It's Friday the 13th, which means it's the perfect time to talk about the demon barber of Fleet Street! Star Josh Groban and director Tommy Kail join us to discuss their acclaimed Broadway revival of "Sweeney Todd," and the recently released cast album.
You think YOUR puberty was tough... These days, it starts an average of two years earlier, and there is social media to deal with as well. Pediatrician Dr. Cara Natterson and puberty educator Vanessa Kroll Bennett, co-authors of the book, This Is So Awkward: Modern Puberty Explained, join us to give listeners the tools they need to help their adolescents navigate everything from growth spurts and acne to sexuality and mood disorders.
In 2018, American missionary John Chau was killed while attempting to contact and convert the Sentinelese, a group of people who have lived in voluntary isolation for centuries. A new documentary explores what led Chau to believe it was his duty to convert the people of North Sentinel Island, and looks back at the ways missionary work has been misguided, and even harmful, throughout history. Directors Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss join us to discuss their film, "The Mission," which premieres in theaters today.
Founded in 1838 and now a National Historic Landmark, Green-Wood Cemetery was one of the first rural cemeteries in America. By the early 1860s, it was attracting 500,000 visitors a year, second only to Niagara Falls as the nation’s greatest tourist attraction. We talk about its historical significance, and present importance, with photographer and writer Andrew Garn, author of Brooklyn Arcadia: Art, History, and Nature at Majestic Green-Wood. Also joining us is Allison C. Meier, a writer who also leads tours of cemeteries, including Green-Wood. Her latest book is called Grave.