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Fresh Air Weekend: The Story Behind 'The Rider'; The Work Of Rodgers And Hammerstein

Brady Jandreau recreates his own struggle to recover from a serious rodeo accident in <em>The Rider. </em>
Sony Pictures Classics
Brady Jandreau recreates his own struggle to recover from a serious rodeo accident in The Rider.

Fresh Air Weekend highlights some of the best interviews and reviews from past weeks, and new program elements specially paced for weekends. Our weekend show emphasizes interviews with writers, filmmakers, actors and musicians, and often includes excerpts from live in-studio concerts. This week:

A Devastating Fall Couldn't Keep This Rodeo 'Rider' Off Wild Horses: A harrowing accident left Brady Jandreau with a skull and brain injury — but he refused to quit riding. He plays himself in director Chloé Zhao's slightly fictionalized retelling of his story.

Meg Wolitzer Traces The Arc Of The Feminist Movement In 'The Female Persuasion': Wolitzer's new novel centers on a legendary feminist and the young woman whose life she transforms. Critic Maureen Corrigan calls The Female Persuasion an absorbing and compelling work.

How Rodgers And Hammerstein Revolutionized Broadway: Todd Purdum's new book, Something Wonderful, is about the creative partnership and strained personal relationship behind such hit shows as Oklahoma!, Carousel, South Pacific and The Sound of Music.

You can listen to the original interviews here:

A Devastating Fall Couldn't Keep This Rodeo 'Rider' Off Wild Horses

Meg Wolitzer Traces The Arc Of The Feminist Movement In 'The Female Persuasion'

How Rodgers And Hammerstein Revolutionized Broadway

Copyright 2021 Fresh Air. To see more, visit Fresh Air.

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

Federal funding is gone.

Congress has eliminated all funding for public media.

That means $2.1 million per year that Connecticut Public relied on to deliver you news, information, and entertainment programs you enjoyed is gone.

The future of public media is in your hands.

All donations are appreciated, but we ask in this moment you consider starting a monthly gift as a Sustainer to help replace what’s been lost.