NPR’s latest on the performing arts

Lawyers made arguments in hearings for two separate lawsuits against President Trump and the Kennedy Center's board this week. Both lawsuits want to halt plans to close the performing arts venue for two years for renovations.
Author: Elizabeth Blair
Posted: April 30, 2026, 2:40 pm
President Trump says the Kennedy Center must close for renovation. Members of Congress and two lawsuits contend the real reason is mismanagement, artist cancellations and declining ticket sales.
Author: Elizabeth Blair
Posted: April 22, 2026, 8:38 pm
Bigfoot is popping up everywhere — in low-budget horror films, in festivals around the country, and even in a critically acclaimed musical.
Author: Neda Ulaby
Posted: April 22, 2026, 5:28 pm
The Apple TV series Schmigadoon is now a hit on Broadway.
Author: Jeff Lunden
Posted: April 21, 2026, 8:10 pm
"Titaníque," a musical parody of the James Cameron film using Céline Dion's songs, opened Sunday on Broadway after getting its unlikely start in a tiny off-Broadway basement theater.
Author: Jeff Lunden
Posted: April 13, 2026, 8:45 am
Lithgow, 80, plays an intelligence agent in the FX action series The Old Man, and he's currently starring in the Broadway production of Giant, about a troubling side of children's author Roald Dahl.
Author: Dave Davies
Posted: April 2, 2026, 11:08 am
South Africa's iconic Market Theatre, born in the darkest days of apartheid and a force for change, is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
Author: Kate Bartlett
Posted: March 28, 2026, 10:00 am
The motion is part of a lawsuit challenging President Trump and the Center's board, who now refer to the complex as "The Trump Kennedy Center."
Author: Anastasia Tsioulcas
Posted: March 26, 2026, 2:58 pm
There was confusion about whether the satirist would be getting the Kennedy Center's top humor award after White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt called it "fake news." Now it's confirmed.
Author: Elizabeth Blair
Posted: March 26, 2026, 2:49 pm
The groups, which include the American Institute of Architects, are asking for compliance with historic preservation laws and to secure approval from Congress.
Author: Anastasia Tsioulcas
Posted: March 23, 2026, 6:01 pm