Episodes
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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. -
November 7, 2025 - The 2026 Grammy nominations, Jonathan Bailey, and Tom Brady's cloned dog
Today Jared Bowen, Edgar B. Herwick III, and Culture Show contributor Lisa Simmons, artistic and executive director of the Roxbury International Film Festival and program manager at Mass Cultural Council, go over the latest arts and culture headlines. First up, the Grammy nominations are out, and music’s biggest night is making history. For the first time in fifty years, the Recording Academy will honor album art alongside album of the year. And in the country categories, the field’s been split to recognize both traditional and contemporary country sounds.From there “People” has named “Bridgerton” star Jonathan Bailey the Sexiest Man Alive. The British actor, soon to appear in Wicked, becomes the first openly gay man to receive the title Then it’s onto Hollywood’s most glamorous sow; Miss Piggy is finally getting her own feature film, produced by Oscar winners Jennifer Lawrence and Emma Stone, with a script by Tony Award winner Cole Escola. Now the pressure’s on the diva to bring home the bacon at the box office.And after decades of planning, Egypt’s new mega-museum has opened near the Pyramids of Giza. The Grand Egyptian Museum will display the full collection of Tutankhamun’s tomb for the first time, with more than 50,000 artifacts showcased in cutting-edge galleries — a triumph of culture and ambition.Finally, Tom Brady’s latest play has him in the dog house — this time with ethicists and animal welfare advocates. The former quarterback revealed his new dog is a clone of his late pit bull mix, created through Colossal Biosciences — a biotech firm he invests in that’s also known for its efforts to resurrect extinct species. -
November 6, 2025 - Anthony Amore on "The Rembrandt Heist," Benjamin Fortier, and Lizard Boy
Few people know more about art theft than Anthony Amore. As Director of Security and Chief Investigator at Boston’s Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, he’s spent decades pursuing the truth behind its legendary 1990 heist. His new book, “The Rembrandt Heist: The Story of a Criminal Genius, a Stolen Masterpiece, and an Enigmatic Friendship,” revisits another one of Boston’s great art crimes — the 1975 theft of a Rembrandt from the MFA — and the larger-than-life thief who pulled it off, Myles Connor. Tonight he’ll be at Wellesley Books at 7:00. To learn more go here.Marine Corps veteran turned poet and playwright Benjamin Fortier transforms the experience of war into art that probes topics such as memory, duty, and loss. His award-winning poetry collection “Phantoms” and his powerful monologue “Michael and the Saints” explore what lingers long after combat. The work will be featured November 10 at Hyannis Arts Hall as part of In Honor: A Grief Dialogues Experience, marking Veterans Day and the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Marine Corps. To learn more go here.Writer, composer, and performer Justin Huertas reimagines the superhero origin story in “Lizard Boy,” a queer coming-of-age musical where dragon’s blood, heartbreak, and indie rock collide. Since premiering at Seattle Rep, it’s become a cult favorite for its humor, heart, and soaring sound. Presented by SpeakEasy Stage Company, “Lizard Boy” runs through November 22 at the Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts. To learn more go here. -
November 5, 2025 - Wednesday Watch Party: Back to the Future
Today we’re revving up the DeLorean for a trip “Back to the Future.” Jared Bowen, Callie Crossley, and Edgar B. Herwick III co-host this month’s Wednesday Watch Party and revisit the 1985 sci-fi comedy that made time travel cool — and Michael J. Fox a star. Directed by Robert Zemeckis and produced by Steven Spielberg, the film became the top-grossing movie of the year and a pop-culture touchstone. Four decades later, the hosts ask: does this time-travel classic still stand the test of time — or has the future finally caught up to it? -
November 4, 2025 - Imari Paris Jeffries, Balanchine's Jewels at the Boston Ballet, and Uli Lorimer
Imari Paris Jeffries — President and CEO of Embrace Boston and co-chair of Everyone 250 — returns for another edition of “AI: Actual Intelligence,” which spotlights original, algorithm-free thinkers from the region’s sharpest minds. George Balanchine’s “Jewels” — the first full-length abstract ballet — returns to Boston Ballet for the first time in more than a decade. Artistic Director Mikko Nissinen reflects on the legacy of Balanchine, the music that animates each act, and why this glittering triptych still captivates dancers and audiences alike. “Jewels” is on November 6th through November 6- November 16, to learn more go here.As autumn settles in, Uli Lorimer, Director of Horticulture at Native Plant Trust, joins us to dig into the Leave the Leaves campaign — a call to rethink fall cleanup. He explains how fallen foliage nourishes the soil, shelters pollinators, and transforms our backyards into thriving habitats through the cold months ahead. -
November 3, 2025 - Chris Grace, Crispin Glover, and Matthew Shifrin
Comedian and actor Chris Grace returns to The Culture Show to talk about Sardines (A Comedy About Death), his autobiographical one-man show now at the Huntington Theatre through November 16. To learn more go here.Then actor, author, and filmmaker Crispin Glover joins The Culture Show to discuss his latest film, “No! You’re Wrong. or Spooky Action at a Distance.” For nearly two decades, Glover has been making and performing in films that defy convention—films that he writes, directs, and presents himself. He screens the new film tonight at the Coolidge Corner Theatre. To learn more about this and future screenings go here.And Matthew Shifrin, founder and CEO of Bricks for the Blind, returns for our “AI: Actual Intelligence” series. His Boston nonprofit translates LEGO instructions for builders with vision loss. Today he discusses how technology might help the visually impaired read facial expressions—and the emotions behind them.
