
Theater
Fresh Air with Terry Gross
Waterston joined the cast of the original NBC series in 1994 on a one-year contract. He wound up staying 16 years, until the series wrapped in 2010. Now the show's back — and so is he. We talk about working into his 80s, Grace and Frankie, and how the 1984 film The Killing Fields changed his life and career.
Remembering William Hurt, star of 'Broadcast News' and 'The Big Chill'
Hurt, who died March 13, won an Oscar for his performance as a drag queen sharing a prison cell with a political dissident in the 1985 film Kiss of the Spider Woman. Originally broadcast in 2010.
From comedy to drama, 'Gilded Age' co-star Christine Baranski always finds her voice
Baranski started her career in theater and now co-stars in The Gilded Age on HBO. "I was a passionate acting student and nothing was going to stop me," she says. Originally broadcast June 25, 2020.
'Succession' actor Brian Cox can't defend Logan Roy, but he can relate to him
Cox says ruthless business tycoon Logan Roy is one of the most extraordinary roles he's ever played: "He is a misanthrope [who] is very disappointed with the human experiment." We talk with the Scottish actor about the musicality of his voice, why he doesn't practice method acting, and growing up in poverty.
'Fresh Air' remembers Broadway legend Stephen Sondheim (Part 3)
We conclude our tribute to Sondheim by listening to archival interviews with collaborators and performers, including Stephen Colbert, James Lapine, Paul Gemignani and Lin-Manuel Miranda.
'Fresh Air' remembers Broadway legend Stephen Sondheim (Part 2)
We continue our tribute to Sondheim by listening back to a 2010 interview in which he shared the stories behind some of his most famous songs and gave his take on other great lyricists.
'Fresh Air' remembers Broadway legend Stephen Sondheim (Part 1)
Sondheim, who died Nov. 26, was the lyricist and composer who gave us Sweeney Todd, Into the Woods and other shows. In 2010 he spoke about his writing process, from rhyming to finding the right note.
'Original Cast Album: Company' provides a glimpse of Sondheim's perfectionism
In 1970, Stephen Sondheim's comic musical Company broke most of the conventions of American musical theater. Now, a newly restored documentary goes inside the making of the original cast album.
'Fresh Air' celebrates master magician Ricky Jay
The noted sleight-of-hand artist, who died in 2018, was also a scholar of con games and oddities. This week, Sotheby's auctioned off part of Jay's 10,000-item collection. Originally broadcast in 1998.
Billy Porter makes peace with himself: 'I set myself free, honey. No more secrets'
Billy Porter won an Emmy for his starring role on Pose, an FX series set in the underground gay and trans ball culture of the late '80s and '90s. Porter grew up in the Pentecostal church convinced that he would be damned for being gay. It wasn't until he was introduced to the world of theater in sixth grade that he began to imagine a different future.