(Beaver Falls, Pa.) The Best of Beaver County is easy to discover; it’s right on your radio!  Tune in this and every Thursday from 11 to 11:30 A.M.  for “The Best of Beaver County”, an innovative radio program on WBVP and WMBA presented by St. Barnabas. The show is hosted by Jim Roddey and is dedicated to shining light on the great things going on right here in local neighborhoods, and the people that are making it happen.  Find out what all the buzz is about by joining “The Best Of Beaver County”.  This weeks edition was all about the Arts and Jim’s guests Kiesha Lalama a Center grad who has gone onto fame as a Choreographer,Educator, and  Motivator and Justin Fortunato  who is the Artistic Producing Director at  Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center.

In the first segment Mr. Roddey welcomed in Kiesha Lalama. Kiesha grew up in Center twp and graduated from Center High School (now Central Valley). She told Roddey of her youth moving from West Aliquippa at the age of one to Center Twp. and how she still spent a good portion of her youth in West Aliquippa visiting relatives almost on a daily basis. While in high school Lalama was a discus thrower earning a scholarship to Slippery Rock University. She only attended Slippery Rock for one semester after injuring her knee she realized that she couldn’t juggle both the arts and being a discus thrower and she then moved onto Point Park University. She told Roddey that was the best move she ever made.

Mr. Roddey then moved on to talk about Lalama’s career in the arts. She explained at an early age she started out in gymnastics and the went to dance school and learned so much from Doris Singer. Lalama then talked about her family and her sons who are both throw the discus like mom with the eldest having aspirations to be an Olympian.

Finally they talked about her journey in the arts leading up to her position of Director of Community Engagement & Strategic Initiatives for the Pittsburgh CLO. Roddey and Lalama also talked about a new partnership with St. Barnabas. The Pittsburgh CLO Academy’s summer performance camps that are designed to give attendees the opportunity to work with a professional directors, music directors and choreographers, and create an exciting musical theater experience culminating in a live performance on stage. The Summer Camps are offered in two locations – Downtown Pittsburgh and at the St. Barnabas Kean Theatre in Gibsonia PA. All participants receive a free ticket for a Pittsburgh CLO Summer Season show at the Benedum Center.  For questions about Summer Camps, call 412-281-2234 or email CLOAcademy@pittsburghclo.org.

In segment two Jim talked with Justin Fortunato , Artistic Producing Director at  Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center in Midland. The pair talked about Lincoln Park’s School of Performing Arts  and the important roll they play  in our communities of Beaver County. Fortunato discussed how he has worked in educational and professional theater and that he loves what he does.

Fortunato discussed Lincoln Park’s theaters and how they have over 35,000 people who take in a show at Lincoln Park every year.  The unique thing about Lincoln Park is that students can perform on a professionally designed set right along with the professionals who are teaching them. Fortunato gave the listeners a preview of this years remaining shows.

Finally Roddey and Fortunato discussed his professional career and he informed the listener that he was just in the Pittsburgh CLO’s A  Christmas Carol. Justin finished by telling the listeners that if someone would like to get involved with Lincoln Park you can go to  http://www.lincolnparkarts.org/ or follow their Facebook Page.

If you would like to watch today’s show as it streamed live on Facebook press the play button below…..

The radio broadcast will be replayed each Sunday from 11:30 am to Noon from the St. Barnabas Studio on Beaver County Radio.

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