Five People

You know that old game: name five people, living or dead, you would invite to dinner. It's a pretty easy list for me to come up with: 

(top row, left) Jonathan Tunick - orchestrator: has done the orchestrations for most of Stephen Sondheim's musicals. His use of instruments helped to define the sound of the 1970s -- notably, Promises, Promises (1968) and Company (1970) -- that remains mesmerizing.

(top row, center) Kristin Scott Thomas - actor: one of the most versatile actors working today. I've loved her work from A Handful of Dust (1988), through The English Patient (1996), and still.

(top row, right) Ayn Rand - writer, philospher: would love to have a conversation with her about why she thinks her philosophy has come to be so misunderstood.

(bottom row, left) Rosalind Franklin - scientist: the woman who discovered that DNA had a double helix form. The work of later scientists ignored her contribution. I studied genetics in college. Would be a fascinating conversation.

(bottom row, center) Sara Murphy - philanthropist, one half of the fabulous Murphys: was there when so many great artists were still unknowns, like Fitzgerald, Hemingway, Picasso.

Side note: Broadway actor/dancer Donna McKechnie would have been on the list except that I've already interviewed her twice.