Around Noon: June 2008

Wall-E, Einstein and Spaces
Monday, June 30
Today Dee Perry makes a stellar connection between Pixar's new film Wall-E and the news that NASA's discovered water on Mars, with regular irregular Jay Reynolds. Plus, you don't have to be an Einstein to enjoy the latest exhibit at the Great Lakes Science Center. And, Dee introduces us to the new director of Spaces Gallery, Christopher Lynn.

Karamu House Hall of Fame
Friday, June 27
Dee spotlights the inductees for this year's Hall of Fame ceremony presented by Karamu House, as she welcomes artistic director Terrence Spivey, emcee Kym Whitley and local legend Jean “Granny” Hawkins.

Live from The Cleveland Museum of Art
Thursday, June 26
Today Dee Perry broadcasts live from the Cleveland Museum of Art, which opens its historic 1916 museum building this weekend, after a 3-year renovation. During this program, Dee talks with curators and critics, a local civic leader and a dedicated volunteer, as she shares a preview of what you can expect, when you visit this shrine to the muses. Photo by Dave DeOreo

Mike McCartney, Sid Fleischman and Jersey Boys
Wednesday, June 25
Dee frames a conversation with rock and roll photographer (and brother to Sir Paul) Mike McCartney whose images are on view at the Rock Hall. Plus, Newberry Medal winning children's author Sid Fleischman visits the Beachwood Public Library. And, we spotlight the big men in town from the Tony-award-winning production of Jersey Boys, onstage at Playhouse Square.

Cleveland Arts Prize
Tuesday, June 24
Today Dee profiles some of the winners of this year's Cleveland Arts Prize: composer Dan Visconti, author Angela Johnson, designer Melvin Rose and bookseller Richard Gildenmeister.

Return to Forever, Jack Hanrahan and Scott Raab
Monday, June 23
Today we Return to Forever with ideastream music director Bobby Jackson who shares his conversation with the legendary fusion group's guitarist Al DiMeola, as he gets ready for their reunion gig at the Plain Dealer Pavlion at Nautica. Plus, ideastream's David C. Barnett profiles the late Cleveland comic writer Jack Hanrahan whose Hollywood work included Get Smart. And, Dee welcomes another Cleveland writer with Hollywood Stories to tell -- Esquire Magazine's Scott Raab, who has booksignings this week at Joseph-Beth Booksellers, Mac's Backs Paperbacks and Borders Westlake.

Grupo Fantasma
Friday, June 20
Today Dee spotlights the Latin-funk orchestra -- Grupo Fantasma -- as they get ready for their gig tonight at the Beachland Ballroom. Photo by Daniel Perlaky

First Light, Anat Cohen and Clint O’Connor
Thursday, June 19
Today Dee welcomes Cleveland's favorite reggae men First Light as they get ready for their reunion gig at the Plain Dealer Pavilion at Nautica. Plus ideastream music director Bobby Jackson introduces us to Israel's rising star of jazz Anat Cohen, prior to her performance at Nighttown. And regular irregular guest Clint O'Connor the Plain Dealer's film critic gets in the popcorn line for the summer movie season.

The Wiz and Honk!
Wednesday, June 18
Dee spotlights castmembers from the Cain Park production of The Wiz, with a live performance in the Key Bank studio. Plus, we celebrate the 10th anniversary of Mercury Summer Stock Theater with the return of the ugly duckling in Honk!

Dear American Airlines, The Rape of Europa and Harvey Webster
Tuesday, June 17
Dee takes flight with Cleveland native and acclaimed author Jonathan Miles who shares his new novel Dear American Airlines at Joseph Beth Booksellers. Plus we screen the award-winning documentary The Rape of Europa which comes to the Canton Palace, presented by the Canton Museum of Art. And, regular irregular guest Harvey Webster gets us outside for the latest doings at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History.

Armistead Maupin, Bloomsday and The High Strung
Monday, June 16
Today Dee welcomes acclaimed author Armistead Maupin who makes an appearance this week for the Northcoast Men's Chorus. Plus, regular irregular guest George Bilgere of John Carroll University shares a report on a local reading group scaling James Joyce's Finnegans Wake for Bloomsday. And, we rock the Rocky River Library with the music of The High Strung. Photo by Christopher Turner

Anna Deavere Smith
Friday, June 13
Today Dee welcomes award-winning playwright and actor Anna Deavere Smith as she gets ready for next week's 2008 Creative Voices Arts Summit presented by Cleveland State University.

Death Cab for Cutie, Cinematheque and Ensemble Theater
Thursday, June 12
Today Dee spotlights the #1 band in America Death Cab for Cutie, who take the stage of the Plain Dealer Pavilion tomorrow night. Plus, we meet a group of local filmmakers who get their movies screened at the Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque. And we go back in time with the Ensemble Theater production of The Carpetbagger's Children.

Summer Book Call-in Show
Wednesday, June 11
Today Dee hosts her annual Summer Book call-in program with resident book worms: Karen Long of the Plain Dealer, Suzanne DeGaetano of Macs Backs Paperbacks and The Cuyahoga County Public Library's Sari Feldman.

Dobama, Maltz Museum and Duct Tape Fest
Tuesday, June 10
Today Dee celebrates the 30th anniversary of Dobama Theater's Marilyn Bianchi Kids Playwriting Festival. Also a 60th anniversary celebration of Israel: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow at the Maltz Museum. Plus, we meet a Cleveland Institute of Art student who's creating art from duct tape for the annual Avon Duct Tape Festival

Lewis Black, Deanne Stillman and Les Roberts
Monday, June 9
Today Dee flips the pages of three new books: Me of Little Faith by comic curmudgeon Lewis Black, who's got a book signing at Barnes and Noble this week... Former Clevelander Deanne Stillman's latest Mustang: The Saga of the Wild Horse in the American West...and local crime novelist Les Roberts's new Milan Jacovich mystery -- The King of the Holly Hop. Joining Les is "the world's biggest private eye nut" Robert Randisi.

In Plain View
Friday, June 6
Today Dee focuses on the new Heights Arts exhibition In Plain View with Plain Dealer photojournalists Bill Gugliotta, Gus Chan and Lynn Ischay.

Lizz Wright, Michael San Giacamo and Scenarios USA
Thursday, June 5
Dee shares an interview with jazz-soul chanteuse Lizz Wright who's onstage tonight at the House of Blues. Plus, Plain Dealer comic reporter Michael San Giacomo opens the colorful pages of his new graphic novel Tales of the Starlight Drive-In. And, we meet the local winner of the Scenarios USA student screenwriting competition.

Northern Ohio Live: Great Neighborhoods Call-in
Wednesday, June 4
Today Dee opens the phones for you to tell us about your neighborhood and why you live there. In partnership with Northern Ohio Live Magazine, Dee welcomes two of the featured NOL neighborhood diarists, along with Cleveland Arts Prize winner and Professor of Urban Studies, Norman Krumholz, of The Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs.

TCO: Rusalka
Tuesday, June 3
Dee welcomes back Cleveland Orchestra music director Franz Welser Most to preview the upcoming performance of Dvorak's Rusalka & the upcoming PBS broadcast of the Bruckner 5th. Also joining Dee are Rusalka star soprano Camilla Nylund and Dvorak expert Michael Beckerman.

Shaw HS Marching Band & Rebecca Flowers
Monday, June 2
Dee welcomes members of the Shaw High School Marching Band for a performance in our Westfield Insurance Studio Theater, as they get ready to go to China for the 2008 Summer Olympics. Plus, she chats with Akron author Rebecca Flowers who signs her new book Nice to Come Home To at Barnes and Noble. Photo by Craig Platt.