Episodes

  • Lin-Manuel Miranda: How a talk with George Lucas changed his perspective on success
    Dec 18 2024

    Lin-Manuel Miranda changed the face of Broadway forever when he wrote the musical “Hamilton.” Now, he’s bringing his talent back to the screen with Disney’s upcoming film “Mufasa: The Lion King.” Lin joins Tom Power to talk about why we can’t get enough of “The Lion King,” how the wild success of “Hamilton” changed his life, and what he thinks about the state of Broadway today.

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    27 mins
  • Quick Q: The Sheepdogs on their 20 years as a band
    Dec 18 2024

    From playing bars in Saskatoon to arenas around the world, the Canadian rock band The Sheepdogs have come a long way in two decades. To mark their 20th anniversary as a band, lead singer Ewan Currie joins Tom Power to talk about what it means to have longevity in rock and roll — and why the band couldn’t resist making a holiday song.

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    15 mins
  • Cher: The difficult reality behind the scenes of The Sonny & Cher Show
    Dec 17 2024

    This year, decades after re-establishing herself as a solo artist, Cher was finally recognized by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. She’s also just released a new book, “Cher: The Memoir,” which is the first of a two-part autobiography that covers her start in music from 1946 to 1976. In this conversation with Tom Power, Cher tells us her story of growing up with a mother who wanted to be a star herself, how she found out she could sing, and why behind the scenes Sonny & Cher was not at all what you saw on TV.

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    25 mins
  • Remembering percussionist Zakir Hussain
    Dec 17 2024

    The acclaimed tabla virtuoso Zakir Hussain has died at age 73. Last year, he was in Toronto for his show “Masters of Percussion” at Massey Hall. Just before that concert, he spoke to Tom Power about his life in music, from his most notable collaborations to the life advice he got from the late George Harrison. In tribute, we revisit that conversation.

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    27 mins
  • Michael Healey: His stage satire about the failure to build a smart city in Toronto
    Dec 16 2024

    Michael Healey’s award-winning play “The Master Plan” is a biting satire about the Sidewalk Labs fiasco in Toronto, when the Google sister company attempted to build a smart city in an underdeveloped neighbourhood on the city’s waterfront. It’s based on the book “Sideways: The City Google Couldn't Buy” by tech reporter Josh O’Kane, and it’s now being remounted at the Soulpepper Theatre in Toronto. Michael joins Tom Power to talk about the play and the clash of Big Tech and municipal politics. Plus, he reflects on his life in theatre, from the success of “The Drawer Boy” to the controversy around “Proud,” his satirical play about Stephen Harper.

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    25 mins
  • D.D. Jackson and George Elliott Clarke: Can any poem be turned into music?
    Dec 16 2024

    The Canadian pianist D.D. Jackson got an unusual request during the pandemic: his old friend, Canada’s former poet laureate George Elliott Clarke, asked him to turn a poem he had written for his daughter into a song. That led to a whole project in which George sent D.D. different works by Canadian poets for D.D. to transform into music. The result of their collaboration is a new album called “Poetry Project.” D.D. and George join Tom Power to talk about the album and set up a song from it.

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    23 mins
  • Gwen Stefani: No Doubt’s early days and her new album Bouquet
    Dec 13 2024

    It’s been eight years since Gwen Stefani has released an album. Following a very public divorce, she needed some time to heal, pick up the pieces of her life and find her voice again. Now, after some time away from music, she’s back with her fifth studio album, “Bouquet.” Gwen joins Tom Power to talk about the record, her time in No Doubt, and finding real love for what she says might be the first time.

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    32 mins
  • The OBGMs: How therapy shaped their new record
    Dec 13 2024

    Densil McFarlane, the lead singer of the Canadian punk rock band The OBGMs, felt like he was in a rut, so he decided to seek out therapy. That decision opened up a whole new world that he explores on his band’s new album, “Sorry, It’s Over.” Densil sits down with guest host Saroja Coelho to chat about the album and what he learned about being vulnerable in his art.

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    28 mins