OFF ROAD with Peter Palmisano - An RLTP Podcast

Rolando Gomez has quickly established himself as one of the go-to actors for local theater companies, having performed at several of the major venues in town. But the story of his arrival, from Puerto Rico through NYC and finally to Buffalo, is a fascinating look at persistence and talent…and not necessarily in that order!

When new leadership for Buffalo United Artists was announced, much of the Buffalo theater world paused…took notice…then wondered “Who ARE these guys?” Now, Mike Doben and Rick Lattimer go on record to introduce themselves, explain their journey to leadership, and describe their plans for both continuing and enhancing the legacy of BUA.

Mike Randall has informed and entertained us on television for nearly forty years, but he has been on stage as Mark Twain Live for exactly fifty! As the celebration of this anniversary comes closer, he sits down with Peter for a fascinating and fun conversation about how he got here and where is he going.

What inspires a person to become a playwright? What inspires that person to write specific stories with fascinating characters, and how do those stories evolve and the characters grow? RLTP Ensemble member playwright Donna Hoke explains it all…except the mystery of her prodigious writing talent.

After almost 47 years, Ristorante Lombardo is under the loving direction of fourth generation restaurateur Tommy Lombardo, who has big plans for the near and distant future of the beloved Hertel Avenue business, and The Little Club across the street. As construction loomed in the background, Tommy sat down for a look back at his family and his evolving career.

Yao Kahlil Newkirk has to be the busiest guy in Buffalo theatre: recently named the artistic director of the Paul Robeson Theatre, running several non-profits, being an adjunct professor, and completing his PhD should be enough for any one man. But he still found time to sit down and have an amazing and really fun conversation about all of it.

An old friend sits down with Peter to try to fill in some missing pieces from last season’s theatre history project. The talented Tom Owen was there for much of the modern era, and he has stories to share and details to uncover.

The John R. Oishei Foundation made a brilliant move last December when it named Christina Orsi to be its first female president. Though busy planning the activities of this 80 year old charitable organization, Ms. Orsi sat down for a friendly and comprehensive chat about her life and future.

After honing her skills in Chicago, Lynne Koscielniak returned to her home town of Buffalo to wow theater audiences with eye-popping set and lighting designs while mentoring design tech students at UB. Still, this busy lady somehow found the time to chat about her never ending love for her artistic career. 

After contributing so beautifully to the series of podcasts known as “A History of Buffalo Theatre,” it was fairly obvious that a full interview with the knowledgeable and talented Tony Chase had to happen sooner rather than later. So here he is, talking about his life and his love for the theater! It’s his long-awaited, always fascinating and never disappointing interview with Peter!