Arts

Krysta Rodriguez played Ana Vargas in the recently canceled backstage-on-Broadway TV series Smash, and Zachary Levi earned a fervent following in the title role of NBC's Chuck. Both performers have backgrounds in the theater, and they'll be together on Br

Arts

Broadway's 'First Date': A Greek Chorus Of Emotional Baggage

12:37pm July 09, 2013

by NPR Staff

Turns out the nerd-turned-spy from the TV show Chuck can sing. Zachary Levi is rehearsing for his first role on Broadway — a new musical comedy called First Date, which also features Krysta Rodriguez, the star of another NBC program, Smash.

Queue Listen Now

How 'Dancing In The Street' Became A Protest Anthem

12:37pm July 09, 2013

by NPR Staff

Mark Kurlansky's book Ready for a Brand New Beat is a history of the song "Dancing in the Street." It was the soundtrack for the summer of 1964, when race riots and war protests spread across the United States.

Queue Listen Now

In The Last of Us, a fungus called Cordyceps that commonly infects insects has jumped over to humans, creating a fungal zombie apocalypse.

Arts

A Zombie Horror Game, Inspired By ... A Nature Documentary?

11:20am July 09, 2013

by Beth Accomando

The Last of Us is a new survival horror video game that follows a character named Joel as he fights off both hostile humans and zombie-like creatures. It was inspired by a BBC show on the scary effects of a fungus.

Queue Listen Now

One of the aspects that attracted Schreiber to Ray Donovan was the prospect of playing a character for whom words were relatively unimportant.

Arts

As 'Ray Donovan,' Liev Schreiber Cleans Up Hollywood's Messes

8:53am July 09, 2013

In the Showtime series, Schreiber plays a Hollywood fixer with some personal problems of his own. While TV is newish territory for Schreiber, playing a man plagued by inner demons is not. He talks with Dave Davies about acting the heavy — and how his face has shaped his career.

Queue Listen Now

Arts

Meet the Artist: Violinist Kevin Lawrence

8:42am July 09, 2013

by David Ford

Today's guest has been praised for his "assertive style and strong musical personality," and playing that is "supremely convincing in its vitality". Kevin Lawrence is the chair of the string department and professor of violin at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts.

Queue Listen Now

Duncan's summer is filled with awkward — and often adult-initiated — situations involving the girl next door (Annasophia Robb).

Arts

Oscar Winners Rash And Faxon Team Up For 'The Way, Way Back'

6:13pm July 08, 2013

by NPR Staff

Renee Montagne talks to Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, the writing and directing team on the new film The Way, Way Back. The coming of age movie focuses on a 14-year-old boy's tough summer vacation with his mother and her new boyfriend.

Queue Listen Now

In the new FX series The Bridge, Diane Kruger stars as a detective investigating a murder along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Arts

'The Bridge:' Mayhem On The Border, With Big Issues At Stake

3:37pm July 08, 2013

by David Bianculli

On July 10, FX adds another dark serialized drama to an already rich cable crop: The Bridge, starring Diane Kruger. Like The Killing, it's based on a Scandinavian television series.

Queue Listen Now

Arts

Governor's School of North Carolina in its 51st Summer

8:23am July 08, 2013

by David Ford

Last July the Governor's School of North Carolina (NCGS) celebrated its 50th anniversary. It's a remarkable program where each summer many of our state's best and brightest students from a variety of socio-economic backgrounds gather for the love of learning and the joy of creativity. At the Governor's School intellectual curiosity fuels the exploration of the latest ideas in a whole host of disciplines.

David Ford spoke with 2012 NC Governor's School Director Lucy Milner and 2012 Governor's School percussion student Alex Kim. And today, we sample from a Governor's School West orchestra performance.

Queue Listen Now

The Italian Renaissance Garden in New York's botanical gardens is inspired by the garden in Padua, Italy, created in 1545.

Growing The Latest In 16th-Century Medicine

6:37pm July 06, 2013

by Margot Adler

A small section of the New York Botanical Garden's Wild Medicine exhibit recreates the Italian Renaissance Garden at Padua, Italy, the site of one of the earliest and most important medical schools.

Queue Listen Now

Many of the flowers at Hillwood are doing well despite the ever-changing local climate.

One Garden's Climate Struggle (And How To Save Yours)

12:44pm July 06, 2013

by NPR Staff

Two longtime gardeners share the changes they've seen over the years at Hillwood Estate in Washington, D.C. As blooming times become more sporadic, new flowers stand out as stars and an unwelcome fungus springs to life. Take notes: Your garden might benefit from some adjustments.

Queue Listen Now