Phil Rosenthal’s Secret Recipe: Good Food and a Laugh
Writer, producer and host Phil Rosenthal makes television for the whole family. First, he created the Emmy Award-winning sitcom classic, Everybody Loves Raymond. Now he has taken his vision to food and travel with Somebody Feed Phil. Through his global travels - to places as close to home as Las Vegas, Nevada, and as far away as Sydney, Australia - Phil Rosenthal aims to emphasize our shared humanity through food and comedy.
In this episode, Rosenthal talks about the importance of his everyman persona in Somebody Feed Phil, how to be a respectful tourist, and how humor and a good meal can bridge any cultural divide. We also discuss the important role of the diner in America, how his childhood influenced his career in comedy, and how immigrants enrich the world around us.
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Tunde Adebimpe Channels His DIY Roots Into Raw Solo Debut
TV on the Radio co-founder Tunde Adebimpe is a force of positivity. In the face of unimaginable loss, Adebimpe has channeled his grief into Thee Black Boltz, an upbeat, high-energy solo debut.
You might know Tunde Adebimpe from TV on the Radio, the band whose era-defining hits like “Wolf Like Me” helped shape the 2000s New York indie scene. Or you’ve seen his work in film and television, with standout roles in projects like Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, Twisters, and Spider-Man: Homecoming. But this is his first time going solo, and he’s poured years of personal loss and growth into Thee Black Boltz.
In this episode, Adebimpe opens up about that journey. We learn how underground cartoonists like Robert Crumb, Joe Matt, Mary Fleener, and Maurice Vellekoop taught him to mine the personal for his art, and how a lifelong DIY punk ethos continues to shape his multidisciplinary practice. He reflects on hitting the reset button, rediscovering the basics, and finding the joy of creating art once again.
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George C. Wolfe on Desperation and Desire in His “Gypsy”
For Tony-winning playwright and theater director George C. Wolfe, the “landscape of America is rich and complicated and messy.” He takes the greatest joy in putting that messiness on the Broadway stage. This time, he’s directing the Broadway revival of “Gypsy,” widely considered the best of the Golden Age musicals. Alongside the show’s lead actor Audra McDonald, Wolfe has dug into the past to modernize Rose, the most famous stage mother in history. Their work has been nominated for a Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical.
In this episode, George C. Wolfe talks to us about the harrowing photographs he unearthed during his research into the Great Depression and the economic uncertainty of the era in which “Gypsy” takes place. He shares how he reshaped the production to portray Rose as a more sympathetic and modernized character. Wolfe reflects on the importance of finding joy in troubled times, both on the stage and off.
You can also learn more about the choreographer of “Gypsy” in our new short documentary, “Camille A. Brown: Giant Steps” here. This film is part of our digital series called “In The Making” and directed by Michelle Parkerson and Shellée M. Haynesworth.
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Daveed Diggs Takes on Cyberpunk Rap
You might know rapper and actor Daveed Diggs from his performances in Broadway’s “Hamilton” or 2024’s “Nickel Boys.” But he is also one-third of the hip-hop group clipping. Known for their love of genre storytelling, the group’s new album “Dead Channel Sky” is not their first foray into science fiction. Along with William Hutson and Jonathan Snipes, the trio was previously nominated for a Hugo Award for their 2016 rap space opera “Splendor & Misery.”
Now, the group is turning its attention to cyberpunk for the first time. Aesthetically, “Dead Channel Sky” is a clear nod to inspirations ranging from Blade Runner and The Matrix to William Gibson’s Neuromancer. The noisy, glitchy, and dense album presents itself conceptually as a mixtape found in the dustbins of a dystopian future - but it also doubles as prescient commentary on our current moment.
In this episode, Daveed Diggs talks to us about his creative process behind writing and rapping on “Dead Channel Sky.” He confesses that we might already be living in the middle of our own “pretty mundane” cyberpunk apocalypse - and it’s “just not that cool.” Through hip-hop, he seeks to craft an alternate present that feels just a little bit more exciting. Diggs also talks to us about growing up in an artistically vibrant Bay Area, the rappers who influenced his creative approach, and why it’s so important that we all keep making things with our immediate community.
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Lucy Dacus Makes Her First Love Songs
Singer-songwriter Lucy Dacus has been building up to this moment her entire career. With her new album, “Forever Is a Feeling,” she is ready to write about love. Coming off the heels of a Grammy Award-winning run with her supergroup, boygenius, Dacus has signed a major label contract with Geffen for her solo work.
In this episode, Lucy Dacus talks to us about growing up playing house shows in Richmond, Virginia, how her religious upbringing has shaped her today, and how she put together the music and lyrics that form her most romantic songs to date.
American Masters: Creative Spark is back with new episodes! For the very first time, you can now watch the podcast! Video is the new audio, after all. Starting this season, you can watch our new episodes on Spotify and YouTube.
How do today’s masters create their art? American Masters: Creative Spark presents narrative interviews that go in-depth with an iconic artist about the creation of a single work. Each episode offers a unique window into the world of art and the creative process of artists and cultural icons across a wide range of disciplines, from music and comedy to poetry and film.
Explore more at www.pbs.org/creativespark
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