海角大神

Acrobatic opera

鈥淕reat Performances at the Met,鈥� on , brings The Tempest, written and conducted by Thomas Ad猫s, widely considered the new Benjamin Britten. This version is conjured up by Robert Lepage, who made his name with his extravagant production of Wagner鈥檚 鈥淩ing Cycle.鈥� With Ariel imagined as an acrobatic coloratura soprano and vivid staging effects, this English-language production, based on Shakespeare鈥檚 final, magical play, is equally engaging to watch as listen to. It airs on March 17 at noon; check local listings.

Cheney profile

Just how much influence did Vice President Dick Cheney actually have in the White House? Speculate no more. 鈥檚 The World According to Dick Cheney, which airs March 15 at 9 p.m., follows his four-decade rise to his time as the most powerful nonpresidential figure in US history, framed with interviews and commentary. This is part of Showtime鈥檚 new documentary series highlighting provocative public figures.

Short and sweet

If you haven鈥檛 seen Paperman, which won the 2013 Oscar for Best Animated Short, head over to . The six-minute video tells a charming tale of love and missed connections in midcentury New York. Disney created the animation with 3-D models, but you鈥檇 never know it. Through skilled use of penlike lines and paperesque filters, the characters look hand-drawn. Check it out at .

Cruise control

Going on a cruise? Travel writer Paul Allen recommends books, movies, and music relating to your destination on . Groove to hits from Swedish pop band ABBA before you float through the Baltic Sea. Graze a literary anthology about Denali National Park as you embark on an Alaskan cruise. Watch 鈥淭he King and I鈥� before traveling around Southeast Asia. Whichever corner of the world you are heading to, Cruisereader.com will get you there faster.

Sports fix

鈥檚 Hang Up and Listen podcast takes an intelligent and often funny look at the week鈥檚 sports news, without the bluster and bombast that often spoil sports radio shows. Make sure to listen to the 鈥淎fterball鈥� segment that concludes each episode, in which each host presents a short and fascinating peek at an overlooked corner of the sports universe. It鈥檚 available on iTunes or at .

Maestro Bell

Violin virtuoso 鈥檚 first recording as music director of the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields was described as dazzling and mesmerizing by foreign press outlets. He is the first director since it was founded by violinist-conductor Neville Marinner in 1958. ASMF chose Beethoven鈥檚 Symphonies No. 4 and 7, which pack a great punch. Mr. Bell is not new to the orchestra: His first concerto recording occurred under Marinner鈥檚 baton when he was 21.