Showing results by publisher "Happyland" in All Categories

Roger Williams stood alone in the world of popular music. He was just three years old when he first sat in front of a piano and played a song. He went on to study piano at Drake University and Julliard and had his first success with the single "Autumn Leaves". Williams sat down for a conversation with Wink Martindale in 1972 to discuss his career and passion for playing music. He talks about his early life and musical journey, the importance of hard work and practice, and the toll life on the road takes.

Gordon Jenkins arranged for legendary musicians, recorded a dozen hit singles - including "P.S. I Love You" and "Blue Prelude" - and has had a host of other accomplishments in the world of music. The arranger, composer, and pianist was influential throughout the '40s and '50s. Despite his many musical talents, Jenkins discusses his desire, but unfortunate inability, to sing. In a conversation with host Wink Martindale, Jenkins talks about his expansive musical work, accomplished career, and focusing on writing well versus writing to get rich.

For Alan and Marilyn Bergman, being married and working together as songwriters had many perks. The two found that their relationship allowed them to be uninhibited in sharing ideas while crafting a song. In this interview recorded with Wink Martindale in the 1980s, they discussed their lives, lyrics, and careers as songwriters. The couple provides an intimate and detailed look at the songwriting process, along with sharing interesting stories about some of the songs they've written.

"It's a Blue World" brought The Four Freshmen onto the charts and into the spotlight in 1952. In the years that followed, the band went through numerous lineup changes but never lost the sound that made them famous. Wink Martindale spoke with original members Bob Flanigan and Ross Barbour in 1973 about their career and the lasting influence they had on musical acts that followed.

Ray Conniff got his start arranging and conducting for other recording artists. His success working for others eventually led to Columbia allowing him to record an album under his own name, which was released to great success and acclaim. Conniff was the first artist to use voices and vocal arrangements as part of the instrumentation. In a conversation with host Wink Martindale, Conniff discusses his unique sound, evolving his style, and his passion for creating music.

BD Wong grew up in San Francisco. He won a Tony Award for his performance in M. Butterfly. He gained notoriety for playing the roles of Dr. George Huang on Law & Order: SVU, Father Ray Mukada on Oz, Dr. John Lee on Awake, Dr. Henry Wu in the first Jurassic Park film as well as the fourth entry, Jurassic World, Mulan, and Ngawang Jigme in the film Seven Years in Tibet. He is now appearing in the TV series Gotham as Hugo Strange, making Wong the first actor to play the character in live action.

Meet the woman who decided to give up one of the most lauded and glorious careers as an actress because she could no longer sit and watch as politicians derailed the city and state she loves. Meet the candidate willing to go up against Andrew Cuomo.

Actress. Model. Fashionista. Uma Thurman has made a big mark from Broadway to Hollywood. She’s starred in iconic movies like the Kill Bill series, Dangerous Liaisons, and Pulp Fiction. She began her career as a 15-year-old model where she appeared in Glamour and on the cover of British Vogue. The award-winning actress spends time with Levine covering growing up having dyslexia, moving to New York as a teenager, and her iconic role in Pulp Fiction.

Actor, singer, and activist Rory O’Malley has appeared on stage in The Book of Mormon and most recently, the smash Hamilton. He’s also performed on screen in hits like Dreamgirls, where he performed on the official movie soundtrack covering “Cadillac Car.” Here, O’Malley talks about his start at his hometown Cleveland’s prestigious theater scene, his family dynamics, and how he secured the role of King George in Hamilton.

Roger Bart is a Tony Award-winning actor who has been successful on both stage and screen. From Broadway (Charlie Brown, Young Frankenstein, The Producers) to film (Hercules, American Gangster) to TV (Quantico, Desperate Housewives, Episodes), Bart has made his mark. In this interview, he covers the early days of his career, being asked about his role on Desperate Housewives and does a quick duet from Charlie Brown with Levine.

Patti LuPone is an actress and singer, best known for her work in stage musicals. She’s a two-time Grammy Award winner and two-time Tony Award winner. LuPone’s stage work covers War Paint and Evita. She’s also worked in TV (Life Goes On, Penny Dreadful) and film (The Comedian, Wise Guys). LuPone talks about Broadway audiences, her time at Julliard School, and the ongoing popularity of “Don’t Cry for Me, Argentina.”

Nikki Graff Lanzarone is best known as a Broadway actress, singer, and dancer. She’s starred in hit productions of Chicago, Hello Again, and Seussical. Lanzarone talks in this interview about being from a famous acting family, her love of singing, her one-woman show Hero Worship, and her husband’s career as a veterinarian.

Academy Award-winning actress Nia Vardalos is also a screenwriter and producer. Best known for her writing of and acting in the hit film My Big Fat Greek Wedding, she has also written and appeared in Larry Crowne with Tom Hanks and I Hate Valentine’s Day. In this interview, Vardalos talks about her hope to do Broadway, her marriage to actor Ian Gomez, family dynamics, and her advocacy for women’s roles in Hollywood.

An actor best known for his role on the hit drama series Mad Men, Slattery’s other starring roles have included the TV shows Homefront, Desperate Housewives, and movie roles where he played Dwight Eisenhower in the biopic Churchhill, and also Iron Man 2, Ant-Man, and Captain America. Slattery’s a mainstay on the stage and he talks about performing nude and behind-the-scenes stories about the auditioning process for screen and stage.

Miriam Shor is an award-winning actress whose star began to shine on stage in 1998 when she played Yitzak in Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Shor’s impressive resume covers stage (The Wild Party, Scarcity), TV (The Americans, The Good Wife) and movies (Bedazzled, Hedwig and the Angry Inch). Here, she talks growing up in America and Italy, her early acting aspirations through school, and the successes and failures of being an actress.

American actor Lucas Hedges is best known for playing Patrick Chandler in Manchester by the Sea (2016), which earned him an Academy Award nomination. His screen, stage, and TV credits also include Moonrise Kingdom, Kill the Messenger, Lady Bird, and The Slap. In this interview, he talks about wanting to act since he was a young child, the ability to cry on camera or stage, and how he doesn’t have social media even though he’s a millennial.