Comic Sarah Silverman talks about her new Netflix special, PostMortem, about the death of her father and stepmother, 9 days apart. She talks with Terry Gross about how the special came to be. Also, we hear from Cole Escola, creator and star of the hit Broadway comedy Oh Mary! It's an intentionally ridiculous reimagining of first lady Mary Todd Lincoln. It portrays her as having become addicted to alcohol, not because of the Civil War, but because she's desperately yearning for her only true love, cabaret. Plus, Ken Tucker reviews new albums by Willie Nelson and Ken Pomeroy.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
Full Episode
From WHYY in Philadelphia, this is Fresh Air Weekend. I'm Sam Brigger. Today, comic, actor, and writer Sarah Silverman talks about her new Netflix comedy special, Postmortem, which is funny and emotional. It's about the death of her father and stepmother nine days apart. Also, we'll hear from Cola Scola, creator of the Broadway comedy Oh Mary.
It's an intentionally ridiculous reimagining of First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln. It portrays her as having become addicted to alcohol, not because of the Civil War, but because she's desperately yearning for her only true love.
You are not going back to that. It has a name. It doesn't deserve one. Say it. No. The thing I love more than anything on earth is cabaret. Yeah!
Plus, Ken Tucker reviews new albums by Willie Nelson and Ken Pomeroy. That's coming up on Fresh Air Weekend. This is Fresh Air Weekend. I'm Sam Brigger. Terry has our first interview. I'll let her introduce it.
I'm happy to say that comic writer and actor Sarah Silverman is back for a return visit. Her stand-up comedy is always original, brave, and funny. Whether it's talking about sex, abortion, being Jewish, racism, or just daily life, she's willing to take risks to make a point and make it funny. She regrets a few jokes she told in the past and later apologized for them.
She has a new surprising comedy special, which I'll tell you about in a moment. But first, more about Sarah. She was a writer and featured performer for one season on Saturday Night Live. She played a writer on The Larry Sanders Show. From 2007 to 2010, she starred in the series The Sarah Silverman Program.
From 2017 to 2019, she hosted the Hulu series I Love You America, in which she had conversations to help her understand people she didn't necessarily agree with. She's been in several movies, and she's a regular on the animated series Bob's Burgers. She recently roasted her friend Conan O'Brien at the Kennedy Center ceremony, at which he was awarded the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.
Her memoir The Bedwetter was adapted into an off-Broadway musical. It was recently reworked, played at the Arena Stage in Washington, D.C., and she's hoping it will move to Broadway. Now she has her fifth comedy special. It's called Postmortem. Toward the beginning of the special, she's talking about sexual fantasies and sex talk. Not surprising territory for her.
And then she quietly makes an abrupt turn to this.
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