Terry Gross

Murphy played the lead in Stephen Sondheim's musical Passion. Of the role, which has her playing an ugly, hysterical woman obsessively pursuing a handsome army captain, Murphy says, "I love transformation of any kind... I want to look in the mirror and not see Donna looking back at me." In 1986, Murphy was a woman in drag in The Mystery of Edwin Drood. In 1991, she was introduced as "a girl who will steal your heart and then forget where she put it," playing the amnesiac songstress in Song of Singapore. (Rebroadcast from July 11, 1994.)

There's a new DVD set of his work: The Stephen Sondheim Collection. He discusses his work on West Side Story (for which he wrote lyrics), Gypsy (lyrics), and his own musical, Sweeney Todd. His other works include Company, A Little Night Music, Merrily We Roll Along and Passion. (Rebroadcast from Nov. 10, 1988.)

Stephen Sondheim about singers

He talks about living as a closeted homosexual in the priesthood, finally having an affair with a man, going into therapy and then leaving the ministry. All this occurred by 1992, years before the sexual abuse scandal. Schiavone wrote about his experience in an article in the December 8, 2002 issue of the Boston Globe Magazine.

He's best known for his hit songs "Short People" and "I Love L.A." He's written for a number of films including, Ragtime, Avalon, The Natural, Toy Story, Babe and Seabiscuit. He's received 14 Oscar nominations and won in 2002. Recently he released Volume One of The Randy Newman Songbook.

Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick have just returned to Broadway and their starring roles in The Producers -- the show based on Brooks' first feature film. They're doing a limited run through April 14. The Producers won 12 Tonys in 2001, including best musical, best book of a musical, best original score, and best actor. The book, the music and lyrics were written by Brooks. He's made some of the funniest films in movie history, including The Producers, Young Frankenstein, and Blazing Saddles.

Singer Margaret Whiting is the voice behind such jazz hits as "That Old Black Magic" and "Moonlight in Vermont." he daughter of songwriter Richard Whiting, Margaret Whiting grew up around musical talents like Johnny Mercer, Gus Kahn and Jerome Kern. Whiting has also appeared in Broadway musicals like Gypsy, Pal Joey and Call Me Madam. In 1994, Whiting married adult film icon Jack Wrangler.

Lyricist Sammy Cahn is one of the last survivors of the Tin Pan Alley tradition. His popular hits include "Bei Mir Bist du Schon," "Come Fly With Me," "Let it Snow," and "Three Coins in a Fountain," among others. Cahn has also worked extensively with Frank Sinatra. He joins the show to discuss his career. (Segment)

Dorough was musical director of the 1970s educational TV series School House Rock and composer of the popular song "Three is a Magic Number." Contemporary artists such as Blind Melon, The Lemonheads and Pavement covered the songs on the CD Schoolhouse Rock! Rocks.

Moss was one of the original creators and writers of Sesame Street. Moss created Cookie Monster and Oscar the Grouch, and wrote such songs as "Rubber Ducky" and "People in Your Neighborhood." He won 14 Emmys, four Grammys and an Academy Award nomination for his work on Sesame Street and with the Muppets. Moss was also the author of books for children, including Hieronymus White: A Bird Who Believed That He Always Was Right. He died in 1998 at the age of 56.