We all remember the early days of COVID, desperately seeking a sense of normalcy. As summer approached, I hoped CBS would produce a ‘Best of’ special to fill the void left by the postponed Tony Awards. It seemed like an obvious choice, especially since MTV and BET had successfully done similar specials leading up to their awards shows in the early 2000s. Unfortunately, CBS announced it would air Grease instead, which was a major disappointment.
While lamenting this decision to my friends, they challenged me to create my own special. With the skills and community support I had, I decided to take on the challenge. Armed with just my iPhone, MacBook Pro, iMovie, and a ring light, I got to work. My best friend, Donterrio, even designed a flyer and title card, complete with an air date, leaving me no option to back out.
The flyer caught the attention of Lauren Van Hemert, a North Carolina theater journalist and owner of Beltline to Broadway. Her platform and influence helped my little idea gain traction, leading to articles in BroadwayWorld and various local Chicago theater sites. When it first streamed on YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram, I was thrilled to see over 2,000 viewers.
This experience truly embodies the spirit of “the little engine that could.” I invite you to check it out, if only for the entertainment value. Enjoy!
During the height of the COVID pandemic, many non-profits were scrambling and increasingly relying on donations from their communities. One such organization that has become very dear to my heart is Curt’s Cafe.
Curt’s Cafe is a non-profit that runs a workforce and life skills training program for at-risk and underserved young adults aged 15 to 24. Their mission is to help these individuals build paths toward stable employment and long-term success.
They offer a comprehensive three-month training program that covers food service, culinary arts, barista skills, and general operational tasks. Additionally, they provide wraparound social-emotional support, including assistance with high school completion, GED attainment, or college enrollment, along with stipends for supplies during training and ongoing job placement and mentoring post-graduation.
So, how did I get involved?
Word of mouth about my unauthorized Tony special reached the board members of Curt’s Cafe, who were desperately seeking someone to help create a virtual fundraiser. Enter the little engine that could! Armed with minimal equipment—my iPhone and a ring light—I teamed up with board members Tami Loften and Rick Marsh to co-produce, shoot, edit, and direct Curt’s Cafe’s first virtual fundraiser.
It was a challenging journey, and there was plenty of heavy lifting on my part—just ask the memory storage disk on my 13-inch MacBook Pro!
In the end, after much hard work and learning along the way, the fundraiser streamed in the same style as my Unauthorized Tony Award special and raised $10,000 more than we originally anticipated.
I utilized all of my storytelling skills to share the story of Curt’s Cafe and the incredible people who make it special.
I invite you to check it out, be inspired, and if you’d like to make a donation, please visit their website at curtscafe.org.
Can you hear that? It’s the “Silver Bells” ringing in the distance to let you know that the WPMT premiere of “The Lemon Drop Kid,” starring Bob Hope, is now live! Broadcast December 10, 1951 on The Lux Radio Theatre with music and lyrics by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans and screenplay by Edmund Hartmann, Robert O'Brien and Frank Tashlin. Based on a story by Damon Runyon, "The Lemon Drop Kid" stars Bob Hope as "Sidney Milburn/The Lemon Drop Kid," Marilyn Maxwell as "Brainey Baxter," and William Conrad as "Moose Moran."
Audio edit by David Robbins.
Video edit by Remington Cleve.
Who’s ready to meet “Meet Porchlight in St. Louis?!” The WPMT premiere of “Meet Me in St. Louis” as heard on December 2, 1946, on The Lux Radio Theatre is now live with a special interview between Michael Weber and Angela Ingersoll! Starring Judy Garland as "Esther Smith," Margaret O'Brien as "Tootie Smith," Tom Drake as "John Truitt" and Gale Gordon as " Alonzo Smith," the performance features popular songs “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” “The Trolley Song” and “The Boy Next Door.”
Edited by David Robbins
WPMT proudly presents "Babes In Toyland” – broadcast December 24, 1949 on The Chicago Theatre of the Air with music by Victor Herbert and book and Lyrics by Glen MacDonough. Starring Mary Francis Desmond, Jonathan Holt, John Barclay, Butler Manville, Sondra Gair, Elmira Ressler, Everett Clark and Colonel Robert McCormick and featuring the classic holiday songs: "Toyland," "I Can't Do the Sum," "March of the Toys" and more!
Edited by David Robbins
The WPMT premiere of “On Your Toes” is now live starring Marion Bell as "Frankie Frayne," Gordon MacRae as "Phil 'Junior' Dolan III" and Fritz Feld as "Sergei Alexandrovitch" featuring “`There's a Small Hotel,” “It's Got to Be Love” and “Slaughter on Tenth Avenue.” Original broadcast on the November 17, 1952 episode of "The Railroad Hour," "On Your Toes" features the hit songs "There's a Small Hotel," "It's Got to Be Love," "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue" and more!
Edited by David Robbins
