Mel Brooks & “Anything Goes”

In this special edition of the show, Mel Brooks chartshis rise from a poor Brooklynite to a king of comedy. Billy Crystal and Rob Reiner discuss the infinite lifespan of the “2,000 Year-Old Man,” Brooks’s uproarious comedy routine from 1961. And we review the cultural import of Cole Porter’s Anything Goes,revamping it for jaded, modern ears.

The 2,000 Year-Old Man
In 2009, The Library of Congress announced that Carl Reiner and Mel Brooks’s comedy skit, the “2,000 Year-Old Man,” would be preservedin the National Recording Registry. Billy Crystal and Rob Reiner explain the sketch’s immortal reign. (Originally aired: December 18, 2009)

Mel Brooks: The Comedy of Humanity
As a kid growing up in New York City, Mel Brooks was more Brooklyn than Broadway. But after he saw a performance of Cole Porter’s musical Anything Goes in 1935, Brooks emerged a show biz convert: “I’d never seen a show and I went a little nuts,” he admits to Kurt. He recalls his legendary career and iconic body of work. (Originally aired: May 3, 2013)

Bonus Track:How Gene Shalit saved Mel Brooks’ career
Kurt Andersen remembers meeting Mel Brooks 35 years ago, when Kurt was working for film critic Gene Shalit atThe Today Show. Brooks says Shalit’s embrace ofThe Producerssaved his movie career.

American Icons: Anything Goes
At its debut, Cole Porter’s musical, Anything Goes, was a fun, frothy anthem to all things naughty. But nearlya century later, the title song feels almost tame. With a little help from Joe Keenan and Bryan Batt, we revamp “Anything Goes,” dragging it, fishnets and all, into the modern age.(Originally aired September 13, 2013)

Bonus Track: “Anything Goes” revamped
Written by Joe Keenan and performed by Bryan Batt.