63 stories by "Terry Gross"
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.
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 r…
Twyla Moves, a documentary by PBS American Masters, tells the story of the legendary choreographer, who got her start performing on subway platforms in the 1960s. Originally broadcast April …
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 broadcas…
Fourteen years after his initial diagnosis, the Pose actor revealed publicly that he is HIV-positive. Porter says being open about his health status felt like a rebirth. His new memoir is Un…
Platt frequently worries about the past and what's to come, but there's one place where his anxiety tends to subside. "Being on stage, for me, is kind of the antidote to that," he says.
James Lapine worked with Stephen Sondheim on Sunday in the Park with George, Into the Woods and Passion. In Putting it Together, he draws on interviews with Sondheim and members of the cast …
D'Amboise, who died May 2, began dancing at 7 and joined the New York City Ballet at 15. He later founded the National Dance Institute, which teaches dance to children. Originally broadcast …
Twyla Moves, a new documentary by PBS American Masters, tells the story of the legendary choreographer, who got her start performing on subway platforms and rooftops in the 1960s.
Luker, who died of ALS Dec. 23, received Tony nominations for her performances in Showboat, The Music Man and Mary Poppins. She spoke to Fresh Air in 1999, 2000, 2013 and 2020.
Champion, who died Oct. 21, danced with her husband Gower in the movie musicals Till the Clouds Roll By, Showboat and Lovely to Look At. Originally broadcast in 2001.
As a teen, Heidi Schreck debated the Constitution in competitions. A film of her Broadway play, What the Constitution Means to Me, is now available on Amazon Prime. Originally broadcast Marc…
Married Broadway stars Danny Burstein and Rebecca Luker both contracted COVID in the spring. Burstein was hospitalized. Luker's case was less severe, but it came soon after she was diagnosed…
A film of the original Broadway production of Hamilton, taped in 2016, begins streaming on Disney+ on Friday. Miranda, who stars in the title role, says the production is as timely as ever.
At the height of his fame, Martin shifted his focus from stand-up to acting and writing. He called his memoir, Born Standing Up, a biography of "someone I used to know." Originally broadcas…
Sondheim, who turned 90 on March 22, composed the music and lyrics for Sweeney Todd, Into the Woods, Company and other shows. He spoke about his career in musical theater in this 2010 interv…
McNally, who died March 24 due to complications related to COVID-19, won Tony awards for Love! Valour! Compassion!, Kiss of the Spider Woman, Ragtime and Master Class. Originally broadcast J…
This week, we're listening back to some favorite Fresh Air interviews from the past decade. Rivers, who died in 2014, spoke to Terry Gross in 2010 about the sacrifices she made as a female c…
This week, we're listening back to some favorite Fresh Air interviews from the past decade. Terry Gross spoke to Miranda in 2017 about how his "mixed tape" musical came together.
This week, we're listening back to some favorite Fresh Air interviews from the past decade. In 2011, Terry Gross spoke to the creators of South Park about their Broadway hit.
Ten years ago, Costanzo had surgery that threatened to destroy his singing voice. Now the countertenor is starring as a gender-fluid Egyptian pharaoh in a new production by the Metropolitan …
"I always considered song parody kind of cheap," the Emmy-nominated lyricist and performer says. "But ... I've gotten [such a] response from others ... that I'm appreciating it as an art for…
A new, Yiddish language production of the musical is currently running off-Broadway. Steven Skybell, who plays Tevye, and Joel Grey, who directs the show, explain why the play still resonat…
Jo Sullivan Loesser, who died April 28, married Frank Loesser after starring in his Broadway show, The Most Happy Fella. After Frank died in 1969, she helped preserve his legacy.
The 82-year-old British actor is currently playing Shakespeare's famed tragic figure on Broadway. "Doors have opened for women that were firmly locked many decades ago," she says.
