The Bob Edwards Show, April 28 – May 2, 2014
Monday, April 28, 2014: British artist Ralph Steadman started as a social and political cartoonist in the 1960s, but his work gained international fame after teaming up with journalist Hunter S. Thompson. Called the “last of the original Gonzo visionaries,” director Charlie Paul’s documentary, For No Good Reason, looks at the life and work of this remarkable artist. Then, based on the best-selling autobiography, the new film The Railway Man tells the story of Eric Lomax (played by Colin Firth), a former POW forced to work on the “Death Railway” in Thailand during WWII. Decades later, he traveled to Japan to confront his torturer. Eric died before the film was completed, but his wife Patti Lomax (played by Nicole Kidman) talks with Bob about their story. They are joined by producer/screenwriter Andy Peterson.
Tuesday, April 29, 2014: Cesar Chavez died two decades ago but his legacy is still felt today. Miriam Pawel is the author of The Crusades of Cesar Chavez, the first comprehensive biography of the labor leader that explores his work on behalf of migrant workers and his “profound humanity.” Then, Mark Leibovich is a long-time reporter for the New York Times and before that The Washington Post. His book, This Town: Two Parties and a Funeral, is a skewering of Washington DC’s incestuous “media industrial complex” and the egos therein. It’s now available in paperback.
Wednesday, April 30, 2014: Bob talks to Ukrainian activist Kateryna Mikhno about the events in Ukraine. She just returned from a trip to Kiev and Eastern Ukraine. Next, Bob talks with Jessie Austrian and Noah Brody, actors from Fiasco Theater. They’ll discuss their production of The Two Gentlemen of Verona and why William Shakespeare’s work is still relevant today – nearly 400 years after his death. Finally, Paul Schomer of the blog Radiocrowdfund.com shares some new music discoveries with Bob. This time we’ll hear songs from Old Hours, Land Lines, Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s, Will Phalen and Holy Wave.
Thursday, May 1, 2014: For ten months, Kevin Spacey toured the world performing Richard III in a production directed by Sam Mendes. Cameras went along for the ride and the result is a film that feels like the Shakespeare version of a behind-the-scenes concert tour video, minus the groupies. NOW: In the Wings on a World Stage will be released May 2 in theaters and will be available for download on nowthefilm.com on the same date. Spacey joins Bob to talk about the film, the experience, and the first time working with Mendes since the film American Beauty for which they each won an Academy Award. Then, we revisit Bob’s interview with scholar, literary critic and best-selling writer Stephen Greenblatt about his book Will in the World: How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare.
Friday, May 2, 2014: Doyle McManus, Washington columnist for the Los Angeles Times, joins Bob to discuss the latest political news. Then, beautiful voices, compelling songwriting, and expert musicianship: listeners encounter all of these attributes from the very first song of Rebecca Frazier’s album When We Fall. With this record, the Virginia-born musician roars back from a personal tragedy and a ten-year recording absence. Frazier and her superlative band, including her husband John, join Bob for a performance from SiriusXM’s Nashville Studios.