Performing Arts : NPR

No Hunch Here: Richard III Suffered From Scoliosis Instead

Portrait of King Richard III. Getty Images/The Bridgeman Art Library hide caption

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Getty Images/The Bridgeman Art Library

No Hunch Here: Richard III Suffered From Scoliosis Instead

May 29, 2014 • Shakespeare described the 15th century British king as "deformed, unfinish'd," and a hunchback. A 3-D model of his spine reveals that Richard had developed severe curvature of the spine as a teen.

Veterans' 'Philoctetes' Puts Modern Spin On Ancient Greek Play

May 29, 2014 • An ancient Greek play about the wounds of war is getting a new angle in A Female Philoctetes — a production made up of mostly Iraq and Afghanistan veterans.

Veterans' 'Philoctetes' Puts Modern Spin On Ancient Greek Play

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'Normal Heart' Teaches New Generation About The Early Years Of AIDS

In the HBO adaptation of Larry Kramer's 1985 play, The Normal Heart, Mark Ruffalo (right) plays Ned Weeks, who begins to seek answers after he observes a mysterious disease claiming lives in his gay community. Joe Mantello plays a member of the AIDS service organization, Gay Men's Health Crisis. Jojo Whilden/HBO hide caption

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Jojo Whilden/HBO

Television

'Normal Heart' Teaches New Generation About The Early Years Of AIDS

May 24, 2014 • Ryan Murphy — the producer behind Glee and American Horror Story — has adapted Larry Kramer's 1985 play into a movie for HBO. "So many young people don't know this part of our history," Murphy says.

'Normal Heart' Teaches New Generation About The Early Years Of AIDS

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What We Learned From The Best Commencement Speeches Ever

Conan O'Brien's 2011 commencement address at Dartmouth College was one of those speeches that was so good it drew news coverage. Jason R. Henske/AP hide caption

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Jason R. Henske/AP

NPR Ed

What We Learned From The Best Commencement Speeches Ever

May 19, 2014 • Our new searchable database of commencement speeches brings you more than 300 of the best, tagged with the most enduring themes: Work hard. Change the world. And, of course, YOLO.

Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze's 1851 painting "Washington Crossing the Delaware" seen at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2012. Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images

Pop Culture Happy Hour

The Comb, The Thrill And The Flop

May 12, 2014 • A visit to one of the greatest art museums in the world, a piece of engaging theater, and a book about Hollywood raise nested questions about art, commerce and love.

Daniel Radcliffe And The Blood And Breath Of Live Theater

Ingrid Craigie, Sarah Greene, Daniel Radcliffe and Pat Shortt at the opening night curtain call of The Cripple of Inishmaan. Greg Allen/Invision/AP hide caption

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Greg Allen/Invision/AP

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Daniel Radcliffe And The Blood And Breath Of Live Theater

May 9, 2014 • When you see a familiar movie actor do theater, it makes a particularly sharp reminder of why people see theater in the first place.

Rat Pack's Sammy Davis Jr. Lives On Through Daughter's Stories

Sammy Davis, Jr. holds daughter Tracey in a family picture taken in 1962. RatPac Press & Running Press (The Perseus Books Group) hide caption

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RatPac Press & Running Press (The Perseus Books Group)

Books

Rat Pack's Sammy Davis Jr. Lives On Through Daughter's Stories

May 8, 2014 • Many people considered Sammy Davis Junior the greatest entertainer of his era. His daughter Tracey Davis shares stories from her book Sammy Davis Jr.: A Personal Journey with My Father.

Rat Pack's Sammy Davis Jr. Lives On Through Daughter's Stories

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Dancers Find A Second Act At Palm Springs Follies

With their matching blue wigs, the dancers in the Palm Springs Follies chorus (they're called the "long-legged lovelies") give a whole new meaning to the cliche "blue-haired old ladies." Ina Jaffe/NPR hide caption

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Ina Jaffe/NPR

Theater

Dancers Find A Second Act At Palm Springs Follies

May 7, 2014 • The Palm Springs Follies is an old-fashioned musical revue with a difference: the performers are old enough to have been in shows like this in their heyday. After 23 seasons, the show closes in May.

Dancers Find A Second Act At Palm Springs Follies

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Faith Matters

Yiddish Culture Takes Center Stage

May 2, 2014 • An effort to preserve the Yiddish language is getting a boost from the theater world. The artistic director of the National Yiddish Theatre-Folksbiene talks about preserving the language through art.

Yiddish Culture Takes Center Stage

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At 90, 'Fiddler' Lyricist Tells His Story

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! Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images hide caption

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Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images

Music Interviews

At 90, 'Fiddler' Lyricist Tells His Story

Fresh Air

April 30, 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.

At 90, 'Fiddler' Lyricist Tells His Story

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Audra McDonald As Billie Holiday: The Importance Of Feeling It

Audra McDonald just nabbed a Tony nominations for playing Billie Holiday in Lady Day At Emerson's Bar And Grill. Evgenia Eliseeva hide caption

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Evgenia Eliseeva

Theater

Audra McDonald As Billie Holiday: The Importance Of Feeling It

April 29, 2014 • The freshly Tony-nominated actress and her frequent collaborator, director Lonny Price, talk about the unconventional structure and dramatic challenges of Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill.

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

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. Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images hide caption

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Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images

Theater

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

Fresh Air

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.

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

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Eddie Izzard is famous for performing in drag — and in French — though he's given up the drag in recent shows. His latest American tour kicks off this week. Andy Hollingsworth Archive hide caption

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Andy Hollingsworth Archive

Arts & Life

Cake Or Death? Gâteau, S'il Vous Plaît!

April 28, 2014 • British comedian Eddie Izzard talks with NPR's David Greene about doing stand-up in foreign languages, running far too many marathons, and why he rarely performs in drag these days.

Cake Or Death? Gâteau, S'il Vous Plaît!

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Stars Indulge In Versification At Poetry Gala

April 26, 2014 • In celebration of National Poetry Month, some of the biggest names in show business took to the stage to read their favorite wordsmiths.

Stars Indulge In Versification At Poetry Gala

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Jim Gaffigan, Funny And Clean In 'Obsessed'

April 26, 2014 • Comedian Jim Gaffigan takes aim at kale in his new comedy special, Obsessed. He reminds NPR's Scott Simon we once thought cottage cheese was healthy, even though it looks like cellulite.

Jim Gaffigan, Funny And Clean In 'Obsessed'

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