Around Noon: February 2010

Max Raabe & Palast Orchester
Friday, February 26
Dee Perry spotlights the dapper bandleader from Berlin Max Raabe who brings his acclaimed Palast Orchester to The Cleveland Museum of Art this Sunday night for the grand re-opening of The Gartner Auditorium.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, T.S. Monk and Abraham Lincoln
Thursday, February 25
Today we share Dan Polletta's interview with NBA Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar prior to his appearance this weekend at The Cleveland Public Library for its Writers and Readers Series. Plus we look back on the life of late jazz legend Thelonious Monk with his son T.S. Monk, as he gets ready for his gig at The Lakeland Jazz Festival. And we spotlight the new exhibit at The Western Reserve Historical Society - Do You Know Your Lincoln?

Avett Brothers, Jason Koo and Thomas Mullen
Wednesday, February 24
Today we share David C. Barnett's interview with Scott Avett of the acclaimed Avett Brothers before their sold-out show this weekend at The House of Blues. Plus ideastream®'s Dan Moulthrop profiles the poetry of Cleveland-born writer Jason Koo who returns home to share poems this week at Cleveland State University. And Dee Perry discovers The Many Deaths of The Firefly Brothers as she welcomes award-winning author Thomas Mullen prior to his appearance at Joseph-Beth Booksellers.

Charlie Hunter, Ani DiFranco and Jill McCorkle
Tuesday, February 23
Dee Perry welcomes back the funky 7-string-guitar virtuoso Charlie Hunter before his return to the Beachland Ballroom with music from his new CD Gentlemen, I Neglected to Inform You You Will Not Be Getting Paid. Plus we hear from acclaimed singer-songwriter Ani DiFranco, who returns to Northeast Ohio for two performances at The Kent Stage and Oberlin College's Finney Chapel. And Dee meets the "guardian angel of American short fiction" Jill McCorkle who shares stories from her new book Going Away Shoes at John Carroll University later this week.

Ariadne auf Naxos, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, and Paul Brown
Monday, February 22
Dan Polletta spotlights the young stars of The Cleveland Institute Music's opera department production of Richard Strauss's classic Ariadne auf Naxos. Plus we share an archive interview with Anisfield-Wolf Book Award winner for fiction 2007 Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie as we preview the Cuyahoga County Public Library's monthly Anisfield-Wolf Book Club featuring Adichie's novel Half of a Yellow Sun. Plus ideastream's® Eric Wellman shows us another side of NPR newsman Paul Brown, prior to his appearance at Lake Erie College.

Measha Brueggergosman
Friday, February 19
Dee Perry welcomes back acclaimed Canadian soprano Measha Brueggergosman hot off her appearance at the Vancouver Olympics opening ceremonies, as she gets ready for her performance this weekend with The Cleveland Orchestra.

Zig Jackson, Corrie Slawson and Michael Medcalf
Thursday, February 18
Dee Perry focuses on the photography of Native-American artist Zig Jackson whose images are on view at The Cleveland Museum of Art. Plus, local artist Corrie Slawson explains how she is redeveloping vacant lots in Cleveland through her art for Spaces Gallery. And acclaimed local choreographer Michael Medcalf pays tribute to his late mother with his new dance work onstage at Cleveland Public Theater.

In the Heights, Peter Pan and Cleveland Museum of Natural History
Wednesday, February 17
Dee Perry introduces us to a quartet of stars from the Tony-award-winning Broadway musical - In the Heights - onstage now at PlayhouseSquare. Plus, Peter Pan takes flight for Mercury Summer Stock Theater this weekend and Dee talks with the creators Stiles and Drewe about redefining this iconic story with a new musical adaptation of J.M. Barrie's classic. Dan Moulthrop also talks with the new director for the Cleveland Museum of Natural History - Evalyn Gates.

Béla Fleck, Robert Bradley and Great Lakes Theater Festival
Tuesday, February 16
Dee Perry shares her conversation with banjo master Béla Fleck who takes us on a musical journey with songs from Throw Down Your Heart: The Africa Sessions which he spotlights at Oberlin College tonight. Dan Polletta introduces us to Robert Bradley's Blackwater Surprise, which hits the stage of the Beachland Ballroom, later this week. And we raise the curtain on The Great Lakes Theater Festival's educational production of On the Dark Side of Twilight.

Christopher Buckley, Tania James, Terence Blanchard and Fred Wesley
Monday, February 15
Today's program features acclaimed novelist Christopher Buckley remembering his parents in his new memoir - Losing Mum and Pup. Plus author Tania James opens the Atlas of Unknowns. New Orleans jazz trumpet master Terence Blanchard spotlights his new CD Choices. And former James Brown sideman Funky Fred Wesley looks back on his long career in music.

Kevin Mahogany
Friday, February 12
Dee Perry welcomes acclaimed Kansas City jazz vocalist Kevin Mahogany who performs live in Idea Center's Key Bank studio as he previews his performance this evening at Nighttown.

Tom Hanks, The Great White Hope and Joseph Wooten
Thursday, February 11
Dee Perry previews tonight's WVIZ/PBS broadcast of Backstage with Tom Hanks, as she shares a selection of the Oscar-winning star's interview with NPR's Scott Simon. Plus, we look behind the curtain on the theatrical collaboration between Karamu, Ensemble and Weathervane Playhouse to stage the classic - The Great White Hope. And Dee meets another member of the Wooten musical clan - Joseph Wooten - as he gets ready for his gig at The Beachland Ballroom.

Sean Jones, Walter Williams and Isaac Knowles
Wednesday, February 10
Dee Perry spotlights The Cleveland Jazz Orchestra's new music director Sean Jones as the group gets ready to take the Hanna Theater stage for a sold-out Valentine's Day concert - It's All Love. Plus, Walter Williams of The O'Jay's recalls his days at the forefront of the Philadelphia sound of the 19-70's prior to his Black History Month appearance at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. And, ideastream®'s Eric Wellman introduces us to a young man from Cleveland, Isaac Knowles, who hopes his poetry propels him to graduation.

In the Heights, Augusto Bordelois and Steve Litt
Tuesday, February 9
Dee Perry speaks with one of the original stars of In the Heights - Seth Stewart - as the Kent native returns home to Northeast Ohio for the PlayhouseSquare staging of this Tony-winning musical. Plus, Cuban-born painter Augusto Bordelois frames his life story of defecting to the United States to follow the love of his life. And, Plain Dealer art and architecture critic Steve Litt updates us on what's on display at MOCA and where that display is headed.

William Busta, James McCarty and Mark Twain
Monday, February 8
Dee Perry welcomes back regular irregular guest William Busta the acclaimed curator who unveils the paintings of Gianna Commito in his latest exhibition. And we get an aerial view from Plain Dealer birding columnist James McCarty and his young son and protégé Bret who both speak for the Cleveland Audubon Society later this week at The Cleveland Museum of Natural History. Plus, Dee raises the curtain on the "new" Mark Twain play - Is He Dead? - onstage at The Beck Center for the Arts.

Sweet Honey in the Rock
Friday, February 5
Dee Perry shares her conversation with Carol Maillard one of the vocalists of the critically-acclaimed a cappella troupe - Sweet Honey in the Rock - which takes the Ohio Theater stage in PlayhouseSquare tonight for Tri-C.

Sutton Foster, Pierre Boulez and Junior Brown
Thursday, February 4
Dee Perry welcomes Tony-award-winning performer Sutton Foster who takes the Hanna Theater stage this weekend in PlayhouseSquare. Plus, classical music legend Pierre Boulez previews his upcoming performances with The Cleveland Orchestra. And we strike a chord on the guit-steel of Junior Brown who rocks the Beachland Ballroom tonight.

Soul Train, Matt Haimovitz & Portraits of Homelessness
Wednesday, February 3
Dee Perry hops aboard the hippest trip in America - Soul Train - as she screens the new documentary coming to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum for Black History Month. Plus, populist cellist Matt Haimovitz performs in our Key Bank studio as he gets ready for his concert series with City Music Cleveland. And, ideastream®'s Eric Wellman spotlights the art exhibit "Portraits of Homelessness" at Levin College.

Erin McKeown, George Bilgere and Tanya Barfield
Tuesday, February 2
Dee Perry releases Hundreds of Lions with acclaimed folk-rock singer-songwriter Erin McKeown who takes The Kent Stage this weekend. Plus, regular irregular guest and Pushcart-prize-winning poet George Bilgere takes us inside The White Museum, his latest book of poetry, prior to his reading at Joseph-Beth Booksellers. And, acclaimed playwright, Tanya Barfield opens The Blue Door, her challenging play about race in America, onstage at Dobama Theater.

iona rozeal brown, Garrison Keillor & Apollo’s Fire
Monday, February 1
Dee Perry unveils the work of award-winning artist iona rozeal brown who challenges stereotypes of women in both Japanese and African-American culture on the walls of MOCA Cleveland with her new solo exhibition all falls down. And we hear from A Prairie Home Companion's Garrison Keillor prior to the upcoming HD broadcast of the program at area movie theaters. Plus Apollo's Fire ignites Bach Family Fireworks across Northeast Ohio skies with its latest program of Baroque classics.