Storybeat with Steve Cuden

Jimi Fritz is a filmmaker, musician, writer, entrepreneur, raconteur and roustabout. He’s written two feature-length screenplays, numerous articles, and a non-fiction book about rave culture. He’s also made numerous films and music videos. His latest book, entitled, The End of Everything, An Ironic Black Comedy, is about an older man simply named Fritz, who spends his days in a psychiatric institution plotting his own suicide while contending with the extraordinary insanity all around him. I’ve read The End of Everything and can tell you this is one of the most unique stories I’ve ever had the pleasure to peruse. Deeply intellectual, smartly psychological, and wildly hilarious, The End of Everything had me turning pages and wanting neither the story nor Fritz to end. If you like darkly comic storytelling, I highly urge you to read it. Previously, Jimi published Confessions of an Ethical Drug Dealer, which is a psychedelic travelogue and memoir. Jimi takes his readers on a journey both geographical and philosophical, while sharing a half-century of adventures in buying, selling and consuming psychedelic drugs. Along the way we learn the difference between smart drugs and dumb drugs, the truth about religion, and how to make a perfect cup of tea. Jimi Fritz professes to be a heterodoxical polemicist, a sceptical polymath, an iconoclastic antitheist, and an aficionado of Stoicism. PLEASE NOTE: This show contains a discussion about assisted suicide. Experiencing thoughts of suicide or self-harm can be distressing. Speaking with someone about your feelings could help with your distress. Either talk to someone close to you, or there are services with volunteers who are trained to listen. If you are considering suicide or self-harm or are in danger, please call your local emergency services or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at: 1-800-273-TALK (8255) immediately to ensure your safety. Please also consider seeking the assistance of a mental health professional. They can provide you with support over a longer period of time. You may also find it useful to establish a safety plan which can be designed to help you navigate suicidal feelings. Jimifritz.ca

Dr. William J. Carl is a Greek scholar, screenwriter, playwright, and lyricist. He’s also a former professor, seminary president, and pastor, who’s been a U.S. Senate Guest Chaplain. He’s been a speaker at Oxford, Cambridge, Princeton, Cornell, Boston University, Carnegie Mellon, as well as in Russia, South Africa, India, China, South Korea, Taiwan, Rwanda, and Canada. Further, he’s also the former President of the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. William has authored eight nonfiction books (including lectures he gave at Princeton, two of which have been translated into Korean) and one novel, Assassin’s Manuscript, which is a “Dan Brown meets Daniel Silva”-style thriller. No less than Alex Haley, the author of Roots, encouraged him to write it. I’ve read Assassin’s Manuscript and can tell you it’s an action-packed international page-turner in which politics, religion, and history play essential roles. I highly urge you to check it out. William’s screenplay, Maggie’s Perfect Match, won the Telluride Indiefest Screenwriting Contest and the Dallas Screenwriting Contest, and it was a Quarter-finalist in the Nicholl and the Austin Screenwriting contests. Not only did William turn Maggie’s Perfect Match into a play, but he’s also adapted it into a musical. Since 2000, William has also lectured on the brain at medical schools and medical conferences.

David Stenn was hired by the TV series Hill Street Blues immediately after graduating from Yale, becoming the show’s youngest writer ever. David then wrote She Was Marked For Murder, an NBC movie that earned an Edgar nomination from the Mystery Writers Guild of America. David returned to television as Producer of 21 Jump Street, then Supervising Producer of Beverly Hills, 90210. David's first biography, Clara Bow: Runnin' Wild, which was published by Doubleday and edited by no less than Jacqueline Onassis, became a national bestseller. Variety raved, "Only rarely will you find a book that is as total a winner on every level as Clara Bow: Runnin' Wild." His second biography, “Bombshell: The Life and Death of Jean Harlow, again, edited by Jacqueline Onassis, was cited by the New York Times as one of the year's notable books. “It Happened One Night…At M-G-M,” David’s discovery for Vanity Fair of Hollywood’s best-suppressed scandal, brought vindication to rape survivor Patricia Douglas after sixty-six years in hiding and is now considered an historical progenitor of the MeToo movement. The story was adapted into Girl 27, a documentary film that David directed. I’ve read David’s excellent book on Clara Bow and seen Girl 27. Both are powerful pieces about Hollywood’s long history in how power players treat both celebrities and those who wish to become celebrated. David then served as Co-Executive Producer of The L Word and Supervising Producer on the HBO series Boardwalk Empire. His most recent screenplay assignments have been for Martin Scorsese; Leonardo DiCaprio/Warner Bros.; and Working Title. David is a passionate supporter of film preservation. He serves on the Film Committee of the Museum of Modern Art in New York and Board of Directors at the UCLA Film & Television Archive in Los Angeles.

The phenomenal screenwriter and novelist, Joey Hartstone, had his first two feature films directed by no less than Rob Reiner. The first film, LBJ, which was named to Hollywood’s highly respected Black List in 2014, starred Woody Harrelson as LBJ. Joey’s second feature, “Shock and Awe,” featured Woody Harrelson, James Marsden, Tommy Lee Jones, Jessica Biel, and Milla Jovovich. He was a member of the writing staff for the first two seasons of “The Good Fight.” He is currently the showrunner and an executive producer of Showtime’s “Your Honor,” starring a favorite StoryBeat guest, Bryan Cranston. Joey’s debut novel, “The Local,” a legal thriller about an East Texas patent attorney’s first murder case, was published in the spring of 2022 by Doubleday, and is being developed as a series with CBS Studios and King Size Productions. I’ve read “The Local” and can tell you it’s a brilliant, fast-paced, thoroughly entertaining legal murder mystery very much in the vein of John Grisham and Scott Turow. I highly recommend “The Local” to you and am very glad that it’s being developed for TV. Who knew Intellectual Property law could be so exciting? Joey and his wife, Abby, are adapting the book “In the Blood: How Two Outsiders Solved a Centuries-Old Medical Mystery and Took on the US Army,” as a feature film with Star Thrower Entertainment. For the record, Joey and I have known one another for many years having graduated together from UCLA’s famed MFA in Screenwriting program.

The author, ghostwriter, copywriter, and freelance editor, Megan Woodward recently published her beautifully written and illustrated debut picture book, This Book is Definitely Not Cursed, which is published by Simon and Schuster. She’s also the author of the forthcoming book, Jake Maddox Dance, Gymnastics, and Cheerleading Jokes. Megan specializes in all things humorous and finds no greater joy than making kids laugh. She’s also a produced comedy screenwriter and the scriptwriter for the Chicago Thanksgiving Parade. Megan holds an MFA in screenwriting from UCLA, where, for the record, Megan she I met while in school together. When she’s not writing, or procrastinating from writing, you can find her cooking, hiking, singing, laughing or working part time at a children’s bookstore called Green Bean Books. For all those reasons and many more, I’m so very happy to welcome to StoryBeat today my friend, the very funny writer, Megan Woodward. Megan, welcome to the show… Twitter and Instagram @womeganwo www.meganwoodward.com

Madolyn Smith Osborne had the kind of fairy tale show business beginning that most can only fantasize about. While still in school at The University of Southern California, she won her first paycheck with a serendipitous audition before famed choreographer, Gower Champion, when a lead dancer and understudy had to be replaced in the Broadway-bound production of Pal Joey starring Lena Horne. Madolyn’s passion for musical theater as well as her training with beloved choreographers Bill and Jacqui Landrum, prepared her well for the opportunity. A year later, on the eve of graduating from USC’s School of Dramatic Arts., her mentor, the late, iconic theatre and film producer and Academy Award-winning actor, John Houseman, launched a swan song of sorts for her with a production of Shakespeare’s All’s Well That Ends Well, in which Madolyn starred in the role of Helena. Mr. Houseman had invited various industry professionals to see the show in the 99-seat Stop Gap Theater on campus, including his former protege, film director, Jim Bridges, who, upon seeing Madolyn’s performance, invited her to play the role of John Travolta’s mistress, Pam, in the cult classic, Urban Cowboy. Madolyn went on to give multiple award-winning performances in the L.A. theater scene. Among her triumphs, she created the title role of Emily in Stephen Metcalfe’s play of the same name, which was directed by the renowned producer-director, Jack O’Brien, during its premiere at San Diego’s revered Old Globe Theatre. When Madolyn was studying with legendary actress, Kim Stanley, and opera singer, Gloria Lane, she became a founding member of L.A. Theatre Works. Madolyn also enjoyed a terrific TV and film career in which she found herself starring in features opposite the likes of no less than Steve Martin in All of Me, Roy Scheider in 2010: The Year We Make Contact, Chevy Chase in Funny Farm, Joe Pesci in The Super, and in TV shows like Due South, Cheers, If Tomorrow Comes, and Sadat. But at the height of her powers, all of that was abruptly interrupted by a chronic illness that she fights to this day. Madolyn resides in Toronto, Canada with her husband, former NHL hockey great, Mark Osborne, and 2 adult daughters who live nearby. For the record, Madolyn and I have known one another for more years than either of us will admit, having met and worked together on a few productions while we were both in drama school at the USC.

The great director, Rob Marshall, has made numerous films that have been honored with a total of 30 Academy Award nominations — winning 9 in all, including Best Picture for “Chicago,” which alone won a total of 6 of those Oscars. Also, for “Chicago,” Rob received the Directors Guild Award, and nominations for Best Director for the Oscar, Golden Globe and BAFTA awards. Additionally, he won Best Directorial Debut from the National Board of Review and the New York Film Critics Online, as well as the American Choreography Award. Most recently, Rob directed and produced the live-action feature, “The Little Mermaid” for Disney, starring Halle Bailey, Melissa McCarthy and Javier Bardem. Rob’s other directorial achievements include multiple nominations for award-winning features like: “Memoirs of a Geisha,” “Nine,” “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides,” which went on to gross over 1 billion dollars worldwide, “Into the Woods,” and “Mary Poppins Returns.” Rob executive produced, directed, and choreographed the NBC TV event “Tony Bennett: An American Classic,” for which he won his second Directors Guild Award. He’s also won 3 Emmys for Direction, Choreography, and Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special. He directed and choreographed the Disney/ABC movie musical “Annie,” which received 12 Emmy nominations and won the prestigious Peabody Award. For choreographing Annie, Rob also received an Emmy and an American Choreography Award. He’s received the Humanitas Prize for co-writing Mary Poppins Returns, and other awards from the Art Directors Guild, the Cinema Audio Society, the Costume Designers Guild, as well as the Annie Award, the Hamilton Award, and the Chita Rivera Award. Rob’s extensive stage work includes the Broadway productions of “Cabaret,” “Little Me,” “Victor/Victoria,” “Damn Yankees,” “She Loves Me,” “Company,” and “Kiss of the Spiderwoman.” He’s been nominated six times for the Tony Award, and he’s a George Abbott Award winner. For the record, Rob and I are both graduates of Taylor Allderdice High School here in Pittsburgh. Rob is also an alumni of Carnegie Mellon University’s top-rated School of Drama.

Stephen Cole is back on StoryBeat for the second time. An award-winning writer of musical theatre, non-fiction books, short stories, and novels, Stephen’s work has been recorded, published, and produced worldwide, from New York City to London to the Middle East and Australia. With Matthew Ward he wrote the musicals After The Fair, Merlin’s Apprentice, Rock Odyssey, and Casper (which originally starred Chita Rivera), The Night of the Hunter and Saturday Night at Grossinger’s (with music by Claibe Richardson), and Dodsworth and Time After Time (with music by Jeff Saver), which has recently been revived at the Children's Theatre of Cincinnati. In 2005 Stephen and composer David Krane were commissioned to write the first American musical to premiere in the Middle East. The result was Aspire, which was produced in Qatar. Their hilarious cross-cultural experiences resulted in another show titled The Road To Qatar! which has been produced in Dallas, New York and the Edinburgh International Festival (where it was nominated for Best Musical). His most recent musical, Goin’ Hollywood, was produced in 2023 to rave reviews and sold-out audiences in Dallas. Stephen has written continuity, narration, and special material for fifteen different Drama League Shows including all-star tributes to Kander and Ebb, Liza Minnelli, Chita Rivera, Liz Smith, Peter Stone, Angela Lansbury, Patti LuPone, Kristin Chenoweth, Audra McDonald and Neil Patrick Harris. As an author, Stephen has published That Book About That Girl, I Could Have Sung All Night: the Marni Nixon story (which is currently in development as a feature film), Noel Coward: A Bio Bilbliography, and the Charles Strouse memoir Put On a Happy Face. A prolific short story writer, Stephen’s first novel Mary & Ethel…and Mikey Who? was published in January 2024. I’ve read Mary & Ethel…and Mikey Who? It’s what’s you call a real hoot, especially for lovers of old broads on old Broadway. It’s the most entertaining time-slipping story I’ve read since Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse Five. Stephen is a recipient of a Gilman-Gonzales Falla Commendation for musical theatre as well as the prestigious Edward Kleban Award. www.stephencolewriter.org https://www.facebook.com/steve.cole.5076798 https://www.instagram.com/stephencolewrit

Maria Baltazzi is a Happiness Explorer. And an extraordinarily fascinating one at that. Her experiences as an Emmy-winning producer of hit TV shows, a wellbeing teacher, world traveler, and luxury travel designer specializing in transformative adventures, has given her a unique lens into conscious living. Maria was one of the original supervising producers of the mega TV hit, Survivor. She’s a member of both the Producers and Directors Guilds of America, a Fellow National Member of The Explorers Club, and an Advisor for the Transformational Travel Council. Maria holds an MFA in film from Art Center College of Design and a PhD in Conscious-Centered Living from the University of Sedona. Additional studies include training in Mindfulness Meditation, Primordial Sound Meditation, Happiness Studies, Positive Neuroplasticity, Spiritual Psychology, Positive Psychology, the Science of Happiness, and an Inner MBA from Mindful NYU. Maria recently published the book, Take a Shot at Happiness, in which she shares her insights on being happy learned during her time in the entertainment industry, observing people and events, traveling, and studying wellbeing. It’s a practical guide for walking a creative path to happiness through taking photographs with your phone camera, journaling about things that matter, and being part of a supportive community. I’ve read Take a Shot at Happiness, and can tell you it’s filled with inspirational and motivational advice on how to make your life better, more fulfilling, and happier. I highly recommend it to you. In her own happiness journey, Maria finds joy in giving back. She’s walked over 7500 miles to raise funds for charity, including running marathons on all seven continents. Maria's adventurous life has also involved climbing the 15,000-foot trail to Machu Picchu, leading African safaris, summiting Mt. Kilimanjaro twice, and trekking to Everest Base Camp. Maria is a genuine inspiration for those seeking to live their best lives. http://takeashotathappiness.app www.mariabaltazzi.com/

Author Scott M. Hoffman was a witness to historical events concerning major mob families. His book, Inside, tells the eye-opening tale of the son of a mobster growing up learning the harrowing life within a ruthless crime family. Scott absorbed the inner workings of the mob from his dad, who loyally served The Chicago Outfit for over 55 years –never spending a day in prison. Now 74, Scott is a graduate of Long Island University-Brooklyn with a B.A. in Journalism. For 35 years he worked for the City of Chicago in the Departments of Purchasing and Finance. I’ve read Inside and can tell you, it’s a beautifully written, fascinating, and sometimes disturbing insider’s look at what it’s like to grow up as a mobster’s son.

Richard Skipper is an entertainer, singer and host known for his award-winning tribute to Carol Channing, which was endorsed by Carol herself. He can be seen in the film, Carol Channing: Larger Than Life. Richard’s appeared in legendary venues from Atlantic City’s Taj Mahal and Hilton to Carnegie Hall. And he’s shared stages with some of the biggest names in show business including Carol Channing and Lesley Ann Warren. And he’s appeared on the Windstar Cruise ship, Las Vegas to Windsor Ontario and all points in between. Because of Covid he created his popular virtual series, Richard Skipper Celebrates...with over 900 episodes under his belt. In New York, his live events include: Richard Skipper Celebrates, featuring the biggest names in cabaret and theater. Prior to Covid, Richard performed his highly acclaimed live talk/variety show at the Laurie Beechman Theatre. Directed originally by the late great Jay Rogers, Richard starred in The Magic of Believing (which was originally called From Conway to Broadway), as well as in the fully staged concert version of Hello, Dolly! at The Revision Theater in Asbury Park. Richard is an expert on the history of Hello, Dolly! and has done many talkbacks about it. His most recent solo project is, Still Going Strong: Richard Skipper Celebrates 60 Years of Hello, Dolly! This current production was co-conceived by director James Beaman along with Musical Director Dan Pardo. Among Richard’s achievements: He won the Turner Classic Movies Classic Film Festival Competition. He interviewed and helped to promote the release of the CD of a favorite StoryBeat guest, Julie Budd. He’s been named Cabaret Scenes Magazine “Top of the Century Premiere Cabaret Acts,” and Cabaret Hotline’s “Top Ten Cabaret Performers.” Richard has also won 4 MAC Awards and a Bistro Award. Aside from teaching privately, Richard also presents master classes combining positivity and creativity.

Dr. ‘Niyi Coker, Jr., is a Professor and the Director of the School of Theatre, Television, and Film (TTF) at San Diego State University in California, which is ranked by the Hollywood Reporter as a top 10 Film production program. ‘Niyi has served as Visiting Artistic Director to several theatre companies including: K3 at Malmo Hogskola in Sweden, the National Theatre of Nigeria and The Black Box Theatre in Bermuda. He’s also the founding Artistic Director of the African Arts Ensemble in New York City. ‘Niyi’s plays include: Ouray, written in collaboration with the Southern Ute Tribal Council. Commissioned and sponsored by the British Council, it toured England. And also Preemptive, a drama about Islamophobia, initially developed at the Indiana University Playwrights lab and staged at London’s West End Shaw Theatre. ‘Niyi’s Off-Broadway writing and directing credits, include, Booth! a musical on the reflections of Edwin Booth after the assassination of Lincoln (written in collaboration with Barbara Harbach & Jonathan Yordy); Miriam Makeba-Mama Africa–the musical,” about the struggles of the anti-apartheid singer and civil rights advocate. ‘Niyi’s also made features and documentary films, including Black Studies USA, and Pennies for the Boatman. His most recent documentary Ota Benga – Human at the Zoo, is the true story of an African kidnapped from the continent and put on display at the Bronx Zoo. ‘Niyi is the Founding Director of the Africa World Documentary Film Festival which is in its 14th season. The festival screens in numerous countries worldwide. He’s the author of 2 books, The Music and Social Criticism of African Musician Fela Kuti, and Ola Rotimi's African Theatre: The Development of an Indigenous Aesthetic. Further, ‘Niyi has contributed numerous chapters and articles to books, journals and magazines. 'Niyi’s a full member of the Society for Stage Directors and Choreographers, and he's also a recipient of the Kennedy Center Merit Award in Directing.

What a wonderful fun and funny interview with a fellow who’s toiled at the highest peak of Hollywood as a screenwriter. TV and film writer, Steven Kunes, has worked on numerous sitcoms and movies. At the age of 26, legendary TV producer, Norman Lear, hired Steven to write and develop half-hour comedies for his company, Embassy Television. This led to assignments in one-hour TV shows and eventually led him to motion pictures, where Steven became one of Hollywood's most successful script doctors. He's worked on TV shows like South Park, The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, Out of This World, Cheers, and on movies such as Catch Me If You Can, Legally Blonde, Cast Away, The Pelican Brief, Groundhog Day and more. In 2015, he created the hit comedy series Over My Dead Body, which streams on Amazon Prime. About Over My Dead Body Norman Lear said, "This is the best idea for a TV series that I can remember. It's absolutely hilarious." In 2021, Steven delivered a TEDx talk in Philadelphia entitled "Square One at 60.”

Danielle Sunberg, a multi-award winning author and TEDx speaker, coaches high performers and advises social-impact organizations on authentic leadership. Specializing in conscious self-development, she guides individuals and groups to cultivate personal mastery as the key to experiencing our full potential. A former commercial litigator at a Washington D.C. law firm, Danielle's journey took a pivotal turn after successfully defending a client against a $6 billion judgment. Extreme burnout, stress, and overwhelm led to a diagnosis of depression, causing Danielle to leave her firm and travel six continents exploring how to create authentic well-being. Her exploration led to authoring her book, Atlas of Being, and founding a wellness CPG company that was publicly acquired in 2023, and her current work guiding high performers.

Noted author and teacher Andrew Erish’s first book, Col. William N. Selig, the Man Who Invented Hollywood, was hailed by the L.A. Public Library as “One of the best books of 2012.” And The Huffington Post declared, “…it may well be the film book of the year.” Andrew’s most recent book, Vitagraph, America’s First Great Motion Picture Studio, received the Peter C. Rollins Award for the best book of 2022 by the Southwest Popular/American Culture Association. I’ve read both of Andrew’s fascinating and entertaining books, and can tell you that, despite my having been a student of films and Hollywood for more years than I care to admit, I learned a great deal about the beginnings of the movies that I had no clue about. If you like knowing all about Hollywood, I highly recommend both books to you. Andrew also contributed five essays to American Cool, published in conjunction with an exhibit at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery. And he’s written for various publications, including the Los Angeles Times and Quarterly Review of Film and Video. Andrew has lectured at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the L.A. Central Library, Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood, Santa Fe Film Festival, and the Shubert Archive in New York. In the United Kingdom, he’s lectured at the Oxford Literary Festival and London’s Cinema Museum. He’s also programmed films and was honored at the Pordenone Silent Film Festival in Italy. For several years he has taught film history at universities and colleges in the Los Angeles area.

Rosanna Staffa is an Italian-born playwright and author. Her debut novel, The War Ends At Four, is a beautifully rendered tale about an Italian acupuncturist in Minneapolis who returns home to Milan and rediscovers all that she left behind, who she is, and what her life is really about. I’ve read The War Ends at Four and found it to be a moving and poignant personal story about a woman trying to find herself. I highly recommend it to you. Rosanna’s work has been featured in Gargoyle Magazine, the Brevity Nonfiction Blog, The Sun Magazine, The Examined Life Journal, and JuxtaProse. Her essay, Holy, is a prize winner in the TSR Review and nominated for the 2022 Notable in Best American Essays. Other writing can be found in the Best Small Fictions Anthology 2021. She received an Honorable Mention for The Tiferet Journal’s 2019 Writing Contest. She’s also a Short Story Finalist for The Masters Review Anthology, the 47th New Millennium Writing Awards, and a Pushcart Prize nominee. Rosanna’s plays, which have been seen on stages in Tokyo, New York, Seattle, and other cities, include: The Biggest Little House and The Innocence of Ghosts which was staged Off-Broadway in New York and filmed for inclusion in the Lincoln Center Theatre on Film Library. Rosanna also happens to be a licensed Acupuncturist from the California Acupuncture College in L.A. and The Zhejiang College of Acupuncture in Hangzhou, China. www.rosannastaffa.com Rosanna’s plays are published by Heinemann and Smith & Kraus.

This is Charles Rosenay’s second time on StoryBeat. He’s been in the entertainment business for over four decades as an actor, promoter, music aficionado, entertainer, MC, DJ, humorist, and author. Recently, he released his latest book, The Book of Top 10 Beatles Lists, which contains dozens of top ten lists from pop-culture notables, like Pete Best, Dick Cavett, Tommy Chong, Melanie, and even Dave Winfield, all laying out their favorite songs by the Beatles, who are, for me, the greatest rock band of all time. Among all of his other accomplishments, Charles has produced Beatles Conventions and Festivals since 1978, and he’s been the organizer and host of the “Magical History Tour” since 1983, bringing Beatles fans to Liverpool and London. Charles published and edited the magazine, “Good Day Sunshine, one of the world’s most famous Beatles/Sixties magazines. He has also promoted Monkees conventions since the early ‘80s. As an MC, Charles has shared the stage with countless entertainment figures, including Charles Grodin, Geraldo Rivera, and the late Danny Aiello. For the record, Steve was part of a group that Charles led on an outstanding Dracula tour of Transylvania. Charles also leads GHOSTours in England.

Terry Press recently joined Amblin Partners in the newly created role of President of Strategy and Communications. Terry oversees the execution of all elements of marketing, publicity, consumer products, and communication for the film and television divisions of Amblin Partners and Steven Spielberg, who said of Terry, “Since the earliest days of DreamWorks, Terry has been a vital part of our DNA, championing our films with her marketing expertise and passion for film. Her reputation in the industry for excellence is well known and we have a long-shared history of great experiences together.” Terry also continues in her role as a consultant at Turner Classic Movies, where Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese and Paul Thomas Anderson advise the channel. Recent movies that Terry has worked on with Mr. Spielberg include: The Fabelmans, West Side Story, Lincoln, The Post, and Amblin/Universal’s award-winning 1917. Previously, Terry was President of CBS Films, where she oversaw the production, marketing, and distribution of such titles as: The Woman in Black, The Duff, Last Vegas, Hell or High Water, At Eternity’s Gate, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, the Coen Brothers’ Inside Llewyn Davis, and Ron Howard’s documentary, Pavarotti. Prior to forming the branding, publicity, strategy, and media and digital positioning company, 7570, Inc., Terry served for ten years as the Head of Marketing for DreamWorks SKG where she oversaw the campaigns for all live-action and animated features, including Saving Private Ryan, American Beauty, Gladiator, A Beautiful Mind, and Shrek, which won the first Oscar for Best Animated Feature. Terry began her career with a nine-year stint at the Walt Disney Company and Walt Disney Studios. For several years, she taught marketing at UCLA (which is her alma mater, and for the record, mine, too). Recently, alongside Scott Feinberg, Terry was a guest instructor at Chapman University, Dodge College. Terry also happens to be married to a favorite StoryBeat guest, the brilliant writer, and photographer, Andy Marx.

Jimmy Roberts is the composer of the second longest-running Off-Broadway musical in New York theater history, I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change, which ran for over 5000 performances. It’s been produced around the world in languages as diverse as French, Spanish, German, Finnish, Mandarin and Cantonese. Jimmy's second Off-Broadway show The Thing About Men, won the New York Outer Critics Circle award for Best Musical. His latest show, Welcome to the Big Dipper, co-written with John Daggett and one of my favorite StoryBeat guests, Cat Filloux, is set to open at the York Theatre in Manhattan in November 2024. Jimmy’s also a sought-after performer, presenting entertaining programs that combine classical and popular music. Recent engagements include: Merkin Concert Hall, the 92nd Street Y, Steinway Hall, and the National Arts Club. The New York Times called Jimmy’s performances, “Brilliant.” He’s a graduate of the Manhattan School of Music, where he studied with noted pianist, Constance Keene. He’s also a published poet, with several of his poems appearing in the New York Times Metropolitan Diary. Jimmy reads two of his poems during the show. He's also a collector of historic letters and interesting people. Please stick around at the end of the show because Jimmy has generously lent us a wonderful song sampler from Welcome to the Big Dipper for your enjoyment.

Branden Cobb is a 15-year Marketing executive at the forefront of industry evolution. In a time of heightened concern regarding Artificial Intelligence, content generation, and responsible Marketing, Branden stands out for merging innovation with market insights, by insisting that successful Marketing is a dynamic fusion of both art and science. As a pioneer in crafting courageous strategies, Branden aims to not only grab customers’ attention but also launch them into a robust, memorable journey. His passion lies in helping companies add real value to the world while aligning corporate interests with consumer needs. Branden has great insights into utilizing AI within the creative process. Branden’s also worked in the motion picture and television industry in various capacities, including in the development and producing movies and TV shows. https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandencobb1/