THEATER

In Once, based on the cult-favorite Irish indie movie, a guy (Steve Kazee) and a girl (Cristin Milioti) fall in love during a whirlwind week of songwriting in Dublin.

'Once' And Again: A Love Story Gets A Second Life

Once, the 2007 film about a street musician and Czech immigrant who pen songs during an unforgettable week in Dublin, is now an off-Broadway musical. John Tiffany, the acclaimed director of Black Watch, collaborates with Irish playwright Enda Walsh to tell the emotionally charged love story.

THEATER

Danny Burstein as Buddy Plummer, performs

Danny Burstein On Living Up To Sondheim's 'Follies'

Burstein has played a wide range of roles, from casino owner Lolly Steinman in HBO's Boardwalk Empire, to his current role as Buddy Plummer in the Broadway revival of Follies. He talks about his lengthy career on stage, screen and television.

'Kickstart Shakespeare': Of Sonnets, Beer, And Online Fundraising

One New York theater organization is raising money to bring Shakespearean sonnets straight to you.

Audra McDonald: Shaping 'Bess' On Broadway

The actress is up for her fifth Tony Award for her performance in the musical Porgy and Bess.

What Inspires Singer Simone

Actress and singer Lisa Celeste is better known by her stage name, Simone. She's the daughter of the late legendary singer Nina Simone, and she's appeared on Broadway in musicals such as Rent and Aida. As part of the series, In Your Ear, she shares the songs on her personal playlist.

A Test Of Hearts, Minds And 'Hands On A Hardbody'

A new musical based on a documentary follows the contestants of a Texas car dealership competition.

A Gershwin Biopic That Ain't Necessarily So True

Rhapsody in Blue, the 1945 film biopic of George Gershwin, has just been released on DVD.

When It Comes To War, Humor Helps Us Survive

Water by the Spoonful is this year's winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. It's a play about addiction, memory, and the Iraq War. Host Michel Martin speaks with playwright Quiara Alegria Hudes, who says that her people don't have to wallow in misery, that we can laugh, even in our darkest moments.

Tony Awards Take Note Of A Little Musical That Emphatically Could

The absurdly charming chamber musical Once, based on the 2006 indie film, leads the pack in Broadway's big awards rally. - READ MORE

Managing The Gershwins' Lucrative Musical Legacy

In the 1920s, it wasn't uncommon for the Gershwin brothers — composer George and lyricist Ira — to have two shows on Broadway at once. This season, it's happening again. As Jeff Lunden reports. - READ MORE

'Best Man' John Larroquette Takes Broadway

Perhaps most recognizable for his role on Night Court, John Larroquette has recently taken to the stage, earning a Tony Award for his role in the 2011 production of How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. Now, he's returned to Broadway in a revival of Gore Vidal's The Best Man. - READ MORE

Blair Underwood On Stanley, Stella And 'Streetcar'

A new multiracial Broadway revival of A Streetcar Named Desire is opening and stars Blair Underwood as Stanley Kowalski. Underwood talks to Weekend Edition's Scott Simon about portraying the role as an African-American, New Orleans, and differentiating his "Stella!" from Brando's. - READ MORE

London Smash 'Two Guvnors' Comes To Broadway

A British comedy that was the fastest selling ticket in the history of London's West End opens on Broadway tonight with its original cast. As Jeff Lunden reports, One Man, Two Guvnors is full of whimsically portrayed stereotypes — and is based on 500-year-old comic traditions. - READ MORE

The Historic Howard Theatre: Past And Future

The Howard Theatre in Washington, DC was built in 1910, and just about every top black entertainer performed on its stage. But it had to shut its doors once the neighborhood fell on hard times. Now it has reopened, and host Michel Martin talks with Jimi Smooth, a musician who was an usher at the Howard in the early '60s. - READ MORE

I Died On The Titanic

In Titanic the musical, that is. My small, California middle school performed the show's West Coast premiere. Thanks to the local community theater, my friends and I were in many musicals growing up and played lots of different parts. But this was my first drowning victim. - READ MORE

Philip Seymour Hoffman: Broadway's New 'Salesman'

Oscar-winner Philip Seymour Hoffman is starring in the Broadway revival of Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman. NPR's Steve Inskeep talks with Hoffman about the iconic role and why, 63 years after the play premiered, it continues to resonate with modern audiences. - READ MORE