Elizabeth Blair : NPR

Music Interviews

DC Youth Orchestra: Success On A Shoestring

May 29, 2009 • They rehearse in a ramshackle Washington, D.C., high school. But the young musicians in the DC Youth Orchestra say they're inspired by their teachers and the music they play. Hear how the cash-strapped music program inspires kids from all around the nation's capital.

DC Youth Orchestra: Success On A Shoestring

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Movies

Smithsonian Hopes To Cash In On Stiller Movie

May 21, 2009 • With the release of Ben Stiller's Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, officials at the Smithsonian Institution are hoping for a financial boost. It stands to benefit from the major Hollywood blockbuster in many ways: from having its name planted on cereal boxes to getting a percentage of the box office.

Smithsonian Hopes To Cash In On Stiller Movie

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Pop Culture

Sex On The Tube: Sitcoms Test Boundaries

May 18, 2009 • Of all the shows airing during prime time, sitcoms have the most sex talk, according to the Kaiser Foundation. David Crane, a co-creator of Friends, says it's like a badge of honor to come up with clever sex jokes.

Sex On The Tube: Sitcoms Test Boundaries

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Arts & Life

Broadway Producer Tapped For NEA

May 13, 2009 • Broadway producer Rocco Landesman has been nominated to head the National Endowment for the Arts. Landesman's Jujamcyn company owns five Broadway theaters and his production credits include Angels in America and The Producers.

Broadway Producer Tapped For NEA

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Media

Stealth Ads: They're Effective — And Priced To Move

May 5, 2009 • Stealth advertising and brand-building have been ad-industry buzzwords for years. Now companies are considering more stealth marketing — not least because it's relatively inexpensive.

Stealth Ads: They're Effective — And Priced To Move

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Advertising In The Downturn

Auto Ads Decline In Step With Industry Woes

April 28, 2009 • For a long time, the three biggest buyers of TV commercial time were fast food, pharmaceuticals and cars. So for the advertising industry, the ripple effect of Detroit's trouble is more like a tidal wave. Since automakers' fortunes have declined, they've cut their ad purchases sharply.

Auto Ads Decline In Step With Industry Woes

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Financial Turmoil Grips World Markets

For Downsized Actors, Performance Anxiety Looms

April 23, 2009 • The recession has fewer people going to the theater, which means less work for stage performers. That's because many American theater companies are shrinking their seasons — and their casts.

For Downsized Actors, Performance Anxiety Looms

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Media

'New York Times' Dominates Pulitzers

April 20, 2009 • The New York Times won five Pulitzer Prizes for journalism, including one for its coverage of the prostitution scandal that forced New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer to resign.

'New York Times' Dominates Pulitzers

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Pop Culture

SpongeBob: Still Soaking Up Ratings After 10 Years

April 17, 2009 • Ten years after SpongeBob SquarePants made its debut on Nickelodeon, the show continues to be a phenomenal hit. President Obama, Scarlett Johansson and LeBron James are among the character's legion of fans.

SpongeBob: Still Soaking Up Ratings After 10 Years

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National

Local Governments Tackle Federal Grant Process

March 25, 2009 • The federal stimulus money is supposed to pump billions of dollars into the economy. As police departments and small towns apply for money, they are finding themselves in closer contact with the federal government. Local and county governments are learning how to deal with the sprawling federal grant process.

Local Governments Tackle Federal Grant Process

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Arts & Life

NEA Releases Strict Rules For Arts Stimulus Grants

March 11, 2009 • When artwork funded by the National Endowment for the Arts caused a commotion in the late '90s, the agency developed a transparent strategy for doling out public funds. That strategy will be applied as the NEA doles out the $50 million it received as part of the stimulus package.

NEA Releases Strict Rules For Arts Stimulus Grants

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Art & Design

'1934': Reflecting On America's First Big Art Buy

March 5, 2009 • In 1934, the U.S. created the Public Works of Art Program — the first federal program to support the arts nationally. A new Smithsonian exhibit looks at that program's legacy, just as the government sets aside $50 million for the NEA.

'1934': Reflecting On America's First Big Art Buy

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Movies

Lessons Of France's 'The Class' Transcend Borders

February 16, 2009 • Authenticity was important to the producers of The Class,, which is based on a book by a former middle school teacher. Some American teachers say that while the film is set in France, it also provides a window into what goes on in an urban middle school in the United States.

Lessons Of France's 'The Class' Transcend Borders

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Music Interviews

Chanteuse Blossom Dearie Dies At 82

February 9, 2009 • With her wispy, delicate voice, Dearie was a darling of the jazz world for decades. Her biggest hit was "I'm Hip," and she even recorded with Schoolhouse Rock. The cabaret singer and pianist died Saturday of natural causes in her New York City home. She was 82.

Chanteuse Blossom Dearie Dies At 82

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Performing Arts

'Dusty': PBS Vet Takes Kids' TV Out Of The Box

January 30, 2009 • In 2005, PBS decided not to air an episode of a children's show because it featured a family with gay parents. Now a real-life kids'-TV writer has built a stage play around the story behind the episode that didn't air.

'Dusty': PBS Vet Takes Kids' TV Out Of The Box

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