Around Noon: August 2009

Dick Gregory, Apollo’s Fire and Joe McBride
Monday, August 31
Dee Perry shares a recent conversation with the one and only Dick Gregory, who brings his political humor to Nighttown this evening. Plus, Apollo's Fire music director Jeannette Sorrell gives us a sneak preview of the new season for Cleveland's Baroque Orchestra. And, local jazz piano man Joe McBride gives us a Heads Up on his new CD Lookin' For a Change.

Giancarlo Guerrero
Friday, August 28
Dee Perry welcomes back Costa Rican conductor Giancarlo Guerrero who leads The Cleveland Orchestra in its final Blossom Music Festival Concert of the summer. Photo Credit Tim Giraudier

Michael McDonald, Mose Allison and Bobby Selvaggio
Thursday, August 27
Dee welcomes MADtv funnyman Michael McDonald who brings his outrageous humor to Hilarities 4th Street Theater at Pickwick and Frolic. Plus, Dee shares her conversation with piano playing crooner Mose Allison who steps into the spotlight at Nighttown this weekend. And local jazz man Bobby Selvaggio spins music from his latest CD - Modern Times.

Greg Mortenson: “Three Cups of Tea”
Wednesday, August 26
Dee Perry welcomes the man behind the best-selling book Three Cups of Tea - Greg Mortenson. His incredible story of building schools in rural Pakistan is this year's selection for Case Western Reserve University's Common Reading program where he gives the keynote speech today. Dee opens the phones for this special call-in program.

P. Craig Russell, Caroline Goulding and The International Women’s Air and Space Museum
Tuesday, August 25
Dee Perry introduces us to celebrated comic book artist P. Craig Russell, who's the subject of the new documentary film Night Music, onscreen this week at The Cleveland Museum of Art. Plus, local violin prodigy Caroline Goulding spotlights music from her debut CD on Telarc Records. And we take flight with the story of Amelia Earhart as we hear from her biographer Ric Gillespie who speaks today at The International Women's Air & Space Museum.

Carrie Mae Weems, Verb Ballets & Spaces Gallery
Monday, August 24
Dee Perry focuses on the award-winning photography of Carrie Mae Weems prior to her appearance at The Cleveland Museum of Art. Plus, we hear from Merce Cunningham dancer Jennifer Goggans, who's setting a Cunningham work on Verb Ballets this week. And, Spaces director Christopher Lynn unveils his first full season for this Cleveland alternative art gallery.

Les Paul
Friday, August 21
Dee Perry remembers the late guitar legend Les Paul, who passed away last week at the age of 94, as she shares selections from an archived interview from 2004. The man known as the Wizard of Waukesha is enshrined as an early influence in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, where his first electric guitar is currently on display.

Joffrey Ballet, Daniel Levin and Mercury Summer Stock Theater
Thursday, August 20
Dee spotlights the return of ballet to the Blossom Music Center, as she talks with Joffrey Ballet's artistic director Ashley Wheater about performing with The Cleveland Orchestra this weekend. Plus, acclaimed author Daniel Levin warms to Dee with his new legal thriller The Last Ember. Then it's time to put on a show with the folks of Mercury Summer Stock Theater, as they wind up their season with the musical classic - Me and My Girl.

Around Noon Open Air
Wednesday, August 19
Dee opens the Idea Center doors again for the next installment of Around Noon Open Air. You can join Dee live in studio for today's program as she shares a live performance by local reggae man Carlos Jones. Plus, Cleveland funnyman Mike Polk shares some laughs with Dee and her live studio audience. And, award-winning performance poets Michael Salinger and Sara Holbrook wax poetic about their world travels.

Terence Blanchard, Josh Rzepka and Return to the Moon
Tuesday, August 18
Dan Polletta introduces us to a pair of fine trumpeters at two different points in their careers. First Dan shares a conversation with internationally-renowned jazz musician Terence Blanchard who spotlights new music at Nighttown tonight and tomorrow night. And Dan speaks with a rising local jazz star as trumpet player Josh Rzepka spins music from his debut CD - Midwest Coast. Plus, Dee flies us to the moon with lunar exploration expert Andrew Chaikin, prior to his appearance at the Great Lakes Science Center for the exhibit Return to the Moon.

Cleveland Museum of Art
Monday, August 17
Dee Perry introduces us to the new interim director of The Cleveland Museum of Art - Deborah Gribbon. Then Dee takes us on a world tour with CMA's annual Viva and Gala Around Town Series sharing a musical preview of this critically-acclaimed arts and culture program.

Woodstock 40th Anniversary
Friday, August 14
ideastream's Jim Goldurs celebrates the 40th anniversary of the seminal rock concert of the 1960's - Woodstock - as he's joined by original Woodstock producer Michael Lang. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum VP, Jim Henke also previews the Rock Hall's upcoming Woodstock festivities as local musician David Budin spotlights the Woodstock anniversary concert happening at Cain Park tonight.

Heinz Poll Summer Dance Festival, Doug Wood and Dominick Farinacci
Thursday, August 13
Dee Perry spotlights this year's Heinz Poll Summer Dance Festival in Akron featuring both Verb Ballets and Groundworks Dance Theater. Plus, local guitarist Doug Wood lets us know Watts Gnu as he gets ready to entertain the crowds at the Open Air Market Square. And local jazz man Dominick Farinacci returns home for a gig at Nighttown with the Glenn Davis All-Star Quintet.

George Takei and Maia Sharp
Wednesday, August 12
Dee Perry beams aboard the Starship Enterprise with Star Trek's "Mr. Sulu" - George Takei - before he sits in the captain's chair for The Cleveland Orchestra's Sci-Fi Spectacular at the Blossom Music Center. Plus, songwriter to the stars, Maia Sharp turns a phrase or two in our Key Bank studio, as we preview her performance at Nighttown with music from her new CD Echo. And, we give you a chance to get in step with the Joffrey Ballet, as we giveaway tickets to their upcoming performance for DanceCleveland.

The Naked Brothers Band, The Two Man Gentlemen Band & Peter Kuper
Tuesday, August 11
Dee Perry welcomes Nat and Alex Wolff (along with their dad Michael Wolff) the stars of the Nickelodeon hit show The Naked Brothers Band as they get ready to hit the stage of the House of Blues tonight. Plus, we share the off-kilter kazoos of The Two Man Gentlemen Band who bring their retro sound to the Beachland Ballroom this evening. And former Clevelander and acclaimed cartoonist Peter Kuper takes us on a creative journey south of the border with his latest graphic novel Diario de Oaxaca.

Cleveland International Piano Competition, Cuyahoga County Fair and Mary Weems
Monday, August 10
Dee Perry shares music from the four finalists of the 2009 Cleveland International Piano Competition recorded this weekend at Severance Hall with The Cleveland Orchestra. Plus, we preview the annual Cuyahoga County Fair at the Berea Fairgrounds. And local performance poet Mary Weems shares new poems to be featured later this week for the Cleveland Museum of Art's Sunsational Summer Storytellers.

Alice Ripley
Friday, August 7
Dee Perry shares an archive interview with recent Tony-winning actress and former Cleveland-area resident Alice Ripley who's onstage in the award-winning Broadway musical Next to Normal. Photo credit: Joan Marcus

Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards
Thursday, August 6
Dee Perry shares a few of her favorite interviews from over the years with some of the winners of the annual Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards prior to this year's ceremony happening next month. We hear from Haitian-born novelist Edwidge Danticat a 2005 winner for The Dew Breaker; Pittsburgh novelist and essayist William Demby the 2006 Lifetime Achievement winner; Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie the Nigerian-born novelist and 2007 fiction winner for Half of a Yellow Sun; and Pakistani novelist Mohsin Hamed the 2008 fiction winner for The Reluctant Fundamentalist.

Carrie Rodriguez
Wednesday, August 5
Dee Perry spotlights the music of acclaimed Austin singer-songwriter Carrie Rodriguez with a pair of archived performances from the Key Bank studio as she performs music from her CD's Seven Angels on a Bicycle and She Ain't Me.

Measha Brueggergosman, Gay Talese and Hot Club of Detroit
Tuesday, August 4
Dee Perry continues to dig into the archives this week and today shares a favorite interview with opera soprano Measha Brueggergosman. Plus, we hear from New Journalism legend Gay Talese, and Dan Polletta shares a performance from The Hot Club of Detroit.

Harlan Ellison and Rick Bragg
Monday, August 3
Dee Perry digs into the Around Noon archives all this week and today she shares her interview with controversial Cleveland-born writer Harlan Ellison. Plus we hear Dan Polletta's interview with Pulitzer-prize-winning author Rick Bragg.