The musical theater actress walked away from Broadway, only to return to the stage as a cabaret singer. Cook was recently featured in a concert version of Follies and stars in a new musical revue.
Alexander Slepak was able to leave the Soviet Union and emigrate to the United States. His parents, both prominent Jewish activists, continue to be denied the right to leave the country.
Jazz critic Francis Davis says John Carter's new album, Dance of the Love Ghosts, is both experimental and structurally sound; each "electrifying" track needs to be heard in its entirety.
Singer Dion, from Dion and the Belmonts, is making a comeback singing Christian songs. He joins Fresh Air's Terry Gross to talk about his early career, growing older, and getting sober.
TV critic David Bianculli says that the variety show is back, this time on cable. The new show Showtime Coast to Coast features a number of well-known celebrities and excellent performances.
Surf guitar legend Dick Dale joins Fresh Air to talk about how he developed his signature style. He's featured in the new Annette Funicello and Frankie Avalon movie Back to the Beach.
Hugh Wilson created the television show WKRP. His much-anticpated, new program, Frank's Place, centers on a restaurant in New Orleans, and features many roles for African American actors.
Scientist and writer James Trefil has a new book about meteorology called Meditations at Sunset. He hopes that a better understanding of the rules of physics will help people appreciate the mysteries of nature.
After appearing in the hit film The Untouchables, Kevin Costner stars in No Way Out, based on the book The Big Clock. The movie also features the excellent Gene Hackman and Sean Young. Film critic Stephen Schiff says it's one of the best political thrillers--if you ignore the ending.
Rock critic Ken Tucker says that Warren Zevon's career owes more to admiring critics than popular success. Regardless, his new album--his first in five years--is worth seeking out.
Dr. Perri Klass writes extensively for magazines and newspapers, and has published a collection of short stories. Her new memoir, A Not Entirely Benign Procedure, details her experiences as a med student at Harvard.
Moms Mabley was a regular performer at Harlem's Apollo Theater, where actress Clarice Taylor saw her perform. Taylor, best known for her role in The Cosby Show, wrote and stars in a new play about the comedian's life.
The Nobel Prize-winning author condensed 600 pages of notes into a slim biography of filmmaker Miguel Littin, who traveled throughout Chile to salvage footage of life under Augusto Pinochet. Book critic John Leonard says LIttin is lucky to be the subject of Garcia Marquez's "magic" writing.
John Peck, who also goes by the names The Mad Peck and Dr. Oldie, now focuses his professional interests on TV. His new book, called Mad Peck studio, anthologizes two decades' of his comics and writing.
Fifty-one-year-old author Avery Corman has a new book called 50. He joins Fresh Air guest host Liane Hansen to talk about the different ways men and women view aging. Corman first rose to prominence with his novel Kramer Versus Kramer.
