Theresa Caputo ('Long Island Medium') on third trip to Fox Theatre January 31

I spoke with her this morning:

Q: This is the third trip to the Fox for you. Why do you keep coming back?

Caputo: I love the Fox Theatre. For what I do, it doesn't matter where I am. But it's a beautiful theater. It has so much charm. That southern charm!

Q: I read you were considering moving to Florida from Long Island in the winter months after shooting an episode down there.

Caputo: We thought about it. We liked it a lot. We're just not ready to leave family, even for a couple of months out of the year. It's hard enough doing these tours.

Q: How did the celebrity special go for you?

Caputo: It's the first time we've had a celebrity episode. It was a special. I'm not going to do it often. It's just something a little bit different. Celebrities lose loved ones too. I feel everyone deserves to get that connection. The hardest reading was Susan Lucci. I was super nervous. I grew up watching her. Every one of the celebrities had great energy and beautiful families.

Q: Any other episodes coming up with interesting themes?

Caputo: This Sunday, we're dedicating one to fallen heroes. The producers don't tell me ahead of time who I'm meeting. I kept dealing with people who lost their husbands who were police officers or in war. Then I found out what was going on. It was beautiful to give back to veterans, people who serve our country and serve every day and put their lives on the line. That was tough. But they're all tough!

Q: Does the type of death impact how spirits communicate with you, whether it's an accident or a long illness?

Caputo: No. It ultimately depends how strong the energy is. It depends how often that person is receiving energy. If someone is not getting information, I can't go anywhere. I can't keep the energy flowing. Some souls are easier to communicate with. If they were shy in the physical world, I just kind of have to pull a little more. If a spirit isn't providing information, I move on to another soul.

Q: Do you ever deal with spirits who are lost or stuck?

Caputo: I personally have not had that experience. I believe there are certain mediums that work with souls that are quote, unquote 'stuck.' I work differently... When I put my gifts in God's hands, I only want to channel in God's white light and be able to deliver a healing message. If a spirit has nothing nice to say, they don't say anything or use my physical body.

Q: So are there instances where you can't reach a spirit a client is seeking?

Caputo: I have seen souls with lower energy, who I can't hear. I know they're there. I can't communicate with them. This may mean they're still learning lessons. It doesn't mean they're burning in hell. I don't even know if there is a hell. I only talk about what I experience.

Q: Can people really feel closure in these situations?

Caputo: Closure is a hard word. Do you ever get full closure when a loved one dies? Coming to a medium, you'll walk away feeling different. Even if you come to the Fox Theatre and I don't channel someone you lost, you'll come away feeling positive and blessed that others got to hear from loved ones.

Q: Can you hear spirits in the back row of the theater as easily as those closer to the front?

Caputo: I'll come off the stage. I walk through the theater. I go where the spirits guide me. We have cameras which follow me everywhere and people can see it on the screen. Everyone says it's like watching the TV show live.

Q: And I always have to ask. How's the hair? [She goes to a salon less than a half mile from where my parents live in Woodbury!]

Caputo: It's just a little longer. It will be poufy as long as the humidity isn't bad!

TV PREVIEW

"Long Island Medium" 9 p.m. Sundays, TLC

CONCERT PREVIEW

Theresa Caputo Live

7 p.m., Sunday, January 31

$39.75-$89.75 before fees

The Fabulous Fox Theatre

660 Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta