Not Much

Michael Feldman brings ‘Whad’Ya Know?’ to Patriots Theater in Trenton.

By: Susan Van Dongen

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Radio host Michael Feldman will bring his quirky quiz show ‘Whad’Ya Know?’ to the Garden State June 25.


   Radio host Michael Feldman has been thoroughly briefed about all things New Jersey.
   He’s heard about the Garden State’s scenic beauty — from Victorian Cape May to the river towns along Route 29 and the mountains to the north. He understands that George Washington slept, fought and boated here, crossing the Delaware just a few miles north of Trenton on that fateful night.
   He’s been advised on the debate about the tomato — vegetable or fruit? He now knows that native son Joe Piscopo wants to run for public office, that Bruce Springsteen has a new album and a rare beluga whale recently visited the capital city region. All fascinating New Jerseyana.
   But he still wants to talk about The Sopranos.
   "I really would like to go on ‘The Sopranos’ tour," Mr. Feldman says. "I want to see the sign with the pig on it."
   So that’s what Mr. Feldman and his fellow Wisconsinites think about the Garden State? We’re all about gangsters and women with big hair?
   Mr. Feldman will be sure to learn more before his visit here next month, when his quirky radio quiz show Whad’Ya Know? comes to the Patriots Theater in Trenton for a live broadcast June 25.
   We understand that for someone who has, for 20 years, been traveling all over the country producing a live radio program, something like Joe Piscopo’s political ambitions might be small potatoes. Mr. Feldman admits he’s only been in New Jersey once, and that experience was kind of a blur.
   "I made an appearance on MSNBC," he says. "It was totally bizarre, like a carnival atmosphere. They had this super-automated studio where the stages moved back and forth. But I had traveled there on the train in the middle of the night, and it was on a book tour, so you never knew where you were.
   "That’s my limited experience," he continues. "I expect to be surprised at how nice everything is in New Jersey. We’ve heard from a lot of people there who have written and said, ‘Stop by and meet us.’"
   The live show is part of a road trip Mr. Feldman and his crew have planned to celebrate 20 years of Whad’Ya Know? the popular interview/comedy/quiz show. Produced by Wisconsin Public Radio and broadcast locally on WNJN 88.1 FM and WHYY 90.9 FM, the program is known for Mr. Feldman’s low-key wit, spontaneous interaction with audience members and cool jazz provided by pianist John Thulin, bass player Jeff Hamann and Clyde "the funky drummer" Stubblefield. Banter with announcer Jim Packard and interviews with local celebrities round out the show.
   NJN listeners get special treatment at the event with contributions to the public radio station. Limited space is available for a special member reception and chance to meet the Whad’Ya Know? cast and crew after the show.
   "We’re going to take 10 days in honor of the 20th anniversary," Mr. Feldman says, speaking from his office in Milwaukee. "We’re also going to be stopping at a number of places besides the (show venues) we’re doing. We’ve had hundreds of invitations. We’ll be doing some camping and fishing in Virginia, stop at Cape May for a little beach holiday, and we’ve been invited to visit this other place near Lake Erie."
   A 1970 graduate of the University of Wisconsin, Mr. Feldman’s early audiences were the students in his classroom at an alternative high school in Madison, Wis., and the people who rode in his taxi. Various gigs in commercial and public radio followed his teaching career, including one show that aired from a bar on Saturday mornings.
   He says he learned how to "annoy people" and play music in between, which caught the ears of folks at Wisconsin Public Radio. In 1984, a producer invited Mr. Feldman to make a proposal for a new show and he pitched the idea of a call-in weekly show with a live band and audience, something designed for national release. He says he never expected the endeavor to be picked up, let alone last 20 years.
   Mr. Feldman remarks that the show’s title is just "what people used to say before they said ‘Whassup?’ "The ‘you’ part come from the Yiddish ‘nu’ which kind of means everything or nothing," he says.
   He grew up in Milwaukee, the youngest in a family of four boys. His father had come as a child from Ukraine, first settling in Vancouver and then in the industrial city on Lake Michigan. Belonging to a sizable Russian and Jewish community in Milwaukee, the elder Feldman ran a cigar and candy shop.
   Mr. Feldman has a calm wit, which serves him well in the Midwest. Sometimes suspected of being an Easterner, he says if he did live in the East — especially in New York — he’d probably be considered too quiet.
   "I’m glad I live here (in Wisconsin) because everyone is funny and fast-talking in New York," he says. "Even the waitresses are funny, they always have something to say. We’ve done a lot of shows in New York and everyone wants to be on the air, they’re not afraid to shout at the band. We’re a little more reserved here — maybe too much so. It takes 20 years for your neighbors to warm up to you.
   "I like the South very much," he continues. "They’re polite but also outgoing. They’ll invite you into your homes, whereas in the Midwest even after your neighbors get to know you, they might not invite you over."
   Although he may only know of New Jersey through The Sopranos, Philip Roth novels and his bizarre visit to MSNBC, Mr. Feldman will be schooled by the time he gets to Trenton. For each appearance, his staff gets quite a bit of information about history, contemporary personalities, even geology and topography of the city and region hosting the remote broadcast.
   "I have some really good researchers, especially Diana Cook," Mr. Feldman says. "She delves into all this local stuff and then I go through the material. And my producer finds people to interview, often newspaper columnists, especially someone who’s been around a long time."
   Mr. Feldman won’t reveal exactly how he singles out audience members for impromptu chats, but writing something offbeat on the questionnaires given to each ticket holder is a good way to get his attention. Anyone watching the live show could be a candidate for an on-air appearance.
   "As long as they don’t have an arrow through their head," he says.
Michael Feldman’s ‘Whad’Ya Know?’ will broadcast from Patriots Theater at the War Memorial, West Lafayette and Barrack streets, Trenton, June 25, 10:30 a.m. Tickets cost $35-$45. For information, call (609) 984-8400. On the Web: www.thewarmemorial.com. For NJN ticket information, call (800) 722-6588. On the Web: www.njn.net. The show is heard Sat. 11 a.m. and Sun. 6 p.m. on 88.1 WNJN FM and Sat. 3 p.m. on 90.9 WHYY FM.