All Of It

In a new film,"The Black Sea," a young Black man from New York City finds himself stranded in a small Eastern European coastal town after losing out on a new job opportunity."The Black Sea" opens in Metrograph Theaters tomorrow, and directors Crystal Moselle and Derrick B. Harden, who also stars in the film, joins us to discuss.

[REBROADCAST FROM October 29, 2024] Kenneth Branagh, perhaps the world's most celebrated living Shakespearean actor, discusses starring as King Lear in the new production at the Shed running through December 15.

The new documentary, "Drop Dead City: New York on the Brink in 1975," tells the history of New York City's fiscal crisis in 1975. Directors Peter Yost and Michael Rohatyn  join us to discuss the film, which is closing out the DOC NYC film festival.

The Star-Ledger, the Pulitzer Prize-winning local New Jersey newspaper based in Newark, recently announced it will end print editions in 2025 and become an exclusively digital service. The news comes perhaps as no surprise as local print journalism continues to struggle financially around the country. But The Star-Ledger has played an important role in the history of New Jersey culture and politics as the state's largest newspaper. Nancy Solomon, WNYC senior reporter, gives us her reaction to the news, and we're also joined by Micah Rasmussen, director of The Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics.

Ten years ago, Lane Moore turned her dating horror stories into a comedy show called "Tinder Live!" She is marking its anniversary with a national tour that comes to New York on November 22. She joins us in studio to discuss along with actor Janeane Garofalo, who will join Lane on stage.

This segment is guest-hosted by Tiffany Hanssen.

Hall of Fame songwriter and music producer Allee Willis gained recognition for co-writing songs such as Earth, Wind & Fire's hit "September," the score to "The Color Purple" musical, and the "Friends" theme song, "I'll Be There For You." Sadly, she passed away in 2019 but left behind a treasure trove of footage which made it to a new documentary, "The World According to Allee Willis." Director Alexis Spraic joins us alongside executive producer Prudence Fenton, who was also Allee's longtime partner, to discuss the film which is playing in theaters now. 

This segment is guest-hosted by Tiffany Hanssen.

Two religious leaders in Brooklyn became concerned about rising tensions between Black and Jewish residents, and try to launch a new effort to create more understanding between the two communities. But that experiment proved more difficult than they imagined. The new documentary "All God's Children" follows Rabbi Rachel Timoner and Reverend Dr. Robert Waterman, and celebrates its world premiere as part of DOC NYC. We speak with the Rabbi and Reverend, along with director Ondi Timoner. 

This segment is guest-hosted by Tiffany Hanssen.

The new Broadway musical "Swept Away" uses the discography of The Avett Brothers as the soundtrack to a harrowing tale of a shipwreck, and the costs of survival. Scott and Seth Avett and bassist Bob Crawford join us for a live performance of some songs from the musical, which is running now at the Longacre Theater.

This segment is guest-hosted by Tiffany Hanssen.

Igmar Thomas is a New York-based trumpeter, composer, and bandleader of the jazz ensemble, Revive Big Band. Thomas and the band have just released their debut album, Like A Tree It Grows, which reimagines compositions from Thelonious Monk, Wayne Shorter, and more for a big band format. Thomas is with us for a Listening Party and to discuss his career, his process, and his experience as Music Director for acts like LL Cool J, Busta Rhymes, The Fugees, Nas, and Lauryn Hill.

[REBROADCAST FROM September 12, 2024] Ana Gasteyer returns to Broadway in "Once Upon a Mattress," now running at Hudson Theatre through November 30. We speak talk to Gasteyer about her role as Queen Aggravain (including her violin skills), her work on "Loot," and her feelings about the 50th anniversary of Saturday Night Live.