At this point, Ari Shapiro is used to the reaction.
“It doesn’t matter what city we’re in,” says Shapiro, who retired last fall after 10 years as co-host of National Public Radio’s “All Things Considered.” “Every time I take the stage, there are people who are shocked that it’s the Ari Shapiro they know from NPR.”
Though Shapiro has been performing for more than 15 years, as a guest vocalist with the band Pink Martini and as cabaret performer often teaming up with Alan Cumming, many people don’t know that the award-winning journalist has a full portfolio of other talents.
“I recognize what a privilege it is that I’m able to do all these different things, but life is just more fun that way,” Shapiro says. “If you have the option of working all the different muscle groups instead of just one, why wouldn’t you?”
Shapiro has much more time to pursue other interests since leaving NPR last October. Starting there as an intern in 2001, Shapiro built a career as an skilled journalist, first as a regional reporter, later as NPR’s justice correspondent and then London correspondent before landing the ATC gig.
He distinguished himself with his genuinely inquisitive approach, winning three Edward R. Murrow Awards along the way. He became an audience favorite by delivering news in a steady, calm and always engaging manner. While his departure came during a tumultuous time with public media being targeted by the Trump administration, Shapiro left because his 10-year contract was up and he was eager to move on.
“I’m so grateful to the NPR leadership that allowed me to do different side projects,” he says. “It’s pretty safe to say that, if I had not had those opportunities, I probably would not have stuck around for 10 years.”
Shapiro’s side projects have included hosting the seventh season of the Netflix reality TV series, “The Mole,” and writing a best-selling memoir in 2023, “The Best Strangers in the World: Stories from a Life Spent Listening.” Thanks to his book, he gained a Richmond connection.
“[Richmond resident] Joseph Papa was my book publicist,” he says. “He and I traveled all over the country together on my book tour and we became good friends. I first met him through Alan because Joseph was his publicist, too.”
Shapiro says that, in addition to being a performance partner, Cumming has been a mentor and a role model. They met when Shapiro did a story on the actor’s star turn in the 2014 Broadway revival of “Cabaret.” Soon after, the pair collaborated on a cabaret they toured for six years.
“People asked if it was intimidating performing with Alan, and it was just the opposite,” says Shapiro. “I knew with all of his talent and skill and experience, that if the train was going off the rails, he would get it back on track. He gave me the confidence to try something that felt just a little bit out of reach for me.”
Shapiro’s experience with Cumming led him to create his solo cabaret, a mix of songs and stories from his life’s singular trajectory. That journey starts with his grandmother, Sylvia, who was a fortune teller at an amusement park in Chicago, going all the way through his globe-trotting career flying on Air Force One and filming a TV show in Malaysia.
“I think it’s important for people to know that this show is not about the news; I’m not talking about politics,” Shapiro says. “I’m not talking about the stuff that gives so many people heartburn these days. This show is…what is the opposite of heartburn? I don’t know: antacid?”
After his Richmond appearance, Shapiro will perform in Philadelphia and New York and then shelve his current show. Even though he’s shutting down this cabaret, he’s certain that live performance will factor into his future.
“It’s such a thrill to be able to hear the audience reaction in real time after a life spent telling stories on the radio where the audience is invisible,” he says. “It’s really rewarding to go on this journey with people actually in the room. That’s something I don’t take for granted.”
“Ari Shapiro: Thank You for Listening” will take place at The Tin Pan, 8982 Quioccasin Road, on Thursday, Jan. 29 at 8 p.m. Tickets and more information available at https://tinpanrva.com/.
