Up until barely a week before North Carolina Theatre&apos;s "9 to 5" opened--its first large production since pandemic restrictions began in 2020--Eric Woodall, the show&apos;s director and NCT&apos;s Producing Artistic Director, hadn&apos;t even seen the faces of all the cast members, since they were still practicing in masks. The precautions, the long layoff, the "what ifs" of constantly testing waiting for results are all part of getting back to the stage. But they&apos;re balanced by an excitement and enthusiasm to be back to performing before live audiences.Eric has seen the development of Raleigh&apos;s theater scene over 40 years and now has the extremely large but extremely fun task of selecting the shows, picking the cast and putting on the 6 yearly productions for NC Theatre&apos;s season. We talked with him about the larger Raleigh theatre scene, as well as what folks can expect with a return to shows for NCT and what it means to be a professional equity theatre.Please support the businesses who support us: Papa Murphy&apos;s Take N Bake Pizza of Raleigh and Steele Residential.Subscribe to Podcast Raleigh on your favorite podcast sites so you never miss an episode, and if you enjoy it we&apos;d love for you to rate or read a comment:Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/podcast-raleigh/id1458907220Google: https://play.google.com/music/listen?u=0#/ps/Inzk5woxrsjwf3zhd5vv3av4yeiStitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/podcast-raleighSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6b3dVvLJfO0EqvDGQaFTAP

Podcast Raleigh

Eric Woodall, NC Theatre

Kristen Hess didn&apos;t always knew she wanted to work in architecture, but she always knew she should be in charge. Once she discovered an architect is akin to being the conductor of a symphony--bringing out the best of all the various players to create a piece--she knew it was for her. And once she came to Raleigh to study design at N.C. State, she never left.Now she leads a firm that is helping shape what our city and state (and beyond) will look like for generations. The firm she founded and leads, HH Architecture, has worked on numerous projects involving museums, parks, schools, community colleges, government buildings and more, including the upcoming Dueling Dinosaurs exhibit at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences (which you can hear more about in our interview with Dr. Lindsay Zanno!). We specifically discuss three projects she has worked on--the North Carolina Zoo, the State Farmers Market and the N.C. State Fairground--that are quintessential to life in this state.Hess has been a Marshall and Eisenhower Fellow, allowing her to broaden her contacts and knowledge, and she uses those experiences not only in her work, but in giving back to her community. She serves on the Greater Raleigh Chamber Executive Committee, the Governor’s Council on Historically Underutilized Businesses, as well as the Board of Directors for the Girl Scouts of North Carolina Coastal Pines.Please support the businesses who support us: Papa Murphy&apos;s Take N Bake Pizza of Raleigh and Steele Residential.Subscribe to Podcast Raleigh on your favorite podcast sites so you never miss an episode, and if you enjoy it we&apos;d love for you to rate or read a comment:Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/podcast-raleigh/id1458907220Google: https://play.google.com/music/listen?u=0#/ps/Inzk5woxrsjwf3zhd5vv3av4yeiStitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/podcast-raleighSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6b3dVvLJfO0EqvDGQaFTAP

Kristen Hess, HH Architecture

As with any business venture, when deciding how to approach a project developers have to think about whether or not it&apos;s profitable. Gordon Grubb and his team almost always have a second, maybe equally as important issue to ponder: what will their neighbors think? When Grubb left running his family business to start Grubb Ventures in the early 2000s, he did so in part to focus on projects that were close to home. Among the benefits were more time to spend with his family (and whatever handful of professional and philanthropic boards he is serving on at any given time), but it had also helped him develop a reputation as one of the best developers in the Triangle. His area of expertise is the area.We talked to Gordon about projects at Glenwood Place, on Oberlin Road, and the Atlantic/Whitaker Mill area, asked him about the hot topic of affordable housing and even found out what famous Raleighite got him to join the Peloton movement!Please support the businesses who support us: Papa Murphy&apos;s Take N Bake Pizza of Raleigh and Steele Residential.Subscribe to Podcast Raleigh on your favorite podcast sites so you never miss an episode, and if you enjoy it we&apos;d love for you to rate or read a comment:Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/podcast-raleigh/id1458907220Google: https://play.google.com/music/listen?u=0#/ps/Inzk5woxrsjwf3zhd5vv3av4yeiStitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/podcast-raleighSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6b3dVvLJfO0EqvDGQaFTAP

Gordon Grubb, Grubb Ventures

Have you ever constantly walked or driven passed a piece of property and thought, "You know what would be perfect here?" Sarah Shepherd had that same thought and, with the help of her husband Jeff, has turned withering Boylan Heights house Montford Hall into a stunning boutique hotel and event space: Heights House.We talked to Sarah and Jeff about the history of the property, the process of obtaining it and renovating it and what to expect when it starts serving guests in May. Our topics ranged from the trivial, but necessary ("is it haunted?")  to the more serious ("did such a huge joint undertaking strain your relationship?"). Check out their website for room bookings and future events and their instagram page (@heightshousenc) for before, during and after pics of the property!Please support the businesses who support us: Papa Murphy&apos;s Take N Bake Pizza of Raleigh and Steele Residential.Subscribe to Podcast Raleigh on your favorite podcast sites so you never miss an episode, and if you enjoy it we&apos;d love for you to rate or read a comment:Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/podcast-raleigh/id1458907220Google: https://play.google.com/music/listen?u=0#/ps/Inzk5woxrsjwf3zhd5vv3av4yeiStitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/podcast-raleighSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6b3dVvLJfO0EqvDGQaFTAP

Sarah & Jeff Shepherd, Heights House Hotel

When a pivot during college sent him on a track from studying political science to broadcast journalism, Aaron Thomas already had an idea of where the best place to be a TV reporter might be: at WRAL, the local news station he grew up watching. Having now been a reporter at a few other local new stations outside of North Carolina, Thomas now has an even greater appreciation for the Triangle market he gets to cover.We talked to him about the journey to television, where Raleigh ranks as a place to be a news reporter and what a year of covering protests and pandemic events--all while adapting to safety precautions that kept him out of studio and away from photographers--and what the morale is in the news industry these days. We also asked about the best ways to eat thin mints and where social media fits in his work-life balance. Aaron is such a positive, upbeat spirit--it&apos;s hard not to come away from a conversation with him smiling!Please support the businesses who support us: Papa Murphy&apos;s Take N Bake Pizza of Raleigh and Steele Residential.Subscribe to Podcast Raleigh on your favorite podcast sites so you never miss an episode, and if you enjoy it we&apos;d love for you to rate or read a comment:Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/podcast-raleigh/id1458907220Google: https://play.google.com/music/listen?u=0#/ps/Inzk5woxrsjwf3zhd5vv3av4yeiStitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/podcast-raleighSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6b3dVvLJfO0EqvDGQaFTAP

Aaron Thomas, WRAL TV reporter

A podcast about Raleigh. By some people from Raleigh. With guests who inform us about Raleigh stuff.

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