4,950 stories from National Public Radio
"I was growing up and maturing at a time where we were invisible," he says. " ... And I always wanted to be able to make Latin kids like myself feel more than."
Frederick Wiseman's controversial 1967 documentary Titicut Follies exposed conditions at Bridgewater State Hospital in Massachusetts. Fifty years later, the filmmaker, now 87, has adapted it…
It's the first time since 2008 that the federal government has released its assessment of U.S. eighth-graders in the arts. While there are some signs of progress, troubling achievement gaps …
"Great parts are meant to be played; they're not meant to be owned," says Laura Linney. So she and Cynthia Nixon have agreed to switch roles for each performance of Lillian Hellman's 1939 me…
"Great parts are meant to be played; they're not meant to be owned," says Laura Linney. So she and Cynthia Nixon have agreed to switch roles for each performance of Lillian Hellman's 1939 me…
Mona Haydar calls her music "resistance music" because it celebrates diversity and calls for women to be "unapologetic about who they are."
Hawkins auditioned for his first acting gig at the Kennedy Center when he was 9 years old. Now he's the star of the action drama series 24: Legacy, and he's also appearing in a Broadway play.
While musicals have good pop-culture presence in many cases, plays tend not to. But in an environment that has embraced idiosyncratic and complicated TV, there's no better time to change tha…
Composer Tim Minchin brings his musical adaptation of the film, Groundhog Day, to Broadway. It's the story of a cynical weatherman who is forced to relive the same day over and over again.
Composer Tim Minchin brings his musical adaptation of the film, Groundhog Day, to Broadway. It's the story of a cynical weatherman who is forced to relive the same day over and over again.
Smart People is a thought provoking play that examines the difficulties of talking about race. Playwright Lydia R. Diamond discusses the genesis of the play.
John Leguizamo has been in over 90 films and written and starred in six one-man shows. His latest project is called "Latin History for Morons," which tells the story of his search for an und…
Prince on defining his music: "The only thing I could think of, because I really don't like categories, but the only thing I could think of is inspirational."
It embodies the belief that anyone can take the stage and interpret one of the most accessible art forms and "reveal poetry as a living art."
Clint Smith is a poet and doctoral candidate at Harvard. As a high school English teacher, he taught his students the dangers of staying quiet and the importance of finding their voice.
After nearly 30 years in the ring, pro-wrestler The Undertaker has retired. Or, at least, that's what fans believe, after he laid down his iconic hat and overcoat at Wrestlemania 33 last wee…
Austin, relatively unknown outside of entertainment circles, taught and inspired many big names in comedy.
With 18 new shows " half of them musicals " opening this March and April, just before Tony nominations are announced, producers have to take risks to get their shows to stand out.
Wright plays an FBI secretary who falls in love with an undercover Russian spy. She says Martha is "who we would all most likely be" if we found ourselves in the world of The Americans.
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.
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.
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 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 soci…
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…
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.
