last year i saw ‘this american life – live’ at the theater and it was fantastic. this year it was even better! instead of showing clips from the forthcoming season of the television version, this year’s broadcast was a live radio show, the original medium of this american life. there was a chris ware animation, a chris ware-animated music video of an andrew bird song featuring quimby the mouse, joss whedon performed a song from the ‘dr. horrible’s sing-along blog’ commentary, and starlee kine, mike birbiglia and dan savage read essays. and of course, the pre-show hangman and anagrams. the last five minutes’ countdown was especially clever.

my favorite segment was Act 2 – mike birbiglia’s story about letting go and realizing what is important…well, it’s about more than that but you’ll have to see it and watch and hear his delivery to get it, probably. uh also i may or may not have a huge crush on him now.

my very close second was Act 4, dan savage’s story of his personal faith and his mother’s death. it was heart-wrenching – there is no other word for it – and especially upsetting to see dan savage, he of the quick wit and tart tongue, struggling to hold himself together and finish his story.

the other segments were very good too and ira glass was his usual self, which is to say, clever, funny, self-deprecating and adorable. luckily, if you didn’t get to see the broadcast tonight, there is an encore screening happening on thursday, may 7! you can purchase tickets here and it is so so so so amazing – you’ll be glad you went to see it!