Rose on stage:  the “on stage” might throw you off.   It’s true, but most people associate this person with a particular kind of stage performance.  No, not a striptease, Gypsy Rose Lee died long before this Rose rose to fame.

What goes before that goes?:  Three words.  Think of “What goes before” as though it were a ________.

Period of radio silence:  Well it can’t be the dark side of the moon, but it’s in that same general arena.

Needlework?:  Lots of needles, but no thread.

Measure of progress:  How many hours of modern of life are spent watching this measure inch along?

Reason to end an engagement:  This one deserves a question mark at the end, IMHO.  Anyway, it doesn’t have to do with love and marriage, at least not literally.

Alpine stream:  Well, more commonly Alpine river, and actually a specific river that appears not infrequently in xwords.

Jerks:  The NYT continues to get a little more liberal about what can be an acceptable puzzle word.

Carleton College rival:  This one looks very weird if you get 29-Across first.  Think Scandinavian.

Backwater, in Australia:  Remember Waltzing Matilda?  If not, pray you get enough down clues to help you out.  Could be the invoice you produce when you sell a particular piece of “paraphernalia”

It’s worth 8 points in English and 10 points in French:  This was the last answer I solved.  Forget the “in English and 10 points in French” and it might be easier.   This isn’t something many of us mere humans have ever tried in French (or seen tried, for that matter).