Fresh Air Weekend: Andrew Rannells, Bob Dylan

Fresh Air Weekend highlights some of the best interviews and reviews from past weeks, and new program elements specially paced for weekends. Our weekend show emphasizes interviews with writers, filmmakers, actors, and musicians, and often includes excerpts from live in-studio concerts. This week:

Andrew Rannells: Gay And Serious In 'New Normal': The actor stars in the new comedy TV series The New Normal about a gay couple who want a child so they hire a surrogate. Rannells tells Fresh Air that he didn't want to "dumb down" the serious role with "stereotypical over-the-top gay flash and sass."

Bob Dylan's Baffling And Sometimes Beautiful 'Tempest': Critic Ken Tucker says that some songs on Tempest sound less like concentrated efforts than outpourings of rambling thoughts; others are as precisely crafted as any Bob Dylan has written.

New Center Trains Detection Dogs To Save Lives: The center for scientists to study what helps dogs succeed in search-and-rescue operations opens Tuesday at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Cynthia Otto, who created the center, and Annemarie DeAngelo, the center's training director, tell Fresh Air why they depend on their canine companions.

You can listen to the original interviews here:

• Andrew Rannells: Gay And Serious In 'New Normal'
• Bob Dylan's Baffling And Sometimes Beautiful 'Tempest'
• New Center Trains Detection Dogs To Save Lives

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