Fascinatin' Rhythm

American Popular Song developed as a national art form by the early 19th century. Parlor songs by Stephen Foster and his contemporaries, written for the minstrel shows, were the first distinctly American music to find international acclaim. And in the last 200 years, popular song has not only entertained generations of Americans, it has also documented the history of our country.

WXXI's Fascinatin' Rhythm presents of popular American music from Stephen Foster to Stephen Sondheim, in the context of their relationship to American history. Every week, host Michael Lasser offers a rich mix of singers, songwriters and songs to explore the history and themes of American popular music. In 1994 Fascinatin' Rhythm won the prestigious George Foster Peabody Award, citing Michael Lasser for letting "our treasury of popular tunes speak and sing for itself with sparkling commentary tracing the contributions of the composers and performers to American society."

Host:
Michael Lasser, a theater critic and writer (full bio), is host and producer, and Andrew Croucher is the technical director for the hour-long, nationally-syndicated program.

Program Listings:
Available in the menu to the left