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The Leonard Lopate Show

Monday, April 09, 2007
  • Martin Short
    Martin Short

    Fame Becomes Them

    Champion figure skaters Tai Babilonia and Emily Hughes talk about athleticism and confidence. Then, we pay tribute to Judy Canova--who made her name as a singing hillbilly comedian. Plus, Mark Bittman tells us about his new PBS series on the best recipes in the world. And Martin Short joins us to celebrate the CD release of his Broadway hit Fame Becomes Me.

ice skates

Skating and Confidence

Champion figure skaters Tai Babilonia and Emily Hughes talk about athleticism and confidence. Sharon Cohen is the founder and executive director of Figure Skating in Harlem--a program aimed at teaching young girls in Harlem to skate. She joins Tai and Emily for a discussion about the challenges of skating.

Events: Tai Babilonia, Emily Hughes, and Sharon Cohen will be taking part in The 2007 Skating Under the Stars Gala
Monday, April 9 at 6 pm
Wollman Rink in Central Park
Entrance at 59th Street and the Avenue of the Americas
Tickets are $250. To reserve tickets, call 212-763-8590.

A Singing Hillbilly Comedian

Diana Canova remembers her mother Judy Canova--the much loved singing hillbilly comedian. A Judy Canova Triple Feature is playing as part of Film Forum’s B Musicals Series.

Mark Bittman on The Best Recipes in the World

Mark Bittman—who writes “The Minimalist” column in the New York Times—tells us about traveling the globe in search of the best recipes in the world for his new PBS series, The Best Recipes in the World.

The Best Recipes in the World is available for purchase at amazon.com

Fame Becomes Martin Short

Martin Short celebrates the cast album of his Broadway hit Fame Becomes Me.

Fame Becomes Me is available for purchase at amazon.com

Events: Martin Short will be signing CDs and giving a short performance
Tuesday, April 10 at 7:30 pm
The Times Square Virgin Megastore
1540 Broadway, between 45th and 46th Streets
Seating is limited and is first come, first served.

Tributes: Jeanne-Claude

The Leonard Lopate Show

Jeanne-Claude created environmental works of art with her husband and fellow-conspirator/collaborator Christo. Together, they wrapped the Reichstag in Berlin, the Pont-Neuf in Paris, and created The Gates, with billowy orange drapes, in Central Park. Jeanne-Claude just died at the age of 74. You can hear Leonard Lopate’s last interview with them both, from July 19, 1999.

Let’s Go Swimming!

The Leonard Lopate Show

According to the Centers for Disease Control, bacterial, viral, and parasitic organisms found in recreational water in the United States sicken thousands of people every year, and even result in deaths. We’ll speak with chemist and industrial hygienist Monona Rossol about the protozoa, amoebas and other things that love to go swimming with us. Monona is also founder and President of Arts, Crafts and Theater Safety.

Frank McCourt

The Leonard Lopate Show

Frank McCourt has been a guest many times on this show over the years, starting in 1996 for the memoir, Angela’s Ashes, that would earn him a Pulitzer Prize. Fame came to him late in life, after he’d retired at the age of 65 from teaching English and creative writing at public schools here in New York. He was a sweet, eloquent man who spoke with grace and humility; he just died at the age of 78 after a battle with cancer. You can hear him speaking with Leonard Lopate for his Survival Kit in 2000, and in 2005, for his memoir, Teacher Man.

Science and Faith

The Leonard Lopate Show

Earlier this week, Pres. Obama announced that he plans to nominate geneticist Dr. Francis Collins to lead the National Institutes of Health. You can listen to Leonard’s 2006 conversation with Dr. Collins about how he reconciles his personal faith with his professional scientific knowledge.

FDA to Regulate Tobacco?

The Leonard Lopate Show

May 14, 2009
Congress is getting ready to a vote on whether to make tobacco subject to FDA regulation. You can listen to a segment we did in May about the bill and what it would mean for the cigarette companies.

Our 3-ingredient Challenge wins a James Beard Award

The Leonard Lopate Show

On May 3, the Lopate Show won its third James Beard Award for our 3-ingredient challenge. In August, we asked our listeners to call in and name 3 ingredients and then challenged New York chef and 3-ingredient expert Rozanne Gold to whip up a recipe! You can listen to the 3-ingredient challenge and get some inspiration for simple, delicious, and unexpected dishes.

Leonard is on Facebook

Now Leonard is on Facebook! We’re posting photos, status updates, links to notable interviews, and lots more. Check it out.

Barack Obama, Circa 2004

The Leonard Lopate Show

Listen to President-Elect Barack Obama on the Leonard Lopate Show in November 2004. He had recently won a seat in the U.S. Senate, and only a few months before, his rousing speech during the 2004 Democratic National Convention catapulted him into the national spotlight.