All upcoming Popular Culture programs

For more than a century, Hollywood has relied on star power as the most reliable way to draw an audience. Media historian Brian Rose traces the history of movie stardom, from the days when film actors weren’t even identified by name to how Mary Pickford became the first real film star and eventually how actors like Jack Nicholson, Meryl Streep, and Denzel Washington ushered in a new definition of stardom during the last few decades.

For 46 years, director John Huston masterfully navigated the Hollywood system, offsetting conventional commercial assignments with deeply uncompromising personal projects. His films are stories of triumph and suffering, of anti-heroes and sociopaths, alcoholics, adventurers, and lusty rebels. Film historian Max Alvarez celebrates these achievements in a tribute filled with film selections and archival images drawn from the works of one of cinema’s greatest directing artisans.

From the moment movies learned to talk, they learned to sing. Audiences in 1927 were electrified when they heard Al Jolson belting out top tunes of the day in The Jazz Singer, and since then some of the greatest vocalists have been star attractions in Hollywood musicals. Media historian Brian Rose looks at the ways Hollywood has captured singers such as Judy Garland, Bing Crosby, Lena Horne, and Frank Sinatra and provided audiences with an invaluable record of indelible performances.

In 2023, Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour became the highest-grossing tour of all time, with revenue exceeding $1 billion. While Swift clearly benefits the most, the tour also gave a financial boost to host cities around the world and a wide range of industries. Economist Kara Reynolds explores the unique economic issues associated with Swift and her impact on the music industry.

Unforgettable costumes define our favorite films: the chic gray suit by Edith Head for Kim Novak in Vertigo; Irene Sharaff’s massive ballgown for Deborah Kerr in The King and I; and William Travilla’s pink gown and gloves worn by a diamond-bedecked Marilyn Monroe in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Film historian Max Alvarez leads a stylish journey through six decades of cinematic costumes in a tribute to the remarkable designers whose sketchpads came to life on the soundstages.

Oscar-winning composers such as Bernard Herrmann, Max Steiner, Ennio Morricone and John Williams have engraved iconic scenes into our collective memory with their extraordinary music. Just ahead of this year’s ceremony, concert pianist and film-music fanatic Rachel Franklin leads a journey through 90 years of award-winning movie scores, accompanied by her grand piano and a wide collection of fascinating film clips.

The Academy Awards will be announced on March 2. Get ready by joining Washington City Paper film critic Noah Gittell for an evening that focuses on all things Oscar, from Academy Awards history and trivia to discussions of this year’s nominations and behind-the-scenes stories. He also sorts through all the story lines, rumors, and gossip.