Nathan Lane is being tested (and he loves it)

Nathan Lane is being tested (and he loves it)

From Fresh Air by NPR

May 7, 2026 · 45 min

About this episode

Nathan Lane discusses his Tony-nominated role in 'Death of a Salesman' and the emotional impact it has on audiences.

Nathan Lane just received a Tony nomination for his starring role as Willy Loman in ‘Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman.’ He’s a veteran of the stage – often in comedic and musical roles. But in the role of Loman, which he does eight times a week, he’s noticed something different in the audience. “There’s an old joke – my job is just to keep 1600 people from coughing. It's kind of true, but when you hear what we hear during ‘Salesman,’ you hear people weeping in the dark.” At the age of 70, Lane says this production of ‘Salesman’ is the thing he’s most proud of. He spoke with ‘Fresh Air’ guest interviewer Sam Fragoso, host of the podcast ‘Talk Easy.’ Later, Ken Tucker reviews new songs by Ella Langley, Robyn, and Allison Russell. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

People in this episode

Host: Sam Fragoso

Guest: Nathan Lane

Topics covered

  • theater
  • Tony Awards
  • audience reaction
  • interview
  • music review

Keywords

  • Nathan Lane
  • Death of a Salesman
  • Tony nomination
  • theater
  • audience weeping
  • Sam Fragoso
  • music review

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Fresh Air, NPR

Books & works: Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman

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