FOR GLASS, THE LAUGHS DON'T STOP AT HIS RADIO PROGRAM.

Byline: Sandra Barrera Staff Writer

Ira Glass has the greatest laugh of any personality on public radio.

It's a tickled laugh. The kind of laugh you'd expect to hear coming from a goofy 12-year-old, who just raced through the girl's locker room on a dare from his friends.

And the way he punctuates his sentences with pauses, umms and stutters when he's telling a story really gets you. Like he's talking right at you from the other end of the radio, because he is.

Any faithful listener will tell you, it's hard not to be a fanatic about ``This American Life.'' That's the weekly program hosted by Glass, the 40-year-old man the New York Observer once dubbed in a headline as ``The Romeo of National Public Radio.''

``I would dispute the premise of that article,'' said an amused Glass, speaking by phone from his office at WBEZ-FM in Chicago. ``I feel it's easy to sell yourself if no one sees what you look like, you know?''

Let's just say it's that laugh, vocal cadence and good rapport that Glass has based his livelihood on for the past five years - yes, it's been that long.

The show first aired Nov. 17, 1995 on WBEZ-FM Chicago. Back then, the former NPR reporter and producer was just doing what he had always done.

``I had already figured out a way to do stories where there were characters and scenes and funny moments and emotional moments,'' he said. ``You know, all that part was done. What wasn't done was just kind of putting it together all in one show so there would be a whole hour of it.''

Glass had no idea the show would become such a success.

By April of the following year, Santa Monica's KCRW-FM (89.9) began airing the show. In fact, KCRW was the first radio station outside of WBEZ to pick up the program.

But first the name had to go.

``Ruth Seymour (KCRW's station manager) insisted that we change the name,'' Glass said. ``The name of it at the time was 'Your Radio Playhouse.' ''

Glass admitted he and his staff went through some real doozies before deciding on ``This American Life.'' He says it was either that or ``American Whatever.''

``I feel like 'American Whatever' would sort of describe what actually the show is,'' Glass said. ``I don't know, there was sort of an Alicia Silverstone backlash happening on my staff so that prevented the 'American Whatever' thing from kicking in.''

``This American Life'' could be compared to the ``Seinfeld'' of public radio. It's a show about nothing with recurring characters. The show has spawned talents like David Sedaris, Sarah Vowell and even Glass.

And there's nothing else on the air like it.

Glass and his band of renegade writers and performers see to that. They make it their mission to document everyday life through radio documentaries, stories and shtick. Whatever they find entertaining, he said.

And speaking of entertaining, Glass is bringing ``This American Life'' to UCLA's Royce Hall for what he hopes will be nonstop laughter.

That means fewer documentary stories and more comedy except for eclectic musical guest Jonathan Richmond. He's the wildcard.

``There's always a mix on the show, but we lean more toward the laughs in the live show,'' said Glass, ``and part of that is for our simple inexperience in the theater. That is, I think people who actually know what they're doing in the theatrical setting are fine with the audience quietly listening, whereas for amateurs like us, if people aren't laughing, we worry.''

And as with every show, the live tapings of ``This American Life'' will be centered around a theme.

The theme for the live show is birthdays, anniversaries, milestones. Glass explained that he'll be doing a story about a cemetery in Hollywood called Hollywood Forever.

His focus?

``When you buy a grave or a crypt, they give you a commemorative video of your own life as part of the deal,'' said Glass, ``which I should say is a really typical story for us in that when it begins you think it's going to be a joke, and then about a third of the way in it becomes clear that, like, actually, maybe, it's a really, really good idea.''

So does that mean Glass plans to at some point spend eternity in Hollywood?

``No, I'm not interested in a commemorative video, sadly,'' he said with a laugh. ``No.''

``THIS AMERICAN LIFE'' LIVE

Where: UCLA's Royce Hall, enter campus at Royce Drive off Sunset Blvd.

When: 8 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday.

Tickets: $25. Call [phone].

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``There's always a mix on the show, but we lean more toward the laughs in the live show,'' Ira Glass says about his two-night show, ``This American Life,'' at UCLA's Royce Hall.