Vince Giordano: The Fresh Air Interview
Giordano has been obsessed with 1920s jazz since he first heard it on his grandparents' Victrola. His band the Nighthawks performs the music heard on the HBO series Boardwalk Empire.
Arts
Guilford Technical Community College Brings "Our Town" to Triad
Our Town, by American playwright Thornton Wilder turned 75 earlier this year.
At Guantanamo, 'Sketching' Defendants, Witnesses And KSM's Nose
Janet Hamlin was the only courtroom sketch artist allowed at the Guantanamo Bay military tribunals in 2006. Her work has been collected in a new book, Sketching Guantanamo — and she tells NPR's Renee Montagne that getting Khalid Sheikh Mohammed's nose right ended up being a challenge.
Pulitzer Prize-Winning "Street Scene" to be Performed by UNCSA
Street Scene by Elmer Rice won the 20th century playwright a Pulitzer Prize for drama. Its authentic portrayal of daily life as experienced by the colorful residents of a gritty New York neighborhood in 1928 endures to this day, and it's coming to the Triad compliments of the UNC School of the Arts. Street Scene opens Wednesday night, November 6th at 7:30 PM at Catawba Theatre, Performance Place on the UNCSA campus. The play is co-directed by UNCSA faculty Matt Bulluck, and Dean of Drama Carl Forsman who spoke with David Ford about it.
Teddy Roosevelt's 'Bully Pulpit' Isn't The Platform It Once Was
Roosevelt described the power of the presidency to shape public opinion as "the bully pulpit." That's also the title of a new book from presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, in which she explains the unique relationships Roosevelt forged with reporters.
From Sulking To Sanctions, A Street-Level View Of Life In Iran
Journalist Hooman Majd's new book, The Ministry of Guidance Invites You to Not Stay, was inspired by the year he and his young American family spent in Tehran, where Majd was born. He tells Fresh Air about the country's long-standing tradition of sulking, and what sets Tehran apart from most other Islamic metropolises.
Twin City Stage Presents Monty Python's Spamalot
Twin City Stage presents Monty Python's Spamalot with music by John Du Prez and books and lyrics by Eric Idle. The zany musical mixes Monty Python mania with the King Arthur legend and the best of Broadway and it opens Friday night, November 8th at the Arts Council Theatre. It'll run through the 24th with evening performances at 8 PM and Sunday matinees at 2 PM. Tickets are $22 bucks with discounts for seniors and students. Twin City Stage director Gene Johnson reminds us what made the Pythons so great.
With Fading Memory, Terry Pratchett Revisits 'Carpet People'
At the age of 59, the British science-fiction writer was diagnosed with a form of Alzheimer's. Now he's publishing an edited version of a book he first wrote when he was 17. He can't read because of his disease, but Pratchett continues writing — with the help of dictation software.
This 'Time,' Supernatural Love Story Falls Flat
About Time, written and directed by Richard Curtis (Love Actually), follows a young man looking for love — with a little help from time-travel. NPR's Bob Mondello says that in this instance, time travel and romantic comedy don't necessarily blend well together.
Matthew McConaughey, Fiercely Committed To This 'Club'
Dallas Buyers Club tells the true story of Ron Woodroof (Matthew McConaughey), a Texas man whose '80s AIDS diagnosis drives him to fight for access to the drugs he believes can save him. Jennifer Garner and Jared Leto also star. (Recommended)