Tapestry

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From November 10, 2005...

I'm Greg Bass and this week on Tapestry - we answer the burning question, what's harder? Teaching an actor to sing or a singer to act?! Conductor Paul Polivnick picks up the baton at the Alabama Symphony Orchestra. Plus, an interview with Chris Thile of Nickel Creek, and music from Birmingham's Eliot Morris. After this round-up of arts news.

Arts news

In the theatre business a "triple-threat" is a person who can act, dance and sing with equal aplomb. Singing musical theatre scores is one thing, but opera is quite another. This weekend Samford University is putting its opera and theatre students to the test with a joint production of the Mikado, Gilbert and Sullivan's popular comic opera. Samford OperaWork's Bill Bugg tells WBHM's Tanya Ott what to expect from the show.

Bill Bugg on the Mikado

Samford University stages the Mikado tonight through Sunday. Details on our website, wbhm.org.

Paul Polivnick gets another chance to wow audiences and impress musicians with the Alabama Symphony Orchestra. Polivnick is guest conductor for this week's MasterWorks series concerts - and a candidate for the ASO music directorship. He talked with WBHM's Mike Morgan about this weekend's program - and his vision for the orchestra.

Interview with Paul Polivnik

Paul Polivnick guest conducts the Alabama Symphony Orchestra's MasterWorks series concert this weekend. There's an extended version of this interview on our website, wbhm.org.

The music of Nickel Creek has been described as contemporary bluegreass with an influence of folk and classical...at least that's how the first two albums have been described. But their new CD, Why Should the Fire Die takes a different approach. They used a producer who brought fresh ears to their sound. In addition, for the first time, members of Nickel Creek edited each other's songs. The result is a CD that doesn't really have a genre per se, yet still pays homage to bluegrass. Nickel Creek plays the Alabama Theatre tomorrow night, and WBHM's Michael Krall talked with Nickel Creek's mandolin player Chris Thile...

Chris Thile of Nickel Creek

Mandolinist Chris Thile of the group Nickel Creek. Their new CD is Why Should the Fire Die? Nickel Creek plays the Alabama Theatre tomorrow nigt.

While others are slaving over plans for holiday parties and holiday meals, WBHM's Rosemary Pennington is slaving over what she likes to call her "mess of a novel". She's taking part in National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo, and is updating us on her progress all month long. This week she says she's had one brilliant idea and that's about it.

An update on Rosemary's novel

What's going on in and around the Birmingham area. For additional details, go to our online version of the Community Calendar.

Community Calendar

As a boy, Birmingham singer-songwriter Eliot Morris fell in love with music the day his dad brought home a CD player and a Motown compilation. Many years, many songs and a self-produced CD later, Morris was signed to a major label. His CD, featuring some back-up from Nickel Creek, will be released on Universal Records in March of 2006. We got a sneak peak when Morris stopped by our studios this week. This is "This Colorful World" from his as-yet-untitled CD. (AUDIO MONTAGE)

Eliot Morris plays WorkPlay this Saturday. We've got more of his music available for download on the Tapestry page at wbhm.org.

Tapestry is produced by Tanya Ott and Michael Krall. Hunter Bell screens our featured musicians and Francesca Rosko compiles the calendar. General Manager Mike Morgan helped with this week's show, as did Rosemary Pennington and interns Tommy James and Jonathan Glass. I'm Greg Bass. Hope you join us next week! And be sure to listen to Morning Edition tomorrow for an interview with novelist Anne Rice.

Support for Tapestry comes from the Jefferson County Commission through the Jefferson County Community Arts Funds administered by the Cultural Alliance of Greater Birmingham.