February 2010

Dear Friend,

There are some great hallway conversations around WPR. Last week, my coworker across the hall lent me a book and DVD and we briefly talked about them. Then another popped by to tell me about an exciting interaction with a guest on the Veronica Rueckert Show Facebook page. "If only listeners could have access to all these great hallway conversations and recommendations," I thought. But wait! You do! Listening to WPR is one big hallway conversation. That book or DVD that producer Charles Monroe-Kane recommended will be featured on an episode of To the Best of Our Knowledge. The Veronica Rueckert Show Facebook page that producer Erika Janik mentioned is open to all.

Just stay tuned to our radio programs and become fans of our Facebook pages, and you'll be in on every cool tip. Better yet, call in to an Ideas Network talk show, ask for a piece on Classics by Request or Simply Folk, take Jonathan Overby up on his offer to email back and forth during Higher Ground, or post to our social networking pages, and the conversation goes two ways. I hope you enjoy this great big discussion and that you, in turn, share it with friends.

This month in RadioWaves: your chance to see A Prairie Home Companion live without driving to Minnesota; an interview with Terry Bell, Morning Edition host; Saturday Specials for Black History Month on the Ideas Network; exciting interviews on The Midday; Metropolitan Opera; and lots of regional events.

Not withholding any hallway buzz from you,

Susannah Michaels
RadioWaves Editor

WPR Photo-of-the-Month

A seed packet that will be available at Garden Expo in Madison on February 13. 
See the details in the Madison area section below.

In this issue:

See A Prairie Home Companion live in HD
Staff interview – Terry Bell, Morning Edition host
Ideas Network notes
Music notes
Regional events and news
          Eau Claire area
          Green Bay area
          La Crosse area
          Madison area
          Milwaukee area
          Wausau area
Helpful links

Staff interview – Terry Bell, Morning Edition host

I imagine that when Terry Bell is out and about and says "Hi, I'm Terry Bell," a lot of people are left scratching their heads saying, "I think I know you. Where have we met?" That's because they're still half asleep when their clock radio clicks on each morning, just as he's announcing the weather or the headlines and finishing up with "You're listening to Wisconsin Public Radio. I'm Terry Bell." Read my interview with Terry Bell to learn about what he does in the afternoons, after his early mornings at WPR, and how growing up on a dairy farm helped prepare him to be a Morning Edition host.

Ideas Network notes

The Saturday Special
Saturdays, 3 PM, Ideas Network stations

This February, the Saturday Special celebrates Black History Month:

February 6: "Memories of the Movement, part 1." This program features the poignant memories of men and women who served on the front lines or behind the scenes of America's civil rights movement.
February 13: "Memories of the Movement, part 2."
February 20: "Who Was This Man?" This program explores the life of Bayard Rustin, an important figure in Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s non-violent civil rights campaign.
February 27: "Race and the Space Race." Because NASA was based in the South in the 1950s and 1960s, it played an unforeseen role in the civil rights movement.

Music notes

The Midday

Join hosts Norman Gilliland and Stephanie Elkins on The Midday, weekdays at 12 PM on the NPR News & Classical Music Network. This month, they've lined up the following in-studio interviews for your enjoyment:

Thursday, February 4: Pinchas Zukerman, violin, and Amanda Forsyth, cello
Thursday, February 25: Stephen Hough, piano

Metropolitan Opera
Saturdays, 12 PM, NPR News & Classical Music Network, the 24/7 HD Classical Music service, and either of these networks on the Internet.

The schedule for February is as follows:

February 6: Simon Boccanegra by Giuseppe Verdi
February 13: La Fille du Régiment by Gaetano Donizetti
February 20: Ariadne auf Naxos by Richard Strauss
February 27: La Bohème by Giacomo Puccini

Neale-Silva Young Artists Competition
Applications due by Friday, February 5, 5 PM

This annual competition is dedicated to celebrating the classical music talents of young people, ages 17 - 26. Applications for this year's competition will be accepted no later than 5 PM on Friday, February 5, with final auditions to be held on Sunday, March 28.

A winner's recital is scheduled to take place on Sunday, April 11, at the Wisconsin Union Theater and will be broadcast live on the NPR News & Classical Music Network. For additional information and application materials, go to the Neale-Silva web page.

Regional events and news

Eau Claire area

Whad'Ya Know? comes to Eau Claire in March — get your tickets now!
Saturday, March 20, 9:30 AM - 12 PM, Eau Claire Regional Arts Center, 316 Eau Claire Street

You enjoy it on the radio each weekend (Saturdays, 10 AM - 12 PM on the Ideas Network, Sundays 8 - 10 PM on the NPR News & Classical Music Network), now Whad'Ya Know? is coming to Eau Claire and you can see the show live on Saturday, March 20. Tickets range in price from $20 to $30. Get yours today by calling 715-832-ARTS (832-2787) or visit the Eau Claire Regional Arts Center website.

Green Bay area

Arti Gras Festival
Saturday - Sunday, February 6 - 7, Shopko Hall, Green Bay

Wisconsin Public Radio is sponsoring the 2010 Arti Gras Festival. This fine arts festival offers a chance to view and purchase the works of hundreds of artists and craftspeople from throughout the Midwest. The event also features artist demonstrations and entertainment. For more information, see the Arti Gras Festival website.

La Crosse area

A Prairie Home Companion live in HD ticket drawing

Check the La Crosse area WPR web page right now for details on how to enter a drawing for free tickets to A Prairie Home Companion live in HD at La Crosse Cinema 11.

Pump House concert series
Pump House Regional Arts Center, La Crosse

WPR is co-sponsoring this season’s Pump House concert series. Please join us for these upcoming performances and exhibits:

January 27-March 13: "Back in the World: Portraits of Wisconsin Vietnam Veterans." This exhibition of portraits by Madison photographer James Gill features veterans participating in a Wisconsin Public Television project that pays tribute to their service.
February 4-20: 5,000 Lbs. This is an original play based on the lives of seven characters who served in Vietnam in 1968.
February 26, 7:30 PM: Lucy Kaplansky. This singer/songwriter combines acoustic, classic country and folk influences into her music.
March 13, 7:30 PM, Storyhill. This acoustic/pop duo blends Americana, folk and pop styles.

Heider Center for the Arts

WPR is co-sponsoring concerts at the Heider Center for the Arts, West Salem:

February 15, 7:30 PM: Dallas Brass. This performance presents a musical travelogue through American history.
March 19, 7:30 PM, Randy Sabien and Friends. The Wisconsin fiddler and friends present a toe-tapping rhythmic, bluesy, swingin' sound.

Details on all of these events on the La Crosse regional website.

Madison area

Enjoy a live Whad'Ya Know?

A great way to spend a winter Saturday is at a live broadcast of Michael Feldman’s Whad’Ya Know? in Madison. Tickets are available for shows on February 6, 13, and 27. Call the Campus Arts Ticketing Office at 608-262-2201, or tickets will be available the day of the show. Arrive at the Lecture Hall at Monona Terrace after 8:30 AM and buy your tickets, then enjoy complimentary coffee and doughnuts before the show.

Garden Expo, with an appearance by Larry Meiller
Thursday - Saturday, February 12 - 14, Alliant Energy Center, Madison

Don't miss your chance to attend educational seminars and demonstrations, visit hundreds of exhibitor booths, and participate in hands-on workshops on topics of gardening, lawn, and landscaping, at Wisconsin Public Television's 2010 Garden Expo.

Join Larry Meiller, host of Wisconsin Public Radio's Garden Talk, and his guest, Bob Tomesh, UW-Madison Department of Horticulture senior lecturer, as they tackle your garden-related questions: Saturday, February 13, from 10 - 11 AM in Mendota Rooms #6-7.

For more information, see the Garden Expo website.

David Sedaris at Overture
Tuesday, April 13, 7:30 PM, Overture Hall

David Sedaris, contributor to NPR News and This American Life, will be appearing at the Overture Center. Tickets for Sedaris are on sale now and range from $32 to $53.

Milwaukee area

Wausau area

Camelot
Wednesday, February 3, 7:30 PM, Grand Theatre on ArtsBlock, Wausau

Wisconsin Public Radio helps bring back the golden age of Broadway as media sponsor of Camelot at the Grand Theatre on ArtsBlock. The legendary love triangle became a masterpiece in the hands of Lerner & Loewe.

Arts Bash 2010
Saturday, February 6, 7 - 10:30 PM, UW-Stevens Point Noel Fine Arts Center, Stevens Point

Wisconsin Public Radio is a proud media sponsor of Arts Bash 2010. All proceeds will go toward scholarships for students in the UW-SP departments of Theatre & Dance and Art & Design.

Central Wisconsin Symphony Orchestra
Saturday, February 27, 7:30 PM and Sunday, February 28, 4 PM, Sentry Theater, Stevens Point

As winter rages outside, enjoy the mellow sounds of the Central Wisconsin Symphony Orchestra at the Sentry Theatre in Stevens Point. The concert will feature Matthew Agen and Rachel Brandwein, duo harpists.

Shidara: Japanese Drums
Saturday, February 27, 7:30 PM, LuCille Tack Center for the Arts, Spencer

From the forests and mountains of Japan comes one of the foremost Japanese Taiko drum companies in the world, Shidara. Blending masterful skill, blinding energy and breakneck speed, Shidara's youthful performers deliver a thunderous and powerful performance.

Moscow State Radio Symphony
Sunday, February 28, 7:30 PM, Grand Theatre on ArtsBlock, Wausau

Wisconsin Public Radio is a proud media sponsor of a performance by the Moscow State Radio Symphony at the Grand Theatre on ArtsBlock, Wausau. Maestro Alexei Kornienko leads the program celebrating Tchaikovsky.

Enter for a chance to win tickets on our WPR central region website.

Helpful links