PVD POV

Few people know the Providence Performing Arts Center like Alan Chille. He started there in 1984, when the building needed serious work and the budget was close to nothing. Forty-two years later, he’s PPAC’s president and CEO.
In this episode, Alan walks us through the building’s life as a 1928 Loew’s State movie palace, the threat that nearly turned it into a parking lot, and the push that saved it. He shares how "Phantom of the Opera" forced a major expansion into Pine Street, how the team recreated the original carpet from a small surviving swatch, and why PPAC’s rare Wurlitzer organ is getting a full restoration ahead of the building’s 100th birthday in 2028.
We also get into why touring casts love walkable Providence, the stars who have passed through the green room (and the three who never signed their photo), and what’s coming up this Broadway season.
If you’ve ever looked up at that ceiling between acts and wondered about the story behind it, this one’s for you.

Caroline Payson didn’t grow up going to museums. She was raised in South Boston by deaf parents and was the first in her family to go to college. From there she found her way to the Cooper Hewitt in New York. Today she leads the Providence Children’s Museum, which turns 50 next year.
In this episode, Caroline explains why the museum is built around play and what it means to give kids “ownership” of a place so they’re never intimidated by a museum again. She talks about how roughly 40% of visitors come in free or at a reduced rate, shares her favorite thank-you note from a parent, and walks us through how a new exhibit goes from idea to museum floor.
We also get into insider tips for visiting: why you should never start in Waterways, how fast a membership pays for itself, and the 4:00 trick that lets the museum be the bad guy at closing time. Plus, she previews the museum’s fall events and the return of sock skating.
If you’ve ever had to peel a kid off the doors at closing time, this one’s for you.

Some coffee shops are just coffee shops. Rise 'N Shine Coffee Bar, tucked into Providence's Smith Hill neighborhood, is something closer to a restoration project you can order a latte in.
Owner Neal Kaplan came to Providence decades ago for graduate work at RISD, ended up renting a studio in a Smith Hill carriage house, and never really left — eventually buying that same building and spending years learning what it used to be. He talks with Alana and Nick about tracing the building's history through old phone books, discovering it had once been a shoe repair shop, and building a replica of Providence's original train station shoeshine stand as a nod to that history (and to his own great-grandfather, who was a cobbler).
The conversation covers the building's deeper past too, from its 1858 origins as a horse-and-buggy stable to its stretch as a WWII-era manufacturing site, and how Neal and his staff develop the cafe's menu together. It's a good listen for anyone curious about what's hiding behind an old Providence storefront, and a reason to check out a corner of the city that doesn't always get the attention it deserves.
Be sure to follow Rise N Shine on socials below:@risenshinecoffeebar
risenshineri.com
Show Notes
00:01:51 — Introducing Neal Kaplan and Rise and Shine Coffee in Smith Hill
00:02:12 — Neal's path to Providence: RISD grad school and early art background
00:02:50 — Finding a studio in Smith Hill's old industrial complex in the early 1980s
00:03:44 — Still in the same building 45 years later
00:04:09 — From studio tenant to building owner to contractor
00:05:16 — First considering a cafe — and a feasibility study that said not to
00:06:29 — Building other Providence-area cafes first (Nitro Bar, Coffee Exchange, and more)
00:08:12 — Restoring the carriage house in 2020, timed with the pandemic
00:09:01 — Developing the name, interior concept, and menu
00:09:13 — Where "Rise and Shine" actually comes from
00:09:31 — Researching the building's past through decades-old phone books
00:10:27 — The building's manufacturing and WWII-era history
00:11:00 — Boarded up for 20 years after the highway went through
00:11:29 — Original architectural details preserved inside
00:11:57 — Built in 1858 as a horse-and-buggy stable
00:12:23 — The Christopher Dodge House next door
00:12:23 — The building's cobbler and shoe repair history
00:12:56 — Building a replica of the original train station shoeshine stand
00:14:31 — A favorite corner of the cafe
00:14:42 — How the creative drink menu comes together
00:15:03 — Monthly staff meetings and barista-driven recipe development
00:16:30 — Comparing barista craft to mixology
00:17:31 — Why Smith Hill deserves more attention
00:18:12 — How close the neighborhood really is to downtown
00:19:02 — The outdoor patio

When visitors arrive in Providence, Phyllis Blanchette is often one of the first people to welcome them.
In this episode of PVD POV, GoProvidence Visitor Services Manager Phyllis Blanchette takes us behind the desk at the Providence Visitor Center. She shares how answering a newspaper ad for a volunteer opportunity launched her career in tourism, what brought her back to Rhode Island and why personal recommendations still matter in the age of smartphones.
Phyllis also shares some of her most memorable visitor stories, from helping international soccer fans explore Rhode Island to finding emergency dental care, arranging last-minute transportation to Block Island and meeting a sixth grader whose Rhode Island book report inspired her family’s summer vacation.
Plus, hear how the Visitor Center’s volunteers explore Providence so they can help travelers experience the city like a local.
Listen to PVD POV wherever you get your podcasts.

Providence is a city best experienced by slowing down and noticing the details.
This week on PVD POV, we're joined by writer and editor Elyse Major, editor-in-chief of Hey Rhody Media Co., whose work has also appeared in publications like Yankee Magazine., Providence Monthly, Hey Rhody, and publications throughout New England.
Inspired by her recent feature highlighting the perfect spring weekend in Providence, Elyse shares what continues to draw her to the city after years of writing about Rhode Island. From neighborhood cafés and award-winning restaurants to historic streets, local libraries, Roger Williams Park, and the beauty found around every corner, this conversation explores what makes Providence such a special place to live and visit.
If you've ever wondered why Providence leaves such a lasting impression, this episode is for you.
Check out Elyse on Instagram @elyse.elizabeth.major

The Providence Tattoo Convention returns this August, and we're joined by co-founder Jeff Burt to talk about what makes the event unlike any other in New England.
Jeff shares how the convention came to life, why Providence was the perfect home, the history of tattooing in Rhode Island, and what attendees can expect from this year's event, including world-class artists, live tattooing, entertainment, competitions and more.
Whether you're covered in ink or simply curious about tattoo culture, this episode offers a fascinating look into one of Providence's newest annual events.

Secretary of State Gregg Amore joins PVD POV to talk about Rhode Island 250, the state’s role in America’s founding, and the events happening across Rhode Island to mark the nation’s 250th anniversary.
From rare copies of the Declaration of Independence to Liberty Tree plantings, WaterFire, the Rhode Island Philharmonic, and plans for a future Rhode Island History Center, this episode digs into why Rhode Island’s story is bigger than people think. Spoiler: the Gaspee Affair was not exactly a tea party.
To get more info on what's happening for Rhode Island's 250th celebrations, be sure to visit RhodeIsland250.org

In this episode of PVD POV, we sit down with James Beard–nominated chef Derek Wagner of Nick’s on Broadway.
From starting as a dishwasher at 14 to building one of Providence’s most respected restaurants, Derek shares how he found his path in the kitchen, why he chose to stay in Providence, and how that decision shaped his approach to food.
We also dive into his philosophy on sourcing, cooking with purpose, and what guests can expect from this year’s Vintner’s Dinner at the Providence Culinary Collective.
It’s a conversation about food, community, and creating experiences that bring people together.