Performing Arts

Bernard Pomerance, playwright of "The Elephant Man," in New York in 1979, the year the play debuted.

Bernard Pomerance, Playwright Of 'The Elephant Man,' Has Died

5:58pm August 29, 2017

by Merrit Kennedy

Pomerance wrote the Tony Award-winning play about the life of a very deformed man in Victorian England. It has been played hundreds of times, attracting top actors for the central role.

Arts

Celebrating 30 Years Of 'Fresh Air': Filmmaker And Theater Legend Elia Kazan

2:22pm August 28, 2017

Kazan, whose film credits include Streetcar Named Desire and On The Waterfront, spoke in 1988 about directing Marlon Brando and his 1952 testimony before the House Un-American Activities Committee.

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Arts

New York City Hosts Break Dancing Competition

8:10am August 26, 2017

NPR's Scott Simon talk with legendary break dancer Richard "Crazy Legs" Colón about New York City's biggest break dancing competition and the early days of the dance form.

Hal Prince was in his 20s when began working on Broadway, as an unpaid assistant to director George Abbott. In his nearly 70-year career, Prince has won 21 Tony awards. He's shown above in New York in November 1974.

Arts

'Prince Of Broadway' Pays Tribute To A Musical Theater Legend

5:03pm August 24, 2017

by Jeff Lunden

Harold Prince began his career on Broadway as an unpaid assistant in his 20s. Now, at 89, the producer and director has 21 Tony awards and a long list of hit musicals to his name.

A van registered in Spain sits near the concert venue Maassilo in Rotterdam, Netherlands, where a rock concert set for Wednesday night was canceled because of a terror threat. The driver of the van, which contained some gas bottles, was arrested.

Rotterdam Concert Canceled After Terror Plot Warning

2:16pm August 24, 2017

by Rebecca Hersher

Dutch police canceled a concert by the Los Angeles band Allah-Las after a tip from Spanish authorities about the possibility of an attack at the venue. Two men have been arrested.

John Abercrombie, Jazz Guitarist, Dies At 72

6:39pm August 23, 2017

by Tom Cole

John Abercrombie helped define the sound of jazz guitar: from jazz-rock fusion to funky organ combos to the distinctive less-is-more sound he created on dozens of albums for the ECM label.

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Arts

Jerry Lewis On His Borscht Belt Childhood And The Lonely Work Of Comedy

2:37pm August 21, 2017

by Terry Gross

In 2005, Lewis told Fresh Air about his partnership with singer Dean Martin and how he honed his comic skills while working as a busboy. The comedian, actor and director died Sunday at the age of 91.

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President Trump and first lady Melania Trump will skip the Kennedy Center Honors later this year. It will be the fourth time in 40 years of the event that the sitting president won't be attendance.

President Trump To Skip Kennedy Center Honors, Highlighting Rift With Artists

4:45pm August 19, 2017

by Miles Parks

Three of the five honorees had already spoken out against the president and said they either planned to boycott a White House event or were considering it.

Remembering Broadway's Barbara Cook: 'My First Memories Are Of Singing'

1:39pm August 11, 2017

Cook, who starred in Broadway shows like The Music Man and Candide, died on Tuesday. She spoke to Fresh Air in 2016 about her struggle with addiction and her second career as a cabaret singer.

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Okieriete Onaodowan had to learn both accordion and piano to play the role of Pierre in Natasha, Pierre and The Great Comet of 1812. He ends his run on the show in mid-August.

Arts

There's No Easy Answer For Why 'The Great Comet' Is Closing

6:09pm August 09, 2017

by Elizabeth Blair

Natasha, Pierre and The Great Comet of 1812 received rave reviews and 12 Tony nominations, the makings of a Broadway hit. Now, it's closing, in part because of a controversy over casting and race.

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