Entertainment

Hagen taught acting for more than 40 years, working with such actors as Jack Lemmon, Sigourney Weaver, Matthew Broderick and the late Geraldine Page. Her first book about acting, "Respect for Acting" was published in 1973 and is still in print. Her follow up to that is the book "A Challenge for the Actor." (1991) She and her late husband Herbert Berghof founded the HB Studio in New York.

The singer and pianist has a new CD titled "Sing It" on Rounder Records. It features her with Tracey Nelson and Irma Thomas. She has been compared with Fats Domino, Professor Longhair, Dr. John, Leon Russell, and, Jerry Lee Lewis. She's been called the bayou queen of the piano. Her latest solo album came out last year on Rounder. "Let Me Play With Your Poodle." The concert was recorded in September in Austin, Texas as a benefit for the public radio station KUT.

Nelson is best known for her work leading the Mother Earth band from the 1960s and 70s. Her hits included "Down So Low" and "Mother Earth." A collection of her hits "The Best of Tracy Nelson/Mother Earth" (Reprise) came out in 1996. She has a number of albums on Rounder: "Homemade Songs/Come See About Me," "In the Here and Now," "I Feel So Good" and "Move On." She's also got a new recording in which she teams up with Marcia Ball and Irma Thomas, "Sing it!" (Rounder).

Score co-stars in the new film "What Dreams May Come", opposite Robin Williams. She has also appeared in such films as "Cop Land," "The Hand That Rocks The Cradle," "The Addiction," "Mr Jealousy," and "Jungle Fever."

Barry is best known for his play, "The Steward of Christendom," as well as for his commentaries on the troubles in Ireland for the The New York Times. He's written a new novel, "The Whereabouts of Eneas McNulty" (Viking). It's about a naive Irishman who joins the British Merchant Navy during World War I, and then is blacklisted from his beloved hometown by the Royal Irish Constabulatory. A review from Kirkus Reviews says the book is "one of the best novels out of Ireland in many a year."

We remember Jeff Moss, one of the original creators and writers of "Sesame Street." He died Thursday, at the age of 56, from colon cancer. Moss created Cookie Monster and Oscar the Grouch, and wrote such songs as "Rubber Ducky" and "People in Your Neighborhood." He won 14 Emmy's, four Grammy's, and an Acacdemy 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" (REBROADCAST from 11/30/94)

Political satirist and impressionist Jim Morris. He began lampooning the presidents at about the time Ronald Reagan was sworn into office. Since then he's impersonated George Bush and Bill Clinton. He'll discuss what he's done with his act since the Clinton scandal broke.

Murch re-edited Orson Well's 1958 film "Touch of Evil." At the time of the film's initial release, the studio remixed the film to Well's displeasure. He fired off a letter with suggested changes. With those notes as their guide, Murch and re-edit producer Rick Schmidlin have reconstructed the film to Well's intentions. Some of the other films he's edited and/or mixed are "The Conversation," "American Graffiti," "Apocalypse Now," "The Godfather (II, and III)"and "The English Patient."

Sherman has a new album called "A Lady Must Live." She has been a long-time favorite of Manhattan's night life. Her new album features many American classic songs by Kurt Weill, Ira Gershwin, Dizzy Gillespie, Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn and Cole Porter.

Levy wrote "Rat Pack Confidential: Frank, Dean, Sammy, Peter, Joey & the Last Great Showbiz Party" (Doubleday). It's about the circle of showbiz pals who played and later performed together. It included Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr., Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop. Levy is also the author of the biography, "King of Comedy: The Life and Art of Jerry Lewis."

Actor Joe Mantegna. He's best known for his work with playwright David Mamet in the films "Homicide," "House of Games" and the plays "Speed-the Plow" and "Glengarry Glen Ross." He's currently starring as Dean Martin in the HBO film, "The Rat Pack." (it debuts August 22)

Schiavelli just written a memoir about growing up in Brooklyn, New York. It's called "Bruculinu, America: Remembrances of Sicilian-American Brooklyn, Told in Stories and Recipes." (Houghton Mifflin) Schiavelli is a character actor who's been in the films "Ghost," "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest," "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" and "The People Vs. Larry Flynt."

Hoskins starred in "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?" "The Long Good Friday," "Mona Lisa," and "The Cotton Club." He also directed the two films, "The Raggedy Rawney" and "The Rainbow." Recently he starred in the British film "TwentyFourSeven." It won him the best actor award at the European Film Awards this year.

We feature a special radio documentary about one guy's infatuation with what might have been. As a child, Dan Gediman was chosen to be one of the "Zoom" kids on the 1970s public television show "Zoom." But the deal fell through. As an adult Gediman went to find and interview the kids who were on the show to see what he missed. This segment can also be heard on the next edition of the Public Radio International program This American Life, from WBEZ.

Simmons portrays a neo-Nazi in the graphic and disturbing drama of life in a maximum security prison. The show is produced by Tom Fontana, who also wrote and produced "Homicide: Life on the Street." "Oz" just launched its second season earlier this month. Simmons' film credits include "The Jackal" and "Extreme Measures." His TV credits include: "Law and Order," "Homicide" and "Spin City."

Jay has been called "one of the greatest sleight of hand artist in the world." He is the star of the off-Broadway show "Ricky Jay and his 52 Assistants" which is directed by David Mamet.

Farmer is a member of the Cayuga Six Nations tribe from Canada. He stars in the new film "Smoke Signals," based on the story by Sherman Alexie. Farmer starred in the recent Jim Jarmusch film, "Dead Man" and the 1989 film "Powwow Highway," as well as numerous other films, plays, and television shows. Farmer also is publisher of "AboriginalVOICES: The Magazine of Evolving Native American Arts & Culture."

Songwriter, musician and former leader of the Creedence Clearwater Revival, John Fogerty. He wrote the hits "Born on the Bayou," "Susie Q," "Who'll Stop the Rain," "Proud Mary" and "Bad Moon Rising." He was with the band from 1967 to 1972. His blend of rock, blues, country and bluegrass has influenced a generation of musicians. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Last year he released a solo album of new songs "Blue Moon Swamp" (Warner) and went on tour.

Eigeman is currently starring in two films "The Last Days of Disco" and "Mr. Jealousy." In "Mr. Jealousy" he plays Dashiell, the ex-boyfriend of Ramona, played by Annabella Sciorra, a young woman who falls in love with Lester, played by Eric Stoltz. Eigeman has spent the last decade working with two film directors: Noah Baumbach ("Kicking and Screaming") and Whit Stillman ("Metropolitan," "Barcelona" and "The Last Days of Disco").