Radio Host And Composer Jad Abumrad Reimagines Storytelling At The Carpenter Center

What secrets do forests hold? What is color, exactly? And how did altruism evolve? Jad Abumrad has tackled these questions as creator and co-host of WNYC and NPR's Peabody Award-winning radio show "Radiolab." On Nov. 16 at 8 p.m., Jad Abumrad visits the Carpenter Center for his one-man show, "The Miracle of Indoor Plumbing," to explore an equally intriguing question: when a story moves you, why does it work? Jad's presentation is part of the Wit & Wisdom series which brings leading creators to the Carpenter Center stage.

Ira Glass of "This American Life" calls Jad Abumrad's work in radio "a new aesthetic for the medium." In making him a Fellow, The MacArthur Foundation commended Jad for "inspiring boundless curiosity with a new generation of listeners and experimenting with sound to find ever more effective and entertaining ways to explain ideas and tell a story."

In "The Miracle of Indoor Plumbing," Jad adds visuals and animation to his radio toolkit of narrative, interviews, music, and intricate soundscapes. Over the course of four "chapters," Jad shares how he overcame his personal crisis as a storyteller and deconstructs his process for finding the hidden ingredients behind intriguing stories. From his discovery of silence's power to resolve conflict to the importance of finding small details that point to larger meanings, Jad reveals how stories can lead people back to hope.

The son of a scientist and a doctor, Jad Abumrad studied creative writing and music composition at Oberlin College. He has scored music for films and produced documentaries for public radio including "On the Media," "Studio 360 with Kurt Anderson," "Morning Edition," and "All Things Considered." Jad is also the creator and executive producer of "More Perfect," Radiolab's spin-off podcast covering the impact of Supreme Court decisions. In addition to his radio work, Jad continues to work as a composer and remixer.

"Radiolab" and Jad's spin-off podcast "More Perfect," are a laboratory where he uses interviews, music and audio cues to arrive at a new approach to storytelling, exploring intriguing questions in science, modern life, and philosophy. "Radiolab" is carried on over 500 stations across the globe. Individual episodes are downloaded over 10 million times each month. i?? Tickets for Radiolab's Jad Abumrad "The Miracle of Indoor Plumbing" are $60. For tickets and more information, visit CarpenterArts.org or call the Carpenter Center Ticket Office at (562) 985-7000. The 2019-2020 Season at the Richard and Karen Carpenter Performing Arts Center is made possible in part by Season Media Partner KPCC 89.3-FM.

Radiolab's Jab Abumrad The Miracle of Indoor Plumbing Venue: Carpenter Performing Arts Center, 6200 Atherton St. Long Beach, CA 90815 Date: Saturday, Nov. 16, 2019 Time: 8 p.m. Tickets: $60 Box Office: (562) 985-7000, carpenterarts.org Box office hours are Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. and one hour before all performances.