Tapestry

Local Music

Other Music and Stories

Cast & Crew

WBHM Interviews

From March 9, 2006...

It's a cornerstone of Birmingham theatre - and it's undergoing a major facelift! Cellist-turned-conductor David Lockington takes the baton for the Masterworks series. And haunting, alternative rock from the Ferocious Bubbles. I'm Greg Bass, and this is Tapestry.

If you're an aficionado of old theatres - you surely know the Virginia Samford Theatre on Caldwell Park in south Birmingham. The Romanesque playhouse, built nearly 80 years ago, has a very storied history and now, as Frank Thompson reports, there's another chapter being written.

History of the Virginia Samford Theatre

This weekend at the Virginia Samford Theatre, a production of "The King and I". The Rogers and Hammerstein work was an instant classic upon its 1951 premiere. It grabbed the Tony Award for Best Musical - but also grabbed some less flattering headlines in some Asian countries. In fact, Thailand - the modern-day equivalent of the King's Siam - has banned the play and the movie, saying they're historically inaccurate and disrespect the royal family. UAB Theatre Department Chair Will York has some experience with staging shows that are not politically or socially-acceptable to modern audiences. He spoke with WBHM's Tanya Ott.

Will York interview

Will York is interim chair of the UAB Theatre Department. "The King and I" runs through Sunday at the Virginia Samford Theatre. We've got more details on the Tapestry page of wbhm.org.

In classical music you probably won't see too many cellists turned conductor. But that's exactly what David Lockington is. He says he became a conductor because he wanted to share his feeling of making music with fellow musicians. Lockington is currently conductor of the Grand Rapids Symphony - and he maintains a busy schedule as a guest conductor including this weekend, with the Alabama Symphony Orchestra in the Masterworks series. He spoke with WBHM's Michael Krall...

David Lockington interview

Conductor David Lockington. He leads the Alabama Symphony Orchestra this weekend in the works of Milhaud, Haydn and Schumann.

To hear the audio portion of the Community Calendar from Tapestry, click here.

Want to know more? Activeculture.info is a one-stop source for finding out what's going on in the Birmingham metro area.

Gonna let you in on a little WBHM secret. When we're not scrambling to get Tapestry produced each week, we have a running game of who can think up the best "band" names. In fact, program director Michael Krall keeps a list of potential band names. But here's one that probably isn't on it: Ferocious Bubbles. The band name might be quirky, however, their sound is hauntingly serious. Their latest CD is "Save Yourself and Run Away." Lead singer Pete Szelenbaum and bass player Vic Donati stopped by the studios... (AUDIO MONTAGE)

The Ferocious Bubbless new CD is "Save Yourself and Run Away". We've got downloads on the Tapestry page of wbhm.org.

Tapestry is produced by Tanya Ott and Michael Krall. Hunter Bell produces musician profiles and Francesca Rosko keeps tabs on community events. Additional reporting this week from Frank Thompson. Production assistance from Anthony Plenty and JT Schill. I'm Greg Bass...thanks for joining us!