25th Anniversary of 'Rent,' Tanya Selvaratnam, Julia Turshen, 2021's Most Anticipated Books

The musical, "Rent," was first performed in January of 1996 at the New York Theater Workshop in the East Village. This year marks the production's 25th anniversary and the New York Theatre Workshop is honoring the musical by making it the centerpiece of its annual gala -- 25 Years of Rent: Measured in Love. The gala takes place virtually on March 2 at 8pm and the production and will remain available for streaming online through March 6. Original cast members Daphne Rubin-Vega and Adam Pascal and New York Theatre Workshop artistic director, Jim Nicola, join us to talk about the gala as well as the musical's legacy.

Film producer and activist Tanya Selvaratnam joins us to discuss her memoir, Assume Nothing: A Story of Intimate Violence, which details how her relationship with former New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman devolved into abuse and how she ultimately left the relationship and decided to share her story.

Best-selling cookbook author Julia Turshen joins us to discuss her new book, Simply Julia: 110 Easy Recipes for Healthy Comfort Food. Throughout the book, Turshen also includes essays on a wide range of topics from body image, to volunteering, and her experiences as a private chef.

Kalima DeSuze, owner of the bookstore, Café con Libros, joins us for the next installment of our “Review/Preview” series to offer a roundup of some of the most anticipated reads of early 2021.