BPL@Night Celebrates the Season with Storytelling, Puppets, and Jazz!

The Birmingham Public Library (BPL) will host “That Puppet Guy” Lee Bryan, jazz guitarist Keith “Cashmere” Williams, and celebrated storyteller Dolores Hydock in its December BPL@Night programming line-up. Lee Bryan will present a festive, hilarious performance for the whole family at the Avondale Library on Tuesday, December 7; Keith Williams will perform at the Springville Road Library on Thursday, December 9; and Dolores Hydock will present Truman Capote’s A Christmas Memory at the Central Library, also on December 9. These events are free and open to the public.

Avondale Library
December 7 at 6:30 p.m.
The North Pole Fa-La-La-La Follies
Get ready for hilarious holiday high-jinx as some talented residents of the North Pole perform in their annual talent show. The zany, colorful cast includes a wisecracking fruitcake, a musical goose, the “not-so-abominable” snowman, and much, much more! Atlanta-based puppeteer Lee Bryan often incorporates multiple styles of puppets which he demonstrates “behind the scenes” following each performance. Bryan is a two-time grant recipient from the Jim Henson Foundation and was nominated for an Emmy Award for his work on the Spanish language series Salsa.

Springville Road Library
December 9 at 6:30 p.m.
An Evening of Jazz with Keith Williams
Jazz guitarist Keith “Cashmere” Williams has become one of the most prominent musicians in the Southeast. In addition to touring and recording with Ruben Studdard, Williams has opened for Kirk Whalum, Ramsey Lewis, Boney James, and many more. Williams started playing at the age of five, leading to his acceptance at Berklee College of Music, where he produced and recorded his first album. In 2000, his second album, Set the Mood, received rave reviews and national airplay. Since then, he has founded his own label, Lenoah Records, and released his third album, New Birth.

Central Library
December 9 at 6:30 p.m.
A Christmas Memory with Dolores Hydock
Join us for our annual Christmas reading by Birmingham storyteller and actress Dolores Hydock as she presents A Christmas Memory, Truman Capote’s poignant reminiscence of his boyhood in rural Alabama. Dolores Hydock’s work has been featured at concerts, festivals, and special events throughout the country. She is a touring artist for the Alabama State Council on the Arts, a speaker with the Alabama Humanities Foundation, and a member of the Southern Order of Storytellers. Her six CDs of original stories have all received awards from Storytelling World Magazine.

Visit www.bplonline.org for additional information.

BPL@Night is a series of high quality evening performances offered free-of-charge by Birmingham Public Library in an effort to bring enriching cultural programs to downtown Birmingham and the city’s neighborhoods. BPL@Night highlights local and regional performers that reflect the diversity of our community and draw from a wide range of personal experience. Through programs such as these, the library seeks to provide Birmingham citizens of all ages opportunities for entertainment, ongoing education, and personal growth.