Symphony and opera conductor Sir Charles Mackerras died on Wednesday of cancer at 84 years old. Anne Midgette, Classical Music Critic for The Washington Post, reflects on Mackerras's life and greatest achievements.

Among the advice proffered when I was pregnant with my son was the thought that playing Mozart (and placing headphones on my planet-sized belly! ) would help my unborn baby’s brain development.

The New York Times dance critic Roslyn Sulcas is absolutely correct when she says, “Although we don’t think about it much in daily life, the way someone moves is as distinctive as a voice or facial features. Of course some movements, voices or features are more striking than others.”

Once upon a time (when I was in college), the best way to get good tickets to a hot concert was to bundle up, sit outside the theatre overnight and wait for the box office to open. There was almost always a line of like-minded (or out-of-their-minded) souls, ready to share donuts or coffee or a cigarette of whatever vintage--we passed the time playing cards, flirting with cute boys ahead of us and angling to keep scalpers away from the front of the line.

There's an article in today's Wall Street Journal that gave me pause. It talks about how some producers and directors of musical theatre are tinkering with many musicals' original playbook; adding or subtracting songs, replacing dialogue that might sound out of date--essentially changing something written in or for a specific place and time.

As with many states across the country, lawmakers in Georgia are facing a big budget shortfall. One of their proposals to help close the gap would eliminate the Georgia Council for the Arts, which supports the arts statewide.

Do state-subsidized arts companies have a bigger responsibility to present great art or to sell tickets to the tourists who make up a good chunk of their audience?

We received a lovely letter this week from a listener asking about Kerry Nolan's sweet potato recipe, which was mentioned on the air at Thanksgiving. Here it is so you can try it, too.