Fresh Air from WHYY

Douglas, Damon Illuminate HBO's 'Candelabra'

Thu, 23 May 2013 13:49:00 -0400

Steven Soderbergh's latest film is a showbiz story about Vegas icon Liberace and his secret lover — played, respectively, by Michael Douglas and Matt Damon, both terrific in their roles. It premieres Sunday on HBO.

Fictional 'Mothers' Reveal Facts Of A Painful Adoption Process

Wed, 22 May 2013 13:08:00 -0400

After years trying to conceive, novelist Jennifer Gilmore and her husband decided to adopt. What they thought would be a relatively simple process was instead a long and painful one. In her latest novel, Gilmore channels these autobiographical experiences into fiction.

Daft Punk: Accessing Electronic Music's Humanity

Wed, 22 May 2013 11:14:00 -0400

Random Access Memories finds the French duo changing its music-making process in an effort to make its songs sound more human. To that end, Daft Punk enlists guest stars such as Pharrell Williams and Nile Rodgers.

Soderbergh's Liberace, 'Behind The Candelabra'

Tue, 21 May 2013 12:42:00 -0400

In his new HBO film, the acclaimed director examines the five-year relationship between the flamboyant entertainer and Scott Thorson, who was 40 years Liberace's junior and still a teenager when they met. Michael Douglas plays Liberace and Matt Damon plays Thorson.

Mel Brooks: 'I'm An EGOT; I Don't Need Any More'

Mon, 20 May 2013 13:40:00 -0400

The screenwriter, producer, director and actor, whose name has become synonymous with American comedy, talks about his penchant for spoofs and his decades-long friendship with Carl Reiner. Brooks, who is among a handful of people who've won Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony awards, is the subject of a new documentary on PBS.

Sarah Vaughan: A New Box Set Revels In Glorious Imperfections

Mon, 20 May 2013 12:58:00 -0400

Divine: The Jazz Albums, 1954-1958 packs four CDs with Vaughan's music, recorded live or in the studio with bands big and small. Two live albums from Chicago nightclubs are standouts, partly when a performance threatens to slide off the rails.

Fresh Air Weekend: Gerwig, Baumbach, Dawes And Polley

Sat, 18 May 2013 13:10:00 -0400

In Frances Ha, a 27-year-old (Greta Gerwig) navigates New York City — and the transition from prolonged adolescence to proper adulthood. Gerwig and director Noah Baumbach co-wrote the script. Dawes has a new album, Stories Don't End. In a documentary, Sarah Polley turns the camera on her own family.

Jerry Lee Lewis: Live, Singing As If Life Depended On It

Fri, 17 May 2013 13:27:00 -0400

In 1958, Lewis suffered a precipitous decline in popularity when people learned that his new wife was not only 13, but also his cousin. Nobody would touch his records. Then, in 1963, he signed a deal with Smash and it looked like things were getting better.

Bill Hader On Sketch Comedy, Classic Hollywood

Fri, 17 May 2013 12:37:00 -0400

This weekend will be Hader's final romp on Saturday Night Live. He joined the cast in 2005 and has been nominated for an Emmy for his character Stefon, an obsessive clubgoer. Hader talks about not understanding how people do standup and about watching old films, which sparked his interest in Hollywood.

The Tricky Business Of Retirement: Hidden 401(K) Fees

Thu, 16 May 2013 14:04:10 -0400

You could end up with a lot less savings at 65 than you ever anticipated because of fees charged by the financial institutions managing your retirement accounts. Robert Hiltonsmith, who researches retirement security, says those fees were disclosed to 401(k) plan participants until only recently.

100 Years Of Woody Herman: The Early Bloomer Who Kept Blooming

Thu, 16 May 2013 12:46:00 -0400

In a career that ran from the 1930s into the 1980s, and included work in big bands and rock 'n' roll, the clarinetist, saxophonist and bandleader changed to reflect the times. Herman would have turned 100 on May 16.

'Into Darkness,' Boldly And With A Few Twists

Thu, 16 May 2013 12:16:00 -0400

The 12th film based on Gene Roddenberry's '60s sci-fi TV show is the second to star a new group of actors as Kirk, Spock and their crew. J.J. Abrams returns as director, and Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch plays the memorable villain.

A Polley Family Secret, Deftly Pieced Together

Wed, 15 May 2013 13:08:00 -0400

In a striking documentary, Sarah Polley turns the camera on her own family. The director and actor, known for films such as Away from Her and The Sweet Hereafter, was teased growing up about not looking like her actor father. At 27, she discovered that it wasn't a joke.

Coming To 'Americanah': Two Tales Of Immigrant Experience

Wed, 15 May 2013 13:08:00 -0400

The new book from Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is a knockout of a novel about immigration that transcends genre. It's everything from a coming-of-age novel to a romance to a comic novel of social manners to an up-to-the-minute meditation on race.

Gerwig, Baumbach Poke At Post-College Pangs

Tue, 14 May 2013 13:22:00 -0400

In Frances Ha, a 27-year-old (Greta Gerwig) navigates New York City — and the transition from prolonged adolescence to proper adulthood. Gerwig and director Noah Baumbach co-wrote the script; they join Fresh Air's Terry Gross to talk about the project.