We Put Peter Sagal To The Test

Hit NPR show Wait Wait … Don’t Tell Me brings its wry radio games to Blossom Music Center July 18 for a live taping. The show invites listeners to call in for challenges, while host Peter Sagal quizzes a panel of writers and comedians on the week’s biggest news stories. We decided to turn the tables on Sagal, quizzing him with our take on the show’s “Not My Job,” a game that grills celebrities on gigs they know nothing about.

CM: Since you’re going to be on the Blossom stage, we’re going to ask you about orchestra conducting.

PS: This is not my job, and I have no expertise at all, so this is a good choice.

CM: What year did Franz Welser-Möst become the musical director for the Cleveland Orchestra?
A. 1993
B. 2002
C. 2016

PS: What I could do since I’m sitting in front of my computer in my office, is what I believe some of our listeners do. They have a lot of time to listen in silence so I think they’re just typing in all the ideas. Uh … 2002.

CM: Yes! 

PS: Hey. That was a random guess. 

CM: Conducting staffs were reportedly first used to lead musicians in 709 B.C. in which ancient civilization?
A. Greek
B. Egyptian
C. Mayan

PS: I’m going to say, based on what I know, that the civilization that had sort of its peak around then were the Greeks. 

CM: You are correct! It was 800 musicians the person was leading. 

PS: Whoa. I guess you’d need a big stick. 

CM: In conducting, what does rallentando mean?
A. Gradually speed up tempo
B. Stop conducting to sip wine
C. Gradually slow down tempo

PS: Because rally means to sort of pick up, I’m assuming it’s the same root, so I’m going to say the first one, to slowly speed up.

CM: It’s actually C. 

PS: Wow. Who knew?