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The Leonard Lopate Show

Friday, July 25, 2008
  • High Wire Act

    The price of oil is way up - but so is the price of natural gas, which is another major source of energy in the U.S. On Please Explain, find out what natural gas is, how the price is set, and why it’s used for everything from heating homes to manufacturing plastics. Also: Tony Award-winning hoofer Savion Glover. We get a preview of "Baghead" – it’s both a comedy about filmmaking and a spoof of the horror flick genre. A look at 30 years of in-studio photos from Columbia Records. And Philippe Petit describes walking on a high wire between the two World Trade Center towers in 1974.

    We're hosting another FREE Lopate Show film screening on Monday, August 4! We'll be watching the 1972 film "The Candidate." Seats are limited, so RSVP soon. Find out more.

Savion Glover on the Sound of Tap Dance

Tony Award-winning hoofer Savion Glover’s new show, “The Evidence,” is an exploration of the sound heard from the music of tap dance. He’s performing at the BB King Blues Club (237 West 42 St) on Thursday, July 31 at 8 pm. For more info and tickets, go here.

Baghead

The new film, "Baghead," is about a group of friends tormented by a villain with a bag over his head. It’s both a comedy about filmmaking and a spoof of the horror flick genre. Mark Duplass is director; Greta Gerwig and Ross Partridge are two of the film’s stars. "Baghead" opens today, Fri. 7/25, at the Landmark Sunshine and the AMC Empire.

Photos from the Columbia Records 30th Street Studio

Don Hunstein was Columbia Records’ in-house photographer for 30 years, and he snapped photos of Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Billie Holiday, Muhammad Ali, and Charles Mingus, to name a few. The Morrison Hotel Gallery's Soho loft (116 Prince Street, NYC) is now hosting a new exhibit of his photos, "In Session at the Columbia Records 30th Street Studio." Grammy-winning producer, writer and record executive Michael Cuscuna has also met and worked with many of the artists featured in the Morrison exhibit.

Slideshow of Images from "In Session at the Columbia Records 30th Street Studio"

The Greatest High Wire Walk in History

In 1974, French high wire artist Philippe Petit snuck to the top of the World Trade Center and crossed a wire between the two World Trade Center towers. It’s been called the greatest high wire walk in history. He’s the subject of a new documentary, "Man on Wire," by James Marsh. It opens today, Friday 7/25, at the Landmark Sunshine and Lincoln Plaza Cinemas.

Please Explain: Natural Gas

The price of oil is way up...but so is the price of natural gas, which is another major source of energy in the U.S. Please Explain is all about natural gas – where it comes from, how the price is set, and why it’s used for everything from heating homes to manufacturing plastics. Marco J. Castaldi is Assistant Professor of Earth & Environmental Engineering at Columbia University.

Check Out WNYC's Investigation of Natural Gas Drilling in New York State

Patrick Swayze

The Leonard Lopate Show

Patrick Swayze mixed grace with athleticism in his movies – and rose to stardom with roles in “Dirty Dancing” and “Ghost.” He died just recently after a battle with pancreatic cancer. And you can hear his interview with Leonard Lopate from July 16, 2002, when he came by to discuss appearing in the film, “Green Dragon.”

The Silver Anniversary of the Silver Palate

The Leonard Lopate Show

Sheila Lukins was one half of a partnership that helped popularize gourmet cooking throughout America – first, through their gourmet food shop in New York City and then with the cookbook, The Silver Palate, which remains one of the top-selling cookbooks of all time. She collaborated on 2 other cookbooks that simplified gourmet cooking for the home cook. She died recently from brain cancer at the age of 66, and you can listen to her 2007 conversation with Leonard Lopate and her business partner Julee Rosso about the 25th Anniversary of the publication of The Silver Palate.

Dominick Dunne

The Leonard Lopate Show

Dominick Dunne was a famous novelist and Hollywood producer. But he may be best remembered for covering trials of the rich and famous – from Claus von Bulow to O. J. Simpson. He died just recently at the age of 83. But you can still hear his interview with Leonard from November 23, 2001, when he was discussing crimes, trials, and punishments.

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.

Guest Picks

The Leonard Lopate Show

Find out surprising facts about some recent guests on the Leonard Lopate Show. Check out our Guest Picks section! Did you know that football star Herschel Walker loves Judge Judy, Laurie Anderson is a big fan of agility training for dogs, and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi likes Johnny Depp?