At the Guthrie

Lots of classical-music allusion going on at the new Guthrie, if you’ve seen their production of Tom Stoppard’s “Real Thing.”

At one point, there’s a joke about Verdi’s first name – it got a big laugh, I’m happy to say. There’s also a reference, subtler than it might seem, to the whole question of Bach and Procol Harum’s “Whiter Shade of Pale.” Finally, a major plot thread deals with the BBC’s “Desert Island Discs.”

That’s the radio show where celebrities talk about the records (classical, pop, you name it) that they’d take to the proverbial desert island. The show started in 1942, and it’s still going strong. A sampling of recent guests: Renée Fleming, Alexander McCall Smith, Daniel Barenboim, choreographer Matthew Bourne …. guests, details, and shows that you can listen to online here.