Entertainment

Pianist Lys Symonette performs selected works of the late composer. This concert was made possible by The Curtis Institute.

The songwriter, singer and jazz pianist performs his songs for Fresh Air. He talks about his approach to writing, his distinctive vocal style, and how he keeps his arrangements fresh.

Jazz pianist Sam Dockery performs before a live studio audience. In between songs, he tells Fresh Air associate producer Danny Miller about the mechanics of improvisation and the role of the pianist in different contexts.

Italian-American boxer Rocky Graziano fame extends beyond his middleweight career. He appears regularly on television and has a new memoir called Somebody Down Here Likes Me, Too.

Comedian, television host and musician Steve Allen performs his original songs and compositions for Fresh Air. He also talks about his career as the host of his own late-night television program and his new book, Funny People, which pays homage to some of his favorite comedians.

New York City-based cartoonist and illustrator Ed Koren is best known for his work in The New Yorker and The Nation. He talks about how he chronicles many aspects of city living, ranging from daily commutes to street protests.

The musical duo take inspiration from vaudeville, ragtime and classical music. To promote their new album, Get to the Heart, they have a number of performances scheduled in the Philadelphia area. They perform a number of their songs in studio.

Viveca Lindfors made her mark in Swedish films before becoming a noted Hollywood actress in the post-war era. She talks about fate of and attitudes toward fellow actresses from that period.

The accomplished musician is known for singing along with his playing. He demonstrates his unique approach to the instrument, considers the evolving role of the bass in music, and his career in jazz.

Historian Erik Barnouw's new book looks into how the dawn of trick cinema and depictions of magic in films undermined the popularity of live magic shows. He later talks to Terry Gross about the pressure television broadcasters experience from boycotts and sponsors to highlight or remove certain kinds of content.

The Scottish musician performed with the folk band Silly Wizard, which developed a loyal following in Europe and the United States. Now based in rural Pennsylvania, he has embarked on a solo career. He performs some traditional tunes in-studio and previews music from a forthcoming album.

Aboriginal Australian musicians perform some of their traditional songs and talk about music's role in their culture. Two scholars discuss recent efforts to promote and preserve this culture.

Susan Strasberg is an actress and the daughter of Lee Strasberg the director of The Actor's Studio who trained such actors as Paul Newman, Marlon Brando, James Dean, and Marilyn Monroe in what came to be known as "method acting." Susan Strasberg made her acting debut at 17 as Anne Frank in a Broadway production of "The Diary of Anne Frank." Strasberg has recently written her memoirs, "Bittersweet," which discuss growing up in her eccentric family, her love affairs with figures such as Richard Burton and Warren Beatty, and her daughter, who was born with a

Producer, writer, and composer Ralph Allen is one of the writers of the book for "Sugar Babies," the latest hit musical on Broadway. Allen joins the show to discuss musical theater, burlesque, vaudeville, and music.

Folk singer and composer Tom Paxton is known for his work as a musician in the Greenwich Village of the 1960s, where many of his songs became standards at the clubs in the area. His latest album is "The Paxton Report," and is full of topical songs about such subjects as nuclear power and the ERA. Paxton also brings his guitar for an in-studio concert.

Britt Ekland is an actress almost as well known for her private life as her professional. Her new memoir "True Britt" dishes on both, including her relationships with Peter Sellers and Rod Stewart.

Liv Ullmann gained fame as an actress in Ingmar Bergman films. Recently, her work has involved traveling around the world and fundraising as a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF. Bergman has just completed a tour of East Africa. Ullman has also directed a sequence in the film "Acts of Love."

Ronee Blakely is an actress, singer, and pianist. She is best known for her role in the Robert Altman film "Nashville." In the film, her character, a country music star is assassinated. Many have referenced the scene of her death in discussing the murder of John Lennon. Blakely has also worked with Bob Dylan with the Rolling Thunder Review and on the film "Renaldo and Clara." She describes her personal style as "new wave country." She joins the show to discuss her career.

Gene London is known to Philadelphians as the host of the long-running children's program "Cartoon Corners General Store." London is also an expert on animation and the only person authorized to speak on behalf of Disney animation. His current passion is costume collecting and costume design. He focuses particularly on Hollywood costumes which is the focus of a lecture and film series London is hosting at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. He joins the show to share some of the stories related about the film "The Wizard of Oz" at the latest lecture in the series.

Desmond Ryan is the film critic for the Philadelphia Inquirer, Ernie Schier is the film critic for the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin, and Bill Van Wert is Fresh Air's film critic. They join the show to discuss their top ten lists for the best and worst films of 1980.