Episodes
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October 9, 2024 - Davóne Tines and the American Repertory Theater's new complex
The bass-baritone Davóne Tines has earned a reputation for challenging traditions in classical music and using art to confront social problems. Now he’s collaborating with the Boston-based chamber orchestra, A Far Cry, on the program entitled CODED, which explores the legacy of Black spirituals.It will be performed in Boston on October 11th at NEC’s Jordan Hall and In New London, CT at Connecticut College on October 13th .And, five years after Harvard University announced plans to relocate and expand the American Repertory Theater, work is underway on the David E. and Stacey L. Goel Center for Creativity & Performance. Get an inside look here. The new complex will include two performance venues, rehearsal studios and teaching space, and an outdoor performance area designed to host ticketed and free programming. Designed by the British architecture firm Haworth Tompkins with local architecture partner ARC and theater consultant Charcoalblue, Haworth Tompkins associate director and architect Tom Gibson joins The Culture Show to talk about what has gone into designing the multi-use space. -
October 8, 2024 - Steve Locke, Lynn's haunted pirate cave, and Beasties: A Sci-Fi Rock Opera
Artist Steve Locke’s exhibition at Mass MoCA, “The Fire Next Time,” is a nod to James Baldwin’s 1963 book by the same name. Like Baldwin, in this exhibition Steve Locke contemplates American history, racism and violence directed at Black and queer people. Formerly a fixture in Boston where he was on the faculty of MassArt, Locke is now based in New York where he’s a professor of fine art at Pratt Institute. He joins the Culture Show to talk about his work.From there Edgar B. Herwick III literally goes into the underworld to find out if the cave at Dungeon Rock in Lynn, MA is haunted.Finally Gary Sohmers, the writer, lyricist, creator and producer of “Beasties: A Sci-Fi Rock Opera” joins The Culture Show to talk about its world premier at the Regent Theatre in Arlington. -
October 7, 2024 - BACHtoberfest, Van Leeuwen, and Be the Change
Music Worcester’s THE COMPLETE BACH is an audacious 11 year project, which Music Worcester has launched to present all of the known works of J. S. Bach. Every season, beginning with 2024-2025, will feature a dozen concerts with music from each genre of Bach’s massive compositional output. it will wrap up on March 21, 2035—the 350th anniversary of the Baroque master’s birth.And it all begins with the inaugural BACHtoberfest, which kicks off October 25th and runs through October 27th at Mechanics Hall.Adrien Finlay, Music Worcester’s Executive Director, and Chris Shepard, Artistic Director of THE COMPLETE BACH and also the director of both The Worcester Chorus and CONCORA joinThe Culture Show to talk about it all.From there Ben Van Leeuwen, CEO and cofounder of Van Leeuwen Ice Cream, gives us the scoop on the third Van Leeuwen scoop shop to open this month in Harvard Square. In April they opened up a scoop shop in Chestnut Hill and in September they opened a location in the Seaport District and there are more to come.Finally, we look at a public art movement, “Be the Change.” One of the traditions of the Jewish faith is the Tzedakah box, which is used to collect change for those in need as well as being a symbol of a commitment to justice. Now in its third year, “Be the Change” is both a response to global injustices and a call to action. Six artists have created large, outdoor sculptures–a variation on a tzedakah box – which interprets their chosen social justice issues. These are located at 92 Van Ness street in the Fenway. The installation is on view through October 24th and it’s presented by the Jewish Arts Collaborative. Laura Mandel, Executive Director of JArts, joins The Culture Show. -
October 4, 2024 - Week in Review: Gen-Z slang, Kris Kristofferson, and John Amos
Today The Culture Show’s co-hosts Edgar B Herwick III, Callie Crossley and James Bennett II go over the latest headlines on our arts and culture week-in-review,First up, Merriam-Webster Dictionary adds 200 new words to the lexicon, which includes Gen Z slang such as “touching grass,” and “ FYP,” And after guiding the Celtics to victory, Jaylen Brown lands on the cover of TIME Magazine’s 100 list. From there we remember baseball legend Pete Rose, and the huge asterisk that gambling left on his legacy; we’ll reflect on the career of actor John Amos, known for being outspoken and playing the patriarch on “Good Times,” and we’ll listen to the influence that Kris Kristofferson had on country music. -
October 3, 2024 - Barron Ryan, Guillaume Lethiere exhibition, and Boston's Blessing of the Animals
Pianist and composer Barron Ryan joins The Culture Show ahead of his performance tonight at Mechanics Hall. As part of their “Beyond the Frames: A Series in Jazz,” he will debut an original work inspired by William and Martha Brown, business owners and abolitionists who lived in Worcester in the 1800s.From there Olivier Meslay, Hardymon Director of the Clark Art Institute, joins The Culture Show to discuss their current exhibition, Guillaume Lethière, which is the first major exhibition of the painter's work.Finally, Father Frank Sevola is Guardian of St. Anthony Shrine, the Church on Arch Street and George Comeau is Senior Manager of Destination Events for the Downtown Boston Business Improvement District join The Culture Show to preview this Sunday’s Blessing of the Animals and the 10th annual Doggone Halloween Parade. Both pet-friendly and pet-centric events will take place at Downtown Crossing. -
October 2, 2024 - Reynaliz Herrera, Urinetown: The Musical, and The Importance of Being Furnished
Reynaliz Herrera is a classically trained percussionist who found her voice when she realized that a bicycle is a wildly versatile percussive instrument. She is a musician, an educator and founder of Ideas, Not Theories, a theatrical percussion company for unconventional percussion instruments. She joins us to talk about her debut album, “BIKEncerto: a concerto for solo bicycle and orchestra”, Reynaliz Hererra has two upcoming performances. One is at the Museum of Science On October 5th, and on November 14th she’ll be performing at the MIT Museum as part of their “After Dark” series.From there Courtney O’Connor, Producing Artistic Director at The Lyric Stage Company of Boston, joins The Culture Show to talk about their production of “Urinetown: The Musical,” which is onstage through October 20th. Finally, R. Tripp Evans joins The Culture Show to talk about his book, “The Importance of Being Furnished: Four Bachelors at Home.” and the exhibition that he guest curated for Historic New England, The Importance of Being Furnished, which is on view through October 27, 2024. R. Tripp Evans is Professor of the History of Art at Wheaton College. -
October 1, 2024 - HONK! Festival with The Good Trouble Brass Band, the Provincetown Town Crier Competition, and Laughs in Spanish
The HONK! Festival of Activist Street Bands is back with its 19th annual multi-day music extravaganza. It is outrageous and inclusive, brass and brash, percussive and persuasive. It kicks off October 4th and honks its way through the streets of Somerville and Cambridge through October 6th. HONK! Committee representatives, Reebee Garafalo and John Bell – who are also members of The Good Trouble Brass Band – join us for an overview. Then The Good Trouble Brass band wows us with their music.From there Daniel Gómez Llata, the Town Crier of Provincetown joins us to talk about what it takes to host the first-ever Provincetown Town Crier Competition. It kicks off next Monday, with 15 Town Criers from the USA, Canada and the United Kingdom crying and vying for prizes and top honors.Finally, its “Laughs in Spanish.” The play is part whodunnit, part telenovela and 100% fun. The director Mariela López-Ponce and actress Paola Ferrer, who stars as Estella, join us to talk about the production. “Laughs in Spanish” is presented by SpeakEasy Stage Company at Roberts Studio Theatre, Calderwood Pavilion, Boston Center for the Arts. Through Oct. 12. -
September 30, 2024 - Sarah Ganz Blythe, the Donna Summer mural, and Shlock and Awe: The William Castle Experience
Sarah Ganz Blythe is the newly appointed Elizabeth and John Moors Cabot Director of the Harvard Art Museums. She joins The Culture Show to talk about starting this new post and what her vision is for The Harvard Art Museums. To see all of their events and exhibitions you can visit their website here. From there, Morning Edition co-host Jeremy Siegel joins The Culture Show to talk about the making of the Donna Summer mural in Roxbury, which he recently reported on. You can learn more about the mural here. Finally, Mark Anastasio, program manager and director of special programming for the Coolidge Corner Theatre joins The Culture Show to preview Schlock and Awe: The William Castle Experience, which kicks off tomorrow. Coolidge Corner Theatre describes the series as a “journey through cinematic history, where Castle's ingenious marketing ploys turned a night at the movies into a truly immersive experience.” The series will feature a mix of Castle’s cult classic, his influence on cinema and crowning achievements. -
September 27, 2024 - Week in Review: Maggie Smith, a New England treasure hunt, and SNL at 50
Today Edgar B. Herwick III, Jared Bowen and Culture Show contributor Lisa Simmons go over the latest headlines on our arts and culture week-in-review.First up: we remember actor Dame Maggie Smith, who has died at age 89. A legend of the British stage, she also won Oscars, Tonys and Golden Globes. She enchanted new generations by way of Harry Potter. And, then of course, she was the Dowager Countess from Downton Abbey everyone wanted to sit next to for her delicious courses of wit. From there it’s a new narrative for the videogame The Legend of Zelda. It’s the princess who’s now doing the saving. Then Project Skydrop, which sounds like a quest you’d find in The Legend of Zelda. Superstar video game designers have invented a real life event that has sent people scouring the woods of New England for golden treasure.And, Saturday Night Live turns 50. Now old enough to have an AARP membership, does it still have its edge and cultural relevance.First up: Project Skydrop. It’s what happens when superstar video game designers invent a real life event – a treasure hunt, which now has people scouring the woods of New England in search of buried treasure.. From there, a spin on cancel culture. Called “click to cancel,” a new law in California makes it as easy to cancel a subscription as it is to sign up for one. Plus, if less is more, are Americans ready for a super-downsize –me movement, as the restaurant industry considers serving up smaller portions?Finally, SNL turns 50. Now old enough to have an AARP membership, does it still have its edge and cultural relevance? -
September 26, 2024 - Liz Cheney, Poetry Downtown Festival, and Joyce Kulhawik on Boston theatre
Former Republican Congresswoman Liz Cheney. She has become an astute observer of the ever widening cultural divide in American politics. Now in her memoir, “Oath and Honor,” she paints a scathing portrait of the Republican party, condemning her former colleagues and party leaders who after the 2020 election were willing to violate their oath to the Constitution out of political expediency and loyalty to Donald Trump. From there, it’s poetry in motion. A traveling festival, celebrating the legacy of Edgar Allan Poe kicks off in Boston, launching its four-city tour. Dutch artist Erik van Loon, founder of the Poetry Downtown Festival joins The Culture Show with a previewFinally, Joyce Kulhawik is here for Balancing Acts, a look at the latest plays in the area with a focus on what to prioritize amid the bounty of productions. Joyce Kulhawik is an Emmy-award winning arts and entertainment reporter, president of the Boston Theatre Critics Association and you can find her reviews on joyceschoices.com
