Performing Arts

Sandi Toksvig on the TED Stage at TEDWomen 2016 in San Francisco, California.

Sandi Toksvig: Can Social Change Start With Laughter?

9:10am March 24, 2017

by NPR/TED Staff

When comedian and TV host Sandi Toksvig came out as gay in the early 1990s, she used humor to recover from the onslaught of vitriol.Today, she says, humor can help bring about social change.

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Kevin Breel: What Can Depression Teach Us About Comedy?

9:10am March 24, 2017

by NPR/TED Staff

The image of the "sad clown" can seem like a cliche. But for Kevin Breel, it's very real. He describes how he struggled with depression while performing as a stand-up comedian.

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Models pose at the end of the Marc Jacobs Runway Show at Park Avenue Armory on February 16, 2017 in New York City. In the past, Jacobs has been criticized for culturally insensitive runway shows. This year marked a change.

Arts

On Fashion Runways, Inclusion Is About More Than Color

5:20pm March 21, 2017

by Karen Grigsby Bates

It's a tricky thing, casting. Directors have a vision for their lines — but what if that vision doesn't include a more inclusive palette?

Comedian Iliza Shlesinger's comedy is physical — she contorts, snorts and stalks the stage in her new special, Confirmed Kills.

Arts

In 'Confirmed Kills,' Iliza Shlesinger Cloaks Social Commentary In Comic Rants

4:39pm March 20, 2017

by Kelly McEvers

Comedian Iliza Shlesinger's standup is physical. She contorts and snorts and stalks the stage as she becomes the characters in jokes that explore what it's like to be a woman in today's society.

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Arts

Jo Lampert Takes On Joan Of Arc

8:12am March 18, 2017

by Elizabeth Blair

New York artist Jo Lampert just landed her first major role: Joan in David Byrne's new rock opera based on Joan of Arc. With her androgynous appearance and bluesy voice, Lampert seems like a good fit.

Arts

'Fresh Air' Marks The 90th Birthday Of Broadway Composer John Kander

3:25pm March 17, 2017

Kander and his partner, Fred Ebb, wrote the songs for a number of musicals, including Chicago, Kiss of the Spider Woman and Cabaret. Kander spoke to Terry Gross in 1991 and 2015.

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A Blind Theatergoer's 'Hamilton' Lawsuit Aims Spotlight On Broadway Accessibility

6:33pm March 14, 2017

by Jeff Lunden

The class-action suit brought against the hit musical doesn't seek damages. The attorneys say the hope is to draw attention to Broadway's spotty record in serving audiences with disabilities.

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Phyllis Diller's File Of 53,000 Jokes

8:30am March 11, 2017

The female comedian would write a joke and have it typed on an index card and put in a file. Now at the Smithsonian, volunteers are digitizing the cards one at a time.

Michelle McNamara was a blogger and crime writer. When she died, she was writing a book about a series of unsolved cases in California.

Arts

Patton Oswalt Explains How Pop Culture Gets Grieving All Wrong

6:38pm March 10, 2017

by Ari Shapiro

Nevermind the superhero stories; after his wife died, Oswalt wasn't motivated to channel his loss into fitness or crime fighting. He says so far push-ups have not been a part of his grieving process.

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In the revival of Luis Valdez's "Zoot Suit," young pachucos go on trial for a murder they did not commit. In this scene, the judge requires the men to go on trial in the clothes they were wearing when they were arrested.

When Clothes Make The Man Appear Dangerous

5:01am March 09, 2017

by Adrian Florido

The revival of playwright Luis Valdez's "Zoot Suit" reminds us that clothes and garments have long been the site upon which bigots can project their prejudices and fears.