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

Performing Arts

Thursday

Teacher Leslie Jones, center, poses with students from Alexandria City High School's drama department students in northern Virginia.

Teacher Leslie Jones, center, poses with students from Alexandria City High School's drama department students in northern Virginia. Alexandria City High School hide caption

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Alexandria City High School

Black History Month 2024

Virginia high school students take center stage for Black History Month celebration

High school students in Alexandria, Va., honor Black history with art, dance and theater.

Virginia high school students take center stage for Black History Month celebration

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Tuesday

Saturday

The Second City, named for its Chicago location, opens an outpost in New York

An outpost of The Second City has opened in Brooklyn. Above, the Brooklyn Bridge and lower Manhattan skyline are pictured at sunset. Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images

The Second City, named for its Chicago location, opens an outpost in New York

The improv and comedy organization that famously shuns New York City has just opened in Brooklyn — with a 200-seat mainstage, a 60-seat second stage, classrooms and a restaurant.

The Second City, named for its Chicago location, opens an outpost in New York

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Friday

Have we hit celebrity overload? Plus, Miyazaki's movie magic
HBO/Momodu Mansaray/Getty Images

It's Been a Minute

Have we hit celebrity overload? Plus, Miyazaki's movie magic

Brittany feels like we've entered a new phase of celebrity oligarchy; new celebrity business enterprises are popping up daily, and we can't seem to get away from it all. But is this new? Brittany invites culture journalists Bobby Finger and Lindsey Weber to discuss how the notion of celebrity is changing, and what it means for us.

Have we hit celebrity overload? Plus, Miyazaki's movie magic

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Friday

Legendary choreographer Fatima Robinson on moving through changes in dance

Fatima Robinson has been a choreographer for over 30 years - and she's seen a lot of changes in how we dance. Andrew Macpherson hide caption

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Andrew Macpherson

It's Been a Minute

Legendary choreographer Fatima Robinson on moving through changes in dance

Choreographer Fatima Robinson has had an incredibly prolific career: she gave us the iconic King Tut-style moves from Michael Jackson's 'Remember the Time' music video, she taught us how to 'Rock the Boat' with Aaliyah, and she was head choreographer on Beyoncé's Renaissance tour. And all through that time, she's moved through all kinds of changes in how we dance – including Tik Tok. Host Brittany Luse chats with Robinson about how she pulls rhythm out of stars – and what causes the dance moves of the day to change.

Legendary choreographer Fatima Robinson on moving through changes in dance

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Wednesday

The music teacher who just won a Grammy says it belongs to her students

Virginia music educator Annie Ray poses in the press room during the 66th annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday. Richard Shotwell/Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP hide caption

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Richard Shotwell/Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP

Music News

The music teacher who just won a Grammy says it belongs to her students

Virginia music teacher Annie Ray started an orchestra for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. She just won a Grammy for music education, and a $10,000 grant for her school.

Tuesday

Chita Rivera, Broadway's 'first great triple threat,' dies at 91

Chita Rivera in May 1977. Evening Standard/Getty Images hide caption

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Evening Standard/Getty Images

Obituaries

Chita Rivera, Broadway's 'first great triple threat,' dies at 91

The three-time Tony Award-winning Broadway legend created indelible roles: Anita in West Side Story, Rose in Bye Bye Birdie and Velma Kelly in Chicago.

Chita Rivera, Broadway's 'first great triple threat,' dies at 91

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Sir Elton John and Bernie Taupin win the 2024 Gershwin Prize for Popular Song

Elton John and Bernie Taupin promote the film Rocketman at the Cannes Film Festival in 2019. Loic Venance/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Loic Venance/AFP via Getty Images

Music News

Sir Elton John and Bernie Taupin win the 2024 Gershwin Prize for Popular Song

One of the most prestigious awards in American music, the Gershwin Prize recognizes musicians with a lifetime of contributions to popular songs. This year's winners are Elton John and Bernie Taupin.

Sir Elton John and Bernie Taupin win the 2024 Gershwin Prize for Popular Song

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Monday

'Days of Wine and Roses,' a film about love and addiction, is now a spirited musical

Brian d'Arcy James and Kelli O'Hara star in a new Broadway adaptation of the 1962 film Days of Wine and Roses. Joan Marcus hide caption

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Joan Marcus

Theater

'Days of Wine and Roses,' a film about love and addiction, is now a spirited musical

The classic 1962 movie tells the story of a relationship buckling under the weight of addiction. The new Broadway adaptation stars Kelli O'Hara and Brian d'Arcy James.

'Days of Wine and Roses,' a film about love and addiction, is now a spirited musical

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Sunday

How a West Bank Palestinian theater went from symbol of hope to casualty of war

A bench is seen at the entrance of the Freedom Theatre in the Jenin refugee camp 10 days after a raid by Israeli forces, Dec. 23, 2023. Marco Longari/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Marco Longari/AFP via Getty Images

Middle East crisis — explained

How a West Bank Palestinian theater went from symbol of hope to casualty of war

Jenin's Freedom Theatre was ransacked by Israeli soldiers, its staff thrown in jail. Once celebrated as a peace initiative, it's the latest casualty of near-daily military raids on the West Bank.

How a West Bank Palestinian theater went from symbol of hope to casualty of war

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Saturday

An ancient Egyptian temple in New York inspires a Lebanese American musician

Singer and composer H. Sinno is bringing a site-specific opera to the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Temple of Dendur. Derrick Kakembo/The Metropolitan Museum of Art hide caption

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Derrick Kakembo/The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Culture

An ancient Egyptian temple in New York inspires a Lebanese American musician

H. Sinno, former lead singer of the pioneering Lebanese rock band Mashrou' Leila, pairs their own history with that of the Metropolitan Museum's Temple of Dendur in their new opera.

An ancient Egyptian temple in New York inspires a Lebanese American musician

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Friday

Jacqueline Novak's 'Get On Your Knees' will blow you away

Jacqueline Novak in her new comedy special, Get on Your Knees. Emily V. Aragones/Netflix hide caption

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Emily V. Aragones/Netflix

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Jacqueline Novak's 'Get On Your Knees' will blow you away

In her smart and funny comedy special Get On Your Knees, performer Jacqueline Novak delivers a kind of Ted Talk on the subject of oral sex. It's also a passionate and thoughtful coming-of-age tale delivered in language that's been finely honed to accomplish its very funny purpose. Directed by Natasha Lyonne, the Netflix special began as an off-Broadway show.

Jacqueline Novak's 'Get On Your Knees' will blow you away

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Wednesday

What did the beginning of time sound like? A new string quartet offers an impression

The Takács Quartet — left to right: Edward Dusinberre, Harumi Rhodes, Richard O'Neill and András Fejér — collaborated with composer Nokuthula Ngwenyama (center) to premiere her composition Flow. Cal Performances hide caption

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Cal Performances

Deceptive Cadence

What did the beginning of time sound like? A new string quartet offers an impression

Nokuthula Ngwenyama's Flow is on a 13-city tour of performances by the celebrated Takács Quartet.

What did the beginning of time sound like? A new string quartet offers an impression

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Tuesday

Anna Deavere Smith plays real Americans on stage - and she shares her lessons

Anna Deavere Smith takes on the words of real Americans - and emulates them on stage. Maury Phillips/Getty Images for The Broad Stage/Photo courtesy of Anna Deavere Smith hide caption

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Maury Phillips/Getty Images for The Broad Stage/Photo courtesy of Anna Deavere Smith

It's Been a Minute

Anna Deavere Smith plays real Americans on stage - and she shares her lessons

Anna Deavere Smith is an acclaimed actress, journalist, and playwright. She's a pioneer of what's known as 'verbatim theater,' which is performance based on conversations and interviews with real people. But after decades of becoming thousands of Americans on stage, what has she learned about our nation? Host Brittany Luse sat down with Deavere Smith in studio to hear her unique perspective about who — and what — America is.

Anna Deavere Smith plays real Americans on stage - and she shares her lessons

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