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Soundcheck / May 09, 2007

Soundcheck

Wednesday, May 09, 2007
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  • Show Business: The Road to Broadway
    Show Business: The Road to Broadway

    More Than Your Average Backstage Tour

    "Show Business: The Road to Broadway" is an ambitious documentary that follows the four high-profile productions that would eventually become Tony nominees for Best Musical in 2003-04. Today, director Dori Berinstein and Tony Award-winning composer Robert Lopez (from Avenue Q), join us to unveil the brutal side of a glamorous art form. Also: Banjo-strumming Kentucky native Matt Bauer reinterprets country and bluegrass to create a hauntingly modern sound. He plays live in studio.

The Inner Workings of Broadway Musicals

"ShowBusiness: The Road to Broadway" is a documentary that follows the four high-profile productions that would eventually become Tony nominees for Best Musical: the brash and brassy "Wicked," the Rosie O'Donnell/Boy George collaboration, "Taboo," the highly anticipated Tony Kushner musical, "Caroline, or Change," and the cheeky puppet show "Avenue Q." Director Dori Berinstein and composer Robert Lopez joins us to talk about their remarkable access.

Show Business: The Road To Broadway Web site
Watch a Trailor for "Show Business"

Matt Bauer

Alt-country singer-songwriter Matt Bauer creates songs steeped in Americana with driving banjo, sleepy electric guitars, and intimate vocals. He joins us to perform live from his new album "Wasps and White Roses."

Matt Bauer's MySpace page

High Line Festival

The inaugural High Line Festival kicks off this Wednesday in New York. David Bowie is serving as the "curator" of the ten-day whirlwind of music, film and art. We talk with New York Times music reporter Ben Sisario about the festival, its curious namesake, and how a rock legend got involved.

High Line Festival web site
Ben Sisario's article on Bowie and the festival

cab

Noteworthy New York

Soundcheck

We have invited musicians and artists to help us select their favorite cultural destination in the neighborhood where they live. From parks and coffee shops to bowling alleys and museums, the options are as diverse as our group of contributors.

Quincy Jones

The Journey of Quincy Jones

Soundcheck

During his 50-year career, Quincy Jones has worked with everyone from Frank Sinatra to Puff Daddy, founded Vibe magazine, collected countless awards, and earned a reputation as a jazz giant. (Somewhere in there, he found time to make possible an album called "Thriller.") Jones joins us on the occasion of his new book, "The Complete Quincy Jones: My Journey & Passions."

Soundcheck blog: John Schaefer on Quincy Jones, Henry Rollins and the term "Renaissance man"

death

Pop's Love Affair With Death

Soundcheck

Death may be an unpleasant topic for conversation, but it ranks up there with sex and love as a basic ingredient in song lyrics. Today, we look at how pop music copes (and even thrives) with death. We're joined by Graeme Thomson, author of the self-explanatory book, "I Shot a Man in Reno: A History of Death By Murder, Suicide, Fire, Flood, Drugs, Disease and General Misadventure, as Related in Popular Song."

Soundcheck blog: What's your favorite song about death?

John Lennon

Behind the public face of John Lennon

Soundcheck

Writing a book about the Beatles is to enter a crowded market. But Philip Norman’s new 851-page biography, “John Lennon: The Life” is getting much buzz this fall for the unprecedented access provided by Lennon’s friends and relatives, including Yoko Ono. We talk with Norman about why Lennon remains such a fascinating and troubled figure.

Dusty Springfield book jacket

The Soul of British Soul

Soundcheck

British soul divas like Amy Winehouse and Duffy owe a big debt to a '60s icon with a breathy voice and a beehive wig. Today: the story of singer Dusty Springfield. Later: folk-rock artist Ani DiFranco performs songs from her new album "Red Letter Year" live in our studio.