June 10, 2003 - Opera lovers in Sioux Falls are trying to light the flame in hopes of it catching on in the northern plains. Two South Dakota natives, both of which are now opera stars, are performing scenes from several operas as a way of introduction. Mainstreet Radio's Cara Hetland caught up with Louis Otey, one of the performers, to talk about the efforts.
June 12, 2003 - MPR’s Greta Cunningham interviews author Regina McBride about her novel The Land of Women, which tells of a complex relationship between mother and daughter.
June 12, 2003 - MPR’s Gary Eichten talks with former Minnesota U.S. Senator Eugene McCarthy on past and current presidential campaigns, candidates, and the Presidency of George W. Bush. McCarthy also answers listener questions.
June 13, 2003 - MPR’s Lorna Benson interviews David King, drummer of the jazz trio The Bad Plus. While the band is based in New York, King resides in St. Paul. King says his music is influenced by dance, pop, and rock. But, he says even as a child, he was most captivated by jazz.
June 16, 2003 - Minnesota's Republican Governor Tim Pawlenty joins host Gary Eichten in the MPR studios to discuss current events and answer listener questions. We discuss upcoming trade trip, and other issues facing Minnesota and the nation.
June 16, 2003 - St. Paul gym teacher and hockey coach Jon Westby spent yesterday's Father's Day holiday with two rambunctious 7 year-olds -- his twin sons, Henry and James. It was a remarkable day for Westby because there was a time when he wasn't sure his sons would overcome the difficult odds they faced. Westby writes about that experience in his new book, "They Will Know They are Loved: A Family's Life with Premature Twins." He says when he first found out his wife Catherine was having twins, he was elated. But that excitement soon turned to fear.
June 16, 2003 - Actor, screenwriter, and theater director Hume Cronyn died yesterday in his home in Fairfield, Connecticut. He was 91. Cronyn and his late wife, Jessica Tandy, were the first notable actors hired by the Guthrie Theater for its opening season. Joe Dowling is the Guthrie's artistic director. He says it was an honor to know Cronyn.
June 17, 2003 - Hume Cronyn, the versatile stage and screen actor who charmed audiences with his portrayals of irascible old men and frequently paired up with his wife, Jessica Tandy, died of cancer Sunday. He was 91. His last public appearance was at the Guthrie Theater last month, when he talked with the theater's Artistic Director, Joe Dowling.
June 18, 2003 - Tracy Ringolsby, sports columnist for Rocky Mountain News, recently published an article looking at the Twins attendance figures and says The Twins should be contracted. That doesn't sit well with Minnesota Twins’ Dave St. Peter, who sees the numbers differently.
June 20, 2003 - MPR’s Mindy Ratner interviews pianist Kevin Cole, one of the foremost interpreters of George Gershwin’s music, while he is visiting the Twin Cities to perform with the Minnesota Orchestra. In the interview Cole discusses how he became a Gershwin fan at a very early age.