Beyond the Fame with Jason Fraley

WTOP Entertainment Reporter Jason Fraley chats with "Dopesick" creator Danny Strong and star Peter Sarsgaard as the miniseries premieres today on Hulu. Strong also reflects on writing HBO's "Recount," creating TV's "Empire" and growing up in California where he frequented Quentin Tarantino's video store, while Sarsgaard remembers his prolific acting career, namely "Shattered Glass." Learn more abo...

WTOP Entertainment Reporter Jason Fraley chats with actor André De Shields, who won a Tony for Broadway's "Hadestown," which opens at the Kennedy Center tomorrow. De Shields stopped by in 2015 alongside director Timothy Douglas to discuss August Wilson's "King Hedley II" at Arena Stage, as well as De Shields' memories of originating the title role of "The Wiz.&...

WTOP Entertainment Reporter Jason Fraley chats with musician Todd Rundgren, who performs at Capital Turnaround in Washington D.C. on Oct. 17-18 just days before being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on Oct. 30. They spoke about his biggest hits from "I Saw the Light" to "Hello, It's Me" to "Bang the Drum All Day." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

WTOP Entertainment Reporter Jason Fraley chats with Bond aficionado Dave Preston as "No Time to Die" hits movie theaters today. This two-hour podcast extravaganza ranks the Best Bond Actors, Best Bond Villains, Best Bond Songs, Best Bond Gadgets and Best Bond Flicks, including where “No Time to Die” ranks among the franchise. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

WTOP Entertainment Reporter Jason Fraley chats with country star Phil Vassar, who performs this Sunday at The Birchmere in Alexandria, Virginia. They spoke in 2016 about writing hit songs for Tim McGraw, Kenny Chesney and Alan Jackson before becoming a star himself with songs like "Just Another Day in Paradise." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

WTOP Entertainment Reporter Jason Fraley chats with Chicago guitarist Keith Howland, who performs with the band this Friday at MGM National Harbor outside of Washington D.C. They discuss the band's biggest hits, including "25 or 6 to 4," "Saturday in the Park," "Hard to Say I'm Sorry" and "You're the Inspiration." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

WTOP Entertainment Reporter Jason Fraley marks today's return of "To Kill a Mockingbird" on Broadway by chatting with Boo Radley, played by the great Robert Duvall in his film debut in 1962. They spoke in 2016 about his legendary career from "The Godfather" to "Apocalypse Now" to "Lonesome Dove." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

WTOP Entertainment Reporter Jason Fraley chats with actor David Strathairn, who stars in the one-man play "Remember This: The Lesson of Jan Karski" at Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington D.C. from Oct. 6-17. They also discussed his prolific filmography, from his Oscar nomination as Edward R. Murrow in "Good Night and Good Luck" to his role across Frances McDormand in the reigning Best Pictur...

WTOP Entertainment Reporter Jason Fraley chats with writer/director Ben Lewin and producer Judi Levine of the Oscar-nominated film "The Sessions" about their new romantic comedy "Falling for Figaro," now in movie theaters and on demand. The film stars Danielle Macdonald ("Patti Cake$," "Dumplin'") about an aspiring opera singer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

WTOP Entertainment Editor Jason Fraley chats with the one and only Sting, who celebrates his 70th birthday today! They spoke in 2019 when Sting brought his original musical "The Last Ship" to National Theatre in Washington D.C. Stay tuned until the end because Sting surprisingly took out his guitar and started singing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

WTOP Entertainment Reporter Jason Fraley chats with best-selling author Nicholas Sparks, who published his beloved romance novel "The Notebook" exactly 25 years ago today. They spoke in 2016 during the release of his book "See Me" and movie adaptation "The Choice" to see how he keeps making sparks fly. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

WTOP Entertainment Reporter Jason Fraley chats with "The Sopranos" creator David Chase about the prequel "The Many Saints of Newark," which opens in movie theaters nationwide tomorrow. They discuss the show's legacy, his favorite episodes and the controversial finale. (Theme Music: Scott Buckley's "Clarion") Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

WTOP Entertainment Editor Jason Fraley chats with Cappy McGarr, creator of the Kennedy Center's Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. He releases a new book today called "The Man Who Made Mark Twain Famous," featuring behind-the-scenes stories about the award's funniest recipients from Will Ferrell shattering the ceramic bust to Bill Murray putting in the Oval Office to Eddie Murphy turning heads i...

WTOP Entertainment Reporter Jason Fraley chats with Counting Crows guitarist David Immerglück as the band rocks MGM National Harbor this Friday near Washington D.C. They spoke about the band's biggest hits from "Mr. Jones" to "Round Here," from "Hanginaround" to "Accidentally in Love," which earned an Oscar nomination. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

WTOP Entertainment Reporter Jason Fraley chats with Leslie Odom Jr., who hosts a unique Tony Awards tonight honoring the best of Broadway after a long pandemic hiatus. They spoke when he performed at the Kennedy Center Spring Gala tribute to Marvin Gaye in 2016, the exact week before he won his Tony as Aaron Burr in “Hamilton." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

WTOP Entertainment Reporter Jason Fraley chats with Idina Menzel, who performs in the TV special "Broadway's Back!" after the Tony Awards on Sunday night. They spoke in 2017 when she came to MGM National Harbor, discussing her originating the role of Maureen in “Rent,” originating the role of Elphaba in “Wicked,” and singing “Let it Go” as the voice of Elsa in Disney’s “Frozen.” Learn more about y...

WTOP Entertainment Reporter Jason Fraley chats with Stephen Chbosky, director of "Dear Evan Hansen," which hits movie theaters today after premiering in Washington D.C. in 2015 before winning the Tony for Best Musical on Broadway in 2017. They discuss the joys and challenges of bringing a hit musical from stage to screen, as well as "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" and "Wonder." Learn more about...

WTOP Entertainment Reporter Jason Fraley chats with Rufus Wainwright, who performs this coming Tuesday at The Anthem in Washington D.C. They discuss his versatile career from pop to opera, including being named Rolling Stone magazine's Best New Artist, recording "Hallelujah" for the "Shrek" soundtrack, and even donating sperm to Leonard Cohen's daughter to raise a child with his husband. Learn mor...

WTOP Entertainment Reporter Jason Fraley and colleague Dave Preston chat with Moody Blues frontman Justin Hayward, who performs tonight at Rams Head in Annapolis, Maryland. Hayward phoned in for a pair of conversations, first in 2016, then in 2018 after the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

WTOP Entertainment Reporter Jason Fraley chats with John Ondrasik of Five for Fighting, who plays The Birchmere in Alexandria, Virginia on Sunday night. They spoke about him creating hits like "Superman" and "100 Years," as well as his hockey fandom. He even predicted that Alex Ovechkin would eventually get his Stanley Cup. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

WTOP Entertainment Reporter chats with Nathaniel Rateliff, who plays Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland on Friday for the Outlaw Music Festival with Willie Nelson and Sturgill Simpson. They spoke in 2016 about Rateliff forming The Night Sweats for the hit song "S.O.B." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

WTOP Entertainment Reporter Jason Fraley chats with the “Queen of Funk" Chaka Khan, who performs tonight at MGM National Harbor. They spoke back in 2015 before her New Year's Eve bash at the Kennedy Center, discussing everything from her Rufus hits like "Tell Me Something Good" to her solo hits like "I'm Every Woman." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

WTOP Entertainment Reporter Jason Fraley marks the 40th anniversary of "Das Boot" by talking submarine flicks with Gerard Butler, who says the genre accounts for three of his Top 10 favorite movies. They spoke during the release of Butler's 2015 submarine flick "Hunter Killer." Don't miss his spoof of "The Phantom of the Opera." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

WTOP Entertainment Reporter Jason Fraley chats with gospel-pop star Amy Grant about her concert at The Birchmere in Alexandria, Virginia this coming Monday. They also discuss the new gospel music documentary "The Jesus Music" in theaters Oct. 1. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

WTOP Entertainment Reporter Jason Fraley chats with Shenandoah lead singer Marty Raybon ahead of Saturday’s concert at the Great Frederick Fair in Frederick, Maryland. They spoke about the band's biggest hits, including "The Church on Cumberland," "Two Dozen Roses," "Next to You, Next to Me" and "I Wanna Be Loved Like That." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices