interview, Billy opened Coda Di Volpe on Southport. We got to go to the Friends and Family pre-opening and it is marvelous! Enjoy the photographs of these beautifully designed restaurants, then go see them in person! We talk food, customer experience, service and location, location, location! Billy describes the thinking behind his restaurants' menus and wine lists and tells us about his great Beverage Director, Jon McDaniel. We talk about Ireland and the Brexit. And pork mac and cheese. Billy shares his keys to success, which would be helpful to owners of any business. Billy's dad Billy Sr. emigrated from Galway, Ireland, 18 years ago and was immediately

Gary and Roscoe have long wanted to get award-winning author Stuart Dybek on the show, and now we have! Boy, was it ever worth the wait. Dybek is one of America's finest writers of literary fiction, particularly the short story form. His work has been said to "move easily between the gritty reality of urban decay, and a magical realm of lyricism and transcendence linked to music, art and religion." Read this glowing NYT review of his latest work. The reviewer writes that Dybek is "not only our most relevant writer, but maybe our best." If you haven't read any of his work, do yourself a favor and pick up a volume. Here's his bio. Our show begins with a remembrance of Muhammad Ali and how boxing imagery appears in some of Stuart's writing. Ali transcended sport and also his own innate talent and skill to become something more than just a world-class athlete. He was a world-class human being. Read more here. In 2006, Gary directed a world premiere theatrical adaptation of The Coast of Chicago, a collection of

Meet the artists who lead Chicago's world-class summer music festival. Principle Conductor and Artistic Director Carlos Kalmar and Grant Park Chorus Director Christopher Bell share the microphone with Gary in this behind-the-scenes conversation at the Grant Park Music Festival. Now in its 12th Season at the stunning Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park, the GPMF is the nation's only free outdoor classical music series of its kind. Read about its fascinating history here. First up, Maestro Kalmar discusses the non-stop fevered nature of putting on a 10-week program of music and entertainment, and how two of the festival's key words for the summer are "time management". Carlos talks about his programming philosophy, his desire to please a wide range of patrons' musical interests, and his unswerving commitment to presenting not only new and rarely heard pieces, but the works of American composers in particular. Gary asks Carlos about particular pieces on the season calendar, including works by Matinu, Ga

Gary and Roscoe's "little grey cells" get a workout when rising star and Steppenwolf Theatre ensemble member Jon Michael Hill Read Bio visits the show. Coming to you remotely from the new 80-seat 1700 Theatre performance space at Steppenwolf. Jon is currently starring in Constellations by Nick Payne at the Upstairs Theater at Steppenwolf, along with the luminous Jessie Fisher. "It's a beautiful, elliptical and elegant exploration of all that is possible when two people meet," says Artistic Director Anna D. Shapiro. "It deals, simultaneously, with the beauty and mystery found in the unknowable vastness of the universe and the ways in which we attempt to define ourselves in a desperate effort to stave off entropy." Only 80 minutes, and it will blow your mind. Constellations runs through July 3. Jon also co-stars as Detective Marcus Bell with Johnny Lee Miller, Lucy Lui and beloved Chicago actor Aiden Quinn in the hit CBS series Elementary.......the show that imagines Sherlock Holmes living in modern-day Manha

Coming to you from the Chicago studio of famed photographer Marc Hauser, this edition of Booth One focuses (no pun intended) on Marc's work over 5 decades of taking celebrity portraits around the world. Along the way, we discuss his inspiring journey and the meaning of life. Marc began taking photographs as a teenager in the north Chicago suburb of Wilmette. At age 13, he was already working for Hugh Hefner and Playboy magazine. Hauser has taken photographs for Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone, Life Magazine and Marshall Fields, as well as film shoots, album covers, concerts and family portraits. Marc relates his experiences and shooting sessions with Dolly Parton, Michael Jordan, Cindy Crawford, Woody Allen, Jim McMahon, Sophia Loren, Uma Thurman, Janis Joplin, George Burns and others. Truly a Booth One Experience professional! Here are some of Marc's images from his studio, along with a few stock images of the people and personalities we cover during this amazing and candid episode... Hauser took this

Gary and Roscoe weren't able to get Blanche, Willy, George or Martha on the show this week, so they have to depend on the kindness of strangers. More on that in a minute, but first.... The strangest stranger of all, Carly "Lilith" Fiorina, took only 6 days to bring Ted Cruz's presidential campaign to ruin - 5 years and 357 days less than it took her to destroy HP! Like a bad penny, she keeps turning up. Won't surprise the boys if she is Trump's VP choice. Watch Carly do a disappearing act as she falls from the stage at a Cruz rally recently. Talk about taking a dive!  Video here. Sheridan Smith, star of Funny Girl on the West End in London, has been missing performances and is now on a leave of absence from the show. Rumors abound as to why and for how long, but unkind media and Twitter posts have fanned the flames. Roscoe and Gary are hoping to see this show on Broadway next year, but this could be a blow to the chances of seeing Ms. Smith in the Fanny Brice role. Read more about these happenings and what

Yes, Chita Rivera! Roscoe and Gary sit down with the musical theatre legend in her room at the Carlyle Hotel for an intimate chat about dance, her career, Kander & Ebb, and a host of other engaging topics. The two-time Tony Award winner - for The Rink and Kiss of the Spider Woman - has been nominated a record 10 times for that prestigious award. A native of Washington, DC, Chita began her professional life as a dancer with George Balanchine's School of American Ballet. In 1951, she was cast in her first theatrical role in the touring company of Call Me Madam. Chita was 17. She subsequently landed roles in the Broadway productions of Guys and Dolls, Can-Can, Seventh Heaven and Mr. Wonderful starring Sammy Davis Jr. Ms. Rivera achieved Broadway stardom with her electric performance of Anita in the original Broadway presentation of West Side Story, directed and choreographed by Jerome Robbins. Other important Broadway roles were in Bye Bye Birdie, Chicago, Jerry's Girls, Nine, The Visit, and Chita Rivera: A

An Exclusive Interview with Sister Helen Prejean is the Topic of our Booth One Podcast this Week. Sister Helen is in town in support of the Quality of Mercy Project, a three-month public programming initiative examining the complex issues that arise from the production of Dead Man Walking: forgiveness, compassion, the death penalty, mass incarceration, racial inequality, and social injustice. We are pleased she agreed to spend some time talking to us in our studio. Read more here. Sister Helen Prejean (born in Baton Rouge, LA) is a Roman Catholic nun, a member of the Congregation of St. Joseph and a leading American advocate for the abolition of the death penalty. Her efforts began in New Orleans, Louisiana. In 1982 a friend asked her to correspond with convicted murderer Elmo Patrick Sonnier, located in the Louisiana State Penitentiary. Sonnier was sentenced to death by electrocution. She visited Sonnier in prison and agreed to be his spiritual adviser in the months leading up to his execution. The expe

"Meet Gary who's lived most everywhere, from NYC to Lincoln Square. But Roscoe's only seen the sights a boy can see from Ashland heights. What a crazy pair!" Our revised lyrics to The Patty Duke Show theme song are an opening homage to the great Patty Duke who passed away this week. Oscar winner at 16 for The Miracle Worker, and recipient of three Emmy Awards, Ms. Duke also starred in the truly awful Valley of the Dolls. An astounding career and a brave lady. read full bio We celebrate our 30th episode with fun facts from 30 years ago, 1986: Martin Luther King Jr. Day is celebrated for the first time, the Iran-Contra affair was tops in the news, Top Gun is the highest grossing film of the year, and more. The last thing Gary needs is a safe haven for sharks. Lo and behold, Ecuador has created a shark sanctuary off the Galapagos Islands the size of Vermont and New Hampshire combined. National Geographic story Would that someone would create a non-shark ocean sanctuary for Gary! In Chicago news, you'll hear

This is Booth One's second Easter holiday for Gary and Roscoe, having just passed the first anniversary of our podcast. Ross reprises his hilarious story of appearing as a young child in a photo in the Niles Daily Sun  (Michigan) searching for an Easter Egg in the bushes with his "hind-end" in focus. We appeal to our Booth One podcast nation for a copy of this priceless photo. Happy hunting! And when in Chicago, don't forget to visit The Fudge Pot chocolate store in Old Town to satisfy your sweet tooth! visit their site Gary talks about his beloved mother Dolores's favorite Polish Easter traditions, gathering around pierogi, kielbasa and lamb cake -- the art of lively conversation flourishing. Our Waspy producer had to get used to the volume. For Poles, Easter is the holiest day of the year. Read more about the food here. Update on the presidential race: As the GOP may soon meet it's death in the general election, Gary suggests the GOP symbol elephant might go to the amazing Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald,

Gary and Roscoe share two astounding Booth One experiences, both figuratively and literally, on this week's episode. But first, Gary profiles the free diver who claims he hypnotized a shark in order to remove a fishing hook caught in its mouth. Talk about a fish tale. Read how to hypnotize a shark!We're not sure we believe this entire story, but if it's true, there's hope for curing Gary's phobia. Maybe. Roscoe gets surprising news that one of his lifelong idols, famed actress and chanteuse Barbara Cook, will be appearing off-Broadway in May in a one-woman show based on her autobiography. Read details about the show here. After picking his jaw up off the floor, Roscoe vows to see her for perhaps the 100th time. Stay tuned for a possible interview opportunity at a later date. Booth One Experience #1 - We had the great privilege of being escorted on a tour of the West Wing of the White House by friend and staff member Bess Evans! She told us the best stories. A truly remarkable and awe-inspiring evening. Th

Gary and Roscoe have Spring Fever, and it isn't even Spring! Full Lyrics They're frisky and spinning daydreams as we begin our second year of Booth One podcasts with two special guests this week. Firstly, on a sad note, erstwhile BFF of Gary's, Carly Fiorina (formerly Carlton S.), has laid her primary campaign to rest. After getting around 4 votes in New Hampshire, it was time to give up the ghost. Fortunately, someone found the perfect burial vault for her campaign .....an old HP copier!Now on to the heart of our episode - we welcome David Catlin Full profile, co-founder of the Lookingglass Theatre Info and Tickets in Chicago; and welcome back Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi read bio, whose interview on Episode 12 is a listener favorite! Sylvia is co-founder and Artistic Director of the Actors Gymnasium get more info here in Evanston, IL, a marvelous training center for circus and theatrical arts, and has had an amazing career as a world-class circus performer. David and Sylvia are appearing together in a new

Gary and Roscoe welcome Chicago Shakepeare Theatre's Creative Producer Rick Boynton to the show! First a recap of those Republican candidates who have dropped from the race in the wake of the Iowa caucuses - Huckabee, Santorum and Paul. Gary's "girlfriend" Carly Fiorina has nary a pulse and the smart money is on her taking a dive after New Hampshire. We'll know by the time this episode airs. Rick Boynton read full bio is currently Creative Producer at the world-famous Chicago Shakespeare Theatre on Navy Pier in Chicago Learn More. Which means he oversees all the amazing art that appears on stage there. Rick began his career as a performer after graduating from Northwestern University. He has also worked as an agent, a casting director (at Jane Alderman  & Chicago Shakes) and as the Artistic Director at Marriott Lincolnshire Theatre. Rick talks about his years as an actor in such shows as 1776 and Shear Madness. And about his time at Marriott Lincolnshire and the incredible creative minds and spirits he enc