Theater

Songwriters Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane. They wrote the songs for the 1944 Judy Garland film classic, "Meet Me in St. Louis," including "The Trolley Song" and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." A musical based on the film is opening on Broadway this week.

Dancer and choreographer Murray Louis. He's spent 40 years pioneering modern dance, and recently he merged his company with that of his mentor, Alwin Nikolais (nik-oh-lie).

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz has a review of a never-before-recorded Kurt Weill (Vile) opera. Weill is best-known for his collaborations with playwright Bertolt Brecht, such as "The Threepenny Opera" and "The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahogany".

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews a new release of Mozart's comic opera, "The Abduction from the Seraglio." It's a 1961 performance of a little known German comedy by Mozart, but Lloyd says it compares favorably with his best known Italian works.

Film Critic Stephen Schiff reviews "Shirley Valentine," the adaptation of the hit Broadway play. The film stars the British actress Pauline Collins, who also starred in the play.

Classical Music Critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews the final three performances of the PepsiCo Summerfare Arts Festival at Purchase, New York. For ten years, the Pepsi-Cola company has underwritten an annual international arts festival that will best be remembered for its ambitious presentations of operas by Mozart and Handel that were directed by Peter Sellars. In this segment, Lloyd reviews performances of Mozart's three great Italian operas, "The Marriage of Figaro," "Don Giovanni" and "Cosi fan tutte."

Actor AVERY BROOKS. He reached stardom with his TV portrayal of "Hawk," the strong, almost silent partner in the detective series "Spenser for Hire." He took that character into its own series last season. Brooks brings to his TV work the same concern for African-American culture that has marked his stage career and his life. He won acclaim for his reinterpretation of the Harriet Beecher-Stowe character "Uncle Tom" in a production on the Showtime cable channel, and for his stage portrayal of Paul Robeson.

Unlike other film critics, Stephen Schiff isn't so troubled by the ambiguous ending of Spike Lee's third movie. Schiff admires the way Do the Right Thing smartly grapples with race relations, but he's frustrated by how inconsistent the characters are, a directorial flaw that serves the sometimes twisting plot.

Film critic Stephen Schiff says that the new take on the comic book superhero is downright Wagnerian. Despite minor pacing issues and a few weak plot points, it's a bleak, operatic take on film noir, with excellent performances throughout.

TV critic David Bianculli reviews First Born, about the unlikely birth of a half-human, half-gorilla hybrid. He says it has an absurd sense of humor and horror -- even the theme music is weird.

John O'Keefe returns to Fresh Air to perform a selection from his one-man show, Shimmer. This time, he talks about the brutality of living in a youth detention center.

Playwright John O'Keefe has a new one-man show called Shimmer, about his adolescence. He joins Fresh Air to perform a short excerpt.

Film critic Stephen Schiff says the new, boarding-school themed movie never really allows star Robin Williams to cut loose; the younger actors, while good, exist in a kind of bland never-land. It's a departure from the normal Hollywood summer fare, but audiences will be turned off by the film's self-righteous piety.

The New York-based Hughes is known for her daring, lesbian-themed work. Critic Laurie Stone reviews her newest piece, about the incestual relationship between a mother and daughter.

Critic Owne Gleiberman reviews Steven Spielberg's Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. He says the film is a retread of the first movie in the franchise, but is invigorated by the addition of Sean Connery as Indy's father.

Television critic David Bianculli reviews the series finale of the glossy crime show. He says the ending was as contrived as the past few seasons -- big on action, short on character development.

Jillette, along with his silent partner Teller, created his magic act partly in opposition to the comedy and theater performances he disliked. His duo's edgy, sometimes violent, performances have won Emmy Awards and spawned companion books and videos. Jillette takes pride in maintaining an aggressive persona while treating his audience with respect.

Critic Ken Tucker, a big fan of rap music, missed the theatrical release of Run D.M.C.'s film. He had high hopes it might capture the spirit of black action movies of the 1970s; but after watching the home video release, Tucker says the movie failed to live up to its promise.

Family Ties and Moonlighting both ended recently. TV critic David Bianculli says their final episodes highlight the programs' strengths and weaknesses.

Film critic Stephen Schiff says the new film, based on W.P. Kinsella's baseball-themed novel Shoeless Joe, is designed to make men cry, while still preserving their masculinity. It's skillfully made and acted, but Schiff thinks Field of Dreams is sappy and, ultimately, pointless.