Three Years!
Can you believe the third anniversary of The Locher Room is just around the corner? I certainly can not. When I look back on what I (we) have accomplished in these three years it astounds me. On Saturday, April 1, I am planning a little celebration and Watch Party with some very special guests. That Saturday show will mark my 367th episode. How did that happen? I will tell you plain and simple - BECAUSE OF ALL OF YOU! A big thank you to each and every person who has ever tuned in to watch a minute of The Locher Room, to all who have taken the time to write me a note, who have shared this show with others, or donated to the various charities we have raised money for. Thanks to all who have suggested guests or introduced me to someone I wasn’t aware of, to those who have watched a show where they weren’t familiar with that particular guest, but stuck around to hear what they had to say. I learn from each and every guest that sits down with me for an interview and I hope you feel the same way. And a special thanks to those of you who have watched one of my Conversations with Alan episodes. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I am eternally grateful to all of you for all of this.
You are the reason I continue to work hard bringing you these shows. On Monday through Friday my day begins around 4:30 a.m. when I get up to do a workout. By about 6:00 a.m. I am sitting in front of my computer working on all things Locher Room. I have my coffee; eat breakfast and start working on booking guests, responding to emails, researching, writing and promoting all shows. Depending on the day, I begin my full-time job with Truescope at about 8:30 a.m. On weekends, I spend anywhere from two to four hours on almost every Saturday and Sunday putting this show together. I do it all because I truly love this project and I hope it is bringing each of you as much joy as it brings me. My goal is to bring you shows that make you smile, make you think and most of all make you want to tune in. I never dreamed I’d be hosting a show where I would be interviewing friends, celebrities, newsmakers and thought leaders. From day one I set out to cheer people up during a very dark time in our country. I am not sure how long I thought this would continue. A month? A year? Well, here we are three years later and I get to say that I have interviewed over 860 incredibly talented and generous guests on a show I get to call The Locher Room. How lucky am I?
Last year, we kicked off season 2 with As the World Turns legend, Patricia Bruder and we’re ending this season with another great As the World Turns actor from the early 90’s. I hope you’ll be excited to hear from this fan favorite. Looking back on Season 2, I caught up with some incredible daytime legends (Beth Maitland, Jackie Zeman, Kate Linder, Tracey Bregman, Ian Buchanan), prime-time favorites (John James, Leigh McCloskey), some friends (Robert Newman, Laura Wright, Cynthia Watros, EJ Bonilla, Michael O’Leary, Amy Ecklund), and colleagues I worked in a previous job such as The Little Mermaid’s Jodi Benson and Y&R’s Kelsey Wang. I got to interview long-time friends Laurent Bouzereau, the award-winning director of Mama’s Boy, and a family friend, Jason Gichner, who is doing incredible work for The Tennessee Innocence Project. I met new friends including Michael R. Jackson whose new off-Broadway musical White Girl in Danger which opens in April and is an homage to the soap genre we all love. And together we honored some incredible talents we lost including Jerry verDorn, Kathryn Hays, Lisa Brown and John Gabriel. Thank you for helping us raise over 35K for the Autism Society of America and the Jerry verDorn Scholarship fund.
Lastly, I started the Conversations with Alan series in December of 2020 as a way to have an open and honest conversation about the rise of hate, the rise of racism and the incredible rise in antisemitism we are seeing around the world and in our country. I want these conversations to lead us all to think about our own place in history and what we can do together to stop hate in all its forms. I am the child of two Holocaust survivors. I feel the need to use my voice (and platform) where my parents no longer can. I am moving the Conversations with Alan series to its own channel on YouTube. I hope you’ll subscribe here. Most of all I hope you’ll listen with an open mind. If you feel so inclined, share the stories with your friends and family. Your support and participation mean the world to me. Together we can do better, be kinder and love each other equally.
Thanks for being a part of the journey. See you all in The Locher Room on Saturday, April 1st as we kick off Season 3. If you feel inclined to leave a tip to support my work, you can do so here.
P.S. There are so many people to thank along the way for this project. I’m grateful to each and everyone of you for your help, guidance, support and friendship.
Paul Orefice – thank you for your creative genius and help to brand The Locher Room and Conversations with Alan. There’s no one better in the business. You are truly an angel
Jill Lorie Hurst – Where would I be without you? You have been my sounding board, my friend, my producer, my editor and my right hand. Thank you for supporting this project from day one. Please thank Mr. Hurst for all the time he has shared you with me.
My husband, Ray – where do I begin? You have supported this crazy journey from day one and been my biggest cheerleader. It means the world to have your love and support. I know that you have willingly given up hours of our togetherness to give me the opportunity to bring this show to my community. I believe they along with me say, THANK YOU.
