Storybeat With Steve Cuden

For more than three decades Producer and Designer, Mark Nichols, has worked in themed entertainment as a producer and/or designer for companies including Disney, Universal Studios, Paramount Parks, GES Branded Entertainment, and ITEC Entertainment. 

The brilliant singer-songwriter, Megon McDonough, has been performing around the United States for more than four decades, on stages as varied as Carnegie Hall, The Birchmere, Wolf Trap and more. Megon wrote her first song at age 11 and landed her first record deal by the time she was 14 after winning a local “Big […]The post Megon McDonough, Singer-Songwriter-Episode #178 appeared first on Storybeat with Steve Cuden.

Special effects and water effects wizard, Jim Doyle, received his undergraduate degree in Theater from the University of Colorado, and an MFA in Theater and Design from USC. He subsequently spent a number of years bumping back and forth between film special effects, commercials, and theme park design, working for Disney, MGM, Landmark, and numerous […]The post Jim Doyle, Oscar Winning Special Effects and Water Effects Wizard-Episode #177 appeared first on Storybeat with Steve Cuden.

Michael Emanuel is an award winning actor, producer, writer and director with hundreds of TV, film and commercial credits on his resume, Michael has worked alongside such Hollywood luminaries as William Friedkin, Wolfgang Peterson, Armand Mastroianni, Nick Nolte, Dustin Hoffman, Harrison Ford, Rene Russo, and Alfre Woodard, just to name a few. The quintessential everyman, […]The post Michael Emanuel, Actor-Producer-Writer-Director-Episode #176 appeared first on Storybeat with Steve Cuden.

Mark Simon, who is known as the Godfather of Storyboarding, has spent over 30 years in the entertainment industry, amassing over 5,000 production credits, including working on popular titles like Stranger Things, The Walking Dead, Black Lightning, Woody Woodpecker, Doom Patrol, and Dynasty. He even worked with a favorite StoryBeat guest, Mark Pirro, on Mark’s […]The post Mark Simon, The Godfather of Storyboarding-Episode #175 appeared first on Storybeat with Steve Cuden.

Bobbie O’Steen is a writer and film historian dedicated to sharing the invisible art of editing with students, professionals, and cinephiles. Bobbie’s a graduate of Stanford University, an Emmy®-nominated editor, and author of two acclaimed books about editing: Cut to the Chase, based on interviews with her late husband and colleague, the legendary editor Sam […]The post Bobbie O’Steen, Writer and Film Historian-Episode #174 appeared first on Storybeat with Steve Cuden.

The powerhouse singer and actress, Karen Mason, has starred on Broadway, Off-Broadway, on screen, and in recordings. Karen is a 13-time MAC Award winner, has won the MAC Award for Major Female Vocalist of the Year six consecutive years. She was the recipient of the 2019 MAC Lifetime Achievement Award. Karen also won the 2006 Nightlife […]The post Karen Mason, Broadway Singer and Actress-Episode #173 appeared first on Storybeat with Steve Cuden.

Martin Giles is an actor, director and writer based in Pittsburgh, PA. He was a founder and long- time artistic director of the legendary, alternative theater, The New Group Theater. As an actor, Martin has performed at PICT Classic Theatre, City Theatre, Quantum Theatre, Bricolage, Pittsburgh Public Theatre, Actors Theatre of Louisville and Studio Theatre […]The post Martin Giles, Actor-Director-Writer-Episode #172 appeared first on Storybeat with Steve Cuden.

The actress and playwright, Sarah Bierstock, began writing plays in 2014.  Her first play, Honor Killing, received its initial development through the John Drew Theater Lab at Guild Hall in East Hampton. It went on to a world premiere that ran for eight weeks at Florida Studio Theatre to full capacity audiences, and has been […]The post Sarah Bierstock, Actress-Playwright-Episode #171 appeared first on Storybeat with Steve Cuden.

Michael Mason has been playing, teaching and recording on flute for 40 years or so. He’s well known for his work and performances in jazz, the avant-garde, free jazz and world music in many styles. Michael has recorded 7 CDs as a leader of various groups and ensembles, some of them pre-nominated for Grammy Awards. […]The post Michael Mason, Jazz and Avant-Garde Flutist-Composer-Episode #170 appeared first on Storybeat with Steve Cuden.

Elyce Wakerman is the author of  the novel,  A Tale of Two Citizens, and two works of non-fiction: Father Loss: Daughters Discuss the Man That Got Away,  and Air Powered: The Art of the Airbrush. Her essays and articles have appeared in NYCITYWOMAN.com, The Los Angeles Times, The Jewish Journal, and numerous magazines. Her TV writing […]The post Elyce Wakerman, Author-Episode #169 appeared first on Storybeat with Steve Cuden.

The award-winning Creative Director, Roger Holzberg, is founder of Reimagine Well, a company that designs and builds immersive healing programs for hospitals and treatment centers. As a professor at the California Institute of the Arts, Roger created the experience design in healthcare curriculum and teaches the “Healthcare By Design” class. He served as the first […]The post Roger Holzberg, Award-Winning Creative Director-Episode #168 appeared first on Storybeat with Steve Cuden.

Noted Wheel Of Fortune Production Designer, Renee Hoss-Johnson, watched her mother create colorful gardens in their backyard and paint beautiful still-life pictures. Her high school drama teacher noticed that Renee loved to draw and asked her to design her first set for an upcoming school play, and so began a lifelong career in stage and […]The post Renee Hoss-Johnson, Wheel Of Fortune Production Designer-Episode #167 appeared first on Storybeat with Steve Cuden.

The extraordinary composer, David Shire, is an Academy Award and two-time Grammy winner, and multiple Tony and Emmy nominee. David has composed prolifically for theatre, film, television and recordings. On Broadway, he and a favorite StoryBeat guest, lyricist/director, Richard Maltby, wrote the scores for the musicals Baby, which received Tony nominations for Best Score and […]The post David Shire, Award Winning Broadway and Motion Picture Composer-Episode #166 appeared first on Storybeat with Steve Cuden.

The noted artist, L. Scooter Morris, calls herself a sensory illusionist. Scooter’s goal is to make artwork that is so beautiful it cuts to the heart of what is true and of this moment, but exists as something timeless. Scooter grew up in Pittsburgh, where she took advantage of the city’s incredible arts programs, including through […]The post L. Scooter Morris, Artist-Episode #165 appeared first on Storybeat with Steve Cuden.

John Davidson is one of the most extraordinarily gifted entertainers of this or any era. John’s probably best known for hosting the TV shows, The Hollywood Squares, That’s Incredible!, and as the guest host of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson some 80 times, more than any other singer.  John has also hosted his own […]The post John Davidson, Singer-Actor-Host Extraordinaire-Episode #164 appeared first on Storybeat with Steve Cuden.

Lindsay Jones is a Tony-nominated composer and sound designer for theatre and film. He’s worked extensively on Broadway, off-Broadway, internationally, and on over 500 productions in regional theatres across America. In addition to his 2 Tony nominations for his score and sound design for Slave Play, which was produced by a favorite StoryBeat guest, Jamie deRoy, […]The post Lindsay Jones-Tony Nominated Composer-Sound Designer-Episode #163 appeared first on Storybeat with Steve Cuden.

Indie filmmaker, Mark Pirro, arrived in Hollywood in 1974 dreaming of a filmmaking career. With no connections, relatives or friends in the industry, he quickly met other artists with the same dream. After making a few short films in the late 70’s, he produced his first feature in 1981, a comedy entitled A Polish Vampire […]The post Mark Pirro, Indie Filmmaker-Episode #162 appeared first on Storybeat with Steve Cuden.

Two years after the renowned cartoonist, Jeff Keane, was born, his father, the legendary cartoonist, Bil Keane, started chasing him around begging him to do something funny. So began Jeff’s career as a cartoon model for “The Family Circus.” Raised in Arizona, Jeff moved to California to attend the University of Southern California where he […]The post Jeff Keane, “The Family Circus” Cartoonist-Episode #161 appeared first on Storybeat with Steve Cuden.

The brilliant singer, Joanie Pallato, was described by Rick Kogan of the Chicago Tribune as having “a stirring and special voice.” Joanie toured with The Glenn Miller Orchestra as a featured vocalist before moving to Chicago in 1979.  As a solo singer, group singer and voiceover talent, Joanie has recorded hundreds of radio and television […]The post Joanie Pallato, Singer-Songwriter-Episode #160 appeared first on Storybeat with Steve Cuden.