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I'm Cally Crossley This is the calico Rossley show. The Wilbur Theatre is bringing Wayne Brady to Boston this weekend. Not to be confused with Tom Brady or doing Wayne. If you haven't heard of Wayne Brady it's because he's not a household name. Yet unless you call the Las Vegas trip home. But he should be. A category of one when it comes to comedy as an actor singer and comedian. His talents all converge to make him one of our best improvisational comedians alive so revered for his craft. Harvard's improvisational comedy troupe has named Wayne Brady as the immediate gratification player of the year for his improv accomplishments. And this hour we're putting him to the test with our own improv challenge. But first it's another edition of pop culture ask Dog Lady Monica Collins is taking your calls on all things dogs. Up next from the canine queen to the king of comedy. First the news. From NPR News in Washington I'm Lakshmi saying the president of Syria

is pledging to lift emergency laws that he says would allow greater political freedoms and less censorship on the media. But it is trying to quell the growing anger against his government that has led to clashes with security forces and deaths in recent days. One hospital official says at least 37 people have been killed in the uprising in Iraq today. Thousands reportedly marched as funerals were held for nine of the protesters who died in the violence. Japan's nuclear safety agency says three plant workers at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear complex have been injured. NPR's Doualy psych out-I reports two of the workers are being treated for exposure to high radiation levels nuclear and plant officials say the men were trying to lay down cables that one of the reactors but radiation contaminated water got inside their protective clothing. A nuclear safety agency spokesman says the men's legs were exposed to radiation levels of 170 to 180 millisievert which could cause inflammation or swelling. The condition of the workers has not yet been released.

Japan's chief cabinet secretary Yukio Edano says this incident is regrettable. Some power has been restored at the plant but workers continue to work on starting the cooling system that was damaged by the man to 9 quake. Lisa kowtow NPR News Fukushima Prefecture. Even though elevated radiation levels were detected in Tokyo's tap water the government now says it is safe for infants to drink. People are still stocking up on bottled water though and any other basic supplies they can grab hold of leaving the shelves at many grocery stores bare. European leaders are holding a summit to talk about the Eurozone financial crisis. NPR's Philip Reeves says the gathering is coming at an urgent time for the bloc because Portugal's government has just resigned. Pundits have for months warned that Portugal will soon need a massive bailout following London Greece. Now this is even more likely. Portugal's prime minister has resigned after parliament rejected an austerity budget saying it was far too harsh. The country's in political limbo until an election is called. The financial markets

have responded by driving up interest rates on Portuguese bonds to unsustainable record levels. This twist in Europe sovereign debt crisis will dominate the EU summit opening in Brussels today. Leaders will talk about trying to stabilize the Eurozone by creating a much bigger EU bailout fund. They'll also want to discuss Libya and the profound changes sweeping through North Africa and the Middle East. Philip Reeves NPR News London. A 6.8 magnitude earthquake is reported out of me and Mar along the borders with Laos and Thailand. Authorities say the quake was six miles deep. The temblor could be felt hundreds of miles away in Bangkok where panicked residents reportedly raced into the streets when their building shook. The Dow was up 64 12000 150. This is NPR. To welcome. US today and. Good afternoon I'm Talley cross like this is the Calla Crossley Show. It's time for

another edition of pop culture. Joining me in the studio is Monica Collins aka ask dog lady or as we like to call her Queen canine mutt maven princes of pooches and the royal How high is she. Here to take your calls if you need advice about your relationship to your four legged friend. I have concerns questions about whether to get a dog or not. We're 8 7 7 3 0 1 89 70 8 7 7 3 0 1 89 70 and listeners we only have 20 minutes with Monica So time is of the essence. You can also tweet us or post a question to our Facebook page. Monica welcome back. Thank you Kelly. Let me start with some questions from the Facebook page. Jodi wants to know what's the best way to introduce a puppy to a home with an older dog. She said I think it's 11 years old the older dog. Well in the best possible of all circumstances you should have brought that older dog to the puppy. That's that's what I have heard is the best way to introduce a dog already

in the home to a new dog is to bring the older dog the dog already in the home to where you're going to get the puppy or the shelter dog or whatever. I don't know whether you can bring a dog into a shelter. I'm sure the shelter staff can direct you there but it's just a good idea not to introduce the dogs on the older dogs turf. At the very beginning I mean that's his or her that's is good. That's is you know his career that's hid. Yeah that's where he's been. Yeah. So it's a good idea to introduce them either outside or where you are getting or the puppies place of birth or origin. OK. So you know again it's a relationship thing you've got to understand that the older dog has the relationship over handedness that you absolutely absolutely you've got to respect that

relationship and you've got to respect that territory that the older dog has carved out and sniffed out and maybe even PETA. Yeah. Now when you think about it OK Christine from Rana Go ahead please you're ninety nine point seven The Kalak Rossley show. Hi Christine I think by thanking my call I appreciate it. Well fine I have a question regarding my small Greek god I had a Pomeranian chill out on what your love though. Thank you go ahead we need to turn to your old. Yeah I wanted within the past several weeks when he gets down to school and he has a pop one coming either to play or he can't. Oh right. Very quiet sometimes that are loud. Yeah I thought it suggested that it might be a luxating patella What do you call that. Oh luxating patella. I know all about luxating patella although I should tell you Christine and you know this Cali. Yes you can tell I'm not a lead is not a vet nor does she play one on the Internet or the radio. Very much

yes. My small breed has luxating patella as well and that's where the knee snaps out of alignment. And your dog has to you know get it back in which is that much it's just a little hop step and a jump but I would have this looked at by that any medical problem when you're starting off on the road should always be certified looked at consulted with you need to consult with the vet and the very can't pardon. We are we are speaking of that but you know I just heard so many different ball that you know if I want it when I was told luxating patella I was told a dog LOL. You know sometimes do wrong for you no one knows. Yes you know when it's walking and there's nothing. No pool no discomfort. Well it may be one of those things that comes in and out it fades in it fades out it will it will it will never be a terrible problem. I'm not a vet nor do I play one on the internet but I do feel like I can tell you that

it is and it is correctable by a very. I've heard successful surgery. So if you want to go that route too I've never gone that route. But yes your dog will limp the dog will hop around maybe a little but it will never be a serious serious problem. Christine thank you so much for the call. Thank you so much. Have a good day. You too. Mary from Cambridge Go ahead please you're on with Ask Dog Lady Monica Collins the Calla Crossley Show. I mean you know high calorie really great topic I have a quick question. Yes. My mother was at home with myself and my sisters He's 9 years old. She has all timers and I'm just thinking you know as a pet I thought of a cat but I think a dog is more practical because you know. Protection purposes but what would be a good you know dog. And I'm sure it wouldn't be a poppy because they're too active but what would be a good dog for someone of that age. Well that condition and I'll just take my answer off

line. Thank you. Thanks very much Mary. Well thanks Mary. I'm hesitating here for a moment because I should have asked you is is there someone in the home your mother or caretaker who has the ability to walk the dog because the dog will need to go out. Dogs are not self-contained whereas cats who know the mysteries of the universe are self-contained. But dogs need to go out. So that's the first thing you need to be the first That's the first thing. Then another thing that I might look into is bringing in an older dog. This could be a perfect situation as long as the dog will be able to go out. But there are many older dogs that are banned and because people think. Well I don't even want to know what people think. I don't even want to stretch what people think. But people abandon older dogs and this could be an ideal situation where an older smaller dog

has been abandoned and isn't a rescue or a shelter somewhere that would be ideal for your mother. This is a dog that doesn't need a lot of it's merry days are behind it as well as a calming nature. Yes there's been a couple studies dog lady on you know dogs and how they help people while in nursing homes I don't know if it's specific to Alzheimer's but I do and I also don't know and maybe this is something Mary could check into is if in those studies with the nursing home studies they specifically mention a type of dog because that might be another way to go at it as well. Because I'm not certain I know you have not read I mean I have been in studies I really haven't. We all know that Labradors are very popular in that but I'm just thinking for her mother for her age for her condition. A small or elderly elderly abandoned dog who needs a home might be an ideal dog.

OK our number 8 7 7 3 0 1 8 9 7 8 7 7 3 0 1 89 70. We're on with ass dog Lady Monica Collins and she's here to answer your questions about all things canine. And we've got only 10 minutes left so call in because typically when she's here the lines light up the last two minutes and people are very frustrated so I'm telling you now how much time we have. So if you want to get in give us a call. Monica last time you were on we had a call after the show because you were talking about bully sticks right. And we got a call from an animal dentist now many of us here did not know such a thing existed. Specialty who says she treats a lot of dogs whose teeth are broken because of Billy's tics and we talked a lot about it. So I wonder if you had any response about it from all of the readers that you have on ask dog lady has anybody complained about that. I heard of this. I mean I heard of this question that had come in and none in all the WAG wanks that I follow. It's never been discussed.

However this is interesting anecdotal and information and people should take that into account when deciding what is best for their dogs. Some peer it's like having a child. Some parents feed their child vegan. Some parents feed their child count chalk. So it's up to you how you want to deal with your dog's need to chew. I have heard of a new Choose that I would like to share. OK what if there are two whack each is OK but I'll share with you reindeer antlers are the hot chew at the moment are they really reindeer and lawyers Yes they're really reindeer OK when they fight let's hopefully they just fall off and are collected. Absolutely I hope that all right. OK let's hope we do not have an elephant tusk situation going on here. But yes that antlers are cruel and they are for sale in some dog stores. Mostly the boutique types. Another our Himalayan dog chews and these.

Incredibly I made from yak milk oh wow. And there choose Wow. And they're very good. So these are alternatives to ballistics. All right. OK well we have he's a guy the ballistics are not good for your dog. OK very good. So if you decide those are two good suggestions and dog lady will give them to our producer and we'll post them on our Facebook page and also be on her Facebook page. Yes C.J. Boston C.J. from Boston sorry. Go ahead please. Yeah I got a quick question I have an older dog she's about seven years old. Yeah she's a boxer mix. And I'm going to live on a syllable here at least maybe permanently and I was thinking What's the best way to adjust her to look at us and I'll take my answer off white Thank you very much T.J. I want to let a life change and with a dog and I I I like to ask people what the name of their dog is like being referred to. Well next time with a we're sorry I mean OK but OK let's you know the name of the the biggest problem I

think with having a dog on a sailboat is that you have to go into port for the dog to relieve itself unless you create a space for the dog to go on the boat. Well you know I think he's got what he has to go on the boat so there must be he's going to have to do it well here. It was a pilot facility Yeah but a dog. Usually people have to go into port more code. Yeah well I'm sure he's thought of that. We're going to assume C.J. thought of that also. Let's talk about seasickness I don't know whether I remember going on a boat with my dog the first time and I don't think my dog was seasick but that feeling of being on the water on a on a on a platform on the water that's like rocking. Yeah it was very disconcerting to him and he was very disconcerted until until he saw another dog on this bus. And then dogs are so funny because when they see another dog they're like OK I don't know where I am but wherever it is another

one is here so I'm OK. All right well it sounds like it probably can be OK if you just have to think about it. Yes he does. I'm also has a dog bed on the boat and all the accommodations for the dog. What a great companion though I would think on that line absolutely truly very nice send from a coo shit. Please go ahead. Hi thank you for having me on your show. I think you know a little going to have sort through what I have. You know it's just you know direct mail. Yeah. And he's a very good pet. One problem with him is that you know what is it. No pope. And so the absolute possible moment and I'm like OK well we've been out here now 15 minutes marching around in the belly. He's trained you well he really has what's his name. His name is Baby B capital B capital B O U B. OK as in baby but yeah OK

so he's a great dog. Now I do take him into a very large open field. Yeah. Is very safe for him I live in a fairly rural area and as soon as we're away from anything that could harm him like getting too close to the route. Softly Yeah. Now he did not know in the beginning want to come when he was called. Yeah but I bought some very high quality training trees which are dehydrated chicken breast. Yeah and he loves those and will pretty much stand on his head for them. OK so now you just won't do his business that's the problem until the end. Yeah no well he's figured out he's figured out that smart little TV he's figured out he loves that outdoor time and he's figured out that is soon as he goes Number two you go home. We don't you don't you see he came with this learned behavior.

Yeah. And in order to try to retrain him. We don't go right home after he does. Is this OK. We always stay out at least another 10 minutes if not longer. OK so that he could understand now this is gone. I took him in right in the middle of December. So we're talking to January to February to March. But how I'm a little over 90 days now. OK you're still in the new You're still new with him so. So he's just still testing me. Right exactly. OK. Because we do I and I understand I have had dogs for years I used to raise and so Jack Russell terriers. Oh no I I have a very good understanding of this small dog mentality. Ok it's very shrewd. Thank you so much for the call. Thank you. Jane from Groton Go

ahead please. Hi Kelly so happy to hear your voice and dog person and I'm thrilled to talk to you. Well as Don used to talk to you. All right. Little white dog my daughter has adopted from friends of hers it wasn't a shelter dog. They bought the dog. But since my daughter has had it for the last six months whenever she bring the same excuse of the dog is fantastic and whenever she brings him to someone else's house he marks the house you know all the different rooms. Oh yeah. Some way to prevent that. And I think what you have to do is first of all what's the name of the dog. Don't just mean well it was something else it's now Mr. Mister. OK Mr. hysteria was Whitey but it. You know like Mr Fraser named Mr. I love I when of my affection names for my dogs Mister Mister Mister. Yeah. You gotta keep the dog on the leash when you go and you know you got to you can't let the dog run all over the house and Mark every room as

his own and you make sure the dog is very well walked before you go visiting. Also and you've just got to control the dog. You can't just walk into the house and let the dog go and do whatever he wants. OK so the dog is still feeling maybe feeling a little and secure going to a new place and when dogs feel insecure they have to mark and whatever they can say OK but I would just I would hold the dog very tightly on a leash. When when you first are visiting places the dog will eventually. And also then have the dog sit next to you. Well yes and and when ever the dog gets up and wants to move somewhere you are right on that creature and you treat it like run for the door if you feed the dog about to do that. Now I wouldn't run for a dog I mean run for that door. I'd run for the dog and

if you want to take the dog out then fine but the dog should've been very well walk before you went to visit OK. OK great. Thank you again and let me tell you as a friend of as dog lady I would not be happy if the dog is marking its territory in all my various rooms. Hey listen I have a story about this. I went over to see a very good friend who has a lovely home in Wellesley. Beautiful Christmas tree all set up and we walked in man the dog the dog runs right to the Christmas tree and lifts its leg. It was embarrassing that was really embarrassing. It was appropriate I was embarrassing. And that's from ass dog lady. Yes yes I had I you know I learned after that that I have to keep very close eye on him when we go visiting So he's on a leash when he's on a leash. OK it's not at all allowed free range so ask dog lady healed myself. Hilde I. Just. All right well I am sorry for the people who are still lined up we'll

have another edition of pop culture I promise. Coming up soon. Thank you so much Doug lady. Thank you Carol. I'm Cally Crossley you've been listening to another edition of pop culture with Monica Collins. She writes Ask dog lady the syndicated pet lifestyle advice column. You can go to ask dog lady dot com to ask a question or make a comment or visit the ask dog lady Facebook fan page. Up next it's actor singer and improv genius Wayne Brady. First we're taking a break however to hear how you can support the programming that WGBH brings you every day from the Cali Crossley Show to the Emily Rooney show. You're listening to listener supported WGBH eighty nine point seven. Support for WGBH comes from you and from the New England mobile book fair in Newton. For 54 years. New England's independent bookstore. The New England

mobile book fair. Find them online at an e-book fair dot com. That's an e-book fair dot com. Hi my name is Adam Cole and I wrote and recorded good radiation which is a hip hop video tribute to public radio. I graduated from college this last year. And then I came home was unemployed. And so I had a lot of time on my hands and there were a lot of projects I wanted to work on including some things for you to do. This song goes out to all the NPR listeners. Going to was from this one. Yes. I'm only guessing. What's. The best take into the rhythm's been in my throat. I got an sat and spoke with you it just it really surprised me how much attention it got. I think right now it's at one hundred forty seven thousand hits. I think it was a sort of funny to me how stereotypically not hip

hop and Jarod's LIKE WAIT WAIT DON'T TELL ME. Drive because like the like or a cell I think part of the reason that it's gained some popularity is that it celebrates something that people value and they don't get to celebrate it that often. A good place to live if I could. And unemployed students there. The only thing I have to give NPR is my in less amount of time. But I hope everyone out there can give a little bit of money to

support their local NPR station. Oh. You can sing it or say it when you call 8 8 8 8 9 7 9 4 2 4. Or just do your part silently online at WGBH dot org. We're in the midst of WGBH is March community campaign and we need it when we use the word community in that phrase we are all one. We are all together that is in this public radio community. You're very important as a listener I hope you can step up to the plate this afternoon and be a contributor as well. You can make an additional gift if you're already a member. This might be the most important time to advocate for public radio. I'm Naomi Ehrenberg joined in studio today I'm happy to say by Darin Winkle from our membership department. Thanks Naomi and we already know that you enjoy public radio but which you might not know is that your dog does too. You just can't tell you. But they enjoy the beach enjoy public radio and now we have wait for

them to really show their appreciation for public radio and that is with your contribution of thirty five dollars going to something very funny we're going to send you. The brand new official WGBH dog leash. It's great for a smaller mid-sized dog it's 15 feet in length fully retractable and has a comfortable blue handle on the handle it says with means I love WGBH so do it for yourself do it for your dog $35 contribution right now to WGBH at 8 8 9 7 9 4 2 4 online the WGBH door where you can see an image of the WGBH dog leash. WGBH dot org or on the phone that is it 8 8 8 8 9 7 9 4 2 4. Here's a recap of a gif that we mentioned earlier this afternoon for your sustaining gift of $6 and 25 cents a month at $6 and 25 cents either withdrawn from a bank account or put on a credit card monthly. We would love to send you that this American life. You as Dr.. It is packed with 35 beloved

episodes from This American Life that actually have been hand picked by Ira Glass and his crew. The best part is you can't get this material anywhere else you can't go online to Amazon you can't walk to your local bookstore or even walk in here WGBH. You have to call or go online at WGBH dot org again the number 8 8 8 9 7 9 4 2 4 ask for your THIS AMERICAN LIFE us be Dr.. It's really important here for you right now we're getting down to the final few days of the campaign so to encourage you to go to the phone today everyone who supports you 9.7 with a gift in any amount will automatically be qualified to win an Amazon Kindle That's right. So it's why fi Kindle so I hope you'll go to the phone right now and get involved at whatever level is right for you a gift in any amount would qualify you to win this Amazon Kindle we're so pleased to be able to offer this to you. But you can't win if you don't enter so go to the phone right now. Hit it 8 8 9 7 9 4 2 4. And I should tell you that you don't need to contribute to enter your name to the drawing but we hope that you will right now. Either by

phone at 8 8 8 8 9 7 1 4 2 4 or online at WGBH dot org. Our drive is winding down and that means if we haven't heard from you with a pledge of support your time is limited we hope to hear from you this afternoon we're looking for 13 more calls before 2:00 o'clock this afternoon calls at 8 8 8 8 9 7 9 4 2 4. Or listeners who pledge online at WGBH dot org. Thanks ever so much for being part of this public radio community and tuning into the Cali Crossley Show. We hope that you will become a lot a contributing listener. Well ever wonder what your dog is trying to tell you. Well luckily for you we here at WGBH speak fluent dog and you might not have guessed it your dog happens to love public radio. It's true and he's been trying to tell you that for quite some time right. Oh sorry girl. She says that when you support eighty nine point seven with a

gift of just $35 WGBH will say with the official WGBH dogs. See it online at WGBH dot org. What's that. I. Forgive you. I'm Cally Crossley This is the Cali Crossley Show Well you know it's live radio so my guest Wayne Brady is somewhere on the freeway on his way. And thank goodness we put the leash on the WGBH leash. Thanks Dog Lady Monica Collins and kept her in her chair to answer to keep on talking about dogs while we have a few minutes waiting for my guest. And there's always more comments that we can squeeze in. So I'm happy to have you listen from our Facebook comment Avery wants to know some dog friendly places in Boston to take our dog on outings with us. Do you have any suggestions. Oh my goodness. There are MANY MANY MANY MANY MANY. One place that I think of. Two places right off the top. One is the great hills great blue

hills around the Milton area which is a wonderful place with trails and you can go and you can go with your dog. Another place is the fells reservation in Medford. These You have to look up Google in because I can't give you directions right off the bat but it's in Medford. Great Blue Hills isn't Milton. These are wonderful places just to go outside with your dog right in the Boston area. Another place is Fresh Pond reservation right in Cambridge. This is a wonderful place a wonderful walk around a reservoir it's two and a half miles. And that brings me to some you know if we can dog News. Yeah. Tara Parker-Pope who writes for The New York Times did a piece about how dog owners who go for regular walks. Sixty percent of them met the federal criteria for regular moderate or vigorous exercise isn't that great. Yeah it's what I've always been saying yeah.

But thank goodness for Tara Parker-Pope she's my favorite health columnist. She writes for The New York Times. She has found actual studies that she wrote about last week where we're walking a dog for a half hour a day gives the human body its mandatory requirement of exercise which is not to mention what it does for the dog. Exactly. Well her one of the studies as she quotes is from Michigan State University. Fifty nine hundred people in Michigan and colluding. Twenty one hundred more than 100 own dogs. Two thirds of the dog owners took their pets for regular walks defined as lasting at least 10 minutes but most of them 30 minutes or more. And the study said they're in better shape. It's like going to the gym really. Well that is the wonderful I never knew this when I got a dog. When I got to the people that knew me best were very be funnelled by this but I had no idea of knowing how much this would help me just physically.

Just to get out of the house that sometimes a pet in the house is what gets you out of the house and it's just what you need. I knew I'd have to take the dog out for a walk but I had no idea how good this would be for me. So having a dog is a important important motivator. However in the comments section on that same Tara Parker-Pope article there was a critic who said I love reading Reader comment Yeah and I realize this is a controversial thing but I do love reading the comments especially comments of the New York Times are pretty good. But somebody wrote How dare you write about dogs as a lifestyle accessory. Well dogs are not lifestyle accessories and this woman had a good point if she was seeing it that way. But in terms of your life style a dog definitely adds to your life style. We're speaking with Ask dog lady mutt maven and ask Dog Lady Monica

Collins who we're talking about a piece by Tara Parker-Pope in the New York Times which flatly cited several studies saying that people who walk their dogs actually get some great exercise for themselves. Here's a great quote from the article. You need to walk and so does your dog says Rebecca Johnson director of the human animal interaction research center at the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine. It's good for both inns of the leash. I thought that was great that is really good. That was really good. So that Facebook questioner who asked about where to go in the Boston area I just gave two well three with Fresh Pond. But any big walk you take with your dog is just ideal for you ideal for your dog and also this was something I didn't understand either Cali. Yeah that when you do activity with your dog. It builds the bond between you and your animal. It really does it builds that bond. Your dog begins to see you as the I don't want to go all Cesar Milan on you but the dog begins to

see you is that dog. Yeah right I think as that cut you know it's that leader who's leading him or her off on a wonderful adventure and I think that that is an important thing. Well Dog Lenny thanks a lot for that bit of information and thanks for sitting in while we waited for my guest Wayne Brady to come in. He and Michelle are now finished walking his dog I'm guessing and he's here now. So thank you very much. Oh my. Goodness. I'm Cally Crossley This is the Kelly Crossley Show tomorrow my guest Wayne Brady will be at Harvard where the comedy troupe the immediate gratification players will present him with the player of the Year award which honors people with exceptional improvisational skills. You're listening to Wayne Brady as he sings James Brown. Wayne Brady will also be at the Wilbur Theatre this Saturday for two performances. He's an Emmy Award winning actor singer comedian who is perhaps best known for his work as the regular on the TV series Whose Line Is It Anyway.

Currently he's the host of Let's Make A Deal. Wayne Brady welcome. Thank you so much. We would say the very late Wayne Brady but that might mean something else. We're glad. Yes. Well thank you so much for having me. OK. When I got to ask you're a guy born in Georgia raised in Florida and you ended up when I first came to know you on Whose Line Is It Anyway which was a great improv show hosted by Drew Carey. But you came to Drew's attention because you were on the British version of that. How did you get there. I mean what was the trajectory from growing up in Florida to becoming the. I can't even say triple threat you're like a quadruple threat that you are today. Well see folks look at TV And of course your point of origin when they see you. That's where life begins exactly. They think that all of a sudden you popped out. And no you know I'd been working for years already. I've been doing this since I was 16 I've been on TV since I was 16 I've been acting on and in movies and touring and and just basically doing anything that I could do to work because that's

what was drilled into me when I was a kid that it was that it wasn't such a good thing to get to be a triple threat it was more so. Hey you try to develop every skill you can because this isn't a regular business like plumbing or architecture. If you're an architect you learn to draw up the plans and you be the best at that. And that's what you get hired as in this if you can't do what the casting director or someone needs you to do then you're at Starbucks asking someone for the foam on their latte. So so when I started my my teacher Karen said hey you know what you learn to sing you learn to dance you learn to do everything that you can so that if if. So you can be the most valuable person in the room and that's just what I took to heart and and Drew just to set something straight Drew didn't create the show or or or have anything to do with it drew was hired as the host. I've already done that tenth season of the British version and and I was going about my merry way because no one knew that it was going to come to the states and then drew and Ryan of

course were on The Drew Carey Show and drew a huge fan of improv and a great big supporter loves Ryan of course. Ryan is friends with the creator Dan Patterson. They took it ABC and ABC just like any network in their wisdom said. I said Oh improv an improv show. What do you mean a whole cast where they just make stuff up. Yeah that's it. It's not going to work. Oh no but it's worked overseas for 10 years. Nonono do they use big words. Well yeah you know it's too smart. No no no I can't. And then Drew of course was the biggest star in ABC at the time. And they said OK if Drew wants to do it sure we will throw you a few episodes. And then the Creator didn't like me gave me one shot and that one shot turned into a regular gig and you know it's off to the races from there. Well the show was fabulous and your work on it was even more fabulous and as I said that's where I came to know who you were. And I so much knew who you were that when I was talking to my team about your coming on to talk to us today I recalled

my very favorite scene my very favorite improv scene from I mean there were many but this one just stuck with me and I said we got to get a clip for our listeners to hear when Wayne Brady improvised a song to the retired lunch lady Whose Line Is It Anyway. And I don't know if you remember but you were asked to do it as a stripper. Oh Grammer So you would appear at this woman's house in an imaginary way and sing a song to her about being a lunch lady but as a stripper. So here we have a clip for our listeners to hear here you are on Whose Line Is It Anyway singing to Lady the retired lunch lady. The. Problem. We. Think. That.

When I just fell on the floor when I saw that I was impressed by demands first of all I was a fairy Fuddy bit and the fact that you could come up with it in seconds which is the whole essence of improv. That's the thing if you couldn't come up with it then it would be written. And so I'm lucky that that's in the tool box but I completely remember doing that. I mean that was one of my first things on the show and I know whose line a lot and that's why even coming out and being honored by by the guys over at Harvard it's a huge deal for for me in my head because improv is never a destination folks go oh you're the improv guy and that's not the destination. No one sets out Oh please I didn't you you don't have to say I'm going to be known

as the improv guy. I'm an actor and that's and improv is just one thing that was in the tool chest that now in hindsight I'm so happy that I cultivated and I'm happy that as a kid you know I had a big imagination and a lot of time to make stuff up to myself and and and still kept that part of me active when I moved out here to Los Angeles because you know we all move out here for different reasons and and everybody wants wants to be the next dead sailor the next dude doing these things and and you never know where God in life is going to take you so. So who knew that making stuff up could be the thing that would ultimately bring me so much fun and enable me to travel all over the world and have fans all over the world and be able to come out to Harvard and and do shows in Boston and talk like that really lost my hand. And Las Vegas you know among other things. Think about improv and this is what the young people over at Harvard are saying is that it's just you know that such a heightened skill to be able to take your

immediate environment. That's why they call themselves the immediate gratification players and do something with it and to make these monologues that you'll deliver and by the way you will be doing a performance for them when you accept the honor tomorrow. But here's what I question for me is how does improv influence every other thing in your toolbox you mentioned your tool box and all the talent and skill that you have. But it seems to me that improv is really the base of that for you how does it influence you. Well it isn't the bass because it can't be the bass because it's it's more like the sauce on whatever you're doing because. The base is knowing your skills that if you give me a script I have I've got to know the lines and I've got to be able to deliver them. Now the Improv on top of that is is is I can go off of that script and add color to it and and the way that I've used that and everything else that I've done is I've done a lot of host and MC work even pre pre-TV you know doing pageants and whatnot and. And when I worked on cruise

ships I used to sing in top 40 bands on the cruise ships and as a singer dancer and they would always have me be the host as well. And that's just being able to walk on stage and go all right. I'm completely open to whatever's going to happen and go and so I use that same muscle. If it's a scripted thing that if the director wants me to go off the page who then I'm confident with that. If I'm improvising a song on stage I already have my tools as a singer and as a songwriter in place. Now I'm just going to pour the improv sauce on it. If I'm doing another type of performance then I pour the Improv on top so. So it's the other way around that improv thing has helped me with everything else but I have to have all the basics first. Do you think there's more appreciation of improv today than there has been or people really understand it. I think definitely because of who's in line coming to the forefront years ago because there really hasn't been another successful improv show in that fashion. You know folks have tried. It's very hard for me to get down and I think that the public more so

recognizes the fact now that it is a difficult thing to do. The the other side of that coin in the disrespect of improv and when folks go oh you didn't make that stuff up. I saw the show. I know you didn't make it. Well yeah I did You don't know what's going on in my head. But people can't believe it sometimes because there's so much bad improv. I mean people on the daily. God bless them and their little souls that will come up to me. Hey I'm an improv troupe and I go that's awesome that's that. That's great. And if I get a free chance you know I'll go and check folks out. There are more people that do it poorly because they see. The end result on TV they haven't done the work to get to that point. Ok it's like like when people do impersonations when someone does does a Bill Cosby sometimes they're not really doing because B they're doing Eddie Murphy's version of cause B when Eddie Murphy did be back in the day on his standup special. So you're kind of doing the third generation and the second hand version of it that you really didn't take time to be in the trenches doing shows

six seven nights a week sucking at those shows being being unafraid to be bad knowing that what you just did wasn't very good. But you going to get the chance to be better at it next show and doing that night after night in the trenches and at the same. And that goes for improv standup or theater. You have to be bad at a certain point and people kind of jump that step. Well we're speaking with Wayne Brady My guest who is going to be doing two shows at the Wilbur Theatre this Saturday and being honored at Harvard tomorrow for his improvisational skills among other skills singing and dancing and comedy. May we offer an improvisational challenge to you at this moment. Can you take one. I would love to the thing is and here is the thing that I have a problem with the radio interviews because I'm not there with you. And even when you've played that clip it's funny to you because you've seen it and it's funny to me because I know improv is always and that's why it's instant gratification you know like my friends at Harvard said yeah it happens on the spot and lives in that

moment and that's what makes it so dope is as you just saw something happen that hasn't happened before and won't happen again. And you see it on the spot you see it live you see the whole thing come together. So I could do an improvisation right now. OK so how much for you right. But I'm telling you odds are it won't be the completely satisfactory experience because there's no audience to get something from. There was none of that energy. And then so I'm damned if I do damned if I don't because if I do it and it's not incredible because folks can't see it or appreciate what's going on like he's not I or if I'd say Well no I'd rather not do it. Then I look like I can't. Now we know you can do it so if you don't want to that's why. And we were we were just curious we had some funny thing that we thought would be funny for us for our for our listeners we're pretty good at appreciating your skill and talent. Believe me. Why don't you. Yeah sure. OK. All right well you know. You know we're in the middle of pledge season here at WGBH. Wayne Brady and so here are

some of the things that we're giving away as a part for people who pledge support for WGBH and I thought I'd give them to you and we can give you a little background music from James Brown and you see what you could do with it. So we're giving away one Celtic sell your own CD a CD of Celtic music one past of the planetarium Celtic music rather one past of the planetarium one GBH cat bowl at the Lobo says meow meow I love WGBH. Ok sorry. No I'm not writing is just throwing stuff out and like the James Brown music you know that's kind of that's in your head. But that's the thing. That's what I'm talking about. Anyway I give are you ok. And really all of. That. That's that's horrible. That's horrible I. Would not comediennes not you not you guys me. That would be horrible for me to just do that I don't want to because like when you don't think you know that I do want of throwing OK through

a litany of stuff OK if you even got like a rap track that would make sense. And then if you want to I don't know if you're set up to take calls because that's the thing thing that's missing the audience interaction is missing and you know what I did want to mention that that's what you do in your Las Vegas show. The audience gives you all of these clues and you just go with it whatever they put Absolutely. That's what I'm talking about and I do that not just in Las Vegas I mean I tour everywhere but that's the main thing that I think separates improv from the other stuff. Arts is the fact that it's not passive. That not normally when you go to see a show no. No matter how wonderful it is you go to go see you know Les Miz or something. You were there for the full nine hours. Watching this beautiful pageant. Nothing is required of you except to watch when I come out and do a show from the time I hit the stage. It's getting things from you guys in the audience. I can grab anybody at anytime bring you up on stage. I'll take suggestions from you

and and immediately take those suggestions and spin them into the next thing. And you can't get that anywhere else. So everybody's always on the edge of their seats because I even say Say the beginning is that this is not just oh hey look I'm watching TV I'm going to come down in the audience and I'm going to be in the middle of you guys. And then where we're going to do this. And so it's very 21st century but you know in terms of the interactivity. Absolutely. Absolutely and I think I think that's one of the last great great places to get that connectivity is you're not just watching but you're also a part. But even when I try to make you a part in no way shape or form and I try to make anyone look stupid or or try to call someone out. It's really just just a few if you will the Improv and have fun. So so if you've got a rap track or something and you want to give me a topic or some of the things on your list Yeah we can go. You know what I'm going to let our listeners make their way to the Wilbur Theatre to see it and live it in person as you've

said. I would love that. I would like to just we got to bring this to a close and just suggest to those who may be listening that you seem to do the perfect guy to do the Oscars. You've got the singing you've got the comedy you've got the Improv. You know Hey that's it should be you. Thank you you know what that would be an awesome awesome thing to happen but if it happens then then I'm ready for it. I look at guys like you know James Franco and and I think you know exactly but it could have done a ton of interview since since the Oscars and folks are lambasting him and all he was horrible at it. You know he actually did one of the things that we try to do in improv. You have to be ready to sell. It's an imperfect art but the thing about improv is how do you recover. And he he was pretty fearless. He was he quite never recovered. But he was fearless but we know they were coming out here and ready no matter what happens we know the Ricker recover I'm going to be looking for you in that role and we're going out to Wayne Brady. Your song your version of A Change

Is Gonna Come from your 2008 album a long time coming. There's a bio pic being made of Sam Cooke. You're the guy that's what I say. Thank you so much. Thank you so much sweetheart. Thank you my guest Wayne Brady is an Emmy Award winning actor singer comedian who's perhaps best known for his work as a regular on the TV series Whose Line Is It Anyway. Currently he's the host of Let's Make A Deal. You can catch him this Saturday at the Wilbur Theatre at 7 p.m. or 9:45 p.m. to learn more visit our website or log on to the Wilbert theater dot com. Support for WGBH comes from you and from Boston Private Bank and Trust Company Boston private bank provides private and commercial banking and investment management and trust services to individuals and businesses. You can learn more by visiting Boston private bank dot com and from masterpiece Sunday night at 9:00 on WGBH to. Continuing its repeat performance of the popular mini series Downton Abbey. Revisit Downton Abbey on Masterpiece Classic Sunday night at 9:00 on WGBH too.

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