Tarl Knight | From Artist to Theatre Owner

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Posted on February 11, 2022 by williamt

Bird in the Wings welcomes Tarl Knight to the pod. Tarl is a musician and co-owner of a historic theatre located in the heart of Downtown Green Bay, now known as the Tarlton Theatre. Kelli & Tarl discuss his early life, his adventures as an artist, as well as how he came to co-own & run a 1920s style theatre house. Plus, they preview an exciting new partnership between The Weidner and the Tarlton.

Happy Listening.

About our Guest: Tarl Knight

Tarl Knight is a musician, director of The Shipyard District, Inc. and co-owner of a historic theatre located in the heart of downtown Green Bay, now known as the Tarlton Theatre. Visit the Tarlton Theatre’s website and follow them on Facebook to learn more about upcoming events.

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Jeté into the Arts with Tim Josephs!

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Posted on November 11, 2021 by williamt

Bird in the Wings hosts the Artistic Director of Northeastern Wisconsin Dance Organization, Tim Josephs, and discusses his artistic pursuits in visual and performing arts in and outside of the Green Bay area.

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NEWDO’s “The Nutcracker” will team up with the Weidner Philharmonic for its premiere debut at the Weidner Center. This will be Green Bay’s only The Nutcracker ballet with live orchestra. Join in for a live performance this Thanksgiving weekend. Click here for more information and tickets.

About our Guest: Tim Josephs

Tim Josephs is originally from Appleton, Wisconsin, and did academic work at the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay. He further pursued his education at North Carolina’s School for the Arts and studied ballet, as well as traveled abroad in Holland to learn and study historic Dutch paintings. Tim has been the director of the Green Bay School of Dance since 1983, and is also the choreographer for their Nutcracker Ballet. More so, Tim has been the Ballet Instructor at the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay for over 10 years. This interview goes in depth of Tim’s educational journey as a young artist, and his path leading back to Green Bay.

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Audrey Nowak is Here for the Music

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Posted on June 3, 2021 by williamt

Bird in the Wings welcomes violinist and member of the Weidner Philharmonic to the pod to wrap up this semester. Audrey talks with Kelli about her journey to becoming a professional musician and music educator in NE Wisconsin, plus tells an inspiring story on how she became first chair Violinist.

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The Weidner Philharmonic will perform Walton’s Façade: An Entertainment live in the Billie Kress Amphitheater at the Green Bay Botanical Garden Sunday, June 20, 2021 at 3:00 PM

Tickets on Sale Now: https://bit.ly/33ENdu4

Audrey Nowak, Musician, Music Educator, Weidner Philharmonic musician

About Our Guest:

Audrey Nowak is the conductor of the string ensemble at St. Norbert College. She is also the program manager of the St. Norbert College Youth Orchestra Program, as well as conductor of that organization’s string orchestra.

Ms. Nowak has taught in northeast Wisconsin since 1990. In addition to teaching courses at St. Norbert, she is currently the director of orchestras at Bay Port High School in the Howard-Suamico School District. During her tenure there Ms. Nowak has been honored with the prestigious Golden Apple Award for exceptional teaching; received the 2015 Wisconsin State Teacher of the Year award from the American String Teacher Association (ASTA); and in 2016 received a Herb Kohl Fellowship Award.

Passionate about sharing music with everyone, Ms. Nowak is the founding director of the Howard-Suamico School District Harp Choir, a multi-generational learning community utilizing the harp as a catalyst for personal growth and community service. Ms. Nowak also works as a hospital-certified master harp therapist, completing her mastery level certification in 2018 at Bedside Harps in Bensalem, Penn.

Still active as a performer, Ms. Nowak is the concertmaster of the Civic Symphony of Green Bay and has been a member of both the Fox Valley Symphony Orchestra and the Oshkosh Symphony Orchestra since 1990.

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Boys and Girls Club of Greater Green Bay – Youth Arts Initiative

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Posted on April 22, 2021 by williamt

Bird in the Wings welcomes three young artists, Teagan, Talson, and Josiah, members of the Youth Arts Initiative program at the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Green Bay. These three students had just finished the fourth book of their comic book series.

They are accompanied by professional teaching artist Craig Knitt, who supervises their creative endeavors. Listen to them discuss the making of their comic book series and success as an after-school program.

Happy Listening!

Participants of the Youth Arts Initiative program have access to professional teaching artists, high-quality arts programming, and a creative outlet. Through three esteemed art programs—digital video, graphic design, and dance, there has been increased confidence and success in-and-outside the classroom. Youth Arts Initiative builds real life problem-solving skills, develops social and emotional competencies, and provides new outlets for self-expression.

Click here for more information on the Youth Arts Initiative program at the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Green Bay.

The Boys & Girls Club of Greater Green Bay proudly serves an average of 500 children a day throughout its 12 locations. Whether the focus is academic success, good character and citizenship, or living a healthy lifestyle, the secret recipe is in providing enriching educational opportunities by cleverly disguising them as fun.

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Rissel Peguero & Matt Hillman – 50% of Pegasis

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Posted on March 12, 2021 by williamt

Kelli welcomes 2 of the 4 members of the band Pegasis to the new episode of Bird in the Wings. Rissel Peguero and Matt Hillman are musicians, songwriters and alumni of UW-Green Bay. On this episode, Rissel and Matt explain their origin, inspirations, and even creative processes put into making the amazing music they preform!

Pegasis is a band dabbling in multiple genres, including World, Latin, Ska, and Reggae. Their ability to create tight harmonies, along with skill to create new and interesting composition with engaging lyricism, is what nominated them for the best artists in their respective genres by the WAMI (Wisconsin Artistic Music Industry).

Happy Listening!

Pegasis will perform a virtual concert from Fort Howard Hall in the Weidner Center for the Performing Arts. Streaming live Thursday, March 18, 2021 at 7:00 PM on the Weidner Center’s YouTube Channel.

Stream “Sanity” the new single from Pegasis NOW.

Follow Pegasis on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Spotify to hear more music and stay up-to-date on their upcoming gigs.

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Neil Brookshire – Acting in a New World

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Posted on February 18, 2021 by williamt

Bird in the Wings welcomes actor Neil Brookshire to season 3 of the pod. Neil is a Door County based actor, visual artist, and filmmaker. In this episode of the pod, Kelli and Neil discuss how he began acting, and his journey as an artist up to now with the newly produced solo theatre piece, Bent Compass, which Neil co-wrote and stars in.

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Bent Compass is a solo performance co-written by Neil Brookshire and Colin Sesek. It is based on true stories and interview transcripts of Colin’s real-life experiences as an army medic in Iraq. This pre-recorded performance of Bent Compassis a collaboration with Dirt Hills Productions and the Weidner Center, it is directed by Phil Darius Wallace and performed by Neil Brookshire.

An Encore Performance of Bent Compass will premiere on Monday, March 1 at 7:00 PM on the Weidner Center’s YouTube Channel

The performance will remain available for viewing until Thursday, March 4 at 12 midnight.

(Please Note: This performance contains graphic language and depictions of violence, viewer discretion is advised.)

This project is supported in part by a grant from the Wisconsin Arts Board with funds from the Sate of Wisconsin and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Neil Brookshire, Actor, Co-Writer, Bent Compass

About Our Guest:

Neil Brookshire is an actor, visual artist and filmmaker. He is the founder of Dirt Hills Productions, which produces short films and audio theater. Neil has a BA in Interdisciplinary Studies from Boise State and an MFA in Acting from Northern Illinois University.

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Third Avenue Playhouse – Virtual Play Reading is Fundamental

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Posted on January 28, 2021 by williamt

Bird in the Wings welcomes Robert Boles & James Valcq, Co-Artistic Directors of Door County’s Third Avenue Playhouse (TAP) to the pod.

James & Robert discuss with Kelli the influence of the immediate and long term aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic on the arts & culture sector of our economy, as well as hope for the future of live performing post COVID.

Playworks 2021: Virtual Play Reading Series:

TAP is thrilled to announce that our annual play reading series (normally held over two winter weekends) has been expanded! The new series, entitled PlayWorks 2021, will begin on February 5 and feature 2 readings per month through June of 2021. All readings will be produced live and include a talkback with the director and cast immediately following.

Click Here to learn more about TAP’s PlayWorks 2021: Virtual Play Reading Series

About Our Guests: Click the pics below to read their full bios!

James Valcq

Robert Boles

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Michael Stebbins – Door Shakespeare in the Time of COVID

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Posted on December 3, 2020 by williamt

Season 3 of Bird in the Wings continues with an interview with Michael Stebbins, the Artistic Director of Door Shakespeare. Kelli and Michael discuss the process of programming live theatre in the time of COVID-19, which has completely reshaped how live performing arts operates, as well as upcoming virtual events from Door Shakespeare. Happy Listening

Upcoming Door Shakespeare Events:

Holidays on Ice, by David Sedaris December 4, 5, 18, 19 at 7 pm • December 6 and 20 • at 5 pm

Reading of select essays from the David Sedaris classic. See More Info Here

Dream Upon Avon by John Kishline December 11 and 12 at 7 pm • December 13 • at 5 pm

Virtual Reading. It is Christmas Eve at the Windmill Inn, Shakespeare’s favorite pub in Stratford-Upon-Avon. While the Bard quaffs his favorite beverage at his usual table, he encounters a series of visitors, each with an unrealized dream and unanswered questions. As things turn out, the Bard has some questions, too, for his visitors, as both playwright and guests discover the true meaning of Christmas. See More Info Here

The Door Shakespeare Reading Series is free and open to the public, with donations welcomed.

About Our Guest:
Michael Stebbins has appeared on regional stages across the country, from NYC [off-Broadway’s Mint Theatre Company and The Public Theater] to CA [Berkeley Repertory Theatre] and many states in-between. As a director, his work has been seen at summer stock, college and regional theatres. In 2005, after being based in NYC for 12 years, he was hired as the producing artistic director of Rep Stage, a regional theatre based in MD. While there he championed works of up-and-coming playwrights [Liz Duffy Adams, David Davalos, Will Eno, Stephen Karam] and also programmed long-forgotten chestnuts. Wisconsin credits include Chamber Theatre, Theatre Gigante’s “My Dear Othello,” “I Am My Own Wife,” and “Woyzeck.” Last summer he appeared in Optimist Theatre’s “Much Ado About Nothing.” In May/June of 2018, he will be featured in Skylight Music Theatre’s production of “Urinetown.” Michael received his BFA/MFA from UWM’s Professional Theatre Training Program. He is the recipient of a Helen Hayes Tribute Award for his work in the DC/MD/VA region, and is a member of Actors’ Equity Association.

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Luis Fernandez – Virtual Virtuoso

Posted on September 29, 2020 by williamt

Bird in the Wings is back for season 3. Our season premieres with Dr. Luis Fernandez, who is preparing to perform the UW-Green Bay Music’s 6:30 Concert Series first ever live streamed concert live from Fort Howard Hall in the Weidner Center for the Performing Arts Wednesday, September 30, 2020 at 6:30 PM.

Kelli sits down with Dr. Fernandez to discuss his journey to becoming a concert violinist and UW-Green Bay professor. Happy Listening!

6:30 Concert Series: Luis Fernandez in Recital is free and open to the public, streaming live on YouTube

More information on the 6:30 Concert Series HERE

About Our Guest:

Originally from Caracas, Venezuela, LUIA FERNANDEZ earned his MA from the University of Florida and his Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Miami. Fernandez has performed across the globe as part of the Nuevo Mundo Quartet. In addition, he Fernandez has also performed with orchestras across the globe including the Florida Grand Opera, Amarillo Symphony, the Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra and many others. As an instructor, Fernandez has been invited to teach in Bolivia, Cuba, Columbia, Mexico and across the United States. He joined the faculty of UW-Green Bay in the Fall of 2019 and serves as the Robert and Joanne Bauer Endowed Professor of Strings and Music Education.

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Adam Gaines & John Salerno – Jazz Fest 50

Posted on January 16, 2020 by stricklk@uwgb.edu

UW-Green Bay’s Jazz Fest is turning 50! Bird in the Wings is celebrating with a deep dive in to the world of a working jazz musician in NE Wisconsin. UWGB Music Professors, Dr. Adam Gaines and Dr. John Salerno talk with Kelli about their paths to becoming teaching and performing artists. Happy Listening!

Learn more about Jazz Fest HERE

About Our Guests:
ADAM GAINES is an Associate Professor of Music at the University of Wisconsin – Green Bay. In addition to teaching the trumpet studio, Dr. Gaines directs jazz ensembles, teaches jazz history courses and works with music technology. Dr. Gaines has performed as a soloist in his native Kentucky, throughout the U.S. and internationally. In the Green Bay area he can frequently be heard performing with Gypsy Trip and with Brass Differential. He holds degrees from the University of Louisville (Bachelor of Music, 1999) and Ball State University (Master of Music, 2001 and Doctor of Arts, 2005). Dr. Gaines frequently travels to Slovakia and the Czech Republic to perform and to spend time with his wife Ladislava’s family.

JOHN SALERNO teaches saxophone, composition, jazz ensemble and other jazz related classes. Under his direction, the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Jazz Ensemble has performed at both the Montreux and North Sea Jazz Festivals in Europe. As a saxophonist he has worked with a variety of notable groups and artists including The Spinners, The Jacksons, Engelbert Humperdinck, Roberta Flack, Joe Williams and many others. Dr. Salerno is a published composer and arranger, and has written works for a variety of styles and media. He is in demand as a clinician and adjudicator, judging at many jazz festivals throughout the country, including the prestigious University of Northern Colorado Jazz Festival. He directs the annual University of Wisconsin-Green Bay January Jazz Fest, and the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Summer Jazz Camp, two of the oldest and most popular jazz events of their kind in Wisconsin.

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