Razzle Dazzle: Podcast Transcripts
A Summer Celebration of the Arts
Tuesday, September 1, 2026Intro
[upbeat music plays]
CAROLYN KELEMEN:
Greetings from Columbia, Maryland, where we are recording Razzle Dazzle Radio, a show presented to you by Howard Community College. I'm Carolyn Kelemen, and I'm here with my co-host, Judy Templeton, and our theme today is a summer celebration of the arts in our own area, and do we have a lot of entertainment to share with you. So get ready to jot down our recommendations-- programs from classical ballet with a Japanese twist to Russia's cherished Fiddler on the Roof and more. It's all joyous music and dance. Take it away, Judy.
JUDY TEMPLETON:
All right, I'd love to. So first up, Misako, I'm so happy to see you here. And we are bringing you in because of course, we had such a disappointment with this icy winter where your concert got cancelled. But you know the show will go on. So tell us what to expect about your upcoming dance concert.
MISAKO AOKI:
Yes, Misako Ballet Company will present Ballet Bouquet Spring Celebration at the Jim Rouse Theater on June 5 at 6:30, featuring classical ballet and also a selection of contemporary. And we have a soprano singer Eriko Tokura, and the Feathers Dance Company from New York. And we have the dancers.
And I made a new production, which is called Magical Ashes, which is one of the folktales from Japan. And we are really excited, and we are really happy to do this this time because in winter, we had to cancel it. So I'm really excited about it. This is more family-oriented, so I hope everybody can come and join us. It's June 5 at Jim Rouse Theater at 6:30. It's a Friday night.
JUDY TEMPLETON:
Oh, wow. Well, I was all ready to go back in January, Carolyn said, nope, it's canceled. But I knew you would bring it back. Did you say it's called Ballet Bouquet? Is that what I heard you say?
MISAKO AOKI:
Yes.
JUDY TEMPLETON:
I love the name. It's actually appropriate for this time of year then anyway.
MISAKO AOKI:
Yeah, Ballet Bouquet flower, yeah, flower blooming. Yes, yes, yeah.
JUDY TEMPLETON:
So for any of you that haven't seen one of Misako's classical performances, get there. It's truly amazing. It just takes you to another place. It's calming and beautiful and professional, and it just makes you feel better. So make sure to get there. I'm so glad that you're coming back, and I'm going to see you there. Thank you so much.
MISAKO AOKI:
Thank you. Thank you.
JUDY TEMPLETON:
All right. Now we're going to-- woo! We're going to take it over to Fiddler on the Roof. Howard County Summer Theater's, what, 50,000th show? I can't remember how many years--
TODD HOCHKEPPEL:
It actually is the 50th production.
JUDY TEMPLETON:
TODD HOCHKEPPEL:
We celebrated our 50th anniversary last year, but this is actually, in fact, the 50th production. And it's Fiddler on the Roof, a classic, a timeless show, but very timely because it covers a lot of themes that are still happening in our world, from changing of traditions in ways to prejudices and lots of horrible things. But it is a joyful show, but it has very deep--
JUDY TEMPLETON:
Let's qualify that.
TODD HOCHKEPPEL:
There's great characters. There's great songs. The choreography is fabulous. Cassie Matera is up to her wonderful tricks on the choreography, and it's going to be fabulous. The dates-- may I plug the dates?
JUDY TEMPLETON:
Please, plug the dates.
TODD HOCHKEPPEL:
The dates are June 18 through the 28th There's a show on the 18th, the 20th, the 25th, 25th, 26th, 27th at 7:00 PM, and then there's two matinees on June 21 and 28 at 2:00 PM. So those matinees are, I think-- because we're selling tickets now, an early bird special, those matinees are like half sold out already. So people need to move quickly. So this show is going to sell out this year like usual.
It is at our new home, which is Mary's Ridge High School. We're using that venue. And I welcome everyone to come out. We're actually promoting our ASL interpretations because we're having two shows this year for ASL, and those are on the 20th, June 20, and the 25th. So that's a new bonus that we're trying to get more people to come to the show.
So it's a very dynamic show with wonderful songs like "Matchmaker, Matchmaker," "Tradition," "If I Were a Rich Man," "To Life," and it's fabulous. You will just be joyful, and you'll be moved. It's a moving show.
JUDY TEMPLETON:
That's true. So why you have that beard, Todd?
TODD HOCHKEPPEL:
I have the beard because I am playing Lazar Wolf. Lazar Wolf. So he has to have beard because we're not-- no one can see my beard, but it shows all my gray hair. It will come off on the 28th. At around 11:00 PM at night, it's coming off.
JUDY TEMPLETON:
So something that we always want to mention about Howard County Summer Theater, it's a cast of thousands. It's--
TODD HOCHKEPPEL:
Well, maybe I think there's 70-ish, but it's very well done. It's very organized this year.
JUDY TEMPLETON:
Biggest cast ever for community theater for sure. It's family. And it's just like you said. It's just good fun. It just makes you happy to be there, to see so many people that come back every summer. It's sort of their summer vacation. So, how many--
TODD HOCHKEPPEL:
It's like summer camp. It's like summer camp. That's what it's like. And I must say, the singing is extraordinary, like always, and the dancing is really incredible this year. So it's really a show not to be missed.
JUDY TEMPLETON:
I agree. Which show is this for you? OK, that's been going on 50 years.
TODD HOCHKEPPEL:
I think it's like 16 or 17 shows I think I've done.
JUDY TEMPLETON:
All right, so if you want to see Todd in his 16th performance as Lazar Wolf at his new beard, which will come off on the 28th, there's lots of opportunities. There's evening. There's matinees. So thank you so much.
TODD HOCHKEPPEL:
Yeah, you can go to get tickets hcsp.booktix.com, or you can go to our website, howardcountysummertheatre.org There's the final plug. Thank you, Judy.
JUDY TEMPLETON:
Oh, thank you.
TODD HOCHKEPPEL:
You are so razzling dazzling.
JUDY TEMPLETON:
Oh, we try to razzle dazzle it. So, can't wait to see you up on that stage. You're always fun.
TODD HOCHKEPPEL:
Thank you.
JUDY TEMPLETON:
So, now, whew! We're going to move to Robyn. She's a triple threat. She's been singing, dancing, acting, doing everything here in Howard County for a very long time. She even went to the Baltimore School For Performing Arts, which I'm still just so amazed by. And she has done so many performances, and now she is going to be teaching a camp. Now, she's been talking about this for a while. Right, Robyn? And I'm so excited that you're doing it. So tell us about this camp at Slayton House coming up.
ROBYN YAKAITIS: So I have been trying to start my own production company for quite some time. I've taught voice lessons in the area for about 10 years now and have performed and directed locally for about eight years now but finally starting my own production company. And the reason I'm doing this is because I really want to provide high level theater training for the youth of this area-- Howard, Carroll, Anne Arundel. I feel like there's a lack of the intense training for these children that have decided that this is something they want to do for their careers or for a serious hobby.
My first journey into this production company will be to produce a intensive musical theater summer camp this summer. It's July 18 through July 31. It is six hour days of camp, and during those six hours each day we will be doing a lot of training. So we'll have masterclasses with some experts from the area in different skills in performance, including stage combat and accent training as well as audition techniques. We're going to get them a lot of training in a little aspects that you need to put together the whole picture of performance.
And then we will also be rehearsing every day to put on a full production of The Sound of Music-- Youth Edition on the last day of camp, the 31st. So that will be open to the public. It will be one show. It will be 7:00 PM on the 31st at Slayton House in Wilde Lake Village Center in Columbia. And in 13 days, we will put up a full production.
I have 15 students signed up right now that are really serious about their craft, and they will be working throughout the day at rehearsals and at camp and then as well be doing a lot of homework and bringing it back so that they can walk out of the camp much better performers, more confidence, more expertise, while moving into their next production wherever they go next. So I'm so excited.
JUDY TEMPLETON:
I'm so excited because, like I said, I talked to you about this over the years, and it's the perfect timing. So also, aren't you having hours be a little different? Don't you have some nighttime hours instead of it just being 9:00 to 3:00 every day?
ROBYN YAKAITIS: Yeah, because I'm crazy, I still have a day job. So I am still working during the day. So what I am doing this time around-- and it may change next year. But this time around, during the week, the hours will be 4:00 PM to 10:00 PM and, on the weekdays, 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. So it's a little different than your summer camps because it will be sort of afternoon evening in order for me to maintain my day job as I am crazy to try to do everything.
But I've got a full staff that is also going to be working the camp with me as well. So we've got some interns that are coming from some local colleges that will be running all of the stage management and costuming and makeup that have graduated and gone through Howard County Summer Theater as well as local colleges and have graduated with performance degrees that are coming to assist as well as many of the local community. Adult experts that have sort of been performing and teaching in the area for many, many, many years are actually on my staff. So we will be cruising when we start.
We are still accepting applications to join the camp, of course, and you would want to go to Artist in Bloom, which is the name of the production company, Artist in Bloom. We have a Facebook location where you can get to the registration site on Theater Forms, and you can also email us at artistsinbloomtheater@gmail.com. So feel free to reach out with any questions. We will be casting the show in the next couple of weeks and ask our campers to be coming in fully prepared. So they will have their parts. They will have all their materials before we start day one, and then we will be grooving.
JUDY TEMPLETON:
Well, anyone that knows Robyn knows that she is going to bring it in the most professional way. This is a camp that really, we need. We need this intensive kind of training for those that are ready to go on to the next step. And so spread the word, because you said you can still take some more folks in there, right? Yes, yeah.
ROBYN YAKAITIS: We can still take kids in. Yep, we definitely have at least some five to six or seven more slots at this point. Keep an eye out just for Artists in Bloom in general. I'll probably be extending into some fall classes in dance, theater and singing. And so I'm just going to continue to build as we move through, but be on the lookout. We're going to keep pushing some new, exciting things into the area so that these kids really have an outlet to get the experience and the training that they need to be fantastic, to be professionals.
JUDY TEMPLETON:
Yes, like I said, it's the next step. So Artists in Bloom is in bloom right now. And I see that this is just a first step with you because you don't just stop at the beginning. So I can't wait to see how this is going to build and grow, and we really do need this right now in our community. And that's what I love about our community is that we provide so many opportunities for everyone. So for those students that have been working and ready for, again, this intensive, level, hit it. Get on over to Slayton House.
I love that it's at Slayton House. Of course, we have that great stage there. So it's a perfect home for you, and I can't wait to hear what more you're going to be doing. And everybody, you did say July 31, we can see the show at 7 o'clock as well.
ROBYN YAKAITIS:
Well, advertise tickets will go up for sale in the next two weeks, probably in two weeks. And that QR code you can find on our Facebook page, Artists in Bloom.
JUDY TEMPLETON:
Wow. OK, so we have Misako's concert June 5. We have Fiddler on the Roof for a plethora of dates beginning June--
TODD HOCHKEPPEL:
June 18 through the 28th
JUDY TEMPLETON:
--through the 28th, when he removes his beard. Then moving right on at that, any of your kids that have been inspired and are ready to g, sign them up with Robyn. And now, as if you don't have enough to do, we're going to give you more. Of course, we are, because Ian Kennedy, our star of Making You Happy in Columbia, Maryland, and beyond is going to tell us all the FUN events that we could do at Merriweather and more. So Ian, it wouldn't be summer without you, as you know.
IAN KENNEDY:
Oh well, thank you so much, Judy. Yes, we are looking forward to another packed summer of events at Merriweather, Merriweather Post Pavilion in the Merriweather District, and all throughout downtown Columbia, including at the lakefront. As longtime listeners of the Razzle Dazzle Radio know, the Merriweather Arts and Culture Center hosts a few concert series each summer, one in Colorburst Park with our partners at Howard Hughes, and that concert series, Amped in the Park, kicks off on June 4 with Lakisha Benjamin, who is a six-time Grammy-nominated jazz saxophonist.
This is actually her record release show. So it's here in Columbia. If you've never made it to one of the jazz concerts that we've done as part of these concerts, I really urge you to get down there. Colorburst Park is a beautiful place, and jazz just works exceptionally well there. And Lakisha Benjamin, you will never see another performer quite like her. Put June 5 put a pin on that one in your calendar Thursday night.
And then we also have our Lakefront series that we do in partnership with the Columbia association. That lakefront series actually kicks off on May 30 with the brand new stage that the Columbia association just finished at the lakefront. It's a beautiful stage. Obviously, the lakefront is a beautiful space.
So on May 30, come on out. We are having the official opening of that stage with a band called The Tap Band. And we've presented the tap band a couple of times in the past. They're local, but I assure you, you will get up and dance. It's impossible not to dance with The Tap Band. So that's Saturday night, May 30. It's also my brother's birthday. So come on out. Maybe we'll get him out and we can sing "Happy Birthday."
And then also at the lakefront, what I am incredibly excited about-- June 12 through the 14, the unofficial start to summer in Columbia. It's the Columbia Festival of the Arts and Lakefest. For those who have lived in Columbia for a long time, you know Lakefest. It is the three days of free performances of a juried arts show, kids' activities, food trucks, and just all sorts of fun at the lakefront. This has been going on in Columbia for almost 40 years, and over the last couple of years, it's been a partnership between the Columbia Festival of the Arts and the Merriweather Arts and Culture Center.
And now this is the first year that it will be fully produced by the Merriweather Arts and Culture Center now that we have merged with the festival, and we have assumed this responsibility of stewarding this community institution into its next 40 years of existence. And this year, we're actually, in addition to the live music on stage, we are bringing a performance that is unlike anything you've seen in Columbia before. This is a company, a dance company, a vertical dance company out of Italy called eVenti Verticali, and they will be performing their piece called Sphere.
And when I say vertical dance company, they are performing from trusses that will be suspended 80 feet in the air. They have ropes and pulleys and then this large sphere that they will be emerging from and performing with. There'll be lights and smoke machines. It will be a spectacle on the lakefront, and that will be Friday night and Saturday night, as well as a performance on Sunday.
There is music at Lakefest starting at 5:00 PM that Friday-- Friday, June 12-- and continuing all the way through the weekend. It is one of my favorite events every year, and it is really a reflection of the best of our community, the best of Columbia and Howard County. And I just love seeing so many people come out and have a great time.
That only gets you through June 14. We've got a full schedule of events-- concerts at the lakefront, concerts at Colorburst Park, events here at Merriweather Post Pavilion. You can learn all about it at our website, merriweatherarts.org.
JUDY TEMPLETON:
So, Ian, how do we find out what concerts are at the lakefront?
IAN KENNEDY:
At the lakefront, the best place to go for that is the Columbia Association's website. If you type in Columbia Association Lakefront Live, that'll give you all that information. If you want to find out more about Lakefest, you can go to columbiafestival.com. We are still maintaining that website. We have all of the artists who will be showcasing their work there. You can see galleries of all of that as well as a full schedule for the weekend.
JUDY TEMPLETON:
OK, and so one more question too. So will there be regular concerts down at the lakefront, like, every Friday and Saturday or every Saturday and Sunday? Or are they just sporadic and we just have to check the schedule?
IAN KENNEDY:
The Columbia Association does host a sort of complimentary series of concerts at the lakefront. We'll be doing six events at the lakefront with CA. That's the Lakefront Live series. And then they also have a smaller concert series that is every Friday night movie and Saturday night concert.
CAROLYN KELEMEN:
I'd like to ask Misako to tell the listeners the website or where they can buy tickets for Ballet Bouquet.
MISAKO AOKI:
Yes, we use the Humanitix, and they can come to the Humanitix Ballet Bouquet 2026, or they can come to misakodance.com, which is our website, and they can link to the Humanitix ticket sale. So, thank you for asking. Yes, I want to invite you to come and see our show.
And I didn't tell you, but there was a waterfall which is done by Japanese choreographer. He's an extraordinary choreographer in Japan, and he made a waterfall. It's called Waterfall, and we did it in the past. But he couldn't make it here this time. But they will perform that too. So not only ballet-- we have a contemporary.
CAROLYN KELEMEN:
I saw that performance at the Jim Rouse Theater. And if you think 80 feet high people coming out of a sphere is exciting, this is raining from the ceiling etched by some plastic that they put all the way up on the top, and the dancers come forward from there. Yeah. Right?
MISAKO AOKI:
In or out or on top, or it's many different ways. And it's very interesting. Yeah.
JUDY TEMPLETON:
Well, we can see them coming from the ceiling. We can see them coming from the sky. I mean, if you can't find it, you can't find it here because it's amazing, all the things that we have ahead. And I am super excited. So one more question for you, Ian, before we go. So there is going to be my favorite, Dancing Under the Peepal Tree, on Friday nights too, right?
IAN KENNEDY:
I am almost positive that is coming back. Yes, I don't think the Columbia Association would risk doing anything with that.
JUDY TEMPLETON:
Absolutely not. And I know that you're more in charge on the Merriweather end. So I appreciate because it gets really crazy to figure out which thing which and whatever. So yeah.
IAN KENNEDY:
There's almost too much going on.
JUDY TEMPLETON:
Just wake up and walk around Columbia. You'll find something you like and stay there, you know?
IAN KENNEDY:
Exactly.
JUDY TEMPLETON:
So thanks to each one of you so much for everything that you bring to make this the most special place. I can't imagine being anywhere else, and we are just so rich in the arts, and each one of you makes such a great contribution to that, and I so appreciate it. Carolyn, you got one more thing before we have to go?
CAROLYN KELEMEN:
I just want to remind listeners that we will celebrate Pride Month in our June show. And Ian, you didn't mention Phish coming to Columbia. Now, that's going to be a really--
JUDY TEMPLETON:
The big one.
CAROLYN KELEMEN:
Yeah.
IAN KENNEDY:
Well, nobody asked me what concert at Merriweather I was most excited about. Otherwise, I would have said that straight away. But yes.
CAROLYN KELEMEN:
Where will you be?
IAN KENNEDY:
You won't be able to find me. I will be somewhere in the crowd having a good time. I get-- one or two concerts a year, I get to just have fun, and we're doing that for Phish.
JUDY TEMPLETON:
I'm just parking because you can't get anywhere in Columbia on those times, so I'm just staying put. But thank you all again. Let's have a great summer, summer 2026 here in Columbia and beyond. And please support the arts. There's plenty of them to support. Until next time, it's Razzle Dazzle Radio with Carolyn and Judy.
Outro
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Podcast Producer:
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