The Composer Who Changed Opera With ‘a Beautiful Simplicity’
He was as much a vessel as an originator of the great change. “There were many people working on naturalizing the prevailing styles, and sort of domesticating them,” Stephen Wadsworth, who directed “Iphigénie en Tauride” at the Metropolitan Opera in…
The Story Behind Juvenile’s ‘Back That Azz Up’
DELVAILLE Back then, we would just use a sound effect or mute out the bad part. But they came with “Back That Thang Up” and we just knew, OK, this is the one to roll out. CHARLES Every other request,…
Rob Stone, Master Marketer of Hip-Hop, Is Dead at 55
His family moved to Cedarhurst, N.Y., on Long Island, when he was a child. As a student at Lawrence High School, he was a soccer and basketball standout. He also fostered a growing love of rap music, taping shows by…
The Man Behind the Minions
The Minions themselves have also become ubiquitous beyond the films: omnipresent as licensed merchandise, theme park rides, TikTok trends and Facebook memes. “The design of them and the feel of them is very toy-friendly,” said Renauld, who also directed “Despicable…
An All ‘Independence’ Playlist for the Fourth of July
Listen on Spotify, Apple Music or YouTube 5. Martina McBride: “Independence Day” Like Springsteen’s “Born in the U.S.A.,” Martina McBride’s 1993 song has often been misunderstood and misplaced as a patriotic anthem. It was written from the perspective of a…
Why We Still Want to Hear the ‘Ode to Joy,’ 200 Years Later
The Ninth does away with many of those conventions, retaining some elements of Classical style while blazing a path for the Romantic period that followed. Unfurling over 20 minutes, its “Ode” looks like recognizable forms while resisting categorization. With a…
15 Summer Theaters for That Nearby, Out-of-Town Experience
Another plus: what you spend on that inn, you’ll save on the tickets. So here’s a selection of theater that will help you get out of the city — or at least make you feel like you did. The Big…
‘The Bear’ Season 3: Tastes Great, Less Fulfilling
The first two seasons of “The Bear” had style and visual flash to spare, but each also had a grounding story arc. Season 1: Carmy returns to Chicago after the suicide of his brother, Michael (Jon Bernthal), to save the…
Apollo Omar’s ‘God Said No’ Is an Exquisite Recap of Heartache
One model for “God Said No” is probably Frank Ocean’s 2016 “Blonde,” another heartbreak album awash in vulnerability; Apollo’s reedy tenor often resembles Ocean’s voice. On “God Said No,” the guitars and keyboards are tamped down and reticent; drumbeats are…
‘Interview With the Vampire’: Ben Daniels on That Bloody Season 2 Finale
When we shot the majority of the theater stuff in Episode 2, I’d been doing “Madea” for three months on the West End. I finished on a Sunday, and on Wednesday or Thursday I was shooting that whole sequence. So…