Terry and Ira Talk

Terry Gross and Ira Glass visited Symphony Hall on Sunday (April 9). I'm not sure I have ever seen anyone presented by the Celebrity Series as - what? unfamiliar, I suppose - with showbiz routines. This is not a criticism. It was more than a little refreshing to hear the Symphony Hall staff explain how and where to get onstage, or to hear the talent ask us what happens after the performance with backstage visits, etc.

Like many performers, Terry and Ira seemed a little nervous before going onstage (Terry more so, I think). It made me realize that a) Neither Terry nor Ira does this every day (this was their second time, I learned later) and b) we usually present people profoundly comfortable with live performance (the few, the jaded). Some artists get nervous no matter what, I'm sure, but they are certainly used to the experience.

 
The chairs

Their nervousness made it all the more surprising when they went out and were perfect - perfectly themselves (though I can't presume that I suppose), perfectly ready to dig into conversation from the very beginning, perfectly happy letting the conversation go where it seemingly wanted to go, and perfectly at home talking (was it the microphones?). It was as if they had done this a hundred times before. Terry Gross was super prepared, which I have read is a hallmark of hers, and Ira Glass was as relaxed and funny as one would expect.


Ira Glass listens to Terry Gross' introduction and waits to go on

I couldn't possibly recreate any of the conversation. Any conversation that touches in some way on semiotics, bull cloning, the death of one's parents, the Baltimore accent, testicular injury and radio production is probably best left to those who were there.

I realized Sunday evening that I didn't get any photos of Terry, just the empty chairs and Ira waiting. Maybe that's OK - it didn't seem like Terry wanted her picture taken.

They were so good, some of us played a game afterward: Who-Will-Terry-Interview-Next-Year. Any thoughts? (there are no plans to do this as far as any of us know, by the way)