Around the Nation

Here are four arts and culture videos from public broadcasting partners around the nation.

There are very few people in the world who can sing the role of Siegfried in Wagner’s opera, “Ring Cycle.” When the Met Opera recently lost its star, a Texas newcomer stepped in just five weeks before the opening. WNET Sunday Arts profiles Jay Hunter Morris as he becomes Siegfried.

Watch Jay Hunter Morris: A New Siegfried for the Ring on PBS. See more from SundayArts.

Singer/songwriter Mason Jennings blends folk, blues and rock to tell intimate stories. TPT features Jennings performing his song “Raindrops on the Kitchen Floor” live at the Hollywood Theater in Northeast Minneapolis.

From his early beginnings as a gospel singer, Glenn Jones went on to become a celebrated musician who has been performing for more than 20 years. The folk guitarist stops by the NPR offices to perform a Tiny Desk Concert.

In the opera drama *”Salome” a woman’s disturbing obsession with John the Baptist leads her to request the prophet’s head, so blood and beheadings are central elements to bringing the story to stage. KPBS goes behind the scenes of the San Diego Opera for a look at the special effects that bring the horror of the story to the stage.