Eric Hersey returns from the Universal Orlando Resort and gives Jim Hill a brief glimpse of what he & his family experienced down in Central Florida. Eric & Jim then take a look at the Rock’s first film role Over the course of this episode, listeners will learn about: Why you should go straight to the Trolls Trollercoaster as soon as Universal Stud…

Send us a Text Message. This week on Spotlight 814: Erie's Local Theatre Podcast... Jersey Boys stars Corrina Del Greco (Mary Delgado) and Nathan Irwin (Tommy DeVito) join Ryan (Joe Pesci) at CAM Erie to discuss the highly anticipated Academy Theatre production, running through August 4! It's Tommy Time! It took us 31 whole minutes to have to use t…

Eric Hersey & Jim Hill start this week’s show by discussing box office projections for “Despicable Me 4.” They then wrap up their series about the would-be “Van Helsing” film franchise Throughout this episode, listeners will learn about: Who replaced Al Pacino as the voice of El Macho in “Despicable Me 2” How many floats there are supposed to be in…

Eric Hersey & Jim Hill start off this week’s show by sharing what Universal Parks & Experiences has just revealed about Epic Universe’s next land. They also continue the tale of USH’s efforts to get more monsters into that theme park In this episode, listeners will learn about: Where’s the best place to stand in Universal Studios Florida to view “C…

Send us a Text Message. This week on Spotlight 814: Erie's Local Theatre Podcast... Guys and Dolls stars, Leah Johnson and Rachel Freenock, join Ryan at CAM Erie to discuss the highly anticipated Erie Playhouse production, running through June 30! Listen for FREE on www.spotlight814/podcast or on Spotify, Apple Podcast, or anywhere you get your pod…

Send us a Text Message. This week on Spotlight 814: Erie's Local Theatre Podcast... We are joined at CAM Erie by the star of Marsha Norman's 'Getting Out,' Ashley Meyer! We do a deep-dive into the show, currently running at PACA until June 16! It's a heavy, and important story that you don't want to miss! Ryan and Brenna GUSH over Dramashop's produ…

Eric Hersey & Jim Hill start this week’s show by discussing Universal Orlando’s new Premium Scream offering. They also continue their look back at how USH kept trying to build a successful show around the Universal Classic Monsters Throughout this episode, listeners will learn about: Where can one find that new Butterbeer Cart souvenir candy bucket…

Eric Hersey & Jim Hill start this week’s show by discussing the media preview that was recently held for Universal Studios Florida’s reimagining Kidzone area. They then look back at the “Pink Panther” film series Throughout this episode, listeners will learn about: Where did Duffy AKA the Disney Bear initially exclusively sell on Disney World prope…

Send us a Text Message. This week on Spotlight 814: Erie's Local Theatre Podcast... We are live on location at PACA's 2024-2025 Season Reveal Party! Betsy Butoryak sits down with us briefly to discuss PACA's upcoming production, Getting Out, by Marsha Norman, opening next weekend. Ryan sits down with JD Mizakowski to talk about the exciting and amb…

Send us a Text Message. On this very special episode of Spotlight 814: Erie's Local Theatre Podcast... Shrek on Tour's leading man, Nicholas Hambruch, joins Brenna to discuss the production, his background, and some valuable advice for young actors ahead of the show's stint at the Warner Theatre on May 14-15! Special thanks to Broadway in Erie for …

Send us a Text Message. This Week on Spotlight 814: Erie's Local Theatre Podcast Dramashop's Anna McJunkin and Hannah Richardson join Ryan and Brenna in the beautiful, brand-new studio space at CAM Erie. We discuss the recent Originals Festival, the exciting upcoming production of Alice By Heart, and the future of Dramashop as they look to find a n…

Eric Hersey & Jim Hill start this week’s show by discussing the latest “Despicable Me 4” trailer. They then review what Universal Parks & Experiences just revealed about Epic Universe’s Super Nintendo World. Throughout this episode, listeners will learn about: What new variety of Butterbeer-based treat is now available for purchase at the Universal…

Send us a Text Message. 🎭✨ Dive into the World of Theater with the busiest family in America, the Kress Family! ✨🎭 👨‍👦‍👦 Join us on Spotlight 814 as we sit down with the father-son theater duo, Cavin and Richard Kress! 📚 Cavin steps into the shoes of Greg Heffley in "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" the musical – running May 10-19 at the Erie Playhouse. A sto…

Eric Hersey & Jim Hill start off this week’s show by discussing the tram accident that happened this past weekend at Universal Studios Hollywood. They then take a close look at the perks annual passholders will be able to enjoy at the Universal Orlando parks starting in May. Over the course of this episode, listeners will learn about: Which Univers…

Eric Hersey & Jim Hill start off this week’s show by talking about how the M3gan horde became the break-out hit at last year’s Halloween Horror Nights. They also discuss Universal Orlando’s Stella Nova & Terra Luna resorts Throughout this episode, listeners will learn about: What role did Michael Eisner play in setting Paramount Pictures’ “King Kon…

Send us a Text Message. 🎙️ Spotlight 814: Stomp's Madeline Jafari 🎙️ 🎭 Stomp's Madeline Jafari joins Ryan Dawley for a captivating conversation about life as a professional dancer on tour! 🩰 They discuss the unique and untraditional nature of the renowned show, Stomp, coming to Erie's historic Warner Theatre on April 23-24 with Broadway in Erie! Ma…

Eric Hersey & Jim Hill start this week’s episode by taking a look back at the “How to Train Your Dragon” film franchise. They then pivot to discussing the latest land to be unveiled for Epic Universe Over the course of this episode, listeners will learn about: Which character did Wayne Brady almost get heat stroke playing at a Disney Park How many …

Send us a Text Message. This week on Spotlight 814: Erie's Local Theatre Podcast: - A hilarious exchange over ingeniously re-imagined movie titles used by Church of the Rock, for their infamous Easter musicals, including The Princess Bride of Christ and Joy Story! - Get ready for our Patreon exclusive reaction show on Easter Sunday, as a spectacle …

Eric Hersey & Jim Hill start off this week’s episode by discussing the various ways to park-hop at the Universal Orlando Resort. They then talk about how Universal Studios Hollywood is celebrating its 60th anniversary Over the course of this episode, listeners will learn about: When did Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure first begin ope…

Send us a Text Message. This Week on Spotlight 814: Erie's Local Theatre Podcast: 🎭 Spotlight on Luke Scribner from PACA's production of A Long Day's Journey Into Night! 🦶 Luke is currently stepping into the role of Edmund Tyrone in the Eugene O'Neill masterpiece, directed by Josh Daniel at PACA. 🎧 Learn how Luke gets into character, including his …

Eric Hersey & Jim Hill start this week’s show by discussing the change that’s reportedly in the works for “Skull Island: Reign of Kong.” They also talk about the Universal Monsters Tribute Store that just opened at CityWalk out in Hollywood Over the course of this episode, listeners will learn about: When – according to Vin Diesel – will the “grand…

Send us a Text Message. This Week on Spotlight 814: Erie's Local Theatre Podcast: 🎤 Special Guest Alert: Brett Johnson Joins Us! We’re thrilled to welcome Brett Johnson, the artistic director of Mercyhurst Institute for Performing Arts and Culture, to the studio. Learn about the intricacies of balancing theater productions with academics and get an…

Send us a Text Message. This week on Spotlight 814: Erie’s Local Theatre Podcast Ryan and Brenna are wingin’ it in the studio, with brand-new microphones! We sound crisp as hell, y’all. Listen for free on our website: https://spotlight814.com/podcast Or on Spotify, Apple Podcast, or anywhere you listen to your pods! We discuss Gannon University Sch…

Eric Hersey & Jim Hill start off this week’s show by discussing the Universal-related trailers that aired during Super Bowl LVIII. They then pivot to talking about that 7-minute-long Epic Universe video that debuted online last week Over the course of this episode, listeners will learn about: Which Universal theme park offered its Guests the opport…

Send us a Text Message. This Week on Spotlight 814: Erie's Local Theatre Podcast: 🎙️ The Artistic Pulse of PACA with Betsy Butoryak and Mark Tanenbaum Betsy and Mark discuss the enchantment of Same Time Next Year, PACA's Valentine's Day Fundraiser production, starring Ken Brundage and Adele Crotty, and how it transcends the test of time since its 1…

Send us a Text Message. On this special episode of Spotlight 814: Erie's Local Theatre Podcast We are excited to bring you exclusive content from our recent episode featuring Rainey Treviño, the star of the national tour of Annie. Rainey shared insightful details about her journey to becoming Annie, the challenges she faces on the road, and her fav…

Send us a Text Message. This week on Spotlight 814: Erie's Local Theatre Podcast Join hosts Ryan Dawley and Brenna Thummler, as they are joined by Camellia Fazzalari from PACA's Weird Romance, Chris Pedersen from the Academy Theatre's Anastasia, and Jordan B Wolfe from the Erie Playhouse's Tootsie! Camellia Fazzalari talks us through the dual acts …

Jim Hill & Eric Hersey kick off a brand-new show which offers a different take on Universal Parks & Experiences. Highlights include an interview with Carson Luter from Universal Creative about “Villain Con Minion Blast” Over the course of this episode, listeners will learn about: How did the 24 films that Universal Pictures released in 2023 do at t…

Send us a Text Message. On this week's episode of Spotlight 814: Join host Ryan Dawley as he delves into the world of community theater with guests Mitchell King and Keyera Zarembinski from Meadville Community Theatre's production of A Doll's House. Get an insider's look into the rehearsal process, the relevance of the show's themes, and other exci…

Send us a Text Message. This week on Spotlight 814: Erie’s Local Theatre Podcast: Ryan and Brenna are joined in studio by the GM of Barrow-Civic Theatre in Franklin, Kristy Moore! Kristy tells us all about the 2024 season at Barrow, including the main stage, Off-Barrow, and youth theatre! Werner Books Coffee Break! We discuss Ryan's new obsession w…

Send us a Text Message. In this special episode of Spotlight 814: Erie's Local Theatre Podcast: We sit down with Pennsylvania native, Andrew Scoggin, who is currently playing Corny Collins in the National Tour of Hairspray, coming to Erie's historic Warner Theatre on January 10-11! Special thanks to Broadway in Erie for making this interview possib…

Civil attorney Ven Johnson and criminal lawyer Steve Fishman sit down with tv anchor Jason Carr to break down the various similarities and stark differences between civil and criminal trials.By Ven Johnson

Send us a Text Message. This week on Spotlight 814, Erie's Local Theatre Podcast: Act 1 Ryan and a very tired Brenna discuss Disney’s Frozen Jr. at the Academy Theatre in Meadville. We talk about the benefits of Youth Theatre. Werner Books Coffee Break Act 2 We had some untimely deaths in the community. Rest in Peace to Tug Roae, Gary Daugherty, an…

Send us a Text Message. This week on Spotlight 814: Erie’s Local Podcast: Ryan and Brenna are joined in studio by the star of PACA’s Striking 12, SaNae Stephens! We discuss Striking 12 and SaNae’s background in theatre. We talk a bit about Brenna’s favorite show on the planet, Waitress, which is being screened at Tinseltown until Monday. We take ou…

Send us a Text Message. This week on Spotlight 814: Erie’s Local Podcast: Ryan and Brenna battle through adversity with studio equipment issues to bring you the first episode in a month! We discuss a few show’s we’ve seen in the last few weeks, including The Play that Goes Wrong at Seneca High School, Guys and Dolls at General McClane, directed by …

Send us a Text Message. This week on Spotlight 814: Erie’s Local Podcast: Ryan and Brenna are joined by Leslie Ford and Ash Carr from The Convent by Jessica Dickey. We discuss the show, which is currently running at Dramashop through November 19! Ash makes us coffee at our favorite place in town, our sponsors and friends, Werner Books. They just ne…

Send us a Text Message. This week on Spotlight 814: Erie’s Local Podcast: Alex Stone, who is currently playing Pontious Pilate in the 50th Anniversary National Tour of Jesus Christ Superstar, sits down with Ryan and Brenna over Zoom! Alex and the rest of the cast and crew of JCS will be performing at Erie’s historic Warner Theatre on October 30-31.…

Send us a Text Message. This week on Spotlight 814: Erie’s Local Theatre Podcast: Ryan and Brenna discuss the incredible production of Misery at the Erie Playhouse. Alan Cumming and Ari Shapiro are coming to Erie, and we can’t wait! Brenna rages about a local theatre not crediting an artist…that happens to be her father. Spotlight 814’s Patreon is …

Send us a Text Message. This week on Spotlight 814: Erie’s Local Theatre Podcast: You may recognize this week’s guest from our Ensemble Appreciation Show…it’s Mitchell King! Star of MCT’s Evil Dead the Musical! We discuss Evil Dead, currently running at Voodoo Compound in Meadville. Brenna and Ryan give an honest review of Mel Brooks’ Young Franken…

Send us a Text Message. This week on Spotlight 814: Erie’s Local Theatre Podcast: Molly Parks and Aj Holman from the 42nd Annual production of A Canterbury Feast at the Station Dinner Theatre join Ryan and Brenna at CAM Erie. We talk about the history of the show and the current production. We also discuss the ridiculous Church of the Rock Easter p…

Attorney Ven Johnson chats with former tv anchor Jason Carr and clinical psychotherapist Tracey Stein about how cameras in the courtroom can impact public opinion, pulling examples from the OJ Simpson murder trial that was widely televised, and Heard v. Depp defamation case where clips went viral on social media.…

Send us a Text Message. This week on Spotlight 814: Erie’s Local Theatre Podcast: JD Mizikowski, director of The Cat and the Canary at All an Act Theatre joins us to talk all about the show! We tell you what all is going on in the theatre community. We also discuss the amazing things happening with MIAC at Mercyhurst University after Brenna and Rya…

Send us a Text Message. The vibes are immaculate as Ryan is joined at CAM Erie by Isaiah Aldridge and Aaron Holman, stars of Dramashop’s The Brothers Size, and the Monster in the Academy Theatre’s production of Young Frankenstein, Chris Pedersen…and Bob. Isaiah and Aaron discuss why The Brothers Size is so important, and what the show means to them…

Send us a Text Message. This week on Spotlight 814: Erie’s Local Podcast: Kate Thiem, star of Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, joins us at CAM Erie to discuss the production, running through October 1 at the Erie Playhouse, and Ghost Light: Musical Theatre After Hours on WQLN. We also discuss The Brothers Size at Dramashop, also running through …

Send us a Text Message. This week on Spotlight 814: Erie’s Local Theatre Podcast: Ryan is joined by Dramashop Artistic Director Anna McJunkin, and actress/director/creator Adele Crotty on Zoom, because Ryan is an idiot and forgot to book a studio at CAM. There is a LOT going on in the Erie theatre scene, and so much of it is thanks to these two. We…

Send us a Text Message. This week on Spotlight 814, Erie's Local Theatre Podcast: Ryan is joined in studio by Zach Hoffman, ensemble member of SpongeBob the Musical at the Erie Playhouse, and Rent ensemble members, Maddie Morgan and Mitchell King from the Academy Theatre! This week, we are showing some love to the ensemble, musical theatre's often …

Send us a Text Message. This week on Spotlight 814, Erie's local theatre podcast: Ryan is joined by special guest cohost, Austin Kulyk to discuss: - The incredible production of Crocodile Fever at PACA - Why we should normalize understudies in Erie theatre - The Hadestown discrimination lawsuit - The history of drag on Broadway - The AIDS crisis an…

Send us a Text Message. THIS WEEK ON ERIE’S LOCAL THEATRE PODCAST, SPOTLIGHT 814: Ryan and Brenna discuss: Preview of CROCODILE FEVER by Meghan Tyler at PACA. Beautiful: The Carole King Musical auditions at the Erie Playhouse. Audition results for the Pizza Bomber Play. Brenna’s first awards show experience. We reveal our big plans for an annual aw…

Send us a Text Message. THIS WEEK ON ERIE’S LOCAL THEATRE PODCAST, SPOTLIGHT 814: Ryan and Brenna discuss: Jersey Boys at the Erie Playhouse SpongeBob audition results Controversy surrounding a local play Kingdom Come at Dramashop Shakespeare in the Park How the wildfires in Canada are impacting Broadway...and you know...the planet The 76th Tony Aw…

Send us a Text Message. THIS WEEK ON ERIE’S LOCAL THEATRE PODCAST, SPOTLIGHT 814: Ryan and Brenna discuss: Auditions for SpongeBob the Musical at the Erie Playhouse! Auditions for Devoted Surrender: The Pizza Bomber Play! A little background on Erie’s infamous Pizza Bomber, for those that are too young to know about it, or have not watched Evil Gen…