by Rikki Lee Travolta
They say that if you don’t like the weather in Chicago, just wait a minute and there’ll be something new. The entertainment news podcast “It’s Showtime with Rikki Lee” is a bit like that. If you don’t like the type of guest one week, tune in next week and you could be in for a whole different ballgame.
We like to think of the show as your backstage pass to all things entertainment – and that covers a wide range of topics. We have guests from Hollywood, Broadway, and the recording industry as well as a number of ancillary categories.
We enjoy bringing you access to world-famous entertainers with “It’s Showtime with Rikki Lee”; being based out of the Chicagoland area we also like to mix in a healthy dose of local flavor.
On the newest episode of “It’s Showtime with Rikki Lee”, I sit down with Elizabeth Swanson who is co-directing “A Streetcar Named Desire” for Paramount Theatre with the company’s artistic director Jim Corti. The production stars Amanda Drinkall as Blanche, Casey Hoekstra as Stanley, and television’s Alina Taber as Stella. Taber won a 2023 Heartstrings Award for her performance as Rizzo in Drury Lane’s mounting of “Grease.”
“A Streetcar Named Desire” is the American “Hamlet”. The text is so rich, the characters so intricate and perfectly imperfect, that it stands as a challenge many actors and directors thirst to take on.
In my conversation with Elizabeth, they clearly understand the immense opportunity they have been given. It’s also clear that it is a challenge that Elizabeth is more than ready for. In fact, the production sounds absolutely brilliant.
One of the details that Elizabeth shares in our interview is that in her first entrance, the character of Blanche will be showing signs of the DTs – indicative of an alcoholic who is suffering from withdrawal. Destitute, we don’t know how long she’s been without a drink.
When you listen to the interview, you’ll hear how excited I get at this detail. That one element changes the entire flavor of the play. And, it’s indicative of the total embrace Elizabeth, their co-director Jim Corti, and the cast have shown to dive into the text and explore all possible avenues.
Every guest we feature on “It’s Showtime with Rikki Lee” is special. There are some that display a little deeper connection than others – going beyond just the surface. This is one of those interviews. It will stand as one of my favorites.
Theatre people should make this episode a must-listen. It’s pretty captivating – not just because it has to deal with the American classic “A Streetcar Named Desire”, but also because of Elizabeth’s journey to get to this point in their career.
“It’s Showtime with Rikki Lee” is available wherever you get your podcasts. On Spotify go to:
https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/rikkileetravolta
For tickets to “A Streetcar Named Desire” contact the Paramount Theatre box office at (630) 896-6666 or visit www.ParamountAurora.com. It promises to be an emotionally moving and thought-provoking roller coaster of angst, passion, love, lust, hopes, sorrows, and power.
Photo Credit: Amy Nelson
