Circle Round

This Circle Round favorite starring Story Pirates Podcast hosts Lee Overtree, Peter McNerney and Meghan O'Neill shines a sparkling light on the treasures that come from honesty, integrity and honor.

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Podcast luminary Avery Trufelman (99% Invisible, Nice Try!) stars as a generous baker touched by magic in this appetizing episode from the Circle Round archives.

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Does bigger always mean stronger? Oscar nominee & children's author Quvenzhané Wallis (Beasts of the Southern Wild, Annie) stars in this amusing folktale from the Circle Round archives.

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Recorded live at Tanglewood with members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and an all-star cast, this tale from China explores the true riches in life.

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Recorded live at Tanglewood with members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and an all-star cast, this Vietnamese origin story imagines how a very important grain first came to earth.

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Recorded live at Tanglewood with members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and an all-star cast, this tale from Mexico explores wisdom, folly, and everything in between.

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In this zany Celtic tale from the archives, when fairies come to help Parker Bates (This Is Us) with his chores, he discovers the spirited creatures are far more trouble than they're worth.

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Jona Xiao (Raya and the Last Dragon, Hightown) plays a flower peddler who makes gardens and goodness grow in this story with Chinese, Tibetan, Japanese, Moroccan, French, Canadian, and Peruvian roots.

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Chef, author, and TV personality Carla Hall (Carla and the Christmas Cornbread, Holiday Baking Championship) plays a sly, surprising judge in this courtroom tale with roots in China and the Ozarks.

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Broadway stars and father-daughter duo Chuck Cooper ("The Life," "Trouble In Mind") and Lilli Cooper ("Tootsie," "SpongeBob SquarePants") headline this West African adventure tale about using your inner spark to change the world.

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In this story with Jewish, Arab, and Korean origins, Tennille Read (SurrealEstate, Workin' Moms) plays a young woman who learns the true meaning of sisterly love.

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In honor of Indigenous Peoples' Day, we bring back a favorite tale from the archives: Irene Bedard (Pocahontas, Ralph Breaks the Internet) stars in an Alaska Native story about the out-of-this-world power that comes when we work together.

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Terrence Terrell (B Positive, Giants) stars in this Native American tale about a gentle giant who brings night and day to the world, and gives a certain striped critter its telltale scent.

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Anthony Alabi (Family Reunion, black-ish) headlines an Oneida and Mohawk story about how one of the most beautiful bird songs of all came to be.

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Actor/singer-songwriter MASUMI (Yakuza Princess) headlines this magical tale from the Yoruba people about how night came to a world of endless day.

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Elisa Donovan (Clueless, Sabrina the Teenage Witch) plays a judge who puts honesty on trial in this tale with Chinese, Indian, Ethiopian, and Romanian roots.

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Carra Patterson (Turner & Hooch, Jitney) stars in a tale from Japan about a woman with enough generosity to last a lifetime, and a man with enough greed to sink a ship.

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We wrap up the summer with another listener favorite: a Cherokee tale in which Yeardley Smith (The Simpsons, Oil and Water) plays a feisty, creative spider who proves that power and strength aren't always about physical size.

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George Salazar (Be More Chill, Superstore) plays a wise-cracking waterborne vessel in this Brazilian story about the extraordinary things teamwork can bring.

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This week we bring back a listener favorite: Mindy Thomas and Guy Raz (hosts of "Wow in the World") star in a whimsical Native American tale about the dangers of gossip.

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Mo Rocca (CBS Sunday Morning, Wait, Wait... Don't Tell Me!) headlines this eco-conscious Estonian/Finnish tale about conservation, courtesy, and how actions speak louder than words.

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In this favorite tale from the archives, comedian/kids' author Michael Ian Black (I'm Worried, Cock-a-Doodle-Doo-Bop) and actor/director David Wain (Wet Hot American Summer, Medical Police) believe they know the secret to what makes people truly happy.

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NPR's Peter Sagal (Wait, Wait... Don't Tell Me!) stars in this Russian story about how fantastically priceless a little generosity can be.

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Broadway stars Derrick Baskin (Ain't Too Proud – The Life and Times of The Temptations, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee) and Brandon Uranowitz (An American in Paris, Burn This) play a curious king and clever farmer in this tale with roots in Russia, Italy, India, Greece, Africa and Iran.

This episode was originally released on October 22, 2019.

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Audrey Hsieh (Here Today, Mixtape) and Alonzo Bodden (Wait, Wait... Don't Tell Me!, Who's Paying Attention) headline this Tibetan tale about two family members who are rewarded appropriately by a stone lion, one for her generosity and one for his greed.

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Rachael Harris (Lucifer, Suits) and Taran Killam (Nature Cat, Saturday Night Live) star in this special encore episode about a young man who learns that -- with a little hard work -- dreams can come true.

This episode was originally released on December 19, 2017.

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In this enchanting tale from the archives, Amber Stevens West (Happy Together, Run the World) stars as a globe-​trotting princess who works hard to keep her promises.

This episode was originally released on October 23, 2018.

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In this favorite episode from the archives, Ray Magliozzi (Car Talk) plays a stubborn goat who inadvertently reminds us that true heroes comes in all shapes and sizes.

This episode was originally released on January 23, 2018.

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In this favorite episode from the archives, Eris Baker (This Is Us) plays a tricky rabbit who presents her fellow animals with an offer they can't refuse.

This episode originally released April 9, 2019.

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Tony Award nominee Joaquina Kalukango (Slave Play, One Night in Miami) stars in this Zulu tale from South Africa about how stories came to the world.

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Jon Huertas (This Is Us, Initiation) and Faith Salie (CBS Sunday Morning, Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me) headline this folktale about a generous queen, a cunning farmer, and a devious gatekeeper who takes more than his fair share.

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Duchess Sarah Ferguson of York (Storytime With Fergie) and Jason Mantzoukas (How Did This Get Made, Housebroken) play a crafty queen and scheming advisor who face off in an unforgettable game of chess.

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Owen Teale (Game of Thrones, Dream Horse) stars in this Welsh legend about a desperate farmer who becomes too greedy for his own good.

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In this favorite episode from the archives, seven-time Emmy-Award winner Ed Asner (Up, The Mary Tyler Moore Show) plays a wise father who challenges his daughters to solve a tricky challenge by thinking outside the box.

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Kyla Pratt (Call Me Kat, The Proud Family) headlines this Ethiopian story about the power of facing your fears.

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Alison Wright (Snowpiercer, The Americans) stars as a wise and witty Irish giant who proves she's colossal in both size and smarts.

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Comedian and actor Maz Jobrani (Pandemic Warrior, Back To School With Maz Jobrani) plays a wise man with an on-fire imagination in this clever tale from Turkey, Balochistan, India, Ethiopia, Kenya, the West Indies, and the Hispano community of New Mexico.

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Tiffany Espensen (Spider-Man: Homecoming, Kirby Buckets) stars in this Chinese folktale about thinking outside the box and inside the boat.

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This favorite episode from our archives is in loving memory of an actor you've heard in numerous Circle Round stories, including this one: Delores King Williams.

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In this tale from India, Utkarsh Ambudkar (Brittany Runs a Marathon, We Are Freestyle Love Supreme) plays an ingenious royal advisor who cunningly proves the true owner of a fruitful treasure.

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In this playful tale from Indonesia and Malaysia, Tiya Sircar (Star Wars Rebels, The Good Place) plays a cunning mouse deer who teaches a cantankerous crocodile a lesson.

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Tony Award Winner Ruthie Ann Miles (The King and I, All Rise) stars in this Paraguayan story about giving the most rare and precious gift of all.

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Aasif Mandvi (The Daily Show, Evil) and Madhur Jaffrey (Madhur Jaffrey's Curry Nation, I Feel Bad) co-star in this Indian story about a wise king, a generous shoemaker, and a priceless pair of shoes.

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Tony Award winner Lea Salonga (Miss Saigon, Les Misérables) headlines this Marshallese tale about how the first sailboat came to be.

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This week, we bring back a favorite story from the archives: Tony Award winner André De Shields (Hadestown, The Full Monty) stars in a Jewish tale that tests the old adage, "Finders keepers, losers weepers."

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Jeremy Sisto (Law and Order, FBI) and Rory Culkin (Waco, Halston) co-star in this Hungarian story about two farmers, one wise king, and a whole mess of canines.

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In this magical tale from Japan, Marc delaCruz (If/Then, Hamilton) plays a lowly cook whose kitchen scraps bring him a golden reward.

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Christina Anthony (Mixed-ish, Key & Peele) and Tony winner Lindsay Mendez (Carousel, All Rise) play a one-of-a-kind horse and rider in this enchanted tale from across the Spanish-speaking world.

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Joshua Malina (The West Wing, Scandal) and Hrishikesh Hirway (Song Exploder, The West Wing Weekly) co-star in this Jewish tale about two brothers who make two very different ways in the world.

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Mason Gooding (Love, Victor; Scream 5) and Allen Maldonado (Sneakerheads, The Last O.G.) co-star in this East African story about the big power of a little teamwork.

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