Community Voices

Hello, I’m Caleb Shuff for the 2018 NPR Illinois PodCamp.

Justin Blandford, is a superintendent and curator of the Illinois Governor’s Mansion, and lives in Springfield, Illinois. 

Hello I’m Nathaniel Hostetter for the 2018 NPR Illinois PodCamp.

Brian Ottwel is an Associate Judge for the seventh Judicial Court of Illinois for eight years.

Hello, I’m Riley Brown for the NPR Illinois Podcamp.

Scott Richardson is the Executive Director and owner of the Legacy Theatre in Springfield.

Hello, I’m Arnav Nagrecha for the 2018 NPR Illinois PodCamp.

John Wright is the director of the Henson Robinson Zoo. He is a graduate of Truman State University and has worked at various zoos and aquariums as a zookeeper, lead keeper, and general curator.

Written by Ken Bradbury and Robert Crowe, 'Distant Thunder' is the story of New Salem during Abraham Lincoln's days in the village; however, the show isn't just another Lincoln story. 

"Nothing against our 16th President, but in New Salem in those days, he wasn't the most interesting man in town!" Said writer Ken Bradbury, "Distant Thunder is a fun explanation of how Lincoln became Lincoln while he was in New Salem." 

Hello, I’m Madelyn Moore for the 2018 NPR Illinois PodCamp.

Lisa Clemmons Stott of Downtown Springfield Incorporated enjoys bringing the historical aspects of the city to life.

Nicolas Paz is the owner and chef at AZ-T-CA restaurant in Springfield. He grew up in Bolivia, which is a small South American country and came to America in 2001.

Hello, my name is Leo Page for the 2018 NPR Illinois PodCamp.

Jeremie Bailey shines a light on local, creative individuals with his podcast, Lincoln’s Legends. He is an enthusiast of Springfield’s artists, and their work.

Hello my name is Abby Stalets with the 2018 PodCast Camp.

Carly Shank is the Director (of Audience Development) at the Sangamon Auditorium in Springfield. She has worked there for 17 years. The purpose of the auditorium is to bring artists and performances to the area and to help the community.

Hello, I’m Haley Vega for the 2018 NPR Illinois Podcamp.

Brian Mackey is a reporter of state government and politics for NPR.   Mackey didn’t always know he wanted to write or work for a news station.

Hello, this is Siri Kakumani for the 2018 NPR Illinois Podcamp.

K-9 officer Jacob Bouldin and his partner in service, Dagz, came in to talk about his occupation and why he wanted to become a K-9 police officer. In his job he and his dog sniff out narcotics and objects including evidence in investigative cases and are located in Chatham, Illinois.

This Summer, the Springfield Muni celebrates what Legally Blonde star Zoey Zara calls the "Summer of women" sporting a lineup of shows all with female leads. 

Hello, I’m Adam Schnell for the 2018 NPR Illinois PodCamp. 

John Kelker is the head of the United Way, a company that volunteers and helps out other nonprofit companies.

Hello, I’m Chandu Poola for the 2018 NPR Illinois PodCamp.

Justin Knoedler is a retired professional baseball player and he now has opened his own indoor baseball and softball field. Justin lives in his hometown of Springfield, Il

Hello I'm Swara Kakumani for the 2018 PodCamp.

Larissa Hansen is a consultant with GenHKids through her very own company. She was able to transition her skills from one company to the other.

Hello, I’m Evan Klein For the 2018 NPR Illinois PodCamp.

Katie Davison, works for Innovate Springfield, a business incubator.

Hello, I’m Isha Ramkumar for the 2018 Illinois Podcamp.

Frank Butterfield is the Director Of Springfield Office at Landmarks Illinois. He joined the organization in 2013 and leads the preservation of famous landmarks in Illinois.

Mamma Mia the story of a young girl who decides to invite her three potential fathers to her wedding in Greece. The setting of a beautiful Greek island is perfectly accented by an ABBA sountrack that's sure to have you singing along. 

For the last 25 years, the Rock Springs Ground Squirrels baseball team has been keeping traditional "base ball" alive. The team's founder, Lee Slider, explains the team's origins stem from an invitation from the Ohio Village Muffins in 1993 to pull a team together to play a game by the 1858 rules. 

Directed by Andrew Maynerich and Morgan Kaplan, Sister Act is coming to the Muni's stage for the first time. 

LBJ and MLK come to life in the Hoogland Center for the Arts' production of 'All The Way' in Springfield, this weekend and next weekend.  The award-winning play gives audiences a view of the inner workings of the Whitehouse shortly after the assassination of John F. Kennedy and the struggle Lyndon B. Johnson faces in passing the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

We sat down with Rich McCoy who plays LBJ, Tony Young who plays Martin Luther King Jr., and Craig McFarland who plays Hubert Humphrey. 

Aasne Vigesaa and Gus Gordon visit the NPR Illinois studios to speak about their part in the Hoogland Center for the Arts' production of "A Little Night Music," a Stephen Sondheim musical comedy directed by Joe-Michael Jackson. 

Listen to their entire conversation below.