Category: Interview

A Conversation With, Entertainment, Interview, Morning Call, Music

Phantom of the Opera’s Sarah Brightman brings ‘A Christmas Symphony’ to Wind Creek
Photo by Oliver Sommers

With sales in excess of 30 million albums and more than a billion streams, Sarah Brightman is the world’s best-selling soprano. She originated the role of Christine Daaé in the world-renowned “The Phantom of the Opera,” which ended its historic run this past year, and her most recent album, “Hymn,” debuted at number one on both the classical and classical crossover charts.

Brightman will ring in the holiday season on Wednesday, Nov. 29, in, appropriately enough, Bethlehem, when she brings her acclaimed A Christmas Symphony tour to the Wind Creek Event Center.

Accompanied by a huge choir and orchestra and using emotional elements of costume and a world class light show, Brightman’s performance will feature renditions of Christmas classics and holiday favorites as well as a selection of her own greatest hits along with a few surprises.

I recently spoke with Brightman about her upcoming performance in Bethlehem and more in this new interview:

Q: In your opinion what makes the season of Christmas so special?

Sarah Brightman: For me, Christmas is a very emotional and important time of year, My family has always taken it very seriously. Even when I’m abroad I always try to get back home in time. It’s traditional for families to be together this time of year and whether you’re religious or not it’s lovely to go and see a Christmas show.

Q: What made you decide to do A Christmas Symphony tour ?

Sarah Brightman: Back when we first went into COVID a few years ago, I started thinking about what I could do that would help make people feel better, make myself feel better and also hire a few people who needed to work. I came up with the concept of doing a Christmas show and we got permission to film it in a beautiful old church in London. It went all over the world and we had such an amazing response that I thought maybe I should do this on tour in various continents, which we’ve started doing.

You can read the rest of my Morning Call interview with Sarah Brightman by Clicking Here!

A Conversation With, Entertainment, Interview, Morning Call, Music

‘Croce Plays Croce’: A.J. Croce honors memory of his legendary father by playing his songs

It’s hard to believe that it’s been fifty years since the untimely passing of singer-songwriter Jim Croce. The legendary artist was at the peak of his success, with hits that included “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown,” “Operator (That’s Not The Way It Feels),” “You Don’t Mess Around With Jim,” “I’ll Have To Say I Love You In A Song,” and “Time in a Bottle,” when the plane in which he was traveling crashed shortly after takeoff in September of 1973. Croce had spent much of that time living with his wife and young son, A.J. in a suburb outside of Philadelphia before moving to the West Coast just prior to that fateful night.

Jim’s son, A.J. Croce, an acclaimed artist in his own right, is honoring the music and memory of his father with a new tour, “Croce Plays Croce 50thAnniversary.” One that will make two stops in the area: first at the Santander Performing Arts Center in Reading on Wednesday, November 1, and then at the Keswick Theater in Glenside on Sunday, November 5. 

Croce’s show will feature many of his father’s biggest and most beloved songs performed by a full band while a large screen showcases a montage of video memories. Croce will also connect with his father’s legacy by telling stories behind the songs and sprinkling in selections from his own catalog of original music as well as taking requests from the audience in real time. To coincide with the tour a new box set, “The Definitive Jim Croce,”  was recently released that features all three studio albums Jim Croce made for ABC records: You Don’t Mess Around With Jim, Life and Times, and I Got A Name.

I recently spoke with A.J. Croce about the tour and much more in this exclusive new interview.

It’s been fifty years since the untimely passing of your father, Jim Croce. When you think about this anniversary what thoughts come to mind?

A.J. Croce: It’s kind of amazing because in a way, he never left. It’s hard to go into a grocery store or a mall and not hear one of his songs. Plus, I have worked his catalog from behind the scenes for twenty-eight years so it’s very much a part of my daily life. Making sure people hear his music has been a gig that I really have enjoyed. As a person, I was able to get to know him not only through his music and friends and my family but also from the hundreds of tapes he left where I could hear him talking to friends about new songs and conversations about politics, history, psychology and philosophy. His presence has always been there.

Read the rest of my Morning Call interview with A.J. Croce by clicking here.

A Conversation With, comedy, Entertainment, Interview, Morning Call

Tape Face bringing his unique brand of comedy to State Theatre
Photo: Chris Haston / NBC / NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

Following in the footsteps of his successful Las Vegas residency, silent comedian and America’s Got Talent finalist, Tape Face (Sam Wills) is bringing his unique brand of comedy and weirdness to the State Theatre Center for The Arts in Easton on Friday.

Using simple, yet clever, humor and an abundance of props, Wills has created a character that takes the best elements of silent film comedy and combines it with the magic and puppetry into one whimsical, interactive experience. His curious approach to everyday objects like balloons and oven mitts invokes the inner child, while his appearance and style conjures up images of Tim Burton and the nostalgia of ’80s music, arcade video game cabinets and classic cartoons.

As his name suggests, Tape Face performs with a strip of black tape covering his mouth, but that doesn’t diminish the popularity he has with audiences. On the contrary, his America’s Got Talent audition and subsequent performances have, to date, garnered a staggering 47 million views.

I recently spoke with Sam Wills (Tape Face) about what to expect from his performance at the State Theatre, the origin of Tape Face and more in this new interview.

How would you interpret your style of comedy?

Sam Wills: The best way to describe it is standup comedy without talking. I was a standup comedian back in the day so I use the same traits and the same tricks. I just apply it to silent comedy by using music and props. When people ask me what to expect I always like to tell them the weirdest stuff, like you can expect me to fight Darth Vader, bring John Lennon back to life and we’ll have a big balloon fight at the end of the night [laughs]. The show is exactly the same as the [Las] Vegas show, with all of the same bells and whistles. If you like standup comedy, you’ll like my show.

How did the character of Tape Face originate?

Sam Wills: Back in 2005 was when I first picked it up. Before that I used to do a show where I actually talked too much. Back then I’d do circus, sideshow, and carny stunts like hammering nails up my nose, eating light bulbs, breathing fire and other weird routines. During that time, I was lucky enough to have written a show called “Dance Monkey Dance” that won the biggest comedy award in New Zealand. After I had won that award, I decided to challenge myself and do the exact opposite of what I’d been doing, so the challenge became to come up with a silent character who does nothing.

Read the rest of my Morning Call interview with Sam Wills (Tape Face) By Clicking Here.

A Conversation With, comedy, Entertainment, Interview, Morning Call

Q and A with Sam Morril: Comedian brings a class act to Wind Creek

Comedian Sam Morril’s distinct style can be seen on his new special, “Same Time Tomorrow,” currently streaming on Netflix as well as his appearance on “That’s My Time, with David Letterman,” where the iconic late-night host invites some of the hottest up-and-coming stand-up comedians to perform a set and then sit down for a one-one-one chat.

During the COVID pandemic, Morril entertained fans by performing stand-up outside on the tops of buildings, a feat that earned his creative “Up On The Roof” series a coveted spot on The New York Times “Best Comedy of 2020” list. He also showcased his comedy during an appearance in the Academy Award-winning film, “Joker” (alongside Joaquin Phoenix), and currently provides voiceover for several characters on the MAX animated series, “Ten-Year-Old Tom.”

In addition to performing his stand-up, Morril co-hosts the popular “We Might Be Drunk” podcast with fellow comedian Mark Normand. The pair also has collaborated on their own brand of rye whiskey, Bodega Cat, that’s available for purchase in select states.

Morril is out in support of his Class Act Tour, which includes a stop at The Wind Creek Event Center in Bethlehem on Friday, I spoke with Morril about his comedy and more in this exclusive new interview.

Q: To someone who may not be familiar, how would you describe your comedy?

Sam Morril: It’s fun and punchy, in the New York style. Light jokes on topics that aren’t always so light.

Q: What can fans in the Lehigh Valley expect from your “Class Act Tour” performance?

SM: A little bit of everything. It’s a new hour of jokes with a lot of similar topics I’ve discussed in the past. This is coming toward the end of my latest run of dates so it’s going to be a good show. I’ve played this venue before and I really like it.

Read the rest of my Morning Call Interview with Sam Morril by Clicking Here.

A Conversation With, comedy, Entertainment, Interview, Morning Call

Q and A with Paula Poundstone: What you can expect at Saturday’s performance at Sellersville Theater

Known for her spontaneous wit and observational humor, Paula Poundstone is one of standups most coveted comedians. In addition to a robust touring schedule, she’s a regular panelist on NPR’s comedy news quiz, “Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me!” and can be heard weekly on her comedy podcast, “Nobody Listens to Paula Poundstone,” now entering its fifth year.

On Saturday, Poundstone will bring her unique comedic style to an intimate performance at the Sellersville Theater.

I recently spoke with Poundstone about her show, the state of comedy and her relationship with Robin Williams in this new interview.

Q: What can you tell me about your new round of shows?

Paula Poundstone: It’s really one unending tour. I go out most weekends for a few nights. I have somewhere in my head 44 years of material rattling and sometimes I pluck from that. So I’ll talk about things like a house full of animals and trying to keep up with current events and the news, which is not so easy to do these days.

My favorite part of the night is always talking to the audience and doing the time honored “Where are you from and what do you do for a living?” This is where little biographies of audience members emerge. It’s how I set my sails and therefore no two shows are the same. I do about two hours and occasionally tell stories about my children but not as much as I used to when they were little. Now that they’re adults, they might sue [laughs]. I figure the inside of my head looks like one of those arcade games where you step into a glass booth and they blow paper money around and whatever you can grab you can keep.

Read the rest of my Morning Call interview with Paula Poundstone by Clicking Here.

A Conversation With, Entertainment, Interview, Morning Call

‘Long Island Medium’ Theresa Caputo bringing live show to Wind Creek this weekend. See what she has planned.

Theresa Caputo has been a practicing medium for more than 20 years. During that time she’s helped countless people find closure by delivering healing messages to them from lost loved ones. She’s a four-time New York Times best-selling author, the star of TLC’s hugely successful “Long Island Medium” for 14 seasons and the host of a weekly podcast, “Hey Spirit!,” which allows her to engage with people from around the world.

Caputo is also celebrating the 10th anniversary of her “Theresa Caputo Live — The Experience!” tour, which includes two shows at Wind Creek Event Center in Bethlehem on Saturday and Sunday. During each event, Caputo will share her unique gift as Spirit guides her through the audience in real-time while a video display ensures everyone attending will have an up close and personal experience regardless of their seat location.

Theresa Caputo: They can expect a night filled with peace, comfort, and laughter. People might not realize that what I do is so much more than just communicating with people who have died. Spirit restores our faith in life and ourselves. One of the wishes I have for people who do attend my live show is that when they leave, they know that their loved ones are still with them, just in a different way.

Q: How does the Experience work?

I recently spoke with Theresa Caputo about her upcoming Experience show at Wind Creek Event Center and more.

Q: What can people expect from your Experience live events?

Caputo: It starts with me coming out and giving a quick speech on what people can expect over the next 90 minutes. Then once I start sensing and feeling, I’ll come off the stage with cameras following me around. There will be screens set up so that no matter where someone is seated in the theater they’ll feel and be a part of this amazing experience up close and personal. To watch someone feel grief and then actually see them smile or bring laughter to their face is absolutely incredible.

Read the rest of my Morning Call interview with Theresa Caputo by Clicking Here!

A Conversation With, comedy, Entertainment, Interview, Morning Call

Exclusive interview: Comedian Bill Burr on cancel culture, off-limit topics and new material for July 6 show at PPL Center

Photo: Rebecca Sapp/WireImage

With the success of his 2022 Netflix special, “Live at Red Rocks,” and a standup resume that includes sold out performances from coast to coast, not to mention hosting Monday Morning Podcast, a leading download in comedy podcasts, Bill Burr is one of the top comedic voices of his generation.

In addition to stand-up, Burr’s also a celebrated actor, with credits that include everything from Disney’s “The Mandalorian,” and “Breaking Bad,” to feature film and his acclaimed animated Netflix series, “F is For Family.” His forthcoming passion project, “Old Dads,” in which he takes on the leading role, also will mark Burr’s directorial debut.

In the meantime, fans will be able to find Burr returning to his stand-up roots when he brings an all-new comedy set to PPL Center in Allentown on Thursday, July 6.

Burr, who is never at a loss for words, had a lot to say when it comes to comedy, cancel culture and Pennsylvania roads. I asked him about them all and more in this exclusive new interview.

Q. How would you describe your style? Is there a way you can put into words what your comedy is all about?

Bill Burr: I like to describe it as me being like the loud guy you see in the bar. The one who sort of makes sense for like a minute and then you realize I’m just a jerk and am totally harmless (laughs).

You can read the rest of my Morning Call interview with Bill Burr by Clicking Here.

1980's, A Conversation With, Entertainment, Interview, Morning Call, Music

Taking Heart: Nancy Wilson bringing solo act to Wind Creek Event Center

Nancy Wilson is celebrated as one of the most inspiring and trailblazing women in rock history. Together with her sister, Ann Wilson, they comprise the multi-platinum, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame band, Heart. Nancy’s revered as a guitarist, vocalist and co-writer on songs that have become staples of classic rock playlists, including “Crazy On You,” “Barracuda,” “Even It Up,” and “These Dreams.”

In addition to having sold upwards of 35 million albums in their five-decade career, Nancy and Ann recently received a Lifetime Achievement Grammy for their contributions to the world of music.

In 2021, Nancy Wilson released her debut solo album, You And Me. It’s an indelible collection of songs that includes a tribute to her mother and Edward Van-Halen as well as a cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “The Rising.”

On Sunday, Wilson will bring her catalog of Heart hits along with a few surprises when her solo band, Nancy Wilson’s Heart, performs at the Wind Creek Event Center in Bethlehem.

I recently spoke with Wilson about her upcoming performance in this exclusive new interview.

Q. What can fans expect from your upcoming performance at Wind Creek Event Center?

Wilson: We’ll be doing a lot of memorable Heart songs because they’re fun to do and we’re happy to do them. We’re also adding a few surprises and more cool, hip material that people know and love.

Q. Heart has a such a vast catalog of hits. How do you determine which songs you want to include in the set?

Wilson: There are the obvious ones, like “Crazy On You,” “Barracuda,” “These Dreams” and “Even it Up,” that have to be there. But there’s also a few songs from Van Halen and [Led] Zeppelin I’ve always wanted to play that are exciting and keeps things fun. We have a really good band and our singer, Kimberly Nichole (or Kim Nicky), brings a power and energy in such a graceful way. She touches people with her voice. We’re a tight, fighting unit that’s ready to rock.

You can read the rest of my Morning Call interview with Nancy Wilson by Clicking Here.

1980's, A Conversation With, Entertainment, Interview, Morning Call, Music

Christopher Cross sailing into Easton’s State Theatre with his signature sound
Photo: Max Crace

When singer-songwriter Christopher Cross unveiled his self-titled debut album in 1980, little did he know the impact it would have. With hits like “Ride Like The Wind,” “Sailing,” and “Never Be The Same,” the album went on to win five Grammy awards in 1981, including earning Cross the coveted Best New Artist and Album of The Year awards. A year later, Cross followed that success with an Academy Award win for Best Original Song with “Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do),” from the movie, “Arthur.”

In the years since, Cross has released more than a dozen acclaimed albums, from 1983’s “Another Page” and hits like “All Right,” and “Think of Laura,” to recent albums like 2018’s “Take Me As I Am” and a limited-edition box set retrospective aptly titled “The Complete Works,” which celebrates his 40th anniversary as a recording artist.

On Tuesday, Cross will bring his signature sound and legacy of carefully crafted songs to an intimate performance at the State Theatre in Easton. Joining Cross that evening will be renowned Moody Blues guitarist and lead vocalist, Justin Hayward, who will be performing a selection of his own classic hits.

I recently spoke with Cross about his upcoming performance and more in this new interview:

Q. What can fans expect during your performance at The State Theatre?

Christopher Cross: I’m a singer-songwriter so for me it’s all about the songs and playing them for the fans. One thing about the show is that there are no tracks. I have an amazing group of musicians with me who are jazz trained and very high-level players and singers. It’s a sophisticated, high-production show as far as the music goes. I’ll be playing most of the first and second album and the hits that people know. I’ve made 12 albums over the years so I’ll also be playing selections from the other albums as well. This is our first time out this year and we’re really excited.

You can read the rest of my Morning Call interview with Christopher Cross by Clicking Here!

A Conversation With, Art, Fashion, Interview, Morning Call

Groovy, baby: 1960s ‘Fashion Experiment’ takes spotlight in new Allentown Art Museum exhibit

The Allentown Art Museum is the place to be when its groovy new exhibition, “Fashion as Experiment: The ’60s,” opens on Saturday, May 6.

The exhibit, which runs through Sunday, Sept. 24, explores clothing as a tool for change and focuses on the mid-1960s styles that offered young people of the era a laboratory for imagination and play as well as a growing sense of activism.

The new exhibition will be structured in two parts and will feature more than 100 garments and accessories from the museum’s vast collection, some of which by iconic designers such as Geoffrey Beene, Emilio Pucci, Bonnie Cashin, and André Courrèges.

A special preview night event will take place on Friday, May 5, from 6 to 8 p.m., that will include light refreshments as well as a disc jockey spinning the music of the 1960s. If you can’t make it on Friday, there will be a special member-only preview hour on Saturday, May 6, from 10 until 11 a.m. The day’s attendees will be able to take a tour of the exhibition with museum curator Claire McRee or can stop by the museum’s new kid-friendly Fashion Maker Station.

Visitors are encouraged to wear their own vintage-look clothing or bring along old garments and transform them into iconic ’60s tie-dyed fashion statements.

I recently spoke with Museum curator Claire McRee about the upcoming exhibition and more in this exclusive new interview.

Q: What was the inspiration behind the new exhibition, “Fashion as Experiment: The ‘60s”?

Claire McRee: We have a strong 1960s area in our fashion collection with a lot of depth and interesting garments. That was really the inspiration. Then as we thought about the issues and conversations that were happening during the 60s we realized a lot of the ideas about things like gender, race and the environment still resonate today. It felt like a great moment to take a closer look at this important era in history.

Read the rest of my Morning Call Interview with Claire McRee by Clicking Here!