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- This is One-On-One.

- I'm an equal American just like you are.

- The jobs of tomorrow are not the jobs of yesterday.

- Look at this.

You get this?

- Life without dance is boring.

- I don't care how good you are or how good you think you are, there is always something to learn.

- I did do the finale, and guess where my trailer was?

A block away from my apartment, it couldn't have been better!

- People call me 'cause they feel nobody's paying attention.

- (slowly) Start talking right now.

- That's a good question, high five.

(upbeat music) - Hi folks, Steve Adubato here, let's talk theater.

In New Jersey we've got John McEwen who is, Executive Director of the New Jersey Theater Alliance.

And Bonnie Monte, she is in fact, the Artistic Director of the Shakespeare Theater of New Jersey.

Good to see both of you.

- Good seeing you.

- Good to see you.

Thank you.

- Hey John, as we, by the way, tell everyone what the Alliance is, and then Bonnie, I'll give you a chance to talk about Shakespeare Theater, and then we'll talk about where we are overall as we finish up 2021 in theater community.

John.

- Sure.

The New Jersey Theater Alliance for 40 years has been a service organization for the professional theaters in our state.

So we provide a wide range of resources for our theaters, marketing, advocacy, technical assistance, to give them the tools and resources they need so that they can do what they do best, which is produce theater.

So we basically provide a wide range of services to just strengthen all of our theaters as a businesses.

And certainly these past 18 months, the need for a service organization we really, I have to say we're really grateful that we could be there for our theaters these past two years, 18 months rather.

- Yeah.

No, it's going to be about two... Trust me this will be seen by the time it's two years in March of 2020, but we're taping right before Thanksgiving.

Bonnie, the Shakespeare Theater in New Jersey is?

- Shakespeare Theater of New Jersey is in Madison, New Jersey, and it's about to celebrate its 60th anniversary season in this coming year in 2022.

It is the oldest Shakespeare Theater on the east coast.

And over the years, we have evolved into one of the best classic theaters in the nation.

We do a lot of Shakespeare, but we also do a lot of other master playwrights and we are a teaching theater.

So we have 12 different very high impact education programs that have really in to some extent changed the landscape of students in Shakespeare in New Jersey, which has made me very proud and happy over the years.

- Thank you.

By the way, we'll put up the websites for both organizations as you're speaking.

John lemme ask you, pre-pandemic, theater community always struggling and challenged, economics, not easy, right.

No money, no mission, I've said it a million times.

I don't even wanna say post-pandemic, but since the pandemic from an economic point of view, how challenging has it been from most theater organizations John?

- This has been a devastating time for our theaters.

They haven't been able to produce in literally two years.

They've been very innovative in providing some virtual programming, but we know virtual programming.

One, it's not cheap to do it correctly, 'cause you want the virtual programming to be high quality, but that's not theater.

Theater is the experience between the audience and the artists.

But it's also not only the productions, they've also lost all revenue in terms of their classes.

So all activity had to come to practically a standstill, and then the theaters quickly pivoted to do some things virtually.

But again, that certainly wasn't providing any kind of income that was gonna meet their expenses.

Some staff had to be let go, teaching artists could not be contracted.

So it had many ramifications for the theaters.

- You know Bonnie as I listen to your colleague, as I listen to John, I think about this a lot.

We're able to do what we do...

Listen, it would be great to have the two of you in our studio, whether it's in NJ PBS in Newark, when it opens back up or our friends in New York at the Tisch WNET studio in Lincoln Center.

Listen, there's nothing like it, there's nothing like sitting across from someone.

But we on this side of the equation as broadcasters, we can pull this off.

It's not the best, but it's pretty good.

Explain to folks and following what John said, why it's totally different in a theater situation, it doesn't translate, does it?

You need to be there.

- You do.

I mean the very essence of what we do depends on the formula being, I'll say a 50, 50 equal formula, which is that 50% of that is the audience.

And without them, what we do is a whole different kettle of fish and not the kettle of fish that it needs to be or wants to be.

So we've actually managed to do a fair degree of programming over the past 18 months, but it has not been the same.

We are lucky that we've two outdoor stages.

So we were able to do some live performance and the feeling was palpable.

It was in the air, you can feel it as people were coming up and saying, "Oh my God, I can't believe we're back "and able to see you in person."

Because there is a chemistry, a feeling in the air, that's just not replicable by any other means.

- And John lemme ask you to talk about safety protocols.

What are they...

I'm gonna be clear, are the safety protocols different in every theater or is it across the board, New Jersey, all theaters must adhere as we speak right now, to of the following protocols regarding COVID?

Which one is it?

- So there are slight variations with each theater.

All theaters are practicing state safety, that is their highest priority, but there are some slight differences.

A lot of our theaters, I would say over...

Right now, we're at 32 theaters do require proof of vaccination and mask mandate wearing policy while in the theater, not every theater has that specific proof of vaccination policy.

But they're all practicing safety guidelines at the highest level.

We just launched an openingright.com site, which is a microsite of our website.

- Sorry for dropping in.

People go on your site, then they'll see what John?

- They'll say, openingright.com, and it's part of our opening night opening right campaign.

We're celebrating that our theaters are coming back, but they're coming back by putting safety center stage.

And within that site, they'll be able to get links to all of the theaters, to actually see what their specific safety guidelines are.

There are certain guidelines that everyone is following and we do list those.

And we've also included our presenting partners because many of the are presenting centers around the state, many audiences are attending our theaters as well as those presenters.

And so we wanted to ensure there was some consistency when we're educating the public.

So when they come back into a theater they feel comfortable the minute they walk in the door and when they're as comfortable is when they're sitting next to their fellow theater goer.

- Got about a minute left before I let both of you go.

You're both in the arts, you are artists, you are creative people, but those of us who run businesses, nonprofits, whatever, we have to be business people.

To what extent Bonnie, are you involved in the business of the Shakespeare Theater?

- Pretty much completely.

(laughs happily) - Does that include this?

Does that include... You have to raise money.

- Yeah.

I have to say that's... - It's a lot of fun, isn't it?

- Yeah, it's a large part of my job.

Yeah.

- And John, same thing for you?

- Oh yes, big part.

- And the funding comes from corporations, foundations, individuals.

- That's right.

- And government.

- And government.

Watch this Pandora's box, is government support for the arts where it needs to be?

John go.

- Well certainly I really wanna thank Governor Murphy.

I mean the arts council saw its biggest increase in appropriation in its 55 year history, that's to be applauded.

Our theaters also received a lot of relief funding from funding that the governor put aside for the small businesses.

- From the pandemic.

- They were many opportunities available to our field to assist them during this very difficult time.

- And Bonnie I hate to cut you off, but you understand this I'm getting cues.

Hey Steve, we're at a time, you gotta cut it.

You understand, right.

- We do, thank you.

- It's part of show business, even though we're in public media.

Hey Bonnie, thank you.

John, thank you.

Wish you and your colleagues all the best as you continue to put important art out there because being there is really great.

Thanks both of you.

- Thank you.

Thank you Steve.

- I'm Steve Adubato, that's John, that's Bonnie.

I could pull this off, I know I can.

We'll be right back.

- [Narrator] To watch more One on One with Steve Adubato find us online and follow us on Social media.

(bright lively music) - Steve Adubato at the a 5K.

This is the New Jersey Sharing Network 5K in beautiful New Providence, New Jersey.

By the way, you hear sounds, people are getting ready for this walk.

It's our pleasure to introduce Victor DiSanto, the father of transplant recipient, Joe DiSanto.

Now, how old is Joe now?

- Joe is now 27 years old.

- Tell us about when he was 11.

- When he was 11 in 2005, he was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy and enlarged heart.

And six months later, he was in the hospital with pneumonia and went into heart failure.

And an incredible nurse at the hospital started CPR and revived him, brought him back to life.

And they eventually put him on a heart machine, awaiting a heart transplant.

- And he got it?

- Three months later, after a couple of false alarms, he got the call that there was a match.

And an incredible young woman named Natalie, was our angel, donated her heart to Joe.

She checked.

"Yes."

Natalie, Natty is her nickname.

- [Steve] Did you ever find out anything about her?

- Yes, we did.

We actually met her mother, Juliana, here at the Sharing Network.

The Sharing Network facilitated the whole meeting, and incredibly emotional day.

She couldn't stop putting her ear on Joe's chest, hugging, crying, putting an ear on his chest.

It was just an incredibly emotional day.

- Wow.

Let me ask you, we're talking all different kinds of people.

People who have lost children, who have given the gift of life to so many others, but to be able to talk to someone whose child received the gift of life.

I mean, it's hard to imagine either way, right?

- True.

- Tell us about Joe.

- Joe was an incredible athlete, he was a football player, basketball, baseball, He's on the swim team.

- [Steve] As a young kid?

- You know, 10, 11 years old, he was a shortstop, pitcher, quarterback, defensive back, a shooting guard.

- Where did you guys grow up?

Where was he?

- We are in Hillsborough, - Okay.

- down in Southern Somerset County.

He grew up, went through all the Hillsborough high schools, Hillsborough High School.

- [Steve] He was a player?

- He was a player.

11 years old, that's it, no more playing sports.

14 pills in the morning, 14 pills at night.

Come see me, come to the hospital every week to get examined.

And our whole life changed.

Our whole perspective changed.

- As a little boy, he receives this heart.

How much did he talk about what he thought was going on at the time?

- Well, he doesn't remember a lot of it.

- [Steve] He doesn't?

- He was in a coma.

He was out of it for about a month.

It was very touch and go.

A couple of times they told us, "We're not sure he's going to survive."

And he doesn't remember a lot of it.

But he is extremely appreciative of the gift that Natalie gave him.

- Tell us about him now.

- He is now, lives in Delaware.

He graduated college.

Didn't miss any school.

Graduated high school.

Graduated college on time.

Lives in Delaware.

He's doing great.

- So this Team Liberty thing, I asked you about it before.

What is Team Liberty?

Why does it matter so much?

- Team Liberty is a group of recipients, donor families, living donors, supporters, professionals, staff from New Jersey, New York, and Southern, and Connecticut.

We come together every two years to attend the Transplant Games.

It's a physical, festive event with competitions and all sorts of swimming, bowling, tennis, pickle ball.

And we come together as a team every two years to attend the games.

And in the interim, we go out and we speak and we advocate on behalf of organ and tissue donation because we understand, both between our donor families, and our living donors, and the recipients.

We understand the true gift of life and the need for more people to register.

- What's the message to everyone watching right now?

- The message is register to be an organ donor.

Too many people that dying every day, while they're on the waiting list.

- 4 to 5,000 in New Jersey, 110,000 across the country.

- Exactly.

You know, 20 people or so, are dying every day while they're waiting and we need- - [Steve] 20 people die every day waiting?

- In this country, yep.

while they're on the waiting list, every day, 17 to 20 people.

So we just need more people to register.

Organ donation works.

My son is living proof that it works.

- Listen, before I let you go, did you actually meet the nurse who was right there with Joe, to try to revive his heart?

Did you ever meet that nurse?

- Well, it's a very interesting story.

We were at an event for the Transplant Games, the kickoff.

and I was talking to- - They seem to bring a lot of people together.

- Yes!

And I told her the story and I said, "There was one person we've kind of, haven't met.

And that's the nurse that revived him."

And she said, "I can facilitate that."

And a few months later, we met Carol and it was just an incredibly emotional day.

She recognized my wife right away because my wife was in the room when Joe- - Patty was there?

- Patty was in the room when he went into heart failure.

And Carol immediately jumped to it, got everybody in there, called the code, started the resuscitating him; incredible day and an amazing story.

She said, "I didn't know he survived.

I thought he died."

So she was so happy to see Joe, especially the way he looked now, at 20, you know, 20 at the time, 25 years old, so.

- Hey, Victor, give Joe our best.

- [Victor] I will do that.

- We're all rooting for him, and you just made a big difference.

Thank you.

- Thank you, Steve.

Thank you for all you do.

- [Narrator] To watch more One on One with Steve Adubato find us online and follow us on Social media.

♪ One of a kind, no category ♪ Too many years lost in his story ♪ ♪ We're free to take our crowning glory ♪ ♪ For five, four, three, two, one more minute ♪ ♪ We're SIX (crowd cheers) - You just saw a clip from SIX.

And we're honored to have Adrianna Hicks, who plays Catherine of Aragon?

- Yes, I do!

- Now let's put this, first of all, thank you so much for joining us, we really appreciate it.

And let everyone know that SIX is playing at the Brooks Atkinson theater at 256 West 47th Street.

Set the play for us because there are a whole bunch of wives involved in this with Henry VIII, if I'm not mistaken.

And six is the number, correct?

- Absolutely.

There are six ex-wives of Henry VIII.

So you have a fabulous musical called "SIX the Musical", starring six queens that he was married to, but told through a medium of a pop concert, contemporary style, kind of like a Hamilton.

And we kind of take you through the journey of each queen's hardships with King Henry VIII.

And you get to hear our side of the story, which is really, really great.

(laughs) - And, by the way, all- female cast.

- Yes, all-female cast.

- And the music, Adrianna, the music all coming from talented women.

- All coming from talented women.

I mean, we have our writers, Jamie and Lucy.

They wrote such great pop contemporary songs that kinda reflect, or kinda parallel with the Beyonce of today and Adele and maybe even a little Alicia Keys here and there.

And they have captured the sound of these beautiful women of today in order to tell the story of years ago, which is really fascinating.

It's great music, if you haven't listened to it yet.

- Adrianna, do us a favor, give us a little sense.

Beyond SIX, and we're promoting it, and we're honored to have our friends from the Broadway community.

And when we get into the Tisch WNET Studio, right in the heart of Lincoln Center, I promise we'll be having performers and people tied to Broadway, the Broadway community on the air, in-studio live.

But for now we're doing it this way.

I'm curious about something.

This play, SIX, was supposed to open, if I'm not mistaken on March 12th, 2020.

Think about that date, right?

Everything shut down that day, the next day, whatever.

And winds up opening on October the third, 2021.

What was it like, the opening night, after being dark for so long?

- Oh my goodness, so exhilarating.

I mean, I wish I could find a better word to kinda describe it, because it was such a huge sense of accomplishment.

And also the support was ridiculous.

I kid you not, the sound and the loud.

Oh gosh, the applause when the curtain opened was just, I was anticipating it a little bit.

'Cause I was like, yeah, we thought we were gonna open last year, but today is actually the day.

And it was such a huge sense of accomplishment and just such support that was in the audience that night.

We were so grateful for that.

- Adrianna, what makes Broadway special?

- What makes Broadway special?

I mean, there's so many things to pick from, right?

- For you, personally and professionally.

- For me personally, Broadway is so special because it is, I believe it is a place where you can be reminded of our humanity and a place where we can story tell so that whenever you're living in life and you're going through the motions of the ups and downs of life, I feel like theater is a place where you can come to to find the expressions of what sometimes your emotions are not able to express all the time.

You could sometimes be in a funk and not really have articulation for it, but go to the theater and have someone's story tell to touch your heart.

It's fascinating the way that we can, you know, have a common thread of humanity explored through musical theater.

I love it so much and it's healing power in that way.

- Where'd you grow up?

- I grew up in McKinney, Texas, actually.

I was born in California, but I am a Texas girl, so.

- You are a Texas girl?

- I am.

I was born in, yeah.

- I didn't mean that in a negative way, Just, I'm from Jersey.

It sounds like, "I'm from Jersey".

People say Jersey girl, whatever.

One of our great producers is actually in Texas right now.

Lauren, who's actually the executive producer of everything we're doing right now.

She's in Texas.

She's not a Texas girl, if you will, or a woman.

She may become one, but I know she's from here.

What does it mean to be a Texas girl?

- I mean, for me, it's very simple, is that I grew up there, you know.

I'm not necessarily like a big, like football fan.

- You're not a Longhorn fan are you?

(laughter) Just checking.

- Here's the thing about it.

I went to the university of Oklahoma, so that's a whole other conflict.

- Oh the Sooner thing and, oh wow.

That's.

- So it's a whole other thing.

So that's why I want to say I'm a Texas girl it simply means like, you know, I was raised there and I really appreciate it being raised there.

You know, Texas is its own country almost.

(laughs) It what is is.

- Yeah.

Let's keep politics out of it.

No, I'm joking.

How about this?

When did you know, I'm sure actors and artists can't stand me asking this, but I ask it anyway 'cause I'm fascinated.

When did you know that you had a gift, the gift?

You know, to be in who and what you are professionally?

When did you know?

Or at least the potential.

- Yeah, well definitely the potential.

I found that out when I saw my first musical in high school, because I've always been musically inclined.

Always singing in church, always singing in my room.

Like, that would be my routine.

I would come home, Steve, put on like a Disney movie and be like, I'm Princess Jasmine today.

Or I am a ballerina in George Balanchine's, the Nutcracker, with Macaulay Culkin.

I was literally that girl or I would put on Beyonce and be like, yeah, I want to perform her today by myself until dinner.

(laughs) And then it wasn't until I went to high school that I found out that this is an actual profession.

- Right.

- Musical theater is something that you could do and it incorporated everything that I loved so that's what I knew.

- What's the Michael Bublé connection?

- The Michael Bublé connection.

He is fascinating.

So it was my freshman year in high school.

It was one of the first concerts that I got to do and get this, I didn't even know who he was when I got the offer.

It was quite bad.

(laughs) - You never heard the Michael Bublé Christmas album?

Nevermind.

(laughter) We play it non-stop around here, but go ahead.

- I love it.

He's such an awesome person, but yeah, I was doing a Little Shop of Horrors at the time at our regional theater outside of college but right down the street.

And one of the drummers actually had a brother who was one of the producers on his concert.

And at the time it was rumored that he would invite locals to perform in his concert.

And lo and behold, they chose me from the show and it was a great, great experience.

- Do you ever see that video of Michael Bublé pulling the kid out of the audience and the kid sings with him?

You know what I'm talking about, right?

- No, I haven't.

Stop, I haven't seen it.

- There's a young kid, maybe he's 15 years of age.

You got me thinking about you right now.

Pulls the kid out in the audience, his mom said he could sing.

I'm like, Michael Buble music, really?

And he's sitting there on a stage, nevermind.

You gotta Google this.

Go on YouTube, Michael Bublé teenage sings with kid.

Trust me.

- I will.

It just strikes me how, I won't get on a soapbox, but how very well-known successful artists can reach out, touch, connect with and motivate others.

And that kid is one thing, but you're our guest today.

Adrianna Hicks and she stars in SIX.

She's Catherine of Aragon, one of the six wives of Henry VIII.

Let's just say what happened to them is really interesting.

Told from a female, girl power, if you will, perspective.

You honor us by joining us and thank you to you and all of your colleagues and friends on Broadway for bringing so many joy to our lives.

We look forward to seeing you live really soon.

- Yes.

Thank you, Steve.

Thank you.

- You got it.

I'm Steve Adubato.

That's Adrianna Hicks in SIX and we'll see you next time.

- [Narrator] One-On-One with Steve Adubato has been a production of the Caucus Educational Corporation.

Funding has been provided by Bank of America.

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey.

PSE&G.

Holy Name.

Johnson & Johnson.

The New Jersey Economic Development Authority.

The Russell Berrie Foundation.

Choose New Jersey.

And by Berkeley College.

Promotional support provided by Meadowlands Chamber.

And by NJBIZ.

- Data shows that many patients have avoided seeking critical health care in the wake of COVID-19 for fear of contracting the virus.

Delaying medical care can have serious consequences, so you should never second guess or ignore your symptoms.

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