Performing Arts

Arts

'The New One' Follows Comedian Mike Birbiglia's Journey To Parenthood

5:11pm November 20, 2018

Comedian Mike Birbiglia was staunchly opposed to having a kid. Then he and his wife had one. He talks with NPR's Ari Shapiro about his new Broadway show, The New One, about what happened next.

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Lara (Victor Polster) is impatient to become the girl she knows herself to be, in Lukas Dhont's Girl.

Arts

'Girl': Belgian Drama About A Young Trans Ballet Student Is On Point

5:00pm November 15, 2018

by Bob Mondello

A precise performance from young Victor Polster grounds this closely observed tale of Lara, a trans girl impatient with the process of transition.

The new Broadway adaptation of King Kong features a giant puppet which requires 15 people to operate.

Arts

'King Kong' On Broadway Is The 2,400-Pound Gorilla In The Room

5:57pm November 07, 2018

by Jeff Lunden

In a new $35 million musical, the star attraction is 20 feet tall and requires 15 people to operate. He's an engineering marvel — and also basically a giant monkey puppet.

Arts

'Wait Wait' Turns 20

8:13am October 27, 2018

Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! celebrates its 20th anniversary with a special episode this weekend. WWDTM host Peter Sagal reflects on the show's history with Scott Simon.

Glenn Close plays Isabelle (right), the mother of Joan of Arc (left, played by Grace van Patten), in the play Mother of the Maid.

Arts

She's Mom To A Headstrong Teen — Who Happens To Be Joan Of Arc

8:12am October 20, 2018

by Scott Simon

In Mother of the Maid, Glenn Close returns to the New York stage to portray a 15th-century peasant woman with a remarkable adolescent daughter she loves — and can't protect.

U.K. Sets 'Tartuffe' In Birmingham's Pakistani Muslim Community

6:09pm October 14, 2018

by Vicki Barker

In a new take on Moliere's Tartuffe, the original production's "dangerous priest" villain is now portrayed as a manipulative Imam who preys on a Muslim family.

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Arts

Playwright Sarah Jones Takes On The Sex Industry In 'Sell/Buy/Date'

6:14pm October 13, 2018

Sell/Buy/Date is a one-woman-play about the sex industry. NPR's Shereen Marisol Meraji speaks with playwright Sarah Jones about how she portrays 19 different characters.

The Rise Of The Los Angeles Philharmonic To 'America's Most Important Orchestra'

5:55pm October 08, 2018

by Mandalit del Barco

The Los Angeles Philharmonic is starting to mark its centennial this fall. It's credited with helping to bring high culture and great composers to L.A.

Arts

From Injury To Recovery, A Ballet Dancer Fought To Retire On Her Own Terms

2:11pm October 05, 2018

by Terry Gross

Restless Creature, now available on Netflix, chronicles Wendy Whelan's recovery from hip surgery and her final performance with the New York City Ballet. Originally broadcast July 10, 2017.

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In Curve of Departure, Mike Nussbaum portrays a grandfather who is confronting loss and decline.

Arts

At 94, Mike Nussbaum Is The Oldest Working Stage Actor In Show Biz

6:13pm September 29, 2018

by Scott Simon

At 94, Mike Nussbaum is reportedly the oldest working stage actor in the country. He is currently starring in a play at the Northlight Theatre in Skokie, Ill.

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