URGENT SCHEDULE CHANGE INFORMATION...

As a note to our viewers, Be more Tuned In has just learned that tonight's (Monday) WPT schedule has changed. Marie Antoinette will now be shown at 10 p.m. Helen of Troy airs at 8.

An eye for design...

At 8 p.m. Wednesday night, WPT is proud to be able to bring the work of famed architect and designer Frank Gehry to Wisconsin televisions with American Masters "Sketches of Frank Gehry."

The program is derived from the film directed by Sydney Pollack -- a feature film producer who had never made a documentary before and knew very little about architecture. The resulting film is an intriguing look into the mindset and processes of an architect whose unique designs have created buildings like the Guggenheim Bilbao, the Disney Concert Hall and the Experience Music Project. His career has been widely eclectic, encompassing everything from commissioned art installations to cardboard chairs.

To help enhance the viewing experience of Sketches of Frank Gehry, Be more Tuned In has pored over the Internet to collect a few choice interview nuggets for your enjoyment. Click below and enjoy.

2001 Charlie Rose interview

MSNBC interview

BBC interview

He's a Sesame Street dad...

A WPT-exclusive interview with one of Sesame Street's most recognizable faces

Roscoe Orman has one of the most recognizable faces in children's television. For more than 30 years, Orman has played the role of Gordon Robinson on Sesame Street. Opposite a cast of muppet animals, monsters and children, he has played a lovable and respected father figure who via the television screen has had a hand in educating millions of American children. Looking back over a life as an actor, Orman has written a book, Sesame Street Dad: Evolution of an Actor that explores his experiences on one of television's most revered programs, his other extensive stage and screen work, and his own life as a father and grandfather. Orman takes some time to speak with Be more Tuned In in anticipation of two discussions and book signings in Madison. He will visit the east-side Borders Store at 7 p.m. Wednesday and the State Street University Bookstore at 2:30 p.m. Thursday.

In 1975, Orman was a young actor who had worked extensively in the theater and had dabbled in the world of film when he was offered a chance to audition for the then five-year-old Sesame Street. A screen test opposite Oscar the Grouch led to him being given the role of Gordon and a steady guaranteed salary of $20,000 per year -- which was a blessing for a soon-to-be-father. Little did Orman know that this new role on a show he had never seen would make him a television celebrity.

"When I came along in the fifth season, none of us in the cast imagined that we'd still be going strong in 2006," Orman explains from his New Jersey home. "I know for a fact that when I got the role, I was just delighted to have a job for a year or two and the prospect of a steady paycheck." (Continued...)

"That was one of the unexpected delights of being on the show," he adds. "To become one of the most visible faces on television has been pretty amazing. And, it's not only the recognition of being an actor on a popular television show, but to be part of a recognizable character who has been embraced around the world as a symbol of friendship, a role model for kids and an advocate for child-related services and issues."

In the role of Gordon, Orman has helped millions of children learn to count, enhance their social skills and even cope with difficult issues like death and grieving. In the process, he was able to involve his own children in the show's production -- his three daughters played Sesame Street children and his son, Miles, played Gordon and wife Susan's son until he was eight years old. In his book he notes that even his own grandchildren refer to him as "Grandpa Superman" after his recurring appearances in full costume as "Trash Gordon" on the show.

But, as an actor, Orman has done much more than Sesame Street and it is those stories, too, that inspired him to write this book.

Family history

"The initial impetus was based on my own desire to pass on my story for my children to be able to appreciate the life I've led and the work I've done," he says. "It's something I've always kind of wished I had in regard to the lineage and stories of my own family and ancestors, which I know so little about. Beyond being Gordon on Sesame Street, I've had so many other opportunities in my life.

"As I started writing, I began to realize that some of my experiences, growing up in the Bronx and working in southern theater companies during the Civil Rights movement could be interesting to general readers."

The resulting tome is an intriguing chronicle of Orman's life as an actor, the many artists he has had the chance to work with -- both well known (like Morgan Freeman and Denzel Washington) and not -- and of course the evolution and expansive popularity of Sesame Street.

Muppets can be people, too

With a theater background, where he worked with some of the most acclaimed actors of the 20th century, Orman says it took some time to get used to working opposite a Muppet when he made his move to television.

"It definitely took a little while to get comfortable with it," Orman says, laughing. "I learned best by watching the child actors we had on the show. It was amazing They would be in a situation where the puppeteer would be lying right under them, and most of the time, they were able to suspend their beliefs and completely ignore them.

"Yes, it was a bit odd to be interacting with an animated piece of fabric," he continues, "but it all just comes down to acting, because all acting is make-believe. And, it's a lot of fun to work with the Henson puppeteers, who are all such creative professionals."

With a production schedule that even in its busiest days in the 1980s allowed Orman and the cast nearly eight months per year to pursue outside appearances and performances, he has been able to continue his passion for the theater. With lighter production in recent years, Orman has been able to pursue more regional theater performances. In the book, he even outlines a 2002 run in the Madison Repertory Theater's production of Fences. He had appeared in a Broadway version of the play years earlier, but his Madison appearance allowed him to play a role that James Earl Jones had won a Tony for in 1987.

The power of public television

Reflecting on his three decades on Sesame Street, Orman says he is proud to have been closely involved in public television.

"Public television is such a beacon for programming of all sorts," he says. "Outside of the children's programming, the news and information programs and the performing arts series' can't be found anywhere else.

"PBS is a tremendous gift in this country. For 30 years, we've been there together growing in our roles. I think that too many people take it for granted. If we were to lose it, the loss to the people in the United States would be considerable."

Escape. Create. Celebrate...

It's time for the second Quilt Expo at the Exhibition Hall in the Alliant Energy Center in Madison. This year's event, which is again presented by WPT and Sewing With Nancy, runs from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. Tickets are available from advance ticket vendors and are $8 at the door. There are more than 140 vendor booths, a judged and juried quilt contest with 250 quilts and a series of special lectures, Sit & Sew workshops, quilting celebrity events and special exhibits to visit. For more details about the event, visit the exclusive Quilt Expo Web site or take a look at Nancy Zieman's insightful Quilt Expo blog.

To provide readers with a view of the work that goes into creating an event like Quilt Expo, Be more Tuned In went behind the scenes to the Alliant Energy Center for Wednesday's event set-up. WPT Events Manager DeAnne Massey said work was ahead of schedule on the event which has grown considerably since last year's successful inaugural Quilt Expo.Vendors from as far as Alaska in the west and Maryland in the east were setting up their booths. And, while the skies were gray and gloomy outside, the vibrant colors and textures of quilts everywhere lit up and warmed the Exhibition Hall. (Exclusive photos from the making of Quilt Expo after the jump...)

(Click on photos for a larger view.)





Vendors from across the country arrived at the Alliant Energy Center's loading docks to begin their day.








Cars, vans, trucks and trailers were all filled to the top with quilts, fabric and other notions.
















WPT staffers welcomed vendors at the check-in center and directed them to their booths.









Stacks of ironing boards waited to be set-up for their part in a Sit & Sew workshop.








Crew members set up the WPT booth with vibrantly colored cut-outs and exciting visuals.






Photos of last year's booth helped the crew in setting up this year's version in the proper place.








A couple of intricately designed quilts adorned a vendor's booth.









Nancy's Notions' staff members worked to set up their booth.








A patchwork of rubber totes created a quilt of its own as the contents were unloaded into the vendor mall.










The main foyer was empty Wednesday, but will be bustling during the Expo's three-day run.






A special new series of commemorative Gee's Bend quilt stamps will be unveiled by the U.S. Postal Service Saturday.








Hard-working volunteers took a break in the volunteer lounge.










Devoted volunteers hang one of the 250 quilts in the judged and juried quilt competition.

Wright there...

Frank Lloyd Wright's architecture is always a welcome subject on WPT's airwaves. With his strong ties to the state, Wright is one of Wisconsin's favorite sons. But, at 7 Wednesday night, a presentation of Frank Lloyd Wright's Buffalo explores the architect's connection to the western New York city.

With the exception of his prolific work in Chicago, Buffalo is home to more of Wright's structures than any other American city. The center point of the program is the current restoration of the Darwin Martin House, a project Wright undertook early in his career for a businessman who would become a close friend. The program also includes footage from Wright's Spring Green home, as well as numerous other structures that he worked on in Oak Park, Ill. and Buffalo.

More than an architect, the lore of Wright's life and work is still celebrated, researched and critiqued by folks all around the world. Here in Wisconsin, there are active groups who devote efforts to restoration and educational projects. And, tourists flock to the state's Wright buildings in Racine, Madison and beyond.

Gridiron television...

Are you ready for some football? Saturday night's 10:30 airing marks the first edition of this year's tape-delayed broadcasts of select UW Badgers home football games on WPT. With only a handful of tickets remaining for the game, this will be your best bet to catch Bret Bielema's head coaching debut at Camp Randall Stadium.

Announcers Mike Heller and Scott Nelson will bring all the action into your living room for a collection of games this season, leading into an exciting year of sports broadcasts on WPT which will include men's and women's basketball along with the national champion Badgers men's hockey team.

To help you prepare for Saturday's game, the UW-Madison athletic department has pulled together some valuable resources that will make you as knowledgeable about the team as the coaching staff. Point your browser to uwbadgers.com to find printable rosters, schedules and an in-depth media guide.