Arts Alive! podcast: Paul Wilborn

If the arts in St. Petersburg had a face, that face would look like Paul Wilborn’s.

The longtime executive director of the Palladium Theater at St. Petersburg College seems to have a hand in everything. Under his guidance, the 850-seat Palladium – built as a Christian Science church in 1925 – has become ground zero for concerts that don’t need a big hall (or can’t afford the rent), but are too large for a teensy one. Jazz, cabaret, blues, dance and even opera have found the Palladium (which includes a big room and a snug café space) the ideal fit, from national acts to local and regional. “We went to these genres,” Wilborn says, “and we found audiences.”

He’s also a talented musician and singer who has his own loyal local following.

Wilborn is a playwright, a screenwriter, a blogger and a former Tampa Bay Times journalist. Oh, and he’s written two books: The Florida Book Awards winner Cigar City, a collection of short stories about 1980s Ybor City, and the zany (and extremely well-received) novel Florida Hustle.

In this wide-ranging conversation, Wilborn discusses it all, including the proposed $7-10 million redesign and expansion of the Palladium “which is, right now, a church with a stage. We want to turn it into a performing arts center for the future.”

Click the arrow below to listen to the interview.