Performing Arts

After Anatevka: A Novel Inspired by "Fiddler on the Roof", by Alexandra Silber.

Books
Arts

How 'Fiddler On The Roof' (And Writing Its Sequel) Helped An Actress Find Closure

5:34pm July 01, 2017

by Michel Martin

Alexandra Silber's father died when she was just 18 — the same age as Fiddler's Hodel when she leaves her dad at a train station. Silber's new novel, After Anatevka, tells the rest of Hodel's story.

Jasmine Rogers performs a number as the Witch from Into the Woods.

Arts

'These Kids Are Insane': Jimmy Awards Celebrate Outstanding Teen Performers

7:52am July 01, 2017

by Jeff Lunden

Seventy-four high school singers, actors and dancers, selected from a pool of 50,000 students across America, recently came to New York City for a Broadway boot camp.

Books
Arts

Broadway Chanteuse Barbara Cook: 'My First Memories Are Of Singing'

4:19pm June 30, 2017

After starring in Broadway shows like The Music Man and Candide, Cook struggled with addiction, then staged a successful second career as a cabaret singer. Originally broadcast June 27, 2016.

Queue Listen Now

Shakespeare Companies Suffer Backlash After 'Julius Caesar' Controversy

4:38pm June 23, 2017

by Hady Mawajdeh

The uproar over the New York Shakespeare in the Park production of Julius Caesar has spread to other cities. And it appears to be only because they are companies with the word "Shakespeare" in their name. Staff at Shakespeare Dallas have received death threats, even though the company isn't performing Shakespeare at the moment.

In this May 21, 2017, photo provided by The Public Theater, Tina Benko, left, portrays Melania Trump in the role of Caesar's wife, Calpurnia, and Gregg Henry, center left, portrays President Donald Trump in the role of Julius Caesar during a dress rehears

Julius Caesar Production Closes, But Debate Over Art And Politics Likely to Rage On

7:00am June 18, 2017

by Vanessa Romo

A production of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar that ends Sunday has drawn the ire of conservatives for its depiction of President Trump as the ill-fated Roman politician.

Olivia Wilde and Tom Sturridge star as Julia and Winston in the stage adaptation of George Orwell's 1984.

Books
Arts

'1984' Comes To Broadway And 'It's Not An Easy Evening'

8:15am June 17, 2017

by Jeff Lunden

George Orwell's dystopia returned to bestseller lists after the inauguration. "It's quite something to bring it to New York now, in this political climate," says adaptation co-author Duncan Macmillan.

Arts

Pop Culture Happy Hour: 'Wonder Woman' And The Tony Awards

11:00am June 16, 2017

by Linda Holmes

This week, we talk about the superhero smash Wonder Woman, and we talk about Dear Evan Hansen, Oslo and some of the other big winners from Sunday night's Tonys.

The rock opera offers a fresh take on the story of Nero, one of history's most nefarious emperors. "His target was to give to the Romans, to the poor people, bread, games, entertainment," says artistic director Ernesto Migliacci. "He tried to make a real

Atop Ancient Ruins, A Rock Opera About Emperor Nero Leaves Some Romans Unimpressed

8:11am June 16, 2017

by Sylvia Poggioli

A new musical seeks to present a different side of the emperor, known best for fiddling while Rome burned. But some historians object to what they see as the commercialization of Roman heritage.

Queue Listen Now

The Unkindest Cut: Theater, President Trump And The Politics Of Performing Arts

2:09pm June 13, 2017

Is depicting the president as Julius Caesar fair game, or over the line?

Sponsors Pull Support For 'Julius Caesar' That Seems To Depict Trump

5:01pm June 12, 2017

by Jeff Lunden

Delta pulled its sponsorship of New York City's Public Theater over a production of Julius Caesar that seems to depict an assassination of President Trump.

Queue Listen Now