Brave and Strong and True

Bob Falkenstein
  • 5.0 (41)
  • PERFORMING ARTS
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

Interviews with alumni of Upper Darby Summer Stage. 

  1. JAN 5

    98. Dan Martin

    By the time this podcast drops, Dan Martin will be a newly married man, so congratulations, Dan! Dan Martin went to Saint Berndette’s grade school and Drexel Hill Middle School, where his friends introduced him to Summer Stage. He attended Monsignor Bonner, where he was the Friar mascot. He received his degree from Saint Joseph’s University and his Master's from Temple.  In 2002, Dan performed in his first children’s theatre production, Bound for Broadway. He fondly recalls the 2005 production of Narnia, playing Mr. Beaver. Currently residing in Chicago, Dan and I talk about Chicago and Philadelphia cuisine. I also asked Dan some “Guest Questions” provided by his good friend Brenna Dinon. I hope you enjoy our conversation, so come along and have some fun. . . We all have stories to tell, and they can be heard here. Welcome to Brave and Strong and True, a podcast that engages Summer Stage alumni of all ages. I’m Bob Falkenstein. Our music is composed and performed by Neil McGettigan https://neilmcgettiganandtheeleventhhour.bandcamp.com/releases. Please click on the link to visit Neil’s BandCamp website to listen to songs from his album, including cut number 7, “Harry Dietzler.” Please support Neil’s work by buying downloads of your favorites. Please follow Brave and Strong and True on Apple Podcasts. While you’re there, please rate the show and leave a comment.   If you want to be a guest on Brave and Strong and True, please contact me at braveandstrongandtrue@gmail.com. I can record five guests simultaneously, so reach out to your friends for an online mini-reunion. You must have the latest version of the Google Chrome browser on your desktop or laptop computer. I can now record interviews with guests who have iPads or iPhones. It helps if you have an external microphone and headphones, but Apple earbuds work too; however, Bluetooth ones are not 100% reliable, so see if you can borrow wired ones. Support the show Upper Darby Summer Stage is now part of the non-profit organization known as the Upper Darby Arts and Education Foundation. Justin Heimbecker is the Executive Director of the UDAEF. If you can support Summer Stage financially, please visit udsummerstage.org to find out more.

    1h 2m

  2. 12/15/2025

    97. Brenna Dinon

    Brenna Dinon joined Summer Stage as an Apprentice while she was a student at Saint Bernadette's in Drexel Hill. She hung around for several summers performing in Children’s Theatre shows and with The Shooting Stars, eventually joining the staff. She graduated from Saint Joseph’s University and works out of her East Falls home as an author, copywriter, and creator. Please follow the link to Amazon to see the RP Minis that she created. I hope you enjoy our conversation, so come along and have some fun. . . Link to Brenna’s Mini-kits available on Amazon Link to the video Brenna and Dwight made during the pandemic We all have stories to tell, and they can be heard here. Welcome to Brave and Strong and True, a podcast that engages Summer Stage alumni of all ages. I’m Bob Falkenstein. Our music is composed and performed by Neil McGettigan https://neilmcgettiganandtheeleventhhour.bandcamp.com/releases. Please click on the link to visit Neil’s BandCamp website to listen to songs from his album, including cut number 7, “Harry Dietzler.” Please support Neil’s work by buying downloads of your favorites. Please follow Brave and Strong and True on Apple Podcasts. While you’re there, please rate the show and leave a comment.   If you want to be a guest on Brave and Strong and True, please contact me at braveandstrongandtrue@gmail.com. I can record five guests simultaneously, so reach out to your friends for an online mini-reunion. You must have the latest version of the Google Chrome browser on your desktop or laptop computer. I can now record interviews with guests who have iPads or iPhones. It helps if you have an external microphone and headphones, but Apple earbuds work too; however, Bluetooth ones are not 100% reliable, so see if you can borrow wired ones. Support the show Upper Darby Summer Stage is now part of the non-profit organization known as the Upper Darby Arts and Education Foundation. Justin Heimbecker is the Executive Director of the UDAEF. If you can support Summer Stage financially, please visit udsummerstage.org to find out more.

    1h 11m

  3. 11/10/2025

    Meghan Malloy

    Highland Park native, Meghan Malloy, had a brief stint as an apprentice in 1991.  She triumphantly returned in 1996, appearing in Alice in Wonderland. She later appeared in Main Stage productions, Dance Troupe, and One Acts. After graduating from Point Park College, she joined the staff and taught acting in the outreach program. Meghan led Camp Friendship and directed children’s theatre shows. She currently works as an actor, an accent and dialect coach, a teaching artist, and a playwright. I hope you enjoy our conversation, so come along and have some fun . . . LINKS Website - MeghanMalloyCreates.com YouTube - @meghan.malloy.creates We all have stories to tell, and they can be heard here. Welcome to Brave and Strong and True, a podcast that engages Summer Stage alumni of all ages. I’m Bob Falkenstein. Our music is composed and performed by Neil McGettigan https://neilmcgettiganandtheeleventhhour.bandcamp.com/releases. Please click on the link to visit Neil’s BandCamp website to listen to songs from his album, including cut number 7, “Harry Dietzler.” Please support Neil’s work by buying downloads of your favorites. Please follow Brave and Strong and True on Apple Podcasts. While you’re there, please rate the show and leave a comment.   If you want to be a guest on Brave and Strong and True, please contact me at braveandstrongandtrue@gmail.com. I can record five guests simultaneously, so reach out to your friends for an online mini-reunion. You must have the latest version of the Google Chrome browser on your desktop or laptop computer. I can now record interviews with guests who have iPads or iPhones. It helps if you have an external microphone and headphones, but Apple earbuds work too; however, Bluetooth ones are not 100% reliable, so see if you can borrow wired ones. Support the show Upper Darby Summer Stage is now part of the non-profit organization known as the Upper Darby Arts and Education Foundation. Justin Heimbecker is the Executive Director of the UDAEF. If you can support Summer Stage financially, please visit udsummerstage.org to find out more.

    1h 29m

  4. 10/27/2025

    Mark Cronin

    Mark Cronin grew up in Drexel Hill and graduated from Upper Darby High School in 1982. He was Rooster Hannigan in 1984’s Annie and finally made it to East Street. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in Chemical Engineering. He cultivated his comedy roots in the Mask and Wig Club. He began his professional career writing jokes for Howard Stern. Mark is known as the King of Reality TV, producing hits for over three decades. His latest creation, Below Deck, has been running for 13 seasons. Mark lives in Martha’s Vineyard, where he enjoys golfing and fishing. I hope you enjoy our conversation, so come along and have some fun . . . Corrections: In the intro, Bob said Annie was in 1982, he should have said 1984. Wikipedia Page https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Cronin Upper Darby High School Wall of Fame tribute https://upperdarbyhigh.upperdarbysd.org/our-school/alumni-wall-of-fame U of P Mask & Wig Club https://www.maskandwig.com/about/ Below Deck on Bravo TV https://www.bravotv.com/below-deck We all have stories to tell, and they can be heard here. Welcome to Brave and Strong and True, a podcast that engages Summer Stage alumni of all ages. I’m Bob Falkenstein.  Our music is composed and performed by Neil McGettigan https://neilmcgettiganandtheeleventhhour.bandcamp.com/releases. Please click on the link to visit Neil’s BandCamp website to listen to songs from his album, including cut number 7, “Harry Dietzler.” Please support Neil’s work by buying downloads of your favorites. Please follow Brave and Strong and True on Apple Podcasts. While you’re there, please rate the show and leave a comment.   If you want to be a guest on Brave and Strong and True, please contact me at braveandstrongandtrue@gmail.com. I can record five guests simultaneously, so reach out to your friends for an online mini-reunion. Support the show Upper Darby Summer Stage is now part of the non-profit organization known as the Upper Darby Arts and Education Foundation. Justin Heimbecker is the Executive Director of the UDAEF. If you can support Summer Stage financially, please visit udsummerstage.org to find out more.

    1h 22m

  5. 10/13/2025

    Donata Cucinotta

    Donata Cucinotta joined Summer Stage in 1994. She was a student Waldron Mercy Academy in Merion Station and during her summers enjoyed performing in the casts of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, where she played Scotty the Scottish Dwarf. She remembers the heat and humidity of the Beverly Hills summer of 1995,and 1996’s No One Will Marry a Princess With a Tree Growing Out of Her Head. In 1997, she was in the mainstage cast of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. She attended Ithaca College to prepare for a performance career. Donatta is a rising star in the world of opera and has an amazing resume of roles and appearances. Her performance of “You’ll Never Walk Alone” at last summer’s 50th Anniversary Gala performance blew the roof off the Performing Arts Center. She makes Seymour, Indiana, her home base, where she is a voice teacher. I hope you enjoy our conversation, so come along and have some fun . . . UPDATE: Correction to the spoken introduction - Joseph was in 1997. You can keep in touch with Donata at: http://www.donatacucinotta.com/ @SopranoDonata  https://www.instagram.com/sopranodonata https://www.youtube.com/@SopranoDonata We all have stories to tell, and they can be heard here. Welcome to Brave and Strong and True, a podcast that engages Summer Stage alumni of all ages. I’m Bob Falkenstein.  Our music is composed and performed by Neil McGettigan https://neilmcgettiganandtheeleventhhour.bandcamp.com/releases. Please click on the link to visit Neil’s BandCamp website to listen to songs from his album, including cut number 7, “Harry Dietzler.” Please support Neil’s work by buying downloads of your favorites. Please follow Brave and Strong and True on Apple Podcasts. While you’re there, please rate the show and leave a comment.   If you want to be a guest on Brave and Strong and True, please contact me at braveandstrongandtrue@gmail.com. I can record five guests simultaneously, so reach out to your friends for an online mini-reunion. You must have the latest version of the Google Chrome browser on your desktop or laptop computer. I can now record interviews with guests who have iPads or iPhones. It helps if you have an external microphone and headphones, but Apple earbuds work too; however, Bluetooth ones are not 100% reliable, so see if you can borrow wired ones. Support the show Upper Darby Summer Stage is now part of the non-profit organization known as the Upper Darby Arts and Education Foundation. Justin Heimbecker is the Executive Director of the UDAEF. If you can support Summer Stage financially, please visit udsummerstage.org to find out more.

    1h 17m

  6. 08/25/2025

    Ellie Dermond (Liz Heckman)

    Ellie Dormond is an original Summer Stager. She was encouraged to join the inaugural season in 1976 while she was a student of Cathy Pregmon at Upper Darby High School.  While claiming to have lived at the Performing Arts Center, she never once appeared on stage. She is a diehard techie who enjoys working off-stage and backstage. As a mother of two boys and a nurse specializing in elder care, Ellie has depended on the principle of being brave, strong, and true throughout her life. I hope you enjoy our conversation, so come along and have some fun . . . We all have stories to tell, and they can be heard here. Welcome to Brave and Strong and True, a podcast that engages Summer Stage alumni of all ages. I’m Bob Falkenstein.  Our music is composed and performed by Neil McGettigan https://neilmcgettiganandtheeleventhhour.bandcamp.com/releases. Please click on the link to visit Neil’s BandCamp website to listen to songs from his album, including cut number 7, “Harry Dietzler.” Please support Neil’s work by buying downloads of your favorites. Please follow Brave and Strong and True on Apple Podcasts. While you’re there, please rate the show and leave a comment.   If you want to be a guest on Brave and Strong and True, please contact me at braveandstrongandtrue@gmail.com. I can record five guests simultaneously, so reach out to your friends for an online mini-reunion. You must have the latest version of the Google Chrome browser on your desktop or laptop computer. I can now record interviews with guests who have iPads or iPhones. It helps if you have an external microphone and headphones, but Apple earbuds work too; however, Bluetooth ones are not 100% reliable, so see if you can borrow wired ones. Support the show Upper Darby Summer Stage is now part of the non-profit organization known as the Upper Darby Arts and Education Foundation. Justin Heimbecker is the Executive Director of the UDAEF. If you can support Summer Stage financially, please visit udsummerstage.org to find out more.

    59 min

  7. 08/18/2025

    Jess Coulter

    Jess Coulter sat in her car parked outside the Performing Arts Center as we recorded this conversation.  She grew up in Havertown but now lives in Perkiomen Valley, over an hour away. She is a Summer Stage alumnus and the mother of three children, all of whom are current members.  Jess joined the apprentice program in 1990. Her first children’s theatre show was Freedom, directed by Harry Dietzler. She proudly claims that she has seen at least one Summer Stage show every season since 1985. She works as a high school English teacher, which is my former career, so we do “geek out” about literature during this.  After participating in the 50th Anniversary Gala Performance, Jess stepped up as one of the leaders of the soon-to-be-formed alumni organization. I hope you enjoy our conversation, so come along and have some fun . . . We all have stories to tell, and they can be heard here. Welcome to Brave and Strong and True, a podcast that engages Summer Stage alumni of all ages. I’m Bob Falkenstein. Our music is composed and performed by Neil McGettigan https://neilmcgettiganandtheeleventhhour.bandcamp.com/releases. Please click on the link to visit Neil’s BandCamp website to listen to songs from his album, including cut number 7, “Harry Dietzler.” Please support Neil’s work by buying downloads of your favorites. Please follow Brave and Strong and True on Apple Podcasts. While you’re there, please rate the show and leave a comment.   If you want to be a guest on Brave and Strong and True, please contact me at braveandstrongandtrue@gmail.com. I can record five guests simultaneously, so reach out to your friends for an online mini-reunion. You must have the latest version of the Google Chrome browser on your desktop or laptop computer. I can now record interviews with guests who have iPads or iPhones. It helps if you have an external microphone and headphones, but Apple earbuds work too; however, Bluetooth ones are not 100% reliable, so see if you can borrow wired ones. Support the show Upper Darby Summer Stage is now part of the non-profit organization known as the Upper Darby Arts and Education Foundation. Justin Heimbecker is the Executive Director of the UDAEF. If you can support Summer Stage financially, please visit udsummerstage.org to find out more.

    1h 1m

  8. 08/11/2025

    Technical Theatre Students

    I visited Summer Stage on Tuesday, July 22.  Artistic Director Chris Luner selected small groups of “friends” for me to interview. In this episode, you will hear from four students from the theatre tech program. They are Quinn Williams, Ava Bowser, Remy Lazur, and Han Ahmed. I hope you enjoy our conversation, so come along and have some fun . . . We all have stories to tell, and they can be heard here. Welcome to Brave and Strong and True, a podcast that engages Summer Stage alumni of all ages. I’m Bob Falkenstein.  Our music is composed and performed by Neil McGettigan https://neilmcgettiganandtheeleventhhour.bandcamp.com/releases. Please click on the link to visit Neil’s BandCamp website to listen to songs from his album, including cut number 7, “Harry Dietzler.” Please support Neil’s work by buying downloads of your favorites. Please follow Brave and Strong and True on Apple Podcasts. While you’re there, please rate the show and leave a comment.   If you want to be a guest on Brave and Strong and True, please contact me at braveandstrongandtrue@gmail.com. I can record five guests simultaneously, so reach out to your friends for an online mini-reunion. You must have the latest version of the Google Chrome browser on your desktop or laptop computer. I can now record interviews with guests who have iPads or iPhones. It helps if you have an external microphone and headphones, but Apple earbuds work too; however, Bluetooth ones are not 100% reliable, so see if you can borrow wired ones. Support the show Upper Darby Summer Stage is now part of the non-profit organization known as the Upper Darby Arts and Education Foundation. Justin Heimbecker is the Executive Director of the UDAEF. If you can support Summer Stage financially, please visit udsummerstage.org to find out more.

    38 min
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5
out of 5
41 Ratings

About

Interviews with alumni of Upper Darby Summer Stage. 

Information

  • Creator
    Bob Falkenstein
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    98
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Brave and Strong and True
  • Show Website
    Brave and Strong and True