Neal Conan grew up reading National Geographic magazine.
So when he got to travel as a National Public Radio reporter to Midway Island, the Black Sea and the Solomon Islands, all the while accompanying National Geographic photographers, it was a first-hand look at the "dedication and innovation" they bring to their jobs, Conan says.
That lifelong appreciation for the magazine helped lead Conan, host of NPR's "Talk of the Nation," to create "First Person: Stories from the Edge of the World." The multimedia presentation, which comes to the Lied Center at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, includes Celtic music by Ensemble Galilei, readings from the journals of celebrated explorers by Conan and actor Lily Knight, and National Geographic images projected on a large screen.
"We're very happy with the combination of adventure, intensity, comedy, poetry and music," Conan says. "The hard part from the point of view of a radio guy is to be as precise as the musicians, who are amazing. I find myself so carried away by them from time to time that I have a hard time remembering my entrances, which have to be as precise as theirs."
The production includes journal entries from such explorers as Jacques Cousteau, George Mallory and Charles Darwin.
Ensemble Galilei is a nine-member group that plays Irish and Scottish airs and dance tunes, in addition to medieval music and original compositions. It worked with Conan once before on a project - "A Universe of Dreams" featured narration, music and images from the Hubble Space Telescope.
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