We remember dancer Gwen Verdon. She died today at the age of 75. She became an overnight Broadway sensation in 1953 as a dancer in Can Can, for which she won her first Tony Award. Later she created her most memorable roles in Bob Fosse's "Damn Yankees" as the seductress Lola, "Sweet Charity" as the taxi dancer Charity, and "Chicago" as the chorus girl Roxie. Verdon was also Fosse's third wife. (ORIGINAL BROADCAST from 5/5/93)
A talk about the Israeli/Palestinian crisis, and the history leading up to it with two journalists: first, Danny Rubinstein (“steen”), columnist and member of the editorial board of the Israeli newspaper Ha’aretz. We talk with a Jordanian journalist in the second half of the show.
Singer Songwriter Dion. He’s just released a new record of doo-wop tunes “Deja Nu” (Collectables 2000). In the late 1950s, Dion and his band the Belmonts topped the chart with several pop hits, earning him the status of “teen idol”. Dion split amicably with the band in 1960 and continued to write Top 10 hits until the British Invasion changed the pop preference. Now, in his 50s, he continues to produce, write and sing new material. He lives in Boca Raton, Florida.
Church leader and gospel singer Reverend Al Green. He’s just published a new biography called “Down by the River” (Harper Entertainment) detailing the trip from R&B stardom to Reverend. Presiding over his own Pentecostal church in Memphis for the last 20 years, Green recently returned to the recording studio to record a set of gospel songs. A popular culture icon, he’s had cameo roles in movies and TV shows. He lives in Memphis, Tenn.
National Correspondent for The New York Times, Nicholas Kristof and Times Foreign Correspondent Sheryl Wudunn. The two won a Pulitzer prize for their coverage of the Tiananmen Square. They’ve collaborated on the new book, “Thunder from the East: Portrait of a Rising Asia” (Knopf)
AIDS researcher Timothy Wright and his brother, criminologist Richard Wright. In 1995, Timothy Wright was in Bolivia conducting AIDS related research. Then during Mardi Gras festivities, Wright was assaulted, robbed, and suffered a severe brain injury. In the years since, his brother, Richard helped Timothy in his recovery. We talk to both brothers about Timothy’s injury and dramatic recovery. The story of Timothy’s recuperation is chronicled in a book written by Helene Wright, Timothy and Richard's mother. Its called Someone Stole Yesterday (Providence House Publishers).
Journalist and novelist George Packer. Packer grew up in a family with a very strong liberal tradition; his grandfather was a populist congressman from Alabama in the early part of the century. His father was a Jewish Kennedy-era liberal who was a professor at Stanford. His new book, the Blood of the Liberals (Farrar, Straus and Giroux), is a memoir about his family’s liberalism and Packer’s own coming to terms with it. He looks at the history of liberalism in America, and the clashes it caused in his own family.
Jazz guitarist Russell Malone. The 35-year-old self-taught guitarist is widely acknowledged as one of the most versatile and complete jazz guitarists of his generation. Malone has played with a diverse group of artists including vocalist/pianist Diana Krall, Harry Connick Jr., Clarence Carter, Little Anthony and Bucky Pizzarelli. He also fronts his own band. His new CD is called Look Who’s Here (Verve).
Novelist Stephen King. Last year, the prolific and popular horror writer experienced something that could have come out of one of his books: he was struck by a car while walking along a rural road in Maine and nearly killed. Six operations and a long recovery followed. Five weeks after the accident King started writing again, and published over the internet only, the novella, “The Plant.” His new book is “On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft” (Scribner).
Film director Joel Schumacher. His films include “St. Elmo’s Fire,” “The Client,” “A Time to Kill,” and “Batman Forever.” Schumacher’s new film is “Tigerland” about a group of army recruits in training who are about to be shipped off to Vietnam. The film was made on a low budget in 28 days, on sixteen millimeter film and mostly with hand-held cameras. In making the film Schumacher was inspired by the Dogma 95 movement by Danish film director Lars von Trier. The movement rejects Hollywood artifice, abandoning the use of elaborate lighting, special effects and music.
Hip Hop Artists De La Soul. Formed in 1985, De La Soul released their latest record “Art Official Intelligence” (Tommy Boy) this August. Dubbed “the hippies of hip hop”, De La Soul continue to pen songs without gangsta rap influence, focusing instead on the use of samples, jazz vamps, and wordplay. Consisting of Posdnuos, Trugouy the Dove, and Pasemaster Mace, the male trio began recording at the same time as Queen Latifah, Monie Love, and A Tribe Called Quest. De La Soul hails from Long Island, New York.
