Meeting Robert Redford

I grew up in New York City, and I also spent a couple of years living in Los Angeles (Venice Beach, in particular). Anyone who lives in either city is used to seeing movie stars and celebrities around town. It's easier to do in New York, because it's a walking city, and you just have more personal encounters with people in general. (L.A. has a different vibe. It's considered not cool to acknowledge that a celebrity is sitting at the next table to you in a restaurant; gushing is only done by the tourists.)

So I've seen or met a lot of famous folks, but it was a particular thrill to meet and interview Robert Redford on Thursday. I've had a 40-year-long crush on him. I've been enjoying his movies ever since 1967 and "Barefoot in the Park" through "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," "The Sting," "The Way We Were," "The Hot Rock," "Three Days of the Condor," and even "Legal Eagles" where he convincingly plays a klutz with insomnia who likes to tap-dance when he can't sleep. When he turned his talents to directing in 1980, he won the Oscar for his first effort, "Ordinary People." He's also directed such fine films as "Quiz Show" and "A River Runs Through It."

A documentary his Sundance Center had commissioned, "Fighting Goliath: Texas Coal Wars," was having its Texas premiere Thursday night, and he was making his first Houston visit ever to introduce the film and participate in a panel discussion afterwards with Mayor Bill White and other dignitaries. I had the distinction of having been granted the only one-on-one interview with Redford while he was in town. My time with him was after his working lunch and before a scheduled press conference where he would meet the rest of the media.


Brad Sayles, KUHF's Senior Recording Engineer, agreed to handle the taping. So he and I (mostly he) hauled audio equipment to the designated downtown hotel where The Sundance Kid, no kid any more at 71 years old, would be waiting for us. I waited for Brad on the street while he parked the car, and watched a FedEx van run a red light, slam into a pickup truck and take off most of the pickup's left front end. (Fortunately neither driver was hurt; both pulled over and talked on their cell phones before they talked to each other.) I was hoping that it wasn't a bad sign.

Inside the hotel, the room where we were to set up was very small, freezing cold, and strewn with the remains of some group's breakfast. I cleared off the table and put everything on the sideboard. Fortunately a waiter came soon after, and cleaned up, then brought us water and cookies. I ascertained that R. Redford was in a room next door having his lunch with a group of other folks.

Then Eric Mayer from the Susman Godfrey law firm, who was also participating in the interview, came in and I was talking to him while looking down at my notes, and so didn't even notice when RR entered the room. "Hi, how are you." Well, at least he didn't see me clearing tables.

I ask if I can call him Bob. "Of cooouuurse" he says. His first name is really Charles (the dominant male name in my family, by coincidence), but he's always gone by his middle name. He looks awfully good for a "mature" individual, even up close. Still maintains the mop of blonde hair, accented by grey at the temples. Lovely blue eyes, great smile, wonderful presence and engaging personality when he turns it on. He's really a star, he knows it, but doesn't seem to be a jerk about it. Before we roll tape I announce to the room, "Please silence your cell phones and other ringing devices." Redford laughs, pulls out his phone and checks it, then says, "No one ever calls me, and when someone did once, I was on stage."

We tape for about 15 minutes, and he's pretty serious, focused, and on topic. Then as soon as we're off mike, he's relaxed and chatty. He asks me about my show "Music From The Movies" (he actually looked at my business card) and I give him a 2-CD set that I'd made up a couple of days ago. It had musical selections from a number of his films. He seemed to appreciate it, and started talking about how he'd spent 3 or 4 months filming "The Great Waldo Pepper" (my first selection on the CD) in Texas back in the early 70s. He mentioned that his mother's side of the family are longtime Texans: five generations in fact. As a boy he would spend summers in Austin and San Marcos. His grandfather built one of the first houses on Lake Travis.

I told Bob that KUHF was in the first day of its spring pledge drive, and would he mind taping a testimonial (which I had written mere moments before). He asks me where I'm from, then starts talking about New York and how he'd gone there from California in the early 1950s to study art, but gave it up because he was "on the bum" as he put it; then he turned to acting and stayed broke, at least for a while until he started getting some parts on live television. Then he was slightly less broke. I'm guessing he's not broke now.

He was great about everything. Brad, who had brought his camera, took some pictures while we were talking.

Redford's gabbing away (no prompting from me), and just as he was warming to the subject of his movies, one of his minders came in and dragged him away so he could get to his press conference. I did get a hug, though (I'm currently in recovery from that), some pictures, and some too-short-yet-memorable time with my new pal Bob. I hope you got to hear the interview on Thursday's "The Front Row." I'm featuring some of his films on the March 28th "Music From The Movies."

Gutenberg! The Musical!

Lovers of musical theater need to know about the newest addition to the venerable genre: Gutenberg! The Musical!

Now playing at Theater LaB Houston, this "new kid on the musical theater block" features book, music and lyrics by Anthony Brown and Scott King. It was originally produced in London in 2006 and received its American premiere at the 2006 New York Musical Theater Festival.

If you're expecting a huge production with a cast of thousands, think about the title! A musical about the life of Johann Gutenberg? Yes, Gutenberg, inventor of the printing press!

Gutenberg! The Musical! is actually a two-man musical spoof in which a pair of aspiring playwrights perform a backers' audition as they try to secure financial support for their new project. Think Wayne's World puts on a musical!

Doug Simon and Bud Davenport have conceived a show centered around how Gutenberg's revolutionary invention impacts the largely illiterate residents of the German town of Schlimmer. With great gusto, and a heightened social consciousness, they take us through their musical creation playing all the parts themselves.

I went to see the Friday night performance at Theater LaB Houston the weekend before last and was completely blown away by the experience. Josh Wright [above left], who plays Doug, and Dylan Godwin [above right], who's Bud, both give incredibly strong performances as actors, singers and dancers; both are absolutely hilarious; and both are perfect complements for each other.

One of the dangers of a two-man show is that the two actors have no or little rapport, or that one predominates. That is not the case with Wright and Godwin who command the stage with equal presence; in fact, their chemistry is such that you feel they could almost become one.

Director Linda Phenix has staged what must for the actors be a brutal production. Both Bud and Doug never quit singing and dancing or moving around the stage in some high jinx.

The concept of a bad musical within a musical (think Springtime for Hitler in The Producers), is a tricky feat to pull off; the spoof has to be bad enough to be recognized as such, but the entire musical production has to be of sufficient quality that it does not get tarred by the same brush as the spoof.

Brown and King, and director Phenix, have managed to create this balance superbly in this production, and if your sides don't hurt at the end of the evening from all the laughing you've done then maybe you'd be just the right kind of person for a role in a musical about the life of one of Europe’s most exciting men, Johann Gutenberg!

Gutenberg! The Musical! can be seen Friday and Saturday evenings at 8 through April 19 with a matinee at 5 Sunday, April 6th.

Visit the Theater LaB Houston website for more information.

From the Top Comes to Houston...This Friday!

Surely one of the most inspiring programs on public radio today is From the Top, the NPR-distributed showcase for America's best young classical musicians.

Since it debuted six years ago, the show has become one of the five most popular weekly one-hour programs on all of public radio reaching more than 750,000 listeners each week. The youngsters featured on the show, all aged between 9 and 18, show great personality; they're hilarious, and a wonderful reminder that classical music and outstanding musicianship still have a strong appeal among the younger generation.

From the Top host Chris O'Riley [pictured below] has the ability to develop a real rapport with each of the show's guests and, given that he is himself a concert pianist of no small renown, understands what these kids are going through and what lies in store for them as they get older.

Each From the Top is recorded in live concert settings in concert halls around the United States, and this week it's Houston's turn.

This Friday the show comes to the Bayou City for the very first time. KUHF and Houston Grand Opera play host to the live event which will be recorded in the Wortham Theater Center's Brown Theater at 7:30PM.

Among the young performers Friday will be the Houston Grand Opera Children's Chorus, members of HGO's High School Voice Studio and Liz Kaufman, Joan Scheirman and Laura Smolik (the Three Genii from HGO's recent production of The Magic Flute) along with HGO Studio soprano Rebekah Camm. Caitlan Pitts, a 17-year-old soprano from Houston, who is part of the Houston Grand Opera High School Voice Studio, will perform Aaron Copland's Why Do They Shut Me Out of Heaven.

I'm reliably informed that tickets to the taping of the show in Brown Theater are still available at houstongrandopera.org or by calling 713.228.OPERA.

Furthermore, KUHF members are invited to join us for a pre-show reception in the Wortham Green Room at which From the Top host Chris O'Riley is slated to make an appearance. Just bring your KUHF Membercard with you and that will be your ticket to the reception.

So come be part of this special KUHF event and enjoy the incredible performances from the stars of tomorrow. Hope to see you there!

Welcome to The Front Row's Blog!

Welcome to the debut of the new KUHF website and this new addition to the The Front Row online.

This is a time of growth for the show, Houston's only daily in-depth look at the local arts' scene. This blog is part of an expanded web presence for the broadcast show which includes more information and resources to supplement the daily show. You'll now find more pictures, more information and more coverage of the arts in Houston here on The Front Row pages of the KUHF site.

Another obvious change to the show is that of host. I am the new host and executive producer of The Front Row, and it is a real pleasure for me to be here at KUHF and to be part of the incredible team that somehow manages to create such magic on a daily basis. [Pictured above, The Front Row team. From the left: Catherine Lu, Chris Johnson, Todd Hulslander, St.John Flynn and Bob Stevenson]

I bring to the show more than 10 years of public radio experience as a cultural affairs host, producer and manager. My particular focus generally has been on literature, but I started out in public radio as a classical music host and have always maintained that connection. However, you can expect to see a greater presence on the show for the literary arts in the future.

While I may be a new host, the best arts' journalist team in all of public radio continues to be 100% involved in the production of the show.

Producer Bob Stevenson is the engine that makes it all happen. Bob's decades of experience of production in public radio make him the paragon of the arts producer: someone who can not only pull a daily show together but makes it his business to know what's going on in every conceivable cultural corner of the Bayou City.

Associate producer Catherine "Jazz Hands" Lu is the show's go-to girl; she not only writes scripts and prepares rundowns, she also serves as back-up host and regular segment producer. You'll hear her covering dance events, authors, and, given her background as a violinist, musical performances also.

Chris Johnson serves as The Front Row's technical director. It's his job to cue the theme music, open and close the host microphone, voice the station breaks during the show, and then prepare each day's program segments for on-demand listening on the website. Of course he also pulls his weight as an interviewer covering a range of arts events but focusing especially on classical music events. Chris is also a performing violinist and can be heard as part of the KUHF Chamber Ensemble.

One of the greatest elements of The Front Row is its live performance segments featuring ensembles and individuals in the KUHF performance studio playing just for our audience.

The magic of these live performance segments doesn't just happen, it takes a considerable amount of preparation on the part of the KUHF audio staff that set up the studio for the performers and engineer the live performance during the broadcast.

The Front Row's audio engineer is Todd Hulslander who works diligently to ensure not only that all performers are miked correctly, but also to guarantee that what goes out over the air is the best it can be. As an audio engineer he is without equal and gives the show its professional sound and aura.

There are other KUHF personalities you'll hear from time to time on the show, Pulling Strings host Elaine Kennedy and Night Classics' Eric Ladau for example. They bring their substantial expertise to bear on showcasing artists from areas they know so much about.

This is the team that brings you The Front Row each weekday at 3PM on FM 88.7 HD-1 and at 10PM on HD-2.

Under the auspices of this new KUHF website, The Front Row can now expand its coverage of the arts in Houston through The Front Row blog. Look for daily postings from all of TFR contributors as they attend events around the city and beyond and prepare segments for the broadcast show. They can give you greater coverage of what’s happening across the Bayou City as well as behind-the-scenes insights that might not make it into each day’s show.

On KUHF.org you can now expect to find a more immediate perspective on what's happening artistically across Houston in addition to the regular coverage in the daily The Front Row broadcast. Look also for the website to contain extended versions of interviews featured on the show, pictures, and even on-demand video of artists as they perform live on the show in the KUHF performance studio.

Our commitment to the arts in Houston remains preeminent, and this new website promises more in-depth coverage of those things that make the heart of this city beat.

As a newcomer to Houston let me share my initial perspective on the arts in this city as we launch a new phase of arts coverage at KUHF.

I was hired recently as the new Director of Cultural Programming at KUHF. When I saw the position advertised in the industry newspaper I was excited and immediately began researching Houston from the perspective of the arts and culture.

I was suitably impressed by what I discovered: a pre-eminent symphony orchestra, world-renowned opera company, one of the country’s top ballet companies, a host of theatrical and chamber music organizations and an awful lot more.

However, what blew me away the most from a professional standpoint was that a Top 10-radio market station had assigned precious resources to the production of a daily one-hour arts magazine show (something almost unheard of within the public radio system!). My reaction was "Here is a station that has a true commitment to the arts!"

As someone who has chosen the arts as a way of life, so to speak, I understand the role the arts play not just in the life of the individual but also in the life of the community.

The creativity represented in the music, dance, acting, painting etc. of any place is the expression of its soul—the things that make it what it is in a non-material sense.

The arts are the heartbeat of what we do; they enable us to do what we do in the other realms of life: business, education, healthcare, entertainment. The arts feed our souls and create the spark that gives us life and the impetus to go out and create the communities we do.

It is the arts that, in Horatian phrase, create the "mens sana" in the "corpore sano" of the corporate world, if you will. You can't have one without the other and have a healthy community. And while no place is without its problems, it seems to me, in the brief time I've been here, that Houston has far fewer than other large U.S. cities.

A further testament to the relative health of the city is the tremendous support so many arts and cultural events receive from the public. It isn't rare to have a packed house for a musical theater production at the Hobby Center and another packed house across the street for the ballet at the Wortham Center. And both Jones Hall and the Alley Theatre are probably enjoying substantial audiences at the same time for their productions.

There is an appreciation for the arts across Houston, a level of financial and audience support not seen in many other large cities, and a desire to see and do more. The Front Row is here to document all this and, through our daily broadcast, this website and blog, to hold a mirror up to our community and say "This is who we are."

On The Front Row our commitment is to cover the breadth and depth of the Houston arts scene. We look forward to providing you with information, insight and maybe some inspiration as we fulfill our public service mission over the air and now online.

Welcome to the brand new The Front Row blog. Read it at your leisure, pass it on to others when you’ve finished and come back often. We are your expanding source for news about what's going on in the auditoriums, concert halls, galleries, parks, spaces and studios of H-town.

Thank you for giving us here at The Front Row so much to choose from!