Performing Arts

Author Mo Willems supervises a rehearsal of the musical adaptation of Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. As the very first Education Artist-in-Residence, "I can say at this point that I am the greatest ... " he l

Books
Arts

Kids' Author Mo Willems Has A New Creative Challenge (And So Should You)

5:32am July 02, 2019

by Rachel Martin

The creator of the Pigeon series, Knuffle Bunny, and Elephant & Piggie is currently an Artist-in-Residence at the Kennedy Center. He says if you want kids to draw, you should let them see you drawing.

Drag Queen Cloud performs at Wigstock in New York in 1994.

Arts

How Drag Queens Have Sashayed Their Way Through History

5:09pm June 27, 2019

Drag is experiencing a golden age, thanks to TV's RuPaul's Drag Race. But the tradition of drag performance has its roots as far back as Greece and has gone through a radical evolution in the U.S.

Jordan Weatherston Pitts (center) sings the role of Renata, the drag queen, with the company of New York City Opera's Stonewall.

'Stonewall' Opera Marks Uprising's 50th Anniversary

8:22am June 22, 2019

by Jeff Lunden

New York City Opera has commissioned Stonewall, a new opera premiering one week before the 50th anniversary of the riots that sparked the modern gay-rights movement.

Franco Zeffirelli pictured above in New York in October 1974.

Arts

Franco Zeffirelli, Creator Of Lavish Productions On Screen And Stage, Dies At 96

11:21am June 15, 2019

by Neda Ulaby

The Italian director staged sumptuously visualized operas, which often resembled Renaissance paintings brought to life. On film, he brought Shakespearean and biblical tales to the big screen.

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Arts

Audra McDonald And Michael Shannon On 'Frankie And Johnny In The Clair De Lune'

7:58am June 15, 2019

NPR's Scott Simon asks Audra McDonald and Michael Shannon about starring in the Broadway revival of Terrence McNally's 1987 play Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune.

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The cast of Hadestown performed at the Tony Awards on Sunday night, as the show won eight awards.

Arts

'Hadestown' Finds Bliss At The Tony Awards

12:26am June 10, 2019

by Linda Holmes

Anaïs Mitchell's long-developing musical won eight awards, including best musical, while The Ferryman won best play.

Brian Drye plays trombone with Tony-nominated actress Amber Grey onstage in Hadestown.

Into The Spotlight: Recognizing Broadway Musicians This Tony Awards Season

8:44am June 09, 2019

by Jeff Lunden

Musicals get Tony Awards. Scores get Tony Awards. Orchestrators get Tony Awards. But this year, a number of Broadway musicians are stepping out of the pit and onto the stage.

Derrick Baskin And Dominique Morisseau On 'Ain't Too Proud'

5:33am June 07, 2019

Ain't Too Proud, a musical based on Motown legends The Temptations, is up for 12 Tony Awards. NPR's Noel King talks with actor Derrick Baskin and writer Dominique Morisseau.

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Jason Moran and Alicia Hall Moran think deeply about how the past is preserved and kept vital through music and culture.

'Two Wings: The Music Of Black America In Migration' Celebrates Journey Millions Took

9:55am May 25, 2019

by Walter Ray Watson

Singer Alicia Hall Moran and pianist Jason Moran mix original music works with 20th century spoken word to reflect on The Great Migration, when African Americans moved from the South to the North.

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Whitney Houston's estate announced a slew of new projects featuring the beloved singer, including a hologram tour, a new album or previously unreleased songs, a possible Broadway musical and a Vegas show.

Whitney Houston Hologram Tour And New Album In The Works 7 Years After Her Death

7:42pm May 20, 2019

by Vanessa Romo

The mega-star sold tens of millions of records and had 11 number 1 hits throughout her career. And in less than year, Houston, or at least a light-projected version of her, could be at it again.