Fresh Air with Terry Gross, February 19, 2009: Interview with Danny McBride; Obituary for John McGlinn; Review of the film 'Gomorrah.'

Since its national debut in 1987, Fresh Air with Terry Gross has been a highly acclaimed and much adored weekday magazine among public radio listeners. Each week, nearly 4.8 million people turn to Peabody Award-winning host Terry Gross for insightful conversations with the leading voices in contemporary arts and issues. The renowned program reaches a global audience, with over 620 public radio stations broadcasting Fresh Air, and 3 million podcast downloads each week. Fresh Air has broken the mold of 'talk show' by weaving together superior journalism and intimate storytelling from modern-day intellectuals, politicians and artists alike. Through probing questions and careful research, Gross's interviews are lauded for revealing a fresh perspective on cultural icons and trends. Her thorough conversations are often complemented by commentary from well-known contributors. Fresh Air is produced at WHYY-FM in Philadelphia and broadcast nationally by NPR.
(1.) Writer and actor DANNY MCBRIDE. He co-wrote and stars in the new HBO series 'Eastbound & Down' as a former big-league base-ball star, named Kenny Powers, whose career has come to disastrous end due to his ego, drugs and politically incorrect statements. He returns to his home town, moves in with his brother's family, and gets a job as a substitute physical ed teacher at his old middle school. The series is executive produced by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay, the team behind such films of arrested male development as: 'Talladega Nights,' 'Anchorman,' and 'Step Brothers.' (The six-episode 'Eastbound & Down' premiered Sunday, February 15th). MCBRIDE other roles include: the Buddhist drug dealer in 'Pineapple Express,' and the pyrotechnics guy in 'Tropic Thunder.' He also created and starred in the self-financed film 'The Foot Fist Way' as a teacher of taekwondo. (2.) Conductor, arranger and musical historian JOHN MCGLINN. He died on Saturday at the age of 55 from an apparent heart attack. He recreated the musicals 'Show Boat,' 'Anything Goes,' and 'No, No, Nanette' in their original form. He also re-orchestrated the Irving Berlin musical "Annie Get Your Gun" according to the original 1946 performance. In preparing the remake, McGlinn discovered that the 1966 revival of the show left out several musical numbers, which he incorporated into the current performance. McGlinn also included a song that had been written for the 1946 version, but never before recorded. He often reinstated lost songs in the scores of musicals. (REBROADCAST from 1/13/89 and 4/23/92). (3.) Critic-at-large JOHN POWERS reviews the new Italian film 'Gomorrah' about the mob based on the epic book of the same name by Neapolitan journalist Roberto Saviano (available here in paperback).