WGTD's The Morning Show with Greg Berg

The recent thefts at The Louvre in Paris brought to mind a past Morning Show conversation about Leonardo da Vinci and his most famous painting, the Mona Lisa, which is displayed at the Louvre. Bulent Atalay is the author of "Math and the Mona Lisa: The Art and Science of Leonardo da Vinci." This interview was recorded and initially broadcast in 2014.

Amy Neumann is founder and executive director of Resourceful Non-Profit, which assists other non-profit organizations and agencies in accessing technology (including AI) that can help them enhance their effectiveness. She is going to be the keynote speaker for the upcoming Non-Profit Leadership Conference at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside on November 12th.

Part 1- Best-selling author Tom Clavin talks about his latest book, "Running Deep: Bravery, Survival, and the True Story of the Deadliest Submarine in World War II." The book describes the crucial role played by American submarines in the Pacific Theater during World War Two (especially given the disaster suffered by the U.S. at Pearl Harbor and the way in which our naval forces were so badly compromised.) The book focuses particularly on the U.S.S. Tang, and its commander, Captain Richard Hetheringrton O'Kane- which sank more Japanese vessels and rescued more downed aviators than any other American submarine. Part 2- From 2010, Eric Blehm tells a story of heroism from the War in Afghanistan in his book "The Only Thing Worth Fighting For: How Eleven Green Berets Fought for a New Afghanistan."

We talk with Michael Clickner about the Racine Theater Guild's production of "Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors," which runs through November 9th. (He is the director of the production.) We also talk with Clickner about the 50 years that he has been active at the RTG in many different capacities.

We preview the next concert of the Belle City Brassworks with their artistic director, Doug Johnson. "Classical Brass" will occur this Sunday afternoon, November 2nd, at 3:00 - in the Frances Bedford Concert Hall on the campus of UW-Parkside.

In anticipation of the University of Wisconsin Parkside's Non-Profit Leadership Conference on November 12th, we talk with two of the organizers of the event ..... Crista Kruse, Director of Professional and Continuing Education at UW-Parkside, and Len Iaquinta, who has worked extensively in the non-profit sector for more than half a century. Beyond previewing the conference, we also talk about the exceptional challenges facing non-profit organizations and sectors today, some of the most significant principles of successful non-profits operate, and some of the intriguing ways in which the non-profit sector operates very differently from the profit-making world.

We speak with Marcus Watts, executive director of Racine Kenosha Vocational Ministry - and his predecessor, James Schatzman, founder and executive director emeritus. RKVM assists recently incarcerated persons in finding meaningful employment. Theirs is a methodical approach in which they work closely with their clients to help prepare them to flourish in the workplace.

In the wake of the sad news that PBS has had to cancel the documentary series American Experience, we are replaying some past interviews that previewed previous films in the series. From 2005, 20 years ago, is this interview with Barak Goodman in which he talks about his film "Kinsey," which examines the life and legacy of Alfred Kinsey and the sometimes controversial research which he conducted on sexual behavior. The film can be purchased on DVD - is currently available on YouTube - and may be available through the PBS app. {Goodman's most recent American Experience film, "Kissinger," airs Monday and Tuesday evening (Oct. 27 & 28.) My interview with Goodman about "Kissinger" aired Friday, the 24th of October.)

From 2012- Betsy Connor Bowen talks about her father's book "Back from Tobruk" - a memoir of his experiences as a volunteer ambulance driver during World War Two. Croswell Bowen's book was never published during his lifetime.

We speak with award-winning documentarian Barak Goodman about his latest film for the PBS series American Experience. "Kissinger" - a 2-part film airing Monday and Tuesday evening on PBS (including channel 10 in Milwaukee) - examines the life and career of Henry Kissinger, one of the most famous and controversial figures in the last sixty years. By the way, this appears to be the final film to air on the series; due to budget cuts, PBS has been forced to cancel American Experience. (Goodman is continuing to make documentaries that will air elsewhere.) Those of us who have loved this series over the years can only hope that it will return someday.

We speak with Martin McClendon about Carthage College's production of Will Eno's new adaption of Maurice Maeterlinck's classic play "The Blue Bird" as part of Carthage's New Play Initiative. The play will be performed for the next two weekends.

We talk about the production of Heathers: The Musical that is about to open at the Rhode Center for the Arts in downtown Kenosha. Our guests: Jordyn Lander, director ..... Chase Portner, assistant director/music director .... Abby Miller (Veronica)... and John Dicks (Jason "J.D." Dean.) The production opens this Friday night, October 24th, and will run through November 9th. The musical is based on the 1989 film "Heathers."

In honor of WGTD's upcoming 50th anniversary of being on the air, we speak with the station's first general manager, Gary Vaillancourt, who was at the helm when the station first went on the air in December 1975.

We speak with Dr. Matthew Restall, the Edwin Erle Sparks Professor of History and Anthropology and Director of Latin American Studies at Penn State University, about his latest book ...... "The Nine Lives of Christopher Columbus." Professor Restall examines not only what we know about Columbus and what he accomplished during his life, but also the enormous mythology that has sprung up around him and the sharp difference of opinion on whether he is someone who deserves our reverence or our scorn.

From 2011- Patrick O'Donnell talks about his book "Give Me Tomorrow: The Korean War's Greatest Untold Story: The Epic Stand of the marines of George Company."

From 2005 - John Vaillant talks about his book "The Golden Spruce"= which tells the sad story of the real-life destruction of a unique, golden-needled spruce tree in British Columbia back in 1997.

In memory of Dr. Jane Goodall, who passed away on October 1st at the age of 91, we are replaying this 2018 interview with Dale Peterson, her primary biographer (who also co-authored at least one book with her.) This particular book is titled "Ghosts of Gombe: a True Story of Love and Death in an African Wilderness." The book focuses on an incident that occurred at Gombe, where Goodall did most of her research on chimpanzees. (By the way, you might also seek out another book by Dale Peterson titled "Jane Goodall: The Woman who Redefined Man."

Part 1- Dexter Patterson, author of "Birds of the Great Lakes." He will be coming to Kenosha for a book signing Monday evening, October 20th at Blue House Books. Part 2- from the archives- Dan Koeppel , author of the memoir "To see every bird on earth: a Father, a Son, and a Lifelong Obsession." The author's father engaged for many years in what might be described as competitive bird-watching. By the end of his life, he had seen 7,000 different species of birds all around the world; at that time only ten people were known to have achieved that milestone.

We previewed Saturday night's concert by the Racine Choral Arts Society .... "Gospel Fusion" ...... with Jim Schatzman, the founder and artistic director of the group. Also participating- Pat Badger, associate director of the Racine CAS - and Ella Richardson, a member of the Greater Mount Eagle Baptist Church Choir, which is joining with the CAS in the Alpha Mass. She was a participant in the 1990 concert when Burleigh's Alpha Mass was first performed in Racine.

We speak with Lucas E. Morel and Jonathan W. White, editors of a new book called "Measuring the Man: The Writings of Frederick Douglass on Abraham Lincoln." The book is a comprehensive collection of essays, speeches and letters in which Douglass speaks of Lincoln and reveals his feelings for the man - feelings which evolved from frustration and near disdain to deep respect, reverence and even affection. For Part two, we replay a portion of a 2008 interview with John Stauffer about his dual biography "Giants: The Parallel Lives of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln."

I speak with Dr. Kevin Crosby, Professor of Physics, Astronomy and Computer Science and director of the Space Sciences program at Carthage College, about the NASA-underwritten research in which he and a number of Carthage students are engaged. Joining him are four Carthage students: seniors Teagan Steineke and Semaje Farmer, junior Juliana Alvarez, and sophomore Owen Bonnett. Professor Crosby is also Director of the NASA Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium and is working as a senior scientist at NASA. He is also the Donald Hedberg Distinguished Professor of Entrepreneurship at Cartahge.

From 2002- Dr. Kathryn Stewart talks about her book "Helping a Child with Non-Verbal Learning Disorder or Asperger's Disorder: A Parent's Guide." Please note- in recent years there has been some movement away from discussing Asperger's as a 'disorder' versus a 'syndrome.' Many people working in this field now prefer to refer to someone with Asperger's as a person who needs to be understood rather than having a problem that needs to be fixed.

Keanon Lowe, author of "Hometown Victory: A Coach's Story of Football, Fate and Coming Home." The author was working for the San Francisco' 49ers when he decided to return to his hometown to assist with the football team at his old high school. That decision was propitious because it meant that he was in the school in May of 2019 on a day when a 19-year-old student entered the school with a gun. Lowe is the person who disarmed the gunman and then pulled him into a bear hug. This remarkable book is a memoir about all of that and more.

We preview the next concert of the Racine Symphony Orchestra..... "Violins of Hope- A Concert of Remembrance and Resilience" on Saturday evening, October 11th at First Presbyterian Church. Present at the concert will be several string instruments recovered from the Holocaust and restored to their original beauty.

We talk with Joseph Tenuta, the Rogers Palmer Distinguished Professor in Business at Carthage College, about the Biz Starts Kenosha program that will begin at the Kenosha Innovation Neighborhood on Saturday, October 18th. This is a program designed to assist aspiring entrepreneurs; it includes 6 Saturday morning sessions with Carthage business faculty followed several months of followup and mentorship. The program explores such crucial matters as developing a viable business concept, designing a profit model, and successfully setting up operations. It's designed to give aspiring entrepreneurs the background, resources, and connections to successfully launch and sustain their new business.

We talk with Brian Gill - a member of the theater faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside - about their next theatrical production: an intriguing play by Anne Washburn titled "Mr. Burns: a Post-Electric Play." In this black comedy, the earth has been devastated by a catastrophe that has, among other things, destroyed the planet's power grid. The play imagines a small group of people deciding to re-enact an episode of "The Simpsons" - and how those re-enactments might change over time.

We explore the vast, exciting and disconcerting landscape of A.I. with David Eliot, author of "Artificially Intelligent: The Very Human Story of A.I."

We welcome into our studios Dr. Maggie Burk, Director of Choral Activities at Carthage College, and Polly Amborn, who has followed up a 35-year career as a choral conductor in the Kenosha Unified School District with a stint as a choral director at Carthage, which is her alma mater. Between the two of them, they will be conducting Carthage's four large choral ensembles in the Fall Choral Concert this Saturday evening, October 11th- a concert which is free and open to the public.

We preview a production of "Heathers: The Musical" being done by the Lakeland Players community theater in Elk Horn, WI. Performances are happening the first three weekends in October. We speak with the director and two members of the cast.

From the archives, we talk to the author of a book titled "Carlisle vs. Army" which tells the story of an epic football game back in 1912 that had participants such as future Olympic gold medalist Jim Thorpe, future president and general Dwight D. Eisenhower, and renowned football coach Pop Warner. In part two, also from the archives, we talk with the author of a series of books for young readers that tells the story of some extraordinary athletes.

We speak with Ruchira Gupta about "The Freedom Seeker," a novel intended for young readers - in which the main character .... a young teenage girl .... is forced to leave her homeland in search of a place where she and her parents can live in peace.

We speak with Ashley Hanson, Vice President for Enrollment from Carthage College- which has just welcomed the largest freshman class in its history despite the very challenging environment in which higher education is operating right now.

Best-selling author Mary Roach is back to talk about her most recent book, "Replaceable You: Adventures in Human Anatomy- 17 Glimpses at Human Fabrication." The book explores things like hair transplants, dentures, skin grafts, prosthetic limbs, hip transplants, and more.

We speak with Dr. Jay McRoy, Professor of English at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, about UW-P's Foreign Film Series, which is now in its 44th season. The season has already opened, but nine more outstanding foreign films remain. (Next up is a Fellini classic.) We talk about each film- and about the exciting change of venue that will occur after the first of the year when the series will move to the mainstage auditorium in The Rita.

With the film Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale showing in movie theaters across the country, we are replaying an interview from the archives in which I speak with the current occupant/owner of Highclere Castle, the beautiful castle where Downton Abbey was filmed.

As part of this weekend's homecoming festivities, four people were inducted into the school's Athletic Hall of Fame ... including longtime Carthage baseball coach Augie Schmidt, who recently retired after 38 years as coach. In honor of his legacy, we are replaying an interview that date's all the way back to the late 1990s. It was conducted by the original host of the Morning Show, Bill Guy.

We speak with longtime Kenosha journalist Karl Frederick, who for 38 years worked for the Kenosha News. In his retirement, he has become active with the Kenosha County Historical Society and has had a major hand in an oral history project called Kenosha Voices. 173 interviews have been recorded on video- most of the by Frederick - and they have included conversations with officials, company owners, educators, as well as members of the community. We are talking about this today because of the 175th anniversary of the City of Kenosha.

We preview Carthage College's groundbreaking production of the Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice rock opera JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, which will be performed the next two weekends in Carthage's Wartburg Theater. (This first weekend coincides with the school's Homecoming festivities.) We speak with Matthew Hougland, director of the school's musical theater program..... (who is also the stage director of this production) .... and three students who are headlining the cast: Annaliese Ruhs (Jesus), Vivian Alexander (Judas) and Lorelai Amborn (Pontius Pilate.)

We speak with Dr. Art Cyr - a former faculty member at Carthage College and a nationally-syndicated columnist - about various current events and issues.

Our guest is Dr. Carlo Rotella, Professor of English at Boston College, talks about his newly published memoir "What can I Get Out of This? - Teaching and Learning in a Classroom Full of Skeptics." Rotella talks about the experience of teaching a course that is affectionately known by BC students as "Core Lit" - an English literature survey course that all freshmen at the college must take..... exactly the sort of liberal arts course that some might view as fairly meaningless if not downright useless if they regard a college education as nothing more than job preparation. Rotella persuasively argues in his book that a course like "Core Lit" offers tremendous benefits to any student, no matter what their post-college aspirations happen to be. By the way, the semester that Rotella focuses on was the spring semester of 2020, which coincided with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the widespread shutdown that drastically altered every aspect of our lives, including that of the classroom.

We talk with Don Costante about his book "Beyond the Scoreboard: The Ultimate Guide to Sports Events Presentation." Costante has enjoyed a career of more than 3 decades in event presention- and has directed, produced or managed more than 2,500 live events, including 3 NBA finals and 2 MLB world series. Costante explores the nearly limitless number of details that must be addressed to make everything work. Costante says that this is the book that he wishes had existed when he was beginning in this business.

We preview this Saturday's concert by the Lake Geneva Symphony Orchestra - a program of great film music - with music director David Anderson. The concert kicks off the orchestra's 25th anniversary season.

From 2024- Best-selling author William Kuhn (a former faculty member at Carthage College) talks about "Mrs. Queen Takes the Train: a Novel" - which centers on the scenario of a bored Queen Elizabeth II managing to slip away from her courtiers for what amounts to an adventure out in the real world by taking a train ride.

From 2020- Marc Freeman, co-author of "Modern Family: The Untold Oral History of One of Television's Groundbreaking Sitcoms."

We begin with a newly-recorded interview with Adam Nimoy, talking about his memoir "The Most Human: Reconciling with my Father, Leonard Nimoy," which has just been re-released in paperback. We follow that up with excerpts from several Star Trek-related interviews from the Morning Show Archives. Those conversations feature story editor and writer D.C. Fontana as well as cast members William Shatner (James T. Kirk) and Walter Koenig (Pavel Chekov.)

We speak with Dr. Herschel Kruger, Professor of Theater at Carthage College, and three Carthage students who recently returned from the Festival Fringe in Edinburgh, Scotland- the largest performing arts festival in the world.

We speak with writer Lacy Fewer about her fascinating and moving novel "Yankeeland."

We preview the first offering in the University of Wisconsin-Parkside's Foreign Film Series - the Indian film "All We Imagine as Light," which is being screened this weekend. We speak with Jay McRoy, Professor of Cinema Studies in the Department of LIteratures and Languages at UW-Parkside. He is the coordinator of the Foreign Film Series. "All We Imagine as Light" won the Grand Prix at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival.

We talk with Kenosha's Ben DeSmidt, owner of Union Park Tavern - which is the site of a huge Oktoberfest celebration this weekend that also honors Kenosha's 175th anniversary. DeSmidt, a Professor Emeritus of Classics and Great Ideas at Carthage College, is also a newly elected member of the Wisconsin Assembly, representing the 65th Assembly District.

From 2011- Ken Jennings talks about his book "Map Head: Charting the Wide, Weird World of Geography Wonks." Jennings is renowned as the all-time record holder for most episodes won on Jeopardy (74 consecutive victories) as well as a victory in the Greatest Of All Time tournament. He now serves as host of the program. In this book, Jennings speaks both perceptively and affectionately about maps and how fascinating they can be if we simply take the time to explore them.

Alice Lovejoy discusses her book "Tales of Militant Chemistry: The Film Factory in a Century of War." The book explores the surprising connections between film companies like Kodak and the American military. (Many of the technological breakthroughs in the creation of camera film proved to be helpful in the development of certain kinds of weaponry.)