Accessibility links
Performing Arts News, interviews, and commentary on theater, the arts, music, and dance.

Performing Arts

Monday

Matt Butler has played concerts in more than 50 prisons and jails

Matt Butler performing at the Central Utah Correctional Facility. Liam Trouchard/Matt Butler hide caption

toggle caption
Liam Trouchard/Matt Butler

Music

Matt Butler has played concerts in more than 50 prisons and jails

"Reckless Son" is a one-man show by singer/songwriter Matt Butler inspired by the convicts he's met while touring American prisons and jails.

Matt Butler has played concerts in more than 50 prisons and jails

Listen · 7:13
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1151365311/1152524263" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Saturday

Natasha Lyonne on the real reason she got kicked out of boarding school
JC Olivera/Getty Images

Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!

Natasha Lyonne on the real reason she got kicked out of boarding school

Natasha Lyonne is an actor, writer, and director with one of the most recognizable voices in the world. She stars in the new series Poker Face, so we ask her three questions about getting botox.

Natasha Lyonne on the real reason she got kicked out of boarding school

Listen · 47:26
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1152121831/1200113457" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Friday

Ballet dancers from across Ukraine bring 'Giselle' to the Kennedy Center

United Ukrainian Ballet Company members Liza Gogidze and Oleksii Kniazkov in Giselle, choreographed by Alexei Ratmansky. Altin Kaftira/The United Ukrainian Ballet hide caption

toggle caption
Altin Kaftira/The United Ukrainian Ballet

Ballet dancers from across Ukraine bring 'Giselle' to the Kennedy Center

The United Ukrainian Ballet Company is made up of dancers taking refuge in the Netherlands. The company travels to Washington, D.C., to perform Giselle, choreographed by Alexei Ratmansky.

Ballet dancers from across Ukraine bring 'Giselle' to the Kennedy Center

Listen · 2:36
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1151321855/1152387317" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Sunday

Tuesday

A play about censorship is censored — and free speech groups are fighting back

Playwright Paula Vogel speaks onstage during the 2017 Tony Awards. Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions hide caption

toggle caption
Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions

Culture

A play about censorship is censored — and free speech groups are fighting back

PEN America and two other free speech groups are calling for school officials in Florida to reinstate a high school production of Paula Vogel's Indecent, a play that is itself about censorship.

Sunday

Who says opera needs a grand stage? This festival is all about intimate productions

Trade, created by Emma O'Halloran and Mark O'Halloran, will be featured at the PROTOTYPE festival this year. Maria Baranova/Unison Media hide caption

toggle caption
Maria Baranova/Unison Media

Deceptive Cadence

Who says opera needs a grand stage? This festival is all about intimate productions

The PROTOTYPE festival, now in its 10th year, presents new operas and music-theater works in smaller settings. "We were trying to create a black box opera movement," says co-founder Beth Morrison.

Who says opera needs a grand stage? This festival is all about intimate productions

Listen · 5:42
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1064489015/1147737288" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Saturday

Thursday

This man's recordings spent years under a recliner — they've now found a new home

A photo of Lionel Mapleson, pasted in one of his journals. Alex Teplitzky/NYPL hide caption

toggle caption
Alex Teplitzky/NYPL

Deceptive Cadence

This man's recordings spent years under a recliner — they've now found a new home

More than a century ago, a Met librarian made some of the first live music recordings. Now, (with an assist from NPR) 16 of the Mapleson Cylinders are joining the New York Public Library collection.

This man's recordings spent years under a recliner — they've now found a new home

Listen · 2:42
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1146708350/1147052916" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Monday

Josh Gondelman on Bullseye's End of Year Stand-Up Comedy Spectacular

Josh Gondelman. Mindy Tucker/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

toggle caption
Mindy Tucker/Courtesy of the artist

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Josh Gondelman on Bullseye's End of Year Stand-Up Comedy Spectacular

The Pop Culture Happy Hour team is off today, so we're bringing you an excerpt of the podcast Bullseye with Jesse Thorn. Normally, when you tune into an episode of Bullseye, you'll hear interviews with pop culture creators like David Letterman, Sudan Archives, or Weird Al. But once a year, the show breaks format. The team at Bullseye listens through every stand-up comedy album from the year past to bring you the best of the best. Here's an excerpt from 2022's Bullseye Stand-Up Comedy Spectacular, featuring Josh Gondelman.

Josh Gondelman on Bullseye's End of Year Stand-Up Comedy Spectacular

Listen · 7:13
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1145891148/1199263777" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Friday

What's making us happy: A guide to your weekend viewing, listening and reading

Ralph Fiennes and Anya Taylor-Joy in the film The Menu. Eric Zachanowich/Searchlight Pictures hide caption

toggle caption
Eric Zachanowich/Searchlight Pictures

What's Making Us Happy: Recommendations From 'Pop Culture Happy Hour'

What's making us happy: A guide to your weekend viewing, listening and reading

Each week, the guests and hosts on NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour share what's bringing them joy. This week: The Menu, dancer Kim Hale, "Girlfriend" by Matthew Sweet, Drink Masters and more.

Saturday

Sarah Polley credits her book club with inspiring her to direct 'Women Talking'

Sarah Polley Amy Sussman/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Amy Sussman/Getty Images

Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!

Sarah Polley credits her book club with inspiring her to direct 'Women Talking'

Actor and director Sarah Polley plays our game called "Sarah Polley, wanna cracker?" Three questions about parrots. Joining her are panelists Roxanne Roberts, Adam Burke, and Shane O'Neill.

Sarah Polley credits her book club with inspiring her to direct 'Women Talking'

Listen · 46:42
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1144385047/1200113499" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Monday

Tuesday

Former music students accuse two Juilliard teachers of sexual misconduct

A 2005 exterior shot of The Juilliard School, which is located on the campus of Lincoln Center in New York City. Stan Honda/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Stan Honda/AFP via Getty Images

Deceptive Cadence

Former music students accuse two Juilliard teachers of sexual misconduct

Three people have accused two teachers at the world-renowned music school — composers Robert Beaser and the late Christopher Rouse — of sexual misconduct dating back to the 1990s and 2000s.