Arts

Danny Skinner portrays Patrick Star and Ethan Slater is SpongeBob SquarePants in SpongeBob SquarePants, the musical.

Arts

SpongeBob's Bikini Bottom On Broadway — And In Danger

7:56am December 09, 2017

by Scott Simon

The SpongeBob SquarePants musical is directed by Tina Landau. Even in the face of a dangerous volcano, she says SpongeBob "really reminds us to experience each moment with joy."

cover art of The Lost Prayers Of Ricky Graves

Books
Arts

In A New Novel, The 'Lost Prayers' Of A Gay Teen Bullied To Death

7:56am December 09, 2017

by Scott Simon

James Han Mattson's debut book, inspired by the real-life suicide of an outed young man, treats the Internet as both lifeline and paper trail of a tormented, small-town adolescence.

Opening The Hottest Fake Restaurant In Town

7:56am December 09, 2017

Vice U.K. writer Oobah Butler created a fake restaurant that became the hottest eatery in London on TripAdvisor. He tells NPR's Scott Simon about how he executed his prank.

A view of Buffalo Bayou and downtown Houston. The dirt along the banks shows the extent of the flooding during Hurricane Harvey.

Hurricane Harvey Flooded Houston's Theater District, But It Won't Stop The Shows

7:44am December 09, 2017

by John Burnett

Bayou water and sewage flooded the city's opera, ballet, and theater companies, ruining wigs, costumes and props. Losses and costs to rebuild may total more than $60 million.

Arts

'I, Tonya' Offers A Sympathetic Second Act To A Disgraced Figure Skater

8:13pm December 08, 2017

by David Edelstein

In January 1994, skater Nancy Kerrigan was struck on the leg with a police-style baton by a man linked to skating rival Tonya Harding. A new dark comedy reconsiders the case against Harding.

Allison Janney portrays LaVona Golden in I, Tonya.

Arts

In 'I, Tonya,' Allison Janney Is An Olympic Mom Who Doesn't Play By The Rules

5:28pm December 08, 2017

by Ari Shapiro

In the new film, the actress plays Tonya Harding's mother, a complex role written specifically for her. "I had to understand what she wanted for her daughter," Janney says. "And the humanity in that."

Don Lowry's con unfolded very slowly over two decades. When it was finally exposed, some of the victims defended the people who had been fooling them. They preferred to believe the lie.

Arts

Radio Replay: Loving the Lie

5:00pm December 08, 2017

If you believe something is real — if you can fall in love with someone or stand in awe of a painting — is it possible that it doesn't actually matter whether the object of your affection is fake?

Franz Schubert's Lieder

12:35pm December 08, 2017

Franz Schubert composed music in nearly every genre imaginable--symphonies, chamber music, operas, piano pieces--and yet each piece was infused with his favorite: lieder--songs.

Queue Listen Now

Turning Coal Ash Into Public Art

5:18am December 08, 2017

by Keri Brown

A local artist is using her talents to create a new public art display in Stokes County.

Queue Listen Now

The first three episodes of The Crown's new season focus on turmoil in the royal marriage between Elizabeth (Claire Foy) and her husband, Philip (Matt Smith).

Season 2 Of 'The Crown' Exposes The Royal Family's Fitful Evolution

5:00am December 08, 2017

by Eric Deggans

The best episodes of this season are layered and complex; they juggle questions of whether a good marriage is possible in a royal setting, and how forgiveness has its limits.