Storybeat With Steve Cuden

Stuart Ross wrote and directed the long running musical Forever Plaid, and its various offsprings: Plaid Tidings, The Sound of Plaid, and Forever Plaid: The Movie.             Other New York Credits include: Radiant Baby, Enter Laughing, The Musical, Standing on Ceremony, The Gondoliers, and Fun with Dick and Jane.            Stuart co-wrote with Jack Viertel The Secret Life of the American Musical and directed it. He also he directed Golden Rainbow in its workshop.             For the York he adapted and directed Subways Are for Sleeping, It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane, It’s Superman, Minnie’s Boys, Silk Stockings, and Bajour.             On Broadway, Stuart co-wrote the book to Starmites, which received 6 Tony Nominations, and The Radio City Music Hall Easter Show.              For TV, he’s directed sitcoms like Frasier and Veronica’s Closet. He also created special material for PBS’s Great Performances, An Evening at the Pops starring Jason Alexander, and Diahann Carroll: Both Sides Now!            For ten seas

Amy Powers is a Harvard-trained lawyer, Columbia University MBA, best-selling author, Emmy nominated songwriter, theater and film producer, online business owner, coach, and connector.            After discovering that being a lawyer fed her bank account but starved her soul, she ditched that life to begin writing lyrics, finding multi-platinum success with artists from Barbie to Barbara Streisand.            Freelance life brought its own challenges: unpredictable income, uncontrollable marketplace changes, and too few hours spent with her husband and sons.  She yearned to increase her revenue, decrease her stress, and have more flexibility.  That’s when she discovered Network Marketing, through a company that aligned with her core values of healthy living inside and out.  After following her company’s blueprint to create an extra six figure revenue stream and seven figure asset, Amy felt called to reach a wider audience and assist others looking for solutions.              Amy’s book No Degree Required: Net

Steve Maher is a musician, and singer-songwriter out of Denver, Colorado. He combines vocals, lyrics, and piano into one cohesive pop-soul sound-style that doesn’t take itself too seriously while also touching upon life experience.             Steve’s first solo album, Pathways, was recorded in Chicago in 2020 during the pandemic and released in July of 2021.             His current project Night Routine is a funk-pop-soul group that has performed throughout Colorado and the Midwest. Steve sings lead vocals and plays keyboards along with co-founder Tomas Houser on guitar, Marc Hudson on bass, and drummer Josh Neitzel.            Please stick around at the end of the show for a real treat – one of Night Routine’s songs, Springtime Shine, for you to enjoy.

Wayne Byrne is an acclaimed author and film historian from Ireland. He started his career working for local County Kildare newspapers before being invited to write for the iconic Irish pop culture bible Hot Press Magazine as a music, book, and restaurant critic.             His debut book, The Cinema of Tom DiCillo: Include Me Out, was released in 2018.  Wayne followed it with well-received works on subjects like Burt Reynolds, cinematographer Nick McLean, the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise, and legendary Hollywood filmmaker Walter Hill. I’ve read both Welcome to Elm Street and Walter Hill: The Cinema of a Hollywood Maverick and can tell you that they’re both deeply researched, entertainingly detailed looks at how influential filmmakers create the dreams the world loves to watch. I highly recommend Wayne’s work to you.            Look for the release of Wayne’s latest book, Hired Guns: Portraits of Women in Alternative Music, co-written with his best friend, acclaimed musician Amanda Kramer, who’s been the

Jeff Harnar is an award-winning cabaret, concert and recording artist. His Carnegie Hall appearances include both the Cole Porter and Noël Coward Centennial Galas. Jeff’s televised PBS concerts include: The 1959 Broadway Songbook with music director Alex Rybeck, as well as American Songbook: Stephen Sondheim co-starring KT Sullivan, and Michael Feinstein’s Live at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center. Jeff also toured with Broadway’s Shauna Hicks in their Symphony Pops Concert I Got Rhythm: Mickey & Judy’s Hollywood. For his exceptional live performances, and for directing the shows of other outstanding performers, Jeff has won multiple MAC, Bistro, and BroadwayWorld Cabaret Awards and The Noël Coward Foundation Cabaret Award. He’s released four solo albums, including Dancing in the Dark, and most recently I Know Things Now: My Life in Sondheim’s Words. Jeff can also be seen performing in the movie Joshua Tree, 1951: A Portrait of James Dean. 

Producer-Director Casey Childs founded Primary Stages, a leading New York City Off-Broadway theater, in 1984. Primary Stages has produced over 175 new plays, giving playwrights the opportunities to see their new works staged, including: Christopher Durang, Tina Howe, John Patrick Shanley, Lee Blessing, David Ives, Donald Margulies, Theresa Rebeck, and A.R. Gurney among many others. Casey directed many of those productions for the company, as well as helming new plays at other Off-Broadway theaters.            He served as the Artistic Program Director for the New Dramatists from 1982-1985 where he worked with numerous leading American playwrights in their early years.Casey’s the recipient of the Carnegie Mellon University Commitment to New Playwrights Award, as well as the winner of two Emmy Awards and many nominations for his extensive work in television.               He’s a past Vice President of the Directors Guild of America and a past trustee of the National Association of Television Arts and Sciences.

The novelist Monte Schulz released his first novel, Down by the River, in 1990. He then spent more than twelve years writing the Jazz Age-based novel, Crossing Eden, for his father, the late, extraordinarily influential cartoonist, the creator of Peanuts, Charles M. Schulz. The book was initially released in three smaller volumes called This Side of Jordan, The Last Rose of Summer, and The Big Town.            Monte’s latest novel, Metropolis, is a grand dystopian tale in a time of war, with a blossoming romance throughout. I’ve read Metropolis and can tell you it’s a powerful and intense journey through a world into which I hope we never find ourselves. If you enjoy marvelously epic storytelling, I highly recommend you read Metropolis.            Since 2010, Monte has been the owner of the Santa Barbara Writers Conference and has taught a class in voice and style both there and at UC Santa Barbara.            He’s also a composer/songwriter with an album out worldwide: “Seraphonium – After Many a Summer.”

Donna Loughlin is the Founder of LMGPR and known for her work with futurists and innovators. Since forming her agency in 2002, she’s launched more than 500 companies, taking them from stealth to market leaders.            Donna excels in the realm of storytelling and uses those skills to propel new companies into the mainstream.             She is also the host of BeforeItHappened, a leading narrative podcast featuring visionaries and the moments, events, and realizations that inspired those visionaries to change our lives for the better.

Callum Woodhouse is a brilliant stage and screen actor originally from Durham, England. You may recognize Callum from playing Leslie Durrell in ITV’s much-loved series The Durrells. He’s also starred as Tristan Farnon in the Masterpiece TV adaptation of All Creatures Great and Small, and as James Marsden in series 6 and 8 of ITV’s beloved British comedy-drama Cold Feet, starring alongside James Nesbitt, Fay Ripley, Robert Bathurst, Hermione Norris and John Thomson.              He also played Will Taylor in Christopher Hatton’s excellent Edgar Allen Poe feature, Raven’s Hollow. Christopher Hatton has been a guest on this podcast, as has Callum’s exceptional co-star, Melanie Zanetti.            Callum trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. On stage, he has appeared at the Hampstead Theatre in Ryan Craig’s Filthy Business, which was directed by Edward Hall. The play also starred Sara Kestelman, Ashley Martin-Davis, Louis Hilyer, Dorian Lough and Callie Cooke. Filthy Business opened to rave rev

The actor, director, teacher, and author, John Shepard, began his professional career at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival where he was a company member for 4 seasons. Subsequently moving to New York, he worked in regional theatres like The Long Wharf, Yale Rep, Barter Theatre, Actors Theatre of Louisville, and many others. Off Broadway, he performed at The Manhattan Theatre Club, Soho Rep, The Public Theatre, Lamb’s Theatre, and others. On Broadway, he worked in American Buffalo with Al Pacino, in which he also toured the U.S. and played on London’s West End, and John also appeared in A View from the Bridge.             Career highlights include the stage version of George Orwell’s 1984, in which John played Winston Smith, at the Wilma Theatre, Kennedy Center and Joyce Theatre, and the world premiere of Eduardo Machado’s Fabiola at the Theatre for a New City.            John spent time in L.A. pursuing TV and Film work, appearing in many episodic TV series including L.A. Law, Spenser: For Hire, Dallas, Quantum

Melanie Zanetti, is an award-winning Australian actress of both stage and screen, who divides her time between Australia and the United States.         Melanie voices the role of Chilli, in the popular, internationally renowned, Emmy Award winning animation series, Bluey. Her most recent feature films include Raven’s Hollow, which was written and directed by Christopher Hatton, who has been a guest on StoryBeat, Gabriel’s Rapture, Love and Monsters, and Head Count, which is set to be released in 2024. Aside from Bluey, Melanie’s other TV credits include Young Rock, The End, The Bureau Of Magical Things, and The Leisure Class, which was produced by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck.Melanie began her career in theatre and has played many iconic roles such as Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, Eliza Doolittle in Pygmalion, Cathy in Wuthering Heights and numerous others since graduating from The University of Southern Queensland in 2007.

Robert Crane is the co-author of eleven books including Crane: Sex, Celebrity, and My Father's Unsolved Murder, My Life as a Mankiewicz, Bruce Dern: A Memoir, and Jack Nicholson: The Early Years. He contributed a short story called Wingding to the recently published story collection, Beyond Where the Buses Run: Stories. Robert is also the co-writer of Hostage for a Day, a Fox Television film directed by John Candy. And he wrote for Playboy for twenty years, including numerous celebrity interviews. Robert also happens to be the son of the late TV icon, Bob Crane, who was best known for playing Colonel Robert Hogan in Hogan’s Heroes during its six-season run. 

Michael Elias is an award-winning writer, actor and director who’s written film, television, theatre and fiction.            His new novel, You Can Go Home Now, is a timely and thoroughly entertaining psychological thriller featuring a female cop on the hunt for a killer while battling violent secrets of her own.  I’ve read You Can Go Home Now and can tell you it’s a deeply engaging mystery with a lot of heart. Michael is also the author of the novel, The Last Conquistador.            Born and raised in upstate New York, Michael moved to New York City after graduating from St. John’s College in Annapolis to pursue a career in acting. He was a member of the Living Theatre and acted at The Judson Poets Theatre, La MaMa, and Caffé Chino. Michael then transitioned to Hollywood and with Frank Shaw wrote the screenplay for The Frisco Kid starring Gene Wilder and Harrison Ford. With Eve Babitz he wrote Envoyez les Violons.  And then he began a long writing partnership with Rich Eustis. Together, they wrote the scree

          George Stevens, Jr. has crafted an extraordinary creative legacy over a career spanning more than 60 years as a screenwriter, director, producer, playwright and author. He’s enriched the film and television arts as a filmmaker and is widely credited with bringing style and taste to the high-profile, national television events that he has conceived. In doing so he’s lived one of the most profoundly influential American lives ever.             As a writer, director and producer, George has earned many accolades, including 15 Emmys, two Peabody Awards, the Humanitas Prize and 8 awards from the Writers Guild of America, including the Paul Selvin Award for writing that embodies civil rights and liberties. In 2012, George received an Honorary Academy Award for “extraordinary distinction in lifetime achievement.”             George served for eight years as Co-chairman of the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities following his appointment by President Obama in 2009.            He’s the Founding

            Ken Fallin began his career creating witty pen and ink caricatures for the long-running satirical revue, “Forbidden Broadway”.  Intended as an homage to the legendary theatrical caricaturist, Al Hirschfeld, this concept was so successful that Ken continued to design artwork for the show’s phenomenal thirty-year run.            Ken’s instantly recognizable, intricately detailed pen and ink celebrity portraits have been published internationally by such diverse and distinguished publications as The Wall Street Journal, In Style Magazine, The New Yorker, The Hollywood Reporter, L.A. Times, Washington Post, Politico, and Barron’s.            Ken has produced stylish and eye-catching art for major ad campaigns, posters and specially commissioned corporate gifts for HBO, Showtime, Jazz at Lincoln Center, The Metropolitan Opera Company, American Express, CBS News, Walt Disney Productions, and Microsoft.            A TV commercial that animated Ken’s drawings for CNBC’s “Squawk Box” was nominated for an E

            Director-producer-author, Sheldon Epps has directed major productions on and off Broadway, in London and at many theatres across America. He’s also had an active television career helming numerous classic shows of recent years.                        Sheldon was first drawn to the stage while at Teaneck High School, and later graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with a degree in Drama.             He began his career as an actor studying at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Indiana Repertory Company, the Alley Theatre, the Pittsburgh CLO and The Production Company, which he co-founded and for which he directed various plays.             In 1980, Sheldon made his theater directing debut with the Off-Broadway musical Blues in the Night. It was revived in 1982, this time on Broadway. Since then he’s directed numerous other stage productions on Broadway and in regional theaters including: Scenes and Revelations, Play On!, Blue, and Purlie.            As well, since 1994, Sheldon has directed many me

Andrew Conte serves as the founding director of the Center for Media Innovation at Point Park University.  He writes the Pittsburgh Public Editor column at NEXTpittsburgh. And he was an investigative reporter at the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, where he won numerous national, state and local awards. Andrew has published several books, including Death of the Daily News, released in September, 2022, Breakaway, and The Color of Sundays, which explores the role of race in the National Football League mainly through how Bill Nunn, Jr. and the Pittsburgh Steelers identified undervalued players at historically black colleges. Netflix has optioned the book for a potential movie, and the Independent Book Publishers Association recognized The Color of Sundays with a Silver Benjamin Franklin Award. I’ve read The Color of Sundays and can tell you it’s a thoroughly researched, fascinating deep dive into how African Americans have become indispensable, elite players in high-profile sports.For the record, Steve and Andy have

Robert Kosberg is best known in Hollywood as, “The King of the Pitch,” for his ability to sell movie and TV stories to producers. After graduating from UCLA’s film program, Bob took a succession of minor entertainment industry jobs, while also writing scripts. He then moved to New York to work for a producer, where he found the time to look for his own material. He found a true story and was able to option it. Upon later returning to L.A., Bob began pitching this one true story idea while creating others. He found what he was always looking for: simple high concepts that no one knew about. A second true story sold to Lorimar that Bob and his writing partner wrote for that studio.Bob discovered that he was best at creating and/or finding great commercial material and then working to package those ideas with talent. Pitching is a major component of his success, which helped to launch his career as a producer.Bob learned that there is great 'power' in ideas. In time, his reputation grew as a "pitc

Jimmy Ryan has been Carly Simon’s guitarist since the 1970s. He’s an American artist, composer, producer, and author with a career that has spanned six decades. Beginning at seventeen, he and his college band, The Critters, had their first top forty hit, “Younger Girl,” which was followed by three charting albums and two more top forty hits, “Mr. Dieingly Sad” and “Don’t Let The Rain Fall Down on Me.”In 1970, Jimmy’s friend, Carly Simon, called him to put a band together for her. She was rising fast on the US and British top 40 charts with “That’s The Way I’ve Always Heard It Should Be,” as well as her first album “Carly Simon,” on which Jimmy played guitar. Jimmy went on to perform with Carly on most of her future albums and continues to work off and on with her to this day. He's the guitar soloist on many of Carly’s hits, the most memorable being “You’re So Vain,” and the Academy Award winning song of the year, “Let the River Run,” from the movie, Working Girl. Aside from Carly Simon, Jimmy’s also reco

Peter Smith and Laura Smith are co-authors of the book, “My Travels Through the Maelstrom of Punk Rock.”Peter is an Emeritus Professor at the University of Sunderland, in the United Kingdom. Though paralyzed from the neck down, Peter continues teaching students online, while researching and writing about a number of subjects. He recently published articles and books on topics related to disability, postgraduate education, and rock music. He supports a number of students who are completing their Masters dissertations and PhD theses.  Peter is perhaps best known for his great contributions to Artificial Intelligence. Peter’s daughter, Laura, also publishes, sometimes with Peter, on topics relating to disability, rock music and the UK radio show “The Archers,” of which she’s a passionate follower and listener. Laura, who lost her sight at a young age, is a mother of two children and lives in the Northeast of the UK. She’s a qualified social worker, teacher, and a classically trained singing teacher.Peter and Lau