ON THE CALL with Ozzie Stewart

Influenced by his mother, trained classically as an Opera Singer and Recitalist, Marcinho studied at the “Akademie Mozarteum” (Schillawsky), from which he holds a diploma, Academie Royale de Musique (Brussels) and Westminster Choir College (Princeton, NJ). He also holds a diploma in “Das Deutschte Lied fur Sanger und Begleiter”. Marcinho studied German, German Art History and voice at Salzburg College and the Salzburger Musicschulwerke through the University of Miami School of Music. Moving from New York, to New Jersey to Louisiana, he was a cabaret singer, concert artist, repertoire coach, voice teacher. Becoming a polymath, Marcinho became the founding artistic director of the Key West International Jazz Festival in 2001, toured with “Aint Misbehavin’”, “Five Guys named Moe”, “Sweeney Todd”, “Flamingo Follies” and was the conductor of “A Chorus Line”, director of “Godspell”, “West Side Story”, and more. One of his television productions won a Cable Ace Award. He founded the Iron Violet Production Company, he blossomed as a writer, playwright, poet, lyricist,, event designer for weddings for the LGBT and straight communities, and published his book “Sell or Starve”. Marcinho speaks fluent German, Spanish, Italian, Yiddish, Brazilian Portuguese, and Pidgin Creole. A caring, loving soul, despite serious challenges to his life, he is still passionate about creative aspect the business and working diligently on his new play “Peridot”

While a student studying for his BFA at NYU, David was cast in the original Broadcast production of Stephen Sondheim’s “Merrily We Roll Along”, directed by Harold Prince, then appeared as Peter Van Daan in the Off-Broadway chamber musical, “Yours, Anne”, followed by touring as Motel the Tailor in “Fiddler On The Roof” opposite Herschel Bernardi, after which he returned to gain his degree. David later interned at the Playwrights Horizons where he became interested in casting. After a brief stint in a theatrical agency, he joined the casting department at Grey Advertising, where he began learning the commercial industry and subsequently worked for casting director, Bonnie Timmerman on “Dirty Dancing”, Roman Polanski’s “Frantic” starring Harrison Ford, “Ironweed”, Disney’s “Enchanted” starring Meryl Streep and Jack Nicholson and the third season of “Miami Vice”, the world premieres of Michael John La Chuisa’s “The Petrified Prince” for the Public Theater and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Whistle Down the Wind”, both directed by Mr. Prince. This led to 30 years as a casting director at Donna DeSeta Casting, one of New York’s busiest offices, personally casting over 2000 TV commercials, and developed techniques for teaching commercial acting, which he brings to his classes at Manhattan School of Music, NYU, Pace University, Actors Connection, other private studios around the city, as well as to his musical theater performance and auditioning classes at AMDA (American Musical and Dramatic Academy)

Testimonials about David include statements such as: “Your class to this day has been one of the most valuable classes I’ve ever taken”; “This truly is an undergraduate degree in commercial acting! The added benefit is how incredibly kind you are and that you want every actor in your class to succeed”. Check David out as one who helps to make the most of your auditions, and – more importantly – grow as artists, in both skills and confidence at: https://www.davidcady.com

MARIO GOLDEN+ANDREAS ROBERTZ: Mario was born in Mexico and Andreas in German, but both met in NYC. At age 14, Mexico migrated to South Texas with his family and in the midst of financial hardship, graduated from high school as a valedictorian and gained full scholarship to Stanford University where he earned a B.A. in Psychology and an M.A in International Development Education. After years as an educator, Mario expanded his studies and practice with an emphasis on depth psychology and group facilitation, family and organizational systems, eastern spirituality and the Enneagram, which deals with the human psyche. Simultaneously, he developed  as an artist working in Mexico and the U.S. receiving positive reviews for his film appearances such as: “The Mule”, which was picked up for broadcasting by HBO Latin America in 2006, “Capicu” and “Del Otro Lado” (The Other Side) a Spanish language feature film he co-starred, co-wrote and co-produced, which was screened in the U.S and at international festivals in Canada, Europe and Latin America. His first full-length play “One Less Queen” was published in the anthology-Positive/Negative: Women of Color and HIV, “Turning Point” a series of one-acts that TNC presented, “The Trip” selected for the Samuel French Short Ply Festival and the Strawberry One Act Festival, and more. He is a member of the Village Playwrights, Around The Block, the Hispanic Organization of Latino Actors and Founding Co-director of One Heart Productions, a non-profit theater and film company….. Andreas studied theology, archeology, history of thought, acting and later became a radio journalist. He is an established German theater director with 15 years of experience, directing and producing more that 30 shows in theaters of 40 to 900 seats, receiving numerous regional and national awards and nominations for his outstanding work as a director. In 2002 he served as Artistic Advisor for the City Arts Council and as Residence Director at the Artheater Cologne and while there in Cologne, he produced and directed a number of contemporary American, Canadian and English plays to critical acclaim and was awarded the 2006 Cologne City Award for his direction of The Pillowman. In New York, Andreas has directed readings at the Public Theater as part of the series of New Czech voices produced by the Immigrants’ Theater Project, and other projects at Around The Block, The Theater For The New City, the Martin E. Segal Theater (CUNY) and The Mint Theater. He received the 2008 Golden Penguin for best direction at the Penguin’s Day Festival for the one-woman show “Which is My Drug of Choice?” by Kai Hensel. Andreas and Mario launched a project in Berlin in 2008 with five German actresses and a German playwright as part of an initiative for healing and reconciliation between Jewish and non-Jewish German impacted by the Holocaust. In 2014 Andreas received the H.O.L.A award for Best Production for the “Charlotte’s Song” by Nancy Ferragallo and again in 2016, for Best Ensemble for the “Exile is My Home” by Domnica Radulescu. He has become a respected playwriting teacher and developed a second career as a cultural journalist for one of Germany’s most esteemed broadcasting networks, with hundreds of interviews on art and life. Andreas is a member of the Lincoln Center Directors Lab Network and Artistic Director of One Heart Productions.

GENE GRAHAM: After earning his B.S in Advertising and Marketing Communications with a 3.6 gpa in 2003, and an Activities and Societies Presidential Scholar, Gene began his editing journey at Alphamedica in Tarrytown, NY, as in-house video editor/producer, with duties such as: patient & HCP interviews/testimonials, sourcing crews, locations, travel, editing/finessing all digital, social and live events, working closely with marketing and writing teams. He created sizzle reels and manifesto videos for business development. Then in 2010 he began freelancing first at Razorfish, then at 360i and a number of large digital, traditional amd pr communication firms with the New York agency universe and worked on productions for Mercedes Benz, Ford, PNC Bank, Morgan Stanley, Oreo Cookie, Capital One, Oscar Meyer, Celebrity Cruises, Oral B, Allergan, Unilever, Pfizer, Warner Bros, HBO, Showtime, Telepictures, In Demand, Ralph Lauren, Macy’s and more. He also worked on the Biden/Harris campaign, the 2020 Pulitzer Prize Announcement, the Education Writers Association and more. This is the backstory to his evolving into an award winning filmmaker which began in 2006 as Winner, BlockBuster Audience Award for Best Picture/Feature and Best Performance by Actor, Loretta Devine, Dirty Laundry from the American Black Film Festival which he edited and associate produced and was distributed by LIONSGATE; in 2007- Winner, Jury Award for Best Documentary and Winner, Emerging Filmmaker Award,The Godfather of Disco, from the Fire Island Film & Video Festival; in 2008- Nominated, Best Independent Film, Dirty Laundry, NAACP Image Awards and Nominated, Best Feature Film/Limited Release, Dirty Laundry from GLAAD Awards; 2018- Winner, Special Jury Recognition for Best Cast, This One’s For The Ladies, from SXSW Film Festival and was acquired for worldwide distribution by NEON and released theatrically nationwide, and streamed on HULU and available VOD/SVOD platforms, as well as Nominated, Best Documentary, This One For The Ladies from both SXSW & IndieMemphis; 2019- Winner, Best Documentary, This One For The Ladies from NC Black Film Festival and Filmmaker in Residence, from Docs In Progress, Washington DC. In 2021, Gene wrote, directed and edited his short film, Jac On The Come Up, which is presently on 2022’s festival circuit, while his new film Born Again Reject is about to be shot this summer. He enthusiastically looks forward to more in the feature realm within the near future. Great director to work with. Follow his journey at: https://determinedpictures.com/

Glenn Miller was born in Georgetown, Guyana in South America, was educated at Christ Church Secondary School and attended Queen’s College in his homeland. He then came to realize his dreams in the United States. After becoming an Assistant Vice President at Manufacturers Hanover Trust, he began as an intern at Double XXposure and later became Vice President of Operations, under the tutelage and guidance of the company’s President and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Angelo Elllerbee. While at the company for  7 1/2 years, Glenn provided public relations services for celebrities such as: Dionne Warwick, Mary J. Blige, Alicia Keys, DMX, Dru Hill, Shabba Ranks, Big Daddy Kane and other multi platinum artists. He was the innovator of Funk Night at Café Wha?, the legendary music club in Greenwich Village that was frequented by Chaka Khan, Nona Hendrix, Cheryl “Pepsii” Riley and others, as well as the creator of the famous Open Mic showcase at the Village Underground where Tommy Mattola, Mariah Carey, Ashford & Simpson, Stephanie Mills, Carl Thomas, Danny DeVito and other artists frequented. Some of the corporate clients he worked with were: the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, The Goodwill Games. The Literacy Crusade, ASCAP and Rough Riders/Cash Money Tour. Glenn created his company Kudegras Entertainment to continue his PR work which came in handy as he began losing his eyesight, until 2001, when he became visually disabled. Not letting that stop him, Glenn with assistance, began singing and performing poetry at events, constantly challenging himself. He also had taken a stand to help the underserved, downtrodden, those who were outcast and those looked down upon despite his own challenges. But his biggest joy was bringing people together, making them happy through food, drink, music, and great conversations. It made him happy to provide guests with his and their favorite dishes. Glenn was a playful, thoughtful, honest, giving, inspiring, gay, Black blind man, who ironically saw more than those who could see. He loved living life and bringing people together, taking immense pleasure in their joy. His former boss, Mr. Ellerbee described him as “phenomenal, a diamond among gems, whose contributions were worldly.” Glenn Miller passed on August 15, 2021, although his legacy lives on in the hearts and minds of those he touched. His life and mind were very impactful and dearly missed.

Final edits by David Martin

VOODO FE: born in Brooklyn, of Haitian heritage, is a prolific Renaissance Artist with over 7,000 works of art in multiple mediums: visual art, music, fashion design, graphic design, digital art, jewelry,  brand collateral, and invented products. As a musician, Voodo Fe and his band opened for Run DMC, Naughty by Nature, played at Amsterdam’s High Times Festival and more.  He is a creative edgy, apparel designer, painter, musician, producer and writer, currently designing a fashion and art collection with the Miles Davis estate, as well as Rohan Marley’s Lion Order (Roots Luxury Brand), to start, with more on the horizon. He has designed for: Calvin Klein, DKNY, the NFL, the NBA, Echo, Avirex, and commissioned by Beyonce. His art in the homes of Janelle Monae, Tiger Woods, Dave Chappelle, Talib, and others. One of Voodo Fe’s mantras is: Exhibit, Experiment, Experience when it comes to his Spot For Art store on Myrtle in Brooklyn, the only NFT store in Brooklyn, where he experiments with the effects of color theory and art on health,  through his ArtScience program. His passion and advocacy is for the artist, so he is working on programs to teach them how to align artistry and industry with  economics. Through his personal challenges with various addictions since the age of 12, Voodo Fe has endured much in the way of physical and mental pain, and was able to go cold-turkey later. He has been able to navigate around bi-polar and other issues without being on the chemical highway, via meditation, good sleep and cleanliness, eating on time, exercise and being around those that care, recognize and support his needs. With weak lungs, a heart condition, and over 10 surgeries, Voodo Fe has a 100 year succession plan written out to keep his dream moving forward, with the help from his team, spiritual guides and the Law of Attraction methodology. A force to be reckoned with on many levels including kinetically……..Check him out here: IG- @voodofe @thespotforart and at www.spotforart.com

LEON GOODMAN: aka “The Colonel” as he was called by dear ones, was a gentle, kind, considerate, helpful giant with the widest most sparkling smile, a man of faith, who loved family, entertaining, traveling, cooking, hailed from Suffolk Va and later took up residence in Long Island, NY. He received his B.A from the State University of New York in Politics, Economics and Society, Political Science and Government, then worked in HR at Columbia University, developing and managing strategic collaborations and pro-active business partnerships with other HR administrators and line management. He then worked for the MTA as Assistant Director, EEO, Title VI Compliance and MWDBE Marketing/Outreach for  10 years, within the diversity and civil rights arena. He mentored, advised, managed, trained, and created policies. He was also involved in MTA Small Business Mentoring Programs including Broadcast (WABC, WNBC, FIOS 1, Transit Transit News Magazine) and On-Line Print (TransitTalent.com) opportunities….. Leon was also a radio disc jockey, TV host, journalist, actor and activist…In 2020, Leon was moved to walk in protest from the 59th street bridge to Montauk on behalf of Black Lives Matter…..He was thoroughly enjoying his acting and journalistic life immensely….see here for a tribute to his life, by Ajago Productions:   https://vimeo.com/604410610fbclid=IwAR3uhXyq3hEWTiw2ID7DGcpuPWWkSRr0cJaVFf-oGdvHyx4123G8Df3LW1A 

Leon Goodman, passed on August 23rd, 2021……..He is missed

PAT TRACEY: Grew up into a medical family in Trinidad and Tobago, which then migrated to Antigua. After a stint as a flight attendant, Pat burst onto the runway in 1980 as a professional fashion model for Issey Miyake – with whom she worked very closely, along with Kenzo, Gianfranco Ferre, Yves St Laurent, Chanel, Patrick Kelly, Giorgio Armani and others. Her work arena became Europe and Tokyo. She was photographed by the great photographer, Peter Lindbergh, for Italian Bazaar, and graced Essence and other magazines. She enjoyed commercial work with such clients as Avon, Clairol, Revlon, Clairol, Emanuel Ungaro, Harry Winston and Fendi, donning swimwear in the Sahara or bicycling in the Montana glaciers. She has been represented by agents such as Wilhelmina, Ford in New York City and top European agencies with present representation still by Wilhemina. Beside being a world traveler, a natural transition for her was to become a portrait, travel and lifestyle photographer, but she also continued her love for tie-dyeing which has extended into a successful tie-dye clothing line, called Mayaro, named after a beach in Trinidad, she frequented as a child. Still enjoying the constant work in the modeling realm, Pat also enjoys giving back, offering full service career coaching to aspiring models, as well as professional image and etiquette consultation. She helps them build their model portfolios and understand the business, with pageant headshots forming a large percentage of her business. Pat learned from an early age with her grandmother who managed a large orphanage in Trinidad, the importance of giving back to the youth and keeping one’s feet firmly planted on the ground, Lessons that have sustained her throughout her life. Check out her modeling page at: @pat.tracey  Her clothing at: @mayaro.pat and her photography at: www.pattraceyphotos.com

JENEVIEVE BREWER: From a college major in Communications to a minor in film, Jenevieve began her professional career as an intern in the writing division at ABC’s soaps, such as: “All My Children” then to “One Life to Live” and progressed to producing for Soap Central/SoapNet’s “Days of our Lives”. She became a children’s agent at Abrams Artists Agency, then moved to begin a new modeling, commercial and print division at the Carson Kolker Agency, which she developed for 10 years, before turning to managing at Terrific Talent, followed by setting out to form her own company JB Talent Management in 2015. This then began her travels overseas for projects, as well as teaching programs, working with children to overcome diversity challenges. Among her clients were: Joseph D’Onofrio, who is known for playing young Tommy in Goodfellas; Nicholas Alexander Chavez, who plays Spencer Cassadine on General Hospital; and Lauren C. Mayhew, who played Melanie Garrett on Dexter and Leo Cheng on the “L Word” . She loved working on projects such as: “Unstoppable, The Musical” with the children of Haven Kids Rock under casting director and musician, Nef Jones and with Carly Sullivan, activist, actress and producer on her  “Marginalized Murder” series. Additionally, she helped clients secure recurring and guest-starring roles on numerous episodics such as Law and Order: SVU, Limitless, Power, Orange Is The New Black, Gotham, FBI: Most Wanted! and Difficult People. In features, her clients booked roles in projects such as Southpaw, Uncut Gems, Run All Night and The Intern. Brewer also landed national commercials for clients with the likes of Coke, Verizon, Bank of America, Chanel, Nike, PNC Bank, Merrill Lynch and Old Navy. Jenevieve was not only a major agent, talent manager and producer, but a vibrant energetic force, a light of enthusiasm, real, down-to-earth, forthrightness, deeply personal care, passion, an empathetic activist in the LGBTQ+ community, advocate for the underdog and had a keen sense of duty towards diversity. A woman of faith, she loved to laugh! She loved animals and swam every day for her personal joy and wellness, giving to St.Jude’s and the Food Banks. A woman of peace she yearned for that across the divide in this country. Beloved Jenevieve, was a longtime NCOPM member   (National Conference of Personal Managers), gaining the respect from both her clients and peers nationally and internationally…….. Jenevieve Brewer passed away suddenly on October 14, 2021…… “Since you came into my life in 2003, you have been my strongest advocate in the business, pushing me to do things I didn’t imagine I could do. Even with my podcast, absolutely without a question coming on. I’m so sorry you were not able to see the end result, after all your encouragement to write it, throughout the years, but I am so very happy to have our story in it. I can still hear your voice and chuckle. I miss your “Hi Oz” greeting on the phone, your “xoxo” and your “I love you” with the heart emojis, at the end of your emails. Your light will never be dimmed in my heart, JEN!” I LOVE YOU!

CHARLES OLIVIER: Was my childhood friend who through the years, stayed very close to my family, though we both had relocated to other parts of the world. Since this taping at the end of my very first season of this podcast idea in 2020, Charles passed from health issues in the fall of 2021. It is wonderful to listen to his accolades from people near and dear to him, with his composition playing in the background. Leaving the banking industry, we hear about his love for his country of Trinidad and the entire West Indian basin, his love of soca music, singing, steelpan music, being a manager and farming. Who knew? We feel his love of friendship, considerate, positive and generous heart, and deep love of him by his friends and family. My family and I are ever grateful for his ever presence in our lives to the end. Forever in our hearts CHARLO!