{"id":9278,"date":"2026-10-24T06:13:42","date_gmt":"2026-10-24T06:13:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/connorbogart.com\/?p=9278"},"modified":"2026-10-24T06:29:47","modified_gmt":"2026-10-24T06:29:47","slug":"neil-zaza-and-connor-bogart-obrien-bring-one-dark-night-to-nprs-shuffle-podcast","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/connorbogart.com\/?p=9278","title":{"rendered":"Neil Zaza and Connor Bogart O\u2019Brien Bring \u201cOne Dark Night\u201d to NPR\u2019s Shuffle Podcast"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n

Guitarist Neil Zaza and vocalist Connor Bogart O\u2019Brien sat down with NPR\u2019s Shuffle<\/em> at Ideastream Public Media\u2019s studios in Cleveland for an in-depth conversation about their careers, their long friendship, and the Halloween rock spectacle they have built together, One Dark Night: A Rock Symphony of the Macabre<\/strong>. The interview arrives just ahead of the production\u2019s hometown performance at Akron\u2019s Goodyear Theater on Friday, October 23.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Hosted by Amanda Rabinowitz for Ideastream Public Media\u2019s Shuffle<\/em> series, the wide-ranging conversation, now available as a nearly 26-minute episode, traces both artists\u2019 musical roots before turning to the concert that has become a seasonal calling card for Northeast Ohio.<\/p>\n\n

\n
\n \"O'Brien,<\/a>\n
At Ideastream Public Media\u2019s Cleveland studios during the recording of the Shuffle<\/em> interview.<\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n
\n \"Shuffle<\/a>\n
The official Shuffle<\/em> graphic for the episode.<\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n

Two Careers, One Stage<\/h3>\n

Zaza, a Stow resident, left classical guitar studies at the University of Akron for a life in rock. After fronting the 1980s band ZAZA, he built an international career as an instrumental guitarist, recording with members of Journey, Peter Frampton\u2019s band and keyboardist Jordan Rudess. His song \u201cI\u2019m Alright\u201d has found a worldwide audience of fellow guitarists, and this fall it anchors a guitar competition leading to a concert in Shanghai.<\/p>\n

O\u2019Brien began on violin at age five, played in Northeast Ohio youth orchestras and moved into singing as a teenager, later studying opera at the Eastman School of Music. An early recording, \u201cInside Out,\u201d became a No. 1 hit in France. He has since toured with Mariah Carey, Huey Lewis and the News, Hall & Oates, Rick Springfield and Richard Marx, and has spent sixteen years headlining aboard cruise ships.<\/p>\n\n

How \u201cOne Dark Night\u201d Came Together<\/h3>\n

The production traces back to a performance of Saint-Sa\u00ebns\u2019 Danse Macabre<\/em> with the Akron Symphony, where Zaza heard how well a rock guitar could sit inside a full orchestra. Working with Akron Symphony violinist and arranger David Kempers, he turned the idea into a Halloween concert that debuted in 2018, guided by a single question: \u201cWhat would the soundtrack of Halloween sound like?\u201d<\/p>\n

Early versions leaned on rock arrangements of classical works, but audiences responded most to songs they already knew, so the program grew into a full rock show. A recommendation from Akron Civic Theatre programmer Val Renner led Zaza to O\u2019Brien, and a few clips of O\u2019Brien tackling Aerosmith\u2019s \u201cDream On\u201d convinced the guitarist he had found his frontman.<\/p>\n\n

A Theatrical Halloween Spectacle<\/h3>\n

Today the production re-imagines rock favorites through a darker lens. Material ranges from The Beatles\u2019 \u201cHelter Skelter\u201d and The Rolling Stones\u2019 \u201cSympathy for the Devil\u201d to David Bowie\u2019s \u201cFame\u201d and Alice in Chains\u2019 \u201cMan in the Box,\u201d while The Police\u2019s \u201cEvery Breath You Take\u201d is recast as the menacing song it always was. O\u2019Brien plays a devilish ringleader, including an entrance in a custom coffin, with dancers, aerialists, video and lighting building a full theatrical experience. Zaza has described the aim as a Halloween counterpart to the holiday spectacle of Trans-Siberian Orchestra, with a symphony-orchestra version also in development for the future.<\/p>\n\n

Hometown Night in Akron<\/h3>\n
\n

Neil Zaza: One Dark Night<\/strong>
A Rock Symphony of the Macabre<\/em><\/p>\n

Friday, October 23, 2026 \u2022 7:30 p.m.
\n Goodyear Theater, 1201 E. Market St., Akron, Ohio
\n Tickets and show details<\/a>  |  OneDarkNight.live<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The touring band features Zaza on guitar alongside guitarist Marc Bovee, violinist Scott Young, keyboardist Mike Schirch, drummer Adam Hradisky and bassist Brandon Covey, with vocalist Casandra Carson joining O\u2019Brien. The production recently made an October 17 stop in Springfield, Missouri, before returning to Akron.<\/p>\n\n

Listen to the Interview<\/h3>\n

The full Shuffle<\/em> conversation, with Zaza and O\u2019Brien\u2019s story told in their own words, is available from Ideastream Public Media at ideastream.org<\/a>, and on podcast platforms wherever Shuffle<\/em> is available.<\/p>\n\n

Watch and Listen<\/h3>\n

The 2026 teaser<\/strong><\/p>\n

View this post on Instagram<\/a>

A post shared by One Dark Night (@onedarknightshow)<\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n