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

Performing Arts

Friday

Veteran anti-consumerist crusader Reverend Billy takes aim at climate change

Reverend Billy (William Talen, left) among a flock of supporters. Courtesy of Reverend Billy and The Church of Stop Shopping hide caption

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Courtesy of Reverend Billy and The Church of Stop Shopping

Culture

Veteran anti-consumerist crusader Reverend Billy takes aim at climate change

Reverend Billy, the flamboyant "altar-ego" of New York performance artist William Talen, celebrates 20 years of crusading with his Stop Shopping Choir.

Veteran anti-consumerist crusader Reverend Billy takes aim at climate change

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Friday

Dance

Neither the pandemic nor age can keep choreographer Twyla Tharp from her work

Fresh Air

Twyla Moves, a documentary by PBS American Masters, tells the story of the legendary choreographer, who got her start performing on subway platforms in the 1960s. Originally broadcast April 8, 2021.

Neither the pandemic nor age can keep choreographer Twyla Tharp from her work

Listen · 29:22
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Thursday

Wednesday

Four centuries of Black American history are told in new Kronos Quartet performance

Kronos Quartet Jay Blakesberg hide caption

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Jay Blakesberg

Deceptive Cadence

Four centuries of Black American history are told in new Kronos Quartet performance

Deep in the heart of Texas, the Kronos Quartet reflects on race relations and social unrest with At War with Ourselves – 400 Years of You, by composer Michael Abels and poet Nikky Finney.

Four centuries of Black American history are told in new Kronos Quartet performance

Listen · 5:11
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Tuesday

A new question for an old religion: Should non-Jews play Jewish characters on-screen?

Rachel Brosnahan has received raves for her performance in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, but comedian Sarah Silverman says it's part of a trend of non-Jews playing emphatically Jewish characters. Nicole Rivelli/Amazon Prime Studios hide caption

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Nicole Rivelli/Amazon Prime Studios

Culture

A new question for an old religion: Should non-Jews play Jewish characters on-screen?

A new Apple TV+ show, The Shrink Next Door, seems to reflect a trend of non-Jewish actors playing emphatically Jewish characters, which recently caught the ire of comedian Sarah Silverman.

A prominent Broadway costume designer is accused of sexual abuse

Costume designer William Ivey Long, then chairman of the American Theatre Wing, speaks at the Tony Awards nominations ceremony in 2014. Neilson Barnard/Getty Images hide caption

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Neilson Barnard/Getty Images

Culture

A prominent Broadway costume designer is accused of sexual abuse

William Ivey Long is an iconic presence on Broadway, designing costumes for shows such as Diana: The Musical and Chicago. Now two men have accused the former Tony Awards chairman of sexual abuse.

A prominent Broadway costume designer is accused of sexual abuse

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Thursday

Wayne Shorter's operatic dream comes true, brought to life with Esperanza Spalding

Composer and saxophonist Wayne Shorter with a page from his ...(Iphigenia) score. Jeff Tang/Courtesy of Real Magic hide caption

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Jeff Tang/Courtesy of Real Magic

Music Features

Wayne Shorter's operatic dream comes true, brought to life with Esperanza Spalding

Iconic jazz saxophonist Wayne Shorter has completed a long-held dream, an opera based on the mythic Greek character Iphigenia, with help from singer and bassist Esperanza Spalding.

Wayne Shorter's operatic dream comes true, brought to life with Esperanza Spalding

Listen · 4:53
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What Went Wrong At Astroworld? The Deadly Dynamics Of Crowd Surge

Fans during 2021 Astroworld Festival at NRG Park on November 05, 2021 in Houston, Texas. Erika Goldring/WireImage/Getty Images hide caption

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Erika Goldring/WireImage/Getty Images

Consider This from NPR

What Went Wrong At Astroworld? The Deadly Dynamics Of Crowd Surge

Who is to blame for the deaths of nine people at the Astroworld Festival last Friday? Houston police have opened a criminal investigation and concertgoers have already filed more than 20 lawsuits against the event organizers and rapper Travis Scott, who continued to perform for more than half an hour after officials declared a mass casualty event.

What Went Wrong At Astroworld? The Deadly Dynamics Of Crowd Surge

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Wednesday

'Being Fly Is An Act Of Community'

Soul Train made its national television premiere 50 years ago, in October 1971. Blake Cale for NPR hide caption

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Blake Cale for NPR

Code Switch

'Being Fly Is An Act Of Community'

When 'Soul Train' first aired in 1971, there had never been a show like it. Fifty years later, that's still true. So this week, we're passing the mic to our friends at NPR's It's Been a Minute podcast, who did a deep dive into the age of Black joy — and Black flyness — that Soul Train kicked off.

'Being Fly Is An Act Of Community'

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Tuesday

Puppet of a Syrian girl walks the path of refugees to offer hope for the future

Little Amal delights crowds of onlookers in Coventry, UK, on Oct. 27, 2020. Mike Kemp/In Pictures via Getty Images hide caption

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Mike Kemp/In Pictures via Getty Images

Theater

Puppet of a Syrian girl walks the path of refugees to offer hope for the future

Little Amal, a 9-year-old Syrian refugee puppet, has been walking across Europe to raise visibility and empathy for the plight of refugees. Theater director Amir Nizar Zuabi spoke with TED Radio Hour.

Puppet of a Syrian girl walks the path of refugees to offer hope for the future

Listen · 7:58
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Friday

New York City's Village Halloween Parade comes back to life, saved by a serious fan

A typical sight during the 2019 Village Halloween Parade in New York City. Theo Wargo/Getty Images hide caption

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Theo Wargo/Getty Images

Culture

New York City's Village Halloween Parade comes back to life, saved by a serious fan

Canceled last year for only the second time ever because of the pandemic, New York City's storied Village Halloween Parade returns, partly due to one very generous fan.

New York City's Village Halloween Parade comes back to life, saved by a serious fan

Listen · 3:37
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Tuesday

Comedian Mort Sahl cracks a joke at a press conference in London on July 10, 1961.

Comedian Mort Sahl cracks a joke at a press conference in London on July 10, 1961. Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images hide caption

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Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Obituaries

Mort Sahl, a political satirist and stand-up comedy pioneer, has died at 94

Sahl started doing stand-up in the 1950s, a time when most comedians were men in suits, rattling off one-liners. Sahl wore a V-neck sweater, tucked a newspaper under his arm, and just ... talked.

Mort Sahl, a political satirist and stand-up comedy pioneer, has died at 94

Listen · 3:03
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Monday

Chappelle is unapologetic in his first public statement on 'The Closer' controversy

Dave Chappelle during the Mark Twain award at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Chappelle has spoken out about the controversy over his Netflix special The Closer in a new standup video posted to Instagram. The Washington Post/The Washington Post via Getty Images hide caption

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The Washington Post/The Washington Post via Getty Images

Television

Chappelle is unapologetic in his first public statement on 'The Closer' controversy

In a video posted to Instagram Monday, Dave Chappelle says he's willing to meet with Netflix employees who are upset over his comedy special, which has come under fire for transphobic material.

Saturday