Terry Gross

The new Broadway adaptation of the film The Graduate is currently in previews and opens in a couple of weeks. It stars Kathleen Turner, Jason Biggs and Alicia Silverstone. We listen back to interviews about the making of the film. Actor Dustin Hoffman got his first big break starring in The Graduate. Some of the films he's starred in include: All The President's Men, Kramer vs. Kramer, Rainman, and Tootsie.

He won an Academy Award for directing The Graduate His other film directing credits include Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, Silkwood, Working Girl, and Primary Colors. Before he became a film director Nichols was known for his popular comedy improvisations with Elaine May.

Writer, actor, and comedian Buck Henry co-wrote the script for the 1967 film. (This interview was held before an audience at the Film Forum in New York City on Feb 13, 1997 during a 30th anniversary presentation of The Graduate.

Singer, songwriter, musician and arranger Barry Manilow made the pop charts over and over again during the 1970s and early 80s with love ballads such as "Mandy," "Looks Like We Made It," "I Write the Songs" and "Copacabana (At the Copa)." Before becoming a singer he was Bette Midler's accompanist and arranger. He's currently on tour and has a new album of material Here at the Mayflower, (his first pop album since the 1980s) and a new anthology of his hits.

Writer and retired New York city firefighter Dennis Smith arrived at the site of the World Trade Center towers on the day of the attacks to volunteer with the rescue effort. His new book Report from Ground Zero (Viking) is composed of first-person testimony of rescuers who were there when the towers were attacked and fell, and who helped in the efforts afterwards. Smith spent 18 years with the fire department. He is the author of nine books, including the bestseller Report from Engine Co. 82 about his years in the city's most dangerous and active firehouse.

Srdja Popovic is one of the founders of the nonviolent student group which helped bring down Serbian dictator Slobodan Milosevic. The group known as Otpor (the Serbian word for "resistance") had a clenched fist as its symbol, but used humor and theater to ridicule Milosevic and other government officials. The new PBS documentary Bringing Down a Dictator tells their story. Popovic is now a member of Parliament.

Journalist James Bennet of the New York Times. Hes been in the Middle East covering how the crisis there is affecting both Israelis and Palestinians.

He just won a Golden Globe for his score for the film, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King and the score has also been nominated for an Academy Award. Shore has over 60 film scores to his credit, including The Fly, Dead Ringers, Naked Lunch, The Silence of the Lambs, Ed Wood and Philadelphia. Shore was also one of the original creators of Saturday Night Live, serving as musical director from 1975 to 1980. His chamber music is featured on the CD Reel Life — The Private Music of Film Composers Vol. 1.

Brooks has made some of the funniest films in movie history, including The Producers, Young Frankenstein, and Blazing Saddles. His film The Producers was turned into the hottest musical now on Broadway. The Producers won 12 Tony Awards in 2001. Brooks won Tony Awards for Best Book (with Thomas Meehan) and Best Score. Now, Brooks is one of the few people who have won a Tony Award, an Academy Award, a Grammy Award and an Emmy Award.

He's currently starring in The Producers, the Broadway hit musical, a role for which he was awarded a Tony for Best Actor. This Sunday, March 17th 2002, will be his last performance. Lane has starred in many productions for stage, screen and television, including revivals of The Man Who Came to Dinner and Guys and Dolls. Playwright Terrance McNally has written roles for Lane and says, "I need an actor like Nathan to fully express myself. I can't do it with just the words.