Performing Arts

Interviews

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

Fresh Air

After five seasons as Walt on Breaking Bad, Cranston reinvented himself as Lyndon B. Johnson in the play (and now the HBO film) All the Way. Originally broadcast March 27, 2014.

From Walter White To LBJ, Bryan Cranston Is A Master Of Transformation
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'Hamilton' Producers Strike Deal To Share Profits With Original Cast Members

The Broadway hit musical, Hamilton, is up for 16 Tony Award nominations, and that's sure to boost its already high profits. In April, the musical's producers struck a deal to share some of its profits with original cast members. NPR's Audie Cornish talks to Michael Paulson, a reporter for The New York Times, about what this means for the industry.

'Hamilton' Producers Strike Deal To Share Profits With Original Cast Members
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Theater

'Urban Rez' Explores What It Means To Be Native American

A new play created by Los Angeles' Cornerstone Theater tells the story of Los Angeles' Native American population and its search for identity in a big city.

'Urban Rez' Explores What It Means To Be Native American
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Lupita Nyong'o says it was "a very discombobulating thing," to go from obscurity to the Academy Awards.

Lupita Nyong'o says it was "a very discombobulating thing," to go from obscurity to the Academy Awards. Alex Lubomirski/Lancôme hide caption

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Arts & Life

After Very Visible Roles, Lupita Nyong'o Looks To Disappear Into Character

The actor is now starring on Broadway in Eclipsed, a searing story of young women held captive in Liberia. After that and 12 Years a Slave, Nyong'o says she's ready for some lighter material.

After Very Visible Roles, Lupita Nyong'o Looks To Disappear Into Character
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People wearing masks depicting William Shakespeare line the street during a parade to mark 400 years since the bard's death in Stratford-upon-Avon in central England on Saturday.

People wearing masks depicting William Shakespeare line the street during a parade to mark 400 years since the bard's death in Stratford-upon-Avon in central England on Saturday. LEON NEAL/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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The Two-Way

Worldwide Celebrations On The 400th Anniversary Of Shakespeare's Death

People are celebrating the Bard's life and enduring legacy around the world. Here's a look at how they're doing it, and how you can get engaged.

When a megastar like Prince dies, collective mourning ensues. But if you didn't grow up hooked on the music — whether out of taste, or even because you weren't allowed — these moments can be somewhat isolating.

When a megastar like Prince dies, collective mourning ensues. But if you didn't grow up hooked on the music — whether out of taste, or even because you weren't allowed — these moments can be somewhat isolating. Todd Davidson/Flickr Creative Commons hide caption

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Code Switch

I'm Not Sad About Prince, But Let Me Explain

NPR's Sarah McCammon grew up in a conservative evangelical home in the Midwest. When Prince died and purple filled her newsfeeds, she felt like an outsider watching a ritual she couldn't fully join.

In Henry IV, Sir John Falstaff, played by Antony Sher (left), is a rogue and a liar, but he also serves as a mentor to King Henry IV's son, played by Alex Hassell.

In Henry IV, Sir John Falstaff, played by Antony Sher (left), is a rogue and a liar, but he also serves as a mentor to King Henry IV's son, played by Alex Hassell. Richard Termine/Courtesy of BAM hide caption

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Theater

Shakespeare Saw '360 Degrees Of Humanity,' And That's Why He Endures

From actor David Tennant to artistic director Gregory Doran, Royal Shakespeare Company thespians reflect on the Bard's legacy. Shakespeare is said to have died 400 years ago on April 23.

Shakespeare Saw '360 Degrees Of Humanity,' And That's Why He Endures
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Lin-Manuel Miranda appears in Hamilton's opening night at the Richard Rodgers Theatre in New York City, in August 2015.

Lin-Manuel Miranda appears in Hamilton's opening night at the Richard Rodgers Theatre in New York City, in August 2015. Neilson Barnard/Getty Images hide caption

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Lin-Manuel Miranda Talks 'Hamilton': Once A 'Ridiculous' Pitch, Now A Revolution

When the Broadway musical's creator said the life of Alexander Hamilton embodied hip-hop, people laughed. Now, he's written a book about the national phenomenon with former critic Jeremy McCarter.

Lin-Manuel Miranda Talks 'Hamilton': Once A 'Ridiculous' Pitch, Now A Revolution
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Shelter actors (left to right) Emilio Garcia Sanchez, Peter Mark, Jonathan Bangs, Cynthia Callejas, Jazmen-Bleu Gutierrez, Andres Velez and Moriah Martel.

Shelter actors (left to right) Emilio Garcia Sanchez, Peter Mark, Jonathan Bangs, Cynthia Callejas, Jazmen-Bleu Gutierrez, Andres Velez and Moriah Martel. Steven Gunther hide caption

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Code Switch

Child Migrants' Harrowing Journey Brought To Life On Stage

Shelter is a play based on interviews with Central American kids about the violence that drove them to migrate north, and the experience of living in limbo in the U.S. It opens this weekend.

Child Migrants' Harrowing Journey Brought To Life On Stage
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22 Years After Famous Firing, Kathleen Battle Returns To Metropolitan Opera

The opera singer Kathleen Battle is set to return to the Metropolitan Opera — 22 years after she was famously dismissed for "unprofessional actions."

22 Years After Famous Firing, Kathleen Battle Returns To Metropolitan Opera
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Planet Money

The Story Of Line 24: How Performing Artists Landed On The Tax Form

Many of the lines on tax forms like the 1040 seem oddly specific. Some are for farmers, some for divorcees, some for servicemen and women. Behind each of those we can see the process that shapes our tax code. NPR looks at one line — for performing artists — and how it came to be.

The Story Of Line 24: How Performing Artists Landed On The Tax Form
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The Fung Wah Biennial celebrates the now-defunct Chinatown bus service. For her performance piece, Sunita Prasad crowdsurfed around the bus.

The Fung Wah Biennial celebrates the now-defunct Chinatown bus service. For her performance piece, Sunita Prasad crowdsurfed around the bus. Bryan Chang/Fung Wah Biennial hide caption

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Around the Nation

Artists Pay Tribute To No-Frills Chinatown Bus, Discomforts And All

The Fung Wah bus was a cheap and not entirely safe way to get between major cities in the Northeast. It's no longer operating, but that hasn't stopped former riders from "recreating" the experience.

Artists Pay Tribute To No-Frills Chinatown Bus, Discomforts And All
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Theater

'Dear Evan Hansen' Musical Takes On Teen Behavior, Tangled In Social Media

A musical by Tony-nominated songwriters Benj Pasek and Justin Paul opens Saturday in New York. "Dear Evan Hansen" is a comedy-drama about social anxiety and teen suicide in the age of social media.

'Dear Evan Hansen' Musical Takes On Teen Behavior, Tangled In Social Media
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Marquis de Lafayette (Daveed Diggs), Hercules Mulligan (Okieriete Onaodowan), John Laurens (Anthony Ramos), and Alexander Hamilton (Lin-Manuel Miranda) in the acclaimed Broadway musical Hamilton.

Marquis de Lafayette (Daveed Diggs), Hercules Mulligan (Okieriete Onaodowan), John Laurens (Anthony Ramos), and Alexander Hamilton (Lin-Manuel Miranda) in the acclaimed Broadway musical Hamilton. Joan Marcus/Sam Rudy Media Relations hide caption

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Monkey See

Pop Culture Happy Hour: 'Hamilton'

It's Broadway's current phenomenon, so we went to see it and report back on what it is, how it works, and whether we loved it as much as we wanted to. It's our Hamilton show.

Pop Culture Happy Hour: 'Hamilton'
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Lorna Burdsall with Fidel Castro in Havana, 1983.

Lorna Burdsall with Fidel Castro in Havana, 1983. Courtesy of Gabriela Burdsall hide caption

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Goats and Soda

Stranger Than Fiction: Cuba, Spies, Bombs And Dance

A fairy-tale romance between a dancer from Connecticut and a young Cuban studying at Columbia turned into a political thriller — and resulted in the unlikely birth of a new art form in Cuba.

Stranger Than Fiction: Cuba, Spies, Bombs And Dance
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Actor Henry Godinez as the philosophy professor Oscar Amalfitano, in "Part II: The Part About Amalfitano," from the Goodman Theatre's lengthy production of 2666.

Actor Henry Godinez as the philosophy professor Oscar Amalfitano, in "Part II: The Part About Amalfitano," from the Goodman Theatre's lengthy production of 2666. Liz Lauren/Goodman Theatre hide caption

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Theater

Have 5 Hours To Spare? See Bolaño's Epic '2666' Onstage

Roberto Bolaño's posthumous novel 2666 weighs in at more than 900 pages — a challenging read, to say the least. Now Chicago's Goodman Theatre has adapted it as a 5 1/2 hour stage production.

Have 5 Hours To Spare? See Bolaño's Epic '2666' Onstage
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