WARREN MILLER PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
BIG
SKY – On March 9, the Warren Miller Performing Arts Center will welcome perhaps
the biggest name of any performer in the center’s six-year history. Ira Glass,
the NPR radio personality and host of the massively popular podcast “This
American Life,” is coming to Big Sky for two back-to-back shows.
According
to executive director of WMPAC John Zirkle, it’s the most popular show the
center has ever hosted, illustrated by the fact that tickets sold out nearly two
months ahead of the performance.
“It’s
a testament to this performance space that we’re bringing such a big name and
that people are coming from as far away as Billings to experience a WMPAC
show,” Zirkle said. “We’ve built considerable momentum over the past five years
and people from surrounding communities are starting to take note of what we’ve
got going on in Big Sky.”
Fans
of “This American Life” know to expect Glass’ incisive storytelling and
trademark blend of humor and empathy for the vast range of human experience he
probes in the radio show and podcast.
However,
attendees might not expect this type of show. Glass will perform a series of
stories with two professional dancers, Monica Bill Barnes and Anna Bass, who
will illustrate the stories he tells with choreography. As Glass put it, the
three of them set out to combine two art forms that “have no business being
together: dance and radio.”
“What
makes it work is a shared sensibility,” Glass said. “As dancers, Monica and
Anna are these amazingly relatable and funny storytellers without words.”
WMPAC
is no stranger to uncommon artistic collaborations, and Zirkle knows that Big
Sky is an ideal venue for this type of experimental performance.
“The
Big Sky community prides itself on pushing boundaries,” he said. “People don’t
live here because they prefer their comfort zone. They choose to live here
because they want to learn and explore. We’re fortunate to be rooted in a
community that encourages us to bring in new work like this.”
