Adventures in Artslandia With Susannah Mars

Asae Dean, Michelle Fuj & Ayanna Berkshire

Join Suasannah for her monthly Hotel DeLuxe Tea Party!

Guests include: 
Asae Dean of Salt and Sage,
Michelle Fuji of Unit Souzou, and
Ayanna Berkshire resident actress at
Artists Repertory Theatre.

Playwright of Muthaland Minita Gandhi, Shares Her Thoughts on the Translation of Trauma

A HUGE thank-you to KBOO 90.7FM and Dmae Roberts of Stage and Studio who made it possible for me to use a studio there in order that I could have a terrific phone hookup for this interview with Minita Gandhi.

Ms. Gandhi wrote Muthaland which will be presented as a part of Age and Gender Equity in the Art's Unconscious Bias: Achieving Gender Equity Symposium being held March 3-5th at Portland State University.

Don't miss one minute of this incredible symposium. Find more information here.

Watch Using Theatre to Heal From Sexual Assault  here.

Find out what NBC News has to say here.

Do you have an Adventure in Artslandia for Susannah you’d like to chat about? Email Susannah at smars@artslandia.com and tell her your adventure!

Ryan Meagher, Jake Babb, Tara Johnson-Medinger & Anya Pearson

Hope, hope, give me hope! Meet Ryan Meagher and Jake Babb from Portland Jazz Composers Ensemble Grasshoppers which takes accomplished musicians and matches them with young composers for a concert featuring compositions by both.

Meet Tara Johnson-Medinger, from Powfest, Portland Oregon Women's Film Festival. They're celebrating their Women in Film and 10 year anniversary March 2-5th at The Hollywood Theatre.

Finally, meet Anya Pearson who will be workshopping and performing her choreopoem, Made to Dance in Burning Buildings at Portland Playhouse.

Discussion: What it Means to be an Artist in the New Year?

Susannah is at the Hotel Deluxe for tea and a chat about what it means to be an artist in the new year. Guests include: Doug Detrick, Samson Syharath, Dmae Roberts, and Veronica Nunez. Thank you  Hotel Deluxe and David, our waiter extraordinaire! Included is an embarrassment of art event riches to mine, exciting, passion filled events. Take a leap and see the work of a company that you haven’t seen before.

Here are some of the companies and show sites referenced in the podcast:
 

LatinX

Portland Actors Conservatory

Portland Jazz Composers Ensemble

Theatre Diaspora

Milagro

OMSI

Meet Newly Appointed Harold & Arlene Schnitzer Associate Conductor Norman Huynh

Norman Huynh is the newly appointed Harold and Arlene Schnitzer Associate Conductor for the Oregon Symphony. In this position he is responsible for conducting family, youth education and specials concerts, as well as assisting for the masterworks series.

Throughout his career, Norman has conducted the Baltimore Symphony, Toledo Symphony, Charlotte Symphony, Virginia Symphony, Macon Symphony and Peabody Symphony Orchestra. Most recently he was a conducting fellow at the 2016 Aspen Music Festival and School under the tutelage of Robert Spano.

Norman studied orchestral conducting at the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University working with Gustav Meier, Markand Thakar, Edward Polochick and Marin Alsop.  Previous teachers include John Ratledge, Demondrae Thurman and Adrian Gnam. 

Chats with Hershey Felder on Irving Berlin & Neil Goldberg Creator of Cirque Dreams Holiday

Susannah chats with celebrated performer and pianist Hershey Felder brings the remarkable story of beloved composer Irving Berlin to The Armory with his highly acclaimed solo-show, Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin.

Inquiry into African Diaspora & Healing: Okaidja Afroso Talks About His Artistic Process in Music

Okaidja Afroso was born into a family of singers and songwriters. At 19, he was accepted as a professional dancer for the prestigious Ghana Dance Ensemble. Okaidja’s first album, The Traditionalist, is his raw and emotional interpretation of the folkloric songs he grew up singing. His second album, Obutu Apla, ventures away from the strictly traditional and it was heavily influenced by Okaidja’s inquiry into the African Diaspora. WhoOkaidja's influences? Lokua Kanza from Congo, and Richard Bona from Cameroon.

A Tribute to Liberace in PDX

David Saffert and Jillian Snow Harris bring Liberace and Liza Minnelli to life this holiday season at Coho. Listen to how their show came to fruition, in addition to a story about David's flying piano!

Live from Artslandia 16/17 Launch Party!

Susannah sat down to chat with Kymberli Colbourne, Val Malllinson, Claire Willet, Scott Lewis from NW Dance Project, Bianca McCarthy from Echo Theatre, Kate Sipsey, and John Zajac from Isinglass, live from the Artslandia 16/17 Launch Party at The Society Hotel!

Do you have an Adventure in Artslandia?Email Susannah at smars@artslandia.com and tell her your adventure!

Susannah recently performed some pieces from Sweeney Todd

This is usually where you’d find our weekly Adventures in Artslandia podcast from Susannah Mars, but right now Susannah’s off on an adventure of her own! She’s busy playing Mrs. Lovett in Portland Opera’s Sweeney Todd, which opened last weekend and continues into this one. In this hilarious and (semi) sympathetic role, she cops a Cockney accent, sings several rollicking songs, and makes a failed attempt to woo Sweeney before meeting an untimely and violent end! Go see her! And meanwhile, don’t fret: we still have a broadcast for your eager ears! And it even still stars Susannah! Listen to Susannah and fellow cast mates in a special Sweeney Todd segment she recorded with Portland’s All Classical.