The Hippodrome State Theatre is holding its second annual costume sale tomorrow (Saturday). The general public will have a chance to help raise funds for the professional theatre organization by purchasing clothing and costumes worn during Hippodrome productions created by award winning designer and Hippodrome Co-founder, Marilyn Wall. Donna Green-Townsend talked with Wall and Jessica Herov, the director of Marketing for the Hipp about this unique fundraising event.
Imagine someone having access to all of the deleted messages, voicemails and contacts on your cellphone. That’s what happens in the Hippodrome State Theatre’s new comedy, “Dead Man’s Cellphone.” the play opened January 8th. Donna Green-Townsend talked with one of the actors in the production, Jessica Morris, who plays the role of the estranged wife and widow of the dead man.
The Gainesville community can experience a true audio and visual art and science performance Friday night (May 7) at the Phillips Center For The Performing Arts. Donna Green-Townsend talked with the Musical Director of the Gainesville Chamber Orchestra, Evans Haile, about this celestial happening involving music, NASA video and telescopes.
Red Henry and his family are no strangers to the bluegrass and folk festival scene in Florida. The Henrys often play at the Gamble Rogers Folk Festival, which is held in the St. Augustine area to honor the late guitar finger-picking balladeer who graced stages across the country with his musical ability and legendary story-telling. Rogers was inducted into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame in the late 1990s, not many years after he died trying to save a drowning man off Flagler Beach. Red Henry was one of Gamble’s close friends. Henry, a former Floridian, now lives in Winchester, Virginia.
Chris Henry and the Hardcore Grass Band (photo by Ryan Long)
All the members of the Henry family are part of the country’s “bluegrass scene” and are all accomplished musicians. Red plays a variety of instruments including mandolin and fiddle. His wife Murphy plays guitar and banjo and is well-known for her “Murphy Method” for teaching how to play many bluegrass instruments. Daughter Casey plays banjo and son Chris plays guitar and mandolin and has been touring across the country with his own band calledChris Henry and the Hardcore Grass.
Red and Chris like to come to Florida festivals to play, especially the Will McLean Folk Festival and the Florida Folk Festival because of their close ties to not only Gamble Rogers, but also the “Father of Florida Folk,” Will McLean and environmental troubadour Dale Crider. Donna Green-Townsend has this profile: Aired on WUFT on April 30, 2010
Here is Red and Chris Henry and their All Star Band performing Stay Out Of Your Way at the 2017 Will McLean Music Festival
The cover of Chris Henry’s latest CD/DVD project
During the 2015 Florida Folk Festival in White Springs, Chris and Red Henry and their Allstar Band performed one of Chris’ new songs, “I’m Gonna Wait On Jesus” on the Mainstage.
Here’s a recording of a typical jam at a Henry campsite…this one recorded in 2012 at the Will McLean Festival:
Just prior to the 2010 Will McLean Festival, Donna Green-Townsend talked with the three winners and produced the following feature that aired on WUFT on March 11, 2010.
A gripping thriller that will keep the audience guessing all the way to its fearful climax. Mindgame has a little bit of everything, from sex and horror to laughs and special effects. Critics say Mindgame serves up a variety of twists and turns as well as highs and lows.
In the play true crime writer Mark Styler is looking for his next subject. After “monster” success with his books, he turns to Fairfields Institute for the Criminally Insane to obtain access to one of its notorious patients – a serial killer known as Easterman.
It’s coming up on the 30th anniversary of Easterman’s arrest, and there’s huge interest in the story. If Styler can just get past the strange behavior and reluctance of Dr. Farquhar, head of the asylum, he’d be off and running to the next leap in his career. But will he get the interview with Easterman and will it be what he expected?
Soon, nothing can be trusted, not even Styler’s own eyes. Through a series of lies, manipulations and memories, dark secrets are revealed and questions keep surfacing.
Billy Dean performing on the River Gazebo Stage at White Springs
He’s had many songs top the Country Music Charts, but Quincy native Billy Dean never forgets his roots. Dean was the headliner at the Florida Folk Festival in White Springs in 2008. Donna Green-Townsend reports on the man and his music.
After his popular appearance at the Florida Folk Festival in 2008, Billy Dean was scheduled to make a reappearance at the state’s official music event. He talked once again with Donna Green-Townsend
Quincy, Florida native Billy Dean headlines tonight at the Florida Folk Festival (Feature aired on WUFT on May 27th, 2011)
Grammy Award-winning country artist from Quincy, Florida, Billy Dean is headlining the mainstage at the Florida Folk Festival in White Springs at 10 p.m. Dean has snagged thirteen top 10 hits in his career. Though he grew up in the Panhandle he now lives in Tennessee. Yesterday before packing up to head to the state’s official folk festival his family headed to the basement because of all the severe weather heading across the Midwest. He talked with Donna Green-Townsend by phone about the storms and what he has in store for tonight’s performance in White Springs at the Stephen Foster State Park just north of Lake City.
