Q: The Podcast From Cbc Radio

When Es Devlin was growing up and going to concerts, and looked at the stage, she saw an opportunity for improvement. It’s that very aspiration to make concerts look better that’s lef her to a groundbreaking career in set design, working with the likes of Adele, Beyoncé, and The Rolling Stones. Ed joins Tom to talk about the music that inspired her artistic direction, how experiencing art is multi-sensory, and what it was like designing the set for the 2022 Super Bowl halftime show. Plus, DJ Karaba walked away from her lifelong dream at the height of her success —she was a backup dancer for artists like Drake, Selena Gomez, and Camilla Cabello. Now, DJ Karaba is pursuing a new dream, making music of her own. DJ Karaba tells Tom about her new Juno nominated song Mad Mess, how her experience as a dancer helps her create dance music, and how she found the courage to start anew in her creative career.

From Batman to Beetlejuice, Michael Keaton has played iconic roles for four decades. He talks to Tom about directing his new film, “Knox Goes Away,” what he’s learned from working with directors Tim Burton and Steven Soderbergh,  and what it was like working on Mister Rogers Neighborhood early in his career.

25 years after playing “little Victor” in the cult classic 1998 film Smoke Signals, Cody Lightning is all grown up and back with his mockumentary, “Hey Viktor!” which follows a fictionalized version of himself trying to make Smoke Signals 2. Cody joins Tom from Edmonton, Alberta where the movie was shot to talk about making gritty Indigenous comedy, how his idea for the film began as a joke, and how he looks back on growing up as a child actor.

Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan are a creative duo like few others. Their bond formed on the set of “The Lord of the Rings” as two Hobbits, Merry and Pippin, whose on-screen chemistry closely mirrored their real-life friendship. Now, Billy and Dominic are playing another iconic duo in a new production of “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead.” They drop by to chat with Tom about the play and their decades-long friendship.

This month marks the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, and you can’t begin to talk about that history without talking about the artist Maestro Fresh Wes. Maestro tells Tom about his journey from writing rhymes at Scarborough’s Parkway Mall to releasing the first hit Canadian hip-hop record.

You can’t begin to talk about the history of hip-hop without talking about Maestro Fresh Wes. Dubbed the godfather of Canadian hip-hop, Maestro became widely known in 1989 for his debut single, “Let Your Backbone Slide,” which was a game-changer for Canadian music. He joins Tom to take us through his journey from writing rhymes at Scarborough’s Parkway Mall to releasing the first hit Canadian hip-hop record.

Avril Lavigne was a punk pop sensation who topped the charts in the early noughties, and she still performs to sold-out crowds today. But what if the Avril we’ve been following all these years is not the same Avril we fell in love with? What if — as a curious theory claims — Avril was replaced by a look-alike at the height of her fame? In 'Who Replaced Avril Lavigne' comedian Joanne McNally searches far and wide — from Avril’s hometown to the underbelly of the internet — to find out if the rumours are true. Along the way, she immerses herself in a mind-bending world of fake celebrity deaths, doppelgangers, conspiracy theories, and downright absurdity. Who Replaced Avril Lavigne? Joanne McNally Investigates is produced by What’s The Story Sounds – for BBC Sounds and CBC. More episodes are available at: https://link.chtbl.com/JSX5gqyS

Diana Lee Inosanto spent years working as a stunt performer while dreaming of being an actor, but now she’s ready for her closeup. She’s joined the biggest franchise in entertainment history with a villainous role on “Ahsoka” — the latest series in the “Star Wars” universe. Diana talks to Tom about her beginnings as a stunt performer, what happens when you get everything you want a little later in life, and what it was like growing up with Bruce Lee as her godfather.

Allison Au is an award-winning saxophonist who decided to step outside of her comfort zone to investigate her family history of immigration to Canada. She sits down with Tom to discuss her new record, titled “Migrations,” and how making music can help you come to peace with your own identity.

Bill T. Jones is a renowned dancer and choreographer whose work looks at race, death, mortality, grief and sexuality. In the late ‘80s, he visited clinics full of terminally ill patients — some of whom were just weeks away from passing — and created compelling dance pieces based on their movements. While he was in Toronto to give a talk at the Art Gallery of Ontario about his work with the late Keith Haring, Bill sat down with Tom to reflect on his incredible life in dance, the power of movement to reflect and question the world we live in, and why he sees himself as "one who has survived.”

Steve Patterson has spent nearly two decades on the road as the host of “The Debaters” — one of the most popular comedy shows in CBC history. With a new comedy album out, he joins Tom to talk about how being a dad has changed his stand-up, how comedy itself has changed over the last few decades, and why he's making soap.

The acclaimed Quebecois filmmaker Denis Villeneuve is back with “Dune: Part Two” — the highly anticipated sequel to his adaptation of Frank Herbert’s epic sci-fi novel of the same name. Denis joins Tom to discuss his vision for the second installment, the challenges of shooting in the intense heat of the desert, and how politics and religion in Quebec play into the film more than you might think.

Kim Gordon is an alt-rock legend who rose to fame in the ‘80s and ‘90s as the frontwoman of the band Sonic Youth. Now, at age 70, she’s back with her second solo album, “The Collective,” and a whole new generation is discovering her music on TikTok. Kim talks to Tom about her sound, where her inspiration begins, and how she approaches her art.

Shana Carroll has enjoyed a career in contemporary circus arts for more than 30 years. She was recently named a member of Quebec's Order of Arts and Letters for her work establishing the circus as a true art form. Now, her handiwork can be seen in the Broadway musical “Water for Elephants,” which premieres this month in New York. Shana joins Tom to share her story, what Quebec and Canada mean to the circus world, and what it’s like to tell your parents you’re literally joining the circus.

For the first time in Disney’s century-long history, the company is collaborating with an outside animation studio for their new six-part series, “Iwájú.” Set in a futuristic Nigeria, the series follows a young girl and her best friend on their coming-of-age journey. Director and screenwriter Olufikayo Ziki Adeola joins Tom to talk about this incredible moment for African animation, what it’s like making your hometown the setting for a futuristic sci-fi show, and why calling out Disney works out for the best sometimes.

When Chloé Robichaud decided to depict the world of conducting for her new film, “Days of Happiness,” she asked the acclaimed Canadian conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin to help her get it right. The film follows a female conductor looking to break through the glass ceiling of classical music while also breaking away from the control of her abusive father, who’s also her agent. Both Chloé and Yannick sit down with Tom to talk about “Days of Happiness,” the cycle of abuse that can haunt families for decades, and how you can tell when an actor playing a conductor is faking it.

You may know Chelsea Peretti as Gina Linetti on “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” but her career started back in the ‘90s when she was doing improv, interning for Lorne Michaels and guest writing for “Saturday Night Live.” Now, Chelsea has made her debut feature film, titled “First Time Female Director,” which she also wrote, stars in and co-produced with her longtime friend Amy Poehler. It tells the story of a woman facing challenges in the entertainment industry. Chelsea talks to Tom about the project, how she drew on her own life for source material, and what she found funny about Hollywood's reaction to #MeToo.

For the past decade, the renowned photographer Mark Seliger has set up a pop-up studio inside the annual Vanity Fair Oscar Party, where he’s produced iconic portraits of Hollywood actors in the immediate afterglow of their big wins. Those portraits are now presented in a new book, “Vanity Fair: Oscar Night Sessions.” Mark joins Tom to share how he captures the raw emotion of an artist at the peak of their success, plus some incredible behind-the-scenes stories from his shoots and his best advice for everyday smartphone photography.

Lily Gladstone had a tough task with her first major Hollywood film: she had to hold her own against Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro — and hold her own she did. Her character, Mollie Burkhart, is being praised as the star-making turn of Martin Scorcese’s latest film, “Killers of the Flower Moon.” Lily talks to Tom about the role of a lifetime, and the challenges in telling stories about murder and colonialism.

Tate McRae’s wildest dreams are coming true. At the end of 2023, her song “Greedy” topped the charts around the world, she made her “Saturday Night Live” musical guest debut and she performed at the Billboard Music Awards. In the middle of this pivotal time in her career, she talked to Tom about staying grounded, why her biggest hit initially scared her and how she never wants to write a song with the intention of it going viral on TikTok.