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"It Shoulda Been You" had its debut in New Brunswick, New Jersey at the George Street Playhouse. It later went on to a Broadway run. The musical farce is back in the Garden State at the Cranford Dramatic Club. The show runs from February 13 through March 1.  Three members of the show chatted with Cranford Radio about the production; Zach Mazouat, the director; Rachel Love (Jenny Steinberg) and Sean Lynch-Littlejohn (Albert, the wedding planner).  Tickets are available online.

Starting January 1, Cranford High School principal Mark Cantagallo will be the superintendent of the Cranford Public Schools. On this episode of Cranford Radio, I chat with Mark to learn about his background, how the transition is going and some of his plans for the schools in the years ahead. 

For many men, getting a suit or sports coat means going to a store and buying it off the rack. For some men, however, the process is more involved. That's where Rob Breslau comes in. Rob, who grew up in Cranford, serves a clientele who are willing to spend more to get clothing custom made for them. Rob owns Prestige Custom Wear and he chats with me about how the business works, the type of clients he serves and how the industry has changed as the business world has become more casual.

Mark Manto' first took drum lessons as a child. The love of music never left. Mark's a triple threat as a musician, singer and composer. He's putting the finishing touches on a new album, The Rocky Hill, and he joins me on the podcast to talk about his Cranford connections, the wide range of musical genres he performs and dreams of someday playing in front of a stadium filled with screaming fans. Mark's music

In the movie Jaws the shark was terrifying. In real life, the mechanical shark, known by the actors and crew as "Bruce" was a mechanical nightmare. This first show of the Cranford Dramatic Club's 2025-2026 season is a comedy that looks at how the three main actors in the film dealt with the delays and each other during the filming. On this week's podcast I'm joined by director Mike Burdick, Patrick Blood (Richard Dreyfuss), Bill Geltzeiler (Roy Scheider) and Mike Patierno (Robert Shaw).

Skybreak, aka Jack Ramsay, is a Cranford musician who released his album, Half Blood, this month. As a relatively new artist, Jack does it all with his music; writing, recording, and promotion, to name just a few responsibilities. Shows this year have included Tokyo, Southern California, Detroit and Portland, Oregon. On this week's podcast we chat about what led him to into music, and electronic dance music in particular. We also discuss the business side of music, from selling your creations to selling merch to fans.

The Declaration of Independence was passed by the Second Continental Congress 249 years ago today. New Jersey is filled with a number of sites connected to the American Revolution, including here in Union County.  It's not only historic locations that have a connection with the past, but there are people who can trace their ancestry to that time period. Cranford resident Chris Sands is the president of the New Jersey Society of the Sons of the American Revolution.  The SAR is active with a number of events connecting New Jersey to its revolutionary past.  After a career in the US Army, retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel, Chris became involved in the SAR. We talk about the organization, his involvement and his connections to the birth of the United States.

In 2024 a new organization made its debut in town. PFLAG Cranford-Union wrote that it "hopes to be a beacon of support, advocacy, and education across Union County."  As you might imagine, June, as Pride Month, has been a busy season for the organization. Katie Webber, who serves as the non-profit's president, joins me on the podcast to talk about why the chapter was created, what it's doing and its goals.

During school days you'll find Sean W. Bagan in a CHS classroom teaching French. Outside of school hours he's working on a dystopian trilogy that takes place in a new world. The title of the first book, which was published this year, is "On Ravens & Riddles: From the Shelves of the Noktern."  Sean joins me on the podcast to not only discuss the book but why he was drawn to being an author and a bit of what he has planned.

There are many reasons a person will seek out a therapist. It might be due to a major life event or a long-brewing issue a person is trying to cope with. In other cases, someone may view therapy in the same way others go to the gym. They want to maintain or improve their health. Serenium Therapy & Wellness opened their office in Cranford at 25 Commerce Drive in January. It joins offices in Brick and Manalapan.  Joining me on the podcast are Allison Devlin, Serenium's clinical director, and Keri Roberts, the marketing director.

From its Depression Era beginnings, the school now known as Union College of Union County, NJ, has sought to provide a path for students who might not be able to afford a four-year college education. That mission continues today and the Union County College Foundation is the means to assist students who need financial assistance. Its role today is more than just traditional scholarship help. For example, it also provides food assistance to students who are hungry. Doug Rouse is UCNJ's Vice President for Institutional Advancement. He talks about the work of the foundation and how it serves students.

Christine Del Negro is a certified EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) practitioner and a mindfulness coach. One of the techniques she uses is a process called tapping. On this episode Christine talks about what tapping is and how it can be a useful practice in releasing stress and helping users. Christine's business is School4joy and she talks about other aspects of her work and how people can use the techniques she teaches anytime on their own.

It's difficult to think of a tragedy more difficult to deal with as a child than the death of a parent or sibling. Kids don't deal with grief in the same way as adults and don't have the same tools to help them through the process. Imagine is an organization formed to help children deal with their suffering. The non-profit offers a number of services and turns to the community to help support its work. One way is through Greta's Run, taking place on May 18. This week on the podcast I talk with Imagine's executive director, Lindsay Schambach, and Bob Kelly, a Cranford resident who serves on the organization's board of trustees as treasurer.

Legally Blonde: The Musical closes out the 2024/2025 season of the Cranford Dramatic Club with a run from May 2 to May 18.  Three principles involved with the show are my guests this week on the podcast. They are Edgar Hildago, the director, Jaimie Bass, the choreographer and Melissa Calicchio, who plays Elle Woods, the lead of the show.

For the fifth year, the Cranford Film Festival will take place at the Cranford Theater. The festival is just one part of Arts Day, which will also feature, weather permitting, performances at Eastman Clock Plaza. Money raised through the day's activities benefits the Cranford Schools Friends of Performing Arts.  My guests on this week's episode are Stephanie Levine Ashinoff, Anne Marie Bornstad and Kristine Gaffney.