Performing Arts

Soprano Catalina Cuervo, singing the role of Frida Kahlo, rehearses with bass baritone Ricardo Herrera, singing the role of Diego Rivera, on Feb. 21, 2015 at the Michigan Opera Theatre in Detroit.

Detroit's 'Frida' Aims To Build Latino Audiences For Opera

8:18pm March 24, 2015

by Veronica Zaragovia

The opera, based on the tumultuous lives of painters Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, coincides with a new exhibition at the Detroit Institute of Arts devoted to the year they lived in the city.

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James Corden (left) talks to Mila Kunis and Tom Hanks on Monday's debut of The Late Late Show with James Corden.

Arts

James Corden Nods To Talk Show Tradition With CBS's 'Late Late Show'

3:44pm March 24, 2015

by Eric Deggans

British comic actor James Corden took over CBS's Late Late Show on Monday with a star-studded debut. NPR TV Critic Eric Deggans says he offered a touch of talk show tradition with a modern feel.

Arts

William Electric Black Tackles Gun Violence In 5 Ambitious Plays

9:19am March 22, 2015

by Jon Kalish

William Electric Black, the first African American writer for Sesame Street and winner of several Emmys, has a new project: a five-play cycle on gun violence.

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Terrence Howard (center) stars in Empire with (from left): Jussie Smollett, Serayah McNeill, Taraji P. Henson, Bryshere Gray, Grace Gealey, Trai Byers and Kaitlin Doubleday.

Arts

Does Fox's 'Empire' Break Or Bolster Black Stereotypes?

7:51pm March 18, 2015

by Eric Deggans

The hip-hop drama ends its first season Wednesday as a huge hit, thanks to black viewers. But NPR TV critic Eric Deggans says it also has sparked a complex debate over TV stereotypes.

Mai Tai Sing dances with her husband, Wilbur Tai Sing, in 1942.

Books
Arts

These Nightclub Entertainers Paved The Way For Asian-Americans In Showbiz

2:27pm March 17, 2015

by Heidi Chang

Forbidden City was part of a Chinese-American nightclub scene that flourished in 1940s and '50s San Francisco. But between racial taunts and scandalized parents, its performers didn't have it easy.

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Arts

A Travel Show For Your Favorite Weird-Museum And Dance Enthusiast

4:23pm March 11, 2015

by Linda Holmes

Ovation's American Canvas has a lot of fun in San Francisco, starting with the art installation at Alcatraz.

Arts

New HBO Now Streaming Service Shows Consumer's Will Is King

7:40pm March 10, 2015

by Eric Deggans

HBO on Monday announced a new service presenting its shows online without a cable subscription. NPR TV Critic Eric Deggans says it also shows the power of consumers to bring change in a digital world.

Helen Mirren (in blue) plays Queen Elizabeth II in The Audience, a play that imagines the private conversations between the queen and her prime ministers.

Arts

Helen Mirren Extends Her Elizabethan Reign In 'The Audience'

1:08pm March 08, 2015

by Jeff Lunden

Playwright Peter Morgan eavesdrops on more than 60 years of private conversations between Queen Elizabeth II, played by Mirren, and her prime ministers in The Audience.

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Dame Edna Everage — a character created by Australian comedian Barry Humphries — models a hat based on the Sydney Opera House. She is currently performing Dame Edna's Glorious Goodbye: The Farewell Tour.

Arts

After 60 Years Of Fabulousness, Dame Edna Embarks On Her Farewell Tour

10:29am March 07, 2015

by NPR Staff

The housewife and superstar — a creation of Australian comedian Barry Humphries — says it's not entirely clear what her retirement will look like. "I'm a restless spirit," she says.

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David also co-created the NBC series Seinfeld. That show's character George Costanza is loosely based on David.

Arts

Larry David's First Time On Broadway: 'It's Not So Easy!'

3:59pm March 05, 2015

The comedian wrote and stars in Fish in the Dark, a play about rivalries and dysfunction when a family patriarch dies. David says the idea came to his "twisted mind" when his friend's dad passed away.

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