Exploring the social, cultural, and economic forces shaping life in Tucson’s urban core.
On the air since October 2017 with over 350 episodes and counting.
Catch us Sundays on Downtown Radio 99.1 FM, stream on your favorite podcast platform, or watch full episodes on our website. LifeAlongTheStreetcar.org
Ballet Tucson at 40 — Margaret Mullin’s Journey from Student to Artistic Director
Before Margaret Mullin led Ballet Tucson, she helped clean its studios as a work-scholarship student. Today, she guides the organization where she trained—a full-circle Tucson story rooted in opportunity, determination, and a lifelong love of dance.
In Episode 399 of Life Along the Streetcar, Tom Heath sits down with Ballet Tucson’s Artistic Director as the company celebrates its 40th anniversary. Margaret shares her path from growing up and studying ballet in Tucson to a professional career with Pacific Northwest Ballet in Seattle, and explains why she returned home to help create opportunities for others.
The conversation also challenges familiar assumptions about ballet. Margaret explains why audiences should look beyond The Nutcracker, how she balances beloved classics with new choreography, and why you don’t need to understand every movement to find something meaningful in a performance. Her invitation to newcomers is simple: expect the unexpected.
Behind the performances is an equally important story about people. We explore the supportive company culture that helps attract dancers from Tucson and across the country, the care involved in curating an evening for audiences, and the company’s connections to downtown venues including the Temple of Music and Art and Linda Ronstadt Music Hall. For Margaret, celebrating 40 years means honoring Ballet Tucson’s history while continuing to explore what it can become.
Learn more about Ballet Tucson and its performances at BalletTucson.org.
Life Along the Streetcar explores the people, places, and stories shaping Tucson’s urban core—from Sentinel Peak to the University of Arizona. Listen Sundays at 11 AM on Downtown Radio Tucson, 99.1 FM, streaming at DowntownRadio.org.
Find more conversations in audio and video at LifeAlongTheStreetcar.org.
28 Sept 2026
A Gorgeous Excitement - Tucson Art with Chris Leighton and Paul Gold
Artists help bring downtowns to life. How do we make sure they can afford to stay?
WAMO Executive Director Chris Leighton and curator Paul Gold join Tom Heath to explore the spaces, people, and partnerships supporting Tucson’s arts community—and preview A Gorgeous Excitement
2026 at Steinfeld Gallery.
Chris shares the thinking behind the Warehouse Arts Management Organization’s mission to keep art space affordable downtown, the historic buildings it serves, and the challenges of protecting room for creativity as the city changes. Paul explains how his work as an art advocate and collector led to curating an exhibition featuring 23 artists and 58 pieces.
We talk about what goes into bringing those works together, why seeing art in person matters, and how exhibition sales help support both artists and WAMO’s work. There’s also a suspended dragon involved.
A Gorgeous Excitement 2026
October 3–November 14, 2026
Opening reception: Saturday, October 3, 4–8 PM
Steinfeld Gallery, 101 W. 6th St., Tucson
Admission is free.
Learn more about WAMO and upcoming exhibitions:
WAMOTucson.org
Connect with Paul Gold, including inquiries about private exhibition tours:
PaulGoldBooks.com
Life Along the Streetcar explores the social, cultural, and economic forces shaping Tucson’s urban core, from Sentinel Peak to the University of Arizona. Listen Sundays at 11 AM on Downtown Radio Tucson, 99.1 FM, or stream at DowntownRadio.org.
Find more conversations, audio, and video at LifeAlongTheStreetcar.org.
When businesses were leaving downtown Tucson, Kathy and Fiore Iannacone were moving in.
Beginning in the early 1980s, the couple brought their New York roots, Italian cooking, and entrepreneurial spirit to a downtown still searching for its next chapter. In this episode of Life Along the Streetcar, they join Tom Heath to share the stories behind restaurants including Old Pueblo Eatery, Cafe Renaissance, Enoteca, and Urban Fresh—and why they kept believing in downtown even when their ideas arrived ahead of the crowds.
Fiore recalls the bicycle ride and smell of pizza that unexpectedly launched his restaurant career. Kathy shares her commitment to homemade food and the personal journey that led her to create Urban Fresh as a place for plant-based meals and nutrition education.
Their impact extended beyond the kitchen. We explore their efforts to bring downtown businesses together, make sidewalk advertising more workable, and create spaces where food, music, art, and community could meet.
It’s a conversation about taking chances, building connections, and helping shape the downtown Tucson we know today.
Life Along the Streetcar explores the social, cultural, and economic forces shaping Tucson’s urban core—from Sentinel Peak (“A” Mountain) to the University of Arizona and all stops in between.
Listen Sundays at 11:00 AM on Downtown Radio Tucson, 99.1 FM, or stream at https://DowntownRadio.org.
Find more conversations, including audio and video episodes, at https://LifeAlongTheStreetcar.org.
Who has been a guest on Life Along The Streetcar
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Jannie Cox
Anne Miskey
Jenny Grabel
Dr Becky Senf
Stephen Paul
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
1 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
2 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 42 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
57
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
68
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