ROH & RPAC On Air with Sam Bennett

Dance Captain, Melissa Hanley, joins us to chat about her upcoming ensemble role in the Rochester Opera House production of Mel Brooks' "The Producers" this August. Melissa became interested in dance at a very young age through her family and began her foray into theatre back in 2015. She talks about her willingness to cross into male roles, her love for choreography, and working wi...

Meet Manchester native and the lead in Rochester Opera House's production of Mel Brooks' "The Producers", Bill Hartery, as he talks shop with Sam.  Reprising the role of Max Bialystock for a fourth time, he shares about his times performing "The Producers" at the Palace Theatre in Manchester and the greatness and deeper meaning behind the role. An Equity actor, he has...

Join two of our favorite out-of-state actors starring in Disney's The Little Mermaid, Fletcher Hooten (Sebastian), and Zeke Solis (Chef Louis) for a chat about community, making new friends, and the historic Rochester Opera House. These stars talk about the hustle & competition of the big city versus the down-to-earth atmosphere of our little city, and what it's like to be a travel a...

Join two of Disney’s The Little Mermaid stars, Ben Hanley (Scuttle) and Marcus Provost (King Triton), for a chat about their experiences over the years on the Rochester Opera House stage and the greater seacoast as well as performing with your favorite podcast host, Sam Bennett. These professionals talk about the process from script to stage while learning the entirety of this musical in less than...

Welcome Rochester Opera House Sound Engineer, Nick Donlin, as he breaks his silence from behind the "ROH & RPAC On Air" podcast recording board.  Nick and Sam chat about the inner workings of sound tech at Rochester Opera House and discuss what challenges arise for the variety of productions we produce at ROH.  Contracted with ROH since reopening after COVID, Nick is in charge of mix...

Guests: Chris Bradley & Eloise Ellis Eloise tells us how reprising her role as Ariel in ROH’s production of Disney’s The Little Mermaid is just what she needs this summer to help reclaim her passions for theatre. Chris is excited and ready to perform as Ursula, a role he’s eyed since 6th grade. Our guests chat about just singing songs versus putting passion and heart behind the music and where...

Guest: Grady Savage Grady Savage joins Sam Bennett to talk shop about stage managing.  Stage managers run all aspects of the performance from before the start of rehearsals until strike. We hear how she keeps things in order, on time, and how she brings the show back to order after technical malfunctions and missed cues. Starring in theatre since the early age of 8, Grady started working the techn...

Guests: Sam McLaughlin & Kyra Anthony Join guests Sam McLaughlin and Kyra Anthony as they chat about their ensemble roles in Rochester Opera House’s production of Annie. Sam talks about initially emerging as a musician but how that transformed into a dynamic ability to transfer from stage to pit to coaching fellow actors.  Kyra shares the exciting chaos of transitioning into understudy roles a...

Guest: Jennifer Towle Associate Artistic Director & Director of Education at RPAC, Jennifer “Jenry” Towle, talks about going into her fifth year of teaching kids' theater camp at Rochester Performance & Arts Center.  She mentions how teaching, inspiring, and empowering students helps shape and encourage positive culture in our community. A Pennsylvania native, Jenry toured the country...

Guest: Scott Severance Scott joins Sam for a witty and charming chat about his upcoming role as Daddy Warbucks in Annie and directing the ROH Summer Theatre Production of The Little Mermaid.  Scott shares his stage history and how he transforms lives through laughter.  We discuss mentoring and educating youngsters in theatre and how vital they are to every production. 

Guest: Anthony Ejarque Join Sam Bennett as he introduces us to Rochester Opera House’s Executive Director, Anthony Ejarque. Listen to how the Rochester Opera House and Rochester Performance & Arts Center stay involved in our vibrant little city from the 60’s through today. We discuss adapting to recent arts funding cuts, engaging 1,000s of youth at our arts & education programming, HRCU $1...