2,374 stories by "Terry Teachout"
"I began to really feel victory in defeat as there is defeat in the most radiant victory. The two are one and the interplay is man's life until he is so free that he is not aiming at anythin…
In today's Wall Street Journal I review two important musical revivals, Oklahoma! on Broadway and The Cradle Will Rock off Broadway. Here's an excerpt. *Â Â *Â Â * Never have I seen�…
An hour-long radio adaptation of Thornton Wilder's Our Town, originally broadcast live by ABC on September 29, 1946 as an episode of Theatre Guild On the Air. Wilder plays the Stage Ma…
"The scrupulous and the just, the noble, humane, and devoted natures; the unselfish and the intelligent may begin a movement"but it passes away from them. They are not the leaders of a revol…
In today's Wall Street Review I review the world premiere of Norma Jeane Baker of Troy, the first theatrical presentation of The Shed, New York's new arts center. Here's an excerpt. * Â�…
"I remember my youth and the feeling that will never come back any more"the feeling that I could last for ever, outlast the sea, the earth, and all men; the deceitful feeling that lures us o…
The Modern Jazz Quartet performs on Japanese TV in 1961. Milt Jackson is the vibraharpist, John Lewis the pianist, Percy Heath the bassist, and Connie Kay the drummer: (This is the latest in…
"Every age is fed on illusions, lest men should renounce life early and the human race come to an end." Joseph Conrad, Victory
From 2009: Art's near-magical power to work this mental miracle is the reason why we turn to it in times of stress"yet I'd be lying if I told you that my trip to the Met was the best thing a…
"It's only those who do nothing that make no mistakes, I suppose." Joseph Conrad, An Outcast of the Islands
It struck me a couple of months ago that Mrs. T's recent travails had made her even more deserving than usual of a just-because-I-love-you present. Since she now spends most of her time at o…
Mademoiselle, a 1977 French TV documentary about Nadia Boulanger directed by Bruno Monsaingeon. Also interviewed are Leonard Bernstein and Igor Markevitch. The dialogue is in French with Eng…
"I often tell myself now"Stravinsky has no other notes, or no more notes to work with, than I have, or anybody else. We all have to choose between the same ones. So the important thing is th…
In today's Wall Street Journal I review a new Broadway production of King Lear. Here's an excerpt. *Â Â *Â Â * Not so long ago, Glenda Jackson's "King Lear" would have come as a surp…
In today's Wall Street Journal I review the Broadway transfer of Heidi Schreck's What the Constitution Means to Me. Here's an excerpt. *Â Â *Â Â * Rarely has a new play by a modestly…
Glen Campbell and the Smothers Brothers sing "Thank You Very Much" on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. This episode was originally telecast by CBS in February of 1968: (This is the late…
"His liking for Chinese art was an affair of the mind; in a world of increasing noise and hugeness, he turned in private to gentle, precise, and miniature things." James Hilton, Lost Hori…
"Conway remarked with a smile: 'I suppose you're certain, then, that no human affection can outlast a five-year absence?' "'It can, undoubtedly,' replied the Chinese, 'but only as a fragranc…
Peter Pears and Julian Bream perform John Dowland's "Fine knacks for ladies" and Philip Rosseter's "What then is love but mourning" on the BBC in 1959: (This is the latest in a series of art…
"Since the point was raised, it seemed to me that Mrs. Rainier was too good, and that for this reason she might miss the secret English bull's-eye that can only be hit by guns sighted to a 9…
From 2009: No matter how you think you feel about a book that you've written, your feelings are guaranteed to change when you see your treasured words set in cold type for the first time. Al…
"Extraordinary how stupid one can be when one would prefer to impress by being knowledgeable." James Hilton, Random Harvest
Not long after my recent car crash, a friend wrote: "Do hope you are feeling recovered, and that the missing patch of hair isn't too obvious." (I'd previously mentioned in this space that I'…
Excerpts from a TV interview with Lady Diana Mosley (formerly Diana Mitford) in which she talks with Mavis Nicholson about her marriage to Oswald Mosley, the leader of the British Union of F…
"When youth departs, may wisdom prove enough." Anthony McCarten, screenplay for Darkest Hour (spoken in the film by Winston Churchill)
