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When he was a child, Dudley Moore first wanted to study the violin. He's grateful to his mother for insisting that he first study the piano. Moore said his influences include Bach and Garner. Unlike other musicians, Moore's main focus has always been on the beat, both the cultivation and the presence of the beat of a song and of music.
Author Dorothy Gilliam joins Studs Terkel to discuss her biography of singer, actor, social activist and lawyer Paul Robeson. Gilliam chronicles Robeson’s life in “Paul Robeson, All-American,” describing his early years as a football player, and then lawyer, his introduction into theater, and his exposure to other cultures abroad.
Chicago playwright and actress Cindy Caponera discusses and acts out portions of her one-woman show "Against the Grain." Caponera’s show features three soliloquies delivered by different family members of a Chicago fireman in which themes of masculinity, labor rights, and family dynamics are explored. Studs plays "Ace in the Hole" - Johnny Mathis (1961).
This interview features singer and actress Carol Channing which discusses: the film "Shinbone Alley"; production of "Lorelei"; her grandmother; and her career. It begins with a musical excerpt from the animated movie "Shinbone Alley" featuring Channing singing as the alley cat Mehitabel. It also includes excerpts from the Broadway production called "Lorelei", examples of her character acting/comedy (as Cecilia Sisson), her reading of "Madeline and other Bemelmans", and a portion of the song "So Long Dearie" from the play "Hello, Dolly!".
Carol Channing discusses the following with Studs Terkel: her early career; her growth as actor/comedian; her approach to her work; her performance in "Lorelei" as Lorelei; her performance in "Wonderful Town" as Ruth; the job of the understudy; and breaking performance barriers and type casting.
Carlotta Monti discusses W.C. Fields and her book "W.C. Fields & Me".
Burl Ives, actor and singer, discusses his life including childhood, schooling, early career, married life and some of his most popular songs. Ives also talks about his books and writing.
Burl Ives was born in Jasper County, IL and he attended Eastern Illinois State Teachers College. While in college, he played some football and then he wanted to become a football coach. Ives spent time in Terre Haute, IN, where he played records and sang songs on the radio. To be a great singer, Ives said he knew he had to add dramatization to certain songs.
Studs Terkel interviews Birgit Nilsson during her time playing Leonore in Fidelio.
Angela Lansbury, actress and singer, talks about her work on the play, "Sweeny Todd." Lansbury also talks about her early career, work on Mame, and her family.
Terkel interviews actors from the American Conservatory Theater: Richard A. Dysart, Robin Gammell, Rene Auberjonois, Janis Young, and William Ball. This is an interview done in two parts.
Studs interviews Allen Stone, Steven Larson, and Judith Erickson about the opera, "Regina," playing at the Chicago Opera Theater. They describe the variety of music and dances in the opera. Stone, Larson, and Erickson name the cast and their roles and describe the characters. Each share how they came to be in theater. Stone explains how the company started. Larson describes the orchestra and the chorus. Erickson reads some of the lyrics of the aria, "The Best Thing of All," at the end of act one. Stone, Larson, and Erickson read various lines from the opera.