Latest news with #MisterRogers'Neighborhood
Chicago Tribune
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Review: ‘Arthur & Friends Make a Musical' at the Marriott lets the storybook characters put on a show
Funding cuts have been tough for those who value public media, including generations who grew up watching shows such as 'Sesame Street' and 'Mister Rogers' Neighborhood,' but in a bit of happier news, one beloved PBS character is getting a new life onstage in Lincolnshire. The Marriott Theatre's latest production for young audiences, 'Arthur & Friends Make a Musical!,' features the anthropomorphic aardvark of Marc Brown's children's books and long-running animated series. Although the musical's book and lyrics could be more engaging, this Chicago premiere offers a wholesome message about embracing your authentic self, delivered with lively visuals, music and dance. Winter Olamina stars as Arthur, an earnest, anxiety-prone youngster who studies alongside a variety of animal peers at Lakewood Elementary School. When their teacher, Mr. Ratburn (Ron King), announces that the class will write and perform an original show for the entire community of Elwood City, Arthur soon spirals into self-doubt. If he follows Mr. Ratburn's advice — write about what you know and put your heart into it — Arthur feels he won't have anything more interesting to share than the story of getting his first dog. Should he try to rival his classmates' flashier ideas and write about alien space elephants instead? Tough dilemma for a budding creative. The show-within-a-show framing device allows the writers (John Maclay, book and lyrics; Brett Ryback, music and lyrics) to slip in some educational material about the creative process, discussing techniques such as plot development and characterization. Most of Arthur's friends take an individual turn in the spotlight as they develop their show, which turns out to be a musical revue culminating in a group number. Francine (Danielle Davis) celebrates a little-known historical hero with a 'Hamilton'-inspired song about Anna Strong, a woman who spied for George Washington during the American Revolution, while Buster (Garrett Lutz) writes a mystery about a fictional detective named Ulysses Napoleon Baggypants, played by Arthur's little sister, DW (Joryhebel Ginorio). Muffy (Arwen-Vira Marsh) lends her eye for fashion to the class's production, and Brain (Andrés Enriquez) chooses to write about dinosaurs, one of his many areas of academic expertise. Despite the efforts of a hard-working cast, directed and choreographed by Tommy Rivera-Vega, the energy was pretty low in the house during the performance I attended. The show seemed to hold the attention of most of the young audience members, but there weren't many laughs and visible reactions — an absence that's especially obvious at an in-the-round theater. Not every family show needs to be a comedy, but there's an expectation for a certain amount of age-appropriate humor that just isn't present in this material. Not helping matters, balance issues with the sound mixing made some of the lyrics hard to hear. Visually, this production teeters between charming and distracting. Nicholas Hartman's costume designs employ a cheery palette of yellow, pink and blue, combining nods to the television series with goofy original looks for the 'Baggypants' number, among others. Leo Bassow's props offer several cute surprises, such as newspapers that open into three-dimensional shapes, pop-up book style. Attendees with visual sensitivities should be aware that bright lighting panels surround the audience on all four of the theater's outer walls (lighting design by Conchita Avitia and media design by Anthony Churchill). Thousands of small LEDs change colors throughout the show, forming patterns, spelling out text and generally creating a busy background that sometimes makes it difficult to focus one's gaze on the actors. The Marriott provides information about this design element and more in an online sensory guide. With the help of his parents, teacher and friends, Arthur finds the confidence to share his personal story at the big performance. He then joins his classmates and Mr. Ratburn for a rocking finale that expresses pride in their hometown and a desire to make Elwood City better for all its residents, echoing ideas of social justice championed by Francine earlier in the show. While I appreciate the attempt to explore the tension between celebrating your home and being honest about its difficult history and present challenges, this secondary theme feels underdeveloped when most of the plot focuses on Arthur's mental health and journey toward self-expression. Despite this imbalance, both the individual and collective themes of the musical reflect the affirming values of the source material: believing in yourself and caring for your 'Arthur & Friends Make a Musical!' (2.5 stars) When: Through Aug. 10 Where: Marriott Theatre, 10 Marriott Drive, Lincolnshire Running time: 1 hour Tickets: $16.75 at 847-634-0200 and
CNN
5 days ago
- Politics
- CNN
Listen to Mr. Rogers' defense of public media funding in 1969
The Senate recently passed a bill that would decimate public media, clawing back roughly $1.1 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which helps fund NPR and PBS. The bill, which contains a total of $9 billion in spending cuts, now goes to the House. This is not the first time the government has tried to cut funding to public broadcasting. In 1969, Fred Rogers, the creator and host of "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood," testified before the US Senate Subcommittee on Communications to defend the continued funding of public broadcasting after President Richard Nixon proposed cuts.
CNN
7 days ago
- Business
- CNN
What will happen to PBS and NPR stations if the Senate votes to claw back funding?
PBS and NPR stations are on the verge of losing the federal funding that has helped keep them on the air for decades. The Senate is preparing to vote on a rare measure called a 'rescission,' which would claw back money that was already budgeted by Congress, including nearly $1.1 billion in funding for public media. Here's what will happen if lawmakers zero out the funding for PBS and NPR. Over time, some local stations may be forced off the air, while other stations may have fewer shows to broadcast. Stations may have fewer resources for news reporting and educational programming. But the exact impacts are hard to predict because the public radio and TV system is complex. The center of the system is the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, or CPB, an independent entity established by Congress in the 1960s to support local radio and TV stations across the United States. CPB receives $535 million in taxpayer support annually and disburses the funds to about 1,500 local radio and TV stations, as well as programmers and infrastructure providers. Those funds are what President Trump and congressional Republicans are trying to revoke. Democrats want the funds to remain in place. Trump's rescission proposal targets CPB's federal funding for the period from October 2025 through September 2027, so if the money is taken back, stations will face budget shortfalls starting this fall. Some public media executives are already planning layoffs and other cost-cutting moves. PBS and NPR affiliates have numerous other sources of revenue, including donations from 'viewers like you,' as the famous PBS phrase goes. But the federal funding has historically served as the foundation of the proverbial house. 'For every public dollar provided, stations raise nearly seven dollars from donors, including state and local governments, universities, businesses, foundations and individual viewers and listeners,' according to CPB. Yes and no. Bigger stations in metro areas will have an easier time making up the deficits than smaller stations. If the Senate adopts the rescission, some big-city public media outlets will launch fundraising campaigns immediately. But smaller stations, particularly those in hard-to-reach areas, tend to be more reliant on federal funding. In some cases, the taxpayer dollars are directly keeping the lights on and the broadcast antennas functioning. Without that federal support, some broadcasters in rural areas will go dark, according to officials who spoke with CNN. No, but stations will generally have less money to spend on programming, which will hurt the marketplace of noncommercial TV and radio. 'Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood' is one of a half dozen children's shows produced by Fred Rogers Productions, the nonprofit behind 'Mister Rogers' Neighborhood.' Fred Rogers Productions receives millions of dollars per year in grants, including those from CPB, as well as licensing revenue from local PBS stations that carry its programs. If the stations have fewer dollars to spend, then producers will eventually feel the pinch. Acclaimed documentary filmmaker Ken Burns recently told CBS that 'I couldn't do any of the films I've done without them being on PBS.' In the public media system, money flows out from CPB to localities, then returns to the national entities through dues and fees from member stations. That is how NPR funds 'Morning Edition' and 'All Things Considered,' for example. 'While federal funding makes up only 1% of NPR's revenue, member station fees make up a 30% share,' the organization recently explained to listeners. So the national operations are bracing for the domino effect that would ensue if funding dries up in the fall. NPR has made the case to listeners that 'elimination of federal funding would ultimately result in fewer programs, less journalism — especially local journalism — and eventually the loss of public radio stations, particularly in rural and economically distressed communities.' The current tug-of-war over the public media budget is the culmination of several decades of political battles. Conservative activists have long argued that taxpayer support for TV and radio is simply unnecessary and fiscally unwise. 'Nowhere in the Constitution does it say Congress should fund a national media,' the libertarian Cato Institute, which has been urging Congress to defund CPB since the 1970s, says on its website. Opponents also argue that the public broadcasting model is obsolete in the streaming era. But for Trump and some of his strongest supporters, the primary objection to NPR and PBS is perceived bias. The Trump White House has portrayed public broadcasting as 'radical, woke propaganda disguised as 'news'' and claimed that the news operations exist to help Democrats and hurt Republicans, which the networks deny. Some moderate Republicans have acknowledged that the public media system has value. Sen. Susan Collins on Tuesday called the cuts to CPB 'excessive' and said 'local TV and radio stations continue to provide important coverage.' Collins said she would support defunding NPR at the national level, however, due to its 'biased reporting.' Congressional Democrats lack the votes to stop the rescission package. But they are vocally defending the public media system. Sen. Maria Cantwell said last week that zeroing out the PBS and NPR funds is a 'reckless endangerment of 13 million Americans who depend on these stations for lifesaving emergency information.' Sen. Bernie Sanders asserted that Trump wants to defund the networks because, 'like all authoritarians,' he 'doesn't like criticism or objective reporting.' Anna M. Gomez, the lone Democrat on the Republican-controlled Federal Communications Commission, also linked the pending cut to Trump's broader campaign against the media. 'This isn't about saving money,' Gomez wrote on X. 'It's about silencing those who report the news accurately, without fear or favor.'
Axios
14-07-2025
- Business
- Axios
Trump's proposed public broadcasting cuts build on decades of GOP threats
Republican lawmakers this week could approve deep cuts to the the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) — but the threat is far from fresh, building on decades of attempts to strip support from public broadcasting. The big picture: The Senate is expected to vote on a rescissions package ahead of a Friday deadline that would yank $1.1 billion in funds allocated to CPB, putting a years-long conservative push on the brink of reality. While the package already passed the House, some GOP senators are wary of the impact the cuts will have on local stations, which are expected to feel the sharpest pain. According to the CPB, more than 70% of its federal funding goes directly to more than 1,500 locally owned public radio and television stations. But Trump earlier this month said it's "very important" for Republicans to adhere to his bill, writing on social media, "[a]ny Republican that votes to allow this monstrosity to continue broadcasting will not have my support or Endorsement." Context: To many prominent Republicans, it's been a "very important" initiative to strip NPR and PBS stations of taxpayer funding for decades, though Congress has historically stood in the way. Trump acknowledged the GOP was on the cusp of changing that trend, writing on Truth Social last month, "For decades, Republicans have promised to cut NPR, but have never done it, until now." Former presidents Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush sought cuts. In 1969, with Nixon in the White House, "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" host Fred Rogers famously advocated for funding on Capitol Hill. During his first term, Trump also repeatedly suggested slashing funds for public broadcasting — but this time, he may have more fuel to succeed in pushing the DOGE-driven cuts through Capitol Hill. Yes, but: Despite decades of attacks, the rescission proposal "is the most serious threat ever faced by public broadcasting," NPR CEO Katherine Maher said in a statement, emphasizing the clawback could result in the cancellation of local and national programming and a reduction in local news service. PBS President and CEO Paula Kerger said the proposed rescissions would have a "devastating impact" on PBS member stations, without which "Americans will lose unique local programming and emergency services in times of crisis." The other side: Proponents of slashing public broadcasting funds also see a tipping point in the decades-old debate since former President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Public Broadcasting Act into law. Heritage Foundation senior fellow Mike Gonzalez wrote that after decades of Republican presidents falling short of their efforts to strip the CPB of funding, "[t]hings are different now for many reasons," such as the massive cuts to the federal bureaucracy and the fallout from a former NPR editor who accused the network of liberal bias. Michael Chapman, a senior editor at the libertarian CATO Institute, wrote earlier this year that "[w]ith enough political momentum behind them, perhaps Congress can get it done this time."
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Elmo Hits Trump in Lawsuit Alleging ‘Blatant' Discrimination
President Donald Trump has become persona non grata on Sesame Street as PBS launched a lawsuit to block his federal funding cuts to the broadcaster. PBS and a public TV station in Minnesota filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court in Washington on Friday, accusing the MAGA president of 'blatant viewpoint discrimination,' the New York Times reported. The suit comes after Trump signed a May 1 executive order axing all funding for PBS and NPR, alleging 'bias' in their reporting. PBS lawyers hit back against Trump in the filing, arguing that the proposed cuts violate laws forbidding the president from serving as the 'arbiter' of its content, which included kids-focused learning shows such as Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, Elmo's World, and Sesame Street, which has since found a new home on Netflix. According to the lawyers, those laws also cover 'attempting to defund PBS.' 'The executive order makes no attempt to hide the fact that it is cutting off the flow of funds to PBS because of the content of PBS programming and out of a desire to alter the content of speech,' the complaint read. 'That is blatant viewpoint discrimination.' NYT reported that around 16 percent of PBS' $373.4 million annual budget comes in the form of grants from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The nonprofit organization spends over $500 million annually on public media and receives its funding from Congress. According to PBS lawyers, Trump's executive cut would destabilize around 61 percent of the budget it receives from local station dues for its programming. PBS CEO Paula Kerger called Trump's order 'blatantly unlawful.' In a statement, PBS News reported that a spokesman for the broadcaster said it was 'necessary to take legal action to safeguard public television's editorial independence, and to protect the autonomy of PBS member stations.' Similarly, NPR also sued this week to block Trump's executive order, NYT reported.
