Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is celebrating its 60th anniversary season. This year's NJPAC engagement is May 10-12 and features the New Jersey premiere of the Company's first two-act ballet, Lazarus from inaugural artist-in-residence Rennie Harris. Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's Artistic Director Robert Battle spoke with WBGO News Director Doug Doyle about the upcoming performances. Lazarus , inspired by the lifework of Alvin Ailey, will be performed on Friday and Saturday evenings,

South Plainfield, New Jersey's Anthony Ashnault always dreamed of being an NCAA national champion in wrestling. Those dreams became a reality in March of this year when the Rutgers University six-year senior defeated Ohio State's Micah Jordan 9-4 in the 149-pound final of the NCAA Championships in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Ashnault became Rutgers' second national champion. His victory came less than a hour after his Scarlet Knights teammate, Nick Suriano won the NCAA title at 133 pounds.

What is the sound of Australian jazz? You'd be hard pressed to answer that question definitively, but one response can be heard on Insurgent , by trumpeter Mat Jodrell.

Shakespeare returns to Broadway with Dame Glenda playing King Lear. According to our theater critic Michael Bourne, gender-switching is becoming quite familiar in recent productions of Shakespeare. King Lear is playing at the Cort Theatre and is directed by Sam Gold. Click above to hear Michael Bourne's review of King Lear.

The World Premiere of A Walk Into Slavery , based on Hollis King's recent visit to Africa, was conceived and directed by Dr. Indira Etwaroo, the Executive Director of the Billie Holiday Theatre in Brooklyn. A Walk Into Slavery is a multi-media meditation about reconnecting with one's ancestor and redefining one's purpose. Two of the stars of the show, award-winning international designer and photographer and former Verve Records V.P. and Creative Director, Hollis King and award-winning poet,

Since WBGO’s inception, Mid-day Jazz host Rhonda Hamilton has been at the radio station. A key part to WBGO’s success over the last 40 years. Click above to hear the entire conversation.

Broadway veteran Maureen Silliman takes us into the mind and soul of one of America's greatest poets Emily Dickinson in The Belle of Amherst , the latest production at Two River Theater in Red Bank, New Jersey. Silliman sits down with WBGO News Director Doug Doyle to talk about why she loves this play and has enjoyed working again with Two River Theater founder Robert Rechnitz who is directing this version of The Belle of Amherst. The Belle of Amherst premiered on Broadway in 1976, starring

A Portrait of Ray, the brainchild of Dwayne Clark and his wife Janice Freeman Clark. They wrote the show as a tribute to Ray Charles and it has been getting rave reviews ever since. A Portrait of Ray will next appear at the Cutting Room, 44 E. 32nd St. in New York City Monday night April 22. The Clarks came into WBGO to talk to News Director Doug Doyle. The show takes audiences on an exhilarating journey back to 1967 at the height of Ray Charles' career and is set during a homecoming concert in

Broadway shows have been opening night after night lately, before the deadline to qualify for the Tony Awards -- but theater critic Michael Bourne was nonetheless OFF-Broadway this week to attend two new plays. Michael reviews All Our Children presented by The Sheen Center for Thought & Culture and Do You Feel Anger? at the Vineyard Theatre. Click above to hear both reviews.

Jazz After Hours host Brian Delp has been entertaining listeners around the world on WBGO for more than 23 years. Brian sat down with News Director Doug Doyle to talk about his favorite moments and why WBGO is so special to him. Click above to hear the entire conversation.