The Rev. Dr. Margaret Aymer Oget joins me to talk about Marvel Studios' film, "Black Panther." She is the First Presbyterian Church, Shreveport, D. Thomason Professor of New Testament Studies at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary and an active speaker and lecturer. We discuss many issues that intersect in the movie: genre, fantasy, science-fiction, race, feminism, liberation, and yes, even theology. We also discuss the dangers of allowing the success of up-and-coming directors like...

"Weird Al" Yankovic and his band are currently touring with "The Ridiculously Self-Indulgent, Ill-Advised Vanity Tour," and a few of the band members sit down with me over the phone before their show at the Playhouse Square in Cleveland. Guitarist Jim "Kimo" West shares stories about recording Al's first albums, and his early days performing with bassist, Steve Jay (with whom he's also touring this summer). Jon "Bermuda" Schwartz returns to this program for the second time to talk about...

Walter Brueggemann returns to discuss the topic of Sabbath as a form of rebellion against a society that has been co-opted by the culture set forth by Pharaoh in the Old Testament. We discuss the need to treat Sabbath as a serious spiritual discipline (not just a childish luxury) and other necessary subversions such as the #MeToo movement and young people speaking out against gun violence.

Billy Jonas, David LaMotte, and Dawud Wharnsby, three internationally renowned singer-songwriters, join me on the podcast this episode to talk about their touring show, Abraham Jam, a trio of performers from the three Abrahamic faiths. This episode we talk about the importance of interfaith dialogue in artistic performances like Abraham Jam and beyond. For more information, check out: AbrahamJam.com

This episode of the podcast, I got to go backstage at the newest production of "Carrie: The Musical" at the Near West Theater in Cleveland and talk to the cast and director of the show to talk in-depth about the themes of Stephen King's classic novel adapted for the stage. My guests include: Anna Parchem (Carrie White) Morgan Williams (Sue Snell) Statia Rankin (Chris Hargensen) Julie Penzvalto (Margaret White) Devon Turchan (Director) For more information on "Carrie: The Musical" and...

Lauren Reid has served as Special Series Coordinator for the Conservation Media Group. She spent two weeks aboard a boat called the Rainbow Warrior with a film crew from Greenpeace creating a video documentary series called "The Truth About Tuna." Lauren shares some stories about how this experience opened her eyes to the living conditions for many of the fishermen in the tuna industry out at sea, how the industry has been affected by stock depletion, and the impact the industry has on the...

Dacre Stoker is the great-grand-nephew of Bram Stoker, author of the classic novel, "Dracula." Dacre has devoted himself to the academic research and preservation of his famous great-grand-uncle's literary legacy. He joins the podcast to discuss how Bram Stoker's real life experiences growing up may have inspired some of the terrifying images and story in "Dracula." I am also joined by guest co-host Leah Davydov from Cleveland State University. Leah is a local vampire scholar who has also...

Chrysta Bell stars in the third season of “Twin Peaks” on Showtime directed by David Lynch. She is a recording artist, songwriter, and actress who has collaborated with Lynch since 1999. They have produced two albums together, “The Train” and an EP, “Somewhere in the Nowhere.” In 2017, she leaps into the unknown releasing her new album, “We Dissolve" (her first without the involvement of a record label or a famous Hollywood director). Chrysta Bell and I talk a little bit about the elusive...

Leslie Carrara-Rudolph is a performer and puppeteer on “Sesame Street.” She performs Abby Cadabby as well as a variety of other characters. She has performed the Muppets on “Muppets Tonight,” “The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss,” the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon,” and many, many other programs. Fans may also remember her from the film, “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” starring Jason Segel, as the evil succubus in the vampire musical. Leslie has also devoted her...

Professor Michael D. Coogan is the editor of the Oxford Annotated Bible and the Director of Publications at the Harvard Semitic Museum, and he joins me for a discussion on the book of Genesis. Professor Coogan is the author of the books, "The Ten Commandments: A Short History of an Ancient Text," "God and Sex: What the Bible Really Says," and "The Old Testament: A Historical and Literary Introduction to the Hebrew Scriptures." This episode, we talk about some of my favorite passages in...

Author and blogger Gordon Atkinson (formerly of RealLivePreacher.com) returns to talk about his new book, "Foy: On the Road to Lost," a collection of short stories about the life of his fictional character, Foy Davis. Gordon and I talk about some of our favorite Foy stories. We're given some "inside info" on how much of it is fictionalized and how much of it is based on his own experience. Gordon also talks about the influence Jungian psychology has on the mythology and psyche of Foy's...

This year, the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) voted to adopt the Belhar Confession to its Book of Confessions. This episode, I sit down with four individuals within the denomination to learn more about this confession, its history, what it means, and why its inclusion is significant. My conversations this episode include: Rev. Dr. J. Herbert Nelson, Stated Clerk of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Rev. T. Denise Anderson, Co-Moderator of the...

Award-winning songwriter, speaker and writer, David LaMotte returns to cringe for a second time! David and I sit down in his home in Black Mountain, North Carolina, to talk about his first studio album in a decade, "The Other Way Around." We go track-by-track (more or less...we jump around a fair bit), and David shares behind-the-scenes stories behind every single song from this new record...and David even performs one of them live right here on the podcast.

Broadway star, Rebecca Pitcher, joins the Cringe podcast! Rebecca is currently performing with the national touring production of the "The Sound of Music" and has starred on Broadway (and toured nationally) as Christine Daaé in "The Phantom of the Opera." Rebecca wasn't able to appear on the previous 30th Anniversary Phantom episode due to her busy touring schedule, but during a recent break from the tour, she was nice enough to come back and let me interview her for the show. Since this...

Actors Gary Mauer and Jan Horvath from Broadway's "The Phantom of the Opera" join me on the podcast to discuss the 30th anniversary of the show's debut on the London stage in 1986. Gary Mauer donned the famous mask on Broadway in 2007 and holds the record for most performances of any actor in the role of Raoul. Jan Horvath is a member of the original 1988 New York company and has played both Christine and Carlotta on Broadway. Both Gary and Jan have considerable acting and singing credits...

Ron Wasserman is a composer for television shows and has written theme songs and musical score for countless television credits such as "Spongebob Squarepants," "Hot in Cleveland" with Betty White, "The Soul Man" with Cedric the Entertainer, "Bella and the Bulldogs" on Nickelodeon, "America's Next Top Model," and "X-Men: The Animated Series." Ron made his big break when he wrote and sang the original theme tune for the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers under the pseudonym, Aaron Waters (a.k.a....

The Rev. Dr. Anna Carter Florence is the Peter Marshall Associate Professor of Preaching at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia. She is the author of the book, "Preaching as Testimony," has written several articles, and served as the editor for the book, "Inscribing the Word: Sermons and Prayers of Walter Brueggemann." This episode, Anna shares some of her favorite Broadway musicals and talks about how her background in the theater shaped her life. We also talk about how...

Jon "Bermuda" Schwartz, drummer for "Weird Al" Yankovic, joins the Cringe podcast! Bermuda will be performing around the country and beyond this summer as part of the Mandatory World Tour with Weird Al. Their latest album, "Mandatory Fun," won the Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album and debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top 200 charts! This episode, we cover a wide range of topics from Bermuda's long career in music as well some hair-raising behind-the-scenes stories from being in Al's band!...

Are human beings inherently bad or inherently good? Or are we more shades of grey? How do we understand brilliant artists like David Bowie and Woody Allen who create art that moves people but who have also faced allegations of abuse? This episode my good friend, Carrie Nelson, Skypes in to the podcast to discuss how we understand these complicated nuances - not just in celebrities but also in our own lives during the season of Lent. Carrie Nelson is the creator of Gender Across Borders....

Angie Haze of The Angie Haze Project performs live on the podcast! Angie Haze is a recording artist and producer based out of Cleveland. She has been seen performing at the Akron Civic Center, the House of Blues in Cleveland, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and countless other venues in and around the Cleveland area. This episode, Angie brings her guitar and bell shoes into my living room(!) and plays several of her songs off of her album, “Heat to Cold” live right here on the podcast. She...