Up until barely a week before North Carolina Theatre&apos;s "9 to 5" opened--its first large production since pandemic restrictions began in 2020--Eric Woodall, the show&apos;s director and NCT&apos;s Producing Artistic Director, hadn&apos;t even seen the faces of all the cast members, since they were still practicing in masks. The precautions, the long layoff, the "what ifs" of constantly testing waiting for results are all part of getting back to the stage. But they&apos;re balanced by an excitement and enthusiasm to be back to performing before live audiences.Eric has seen the development of Raleigh&apos;s theater scene over 40 years and now has the extremely large but extremely fun task of selecting the shows, picking the cast and putting on the 6 yearly productions for NC Theatre&apos;s season. We talked with him about the larger Raleigh theatre scene, as well as what folks can expect with a return to shows for NCT and what it means to be a professional equity theatre.Please support the businesses who support us: Papa Murphy&apos;s Take N Bake Pizza of Raleigh and Steele Residential.Subscribe to Podcast Raleigh on your favorite podcast sites so you never miss an episode, and if you enjoy it we&apos;d love for you to rate or read a comment:Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/podcast-raleigh/id1458907220Google: https://play.google.com/music/listen?u=0#/ps/Inzk5woxrsjwf3zhd5vv3av4yeiStitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/podcast-raleighSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6b3dVvLJfO0EqvDGQaFTAP

Podcast Raleigh

Eric Woodall, NC Theatre

Kristen Hess didn&apos;t always knew she wanted to work in architecture, but she always knew she should be in charge. Once she discovered an architect is akin to being the conductor of a symphony--bringing out the best of all the various players to create a piece--she knew it was for her. And once she came to Raleigh to study design at N.C. State, she never left.Now she leads a firm that is helping shape what our city and state (and beyond) will look like for generations. The firm she founded and leads, HH Architecture, has worked on numerous projects involving museums, parks, schools, community colleges, government buildings and more, including the upcoming Dueling Dinosaurs exhibit at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences (which you can hear more about in our interview with Dr. Lindsay Zanno!). We specifically discuss three projects she has worked on--the North Carolina Zoo, the State Farmers Market and the N.C. State Fairground--that are quintessential to life in this state.Hess has been a Marshall and Eisenhower Fellow, allowing her to broaden her contacts and knowledge, and she uses those experiences not only in her work, but in giving back to her community. She serves on the Greater Raleigh Chamber Executive Committee, the Governor’s Council on Historically Underutilized Businesses, as well as the Board of Directors for the Girl Scouts of North Carolina Coastal Pines.Please support the businesses who support us: Papa Murphy&apos;s Take N Bake Pizza of Raleigh and Steele Residential.Subscribe to Podcast Raleigh on your favorite podcast sites so you never miss an episode, and if you enjoy it we&apos;d love for you to rate or read a comment:Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/podcast-raleigh/id1458907220Google: https://play.google.com/music/listen?u=0#/ps/Inzk5woxrsjwf3zhd5vv3av4yeiStitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/podcast-raleighSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6b3dVvLJfO0EqvDGQaFTAP

Kristen Hess, HH Architecture

As with any business venture, when deciding how to approach a project developers have to think about whether or not it&apos;s profitable. Gordon Grubb and his team almost always have a second, maybe equally as important issue to ponder: what will their neighbors think? When Grubb left running his family business to start Grubb Ventures in the early 2000s, he did so in part to focus on projects that were close to home. Among the benefits were more time to spend with his family (and whatever handful of professional and philanthropic boards he is serving on at any given time), but it had also helped him develop a reputation as one of the best developers in the Triangle. His area of expertise is the area.We talked to Gordon about projects at Glenwood Place, on Oberlin Road, and the Atlantic/Whitaker Mill area, asked him about the hot topic of affordable housing and even found out what famous Raleighite got him to join the Peloton movement!Please support the businesses who support us: Papa Murphy&apos;s Take N Bake Pizza of Raleigh and Steele Residential.Subscribe to Podcast Raleigh on your favorite podcast sites so you never miss an episode, and if you enjoy it we&apos;d love for you to rate or read a comment:Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/podcast-raleigh/id1458907220Google: https://play.google.com/music/listen?u=0#/ps/Inzk5woxrsjwf3zhd5vv3av4yeiStitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/podcast-raleighSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6b3dVvLJfO0EqvDGQaFTAP

Gordon Grubb, Grubb Ventures

Have you ever constantly walked or driven passed a piece of property and thought, "You know what would be perfect here?" Sarah Shepherd had that same thought and, with the help of her husband Jeff, has turned withering Boylan Heights house Montford Hall into a stunning boutique hotel and event space: Heights House.We talked to Sarah and Jeff about the history of the property, the process of obtaining it and renovating it and what to expect when it starts serving guests in May. Our topics ranged from the trivial, but necessary ("is it haunted?")  to the more serious ("did such a huge joint undertaking strain your relationship?"). Check out their website for room bookings and future events and their instagram page (@heightshousenc) for before, during and after pics of the property!Please support the businesses who support us: Papa Murphy&apos;s Take N Bake Pizza of Raleigh and Steele Residential.Subscribe to Podcast Raleigh on your favorite podcast sites so you never miss an episode, and if you enjoy it we&apos;d love for you to rate or read a comment:Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/podcast-raleigh/id1458907220Google: https://play.google.com/music/listen?u=0#/ps/Inzk5woxrsjwf3zhd5vv3av4yeiStitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/podcast-raleighSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6b3dVvLJfO0EqvDGQaFTAP

Sarah & Jeff Shepherd, Heights House Hotel

When a pivot during college sent him on a track from studying political science to broadcast journalism, Aaron Thomas already had an idea of where the best place to be a TV reporter might be: at WRAL, the local news station he grew up watching. Having now been a reporter at a few other local new stations outside of North Carolina, Thomas now has an even greater appreciation for the Triangle market he gets to cover.We talked to him about the journey to television, where Raleigh ranks as a place to be a news reporter and what a year of covering protests and pandemic events--all while adapting to safety precautions that kept him out of studio and away from photographers--and what the morale is in the news industry these days. We also asked about the best ways to eat thin mints and where social media fits in his work-life balance. Aaron is such a positive, upbeat spirit--it&apos;s hard not to come away from a conversation with him smiling!Please support the businesses who support us: Papa Murphy&apos;s Take N Bake Pizza of Raleigh and Steele Residential.Subscribe to Podcast Raleigh on your favorite podcast sites so you never miss an episode, and if you enjoy it we&apos;d love for you to rate or read a comment:Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/podcast-raleigh/id1458907220Google: https://play.google.com/music/listen?u=0#/ps/Inzk5woxrsjwf3zhd5vv3av4yeiStitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/podcast-raleighSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6b3dVvLJfO0EqvDGQaFTAP

Aaron Thomas, WRAL TV reporter

Sumit Vohra would likely be successful at whatever business he chose to run--he&apos;s smart, hard-working, dedicated to his community and philanthropic. So he chose beer. Or maybe it chose him. What began as a hobby became a side project when he was still working in the tech world. And eventually that side project became today&apos;s Lonerider: a Raleigh brewery with 3 locations in the Triangle (and recently announced plans for a 4th) and a multi-state distributorship.We talked about to Sumit about naming beers, what the term "craft beer" even means the days, and what Raleigh can do for small businesses. And we talked about the newest Lonerider location in Five Points, their first to feature in-house food ("the best grilled cheese in the state," says Vohra). Feel free to enjoy this episode (responsibly) with a Lonerider beer!Please support the businesses who support us: Papa Murphy&apos;s Take N Bake Pizza of Raleigh and Steele Residential.Subscribe to Podcast Raleigh on your favorite podcast sites so you never miss an episode, and if you enjoy it we&apos;d love for you to rate or read a comment:Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/podcast-raleigh/id1458907220Google: https://play.google.com/music/listen?u=0#/ps/Inzk5woxrsjwf3zhd5vv3av4yeiStitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/podcast-raleighSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6b3dVvLJfO0EqvDGQaFTAP

Sumit Vohra, Lonerider Beer

As a child, you could find Carly Jones pretending she was on Star Search (playing the role of both host and contestant), so it&apos;s no surprise that she ended up as a performer. She&apos;s played to international audiences and still performs music, theatre and opera on stages across the Triangle and beyond.Later came the realization that she is not just passionate about performing, but about the arts themselves--their power to deliver messages, strengthen communities and influence society. That&apos;s how she found herself drawn to the work of the North Carolina Arts Council--which supports and grows all kinds of art and artists across the state--and why she calls herself and &apos;artivist&apos;, a mash-up of "activist" and "artist".We talked to Carly about her journey as a performer and the work of the Arts Council, discussed the local Raleigh theatre scene and of course hit on what the pandemic has done to the arts.You can see Carly performing RIGHT NOW as part of the "Our Stage, Your Screen" series being put on by Seed Art Share as a way to continue to bring theatre to audiences via Zoom performances. She&apos;ll also be a featured speaker at Walter Magazine&apos;s WINi Summit on February 21st.Please support the businesses who support us: Papa Murphy&apos;s Take N Bake Pizza of Raleigh and Steele Residential.Subscribe to Podcast Raleigh on your favorite podcast sites so you never miss an episode, and if you enjoy it we&apos;d love for you to rate or read a comment:Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/podcast-raleigh/id1458907220Google: https://play.google.com/music/listen?u=0#/ps/Inzk5woxrsjwf3zhd5vv3av4yeiStitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/podcast-raleighSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6b3dVvLJfO0EqvDGQaFTAP

Carly Jones, Program Director at N.C. Arts Council; Performer

Mike Maniscalco grew up and went to college in Buffalo, New York in a time when the Carolina Hurricanes didn’t even exist. His first visit to Raleigh was to see a hockey game....as a fan of the Canes&apos; opponent. But a radio job made him a full-time Raleigh resident, followed by a move to the TV side reporting for the Hurricanes, and now he has become only the second person to call Canes games full-time for television (the T V broadcasts are also simulcast on radio).We asked Mike about his career, whether working in sports makes it less fun to be a fan, and if Raleigh is a good sports town when we caught up with him early in the Canes shortened 2021 season.Please support the businesses who support us: Papa Murphy&apos;s Take N Bake Pizza of Raleigh and Steele Residential.Subscribe to Podcast Raleigh on your favorite podcast sites so you never miss an episode, and if you enjoy it we&apos;d love for you to rate or read a comment:Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/podcast-raleigh/id1458907220Google: https://play.google.com/music/listen?u=0#/ps/Inzk5woxrsjwf3zhd5vv3av4yeiStitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/podcast-raleighSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6b3dVvLJfO0EqvDGQaFTAP

Mike Maniscalco, Carolina Hurricanes play by play voice

A podcast about Raleigh. By some people from Raleigh. With guests who inform us about Raleigh stuff.

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Podcast Raleigh

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