Peter Sagal, longtime host of National Public Radio's "Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!", makes his Lied Center debut at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 6. A radio host, author, humorist and long-distance runner, Sagal provides an eclectic and inquiring mind that will make for an entertaining night.
Sagal's show in Lincoln will take the audience behind the scenes of award-winning "Wait Wait..." to explore the show's beginnings, its more memorable moments and today's most bizarre but true news stories. Sagal applies his quick wit to radio show stories and jokes to create an uproarious and unforgettable evening.
A native of Berkeley Heights, N.J., Sagal attended Harvard University and subsequently worked as a literary manager for a regional theater, a movie publicist, a stage director, an actor, an extra in a Michael Jackson video, a travel writer, an essayist and a ghost writer for a former adult film impresario. In October 2007, Harper Collins published Sagal's first book, "The Book of Vice: Naughty Things and How to Do Them," a series of essays about bad behavior.
Sagal joined "Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!" as a panelist in 1997 and became host of the program in 1998. His witty take on current events is heard by 2.5 million listeners a week on 450 public radio stations and via podcast. In 2008, "Wait Wait..." celebrated its 10th anniversary on the air, and was the recipient of a Peabody Award for excellence in broadcasting.
In his time at "Wait Wait...," Sagal has held some of the more interesting interviews in media today: He has asked Salman Rushdie about PEZ dispensers, Tom Hanks about Hollywood bad boys, Sen. John McCain about drive-through topless joints, and inquired as to Madeleine Albright's weightlifting accomplishments. The show made history in 2007 when Stephen Breyer became the first sitting Supreme Court Justice to appear on a quiz show, and then in front of 10,000 fans at Chicago's Millennium Park, Peter conducted the first interview with U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald since his conviction of former White House aide Scooter Libby.
For more information about Sagal, go to http://www.petersagal.com.
A pre-performance lecture will be led by Nancy Finken, network manager for NET Radio, at 7 p.m. in the Lied's Steinhart Room. Seating is limited. The lecture is free.
Tickets are $29 to $24 for adults and $14.50 to $12 for students. For more information, go to http://www.liedcenter.org or call (402) 472-4747.
- Shannon McClure, Lied Center for Performing Arts
More details at: http://www.liedcenter.org