Every week, WGBH Arts Editor Jared Bowen sums up the exhibitions, theater, movies and music you should check out in and around Boston.
Urban Nutcracker, presented by The Tony Williams Dance Center at Back Bay Events Center through December 31
Tony Williams Dance Center's Synopsis: In 2001, local dance legend Tony Williams reimagined the classic holiday Nutcracker tale to become a Boston inner-city story with a neon-buzz, blending the rhythms of Duke Ellington with the classical music of Tchaikovsky. ... Audiences will join heroine Clarice as she explores iconic Boston scenes such as Make Way for Ducklings, Top of the Hub, Chinatown, and the Boston Public Garden. Now in it’s 16th year, this delightful production takes its audience through classical ballet, tap, hip hop, jazz, flamenco, and more."
Jared Says: "This is your fun, earthy Nutcracker derived from a place of great heart."
'Patriots Day', in theaters now
CBS Films' Synopsis: “'Patriots Day' is a powerful story of a community’s extraordinary courage in the face of adversity. An account of the events surrounding the Boston Marathon bombing, the tension-packed dramatic thriller chronicles in detail one of the most sophisticated and well-coordinated manhunts in law enforcement history. The 2013 Boston Marathon bombing shattered lives and tested the fabric of the American spirit. But in its wake, an entire city came together to bring the perpetrators to justice before they could inflict further damage. Rather than give themselves over to panic and fear, the citizens of Boston banded together, choosing solidarity over divisiveness in pursuit of a common enemy."
Jared Says: "It feels too soon, it's difficult and it's superficial, but it's not entirely without merit."
'Fences', in theaters nationwide Christmas Day
Paramount Pictures' Synopsis: "'Fences' is the story of Troy Maxson, a mid-century Pittsburgh sanitation worker who once dreamed of a baseball career, but was too old when the major leagues began admitting black players. He tries to be a good husband and father, but his lost dream of glory eats at him, and causes him to make a decision that threatens to tear his family apart."
Jared Says: "It's a striking intimacy that makes this one of the undisputed best films of the year."
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This post has been updated.
