NPR’s latest on the performing arts

Critics point out the apparent hypocrisy of a pro-Black rapper like Kendrick Lamar headlining the Super Bowl halftime show, since the NFL isn't exactly an institution that's known for its support of Black lives. So on this episode, we're digging into the history of hip hop and how it's been co-opted.
Author: B.A. Parker
Posted: February 5, 2025, 8:00 am
How do you bring the African Diaspora to the Grammys?

Esperanza Spalding and Milton Nascimento's contrasting tones make a perfect team on Milton + esperanza, a collection of covers, duets, and original songs that have earned the pair a Grammy nomination for Best Jazz Vocal Album. Today, Brittany and Esperanza get into the years-long intergenerational friendship behind the music, and the Brazilian influences on the album.

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Author: Brittany Luse
Posted: January 29, 2025, 8:00 am

Country music singer Charley Crockett was born and raised in Texas, grew up in a single-wide trailer with his mom and says his family lineage traces all the way back to the frontiersman Davy Crockett.

This Sunday is the music industry's biggest night — the Grammy Awards. And Crockett is up for an award for the first time — Best Americana Album — for his record "$10 Cowboy."

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Email us at considerthis@npr.org
Posted: January 28, 2025, 10:37 pm
What do Babygirl, Singing in the Rain and Apocalypse Now have in common? They've all been overlooked by Oscar voters.

Some Oscar blunders fall into the category of snubs - others show a failure to recognize films that will endure.

Now sometimes, these critiques are a matter of movie taste. Sometimes, they're a broader matter of representation – raising questions about who the movie industry chooses to celebrate or ignore.

The Academy Awards have made some truly epic misses over their long history.

Two of NPR's film regulars dig into those times when the Oscars got things very wrong, and what that tells us about the art, culture and business of the movies.

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Email us at considerthis@npr.org
Posted: January 23, 2025, 11:58 pm
Plowright brought stage and screen characters to vibrant life for more than six decades in such works as A Taste of Honey, Tea with Mussolini and Enchanted April.
Author: Bob Mondello
Posted: January 17, 2025, 5:31 pm
Communities in Los Angeles are trying to find moments of togetherness and joy. That's included a singing and dancing puppet named Yellow Cat.
Author: Jonaki Mehta
Posted: January 14, 2025, 10:51 pm
NPR's Ayesha Rascoe speaks with Justin Honard, co-writer and co-star of the "Drag: The Musical," a show that takes the audience inside the world of drag performances.
Author: Ayesha Rascoe
Posted: January 12, 2025, 12:48 pm
How much protein do you really need to consume?

According to Pew Research Center, 79% of New Year's resolutions are about one thing: health. It's Been a Minute is kicking off 2025 with a little series called "new year, new me." We're getting into some of the big questions and cultural confusion around our health and wellness.

Today – we're getting into the macronutrient du jour: protein. High protein recipes are all the rage on Instagram, and producers are putting it in everything from pancakes to ice cream. We all need to eat protein, but how much is enough? Brittany Luse is joined by Vox senior reporter Kenny Torrella and freelance food writer Samantha Maxwell to discuss America's protein kick - and how protein is getting politicized by MAHA (Make America Healthy Again).

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Author: Brittany Luse
Posted: January 10, 2025, 8:00 am
The California wildfires are burning in the middle of what's usually a busy awards season in Hollywood, home to many celebrities.
Author: Andrew Limbong
Posted: January 9, 2025, 5:08 pm
Every year, we remember some of the writers, actors, musicians, filmmakers and performers who died over the past year, and whose lifetime of creative work helped shape our world.
Author: Neda Ulaby
Posted: December 26, 2024, 10:00 am