Jon Merz talks production studios and acting in “I Wanna Dance with Somebody”

My next guest is someone I’ve known for a long time, so it surprised me to realize he’d never been on the show before. Well, that just gives us a lot to cover, doesn’t it?

Actor/writer/model Jon Merz and I talk about opening the doors to Ten 21 Studios in Providence, Rhode Island. It’s a full-service company that does demo reel scenes, book trailers, script work and a lot more. We talk about the decision to launch his own company and some of the folks they’ve been working with. We touch briefly on his latest project, an adaptation to his successful vampire book series, and will do a deeper dive in a future episode.

Jon’s acted for many years and perhaps his biggest milestone to date was his role in the Whitney Houston biopic, “I Wanna Dance with Somebody.” We talk about being around some of the biggest names working today and how he prepared for his role. This May, he’ll be taking the stage in “Hunting Whitey” on May 16 at The Wilbur and shares the challenges of stage vs. screen and his techniques for this kind of performance.

YAQI makes a great horror movie villain!

Welcome back! After a brief hiatus to deal with some personal issues, we return with LA-based pop artist YAQI. She's just dropped her newest single “I'm On It,” and there are some cool stories behind this song. We go into the sound of the song, her precise rapping style and how this all came together over a six-plus hour session.

A theme of the song is about focusing on your goals and not doing what others tell you, and this certainly reflects YAQI's own life. In addition to her music, she has a Master's Degree from the New York Film Academy and has been in a number of short films. She talks about her different villain roles and how it's so comfortable for her....yeah, I'm a little concerned too. We also look at her dream role and the person she'd like to work with above all others.

After this, enjoy “I'm On It.” I know I did!

Actor/musician Michael Cooke talks being on set and how the pandemic kicked off his new album

Who says that the pandemic can't have a silver lining?

Michael Cooke's career in the stage and screen was well underway (including a role in a new Netflix movie!) when COVID-19 brought such productions to a screeching halt. Undeterred, he decided to use the free time to learn the skills needed to break into music. The result—his new album, “Doin Alright,” a powerful and uplifting collection of songs.

Michael and I dive deep into how his foray into becoming an Olympic athlete led to working on dozens of plays, films, and television shows. He talks about meeting one's heroes as well as those in the industry that he'd love to work with.

We also look at his debut album, and his first time in the recording studio. Michael talks about the message he hopes to pass on through his music.

Following this interview, enjoy “Loosing My Mind For Nothing,” from the debut album.

Boston-based actress shares stories from the set

In this episode, Eli Escobar talks about her career as an actress, which only began a few years ago, but has seen an impressive array of projects. She's worked on a number of indie films, including "In My Mother's Eyes" "Renegade Darlings" "Higher Methods," and "The Island Between Our Love."

Eli talks about how to prep for an audition and some of the more common mistakes people make. She also shares how her son inspired her to try acting when she wasn't sure of herself and later made it into a full-time career.