Episodes
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November 21, 2025 - Week in Review: The Michelin Guide in Boston, the Grand Egyptian Museum, and Thanksgiving
Edgar B. Herwick III, Callie Crossley and Culture Show contributor Lisa Simmons go over the latest headlines on our arts and culture week-in-review. Greater Boston has officially entered the world of fine-dining prestige. For the first time, the Michelin Guide included the region in its Northeast Cities edition — awarding a coveted star, several Bib Gourmands, and even a cocktails honor. It’s a milestone moment for the local dining scene and a boost to the city’s culinary profile.As Boston celebrates its Michelin debut, Hollywood is serving up overdue recognition of its own. Tom Cruise — one of the industry’s most enduring blockbuster stars — has finally received an honorary Oscar.And from Oscar gold to Klimt’s Venetian Golden Age; at Sotheby’s, Gustav Klimt’s 1910 portrait of Elisabeth Lederer sold for a staggering $236.4 million, setting a new auction record for modern art.Plus Pope Leo XIV has taken a tangible step toward reconciliation with Indigenous Canadian communities, as the Vatican Museums officially hand over dozens of artifacts collected by missionaries generations ago.Finally, we’re also getting into the holiday spirit with an all-things-Thanksgiving roundup, from the holiday traditions to the eternal Thanksgiving dinner debates. -
November 20, 2025 - 2000 Meters to Andriivka, Evan Dando of The Lemonheads, and Improv Asylum's Norm Laviolette
FRONTLINE and the Associated Press return to Ukraine with “2000 Meters to Andriivka,” a gripping new documentary from the Oscar-winning team behind “20 Days in Mariupol.” The film embeds with Ukrainian soldiers fighting to reclaim a village outside Kyiv, offering an unfiltered view of life — and loss — in a grinding, three-year conflict. FRONTLINE’s Editor-in-Chief and Executive Producer Raney Aronson-Rath joins The Culture Show to talk about the filmmakers, the collaboration, and the responsibility of documenting war. “2000 Meters to Andriivka,” premieres on November 25th on PBS and various streaming platforms. To learn more go here.Evan Dando, the Boston-born frontman of The Lemonheads, joins us to talk about a remarkable stretch of new work: “Rumors of My Demise,” his new memoir tracing the highs, lows, and chaotic detours of rock-star life. “Love Chant,” The Lemonheads’ first album of original music in nearly 20 years and a national tour that brings the band back home for a show at the Wilbur Theatre on November 26. To learn more about the show go here.After a catastrophic flood shut down its North End theater last March, Improv Asylum is officially back at 216 Hanover Street. Following months of rebuilding and reimagining, the company celebrated its Grand Reopening in October — and returned with its Main Stage revue, “The North End Justifies the Means.” Co-founder and CEO Norm Laviolette joins The Culture Show to talk about the flood, the comeback, and what’s next for the comedy institution. To learn more about all things Improv Asylum go here. -
November 19, 2025 - Mary Grant, the Florida Highwaymen, and Chef Daniel Kenney's Thanksgiving tips
Mary Grant, president of MassArt, joins us for her monthly episode, “AI Actual Intelligence.” This month she talks about the Department of Homeland Security’s use of Norman Rockwell’s paintings on their social media channels.Then we look at the Florida Highwaymen, the group of Black painters who turned Florida’s wild horizons into some of the most sought-after landscapes of the 20th century. Their vibrant scenes—sunrises, storm fronts, and stretching marshland—are now the focus of a major exhibition at the Addison Gallery. Curator Gordon Wilkins joins us to explore their artistry, their hustle, and the legacy they carved outside the mainstream. To learn more, go here.Chef Daniel Kenney, Executive Chef of Willow & Ivy at The Lenox Hotel, shares his approach to a lower-stress Thanksgiving: Willow & Ivy’s Take & Bake feast. The feast feeds a table of eight and eliminates the holiday heavy lifting. To learn more about this recipe for Thanksgiving Day success go here. -
November 18, 2025 - Ins Choi on "Kim's Convenience," Dread Scott, and Pedro Alonzo
Playwright Ins Choi joins us to discuss Kim’s Convenience, his hit play now onstage at the Huntington Theatre Company (November 6–30, 2025). Drawing on his Korean-Canadian upbringing, the story follows a family running a corner store and the cultural and generational tensions that shape their lives. Choi originally played the son and now portrays the father, offering fresh insight into the world he created. Tickets and info: Huntington Theatre CompanyVisual artist Dread Scott—known for work that confronts power and scrutinizes America’s layered history—joins us to talk about Fall of Freedom. The sweeping, multi-city project is being organized amid growing concerns about democratic backsliding. Dread Scott is part of a coalition of artists, which includes Ava Duvernay, John Legend, Jeffrey Wright, who are responding to rising threats to civil liberties and engaging the public in collective acts of resistance. “Fall of Freedom” is nationwide, with local arts organizations hosting events in Massachusetts. To learn more go here.Contributor Pedro Alonzo examines how tech consolidation, shrinking competition, and unchecked corporate power are reshaping daily life in America. For him, it echoes the Mexico he grew up in, where monopolies and political control once stifled innovation and opportunity. Pedro draws the parallels—and the warnings—these trends carry for the present moment. -
November 17, 2025 - Serj Tankian, Nora Burnett Abrams, and Jane Eaglen
Serj Tankian, the electrifying voice of System of a Down and a defining figure in alternative metal, steps into a new creative realm with The Art of Disruption: The Art and Impact of Serj Tankian at the Armenian Museum of America in Watertown. The exhibition, which is on view through Feb 28 2026, blends sound, color, and political urgency—and you can check it out here.Then Nora Burnett Abrams joins us. She is the Institute of Contemporary Art / Boston’s Ellen Matilda Poss Director. After fifteen years at MCA Denver, she brings a bold curatorial vision and a deep commitment to emerging artists. She joins us to talk about her plans for the ICA’s future.Finally it’s time for our recurring series “AI: Actual Intelligence.” Grammy-winning soprano Jane Eaglen joins us. A performer on the world’s greatest opera stages and now a faculty member at the New England Conservatory, she also serves as President of the Boston Wagner Society. -
November 14, 2025 - Week in Review: Pope Leo XIV's favorite films, AI-generated music , and RIP the penny
Today Jared Bowen, Edgar B. Herwick III, and Callie Crossley go over the latest arts and culture headlines. First up, Pope Leo XIV has revealed his four favorite movies: “It’s a Wonderful Life” “The Sound of Music,” “Ordinary People” and “Life Is Beautiful.” He’s sharing his watchlist ahead of the Vatican’s first-ever “Meeting with the World of Cinema,” a Hollywood summit inside the Apostolic Palace that invites filmmakers and faith leaders to talk art, empathy, and storytelling.From there, Boston’s Folk Americana Roots Hall of Fame is set to honor a dozen musical legends who are responsible for some of the greatest music moments of the past century. The esteemed list of inductees includes some of the most notable names in folk, Americana, and roots music history, such as Jackson Browne, Aretha Franklin and Muddy Waters. And “Walk My Way,” becomes the first AI-generated song to top the Country Music Billboard charts. Created by the artificial band Breaking Rust.. And it’s not alone: R&B’s newest sensation is the AI generated hit “How Was I Supposed to Know?” Finally, after more than two centuries in circulation, the penny is finally making a change of its own. The U.S. Mint has pressed its last one-cent coin, ending a 232-year run for the country’s smallest piece of currency. -
November 13, 2025 - Allan Rohan Crite: Urban Glory and Griot of Boston, John Lam on "Act II," and Jackson Cannon
Two Boston institutions come together to celebrate the life and legacy of artist Allan Rohan Crite, the city’s great chronicler of everyday Black life. His work—paintings, prints, and illustrations—captured the spirit of the South End and Roxbury for decades. Allan Rohan Crite: Urban Glory is on view at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum through January 19, and Allan Rohan Crite: Griot of Boston is at the Boston Athenaeum through January 24. Guests Ted Landsmark, co-curator of “Allan Rohan Crite: Urban Glory” at the Gardner Museum, and Christina Michelon, curator of “Allan Rohan Crite: Griot of Boston at the Athenaeum” discuss how these companion exhibitions illuminate his enduring impact.After more than twenty years as a principal dancer with Boston Ballet, John Lam begins his next act. He’s launched Lam Dance Works, a new company centered on collaboration and creative exploration. Its debut performance, Act II, takes place Friday, November 15 at the Emerson Paramount Center. Lam joins the show to share his vision for this new chapter in movement and artistry.Boston’s cocktail scene has long had a master behind the bar: Jackson Cannon, Beverage Director at ES Hospitality and the creative force at Eastern Standard. He joins the show to talk about Boston’s evolving bar culture and his upcoming holiday cocktail classes at Eastern Standard Kitchen & Drinks on November 16 and December 14. Listeners can reserve a spot here. -
November 12, 2025 - Lucía Abramovich Sánchez, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, and Mahesh Daas
The wizarding world returns to the stage as “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” casts its spell on Boston audiences. The Tony Award–winning play follows a grown-up Harry and his son Albus as they navigate family, friendship, and the legacy of magic. Actors Nick Dillenburg and Adam Grant Morrison join The Culture Show to talk about bringing these iconic characters to life at the Emerson Colonial Theatre through December 20. To learn more go here.In our ongoing series marking America’s 250th anniversary, we explore how art helps us understand the Revolution and its global context. This month, the Museum of Fine Arts highlights a rare mid-18th-century desk and bookcase crafted in Puebla, Mexico—an object that reveals the intertwined stories of trade, empire, and independence. Lucía Abramovich Sánchez, the MFA’s Carolyn and Peter Lynch Associate Curator of American Decorative Arts and Sculpture, joins us to unpack its history and meaning.Each month, The Culture Show’s “AI: Actual Intelligence” segment taps into fresh ideas from creative thinkers across the region. Culture Show contributor Mahesh Daas, president of Boston Architectural College, discusses the ecological design philosophy of landscape architect Kongjian Yu. He became world renowned for conceptualizing "Sponge Cities," which uses parks, wetlands, and waterways to protect people while making cities more livable. A retrospective of his work is now on view at the BAC’s McCormick Gallery through January 16th. To learn more go here. -
November 11, 2025 - A Revolutionary Concert for Paul Revere, A Revelation of Character, and Tania León
Regie Gibson, inaugural poet laureate of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and Nina Zannieri, Executive Director of the Paul Revere Memorial Association, join The Culture Show for a preview of “A Revolutionary Concert: Paul Revere, the Man, the Myth, and the Music.” Commemorating the 250th anniversary of Paul Revere’s Midnight Ride; it takes place November 13 at 7 p.m. at Boston’s Converse Hall. Admission is free with registration here. Playwright Patrick Gabridge and director Lisa Rafferty bring to life the voices of abolitionist women Lydia Maria Child, Maria Weston Chapman in “A Revelation of Character.” Commissioned by The Associates of the Boston Public Library and created with Plays in Place, the staged reading draws from letters in the Library’s Anti-Slavery Collection. Performances take place November 13-15 in Rabb Hall at the Boston Public Library’s Copley Square branch. Admission is free with registration here.Pulitzer Prize–winning composer and conductor Tania León reunites with the Boston Symphony Orchestra for the world premiere of “Time to Time,” a new orchestral work co-commissioned by the BSO. León, a trailblazer who helped define the sound of the Dance Theatre of Harlem, continues to expand the reach of American music. Performances run November 13–15 at Symphony Hall, to learn more go here. -
November 10, 2025 - David Drake's pottery and legacy, Patrick Wolf, and Dorie Greenspan
The Museum of Fine Arts,Boston has taken a historic step in confronting America’s past, returning two monumental stoneware vessels to the descendants of David Drake — an enslaved potter from South Carolina who inscribed his name and poetry into clay when literacy was forbidden. His fourth-generation granddaughter Pauline Baker and her son Yaba Baker join The Culture Show to reflect on Drake’s legacy and what this homecoming means for their family. To learn more go here.After a decade away from the spotlight, British musician Patrick Wolf returns with “Crying the Neck,” an album inspired by the rugged coastline of eastern England and a creative rebirth years in the making. He joins The Culture Show ahead of his performance tonight at The Center for the Arts at the Armory in Somerville at 7 p.m. To learn more go here.And five-time James Beard Award winner Dorie Greenspan brings sweetness (and some savoriness) to the everyday with her new cookbook “Dorie’s Anytime Cakes” — filled with loaves, Bundts and snackable slices. She appears tonight at Trillium Fort Point in the Seaport for a 6 p.m. Q&A and signing. To learn more go here.
