Ira Glass with dancers?

That’s right, the always entertaining host of NPR’s This American Life has taken to the road with choreographer Monica Bill Barnes & Company for a quirky show combining two art forms that, as Glass puts it, “have no business being together – dance and radio.”

Coming to The Granada on Saturday, October 19 from UCSB Arts & Lectures, the resulting show is said to be “a hilarious, lively and very talky evening of dance and captivating stories that brought down the house in its test run at Carnegie Hall,” according to the organizers.

How did this surprising collaboration begin?

In May 2012, they collaborated on three short dances that were part of a This American Life variety show that was beamed into movie theaters nationwide. It was such a success that they decided to do a full show that combines stories and dance. Some are performed together on stage by Glass, Barnes and dancer Anna Bass. For a few, the dancers or the radio host take over for a while. The result? A funny and strangely wonderful evening exploring the life of the artist.

“This is the perfect show for anyone who has ever thought to themselves, ‘God, Ira Glass’ show is the most awesome radio show ever, except it’s missing modern dance,’ ” Glass says.

The show starts at 8 p.m. for more information or tickets call 805/893-3535, visit ArtsAndLectures.UCSB.edu or The Granada Theatre at 805/899-2222, granadasb.org.

 Originally published in Santa Barbara SEASONS on October 18, 2013.