Michelle Williams Stars as a Woman Confronting Her Abuser in 'Blackbird' by WNYC

Actors Jeff Daniels and Michelle Williams discuss the Broadway revival of "Blackbird." Williams stars as Una, a young woman who confronts Ray (Daniels), 15 years after h…

Bel Canto Tenor Lawrence Brownlee Pays Tribute to Charlie Parker by WNYC

Bel canto tenor Lawrence Brownlee stars in the New York premiere of the acclaimed opera "Charlie Parker's Yardbird" at the Apollo Theater (253 W 125th St) on April 1s…

Shakespeare's Wandering Hero 'Pericles' Returns to the Stage by WNYC

Actors Christian Camargo and Lily Englert join us to discuss their production of Shakespeare's "Pericles" along with Jeffrey Horowitz, founding artistic director of the Theatre for a New …

Soprano Kristine Opolais Stars as Cio-Cio-San in 'Madama Butterfly' by WNYC

Star soprano Kristine Opolais returns to the stage as Cio-Cio-San opposite tenor Roberto Alagna in Puccini's "Madama Butterfly" at the Metropolitan Opera through April 12th. A…

Comedian Mike Birbiglia Tells Us How Jokes Are Made by WNYC

Stand-up comedian, writer and filmmaker Mike Birbiglia joins talks about his live show "Thank God for Jokes." "Gothamist" writer John Del Signore described the show as "uproariously…

Big Money in Politics, 'Old Hats' Brings Vaudeville Back to the Stage by WNYC

How corporations and super PACs exert control over American politics, and run counter to the public interest. Bill Irwin and David Shiner star in "Old Hats" at the Signature Theater wh…

From Stage to Studio, Rita Wilson Makes her Songwriting Debut by WNYC

Actress and singer Rita Wilson discusses her second album "Rita Wilson," which showcases her songwriting abilities with 15 original songs and collaborations. She joins us to t…

A New Play Mulls Over Life's Big Questions While Ice Fishing by WNYC

Oscar and Tony Award-winning actor Mark Rylance discusses his new play "Nice Fish," which he co-wrote with poet Louis Jenkins. He's joined by co-star Jim Lichtscheidl and director C…

Yiddish Theater Actors Plot to Assassinate Stalin during His Last Days by WNYC

In his debut novel, The Yid award-winning investigative reporter Paul Goldberg tells the story of a ramshackle group of Yiddish-speaking artists and actors who devise a convol…

Star Tenor Roberto Alagna Rises to his Role in 'Manon Lescaut' by WNYC

In late January, the Metropolitan Opera faced a crisis. Tenor Jonas Kaufmann was sick and had to withdraw from a new production of Giacomo Puccini's "Manon Lescaut" which was scheduled to…

Thomas Merton's Life Celebrated on Stage at BAM by WNYC

Playwright Charles Mee talks about the world premiere of "The Glory of the World" at Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM). The show features a 100th "birthday party" celebrating…

Maurice Hines Tells His Life Story Through Tap by WNYC

Legendary actor, singer, choreographer and tap dancer Maurice Hines talks about his life, career and new musical "Tappin' Thru Life," which celebrates his work and pays tribute to his inspir…

Playwright's Walk Home Cut Short by Knife Attack by WNYC

Tony-award winning playwright David Henry Hwang talks about his recent New York Times column, "The Time I Got Stabbed in the Neck." He recounts how he was attacked one evening in November on…

Tribute: Elizabeth Swados by WNYC

The talented Elizabeth Swados' "voice" was heard even before she graduated from Bennington College, when she did the music for Andrei Serban's adaptation of "Medea" at La Mama, here in lower…

'Marjorie Prime' Depicts a Near-Future with Robot Companions by WNYC

Award-winning actress Lois Smith and writer Jordan Harrison talk about their critically acclaimed production, "Marjorie Prime." The play was a 2015 Pulitzer Prize finalist. It's set in th…

'Intensio' Takes Ballet to New Heights by WNYC

American Ballet Theatre Principal Daniil Simkin discusses the New York premiere of "Intensio," a program of works by four acclaimed choreographers performed by Simkin's fellow ABT danc…

Terrence McNally's Career Pushing Boundaries in American Theater by WNYC

This is a rebroadcast of our interview with Terrence McNally, which originally aired on Sept. 8, 2015. Since his first play, "And Things That Go Bump in the Night," which premiered in 1965, …

A Stephen King Thriller Brought to the Stage by WNYC

Laurie Metcalf talks about starring in "Misery" on Broadway. The suspense thriller is based on Stephen King's novel of the same name, and she co-stars with Bruce Willis. Playing at …

Tony Roberts' Storied Life in the Spotlight by WNYC

Tony Roberts discusses his memoir, "Do You Know Me?" The book spans his fifty-five years as a professional actor, including his twenty-three Broadway shows, twenty-five films, an…

Bringing "Hir" to the Stage by WNYC

Director Niegel Smith and actors Kristine Neilson and Tom Phelan discuss their play, "Hir," about a veteran who comes home to help take care of his ailing father, …

Mark Morris on the Return of "The Hard Nut" by WNYC

Mark Morris talks about bringing Mark Morris Dance Group's "The Hard Nut" back home to BAM after a five year absence. The holiday production is a modern re-imagining of E.T.A Hof…

Mark Strong, Phoebe Fox and Nicola Walker on Broadway by WNYC

Actors Mark Strong,  Phoebe Fox, and Nicola Walker discuss their new production of Arthur Miller's "A View from the Bridge." The play is being produced on Broadway during the …

The Color Purple on Broadway by WNYC

Alice Walkertalks about the new Broadway production of her Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, The Color Purple. The musical stars Jennifer Hudson, Cynthia Erivo, and Danielle Brooks, and is cu…

Mary-Louise Parker's Letters to Men, Real and Hypothetical by WNYC

Award-winning actress Mary-Louise Parker talks about her book of letters, Dear Mr. You, addressed to the men, real and hypothetical, who informed the person she is today. EVENTS:…

Got Writer's Block? Productivity Tips From Shakespeare by WNYC

In the years leading up to 1606, which saw the death of Queen Elizabeth and the arrival in England of her successor, King James of Scotland, Shakespeare's great productivity had ebbed. Ma…

Hollywood's First Production Designer by WNYC

Acclaimed film historian and biographer James Curtis chronicles the life of William Cameron Menzies, Hollywood's first production designer, who many consider the greatest in his fie…

Sam Rockwell and Nina Arianda, Trapped Lovers in "Fool for Love" by WNYC

Sam Rockwell and Nina Arianda discuss their starring roles in "Fool for Love" on Broadway. The show is about two former lovers stuck in a seedy Mojave Desert motel where they are…

Matthew Broderick, Annaleigh Ashford, and Julie White's Newest Performance by WNYC

Matthew Broderick, Annaleigh Ashford, and Julie White talk about starring on Broadway in "Sylvia." The comedy is the story of a man, his wife, and the adopted dog who changes the…

Duncan Sheik: "Avalanche," Live on Soundcheck by WNYC

A Musical Envisions the Impossible by WNYC

Cesar Alvarez and Sarah Benson discuss their new musical, "Futurity." Alvarez wrote the music, lyrics, and book, while Benson, the artistic director of the Soho Rep, directed. Th…

The Dramatist David Hare Looks Inward by WNYC

David Hareis one of Britain's best-known screenwriters and dramatists. He's the author of more than thirty acclaimed plays, and he wrote the screenplays for the hugely successful films The H…