Movers & Shakers
Current articles, as well as selections from our archives.
Music & Comedy
Art
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Writers & Books
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Movers & Shakers
Randy Brown
After more than 33 years with the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum, Executive Vice President and General Manager Randy Brown is retiring this fall.
But truth be told, he didn’t really want the job in the first place.
In the summer of 1988, Randy...
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Movers & Shakers
2021 Liddell Award Honoree
For some young people, selling parents on the study of art in college can be a tough row to hoe. Jod... Read More |
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Movers & Shakers
2021 Liddell Award Honoree
As a young child growing up in Indianapolis, a musical future seemed preordained for Derek Reeves.Si... Read More |
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Movers & Shakers
2021 H. Stanley Liddell Award
Whatzup presents the H. Stanley Liddell Award to individuals who have made a uniquely significant co... Read More |
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Movers & Shakers
Great Eight 2020
This third annual installment of the Whatzup Great Eight could very well be called “the very speci... Read More |
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Movers & Shakers
2020 H. Stanley Liddell Award
About five years after Whatzup began publishing, a Special Achievement Award became a semi-regular p... Read More |
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Movers & Shakers
2020 Liddell Award Honoree
Born in Cleveland, Mark Minnick first came to Fort Wayne in 1972 to attend college. Always motivated... Read More |
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Movers & Shakers
2020 Liddell Award Honoree
Leslie Hormann’s first exposure to Fort Wayne Youtheatre came when she was in fourth grade.
“I s... Read More |
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Movers & Shakers
2020 Liddell Award Honoree
What can you do with a degree in English literature? Christopher Guerin, who earned both a bachelorâ... Read More |
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Movers & Shakers
The Great Eight 2019
As Fort Wayne’s reputation as a hotbed of arts organizations and events continues to grow, so do t... Read More |
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Movers & Shakers
Gregg Coyle
Coyle's tenure brings thousands to theater
There is nothing Gregg Coyle enjoys more than welcoming fans to a show at The Clyde Theatre, whether... Read More |
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Movers & Shakers
Todd Espland
Upon his arrival in Fort Wayne last April 29, Todd Espeland, brought in to serve as the new executiv... Read More |
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Movers & Shakers
Gregg Coyle
Seeing a show at The Clyde is all about having fun, but it’s something Gregg Coyle takes very seri... Read More |
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Movers & Shakers
2019 Liddell Award Honoree
It was quiet at the Shriner Lake home of Anita and Doug Driscoll the afternoon I arrived to talk to ... Read More |
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Movers & Shakers
The Great Eight of 2018
Megan Butler
Program & Events Director, Riverfront Fort Wayne
When Megan Butler graduated from N... Read More |
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Movers & Shakers
Charly Butcher
For nearly a decade, Tony Richards Didier shared the microphone with Charly Butcher. Today, Didier i... Read More |
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Movers & Shakers
Brian Wagner
Born and raised in Fort Wayne, Brian Wagner was introduced to theater by his teachers at Paul Hardin... Read More |
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Movers & Shakers
Tom Henry
When Tom Henry won his first mayoral election in 2007, changes were already underway for downtown Fo... Read More |
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Movers & Shakers
Mover and Shaker
Christopher Murphy’s road to the theater is a perfect combination of nature and nurture. He was a ... Read More |
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Movers & Shakers
2018 Liddell Award Honoree
When it comes to being busy this time of year, Santa and his elves have nothing on Gregory Stieber. ... Read More |
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Movers & Shakers
2018 Liddell Award Honoree
The first thing I see when I arrive at Betty Fishman’s condominium off Covington Road is a 5-foot ... Read More |
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Movers & Shakers
2018 Liddell Award Honoree
Marshall White has a thing about relevance. White is the man behind the very successful Voices of Un... Read More |
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Movers & Shakers
Mover and Shaker
When Fort Wayne Taiko hosts Knock on Wood, putting a spotligh on Japanese drumming both locally and ... Read More |
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Movers & Shakers
Mover and Shaker
Growing up in Cleveland, Mark Minnick was in the heart of what many consider to be the birthplace of... Read More |
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Movers & Shakers
Bill Brown
By the time Bill Brown assumed his role as President of Downtown Improvement District (DID) in 2012,... Read More |
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Movers & Shakers
Mover & Shaker
Fort Wayne is fortunate to have several beautiful and historic homes and buildings in all corners of... Read More |
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Movers & Shakers
2017 Liddell Award Honoree
The Guinness World Records website lists Viola Cocran of Slidell, Lousiana as the record holder for ... Read More |
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Movers & Shakers
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When plans were first taking shape for Fort Wayne’s minor league baseball team to move from their ... Read More |
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Movers & Shakers
Mover and Shaker
When Sharon Henderson retired from her position as executive director of all for One productions, sh... Read More |
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Movers & Shakers
Mover and Shaker
Even as a small child in upstate New York, Lauren Nichols, artistic director for all for One product... Read More |
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Movers & Shakers
Mover and Shaker
Although essentially landlocked at their location on Spring Street, the University of St. Francis ha... Read More |
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Movers & Shakers
2016 Liddell Award Honoree
Born in Washington State during World War II, Dorothy Kittaka’s early life was spent at an internm... Read More |
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Movers & Shakers
2016 Liddell Award Honoree
After a background in a ballet, tap and gymnastics, Liz Monnier planned to study ballet in college a... Read More |
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Movers & Shakers
2016 Liddell Award Honoree
When Guy Zimmerman was around five years old, a cousin who was three times his age rode into town on... Read More |
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Movers & Shakers
Mover and Shaker
While many schools continue to provide arts programming in the face of budget restrictions, it has b... Read More |
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Movers & Shakers
Mover and Shaker
When Liz Monnier retired as artistic director at Fort Wayne Dance Collective, it was the end of an e... Read More |
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Movers & Shakers
Mover and Shaker
Matt Kelley has made his presence known in Fort Wayne in a variety of ways. His company, One Lucky... Read More |
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Movers & Shakers
Mover and Shaker
With an eclectic resume which includes private businessman, corporate employee and a stint as Fort W... Read More |
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Movers & Shakers
Mover and Shaker
When I was a young child and my family would come to Fort Wayne to visit relatives, our most anticip... Read More |
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Movers & Shakers
Mover and Shaker
Phillip Colglazier’s life in theater came from a somewhat surprising direction. A gymnast through ... Read More |
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Movers & Shakers
Mover and Shaker
National Record Store Day has become an increasingly serious day of observance of late, growing subs... Read More |
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Movers & Shakers
Mover and Shaker
Many go to college with dreams of glamorous careers, but by the time Peter Kernan had left his home ... Read More |
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Movers & Shakers
Mover and Shaker
Having grown up in a family of musicians, Jonathan Busarow’s path to music education might appear ... Read More |
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Movers & Shakers
Mover and Shaker
When Kelly Updike assumed the role of executive director at Fort Wayne’s Historic Embassy Theatre,... Read More |
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Movers & Shakers
Mover and Shaker
When it comes to education, people have some very definite ideas about what must be possible for tho... Read More |
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Movers & Shakers
Mover and Shaker
Over the last many years, the Foellinger Theatre has been a busy and popular place during the summer... Read More |
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Movers & Shakers
Mover and Shaker
The presence of the Fort Wayne Dance Collective at the Hall Community Center is so ingrained that it... Read More |
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Movers & Shakers
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 Now in his ninth season as executive director of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic, J.L. Nave has overs... Read More |
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Movers & Shakers
Mover and Shaker
Before his arrival in Fort Wayne in 2003, when he assumed the executive director position at the For... Read More |
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Movers & Shakers
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The leadership of Fort Wayne’s many arts organizations is remarkably varied. Some leaders have liv... Read More |
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Movers & Shakers
Mover and Shaker
By the late 1990s Marshall White had already amassed an impressive list of credentials. Raised in th... Read More |
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Movers & Shakers
Mover and Shaker
His journey to managing artistic director at First Presbyterian Theater took a lot of detours along ... Read More |
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Movers & Shakers
Mover and Shaker
Already a natural performer as a kid growing up, Fort Wayne Youtheatre Executive Director Leslie Hor... Read More |
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Movers & Shakers
Mover and Shaker
When Deb Washler became the executive director of Artlink nine years ago, she was stepping into some... Read More |
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Movers & Shakers
Mover and Shaker
In his years as president of Arts United, Jim Sparrow made an indelible mark on the arts culture of ... Read More |
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Movers & Shakers
2013 Liddell Award Honoree
Thirty-five years ago there were record stores everywhere. Beyond the availability at many departmen... Read More |
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Movers & Shakers
2013 Liddell Award Honoree
Julia Meek seems to be a ubiquitous presence in Fort Wayne. Who hasn’t had the experience of heari... Read More |
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Movers & Shakers
2012 Liddell Award Honoree
I defy you to name a nicer person than Harvey Cocks.
It simply can’t be done. A particularly impr... Read More |
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Movers & Shakers
2011 Liddell Award Honoree
Few people in Fort Wayne are as endearing and unassuming as Brad Etter, who has turned his passion f... Read More |
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Movers & Shakers
2010 Liddell Award Honoree
By the time Matt Kelley was awarded the Special Whammy Award in 2010, he was already very familiar t... Read More |
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Movers & Shakers
2009 Liddell Award Honoree
Fort Wayne can brag of several local businesses which have brought the city into the spotlight, prov... Read More |
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Movers & Shakers
2004 Liddell Award Honoree
Born and raised in Fort Wayne, Richard Reprogle knew from an early age that he wanted a career in mu... Read More |
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Movers & Shakers
2002 Liddell Award Honoree
When Fort Wayne’s radio icon Doc West first arrived in Fort Wayne in the summer of 1979, he really... Read More |
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Movers & Shakers
2001 Liddell Award Honoree
When Stan Liddell was presented with the first Special Whammy for his contributions to Fort Wayne’... Read More |