Theater

Denzel Washington plays Walter Lee, the role played by Sidney Poitier in the 1959 Broadway production of A Raisin in the Sun. Sophie Okonedo, known for her Academy Award nomination for Hotel Rwanda, plays Ruth Younger in her New York stage debut.

Arts

'Raisin In The Sun' Revival: A Uniquely American Story Is Back On Broadway

4:05pm June 02, 2014

Denzel Washington and LaTanya Richardson Jackson star in the latest production of the play, which debuted in 1959. The revival's run is nearing its end — and Jackson says she's "in tears."

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Sheldon Harnick (right) with the late Jerry Bock, his long-time musical collaborator. Together they worked on musicals like Fiddler on the Roof and Fiorello!

At 90, 'Fiddler' Lyricist Tells His Story

10:13am May 01, 2014

"Any successful lyricist has to be part playwright and has to be able to put himself into the minds and the hearts and the souls of the characters," Sheldon Harnick tells Fresh Air's Terry Gross.

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This is the third time Alan Cumming has starred in Cabaret. Each of the productions with Cumming was directed by Sam Mendes. Rob Marshall choreographed both American productions and co-directed the new one.

Arts

For Alan Cumming, Life Is (Once Again) A Cabaret

6:20pm April 28, 2014

This is the third time Cumming has starred in the musical. He talks about the new production — everything from his costume (which he calls a "Wonder Bra" for men) to the darker themes of the show.

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Rooney and Judy Garland look over the program at the Ice Follies. The two starred together on screen and developed a friendship.

Arts

The Inimitable Mickey Rooney Dies At 93

12:48pm April 07, 2014

by Becky Vlamis

The 5-foot-3 dynamo poured his uncanny energy into a lifetime of roles alongside Hollywood's biggest stars. Rooney, whose sunny portrayals of youth earned him an honorary Oscar, died Sunday.

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Over the course of Breaking Bad, Walter White (Bryan Cranston) metamorphosed from a high school chemistry teacher to a notorious outlaw.

Arts

From Walter White To LBJ, Bryan Cranston Is A Master Of Transformation

3:15pm March 27, 2014

While Breaking Bad fans were watching him portray Walt in the series' final episodes, Cranston was already reinventing himself — playing Lyndon B. Johnson in the play All the Way.

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Gary Barthelmy, Oyster Fisherman is a portrait by Reeva Wortel, used in conjunction with the production of Spill, a play that runs through March 30 at the Swine Palace in Baton Rouge.

Arts

Deepwater, Center-Stage: Disaster Through Survivors' Eyes

4:50pm March 19, 2014

by Eve Troeh

Spill tells the story of the Deepwater Horizon disaster. Eve Troeh of WWNO reports that the playwright, who helped create The Laramie Project, crafted the drama from interviews with real participants.

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Where Are The Heroes To Save Pittsburgh's African-American Center?

7:18pm February 22, 2014

by Larkin Page-Jacobs

The August Wilson Center opened in 2009 as a hub for African-American culture. Now it's up for sale, unable to pay its bills, and some wonder why the Center has been allowed to fail.

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Peter O'Toole was nominated for an Academy Award for his title role in Lawrence of Arabia.

Arts

Peter O'Toole, A Life Even Larger Than 'Lawrence'

6:03pm December 15, 2013

by Nate Rott

Peter O'Toole, the Hollywood legend who was made famous in his title role in Lawrence of Arabia, died on Saturday in a London hospital. The 81-year old Irishman was nominated for eight Oscars in his distinguished career, and was known as a bit of a hellraiser.

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The life and work of composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim is examined in Six by Sondheim, a documentary from James Lapine, who also directed several of Sondheim's shows.

Arts

Delightful 'Six By Sondheim' Leaves You Wanting Six More

3:06pm December 06, 2013

by David Bianculli

HBO's new TV special is part biography, part music-appreciation lesson and part performance piece. Critic David Bianculli says it's a superbly compiled work, overseen by two of the people most intimately familiar with the composer himself.

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Sondheim, shown here in 1974, won the Pulitzer Prize in Drama for Sunday in the Park with George. He has also received eight Tony Awards, eight Grammy awards and a Kennedy Center Honor.

Arts

'On Sondheim': The Musical-Theater Legend At 80

3:05pm December 06, 2013

The New York Times calls Stephen Sondheim the "greatest and perhaps best-known artist in American musical theater." Sondheim composed the music and lyrics for, among others, Sweeney Todd, Into the Woods and Company. In 2010 he joined Fresh Air to discuss his career in musical theater.

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