Performing Arts

Brooklyn Mack and Misty Copeland will dance the lead roles in the Washington Ballet's spring production of Swan Lake.

Arts

A Rare Bird: After 120 Years, Audiences Still Flock To 'Swan Lake'

8:39am January 20, 2015

by Elizabeth Blair

Despite being long, convoluted and sometimes sleep-inducing, Swan Lake is a reliable ticket-seller for dance companies. The version most often performed today premiered in Russia in 1895.

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Actors Tituss Burgess and Ellie Kemper horse around on the set of The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt while filming in New York in March. Tina Fey's new TV series was developed for NBC, but will air on Netflix instead.

Arts

New Streaming Services Are Changing TV — And Viewers, Too

7:49pm January 19, 2015

by Eric Deggans

Streaming services like Netflix and the DISH Network's new Sling TV are helping consumers break free of cable subscriptions. That means TV shows must find new ways to connect with their viewers.

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Arts

Larry Wilmore's 'Nightly Show' Brings A New Voice To Late Night TV

1:22pm January 19, 2015

by Eric Deggans

The former Daily Show correspondent becomes the only black man to host an entertainment show on late night TV. And he starts on an important occasion; the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.

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Tina Fey speaks at the Television Critics Association's winter press tour Wednesday in Pasadena, Calif.

Why I Asked Tina Fey About 'Charlie Hebdo' At The TV Critics Press Tour

4:59pm January 08, 2015

by Eric Deggans

At the TV Critics Association's press tour, journalists can struggle to connect news on the industry to real life. But NPR TV critic Eric Deggans says Tina Fey's words on satire and freedom resonated.

Actors Jermaine Crawford, Maestro Harrell, Tristan Wilds and Julito McCullum portray Baltimore students in the show's fourth season.

Rewatching 'The Wire': Classic Crime Drama Seems Written For Today

3:36pm January 06, 2015

by Eric Deggans

As HBO releases the high-definition version of The Wire, NPR's Eric Deggans says that binge-watching the show feels more like reading today's headlines — especially on issues of race and class.

The British theater company 1927 performs its latest play, Golem, based on the character from ancient Jewish folklore. The troupe's trademark is vintage style combined with distinctive animation.

The Theater Company Is 1927; The Technology Is Cutting Edge

7:40pm January 05, 2015

by Ari Shapiro

The British troupe 1927 has used vintage style and distinctive animation to make a name for itself in London and beyond. Its latest play is Golem.

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Ellie Kemper, right, stars with Tituss Burgess in the Netflix series Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.

Arts

TV In 2015: Late-Night Shuffles, Big Goodbyes And More

8:31am January 05, 2015

by Eric Deggans

The most important TV events coming in 2015 include new voices in late-night, big goodbyes, online platforms picking up old shows and, NPR TV critic Eric Deggans says, more of everything.

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Comedian Andrea Martin performs at New York's 54 Below in 2012. She published her memoir Lady Parts in September.

Books
Arts

Comedian Andrea Martin: 'I Don't Think Age Has Anything To Do With It'

6:54pm December 27, 2014

by NPR Staff

Now in her late 60s, Martin says she's still "excited and enthusiastic" about her work and doesn't have any intention of retiring. She published a memoir in September called Lady Parts.

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Patricia Arquette (clockwise from left), Reese Witherspoon, Laura Dern, Amy Adams, Felicity Jones, Julianne Moore and Hilary Swank on the Nov. 28 cover of The Hollywood Reporter.

Sony Hack Reveals Hollywood's Acceptance Of White Privilege

1:00am December 27, 2014

by Eric Deggans

While some leaked Sony emails seemed racist, NPR TV critic Eric Deggans says they hint at a wider issue: an acceptance of practices, habits and perceptions that limit diversity in Hollywood.

The stage version of the Hollywood classic An American in Paris combines British, French and American artistic traditions and stars Leanne Cope and Robert Fairchild in the roles made famous by Leslie Caron and Gene Kelly.

The French Go Crazy For 'An American In Paris'

3:49pm December 25, 2014

by Eleanor Beardsley

The first-ever stage production of the 1951 Hollywood film starring Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron, with a Gershwin score, is getting rave reviews during its premiere in the city that inspired it.

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