Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
This week on Arizona Illustrated, Baby G is the son of University of Arizona baseball player Chaz McNelis and an internet sensation; burlesque performers create a community and reclaim their bodies, on stage; get under the seams of costume design with some of Tucson top artisans; the native hop bush is a great replacement for poisonous oleander and get to know AZPM’s Classical Music Director, James Reel.
Baseball Baby
Baseball student-athlete Chaz McNelis’ life took an unexpected turn when he found out he is going to be a father at the age of 19. Instead of quitting his studies and beloved sport, he embraced the challenges of fatherhood, and is now raising his son, Baby G, alongside with the U of A’s entire baseball team.
Burlesque - REVEAL
Through dance, costume, and music, three women perform in burlesque shows as a way to reclaim their bodies and be confident within themselves once again. With the help of Lola’s workshops, they’re creating a tight knit community of performers who support and celebrate one another.
Under the Seams – The Art of Costume Design
Costume design lives at the intersection of imagination, passion and material reality–where character, history, and emotion are translated into fabric, texture, and form. In conversations with translated into fabric, texture, and form. In conversations with Maryann Trombino of Invisible Theater, Renée Cloutier of the Gaslight Theater and Old Tucson along with University of Arizona professors Rick Tuckett and Patric Holt, a shared philosophy emerges: costumes are not mere adornments but narrative instruments. Trombino and Cloutier, who navigate both design and production, emphasized the collaborative urgency of theater-making–how each garment must respond not only to the script but to the bodies, movements, and constraints of live performance. Their work reveals costume as a living element, evolving through rehearsal and interaction rather than remaining fixed as a static design.
Costume production is a deeply technical and pedagogical process—one that merges craftsmanship with mentorship. Rick Tuckett, Associate Professor and Costume Director at the University of Arizona’s School of Theatre, Film & Television, brings a production-centered lens to this artistry. Tuckett highlights the importance of precision, from pattern-making to fabric selection, but also the necessity of adaptability. Patrick Holt, also an Associate Professor at the same school speaks to the subtle language of clothing—the way a hemline, color palette, or worn texture can reveal a character’s psychology, status, or transformation. Holt’s approach bridges conceptual design with industry practice, encouraging students to think both as artists and professionals.
Together, these perspectives illuminate costume work as a dynamic continuum: from the initial spark of an idea, through the rigor of production, to the final moment when fabric meets performance and becomes inseparable from the story itself.
Desert Plants – Hop Bush
The Hop Bush or Hopseed bush (Dodonaea viscosa ) is a native, thornless evergreen shrub that is recommended by landscaping experts for the Sonoran Desert. It serves as a good option / replacement for non-native, poisonous oleanders, and it is also beneficial for wildlife such as insects and birds.
Speaking Personally – James Reel
Fans of classical music in Southern Arizona are no strangers to James Reel’s voice, but we get to know him on a deeper level in this episode. From humble beginnings in Yuma, Arizona, Reel has become an important figure in Tucson’s artistic community, leading multiple organizations such as Arizona Friends of Chamber Music, Tucson Pops and the Southern Arizona Symphony Orchestra over years. In conversation with Tom McNamara, Reel discusses developing his own passions without much guidance, the evolution of Tucson’s cultural offerings, and why he thinks more people should listen to classical music.
This week on Arizona Illustrated, Baby G is the son of University of Arizona baseball player Chaz McNelis and an internet sensation; burlesque performers create a community and reclaim their bodies, on stage; get under the seams of costume design with some of Tucson top artisans; the native hop bush is a great replacement for poisonous oleander and get to know AZPM’s Classical Music Director, James Reel.
Baseball Baby
Baseball student-athlete Chaz McNelis’ life took an unexpected turn when he found out he is going to be a father at the age of 19. Instead of quitting his studies and beloved sport, he embraced the challenges of fatherhood, and is now raising his son, Baby G, alongside with the U of A’s entire baseball team.
Burlesque - REVEAL
Through dance, costume, and music, three women perform in burlesque shows as a way to reclaim their bodies and be confident within themselves once again. With the help of Lola’s workshops, they’re creating a tight knit community of performers who support and celebrate one another.
Under the Seams – The Art of Costume Design
Costume design lives at the intersection of imagination, passion and material reality–where character, history, and emotion are translated into fabric, texture, and form. In conversations with translated into fabric, texture, and form. In conversations with Maryann Trombino of Invisible Theater, Renée Cloutier of the Gaslight Theater and Old Tucson along with University of Arizona professors Rick Tuckett and Patric Holt, a shared philosophy emerges: costumes are not mere adornments but narrative instruments. Trombino and Cloutier, who navigate both design and production, emphasized the collaborative urgency of theater-making–how each garment must respond not only to the script but to the bodies, movements, and constraints of live performance. Their work reveals costume as a living element, evolving through rehearsal and interaction rather than remaining fixed as a static design.
Costume production is a deeply technical and pedagogical process—one that merges craftsmanship with mentorship. Rick Tuckett, Associate Professor and Costume Director at the University of Arizona’s School of Theatre, Film & Television, brings a production-centered lens to this artistry. Tuckett highlights the importance of precision, from pattern-making to fabric selection, but also the necessity of adaptability. Patrick Holt, also an Associate Professor at the same school speaks to the subtle language of clothing—the way a hemline, color palette, or worn texture can reveal a character’s psychology, status, or transformation. Holt’s approach bridges conceptual design with industry practice, encouraging students to think both as artists and professionals.
Together, these perspectives illuminate costume work as a dynamic continuum: from the initial spark of an idea, through the rigor of production, to the final moment when fabric meets performance and becomes inseparable from the story itself.
Desert Plants – Hop Bush
The Hop Bush or Hopseed bush (Dodonaea viscosa ) is a native, thornless evergreen shrub that is recommended by landscaping experts for the Sonoran Desert. It serves as a good option / replacement for non-native, poisonous oleanders, and it is also beneficial for wildlife such as insects and birds.
Speaking Personally – James Reel
Fans of classical music in Southern Arizona are no strangers to James Reel’s voice, but we get to know him on a deeper level in this episode. From humble beginnings in Yuma, Arizona, Reel has become an important figure in Tucson’s artistic community, leading multiple organizations such as Arizona Friends of Chamber Music, Tucson Pops and the Southern Arizona Symphony Orchestra over years. In conversation with Tom McNamara, Reel discusses developing his own passions without much guidance, the evolution of Tucson’s cultural offerings, and why he thinks more people should listen to classical music.
