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

Performing Arts

Monday

Eric Owens: Singing Grendel, Death And A Troll

Opera singer Eric Owens stars as Alberich in the Metropolitan Opera's production of Das Rheingold. Ken Howard/Metropolitan Opera hide caption

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Ken Howard/Metropolitan Opera

Music Interviews

Eric Owens: Singing Grendel, Death And A Troll

Owens is a up-and-coming name in the world of opera. His latest performance in the Metropolitan Opera's production of Das Rheingold has generated excitement and expectations for the versatile performer.

Eric Owens: Singing Grendel, Death And A Troll

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Music News

Ukulele World Record Quest In Calif. Comes Up Short

Ukulele players tried to break the Guinness World Record for largest ukulele ensemble on Sunday. The current record, set during a London festival in 2009, is 851 strumming ukes.

Ukulele World Record Quest In Calif. Comes Up Short

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Friday

Culture

Father-Son Comedy Duo Does Reality TV

Host Michel Martin speaks to Internet comedy sensation Kevin Wu and his father Michael Wu. Kevin has had 100 million hits on his videos. They are contestants on this season's Amazing Race.

Father-Son Comedy Duo Does Reality TV

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Thursday

Theater

'Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson' Rocks Broadway

President Andrew Jackson, author of the policies that lead to the Trail of Tears, may seem an unlikely subject for a Broadway musical -- but Michael Friedman, co-creator of Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, feels differently.

'Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson' Rocks Broadway

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Monday

Author Interviews

Backstage With Broadway Legend Patti LuPone

Tony award-winner Patti LuPone is best known for her roles in the Broadway hits Evita, Les Miserable and Gypsy but she's also seen her share of flops and feuds. In Patti LuPone: A Memoir, LuPone shares the ups, downs, firings and other dramas of the Great White Way.

Backstage With Broadway Legend Patti LuPone

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Saturday

150 Years Of Afghan History In One Theater Marathon

Danny Rahim, left, Vincent Ebrahim, kneeling, and Nabil Elouahabi perform in Monologue. John Haynes/Tricycle Theatre hide caption

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John Haynes/Tricycle Theatre

Theater

150 Years Of Afghan History In One Theater Marathon

A tiny London theater company has taken on an enormous project -- to tell the story of Western involvement in Afghanistan over the last century and half in an all-day production. The Great Game: Afghanistan was a hit in Britain and has just opened a US tour at the Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington, D.C.

150 Years Of Afghan History In One Theater Marathon

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Sunday

Broadway Season Bets On Big Stars, Short Scripts

Miss Daisy Rides Again: Vanessa Redgrave returns to Broadway to take on a character Jessica Tandy made famous on film. Shaun Curry/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Shaun Curry/AFP/Getty Images

Broadway Season Bets On Big Stars, Short Scripts

Famous names and compact stories add up to at least two must-see plays this fall: In A Life in the Theatre, Patrick Stewart and T.R. Knight explore the relationship between an old actor and a promising newcomer. And come October, Vanessa Redgrave and James Earl Jones turn the key on a Driving Miss Daisy revival.

Broadway Season Bets On Big Stars, Short Scripts

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Saturday

A West End Test For The Broadway-Bound

New to Broadway this season is the U.K. production of La Bete, set in 17th century France and starring Mark Rylance and David Hyde Pierce. Courtesy The Hartman Group hide caption

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Courtesy The Hartman Group

Theater

A West End Test For The Broadway-Bound

The new Broadway season is about to start, and it's likely some of this year's biggest hits -- or biggest flops -- will be from London. Trying out shows before they hit Broadway goes back a long way, and the West End is the ideal backdrop for fostering new productions.

A West End Test For The Broadway-Bound

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Friday

Dance

Scientists Study What Makes A Man A Good Dancer

Evolutionary psychologist Nick Neave filmed men dancing, converted the videos into dancing avatars and asked women to rate the avatars' dancing ability. The researchers found that the highly rated male dancers had some moves in common. Some advice: Shake that right knee.

Scientists Study What Makes A Man A Good Dancer

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Sunday

Monday

Technology

Antoine Dodson: Riding YouTube Out Of The 'Hood'

Antoine Dodson of Huntsville, Ala., found overnight stardom after he appeared on a local news report to talk about the alleged attempted assault of his sister. The video of his remarks has scored millions of hits on YouTube, and so has a song that's based on his story. Dodson reflects on the attempted assault, and his own efforts to capitalize on his fame.

Antoine Dodson: Riding YouTube Out Of The 'Hood'

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Wednesday

'Superclogger': Free Theater On L.A.'s Freeways

Unlike most L.A. motorists, Kyack and his collaborators actively seek out the most congested sections of the highway. The tailgate sign tells other drivers how to tune in to the show's dialogue. Amy Walters/NPR hide caption

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Amy Walters/NPR

'Superclogger': Free Theater On L.A.'s Freeways

Avenue Q, meet the 405: Artist Joel Kyack's performance piece Superclogger takes to the traffic-snarled roadways of Los Angeles, taking advantage of stopped traffic to explore how we deal with the unexpected.

'Superclogger': Free Theater On L.A.'s Freeways

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Sunday

Wilkommen, Bienvenue, Welcome: To Cabaret School

Canadian singer Lindsay Sutherland Boal started out in opera before turning to cabaret. Andrew Alexander hide caption

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Andrew Alexander

Culture

Wilkommen, Bienvenue, Welcome: To Cabaret School

Recent visitors to New Haven may have been greeted with an unusual sight: not the stressed-out Yalies, but singers from across the world uniting for the International Cabaret Conference, now in its eighth year. Run by a former club owner and taught by a who's who of cabaret superstars, it offers singers the chance to hone their craft.

Wilkommen, Bienvenue, Welcome: To Cabaret School

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Friday

3-D Dance Flicks May Give Genre A 'Step Up'

Step Up 3D will be distributed in several 3-D formats across the country -- as well as in conventional 2-D. K.C. Bailey/Summit Entertainment hide caption

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K.C. Bailey/Summit Entertainment

Dance

3-D Dance Flicks May Give Genre A 'Step Up'

On both sides of the Atlantic, 3-D dance movies are making it big. But it's not yet clear if the third dimension offers a revolutionary new way to portray dance on screen -- or just a flashy gimmick.

3-D Dance Flicks May Give Genre A 'Step Up'

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Friday