For our annual signature event in the Benedict Music Tent, the 2018 Aspen Ideas Festival hosts former secretary of state John Kerry in a candid conversation about geopolitics with Andrea Mitchell. Immediately afterward, in collaboration with Theatre Aspen, Ideas Festival presents a live performance by Broadway actors followed by panel discussions examining the historical and social impact that iconic works of theater and the musical stage have had in accentuating critical social issues. Discussions are moderated by Washington Post columnist Peter Marks and include Katie Couric, David Brooks, Maria Hinojosa, Jonathan Capehart, Jelani Cobb, Jose Antonio Vargas, Alisa Solomon, and Nadine Strossen.