Jason Pintar of Florida Studio Theatre's The Wanderers Joins the Club

Robyn Bell: Joining me on this week's episode of the Suncoast Culture Club is actor and singer Jason Pintar, who is currently starring and singing bass in Florida Studio Theatre's cabaret show the Wanderers showing now through February 6th in FSTs Court Cabaret Jason Pintar. Welcome to the club.

Jason Pintar: Thank you for having me. I'm very happy to be here. 

Robyn Bell: Oh, say that again. That's beautiful. 

Jason Pintar: Thank you for having me. I'm very happy to be here. Oh, 

Robyn Bell: you like radio voice? 

Jason Pintar: I do voiceovers as well. Yeah. 

Robyn Bell: I don't blame you. That's fantastic. Now we're going to talk more specifically about the Wanderers the show in just a minute, but we want to know more. You I stalked you on your website and I saw that you have performed in about 8,000 shows, but Jason, tell us your story that led you to all this when and how did the performance bug hit you and how did you get your start and training in this amazing career?

Jason Pintar: I have been asked this before. And the last time I was asked it didn't occur to me until then that when I was in nursery school four turning five, we did a presentation at the end of the school year. And it was. The Very Hungry Caterpillar, the classic children's book, which my teacher, Mrs. Forshee. I remember every teacher I've ever had Mrs. Forshee read it aloud and the caterpillar went around and ate all the various things. I was the titular character. I was the caterpillar. 

Robyn Bell: And that was it.

Jason Pintar: That was it. That was when the bug bit if you're 44 years old, four turning five, 

Robyn Bell: you heard that applause and you said, I can't get it. 

Jason Pintar: That's it that's it. My, mother had to buy me something green so that it would match the caterpillar costume. I wore a green polo. I will never forget it that day. And at some point I hunched over and went into my Chrysalis stage and I became a butterfly. The butterfly was played by my friend, Heather. Yeah, so there's. Right. 

Robyn Bell: There you go. So as someone that grew up in public schools and also had similar elementary school performance things where I was like a duck with a painted face and, you know, I had, it was really cool. Yeah. I had the opportunity joined band in seventh grade, I was also in the choir, any performance opportunities. So how then did you. Schooling experience gets you to where you are today. 

Jason Pintar: Sure. So I started playing the recorder in fourth grade and picked up the cornet and then later the trumpet started fifth grade all through yep. Brass. There we go. Love it, love it, love it. So played instruments all the way through high school and got into choir as well and did all the plays and musicals and. Really fell in love with it. It wasn't until I saw, the national tour of the Lion King actually. And I went, oh, oh, these are professional actors. Oh, you could do this. You could, this could be for you, Jason. And I made it happen. I started to look into colleges and universities and ended up picking Central Michigan University. And for Michigan, 

Robyn Bell: we love our Midwesterns here on the Florida Suncoast. 

Jason Pintar: Yes, indeed. And that was an hour. Away from my hometown. So it was close enough yet far enough away. It had a very fledgling musical theater program. At the time they had a one graduate. When I got there, my freshman year, I met him. His name was also Jason. And I was like, all right, that's a sign. There we go. So I went, through that and no regrets there. I finished in four years. And then in the fall I moved in. 

Robyn Bell: Well, and you just said, I'm taking this bull by the horn. This is where all the gigs are. 

Jason Pintar: Yeah. Yes, indeed. And I'm fortunate that New York is such a hub for talent, that there are so many wonderful theaters around the country, including Florida Studio Theatre, that auditions in New York. You see what I did there? Yeah. Yes. Thank you. Um, Yeah, I'm just grateful for the work. I mean, there are only so many roles to go around and there's Broadway, which of course is wonderful. But there's so many wonderful theaters all throughout the country and the audition in New York. So when the roles right, you go in for it.

Robyn Bell: Yeah. And you've gotta be in the right place at the right time and fully prepared. 

Jason Pintar: Yes ma'am. 

Robyn Bell: Yeah. You know, New York, it's where everybody wants to go. We have students here that leave the college, they go to New York, some of them end up coming back. Some of them actually, we have several students that are on national tours right now, pre and post pandemic. And so it's fun to watch their careers and how it take off, but that really. Just the hub for what you do. 

Jason Pintar: Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. Yeah. And then some I just had my, anniversary on the 4th of October, 16 years have been there.

Robyn Bell: Wow. Yeah. And I bet you have, seen some really cool stuff. You've performed on some really neat performances. 

Jason Pintar: Yeah. Yeah, yeah, 

Robyn Bell: yeah. We, try to get to New York as much as we can. It's been tough, but as the Pops Orchestra conductor, I always try to schedule it where the New York Pops are playing Steve Reineke. Is there a conductor and just like a sponge when I go there and I, you know, you imagine you. Could You live here and make a living. And it's so impressive when I meet people that actually have so kudos to you. 

Jason Pintar: Thank you. 

Robyn Bell: I know that Richard and Rebecca Hopkins of FST wrote this show, the Wanderers that you're currently performing in. And Jim Prosser did the musical arrangements, but tell us about how you specifically. Came to be engaged, to perform in the Wanderers and what the preparation process is like leading up to opening night.

Jason Pintar: Sure. So this was actually my fourth time auditioning for Florida Studio Theatre. Like you said earlier time and place. The first time was I believe in 2015. So I guess the fourth time was the charm went in and audited. two appropriate songs. One from the 50th, one of the sixties Richard Hopkins was in the room and everybody else was there virtually via Skype, I believe was the platform that he was using and went in and sang my songs. And the rest is history. As far as that's concerned. Am I getting cast? And the rest of the cast as well, all individually, they just cast us based on board. So 

Robyn Bell: four of you had to get together at some point and learn the show and make quartet. 

Jason Pintar: Yes. Once we got here for rehearsals, we began the day after Labor Day. So that was when we, began and we're all living together, as well as performing the show, which has its own unique dynamic. I'm grateful that there's no bad apple. 

Robyn Bell: There should be a reality TV show about that. 

Jason Pintar: There should, there should, but we all get along. Enjoy one another's company, both onstage and off. So that's super helpful for sure. 

Robyn Bell: And when you audition for the show, did you realize you would have to relocate all the way through February to just miserable Sarasota? 

Jason Pintar: First of all, I'm actually enjoying Sarasota very, very much. I'd been in Florida before I'd worked in Florida, but my first time in Sarasota, I'm having a great time. Believe it or not. Yeah, , they included the dates with the initial audition. So then when I signed the contract, I was like, all right, we're doing this. This is. 

Robyn Bell: Yeah, because I counted up 171 performances of this show. 

Jason Pintar: You are not mistaken 

Robyn Bell: and you're maybe 10 or 15 in, cause it didn't start too long ago. September 29th. 

Jason Pintar: Yes, we. officially opened. I think it was the 3rd of October third or fourth. Yeah. So we're in our, our third full week of performances. We only had five, our first opening weekend. Yeah. So we're, we're racking them up week by week. 

Robyn Bell: And you know, there's 32 songs. I counted in the set list. Thanks for providing that. And it's hard, you know, it's like when I'm kind of stuffing and stuffing folders, Orchestra, you see a title and all of a sudden you get like the song in your head until I go to the next title. And I was looking through that set list and I started just, all these things started going through my head, all these little tunes. And so I can imagine it takes a lot of stamina to do this show. I didn't I out, but also that certain songs kind of become ear worms for you. Do you find yourself waking up in the middle of night singing that same song? 

Jason Pintar: That has yet to happen. I have the feeling, it will, now that we've talked about it, cause that's a life tends to work, at least for me. Yeah, there's so catchy. And so hummable oh my goodness. , when I got the song list for the show, I was familiar with probably 90 or so percent of, the music. They were like two songs off hand that I had not heard before, but I was like, oh yep, know, that one, know, that one, know, that one, I mean, my, folks are of a certain age, so like, Listening to this music and what not because they were enthusiastic about it. We always have the oldest station on when I was riding around the car with my parents. I'm like, oh yep. know, that one, there's the Four Seasons. There's the Platters, all this stuff. And 50 is, do up, has always just kind of had a special place in my heart. Just it's such a charming period in pop music that yeah, 

Robyn Bell: I'm sure by the ticket sales for this concert, everybody. Wants to hear these two. They see if they go, oh, I'm going to that show. Yeah. And everything going? Well, so far the ticket sales get, 

Jason Pintar: as far as I know, I mean we've had some really full houses and grateful for that, for sure. It's oh my gosh. It's a, blessing and a wonderful thing to be performing again. And just having been laid off for the last year. 

Robyn Bell: Well, Florida Studio Theatre's campus is just incredible. You know, we took our students, they kind of for a private performance and I was amazed because our students here at State college of Florida, they are from this area and almost to a T there are like, We had no idea this was here, or, you know, I was trying to tell him, get there early because. You got to find it, you know? When you arrived here where you're like, what is going on here in little Sarasota with this campus? 

Jason Pintar: I had done a little bit of research once I got the job and I went, oh, They have a lot of theater down here. There's an art presence. They have art throughout the city. It was a lovely thing. And then, and to actually be on the campus and experience it and going, they have five spaces that they have going at any given time. It's fantastic. And costume shop right there and all of the above. They've got a great business going for sure. 

Robyn Bell: Now, somebody that you saw, Jason lend themselves well to cover. So, you know, Some can maybe be more challenging. So are there some songs in the set list you guys have had to rehearse a bit more than others, or maybe like when you get to that song and in this show, you're like, Ooh, I gotta think about this one a little more.

Jason Pintar: Happy together. It was something of a challenge just because it has very specific parts to it, which sounds odd, but everyone is doing their own thing. And just to get the right balance of it, especially when we got into the actual performance space, that was an another challenge in and of itself, like proximity to the mic and how close can we get and all of that. So that was something to work out, but now that we have it down, that's actually one of my favorite moments in the show. Yeah, we're just standing at mics and grooving out and it's, it's fun. And the audience has really into it too. 

Robyn Bell: We mentioned earlier about stamina, but as of, I mean, I'm a trumpet player. I don't play my trumpet much anymore, but I do conduct a lot and I mean, I get physically tired. How do you prepare yourself for the grind of these daily shows? Sometimes two times a day, 

Jason Pintar: hydration. Yeah, primarily. Yeah. Water, water. Oh my gosh. Especially in Florida, I mean, the sun is pretty unrelenting here. So yes, I try to drink as much water as I can. There are days when I go, why do I feel so dry? You drank very, very little water today, Jason. So it's just, it's a thing you just got to be cognizant about it. And we're drinking water in between songs on stage. We have moments where we're like, okay, can I duck over here and take some steps and then go back. That's huge. 

Robyn Bell: Take care of those pipes of yours, you know? 

Jason Pintar: Yes, ma'am correct. Yes, indeed. 

Robyn Bell: What about a certain kind of food you stay away from or certain kind of drink? Like soda I hear can be dehydrated. 

Jason Pintar: It can be dehydrating. I try to avoid menthol at all. Cost. I recently switched out my mouthwash cause I saw it man fell in it like, oh no, I don't want menthol in my life. Yes. And leaving like lozenges and whatnot. No menthol. Yeah, that definitely drives me out.

Robyn Bell: I had no idea. 

Jason Pintar: Yeah, that's a thing. I don't know if it's necessarily the case for all people, but for me, absolutely. It, yes. A lot of beers. I mean, I do enjoy the adult libation from time to time. I'm that person. But yeah, certain varieties of beer really dry me out as well. So I don't, I don't really drink my beer as far as that's concerned. 

Robyn Bell: We're going to hold that against you. So speaking of the guys and your roommates and your, your Quartet, tell us about the other members of the quartet and maybe where they're from and how they all fit into this show.

Jason Pintar: So our baritone is Ryan Miralis. He is from Virginia originally, and he also lives in New York currently. And he, and I share a dressing room. We also watch lots of movies in the living room. So we've gotten to know each other. And I stand next to them on stage. So in terms of the kindred nature, I'm probably closest to him, both literally and figuratively. Travis Keith Battle is our second tenor or lead tenor as he's written in print a few times. He sings probably the most leads of anyone in the show. Travis is fantastic. He's from outside of Virginia as well. And now he is a presence, both in Brooklyn, New York and in Philadelphia. My favorite song and the whole show is when he sings, Can't Take my Eyes Off of You. He sings lead on that and we all back up, oh, 

Robyn Bell: you just enjoy it. Isn't that nice when you're a part of an ensemble and you can just enjoy it 

Jason Pintar: and you genuinely appreciate the other people's talents. Absolutely. And this is my favorite moment, the whole show and our first tenor is Kenny Francouer, who sings. Sherry the little Frankie Valli. Oh my God. That is correct. And yes he does. And yeah, that's my favorite moment in act one. Travis is my favorite. 

Robyn Bell: Now my question to him, you know, cause we talked about taking care of your pipes. I mean, you're on the low end, you got some long stretched up, vocal chords there, but you got to really prepare yourself and, know that this is coming every single night to get up there. 

Jason Pintar: He has not been particularly in the library. I said, how do you do this? Like, I have to live like a nun if I'm going to do this track. And so he does, and he just really takes care of himself and he's making a lot of coconut water in his dressing room. And yeah, he's really taken care of himself in a way that's a little different than myself, but he's making it happen and he's doing his warm ups and all. 

Robyn Bell: Well, Jason, inevitably, you know, someone can get a little sinus infection or a cold or something. What happens to a show like this when someone you or first tenor is like, is having a really rough physical night. 

Jason Pintar: These things do happen. There are certain vocal sweeteners that we can add to fill out the sound 

Robyn Bell: electronically, 

Jason Pintar: electronically that had been recorded from previous performances and whatnot,

Robyn Bell: but only reserved for when there's a health issue.

Jason Pintar: There's a health issue then going through some central color issues and whatnot. So we do have that option available to us. In addition to that, there are under studies that are in rehearsal. I don't remember learning our tracks. I currently don't have one. At least I haven't been told, so 

Robyn Bell: maybe I could audition for that.

Jason Pintar: You wanna do the base parts? Yes. You got it. 

Robyn Bell: I didn't realize there were understudies. He said FST 

Jason Pintar: fascinating for such long, long contracts. I mean, these are bound to happen. So in the event, That's someone goes down the show must go on. So 

Robyn Bell: this is what I love about the podcast. Is that insider trading information?

Jason Pintar: Yes, indeed. In addition to that, our first tenor is actually going to be leaving us soon. Pre pandemic. He was part of the national tour of Jersey Boys. He was a. And they were initially not slated to go back out on the road until the spring, so we could do this contract, but now they're coming back into rehearsals next month in November. So he's leaving us on Sunday. However, we have a new first tenor who is now in town and he's rehearsing and we're gonna have to put in with him later on in the week. And we'll have him for the rest of the round. 

Robyn Bell: Generally, you may be. One rehearsal with a put in, right. I mean, it is quick, you better learn it and here's the, maybe you send them the tracks ahead of time. Learn your part. And here we go. 

Jason Pintar: Yeah. So he's been having music rehearsals with Jim Prosser, whom you mentioned earlier, who was our accompanist into the, arrangements for. Rehearsing with him and with Catherine Randazzo, who did 

Robyn Bell: Katherine Goodfriend here at state college of Florida. She worked in our collegiate school and did all of the music stuff there would put on little kid musicals until she got the big promotion to FST. We were sad to see her go, but always grateful for that connection with her and the State College of Florida. She's wonderful. Make sure she listens to this podcast. Okay. So you mentioned Jim Prosser as your accompanist, do you have a backup band as well? 

Jason Pintar: He plays to a track for many of the songs. So there's elements of bass and percussion typically in those tracks, but he plays live here. Yeah. 

Robyn Bell: You know, sometimes it's a money thing cause you, if you have to pay a live musician, but oftentimes it's a space issue. And I know the cabaret is a small stage and it just may not be enough room for a whole band and the four singers.

Jason Pintar: Given the amount of staging that we do with the four of us on stage, it would not make sense to have any other musicians on stage with them. So they made the best of a situation 

Robyn Bell: early in your run, but I'd be interested further on down the road because when you're playing the same. Over and over and over, it tends after a while to sort of morph. And I'm going to add this in and what if I do this court? Are you, hearing any changes and stuff 

Jason Pintar: less so with the music more so with the lines of dialogue, interact with the audience quite a bit, and I've gotten there, there's a moment earlier on in act one where we just say where we're from. We go out on the line. I'm from here, I'm from here. I'm very big into I'm from I'm from Vassar, Michigan. That's my hometown. And sometimes that elicits a certain response from the. That was two weeks ago. This was, I think our Tuesday, there's our first show back. I say, I'm from Vassar, Michigan. And there was a woman it's close , to you as, I am right here in the front row, who just went from being from Michigan. And I, assumed by now she was from Ohio because of that rivalry. I just looked at her, like we're not going there. 

Robyn Bell: You know, my response to those kinds of things, or, yeah, I remember my first drink. You got to give it back to them. Jason, 

Jason Pintar: if it happens again, I've determined. I'm going to say mom, mom. That's great. So let's kind of roll with it. So you have. The, with the Vassar Michigan, 

Robyn Bell: you find when there's dialogue and interaction with the audience, you find the things that really go over well, in some things you're like, Ooh, how can I deliver that a little differently? Yeah. So those things sort of morph.

Jason Pintar: Sometimes when I mentioned the fact that I got booed a couple of weeks ago with. Yeah, I can do that every time. 

Robyn Bell: My shows for the Pops Orchestra are very interactive and we talk between songs and kind of carry on this dialogue. And I told this one joke, one time we had a John Denver. Performing with us and we were doing, you know, West Virginia mountain mama. And so I said, you know, my dad used to tell me that the toothbrush was invented in West Virginia. And John Denver guy says really? I said, yeah, because if it had been invented anywhere else, it would have been called the teeth brush. And I thought it was hilarious. And I actually had a musician afterwards come and go. I was very offended by that joke. I said, oh, okay. Well, I won't tell it the second night. You never know when you've hit someone's little spot, you know, it's 

Jason Pintar: very true. Yeah. 

Robyn Bell: It's a good joke though. You can use it anytime.

Jason Pintar: I may very well take you up on that for 

Robyn Bell: Oklahoma as well. No offense to Oklahomans out there. So how about getting to live here in Sarasota, Florida during the whole winter season? I know it's just miserable. 

Jason Pintar: Oh gosh, no, I'm adoring it thus far. Granted I'm in, I'm in month two right now and I'll be here until February, but I enjoy any opportunity to be able to escape the cold New York winter.

Robyn Bell: Most of the time people come down here like this, they hear an extended stay. They fall in love with our community, our climate, and then they say, how can I buy a retirement home down here? But have you already discovered some of your favorite little hotspots for coffee or drinks here? On the sun coast.

Jason Pintar: Yeah, absolutely. There's a place not too far from from the theater called buddy brew brews. And I recently discovered that they, they give a 10% discount to people that are affiliated with Florida Studio Theatre. So I wear my, I wear my Florida Studio Theatre mask and I'm like, we got a discount, right. It absolutely worked. I got it yesterday. 

Robyn Bell: Good, good, good. What about some of the places in the downtown area? 

Jason Pintar: Great Mexican place L Melvin, ah, I really enjoyed that. We went to, cafe Epicure pizza. Oh my gosh. Yes. We went there the end of our first week of rehearsals and I had a brick oven. Pizza

Robyn Bell: was one of our go-to places when we're down at FST. 

Jason Pintar: Super yummy. Super yummy. Yeah. 

Robyn Bell: Yeah, really cool. And we have so much here to do, you know, I don't know if you'd get a chance to run to the beaches or to, St Armand's Circle in any place that you've kind of found an affinity for. 

Jason Pintar: Went to Siesta Key a few times, just awful. This sprawling beaches. 

Robyn Bell: Talcum powder sand 

Jason Pintar: it's it's delightful. Everything about as delightful. 

Robyn Bell: If you didn't get a chance, next time you go get to the village, they've got some really great little restaurants at ice cream places, some stuff that says to key village. 

Jason Pintar: All right. Noted. 

Robyn Bell: It's a little off the path. You can't really walk there from the beach. Well, I guess you could, but you'd be tired. But yeah, I get to the village. It's a really neat place. 

Jason Pintar: I will check that out. 

Robyn Bell: Yeah. Have you been to St. Armand? Okay, that's on your list next Monday on your day off, I'll be calling you to quiz you on that. So Jason, as I say, I hope to one day be far past this, that we don't have to discuss it, but for people in the performing arts, this is kind of like are, where were you during the OJ Simpson Bronco chase question. Right? So where were you, what were you doing when the world shut down on Friday? The 13th of March, 2020. And what did the pandemic shutter look like for you? 

Jason Pintar: Gosh. So I had been auditioning quite a bit and I had several callbacks many of which ended up getting canceled for obvious reasons and whatnot. So I was really getting back into the thick of it and just auditioning like crazy. I had taken a corporate job that had been working for about two years that I ended up leaving in October of 2019. And. That, same week that I quit the corporate job, I also got a new agent and I was doing a reading and I was like, all right. Things are cooking along. These are good signs and let's do this. Let's make some things happen, pandemic. Yes. So that was a bit of a hard pill to swallow. It was, it was for, many people, but just made the best of the situation and I was living alone at the time. So that also had its own challenges. So just being very, very isolated at the time, which wasn't a bad thing. All things considered, oh my gosh. I had to pay for everything on my own. Thankfully, I was drawing unemployment at the time from the office job. So that continued with, being out of work as an actor as well. It just continued on yeah. I tried to try to make do 

Robyn Bell: so you were able to get through without searching for other work. In New York,

Jason Pintar: I eventually got a long-term temperature job. I was working at a a haircare plant, a bottling factory in Brooklyn. 

Robyn Bell: Everybody did what they had to do to get through 

Jason Pintar: Absolutely. Absolutely. Yes, I was mixing. Conditioner and shampoo and pre shampoo masks in a, mixing drum and printing off literature and sending it out to people 

Robyn Bell: and singing. I'm gonna wash that man right out of my hair, right. Practices and 

Jason Pintar: you related it back to musical theater. And that was a beautiful, beautiful. But oddly enough, I started listening to podcasts at the time. So I started to get into them. So he has to have an affinity for what you 

Robyn Bell: do. I can't. Thank you. I can't tell you the number of musicians. I know personally, both singers, instrumentalists teachers that went for. So, I mean, this seems to be the trend. They went through these kinds of coding academies and they learn these computer skills and they have really shelved their instrument. I mean, symphony musicians, opera, pit orchestra players. And they are working for HVAC companies in Miami coding and doing website stuff and making twice as much money working from home. And they miss their love of making music, but the pandemic sort of opened this other door to possibilities and other lines of work. And so I'm very fortunate here at the college in that. Since I'm a teacher in classes had to continue. Everything really did continue. But I've seen so many of our fellow colleagues that just, they changed their entire professional life. And I'm sure you saw this as well in New York.

Jason Pintar: I absolutely did. Yes. I have friends that have gone into other professions as well. And I was mentioning this to my friend, Lydia, who's sitting here to my right on the way over that so many people that were just primarily actors got into. Voiceover work 

Robyn Bell: just the way to get your product out there. 

Jason Pintar: Exactly. Exactly. So now the market is super saturated, so we endure. Yeah. 

Robyn Bell: Yeah. Well, we're really happy that you've made your way back into live performing and here at Florida Studio Theatre on the Suncoast. And obviously we hope you enjoy your winter months in the Sarasota. You are now officially a snowbird I have some rapid fire questions for you, Jason. And they're either, or some are based on what I know of you. And some are just the same questions I ask everybody. Cause I'm interested in how you feel about things. So, okay. I saw on your resume that you have done some cruise ship performing.

Jason Pintar: Correct. 

Robyn Bell: All right. So cruise ship performer or cabaret performer, 

Jason Pintar: cabaret performer.

Robyn Bell: Tell me about your cruise ship experience though.

Jason Pintar: So oddly enough, the cruise ship show that I did started at Florida Studio Theatre, that show, yes, it's called Soulmates. It began as the real life story of an Australian boy band called Human Nature. They were discovered by Smokey Robinson who produced their Motown tribute show that they did. In Las Vegas for many, many years. And Soulmates was basically a franchised version of that show. It was reworked to be about I guess it's four guys from Kansas who, met in glee club and fell in love with Motown another, doing the show. They did it at Florida Studio Theatre, but then they created a truncated version of it for cruise ships. And while the show was going on here at Florida Studio Theatre, I was during the cruise ship version oh nine, which was, which was crazy and fun to think about very meta. This was to see the world, got to see the world, primarily the Caribbean, lots of the Caribbean island nations. But we were off the coast of Argentina and Uruguay the end of 2015 into 2016 at new years. So that was, and 

Robyn Bell: You think of that being a luxurious lifestyle, living on a cruise ship and going, when you port into doing some cool stuff, but our jazz band director at the car. Played saxophone on a cruise ship for many years. And our piano teacher also was a music director for a cruise line. And uh, they said, well, you know, you don't really get to stay in the nice balcony suites, this sort of thing. Right.

Jason Pintar: This is true. And I will say that our, show was what's called a guest artist contract versus being a part of the actual cruise ship shows where you're a cast of usually goes like typically four singers and dancers and whatnot. We're four or five different shows and have crew duties as well. We did not do any of that. 

Robyn Bell: Still have to hand out eggs at breakfast. 

Jason Pintar: Thank goodness. Thank goodness. That was not part of the contract. 

Robyn Bell: We had some elevated living quarters. Is that what you're saying? 

Jason Pintar: We were either in, if they had space for us in guest cabins, we were in when the guest cabins, other, other than that, if they did not have the space for us, we were in crew area. So it varied from, cruise, to cruise, depending on what. 

Robyn Bell: People that aren't in the music world are really fascinated though by the life of the cruise musicians. It's it's interesting. And would you ever go back and do a cruise show 

Jason Pintar: potentially. Yeah. Yeah. And it's odd being the vocalist that I am as a lower voice singer. I have found a home several times being a part of a small group of singers, but typically quartets of guys. And that was the case with this show as well. I was the bass in the Soulmates doing that show. So grateful for whenever that comes along. So, 

Robyn Bell: all right, Jason, this is when I asked a lot of people and I'm going to tell you ahead of time. The answer is. Com separated by age. All right. So, and I don't know how old you are, but this is going 

Jason Pintar: to be very interesting. But go 

Robyn Bell: ahead, Hamilton or West Side Story.

She didn't ask me this question and you have to choose, 

Jason Pintar: oh, this is like Sophie's choice. Oh gosh. Oh, oh. Uh, West side story, 

Robyn Bell: you are older than I think are

Jason Pintar: right. And I love Hamilton. Don't get me wrong. I went to opening night of Hamilton. As a matter of fact, actually it was opening late afternoon and went to the opening night party. The Roots performed. I saw a friend of mine that I had worked with previously during intermission. I was like, oh, Heather, are you going to go to the opening night party? Sick? Yeah, I have this thing. And then I'm. And then I come and say, I said, I said, okay, text me when you get there. So she texted me and she said, where are you? And I looked around and I said, I'm out. Past the Roots next to Susan Surandon and I took a screenshot. I took a screenshot of that and like, this is not real life. That is just my life at this moment. This is not real life, just my life. 

Robyn Bell: Very interesting experience during the pandemic in that I was able to interview the concert master for the pit orchestra for Hamilton. 

Jason Pintar: Fantastic. 

Robyn Bell: She and her husband who plays trombone. There's no trombone part in Hamilton, but he plays for like Beetle Juice and they had developed this really cool talk and class. How to get in to the stage door and get a job in the pit orchestra world. And through zoom. They did a whole thing for our music majors and Mandy Gonzalez was in on that for the singers. I mean, it was, it totally rocked. And then afterwards I did a podcast just with the two of them. So and I saw Hamilton live in Chicago, not in New York. And then of course, when. And the film version on Disney, we had to turn the closed captions on, you know, to really get the full effect. But it's a great show. However, West Side Story will be still my heart. All right. Jason flip flops or tennis shoes?

Jason Pintar: Tennis shoes. All right. Yeah, unless I'm on the beach, then flip flops. 

Robyn Bell: There you go. Well, that brings me down to my next question a day at the beach or a day by the. 

Jason Pintar: Okay by the pool. Yeah. So the way it is cleaner, but you know what, I wasn't really a beach person growing up. I'm from the Midwest. Yeah. There's, shoreline in Michigan, the great lakes and whatnot, but not where I grew up specifically. So it's not like going to the beach. Wasn't really a go-to thing for us. But now that I'm here. Oh gosh. Yeah. I'm liking the beach, but yeah. Generally speaking. 

Robyn Bell: Exactly. Yeah. Okay. So you got three choices here, Carol King or Gerry Goffin Leiber or Stoller or Lennon and McCartney. Oh gosh. And you're doing all of these composers in your show. 

Jason Pintar: After having seen beautiful on Broadway. Yeah. Carol King and Gerry Goffin. Yeah. Yeah. 

Robyn Bell: Yeah. We saw Beautiful. We went to a New York City and saw beautiful for the first time. And it's coming here to Van Wezel I'll do this season. So we're going to go back and see it. It's a great show and a great story. And you know, of the six names I gave. The only woman, you know, it speaks to me very, very cool. So great choices. Her music is just fantastic. All right. This is going to be so simple. New York winters or Sarasota winters, 

Jason Pintar: Sarasota winters, hands down 

Robyn Bell: New York does have its own, you know, but let's put on our black jacket and our black boots and bundle up 

Jason Pintar: New York color palette. That is accurate. 

Robyn Bell: That's why I like to go visit there cause I just packed black clothes and I in, I can get into everything. Coffee at sunrise. Or cocktails at sunset. 

Jason Pintar: Oh gosh, you're gonna make me chill. Well, coffee, coffee that sunrise coffee at sunrise. If I have to choose between the two, I'm like life's too short. Enjoy the caffeine, but you don't, you don't need alcohol, but yes, yes. Yeah. 

Robyn Bell: It's hard for us performing musicians, especially in your case because of. Often around for the sunset because we're in a theater and we get out late and we're not up for the sunrise. So you don't have a choice. You're like, Hmm. Bagels at noon. All right. This is your last question. Very specific to Sarasota. Sure. Roundabouts or stoplights.

Jason Pintar: What a question. Cause we have a lot of roundabouts in Michigan now as well. 

Robyn Bell: We've just turned into a roundabout city and it's big, big news.

Jason Pintar: It is big news. I think I prefer stoplights. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's me. 

Robyn Bell: So you can check your messages and emails and still do that in a roundabout. 

Jason Pintar: There's just a comfort of like now we stopped. They're going to go and now we go, we're taking turns. There we go. Because not everyone gets the concept of taking turns in the route you're supposed to give to the people that are in. And then you go and then, 

Robyn Bell: yeah, and we talked with some guests that at stoplights, you can go brain dead. You don't really have to think about things. Okay. Green no-go, but at a roundabout, it's like, you know, you're driving, you know how to drive no big deal. I get to a roundabout and all the sudden my brain goes into. Yeah, things are firing in. They're going okay. Is it my turn? Who do I go? What are they going to do? Well, there's a lot of guesswork. 

Jason Pintar: Yes. And am I in the inner lane or the outer lane? Oh, I wanted to turn the, oh, well, yes, lots, lots of things. Lots of things. 

Robyn Bell: And lots of danger. Well, congratulations, Jason Pintar. You are now officially part of the clubs. So tell our listeners how they can follow you and your career. 

Jason Pintar: Sure. So I am on Facebook. I am on Instagram. I'm at Jason, the sun, like I'm chasing the sun. You don't want the data end, like. I'm on Facebook. I have my on my website, like jasonpintar.com yeah. And you can come see me in the Wanderers at Florida Studio Theatre Cabernet.

Robyn Bell: And what we'll do is we'll put a link to all of your social media and your website in our show notes. So people can go right there to click and follow you. All right. So Jay Jason is singing bass in Florida Studio Theatre's production of the Wanderers showing now through February 6 in FSTs Court Cabaret, you can purchase tickets to this magnificent show by going to Florida Studio Theatre.org or through our Calendar of Events on the Suncoast Culture Club website. Jason, thank you for spending time with us today and telling us all about your life and career. I'm really looking forward to seeing and hearing you in the show. My best to you. 

Jason Pintar: Thank you very much.