Performing Arts

The NPR Ed team analyzed more than 100 pages of data from old issues of Dramatics magazine.

The Most Popular High School Plays And Musicals

12:47pm July 30, 2020

by Elissa Nadworny

Mary Poppins is out and Matilda is in, according to the new high school theater rankings from the Educational Theatre Association. The organization has been publishing its list since 1938.

Queue Listen Now

Arts

On Zoom, Stand-Up Comedian Nore Davis Turns 'Pain Into A Joke'

4:58pm July 26, 2020

Comedian Nore Davis' new comedy album, "LIVE from Comedy Trap House," was recorded entirely on Zoom.

The inside of xBk, Tobi Parks' music venue in Des Moines, Iowa. Without help, hers and thousands of other small, independent spaces across the country are at risk of closing.

Independent Venues Face Bleak Future Without Aid

11:11am July 21, 2020

by Andrew Limbong

Small music venues in the US are looking for a lifeline — and a new bill in Congress called the Restart Act might be it. Advocates say the future of independent clubs relies on government relief.

Queue Listen Now

Lin-Manuel Miranda and members of the hip-hop group Freestyle Love Supreme perform at the Greenwich House Theater.

'We Are Freestyle Love Supreme' Is An Accidental 'Hamilton' Cast Origin Story

10:12am July 18, 2020

A new documentary catalogs the rise of Lin-Manuel Miranda, Christopher Jackson and other members of the hip-hop group Freestyle Love Supreme in the mid-2000s before they became famous on Broadway.

Queue Listen Now

On Site Opera Offers Live Performances Over The Phone For Just 1 Person At A Time

4:03pm July 14, 2020

by Jeff Lunden

On Site Opera, a company that stages performances in unlikely places, has changed its format during the pandemic. Now it organizes live performances for an audience of just one — over the phone.

Queue Listen Now

Actors' Equity Approves 2 Live Theater Performances In Western Massachusetts

5:10pm July 07, 2020

by Jeff Lunden

Actors' Equity is allowing theaters in the Berkshires region of Massachusetts to put on performances this summer. The theaters plan two live shows with limited audiences and safety protocols in place.

Queue Listen Now

Nick Cordero attends the 68th Annual Tony Awards at Radio City Music Hall on June 8, 2014 in New York City.

Arts

'Never Known A Kinder Person': Actor Nick Cordero Dies Of COVID-19 At 41

4:15pm July 06, 2020

by Jeff Lunden

The Broadway actor was nominated for a Tony Award for his performance in Bullets Over Broadway. Cordero had been working on a production of Rock of Ages when he developed symptoms of pneumonia.

Queue Listen Now

London's Lyceum Theatre is wrapped in pink tape bearing the words "Missing Live Theatre," part of a campaign by a group of British stage designers.

Britain Announces A $2 Billion Rescue Package For The Arts

10:14am July 06, 2020

by Frank Langfitt

The package, announced Sunday, includes grants and loans that theaters, museums, live music venues and others can use to pay salaries and maintenance costs as they try to survive during the pandemic.

Julian Bass went viral for his superhero video with special effects.

Arts

A Theater Student Gets Supersized Attention After Superhero Video Goes Viral

7:53am July 05, 2020

by Christianna Silva

College theater student Julian Bass got big affirmation for his video where he morphs into superheroes. He talks with NPR's Scott Detrow about his sudden fame — and his love for Spider-Man.

Queue Listen Now

Students examine artworks on display at the Heritage Center at Red Cloud.

Arts

Government Arts Boost 'Does Not Come Close To Meeting The Demand,' Says NEA Head

12:11pm July 01, 2020

by Neda Ulaby

Nearly a thousand arts organizations across the country are receiving funds from the CARES Act. But the National Endowment for the Arts says the $44 million in grants it announced today is not enough.