Friday Arts June 2018

Mayor: The Best Job in Politics
Producer: Karen Smyles

Friday Arts visits the campus of The University of Pennsylvania for an interview with Michael Nutter, former mayor of Philadelphia. Nutter, as a Penn alum, felt right at home and that Penn was the perfect place to talk about his new book Mayor: The Best Job in Politics.

We dropped in on a discussion between Nutter and Penn Provost Wendell Pritchett that occurred February 27th, 2018. Pritchett had no problem keeping an engaging and entertaining conversation going with the mayor, as he has known him personally and professionally for many years, and served in his cabinet for a period of time. The talk centered around the challenges of choosing a life in public service, the ups and downs of managing the City of Philadelphia for 8 years, and many light-hearted stories from his early days growing up on the streets of West Philly.

Later, the mayor sat down with Friday Arts Producer Karen Smyles for a one-on-one conversation at Penn’s Sweeten Alumni House, about some of the more personal aspects of his life and how he currently spends his days. After watching you might feel like you know Michael Nutter just a little bit better, and realize he’s actually a pretty funny guy!

Leonard Bernstein: The Power of Music
Producer: Karen Smyles

The National Museum of American Jewish History is celebrating the centennial birthday of one of the 20th century’s most influential figures in music. The exhibition Leonard Bernstein: The Power of Music will be up until September 2nd, 2018 and focuses on his life, work, and story through a lens that hasn’t really been explored before.

Friday Arts talks with Ivy Weingram, curator for the exhibition, about many facts most people are probably not aware of. Bernstein was known to have strongly reacted to the many social and political crises of his time. We also could have had a very different story than the one we all know and love as West Side Story.

We also meet and hear from Bernstein’s daughter Jamie, about living with and loving the musician adored by so many, who was just “Daddy” to her and her sibilings. She feels visitors will leave the exhibition with a taste of how many sides there were to his life and legacy.

Minas
Producer: Monica Rogozinski

Minas takes Brazilian and American roots to create a sound that is fresh and innovative, from ballads tinged with melancholic traits of Blues and Choro, to Folk coasting on the subtle coolness of a Bossa Nova pulse, to upbeat Sambas elaborated with instrumental jazz improvisation, scat singing and whimsical whistling. With recordings of original music and a collection of over 100 songs, Orlando Haddad and Patricia King’s compositions capture the essence of great songwriting with memorable melodies, inventive harmonies, and poetic lyrics, the music of Minas is engaging and timeless.