LIVE FROM JACKSONVILLE! with Amadeus

Local Legends & Upcoming Events: Rick Springfield, NFL Alumni, and Florida Theater's 90s Ball

Eden Kendall and Amadeus

Ready for an insider's tour of Jacksonville's hottest summer events? We've got exclusive conversations with the legends and leaders making it all happen!

Rick Springfield joins us to chat about his return to St. Augustine Amphitheater on May 29th for the "I Want My 80s" tour. The rock legend shares stories about his friendship with fellow performers John Waite, Paul Young, and Wang Chung - all delivering full sets of their greatest hits. Springfield promises a "pedal-to-the-metal" performance that will thrill longtime fans and newcomers alike. He even reveals the fascinating connection between his album "Tao" and Paul Young's bassist who now performs with The Who and David Gilmour.

The Florida Theater's president Numa Saisselin takes us behind the scenes of their spectacular annual fundraiser happening May 17th. This isn't your typical charity event - they're building a floor over the entire seating area to create an immersive 90s party featuring Jacksonville's own Quad City DJs (of "Space Jam" fame) performing live! Numa reveals how the theater has invested $17 million in renovations with another $15 million planned, while providing over $100,000 in free tickets to veterans and arts education for 25,000+ schoolchildren annually.

Looking for an incredible opportunity for your athletic kids? Former Roar of the Jaguars Director Robin Valetutto shares details about the NFL Alumni Youth Football and Cheer Clinic happening June 14th. Children can learn from 14 former NFL players (including Big John Henderson and Quinn Gray) and 16+ former Jaguars cheerleaders. This clinic welcomes boys and girls of all skill levels, whether they're interested in traditional football, flag football, or cheerleading/dance.

Want to know what's happening in Jacksonville's entertainment scene this summer? We've packed this episode with announcements about upcoming shows at Daily's Place, Florida Theater, VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, and the Alhambra Dinner Theater. Join us for this celebration of Jacksonville's vibrant cultural landscape!

Speaker 1:

Welcome to another episode of Live from Jacksonville. I'm your host, Amadeus On this episode. Oh my gosh, I'm so excited. I'll be talking with Rick Springfield about his show coming to the St Augustine Amphitheater. Plus, there's a youth football and cheer clinic event coming to Jacksonville where kids can train with the pros. It's Saturday, June 14th, hosted by the NFL Alumni Jacksonville Chapter and NFL Alumni cheerleaders. We have former Roar of the Jaguar director, Robin Valitutto, to tell us all about the Train with the Pros event. If you or someone you know has kids into football or cheer, you do not want to miss it. And we'll hear from the Florida Theater's president, Numa Saecelin, about their big 90s-style ball Just announced.

Speaker 1:

Rob Thomas is coming to Daily's Place on Saturday August 2nd. Tickets for that show go on sale on Friday May 9th. Coming up June 2nd. Sticks with Kevin Cronin from REO Speedwagon and Don Felder. They'll be at Daily's Place Dailysplacecom for tickets. Coming up. At ViStar Veterans Memorial Arena, Forrest Frank will be there on Friday May 16th. Greg Gutfield from Fox News will be here on Sunday May 18th and at the Alhambra Dinner Theater, my Fair Lady kicks off on Thursday May 15th. It's a six-week run AlhambraJaxcom for details and tickets. The Florida Theater has Matt Kearney coming on tuesday, may 13th. Brit floyd's wish you were here. 50th anniversary world tour is tuesday, may 20th, and frankie valley in the four seasons, may 5th at the florida theater floridatheatercom. For all that information. Joining me right now is numa sesla, the president of the florida theater, to talk about their big fundraising event.

Speaker 2:

We have a big fundraiser every year the Florida Theater Ball. This is the 11th edition of the ball. We started in 2013. We missed a year during COVID. We had a virtual wall during COVID, so this is the 11th in-person Florida Theater Ball. We build the stage from the proscenium arch all the way to the back of the auditorium, so we cover the seats with a brand new floor and then we set up dinner for 225 people.

Speaker 1:

The first time I heard about this I couldn't imagine going there and the seats being covered, Like I couldn't mentally grasp it.

Speaker 2:

There is a great fast action YouTube video on the Florida Theater's YouTube page.

Speaker 3:

Oh cool.

Speaker 2:

Where we ran a camera for three days so you can see a fast forward video of the entire setup. I got to watch that. It's super fun. So we set up this floor, we serve dinner for 225 people, there's cocktail hour, dinner, a live auction, and then we have dancing, a dance party, a dance party on the stage. This year our theme is the 1990s, so part one of the dance party is Quad City DJs my God, not a tribute band the actual Quad City DJs, who are from Jacksonville and had hits in the 90s, including the Space Jam theme and Ride the Train.

Speaker 1:

I didn't know they were from Jacksonville, or did I? Yeah, they're from Jacksonville. Yeah, that's right. Yeah, Because I was working at WAPE in those days and we were playing that.

Speaker 2:

So we've got an actual Jacksonville hitmaker coming to do a 45-minute set and the second. They're done. The Bold City Band starts and we have Motown and Greatest Hits of the 90s for the rest of the evening.

Speaker 1:

That's awesome. I've only been to one of the balls and that was the 80s ball. Yeah, I think we may have talked about this when you were here before. I went to see Hanson in Tulsa with an orchestra and flew back the next day for the 80s ball. That's dedication. Hey, I love it, I love it, I love it and I love 80s music. I can top that story.

Speaker 2:

Okay, there's one year, our ball artist was Chris Bodie, the trumpeter, and they flew overnight from Seoul, south Korea, to do our gig. What Were they exhausted? They still talk about it.

Speaker 2:

See they're dedicated to the Florida theater as well their tour manager told us a few years ago. They have gone from asking themselves can we do that to? Should we do that? And the soul to Jacksonville Plane Ride is the poster child for that. So the ball benefits the theater, which is a nonprofit organization.

Speaker 2:

Lots of people ask me you know you charge for tickets. I pay for my concert tickets. Why do you need to do a fundraiser? And the answer to that is we could operate the Florida Theater as a rock and roll club. For sure we could just book a bunch of heavy metal bands and hip hop artists and sell a lot of beer and that would be financially viable. But that would not be the special Florida Theater that we know.

Speaker 2:

That money that we raise from the ball and from memberships that we sell, that helps to support all of the community-focused things that we do Like. We give away over $100,000 worth of tickets every year to veterans groups. 25,000 to 30,000 schoolchildren a year get on buses and come to the Florida theater for arts education performances. A good chunk of those are free tickets for Title I schools. Proceeds from the ball help to support that. Wow. There are a number of other non-profit arts organizations in Jacksonville that use the Florida Theater. Florida Ballet is one of them. Jacksonville Dance Theater is one of them. Theater Jacksonville is one of them, and we're able to do that because of support we receive from the proceeds of the ball in part, and of course, we preserve the theater, and that's you know.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, the recent renovations just threw the roof.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, the tapestries, like everything. I'm glad to hear it, because that's $17 million of work. Whoa what $17 million $17 million million of work. Whoa what, 17 million. 17 million, I had no idea. And there's another 15 to go. Wow. So this year, next year, we're taking down an abandoned chimney, building a new green room, building a new dressing room.

Speaker 1:

That's about $3 million, and then there's about $12 million of work after that over the next five years. I did not know that it was that much.

Speaker 2:

Yeah Well, but it looks beautiful. These things are not cheap, but think about it. Brand new seats, brand new lighting system, brand new sound system. We took out the entire heating, ventilation, air conditioning system and put a brand new one in. We moved the building's electric vault from the first floor to the third floor. We built a new VIP room Wow. We modernized all the bathrooms.

Speaker 1:

The new VIP room at the front of the building overlooking Forsyth Amazing. We had an 80s party in there before the Totally Awesome show. Or no, abducted by the 80s.

Speaker 2:

It's been very well received.

Speaker 2:

The members love it. It has been a great tool to sell more memberships and raise money, so it was a worthwhile investment for us and I was telling you before we began recording last year was our busiest year ever. I'm sorry, not the busiest year ever. The third busiest year ever, busiest year since 2007. And this year is already on track to surpass that. That's amazing, congratulations. People love what we're doing, which is gratifying, and they're coming out and seeing great shows. And if someone out there loves the Florida theater and wants to do a little extra to support us, coming to the ball is the best way to do it. It's a very fun night. We have constructed it as the anti-fundraiser. He's not stuffy. About half the people will show up in fancy gowns and suit and tie and a few tuxedos, but about the other half of the people are going to show up in wild 90s costumes.

Speaker 1:

Which is what I would do when I came to 80s, when I was in Converse and the wake me up before you go go t-shirt Like I was full costume.

Speaker 2:

And we embrace that, we love that about our fundraiser.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, it's a lot of fun.

Speaker 2:

So the information is at floridatheatercom and, as of right now, as we're talking, we have 14 tickets left. That's it. That's it, 14 tickets left.

Speaker 1:

We're gonna sell it out? Okay, so by the time this actually runs, which will probably be in a few days, it may be sold out, could? Be, if it is, but are there reserve tickets later?

Speaker 2:

so here's the thing, and I tell people this all the time it is always worth a phone call to the theater. People come up to me all the time and say I wanted to see america, but they were sold out. And I think, no, they were not sold out. I would have happily driven to your house with tickets.

Speaker 1:

You know that happened with I believe it was Matt Matthews was sold out and then I interviewed Matt for you guys and then I got off the call with him, went straight to my desk because I was so excited after chatting with him and literally like four seats had opened up. I don't know if somebody had resold them or how that works, but I was able to buy tickets.

Speaker 2:

So first of all, it's rare that every single seat sells. That happens maybe once, maybe twice a year that every single seat is sold. There's almost always something and even if it looks like it's sold out, it's worth a phone call, especially on show day, because that's when stuff happens. If we're sold out and someone calls up and says I have to go to a funeral, we'll buy their tickets back because we know we can resell them. Right, you know, maybe the artist gives up some of their guest list tickets, maybe someone who was planning to review it returns their media tickets. You know show days when things happen. So it's always worth a phone call to us in the afternoon and don't go on the website because you might misunderstand what's happening there. It's always worth a phone call. We're at 355-ARTS 355-2787. And you're talking to someone who is in our building, not in a phone room three states away, right, or another country. Yeah, you're talking to someone who works for us, who's right there on the corner of Forsyth and Noonan.

Speaker 1:

By the way, your staff, especially the ticketing office, just top notch. Thank you, I love everyone there.

Speaker 2:

Thank you. Our director of ticketing, Bethany, has really built a great team.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, the ticketing department, they're amazing.

Speaker 2:

We do our own ticketing. You know we use a platform online, but we're in charge of all of it. So when you're buying, you're buying directly from us. All right, let's give the date one more time for the ball Saturday May 17,. As a 1990s theme.

Speaker 1:

And there's probably 14 or less tickets left. So get to floridatheatercom to get all the information and to purchase your tickets.

Speaker 2:

Yep, thank you.

Speaker 1:

Numa, thank you for coming in again. Hopefully we'll talk to you again in a few months. Numa and I actually had a much longer conversation about some of the shows that have recently played at the Florida Theater, as well as some that are coming this summer. I will add that to another podcast coming up soon, but for time constraints I wasn't able to add it today. But I am super excited to be chatting with Rick Springfield. I have been a fan of this guy since the general hospital days, the early days of the 80s, and now he's coming back to the St Augustine Amphitheater. Here's a little bit of my conversation with Rick Springfield. Hey, before we get started talking about the tour, I've got something that I've wanted to tell you for 37 years. Oh, I was in my early 20s working at a record store when Rock of Life came out and that became such a very important album to me on a personal level and I've wanted to say thank you for that album ever since then.

Speaker 3:

Oh, thanks, I really appreciate that.

Speaker 1:

The lyrics, the songs, everything about it. Just to this day, I can hear that album and remember everything that was going on in my life. They're little time capsules, aren't they? They really really are. And speaking of that, can we talk about your Big Hits album real quick.

Speaker 3:

Sure, hang on, the guitar's fading back. It's like the last 20 years of music. You know the best of the last 20 years. There's some stuff on there that's never been released. There's a lot of fan favorites. There's a song with Sammy Hagar called Party at the Beach Bar. That's actually really fun, and there's even a re-recording of Jessie's Girl Nice.

Speaker 1:

Oh, very nice. I didn't know I was going to get a little mini concert today. Mini, very mini, you and Sammy go way back too.

Speaker 3:

Yes, we do. I had a hit with I've Done Everything For you, which first of all pissed him off because he hadn't had a hit with it, but then when it started being successful, he was real excited and I think it was the biggest song he'd had at the time. And we became friends there, you know, and he actually really helped me kind of getting on the road and we, you know, we kind of followed each other through the years and during COVID he called me up and said do you want to become partners in a rum company? And it was Beach Bar Rum and we've been partners for quite a few years on that it's amazing.

Speaker 1:

I also love watching your friendship with Richard Marks.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, richard's a lot of fun. We have occasionally like last year anyway, we did a lot of shows together, acoustic shows. It's a very different show to my band show. My band show is very full-on pedal-to-the-metal kind of thing, but the thing with Richard is very laid-back and humorous and we talk to the audience a lot. It's a very different kind of show but it's a lot of fun for both of us.

Speaker 1:

Do you think we'll ever see a co-headline in Richard Marks' Rick Springfield full band tour?

Speaker 3:

I don't know. We've got this one for the summer coming up. That's pretty great. I mean it's not out of the question. But we've got our own lives kind of going on as everybody does.

Speaker 1:

And you kind of hook up when you can and when you don't, you go out with somebody else. Speaking of which, let's talk about the I Want my 80s Tour. It's coming to the St Augustine Amphitheater on Thursday, May 29th, and this is an amazing lineup.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, actually St Augustine. We always start in St Augustine. It's a lucky place. I love it. I spent a very wet weekend there one time and fell in love with the city, you know, and I I love history. So the fact that there's so much history there has always uh, intrigued me. It's uh me, john waite, who's a good friend, paul young, who is also a good friend, after the last tour, and wang chung, and uh, john cafferty too, I think, is coming out on some dates. I'm not sure if he's uh, if he's going to be there, as in augustine, but uh, the rest of us will be. It's a great show. It's wall-to-wall hits with some real. I was a fan of all these guys in the 80s. I had their albums on my. What was it? What did we have back then? An iPod, or I don't even remember. I think it was just cassette players. Yeah, just cassette players.

Speaker 1:

I would listen to at the St Augustine Amphitheater twice, and both times just phenomenal shows.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, I have a great band, I have an incredible band, and bands come out to see us and for this, particular tour, all of the artists are doing full sets.

Speaker 1:

Is that right?

Speaker 3:

Correct. Yeah, yeah, they're all their hits. I think even John Wade is going to do some Baby's songs, I think, which I'm really excited about. Oh, that's cool, but they've all got great hits. I mean, I love Wang Chung's albums. I loved the very first one. Actually, it was my favorite album and Paul Young had his first album. I actually brought his bass player out to record an album I did called Tao. That was in 1985, or Tao, depending on which state you're from and Pino Palladino was his bass player on Every Time you Go Away, that one, yeah. And so I brought him out and had him play on my album and now you know they ended up playing with the who and everybody he's like with David Gilmour and he's like one of the top bass players now.

Speaker 1:

Wow, that's pretty amazing. Well, we are all looking forward to this show Again. It's Thursday, may 29th at the Amp in St Augustine. Rick, I have been a fan since the Noah Drake days. It is such a thrill and an honor to speak with you.

Speaker 3:

Thank you very much.

Speaker 1:

If you happen to play Rock of Life in St Augustine, just know there'll be one guy out there rocking his ass off.

Speaker 3:

We'll be playing part of it. I think it's in a medley we do.

Speaker 1:

Awesome, I cannot wait. There you go. Thank you, my own little personal concert, rick Springfield. Thank you so much for your time today. Again, I'm honored and it's been a privilege.

Speaker 3:

Thanks, man, I'll see you there.

Speaker 1:

Okay, if I'm being perfectly honest, that was a really cool experience for me. I've been a Rick Springfield fan since day one, so that was awesome. As I mentioned earlier, there's a great event coming to Jacksonville a youth football and cheer clinic hosted by the NFL Alumni Jacksonville Chapter and NFL Alumni Cheerleaders. We have Robin Valitudo with us, who was the original director of the Roar of the Jaguars, to tell us all about it.

Speaker 5:

Yes, I am so excited about this. Being back in Jacksonville, which is my home again now, getting very involved with our NFL Alumni Jacksonville Chapter, which, as you know, is a 501c3 nonprofit dedicated to providing programs that positively impact kids and families. It is time for our annual summer football and cheerleading clinic. So, as parents are deciding which enriching program is theirs is best for their kids, definitely put this one on the calendar. It's Saturday, June 14th, from 8 am to 12 pm. We are so blessed to have the amazing facilities over at Duval Charter School at Bay Meadows they just put in a new turf field last year and the use of their indoor gymnasium facilities for the cheerleading portion.

Speaker 1:

This sounds like a great event for anyone who's interested in either, you know, on-field or sideline cheering. Is there a website for all the information?

Speaker 5:

Absolutely Go to slash nfla 2025 and amadeus. This is two-part camp. One side is football and, believe it or not, we've got girls that register for the football side. And then there's also the cheerleading side, which a lot of it is dance. As you know, nfl is more dance than college or high school cheer.

Speaker 1:

Right.

Speaker 5:

The one thing that is so awesome about this is it is taught by all former NFL pros pro players, coaches, cheerleaders and we've got the amazing elite trainer assistants from B3 Better Sports Performance Training. So this year we have already 14 former NFL players and coaches committed to volunteer, and on the cheer side we have 16-plus former Jaguars cheerleaders. It's amazing.

Speaker 1:

Drop some names for us, we don't mind.

Speaker 5:

Okay, so Coach Ingram, two-time Super Bowl winning running backs coach. He was our first running backs coach for the Jaguars and his two rings are with the Giants and he brings the hardware out, guys.

Speaker 4:

Nice.

Speaker 5:

Great opportunity for photo ops and parents. We want you to come out and stay with us too, so you get to enjoy all this hoopla with the kids. James Stewart, mike Hollis he is phenomenal at teaching kicking skills to kids. James Stewart, mike Hollis he is phenomenal at teaching kicking skills to kids and, for kids who've never done it before, to those who are really progressing to their next levels in their sport. He's amazing. Quinn Gray is with us this year. You can't get better than a quarterback to coach the quarterback position for the kids. Nigel Eldridge, cleo Lemon. Oh, big John Henderson is going to be out there leading the D-line skill.

Speaker 4:

Oh my gosh, that's fantastic.

Speaker 5:

You guys could come in and pretend you're 18, you know, and just join in. Slip on in, guys.

Speaker 4:

I think this sounds like such a great opportunity for young people to have an opportunity to create a mentorship from someone who's been there, someone who's done it and wants you to be at least as successful as they were, whether it's playing ball or in the world of cheer and that's why we say it is open for all skill levels, boys and girls alike, because we know like on the football side, flag football is growing like crazy here on the First Coast.

Speaker 5:

So everything you're going to learn at this clinic speed, agility and position, the skills of different positions it's absolutely appropriate for excelling in flag football if that's your sport of activity.

Speaker 4:

If I'm not mistaken, flag football is going to be an Olympic sport.

Speaker 5:

Oh wow, Very soon.

Speaker 4:

So that is again a great opportunity builder for young people that have that athletic inclination.

Speaker 5:

It is. I mean, this is so much more than just a sports clinic. You guys, in our chapter, our NFL alumni focus is dedicated to creating transformative experiences where kids are going to build confidence, sharpen their skills at the same time and just create unforgettable memories with us, the real pros. So it's definitely unique and again, parents you're deciding between A, b or C will put us down as number one. And not only is it a unique experience, but it's so affordable. It's only $50 per child and they get so much out of it.

Speaker 1:

Robin, how long were you with the Jaguars?

Speaker 5:

So I was with the Jaguars from their inaugural year in 95 through February of 2004. So nine seasons in just under 10 years. And then, as you know, one of our cheerleaders, who ended up becoming my coordinator and is now the cheerleading director for 20 years now, christy Stegman-Zinda. So there have only been two of us for Jacksonville.

Speaker 1:

That's amazing. Yeah, and back in the day when you were the director, I had the pleasure of being one of the judges for the Roar for a number of years, until I got kicked out.

Speaker 5:

I don't remember that.

Speaker 1:

We'll remind you that off the radio. But it was always such a pleasure working with you and with the Roar and with the organization in general and I can just tell you and everyone listening from the experience I had with you and the team like it's always just like top notch.

Speaker 5:

Oh, that's so wonderful to hear, especially all these years later. Can you believe it? 30 years, 30 years of just being a part of our community and enriching our kids and our families, and now we get to continue to do that, amadeus, even in retirement from those glory days. The glory days continue on this summer. I'm circling back, guys. You see what I just did.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, we did Nice work. It's one of the things we love most about the Jaguar organization in our town because I know you're originally from Texas.

Speaker 5:

Right, well, I'm originally from New Jersey, but I grew up in Texas, yes, and then I went to college at University of Kansas and I fell into the NFL out there and ended up cheering four years for the Kansas City Chiefs, which ultimately that led to the opportunity to interview with the Jacksonville Jaguars, and I am so grateful to Ann Carroll Wayne and Dolores Weaver Roddy White, the team that chose me to come in and help build the first decade of the roar.

Speaker 1:

And it was your time at the Jaguars that made you fall in love with Jacksonville and want to make this your home, and that's been the case with so many players as well.

Speaker 5:

Oh, absolutely, and not just me. Half of my family has migrated out here too. As you know my sister, kim Valitita Burgess she was one of our cheerleaders too. She moved from Texas to Jacksonville, auditioned and cheered for four years, and now she's married and raising her daughter, who's a phenomenal, all-star cheerleader. So shout out to Infinity they're going to Worlds this weekend.

Speaker 1:

Wow.

Speaker 5:

And then my parents moved out here too, so we love Jacksonville. I'm so grateful that it is our home. Now I've launched a new business out here, helping people with pain management and getting so involved with our NFL alumni brothers and sisters. It's just wonderful that we all still have such fervent hearts to make an impact in our community, and we love doing it through your kids.

Speaker 1:

Jacksonville has always been an amazing town. It's why I made this my hometown. It's why Steve Sutton made this his hometown, and we love that you made it your hometown as well and you're giving back to the community as well.

Speaker 5:

Well, thanks, guys. And we can't forget your former counterpart, Eden Kendall, who, if you remember, we had such a phenomenal promotion with her one year after we came back from Germany and ended up having Eden do a whole day or week in the life of Jaguars cheerleaders, and she became one.

Speaker 4:

Yeah, she was awesome. Yeah, she was awesome. Yeah, she was fantastic.

Speaker 5:

I know we were trying to recruit her permanently, just coming across some of those pictures with last year when we were working on the whole reunion activities. It was just great memories with you guys since 1995, and so grateful to have this relationship continuing on. And you guys, you know that a lot of this stuff, none of it's possible without support, right? And so, if okay with you guys, I just want to do a shout-out to a few companies that really are making this happen for these kids each summer not just this summer, but each summer. And for these kids each summer, not just this summer, but each summer. American Legion of Mandarin, post 372,. The Morehouse family. Dr Roberta Garcia of Contora, mvp and Vice Star Credit Union.

Speaker 1:

We're so thankful to them. I feel like a kid who is now in his elder years, sitting on the porch with some old friends, rocking and having great memories.

Speaker 5:

Isn't this awesome? Well, I want to personally, on behalf of our NFL alumni chapter of Jacksonville, personally invite you guys to come out with us If you don't have anything else going on on Saturday June 14th. Come out, be our celebrity co-coaches, if you want, or just come out and create some excitement with us.

Speaker 1:

Robin, give that website one more time for all the information.

Speaker 5:

Givebuttercom forward slash NFLA 2025. Saturday, june 14th, 8 to 12 pm. Spots are filling fast. Register your kid today, go to givebuttercom slash nfla2025 and to secure your child's spot and let them be inspired, let them shine and let them train like a pro with us. We cannot wait to see them on June 14th.

Speaker 1:

Robin, thank you so much. That was amazing. Awesome to hear from you too.

Speaker 5:

I feel like we're back in 1995. I know.

Speaker 4:

I feel like kids again. I certainly don't look that way, but yeah, I get you.

Speaker 1:

By the way, that other voice you're hearing is Steve Sutton, my radio brother for the last oh, 30 years or so. As you can tell from the conversation with Robin, we've all known each other for a very, very long time. Thanks for listening to this episode. I'll be back soon with another to let you know what's happening live from Jacksonville.