February 22, 2023 / Modified feb 23, 2023 12:16 a.m.

Penn & Teller visit the Fox Tucson Theatre. Listen to an interview with half of this magical duo -- but which one?

Also on Arizona Spotlight: Dr. Pamela Mays McDonald on art-ivism and Black Panther culture; and Richard Zoglin writes about how Elvis transformed Las Vegas, and how Vegas transformed the King.

BLM mural Rialto A Black Lives Matter mural painted by Robbie Lee Harris June 2020 at Tucson's Rialto Theatre.
Mya Long and Andrea Corona / AZPM

Arizona Spotlight

February 23, 2023

NPR
(Download MP3)

Featured on the February 23rd, 2023 edition of ARIZONA SPOTLIGHT with host Mark McLemore:

Pamela Mays Mcdonald flyer spotlight Dr. Pamela Mays McDonald will be speaking at the UA Poetry Center Tuesday, Feb. 28.
silent protest hero University of Arizona students hold a silent protest Feb. 5, 2018 with signs reading "Black Lives Matter," "#Hoodiesup" and "State of Arizona, Stop Separating Families."
Nick O'Gara, AZPM

Zoglin will be appearing live during a luncheon starting at 9:30 am on Thursday, March 2nd at the Skyline Country Club. Proceeds from the event will benefit “Sustaining the Mind”, a Brandeis National Committee fund supporting a Brandeis University research program that combats neurodegenerative diseases including ALS, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson's. For information about tickets & streaming options, contact this email. For seats, call +1 (520) 529-7477.

Elvis in vegas cover spotlight VIEW LARGER The cover of Elvis in Vegas: How the King Reinvented the Las Vegas Show by Richard Zoglin.
elvis_singing_spot
PBS
Las Vegas Tourists walk near the Forum Shoppes at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas.
AZPM Staff

  • And, the quieter half of the famed magician duo Penn & Teller has a lot to say about their adventurous career – he is just shy about being seen while he’s doing it. Teller shares some stories with Mark in a rare radio interview, as Penn & Teller prepare to present an evening at the Fox Tucson Theatre on March 1st.
penn teller unsized Penn & Teller will be performing at the Fox Tucson Theatre on Wednesday, March 1st, 2023.
penn and teller vegas spotlight Penn Jillette and Teller stand outside their theater at the Rio Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Teller Magic Kit hero Teller once told Mark McLemore that his first magic tricks came from a set that he ordered for 50 cents from the Howdy Doody Show. Right after the interview, Teller shared this photo of him holding a piece of original art featuring Clarabelle the Clown that was from the same set. The artwork was a gift from a friend for Teller's recent 75th birthday. (He did not even mention the original Howdy Doody marionette hanging on the wall behind him.)
Courtesy of Teller

Webpage by Leah Britton.

Arizona Spotlight
Arizona Spotlight airs every Thursday at 8:30 am and 6:00 pm and every Saturday at 3:00 pm on NPR 89.1 FM / 1550 AM. You can subscribe to our podcast on Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon Music, or the NPR App. See more from Arizona Spotlight.
ARIZONA SPOTLIGHT airs Fridays at 8:30 am and 6:00 pm, and Saturdays at 5:00 pm, on NPR 89.1 FM / 1550 AM.
This episode of Arizona Spotlight is available on iTunes
By posting comments, you agree to our
AZPM encourages comments, but comments that contain profanity, unrelated information, threats, libel, defamatory statements, obscenities, pornography or that violate the law are not allowed. Comments that promote commercial products or services are not allowed. Comments in violation of this policy will be removed. Continued posting of comments that violate this policy will result in the commenter being banned from the site.

By submitting your comments, you hereby give AZPM the right to post your comments and potentially use them in any other form of media operated by this institution.
AZPM is a service of the University of Arizona and our broadcast stations are licensed to the Arizona Board of Regents who hold the trademarks for Arizona Public Media and AZPM. We respectfully acknowledge the University of Arizona is on the land and territories of Indigenous peoples.
The University of Arizona