Beyond Broadway

Guest: Stacy Wolf, Professor, Theater, Princeton University, and author, "Beyond Broadway: The Pleasure and Promise of Musical Theatre Across America"

Lights, camera—road trip? The musical "Newsies" was designed to go on the road. "High School Musical" turned a generation of boys on to community theater, which is a vibrant enterprise across America. There is a strong link between a healthy local art scene and a healthy community. 

Check out "Beyond Broadway" here.

Ballet Class: An American History

Guest: Melissa R. Klapper, Professor, History, and Director, Women's & Gender Studies, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ; author, “Ballet Class: An American History”

Most American parents have no desire for their children to become professional ballet dancers, but they do want their kids to be poised, fit, and acquainted with fine art and music, thus the popularity of ballet classes. Baby Boomers were the first generation to broadly embrace them for their daughters, and they've become more and more popular as a rigorous activity for boys, too. 

You can learn more about the American history of ballet classes and professor Klapper’s work here and here.