Q with Tom Power

CBC
undefined
Apr 29, 2024 • 25min

Richard Thomas: To Kill a Mockingbird and playing John-Boy on The Waltons

Richard Thomas is best known for playing John-Boy on the ‘70s drama series “The Waltons.” Now, he’s playing one of literature and film’s most beloved characters, Atticus Finch, in Aaron Sorkin’s touring production of “To Kill a Mockingbird.” Richard talks to Tom about taking on this much-loved role, why he thinks the story is so timeless, and why he doesn't mind if you shout out “Goodnight, John-Boy” at curtain call.
undefined
Apr 29, 2024 • 24min

Justin Peck: Adapting Sufjan Stevens’s album Illinois into a Broadway musical

Justin Peck is a celebrated choreographer who loves Sufjan Stevens’s music. He loves it so much that he’s collaborated with the musician twice. Their latest project is a Broadway dance musical called “Illinoise,” which is based on Sufjan’s seminal album “Illinois.” Justin joins guest host Talia Schlanger to tell us what the album means to him and how he transformed it into a theatre-dance production.
undefined
Apr 26, 2024 • 23min

St. Vincent: All Born Screaming, oversharing, and working with Dave Grohl

The Grammy-winning musician St. Vincent, also known as Annie Clark, is back with a new album, “All Born Screaming.” Her last album, “Daddy’s Home,” was a wild trip through the ‘70s that explored her relationship with her father after his release from prison. But with “All Born Screaming,” she says she’s ready to let the music speak for itself. St. Vincent talks to Tom about the record, working with Dave Grohl, and where she’s at in her continuing evolution.
undefined
Apr 26, 2024 • 21min

Caitlin Cronenberg: Her eco-catastrophe film, photography, and her famous last name

Caitlin Cronenberg established herself as a photographer, but now she’s following in the footsteps of her famous father, David Cronenberg, by directing her first feature film. “Humane” is a darkly comedic horror thriller that takes a dystopian look at eco-catastrophe — and in keeping with the family tradition, it involves a lot of blood. Caitlin joins Tom to talk about the film, her career in photography, and how she’s been addressing the elephant in the room: her last name.
undefined
Apr 25, 2024 • 26min

Maya Rudolph: Loot, SNL, Bridesmaids, and her cool parents

Maya Rudolph has been a comedy staple on our screens for decades. She’s impersonated everyone from Donatella Versace to Beyoncé as a cast member on “Saturday Night Live,” and she’s played memorable characters in comedies like “Bridesmaids” and “Sisters.” Now, Maya is back as the divorced billionaire Molly Wells in the second season of her hit Apple TV+ show “Loot.” Maya tells Tom why she was interested in the world of the mega-rich, how she ended up on “SNL” even though her agent told her not to audition, and why she says comedy and music are cousins.
undefined
Apr 25, 2024 • 21min

Michael Mabbott and Lucah Rosenberg-Lee: Jackie Shane’s fascinating story

Michael Mabbott and Lucah Rosenberg-Lee are the directors of a new documentary about the late American R&B singer Jackie Shane. Jackie was a Black trans woman who became popular in Canada after moving to Toronto in the 1960s. She released a single called “Any Other Way” that charted across the country, but in the 1970s, she became a recluse and disappeared from the public eye. Michael and Lucah join Tom to discuss their film “Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story” and how an unreleased song was discovered in Jackie’s house after she passed.
undefined
Apr 24, 2024 • 32min

Jimbo: Clowning, Drag Race, and winning for weirdos around the world

Jimbo the Drag Clown got a taste of revenge last year. After getting eliminated from the first season of “Canada's Drag Race,” she returned to win Season 8 of “RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars.” In the midst of her North American tour, Jimbo sits down with Tom to tell us about her drag beginnings, how she uses her training as a clown to take her performances to the next level, and why everything she does is for the “unseen, beautiful weirdos” who relate to her.
undefined
Apr 24, 2024 • 19min

Sophie Nélisse: Irena’s Vow and what training as a gymnast gives her as an actor

The Canadian actor Sophie Nélisse (Yellowjackets) stars in the new film “Irena’s Vow,” which tells the story of Irena Gut, a Polish nurse during World War II. Irena becomes a German army major's housekeeper and risks her life to hide a dozen Jewish people within the major's home. Sophie joins Tom in studio to talk about the film, what it means to her, and what her training as an elite gymnast gives her as an actor.
undefined
Apr 23, 2024 • 36min

Nikki Giovanni: Poetry, the birth of hip-hop, and why she genuinely wants to go to Mars

Considered one of the world’s greatest living poets, Nikki Giovanni carved out a revolutionary legacy during the civil rights era with poems that uplifted the experiences of Black Americans. Decades later, Nikki’s writing and interviews have grown increasingly personal, offering insight into her childhood, health struggles and thoughts on growing older. She shares her story in the new documentary, “Going To Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project.” Nikki tells Tom about being involved in the birth of hip-hop, why artists should go to space, and how she packed a club of 100 people, including guests like Morgan Freeman and Nina Simone.
undefined
Apr 23, 2024 • 18min

Zarrar Kahn: How his debut film depicts the horror of living in a patriarchal society

For his debut feature film, “In Flames,” the Pakistani Canadian filmmaker Zarrar Kahn pulls inspiration from his experience living in Karachi as a child. The film is about a mother and daughter who are trying to survive in Karachi as they deal with the challenging reality — and often horror — of living in a patriarchal society. Zarrar speaks with Tom about the film, what it was like confronting his childhood memories, and where his idea for the story originally came from.

The AI-powered Podcast Player

Save insights by tapping your headphones, chat with episodes, discover the best highlights - and more!
App store bannerPlay store banner
Get the app