Arizona Spotlight

Also on Arizona Spotlight: The Rogue Theatre defies expectations with "Cloud Nine"; and remembering Tucson artist and Holocaust survivor Chris Tanz.

Also on Arizona Spotlight: "Golden Girls: The Laughs Continue" brings a new spin to beloved characters; understanding the needs of native plants during drought; and Diane Keaton remembered.

Also on Arizona Spotlight: Poet and author Tracy K. Smith to visit the Tucson Humanities Festival; Owl and Panther celebrates 30 years of hope; and one man's journey to becoming a full-time "worm wrangler".

Visit a traveling exhibition at the Mini-Time Machine Museum of Miniatures that celebrates the groundbreaking special effects created by a filmmaking legend, the late Ray Harryhausen. Mark talks with Harryhausen's daughter Vanessa, and the curator of this one-of-a-kind collection, Connor Heaney. Also on Arizona Spotlight: Composer Evan Walker discusses "Dead White Man Music"; and PCC's "Night of the Living Dead" blends stage and screen.

Also on Arizona Spotlight: For 60 years, The Hermitage No-Kill Cat Shelter has offered hope to felines and humans in need; and a gold medal Olympian Carrie Bates shares her story of addiction and recovery.

Also on Arizona Spotlight: Building bridges through interfaith connections; the documentary "Stripped for Parts" looks at the current state of the news business; and iconic Tucson cafe "The Little One" serves its final dish.

Also on Arizona Spotlight: Meet the host of a new podcast dedicated to building a stronger Arizona community; and the story of a beloved dog named Betty that takes a surprising turn.

Also on Arizona Spotlight: "Weekend Edition Sunday" host Ayesha Rascoe on the current reality facing NPR; and storyteller Sharon Wysocki tells how her art project went viral way back in the '90s.

Also on Arizona Spotlight: How "Say One Thing" is helping to heal the Tucson community; an essay by nature writer, Rebekah Doyle; and behind the scenes at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum's Raptor Free Flight Program.

Also on Arizona Spotlight: Poet Joshua Lillie previews his new collection, "Small Talk Symphony".

Also on Arizona Spotlight: The Vera C. Rubin Observatory begins to peer through space and time; and memories of growing up unsupervised in the 1950s.

Also on Arizona Spotlight: Set sail for NPR's podcast, "Sea Camp"; and a new book makes native plant gardening in the Southwest accessible to all.

Also on Arizona Spotlight: Local grassroots theater group debuts a new comedy/mystery; and how a local middle school teacher reclaimed her life after a tragic illness.

Also on Arizona Spotlight: Building bridges through interfaith connections; and the spiritual creations of artist, Quinton Antone.

Also on Arizona Spotlight: Retired Tucson architect Paula Holmes celebrates 100 years; and "Stories that Soar!" shares an amphibious love story.

Also on Arizona Spotlight: Sharing memories of "The Twilight Zone" with Joseph Dougherty, author of "Rod Serling at 100".

Also on Arizona Spotlight: Katrina Kerstetter shares how she brought back things she learned in South Korea to help make Southern Arizona a better place.

Also on Arizona Spotlight: The connection between Alcatraz prison and the Hopi tribe of Arizona; The Tucson Pink Pistols make a comeback; and the former owner of Colette's remembers Tucson's queer nightlife in the '80s.

Also on Arizona Spotlight: Mike Stark shares the natural history "Starlings: The Curious Odyssey of a Most Hated Bird"; and "Stories that Soar!" asks that we look for beauty beyond the screen.

Also on Arizona Spotlight: Tucson youth explores emotion and expectations in his book "The Weight of Tomorrow"; and how Ability Dogs of Arizona pairs those in need with canine companions.

Get a behind the scenes view at what it is like to win on Jeopardy, and a new 10 minute drama that explores what stepping on a crack in the pavement can really do.

Poet and author Liza Porter, storyteller Carmelene Siani and artist Tim H. Murphy share how they're able to look to the future without despair.

Explore how the Master-Apprentice program offered by the Southwest Folklife Alliance is preserving not just mariachi music, but the involvement of women in mariachi. Also: Sound Fiction returns with James Mustard's "Homestead on Bellatrix Prime"; celebrating the return of the Elegant Trogon to Madera Canyon; and "A Book I Love" from Cyclovia Tucson 2025.

Also on Arizona Spotlight: Film essayist Chris Dashiell; remembering James Mercer, a Pima County Ranger killed in action in 1914; and "Stories That Soar!" celebrates the sun.

On Arizona Spotlight: Join Pati Jinich as she explores "Panamericana"; and Tibetan Buddhist Lama Lodu Rinpoche visits Tucson to share ancient wisdom about our inner space.

Also on Arizona Spotlight: This month's storyteller shares about the one thing in life he cannot resist; and a new segment of "A Book I Love."

Meet Bruce Gungle an ultamarathon runner; learn about the University of Arizona women's triathlon team from triathlete Laura Holanszky; and hear about what it's like to bike almost every street in Tucson.

Learn about the All In for Autism Dino Day and Walk; Pima Community College's Climate Community Day; John Coinman returns to the 40th Annual Tucson Folk Festival; and a new "Stories That Soar!" with some 1st grade humor.

Also on Arizona Spotlight: "A SandHill Day" by nature writer Rebekah Doyle; and the final essay from "The Class of 2024" about how teens help each other through difficult times.

Also on Arizona Spotlight: "A Book I Love" from the 2025 Tucson Festival of Books; "The Class of 2024" continues; and Mary Jo Pollack shares the story of earning her driver's license in 1964.

Also on Arizona Spotlight: Tucson architect Paula Holmes at 100, a woman always ahead of her time; and Lilliona from "The Class of 2024" shares an essay about growing up in the digital age.

Kirsten Miller talks about her novel "Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books"; and Mike Stark shares the natural history "Starlings The Curious Odyssey of a Most Hated Bird".

Also on Arizona Spotlight: TIHAN provides kindness and support to those living with HIV or AIDS; and a new Ten-Minute Drama "Haricot Verts."

Also on Arizona Spotlight: Understanding canyons on the moon; and more voices from The Class of 2024.

Listen to stories from a 60-year career largely spent helping people in love build everlasting memories. Bill Medley has one of the most distinctive voices in music history, and now at age 84 is still singing the songs the people love, continuing the legacy of The Righteous Brothers. Also: Marquez Price's new book "The Backcourt"; and "The Class of 2024" continues.

"Stories that Soar!" asks that we look for beauty beyond the screen; and an essay series "The Class of 2024" begins.

Old Pueblo Playwrights take stories to the stage in their New Play Festival; and the Southern Arizona Regional Science and Engineering Fair celebrates its 70th anniversary.

Hear how Micky Dolenz of The Monkees recent recordings are exploring new ground, and how he celebrates being part of one of the most popular bands of the 1960s. Also: Invisible Theatre's production of "What the Constitution Means to Me"; and how Adiba Nelson's new children's book is a love letter to those seeking representation and a connection to spirituality.

Trombonist Delfeayo Marsalis has always been an ambassador of the purest form of New Orleans jazz. Delfeayo will be performing in the Tucson Jazz Festival at the Rialto Theatre. Also: Three emerging local jazz musicians; and storyteller Jess Losoya shares a story about freedom.

Jazz singer Dominique Eade, rocker Dweezil Zappa, and comedy legend Vicki Lawrence all bring their talents to The Old Pueblo.

We'll take you behind the scenes of the annual “LightsUp!” festival of illumination at Tucson Botanical Gardens. The documentary "Growing Tradition" provides details about this dazzling display that requires more than a million sparkling lights and other decorations. Also: Meet Glenda Bonin a storyteller, magician and puppeteer who shares her "Sleigh Bells" story.

ArtWorks is an all-day program for adults with developmental disabilities. Their art is being displayed at the Joseph Gross Gallery in an exhibit called “Won't You Be My Neighbor”, featuring a series of original house designs that combine imagination with the most important aspects of what makes a house a home. Also: How the Tucson Bird Alliance will be making a difference in 2025; and actor and history buff Fred Pitts brings his one-man show "Aren't You..?" to Tucson.

Learn about an annual art auction event held by BICAS in Tucson - where food and music are also a part of the mix. BICAS is a non-profit bicycle recycling center that helps improve accessibility and independence in our community by making affordable two-wheeled transportation available to everyone. Also: How Ittai Sopher, a former Arizona Spotlight producer, became a "Jeopardy" champion; Marquez Price on the value of doing a digital detox; and "Stories that Soar!

Meet the father and son founders of Spotlight Community Theater. It's a place where curious student-age children can learn about all aspects of the performing arts, with no experience required. Spotlight Community Theater is holding performances of “Cinderella” in December to raise money for charity. Also: A tale of true love that started in Tucson in 1943 that continues today; and historian David Leighton shares the history of the Reid Park Zoo.

“Children of the Holocaust” is a living-history project launched by AZPM. Project producer Laura Markowitz interviewed 20 survivors who were children during the Holocaust, and later settled in Southern Arizona. This week, hear the story of Paula Bronstein, a survivor who escaped the Nazis by hiding in Holland. It saved her life, but cost her her childhood. Bronstein passed away earlier this month, at age 87. Also: Beth Colburn Orozco shares the story of her search for the daughter she never knew.

Also on Arizona Spotlight: Lyse Doucet, chief international correspondent for the BBC, receives the 2024 Zenger Award for Press Freedom from the UA School of Journalism; and Richard Cachor Taylor's talks about his book "Birds of Arizona".

Also on Arizona Spotlight: Voices from the Tucson Pride Festival; emerging UA filmmakers take the stage at San Diego Comic-Con; and historian David Leighton shares the star-studded story of Nick C. Hall.

Featuring: The stars of Live Theatre Workshop's "Misery"; Broadway designer David Korins' creations from "Beetlejuice"; a ghost story from "Stories That Soar!"; and the supernatural invades suburbia in the Ten-Minute Drama "The Jack-O-Lantern".

Also on Arizona Spotlight: Find out how the Assistance League of Tucson has been helping people in need for 65 years; and cold blooded critters (and those who love them) gather for the 22nd Tucson Reptile and Amphibian Show..

Jade Beall is a Tucson-based photographer with an eye for finding beauty all around her. Beall talks about her collection called “The Crone Body”, which contains intimate portraits that celebrate the changing wisdom and power of women as they age. Also: "Bad Art Night" at the Arizona Science Center offers people a chance to explore their curious side; and an asylum seeker shares his welcome to Tucson.