Vicki Abelson's Broadcast: The Road Taken

Wisdom, inspiration, and guidance from actor, writer, director, producer, Peter Paige, who chartered his course and did the work to live his dreams… even a few he didn’t realize he had. Growing up always moving, and starting over, he became a keen observer of human behavior. Finding his way in drama club, conservatory at Boston University, regional theatre, always doing the work, his best, securing his future and his next step forward. Using his fears to drive himself, there were signs from the universe that he was on course. Landing his first TV role on Suddenly Susan, from his first audition. From activist to actorvist, besting Billy Porter and many others to land the role of Emmett in Queer as Folk, groundbreaking television and a career making star turn. He didn’t get the role of Jack on Will & Grace but did land a guest appearance on the show, and later lost a few gigs for being “too much like Jack.” From actor to writer/director to Showrunner, Peter went on to co-create The Fosters, and currently,

From unknowing to extreme fandom in five easy minutes. For those in the know, this is a given. For those not, the opening of the show, where pianist composer, Mike Lang treats us to his Rural State of Mind, makes the case in certain terms. The man is a musical genius. From his gift at the keys, to his vast knowledge, expertise, finesse and collections, he’s a gift. I had the great good fortune to attend a Jazz concert at Zipper Concert Hall, two weeks past. Great good fortune and jazz in the same sentence have not oft been uttered by me. I went specifically to hear Mike, who trusted friend, writer and long time Women Who Writer, Cindy Begel, raved about. Mind blown! Mike’s recorded more than 2000+ film scores and played with Ray Charles, story told. Aretha Franklin, story told. Marvin Gaye, in absentia, InSync, Frank Zappa, Barbara Streisand, stories told. John Lennon, with May Pang, joined by Harry Nilsson and… Cher. I know. Only John took Yoko’s call. The results surprising. Story told. Mid-show, Mi

While the Democrats were debating, I was going flat hair to flat hair with 6 time Emmy Winner, Dan O’Shannon. I believe the victor is clear. He has more height, and 6 other Emmy nods. Whilst running the room at Cheers, barely 30ish, the boss of our Tracy Newman, he coined the phrase, “I’m sorry, was that out loud?” I didn’t believe it either, but it’s documented. I know. From a lightning bolt moment at the age 8, Dan made the decision that the next day he was going to make people laugh. It may have been hit or miss for a few years, but it’s been hit after hit since. From Cheers, Newhart, to Fraiser, that’s quite a story, to Modern Family…. Dan shares suggestions on what to do, and what not to do, if you’re new in the writer’s room. Fueled by his father’s disbelief, Dan set out to prove him wrong and boy, did he ever. Too bad about the Jaguar, pops. Getting serious about the funny, Dan took us through his standup self discoveries to segueing to TV and killing it, his only prep, 3 spec scripts. Bringing us up

Sandy Helberg, an original Groundling, sure's got the gift of the gab. From his early days coming over from Germany, there's his dad, who survived the camps and took over Toledo Ohio, boasting about his son, Spielberg's partner, not, Gopher on Love Boat, sorta; a great story teller, no doubt. Sandy sure is. The whole family's doing it... like his brother, the doctor. Not. But practicing. You can't make this shit up. Well, you could, but it wouldn't be as funny. Stories about Mel Brooks, Rick Maranis, Jeff Goldblum, Laraine Newman, Lorne Michaels, Lily Tomlin, Freddy Mercury and Queen, Mick Jagger, Ringo Starr... being the dad of the Big Bang's Simon Helberg, his casting director wife, Harriet, and their granddaughter, Lily, who they adopted and are raising as their daughter. There's booze, drugs, lies, neglect, great love, and the funny, always the funny. Sandy Helberg Live on Game Changers With Vicki Abelson, Wed, 7/24/19, 7 pm PT/ 10 pm ET With Michael Kohl Live on The Facebook Full show replay http://b

Fred Willard’s a national treasure. Spending time with him in his kitchen reminiscing about how he got to Fernwood 2 Night, and all that followed was a thrilling joyride. There’s no way to begin to assess the gazillions of laughs he’s responsible for. In my house alone. We talked about fun at Phil’s with current Emmy Nominee, Phil Rosenthal, Second City, Ace Trucking Company, Fernwood 2-Night, Martin Mull, Norman Lear, Charlton Heston, Rob Reiner, Michael McKean, Harry Shearer, Christopher Guest, Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, Spinal Tap, Roseanne, Tom Arnold, Laverne and Shirley, Lenny & Squiggy, Saturday Nigh Live. John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Laraine Newman, Gilda Radner, Devo, Bob Newhart, Johnny Carson, Jay Leno, Jimmy Kimmel, WALL-E, Real People, Albert Brooks, Burt Lancaster, Milton Berle, Modern Family, Everybody Loves Raymond, Peter Boyle, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Charles Grodin, Elvis, Mama Cass, Jeffrey Ross, Anne Frank, God… so so much more... our combined memories were a tad challenged and too

Doing this show is always life-affirming, fun, and thrilling for me. Tonight I got all that, plus touched to my core. Sam Harris went balls to the walls and deep to the feet. Alright, shitty metaphor, shoot me. From the left. That's my good side. Yes, Sam, it's still all about me. Except this glorious time we spent together. As promised truths, heretofore kept private, came out in a thoughtful, loving pour. There was Liza, Frank Langella, being parented, parenting, falling in love, living with love, drinking too much, thinking too much, darkness, sadness, hitting the depths, and soaring to stupendous heights. There was great wisdom. "There is no obstacle we can't give our way out of." Sam ‘splains. I’ll be applying it. And, this Star Search, first ever champion, Tony nominated Broadway star, multi-platinum selling recording artist, star of screens large and small... while readying for his closeup in his latest star turn, the premier of his film, HAM: A Musical Memoir, based on his bestselling book, then play

Crazy fun with Alvino M. Bennett who's played with everyone from Muddy Waters, Minnie Riperton, Stevie Wonder, Chaka Khan, Bryan Ferry, LTD, to Dave Mason, and so many more along the way. Starting as a 10 yr old in inner city Chicago, playing in the drum and bugle corps, club gigging at 12, say what?!? Having a manager and playing pro by 14, Alvino told great stories, and included so many of the players beyond the front men and women he hit the stage and studio with. He listed his favorite drummers, starting with his soulful biggest influence, Buddy Miles, Talked of how he found his groove at the super Dome with LTD, when given direction during a sound check, what it felt like to play the first song he wrote for 100K people with Bic lighters, how the dancing of the Four Tops and the Temptations influenced his style to this day, how he learned to read music, play piano, and guitars, write music, and produce. Playing The Tonight Show with Stevie Wonder, who gifted Johnny, and with Sheena Easton, and what tourin

If you love the rock 'n roll, and who doesn't... Mitch Miller! (That story here.) Steve Resnik, creator, curator, and owner of the West Coast Rock 'N Roll Hall of Fame Museum, and human encyclopedia of rock 'n roll, takes us through his growing up in Chicago in the 50s and 60s, coming alive as kid with the birth of said, rock 'n roll, walking us through the early days to the glory days. First as a passionate, obsessed listener and appreciator, to college radio program director, interviewer, where Stevie Wonder, Jim Morrison, and Led Zeppelin are a very few of his successes, and one of his perceived failures. Steve lived Cameron Crowe's life in Almost Famous, only more gloriously. The Whiskey and The Troubadour were his home. He saw, met and partied with everybody, and I mean everybody who was anybody. Hendrix, Joplin, Wonder, oh my. One of the great record promoters hisself, he worked alongside the greatest in his eyes... stories of Clive Davis, Berry Gordy, Diana Ross, John Lennon, and the beforementioned J

We had no fun at all when Sara Niemietz paid us a call *nose grows* How does a 20 something take on playing a young Carol Burnett opposite Linda Lavin on Broadway, Wanda in Carl Reiner's Enter Laughing at the Annenberg, sing with BJ Thomas at The Grand Ole Opry, do Ellen at her invitation, record with Richard Marx, co-write with Melissa Manchester, be a regular player on Glee, appear on Providence and Gilmore Girls, sing with PostModern Jukebox, tour the world, partner with Emmy winning composer, Snuffy Walden, to get not only her voice, but her music heard and seen, with over 24 million views on her YouTube channel, and still have time to devour Dostoyevsky, brussel sprouts and pizza, speak and sing fluent Mandarin, learn a bissell Russian, and still look and act like a fun-loving kid?!? It's called being Sara Niemietz. Hear about it all, how she did it, how she lives it, and hear that girl blow the roof off my rental. Yowza! This show comes with a fun back guarantee. Sara Niemietz on Game Changers With Vi

Sitting down with 24’s Bill Buchanan, James Morrison, was an entertainment, an edutainment and a spiritual revelation. Warmth and wisdom on art, humanity and life. I’d be hard-pressed to find a more beautiful person. Easy on the eyes, ears… did I mentioned he played… WOW! His Selfish Man has been on heavy rotation in my brain on my device since he played it last night. I cannot stop singing it. Lucky for all, I’m alone. Great pickin’, amazing singing, and stupendous storytelling. James’s adherence to being of service in all that he does in life and art, serves him, and all who are graced in his presence. And, he’s so fun! From a childhood in Alaska and Utah surrounded by addiction, he came to terms with his own. 38 years sober, there’s nothing self-righteous in his recovery, it’s generosity of actions and spirit, all the time. From theatre to TV spots: X-Files, Frasier, The West Wing, to being featured on Private Practice, 24, the newly reimagined Twin Peaks, and loads of others along the way… James has been

We went Live with Grammy nominated recording artist, sitcom (Mr. Belvedere), film (Ladybugs with Rodney Dangerfield), and Broadway star (I Love My Wife), plus author, Ilene Graff. She’s done it all, successfully. We dug in... Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Glenn Close, Harry Connick Jr, Tony Roberts, Bob Uecker, Christopher Hewett, Lily Tomlin, Robin Williams, Penny Marshall... and it was crazy fun. Ilene Graff​ on Game Changers With Vicki Abelson Wed, 6/5/19, 7 pm PT/ 10 pm ET With Pete George​ Live on The Facebook Full show replay http://bit.ly/2WdEGs0 All BROADcasts, as podcasts, also available on iTunes apple.co/2dj8ld3 Soundcloud http://bit.ly/2hktWoS Stitcher bit.ly/2h3R1fl tunein bit.ly/2gGeItj This week's BROADcast is brought to you by Rick Smolke​ of Quik Impressions​, the best printers, printing, the best people people-ing. quikimpressions.com And, Nicole Venables​ of Ruby Begonia Hair Studio Beauty and Products​ for tresses like the stars she coifs, and regular peoples, like me. I love my hair,

Little House on the Prairie's Alison Arngrim, NY Times bestselling author, stand-up comedian, activist, and TV history's #1 one bitch, according to Vanity Fair, was in the house. Nellie Oleson, the girl America loved to hate… is actually... nice… funny... and fun! A sweetheart. Shhhh… An advocate against child abuse following her own violation, an Aids activist, following the death of Steve Tracy, her Little House on-screen husband and co-star, is a… good person. Don’t tel! You ruin her jam. Alison’s memoir, Confessions of a Prairie Bitch: How I Survived Nellie Oleson and Learned to Love Being Hated chronicles her journey, as does this show, where she was forthcoming about starting in show biz at age 5, being a “has been” at 11, and then scoring the role of a lifetime at 12. Her industry family’s reaction to her perceived “failures” and soaring successes, the internal struggles, her mom’s iconic work as Casper the Friendly Ghost, Gumby and Davey of Davey and Goliath. Her manager father who’s clients includ

There aren't too many people who rock like my old pal, Steve Conte. This boy sings his ass off, and plays, like hell. In the best possible way. In town for Samantha’s graduation (surreal and fabulous), we were Live from New York. From my hotel room. Where the room was so cramped, and the hotel so unaccommodating, they wouldn’t loan me a second chair, thus the interview from my bed. Not as obscene as it sounds, or looks, Harry and Samantha were a few feet away. Steve opened the BROADcast with his OK DJ, a Coolest Song in the World on Little Steven’s Underground Garage… one of three of Steve’s solo work to earn that distinction. He also sang his Gimme Gimme Rockaway, also in the top five for the year, his Somebody’s Gonna Get Their Head Kicked in Tonight, was beaten only by Springsteen for the top spot of the year. Steve sang and played with such passion and gusto, the kids and I were waiting for the front desk to call, or send someone to bang on the door to tell us to shut the fuck up… it didn’t happen, even

From Comedian Tommy Moore: “This interview is a MUST SEE, after some pleasantries and shout outs it has the most intense, compelling, and riveting stories of courage and determination, wonderful people and horrible people, and obstacles of every kind, all told with remarkable humor, understanding, and compassion...Worth every minute of your time...God Bless Geri Jewell.” One of the most heart-warming, soul-filling, fun-having, sit downs I've been blessed to experience. Geri Jewell, the first visually disabled actor to be a series regular (Facts of Life, Deadwood) and co-star in the about to drop, Deadwood The Movie (we got an exclusive), HBO. May 31st, has insight, passion. faith, balls, smarts, courage, loyalty, vulnerability, depth, faith, intuition, love, and is one stupendous storyteller. From diagnosis to special ed, following her passion and living her dreams... years long letter exchanges with her idol, Carol Burnett, the meeting, with just lost Tim Conway, too… from standup to sitcom, being discove

Stupendous chat and mini-concert with Grammy nominated Harriet Schock, songwriter of the Gold and Platinum selling Helen Reddy smash hit, Ain’t No Way To Treat A Lady. Harriet opens the BROADcast with it, joined by her longtime harmonizer, Andrea Ross-Greene. It’s an extended version, a Suite mashup with another of her hits, One Time Lover, Nothing like hearing the songwriter sings their own song. Recording artist, performer, actress, author, teacher, fab womanz, Harriet, has written hundreds, thousands (?) of songs, covered by Johnny Mathis, Smokey Robinson, Roberta Flack, Manfred Mann, and Nancy Wilson, to name but a handful. She’s written for TV and film, five of Henry Jaglom’s movies alone, and collaborated extensively with Emmy-winning composer Misha Segal as well. She shares her creative process, how she did it all, and how she can help us do it, too. Harriet is the definitive songwriting teacher in LA. She’s created a method, begun when she was teaching at USC, and has perfected it over the years worki

Jeff Young's got great stories about his years playing with Jackson Browne, his thoughts before; the night with Bruce Springsteen, the year and half with Sting and its surprising to me sidebar; Bonnie Raitt, Steve Ferrone, Will Lee, The Apollo- seeing Sly, James Brown, Redd Foxx there; R & B, the blues. jazz, London calling, Cream, Traffic, Chris Wood; Larry Hagman (I know), Jan Michael Vincent, Bill Withers, Donald Fagen, Steely Dan, Tracy Chapman, Dylan, Paul Simon, Hendrix, Eric Burdon and The Animals, above The Beatles and The Stones... come on, that's a lotta stuff. He sings a couple too. One he wrote for Ray Charles. Pete hops in. Learned a lot about a musician I've oft heard play, a man I barey knew, and hopefully now have garnered a new treasured friend. Jeffrey Young on Game Changers With Vicki Abelson Wed, 4/24/19, 7 pm PT/ 10 pm ET With Pete George Live on The Facebook Full show replay http://bit.ly/2IUniq5 All BROADcasts, as podcasts, also available on iTunes apple.co/2dj8ld3 Soundclo

What a gas (the good kind) we had with Coco Gemma Dolenz. Great stories about how she got her name, her brother Micky, their folks, the music, the movies. the Restaurant, Circus Boy, peroxide, The Monkees, what she learned from Peter, Mike, and Davy; The Beatles, John and George, Nilsson, Harry and Zak, Billy Bob Thornton, Dolenz & Daughters, Dolenz Delights, Etsy… music, food, a cookbook, salads, the human spirit, Religious Science, standards, recording new music, Cole Porter, singing with Micky, with Micky and Davy, with The Monkees, and currently with The Mike and Micky Show, Good Times, It’s Not Easy Being Green, Papa Gene’s Blues, sweaty palms. … so much more... and, there was singing! And, so much fun! Coco Gemma Dolenz Live on Game Changers With Vicki Abelson Wed, 4/24/19, 7 pm PT/ 10 pm ET With Pete George Live on The Facebook Full show replay http://bit.ly/2L4dH1C All BROADcasts, as podcasts, also available on iTunes apple.co/2dj8ld3 Soundcloud http://bit.ly/2hktWoS Stitcher bit.ly/2h3R1fl

One of the greatest storytellers I've had the joy of spending time with, Peter Onorati is a gas! The good kind. As great an actor as he is, bringing truth, depth and unique flavor to every character he portrays, he brought that plus incredible warmth, humanity, and loads of the funny. And, funny people. I feel like I interviewed his whole family.... and Bobby DeNiro. Peter made it so easy… each question sparked a multitude of tales, one more astonishing and entertaining than the next… his grandfather’s secret, his mother’s master manipulation, from football to wrestling to wrestling naked with Kim Cattrall on Sex And The City, the actual Sopranos, fantastic Cop Rock stories, from Kathleen Wilhoite to Mike Post, Steven Bochco, who transitioned him to leading man, Civil Wars and Mariel Hemingway. Starting out at Ford Motor Company, getting an MBA and kicking ass at McCall’s Magazine, a sales and marketing maven, he brought those skills and business acumen to his new career - first improv, where he met his brid

Some things, some people are worth waiting for. Rob Bonfiglio is certainly one. From the opening moments of the show, Rob kills the title track of his recently dropped masterful power pop CD, Trouble Again. A Philly boy, Rob takes us through the junior high school band that wasn’t, the teacher who opened the door to jazz which became Rob’s passion, Berklee College of Music, Wanderlust his first signed band, who just happened to open for The Who. Stop! He speaks of the meeting and courtship of his soon to be bride, Carnie Wilson––their early days in Philly, mmove to LA, the rebirth of Wilson Phillips with Rob as guitarist and musical director, having babies, being grossly manipulated and misrepresented on Celebrity Wife Swap, to fulfilling a long held dream to join Brian Wilson’s Band, which he did this past year, playing guitar and singing high lead Beach Boy vocals on many of the songs he’d come to appreciate as melancholy genius from the iconic Pet Sounds. A life well-lived, most impressive is the man he i

Roslyn Kind is a revelation. This showbiz talk show was easy on the biz, and the show. Spirituality, unconditional love, self-love, inclusion, past life regression, visitations, meditation, familial love, uniting, healing, living life’s calling, going with the flow, and, saving the country were in heavy rotation. Of course we talked about the music––and that voice! Oh lord that voice! Ed Sullivan and her first album at 18… Broadway. Carnegie Hall, The Hollywood Bowl, sister Barbra Streisand, nephew Jason Gould, the three of them singing and touring together; brother-in-law Elliot Gould, her talented and tough mama, her brother, niece and other nephew, the grands… for Rozzie, family is paramount. People are paramount. As if to illustrate the point, she brought along her close friend, David Zimmerman, who filled in some blanks, and finished a few sentences. Their familiarity and comfort with each other was sweetly adorable. We talked about a past life, her transformative meditation practice (https://bit.ly