MEET OUR SPONSORS
Bob Levinson and Zelda Luxenberg
Bob and Zelda shared some of their best theatre memories, from the first show
they ever saw to the shows they starred in.
Q: What was the first show you ever saw? Or your first Broadway show?
Zelda: Actually I think the most exciting thing that I ever saw on Broadway was Oklahoma!—and it was fantastic. I was in high school.
Bob: The very first Broadway show I ever saw was Small Hotel while I was attending high school, and although I had never seen a Broadway show before, I kind of liked it.
Q: Did you ever see a Big Band show, if so, what band?
Zelda: Oh yes. When I was in high school I went to Pittsburgh to see Tommy Dorsey, featuring Frank Sinatra. I stood in the lines that went around the theatre to see it. I was one of the “bobby socks girls.”
Bob: I saw the Glenn Miller Orchestra in Cincinnati and it was quite exciting. When we were in high school, we went to see big bands. I later met Frank Sinatra’s son when I was the chairman of the Florida Philharmonic Orchestra. He came to town, so I had dinner party for him.
Q: Were you ever in a production? In school, maybe?
Zelda:I had the lead role in our high school play The Women by Clare Booth Luce, whose husband was president of Time Life. It was ironic, really, to have such a sophisticated play presented by sophomores who were pretty immature, but we did it anyway. I surely didn’t understand one word that I was talking about. It was about women just coming to New York, always back biting—and it was so far removed from my life, but they said “take the lead,” so fine with me.
Bob: I was in high school during the beginning of World War II, and back then there was a show called This is the Army that was traveling around the country. The whole show was all music. I don’t remember why, but in each city they picked a high school student to say a couple of words. So I went up on the stage and said, “This is Bob Levinson. I go to Walnut Hills High School in Cincinnati and I love this show.” I was on stage with the whole cast and I was beside myself. Later, when I held sales meetings in my manufacturing business, I organized them like you would a show. I gave our sales people a script to practice, and whenever we had a new product, we unveiled it in show business style.
Q: What kind of a show would you like to see?
Zelda:It depends on where I am. In Canada—Shakespeare. In New York, drama, musical theatre. How thrilling!
Bob:Both of us would answer that we like musicals. Zelda likes drama more than I do, but we both like shows in any form.
Q: What is your favorite movie, song and television show?
Zelda: I like movies that give me the most fun—like the ones where Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire would dance. I must have been 10 years old when I first saw that and I loved it. When I left the theatre I probably tap danced all the way home. When you’re a kid and you see these people floating around in beautiful dresses dancing with Fred Astaire, it’s wonderful.
Bob:(continuing on Zelda’s comment) And she does the same thing he does backwards. And in heels!
Zelda:My favorite song is from the play, One Touch of Venus called “Speak Low.” I think that song is so meaningful.
Bob:I feel very patriotic when I hear the “Star Spangled Banner,” but I really don’t have any particular favorite song.
Zelda:For TV, I loved The Mary Tyler Moore Show. You would hear the music begin in the background and it was fabulous. That was the whole beginning of women’s lib and living alone. There she was, on television, dealing with men and their prejudices. I thought it was such a good show. I like almost all the shows, because I think if you’re a busy, active person, television takes your mind completely off things and you can go into the TV story. It’s relaxing.
Bob: Milton Beryl was the leader in the beginning of television, although I think Johnny Carson, of all the people on TV, probably had the best show. He was terrific.
Q: How many years have you been in Boca?
Zelda:I’ve been coming down from Ellwood City, Pa., for probably 25 years but I have been here full time since 1991.
Bob:I’d come down from Cincinnati since 1969, but I didn’t move full time until 1984.
Q: Who influenced you—a teacher, your mother, father?
Zelda:In every other vein, it would be my parents, but my brother was a huge driving force. He was seven years older and set a great example for me—and I’ve told him that. He took me to the library to get my first library card and helped me learn to read.
Bob: Okay, if I shake it all out, I had a lot of major influences, but as a small child probably my mother. She was a genius psychologist without a degree. When I was very young and had a lemonade stand, she charged me for the ingredients and started me out in my business career learning how to make a profit. My dad and my brother who was 12 years older than me convinced me to go to college and were my partners in business. They were the major influences as I went into my adult life. My dad was an athlete and engineer and a smart guy—he was a people person. Every Christmas, nobody knew it but my father would go to the local Catholic orphanage and sit in a chair, shake hands with every child and give each one of them a $1 bill. That just shows you his character. It didn’t matter that we didn’t celebrate Christmas. He did it for the children.
Additional comments?
Bob: I think that bringing Jan McArt to Lynn University was very smart of Don Ross, because her influence has brought an arts dimension to the university that is very important, as did the conservatory. The Live at Lynn theatre series and the conservatory helped change the environment and atmosphere and feeling about Lynn University. Jan has done a very fine job, which is evidenced by the fact that we now have students majoring in drama. I think Jan has been influential in changing the attitude about Lynn University in a way. I think our academics have grown tremendously because of Jan and Jon[Robertson]. I don’t put words in other people’s mouths, but an older guy and his son said they go to performances by Jan McArt and that it’s marvelous, and then they said the school is terrific. I translate that into the school is great.
Zelda: That closes it out beautifully. You speak on behalf of the whole school—Jan’s program has been fantastic. People are coming to Lynn University, where before they didn’t even know what Lynn was.
Bob: At Harbor’s Edge, we probably have 40-50 residents who attend Jan’s programs and love it. What that says about Lynn, and I think our students will agree, is that the theatre arts are a major influence on our university. There were great math, science and aviation programs already available, but the arts program added a much needed dimension to our school that we never had before.