Rocca brings unique brand of commentary
Mo Rocca is bringing his unique blend of comedy and commentary to Davie’s Broward College Speaker Series.
On Jan. 13, “A Conversation with Mo Rocca: From the Constitution to the Kitchen,” promises guests insight into the realms of his career and culture when he appears at the Broward Center.
Rocca is a familiar face to fans of “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” and “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.” Currently, he’s a “CBS Sunday Morning” correspondent. Plus he’s hosting two shows, the Cooking Channel’s “My Grandmother’s Ravioli,” and the CBS series “The Henry Ford’s Innovation Nation.”
Innovation Nation is based at the Henry Ford Museum in Michigan, Rocca said. The show ventures beyond icons, such as the Wright Brothers and Thomas Edison, to modern pioneers.
“Innovation is happening all around us. The show draws the connection from the past to the future,” he said.
From his work at the museum, Rocca said he has learned the value of perseverance. Igor Sikorski pushed though “decades of failure” to develop the helicopter, he said.
“The story of all these inventors involves a lot of failure,” Rocca said. “I worry in our culture at large that young people have a fear of failing. Social media magnifies that. People become gun shy and don’t want to go for it.” He cites the popularity of the hashtag “fail” as an example.
Rocca hit upon a recipe for success as co-producer of “My Grandmother’s Ravioli.” The Cooking Channel series is in its fourth year and has been nominated twice for best culinary show.
The formula came to Rocca when he realized he couldn’t cook, and his grandmother was no longer around to teach him. The next best thing would be substitute mentors. But more than culinary technique, on the show Rocca develops relationships in the kitchen.
“Cooking is secondary to learning about the lives and values of the people,” he said.
At the speaker’s series event this month, Miami news anchor Rick Folbaum will moderate the talk, which will be followed by a Q&A session.
Broward College President David Armstrong said Rocca will be entertaining while he gets the audience thinking.
“I know the capital of every country in the world,” Rocca said. “If there’s ever a lull, the audience can shout out a country name, and I’ll spit back that capital.”
Rocca is the second of four speakers in the series. In March, former congressman and Oklahoma Sooners player J.C. Watts will appear. And James Carville, a political news commentator, follows in April.
Mo Rocca speaks at the Broward College Speakers Series at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 13 in the Broward Center’s Amaturo Theatre, 201 SW Fifth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. Tickets are $60. Visit BrowardCollegeSpeakerSeries.com.