All Tied Up
Recorded live at Tanglewood with members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and a star-studded cast, this tale from Borneo features a tiny trickster who untangles a problem by tying it up in knots!
Aug 15, 2023•26 min•Season 7Ep. 11
Circle Round
Created and produced by parents of young children, WBUR's Circle Round adapts carefully-selected folktales from around the world into sound- and music-rich radio plays for kids ages 3-103. Each 15 to 25-minute episode explores important issues like kindness, persistence and generosity. And each episode ends with an activity that inspires a deeper conversation between children and grown-ups.
Episodes
A Biscuit, A Basket
Saara Chaudry (The Muppets Mayhem, Holly Hobby) stars in this tale from India and beyond about good deeds, bad intentions, and biscuits. Lots of biscuits.
Aug 08, 2023•26 min•Season 7Ep. 10
The Blizzard Wizard
Vivien Lyra Blair (Obi-Wan Kenobi, The Boogeyman) headlines this story from the indigenous peoples of Sibera about a supernatural spirit with a very cold shoulder.
Aug 01, 2023•21 min•Season 7Ep. 9
Encore: The Great Ball Game
In this Native American and First Nations tale, William Jackson Harper (The Good Place, Love Life) portrays a tiny creature who teaches the other animals and birds to appreciate what it means to be different.
Jul 25, 2023•20 min•Season 7Ep. 8
Encore: A Taste of Honey
Hannah Simone (New Girl; Mira, Royal Detective) stars alongside her real-life father Naren Simone in a South Asian tale about the power of self-reliance.
Jul 18, 2023•21 min•Season 7Ep. 7
Encore: The Unwelcome Guest
Richard Kind (Inside Out, American Dad!) stars in this Middle Eastern folktale about a clever man who teaches his village a thing or two about the dangers of judging a book by its cover.
Jul 11, 2023•18 min•Season 7Ep. 6
Encore: The Lion’s Whisker
Miles Brown and Marsai Martin (Black-ish) co-star with NPR veteran Ofeiba Quist-Arcton in this Ethiopian story about courage, collaboration, patience, and sibling love.
Jul 04, 2023•15 min•Season 7Ep. 5
Buried Treasure - live at KCRW
Recorded live at KCRW in Santa Monica, CA, this story with international roots shows how having a soft spot for hard work can pay off -- big time!
Jun 27, 2023•25 min•Season 7Ep. 4
Two Moons - live at KCRW
Recorded live at KCRW in Santa Monica, CA, this story from Thailand, Laos, and Malaysia gives a whole new meaning to "promising the moon"!
Jun 20, 2023•25 min•Season 7Ep. 3
The Bird of a Different Feather - live at Round House Theatre
Recorded live at Round House Theatre in Bethesda, MD, this African tale explains how the guinea fowl got its distinctively speckled feathers.
Jun 13, 2023•22 min•Season 7Ep. 2
The Pot of Gold - live at Round House Theatre
Recorded live at Round House Theatre in Bethesda, MD, this tale from the Jewish tradition shows how misplacing our trust can put us in a sticky situation!
Jun 06, 2023•29 min•Season 7Ep. 1
Once Upon a Flame - feat. William Mapother
Willam Mapother (Lost, On Sacred Ground) headlines this Romanian tale about a story-less man who hopes his tale will end happily ever after!
May 30, 2023•28 min•Season 6Ep. 48
Earning Peanuts - feat. Pablo Castelblanco & Meredith Holzman
Pablo Castelblanco (Alaska Daily, Ganymede) and Meredith Holzman (Alaska Daily, Inventing Anna) headline a story with Burmese and Indian roots about a humble peddler, a magic squirrel, and a golden opportunity.
May 23, 2023•22 min•Season 6Ep. 47
The Fairy Fort - feat. Taylor Richardson & Alison Wright
Taylor Richardson (The Gilded Age) and Alison Wright (The Americans, Snowpiercer) co-star in this Irish tale about mischievous fairies and the power of music.
May 16, 2023•22 min•Season 6Ep. 46
The First Customer - feat. Stephanie Panisello
Stephanie Panisello (What If...?, Ba Da Bean) stars in a Filipino tale about the sweet role kindness can play in achieving your dreams.
May 09, 2023•25 min•Season 6Ep. 45
Catch You Later - feat. Nazneen Contractor
Nazneen Contractor (Holidazed, Star Wars Resistance) plays a cunning barber whose wits are as sharp as her scissors in this clever Bengali tale.
May 02, 2023•23 min•Season 6Ep. 44
Amos and the Ogre - feat. Fortune Feimster & Tom Papa
Comedians Fortune Feimster (Good Fortune, FUBAR) and Tom Papa (What a Day!, You're Doing Great!) face off in a contest of brawn versus brains in this tale with roots across Europe, and Latin and North America.
Apr 25, 2023•26 min•Season 6Ep. 43
Blowing Hot and Cold - feat. Brittney Johnson
Broadway performer Brittney Johnson (Wicked) stars in an Estonian story about being able to control the weather -- and the responsibility such power brings.
Apr 18, 2023•26 min•Season 6Ep. 42
Encore: The Fishermen’s Leftovers feat. Marc delaCruz
In this magical tale from Japan, Marc delaCruz (If/Then, Hamilton) plays a lowly cook whose kitchen scraps bring him a golden reward.
Apr 11, 2023•21 min•Season 6Ep. 41
A Devil of a Job - feat. Mel Rodriguez
Mel Rodriguez (The Afterparty, CSI: Vegas) stars in this Ecuadorian tale about a talented architect who has a devil of a time meeting a seemingly impossible deadline.
Apr 04, 2023•29 min•Season 6Ep. 40
The Sweet Spot - feat. Tantoo Cardinal & Jonathan Joss
Tantoo Cardinal (Killers of the Flower Moon, Three Pines) and Jonathan Joss (King of the Hill, Tulsa King) star in this Wabanaki tale about how people first learned to tap maple trees.
Mar 28, 2023•21 min•Season 6Ep. 39
The Dust-Up - feat. Jackie Chung & Louis Ozawa
Jackie Chung (The Summer I Turned Pretty, Coming Home Again) and Louis Ozawa (Hunters, Pachinko) star in this rollicking tale from Africa about how the zebra got its stripes and the baboon got its bare bottom.
Mar 21, 2023•25 min•Season 6Ep. 38
The Fast Feast - feat. Jon Jon Briones and Kathleen Chalfant
We celebrate our 200th episode with two Circle Round alums -- Jon Jon Briones (Ratched, Class of ‘09) and Kathleen Chalfant (The Affair, House of Cards) -- starring in a Jewish tale about how revenge is a dish best served cold.
Mar 14, 2023•31 min•Season 6Ep. 37
Written in the Stars - feat. Tallie Medel
Tallie Medel (Everything Everywhere All At Once, Cocoon Central Dance Team) headlines this Moroccan Jewish tale about how pursuing your passion can be music to everyone’s ears.
Mar 07, 2023•29 min•Season 6Ep. 36
The Unselfish Shellfish - feat. Eric Bauza & Harry Shum Jr.
Eric Bauza (Bugs Bunny Builders, Woody Woodpecker) and Harry Shum Jr. (Everything Everywhere All At Once, Crazy Rich Asians) star in an Indonesian story about a bad egg who winds up in a real pickle when he tries having his cake and eating it too.
Feb 28, 2023•24 min•Season 6Ep. 35
Encore: Growing Courage ft. Kyla Pratt
Kyla Pratt (Call Me Kat, The Proud Family) headlines this Ethiopian story about the power of facing your fears.
Feb 21, 2023•24 min•Season 6Ep. 34
The Eagle’s Return - feat. Diana Lee Inosanto & Myrna Velasco
Diana Lee Inosanto (The Mandalorian, The Curious Mind of Sebastian) and Myrna Velasco (Elena of Avalor, Trick-or-Treat Scooby-Doo!) star in this Venezuelan story about loyalty, courage, and the supernatural power of friendship.
Feb 14, 2023•23 min•Season 6Ep. 33
Donkey Business - feat. Jennifer Hale & Connor Ratliff
Jennifer Hale (Stars Wars: The Clone Wars, Mass Effect) and Connor Ratliff (Dead Eyes, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) star in this tricky tale about donkeys, ducats, and being a good neighbor.
Feb 07, 2023•24 min•Season 6Ep. 32
The Kernel of Truth - feat. Trinity Jo-Li Bliss, Jen Cohn & America Young
Trinity Jo-Li Bliss (Avatar: The Way of Water, The Garcias), Jen Cohn (Welcome to Chippendales, Star Wars: The Old Republic) and America Young (Barbie, Gotham Knights) star in a classic folktale about the unexpected upside of imperfection.
Jan 31, 2023•31 min•Season 6Ep. 31
The Missing Mountainside - feat. Karen Huie
In this Taiwanese tale starring Karen Huie (Welcome to Flatch, Abominable and the Invisible City), a town learns the bad taste it can leave when you bite off more than you can chew!
Jan 24, 2023•20 min•Season 6Ep. 30
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